Music’s major impact as an art form isn’t just about eliciting a feeling or mood, but capturing the human experience in a way that listeners might not be able to articulate themselves, but can completely understand and recognize when they hear it. Basically, we’ve all gone through some s*** and had a song that carried us through, or felt like we didn’t belong and found our kindred spirits in an album or a music scene. And in this rollercoaster ride that is 2016, music’s ability to raise awareness and questions and unify us at a human level is more important than ever. It’s the community people look to in times of need or times of joy. Whether reading about punk’s foundation in protest and hip-hop’s responses to police brutality or listening to TORI KELLY grieving for CHRISTINA GRIMMIE. MY MORNING JACKET’s plea for equality, STEVIE WONDER’s command to “choose love over hate” and ALESSIA CARA's reminder about beauty, music is providing that warm embrace we need in these crazy times.