Legendary ’80s icon Tiffany has released a deluxe edition of her latest album, "Pieces of Me," via Deko Entertainment. This Deluxe Edition is re-mastered and re-packaged with new photos and includes unplugged versions of tracks “King of Lies,” “Starting Over,” and “Worlds Away.” This is a must-have for Tiffany fans! To make it even better, 100 lucky fans can get the Limited Edition "Pieces of Me" Holiday Bundle, which includes a one-of-a-kind "Pieces of Me" necklace and a personally signed Holiday card from Tiffany, packaged in the Tiffany Holiday box. “Excited about the Pieces of Me Holiday bundle,” said Tiffany. “This is a true collectors gem to my fans, and I’m thrilled with the limited addition Pieces of Me necklace. Such a great way to celebrate over 30 years together in music, adventures and new horizons. You are all pieces of me. I love you.”Deko Entertainment president Bruce Pucciarello continues, “Who is that who just popped out of the chimney? It’s Tiffany with the coolest re-masters ever, just in time to spice up our eggnogs; this holiday season…and yes, you will all sing along.” The former teen superstar was catapulted to superstardom with the release of her now-iconic single "I Think We're Alone Now." She has since sold over 15 million albums and set a record as the youngest female artist to top the US Billboard charts with her debut album.

BTS member V, aka Kim Taehyung has released a new track titled "Christmas Tree," OST from the drama "Our Beloved Summer." The song has been breaking records ever since, bringing in the highest debut streams for a Korean OST on Spotify, with 1.46 million streams. Additionally, the song took over the top spot on iTunes' US and Worldwide charts, dethroning the iconic Christmas song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey. This makes V the only Korean soloist to debut straight at number 1 on US iTunes with two solo songs. The song reached the #1 spot on iTunes in 86 countries. V, aka Kim Taehyung (Korean: 김태형), is the second-youngest member of the South Korean boy group, BTS. In addition to his work with the K-pop group, V made his acting debut in the drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth in 2016. He collaborated with fellow BTS member Jin on "It's Definitely You," an OST from the drama. V's first solo track outside of BTS was "Scenery," released in January 2019 on SoundCloud. V wrote and composed the song, and he photographed the cover artwork. V's second solo song, and first full English song, was entitled "Winter Bear," also released through SoundCloud, in August 2019. The song was released alongside a self-directed music video on BTS' YouTube channel, and he photographed the cover artwork for this song as well.

Katy Perry and Swedish DJ Alesso have dropped the new single “When I’m Gone,” a spacey electro-pop dance track that marks the first collaboration between the DJ and pop star. “When I’m Gone” is the second single Perry’s released this year, following “Electric,” which dropped in May as part of the "Pokémon 25 soundtrack." This is Alesso’s fourth single of the year, and it follows “Chasing Stars,” a collaboration with Marshmello featuring James Bay. Perry and Alesso spoke with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on Wednesday about the new song, with Perry telling Lowe that Alesso came to her with the track nearly a year and a half ago. She told Lowe she wasn’t sure if she was ready to collab given the preparation for her Las Vegas residency shows, but, as she says: “[The show] is so big and so wild that we wanted to inject some new blood into it. I was like, I have the perfect timing to put out a dance song through and through just so much fun and up, up, up. Then also with the music video that’s coming, I’m just going for it.” The two are set to premiere a music video for the track on ESPN at halftime for the 2022 NCAA national championship football game on Jan. 10. Perry is set to kick off her Vegas residency Wednesday evening, and that’s slated to run through Mar. 19, 2022. She shared the setlist for her residency’s opening night on Tuesday evening.

The official video for Joss Stone's new single "Breaking Each Other's Hearts "has been released, which will be included on the artist's new album, "Never Forget My Love," to be released in early 2022. It was so overwhelming to shoot this video, this song makes me cry, as it does at different times in my life. We can all remember that we are not alone in our sadness. We are simple people, after all. Love is the essence, whether not we have lost, or have full, even know to exist! Please find more love, everyone, "said Joss Stone. Stone and Stewart wrote each song on the new album at Bay Street Studios in the Bahamas, and then they recorded all the songs at the famous Blackbird Studio in Nashville. The project marks Stone's first LP in more than five years, as well as her first Stewart-written tracks in more than a decade. Joss Stone debuted in 2003 with the album "The Soul Sessions, "certified platinum in the UK and gold in the US. The artist has won two Brit Awards and a Grammy Award, her first three albums selling in the US in over 3 million copies.

