So I think I’ll start with some of the acts that I am extremely excited that are coming back this year. And I have to start of with my favourite band in the world who look set on kicking all pop and electronic music into submission with a return to a much heavier sound and that is of course; the Foo Fighters. They’ve already got the hype machine rolling with this monster 30 second teaser riff which showcases the sound they are supposed to be taking. It really sounds like Dave Grohl returning to what he does best and I could not be more excited! Another favourite band of mine that I am always thrilled to see coming back is The Subways. Not too sure what the direction of the record will be as of yet but they look set to be open about the recording process of the album and through their genius Pledge website are offering fans some amazing gifts and raising money for charity at the same time. Check that out here PledgeMusic:TheSubwaysProject. The return of guitar music comes in many forms with many returning bands from brilliant British indie bands; The Wombats, Pigeon Detectives and possibly The Ting Tings to a couple of underrated favourites of mine in Cage The Elephant and Cold War Kids, both of whom look set for bigger things this year as well as Bright Eyes. In terms of the more widely hotly-anticipated returns are there is Coldplay who will probably carry on their world domination and The Strokes, who are returning to what they do best after a couple of underwhelming solo projects. As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I have moved to more hip-hop listening in recent times and although I am very excited by the return of some of my favourite guitar bands, there is still a couple of reasons to be excited in hip-hop too with the amazing collaboration album with Kanye West & Jay-Z, two of my favourites as well as a probable album from Lil Wayne who has been working his socks off since leaving prison, most notably with the outstanding 6’7’’! I am hoping Asher Roth makes a full return too after the fantastic G.R.I.N.D last year. I’ll finish this bit of the post with some amazing news I only became aware of last night. Death From Above 1979 have put aside their differences and are making a comeback. That is fucking excellent news. I was never fully aware but I am so happy they are coming back, there just needs to be more music produced by them.

In terms of new music, the upcoming acts creating the buzz are generally in the hip-hop or dubstep categories. BBC Sound of 2011 winner Jessie J has been having some outstanding reports and hype. They say she has a mammoth voice in her live shows, which I had heard of before she released Do It Like A Dude which, itself, just seems a bit brash and doesn’t show any of that off. Hopefully she can produce some of the good sound people have been raving about; I am definitely going to pay some attention to her. Wretch 32 is another hip-hop act finally getting his chance at the big time after being featured on a number of British rappers’ albums and releases. I’m quite looking forward to seeing him live, supporting Example soon. Will definitely be good to see what he’s about. On the other side of the Atlantic, there have been a few rappers being hyped about but the most intriguing to me is J. Cole who seems to have a lot of momentum and respect off some of the big names, appearing on one of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Friday tracks for example. In the dubstep world, James Blake is one of the acts I am massively excited to hear more of. Another act on the BBC Sound of 2011, he has a fantastic voice and a genius ear for letting a beat or a sound breathe. Early tracks suggest a deeply affecting and yet very chilled out sound. Definitely one of my tips for the year. Indie music is also making it’s return in the form of Yuck (massive hair pictured below!) who sound pretty listenable and Funeral Party who sound similarly approachable musically. Their album is out very soon, so it will be one of the first I wrap my ears around this year. I know I’m late on this one and they aren’t particularly new but Noah and The Whale have got my attention and look set for big year with the fantastic l.i.f.e.g.o.e.s.o.n which will no doubt be one of the songs of the summer. Another thing to be excited about this year is new projects from established artists. The Oasis split has spawned Beady Eye (featuring Liam) and presumably some solo Noel Gallagher work. Not heard anything about a possible Noel solo album but I think it’s likely and he’s definitely talented enough to pull off some good music on his own (despite what Liam says) and Beady Eye do sound pretty good. I’ll approach that album with trepidation but could end up being quite a nice surprise. One of my favourite front men, The Reverend Jon McClure is moving into drum n’ bass and electro with his Reverend Sound System (RSS). Don’t know how big a project this will end up being but the teaser tracks on their MySpace certainly sound fun. I’ll give a last mention to the nuts Cerebral Ballzy who have been getting a bit of radio play from the likes of Zane Lowe and Nick Grimshaw. They sound absolutely mental and it won’t be to many people’s tastes but I’m on board (nice Zane Lowe link there!)!

