December 19, 201212 yr Author 10 Ellie Goulding - Halcyon http://cdn.idolator.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/30/Ellie-Goulding-Halcyon-album-cover-400x400.jpg Chart run: (1-2-3-3-3-4-6-9) UK peak:#2 Top 5: 01 My Blood 02 Anything Could Happen 03 Figure 8 04 Hanging On 05 Halcyon As seems to be true for many of 2012's follow-ups, this is disappointing compared to its predecessor, 2010's Lights (and the re-release Bright Light. That isn't to say that this is bad, because it had a high standard. Halcyon is still a great progression for her, with more dubstep and similar elements utilised, as well as having gorgeous ballads like Explosions and I Know You Care. A lot of people seem to prefer this to Lights, so she must be doing something right, although this has been less successful commercially... (that's seems like a negative review for the 10th best album of the year, it's not honestly :lol:) 09 Carly Rae Jepsen - Kiss http://stateinthereal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/carly-rae-jepsen.jpg Chart run: (2-1-1-2-4-6-7-8-8-9-10) UK peak: #9 Top 5: 01 Call Me Maybe 02 Tiny Little Bows 03 This Kiss 04 Hurt So Good 05 Tonight I'm Getting Over You This however, is a vast improvement on the debut! Tug Of War was fine, but a bit dull and just lacking in places, but with newfound success came a whole change in sound and a rise to pop brilliance. A throwback to the 80s, Kiss covers teen-pop, dance-pop and disco-pop - this is a thoroughly pop affair. From sugar sweet single Call Me Maybe to lovely acoustic Justin Bieber duet Beautiful, via Sam Cooke sampling Tiny Little Bows, this album is a brilliant start to her worldwide pop career, although This Kiss flopping even after Call Me Maybe was so huge might have already ended it....
December 20, 201212 yr CARLY RAE FLOP! In all honesty, I don't understand why she flopped so bad following the success of Call Me Maybe & Good Time! The album is really good but nothing strikes as CHART SMASH. Edited December 20, 201212 yr by WALL-E
December 20, 201212 yr CARLY RAE FLOP! In all honesty, I don't understand why she flopped so bad following the success of Call Me Maybe & Good Time! The album is really good but nothing strikes as CHART SMASH. Because's she terrible? That's a good enough reason.
December 20, 201212 yr It's not that. Call Me Maybe has been so prevalent in pop culture she's never going to be taken seriously again - she's typecast herself. Good Time was a oneoff as it was so catchy/radio friendly but it's done nothing to boost her profile as a solo artist. That said, I oughta give Kiss a listen at some point, it should be rather good.
December 22, 201212 yr Author Yeah, I think it's a shame she's typecast herself. Kiss is a very good album, but while most of the tracks are great I think they're too similar to Call Me Maybe to be a hit largely. I think Beautiful is probably her best chance but I don't think she'll have a hit again. This Kiss certainly isn't her Hot N Cold anyway. ----------- 08 Emeli Sande - Our Version Of Events http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IozdwzXZL._SL500_AA300_.jpg Chart run: (1-1-3-5-6-7-9-xx-5-6-8-9-xx-3-3-4-5-6-7-8) UK peak: #1 Top 5: 01 Heaven 02 Next To Me 03 My Kind Of Love 04 Read All About It 05 Beneath Your Beautiful Everybody else on here is probably sick of Emeli Sande (to be fair, she's been shoved down our throats at every oppurtunity) but I can't help but still love her! This is a brilliant, grown up sophisicated album that radio has obviously been eating up (unsurprisingly). At first I was not too impressed, because the singles Heaven and Daddy especially promised a musically interesting mix, but the album is much more along the lines of lead single Next To Me (admittedly basically it's Adele :lol:). But with such gorgeous balladry and her wonderful songwriting, this album soars to among the best of the year regardless, and it isn't a bad album to hold the title of 2012's UK best seller! 07 Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded http://static.djbooth.net/pics-albums/roman-reloaded.jpg Chart run: (1-1-1-2-3-4-6-6-8-9-10-9) UK peak: #1 Top 5: 01 Starships 02 Marilyn Monroe 03 Beez In The Trap (ft. 2Chainz) 04 Whip It 05 Young Forever In her fairly short mainstream career, Nicki has seen a meteoric rise to become the foremost female rapper in the game. But Nicki took quite a risk on what is only her 2nd studio album, making half of the album mainstream, generic pop, and keeping the other half full of her traditional rap/R&B. Lead single Starships, a shining example of what would come to be found on the second, poppy half, instantly alienated some hardcore 'mixtape Nicki' fans, but also drew in a new crowd, who eventually would propel Nicki to real stardom. To be fair to her, the pop half of the album is much stronger, with club banger Starships and the pop/rock number Marilyn Monroe being the highlights, but Nicki still brings her urban flare on tracks such as Beez In The Trap and I Am Your Leader. Ultimately, while the urban half is a bit patchy, the pop half is more or less perfect and Nicki has pleased both sides of her fanbase with this.
