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For these 12 musicians, the albums they released in 2017 simply wasn’t their best work.  Here are the 12 worst albums of 2017.

Sigh, even the best musicians have off days. In the case of the musicians that appear on this year in review list, The 12 Worst Albums of 2017, they had a BAD album.  In some cases, that ‘bad’ album was among the worst within the context of their career. That elevated the badness of some of these projects ultimately.  As always, this isn’t a definitive list – it just highlights some of the bottom feeders of 2017.  These are, of course, personal opinion. Without further ado, The 12 Worst Albums of 2017.

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1. Lil Yachty, Teenage Emotions

Capitol / Motown

Idiosyncratic rapper Lil Yachty dropped a wild debut album with Teenage Emotions. Unfortunately, the wild characterization doesn’t have a positive connotation. Teenage Emotions is a bizarre, messy, and polarizing effort, devoid of depth and transcendence.  Some of the worst songs of the 2017 can be found on this album. Such songs include the off-beat “DN Freestyle,” the embarrassing cat-play and cello-blowing “Peek a Boo,” and the absolutely horrendous “Bring It Back.” Hard to see the rapper rebound from this godawful mess. “She blow the dick like cello?” C’mon Yachty!

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2. The Chainsmokers, Memories…Do Not Open

Columbia

Memories…Do Not Open, the full-length debut album by The Chainsmokers, is one memory I wished I’d never opened (Most critics felt the same way).  Initially, this album came over as ‘better than expected,’ considering low expectations for the project. Looking back though, this project is an absolute disaster.  “Paris” was always sort of annoying, while “Break Up Every Night” ruins the fun it attempts with dopey lyrics, specifically, “She wants to break up every night / Then tries to fuck me back to life.” Go down the track list and perhaps save for “Something Just Like This,” it’s hard to find anything redeemable or worth revisiting. Time for this frat boy duo to grow up.

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3. Lil Uzi Vert, Luv is Rage 2

Atlantic

Ah, another idiosyncratic rapper. This time, it’s the Grammy-nominated Lil Uzi Vert. Yes, you read right – “Grammy-nominated.” Ugh. To his credit, Lil Uzi Vert has had a big year.  Unfortunately, his proper debut album Luv is Rage 2, falls short of the glory of such a momentous year.  As a whole, Luv is Rage 2 sounds like one, great, big, fat mixtape.  Despite its great production work, Luv is Rage 2 lacks strong, fully-developed material, cohesion, and ultimately, a definitive characterization of who Lil Uzi Vert is artistically. Personally, I don’t see the allure, but he’s definitely a torchbearer for the new generation of rap.

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4. Linkin Park, One More Light

Warner Bros.

Including Linkin Park on this list, considering the tragic suicide of frontman Chester Bennington, seems cruel.  After all, One More Light is the final studio album featuring Bennington. Unfortunately, for the band, this simply isn’t a strong album in the least.  While themes and issues of maturity, reflection, and empowerment explored are relevant to the band, the material itself is simply subpar. “Heavy,” the ire of most critics, is actually one of the better moments.  That’s not saying very much.

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5. Katy Perry, Witness

Capitol

No matter how you try to spin it, 2017 wasn’t a great year for Katy Perry. Witness was a flop critically and commercially. By far, this is the worst, least impactful album she’s ever released.  During the promo campaign, she never struck gold.  Her first shot at it, “Chained by the Rhythm” wasn’t even a bad record, it just underperformed.  Unfortunately for Ms. Perry, “Bon Appétit” was horrific – among the worst songs of the year – Migos assist or not.  As a whole, Witness had too much filler and not nearly enough hits. Despite “Swish Swish” bragging about putting “another one in the basket,” it’s an ‘alternative fact’ in the case of Witness.

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6. Lupe Fiasco, DROGAS Light

1^st & 15^th

Lupe Fiasco has incredible skills as a rapper.  He’s socially-conscious, with a penchant for dropping meaningful rhymes throughout his career. However, sometimes he’s dumbed it down for more commercial success, which has often hurt his critical stock. In the case of DROGAS Light, this is by far the least memorable album of his career.  It’s not abysmal or horrendous, but it is forgettable, save for a select few moments such as “Made in the USA,” featuring Bianca Sings.  While he’s allowed to switch up his style and embrace modern hip-hop, DROGAS Light is far from being the tour de force in his discography.