So plenty to be excited about this year and a lot to listen to. I reckon this will be a very good year in music. Bring it on!!

Post songs:

l.i.f.e.g.o.e.s.o.n – Noah and The Whale

Blood On Our Hands – Death From Above 1979

Just a quick blog, but I figured this needed posting. Uber-dubstep-producer Skream teams up with my favourite artist of the last 2 years or so, the workhorse Example. Absolute monster bass to this one, paired with a great Example melody. He sure knows how to construct a good pop song; which this is, but piledrived by a huge dubstep beat. This is pretty much the song to sum up what the last 6 months and presumably the next 12 months have been all about.

Example himself directed this video and its a pretty good effort. Well done story and great cinematography so a couple more strings to this guy’s bow. And being the nice guys they are, the track is available for free.

Download the track from trythisforexample.com

I’ll start by mentioning some of the big female artists of the year, who all had a good year. Ellie Goulding was hotly tipped at the start of the year and did provide a pretty stellar effort with both the original Lights and the extended Bright Lights. Eliza Doolittle appeared out of nowhere with some outstanding uplifting vintage pop. Taylor Swift returned with some more clever songwriting and the usual heartfelt melodies. Nicki Minaj had a brilliant year and every guest spot she did was brilliant but the album as a whole maybe wasn’t as consistently great, but it’s still a good album, unlucky not to make my list.

In terms of band; My Chemical Romance were also unlucky to not make the list with their clever more feel-good than usual concept album. Kings of Leon almost captured what made them great in the past which was a welcome step back from their awkward stadium anthems which spawned a whole plethora of plastic fans. Black Eyed Peas produced the feel-good album of the year and just seem to be really enjoying themselves while Pendulum returned to their roots to a degree and ditched some of the poppier songs to return to a slightly harder sound again.

Some other honorable mentions include Slash and his star-studded decent effort, Plan B and his possibly overrated new soul act, but don’t get me wrong, he does do soul well, I just felt slightly underwhelmed by some of the album. One of my favourites Dan le Sac ft. Scroobius Pip also returned last year with a good effort, just not as good as their first. I’ll give a final mention to Ke$ha who everyone loves to hate, but she showed in parts that she has some sort of talent and knows how to make a catchy pop tune, sort of a guilty pleasure I guess.

There you go, a belated summary to my other blog. I’ll return soon with some hopes and predictions for this year ie. new bands as well as some of my old favourites returning with new albums. I think 2011 will be a pretty exciting year for music, but that’s just me.

10. The Recovery – Eminem

After a fragile and tame return to the limelight in 2009 with the Relapse album, Eminem was back on close-to top-form in 2010. This was no surprise after a stellar year after Relapse with collaborations alongside B.o.B, Drake and Lil’ Wayne, all showcasing the best elements of Eminem’s skills. This form continued onto the album and personal demons and issues were tackled way more head on and with a lot more vigour. Laying it all on the line in songs such as Cold Wind Blows and No Love provide a great example of the renewed purpose and desire. Highlights of the album include the haunting Cold Wind Blows and Won’t Back Down which includes a good cameo from Pink. Collaborations provide arguably the strongest 2 tracks on the album; No Love with Lil’ Wayne is classic Eminem, feelings out for everyone to see, couple with a clever 90s classic sample. And the most successful song on the album, Love The Way You Lie featuring a beautifully tragic vocal from Rihanna made this a sure fire hit. That song in particular may have been more for Rihanna to get rid of some issues but the feelings are felt by both. To sum up, this album, after a few years of turmoil for Eminem alongside a tepid return in 2009, helped provide the outlet Eminem needed to get back on track and in turn back to top form.

