It's Been Ten Years Since...

50 Cent was 'In Da Club'

January 7^th 2003

For what felt like weeks on end I heard at least one person every day at school say “GO SHAWTY, IT’S YA BIRTHDAY”, having no idea what the hell they were talking about. It wasn’t until February of that year that I actually witnessed the song for the first time. Still as incredible as it was then (I'm listening to it right now), the Dr. Dre produced track was nominated for two Grammy awards and was listed in Rolling Stone’s list of Greatest Songs of the Decade at numbers 13. Coming in at number one in 10 different countries (not bad for a seemingly unknown rapper), the track was also remixed and sung by Beyoncé, under the title ‘Sexy Lil’ Thug’. Beautiful.

Pops most talked about kiss occurred

28^th August 2003

"The kiss seen around the world" touched down during the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City, New York. Madonna, dressed as (for some unknown reason) a groom locked lips with a recently single Britney and the Dirrty Xtina, both of which were wearing slutty wedding gowns. The moment was great for so many reasons. Britney and Christina were performing on stage together for what seemed like the first time, Missy Elliott hopped out two thirds of the way through, and who could forget Justin Timberlake's face while his former lover lezzed out in front of millions? The only reaction face that trumps that is Mary J. Blige's look of sheer disgust when Aguilera took the stage. 

The greatest show in the world ended…

20^th May 2003

Oh Buffster. I love the shit out of this show and I don't care who knows it. Beneath the "guilty pleasure" or "something that’s shit but you watch cause there’s nothing else on" was actually a TV show which changed the female protagonist forever. After an ill-fated attempt at a movie in 1992, Joss Whedon revived his creation and took it to network television in 1997. Buffy The Vampire Slayer was a tongue in cheek tale of a 16 year old teenage girl turned vampire hunter – or slayer – who would "combat the forces of darkness" aided by her Watcher, Rupert Giles and gang of high school friends. Buffy tackled the oh-so dramatic lives of every teenager with fantastical twists. High school was hell, (the school was literally located above the mouth of hell) drug abuse, attempted suicide and how dudes can change after hitting that for the first time. Was it a coincidence that shows such as Alias, Relic Hunter, The Vampire Diaries and True Blood followed in the years to come? Probably not. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been named in Time Magazine, Empire, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly’s best TV shows of all time. In fact, the 5^th season episode 'The Body' is hailed by many critics as "one of the greatest TV episodes ever televised". I bet you didn't know THAT.

…and the second greatest show in the world began

8^th August 2003

At long last, I finally had a teenage TV show to call my own while actually being a teenager. Once described as "less hairspray and less deodorant" by guest star Samaire Armstrong, The O.C first debuted in the summer of ’03 to both a killer audience and critical reception. From the youngest showrunner in American TV history, Josh Schwartz, (who was 25 when the show was made) the show about the wayward and brooding Ryan Atwood  being taken in by the family of his lawyer, saw an unexpected resurgence in the traditional rich kid teen soap drama. The show that brought The Killers, Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie to light for many for the first time was also the show that brought us one of the most beloved characters in teen drama history – Seth Cohen. Awkward bookish and sarcastic white kids everywhere now had someone to look up to. Throw this in with a poor little rich kid, a spoilt little rich kid and the greatest TV father of all time, you've got TV gold. The O.C was shortly followed by shows such as One Tree Hill, 90210 and Gossip Girl, which we all know, pale in comparison, right?

Him and His Girlfriend – Boo – Wifey – etc

10^th October 2002

The single was technically first released in 2002, but it wasn't until the following year that the track made huge waves. The “03 Bonnie & Clyde – Hov & B” married on 04-04-2008 (Beyoncé has a fetish for the number ‘4’) and spawned the majestic and REAL royal baby, Blue Ivy Carter last year. Since then, Jay & Bey have collaborated on a number of tracks including "Upgrade U" "Venus vs. Mars" and of course, "Crazy in Love" (more on that one in a sec). '03 Bonnie & Clyde' also saw a sequel on Jay-Z’s "Magna Carta…Holy Grail" LP this year, appropriately titled “Part II: On the Run. Oh, and the original was also produced by Kanye West. Imagine that. 

