00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, where we're looking at times talented musicians followed up an acclaimed album with a disappointing one.
00:20Number 10. Solar Power, Lorde.
00:30In 2013, the New Zealand singer released her debut album, Pure Heroine, which was a huge success.
00:40She then teamed up with Jack Antonoff for her 2017 release, Melodrama, which a lot of people thought was even better than her debut.
00:48This put a lot of pressure on Lorde to release another outstanding album.
00:53After four years, Solar Power was released, which was her first week release.
00:59While it wasn't all bad, it was nowhere near the same level of quality as her other albums.
01:11Thankfully, her fourth album from 2025 was received much better, marking a return to form.
01:17Number 9. MTV Unplugged number 2.0, Lauryn Hill.
01:30In 1998, American musician Lauryn Hill rose to fame after dropping her debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
01:38It was widely adored, considered by many one of 1998's greatest albums.
01:52A year later, she became the first rapper on Time Magazine's cover.
01:57In 2002, things went downhill for Hill when she released MTV Unplugged number 2.0.
02:04Please don't be mad with me. I have no identity. All that I've known is gone.
02:12Critical reception was seriously divided. A lot of fans felt it sounded like a rambling live album with little structure or cohesion.
02:20As the years have passed, it's garnered a cult following, and feelings have warmed towards it.
02:26You can't deny that it disappointed many at release, however.
02:29Every day's another chance to get it right this time.
02:39Number 8. Encore, Eminem.
02:49After a mediocre debut album, Eminem achieved global fame with a run of three incredibly praised releases.
02:56The final was The Eminem Show, which he dropped in 2002.
03:00Two years later, the divisive album Encore hit record stores.
03:05It included some iconic tracks, such as Like Toy Soldiers and Mockingbird.
03:18As an album, though, it didn't have the same cohesion and consistency as the three before it.
03:23Even Eminem calls it one of his weakest releases.
03:27He claimed it was so poor quality because he was severely addicted to narcotics at the time.
03:32Man, you must be about your mind.
03:34Dre!
03:35Beer guy goes blind!
03:36I'm just trying to unwind!
03:38Number 7. The Big Day, Chance the Rapper.
03:41Tangerine, yeah, I call it sweet and sour.
03:43And my lawyers say it's urgent, I'ma call them in the house.
03:46There was a period when Chance was considered one of the greatest up-and-coming rappers in the business.
03:51His first three mixtapes were all highly acclaimed, attracting a larger audience with each release.
03:57Alongside the mixtapes, he also contributed heavily to the 2015 album Surf,
04:03an experimental neo-soul release which was widely adored.
04:07Unfortunately, his 2019 debut solo album, The Big Day, was an absolute disaster.
04:12Dude! I just caught a plug and his phone was unplugged. I was looking at Doug like...
04:18Dude!
04:20There was little to praise about the 77-minute long album,
04:23which is now considered one of the most disappointing albums ever.
04:27Since then, Chance hasn't released a follow-up,
04:30likely due to the immense pressure surrounding a comeback.
04:33Days disappeared in some miles in the streets.
04:40Number 6. Self-Portrait. Bob Dylan.
04:43All the tired hoses in the sun, I was supposed to get it right and done.
04:49In the early 60s, Dylan started to gain tons of momentum
04:53from releasing acclaimed album after acclaimed album.
04:57The last album in this incredible run was Nashville Skyline, released in 1969.
05:03Despite changing his vocal style significantly, it was widely celebrated.
05:08Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.
05:16When the 70s rolled around, Dylan released Self-Portrait.
05:19And it was difficult to find a fan.
05:22In 1984, Dylan explained his motivation behind the album.
05:25He'd grown fed up with the overwhelming fame,
05:28so he released it as a bit of a joke,
05:30in the hopes it would diminish his huge following.
05:33It's always been funny.
05:36It still is? Yeah.
05:39Number 5. American Life. Madonna.
05:42She didn't earn the title of Queen of Pop for nothing.
05:52Throughout both the 80s and 90s, she dominated pop music.
05:56At the turn of the century, she released Music, another huge success for Madonna.
06:01Sadly, her follow-up album American Life caused a significant dip in her popularity.
06:06It was her most politically charged album yet.
06:16It critiqued American culture,
06:18with its title tracks video featuring Madonna in a soldier's uniform.
06:22At a time when America was invading Iraq,
06:24it made her feel unpatriotic and out of touch with the average American audience.