9. The Lady Killer – Cee-Lo Green

I’ve been a fan of Cee-Lo for a while, partly through Gnarls Barkley and partly through some decent collaborations over the last few years. There’s just something about his silky smooth, unique voice that draws you in. Add in to that coming up with one of the biggest songs of the year with Fuck You/Forget You and the album was destined to succeed. I wasn’t anticipating to really love this album but it’s just one of those you can’t get enough of and really caught me. Leaving aside Fuck You, which is a genius and direct take on the post-relationship angst, there are many other highlights on this album. The powerful Band of Horses cover No One’s Gonna Love You is a beautiful and vulnerable song that still sounds so big. Bright Lights, Bigger City is a wonderful slice of 80s-inspired pop which sounds equally as massive whilst still maintaining that silky smooth edge and style. And It’s OK shows that this album is much more than just a soul record and that Cee-Lo really knows how to make a clever pop tune. Cee-Lo is a one of a kind and instantly likeable, both sentiments suggest why this album is as good as it is. One of the great voices of the time.

8. Drake – Thank Me Later

Hotly tipped for a while prior to this release, in part thanks to 2009’s Forever which featured some of rap’s elite. This guy is super talented and extremely multi-faceted. In fact, he sort of has two separate rapping styles. One of these is one of the sharpest and quickest flows in the game which is highlighted in Over and Fancy as an example. These raps are so sharp and quick that he puts plenty of Rap’s stalwarts to shame and on a debut album! His second style is much more a subdued and calm approach, letting the beat breathe, keeping the listener hooked the whole time. This is best shown on uber-collaborations Light Up and Miss Me featuring Jay-Z and Lil Wayne respectively. It’s hard to explain how such a slow beat could be so heavy but it’s these songs that really go for the knockout. It makes it look like Drake is delivering these standout knockout blows with such ease that it turns into something so stylish. Superstar appearances add to the quality of the album but don’t detract from the man’s own skills. Up All Night is another classic example of a good collaboration of the album, with both Drake and the bonkers Nicki Minaj going toe-for-toe and both coming out on top. Like Minaj with her Pink Friday, this is the young pretender really making a play for the throne.

7. Plastic Beach – Gorillaz

The first non-rap album in this hip-hop heavy list. This was highly anticipated before it came out and was duly given some high appraisal. This is Damon Albarn trying his best to reinvent pop and trying to challenge people’s ideas of what a good pop album is. The influences are massively varied but as you come to expect with Albarn, each influence is carefully preserved and somehow turned into genius songs. The presence of rap is more prevalent than previous Gorillaz albums with the likes of Snoop Dogg, the ever-present De La Soul and Mos Def alongside the strong British contingent with Kano and Bashy. Their song is a hybrid rap song fused with the Syrian National Orchestra that, like much of the album, somehow works. Old legends Lou Reed, the insane Mark E. Smith and the underrated Bobby Womack whose contributions on Stylo and Cloud of Unknowing are fantastic, also fit in just as nicely. Little Dragon is another highly-utilised performer on this album and provides two of the highlights of the album in Empire Ants and To Binge. There is some success too when Albarn tackles a song on his own but it is the wide range of influences that make this album and they are best executed by the various guests. Underrated Glastonbury set aside, 2010 was a pretty good year for Gorillaz and this is the pinnacle and the culmination of the Gorillaz journey.

6. The Adventures of Bobby Ray – B.o.B

Back to rap on this list and another album that really came out of nowhere like a bolt out of the blue. Mediocre hit single Nothin On You featuring the also mediocre man of the moment Bruno Mars suggested this album mightn’t have been anything special. How wrong I was, B.o.B is fresh and very clever song-writer. Some of the songs are here are so beautifully and carry real sentiment that this doesn’t sit just as a rap album but something altogether more enjoyable. I keep harping on about guest appearances in this list but there a couple of standout guest spots here from the likes of Hayley Williams and Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), the latter providing just a fun bit of uplifting pop. Whereas, the Hayley Williams appearance was a bit of a surprise and provided one of the more beautiful and heartfelt songs of the year. The Kids is a daunting yet hopeful standout track that makes you think, while all the time being delivered with a cool calm confidence. And could there possibly be a more romantic sentiment than Lovelier Than You, whose chorus could really be written in a valentine’s day card it is that nice but the track itself is really something special. I acquired this at the same time as a couple of other albums on the list and as such didn’t expect to listen to this one as much, but it really does bring you back in for more.

