Years & Years

Starstruck

Man of too many talents Olly Alexander follows his remarkable performance in It’s a Sin with his debut as the sole creative force in Years & Years. And if this is the first thing you hear once dancefloors reopen, with its fuzz-funk bass, astral glitteriness and oops-I-just-yeeted-my-snakebite-down-that-stranger’s-back chorus, you’ll have very few complaints.

Pizzagirl

Bullet Train

While you’re at it, get this in your “summer of suboptimal impulse control” playlist as well. Liam Brown has smooshed the wholesome whomp of pre-rubbishness MGMT with the Balearic white-trouseredness of Friendly Fires and made something so darn danceably lovely that it’ll make the inevitable fourth lockdown in September fly by.

Rina Sawayama ft Elton John

Chosen Family

If it was possible to choose your family, you’d have to at least consider Rina and Elton. Imagine Christmas: Rina’s wearing one of those jumpers with the flashing lights in the reindeer’s nose, Kate Bush-dancing round a conifer in the garden after her sixth Bailey’s coffee. Elton’s in his aquamarine tracksuit, slumped in his wingback, calling everybody a bastard. It would be amazing. What? Review the song? Erm, yeah. It’s quite nice.

Prince

Welcome 2 America

Ordinarily, the prospect of a man in his 50s (this was recorded in 2010) dad-rapping state-of-the-nation declarations such as “truth is a new minority” over a groove that Shaft might have on while trimming his tash would trigger a cringe reflex so devastating I’d knot like a deformed balloon animal. But this is Prince. So it’s predictably sensational.

Busta Rhymes ft Mariah Carey

Where I Belong

Any other absolute legends also experienced* (*old) enough to remember the last time these two collaborated (on 2002’s brilliant I Know What You Want) should temper any expectations. Because this is the disconsolate sound of two very rich people not really giving a snotty rag about what they’re doing. Which, given that each is in with a decent shout at being the best at their respective disciplines, isn’t really good enough, is it?