[Gifted]

Love Never Felt So Good and Brain I love Banks.

[riskbreaker]

Don't Tell 'Em, Rather Be and Love Never Felt So Good

[prézli]

Macy

You Ruin Me

[AshleeSimpsonFan]

Love Never Felt So Good grew on me.
Busy Earnin'! Yaaaay! I discovered them with "Time" but Busy Ernin' is growing on me too! Amazing song

[minho]

Busy Earnin', Brain & No Rest For The Wicked

[holyground]

No Rest For the Wicked

Brain Perfect song.

[Brandon]

Love Never Felt So Good

[Jorge]

"Love Never Felt So Good"
Jungle

[TwistedElegance]

Magic Coldplay Ghost Stories Written by Guy Berryman, Johnny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin Produced by Coldplay, Paul Epworth, Daniel Green & Rik Simpson Parlophone

Coldplay's march of progress - from U2 impersonators to stadium-rockers in their own right - shames their contemporaries. Ghost Stories, their follow up to 2011's outstanding Mylo Xyloto, is an exercise in consolidation which sees them experimenting with electronica and EDM, but never ditching any of their signature traits. Warm in sound and longing in sentiment, Magic possesses a woozy beat that weaves through Chris Martin's torch-song vocals which soar with melancholy while displaying a sure grasp of the band's time-honoured forms: rock, ambience and power pop. Nothing here is revolutionary, although the quality of workmanship is undeniable.

Hideaway Kiesza Sound of a Woman Written by Kiesa Ellestad & Rami Samir Afuni Produced by Rami Samir Afuni Lokal Legend/Island

With EDM on the wane, house is now more appreciated and widely available than ever, thanks to the ascendance of dance acts like Disclosure, Azealia Banks and Duke Dumont. Canada's Kiesza Ellestad wrote, recorded and mixed Hideaway in under two hours with producer Rami Samir Afuni, and that tremendous sense of urgency is palpable throughout its four short minutes. But sticklers for the genre will tell you no deep house is complete without a full-throated diva behind the wheel, and that's Kiesza's ace in the hole, as the acoustic version of Hideaway and her stripped down cover of '90s classic What Is Love can testify to.

Running To The Sea Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør The Inevitable End Written by Svein Berge & Torbjørn Brundtland Produced by Röyksopp Dog Triumph

One of music's more enigmatic outfits, Royksopp's career has burned on a slow fuse. Yet this ostensibly mysterious electronic/downtempo track turned out to be one of their most approachable offerings. Opening with lonesome piano and Susanne Sundfør's eerie pronunciation, Running To The Sea finds the duo playing subtle variations on past highlights whilst flirting with a big pop chorus. Bolstered by luminous production and a mammoth pulsing beat, the lead single from their final album soon erupts into a frenzy of drums and melody, proving that a crossover dance record doesn't have to hold back on manic, eviscerating noise. And Sundfor's jumbo vocals are a reminder that 'epic' need not be a dirty word in pop.

Uptown Funk Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars Uptown Special Written by Mark Ronson, Jeff Bhasker, Bruno Mars, Philips, Devon Gallaspy & Nicholaus Williams Produced by Mark Ronson Sony

Let's not be coy: this song sweats Prince. Uptown Funk is a vibrant statement of dance-rock intent so lively that you'd swear the '80s icon was belting it out himself. Sounding impossibly bigger and brassier than previous collaboration Locked Out of Heaven, Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson outplay themselves without taking away any of their edge. The result blends their familiar influences with a bold take on classic post-disco songcraft, emphasised to explosive effect by the pair's brashness and charm. If only all imitators got it so right.

