So, we finally have a new Bruno Mars album in almost a whole decade. Was it worth the wait? To put it simply, no.

Let me start by saying that this isn’t a bad album. It’s just a fact. It’s not. But there’s nothing innovative or different here compared to what we’ve already heard from Bruno. Of course he leans into classic romanticism and that old 70s whisky flare of R&B & Soul, and yes, he sounds incredible, as he always does, but it just doesn’t ... read more

“Paracosm” is an almost otherworldly adventure into a fairytale beyond your imagination. A feast for the ears that doesn’t fully transport you to the other place. Not bad for a sophomore album.

With “Paracosm”, Absolutely extends the definition of her own sound by going for the ethereal, and the fairytale. Compared to her debut, there’s a lot of comfort and grounded-ness to this album. It’s bold, expansive, and boundary-defining, but it’s not the ... read more

“luck… or something” is a whole world away from the teen idol who felt like your coolest friend which happened to be famous, and that world is beige.

Let’s be honest. Hilary Duff is one of those people that as long as she is alive and breathing, we are all going to love her. She gave so much throughout her career, particularly in the early 00’s. She was everywhere. But we do need to have a serious conversation about where her musicality is come today, because I ... read more

We are 3 for 3 with Little Mix’s debut solo albums after Leigh-Anne finally completes the set, joining bandmates Perrie and JADE, with her debut solo “My Ego Told Me To”.

Leigh-Anne’s debut is a lilting island escape with sprinkles of Reggae, R&B, Afrobeats, Dancehall, blended with good old pop music, but lacks personality between transitions.

I like this album, and Leigh-Anne has never sounded better, in my opinion; however there are songs on this album that ... read more

Icon is Brent Faiyaz’s new canvas of adventurous R&B, with a 2 minute orchestral arrangement followed by 9 emotionally driven tracks to conclude.

As far as Brent Faiyaz goes, I will hold my hand up and say that this is actually the first Brent Faiyaz album that I’ve really sat and listened to from start to finish. I have heard snippets here and there of “WASTELAND”, so I guess that’s really all I have to compare to when it comes to Brent’s body of work. ... read more

Danny L Harle is a British electronic/hyper-pop DJ who has worked with the likes of Caroline Polachek, Olly Alexander, and Nile Rodgers to name a few, and his latest album “Cerulean”, yes, like the colour that Anne Hathaway is terrified of, is the latest offering to the unknowingly world of the DJ.

“Cerulean” is not an album made for dancing when our closest sun is in the sky, but more so, when billions of suns are. This album has a very extra terrestrial element to ... read more

At the back end of 2024, fresh from a very cultural “BRAT summer”, Charli xcx received a text from director Emerald Fennell if she would like to contribute a song to the movie project “Wuthering Heights”, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Whilst still on the ‘come down’ from her very daring “BRAT” album, Charli has testified that she didn’t feel creatively at her peak. This is until she read the script of said film, and immersed ... read more

J. Cole walks confidently in his newest album “The Fall Off”, but does not elevate to a higher level.

I’m going to start this off by saying that this is one of the best albums in J. Cole’s discography. Lyrically and sonically.

This album, although almost 2 hours long and 24 songs deep, is a story. It’s little stories that shape to be a peek into the life of J. Cole through the years. There are many rollercoaster scenarios in many of the stories that are being ... read more

Ella Mai had such a rocket start to her career when she released “Boo’d Up” that she could have a pioneered R&B and been a staple for that genre, however, as with this album still proves, she doesn’t explore or take risks, and instead, settles for the mediocre, basic, run-of-the-mill approach.

Initially, the first 2 tracks had me. I thought this album was going to be one that was worth the wait in regards to Ella’s discography. I started to think that maybe ... read more

Nick Jonas is back to releasing solo music after linking back up with his brothers to release music under The Jonas Brothers, and “Sunday Best” isn’t exactly Nicks solo best.

“Sunday Best” is definitely a fitting name because of that because it starts off like a sunny Sunday morning; hazy, dewy, relaxed, but it tends to stay that way, and it becomes very monotone.

