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Uneven albums and a long stint as a coach on TV’s The Voice kept Christina Aguilera from cementing her status as one of pop’s most gifted singers. Now she’s broken free and found her way with this, her eighth album and first in over five years. Mixing hip-hop, reggae and dance elements with her signature power ballads, the 15-track collection is Aguilera’s unwavering statement of independence and self-discovery. Always adept at picking collaborators, she teams up with Kanye West on the infectious “Accelerate” and “Maria” and with Anderson. Paak on the edgy “Sick of Sittin.’” “Right Moves” is a sexy island-flavoured workout, while the Julia Michaels-penned “Deserve” is an anguished r&b co...

Drake’s Views sold more than any recording last year. Like much of his music, the album—right down to its cover photo of him sitting atop the CN Tower—was an homage to his hometown of Toronto. The “Hotline Bling” singer’s latest recording (which he calls a “playlist”) is full of references and guests from his beloved “6.” But the collection of 22 songs, with a recorded voicemail from his mother, Sandi Graham, and a retro cover photo of his dad, Dennis Graham, casts its musical net further afield, drawing from across the African diaspora. The playlist’s title is a Jamaican expression of encouragement and there’s a strong Caribbean vibe. Two tracks feature Atlanta rapper Young Thug, while the ...

There’s a chance that hip hop’s most audacious innovator leaked his latest opus himself so he could focus on fatherhood. Appearing online the day before his girlfriend Kim Kardashian gave birth to their daughter, Kanye’s sixth studio album is a dark, experimental affair that finds the Grammy-winning rapper exorcizing demons while mixing dancehall, house and industrial music. Already controversial due to misogynistic lyrics and the ego-crazy “I Am a God,” the album is disturbing, inspiring and confounding all at once. Guests include Frank Ocean and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and the catchiest songs are those produced by French electronic hitmakers Daft Punk, who turn “Black Skinhead” into a sur...

“My 15 minutes started an hour ago,” raps Drake on “Fireworks,” the opening number featuring Alicia Keys on his debut album. True, Drake’s fame—both as a rapper and an actor on Degrassi: The Next Generation—precedes this long-awaited release. Working with hip-hop heavyweights like Jay-Z and Kanye West, the Toronto-born artist shows off his lyrical skills on tracks like “Light Up” and “Show Me a Good Time.” But on the deeply romantic “Find Your Love” Drake also proves himself a most promising crooner.