Chasing Time Azealia Banks Broke With Expensive Taste Written by Azealia Banks, Jonathan Harris, Warren Felder, Ronnie Colson, Steve Mostyn, Andrew Wansel & Kelly Sheehan Produced by Pop Wansel Azealia Banks/Prospect Park

Not since the days of Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim and Lauryn Hill has female rap been in such great health, with a wave of MCs leisurely mapping out the post-Nicki Minaj terrain. Azealia Banks has already made her name in specialist circles with a string of EPs, mixtapes and singles and her enthusiasm for lifting a variety of sounds and influences has carried over to an excellent first album which ranges brightly from thrashy cut-ups such as Yung Rapunxel and Heavy Metal And Reflective to party-perfect alternative dance like Chasing Time. Banks certainly isn't afraid to mix-n-match styles, here favouring the Italo house trimmings of the late '80s, but cramming them up against her impetuous rhymes. Diverse and impressive.

15-11 coming soon.

[DejaEntendu]

Hideaway, Uptown Funk, and Chasing Time

[holyground]

Magic and Hideaway are great

[collin]

Chasing Time and Hideaway

[Gifted]

Magic, Hideaway, Uptown Funk and Chasing Time

[TwistedElegance]

Don't Ed Sheeran x Written by Ed Sheeran & Benjamin Levin Produced by Rick Rubin & Benny Blanco Asylum/Atlantic

While Justin Timberlake's creativity has hit the skids, there is still inspiration to be found in his earlier work, as illustrated by Ed Sheeran's absurdly catchy Sing. Like much of Timberlake's early solo work, it was crafted alongside the ever-present Pharrell Williams. Yet despite the super producer's triumphant past year-and-a-half, for my liking the song failed to dispense more than a momentary sugar rush. Follow-up single Don't, despite being less commercially prosperous, was unquestionably more pleasurable. Unravelling over a modest Benny Blanco beat, Sheeran's candid depiction of how a girl (rumoured to be Ellie Goulding) stomped on his heart managed to breathe new life into the most tired of pop themes. The clincher, however, is the song's chorus. Understated yet harsh, it borrows its melody from Lucy Pearl's shamefully overlooked Don't Mess With My Man, one of the best R&B dance jams of the 2000s.

Fancy Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX The New Classic Written by Amethyst Kelly, Charlotte Aitchison, George Astasio, Jason Pebworth, Jon Shave & Kurtis McKenzie Produced by The Invisible Men & The Arcade Island/Virgin/EMI

When it comes to progress, rap gives off mixed messages. I'm reminded of an interview with Ludacris I once read in which he spoke about the necessity for hip-hop artists to innovate. That you can't stay one-dimensional or your audience will outgrow you. Given his output of late it's obvious his own evolution peaked some time ago, but I've found the principle still applies to the genre as a whole. Develop, grow, and embrace. Which is why I find myself invariably confounded on the subject of Iggy Azalea. By all accounts, this white girl from Mullumbimby with a bogus accent and fake struggle warranted the collective side-eye, but to still be the source of contention this far in feels a lot like bandwagoning. Glaring comparisons to Eminem were foreseeable, but without his aptitude she quickly proved harmless, so I ask: what's the big deal? There is no threat here, just another pop star. And what a mighty pop punch she delivered in Fancy. Hopelessly formulaic yet an irrefutable delight, it encompassed all the makings of a glorious earworm, deservedly being named Billboard's Song of the Summer.

Say You Love Me Jessie Ware Tough Love Written by Jessica Ware, Ed Sheeran, Benjamin Levin & Ben Ash Produced by BenZel Island

Endorsed by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, if there is any justice Jessie Ware will be a star as big as them one day. Gifted with a gorgeous voice, a real talent for melodic twists and a powerful lyrical frankness, the achingly desirous Say You Love Me bodes well for both her future and the future of Sade-style soul pop. Lo-fi in production, the intimate atmosphere and simple guitar make Ware's melodies and burning lyrics even more effective as she paints incisive pictures of love and the fear of being alone. Co-written with Ed Sheeran, the striking ballad is reminiscent of his own Give Me Love. The end result is destitute and supremely depressing, but you're somehow left with the feeling that she will be nothing but fine.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This Paloma Faith A Perfect Contradiction Written by Diane Warren Produced by AC Burrell & Kyle Townsend RCA

