The Weeknd's career deserved a best of. Shortly after the release and the worldwide success of After Hours in 2020, and without a doubt one of his best projects, The Highlights is a synthesis of ten years of music, ten years spent defining modern pop. So, let's say it right away, there are no surprises here in terms of the track list. We find The Weeknd's hits, including the latest phenomenon, Blinding Lights, but also I Feel it Coming , a duet with Daft Punk, or The Hills, which truly transformed him into a global pop star in 2016. With no new material, this Greatest Hits allows you to retrace the Canadian's discography, but also to make some detours through projects other than his albums, in particular thanks to Earned It from the soundtrack to the film 50 Shades of Grey, to Pray For Me from Black Panther, or Love Me Harder, featuring Ariana Grande and released on the album My Everything by the latter in 2014. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz

Sold by Westside Gunn as his last (recording classified as an) album and the sequel to the leaner and meaner Pray for Paris, And Then You Pray for Me is a 75-minute feast, uneven and sometimes overly familiar if still satisfying. The LP alternates between boom-bap and trap productions, and operates at its highest level when both styles are stripped down to their essence, as on "Mamas PrimeTime" (with Conway the Machine, JID, and Cartier A Williams) and "Jalen Rose" (featuring Boldy James). And then there's "Kitchen Lights," a DJ Benoit production without a beat -- just strings, piano, and an unobtrusive bassline -- which creates a grave sense of tension under Gunn's and Stove God Cooks' standard rhymes mixing images of poverty, hustling, and material wealth.© TiVo Staff /TiVo

Referring to In the Lonely Hour as a massive success would not be hyperbolic. Each one of its four singles reached the Top Ten in Sam Smith's native U.K. As the album racked up multi-platinum certifications, Smith collected four Grammys. The momentum continued with "Writing's on the Wall," the first James Bond theme to top the U.K. chart and subsequently an Oscar winner. Smith's 2017 follow-up arrived a little over three years after the debut. It refines the M.O. of "Stay with Me" and "I'm Not the Only One," as it's stacked from floor to ceiling with ballads, and informed by vintage Southern soul and gospel, all distinguished with Smith's fraught, lump-in-throat outpourings. It wouldn't be a shock to learn that the singer finished each performance by either crawling back to bed or collapsing in the vocal booth. For that, The Thrill of It All -- an album that begins with "You must think that I'm stupid" and lifts in mood rarely and only slightly at that -- is an odd title. ("The Thrill of It All" itself doesn't appear on the album's standard edition, and is another griever, all remorseful pain, no pleasure.) Like "Stay with Me" and "I'm Not the Only One," these songs feature co-production from Jimmy Napes and Steve Fitzmaurice, who typically work in tandem, and in a few instances are assisted by the Dap-Kings Horns and several background vocalists who mitigate the misery. On "Baby, You Make Me Crazy," the horn section helps lend a rare moment of uplift, where Smith delights in thinking of listening to their favorite music to drown out the sorrow. The connections to the South extend to highlight "No Peace," a duet with Arkansas native and poised powerhouse Yebba Smith. More importantly, there's "Him," a moment of admission and proud defiance: "I walk the streets of Mississippi/I hold my lover by the hand/I feel you staring when he is with me." Additional songwriters and producers, including but not limited to Timbaland, Stargate, Emile Haynie, and Malay, contribute to one or two songs each, but this album maintains a consistency and intensity that places it slightly above the debut.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

Given Alison Krauss' tremendous popularity and her status as the first female bluegrass singer to cross over into genuine pop marketability, and given the fact that her guitarist, Dan Tyminski, is the voice behind "Man of Constant Sorrow" (or at least the version that served as an idée fixe in the blockbuster movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?), a live album was inevitable. That it should be a two-disc set can simply be chalked up to good luck. Unless you're a bluegrass purist, that is, looking for music that preserves the traditional Appalachian sounds of Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe. Listeners of that mindset will be bitterly disappointed by the presence of modern singer/songwriter fare ("Lucky One," "Let Me Touch You for a While"), by the drums on "Oh, Atlanta," and, most of all, by those dreadful call-and-response vocals on the chorus of "Man of Constant Sorrow" (which, you can hear them sniff, Tyminski takes at about twice the appropriate speed). All of this would explain why bluegrass purists are no fun to be around and, one suspects, don't have very much fun in private either. The simple fact is that every time Krauss opens her mouth to sing, angels stop what they're doing and take notes. There may be no musical pleasure quite as pure and sweet as listening to Krauss sing "Baby, Now That I've Found You" or "When You Say Nothing at All." And when she starts in on the impossibly beautiful gospel tune "Down to the River to Pray," the effect is almost disturbingly moving. Which brings listeners to the problem with this album, which is the amount of time it spends on stuff other than Alison Krauss singing great songs. The instrumental bits, the Jerry Douglas showcases, and Tyminski's requisite rendition of "Man of Constant Sorrow" are all fine, but they end up feeling like filler. Still, this album can be solidly recommended to modern bluegrass fans in general and to Krauss' many fans in particular. © Rick Anderson /TiVo

