Prepare your ears accordingly: like a tuneful log-jam, it's that time of the year when all the big releases get rolled out for chart domination. Which means ten - count them, ten - of the hottest tracks from the past week presented for your aural pleasure. In no particular order: Ariana Grande replicates a past magic formula, Sam Smith belts out another glorious serenade to loneliness, while newcomers WSTRN win us over with an infectious R&B-pop jam...

1. Ariana Grande: 'Focus'
When you have a massive worldwide hit like 'Problem', you'd want to replicate that magic formula. Right? Which is exactly what Ariana Grande has done for her new cut 'Focus'. The similarities are more obvious than gingerbread lattes are tasty; big brass, bouncy beats and plenty of airy ad-libbing. It's a basic copy, but of the very best kind.

2. Sam Smith: 'Drowning Shadows'
Even when the 23-year-old Bond crooner is purposefully trying to release something that isn't radio-friendly, he still manages to turn the coldest of hearts into a weeping mess. Sam Smith's new song 'Drowning Shadows' is a dark ballad at its core, but those stirring strings turn it into a glorious serenade that could easily soundtrack a lovelorn scene in a Baz Luhrmann flick starring Leo DiCaprio.

3. Ellie Goulding: 'Army'
Just as you're sinking into the distinctive vocals of Ellie Goulding's kitsch new ballad 'Army' she goes and drops an F-bomb on your ass. Consider yourself rebuked for thinking Ellie would go for something so obviously twee: 'Army' quickly melds into a bespoke love song, fondly reminiscing about getting pissed and revelling in "how you cringe when you sing out of tune".

4. WSTRN: 'In2'
We challenge you to not quickly develop a soft spot for this infectious R&B-pop jam. Recently signed to Atlantic Records, WSTRN are a London-based trio about to take off. Even Drake gave them a spin on his Beats 1 show this past weekend, whipping out all his best 'Hotline Bling' moves to its bop-inducing beats (we imagine).

5. Justin Bieber: 'I'll Show You'
When he's not storming off stage, apologising, or apologising for storming off stage, Justin Bieber likes to remind us he's nailed the whole pop music thing. After breaking streaming records with his single 'What Do You Mean?' and following it up with a 'Sorry', he's slowed it down with his new track to get reflective. "Don't forget that I'm human," he pleads on 'I'll Show You'. We won't, Justin - promise.

What to Read Next

6. Kelly Rowland: 'Dumb'
She may have dashed all our dreams by confirming that Destiny's Child have no immediate plans to reunite (boo!), but Kelly Rowland has made it up to us with this low down dancefloor-packer. It's no 'When Love Takes Over', but it's certainly enough to remind us that the former X Factor judge deserves more attention on the chart than she currently gets.

7. Cuckoolander: 'Mother Nature'
While Charli XCX takes an early break from touring to crack on with her new album, her former bandmate Holly Hardy has a brand new single with her group Cuckoolander. The band are signed to the Norwegian production team and prolific hit-makers Stargate's publishing company. And 'Mother Nature' suggests they're more than capable of crafting a few hits of their own.

8. Dinamo Azari: 'Victim'
Having only just got over the fact Azari & III were no more, imagine our relief when the group's main man Dinamo Azari announced he was going it alone. The Toronto-based electro-disco musician will release his new album Estranged on February 16. And the first single, 'Victim', is the very best of what he's done before: fierce grooves with more attitude than a Grace Jones autobiography.

9. Miike Snow: 'Heart Is Full'
It's been a while since we heard from Miike Snow. Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner has helpfully reminded us of their presence by splicing their hit 'Animal' in its end credits, but it's been three years since the Swedish-American trio released new music. Luckily 'Heart Is Full' is a buoyant return, with surging hip-hop beats and pop-laden synths.

10. Hannah V: 'It Ain't Right'
Hannah V is looking to turn the tide of male producers dominating the charts. The Berlin-raised producer (and former Royal Academy of Music student) has a brand new single that showcases exactly why she was Rihanna and Jessie J's keyboardist of choice in the past. "It's symbolic of the loss of innocence and the effects of our foolish decisions as youngsters," she said of the pulsing pop thumper.