Arryhthmia is apparently the technical term for abnormal amounts of electrical activity in the heart - and that's a fair summary of the way we feel after listening to the latest single from Russian temptress Kamaliya. We covered her previous track Crazy In My Heart last year and Arryhthmia goes in riding on that same wave of high-powered Europop energy via a suitably glamorous video where Kamaliya slips into a plethora of revealing outfits.
At its heart, Arryhthmia is a darkly ambient, seductive trance banger - the sort of thing that the most amazing hours of a night out on the tiles play out to while copious amounts of vodka are necked down in time to the pulsing neon lights above.
It's just the right blend of soft, teasing sensuality and electric-edged Euro-Epic. We're hooked... are you?
We loved Elsie's last track, the sassy super-charged Brit-pop number The Assassin (Bang Bang), and for new single Time To Go she turns her hand to glossy, synth-backed New Wave stylings. Think Blondie's Atomic dressed up in 21st century feistiness - it's chic, cool and we reckon it's a spot-on fit for Elsie's grown-up pop dynamic.
What's more, the track is accompanied by this rather nifty interactive video where Elsie gets her revenge on a rather persistent male pest, proving she's definitely one girl you don't want to mess with.
The Shins, in the UK at least, have always seemed to be one of those groups quite content to boil away on the backburner – always well received – but never quite breaking through to the mainstream. Fey, quirky pop-rock at its best, The Shins have never sounded as well mannered and done up in slick production as they do on Simple Song. The inventive find-and-seek your father’s will premise to the video is brilliantly witty too. A rousing comeback after five years away.
When Katie Melua released her mind-blowing William Orbit collaboration The Flood back in 2010, the prospect of an album eschewing the gentle days of her past for a riotous forty minutes of explorative pop magic seemed all so real. But it never came to pass - The Flood was the exception rather than the rule.
With new single Better Than A Dream, Melua positions herself firmly back within the lulled, beautiful surroundings of acoustic balladry - like hushed ocean waves on a tropical island resort, the pillowed tenderness of the track is interwoven with Melua's knack for keen pop melodies and pretty lyricism: 'I dreamed in colour because I lived in black and white'.
A lullaby-like bossa nova for hazy, thought-filled nights, Better Than A Dream paints an alluring, fantastical portrait of almost tangible other-worlds on the cusp of sleep. And the ever-constant at the heart of the track, the soft sensuality of her vocals, comforting and assuring, delicate and richly textured.
Alongside album opener Gold In Them Hills, Better Than A Dream makes a reassuring opening salvo to Melua's new album, Secret Symphony. Sure, it might lack the unbridled potency of The Flood, but with Melua returned to her usual territory, it sees her more than holding her own.
Better Than A Dream is released on the 12th March, preceded by the album Secret Symphony on the 5th.
Some things remain the same the world over - for example, girls breaking into fits of tears when a boy band appears. As in the UK, so too in the US.
And that's exactly what happened when the Wanted performed this ace rocked-up version of Glad You Came on the Ellen Degeneres Show - their first in America.
They all seem rather excitable - but then, you would be, wouldn't you? Where so many British pop acts before them have failed, the odds look pretty good for the Wanted actually making it big over in the states. Although it's clear what's actually on Max's mind as he raises the point of how many 'beautiful ladies' there are there...
He even personally delivers the closing bars of song directly to Ellen herself - such a charmer, Max!
When it comes to remixing a hit chart track, sometimes the boldest, most engaging treatment is to just go: All Out.
It's certainly the idea Junior Brat and Rednek seemed to have in mind here when they set about crafting this apocalyptically evil sounding rework of Wretch 32's Forgiveness. Plunging up and down like an untamed stallion let loose on a stormy-wracked night, the mix blends pile-driving dub-step synths with a far more malevolent backing.
Moody, introspective, but all the while shatteringly extrovert, the mix paints a brutal, distopian picture; one echoed by the video: terrifying white contact lenses, uncontrollable emotions barely held in check, and finally... death.
