Albums of the Year!

In a year where Lil' Wayne sold over 1 million copies in a week and great artists like Nas, N.E.R.D., Christina Aguilera, Danity Kane, Jesse McCartney, Lloyd, Michelle Williams, Nelly, Ashanti, Nickelback, Pink, James Blunt, Natasha Bedingfield, Pussycat Dolls, J. Holiday, Colby O'Donis, Soulja Boy, One Republic, Maroon 5, Robin Thicke, Panic at the Disco, Ludacris, Brandy, Matchbox Twenty, Jennifer Hudson, Solange and Usher all failed to sell that much in a year is crazy. Billboard Magazine just called the compact disk DEAD! CD sales are down 23% from 2000 and they are expected to go down more every year.

Here is my list of my favorite CD's of the year:

1. Robyn-Robyn

2. John Legend- Evolver

3. Alicia Keys- As I Am

4. Nas- Untitled

5. Raphael Saadiq- The Way I See It

6. Coldplay- Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

7. Janelle Monae- Metropolis Suite I

8. Jason Mraz- We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things

9. Estelle- Shine

10. Miranda Lambert- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

11. Kanye West- 808s and Heartbreak

12. Ne-Yo- The Year of the Gentlemen

13. Kings of Le0n- Only By The Night

14. Beyonce- I Am...Sasha Fierce

15. Al Green- Lay It Down

16. Santogold-Santogold

17. TV on the Radio- Dear Science

18. M.I.A.- Kala

19. MGMT-Oracular Spectacular

20. Erykah Badu- New Amerykah: Part 1 (4th World War)

21. Common- Universal Mind Control/Q-Tip- The Renaissance

22. Calle 13- Los De Atras Vienen Conmigo

23. Zac Brown Band- The Foundation

24. Jazmine Sullivan- Fearless

25. Lil' Wayne- The Carter III/Radiohead In Rainbows

Not so great year:

1. 50 Cent (album pushed back twice!)

2. Solange (snubbed by the Grammy's)

3. N.E.R.D. (208,000 albums sold)

4. Eve (album pushed back 2 times)

5. Robin Thicke (140,00 albums sold)

6. Guns N' Roses (ouch!)

7. Amerie (album pused back 3 times)

8. Mya (album released in Japan)

9. Solo Efforts: Michelle Williams & Will.i.Am (album flops)

10. Danity Kane (2 members gone)

11.Lady Sovereign and Lil' Mama (dropped from her labels)

12. Christina Aguilera (greatest hits has sold 220,000)

13. Diva Letdowns: Janet Jackson & Mariah Carey (backlash?)

14. Pussycat Dolls a.k.a. Nicole Scherzinger (commercial dud)

15. Duffy/Adele/Amy Winehouse/Lily Allen (1 hit wonders)

Best New Artists:

1. Janelle Monae

2. Estelle/MGMT

3. Keri Hilson/Sam Sparrow

4. Leona Lewis/Jennifer Hudson

5. Jazmine Sullivan/Lady Gaga


BIG in '09:

1. Jay-Z

2. Sasha Fierce

3. Rihanna

4. Timbaland

5. Keri Hilson

In My Opinion

Top Fifteen Singles of the Year:
1.John Legend Featuring John Mayer- I Love, You Love
2.Robyn-Eclipse
3.Miranda Lambert- Gunpowder & Lead
4. Alicia Keys- Tell You Something (Nana's Reprise)
5.Raphael Saadiq Featuring Jay-Z- Oh Girl
6.Nas Featuring Keri Hilson- Hero
7.Estelle Featuring Kanye West- American Boy
8.Jason Mraz Featuring Colbie Caillat- Lucky
9. Gnarls Barkely- Who's Gonna Save My Soul
10.Kanye West Featuring Mr. Hudson- Paranoid
11.Janelle Monae- Many Moons
12.Jay-Z- Jockin' Jay Z
13.M.I.A. - Paper Planes
14.Ne-Yo- Closer
15.Justin Nozuka- After Tonight

10 Worst Singles of the Year:
1. Lil' Wayne-Lollipop
2. Briney Spears- [insert any single]
3. Pussycat Dolls- When I Grow Up
4. Mariah Carey- Touch My Body
5. Madonna & Justin Timberlake- 4 Minutes
6. T.I. Featuring Rihanna- Live Your Life
7. David Cook- Light On
8. Usher- Love In The Club
9. Danity Kane Featuring Missy Elliott- Bad Girl
10. Tokio Hotel [insert any single]

Keeping It Real

This post goes out to two amazing artists that came out with two amazing songs (both at different years) but have kept on going through the years.

First I want to highlight Jill Scott with a track off her first album "Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds Vol. 1" titled "He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat)". This song is R&B at its best, I can honestly say that there is no other R&B song that moves me more than this song followed by Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor". Take a listen for yourself!

Jill Scott: Who Is Jill Scott: Words And Sounds Vol. 1

The second highlight goes to Raphael Saadiq and his new album titled "The Way I See It". The entire album is extremely innovative and fresh...it is what I think Solange Knowles attempted to do, but Raphael executed it with class and sass. The key track on this album is "Keep Marching (Clown With No Makeup)". I must admit that I was drawn to this track after a colleague mentioned that some people were acting like clowns with no makeup, so I decided to take a listen, purchased the album on iTunes and I have been playing this CD on heavy rotation since that day.

Raphael Saadiq "The Way I See It"