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PopGAF |OT4| asdfjkl;asdfjkl;
- Thread starter Aguila
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Majmun
Member
Supermanisdead
Member
Yes, Second. Drag them with flawless gifs. Final nail in Xtincta's coffin.
Only Queen Bey could inspire such wonderful gifs tbh
I haven't listened to the radio much at all lately so it hasn't gotten annoying.
Yet.
I haven't listened to the radio much at all lately so it hasn't gotten annoying.
Yet.
Crumpet Trumpet
Banned
not the blood asdfjk;asdfjkl;
Soulscribe
Member
50 – DEMON DAYS, Gorillaz (2005)
This concept-driven masterpiece was not only genre-defying, but served as one of the biggest catalysts to the consolidation of pop music genres. A perfect fusion of hip-hop funk and well-tempered alternative-rock, Demon Days is a testament to the power of conceptually-driven albums that don’t come at the expense of the individual songs. Each track on Demon Days stands on its own, and the spontaneously transforming “Feel Good, Inc.” is a perfect representation of the genre-fusion that defined the turn of the new century. The Gorillaz may not have been the pioneers of trip-hop or alternative hip-hop, but it was the launch of Demon Days that served as the quintessential rite of passage for this new hybrid sound.
Brightest moments: Feel Good, Inc., Dirty Harry
49 – COME AWAY WITH ME, Norah Jones (2002)
The soothing tenderness that permeates through Come Away With Me is absolutely unmatched anywhere else in this past decade. Norah Jones beautifully juggles gorgeously engaging hooks with timeless lyricism and melodies. Not only a gifted vocalist, but Norah Jones is a master of intonation, and the powerful stories she tells in “Don’t Know Why” and “Seven Years” are as engaging as they are heart-tuggingly vulnerable. Come Away With Me showed the world that mainstream listeners were always willing to pivot their attention toward smart lyricism and tender musical moments, and modern acts like Adele owe a great sum of their appeal to a trend that was popularized by her spiritual predecessor.
Brightest moments: Come Away With Me, Don’t Know Why
48 – IT WON’T BE SOON BEFORE LONG, Maroon 5 (2007)
Coming off the rousing success of Songs About Jane, Maroon 5 charges back with a sophomore effort that established them as the perfect sonic fusion of Prince and Matchbox 20. A sexually-charged romp of an album, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long lacked the unexpected anthems of its predecessor, but made up for it with a more consistent sound, and its individual songs were each a delectable fraction of a bigger picture. “Kiwi” and “Makes Me Wonder” perfectly exemplify Levine’s defined vocal style, and the blend of soft-rock chords with soulful hooks and coos make for a beautiful final product. The success of the album showed that rock and pop could find a happy middle, and that their most vibrant characteristics can complement each other quite nicely.
Brightest moments: Kiwi, Makes Me Wonder
47 – ORACULAR SPECTACULAR, MGMT (2007)
While MGMT is hardly a band I would consider to be pop, what’s the pop genre if not inclusive, no? The mainstream success of “Time To Pretend” make this album a pop outlier, but more importantly, Oracular Spectacular is a spectacular record that juxtaposes some “Diary of a Weird Kid” angst with clever socio-political commentary. It’s an album that can inspire people with its material without being professorial, self-aware or preachy. Rather, it’s an album that’s stupid in all the right ways, and smart in all the right ways too. “Kids” is hilariously muddy in its connotations but that’s part of the cleverness of Oracular. But it’s “Time To Pretend” that takes the heavy thematics/motifs home, with powerful hooks and a cluttered synth delivery that clogs the ears with electronica bliss. It’s not for everyone, but there’s no denying its influence on bands like Foster The People and Passion Pit.
Brightest moments: Time To Pretend, Electric Feel
46 – LUNGS, Florence and the Machine (2009)
Florence and the Machine successfully streamline a faux-baroque pop sound with Lungs, a sound made especially popular the year before with Viva La Vida. The difference here is that Florence takes the style a step further, and the tall and densely-packed production elevates each song into the clouds. The wild chants and airy synths create such euphoric hooks and melodies, and Florence’s hoofy vocals find a comfortable home in this self-created sub-genre. Lungs may not be as consistent as most other albums on this list, but one can’t deny the influence that songs like “The Dog Days Are Over” held in recent years, with a re-emphasis being put on experimental sounds that elevate what we previously defined as pop. If Interscope or RCA are ever unsure of a song’s success on radio, one only must look at the success of Lungs’ big single to see that there is always a demand for the new and the unique.
