Hotspot

AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Album of 2020

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2020? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2020.

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our Best Album of 2020 so far

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Florence and The Machine’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Lady Gaga’s Joanne, Lorde’s Melodrama, Saara Aalto’s Wild, Wild Wonderland and Sigrid’s Sucker Punch are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best albums of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa (April 2020)

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WORTH A LOOK?: *****

OUT: now

TRACKLIST: Future Nostalgia; Don’t Look Down; Cool; Physical; Levitating; Hallucinate; Pretty Please; Love Again; Break My Heart; Good In Bed; Boys Will Be Boys

Spring 2020 was expected to see much-anticipated album releases from the likes of Lady Gaga, Sam Smith and Rumer but concern over how they they would land during a global coronavirus pandemic saw plans for them shelved, leaving the way clear for Dua Lipa’s sophomore collection.

  • Read on for details of where to see Ms Lipa on her UK tour in 2021

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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Hotspot by Pet Shop Boys (February 2020)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

TRACKLIST: Will-o-the-Wisp; You Are The One; Happy People; Dreamland; Hoping For A Miracle; I Don’t Wanna; Monkey Business; Only The Dark; Burning The Heather; Wedding In Berlin

It seems a very Pet Shop Boys moment that, as the UK leaves the EU, the duo’s ‘Berlin album’ enters this country’s chart at number three.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is the Boys’ best album for 14 years

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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for January (2020) starring Madonna

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Madonna brings Madame X to the London Palladium

2019’s Madame X collection made our Album of 2019 shortlist and was Madonna’s best since 2005’s Confessions. We were at her last London gig at The 02 in 2015 and are looking forward to the shift from arenas to theatres for this 15-gig run. Tickets The tour opened in the US in the autumn and, despite the late starts, promises much. We’re just glad we don’t have to be up early after what is shaping up to be a late night albeit in thrall to the Queen of Pop.

  • Read on for reasons including new Pet Shop Boys album, Richard Armitage’s West End return and VAULT Festival

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