December 22, 201212 yr Yeah, I think it's a shame she's typecast herself. Kiss is a very good album, but while most of the tracks are great I think they're too similar to Call Me Maybe to be a hit largely. I think Beautiful is probably her best chance but I don't think she'll have a hit again. This Kiss certainly isn't her Hot N Cold anyway. Yeah, I'd compare Katy Perry's early career with Carly Rae Jepsen's career as well. Except that Call Me Maybe seemed to be a lot more popular than I Kissed A Girl did at the time. Good Time could be her Hot N Cold though! Woo for Roman Reloaded. :D That Top 5 is good as well, but I would put Beez In The Trap in the Top 2 and I would definitely have Pound The Alarm at #1. ^_^
December 22, 201212 yr Author 06 Jessie Ware - Devotion http://mostlyjunkfood.s3.amazonaws.com/treats/2012/08/Jessie-Ware-Devotion-Rhythm-Circus.jpg Chart run: (1-1-1-2-4-4-6-6-9) Uk peak: #5 Top 5: 01 Running 02 Wildest Moments 03 Devotion 04 110% 05 Night Light In an excellentally produced, striking debut, Jessie shows her true artistry in a series of stunning, largely downtempo tracks. Although not usually my thing per se, her beautiful voice is complimented greatly by the ambience of most tracks and carries the whole album to the dizzy heights of 2012's best. Album highlight Running utilises an earworm guitar rift and unmistakeable 80s sound, while single Wildest Moments is screaming for use on a big advert. And with only one or two weak links, this is very much an astonishingly impressive debut that deserves to sell and sell and put Jessie on the map as one of our most exciting new talents. 05 Lana Del Rey - Born To Die http://popledge.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Lana-Del-Rey-Born-To-Die1-608x608.jpg Chart run: (1-1-1-2-2-3-3-4-5-5-7-8-9-10-xx-4-6)*still charting as Paradise Edition UK peak: #1 Top 5: 01 Summertime Sadness 02 Dark Paradise 03 Born To Die 04 National Anthem 05 Blue Jeans Hyped up at the start of 2012, Lana had all my alternative hopes pinned on her for the year to be honest. And although in the end she's more pop than indie (we won't go into that) this is deservedly a highlight of the musical year. Melancholy and depression flank the entire album, with Lana's heart poured into desperate odes to love such as Dark Paradise and Summertime Sandess, and her unique vocal charm seeps from every track. There may not be a lot of fun on this record, but the glorious melancholy makes sure that Born To Die falls very much on the wonderful side of depressing (yes there's such a thing, just for this). All this and the two best tracks haven't even been released as singles! This should really be higher than 5th, but it's been such a strong year albums wise. Edited December 22, 201212 yr by Liаm
December 22, 201212 yr Glad to see Nicki, Azealia and Ke$ha getting some albums love :kink:, although personally I think the first half of 'Roman Reloaded' is stronger :P.
