May Favourites || Dance Like No One Is Watching

This month I have been listening to a lot of dance music thanks to the radio which was always on at work. Dance music is dominating the charts over here in the UK and there were three songs in particular that stuck out to me this month and will no doubt put you in that TGIF mood.

Where Are U Now - Skrillex and Diplo featuring Justin Bieber

All Cried Out - Blonde featuring Alex Newell

Freak Of The Week - Krept n Konan featuring Jeremih

New Video || The Weeknd

I may not be as big a fan as I was back in university, but I will always have a soft spot for The Weeknd. His music got me through a lot of tough times and his early mixtapes were classic pieces of art in my opinion.
The Weeknd has recently found chart success thanks to his participation on the 50 Shades Of Gray soundtrack but that doesn't mean he will sellout. His latest song The Hills is still as dark and sexually explicit as always and the video to accompany it is as confusing as ever.
I was drawn in by the opening scene of a car crash and the video had potential to go somewhere exciting and thrilling...but it didn't.

New Music || Double Drake

A few days ago, a track from Drake's upcoming album Views From The 6 leaked and it is brilliant. The song, Can I, is minimalistic and features Beyonce and these two have already proved to be quite the duo with their previous track Mine. Although this on could do with more vocals from Bey and maybe a little beat change mid-way through, I do like the song.

But then, just to increase the hype a second track leaked which features new r'n'b vocalist Tinashe. On A Wave sounds a little unfinished with its abrupt ending but that may just be because it is a preview. Either way this is another track that has potential an sets a laid-back atmosphere for the album. 

New Video || Nicki Minaj featuring Beyonce

As I am sure you know by now, Nicki released the video for her latest track Feeling Myself exclusively on Tidal last night.
The song, which features Queen Bey, is one of my favourites from the album and a well deserved single - perfect for the summer. The video is also now one of my favs as it sees Nicki and Bey playing around, dancing, twerking and just general living #bffgoals. They both look flawless and their outfits are amazing, definitely worth a view if you haven't already.

The Billboard Music Awards 2015

Last night, in Vegas, hundreds of artists, producers and general celebrities gathered at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to celebrate another 12 months in music and award those who have achieved success on the billboard charts.

As much as the night is about awards and fashion (for my red carpet review click here), it is more so about the big performances that can either be entertaining or controversial, depending on the artist.

This year was a little tame with no big headlines to run with but it was a fun night all the same.

Nicki Minaj

So Nicki did a duo performance starting with her latest track The Night Is Still Young which also happens to be my least favourite from the new album. 

She was then joined by David Guetta for their track Hey Mama which had the whole crowd on their feet dancing. Nicki seemed to be having fun on stage and wasn't afraid to show off a whole lot of skin.

Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea

Although it was pre-taped, which may seem like a bit of a cheat, Brit and Iggy's performance was possibly the best of the night simply because Britney almost looked like the superstar performer she once was.

I am still not a fan of this song but it was nice to see Brit having fun and looking beautiful while pulling out some hefty choreography.

Ed Sheeran

Ed is always a captivating performer and when he stepped up to perform Bloodstream I was happy to see he kept it simple with just him, his guitar, and some other recording device.

I would have enjoyed it more had he incorporated the Rudimental remix somehow but it was still a powerful performance.

Mariah Carey

Mariah delivered Class A vocals last night proving that she has still got it as she performed classic Vision Of Love and newest single Infinity.

It wasn't the best she has ever sounded but it is definitely a lot better than I would have hoped especially seeing as she had bronchitis last week.

Kanye West

Kanye closed out the show with two of my favourite tracks All Day and Black Skinhead which may have been heavily censored but didn't stop the crowd from having a good time.

The stage was smoky and I could barely make out the three figures on stage but I am sure that's what Kanye intended.

New Video || Taylor Swift

On Sunday night at the Billboard music awards, after my anticipation, Taylor Swift debuted her new music video for Bad Blood. The star-studded video, directed by Joseph Khan, is an action-packed mini movie that sees Taylor preparing for battle against a friend who double-crossed her.
With appearances from Zendaya, Selena Gomez, Lena Dunham, Cara Delevingne and many more, and Kendrick Lamar rapping on this remix, there is no doubt that this video will win many awards and put the song in the top 10.

New Video || Britney Spears

Britney is back bitch! Although I had assumed she retired from music or something since her residency in Vegas, it seems that the pop princess still has some hits to churn with new track Pretty Girls. 
The song features Iggy Azalea forming the perfect female pop duo but not the best Britney song (from an old fan). The video, however, is really fun and cute and truly is the best I have seen Brit in about ten years. Her choreographer is almost on par, her body looks banging and she seemed to really be having fun.

