The Best Songs on 2019’s Worst Albums
We combed through the saving grace moments of 2019's biggest disappointments.
2019 has been an odd year for music.
Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish continue to dominate the radio landscape with their unique marketing and overall absurdities. As a result, 2019 has been a year for redefining the parameters of musical creativity and what it takes to make a successful record. Perhaps, as a result, a lot of this year's most anticipated releases ended up flopping. While some of these releases were merely lackluster, others were just plain bad. Of course, it's important to note that not every bad project was without its high points. So to pay homage to the biggest flops of the year, here are some of the best songs off of 2019's worst albums.
Lil Pump’s “Butterfly Doors”
While Harvard Dropout was one of 2019's most highly anticipated albums, it flopped because, as many predicted, it turns out Lil Pump is just not that talented. From priding himself on being illiterate to talking about blowing two million at Tootsies, this album is just truly absurd. Even so, Pump's forte is crafting catchy fraternity anthems. “Butterfly Doors" has enough versatility to get your head bobbing, and it doesn't contain nearly as many dumb metaphors as the other 15 tracks.
▲Yung Bans “100 Shells”
Yung Bans' Misunderstood was one of the biggest commercial flops of the 21st century. While highly anticipated and stacked with big league features like Gunna, Young Thug and the late XXXTentacion, the debut didn't even chart on the Billboard 200 its first week, which means it didn't even sell 5,000 copies. While Misunderstood is a missed opportunity, “100 Shells" is still a very unique and moving song. With a well-placed feature from the currently incarcerated YNW Melly, both rappers lyrically shine over one of the year's most unique instrumentals.
▲Weezer’s “Living In L.A.”
Weezer hasn't been able to get it right for years, and The Black Album is no exception. The project is bloated and was derided by critics. However, “Living In L.A." is a catchy tune, if you forget it's a Weezer song. The guitar work is tight, and chances are you'll be humming the chorus by the track's end.
▲Avril Lavigne’s “Birdie”
Labeled as a major comeback, Avril Lavigne's Head Above Water was melodramatic, over-produced, and didn't help Lavigne distinguish herself among pop's crowded female population. Still, “Birdie" feels like the authentic anthem Lavigne was striving for. The lyrics leave a bit to be desired, but in terms of construction, it's a perfectly stirring pop song.
▲Khalid’s “Outta My Head”
While commercially successful, critics viewed Khalid's sophomore album Free Spirit as a total whiff. Khalid is known for stumbling into big hit singles, but this album made it clear he doesn't have the vision to sustain a 17-track behemoth of an album. With that said, “Outta My Head" is catchy as hell, and with welcomed background vocals and guitar riffs from John Mayer, the pair is a match made in heaven.
▲DJ Khaled’s “No Brainer”
DJ Khaled's Father of Ashad caved under its own pressure. It's comprised of over-produced, overcrowded club hits that did nothing to help revitalize Khaled's image. “No Brainer," though, is extremely catchy, and will get anyone moving in the right party setting. With that said, it's only good cause of its talented roster of features, including Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo...not cause of Khaled...like, at all.
▲LSD’s “Thunderclouds”
LSD was seen as one of the biggest missed opportunities of the year. Between the creative powers of Diplo, Sia, and Labirinth, this record should have been a summer smash hit. Unfortunately, the end result was anything but, with each artist sounding tired and uninterested. It only comes together for a moment on “Thunderclouds," a catchy EDM tune that hints at the success that could have been.
▲▲