Pixar brought us Finding Nemo

30^th May 2003

Often called Pixar's best film ever made (I disagree, we all know it's Wall-E, with Monster's Inc. coming a close second) the colourful, innovative masterpiece 'Finding Nemo' hit cinemas in May ten years ago. Nemo grossed close to 1 billion dollars and holds a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes - which leads me to one question and one question only. Who is the sick fuck in that 1%? I remember seeing a BBC news report on TV that the sales of clownfish had also gone through the roof thanks to the film. I for one am glad they all found a home.

Pixar are also planning a sequel, and the creatively titled 'Finding Dory' is set to be released in 2015. I could only imagine what it could be about.

Pharrell Williams was everywhere

All year

Pharrell’s distinctive sound had him all over the place. Literally, he had a song everywhere. His weird yet rhythmic cutlery clanging sound dominated 2003 like none other. As well as the NERD album In Search Of… (featuring 'Lapdance' and 'Rock Star') Pharrell, along with collab teammate Chad Hugo found time to produce some of the years biggest singles. Among those released that year included Kelis's 'Milkshake', Snoop Dogg's 'Beautiful', Jay-Z's 'Change Clothes' and Timberlake's 'Senorita' and 'Rock Your Body'. He's still got it after over 20 (TWENTY) years as an artist, songwriter and producer.

Martin Bashir lived with Michael Jackson

3^rd February 2003

I have to relate this back to school once again. During break time while everyone outside was talking about this ITV1 special, one boy in my class asked me if I "watched Con Air on Channel 5 last night" …what? No. Of course I didn't. Along with everyone else in my year/school/life apart from him I was watching Living with Michael Jackson. What a mess of a nightmare this turned out to be. The show obviously started out as an up close look at what it was like to be the most famous and talented living musician in the world, but soon took a turn for the unexpectedly worrying. It was here that Jackson first spoke about sleepovers taking place in his house with minors on a number of occasions. Weirdly enough it was Bashir who came under fire from Jackson enthusiasts across the world. Martin was accused of mishandling footage, and editing the feature to make Michael Jackson look...well, you know. 

Dixie Chicks were ashamed

10^th March 2003

The country sibling trio who had been famous across the pond since the early nineties spoke these now immortalised words during a gig in London 2003:

"Just so you know, we're on the good side with y'all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas"

The Texan natives found themselves subject to mass media scrutiny (mostly in the south of course), losing sponsorship deals, radio airplay and even receiving death threats in wake of the comment. After initially apologising for the offence they caused, lead singer Natalie Maines backtracked, stating that she was proud of the fact they spoke their minds amidst the decisions George Bush had made to go forth with attacking Iraq. The controversy eventually led to the documentary film "Shut up and Sing" being produced three years later, shedding light on the backlash Dixie Chicks had received in the years thereafter. The band released the album "Taking the Long Way" in 2007, with its lead single 'Not Ready to Make Nice' dealing with the scrutiny head on. The album sold 2 million copies in the US alone and won five Grammy's including the coveted Album of the Year and Song of the Year awards for “Nice”. Take that republicans.

Bey, Blu and Black had a 13 week number one chart run

All originally released on 18^th May, 6^th May and 16^th June respectively.

I feel like 2003 was a crowning moment in which the UK developed the taste for actually buying good music. A trend that started to fade around 2009.

It was this year that Beyoncé’s Crazy in Love was brought to us. Collaborating once again with Jay-Z the track found itself at #1 for three weeks in the summer of ’03. It was impossible to run from the big-band style introduction, as well as the music video, which would be on any and every channel possible for what felt like 8 times an hour. CIL became a staple in Beyoncé’s discography, and saw herself become the solo star she’d always wanted to be.

