My Top Album of 2012

                      Here it is, my favorite album from 2012. This one beat out all the other albums and took the top spot. Prepare yourseves; I’m going to be gushing about how much I enjoy this album.

1. The Truth About Love by P!nk

            P!nk is one of my favorite artists. She’s a great vocalist, songwriter, and performer. How many singers can say that they can still sound great singing while suspended upside down in mid air? P!nk can. She’s not afraid to take risks and try something new. She also hasn’t shied away from talking about personal topics including her parent’s divorce and her own marital problems with husband, Carey Hart. P!nk is a painfully honest confessional songwriter who’s known for shooting off her mouth and speaking her mind even (or possibly especially) if it makes people uncomfortable. She also doesn’t take herself too seriously so she writes fun songs as well as emotional ones and whether the song is emotional or fun, you can bet that the singer has something sarcastic or witty to say. If you thought the singer would mellow out after the birth of her daughter, Willow, then you’re mistaken; she’s just as foul-mouthed and no holds barred as ever. 

   Blow Me (One Last Kiss)

        The first single off P!nk’s sixth album (not including “Greatest Hits… So Far”) was ‘Blow Me (One Last Kiss)’. The song is classic P!nk – big vocals and clever lyrics over Pop/Rock/Dance music. I love the lyrics – especially the chorus. I really identify with the lyrics “I think I’ve finally had enough, I think I maybe think too much” because I’m notorious for over-thinking. And when I’m not feeling so great the lyrics, “Just when I think it can’t get worse, I had a shit day/You had a shit day/we’ve had a shit day,” make me feel much better. The music video is decent, but it’s not the best video in her repertoire. It’s still worth a watch though – you should watch until the end because my favorite part is near the end.

  Try (Live at the AMA's)

       

        The second single is the aforementioned ‘Try’. It’s the only song on the album, including all the bonus tracks, that P!nk didn’t have a hand in writing. ‘Try’ is a beautiful but sad ballad that centers around a less than perfect relationship and advises you to “get up and try.” It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite songs off the album and it’s getting a decent amount of play on the radio. The video features choreography by the Golden Boyz and Sebastien Stella, stunt choreographer, as well as Broadway dancer Colt Prattes (as P!nk’s partner). The choreography is athletic and is so provocative that it prompted P!nk’s mother, Judith, to say “Wow, honey. I’m speechless. And uncomfortable. No one can ever say you play it safe.” At the American Music Awards, she sang ‘Try’ while performing choreography taken from the music video. Even though you could tell that the singer was breathing heavy, she still sang really well. In some ways, the theatrics of the performance was more powerful than the music video.

   How Come You're Not Here

        Other than the singles, one of my favorite songs off “The Truth About Love” is ‘How Come You’re Not Here’. It’s such a fun song and the lyrics are so cheeky. The xylophone in the song is catchy and silly, which strengthens the delivery of sarcasm.  I love the lyrics in the second verse, especially “And that’s all cool/I’ll wait right here/’Til you get bored/and she gets carded for beer.” Who doesn’t love songs making fun of other people?

   Slut Like You         

Another of my favorite songs is ‘Slut Like You’. P!nk has said that the song is her strange way of stating her feminist views. She doesn’t understand or agree with the double standard that when men have multiple partners it’s considered sexual conquest but when women have multiple partners then she’s considered a slut. To paraphrase, she said, “Maybe he’s my conquest?’ I love that the song is so provocative and blunt – not to mention that the ad libs are hilarious. I’m not so sure how a “clean” version was released though…

   The Truth About Love

        Like all albums, there are a few songs that I’m not too crazy about. But all in all, “The Truth About Love” is a pretty solid album from a pretty consistent singer/songwriter. If you get a chance then check out the bonus tracks, especially 'Timebomb' and 'Run' because they're great ballads. I hope that I can see P!nk on tour because she’s said that she’s doing her best to top her last tour which she spent suspended in mid air. Plus, in interviews P!nk has said that she doesn’t want to be on the road when Willow is in school so it may be a while before she tours again. I know I’ll be kicking myself if I don’t go see her in concert because she’s one of the best. 

So there you have it. Now that you know my top 10 albums from 2012 do you think there are any that I missed? Would you have ordered any of the albums differently? Let me know in the comments.  I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I hope that you learned about a new artist or two throughout my ‘Top Albums of 2012’ series.

Comment responsibly,

Nick Black

Top Albums of 2012: Numbers 5, 4, and 3

            I apologize for being late. I was busy visiting friends and didn’t have time to write. Without further delay, here are the albums that ranked 4, 3, and 2 on my ‘Favorite Albums of 2012’ list. Just a warning: these three albums all contain explicit lyrics or content so be aware of that if you listen to them.

4. Savage by MoXiie

        MoXiie is an independent artist whom I found while wandering around the Internet. She makes a genre of music that she calls ‘Jungle Pop’, which (to borrow from her bio) “fuses everything that ever made you lose your mind on a dance floor. (It is) packed with chants, hints of electro, pop, and world music…” I love MoXiie and her Jungle Pop; the artist is very hard working and in touch with her fan base and her music is catchy and has an energy that rubs off on the listener. “Savage” is the artist’s debut album, but it is preceded by an EP as well as a single. “Savage” is a very solid album and it goes so hard that it’s pretty safe to say that it lives up to its name. That’s not to say that MoXiie can’t be vulnerable – she’s a versatile singer/songwriter who’s not afraid to be honest about her emotions. She doesn’t shy away from darker subjects either. Her song, ‘Hell Out Of Heaven’ is a perfect example because its lyrics discuss struggles that many people go through. The music video that MoXiie released for the song takes the lyrics a step further; it makes you think and consider the lyrics in a different light. In the ‘About’ section under the video on Youtube, MoXiie explains her thought process behind making the visual, “I wanted to communicate the ways we tend to create our personal hell…” I am impressed by how much thought she put into making her music video because so many music videos by mainstream artists who have big budgets lack a plot completely and focus on making the artist look good. Now, back to the music. My favorite songs off the album (at the moment) are ‘Hell Out Of Heaven’; ‘Hurt Me Now’, one of the more vulnerable moments on the album; and ‘Serial Killer’, a song about a merciless heartbreaker. If you like dance/pop music with meaningful lyrics then you should definitely give MoXiie a chance.

