Close to You

1) Rudimental, Will Heard & Anne Marie – Rumour Mill

Catchy, chilled-out tropical house-influenced track with ambient and electro elements. Will Heard’s rich, soulful vocals are a perfect match for Anne Marie’s jazz-influenced ones.

2) Katy B & KAYTRANADA– Honey

Chilled-out neo-soul track with electro elements. Katy B’s layered harmonies are gorgeous and the entire track has a relaxed vibe.

3) Rihanna – Same ol’ mistakes

Near enough a note-for-note cover of the Tame Impala original. It’s just as psychedelic and moody but it’s a fine cover.

4) Danny L Harle – Broken Flowers

Effervescent electro track featuring giggling synthesisers, scatty vocal samples and buoyant percussion.

5) DMA’s – Delete

This gentle acoustic ballad is a throwback to 90’s Britpop in a similar vein to Oasis. Despite somewhat shabby lyrics, it’s a pretty little track.

6) Troye Sivan – Ease

Gentle synthpop track with punchy percussion and warm, fuzzy synthesisers. Sivan’s bruised vocals drift softly over the catchy backing track and it’s a lovely song.

7) Bryson Tiller – Don’t

Chilled-out hip hop track on which Tiller’s autotune coated vocals float over eerie sounds and transient beats.

8) SOAK – Reckless Behaviour

Lovely dream-pop/indie folk track from Irish singer-songwriter SOAK.

9) Seal – Love

Gorgeous and haunting piano ballad on which Seal’s raspy vocals reverberate infinitely into beautiful piano chords and eerie synths.

10) Rihanna – Close To You

Gorgeous piano ballad which closes Rihanna’s highly anticipated ‘Anti’ perfectly.

1) Usher – I don’t mind

God-damn awful lyrics aside, I love this. Slick, smooth and simple: the characteristics of the perfect pop song! Just don’t pay too much information to the lyric content and try and block out Juicy J’s completely useless rap!

2) Gary Barlow – Offer My Peace

B-Side from the Japanese release of the wonderful ‘So Help Me Girl’. It’s classic 90’s schmaltz complete with bongo-type percussion and an electric piano but that’s a lot of what makes it so endearing! Wait for that key change 😉 Lovely little song.

3) Iggy Azalea & Jennifer Hudson – Trouble

Despite my best efforts not to like any of Iggy’s music, I always seem to get drawn in eventually… Despite some of her others which I won’t readily admit to enjoying, I will openly admit that I absolutely love this! Effortlessly catchy, simple, jazzy and just SO damn great. Completely forgot what an incredible voice J-Hud has. She makes it what it is, of course but there’s the perfect balance of rap and singing on it.

4) Longfellow – Where I Belong

Heard this on the radio and completely fell in love with it. It’s not ground-breakingly original but it’s a powerful song. Gorgeous falsetto on that chorus and love the piano too!

5) Janet Jackson – Let’s Wait Awhile

Critics would argue that this is classic 80’s cheese and yes it does have a particular element of that to it. Despite that, the message is still relevant today. It’s such an important song to multiple generations and utterly irresistible. Janet was an incredibly proficient artist in using her music as a means of raising awareness on many important issues back in the 80’s. This song is a part of that movement. The song’s producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis also do a sterling job on this beautiful song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J75aXgdmEPw

6) Janet Jackson – Nothing

Beautiful simple song by Miss Jackson. The resemblance to Michael is uncanny in some places…

7) George Michael – Please Send Me Someone to Love (Anselmo’s Song)

Lovely track from George’s last album ‘Patience’. Chilled out and obviously very personal (Anselmo was George’s lover who died from AIDS related illness back in the mid-90’s) it’s George at his best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMtM1dl0qu8

8) John Mayer & Katy Perry – Who You Love

Yes it may be a little cheesy but it’s such a beautiful song. Love how the lyrics come from two different perspectives by the couple and it’s lovely to hear Katy’s raw, organic vocals without any of the usual processing it receives. I love this couple so much – two of my favourite artists together.