In 1995 at the tender age of 29, Janet Jackson was unstoppable. Taking her rightful seat as the Queen of Pop, Janet decided to continue her reign with her first greatest hits album, "Design of a Decade: 1986/1996." The first half of the album title was the most accurate about the singer. Her royal courts were producers and collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who also doubled as her designers. The duo expertly sketched, outlined and weaved Janet’s sound and made her a shining star in the music industry. The latter part of the album title was a little misleading, however. The 14 tracks were Janet’s top 40 hits from her albums "Control" (1986), "Janet Jackson’s "Rhythm Nation 1814" (1989) and "janet." (1993) so technically, the album didn’t quite cover a decade, but what Janet says goes. The album also featured two new singles, “Runaway” and “Twenty Foreplay,” which showed that Janet had no plans to slow down her high-speed train to success. Described as “state-of-the-art dance-pop productions,” most singles on the greatest hits album were just that. Catchy, chart-topping songs that defined Janet’s career. The lead single and first release from the album was “Runaway,” the pop single initially meant to be a duet with brother Michael Jackson. Similar to “Escapade” and “Whoops Now,” the single invited you to take a trip with Janet as she explored African and Asian-inspired sounds. The perfect lead-in to an album taking you on a journey, “Runaway” made Jackson the first female artist in Billboard’s history to debut in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The second track, “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” took us back to Janet’s 1986 album "Control," where we first got a glimpse of what to expect from the sweet-turned-edgy singer. To reinforce the message, “Nasty” followed as the third track on the album. Here’s where Janet expertly instructed us to call her Miss Jackson; it’s also where we learned our pop star was a grown woman. Just as it started, the album ended with a new track. The mid-tempo “Twenty Foreplay” served as the second single from the collection and as a reminder that Janet could still be sensitive but sexy with a play on “twenty-four hours” and “foreplay.” She went on to supply the track with visuals inspired by the 1950s and Dorothy Dandridge, which was no mistake since she was America’s first African American sex symbol, and Janet followed in her footsteps. With "Design of a Decade: 1986/1996," Janet Jackson sang her way into the good graces of her fans and critics alike. The album was certified double platinum and sold 10 million copies worldwide. Not that we needed the reminder, but the compilation was a testament to Janet, Jimmy and Terry’s chemistry and fantastic work together. Still Gracing our playlists even today, each song on "Design of a Decade: 1986/1996" is as timeless as Janet herself.

Although Rachel Kerr released her MOBO award-winning debut EP "Back to Music" in 2012, many activities led to that pivotal moment in her life. As the EP title implies, its message was to inform her fans and listeners about her return to music. After months of anticipation, UK-based singer-songwriter of Caribbean and African heritage Rachel Kerr is back with her debut album “Masterpeace”. Rachel Kerr is no stranger when it comes to music in the UK. For over a decade, she has made her presence felt in various ways, from touring the US, UK, and Africa to opening for big musical acts such as Lauryn Hill, Brandy, Musiq Soulchild, K. Michelle, Kirk Franklin, and Fred Hammond. Aside from her career as a singer-songwriter, The Grammy Award Association member and BET Music Matters endorsed artiste are entrepreneurs. Under her performing arts academy, Singercise, she has worked with some of Africa’s most prominent artists, including Tiwa Savage, P-Square, and Waje as a vocal coach. Having the MOBO award-winning 2012 EP “Back to Music” and 2016’s free-mixtape titled “Unboxed” under her belt, Rachel Kerr is finally ready to share her debut album “Masterpeace” with the world. “It’s more than releasing my first album; I’m releasing hope through my musical Masterpeace”. Choosing to write and co-produce all 11 tracks herself, “Masterpeace” is a pure and unapologetic expression of Rachel Kerr’s most sincere musical work, which touches on the themes of love, hope, and positive affirmations.

