This album has been doing wonders since it dropped and it's only been a couple of months. She's just finished supporting Ms. Lauryn Hill at Wembley Arena this weekend and now soaring in at my number 12 spot is Nao with Saturn.

The first time that I heard about Nao I was on my way to see Little Dragon for the first time four years ago and had no idea what to expect until I saw it with my own eyes. Almost instantly I could see that there was something special in Nao. However, looking at her album now and realising how much she's grown since then and how much potential she still has; I might even have underestimated her initially. It's only been a couple of years since her debut record and she's already improved leaps and bounds - not only vocally but also with production and DJ-ing. She's even launched her own record label since then.

Tracks that shine through for me right now are "Another Lifetime", "Make It Out Alive (feat. SiR)", "Saturn (feat. Kwabs)", and "Drive And Disconnect". I still remember exactly how I felt and exactly what I was doing the first time I listened to these songs. Being able to hold a presence in any moment in time is so important for a great piece of music and Nao's been able to do this with an entire record. I'm almost embarrassed that I continue to be surprised by how good Nao is.

Overall as an album I feel like it trumps her debut For All We Know, particularly in aspects such as production and song selection. However, I feel like the songs that stood out to me on FAWK like "Blue Wine" and "Bad Blood", rest in my mind with a little more weight than the stand-out tracks on Saturn. Nao's star has risen quickly over the past year and I don't see it slowing down any time soon. I am abundantly happy for her success with this, and can't fault her getting credit where credit is clearly due.

Have a look at what other UK songstress took the number 12 spot in 2017 here. Funnily enough it also included a feature from Kwabs.

A highly anticipated album for me this year, at number 25 we have Lady Lady from Masego. After seeing a viral clip of him and absolutely funky collaborator - FKJ - at the beginning of the year I've had my eyes on his corner.

His musicianship and multi-instrumental mastery gave me an immediate respect for him and of course instantly piqued my interest. Just last year I was saying that too many artists in the mainstream were beginning to sound similar and it was getting harder and harder to pick a voice out of a crowd. However, Masego's gritty, nostalgic croon would stand out in most places today, especially when accompanied by that sultry saxophone. If I'm honest - I am disappointed that this album didn't make it higher up on my list. Despite the strong production and memorable instrumentals, what brought this down for me ultimately was the lyrics. Every now and again in pockets of the album I found his words lazy and just a little bit too improvised.

The songs that I will be talking about for months and months to come right now are "Lavish Lullaby", "Just A Little (feat. De'Wayne Jackson)", and "Black Love".  As much as these tracks stood out for me and continue to make my head bop, I don't think I've latched onto anything from Masego more than his previous single "Navajo" yet, and that unfortunately didn't make the album. That said, Masego did give us a very well selected list of feature artists that not only complimented his voice and style well, but also built on the versatility of the album with each track.

After hearing Masego on a feature on VanJess' latest album since, I don't doubt that we'll be seeing much more of Masego in the years to come. However, I do hope that he continues to grow because he is blessed with extreme musical talent and versatility, his potential is out of this world. As a debut record, this is a solid first look into the humour, personality and influences of Masego.

Have a look at last year's number 25 here.

It's been a long time since I've dedicated a post to music news, especially with Instagram around, but there's been a ridiculous amount of musical gems popping up over the past few weeks! So I thought, as a belated Valentine's Day treat I'd give you some new music to listen to for the rest of the month.

LITTLE DRAGON NEW MUSIC VIDEO "HIGH"
So very, very smooth. It's a breath of fresh air having new Little Dragon music in my life. As always this track is coated with their signature soulful sound with the added hazy undertones; it's got me buzzing for their next record. Nabuma Rubberband was a quality, classic record but if "High" is anything to go by, then Little Dragon haven't stopped growing, and the next record will be memorable to say the least.


THE STAVES NEW MUSIC VIDEO "TIRED AS FUCK"
I have to say I was a little surprised at this title coming from The Staves, but also super excited to see whether it brought with it a bit of a new sound. In regards to the video and the song, I love the minimalist feel to it. Those three part harmonies will never, ever get old to me. Not so much a new sound to it but the electric guitar definitely brings a fresher feel and a harder edge to it. "Tired As Fuck" is definitely a new favourite of mine.


