Out of every single name on this list, this artist has been all over the news and social media the most by a long way. If you hadn't heard any of her music until now, shame on you, but there's no way that you haven't at least heard her name. In at number 17 is Cardi B with the aptly titled Invasion Of Privacy.

Like most people I'd only really heard about Cardi B musically after her smash "Bodak Yellow" came out. That song is still a hit to this very day and despite how much overplaying it's gone through and how much the radio has tried to make me hate it, it's stood the test of time and still makes me feel just as good as I did listening to it for the first time. The same could be said about this entire album to be honest. It's hands down one of the most popular albums to come out this year and as much as I try to shy away from things with a ridiculous amount of hype surrounding them, I've found myself coming back to this album on so many occasions.

Stand-out tracks for me right now are "Get Up 10", "Bickenhead", "She Bad (feat. YG)", and "I Do (feat. SZA)". I say that those are my favourites for right now because that most definitely was not the case when it first came out. After the first listen I would have told you that "She Bad" should have never even made it onto the final album and "I Like It (feat. Bad Bunny & J Balvin)" would have been my favourite by quite a mile. However, overplaying changed and cemented all of my opinions. I don't see my favourites changing around again for a while but I can safely say that I'll be sitting with this album time and time again in 2019.

There's undoubtedly some controversy surrounding Cardi B, yet also a number of people supporting her as somebody that encourages women celebrate their sexuality and to be themselves completely and unashamedly. Cardi puts so much personality and charisma into her writing that it's hard not to like her, or at the very least admire her honesty. As a debut, she's definitely let the world know who she is and I don't doubt that she'll be keeping us updated.

Dropping in at number 17 last year with this gem right here.

Taking us into day four of my favourite albums of the year countdown we have Jamila Woods with her debut solo record - HEAVN - in at number 27.

I actually first stumbled on Jamila's work after somebody tweeted out a link to her video for "Holy" earlier this year. I remember thinking that the thumbnail looked cool and so I saved it to come back to later. I can't tell you how many times I've saved a tweet or a video to go back to and have just completely forgotten about it. Somehow with this track I remembered, and thank goodness I did. "Holy" is still one of my favourites on the record, not only because of how great her vocals sound over the simple melody, but mostly because of how good it makes me feel. A big part of why I liked this album so much is because just singing parts of it or putting it on when I was feeling despondent was such a mood lifter, it almost felt like a form of self-care.

A few words on some other tracks that stuck out to me were "VRY BLK (feat. Noname)", "HEAVN", "In My Name", and "Blk Girl Soldier". "VRY BLK" has the catchy kind of hook that you find yourself humming in the middle of the day, and the addition of Noname on the track only adds that extra sprinkling of carefree vibes. "HEAVN" is actually the track that I play to people to introduce them to Jamila - probably the one I'd most like to hear with a live band on it. "In My Name" was actually one of the more memorable tracks for me because of the skit that came before it speaking on the power in a name, really thought-provoking piece. Finally on "Blk Girl Soldier" that beat knocks out - it reminded me a little of some of the beats on New Amerykah Part One - which is never a bad thing.

I do feel like the length of the record was a little bit excessive. As good as each song was, I don't feel that all of them necessarily needed to make the cut, which meant that from time to time it disrupted the flow of the album. However, the overall concept of the album is fantastic, and speaking on topics that have affected the black/POC community in the past and today; the album ended up acting as a source of empowerment for me on more than a few occasions over these past few months.

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.

The man who won 2016 - Chance The Rapper here with Coloring Book. This wasn't even an album! Whoever said mixtapes were irrelevant - eat your heart out. The only mixtape to make it onto every single 'top albums of the year' list this year. Chance has given this year all the lift that it needed.

I never really thought of Chance as a soul/gospel rapper but this record did everything for my soul. To be honest I shouldn't have been surprised after his soulful feature on Kanye's The Life Of Pablo earlier this year but here we are. He even had believers and non-believers alike singing "how great is our God?", he managed to move so many people with just 14 songs. In less than an hour, he managed to become one of the most powerful and recognisable voices around at the moment. It didn't even stop with the record, every time Chance has appeared live with this album, he's captivated people and managed to take each track to a new level. He is pretty much the living embodiment of creativity.

