Pinpointed: Sophomore Stars
By: Bailey Tolentino
Success early on in one’s career is obviously exciting and lovely, but artists almost always feel the need to prove they deserve to stay in the mainstream. Sometimes that means taking risks, holding back on others, employing a strong concept to their album, or venturing into new genres. Often, it’s a blend of all of the above.
Here are a few albums that proved the ‘sophomore slump’ theory wrong.
Melodrama by Lorde
Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine was so impressive mostly because she wrote it at the age of sixteen, with lyrics and themes that felt very mature despite having a clear feeling of teenage angst. At nineteen, she stunned yet again with Melodrama, which I believe is one of the greatest albums of the century and perfectly captures the feeling of being at the cusp of your 20s. It is more introspective than her debut as she explicates her emotions about herself and her life rather than about society and those around her. The production still has a grunge feel to it so it feels “Lorde-esque,” but there are more colourful sounds that bring the album to further (perfect?) places than her first does. The lyrics bring imagery, the production brings the passion, and there is a cohesion that makes the album skipless without being repetitive. Every track serves its purpose: from ‘Green Light’, which introduces that this album is about how she wishes she could “just let go;” to ‘Sober’, which sounds like a long night out at the club; to ‘The Louvre’, which creates a brilliant metaphor for how flawed romances can still be beautiful enough to be displayed in the greatest museums; to confessional deep cuts like ‘Liability’ and ‘Writer in the Dark’; to reflective reelings over a recently ended relationship in ‘Hard Feelings/Loveless’ and ‘Supercut’. All of them draw melodramatic feelings: all the good and bad and happy and sad, all at once.
Best tracks: Hard Feelings/Loveless + The Louvre
Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa
This album’s greatest success is its concept, with almost every song interpolating or showing hints of 1980s electro-pop and disco music. ‘Future Nostalgia’ interpolates the guitar riffs from ‘Need You Tonight’ by INXS, ‘Love Again’ samples ‘Your Woman’ by White Town, and ‘Physical’ is a modern recreation of Olivia Newton-John’s song by the same title. The production throughout is inspired by the era. Coming out in 2020, it brought the dancefloor to our houses while we were in lockdown (Dua even sold tickets for online concerts called ‘Studio 2054’). Just as in her debut, she made us want to dance and utilised her unique vocal cadence, but this time, proved her artistry to be focused on more than hit-making (though the concept was so well executed that many hits came out of the album, anyway).
Best tracks: Pretty Please + Love Again
21 by Adele
This is undeniably Adele’s breakthrough album, full of hits and karaoke go-tos. Her debut album 19 is more stripped back, with acoustic guitar being the primary instrumentation. Though 19 also has a bunch of love songs, 21 established Adele as a master of ballads, with songs like ‘Someone Like You’ and ‘One and Only’. However, there is a fire in the first half of the album with songs like ‘Rolling in the Deep’, ‘Rumour Has It’, and ‘Set Fire to the Rain’, which proved her to be an incredible vocalist as well as a songwriter capable of exploring different sides of love (like anger) that were not present in her first album. I’d argue this is also a skipless album, for even the less popular tracks (like ‘He Won’t Go’ or ‘Turning Tables’) are catchy and unique while still contributing to the overall theme. Adele kept the lyrical vulnerability and hearty feel to her pre-established sound, but included features of the pop genre and showed off her vocals more to appeal to a wider audience. The risk was worth it, for this is still her most essential album.
Best track: Don’t You Remember
Beatopia by beabadoobee
Having gained popularity from simple 4-chorder bedroom pop/lo-fi acoustic guitar songs in her EPs, beabadoobee did not have to venture further to keep that popularity. However, her first studio album Fake It Flowers showed off very edgy/alternative sounds, which almost felt like she was trying too hard to escape her previous teenage sound. With her sophomore album Beatopia, though, we are introduced to the singer’s world (hence the title). Here, we still hear the influence from her beginnings in bedroom pop but the production and concept are more advanced and thought-out than in her debut, resulting in a standout album, proving her capable of blending her musical aspirations with her previous successes to create the quintessential beabadoobee sound. ‘You’re Here That’s the Thing’ and ‘Ripples’ are examples of homage to her roots, with simple chord progressions and melodies reminiscent of her 2017 TikTok-viral hit ‘Coffee’. ‘See You Soon’ and ‘Talk’ are better-cultivated versions of what was attempted in Fake It Flowers; ‘The Perfect Pair’ journeys into a new genre (bossa nova)’ and ‘Pictures of Us’ is the underrated highlight of the album, a beautifully produced tribute a sick family member, co-written and co-produced with The 1975’s Matty Healy.
Best track: Pictures of Us
Honourable mention: Fine Line by Harry Styles
Although I personally prefer his debut (not because it’s better but because I prefer that genre), no one can deny that Styles proved something with Fine Line. Many risks were taken, both musically and with his brand. Yet, this album boosted him into success greater than that of One Direction, and that is no small feat. He proved himself a serious artist to cynics and gained respect from critics, while still maintaining his pre-existing fanbase.
Best tracks: Lights Up + Sunflower, Vol. 6