Jhené Aiko is ready for the holidays with her latest release, “Wrap Me Up.” a three-and-a-half-minute cut fully adopts the festive season, with sleigh bells in the background, adding a jolly touch to her ethereal vocals. The song, which initially featured James Fauntleroy, was first shared on SoundCloud in 2012. The 2021 version swaps the Tae Beast production and arrangement favouring an update from Lejkeys, Aiko, the Fisticuffs. As Rolling Stone notes, “In the bridge retained from the original, Aiko extends the refrain ‘Silent night, hold me tight/In your arms, all is right.’” Aiko is ready for the holidays.Aiko recently appeared alongside Swae Lee on the "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" soundtrack cut “In the Dark.” Her latest full-length effort, "Chilombo," was released in 2020 and was certified platinum by January 2021. The 20-track record, which featured appearances from Nas, Ty Dolla $ign, Future, John Legend, Miguel and H.E.R, also earned her three GRAMMY nominations for Album of the Year, Best Progressive R&B Album and Best R&B Performance for “Lightning & Thunder.” Aiko has been celebrating a few holidays this year. In honour of pot enthusiasts worldwide, Jhené Aiko dropped the “Tryna Smoke” video from her platinum-selling album "Chilombo" on 4/20. The footage shows Aiko surrounded by some friends, including Big Sean, sparking up some weed before getting on with the rest of their night.

REMI WOLF This year California-based singer-songwriter Remi Wolf released her debut album "JUNO," and in 2022, she’ll take that sound yet further in her zany and lyrical sound. She used to be a junior Olympic ski racer. She was an "American Idol" contestant. And now she's a viral pop singer who has, on the strength of two EPs filled with a magnetic hybrid of elated funk and soulful pop, won over a score of fans, including diverse guitar-slinger elders like John Mayer, Nile Rodgers and Beck. After graduating from USC Thornton School of Music in 2018, Wolf dropped her debut EP, 2019's "You're A Dog!." The release of Wolf's sophomore EP, "I'm Allergic To Dogs!" bolstered the Californian artist's beguiling persona — think outrageously earnest librarian meets seasoned but humble Broadway actress — and honed her ability to produce music in the sweet spot between reference and innovation. There's a compelling quality to her work that feels indescribable, one that you can spend hours trying to define and never will. ASHER KNIGHT UK-based singer-songwriter Asher Knight has earned support from the likes of The Vamps and James Blunt – he’s such a talented artist! His vocals sound so soulful, and he knows just how to make an unforgettable pop song as his latest single, "By The Way." He used music as a form of escapism while dealing with bullying in school, and we’re so proud of him for pushing through such an awful situation to get to the other, very boppy side. Lou came onto the map in 2016 with her breakout anthem “TBC” after adolescence, marked by the same work ethic that has propelled her during the pandemic. The self-produced artist was further catapulted into recognition after a 2018 shout-out from Drake’s Instagram. He appeared wearing her merch (he has cited Lou as one of his influences for his album Scorpion). When he posted the photo, she was on a North American tour with fellow Brit Jorja Smith, an experience that allowed her to experiment with different characters every night. EDEN HUNTER It’s no secret that we have loved Eden Hunter since she debuted earlier this year, but her latest single "Chance My Heart" surprised even us! It’s a retro pop banger that deserves to soundtrack the exciting turnaround in a coming-of-age movie. Eden has already established herself as an energetic indie artist you need to watch with just two singles. Hunter said about her music, "My songs have genuine raw messages. None of the music I write for my own artist project is about being in love. It’s about friendship, hardship, happiness, drive, intuition. I can write about being loved and loving someone, but being in love is something very different." Following on from her critically acclaimed single “Weightless,” the artist continues to take leaps and bounds in the scene, gaining support from