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Get into the Music: Top Twelve Albums of 2022
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, The Top Twelve Best Albums of 2022.
Anyone that knows me knows, music is my life. There’s not one day I don’t have music on whether it’s in my Jeep, apartment or working out. I’d literally be dead without music.
2022 finally produced more great music, movies, television shows, live concerts and Broadway plays as Covid took a hike and we were back to business as normal (ish) as possible. Throughout the United States, production companies, movie studios and entertainers alike, were more comfortable working this year since the historic pandemic that forced the entertainment industry to shut down in 2020. As a result, 2022 gifted us with some of the best live shows, television series and studio albums in years.
Country, Pop, Hip-Hop, Rap & Rock music was at its finest as some of the most well-known artists released their best work in years. Let’s take a peek at my twelve best albums of the year.
Twelve
Kim Petras | Slut Pop
The entire world now knows who Kim Petras is, thanks to her collaboration with Sam Smith’s number one, mega-hit, “Unholy.” What you probably don’t know is she has been releasing music for years. Her debut studio album “Clarity,” is pop gold perfection and her single “Heart to Break,” is a fan favorite club banger. Also, did you know she is trans? Yep, the gorgeous goddess was born a man and knew in her early years of grade school that she was destined to be a female pop star. On her EP, “Slut Pop,” Kim vividly illustrates, especially in the song XXX, her sexual desires and demands from random encounters, even cheating with husbands, brothers and daddies. It’s at times cheesy and over the top, but that’s the point. It manages to be both sleazy and sexy, solidifying Kim as a force to be reckon with.
Eleven
Kendrick Lamar | Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Kendrick takes a step away from the limelight and turns to himself, highlighting his insecurities and beliefs. “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” is such an important album exploiting more of Kendricks personal life. Extremely impressive and ambitious, this album indicates a new era for Lamar.
Ten
The Black Keys | Dropout Boogie
In a moment when rock music barely exists in the pop conversation it once dominated, The Black Keys are nothing close to a dropout, with an album that continues to prove their pop/rock dominance in an often-misconstrued debate among fans. On “Boogie,” Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney create the garage-punk sound that made them famous during their early years. With new drops of blood on their eleventh studio album, The Black Keys remind us why we still rock out to them to this day.
Nine
Thomas Rhett | Where We Started
Since releasing his debut album, “It Goes Like This,” Thomas Rhett has implanted his massive influence on country music. With his sixth studio album, “Where We Started,” Rhett combines heartfelt love songs and chill party anthems for which he’s come to be loved and known for. Every song on the album is a reminder of how great Thomas Rhett’s hooks are and his amazing ability to tell a story is remarkable.
Eight
Camila Cabello | Familia
Front woman of the short-lived, but successful pop group Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello skyrocketed to superstardom with the release of her debut album, “Camila.” Her huge hit “Havana,” was one of the biggest songs of 2017 and 2018 that cemented her it girl status into the music industry. On her third studio album, “Familia,” Cabello pays homage to her Cuban roots; her family, friends and loved ones. On stand out track, “Psychofreak,” she sheds light on her anxiety, pressures of social media and the drama surrounding her departure from Fifth Harmony. She also heals her broken heart from superstar Shawn Mendes. The two had a pretty decent run on and off, over the past five years. “Familia,” is Camila Cabello’s strongest work to date and proves she’s not just another run of the mill, cash cow pop star; she’s here to stay and has the talent to back it.
Seven
Drake & 21 Savage | Her Loss
When studio album “Her Loss” was released this year, Drake & 21 Savage’s unique collaboration was a pleasant surprise to rap and hip/Hop fans. When you combine a bona fide rap star with arguably the most impactful Hip/Hop singer and MC in the world, you get a sophisticated, larger than life production. Track after track is one hardcore rap song after another showcasing their unbelievable talent together. As their incredible styles collide, Drake & 21 Savage are unstoppable and anything is possible.
Six
Nickelback | Get Rollin’
2000’s radio was dominated by Canadian rock band, Nickelback. They continued to sell out stadiums across the world and became the most successful rock band to be both praised and mocked at the same time. Yes, yes everyone jokes and gives the band a tough time. Rock fans think they phone in their “rock” music and release weak, mediocre alternative music at best. Whatever your opinion is of the successful rock band, Chad Kroeger and crew continue to elevate their sound, flirting with heavy metal on “Get Rollin.” The album is a legit blend of metal and rock, with energetic bangers throughout.