Two years after the release of her acclaimed "No Roots" EP, Alice Merton returned with her full-length debut "Mint," released on 30 November 2019 through Paper Planes and Mom + Pop Music. "Mint" is an impressive collection of irresistible pop gems that showcases Merton’s knack for infectious hooks and dancefloor-packing beats. Alice Merton broke onto the music scene in 2016 when she went straight to the top of the charts with her powerful single “No Roots.” Merton also released two other singles, “Why So Serious” and “Funny Business,” in 2018. Before her album release, Merton seemed to have unyielding amounts of talent and potential. Merton also re-released the album in late 2019 under the title "Mint +4", with four new songs, including the sixth single, "Easy." From the opening salvo of “Learn to Live,” with its ridiculously catchy guitar riff that recalls Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” Merton establishes the formula to "Mint’s" success: unique, danceable beats, splashes of rock and funk guitar, massive sing-along choruses, intricate melodies, and Merton’s contralto croon. The chart-topping nomadic earwig “No Roots” needs no introduction, but it’s not even the catchiest song on the album. The stomping funk-rock of “Lash Out” trades one hook for another as it builds from verse to pre-chorus to chorus. “Everything is nothing until you realize it’s something you want,” Merton sings over the staccato riff. The slow jam “Speak Your Mind” is Mint’s best track. Merton’s rhythmic vocals pulse and contract, bolstered by a slow bass groove. Fitting for a song about silence and lack of communication, it is as powerful in its spaces between bass notes, between Merton’s vocal lines, as it is in the anthemic chorus when palm-muted guitars drop into the mix. “It’s hard for me to look at you and realize you’re part of me,” Merton sings, putting words to a deteriorating relationship struggling from miscommunication. At times Merton and co-songwriter Nick Rebscher rely on lyrical clichés, and, intended or not, the chorus in “Why So Serious” can’t help but recall the Joker’s iconic line in "The Dark Knight." It can also be said that "Mint" overreaches to dramatic choruses when more subtlety would have helped. Even so, "Mint" shows off the young Merton’s immense talent. Her voice is soulful and powerful without ever over-singing. Merton sometimes sounds like a veteran soul singer while at others, especially the piano ballad “Homesick,” her tone and phrasing channels Fiona Apple. Songs like “Trouble in Paradise” and “Funny Business” show Merton at the top of her dance-pop game, with retro grooves, thumping bass, and standout melodic vocals. Even at her most bombastic dance moments, though, Merton relies on her compositional craft to avoid the monotony that often plagues the genre. These are fine grooves with unique beats, flourishes of guitars, pianos and other instruments, and a resulting sound as introspective as it is propulsive. "Mint" is as catchy as any album that has topped the pop charts, but it is a lot more than dance beats and pop hooks. The album’s creative uses of rock and funk, Merton’s keen ear for melody, and the intricate compositions that tread the line between subtlety and dramatic catharsis make it a standout pop album. Merton wrote “Why So Serious” in response to constant questions about whether she was worried about being a one-hit-wonder. After dropping her first LP, Merton has clarified that such a thing shouldn’t be a concern. Any song on "Mint" had the potential to be another massive hit for Merton, both because they hit on a formula that has worked well in the past and just because they’re that good.