Introducing || M.O

I may be a bit late with this post but it needed to be done anyway. With a lack of girl groups in the current market it would seem the perfect time for one to swoop on in and dominate the charts. Well that seems to be what three-piece British group, M.O, are doing this year.
Although they have been dropping great songs for almost three years, it is their most recent single Preach which has caught everyone's attention and got them a lot of airplay on Radio 1.
The song proves they have strong vocals and a cool, throwback r'n'b vibe which has been missing on the radio for some time. Here's hoping their debut album delivers some more great music and even more success.

New Music || Miguel

Miguel has been awol for a couple of years now and only popped out of hiding to give us a short E.P last year. Now it seems like he might be back for good with a new album this year (please) and a new track which may or may not be the lead single.
Coffee (Fucking) features Wale and is a remix of a song from Miguel's last E.P but it is strong enough to chart and put Miguel back on everyone's radar.
It is the typical raunchy and sensual song that we expect to hear from Miguel with an alternative r'n'b edge and great vocals. Welcome back, Miguel !

April Favourites || Party Season

Last month I was a bit out of the loop with new music thanks to some of my favourite websites being shut down. But I have managed to discover some new favourites in trap music and grime so these three tracks are perfect for the upcoming party season.

Future - F*ck Up Some Commas

Although I barely understand a word of this song, you can't deny that it is a catchy tune and that you would hit the dance floor on a night out when this comes on.

Kano - New Banger

Grime music hasn't really captured me in the past couple of years but now that Kano has returned with a self-proclaimed banger.

Skepta - Shutdown

Another grime artist returning with a fun club track which you have probably heard being played on Radio 1 a lot recently.

New Video || Sevyn Streeter

Sevyn Streeter is one of those underrated female singers that gets overshadowed by the bigger names and budgets. But she is a talent and has released great single after great single alongside her mentor Chris Brown.
This time she goes it alone with her new single 4th Street which is a sweet mid-tempo r'n'b track. The song and video pay homage to Sevyn's friends, family and hometown in a humble and endearing way. It is a catchy little number although it isn't one of her strongest.

Throwback Thursday || The Charts 15 Years Ago Today

Guys, it's time for a bit of a scary timehop. I decided to take a very fascinating look at some of the most popular songs that were gracing the charts here and in the States exactly on this day 15 years ago. That would make me six years old which is quite worrying because these songs bring with them quite vivid memories.

So this held the number one spot in the UK...



and No.1 in America for a spectacular ten weeks was ...



These artists were in the Top 10 in the UK....









and dominating the charts in the US we had...









and appearing in the Top 10 of both charts was the unstoppable...



So there you have it. That is what the charts and music looked like exactly 15 years ago.
Funnily enough many of the artists such as Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Toni Braxton, are still relevant today but much of the artists in this list haven't had much success since these hits.
Even more interestingly, all of these songs are still popular today and have stood the test of time proving that music really can be timeless.

Introducing || CL

She is one of the biggest artists in K-Pop with a string of NO.1's as part of a four-piece girl group called 2NE1. She has the backing of Will.I.Am, Scooter Braun and Skrillex as well as a huge fanbase who voted her the second most influential person of the past year on TIME's website. But the name CL may not be one that you are yet familiar with.
She has started making herself known in the US as a bit of a fashion icon with close friend Jeremy Scott using her as a muse for his Moschino collections. 

She has also signed on to be one of Scooter Braun's next successes alongside Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. So there is not much in the way of global success from the Korean superstar.

She has what it takes - a great voice, strong rapping ability, fluent in English as well as Korean, good looks, an innovative style, stage presence and the ability to dance. 

As long as the music is up to par, I am sure you will be hearing a lot from CL who is set to release new music in America this year.

Nicki Minaj Comes To Birmingham (with Trey Songz)

On Good Friday, my friend and I were lucky enough to attend the Birmingham show for Nicki Minaj's 'Pinkprint Tour' at the Barclaycard Arena.
Although my review of her album wasn't raving and I haven't listened to a Trey Songz record in ages (he was her opening act), I was still excited about the show as there has been a lot of hype surrounding it and I haven't been to a concert in years.

The show opened with a 45 minute set courtesy of Trey Songz whom I used to be a definite fangirl of but in recent years have slowly lost some interest. However, I must admit there is no possible way not to be just the slightest bit attracted to the singer especially when he stripped down to a closing shirtless performance.
Fortunately, he sang all of his biggest hits rather than album track from his latest release which I admit to having not heard yet.
He began with the older tracks that started his career such as Can't Be Friends and I Need A Girl then filled much of his set list with the anthems like Bottoms Up, Say Aah and Heart Attack.
Of course, all the girls were screaming particularly when he took a moment to point out a few fans around the arena.
As he ended his set with latest single Touchin, Lovin, I noted that he is a strong performer with a string of hits that I didn't give him credit for before the show. He delivered pitch perfect vocals and worked the whole stage so he definitely got us all warmed up before the main artist took to the stage.



