Best 25 (mainstream) albums of 2008Apr 11 '09 (Updated Apr 16 '09) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line If you're into mainstream music, even if you like it a little, I suggest you pick up some of these albums! My 100th Review! This list was originally going to be called Best 25 Albums of 2008... but I realized something. I mean, c'mon, let's face it. I'm not the type to go searching for non-mainstream music and review them, right? Plus, I bet non-mainstream music is better than what we're all consuming right now at the moment so I decided to call this list the "Best 25 Mainstream Albums of 2008." Realistically, there are too many albums to listen to of 2008, mainstream or not, so this is the last list that will involve anything that has to do with 2008. While you're at it, check out my other list: Best Singles Of 2008. 25. Best Of by Hilary Duff Hilary Duff kind of reminds me of Britney Spears in a way. Their longing for pop satisfaction is out of this world, almost psychotically scary. Hilary's bubblegum pop/rock tunes like "Beat Of Your Heart" and "Why Not" are undeniable, even for a man my age, who outgrew his childhood like... ten years ago. If anybody can hypnotize the world into liking her, it's Hilary Duff. 24. One Of The Boys by Katy Perry Katy Perry is playing the game well. She believed in God for a while on her debut but her label finally smacked reality across her head and said: "You're not gonna go anywhere with that. Get some hit makers." So here we are. Some Dr. Luke and Glen Ballard productions later and you've got ONE OF THE BOYS, tales of girl on girl bi-curious action, being a tomboy, feeling so "Lost," being voted the most likely to end up in the back of a milk box drink and lastly, practically acting as if being a Sexist is the way to go. If all of this appeals to you, don't get excited just yet. I read all of the bad reviews and everything sounded so interesting to me still that I just had to go out and buy this album. So I did and go figure, the reviews were 80% right. Still, I can't deny that One Of The Boys is one of 2008's interesting listens. 23. Evolver by John Legend John Legend's third studio album obviously speaks for itself. With his first studio album hosting piano ballads and his second carrying choir-like croons, John Legend's third album makes much more sense for him. With danceable tunes and R&B grooves, John Legend's Evolver makes it seem like REAL R&B has a chance to come back. 22. I Am... Sasha Fierce by Beyonce Beyonce is totally overrated to me. Her vocals may be great but she doesn't know what to do with it, or her artistry. Hell, the only thing she knows how to control is her body, which kind of creeps me out in a way. Still, there's no denying the simplicity in the production of "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" and the acoustic ballads of "Disappear" and "Satellites." Sadly, I Am... Sasha Fierce is her best album so far. And trust me when I say it's sad. 21. Spirit by Leona Lewis Leona Lewis's voice is killer, kind of reminiscent of the young Whitney Houston or the middle 90s Mariah Carey. Spirit, her debut international album, may be chock full of burning piano ballads channeling early divas but Leona delivers them like no other, with utter emotion and killer vocals. The pop masterpiece, "Better In Time," showcases J.R. Rotem's best production and "Bleeding Love" still holds its subtlety, even if it has been overplayed by now. The real pop gem here, though, is "Homeless," the dramatic piano ballad that was consequently taken out of U.S. markets. 20. Year Of The Gentleman by Ne-Yo There's no other gentleman like Shaffer Smith. He writes music for himself and other artists, wears the most amazing suits and by the way, he can actually sing. Though his production team, Stargate, is getting extremely old and repetitive by now, they fit well with him and Year Of The Gentleman is no exception. Full of silky production and smooth synths, Ne-Yo's third studio album further proves his status as an R&B crooner. No, make that Superstar. 19. We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. by Jason Mraz Jason Mraz's voice is truly a silk masterpiece that not only defines the meaning of acoustic but perfects it also. The duet with Colbie Caillait on "Lucky" is a mid-tempo pop gem and "I'm Yours" will always be a folk-pop classic. And if you're looking for a disco-funk tune, look no further than the ever enjoyable "Butterfly." 18. The Carter III by Lil Wayne Oh my, my, my. What do we have here? An overrated artist? Yes. A talentless person? Yes. A false lyricist? Yes. A poet? Maybe. Lil Wayne may not be the best rapper alive as he states (Just like Beyonce. GET OVER YOURSELF) but the songs he produces are chock full of pop hooks over hip-hop beats. "Ms. Officer" should have just been Bobby Valentino's song with his soothing croons and "Lollipop" is a lame excuse to record a pop song. Nonetheless, T-Pain delivers, as always, on "Got Money" and "A Milli" is a confusing yet street ready anthem. 