The English singer Alex Hepburn, now 26, worked through the painful experiences and losses of her childhood by writing in her diary. The journal entries later became rhymes, then lyrics and finally songs, which she sings with verve and a powerful voice: This combination has made her a shooting star of neo soul. Texas proves that you can go from being a UK chart breaker to achieving fame the world over: The Scottish band has sold more of their light pop albums than the state of Texas has people. That is more than 25 million. After a long break, Texas is back fresher than ever with lush, pulsating pop sounds.

Christian Hug