A L B U M S
# 1 0 GRIMES - 'VISIONS'
What a year it's been for Grimes! She's been one of 2012's most hyped artists (yes, they do exist beyond Ms Del Rey), and she released this amazing album to back up the hype. One thing that I have to point out is that this album was recorded in under three weeks. Grimes wrote and produced everything herself. There are only two tracks which have a feature credit on them, and that's it. The rest was her. Amazing, right?
I do not understand a good 90% of the lyrics on the album, but I don't think that I'm meant to. You see, the thing about this album is that it's all about the emotions that music creates. It's not about the vocals. It's not about the production. It's not about the lyrics. It's about how all of those things meld into one entity to resonate in one's soul. Grimes is a genius, creating the perfect album that truly highlights what music means to us music lovers out there.
# 0 9 FUN. - 'SOME NIGHTS'
fun.'s sophomore album, they broke through in the mainstream in 2012 due to "We Are Young", a neat little slice of indie-pop with an anthemic chorus that caught on to listeners around the globe.
The album is excellent. Nate Reuss sounds fantastic, and a lot of the production was done by Jeff Bhasker, who has produced a lot of hip-hop artists. I personally feel that the grit and grime of hip-hop can be felt in a lot of the tracks, despite the album being lead by guitars and a heavy drumline.
An extremely cohesive effort, it's a nice bridge between pop and alternative. For any pop fans who want to attempt to get into some alternative music, I recommend this album as the first step.
# 0 8 AZEALIA BANKS - 'FANTASEA'
One of the most controversial new acts of 2012, Azealia Banks felt like she was everywhere on the internet. Always releasing new material, and always having someone new to argue with on twitter, Azealia knew how to keep her name out there in the blogs.
One of the things Azealia released this year was Fantasea, her debut mixtape which features a perfect mix of hip-hop, EDM, and enough quirks to really set herself apart from the rest of the game right now. In fact, Azealia even said she wasn't interested in the whole "rap game", and that she wants to be someone who makes rap music, rather than a rapper (she then recently got herself into a feud with Angel Haze and started engaging in typical 'rap game' behaviour).
Not you typical mixtape, Azealia flows freely from the most gritty, grimy urban track, to the most creepy dance-y tune to hit the hip-hop scene. That's what I like about Azealia. She's a form of alternative hip-hop, but she has enough swag and attitude that she can pull off being a rapper. Even in her most dance-oriented song, she sounds she's been prowling through the rap jungle for years. Azealia really knows how to mix these genres perfectly.
# 0 7 FLORRIE - 'LATE (EP)'
The third EP in as many years, super talented british artist Florrie is setting herself up for stardom. Dubbing herself "intelligent pop", Florrie embeds characters and stories into her material on this EP, and strays away from the generic concepts being used in your average dance song. I know I should say a little more in this paragraph, but that's all that has to be said. The overall product - despite being an EP - is better than majority of the albums I've heard in 2012.
# 0 6 WYNTER GORDON - 'HUMAN CONDITION (DOLEO)'
Wow, Wynter changed so much in 2012! She quit her label and decided to release music independently, where she was free to expand far beyond the dance music she was known for and release some pretty unexpected material. I personally still prefer her dance music, but this alternative music that Wynter is releasing is brilliant. I love it so much.
Wynter has planned to release for EP's under the name Human Condition; with each EP exploring a different emotion. Doleo was the first EP released, back in July. The second EP, Sanguine, is actually expected to be dropped in a week, on January 15.
A more mellow feel than her previous material, Wynter expresses her sorrow and pain through a variety of tracks, ranging from alternative rock, R&B, and pop. The overall listening experience is awesome, and Wynter has truly showcased her artistry and proved to everyone that she wasn't just a dance diva. I'm so proud of you, Wynter!
# 0 5 RIHANNA - 'UNAPOLOGETIC'
Probably the most polarising album in Rihanna's discography, Unapologetic is full of attitude, and the sequel to Rated R we've all been waiting for.
Basically, this album is everything that Talk That Talk should have been. I mean, really, this album takes a whole bunch of genres and mixes them together; but Rihanna finally figured out the key factor to making that work. This album fuses those genres together, to make a cohesive album. It doesn't sound rushed, or messy, like the album before it. This album sounds like it has a plan, and that plan was carried through.