Hall of Fame guitarist Eric Clapton released a new single called, “Heart of a Child” with fellow vaccine skeptic and Italian architect Robin Monotti, who is currently suspended on Twitter. “Heart of a Child” boasts Clapton’s lovely and skilled playing, it’s also subtly a protest song with the message being don’t back down, don’t lose your will, even if it’s a childlike appreciation of life. The new track comes on the heels of songs like “This Has Gotta Stop” and “Stand and Deliver,” for which Clapton recruited another vaccine skeptic, Van Morrison. According to NBC News, “Clapton claimed that he was experiencing temporary adverse reactions to the Astrazeneca vaccine, but detailed symptoms he’d disclosed as early as 2013 and previously blamed on neurological problems. He has opposed lockdowns and made suspicious claims about the dangers of vaccines. This spring, he said in videos posted on a friend’s YouTube channel that scientific studies, expert opinions and public health recommendations extolling the importance of vaccines were “propaganda,” and most recently doubled down by vowing he wouldn’t perform to what he termed “discriminated audiences” in venues requiring proof of vaccination.” Clapton's last contemporary studio album was ‘I Still Do’ in 2016. It featured just two new Clapton compositions ‘Spiral’ and ‘Catch The Blues’ as well as covers from JJ Cale, Bob Dylan and Robert Johnson.

As the year comes to a close, we wanted to highlight some of the top-notch pop full-lengths that may have been overlooked but are worthy of any Best of 2021 round-up. Some of these artists are veterans, some are just getting started, but they all added something singular and special to this year's pop world. Dive in below! ALESSIA CARA | IN THE MEANTIME "Wish I knew what I’m becoming,” Alessia Cara sings on "In The Meantime," an album that forces the 25-year-old former best new artist Grammy winner to prod at her sense of self after millions of streams and multiple hits. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more vulnerable pop album in 2021, and Cara treats the layer-shedding process with professional curiosity and personal hopefulness. BLEACHERS | TAKE THE SADNESS OUT OF SATURDAY NIGHT In between contributing to projects by Taylor Swift, Clairo, Lorde, St. Vincent and Lana Del Rey this year, Jack Antonoff released his most fully realized Bleachers album to date, a project confident in its most personal moments and unabashedly buoyed by the multi-hyphenate’s heroes, as Bruce Springsteen and Zadie Smith both appear on "Take The Sadness Out of Saturday Night." CHLOE MORIONDO | BLOOD BUNNY Chloe Moriondo’s "Blood Bunny" was a pleasant surprise adjacent to the pop-punk revival of 2021, a complete portrait of a unique teenage identity that has emerged as a recording artist after a series of ukulele covers on YouTube. “I Eat Boys,” and its Jennifer’s Body-inspired music video remains a flashpoint, but across 13 songs, Moriondo beautifully renders angst and self-assessment over buzzing guitars. CLAUD | SUPER MONSTER Plenty of artists made records about the euphoria and frustration of teenage romance this year; few, if any, made one as accomplished as Claud’s "Super Monster." Songs like “Soft Spot” and “Guard Down” beguile immediately while others take longer to sink into, but Claud’s songwriting and point of view never fail to reward on repeat listens. GRIFF | ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER Although technically billed as her debut mixtape, Griff’s "One Foot In Front of The Other" carried enough spectacular pop moments to rival any 2021 full-length. Self-produced by the rising British star in her bedroom, the seven-song project tossed out both immaculate hook construction (“Black Hole”) as well as warm, woozy production (“Shade of Yellow”) with an effortlessness most pop artists would love to possess. YEBBA | DAWN Wondering why Drake bequeathed the spotlight to Yebba on the song “Yebba’s Heartbreak” from his "Certified Lover Boy" album? One listen to "Dawn," the Arkansas singer-songwriter’s long-awaited debut album, should clear up any questions: the soulful vocals and poetic lyricism on the full-length, along with well-placed guest spots from A$AP Rocky and Smino, suggest a recording star in the making. DREW SYCAMORE | SYCAMORE Coming from a small town in Denmark’s countryside, Drew Sycamore makes pop that sounds like it wants to swallow the entire planet and then search for parties across the cosmos. "Sycamore," which desperately needs a more significant North American audience, is both relentless — even the down-tempo songs are stuffed with hooks — and effervescent, a perfectly executed attempt to inject joy into the listener. BRANDI CARLILE | IN THESE SILENT DAYS Again and again, Carlile’s purity – as a singer, a songwriter, a musician, an artist – is its magnetic element, an intangible soulfulness that burrows its way into your heart. A student of ‘70s songcraft – her affection for Joni Mitchell and Elton John is well documented. From the moment she utters the opening lines of the poignant piano ballad, “Right on Time” prepares for an intensely emotional journey. JULIA MICHAELS | NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER The gifted singer-songwriter finally got the chance to present a full-length statement after a series of EPs, and "Not In Chronological Order' boasts some of Julia Michaels’ most singular pop moments yet, from the tense bounce of “Lie Like This” to the devil-may-care guitar ripcord “All Your Exes.” The album caps off a breathtaking five-year run from Michaels, and now, she can do anything she wants. ALY & AJ | A TOUCH OF THE BEAT GETS YOU UP ON YOUR FEET GET YOU OUT INTO THE SUN Aly and AJ Michalka, former Disney stars who showed plenty of bright flashes during the 14 years between proper Aly & AJ full-lengths, finally released the dizzyingly fun adult album that longtime fans knew they had in them, as "A Touch of the Beat…" sounds like both a retro pop-rock pastiche and a reassuring check-in with where the sisters are today. PALE WAVES | WHO AM I? The title of Pale Waves’ sophomore LP, "Who I Am," is deceptive — the British quartet both asks and answers questions about their identities on the follow-up to 2018’s "My Mind Makes Noises" and figures out a streamlined pop-rock sound that suits them well. The group’s X factor remains Heather Baron-Gracie, a risk-taking leader who never flinches when addressing her sexuality or the sordid state of the world. LAURA MVULA | PINK NOISE The first words Laura Mvula sings on "Pink Noise" are “I will give you all of my soul, for your pleasure / I will give you everything that I own, for good measure.” The British artist isn’t singing to her audience, but she may as well be: Mvula has spent a decade working up to the groove, starry-eyed tunes on display here, fulfilling her early promise by pouring her soul into her first album in five years.

