[Official Video] Cher Lloyd - Want U Back

Cher Lloyd's album campaign is all coming together rather nicely - now that the post-X Factor 'haterz' are starting to simmer down, all that remains is Cher herself and a rather impressive amount of critical praise for her album as the collection of fun pop tunes it is. And Want U Back stands as the epitome of everything's that so good about her.

For starters - the single cover is great. Second - she's got that lad Astro off of US X Factor on the single version. And most importantly, the track itself is exactly the kind of catchy, cool-kids gloss-pop number we always dreamed of Cher coming out with when she first took to the XF stage. The cheese of Swagger Jagger has been ditched, replaced by something that is fundamentally more 'Cher'.

The video features her singing on her bed, flicking through some photos (that move like the ones in Harry Potter!) before getting out her iPad. Just an average day in the life then - for the record, the 'moving magazine' shots are our favourite, can they invent these in the near future please?

[Cover Art] Cher Lloyd feat. Astro - Want U Back

Now this is what I call a great pop single cover. It's from Cher Lloyd's new one Want U Back and she's looking all grown up with a nice new haircut and a cool, colourful t-shirt.

Actually, looking back to Cher's Sticks + Stones album cover (which we loved), her cover art has been pretty spot on for the whole campaign. Like her music, it captures the perfect blend of feistyness and knowing street-smarts that Cher Lloyd is all about.

Looking at a single cover like this, you can start to imagine the popstar of globe-conquering proportions Cher could become in a few album's time; given the write material, that is.

The single version of Want U Back features Astro - that dude off of the US X Factor - and is set for an early 2012 release.

Cher Lloyd - Want U Back

No X Factor star has had quite such a rollercoaster ride amongst my affections as Cher Lloyd. When she was on the show, I properly adored her - she was a breath of fresh air that the show desperately needed. But post-show, her unfortunate, bratty, antagonising tweets became a real turn-off and I really started to dislike her.

But the real test was in her music, and against all my initial expectations, her debut album turned out to be one of the best pop records of the year. It was consistent, gloriously poppy in the best ways, and above all, it sounded like Cher herself - the kind of music both her and her fans would really enjoy.

And new single Want U Back is the epitome of that. Possessed of the same bouncy R&B-lite vibes as album standout With Ur Love, the chorus is indelibly catchy, perfect for younguns to holler away to until the early hours, bottle of WKD in hand. This is profoundly youthful music, and the best part is that it feels genuine, not clamouring for faux trends like Swagger Jagger was (and even that ended up growing on me).

The best bit of the song has got to be the spoken word 'Remember all the things you and I did first?' bits. It's here that you get the best insight into the mind of Cher Lloyd and what she's all about. It's little nuggets of teen angst and bittersweet jealousy that are the lifestuff of every young person up and down the country - and all of them with a copy of Cher's album can sing along to these lines knowing in their heart they've felt these feelings too. And that's why Want U Back, and the album as a whole, works so well.