Forget how Cheryl Cole feels when we call her name – isn’t it time somebody assigned a name to that wandering mole we last saw touring all over Kelly Rowland’s face? That shit is now getting viewed more times than Nadine Coyle because it just found itself a sweet spot on our Geordie Goddess’ right cheek.
Seriously, though. If the cosmetically-bestowed mole was the only subject of your fixation throughout this 4:29 production then I suggest you reassess your life choices.
Cheryl Cole serves an endless reel of fashion editorial realness in her brand new video ‘Call My Name’ that really could have doubled as a commercial for a number of top-end designer labels. What’s up, D&G?
Lady of the concrete jungle.
Director Anthony Mandler, who has hemmed quality videos for Rihanna and Jennifer Hudson, made such a sensible juxtaposition of Cheryl‘s alluring feminine movements with these cold, urban and structured streetscapes.
I really enjoyed Cheryl‘s visual presentation here – the full voluminous hair giving us movement in the wind, those stunning display of legs and womanly silhouette? Excuse her beauty but it truly was the main attraction of every scene in this video.
Hard and soft.
The well-groomed contrast I mentioned didn’t just start and end with the visual make-up of the outdoor shots, but also extends to the kind of energies mixed throughout the whole ‘Call My Name’ video.
You see some seriously on-point choreography delivered with slick precision mixed in with these really glamorous and almost ethereal movements in the mirror scenes, where it’s just Cheryl giving face to the camera.
It’s just the kind of pace this video needs to reflect – especially for a song like ‘Call My Name’, where there are massive fairground synths pounding the chorus, offset by a pair of very sensual, alluring verses.
You almost can’t go too hard by heavily featuring dance moves in every single shot for the entire video.
“You got me confused by the way I changed…”
‘Call My Name’ – concocted by pop’s it producer of the moment Calvin Harris – isn’t a defining smash by any stretch of the imagination. But just like a lot of the music Cheryl has handed me before, however heavily soaked in mediocrity, I’m gonna eat this shit up like it’s the last goddamn box of KFC Wicked Wings on earth. I am full-blown obsessed and am in dire need of help when it comes to weaning myself off this basic pop event.
Watch Cheryl‘s ‘Call My Name’ video:
Footnotes:
Cheryl Cole will release ‘Call My Name’ on 11 June in the UK. Her third solo album A Million Lights hits shelves the following week.
Gotye and Kimbra‘s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ has risen to claim the top spot this week, making him the first Australian artist to go #1 here since Guy Sebastian‘s ‘Who’s That Girl’ earlier this year. ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ is not only the indie pop purveyor’s first chart topper but his first single to crack the ARIA Top 50. Likewise for his partner in crime Kimbra, who has been the hipster community’s best kept secret up until now. It’s an amazing feat for the pair to rise to #1 in only five weeks, racking up platinum sales and earning the support of commercial stations, where they typically would only get rotation on Triple J. Gotye premiered his forthcoming Making Mirrors album on Triple J last night in full, ahead of its release this Friday. The album, in its pre-order state, is currently charting at #7 on iTunes Australia. Kimbra‘s own album Vows will drop locally on 2 September.
Jessica Mauboy‘s ‘Inescapable’ shoots up to #4 this week, making this her first Top 5 hit since ‘Burn’ ascended to #1 in 2009. I know, right? But it’s not like everything in between has flopped or anything. J Mally’s singles are always well-timed and mostly well-supported by Aussie radios, which naturally results in high charting positions. In fact, all her singles have gone Top 20 bar ‘Let Me Be Me’, which was the sixth and final single from Been Waiting (could we blame anyone for not caring?). Keep an eye on next week’s chart to see where the album peaks with the arrival of its deluxe incarnation. If you’re trying to decide if it’s worth your pennies or not, here’s a preview of some new Get ‘Em Girls tracks and my thoughts on the lot. In the two days that counted, Get ‘Em Girls Deluxe has managed to bring the album back to #19 on the Australian Urban charts.
