The Top 10 Artists of the 2010s (so far)

So I'm gonna ride the mid-decade lists a little more and give you who I believe to be the top artists of the 2010s (so far!!!). Obviously there were many options to choose from, but the ten I've listed here and made significant achievements in their music, hit a peak in their respective careers, or have garnered mass acclaim both commercially and critically. These aren't necessarily listed by rank of quality, but rather a mix of popularity and artistic abilities. Since I could only choose ten, I've excluded artists that either hit their career peak in the 2000s (Beyoncé, Kanye, Kelly Clarkson and P!nk), or are popular only because of how much they're hated (Justin Bieber, One Direction, and Lil Wayne). Alrightyyyy, here goes:

10. Luke Bryan

Yeah he's become a bit of a tool, and for all the whiners that point out how Taylor Swift was more pop than country, Luke has also taken some liberties in his music that don't necessarily fit in with the genre (auto-tune, really?). But the results don't lie, since he has become popular not only in country but now the popular realm as well. His last album "Crash My Party" was one of only 7 albums to go platinum in 2013, and he's assembled not only a crap-load of number one hits on the Country charts, but he's also placed several songs in the Top 20 of the all-genre Hot 100 as well. Not to mention he's performed in sold-out tours for a few years now, and his "Tailgates and Tanlines" album was the sixth best-seller of 2012, regardless of genre. Hopefully he'll return to his neo-traditionalist roots one day, but for now, the countless number of screaming women at his concerts (and men as well...hey, Luke Bryan is NOT an ugly guy!) are probably enough to keep him satisfied.

9. David Guetta

In the EDM scene, no other artist has front-lined the genre quite like David Guetta. Sure we also had giants such as Skrillex, Zedd, and Calvin Harris, but none of them scored as many top ten hits as Guetta has, and while Zedd and Calvin have been making their rounds across the pop scene, Guetta has already conquered that territory. In 2012 he delivered one of the best EDM songs ever (the powerful self-help song "Titanium"), while he's also showcased his skills as a producer with his albums "Nothing but the Beat" (no.5, 2011) and "Listen" (no.22, 2014). He's one of the artists in EDM that proves he's not a one-trick pony; he does have a few tricks up his sleeve and can go neo-classical, reggae, dancehall, or hip-hop whenever he so chooses.

8. Sia

"Breathe Me" got buzz going in the 2000s, but 2010's "I'm in Here" is really what really pushed her to the fringes of pop culture. Then when "Wild Ones" and "Titanium" appeared in 2012, there's absolutely no denying it: Sia was all over the place. She's written songs for an innumerable amount of pop performers (even executive producing Kylie Minogue's "Kiss Me Once" album) and then in 2014, she became a star in her own right with her first no. 1 album ("1000 Forms of Fear") and her first top-ten hit as a lead artist ("Chandelier", no. 8). Besides the fact that everything she touches turns to gold (quite literally, as the RIAA would say), you've got to admit she's got BOSS skills as a songwriter. Her vocal style may not suit everyone, but she's passionate about what she does and is really in it for the music, not the fame that comes with it (as she said so herself in her "I Don't Want to be Famous" manifesto").

7. Adele

Before you get mad, I'll let you know that I REALLY wanted to place Adele higher on the list, but I had to face facts: ALL of her success in the 2010s has come from only ONE album, "21". Now obviously it was an unprecedented smash, spending 79 weeks in the US top ten, selling 30 million copies worldwide and sweeping up 7 Grammy awards in 2012-2013. Three of its singles reached the top of the Hot 100 ("Rolling in the Deep", "Someone Like You", "Set Fire to the Rain") and the amount of airplay and publicity she's gotten by simply breathing is truly extraordinary. I will admit she's probably the best, highest quality artist on the this list, but once again, aside from 2011-2012, she hasn't been AS ubiquitous as the next artists coming up. But her voice though...WOW.

 

6. Bruno Mars

Two successful albums ("Doo-Whops and Hooligans" and "Unorthodox Jukebox"), six number-one singles ("Just The Way You Are", "Grenade", "Nothin on You", "Locked Out of Heaven", "When I Was Your Man", "Uptown Funk!") among many top ten hits, a super-bowl performer, AND a successful touring artist? Mr. Mars has definitely been getting his fill of success this decade. Not to mention he's also been writing songs for other pop acts as well (the majority of which before he became a solo artist, of course). Among male artists this decade, Bruno Mars is definitely my pick for the best so far, so the top five of this list are all inhabited my female artists.

