Man on the Moon Vol II

Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi made a big impression on the hip hop scene with his debut 'A kid named Cudi'. Well, he’s back again with a new record full of great muscular urban songs, hymns and tunes like 'Mr Rager'. His voice, lyrics and melodies give the record a special touch, all resting on his simple but attractive bases. He could take over from Common or Kanye West.

Body Talk

Robyn

Robyn has become a recent dance pop phenomenon. Some people even slot her into the indie scene, but in my opinion she’s just another cheap product aimed at the teenage market. 'Dancing on my own', 'Love kills' or 'Time machine' are the best moments on the record. But, unfortunately, the Swedish artist should be lumped in with the rest of the unbearable euro dance movement.

The Journey Aflame

Akua Naru

Akua Naru is an elegant female hip hop singer from Cologne in Germany, and she mixes jazz, soul or funk on her debut. The songs are very, very good. She’s like a street poetess and moves comfortably in urban rhythms and this record, the first good news of the year, also exhibits her African roots.

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Sly Johnson

French Singer Sly Johnson was one of the best surprises of 2010. He released the best record of the year, full of Otis Redding style gems. He has established himself on the recently formed soul scene and his greatest virtue is the elegance of his voice. 'Hey mama' kicks the record off to a stomping start and the rest of the songs certainly don’t lag behind. Essential.

Pop Negro

El Guincho

A lot has been said about El Guincho. The record has been named in the “Best-of-Year” list by the international music press. But his music really takes on another dimension live. His colorful songs transmit live energy. His success was brought about by the song 'Bombay', but I prefer 'Novias'. If you are fed up with listening to the same as always, this is what you were looking for.

Fields

Junip

Jose Gonzalez’s group, made up of old friends, are here with their first record. And a wonderful pop record it is too. Well-crafted songs with no unnecessary frilly bits. Once you listen to this record, you’ll find it very hard to get songs like 'Without you' or 'Always' out of your head. Bright pop that sounds like a summer hit which is probably why we like it so much. They’ll be playing it live in Bilbao in February.