VELVET ARE THROUGH TO THE FINAL!

I love my girlbands. Especially when they sound and look as amazing as Velvet. They look like a mixture of Spice Girls, Banarama and Cosmo 4. All of which makes Velvet very nice indeed. I want the album already. The track, Tricky, scrapes a lot out of Infernal's last great offering and produces something rather cool for Eurovision. A bit too fierce for Eurovision if you ask me. Taking a look at the songwriters and all is explained! Its by the amazing Hanne Sørvaag, Niklas Bergwall and Niclas Kings. Amazing. A lot expected Surferosa to sail through to the finals but it wasn't meant to be and they'll be fighting it out once again during the second round.


Ultimately though, Surferosa have a much bigger and developed fanbased so their loyal fans will probably secure their success when the crunch comes. Which is fine as they're brilliant. However, one is always totally biased when it comes to girlbands and so I hope, to quote that ultimate PWL girlband BoyKrazy, that Velvet get through on a wing and a prayer.

You can check out the radio edit of Velvet's Tricky here. Also, check out the schlagerboys interview with the girls here.

THIS IS CARACOLA-ALBUM REVIEW!

Caracola-This Is Caracola

The poptastic trio Caracola from Sweden have gone and released a very special English version of their debut album & its one of the best bubblegum albums of 2008. They first appeared on DSTP two years ago! Yes two years ago! Anybo! Here is the much delayed and long-overdue album review of the Cd they've just released.

Smiling In Love

The brilliant Melodifestivalen hit single. Simple lyrics but backed up by some very impressive vocals and catchy melody. This fast becoming a girlband classic. This celebrates everything that is great about the summer & as such its very similar to the vibe of the sorely missed Passion Fruit girlband. It even has the all important key change. The strongest track on the album. Dontstopthepop rating: 5.0

Mango Nights

The lead single. Written by Marcos Ubeda and lyrics by the wonderful Billy Butt. This is perfect for driving around with the girls in Ibiza with your top-down and lip-gloss drawn on places of the body that shouldn’t be mentioned in public. Mango Nights sets out the form and indeed constitution of what the album, This Is Caracola, is about-going out with the mates and ending the night with your mates in a fit of hysteria. DontStopthePop Rating: 4.2

Life Is a Holiday

Ok, the girls change the vibe and this song takes you to the Caribbean via Ace Of Base. Life Is A Holiday is the teenage version of Life is a Flower and could be a huge smash hit if released next year when the sun comes out. The chorus is “Oh, eoo, life is a holiday” and that gets repeated over and over. Its very addictive despite not being as immediate as the first two songs. Not on the first Caracola album but was a b-side. DontstopthePop Rating: 4.9

Gimmie Magic Tonight

Gimmie Magic Tonight is a rip-roaring dance classic that looks at ABBA’s Lay All Your Love On Me, fuses it with a dash of Donna Summer and a touch of Kylie’s On A Night Like This. This is a kinda punch ya fist in the air pop song. 4.3

Vamos, Vamos

This a brand new song and demands to be the follow-up to Smiling In Love. Its made for Costa del sol as the Spanish title suggests. Here the sound similar to Lucky Twice who were huge in Spain so this could be massive in the discos that lick the beaches of Ibiza and Mallorca. Also has a key change! Dontstopthepop Rating: 5.0

Summer Night

Summer Night is one of the best bubblegum songs by girlband in 2008. If a song makes you wanna dance right where you are then its done its job. I’d own this album for this track alone. Summer Night has the potential to be a global hit for the girls. Its got that quality to send the dancefloors into a little bit of a frenzy. Dontstopthepop Rating: 5

My Baby Blue

This is the current single and its great. It truly is. I can see this being performed at G-a-y but the only problem is it sounds too much like Deeper Shade Of Blue. The two songs could be twins-they even reference the same colour in the title for heavens sake! You couldn’t make it easier for the lawyers Caracola! Still a great and dramatic pop song! Dontstopthepop Rating: 4.6