 

5. Nicki Minaj

No matter what quality of music you think she does, there's once again no arguing with the results. She's appeared on the Hot 100 a total of 57 times so far in the 2010s (that's more than Madonna's career-spanning 56 entries), with at least 20 of those songs with her as a lead artist (the other 37 are from every rapper and pop artist and their mothers featuring her on virtually all of their songs). She's also released three successful albums, two of which hit no. 1 and went platinum ("Pink Friday" and "Roman Reloaded") as well as a no. 2 set (her latest masterwork "The Pinkprint"). Whether you like it or not, her enormous popularity has bolstered her career to heights unseen in those of female rappers. Even when her latest competitor Iggy Azalea threatened to take the throne, Miss Minaj showed her whose boss by overshadowing her success with singles like "Bang Bang" and "Anaconda".

 

4. Taylor Swift

Her album sales alone would warrant her place on this list (12 million so far this decade from her albums "Speak Now", "Red", and "1989"), but she's not THE most successful because her singles career really didn't consistently perform well until 2012, when "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble" hit nos. 1 and 2, respectively. She didn't see another top-ten album single until "Shake it Off" reached the summit in August 2014...more than a year and a half later. But her mass appeal amongst US citizens is undeniable (once again mostly due to those screaming fan girls who populate her many sold-out tours). Not the best vocal abilities, but her songwriting skills continue to impress and eclipse those of her peers, both country and pop.

 

3. Lady Gaga

Little monsters, PAWS UP!!! Admit it, Lady Gaga OWNED 2010, and has been gradually slipping in popularity since. But still, that has absolutely no bearing on the sheer amount of success she's acquired since this decade began. She writes all of her own music, produces most of it with her expert choice of collaborators, and her legions of fans spread not only nationwide like Taylor Swift, but worldwide as well. Her blockbuster "Monster Ball Tour" ran TWO years from 2009-2011, and when "The Fame" and "The Fame Monster" started losing their sales in mid-2011, "Born This Way" was quick to save the day, and sold 1,108,000 copies in its first week. It spawned the hits "Born This Way", "The Edge of Glory", "You and I" and "Judas", and all of their music videos were just as creative as Gaga's outings earlier in the decade. "ARTPOP", released in 2013, topped the Billboard 200 and contained comeback single "Applause", while 2014's duet album with Tony Bennett "Cheek to Cheek" also reached no. 1 on the charts.

 

2. Katy Perry

Her 2010 smash album "Teenage Dream" spewed five number one singles (six if you include the deluxe-edition cut "Part of Me"), the only other artist to achieve that feat? Michael Jackson! And the album itself sold a lot of copies too. Also, Katy Perry spent 69 consecutive weeks in the Hot 100 top ten from 2010-2012, and her latest album "Prism" spawned two more number one singles: "Roar" and "Dark Horse". She simply could not be stopped, adding two wildly successful tours and a moderate box-office hit "Part of Me", released in 2012. Now she's slated to perform at the 2015 Super Bowl, how much more successful can you get? Well, obviously someone tells us how, as there's still one artist left.

 

1. Rihanna

Her career was already red-hot in the 2000s, but no one could have predicted the unparalleled amount of success she's had in the 2010s. Three albums that reached the top three of the Billboard 200 (including the chart-topper "Unapologetic"), all of which spawned numerous top ten hits. However, among all artist to top the Hot 100 in the years 2010-2014, Rihanna has spent the most amount of weeks at the apex, with a total of 32 (across eight chart toppers: "Rude Boy", "Love the Way You Lie", "(Only Girl) in the World", "What's My Name?", "S&M", "We Found Love", "Diamonds", and "The Monster"). She's done numerous tours this decade, and in 2012 she became the first female artist to receive the VMA for Video of the Year twice (Eminem first achieved the feat in 2000 and 2002). Rihanna once stated she'd like to become the "Black Madonna"; I'd say she's well on her way to getting there.

