Sampha – Process

Being heavily affected by Solange’s Don’t Touch My Hair, I sat down and listened to Sampha’s solo debut album really carefully, without having listened to his past efforts with SBTRKT or having known his songwriting credits for other artists (I did know them, actually, I just didn’t know I actually knew them). I tried to focus on every sound, every word, every reverb and every agony in his vocals, as they desperately try to save themselves from drowning every time a chorus opens. For a second there, I almost had the sense he wants to sound like an American soul crooner, like John Legend, Frank Ocean or even a male version of Macy Gray. But Sampha is everything but that.

He breaks the rules of singing, writing words, building melodies or even composing rhythm sections. He creates from a well-hidden place in his heart, a personal sanctuary, something mystical and mystic at the same time. His songs, though, are not weak, dark or dramatized. On the contrary, they are solid and emotionally bigger than everything he has experienced in the recent past. Process feels more like a personal spiritual catharsis being narrated over pianos and drums and less like a studio album. In terms of music reviewing, that sounds inconsistent, because, as a product, it’s a studio album. But it’s solitary as well. It sounds like he is on a mission, other than selling records.

Process consists of 10 tracks co-produced by Rodaidh McDonald. They all have the same purpose: to communicate the singer’s truth and traumas. Death, health issues and lonesomeness are the main themes, while he uses them as a vehicle to reach his mental well-being and to fully understand his own existence… An angel by her side, all the times I knew we couldn't cope / They said that it's her time, no tears in sight, I kept the feelings close / And you took hold of me and never, never, never let me go / Cause no one knows me like the piano in my mother's home.

This is one of the most sonically adventurous projects during the last few years (I guess). Electronic pads and synths are gradually blending with old school breakbeat drums and piano chords in Blood On Me. Percussions are imperious, delivering an experimental funk performance in Kora Sings. Reversed audio files sound imperfectly perfect in Reverse Faults, which serves as a bridge for the intoxicating Under… I see you manipulate your lover / Take cover, waves come crashing over us. And then, somewhere between the piano ballads and the voice trembling, Timmy’s Prayer comes along, channeling Enya and various ensembles from the Highlands in Scotland. At first, it’s weird. And then, you simply accept the fact that it works.

Process is a soulful album, without ending up being a part of the RnB genre. It’s electronic, reminding us a lot of Jessie Ware’s songs, while it stands on its own as a painful trip to self-discovery. Sampha lost his mother during the recording sessions. He had a lump in his throat, too. The thing is, you don’t have to know these pieces of information to feel his pain. You only have to let the music do the magic. After a couple of hearings, it finally gets you. And you find yourself sketching an image of him in your mind playing the piano in his mother’s home in London. That’s the process.

9/10

Solange - A Seat At The Table

It takes years of hard work in order to become an artist. But it only takes a bunch of days to create a milestone. And if you think about it, it always happens when least expected. Think about Adele's 21, Lauryn's The Miseducation of and Alanis' Jagged Little Pill. Zero anticipation. Nobody really cared, until the day of their release.

A Seat At The Table is Solange's third album. Few people listened to the debut. Some more people noticed the second one. And then, there were none. Four years later, she recorded the addictive True EP and she instantly became a hipster. And now, another four years later, she releases one of the most consistent and remarkable albums of 2016. Is this a Lemonade coincidence or a personal statement?

Solange is a smart girl. While her sister runs the world, she has decided to be something completely different: an anti-star. Solange is a real person. You can find her in New Orleans with her husband, creating music, drinking old-fashioned cocktails, biking and collecting vintage dresses. She doesn't care about attention, world tours, Instagram records or winning a Grammy. Well, we can check this off the list, even if it's too early for next year's nominations.

ASATT is a smooth and mature celebration of being a black woman. Though I can't stop thinking about the obvious similarities with Erykah's Baduizm or even Jill's Words and Sounds, Solange takes her version of feminism a step further. She derives her inspiration from her family, her hometown, her own marriage, her sister, her personal experience. But don't ever think this collection of songs is about girl power. It's about black women being devalued, black women being great artists, black women being future American Presidents. Her vision is moving and emotional, but never arrogant or cocky.

Her first two videos, Don't Touch My Hair and Cranes In The Sky, made an instant impact the day they were released. With flawless, minimal production (God bless Raphael Saadiq), solid songwriting, vital brass sections, velvet vocals and impressive whistle notes, Solange certainly redefines the soul/r'n'b genre with a unique sound. She also did it with True, but this time is stronger, more efficient and sophisticated.

Her Lil Wayne collaboration, Mad, is one of the album's highlights. Don't Wish Me Well creates an aggressive, but also sexy momentum. Weary delivers urban wisdom: "Be leery 'bout your place in the world/You're feeling like you're chasing the world/You're leaving not a trace in the world/But you're facing the world". And so on.

You cannot skip tracks or interludes, while listening to ASATT. This album demonstrates such an ethereal beauty that makes it so difficult not to be part of its magic. Even though Solange controls every minute of the hearing, A Seat At The Table is somehow self-existent. It feels like it had already been recorded somewhere in the universe and it patiently waited for the right woman to sing it away.