Go Paparazzi

Ok this is lyrically the best songs on the album. This so about Paris Hilton! How else can one interpret this: “You have only had one dream and that’s to be famous and be seen. There is nowhere you wouldn’t go for your picture in in Hello/You gotta get your face on TV and every film premiere’s in your CV!”. One of the bitchiest pop songs of 2007 and for this it deserves a round of applause. Dontstopthepop rating: 4.5

Love Alive

Originally called Ända Fram, Love Alive continues with the uplifting night out vibe. This is about a boy with bright eyes who, the girls confess, make them “cry like a child”. She promises that they’ll offer the boy the stars if he gives them his moon. This is a perfect song for Eurovision as it includes a sublime key change at the end! DontStopthePop Rating: 4.5

Love Makes The World Go Round

Anthem alert!!! This is a great pop song and is a distinct Caracola track. Its extremely uplifting and should make you warm inside. Gone is the stress and negativity of the daily business of banks, bills and so forth. Plus it’s the only dance song to my knowledge that makes online chat rooms rather kinky yet oddly innocent. Take the line “Drop me a message where and when-no matter if Skype or MSN” proving that Caracola are a thoroughly modern pop band. Musically this sounds a bit like DJ Sammy’s Heaven and the entire first album by ATC. Dontstopthepop Rating: 5.0

You and I

Caracola approach their poptastic routes once again with this pink pop English version of “Du Och Jag”. Personally I think this is one of the strongest tracks on the album. You think it’s a pretty usual track from the Swedish trio but wait till you get the chorus-it recalls the amazingness of the Vengaboys and their bus. You wanna book that flight to Palma and dip into some pink hotpants and bounce around the sand dunes without a care in the world. Yes the British summer was absolutely awful but You And I ensure that even the coldest of hearts will feel a ray of sunshine. The girls go for the high notes and expose one of the most concise pop songs in their catalogue to date. The writers Niklas Ringstrom and Linda Sonnvik really create something special on this track and in English that is simply taken to another level. A great pop song. Dontstopthepop Rating: 5.0

Put The Blame On Me

Originally called Bara Skyll På Mig, Put the Blame On Me is an odd choice to re-record. Only because there are much better songs on their Swedish album. A great little pop song but after You and I you feel somewhat shortchanged. When stood alone it really shines but it is overshadowed. Dontstopthepop Rating: 3.9

Conclusion: This is Caracola is cute little pop album. If you adored Atomic Kitten back when they were poptastic (aka before Jenny Frost got involved) then you’ll love the CD. Or rather if you still pine for the days when PWL ruled the world, when Ace Of Base topped the charts or simply when Kylie blew bubbles of catchy pop music then this CD is just up your street. Its not too sickly sweet and clearly gives the likes of BootyLuv (UK), Love Shy (UK), LuckyTwice (Sweden) and the Electric Dolls (UK) a run for their krona. Each track is a catchy little story of its own and the girls will do well if they take the CD to the rest of Europe. Its loaded with summer sunshine anthems. If you like your schlager pop shaken and remixed up (and in English), This Is Caracola is perfect for you. My only complaint is the fact that the girls didn’t translate their songs Du (La, LA, La) and Allting Stannar Till which would worked brilliantly on the album…

Buy here: Cdon
Buy here: Megastore

They got it! No Angels for Germany

Their faces say it all...

Well well well! No Angels are representing Germany! I am so pleased for them. Disappear is a great song. It will be interesting to see how it does. Some have compared it to a great Sugababes song. Some have said it will completely flop claiming its far too commercial (where have we heard that before?). Others have quite rightly pointed out while the song is brilliant the production of the song might cause some difficulties when performed live and it can not be denied that their pre-selection performance was rough around the edges. So much so I think the picture above reveals that they were shocked down to the core that they'd won. Its great exposure for the album re-release which comes with a bonus DVD so well worth the purchase if your a fan of the group. It also secures a second Sony reunion album from the girls now they will go down in German Eurovision history. Well done girls! Disappear was the best song of the bunch. Different, smooth and might just be a bit of a sleeper hit when it comes to Belgrade in the similar way last years win was. It will do well in the German charts which is where it counts....

