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Review: Over the course of her last few albums, Lana Del Ray has evolved into a significant chronicler of 21st century American life, with sharper-then-ever lyrics accompanied by fittingly haunting, downbeat and bittersweet musical arrangements. Blue Bannisters, which like so many albums released this year was written and recorded during lockdown, continues in a similar vein to its predecessors, with Del Ray's fragile, melancholic vocals being accompanied by ghostly synthesizer chords, striking piano motifs, drowsy aural textures, simmering strings, gentle guitars and occasional rhythmic nods to trip-hop. It's more bittersweet than intense, but undeniably a creative response to the most testing of times. Considered in those terms, it's a hugely impactful and entertaining album.

Review: Now firmly in "pop icon" territory after a 15-year career full of successes and commercial highs, Paloma Faith has earned the opportunity to do whatever the hell she likes musically. So, on her sixth album and first for four years, she delivers a set of deeply personal, often stirring pop songs whose lyrics form a narrative of coming back from messy relationship build-ups. Beginning with the Chase & Status produced 'Pressure' featuring Kojey Radical - a sub-heavy slab of punchy post hip-hop heaviness - Faith and lead producer Martin Wave confidently stride between empowering acoustic-meets-electronic dance-pop ('How You Leave a Man'), gospel-influenced anthems-in-the-making ('Bad Woman') and the kind of emphatic electronic pop that the artist has always done so well.

Review: Four years on from her last full-length outing, Ariana Grande returns with her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine. In keeping with many post-pandemic albums, Grande apparently drew on her own personal experiences during the writing process, keen to deliver something that mixed "vulnerability" with entertainment. Musically, it also follows current and recent pop trends, combining r&b and hip-hop roots with nods to disco ('Bye'), 80s synth-pop ('Supernatural', 'This Boy'), trap ('True Story'), EDM (the house-tinged 'Yes and?' and colourful 'We Can't be Friends (Wait For Your Love') and classic balladeering ('I Wish I Hated You', with its expansive musical palette and intricate instrumental flourishes).

Review: Inspired by her desire to embody the "femme divine", Kali Uchis' latest full length (her fourth in total) is an inspired meditation on love, heartbreak and honesty that's already been awarded rave reviews by music critics. Listening back, it's easy to see why. Rooted in soul and r&b but as boundary-blurring as her previous work, 'Red Moon In Venus' features some of her most immaculately executed vocals yet, impactful lyrics and an overall sense that the Colombian-American is an artist at the peak of her powers. For proof, check the aquatic, timeless-sounding soul shuffle of 'Moonlight', the rushing disco-pop surge of 'Happy Now' and the simmering, lovelorn brilliance of 'I Wish You Roses'.

Review: Until he quit the music industry in the mid-1990s, Shep Pettibone was the most in-demand remixer on the planet - a position he'd held since the late 1970s. This four-disc compilation does a great job of showcasing some of his greatest remixes, all of which are presented in full-length form. There's naturally plenty of versions of big pop singles of the '80s - see the epic 'Mastermix' of Pet Shop Boys' 'West End Girls', as well as rubs of Duran Duran, New Order, Whitney Houston and Belinda Carlisle - as well as a sprint through his celebrated disco and boogie reworks (see disc four). In addition, you'll find versions of some lesser-celebrated gems from the freestyle-era, including heavyweight revisions of Sinammon, Alisha, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and The Flirts.

Review: Given that the concept of the 12" version was born during the mid-to-late 1970s, it seems fitting that this four-disc trawl through extended mixes of the era leans heavily on classic disco cuts. Of course, there are some genuine must-haves among the DJ-friendly disco extensions on offer, not least Elton John's Philly Soul anthem 'Are You Ready For Love', Cerrone's 'Supernature', Dan Hartman's 'Relight My Fire' and Diana Ross's epic 'Love Hangover'. Throw in a smattering of post-punk and new wave gems, plus arguably the greatest end-of-night anthem of all, Wings' 'Goodnight Tonight' (the extended version of which gets brilliantly dubbed-out in the middle and is far superior to the seven-inch mix) and you have a rock-solid collection of club-ready '70s sing-alongs.