various tastemakers and fans. Having already sold-out venues with fellow pop-newcomer Josie Proto, we think 2022 is due to be a big year for the star. JACK SAVORETTI This year, Jack Savoretti got a #1 album in the UK with "Europiana," but he shows no signs of stopping. "Europiana" is the follow-up to Jack’s breakthrough 2019 album "Singing to Strangers," his third consecutive gold seller and first UK number one. While that album was recorded in Rome at Ennio Morricone’s studio, this new disc was conceived between lockdowns at Jack’s Oxfordshire home. Once again, Cam Blackwood (George Ezra, London Grammar, Florence & The Machine) has produced the album, recorded late last year at Abbey Road with Jack’s longtime touring band. He’s pushing himself even further with his string-tinged, piano-led track "The Way You Said Goodbye," which he recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios. The song has a strong sense of magical nostalgia, showing off his lyrical talent and ability to convey emotion with even straight lines anyone can connect with. Jack heads out on a 12 date UK tour in spring 2022, kicking off at the Plymouth Pavilions and finishing up at London’s Eventim Apollo. JO O'MEARA Jo O’Meara blew us all away with her latest album, "With Love," which arrived 16 years after her debut "Relentless." the singer’s album is her most involved project yet, with a hand-selected tracklist of personal favourite cover versions and original co-writes. In addition, she’s decided to close out 2021 with a look back to her past. She just unveiled an unplugged version of S Club 7’s "Never Had A Dream Come True," and we can’t get enough of this gorgeous new rendition. She’s grown so much as an artist and a person since her time with S Club 7, and the only way is up! If you can, you should make your way to her acoustic show at PizzaExpress in February. Jo’s experiences have taken her long from growing up on Collier Row, near Romford, Essex. As a teenager, she sang country classics at working men’s clubs before joining an early incarnation of the British-American girl group Solid HarmoniE and working with a young Max Martin. Everything went stratospheric with S Club before she launched her solo career with the hit single "What Hurts The Most." JAMES MORRISON There’s a reason James Morrison is considered one of Britain’s best artists, and the “refreshed” version of his 2006 song "You Give Me Something" shows off his creative mind After winning the BRIT Award for British Male Solo Artist early in his career, James was recently invited by the iconic songwriter Diane Warren to feature on her current album ‘The Cave Sessions, Vol. 1’ with Leona Lewis. It represents James’s second significant collaboration of 2021 after his songwriting hero Paul Weller asked him to duet on "Broken Stones" as part of his Live From The Barbican show, a collaboration with Jules Buckley and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Their performance was released as the lead single from Weller’s album "An Orchestrated Songbook," released on December 3rd. He has also previously worked with Gary Barlow, Nelly Furtado, OneRepublic and Joss Stone. He’ll be releasing a greatest hits album in February before heading out on a tour of the UK and Europe. We are ecstatic to see what other surprises he has waiting for us! MADISON MARGOT Rising pop star Madison Margot splits her time between her hometown of Los Angeles and London! She talks about the city and long-distance relationships on her track "Heathrow," which nods to London’s airport. Her latest song, "If We Fall," has the romantic charm of songs like Taylor Swift’s "Begin Again," and we can’t get enough of her songwriting or pretty vocals. She was known to unravel her music's personal life; the artist taps into her most inner thoughts and feelings for her music, openly discussing her inner ideas. The Los Angeles-raised talent is made for stardom, exposed to exciting and inspiring opportunities, including meeting Miley Cyrus at a young age. Surrounded by talent, influenced by industry giants such as Taylor Swift, Haim, and Lana Del Rey, she is an up-and-comer worthy of the attention she will receive at every step of her growing career for her feel-good brand of pop music.

