Armageddon

by Guy Sebastian

Some of you may remember Malaysian born; Guy Sebastian moved to Australia at the age of 6 and became the first Australian Idol winner in 2003. Guy won over the hearts of Australians and fans all over the world with his stage presence, personality and incredible vocals. Upon winning Australian Idol, he released his debut single, Angels Brought Me Here which quickly became the fastest selling Australian single on the ARIA chart. Guy then released his first album Just As I Am which became a huge success. Now back with his seventh album, Armageddon, Guy shows versatility and diversity throughout the album. Battle Scars featuring rapper Lupe Fiasco is the first single of Armageddon and one of Guy’s biggest hits as it sold more than 350,000 copies and topped the ARIA Singles Chart for six weeks. Armageddon features two discs with a total of 24 tracks and is definitely not an album you’d want to miss out on.

The 20/20 Experience

by Justin Timberlake

This former member of boyband N’Sync made girls cry him a river with his debut album, Justified, and brought sexy back with his second album, FutureSex/ LoveSounds. Now, the multi talented Justin Timberlake makes a comeback in his suit and tie with his latest album, The 20/20 Experience. After an eight year hiatus, Justin’s much anticipated album is no short of brilliance. With a more diverse sound and considerably mature lyrics, Justin’s back – and we love it.

Exile

by Hurts

English synthpop duo, Hurts return with their second studio album Exile. A big departure from their first album Happiness, singer Theo Hutchcraft and keyboardist Adam Anderson incorporates their influences in this album creating a dark and haunting tone. Personal favourites on the album are Mercy, The Rope and Help.

Comedown Machine
by The Strokes

Completely different from their first four albums, American indie-rock band, The Strokes returns with a new sound on their fifth record. Comedown Machine is energetic, fun and has a diverse tone to it. This album is sure to keep one in a jolly mood and is a perfect pick me up!

Peace of Mind

by Boh Runga

Singer, songwriter and Kiwi fashion icon, Boh Runga recently visited Malaysia and spoke exclusively to Marie Claire about music and her new album collaboration with Anika Moa and Hollie Smith.

What fi rst inspired you to write music and to release an album?

It was a blend of being in Los Angeles and being homesick. Embracing a new city, soaking up the sun, enjoying dual life was inspirational.

What do you listen to – any old time favourites and/or current favourites?

I listen to a varied range of music. My all time favourites would be The Tricks and The Cult. In today’s music scene, I really like Lana Del Rey. I love how sad it sounds. The mishaps and tragedy in her songs are just so addictive.

Tell us more about your recent album Peace Of Mind –

It’s a collaboration project with two of my friends, two New Zealand singers – Anika Moa and Hollie Smith. It is an album by a trio of girls that is crafted with melodies, superb harmonies and powerful vocals. Anika plays the acoustic guitar and I’m on percussion while Hollie plays the electric guitar, piano as well as percussion. All three of us sing on the tracks of this album.

Did you write all the songs in the album?

The three of us wrote them together. The album consists of fourteen tracks including two bonus tracks.

My Head Is An Animal

by Of Monsters and Men

Six-piece Icelandic indie folk band Of Monsters and Men’s debut album My Head Is an Animal is set to pick up where Sigur Rós left off with this album of twelve tracks possessing whimsical titles like King and Lionheart. Hipsters are already clued in.

Love Songs

by Destiny’s Child

Ladies, can you handle this? Destiny’s Child has reunited after eight years (!) to release their latest compilation album, a prelude to their anticipated new release. The album consists of time-tested favourites except for one new song, Nuclear, the trio’s first recording in eight years.

Music From Another Dimemsion!

by Aerosmith

They’ve been making records, touring and performing since the 70s. one of the last actively touring Rock n’ Roll legends, Aerosmith returns with Music From Another Dimension! The album is everything one would expect from the bad boys from Boston and it’s packed with the sort of unadulterated rock that harks back to the band’s glory years. Our personal favourites are Street Jesus, Lover Alot and We All Fall Down.

Ellie Goulding

Storming the charts with her debut single Lights, Ellie Goulding is the new need-to-know in the pop scene. The multi-talented singer-songwriter also plays the guitar, piano and bass−talents she had a chance to showcase at Buckingham Palace when she was invited to perform at the Royal Wedding in 2011. Her debut album, Lights was a huge success, debuting at number one on the UK album charts. Now back with her second album, Halcyon, which quickly opened at number two, Ellie, is fast gaining fans from all over the world. Despite her accomplishments, the singer still has a quirky charm about her. Nevertheless, Ellie delivers impressive tracks with Halcyon. The lead single Anything Could Happen is an upbeat addictive tune while the ballad I Know You Care is lyrically powerful, backed with a simple choir and piano on the background. Great things lie in store for this upstart. Anything could happen, indeed.

IUNO!

