Within half a decade from their debut, K-pop quartet Blackpink crashed the international mainstream, topping charts around the world and breaking records along the way with their bombastic singles, EPs, and live albums. Two years after issuing their Japanese debut, they finally released their first Korean-language effort, The Album. Effortlessly blending both Korean and English, the group delivered a short-but-sweet set of empowering anthems, led by the characteristically thundering banger "How You Like That." Overflowing with confidence, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa conquer each track on The Album with their vocal ability (both singing and rapping) and effortless charm, switching up styles to offer something for every type of fan. They bare their teeth on the glitter-trap "Pretty Savage," a collective middle finger to the haters, just as well as they take a stand for self-worth on the delightful kiss-off "Love to Hate Me." On "Crazy Over You," they long for romance over sexy, slinky production, before flipping the script on the gloriously rousing "Lovesick Girls." Following collaborations with Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga, Blackpink further bridge the East-West gap by recruiting Selena Gomez for the playful pop gem "Ice Cream" and Cardi B for the enticing "Bet You Wanna," two surefire moments designed to increase their global reach. Beyond the upbeat and energetic fare, the group close The Album with the inspirational "You Never Know," adding heart and vulnerability to their range. While it would be nice if The Album had a few more songs, there's enough variety to keep fans sated, excited, and empowered until the next big release. © Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

Acoustic Album N°8 is an album of acoustic covers of Katie Melua's 2020 album, Album N°8. Moving from a luxurious orchestration to a single instrument is not a problem for the Georgia-born Briton, who is as comfortable with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra as she is alone with her guitar. The breadth of the symphony orchestra's strings form a kind of counterpoint to the often intimate and autobiographical character of the songs' lyrics. Here, everything flows: the simple and natural beauty of the acoustic guitar (sometimes enhanced by keyboards played by Mark Edwards) fits perfectly not only with the lyrics, but also with Melua's personality and her incomparably pure voice. The listener will be able to curl up to songs that evoke the end of a love affair (A Love Like That, Airtime) or Katie Melua's father's journey to the Caucasus (Leaving the Mountain). There is also a track co-written with Katie's brother Zurab (Maybe I Dreamt It). This tribute to choreographer Pina Bausch is accompanied here by the sober and sensitive contribution of the violinist Simon Goff. The latter also features in Remind Me To Forget. A pure and peaceful album, with the feel of an intimate concert. © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz

At 36 years old, the queen of the romantic, sophisticated ballad has released her 8th album, simply named Album no.8. While the title is minimal, the means in which the work was produced are far from it. Here, Katie Melua is joined by the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra. The collaboration is rather apt considering the British singer’s Georgian origins. The strings serve as a luxurious backdrop to these often-autobiographical songs which cover subjects from the end of a loving relationship (A Love Like That, Airtime), to a journey she took with her father in the Caucasus mountains (Leaving the Mountain). The orchestra is present on each of the tracks but by no means does it squander the delicacy of the songs. Especially when some soloists (sax, piano, guitar…) or even a funky and jazzy rhythmic section occasionally drop in to lighten up the proceedings (Voices in the night). Producer Leo Abrahams did the arrangements on the album which sometimes evoke the finesse of Nick Drake or the contemplative emotion of John Barry. We also find an homage to the choreographer Pina Buasch, cowritten with Zurab, Katie’s brother (Maybe I Dreamt It), a tender evocation of the singer’s childhood (Heading Home), and also the very seductive English Manner, the portrait of a love triangle, unveiling a more colourful aspect to Katie Melua’s art. © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz

