Top 10 Mini Albums of 2014

Before we move on to the best of the best early next week, I'm going to pause for my top mini albums (or EPs) of the year. Given that this format is used most widely in Asia, there's a lot of K-Pop on the list. Strangely, there's also only one female representing this year! I'll be looking for them to come strong in 2015! To be eligible for this chart, the albums must have at least four full tracks.

10. HyunA - A Talk



I became a HyunA fan this year, despite not being into too much of he stuff in the past. That's all to do with this sleek, dud-free collection of charismatic dance pop.

9. BTS - Skool Luv Affair



Nearly a full album, with eight tracks on the expanded version, I didn't like this quite as much as their other release this year, but you can't deny the pair of singles...totally different from one another but both awesome.

8. VIXX - Error



Glossy, meticulous production highlights this collection of dramatic, sci-fi flavored dance. The title track is epic, and the rest of the album surprisingly lives up to it.

7. Exo - Overdose 



EXO had a quieter year in 2014, with just this mini-album release. It's not their most in-your-face collection, but it's an incredibly interesting listen, sonically, and of course includes the fantastic title track.

6. Halo - Hello Halo 



One of the most promising new debuts of the year, I love that this group is pure POP and doesn't really try to be anything else. It's a short album, at only four tracks, but they're all bright and fun.

5. Austin Mahone - The Secret



It may not include his best song (What About Love), but the throwback sound to the late 90's Swedish pop boom is incredibly welcome and sets this collection of songs apart from everything else out there.

4. Gravitonas - Garden Of Men And Machines



My favorite release from them, simply because each and every song is flawless. It has a nice sonic variety as well, with aggressive dance sitting beside pensive balladry.

3. The Fooo Conspiracy - Conspiration



These guys released two excellent EPs this year, but this is my favorite. It's a masterclass in fun, youthful 2014 urban dance pop. Playful, energetic and ridiculously catchy.

2. Taemin - Ace 



I'm a massive Michael Jackson fan, which is part of the reason I love K-Pop so much, and Taemin delivered what sounds like a modern MJ release. His background as a dancer is evident in the way his vocals massage the beats.

1. B1A4 - Solo Day 



No single release this year sounded more like summer than this. Overall, it's more subdued and downtempo (even acoustic) than most of what I like, but song for song, I don't think this mini album could be beat in 2014. It just makes me happy.

Austin Mahone - Secret

"Everybody's got a secret"

I've gotta admit, I am really impressed by the pop star that Austin Mahone is turning into. After a string of excellent singles, I was keeping my fingers crossed that he'd follow a similar path with his EP. And he did! Listening to this EP (well, album if you tack the previous tracks on) is like listening to a modern version of a Backstreet Boys or Nsync album. The producers (RedOne, in particular) have stuck with a turn of the millennium sound that's just old enough now that it's nostalgic.Yes, readers, What About Love was not a fluke. It's only one of the many fantastic 2000-style pop songs in Mahone's discography. In fact, adding it on as the second track of the album works wonders. The flow between 'Til I Find You and What About Love is tremendous. Secret is another song I want to highlight, mostly because it sounds like Everybody (Backstreet's Back), which is a great thing. Also check out The One I've Waited For for a spot on I Want It That Way pastiche.

In summary:
What About Love = Bye Bye Bye?
Secret = Everybody (Backstreet's Back)?
The One I've Waited For = I Want It That Way?
Can't Fight This Love - Larger Than Life?
FANTASTIC



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 50 Singles Of 2013: 25-21

25. Austin Mahone - What About Love



In a year where 90's nostalgia truly blossomed, nothing evoked the Max Martin produced boybands of yesteryear better than this.

24. Ulrik Munther - San Francisco Says Hello



A particularly melancholy, lovelorn ballad from this Swedish star, but with a singalong chorus to die for.

23. Roberto Bellarosa - Love Kills



My favorite Eurovision track of the year, and it came from Belgium, a country that barely registers with me musically. Mammoth hook.

22. Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball 



The inescapable ballad that cemented Cyrus as an enormous, A-level pop star worldwide. The rare song that screams "#1 hit" from the very first listen.

21. Natalia Kills - Saturday Night 



The song that made me truly stand up and notice Natalia Kills. Personal, provocative and delivered with such heart that it's impossible to ignore.

Austin Mahone - What About Love

"What about our promises?"

Ugh. I shouldn't like this. I didn't want to like this. Austin Mahone's management is clearly trying to set him up as the "new Justin Bieber" now that Beiber's gone rogue, and until this song I didn't think he had a chance. But they brought in the big guns, enlisting RedOne to produce this track. And my god, it worked. This is totally bringing me back to the teen pop heyday of 1998-2000. It could've been on any of the 'Nsync or Backstreet Boys albums. It's refreshingly melodic in a sugary way, with a video that wouldn't have been out of place thirteen years ago. I don't know if they intentionally meant to create such a flashback, but in doing so they're really going to please us older pop fans. This feels more like something that would've come out in Sweden--not America. It'll be interesting to see if he can gain Bieber-like popularity. The song already seems to be doing pretty well for him.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.