ANDERMAY'S VERY SPECIAL GIFT FOR DSTP READERS-DESAPARECIENDO (The Fading Shadows RMX)

Andermay-Pure Decadent Fabulousness-Exclusive Mix of Despareciendo Download

A few years ago I waxed lyrical about the brilliant Spanish pop band that was Andermay. Anders of the band has since very kindly allowed Dstp this gift to its readers. This was a mix he did of Andermay's album track "Despareciendo". To my best knowledge this version hasn't been released until now. Anders remix traces a bit of William Orbit and The Beloved. Very cool. Just as a reminder, Andermay are a key force in the Spanish music industry at the moment. They wrote David Bustamente's song "Mas de Mil Noches" and Beth's Eurovision entry "Dime" (A song that has been covered throughout the world). With the first pop album (you have to have this CD) under their belt, they then released their recent brilliant comeback album which was a slight change in sound and direction.

However they've kept their pop fans happy by comissioning a number of ultra poppy remixes & the remix on offer today is one of those. I hope the 3rd album is a mixture between the second and first albums. They have some great pop anthems to their name with my favourite, "Entre Tu Y Yo" being just one of them. Each Andermay song is a revelation. You do not need to understand Spanish to love their pop and access their message. They take you on a journey into love, passion and hurt.

Anders is an amazing song writer with pop running deep into his veins. His melodies are always ferociously pop heavy. Take his latest project! Again, another one that has got to the national finals of Spains Eurovision competition his new girlband (ooh the kudos points!)! Calling themselves Ell*as, Anders wrote a wonderfully simple yet addictive pop song for the girls. I absolutely love them. The fact that they are cute as buttons helps a lot.

Check out Ell*as first single here
Official Andermay Site
Buy Andermay (Amazon)

LOVESHY DEEMED TOO MODERN FOR EUROVISION!

LoveShy revealed themselves tonight (and their dancers!). And, they were absolutely amazing. It was their first ever performance and they look like a force to be reckoned with. Amazing outfits, stunning hair and excellent performance-the girls (Aimee and Emma) rocked it. But they were deemed too modern for Eurovision and sadly they didnt get through. Instead Britain picked someone called Andy. Who lifts no shirt (or rips them) and no quirky lyrics about eating too much man.

What? Yes. The BBC right royally fucked it up for Britain and two girls' dreams. Some woman called Carrie said the girls were shaky on the vocals. Which being the first act on and the youngest on the show is understandable but Carrie-no relation to the horror film character-has an amazing career as a successful singer so she didn't blink when she curled her lips with her critiques. Known as Carrie Grant, she has had an amazing career in the long-lost band Sweet Dreams whose single "I'm Never Giving Up" is a fine moment in British pop history. Interestedly it too was rebuffed at the national heats in 1983 (the year I was born!). It truly makes Carrie a fine one to judge on what should go forward doesn't it? Do you think she holds a grudge? Not for me to say. Still, what is the point of judges on a show called "Eurovision: Your Decision" pray-tell? Perhaps its ironic? Are BBC truly that clever these days though? I think not. More on that though below.

Alas, am I being too harsh? To be sure, I am very fond of Loveshy. It makes me blighted with bias. Actually no. My bite is with the judges. One had the audacity to say Mr.Gorgeous was too modern ("more of a pop song than a song for Eurovision"-what!?) for the audiences of Eurovision. Wait? Is the entire of Europe (including Isreal) is backward? I mean that is essentially what is implied in the suggestion. Still, whats wrong if the song was too modern? Europe is not some backward place! Half of the song was made in Europe. Germany, one of the biggest pop markets, would have absolutely lapped up Mr.Gorgeous. Nearly most of our pop music is made in European studios these days. Take a look at Robyn! Take a look at Mirwais! These are European scene-setters. And don't harp on about East Europe is different. Right now, DJ Ella is riding high with her amazing track DJ Take Me over in Poland. Russia gave us Tatu. Eurovision is ready for modernity. It can even do post-modern acts (LT United). These are countries are not dancing to folk music or scrubbing out Communist scraps from a forgotten era where the songs celebrate the Bolshevik revolution of yesterday.