AnArtCalled... 9.5/10

Beyoncé - Lemonade

It’s been a long time since the last time the world realized that global pop stars and landmark albums are not an endangered species. «Bad» did that to the world. «The Bodyguard OST» did that. «Confessions on a dance floor» did that. «Purple rain» did that. «21» did that. But then again, it seems so far, far, far away, just because we create, live and interact in a digital era and physical copies are indeed an endangered species, if not an extinct one. So, what’s so special about Beyoncé’s «Lemonade» that it has made the whole world stop?

The thing is, she has not underestimated her power. But she has not overestimated it, either. The surprise marketing tricks are, etymologically speaking, tricky. There is no guarantee they will succeed, but she and her team are working very hard in order to guide the surprise factor to a safe place, where freedom and success are united. The «Formation» video, the fake tracklist with the Adele & Mariah collaborations, the HBO special, the divorce concept, the concept-album concept, the immediate digital release and, finally, the fact that once again she broke the internet.

Beyoncé owns her artistry. She truly owns it. She sings, but she screams as well. She writes about Jay-Z cheating on her, but she also makes political statements like Janet did with her «Rhythm Nation 1814». She delivers her swagger, but she is also vulnerable, playing the keaboards and building sand castles. She thinks of her father as a South American, country/blues guardian angel, while she acknowledges that he too was a cheating male, who taught her how to shoot in «Daddy Lessons». It has been written lately that in «Lemonade» she is the strong black female she was always supposed to be. But the truth is she has become the black feminist she was always supposed to be. And that's not a double standard, that's a huge artistic and personal victory.

Her second visual album is not about announcing her divorce from her husband. It's about sharing and channeling the first signs of him cheating in «Pray You Catch Me», her actual sadness, her female truth, her black truth from daddy Alabama to momma Louisiana to Texas, her strength to save her marriage and the fact that her freedom to choose is the quality she needs in her life. And that's exactly what you watch during the film.

Sonically, she is out of her comfort zone, but she still manages to sound like she has always been producing non-hit records with James Blake. It's the first time she follows her Southern roots and not a studio pattern. It's the first time the brass sections and the guitars in her songs are actually breathing. It's the first time her vocals are raw and simple with Jack White's help. It's the first time she is not pop enough for the radio stations and the first time she is edgy enough not to really care for a catchy chorus or a perfect bassline. And it's also the first time that her songwriting tops the production.

Beyoncé is the only living artist who has the inner power to let you believe that it's time to stop what you're doing and listen to what she has to say. And then you do it, because she cares. Cause her daddy made her fight. And maybe she isn't always right, but it's her 2nd fucking amendment. I can't tell if this is The album of the year. But I can surely tell it's an instant classic.

AnArtCalled... 9.5/10

Erykah Badu - But You Cain't Use My Phone [Mixtape]

The Queen is back. I'm not writing this stuff as her true fan, but as a music fan. She has always been a pioneer, an art lover, a wise creator. She started her career back in 1997 with the best neo-soul album of all time, "Baduizm", while she has only recorded another 4 studio albums since then. But the thing is, you cannot be impatient if you want to enjoy a Badu project. Cause a Badu project is a grower. Like the perfect penis.

"But You Cain't Use My Phone" describes her urgent need to enjoy life in the absolute digital era. She samples favorite songs by Usher, Egyptian Lover, Isley Brothers, New Edition and Drake, she produces fresh and futuristic rhythm sections with Zach Witness in just 12 days and she delivers a modern hip-pop classic. But with a fun twist - shaken, not stirred.

Personally, I agree. She can make me put my phone down so that we can cruise through the city all day and all night, but her vocals are so sick 'n' tired, that she actually believes it's not possible for a human being to be totally disconnected and happy at the same time. Even when she playfully sings "U don't have to call" accompanied by old-school production, she knows that she does not mean this. Well, what kind of person calls her boyfriend "squirrel" and yet she wants to be alone tonight?

Anyone can expect that an Erykah Badu mixtape should be something about wise words, heavy basslines, jazzy vocals and provocative videos like "Window Seat", "On & On" or even "Honey". Let's just say that you cannot put a label on a true artist, cause her body will reject it like a fake transplant. You can easily spot the fun factor here, but you can also spot her struggle to survive as a 44-year-old musician in a touch screen world.

Erykah Badu runs this Mixtape with swagger and wittiness, along with her friends Andre 3000 and Drake. She has been the jazz-soul new artist during the late 90's, the New AmErykah creator in the 00's, the sweet-Love-Of-My-Life sugababe now and then, while she currently redefines herself as a devoted hip-hop performer. It's really weird that Adele and Erykah Badu share the same passion these days about their smartphones, but it's actually cute that pop culture has a common sense of humour, even though it's musically expressed through different paths.

AnArtCalled... 9/10

Adele - 25

It has been 4 years since "Rolling in the deep", but its success makes me think it came out like a couple of months ago. Or so. I feel the same thing about "Hello", but it actually came out a couple of months ago and that's weird. Cause it's not a bad song. What's the difference? Adele herself. It's her status and her distinctive voice which have created an Adele era in music and everything she does, it becomes an instant classic.

