By Ashley Dean and Dylan Owens
December is the month of lists — best this, best that, best of the best. But, sometimes negativity is fun (or more fun even), and we wanted to highlight some of 2014’s horrible music.
So get with the hating and take a look at our list of the 10 worst albums of 2014, then go and forget that these ever existed … if you can …
10. Pharrell, “GIRL”
You show me someone who hasn’t heard Pharrell’s insidiously popular song “Happy,” and I’ll show you a liar. Because to have avoided it in truth, they would have had to steered clear of all cars, televisions, shopping malls, sporting events, restaurant chains and movies for the whole year, not to mention contact with anyone who has been around any of the aforementioned.
It’s that contagious. Put simply, if “Happy” were a deadly pathogen, the Western Hemisphere would be long gone by now. Sadly, it mutated into a Pharrell obsession for some, leading to questionable hat purchases and a turn to his new album, “GIRL,” released on ever-profitable heels of “Happy.”
Pharrell has the advantage in production, but make no mistake: “GIRL” is lockstep with every Top 40 pop album of the last two years. The generic goading voice has been cranked firmly onto lady’s man, but there’s really no flavor or intrigue to his musings. References to Duck Dynasty and “baes” aren’t ironic so much as immediately dated and lame. And no matter how much your preteen nephew clamors for it, hyper-sexed tracks like “Gush” (hilariously slotted right before “Happy”) may make you think twice.
No. 9 of the worst albums of 2014 >>
