00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most hotly anticipated
00:12albums that met or even exceeded expectations, and those that left a lot to be desired.
00:235. Disappointed, Say You Will, Fleetwood Mac
00:30Released eight years after the underwhelming 1995 album Time, Say You Will had fans buzzing
00:40long before it ever hit shelves. The long wait had raised expectations sky high, but when
00:46the album finally dropped, many fans were left scratching their heads.
00:50At a hefty 18 tracks, it felt like
01:01the band threw everything at the wall, and not all of it stuck. It was also Fleetwood Mac's
01:06first project since the departure of Christine McVie. Without her, the burden of songwriting
01:12fell almost entirely on Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, and it showed.
01:24Say You Will wasn't a disaster by any means. It did have some solid songs, but the whole
01:30thing came across as uneven, a far cry from the brilliance of rumors.
01:425. Amazing, MBV, My Bloody Valentine
01:47For years, My Bloody Valentine's third album, MBV, was music's biggest will they, won't
01:52they. Fans wondered if frontman Kevin Shields would ever deliver after so many years of
02:05promises and teases. By the time it arrived, quietly uploaded to the band's website on the
02:10night of February 2nd, the demand was so overwhelming that the site crashed within minutes.
02:16Against all odds, MBV far exceeded expectations. It didn't sound dated, nor did it feel like
02:31an attempt to replicate the band's legendary album Loveless. Instead, it struck a perfect
02:37balance. The familiar dreamy shoegaze and hazy vocals remained, but with new experiments
02:43that showed the band wasn't stuck in the past. In the end, the wait was more than worth
02:48it.
02:534. Disappointed, Man of the Woods, Justin Timberlake
03:08Justin Timberlake built his solo career on staying ahead of the curve in pop music. His
03:13critically and commercially successful album's future sex love sounds and the 2020 experience
03:18proved just that. So when the Prince of Pop finally announced a follow-up, fans expected
03:24another innovative genre-shaping project. Timberlake teased the record as a return to his roots,
03:30but the reaction to it was polarizing at best.
03:41Many found the mix of twangy Americana and futuristic funk beats a little messy, as if Timberlake had
03:48awkwardly mashed two wildly different playlists together. Because the album never fully committed
03:54to One Direction, it ended up sounding undercooked, and ultimately alienated fans from both sides.
03:59Indeed, this man was lost in the woods.
04:024. Amazing, After Laughter, Paramore
04:13Before the release of 2017's After Laughter, Paramore went through perhaps the most chaotic period in their history.
04:27Lineup changes, legal battles, and frontwoman Hayley Williams' struggles with mental health left fans wondering if the band was permanently fractured.
04:36When the album finally dropped four years after their self-titled record, fans breathed a huge sigh of relief.
04:42After Laughter wasn't just good, it was phenomenal. Trading their emo pop roots for bright, bouncy, new waves straight out of the 80s, the band reinvented themselves in the best possible way.
05:03The songs practically demanded you dance, even as Williams sang about depression and burnout with brutal honesty.
05:18After Laughter delivered for fans, sure, but it also helped the band heal, preventing what once seemed like an inevitable collapse.
05:253. Disappointing, Radical Optimism, Dua Lipa
05:30Although it was released at the start of the 2020s, there's no denying that future nostalgia remains one of the decade's defining pop albums.
05:38It turned Dua Lipa into the queen of modern disco pop, so everyone expected her follow-up to be bigger and bolder, but for as daring as its title was, what radical optimism ended up delivering was glossy safe pop that many found a little tame.
06:01The musical ambition and innovation that made future nostalgia a cultural reset was nowhere to be found.
06:15Sure, there were a few bops scattered around, but the majority of it felt forgettable.
06:20This album was certainly not radical, and it didn't leave us optimistic about Dua Lipa's artistic evolution.
06:26It took seven years for fans to squeeze a second album out of Cardi B.
06:47Following the massive success of 2018's invasion of privacy, her sophomore project faced repeated delays,
06:53until fans began wondering if it would ever drop at all.
06:57But when it eventually did, the payoff was undeniable.
07:07Packed with big-name features, razor-sharp bars, and the kind of hooks that live rent-free in your head,
07:13Am I the Drama reminded everyone why Cardi B is such a force.