However, 'Crazy in Love' saw itself sharing the airwaves with another male-female rap-sung collaboration, in the form of Blu Cantrell & Sean Paul’s incredible "Breathe". Sampled from Dr. Dre's "What’s The Difference", the track stayed at number one for 4 weeks, and has stood the test of time as one of the best R&B collaborations of the last ten years. Yes I'm serious; I love this song that much.

What many thought was the Black Eyed Peas first single was actually the first from their fourth album. It was just their first single after recruiting Fergie. The single 'Where is the Love' featuring Justin Timberlake stayed at #1 for five weeks in June and subsequently became the top selling single of the year. As I said, this was the year that great music was released but for me, let's discount this one. Yeah it has a nice message and all that, but I never really “got it”. I'm sure that makes me a horrible person, but whatever.

'Revenge' Creator Mike Kelley Leaves Show

Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) & creator Mike Kelley

I never really do entertainment based - or any sort of news articles on here but I found this quite interesting and actually a little irritating (let me explain why in a bit).

It was announced yesterday that creator of ABC's/E4's soap-y drama 'Revenge' would be leaving the show in its entirety. Mike Kelley's series starring Emily VanCamp and Madeline Stowe debuted in the US in September 2011 and is currently in its second season. The creator is set to finish post-production duties on the show shortly before he departs, which is expected to be next month.

The announcement surprised me mainly because I've never heard of a creator stepping down from a show this early on. 'Revenge' became a sleeper hit with its debut, gaining just over 10 million viewers on its first ever showing. The audience viewership stayed strong, as did its critical reception for the next 21 episodes in the season. However, its audience has depleted somewhat in the show's sophmore year, with only 5.49 million people tuning into its most recent episode, "Masquerade", on Sunday 31st March. The move is, as I said shocking to me, but what irritated me about Kelley leaving his beloved show behind was the supposed reason.

Kelley had allegedly lobbied for 'Revenge' to carry a shortened 3rd season, possibly to stand at 13 episodes, to abandon unnecessary story arcs and twists that ultimately aren't necessary to the shows main story. ABC opted against the idea, most probably because they would be losing out on thousands, maybe even millions of dollars of ad-revenue from only having 13 episodes in one series (although there isn't an official figure for how much 'Revenge' "charges", in October 2012 a 30 second ad cost a little over $150,000 according to this chart from ad-age). 

What ABC doesn't seem to understand is that a short season is exactly what the show needs at this point. At the end of season 1 we were left with a cliffhanger that 18 episodes later - still hasn't been fully seen to, and while the second series is good (at a stretch), it's been carried on for much longer then it probably should've been. The show is known for its ridiculously dramatic soap opera-like twists and turns; people from the past showing up unexpectedly, fake deaths, surprise pregnancies and the like, while also trying to maintain a very dark, crime related story at its core. The marriage of the two genres of soap and crime is what's brought the show into the forefront from its inception, but with its intricate and tricky sub-plots which are quickly getting more difficult to follow, viewership is declining. A concise season of much fewer episodes would allow less "waffle" in the show, and let the main story work perfectly without the interruption of pointless side arcs and guest characters.

Network television needs to put shorter seasons into practise. It happens here and there and shows such as 'The Following', (the first season of) 'Scandal' and NBC's 'Hannibal' are proof that it can actually work effectively. Plus all you have to do is look at the most celebrated TV shows of the 21st century so far: 'Breaking Bad', 'Mad Men', 'The Walking Dead', 'Game of Thrones', 'Luther', 'Downton Abbey' and 'The Wire'. How many episodes have they all had per season?

Not as many as Revenge.


You can read a review of Revenge Season 1 here.

5 Most Underrated and Underused Characters on Television

Donna – Parks and Recreation

Where is Donna? Where is she? She’s a valued member of the Parks and Recreation department of Pawnee, Indiana that seems to pop up once or twice an episode (if that) with a couple of lines,  and…that’s pretty much it. In fact, her role in the show has become smaller and smaller as the series has gone on. The absence of Donna is pretty much the only downfall in an otherwise flawless sitcom.

