The recording process began in mid-2009 when Johnson revealed on her website that she was dropped from Epic Records, and that the album she recorded and planned to release with them, was now shelved due to contractual complications. Some tracks were written as far back as 2005 with intent to be released through the album she planned with Capitol-EMI, but that deal shortly ended as the executives who signed Johnson to the label had been released from their contracts....
In seemingly random order, GOLD contains fourteen of Abba’s twenty American hits (the remainder are on MORE ABBA GOLD); which is to say, it contains fourteen of the most delectable pop productions of the ’70s and early ’80s. “Dancing Queen,” “Waterloo,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You” and the other landmarks of upbeat melancholy are complex concoctions–all layered harmonies and brilliant keyboard arrangements. These songs don’t easily fit into any pop timeline, which may be why Abba received much of their acclaim long after breaking up. What may have seemed like Euro-pop fluff in its day, has been revealed by time to be truly classic studio pop....
On paper, Gabriella Cilmi is quite the force to be reckoned with. She’s won six ARIA Awards in her native Australia and performed on the main stage at Glastonbury. But despite this, she’s known for little more than one runaway single and several ad soundtracks. Whether second album Ten will redress the balance remains to be seen, but it certainly comes with a very clear message....
Al Bano and Romina Power were an Italian pop music duo formed by then-married couple Albano Carrisi and Romina Power, daughter of American actor Tyrone Power. They are best known for their songs Felicità, Sempre sempre and Nostalgia Canaglia. The two separated in 1999, citing personal differences. ...
With over 27 million albums sold, Usher is back with his 7th album Raymond v Raymond. Following the success of his platinum selling 2008 release Here I Stand, Raymond v Raymond takes you on a journey through the dichotomy of man....
The UK pop/soul act Simply Red maintained a fairly low profile in the United States during the first few years of the 21st century, but that changed with the 2005 release of SIMPLIFIED. Issued on the Verve Forecast imprint, the album presents vocalist Mick Hucknall and company easing into new arrangements of their most well-known songs, including “Holding Back the Years,” which gets a gentle, flamenco-inflected rendition. Hucknall’s distinctive voice is in fine form here, and though the red-haired frontman unveils a more subdued approach on some tunes, he showcases his passionate singing on a number of tracks, most notably the previously unreleased single “Perfect Love,” which coasts along on Cuban-influenced rhythms and a celebratory Santana-like vibe....
For Madonna, pop music is the canvas of her greatest aspiration. While some critics might be ready to write her off, BEDTIME STORIES reasserts Madonna’s claim to the R&B/dance floor turf she ceded to others as her own productions became elaborately self-conscious. And where performers like R. Kelly filled the breach with risque, sexually explicit fare, BEDTIME STORIES marks Madonna’s return to a more stylized, elegant form of R&B....
El Madmo 
Ella Fitzgerald
Amanda Jenssen
Adriano Celentano
Say. Say. Say.