Here, Paloma Faith finally quit dabbling, put her heart on her sleeve and reincarnated herself as a convincing hybrid of '60s blues balladeer and Top 40 star. Dramatic, uneasy, but ultimately rather gorgeous, she flaunts her pure pop skills all over this howler which, despite her skyscraping vocal, never falls into the obvious trap of bombast. No easy mission given the fact it was written by Diane Warren and would slot comfortably into the catalogues of Mariah or Celine. Beautiful and bittersweet, Only Love Can Hurt Like This confirms Paloma as one of the most vital and emotive voices of the decade.

Habits (Stay High) Tove Lo Queen of The Clouds Written by Ebba Nilsson, Ludvig Söderberg, Jakob Jerlström & Daniel Ledinsky Produced by The Struts Island

Immediacy has always been an abiding virtue of pop music. Whereas some Top 40 tracks are the equivalent of new shoes, pinching for a week or two until they finally arrive at that bedroom-slipper familiarity, others can feel like old friends straight out of the wrapper; bright, catchy, and instantly welcoming. Tove Lo's Habits is one such record. Beyond the insta-charming hooks of both verse and chorus, the song's not-so-secret weapon lies in its gobsmackingly honest lyrics ("Pick up daddies at the playground, how I spend my days now") - a treat completely lost on fans of the less gratifying yet oddly more successful Hippie Sabotage remix. Nevertheless, Habits was a bold step for a new artist and, happily, it worked unreservedly.

Top 10 coming soon!

[holyground]

PERFECT SET Say You Love Me, Habits, all perfect

[DejaEntendu]

Don't, Fancy, and Habits

I need to get into Jessie Ware and Paloma Faith

[TwistedElegance]

Let Me Down Gently La Roux Trouble In Paradise Written by Elly Jackson, Ben Langmaid & Ian Sherwin Produced by Ian Sherwin & Elly Jackson Polydor

Breaking up is hard to do. It's also no picnic for your fans as anyone waiting on the music well knows. In the five years since crashing onto the scene with their impuslive variety of synthpop and new wave, the duo known as La Roux have halved, leaving Elly Jackson to carry the brand alone. Casual followers won't know the difference given the twosome operated under a Goldfrapp-like guise anyway - she the face, he the invisible producer - but enthusiasts will note the bullheaded determination in Jackson's voice this time around. Written with ex-member Ben Langmaid prior to their split, Let Me Down Gently is as big and bouncy as their signature hit, Bulletproof, but underscored with the kind of dispirited longing that pricks at the tear ducts. Its heart, though, is Jackson's icy delivery. The Londoner weaves an evocative tone over the track which proves she has been the obvious key all along, while the ending brings a brief yet ingenious encounter with a saxophone that keeps the mix simmering long into the night. Now if only she and everybody else at Polydor would quit sleeping on Sexotheque.

Dark Horse Katy Perry feat. Juicy J Prism Written by Katy Perry, Jordan Houston, Lukasz Gottwald, Sarah Hudson, Max Martin & Henry Walter Produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin & Cirkut Capitol

Katherine Elizabeth Hudson knows her pop immensities. After the almost insupposable achievements of her Teenage Dream era - six number one singles, a Grammy nod for Album of the Year, a 3D movie - the challenge to do it all again was about as overwhelming as it gets in the pop world, and evidently that's why Prism was such a washout. Humdrum singles Unconditionally, Birthday and This Is How We Do were so insipid that I would have cheerfully traded them in for three releases as dumb and farcical as Roar. Because, although it rammed its point home with zero subtledy, underneath it was still a solid tune. This can only be said for two other moments on Prism: '90s throwback Walking On Air (a smash-in-waiting) and the staccato drama of Dark Horse. Inspired by 1996 film The Craft, of all things, Perry wrote the track from the perspective of a witch warning a man not to fall in love with her or she would be his last. But forget all that, at its core it is an irresistible trap-pop confection, brimming with icy synths and hooks that soar. So while it's a shame the album requires similar shocks to hold the attention properly, it has always been the way that good pop needs light and shade to grow up. Preferably light as dark as this.