A follow-up single and mix-tape are due from Junior Brat in the new year.
Mixing U2-esque reverb-heavy guitar with feisty pop punk vocals, Milton Keynes up-and-comers Ten Million Colours make a break for a bright, enticing world of opportunity with their new single Slow.
The track makes for a well-produced blend of influences that fits the band and their eagerness well - it doesn't ape the profusion of moody introspective indie types around at the moment and instead feels like a move towards a more enabled, open future.
With a video featuring masked ninjas and eerie-eyed people clothed all in white, as things progress outside to a harsh concrete landscape, it all goes a bit Clockwork Orange. Weird, but always tastefully so.
At both the song and the video's heart though is a definite drive to innovate, to prove themselves, and on that front, Ten Million Colours do an impressive, invigorated job of things.
We all love a good deed, and judging by this cute video, so does Cheryl Cole! Joined by fellow celebs Gary Barlow and Jason Donovan, the Geordie star sings the praises of electronic charity box service Pennies.
Pennies is an intuitive service that allows customers to round up their bills when paying by card, with the extra money going to charity. In our increasingly electronic payment culture, it makes sense for technology to play catch-up here, providing a handy alternative to the classic penny-in-a-box that was a hallmark of so many high-street tills.
The Pennies service has already proved to be a rousing success, racking up one million 'micro-donations' in just 12 months - this has helped raise £250,000 for charities, which we think is fantastic! People go on a lot about wallets tightening in the recession, but it's heartening to see people still digging deep to share a little love and support.
You may have heard a thing or two about new boyband Encore on Twitter - they've just polished off a tour with Tinchy Stryder and things are already shaping up nicely for the release of their new single Fun Last Night.
With a title as tantalising as that, we're looking forward to seeing what the accompanying video is like!
In the mean time, you need to check out their free 'Bread and Butter' mixtape - it's rather good! Imagine a three-piece JLS with more vocal harmonies and a bit of rap thrown in too - it's an exciting mix and one that has already won the band a heckload of fans (over 6000 Twitter followers to be precise!)
Wowza! It's fair to say Radio 1's Live Lounge is usually something of a mixed bag, throwing up as many dodgy cover versions as it does inspired ones.
But The Saturdays' mash-up cover of Aloe Blac's I Need A Dollar & Mann's Buzzin' was without a doubt one of the best performances I've heard on the show in its long history.
Smooth, soulful and showing off the girls' harmonies to their very best, the track sounded thoroughly professional - a genuinely excellent performance that holds proper merit in its own right.
With Una playing guitar too, they without a doubt left their individual stamp on the track.
The girls also treated us to a lovely acoustic version of their latest single Notorious and talked about *that* Twitter beef with Example as well as their December tour and Mollie's love of Wimbledon.
(You can now watch a video of the girls performing Notorious on the Radio 1 site too)
I love new girlband Soundgirl. And I also really like Jessie J's mega-hit Price Tag (even after hearing it played for what seems like the millionth time on Radio 1).
So putting the two together sounds like a very good prospect indeed - which is exactly what you get with this delightful little acoustic performance.
Soundgirl's take on Price Tag is ace - and not to take anything away from Jessie J, but she has a very distinct vocal style, and it's nice to hear the song sung differently.
Soundgirl's version is far softer, a gentle lullaby-like ballad that really shows off the girls' vocals to their best.
Soundgirl's properly amazing single Don't Know Why is released on the 19th June.
After Fyfe Dangerfield's massive solo success with Fly Yellow Moon, it's fair to say there's a certain degree of pressure on the Guillemots to come back with something really spectacular.
New single I Must Be A Lover is a move away from the hectic electro sounds of the band's previous album, and a return to the cheery, boroque pop of early records like Trains To Brazil as well as working in many of the elements that made Dangerfield's solo LP such a gem.
Yes, there are still synths here, but now only the lightest, most delicate of touches. There's a real percussive feel to the track too, aided by the strummed guitar and clack-clack, almost ramshackle beat. I Must Be A Lover feels distinctly handbuilt, like a piece of real artistry.