Maybe that's the misguiding thing here - it's not the perfect music album, but it's huge already. So you cannot concentrate on what she is trying to do. And that's pretty simple - she is trying to sing her heart out, without complicated arrangements and epic stuff. And this is wise, you don't need the perfect pop song and the perfect instrumentation for the pitch-perfect voice. It would be like Whitney or Christina singing Carly Simon or John Williams (awkward).

When "19" was out, she was that cute songwriter with the jazzy voice and her guitar, singing about drama, daydreaming and chasing pavements (my favorite album, still). But since then, she has become an actual diva (but with a sense of humour). And it's again wise and smart that she co-writes her songs with Paul Epworth, Greg Kurstin, Tobias Jesso Jr or Bruno Mars, focusing mainly on her vocals. Just because if you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.

To the point now... It's the "21" sequel. The ballads are here ("Million years ago"), the pianos are here ("When We Were Young" ), the crazy vocals and the high notes are stronger than ever, while the drama has become sweeter and softer ("Send My Love (To Your New Lover)"). All the album producers, including Danger Mouse, have tried their best to build the songs around her ability to touch people's hearts and though every song has a different producer, the sound credit goes to Adele - it's all about her.

"25" is going to sell more than 3, maybe 4 million copies on its first week in the US alone. If you consider the fact that people don't buy physical copies anymore, this number in 2000 would have been 10 million copies and that's more than breaking a record. That's a proof of pure talent and poetic justice in music, in the arts, in the world. And, of course, it's back to basics. A for Adele (lame, but I had to)!

AnArtCalled... 8/10

Janet Jackson - Unbreakable

It was 2008 and Miss Janet had already done it all - she had recorded pop anthems, r'n'b classics, hip-hop/soul No 1 hits and Rhythm Nation milestones. And after an amazing 25-year-old career, she decided she had nothing more to say at that particular time. So she stopped making music, proving that a true artist knows when to take a fucking break. Wanna know what the smart thing is? She also knows when to start all over again and delivers one of the best albums of her career, as well as some of the best 90's-esque neo-soul tracks of the last 15 years.

Even though her first single, "No Sleeep", is a fine sample of her album's sound and many of us eventually compared the track to "That's The Way Love Goes", this effort is not "Janet" at all. The release finds her in a safe place, a mature state of mind and a creative mode, minus the desperate stress for a major hit. It's as sensual as "The Velvet Rope", as funky as "Janet", as pop as "Rhythm Nation" and as happy as "All For You".

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have produced the album, along with Janet herself. The approach is low-key and you cannot find a No 1 single for the Billboard charts in here, even if you count the Missy Elliott collaboration in ("Burnitup!"). And that's totally fine, just because this project reminds you her peak self almost 20 years ago, when she could dance her great butt off and still be considered a great musician.

The almost crunk&B "Dammn Baby", with its heavy bassline, can make your hips move like a real 90's bitch. "The Great Forever" and "Shoulda Known Better" have a gentle pop touch without being too independent, while "After You Fall" could be the lead single of a greatest-hits-baby-making album, which would contain at least another 5 or 6 Janet tracks. And then the "Night"comes, along with its obvious sexiness and you feel like opening a bottle of red wine on a Wednesday afternoon like it's Saturday night already.

"No Sleeep" is a great bridge to the low and mid-tempo songs of the second half of "Unbreakable", which serves as a conceptual continuity of the second half of "The Velvet Rope". And that's where you can hear Janet Jackson sing in and out of her comfort zone, asking for love and writing about her actual needs.

Janet has not always been true to herself and her music. She has recorded a couple of mediocre albums in the past and she tried to be hip and cool, when she didn't have to. But then again, she did know when to take a break, live and come back to write good stuff. So, please, let's give her some Grammy Awards in 2016. And let's also persuade Madonna to do the same at last. Someone has to remind her that she cannot be "Like A Virgin" again.

AnArtCalled... 8,5/10

Florence + the Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

It's been a while since the last time we had a new Florence album. Don't get me wrong, I respect an artist that needs more than a year to record a masterpiece. But I'm talking about "Ceremonials". I can understand that you cannot always deliver the best of you and, above all, you're just human, for God's sake. I was partly misguided by the charms of the "What Kind Of Man" first single and its video, cause I thought "You bloody British soulful bitch, you outdid yourself once again". But when I actually listened to the new album more than five times, it came to me: "more emotion and sadness than actual music".

Florence is sad. She is actually sad, like Bjork has been the last few years. And it's ironic, because the album has been produced by Markus Dravs, the "Homogenic" producer. Her effort is more than honest, in order to show the world that she is hurting inside, and she is doing it with a sense of wisdom that is always poetic and metaphorical. So metaphorical, though, that you can feel she is more lost than hurt. Once again, don't get me wrong, I like the new album. It's just the fact that her emotions have surpassed her musical expectations. And, maybe, she was partly misguided, too, during the recording sessions.

