Nominated for an Oscar for his song "Happy" from the movie Despicable Me 2, Pharrell Williams returns to the movies with Hidden Figures: The Album (I Am Other/Columbia). Original modern retro soul songs written and produced by Williams for Hidden Figures, about African-American women working behind the scenes at NASA in the early 1960s, the disc features performances by Williams, Janelle Monae (who also stars in the movie), Lalah Hathaway, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Kim Burrell.
In the pantheon of mono-monikered divas, Madonna, Cher and Sade reigned supreme for many years. More recently, Adele and Beyoncé have joined the semi-exclusive club. With her exceptional new disc A Seat at the Table (Columbia), Beyoncé's kid sister Solange may just have earned entry. Serious and mature, songs "Cranes in the Sky," "Don't Wish Me Well," "Borderline (An Ode to Self Care)" and "Junie" are well on their way to achieving classic status.
Here (RCA) may be the name of Alicia Keys' new album, but there are times when it's hard to find her. Keys' misuse of the gimmick of interludes is overwhelming. It's almost as if Keys didn't trust the songs enough to allow them to stand or fall on their own merits. That's a pity, because "Pawn It All," the Erykah Badu-like "She Don't Really Care_1 Luv" and "Illusion of Bliss" are decent reminders of the Keys of the past.
Besides making music, Donald Glover also acts. He was cast in an upcoming Star Wars movie, and he can currently be seen in the FX series Atlanta. As a musician, Glover performs under the stage name Childish Gambino and made waves with his first two hip-hop albums, Camp and Because the Internet . On Awaken, My Love! (Glassnote), he shifts gears and moves in a Sly & The Family Stone-meets-Funkadelic direction, best exemplified by "Have Some Love" and the Prince + Macy Gray math of "Redbone."
Best Original Song Oscar winner in 2015, John Legend has also been bitten by the acting bug. He can currently be seen in the movie La La Land. Perhaps the most invigorating album of his career, Darkness and Light (Columbia) celebrates love and family with a socially conscious perspective. Working with producer Blake Mills, Legend raises his profile via collaborations with Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard (the title track), Miguel ("Overload") and Chance the Rapper ("Penthouse Floor").