Average Rating: 4.58 Rating Variance: 0.18 Objectivity Score: 32% (Poorly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | NameVic Mignogna If These Walls Could Talk5.0Eyeshine Tone of Echoes4.0Kenny Chesney When the Sun Goes Down5.0Tim McGraw Live Like You Were Dying5.0Rascal Flatts Me And My Gang5.0Keith Urban Be Here5.0Marcus Fretshreder Rebirth4.5Matthew Guiseppe In the Heat of the Night5.0Rihanna Talk That Talk4.0Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication5.0TLC FanMail4.0Mariah Carey Music Box4.0Britney Spears Femme Fatale4.5It may have taken her four records, but 2003's "In the Zone" found Britney Spears coming into her own as a sexy adult that fused dance-pop, urban, and techno to be taken seriously. Although it worked, as it is one of the best Pop albums of the decade, the two follow-ups- the overwhelmingly deep, dark, "Blackout," and the sweet yet unconvincing "Circus- failed to focus on such an artistic vision. Then came "Femme Fatale;" like Madonna, Btritney is a club-pop diva that overindulges on lust, and it works. The opener "Till the World Ends," is electro-pop at its best with simple yet sexy lyrics. Unlike previous albums that blended within themselves, Britnry now has enough authority to get a little weird on Femme Fatale. "How I Roll" pops as the electronics mingle with Britney's distorted voice a la Dr. Luke. "I Wanna Go" is arguably the greatest proclaim of hedonism in pop history. The best tracks have the biggest club beats, like the #1 hit "Hold It Agsinst Me" that climaxes with a cool rave scene from 1997. "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" brings Dubstep music into the Pop mainstream. "Inside Out, "Gasoline" and "Seal It With A Kiss" may not be as strong, but they definitely are not filler. They have the same pop production and electronic dance experimentation to make sure they fit on the album. "Trip To Your Heart" is easily the best song, mixing the sweet bubbly dance-pop style of 1999 (epitomized by Britney) and lyrically exploring every part of a lover's body in a way "Toxic" did not. The album comes to a surprisingly sensitive end with "Criminal", the real-life story of how Britney fell in love with a bad boy, and it's just as sexy as any other track here. Femme Fatale truly is a work of pop perfection, and the best part is, Britney is making fine entertainment no matter what anyone thinks.Janet Jackson Janet.5.0With 1989's "Rhythm Nation 1814," Pop diva Janet Jackson gave her music an edgy that demanded social justice and public companionship, but the latter was overshadowed by her military image. 1993's "Janet," found Ms. Jackson focusing on the joy of love, and with its controversial original cover, the joy of SEX. The comparisons of this and Madonna's "Erotica" are unfair. "Erotica" had deep but cold grooves, making sex nothing more than pure intercourse. Janety balances sexuality, romance, loneliness, and revenge in a way she did with the record's earthshattering follow-up, "The Velvet Rope," but "Janet." might be Ms.. Jackson's best album the way it strippes down her industrial sound to make a record that balances from the sexy, independent, yet fun, teasing of "You Want This?" to the best song "Anytime, Anyplace" which just oozes witht the longing to be touched. "Janet" seems like a double LP, the way the first part has heavy dance grooves that "climaxes" with the sexy workout feel of "Throb" to the pissed off "This Time", while the seond part smoothes to soft adult contemporary R&B of the morning after ballad "Where Are You Now" as well as "Again" and "The Body that Loves You" which undeniably rinds Jackson of the love that was so good. any female artists ironically turn to Jackson for sexuality themes in music, from Beyonce to Britney to Christina. But the reason "Janet" was such a moment was how Janet was not only afraid to proclaim herself as a sex icon, but brought eveything good and bad that goes along with it, making "Janet" a more consistent record than "Rhythm Nation", and possibly even more life-changing. Sex and Pop music never sounded so good together.Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet4.5Nickelback All the Right Reasons4.0Nickelback became the quintessential post-grunge band with 2001's "Silver Side Up." While the only real source of mainstream pop was "How You Remind Me," the contemplating closer, "Good Times Gone," showed that the band was finding itself melodically. 2003's "The Long Road" showed a transition to mainstream hard rock and even metal, despite the Top 10 ballad, "Someday." However, it is 2005's "All the Right Reasons" that prove the guys are huge enough to take huge risks. Songs like Side of a Bullet", "Next Contestant", and "Animals", are fist-pumping anthems with peculiar story lines, ranging from recklessness with weapons, an unfaithful girlfriend told through the point-of-view of a rock star, and human beings with no morals, values, or shame. But what got everyone talking about the album was Nickelback's softer sound, with violins, pianos, and acoustic guitars. The power ballad, "Far Away", is as much of a Nickelback standard as "How You Remind Me", showing the band's ability to make their fans scream one song, and say "I Love You" to their girlfriends the next. Epics like "Photograph", "Savin' Me", and "If Everyone Cared" focus on universal topics like days gone by, the Higher Power, and world peace, all the while making Chad Kroger's lyrics and voice more believable than ever before. Whether hating then for sounding more pop than rock, or... just because they're Nickelback, you can't deny the Alberta rock superstars know exactly what they're doing: giving fans what they want while still breaking new ground.Nickelback Here and Now4.5
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