Magma is alright from them. Yeah it was pretty accessible but I think they meant to do that. Coloring Book does have that positive vibe around it and i'm interesting in seeing where Chance will go with his future debut album. I've been more into k-pop songs than albums myself, other than dean/nct/SHINee, but Mamamoo is great ofc.
Coloring Book było takie... szkoda gadać Kocham Acid Rap, ale tego po prostu nie mogę przetrawić w całości i zwykle wyłączam w połowie. No niby są fajne kawałki (Angels, No Problem, Blessings, może Summer Friends), ale jest sporo takich, które mnie strasznie rażą (okropnie zmiksowane Ultralight Beam wannabe All We Got, koszmarne Mixtape, irytujące All Night). Szkoda, że wyszło jak wyszło, bo potencjał był
i really loved chance's positivity and def felt it was needed in a year like this <3 i think he has a somewhat unqiue voice and i'm excited for the rest. like what u said about blonde.
After sitting for good 90 minutes trying to even start writing about this, I came to the conclusion that there are no words which would do Mitski justice. A girl from Japan which came to New York to fulfill her dream. A history which could easily be turned into a sickeningly sweet comedy. Well, for once it'd have an excellent soundtrack.
Puberty 2 is no big revolution for Mitski. It's just another step forward for her, maybe more polished and professional in comparison to her previous album? Anyway, she still records fairly simple, yet absolutely emotionally touching compositions. Singing songs about issues connected with, well, hitting puberty she's just so authentic, raw and honest, she makes you want to listen to her. What's more, her pleasant, suble voice fits the indie rock background perfectly. She might be at her best when she's singing slow numbers but as the record proves, she can do louder, heavier tracks as well.
Coming back to the opening paragraph, everything about Puberty 2, and Mitski in general, seems so typical. Like, this is an album with nice, not overly complex melodies, she seems to be a modest, mellow type of person... and yet there is something to both which magically makes them stand out. Actually, magic seems to be a perfect way to describe the album, you'll find lots of it here.
I may be repeating myself but symphonic metal has been absolutely dead for a good few years now. All these female fronted acts ripping one another off trying to record serious, monumental tracks but ultimately becoming tacky autoparodies. In such a mess of a genre, there is always a question: is Epica actually that good or does the surroundings make them look better than they are in reality? Thankfully, their recent release proves the former.
Coming up with a follow-up to an album about quantum physics and the power of human's mind (which, in addition, was my 2014 AOTY and is probably one of my favourite albums ever) must have been a challenging experience. On The Holographic Principle they decided to take a different path and created a record about a universe which is in fact... a digitally generated hologram. As cosmic as it seems, it's actually their most "live" record, featuring the most extensive orchestra and choir. Paired with the bombastic concept, it could have easily come off as pretentious but the energy and actually infectious melodies prevent that from happening.
Admittedly, it's not as breath-taking as The Quantum Enigma or Design Your Universe but then again, for me Epica at their "just" good is still above almost everyone else in the industry. There is plenty to enjoy, from Mark's thought-provoking lyrics, Simone's vocals, through the sometimes complex and sometimes just powerful musical background, to the little nuances, such as the mysterious, slow parts of Ascension or the oriental influences in Dancing in a Hurricane which make the entire record truly stand out.
As I'm leaving in a few minutes and really wanted to finish this today, I'm posting the entire top 5 now. I'll reply tomorrow (for real this time nn). Thanks for commenting y'all, this was really fun, see y'all in the year, hopefully it'll be great for all of us
Mitski came as an alternative rock surprise for me but I had absolutely no doubts about other musically similar woman this year. There is just something unique about Angel which would probably make me fall in love even with a phonebook sung by her. And thankfully, she's singing not a phonebook but a bunch of really great tracks.
My Woman expands the sound of Burn Your Fire for No Witness. Unlike the predecessor, it's not a quiet lo-fi album, it's more extroverted and playful. As Angel said, she wanted to use her voice and experiment with various styles a bit more this time around and it paid off. From the synthpop-influenced opener Intern, through the loud, upbeat Shut Up Kiss Me to Never Be Mine which was commonly compared to... Spanish music, every song here is another story which works just as well on its own as in the context of the record. What's more, the entire album progresses slowly but steadily, after the louder first half we have the slower side b which brings the two longest tracks, Sister and Woman, both absolute masterpieces of modern rock if you asked. The way they both build and lead to such different, yet equally satisfying climaxes, Christ.
Olsen herself said that My Woman adresses the complicated mess of being a woman. Well, can't really relate to that but if all the issues come in package with such an extraordinary talent and creativity, then I truly do envy all you ladies.
Leaked video of me listening to this album. It's a mess that I can't really say anything else about one of the year's most important works but I think it's the best to just let music speak for itself for once.
It's never easy to talk about something so emotionally heavy and disturbing, especially when you can't really relate to it. If this album was released last year, I would probably talk about how heart-wrenching it is but I wouldn't have a truly deep connection with it. However, earlier in 2016 I lost a close family member as well and this kind of expressed my feelings perfectly.
At first the album seems almost numb and devoid of emotion. The cold opener gives us Nick Cave who seems to have absolute control over his feelings and talks about death from a certain perspective, more philosophically. As the record progresses though, he can't hide his depression anymore. In the album painful centrepiece I Need You he no longer pretends to be tough, he just longs to see his son one more time. It's sort of a catharsis for him, as the ending of Skeleton Tree is its only at least a bit lighter moment, "And it's alright now" is truly one of the most hopeful lines I've heard the entire year.
