Before we get to the good stuff, here are a few bad albums I did not enjoy this year. Let\u2019s start with “I Said I Love You First” by Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, which feels like an H&M dressing room soundtrack mixed with an imitation event of numerous artists (namely Charli XCX, Lana Del Rey and Dua Lipa on \u201cBluest Flame,\u201d \u201cCowboy\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t Wanna Cry,\u201d respectively). “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U” by PartyNextDoor and Drake was a complete let down on all levels. A twenty-one track album that spans seventy-five minutes should surely have something to say, right? Wrong. The album meanders around true substance, replacing lyricism and an overarching theme with overproduced instrumental.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nSource: Rolling Stone Magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now for the (not-so) good stuff. Released on October 3, 2025, Taylor Swift\u2019s twelfth album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” promised a return to the addictive pop of her groundbreaking “1989.<\/em>” It fell far short of her goal. The album marks a reunification between Swift and her long-time collaborators Max Martin and Shellback (together, they produced \u201cI Knew You Were Trouble,\u201d \u201cBlank Space,\u201d and \u201cStyle\u201d just to name a few). The first three songs draw attention inward, with a unique sonic profile compared to Swift\u2019s generic sounding pop. After those three songs, the record loses the trail completely. The dramatic showgirl theme is absent amidst an oddly soft rock-esque production. Her signature autobiographical songwriting is almost too<\/em> personal and in dire need of an editor. \u201cCANCELLED!\u201d and \u201cEldest Daughter\u201d are true career lowlights, while the best song on the album (\u201cWi$h Li$t\u201d) is marginally better than the worst songs on her last Pop album, “Midnights.” The lows are low, and the highs are slightly higher than the lows. Swift has done the impossible for me: making a forty minute tracklist feel longer than her two-hour long 2024 LP. I hope Swift takes a long break after this and rethinks which path she wants to take for her 13th studio album. I suggest a jazz, R&B album.<\/p>\n\n\n Source: Country Central<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another household name released an unusually bland album, but this time in the realm of country music: “I\u2019m The Problem” by Morgan Wallen. The country artist has been on the steady decline since his worldwide success with “Dangerous: The Double Album,” and this release was just the next occurrence to prove that. The two hour album – yes, two hours – explores a variety of sounds (including country-trap, which I did not even know existed), yet it remains boring as ever. You would think with upwards of four professional songwriters on each song that the songs would be well-written. This assumption would be wrong. If the songs were released as independent tracks, they\u2019d stand as okay<\/em>, but together they create an incoherent mess that leaves the listener questioning its themes – specifically the trope where he glorifies past toxic relationships. With all these criticisms said, there are a few notable good songs on the record. My favorite is \u201c20 Cigarettes,\u201d which has an extremely addictive chorus and a guitar riff that scratches the perfect part of my ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n