The Top 50 Songs of the 2010s (so far)

It's time for the wonderful mid-decade lists! Since I'm impatient and need instant gratification, I just simply couldn't wait until the end of 2019 to do a "Best of the 2010s" songs list, so I'll compromise and do it five years into the decade (covering 2010-2014). I've combed through all of my "Top Songs" lists from the start of the decade, and I've now put them in order from 1-50. As you might've guessed, since this is a mid-decade list, only half the volume of songs are required for this comprehensive list of hits. Well, here they are:

50. PitBull and Ke$ha-Timber (2014)
49. P!nk-Blow Me (One Last Kiss) (2012)
48. Taylor Swift-I Knew You Were Trouble (2013)
47. Rihanna and Mikky Ekko-Stay (2013)
46. Meghan Trainor-All About That Bass (2014)
45. Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea-Problem (2014)
44. Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa-Payphone (2012)
43. Jennifer Lopez and PitBull-On The Floor (2011)
42. Nelly-Just a Dream (2010)
41. Taio Cruz-Dynamite (2010)
40. Nicki Minaj-Starships (2012)
39. P!nk-Raise Your Glass (2010)
38. Kelly Clarkson-What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) (2012)
37. OneRepublic-Counting Stars (2014)
36. Ellie Goulding-Lights (2012)
35. Magic!-Rude (2014)
34. P!nk and Nate Ruess-Just Give Me a Reason (2013)
33. Katy Perry-Firework (2011)
32. Bruno Mars-Just The Way You Are (2010)
31. Cee Lo Green-Fuck You (2011)
30. Bruno Mars-Grenade (2011)
29. Sam Smith-Stay With Me (2014)
28. Nicki Minaj-Super Bass (2011)
27. Jason Derulo and 2 Chainz-Talk Dirty (2014)
26. Adele-Set Fire to the Rain (2012)
25. Imagine Dragons-Radioactive (2013)
24. Lady Antebellum-Need You Now (2010)
23. Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX-Fancy (2014)
22. Daft Punk and Pharrell-Get Lucky (2013)
21. Jay-Z and Alicia Keys-Empire State of Mind (2010)
20. Katy Perry and Kanye West-ET (2011)
19. fun and Janelle Monae-We Are Young (2012)
18. Justin Timberlake-Mirrors (2013)
17. Ke$ha-Tik Tok (2010)
16. John Legend-All of Me (2014)
15. BOB and Hayley Williams-Airplanes (2010)
14. Katy Perry and Juicy J-Dark Horse (2014)
13. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Ray Dalton-Can't Hold Us (2013)
12. Lady Gaga-Bad Romance (2010)
11. Adele-Someone Like You (2011)
10. Robin Thicke, Pharrell, and TI-Blurred Lines (2013)
9. Pharrell-Happy (2014)
8. Gotye and Kimbra-Somebody That I Used to Know (2012)
7. Carly Rae Jepsen-Call Me Maybe (2012)
6. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Wanz-Thrift Shop (2013)
5. Rihanna and Calvin Harris-We Found Love (2011)
4. LMFAO, Goonrock and Lauren Bennett-Party Rock Anthem (2011)
3. Eminem and Rihanna-Love The Way You Lie (2010)
2. Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg-California Gurls (2010)
1. Adele-Rolling in the Deep (2011)

Is Lady Gaga's "Art" Really a "Flop"?

Although it was released over a year ago, I thought I'd quickly discuss Lady Gaga's latest album "ARTPOP", or as many people have called it: "Artflop" (or "Fartplop" if you're that immature). 

Obviously, as a Lady Gaga little monster forever, I take some offense to that re-titling, not because I prefer to kiss Gaga's ass instead of facing the truth, but because calling "ARTPOP" a 'flop' doesn't quite seem accurate.

Let me explain. So a "flop" is classically considered to be a project that overwhelmingly
under-performs in the commercial marketplace, like a movie grossing $1 million or less at the box office when its budget was $50 million (this would actually be considered a "bomb", or the movie version of a 'flop'). Using an album as an example, take Mariah Carey's "Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse", released this year after five years of no new music from the diva of whistle tones. All of her albums have sold millions of copies around the world (200 million to be exact!), so you would expect that "Elusive Chanteuse" would sell just the same right? Wrong: it debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 with 58,000 copies sold, a FAR cry from her last album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" which debuted at the same position but with sales of 168,000 copies. Before that, her prior two smash albums "E=MC2" and "The Emancipation of MiMi" each debuted at number 1 with sales exceeding 400,000 copies ("Emancipation" was even the top selling album in the US in 2005), and those albums came 15-18 years into the songstress' career, so giving the Madonna excuse of "she's no longer relevant to a younger audience" is invalid. To date, "The Elusive Chanteuse" has sold about 117,000 copies in the US; given that it took over three years to record and numerous producers, singers, and rappers contributed to the project, I would definitely say that album was a flop in every sense of the word.

