Selena Gomez - Who Says

Taking a spin away from the fizzy teen-pop of Naturally, Selena Gomez goes for a far more natural vibe on her great new single Who Says. All strummed guitars and lovely little vocal hooks, it's the kind of song that could slot right next to the likes of Jessie J on UK radio playlists.

Could this be the track that really breaks Selena in the British market? I certainly hope so. Going by the cover too, she's been taking some style tips from her idol Cheryl Cole - that hairdo is pure Chezza. This is Selena growing into herself, letting her inner beauty and charm shine through - bothing physically and in her music. Cool, melodic, and effortlessly beautiful - this is Selena Gomez, and we love her.

Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Wayne - Roman's Revenge

Roman's Revenge is without a doubt one of Nicki Minaj's defining moments, and if you loved the Eminem version on her album, then the Lil Wayne radio edit is a lovely little bonus. There's just so much energy, so much enthusiasm. Almost so much that it becomes cocky. But we love Nicki for it.

'Rah rah, like a dungeon dragon'. I defy anyone who listens to this song not to have this stuck in your head by the end of the day. It's genius lyrics like this that elevate Nicki a cut above all the rest. Oh, and Lil Wayne doesn't let us down either: 'I like a big wet pussy with a fork and a spoon'. Straight to the point eh?

That mechanistic machine-gun beat drives away as Nicki spits her words out - hell, it's almost Shakespearean the way she takes on her various roles in the last minute or so of the song. Slightly terrifying, rather cute and endearing, but very very cool.

The only thing I miss in this radio edit is the genius British accent outro Nicki does in the album version. 'You've gone mad, MAD I TELL YOU!' But of course, with Nicki, every inch of the madness is to be lapped up and embraced, because quite frankly, what she does with it is amazing.

McFly - Shine A Light

One song I’m particular loving at the moment is McFly’s brilliant new single Shine A Light. Ever since the band went all electro with the boundless energy of Party Girl, I’ve had a newfound respect for the boys. They’ve kept the youthful spirit of their early days, but combined it with a new ‘knowing’, a new intelligent and some absolutely cracking melodies.

Shine A Light illustrates this perfectly. And even better, it’s got Taio Cruz on it too. Now, when i first heard Party Girl, its sound struck me as very ‘Taio’, so it seems only right McFly are now working with him. And together these two stalwarts of British pop music have come up with a pure winner of a track. Its strength comes in its relative simplicity, the track is very ‘clean’, all breezy and light – in many ways a breath of fresh air in a world of music where tracks have become so production heavy you often feel like you’re drowning in them.

The chorus is sublime, the melody moving and powerful in equal measure. And then there’s delicate little touches like the echoing guitar hook that bookends the song, or the twinkling piano that plays gently over the end of the track. It’s things like this that revitalise McFly, shooting them out as a force that is very much still to be reckoned with.