Haven't listened to a lot of soundtrack albums in their entirety this year

For the Suicide Squad OST, I like Sucker For Pain, Purple Lamborghini, and Heathens

Art Angels is a really good album! ([insert thumbs up emoticon here] Why doesn't Buzzjack have an emoji for a thumbs up?)

Need to listen to that Blurryface album someday

I ended up listening to the Suicide Squad soundtrack after hearing half of it and thinking it was good and the rest didn't let me down.

YES at Karmin! I was so impressed with Leo Rising, maybe even more so than Pulses. 'Sugar' and 'Didn't Know You' are massive faves, and then 'Blame It On My Heart' and 'Along The Road' after that.

 

Did you see they're supposedly on hiatus now? :( According to their twitter Amy's going it alone as 'Qveen Herby' now.

 

GREAT choice for best video too!!! :heart: I couldn't help but think how amazing it would have been to be on set for that.

I haven't seen anything regarding a hiatus on Instagram but still :(

 

There's apparently a remix of "Sugar" that I reeeeeeally wanna get into :P

YO. The Suicide Squad album has a couple of great tunes on it (Heathens obviously, plus I Started A Joke (is it called that? icr) and a couple of others) and obviously I love Blurryface :wub:

I had a feeling that you were gonna like "I Started A Joke" lol

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

10.) Little Mix - Glory Days
Cody Recommends: "Power" | "Touch" | "No More Sad Songs"


Okay, I have a confession to make: I didn't get into Get Weird as much as I would have liked. Maybe it was the decreased affinity I had for albums but still. Probably a small regret of mine because I do think Little Mix have consistent material when it comes to albums - they just don't really translate to American audiences. And not the teenybopper ones: the ones who would spam random EDM and hip-hop when curling 60-70 pounds per set, just to name a demographic/subculture/whatever. That said, I thought Glory Days seemed a lot more cohesive and the transition of styles isn't forced because you've heard them all before. The doo-wop influences in "F.U" (kinda like the ones present in "Love Me Like You"), the current mainstream production heard in songs like "No More Sad Songs" and "Touch". And of course, "Shout Out To My Ex", a complete monster of a song, and what could be the gateway to a successful hit for them in the US. *sighs* If only.

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

9.) Rihanna - ANTi
Cody Recommends: "Needed Me" | "Love On The Brain" | "Consideration"


I guess the main criticism this album gets is that it's a little too one-dimensional and doesn't have the charm nor the EDM influences her past albums may have had, which is why every single song seems to tire so much easily. In the end, it's quite the opposite from being one-dimensional: it's going from one dimension to a completely opposite one, with no middle ground or break in between, which is why we feel so tired listening to this album. The album displays a more urban and dancehall-influenced material with a couple of ballads here and there, a sort of "return-to-roots" route for RiRi. Not that stuff like light and frothy "FourFiveSeconds" or the exponentially more brash "Bitch Better Have My Money" would have fit any better - the album is basically two extremes of a spectrum: there's the rural Caribbean influence from her days before Music Of The Sun that a lot of the hustling and bustling of the urban tracks possess (while being extremely classy), and there's Rihanna as a celebrity living a life that's more lavish, which is where some of the class ones of other tracks lie. "Love On The Brain" is pretty much a typical cabaret piece, faux fur and all. So I guess my final verdict on the album is that the charm is still there - Rihanna has just learned a lot from a decade in the business and then some.

And yes, I will NEVER tire of "Needed Me" lol

Blurryface is of course incredible amazing body of work and my favourites change all the time :heart:

 

I need to re-hear Art Angels tbh Kill V Maim is incredible and i wish it was pushed properly!!

 

I agree about Heathens and Gangsta being highlights from the sucide squad soundtrack!

 

Not heard Anti in a while :o but Glory Days is fantastic love Touch, Oops, Power, Fu, You Gotta Not and of course Shout Out To My Ex:heart:

Hey Cody! :D A fantastic start to your Top 10, two of my absolute favourites of the year. I was never hugely into 'Get Weird' either actually, I'd definitely consider 'Glory Days' to be an improvement.

 

Looking forward to seeing more of your count down. :wub:

I found Anti to be Rihanna's weakest which I know isn't a popular opinion but it didn't grab me at all :( I only really like 'Kiss It Better'.

