Blue

Jonas Blue decided not to overburden his debut with stellar guest vocalists in case their celebrity overshadowed the songs, preferring to focus just as much on rising talent. That’s not a pressing concern for many artists making their first album, but it underlines the Essex-born DJ/producer’s all-star standing in UK pop. Born Guy Robin, he took a Scandinavian-sounding stage name in a nod to Swedish super-producer Max Martin—and has displayed songwriting talent to match ever since a tropical reworking of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” gave him a platinum-selling debut single in 2015. Here he continues to mix the sparkle and swells of dance music with irresistible pop melodies, relaxing his door policy for A-List features from Liam Payne—over the R&B-flavoured “Polaroid”—and Joe Jonas on the love-struck disco-funk of “I See Love”. But some of Blue’s most emotive performances come from emergent singers, including Lagos-born Londoner Moelogo (the yearning “We Could Go Back”) and Canadian R&B up-and-comer Jessie Reyez (“Wherever You Go”).