Brightest moments: The Dog Days Are Over, Cosmic Love
45 – DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE, Beyonce (2003)
Dangerously in Love signaled the paradigm shift in hip-hop that resulted in crowning Beyonce as the genre’s official mascot and king-maker. While the sound in Dangerously in Love was hardly revolutionary (most of the efforts on this album could have easily passed as good Ashanti songs or late Destiny’s Child material), the album itself is representative of how pop stars are made and crowned, and how an album that’s greater than the sum of its parts can elevate the artist at the helm. The shining moments in Dangerously in Love, however, are some of the brightest moments in pop music (ever), and the gorgeously tempered “Baby Boy” stands as one of the sexiest songs ever recorded. But at the end of the day, it’s the album’s biggest smash, “Crazy In Love,” that signaled both the re-introduction of the world’s biggest star and the unmitigated ending of Ashanti’s career. Somewhere in an obscure village near the Himalayas, Ja Rule is still seething.
Brightest moments: Crazy In Love, Baby Boy ft. Sean Paul
44 – ST. ELSEWHERE, Gnarls Barkley (2006)
Gnarls Barkley picked up where The Gorillaz left off, and switch out the electro-alt edge with a funk-soul sound that oozes charm and wit. St. Elsewhere is as diverse as it is downright confusing as a concept; one minute Cee-Lo coos empathetic woes in “Crazy,” and the next minute he throws out the entire playbook for a seemingly unnecessary but equally welcome “Fung Shui.” But it’s the random moments of St. Elsewhere that make it what it is, and the soaring productions (kudos to Danger Mouse) elevate the record to magical heights. Cee-Lo knows how to expertly emote soothing soulfulness, but even more impressive is his ability to pump out charismatic vocal delivery that flows wonderfully with a beat. St. Elsewhere is truly a jack-of-all-trades type of album, but in this case it finds mastery in a variety of styles that make Cee-Lo Green one of the most uniquely talented (and underrated) singers in modern pop/R&B.
Brightest moments: Crazy, Gone Daddy Gone
43 – IN THE ZONE, Britney Spears (2003)
In The Zone is a perfect commentary on how an established name in pop can take her momentum and create something quite profound. Spears follows a proven archetype here that was previously traversed by greats like Michael Jackson and Madonna; collaborations with genre-masters (in this case, Madonna and The Ying-Yang Twins play the part), and a daring command of a burgeoning new pop style (in this case, the introduction of electro-pop). “Toxic” alone signaled one of the biggest shifts in pop music in years, but beyond that, the album itself is a cohesive unit that lives and breathes from start to finish. Spears shows that she truly is up for new dares, and when partnered with the right people, what she can execute could turn out to be really spectacular.
Brightest moments: Toxic, Me Against The Music
42 – LA ROUX, La Roux (2009)
This synth-pop beast is a testament to how every single track can provide something meaningful to the whole. While each song on its own may not serve as that profound from a distance, it’s the blend of slightly varying executions with an amazingly consistent production that makes each song seem co-joined at the hip. With most pop singers, there seems to be a need to reach out to as many different musical styles as possible in one album, and while a jack-of-all-trades approach can serve legendary results, it’s moments like La Roux that show us that you can stick to one general sound and idea, and run with it. “Bulletproof” is one of the most cleverly constructed pop songs in recent time, and its irresistible synth productions can be heard on practically every other song on the album. Very few pop albums can be this confident in its laurels, and La Roux deserves all the attention because of that.
Brightest moments: Bulletproof, Quicksand
41 – IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU, Lily Allen (2009)
The greatness of this gem by Lily Allen is not just the smartly-crafted lyricism, but the insistence on Allen’s part to keep the subject matter down-to-earth, real, and completely relatable. From teen political angst (“Fuck You”
to tender, intelligently executed confessions (“Who’d Have Known” to spot-on commentary about young mistakes and cultural decay (“Everyone’s At It”, It’s Not Me is a brilliant album that stands hand-in-hand with (or toe-to-toe against) the heavy political climate at the time of its release. A great pop album can either provide thankful escapism or force you to face harsh reality, and It’s Not Me executes the latter in spades (and with prolific sarcasm). Brightest moments: The Fear, Who’d Have Known
STAY TUNED FOR ALBUMS 40-31, COMING SOON
Don't be sure about that
What in the heavenly gifs?