17. E=MC2 by Mariah Carey It's sad to say this but... E=MC2 is probably Mariah's second worst album in her career (Charmbracelet is her worst).I have to admit my first review for this was out of excitement for the success of the album but when the album only went Platinum (which all Mariah Carey fans cried for), I went back and listened to this album a bit more and realized why. While "Touch My Body" is Mariah's best bet at melody (courtesy of The-Dream), her choice for singles from Stargate ("Bye "Bye") and Bryan Michael Cox ("I Stay In Love") were poor. Honestly, how could Mariah be so blind to not release "Migrate" and "Cruise Control?" The only thing I agree with her at this point is releasing "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time," which did not deserve its lack of success. 16. Rockferry by Duffy Duffy not only is a sober version of Amy Winhouse (LMFAO!) but she actually can sing and has enough range and vocal prowess to impress even the hardest of vocal critics. "Mercy" not only had me interested in her, it made me buy her album (hell, not even Amy Winehouse made me buy her album). The sixties-styled soul works with Duffy the best, especially on lead single "Mercy" and the emotional "Hanging On Too Long." Even the dramatic ballad, "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You," is good! 15. Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits by Christina Aguilera Christina might not have sold as many records as Britney Spears, she might not have released more records than her, and we all know Britney will always be better than Christina in the media. But when it comes down to it, who is the real artist? Of course, all of you must be thinking Christina. She can actually sing, she's been writing her own music since her second studio album and she isn't controlled by her management. Hell, if she was, she would have as much records and singles as Britney has but no. Christina knows she is human and she knows she deserves rests and that's what makes her even more likable than Britney, mainly for the fact that instead of being a robotic sex pod like Britney, Christina chose to follow her own path, even if it doesn't sell. After a decade with the both of these women, I can rightfully say that Christina has proved herself more worthy of any genre than Britney (just imagine Britney trying to do jazz or rock HAHA) and more down the path of queen of pop status than Britney. Britney's fans and producers might call Britney the Queen Of Pop but Madonna, the recent Queen Of Pop, actually changes her style and writes her own stuff and doesn't lip sync often, all of which Britney does not do. This collection is a pure pop cheese masterpiece. 14. When The World Comes Down by The All-American Rejects With their last record gaining three top 20 hits, it's inevitable The All-American Rejects have reached their peak with When The World Comes Down, as it is their most obviously commercialized album. Still there are some sparks of emo lingering here and there, especially the lyric: "You're never comin' home to me / That's the hardest thing to see." Successful power pop? Yes. 13. Welcome To The Dollhouse by Danity Kane Danity Kane may very well be the most talented girl group since Destiny's Child. The group consists of five girls, in no particular order, Aundrea, Aubrey, Wanita, Dawn, and Shannon (she's last for a reason). On the quintet's debut album, hardly any of them had solos on any of the songs except for Aubrey, Dawn, and Aundrea, who took lead time and time again and still does, though this time, Wanita and Shannon have a few lines, too, here and there. When it comes down to the boiling point, Danity Kane's debut album was pure R&B textured in with hip-hop and this time, their sophomore album, Welcome To The Dollhouse, mixes pop, R&B and hip-hop to create one of the finest and underrated records of 2008. 12. Departure by Jesse McCartney Departure was really a breaking point in Jesse's career. Not only did he abandon his pop fans, he abandoned the youthful image he once had, slipping into a sophisticated look, which still looks sexy on this man. The album does the same. Throwing away the cheap pop hooks and cliche lyrics of his past two albums, Jesse's music has evolved into straightforward R&B, with a bit of an 80s influence here and there. Make sure to check out the disco tune of "My Baby" and the sexy delivery of "Into Ya." 11. Flavors Of Entanglement by Alanis Morissette Flavors Of Entanglement, or FOE, is another Alanis masterpiece. So many reviews I've read say that the electronica features on Alanis' fifth studio album simply just doesn't work for her. I fully disagree, since Alanis' dark lyrics, emotional delivery, and powerhouse vocals fit the mysterious aura electronica brings into most songs. JLP (Jagged Little Pill) offered many sides of Alanis; angry Alanis, sad Alanis, confused Alanis, etc. SFIJ (Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie) made Alanis sound even darker and URS (Under Rug Swept) created a very commercial Alanis at the peak of lightness while SCC (So-Called Chaos) just missed any point completely. FOE may well be her most vulnerable album to date. 10. 