Ypulse Best And Worst Of 2008: Music

Today our YIR coverage continues with Ypulse Youth Advisory Board Members Akanksha Aurora and George Cox sharing their thoughts on the hits and misses they saw in music the year. Akanksha takes a look at the songs that defined 2008 (for better or worse,) while George weighs in on full-length albums.

The Best Songs

1. 'I Kissed A Girl' – Katy Perry
So the lyrics aren’t exactly genius, but you can’t say it isn’t catchy! Our generation is more open than ever to ideas of bisexuality; and it’s amazing to have this manifested in our music.

2. 'Violet Hill' – Coldplay
A perennial favorite, Coldplay's latest is always eagerly awaited – and as this song proves, their melodic alternarock is never a disappointment.

3. 'Addicted' – Saving Abel
Although Saving Abel adds a pop element to their music in this song, they still manage to maintain their strong rock roots. The raw energy and emotion coupled with the throaty vocals make it one of the best songs I’ve heard this year.

4. 'Womanizer' – Britney Spears
I’ve never really been a fan of Britney Spears, but again, you have to hand it to her for making a bold comeback with this fast-paced number that grabs your attention, not unlike I Kissed a Girl.

5. 'Shut Up and Let Me Go' – the Ting Tings
This song became one of my favorites because of the fun guitars that open it. It’s something you would expect to hear playing in the background of a show like "Gossip Girl"…one of the most fun songs.

The Worst Songs

1. 'Got Money' – T-Pain
If anyone can connect at all with the incredibly odd lyrics of this song, I beg you to enlighten me.

2. 'When I Grow Up' – the Pussycat Dolls
I’d be embarrassed to have written this in the seventh grade. This song has driven me to never-before experienced levels of mental unrest.

3.'If I Were a Boy' – Beyonce
Not to go against my own sex, but this song crosses off all the checkpoints of angry-chick music. The clichéd depiction of men is getting old.

4. 'Love is Noise' – the Verve
And the award for most shallow, angst-ridden song title (and matching lyrics) goes to…

5. 'Heartbeat' – Scouting for Girls
A new form of auditory torture.

The Best Albums

1. Mountains – Biffy Clyro
Technically a single, it still deserves a place up here for giving fans what they want and introducing many to a relatively unknown band for the first time. Not many things live up to hype as well as this track does.

2. Songs for You, Truths for Me – James Morrison
Beautiful mix of soothing and heartbreaking songs, perfect for almost anybody. I feel it deserves a place here.

3. Viva La Vida – Coldplay
Good album from the home country that continues to be popular worldwide. Good to see some of our music still has lasting power.

4. Memory and Humanity – Funeral For A Friend
A very good album that holds up well compared to previous works, with new singles like "Hours," which far surpasses the generally disliked "Tales Don't Tell Themselves" from earlier. It is good to see a band improving so vastly on a solid base, however, maybe more coverage of the album in the music media prior to release would have helped raise awareness.

The Worst Albums

1. iTunes Gifts
There are enough of these to make an album, and they definitely deserve a mention here. The people in control at Apple seem to delight in picking boring and uninteresting songs for us here in the UK and give away very good freebies in the U.S. store. For example, the Lovers in Japan – Coldplay video. Free in the USA for a week, but expensive in the song’s homeland.

2. Singles 2001-2005 – Biffy Clyro
Despite the name, this was in fact released this year, and I wish it hadn’t been. I’m not dismissing the songs on this album, but rather the idea behind it. This is just a way to cash in on a band's success as they move labels. Sadly, this is not the only time this has happened, and really, the reason this is here is to say STOP to the record labels.

3. One of the Boys – Katy Perry
This album seems to be simply about stirring up controversy with "I Kissed A Girl." But, Perry further confuses matters with another song called "Ur So Gay," where "Gay" is meant in the derogatory sense meaning "bad" or "annoying." Not cool, Katy. There is no need.

4. Chinese Democracy – Guns n' Roses
An album that has been in the making for almost as long as I have been talking sadly delivers no memorable songs to add to the GnR repertoire. Equally, this could never live up to hype that has been building up for 15 years.

About Akanksha

By the time she got to the much-dreaded, self-esteem destroying wasteland also known as high-school, Akanksha began to develop an interest in writing. Suddenly, all the words she ever knew began to creep into her dreams, and discover all her darkest thoughts and feelings, before silently but permanently immersing themselves within her soul and transforming themselves into fiction. In addition to that, the French language is her drug and acne is her worst enemy. She laughs a little too much and is a romantic in the extreme sense

About George

Classic private school educated, tea adoring, dry-humored Brit. George enjoys school, more for the people than the work, but has a genuine interest in his chosen subject, even if he isn’t the brightest pupil. Having not been to America, and keeping away youth culture that is designed by adults and preferring to stick to true youth culture, he foresees an interesting future here. However the general insanity of day to day life and the crushing work load thrown upon his shoulders will certainly destroy his feeble mind at certain points and therefore he apologizes in advance.

Categorized under: Youth Advisory Board

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