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7. Chris Brown, Heartbreak on a Full Moon

RCA

Chris Brown did something dumb in 2017 – he released a two-and-a-half-hour album with Heartbreak on a Full Moon.  Lately, experiencing an hour-long Chris Brown album has been painful enough, let alone a double-disc of shallowness from the bad-boy R&B singer. To make matters even worse, Brown expanded the effort! Heartbreak on a Full Moon Deluxe Edition: Cuffing Seasons – 12 Days of Christmas is comprised of an unbearable 57 songs as opposed to the original 45.  Furthermore, it expands past the three-hour mark. Utterly Ridiculous. Why did RCA sign off on this?

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8. Shania Twain, Now

Mercury

Putting Shania Twain on a worst-of list of any kind seems cruel.  The Canadian country-pop artist is a legend at this point.  Unfortunately, both fans and Twain herself deserved better than her comeback album Now. This was not the comeback that it should’ve been, despite the fact that the album debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200.  There were lots of issues with this project.  First and foremost, Now lacked a signature hit.  Sure, few 51-year old musicians have hits up their sleeves, but still… Furthermore, too often, the production is all over the place, while the vocal production doesn’t do her justice.  The material is so-so at best, while even the better moments aren’t ‘the second coming.’

 

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9. Imagine Dragons, Evolve

Interscope 

With each successive album, Nevada alternative collective Imagine Dragons seem to be ‘losing it.’ That’s a bold, blunt statement, but Evolve is arguably the sketchiest album the band has released up until this point. Amazingly, the album somehow solidified a spot as a Grammy nominee for Best Pop Vocal Album.  Yeah, just how the [BLEEP] did that happen? To the band and album’s credit, at the time of review, I called Evolve “respectable.” Fair, but I also stated “the evolution (and execution) is imperfect.” Despite hits like “Believer” and the ‘all-too-familiar’ “Thunder,” what makes Evolve particularly special? Well, it’s certainly not “Radioactive.”

 

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10. Fergie, Double Dutchess

BMG Rights Management

“M.I.L.F.$” certainly couldn’t save Double Dutchess.  Everything was wrong about how the sophomore album by Fergie arrived.  The first strike for Fergie was the fact that Double Dutchess arrived 11 years after her debut, delayed more than couple of years to say the least.  The second strike was the material. This is a big pop album that’s ‘all over the place’ with so-so material at best. The third strike? No hit singles.  None.  It was a commercial flop to the nth degree.  If Fergie were depending on this, she’d certainly go “Hungry.” It got average marks initially, but looking back, this project doesn’t hold up.  Of course, “You Already Know” that reading this critical blurb. “Life Goes On.”

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11. Machine Gun Kelly, bloom

Bad Boy / Interscope 

Looking back on bloom, will anyone call the album a classic? I’d most certainly hope not.  At best, the third studio album by Machine Gun Kelly is average.  Interestingly, pop-rap smashes like “Bad Things” and “At My Best” seemed to suggest that the Cleveland MC was onto something (see said linked track reviews).  Unfortunately, looking back at those two particular songs, they feel like total fool’s gold.  Of course, “Trap Paris” was never ‘the second coming.’ Jesus certainly wouldn’t have any part of “f*cking on camera.” Sheesh.

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12.Maroon 5, Red Pill Blues

Interscope

To quote Fall Out Boy, how “The Mighty Fall.”  There’s no need to waste any more breaths on how Maroon 5 has conformed to modern pop over the years. Red Pill Blues may be their most conformist album yet, and that’s not a good thing. While Red Pill Blues has its moments, it also lacks the oomph that initially made the band distinct.  This album is too slick, too simple, and honestly, too pop. The biggest rub is that it feels generic, with the likes of the floptastic “Help Me Out” and the lazy, shameful “Don’t Wanna Know.”  Bad look for Adam Levine and company.

Photo Credits: Capitol, Motown, Columbia, 1^st & 15^th, Atlantic, Warner Bros., RCA, Mercury, Interscope, BMG Rights Management, Bad Boy

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