BEST OF THE LOCKDOWN SINGLES

AHEAD of her first album in 15 years — and her first set of new songs since 1999’s Every Day Is A New Day — Diana Ross has released a single with nods aplenty to the glossy uptown soul of her Motown heyday. Thank You, her forthcoming LP’s title track, is schmaltzy, but the enduring quality of her voice is undeniable. She sings confidently before dropping into some trademark spoken-word asides against a backdrop of funky bass and shimmering strings. Her 25th album, due in September, was recorded at home in lockdown, and sees her working with younger producers, including Taylor Swift’s regular co-writer Jack Antonoff. Also making a return, after a mere six years away, is Natalie Imbruglia. The Australian’s new single, Build It Better, is a slow-burning affair that soars from a piano-and-voice intro to an epic finale. Imbruglia’s comeback album, Firebird, also due in September, includes collaborations with Albert Hammond Jr., of The Strokes, and KT Tunstall. And BRIT-winning singer Mabel gears up for her second album with new track Let Them Know, a machine-tooled pop banger with a 1990s garage feel.