It sure makes sense to have a woman who describes her albums as "bicultural endeavours" dominate the musical proceedings at the Olympic Games, as Gloria Estefan did when she sang Reach. With its ever rising melody and aspirational lyric it's also probably a song which will, well, yeah, swim round Michelle Smith's mind for quite some time to come, whenever she thinks of her victories at those Games. If she wants an entire album that extends this sense of celebrating human potential, and dreams, she's got it in Destiny.

Indeed, in a recent Time magazine feature on The Divas of Pop, "the most famous Cuban after Castro" is described as "an inspirational icon", specifically following the car crash which nearly ended her career, and life, five years ago. At nearly 40 there are also layers of maturity in Estefan's more reflective songs, such as Steal Your Heart, which could set emotional goals for some of her younger peers in rock, such as Sinead, Dolores and Co.

Likewise, in relation to Toni Braxton, who's teasingly titled Secrets is little more than "sexy" soul music by numbers. Apart from her own pillow caressing number, Talking His Sleep, which, even so, has pretty prosaic lines like, "Adultery that's what they call it/When you're married/ Tell me something/Why is that men are forgiven/And women aren't?" The real question, of course, is why the record industry pumps millions of pounds into promoting this kind of mush, at the expense of cutting edge music like Hopper's English And French, which is one of those albums that arrived in the mail, with absolutely no information, yet turns out to be a magnificent testimony to the post Riot Grrrl phenomenon. If anyone out there really thinks Alisha's Attic sound like Alanis Morissette, check out Hopper's Someone Phoned. And, indeed, this whole album, which will grip, shake and wake your senses rather than smother them in vacuous pillow talk.

Various Artists: "Bar None"

MCA, 60014 (2 CDs, 135 mins)

Dial-a-track code: 1531

Pillow talk of another kind, with the first openly explicit gay compilation in the history of pop. The semi nude man standing with his back to the camera on the cover kinda gives the game away, doesn't it? That said, the only other signifier is the note that " 10p per unit sold will be donated to Crusaid, The National Foundation for Aids" so, lest we offend closeted sensibilities, or libel laws, it should be stressed that this is not necessarily an album of gay artists, more a collection of tones which, throughout the years, have become central to "queer" culture.

Kitsch classics from the past such ash I Want To Be Loved By You, Move Over Darling, Lipstick On Your Collar and I Will Survive, and more recent hits like, yeah you guessed it, Relax, Love To Hate You and Gloria Estefan's Everlasting Love. And, in terms of the latter, why not? Either way, gay, straight, bi or otherwise, reach for this album - it's not only a fab party album, the proceeds also go to a great cause.

Al Jolson: "The Very Best of Al Jolson"

MCD, 11473 (54 mins)

Dial-a-track code: 1641

Released to capitalise on the success of the West End musical Jolson, this CD really is a revelation to those of us for whom Al Jolson is just a faint echo from a long forgotten past, when your father - or grandfather, perhaps sang Sonny Boy or Mammy at family gatherings. Indeed, Jolson's use of black inflections in such songs clearly sets him op as the original King of Pop, the man who first brought Negro based influences to mass audiences, 30 years before Presley. And even though shamelessly sentimental, there is no doubt that songs such as Sonny Boy crystallised otherwise relatively inexpressible emotions for generations of men during the first half of this century. And, maybe that specific song is not sentimental at all, if one's son has died. The best selection of Jolson tunes ever released.