No, it's not just all Beyoncé songs.

We're heading toward the tail end of 2016, and while this year has taken many of our musical heroes from us, including Prince and David Bowie, it's also given us some of the most potent and paradigm-shifting music in recent memory, from rock to R&B, rap, and everything else in between.

Here are some of the year's best cuts so far.

"Send My Love (To Your New Lover)," Adele

We've all been there: You just found out your ex-flame has a new squeeze, and you feel funny about it. But Adele's bouncy "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" is the perfect example of taking the higher road in this scenario. She still throws some righteous shade ("I was too strong, you were trembling") but ultimately she forgives her ex, tells them she's moved on, and instead implores them to "treat her better."

"Formation," Beyoncé

It was the call heard 'round the world: "Okay ladies, now let's get in formation." Beyoncé's first single from Lemonade, strategically dropped the day before she was scheduled to take the Superbowl halftime stage with Coldplay, is a political, no-holds-barred account of what it means to be black in America today, with all of its beauty and fraughtness. It also continues to be an ode to slaying all day, and a reminder to "always stay gracious; best revenge is your paper."

"Needed Me," Rihanna

"Work" might be the most radio-friendly cut from Rihanna's ANTI, but "Needed Me" is the true centerpiece of this album. Here, Rihanna adds to the canon of anthems for independent women and, with warbling beats backing her up, throws shade at a guy who treats her like a damsel in distress: "Fuck your white horse and a carriage." She's perfectly fine on her own.

"Get a Yes," Sad13

Sad13 is the solo moniker of Sadie Dupuis, who's known for fronting the excellent Speedy Ortiz. Ahead of her solo debut album's November release, Dupuis turned away from Speedy Ortiz's jagged rock anthems in favor of a sugar-coated pop tune, "Get a Yes." The shimmering song also tackles a critical subject that's not typically the stuff of pop: consent. "I say yes to the dress when I put it on," she sings, "I say yes if I want you to take it off."

"Shut Up Kiss Me," Angel Olsen

Given her country-folk beginnings and singular talent, Angel Olsen was touted early on to be the next Patsy Cline. And then she flipped the expectations around entirely, moving past her mission to "unfuck the world" and releasing the gorgeous pop album My Woman, which she's said tackles "the complicated mess of being a woman." On the rollicking rock stomper "Shut Up Kiss Me," Olsen assures her former love that she can make everything alright again, even offering them to "feed me all of your fears."

"No Problem," Chance the Rapper ft. 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne

Diss tracks are a mainstay in rap, but diss tracks about record labels themselves are in a league of their own. With "No Problem," Chicago wunderkind Chance the Rapper ingeniously crafted an advisory towards labels—to not give him any more problems while he's trying to just hunker down and be creative—while simultaneously making one of the most irresistibly danceable songs of the year.

"Fool," Frankie Cosmos

Frankie Cosmos's great talent lies in spinning fully realized tales featuring characters made sentient—and often in under a minute and a half. On the great poignant lo-fi pop tune "Fool," from her recent album Next Thing, she berates someone who left her waiting and feeling like a fool, when all she wanted to do was "talk on darker days, with our boots kicked off."

"X.T.Y," Sneaks

If you've ever felt the kind of anxiety that skitters in your brain like a barreling train, Sneaks's "X.T.Y" was written for you. "Anxiety, you take the best of me, you turn me inside out and then you ruin me," sings Eva Moolchan, a beefy bassline and drum machine behind her. Moolchan, who recently re-issued her debut album Gymnastics, will floor you with her angular post-punk gems.

"Happy," Mitski

Mitski makes music that's at once revelatory and a kind of reckoning. On "Happy," the album opener to her incredible album Puberty 2, Mitski personifies that emotion as a guy who visits temporarily, brings cookies, then leaves the wrappers for her to clean up alone. The song, buffeted by saxophones and a clanging drum machine, not only finds Mitski flexing her inimitable pipes; it's also brilliant commentary on the societal pressure to constantly be happy.

"Trans Day of Revenge," G.L.O.S.S.

G.L.O.S.S., short for Girls Living Outside Society's Shit, is a band from Olympia, Washington that embodies everything hardcore punk purports to champion (but so often doesn't): a brazen, unrelenting, breakneck rejection of the status quo, and a haven for outsiders everywhere. On the barreling "Trans Day of Revenge," the title track from their eponymous 7-inch, vocalist Sadie Switchblade screams both an elegy and a call to arms: "Remember those dead and gone, but don't let the media set us up for harm."

"Conceptual Romance," Jenny Hval

The Norwegian avant-garde artist Jenny Hval is soon to release the visceral Blood Bitch, a conceptual album probing the implications of blood, from the menstrual to the life force of vampires. Ahead of that, she's released the gossamer "Conceptual Romance." It pulses with an electronic undercurrent, but it's anchored by Hval's evocative voice, drawing you closer with poetic musings on combined failures, heartbreak, and abstract romanticism.