Five
Taylor Swift | Midnights
Taylor Swift, music’s girl next store, was stripped from her good girl image she banked on and expressed her darker, sassy side in 2017’s pop masterpiece, “Reputation.” On “Midnights,” Taylor revisits that image and surprisingly curses throughout many songs on the album, including my personal favorite, fuck. Taylor is more confident than ever and admits to her own faults on hit single, “Anti-Hero.” She not only mourns from an unexpected loss in New York City, but finds a new friendship that allows Taylor to be more vulnerable than ever. The songs are obviously catchy, but also are smart, honest and thought-provoking. Her songwriting is killer, too. Whether or not you’re a “Swiftie,” prefer her country or folklore music or don’t get the hype, one thing is universal, Taylor Swift is one of the most talented singer/songwriters of our generation.
Four
Miranda Lambert | Palomino
Music’s country blonde bombshell and icon Miranda Lambert, hits the American road showcasing some of her best songwriting of all time on “Palomino.” Lambert treks all over the United States, producing creative songs of a rambling life out on the road. Her purpose is more focused than ever giving listeners a colorful insight into the life of America’s Sweetheart. Miranda Lambert has accomplished many feats in her career that most artists dream of; performer, songwriter, singer, chart topping duet partner and a celebrity-coupledom survivor. Miranda’s done it all.
Three
Machine Gun Kelly | Mainstream Sellout
Colson Baker, A K A, Machine Gun Kelly, has had quite the year. From his highly publicized, XXX relationship with sex-siren Megan Fox and a frightening battle that he’s supposedly losing his mind abusing drugs and alcohol, one thing is true, Kelly has a gift. His ability to write and sing about his mental state, girls, lavish party life and exude this genuine, almost puppy dog like exterior, is quite sincere. He’s raw, extremely emotional and relatable. Machine Gun Kelly is a musical genius and watching him on stage and in the media is a heartbreaking, uplifting and entertaining spectacle all at once. It’s too early to determine if MGK will have any tenure in the music industry, but he’s certainly having the time of his life.
Two
The Weeknd | DAWN FM
The opening sequence of The Weekend’s electrifying, dance-pop album, “DAWN FM,” is narrated by none other than Jim Carrey, commanding that the listener relaxes and embraces their new life with open arms. If you think that Justin Timberlake is reminiscent of Michael Jackson, you need to reevaluate that decision. The Weeknd never seizes to amaze, producing up-tempo bangers and slow burn doozies throughout the entire album. The first four tracks, especially his groundbreaking cut, “Take my Breath,” will put you in a transient state as it seems the bangers never end and that the “king of pop,” has resurrected from Neverland heaven. It’s almost scary how similar Abel sounds like MJ. The album is nothing short of brilliant thus putting him in an exclusive batch of diverse artists.
One
Avril Lavigne | Love Sux
The “princess of pop/punk” exploded back into the music industry in the Fall of 2021, with her angst-fueled single, “Bite Me.” Produced and written with Travis Barker from Blink-182, “Bite Me,” is an ode to an ex-lover warning him of the aftermath and her capability to fuck up his entire life. It was clear Avril Lavigne was back and better than ever. “Love Sux,” strategically released during the most romantic, hallmark cash induced month of the year, Valentine’s Day 2022 was hit by cupid in the best way possible. After a hiatus from music and nothing released rememberable enough to hit the charts or airwaves in years, “Love Sux,” was a triumphant return to the moody, pop/rock rebel and brutally honest Avril we all had grown to love.
This is her best album to date as each song hits incredibly hard and is relatable to everyone. Whether at the time of listen or events in your past, “Love Sux,” manages to touch your soul, elevate your anger, cry and help you get even. Most importantly, Avril tells fans it’s okay to hurt, it’s normal to want to ruin your ex and any mental illness falling like an avalanche in your life is perfectly okay, that life will improve. Well done, Avril.
Carrie Underwood | Best Country Album of the Year
DENIM & RHINESTONES
Honorable Mentions:
Imagine Dragons | Mercury – Acts 1 & 2
Snoop Dogg & DJ Drama | Gangsta Grillz: I Still Got It
Harry Styles | Harry’s House
Cole Swindell | Stereotype
Most anticipated album of 2023 | Gorillaz, Cracker Island
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Sex & The City Is Shockingly More Relevant Today
When HBO’s Sex and the City premiered on June 6th, 1998, it shocked the nation with jaw-dropping profanity, raunchy one liners and a sexually charged dialogue. At the time, most television shows and movies glorified confident men as overly sexual creatures, but if women were to be vocal like that, they would be called names and seen as trashy girls. Sex and the City broke all the rules and finally gave powerful women the spotlight to share their own desires, wants and needs. The series was shown through the lens of Carrie Bradshaw, played by the fabulous Sarah Jessica Parker and her three single gal pals, living in New York City. Sex and relationships, blended with vulgarity and one-night stands, was never displayed from the perspective of confident women. This show broke that mold and Sex became the it show for seven years because of it’s originality and accurate depiction of what women go through during those decades of life. It was always men portrayed as sexual beings, never women.