Now to the concept of the judge on the show. Look at Sweden. Its left to the people to decide. Tonight they picked the glorious Linda and Charlotte (with the NuPagadi-esq Nordman & the Westlife belter sort of song by Sibel going to Andra Chansen). I absolutely disagree with the idea that it should be up to a panel to preside on matters. Especially if that panel consists of people not quite connected to Eurovision. It should be left up to the people to decide. The thing is, the BBC wanted to change the format. The show tonight now reflected its other shows (namely its god awful reality outings). So, acts were put together into categories. The judges would then decide which act from each category would go forward to the national vote. This means the judges blocked LoveShy from going to the public vote.

As such, LoveShy can hold their heads up high. They did what they had to do. So they didn't appease the judges. They can be proud of what they did tonight. Their new single is out this week and as people from Australia and U.S emailed me, its wet their appetites for more. Get downloading people! Its rather wonderful! In the future, people are gonna wish Loveshy were the band the UK picked. But thing is, we won't even get the chance to regret because of the judges. Which is a bit sombre and I can't quite understand what i mean right now. The judge system has to abolished! Oh and Loveshy really were amazing tonight. I welcome the new band and can't wait to see and hear more......

LA CASA AZUL-ESTA NOCHE SOLO CANTAN PARA MI-LEGAL DOWNLOAD!

YummyMusica! Legally download Esta Noche Solo Cantan Para Mi: here

Ok. La Casa Azul are one of the finest bands to come out of Spain ever-simply perfecta! Also one of the oddest. What you see is not quite what they are. Is it just a boy or is it five groovy singers who look like they came from the Spanish version of The Brady Brunch? Very cute and extremely addictive-they are pop but, Jim its not as we know it. Let me talk about the music. The sound is an amazing and unique elasticated and refined pop music of the 1960s, '70's and disco of the early 80's. Their mode of pop is dripping in sugary sweetness but don't let your mind immediately jump to the likes of Steps and A*Teens. This project is quite far removed from such ventures. The albums contain shameless disco claps, flutes that shimmy into the sky and midi-synths which cruise into vocoders like two flower powered lovers grinding to a halt somewhere in the Castro district of San Francisco.

Engineered & produced by one of the sublimest name in pop Guille Milkyway, La Casa Azul enrich their sound with the surf-sands of The Beach Boys, ABBA and of course the Electric Light Orchestra. Dusty Springfield would dance to them if they were around back in the day. The sound effects are glorious, chirpy and you almost feel like you've walked into a shagadelic club on the right side of Paris with Andy Warhol pouting to the left and Dionne Warwick dancing to the right.

Lets take a look at them. Take their brilliant about their video for Superguay (the song itself a tribute to Petula Clark and early disco). You don't have to understand a word of Spanish to love everything about the single/video. The disco beats of the themes of Dallas and Charlies Angles mixed in with the chimes of I will Survive.

They bring out the obvious Brady Bunch influence on their video for "Como un Fan". The song itself is simply a dedication to the 70's but wait to the end. It goes all vocoder-ish. I adore it:

The production have managed to squeeze the best of pop music of the last forty years into just a few minutes. For this La Casa Azul must be celebrated. In their latest video, La Revolocion Sexual they refer to Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Buck Rodgers. As you can see, the band become robots & chaos ensues on the sci-fi dancefloor.

The song has edited and been picked by the band to represent this years Eurovision for Spain and I think it has a fighting chance (you can hear the new version on their myspace). Its in the pre-selection and will make Spain proud if sent to Serbia. The lovely people at their record company Elefant & La Casa Azul have allowed Dontstopthepop a rather exclusive legal download of Esta noche sólo cantan para mi. Its a mixture between Kylie's Disco Down and The Boss. It even quotes Elton John, discopop and northern soul. I hope you like! I can imagine this band as being huge this year (albeit if they recorded some of the songs in English). The band are everything that is right with the Spanish pop industry.

Buy the albums here/Elefant Records Shop
Official Myspace

LENE ALEXANDRA-EXCLUSIVE LEGAL DOWNLOAD!

Exclusive Download "Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy Me"

WOW! There is so much pop I wanna talk about at the moment. Its making me all wheezy. Originally I wanted to feature some another act but then this landed on my popdesk (that exists in my mind!-i don't I have a popdesk). But I wish I did! Suddenly Lene pipped the post and took priority. Her album, "Welcome to Sillycone Valley" is a wonderful pop album of Norwegian wit & comes with the cult singles "My Boobs Are Okay" and "Hot Boy Hot Girl".

