best of alexanderao's 2017 Year-End Event | Everything else

[JGibson]

What About Us + Thunder + Scars To Your Beautiful  

[potent]

P!nk, ID, Alessia

I agree with what you wrote about WAU but I guess I was expecting it to be generic since her lead singles usually are these days so I let it grow on me, now I really like it.

 

Party Monster 

[Lazuli]

What About Us, Malibu, Party Monster are all great  

[Mark Rih]

Malibu and NP are my faves from the pop list

Fake Love is ok but he has lot better on ML, yes @ Party Monster and Sex With Rih

[Legend E]

What About Us  

[alexanderao]

Lil Uzi Vert - Luv Is Rage 2

8.0/10

 

Lil Uzi Vert is a weird, wonderful artist. The Philadelphia neophyte took the mainstream by storm this year with the unexpected smash XO TOUR Llif3; Luv Is Rage 2 is a guided tour of his eccentric psyche, peppered with standout hooks and imbued with raw emotions. Gritty yet endearing, Uzi is expressive and self-aware in a way that few other so-called SoundCloud rappers are. He is a volatile character, and instability is one of the album’s hallmarks; the instrumentals of songs like the disorienting Feelings Mutual and the menacing Early 20 Rager sound about ready to spontaneously combust. Amidst the chaos, the emotional depth and conviction of the album renders it truly gripping.

 

The album's production is very bold, never shying away from experimentation but also never coming across as different just for the sake of being different. From the accordion of Two to the xylophone of Neon Guts, it makes use of instruments I never thought I'd hear on a rap album. Uzi's flamboyant vocal style plays well with such bold instrumentation. At times, the album gets disjointed, lost in its own messy soundscape, but he intersperses moments of profound clarity–like the pensive pair of The Way Life Goes and Malfunction–that make everything feel resolved, at least for an ephemeral moment. As a whole, Luv Is Rage 2 is just untidy enough to work.

 

His creativity is readily apparent throughout the album. The aforementioned Neon Guts is a delightful Pharrell collaboration that sees the two take turns delivering cleverly written verses. Sauce It Up is an electrifying party anthem with immaculate production. XO TOUR Llif3 is the ultimate catharsis, a frantic trip into uncertainty that sees Uzi leave everything out in the open. His performances are vivid and evocative–the antithesis of phoned-in. Almost fittingly, the song with the most high-profile feature, the Weeknd-assisted UnFazed, is perhaps the most underwhelming track on the project. Further features would likely detract from what Luv Is Rage 2 is at its core; a collection of idiosyncrasies that truly are Uzi's own. His willingness to keep it all unfiltered is what makes it such an enjoyable and boundary-pushing project.

 

This position in 2016: N/A, this list did not exist

This position in 2015: N/A, this list did not exist

This position in 2014: N/A, this list did not exist

[alexanderao]

Note: I'm having a tie for my #10 album. The other one will be revealed tomorrow.

[Legend E]

idk it

[Bitchcraft]

Couldn't get into that Uzi album to save my life tbh.

[Mark Rih]

Uzi making the top 10 yeeees

[Staryu]

yas Lil Uzi  he has such a cute personality, I'd like to be friends with him since all his are dead 

[alexanderao]

Big Sean - I Decided.

8.0/10

 

It's amazing that an album can be at once self-centered and strikingly humble. Yet this is precisely what I Decided. accomplishes. Big Sean's flow, rich in wordplay, is as nimble and sharp as ever (he seems intent to prove this on Moves and Voices In My Head / Stick To The Plan, both of which contain quick, eyebrow-raising bursts of lines). But between the lines are a wealth of personal thoughts that demonstrate Sean's maturity and wisdom. It's a focused, cohesive, insightful album where even self-aggrandizement is reflective.

 

I Decided. has uniformly smooth production, though it's not outstanding and somewhat bare in songs like Light and Owe Me. Standouts like the whirring bounce of Moves and the surprisingly ominous No Favors (which features a slightly-off-the-rails Eminem flipping the second half of the song on its head) benefit from their steadiness. The gospel-driven final few tracks of the album are uplifting, if a little bit corny. Halfway Off The Balcony, with its brooding atmosphere and Sean's hard-hitting flow, is a definite highlight. Lead single Bounce Back is an excellent mood-booster thanks to its mantra-like chorus and an unrelenting Metro Boomin beat; the result was good enough to prompt the two to do a whole album together.