Watch J Mally perform ‘Inescapable’ on Australia’s Got Talent:
Lady Gaga‘s ‘You And I’ is the most added new song to Aussie radios this week. The music video is set to premiere this Thursday. I know she’s always hyping up her latest video to be her best work yet but really, wouldn’t it be impressive if her best video truly was for the single nobody counted on? Elsewhere, Rihanna‘s ‘Cheers (Drink To That)’ rises to #18 in Australia this week, making it her fifth consecutive Top 20 smash here. Every single off the Loud album – bar ‘Man Down’, which wasn’t even serviced to Aussie radios, was it? - has gone Top 20 in Australia, a feat no other RiRi album has ever achieved. Not even the mega Good Girl Gone Bad. Over in the States, ‘Cheers’ shoots up to #50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Marvin Priest and mah gurl Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Take Me Away’ has finally cracked the Top 50 this week at #32 after a few weeks in the wilderness. The song is getting a bit more radio support so it’s fitting to see it do what it’s doing now. Wynter’s own single ‘Buy My Love’ is set to be released and issued to Aussie radios on 22 August – let’s pray the uptake on that is even greater than what it has been for ‘Take Me Away’.
Watch Marvin Priest and Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Take Me Away’ video. My gurl is looking absolutely smokin’ hawt in it:
Selena Gomez & The Scene‘s ‘Love You Like A Love Song’ cracks the Aussie Top 50 this week at #48. This is actually the Disney pop princess’s second time ever charting this high in our country – ‘Naturally’ made #46 last year. While she’s never really had the same level of radio support as she has in the States and around Asia, Selena’s latest album When The Sun Goes Down managed to debut at #14 here – signifying that she’s most definitely a force to be reckoned with. I don’t know about commercial stations turning the corner to embrace Godmez but Australian gay and lesbian station JOY 94.9 has certainly kept ‘Love You Like A Love Song’ on daytime rotation for a while now. The single also makes a huge jump in the UK, going from #141 to #72 this week. Get ready for the take over.
Boy & Bear‘s Moonfire debuts at #2 in Australia to become the highest selling new album this week, beating the almighty Jay-Z and Kanye West‘s Watch The Throne which came in at #3. The Sydney-based indie rockers have been on the scene for a good year or so now and this is actually a pretty impressive debut for their first album. Last year, they probably piqued a few interests when they opened for Mumford & Sons on their Australian tour and the gang’s EP at the time With Emperor Antarctica managed to chart as high as #63.
Check out Boy & Bear‘s new single ‘Milk & Sticks’:
Zoë Badwi‘s Zoë album debuts at #35 on the ARIA chart and #22 on the digital side this week. I think that’s pretty much expected for an artist that has her heels firmly planted in the dance scene with one crossover single. I look forward to seeing our girl sustain the sales with some heavy touring over the next two months. What’s important is Ms Badwi taking her music out to the scene where it needs to be, where it was designed to be. I’m sure it’d be nice to have another mega radio smash like ‘Freefallin’ – queens, y’all know that I’m eyeballing the next single ‘Until You’re Over Me’ – but at the end of the day, the Zoë album was made to cater for dance audiences. It shall fulfill its destiny accordingly and anything beyond that would be a bonus.
Amy Winehouse and Adele continue their airtight reign of the UK Top 5 this week with the late Wino’s Back to Black still holding on to #1 and Adele’s 21 placed firmly at #2. Frank and 19 are holding down #4 and #5 positions respectively.
Jay-Z & Kanye West‘s Watch The Throne debuts at #3 in the UK, making it the highest selling new album there this week. Watch The Throne was definitely the most downloaded album in the UK and Australia this week, topping the digital charts in both territories. The hip hop moguls’ current single ‘Otis’ slips to #40 in the UK while their Beysus-annointed future single ‘Lift Off’ starts charting at #48. ‘Lift Off’ will be launched to American urban stations next Tuesday.
Cheryl Cole‘s 3 Words album has copped a surprise sale boost this week, re-entering the UK Top 100 at #80 after it had already sold over 900,000 copies in its prime. Nuhdeen will be steady sticking pins in her Chezza voodoo doll now. Speaking of the Geordie Goddess, there’s this delicious piece of goss that she has apparentlyrecorded a will.i.am track originally intended for Cher Lloyd‘s album. What a sneaky ho. Do you see the way she’s thieving away at people’s opportunities? Trust me, she may be laying low after losing her X Factor judging seat but Ms Cole is planning something far bigger and more sinister than Nadine 2.0. We haven’t seen the last of this bitch. All of us stanning for a Girls Aloud reunion will have to topple Cheryl’s empire first.