It contains glorious pop songs like "Catfight" that essentially puts the girlpower legends Spice Girls and Shampoo to shame! Lene channels her inner Eminem and comes up with the wonderful line "better step off-i am about to let go-breaka couple of nails-pull the weave out ya dome". Dome=head. Don't you see? Its dreamy! Then comes the schlager pop electrolush track "Sugar Daddy" dedicated to the story of, say ooh Anna Nicole-Smith? Imagine her life-story put to the brilliant disco beats of Kylie's best pop moments. Again, let me direct you to the lyrics of the bridge: "sometimes he's away because of his business trips-and then i miss, miss miss miss-but i am so lucky to have a pool boy to kiss kiss kiss to-[insert sound of poolboy groaning]".

Yes. Its high camp but its distinctly tongue-in-cheek and deeply ironic. It also paints a picture of society. As such, its a highly intellectual piece of pop music. You can totally see why I just had to allow Lene take priority position. A part of me wishes she could be the next President of Europe. Or simply enter Lene next year? We should all enter Lene! She'd love it. For Eurovision '08. Bring Lene to the UK now!

Anyway, next on the Cd is the her glorious cover of the girlband classic "Nasty Girl". The Vanity6 monster anthem was recently covered by Inaya Day but Lene's version completely out-nastifies all versions in existence. She wants her inches and she aint too shy to proclaim her size-queen lust. People of Dontstopthepop, buy this album! Its brilliant! Her "Sexy Wonderland" takes you back to Ace of Base's brilliant ode to Motown "Always Have, Always Will" while "I'm Just A Tease" evokes Britney back when she was still drinking her soda pop. Except the fun only starts when she "shakes [her] tit-tit-tities".

So today, Dontstopthepop is very proud to feature Lene and her brilliant "Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy Me" which is available on this site as an exclusive legal download. Yes! Its all legal+with full permission. So, go show your thanks, love and help Lene buy some more Cavalli handbags & buy the album. You can buy it here (through CDon) AND here (where you can also hear it!!).

Go Buy It/Official Site

Coming Up: Pop from Japan and something special from Sweden.

LOVESHY SPEAK TO DONTSTOPTHEPOP

Today the British Broadcasting Corporation confirmed LoveShy as hopefuls for this years British Eurovision competition. Their song Mr.Gorgeous has got tongues wagging and butts moving since it first appeared on this very blog a few days ago. The girls of LoveShy have been through it all. Originally called Clea, DontStopthepop celebrated Emma and Aimee in its Pop Awards held last year. If you do a little bit of research you'll find the two quite a rarity in the British pop scene. Besides Girls Aloud, they are the only Popstars act still releasing music and they outwardly refuse to stop the pop. I remember saying Clea/LoveShy are for "a generation that used the magazines BIG!, Smash Hits and Top of The Pops Magazine as their weekly bibles." And, with that in mind Emma of LoveShy spoke to DontStopthepop about the state of pop in Britain, Mr.Gorgeous, their favourite Eurovision entry of yesterday-year and the Simon Cowell of the internet (!).

DontStopthepop: First of all let me say how great Mr.Gorgeous is! I’ve had people from the U.S and Australia tell me how much they love it already. You must be well chuffed!

“Wow – that’s so nice to know. When you write and record a song you never really know how people will take to it but when recording Mr Gorgeous we felt an instant gut feeling it was going to be a good one”

Dstp: So why the name change?

“Well to be honest, it’s not really a name change as CLEA ended when Lynsey left. LoveShy is a new beginning with me and Aimee. We wanted to continue music and working together, but it’s a new direction and a new band”

Dstp: And how did you come to LoveShy then?

“It’s such a difficult thing to do naming a band, we were in the studio one day recording the album and got talking about what we’d like to be called. We wanted something that sounded nice to say and was a worldwide meaning that most people could understand”

Dstp: I love the the fact that the song is about not being shy at all! Where would you two fit
in? Shy or brazen like the song?

