"Next To Me", Emeli Sandé's Amazing Single That America Ignored (The First Time)

5/5

The general public would be surprised to learn that Adele's 21 wasn't the best-selling album in the UK in 2012.

It was actually Emeli Sandé's debut album, Our Version of Events, that topped the year-end sales charts across the pond.

The album was also released last year here in the States, but didn't do much, peaking at #28. It would have done much better had they actually pushed the album's lead single "Next To Me" to pop radio. Well, it's better late than never, and Sandé is getting a legitimate push in America. Thank goodness, because she is too exciting of a talent to be ignored. I cannot believe I am invoking the name of Whitney Houston, but Sandé is giving me "How Will I Know" vibes. Not that "Next To Me" is a frothy dance-pop gem, but it is such an instant, undeniable record that I wouldn't be able to explain it's chart failure except to say that radio programmers are idiots. It is a fascinating, uptempo, gospel-pop tune that would certainly make Whitney proud. The hook is brilliant and warm, and Sandé's voice is powerful and crystal-clear.

Forgive me for what may seem as overzealous praise, but I don't get this excited often. I can't help but think of other humungous pop debuts, like Mariah and "Vision of Love", or Leona with "Bleeding Love". Mark my words, if her label plays it right, Emeli Sandé will become the next big name in pop music.

If you haven't heard "Next to Me", please listen below!

What About Them? The Saturdays Introduces Themselves to America

3.5/5

Being an international artist breaking into the US market sucks.

With there being so many artists in the US already, it's very difficult for an artist from outside the 50 states to make a significant impact, no matter how popular they are worldwide (and before you mention "Gangnam Style", we know that song is basically over at this point).

The latest to try cracking America is the UK girl group The Saturdays. The five-piece are following the Monkees route, by launching a reality series on E! alongside their music. US listeners will be introduced to The Saturdays with "What About Us?", the first single from their upcoming fourth album (they've released three albums prior in the UK and Ireland). Unfortunately, this song doesn't really do much to distinguish the girls from other dance-pop on the radio. That said, it is an incredibly listenable song (I've been playing it virtually nonstop all day) with an easy chorus and hook. The reggae-lite flair it has is kind of confusing and unnecessary, though. Honestly, I would have repackaged one of their old songs, like "Up" or "All Fired Up", and used that to bring them stateside, but this song works in a fun, frothy way.

We'll see how their reality show, due to premiere this month, will help them achieve American success, but it's not too hard to see our audience take warmly to this song.

Check out the song below:

Will Young's "Jealousy" Is Flawless, Elegant Pop

Pop Idol winner Will Young is back!

The singer, who got some US shine last year when his UK smash "Leave Right Now" was used as American Idol's goodbye song, is releasing a new album in August called Echoes. To kick the album off, he released the first single "Jealousy" to radio this morning.

"Jealousy" is pretty standard fare for Will Young at this point. Not that standard fare can't be fantastic. The song has an infectious ethereal disco feel, á la Sophie Ellis-Bextor or the lightest of Kylie's discography ("Fragile" almost instantly comes to mind). The lightweight synthy sound does wonders for Will's unique, strong voice.

Will has seen some struggles lately (I still don't understand how the genius "Hopes and Fears" flopped the way it did), but I think "Jealously" will put him on the right track.

No pun intended.

Check out Will Young's new single below. Like it? Share your thoughts!

Nicola Roberts Releases "Porcelain Heart", and Officially Tops My Summer Playlist

I swear, Nicola Roberts is owning everyone right now!

The Girls Aloud member has released her single "Beat of My Drum" to UK iTunes, and along with the pre-order track (and possible album track) "Porcelain Heart".

I was instantly into "Porcelain Heart" after hearing the leaked snippet a few days ago and it's even better in full. Actually, this song is a notch or two above "Beat of My Drum", and deserves to be more than a pre-order track (seriously, not even a B-side?). She really knows her way around a hot synthesized beat, especially one as whimsical as the one in the song. The song's production is incredibly crisp and clean, a switch-up from the grittier Diplo beats of "Drum". Her voice also gets more of a workout, showing off her hidden belting abilities. Towards the end of the last refrain, Nicola hits a long, powerful note that blew me away on the first listen, and every one afterwards. It boggles the mind how she wasn't able to wrestle more solos from Nadine during the Girls Aloud days.

Now that we have two official songs to judge from, Nicola's album Cinderella's Eyes is shaping up to be one of the top releases of the year. The wait to October is going to feel incredibly long, but at least we have these two jams to tide us over.

