Welcome to this blog. If you are reading it, you are probably searching for your next favourite music album because I have picked each of these albums as they have popular songs, and chances are you have listened to them on the radio or the internet, or it is your favourite song. Make sure to listen to the album that interests you, and then decide if you like it or not. Here is my list.
1. 1989 by Taylor Swift (2014)
1989, the Grammy winner of the AOTY (Album of the Year) in 2016 is pop perfection. It is Taylor Swift’s first album in the pop genre. Before this album, she was a country singer (with albums like Fearless and Red). The country genre is male-dominated, but she created her mark and that too as a teenager. The singer has taken inspiration from 80s music, and the title is a nod to her birth year. It was also my introduction to the pop genre, which I used to think wasn’t a very good genre. But I was wrong. The album starts with “Welcome to New York”, and you will instantly feel like getting up and dancing to its tunes. The second track, “Blank Space”, also makes you want to dance, but the dark and satirical lyrics tell us how versatile she is as an artist. My favourite is track 3, “Style”. (I am a Taylor Swift Fan, so I will select a love song. I can never get sick of love songs, thanks to her). The beauty of this track is in its lyrics and music, which is like a palindrome. The 4th track, “Out of the Woods” has the best bridge. Once you have listened to it enough times, you will start singing to it. Songs like “Shake it Off”, “Wildest Dreams”, and “Bad Blood” are still fan favourites. So, if you have not listened to it. You should give it a try.
2. Revival by Selena Gomez (2015)
Revival is the second studio album of Selena Gomez. For a few years, she was with a band, so many of her albums were with them.
She is a global star, so you must have heard her name, maybe in a Disney show about wizards, a movie, a show which involves murder or because of her makeup brand. She is also a singer, and her album “Revival” is one of her best works. The songs in this album are about her life. The songs will be on your mind for some time, that is for sure. I still find myself singing “Kill ’em With Kindness”, and “Same Old Love” and going back and watching the Music Video for “Hands to Myself”. As the title suggests, in this record, she revamps herself and has a more mature persona than in her previous studio albums. With different themes in each song, she has still accomplished creating a sonically cohesive album.
3. Thank You, Next by Ariana Grande(2019)
Ariana Grande is a marvellous singer. Her speaking voice is also melodious. Her voice, high notes, whistle notes, and her iconic “Yuh”. With “Thank You, Next”, she created an upbeat record to dance to. She says that her days of crying are over, and we will meet a new “Ari”, and we do. The lyrics are also raw, vulnerable and honest. I am pretty sure that you must have heard of “7 Rings” because it is still used widely on social media. But there is much more than the album offers. You start with the first track, and you won’t be able to stop listening until you have reached the last song and then also you will want to hear it again and again. She uses many interesting and unique metaphors, and a few of my favourites are using NASA, to tell that she needs space. Or “Breakup with your Girlfriend”, which is not as straightforward because she is telling it to her Boyfriend as she is not happy in the relationship. It is definitely worth your time, and you shouldn’t miss it. Especially, if you like upbeat songs and her mindblowing voice.
It is worth the mention that with this album, She broke records with the titular song and also won the “Billboard Woman of the Year”.
4. Fine Line by Harry Styles (2019)
“Fine Line” is the type of album which wasn’t my favourite. Sure, it has tracks like “Golden”, “Adore You”, and “Watermelon Sugar” but on the first listen, I thought it was not that good that I would listen to it repeatedly. However, I have included it in this list, so I listened to it quite a lot, and it is a fantastic album. More than the lyrics, the melodies have captured me. Which is quite interesting because I focus more on lyrics. The album has all kinds of emotions, it has beautiful songs like “Treat People with Kindness” and other songs like “Sunflower”, and “Cherry”. It is an unconventional album, and his latest album “Harry’s House” is better but you can give this one a go. As it will make you appreciate the entire body of work created by Harry Styles if you are a fan. And even if you aren’t maybe you will become one.
5. Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa(2020)
Future Nostalgia is the album where Dua Lipa is giving off vibes of “I have arrived” and “I am going to dominate the music industry”. From the title tracks to popular tracks like “Don’t Start Now”, “Break My Heart”, and “Levitating”.Unfortunately, this album was leaked, so she had to release the album before the planned date, but she managed to captivate listeners. The deluxe edition called “Moonlight edition” has got some great songs. It has many collaborations like “Prisoner” with Miley Cyrus and “Fever” which is my favourite from the deluxe version. The songs, as the name of the album suggests, invoke nostalgia from 80s rock and pop but, at the same time, the album is fresh with new pop dance tunes. Many artists use this trick, and it works every time because as human beings we all derive happiness from nostalgia. It is also a tremendous marketing move because “nostalgia sells”. Having written that, there is no doubt that the album showcases her growth and hard work as an artist. It is an album to dance to and workout to as well. There are no skips in this one. The album is cohesive, but each song stands out. If it weren’t for Taylor Swift’s Folklore. This was an album of the year at the 2021 Grammys. It was also very aligned with her previous album, at the same time, she has taken risks with the music. Overall, she has done a great job, and Future Nostalgia is worth the listen.
