The movie version of Stephen Sondheim’s musical, which draws from several Grimm fairy tales, is certain to be a Christmas box-office smash. The soundtrack features a 69-piece orchestra and thrilling performances by such stars as Meryl Streep (the Witch), Johnny Depp (the Wolf) and Emily Blunt (the Baker’s Wife).
Sting introduced the moving tale of life in his shipyard home in northeast England on his 2013 album of the same name, which has now inspired a Broadway musical. Soundtrack highlights include Sting’s classic “When We Dance” and two versions of his stirring ballad “What Say You, Meg,” including one sung by the man himself.
After 16 years and six epic films, Canadian-born soundtrack wizard Howard Shore brings the big-screen adaptions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s celebrated novels to a stirring conclusion. The award-winning composer’s score ends with Billy Boyd (Pippin in Lord of the Rings), singing “The Last Goodbye,” an emotional ballad bound to bring goosebumps.
England’s Charli XCX currently rules as one of pop’s hottest properties, having written two of the biggest songs in recent memory: Icona Pop’s trashy smash “I Love It” and Iggy Azalea’s sassy blockbuster “Fancy,” which has earned her and the Aussie rapper a pair of nominations at next year’s Grammys. This summer, Charli, born Charlotte Aitchison, had her song “Boom Clap” featured in the hit movie Fault in Our Stars and another, “Kingdom,” in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1. Now the 22-year-old star has her second major-label album ready to dominate the charts. Featuring the heart-thumping “Boom Clap” and her delightfully bratty “Break the Rules,” both already hits, the 13-track collection...
The ex-British Army officer has personified romantic pop ever since topping the charts worldwide with his 2005 song “You’re Personified.” He’s also been linked to several supermodels and was living la vida loca on the Spanish island of Ibiza, the party capital of the world, where he owns a nightclub called Blunty’s. That all changed in September, when the five-time Grammy nominee married British socialite Sofia Wellesley. Now Blunt has released this EP taken from the deluxe Apollo Edition of his fourth studio album, Moon Landing. There’s a confessional quality to the five featured songs, especially “Working It Out” and “Trail of Broken Hearts.” And when Blunt sings “I’ll be much better than ...
Adams would have remained a Top 20 opening act if it hadn’t been for this 1984 breakthrough, which featured six massive hits, including the timeless “Summer of ’69” and “It’s Only Love,” his duet with Tina Turner. Now reissued with bonus tracks and a concert DVD, it’s the Canadian superstar’s game-changing classic.
This is a dramatic reinvention. The French EDM DJ has crafted a genre-crossing pop record, ranging from the soulful “What I Did for Love” with Emeli Sandé and the powerhouse ballad “Bang My Head” with Sia to the propulsive “Hey Mama” with Nicki Minaj and Afrojack and the soaring title track with John Legend.
The excitement around the soundtrack rivals that for the sci-fi series’ third instalment. Besides Charli XCX and Grace Jones, the album features Lorde, the collection’s curator, on the opening hip-hop jam “Meltdown,” the closing Bright Eyes ballad “Ladder Song” and two versions of her “Yellow Flicker Beat,” including a moody remix by Kanye West.
Azalea’s ultra-catchy single “Fancy” was the standout track from her breakout disc and is reprised here in the Aussie rapper’s latest collection. The repackaged album features five new songs, including “Beg For It,” a similarly hook-filled number in which Danish singer MØ sings a Charli XCX-style chorus. Call it “Fancy, Part 2.”
The Dreamgirls star’s third album finds her spinning under the disco ball with Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and Timbaland on dancefloor fillers “He Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” and “Walk It Out” respectively. Best is “I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel),” a booty-shaking duet with rapper T.I. written by proven hit-maker Pharrell Williams.
