Worst albums of 2016 so far?

[StrawberryBlond 14,776]

10 hours ago, Didymus said:

Well, maybe it's just me but I've come across many good cultural products that I just didn't like because they weren't suited to my taste or I just didn't "get" it. Technical quality and taste are two completely different things. I remember listening to my first heavy metal album and thinking omg what the hell is this but I could easily say that the band members had an amazing talent when it came to their instrument usage, and that the production on it was of high quality.

I didn't mean the story building or whatever.

Anyway, I listen to many genres, and I'm really not one of those people restricting themselves to listening to the biggest names. I just think Lemonade is better written (I especially appreciate the deviation from the typical pop structures, which I can only find on Freedom, where the structure is so well used it doesn't feel contrived) and produced than most pop albums we've heard this decade. Whether you like it has nothing to do with that imo Just my opinion.

Well I'm very surprised by that There's nothing on that album that's above average except Moonlight and I Don't Care to me and even those two songs aren't unique or pushing pop boundaries whatsoever.

There's no flow on that album imo, especially sonically. The transitions between the first five songs alone are just ludicrous to me, and I never appreciate it when the mixes are so different there's an actual audible volume drop between the songs, which just adds to the feeling that the album was slapped together from a heap of recorded songs and not crafted as a piece (very different from Lemonade).

A lot of the songs are enjoyable, but there's nothing on there that I can't find on a previous album or on the album of another artist, and the reliance on predictable song structures is just unbearable to me (though I appreciate she stepped up her game a bit in that context, but when you still have tracks like the title one, you're still not going far enough - her Christmas EP had more exciting songs that were better written and produced than anything on Dangerous Woman). You can say the same for Lemonade surely, but Lemonade is a piece, musically, and is an experience, while Dangerous Woman is just a collection of songs. It might as well have been an album of outtakes created by one of her fans or whatever.

Anyway, I was really just talking about the production level and the quality of songwriting (the latter in the sense that none of the songs are radio friendly, and each one comes out as an adventurous musical journey brimming with attention to detail, and avoiding typical song structures when it diminishes the emotional impact of the song; Sorry's last minute being the perfect example, since that's the most radio friendly track by far, a minute that destroys its instant accessibility). That album can stand next to non-pop releases and look good (though it obviously shouldn't be called the best album of the year, it's still too derivative for that), and it easily towers over other pop albums in terms of production alone. That's what I meant.

That may be so, but it's not always a case of not just appealing to taste. Sometimes, we just find something so bad that it seems practically objective how bad it is. I've experienced it many a time and am shocked when anyone seems to think otherwise. Sorry and Formation were the absolute worst of Lemonade for me (with Hold Up being mediocre and All Night just being above mediocre) and I'm still amazed that anyone finds those songs good. They're just trash. The monologue before Sorry is so good that it's such an anti-climax when it dissolves into a basic juvenile diss song. And I've already criticised Formation so many times that I'm beating a dead horse here. Overall, I think it's an ok album, but these moments ruin it. So, maybe to some people, the whole album sounds like Sorry and Formation to their ears. We hear different things and interpret them differently and I think that should be appreciated. Admittedly, I find it hard to listen to heavy metal too, although it depends how heavy we're talking about. The heaviest form of metal is indecipherable to me, so I don't even bother reviewing that. I can appreciate their talent, but actually reviewing an album consisting of the kind of music made with this talent can't be accurate if I do it. If I truly cannot understand an art form, my critique has no worth. But I think RnB is a much easier genre to get a grip on, so I think most can review it. But I can never give an album a better score just because there was talent behind it. And regardless of the level of talent, that cannot make me like the songs.

Well, what else did you mean when you said the album was well-crafted? Since you applauded its cohesiveness and how every song had a connection to each other.

There are other pop songs that deviate from typical pop structures. I can recommend a whole pop album that did this over a decade ago. I am really confused when you say Lemonade does this, it seemed like basic structure throughout. Freedom works like: Intro,verse, chorus, verse, chorus, rap verse, chorus, outro. Where does the devation from traditional structure come in? And the production is...ok. Nothing out of the ordinary. I generally consider Gaga's albums are the best produced pop albums I've ever heard (and Lana's, if you consider her pop). But anyway, Lemonade isn't pop, it's a mixture of urban genres. Why do you keep calling it pop?

I like I Don't Care too. But Dangerous Woman is the gem of the album, followed by Moonlight and Leave Me Lonely. Ariana really shines when she goes old school. I'm puzzled how you could like the songs on Lemonade but not like Leave Me Lonely - it sounds like it could have come off Lemonade. I also like Into You, Side To Side, Let Me Love You, Everyday and Thinking Bout You. An album doesn't need to be unique or pushing boundaries to be good. As I always say, I'm just looking for good music. I'm puzzled recently at how some people are seeming to think there's something weird about rating a fun album higher than a serious one or a commercial album over an experimental one. If it's good, it's good, I don't care what is consists of.

