21. Leona Lewis “Echo”
Standout Tracks: 'Outta My Head', 'I Got You', 'Love Letter', 'Happy', 'Can't Breathe'

Leona Lewis had the weight of the world over her shoulders this year, she had to keep the momentum going with her second album after the huge success and recognition that she got with her debut album and the monster single that was ‘Bleeding Love’. At first the album sounds boring, as it is mostly mid-tempos and ballads, so if you like your club bangers, stay away from this record. Fortunately, the album grew on me and I couldn’t get one specific song out of my head for a long time. Ironically the title of the track is ‘Outta My Head’, and all I gotta say about it is that it’s just too damn addictive. Leona Lewis’ vocals are simply flawless in every track, her range and impressive control are just unbelievable. That vocal ability that I’m talking about is clearly shown in the first track of the album and lead single ‘Happy’. ‘I Got You’, ‘Can’t Breathe’ and ‘Brave’ come right after in that same order, while her voice continues shining and being the main attraction of the record. One of my personal favorite tracks has to be the romantic story told in ‘Love Letter’ and ‘Naked’, which shows a more vulnerable side. The album comes to an end with the only collaboration in the album, ‘Lost Then Found’ featuring OneRepublic, a nice duet to close the album. Overall, Leona Lewis delivered a very well put together album, not much to complain really.





20. Kristinia DeBarge “Exposed”
Standout Tracks: 'Speak Up', 'Future Love', 'Goodbye', 'Sabotage', 'Powerless'

Kristinia DeBarge came to music scene this year and even though many would categorize her as a one-hit wonder, I think that with the right material, she has potential to do big things. The album is filled with catchy up-tempos mostly about finding love, a very appropriate topic for a girl her age. Kristinia’s vocals are very consistent throughout the whole album, giving many of the other teen artists a run for their money, not that there is too much competition anyway. The album starts with ‘Somebody’, a catchy dance track, and then it’s followed by one of the best tracks in the album, ‘Future Love’. The catchy tunes don’t end there, lead single and kiss-off song ‘Goodbye’ probably got stuck in your head for a few days during the summer, while other tracks like ‘Speak Up’ and ‘Dies In Your Eyes’ make her voice shine as much as possible. A more serious side is shown in ‘Sabotage’, a track about a girl living a double life. ‘Powerless’ and ‘Doesn’t Everybody Wants To Fall In Love’ are so addictive, the first one has potential to be a huge hit for her, but at this point I think they have already given up on this project. Surprisingly there are no fillers, and the album ends with a great track, ‘Disconnect’. Exposed came as a surprise, I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much, worth a listen if you enjoy catchy tunes.






19. Cobra Starship “Hot Mess”
Standout Tracks: 'Good Girls Go Bad', 'You're Not In On The Joke', 'Fold Your Hands Child', 'Hot Mess', 'Move Like You Gonna Die'

I’ve always liked Cobra Starship, ’Snakes On a Plane’, ’The City Is At War’, and ’Guilty Pleasure’ were favorites of mine, but I have never listened to a full album by them. That changed in 2009, when their breakthrough single ‘Good Girls Go Bad’ debuted, and I was so addicted to it that I just had to give their album a listen. Their sound is different, they went for a pop-dance record, a risk that gave them their first top ten hit. Some of the silly titles make you wonder what every song is about and it definitely makes the album a little more interesting for those who haven’t heard it yet. ‘Nice Guys Finish Last’ is a great opener and it sets the mood for the rest of the album. ‘Good Girls Gone Bad’ featuring actress and now singer Leighton Meester was everywhere, one of the catchiest songs of the year. The title track ‘Hot Mess’ is the total opposite of what the title suggests, a fun track with a catchy chorus. ‘Fold Your Hands Child’ and ‘You’re Not In On The Joke’ have potential to give the band a second hit. The catchy tracks don't end there, 'Wet Hot American Summer', 'Move Like You Gonna Die', and 'The World Will Never Do' are too hard to be ignored. Overall, Hot Mess is just a fun record not meant to be taken seriously.