Dub step duo Nero score their first ever UK #1 hit this week with ‘Promises’. They first caught mainstream media attention after making the shortlist for BBC’s prestigious Sound of 2011 in December alongside other lauded breaking talents like James Blake and Clare Maguire (the winner was Jessie J and look what a year it has been for her). Their chart-topping new entry could not have come at a more surprising juncture with X Factor pop acts JLS and Cher Lloyd having occupied the top spot in previous weeks. So what gives?
Check out the video for ‘Promises’ and rate it for yourselves:
David Guetta and Sia‘s ‘Titanium’ debuts at #16 in the UK and #31 in Australia this week purely off the back of strong digital sales. This epic dance number is already shaping up to be a real contender for Feed Limmy’s Top 10 singles of 2011. I honestly hope the label doesn’t tread too lightly on this success. ’Titanium’ has the potential to go so much further if it receives the full backing of an official single launch. This needs to be impacting radios already. I’m not content with it being pitched as some digital promo teaser for the album, which I’ll probably hate anyway. ‘Titanium’ is actually turning on pop music fans who aren’t normally inclined to bump Guetta tracks because it’s one of his few singles that aren’t insipidly about getting crunk and picking up chicks. Sista Sia bringeth soul and a hurricane of emotions to the dance floor much in the way Estelle did for Guetta‘s last album gem ‘One Love’.
Jessie J‘s ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ cracks the UK Top 100 this week, entering at #37 after the video surfaced. Expect it to keep rising after the single gets officially released on 21 August. We’re expected to be treated to two new Jessie J tracks in no time, y’all. First up there’s ‘Repeat’, a track on David Guetta‘s forthcoming Nothing But The Beat album, then there’s ‘Domino’ – the Katy Perry-fashioned new summer pop jam slated to hit the States on 30 August (according to Idolator).
Nicole Scherzinger‘s ‘Wet’ rises from #189 to #38 in the UK this week. With any luck, she’ll secure a fourth consecutive Top 3 smash there. Over in the States, ‘Right There’makes a new peak of #15 on the dance/club play charts. Here in Australia, the single hangs tight at its peak of #8. It’s already charting better than its predecessor ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’, which only made it at #17. We can’t really hold that against it, can we? ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ was most Aussies’ introduction to Nicole’s solo work. It was the perfect appetiser and now that local radios have taken the Scherzinger bait, here comes more.
While we’re on the subject of post-Pussycat Doll work, if you haven’t already inspected Jessica Sutta‘s A-grade new dance/pop single ‘Show Me’ – you absolutely need to. Like, right away. The chorus is giving me life:
Kelly Rowland‘s Here I Am drops 10 places on the US Billboard 200 in its second week to chart at #13. I’ve clocked a couple of stans getting pressed because Kelendria has yet to issue a follow-up single. What is she waiting for? ‘Motivation’, as great as it was for her, has well and truly run its course. Everyone is looking forward to ‘Lay It On Me’ now but there’s still no date set for a radio impact and no sign of a video shoot either. To quote my Twitter friend and beloved pop music fan Richard Eric, ‘Lay It On Me’ is “exactly how Kelly Rowland should sound in 2011: brave, confident, and like somebody who could comfortably lead a group rather than be the second-in-charge like she was back in DC.” Trust.
Greyson Chance - the 13-year old YouTube sensation who rose to fame with his piano-based cover of ‘Paparazzi’ – sees his debut album Hold On ‘Til The Night enter the US Billboard Hot 100 at #29 and digital charts at #14. The album, released through Ellen DeGeneres‘ label eleveneleven, managed to sell 16,185 first week copies in the States off the back of two singles.