The boys from Leeds finally figure out how to balance the vibes of their anthemic, pub-friendly early-era fare with their pop-polished late-2010s material on the fun, summer-ready Kaiser Chiefs' Easy Eighth Album. Every track is custom-designed to inspire a good time, whether that's the soundtrack to a bit of love (or lust) or a full-on dance party. The glam-funk "Feeling Alright" struts like Bowie, while the pulsing disco-rock "How 2 Dance" benefits from Nile Rodgers' decades of dancefloor-filling expertise. The yearning "Burning in Flames" takes a similar approach, cutting sparkling production with dramatic strings and another juicy bassline. Meanwhile, the surprisingly sweet "Beautiful Girl" blends the energetic indie rock jangle of their debut era with an arena-sized chorus that showcases how far Ricky Wilson's voice has developed in two decades, just as the quirky slink of "Sentimental Love Songs" flips sweet to saucy, turning "Super Freak" into an indie sleaze standout. Dipping back into the working-class malaise that defines many of their best tunes, "The Job Centre Shuffle" (featuring Hak Baker) injects an aggressive, churning chorus into the mix to remind listeners that the Kaisers can still get gritty and bare their teeth. Likewise, the glam-rock stomp of "Reasons to Stay Alive" employs that familiar Gary Glitter riff to maximum effect. Of all their post-aughts output, Easy Eighth has the best chance of re-engaging fans that might have been lost when the group evolved their sound in the mid-2010s (obvious plea "The Lads" is evidence enough that the band are more self-aware than they seem). Think of it as another Off with Their Heads, if that happens to be your cuppa. While Kaiser Chiefs aren't starting many riots these days, these shiny tunes will keep the body bouncing and the spirits high.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

One underrated highlight of the classic 1984 science-fiction film The Terminator was the marvelous synthesizer score by Brad Fiedel. Side one of The Terminator is comprised of six compositions by Fiedel, who once served as a keyboardist for Hall & Oates briefly in the mid-1970s. "The Terminator Theme" is a spectacular piece of haunting synthesizer music; each layer is perfectly effective, especially the deceptively simple melody line. "Tunnel Chase" is bombastically chilling while "Love Scene" is a soft, mournful piano-based version of the main theme; its bittersweet feel corresponds nicely to the pivotal scene that it supports. Fiedel's synthesizer work on "Factory Chase" is full of glassy squeals and scary bursts, and Ross Levinson adds touches of electric violin. Side two consists of generic, mid-'80s synthesizer-based, dance-oriented pop/rock, but that makes sense since most of these songs were used in club scenes in the film. Tahnee Cain and Tryanglz contribute three songs (Cain, aka Tane Cain, was married to keyboardist Jonathan Cain of the Babys and Journey); all three have typical hard-rock rhythm guitar and flashy solos, but the best one is "Burnin' in the Third Degree." The Jay Ferguson and 16mm cut "Pictures of You" is really only notable because the emphasis on quirky synthesizers is so different from Ferguson's solo rock hits "Thunder Island" and "Shakedown Cruise." The hyperactive Linn Van Hek song "Intimacy" is a mixture of latter-day new wave and primitive, early techno. .© Bret Adams /TiVo

This is history in the making. Queen B surprised us with the release of a live album taken from her two dazzling concerts at Coachella in 2018, chronicled by a Netflix documentary. B performs a retrospective, revisiting 40 tracks from her 22-year career. There are no new songs here, but there is a studio cover with Tay Keith of Before I Let Go, the Frankie Beverly and Maze 1981 soul track. Other Destiny’s Child members Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland make bonus appearances on Lose My Breath, Say My Name and Soldier, husband Jay-Z on Déjà Vu, sister Solange on Get Me Bodied, and her daughter sings Afro-American anthem Sing and Lift Every Voice. This performance effectively explains why it was nicknamed ‘Beychella’, as this makes its mark on the festival’s history. And that was the goal, with 200 people on stage, colossal high-budget visual spectacle in this immense two-hour performance highlighting afro-feminist empowerment; Beyoncé has earnt her throne. “When I decided to do Coachella, instead of me pulling out my flower crown, it was more important that I brought our culture to Coachella.” To the sound of the second lines of a New Orleans brass band, a revamped drumline, Malcolm X on Don’t Hurt Yourself and amidst multiple references to African-American history, the queen of pop inhabiting the Queen Nefertiti reminds us of the importance of her discography in the 3rd millennium. © Charlotte Saintoin/Qobuz