Dangerfield's Fly Yellow Moon gave him the freedom to fully unlock that magical, enchanting sound the Guillemots had always been on the edge of. And now, returning to the band and bringing his considerable songwriting and vocal talents with him, there is a sense that the group is now far more comfortable in its own skin.
In the video we see flickering, mystical light tracing its way over the band members, conjuring up that ethereal feel the Guillemots have always had such a way with. But equally, I Must Be A Lover sees them now at their most solid and confident to date.
R.E.M.'s latest album Collapse Into Now was a real thing of contrasts. On one level, it was so wonderfully refreshing to see a band so far into their career producing something so clearly youthful in sound. The up-tempo numbers genuinely felt like they could stand their ground amidst many bands half the age R.E.M. are. Because after all, so many these days owe so much to that original R.E.M. sound.
And therein lies the other beauty of Collapse Into Now - it felt timeless and fiercely independent. It could have come from any point in the band's career, slotting effortlessly into any decade. R.E.M. are not a band to rest on their laurels or alter every trace of their sound to chase trends. No, they are quite content to keep existing within their own tightly defined boundaries, and it's a scene that suits them. Some might call them boring, but as their fans are sure to pipe up about, it's just R.E.M. being R.E.M. And Collapse Into Now really was an album 'for the fans', a thank you for sticking with the band all this time.
Of course, the irony is that in the creation of the album, the band actually created their most open and friendly record in years. This is an album that could function as an introduction for the casual listener to everything the band represents - the slow, rapturous beauty of Uberlin or the frantic, scratchy rhythms of Mine Smell Like Honey.
But where does It Happened Today slot into all this? As a single, it feels tantalisingly slow - as if at any moment it could all launch into an epic guitar solo or final all-out chorus. But it never does, because R.E.M. are not ones to showboat. In many ways, it's almost hymn-like; the hummed vocals ringing out long after the final washes of reverb-heavy guitar fade away. And while it may not snap to the attention like Uberlin, it seems somehow quaintly fitting for what a fourth single should be, the good company of an old friend you know will always be there for you.
Before you ask... No, The Saturdays new single is not a cover of Duran Duran’s 80s classic Notorious. What it is though is one hell of a classy piece of dance-pop. With auto-tuned vocal samples and glitchy synths, it's bigger, bolder, braver than anything on their first three albums. This is the girls full on and in your face, upping their game and wearing the look with effortless chic.
Half the infectious beats of Far East Movement’s Like A G6, half epic-euro dance anthem in the vein of J Lo’s On The Floor, Notorious is a club banger through and through. With a resounding chorus of ‘I’m an outlaw, I’m the big boss, I’m a ganster on the dancefloor’, the track is bursting with confidence and swagger. There’s no room for second best here, only the refined super-glamour and highest grade of pop music that The Saturdays have made their own.
In the track’s video we see the foxy five-some taking a high speed elevator down from a futuristic office block straight to a club. This track is all about breaking free from the humdrum of working life and letting loose, unleashing that ‘outlaw’ in all of us.
Armed with towering stilettos, lip gloss and some suitably hot outfits, The Saturdays are the girls who can accomplish anything. December sees them stepping up to the big time, heading out on an arena tour across the UK. And from there, with tracks as good as Notorious, anything is possible really...
‘Closer, baby look in my eyes, do you recognise me?’ they sing, all sultryness and untamed passion. For The Saturdays, the whole world is their dancefloor, and they are there at the very heart of it – as for the rest of us; well, we’re hooked.
Now this looks like a rather nice place to work, doesn't it? Chic modernist design, some colourful painting on the walls and plenty of space - the perfect office space for all your needs really.
Not that we'd get much done if the Saturdays worked there too though. We'd be too distracted by how super-smart and gorgeous they all look in this brilliant photo from the new Notorious video. AOL has a number of the shots and they all look rather exciting - this is definitely our favourite one though.