Glory Days is an alright album imo, definitely better than the last one :)

I said I was gonna finish this so here goes

 

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

 

8.) The Weeknd - Starboy

Cody Recommends: "Rockin'" | "Party Monster" | "Secrets"

 

I think I just really got into The Weeknd after "In The Night" slayed my charts so of course I was gonna be excited for this! Not gonna lie, I did think "Starboy" was going to miss for me but it ended up being much better than expected, even if it was a grower of some sorts. The Weeknd plays around with different music styles here (something he did before with Beauty Behind The Madness IMO), but this time they're more diverse. Daft Punk did an amazing job with "Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming", shame that their influence was only on two tracks. Everything else had a much more fluid feel (even if some of it felt too mainstream). The Disclosure pastiche in "Rockin'" (and to a lesser extent "Secrets") felt so right here; Max Martin did an amazing job with that production. "Party Monster" was more or less the typical sound I expected out of him, but I can't really begrudge that.

 

All in all, it was nice to see him explore new styles while keeping that "dark nightclub at midnight smelling like a hookah bar" aesthetic that he oh so loves. If he were to own a nightclub, I think I would be the first in line. :P

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

7.) The Naked And Famous - Simple Forms
Cody Recommends: "Laid Low" | "The Runners" | "The Water Beneath You"


Before BJSC I've only heard about two TNAF songs in my life, so after discovering "Higher", I ended up checking out their discography, which was divine. Then I learned that they were about to return with another album for the first time in years, which got me excited. It was probably too much excitement considering how these guys became my BJSC winner.

What this album plays on is consistency. I think what got me was that I was feeling tired throughout listening to this album, and it's no secret to why that is - the album is a constant adrenaline rush from start to finish. "Higher" provides a perfect opener for the album and sets the bar, and every following track attempts to one-up it, and everything just builds up to a head ("Laid Low"). Normally, albums with the same sound tend to get a little boring but TNAF manage to make this work in their favor. I don't know why this didn't become as much of a cult classic as the others. #9 on US Independent is a nice shout though.

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

6.) Fifth Harmony - 7/27
Cody Recommends: "Scared Of Happy" | "That's My Girl" | "The Life"


Oh 5H. They're among one of the biggest girl groups in the world, and one of my most recent faves on the chart, but for some reason I didn't rank this as high as Reflection. A lot of this album's predecessor focuses on blending R&B and pop music, which kinda explains why not a lot of their singles hit the charts. They seem to have found a formula that worked with "Worth It" and this album concentrates on creating dance bangers that blow the club up. For a while, I wrote off a lot of this album as generic, but more tracks kept growing on me and grabbing my attention ("The Life" being the biggest example), and I just enjoyed the album for what it is. Resisting is overrated.

The three singles I will get into detail later, but let's talk about some of the other tracks. The "let's create a catchy dance beat" formula is so rampant in this album that something like "Gonna Get Better" (and to a lesser extent "Write On Me") is a breath of fresh air. But of course, my top pick was "Scared Of Happy"; a soaring dance production and "Miss Independent"-esque lyrics are what really got me ("Usually fearless, why am I scared of happy?" being the choice lyric). There's such a juxtaposition within the execution and the subject matter that it felt so right. At the same time it feels both current and something that came straight out of 2012, another combination that gets me for some reason. Wish that was a single.

Also note that this was the last album with Camila. </3

-

I'll do some more when I wake up tomorrow but I already know what they are (obviously), I need some sleep

7/27 and Starboy :heart:

 

Should hear Simple Forms :heart:

I'm loving your albums of 2016 so far, Cody!

Great to see Glory Days, ANTI and Starboy there!

Edited November 29, 20177 yr by sergejdordij98

Okay almost done with the albums

 

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

 

5.) Beyoncé - Lemonade

Cody Recommends: "Sorry" | "Don’t Hurt Yourself" | "6 Inch"

 

Don't get me wrong, this is an amazing album. The entire thing is very cerebral, which I like - even songs like “Sorry” have some sort of maturity toward them - and everything is catchy and full of hooks while showcasing Beyonce’s wide range of genres. The only reason why this isn’t any higher is because... I wasn’t exposed to it enough. You expect me to go to Tidal and pay money just to stream one album? AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT.

 

So let’s see. The album focuses on the stages of a woman finding out her significant other has cheated on her. Some say this album was about Jay-Z, others say t was about her father. I’ll go for the former as it explains Jay’s follow-up response album. IMO I actually think this was planned and they’re sitting there on some island laughing at us lessers. The album starts off very sullen and tranquil but gets angrier as each track progresses with some traces of standard Beyoncé here and there (“6 Inch” being a huge example here). And then... something happens. It’s no longer “I wanna slash your tires and I hope you’re having fun with Becky with the good hair”, and instead transforms into something more meta. She’s going through everything she’s learned in her life to help explain these feelings and what her next move is. Maybe this is a new emotion that she’s feeling and that’s why everything has been so escalated. In the end, the one thing she’s can do is accept her predicament and free herself from the hate and malice that’s clouding her judgement. “Formation” ends up being more of a call to action to other women who may be experiencing this feeling at the moment.