“Ha…myself and Aimee know what we want in a boyfriend, however I think everybody at the beginning of a relationship are Loveshy (!)

Dstp: Whats the new album going to be like?

“The album is full of sassy, catchy pop/dance tunes that will get you dancing your butt cheeks off”

Dstp: Have you got a name for it?

“Not yet – but it will be a goodie”

Dstp: What was it like performing for thousands in China?

“Was an honour to ask to perform to celebrate the Beijing Olympics for 2008. Who wouldn’t love to perform to a 3 billion tv audience lol”

Dstp: You even sung in Chinese. Explain how that came about?

“We wanted to embrace the country we performed in and so decided to sing a Chinese song. We actually also met the famous Chinese boyband the Flowerz before we sung the English version of their song as well so we’ve done 2 Chinese songs!”

Dstp: I so want to hear those Chinese tracks! Ok, with the demise of Smash Hits, Top of the Pops and CDUK, indie acts of the pop variety are having a bumpy ride. The scene is completely different in Germany, Sweden and Spain. Loveshy are wonderfully pop. Where do you think they stand/dance/sit in relation to stuffy journo’s who take a sometimes snobbish attitude to pop music?

“Yes pop is something we’ve been brought up listening to like Spice Girls, Madonna, Kylie etc. They are the influences that have formed us into wanting to be pop singers. It’s difficult for pop acts to be respected in the industry, the journos love to hate and always have, but us real people actually love pop hence why all the pop comebacks like Take That etc have sold out everywhere. Let’s embrace what British do best – POP!! Critics say that pop is not credible – but why?? We have been working for 5 years now like any normal band through highs and lows and will continue doing what we love. We are not in it for the fame or fortune, if it was we would have given it up years ago, we have a passion and want to express it”

Dstp: As Clea you received the Dontstopthepop prize for not stopping the pop. Is that your mission? A middle finger to the serious museos and critics?

“Was overwhelming to be understood and respected – so thank you ever so much for that award, it meant a lot. Our mission was just to do what we wanted to do and felt right, why should we follow like sheep the latest hot producer or sound, we were so happy with our album”

Dstp: As a group you continue to release really bold pop songs. I can see you both getting on the microphone down at the O.A.P centre in 60 years! Are you living out your pop dreams?

“However hard its been in the recent years, yes we are living our dreams and I do see us with walking sticks playing the latest OAP convention in 50 years time haha”

Dstp: What was your favourite Eurovision song? And you can’t say ABBA! Everyone says ABBA or Buzz Fizz! Personally I am bit partial to Helena Paparizous Greek win of 2005.

“Hard One – we love all UK winners (biased) but also have a huge soft spot of Gina G who came third. We know her she’s a lovely lady”

Dstp: What can we expect from your performance on Making your Mind Up?

“We want to give the UK something to be proud of . We are going to give it our everything, energy, personality and most importantly an infectious catchy pop song – we are also adding in a few surprises so don’t miss it”

Dstp: Your on the same record label as the Queen Of Clubs Dannii Minogue! Would you like to make LoveShy the Girlgroup Damsels of Clubs?

“I never thought of it like that – we love clubbing and its great to spread the loveshy songs in clubland – don’t be shy…Love hehe”

Dstp: How is the gorgeous Lynsey?

“Lynsey is great. She is now doing something she loves and is still as beautiful as ever”

Dstp: I loved your Kick Back Relax. So much better than the Agnes version that was released. Why wasn’t it on the album?

“erm…in a nutshell too much money wanted!”

Dstp: I also loved the brilliant tribute to the 1980’s Hey You. Another fab song that is yet to be released and wasn’t on Trinity! You’ve done Jermaine Stewart 80's classic 'We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off'. What other songs from the 1980’s would you love to cover?

“Well don’t want to give everything away but we have covered another big 80’s song – all will be revealed on the album”

Dstp: You’ve been in the industry for quite some time now. What have ya learned since appearing on Popstars, forming Clea and now LoveShy.

“That being a singer isn’t all glitz and glamour, fame and fortune. It’s long hours, hard work and full of ups and downs. Music has changed so much over the years what with downloads and you are ever adapting to changes. What we have learnt though is to be real and stick to what you want to do and hope someone out there loves it”

Dstp: You’ve moved down to London. What are your favourite parts of the city?