Now, back to Lady Gaga. Where does "ARTPOP" exactly stand on the 'flop' to 'smash' spectrum? Well, as I just did with Mariah, we gotta examine the statistics first, because they do show some interesting results. First off, "ARTPOP" became Lady Gaga's second number 1 album in the US, as it debuted at the position with sales of 258,000 copies. Right off the bat, any die-hard little monster would notice that sales figure is a considerable drop from the debut sales haul of "Born This Way": 1,108,000 copies. True: 440,000 of those copies were sold through Amazon, who discounted the album for two days for 99 cents, but 668,000 copies were still bought at iTunes or physical retailers at full price. Regardless of such, there's one fact that can't be disputed: "ARTPOP" sold considerably less than "Born This Way" as far as overall sales-to-date go. "Born This Way" has sold approximately 8 million copies worldwide since its 2011 release (6 million units sold in the first year); within one year of the release date for "ARTPOP", worldwide sales figures stand at 2.5 million copies. "Born This Way" came in as the 3rd best selling album of 2011 in the US, while "ARTPOP" was ranked 103 in the end of 2013 report, but was later declared the 34th best seller of 2014 by Billboard. So that must be somewhat disappointing to Gaga's team, who spent countless hours promoting the project, as well as Gaga herself with an abundance of TV performances, interviews, promo clips etc. 

But that's comparing Gaga against herself, when compared to other female artists of the past couple years: "ARTPOP" has sold more copies than Miley Cyrus' "Bangerz" (2 million sold), Mariah Carey's "The Elusive Chanteuse" (less than 500,000 copies so far), Jennifer Lopez's "AKA" (less than 500,000 so far), Shakira's "Shakira" (less than 500,000 copies), and even Madonna's last album "MDNA" (2 million sold), but does fall short of recent albums released by Beyonce ("Beyonce", 5 million), Lorde ("Pure Heroine", 2.7 million), Katy Perry ("Prism", 3 million) and Taylor Swift ("1989", 4 million...so far). Gaga has big competition for sure, but she's actually outsold more prominent acts with careers spanning far beyond hers and the number of albums "ARTPOP" outsold are greater than the number of albums it has sold less than. When put in that perspective, it looks like Mother Monster hasn't been doing so bad after all, but there are still other stats that beef up the 'flop' talk. "ARTPOP" quickly descended on the Billboard 200 and didn't chart long into 2014. Also, when it fell from 1-8 in its second week, its sales declined by 84%, making Gaga the only artist to have two albums decrease in sales by at least that amount from their debut week to their second ("Born This Way" originally held the all-time title when it declined 85% in sales in its second week; Madonna would later take that title from her when sales for "MDNA" declined by 86% in its second week). "ARTPOP" definitely did not have as much staying power as I personally would have predicted, and it surely didn't become a juggernaut for hits like "The Fame" and "Born This Way". 

However, there is still a bright side to this that takes credibility away from the 'flop' arguments. Yeah, "ARTPOP" didn't spew out multiple number one (or even top ten) hits like Taylor Swift did with "1989" this year, but still, TWO of its songs reached the top ten ("Applause", no.4, and "Dope", no.8"), one single reached the top twenty ("Do What U Want", no.13), and third single "G.U.Y" did chart, albeit very low (no.72). "ARTPOP" has sold a total of 725,000 copies in the US as of December 2014, that's a higher figure than Kanye's "Yeezus" (620,000), Pharrell's "GIRL" (519,000), and Iggy Azalea's "The New Classic" (423,000). Come to think of it, the only album to contain multiple top ten hits this year of any genre, besides Taylor Swift's "1989" (let it be noted that Swift is the exception to the state of the music industry in 2014, not the rule) was Ariana Grande's "My Everything" ("Problem", no.2, "Bang Bang", no.3, "Break Free", no.4, and "Love Me Harder", no.7), and do you know how many copies that album has sold? Around 400,000 in the US so far, not that robust of a figure for an artist of Grande's popularity. True, "ARTPOP" was no match for giants like Justin Timberlake, Luke Bryan, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, so on and so forth, but once again, those artists have actually done exceptionally well in the 2010s. 

