The lad from Ladbroke Grove, NME’s Big Read cover star, proved there’s way more to UK rap than drill and this joyous debut bumps from booming hip-hop to garage via the grime that made him a star. It is both calm and collected, but wildly unhinged at its core, which bubbles away with insecurities and mysteries.” AJ Tracey, ‘AJ Tracey’ The NME review concluded: ‘Other People’s Lives’ has achieved a wonderful thing. This crisp collection of retro-pop brilliance was overseen by STATS head honcho Ed Seed, who spent one year stitching jam sessions into a coherent album that comes off like Groove Armada doing David Byrne. The NME review concluded: “Above all, ‘Thank U, Next’ is a document of self-care a guide to getting through bad times even when you think nothing could ever be good again.” STATS, ‘Other People’s Lives’ Only six months after her career high record ‘Sweetener’, one of the biggest names in pop surprise (ish) released this 12-track sassfest, an album that took tragedy and trauma and transmogrified it into pure pop magic. The NME review concluded: “These are tracks cutting deep into the malignant tumours of society, out to heal them by brutal, frank exposure… We need right-thinking rebel records like ‘Encore’ now more than ever.” Ariana Grande, ‘Thank U, Next’ This was fingers up to the establishment, delivered through the time-tested mediums of mellow ska, reggae and funk disco. Surviving members of the veteran ska band addressed Brexit, austerity, Tory rule, Black Lives Matter and mental health on album eight, their first in 20 years, and what a blessed relief it is. It ain’t rocket science, it ain’t heavy metal, it’s just class songwriting.” The Specials, ‘Encore’
There’s nothing as exciting as a surprise that pays off. The NME review concluded: “ proof alone that this band can do what they want and get away with it. The NME review concluded: “‘Highway Hypnosis’ is Sneaks’ longest (just over 28 minutes) and by far most worked-up record to date, layers of electronic instrumentation demonstrating a keen attention to detail… A unique record from a self-assured talent.” Bring Me The Horizon, ‘amo’ġ5 years into their career and light years from their deathcore beginnings, the Sheffield band embarked on an odyssey in sound, turning in a pop-metal album that touches on ambience, electro-pop and a cameo from Dani Filth.