South Australia singer-songwriter Sia Kate Isobelle Furler is a musical treasure. But it wasn’t always this way. She wasn’t noticed until after leaving her acid jazz band called Crisp, who had two albums: "Word and the Deal," and "Delirium" for clearer skies. She worked her way into the hearts of the British, with her chart-topping single "Taken for Granted" on her first big studio release album; "Healing is Difficult," back in 2000. In 2008, she released "Some People Have Real Problems" under Hear Music Records. The album was packed with beautifully lazy, melancholic tunes and delivered a production job highlighting her voice's best aspects. This is helped by some of Beck's band and the boy himself on backing vocals. With this album, the theme seems to be built around relationships. Sia talks about breakups and the conversations leading to them, lying in bed and fighting with your loved one, and getting over that love you lost, et cetera. The most accurate test is that she can take a standard cover version and own it: It's an unusual step to first release a live version of "Lady Croissant" and then follow it with a studio rendition, but her take on Ray Davies "I Go To Sleep" owes nothing to Chrissie Hynde. Listen to the control that finally allows the disarmingly restrained pipes to take flight on the second chorus. The awfully-titled but still impressive "Death By Chocolate" makes the fatal mistake of crossing over into Gospel territory and still never falters. Only on rockier tracks like "Buttons" does she become mildly unstuck. Admittedly the weary Billie Holiday croak can get a little too familiar, especially as it's this very trope that the likes of Adele and Duffy were trying to tempt you with over the next few months. But by the blaring horns of "Electric Bird," the wealth of tunes and genuine feel have bulldozered any misgivings into dust. It may not be original, but it's quality. When in focus and awakened vocally, Sia is a fantastic singer with a sweet, beguiling voice. The power ballad "Soon We'll Be Found" indicates that she can sing a verse with clarity when she puts her mind to it. Between her captivating vocals and the melodic, "Let's not fight, I'm tired / Can we just sleep tonight / Turn away it's just there's nothing left to say / Turn around, I know we're lost / But soon we'll be found," is among the strongest on the album. It is a shame that she does not do it more often on the album, as her voice is fantastic when she lets it run wild. More upbeat tracks, like sunny old school soul "Day Too Soon" and thrusting piano pop "The Girl You Lost To Cocaine," bring out the best in her. Plucky bass and clap-happy beat mesh with a spirited hook on "Playground," proving Sia can creep around a song and be listenable at times. You can appreciate the new recordings of Sia because the Australian stands out from the crowd of similar pop singers. Nevertheless, her latest recordings are fading away from the older ones. And we don't have to go back to the days of the dazzling Healing Is Difficult. It is enough to mention "Some People Have Real Problems." Maybe the chorus is more difficult to sing along with the artist, but they excel in quality and melody. Sia's head can have a lot of different worries. However, there are no songs that the singer cannot interest the audience. At the heart of "Some People Have Real Problems" is a grown-up and brave album of jazz-pop. It deserves your attention.

