Chris Brown - Fortune
After the millions of pushbacks 'Fortune' finally dropped this July. The album is having some nice dance tracks ('
Turn Up the Music', '
Bassline'), some urban smashes ('
Till I Die'), but it' also having its weak points (
'4 Years Old', '
Party Hard').
Highlight: Don't Wake Me Up, Bassline
Overall: 6/10
Leona Lewis - Glassheart
Glassheart offers us some classical Leona music ('
Fingerprint', '
Fireflies') and some nice experimenting with dance music ('
Glassheart', '
Come Alive'). Overall it is an enjoyable album and definitely is an upgrade from her previous albums. She should have included Collide though.
Highlight: Glassheart, Trouble
Overall: 6,5/10
Nelly Furtado - The Spirit Indestructible
Nelly's latest album may not be a commercial success but it definitely has some beautifully penned melodies ('
Believers', '
Miracles') and she even channels her teenager self ('
Waiting for the Night'). The album is mostly about finding your inner beauty I think, I don't even understand the public's reaction.
Highlight: High Life, Believers
Overall: 7/10
Usher - Looking 4 Myself
A loveable album. It serves us some of Usher's biggest potential hits ('
Numb', '
Euphoria'). One of the most amazing tracks is called
Climax, it was chosen as the lead single. He even tries alternative music ('
Looking 4 Myself', '
Sins of My Father'). This record made me really like him.
Highlight: Numb, Climax
Overall: 7,5/10
Alexandra Burke - Heartbreak on Hold
Alexandra Burke's latest album features perfect party songs. European clubs will eat up songs like '
Fire' and '
Tonight'. If they had planned the era better it would have smashed. The flow of the album grabs you and you can't listen to them without dancing. The album's only ballad ('
What Money Can't Buy') is a beautiful confession showcasing Alexandra's flawless vocals.
Highlight: Let It Go, Tonight
Overall: 8/10
No Doubt - Push & Shove
No Doubt's comeback album became huge. They are serving us classic No Doubt songs with big hooks ('
Push and Shove',
'Settle Down') and songs with epic new sound (
'Looking Hot', '
One More Summer'). No wonder Lady Gaga is stanning for them.
Highlight: One More Summer, Push and Shove
Overall: 8/10
Calvin Harris - 18 Months
Calvin Harris became the producer of 2012. That's for sure. After his work with Rihanna ('We Found Love'), he is now working with names like Florence Welch ('
Sweet Nothing'), Ne-Yo (
'Let's Go') and Ellie Goulding ('
I Need Your Love'). Even though it has a few fillers ('
School', '
Green Valley', '
Mansion') the other tracks are 10/10.
Highlight: Sweet Nothing, Let's Go
Overall: 8/10
Carrie Underwood - Blown Away
Carrie's new album is enjoyable for everyone, even non-country fans.
Blown Away and
See You Again are perfect tracks. Some beautiful ballads ('
Wine After Whiskey', '
Good In Goodbye') and fun country songs ('
Cupid's Got a Shotgun', '
One Way Ticket') are also included. Such a nice album.
Highlight: See You Again, Blown Away
Overall: 8,5/10
Cheryl - A Million Lights
Girls Aloud's Cheryl went through a hard time. This record showcases her inner agressive side ('
Screw You', '
Boys Lie'), her fun side ('
Under the Sun') and she made one of the biggest dance song all year (
'Call My Name'). One thing is for sure: you'll love this album.
Highlight: Call My Name, Last One Standing
Overall: 8,5/10
Taylor Swift - Red
Taylor has grown up. Songs like '
I Knew You Were Trouble.' and '
State of Grace' shows it. She is making a nice selection of country songs ('
Stay Stay Stay') and amazing pop songs ('
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together', '
22'). It's nice to see her music is growing with her.
Highlight: 22, I Knew You Were Trouble.
