Britney Spears Glory (2020)

On her ninth album, Britney Spears sounds happy to have settled into her status as a grande dame of forward-thinking pop. Downtempo offerings like the gauzy come-on “Make Me…”, the reggae-inflected Tinashe duet “Slumber Party” and the cooing “Man On the Moon” put Spears’ sensual side on full display. On the wide-eyed, bouncy “Clumsy”, the swaggering “Do You Wanna Come Over?” and the vampy “What You Need”, she gets playful over booming beats. This expanded deluxe edition includes fresh remixes of “Mood Ring” and the brand-new single “Matches”, a glossy collaboration with the Backstreet Boys that feels like a long-time dream come true for early-aughts pop fanatics.

The most compelling arc in the story of a major pop act is always the one where their sound deepens and matures, with the band finally balancing who they are with who the label wants them to be. From the start, Little Mix have been on a mission to perfect this balance, countering their televised coronation as winners of U.K.'s The X Factor in 2011 with albums that showcase their soulful voices and knack for multi-part harmony with believably righteous feminist and sex-positive messages. Released in 2018, the aptly titled LM5 feels like the apotheosis of this journey, and once again presents the group as an empowered pop force to be reckoned with.

What would the movies be without music? Imagine Pulp Fiction without Dick Dale’s cataclysmic surf-rock guitar. Or Super Fly without Curtis Mayfield’s haunted croon. It’s impossible to do. Throughout film history, songs have added glory to struggle, majesty to landscapes, depth to heroes and villains alike. When sound and vision meet, transcendence ensues. A Night At The Movies is a brand new 3CD collection of songs which not only featured in iconic films, but elevated them to legendary status. So ladies and gentlemen, take your seats, and enjoy the show!