Check out his adorable video for ‘Unfriend Me’. It’s the best prepubescent break-up song you’ll ever hear:
Dev‘s second single ‘In The Dark’ has finally cracked the US Billboard Hot 100 at #97. The rent-a-ho for Far East Movement and JLS‘s singles is still hustlin’ hard to get her solo material heard in the States but everything seems to be lining up for her just fine. She’ll gain further exposure as one of the many guests on David Guetta‘s forthcoming album Nothing But The Beat – she’s on a demure, prim and family-friendly track with Timbaland titled ‘I Just Wanna Fuck’. On top of that, Dev‘s debut album The Night The Sun Came Up is set to drop in the UK first on 5 September and later in the US on 20 September.
Kylie Minogue‘s ‘Put Your Hands Up’ shoots up to #2 on the US Dance/Club play charts. So close to reaching #1 and joining the constellation of Aphrodite dance chart toppers. Elsewhere, Britney‘s ‘I Wanna Go’ is the biggest gainer on the club play charts, taking it to a new peak of #3. Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Til Death’ holds tight to the Top 5 placement. Also on the get-go is the new pan-Asian girl band Blush with their debut single ‘Undivided’ featuring Snoop Dogg, ascending to #9 on the dance charts. I am not sold on these ladies, to be honest. But I’ll let you be the judge.
Check out Blush’s beige single ‘Undivided’:
The Wanted‘s ‘Glad You Came’ remains a hot contender on the UK Top 10 but it’s their 2010 debut single ‘All Time Low’ that’s starting to heat up now across the Atlantic. I nearly fell off my chair when I clocked ‘All Time Low’ rising to #21 on the US Billboard Dance/Club charts. I mean, really? Why that mess? I could say the same for Blush. Other surprising dance chart movers include Adele‘s ‘Set Fire to The Rain’ rising to #27 and Jennifer Hudson‘s ‘No One Gonna Love You’ cracking at #47.
Leona Lewis‘ euphoric new single ‘Collide’ debuts at #32 on the US Dance/Club charts this week. Although, I’m not so sure about its future now that Avicii has filed papers to the high court preventing her label, Syco, from releasing ‘Collide’ ahead of his version ‘Fade into Darkness’. To be continued.
Lady Gaga‘s enormous Born This Way record debuts straight in at #1 in Australia and the UK as predicted, certifying platinum sales here. Over in the UK, the album sold over 218,000 first-week copies – more than the rest of the Top 10 combined. Born This Way is officially the highest selling debut in the UK so far this year. Looking on the Aussie singles chart: ‘Born This Way’ overtakes its successors to be placed at #11 this week – followed by ‘Judas’ (#14), ‘The Edge of Glory’ tumbling hard from #12 to #38, and ‘Hair’ from #20 to #39. ‘Hair’ pulled over 147,000 downloads in the US to debut at #5 on the Digital Song chart and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Born This Way has tentatively begun to chart at #10 on the US Dance/Electronic charts, placed behind its predecessors The Fame (#1), The Fame Monster EP (#5) and The Remix (#6). I’m absolutely gagging to see if the album crosses the 1 million sales mark to formally debut at #1 in the US this Wednesday.
Jessie J‘s Who You Are is finally selling big, the way it should be, in Australia. The record breaks through to a new peak of #4 this week, supported by her latest smash ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ which also rose to a new peak of #12 on the ARIA singles chart. Over in the US, the album sits at #110 this week while ‘Price Tag’ is placed at #31 on the Billboard Hot 100.
James Blunt‘s Some Kind of Trouble shoots up the Aussie charts to #5 this week, bettering the chart position it got the last time he was here for a promo trip. The album has reportedly sold over a million copies worldwide but bar the fantastic first offering ‘Stay The Night’, Blunty has struggled to rack up another hit single. Both subsequent releases ‘So Far Gone’ and ‘If Time is All I Have’ have flopped, the latter only managing to peak at #64 in Australia. The uptempo ‘I’ll Be Your Man’ was issued last week as the album’s fourth single in certain territories.
Jennifer Lopez‘s Love? is surprisingly still hanging tight in our Top 20, sitting at #17 this week. The new single ‘I’m Into You’ featuring Lil’ Wayne is totally struggling to match the epic success of its predecessor ‘On The Floor’. ‘I’m Into You’ is not even close to cracking the Top 30. Clock its performance in the UK and it’s the opposite, Love? is set to drop off the Top 30 while ‘I’m Into You’ moves up to #13. Go figure.