Nessa Barrett doubles down on her signature vulnerability on the powerful new single and video "dying on the inside" out today via Warner Records. The propulsive alt-pop track further solidifies the breakout artist's evocative, self-reflective songwriting that was previously showcased on 2021's pretty poison, her seven-track debut EP. "I've talked about my borderline personality disorder, anxiety and depression," Barrett says of her unfiltered approach to songwriting, "but the one thing that I have been struggling to open up about has been my eating disorder." Writing and recording the song turned out to be a cathartic experience. "The first time I heard 'dying on the inside,' I burst into tears," she reveals. "I couldn't stop crying. It is one of the most honest songs that I've ever made." Produced by frequent collaborator Evan Blair, the gripping track begins as a ballad, with Barrett calling out damaging beauty standards-cleverly describing her struggles as "the dinner conversation no one talks about"-before ramping up into a drum-backed chorus where her admissions get even rawer. "I hate that I always look my best when I'm dying on the inside," she sings over chaotic, rock-fueled instrumentation. After being named as one of Billboard's "21 Under 21" - as well as being among Pandora and Ones to Watch lists of Artists to Watch in 2022 - Barrett is determined to share her raw, brazenly honest songs with as many people as possible.

This week we have a collection of new releases that are worthy of your attention. Break the chains of listening to the same three songs repeatedly, and add some freshly picked ingredients to your musical diet. Dive into them all below! ALEC BENJAMIN | SHADOW OF MINE Alec Benjamin taught himself how to play guitar and then gained global recognition with “Let Me Down Slowly” and other Platinum hits. He has announced his sophomore album "(Un)Commentary" out this spring. It’ll feature his previous singles “The Way You Felt” and “Older,” as well as his new single, “Shadow Of Mine.” It’s an intense, poignant piano ballad about wanting freedom from yourself. “A lot of the time, you think your problems are the product of your environment when in reality they exist inside you,” he said about the track. Of the album, he added, “I think my generation has a lot of valid criticisms of everything that’s happening in our country and the world right now. The question is: are we going to tear ourselves apart, or are we going to leave this place better than we found it?” The album is produced by Sir Nolan and features writing collaborations with Dan Wilson, Charlie Puth, Sam Romans, and Nolan Lambrosa. SARA BARRIOS | AFTERMATH OF YOU Cruising her way into the pop-punk scene is a singer-songwriter, Sarah Barrios, with her latest single, “Aftermath of You.” This punchy rock anthem is another prelude to her upcoming EP, following her other single, “We Don’t Have To Die,” which kicked off the new year last month. Sarah Barrios may be considered a newcomer to the alternative scene, but she has undoubtedly made her mark in various areas across the web over the past few years. This social media connoisseur’s artistic vision & logophilia (the love of words) have proved incredibly beneficial when promoting her music. Aesthetically pleasing & sonically profound videos are often the ones that attract the most attention, so it’s no wonder Barrios has garnered tens of thousands of followers via TikTok and Youtube. So much attention, in fact, that she was recently nominated for an iHeartRadio award for TikTok Songwriter of the Year. TAUREN WELLS | FAKE IT (FEAT. AARON COLE) Platinum-selling Christian music artist Tauren Wells has released his new single, “Fake It,” featuring Aaron Cole, via Capitol Records/CCMG. This marks the 10-time GRAMMY nominee’s first release on the label. On this upbeat, infectious track, Wells celebrates the joy that comes from being loved as you are, freed from any need to “Fake It.” Wells and Cole wrote, “Fake It” with Chris Stevens–who produced the track with Tedd T.–and Emily Weisband. In the accompanying music video for “Fake It,” Wells gives a high-energy performance alongside Cole and a growing troupe of blazer-clad dancers. They shot the clip in Los Angeles with producer Raj Kapoor, who recently helmed Adele’s CBS special, and director Noah Clark. The Capitol/CCMG team was on hand at the video shoot to welcome Houston-based Wells to the label. “Hold Us Together (Hope Mix),” Wells’ 2021 duet with H.E.R., is nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song and "Citizen of Heaven (Live)," received a Grammy nod for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. JOSHUA BASSETT | DOPPELGÄNGER Joshua Bassett is singing about an ex-girlfriend on his new song “Doppelganger,” seemingly opening up about Olivia Rodrigo. Joshua revealed in a statement what the song was about, saying: “The song poured out of me immediately after seeing someone who I thought was my ex at a coffee shop. The 21-year-old singer and actor also dropped the music video for the song, which he co-directed with YouTuber and filmmaker Elle Mills. The video, which follows a reflective love story with an Olivia Rodrigo lookalike — seems to confirm that the new music is about his headline-making, Twitter-chatter-creating split from his "High School Musical" co-star. Although 2022 is something of a fresh start for Bassett, who began 2021 with the release of "Drivers License," Olivia Rodrigo's smash debut single that was widely believed to be about him. But deep down, with its simple production and melancholic vocals, the track introduces followers of the "Sour" saga to a Bassett that is much softer and more minor criminal than Rodrigo’s singles made him out to be. G-FLIP | GAY 4 ME (FEAT. LAUREN SANDERSON) G Flip has released a bold and fiery new single, "GAY 4 ME," featuring Los Angeles-based songwriter Lauren Sanderson, which is a heavy, more rock-influenced cut than much of Flip’s previous work. G Flip – aka Georgia Flipo – came out as non-binary last June, saying at the time, “I’m still the same person; non-binary is just the best way to explain who I am and how I’ve always felt, like a gender smoothie.” In an accompanying press release for "GAY 4 ME," Flipo elaborated on the motivation behind the track. “I struggled with my sexuality and gender identity for years because there wasn’t anyone that I felt could relate to me,” they said. "GAY 4 ME" arrives alongside a Nas Bogado-directed video that matches the big, bold energy of the track itself, which is carried by deep bass and fuzzed-out riffs. "GAY 4 ME" marks the latest in a long string of collaborative releases G Flip has shared in the past year or so. In January 2021, they released the mxmtoon-featuring "Queen," sharing remixes of the track for Mardi Gras and landing at #64 on the triple j Hottest 100 of 2021. MATILDA MANN | FOUR LEAF DREAM Matilda Mann has released a new single called "Four Leaf Dream." Produced by Rich Cooper, the track marks the singer-songwriter’s first new music since her "Sonder" EP last September, and it comes ahead of her debut UK headline tour. “‘Four Leaf Dream’ is about letting go of the idea of someone,” Mann explained in a statement. “Sometimes we mould people and relationships to fit this idea we created in our heads – that they’re perfect, that this is right. Sometimes it stops you from seeing what they’re actually like, and it’s best to let them go. I wrote this a few months ago with Rich Cooper in his studio, as well as Half Rhymes. It was one of those songs that just so effortlessly came together.” Late last year, Matilda played her first headline show to a sold-out crowd at London’s Lafayette, toured nationally with Dodie and supported Holly Humberstone. Her "Sonder" EP included singles like "Doomsday," "Glass Ceiling," and "Bloom," which picked up support from Colors, DIY, Notion, Clash and Dork. MORE NOTEWORTHY NEW MUSIC AL CALDERON | HEARTBREAK SZN DELANIE LECLERC | YOU MAKE ME FEEL MUNN | GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN CHLOE ADAMS | DEAD TO ME LILAC CHLOE | LAST WEEK