Review: During their 1994 Discovery tour, Pet Shop Boys made their first visit to Brazil, performing in front of a huge audience in Rio de Janeiro. A video of the performance was released on VHS the following year, but never an audio version. This three-disc set corrects this error, offering the whole show stretched across two CDs, plus a remastered version of the concert film on DVD. The whole thing is a treat for PSB fans, with sparkling, pumped-up and often dancefloor-friendly versions of tracks from their then quite fresh Very album being joined by familiar favourites of old, a surprise rendition of their Comic Relief single 'Absolutely Fabulous' (we'd forgotten they did that, too) and some cheeky covers of dance hits of the period ('Mr Vain', 'Rhythm of the Night').

Review: Lizzo's ascent to superstar status was confirmed with 2019 major label debut, Cuz I Love You, a set that gleefully joined the dots between pop-rap, R&B, trap, funk and neo soul, with Missy Elliott and Gucci Mane swinging by to lend a hand. Special, whose 12 songs are a tiny fraction of the 170-odd she reportedly wrote and recorded, continues in this vein, offering another entertaining, kaleidoscopic romp that pairs killer grooves, recognisable sample lifts (the Beastie Boys on the controversial 'Gurrlz' and Coldplay's 'Yellow' on the set-closing oddball fantasy 'Coldplay') and Lizzo's typically strong sung and rapped vocals. There are far more hits than misses, with recent single 'About Time Now' sounding like a long-lost Chic classic and the sound of summer 2022.

Review: Already the winner of a Brit Award (Adele was voted the 'Critics Choice' - the most exciting new British artist expected to 'make it big' in 2008),
'19' is Adele's debut album. Citing influences as diverse as Etta James, Jill Scott, Bjork, Dusty Springfield, Billy Bragg, Billie Holiday, Jeff Buckley,
The Cure and Peggy Lee, Adele also recently completed her first solo UK tour, having toured previously with the likes of Jack Penate, Jamie T,
Raul Midon, Amos Lee and Devendra Banhart. '19' contains both her debut track 'Hometown Glory' and her smash single 'Chasing Pavements'.
Blues tinged and melancholic, Adele describes 'Chasing Pavements' as 'It's me being hopeful for a relationship that's very much over. The sort
of relationship you hate when you're in it, but miss when you're not'. A hymn to lost love and regret, 'Chasing Pavements' follows Adele's first
limited edition single 'Hometown Glory', which introduced her to the world to much critical acclaim, with NME calling it 'totally, absolutely beautiful',
Q Magazine calling her 'The voice of next year' and The Sunday Times saying 'A Star Is Born'

Review: One of the joys of Christine and the Queens' impossible-to-pigeonhole output has always been guessing what the gender-fluid artist will conjure up next. Even the Frenchman's most obsessive fans, though, will have predicted Paranoia, Angels, True Love, a triple-CD-length affair loosely based on Tony Kushner's legendary work Angels in America, a two-part experimental play about gay men in New York experiencing hallucinatory discussions with angels amidst the AIDS epidemic. It's not a wholly unsurprising turn, but still an unlikely project - and unlikely projects have always been the artist's bread and butter. Musically, it's a strong set that expands on the artist's now familiar blends of pop, r&b and electronica, and also contains some eye-catching collaborations and guest appearances - not least from the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna.

Review: Rita Ora recently described her hotly anticipated third album, You & I, as "like my diary of the last few years". Masterminded in collaboration with executive producer Oak Felder and featuring Ora as a credited co-writer throughout, the album has been trailed as loosely chronological musical wander through the highs and lows of relationships and falling in love. Ora is in fine form throughout, singing confidently (and sometimes passionately) atop backing tracks that offer a 21st century synth-pop take on dance music culture - as has been the fashion for a number of years. It also contains a genuine club anthem in the shape of 'Praising You', an inventive, hands-aloft, festival-friendly banger that makes extensive use of Fatboy Slim big beat classic 'Praise You' (for which he gets a 'featured' credit).