Jennifer Hudson‘s I Remember Me finally cracks the main ARIA album chart this week, entering at #26. She definitely sold a few albums on her first ever promo trip Down Under last week but I don’t think we’re any closer to hearing J. Hud rule the airwaves just yet, which is a shame because if the title track had been recorded by Leona Lewis or Jessica Mauboy, it would’ve been added straightaway.
Watch Ms Hudson perform ‘I Remember Me’ on our Australian Dancing With The Stars:
She is looking gorgeous but that figure hugging dress is giving her a very unflattering lumpy silhouette. Gurl, nothing about that looks right.
Rihanna‘s ‘California King Bed’ moves up to #4 this week in Australia. Elsewhere, Katy Perry‘s ‘Last Friday Night (TGIF)’ jumps from #40 to #21. Jason Derulo‘s new piece ‘Don’t Wanna Go Home’ debuts at #34 here and Stan Walker‘s ‘Loud’ moves up to #27 in its third week. I’ll be peeking over at the New Zealand charts just to see how it’s performing there. They just need to hurry the fuck up and update this week’s stats.
Beyonce‘s ‘Run The World (Girls)’ is finally getting the chart leg up it needs. Thanks to the steady flow of live performances last week, the track flies up from #42 to a new peak of #15 on our ARIA singles chart, making this Queen B‘s first Top 30 hit here since ‘Video Phone’ flopped. Let’s face it, the last major hit B had here was ‘Sweet Dreams’ and that was reigning when she toured in September 2009. Over in the UK, ‘Run The World’ bolts from #45 to #22 this week while in the States, the track moves up to #50 on the Billboard Hot 100. In Japan, the single leaps from #57 to #18. Conclusion: all round improvement on a global scale.
Kelly Rowland‘s ‘Motivation’ makes #1 on the US R&B/Hip Hop charts and moves up to #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. I’m giddy with excitement at the prospect of Kelly scoring her first mega solo smash since ‘Dilemma’. Is this real life?Michelle, LeToya and the other two better come correct.
Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Til Death’ moves up to a new peak of #16 in Australia this week. I reckon it could go Top 5 when she returns next month to launch the album. She is already confirmed to perform on Dancing With The Stars and she’s also tweeted that she’s gonna be on our Aussie X Factor. Based on what I’ve heard so far on the album sampler, some obvious singles include the boppy Axwell-produced ‘Buy My Love’ and the stellar ‘Still Getting Younger’, an 80s-inclined dance ballad produced by our own Nick Littlemore.
Grant Smillie and Zoe Badwi‘s new collabo ‘Carry Me Home’ jumps to #12 on the Aussie club charts. The single EP is set to drop on iTunes next week so expect for a radio edit to impact very soon. In some related tea, Ms Zoe‘s eponymous debut solo album has tentatively been pushed back to a 22 July release after it was initially slated to hit stores within a week of Wynter‘s album. The delay now gives ‘Carry Me Home’ more time to gather momentum and naturally, for the Neon family to properly focus on both ladies’ respective LP launches. I’m holding out for Zoe and Wynter to co-headline a tour of several Aussie gay clubs. Now that would be sublime!
Havana Brown‘s ‘We Run The Night’ is still the biggest selling Aussie single out this minute, moving up to #7 on the ARIA singles chart this week. We’re yet to receive any official remixes as yet but they can’t be far off with the track doing so well. Elsewhere, Laidback Luke, Steve Aoki and Lil Jon‘s frenetic club track ‘Turbulence’ crosses over to the main ARIA singles chart this week to debut at #37. This song is one muhfuggin’ hot mess. I just can’t with Lil Jon‘s crunk ass screams.
The Saturdays‘ new single ‘Notorious’ debuts at #8 in the UK this week – making it the highest selling new single in the nation and, mind you, the only new entry in the Top 20. The song also made #8 in Scotland and #19 in Ireland this week. Would you believe it? ‘Notorious’ is actually out now on our Australian iTunes store. How efficient! It’s the first release serviced to Aussies since their debut LP Chasing Lights.