'Scribe, sis. You are not allowed to have so much flawlessness in one post. It's so beautiful.
Crumpet Trumpet
Banned
Nice list Soulsis. I fully believe that if Lily Allen had exploded just a tiny bit later than she did, she'd be a worldwide star.
Supermanisdead
Member
Soulscribe *.*
paperheart
Banned
Had to tell everyone here than I finally got around to listening to Avril's cover of Nickelback's song "How You Remind Me" and I'm floored. Avril is coming to snatch some weave in 2013, and I can not wait.
I see no lies.
Supermanisdead
Member
Trying to get that bleach away from CementAss_?
Soulscribe
Member
Oh gosh, thank you for the compliments gals. I'm having so much fun writing it. I'm on track to post the second part later today, so look out for it if you're interested
I'm dying at the Second and botty gifs though. I can't handle them, LMAO
I'm dying at the Second and botty gifs though. I can't handle them, LMAO
Wafflecakes
Member
Eh we will see. My affection for her has run very thin as of late. Her last batch of singles were even more redundant than usual.
Focus on the CDs as a whole. Not just the singles. She doesn't release the best songs as singles...
I have to say this is one of my top 5 gifs. Taylor-sis looks like he's clocking someone FIERCE.
I C U botty
More commitment than your fave
And yeah, great work, soulscribe. *.*
#dead #resurrected #diesagain
I C U botty
More commitment than your fave
And yeah, great work, soulscribe. *.*
what kind of flawless gif?
I C U botty
More commitment than your fave
And yeah, great work, soulscribe. *.*
this isn't over.
Succulently-assembled list thus far, Scribe-sis. I already disagree with the ranking of a few albums (kiii), but then again I haven't really thought of a personal list of top albums beyond a top ten.
Looking forward to the rest.
Looking forward to the rest.
Bitch.I C U botty
More commitment than your fave
Rocket Punch
Member
Holy shiet with those gifs
Wafflecakes
Member
Now they tell me lol. Honestly, I don't think I have ever owned a whole CD from her.
Soulscribe
Member
Personally DYING at the Xtina gifs.
Don't mind me, just call an ambulance.
Don't mind me, just call an ambulance.
Wafflecakes
Member
Loving these gifs. Keep up the good work. I am cackling.
Supermanisdead
Member
Omg this is escalating nicely *.*
I C U botty
More commitment than your fave
And yeah, great work, soulscribe. *.*
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
I'm DONE.
<+)O Robido O(+>
Member
Don't be sure about that
BRING IT
<3
I C U botty
More commitment than your fave
And yeah, great work, soulscribe. *.*
Second, you're the one that made this, right?
I didn't bother nominating albums I knew wouldn't get near the top
a lot like the real Grammys
Between all of you, ya'll nominated 80~ albums
But the top 15 were as clear as day
I didn't bother nominating albums I knew wouldn't get near the top
a lot like the real Grammys
Wafflecakes
Member
Excited to see the list. Thanks for doing this Marius!Between all of you, ya'll nominated 80~ albums/EPs
But the top 15 were as clear as day
Lol same.
Hopefully there are surprises in at least a few categories.
Majmun
Member
You hoe
lol, nope. Started to experiment with 'shopped gifs a few weeks ago tbh. Still a learner.
I actually wanted to experiment with Gaga gifs and drag her, but I went with Xtina thanks to Royalan and botty
lol, nope. Started to experiment with 'shopped gifs a few weeks ago tbh. Still a learner.
I actually wanted to experiment with Gaga gifs and drag her, but I went with Xtina thanks to Royalan and botty
Wafflecakes
Member
Soulscribe
Member
I think the song is the earliest big pop single that pushed this stylized electronica that so many songs today use. It's the blend of sampling a timeless chord progression (which is the biggest hook in the song) with heavy synths, including a synthesized lead vocal... it's a combination we see a LOT now, and I think it's because Toxic was so successful. Though we've come a long way since then (Toxic uses its synths a lot more subtly than songs today do), it feels to me like that was the tipping point.
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