808s & Heartbreak by Kanye West Kanye West always proved himself as an artist. Though his personality may suck a bit (lacking of humble much?), his music has always proved he was right. As the title of the album states, the topic is supposed to be about heartbreak and it doesn't disappoint. Though he uses auto-tune on mainly 95% of the album, it works and it doesn't get annoying (T-Pain take notice). "Paranoid" makes electro pop sound like child's play and "Love Lockdown" is an African masterpiece turned commercial. 9. Discipline by Janet Jackson Nobody can say Janet Jackson doesn't take chances. Working with different producers are taking chances and even if it doesn't work, you're listening to Janet, which is more of a dance queen than Madonna ever will be. Discipline is vastly better than the past two albums of Janet's catalogue but the work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis is definitely missed, I have to admit. Still, the dance croons of "2nite" and the R&B/jazz funk of "Curtains" are undeniable. 8. Circus by Britney Spears Circus is a great comeback album, hands down. Britney Spears never had so many enjoyable dance tunes on one album. Still, there's no denying that Blackout was a better album, in terms of production, and that will always be missed. Oh, Ms. Spears. Just give up and go be a mom. 7. Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded by Rihanna Rihanna's longing for pop princess status is undeniable and incredibly passionate. She doesn't need to write lyrics. She doesn't need to produce. Her goal is to take over the world and I sort of see some Madonna in her. "Umbrella" is still a catchy piece of art and "Take A Bow" is a careless yet melodramatic ballad that works more than it should. Her best single to date, "Disturbia," may have been written by Chris Brown but the real stars here are Rihanna and Brian Kennedy, who both have fun with the electro-dance groove. Go, Rihanna, go. 6. Paper Trail by T.I. T.I. not only is a better rapper generally than anybody in the mainstream business right now but his albums deliver as much, too. "Whatever U Like" may be a "Lollipop" remake but it turns out better without the use of auto-tune and "No Matter What" is a chilling tune of outspoken happenings. The best rap album of 2008. 5. Funhouse by P!nk P!nk's fifth studio album is probably her most over rated since her debut but with songs such as "Sober" and "One Foot Wrong," it gives hope that P!nk has still got it. The main problem is that FUNHOUSE should have come after TRY THIS because I'M NOT DEAD was successful and so acclaimed that it put the bar WAY HIGH for P!nk to put out a similar album and in the end, it just simply disappoints when you expected more from her. Just like the one of the lines in the ending track "Glitter in the Air": "It's only half past the point of no return." I couldn't agree more. 4. The Fame - Lady Gaga Not only is Lady Gaga bringing actual pop back, she is throwing it back... forcefully down our throats. Her drive for Freddie Mercury antics and David Bowie vocals to seem a bit obvious but she makes them her own. She may be spunky on one end ("Boys Boys Boys") and subtle on the other ("Eh Eh Nothing Else To Say") but what she doesn't do is overstep the boundaries. She isn't Britney. She doesn't overstep the boundaries of pop music to make it mainstream. Her style and her music isn't mainstream at all. People just embraced it with open arms and you should, too. 3. Hard Candy - Madonna A songwriting team like Justin Timberlake and Timbaland should have bewildered Madonna into the ground, leaving her artistry on the door step waiting to be picked right back up. Luckily, this doesn't usually happen on HARD CANDY and it not only still holds her artistry in its fingertips, it revisits Madonna's past as the disco queen, who was happy to serve, especially to her gay fans. This time, the Master and the Slave is serving her straight fans. 2. Viva La Vida or Death To All His Friends - Coldplay Coldplay is the best band of the 21st century. And it's no surprise the album is the best rock album of 2008. "Lovers In Japan" may be a boring but slick tune but the Osaka Sun Mix changes all of that into a swift, beautiful and melodic melodrama. The title track is simply masterful and "Lost" sounds just that. This rock masterpiece is an epic peice of the 21st century. 1. Fearless by Taylor Swift Seriously, Taylor Swift amazes me. Not only is her country album so successful beyond belief but her music is utterly simple yet so inspiring. This album is the best of 2008 because it's creativeness is out of this world. Viva La Vida may have been the most creative album of 2008 but Fearless is the most cohesive, simple, riveting, and truthful album of 2008. Taylor Swift definitely is going to take the title from Shania Twain as the Queen of Country and there's no stopping her. She's unstoppable. Fearless.  |
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