The first half of the album is aggressive, and you can tell Rihanna just doesn't give any ****s to those who might disagree with her decisions. But the second half shows the softer side to Ri-Ri, as she tells the listener that she's just a human being and that she makes mistakes like everyone else.
The album is a sequel to the aforementioned Rated R for a variety of reasons, the album mixes hip-hop with dubstep, and the central focus seems to be Chris Brown. Unapologetic is incredibly icy, but I feel like it's the third time Rihanna has released an album, as opposed to a collection of hits.
# 0 4 ONE DIRECTION - 'TAKE ME HOME'
As some who adored their debut album, their sophomore, Take Me Home is absolutely amazing. No, it isn't "artistic", but it's still genius. The album is so much better than their debut and their pop songs are basically the definition of pop perfection.
I will admit, this album is a little bit same-y compared to the debut, but it also experiments with a few more genres and their vocals on this album sound so much better. Overall the album has a lot more of a rock edge than their debut, which is what I wanted.
This album is everything I wanted by them. Pure pop perfection that is light, but also shows off their vocal talent and a bit more mature than their debut. That's exactly what it is. I couldn't be happier, really.
# 0 3 LANA DEL REY - 'BORN TO DIE (+ PARADISE)'
I could listen to this album forever. It's just so magical, so majestic. I've seen people describe these albums and Lana herself as just "a pop girl with strings", but that's what makes her so special. Not other girl is doing it, and her songs tell stories. I love story telling, and even though Lana's songs are very somber and not exactly a joy fest, they're nice to just sit and listen to.
I really love everything Lana is doing and hope she doesn't stop anytime soon. I've heard that she is going to focus on film scores now, rather than albums. Unfortunate if true but live your dreams Elizabeth.
# 0 2 ELLIE GOULDING - 'HALCYON'
Originally this was #3, and Lana was #2. But recently, something happened. I just fell completely in love with this album and had to do a last second switch. It was after I discovered the deluxe edition tracks, which lifted up the album that little bit to reach the #2 position.
While I personally enjoy her debut album Lights better than I like Halcyon, I can respect that Ellie upped her game and came a bit harder this time around. She's more experimental and artistic on this album, and a few of her songs reminds me of Grimes - in the best way possible. Both have that mystical aura about them that is expressed through electronic pitching of vocals and all that jazz. They're extremely different though, of course.
I find this album is a lot more simple, but more emotional than her debut. It's fantastic.
# 0 1 MARINA & THE DIAMONDS - 'ELECTRA HEART'
My favourite album of the year; Electra Heart by Marina & the Diamonds. Now, what I love about this album is that Marina had a vision. It might not be an original, or "unique" concept, but it's one that is much more developed and fine-tuned than majority of commercial albums out there.
Marina has created a character (NOT an alter-ego), called Electra Heart. She basically embodies the four personalities (referred to as 'archetypes'). The album goes through these archetypes and ties them all together, and it basically becomes the story of a woman putting on these different personas as a coping mechanism for heartbreak.
Marina set out to make a "dark bubblegum pop album", and I think she succeeded. Amongst every bubbly song, there is a darker message in the lyrics. In fact, there is not a single happy song on this album. "Primadonna" details the dissatisfaction of 'wanting the world', and how Electra is extremely sad that she can't find anything to make her happy, therefore resorting to material objects. "Heartbreaker" is literally a music rulebook on how to break a man's heart, stemming from the insecurity of believing the man would break up with you first. It's basically playing the man out of fear.
That's what makes this album so good. You can dance to the songs, but every song actually has an unhappy message. There is no happy ending. It's an awesome mix of emotions and feelings conveyed through this unhappy, electronic 'upbeat' album.
Call her generic or a sell out (which she's already admitted numerous times by the way), but she's still one of the most interesting people in the music scene at the moment and she still puts her own spin on these "generic" songs. The ATRL pop girls could never.
Nice top 10, agree with your write-ups on Wynter & Ellie. Wynter always had this side to her but couldn't show it all the time with the dance tracks. She's such a wonderful artist.