I understand that a lot of artists tend to write and record music when they become parents, and it ... read more

As the title suggests, “Cosmic Opera Act I” is a mix of Pop/R&B/Jazz with an operatic band sprinkled all over it. Think Rosalía’s “LUX” but Labrinth style.

Labrinth’s take on the opera nod however isn’t quite as glorious and audacious as Rosalía’s though. Instead, it feels more forced, or even, too creative. It’s as almost as if Labrinth had a lot of ideas about the direction or the sound that he wanted for this album, ... read more

There is a lot of competition with hip-hop nowadays about who can keep up with the ever changing culture of hip-hop. This is a genre that continuously chops and changes over time and the sound adapts to the current time and the audience. Of course, this is the same with most, if not all genres, but hip hop especially has an extremely important position when it comes to music consumption as it really is one of the key genres that makes the music wheel turn. Don Toliver has made himself ... read more

Since the split of boyband One Direction, I feel like all the members have gone on to have successful solo careers. Some more successful than others of course, but they’ve all done pretty well across the board. Louis is no exception, but I would say he’s stumbled more when it comes to releasing his own projects.

“How Did I Get Here?” is Louis’ third go at releasing solo LP material and I must admit, this is probably his best work thus far. I would say that this ... read more

For a man who’s approaching his 3rd decade in music, and has delivered a number of huge hits, Robbie Williams is still willing to prove that he has no intention of slowing down, and is still the daring provocateur in British music he has always been, except, this is not the defining musical offering to show that.

Having yet another experimental moment almost 3 decades in is a risky move, but also a clever one. He has the fanbase from his Take That days, and even from his solo endeavours ... read more

When we think about break up albums, we can think of all many different artists, including the queen of heartbreak, Adele. Many artists forge a lot of story telling, emotion, sadness and heartbreak in their music when it comes to singing about the trials and tribulations of an ending relationship, and they tend to be albums that stand the test of time. Adele’s “21”, Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black”. The Kid LAROI however, well, no.

I understand that LAROI is ... read more

Ok so, I desperately wanted to like this album. I even went back through a couple tracks just to be certain but man, this isn’t the one.

I like A$AP Rocky. I like him a lot. I found his earlier ventures were fresh and new. He became is own vice in music, in a way, and honestly, I think a lot of the disappointment from the album came from the fact that personally, I don’t feel like there’s anything new here. There’s no growth from his previous material. I feel like ... read more

One of the first releases of 2026 comes from none other than Madison Beer. A singer who gained stardom from posting to YouTube which caught the eye of Justin Bieber, which elevated her to stardom. “locket” serves as her 3rd studio album, and her 4th release of material since her debut back in 2018.

Now, if we’re being honest, this album is interesting. I wouldn’t say the good kind of interesting, but also, not bad. It’s just interesting.

This album, to me, is an ... read more

The continuation of JADE’s show stopping “That’s Showbiz Baby!” is a campy, more chaotic clash of dance/pop heaven.

Often, with re-releases, especially nowadays, you get 3 maybe 4 extra songs and just get “deluxe” slapped onto it and that’s about it. JADE however, has gone the old school route of actually turning a re-release into more of an album release approach. Something we have only seen successfully in recent years by the likes of SZA’s ... read more

I just want to start off with that Jessie J has never sounded better. This woman has been around for a decade and a half now, and she has always had an incredible voice, but on this album, she sounds at home, and happy.

About the album though… well, it’s not awful. It’s pretty OK. Whilst I’ve mentioned that Jessie sounds her happiest on this record, there are a couple of songs on here that are a complete miss. For me, “CALIFORNIA” is hands down the worst ... read more

First of all, I just wish to mention that I’ve never really been a real Olly Murs fan. Ever since the beginning of his career, fresh from his big break given by X Factor, I’ve always felt Olly Murs to be the dad joke of British music. Constantly tried but hardly ever delivers, if ever. He’s had maybe one or two good songs, and they are good at best, but we are talking over 10 years ago now since they were released. Olly’s 8th studio album is a fine product of my opinion ... read more