AHH! It Feels Like 2007
[Top 30 Albums]
LAST Recap:
30. Alicia Keys - As I Am
29. Timbaland - Timbaland Presents Shock Value
28. Toni Braxton - The Essential Toni Braxton
27. Björk - Volta
26. Vanessa Carlton - Heroes & Thieves
25. Cobra Starship - Viva La Cobra!
24. Hairspray (Soundtrack to the Motion Picture)
23. Gym Class Heroes - As Cruel as School Children
22. Justice - Cross
21. Jay Z - American Gangster
20. Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long
19. Craig David - Trust Me
18. Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
17. James Blunt - All The Lost Souls
16. Katharine McPhee - Katharine McPhee
15. Enrique Iglesias - Insomniac
14. Kanye West - Graduation
13. Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion
12. Travis - The Boy with No Name
11. Hilary Duff - Dignity
10. Macy Gray - Big
09. Kylie Minogue - X
08. Just Jack - Overtones
07. Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope
06. Lily Allen - Alright, Still
05. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Trip the Light Fantastic
04. Winehouse - Back To Black
And now it’s time for the most incredible albums of the year. The albums that own your life.
Norah Jones - Not Too Late
It's kinda funny how Corinne Bailey Rae's album was at this same position last year. Well, both are such rare talents and great musicians. But Norah never disappoints. If you listened to her previous 2 albums, you will realize that this one is her best yet. It's absolutely flawless. I could listen to it all day long and still ask for more and more. This time, the album has less country-vibe (which what made her previous albums a lil bit of snorefest to some people), more jazzy/soul/pop. The only song that sounds like a straight country song is "Wake Up", but the rest is amazing. Her voice is heavenesque. The lyrics are better than ever (listen to MY DEAR COUNTRY and SUN DOESN'T LIKE YOU). Oh, and the videos are GENIUS as always. It's really unfair that her first single "Thinking About You" wasn't a radio hit, really, it's as radio-friendly as Carrie's "So Small" and Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry", maybe even better. But oh well, radio sucks anyways. Norah is a pure person inside and out and she proves her legendary with each albums she releases. So this **** was my number UNO for the year until #2 was born.
Best Tracks:
- Wish I Could
- Sinkin' Soon
- The Sun Doesn't Like You
- Thinking About You
- My Dear Country
- Be My Somebody
- Little Room
- Rosie's Lullaby
- Not Too Late
Kelly Clarkson - My December
We all loved the classics that Miss. Clarkson released from “Breakaway" , but that album was so overrated. I couldn't listen to any of the **** other than the singles. And it's the exact opposite here. Kelly released the most underrated record of the year. Brave girl fought the war against that asshole clive davis, refused to suck ***** , and she did it for a reason!! It was all worth it. She's definitely taking the Pop/Rock genre into another level with this album, while the likes of Avril growteh****up Lavigne is dragging it to the Worst Damn Level. This album was beautifully written and her vocals were absolutely strong when she recorded it. It is obviously darker than BA and that's what I loved the most about it. At the beginning, I wasn't a fan of the idea of using the SUBG template for her first single "Never Again", but then I found myself totally addicted. "Sober" -- let's have a moment of silence here- Another song that was murdered by the radio, is MY FAVORITE KELLY CLARKSON SONG EVER! That song touched my heart and that almost never happens to me with ANY kind of songs, except for one by GAGILERA and I refuse to tell you which one, unless you ask. The whole CHIVAS/IRVINE project puts Kelly as a LEGEND in my book. This album deserved to sell like diamonds and get at least 10 Grammys. It's Kelly Clarkson at her best and the year's best pop album. Period. Too bad my favorite artist of all time, the Princess of Pop, had to release her best album yet and she took the number one from this.
Best Tracks:
- Never Again
- One Minute
- Hole
- Sober
- Don't Waste Your Time
- Haunted
- Be Still
- Maybe
- How I Feel
- Irvine/Chivas
01. Britney Spears - Blackout
LMAO. How so unpredictable.
You want to know the reasons why this is on here?
Take a look at my signature:
Quote:
It's quite clear that Britney Spears has become the Herman Melville of our time. We cannot process the brilliance of her work just yet. Or at least, the 62 percent of polled US Weekly and TMZ readers who didn't quite appreciate her "Gimme More" video can't process it yet. Spears has been away for years for a reason. She's honed her craft, thrown back a few mojitos, and created a work beyond its time.