She always has a vision of her sound. This time, guitars and brass arrangements (by Goldfrapp's Will Gregory) have become her thing, which is great. We needed that and she can own it, vocally and musically. But when you check the first track, "Ship To Wreck", it feels like you are listening to a Smiths cover (a good one, of course), not a Florence new sophisticated composition. Then, "What Kind Of Man" comes forward with its self-confidence and you want to dance until you bleed with her Alanis-esque anger and raw brass/guitar production. Right after, "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful", "Queen of Peace", "Various Storms & Saints" and "Long & Lost" come along and you feel like she is finally sounding like she is supposed to sound. And you are happy.

With the fourth single, "Delilah", she is bringing back the powerhouse Florence, using epic orchestration and vocal arrangement. And then, cheesy guitar themes again with "Caught". It's so wrong to put that song after "Delilah" and "Long & Lost", cause it's too small and non Florence. The new Florence rises above the ashes again with the epic "Third Eye", the sentimentally overwhelming and simple - but not simplistic - "St Jude" and the co-written and co-produced by Paul Epworth "Mother", which, and let's face it, is a triumphant outro.

This third album for the band, at the end of the day, is not complete. Something is missing. Her emotions are all there. Her artistry is all there. Her voice is the most important instrument in the songs and the production is flawless. But what about the songwriting? It feels like she had more to write, more to sing and more to showcase after 4 years. When "Mother" is done, I'm still waiting for another 4 or 5 great songs to feel her pain, her despair, her original vision. But, like I said, her emotions have surpassed her (or my) musical expectations.

AnArtCalled... 7,5/10

Róisín Murphy - Hairless Toys

She had an amazing career with Moloko, she had one good solo album and one great solo album, she had children, she had many collaborations and Italian language covers and finally she has released her third solo project. So what is "Hairless Toys" actually about?

The 8-track album is inspired by "Paris Is Burning", so you can feel the New York drag balls, their glitter and their agony. It's a tribute to the 80's culture, electronic music and sexual revolution. The Irish singer creates the conditions, where she is comfortable to express her feelings and her questions. And these conditions are deep electronic basslines ("Uninvited Guest"), disco synths ("Evil Eyes"), almost breathy vocals, retro production tools and some out of the blue Tarantino guitars ("Exile").

"Hairless Toys" is almost a dance album, but then again it's not. You could expect happy tunes, Bjork-esque aesthetics or "Overpowered" production, but then again you could not. This project is about decisions, many types of "Exploitation", problems created and problems solved and - most of all - acceptance and love of all kinds. It's a love/political album, which is weird at first. But once you listen to the lyrics, it makes sense. It's a 2015 musical revolution like the Chicago House scene, the Detroit Hip-hop and Techno scenes or even the London Glam Rock scene. It's a concept album, a landmark album, certainly her best effort to date.

There is a quality in Róisín, that has not yet been fully acknowledged. It's not about her music or her collaborations or her image or her voice or her artistry at all. It's probably something about her personality. And just because it's a mystery to us (we don't hang out with her, I mean), we will never completely understand what she is doing each and every time. But that's her beauty, too. She is like a David Lynch film - you won't get it at first, but it's also impossible not to watch it again and again.

AnArtCalled... 9/10

Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color

When we have Sharon Jones singing old school funk and soul anthems, there is really no competition in the genre. But what Brittany Howard and the boys are doing, is something very different, even though it's at times confusing. It's pure rock. Vintage - Janis - rock (listen to the "Dunes" and "Gimme all your love", so that you can feel the Joplin effect), which does not play immition games during its creation. And if you think that "Sound & Color" is a copy-paste of their 2012 debut, well, think twice.

This time, three years after their critically acclaimed "Boys & Girls", they are trying to be more raw, vocally at least, and more 70's psychedelic with their sound ("Gemini" will nearly blow your mind). Don't get me wrong, it's still a 2015 thing going on here. But there is a sense of retro freedom and creative euphoria in the songs, even in the darkest ones, that make you listen to the band and Brittany's voice like it's their first attempt in the studio ever.

The desperation part is turned off. No lyrics like "I didn’t think I’d make it to 22 years old", no country echoes, no best new artist burden going around. "The greatest" and "Shoegaze" make them big time rock stars. "Don't wanna fight" is the connection between their two albums, spiritually speaking. "This feeling", one of their best records, could be an India.Arie/Mumford & Sons collaboration and their outro, "Over my head", could be a new Nikka Costa or even a new Prince song.

The constant use of triplets is on. Her powerhouse lungs are also on. Their 70's experimentation is more than welcome, while the vibraphone/strings intro in "Sound & Color" is beautifully weird. Everything is on, fighting, in order to make them better as musicians. And that's the truth about Alabama Shakes' sophomore album - they have become better as musicians. And if you watched their mini gig in SNL, you can admit they have become even better as performers.

