Decided to rewrite my review once the final two tracks were released, so here I am again with something a little more definitive about my personal album of the year. I've been a Paramore fan since I was a kid, but I’ve become a huge fan since their last two albums, which I think are easily their best work and really highlight how much the band has matured artistically. It pleases me to say that Hayley’s growth shines through in her solo work as well, with this being the best of ... read more

The singles here are great, and I dig the 2000s sound and aesthetic, but the rest of the album didn’t leave much of an impression on me. I haven't felt any urge to re-listen due to most of the songs not being sticky enough to me — which is a bummer, because I wish I liked it more. Still, she has a lot of potential, and for a debut album, this is pretty solid.

Favorite Tracks: Diet Pepsi, Fame is a Gun, Headphones On
Least Favorites: New York, Lost & Found, Life's No ... read more

I thought I’d like this a lot more than I did, especially since I tend to gravitate towards female songwriters who sing about love and heartbreak. I can definitely see why Blue is so highly regarded — it’s very well written, and Joni’s voice is distinct — but the songs quickly started to blend together too much for me, even with the short runtime.

I don’t mind stripped-down production, but I think I was expecting something a little more varied or perhaps ... read more

It took me a long time to listen to this in full, simply because like most people on the planet, I've heard most of the songs on it already. There's only like three tracks here that I couldn't recall ever hearing before in some way — and I'm pleased to say they hold up against the mammoth hits really well. There's not much I can really say besides it's extremely fun and insanely well produced, and Billie Jean in particular is so perfect it feels like some ... read more

I obviously thought this was a very technically good album since I scored it as an 87, but to be truthful I went into this one pretty much randomly and blindly (only with the knowledge that this is a more experimental album for her) and I expected a little more sonic variety I think. My issue there probably comes from the fact that I expected this to be a lot more hooky than it ended up being, but it is rather atmospheric. It's great at that, but after the midway point the soundscape ... read more

It’s hard not to rate this as highly as Disintegration, considering it’s just eight incredible songs, and I’d be sad if any were missing. Everything on Songs of a Lost World feels exactly as it should. This is their best album since at least Wish, and it’s amazing just how well it turned out. I'm sure many classic bands would kill to make an album this good this late into their career.

Every track is bursting at the seams with palpable emotion — melancholy, ... read more

This is probably Kate's weakest album — which still means it's better than some artists' best. It wasn’t really an album she wanted to put out, but her label pushed her to strike while the iron was hot after the success of The Kick Inside. So, for all intents and purposes, this is The Kick Inside Pt. 2, with many of the songs here being reworked leftovers from that record. The interesting thing, though, is that it manages to evoke a completely different feeling from ... read more

I listened to this album a lot when it released as I'm a big fan of Avril's, but it’s pretty telling that I still have to jog my memory to remember how a lot of these songs sound. Head Above Water marks the third album in a row to stray from her spunky pop-rock roots and lean into serious, singer-songwriter territory. The issue is that while Avril tries to present a more mature and reflective image — and occasionally succeeds — her lyrics often fall flat on these ... read more

I always feel like people are gonna beat the shit out of me for saying this, but I prefer this album to Pray for the Wicked and I don’t think it’s nearly as catastrophically bad as its reputation suggests. The lows here are definitely lower (which is why I've scored it the same as PFTW in the off chance anyone notices), but unlike PFTW and its oftentimes bland Broadway-pop sheen, I can at least get behind the direction Brendon clearly wanted to take this album in, as it feels ... read more

I'll always have a soft spot for this album, as it was one of the first I ever pre-ordered as a teen, but it's not one I return to often. It's the middle entry in her run of more singer-songwriter focused pop records, and while there are highlights, it's definitely a step down from Goodbye Lullaby in consistency. There are a few small moments of maturity here I appreciate, but her sharpest writing still resides on her earlier records, whether she was unpacking teenage angst ... read more

Didn't expect to like this or even listen to it at all since it's textbook TikTok music, but I heard some positive things about it and decided to give it a try and my takeaway was that (if he can get media training, apparently) this is a promising debut considering how young he is. I was a bit impressed with him having production credits on every song, some of them being solo produced. The production is the strongest part of it for sure, so if he has no future as a pop star he's ... read more

I'm in the minority on this website that doesn't and has never disliked any of their post hiatus albums (yes, even that one), but I'm of the strong belief that this is their best album since Folie à Deux easily. The only thing holding my score back is one track I don't care for and the goofy ass interludes, but this really is in my top three or four Fall Out Boy albums. For the most part, I'd consider this album a good compromise between their pre and post hiatus ... read more

I really liked this when it came out because I was 18 and way up this man's ass, and now I think it’s overhated but simultaneously not that special. It's just a pretty okay pop album. The thing is, some songs do hold up and feel sonically on par with Death of a Bachelor (which imo is still great), but then there are tracks that are just boring and forgettable within the whole Panic! catalog.

I know a lot of people think this album is total dogshit or whatever, but to me ... read more

There's something weird about Goodbye Lullaby. I notice multiple reviews here saying they remembered it as better than it actually was when they returned to it, and I mostly agree. That said, there’s still something comforting about this album, and its tracklist has a few truly great songs and mostly good ones to make up the rest — I'd consider Goodbye Lullaby more consistently good than the two albums she released after it (which I also think are fine, but they just feel ... read more

I come from a place of bias as a massive Fall Out Boy fan, but even if I didn't I'd think a 37 is insanely low for what is mostly decent pop music from 2018 (a year where I didn't care much for most mainstream pop music being released). Honestly, I'm not sure what to say about it, because I have a lot of fond memories with this album, and I do obviously think it is overhated, but I can also see why it is not one of their best projects.

To me, there's a lot of songs ... read more

Definition of a guilty pleasure. It’s not amazing and feels like a noticeably worse version of The Best Damn Thing, but it’s a return to form for Avril and more fun front to back than the three albums before it (though I'd consider Goodbye Lullaby to be about as good, just different). Those albums had some standout tracks, but they were a lot more subdued than what she’s best known for.

Love Sux is good for shutting your brain off and enjoying some mostly solid hooks. If ... read more

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Ngtl, I thought you guys were just overhyping it because of the drama, but I had a good time with it. The production is mostly simple, but not in a way that is forgettable. It feels like a nice smooth, oftentimes catchy listen and the blunt storytelling is compelling (even if there's an argument to be made for Lily being a bit hypocritical, but tbh I don't want to let that bleed into how I think of the music itself).

It might’ve ... read more

I'm not going to lie, this is pretty much on the same level as Rumours to me, it just has lower lows but even the weakest moments are solid. The bangers are banging though! Just lush, glossy, and infectious 80s synth pop / pop rock front to back. It definitely sounds like the cover looks and feels like a summer evening / late night, and I just love how shimmery it all is. The only thing that sucks is that the only truly great Stevie moment on here is Seven Wonders, but the album has so ... read more

As an album, it was a little disappointing - especially when following Plastic Hearts - but I think a handful of these songs are really nice pop songs, and if you ask me Jaded is one of the best in her discography, which does kinda sound like it could've fit right onto Plastic Hearts. I thought I'd calculate a lower average track score, but imo it's a mixed bag that mostly works, as the worst songs aren't that offensive and have at least one nice quality to them and the best ... read more

I understand why people would prefer Something Beautiful as that feels like a bigger, more well put together artistic statement, but to me this is still her best work by just a smidge because I love the songs so much. She is just absolutely at home in this style of music and sounds incredible. Plastic Hearts doesn't really reinvent the wheel for the pop rock genre but I don't really care, it was the start of what I think is a clear artistic growth in Miley and it made me a huge fan ... read more