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 used to but she was a phenomenon. And then nothing. "Up" was considered a flop for only selling 7.5 million copies in America but those numbers were still gigantic by everyone else's standards. And yes, her cheating husband/producer left her but she's had 8 years to recover. What's going on?

I thought her reality series Why Now? might offer some insight into her absence. Unfortunately, it only revealed that she's super rich and still has great hair. The show did, however, lead to a one-off single last year. "Today Is Your Day" was roundly dismissed as a hot mess but I loved it and even included it in my Best Singles Of 2011 countdown. Although the song did present one significant issue. Shania appears to have lost complete control of the powerful pipes that made her famous, sing-talking her way through the song. I put it down to nerves and hoped for the best.

Well, six months have passed and we now another track to add to the country-pop queen's incomparable discography. She teams up with Lionel Richie for a pared-back cover of his classic '80s ballad "Endless Love". The pair were shown recording the duet (below) on Why Not? and it has finally surfaced as the lead single from the R&B crooner's latest album "Tuskagee". A video is on the way and the duet is already creeping up US iTunes. So is it any good? To be honest, not really. Their vocal styles don't combine particularly well and Shania is still mumbling. However, I'll probably be hailing it as a masterpiece after a couple of listens and I love what it represents. The hard-to-impress songbird is finally showing some interest in music and I'm hopeful that a new album is on the way. Music needs you, Ms Twain.

Download "Endless Love" from iTunes now.

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Miley Cyrus Schools Bob Dylan

Is there no limit to Miley's brilliance? Not content with radically improving Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and bringing Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" to a whole new audience of drug-fucked teens, the iconic diva has just dropped a breathtaking cover of Bob Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" for a forthcoming Amnesty International charity album. I thought Ke$ha's contribution to that opus would be impossible to beat but Milegend's Dylan cover is even better. She lets her inner-country singer take over and delivers an earthy, stripped-back rendition that highlights the 19-year-old's smoky pipes (I'm not talking about her bong collection!) and the subtle poetry of the song's lyrics. Seriously, Miley needs to move to Nashville and record a bluegrass album. It would make all our faves redundant. Watch in awe below as two creative titans collide!

Pic via Idolator.

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Seriously, What Is This?

Please help me out because I'm confused. When did David Campbell (Australia's answer to Michael Buble) ditch his finely tailored suit for a leather jacket and Aviators? More importantly, why is the nation's Sultan of Swing churning out dubious '80s cover versions with videos that cost less than his sunglasses? I don't even know what to write about this mess. It's stuck in that awkward limbo between completely embarrassing and so-bad-it's-amazing. On one hand, I like it for the comedic value and Dave's bulging pecs. On the other, the song has been done to death and this interpretation lacks imagination. Why not do a soul or swing version? Instead, this sounds like something from karaoke night at my local pub. Which is ridiculous because the man can sing. I'm intrigued. Is the rest of his new album... this stunning? I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I see him perform live. "Let's Go" is in stores now. Buy/download it if you dare.

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Do you like Katy Perry & Fisting?

If so, "Extra Intestinal" is the song for you! Mike Diamond's stunning interpretation of "ET" is the perfect soundtrack to your next dungeon visit. Let amazing lyrics like "fill me with your knuckles, my colon will buckle" inspire you to unclench and demolish what's left of your pelvic floor. You just know that Russell plays this glorious anthem before making Katy slip on her pink Hello, Kitty rubber gloves and massage his prostate. While I'm feeling Mike's witty words and almost operatic vocals, MC Matinga steals the show. Who needs Kanye West when you could this adonis go H.A.M. on your hot track? Oh and Sheena Easton even makes a cameo. Clearly this is a late contender for song of the year. Check out the NSFW extravaganza below.

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Cosmo Jarvis Covers Kylie Minogue

A couple of weeks ago, Cosmo Jarvis visited Australia for a whirlwind promo tour and a pair of sold-out shows in Sydney and Melbourne. He also found the time to drop by Triple J to perform on their popular Like A Version segment, which involves guests singing unexpected cover versions. And the 22-year-old raised the bar by taking on Kylie's "Spinning Around". From "Gay Pirates" to Ms Minogue's career-reviving comeback single, Cosmo has displayed exquisite taste and is fast becoming my new fave. His rendition rocks but what drugs are these lame presenters on? Young Talent Time was Dannii's gig and all that talk about the saucy video is unnecessary. Show some respect for your elders! Anyway, that's not the dashingly-handsome Brit's fault. This is awesome and should be used as a B-side somewhere. If you need more Cosmo, here's my review of his Sydney Showcase and an interview I did with him for Channel V.

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