In the history of pop, it’s not unusual for musicians to follow up a commercially successful album with a darker and more introspective one. The results are often weaker than Feist’s strong Metals.
MGMT
Oracular Spectacular (2007)
Congratulations (2010)
While many critics were dismayed that there weren’t any obvious upbeat singles like Kids or Electric Feel on Congratulations, the follow-up to their 2007 debut, Oracular Spectacular, that didn’t stop Congratulations from going straight to number two on the Billboard 200 chart, far ahead of the number-38 position reached by the former.
Nirvana
Nevermind (1991)
In Utero (1993)
The massively successful genre-defining grunge of Nevermind was darker than anything else on the pop charts in 1991, but that was nothing compared to the claustrophobic and abrasive mood of their third and final album, In Utero. Not surprisingly, it sold less than half as many copies as their breakthrough but was critically adored.
Lou Reed
Transformer (1972)
Berlin (1973)
Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, Transformer balanced gritty themes with catchy glam rock hooks and spawned Reed’s best-known song, Walk On The Wild Side. A year later he followed it up with the tragic rock opera of Berlin. Though widely panned at the time, it’s now deemed by many the best album of his career.
Weezer
Weezer (1994)
Pinkerton (1996)
Pinkerton’s lyrical themes and noisier sound were a deliberate reaction against the runaway success of their self-titled debut. At the time, it was a critical and commercial failure. Frontman Rivers Cuomo later described it as a “hideous record” and a “hugely painful mistake.” However, it’s recently enjoyed a positive critical re-evaluation and has continued to sell steadily. Cuomo’s changed his mind about it as well.
Drake
Thank Me Later (2010)
Take Care (2011)
The Toronto rapper became famous because of his free mixtape So Far Gone, and while his major-label debut, Thank Me Later, sold shitloads of copies, Drake has since admitted he felt rushed into it, and NOW found it disappointing. Take Care, on the other hand, lives up to his early promise and debuted at number one on Billboard despite being a deeply moody and introspective record. Somehow, he’s managed to prove that insecurity can be as valid a subject as braggadocio in commercial hip-hop.