AnArtCalled... 9/10

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell

The eccentric and multi-instrumentalist songwriter has released his seventh album. Sufjan Stevens is a unique artist. But most of all, he is a guy that you would like to hang out with. And that's really interesting if you think about it for a bit· there aren't many musicians around the world who are genuinely weird. Like literally weird. How many Bjork's, Prince's, Sufjan's and Florence's do you think there are out there? I mean, his last words in "Fourth of July" are constantly repeating "We're all gonna die". C'mon, Sufjan, let's have a walk.

"Carrie & Lowell" is about darkness and introversion ("I am a man with a heart that offends with its lonely and greedy demands. There’s only a shadow of me; in a manner of speaking, I'm dead", from "John My Beloved"). Unlike his previous and partially electronic project, "The Age of Adz", this time he returns to his folk format. And all the words are about his childhood and his mother's death, Carrie.

There are no read-between-the-lines songs in here. They are all quite direct and sincere and you feel like diving in his mourning, singing along the guitar/piano-driven tracks. Sufjan suffers like a normal human being who has just lost his mother. And this is actually sweet. But he writes about it like everything else around him is dead, too, thus leaving you without hope. And the most weird thing of all? He makes you feel nice about it with his melodies, just because he is that kind of guy· he can transform his dark lyrics and sad chords into some kind of redemption. For him and for you, too.

Undoubtedly, one of the best things he has ever recorded.  Highlight: "What's the point of singing songs if they'll never even hear u?".

AnArtCalled... 9,5/10

Laura Marling - Short Movie

It's a fact that Laura Marling is fully capable of combining folk tradition, country stories and indie production. She's done it many times in the past, four if we want to be accurate. So, let's suppose that Laura has a new album out and she has done it again for a fifth time. Is there something new she has to offer or she is just duplicating her other albums all over again, just to keep her fanbase and her artistry happy? Keep reading...

It's a fact that Laura Marling has been nominated 3 times for a Mercury Prize for her music. She has never won, but that's not the case. She is one of the main reasons behind an upsurge in folk music the last ten years, plus she has never changed her style, in order to be mainstream or to top the charts. That's another thing you have to consider if you want to listen to her new songs.

It's a fact that Laura Marling has had universal critical acclaim all these years. She never had a single bad review for one of her albums, which sometimes was a little overestimated, to be honest. For me, "I Speak Because I Can" is her best effort to date - strong songwriting, wisdom beyond her years, a true sophomore trip to self-discovery and an even stronger title as a personal statement.

So, we are in 2015 and "Short movie" comes out. And it is all about the time she spent in America. A British female folk songwriter living the American Dream? Well, not. In these songs, Marling takes a deep breath and dives into the hard everyday reality, the Hurricane Sandy in New York ("False hope"), the alienation of Los Angeles ("Walk alone") and her disability (or her ability) to adjust to the new challenge she created for herself. She felt so "Lost in translation", as she has stated recently, that she could not help but create music about this. Music that she produced herself, sometimes using electric guitars ("Don't let me bring you down", "False hope") and sometimes feeling like a rock band ("Gurdjieff's Daughter").

Even if I insist on my first statement about her second album, I have to say that every Laura Marling project is multilayered, truthful and simple (not simpleminded though). Her constant craving to be stronger as a songwriter never lets anyone down and that's something to start with if you have not yet listened to her songs - she tries. And she tries really hard.

AnArtCalled... 8,5/10

Empire Cast - Empire: Original Soundtrack From Season 1

This is the reason why the new Madonna album debuted at No 2 on the Billboard charts last week. The "Empire" tv series is not only a huge ratings' hit, but also an unstoppable music machine. Here, you can listen new songs and covers by Jennifer Hudson, Estelle, Mary J Blige, Courtney Love and all of the main and recurring cast. Actually, everyone in this drama series acts and sings, even if this means that he/she is just a guest star for a couple of minutes (Patti LaBelle, Anthony Hamilton, Rita Ora).

The production is basic Timbaland stuff and piano ballads. But the thing is that if you have watched the show, it is simply IMPOSSIBLE not to get addicted to the soundtrack. The sound takes you back in the 90's, where r'n'b and hip-hop were dominating the charts around the world with artists like Whitney, Missy, Janet, Boyz II Men, En Vogue, Brandy, Dre and Lauryn. And if you have ever loved those people, it's inevitable you will love these tracks, too.

Although the rap/sung collaborations are pretty tight and strong, it's the ballads that make the show's music work. Jennifer Hudson sings her lungs out (again) in the heartfelt "Remember the music", Estelle proves with "Conqueror"  that she never was and never will be a one-hit wonder, while the TV Jamal (Jussie Smollett) puts some sugar in everyone's bowls while singing "Good Enough", "Keep Your Money" and "I Wanna Love You".

We have to be honest, the actual star of the show is Jussie Smollett. His acting part and his voice have stolen "the Lyon's share" since the beginning, along with Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson). So it's more than fair to Give to Caesar what is Caesar's. My advice: Watch the 12 episodes of "Empire" and then listen to the songs. You'll get what I mean.