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And my blogpost:
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I posted this yesterday in the Britney thread, but decided to make a blog post for this. Why not? lol
'Blackout' is Britney's best album to date. hands down. 'Baby One More Time' was filler fest. 'Oops I Did Again' was a step up. 'Britney' was more grown up. 'In The Zone' was perfection ,but this album tops them all. First of all, it seems to me that this album was well-planned and had a clear direction. I will go back to May and bring the very first quotes about the album. When the national ledger made an interview with one of the hottest producers around ,Sean Garrett.
Quote:
“the album will be an upbeat, "feel good" kind of record, not a confessional or angry one”. "exciting, aggressive, and fun". He added that they were "definitely getting back to the basics and trying to make the world dance and sing to her beat".
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Let’s read this preview by Danja, the genius behind ‘Blackout’ back in May.
Quote:
“Spears' game plan to make a fun, danceable album has also remained steady, Hills said. Instead of scrapping tracks and starting over once her life started changing, the singer stuck to her strategy to keep the tunes as high-energy, uptempo — and decidedly private — as possible. "She wanted to stay away from being personal," the producer said. "It's fun, it's basic and there's nothing wrong with that. It's about feeling good, celebrating womanhood. And if you don't dance to it, I really don't know what you're listening to."
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So 'Blackout' was meant to be a hot club album that brings Britney back to the music scene. She wanted to have a ballad-less 'Confessions On A Dancefloor", except that this album is light years better and more original. It was a pretty smart concept to distract people/media from her personal life. Imagine if she was talking about the divorce ,rehab and her emotional breakdown. That would have been the last thing people would want from her right now. And it would've been a great excuse to call her boring and done by certain group of "non-fans".
The album is lyrically simple. Britney wants sex in most of it. But hey, it's a club album ,what would you talk about other than S-E-X. And she's celebrating womanhood ya'll. The songs perfectly match Britney's voice. Britney might not be the best singer in the world but she knows what suits her vocal range. I've been reading some reviews by people who claim that this album is only hot because of its producers. Really? Let me tell you that you are absolutely wrong and you have no idea about what you're talking about. First of all, most of the producers won't let any person sing their songs if they are not fit in it. There's a chemistry factor. Hilary Duff worked with the best producers for 'Dignity', but her lack of energy made it seem like a waste of production at times. Katharine Mcphee, she's an american idol and has the voice that everybody wants, she worked with Danja, the same producer who worked in 'Blackout', but you can tell the difference between Danja with Kat and Danja with Britney. There are lots of songs with hot beats but they end up disappointing due to the lack of enthusiasm. *throws 'Whatever You Like' by Nicole here*. Not to mention that most of these producers have already stated that they have been saving their beats especially for Britney, why? Because they know that these songs had Britney written all over them. And they have all been praising Britney's professionalism in the studio and her talent to give the songs her soul and energy 100%.You can totally see that in 'Blackout' more than any of her previous albums. And that what makes it her best record yet.
Britney is also the ONLY executive producer of the album. And if you don't know what that means, here's some info.
Quote:
In the music industry the executive producer of a music album is usually in control of the overall decision making in how the album turns out and how the budget is allocated for the project. Executive producer may also decide how many songs are placed in the final cut, which songs are used out of the tracks produced in the process of making the album, and the order in which the songs are placed. In this instance, the executive producer is usually someone who has had input in producing some of the tracks on the album. A particular executive producer's name attached to an album is sometimes used as a selling point to distributors.
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The music is just mind-blowing. Danja has proved that he wasn't just the right hand of Timbaland. But he was the source. I think this album and 'FutureSex/LoveSounds' have revealed a new genre of pop music. The futuristic pop. This sound is fresh and it's so 2007. I guess in 100 years from now, this will be the signature sound of this era. Just like the 60s,70s and 80s. This IS the sound of 2007.
1. Gimme More: 10/10
One of the year's best singles, one of britney's best songs to date. It's simple yet extremely catchy.The chorus is so addictive. Britney's vocals are clear. The opening line screams confidence and became Britney's trademark line. Danja claims britney's legendary makes the song even better. It just never gets old if you ask me.
