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Top 21 Albums Of 2008
RECAP of 2008 Classics:
21. Pink - Funhouse
20. Janet Jackson - Discipline
19. The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
18. Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
17. Mariah Carey - E=MC²
16. Dido - Safe Trip Home
15. Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine
14. Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
13. Estelle - Shine
12. Jazmine Sullivan - Fearless
11. Stefanie Heinzmann - Masterplan
10. Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And all His Friends
09. Kid Rock - Rock N Roll Jesus
08. Ashlee Simpson - Bittersweet World
07. N.E.R.D - Seeing Sounds
06. Katy Perry - One Of The Boys
05. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
04. Khia - Nasti Muzik
03. Lady Gaga - The Fame
So this was the toughest decision I took this year. How am I supposed to decide the Pop masterpiece of the year? My love to both of these ladies knows no boundaries. The two most powerful women in music history. Their music changed my life and WHAT A YEAR when BOTH of them decide to grace the music scene with their presence. 2008 was absolutely a SWEET year for me but let's see the two albums that DEFINED the year in music.
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2. Britney Spears - Circus
Most of the criticism that Blackout had was that it was more of producers work than Britney's. Circus is an actual album, you see Britney getting involved vocally, lyrically and delivery wise. The album covers everything that is amazing in Pop music. It combines the two best qualities in her two best albums, In The Zone and Blackout. The creativity and diversity [ITZ] meeting the attitude and fierceness [Blackout].There's mid-tempo, ballads and upbeats of different sounds but all mash together incredibly. It's a true musical journey. It also shows how she could perfect any sound that is given to her which I consider a talent itself. You can hear in the album some UK pop (Lace and Leather), Urban pop (Mannequin, Blur), Classic Britney pop (If U Seek Amy), Alternative pop (Unusual You), Gwen-style pop (Amnesia), and even Lady Gaga pop (Phonography). She could still bring a cute contemporary ballad like "Out From Under" and a beautifully written song like "My Baby" - which I believe has some of Britney's best vocals to date, and it reminded us of Britney Spears, the song-writer. I won't say she came with an exactly new sound with this album but she definitely delivered and explored everything that we love in Pop music and gathered it in one piece of an art. This is her comeback musically. No one can do this but the princess now and the new Queen of Pop, Britney Jean Spears.
And the #1 album of the year is...............
1. MADONNA - Hard Candy
First of all, I'd like to say that I was extremely disappointed with Confessions of a Dancefloor, sure thing it was a global hit album for her and loved by most. But for me, It was more of a cheap remix album coming after the timeless yet underrated "American Life". However, when I first read about the Hard Candy project mid-2007, I knew it was a masterpiece in the making when she decided to work with two of the best producers in the last 10 years. Madonna described the album as a juxtaposition of tough and sweetness, hence the title that I really loved to the extent of making it my OFFICIAL username. Every single song in the album is amazing. The album kicks off with "Candy Shop", the song concludes the theme of the album in one line "her sugar is raw, sticky and sweet". I absolutely loved the acoustic guitar used here, in fact, that's how i wanted the whole album to sound like. It's very raw and fresh. "4 Minutes" is one of the best lead singles ever released. It features the Prince of Pop, Justin Timbelake, the marching band gives the whole song a "royal" feeling that suits her madgesty. The lyrics is a wake up call and it has one of the best lines I've heard from Madonna like "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". A meaningful song yet enjoyable and it was one of her biggest hits of her career. "Give It 2 Me" is one of the highlight songs. It has that IN YOUR FACE fierce attitude with a company of a funky electric beat and an 80s vibe. The song is full of LYRICS and when I'm in a bad mood I just put it on and HERE WE GO. Fantastic job by Pharrell done here. Moving here to another Pharrell masterpiece and "Heartbeat", the song kicks off with um, heart beats, Madonna sings the song with a soulful tone and the beat just keeps you moving and then