| Britney Spears - Stronger
I bought this CD single because of "Walk On By", which is one of her most underrated and unfortunately obscure tracks. I'm going to need the "Sometimes" CD single for "I'm So Curious" as well. |
| Britney Spears - Pretty Girls
I also bought this CD single because, let's face it, it's never going to be featured on any Britney album, in any Japanese or Target edition. The song is a bop and y'all who only hate it because it flopped will deal. |
| Sertab Erener - No Boundaries
She's the winner of the Eurovision in 2003, from Turkey. This album is entirely in English, and it's solid pop folk Middle Eastern music. Pretty much everyone can enjoy it.
Favorite: Everyway That I Can
Least favorite: Back to the Beach |
| Anna Sahlene - It's Been a While
This girl is Swedish, but she represented Estonia in 2002, still at the Eurovision. Do you rememeber Hilary Duff's song "The Little Voice"? Sahlene first recorded and released it in 2000.
Favorite: Runaway
Least favorite: Do You Really Wanna? |
| Edyta Górniak - Dotyk
Edyta is the Polish Mariah Carey. This 1995 album is entirely in Polish, so I got the lyrics translated. I can firmly say it's the best-written album of all time. "To nie ja!" ("It Wasn't Me!"), the lead single, is a song about being different in a uniformed society, it's just genius. You can check out her translated lyrics here.
Favorite: To nie ja!
Least favorite: Jej portret |
| Maja Blagdan - Sveta ljubav
My love for Croatian music goes on with this 1996 album from another whistle register singer. "Sveta ljubav" means "holy love". I must say, surprisingly enough, this record sounds nothing like the messy traditional music they had in the Balkans back in the 90s.
Favorite: Sveta ljubav
Least favorite: Živim od ljubavi |
| Marie Serneholt - Enjoy the Ride
Marie is the Swedish Britney Spears. She was in the A*Teens before going solo and becoming a one-hit wonder. Her debut and so far only album is flawlessly produced pop and I honestly don't understand why the Swedes of ATRL dislike her so much.
Favorite: That's the Way My Heart Goes
Least favorite: Wasted Love |
| Ilse DeLange - World of Hurt
Ilse is one of the most popular Dutch singers. This is her debut album, released in 1998, and it's honestly one of the best albums I've ever heard. Wonderful songwriting (all done by young Ilse herself), relaxing acoustic/country music, and simple yet effective production. I'm surprised to see a teen singer from that period with so much talent and personality. All the August albums from now on were bought between August 9 and 13 during my trip to Amsterdam.
Favorite: If You Had the Heart
Least favorite: Flying Solo |
| Ilse DeLange - Livin' on Love
Ilse's second album is a bit more pop, but still full of personality and not bland at all.
Favorite: I Still Cry
Least favorite: Breathe In, Breathe Out |
| Ilse DeLange - The Great Escape
I couldn't find her 2003 album anywhere (the only one!), so I moved on to the next one. This one is, let's say, a transition album between acoustic pop Ilse and country/folk Ilse.
Favorite: The Lonely One
Least favorite: The Valley |
| Ilse DeLange - Next to Me
We're in the 2010s here and Ilse has gone almost fully folk.
Favorite: Paper Plane
Least favorite: Time Out |
| Ilse DeLange - Eye of the Hurricane
I don't think it's her best effort, but it's still miles above what the international pop girls can do. She's true to her artistic view and she never flops even when she risks.
Favorite: Time Will Have to Wait
Least favorite: We Are One |
| The Common Linnets - The Common Linnets
It's still Ilse DeLange, this time singing with a guy with a fedora hat. Ilse proves that for her it's music not the bling: this album is 100% non-commercial folk music. But of course, being Ilse, she arrived 2nd at the Eurovision surprising all bookmarkers who though she wouldn't make it past the semi-final, and became the biggest Eurovision seller of the year, surpassing by miles the winner Conchita.
Favorite: Calm After the Storm
Least favorite: Still Loving After You |
| Trijntje Oosterhuis - Walk Along
She's 2015's representative of the Netherlands at the Eurovision. She didn't make it through the semi-finals, and the Eurovision thread had a meltdown because her song was actually pretty great. She's another "music not the bling" type.
Favorite: Walk Along
Least favorite: I Don't Miss You |
| Mariah Carey - MTV Unplugged
I couldn't find it in Italy, but they had multiple copies of it in the Netherlands! By the way, I love "Can't Let Go", but its live version on this album totally ruins it.
Favorite: Emotions
Least favorite: Can't Let Go |
| Sinéad O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
I bought this mainly for my mom, since "Nothing Compares 2 U" is one of her favorite songs of all time, but I really love the atmosphere this album creates.
Favorite: Nothing Compares 2 U
Least favorite: Feel So Different |
| Lumidee - Almost Famous
The album name was ha curse. Poor ha! I still don't get why y'all say her voice is awful though.
Favorite: Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)
Least favorite: Break Away |
| Sia - Colour the Small One
It feels so weird to listen to Sia's music from over 10 years ago... she doesn't sound that different, but the thought that almost no one knew all the talent in that girl makes me feel happy she became huge.
Favorite: Natale's Song
Least favorite: Don't Bring Me Down |
| Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
"Some people have real problems" has become one of my favorite sentences. Sia said that she would say all the time when she got to the studio and people would complain about the littlest things, hence the album title (it's not supposed to be taken that seriously, she said it herself). Genius.
Favorite: Buttons
Least favorite: Lentil |
| Taylor Swift - Fearless: Platinum Edition
It was never released in Italy, and I fangirled so much when I found it in Amsterdam. The cover stays a mess though.
Favorite: Come in with the Rain
Least favorite: Untouchable |