Yes, 22, A Million is painfully, painfully sincere. Yes, it’s also hopelessly oblique, grandiose, and pretentious. Yet it’s also an absolute diamond of a record, at once fragrantly beautifully and also hopelessly complex, easy to disregard and yet thoroughly hypnotic.

Pom Pom Squad seize these influences and DIY them to fit their own Gen-Z aesthetic. In other words, ‘Death Of A Cheerleader’ is a tour-de-force that toasts to all of our own Dumb Bitch Selves.

Yes Patti Scialfa joins him for ‘Tougher Than The Rest’ and ‘Brilliant Disguise’, but other than that it’s just The Boss doing what he does best, “To provide an entertaining evening and to communicate something of value”. And in all honesty that’s all we could ask for.

Distinct from his 2022 debut ‘Rave & Roses’, this feels uncompromising, and new. ‘HEIS’ is the work of an artist emboldened, and undimmed.

Something raw, something ancestral is born and found in the freedom of this album. It serves beyond the ear and reaches to the core of the collective heart. I’m captivated by the force and variety from which she’s presented each song.

Authoritatively potent, bitterly bleak and beautiful, this record is an unexpected but essential punch in the face.

‘Heavy Heavy’ sees them fully marry their two sides; is this a very fun album from a very serious band, or a very serious album from a very fun band? Why not both? Young Fathers can have it both ways.

There are thoughtful beats and thoughtful words here, complementing each other instead of overpowering one another.

So, while Robyn shows that her body can certainly do the talking, when it comes to walking the walk she's prone to stumbling in directions she should avoid.

Hollowed will give you hope, then gut you. Nothing but a victory all round.

SOPHIE manages to incorporate the personal without detracting from what set her apart in the first place, and it makes for a record that’s as affecting as it is thrilling.

‘Lotus’ is a developmental album that excels in a complexity of genres. It showcases Little Simz’s personal resilience as she takes on this vulnerable melodic journey to selflessly blossom in her introversion.

An album of rare patience and empathy, ‘End Of The Middle’ doesn’t ever allow itself to descend into forthright commentary. Instead, it presents its scenes to you, inviting you in, and allowing you the time to reflect on the quiet luxury of finding such comfort a drag, in turn asking you to consider the fates of those who would find such a life an aspirational relief from the breadline.

While the opening moog throbs of ‘No-One’s Easy To Love’ and ‘Comeback Kid’ are initially distracting coming from an artist once known for her sparse compositions, they quickly blend in to become just another part of the atmospheric scenery that add colour to her widescreen laments.

The album does a good job of rekindling the connection with our younger, hopeful selves.

This is an album that further cements their legacy and feels like it captures elements from across their 20-year career into something wholly new and exciting.

A fun pop record that doesn’t skirt from difficult questions, ‘Girlfriend’ is a stellar return.

It’s a truly fascinating listen.

A genuine thrill from an artist who could rest on her nostalgia laurels, Kylie is back for her well-deserved crown.

A wonderful, worthy follow-up.

‘Where’s My Utopia?’ is a musically diverse step forward for Yard Act, who refuse to be intimidated by their debut.

All good music transports the listener, and 'Afrique Victime' does that in spades while spreading a message of hope, resilience, and lessons on political inequality.

By working with a producer who sought him out and by letting the songs lead the way, he has delivered a timeless album.

There is melody here, clear structure. The Blackest Beautiful is a pop record, of a kind. The kind that eats the other albums racked next to it.

It’s a fearless, intricately crafted and sonically expansive body of work that effortlessly showcases why he’s one of the UK’s most talented songwriters.

Reaching greater and greater heights, ‘Magic 3’ could well be Nas and Hit-Boy’s finest hour together – the closure of this chapter allows us to analysis their relationship, but you’re still left yearning for more.

Despite a slight moment of monotony in the back-half, it’s a debut that succeeds in introducing their eclectic current set-up while also highlighting their huge future potential.

While mostly pensive throughout, each moment on ‘Sonido Cosmico’ feels different from the other; each picture evoking something different from the imagination. It’s hard to find a track not to like here.