Beyoncé Releases Her Best Album

Last month Beyoncé released her fifth album with 20 minutes notice. This surprise, self-titled record is her best. While I find her to be overrated Beyoncé does make some good music and this album is her best.
Dubbed a "visual album" each song has it's own music video and there are three bonus videos. The album explores insecurity, beauty, motherhood, relationships, female empowerment and sexuality. The music incorporates R&B, trap, hip hop, electro, soul and indie influences and shows Beyoncé experimenting with new sounds. Gone is the cookie cutter R&B singer of her first few albums and here we have a woman who is not afraid to try new sounds.
Beyoncé shows strength on songs like "Partition,"  "Blow" and "Rocket." These songs are sexual and contain a certain sexuality. First single "Drunk in Love" featuring husband Jay-Z also embody sexuality and lust.
While Beyoncé shows her strength she also shows some of her most vulnerable points on songs like "Pretty Hurts," "Blue" which features her daughter Blue Ivy, "Jealous," "Mine," and "Heaven." These songs are where Beyoncé really shines. "Pretty Hurts" deals with pageant girls and is a female empowerment anthem that has small spots of insecurity in it's lyrics.
"Just another stage/ Pageant the pain away/ This time I'm gonna take the crown/ Without falling down, down," Beyoncé sings during the first verse.
"Blue" is a song dedicated to her daughter and shows how much she loves her. "Jealous" deals with jealousy and shows Beyoncé channeling Lana Del Rey. "Mine" features Drake and is a song that deals with post partum depression. "Heaven" is a gorgeous ballad that discusses the death of a loved one. This song is perhaps the most vulnerable Beyoncé has ever been.
The album's two best songs are "Flawless" and "XO." "Flawless" is a trap influenced song that deals with female empowerment. The song features writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reciting an excerpt of her speech "We should all be feminists..."  The song exudes confidence is shows Beyoncé at her best.
"Bow down bitches," Beyoncé sings repeatedly during the first verse.
Single "XO" is a gorgeous electronic pop ballad that features influences of indie pop. It's a gorgeous love song and shows Beyoncé being vulnerable and talking about her relationship with Jay-Z.
Another album highlight is "Grown Woman." This is one of the bonus videos and was featured in her Pepsi commercials. This song is a fast paced song that should be on the actual album and could very well be a single.
All in all Beyoncé changed the game with this record. Her surprise release will definitely shift the way the music industry works and that's a good thing.