 

Maybe the visuals would help more with understanding this but the bottom line is that this album isn’t as complex as it makes it out to be. It can be used with any emotion and any situation but the theme is the same - hate will only drag you down.

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

4.) Lady Gaga - Joanne
Cody Recommends: "Dancing In Circles" | "Diamond Heart" | "John Wayne"


For someone who has been following Gaga since 2008, it felt weird seeing her do an album with country influences. But then again, she had an album full of jazz songs (which everyone complained about but still), so this was yet another opportunity to show off her creativity.

Everything about this album felt more like an outdoor experience than just throwing darts at a list of genres and then mashing together two different production styles to see if they stick. In fact, that makes the album feel more cohesive as a whole than the likes of ARTPOP. Now don’t get me wrong, I actually like ARTPOP (and I’m probably gonna get crucified for saying such), but other than the first four tracks, the album felt a bit disjointed as a whole, so the cohesion in Joanne was nice to hear. There is also a clear segment dividing the uptempo tracks with the downtempo/ballad tracks, which explains the transition between “Perfect Illusion” and “Million Reasons” perfectly. It’s nothing too complex, but it does enough to get the job done and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Interestingly, my three recommendations come from the more uptempo half of the album. Very indicative of my tastes in music.

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

3.) Britney Spears - Glory
Cody Recommends: "Do You Wanna Come Over" | "Change Your Mind (No Seas Cortes)" | "Just Luv Me"


It had only been three years since Britney put out a proper album and a year since the guilty pleasure “Pretty Girls” was released. Britney ends up deciding to bring forth her take on the influences that make Purpose such a catchy album (and Purpose is among my favorite albums this decade so of course I was here for this). It was kinda like what Femme Fatale tried to do but instead of taking the influences and running with them, Britney tries to put her own spin into them. However, unlike the dubstep breakdown of “Hold It Against Me”, in which no one had heard such a thing be used in mainstream radio back then, we’ve pretty much heard all that there is to these tracks based on production, and yet she manages to hide a few surprises in them. “Make Me” floats on air, “Do You Wanna Come Over” serves its purpose as a more camp track despite it being a bit dated, and “Just Luv Me” is basically Bieber’s “I’ll Show You” with female vocals.

It’s nothing too overpowering but it still gets the job done in some way. It really could have done better had Make Me been handled better than it was.

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

2.) Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman
Cody Recommends: "Bad Decisions" | "Greedy" | "Be Alright"


lmao that Umbreon mask *.*

Ariana was responsible for my favorite album of 2014 (My Everything) and yet has to settle for silver here. tbf the album I placed in first was naturally gonna be #1 since it never left my head for weeks.

Ariana has managed to mature with each passing album, which is impressive for someone with a children’s network background, although to her defense Nickelodeon is noticeably more vulgar than Disney (yes I’m aware Bizaardvark exists and it’s an abomination). However, considering she already had a monster hit in “Problem”, she already has a benchmark she has to match up to. However, the lead single completely switches everything up and brings in a waltz-y and powerful creation, which definitely worked. The album isn’t exactly like that but shares similar urban influences (kinda like her last album). However she’s not afraid to lace in a pop equivalent of C4 in places (see: “Into You”) nor does she appear reluctant to reference her doo-wop influences (see: “Moonlight”/“Greedy”). Everything about this is daring and yet it feels controlled and grounded.

...and I can sing the praises for this album all I want. So why does this only rank at #1? The album does feel mike it overstays its welcome at some parts, something the #1 album doesn’t. Speaking of which...

*Cody's Album Review 2016: The Top 10*

1.) Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
Cody Recommends: "Chunky" | "Too Good To Say Goodbye" | "Versace On The Floor"


Yeah. So for a while Ariana had the #1 album this year and she became completely dethroned after only 4-5 weeks of listening to this.

