American Idol's Crystal Bowersox: A True Farmer's Daughter

It's no surprise that Crystal Bowersox decided to release a country album with pop influences post-Idol since that was pretty much her style when she was performing onstage, vying for the top spot against Lee Dewyze.

The American Idol runner-up's debut album, titled Farmer's Daughter, pretty much sums up who is she as a person, as well as the tracks on the album.

Her awesome voice shines on every track and she retains her own musical accompaniment throughout the whole album on her trusty guitar.

Farmer's Daughter, the title track, is a mellow track which ironically has her stating that she doesn't wants to be a farmer's daughter anymore.

My favourites off the album are For What It's Worth, a mid-tempo song with a great beat, which keeps you tapping your toes. Holy Toledo and Arlene are also slower songs which showcases Bowersox's great vocals.

Other songs off the album include fast-paced tracks such as Ridin With The Radio, Lonely Won't Come Around, On The Run, Kiss Ya, as well as slower ones like Hold On, Speak Now, Mine All Mine and Mason.

Great effort for another Idol alumni who is also another great addition to country pop.

The author first listened to Crystal Bowersox's awesome voice on American Idol, and was torn between supporting her or Lee Dewyze to win the coveted crown.

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Natasha Bedingfield's Strip Me Album

Who can forget Daniel Bedingfield's equally amazing sister, Natasha Bedingfield, who made her debut in the industry with her song Unwritten?

The vocally gifted Natasha Bedingfield has made her return to music with her latest album Strip Me, released late last year.

Strip Me is filled with tracks that has a lot of piano and guitar sounds in the background, as well as with a hint of techno to them.

The first track, Little Too Much, starts off with guitar sounds, providing a good start to the whole album. The second track, All I Need, is a techno-filled track with a good beat, plus it features Kevin Rudolf and samples his hit song Let It Rock.

Strip Me, the title track, has a bassy feel, and it really strips down and allows Bedingfield's voice to shine through while Weightless has the same tone with her previous hit, Unwritten.

My favourite track off the album is Neon Lights, a happy and uplifting track filled with drums in the background.

The other songs on the 13-track album includes Can't Fall Down, Try, Touch, Run-Run-Run, Break Thru, No Mozart, Recover and a (Less is More Version) of Weightless.

A great effort from this great singer, and I look forward to her next project!

The author has always loved Natasha Bedingfield's songs which are written from the heart.

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JOO's Mini Album: Heartmade

Lately I have been listening to a few female Korean singers and I have found them to be really good and their vocals have some kind of soothing effect on me. The current one on my list is Heartmade, JOO’s latest mini-album which was released on January 4, 2011.

Bad Guy, the opening track is a great ballad that starts off softly on a melancholic note, and JOO’s stunning vocals were fully showcased as it reaches the chorus. The song tells a story of heartbreak and JOO truly expresses the emotion of heartbreak through the tones of her voice, especially when she sings “Ah~ Ah e ya / I’m so sorry”.

The second track which is my personal favourite, Can't Even Take A Glass Of Water, is another ballad. The best part of this song is the chorus where she sings “Saranghae neol neol neol neomaneul nan nan nan ireoke tto tto tto” with her great voice.

Not Even In The Movies, the third track, features 2PM's Chansung rapping and is a faster and more upbeat number. Other songs include After Looking At You, which has a catchy beat and Unbelievable, another slow number.

JOO's voice is strong and angelic and fits the ballad genre well, plus the song arrangement is suitable for her voice. A great listen for those looking for an avenue to release their pent-up feelings after a heartbreak or for those simply wanting a relaxing time.

The author is always on the lookout for upcoming Korean singers' albums although she has yet to master the language fully.

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Westlife's New Album: Gravity

The boys of Westlife are back again, this time with another album titled Gravity. I must say that for a group of four, they still have the capability of rolling out albums at a consistent rate (one per year).

Their latest album doesn't indicate much changes in their style, which has lots of piano sounds as their background, but they do have a more matured and mellow sound as compared to way back then when they were younger and huge boy band stars.

My favourite tracks off the album are Beautiful Tonight, Safe and I Will Reach You. All three songs have a very Westlife 'feel' towards it, which I think suits their new matured sound.

Others include Chances, Closer, Tell Me It's Love, I Get Weak, Before It's Too Late, No Ones Gonna Sleep Tonight, Difference In Me, Too Hard To Say Goodbye, and bonus track Please Stay.

Another good track is the cover of Hoobastank's The Reason, and I think the boys did a pretty decent job of covering the song, although there wasn't much variation from the original.

Give this album a spin on nights when you need a good relaxation time.

The author used to be a huge boy band fan during her teenage days, and still continues to be.

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Marry Me, Mary! is my Latest K-Drama Addiction

Who wouldn't want to be in Wi Mary's shoes? She's got two great-looking guys who's crazy in love with her, and would fight with each other for a spot in her heart as well as her hand in marriage.

Who are those guys you say? And is Mary such a gorgeous girl that guys would battle it out?

Kang Mugyul is a rock star who is destined for stardom, but is held back as he is too loyal to his bandmates who are nowhere in the same league as he is. Meanwhile Jang In is the son of a wealthy businessman who is an old family friend of Mary's parents.

While Mary's meeting with Mugyul is accidental, they were forced to fake a marriage to halt her marriage with Jang In, who she had promised to at a young age.

Many funny scenes in this drama as the tug-of-war ensues between the two men over Mary, and more drama is added when Mugyul's ex-girlfriend comes into the picture and a four-way love (square) begins! Don't forget to tune in to Marry Me, Mary on KBS World every Monday and Tuesday at 9pm.

The author is awed that the lead actor(Jang Geun Suk)'s vocals were so good and loves the OST so much!