Journal

40. Tori Amos – Abnormally Attracted To Sin (45 plays)
Abnormally Attracted to Sin is the Tori's tenth studio album. Not her best work, but it’s vocally sweet and hypnotically somber, so she deserves this position in my chart.
Check it out: Lady In Blue

39. Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3 (40 plays)
I’m not a fan of him but Empire State of Mind is incredible good.

38. Mika – The Boy Who Knew Too Much (44 plays)
Overall it can't come close to ‘Life In Cartoon Motion’, just not so catchy as his previous album.
Highlight: Rain

37. R. Kelly – Untitled (38 plays)
Interesting fact: R. Kelly's Untitled was originally going to be called 12 Play: Fourth Quarter. That name was apparently scrapped sometime before R. Kelly walked into an Atlanta club and spoke thus: "I'm working on a new album and I'm calling that muthaf*cka Untitled. Y'all call it what y'all want."
Best track: Go Low

36. Depeche Mode – Sounds Of The Universe (48 plays)
This is Depeche Mode's 12th studio album, but they are still on top! Good old rock music :)
Highlights: Wrong, Jezebel

35. Ciara – Fantasy Ride (73 plays)
This album is pretty much average compared to her previous albums. I hope that next CD will be more like ‘Goodies’ or ‘The Evolution’.
Check it out: Turntables

34. Moby – Wait For Me (74 plays)
In My Opinion ‘Wait For Me’ is the saddest album in Moby’s oeuvre. Some songs are just heartbreaking…
Highlights: Mistake, Wait For Me

33. Mary J. Blige – Stronger withEach Tear (34 plays)
"Stronger With Each Tear might not have the raw emotionalism of some of her earlier work but it's clearly a polished performance from a woman who's 100% comfortable in her own skin, healed wounds and all".
Favorite songs: We Got Hood Love, Kitchen

32. Maisey Rika – Tohu (67 plays)
Maisey Rika, has one of New Zealand's most impressive lead vocal style, fused with her honest and thought invoking messages. Some have described her sound similar to Tracey Chapman or Sade, with a splash of India Arie.
Best tracks: Ladeda Day, Musical Pillow, Musical Bed

31. Paloma Faith – Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? (61 plays)
There is no doubt that she is an excellent singer with a solid voice and there is some very solid material on her latest CD, songs such as New York and My Legs Are Weak

30. Syleena Johnson – Chapter 4: Labor Pains (64 plays)
Another CD - another chapter. Pure R'n'B from Johnson! Syleena is currently in the studio beginning work on Chapter 5 and it is hoped that Kanye West and Carvin & Ivan will be among the producers on the yet-to-be-titled fifth installment.
Somethin' 4 u: Is It Because I'm Black, shoo fly

29. Katy Perry – MTV Unplugged (30 plays)
Excellent songs + good vocals + tons of energy = Great unplugged session.
Highlight: Ur So Gay

28. Maxwell – BLACKsummers'night (90 plays)
This is a wonderful return of Maxwell. What can be better than sexy, powerful and smooth voice? Definitely recommend it if you like HQ soul music.
Check it out: Bad Habits

27. Алина Сиппс – Джаз Кафе (97 plays)
Один из 2-х русскоязычных альбомов, которые представлены здесь. Интересное сочетание репа и джаза. В общем и целом очень добротный диск, который можно рекомендовать поклонникам обоих жанров.
Трек на зацен: Бухарест (feat. БелыйМЦ)

26. Kris Allen – Kris Allen (108 plays)
When I first heard the snippets I wasn't so sure how much I was going to like the album. But now I can say that this is a good debut for Kris.
Best tracks are: Can't Stay Away and Written All Over My Face

25. Brian McKnight – Evolution Of A Man (73 plays)
Overall great effort from Brian, my personal favorites are JustAlittleBit and Ibetchaneva

24. Whitney Houston – I Look To You (86 plays)
Whitney's first studio album in nearly 7 years and thankfully it's a solid album. It's good to have our Whitney back! Yes, her voice on the whole does have a slightly harsher sound to it, but it's still Ms. Houston.
My Recommendations: Salute, Call You Tonight

