The year 2011 has been a good one for pop music fans, especially those who like more dance-oriented music. With the exception of a few noteworthy non-dance-oriented albums, the great majority of new music to rock my world this year has been of the dance music genre. Artists like Britney Spears, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and David Guetta all released new stuff in 2011 and they all gave us something good too dance to. So without further adieu, I present eight albums that rocked my world in 2011, listed in no particular order:
Femme Fatale – Britney Spears
Who would have thought that someone who’s not so crazy about La Spears would love one of her albums so much? Though I’ve owned and enjoyed some of Britney’s music in the past, I’ve never considered myself a big fan until “Femme Fatale” came out earlier this year. Spears’ 7th studio album, the deluxe version, is a 16-song dance party with great beats and killer hooks, and it was one of those albums that gets played over and over again until it’s nearly worn out.
Some of the better standout tracks on “Femme Fatale” include the epic dance anthem “Till the World Ends,” the catchy, whistly “I Wanna Go,” the sexy and vivacious “(Drop Dead) Beautiful,” and the thumping “Gasoline.” Virtually every song on the record has its own unique quality that makes it so irresistible. This one is definitely Britney’s best ever! Check out the #1 hit, “Hold It Against Me,” right here.
Born This Way – Lady Gaga
If hype was the deciding factor in making a record the biggest hit of the year, then this album would win hands down. The “Born This Way” album was hugely anticipated by the growing number of fans who ate up Gaga’s first duo set, “Fame/Fame Monster,” and were thirsting for something new from who they believed to be the new queen of pop. Unfortunately, a huge backlash against the singer and the album have tarnished, even just a bit, what is a really good record.
As Gaga fans reveled in the new material, claims of copycatting, many from Madonna fans who likened the debut eponymous single to the former’s hit, “Express Yourself,” were all over the place and the entire album was trashed by the Gaga haters. The album is surely a departure from the singer’s earlier stuff, and the songs take awhile to sink in, but once they do, they’re as irresistible as anything else she’s ever done.
I’ve spent many a night listening to “Born This Way,” and I can attest that several of the songs, like the stringy, strange “Bloody Mary,” the gothic “Heavy Metal Lover” and the 80’s glam-rock-pop tune “Electric Chapel” are hard songs to learn or even appreciate. None of these come close to any of Gaga’s good stuff, but good stuff there is, and in a variety of themes and genres. Of course, the anthemic title song is pure, likeable pop, but there are several other songs that are, well, awesome!
One of my favorites is the techno, dancy, German-infused “Scheibe,” and “Government Hooker” is downright naughty. “Fashion of His Love” and “Hair” are pop standouts, as are “Edge of Glory” and “Marry the Night,” and “You and I” could easily be played on a country station. Regardless of what anyone says, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” is a nice collection of sometimes eclectic, sometimes straight-up pop, and always interesting songs. Check out “Judas” right here.
4 – Beyonce
Beyonce’s newest album got a lot of criticism even before it was released, saying that it didn’t have enough good songs with potential to make it big on the charts. Nevertheless, this album, which sounds like a very good 80’s soul record, is full of more mid-tempo stuff than the usual up-tempo jams she’s best known for. Even I, who prefer the more up-tempo music, love many of the songs on “4,” and I played the whole thing out on my iPod in no time. Some of my favorites on this one are the anthemic “End of Time,” the defiant “Best Thing I Never Had,” and the tender “1+1.” Check out the lead single to the fantastic “4,” “Run the World (Girls)” right here.
LOVE? – Jennifer Lopez
Another standout album in the world of pop/dance music this year was Jennifer Lopez’ “LOVE?” Propelled by the “Lambada” sampled “On the Floor,” with Pitbull, this one is another collection of dance floor fillers. Some of my favorites include the fast and funky, “Good Hit,” the smooth “I’m Into You,” with Lill Wayne, and the Latin-infused “Papi,” which you can listen to right here.
Nothing but the Beat – David Guetta
This collection of dance music gems from today’s hottest deejay/producer David Guetta is hands down the best dance album of the year! With a sterling collection of collaborations with some of today’s hottest music stars, this one is a must have for anyone who appreciates the dance music genre. From the stunningly beautiful “Without You,” featuring vocals from Usher to the Nicki Minaj jam “Turn Me On,” this is a great album all the way through! Check out a track by track review of “Nothing but the Beat” right here and hear the tender “Titanium” here.
Talk That Talk – Rihanna
Rihanna is one of the most successful recording artists of today and at the ripe old age of 23, she’s really beginning to blossom. With a knack for making songs with mass appeal, this newest set of hers is a nice collection of radio-friendly dance jams and even some nice ballads. Click here to read a track by track review of “Talk That Talk” and here to check out the smash single, “We Found Love.”
21 – Adele
The year 2011 was overwhelmingly the year of Adele. With superb songwriting and melodies that hearken the best and the worst of love, this very young talent took over the airwaves this year with such heartfelt classics as “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You.” The British songstress was so popular that even her debut set, “19,” even charted at #37 on the Billboard Hot Albums chart for the year. Check out Adele’s #1 smash, the tender “Someone Like You” right here.
Here I Am – Kelly Rowland
Former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland is slowly coming into her own these days. “Here I Am” is Kelly’s third studio album and by far her best. With light-hearted and sexy tunes featuring guest rappers Lil Wayne, Lil Playy and Big Sean, this one’s got plenty of good stuff. Check out the lead single from “Here I Am,” the sultry “Motivation” right here.
So there you have it, eight albums that rocked my world in 2011. A couple of honorable mentions include Florence + the Machine’s “Ceremonials” and Drake’s “Take Care,” though I don’t know either of them well enough to include them on this list. So which albums rocked your world in 2011? Please share in the comments section.