AnArtCalled... 8/10

Tinashe - Amethyst

In a world where sophisticated r'n'b (or alternative r'n'b or however you want to call this) has done some serious damage in the pop charts (and awards shows), Tinashe has finally found the perfect timing to make a statement and produce music. After the release of her debut and my personal best for 2014, Aquarius, she just gave us for free her fourth mixtape (the first after her debut album), which she recorded in her childhood bedroom over Christmas vacation. She tweeted that it's a gift to her fans and, well... "you can count me in, girl".

In "Amethyst", she is more mellow and laid down than before. Her sound here is not about the charts the way "Aquarius" was. She sounds like an indie artist you just discovered on SoundCloud or an unsigned girl waiting to be huge someday. That makes this 7-track mixtape special. She is not waiting to release her sophomore project in two years or so. Instead, she keeps recording and sharing her music for free, simply because she seems not being able to survive without creating.

Her aquatic sound is always present in tracks like "Worth it", where retro synth pads blend with a solo sax and rap/sung vocals by herself and Iamsu!, who also has produced the track. In "Something to feel" and "Dreams are real" she reminds us the reasons why we have loved her sensual debut that much, while the Ritz Reynolds produced "Just the way I like you" is probably her most experimental track to date. But still, all of the songs are about one sound, one vision, one person.

As I have mentioned in the past, Tinashe is a pure talent. She is a music geek. She is constantly producing her own songs on her laptop and you can always find her using her SoundCloud account, listening to artists from all over the world. I mean, she went to see her parents for Christmas and she recorded seven tracks, c'mon.

AnArtCalled... 9/10

Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon

These piano-based ballads should and could be the male version of Adele's drama ballads, though the songwriter here is primarily a bass player, not a piano player (he learned how to play the piano just a couple of years ago, what the odds?). "Goon" by Tobias Jesso Jr is not a great album, it is a heartfelt album, which makes it somewhat... great? Yes, indeed.

You could say that this debut has everything a new artist could wish for· production from Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), drums by Danielle Haim ("Without you"), plus some tweeting assistance by Adele and Haim (for "How Could You Babe", the first single). I mentioned that it is not a great album, just because it's a mellow, low-tempo, Norah Jones-esque album and that's something we have listened to a lot in the recent past. The significant thing here, that also makes it a good debut, is that Tobias sings his own life with the simplest possible way.

Even though "Goon" is a pop album, the storytelling is pretty country· everyday stories, breakups, family health issues and dreams. The sound is almost like being in a live or a rehearsal session, while his vocals are never too much or the first thing you can notice in the production. So if you are searching for a vocal triumph here, you won't find it, he just sings his songs.

Tobias Jesso Jr has every potential to be huge in 2015, because he is honest with his music and cute. Ed Sheeran is huge, Sam Smith is huge, so it's the perfect timing for him to be the next Best New Artist nominee at the Grammys of 2016.

AnArtCalled... 7,5/10

Marina and the Diamonds - FROOT

When "The Family Jewels" was released, Marina Diamandis had just been through some hard times, so her music was really intense and vulnerable in many ways. The album was critically acclaimed, so she had a hell of a year. And then "Electra Heart" happened and though it was a concept album with a lot of potential, it failed in many ways. Her GaGa synthpop tracks were poor as far as the melodies are concerned and the smart videos did not save the day. She looked damn pretty in those, we have to admit it. So what happens now, in 2015?

Well, Marina is a pure songwriting talent and that's a fucking strong asset. This time, with her third album, "FROOT", she is capable to showcase this exact talent. She has written all the songs by herself and she has co-produced all of them along with David Kosten (Bat For Lashes). And it works. It works like Amy and Tina presenting the Golden Globes.

The sound is still electronic, but she has again found her indie twist. With a voice as powerful as hers, it's smart that she and Kosten chose to produce the songs with a minimal touch, using basic rhythm sections, reverbed pianos, distinctive guitars and throwback synths, so that the vocals can actually be heard. Marina demanded to be produced as a band. And the result is more than rewarding for her and her vision.

If you try to find a big hit in "FROOT", you just won't, so stop trying. On the other hand, you can find many emotional Marinas and though the project is not a concept album like "Electra Heart", it serves as one, emotionally. There is the naked-soul Marina in "Happy". There is the girl-power Marina in the masterpiece "Can't pin me down". There is always the rock star (or the Charli XCX) Marina in "Forget", the 80's pop-funk Marina in "I'm a ruin", the new-wave pop Marina in "Froot" and so on.

Marina and the Diamonds has always been retro as a project, even when she has tried to be mainstream. And that's her thing. She can write catchy melodies in order to put her name in the charts, but she can always be unique with her sound and her image. This time, she is musically exceptional as well, more than ever before. "FROOT" is not only her strongest body of work to date, but also a top-10 album for 2015 so far.

And hands down, earl grey bitches, she is fucking Greek.

AnArtCalled... 9/10

Years & Years - Y & Y (EP)

This electronic trio has, indeed and no kidding, something special to offer to the radio stations and the pop charts. It's not only about the stuck-on-repeat-and-addictive melodies. It's not only about Olly Alexander's powerful and soulful vocals. It's not only about the bands' 90's references. It's actually about having fun and recording dance music with an indie twist. That's why everyone loves Years & Υears - they can be both mainstream and hip.