Country music singer and actress Jana Kramer has released a new track titled "The Story," which leads the way on the song sales chart. Kramer’s song is the only new release in the Top 3, with the “Encanto” sensation “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (#2) and Elton John & Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” (#3) occupying the following two places. Kramer endured a very public divorce from her ex-husband Mike Caussin in 2021. Besides her personal emotional turmoil, she was deeply concerned about talking to their young children about the dissolution of their family. She wrote them a song about it. The fragile ballad includes the lyrics: It all fell apart in a moment / Lord I wish it wasn’t true| Because you deserve the perfect family / The fairytales you know so well / Instead of sitting here listening to the story I wish I didn’t have to tell. “I remember thinking, how am I going to tell my kids that everything they know was about to get flipped upside down?” Kramer wrote on social media. “That their family would now look different. How do I even have that conversation? A few weeks post-divorce, I decided to write them a song about the story, and now I’m releasing it because I know I’m not the only one with “the story.” I was terrified almost a year ago, but now we are a perfect family. It’s us. And to me, that’s our perfect family. It may not look how I thought it would, and it might hurt some days, but it’s our story, and it’s us 3. Forever. Our story.”

Everyone comes to a crossroads in their life at one point or another, for Dashboard Confessional‘s lead singer Chris Carrabba, that happened as the last decade came to a close. This makes sense; the band has been together for over 20 years. In that time, they have released eight studio albums, with a four-year break between 2011 and 2015. Now, their discography grows with their ninth album, "All The Truth That I Can Tell." The album was produced by James Paul Wisner, who also produced the band’s first two albums, with Carrabba summing up the core of this record by saying: “Honesty was at… the heart of this collection of songs.” Featuring 11 songs, "All The Truth That I Can Tell" opens with "Burning Heart." It’s a slow, acoustic song; the only sounds are the guitar and Carrabba‘s voice. It is an ambitious way to start an album because most opening songs usually begin with a bang, but the stripped-back sound allows the lyrics to become the song's focus. They are unflinchingly raw as if Carrabba has opened up his heart and poured it all out into the song. "Everyone Else Is Just Noise" continues the stripped-back sound. The good thing about sticking to this stripped-back sound is that the album's pacing stays the same. In "Here’s To Moving On," this is also seen as an upbeat anthem about picking yourself up after tough times. Dashboard Confessional is perhaps best known for their rock anthems; however, as these tracks prove, it might just be their acoustic sound that is their natural talent.

