Track of the Year by Clare Maguire

Clare Maguire

The Last Dance
Light After Dark

I'd like to thank the BBC for introducing me to Clare Maguire. The Birmingham-born singer was nominated for the Sound of 2011 poll - and after Youtubing her soon after, I realised what a 'sound' she truly was. Maguire has one of the most powerful voices I've heard and although debut single 'Ain't Nobody' showing how variant she could be with it - 'The Last Dance' is just a true emotional belter of a release. Written following the death of superstar Michael Jackson, 'The Last Dance' is packed full of emotions and watching the singer perform the track live brings a tear to my eye. "I'll save my last dance for you" is the stand-out lyric from the track though and although released in February, I can see this song staying with for a long, long time. Below is the official cover for the single release - of which the EP featured an incredible remix from Gods: Chase & Status!

Track of the Year by Viva Brother

[Viva] Brother

Still Here
Famous Last Words

"I've got selected memory, forgotten her name" belts lead singer Leonard. The Slough-originated band are 2011's effort to bring 'guitar music' back into the public eye, and although they've been hit with bad reception from Oasis fans - claiming "the band is just a bunch of posh c***s with tattoos" - I think Brother have succeeded in bringing back guitar music; even if it's only my life that's been affected. The band are due to appear at Reading festival this year, so I have that to look forward to - although a Celtic rock band named 'Brother' have sued them for the band title, so it's 'Viva Brother' now - haha. As for 'Still Here' itself, the vocals are just perfect and a lot of effort has been put into crafting masterful lyrics - even if they seem a lil' cheesy in regards to a dwindling relationship. Here's hoping the debut album released August 1 won't do as bad as Oasis-fans'd hoped - I know I'll be purchasing it ASAP. Below is the accompanying cover for the single release.

Track of the Year by Kanye West

Kanye West

All of the Lights

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Although 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' was released in late 2010, I think 'All of the Lights' only captured my attention in early 2011 - partly due to the radio edit. The radio saw fit to completely butcher the perfect collaboration between Kanye West and everyone else in the music business - I believe the only artists credited on the radio edit were Rihanna and Drake. 3 minutes in, we get a glimpse of how Fergie would sound on a Hip-Hop track, and by jove is it amazing - although Rihanna's vocals are the standout here. Kanye certainly proves himself as one of the greatest rap artists at the moment, with some legendary lyrics like "her mother, daughter, grandmother; hate me in that order" - just a shame Jay-Z wasn't included on the track; I think 'All of the Lights' puts 'Run This Town' to shame. To represent the beauty of this collaboration, I've chosen an image from the music video - showing West rapping atop of a police car, 'cos that's how Kanye does it.