"Worth the Tears," Sheer Mag

Philadelphia's Sheer Mag specializes in lickety-split riffs and irresistibly hooky songs that remind you just why you fell in love with rock and roll in the first place. The band has yet to record a full-length album, but their various 7-inches are laden with gems, like the stomping "Worth the Tears," a headbanger in which vocalist Tina Halladay reckons with an ex-lover: "But at least I tried, and the time we had was worth the tears that you made me cry."

"Love Is Not Love," Cate Le Bon

The Welsh songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Cate Le Bon specializes in thinking outside the norm—and it's especially true of her stunning track "Love Is Not Love." A downtempo beat and saxophones behind her, Le Bon wonders aloud on the melancholic song about the so-called universality of the word love: "Love is not love when it's a coat hanger," she croons, "A borrowed line or passenger."

"Do You Need My Love," Weyes Blood

Natalie Mering, better known by her musical moniker Weyes Blood, crafts music that sounds almost out of time. Her latest, "Do You Need My Love," from her forthcoming album Front Row Seat to Earth, is a '60s-leaning throwback bursting with cinematic harmonies, a lysergic, dream-like melody, and vocals that sound like they were dug up from '70s-era Laurel Canyon and Downey, when the likes of Joni Mitchell and the Carpenters roamed, respectively.

"Blackstar," David Bowie

David Bowie, the starman himself, released Blackstar a mere few days before catapulting off into the cosmos forever. And what a gift this last album is, especially cuts like the title track "Blackstar," a lonesome—and eerily prescient—saxophone dirge that finds Bowie contemplating life after death.

"Janie In Love," Marissa Nadler

Marissa Nadler is a master at crafting the dramatic gothic folk song, and she's at her absolute best with the gorgeous "Janie In Love," from her recently released album Strangers. "You're a natural disaster and I am watching you blow up everything," she sings, as she watches the ground shake underneath her feet.

"Company," Tinashe

It's been an emotional rollercoaster staying up to date with Tinashe this year, as she keeps pushing back the release date for her forthcoming album Joyride. Maybe—we hope—it'll be out before 2017? Luckily, she released the 8-bit-infused no-commitment jam "Company," which is a banger from start to finish.

"The Wheel," PJ Harvey

PJ Harvey is the kind of artist who reinvents herself with every album cycle. On her latest, The Hope Six Demolition Project, she recorded in public at London's Somerset House, and went for a huge band sound. Its snappiest number is the rollicking "The Wheel," bursting with big choruses, rhythmic hand-clapping, and a good dose of shredding.

"Ivy," Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean's flipped the script in every way for his fantastic new album Blonde: from the album's lead-up, the visual accompanying film Endless, and the varied sounds, from R&B and noise, it's built from. On "Ivy," a dreamy shoegaze guitar line accompanies Frank's voice, which swoons, "I thought I was dreamin' when you said you loved me," as he tries to figure out where a past relationship went wrong.

"Jesus Alone," Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

The somber opener of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' devastating new album, Skeleton Tree, is a riff on a well-known Biblical tale. On "Jesus Alone," the sinister synth and piano lines underscore Cave's impressive improvisation chops, never better, and also humanizes grief in the complicated, real way that it demands.

"Pick Up the Phone," Young Thug and Travi$ Scott ft. Quavo

We dare you to sit still while listening to "Pick Up the Phone," the wonderful, warped single from the mind of Young Thug (who may still be going by No, My Name is Jeffery these days). Bouncing with an akimbo beat, the anthemic song tackles one of the perils of modern life: wanting to connect with a loved one, but they just won't pick up the phone. Now, if only someone would write a song about people who don't text back.

"The Numbers," Radiohead

Alt-rock deities Radiohead teased their latest album, A Moon Shaped Pool, with a series of characteristically cryptic clues. The anxieties of the modern world make themselves plain on this album (as in much of Radiohead's past music), but on the piano-driven "The Numbers," Thom Yorke offers a kind of consolation, even in our frightening world: "People have this power," he sings. "The numbers don't decide."

"Drone Bomb Me," ANOHNI

Protest music has been historically associated with folk strums from the likes of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. But through bleeps, bloops, and her penchant for the theatrical, ANOHNI is rewriting the score. Look no further than the buoyant swells of "Drone Bomb Me" for a visceral example of how dancing really can inspire a revolution.

"Only Girl," Kali Uchis

The Colombian vocalist and artist Kali Uchis is lowkey, making some of the most inventive R&B as of late. "Only Girl," her sultry track featuring a dream team of Vince Staples, Steve Lacy, and production by Kaytranada, is a throwback that'll make you want to cruise around in a lowrider, windows rolled down, with no particular destination in mind.