Legendary German rock band Scorpions, formed in 1965, returned with their new album, "Rock Believer," created in the studio during the lockdown in their home base Hannover. “The album was written and recorded in the style of the classic Scorpions DNA with core Schenker/Meine compositions. We went back to the essence of what defined us in the first place,” says front-man Klaus Meine. He goes on to explain how the new songs came to have such incredible, fresh energy and enthusiasm: “We recorded the album as a band, live, in one room, as we did back in the Eighties. We can’t wait to get started and finally play for our fans again.” The sound of the new album has massive energy, delivers a real adrenaline rush and shows uncompromising quality. The record consists of excellent tracks, each a lyrical short story, minimal poems in prose, presented in a lavish sonic guise, featuring the Scorpions’ characteristic trademarks from the early 1980s, yet produced from a 2020s perspective. The wealth of inspiration from their longstanding career is an overflowing treasure chest that forges an arc between yesterday and tomorrow. "Rock Believer" is perhaps the group’s most characteristic album to date – a recording by a band at the pinnacle of their musical art. Scorpions are estimated to have sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling hard rock and heavy metal bands. One of their most recognized hits is "Wind of Change" from "Crazy World," a symbolic anthem of the political, which remains one of the world's best-selling singles with over 14 million copies.

James Arthur has teamed up with Josh Franceschi, frontman of the rock band You Me At Six, for his new single "Lose My Mind," the music he has “been wanting to make for years.” This year marks an entire decade since James won The X Factor back in 2012 and stole the nation's hearts. While the general public may be used to his catchy ballads, it comes as no surprise to fans that James is embracing his alt-rock roots. In a recent interview, James spoke about the new track. “I feel very at home with the alt-rock sound of this song. It’s nice to be able to release a song in that world, I love guitar music, and I like the emo thing. When I made 'It’ll All Make Sense in the End,' I was worried I’d missed the resurgence of that music, but it’s coming to the boil, and I might just catch the wave. I hope everyone who likes that genre will hear the authenticity in what I’m doing.” "Lose My Mind" sees James sing about never believing in love until it happened to him. The lyrics express the singer’s transition from being pessimistic to want to be by a person’s side until the day they die. In March. Fans hoping to hear the new song live may be in luck as James kicks off his UK and Ireland tour on 5th March in Bournemouth and then head over to the US and Canada in April and May. "Lose My Mind" is the first new track from James’ upcoming deluxe album, released on 11th March.

The Grammy-nominated powerhouse vocalist Beth Hart takes on one of her most profound undertakings to date by channelling the legendary voice of Robert Plant on "A Tribute To Led Zeppelin," via Provogue/Mascot Label Group. The nine-track album highlights the incredible musical spectrum that Led Zeppelin operated in. At the helm during the recording of "A Tribute To Led Zeppelin" was super-producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance) and engineer Doug McKean (Goo Goo Dolls, Adam Lambert). The A-list musicians include Cavallo on guitar along with Tim Pierce (Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner); on bass was Chris Chaney (Rob Zombie, Slash); on keyboards was Jamie Muhoberac (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones); on drums was Dorian Crozier (Celine Dion, Miley Cyrus, Joe Cocker), and Matt Laug played drums on Stairway To Heaven (Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper). Orchestral arrangements were by David Campbell (Muse, Beyoncé). All that was left was the final piece of the puzzle, the voice. Hart is recognized as one of her generation’s most talented voices. She has sold out tours worldwide, including performances at historic venues such as Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. She’s topped the Billboard Blues charts six times, gone double platinum and had a string of Top 10 charting albums across Europe.

