Katy Perry Album Update
Published January 18th 2010
Filed under News
Katy Perry has been busy in the studio since finishing The Hello Katy Tour last year. Since returning to the studio, she has been working with Greg Wells (Fingerprints and Ur So Gay), Timbaland (If We Ever Meet Again), The-Dream and Tricky Stewart who she just finished up some studio sessions with. Last Tuesday she went back into the studio with Dr. Luke (Hot ‘n’ Cold and I Kissed A Girl).
Dr. Luke told Music Mix on Wednesday:
I’m working on Katy Perry’s record right now. Literally, yesterday was our first day, but it was amazing. I’m really proud of the work we already did. You know, of my songs that I’ve done, Hot ‘n’ Cold was one of my favorite ones. It’s just fun. I like making songs where you can make people have a good time and have joy. That’s like the best thing you can possibly do, you know?
According to some sources Katy was also in the studio with Calvin Harris. The album, the follow up to 2008’s One of The Boys, is set for release sometime this year.
Cheryl Cole Working With Ryan Tedder
Published January 18th 2010
Filed under News
According to reports, Cheryl Cole is working with Ryan Tedder on some new tracks. Some sources are saying Cheryl is looking for a U.S. career and is bringing 3 Words over there repackaged. Other sources are jumping to the conclusion that Cheryl is working on her second album already. Neither have been confirmed but after the success of 3 Words, it’s not surprising that Cheryl wants more and with Nadine Coyle’s album out so late in the year, which could halt any chances of Girls Aloud returning by the end of the year, why shouldn’t she want more?
Fans of course are worried about Cheryl working with Ryan, in fear of another one of his signature hits (Already Gone, Halo, Bleeding Love) being given to her which definitely wouldn’t work for an artist like Cheryl. What people need to remember is, Ryan does have some very good songs that weren’t huge hits but would be more suiting to Cheryl and with her public persona she could excel similar songs to be the hits they deserve to be. Such songs include:
Hilary Duff – Gypsy Woman, Holiday, Reach Out
Shayne Ward – Tell Him
Natasha Bedingfield – Love Like This
Sugababes – Thank You For The Heartbreak
Kelly Clarkson – Tip of My Tongue, Impossible, If I Can’t Have You
Songs in the same vein as the one’s above, made to sound more like Cheryl’s sound, could really work for her and launch her career in the U.S. along with 3 Words and possibly Fight For This Love.
Ke$ha – “Animal” Album Review
Published January 17th 2010
Filed under Reviews
Ke$ha’s debut album was released digitally on January 1st following the release of her debut single TiK ToK which went to number one in several countries.
The album opens with the infectious Your Love Is My Drug which on first listen makes you think you’ve heard the song a thousand times before but somehow it still sounds fresh. While not being incredibly innovative, the chorus will get stuck in your head for hours after listening to it. As far as singles go, it’s definitely a contender but should be a later single in the campaign as it has the same sound as TiK ToK.
If you’ve been to clubs any time in the past few months, then you can’t have missed out on hearing TiK ToK which gets a spin a few times per night. TiK ToK was the perfect debut single for Ke$ha as it established exactly who she is as an artist. Like most of the songs on Animal, TiK ToK is about being drunk at a party.
Throughout the album, it’s hard not to hear similarities to Avril Lavigne’s 2007 effort The Best Damn Thing. Although it’s not surprising since Ke$ha wrote some tracks with Avril which didn’t make the final cut of the album. The sound of The Best Damn Thing isn’t only on the tracks by Dr. Luke, who worked on most of The Best Damn Thing, but also on tracks like D.I.N.O.S.A.U.R. which doesn’t sound too distant from the “rapping” and beat of Avril’s I Don’t Have To Try.
Kiss ‘n’ Tell is a strong contender for the second single. You can instantly tell it’s a Max Martin and Dr. Luke track which echos Katy Perry’s Hot ‘n’ Cold in the chorus sonically and in structure.
The slower songs on the album are quite good and while they show Ke$ha’s diversity between up-tempo and mid-tempo songs, some of them are too similar to each other. In particular, Blind and Dancing With Tears In My Eyes could interchange their choruses and the only thing that would make you realise they weren’t the real chorus of the respective song is the lyrical content. Having said that Blind is the stronger of the two and a contender for the best song on the album.
Other highlights on the album include the title track, album closer Animal and Hungover, both mid-tempo but quite different to the aforementioned with Hungover using the metaphor of a hangover to describe being broken-hearted and Animal which is the perfect way to end the album. The mid-tempo tracks really show an honest side to Ke$ha while still maintaining her party girl image in both Hungover and Dancing With Tears In My Eyes.
Overall Animal is a very nice debut and looks set to be a very successful album campaign.
Diana Vickers – “Once” Debut Single
Published January 15th 2010
Filed under News
Diana Vickers is finally releasing her long awaited debut single this April, the Cathy Dennis and Eg White penned track Once. Diana was my favourite to win The X Factor 2008 where she placed 4th and we’ve been waiting for her debut ever since. Popjustice chose Once as today’s Song of The Day posted alongside a short clip of the track.
Once has the same sound as Jumping Into Rivers which leaked last year but sounds more like a debut single than …Rivers. Diana’s distinctive vocals take the track from being average to very good. Had another artist been singing on the track, it could have sounded a little boring. It’s very instant and even after your first listen, you’ll never forget it.
[audio:once.mp3]Once will be released on April 19th through RCA Records.
Sugababes – “Wear My Kiss” Video Preview
Published January 09th 2010
Filed under Videos
The Sugababes new video for upcoming contingency single Wear My Kiss from their delayed album Sweet 7 was premiered previewed today. Although originally it was meant to premier in full today, team Sugababes couldn’t even get that much right.
The “preview” which is apparently unfinished, looks very low budget and a cross-between Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer and Kylie’s Love At First Sight, if the latter had no budget.
Not only does the entire background look cheap, the editing looks very poor and the video has no reflection on the lyrics of the song at all.
Wear My Kiss is scheduled for release on February 22nd through Island Records followed by the album Sweet 7 on March 5th but these dates could change again.