Mirage

*Mirage* was a crucial stepping-stone in Armin van Buuren\'s journey from EDM superstar to all-conquering force. Trance\'s high-energy pulses and sleek chord progressions remain his bedrock here, but the vocal-heavy album extends his horizons beyond dance music\'s limits. \"Take a Moment,\" featuring Winter Kills, is equally uplifting in the stadium and on the car stereo; Nadia Ali helps turn \"Feels So Good\" into a saucy electro-disco romp; and Sophie Ellis Bextor and Owl City push van Buuren\'s beats to new emotive heights.