A year after announcing their breakup, Daft Punk is back in action to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking 1997 album "Homework" with a new digital release, vinyl reissues and a one-time live stream of a rare performance without their signature helmets. The “Homework 25th Anniversary Edition” contains 15 remixes from the original album (nine of them previously unreleased on streaming services), including a remix of "Around The World" by DJ Sneak, Todd Terry and Kenlou, as well as remixes of "Revolution 909," "Burnin" and "Teachers." Knowing the ways of Daft Punk, it seems possible that other content could materialize around the set. The Parisian duo, considered one of the most influential electronic acts of all time, confirmed the news in an eight-minute video called "Epilogue," which featured footage from their 2006 sci-fi film "Electroma." The video sees the duo — Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo — walking in the desert wearing recognizable space-age helmets and leather jackets. One pair suddenly stops walking in the video and invites the other to initiate the self-destruct sequence on their suit before walking off and exploding. Bangalter shared in an interview following "Homework's" release that its title was derived from "the fact that we made the record at home, very cheaply, very quickly, and spontaneously, trying to do cool stuff." Daft Punk would not deliver sophomore follow-up "Discovery" until 2001. The third album, "Human After All," would follow in 2005, while the duo's most recent studio effort remains in 2013's "Random Access Memories."

BANKS already crowned herself the high priestess of her dark pop universe in 2014 with her debut "Goddess" and has continued to do so with just as many sensual whispers ever since. Successors "The Alter" and "III" were all strong albums provided with their dark sound ritual and firmly strengthened her reputation as an alternative pop goddess. After a long period of silence, BANKS released two new songs last year, which raised the expectation for a new musical chapter. In recent weeks, she even left some extra hints online, but she now seems to be effectively confirming that a new album is on the way and has released a new single titled "Holding Back." The new album would be "Serpentina" and is expected to be released sometime this year. We know from her previous work that BANKS likes to experiment. She does this not only in her alternative rhythms and often haunting melodies but even more so in the use of her voice. "Holding Back" takes her raw voice through the digital effects mill several times and successfully. This time no demonic poltergeist sounds, but a representative from another dimension, which is firmly pitched in the air. The heavily edited vocals also form the basis of the chorus, which immediately gives the song a very catchy hook. In between, we get to hear BANK's authentic voice, on which she shows herself more than ever from an even rawer and more powerful side.

Pop-rock band OneRepublic released a new song, “West Coast,” alongside a music video. The song will appear on their upcoming sixth studio album. The band started working on “West Coast” during their fourth studio album, “Oh My My.” It was written by Brent Kutzle, Justin Tranter, Mattias Larsson, Noel Zancanella, Robin Fredriksson and Ryan Tedder. Produced by Brent Kutzle, John Nathaniel, Mattman & Robin and Ryan Tedder. The band frontman Ryan Tedder said of the song last August, “'West Coast' is people keep asking about this song. 'West Coast' is one of my all-time favourite top five OneRepublic songs we've ever done. The reason it hasn't come out yet is that it's such a unique sound, it's so different than all the normal OneRepublic stuff it's like The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, the Gorillaz like it's such a unique sound, we decided to make a whole album that made sense for “West Coast,” and that's the album that we've been working on for the last four months. I said I have another album's worth of songs. "West Coast" is one of the key singles on that album, and the sound of that album we're slightly switching up to match with “West Coast” because we think the song is so good.” They put out their debut album, 'Dreaming Out Loud' in 2007, followed by 'Waking Up' in 2009, 'Native' in 2013, and 'Oh My My' in 2016. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, OneRepublic has rescheduled their UK and European tour to spring 2022.

Ivy League Records release the exciting new single "Breakfast With You" from Melbourne’s Shannen James. "Breakfast With You" sees James taking all her influences and putting them into a blender, resulting in an effortless and catchy indie-pop-meets-country tune with a hook that is impossible not to want to scream at the top of your lungs. To coincide with the release, James has been announced as the primary and only support on Sycco’s upcoming Australian headline tour, playing shows in Sydney, Ballarat, Torquay, Melbourne & Adelaide across March – April. Vibrant and ridiculously fun, on both the video and track, James isn’t afraid to lean right into the playful country inferences that saturate BWY, taking the opportunity to pay homage to some of her favourite pop artists of the 90s – artists like Shania Twain and LeAnn Rimes who James looked up to as a kid. Lyrically, the song is as much about the empowering energy of enjoying your own company as it is a tongue-in-cheek ode to “the ick.” As James sings, “What’s it gonna take, for you to understand? I wanna be alone!” It becomes an anthem for anyone who has been on a terrible date. As an emerging artist who, like so many up-and-coming artists, has had numerous touring and recording setbacks due to COVID, James still managed to put out a highlight track of 2022 via her single "Superstitious."