23. Kelly Clarkson – All I Ever Wanted (148 plays)
Good pop-rock music. It’s not as good as ‘Breakaway’, but better than ‘My December’ and if you are a fan of Kelly you will love this CD for sure.
Highlights: Long Shot and If No One Will Listen

22. Ledisi – Turn Me Loose (112 plays)
“Turn Me Loose probably should be called Turn Back the Clock for all the retro soul moves Ledisi makes But then again, she makes everything old new again with a fresh attitude and state-of-the-art production”. Soul, Jazz, Funk, R’n’B and even some hip-hop vibrations are represented on this CD.
Highlights: Turn Me Loose, Knockin'

21. Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D. (99 plays)
With ‘I Gotta Feeling’ the Black Eyed Peas landed themselves the anthem of 2009, it was a very big hit like in every single country. But for me it’s not their best work to date, I do miss the old BEP… Still ‘The Energy Never Dies!’ :)
Favorite songs: Imma Be and Boom Boom Pow

20. Alexandra Burke – Overcome (131 plays)
8 months after being crowned victor of the X Factor, Alexandra Burke delivers ‘Overcome’. It looks like she has really become a good singer cause her debut album is surprisingly good.
Strongest Songs: The Silence, Good Night Good Morning (feat. Ne-Yo)

19. David Guetta – One Love (158 plays)
David Guetta's name is synonymous with the world's greatest house and dance music. He has been France’s No. 1 club DJ for a decade, and was named the world’s No. 1 House DJ in 2008. David has made 4 great albums and my personal favorite is ‘Guetta Blaster’, though ‘One Love’ is the most successful one (topped the charts in 17 countries).
My Recommendations: One Love (feat. Estelle) and Choose (feat. Ne-Yo & Kelly Rowland)

18. Винтаж – Sex (226 plays)
Одна из немногих групп на российской эстраде, которую можно слушать и получать удовольствие. Чего-чего, а удовольствия в этом альбоме полно – одно название чего стоит. :) Радует то, что и помимо знаменитой ‘Евы’ у группы нашлись не менее хорошие песни.
На кач: Одиночество любви, Мальчик

17. Stefanie Heinzmann – Roots To Grow (204 plays)
Stefanie Heinzmann is a Swiss soul singer. She gained public interest in early 2008 when she won a talent contest hosted in Stefan Raab's Late-Night-Show TV total on the German ProSieben network. In 2009 she released her 2nd album titled ‘Roots to Grow’, it's a pretty good album, though there aren't many standout tracks.
Check it out: How Does It Feel, Bet That I’m Better

16. Sofa – DoReMiFaSoFa (213 plays)
Sofa is a polish group formed in 2003, which plays experimental, roots, soul, funk, hip-hop, R’n’B, jazz, electronic, alternative. They are like ‘SiStars vol. 2’ for me, can’t help myself – just love good polish music :)
Best songs: Don't Run [Do You] (feat. Frank McComb), Keep on shakin', We Broke/Retrospektik Pt. 1

15. Rihanna – Rated R (113 plays)
Very unexpected CD from Barbadian singer. I am not in love with every song, but I must admit that ‘Rated R’ is her most diverse album to date.
The stand out tracks for me are: Cold Case Love, Photographs and Russian Roulette

14. Outlandish – Sound of a Rebel (139 plays)
Another solid hip-hop album from the world famous Danish band. I really like Arabic and Indian element in their oeuvre, these guys are extraordinary talented. There’s no powerful song like ‘Aicha’ or’ Callin' U’, though the rhythm, the sound and the lyrics of new material are awesome.
Strongest songs: Rock All Day, Someday, Crash n´ Burn

13. Chrisette Michele – Epiphany (154 plays)
She is one of the many artists that I've discovered in 2009 and ‘Epiphany’ is one of those rare cd's where all songs are excellent - I can play it constantly without skipping any track. The CD is worth buying.
Highlights: Blame It On Me, Notebook, Epiphany (I'm Leaving)

12. Beyoncé – I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance At Wynn Las Vegas (113 plays)
This is a must-have if you are a true fan of Beyoncé. She can write, sing, perform and just make you feel great. This live album is fantastic! Nothing else to say :)
My Recommendations: Scared Of Lonely, Hello, Sweet Dreams