Cerie – 30 Rock

When Liz Lemon asked Cerie “looked okay”, a spritely Cerie retorted with “that’s exactly how you look”. The fact that the line is said not in dislike or disdain but as a genuine compliment is why she's such a good character. The usage of Cerie is vaguely similar to Donna’s in Parks and Recreation – she turns up once in a while, gives us some good dialogue, and then she’s off again. Only (once again like Donna) she works in the exact same place that every episode of the show is set in.

Harrison Wright – Scandal

Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat as *spoiler* creator Shonda Rhimes has stated that this characters role will be beefed up in the second half of the addictive political drama’s second season *end spoiler*. Harrison has largely been on the backburner, occasionally seen conversing with Abby and Olivia…while not doing much else. Although it has been revealed that Harrison avoided a serious prison sentence on behalf of crafty and not-so legit work of Olivia Pope, the statement was made only as a passing reference. I think we can assume this will play a major part in the last few episodes of the season, along with (hopefully) many more to come.

Luke Dunphy– Modern Family

For some reason “I can feel my heart beating in my eyes” is one of my favourite Modern Family quotes, and it comes from young Luke, probably the most underutilised Dunphy on Modern Family. The show which has  one of the strongest and most comedic ensemble casts currently on television, needs to let the most beloved of those, such as Gloria, Phil, Manny and Cam step aside; just for a little while and let Luke do something solo.

Harry Crane – Mad Men

In a world where everyone is lying, backstabbing, cheating on their wives and descending into alcohol addiction in 1960s based drama Mad Men, Crane is only guilty of..one or two of those. For a while Crane, played by Rich Sommer was one of the few genuinely likeable characters in the fictional Sterling Cooper work place – and it may just be because it feels like decades ago, I barely even remember him on screen in the show’s 5^th season. We better see him actually doing some serious shit when Mad Men returns next month.

Stoker (Film)

"It’s weird. Good weird" is probably the most accurate way of describing Park Chan-wook’s Stoker. The film is written and co-produced by Mariah Carey video-boy and 'Prison Break' star Wentworth Miller, who strangely dropped off the radar after the show ended, with the exception of a role in Resident Evil: Afterlife that’s better off not discussing. 

The screenplay for Stoker ended up on the 2010 “Black List”, an annual aggregated detailing of the best unproduced scripts making their way around Hollywood. Luckily for us the film ended up being produced, and has in turn become the disturbing, messed up family drama Miller is sure to have originally hoped it would be.

Stoker stars Mia Wasikowska as India Stoker, a strangely quiet girl by nature who’s mourning the death of her father, Richard (Dermot Mulroney). Often pushed aside by peers and neglected by her own mother, Evelyn (a perfectly cast Nicole Kidman), the wealthy family and their estate gets a shake up when brother to the recently deceased, Charlie (Matthew Goode) shows up. A man India didn't even know existed. In between Evelyn’s obvious attraction to Charlie and India's descent into isolation , Charlie becomes the epicentre of a number of seemingly unrelated disappearances by those close to the family – some of which who know much darker things about the harmless and charismatic "cool uncle" façade Charlie puts on for those around him.

Although set in the present day the film has a timeless appeal. Chan-wook’s choice of mise-en-scene and framing are delightfully odd yet visually appealing, while Stoker’s dramatic and eerie tendencies are very reminiscent of M Night Shyamalan's The Village.  His direction also makes you see directly into the minds of our mentally “not-all-there” screen leads, all of which perform tremendously throughout the film. Yes, Stoker can be slightly confusing in parts, but what it lacks in linearity it makes up for in sheer shock value and savagery. 

It's really great to see solid and original American films can still be made.

