My Most Anticipated Albums of 2015

With each new year comes the hopes that our favourite artists will be dropping new music to add to our ever-growing collections. 2014's output was a bit on the light side with few major acts releasing anything and the newer acts failing to deliver anything to keep us actively checking for them. So here's to 2015. My most anticipated albums of the year are as follows:

Ellie Goulding "Love Me Like You Do"

And those soundtrack coinTs continue to roll in! Ellie Goulding has been tapped to be on the soundtrack for the upcoming "Fifty Shades of Grey" film and her contribution "Love Me Like You Do" is here.

DJ Fresh "Flashlight" (feat. Ellie Goulding)

Ellie Goulding is still milking the "Halcyon" era for what it's worth...sort of.

Ellie Goulding "Beating Heart"

Listen to a new exclusive track from UK songstress Ellie Goulding.

Ellie Goulding Parties In Pretty Colours In "Goodness Gracious"

1st major pop video of the new year is here and it's pretty!!!

Ellie Goulding "Halcyon Days" Album Stream

Ellie finally got that #1 that she deserved a long time ago with her newest single "Burn" and with only a week to go before she re-releases her "Halcyon" album, the whole things leaks!!! Thanks to YouTube's handy playlist mode feature, you can now stream the whole thing here! The album includes all the tracks from the original release and ten additional tunes including "Burn", "You, My Everything", the previously exclusive Tesco track "Stay Awake", the flop. Nate Ruess penned "Goodness Gracious" and many more!

My Favourite Songs of 2013...Thus Far

With half of the year over and another half to go, the music has been just coming and coming and coming and...well you get the idea! Some of it good, some bad, some meh and some very exceptional. While a lot of American artists seem to be giving us the run-around with their music (a certain artist whose name begins a B and ends with a Eyonce?), other countries have been keeping their music flowing (sometimes overflowing) that I can't keep up with releases. I usually do a best of list, but since it's only the middle of year, I decided to go with some of my favourites rather than the ones that I think are the best, which can wait until December.

Girl's Day-Expectation

Girl's Day shed their quirky, side-splitting antics for a more mature concept and did not disappoint with this highly infectious dance-pop slice of heaven. It's already my most played song of the year and second most played of all time (damn you BoA for releasing "Only One.")

     Nine Muses-Dolls

The classy nine get paired with Sweetune for this equally classy, jazz-inspired record. If you aren't tapping your toes to the beat, you seem to be missing a soul (or just don't like K-Pop).

              Ellie Goulding-You,My Everything 

This song is everything that is right with Ellie Goulding. "You, My Everything" is just  Ellie's husky yet dreamy vocals over Jim Eliot's drum and bass inspired production. Just how I like her.

Girl's Generation-I Got a Boy 

The hate for this song was warranted. I commend SM for breaking the Americanized cookie-cutter mold for K-Pop songs by mixing and mashing five or so songs together and transforming the divine nine into aegeyo hip-hop queens. #bowdown.

2AM Club-Black Liquor 

The band laments their late night escapades over a minimalist beat fit for a The Weeknd record. If I told you that I have never cried listening to this record, I would be telling you a lie.

Rudimental-Hell Could Freeze (feat. Angel Haze) 

Rudimental is a extremely versatile and "Hell Could Freeze" has to be one of their best. New York raptress Angel Haze talks about a failed relationship that she is willing to try again

Jessie Ware-Imagine It Was Us 

Her solo foray into the 90s house trend that has become so popular within the past year, Jessie blesses us with her consistently sultry vocals while serving some "Queen of The Night" realness in the music video.

Supercell-The Bravery 

J-Pop as I remember it from when I used to watch Anime as an awkward pre-adolesent/teen. Full of energy, heavy on the rock and a soaring inspiring chorus with so whoas and yeahs added for good measure. The five minute length is a turn off though.

Kate Nash-OHMYGOD! 

Kate Nash starts this punk-pop tune languid then hits us with a stir-crazy chorus that was made for the summer and for pop radio. Too bad she's independent now.

Kanye West-Bound 2

The Kanye West that everybody was waiting for to come back. Though the lyrics are a bit iffy, it still captures perfectly who Kanye was before his "808"days.

T-ARA N4-Countryside Life

THE BEST K-POP OF 2013 SO FAR!!! Only T-ARA would have the balls to have their sub-unit come out with a netizen diss song, incorporate the real Harlem shake in the video and update Richard Simmons's ridiculous exercises. Why U Hatin'?

Ellie Goulding "You, My Everything"

After premiering the compelling pop piece "Burn" yesterday, Ellie Goulding recorded a song especially for a special episode of the UK version of "Skins" (since MTV fails at adapting every British TV show and makes it shit). Let's us pray that "You, My Everything" makes the re-release of "Halcyon" and she comes to her senses and removes the Nate Ruess collaboration.

Graded Song: Ellie Goulding "Burn"

Ellie Goulding pumps out quality hits, whether they are her own alt-folktronica masterpieces of covers of other alternative artists, she knows music and keeps her fans begging for more. A re-release of Goulding's sophomore effort, "Halcyon" will hit stores later this year with a bunch of new tracks. The first single from the set, "Burn" was co-written by hitmaker Ryan Tedder and produced by pop's new go-to man Greg Kurstin. With this obviously being a calculated effort by Goulding's label, it is calculated enough to give her a massive hit? Ellie Goulding, you can do no wrong! The production boasts a Stargate-esque feel (Rihanna's "What's My Name" and Keri Hilson's "Lose Control" come to mind and has some nice reggae undertones to it, much like what Kurstin did for Beyonce with "Standing on The Sun". Ellie's high notes really give the song the character that makes it stand out amongst the rest of the top forty. So glad that this went to Ellie and not Leona Lewis (who also recorded a demo version of the song). This could be the follow-up to her stateside mega-smash "Lights" to make Ellie a radio staple again.
Final Grade:B+

Ellie Goulding "Tessellate"

Ellie never fails to impress with her covers. The British songstress pairs up with Chiddy Bang's Xaphoon Jones yet again for a cover of Alt-J's indie hit, "Tessellate". Her voice does wonder over the relaxed R&B-esque instrumental and puts listeners in a more chill mode than the original, which still slays. Why wasn't Xaphoon on any of the Halcyon tracks? They clearly make magic whenever they are in the studio, so why don't they use that and make some serious coins? I petition that he produces something for album #3! Listen to the cover and watch the video for Alt-J's original below!

Calvin Harris "I Need Your Love" Music Video

Can they be a real couple? Calvin Harris is having a very successful era with his 18 Months LP and is on single #7 with the Ellie Goulding-assisted "I Need Your Love". Now the video is out and it shows the Scottish DJ and the English beauty in a relationship and recording their every moment together. But it just so happens that a couple of other people get their hands on the camera as well. Check it!

Ellie Goulding "Explosions" Music Video

Another left field music video from Ellie Goulding. This time, it's the video for the apparent fan favourite, "Explosions," which will act as the third single from her album, "Halcyon". I never knew how much people liked the song until it somehow skyrocketed up the UK iTunes and Ellie made note of it herself. The music video is a black and white conglomeration of Miss Goulding touring the US and performing at different venues. I like the idea behind it, but they could have did some live footage and some filmed parts, especially for a song this epic. She still has a few songs left that could be possible singles so maybe she is saving her coins for then?