After a massively successful year in the UK and across Europe with her critically acclaimed debut album Devotion, Jessie Ware is now preparing it’s U.S release (April 16th). To launch the album stateside the LP will feature two additional bonus tracks – one is an upcoming remix of ‘Wildest Dreams’ featuring A$AP Rocky and the other is ‘Imagine It Was Us’ produced by frequent collaborator Julio Bashmore. By far the most uptempo record on the album ‘Imagine It Was Us’ is a fabulous disco number with an infectious bassline and seductive vocals from Miss Ware and plays as a great addition to an already excellent album.

I could write a dissertation on how influential Prince has been to all the musicians featured in this video, but that would be digressive and long. Instead I’m going to calmly bug the f*ck out that D’Angelo is on camera talking about Prince (albeit rather briefly). The piece (courtesy of Okayplayer) not only features God D, but also master of Prince-ology Questlove, Bilal (Purple incarnate) and the legendary Elvis Costello to name but a few, all speak on Prince’s impact on them and on music period. Interviews were conducted backstage at the Music of Prince Tribute in New York.

… It certainly feels like something very big is coming from the Purple Yoda this year, don’t know what it is but it’s coming.

I can find very few faults on Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience, but unfortauntely ‘Mirrors’ (for me at least) stands out like a sore thumb. It’s the weakest song on the album with a sloppy rehashed Timbaland beat at the heart of it. It’s the only song on the LP that feels completely uninspired and as Wiley so eloquently put it “sounds like he went round Timbaland’s for half hour” to record it. Their attempt at making a lazy anthemic power-ballad worked perfectly of course (just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean I don’t see the genius in it) with it shooting straight into the #1 spot in the UK and fast becoming another one of JT’s most commercial songs. On the upside the backend of the song is smashing – shame it’s not like that the entire way through. Anyway – here’s the video…

Los Angeles native Banks serves up a wonderful slice of future-pop for her new single ‘Fall Out’. The song combines a plethora of influences and carves them into an edgy and dramatic soundscape. The guitar influence suggests mainstream aspirations while the etherial arrangement feels defiant. Cleverly her accompanying video looks more suited for those ever-familiar alt-R&B/post-dubstep uploads sprawled across YouTube (as astutely pointed out by Mount Kimbie a few weeks back) than an avant garde pop ballad, but contextually speaking it’s all rather smartly done.

A couple nights back we tweeted a link to Okayplayer’s forum or rather specifically to a post published by Questlove which suggested that Justin Timberlake would release part 2 of his new album The 20/20 Experience sometime in November. Despite The Roots’ drummer being slightly disgruntled by his ‘news’ being picked up across near-enough every platform in blogland – it was up until last night an unconfirmed story. However according to various sources (including this guy) JT confirmed the release of part 2 during a gig in Los Angeles.

According to Questlove’s original post the second part of The 20/20 Experience will feature “throwback Timb” productions, saying the songs he had been played by Timbaland “were straight up Missy/Magoo Timb and [that] Justin said he wanted Timbaland to “get back in his real zone” even if it meant alienating the tweens born after ’86 who never ever heard of Sly Slick and Wicked”. 

We’d had our suspicious that there could be another 10 tracks on the horizon given the album title (“20/20 Experience”) so this all makes perfect and wonderful sense. JT’s album is officially released worldwide this week, it will no doubt (and hopefully) shift a shit load of copies – and deservedly so. Despite a shocking amount of relatively confused reviews the LP stands alone as yet another great Timberlake record. It’s not an easy pop record to get to grips with that much is true – but how can you miss the beauty in that? A pop record that isn’t easy to digest? All a part of that Timberlake/Timbaland genius.

MNEK is back with another killer refix, this time he takes on Janet Jackson’s classic ‘That’s the Way Love Goes’ taken off her ’93 Janet album. Having already made his mark covering Kelis’ ‘Get Along With You’, Rosie Gaines ‘Closer Than Close’ and most recently Disclosure’s ‘White Noise’, he’s quickly secured a reputation as a bit of a producer/arranger prodigy; Not to mention a true-powerhouse vocalist – very few young singers can rival what this young man does as a singer; And so as we’ve come to expect this latest refix ticks all the right boxes. Take a listen to his interpretation of one of Janet’s most beloved jams…

AlunaGeorge’s latest single ‘Attracting Flies’ was just premiered on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 show. The track comes off the duo’s forthcoming debut album and follows previous singles ‘Diver’ and LP title track ‘Body Music’ (not to mention the non-album singles that preceded those). And because these two can do no wrong ‘Attracting Flies’ is of course another bonafide pop smash – the chemistry between these two really is spot-on.

Expect AlunaGeorge’s debut album Body Music on July 1st.

Not content with selling out her 10 UK tour dates in minutes, Beyonce will play her “only European festival performance” at this years V Festival held on August 17th & 18th at Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire. Joining her as co-headliners are Grammy winning band Kings of Leon – who will play the festivals second date.

The festival will also host performances from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Stereophonics, Basement Jaxx, Fun., Jessie Ware, Rudiemental and many others.

Tickets go on sale 9am Friday 1st March, buy via vfestival.com

Making history seems to be something Adele does in her sleep these days. Not only has she had one of the most successful albums of all time with her sophomore album 21, but she’s also won every award going for it – and now she can add an Oscar to that list. She’s now become member to a very elite group of people who can say they’ve won a Grammy, Golden Globe and an Oscar – girl done good.

Adele wasn’t only at the ceremony to pick up her Best Song trophy  she was there to celebrate 50 years of the James Bond francise by performing her Paul Epworth produced theme song ‘Skyfall’ for the very first time, gun fingers and all.

‘Eyes Like Sky’ is a previously unreleased track originally recorded to feature on Frank Ocean’s Grammy nominated debut album channel ORANGE. The airy pop aesthetic of the track reminds me of something that could have been featured on his nostalgia, ULTRA tape – a project that I still don’t find as strong as many fans do. It’s a good enough song, with a nice sentiment but I see why it didn’t make the final cut.