Music Album: Born Sinner by J. Cole

The hip hop world has been introduced to a new wave of rappers - on their way to becoming pioneers of the future. In world where Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Wale reign supreme as heirs to the hip hop throne, J. Cole stands out as an artist is his own lane, an underdog who can surprisingly give the aforementioned a run for their money. After a well-received debut album, he delivers Born Sinner - his captivating sophomore effort which aims to make his star sign brighter than it had before.

His brand of hip hop is reminiscent of the work of Nas. The blend of hip hop with r&b and soul make the album as a whole a pleasurable listening experience. On 'Let Nas Down,' he pays homage to the iconic rapper who had expressed his distaste in decisions that Cole had made with single choices of his first album, the heartfelt track received a resounding response from Nas himself. 'Power Trip ,' his emotionally charged collaboration with Miguel speaks on a relationship gone sour. 'Crooked Smile' (featuring TLC) amongst many, happens to be one of the many gems on this album.

The thrill of this album is that it provides a musical experience that is very much hip hop, he might not have the vulnerability of Wale, the versatility of Drake or the excellent wordplay of Kendrick Lamar – what he does have is a soothing storytelling rap style that is sincere, genuine and quite frankly, unlike anything we have heard from contemporary rapper since probably Nas.

Music Album: Ciara by Ciara

Two years and a few since the release of her last studio album, Ciara returns with her self-titled new effort. The album is her first for Epic Records and sees her team up with her mentor LA Reid for what many have considered to be the album that will see her return to musical prominence. She sticks to the urban r&b formula that she has explored on previous albums, but shows a bit more growth with lyrical content that make the songs sound very personal.

The album’s first single,’ Body Party’ sees her dive deeper into the slow-tempo r&b cuts that dominated her last album, but what makes the song even more special is the growth she exudes vocally. It would not be a Ciara album if she did not provide us with the hip hop influenced bouncy type of jams that have become a necessity for every album she has released since her debut – ‘I’m Out’ (Featuring Nicki Minaj) and the smack-talking ‘Keep On Looking’ are perfect examples of these. At a certain points, it might seem like there is nothing new or fresh that make the album stand out, but with songs like ‘Overdose,’ ‘Read My Lips,’ and her second collaboration with Nicki Minaj, ‘Living It Up’ – they are proof that she has the ability to produce her own blend of urban pop and switch up her musical style – not drastically as she did with the Fantasy Ride album.

Ciara isn’t a great album, but it certainly is a good one - that is the problem. We know Miss Harris can give her audience good music- she just needs to find the space she was during the Goodies and Evolution eras. She has given us great music before, so we know it is in her to give it to us again.

Music Album: Yeezus by Kanye West

The last few years has seen one of hip hop’s most dynamic artists flourish as seasoned producer and rapper. Within each year that Kanye West has released new material, he has managed to provide critically acclaimed body of work, which have also been commercially successful efforts. Over the years his professional and personal life have become a constant focus in the media which has led to negative results and has transformed this once cool, calm and collected rapper into an angry, outspoken force of unmatched creativity.

Yeezus is his follow-up solo effort since 2010's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2011's Watch the Throne with Jay-Z and 2012's Cruel Summer - his collective effort with artists signed to his G.O.O.D music label. The new album sees the return of the edgy Kanye we experienced during the 808s & Heartbreaks era, only this time he is erratic, angry and probably too edgy for his own good.

In some ways the album is similar to 808' which has a lot to do with use of autotune amd electronic type of instrumentation, quite reminiscent of 'Robocop,' 'Heartless' and 'Love Lockdown'. The albums kicks off with the very distracting 'On Sight' in what seems to be an interpolation of two contrasting songs, before transitioning into the bouncy 'Black Skinhead' and though there is something a bit off putting about the title - it is not awful as it may sound, as the African drums give it a certain substance, while the album’s first single, ‘New Slaves’ also makes for an interesting listen. Though the album in its entirety makes for a dull listen, high points are achieved as evidenced on the patois influenced and sexually suggestive 'I'm In It', and the enigmatic 'Blood on the Leaves.'