Did Lady Gaga reach a career low with her album sales? Yes, she did. But guess what? So did alot of people! And I mean A LOT. Let's run down the list: Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Avril Lavigne, Nickelback, Mary J Blige, Shakira, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow. The list does go on, believe me, but those are just the bigger names that have sold millions of records before, with multiple albums, but now might be struggling to get a fancy centerpiece on the table (let's be real here, with all the money these people have made already, all of them could retire for life this very moment while I'd most likely be working until I'm 72). I don't know if Gaga's career will continue to descend, but she's already claimed another number one album with her Tony Bennett-collab "Cheek to Cheek" (131,000 sold in its first week), so I think she'll be just fine regardless of the outcome.

Meghan Trainor-"Title" Review

In equal measures, Meghan Trainor's debut smash "All About That Bass" became a perennial anthem for the big-sized belles of the world, but also a lightning rod for controversy that ranged from shaming smaller body types, as well as reverse-feminism, and cultural appropriation issues regarding her oddly black singing voice. The song was never-the-less the biggest booty-centric hit of 2014, but it didn't come without repercussions. Besides the dividing opinions about the single itself, Meghan Trainor now had to prove that her Shangri Las-meets-Nicki Minaj approach could sustain a career beyond that single and one or two more clones of it. The follow-up "Lips Are Movin" was another top five hit, but in all honesty, the similarities between that song and "Bass" are innumerable. Hell, the simple fact that "Lips" mentions "Bass" in its lyrics begs the question if Trainor may be a one-hit wonder in essence, always retreating back to the sound and look of the hit that brought her super-stardom. Since "Bass" and "Lips" are placed on opposite ends of Trainor's debut full-length "Title", the only way to know if she is capable of success in the long-term is by examining the body of the record in between them. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the critics against Trainor will be pleased to know that yes, "Title" really is a collection of "All About That Bass" plus ten sequels of it. Every song here, while not exact replicas of that first single, are all painted off the same palette: doo-whops a plenty, girl-group harmonies dictate the chord progressions, white-girl raps between the catchy choruses, all augmented by bari sax riffs and jazzy percussion. The Anti-Trainor camp was also correct in pointing out the glaring hypocrisy in her thematic material, because while one moment she's telling her "Future Husband" to give her independence like a modern day woman, she doesn't hesitate to give him a laundry list of duties that would force her dependence on him the moment after. Big-skinned women can take comfort in self-image songs like "All About That Bass" and "Close Your Eyes", but those thinner individuals may not be able to feel quite as right knowing that Trainor called them 'skinny bitches' in the same breath. Whatever the debate (individual-vs-society, retro-vs-modern, dependence-vs-independence) Trainor has something quick-witted to say about both sides. Too bad no one told her that she can't play for both teams on the same record, let alone the same song (or, as already mentioned, the same damn line). Because the music is so cheerful and the hooks are rather intoxicating, there's definitely an urge to want to like "Title", and on a purely superficial level it does its job exquisitely. But that's not what Meghan Trainor built really intended: she wants to be seen as cream of the crop; top of the pack of contemporary pop pack that aims to expand the ideal of beauty and the modern-day singer/songwriter. Had she picked one side of the fence and stuck with it, "Title" would be a successful piece of pop craft. Since she didn't, however, the internal tug-of-war when listening to the bulk of this album will become unbearable to some, and others will simply find a way to ignore their better judgment and just enjoy the music. Long story short, whatever pre-conceived notions you have about "Title" based upon Trainor's first two singles: you're right.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. The Best Part          2. All About That Bass    3. Dear Future Husband