2. Piece Of Me: 9/10
Lyrically, it could be Britney best song yet. Britney has never been that personal in her songs. She sets the record straight in a catchy mid-tempo beat. The song reminds me of Kanye West's 'Stronger' during the chorus because of the similar "Daft Punk" effect. Bloodshy & Avant are amazing producers. I don't think the song would work well in the radio though, because of the heaviness in the beat. But as long as the message in the song gets spread. I don't mind it at all. It needs a hot video though.
3. Radar: 9.5/10
Another Bloodshy & avant classic. The song screams 'Toxic' part II. And I got the same reaction. Weird at first, addictive after couple of listens. The bridge is fantastic and da dada's at the end keeps you jamming till the last second.
4. Break The Ice: 10/10
If I had to make an all time non-singles top britney songs. This could be in number 1 or 2. The song is perfection. From the first opera sounds to another "comeback" line "it's been a while..." to the catchy chorus. And even britney admits it saying "I like this part”, referring to the bridge that takes you to the future. The spacey effects and futuristic sounds shine in this part. If she didn't release this as a single, then she's done in tons of her fans AND non-fans hearts.
5. Heaven On Earth: 8/10
This song has grown on me like crazy. Surprisingly, I find myself singing it all the time now. It's just soo good. The song is dark and sexy during the verses while cute and fun during the chorus. I love her vocals here. If Britney wants a guaranteed hit in the U.K., then here it is.
6. Get Naked(I Got A Plan): 10/10
This song was made for the clubs. It can turn the place upside down. Danja's scary vocals might be a bit annoying after a while. But the production is great. It's not my favorite, but I don't mind jamming to it. -EDIT: This has become one of my favortie onesand I give it a 10!
7. FreakShow: 9.5/10
Definitely a Top 3 here. The song is crazy. I can imagine her being in a dark "freaky" club for a video of the song. The faux rap is amazing. I don't like people comparing this to Fergie and Gwen. In fact, britney tried this in "Brave New Girl" but it didn't work well. But here, it's perfect. The lyrics are fun.
8. Toy Soldier:9/10
Bloodshy & Avant + Sean Garrett = BOW. The production, the lyrics, the "gossip" part. This song is amazing and should definitely become a single. It's Britney most ghetto song ever. The song has urban appeal and Britney's energy here is fantastic.
9. Hot As Ice: 9/10
It's Hot as ****ing ice. Amazing track. Her vocals are so cool. And I can't believe that I'm praising something that is T-pained. YES. The song is co-produced by T-pain and it's pretty impressive. It samples video game sounds and it's FRESH. One of my very favorite tracks. I would play it out loud on repeat.
10. Ooh Ooh Baby: 8/10
Yes, this song is beyond underrated. It's really great. The lyrics are nice. It has a very "sway" Latino vibe. The beginning is mind-blowing. The song is one of the slower songs on the album and it brings a balance. Vocally, it's her best song on the album.
11. Perfect Lover: 7.5/10
We have "Slave 4 U" part 2 here. Britney uses her breathy vocals. The song is pure SEX and NO ONE can pull that like Britney. She uses her trademark "hot hot hot hot" during the chorus. Janet must be biting her lips over this song now.
12. Why Should I Be Sad: 9/10
Perfect end for a perfect album. I love how the songs start to slow down gradually. The song is Pharrell's production, obviously. Very laid back song with interesting lyrics and Britney tells her story, but she determines to move on. Her vocals and the whole atmosphere reminds me of Mariah's "Say Somethin'".
My Prediction for upcoming singles:
1. Gimme More
2. Piece Of Me
3. Radar
4. Hot As Ice
My preference of singles:
1. Gimme More
2. Piece Of Me
3. Break The Ice
4. Toy Soldier/ Heaven On Earth [U.K single]
5. Radar
6. Freakshow
- Re-release of Blackout -
7. Hot As Ice
8. Ooh Ooh Baby
9. Perfect Lover
10. Why Should I Be Sad
11. Get Naked
If anything, this album has turned me into a bigger fan of this train wreck.
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Exactly, If anything, this album has turned me into a much more blind follower, pathetic stan.
Thanks to EVERYONE who bothered to leave a comment. I truly appreciate the LOVE. ^_^ I haven't finished my Top Singles list yet, but stay tuned for
Video Of The Year and
Worst Albums of the year in Pop,Rock,Country,Hip Hop and RnB.