FUSE: 40 Best Albums of 2014

Major breakthroughs (5SOS, Sam Smith), career milestones (Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters) and “Happy” hits (hi Pharrell!) ran wild in 2014, so here’s our final tally on the best releases

2NE1, ‘Crush’

After fans waited nearly four years for their second full-length album, the K-pop phenoms did not disappoint with a slew of forward-thinking, wholly-accessible tracks. Crush proves 2NE1‘s knack for genre-melding from the start, opening with the title track that blends Indian tabla drums and switchboard-button buzzing, followed by the reggae/trap-hybrid single “Come Back Home.” Group leader and head rapper CL even takes center stage on the incredible solo track “MTBD,” which sounds like an upgraded version of DJ Snake’s “Turn Down for What.”

— Jeff Benjamin

Credits: FuseTV