4. Close Your Eyes     5. 3am                                     6. Like I’m Gonna Lose You

7. Bang Dem Sticks   8. Walkashame                      9. Title

10. What If I             11. Lips Are Movin’

Tove Lo-"Queen of the Clouds" Review

Sweden has been a well-oiled pop hit-factory for decades now. Acts like ABBA, Roxette, Ace of Base, and more recently producers like Klas Ahlund, Max Martin and Shellback have all graced the airwaves with ear-worms of all pop influenced genres. Sometimes their work has resulted in embarrassingly bad one-hit wonders (anybody remember the A*Teens?), while other artists strike commercial and/or critical riches with their savvy productions (Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys, etc.). Thankfully, new Swedish sensation Tove Lo enters on the latter end of the spectrum. Her debut smash "Habits (Stay High)" has been slowly dominating the charts since its release early in 2014, with its tragic portrait of a lover reduced to binging on Twinkies in her bathtub without her boyfriend by her side. That sounds a little like Taylor Swift-gone-emo, but surprisingly, that huge single is actually not a strong point of Tove Lo's debut album "Queen of the Clouds". Constructed as a concept album, Tove Lo tackles the well and worn concept of the stages of a relationship (in this specific case: The Sex, The Love, The Pain), and splits the LP into three separate but unified parts. It's an intriguing blueprint, ane one that breeds success for Tove Lo, because it shows just how diverse her oeuvre really is. She opens the album with "My Gun", an electro-pop earworm that feeds off the carnal desire of the dance-floor, but by the end is lamenting bad decisions and promising better ones on "This Time Around", which features an alt-rock/ singer-songwriter sound. Those that have become tiresome of the mindless EDM-pop of the last couple years can replenish their senses with pop/rock gems like "Got Love", but for those looking for more electronic dance can delight in the giddy "Timebomb" and bonus track "Run on Love". And of course there's plenty of material here that falls in between dance-pop and rock, whether it be pure pop "Like 'Em Young" or synth-poppy "Moments". All tracks are scattered among the three course meal of the record, appearing to be a lot to consume upon first glance but are actually easy to digest. It's what good pop music should be like, and it also gives more than just lip service to the rock and indie crowds. "Habits" may not be enough to separate Tove Lo from the rest of the alt-pop pack, but it wasn't really designed to in the first place, as it is rather just one part of a bigger picture. That picture, then, is that Tove Lo is a songwriter with a knack for pop hooks and blunt honesty. "Queen of the Clouds" is a fine testament to this; forget that it's a fully realized debut, it's one of the best pop records released in 2014, period.

Recommended Tracks:

1. The Sex                   2. My Gun                             3. Like ‘Em Young

4. Talking Body          5. Timebomb                     6. The Love

7. Moments              8. The Way That I Am         9. Got Love

10. Not on Drugs        11. The Pain                         12. Thousand Miles

13. Habits (Stay High)14. This Time Around      15. Run on Love

Nicki Minaj-"The Pinkprint" Review

Though it showed an improvement over her debut, Nicki Minaj's second album, 2012's "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded", still inevitably felt like a sophomore slump. It debuted at number one, spawned a top ten hit in "Starships", but even a reissue, entitled "The Re-Up" couldn't save it from failing to reach the level of success that her debut did, either with the critics or the public. Minaj then had to deal with an ever-increasing criticism of her music, persona, and personal life, and when she faded a bit in the beginning of 2014, rap newcomer Iggy Azalea seemed to be poised to take the throne as hip-hop's new "it" girl. Always the self-proclaimed queen of perseverance, however, Minaj didn't take Azalea's sudden success to be a hindrance to her status, and when she collaborated with Jessie J and 2014's breakout star Ariana Grande on "Bang Bang", she quickly reminded the masses who rap's real female star was. That was a smart move on her part, although following it up with the tasteless "Anaconda" certainly was not (in regards to showing off her artistic abilities, anyway). It certainly begs the question of Minaj could ever really deliver an expansive, unified, and satisfying LP that could harken back to her mixtape days, but still draw from her recent pop-rap blends that truly have made her a star this decade. 

