Juan: A Life in Music

2006 – Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds

Justin Timberlake is just irresistible when he’s making music. His acting may be sub-par to me, and I wish he would stop making bad comedies (both of which I’ve seen this summer), but I really do want him to get back in the studio already and release a new album because his music turns me into a wild preteen girl who cheers for him at concerts.

2007 – of Montreal’s Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? / Radiohead’s In Rainbows

My final tie. Contrary to most people, In Rainbows is my favorite Radiohead album and actually the first I ever heard of theirs. It just caught my attention and I fell for it without any questions. As for Hissing Fauna, it remains my favorite of Montreal album to date. Although their recent release False Priest does come close, nothing beats The Past Is A Grotesque Animal for me.

2008 – Adele’s 19

For some reason, everyone has gone insane for 21 and I still stand by the fact that 19 is the better album. I remember buying it on iTunes on sale because it wasn’t particularly popular and they had reduced the price. The second I listened to her voice, and specifically Right as Rain –– which remains my favorite song of hers — I knew that this was destined to be a great album for me.

2009 – Flight of the Conchords’ I Told You I Was Freaky

Frankly, I could include every single track that FOTC has ever made. I love their music, I loved their television show, and I was lucky enough to meet them the day after my birthday in 2009. It was one of the best concerts I’d ever been to and I love them with every inch of my body. Hell, I even wear my “Too Many Dicks (On The Dancefloor)” t-shirt whenever I get the chance because of my love for them. My runner-up for 2009 would have to be St. Vincent’s Actor, though, because I’ve developed a lot of love for that album.

2010 – Janelle Monáe’s The ArchAndroid

I fell in love with Monáe’s music when I heard her EP Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase). I spent weeks hunting for more of her music and stumbled upon an older no label release of hers titled The Audition and fell even more in love. However, it wasn’t until her album The ArchAndroid released that I decided that Janelle Monáe was the most talented and inventive artist to enter the business. The fact that she has made a collection of music based off of the concept of the 1927 film Metropolis makes her even more appealing to me than you can even imagine and the album itself shows more originality in its writing than most artists today. I have no doubt that she will become even more known over the years, but she will not have to rely on the cheap tactics that many others use today. She has talent and it is something that I hope will take her far. I would recommend this album to anyone, regardless of their tastes in music.