For his fourth album, Pusha T (undoubtedly one of the most talented rappers of his generation) has surrounded himself with two major producers: Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. How’s anyone meant to contain their excitement? It’s Almost Dry is a tender but lucid look at the Virginian rapper’s past. Pusha T often talks about his past as a dealer, unabashedly admitting on Let the Smokers Shine the Coupes: “The dope game destroyed my youth.” From the outset, Brambleton (produced by Pharell Williams) establishes a dark atmosphere. It’s fascinating how the musical styles of these huge names merge together to become one cohesive sound. You can hear Kanye’s sound on Just So You Remember (with Colonel Bagshot’s famous sample, which was used by DJ Shadow on the track Six Days two decades ago), which is in line with the stripped down, minimalist production he’s been developing across his last 3 albums. Meanwhile, Pharrell gives his signature sound to the very synthetic Call My Bluff. The unity between the two is striking. The album was announced by the release of the incredible single Diet Coke, which is nestled in the middle of a very modern tracklist (despite the influence from 2000s hip-hop). Once again, Pusha T packs a punch and consolidates his position as one of the most consistent names in American rap. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz

The combination of Phil Anselmo and Pepper Keenan should be enough to cause heavy metal fans to drool, but with a full cast made up of members of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, and Eyehategod, Down is truly a supergroup, and performs as such. Make no mistake, though, the music inevitably comes back to Anselmo and Keenan. NOLA (an acronym for New Orleans, Louisiana) takes the two superstars' writing talents and distinctive sounds and focuses them in a feast of Cajun-style heavy metal. Like much of Pantera's music, NOLA is lyrically enigmatic and frequently celebrates the use of controlled substances. Glorification of cannabis aside, the album's true focus is inner melancholy and atonement for earlier sins. Keenan's own brand of crunching axework -- the kind that typifies his work with Corrosion of Conformity -- compliments Anselmo's genuinely sorrowful vocals, and the two propel the album to its logical conclusion without the flashy solos or other excesses that often accompany their separate works. The two also combine in a unique way on "Pray for the Locust," an instrumental that was written by Anselmo but consists simply of Keenan on the guitar. From the highly layered "Stone the Crow," the group's only major radio hit, to the ponderous, introspective "Bury Me in Smoke," the members of Down display their abilities to play quality rock & roll outside the comfort of their individual bands. In terms of consistency and sheer rock power, NOLA surpasses all but the very best of the featured artists' other works, and can proudly be embraced in any of the associated bands' catalogs. This is a landmark album that combines the talents of dedicated rock musicians, and should be included in any collection of heavy metal music.© David Reamer /TiVo

The third studio long-player from the shape-shifting Las Vegas-based post-hardcore/pop-punk/glam metal unit, the Epitaph-issued Just Like You finds the band doubling down on the metalcore aspect of its sound, as well as parting ways with bass player Ron Ficarro and bringing in Escape the Fate bassist Max Green to fill the vacancy. Heavier and more screamo-oriented than 2013's rap and hip-hop-influenced Fashionably Late, the 12-track set was preceded by the singles "God, If You Are Above...," "Guillotine IV (The Final Chapter)," "Stay Away," and "Sexy Drug."© James Christopher Monger /TiVo

Westside Gunn followed his solo Hitler Wears Hermes 7 and Griselda's WWCD after only a few months with Pray for Paris. The drug trade and art and fashion worlds bleed together as ever on this highly concentrated and deliberately pieced-together set, which features verses from Griselda partners Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher, and inspirational peers such as Roc Marciano and Freddie Gibbs. DJ Premier, DJ Muggs, and the Alchemist, along with Daringer, Beat Butcha and Camoflauge Munk, are among the producers. © TiVo

Since 2015, Brockhampton has shaken the world of rap a little like the Californians of Odd Future had done a few years ago. With their fifth “real” album, this prolific Texan group based in Los Angeles and led by Kevin Abstract have retained their fun, wacky style and their kaleidoscopic, funky take on modern hip hop and R&B. Once again, it is impossible to not be reminded of Outkast throughout Ginger. Abstract recognizes the influence of the cult tandem made up of André 3000 and Big Boi and here Brockhampton have concocted an orgy of sounds, beats and punchlines (often humorous), an alliance of underground R&B and minimalist rap that moves at leisure into gospel, dancehall, rock, pop and electro. An extremely addictive concoction. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