“It’s so exciting to be back in London. So hard to pick out parts as there is so much to do here. Let’s just say we have LOTS of fun”

Dstp: Oyster card or oysters at the Ritz?

“Oyster card – cheap to get around and see the real London”

Dstp: Right this very second, what CD/mp3 is getting loads of earphone love?

“haha you’re not going to believe me but it’s Mr Gorgeous as we are frantically practicing for Eurovision”

Dstp: And finally, I hear Chloe is in Canada now. We get Alanis and Celine and in return Canada gets the Queen and Chloe. Do you think this a fair trade-off?

“Chloe Staines – haha – you gota love the Staines! She is very well and doing her own thang, married now to a boy from our first Download It video we shot in Canada – how mad is that!”

Dstp: Ahem. Seriously though, LoveShy dontstopthepop loves ya and can’t wait to hear more. What can we expect after Mr.Gorgeous?

“Lots of dancefloor tunes with a pop edge, great Saturday night fun. Full of catchy melodies and hot remixes – check out the Thomas Gold mix of AM TO PM – fantastic”

Dstp:Thank you girls and good luck with Mr.Gorgeous and the rest of 2008.

“Thank you dontstopthepop, you are the Simon Cowell of the internet. You talk sense and not afraid to stand your ground for what you believe in. Love you all and thanks for your continued support – love LoveShy”

The Simon Cowell of the internet! Cool! So you can check out a little snippet of Mr.Gorgeous by clicking here. Also check out their new cover of Am To Pm on the Fierce Angels compilation Cd here. You can hear the track (and the Thomas Gold mix that Emma talked about) on LoveShy's official myspace here. Remember to vote for them when the time comes. Looking at the other Eurovision entries, it seems none are as poptastical as LoveShy.

No Angels to Disappear and Ninja faces her Battlefield Of Love for Eurovision and Robyn never minds the British buzzcocks.

PopNews

Dolly Parton has a new album out this year and not only will it be brilliant but also comes with a glorious title. Its called Backwoods Barbie and I personally feel that this name might be the best of the year so far. Its scheduled for late February but this might change so keep an eye out (on this brilliant site).

The German girl group No Angels are releasing a new single. Its called Disappear and its for Eurovision! It sounds like a uptempo anthem but those German girls have some strong lungs so they might just pull it off.

Meanwhile, Ninja Sarasalo is attempting to represent Finland with the song "Battlefield Of Love" which was written by the amazing Susan Nova! Have a listen to Fashion here. Switzerland have selected their song to represent them this year and its in Italian. Which makes total sense as Italy doesnt take part. Still its sung by the quite lickable Paolo Meneguzzi! See him perform it here (check it out for the choreography and the dancers alone!)

Kylie is rumoured to be leaving Parlophone/EMI while her fellow collaborator R.Williams is thinking of striking. Doesn't "industrial action" require some kind of working to be done? We all know Kylie works her guts out for EMI. Since 2000 there have been 4 studio albums, 1 greatest hits, 5 world tours and some very stressful health issues. Since receiving that 80 million pound contract Robbie Williams has released 2 studio albums. Not quite industrious is it? Not worthy of strike action anyway. Still, the Kylie rumours are just rumours. The Kylie forums also claiming that she's releasing 3 new singles. The UK is getting Wow, the U.S.A gets Speakerphone and everyone else gets In My Arms. Yay! Also it seems a key Kylie track from her new album The One was already released some 12 months or so earlier by another act called Emma on some dance compilation. Sadly not Emma Bunton.

Talking of music being given a new lease of life, the lady that is Alesha Dixon is finally getting a release of her long-awaited longplayer (album cover pictured above!). At the moment its only released in Japan but expect that to change especially on the back of her Strictly Come Dancing win. You can buy it here.

Robyn, who releases her new single Be Mine on Monday, is about to go stateside with critical coastal dates announced for her promotional tour. To read more see XoLondon and Chartrigger who have the full down of her return to America. In Europe, next on the horizon is the release of further singles, live dates like Koko in Camden (which I hope to attend!) and the release of some brand new material such as the track "See Into the Light". She's also appearing on Never Mind The Buzzcocks this month on the week her album achieves a new peak in the British charts!

