Journal Entry: Top 2! Albums
2 Rebecca Ferguson - Heaven
During her time on the X Factor during the 2010 season, Rebecca was my absolute favourite, and in my opinion, she was absolutely robbed of the win, and I may never get over the fact that her version of Distant Dreamer won't ever leak. Naturally I was beyond excited for this album, but not even I dreamed that she would end up beating the likes of Coldplay, Britney Spears and Mary J. Blige in this countdown. This album turned out to be beyond my wildest dreams. Every track is as solid as the one that precedes and succeeds it, while being unique showcasing a record with variety and substance. Rebecca's voice is so unique, and it sounds absolutely divine on this record which was produced perfectly to suit her. My favourite track by a mile is 'Shoulder To Shoulder', something which really could give Someone Like You by Adele a run for its money! Without a doubt, this album is the best ever release from an X Factor contestant, or even from any reality show, anywhere in the world, ever! In a word, this album is Heaven.
1 Adele - 21
I fell in love with Adele's first album, '19', the very first time I played it. I fell in love with her second album, '21', before I'd even heard more than three tracks. But not even I could have hoped for a year full of so much success and admiration that Adele has pulled off, and not an ounce of it was undeserved. I genuinely don't think I've ever heard an album so full to the brim of killer tracks, so consistent, so cohesive, and so epic. Not a single filler track included. I've heard filler-less records before, but they usually lock coherence and end up sounding like a compilation album as opposed to an album which has meaning, and a point to make. '21' is the only album released this side of the millennium which pulls off a 100% kill rate, a flawless play-through, universally positive critique, all the while remaining totally current, relevant and easy to relate to. This album caters to almost everyone. To name a few tracks is difficult, but here goes; Don't You Remember was my easy initial stand-out of the non-singles, the line 'I know I have a fickle heart, a bitterness, a wandering eye and a heaviness' just chokes me up from the very first play, still to this day. But right now, my favourite track from 21 is One And Only, as this last summer brought a whole new personal meaning of the song to me. It's funny how a real life situation can completely change how you hear the lyrics of a song, and make every play of that track an overwhelming, and sometimes unbearable (yet addictive) experience. It's undeniable that 2011 has truly been the year of Adele. 21 is already a 21st, and possible all-time classic album as far as I'm concerned.