JoJo, “NGL.” It has been quite the creative renaissance for pop-singer-turned-best-selling-author Joanna “JoJo” Levesque. Levesque found early success, overcoming depression and addiction at home before falling into a years-long battle with a record label that essentially froze her career for years. With that in the past, Levesque has released…

David Gray, “Dear Life.” David Gray shot to fame at the turn of the century with his third album, White Ladder. He then went from gigs in Irish bars to Glastonbury. White Ladder—not something by U2—remains the best-selling album of all time in Ireland. Dear Life David Gray Laugh…

Ringo Starr, “Look Up.” There’s no questioning Beatles great Ringo Starr’s commitment to the bit on his 21st solo album, Look Up. The drummer finds a little Southern comfort on the country-influenced record with help from the likes of Alison Krauss, Billy Strings and producer T-Bone Burnett. Not unlike…

Bad Bunny, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.” The new LP by Bad Bunny feels like a passport to Puerto Rico, brimming with celebratory rhythms, poignant reflections and an unmistakable sense of cultural pride. DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS Bad Bunny Rimas Entertainment, Jan. 5 8/10 Get the album on Amazon Music.…

Franz Ferdinand, “The Human Fear.” It’s the old “quality over quantity” trope. It seems that artists whose songs are dense and literate, packed with meaning and craft, don’t do mass production. Two classic examples: Randy Newman and David Gilmour. The Human Fear Franz Ferdinand Domino Recording Company, Jan. 10…

ROSÉ, “roșie.” K-Pop superstars BLACKPINK may have stunned fans when the quartet opted against their individual contracts with music giant YG Entertainment to pursue solo careers, but those endeavors seem to be working out so far. Roseanne Park, better known as Rosé, is the first member of the group…

Dua Lipa, “Live from Royal Albert Hall.” It doesn’t offer as gargantuan of a clash as Metallica’s S&M, for which the thrash band linked up with an orchestra, but pop superstar Dua Lipa took a similar route on her new live album. Her songs get the orchestral treatment, backed…

Kendrick Lamar, “GNX.” Kendrick Lamar became one of the world’s most acclaimed rappers for his conscious, intricate penmanship. In the last year, he’s found success in a somewhat different lane: diss tracks against Drake. The most popular from the now infamous rap battle is “Not Like Us,” a punchy…

Travis Japan, “VIIsual.” When Tokyo J-pop septet Travis Japan made its full-length debut in late 2023, after years of toiling away trying to build an identity, it arrived on a whopping 19 songs that blended funky disco and glittering pop. A year later, the group is back with a tighter…

Michael Kiwanuka, “Small Changes.” His album may be called Small Changes, but it was actually some fairly significant ones that informed singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka’s fourth album. The Mercury-Prize-winning artist, whose song “Cold Little Heart” was made the opening theme for HBO’s “Big Little Liars,” became a parent of two and moved…