annie - don't stop

I always feel that, due to her aesthetic, I should hate Annie. She's a pop princess, a label which has come to signify complete musical ineptitude thanks to Britney Spears, Fergie, Lily Allen, etc. But, I don't hate Annie in the least nor do I believe her music to be as pathetic as most of her contemporaries. In fact, Annie might just be the saving grace that pop music needs, the spearhead for a new movement of talented women with the ability to craft beautifully catchy songs. 

Thankfully, Annie's second LP, Don't Stop, will hit shelves October 6th. I say thankfully, because the album is quickly becoming one of my favorites of the year and I think it holds wonderful potential for her to reach even more critical praise than her debut. The lyrics are simple, dealing with relationships, love, you know, normal human existence type of stuff. But, I think the real beauty of the album, besides Annie's voice, is the songcraft. There is a lot of attention to detail and each song seems to stand strongly on its own. Two of the more straightforward hits, "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me" and "Loco" have already been on the internet for a few months and received with much fanfare. "Bad Times" sounds like a Coldplay track, until an easy synth line kicks in under the vox, while opener "My Love is Better" is a rousing rock track whose lyrics deal with how much more awesome Annie is than other girls. Things slow down a lot with "When the Night," which sounds like a Michael Jackson ballad, albeit a little more futuristic. Goofy and strange, "What Do You Want (For Breakfast) is one of my favorite tracks just because the whole thing borders on being completely ridiculous, but Annie seems to wrangle the absurd into perfection each and every time.


Don't Stop is an album for everyone, regardless of musical taste or lifestyles. I feel like Annie could be the saving grace of the pop world, one to unite a divided generation behind what is the most enjoyable music in existence. But, somehow, I feel like Annie doesn't care about being overly successful and having her every move scrutinized by tabloids, since her album is an artistic statement and not a marketing strategy. So, until it's release in a month, you can wet your appetite by visiting her myspace page and streaming some tracks from the album.