South Korean producer and singer-songwriter SHAUN, whose real name is Kim Yun-ho, has enlisted Malaysian singer Yuna on his latest single, "So Right." The track’s electronica beat is accompanied by a jazzy guitar riff also played by SHAUN himself, as Yuna drives the song’s narrative forward with her vocals. The collaboration was spearheaded by SHAUN’s management company Unbound Entertainment Group, home to fellow Korean American star Sam Kim. According to a press statement, the brand chose to focus on the “Asian American narrative” for the single as part of their drive to promote multiculturalism in the music industry. SHAUN first debuted in 2009 as a member of South Korean indie rock band The Koxx and has since worked with EXO, SHINee, and f(x) as a producer. In 2018, his single "Way Back Home" became a viral hit, sending him to the top of the Gaon Digital Chart. More recently, in May 2021, he released the single album, "SHAUN #0055b7," featuring the tracks "Closed Ending" and "BLUE," a collaboration with rapper Wonstein. Earlier this month, Yuna announced that her upcoming fifth studio album is being split into five parts, with the first part, "Y1 Hello," coming as soon as March. Details on the album, including the tracklist and collaborators, if any, have yet to be released. Yuna’s last solo releases are "Don’t Blame It On Love," featuring American R&B singer Pink Sweat$ released in June 2021 and "Dance Like Nobody’s Watching" in December 2020.

Following the release of "Back In Love City" last year, The Vaccines are sharing their first new track since, revealing a new song, "Thunder Fever." During the pandemic, the appropriately named band kept themselves busy working on their 2021 album "Back In Love City," which they are supporting on tour, resuming this year with a show in Aylesbury on April 13th. The tour is an exciting return to live performance for the group since the run of lockdowns. "Thunder Fever" plays on the idea that falling in love can feel as powerful, intense and as sudden as something meteorological,” Justin Young explains. “Something heaven sent. It feels out of this world. Pop music has always been obsessed with the other-worldly, and that’s how the best of it often looks and feels - it relies on hyperbole. I thought our inability to travel to the edge of life’s extremes over the last couple of years and experience any form of hyperbole ourselves added a new and cruel dimension to this. But hopefully, "Thunder Fever" allows some escape. It comes at a time when the storm clouds finally feel like they’re parting, and hopefully, it sounds as fun and frenetic as taking shelter from the rain with someone you can't get out of your head.” "Thunder Fever" was recorded at The Pool, produced by Fryars (Mark Ronson, Pharrell) and mixed by Matt Wiggins (Glass Animals, Florence & The Machine).

Becky Hill has been dropping great hits and working with some big names in music in recent years, and now she has teamed up with Galantis for her new single "Run." Here is what Becky said about the track: “I wrote it with my best friend MNEK, with who I’ve been writing with for ten years. I feel like every single I release has the potential to better the last one, and this is no different, especially with Galantis featuring on the record. Becky Hill rose to prominence after appearing on the first series of The Voice UK, auditioning with John Legend’s “Ordinary People.” She joined Jessie J’s team and reached the semi-final of the competition. With her highly mature, resonant voice and R&B-influenced style, Becky Hill first came to the public’s attention, competing on Series One of The Voice UK. Ultimately reaching the show’s semifinal round, Hill became the first contestant to score a number one single when “Gecko (Overdrive),” her collaboration with Oliver Heldens, topped the U.K. singles chart in 2014. A compilation album collecting songs from 2013 to 2018, Get to Know Becky Hill, landed in the U.K. Top 20 in 2019. She followed it with her first official studio album, Only Honest on the Weekend, in 2021. It featured hit collaborations with Sigala (“Heaven on My Mind”), David Guetta (“Remember”), and more. In 2022, Becky Hill received two Brit Awards nominations, including British Song of the Year for “Remember” with David Guetta and Best Dance Act, which she won.