On top of all that, this album brings out just about every kind of good emotion you'd ever associate with listening to music. I say that with confidence. It makes you laugh, feel uplifted, smug, joyful, thoughtful and just overall content. The first time I listened to this I was travelling to work and by the time I got in, nothing could've made that day go wrong for me. Some personal go-to favourites for me when I need a pick-me-up are "No Problem (feat. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz)", "Blessings", "Juke Jam" and "All Night (feat. Knox Fortune)". Nothing but good vibes with this record for me. In a year that's had so much go wrong with it, this is one of the few things that's brought pure light to a multitude of lives. If you haven't already claimed your blessing yet - do yourself a favour and have a listen.

This will be a difficult one to top, a commendable peak in anyone's career - but I have faith that Chance will find a way to move upwards. I don't know when we'll hear something new but I know it'll be a blessing no matter what nor when. I can only hope that I get to see this live someday.

The music world is blowing up this month! I thought September was the month to beat but October isn't going without a fight. New bands, new albums, new singles, new EVERYTHING coming out left, right and centre.

FKA TWIGS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "#THROUGHGLASS"
2014's topic of conversation. As much buzz as Royal Blood have created this year, I think FKA Twigs has actually managed to match that. It's like as soon as I learnt her name, so did the rest of the world. This self-directed video (here) is art. Fantastically directed, super interesting and such a fresh idea! This is what I love FKA for, BUT I think that it overshadowed the song in quality and took focus away from it too.


CLEAN BANDIT & JESS GLYNNE NEW MUSIC VIDEO "REAL LOVE"
How could we go wrong with another Clean Bandit, Jess Glynne collabo? The answer is, we couldn't. A match made in heaven right now. Doubt it'll be as big a hit as "Rather Be" but it's a banger nonetheless. Jess Glynne's voice is just fabulous anyway and I love the slight 'old school' vibe there is about it. Check out the cool new video here.


FOO FIGHTERS NEW LYRIC VIDEO "SOMETHING FROM NOTHING"
If you haven't already heard the single, I wrote about it here a few days ago. However, now it has a killer new lyric video to go with it and I didn't think it would have much an impact but I think it actually made me like this song even more! I am literally buzzing for the new Foo Fighters record. Learn the lyrics before the rest of the album drops here.



SAINT RAYMOND NEW LYRIC VIDEO "FALL AT YOUR FEET"
Still waiting for an album! I know that when we eventually get a debut record it will be fabulous but until then, this awesome single and the few great EPs already available will have to do! I really love this song. I feel like Saint Raymond's debut might sound like what I originally wanted Ed Sheeran's debut to sound like. Watch the lyric video here.


CHANCE THE RAPPER NEW SINGLE "NO BETTER BLUES"
After watching Chance at Glastonbury here, I've been keeping an eye out for him since. He's releasing a collaborative album before the end of the year with The Social Experiment entitled Surf. This new single is actually taken from that record and if it's anything to go by, I don't know how I'll feel about the rest of the album - not sure what I even think of the song yet! Have a listen here.


GENGAHR NEW SINGLE "BATHED IN LIGHT"
I keep forgetting how I ever got into Gengahr, but regardless, I'm glad I did. This is an interesting track. Sounds a bit Tame Impala-esque at times and if I'm honest I was waiting for a bigger development/change towards the end but it's a solid song no doubt. Check out the new single here.


DARLIA NEW MUSIC VIDEO "STARS ARE ALIGNED"
When I started listening to Darlia, around "Napalm" and "Queen Of Hearts" times here, they were a lot more of a Grunge band. Now they seem very Pop Rock. Not sure if I'm complaining though because I love the instrumental on this song here. The video isn't great. I'm not sure where I stand with this band to be honest, I'll just have to wait for an album or a live performance.


PISSED JEANS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "BORING GIRLS"
An old song with a new video - I like. However, video is super random. Song is super random. But the reason I was ever interested in this song was because there's only one chord throughout. I don't think it's something that I'll ever really get into but I admire Pissed Jeans for what they've done. Have a listen and a watch here.


BRING ME THE HORIZON NEW SINGLE "DROWN"
I LOVE this song. There was a lot of expected controversy as this song sounds 'lighter' than most of the songs on their most recent record Sempiternal but despite the slight change, they still kill it in my opinion. It's still the same Bring Me The Horizon, people need to calm down. Nobody freaked out when D.R.U.G.S. put out "I'm Here To Take The Sky". In my opinion, old bmth fans should embrace this new single here.


