Best Albums of March 2014

Hey guys! This part 2 of 2! I am recapping the best and worst albums of March 2014! Part 1 focused on the worst albums of March 2014. If you haven't yet see it, you can get caught up here! As for part 2, this is my list of the 3 best albums released this past month. Also stay tuned for the most anticipated April releases!

Best Albums

3. "G I R L" by Pharrell Williams
Release Date: March 3rd, 2014
Billboard 200 Peak: 2
1st Week Sales: 113,000
My Score: 80

Pharrell's first studio album in 8 years really impressed. "Happy" led the project, and helped it debut high on the Billboard 200 with an impressive first week sales number (113,000). As I stated in my album review:

          "Most of the songs were styled the right way and fit the general theme of the album and the concept. Some of the songs felt rushed or overly simplified but most were still very worthy of applause. "Hunter" and "Lost Queen" were the clear duds of the album while "Marilyn Monroe", "Happy" and "Know Who You Are" were the highlights of the album. Pharrell proved he can produce a sexy album but he also showed that he couldn't make it perfect -- and that's fine because no one can. I was intrigued but a few songs fell a little flat and Pharrell (who is usually an expert collaborator) didn't handle his guest spots correctly and tried to outshine his featured guests (in most cases). That might be because this is his first album in 8 years and because he wanted it to be personal, but he nipped it in the butt nevertheless. Also, stop making songs too short (2 minutes) or Justin Timberlake sized (5 1/2 minutes +).

           It's a solid album and was on par with what I expected. Thanks for a memorable and fresh album."

The best thing about the album was the fact that it came together quickly. I mean he was doing a handful of collaborations in 2013 and then all of a sudden he puts out a full length studio album and it does well. That is just incredible.

2. "Pulses" by Karmin
Release Date: March 25th, 2014
Billboard 200 Peak: TBA
1st Week Sales: TBA
My Score: 84

Pulses was among the brighter selection of March's somewhat disappointing album crop. It has several potential single choices and was very solid with few disappointing tracks. Unfortunately, it didn't connect with mainstream audiences that well. It is looking at a weak debut on the Billboard 200. Hopefully it will turn around for Karmin. Here were some of my thoughts:

         "Pulses had a few weaker sections (namely "Night Like This" and "Try Me On") but remained rather solid throughout. "Puppet", "Pulses", "Neon Love" and "Drifter" were among the best tracks and "What's In It For Me" was a pleasant surprise that sets Karmin apart from mainstream artists (they are willing to talk negatively about the music industry in a song) though it wasn't among the best tracks. I was surprised to find that "Acapella" was in the middle for me though it peaked at #5 on my list. I guess that means Karmin should expect a lot of huge hits."

Additionally, "Drifter" has been added to the CDS Music Chart playlist as of March 27th. That's a good sign.

1. "SHAKIRA." by Shakira
Release Date: March 25th, 2014
Billboard 200 Peak: TBA (Expected to be #2)
1st Week Sales: TBA (Expected to sell 70k-80k)
My Score: 84

SHAKIRA. was a very successful album for Shakira. It mixed what Shakira was good at with a fresh new sound. The end result was a major success. It looks like my most anticipated album of the month was the best album of the month. That rarely happens. There were a lot of potential singles included, and nearly all of the tracks were near perfect. You can read a short portion of my review here:

           "Shakira's stunning new album is fresh, vibrant and fun. Though it contains some noticeable flaws ("Spotlight", "Broken Record"), the album pulled itself together nicely and is a huge step up from her 2009 English language record She Wolf. There were a few candidates for upcoming single status and there were lots of other songs that, while they wouldn't be the best single choices, were extremely well done and were album highlights. All the collaborations were strong, yet I was surprised that "Can't Remember to Forget You (feat. Rihanna)" underwhelmed compared to the other two collaborations. Strangely it wasn't one of favorites from the album. "That Way", "Loca Por Ti" and "Medicine (feat. Blake Shelton)" were among the real highlights, while I am predicting that "Dare (La La La)/La La La" is released as the next single."

Come back for an April album preview and tell me which albums YOU thought were the best of March below!