Top 10 Albums of 2013

10. The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1-Five Finger Death Punch
The metal titan's fourth album is their best by far. With guest appearances by Maria Brink of In This Moment, Rob Halford from Judas Priest, Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed, Max Cavalera from Soulfly and Tech N9ne, the band experimented and released some of their most aggressive music to date. The album's sequel which came out later in the year is also phenomenal. The album's best song is "Anywhere but Here" the duet version with Maria Brink.
Key Tracks: "Lift Me Up" freaturing Rob Halford, "Watch You Bleed," "You," "Wrong Side of Heaven," Burn MF," I.M. Sin," "Anywhere but Here," duet with Maria Brink, "Dot Your Eyes," and "Mama Said Knock You Out" featuring Tech N9ne.
9. The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2- Justin Timberlake
The pop star shocked us with his come back this year with not one, but two amazing albums. The second part of his opus was better though, however check out part 1 as well. This album had a more urban sound than part 1's neo soul vibes. The songs dealt with breakups or love and sex. Timberlake showed us that he can still be a viable musical force after all these years. The best song is the opening track "Gimmie What I Don't Know (I Want)."
Key Tracks: "Gimmie What I Don't Know (I Want)," "TKO," "Murder" featuring Jay-Z, "Drink You Away," "Amnesia," "Only When I Walk Away," "Not a Bad Thing" the bonus track "Pair of Wings.
8. Side Effects of You-Fantasia
Fantasia really outdid herself on her fourth record. The soul singer incorporated rock elements into her music and discovered explicit language. The singer also wrote a lot of the songs where she didn't do that so much in the past. The album's best songs are "Without Me" featuring Missy Elliott and Kelly Rowland and the title track.
Key Tracks: "Supernatural Love" featuring Big K.R.I.T., "Without Me" featuring Missy Elliott and Kelly Rowland, "Side Effects of You," Get it Right," "So Much to Prove," "Change Your Mind," "Lighthouse," "Lose to Win," "End of Me," "In Deep" and the bonus track "To the Heavens."
7. Gravel & Wine-Gin Wigmore
Gin Wigmore's sophomore album was released in 2011 but it was only released in the United States in 2013. Wigmore's music mixes pop, rock, blues and folk to make a soulful, sassy blend of music. The best song is the second American single "Black Sheep."
Key Tracks: "Black Sheep," "Man Like That," "Poison," "Kill of the Night," " Devil in Me," "If Only," "Dirty Love," "Happy Ever After," "Saturday Smile," "Sweet Hell" featuring Butch Walker and the bonus tracks "Don't Stop" and "Kick This Love."
6. Save Rock and Roll-Fall Out Boy
Pop punk kings Fall Out Boy returned this year with an album that is more pop than rock. The album was a loud return for the band who hadn't released an album since 2008. The album mixes elements of dance, hip hop and punk into the tunes. The best songs are "The Phoenix" and "Just One Yesterday" featuring Foxes.
Key Tracks: "The Phoenix," My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)," "Alone Together," "Where Did the Party Go," "Just One Yesterday" featuring Foxes, "Miss Missing You," "Death Valley," "Rat a Tat" featuring Courtney Love, and "Save Rock and Roll" featuring Elton John.
5. True Romance-Charli XCX
The singer behind Icona Pop's epic single "I Love It" released her own debut album this year and it's very unique. The album mixes in synthpop with indie, new wave, R&B and house music. The lyrics are all about different sides of love. The best songs are "You (Ha Ha Ha)," "Stay Away" and "Black Roses."
Key Tracks: All of them.
4. Mosquito-Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The art rock band went indie rock on their fourth album which isn't as phenomenal as their debut but is better than their third album and that improvement is aplenty on this record. The album's best songs are "Sacrilege," "Mosquito" and 'Under the Earth," "Despair" and Wedding Song."
Key Tracks: "Sacrilege," Mosquito," "Under the Earth," "These Paths," Area 52," "Buried Alive" featuring Dr. Octagon, "Despair" and "Wedding Song."
3. Trouble-Natalia Kills
Pop singer Natalia Kills doesn't get the credit she's due. The singer who's sophomore album is like Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey somehow had a baby who made pop music with guitars, it'd be Natalia Kills. On this album, Kills tackles personal issues like her family life, childhood and relationships gone wrong. The album's best tracks are "Television," "Devils Don't Fly" and "Marlboro Lights."
Key Tracks: "Television," "Problem," "Boys Don't Cry," "Daddy's Girl," "Saturday Night," "Devils Don't Fly," "Controversy," "Rabbit Hole," and "Marlboro Lights."
2. Artpop-Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga needs no introduction. While this album isn't her best, it also isn't her worst either. It shows a lot of experimentation. The album mixes in EDM, rock, R&B and hip hop elements into her music. The album's best song is "Dope."
Key Tracks: "Aura," Venus," "Jewels n Drugs" featuring T.I., Too Short and Twista, "MANiCURE," "Do What You Want" featuring R. Kelly, "Swine" "Mary Jane Holland," "Dope," Gypsy," "Applause."
1. Paramore-Paramore
The band prove on this album that they can do fine without what's their names? The lyrics talk about looking forward and just wanting to have fun and dealing with inner demons, as well as usual love songs. The album's best songs are "Fast in My Car," "Grow Up," "Part II," "Ain't It Fun," and "Still Into You."
Key Tracks: "Fast in My Car, "Now," "Grow Up," "Interlude: Moving On," "Ain't it Fun," "Part II," "Still Into You," "Anklebiters," "Interlude: Holiday," "Proof," "Hate to See Your Heart Break," "Interlude: I'm Not Angry Anymore," and "Be Alone."

