Sophomore Jinx: True, False, or Over-Exaggerated
djnikoless
236 Posts
I'm doing an article with coinciding radio show (Redefinition Radio) on the Sophomore Jinx. My personal opinion is that the phrase is used a lil to freely sometimes. I think there are a lot of albums that are still solid that people label as the artists "falling off" on the second album. Sometimes it's just the 2nd album is different.Anyway, I'd like to get peoples opinions on it. Also here is a list of records that I remember hearing mentioned under the "sophomore jinx" umbrella that I disagree with. I'm not saying this artists second albums are "as good" or "better" than their debuts, but I think they are comparable or still solid releases. In some cases I definitely do prefer the 2nd albums over-all or in some form or another (ex: better production or better lyrics).... Please add your opinions on these albums. Also, please add albums that you have heard listed as the "sophomore jinx"...-artists that I have definitely heard listed as a "sophomore jinx"Das EfxUMC???s3 X???s DopeMC Shan Leaders Of The New SchoolBeastie Boys (this is more the fact that I have read that Pauls Boutique sold significantly lower than the debut when dropping and didn't become popular to much later....)Boogie MonstersDe La SoulArtifactsPoor Righteous TeachersBlack SheepCageK SoloDigable PlanetsK SoloMantronixOCPharcydeSlick RickGravediggazJ LiveDel-Some that I seem to recall hearing it about: 3rd Bass, Def Jef, YZ, JVC Force, etc....
Comments
^^^^ both HIGHLY suspect examples of the sophomore jinx.
The point is those are all ones I have heard it applied to that I don't agree with. I know a lot of people and even in some of the reviews for those albums that said that. I prefer the second album for the most part in both those cases. However, in both cases many people didn't like that the second albums were a departure from what the debuts sounded like.....
The point of this project is to point out some albums that have been "falsely" tagged with the phrase "sophomore jinx"....
false:
over exaggerated:
Jay's a pretty good example too, right?
yeah I think hindsight is key in an analysis of the sophomore jinx. both 2nd albums were departures from the first, so there were of course gonna be those that immediately cried sophomore jinx. looking back with the benefit of time and subsequent albums by both artists, I think it's clear the 2nds ones were better (in my humble opinion of course).
I see alot of these as more of a industry/record label problems coupled with not having a huge single. Perhaps in # of units sold, these units were less than the first record, but pretty much every one of these artists had huge singles to launch their careers and first albums. Upon making amazing follow up records, they didn't have huge singles to blow the album, but the efforts are not to be denied. i wouldn't throw any of these artists second records as "sophmore jinx's".