2013 in a Flash: The WHIP Music Team’s Favorite Albums of the Year

Some of the WHIP Music Team decided to take a look at 2013 and reflect on their favorite albums of the year and write up reviews on them!

Without Further ado…

Drake – “Nothing Was the Same”

• Cierra Williams: The best album of the year was definitely Drake with Nothing Was The Same. It features a wide range of Drake that everyone loves. Although it lacks some of the classic style ballads that were found on Take Care, it provides a raw and honest truth. It shows that with success comes triumph and victory as well as moments of self doubt. The best song on the album has to be Come Thru. It has a deep bass and still retains the old school sound found throughout the album.
• Kevin Schoenfeld: My favorite album of 2013 is Drake’s “Nothing Was The Same.” This record is one of the few that I could thoroughly enjoy listening the entire way through. Drake did really well producing new age hip-hop by combining catchy rhythms/rhymes with intense bass and sweet beats. Each song has its own unique sound and vibe to it, which is what makes NTWS such an enjoyable listen. My favorite tracks off the album have to be Furthest Thing, Own It, Hold On Were Going Home, Pound Cake (feat. Jay Z), Come Thru, and The Motion. Overall the album was very well produced. Can’t wait to see what Drake comes out with next!

Daft Punk – “Random Access Memories”

• Blake Jarvis: Objects we refer to as “retro” have always carried a sort of stigma based on their execution; sometimes viewed as heralding a previous generation, sometimes seen as a mocking. The latter is clearly not the case on Daft Punk’s first full length LP since 2005. Infusing elements of 70’s Studio 54 disco, 80’s soft rock/pop, and today’s modern luxuries in studio recording, Random Access Memories is an homage to the days of yesteryear when bell bottoms and light-up dance floors were in. Bright, plucky guitars, warm, sprawling bass lines, and the best sounding drums you’ll hear on a record this year act as the ingredients for a recipe of undeniably infectious tunes made for a summer drive during the sunset. This record alone reminded us that in the age of auto-tune and musical perfection, maybe it’s time we give a little life back to music.

Lorde – “Pure Heroine”

• Julie Ozlek:Lorde’s album Pure Heroine (produced by Joel Little) is helping in the revolution of pop music today.  The album possess beats similar to those of The xx as well as Massive Attack.  The 17 year-old New-Zealander,Ella Yelich-O’Connor (Lorde), has a unique voice and unusual style whose catchy songs poke fun at modern pop music, teenagers and growing up, and how we waste time doing nothing, and continually dream.

  1.     Tennis Court – Personally, I think this is one of the best songs of the album and great as the album opener. It gives you a taste of Lorde’s style and sums up a great deal of what she has to offer.  She suggests in this song with her opening phrase, “Don’t you think that it’s boring how people talk? Making smart with their words again, well I’m bored.” This suggests that she’s tired of gossip and implies that actions speak louder than words.  These first few words also display one of the larger themes of the album, attacking adolescence and shallowness.

  2.     400 Lux – This song is believed to be about her current boyfriend, James K. Lowe.  This song basically talks about having nothing to do and wasting time.  She also talks about even though she and her boyfriend have nothing new to talk about, they are comfortable with each other and can ramble about anything and everything with each other.

  3.   Royals – This #1 single jabs at the unrealistic expectations of teenagers as an outcome of their depiction in the media.  Through this, she makes fun of artists whose songs consist of being wealthy, expensive cars, clothes, and alcohol.   Like typical teenagers, Lorde and her friends aren’t very wealthy, and she suggests that even though they may not have as much money to go around, they live happier and more fulfilling lives than those presented on television shows.

  4.    Ribs – This is my least favorite song on this album. The beat isn’t as catchy as some of her other songs and I feel like I’m in a trance while listening to it.  This song focuses on dreaming, the scariness of growing up, and nostalgia.

  5.    Buzzcut Season – This is one of my all time favorite songs that Lorde has released, probably due to likely someone who always keeps his hair in a buzz cut.  The beat of this song is really similar to many of The xx’s songs.  Lorde alludes to the severity of reality, how she won’t be with her best friends, and referencing to detachment, which is common among teenagers.

  6.     Team – This is the second most favorite song of the album among many listeners.  The chorus is extremely catchy and all I want to do is sing along every time I hear it.  Lorde discusses how the city in which she grew up isn’t the type that is ever on television and responds to how she’s tired of “throwing her hands up” like how many modern pop songs have lyrics that consist of letting go and throwing your hands up in the air at parties and clubs.

  7.     Glory and Gore – To me, this song sounds like a mixture of all of her songs in one, and it’s tiring and boring.  I like the message she depicts in this song, though.  She talks about how people love hearing about others’ self-destruction and how closely people watch famous people and focus on their lives.

  8.     Still Sane – I happen to really like this song. Most of Lorde’s songs contradict themselves and this one is a perfect example of that.  Lorde suggests that teenagers often contradict themselves because they’re still forming their identities.  She also feels that media is portraying herself differently than how she is trying to show herself – they show her more positive than negative.  Lorde, though, promises to continue to be herself and won’t let the media stop her from being true to herself and her fans.

  9.    White Teeth Teens – Although I admire Lorde and her music, I’m glad the album finally ends with this song that sounds so similar to some of her past songs. However, her lyrics are interesting and true, especially in this song. It focuses on teenage cliques and the shallowness they embrace.