Season one became the highest rated show for HBO, giving the network an outstanding increase in ratings during the late 90’s. Some critics ridiculed early seasons of the show stating it was an unrealistic representation of what living in New York City was actually like. I beg to differ, old-school critics. I witnessed many single women galivanting around cities like Dallas, Denver and New York as a foursome, sipping on the now iconic cosmopolitan and sharing their escapades, careers and having a blast. Get togethers and watch gatherings, before social media, was an incredible thing to witness and be a part of. I didn’t watch the series religiously while it was airing, but in my senior year of high school, my best friends sister always had it on in the “loft,” which was upstairs in their den where we chain smoked cigarettes and sipped on Miller Lite. I was technically introduced to this well-written, hilarious new show in 2002-2003 that was taking the world by storm, but didn’t watch until 2009 when I got the entire series on DVD. I wanted to be a writer at that moment, while we “lofted” as I saw myself aligning with Carrie’s character in the best way possible.
Sex and the City received eighty-nine nominations during the course of the series winning seven awards at The Emmy’s, eight Golden Globe’s statues and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. Pretty impressive for a cable syndication TV show during the 1990’s-2000’s, decades before streaming apps produced numerous prestigious award-winning shows.
Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie Bradshaw) is the sex columnist and star of the show, Kim Cattrall (Samantha Jones) plays a sex crazed publicist, a very direct woman representing celebrities and restaurants, Kristin Davis (Charlotte York) is the buttoned up, prudish art gallery owner looking for a traditional love story of her own and Cynthia Nixon (Miranda Hobbs) co-stars as Carrie’s best friend, an uptight, neurotic lawyer often bringing the girls back down to earth. The romantic comedy-drama centers around the tight knit quartet as they navigate through the exhausting game of dating, work and life during the late 90’s, early 00’s in New York City. I still watch it to this day and it’s wild how relevant it is today.
Sex and the City tackles the frustrating, expected norms that women in their thirties and forties should be married with kids and not be out on the town daily, engaging with numerous men at bars or clubs. At the time, society’s view was that women in their thirties and forties should be settled down in suburbia and raising a family of their own. It hilariously mocked the ridiculous assumption that if you’re not settled down with a partner by thirty, then you’re an immature person who will never grow up. Oh, you’ll definitely “grow up” when your significant other of twenty years leaves you devastated and lonely, starting life over in your forties. I have witnessed this from a few of my friends and family. It’s rough and nauseating thinking about it, especially since these rules still hold true today, but to a lesser degree. I see beautiful, powerful and boss women every day who are just as happy, if not happier being single. I am glad that I have not met that special person yet because I was not a desirable candidate to marry when I was in my addiction. I am just now seeing life and experiencing things with no blinders on. I am in love with myself right now and it’s going to take someone really special to sweep me off my feet and be in my life.
As a forty-year-old happy man, living in Denver, Colorado, I relate to the characters and the well-written script more today than when I watched the entire series in 2009. The bullshit that Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda experienced when single during those decades, eerily mirrored some of the outrageous, often comical binds that I got myself into in my thirties.
After finishing the series in the Winter of 2009, I felt as if I could be the male Carrie Bradshaw in Dallas, Texas. I started writing professionally in the summer of 2009 as I fell in love with her style of writing and ability to tell a story relatable to mine. I posted blogs on my Facebook and wrote for the Denver Examiner, ironically, while I was working in Dallas. To think I didn’t know I would end up in Denver is comforting and really cool to be honest. Just in case you didn’t know, I am a writer, narrating certain situations of my life, reviewing pop culture and my stories are similar to Carrie’s encounters and personal life dramas. Bradshaw narrates the show, dissecting her failed relationships while tying into her columns (blogs) many pondering questions and observations that really makes you wonder… Am I the only one struggling with the same problems? Is it me or him?
One of the main reasons Sex and the City was so successful during its original run is due to the fact that every single, married, divorced or widowed person that watched the show at some point in their lives, surely went through similar challenges themselves. The asinine argument of not adhering to society norms, instantly became the topic at large when women should succumb to the pressures of settling down when it’s socially acceptable, regardless if their in love or not. Even men loved it; they couldn’t get enough of how raw, honest and funny Sex was.