5. A Thousand Suns – Linkin Park

Linkin Park could’ve played it safe here, in fact they could play it safe for years to come and people would still buy the albums and come to the shows. But they decided it was time to experiment and major props to them because it really has worked. The guitars have been phased out here and replaced with a much more electronic sound which at times sounds just as heavy, take The Blackout and Wretches and Kings for example. But the new electronic sound also brings a few different sort of highlights. Some is stylish and funky like in When They Come For Me. Other times, the new sound manifests as a huge chorus with powerful messages like in Waiting For The End and brilliantly on the standout track Iridescent which is just a behemoth of a track in trying to find hope and love. Lead single the Catalyst is really a culmination of all the facets that make this album such a gem and highlights the progression taken. I hear some die-hard fans didn’t warm to the album much, even suggesting that they have sold out to an extent. To these people I suggest they listen to The Blackout which really is classic Linkin Park intensity but mixed with the new elements of the album. A fine example of a band mixing things up and producing some great results.

4. Won’t Go Quietly – Example

And now for something a little different. As I explained a while back when reviewing this album, I became aware of Example a couple of years ago and that was as a rapper. In his new form Example has managed to combine great pop song craft with up-tempo electro and dance elements and still managing time to shoehorn a bit of rap in there too. You can tell Example had his sights set on the mainstream with massive sounding pop singles like Two Lives, Last Ones Standing and the dreamy Watch The Sun Come Up. Bit it’s not here where his strength lies. Thanks to some help from producers such as Calvin Harris and Chase & Status it’s the dance element that really stand out and make this sound like a dirty rave. Hooligans and Dirty Face are the epitome of this and along with tracks like Won’t Go Quietly and See The Sea, this whole album is sure to get the crowd bouncing. Hell, he even successfully tries his hand at dubstep (before it really blew up this year) in gloomy album-closer Won’t Believe The Fools. But the biggest track on this album is the fantastic From Space. As statements of intents go to start an album, this is something else. Starting with a slick rap but finishing with a trance freak-out really show the different styles showcased on this album and act as a massive statement of intent for the rest of the record. ‘Where’s all the hooligans??!!’

3. One Life Stand – Hot Chip

It seems so long ago that this was out considering the amount of good music that has happened since. But this was a wondrous album and really took Hot Chip to the next level musically. They had enjoyed moderate success and a loyal fan base with their previous albums but this record sounds so much bigger, so much more complete. And with that came a massive leap in song writing ability throughout. Gone were the quirky lyrics and off the wall sounds, in came beautiful sentiments and beautiful and heartfelt lyrics. Songs about love but not in the usual predictable way. Brothers is one of the most heartfelt songs on the record but it is unlike any other romance song and is about more of Bromance. Slush and Alley Cats are examples of classic love song sentiments but delivered in a slightly different way but always beautiful. One Life Stand speaks not of short romances, broken romances or anything like, but the continued love of a long-standing relationship and isn’t that the most romantic idea of all. There are still the technical electro-pop bigger sounding songs of old Hot Chip records such as Thieves in The Night and Take It In. But its when this album is at it;s most vulnerable, poignant and lovely that it is at it’s best. Definitely one of my live highlights of the year too.

2. Body Talk – Robyn

Arguably one of the most consistent artists of the year, mainly due to the 3-part release of this album series. The final Body Talk album is almost a greatest hits of the previous 2 albums with a handful of new songs added in for good measure. From the first instalment, I knew this whole series was going to be in my records of the year. This is electro-pop at it’s finest. Robyn seems to have a warped sense of romance and lyrically some of these songs could sound obsessive or crazed but she makes them sound warm and beautiful meaning you pull for her in all of the songs. Dancing on My Own could be simply about stalking someone you will never have and Call Your Girlfriend is almost just mean in getting a potential suitor to dump a girlfriend to be with here, but both are just stunning pieces of pop music. There is real emotion here too in the vulnerable Hang With Me and Indestructible, both of which appear both as full electronic versions as well as incredible acoustic/stripped versions on the previous instalments. Robyn’s sense of humour is also plain to see here with another kick-ass sort of element with songs U Should Know Better, which plainly just suggests ‘you should know better than to fuck with’ Robyn which obviously you should on this evidence. Don’t Fuckin’ Tell Me What To Do is another example of Robyn keeping her tongue firmly in cheek and not giving a fuck about what anyone thinks. I think the biggest testament for this album I can give is the fact I was going to put this into the list on Parts 1 & 2 alone. Then I only recently required the full package the other day and the extra songs are just as good as the best ones off the other parts. Just a brilliant pop star.

