To say 2015, or any other year, was a “great” one for pop culture is unnecessary and redundant, given the quantity of content available for consumption.
The real question is what’s worth seeking out. If you’re looking to catch up on some of the year’s best, you could do worse than starting here.

A year ago, Earl Sweatshirt took to Twitter to declare, “Im [sic] just trying to make pretty music.” This statement likely came as a shock to the fans of his critically acclaimed 2010 mixtape, “Earl,” on which he openly rapped about drug abuse, murder and sexual violence over beats that are likely to be described as sinister and violent.