What else can we see here? Well, the girls show a remarkable knack at synchronised phone conversations - we imagine they're all dealing with some very important business inquiries right at the moment this photo was taken.
And to state the obvious, the girls are clearly all big fans of Apple Macbooks - brilliant bit of product placement there.
We're not sure how this photo might fit into the context of the teaser videos we saw earlier this week with the girls dancing in a club, but we imagine it follows a whole 'good girls working hard in the office go down the local discotech to party it up'. Amazing.
Rihanna, looking as amazingly hot and sexy as ever, takes to rolling around in - yes, you guessed it - a king sized bed in the video for her new single California King Bed. Now, putting aside what a random title this is for a passionate love ballad, the track is pretty damn good and it's refreshing to see RiRi turn the pace down a notch after all those up-tempo dance tracks. It gives us time to catch our breath a bit (we're still pretty in awe her X Factor performance last year).
The video is all very tastefully done; lots of pastel shades, soft lighting and Rihanna's hair still looking as vibrantly red as ever. In many ways, California King Bed shows the both sides of Rihanna at their most obvious - the glamorous eye-candy of the video being a self-explanatory showpiece for the woman this week voted into FHM's Top 10 sexiest women. And then you have the song itself, allowing the pop starlet to show how she's actually an incredibly gifted singer, easily possessing to vocal chops to pull off a big, epic chorus like this.
Also, if that luxury suite is going spare after the video's finished, we'd quite like to have it (unfortunately, I don't think Rihanna comes included with the room...)
Sometimes a video can speak a thousand words. And just watching this short interview with Cheryl as she steps out onto American soil for the first day of auditions on the US X Factor, you just fall in love with her all over again. Seriously the most adorable thing ever. For starters, she looks absolutely incredibly rocking a real 70s disco inspired look with big hair and bright colours to match the increased scale America operates in.
The American reporters seem just as enraptured with Cheryl as we are over here and her answers express that instant natural charisma and charm we've come to adore her so much for. True perfection - Cheryl really is fast on her way to becoming a global star.
The Cheryl L'Oreal adverts have in many ways become the stuff of legend. There'll be countless Girls Aloud fans (or just random members of the public, even) that can recite them word for word. They're just that iconic. And we love them all. Which brings us nicely on to the latest one in the series, which we think is quite possibly the best one yet.
Cheryl seductively spells out all the amazing stuff you can do with L'Oreal's Elnett hairspray:
Spray it
Up-Do it
Undo it
Brush it in
Brush it out
Work it
Rock it
Glam it
Nothing holds me like it
Keep hold of it
Actual audio-visual sensual overload. We're in love.
And just to top it all off, Cheryl pulls on a black jacket with 'You're Worth It' daubed in gold paint on the back. SO GOOD.
It seems only right that one of the reigning Queens of pop music would have amazing taste when it comes to her contemporaries, right? So hearing that Britney is a big fan of Adele and Robyn really warms my heart. More to the point, I still don't think I'm used to hearing Britney actually speak - interviews with the star are so rare the vision I have in my head of her is invariably of her performing, dancing, singing... never sat down having a chat.
The interview begins rather slowly but picks up when Britney starts talking about working with Will.i.am; you really get to see more of her personality coming through here, as you do when she starts spazzing over meeting Brad Pitt. It's all rather adorable.
Also, how amazingly toned and fit does Britney look in the interview?! Stunning! It's fair to say Miss Spears is most definitely back on track.
The Saturdays have been getting us all rather excited this week by posting a number of 'teaser' images from the set of their new music video. Their new track is called Notorious and from the looks of things, they had quite a lot of fun filming it all out in LA!
Part of this promotional drive centres around fans 'liking' the teaser pictures on Facebook - when the number of 'likes' reaches, say, 1000 or 2000, the next image is posted. How's that for fan motivation eh!
Anyway, as it's plain to see, The Sats girls are looking exceptionally gorgeous as ever in the pictures - one of our favourite comments from Facebook is where Frankie has been tagged in the picture with 'Wayne Bridge is the luckiest man live'.