1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

There was never going to be any other winner. 2010 was Kanye’s year and boy did he earn it. The Twisted Fantasy came after a string of excellent G.O.O.D Friday releases (he released a free download every Friday for about 3 months featuring some of rap’s big names as well as some new prospects off his label) which, if were released on a mixtape or some format, would be in contention for my favourite albums as well. But My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy really was the culmination of all of this as well as the need to prove himself post Taylor Swift-gate as well as an extension of his ‘Soldier of culture’ self imposed tag. And the album really is beautiful, dark and twisted. This really should go down as one of the great albums, not just of 2010. Rap songs alone stand out above most hip-hop tracks released last year. Power and the huge collaborations of So Appalled and Monster show he still has the ability to produced a monster rap hit. When the album goes dark and twisted though, is when the album starts to become an entirely different prospect. Runaway, and the accompanying film, are warped and vulnerable giving a key into West’s thoughts and insecurities. Blame Game is an interesting look into the breakdown of a relationship and all the angst and resentment that can go with that which comes to a head in a bizarre but massively intriguing overheard phone conversation between a partner and her new fling, brilliantly portrayed by Chris Rock of all people. Lost In The World and the accompanying poem Who Will Survive In America give a pretty damning and daunting view on the world coupled with interesting guest stars. The title track, Dark Fantasy probably gives the best statement of intent and first look into Yeezy’s ‘fantasy’ with a wonderfully mad introduction from Nicki Minaj in a strange English accent! At times, this album is all over the place, at times it is crazy, at times it is beautiful but it is always brilliant and never dull. There really just aren’t enough superlatives to describe this album. Rightfully best album of the year; it would be high up in any best of list for any year. Outstanding.

50. B.o.B – Lovelier Than You

49. Duck Sauce – Barbara Streisand

48. Drake – Over

47. Kings of Leon – Radioactive

46. Robyn – Don’t Fuckin’ Tell Me What To Do

45. Swedish House Mafia – One (Original Mix)

44. Gorillaz ft. Daley – Doncomatic

43. Ellie Goulding – Under The Sheets

42. Hot Chip – One Life Stand

41. Robyn – Indestructible

40. Cee-Lo Green – Fuck You

39. Nicki Minaj – Your Love

38. Kings of Leon – Pyro

37. Kanye West – Power + Power (Remix ft. Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz)

36. Plan B – Stay Too Long

35. Linkin Park – Blackout

34. B.o.B – The Kids

33. Kano ft. Michelle Breeze – Upside

32. Drake ft. Jay-Z – Light Up

31. Stornoway – Zorbing

30. Bombay Bicycle Club – Ivy & Gold

29. James Blake – Limit To Your Love

28. Ellie Goulding – The Writer

27. Ke$ha – Take It Off

26. Eliza Doolittle – Rollerblades

25. Eminem – Almost Famous

24. Eminem ft. Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie

23. Gorillaz – White Flag

22. Ellie Goulding – Your Song

21. Plain White T’s – Rhythm Of Love

20. Katy B – Katy On a Mission

19. Mark Ronson & The Business International – Somebody To Love

18. Nicki Minaj ft. Eminem – Roman’s Revenge

17. The Ting Tings – Hands

16. Example – Kickstarts

15. Kanye West – Blame Game

14. B.o.B – Airplanes Pt. I (ft. Hayley Williams) + Airplanes Pt. II (ft. Hayley Williams & Eminem)

13. Cee-Lo Green – No-Ones Gonna Love You

12. Paramore – The Only Exception

11. Cash Money Heroes (Kevin Rudolf, Birdman, Jay Sean & Lil Wayne) – I Made It

 

And the top 10;

10. Hot Chip – Brothers

One of the outstanding albums of the year and this was a soppy bromance highlight from it.

9. Kanye West – Christian Dior Denim Flow (ft. Pusha T, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Lloyd Banks & Ryan Leslie)

Definitely one of my favourites from the G.O.O.D Friday releases aside from Monster.