SiR NEW MUSIC VIDEO "ALL IN MY HEAD"
I hadn't heard much about SiR up until recently with him featuring on Isaiah Rashad's and Little Simz's records, and after finding out that he was part of TDE he had my full attention. As soon as the beat kicked in on this track I thought of Anderson .Paak. That soulful bass has run throughout so many of my recent favourite songs, and I think it's time to add "All In My Head" to that list.


SEVDALIZA NEW MUSIC VIDEO "AMANDINE INSENSIBLE"
A shamefully fairly recent discovery for me - Sevadaliza has the potential to be a serious gamechanger and we have the pleasure coming into contact with her right now. Honestly, true artist. This new video for "Amandine Insensible" shows just that. Simple but mesmirising. The instrumental on this song reminded me of some of James Blake's material too.


CHAPEL NEW MUSIC VIDEO "FOOL'S GOLD"
I've been interested in Chapel ever since I found out that Kortney Grinwis was the drummer and when they dropped "Fool's Gold" it was my first chance to properly listen to their material. I love what I'm hearing on this single! The video is neither here nor there for me but it's a great song. Now that they're under Rise Records, I'm expecting something pretty exciting for their next release.


GRIMES FEAT. JANELLE MONAE NEW MUSIC VIDEO "VENUS FLY"
I'm not sure what I was expecting sound-wise from this collaboration but as soon as I saw Grimes and Janelle Monae in the same sentence I knew that aesthically this would be unforgettable. After watching, I stand by that 100% - this video is phenomenal. On the first few watches it was impossible to take my eyes off of it. In terms of the song, at first it was a little bit take-it-or-leave-it for me, but with the video so ingrained in my mind, I couldn't help but find the song there too.


WILD BEASTS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "ALPHA FEMALE" 
Okay! Again this is a video that I can get behind. I love this theme, I love these visuals. After listening to Wild Beasts' record Boy King last year I can't say that "Alpha Female" stuck out as a main highlight for me back then but after hearing it alongside this visual I might be listening a little bit differently from now on.


M.I.A. NEW SINGLE "P.O.W.A" 
After being dormant for quite a while now M.I.A. is back with this new release and I have to say, I'm not all that impressed. As a single it's really just not the most enjoyable in my opinion. The video definitely boosts its memorability - after all M.I.A. has always had a way with visuals but I just needed "P.O.W.A" to bring an audio to match and it did not in this case.


MAC DEMARCO NEW SINGLE "THIS OLD DOG"
Old man Mac - it's been a while. "This Old Dog" is the title track from his new album dropping on the 5th of May. This peaceful, Sunday afternoon, summer stroll track took me back to summer 2013 where I was listening to things like Bibio, Darwin Deez, Delphic, etc... It would have fit in perfectly back then and I have no doubts that this new album will be featured heavily in my summer 2017.


ARCANE ROOTS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "CURTAINS" 
This video for "Curtains" has actually been out for a while now and the single since last year but I had to say something about it because I like the song so much and the video is just as compelling. The video left me pretty speechless after first watch if I'm honest. It was almost exactly what I'd pictured (except, better) after listening to the single so many times before. Arcane Roots are not a band to overlook right now I'm telling you.


GRAMMY'S IN GENERAL... 
Well I'm sure by now everyone's heard about the Grammy's and all the "scandalous" events and wardrobe malfunctions. Aside from that - the performances. I'm just going to come out and say it - Beyoncé, Beyoncé, Beyoncé, wow. What a goddess. Chance the Rapper, again with a soulful and inspiring performance. To name drop a few others - Metallica and Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, ATCQ and Anderson .Paak, and Adele. All amongst stand out performances across the night. What a spectacle.


That's not even the half of it for music news over the past couple of weeks but it's just a few standouts and things that I found particularly exciting to tide you over into March. Keep your eyes peeled for more musical goodness over the rest of the month.