B+

American Horror Story: Asylum

American Horror Story wrapped up for another year last week, leaving a satisfying end to a bloody, twisted and psychopathic story. AHS, created by Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck & Glee) was an entire departure from the first season. Opting to take various actors from the 2011 edition including Lily Rabe, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson and Jessica Lange, the show was moved from its contemporary sunny suburban setting into the cold, sinister and clinical surroundings of a mental asylum in the 1960s.

The show centred on the staff and inmates of the fictional Briarcliff Asylum for the criminally insane. Most notably the power-mad HBIC, Sister Jude & seemingly meek Sister Mary Eunice (Lange and Rabe), the Monsignor, Timothy Howard (Joseph Fiennes) Dr. Oliver Thredson (Zachary Qunito) and the wrongly imprisoned Lana Winters (Paulson), Grace Bertrand (Lizzie Brochere) and Kit Walker (Peters), the latter of which is strongly believed to have murdered his wife in a blind rage. 

Yes, most of the inmates that you see are obviously seriously disturbed, such as a homicidal Santa, a woman claiming to be Anne Frank, as well as a chronic masturbator that quite literally creeps up every now and then, but what seemed to be more disturbing were those that were running the place...I'll try not to ruin it for those who haven't seen the show through to the end yet but as you can probably guess, the inmates are barely half of the real issue.

Evan Peters as Kit Evans

Looking deeper into the characters as the series progressed only saw things going from slightly freakish to demonic, not to mention chronically messed up. The show had it all, from possession and exorcisms, excruciatingly violent deaths and eerily calm serial killers. What’s not to love?

Both Asylum, and the first season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series shared the same issue; powerful and enigmatic episodes early on in the season that later felt discombobulated and lost a lot of steam as they reached their conclusion. I’m not saying that the show was in any way mediocre, but I am pointing out that some plot points carried out towards the end felt out of place with the original story, almost like it was made up as Murphy and co. went along.

While the show still makes me wonder how someone who created Glee could reach inside their soul and pull out some of the most depraved and shocking stories seen on TV today, there’s no denying that this 13 part series was something I fail to find very often in American culture.

Something that’s genuinely scary.

A-

Best Films of 2012

Once again, the following list should really be dubbed the best films I’ve seen in 2012, or better yet – “favourite” films of 2012, as there are a number of which I haven’t been able to get my hands on, or that haven’t been released over here in the UK. I feel that Lincoln, Django Unchained and Beasts of the Southern Wild would have all found a place on the list, but oh well, gotta make do with what we have. So here goes:

10. This is 40

Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel, Megan Fox, Chris O’Dowd, John Lithgow

This is hilarious. Ignore the reviews and go and see it for yourself. The "sort-of" sequel to Judd Apatow's Knocked Up follows the marriage of two of it's previous supporting characters, Pete (Rudd) and Debbie (Mann) and their children, Sadie and Charlotte (Maude and Iris Apatow - as in Judd's offspring). Detailing the hardships of marriage as well as turning 40, I found this to be one of Apatow's most enjoyable films yet.

9. The Master

Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jessie Plemons, Ambyr Childers, Rami Malek

Although the film didn't live up to my expectations, The Master is still really strong film. Beautifully shot and amazingly acted, the film is a healthy contender for the on-going award season. Phoenix stars as a wayward WWII vet that finds guidance in the creepy and charismatic author Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman) that deeply mirrors the controversial religion Scientology. Full review here.

8. The Cabin in the Woods

Chris Hemsworth, Fran Kranz, Kristen Connolly, Jessie Williams, Amy Acker

Another title which I wasn't originally crazy about, but after a second viewing I realised it is in fact a horrific yet intentionally fun and hilarious horror film. Helmed by Joss Whedon creator of TV's 'Firefly' and 'Dollhouse', as well as the 'Buffy' and 'Angel' franchises and Drew Goddard, ('Lost' & Cloverfield) Cabin follows a group of teenagers heading off into the woods for a SUPER-FUN Spring Break. Naturally as teenagers do, they get hacked off one by one. Un-naturally, there is a whole other force at work which is sure to shock and surprise everyone. Full review here.