3. ‘Til The Casket Drops by ZZ Ward

            ZZ Ward is an artist who sings a unique blend of blues and alternative music. It’s so different from what I’m used to that when I first listened to her music I wasn’t sure what to think about it. After giving it the benefit of the doubt and listening to it a second time the song grew on me and from then on I’ve been hooked. I even have my younger sister hooked on Ward’s music because I played it around the house so much. Ward accents her music with handclaps and pieces of melody sung on words without meaning, such as ‘Ooh’. It gives the music a very organic feel. Before releasing any original music, Ward released a mixtape called “Eleven Roses” by re-writing pre-existing Rap songs. One of the songs, ‘Criminal’, used the music from a song by Freddie Gibbs called ‘Oil Money’. Gibbs was a fan of Ward’s interpretation so he asked to be a part of the song when it was released officially. ‘Criminal’ is one of my favorite songs off the album because of its moody sound and the grove that the ‘Oohs’ add to the song. My other favorites are the title track, which very uniquely illustrates just how loyal Ward is, and ‘Cryin’ Wolf’, a song that dances the line between singing and talking and features handclaps, ‘Oohs’, and a verse by Kendrick Lamar. The songs off “’Til The Casket Drops” are much different from the rest of my music library, which is comprised mostly of Pop music. Wards music would probably have been at home in past decades but I love it here and now.

2. Electra Heart by Marina And The Diamonds

            If you’ve read some of my previous posts then you may have read one entitled ‘Artists You Should Know: Marina & The Diamonds.” In it, I discuss my newly found love for Marina’s music so I was excited when I heard that she was working on her sophomore album. After many delays, “Electra Heart” was finally released. When creating her second album, Marina decided to take a chance on big Pop producers and give co-writing a try. Previously, she had been afraid that co-writing and working with big producers would strip her music of what made it hers. Fans of her debut, “The Family Jewels”, might say that Marina sold out, but I think otherwise because her wit and sarcasm is still prevalent in the lyrics of these new songs. All she did was try something new, which shows artistic growth – I find that admirable. Then again, I am a fan so I know I’m biased. If you don’t like her new sound then take a listen to the acoustic versions of ‘Primadonna’, ‘Starring Role’, ‘Lies’, and ‘Radioactive’. ‘Radioactive’ in particular has a very different sound when compared to the studio version; the studio version is backed by energetic Dance music and it sounds upbeat while the acoustic version is backed by a piano and sounds melancholy. The acoustic version of ‘Radioactive’ can be downloaded from Marina’s website in exchange for joining her mailing list. The other acoustic songs are bundled together in an EP called “Primadonna Exclusive Acoustic EP”, which can be purchased from her UK webstore but is not available in the US. I don’t understand why artists would release different material in different regions in this day and age because the fans that can’t buy the music in their country will just download it from the Internet for free. For whatever reason, the UK and US versions of “Electra Heart” have different songs on them. The US version lacks ‘Living Dead’ and bonus tracks ‘Lonely Hearts Club’ and ‘Buy The Stars’. ‘Lonely Hearts Club’ doesn’t do much for me but ‘Living Dead’ (a catchy, up-beat song that questions where your life is headed) and ‘Buy The Stars’ (a rare vulnerable moment where Marina sounds sweet) would’ve been nice to have on the US version. ‘How To Be A Heartbreaker’, a fun cheeky song is the only song that the deluxe edition of the UK album lacks  - but that’s because the song was written after the album was released in the UK and before it was released in the US. My favorite songs on “Electra Heart” are ‘Fear And Loathing’, a dark and introspective song; ‘Starring Role’, a confessional (and at times angry) song about wanting to be number one in a person’s life; and “Power & Control”, a song about the power struggle that exists between people in a relationship. All in all, I find the album a fine addition to Marina’s catalogue.

Hell Out Of Heaven by MoXiie

MoXiie's website:
http://www.moxiiemusic.com/

‘Til The Casket Drops by ZZ Ward

Listen to the 'Eleven Roses' Mixtape here:
http://www.zzward.com/music/index.html

Power & Control by Marina & The Diamonds

Get free downloads of songs by Marina here:
http://www.marinaandthediamonds.com/downloads.htm

So there you have it. In my next post I will reveal my favorite album of 2012. Thank you to anyone who has read my blog posts and thank you for bearing with me. Let me know what you think about my favorite albums of 2012.

Comment responsibly,

Nico Black

My Apologies

I had intended posting a blog a day until the end of the year so that I could reveal my favorite album of 2012 on the last day of 2012. Unfortunately, I got busy visiting with friends so I didn't write and publish the posts when I said I would. Fortunately for me, I'm not a professional by any means and I don't have much of an audience so the only one I've really let down is myself.

I have half a mind to skip these posts but I'd really like to see them through because it's better late than never, right? So if anyone besides me feels let down then I am very sorry. Please bear with me because I will get these posts out sooner or later.

Happy New Year,

Nico Black