Check out the song below and share your thoughts with me. Are you liking Nicola's music?

Nicola Roberts' "Beat of My Drum" Has Been Released, And It's Absolutely Amazing

It's finally here!

Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts has FINALLY dropped her first single "Beat of My Drum", giving the first play to Scott Mills of BBC Radio 1.

That teaser simply didn't this song justice. "Beat of My Drum" is absolutely amazing, easily one of the best singles out of the UK this year. Nicola's voice is so unique and mysterious, ranging from robotic in the verses to pseudo-gothic mystical in the bridge to dance commander in the chorus. The production, done by "Pon De Floor" mastermind Diplo, is absolutely amazing. It has his signature mark, but it's a lot more crisp and glacial than his other songs. The breakdown after the second chorus is an absolute killer. The relatively short length also works in the song's favor, demanding repeated listens.

No shade intended, but Beyoncé should kill Diplo for giving her reheated "Pon De Floor" for her single "Run The World (Girls", while Nicola received this epic production.

"Beat of My Drum" is going to honestly rule the summer. All I need is "Porcelain Heart" (the song's b-side) and my summer playlist is complete!

The single will be released to UK iTunes on Sunday! Get it Brits!

Nokia and the Sugababes Team Up For Tragic New Commercial To Promote Their Tragic New Single "Freedom"

Sugababes 4.0 are at it again with "Freedom"
photo credit: Idolator

I really don't know what's worse, the Barbies doing Beyoncé thigh splits in this commercial, or the song playing in the background of this commercial.

For some reason, girl group Sugababes thought it would be cool to promote their new single "Freedom" in an advertisement for Nokia. It's quite ironic that the two paired up, since both are sinking faster than a boat with a whale-sized hole in it.

Nokia's flopping is for another blog post. Let's talk about the Sugababes for a second.

This is by far the saddest excuse for a single this group has ever released, ever, in their decade-plus long history. It's a cheap knockoff of every Dr. Luke/Max Martin production released since January. Even the dubstep is cheaply used here. Jade's voice is great technically and everything, but it doesn't save this absolute farce of a single.

It boggles my mind that this is the same group that released singles like "About You Now", "Change", and Push The Button".

Okay, those songs were with different members, though. With that in mind, I think its time that they hang it up for good and disband, because if this is what they are selling, this is going to be a pretty embarrassing era for them.

What do you guys think of Sugababes and "Freedom" and the Nokia commercial?

I Need Nicola Roberts' "Beat of My Drum" In My Life NOW, But The Teaser Will Have To Do

Can it be tomorrow already?

Because then I won't be stressing myself over a 30-second snippet of one of my most anticipated singles this year, Nicola Roberts' "Beat of My Drum".

I'll admit I was skeptical of Nicola, a member of my favorite girl group Girls Aloud, as a solor artist, but ever since I heard the snippet, I have been HOOKED. I love Nadine and Cheryl, but this little clip absolutely beats both of their albums, hands down.

The single will be aired tomorrow on UK radio, and released to iTunes this coming Sunday, but until then, listen and watch the sneak peek of the video above.

Are you excited for Nicola's new single? If you've never heard of her before, and you clicked the video above, are you excited now?

Download of the Day: Adele's "Set Fire To The Rain"

Who could've ever predicted the hurricane that is Adele?

She has blasted through 2011 at the top of music charts across the world, leaving her pop competition in tatters behind her. Her album 21 is virtually guaranteed to be a Grammy sweeper and one of the biggest-selling albums of the year. A compelling anti-thesis to idea of the sex-crazed, dance-floor loving pop divas of late, Adele is proving with ease that have a spectacular voice is more than enough to be successful.

That, and absolutely amazing music material.

One song that really hits that idea home is "Set Fire To The Rain", which is one of the two potential singles to follow global smash "Rolling in the Deep". While her previous single was drenched in gospel-tinged soul, "Set Fire To The Rain" is a full-on pop power ballad, grand and epic in scale, with just enough restraint to have listeners entranced. That is, if they weren't already by her spell-binding voice. Even without the voice, the song stands tall as a elegant production. It has a charming orchestral melody, and it accounts for the most emotional and heartfelt lyrics on the whole album.

But of course, Adele's powerhouse voice truly makes this song. As she sings, you could literally feel every single solitary emotion the lyrics are trying to convey: sadness, longing, and passion. Not since the glory days of Whitney Houston has a singer had such interpretative power.