Watch The Saturdays perform ‘Notorious’ on the UK’s So You Think You Can Dance:
Nicole Scherzinger‘s ‘Right There’ leaps into the UK Top 20 this week for a #15 placement. I reckon it could possibly even go Top 10 but I highly doubt it’ll make Top 3 like its predecessors ‘Poison’ and ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’, the latter being Nicole‘s first ever #1 solo smash. Over in the US, ‘Right There’ debuts at #7 on the Heatseekers Chart – a chart reserved for artists who are yet to have a Billboard Hot 100 entry. That’s right, how could we forget that Nicole‘s previous solo singles have all flopped Stateside? As ya’ll would’ve no doubt heard, Ms Scherzinger‘s set to replace Cheryl Cole on the US X Factor judging panel so will this affect the Brit’s affinity with the ex-Pussycat? We shall see.
Better question, will we see Cheryl return to UK X Factor? As per the tabloid mills right now – it’s looking very unlikely. Word is, show producers were set to unveil the drastically revamped panel last week – featuring Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, N-Dubz‘s front ho Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh – but everything was thrown up in the air the minute they had a chance to snag Chezza back from the US counterpart. Decisions will have to be made fast because filming for the UK auditions will start on Wednesday.
Speaking of X Factor, I can’t wait for the Aussie and UK series to air. Feed Limmy will proudly continue its weekly coverage like we did last year. One of my season favourites Cher Lloyd is apparently filming the video for her debut single ‘Swagger Jagger’, check on The Sun‘s snap of the shoot. I can’t believe that none of them – except Tesco Empress Mary Byrne – has got albums or even singles out yet. They can’t all be holding off to drop records when the 2011 series begins, surely? Wouldn’t surprise me if they did.
Alexis Jordan‘s third single ‘Hush Hush’ jumps to #62 in the UK this week. According to Amazon, the digital EP – which drops on 10 June – comes loaded with remixes by Cahill, Tom Neville and Full Intention. It is gonna pop! Can’t wait for Aussie radios to start bumping this. I never did warm to ‘Good Girl’ and let me tell you, it was the strangest feeling ever hearing it at my regular gay club on Saturday. I swear most Aussies are still hung up on ‘Happiness’ and ‘Hush Hush’ is the cold hard hit they deserve.
Listen to Cahill‘s Lounge Radio Edit of ‘Hush Hush’:
Tinie Tempah has arrived in the States, y’all. His breakthrough album Disc-overy debuts at #2 on the R&B/Hip Hop charts and #12 on the Billboard 200. Elsewhere, Moby‘s latest LP Destroyed debuts at #2 on the US Dance/Electronic album charts (behind Lady Gaga‘s almighty The Fame) and #69 on the Billboard 200.
Glee star Matthew Morrison‘s self-titled album drops from its #24 debut in the US last week to #53 on the Billboard 200. Elsewhere, Selena Gomez and The Scene‘s ‘Who Says’ moves up to #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 now equaling the chart position of her last smash ‘A Year Without Rain’.
Nicki Minaj fans in Australia and New Zealand, brace yourselves for the repackaged version of Pink Friday. It’s no coincidence that “previously unreleased” tracks like ‘Super Bass’ and ‘Girls Fall Like Dominoes’ have started appearing on our iTunes. Most local fans probably already have it when they grabbed the deluxe edition, which was formally released in the US and UK ages ago. But just so you know, ‘Super Bass’ was issued to Aussie radios today in preparation for the Pink Friday deluxe, which officially hits Aussie stores this Friday.
Chart snack of the week: C+C Music Factory‘s classic 90s smash ‘Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)’ is currently charting at #132 on our Aussie iTunes dance charts, and further down at #181 is Real McCoy‘s anthem ‘Another Night’. Too good to be true.
This scheming bitch really deserves a round of applause for her impeccable timing.
Your band mate makes headlines world over getting sacked from a lucrative US X Factor gig and you put up a link on Twitter hours later announcing your plans to crack America? Nuhdeen, you are comedy.
After the disastrous floppage of her actually decent debut album Insatiable, Nadine Coyle promptly dismissed her management team and delayed the release of her second UK single ‘Put Your Hands Up’. Just when you thought the project was steadily being lowered six feet under, out comes news of an American crossover.