11. Beverley Knight – 100% (243 plays)
Beverley is one of the best British singers in my opinion, but this is the first complete album that I love, cause every track is great. Her vocal ability is faultless, her lyrics can touch every piece of your heart and soul… That’s 100% guaranteed.
Best songs: 100%, Bare, Turned To Stone

10. Daniel Merriweather – Love & War (261 plays)
I don't remember the day when I decided to download his album and I don’t know why I did it, but it was definitely worth it. After several successful collaborations with some artists, Daniel released his official debut album, Love & War which became quite successful in the UK, selling more than 200 000 copies to date.
Check it out: Red, Water And A Flame

9. Jason Mraz – Jason Mraz's Beautiful Mess - Live On Earth (213 plays)
Well, I am a big fan of this guy - “We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.” still is on a heavy rotation on my PC and I pod. ‘Live On Earth’ is the second official full length concert recording from Jason and it shows that Mraz is one of the few artists who sing even better live. Unforgettable 76 minutes of pleasure guaranteed.
Strongest Songs: Only Human, Coyotes, The Boy's Gone and many more!

8. VV Brown – Travelling Like The Light (282 plays)
Having never heard of her before, I have downloaded 'Travelling Like the Light', and I was pleasantly surprised. Really great album as all the songs are really good and catchy. Too bad that she is so underrated.
Highlights: Shark in the Water, Crazy Amazing and Game Over

7. Robin Thicke – Sex Therapy: The Experience (197 plays)
This album is pure sex laced with a nice mix of slow jams and crazy beats. Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Estelle, Jazmine Sullivan and many more special guests are here for your entertainment. If you loved ‘The Evolution of Robin Thicke’ then you won't be disappointed with this one.
Highlights: Rollacoasta, Million Dolla Baby, 2 Luv Birds & Jus Right

6. Alicia Keys – The Element Of Freedom (248 plays)
Alicia brings something new every time she drops an album. The album has an innovative, experimental touch to it that works very well. Overall I'm enjoying listening to this set, though it’s a little step back compared to ‘The Diary of Alicia Keys’.
The stand out tracks are: Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart, Un-thinkable (I'm Ready), Lover Man

5. Laura Izibor – Let the Truth Be Told (261 plays)
I just love everything about this woman: her strong voice, her shining lyrics, her unique style and her beautiful appearance. ‘Let the Truth Be Told’ is one of the best R’n’B albums of this decade, especially considering the fact that this is her debut.
Strongest songs: If Tonight Is My Last, Perfect World, Yes (I'll Be Your Baby)

4. Melanie Fiona – The Bridge (387 plays)
Melanie Fiona is the best new artist among those who have made their debut this year. And if you didn't know Melanie Fiona, she is someone to look out for. I believe with her own sound and strong vocal she will be more successful in the near future.
Check it out: Monday Morning, It Kills Me, Priceless, Johnny

3. Jamie Cullum – The Pursuit (526 plays)
This is by far Cullum's best album to date because there are no filler tracks at all like on previous albums. He just keeps getting better and better with every CD. I wonder how he will surpass himself? :)
Highlights: Music Is Through, If I Ruled The World, Don't Stop The Music, Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down, Mixtape

2. Joss Stone – Colour Me Free! (578 plays)
This lady is the definition of soul music for me, she never disappoints! I’m happy that she's stayed true to herself - with her voice, her look, and her success, Joss could probably be a huge pop star if she wanted to, but instead she chooses to continue doing what she does best. It's just a shame that she's had problems with her record company and that it hasn't been promoted more.
My Recommendations: Could Have Been You, Lady, 4 and 20, Governmentalist (feat. Nas), Mr. Wankerman

1. No Angels – Welcome To The Dance (1503 plays)
This is a difficult time for girls - awful incident with Nadja, problems with a record company and the fact that Germany doesn't care about homegrown international-sounding Pop acts anymore. That’s why ‘Welcome to the Dance’ is Angels biggest flop to date. But for me this is officially their best work, I was sooo addicted to it some months ago! I guess they should promote their stuff in other countries.
Highlights: One Life, Derailed, Dance-Aholic, Too Old, Thunderstorm