Green Day

Punk rock American band Green Day releases the first of a trilogy as part of their ninth studio project. Front man Billie Joe Armstrong delivers the classic sounds of Green Day with decidedly more optimism, taking life as inspiration and perfectly encapsulating the concept of YOLO. You only live once, as the band espouses.

THE 2ND LAW

Muse

British trio Muse is back with their sixth instalment. Introducing new sounds to their already varied repertoire from funk to dubstep, The 2nd Law is nothing if not versatile and energetic. We especially enjoyed Supremacy, Madness and The 2nd Law: Unsustainable.

THE ABBEY ROAD SESSIONS

Kylie Minogue

Fall in love with Kylie Minogue all over again as she celebrates her career’s milestones with this album marking her 25th year in the industry. Keeping things fresh by re-working some of her best hits, sixteen favourites were recorded at the famous London studio with a full orchestra. The
Abbey Road Sessions proves Kylie is still a consummate performer. Fans will lap this up!

Yannick Bovy

“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing” is the motto he lives by. Young and talented, this Belgian singer has been aptly compared to Michael Bublé. At 25, Yannick has a voice that will charm you, and clearly feeling completely at home, it was provident that he was introduced to swing music at a very young age as his grandparents loved listening to Frank Sinatra and Lou Rawls. At age 17, he took part in TV talent search the X-Factor but was quickly eliminated. That didn’t stop him from chasing after his musical dream. Coming a long way since the X-Factor, his debut album Better Man sees a mix of timeless classic including covers of ‘All My Loving’ and ‘Under My Skin’. Better Man holds a total of fifteen tracks including four bonus tracks. If you enjoy swing music, then this is the album for you.

COME OF AGE

The Vaccines

Indie band The Vaccines are back with their second album Come of Age. A deeper sense of maturity can be felt in their song lyrics. Taking on a harder rock feel this time, ‘Teenage Icon’ and ‘Lonely World’ are personal favourites.

GOSSAMER

Passion Pit

American electro pop band Passion Pit was first formed in 2007. With front man Michael Angelakos struggling with bipolar disorder, he still manages to deliver twelve gobsmacking tracks for their album Gossamer where standout tracks are ‘Take A Walk’, ‘On My Way’ and ‘Carried Away’.

HELLO

Karmin

If you think Karmin is a one-woman music entity, then you are not alone. Many have mistaken Karmin for a solo artist, when in fact, Karmin is made up of engaged couple Amy Heidemann and Nick Louis Noonan. This American pop duo is best known, for their single ‘Brokenhearted’ and their debut album Hello is highly addictive as it features seven catchy tracks.

Jessie Ware

Jessie Ware used to be a guest vocalist for London dubstep kings SBTRKT and Joker, before she released her debut album. Having come from a dubstep-tinged background, Jessie has definitely infused some very mild dubstep tints into her tracks. She adds drums and bass with a little bit of electro to her sophisticated smooth sounds and delivers eleven impressive tracks with her album Devotion. With such an incredible voice, Jessie has been compared to powerhouses such as Adele, Sade and Whitney Houston. However, in Devotion, you can hear Jessie refrain from blasting her notes and the results of it turn out to be very moving. Her songs hold meaningful lyrics and she displays perfect control of her voice in each track. Devotion gives out a warm, heartfelt feel that slowly grows onto you. Shy and humble, Jessie Ware has got a bright future in the music industry in front of her. Some favourites from the album include ‘Wildest Moments’, ‘Running’ and ‘Night Light’.

Dance Again The Hits

Jennifer Lopez

Ladies and gentlemen, be prepared to put on your dancing shoes as Jenny from the Block is back! Not only is she touring and making a stop in Malaysia this December, she has also released an album with a compilation of all her best dance hits. With tracks remixed and featuring Pitbull, Lil Wayne and Flo Rida, it is impossible to resist dancing along to this album.

Enjoy It While It Last

Spector

The fan base of indie music has definitely increased since Spector’s concert here in Malaysia back in October. Taking indie music back to how it originally was, Spector releases their debut album Enjoy While It Last which consists of twelve tracks. With ‘True Love (For Now)’ as the opening to the album, there is a care free feeling to his songs that never seem trite or tired.

Fortune

Chris Brown

In spite of the drama of Chris Brown’s abusive relationship with Rihanna to his tattooing the image of a beaten girl on his neck to rumours of them getting back together, Chris Brown’s latest album Fortune is surprisingly brilliant. Infused with upbeat techno tunes, Fortune delivers classic Chris Brown tunes with a twist that will keep you feeling pumped and energetic.

Alexandra Burke

Best known for her interpretation of Hallelujah, this British recording artist and songwriter was exposed to music at an early age. She shot to stardom after winning the fifth series of British television series, The X Factor in 2008. After the success of her debut album Overcome, her big and strong voice continues to soar effortlessly in her second album. Heartbreak On Hold holds a different feel as compared to her first album. It gives out a light upbeat feel that is mixed with a hint of rave-style synths. Our favourites are Let It Go, Oh La La and What Money Can’t Buy.

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