Their EP, "Y & Y", is their first big step after their Kitsuné departure. They won the prestigious BBC Sound of 2015 in January and "King" became their first No 1 single in the UK a few days ago. So, they are, without a doubt, the next best thing right now.

The timing is perfect for their success. With Kiesza preparing the ground in the UK with her house influenced "Hideaway", tracks like "King", "Desire" and "Take Shelter" can shake the whole Europe and the summer festivals around the world, so that Years & Years can actually be pop's biggest act of 2015. Kudos.

AnArtCalled... 9/10

Madonna - Rebel Heart

When Madonna was recording girl power anthems and classic pop records, she was like 25-30 years old and that was a long time ago. When she recorded her best album to date, "Ray of light", she was a Kabbalah fan and when she recorded "Confessions on a dance floor", she sampled ABBA and she had a hell of a ride. After those, she recorded some great songs, she recorded some crap songs and she collaborated with Justin, Nicki, MIA and other chart toppers. At the end of the day, the question is only one: What does Ciccone's daughter have to offer today in the music industry as a 56-year-old pop star?

Madonna is a case study as far as music business is concerned. Gaga is not Madonna, because she does her own thing and she is primarily a musician and then a performer. Britney is dead and she had her share of success for a full decade and that was more than fair for a blonde, no-talent, troubled girl. And so on. Madonna is the only pop star in the world that has actually managed to maintain her pop reign for almost 35 years, singing pop, electronic, r'n'b, musicals and Bjork. And that's not something you can ignore through the years. Plus, she was never hot or vocally perfect, imagine that.

In 2015, Madonna has released/leaked her new album, "Rebel Heart". She released "Living for love" as the first single, she took a fall while performing it at the Brit Awards, she is posing for the cover like she is 15 and she is still trying to be the queen of pop. The thing is, she is trying. And, according to her, "that is not Madonna, bitch".

"Rebel Heart" is a mix of good melodies, good and mediocre production by A-list producers (Kanye, Avicii, Diplo, Blood Diamonds, Ryan Tedder), teen vocals and lyrics about female power, Illuminati, drugs and heartbreaks. She sings like a "Like a prayer" Madonna in "Living for love". She sings like a "Love Profusion" Madonna in the radio-friendly "Devil pray". She sings like an urban "Give me all your luvin" Madonna in "Iconic" (one of the best tracks on the album) and "Bitch I'm Madonna" (one of the best tracks, also). She sings like a "Music" Madonna in "Holy Water". In general, Madonna is trying to relive her old statuses all over again with new songs, having nothing new to offer to music, apart from some (really) good songs, that are actually difficult to identify among all these old look-alikes.

Her most electronic/hip efforts are her most confident uptempo moments also, like "Iconic" and "Bitch I'm Madonna". She sounds like her 56-year-old self while singing the folk-pop "Body shop", her best and her most heartfelt song on the album, while the second half of the album ("Holy Water", "Wash all over me" and "Inside out") could literally create a new sound for the queen if she wasn't so desperate to still be the queen. Oh well...

"Rebel heart" is not a bad album. It's always better than "Hard candy" or "MDNA". But it could have been great if Madonna had not tried too much to reinvent herself with old tricks and old production. Listen to the second half of the project and then the first one and figure this out. It's like a greatest hits album with some additional new songs, which in this case sound better than the old ones. Ok, I shut the fuck up now. Mic dropping sound.

p.s. Beyonce is the new queen, but please, DO NOT tell Madonna yet, she is not ready.

AnArtCalled... 6/10

Bjork - Vulnicura

When "Homogenic" was released, Bjork became an icon and a pioneer in electronic music, combining epic melodies, killer string arrangements, trip-hop beats and spooky vocals. It was the first time that it became actually obvious she is an elf from Iceland or something, leaving behind her dance and MTV era. "Vespertine" and "Medúlla" made clear that Bjork was not about to return to something mainstream anytime soon, thus revealing her constant desire to experiment with her productions. It took her three years to produce something you can call "almost mainstream" with "Volta" (Timbaland was involved), using percussions and horns all through the album, while her next effort, "Biophilia", was her first multimedia project with an extensive use of tablets, musical instruments especially designed for her and unusual time signatures. So what's next?

"Vulnicura" is next. Her brand new album has just leaked/been released, so it's available anywhere. With nine tracks written and produced by herself and Arca (Kanye West, FKA Twigs), this project could easily be the sequel of "Homogenic", using the same technology and the same instruments as "Biophilia". It's the most fragile and sensitive Bjork in years, for sure.

"Lionsong" is almost a pop song with an experimental arrangement, proving that when she wants it, she can write an actual chorus in a song (she did it in "Crystalline", too). "Black lake", the best track in here, creates a fragile utopia of her and her ex-lover ("Did I love you too much? Devotion and me broken. So I repent, destroyed."), but with a sense of an apology letter, not an actual situation. In "Family", The Haxan Cloak has helped in the production process, while in "Atom Dance", Antony Hegarty is singing along with her in full baritone mode and some heavy drum programming. "Notget" could and should be used in a brothers Nolan film about an uninhabitable planet. "Mouth mantra" works as a drug - you want to inhale every vocal, every violin and every sci-fi synth in it. It goes back, when Bjork used to sing electronic music produced by Nellee Hooper, so this is probably her most "Post" moment as far as "Vulnicura" is concerned.

