Sophomore records that refute the sophomore slump

We've all heard about it before. There's a lot of belief in this thing called the "sophomore slump," especially in the music industry.

For those of you lucky enough to never have heard of this phenomenon, a sophomore slump is when a second (or sophomore) effort fails to live up to the relatively high standards of the first effort.

So what does that look like in the music industry? Well, it's a common belief that second albums tend to fall short of a band's first record. Bands and artists often feel like they have to work harder with their sophomore record just so they don't succumb to the jinx.

There are people who wholeheartedly believe in the sophomore slump, that it's a terrible jinx that curses a lot of bands and albums that genuinely could've or should've been good.

Ultimately, though, I just think it's easier for people to blame a jinx of sorts than to see that perhaps the process just wasn't given the time and effort it deserved, or maybe the timing just sucked.

There are so many incredible sophomore albums in existence that serve as a reminder that the so-called "sophomore slump," at the very least, isn't unbeatable. Here are a few I can think of off the top of my head.

TRAUMA by I Prevail (2019)

It's no secret that TRAUMA is my favorite album of no time, so it should be not much of a surprise to see this album on this list.

I Prevail's first album, Lifelines, was a pretty good commercial success. It reached a peak chart position in the US of 15 and it's been certified gold in Canada. It was received relatively well from critics -- relative being the key word here.

Although it may have seemed to be a success, Lifelines was also nearly the end of the band. It had kind of seemed that everything that could've gone wrong for them on that album cycle did, from their bus burning down, to lead singer Brian Burkheiser developing a serious vocal injury that caused him to miss a huge chunk of a tour. When writing and producing the album, they found themselves being treated like products of the machine, not being able to make the music they wanted to, to work with the producers they wanted to. Lifelines wasn't the album the band themselves wanted to put out. They point to their song "Stuck In Your Head" as an example, saying it's close to a pop punk break-up song and that's not their style -- they're not pop punk guys and they don't want to write break-up songs.

TRAUMA, though, everything was different. They made that album on their terms. Completely on their own terms. It was the album they wanted to make and the record reflected that.

And so did the reception for the album. Critics raved about the record, and it peaked at 14 in the US Billboard 200, at number 2 in the US Top Rock Albums chart, and on charts in countries Lifelines had never even entered the charts in previously.

And on top of that? The record was nominated for the Grammy for Best Rock Album, and its lead single, "Bow Down," was nominated for the Grammy for Best Metal Performance.

TRAUMA, in everything it is and stands for, is a perfect example that refutes the sophomore slump. I could talk about every way that's so for hours on end, but no one's got the time for that, so I'll just say this: it's I Prevail's best work to date, absolutely no doubt about it.

Welcome to the Neighbourhood by Boston Manor (2018)

UK-based punk band Boston Manor began to see themselves put on the map with their sophomore record Welcome to the Neighbourhood. The album followed their 2016 debut album Be Nothing, and suddenly now more people where paying attention.

Critically, Welcome to the Neighbourhood was met with pretty high praise. It took everything that made them good and unique and amped it up, while also throwing in some new tricks. It was featured by Kerrang! as Album of the Week, and it peaked in the UK charts at 80. It also got them nominated for their two awards -- Kerrang! Awards' Best British Breakthrough as a band, and the album itself was nominated for Heavy Music Awards' Best Album Artwork -- both of which helped garner them more attention than they had previously had.

Welcome to the Neighbourhood is a compilation of everything that Boston Manor is and stands for. It's an incredible album with a focus specifically on their hometown of Blackpool, UK. It's a phenomenal album that slaps hard with every listen. And it genuinely feels leagues above Be Nothing.

So Wrong, It's Right by All Time Low (2007)

I honestly forget sometimes that So Wrong, It's Right is All Time Low's second album. It follows 2005's The Party Scene and, while it's definitely not their best work, it's absolutely better than their first album.

I mean, I'm pretty sure most people forget that The Party Scene even exists, which is a pretty good sign that All Time Low did much better the second time around.

So Wrong, It's Right, is also perhaps one of the band's most iconic albums. Certified Gold in the US, it topped the US Billboard 200 at 62 -- the second worst charting position of any of their albums, second to only, you guessed it, The Party Scene.

But it's also home of All Time Low's most popular song, "Dear Maria, Count Me In" -- although "Monsters" is certainly giving it a run for its money. The main single from this album, the song itself is now two times certified Platinum in the US and certified Gold in the UK. It's the only piece they've ever released to be certified platinum in the US.

So Wrong, It's Right is a pretty solid example that in order to refute the sophomore slump, you just have to be better than the first record, or, in theory, at least even. It doesn't by any means need to be the pinnacle of your career, the best release you've ever put out throughout your entire career. It just needs to be the best at the time. So Wrong, It's Right, but, really, "Dear Maria, Count Me In," launched All Time Low into the decades-spanning career that they've had and put them right at the forefront of the pop punk genre, constantly swinging into the mainstream.

Entertainment by Waterparks (2018)

While 2018's Entertainment is in no way, shape or form Waterparks' best work to date, it was a solid follow-up to their debut record, Double Dare.

By no means perfect, this album demonstrated a couple things. One, that Waterparks was here to stay, and that they were just getting started. And two, they're a band that refuses to be tied to any one lane.

As a review by Dork notes, "a juxtaposition that’s proven effective time and time again, ‘Entertainment’ may be more popcorn than a three course dinner, but it hits the spot every time." It may not be the most fulfilling record Waterparks has dropped, but it still hits in exactly the right spots at exactly the right times.