Grammy Award-winning DJ/producer/songwriter David Guetta shares his music video for his latest single, "Family," where he teams up with Bebe Rexha, Ty Dolla $ign, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. “Family is everything to me,” Rexha said in a release. “Sometimes you find friends that become your family, and that is what this song is about. Sharing this experience with David Guetta, Ty Dolla $ign, and A Boogie With A Hoodie made it even more special. Guetta had originally released international versions of “Family” featuring local artists worldwide. To celebrate the song’s theme of boundless connections, the video also features appearances from nine artists filmed in their home countries. Annalisa appears from Italy, Imen Siar from the Middle East, LUNE from Germany, Jamie from Korea, 22Bullets from China, Julie Bergan from Nordics, Artik & Asti from Russia, IZA from Brazil, and Sofia Reyes from Latin America. The featured vocalists on "Family" collectively have over 75M monthly Spotify listeners and 200M social followers. The track was released three weeks ago and boasted over 14M streams. Recently crowned favourite dance/electronic artist at the 2021's MTV EMA's and nominated for the best electronic artist at this year's AMA's and the winner of DJ Mag's "Top 100 DJs" poll in 2011, 2020, and 2021. David Guetta is among EDM's greatest superstars.

British soul singer and songwriter Emeli Sandé has called in some high-energy DJs, producers and spitters to help her reimagine two of her recent singles, "Look What You've Done" and "Family," for a four-track "Remixes" EP. General Levy opens the EP on "Look What You've Done," which initially featured Jaykae and was produced by Sandé herself, charging over Selecta J-Man's production with his punchy lyrics spilling from him like a waterfall. Ngosa then offers a club-ready take on "Family," a second version of which is shaken up by Rimzee, who delivers a top-quality round of bars, once again proving his light-footed versatility. Lastly, HiFi Sean shares his electronic interpretation of "Family," bringing the vibrant EP to a close. Sandé says of the track, "Family" marks a new beginning on many levels for me. It’s an ode to resilience, rebirth, and renewal! It was created last year in my home studio, a time and place in which I felt more creative freedom than ever before. I hope that it uplifts and empowers each listener!" Overall, ‘Family’ is a one-of-a-kind type of release. It’s passionate, and it’s a testament to Sandé’s willingness to try something different. “Family” and “Look What You’ve Done” were shared earlier this year as the first offerings from Sandé’s forthcoming fourth studio album, which will be her first since 2019’s "Real Life." The singer has described this new era of her musicianship as “an ode to resilience, rebirth, and renewal.”

Singer and songwriter Lena Katina, a former member of the famous Russian duo, tATu, has just released a new single, 'Stay The Same'. The song is written by Lena with Oleg Drofa and Evgeny Bednenko, and is presented as a melancholy slow-rock ballad. Lena released a single in Russian, 'Iz temnoty,' last June. But 'Stay The Same' is his first English single in four years. Even so, 'Stay The Same' is not a new song because Lena had performed it live at her “Mummy Troll” concert on March 3, 2018. Lena Katina shared on social media, “The world is changing... Life is changing, but Stay True to yourself no matter what they say.” Lena has a reason she finally released a studio version of her song because, in a constantly changing world, she reminds us just to be ourselves. After tATu, Lena has released three albums independently as a solo artist. His last album was “Mono,” which was released in 2019. She started her career at the age of eight, joining the Russian children's act Avenue, soon after that joining Neposedy. In 1999, producer Ivan Shapovalov chose Katina and Julia Volkova for his project t.A.T.u.. The duo would later become Russia's most successful pop music act. The group produced several hits, including "All the Things She Said," "Not Gonna Get Us," and "All About Us."

