Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

She’s best known as the female voice in “Somebody That I Used to Know,” the Grammy-winning duet with Goyte, and also appeared in the song’s video (over 500 million views on YouTube). Now Kimbra is ready for her close up. On her second studio album, the 24-year-old New Zealander steps out with an eclectic showcase that reveals her debt to Prince and Michael Jackson. But Kimbra is no copycat. “I don’t find it that interesting to just pull from a style,” she says, “[but rather] how can you spin a futurist perspective on these ideas?” A futuristic spin is all over songs like “90s Music,” her delightfully bizarre blend of beats and blips mixed with r&b falsetto vocals. Kimbra also displays he...

A longtime JJ admirer, Clapton brings together his buddies, including Willie Nelson and Tom Petty, to honor the laid-back legend. Mark Knopfler embraces the boogie in “Train to Nowhere,” while Clapton spices up the sensuous groove of “Cajun Moon. Best of all is John Mayer’s graceful rendition of “Magnolia,” JJ’s deliciously sweet love song.

The Godfather of Soul was an explosive, one-of-a-kind performer, capable of ecstatic gospel and frenzied funk. The new biopic, co-produced by Mick Jagger, sticks to his original music, including previously unreleased live recordings of “Please Please Please” and “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” that capture all the legendary star’s raw power.

The latest girl group from the stable that produced the Pussycat Dolls and Girlicious debuted on Pitbull’s single “Wild Wild Love.” Now the quintet, which includes Canadian Emmalyn Estrada, unleashes its dance-pop sound on empowerment anthems like the playful “Girls Are Always Right” and the sassy, pretty-boy putdown “Ugly Heart.”

With the infectious, sax-driven jam “Problem,” Grande already has one of the songs of the summer. The bouncy first single from her sophomore album topped the iTunes chart in over 50 countries and set the 21-year-old Florida singer well on her way. Grande’s certainly got the right team behind her, including manager Scooter Braun (Justin Bieber) and producer Max Martin (Britney Spears), the man responsible for “Problem” and three other tracks on the new album. She’s also now dating rapper Big Sean with whom she collaborated on last year’s “Right There” and again on her latest single, the laid-back ballad “Best Mistake.” But Grande, known for her Mariah Carey-style power vocals and signature ha...

She’s danced in videos for Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran. But these days FKA twigs, born Tahliah Barnett in Gloucester, England, is dancing for no one but herself. The 26-year-old stepped out on her own last year with two extended play recordings, titled simply EP1 and EP2, that drew critical acclaim for their distinctive electropop sound. Now Barnett has released her first album. And while it’s also generically titled, there’s nothing generic about LP1. As a singer-songwriter, Barnett breaks all pop conventions, favoring mysterious moods over melodic hooks and fresh rhythms over predictable beats. Her soulful voice is startlingly sensuous, cooing breathlessly on songs about sex, love and tru...

Most people know him as a loveable, nerdy actor. But those paying closer attention will know that Cera has a musical side, having sung with Ellen Page in Juno and played bass in Scott Pilgrim vs the World. He also delivered a sweet if awkward rendition of the Guess Who hit “These Eyes” in Superbad. Earlier this month, the 26-year-old Canadian quietly released an album online that might have gone unnoticed—if his friend and fellow actor Jonah Hill hadn’t tweeted about it to his 4.4 million followers. Cera's true that features jazzy piano instrumentals and folky ballads recorded in his New York apartment. “Of a Thursday” is a quirky ragtime number, while “ohNadine” stands out as a dreamy love ...

Katrina’s sail will be forever tied to “Walking on Sunshine,” the buoyant 1985 pop hit she sang with Katrina & the Waves. The feel-good song took the group around the world, opening for Fleetwood Mac and the Beach Boys, and established Katrina as a star—especially in England, where the U.S.-born musician continued to record and appear as a BBC presenter. Now Leskanich, 54, is back on tour with other ’80s stars like Howard Jones, Midge Ure, China Crisis and Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins. She also has Blisland, her first new studio album in 10 years. Along with rockers like “Sun Coming Upper” and the breezy title track, it includes a blues-inflected take on “Walking on Sunshine.” Admits...

It’s been a busy time for Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, who married model Behati Prinsloo and is co-starring with Keira Knightley in the film Begin Again. Now the 35-year-old singer, who’s also a coach on TV’s The Voice, leads his band back with its fifth studio album. Like its predecessor, Overexposed, the latest features a dance-friendly sound assisted by producer Benny Blanco. Lead single “Maps,” which boasts a Sting and Police-like refrain, is a co-write between Levine and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, who’s penned hits for Beyoncé and Adele. The falsetto-drenched “Animals,” an ode to primal urges and instincts, is also on the charts. Meanwhile, Maroon 5 fans will thrill to hear Levine and...

It’s no secret that McGraw’s a family guy. He and his wife, Faith Hill, are country music’s most glamorous power couple, but McGraw loves nothing better than kicking back with Faith and their three teenage daughters. Not surprisingly, the 13th studio album from the Grammy-winning singer and actor (Country Strong) is full of such downhome ballads as the mandolin-laced “Sick of Me,” and the dreamy “Diamond Rings and Barstools,” sung with his cousin Catherine Dunn. Even uptempo numbers like “City Lights” and “Shotgun Rider” conjure up folksy images of a country boy besotted with the girl riding next to him in his pickup truck. The album’s highlight is “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s,” a duet between ...