Members of the TLU community were polled about their favorite albums and musical genres. Join me as we discuss the top 3 most popular albums out of 84 total submissions! Along with an oddball pick which is used to talk about a submission not as popular, but stood out as a unique discovery.
The survey winner of the oddball pick can claim their prize by contacting TLU Student Media!
Favorite genres were:
1st Pop – 72%
2nd Alternative – 58%
3rd Rap/Hip-Hop & Rock/Classic Rock
Least favorite:
Classical – 14%
12% of respondents selected…
1.) HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – BILLIE EILISH (2024)
It’s fitting that the Grammy nominated album is also the most popular selection, as Billie Eilish’s stardom is well-known by now. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (HMHAS) is alternative pop that is self aware. She sings on the opener ‘SKINNY’ addressing expectations around her body and position in the spotlight.
All of her projects are written and produced alongside her brother FINNEAS. A clearly effective pairing. Here, the duo have built a somber atmosphere dominated by guitar and piano.
One conflict if you’re a fan of her previous work is the contrast. It’s a much more melancholic project in comparison, ‘LUNCH’ really being the only lighthearted and upbeat track. Despite that, I can say HMHAS contains Billie using her voice to her best like you haven’t heard. ‘THE GREATEST’ is a good example of this, a powerful ballad with Billie’s voice at it’s strongest.
Responding to the painstaking process that was the album’s photoshoot, she remarks:
“If I’m not suffering somehow, I don’t feel good about what I’m doing.”
–Billie Eilish, Rolling Stone
Which I feel is indicative of this project as a whole. It’s a hard album to describe because it is so depressing, but I think that’s exactly the connection people may experience. Life can be dark, and HMHAS explores this darkness with passion and love.
To put it plainly, it’s a great album to be sad to.
7% of respondents selected…
2.) GLORIOUS – GLORILLA (2024)
GloRilla’s debut album can be described as this 42 minute long soundtrack to taking on the whole whole by yourself. GLORIOUS is this non-stop barrage of confidence by the rapper. She uses her signature aggressive, southern voice to her advantage, demanding your attention every step of the way. Taking out that aggression on dishonest men and on her doubters, even if the doubter is herself.
“TGIF” or ‘HOW I LOOK’ featuring Megan Thee Stallion, offer the in-your-face bangers . While ‘RAIN DOWN ON ME’ and ‘GLO’S PRAYER’ offer the softer side of her music, bringing up what she is grateful for and what doubts she has with her love life.
Uncensored, unreserved, and straightforward, I think GLORIOUS serves well those with the taste for energetic rap.
Glo’s prayer
5% of respondents selected…
T-3.) GUTS – OLIVIA RODRIGO (2023)
“A lot of this album is about the confusion that comes with becoming a young adult and figuring out your place in this world. Figuring out who you want to be and who you want to hang out with and all of that stuff,”
–Olivia Rodrigo, Apple Music 1
As Rodrigo explains it herself, this punk-pop album is extremely youthful. A bipolar project that is at times loud and scornful—‘get him back’—and other times whispery and emotional—‘making the bed’—all painting this coming-of-age-story image. One full of toxic friendships, toxic relationships, and self-consciousness.
Releasing last fall, GUTS boast a clear Y2K nostalgia in it’s sound, giving the vibes of an Avril Lavigne, Paramore style. Only 20 at the time of release, Rodrigo was able to make a time capsule of this awkward stage of life. A confusing reality as you’re caught in between kid impulses and adult expectations.
In a nutshell, “I know my age and I act like it” is the lyric from ‘all-american b****’ that I feel symbolizes the music here, young and restless.
5% of respondents selected…
T-3.) SHORT N’ SWEET – SABRINA CARPENTER (2024)
Sabrina Carpenter has had a huge breakout year. The hit songs ‘Espresso‘ and ‘Please Please Please’ have been inescapable, as well as Grammy nominated.
Short n’ Sweet is feminine at heart, wearing a kind of delicateness proudly on it’s sleeve. Even the blue and yellow focus of the artwork and visuals reflect this. Two colors with a cool and calming nature. She this this gentle facade to emphasize playful, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Carpenter here sings as this desperate but not dumb woman who is biting, sultry, and chalk-full of sexual innuendo. And sometimes, not innuendo at all.
Half of the album is also co-written and co-produced by Jack Antonoff. If you don’t know who Antonhoff is, he is the architect behind much modern ear worm pop music, working with big-name artists such as: Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, the list goes on… Point being, the collaboration is effective here, catchy and hynpotic throughout.
Short n’ Sweet is endlessly quotable, and makes plenty sense as a college favorite for a light-hearted listen.
AND FOR THE ODDBALL PICK…
TAKE CARE – BIGXTHAPLUG
Now JaCori is big on narrative. By that, I mean I enjoy finding the through line of an album and why these songs exist together. At only 31 minutes, TAKE CARE is a blitz that leaves you wanting more from the Dallas based rapper. The sequence of music is structured to let you into who BigX is.
- The beginning: you learn about the burden of financial success to provide for everyone around him now on ‘Lost The Love’.
- The middle: the stressful balance between time with his children vs. time building his career on ‘Therapy Session’.
- Towards the end: the origins of BigX and why he feels it necessary to celebrate his accomplishments on ‘Story of X’.
BigX has a deep, booming rap voice that he uses to flow smoothly here. In addition to his lyrics, the production choices on the record are phenomenal. Samples of 70s soul artists like Rick James, War, and The Isley Brothers are implemented to perfection, crafting this old-school soundscape.
Independently released, TAKE CARE identifies how rap saved him from a self-destructive cycle and violent environment. On the surface, seeming like a more conventional street rap project, the album is actually rich with motivating content. This is music to get out of bed to. Music to work out to. BigX has created music that inspires hustle.
Thanks to whoever made the submission, I am personally grateful for the discovery. It does indeed “slap” as the kids say…
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