Arilena Ara has been teasing her new album for the past few months. But now the Albanian singer has finally released "POP ART THE ALBUM" (entirely in capitals for emphasis). The LP features 12 songs, including previous singles “Murderer,” “Aligator,” “Thirr Policine,” and “Ke Me Mungu”. She now drops the music video for “Dance Me,” which sees the Eurovision 2020 entrant collaborating with Switzerland’s Eurovision 2021 representative Gjon’s Tears. While you might have expected these two powerful vocalists to deliver a dramatic ballad, they bring us a Katy Perry-style dance-pop track. Arilena Ara wrote the track Erkand Shabani directed Gjon's Tears, Wendy, and Florent Boshnjaku. It’s bilingual, with Arilena singing in English and Gjon’s Tears adding a French verse. Arilena Ara shared on social media, “We started working on this project a year ago, and since then, it’s only been hard work, discipline and of course, laughter too. I’ve fancied every moment of the making of the album and would never change any part of it! Move your body and dance to every single song.”

Country music singer-songwriter Brett Eldredge released a new song, “Holy Water,” which follows his second-holiday album, “Mr. Christmas.” Eldredge reinvented his sound with 2020’s "Sunday Drive," leaving behind overly polished mainstream country for nuanced story-songs. To his credit, he’s not only sticking with the vibe of that album but building on it. His new song “Holy Water,” surprise-released on Christmas Eve to coincide with Eldredge’s association with the season, is a grand piano number that shows off the Chicago-area native’s range. It’s decidedly not a holiday song, but it does paint in similar tones of hope and redemption. The song was produced by Dave Cobb, who has overseen live-on-the-floor sessions by everyone from Chris Stapleton to Slash. It proves to be the right partnership: Eldredge sings easily and naturally here, with only piano joining him first. The vocalist who recently postponed shows after testing positive for Covid looks red-eyed, exhausted and discouraged. “Today has been a really rough day,” he said in the video on Instagram. “I decided to go check to see one last time to make sure it wasn’t Covid. And unfortunately, it turns out it was Covid, which really sucks. I’ve been so excited about playing this show. I know a lot of you have been so excited to go to it. Breaks my heart.”

Nas has released a new project called "Magic," produced by Hit-Boy. The nine-track release, executive produced by Nas and Hit-Boy, includes a collaboration with A$AP Rocky and DJ Premier called “Wave Gods.” Nas shared his new project’s cover art and tracklist on social media. “Magic is in the air,” he captioned the post. “Midnight et brand new music to vibe to.” Nas references hip-hop heavyweights throughout "Magic," including Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Gang Starr. On “Wu for the Children,” Nas pays tribute to the late Virgil Abloh and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, among others. Hit-Boy produced Nas’s last two albums, "King’s Disease" and "King’s Disease II." The first "King’s Disease" earned Nas and Hit-Boy the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Earlier this year, Hit-Boy worked with Nas on “Big Nas” and “Life Is Like a Dice Game.” The producer also collaborated with Big Sean on "What You Expect." The EP includes the single “What a Life,” a music video featuring Big Sean covered in bees. Earlier this year, Nas also celebrated the 25th anniversary of his sophomore studio album, "It Was Written." Since dropping his 1994 debut, "Illmatic," he has released 25 Billboard Hot 100 tracks, including two top 10 hits. His albums "I am…, Hip-Hop Is Dead, Life Is Good and Untitled" each peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Lights have surprised fans with a new era and released "Real Thing," a brand new track. In a tweet, she writes, “SURPRISE it my beautiful girl @elohimmusicand our song “Real Thing” is out on Friday.” The collaboration follows Lights’ song with fellow Canadian musicians The Beaches called “Let’s Go.” A soft, understated electro-pop banger, it's another side to Lights' ever-expanding sonic palette that ebbs and flows with shimmering synths and beautifully delicate melodies. It also features an appearance from ELOHIM. The song will be on her new upcoming album, expected to come out sometime next year. Earlier this year, she also collaborated with Deadmau5 for “When The Summer Dies,” where she was a part of the Core community that the DJ had made for fans. The dystopian world is known as "Oberhasli," a world where fans can interact with one another and receive more updates than any virtual world out there. She also collaborated with fellow DJ and producer Morgan Page on the catchy EDM track“Turn Off My Mind,” Lights will also be hitting the road for a 2022 North American tour. The tour is set to officially kick things off in Portland, Oregon, on April 3. Other stops include Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Nashville and Philadelphia. It is set to conclude in Toronto on May 7.

