Dr Dre - Talking to My Diary
He's a Compton native, a founding member of NWA and the man who single-handedly popularised gangsta rap in 1990s. On the face of it, Dr Dre's macho credentials then would seem pretty damn unassailable. But on the final track from what is promised to be his final album (musicians NEVER lie about these things) the billionaire rapper lets the mask slip a little. How? By admitting that he confides his innermost thoughts to a diary. In said diary, Dre remembers his fallen homies, pays moving tribute to his mother, and divulges that he really, really, really wants a pony for his birthday.
Craig Finn - Maggie, I've Been Searching For Our Son
On the first single from his second solo album Faith In The Future, Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn showcases his vivid storytelling ability, his knack for writing a melody and his shoddy child-minding skills.
One Direction - Drag Me Down
"I've got a river for a soul," Harry Styles gushes here. "And, baby, you're a boat." While you're pondering what the hell that lyric is supposed to mean, ponder this: One Direction's new single was streamed a record-breaking 4.75 million times on the day of its release and was the number one song on iTunes in 82 countries that week. They're still box office and, baby, we're a boat!
Lana Del Rey - High By The Beach
Oh dear... Only Lana Del Rey could sing a song about smoking weed at the seaside on a sunny day and make it sound like the Spanish inquisition. The perpetually forlorn chanteuse's new album, due next month, is called Honeymoon. I'm guessing she went to a really swanky hotel, in a beautiful foreign city, with the person she loves most in the world. And it was a nightmare ordeal.
