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The Pinkprint
Nicki Minaj
My ATRLcritic review - 8.8
2013: The Bones of What You Believe - CHVRHCES
2012: Gossamer - Passion Pit
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After that inconsistent and polarising attempt at straddling pure pop and hip-hop at the same time with Roman Reloaded, Nicki is back with a career defining effort. In this album, she finally gets everything right. She marries her pop sensibilities with hip-hop perfectly and her lyrics and subject matter are mature and insightful. This is the album where everyone would finally recognise that Nicki Minaj is a legit artist who's no puppet. She lets us in on her personal life, yet maintaining a confident exterior while she spits her verse. It's like she just took herself to a whole new level.
Best: All Things Go, I Lied, The Crying Game, Get On Your Knees (feat. Ariana Grande), Four Door Aventador, Grand Piano
 | 9
Goddess
BANKS
My ATRLcritic review - 8.8
2013: The 1975 - The 1975
2012: Beacon - Two Door Cinema Club
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While barely any new song on the album matches up to any song she previously released before the album release, this is still one cohesive and stunning debut. Each song holds by itself well. The lyrics are deep and personal. Paired with the dark atmosphere and production of the album, the journey throughout the album is mysterious and interesting. The only downside is that considering the songs are all mid or down-tempo, things could feel tiring by the end of the album.
Best: Brain, You Should Know Where I'm Coming From, **** Em Only We Know, Drowning, Beggin For Thread
 | 8
LP1
FKA twigs
My ATRLcritic review - 8.0
2013: Save Rock And Roll - Fall Out Boy
2012: Halcyon - Ellie Goulding
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I never thought I would listen to her music, but because of ATRLcritic I gave the album a try and I was hooked. The album is of course, weird and mysterious and all things strange. But it was so interesting. I was really intrigued. This album is such a mystery, you just want to keep on listening to it again and again and uncover all the little details about each song. Tahliah Barnett's voice is so sweet and seductive too. Just a total eargasm.
Best: Two Weeks, Pendulum, Video Girl, Numbers, Give Up, Kicks
 | 7
Trouble In Paradise
La Roux
My ATRLcritic review - 8.5
2013: The Civil Wars - The Civil Wars
2012: Some Nights - fun.
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After like 5 years, La Roux returned to music which a lighter sound compared to their electronic music. The music is perfect for a breezy summer time by the beach. Almost every song are laden with catchy hooks, making the songs irresistible. The songs might sound deceptively simple, but the best is when the a part of the song just keeps looping, letting the instruments or vocal parts flow and encase you in a tropical bubble. The album is really cohesive and simply addictive.
Best: Kiss and Not Tell, Cruel Sexuality, Sexotheque, Let Me Down Gently, The Feeling
 | 6
Night Time, My Time
Sky Ferreira
2013: Modern Vampires of the City - Vampire Weekend
2012: El Camino - The Black Keys
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Yeah so this album should belong in 2013, but I got into it at the very very end of 2013 thanks to all these Best Of charts where I kept seeing her, so I decided to roll her into 2014. Compared to her other material, this album delves into more rock-ish, grunge-ish sounds, which I think are absolutely amazing. Like, I could totally emo the day away to Nobody Asked Me and I just wanna headbang to You're Not the One forever. But the album still has a strong 80s pop feel, which seems like the direction Sky is heading for for good. They're also good too, just that I think with Sky's edgy personality, it would seem better if she did rockier stuff.
Best: Boys, Ain't Your Right, Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay), You're Not the One, Night Time, My Time
Comments
and of course, Cher Lloyd 
Not Lotus being your #12 in 2012 though 
Lot's of irrelevant flop albums made it in my top 20 in 2012 cuz I probably only listened to 20 albums that year. 
Great #1 
LOVE this song...
) and La Roux.