Entertainment, while perhaps performing critically just as well as Double Dare, saw Waterparks' prove that they're more than just another pop punk band for the first time in their career, but by far not the last.

And lead singer Awsten Knight has admitted that "TANTRUM" opened a lot of doors for them artistically as to what they can create. He realized he could push the limits in different ways from heavier sounds to more specific and angry lyrics, which directly led to "LIKE IT" off their fourth album Greatest Hits -- which specifically calls out someone that caused the name to be bleeped in the song.

Entertainment isn't a perfect record. But it's still damn good. It's a fun listen, a pretty solid soundtrack to summer nights. It's a vibrant record and its in times surprising, especially in context of who everyone thought Waterparks was back then. Their sophomore record was a huge step forward for them as a band, even if it seemed to the world it was possibly more of a just step in place, or a tiny step forward.

The Click by AJR (2017)

If you want to talk sophomore albums that put bands on the map, AJR needs to be mentioned at some point during that conversation. I swear, it's nearly impossible to know at the very least "Sober Up" with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer or "Weak." The former was in a Microsoft commercial, as well as peaking at number 3 on the US Rock Airplay chart, at number 29 on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart, and being certified platinum in the US. The latter peaked at 27 on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart, at number 73 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has been two-time certified platinum in the US.

The Click followed 2015's Living Room, and was AJR's first appearance on the US Billboard 200 chart, debuting at number 61. It's since been certified Gold in the US.

AJR's sophomore album paved the way for their magnitudes of success. The trio has been active since 2005 and this was the first time they'd seen anything like success to that scale. What they created with this album works as an example of who they are as artists. While they've matured and grown and expanded their musical sense in the years since, everything has ultimately built on this album.

Paid in Exposure by Natewantstobattle (2018)

Natewantstobattle can be a tricky artist to pinpoint what exactly is his sophomore album. He never limits himself in terms of what he creates, taking inspiration from video games, anime and TV shows. So while he has cover albums and video game inspired albums and all of that, he also has two completely original albums. As far as I'm concerned, the second of which is what I would consider to be his sophomore record.

Released in 2018, Paid In Exposure follows his 2017's Sandcastle Kingdoms. While perhaps having less experimentation than it's predecessor, it sees him expanding on what he's already proved he's good at. The record takes a largely rock and pop punk presence, dominated by drums and an electric guitar, topped off by incredible vocal performances.

Often dismissed as another music YouTuber -- and on top of that, one openly and heavily influenced by video games and anime -- Paid In Exposure is Natewantstobattle competing in the "real" music industry and doing so incredibly well. It's a well-rounded record from beginning to end. Each song is so full of life in the best way possible.

okay. by AS IT IS (2017)

okay. followed AS IT IS's debut Never Happy Ever After, and, quite frankly, it's a drastic change between the two. Never Happy is a somber record and okay is bubbly and vibrant. Neither are particularly happy records in lyrical content (lead singer Patty Walters has admitted that he doesn't think he will ever be able to write anything but sad songs lyrically), but at first glance, that doesn't seem the case with the sophomore record.

Although if you solely look at the chart positions and reviews of the two records, you could probably make the argument that okay. fell just short of its predecessor. But that's ignoring what makes okay. the record that it is. While Never Happy was clearly inspired by pop punk, especially that of All Time Low, okay took inspiration from the sound of the 1950s. Lyrically, it delves into difficult topics, such as depression, anxiety, divorce, loss and heartbreak, while sonically sounding not nearly as heavy as the lyrical content would suggest. It's a beautiful juxtaposition -- one that can often be a fine line, but a line that AS IT IS proves they can walk.

okay. also cemented AS IT IS in the rock and pop punk world, seeing them off on their first US headlining tour during this album cycle.

Masterpiece Theatre by Marianas Trench (2010)

The follow up to Canadian band Marianas Trench's debut record Fix Me truly set the tone for the rest of their career. Masterpiece Theatre is a drastically different album in all aspects. Fix Me was widely considered to be relatively a punk rock record -- or at least pop punk -- but Masterpiece Theatre drew from theatrical elements and experimentation.

While the song "Shake Tramp" off Fix Me helped put Marianas Trench on the map, Masterpiece Theatre carved out a unique identity for the band. The theatrical elements wouldn't end here, instead they'd become more prominent.

Is it still a rock record? Yes, although in parts it leans more into the pop than the rock -- not in any way shape or form in a bad way, though.

The record also saw lead singer Josh Ramsay really push himself vocally and lyrically. The harmonies and arrangements and different styles of vocals experimented with were something totally different at the time.

It's the beginning of Ramsay's domination of opening and closing tracks. From here on out, their openings and closings to records would be some of the best I've ever heard, and that started with "Masterpiece Theatre I" and "Masterpiece Theatre III."

If you want to look at the two records comparatively in reception, Masterpiece Theatre would end up going double Platinum in Canada, compared to the Gold certification Fix Me received. Masterpiece Theatre also saw the band nominated for 11 awards and winning four of them, compared to the three nominations and one win Fix Me got them.

Masterpiece Theatre saw Marianas Trench really start to come into their own sound. It wasn't just another pop punk album. It was something totally different that totally carved out a section of the genre just for them.

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There are absolutely more "mainstream" sophomore records I missed or overlooked when putting these together, but there's something to be said about the lesser known bands who crush their second release. It can be easy to get into your own head, especially with something so prominent like the sophomore slump looming over your head during the creation process, whether subconsciously or not. These records, however, prove undoubtedly that the sophomore slump is a jinx that can absolutely be beaten.