It cleverly sheds light on various couples throughout the show who jump into marriages so quickly, because that is what society deems normal. Couples should be married, hating life instead of staying single and happy until the right one comes along. Due to the unrealistic pressure of racing to the alter before the age of thirty, they divorce prematurely. They never got to test drive different cars while single, meet interesting new people or learn to be completely isolated in some of the best and worst decades of this thing called life.
I have failed and got right back up. I went through some dark and many wonderful times that I feel were meant for me to experience alone. When I meet the man of my dreams that I’ll spend the rest of my life with, it will just be icing on the cake. I like being single, independent and on my own. That’s when they say someone comes along right? I can confidently say I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, just barely turning forty. The uphill battles and mountains I have had to climb in my early years of adulthood, made me stronger, more resilient and hungrier for the things I want and deserve in my life.
I believe our twenties and thirties allow us to royally fuck up at jobs, perform well at various kinds of careers, love, lose, then fail again with other obstacles to overcome as your own person. Living in a few different cities away from your hometown is the chance to discover other cultures, weather, people and most importantly, getting to know yourself by living on your own. It allows you to figure out life’s ups and downs on your terms, without a partner you met in high school, college or in a bar you hardly know sober. Focusing on your career, interests, traveling and meeting an unbelievable amount of different kinds of people during your thirties and forties, so you can taste various flavors in the ice cream shop to determine who fits the bill best in your life.
Promo poster | Photo cred: Google images
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Britney Spears Celebrates 41st Birthday
It’s been one hell of a toxic, crazy driven ride for the legendary Mrs. Britney Spears (Asghari). As soon as she exploded onto the pop music scene in 1999 with her debut, mega hit song, “Baby One More Time,” she immediately became the most famous person in the world. A phenomenal debut like Britney’s, coinciding with her bold, controversial and provocative music videos, placed Brit into Hollywood’s lifestyles of the rich and famous, before she could have a drink legally.
This does not happen like that anymore. If you truly think about it, no female artist has ever achieved that level of success, fame and instant recognition so quickly, especially at such a young age. On top of that, Britney was breaking records left and right. Madonna, Britney’s idol and mentor, is the only exception, as the “queen of pop” paved the way for Britney, our “princess of pop”, during Madge’s heyday in the late 80’s and 90’s. Brit’s “competition,” pop artists like P!NK, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan and Willa Ford, trailed behind. You either have it or not, which Britney did, as she took her X factor charisma and lovable personality to an entirely elevated playing field, that blew rival pop entertainers out the water.
I remember when I first watched the video for “Baby One More Time,” in our TV room in the Plano, Texas house I grew up in. The shot where Britney is in the gym holding the basketball and looking directly into the camera, completely fascinated me. Her beauty, talent and her bad-ass signature choreography had me falling in love that night. She was 100% my first crush and true love that never fizzled out for me throughout her entire rollercoaster career; I’ve been in Britney’s corner since day one and have been a loyal fan, supporter and still had complete admiration for her throughout the entire circus, and still do today.
While most of the boys were fantasizing about her as a sexual object in the early 2000’s, I was over here like, can I be her? Britney was and probably still is many young boys’ first, um, explosion of their own. She had this innocent, sexy and confident vibe to her and people everywhere were losing their minds to the fabulousness that was the one and only, overprotected, Britney Spears.
She quickly became one of the best-selling female artists of all time and was included in an elite, exclusive group of talented women that amounted to the unbelievable overnight success, wealth, album sales and fame she accomplished so quickly, which I’m sure she surpassed her peers by a landslide. From her “not that innocent” relationship with douchebag Justin Timberlake in the early 2000’s and selling out stadiums across the world, Britney Spears was the most followed woman in the industry and the media had her under an intense microscope 24/7, obsessed and following her every breath. At first, she loved the attention; who wouldn’t? Most of the stories and publicity portrayed in the media were positive during the first five years of her career, focusing mostly on her performances, producing hit after hit albums and showcasing her southern girl charm that stole the hearts of men and women across the globe.
In 2003, Britney released her fourth studio album, “In The Zone,” which really set her apart from the bubblegum pop artists like the Spice Girls, Mandy Moore and Hilary Duff. “In The Zone” presented to the world a grown-up, more comfortable, confident and racy Spears. She sings about masturbation, one-night stands and receiving oral sex in the sleazy, yet sexy banger, “Breathe on Me.” I even got an in the zone tattoo, in the exact font and color as it’s illustrated on the album cover, on my left bicep. This was the album that we all partied to during our first year of college.