 

For much of I Decided., Sean is just telling us stories. But he's able to package these stories and present them in engaging ways that don't compromise their authenticity. Jump Out The Window's sing-along chorus and The-Dream's ethereal feature on Sunday Morning Jetpack are a couple good examples of such enhancements. At the end of the day, I Decided. commits itself to being both autobiographical and universal, as Sean parlays his experiences into life advice. More resonant than triumphant, it's a substantive album full of deep thoughts and conscientious reflections.

 

This position in 2016: N/A, this list did not exist

This position in 2015: N/A, this list did not exist

This position in 2014: N/A, this list did not exist

[alexanderao]

1 hour ago, Staryu said:

yas Lil Uzi  he has such a cute personality, I'd like to be friends with him since all his are dead 

xd

[Legend E]

i also dk it

[alexanderao]

6LACK - PRBLMS

8.1/10

 

PRBLMS is drowsy, but in a good way. The instrumental is soupy and woozy, setting the scene for 6LACK's sedative delivery. It's less a song and more a rhythmic stream of consciousness. As if inspired by Trapsoul, his flow captivates by completely blurring the lines between singing and rapping. He is also quite ingenious; his couplets never become tiresome because he incorporates lots of variance into them– some consist of two consecutive quick lines, and others of two longer ones. This results in a song with a distinctive, alluring vibe but which avoids descending into monotony. 6LACK's barrage of innermost thoughts are compelling on their own, but the production–always a little dazed and on edge, yet calming and smooth–enhances the mood of PRBLMS markedly, making it something I want to immerse myself in repeatedly.

 

This position in 2016: Many different artists - Sucker For Pain

This position in 2015: Future - F*ck Up Some Commas

This position in 2014: August Alsina f/B.o.B & Yo Gotti - Numb

[alexanderao]

Cardi B - Bodak Yellow

8.2/10

 

Bodak Yellow is the ultimate party hit. Fervent and vigorous, it's simply alive like no other song that came out this year. Cardi B is larger than life, her flow overflowing with sass and power. Every line is quotable; every syllable is emphatic. Contrasted against her diva-like performance, the beat's weaknesses are glaring. Generic at best and tiresome at worst, it at least shares her irrepressible energy. That energy is exactly what makes her so compelling. It encapsulates a universal spirit that accomplishes effortlessly what every DJ hired for an occasion tries so hard to do– pump people up. Combined with her oft-overlooked technical skill, her unique accent makes her flow impossible to ignore. We all wish we could be as unstoppable and as self-assured as Bodak Yellow.

 

This position in 2016: ScHoolboy Q f/Kanye West - That Part

This position in 2015: Drake - Energy

This position in 2014: Rae Sremmurd - No Flex Zone

[Lazuli]

Bodak Yellow  

[SoSickOfThatSOL]

I decided and Bodak Yellow  

[Temporal]

All of your Top 40 picks thus far  They're all ranked well too, none are incredible yet none at offensive either. The Pink commentary is on point as hell, that'll be along the lines of her write up that I post tomorrow  

[Navyofbadgals]

the Big Sean was surprisingly good. It is that I found so many good albums dis year, otherwise it was a contender for my list as well

[alexanderao]

2 Chainz - Pretty Girls Like Trap Music

8.2/10

 

It’s easy to forget the period of time between 2011 and 2013 when 2 Chainz was a hot commodity. Back then, he was able to make any song more memorable and more fun. After a couple of down years, he returned this summer with Pretty Girls Like Trap Music. It’s a forceful comeback statement from a revitalized rapper. Brash yet stylish, his performances are attention-grabbing and enigmatic. The album is subtly diverse, featuring successful mini-forays into R&B (Burglar Bars, It's A Vibe), island (Bailan), and even reggae (OG Kush Diet). But he always feels firmly inside his comfort zone, from which he can carry a song with his charisma alone.