Her third album, the Jay-Z inspired "The Pinkprint", answers this question with a resounding yes. From watching Minaj's new stripped-down look to seeing the simple and artistic cover art, this is a record that relies less on fluff and gimmicks, and instead aims to make progressive statements with the rap genre. Misguided moments thwart total perfection (besides "Anaconda", you can do just fine without "Only" or "Feeling Myself"), but as a whole, "The Pinkprint" is definitely Minaj's best album to date. Sporting a songwriter and producers list so mind-numbingly long might at first give off the impression of desperation or excessiveness, but the music that is displayed here is actually very simple, and much like Minaj's new natural image, contains little hooplah and instead nods toward the more artsy side of the pop spectrum. Nicki's flow is as fast, energetic, and aggressive as ever, but this time around she has a bit more savvy, and ebbs and flows her words in a manner that seems natural, not forced or faked. Not to mention that her singing has marginally improved, so her softer tracks like "Grand Piano" and "Pills n Potions" are just as expressive as they should be. Indeed, "The Pinkprint" is all about baring its creator raw, laying the details of her past and her inner doubts front and center. This is dazzling on the one-two jolt of "All Things Go" and "I Lied", and it certainly would've been a triumph if the whole album played off this template. Unfortunately, the needless amount of guest rappers and singers have to come eventually (big-budget records like this always have this tendency), and while some do distract from Minaj's core intentions (here's looking at you Ariana Grande), others do lend a hand in her back-to-basics makeunder (Skylar Grey assists on the excellent "Bed of Lies"). One could say that this record is Minaj's "Prism" moment, where she finds the balance between tacky and tasteful, catering to both of her core audience of mixtape lovers and mainstream pop consumers. "The Pinkprint" is still a little scattershot in how it aims to please multiple demographics, but it still does please nonetheless.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. All Things Go                   2. I Lied                                 3. The Crying Game

4. Get On Your Knees            5. Feeling Myself                   6. Only

7. Want Some More               8. Four Door Aventador      9. Favorite

10. Buy A Heart                      11. Trini Dem Girls         12. Anaconda

13. The Night is Still Young 14. Pills n Potions            15. Bed of Lies

16. Grand Piano

The Top 25 Albums of 2014

Well there was quite a lot to choose from this year! Artists from all around the world came together in 2014 to release their own uniquely successful LPs. Of course, the best of the best are ranked here, and are done so in my own personal opinion. However, if there's any album you don't see on here that you think I should know more about, always feel free to comment it up! Anyway, after twelve long months of new music, here are what I believe to be the best albums of 2014!

25. Lykke Li-I Never Learn
Billboard 200 Peak: 29
Description: The final installment in her trilogy of a woman finding peace after heartbreak, Lykke Li ends this story on a surprisingly life-affirming tone, short and simple (no pun intended to the length of the nine-song album)

24. Shakira-Shakira
Billboard 200 Peak: 2
Description: Returning to English world-pop after a five year hiatus, Shakira returns with a sunny, hummable set of songs that seeks influences from Brazil to Jamaica to the good ol' USA.

23. Dum Dum Girls-Too True
Billboard 200 Peak: 73
Description: Dum Dum who? Lead singer Dee Dee leads the DDGs to the mainstream with an album gliding on a fresh, goth-rock pulse with some pop and dance thrown in for good measure.

22. Lily Allen-Sheezus
Billboard 200 Peak: 12
Description: Also making a long-awaited return to pop, Lily Allen serves up another dose of quick-witted, sharp-tongued pop, this time tinged by R&B, dance, indie-rock, and alt-pop.

21. Ed Sheeran-X
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: Now a full-fledged super-star, Ed Sheeran wastes no time penning catchy, personal songs and pairing them up with up-beat R&B and dance-pop.

20. Mary J Blige-The London Sessions
Billboard 200 Peak: 9
Description: Can you really say this is Mary J Blige changing direction entirely, or simply doing what she should've done all along? The latter is true for her latest work, which highly benefits from the deep house textures and guest appearances by Disclosure, Emeli Sande, and Sam Smith.

19. Jack White-Lazaretto
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: There's no stopping this former White Stripes alum, as he delivers another great set of alt-rock that reminds modern artists (ahem, The Black Keys) who does it best.

18. Foo Fighters-Sonic Highways
Billboard 200 Peak: 2
Description: Speaking of great artists of alt-rock, the Foo Fighters also made a great comeback with their newest LP, which departs from Dave Grohl's usual subject matter and seeks to broaden their musical and lyrical breadth.

17. Tove Lo-Queen of the Clouds
Billboard 200 Peak: 14
Description: Truth be told, Tove Lo is only known for her single "Habits (Stay High)" but it's actually a pretty weak moment in an otherwise excellent collection of dance-pop and alt-pop, drawing inspiration from the three stages of a relationship (sex, love, and pain).

