8. R City Put the Virgin Islands On The Pop Music Map

St. Thomas-raised brothers brothers Timothy and Theron Thomas have a long history of making hits as songwriters for the likes of Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus. This year, the duo formerly known as Rock City stepped into the forefront with their massive single “Locked Away” featuring Adam Levine. The track reached No. 6 on the Hot 100, topped Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, and remains in rotation at radio as we head into the New Year. It also set the stage for R City to finally release their debut major-label album, What Dreams Are Made Of, our second-favorite Caribbean LP of 2015. It would be one thing if these were just artists from the Virgin Islands who made it big, but what stands out about their product is how fully, even amid the major-label system, they represent their islands in their music. “I think the Virgin Islands got something to say, and we here,” Theron told us recently. “I think it’s time for people to embrace it.”  — Jesse Serwer