Globally esteemed electronic dance music stalwarts DVBBS and Benny Benassi are back on the release radar with ‘Body Mind Soul,’ featuring the vocal talent of California-based singer Kyle Reynolds. This energetic, collaborative track comes after some heavyweight releases from this talented group. DVBBS ended the month of October on a high note with the release of their 15-track album "Sleep," which keeps their fans wide awake to this day. In addition to a spectacular touring rhythm, Benny Benassi made his appearance on "Sophie and The Giants Golden Nights" about a month ago, when Kyle Reynolds’ vocals featured "Truth" from Syence. After these milestones, nothing beats wrapping up the last quarter of the year with a collaborative track packed with good vibes. The two-minute offering begins with an atmospherically heady soundscape paired flawlessly alongside Reynolds’ deep, textured vocal cut. The lyricism is rife with an emotionally-charged ambiance, placing a central focus on the enticing effects that can take on a person. From start to finish, the feelgood track boasts sprightly production elements that maintain its signature high energy sensibilities with ease. The propelling flair carries the listener throughout, a true rollercoaster of sound that’ll leave one wanting even more from the trio of talent. In all, the quintessential end-of-year sonic gem serves as another perfect addition to DVBBS, Benny Benassi, and Kyle Reynolds’ respective back-catalogues.

English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Alpin has been around for nearly a decade. Her star rose quickly in her homeland, but the predicted great success did not come. This resulted in a break with record company Parlophone in 2017 and a silence of five years until she released her third album, "Dear Happy," last year, where she sought her more hit-sensitive side. Today Aplin brings us a Christmas present with her new single “Skylight.” On “Skylight,” Gabrielle Aplin again moves away from the pop sound that was so prominent on Dear Happy. The song sounds more sultry and leans closer to soul and jazz, in other words, a side that we haven't heard from her until now. Her beautiful voice gets us into the vibe created during four minutes, but it still feels a bit awkward for some reason. The tranquillity that the melody conveys does match the lyrics in which love is praised, and the emphasis is on enjoying this moment. It takes some getting used to for the seasoned Aplin fan, but she again proves that she has more to offer. That artists evolve and keep reinventing themselves is something we can only encourage, but sometimes it's easier to digest when it comes in small steps. Curious if she will continue to follow this path or retrace her efforts with the following songs.

Nigerian singer-songwriter Fireboy DML released his hit track "Peru" over the summer that would catch the attention of megastar Ed Sheeran. The British singer spoke with Elton John on the Pop icon's "Rocket Hour," saying that he found "Peru" to be "very intriguing." Sheeran and Fireboy collaborated on the track's remix where Sheeran is heard singing a few words in Yorùbá. “It has been a dream knowing Ed Sheeran is a fan of my sound and having him jump on a song that was inspired by me travelling the world,” Fireboy DML remarked in a press release. “Not only is this an exciting moment for me, but also Afrobeats. I hope this is the first of many collaborations with Ed and other artists around the globe, and I can’t wait for everyone to enjoy this song during the holidays.” Last year, Fireboy DML released his breakout sophomore album Apollo. Since then, he’s stopped by "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" to perform a special medley and teamed up with D Smoke for the single “Champion.” Fireboy DML will embark on his first U.S. headlining tour early next year. The Apollo Tour kicks off on February 3 in Providence, Rhode Island and sees him performing in major cities before wrapping up on February 28 in Seattle, Washington.