Mariah Carey’s eponymous debut album Mariah Carey (June 1990) wasn’t an instant hit. It took almost six months and a Grammy performance the following year for the world to come face to face with the Mariah Carey phenomenon and for her record to go to number 1. Since then she’s sold the most albums of the 90s, become a global star and produced fifteen studio albums. To celebrate thirty years of success, the pop diva has brought out an autobiography and this compilation album – The Rarities. The first track-list is made up of unreleased tracks, remixes and B sides which were never released to the public. Some songs, like Here We Go Around Again (1990) and I Pray (2005), weren’t included in the singer’s biggest albums for reasons that remain unknown. The most interesting thing about this compilation album is the glimpse it offers into the huge amount of material produced during her golden years. Songs like the synth-filled B side Do You Think Of Me (1993) and the RnB-esque Slipping Away (1996) sit alongside covers of previously released tracks. Close My Eyes, from the 1997 album Butterfly, allows you to see how the singer’s voice has changed over time as does the album’s single – Save The Day, featuring Lauryn Hill – which was recorded in 2011. The second part of The Rarities is a live performance recorded at the Tokyo Dome in 1996. And it’s a masterpiece. This release is not the sensationalist box set one might have expected. It is a real work of art that gives a fresh perspective on one of pop’s most important singers. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz

Rebel Heart was introduced to the world with an indiscipline uncharacteristic of Madonna. Blame it on hackers who rushed out a clutch of unfinished tracks at the end of 2014, a few months before the record's scheduled spring release. Madonna countered by putting six full tracks up on a digital service, a move that likely inflated the final Deluxe Edition of Rebel Heart up to a whopping 19 tracks weighing in at 75 minutes, but even that unveiling wasn't performed without a hitch: during an ornate performance of "Living for Love," she stumbled on-stage at the BRIT Awards. Such cracks in Madge's armor happily play into the humanity coursing through Rebel Heart (maybe the hiccups were intentional after all?), a record that ultimately benefits from its daunting mess. All the extra space allows ample room for detours, letting Madonna indulge in both Erotica-era taboo-busting sleaze ("Holy Water") and feather-light pop ("Body Shop"). Although she takes a lingering look back at the past on "Veni Vidi Vici" -- her cataloging of past hits walks right on the edge of camp, kept away from the danger zone by a cameo from Nas -- Rebel Heart, like any Madonna album, looks forward. Opener "Living for Love" announces as much, as its classic disco is soon exploded into a decibel-shattering EDM pulse coming courtesy of co-producer Diplo. Madonna brings him back a few more times -- the pairing of the reggae-bouncing "Unapologetic Bitch" and Nicki Minaj showcase "Bitch I'm Madonna," their titles suggesting vulgarity, their execution flinty and knowing -- but she cleverly balances these clubby bangers with "Devil Pray," an expert evocation of her folktronica Y2K co-produced by Avicii, and "Illuminati," a sleek, spooky collaboration with Kanye West. These are the anchors of the album, grounding the record when Madonna wanders into slow-churning meditation, unabashed revivals of her '90s adult contemporary mode, casual confession ("I spent sometime as a narcissist"), and defiant celebrations of questionable taste. Undoubtedly, some of this flair would've been excised if the record was a manageable length, but the blessing of the unwieldiness is that it does indeed represent a loosening of Madonna's legendary need for control. Certainly, the ambition remains, along with the hunger to remain on the bleeding edge, but she's allowing her past to mingle with her present, allowing her to seem human yet somewhat grander at the same time.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Punk veterans Bad Religion don't rely on bankrupt laurels, nostalgia, or a facade of long-expired cool. LP after LP, they just set vicious hooks, a blitzkrieg attack, and potent lyrics to soaring singer Greg Graffin's piledriving passion. It's easy to take them for granted, to view Recipe as just another red-hot LP (ho hum) by the last and best band to survive the '80s L.A. punk explosion. And on first listen, it's tarnished by their previous mild malaise: everything sounds alike, and some exit the boat here too quickly. But then the beautiful sonic smack starts to sink in, and the luxurious melodies introduce erudite parables. Their hometown's riots inspired the gut responses of "Recipe for Hate" and "Don't Pray On Me" ("everybody's equal, just don't measure it"), but they think too clearly to grandstand. Rather, from the epic, anti-military sneer of "All Good Soldiers" to the introspective nausea of "Struck a Nerve" and "Looking In" ("our evolution is our demise"), Bad Religion issue more warnings about our unquestioned ways than Rachel Carson or Michael Crichton could shake a stick at. Warning who? Die-hard punks remain their core audience, but with the co-optation of that carcass into mainstream nirvana, this band is ambushing the slackers. Accordingly, they ripened out of the rapid-fire detonations of 1988's Suffer, 1989's No Control, and 1990's Against the Grain into 1992's more methodical Generator. Recipe's saner speeds and better variety should further inveigle any upstanding gormandizer of killer tunes and dive-bomb chord changes. And in any real taste test, Bad Religion is the alternative to alternative. Smug, silly, ironic '70s retro bands feign danger and detachment, but this band's urgency, lyrical contentiousness, and wicked crunch crush that au courant crap flat.© Jack Rabid /TiVo