06:29The video was so controversial, Madonna refused to release it initially.
06:34I'm just living out the American dream,
06:36and I just realized that nothing is what it seems.
06:42Number 4. Tonight. David Bowie.
06:45One day, I'm gonna lie to put my little letter.
06:49From the late 60s to the early 80s,
06:52Bowie kept putting out great albums consecutively.
06:55Even when he was consuming nothing but milk, peppers, and narcotics,
06:58he released acclaimed records like Station to Station.
07:02This remarkably consistent run fell apart when Tonight was released.
07:12It felt like he was just coasting off Let's Dance's success,
07:16with three of the tracks being Iggy Pop covers.
07:19Unlike his previous albums,
07:21it lacked innovation and felt much less adventurous.
07:24Even Bowie was so unimpressed he didn't tour for it,
07:27and only played two tracks off it live in later shows.
07:31Number 3. Man of the Woods. Justin Timberlake.
07:42Everybody says say something, say something, say something, say something, say something.
07:48The Prince of Pop had a solid streak of albums during his career,
07:52beginning with Justified in 2002.
07:55In 2013, he released a two-part album,
07:58The 2020 Experience, which was a wonderfully mature double album.
08:03Five years later, he released Man of the Woods,
08:06which received a lukewarm reception, to put it kindly.
08:09I'm sorry baby, you know I tried.
08:14Its critics said it lacked thematic cohesion,
08:17with a wide lack of consistency in the quality of the songs.
08:20Despite the reception, it sold pretty well initially,
08:23but it doesn't have the same impact as his other releases.
08:26In 2024, he followed it up with a new release,
08:30everything I thought it was.
08:32Unfortunately, it has an even lower rating on average than the 2018 LP.
08:37Number 2. The Final Cut. Pink Floyd.
08:40I can barely define the shape of this moment in time.
08:45The Wall by Pink Floyd is considered to be one of their greatest albums.
08:49The main creative force behind the album was Roger Waters' The Bass Player,
08:54as opposed to older albums, where they would have had a more equal say.
08:58This motivated them to follow it up with even more Waters,
09:01which resulted in the final cut.
09:03Will you still hold me tonight?
09:09Many people consider it more of a Waters solo album than a Pink Floyd album.
09:14It was met with fairly mixed reviews,
09:16marking the end of their extremely successful four-album run,
09:19beginning with Dark Side of the Moon.
09:21Waters considered Pink Floyd, quote,
09:23a spent force creatively,
09:26then asked the High Court to dissolve them when the remaining members carried on.
09:30Sometimes you stay in a marriage longer than you should have done.
09:33Sometimes you stay in a band longer than she did.
09:35But maybe you get something out of those extra years.
09:38So I have no regrets.
09:40I've been unbelievably lucky, obviously.
09:43Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:47Goat's Head Soup, The Rolling Stones.
09:50Despite topping charts, critics were not too impressed.
09:53I'm in You, Peter Frampton.
10:03It had a solid title track, but not much else.
10:06You can't buy what we made, you and I.
10:13Art Pop, Lady Gaga.
10:15Now, many fans consider this their favorite.
10:18But at release, it was much more disliked.
10:21Pop culture was in the arts now.
10:24Arts and pop culture in me.
10:26IndieCud, Kid Cudi.
10:28Cudi has never reached the heights of his Man on the Moon era.
10:31You don't really care about the trials of tomorrow.
10:35Rather lay awake in the bed full of sorrow.
10:39Maya, M.I.A.
10:41This was nowhere near as successful as Kala that preceded it.
10:44Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
10:57You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
11:01If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
11:05Number 1. Let it be. The Beatles.
11:17In 1968, the Beatles released the White Album, which was all over the place.
11:22It had some of their best songs and their worst since they were seriously divided.
11:27A few months later, they started recording Let It Be.
11:30But they grew so tired of it, they shelved it around spring 1969.
11:35Instead, they worked on Abbey Road, which is widely considered one of the greatest albums ever made.
11:47Instead of going out on a high note, they decided to rework and release Let It Be, which was a huge disappointment.
11:53It felt like one last cash grab to a lot of fans, especially since they'd already broken up before it dropped.
12:00Did you listen to any of these albums at release and have your thoughts changed since?
12:10Let us know in the comments.
12:12Push the button. Don't push the button. Trip the station. Change the channel.
Comments