Tulisa - Young

I'd always wanted Tulisa to get her solo career off to a bang with a big dancey single - but I wasn't expecting something quite so dipped in the aesthetics of clubland as this. Young blasts out like a little piece of Ibiza transposed onto the airwaves and while on first impressions it seems an odd - strangely icy - choice for a lead single, it's certainly not without its merits.

Chief among these is the sheer scale of the thing. It feels properly epic, and those trancey synth riffs at their best are divine. Proper turn of the Millenium pilled-up bliss. But as for Tulisa herself, Young feels less effective - she roughens up her voice from the smooth gloss of her N-Dubz days and goes in for a ad-lib heavy Jessie J style effort, with mixed results. I'm not quite sure if all the hooks are quite in place, and it certainly doesn't seem to have the uber-magnetic pull a lead single should.

But fair play to Tulisa - especially in the wake of this week's frenzy of events - for delivering something uncompromising and true to herself. Because the idea of the X Factor judge as an empowered club diva is quite an attractive one. Let's just hope there's some better choruses on the album.

[Official Video] Vanquish - The Harder You Love

It's their debut single and we love it. Fresh from adorable new girl-group Vanquish comes The Harder You Love, a big wedge of perky, colourful pop so uplifting it could probably knock the planet off its axis. The video throws in some cute colour-coded dresses into the mix and spritzes it up with pure feel-good factor. We like to think of the track as a cocktail buzzing with energy, and to tell you truth, we're a little bit hooked on it already.

The Harder You Love is released on the 22nd April - for more on Vanquish, check out their Facebook page.

Rebecca Ferguson - Nothing's Real But Love

For the discerning pop picker, Rebecca Ferguson was always the real one to watch in last year's X Factor. While eventual winner Matt Cardle was busy making claims about his credibility, we were all being won over by jaw-droppingly amazing performances like Rebecca's take on this Eurythmics classic...

For her debut single, Rebecca has taken the direction many assumed she would - classy 60s style retro pop; smooth, soulful - so far, so Duffy...

Of course, Rebecca's appeal is that her voice feels infinitely more authentic than the likes of Duffy and assorted other acts pursuing the same style. The sheer effortlessness that she tackled each and every track on the X Factor with, it was clear right from the start that Rebecca was the real thing, not another case of style over substance.

And for those that like their Rebecca with a bit more BPM to it, the Logistics mix is rather good - transforming the track - via a cracking drum n' bass beat - into the disco-stormer us fans always knew she was capable of making.

Nothing's Real But Love is released on the 27th November. Rebecca's album can be pre-ordered on HMV here.

'Nothings Real But Love' Logistics Remix by Rebecca Ferguson

(Video) One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful

In a world where The Wanted have become one of the biggest, most succesful groups in the UK in just over a year, it's not hard to see how the big record companies would want to get in on that action.

Enter One Direction, fresh from the last series of X Factor - for them, the fanbase was already all there. Like all boybands, that key 'screaming teen girl' demographic that has lasted throughout the ages - right back to the Beatles - is all over them.

It's only fitting then that there debut single is a kind of meeting of old and new. With its cute little Beach Boys guitar riff and thump-thump beat, it's simple pop, but infused with all the power and gloss of 21st century production.

Launching into the chorus, What Makes You Beautiful shifts up about a million gears, riding high on the wave of slick pop-rock the likes of Katy Perry have recently been tapping for such success.

Of course, the big question - are One Direction new equals, or indeed, better than The Wanted? Only time will tell, but going by this debut, it's all just a little too predictable for my liking. It's as if What Makes You Beautiful has been created to sound as much like The Wanted as possible. A half decent pop record it might be, but it's never going to win any prizes for innovation, that's for sure.

When The Wanted first came along they were a breath of fresh air - something new, different. All Time Low felt comparitively edgy for boyband pop, yet What Makes You Beautiful - for all the pumped up charms of its chorus - is merely second best.

What makes You Beautiful is released on the 12th September and can be pre-ordered here.

The Kush - Aniseed

They say wherever you go, places leave their stamp on you - and Newcastle band The Kush have that distinct Northern staying power, no doubt about that.

Debut single Aniseed is a real funky little number; relentless in its blend of frantic beats and fuzzy guitars - coming on like The Charlatans at their very best. This is the new Britpop, proper lad-rock for the modern age.

Gritty, livewire vocals might seem like a bog-standard ingredient for any up and coming indie band, but here, in the instance of The Kush, they seem almost animalistic in their electric intensity.

It's riotous stuff this band are in the business of producing - real breathcatching stuff. Rest be assured they won't stop for you to catch up if you fall behind the pace; but then, sounding this good, you'd be missing out not to stay with their lead.

Picking up impressive praise from The Sun's Gordon Smart, The Kush bear all the hallmark energy of fellow Geordies Maximo Park, but pour it into a far more classic brand of rock. Rolling Stones influences are everywhere, particularly on the single's b-side Loose Lips.

