Five tracks to hear this week (Jan 25-31)

Prolific songwriter Julia Michaels, who has had a hand in hits for everyone from Lady Gaga to Justin Bieber, is stepping into the spotlight again on a new EP out today. Inner Monologue Part I includes duets with Niall Horan and Selena Gomez.

Loyle Carner featured the voice of his mum on his last album. Now she’s in the video for his new single, You Don’t Know. It’s another piece of warm, relaxed hip hop.

Superproducer Trevor Horn is the latest to join the trend of slapping an orchestra on top of some familiar tunes. His album Trevor Horn Reimagines the Eighties, out today, brings a fresh feel to some old favourites and also features some big name singers. Look out for Robbie Williams doing Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Seal taking on David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes.

Rat Boy now has a second album on which to make his case for being the Essex version of Beck. Don’t Hesitate, from the album Internationally Unknown which is out today, is an accurate take on that clattery cartoon hip hop sound.

Max Jury made a beautiful album of country-soul in 2016. As the Iowa singer-songwriter prepares the follow-up, it sounds like he’s dropping the “country”. His comeback song, Sweet Lie, has been mainlining Marvin Gaye.