Lizzy McAlpine unveils her newest single and its accompanying visual “reckless driving” featuring Ben Kessler. Directed by Gus Black (Phoebe Bridgers, Sheryl Crow), the music video is the latest entry culminating in a short film incorporating her previously released videos for the aforementioned singles. The track appears on McAlpine's forthcoming album, five seconds flat, set for release on April 8 on Harbour Artists & Music / AWAL Recordings. McAlpine's previously released singles "erase me," "doomsday," and "all my ghosts" continue to receive praise; NPR Music featured "doomsday" in their All Things Considered New Mix while Teen Vogue declared, "The Philadelphia-based songstress charges on the dark, mid-tempo track." Rolling Stone added, "['erase me'] has just the right combination of the singer/songwriter vibe with a cinematic crescendo that makes the song a perfect fit for radio and even Top 40. Predominantly produced by Philip Etherington and Ehren Ebbage, the 14-track album was recorded in Eugene, OR and at The Laundry Pile in Los Angeles. Five seconds flat also includes contributions from Grammy-Award winners FINNEAS and Jacob Collier and Ben Kessler and Laura Elliott. Furthermore, McAlpine is set for an extensive North American tour date with Dodie. The shows kick off in early February and include performances at New York's Kings Theatre, Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, Chicago's Riviera Theater and Philadelphia's The Fillmore, and multiple shows at Los Angeles Theatre at Ace Hotel.

Naarm/Melbourne-based artist Jas. (Jasmine Zakhour) has released her new track, "Care too Much," which is the follow-up to her first single, "Wish You Well." "Care too Much" sees Jas, who is on the Hy-Lo label, again collaborating with producer YAAK. According to Jas. "Care Too Much was written in April of 2021 as an ode to traits within my personality that I felt let me down. The lyrics describe these traits while simultaneously justifying the behaviours that we all know are a detriment to our mental state if not controlled… the overall message of the song is that it’s okay to ‘care too much,’ as long as we acknowledge our pitfalls, and at least try to remediate in the process. Together with my frequent collaborator YAAK, we set out to create a fun and light-hearted record that would best highlight the contrasting sides of the narrative." "Care too Much" shows Jas. unafraid to reveal details of her journey. Despite the reflective nature of the lyrics, the track is upbeat, optimistic and eminently danceable. Jas. uses her exquisite voice to good effect in this song, the message of which is so relatable it’s sure to become an anthem to those who have found themselves in similar circumstances. In collaboration with YAAK, Jas. has again combined honest and insightful lyrics with slick production to deliver another pop classic.

R&B star Kehlani is following up her 2020 level-up "It Was Good Until It Wasn’t" with a new album called "Blue Water Road." She released its lead single, “Altar,” back in September. Today, she’s sharing another track, “little story,” produced by Pop & Oak’s Pop Wansel, Some Randoms, and Wes Singerman. The new track arrives alongside the music video — co-directed by Kehlani and Alex Thurmond — follows the carefree singer in seeming solitude as she sings to a past lover asking to, once again, be a part of their story. In several scenes, she’s seen reading from a book on fire, while in one incredibly carefree scene, the singer hangs upside down from some monkey bars. Later in the song, Kehlani is accompanied by some violinists for a beautiful, flowy bridge as her 2-year-old daughter Adeya joins her for a sweet cameo as the mother-daughter pair are seen playing in some water. “What can I say… a true little story. A song I really care about,” Kehlani said of the track. “A video I really care about. Enjoy it; it’s an honour to share it.” The new song follows the release of “Altar,” which she tweeted was dedicated to “all those I have lost, all the angels I have gained, all those that walk with me with hands cracking my chest open.” She also released the sexy “Ur Best Friend” with Kiana Ledé last year.

Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, and Carlos PenaVega of the pop super-group Big Time Rush have announced their highly-anticipated “Forever Tour” and released a new single, "Not Giving You Up." It has been eight years since the band was last together in an official capacity, with this latest run marking the new era of Big Time Rush. "Not Giving You Up" is the boy band's second new song since their 2013 banger album "24/seven" which peaked No. 4 in the Billboard 200 charts, making it the group's second highest-peaking album on the charts, next to their debut album "BTR soundtrack, which peaked No. 3 in the charts in 2010. Their “Forever Tour” is produced by Live Nation, and it will kick off on June 23 at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Washington, DC. They will be making a tour stop at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on June 30, and the tour will wrap up at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, CA, on August 20. Dixie D’Amelio will join them as their special musical guest. Since reuniting, this will mark their first official tour and bring the pop-culture icons to Madison Square Garden for their first-ever headlining show at the famed venue. The band is always at home in New York City and promises an epic hometown show of sorts for the June 30th event. Recently, the band performed at the iHeart Radio's Jingle Ball Atlanta 2021 with Black Eyed Peas, TikTok star Dixie D'Amelio, Tate McRae, Monsta X, Bazzi, and Tai Verdes. The Christmas show was iHeart's initiative for the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.