Aniseed is released on the 26th September.

The Reason 4 - Take It All

When it comes to that grand old favourite of British TV viewers, the X Factor, we'll always have our own personal favourites each year.

Sure, we get behind those that do well and win that dazzling record contract, but there are always those moments too where we wish we could put ourselves on the judging panel and champion a few of our own personal favourites too.

If you think back to last year's show, there was one act that everyone on Twitter was really buzzing about - The Reason 4.

Their soulful re-envisioning of Cheryl Cole's Fight For This Love went down a treat, seeing them through to the judges houses stage of the competition. Sadly, the band's X Factor journey ended there, but the their story does not.

Because The Reason 4 - comprised of Glenn, Scott, Marc and Nathan - are back, and with a rather good debut single too. Take It All is a real recapturing of the classic boyband sound that seems so absent on the airwaves these days. With its gentle piano opening leading into a big, epic chorus, it feels very reminiscent of Blue.

Add in some suitably uplifting lyrics, 'Don't stop ever believing / keep on dreaming / got to be strong', and you're well on your way to a real pop gem.

With a satisfying crunch of guitar in the track's background as well some lovely vocal harmonies, Take It All feels refreshingly classy - testament to the production duties of Eliot Kennedy; an experienced hand when it comes to pop groups.

For these four Southampton builders, there's a real sense of comradeship that comes across in the song, a real pride in realising their dreams. Indeed, Take It All is almost the kind of track you wish the actual X Factor winner would release, instead of some hastily bashed out cover version. A very impressive debut.

Take It All is released on the 7th August. The band's album Crying Out Loud follows in October.

Cher Lloyd - Swagger Jagger

Like quite a lot of people, I feel in love with Cher Lloyd on the X Factor - she was something completely new for the competition, bringing a real gutsy influence to a show that was teetering on the brink of become tired out. With her love of  hip-hop, she was a breath of fresh air from the endless line of Mariah-wannabes.

And then, also like a lot of people, as the show finished, it began to dawn on us whether Cher could actually become a proper popstar. Multiple trips to America and a variety of colourful outfits and haircuts aside, all we had to judge her at this point was her Twitter feed - something that probably did more to undermine her than build her up. Full of angry outbursts at journalists, 'haterz', and seemingly everyone, it was quite the turn off for anyone who liked Cher because of the fantastic performances she had pulled out on the X Factor.

Can she win us back round with her debut single though? The jury's still out. I think, for me, the main problem is still the title. I visibly cringed when I first heard Cher's single was going to be called 'swagger jagger'. It felt like the single was trading off the gimmick of Cher's 'swagger'. And what made this all the worse is that she did actually have swagger. That force of personality and bluster - that's why we liked her. But naming your song after it, nah...

And now, finally, we get to hear the track. And on first listen, I wasn't wholeheartedly impressed. It's like some kind of bizarre Black Eyed Peas/Miley Cyrus mash-up. Now, we all know Cher is a big Will.i.am fan so perhaps that isn't the biggest surprise, but the worst moments of the track are precisely those that sound like a third-rate Black Eyed Peas pastiche; all cut and paste vocals and buzz-saw synths. It's a tired sound and comes across as incredibly forced. It also has massive annoyability-factor - you know, those frustratingly catchy songs you'll hear once on the radio and then have stuck in your head forever.

But that's not to say Swagger Jagger is all bad though. No, listening to it a few more times, there's definitely moments in there I warmed too. When Cher is in full-on Miley-mode, and the track errs more towards its pop side, it feels fun and far more attuned to the sense of fun we want Cher Lloyd to be about. It feels uplifting, energetic, and for a few short moments, the kind of track we always wanted her to deliver. But only for a few short moments.

You see, where Cher Lloyd, 'the popstar' is concerned, someone pretty much got in there first, and her name is Jessie J.

Nicola Roberts joins Twitter! Best news of the week!

Oh My God. Just need to catch my breath for a moment. Nicola Roberts. On Twitter. To any Girls Aloud fan, this is quite possibly the most exciting news of the year. The adorable and totally awesome singer and style-queen has finally signed up for an account on the social networking site and can be found @NicolaRoberts

Not only that, but she has a new official site too, sporting a stunning new photo of the singer. Nicola's site also sports a handy hash-tag: #beatofmydrum - backing up previous reports that her debut single will be the Diplo & Switch-produced Dance To The Beat Of My Drum.

Nicola proceeded to re-tweet Henry Holland's message "4 days to go... RT @henryholland: Check it out.... #BeatOfMyDrum http://bit.ly/nrmusic http://twitpic.com/4sehpu", suggesting that we may hear the track in four day's time! We literally cannot contain our excitement!

Beat Of My Drum (as the song now appears to be re-titled) is apparently scheduled for a June 5th release. Further rumours suggest it will be accompanied by b-side Porcelain Heart and this cover artwork: