Lightning isn't supposed to strike twice, but it did for Ava Max. "Sweet But Pyscho" brought electro-pop back to top 40 radio, becoming a surprise top 10 hit in 2019. She is now doing it all over again with "Kings & Queens." That bop has amassed more than 600 million streams and is currently sitting at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Don't be too surprised is she makes it a hat-trick with "My Head...

Don't be too surprised if Mariah Carey has two festive bops in the top 10 come December. Details about Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special, which debuts exclusively on Apple TV+ on December 4, arrived today (November 18) and the most exciting tidbit to emerge involves one of Mimi's most slept-on singles. I'm talking about 2010's "Oh Santa." In a perfect world, the toe-tapper would have been an...

With hundreds of millions of streams to his credit and a long list of star-studded collaborations, Rauw Alejandro is one of the hottest new names in latin music. The 27-year-old released his much-anticipated debut album, Afrodisíaco, on Friday (November 13) and it's an eclectic mix of party jams, sexy songs and blistering bangers. Not only that, but it boasts features from some of the biggest stars...

MARINA is back with a musical fuck-you to the patriarchy. The Brit examines gender inequality on "Man's World," a completely self-penned anthem. "If you have a mother, daughter or a friend, maybe it is... time you comprehend," she sings. "The world that you live in ain't the same one as them." That takes us to the catchy chorus. "Mother nature's dying, nobody's keeping score," MARINA warns. "I don't...

Being born into music royalty is a blessing and a curse. Pedigree will open doors, but it comes with the kind of piercing scrutiny that newcomers are usually spared. Paris Jackson has managed to sidestep that somewhat by opting for an extremely low-key debut. She first tested the waters by forming a duo with LA-based rocker Gabriel Glenn called The Soundflowers. Their self-titled EP made it crystal...

When it comes to same-sex love stories, Francis Lee's starkly beautiful God's Own Country ranks as one of the best. The characters ring true, their connection is palpable and the director refuses to condemn them to loneliness i.e. the usual fate of gay men in cinema. He shows similar compassion to the women of Ammonite, a compelling yet painfully austere romance set in 1840s England. Our lovers are...

With the world slowly sliding into darkness and despair, Kylie Minogue stepped up like a superhero to spread a little happiness and light with DISCO. The title says it all. The pop icon's 15th studio album is dedicated to nights under the mirrorball. It's a love letter to the '70s dance genre that somehow manages to be both intensely reverent and forward-thinking. Kylie isn't inserting herself into...

After releasing three perfect EPs and penning a long list of smash hits for other artists, Julia Michaels is finally tinkering away at her debut album. She released "Lie Like This" as the lead single in October and the bubbly banger, which was produced by The Monsters & Strangerz, represents something of a change of pace. For starters, it's decidedly happy and hopeful. Which aren't adjectives that...

There's something distinctly old-fashioned about Let Him Go. And it's not just the setting or the genre. Thomas Bezucha's thriller, which is expertly cloaked as a semi-modern western, pits depravity against decency. Family values matter as much as revenge, if not more so. While the elements are traditional and the plot somewhat familiar, Bezucha gives Let Him Go a contemporary twist by putting a pair...

After the superstar-making success of In The Lonely Hour, Sam Smith understandably dished up more of the same on 2017's The Thrill Of It All. And by the same, I mean forlorn ballads and soulful mid-tempo anthems. But then something wonderful happened. The Brit underwent a profound personal and creative metamorphosis. They came out as non-binary, put the sad songs to one side for a spell and embraced...

Taylor Swift has already won Album Of The Year Grammys for both country and pop offerings. (Fearless and 1989, respectively). She could feasibly take home a third with folklore. Which is excitingly difficult to horn into any particular genre. There are country and pop elements in the mix, but also folk, indie and Americana. The result is a heady, rustic brew that evokes fog-smeared forests and log...

Daisy Dove Bloom might have taken 9 months to arrive, but Katy Perry's fifth album gestated for a lot longer. With songs dating back in 2017, Smile has evolved — seemingly in real time — with the superstar. From the tear-soaked bangers that begin the album to sunny serenity that ends it, Smile is a diary-like account of Katy's early 30s. One that she has been kind enough to share with the world....