The boy band comprised of four of the 2010s' biggest teen heartthrobs; Big Time Rush is officially back with their brand new single “Call It Like I See It." The band, which consists of members Kendall Schmidt, 31, James Maslow, 31, Logan Henderson, 32, and Carlos PenaVega, 32, dates back to 2009 with the debut of their Nickelodeon show "Big Time Rush," where they played characters in a teenage band. Thanks to the show's success, the group then went on to release three albums, which included the hits we all know and love such as "Worldwide" and "Boyfriend" — and performed across the globe. In 2013, the band decided to go their separate ways but notably remained close friends through the years. Fast forward to March of this year, all four seasons of the show were added to Netflix and the band's fanbase felt the rush reviving once again. In an interview, the pop group opened up about what it was like getting back into the studio together nearly a decade after their 2013 breakup. “We definitely had some rough patches, had some issues kind of finding our sound and knowing the vision for the music. But the best part was whenever we all came together, and we just went in with open hearts, open minds about the music and a little bit of tequila,” Henderson quipped. After first reuniting via Zoom during the pandemic in June 2020, Big Time Rush announced a pair of reunion shows in New York and Chicago last July. The boy band’s last proper studio release was their third album "24/Seven," which bowed at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in 2013.

Canadian pop singer-songwriter Alyssa Reid is back. Well, at least under that name again. From 2018 to 2020, she released four singles and two EPs under the name ASHS which finally became a full circle moment as her new album "ASHS," including those tracks plus some new jams including “Mean.” It’s as catchy as you’d expect any of Reid (or ASHS) material to be. “For most people, time heals all wounds,” explains ASHS. “For me, songwriting does. Gone are the days where I would sit and write sad songs about how he broke my heart. It turns out, life went on, and I’m fine. I found thoughts of him creeping back into my head recently, and it took me a minute to understand what emotion it was triggering. Did I miss him? I thought I did, so I started writing. But as the song started to develop, it was blatantly clear to me how many red flags I had missed when I was caught up in the rush of it. It turns out he wasn’t so special after all. Wasted a few years.” Pulling back the curtain, Juno award-nominated, multi-platinum selling artist Alyssa Reid reveals her identity and artistic versatility. ASHS was created as an exploration into the new sonic territory. Over the past few years, the 26-year-old artist has been honing her craft; becoming the go-to songwriter for artists like Bulow (“Not A Love Song”) and Virginia to Vegas (“Selfish”), now recasting her signature smoky vocals to form the foundation of her most ambitious project to date. Reid rose to fame in 2011 with her single “Alone Again” but created ASHS as a way to venture into new music.

Billie Eilish returned to Saturday Night Live on Dec. 11, pulling double duty as host and musical guest. Between some hilarious sketches, the 19-year-old superstar singer delivered memorable performances of songs from her latest album, "Happier Than Ever." The pop star was joined by her brother Finneas for an acoustic rendition of ‘Male Fantasy’ that saw the pair sitting on a living room floor. The performance echoes the Eilish-directed music video for the track that came out earlier this week (December 6), where she takes to various rooms in her home as she tries to get over a breakup. Eilish and Finneas were then joined by a drummer for a plugged-in rendition of her second album’s title track, with Eilish singing over industrial drums and snarling guitar riffs. This marked Eilish’s second-time performance on the NBC sketch comedy show. She made her "SNL" debut in 2019, defying gravity with her “Bad Guy” performance in a rotating set and performing “I Love You” alongside Finneas. Eilish is coming off the late summer release of her second studio album, "Happier Than Ever," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The release garnered multiple nominations at the upcoming 2022 Grammys, including record and song of the year.

Republic Records has released the official soundtrack album for the Netflix original film "Don’t Look Up." The album features the movie’s original score composed by Academy Award nominee Nicholas Britell (Moonlight, Succession, The Big Short, If Beale Street Could Talk, Cruella, Vice, The Underground Railroad). Also included are the original songs "Just Look Up" performed by Ariane Grande & Kid Cudi and co-written by themselves, Britell & Taura Stinson and "Second Nature" written by Britell & Justin Vernon performed by Bon Iver. The soundtrack will be released digitally on December 10. “This might have been the most challenging score I’ve ever had to write,” says composer Nicholas Britell of “Don’t Look Up,” the sci-fi social satire starring Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio, now in theatres. Britell, a two-time Oscar nominee (“Moonlight,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”) and Emmy winner (“Succession”), pondered – “every day for over a year” – how to find the right musical approach for Adam McKay’s “unbelievable blend of reality with comedy, absurdity with truth, and the profundity of the moment.” The comedy follows two astronomers on a media tour to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet hurtling toward Earth. The film will be released in theatres on December 10 before premiering on Netflix on December 24

Post Malone has released the Complete Edition of his breakthrough album "Stoney." The updated project features instrumentals for every song on the album, including massive hits like “Congratulations” and “White Iverson.” Malone addresses his struggle with drugs and alcohol addiction throughout the album and how his newfound fame has magnified those issues. After grinding it out in relative obscurity, Malone was discovered by the FKi production team and, in August 2015, released “White Iverson,” which went viral and catapulted him from SoundCloud rapper to a bona fide star. As his profile began to grow, so did the status of his collaborators. He worked with Kanye West, landed a coveted spot as Justin Bieber’s tour opener, and dropped his well-received August 26th mixtape, with guest appearances from Larry June, 2 Chainz, FKi 1st, Jeremih, Lil Yachty, Jaden Smith, and Teo. After making a name for himself and getting co-signed from the crème de la crème of the music industry, Post Malone prepared "Stoney." Released on December 9, 2016, it solidified him as a star. Spanning 18 tracks and clocking in at just over an hour in length, "Stoney" introduces Post Malone as a versatile artist who’s not afraid to be brutally honest about his demons. From the outset, his artistic fluidity refuses to be boxed in by critical perceptions: he integrates all his influences, from hip-hop, pop, and even country music, to create a unique sound.

