Barbadian pop sensation Rihanna
2012 has been a brilliant year for those who love music, with the release of a wide selection of fist-pumping albums to get you more than a little excited. We’ve decided to give you a run-down of five albums we believe have stepped up to the plate this year, including some records that probably should have been shown a little more love.
Adam Lambert – Trespassing (Released July 9th)
American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert shows with his sophomore album that he is something much greater than ‘just the guy who nearly clinched the win’. Pop fans rejoice, because Adam does something brilliant with this album that not many before him have managed to do. Blending a whole host of genres together without straying too far from his usual sound, the entirety of the album remains fresh throughout. Peaking at number 16 on the UK album chart, he proved he’s a force to be reckoned with, but with the high quality of songs throughout the album, we can’t help but feel like he really should have done better.
Aiden Grimshaw – Misty Eye (Released August 17th)
With his debut album, Aiden manages to greatly impress with a whole range of tracks designed to put you at ease, including a mesmerising cover of Sia’s ‘Breathe Me’. His unique tone proves to be more than worthy, without any need for auto tune – truly a gift in today’s age. Raw vocals are on display which is a huge risk for any artist, but one that pays off extremely well here. Hopefully, this is just the start of more great things to come from the young soul singer. A duet with Adele would be fantastic.
Christina Aguilera – Lotus (Released November 13th)
Unfortunately, it seems that the woman who many call ‘The Voice of our generation’ has managed to cast out a large proportion of her fan base with previous marmite album Bionic back in 2010, so Lotus isn’t faring too well when it comes to the charts. However, a few listens of this feel-good, self-empowering album, and you’ll soon be rocking out to tracks such as Circles, telling those who oppose you to sit on your middle finger and spin. Vulgar? At times, but Christina is back and seems ready to change the opinions of previous critics. We just hope it isn’t too late.
Rihanna – Unapologetic (Released November 19th)
With her seventh studio album in as many years, Rihanna doesn’t look ready to stop ripping up the charts anytime soon. It seems the none-stop work schedule has paid off, as Unapologetic has managed to take the number one spot on America’s Billboard Chart, giving Rihanna her first stateside chart-topping album. Living up to its title, Unapologetic seems to give a little insight into the singer’s hectic life and on-off, very public relationship with Chris Brown. Crooning that it’s ‘Nobody’s Business’ and asking the question what’s ‘Love Without Tragedy’, it’s hard not to empathise with Rih.
Little Mix – DNA (Released November 19th)
X Factor-grown girl group Little Mix may have taken almost a year to release their debut album after becoming the first group ever to take the X Factor crown, but it was absolutely worth the wait. After many being sceptical about whether or not the girls have the longevity factor after winning the show, the four-strong people’s champions have proved they deserve their place in the world of pop music. A definite must-listen for anyone who’s looking for the next big thing.
FemaleFirst Daniel Falconer