A Quotable Sayak Countdown: Top 5 Album Hits and Top 5 Misses of 2016

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The Misses:

5. The Weeknd – Starboy: Not bad, just disappointing. After the fantastic lead-off single and title track “Starboy”, which has only grown on me with time, I was expecting a great album. This album isn’t bad, but not that great either. I really did expect it to be a heck of a lot better. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KT7dQQCZNc[/embed] 4. Fifth Harmony – 7/27: Fifth Harmony returns with their second studio album, and it’s okay at best. This record is only 10 songs long yet finds a way to have most of it be just mediocre. In short, 7/27 doesn’t have much that is worth remembering. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssdxS3XQhOE[/embed] 3. Nick Jonas – Last Year Was Complicated: Nick Jonas is guilty of the biggest music crime an artist can ever do on this album . . . being downright forgettable. Don’t even bother. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBmQ_Z3KCGY[/embed] 2. Shawn Mendes – Illuminate: Shawn Mendes has returned… with a bland and generic-sounding album. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W34MoUVo8Is[/embed] 1. Charlie Puth – Nine Track Mind: Charlie . . . I hope you’re reading this or have watched my review because you need to know that “Nine Track Mind” is . . . really quite blah. To anyone thinking of listening to this album, I recommend you that DO NOT! Yes, Puth has a wonderful voice, but between the lyrics and the production and the way Puth utilises his great voice, this  is just … BAD. Listening to this album is 41 minutes and 4 seconds of your life you will never get back. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqJrcicC5WY[/embed]

The Hits:

5. Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman: Ariana Grande is back after her 2015 single “Focus,” which tried to duplicate her previous hit “Problem (feat. Iggy Azalea)” in 2014, This song received mixed reviews from critics, and did not end up making it on this record. Grande’s 2014 album My Everything had some strong moments, but overall was pretty spotty, but she seems to be back on track with this record. Dangerous Woman is overall a pretty solid pop album, showing us lots of variety, like the brash and in-your-face single “Into You”, to the slightly rock inspired title track “Dangerous Woman.” [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxmYV3hLgLw[/embed] 4. Gwen Stefani – This Is What The Truth Feels Like: Gwen Stefani is back and more personal than ever with this new album. This is a pop album that I was really looking forward to, and it does not disappoint! This album experiments with different sounds, like the bright and poppy “Make Me Like You,” to the sad and frustrating “Used To Love You,” to the fantastic closer to the standard edition of the album, “Rare.” [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND5dylj-D-Q[/embed] 3. Bridgit Mendler – Nemesis EP: Bridgit Mendler is back four years after her great 2012 debut record Hello My Name Is . . ., which, surprisingly, wasn’t just a standard Radio Disney sanitised, all-songs-sound-the-same album. This album was different and solid. This new EP sees Bridgit Mendler playing around with a more electronic sound and 95% of the time, it pays off. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2vKYDSGjM[/embed] 2. Lady Gaga – Joanne: In this, Lady Gaga’s best album to date, Lady Gaga experiments with different genres, and, man, does it pay off! This album tries out country, folk, and even some rock-influenced pop songs – and I absolutely adore it! [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o90TKswkc6w[/embed] 1. Carly Rae Jepsen – E•MO•TION Side B: This EP knocked my socks off, from the beginning to the end. It is full of extra songs that Carly Rae Jepsen didn’t have room to put on E•MO•TION, and it is just as good, if not better than E•MO•TION. This and E•MO•TION are pop at its finest, and I recommend both of them if you haven’t heard them already. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATHbLedjoLA[/embed] © 2017 The Quotable Sayak, Sesaya]]>