‘Runnin’ will now serve as her debut US single and the Derry queen is set on pitching it to the clubs. She’s currently working on the remixes with DJ/producers Vito Fun and Damian Major.
The dance route seems like a sensible and accessible entry level for the Girls Aloud vixen. She’s already got her foot through the door when Armin Van Buuren remixed ‘Put Your Hands Up’ and interestingly enough, included it on his recent trance compilation. Mind you, it was the only pop track to make the compilation.
Better yet, I’m overjoyed with the single choice because ‘Runnin’ has always been a favourite of mine. A classy, well-manicured mid-tempo with elements of late 80s pop beats. Good luck, lady.
Take a listen to the track here:
Footnotes:
Stay tuned for an official US date for ‘Runnin’ and its accompanying remixes.
Geordie goddess Cheryl Cole‘s hopes for State-side domination may have been dashed after a shock firing from her US X Factor judging gig. The gorgeous Girls Aloud warbler has reportedly been let go and replaced by Nicole Scherzinger, who was only initially picked up to co-host the series. At this stage, tabloid reports are all we got to go on so make of it what you will.
The inaugural US X Factor series is understandably up against steep competition right now with American Idol reigning harder than ever and The Voice – another new singing talent show featuring Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton – pulling sizeable ratings.
The general consensus on the original US X Factor line up hasn’t been of panty-wetting proportions unless you’re gagging for Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid to head up the panel. Nobody needed to see Paula Abdul back in the game and especially on a talent show that requires mentoring. Cheryl was always going to be a risk for show producers because she’s – to put it bluntly – simply not famous enough and her adorable accent could prove incomprehensible to the American masses, who by the way, sometimes struggle with our Aussie accents too. Girls Aloud never cracked America and most folks in the States aren’t aware of Chezza’s will.i.am connections.
In terms of bankability, it’s a hard case to argue when Cheryl is up against Nicole Scherzinger in front of an American audience. Nicole‘s already well-known for her Pussycat Dolls history and on top of that, her current solo career relaunch means she’s already coming to the table loaded with exposure. It makes sense to feed off a hot meal rather than wait for one to heat up.
Poor Cheryl, the girl had already started doing promos for them and she was even present during the early auditions. I don’t doubt Nicole’s ability to turn it out as an elegant and likeable talent show judge. I have to say, she won me over when she stepped in for Chezza in the UK X Factor auditions. But I’m just disappointed for Cheryl because I’m not certain if she can even go back to a UK X Factor gig and frankly, where would her music career be without the aid of the show?
Footnotes:
Nicole Scherzinger‘s Killer Love album – the revamped US version – is slated for an August release in Australia.
Adele has blown up the UK charts with her 21 album selling over 208,000 first-week copies to rightfully debut at #1. How’s this for a “so what” stat? The UK charts have declared 21 to be the biggest-selling January record since Arctic Monkey‘s 2003 album Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not. Nothing to sneeze at, I guess. Given that January is a tradionally quiet month for record sales.
Elsewhere, 21 debuted at #3 in Australia, where it’s also the highest-selling new entry this week. Adele‘s intense, sobbing-int0-an-empty-tub-of-ice-cream new single, ‘Someone Like You’, starts charting at #36 in the UK this week.
Wynter Gordonrides the #1 spot in Australia for the third week in a row avec ‘Dirty Talk’- just when I thought Rihanna‘s ‘S&M’ was gonna snatch the lube-soiled carpet from under her this week. RiRi‘s ferosh third Loud single copped a sales boost – going from #27 to #3 this week – thanks to crescendoing radio support. Sadly, her last single ‘What’s My Name’ (feat. Drake) didn’t chart quite as well, peaking only at #18 here. Oh! Na na…
Usher‘s pop perfection ‘More’ shoots up to the Top 20 this week, reaching a new peak of #16 in Australia. The RedOne-track was serviced to radios last week and, as predicted, it just took off from there. This’ll be the eighth single from Usher‘s Raymond v. Raymond/Versus era and it could well be the last. Raymond v. Raymond is nominated for a Best Contemporary R&B album Grammy and the single ‘There Goes My Baby’ for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Fingers crossed for another two weeks, Urshurrr fans.
