The A Team

by Edward Sheeran

Ed Sheeran learned to play the guitar at a very young age, and began writing songs by the time he was in high school. When he was 15, he started recording his first EP, The Orange Room EP followed by two albums, a self-titled one in 2006 and Want Some? in 2007. His dreams took him into the big city – he moved to London in 2008 and started playing small gigs (as little as an audience of five). After reading that James Morrison once played at 200 gigs in a year, Sheeran took it upon himself to beat Morrisson’s record – he played 312 gigs in 2009. That same year, he released another EP, You Need Me, and in February 2010 came his critically acclaimed Loose Change EP, featuring a single called The A Team. In April 2010, Sheeran bought a ticket to Los Angeles and played at open mic nights all over the city, before being spotted by Jamie Foxx, who invited him to stay at his house and record for the rest of his stay. As his fanbase grew, he also self-released two other EPs; Ed Sheeran: Live at the Bedford and Songs I Wrote With Amy, (Wadge, not Winehouse, mind you). In January 2011, Sheeran released his final independent EP, No.5 Collaborations Project, which reached number 2 in the iTunes chart and sold over 7,000 copies in its first week. Pretty impressive, considering he wasn’t represented by any music labels at that point. Last September, Sheeran released his album The A Team, which sold over 58,000 copies in the first week. And we reckon it’s just the beginning for this rising star.

Duets II

by Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett is a legend. The man who just turned 85 celebrates with an album that has so many superstar collaborations it reads like an Elton John fund raiser. The Duets II album pairs Bennett’s voice with the likes of Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Norah Jones and many more.

Stronger

by Kelly Clarkson

This ex- American Idol’s latest album sure lives up to its title. Clarkson’s powerful soul-rock sounds take on songs and lyrics that tell the tales of heartfelt journeys. From the attitude-filled You Can’t Win and What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger), to girl-power anthems like the finger wagging, head bobbing debut single Mr. Know It All.