This was never supposed to be an easy listen but due to my own experience, I found it so necessary. It just mirrored my feelings perfectly. But even if I overtook the emotional content of the album, it still is a masterpiece, with profound lyrics, masterful melodies and production and impeccable use of vocals, both Nick's and Else Torp's whose performance takes Distant Sky into an even higher level. It's a complete journey of a wise, mature, yet vulnerable man.
...a tie for #1! It's always been obvious for me that these two talented sisters would be my top 2, however, I tried both combinations of the top 2 and it just didn't seem right not to award any of them with my #1. They both totally won me over, both in different ways and ultimately, they completed each other making an ideal duo.
Lemonade was the ~controversial one, it got people shook over the alleged crisis between Bey and Jay. And yes, love is the main theme appearing on the record, but there is actually much more depth to it. While self-titled saw Beyonce exploring her sexuality and sensuality, Lemonade has her at the most vulnerable. The unhappy relationship described here makes her go through all different kinds of emotion: from sadness and hopelessness, through denial and anger, to accepting her situation and finding love again. With each song she gains more experience leading her to finding her true self as a black woman and embracing it. It's a path filled with pain but in the end, rewarding.
On the other hand, A Seat at the Table takes a more general approach. The themes of the record - racism, loneliness, independence, self-care among others - are similar to those on Lemonade but they feel somewhat less exclusive to their performer and therefore, more relatable. Solange more explicitly embraces her roots, history and culture. In a way Seat... almost feels like a reflection of her sister's body of work seen in a broken mirror which slightly changes the view magnifies other characteristics.
What is literally the same for both of these albums, though, is the perfect execution. They both have polished, mesmerizing productions which are modern but have a certain nostalgic feeling attached to them. They're both varied and adventurous, yet consistent and cohesive all the way through. Both make excellent use of the featured artists taking the best out of them. And finally, both serve consecutive punches, when you think they just cannot get better, that's the exact thing they do. What a talented, legendary family, whew.
my last post in here be sure to buy/stream AOA their new album 2morrow
Quote:
Originally posted by Tom Vercetti
Magma is alright from them. Yeah it was pretty accessible but I think they meant to do that. Coloring Book does have that positive vibe around it and i'm interesting in seeing where Chance will go with his future debut album. I've been more into k-pop songs than albums myself, other than dean/nct/SHINee, but Mamamoo is great ofc.
Dean, NCT and SHINee def had some of the most interesting full albums so good choices there too <3
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked
I ignored metal this year, going to change that next year.
Cuz I'm a Mastodon Stan heh.
ngl I kinda didn't care a lot for metal this year so yeah, I'll try to change that too.
Quote:
Originally posted by Superpower
Yay Coloring Book
Quote:
Originally posted by AlexisNeiers
Coloring Book było takie...
Świetne? Zgadzam się.
Quote:
Originally posted by AlexisNeiers
szkoda gadać
Szkoda gadać, bo jest tak świetne, że słowa tego nie oddają? Zgadzam się.
Quote:
Originally posted by MP2K
Such a diverse taste if not mentioned before.
Loved Coloring Book!
Thanks, I try to find something beautiful in every genre
Quote:
Originally posted by Marnie
Magma looks alright i should check more of it out
You should, I think you'd like it
Quote:
Originally posted by AshleeSimpsonFan
9. Chance the Rapper is amazing
He truly is!
Quote:
Originally posted by madonnas
Everyone is loving Melting I kinda only listened to it once and thought it was kinda below average
Listen again
Quote:
Originally posted by bluth
i really loved chance's positivity and def felt it was needed in a year like this <3 i think he has a somewhat unqiue voice and i'm excited for the rest. like what u said about blonde.
I agree, there's something really sweet about his voice, makes his songs even more uplifting <3
Quote:
Originally posted by K$Ellie
I haven't heard Alicia's album but In Common is great
The Mamamoo song is cute I'm only getting more into k-pop now as well
Don't know if you'd like more of Melting but would still recommend
Quote:
Originally posted by Eeveelution
Queen Mitski.
Symphonic metal is too out there for my taste but I'm sure it's good.
n I wanted to link the album's ballad but then I remembered it was by far its weakest song and would probably make a bad first impression
Quote:
Originally posted by Superpower
I wasn't crazy about Mitski's album
Coloring Book
ahh, Chance's praise again, deserved!
Quote:
Originally posted by Remmy
Lemonade All Night is my favorite song from it, too
Such an amazing album, short film, concept, era, etc.
Happy 2017 to you as well Hope to see you back for the next Best Of
All Night is truly something else
Thanks
Quote:
Originally posted by Mr. Loco
The tie
An unexpected twist at the end hihi
Quote:
Originally posted by madonnas
What a cop out!
But also, cute. I'd pick Lemonade over ASATT though but that's just me.
Can't believe I didn't know who Mitski was before this year.
Me neither actually, well, at least we got to experience her slayage now!
Quote:
Originally posted by Reverie
Dddd BOOO!!!!!!! Pick a side u ho
'Monade wins for me but both really did WIN 2016, what a fam of talent
Happy New Year Vileplum
Picking a 10/10 over another 10/10 makes no sense heaux