music in T he past year has been a whirl- wind of news, both good and bad. We’ve seen career-launching debuts, established artists moving in completely new directions, and artists stepping in and speaking out to make a difference. Unfortunately, we have also suffered the losses of truly influential artists who helped shape the music world that we know today. It’s hard to keep up with so much going on all the time, so Cliché is here to help you out. We’ve compiled a list of all the most important events of the year. BY LILLY MILMAN writers Hall of Fame. This marks a transition for rap, as it becomes more accepted as part of the popular music scene. JANUARY MARCH 7: SXSW CHANGES ARTIST CONTRACT SXSW releases a public apology and prom- ises not to escalate issues of safety at the festival past local authorities. The festival had been experiencing extreme backlash regarding an artist contract that stated the festival reserves the right to contact im- migration authorities about foreign artists who may or may not be legally attending the showcases. JANUARY 19: PLANNED PARENTHOOD BENEFIT Common and The National co-headline the Planned Parenthood Benefit called Show Up! It was intentionally planned to take place the night before the presidential inau- guration. The stars choose to take a stand for reproductive rights and justice for women. JANUARY 25: BIG SEAN RAISES $100K FOR FLINT In an appearance on the The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, Big Sean announces that his foundation raised over $100,000 for Flint, Michigan in an attempt to help the city during its water crisis. He also reveals that the Flint Chosen Choir will appear on his upcoming album, I Decided. FEBRUARY 28: ACADEMY AWARDS Justin Hurwitz takes home the award for best original score for La La Land, and the motion picture’s original song “City Of Stars” takes home best original song as well. Justin Timberlake kicked off the night with a performance of “Can’t Stop The Feeling,” which was also nominated for an award. MARCH MARCH 10: EITHER/OR IS REISSUED In honor of its 20th anniversary, the legend- ary lo-fi album Either/Or by the late song- writer Elliott Smith is reissued. This deluxe set includes rare tracks, live performances, and a never before heard song. FEBRUARY ◄ FEBRUARY 12: GRAMMY AWARDS Adele breaks her Grammy award for Album of the Year, which she won with 25, and hands it over to Beyoncé, citing Lemonade as a dominant force of cultural change. THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE: Grammy's photo courtesy of ©Christopher Polk/Getty Images, Allan Holdsworth photo courtesy of ©Michael Putland/Getty Images, Billboard Music Awards photo courtesy of ©Ethan Miller/BBMA17, One Love Manchester photo courtesy of ©Kevin Mazur/One Love Manchester/Getty Images, Chester Bennington photo courtesy of ©Walter Bieri/LA Times 106 FEBRUARY 15: MUSICIANS COME TOGETHER TO OPPOSE TEXAS BATHROOM BILL Dozens of musicians, including Jack An- tonoff, Wilco, and Lady Gaga come together to co-sign a letter addressed to state senators that opposes a bathroom bill in Texas, which would ban transgender people from using the restroom of their choice. FEBRUARY 22: JAY-Z IS ELECTED FOR SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME Among other inductees, Jay-Z stands out as the first rapper to be elected into the Song- www.clichemag.com APRIL ▲ APRIL 16: ALLAN HOLDSWORTH PASSES AWAY The revered guitarist was found unexpect- edly dead at age 70. Cited as being as influential as other legends like Chuck Berry, Holdsworth never stopped touring. Some of his musical projects include Soft Machine and U.K.