AAC

This is reminiscent of his earlier material. It's good, and his flow is tight. It's definitely not lead single material, and I think it's been confirmed as the official first "buzz" single, hasn't it?

Nicki goes hard on this! Her verse, along with Weezy's & Gudda's are the best for me. Great tune, with an amazing hook. The Young Money album is quite solid. There are a a few filler tracks, with lack of flow, and the production is pretty standard, but it's grown on me as a whole. "Roger That" is killer, with a great accompanying video.

I love The-Dream probably more than most people on this board, but it's just a poor effort. Ludacris' verse is pretty neat, but as a whole, the "remix" is lame. This is record is going to flop hard. I don't know why they don't re-package "Memoirs" with the remix album, instead of starting a brand new era (while adding a few new lines from the tracks on MOAIA). A brand new release is just such a bad idea considering the sales won't count towards "Memoirs".

LOL, I feel the love, Jark ;) I think he is actually really refreshing. His flow (when rapping) is so smooth, and his singing is almost as good (he really doesn't need to use auto-tune as much). He's a great hybrid, who knows how to write some great lyrics. Anyway, "Over" is just mesmerising. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but damn when I'm listening to this track it's like I'm having an ear orgasm. It's definitely not as commercial as I thought it would be, lacking somewhat of a "pop" hook. It's definitely been manufactured for Urban radio, I'm not sure how much crossover success he'll have with this. I love the progression to the chorus; some have complained, but I think it makes the song quite disctinctive. And the production, holy $h!t, the beat goes hard. Just an epic song all round, and even though it may not be as successful as "Best I Ever Had" I think it's one of his most intelligent and interesting songs. I have a feeling this may end up being labelled as "buzz" single which is so common now. I'm anticipating his debut record now more than ever.

"The Moon and the Sky" & "In Another Time" are my favourites. A really strong, mellow record, and it's made me want to seek their previous work.

Bleeding Love vs. Happy - No contest! Whatever It Takes vs. I Got You Homeless vs. Can't Breathe - Maybe my favourite track by Leona Better In Time vs. Brave Yesterday vs. Outta My Head Take A Bow vs. My Hands - This was tough, but "My Hands" is too beautiful I Will Be vs. Love Letter Angel vs. Broken Here I Am vs. Naked I'm You vs. Stop Crying your Heart Out Best You Never Had vs. Don't Let Me Down First Time Ever I Saw Your Face vs. Alive Footprints In The Sand vs. Lost Then Found [Feat. OneRepublic] A Moment Like This vs. Stone Hearts Spirit: 4 Echo: 10

Beautifully shot, but a terribly weak video. I wanted to see more of Leona, she's visually mesmerising! I still love the song, though.

You know, there were some real gems on "As I Am". It's one of my favourite records of all time. So sensitive, and sincere. Maybe not overly commercial, but "No One", "Teenage Love Affair", "Lesson Learned", "Tell You Something" and of course, the unbelievably epic "Like You'll Never See Me Again" are all some of her best tracks, in my opinion. I don't think it's her best album, but I actually think it's now become somewhat underrated. "Prelude to a Kiss" is also simply gorgeous. The use of drums made this sound like a real old school, soulful R&B record, which may be why I love it so much. But anyway, I'm ecstatic "The Element of Freedom" is doing so well over here in the UK. I'm so proud to see her have a hugely successful era.

There seems to be a lot of confusion for it's release in the U.S. Either way, the album may now be dead, stateside anyhow. Hopefully this can be successful in the UK, but I'm not sure. Really looking forward to the video, she looks stunning.

Ahh, my bad. I'll amend it now.

Yeah, it's odd that LeToya isn't included in this list, yet some artists who clearly belong in the genres Pop & Hip Hop are listed... but whatever. 05 Akon ?? Alexandra Burke 11 Alicia Keys 04 Asher Roth 09 Beyoncé ?? Beverley Knight 10 Black Eyed Peas ?? Chipmunk 06 Chris Brown 07 Ciara 00 Dizzee Rascal 10 Eminem 01 Flo Rida 02 Jade Ewen ?? Jason DeRulo 06 Jay Sean 09 Jay-Z 04 Jennifer Hudson 01 Jeremih 00 JLS 01 Jordin Sparks 07 Kanye West 07 Keri Hilson ?? Kid Sister 00 Kristinia DeBarge ?? Lady Sovereign ?? Lemar 10 Lil' Wayne 02 Livvi Franc 10 Mariah Carey 05 Mary J. Blige 06 Melanie Fiona ?? MPHO 08 Mr. Hudson -01 N-Dubz ?? Nneka 01 Pitbull 02 Pussycat Dolls 09 Rihanna 03 Sean Kingston 01 Sean Paul 03 Shontelle 04 Soulja Boy Tell 'Em 01 Taio Cruz 10 The-Dream 09 T.I. 05 Timbaland ?? Tinchy Stryder 08 Wale 06 Whitney Houston

Release date is now March 30. The videos for "Up Out My Face" and "Angels Cry" have been premiered. "UOMF" is so fun, her best since "Touch My Body". Seriously, I think it's a video that will be remembered and instantly recognisable. "AC", on the other hand, is pretty standard. The inclusion of her perfume made me cringe. Not loving it at all.

I disagree, completely. Oh, and I do know what is played on American radio as I only left the US a few years ago ;). It'd do well on Urban AC, but it's too chilled out to do well on Pop. Definitely not a strong single choice.

RE: her vocals. Yeah, she's definitely struggling this era. Some of her performances of "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" have been incredibly average. I haven't had a chance to see Jonathan Ross yet, but will do shortly. Still, she's sounded great everytime she's performed "Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)" which is my favourite track. I'm still so happy to see her bust out the promo again this era, even if she is sounding more strained than usual.