16. Taylor Swift-1989
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: While certainly not her best album, there's something to be said of Taylor Swift's massive commercial and critical appeal. Even when her music stumbles, it's so skillfully crafted that those missteps can be forgiven. Same thing goes for this record, which still manages to rise above the modern pop standard.

15. Christina Perri-Head or Heart
Billboard 200 Peak: 4
Description: Christina Perri could be a really great therapist, as this soulful collection of self-help songs can make your day a bit brighter, as Perri moves on to the up-side of life, rather than wobbling in its tragedies.

14. Bruce Springsteen-High Hopes
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: 35 years later, the Boss is still cranking out smash concept albums, without losing any of his artistic and musical credibility. 

13. Coldplay-Ghost Stories
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: Coldplay has been such an ubiquitous presence since the turn of the millennium, that they really don't need to release albums any quicker than they do. The fact that we didn't have to wait that long at all for this collection of dancier pop-rock is just a gift.

12. Sarah McLachlan-Shine On
Billboard 200 Peak: 4
Description: On the same note of not having to wait super-long for another album, Sarah McLachlan returned unusually early to deliver her best album in over ten years. She sublimely balances sunny pop and stripped down rock, ending on a happy ukulele love song.

11. Kelis-Food
Billboard 200 Peak: 73
Description: Maybe Kelis just can't catch a break, because an album with soul, R&B, and jazz-pop THIS good surely should've been an instant classic. Oh well, maybe in the next four years...

10. Nicki Minaj-The Pinkprint
Billboard 200 Peak: NA
Description: If "Anaconda" worried you for a minute, you can breathe easy now. Nicki Minaj's third album is an excellent compromise between rap and dance-pop, containing much more ballads and maturity than vulgarity.

9. Lana Del Rey-Ultraviolence
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: We were biting our nails to see if LDR could match her debut album's legacy. Well...she surpassed it with "Ultraviolence", taking ever part of her stage persona to a drug-influenced, hazy extreme, becoming the saddest, baddest chick in rock.

8. Sia-1000 Forms of Fear
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: She's been taking the backseat for years now, so it's high time she made a triumphant album of her own volition. Needless to say, it's an alt-pop smash.

7. Katy B-Little Red
Billboard 200 Peak: NA
Description: Like Kelis, British dance artist Katy B just can't seem to break into the tough US market. Though it's no fault of her music, which on her sophomore effort "Little Red" is a poppy mix of house, dubstep, and EDM.

6. Charli XCX-Sucker
Billboard 200 Peak: NA
Description: She had a hit with "I Love It" in 2013, but who could've known that this gothy Brit just wanted to rock out and break all the rules? "Sucker" is a major change from her synthpop beginnings, but she stays true to her punk-pop ego and delivers a hell of a good time.

5. Kylie Minogue-Kiss Me Once
Billboard 200 Peak: 31
Description: Dance-pop started becoming a little drag at the start of 2014, so who better to shake things up than the Aussie who's been a prominent figurehead of the franchise for years? Ms. Minogue offers what could be her best album yet, a frothy brew of pop, synthpop, dance, and GASP, some dubstep?

4. Flying Lotus-You're Dead!
Billboard 200 Peak: 19
Description: Concept albums are the best, aren't they? Well, maybe not always, especially when centered around a subject like death, buy Flying Lotus makes it work through experimental production that incorporate electronica with jazz, R&B, and hip-hop.

3. St. Vincent-St. Vincent
Billboard 200 Peak: 12
Description: Definitely one of the more low-key albums of the year, St. Vincent keeps her eyes on the prize. The prize being a superb indie-rock record that gives veteran musicians in the genre a run for their money.

2. FKA Twigs-LP1
Billboard 200 Peak: 30
Description: The British hit it big this year (this being the fifth album on this list from that country), but no one shined the brightest quite like the silent threat FKA Twigs. She stuns with a well-rounded and accomplished debut that fuses experimental electronic production with R&B and jazz-pop.

1. Miranda Lambert-Platinum
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: It's a Miranda Lambert record, which pretty much guarantees a top-notch country record. So who'd guess that nine years in she could craft her best album, the best country album of the decade so far, and the best album of 2014? She puts neo-traditional country and country-pop on equal footing, and nails it.