"Fool to Love," Nao

Nao, who hails from East London, grew up singing in gospel choirs and studied jazz composition—and those roots make themselves clear in her versatile pipes and limber, effortless-sounding delivery. These days, she's making fantastic, futurist R&B pop that beats with a funky heart. On the smooth-grooving "Fool to Love," from her album For All We Know, Nao pens an auditory goodbye letter to a former love whom, ultimately, she realizes she's better without.

"Work From Home," Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign

It's interesting that two of the songs that were the hardest to unstick from our minds—Rihanna's "Work" and Fifth Harmony's "Work From Home"—concern the working life. In theirs, Fifth Harmony make a strong case for working from home, which is becoming more popular and feasible by the day: both practically (thanks, internet!) and emotionally, as long as it's backed by their ebullient take on the daily grind.

"Augustine," Blood Orange

Dev Hynes, better known by his alias Blood Orange, tackles gnarled conceptions of history, race, and gender, with all of their complications, in his album Freetown Sound. On the angelic "Augustine," he ponders family history and the words of Saint Augustine, honoring the fallen Trayvon Martin behind drum machines and a massive, meditative hook.

"Why You Always Hatin'?" YG ft. Kamaiyah, Drake

YG's "Why You Always Hatin'" is a space-age anthem for people who are proud of their accomplishments. "Why you hatin' on the progress?" YG asks, in a dig to the doubters. It remains unclear why people hate on others' successes, but this jam is damn near impossible to not bust a move to.

"Existence in the Unfurling," Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is a maestro of crafting extraordinary electronic soundscapes from what might initially seem ordinary. On her ambient opus "Existence in the Unfurling," the central single from her effervescent 2016 album EARS, Smith croons like a sentient robot over a slowly rising crescendo of horn toots, gentle twinkles, and gurgling synthesizers. It's a track that's easy to get lost in and hard to forget.

"Fall in Love," GoldLink ft. Ciscero

GoldLink and Ciscero's fantastic collaborative tune, "Fall in Love," is a throwback to a funkier era: the '70s. In the track, two D.C.-area rappers wax poetic and warn about the perils of falling in love. But with a bassline this funky, and vocals this soulful, who wouldn't succumb? We dare you to not bust a move to this tune. Check out the song's corresponding video, too, which features a house party where the 40s flow and people get down low.

"Naive to the Bone," Marie Davidson

Montréal's resident electro-punk provocateur Marie Davidson lays down a slew of confessions on her Minimal Wave single, "Naive to the Bone"—and frankly, she doesn't care what you think. "It seems like honesty isn't so fashionable these days, it's true. I ask a lot of questions," she admits, over synthesizers that seem to strut. In fact, Davidson's song is one mic drop after another: "Is it that you feel superior behind a costume of indifference?" she asks. "In the Middle Ages, people used to wear cloaks. It's 2016, get real."

"Cranes in the Sky," Solange

Leave it to the Knowles sisters to release two of the best albums of year: Lemonade and A Seat at the Table. Solange's stunning "Cranes in the Sky," a cut from the latter, is a poignant account of trying to find solace despite attempts to "drink it away," "dance it away," or solve it with retail therapy or work. The song, drifting along with Raphael Saadiq's fluttering bassline, is at once a pained confession and a hope-filled hymn: the sound of a woman resolved to right things with herself once and for all.

"You're the One," Kaytranada ft. Syd

It's been a huge year for Kaytranada, to say the least. The Montréal beatmaker and producer's album 99.9% isn't just one of the most innovative things to drop in recent memory, but it also nabbed Canada's prestigious Polaris Prize. Kay (née Louis Kevin Celestin) worked with some serious luminaries on the album, including Anderson .Paak, Vic Mensa, and BadBadNotGood, and it's especially hard to pick a favorite from this shimmering collection of songs. But his Syd-assisted track "You're the One" is a bonafide rumpshaker that'll light up any dance floor, whether that's at home or at the club.

"We The People…," A Tribe Called Quest

As evidenced by their latest album, We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service, hip-hop vets A Tribe Called Quest are still very much leading the game. They also prove that politically inflected rhymes can exist as a vessel for calling out social problems and concrete action, as well as a catchy tune you can hum along with, especially on the barreling "We The People." On it, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (who passed away in March) rail against hatred and false narratives, with a hook that resonates as chillingly immediate for our times: "All you Black folks, you must go."

"Young, Latin and Proud," Helado Negro

Roberto Carlos Lange is Helado Negro, a spectral songwriter who often performs with silvery monsters the Tinsel Mammals shimmying behind him on stage. The Ecuadorian-American performer wrote the lilting Spanglish single "Young, Latin and Proud," from his album Private Energy, in part as a letter to his younger self. It's also a reminder to those who feel conflicted about their identities that it's more than okay to be proud of who you are. "It's about feeling a sense of pride and self-confidence, understanding that you're born into something and it's alright to feel good about it,"he told FADER earlier this year.

BY PAULA MEJIA via Elle.com