 

No song on the album better encapsulates his resurgence than its opener, Saturday Night. Behind a blaring trap beat, he gets going quickly and never lets up. His flow is sharp and powerful, but always controlled. Although he occasionally mistakes overbearing noise for coolness, like on the head-scratching hook to Rolls Royce Bitch, he has a knack for knowing when to moderate himself. He seems to let his guard down sometimes but never lose his swagger. It helps that the features on Pretty Girls Like Trap Music are almost uniformly excellent. Nicki Minaj doesn't play in singing and rapping her way through the second half of the slurpy synth-trap Realize, an exuberant Pharrell oversees the infectious Bailan, and Drake does what Drake does best on his Big Amount cameo. The album's crowning achievement, though, is It's A Vibe. Seductive, lavish, and intimate, it's a wonderfully vivid and sensual song. DJ Khaled should be taking notes, because this is exactly how you're supposed to make a song with four-plus people on it work.

 

The album's beats are sometimes middling, but 2 Chainz is always willing to play along with them. His enthusiasm is omnipresent; it's hard to believe that he's 40 years old now. Pretty Girls Like Trap Music is an album with the vitality of a rookie but the tactics of a veteran. It avoids the pitfall of monotony, uses features perfectly, and (most importantly) is the work of an artist who is unquestionably still hungry.

 

This position in 2016: N/A, this list did not exist

This position in 2015: N/A, this list did not exist

This position in 2014: N/A, this list did not exist

[TayRianaPH]

Scars made me cry, so slay Queen Alessia 

Bodak Yellow is a hit in all the right places 

Malibu + What About Us! 

see you in my best of hun!  

[alexanderao]

Kesha - Praying

6.5/10

 

It feels superficial to rank a song that is as important as Praying. It is indisputably a personal triumph for Kesha, regardless of whether you love it or hate it. Her vocals throughout the song are raw and moving; every word is delivered with purpose and conviction. After the final line, you get the feeling that she has finally said what she has wanted–perhaps even needed–to say for so long, and this sense of closure is an incredibly powerful moment. With regards to the production, I dislike the strings that come in during the second verse, and I think it would have been wiser to lay off on the vocal effects for the hook. Also, if the idea was to use most of the song to build up to a crescendo, the second chorus should have been sung as softly as the first. It must be reiterated that my criticisms are entirely unimportant. At the end of the day, Praying is reflective of Kesha's tremendous courage, maturity, and humanity more than anything else. That is what it should be remembered for.

 

This position in 2016: Flume f/Kai - Never Be Like You

This position in 2015: Taylor Swift f/Kendrick Lamar - Bad Blood

This position in 2014: Calvin Harris f/John Newman - Blame

[alexanderao]

Jon Bellion - All Time Low

6.6/10

 

All Time Low is a song resulting from a peculiar fusion of pop, R&B, and alternative sounds. The haphazard production starts with what I always imagined to be some religious mantra and features a prominent stop-start drum loop along with an organ that's absent more often than it is present. Bellion's quirky writing and shockingly clear enunciation ensure that, if nothing else, the song is in a category all its own. The hook, a quasi-breakdown that transforms the word "low" into an eccentric rollercoaster ride, is inexplicably catchy. While I do find Bellion's voice vaguely annoying, I like how he sings so matter-of-factly about such a somber topic. Certainly an unusual sound for pop radio, All Time Low is awkward but has several oddly compelling facets.

 

This position in 2016: The Weeknd - In The Night

This position in 2015: Ariana Grande - One Last Time

This position in 2014: The Neighbourhood - Sweater Weather

[alexanderao]

Adele - Water Under The Bridge

6.7/10

 

Of all of the singles from 25, Water Under The Bridge felt the most like somebody else could have sung it without many ramifications. For Adele, one of the most iconic artists of our time, that is quite significant. Songs like this are why adult pop radio is also referred to as "easy listening." It has a stable, easygoing flow to it, and Adele really lets Greg Kurstin's mellow instrumentation breathe. The pace quickens slightly during the made-for-radio hook, but I can't shake the feeling that everything is very much controlled. Nevertheless, her vocals are as compelling as ever, and Kurstin layers them beautifully, especially at the end. Water Under The Bridge strikes a comfortable balance between being intimate and being anthemic. It's more like a template that Adele sung over than an Adele song, though.

 

This position in 2016: Flo Rida - My House

This position in 2015: Charlie Puth f/Meghan Trainor - Marvin Gaye

This position in 2014: Lady Gaga f/R. Kelly - Do What U Want