7. 21 Jump Street

Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Dave Franco, Ice Cube, Brie Larson

A remake/adaptation that is this good gives me hope for Hollywood cinema. Written by Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) 21 Jump Street sees rookie cops Morton and Greg (Hill and Tatum) go undercover to tackle a high school drug ring. Unlike most things with Jonah Hill in, hilarity actually ensues.

6. End of Watch

Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, America Ferrera

Probably the most unseen or unknown film on the list is also another cop title. End of Watch sees Gyllenhaal and Pena star as Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, two Californian cops who decide to secretly film their goings-on while out on the job in South L.A. Cue copious shoot outs, overtly obvious racism and a budding yet not-soppy love story between Taylor and sweetheart Janet (Kendrick). The film is harsh and unapologetic in it's content but still finds the time to be heart-warming in it's tone.

5.  Brave

Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters

Disney and Pixar's latest effort is one of it's greatest and underrated achievements. Merida (Macdonald) is a Scottish princess, who is much more focused on archery and forging her own destiny than crowns and ruling a country. Under the thumb by her loving but controlling mother (Thompson), who fails to ever see eye-to-eye with her daughter, Merida finds a spell to "change her mother" to make her accept her own choices. Of course, this wouldn't be a Disney film, or any film ever made, if something didn't go drastically wrong. While being a largely magical and fantasy based film, Brave is also an honest depiction of the complicated issues between mother and daughter without rubbing the subtext in our faces.

4. Looper

Joseph Gordon Levitt, Bruce Willis, Paul Dano, Piper Perabo, Emily Blunt

I was blown away by this. "It'll never live up the hype" I said about this, as well as the final 3 entries on my list. I've never been so happy to be wrong, as Looper is a crowning moment for Sci-Fi cinema. Set in a future dystopia (obviously) where time travel is possible, Joe (Levitt) is one of many "Loopers" - someone who kills people sent back in time by their corrupt bosses after they've fulfilled their time and duties for them. However, after recognising his future self (Willis) and failing to assassinate him, Joe goes on the hunt for his older-self and on the run from his mob-employers, as failing to eliminate those sent back ends in death for the Looper. Those that have seen the trailer and not the film, should give this one a go especially, as it is one of the only titles in recent memory that has a whole narrative that is carefully left out of pretty much all promotional content. Prepare to be awed. 

3. The Avengers

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson

The second film on the list to be headed by creative geek/mastermind Joss Whedon. It's been a great year for him. This. Is. So. Good. (Full review here.)

2. Skyfall

Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe

'This is the end' Adele coos over the gripping title sequence to the latest instalment to the Bond franchise. Directed by the ever amazing Sam Mendes, (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road) Skyfall's themes are mainly to do with conclusions and new beginnings. Focusing heavily on the past of Bond's senior, M (Dench), MI6 find themselves confronted by Raoul Silva (the fantastic Bardem), a former agent who wants revenge on M for betraying him. It's the most ambitious Bond title so date, and arguably the greatest.

1. The Dark Knight Rises

Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Marion Cotillard. 

"No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough", says Roger Ebert.

The marriage between mighty fine action sequences and a compelling plot have never been so perfect for each other as they are for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. Where do I even begin with this? The cast is stellar, with not a poor performance in sight, from Tom Hardy as the unstoppable Bane to the sleek and powerful Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. The city's dark 'Occupy Gotham' setting and rise of our hero himself are mesmerising. The 165 minutes practically fly by. (Full review here)

Best Albums of 2012

Much later than everyone else I've decided to finally detail the list of the best albums released in 2012. Or more accurately, the best albums of 2012 that I actually got round to listening to. 'Best' is a pretty tricky word, as what can be called the 'best' often comes down to taste and personal preference. So anyway, here are the best (my favourite) albums (and EPs that I heard) from 2012.


