We seem to be having a mini-reggae-revival again lately....




There was of course the recent BOB MARLEY film 'One Love' and its soundtrack (which charted at our #14). New Zealand reggae band L.A.B has had a successful run with their latest album 'L.A.B VI' (#2) and its singles. Canadian sweethearts MAGIC! have returned with their latest (as recently reported), and the evergreen UB40 are riding the wave with their latest Top 10 singles (and album dropping this weekend...). CRIS CAB is also back after a while, with his new version of 'Is This Love', and none other than ACE OF BASE, trending, with their classic 'Happy Nation' (thanks to its appearance on Disney+'s popular 'X-Men 97'!)

Early predictions are that this one won't set the Blue-Box chart alight.... (Please note they have been wrong before though.... ), I must say though that it's so much better with the video! (Back to the epic style kind of Dua video, that was lost with its predecessor.... Wow, what a video, huh?!)

Mmm.... It's been a while since we were "high" on THE BLACK KEYS....

To take you back for a moment, it was a little over a decade ago now, in 2012, when they conquered the Blue Islands like it wasn't funny! Yup, they scored THREE #1 singles ~ 'Lonely Boy' (1 week), double-a-side 'Tighten Up/Howlin' For You' (1 week), and 'Gold On The Ceiling' (11 weeks!, & Song of the Year 2012!). Parent album 'El Camino' spent 8 weeks at #1 on the Album chart (becoming Album of the Year nonetheless!), and previous album 'Brothers' even reached #2 around the same time, going multi-platinum!




And while subsequent releases since then have been "hit-and-miss" for us, we are quite unexpectedly and so thoroughly enjoying the brand new album 'Ohio Players'! What a pleasure from beginning to end... a modern "classic rock".... well, classic! It's like they got their "gusto" back, and was clearly just having a good time playing this music! (Oh, and how fabulous is that album cover?? Contender for album cover of the year, if you ask me!)



Meanwhile, there are also other albums released this week that should make the coming week's chart interesting:



American laid-back psychedelia band KHRUANGBIN (who scored two Top 5 albums previously), returns with 'A La Sala', Finnish folk metal ensemble KORPIKLAANI's new 'Rankarumpu' (remember their #1 reggae-folk-metal hybrid #1 smash from 2021 ~ 'Levaluhta'? ), 'Rude'-reggae band MAGIC! returns with their latest - 'Inner Love Energy', and last but not least, VAMPIRE WEEKEND's latest captivating album!

UB40 got a new lead singer (again), and I must say I'm enjoying the combination of their new songs with him!

I don't understand a word, but this is so delightful!