B.o.B Gets Hip Hop On New Album

B.o.B has always been a rapper with more pop sensibilities than most. Only he can work with such mainstream artists such as Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift and Hayley Williams of Paramore and still keep the respect of the streets.
On Underground Luxury, B.o.B's third album he stays away from mainstream guest appearances. Aside from Chris Brown, T.I. and Priscilla Renea the guests are far more, well, underground. While  this is definitely his worst album, it's still a good record. Some of his solo songs blend together, but most of the songs are memorable.
The two best songs are the singles "John Doe" which features Priscilla Renea and "Headband" which features 2 Chainz. "John Doe" is by far the best song though. It features Renea singing a chorus of sadness playing John Doe's love interest While B.o.B  plays the addict.
"John Doe, I just want the John I know/ Once you put the drinks on hold/ Maybe you could come back home/ John Doe," Renea sings sadly during the chorus.
This is the best song and with a song this good it makes the other songs sound like filler. Most of the songs blend together and are broken up by the memorable songs like "Ready" which features Future, "Coastline," "Wide Open" which features Esther Dean and  "We Still In This Bitch" which features T.I. and Juicy J.
Without these songs the record would be nothing more than filler and background music. The problem is that B.o.B is that he works better with a guest appearance on the song. He works better with a Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj or Rivers Cuomo like on is first two albums. For his next record he would do good to have more guest appearances to help him hold his own.

Britney Spears Gets Personal On New Album

Britney Spears has always had hints of personal moments in her music. From her smash single "Everytime" off of her 2003 fourth album In the Zone in which Spears regrets the pain she caused ex Justin Timberlake to "Piece of Me" off of her 2007 comeback album Blackout. While the later wasn't even composed by Spears, it struck a chord with her. While the album isn't as personal as we were led to believe it does shed light on Spears' life, she had a hand in writing all of the songs on it.
So earlier in the year when Spears announced her eighth album and said that it would combine all of her previous records, including the "personal" Circus, fans were excited. In September Spears released the first single "Work Bitch" which is all about positive thinking and confidence. The second single came two months later. "Perfume" is a very personal song about a love triangle. Both songs were written by Spears and got fans excited for Britney Jean, Spears' eighth record.
Released last week the album is far from Spears' best record, but it also isn't terrible. Spears starts the album off on a personal note with the Madonnaesque "Alien." The song is about Spears feeling like she is an alien and like she doesn't belong. Spears is rarely this honest with us. This song is experimental and could very well be an outtake from Madonna's Ray of Light. Up next is the first single "Work Bitch," the EDM anthem practically made for treadmills. After that is "Perfume." This song isn't Spears' best ballad but it's a great song.
Next up is "It Should Be Easy" which is a duet with will.i.am who had a song in producing many of the songs on this record. The duet is a quasi touching love song that has some touching moments and the dance breakdown after the chorus is just killer. Next up is another collaboration, "Tik Tik Boom" with T.I. This song shows off an experimental sound. The chorus has an urban thump to it but then during the verses Spears sings over a minimal beat with acoustic guitars. Both these songs are album highlights and would make great singles.
Next Spears gets sexy on "Body Ache." While this song isn't bad, it isn't the best sexy song Spears has had and it doesn't hold up next to the other songs. The song is followed up by the best song on the album "Til It's Gone." This song is a dancy number with elements of dubstep and lyrics about a breakup. This song should definitely be a single. It would tear up dance floors all over the world. Spears shows vulnerably on this song. The bridge is a very good example of this.
"All the memories I'm saving/ So your love is never fading/ Holding on my heart is breaking/ Can't let go," Spears sings.
On the next song, "Passenger," Spears is a little more upbeat. The song is about Spears' giving up control in a relationship. It's about falling in love after a hard breakup and Spears' vocals shine on this guitar driven rock/dance hybrid. Katy Perry and Diplo wrote this song and Diplo produced it.
Next up is the worst song on the album. The kind of pop, kind of country, kind of stupid "Chillin' With You." This song is a duet with her sister Jamie Lynn who out sings her sister ten fold. The song is silly and could be done without.
Spears closes the album out on a high note. "Don't Cry" is a ballad that is part "Everytime," part Adele's "Someone Like You." This song is a touching look at the end of spears engagement. This song is a great way to end the standard edition of this album.
The deluxe edition of the record has a few great songs. "Brightest Morning Star" is a touching love song and has Spears sounding less auto-tuned than usual. "Now That I Found You" is a quirky club anthem about finding love and it's a great song and both these tracks should have been on the actual album. "Hold On Tite" is a boring song that doesn't need to have ever taken place. "Perfume (The Dreaming Mix)" is a stripped back version of the second single that makes it sound more fragile.
While this album doesn't top Spears' best records Circus and Blackout, it is a great record that is better than her first three filler filled albums.