Soul phenomenon Joss Stone is set to release her new album "Never Forget My Love" in early 2022, her first album in six years. The title track was released to wide acclaim last month, and now we get the follow-up single, “Breaking Each Other’s Hearts.” The latter song might not be the obvious choice for a Christmas release, but Stone shares that, “I know life is not perfect, and sometimes Christmas day comes around, and there's somebody that's hurting you.” “Some of my records have been very defiant,” She has been working with producer David Stewart (of the Eurythmics) on the new record, Stone says, “You feel very safe with Dave. You can tell him every single story—he knows everything about my life!” She adds that Stewart is skilled at drawing the music out instead of scripting it in. Having worked together on numerous projects over the years, the latest collaboration for the duo feels like somewhat of a full-circle moment from their early collaboration recording “Alfie” for the 2004 Jude Law movie of the same name. Despite being a new mum (Violet turns one this January), Stone has yet to show any signs of slowing down, having released “Lean on Me” with Beverley Knight last April to raise awareness for national health workers in the UK, launching a podcast (A Cuppa Happy) all and being involved with "The Masked Singer" (winning Season 2 as the sausage). Joss kicks off a tour with fellow Brit Corinne Bailey Rae this coming Jan. 19 through February 11.

Before she went mainstream, Australian singer-songwriter Sia released her third studio album, "Colour The Small One," on February 3, 2004. It’s true, though- I bought two of Sia’s earlier albums back in 2008 when she was just a tiny blip on the music world’s radar. I thought her talent was impressive and hoped that the rest of the world would pick up on her beautiful music. The album "Colour The Small One" is an excellent introduction to Sia’s solo work as there are plenty of emotional ballads that highlight her powerful voice and plenty of fun, upbeat songs, all with Sia’s signature well-written lyrics. The production was by Jimmy Hogarth, who also co-wrote three tracks and provided various instruments. It was re-released on January 10th, 2006, in the US, after the track "Breathe Me" became popular on alternative radio, following its feature as the closing song in the series finale of the HBO drama "Six Feet Under." The album peaked at No. 14 on the BillboardTop Heatseekers Albums Chart. Sia’s first album "Healing is Difficult" is an album that falls closer to slightly skewed R&B than any other genre, but "Colour the Small One" is likely to appeal more to those fans of her work with the UK purveyors of downtempo in Zero 7. "Colour the Small One" is an incredibly “internal” album, one where we feel as though we’re hearing the stream of Sia’s consciousness, listening to her thoughts as much as we are hearing her words. “And I’m addicted to the joy that the little things / Those little things / The little things they bring,” she sings in the cinematic, string-enhanced “Don’t Bring Me Down,” coming off something like Natalie Imbruglia as heard from inside the womb, all poppy chord changes and slowly builds in a soupy, near-whispered haze. “You’ve drawn me into your world / Now I too spin, limbless,” she sings in “Moon,” whispering a striking, almost violent concession of loving submission to an unnamed lover. That sense of loss of control, more contemplated than acted upon, is the essence of what "Colour the Small One" exemplifies most consistently. Of course, such a loss of control is understandable given the inspiration for much of Sia’s music. She has mentioned that her first album was a direct reaction to the tragic death, but much of that album feel detached as if Sia was purposefully avoiding the sorrow of such catastrophe. "Colour the Small One" is the confrontation, as Sia continually talks herself through her darker thoughts. Notable in the eerie yet wonderfully written Sunday, it gives words of encouragement to those giving in to the pressures of life. While the other singles released from "Colour The Small One" don't seem to compare to the upbeat chart-toppers Sia releases today, they are still gems; Numb may take a little while to peak, but when it does, it's a beautiful moment. The last honourable mention goes out to the borderline jazzy "Where I Belong," another number about finding inner strength and embracing it. Listening to Sia pre "1000 Forms Of Fear" (2014) brings with it a history lesson; the world of Sia ten years ago is an entirely different place to that of today. Sia’s follow-up album, "Some People Have Real Problems," is a better effort, but "Colour the Small One" is nonetheless a great album. The strongest tracks (notably “Breathe Me,” “Sweet Potato,” and “The Church of What’s Happening Now”) more than makeup for the few dull moments on the album and all of the songs perfectly illustrate Sia’s talent and prove that she’s more than just a voice on an R&B/hip-hop track.