Belinda Carlisle's Triumphant Return

Isn't this photo flawless? That fur. Those cheekbones. Sure, it might be a couple of decades old but Belinda hasn't aged a day since 1983 - so I think I can get away with it. If you don't follow the iconic diva on Twitter, you might not be aware that she is embarking on a major comeback, releasing her first US single in 15 years.

It came as a surprise to me too. I knew the yoga addict had been working on new music for what felt like an eternity but "Sun" seemingly dropped from the heavens and landed on iTunes with little fanfare.

The, as it turns out, pleasantly contemporary dance-pop tune was produced by frequent Dannii collaborator Ian Masterson and is distinctly amazing. "Sun" is a synth-drenched floorfiller that sounds better than 95% of the shit currently polluting radio. I love that Belinda has bequeathed her loyal army of gays with something they will actually want to listen to - without sacrificing her own personality.

There's something peculiarly authentic about "Sun". That voice is unmistakeable and the chorus could have been lifted from any of her late '80s albums but it's more than that. You can take the girl out of Cali but there's something undeniably chilled and breezy about Belinda's music that is quintessentially West Coast.

"Sun" is lifted from a new greatest hits compilation, which has just been released on US iTunes. Belinda has promised an international release in May - along with more new stuff. In the meantime, check out her glorious dance anthem below. Let the Carlisle revival start here.

Read More

Anastacia Returns. Remains Irrelevant And Embarrassing.

Full disclosure. I was never a big fan of Anastacia. I think I was always turned off by her stupid sunglasses and grating voice. But she was unavoidable in the early 2000s and I somehow ended up buying all her albums - even Heavy Rotation, which defined career-ending flop well before the release of MDNA. My favourite was definitely 2004's self-titled effort, which boasts two of the diva's best songs - "Left Outside Alone" and "Sick And Tired". She pretty much became irrelevant after that but is now on the comeback trail, promoting It's A Man's World - a collection of cover versions first performed by men.

Excuse me but didn't Cher do this first way back in 1995? Furthermore, who leaves four years between albums and then return with this shit? It's not like she's 100 and has no other option. Anastacia could still get away with a fun dance-pop album and it would probably sell on nostalgia alone. Oh well. I won't lose any sleep. The first taste of It's A Man's World (that I've heard) is an abysmal cover of Foo Fighters' "Best Of You" (below). It's really bad but words can't describe how terrible the accompanying video is. Why is she acting like my drunk aunt at karaoke? How can she move her mouth with all that botox? Who really gives a shit about this bitch anymore?

Song: 0/10, Video: 0/10

Read More

Lumidee & The Most Relevant Comeback Of 2012

Sometimes I lie awake in bed and wonder whatever happened to Lumidee. You know the flawless rap icon behind "Never Leave You (Uh Oh)" (a top 40 smash in Australia way back in 2003)? Well, the sleepless nights are over. The Peurto Rican diva dropped a new single called "Party All Week" earlier this month and it's actually kinda great. Sure, it's another club banger about tearing up the club but I love the Latin horns and appreciate Lumidee's confident flow. Apart from listing the days of the week, she also manages to name check Snooki and Kim K - which makes it better than Nicki Minaj has done since 2010. The video is a low budget affair but it's a colourful reminder that there should be a place for this girl in the industry. I don't like her chances of American chart success but she has continued to score minor hits in Europe over the years, so hopefully this will be another German smash.

"Party All Week" is available to download from Australian iTunes now.

Read More

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 grower. The ageless beauty wrote and produced the song with her husband, which perhaps accounts for its slightly organic sound. I can't wait for club remixes to drop because nightclubs will never be the same again once a whole new generation of gays discover the first Latina of pop! "Flow With The Go" should be up on iTunes as soon as tomorrow but you can preview the song below. Welcome back, Martika. You have been missed!!

Listen to: Flow With The Go

Read More