Review: Having previously celebrated dance and pop hits of the 1980s, the long-running Now That's What I Call Music series - itself established that decade - has turned its attention to "alternative". It's a catch-all term that basically includes anything with indie roots, meaning a mix of goth, post-punk, indie, new wave, indie-dance and skewed synth-pop that emerged from the underground rather than the A&R departments of major labels. There's plenty of big hits and iconic cuts stretched across the four discs (think The Smiths, Simple Minds, Joy Division, REM, The Jam, New Order, Pixies, Sisters of Mercy etc), alongside lesser-celebrated favourites from the likes of Pop Will Eat Itself, Tom Robinson (the decidedly Balearic 'Atmospherics', which was co-written by Peter Gabriel), Sugacubes, Kissing The Pink and Big Audio Dynamite.

Review: Proudly pansexual pop artist Heloise Letissier has made some terrific music over the last decade, with each new album release being greeted by rave reviews. 'Redcar Les Adorables Etoiles', Letissier's third full-length, offers a subtle evolution of the Christine and the Queens sound. Whereas previous album 'Chris' (2018) blurred the boundaries between FM synth-heavy AOR synth-pop, R&B and the kaleidoscopic synth-funk of occasional guest collaborator Dam-Funk, 'Redcar Les Adorables Etoiles' explores the more atmospheric and stylized side of 1980s electronic pop, adding a few typically theatrical twists along the way. For proof, check out the grandiose chords, slow-motion chords and towering choruses of 'Le Chanson de Chevalier', the bubbly post Junior Boys aural melancholia of 'Rien Dire' and the throbbing, Euro-disco influenced mid-80s synth-pop of 'Je Te Vois Enfin'.

Review: Beyonce joins Drake in the house-via-Baltimore club 'renaissance', which has seen to a good deal of major hip-hop & R&B artists working in the styles over the course of entire albums and mixtapes. This being the queen of pop's first album in over six years, some naysayers say songs like 'Break My Soul' (filled with 90s organ and downtempo kicks and snares a-la Robin S) and 'Energy' (packed with batida stylings) are paint-by-numbers, but we beg to differ; for Beyonce, it's a polyglot of reinventory music.

Review: In his recent book Major Labels, a history of popular music in seven genres, Kelefa Sanneh argues that pop is now so free of defined boundaries that's it's "barely a genre at all". Listening to LA rapper, singer and producer Doja Cat's third album, it's hard to disagree. Polished, professional and ear-catching, Planet Her is a hugely enjoyable romp whose hybrid, kaleidoscopic constructions variously synthesize elements of R&B, synth0heavy Afro-pop, dancehall, hip-hop, hyperpop, trap, 21st century bass music and much more besides. Throw in guest spots from the likes of Young Thug, Ariana Grande and JD, and you have an on-point pop album that will resonate far longer than most similarly framed sets.

Review: When vital bandmember Andrew Fletcher suddenly passed away at the start of the sessions for 'Memento Mori', even Dave Gahan and Martin Gore wondered aloud whether Depeche Mode would continue. Yet somehow, Gore and Gahan put their much-discussed differences aside, knuckled down and produced something fittingly special: an album that may well be the iconic outfit's most consistent and impressive body of work for decades. Naturally, darkness abounds, with opener 'My Cosmos Is Mine' - all evocative vocals, distorted electronic beats, dark sonic textures and mutilated choral vocal samples - setting the tone for a set that once again brilliantly blends dark synth-pop, gnarled guitars and the kind of lyrical melancholia that stays with you for days. Highlights are plentiful, with our picks including 'Ghosts Again', 'Soul With Me' and closing cut 'Speak To Me'.

Review: Astonishingly, almost 14 years have passed since the release of Everything But The Girl's previous - and many assumed final - album, 'Temperamental'. Since then, husband-and-wife team Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn have delivered plenty of solo music rooted in deep house, nu-disco and contemporary synth-pop, and it is those sounds - along with nods to their acoustic past - that dominate Fuse, their surprise new album. While the set undoubtedly feels fresh and contemporary, the key ingredients that made their music so alluring - not least Thorn's distinctive, world-weary lead vocals and introspective lyrics - remain front and centre. The results are uniformly impressive, with highlights including the slow-motion, piano-laden r&b-pop of 'Run a Red Light', the sub-heavy, garage-influenced brilliance of 'Nothing Left To Lose' and the glossy IDM-pop shimmer of 'No One Knows We're Dancing'.

