SONG OF THE MONTH: Say Something by Kylie (July 2020)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

Both Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga have enjoyed rapturously received returns to releasing music in 2020 during a curious pandemic period when their euphoric and uplifting dance albums have proved just the tonic that the world is looking for.

  • Read on for reasons including everything we know about Kylie’s new album Disco

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Meet Again by LP Giobbi featuring Little Boots (week beginning 18/7/20)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

OUT: now

We saw Little Boots (pictured above) twice in May 2012 (once headlining at XOYO and once supporting the Scissor Sisters at 02 Shepherds Bush Empire) and since that happy fortnight we’ve not seen her perform live again.

  • Read on for reasons including Little Boots’ thoughts on her next album

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Get Yourself Together by Dr Robert and Youth

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

‘I’ve known Youth for 20 years or so. We live up in the same mountain here in southern Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. I’m not mad on industrial, metal dub and trance so it seemed only right and proper that, at weird times like this, I would do something unthinkable, like work together with Youth’, says Blow Monkeys frontman Dr Robert.

  • Read on for reasons including why you should seek out this lockdown collaboration

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Suffer by Hurts (Week beginning 5/7/20)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

If debut Hurts album Happiness was about love and loss and its follow up (Exile) about sex and death, then the new material we’ve heard from fifth album Faith (out 4/9/20) feels like a return to the lyrical themes that made their name.

  • Read on for reasons including live reviews from throughout Hurts’ 10-year career

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Take Care Of You by Ella Henderson (week beginning 21 June 2020)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

Last year Ella had a top 10 hit with Jax Jones as a featured artist on his song This Is Real and the tropical house of this new self-penned single feels like a conscious decision to try to repeat that success.

  • Read on for reasons including why it’s time for Ella to release that second album

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SONG OF THE WEEK: My Freedom by Magnus Carlsson (week beginning 14/6/20)

WORTH A LISTEN?: ****

OUT: now

Former Alcazar frontman Carlsson references two of his biggest Melodifestivalen hits in this positive, high-energy tale of coming out and finding happiness which is, appropriately, this year’s Stockholm Pride anthem.

  • Read on for reasons including a chance to listen to My Freedom and hear which former hits he namechecks

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Backfire by Dotter (week beginning 7 June 2020)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

Regular readers of monstagigz will be familiar with Swedish singer songwriter Dotter, real name Johanna Jansson, not least through bringing her idiosyncratic brand of indie pop to the last four Melodifestivalens.

  • Read on for reasons including to listen to Backfire and our hopes for what Dotter does next

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Rain On Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande (week beginning 22/5/20)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

Lockdown might mean there’s a great deal of life people are missing out on but dealing with it by declaring ‘bring it on’ through gritted teeth might be the best way to sum up the sentiment here.

  • Read on for reasons including everything we know about Gaga’s Chromatica LP out soon

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