Rita Ora Makes Rihanna Even More Redundant

Damn. Rita Ora just hammered another nail into the dusty coffin that currently doubles as Rihanna's career. The new and improved Roc Nation poster girl picks up where RiRi left off - you know, when she was still popular - on her UK debut "R.I.P.". The Tinie Tempah-assisted club-banger is a surefire smash with its laser-like synths and epic chorus. While I like her US debut "Party And Bullshit",I think this suits the Kosovo-born beauty's voice better...

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Jimmy Barnes Ruins Dance Music

What is this fuckery? Jimmy Barnes has released a house cover of Dragon's seminal '80s classic "April Sun In Cuba" and single-handedly ruined dance music for everyone. Thanks a lot. There isn't much else to say. DJ Yaleidys - whoever the hell that is - is on better drugs than me if he thinks this shit sounds good. I'll admit it has inherent camp appeal given Barnesy's former rock-god status and there's something amusing about the tragic female vocalist...

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An Amazing Eurovision Entry About Craving Cock

As far as I'm concerned Eurovision 2012 is already a write-off. Soraya forgot to enter for Spain and more outrageously, what is clearly the winning song has been overlooked by Holland's flop judges/population and will now be missing from the line-up in Azerbaijan. This needs to be investigated by The Hague and corrected immediately! So what makes Raffaëla Paton's "Chocolatte" such a triumph? Well, it could be the 2006 Dutch Idol winner's bad Rihanna...

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Classical Dubstep, Anyone?

I have a love/hate relationship with dubstep. Done well, listening to the electronic sub-genre is something akin to an out-of-body experience. Those heavy, bone-shaking beats command you to move but the watered-down, mainstream take on the year's hottest musical trend is usually embarrassing. There's just something incredibly sad about a 10 second dubstep breakdown in a pop record. I guess that's why I like Lindsey Stirling's "Crystallize" so much....

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Toy Talk With RuPaul

In early February, I was lucky enough to interview drag-pioneer and generally flawless dance diva RuPaul for an article that later appeared in the Sydney Star Observer (read it here). It was a pretty nerve-wracking experience at first. I grew up worshipping the towering Glamazon and had to ask some relatively hard-hitting questions about relationships and gay politics. Ru's palpable kindness put me at ease and the interview went off without a hitch...

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Paris Hilton Is The New Bob Dylan

Say what you like about Paris Hilton, the heiress definitely has a sense of humour. Which is what makes her such an entertaining pop star - she's in on the joke. Take her amazing new single "Drunk Text". The collaboration with dance outfit Manufactured Superstars basically involves her talking about getting drunk and sending explicit messages over bargain-basement beats. Apart from summing up my favourite weekend activity, it's also ten kinds of...

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Feeling You - Soraya's Latest Video Triumph

A couple of weeks ago I posted Soraya's latest collaboration with French DJ Antoine Clamaran and now the long-awaited visual has arrived. As usual, Spain's gift to the world heats up the screen with her flawless beauty and magnetic charisma. I couldn't take my eyes off her and there are hot men in this clip! Apart from the Eurovision legend's elaborate fashion shoots, the clip is rather straightforward. It combines behind-the-scenes footage of the...

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Biebus Annoints Carly Rae Jepsen The Next Big Thing

NYE 2011 was a momentous occasion in Carly Rae Jepsen's life. On that date, Biebus parted the clouds and floated down from the heavens to lavish praise on her latest single "Call Me Maybe" - naming it "possibly the catchiest song ever" on Twitter. A couple of weeks later, Justin announced that Carly had been signed to his label and was now ready for Bieber-assisted superstardom. And the effect was immediate. The 26-year-old Canadian's perky pop anthem...

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DNA's 12 Best Tracks

A couple of weeks ago, David Musumeci and Anthony Egizii - better known under their professional name of DNA - signed an exclusive production deal with Sony Australia. This is incredibly rare for the local music scene and cemented the boys' status as our answer to Max Martin and Dr. Luke! I've been a fan of their work for a long time and got to know them while they were working with Chris Sorbello. Since then, they have gone on to bigger and better...

