Already this year, there have been over 100 albums dropped by all types of artists. With so much new music out there, you may be stuck at a crossroads of what to be listening to. I’ve decided to compile a list of my favorite albums that have been released so far in 2016, new bands to check out, and who to anticipate later on this year.

First up we’ll hit pop music; these artists, of course, perform a variety of genres, but these songs are more from the radio stars.

Although David Bowe was tragically taken from the world this year, he did get one last album released before his death, entitled Blackstar. This album is a fitting end to his eccentric life.

As much as some people would like to call Panic! At The Disco punk music, they have taken a shift into the pop culture light. Their new album, Death of a Bachelor, does give some integrity to their old stylings, but also adds a bit more synthesizer and repetition to hit off nicely in the pop media.

The next genres to hit are my favorites, indie and folk. Already there are been over a dozen of these albums that flew out under the radar of pop culture media. Some are definitely worth checking out, but others, not so much.

One of the ones I wouldn’t waste my time with would be the new album Perfect by Half Japanese. Their sound is very messy and somewhat screechy. Although they are trying for the indie rock sound, it’s coming across more as an disunified garageband.

The vocals are all in the same distant, somewhat metallic. These songs all have way too much going on at once and each instrument sounds like it’s trying to overpower the others.

On a lighter note, Villagers’ album Where Have You Been All My Life? is a very sweet version of folk music. The album is slow and quiet, with a very fluid transition between songs. This album would be a great background play for homework or just relaxing.

The last album I’d recommend checking into would be Moth by Chairlift. Their style of indie is a little bit jazzy, which is something that is slightly unexpected. Obviously, you can never tell what you are going to get with an indie artist, but Chairlift seemed to define themselves more prominently in my mind then other bands I had heard from this genre.

Some new bands are appearing that should definitely be on your list to check out. Dream pop artists, though they have been around since the 80’s, seem to be making a comeback this year. School of Seven Bells creates catchy lyrics and hypnotic beats, much like pop music, while still retaining their individuality.

And if you are looking for a laugh, I’d suggest checking into the artist Blaze Ya Dead Homie and the album they dropped January 15th of this year entitled The Casket Factory. This album is not for sensitive listeners, though, as the genre they describe themselves as is “horrorcore.” I wasn’t expecting much from listening to their album, but I did end up laughing harder than I have in quite some time.

Coming down the pipes in May are some artists that show a promising potential for great music. For pop, we have Ariana Grande, Bob Dylan, Fifth Harmony, Meghan Trainor, and Britney Spears. For those who are into more of the pop punk scene, Relient K and Pierce the Veil will be creating new albums this month as well. A newer punk band called Real Friends are releasing their second studio album at the end of May, and it is definitely worth checking out.

For those who want lighter, more indie listening, Catfish and the Bottlemen as well as American Authors are also releasing albums this month. Highasakite is an indie Norwegian band that is starting to get media attention, with their last album hitting number one on the charts in Norway.

2016 is already turning out to be a promising year in new content and, thankfully, originality. Although the radio can be great, I would urge everyone to check out the Wikipedia page on all the albums of 2016 and find a new artist to fall in love with. They even have the lineup for the entire year, so you can be the first to know when your favorite artist drops a new album.