Admittedly, Be Alright is the worst song on the album and it does stand out from the other songs, along with the equally bad Sometimes. But apart from that, it works. It's all sounds like very cohesive pop sounds to me. Light, airy, with lots of high notes seemed to be the sonical theme for it. But again, why does cohesion bother you? If the songs are good, why does that affect you?

But are the songs on previous albums good? Are the albums by other artists good? If an artist changes and changes for the good, it's a bonus, but if they've got a great style that works, why should they change it? You really don't think Dangerous Woman was taking it risk? It was like an 80's power ballad, it wasn't what the public wanted and it showed in its sales. That was a definite step up for her in maturity - that song is perfection. I didn't know songs like that were still being made. And yes, I will say the exact same for Lemonade. It doesn't bother me that she isn't being unique or whatever, what bothers me is that not enough of the songs were good enough. I couldn't give two hoots about an album being a piece or an experience if it's not good enough. Seeing as you seem to agree with the critics, they all seemed to say Ariana had stepped her game up, so...

Wait a minute, a song being non-radio friendly makes it high quality? Eh? I don't think the last minute of Sorry diminshes its accessibility - the audience have already been pulled in by that point. It's putting anti commercialism early into the song that lowers accessibility because it'll make people switch off quick as soon as they realise it's not commercial enough.

[Didymus 34,379]

1 hour ago, StrawberryBlond said:

Freedom works like: Intro,verse, chorus, verse, chorus, rap verse, chorus, outro. Where does the devation from traditional structure come in?

I literally said that was the song that relied on typical pop structures..

I keep calling it a pop album because no matter what Beyoncé does, she will always be classified as one of the pop girls. Granted, if she had started her career with Beyoncé she'd probably be seen as an R&B artist (though I even doubt that since she doesn't write her stuff herself), but she's Beyoncé, so that does not matter. She's a pop star, and her albums will be mostly compared to those of other pop stars.

Anyway, I feel like this conversation is just going nowhere, so I'm not gonna bother much. It's just opinion vs. opinion with no possibility of even reaching a compromised agreement. I think DW (the song) is horribly produced, and horribly written, so you calling that the gem of one of the best albums of the year is just non-negotiable to me, just like Lemonade's high quality is non-negotiable to you. So yeah.

Plus, I'm pretty much put off by you misinterpreting my comments, seemingly intentionally (I never said or even implied that a song that's not radio friendly makes it better in general, I never said I always agreed with critics, you're asking me what I meant with the well-crafted nature of Lemonade even though I literally said it was technical quality, the Freedom thing), so yeah, this ain't going nowhere I like.

To close off: I have no problem with people who don't like anything on Lemonade but to call it the worst album of 2016 with no argumentation whatsoever is just stupid to me. That choice demands an explanation, and every time I do read an explanation it just doesn't seem to make sense to me. Like you for instance. You're basically slamming Lemonade for being basic, mediocre and nothing out of the ordinary but then you're praising Dangerous Woman for being basic, mediocre and nothing out of the ordinary but that not impacting your enjoyment of the songs. Then why can't you enjoy Lemonade? What a double standard.

[StrawberryBlond 14,776]

22 hours ago, Didymus said:

I literally said that was the song that relied on typical pop structures..

I keep calling it a pop album because no matter what Beyoncé does, she will always be classified as one of the pop girls. Granted, if she had started her career with Beyoncé she'd probably be seen as an R&B artist (though I even doubt that since she doesn't write her stuff herself), but she's Beyoncé, so that does not matter. She's a pop star, and her albums will be mostly compared to those of other pop stars.

Anyway, I feel like this conversation is just going nowhere, so I'm not gonna bother much. It's just opinion vs. opinion with no possibility of even reaching a compromised agreement. I think DW (the song) is horribly produced, and horribly written, so you calling that the gem of one of the best albums of the year is just non-negotiable to me, just like Lemonade's high quality is non-negotiable to you. So yeah.

Plus, I'm pretty much put off by you misinterpreting my comments, seemingly intentionally (I never said or even implied that a song that's not radio friendly makes it better in general, I never said I always agreed with critics, you're asking me what I meant with the well-crafted nature of Lemonade even though I literally said it was technical quality, the Freedom thing), so yeah, this ain't going nowhere I like.

To close off: I have no problem with people who don't like anything on Lemonade but to call it the worst album of 2016 with no argumentation whatsoever is just stupid to me. That choice demands an explanation, and every time I do read an explanation it just doesn't seem to make sense to me. Like you for instance. You're basically slamming Lemonade for being basic, mediocre and nothing out of the ordinary but then you're praising Dangerous Woman for being basic, mediocre and nothing out of the ordinary but that not impacting your enjoyment of the songs. Then why can't you enjoy Lemonade? What a double standard.