07:16One minute she's playful and hilarious, the next she's brutally honest and vulnerable, and it all clicks.
07:30Critics praised the rapper's raw emotion and lyrical delivery, hailing the album as a true return to form.
07:37Is she the drama? Why yes, of course!
07:40Number 2 Disappointing
07:42Lip Lock, Eve
07:52Eve's lip lock was supposed to be her big comeback, her first album in over ten years after endless delays.
07:58Fans expected the same fierce rapper who dominated the early 2000s to storm back in and reclaim her throne.
08:04Instead, Eve sounded like a shadow of her former self.
08:07While a few tracks showcased flashes of her undeniable talent, the album's attempt to modernize her sound with EDM felt out of step.
08:24Her bars lacked the bite that she was once known for, and it all just seemed like a scramble to find a new musical identity.
08:40Sometimes the weight builds up anticipation for an album so high that no release could possibly match it, and Lip Lock became a prime example of that.
08:48Number 2 Amazing
08:51S.O.S. SZA
08:53It was January 2020 that SZA announced that the follow-up to her acclaimed debut Control was finished.
08:59But fans would wait nearly three years before finally hearing it.
09:03By December 2022, when the album dropped, anticipation had reached a fever pitch.
09:09Luckily, SZA delivered.
09:10S.O.S. gave us a mix of moody R&B, pop, hip-hop, and even a little punk energy, and it all came together seamlessly.
09:27The long delay may have left fans worried about a sophomore slump, but SZA instantly silenced those doubts.
09:33Singles like Kill Bill and Snooze dominated the charts, but the deep cuts still showcased her greatest strengths, her honest lyricism and dreamy vocals.
09:51Even at over an hour, S.O.S. feels like it passes in no time at all.
09:54I can just snooze and miss the moment. You're just too important. Nobody do body like you do.
10:03Number 1 Disappointing
10:05Solar Power, Lorde.
10:07When the heat comes, something takes a hold. Can I kick it? Yeah.
10:14Lorde's first two albums redefined pop music in their own way.
10:17Pure heroine critiqued materialism and fame, while melodrama dove into raw introspection.
10:24With every release, it felt like she was pushing the bar higher.
10:28Then came Solar Power.
10:30Gone were the big emotional bangers.
10:33This time, Lorde leaned into acoustic guitars, airy vocals, and a chill, almost hippie-like vibe.
10:38Some listeners found it refreshing, but many were left underwhelmed, wondering what happened to her edge.
10:51That doesn't mean it was terrible.
10:53Solar Power certainly had moments of warmth and humor, but overall, it played more like a background music for a yoga class than anything else.
11:00It was a disappointing turn from one of the boldest artists of her generation.
11:11Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:16Disappointing, Dopamine, Normani.
11:19After waiting so long, Dopamine left fans craving a much bigger rush.
11:23Amazing, Blonde, Frank Ocean.
11:34A fully realized concept album that made the wait worth it.
11:44Disappointing, Revival, Eminem.
11:47What was meant to reignite Eminem's legacy ended up dimming it.
11:50Not Godson, Nas, Rock, Kim, Pac, Big James, Todd Smith, and I'm not Prince.
11:59Amazing.
12:01Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Fiona Apple.
12:04This Grammy-winning album proved genius can't be rushed.
12:07Hurricane Gloria in Excessus Dale.
12:10That's my bird and my tree.
12:12My dog and my man and my music is my holy trinity.
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12:28Number one amazing, Black Messiah, D'Angelo.
12:41After nearly 15 years of silence, fans began to doubt if D'Angelo would ever release another album.
12:47His 2000 classic Voodoo had set the bar really high, and with each passing year, anticipation for a follow-up only grew stronger.
12:57So when Black Messiah suddenly dropped in December 2014, fans who had been holding their breath for over a decade finally exhaled.
13:04The album proved to be worth it. Far from sounding rusty, D'Angelo came back bolder and funkier than ever.
13:20Black Messiah mixed funk, soul, rock and gospel into a messy, beautiful storm, and its politically charged lyrics made it feel both urgent and timeless.
13:29With this record, D'Angelo reminded everyone why he's still in a league of his own.
13:42What albums are you currently anticipating? Let us know in the comments below!
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