I think it’s interesting that the debut single from Same Difference doesn’t even remotely hint at the fact that they’re a British act. A British act who made it big on the back of a British reality TV show.

For those of you who don’t know (or possibly don’t remember), Same Difference are the brother and sister act who made it through to the finals of 2007’s X Factor. Their squeaky clean act was perfectly suited to High School Musical type songs and performances.

Well, the debut single – We R One – is a perfect mix of all those American teen shows like HSM, and there’s a bit of styling from Grease in the mix too.

Read more & comment »

Wanna hear a gloriously upbeat song about terminal illness? Conor Oberst has just the thing for you then.

His latest release brings in The Mystic Valley Band for a good, old-fashioned knees-up that sticks two fingers up to death and disease.

The chorus refrain of I Don’t Want To Die In The Hospital is just perfect. Imagine yourself singing that one while walking down the street.

Read more & comment »

Of all the reality TV alumni, Lemar Obika deserves a break. He’s obviously well regarded, even in serious musician circles. Not to say that his singles don’t sell, they do. But you’d think that the industry would be making a bigger deal about him, that’s all.

If She Knew has some really slick production values. It’s a very smooth R&B number, and you know if Ne-Yo or one of those stateside crooners released this, it would be an international hit.

Read more & comment »

Wouldn’t you just love to write this song off as lame teenybopper rubbish? The idea of Hannah Craptana’s alter-ego crossing over into the pop charts seemed like an awful prospect. But when you listen to 7 Things, it’s actually hard not to like the song.

Okay, when she does that “Shaaa” thing at the start of the video…that’s annoying. But, uncomfortable as it makes me to admit it, 7 Things is a pretty good pop song.

Read more & comment »

I read an interesting piece over on Vibe that claims Love Lockdown is one of his most important songs in recent memory. After spending years trying to outdo himself on each successive single, Kanye has released a song that is heartfelt and spontaneous:

"Love Lockdown" is a gut move, a personal record that, with this sudden and almost unhyped release, seems like something Kanye West needs to get off his chest. The verdict: We feel your pain.

Read more & comment »

The Boy Does Nothing is one of those great singles that ties into the singer’s life. In this case, the refrain about the boy having two left feet ties into Alesha’s big win on Strictly Come Dancing last year.

For those Dixon fans who remember Mis Teeq’s Scandalous and that raw, street vibe that group had, this will be a shock. For those that now know Alesha in her current career as a Saturday-night primetime TV starlet, you could have seen this coming.

Read more & comment »

Same Old Thing – don’t be fooled by that title, this is literally the best new music I’ve listened to all week.

The publicist for The Black Keys sent me across an email about this new single by the band. (This is a lesson to me to actually read those publicity emails every now and again). Something compelled me to look this tune up on the Internet, and I’m soooo glad I did.

Read more & comment »

Believe it or not folks, but Duffy has managed to pump out five singles in the last 12 months. And despite a shaky start with Mercy, Duffy has become…less annoying…in the weeks and months that followed.

And so single number 5, Rain On Your Parade, will be released on 17th November. Don’t expect it to be radically different to Mercy – it still has that 60’s soul vibe to it.

Read more & comment »

I find it funny that in Katy’s last video, she was playing the bi-curious angle, but in Hot N Cold one she’s standing at the altar, ready to get hitched.

It seems that you can’t avoid Katy Perry at the moment, coming off the back of a massive hit single and presenting the MTV Europe Music Awards among countless TV appearances.

If you ask me, Perry’s bolshy pop-rock stylings put her in the same league as Pink. Except far more attractive.

Read more & comment »

The Promise is the first single from Girls Aloud’s forthcoming album, Out Of Control.

But prepare to be surprised by this track, popwatchers, because after the futuristic, cutting edge pop of the last few singles, The Promise is kind of what you’d expect if Nadine and Co had nicked a fluxed-out DeLorean and gone back in time a few decades.

Read more & comment »