The groovy disco influences suit Tyler, The Creator to a tee, and the result is a glorious, carefree, and playful victory lap after the equally fantastic but heavy Chromakopia.

Highlights: Big Poe, Sucka Free, Don’t Tap That Glass / Tweakin’, I’ll Take Care Of You

Although not a very instant listen from the duo-turned-solo Geowulf, 'The Child' slowly seeps into your brain with repeated spins, revealing itself to be a wonderfully mellow and at times poignant body of work. For a change, there's less of a focus on heartbreak on this album, and instead it's exploring themes of motherhood and starting a new chapter in life. The vocals are more enchanting than ever (the pleading piano ballad 'Something Good' is a prime example), ... read more

Sheer greatness, an eclectic rollercoaster that will equal parts make you move your body and tug at your feelings, getting lost in the music either way. Hints of Moby came to mind. Pressing play again.

Although certainly not a slump, Wet Leg’s anticipated second album marks more of a ‘sophomore coasting’. There are attempts of detours in sound and pace that are welcome moments and seem to work more often that not (such as the Goldfrapp-esque ‘pond song’, the mellow ‘davina mccall’ or the ‘80s-influenced ‘pokemon’), but the album as a whole does not leave a long-lasting impression.

Compared to the duo’s exhilirating debut, ... read more

Amy delivers one of her most solid projects to date with another set of keep-your-head-up folk-pop bangers. It’s no reinvention, but a showcase of a glorious recipe that’s been constantly finetuned over almost two decades. The result is an adrenaline rush that is a joy to listen to, and it’s indeed what we’ve been waiting for.

Highlights: Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For?, Trapped, Can You Hear Me?, We Survive, One More Shot

Kesha seems to be looking for a middle ground on ‘.’ as nothing quite reaches the diabolical craziness of ‘Joyride’ and she also shies away from going full introspective. Still, it’s a fun ride that proves Kesha’s still got a place at the forefront of mainstream pop music.

Highlights: FREEDOM., JOYRIDE., RED FLAG., BOY CRAZY., TOO HARD.

Virgin sounds as if Lorde set out to create what people would expect a Lorde album to be. Unfortunately, the lyrics are generally weightless and a lot of the production choices sound derivative of Melodrama — at parts you cannot help but feel like she is struggling to escape the legacy of that album, and shied away from experimenting further after the lukewarm reception of Solar Power.

There are some more daring moments of greatness (Current Affairs), and some genuinely solid songs that ... read more

Color me shocked: ‘Addison’ is the surprise triumph of the year (so far) as the influencer-turned-pop-star delivers a thoroughly enjoyable bite-sized piece of dance-pop perfection which, in its best moments, recalls the early-‘00s golden age of the genre.

Highlights: Diet Pepsi, Aquamarine, Fame Is a Gun, Headphones On

An easy-breezy, feel-good summer album that you can tell is a heartfelt project created by people who absolutely love making music, and even for that alone, it’s a joy to listen to.

Although it’s a shocking departure from the previous ventures of The Ting Tings, there’s also a sense of unfulfilled promise to ‘Home’, as the duo tends to fade into the act of paying homage to their inspirations instead of blooming into a revelation of their newfound (or true) ... read more

Mayhem is a solid album, but not as daring as the title or the lead single (Disease) would have suggested. It is certainly a return to Gaga’s roots, but it feels more like she’s revisiting her past incarnations instead of implementing them into a brand new chapter. Gaga is on top form vocally and even at its ‘worst’ moments the album is still enjoyable, but getting ‘middle of the road’ vibes from a brand new Lady Gaga album was not on my bingo card for 2025.

John Grant continues to experiment and expand his sound on his 6th studio album ‘The Art of the Lie’, this time with the help of producer Ivor Guest (who’s also responsible for the production of none other than Grace Jones’ works from the latter half of her career).

Perhaps it is no surprise that the result of this collaboration is full of uncanny production choices, such as piercing synths, subdued beats, and at times heavy layers of vocoder - the latter provides an ... read more

A mind-blowingly layered tale of recounting inner demons, fears, and the pressure of expectations, ultimately finding reassurance in the process.

A more than solid follow-up to last year's triumphant Tension, this sequel doesn't reinvent the game, but builds on its predecessor's most successful recipes – most notably on the sound of the title track and Padam Padam, resulting in a wall-to-wall collection of bangers that many missed from the first installment.

Tension II is more devoted to its musical direction and takes bigger risks, although its highlights never quite match the heights of the aforementioned two ... read more

Lately it feelslikeeveryColdplayalbumisjustanexcusetotour. Moon Music, similarly to practically all of the band’s records since the refreshingly cohesive Ghost Stories (2014), is an inoffensive collection of soaring but generic stadium-pop. It uses every trick in order to sound grand, but ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression.

Harlequin boasts the best vocals of Gaga’s career and is arguably also her best venture into jazz to date. Although not all of the songs work and some are simply serviceable covers at most, the album is never boring thanks to the varied production.

Another stellar collection of filthy synth bangers by TR/ST. It doesn’t cover new grounds, but Robert has never sounded more confident than on this all-killer-no-filler set.

Short n’ Sweet is inoffensive and pleasant, but considering how she came out the gate swinging with Espresso makes the lukewarm nature of the record frustrating.

The duo is coming out of the gates swinging in the first half of their long-awaited comeback album, infusing years of held-back creativity into these songs, making them burst with energy and color, resulting in arguably their best material since their cult classic debut album. Perhaps due to the 'pedal to the metal' pace of side A, the project soon runs out of fuel and only meanders for the last 20 minutes. Even at its worst, Ask That God is still more than serviceable and is leagues ... read more

It’s the musical equivalent of a fast food meal. Quick, pleasant, and goes down easy – but there is not much to really digest here that is of value.

Stung! doesn’t re-invent the wheel and the band is playing to their strengths here, but it’s a solid album albeit a tad bloated. The first half is a continuous streak of punches and Pond is hitting them all out of the park – (I’m) Stung, Neon River, So Lo, and Black Lung might be some of their finest tracks ever.

The dynamic of the album changes after the overwrought Edge of the World Pt. 3, and makes way for some less memorable songs and sometimes half-baked ideas. As ... read more