Pink‘s ‘Fuckin’ Perfect’ moves back up the Aussie charts to #22 this week while Far East Movement featuring Ryan Tedder‘s brilliant ‘Rocketeer’ debuts at #30. I’ve got my eye on this one. It’s too catchy and radio friendly to not pick up more rotation. Meanwhile, check out my new song ‘Make Some Noise’ which I wrote over a looped sample of Far East Movement‘s ‘Go Ape’ [Editor's note: sly segue, Limmy. Self plug over.]
The Naked and Famous sees their kick arse album – Passive Me Aggressive You - almost crack our Top 30 this week. It has risen to #31 in Australia, no doubt thanks to their Big Day Out stints and various side shows happening now. The Kiwi band made the much-coveted BBC Sound of 2011 shortlist (which Jessie J won) – a UK take over should be on their action plan.
Sia‘s We Are Born is climbing back up the Aussie charts again thanks to this eagerly anticipated tour. I’ve downloaded a recording of her We Meaning You tour in Copenhagen and have loved every minute of it so I’m totally moist for a good time tomorrow when I finally get to experience her live in Melbuorne! We Are Born is charted at #24 this week, having previously peaked at #2.
Ke$ha‘s ‘We R Who We R’ debuts straight in at #1 in the UK this week, selling over 90,000 copies. What in the world? This record is old as. We’ve been dry humping and snorting glitter to that shit for months now. The next single from her Cannibal EP – ‘Blow’ – is set to impact US radios tomorrow. Yawn! Gimme ‘The Harold Song’ or ‘Grow A Pear’ any day.
Britney‘s ‘Hold It Against Me’ is burning out a little quicker than expected, why? Maybe we should give it a little more time. Perhaps things will pick up again when hell freezes over and Brit finally gets up to do some decent promo? We’ll see. ‘HIAM’ slid from #1 to #6 in the US, #4 to #10 in Australia and #6 to #8 in the UK this week. Speaking of worrying drops…
Avril Lavigne‘s ‘What The Hell’ might’ve done exceedingly well by, say, Alesha Dixon‘s standards but it’s really not standing up well against her previous hits. The Canadian bubblegum rawker’s comeback single drops from #13 to #31 in the US, #29 to #45 in the UK this week while dipping to #14 here in Australia after a #9 debut last week. Bam!
Cheryl Cole‘s ‘The Flood’ can now be laid to rest. Time to snuff out the candle because this dripping ballad won’t be improving on its peak of #18 in the UK after all. It sinks to #43 this week and needless to say, ‘The Flood’ is an absolute fuck off no goer for Australian radios right now. Shame on you for even suggesting it!
Fellow Girls Aloud stablemate Kimberley Walsh isn’t enjoying the most joyous of rides on the pop charts herself. Her collabo with Aggro Santos‘Like U Like’ plummets from its #8 debut last week to #22. At least, Kimba can’t be held solely responsible for that flop. She was just the rent-a-vocalist.
James Blunt‘s Some Kind of Trouble album debuts at #11 in the US this week. Damn, I totally forgot about that record. ‘Stay The Night’ was something of a wonder so let’s see if his new single ‘So Far Gone’ (a Ryan Tedder co-write) can keep up. Some Kind of Trouble peaked at #8 in Australia, where it’s been certified platinum sales (70,000 copies shipped).
Grammy-winning soul chanteuse extraordinaire Adele fangurling over Cheryl Cole has to be the most surreal things I’ve witnessed in British pop relations.
Well, I suppose there’s always that Andy Scott-Lee and Michelle Heaton of Liberty X union. Bleugh.
Here on Adele‘s most recent Radio 1 Live Lounge sesh, she reimagines Cheryl‘s chart-topping hit ‘Promise This’ as a larking bluesy piece. Take a listen:
It’s everything you hoped and wished for, innit? You’re welcome.
Footnotes:
Adele‘s 21 album is absolutely slaying it on the UK charts.
According to the midweeks, it has already singlehandedly outsold the combined figures of all other albums in the Top 10, selling over 100,000 copies since Monday. Easy #1, here we come!