Even though Zero 7 has enlisted the abilities of the Australian-born vocalist and writer, there is a bigger and better reason to be excited about Sia Furler, namely her debut album "Healing Is Difficult." This combination of R&B, two-step and jazz flavours provides a backdrop for one of the most exciting voices to have emerged in the last decade. Before the album's release, "Taken For Granted" crashed the charts at number 10, and "Little Man" had the overhaul from UK garage star Wookie and sold 10,000 white labels to the dance music underground. With the full showcase available, Sia has pulled a handbrake turn and skidded neatly into the space that year's diva. The title of this album is not without good reason, as Sia's past has been a trying one, with the tragic loss of a partner and subsequent grieving providing the basis and catalyst for much of the writing. From the outset, we are exposed to a brutal honesty as the opening track, "Fear," confesses, 'And sometimes I worry my boyfriend will die, my first love is already dead. You see, fear is only holding us back. Complementary to this, the hip-hop beats of "Taken For Granted" have been layered over Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet' - whether this choice reflects a darker irony and further meditation on the subject only adds to the track's charisma and appeal. However bold, her sensitivity never descends to self-depreciation or pity; in fact, it is tempered with a well-developed sense of humour - a natural extension of her playful nature. Mindset aside, it is the delivery that singles Sia out. Her range and versatility across the album mark her as being both natural and at ease in a jazz mode, "Drink To Get Drunk," as well as downtempo in the seductive R&B ballad "Blow It All Away." That said, the high vocal power on the exceptional "Judge Me" proves she can belt it out with the best of them. Aside from her only U.K. Top Ten hit, Australian chanteuse Sia's first major~label release, "Healing Is Difficult," is perhaps the most under-appreciated and ignored of her critically acclaimed career, coming years before her "Six Feet Under" assisted U.S. breakthrough, and just a little too early to capitalize on the word of mouth success of the Zero 7 debut she provided vocals for. It's a shame that more of her ever-growing fan base hasn't been inspired to check the disc out; the New Jack Swing beats and tinny strings of the All Saints~esque "Get Me" and the meandering drum‘n'bass~tinged "Judge Me" haven't aged particularly well, so this is perhaps her most personal and emotional record to date.

Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi teamed up for their new track “Just Look Up” last week, and now the two have shared a live performance video for the song. Taken from the soundtrack for Adam McKay’s new dark comedy "Don’t Look Up," which debuted on Netflix on Friday, “Just Look Up” is a superb ballad about the end of the world. The two came together for a stunning live performance of the track, and the clip even includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence’s characters from the film as they watch on. Grande and Cudi co-wrote the song and have released it as a single in step with the film's release. "She's an incredible artist, and you know, her vocal performance is just like stellar. It’s like her voice is just amazing," Cudi gushed of his collaborator. "Im just really happy that we were able to figure it out, and it worked, man. I’m proud of it.’ McKay’s new comedy isn’t Grande’s first time appearing on the big screen. In 2016, the pop megastar had a cameo in Zoolander 2, while her career began in TV. Since appearing in the Nickelodeon show "Victorious," the singer has also starred in Ryan Murphy’s "Scream Queens" and a TV version of "Hairspray Live!." The movie is in theatres now and will arrive on Netflix worldwide on December 24.

Astrid S and Dagny, two Norwegian pop princesses, for a portion of winter pop magic on collaboration “Pretty.” It is not very surprising that the two meet for a collaboration. Both women are well known in their Norwegian home (and beyond), and their musical worlds are also very similar. With her soft pop voice, Astrid S provides a shimmering winter breeze from the start, which becomes even more powerful with the voice effects floating around cozy in the background. Astrid S quickly moves on to a full and straightforward chorus, made to all pop rules for easy humming along. “It has been fantastic to work with Dagny, especially since I am a big fan of her as an artist and songwriter. We had a lot of fun in the studio when we did this song, which is why I'm so happy we can release it together,” said Astrid. Dagny fills in nicely in the second stanza, and although their voices might melt a bit too much during the harmony vocals, “Pretty” does retain its pleasant character due to the adlibs added towards the end. The Norwegian ladies will certainly not win an originality prize with this collaboration, but that doesn't mean anything wrong in this case either. Astrid S and Dagny mainly create a song with “Pretty” according to the classic dance-pop recipe that we are used to from both and thus provide a short but effective dose of euphoria.

