A Golden Year in Music for Women . . .

. . . and Old Stagers:

Leonard Cohen went one better with his acclaimed return to touring, which included unexpectedly popular shows at the O2 and Manchester Opera House. Cohen's unforeseen status as pop's Man of the Year was confirmed when his "Hallelujah" was chosen as this season's climactic cover-version on The X Factor. The year will probably conclude with Alexandra Burke's version of his "secular hymn" atop the singles charts, and only the churlish would begrudge the golden-voiced, silver-tongued septuagenarian charmer the replenishment of his stolen pension fund. After all, it's not every year that a bona fide poet enlightens prime-time telly.
— Andy Gill