Adele could take the most stale song in the world and inject soul into it. "Set Fire To The Rain" is amazing song, which allows the British sensation to really soar to heights rarely seen by most female artists today. She is more than just an amazing singer, she is the biggest breath of fresh air that pop music has seen in a long time. The future success of this single is testament to that.

Lady Gaga's #1 In The UK with 215,000 Copies Sold!

Gaga is (pop) queen of the UK, selling 215,000 copies of Born This Way

Lady Gaga has dethroned Adele on the UK Albums Chart.

The pop star debuts at #1 with her sophomore album Born This Way, knocking Adele's 21 from the top. Adele has spent an amazing 18 non-consecutive weeks at #1, only being knocked down once by the Foo Fighters a few weeks back. Born This Way is Gaga's second #1 album in the UK, after The Fame.

Gaga also can celebrating having the biggest first week sales of the year so far. Born This Way sold 215,000 copies in the past seven days, according to the Official Charts Company. Let it be noted that the UK did not have the now-infamous Amazon 99-cent deal that has everyone in a tizzy. It was reported on the first day that retailer HMV was sold out of the album within hours.

It is projected by Billboard that Gaga will sell over 1.1 million copies in America, while Media Traffic projects sales of 2 million worldwide, solidifying Born This Way as one of the biggest albums of the year.

The only question is, will it overtake Adele again to be the biggest selling album of the year?

Album Review: Lights by Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding "lights" up the pop music landscape with her album Lights

If you've read my second "iPhone Follies" post, then you know how much I gushed over British singer Ellie Goulding's US single "Lights" on my trip to the mall yesterday.

I was so taken with the song that I decided to get the full album. The only other songs I had from Ellie were "Starry Eyed" from last year and "Guns and Horses", which was listed as a free single on Amazon MP3.

I was honestly very surprised by this album. After hearing "Starry Eyed" last year, I thought she would be a one-hit wonder so I never bothered checking her album out when it was out in the UK. I was wrong, very, very wrong.

Lights is a dreamy, almost magical record. Literally. Every song on this album sounds like it was recorded in the core of a cloud somewhere high in the sky. Ellie Goulding's folksy, nymph-like voice was tailor-made for the light, airy synthpop that is the album's anchor. The album as a whole has a mystical, euphoric vibe that is simply irresistible. Even songs like "This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)", which is pretty melancholic when you hone in on the lyrics, makes you want to dance in the sky. Lights works as a wonderfully cohesive listening experience; you shouldn't be surprised if you have the album on repeat for hours and you don't even realize it. Only one other album of recent memory had that effect on me, Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite.

Where Lights does fall short is in the individuality of the tracks. Many of the songs have the same sound: disco-lite electropop. While genre-specific album themes aren't a bad thing, it can get a little muddy if there isn't a bit of diversity in the sound. The album does have it's standouts, though. "Starry Eyed" is a swift, airy dane track that harkens back to the cloud metaphor I mentioned earlier. "Lights", as I mentioned in "iPhone Follies", is an irresistible discotheque in your head. "Your Biggest Mistake" is another standout, with a very memorable hook that's not abrasive. "Under The Sheets" is a bit rougher than the album's overall glacial style, a nice shakeup. "Your Song", a cover of the Elton John classic, is a flawless tearjerker, explaining it's massive success in the UK (peaking at #2 on the charts). The rest of the songs sort of gel together without much fanfare.

Ellie Goulding may have released the feelgood album of the year. It's a cohesive pack of electropop songs that are easily accessible, due to its very soft production. Yes, it is probably an acquired taste for some, but there is denying something special happening when you play this album.

Rating: 8/10


Key Tracks: "Your Song", "Lights", "Starry Eyed", "Your Biggest Mistake", "This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)"

Download of the Day UK: Take That's "Love Love"

British pop group Take That are pretty good at recording movie themes.

At least that's what you can infer, with "Rule The World" from the film Stardust being one of the best UK pop singles released in the past ten years and all.

Riding high on the success of their multi-platinum behemoth Progress, the five guys are back in the cinemas with their single "Love Love", which will be the British theme for the upcoming film X-Men: First Class.

Unlike their aforementioned smash, "Love Love" is not a ballad at all. It's a driving, military pop stormer, with heavy beats, industrial-lite synths, and dramatic vocals. The song takes a lot from "Kidz", which was an excellent experiment of their grittier pop sound. It stands as one of my favorite songs of theirs.