10. The Heist - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
'Who?' you ask yourself.
While the words "white" and "rapper" next to each other are a huge turn-off for a lot of people, one by the name of Washington-born Macklemore (born Ben Haggerty) partnered up with producer Ryan Lewis to build a fun and original rap album. What makes this album great is the fact that Macklemore doesn't try to be anyone else; not Jay-Z, not Eminem but purely himself. No imitations or stupid accents. Just good rap music.

      Key Tracks: Thrift Shop, Jimmy Iovine

9.  Reign of Terror - Sleigh Bells
American duo Sleigh Bells also released their second album this year, which featured thumping synths, electric guitars and even a contemporary power ballad. Together Alexis and Derek show a rare example of how bigger can sometimes actually be better.
Key Tracks: End of the Line, Demons

8. Brandy - Two Eleven
'Ohhhhhh (never-er) heyyyyyy' 
Brandy brings back the late 90s and early 00s without making her newest LP dated or irrelevant. Not even a Chris Brown assisted track can bring this album down. Two Eleven is Brandy's first release since 'Human' in 2008, an album she herself didn't even like. But Brandy is back once again on top form, deciding to forgo the blaring Pop/Dance trend to make a coherent and strong offering. Well done Brandy.
Key Tracks: Wildest Dreams, Slower, Put It Down 

7. Armor On - Dawn Richard

One of the year’s best albums is actually an EP…with as many tracks as an album has. Ex-Diddy -Dirty Money and Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard independently released the piece 'Armor On', as an opener to a proposed trilogy of albums kicking off with GoldenHeart in January. Richard is an innovator, who marries her distinctively incredible voice with the sounds of producer Druski. Every track coincides with one another, working perfectly as a strange and out-there concept piece. (Full review here)

6. Melanie Fiona - The MF Life

Melanie Fiona brought R&B back earlier this year, with an array of guests on her latest, 'The MF Life'. J. Cole, Nas, B.O.B and John Legend all assist Fiona as she put love and relationships at the forefront of the album, detailing the good, the bad, and the ugly throughout. Full review here

5. Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
I'm not gonna pretend that I've always liked and known Frank Ocean, because I haven't. In fact, I pretty much ignored most of his work, thinking he was just another over-hyped, here today/gone tomorrow internet fad. What a fool I was, as Ocean can siiiiing. 'Channel Orange' is a strong album, with Frank getting to work straight away in his falsetto on 'Thinking About You' and keeping our attention in a chokehold for the duration of the album.
Key Tracks: Lost, Pink Matter


4. Perfectly Imperfect - Elle Varner
I don't think I've ever heard Country strings and an 808 sound so good togethe..if it all, ever. Varner, who co-wrote every song on the album, worked with an intimate group of producers including Oak & Pop to produce 11 track wonderment. One of the best debuts of the last few years for definite.
Key Tracks: Refill, I Don't Care, Not Tonight

3. Born to Die - Lana Del Rey

Technically released twice this year, Lana Del Rey’s first huge release saw the starlet attract a huge amount of controversy on account of her alleged manufactured past. Nevertheless the disc released in January was undeniably great. (You can read reviews for both editions of the album here and here).

2. Music 4 TNGRS - Chester French

Ex-Harvard attendees Max Drummey and D.A Wallach released one of the freshest, multi-genre albums this year, that went disturbingly under the radar. Wallach’s voice is beautifully throaty, while the lyrical content and production infused big band style brass instruments, soothing strings and banging synths. You can read a full review of the album here.

1. Kaleidoscope Dream - Miguel

Miguel, still largely unknown in the UK, seemed to burst out of nowhere for his second LP 'Kaleidoscope Dream'. Similarly to Dawn Richard, Miguel's voice sits strongly over the distorted R&B sounds of the album, which takes prevalence over the production. The album opens with one of it's strongest tracks 'Adorn', a 'Sexual Feeling' for the 21st Century. To be honest, it's all continuously up from there, as KD fails to display a weak spot in its 54 minute runtime.

Key Tracks: Adorn, Don't Look Back, Arch & Point