Less than two years after he released his fourth project, "See You When I Am Famous," Kyle is gearing up to share his latest body of work with the world. Kyle returns with “Perfect,” Like much of his discography, the new track is a light-hearted upbeat release that finds him celebrating the arrival of an ideal companion in his life. The new song joins recent releases like “Love Me Like You Say You Love Me,” “Optimistic” with Dougie F, and “Sunday.” Last weekend he announced "It’s Not So Bad" will arrive on January 28, but the upcoming project won’t be your typical musical release. “Instead of splitting the royalties with the label, I’ll be selling this project as an NFT to allow my fans to own this project with me,” Kyle revealed in his announcement. “We’re in this together. Forever & Ever.” Now, we’ve received the latest single from the upcoming project. “Perfect” also arrives after Kyle announced his I Miss U Tour for 2022. Kyle will be accompanied by singers Col3trane and Leven Kali across the string of shows that begin on February 10 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and continue into March before he wraps things up in Ventura, California, where he grew up. He is best known for his 2016 breakout single "iSpy" (featuring Lil Yachty), which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Signed to Indie-Pop and Atlantic Records, Kyle is also known for his association with the SuperDuperCrew, which consists of Brick, Jesus, and Maxx.

Russia’s Eurovision 2021 entrant, Manizha, has released a new single entitled ‘Now Or Never," which is composed by Daniel Kostov, Georgy Kruglove and Manizha herself. The new song talks about Manizha’s drive to find a new place, seizing the moment ‘now or never, as it were. It shows Manizha’s vocals and her exploration of electronic sounds with a cool build as the song progresses. In a post on her Instagram posted yesterday, before the song’s release, she described this new release as “a very important work for me. Since 2013, I hesitated to record this song. But the time has come, I know for sure”. After a surprise national final, Manizha was chosen to represent Russia at Eurovision in 2021 with the song "Russian Woman." The Tajik-born artist brought a fiery feminist anthem talking about Russian women's resilience, shortly after its announcement, got a revamp. This revamp went to Eurovision at Rotterdam in May, where the song made it through to the Grand Final and finished 9th, following up Sergey Lazarev’s Scream, which finished 3rd for the nation in 2019. In 1994, she moved to Moscow with her family, taking piano lessons. In 2003, she began her career as a child singer. After a short music break, she returned in 2016 with the release of some self-published singles. In 2017, she released her debut studio album, followed by a second one in 2018. In 2021, she competed in the Russian national final, where she won with the song “Russian Woman.”

Following his cover of blink-182’s “Happy Holidays, You Bastard,” rising star jxdn has shared a deluxe version of his debut album Tell Me About Tomorrow. The original 18-track record was released in July on Barker’s DTA Records. This expanded edition features four new tracks: "Crack My Skull," "Lips," "Dead Or Alive," and the seasonal "Christmas Sucks." All four tracks were co-written with Barker. Jxdn took to social media to joke that ‘Lips’ was written about Travis. The pop-punk star has also shared a video for the new track ‘Crack My Skull,’ which can be seen below. He also promised that another video was on the way. Speaking to NME earlier this year, Hossler explained that despite making a name for himself on TikTok, he’s bigger than one platform. “I couldn’t have got where I am without TikTok,” he said, “but I’m not a TikTokker, definitely not. I am so grateful for it, but I knew I had to showcase what I was really about and showcase my authenticity.” Elsewhere in the conversation, Hossler said working with Barker is like “winning the lottery, and having the number one accountant in the world. He’s like my dad, like my best friend, and like a brother”. Jxdn supported Machine Gun Kelly on his "Tickets To My Downfall" tour and will be heading out next year on his own headline tour, playing two UK shows.