Diamond Head's first album -- aka the 'White Album," Lightning to the Nations, or simply "Diamond Head" -- is somewhat like the Ark of the Covenant of heavy metal. By unlocking its New Wave of British Heavy Metal secrets, one will discover most all the connecting points between the genre's '70s originators and the ensuing '80s hordes -- arguably even more so than via Iron Maiden. And, like Maiden's brilliantly roughshod eponymous debut of 1980, Diamond Head's masterpiece was anything but a marvel of recording technology, but rather a living, breathing, electrifying studio performance financed by the band itself on a shoestring budget. It was then sent to sympathetic music journalists around the U.K. for appraisal in a mysteriously nondescript, white cardboard sleeve (hence the confusion over its true title). As has been famously recounted numerous times, one of these landed on the desk of Sounds heavy metal editor and N.W.O.B.H.M. champion Geoff Barton, who famously quipped with typical British hyperbole that any one of Diamond Head's songs featured as many great riffs as the first four Black Sabbath albums. All journalistic overstatements aside, however, the seven tracks contained within truly were imbued with an astonishing, almost magical synthesis of variety, creativity, and maturity -- especially coming from four lads who were barely out of high school. But despite their inexperience, guitar prodigy Brian Tatler, singer Sean Harris (whose primary influences included Robert Plant and Freddie Mercury, bassist Colin Kimberley, and drummer Duncan Scott miraculously managed to mesh the primal power of Sabbath with the epic grandeur (and class) of Led Zeppelin, countered by the punchy, no-fuss songwriting economy of Judas Priest, when they so wished. The latter certainly dictates the insistently bruising, riffing simplicity of "It's Electric" (one of several cuts later covered by Metallica), the big-chorused, would-be single, "Sweet and Innocent," and to a lesser degree, the remarkably anthemic, drama-filled "Lightning to the Nations," which, by coming first on the vinyl's Side A, often gave its name to the album as a whole. Meanwhile, twin, speed-addled juggernauts "The Prince" (featuring rare accompanying organs) and "Helpless" displayed Diamond Head's connections to (and influence upon) the new world metal order about to be imposed by thrash, while simultaneously transcending Motörhead's unquestionable but Spartan influence with their multitude of riff and time changes. And curiously, the compositional apex of Diamond Head's ambitions were realized through both the most iconic and, somewhat understandably, derided songs contained here. The first being a nine-and-a-half-minute ode to fellatio named "Sucking My Love," which, for all its lyrical embarrassments, delivers an instrumental master class of tension-and-release dynamics, and is arguably as bluesy as Diamond Head ever got. And the second being the timeless "Am I Evil?" which, despite borrowing its marching introduction from Gustav Holst's "Mars, The Bringer of War" to preface what ultimately amounts to a rather silly witch-hunting tale, still stands as one of heavy metal's single greatest triumphs. Composed of several distinct passages, all of which have since become ingrained in the genre's very DNA, its constantly changing tempos and ever-imaginative riffs are a wonder to behold, and finally culminate in Tatler's classically steeped, minute-long guitar solo, performed over shifting riffs in a fashion often copied (see Metallica's "Fight Fire with Fire") but never quite duplicated. Also worth nothing is that even at their most progressive, none of the above ever cross over into art rock indulgence -- probably because the vitality of their all-too-human imperfections and sheer aggression that drives their execution could have only been accomplished by young men possessed by the exhilarating spirit of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, a spirit that Lightning to the Nations has epitomized better than all but a handful of unconditional classics ever since.© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo

After three consecutive Top Five Pop albums in 1970 alone, it was somewhat of a no-brainer that Motown would want to include a holiday long-player to that list. The Jackson 5's Christmas Album (1970) combines classic favorites as well as a handful of compositions penned by the Corporation. This all-star team of Motown staffers and musicians boasted composer Bobby Taylor, Deke Richards (guitar), Freddie Perren (keyboard), Fonce Mizell (keyboards), and label co-founder Berry Gordy. As they had done for each of the Jackson 5's previous platters, they carefully crafted and significantly modernized familiar seasonal selections. Leading off the effort is an unusual (for a pop act, anyway) two-part interpretation of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," commencing with a fairly rote reading before kicking into high gear during a fittingly R&B-inspired coda. They follow with an undeniably soulful update of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" and the fun and funky "Up on the Rooftop," which also adds instrumental elements of their hit "The Love You Save" with a few bars of "Here Comes Santa Claus" likewise worked into the mix. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is another standard that has been infused with a fresh spirit, once again yielding a well-chosen and adeptly executed revision. Although not as drastically overhauled, "Frosty the Snowman" and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" are none the less thoroughly enjoyable. In terms of originals, the lovely "Give Love at Christmas" informed covers by fellow Motown staples the Temptations -- who used the tune as the title track for their 1980 Christmas entry -- Johnny Gill, and even a reggae version by the Tamlins. The Jacksons similarly shared the brisk and upbeat "Someday at Christmas" with the Temptations and Stevie Wonder, as well as Diana Ross, whose take is one of the highlights of her Very Special Season (1998) outing.© Lindsay Planer /TiVo

Many groups lose the steam that propelled them to the top; Earth, Wind & Fire, contemporary sound and all, were still blazing when this album was released. "Fall in Love With Me" was the first single. With its festive rhythm and sauntering vocals, it became a number four hit on the Billboard R&B charts and a number 17 pop hit. The percolating single "Side by Side" was the second release. The precise horns, sensuous female backing vocals, and Maurice White's animated vocals make this an entertaining piece. Though it should have fared better, it settled in at number 15 on the R&B charts. The final release was "Spread Your Love." The sonically aggressive special effects are contrasted with a soothing chanting chorus. The single peaked at 57. All three of the above feature Maurice White on lead. Throughout the entire album, White's unifying message is fueled by the aggressive rhythms and relaxing melodies.© Craig Lytle /TiVo

A year after the release of their previous chart-topper, K-pop crew NCT 127 released their fifth Korean-language album, Fact Check. There are few surprises here, just more of what they do best: hard-hitting dance anthems to get the heat rising (the booming "Fact Check" and stomping "Parade" are highlights), sweet moments that highlight their vocal prowess ("Misty" and "Real Life"), and straightforward rap for good measure ("Je Ne Sais Quoi"). At a tight nine tracks, it's also one of the group's shorter LPs, making an ideal experience that doesn't overwhelm.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

No living composer is more closely associated with the Christmas season than John Rutter, whose piece Shepherd's Pipe Carol, first placed him on the map of Yule some 35 or so Christmases ago. Rutter is the primary artistic force behind Collegium Records, which in 2002 made a trip to the vaults and culled together The John Rutter Christmas Album. It is the eighth collection of Christmas music with Rutter issued by Collegium, and before you cry "Noël oversaturation!" it is good to know three things about it. Firstly, it is mostly compiled from the Collegium Christmas Day in the Morning and Christmas with the Cambridge Singers, both titles that are no longer available on CD. Secondly, The John Rutter Christmas Album consists entirely of Rutter's own Yuletide-centric original compositions and arrangements. Finally, there are two brand new recordings on this CD. Stand out tracks here are Wexford Carol, Nativity Carol, What Sweeter Music, and the newly recorded selections Dormi Jesu and Love Came Down at Christmas. One is a little surprised that Collegium did not take advantage of the occasion to re-record some selections that didn't turn out quite so well the first time, particularly Jesus Child and I Saw Three Ships, both of which suffer from ragged coordination, or the lack of it, between choir and orchestra. The John Rutter Christmas Album could be better sequenced than it is; heard beginning to end, it bogs down somewhat at about the beginning of the last third. Nevertheless, Rutter's contribution to Christmas music is unique, and this is a nice survey of it, with only one other collection of its kind available, namely Polyphony's John Rutter: Music for Christmas on Hyperion. So get out the Yule log, the Wassail bowl, and do consider inviting Rutter to your Christmas feast. The dish he brings with The John Rutter Christmas Album is a tasty one indeed. © TiVo