8. Example – From Space

A great statement of intent to start his album, mixing the old with the new.

7. Robyn – Hang With Me

This lady has been on fire this year and this song is just full of beautiful sentiments and affecting vocals.

6. Dan le Sac ft. Scroobius Pip – Cowboi

Lovely uplifting tale with vulnerable, delicate support vocals provided by Kid Carpet.

5. Tinchy Stryder – Game Over (ft. Giggs, Professor Green, Tinie Tempah, Devlin, Example & Chipmunk)

A massive collaboration to showcase the best UK talent around. A good rival to Monster.

4. Asher Roth – G.R.I.N.D (Get Ready It’s a New Day)

This one came out of nowhere and is just a fantastically inspirational tune from an unlikely source.

3. Kanye West – Dark Fantasy

Just a fantastic set-up (thanks in part to Nicki Minaj’s disturbing intro) to his twisted fantasy.

2. Robyn – Dancing on My Own

Another hauntingly beautiful tune from Robyn which really signalled her intent for her Body Talk project.

1. Kanye West – Monster (ft. Rick Ross, Jay-Z & Nicki Minaj)

Could it really have been anything else? This track really is a monster and is insane from start to finish. Kanye and Jay-Z both put in sterling performances but both are just a support act to the maniacal and inspired star turn by Nicki Minaj- ‘I’m a motherfuckin MONSTER!!!!!’.

 

There you have it, a comprehensive list of the tracks that I’ve had on rotation this year. I will return soon with my favourite albums of last year. Thanks for listening.

As usual, I spend the last month of the year reflecting on the good songs and albums that have gone by in the previous year. And 2010 was a pretty good year for music. Some massive, long anticipated albums came out from some of the big names and some great new names appeared with some scintillating stuff. Personally, I have been listening to a large amount of hip-hop over the last year as well as some electro pop mainly due to the lack of any/many good guitar records being made in the last 12 months. Shame really. Dance music is also back on the rise but in newer, better and alternative guises. The rise of dubstep has been phenomenal and there is some fantastic DJs/producers out there making some big beats. I’d say dubstep/electro may be the thing I listen to most this year but there may also be a guitar resurgence with the return of my 2 favourite bands with new albums (Foo Fighters and the Subways).

I’d have to say the 2 best artists of the year have to be Robyn and Mr. Kanye West. Mainly for their work ethic and conisistency of producing smash hits; Kanye West with his G.O.O.D Friday releases alongside His Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Robyn with her 3 part album releasing with massive tunes on all 3 instalments. In terms of breakthrough artists this year, I’d have to mention Katy B, Nicki Minaj, Ellie Goulding, B.o.B and Drake (although that was expected after a solid 2009).

I’ll start with the best songs of the year then do the best albums sometime in the next few days. This list wasn’t intended to be so long but as I mentioned earlier it has been such a good year for music that I couldn’t wittle it down and felt like so many tracks needed to get a shout-out.

So, 100-51, here goes;