Everyone is trying (once again) to figure out what Bjork and "Vulnicura" stand for. But the interesting thing is that Bjork stands for music, nothing else in particular. And that's all. She can write dance and pop music, but she does not give a fuck about doing so, she is beyond that. She uses technology, she arranges strings and horns the way no one has done in the past, she is constantly breaking time signature rules. She is the one and only musician today who has created something no one has not even dared to dream of creating. Bjork is a musical phenomenon. In 30 years, she will be a course in music schools and a legend in our laptops and our cd collections. That's what Bjork and "Vulnicura" stand for - music history, once again.

AnArtCalled... 9,5/10

Jazmine Sullivan - Reality Show

Miss Sullivan "Busted our windows" in 2008, released a second studio album in 2010 and went on a hiatus for 5 years. Well, in the meantime she was nominated for 11 Grammy Awards (not a single win). So, having already released a third studio album after all these years of "having some things to figure out", as she has stated in the past, it is a big deal. And it is, actually, a big deal.

The "Reality Show" is the first great album of 2015, along with the new Mark Ronson album of course. Contemporary r'n'b has finally found a way not to sound boring and old. Many artists have contributed to this the last two years (Solange, Janelle Monae, Miguel, Beyonce, Jessie Ware, Banks, Tinashe, D'Angelo), so maybe Jazmine Sullivan has taken advantage of the situation, in order to record her best songs to date.

If we were supposed to describe Jazmine's sound, it would be "Late 90's neo-soul records with an electronic twist, built on drum machines and angry vocals". She is not Whitney, Beyonce or Mary J, but she has a killer voice and she knows how to showcase its powers each and every time. She's not into vocal tricks, long notes or falsettos. She may not have a powerful head voice, she may not have a head voice at all. She is hurting her throat in order to hit the high notes and sometimes you think she needs a glass of water. Well, it's not that funny as you are listening to her album, cause her delivery is more than precise and soulful. In fact, she sounds like all the great gospel singers throughout the music history, who later became great r'n'b and soul performers (right, talking about Aretha). Plus, she sings with swagger and no diva attitude.

The album is produced by Salaam Remi (Fugees, Fergie, Amy Winehouse, Nelly Furtado, Nas) and Key Wane ("Partition" by Beyonce is more than enough), among others. "Dumb" works as a powerful urban intro, while "Brand new" serves as a standard contemporary r'n'b anthem that every Mariah or Alicia could kill for. Pianos in "Silver lining" help making the song great, though it's not. "#Hoodlove" is where the action begins to take place, as the singer sounds frustrated and determined for the first time in here. Yes, it's the "Bust your windows" sequel. The acoustic "Forever Don't Last" is the perfect surprise bridge for the rest of the songs, while... wait! There's a second "Bust your windows" sequel and it's called "Stupid girl". Smartass move. But "Stanley"? Not even close, almost a fail. Thank God for the "If you dare" outro. It saves the day.

Jazmine's "Reality Show" is a proof that once again the r'n'b/soul genre is stronger than ever these days. Swagger mode: ON.

AnArtCalled... 8/10

D'Angelo and the Vanguard - Black Messiah

We all know that it's been 14 years since the last time we had some D'Angelo music news. Well, that's almost a lie, he had many collaborations and featurings in other people's projects over the past few years, plus he learned how to play more musical instruments. So even if this was a hiatus or just a break or the time he needed to come back, it's OK. Not only because this album is a masterpiece, but also because he seems more determined and focused on something he can call his own - a unique material, a funk-guitar chaos all around, a vocal mess accompanied by haunted lyrics and neo-soul wisdom. That's what the "Black Messiah" is all about.

"Black Messiah is not one man. It’s a feeling that, collectively, we are all that leader.", says D'Angelo. But the fact that he penned every single track in this (with a little help from his friends, Q-Tip and Questlove from The Roots), playing almost all the instruments in the studio, suggests otherwise. And only one man can do this in such style and funkiness - Prince.

The structure of the songs is vague. Sometimes it's difficult to even spot the chorus or an actual melody. But somehow it works. It's a body of work that was inspired by pure fusion. You can mess around with the guitars and then drown in the soulful tender vocals of "Really love". You then go back to "1000 deaths" and yell at its aggressiveness, while you're thinking about the "Sugah Daddy" pianos and brass. But you cannot escape from the Erykah Badu-esque "Back to the furure", because that's the way this album rolls - You connect the dots from different songs and if you do it with love and respect, you can only hear one song, one voice, one guitar, one message.

"Black Messiah" is a tough-love project. It has been recorded in order to mess with your head and play with your emotions. It's a 14 year-old expirement that has just found its spot in the world. So be careful how you handle it.

AnArtCalled... 9/10