Back catalogue: Pop

Review: American country star Morgan Wallen returns with his fourth full-length project: a sprawling, near two-hour showcase of pop, rock and acoustic balladry. While his sound remains rooted in Nashville tradition, the Tennessee-born singer taps into broader palettes hereidrawing on slow-burn storytelling ('Just in Case'), radio-friendly duets (like his Tate McRae collab), and swaggering pop-rock hybrids that veer into crossover territory ('I Ain't Comin' Back', with Post Malone). Wallen's lyrical themes stick to familiar territoryiheartache, small-town nights, self-reflectionibut the production, led by longtime collaborators Joey Moi and Charlie Handsome, often elevates the material. Despite its length, the album keeps a steady rhythm, with highlights like 'Superman' offering a rare moment of emotional clarity. For fans, it's an unfiltered look at a man embracing vulnerability while doubling down on chart power. For everyone else, it's proof of Wallen's status as one of the most commercially magnetic voices in contemporary countryiand one who continues to expand his reach.

Review: Wang Chung, the London-based band known for their blend of pop, funk and rock, reflects on their four-decade career with a collection that unveils the intricacies behind their chart-topping hits. Tracks like 'Dance Hall Days' exemplify their skill in fusing African rhythms with electronic pop, while 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' brings together Motown influences and modern dancefloor sensibilities. The release highlights the band's ability to move between vibrant energy and experimental depths, capturing the essence of their diverse musical explorations. It's a celebration of Wang Chung's pioneering spirit, offering both the familiarity of their anthems and the allure of their more adventurous sounds.

Review: The Weeknd's latest project continues to push boundaries, but it's the quieter moments that really leave a mark. Take 'Dancing in the Flames'iit starts with muted synths, almost tentative, like something trying to find its footing, before blossoming into a dense, emotionally charged soundscape. Tesfaye's falsetto feels particularly vulnerable here, a perfect match for lyrics that seem to teeter between hope and resignation. On 'Timeless (feat Playboi Carti),' the mood shifts entirely. Carti's jagged verses cut through the lush production, creating a tension that makes the track feel alive and unpredictable. And then there's 'Sao Paulo (feat Anitta),' which bursts out with a vibrancy that feels like a releaseia rare moment of pure celebration. Overall, the album's impact lies in its restraint, in the contrasts and the spaces between moods where it truly resonates.

Review: Long after the 'Kids In America' and 'You Keep Me Hanging On', Kim Wilde has a brand new album, apparently a sequel to the 1988 smash hit Close. It hears the British singer continue to zoom in on the pop, new wave and rock-infused influenza of sound that earned her sucess initially, but adds a new, starlit electropop mood along with synthpop and hi-NRG influences on what is her sixth studio album. The raunchy and maximalist sound Wilde is known for is still on full blast here thouhg, albeit with a fresher modern varnish, with the likes of 'Trail Of Destruction' and 'Rocket To The Moon' proving especially audacious.

Review: US coutntry rockers The Wreckers - or Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp - were only around for three years, but in that time they did manage to chalk up a couple of massive singles, 'Leave The Pieces' and 'My, Oh My', as well as this album, which went on to sell in excess of 850,000 copies after it emerged in May 2006. Harp has gone on to have success as a solo artist, but the updated country sound and close harmony simplicity of this album, now reissued, is yet to be eclipsed by either.