Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' has become an essential part of the holiday season. Originally released in 1994 as the lead single from her Merry Christmas album, the song blends upbeat love lyrics with festive elements like bell chimes and synthesisers. Written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, it received immediate praise and chart success, reaching number two in the UK and Japan. Over time, the track's popularity has only grown, now becoming a Christmas standard that re-emerges each holiday season. Topping charts in over 30 countries and even breaking records for the longest gap between release and reaching number one in both the US and UK. This 7" release captures the joyful spirit of the song, making it an ideal choice for spinning during the holiday season. With 16 million copies sold worldwide, it's a track that has earned its place in the National Recording Registry and in countless holiday celebrations worldwide.

Review: A surprise addition to the series of Belinda Carlisle reissues mainly slated for 2023 comes this 2024 top-up edition of Real, complementing the already-out Demon Records versions of Heaven On Earth and Runaway Horses. Real is Carlisle's fifth studio album, for which a decided wardrobe reshuffle captures the mood; famously, the singer swapped her prior glamorous look for a jeans and tee shirt drip, coinciding with the ironic theme of authenticity which recurs throughout the album. Famed for its badboy biker-loving ballad 'Big Scary Animal', on which Carlisle confronts the id through coming face-to-face with 'feelings hid', and 'Lay Down Your Arms', on which a wild-western theme is subverted to provoke the sense of a lawless relationship triangle up for grabs.

Review: Released in 1993 and now reissued via its original label Demon, Belinda Carlisle's fifth solo album was notable for its standout singles 'Big Scary Animal' and 'Lay Down Your Arms', both of which showed off her raunchy, large, all-American style. At this stage in her career, we witnessed Carlisle deliberate on her femininity; re-form her agency under patriarchy; and subvert classic Westernized images of opulence, romance and wealth; all while keeping things instrumental energized and hey-ho. Now, once more, you can reexperience Carlisle's return to authentic source, with Real.

Review: Short n' sweet is perhaps the prevalent ideal of pop music today. Sabrina Carpenter's nectarous new record is a delightfully brief pick-me-up, one that nails the style. Described as a "pocket-sized popstar with a larger-than-life artistic presence" by Polydor, Carpenter's depiction as an idol of convenience and portability feels apt for today's always-on, attention-frazzling zeitgeist. Quick songwriterly syrups brightened-to-perfection productions help Carpenter trade in themes of youthful exuberance and glib spirit, as echoes of country music efflux through trap and ratchet pop; a quick rinse-off in an infinity pool of post-Taylor-Swift gloss. Titles like 'Sharpest Tool', 'Espresso', '15 Minutes' and 'Bed Chem' all seem to affirm the record's effective immediacy: and Carpenter owns the stimulant shot, as she taunts a romantic rival: "you'll just have to taste me me when he's kissing you..."

Review: Charli XCX's Brat And It's The Same But There's Three More Songs So It's Not is the deluxe edition of her genre-defying album Brat. Here her avant-pop brilliance and ability to blur the lines between underground innovation and mainstream appeal is on full display and the deluxe edition arrives just as Charli celebrates her first UK #1 single, 'Guess,' featured on this release. Charli XCX has consistently pushed the boundaries of pop, fusing experimental electronic elements with infectious hooks, and this deluxe edition is no exception. Each track brims with the creative energy and rebellious spirit that have become her trademarks. From its bold production to its daring lyrics, this album offers fans an even richer experience of Charli's trailblazing sound, ensuring her influence on pop culture continues to grow.

Review: After a longwinded brat summer, this re-iteration of Charli XCX's sixth album features 16 reimaginings of the smash success tracks from 'brat' from a star-studded list of appearances - namely Robyn, Yung Lean, Dua Lipa, Lorde and the first-ever feature from Billie Eilish. The club-influenced album became a smash success, catapulting her to become a top 100 artist overnight following a viral marketing campaign - whether you know it or not, the puke green and blurry font has definitely crossed paths with you. Whilst we have already had some great moments, with Lorde's verse on 'girl so confusing' responding to the original song, with Charli venting about a woman that she was incessantly compared to that she was jealous of and therefore couldn't be certain of the foundations of their friendship. The song of course broke the internet just like Charli foretold in the lyrics "One day we might make some music, the internet would go crazy". Many fans will just be excited to hear more in general, hardcore fans are eagerly awaiting the '365' remix by rising legend EASYFUN (aka Finn Keane), PC Music alumni, 1/2 of Thy Slaughter and producer for the likes of Bree Runway and Charli herself of course. The long-awaited remix album promises to close this era with a bang.

Review: Change lies at the very heart of "Carousel", the third and perhaps most-eagerly anticipated Clock Opera album to date. After all, it has been a long time coming. Spurred on by the personal experiences of Guy Connelly, if you're looking for something to buy loved ones as they enter parenthood for the first time, this may be it.

That's not a reference to dad rock or housewife pop. In the grand scheme of electronic music this is certainly at the safer end, informed by Brian Eno's ambience or "Homogenic"-era Bjork as much as sprawling, classically-informed science fiction. But it's anything but throwaway. Instead, it's the overarching themes that mark this one out as the ideal gift for those in periods of great transition. It looks at the challenges of newfound fatherhood, considers sacrifices necessary to alter behavioural patterns and asks what identity really means. Profound stuff.