At 9.20, Nicki Minaj finally arose from the depths of the stage to kick things off with three of my favourite tracks from The Pinkprint album All Things Go, I Lied and The Crying Game. She was dressed in a black cloak and veil which she eventually removed as she strolled around the stage.
Nicki looked flawless; from her make-up and hair to her body, she was as I would have imagined her to be...just a lot less animated.
I was happy that she left much of her pop songs to the closing few minutes when I was too hyped and into the show to care. But even her Starships performance had so much energy and created such an atmosphere that I couldn't help but dance along.
There were so many great moments throughout the show from her snippets of old classics like Hold Yuh and Itty Bitty Piggy, to her high energy hip-hop club bangers like Truffle Butter, Lookin' Ass N**** and Did It On Them.
Her outfits left little to the imagination and, when paired with some of her risque dance moves, had even the likes of me blushing let alone her younger fans.



Having said that, there is nothing that I can really fault. She interacted with the audience, - including a highlight where she pulled out three fans onto the stage with her - pulled out some great choreography, performed all of the songs I wanted to hear and delivered some great background lighting and imagery.
There were a few classics missing from her set-list and I would have loved a mash-up of some of her best features but that is a time issue that I suppose she couldn't work around.
All in all, I had a fantastic time, as did my friend, and I would happily attend her next tour even if the album isn't up to scratch.

Rating: 4.5/5

New Video || Tinashe

Tinashe has dropped yet another video for her latest single All Hands On Deck without an appearance from featured artist Iggy Azalea.
Instead Tinashe takes centre stage in skimpy outfits as she dances around a construction site with some very provocative moves. Not my favourite Tinashe song or video but I am sure it will see commercial success.

New Video || Jhene Aiko Gets Emotional

Jhene Aiko is having a great year already with an upcoming tour and some great new music but it is her visuals that always bring me the most joy as a music lover.
Her latest video for Eternal Sunshine is just as emotional as the song would suggest as she uses the simplicity of her face in front of a backdrop to showcase a personal moment in her life.
It also pays homage to her late brother in a very beautiful and fitting way that will have your eyes watering.
Enjoy!

March Favourites || A Slow Month

I don't know how you guys feels but I thought last month was a bit of slow one especially compared to all of the new release in February.
Having said that, I have still managed to find three songs that I was loving last month...

Wale featuring Kanye West - The Summer League

Wale dropped his album last month and although most of it didn't catch my attention this bonus track certainly did. This song is perfect for summer with the roof down in the car and the volume turned up full, it will make car journeys a lot more fun. The beat is so addictive and I can't wait till some club mixes come out for this track.

Kyndall - Still Down

I recently wrote a post about new artist Kyndall and her EP which dropped last month. I love all of the songs on it but this one in particular is always on repeat and is a great introduction to the songstress if you haven't heard any of her songs yet. It's a delicious r'n'b jam that I relate to a lot at the moment.

Jhene Aiko - Living Room Flow

I am one of the biggest Jhene Aiko fans and there isn't a song she has ever made that I don't enjoy. Her latest track is sensual and calming, perfect for those bedroom playlists, and has me hitting replay every time. In my eyes, she can do no wrong and this needs to have a video.

New Music || Krept n Konan

Krept n Konan might just end up being the first UK grime act to really break through into the American market with their debut album Long Way Home. It already boasts collaborations with Ed Sheeran, Jeremih, Rick Ross and more, so as long as the music is up there with the rest of their material then it could be a strong album.
The lead single Certified isn't the most catchy or energetic song, which is what I am used to hearing from the rap duo, but their lyrics are as playful as ever and Rick's verse definitely helps elevate the track into a potential overseas hit.

New Music || Rihanna

Rihanna has everyone on the edge of their seat in anticipation for her new album but for now we will have to just wait. At least we have this new single to keep us going. Bitch Better Have My Money is an instant Riri classic with a catchy hook and a club beat that will catch on by the end of the month.
Her attitude is on full form and offers us a different, but more recognisable, side to the Bajan pop princess.
Love it !

New Video || J.Cole

J.Cole is one of my leading artists when it comes to making thought-provoking music videos with cinematic qualities. He has done it once again with his latest video, G.O.M.D, which also happens to be my favourite track off his album.
A slightly different sound to his usually mid-tempo, poignant tracks, this one is more of a club banger but portrays a very interesting story in the visual
I won't ruin it for you but let's just say J takes a disturbing and still relevant historical event and creates something quite powerful.