Review: Now's ongoing Yearbook series has reached 1973, a 12-month period in which saw an Oil Crisis, the opening of the World Trade Center in New York, and the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. Musically, as the four-disc set proves, pop was being pulled in different directions, with new stars emerging (David Bowie, Elton John, Roxy Music, David Essex and various members of the Osmond family) former 'Fabs' settling into their new solo careers (John Lennon, Paul Wings), Glam rock increasing in popularity (Mud, Sweet, Wizzard, T-Rex, Slade), and soul beginning to evolve into disco (the Spinners, Michael Jackson, the O'Jays, Diana Ross, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes). Throw in a few massive hits from megastars (Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Elvis Presley), and you have an on-point pop summary of 1973.

Review: Fans of Marc Almost rejoice! Tenement Symphony, the Soft Cell singer's seventh solo album, returns via an impressive box set containing little less than six discs of music. The original 1991 album, a thrilling fusion of synth-pop, strings, piano house motifs and muscular dance grooves produced by the great Trevor Horn, sits on disc one alongside B-sides and seven-inch mixes, with disc two collecting extended versions and further B-sides. The remaining four discs showcase the songs contained on the album in various stages of development, with demos and work-in-progress versions aplenty, alongside live recordings and a swathe of previously released - and a smattering of never-released - club-focused remixes. Throw in a DVD of videos and BBC appearances, and you've got a genuinely brilliant box set.

Review: NOW's ongoing 'Yearbook' series reaches 1988, a year in which pop music was becoming increasingly influenced by the saucer-eyed rise of dance music culture. The four discs contain a wealth of chart-bothering hits from the period, dashing between 'imperial phase' period Pet Shop Boys ('Heart', 'Left To My Own Devices' and the Seventh Wonder gem they wrote and produced, 'I'm Not Scared'), Hacienda-inspired remakes of classics (New Order's 'Blue Monday '88'), manufactured pop cheeriness (Bros, Bananarama, Rick Astley and Jason Donavan), dancefloor classics (Inner City, S'Xpress, Bomb The Bass, Salt N Pepa), OTT rock and metal (Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi), pop-reggae (Aswad), novelty singles (the KLF's Doctor Who-themed outing as The Timelords), and much more besides.

Review: Following the more contemporary r&b, neo-soul and psychedelic funk flavours of 2023's Red Moon in Venus, a set in which she sung almost entirely in English, Colombian American artist Kali Uchis has decided to return to her roots on fourth full-length Orquideas. That not only means vocals in Spanish, but also a varied sound palette that draws on a wide variety of Colombian and wider Latin musical styles - think reggaeton, demblow, bolero, salsa, Brazilian MPB and bossa-nova. It's a superb, expansive and evocative set all told, with a fine supporting cast of high-profile guest performers including Karol G, Peso Pluma, El Alfa and JT.

Review: .NOW's Yearbook series of quadruple CD sets reaches 1990, a year in which the currents of dance music's future dominance of the pop charts became stronger and more pronounced. Of course, this being a pop-focused collection, the musical story told is far more varied. So while there are suitably baggy, bowl haircut-sporting indie-dance numbers from the likes of Candyflip, Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, as well as crossover club hits from the likes of The KLF, the Adventures of Stevie V and Dee-Lite, you'll also find synth-pop melancholia from the Pet Shop Boys (including 'Being Boring', arguably Neil Tennant's best song), boy band business from New Kids on the Block, a dash of Kylie Minogue, alt-rock hits from Faith No More and Bon Jovi, and a blast of Elton John.

Review: Despite her superstar status, gained in the years following her 2002 debut, Norah Jones has refused to stick to the same musical script, instead choosing a wide range of collaborators while applying her song writing talents to a variety of genres. On Visions, she's once again evolved her sound further in cahoots with producer Leon Michels - founder of revivalist funk-soul stable Big Crown Records and long-time member of the Dap-Kings. What's on offer is pleasingly fuzzy and nostalgic in tone, with the pair conjuring up songs and sound worlds rooted in late 60s garage-soul, psychedelic dream pop, and a brand of Americana rooted as much in black American music as country. For proof, check superb recent singles 'Running' and 'Staring at the Wall'.