Unfortunately, "Love Love" suffers from being a bit overwrought with the vocals and the production. Gary's vocals in particular are just too dramatic and the production itself is just a bit too busy. On the other hand, Mark's voice works just as well as did on "Kidz", which is a nice surprise. Considering what the movie is, the song itself seems like a very good fit.

It's not as good as "Kidz", and it doesn't even begin to touch "Rule The World", but Take That should be commended for continuing to try new sounds and prove that they are more than just a boyband.

What do you think of Take That's "Love Love"?

Take That Have Year's Best Selling UK Album

Fully reformed Take That are the
biggest UK seller of the year with Progress

Fans just can't get enough of Take That!

The British boyband has sold 433,000 copies of their latest album Progress,the first to feature Robbie Williams since 1995's Nobody Else. This puts their overall sales at over 1.8 million copies since it's November 15th release, making it the best-selling UK album of the year.

If Take That can keep up the momentum for the next few weeks, they are poised to outsell their previous two albums, 2008's The Circus and 2005's Beautiful World. The Circus sold 2.2 million copies, while the group's comeback record (with Williams) Beautiful World sold 2.6 million copies.

I haven't found the time to listen to the whole album, but I really liked "The Flood", and I think the reported second single "SOS" is pretty much a guaranteed hit. I'll probably get around to listening to the whole thing sometime before the new year.

If you've heard the album, what do you think? Is it worthy of all of the success it's gotten? Or are you over the Take That craze? Let me know!

Download of the Day 12/13: Someone Wake Me Up by Joe McElderry

Someone wake Joe's career up!

Poor Joe.

The young winner of the last season of the UK's X Factor has a pretty rough winner's journey. First, his winner's single, a cover of Miley Cyrus' "The Climb" had the Christmas number one snatched from it by a nearly two-decade song from Rage Against The Machine. Then, his first official debut single "Ambitions" peaked at a disappointing #6 on the UK charts, the lowest peak for a first single from an X Factor winner (even Leon Jackson got to #4).

Now, his second single "Someone Wake Me Up" is looking to flop even worse, entering the charts this week at a tragic #68. Meanwhile, his runner-up, Olly Murs, has landed a #1 and a #4 with his first two singles.

For whatever reason, the public is clearly not feeling Joe as much as they did last Christmas. It's a shame, because his new single actually deserves to be a hit. "Someone Wake Me Up" has a lot in common with "Ambitions". However, while his first single bordered on the annoying, "Someone Wake Me Up" has a relaxed charm, similar to "Teenage Dream". Joe's vocal abilities really shine on this track, allowing you to hear his crystal clear tonality. There is no doubt that Joe is the best male vocalist to come across the X Factor judges.

It's beginning to appear that Joe may go the way of Leon. He certainly doesn't deserve to, and I wouldn't say it's too late. I think people just need to "wake up".

Rating: 8 out of 10

New Music Alert: "Well, Well, Well" by Duffy

Duffy's "well, well, well" on her way to another hit

In 2008, she had the world at her "mercy".

Welsh singer Duffy made huge worldwide waves with her debut Rockferry, scoring Grammy nominations and a transatlantic hit with debut single "Mercy". After virtually disappearing the past year, she is back with her sophomore album Endlessly and it's lead single, "Well, Well, Well".

As you would expect from Duffy, "Well, Well, Well" follows in the vein of her last album, bucking the current electro trend for her (now) unique blend of soul and pop. However, there's something a lot more fun and sexy about this record compared to her previous work. For a song that avoids the synths of dance-pop, it is groovy and surprisingly danceable with it's big band-style production and arrangement. It's probably the most instantly lovable single Duffy has ever released, while retaining her core artistry.

"Well, Well, Well" is being sent to US radio October 18th, and will be released digitally on November 21st. Endlessly will be released on November 29th.

Joe McElderry Dances Awkwardly In "Ambitions" Music Video

Big group dancing is often a hit or miss in music videos. It usually depends on the choreography, which can either be awesome (Michael Jackson's Thriller) or just tragic.

Unfortunately, Joe McElderry's video for his new single "Ambitions" falls to the latter.

While a great song, seeing Joe with his random street flash mob punching the air was hilarious, in the wrong way. He does get bonus points for not just sitting in front of a camera and looking sad as a ballad plays overhead. Dancing aside, it is a charming little video, for an epically charming little song (which is actually a cover of some Norwegian megahit. Good choice Simon!).

Check the video out below:



Joe's album Wide Awake is due on October 25th. What do you think of the video, folks?

Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams Get Lovey-Dovey For "Shame" Video

Serious disagreements destroyed their partnership fourteen years ago, but it appears that they've buried the hatchet.

Take That bandmates Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow, ahead of the group's reunion, have recorded a duet for Robbie's greatest hits album due in October called "Shame". The video for the song was just released, and it's basically them finding each other again and reigniting their bromance. It goes so far that they strip and attempt to jump off a cliff (they chicken out).

As for the song itself (since this is the first time we're hearing it), it is definitely a surprise. It's a little country-twanged ditty about regret, with no epic Take That-esque key change either. It definitely has its charm, and Robbie and Gary sound amazing together.

Check the video out below and tell me what you think:

Alexandra Burke's New Video "Start Without You" Is....Ummm....

A poor man's remake of Olivia Newton-John, perhaps?

This week, X factor winner Alexandra Burke released the video for her new single "Start Without You", and its pretty bad. Basically, she's in lacy underwear, dancing with a bunch of half-naked guys working out.

Let's just say that Glee pulled off the "Physical" remake better.

That said, Alexandra looks absolutely stunning, and the song is pretty good.

"Start Without You" is due for release in September.

X Factor Winner Joe McElderry Comes Out

Last year's winner of The X Factor Joe McElderry has announced that he is gay.

After months of speculation since winning the British talent show in December, the 19-year old singer revealed the truth in an exclusive interview with the UK's Daily Mirror.

About his announcement, he said "I'm really happy, I now know who I am".

Before, he has always told people that he was straight, but finally realized that he was attracted to men about three weeks ago. He also told his mother as recently as last week, who has been very supportive of his decision.

Pop singer Joe McElderry has come out
in an interview with the Daily Mirror

Joe also said: “I’ve had time to think about things. I wasn’t attracted to anyone anyway, male or female. It never really entered my head I was gay. But I just know. It’s how I feel.”

Despite his announcement, he also said that he isn't actively looking for a boyfriend at the moment, since he is so busy. However, he doesn't rule out a chance at finding a "Mr. Right".

Last Christmas, Joe McElderry became the first ever X Factor winner to lose out on the Christmas number one single, thanks to a Facebook campaign to place Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name" at the top. His single "The Climb" hit #1 the next week. His album is due out at the end of the year. He is currently working with popular producer Dallas Austin on the record, as seen in the picture above.

Being so young and in the public eye, it was very brave of him to come out the way he did. Kudos to Joe and I'm really looking forward to his new album. With a voice like his, he is easily better than 70% of the male singers out there, so he should have no problem becoming a chart smash (and as easy as the comparison is to make, especially now, he does seem fit to follow in Will Young's footsteps).

Now, if you have absolutely no clue who I'm talking about, check out this performance during last season's X Factor of "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"

British Boyband JLS To Release New US Album August 3rd!

One of Britain's biggest boybands are making a play for the United States.

JLS, who came in second place on The X Factor two years ago, has been rocking the British shores with #1 hits like "Beat Again", "Everybody In Love", and their latest "Club Is Alive". Now, after the mild success of "Everybody In Love" on pop radio, they are releasing their debut album as an extended play. The album will have six tracks on it, including the four singles they've released in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, UK fans will be treated to a brand new album from the foursome in November.

While I think "Club Is Alive" is a steaming pile of dog mess, I do hope they can find success here in the States. No one has really been as successful as Leona Lewis, and it seems like Alexandra Burke's US plans have been dropped. Even though the group annoyed me to no end when they were on X Factor, I can recognize that they have the best chance for transatlantic success, so good luck to them. It would've been smarter for them to release another single, like "Beat Again", but who knows? They might do well with it.

WORST!!! Katie Price Performs Disastrous New Single On TV!

Where a pair of implants will take you in this industry....

British trainwreck Katie Price, fresh off a new marriage to cagefighter Alex Reid, is back at work, this time as a pop star. The glamour model performed her debut single "Free To Love Again" on GMTV this past week, and let me tell you, it is a mess.

The whole thing is just ridiculous. The terrible lipsynching, the lack of dancing, the song itself (one of the worst I've ever heard), it all came together in a fiery display of undeserved celebrity failure. The funny thing is she at least had the decency to admit that she's piss poor minutes later on the couch.

Luckily, it appears that Price's pop star aspirations won't go anywhere. Released this week, the single hasn't even cracked the Top 40.

Watch the ridiculousness below:



Do you think Katie Price has a career as a singer? Comment below!