100. Black Eyed Peas – The Time (Dirty Bit)

99. Marina and The Diamonds – I Am Not A Robot

98. Everything Everything – MY KZ, Ur BF

97. Taylor Swift – Dear John

96. Kano ft. Aidona & Wiley – Get Wild

95. Linkin Park – The Catalyst

94. Drake – Find Your Love

93. Nicki Minaj – Right Thru Me

92. B.o.B – Magic

91. Local Natives – Sun Hands

90. Jay Sean ft. Nicki Minaj – 2012

89. Magnetic Man ft. Ms Dynamite – Fire

88. Roll Deep – Green Light

87. Pendulum – Witchcraft

86. Cee-Lo Green – Bright Lights, Bigger City

85. Kanye West ft. Keri Hilson, Pusha T & CyHi Da Prynce – Take One For The Team

84. Big Boi – Shutterbugg

83. Professor Green ft. Lily Allen – Just Be Good To Green

82. The Pretty Reckless – Make Me Wanna Die

81. My Chemical Romance – Naa Naa Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)

80. Robyn ft. Snoop Dogg – U Should Know Better

79. Kid Cudi ft. Kanye West – Erase Me

78. K’Naan – Wavin’ Flag

77. The XX – Islands

76. Example – Won’t Go Quietly

75. Kele – Tenderoni

74. Hot Chip – I Feel Better

73. Kanye West ft. Pusha T – Runaway

72. Gorillaz – Empire Ants

71. Nicki Minaj ft. Rihanna – Fly

70. Katy B ft. Ms Dynamite – Lights On

69. Tinie Tempah – Pass Out

68. Eliza Doolittle – Pack Up

67. Eminem – Not Afraid

66. Kanye West – Hell Of a Life

65. Bombay Bicycle Club – Rinse Me Down

64. Lil Wayne – Fuck Today

63. Black Eyed Peas – XOXOXO

62. Delphic – Halcyon

61. Drake ft. Lil Wayne – Miss Me

60. Ke$ha – We R Who We R

59. Taylor Swift – Never Grow Up

58. Lady Gaga – Bad Romance

57. Plan B – She Said

56. Lil Wayne ft. Eminem – Drop The World

55. Swedish House Mafia ft. Tinie Tempah – Miami 2 Ibiza

54. Gorillaz – On Melancholy Hill

53. Kanye West ft. Jay-Z, RZA, Pusha T, CyHi da Prynce & Swizz Beatz – So Appalled

52. Marina and the Diamonds – Hollywood

51. Dinosaur Pile-Up – Birds & Planes

So, there you have it, part 1 of songs of last year. Part 2 to come very soon, but until then … Keeeep Dancing!!

Eminem – Recovery

After last year’s mediocre-at-best release from Eminem, he needed a spark. Somehow, somewhere, over the last year he’s found it. It more than likely stems from the subject matter in ‘Talkin to Myself’ in which he talks about his dark years and an idea he had of taking on the biggest rappers at the moment (eg. Lil’ Wayne and Kanye). Thankfully he didn’t drop to that level and has, over the past year, completely immersed himself in the new rap game and it’s really helping him.

In between the release of Relapse and this album he has been on his best form, producing show-stealing flows on Drake’s smash ‘Forever’ and Lil’ Wayne’s ‘Drop The World’. It’s a shame that he couldn’t produce these moments last time out on Relapse, but in a way, that just makes this new record stand out even more and it safe to say he is back on some major form.

The album sees him slightly more reflective lyrically, but the mix up of beats on the album helps the album grow. You can see that his demons are almost fully flushed out or being flushed out healthily. A major topic that the album touches on, which has obviously been the overriding reason for Eminem hitting rock bottom at the end of the decade, is the death of Proof. Through this record you can hear him finally coming to terms with it fully and this is most prominent in the pay-off of this emotion in ‘Never Over’. In all honesty, I think Proof is mentioned a bit too much considering the slightly dodgy circumstances in which he was taken away but if it helps Eminem through it and back on to top form then I’m more than happy.

There is a couple of star turns on the album which are superbly used and offer something different. Unsurprisingly, Lil’ Wayne puts up a good show on ‘No Love’ but it is the female guests which really stand out. ‘Won’t Back Down’ featuring P!nk is completely out of the blue and is very heavy. The first thought I had hearing this, even though it features a big pop star, was that it really didn’t sound very radio-friendly. It sees Eminem at his most sharpest and angriest moment on the album which is accompanied quite well by P!nk’s vocal. Rihanna’s vocals on ‘Love the Way You Lie’ though are amazing though. Talk about Eminem flushing out some demons on this album, this track seems a hell of a lot more cathartic for Rihanna and it almost seems like Eminem’s lyrics in the song were written by her to address ‘that’ incident. But the chorus she pulls off is chilling and heartbreaking.

The standout track on the album however, is ‘Almost Famous’. A spine-tingling, angry and just down right awesome tune with a chilling vocal accompanying the story-telling lyrics. Think ‘8 Mile’ but in song form (forgetting any possible songs called ‘8 Mile’ from said soundtrack!). It’s just a really kick-ass track.

That sums up the album then. With this album it is fair to say that Eminem is back and back in a big way. The album plays like a final nail in the coffin for all of his demons but soundtracked by some fantastically original beats. A massive return to form.

9/10

Awesome

Awesome

AWESOME!!!!

That is all….