Bay Area bred, Los Angeles- based pop/R&B hybrid, singer/songwriter Marc E. Bassy, has unveiled his new album Little Men back in October. Today, we get a deluxe edition of the album that contains four new tracks that include "Crash For A Couple," "Sex In The Morning," South Beach Interlude," and "Signs." Bassy shared the project, "Little Men is a reference to the "little mind/big mind" theory in Zen Buddhism. Little mind operates out of and is in service of the ego, wrapped up entirely in its desire, which drives so much of the world I live in. And it leads to some dark tendencies. Some of the things I usually try to be better than or stay away from, I ended up getting deeper into - infidelity, addiction, lying, toxic work and romantic relationships. This is the story of trying to get to the other side of the ego - which is a real joy, comradery, and triumph." Little Men showcases production from Bassy's frequent collaborators Pete Jonas, Nic Nac, William Mosgrove, Count Bassy and more. The album boasts features from Cory Henry on "Free Like Me" and Syd on the focus track "Future Love." Additionally, Marc appears on G-Eazy's album These Things Happen Too on the single "Faithful." "Little Men" follows 2019's PMD (Deluxe) album, the first official release under New Gold Medal. PMD has been streamed over 100 million times worldwide and includes the standout hit "Just My Luck" ft. blackbear. Other features include Mozzy, 070 Shake, Bibi Bourelly and more.

Platinum rapper PnB Rock releases their new EP, “2 Get You Through The Rain,” which contains six tracks and boasts features from Lil Baby, Young Thug, and DJ Luke Nasty. PnB Rock’s last solo release was "TrapStar Turnt PopStar" in 2019. He hasn’t appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 since that project dropped and most recently appeared as a feature on 2021 HipHopDX Rising Star DDG’s "Die 4 Respect" album, appearing on the Hitmaka-produced track “Get What You Want.” To celebrate his birthday and the EP release, Rock will host a “2 Get You Thru The Rain” release concert at Philadelphia’s The Fillmore on December 18th, where he will perform new music alongside some special guests. PnB Rock officially released EP track and viral TikTok hit “High” with DJ Luke Nasty with the music video, starring PnB Rock, Danny Trejo, DJ Luke Nasty, Carl McDowell and more. PnB Rock released his latest chart-topping album, ‘TrapStar Turnt PopStar’ in 2019, which included guest features from Lil Wayne, Quavo, Roddy Ricch, Diplo, Lil Durk, XXXTENTACION, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, and more. The album sky-rocketed straight to #1 with an impressive debut on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart in 2019, features RIAA Gold-certified tracks “Middle Child (feat. XXXTENTACION)” and “I Like Girls (feat. Lil Skies),” and has collected over 1 Billion Streams to date.

Elton John had to pause his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour due to the unfolding COVID pandemic in March 2020. His retirement plans may have been thwarted, but John took the opportunity to keep working. As a result, we got an expansive collection of duets is called "The Lockdown Sessions," featuring artists like Dua Lipa, Stevie Wonder, Brandi Carlile, Eddie Vedder, Charlie Puth, and Stevie Nicks. Now, we get a new edition of the album titled "The Lockdown Sessions (Christmas Edition), which includes coming together with Ed Sheeran for their simply and sweetly titled Christmas track "Merry Christmas." The record’s most recently dropped his second single, “Always Love You,” featuring Young Thug and Nicki Minaj, is already No. 1 on iTunes. Previously, John’s duet with Dua Lipa went to No. 1 in the UK, causing John to break the record for the first solo artist to score a Top 10 single in six different decades. Every line beginning from the verse in “Cold Heart” gives the nod to some of John’s iconic songs, including “Rocketman” and “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.” “Chosen Family,” “It’s A Sin,” “One Of Me,” and “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” are the four tracks all written separately by the artist that collaborated with John for "The Lockdown Sessions" versions, aside from the cover of the iconic Metallica hit “Nothing Else Matters.” “Chosen Family” is off Rina Sawayama’s 2020 album, "SAWAYAMA," Years & Years released the single “It’s A Sin” in January 2021, and “One Of Me” is off; of Lil Nas X’s recent debut, "MONTERO."

25-year-old Ethiopian-Canadian singer and songwriter Ruth B. has dropped a deluxe special edition of her album "Moments In Between." The new edition of her fourth studio album features four new tracks, including Dandelions and Spaceship. Executive produced by Patrick Wimberly (Beyonce, Solange, Blood Orange, Ellie Goulding), the album is all written or co-written by Ruth. Following her gold-certified 2017 debut, Safe Haven, and multi-platinum hit single “Lost Boy,” "Moments In Between" is a raw emotional accounting of the anxieties and uncertainty Ruth faces as a woman in her mid-twenties, giving voice to her inner strife via warm vocals, shapeshifting textures, and hazy harmonies. From woozy R&B and pop beats to guitar-driven tracks and folk-like reveries, the songs on "Moments In Between" showcase Ruth B.’s ability to traverse a multitude of musical stylings seamlessly and will surely add to her 1.5 billion artist streams to date. Ruth B. credits her songwriting and storytelling abilities to her upbringing as the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, listening to the music of her parents’ homeland alongside American icons like Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill. Ruth also worked with producers Justin Raisen (Angel Olsen, Santigold) and Doug Schadt (Maggie Rogers, Ashe) for this project. They encouraged her to dig deeper in the writing and recording process than she ever has before.