Did Britney have enhanced vocals and not sing live 100% of the time? Well duh, but who hasn’t, especially these wannabe, vapid TikTok singers today. Aubrey O’ day, from the multi-platinum, Diddy founded group Danity Kane, recently said in an interview that artists in the era before all the social media and instant stardom that takes place today, have a tad chip on their shoulders. They had to work their asses off to make it, not just mediocrely perform on a three-minute video and press upload. I agree with Aubrey 110%. Some of these characters from social media, automatically achieving instant fame, are an absolute embarrassment to the entertainment industry and a joke to the OG’s that paid their dues in the 90’s | 2000’s.
Britney ignored the criticism from haters regarding her voice and stardom. She even admitted to Diane Sawyer in a television interview, promoting “In The Zone,” that she wished she had a voice like Christina Aguilera. Britney is an extremely smart woman and knew exactly what she was doing. Sure, Aguilera has the better voice, but look at who is more successful, entertaining and was | is the most relevant pop public figure to this day. Britney Spears will go down in history as one of the most iconic people ever to exist. I mean most people with a mental illness are brilliant | creative, so if she was actually experiencing manic | depressive episodes as the most famous person in the world, of course she’d have a meltdown. It was just a matter of time that her and the entire world’s lives would implode and change forever.
It was 2007 and Britney released her most critically acclaimed fifth studio album to date, “Blackout,” on October 30th. Critics and experts in the music industry praised the game changing album, calling it one of the best pop albums of the last decade. Rolling Stone called it a must listen to masterpiece that revolutionized the way pop music sounded. The magazine has always supported Britney, which pisses off the old school rockers that think rock music is the only good music to exist. I still see comments on posts from Rolling Stone where idiots degrade the writers when they write a fantastic review or article about her. God forbid Rolling Stone evolved and has great music taste in all genres. Her talent is undeniable; it takes a resilient, strong woman, passionate artist and thick skin to be in that exclusive level of the game.
Britney Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide, including 70 million records in United States, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. “Baby One More Time,” and “Oops!… I Did It Again,” are two of the best-selling albums of all time.
In 2021, Britney Jean Spears was finally set free from the conservatorship her family trapped her in before Instagram was even a thing. She’s now happily married to actor | model, Sam Asghari and at peace; healing from the past fifteen years of bullshit and traumatic experiences she endured. So, on Britney’s birthday today, let’s not dissect her challenging past and critique her energetic dances on her Instagram. Instead, we should wish her an amazing birthday, recognizing how brave, strong, resilient, healthy and happy Our Miss (Mrs.) American Dream is today. Happy Birthday Brit!
Britney at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards | Photo cred: Billboard
In The Zone, Britney’s fourth studio album, November 2003 | Photo cred: Amazon music
Blackout, Britney’s fifth studio album, October 2007 | Photo cred: last.fm, collector’s edition
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Dead to Me: Final Season is More Alive than Ever
When ‘Dead to Me’ first premiered on Netflix in 2019, it garnered much deserved critical and commercial success. The dark comedy, starring the always talented Christina Applegate, finds an unlikely friendship with Linda Cardellini (Legally Blonde) while grieving the death of Jen’s (Applegate) husband. The show slowly progresses into a comedy murder mystery often satirizing the current criminal system and privileged upper white class stature.
With the ever so handsome James Marsden (Disturbing Behavior, Hairspray, Sonic) playing almost identical twins, a quirky police officer and a literal Karen that lives in Jen’s neighborhood, ‘Dead to Me’ is brilliantly produced, exploding into one of the most talked about and watched American television shows in the past decade. Applegate and Cardellini both have been nominated for awards for their respective roles as Jen & Judy; it must be said that if Christina doesn’t win the award for best actress at the Emmy’s and Golden Globes for this final season, I would be devastatingly shocked.
Season three takes a turn to the more emotional and tearful side, but never seems to fail when delivering pure comedy gold. Applegate’s comedic timing is excellently executed showing that she’s still got the chops and just absolutely nails the leading woman role effortlessly. On November 15th, 2022, Christina Applegate arrived publicly (for the first time since announcing her diagnosis with MS) to her Hall of Fame Ceremony in Hollywood, where she spoke about family, her daughter and her journey as an actress. Her charisma, hilarious wit and touching speech brought tears to fans across the world. ‘Dead to Me’ and this final season could quite possibly be the last time she performs in a television or movie role. Nonetheless, Christina Applegate has been one of the funniest and down to earth actresses to grace the sometimes-corrupted, phony entertainment industry.
Her role as Jen Harding, especially in this final season, should go down as a performance of a lifetime. The way the show mirrors what these women are experiencing in real life and the raw emotions illustrated throughout ‘Dead to Me’ is the recipe for an almost near perfect show.
Photo Cred: Bing
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