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Give Breezy A Break

To paraphrase the famous words of Chris Crocker - leave Breezy alone! The wave of anger and spite that followed his recent Grammy performance and subsequent win was as baffling as it was irrational. Chris Brown was tried and convicted by a court three years ago. He's on probation, completed community service and undergone counselling. The Grammy Awards are supposed to celebrate musical excellence but many people clearly wanted them to be used as...

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Can't Get Better Than This

The Australian music scene is on fire at the moment. Acts like Gossling, 360, Snakadaktal, Gotye and Emma Louise are making eclectic, genre-bending pop that demands international attention. Another name to add to that list is Parachute Youth. Comprised of two DJs called Matt And Jonny, the duo is making huge waves at home with their debut single "Can't Get Better Than This". This is the best dose of Australian electro I've heard in a long time. Fans...

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Paulini & The Gayest Song Of 2012

I know I'm a bit late to the party on this one but I've needed time to process my excitement about Paulini's emergency worker-themed comeback anthem. As readers of this blog know all too well, I stan hard for the Fijian pop princess. For a recap of the diva's entire career (up to 2007) read this and this. After her memorable stint in Young Divas, the Australian Idol alum fell on hard times. There was her iconic domestic violence charity single "Scarless"...

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Gossling's Wild Love

Unless you're one of those sad people that keeps their radio tuned to JJJ, chances are "Boys Like You" was your first taste of Gossling. Her feature on 360's - think Australia's answer to Professor Green - top 5 smash is brilliant but she raises the bar further on the follow-up. "Wild Love" is my new obsession and, with any luck, should be the track that propels Helen (her real name) from indie darling status to veritable pop phenomenon. Sounding...

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CC Strikes Again!

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you're probably very familiar with the woman formerly known as CC Martini. The pioneer of pip pop is one of the first ladies of pop trash. I stanned hard for singles like "Champagne Taste" and "Double Dutch" and genuinely adored her debut album "All The Way". After revolutionising the Australian pop scene as we know it, she disappeared to America and has been pretty quiet. But that's all about to change....

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Roxette - Live In Sydney

17 years have passed since Roxette last toured Australia. That visit was to promote their underrated "Crash! Boom! Bang!" album, which was probably the Swedish duo's last hurrah as an international chart force. They remained popular in some parts of Europe but completely dropped off the radar over here, which is mystifying given the frenzied response they received from fans at last night's sold-out show at the Entertainment Centre. I haven't seen...

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The Part Of Katy Perry I Like

Katy Perry's performance of "Part Of Me" was the highlight of this year's Grammy Awards for me. I was impressed by her surprisingly strong vocal deliverance and the clever staging but also flawed by the quality of the song. When I heard "Teenage Dream" was being re-released with a bunch of old demos, I really feared for the worst. Katy's sophomore album is an almost flawless affair - why pollute it with scraps? As it turns out, this super-charged...

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Taylor Swift > Bon Iver

It's time for Justin Vernon to go back to where he came from. Taylor Swift has unexpectedly stolen his eerie folk-pop crown on "Safe & Sound" and let's face it, that comb-over is a crime against all that is good and holy. Bye! I'm so impressed with Tay Tay's latest opus. She's finally left the Disney princess lyrics behind and explores considerably darker territory on the first single from The Hunger Games soundtrack. Perhaps it's the influence...

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Elen Levon's "Like A Girl In Love" Video

Elen Levon unveiled her "Like A Girl In Love" video clip this afternoon and it's a big step up from "Naughty". Filmed on location in Cambodia, the moody visual plays like a PG version of Rihanna's "We Found Love" - you know... without the sex, drugs and nudity! The 17-year-old is shown cavorting (fully clothed) in the bedroom with her boyfriend, before roaming around the Asian wilderness on the back of a truck. I particularly love the beautifully...

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Five Best Things About The 2012 Grammys

Another year, another rubbish Grammy Awards full of predictable wins and snoozeworthy performances. No surprise then that Kanye West, who led the field with 7 nominations, decided to stay home. The biggest disappointment for me was the pathetic Whitney Houston tribute. One song? Really? Jennifer Hudson looked great and pulled off a competent rendition of "I Will Always Love You" but her take on Dolly's classic was heavy-handed and emotionally barren....