This had everything Dangerous Woman had that I liked but compressed into 9 tracks, so it doesn’t feel like overkill and yet doesn’t feel like it was too short of an album. There are very obvious 70’s/80’s R&B influences in this album (off the top of my head I can think of Marvin Gaye and The Isley Brothers as main muses), and it’s very obvious what type of front Bruno wants to play. He’s bringing back old school funk and combining it with the glitz and glamor of, say, Vegas. He’s playing up the angle of a rich blossoming superstar who gets priority on Soul Train whenever he releases. “Chunky”, “Perm” and “That’s What I Like” serve this well. And then there are the two ballads. VOTF is your typical Marvin Gaye “Sexual Healing” type of song, and “Too Good To Say Goodbye” takes me home, meaning that it sounds like a karaoke song. Filipinos love their karaoke.

While I think my sister has spammed this album more than I have (probably my parents too), it’s an album that never gets old for me and continues to feel fresh whenever I press that play button. We actually own a vinyl of this too!

okay albums are done so now it's time to hastily get the top 150 songs done as well. here are the one's that just missed out (with chart runs this time!):

 

1594 | 151. Nhato f/Sasi - Way Of Life

47-34-30-24-26-35 (6 weeks)

 

1461 | 152. Bebe Rexha - I Got You

46-37-29-17-... (4 weeks)

 

1417 | 153. Christine and the Queens - Tilted

48-45-37-28-27-29-30-45 (8 weeks)

 

1384 | 154. Snow Tha Product f/W. Darling - Nights

46-44-42-34-29-30-31-31-40 (9 weeks)

 

1376 | 155. Cash Cash f/Jacquie Lee - Aftershock

47-40-38-38-33-28-26-40 (8 weeks)

 

1307 | 156. Drake f/Rihanna - Too Good

50-45-39-31-28-28-32-40 (8 weeks)

 

1278 | 157. Mahmut Orhan f/Sena Sener - Feel

46-45-44-40-34-32-29-29-36-49 (10 weeks)

 

1277 | 158. Sigala f/Imani & DJ Fresh - Say You Do

39-37-34-30-28-30-46 (7 weeks)

 

1256 | 159. Felix Jaehn f/Polina - Book Of Love

43-38-33-30-29-30-44 (7 weeks)

 

1252 | 160. Parade Of Lights - Feeling Electric

46-41-42-39-35-31-30-31-37 (9 weeks)

 

1152 | 161. Maroon 5 f/Kendrick Lamar - Don't Wanna Know

50-44-42-39-37-34-30-30-35 (9 weeks)

 

1083 | 162. ZAYN - Like I Would

43-36-33-30-29-37 (6 weeks)

 

1072 | 163. Demi Lovato - Confident

2-4-6-5-3-4-7-6-7-7-11-12-15-19-21-30-36-44

 

1017 | 164. Lost Kings f/Katelyn Tarver - You

43-36-32-33-31-36 (6 weeks)

 

1014 | 165. Atlas Genius - Stockholm

47-38-33-32-31-31-50 (7 weeks)

 

1012 | 166. Seeb f/Neev - Breathe

48-44-41-35-29-29-40 (7 weeks)

 

I forgot about some of these songs... I wish I charted Seeb higher. (He appears higher in my 2017 chart if there's any consolation)

Come on and take me, I'm dreaming...

 

http://mp3red.cc/cover/4651743-460x460/never-stop.jpg

 

150.) Contact - "Never Stop"

Non-album single

Points: 1600

Chart Run: 49-40-36-31-27-29-31-31-... (7 weeks)

 

 

So this is the song that eventually blocked Nhato from #1. Mind you that this was almost Bebe Rexha as well. And this is also the first BJSC entry that appears on this countdown (out of six), but it didn't chart that long despite coming in fourth.

 

It's a nice example of copying a band's style and doing it justice, in this case CHVRCHES, but it ended up having a pretty high burn rate because I had been listening to this song for a while, even before sending this to BJSC. It was also bogged down by the onslaught of debuts that came during November-ish. It starts off explosive and then brings it in to a "The Mother We Share"-esque structure. The "all your dreams are here" part is also pretty cool.

There's only two options: live or die...

http://e-cdn-images.deezer.com/images/cover/c8a2a5ba500438a92c6e8e1586bf2ce0/500x500.jpg

149.) Zedd - "Ignite"
Non-album single
Points: 1610
Chart Run: 41-32-31-30-20-... (5 weeks)



Zedd has five songs in the top 150 and the most recently released one for this year appears right now, and it wouldn't have gotten there had it not been for that ten-spot jump. This is a return to his usual progressive complextro stuff that he's normally known for, but at the same time there's more of an epic feel to it. It's probably because it was created for League Of Legends. The song also has a more elaborate structure than most of his other songs of the like, which kinda grabbed me, but obviously the highlight is the more classic Zedd drop. Generic, sure, but it serves its purpose well.