I hope I'm wrong but I have a feeling this may chart low. It's such a shame as the hook is great, and as an overall track it's so much stronger than "Happy". I just think there's little interest in her at the moment, and delaying the release until February 22 is just going to make matters worse. Oh well, at least her album sales within the UK have been good.

I've never been a fan of Shontelle, and I really dislike "Licky". I'll give her credit for creating something other than generic which was my strong feeling of her debut album. "Impossible" however, is actually a great track. After one listen, the hook was in my head. I'm quite impressed, but I still don't think it'll save her from flopping due to lack of interest.

An absolutely amazing piece of production. Seriously, it's just perfect. Weezy's verses are OK, but Em kills it. The hook is pretty cool, too, backed by a strong, harsh guitar riff.

The accent is, like, her shtick, you know? Anyway, "Angels Cry" is nice. "Up Out My Face" is just pure fire. It was a favorite of mine since the album was released, and Nicki's swagger just adds to it's quality. Damn, she goes hard.

Wow, fresh production, and a great hook. Weezy's verse goes hard, too. I see this being a big success.

Yeah, maybe you should preview a few tracks before buying The-Dream's latest record? Electrik Red's "How to Be a Lady: Vol. 1" is killer. It would've made my top 10 best albums for sure. Production is hot, but again as the record is solely produced by The-Dream & Tricky Stewart, it's full of trashy "LOL" moment lyrics (in a good way, of course). Mary's "Stronger withEach Tear" is a bit of a disappointment for me. She murders it on "Said & Done" and "Kitchen", though. I'd like to see Jonjo's list too, actually. I wouldn't call JLS R&B. Well, I suppose their R&B influenced pop, but whatever, there's not much to differenciate between genres nowadays.

I can't believe I forgot "Man on the Moon: The End of Day"! It'd probably be my #2 as it's so consistent. The album has a great sound with such range. Oh, The-Dream's album is great if you can deal with some trashy lyrics, LOL. The album is full of hot, smooth production and great melodies. A few sex jams, too. Anyway, here's my top 20 R&B/Hip Hop songs of 2009: #1: "Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)" Alicia Keys #2: "Pretty Wings" Maxwell #3: "H.A.T.E.U." Mariah Carey #4: "Life in Marvelous Times" Mos Def #5: "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" Alicia Keys #6: "Soundtrack 2 My Life" Kid CuDi #7: "Daddy's Home (Hey Daddy)" Usher featuring Plies #8: "Best I Ever Had" Drake #9: "Fistful of Tears" Maxwell #10: "Kill Bill" Electrik Red #11: "Quiet Dog Bite Hard" Mos Def #12: "Hard" Rihanna featuring Young Jeezy #13: "Bad Habits" Maxwell #14: "Slow Dance" Keri Hilson #15: "I Invented Sex" Trey Songz featuring Drake #16: "Walkin' on the Moon" The-Dream featuring Kanye West #17: "BedRock" Young Money #18: "Empire State of Mind" Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys #19: "How It Was Supposed to Be" Ryan Leslie #20: "My World" Kid CuDi featuring Billy Craven

Really? DAMN, that's yet another long wait for a Leona singles release.

I knew she'd come through. It's a shame Susan Boyle has taken the world by storm, it's hard to imagine AK not reaching #1 with one of her albums. Hopefully she'll get there eventually, which could happen seeing as "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" is taking off now.

Yeah, it's a shame he's not had more mainstream success. His U.S. album sales speak for themselves though, as well as the success of his singles on the R&B format. Anyway, here goes: #1: "BLACKsummers’night" Maxwell - A real emotive record, full of smooth tracks that proved waiting for years and years was well worth it. "Pretty Wings" & "Fistful of Tears" are my stand-out tracks, although I can listen to the album in full without being overcome by boredom. It doesn't follow the current trend of contemporary R&B and has been a huge success without having major support from Pop radio. #2: "The Element of Freedom" Alicia Keys - I'm not sure this will ever overtake "Diary" as my favourite AK album, but it's so soulful, and shows somewhat of an evolution to her sound. So many great, soulful tunes, showcasing her phenomenal songwriting talents. "Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)" is so soothing, with beautiful, chill-out production. I think it may be my favourite Alicia track... ever. #3: "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" Mariah Carey - As an album, it's very cohesive. Produced by The-Dream & Tricky Stewart, they provided some hot, R&B backing tracks for her sultry voice. The vocal layers throughout the record are to die for! It's a mature effort, even if it's tanking commercially. "H.A.T.E.U." is now a Mariah classic, in my opinion. Unbleievable melody, with one of the best bridges ever constructed. #4: "Love vs. Money" The-Dream - His voice may be lacking, but I'm such a fan of his production and trashy lyrics (LOL). Like "Memoirs", it's a cohesive album that is consistent throughout. Full of hooks, and smooth slow jams, it's like a continuation from "Love Hate". "Rockin' That $h!t", "Walkin' on the Moon" & "Right Side of My Brain" are the clear winners. #5: "The Ectastic" Mos Def - Another comeback album that is just killer. The beats & lyrics make it a record that's liberating. Way better than "True Magic", released back in 2006. The styles differ throughout the album; from reggae to dance, there's so much offered. "Life in Marvelous Times" is my favourite track, with killer production and an unbelievable flow. I'm going to have to think harder to compile a list of my top songs. There's so many to choose from, and I don't know where to start! I'll come back to this later...

Wow, I love your list. Your #1 album is the same as mine. I'll post my list a little later on.