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Elen Levon - Second Single Cover & Preview

Brace yourself for the second coming of Elen Levon. The 17-year-old Sydneysider impressed all the right people with her debut single "Naughty" but the follow-up is even better. "Like A Girl In Love" was written by James Ash (the original Rogue Trader) and produced by local dance outfit Denzal Park. The synth-heavy, hook-laden club anthem shows Elen in a completely new light. Her sound is rawer and sexier this time around, which is reflected in the...

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Shania Twain's Edgy Duet With... Lionel Richie

How is Beyoncé so much better than your faves? Why do I have no matching socks? What the fuck happened to Shania Twain? These questions have haunted me for years and I'm still no closer to finding satisfactory answers. The latter is a particularly perplexing. You think Adele's "21" is a game-changer for selling 12 million copies worldwide? Well, Shania's 1997 opus "Come On Over" sold 20 million. In the US alone. I know albums don't sell like they...

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Madonna's Reductive Super Bowl Performance

You know, I was going to keep my trap shut about Madonna's Super Bowl performance. My parents taught me to respect my elders and it seemed to be well-received by her less discerning fans. But then somebody sent me a bunch of pics comparing the production to Kylie's revolutionary Aphrodite - Les Folies tour and I had to speak out. I'm not sure where the images originated but let me know and I'll credit your hard work in the pursuit of truth, honesty...

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Beyoncé: Absolutely 4lawless

All hail the return of King B! The Queen of Soul/R&B/Pop/Folk etc etc made her first public appearance since giving birth to our saviour Blue Ivy at a Jay Z concert tonight and she looks hotter than your fave after being trapped in a sunbed for three hours. I love the sexy dress, I'm glad she's moved on from the faux Shakira bed-hair that plagued the entire 4 era and those post-baby boobies have me questioning my lifestyle. At this rate, Bey...

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Emeli Sandé Delivers Another Gem

With the exception of Lana Del Rey's exquisite debut album, great new pop music has been hard to find in 2012. But the year's second standout album is only a week away if the three singles from Emeli Sandé's highly-anticipated "Our Version Of Events" are anything to go by. "Heaven" didn't exactly rock my world but "Daddy" is a modern pop classic and I'm head-over-heels in love with "Next To Me". The Scottish diva's third solo release is something...

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Emily Williams - Uncovered

Those not so Young Divas are all starting to crawl out of the woodwork! Ricki-Lee relaunched late last year with "Raining Diamonds", Kate DeAraugo is currently fighting the battle of the bulge on Excess Baggage and Emily Williams is gearing up to release her debut album - 5 years after coming second on Australian Idol. It will be interesting to hear what she comes up with. And while I wasn't a huge fan of "Spellbound" (although, to be honest, that...

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The Return Of M-old-onna

Madonna is smart. I'll give her that. "Give Me All Your Luvin'" is a triumph from a marketing perspective. Start a feud with Lady Gaga, hire Nicki Minaj for radio relevance and buy M.I.A.'s soul for credibility. Throw in a Super Bowl performance and a newly rejuvenated face and you have a hit single. But is it any good? The short answer is no.To my ears, "Give Me All Your Luvin'" is the completely unnecessary sequel to "4 Minutes" - yet another embarrassing...

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Elen Levon's Future C-Pop Classic

Poor Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and BoA. Their hopes of becoming Asia's next breakout sensation have been dashed now that Elen Levon is moving into C-Pop. A couple of weeks ago I posted pics from the 17-year-old's performance at the Gala World Music Festival in Beijing and mentioned that she belted out a new song called "Sun Burns Out" in Mandarin. Well, I finally got my hands on the audio and it's every bit as amazing as you would expect from Australia's...

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Martika's Triumphant Return

Forget about Madonna's latest desperate comeback - the real music event of 2012 is the return of fellow '80s pop legend Martika! After a twenty year hiatus, the glorious diva behind such classics as "Love... Thy Will Be Done" and "Toy Soldiers" is back with a stunning new single called "Flow With The Go". It's a quirky little tune that wouldn't sound out of place on her self-titled debut. I love the snippets of Spanish and think the chorus is a real...

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