February 16th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: Chris Brown, Rihanna, Scandal
According to Billboard, Chris Brown has publicly apologized for the incident where he apparently hit Rihanna after a pre-Grammy Awards party.
In a round-about way, this seems to confirm that Brown was responsible for hitting his girlfriend. As you might expect, the statement was released by his publicist. This would be in large part to keep him away from the media and to limit the already substantial damage to Brown’s career. A number of advertisers and sponsors have now dropped Brown from their campaigns because of his new image as the poster boy for domestic violence.
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February 11th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: 2009, High School Musical, Vanessa Hudgens
Now that the door has closed for the High School Musical stars, they’ve got to go out into the real world and make a living. I’ve already spied cool-haired Corbin Bleu in a pop video. I’ll have to dig that one out for you.
But let’s focus on little Miss Hudgens for a moment. Without a doubt the cutest member of the HSM gang, I’ve always hoped that she’d do well when her role in the movies ended. The temptation to release a by-the-book tune must have been really strong, but Sneakernight is something else.
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February 11th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: 2009, Alesha Dixon

If you were expecting more novelty pop goodness from Alesha Dixon, a la Boy Does Nothing, then think again. Dixon’s follow-up single, Breathe Slow is a fairly slow, standard R&B number.
I’m only slightly disappointed though, because the hook in the chorus is a good one. I’d just hoped that Alesha would come out with something a bit more daring, cutting edge. Especially if the rumours of her wanting to break America are true – she’s entering a saturated market if this song is anything to go by.
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February 11th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: 2009, Miley Cyrus
Funny thing about Miley’s latest video, Fly On The Wall (aside from it not being an AC/DC cover) is that it takes the paparazzi to book for following her around. And by extension, probably any Miley Cyrus fan who ever wanted to know more about her. Slight slap in the face for the fans, Miley?
It starts of with a Thriller-style morphing of Miley’s date into a camera-toting, crazed pap who chases her into a car park. Whereupon more paps arrive and an elaborate dance sequence eventually takes place.
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February 11th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: 2009, Colby O'Donis, Lady GaGa
Yes, I realise that Lady Gaga’s debut is long-since released, number one-d and on its way down the charts again. But I never reviewed it, and now I feel bad :(
You see, over the past fortnight, I’ve totally fallen in love with Just Dance. From Lady G’s rallying call of “red wi-ine” at the start to the brilliant lyric that is “I love this record baby, but I can’t see straight anymore”.
Is it an anthem? I’m beginning to suspect it it.
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February 11th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: 2009, All-American Rejects
Gives You Hell is one of those almost novelty rock tunes that surfaces every once in a while, like Nickelback’s Rock Star or the all-time classic Pretty Fly (For A White Guy).
There’s the comedy featuring frontman Tyson Ritter playing dual roles of rebel and geek neighbours. The pair antagonize one another throughout the video, until a bout of suburban wife-swapping seems to solve their quarrel. Hooray for wife-swapping!
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January 30th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: 2009, Take That
Take That’s latest single Up All Night makes the always ill-advised move of giving Mark Owen lead vocal duties. Nothing against Marky, but it’s immediately obvious that Up All Night is this album’s Shine.
Therefore, I hate it.
Before all you housewives start shouting at your computer screens, hold on a minute. I’m generally a supporter of the Take That reunion. I’ve been to see them live twice. It’s great to hear all the old tunes again.
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January 30th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: 2009, Chris Cornell, Timbaland
Chris Cornell partnering with Timbaland was the most unlikely musical collaboration ever. If your experience of Cornell is through Soundgarden or Audioslave, you are about to hear the boldest move of his career.
Now, if you’ve been wondering where Cornell’s been since Audioslave broke up, the video reveals all: he’s been brooding in clubs in Puerto Rico, Texas and New York. Observing women flirting on the dancefloor while their menfolk look on in frustration. Oh yes, and hanging out with hordes of line-dancing women.
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January 29th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: Comic Relief, The Saturdays
Oooh – as I just read on PopJustice, girlband du jour The Saturdays are going to be releasing the Comic Relief single this year.
It’s going to be a cover of Depeche Mode’s Just Can’t Get Enough, which will fit in well with the 80’s revival and synth-heaviness of the contemporary charts. The PJ crew confidently predict this will be the group’s first ever #1 single, which will be an act of charity in more ways that one.
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January 29th, 2009 by Gerard McGarry. Tags: 2009, Pussycat Dolls

Whatcha Think About That is the third single from the Pussycat Dolls’ Doll Domination album.
It looks like the phenomenal return of the Pussycat Dolls is going to continue uninterrupted for quite some time. I’m slightly surprised to be honest, but the Dolls managed to reclaim the charts almost effortlessly.
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