But you said: "I especially appreciate the deviation from the typical pop structures, which I can only find on Freedom"? Maybe that's not what you meant, but that's not what your sentence meant. What other way was I supposed to take that? I'm also surprised that you think the album relied on non-traditional structures anyway, it seemed traditionally constructed to me. Honestly, go listen to Chemistry by Girls Aloud if you want to hear an album that doesn't use traditional pop structures. This album was praised for that, as well as its brilliant lyrics that was praised by Pet Shop Boys, a group who would normally be against girlbands. It's one of the best pop albums ever made.

It's the pop crowd that call her a pop girl, but sorry, she's been urbanised for too long and that's how she started out. She's only made 2 albums that could be classified as pop, tops. She's been urbanised for the last 3 albums. That doesn't mean she can't a successful urban artist, but she's not pop. She started her career with Dangerously In Love, which was a clear mixture of RnB and soul and that's what she did with DC prior, so why would she ever be seen as pop? Rappers get hits and they're not called pop, so it can't have anything to do with the success of her songs. Besides, aren't popstars partly defined by their hit singles? Beyonce hasn't had a massive hit since Halo and she doesn't really release singles anymore, technically. And when was someone not RnB if they didn't write their own songs? Whether you write your own songs or not doesn't change your genre. It can affect your authenticity in some genres, but it doesn't change it.

DW is horribly produced and written, really? You must hate a lot of 80's ballads, then, because this sounds like something reminiscent of the era that produced songs like Black Velvet. Not that you don't have a right to your opinion, I'm just saying...

I didn't think I'd misunderstood your comments and I can assure you, I would never intentionally misinterpret (that's an issue that I frequently think a lot of people do of me) as I believe in critiquing opinion fairly. If I really have got you wrong, I apologise, though.

I never said Lemonade was "basic and medicore," I just said some of the songs were. As an album, when it's good, it's good, when it's bad, it's basic and mediocre. And I didn't accuse DW of the same things, you're reading an assumption in there. I ranked Lemonade as ok, I ranked DW as above average. Lemonade has a ok ranking on an individual song basis and has a ok ration of good songs to bad songs on it. DW has a high ranking on an individual song basis and it has a better ratio of good songs to bad songs overall. I don't do double standards for music or anything else.

[Staryu 6,162]

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[KyliesChild 16,907]

7 minutes ago, StrawberryBlond said:

But you said: "I especially appreciate the deviation from the typical pop structures, which I can only find on Freedom"? Maybe that's not what you meant, but that's not what your sentence meant. What other way was I supposed to take that? I'm also surprised that you think the album relied on non-traditional structures anyway, it seemed traditionally constructed to me. Honestly, go listen to Chemistry by Girls Aloud if you want to hear an album that doesn't use traditional pop structures. This album was praised for that, as well as its brilliant lyrics that was praised by Pet Shop Boys, a group who would normally be against girlbands. It's one of the best pop albums ever made.

It's the pop crowd that call her a pop girl, but sorry, she's been urbanised for too long and that's how she started out. She's only made 2 albums that could be classified as pop, tops. She's been urbanised for the last 3 albums. That doesn't mean she can't a successful urban artist, but she's not pop. She started her career with Dangerously In Love, which was a clear mixture of RnB and soul and that's what she did with DC prior, so why would she ever be seen as pop? Rappers get hits and they're not called pop, so it can't have anything to do with the success of her songs. Besides, aren't popstars partly defined by their hit singles? Beyonce hasn't had a massive hit since Halo and she doesn't really release singles anymore, technically. And when was someone not RnB if they didn't write their own songs? Whether you write your own songs or not doesn't change your genre. It can affect your authenticity in some genres, but it doesn't change it.

DW is horribly produced and written, really? You must hate a lot of 80's ballads, then, because this sounds like something reminiscent of the era that produced songs like Black Velvet. Not that you don't have a right to your opinion, I'm just saying...

I didn't think I'd misunderstood your comments and I can assure you, I would never intentionally misinterpret (that's an issue that I frequently think a lot of people do of me) as I believe in critiquing opinion fairly. If I really have got you wrong, I apologise, though.

I never said Lemonade was "basic and medicore," I just said some of the songs were. As an album, when it's good, it's good, when it's bad, it's basic and mediocre. And I didn't accuse DW of the same things, you're reading an assumption in there. I ranked Lemonade as ok, I ranked DW as above average. Lemonade has a ok ranking on an individual song basis and has a ok ration of good songs to bad songs on it. DW has a high ranking on an individual song basis and it has a better ratio of good songs to bad songs overall. I don't do double standards for music or anything else.

What he meant when he said "I especially appreciate the deviation from the typical pop structures, which I can only find on Freedom" is that he appreciates that the songs aren't like typical pop structures, and the pop structure (verse, chorus, verse, chorus, etc) is only found on Freedom. Beyoncé is a pop artist because she makes songs that are popular in those times with the same sound. Of course her sound is more urban, but she still is a pop artist.