ENTER SHIKARI NEW SINGLE "THE LAST GARRISON"
I feel like Enter Shikari should've stopped after "Paddington Frisk". I really hate this song. It sounds like CHVRCHES tried and failed to remix this song. Sadly, they did this to themselves. I'm actually upset that they chose to release a new album - The Mindsweep but who knows, their first three albums still give me a little bit of faith that they might just surprise me. Here's the new single.


GWEN STEFANI NEW MUSIC VIDEO "BABY DON'T LIE"
I forget that Gwen Stefani makes pop music when she's solo, but I really like this song. If I'm honest, I could really imagine Nicole Scherzinger singing it instead or at least her collaborating. However, this is still a very catchy pop song and a big radio hit. In regards to the video, it's great to have the harajuku girls back on my screen. Watch it all here.

It's insane to think that a festival like Glastonbury could all be over in just three days! I almost feel bad for sleeping because there was so much to see and do in just 72 hours. Either way, it was the most incredible few days that I could've asked for an all I can say now is, roll on 2015!!

THE PREATURES
Still sad that I missed Darlia's performance before this but nonetheless, I'd never heard of this band before I was standing at the barrier for their set, so I really didn't know what to expect. Despite their lead singer seeming a bit try-hard at times throughout the set, they had some really really good songs and great band chemistry. An enjoyable set overall and I will definitely be keeping an ear out for these Aussies.

LONELY THE BRAVE
A name that I'd been hearing quite a bit recently but had not yet checked out, so I was intrigued to see what they could do as a live band. A huge contrast to the more laid-back Preatures but this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I did find myself looking at my watch towards the end of the set but the majority of the set was alright. Not sure if I'll keep up with them much but I definitely don't dislike them.

GEORGE EZRA
Probably one of the biggest shocks of the weekend. First of all the name George Ezra did sound familiar but nothing sprung to mind when I heard it. When the young Bristolian stepped on stage looking a little sheepish, I was very taken aback by the beautiful, deep voice that came from him. His set was quality and actually fun - the tent was absolutely packed. I look forward to listening to his debut album released last week!

THE KOOKS
The "surprise" set of the day. I hadn't heard much of their music post-"Naive" days and I hadn't really heard anything good about it thus far. When they opened up with some of their new R&B-influenced material, I have to say I wasn't impressed. The "diggity"'s threw me off a little bit. However, when they played their latest single "Around Town" I changed my mind - really good song. The rest of the set followed suit and overall it was a great set.

DOLLY PARTON
Although many people questioned her name on the bill, Dolly managed to pull in the largest crowd of the entire weekend and played a genuinely beautiful set on the Pyramid Stage. Her interesting, endearing and quite hilarious country anecdotes really made the set feel more intimate.She played through some old favourites and some new songs finally ending with a cover of "I Will Always Love You", which I'm sure brought some to tears. Definite standout set from the weekend.

ED SHEERAN 
If you've read my blog before, you probably already know that I don't care too much for Ed Sheeran or his music. I didn't even want to be at this set because Bombay Bicycle Club were on at the same time. However, in order to get a good spot for The Black Keys I made a compromise. Thankfully he is better live than on record. Despite him only having his acoustic guitar and no band on main stage, he still managed to entertain the crowd and the riff to "Sing" was in my head for a good while afterwards.

THE BLACK KEYS
Even though I've seen them before, this time was better than the last. The songs from their latest album sounded good but none of their songs hit me as hard as the ones from El Camino - definitely my favourite album of theirs. "Little Black Submarines" was a huge highlight. A band full of geniuses and an afternoon full of glorious music.

CHANCE THE RAPPER 
My friend had been raving about Chance for at least the last five months and stupidly I didn't make time to give him a listen but I'm so glad that I made it to his set because it opened my eyes more than Spotify could have. Backed by an amazing band (kudos to his Musical Director) and his contagious charisma he put on an awesome show and made everyone feel the love. I'll need to listen to my friend more often.

DISCLOSURE
I know, I know! I must be insane to miss Kasabian's closing headline set but there was reasoning behind it I promise! Since I saw Kasabian headline Reading a couple of years ago and hadn't seen Disclosure yet, I opted for the latter and I'd do it again. Beautiful way to end the weekend - Disclosure bringing out almost all of their album feature artists and ending with Sam Smith singing the beautiful "Latch". The lights were magnificent - flares were lit and shapes were cut - electric set!