2013 Countdown: Top 5 Not That Great Albums

While 2013 had its share of pretty amazing music to share, that’s not to say that there were a few flops that didn’t impress us that much. I’m not saying that these are the WORST, but more like the top 5 less than stellar albums of the year.

 

5.) The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2

Justin Timberlake

 

The first half of his 20/20 experience was already a lot to live up to, but this second half of the experience didn’t really live up to the hype of being a continuation. With a less-than-exciting first single “Take Back the Night”, expectations were starting to get a little low. The album was way too long with songs that sounded more like sloppy seconds from the first half released earlier this year. This is not to say that this album was horrible. Moments like “Cabaret”, “Only When I Walk Away”, and “You Got It On” made up for the lack of imagination with the rest of the album, especially for the ridiculous 9-minute “True Blood”.

Best Song: “Cabaret” 

 

4.) Britney Jean

Britney Spears

Britney Spears made it known all year that her new album was going to be more personal, the best of Britney! Yet the album seemed to fizzle in all the wrong places. She has never been the strongest singer in the business, but what’s worked is her ability to turn pop songs into memorable pop culture moments in music videos and live performances. The first single “Work Bitch” was eh, having will.i.am as an executive producer didn’t help at all, and overall the album was trying too hard to be “personal”. It’s sad to say that Ms. Spears may be a little past her prime.

Best Song: “Perfume”

 

3.) Me, You & the Music

Jessica Sanchez

I rooted for Jessica on American Idol last year, but all because of a horrible winner’s single, she lost to Phillip Phillips. People knew she’d still get a record deal no matter what, but where this album went wrong was in her age. They tried to play to a more mature fan base, but her youthfulness got in the way. They tried to make her older than she was, and she was trying her best to catch up. It wasn’t a good representation of her dynamite, powerhouse voice.

Best Song: “Tonight”

 

2.) Magna Carta… Holy Grail

Jay-Z

Sorry Mr. Carter, but this was an utter disappointment. It had all of the ingredients to be another fantastic spectacle: collaborations with Bey, JT, & Frank Ocean, production from Timbaland, an exclusive release on a mobile app. But what we got was over-production, Miley Cyrus twerking references, incoherent lyrics, and app malfunctions.

Best Song: “Part II (On The Run)”

 

1.) ARTPOP

Lady GaGa

And then there’s GaGa. Talk about trying too hard. GaGa is no longer pushing the boundary of art and pop, she’s over-doing it nowadays. She’s almost become a joke. This concept was bigger than what the album actually ended up being. Another example of a bad first single with the forgettable “Applause”, the bad streak continued with the weird cover art and even more ridiculous outfits while promoting. I’m definitely looking forward to her jazz album with Tony Bennett, but until then we’re stuck with this dud.

Best Song: “Do What U Want”