30. Sade, Soldier Of Love
Standouts: 'Be That Easy', 'Skin', 'Babyfather', 'The Moon and The Sky', 'Soldier Of Love'
Sade possibly made the biggest comeback of the year. After conquering the 80s with her elegant style and smooth voice, Sade released a long awaited album that to the surprise of many exceeded expectations sales wise. That just goes to show how loyal and dedicated her fanbase is. The first track in the album, 'Moon and The Sky', is the first sign that their sound remains the same, in this track her voice remains the main attraction while the lyrics relating the story of a relationship that could have been a fairytale reaches nothing but a sour ending. They experiment with somewhat reggae influences on the inspiring 'Babyfather', while the ballad 'Soldier Of Love' showcases Sade's incomparable voice with a tone of devastation and sadness that leaves the listener wondering what's next. The rest of the album remains very slow, relaxing, and enjoyable, with 'Skin', 'Be That Easy' and 'Long Hard Road' being the most memorable. If you get bored easily, this is definitely not the right album, if you're here deep lyrics and a slow album, this is the right one for you.
29. Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
Standouts: 'When You Got A Good Thing', 'American Honey', 'If I Knew Then', 'Need You Now', Our Kind Of Love'
A Grammy nomination for album of the year is probably pushing it, but 'Need You Now' definitely delivers some great moments, and me being not a fan of this genre, I have to admit I was quite surprised with this record. 2010 proved to be a great year for Country music, the trio not only managed to release one of the biggest crossover hits of all time but also one of the top selling albums of the year. The title track, 'Need You Now', is what ultimately got me to give this a listen, it sounds like their voices were made to be together in the same song, and they both add the right amount of emotion, giving a sense of desperation and agony to this brilliant song. Hillary Scott, female lead singer, gives life to the celebratory 'American Honey', with lyrics that make you think about the old times and how much you wish you could go back in time to those missed memories. On the other hand, we have Charles Kelly, the male lead singer, whose vocals are always expressive and distinctive, no matter what he is singing; 'If I Knew Then' and 'When You Got A Good Thing' are perfect examples of this. The great voices are there, but the album is also flawless in the lyrics department, it has something for everybody. Lady Antebellum definitely are more proof of the influence Country music has in the current state of music, and I won't be surprised if I see them topping the charts once again in the future.
28. My Chemical Romance, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
Standouts: 'SING', 'S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W', 'DESTROYA', 'Bulletproof Heart', 'The Only Hope For Me Is You'
My Chemical Romance had been out of the spotlight for quite some time, this year they came back with 'Danger Days', a project that sounds very different to what we're used to hearing from them, at least from my perspective. Not only that, but the album follows a very defined storyline, almost comic book-like, as they narrate the adventures of anti-corporate renegades in the year 2019. That's a big change, considering 'The Black Parade' had a very dark tone to it. 'Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na), the first offering from the album, seemed pretty bland to me, although it eventually grew on me, it wasn't the MCR that I fell in love with, back then when 'Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge' got released. Second single, 'SING', completely changed my mind, truly one of their best songs and the video got me to follow the crazy concept for the album. Other standout tracks include the pop/rock fused 'Bulletproof Heart' and their sad rendition of 'The Only Hope For Me Is You'. 'DESTROYA' and 'S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W/' sound pretty awesome at high volume, while the dance vibe in 'Planetary (GO!)' adds something absolutely different to the record. I wouldn't say this is MCR at their best, but this album is definitely worth a listen and a few dollars, I'm already wondering what is the new direction for the next album.