K-pop supergroup Monsta X have released their new English album titled "The Dreaming." The album features contributions from songwriters like David Stewart (BTS, Jonas Brothers), Teddy Geiger (Shawn Mendes, Lizzo), and John Ryan (Harry Styles, Maroon 5). Much has been said about K-pop borrowing liberally from American hip-hop culture, but on their second English-language album, "The Dreaming," K-pop group Monsta X pays homage to boy-band culture, with Nineties-style harmonies, slick choruses, and head-bopping beats that come together for an infectious and joyous 27 minutes. Recorded while COVID still kept much of the world on edge, "The Dreaming" is an ode to simpler times, with Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon, and I.M. belting out lyrics about falling in love as they plead on the disco-funk track “Better,” They’re even more direct on the acoustic-driven “Tied to Your Body,” which loops a groovy guitar riff over a syncopated chorus performed in near-perfect falsetto. “Everyday I’m a little more obsessed, I’m a little more attached, you know that you got me just a little more tied to your body,” they sing. While Monsta X’s first all-English album, 2020’s "All About Luv," drew heavily from dance pop and R&B, "The Dreaming" showcases the group’s versatility, mixing synth beats and EDM with indie pop, rock, and even traces of New Jack Swing. In conjunction with ‘The Dreaming”s release, the boyband have also released their debut feature film titled "Monsta X: The Dreaming," which had premiered first in South Korea on December 8, before the worldwide release on December 9 and 11.

Kylie's record-breaking 15th studio album "Disco" was released to widespread acclaim in 2020 and was hailed as "an irresistible tonic to real life." On this album, we're invited to cast our minds back to miss Minogue's very last kitsch pop offering. In 2020, the queen of noughties club-pop released her 'Kylie does disco' record, named simply 'Disco,' and replete with original bangers, from the slick stylings of 'Magic' all the way through the Abba-reminiscent, rolling string work of 'I Love It.' This 2xLP on this latest edition, we're blessed with an extended mix of every - yes, every - track on the album. This edition contains three exclusives from Kylie's collaborators, including Jessie Ware, Years and Years, Dua Lipa, and even Gloria Gaynor. After a good time, all the party-starting DJs out there want to add some double purple gatefold vinyl to their collection to boot. The album came about following the completion of the Golden Tour and her performance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2019. Minogue sought to create a disco-influenced record and enlisted producers such as Sky Adams, Teemu Brunila and Biff Stannard. Minogue herself also gained engineering credits for vocals and synths. In the United States, "Disco" debuted on the Billboard 200 with 19,000 album-equivalent units, 15,000 of which were pure sales, becoming her third highest-charting album in the country after "Fever" in 2002 and "Aphrodite" in 2010.

Australian singer Garrett Kato has capped off a relatively prolific year with the release of his latest song, “Rearview Mirror.” Kicking things off this year way back in January, Kato launched into 2021 his new single, “Be.” From there, the creative juices kept on flowing, with singles such as “Firestarter,” “Never Be Us,” and “Delusional” ultimately giving way to his new EP, "Kumamoto," named for the city in southern Japan where his family’s bloodline began. However, it wasn’t long before Kato was back with more music, sharing “Disappearing Light” earlier this year, before taking to Facebook recently to tease yet another song just this week. Describing his last effort for the year as “not a Christmas song,” but conceding it “does have snowy cabin vibes,” Kato explained that “Rearview Mirror” makes sense from a seasonal point of view but fits into 2021 as something of an anachronism – much like the year itself. The acoustic track is indeed one that feels fitting for the year that has been, with its tender delivery and strong chorus inviting the listener into a world of safety, far from the nagging doubts that may plague us. Garrett is dubbed as the “producer and musician behind some of the most prominent sounds coming out the Byron Bay’s booming buskers scene,” and rightly so; the EP was self-produced by Garrett at his home studio, where he has also worked with a string of artists including Julia Stone, Pete Murray, Tones and I, Kyle Lionhart, Riley Pearce, Pierce Brothers, Jack Botts and more.