A Day to Remember Release Standard Album

A Day to Remember self released their fifth album in October. Common Courtesy received a full physical release last month and it's more of the same for the band. The band, led by frontman Jeremy McKinnon, mix in elements of metalcore, pop-punk,, emo and post-hardcore to form a catchy and aggressive sound that is all their own.
While this record isn't the band's best, it is a step up from their last release What Separates Me from You, which had tons of filler and only a handful of great songs. While this record isn't as great as their best album, their sophomore release For Those Who Have Heart, it still reminds fans why this band is so great. The band mix in hardcore bangers, pop-punk anthems and emotional ballads.
The band have gotten heavier on this release and with songs like "Sometimes You're the Hammer, Sometimes You're the Nail," "Violence (Enough Is Enough)"  and "Life Lessons Learned the Hard Way" are all sure to open up mosh pits in the future and are signature A Day to Remember. "Best of Me" is for sure the album's best heavy song. The song mixes in pop-punk melodies and is what the band do best.
The pop-punk inspired songs also shine. "Life @ 11" is a great example of this. The album's two best pop-punk songs are the first two on the album "City of Ocala" and "Right Back at It Again." These songs have the aggression of pop-punk and truly make the listener move.
Some of the album's best tracks are the ballads. "I'm Already Gone," "End of Me" and the album's best song "I Surrender" are all emotional and soft while still maintaining rock elements.
While most of the songs on the album are good some just don't hold their own next to such great songs. "I Remember" and "Dead & Buried" aren't as memorable as the other songs and could be done without.
The rereleased version of this album has three bonus tracks. The acoustic opener of "Leave All the Lights On" soon starts out a bounce that recalls older Kelly Clarkson songs. This song is a pop-punk rocker that is a good addition to the album. "Good Things" is a kind of Blink 182 throwback that also adds to this record. "Same Book But Never the Same Page"  is a good song but it isn't as good as some of the album's other great tracks and comes off as having been done before.
All in all Common Courtesy is a great record and while it isn't the band's best album, isn't the worst thing they've done. It shows that even in adversity a band can stick together and make great music.

