5 Worst Sophomore Albums Ever Released

We all know what happens when a debut artist breaks on to the scene. They’re on every godforsaken chat and radio platform known to man, and we’re drenched to saturation with the artist’s work. They become the talking point in the nation’s musical conversations, and albums fly off the shelves like discarded flyers in a nasty gust of autumn wind.

But, as grandiose rapper Drake once quipped, all that hype ain’t the same next year, boy. The struggle to create a second album that mirrors the first’s perceived quality is very real. And much to the dismay of musicians and record companies alike, some anticipated second albums fail to make the grade. Here’s my take on the worst second albums ever recorded.

N.B I do not accept Extended Plays as albums. Only studio albums count.

Ed Sheeran – X

I was caught by surprise when I heard Ed Sheeran’s +. Its catchy melodies and soft, yet authoritative vocals made me, briefly, an Ed-Head (or whatever ridiculous name the fandom of this particular artist have decided to call themselves). However, in comparison to the soaring quality of the former, X was…well, it was just the same as +. There was no progression is sound at all. You might as well have played + backwards for all the change Sheeran made on X. With an innovative artist with many influences like Sheeran, one comes to expect a level of sound evolution. However, this wasn’t noticeable on X, and this self-congratulatory plod through old ground was a huge disappointment.

The Darkness – One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back

Oh British hard rock, wherefore art thou? Well, twelve years ago, we thought we’d found the answer with the beautifully, intentionally outdated, soaring guitar-bashing pouring out of The Darkness’ first album. It is a testament to the quality of the album that songs like I Believe In A Thing Called Love still sound as good over a decade on from my first discovery of the band, aged eight. Unfortunately, Justin Hawkins and company failed to replicate this, and in quite spectacular fashion, with the abysmal One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back. Even the mastering of the record appeared to have decreased in quality, with the end product sounding like it had been mastered on one of those Pringles promotional speakers. This was outdated. But not in a good way. Ah well, it was fun whilst it lasted.

Cascada – Perfect Day

I know what you’re thinking: what, she had a first good album? Well, for your information, I actually rather enjoyed the German euro-pop trio’s debut outing into the music world. Everytime We Touch was chock full of bangers, anthems and general stomp along nonsense that still gets my head nodding ten years on. Let that cast a shadow over your opinion of me if you like, but I maintain that Cascada’s jump into the mainstream was worthwhile and good fun all round. Despite this, 2007’s Perfect Day was when Cascada fell off whatever relevance mountain she was atop, and from this album came some truly, truly awful songs. The worst track, by far, was a bastardization of Avril Lavigne’s pop-punk classic Sk8er Boi – a miserable wade through the swamp of musical hell, the faux-guitar reeking of an absolute lack of innovation on the part of Natalie and her German compadres – a trend that carried on throughout.

Kaiser Chiefs – Yours Truly, Angry Mob

The Kaisers’ first outing, Employment, was a moody, grungier side of guitar music that proved popular with fans and critics alike. And whilst some tracks off the sophomore effort, namely Ruby and Everything Is Average Nowadays were floor fillers in the indie and rock communities, the album fades at numerous points during the album. Good five track interludes, awash with miserable, samey guitar tones that have plagued guitar music since its renaissance in the late nineties and early to mid-noughties. Ending track Retirement is symptomatic of this: banal lyrics that have no meaning at all, plodding, repetitive tones and utterly pointless faux-grunge breakdowns. A classic case of sophomore album syndrome, and whilst it may have been released to generally positive reviews, time has done no favours for this record.

Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better

The debut, self-titled release from this group was insane exciting in the same way that Employment was, but came out a year earlier. The bass-heavy, groove-infested record hit heights with runaway successes such as the superb Take Me Out and The Dark of The Matinee. The heights of this album were only reached on one single with the following release a year later, that being Do You Want To – everything else on You Could Have It, akin to Yours Truly, Angry Mob, faded into simplicity and mind-numbing guitar work. It was especially sad, as unlike the Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand have been largely unable to form any kind of resurgence to the former glories of their self-titled debut. The effervescent nature of Take Me Out will grant it dancefloor immortality, and it is with deep regret that this release makes the list. Alas, it in fact completes the list of the worst sophomore albums ever.