6. Camilla by Camilla Cabello (2018)
I am sure that you must have listened to “Havana” and liked it. The song is from the album Camilla by the artist “Camilla Cabello”, who is famous for another song called “Senorita”, with her ex Shawn Mendes. It is a classic pop album from which she has drawn inspiration from her Latin roots. I have a strong instinct when it comes to knowing if the artist has written songs on their own, and here I know she has written the songs. Even though, I wasn’t up to date with what the media was writing about her. Her songs tell her story and convey her emotions. The album is refreshing. It has got dance and breakup, and lively tracks. My favourite songs are all of them, but if I had to pick “She loves control”, “Never be the Same” and “Into It”. It is a great album if you want to listen to a classic pop album but with modern beats blended with her Latin roots.
7. Teenage Dream by Katy Perry (2012)
Teenage Dream is a party album. All its song make you feel alive and you want to dance to their rhythm(see what I did there). Songs like the title song, “Firework”, “Wide Awake”, and “E.T.” are love at first listen. And some of them are pretty motivational, a theme common in all her albums. I think that is a remarkable thing to continue because pop music reaches, a wide audience and sending a message through your music creates a connection and adds more meaning and depth to it. The album is optimistic, and with any type of music, that is always a good thing. Especially, if you have listened to too much of “Folklore”, “Evermore”, and “Red”, and are in a sad girl phase like me. This one lightens the mood and keeps you in high spirits.
8. Midnight Memories by One Direction (2013)
Even if you don’t listen to One Direction, I am pretty sure that you must have come across a song from “Midnight Memories”. The third album by the boy band has fan favourites like “Best Song Ever”, “Story of My Life”, “You and I”, and the title song. But that’s just the popular ones. The other songs are equally good. It is probably their best album, but my favourite is “Made in the AM”. It has got pop rock, and folk tunes, so it has a little bit for everyone. The boy band released albums one after the other and was also on tour. They must have been very busy. And the claims that have circulated since their hiatus about them being exploited seem true. Especially, after the 2022 Music Video for “Music for a Sushi Restaurant”, which is from Harry Styles’ third solo album. Irrespective, “Midnight Memories” is a great album, and I am pretty sure you will like listening to it.
9. ÷ by Ed Sheeran
It was 2017, I finished 12th grade, and all my cousins are also free due to summer vacation, and all we did was sing and shout “Shape of You” at top of our lungs, and so did the rest of the world. Following the worldwide success of this album, so many artists have used the lyric “shape of you” in their songs like Taylor Swift, Doja Cat and many others. It has a song called “Perfect” which is played a lot at Indian Weddings, and I am sure it is played in other countries too. The album is sonically cohesive with beautiful lyrics and Music Videos. Also, did you notice he looks like Rupert Grint(Ron Weasely from Harry Potter.)? It uses nostalgia to woo us in, and like me, it will make you want to listen to it in one go.
10. Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves (2018)
Golden Hour is the Grammy winner of Album of the Year. I didn’t know about Kacey Musgraves before she won a grammy but I am glad I came to know about her. She writes soulful lyrics. This album is for people who want to go to a beach, sit in a garden, forget everything and listen to classic music. The lyrics are beautiful and soulful. The second half is better than the first half, and this is the kind of album that grows on you. My favourites are “Butterflies”, “Love is Wild Thing”, and “Space Cowboy”. She is a country singer, but this album also has a mixture of pop and country. and Taylor Swift fans will like her as she has a similar country and pop theme with lyrics as the real gem. So go give it a listen.
11. Planet Her by Doja Cat (2021)
Planet Her is a controversial pick for this list especially since I am not big on explicit lyrics. But I found myself going back to the album. My favourites are “Woman”, “Get Into It(Yuh)”, and”Need to Know”. It’s chaotic, confident, and sassy, and Doja Cat’s voice is the cherry on top. She is a great rapper, but it would be great to hear an all-pop album because her voice is mesmerizing, and even when she speaks she sounds soulful and effortless. I don’t even understand the lyrics, and I have read them but the beats, will make you dance and feel like you are in a concert.
Just to be transparent, this is not a ranking. These are all wonderful albums
I am sure there are many other albums that you think are classics, but I didn’t include them. This wasn’t the easiest list to create. There are many other albums I wanted to include in this list. Practically, each album of Taylor Swift.
Let me know in the comments section the albums that are classics and that I didn’t include. I love listening to new music, and I will listen to each album that you are going to mention in the comments. Even if it takes an entire year. I will find time for listening to good music and reading lyrics.
Please let me know your feedback.
And thank you for reading and giving your time.
Apoorva Jindal 
Great recommendations
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Badia
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Thank you
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Good
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