Five Finger Death Punch Shine On Second Album Of 2013

Metal titans Five Finger Death Punch released their phenomenal fourth record,  The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1only four months ago and they're already back for more with the band's fifth record Volume 2. The album's both featured the band's signature heavy mix of groove metal and hard rock.
The album opens with three best songs on the record. "Here to Die" is a heavy and aggressive song that features the band on their signature sound of hard music with angry lyrics. "Weight Beneath My Sin" continues along the same route as the first track. "Wrecking Ball" continues along with the same intensity and aggression that is found on Five Finger Death Punch songs.
"I'm a motherfucking wrecking ball," singer Ivan Moody screams during the chorus.
The album then slows it down with the first single "Battleborn." This is a power ballad about the band's life on the road. The song shows a softer side of the band while still maintaining their edge. The album then picks back up with the next song "Cradle to the Grave." This is heavy and contains lots of fury and epic double bass drumming. The album keeps things going with "Matter of Time." This song may be the heaviest song on the album, but when most of the songs are so heavy it's hard to tell.
The album changes things up again on the next track "The Agony of Regret." This song starts out with a human heartbeat and then changes into an acoustic beat which gives the listener a small reprieve from the assault of the faster songs. This instrumental song is barely even two minutes and then segues nicely into the next track "Cold." This song starts out with pianos and Moody singing sadly. This song is a remake of a song by Moody's old band Black Blood Orchestra. The song soon picks up the pace and becomes a rocker.
Next up is "Let this Go" which keeps up the band's fast pace and is sure to start many a mosh pit. The chorus of this song is one of the best hooks on the album. It's so catchy and soulfully sang by Moody. "My Heart Lied" is an emotional cut about realizing that a relationship has come to an end and realizing that it wasn't really love. The song features Moody singing predominantly in clean vocals on this track. Next up is "A Day in My Life." The song is a good song but it sounds too similar to the band's other songs and this song has been done better by the band so many times.
The album closes with a cover of the folk song "The House of the Rising Sun." The band start it out as a slow ballad but then it becomes a rocker. Moody's vocals shine on this song, as well as all of the others.
While this album isn't as good as Volume 1, it is still a great record. Five Finger Death Punch always know how to write great songs and make killer albums. Hopefully they never quit or get lame like Otep, All That Remains or In This Moment did.

Lady Gaga Gets Artsy

Lady Gaga released her third album Artpop this month and it is like her previous releases, amazing. It's got the fun sound of her debut The Fame, the deeper edge of her first EP The Fame Monster and the experimental side of her sophomore record Born this Way. While it isn't perfect, it isn't the worst thing Gaga has ever done.
The disc opens on an experimental note with "Aura." This acoustic, yet Middle Eastern inspired song is from the previews of her film debut Machete Kills.  Gaga continues to mix in experimentation throughout the album. "Jewels N' Drugs" which features T.I., Twista and Too Short is a hip hop banger that is trap as fuck and is an album highlight. "MANiCURE" is a rock song that recalls Gaga's last record. Second single "Do What U Want" features R. Kelly and is an R&B song about pure sex. "Dope" is by far the best ballad Gaga has ever done and may be one of her best songs ever. The song contains electro rock elements and has Gaga giving us some of her most powerful vocals.
While the rest of the songs aren't as experimental, they are still mostly good. Whether channeling the goddess of love on "Venus," being vain on first single "Applause" or being just mean on "Swine," Gaga can do no wrong.
"Gypsy" is a great track with elements of rock and lyrics about finding happiness even while living like a gypsy and touring the world. The title track is a simple song that while not being the best song is still enjoyable. "G.U.Y." is an interesting role reversal in which Gaga wants to be the "girl under you" and wants to find her "G.I.R.L." or "guy I'm romancin' love."
Many songs discuss fame and glamour. While "Mary Jane Holland" is a great example of how Gaga does this well other songs like "Donatella" and "Fashion!" don't hold up as well. "Sexxx Dreams" is another song that while not about fame, isn't as well executed. These songs aren't bad, they're just silly. However the bad songs on here aren't half as bad as the bad songs on Born This Way ("Black Jesus + Amen Fashion," "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)."
While this album isn't her best work, it is still better than her debut. For a woman who has never made a bad album that is no small feat. Hopefully Gaga keeps up the great sounds for years to come so she can stay near the top where she belongs. This album is for sure the best pop album of the year. However with a new album out in a few weeks Britney Spears is coming for that title.