Overall: 8,5/10
Rita Ora - Ora
Rita Ora's debut album became pretty good. I don't think she can do justice with this album in the US but the UK ate it up. The best songs on the album ['
R.I.P.', '
How We Do', '
Radioactive'] all became singles. I only wish '
Facemelt" was a full song.
Highlight: How We Do, Radioactive
Overall: 8,5/10
Marina and the Diamonds - Electra Heart
Marina's second album is huge in every way. It is perfect. I love the Dr Luke produced tracks the most ('
Lies', '
Primadonna', '
How to Be a Heartbreaker') but the album has other epic tracks too ('
Teen Idle', '
Power & Control'). It deserved the UK #1 so much.
Highlight: How to Be a Heartbreaker, Lies
Overall: 9/10
Ellie Goulding - Halcyon
Halcyon is beautiful. No bad songs from '
Don't Say a Word" to '
Without Your Love'. The best songs (
'Figure 8', '
My Blood', '
Dead in the Water') all has beautiful and ground-breaking lyrics and instrumentals. If you haven't already you must check out this album.
Highlight: My Blood, Figure 8
Overall: 9/10
P!nk - The Truth About Love
P!nk is finally back. The album isn't as good as Funhouse but let's face it: what is? The album opener ('
Are We All We Are') shows the direction of the album. It is fearless ('
Try'), fun ('
Blow Me One Last Kiss') and emotional ('
Beam Me Up'). P!nk can do no wrong.
Highlight: Try, Walk of Shame
Overall: 9/10
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up
Nicki's second album is a mixture of everything we want. We got pop ('
Whip It', '
Starships') and some hardcore rapping on songs like (
'I Am Your Leader', '
Come On a Cone'). It's flawless re-release's best tracks ('
I'm Legit', '
Hell Yeah') fit the albums theme very much. Very nice piece of work Nicki.
Highlight: Va Va Voom, I Am Your Leader
Overall: 9/10
Christina Aguilera - Lotus
What is Lotus? A mixture of every Xtina we love. We get Stripped ('
Lotus Intro', '
Sing for Me'), Back to Basics ('
Make the World Move'), Bionic ('
Red Hot Kinda Love') and some amazing new kind of songs ('
Cease Fire', '
Circles'). I could keep mentoning every song from the album because they are so good but I don't think anyone would want to see the whole tracklist. It was a must buy for me.
Highlight: Army of Me, Let There Be Love
Overall: 9,5/10
Ke$ha - Warrior
The party is back, Ke$ha is back. Basically Ke$ha sticks to her old formula: generic, catchy pop songs. And it is working, she serves amazingness ('
Warrior',
Die Young') and she even wrote her own E.T. ('
Supernatual'). Fun album for summer, I don't even understand why was it released in November (neither do the general public).
Highlight: Thinking of You, Supernatural
Overall: 9.5/10
Rihanna - Unapologetic
First of all I'd love to tell you: I'm obsessed with urban Rihanna. I love songs like ('
Numb', '
Pour It Up') and her slow R&B jams (
'Loveeeeeee Song'). This is a very dark album ('
Jump', '
No Love Allowed'). Really impressive and a well-deserved #1 for her.
Highlight: Loveeeeeee Song, Numb
Overall: 10/10
Lana Del Rey - Born to Die - Paradise Edition
Lana Del Rey is the winner of 2012. She came from nowhere to the top. Her unique style in both music and fashion will easily make you love her. Depressing songwriting (
'Born to Die', '
Dark Paradise') and huge cinematic songs ('
Body Electric', '
American') are making not having the album a sin. Hopefully the future will be bright of this beautiful lady.
Highlight: Summertime Sadness, Body Electric
Overall: 10/10
Madonna - MDNA
Madonna (the Goddess of pop music) is finally back. This time she is joining her two best albums Ray of Light ('I'm A Sinner', 'Falling Free') and Confessions on a Dancefloor ('I'm Addicted', 'Girl Gone Wild' into one musical hurricane. A huge upgrade from Hard Candy. Well done Madonna. You deserve the #1 spot.
Highlight: Everything.
Overall: 10/10