switches to a FUNtastic Madonna asking you to "see her booty gettin' down like uh". The song ends with Pharrell revealing Madge's alter-ego throughout the song, my darling, M-dolla! Woo, the next track is one of my ultimate favorite M songs here, Timbaland outdid himself with "Miles Away", the ballad that talks about her relationship with her ex-husband. Madonna sounds broken and has something to say when she sings "so far away...". The guitars and the thumping beat bring the song into whole another level and blends into a beautiful instrumental that has Timbaland's signature futuristic sound. The following song is not only my favorite in the set, but my all time favorite M song here, it's like Pharrell decided to put Madonna's career in ONE song. GENIUS song. It starts off with classic 80s Madonna beat, moves into rock-ish bridge that reminds us of the experimental Madonna during ROL and lands to an unexpected appearance by Pharrell that makes the song even more interesting; fading into Madonna's electronica sound that we've witnessed in Music, COAD and Die Another Day. A song full of attitude, showing that there will never be a MADGE while celebrating her legendary 25 years in music. 6 minutes of flawlessness. The album continues with another funky and melodic track "Incredible", it keeps you on for 6 minutes, the beat switches very often; proving Pharrell's skills as an A+ producer. "Beat Goes On" used to be my least favorite track due to the fact i was infatuated with the demo version which I still prefer, However; it grew on me slowly and it became one of my favorites, Kanye West adds a flavor to the song, "don't sit there like some silly girl/ If you wait too long it'll be too late / You don't have the luxury of time" another wake up lines in a dance environment. One thing i loved about this album is how you can perceive the lyrics in more than one way. It shows how smart this woman is. The album goes on with "Dance 2Night", another Justin duet , but not as exciting as "4 minutes",
"You don't have to be rich and famous to be good", another line I love here, the beat is good groove and has throwback elements. "Spanish Lesson", a tongue-in-cheek song with typical fun Madge, showing her ultimate love to Spanish rhythms. Finally, the album ends with the part that we all love of Madonna and it's.. the dark side, "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" is the 2008 female version of Justin Timberlake's classic "Cry Me A River". One of the highlights of the album, from the lyrics to the climatic effects used to Justin's harmonies, perfection from start to end. And then here it comes the album closer and "Voices", the song opens with "Who is the master/ who is the slave", and you start thinking of the meaning behind it. It's a mind-****ing song, you can understand it in so many ways. It's very dark and I always feel like its happening in some castle in the 19th century. The symphony definitely takes it to a whole another level, and it ends with mysterious church bells, yes, "what the ****?!" is supposed to be your response to this EPIC end of an EPIC album. You never hear a song like "Voices" in a Pop album nowadays. It's something that only Madge is capable of. And the album ends here and I press the "play" button again because I couldn't get enough.
Hard Candy is a highly underrated album and I'm sure its for the fact that it was Madonna's least promoted album - which really disappointed me. It didn't get its deserved exposure and many people cannot comprehend the brilliance and the effort put into the production and lyrics. Everyday I re-discover a part in it. It's a timeless masterpiece and in years to come, people will start appreciating it, because - mark my words - this album will stand the TEST OF TIME. It has everything about Madonna that I personally love and it proved that NO ONE will ever be M-A-D-O-N-N-A, the Queen of Pop and the most innovative woman in music history alive.
^ And yes, I put it all together like that to give you an idea of what goes on my mind while I have this album on.
And if you've ever wondered..
Candy Shop <
Womanizer
4 Minutes > Circus
Give It 2 Me > Out From Under
Heartbeat > Kill The Lights
Miles Away > Shattered Glass
She's Not Me > If U Seek Amy
Incredible <
Unusual U
Beat Goes On <
Blur
Dance 2night <
Mmm Papi
Spanish Lesson <
Mannequin
Devil Wouldn't Recognize You > Lace and Leather
Voices > My Baby
7 -- HC
5 -- CIRCUS
Any doubts about my #1? KISS MY ASS and get some TASTE.
UP NEXT: My Top Singles of 2008!
sometimes, in Anthony's case - always.
Get out of here, freak.