Between the Oscars, the Baftas, the Grammys, the Razzies and the Brits, the awards have been unending in the past fortnight and frankly so many of them were given to the wrong people, but that’s just how awards are I guess? Panels of people putting together their year end lists and the stupid ratings algorithms letting, with some exceptions, the mediocre shine. Anyway, I was watching Olivia Colman’s speech and feeling overwhelmed with love for her. What a woman.

I skimmed out last week because I had a ton of work on my plate and didn’t have time to give new music its fair due, so here is another double feature, which I think may be a blessing in disguise because I could only scrape together 11 new songs from the past two weeks of releases that I genuinely liked.

LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY

Adam Lambert – Feel Something

I have loved Adam Lambert since he first popped up on American Idol way back when, so I’m always ready for his vocal bravado, and Feel Something is a really gorgeous testament to his natural talen. It’s an emotional ballad that’s brimming with desperate lyrics about looking to, you guessed it, Feel Something. I don’t indulge in sad songs very often but I’ll make a rare exception here.

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Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over

My favourite song from Avril Lavignes first post-lyme’s disease album is next on the list, but I was at my good pal Leanne’s house and this came on and we were both like ‘damn this is good’ so I think that it definitely needs some due attention for anyone who like a modern, soulful R&B ballad. Technically it came out last year, but since the album just dropped I think it still counts.

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Avril Lavigne – Dumb Blonde ft. Nicki Minaj

Avril fucking Lavigne is here! Dumb Blonde is an empowerment banger that I am stunned is making zero waves so far. It isn’t in the iTunes top 200 in the UK or the US or any other iTunes chart I’ve look at? Madness. A sleeper hit maybe? Have I gone crazy? Isn’t this iconic? I know she’s been away for a while but she deserves more recognition for this ANTHEM. A pop punk banger. Goddamn.

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Haley Reinhart – Lo-Fi Soul

I really freaking love Haley Reinhart, far and away one of the best live performers I’ve ever seen. Her voice is so full of that husky soulful power that I dream about nightly and if Lo-Fi Soul is an accurate taster for her album coming out next month then I am really fucking excited for it. A real talent.

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James Bay – Peer Pressure (feat. Julia Michaels)

What a perfect pairing! Everything about is peak James Bay, the softly sung highly emotional verses that made me fall in love him back during his early EPs, then that little signature touch of Julia Michaels of the really short spoken chorus really brings it home. Gorgeous.

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John Legend – Preach

Chrissy Teigen’s husband is very talented isn’t he? There is just the right amount of soul I love from Legend here, powerful in one of those songs that sits really nicely on a running or gym playlist when you’re in the zone and pushing really hard kinda way. Do yourself a favour and put your headphones on, turn the volume up to 100% and just feel things. I feel sated.

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Lizzo – Cuz I Love You

Holy fuck. The soul. The emotion. The power. You can tell this is going to be the year of Lizzo and we are all unworthy of it.

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P!nk – Walk Me Home

I really liked P!nk’s Brits performance (sans the blasphemous addition of the Bastille guy) and this is just a testament to how good a singer and commercial and artist she is. Sure, it’s faux-uplifting pop-folk generic in sound but the way she delivers is so pleasing that you can’t really be mad about it.

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Picture This – Modern Love

I’m really sucking at words today, so I’ll just say that you should listen to this song because I think it’s real strong and full sounding and I had it on in the car earlier and it turned it up full blast. A good encore-calibre song from one a middling alternative band you might have heard of.

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Years & Years + MNEK – Valentino

Some more cheerful club friendly music from two of the best gays in the business. A natural, thirsty, regretful collab that feels like it was always inevitably in the works.

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Yola – Still Gone

A nice easy listening finish for the week from modern-retro singer Yola that if someone told you came out in the sixties you probably wouldn’t bat an eye about it. Sun soaked, southern sounding, and sweet as hell.

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