You Don't Know What To Do Mariah Carey feat. Wale Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse Written by Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, Olubowale Akintimehin, Patrick Adams & Terri Gonzalez Produced by Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri & Bryan-Michael Cox Def Jam

Decidedly out of step with current trends despite the likes of Hit-Boy and Mike Will Made-It applying their talents to the dreadfully titled Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse, there clearly persists in Mariah Carey a yearning to recapture the evanescent spark of the 1990s and, in particular, the albums that put her up there with Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston and Madonna as a serious pop act. It is, on one hand, a philosophical collection of songs befitting a survivor (The Art of Letting Go, Camouflage) and, on the other, an attempt to reacquaint Mariah's music with artistic depth (Meteorite, Heavenly). For the most part, it works, and it's thanks to the proven chemistry between Carey and longtime producer Jermaine Dupri. Along with Bryan-Michael Cox the duo engineer a magic similar to 2005's still glorious The Emancipation of Mimi without ever coming off as if they're trying to. The set's best example is the marvellous You Don't Know What To Do. Neat and precise, her voice is given wider opportunity to flourish than on the album's other uptempos, with its killer intro even bordering on cocktail jazz. Wale's grainy verses tip the balance superbly, and when their pop/rap fusion comes off it sounds intriguing, exciting and genuinely new.

Chandelier Sia 1000 Forms of Fear Written by Sia Furler & Jesse Shatkin Produced by Jesse Shatkin & Greg Kurstin Monkey Puzzle/RCA

Following five years as one of the industry's most in-demand songwriters, 2014 saw Sia move to a bigger forum with a slicker delivery and production than ever expressed on her pre-star albums. Still covering the same agit-pop pose, 1000 Forms of Fear reamins sharp and to the point, via well-observed lyrics and beautifully-honed melodies - never moreso than through her colossal vocal performance on Chandelier. Seemingly amid a ******* of high-quality female singers who are leaning between alternative and pop (Lorde, Janelle Monáe, even P!nk), Sia's songs maintain a quality and distinction through their simple arrangements and her emotional conveyance. Initially I was turned off - even irritated - by Chandelier, but its irresistible hook has made it one of my most repeat-plays for some time.

I'm Not The Only One Sam Smith In The Lonely Hour Written by Sam Smith & James Napier Produced by James Napier & Steve Fitzmaurice Capitol/Method

From BRIT Critics' Choice Award-winner to the top of the US charts in under six months, Sam Smith was a bolt out of the blue. Yet the success of In The Lonely Hour is easy to read in retrospect, especially to those who were already familiar with his song-stealing turns on hits from Naughty Boy and Disclosure. In ways that reflected Amy Winehouse's Back To Black and Adele's 21, his debut album took a poignant, heart-on-sleeve journey through young love, with the Londoner wailing over wistful R&B/pop arrangements. In spite of the song's characterless title and routine video, I'm Not The Only One is a riveting, unpretentious record, bristling with soul music's stirring energy but also imbued with a subtlety that in such a short time has become Smith's trademark. Sensitive but robust, this is as deliciously melancholic as 2014 got.


That leaves my Top 5, coming soon...

[holyground]

Let Me Down Gently is simply PERFECT

[DejaEntendu]

Dark Horse & I'm Not the Only One

I haven't been able to get into La Roux's new material

[AshleeSimpsonFan]

Magic, Hideaway, Fancy! and Habits! Almost top 10
Chandelier incredible song! one of my favorites of 2014 too! and that Sam Smith dong is finally growing on me