BEYONCE

BEYONCE

Albums: “Have Your Way” and “Back Up, Rewind”

Grades: ungraded

There’s no more juice in Beyonce’s lemonade jar: The singer did not release new music though two albums featuring old Beyonce songs hit streaming services Thursday.

Under the name Queen Carter, the albums “Have Your Way” and “Back Up, Rewind” appeared on Spotify and Apple Music, featuring demos, previously released songs and unreleased tracks by Beyonce. Hours later, they were removed.

The 10-track “Have Your Way” included songs such s “After All Is Said and Done,” Beyonce’s duet with Marc Nelson from the “Best Man” soundtrack, released in 1999; “Hollywood,” a song with Jay-Z from his 2006 album, “Kingdom Come”; and “Hey Goldmember” from the soundtrack for 2002’s “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” which starred Beyonce. It also featured “Crazy Feelings,” the singer’s collaboration with Missy Elliott from the rapper’s sophomore album, 1999’s “Da Real World”; and “Fever,” a cover of the ’50’s hit used in an ad for Beyonce’s perfume and for the soundtrack for “The Fighting Temptations,” another film Beyonce appeared in.

“Back Up, Rewind,” featured 11 tracks including “Keep Giving Your Love to Me,” from the “Bad Boys II” soundtrack, released in 2003, and “What It’s Gonna Be,” a Beyonce bonus track from 2003.

The stand-alone song, “Control,” also appeared on streaming services.

Beyonce’s last three albums were released in surprise form: her self-titled album came out in 2013; “Lemonade” followed in 2016; and “Everything is Love,” her collaborative album with Jay-Z where the couple is billed as The Carters, was released earlier this year.

— Mesfin Fekadu, Associated Press

Eric Clapton

Album: “Happy Xmas”

Grade: B

Guitar god Eric Clapton may have been an unlikely rock star to cut a Christmas record, but for music fans looking for a bluesy alternative to the typical holiday dredge, it’s as welcome as a steaming cup of hot chocolate on a wintry night.

“Happy Xmas” steers clear of the typical holiday playlist, and thankfully has more hits than misses.

“White Christmas” and “Lonesome Christmas” benefit from Clapton’s distinctive slowhand blues guitar style. The lone new song from Clapton, “For Love on Christmas Day,” will comfortably find a slot into soft rock holiday playlists but may turn off fans who prefer their Clapton with a little less schmaltz.

The most un-Clapton song, “Jingle Bells [In Memory of Avicii],” is a tribute to the late EDM DJ-producer Avicii, whom Clapton admired. It may be the first time “Jingle Bells” has ever been re-imagined as a tribute to a DJ, but whatever.

It bears little resemblance to the holiday standard, or anything Clapton has done before, making it a curiosity at the very least, and a standout track for those who treasure Christmas music that’s not just outside the box, but on another planet entirely.

— Scott Bauer, Associated Press

The Monkees

Album: “Christmas Party”

Grade: B

Take the last train to Christmas, and enjoy pure pop goofiness, harmony and personality with the implausibly still-around Monkees, the late ’60s TV sensations who are still as fun today as they were then.

Micky Dolenz handles most of the vocals, though Michael Nesmith sings on two songs and Peter Tork is on the banjo-laden “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Davy Jones, who died in 2012, sings lead on two tracks via tapes he recorded in 1991, backed by new instrumentation. His “Silver Bells” and “Mele Kalikimaka” will make a daydream believer out of you, too.

“Unwrap You at Christmas” sets the tone for this lighthearted holiday romp, leading into the whimsical “What Would Santa Do?”

Most interesting is “House of Broken Gingerbread,” with its unmistakable ‘60s psychedelic feel. Built around a funky guitar riff, “Christmas Party” arrives at the conclusion that one holiday blowout year is enough: “Remember last year/Cops had to shut us down twice.”

The Monkees also cover classic Christmas tunes from Roy Wood (“I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”) Paul McCartney (”Wonderful Christmastime”), and the oft-covered “Merry Christmas, Baby.”

— Wayne Parry, Associated Press