Shunda K - I'm Da Best

Utterly relentless, I'm Da Best is a track that carries the confidence of its title. Remarkably minimal - with just a smattering of crashing synthetic stabs, hitting like a hammer on sheet metal, your attention is freed up to focus on what's really important here; the beats, and Shunda's vocal.

Shunda K - the leader of Domino Records signed hip-hop group Yo! Majesty, 2011 sees her going it solo. And with NME placing her on their 'cool list' plus electro star Peaches collaborating with Shunda on their track Billionaire, things are looking pretty rosy right now.

And that's what comes across in I'm Da Best, the first single from Shunda's solo record The Most Wanted. There's an undeniable positivity to the track, reinforced by its anti-bullying video. In it, we see Shunda dressed up as a Superwoman, there to save the day, to stop hard-ship and oppression - and that's what this track feels like, something to rally to in the hardest of times, an anthem that whatever anyone else might say, you can always find comfort and inner strength in your own personal best.

The Most Wanted album, featuring I'm Da Best, is available to buy from Amazon now.

Suck It And See... not very much as it turns out

When it comes to making a big statement, would it be possible to top Lady Gaga in a week where she appears on the cover of NME magazine in a see-through cat-suit with zips covering her naughty bits?

While perhaps not hitting quite those levels of shock-o-rama, the new Arctic Monkeys album is sure to court controversy - nor because of what's on it (as their debut did because of it featured a man smoking), but because of what's not on it.

It's completely blank. Apart from the rather modestly printed album title, that is.

It reminds me almost of one of those taster-strips you get in DIY stores to help you choose a paint colour for your room. It's that ever so off-white creamy tone.

Of course, the Arctic Monkeys aren't the first band to do something like this. Anyone remember Hard-Fi's 2007 album Once Upon A Time In The West? They went more for the road-sign feel, and personally I prefer their take on 'No Cover Art.' - at least they're big and BOLD about it in this case. And there's proper colour too! That lovely vibrant yellow!

(Speaking of Hard-Fi, they're playing at the Hoxton Bar & Grill on the 12th May - a 'warm up gig' for their forthcoming third album, they describe it as)

Suck It And See is released on June 6th and you can pre-order it here.

Unzip This Way... Gaga is NME's cover star

Lady Gaga on the cover of NME. Not the most obvious star for them to go with, perhaps, but with a photoshoot like this, it'll be certain to stand out on the magazine shelves. Now, I'm not usually the biggest fan of Lady Gaga's outfits, but some are simply so bonkers they transcend into amazingness. Take meat dress or Kermit suit; completely and utterly impractical, but they get the nation talking. And the see-through zipped catsuit she dons for the NME cover looks set to do the same.

Definitely not something you'd want to wear with the weather as hot as it is at the moment, but Gaga certainly seems to be 'enjoying' herself in regards to the artfully placed zips...

In the accompanying interview, Lady Gaga targets those calling her manufactured, saying they can 'fuck off'. Quite right too. In the comments section below NME's online feature about the cover, as you might expect, there's already a heap of knee-jerk criticism of her comments from die-hard 'indie' boys. It's a rather dispiriting experience glancing through their closed-minded views on pop but it highlights yet again how controversial Lady Gaga is as a popular figure. Major props to NME for putting her on the cover anyway, it's a brilliant photoshoot and a fitting tribute to one of the most iconic stars of our generation.

A good old Arctic Monkeys / Take That love-in

Do you remember Arctic Monkeys' frontman Alex turner saying some rather rude things about Take That at the Q Awards? He let loose at the band saying they were a 'load of b*llocks'. Now, while that might be anatomically correct what with them being five guys... it's not a very nice thing to say, and is also incorrect as Take That are actually Very Good.

But Turner's done a U-Turn now and in a recent NME interview has professed his love for the 'lads'.

'We love Gary Barlow!' he enthuses. Don't we all! Judging by how pretty much every single one of the dates on Take That's impossibly immense UK stadium tour are already sold out, the whole of the UK seems to love Gary Barlow (and Robbie, and the others...)

'I think I really offended him a few years ago though, which I'm sorry about,' continued Turner. 'I didn't understand it then. Didn't know what was going on, trying to rustle some feathers.'

See, isn't a lovely when bands make up. Now, when are we going to get them all teaming up for a big ensemble version of Never Forget?

A very happy engagement for Sarah Harding

I’ve always loved Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding, so when I heard she had got engaged, I was over the moon for her. Sarah had been a bit quiet in the Girls Aloud stakes recently, what with all the Cheryl and Nadine news, so it was a great time to remind us all what an awesome person she is. I’ve always adored her feisty attitude, the way at times she could seem a law unto herself, and then on other occasions displaying a more subtle, emotive side. Sarah is the Girl that, come an interview, you can always count on to pop up with some genius comment or memorable quote. Her acting roles are dead cool too, especially the film Bad Day (which more people need to go and see, because it’s awesome).

Sarah’s a girl who’s unabashed love for the likes of Primal Scream and the Stone Roses might seem out of place in a traditional girl band, but then again, that’s what made Girls Aloud so amazing, that they were so much more than that. Sarah brought that indie cool to the band, attending NME award shows and hanging out with the Arctic Monkeys. There’s something defiantly British about her and the ever-changing length of her hair is always a source of fascination. Whenever I’ve been to see Girls Aloud live, Sarah and Cheryl were the always the ones you’d have the most eyes for. They just knew exactly how to work the crowd.

So here’s three cheers for Sarah and Tommy, the prospect of two Girls Aloud weddings in a year is very exciting (and who knows, we might even have three if Justin pops the question to Kimberley too...).

You can also catch Sarah on Living TV’s Dating In The Dark very soon!