December 22, 201212 yr Author Glad to see Nicki, Azealia and Ke$ha getting some albums love :kink:, although personally I think the first half of 'Roman Reloaded' is stronger :P. I'm guessing you're a mixtape Nicki fan? :P I did like her then, but it was songs like Girls Fall Like Dominoes, Super Bass, Starships and Marilyn Monroe that made me really love her A Lana top 5 without Body Electric is not a complete Lana top 5 It's 7th (Video Games 6th) for me, but then it's a very strong album :wub: You missed Without You on your Lana rate :coffee: It would be near last for me on BTD :lol:
December 22, 201212 yr My Lana Top 5 (because....just because) Body Electric Dark Paradise National Anthem Carmen Summertime Sadness so not too different from yours :P
December 22, 201212 yr Author ^ Good, because if you missed SS and DP, then I would have to disown you :P ----------------- 04 Little Mix - DNA http://i1.cdnds.net/12/37/618x618/music_little_mix_dna.jpg Chart run: (1-3-5-4)*still charting UK peak: #3 Top 5: 01 DNA 02 Wings 03 Change Your Life 04 Madhouse 05 Going Nowhere Having won The X-Factor 2011, Little Mix instantly bagged a #1 with their cover of Cannonball by Damien Rice, and I was fangirling since day 1 so anticipation was high for this album. It took them a while to come out with anything, but it seems you can't rush perfection... First single Wings is a storming pop stomper, unlike much else in the charts, with a confident chorus and self assuring lyrics. Album lead DNA is a moment of pure pop perfection, with haunting gothic ad-libs, striking middle 8, melodic verses and a harmonious chorus. The ballads on the album such as the assuring Change Your Life are executed beautifully with each girl's individual voice shining. There are one or two weak links, but overall DNA is a startingly good debut for easily the most exciting girl group in a good few years!
December 22, 201212 yr Author 03 Carrie Underwood - Blown Away http://www.allaccess.com/assets/img/editorial/raw/ca/carrieunderwoodblownaway.jpg Chat run: (1-1-1-1-2-2-3-2-2-2-4-5-3-2-2-3-4-4-7-8-9-5-7-10-10-8-9-9-6-9) UK peak: #11 Top 5: 01 Blown Away 02 Good Girl 03 Two Black Cadillacs 04 Cupid's Got A Shotgun 05 See You Again My country Queen came back 3 years after the release of her 3rd album Play On with the bubblegum pop/rock yet unmistakenably country single Good Girl, which put my excitement at fever pitch for this album. Soon after, the album hit us and instantly continued her hot streak, and while it's not as good as Carnival Ride and Some Hearts (let's be honest, very very few albums are to be fair), or even Play On, it's yet another amazing Carrie album. Rather than staying 100% country as before (whichI'd have still loved :P), Carrie broadens her range a little, with the relaxed summery track One Way Ticket and the epic album highlight, stadium ready U2-esque Blown Away (which almost sounds like it could've been recorded by Adele and sold millions of copies worldwide), with pleasing results.
December 22, 201212 yr Author Oh sorry I missed it in the updating rush :lol: I don't think Carly will ever have a Hot N Cold to be honest, but I guess you could count Good Time (as Eyes said though, I think she just lucked out with that one). And good taste in PF:RR :P 02 Marina & The Diamonds - Electra Heart http://wmuk-apache.co.uk/marinaandthediamonds/website/blogimages/MARINA-ALBUM-(high)_560.jpg Chart run: (2-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-3-1-3-2-4-3-4-4-2-3-5-6-9) UK peak: #1 Top 5: 01 Teen Idle 02 Fear And Loathing 03 Lies 04 Primadonna 05 Hypocrates If you had said a year ago that Marina was going to top Family Jewels, I'd have laughed in your face! But here she is, with the 2nd best album of the year. Viewed by some as a sell out, I don't really care to be honest with melodies like Hypocrates, fun like Bubblegum Bitch and darkness like Fear And Loathing. Dripping with gorgeous production and bulging with earworm melodies, Marina made a close to flawless pop album. The absolute pinnacle is the glorious Teen Idle, a downbeat gothic tinged track about regret about not being a typical teenager. Even though it reached #1 in the UK, it sank like a stone and hasn't held up well at all sales wise, but really it deserves to sell by the bucketload, because at the end of the day it's almost as close to a perfect pop album as you could get. -------- OK, so we're at the #1, which I think most of you can guess :lol: Edited December 22, 201212 yr by Liаm
December 22, 201212 yr I actually have no idea what the #1 is! :lol: Edited December 22, 201212 yr by ★ G R I E F ★
December 22, 201212 yr Author Now you do :D 01 Taylor Swift - Red http://cdn.idolator.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/13/taylor-swift-red-album-400x400.jpg Chart run: (1-1-2-2-3-5-7-7-6)*still charting UK peak: #1 Top 5: 01 We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together 02 I Knew You Were Trouble. 03 All Too Well 04 State Of Grace 05 Red After slaying the charts in the US with Speak Now, Taylor returns with an entirely new pop sound which slays all over the world! First single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together shot up the charts immediately on release, with its irresistable earworm chorus and perfect pure pop sensibilities. As for the rest of the album, Taylor dabbles with her familar heartbreak in songs such as All Too Well, Treacherous and Red, but also delves into a fist pumping stadium ready rock anthem in State Of Grace and dabbles with dubstep on I Knew You Were Trouble., with successful results. Despite the total mix of genres, Red manages to feel smooth and accomplished. We so all love a bit of country Taylor, but she has found her place in the music world. And to round off such a successful year, Red is crowned my #1 album of 2012!
December 22, 201212 yr Author Albums recap (average score of songs in brackets for top 20): 01 Taylor Swift - Red (9.06) 02 Marina & The Diamonds - Electra Heart (8.95) 03 Carrie Underwood - Blown Away (8.80) 04 Little Mix - DNA (8.75) 05 Lana Del Rey - Born To Die (8.74) 06 Jessie Ware - Devotion (8.68) 07 Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (8.59) 08 Emeli Sande - Our Version Of Events (8.55) 09 Carly Rae Jepsen - Kiss (8.24) 10 Ellie Goulding - Halcyon (8.13) 11 Delta Goodrem - Child Of The Universe (8.13) 12 Ke$ha - Warrior (8.13) 13 Loreen - Heal (8.04) 14 Rihanna - Unapologetic (8.00) 15 Olly Murs - Right Place, Right Time (8.00) 16 Christina Aguilera - Lotus (8.00) 17 Leona Lewis - Glassheart (7.95) 18 Imagine Dragons - Night Visions (7.95) 19 Cheryl - A Million Lights (7.92) 20 Mandy Capristo - Grace (7.73) 21 Azealia Banks - Fantasea 22 P!nk - The Truth About Love 23 Paloma Faith - Fall To Grace 24 Madonna - MDNA 25 iamamiwhoami - kin 26 Namie Amuro - Uncontrolled 27 Frank Ocean - Channel Orange 28 Grimes - Visions 29 Bridgit Mendler - Hello... My Name Is 30 Alanis Morissette - Havoc & Bright Lights 31 Molly Sanden - Unchained 32 Nina Zilli - L'amore e feminina 33 fun. - Some Nights 34 Alyssa Reid - The Game 35 Gabrielle - Mildt Sagt 36 Timoteij - Tabu 37 Santigold - Master Of Make Believe 38 Medina - Forever 39 No Doubt - Push And Shove 40 BoA - Only One Edited December 22, 201212 yr by Liаm
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