One thing is for sure, this might be the rapper’s most lacklustre of all his albums, though he still manages to give us glimpses of the artistic genius that he is, the body of work he presents here is a prime example of what happens when you try to be too creative for your own good, coupled with the fact that he presents his emotions in a flawed and matter of fact disturbing manner - but if there is anyone that can redeem himself, it is most certainly Mr West – so bring on the next album.

Live Review: Robbie Williams at Wembley Stadium (5th July 2013)

Many musicians aspire to lead a career with mainstream success and longevity, and for those that do have it, they do everything within their power to assure their audience of their artistic brilliance and continued dedication to creating music that they would love in the many years to come. Robbie Williams has worked really hard to achieve this feat and it was evidenced at his last show at London’s Wembley Stadium as part of his Take the Crown Tour – which he played to 68,000 cheering fans.

Following an electrifying opening set by fellow Brit crooner - Olly Murs, the stage was not ready for the awesomeness that was sure to follow. It was clear that Mr Williams was about to school every young, current male pop star on how to deliver a stadium-worthy performance.

Dressed in a sparkly sequined blazer, he emerged from atop the stage and zip-lined down it to join his band as he delivered the fantastic ‘Let Me Entertain You’ to earth-erupting screams as everyone stood on their feet to wave theirs arms and bop their heads to his iconic hit.

The UK pop legend came armed with edifices shaped as his head as balloons, sparks, flames and water exuded out of them, as he delivered his series of hits that followed. His persona and vibrant showmanship lit up the stage as he performed his 2009 hit ‘Bodies,’ and with a colourful backdrop, multi-coloured stage lights, he delivered his latest number one hit ‘Candy’ to roaring cheers and standing stadium crowd, before launching into another one of his iconic hits till date, ‘Rock DJ.’

Following an overwhelming request from fans on his personal blog, Mr Williams delivered personality filled ‘Monkey and Me’ with a humorous backdrop that was a sequencing between a 3D image of his head changing into that of a monkey.

The joy of his musical legacy has been his ability to deliver memorable ballads, and that is what he did when he performed his soaring hits, ‘She’s The One’ and ‘Feel’ even though he struggled with them vocally, the response from the crowd was enough for him to see it through.

To close out the blockbuster show, he performed what is undeniably his biggest and most recognised song, ‘Angels.’

One thing is for sure, the sheer delivery of his own brand pop showmanship only proves why Mr Williams has been able to remain consistent in his 20 + year career, and it is amazing to see that there are no signs of him slowing down. In a league of extra-ordinary UK pop performers, he is definitely high on list next to David Bowie or Elton John.

Music Album: Talk a Good Game by Kelly Rowland

With Kelly’s last album, not only did she score the biggest hit of her solo career with ‘Motivation’, but it also revealed an individuality that seemed to take her out of the over-empowering shadow of Beyoncé. With her latest, that individuality and independent identity seems to have disappeared which is mostly due to her very honest revelations on the emotional ballad, ‘Dirty Laundry’ – written and produced by The Dream (the superstar producer with whom Beyoncé frequently collaborates with).

Musically, Talk a Good Game still delivers on certain levels, especially when the songstress takes a slow tempo and moderate vocal delivery approach as she does on songs like ‘#1,’ ‘Kisses Down Low’ and ‘Down On Love.’ She soars on the tender ballads ‘I Remember’ and ‘This Is Love,’ and while her collaboration with Wiz Khalifa on ‘Gone’ is awesome as it sample Joni Mitchell’s ‘Big Yellow Taxi,’ Janet Jackson’s Gone ‘Til Its Gone suffices as a better and more memorable sample of the iconic song.

On other parts of the album, the directions of the songs seem to unbalance the overall music direction, making it a confusing musical experience in its entirety. The album was originally named Year of the Woman, and Kelly claims that she was inspired by r&b sounds that she grew up listening to but that inspiration is somewhat non-existent in the content which she provides. ‘Game is not an awful album, but it is not an awesome one either. The direction she took with Here I Am could have been explored further and could have cemented her as a contemporary urban r&b force.