The Brilliant, and beautiful, London based Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi is releasing her album at the end of the month. The tracklisting looks great but the only problem is the album cover: she's not actually on it. Sort it out!

Elena Paparizou is about to release a special French version of The Game Of Love with three new bonus tracks one which includes Dalida's Le Temps Des Fleurs!

Will Young is peaking back into the world of pop with a collaboration with the rap outfit Dreamkatchers. Its called Teardrops (listen here) and to me it sounds like a tribute to the Eurovision non-classic Love City Groove.

And PayTV are back! Very much back! Back as back could be! They are so back you'll feel your back being backed up by their backs. More on this later though ;-)

PAY-TV FASHION REPORT World Exclusive Legal Download!

The stunning Single cover of the latest single by Pay-TV (by Pixie Von Flash)

Oscar Wilde once postulated that fashion was a form of ugliness so intolerable that we've got to alter it every six months. The Swedish trinity Pay-TV take this point and simply deconstruct our sociological "space" and its "paradigms" through their disco anthem Fashion Report. The single cover alone (seen above) taken by Pixie Von Flash does a lot to reorganise the norms of pop history, girlband mythology and disco anthology. However I want to concentrate on the song itself. In a time of war, glamour and conservative radicalism, Pay-TV observe the stationary fix of the world by observing the spewed mess of digital news media controlled by a handful of corporate companies. Neena Fatale, Chanelle Ferrari and Claudia Cash are Pay-TV. They front the worlds first post-modern girlband. This means they voice their embodiment. Their chorus is one that recoils in a post-feminist vista of the world. This is a world where saving the world is a capitalist venture and can only result in air pollution. They are right.

The Swedish trio declare decadence is "out" along with evolution and revolution, its Other-prostitution is rejoiced and stripped of her children. The sublime lyrics of Hakan Lidbo predicts, theorizes and travails the world and its wonderful ethical codes, political labels and designer mistakes. In the song we are presented dialectics placed directly on the dancefloor. This is the queer kind of strut that the likes of Judith Butler of the Departments of Rhetoric and Comparative Literature at Berkeley once demanded in her groundbreaking text Gender Trouble and The Politics of the Performative.

But I think Pay-TV go beyond these post-modern fusions.

In many ways, Fashion Report is the first meta-political resistance pop song. There are no other songs out there like this. It is anarchic yet refuses to enter into the the well-trodden trope of resistance songs that the likes of the Madonna's Hey You belongs. No, the dialectics, and indeed the rhetoric, contained in Fashion Report moves beyond the Other and exposes something else. Something classically quite apart from hegemony vs resistance. Fashion Report demands the dualism is somehow side-stepped.

Take for example the resistance movements organized in the 1960's based on sexual liberation. It is often described as the Sexual Revolution but we now know better. Simon Critchley of the New School for Social Research said in his brilliant text Infinitely Demanding that "where the sexual revolution [has turned] the culture industry into a sex industry - ask yourself, is there today anything less transgressive and more normalizing than pornography?". (p.124)
Fashion Report is Pay-TV's way of exposing this same juncture and provide something of a theory that refuses resistance while contemporaneously rejects hegemony.

Its also a fucking catchy pop song! They must be sent to represent the "OtherLostNations" at next years Eurovision immediately! DontStopthePop is very proud to allow its readers to exclusively legally download the track & in the coming weeks expect a lot more from Pay-TV here. A lot more! Spread the word people-they are back! Coming up Pay-TV-wise on this site, DontStopthePop will discuss the new album (its amazing!), chat about tea, do chaos, fake and shake it with the girls. This site will also feature more amazing mp3's from the group so keep your eyes peeled.....

Critical Links:
PayTV
Fashion Report (DontStopthePop legal download)
CDon
Simon Critchley

COSMO4 "Around The World" Track by Track World Exclusive Review

Cosmo4-Around The World album cover

Forget the long-awaited Annie Lennox album for today I hold in my hands something even more beautiful, poptastic and long overdue. Forget even the overpriced Spice Girls reunion tickets! Its the arrival of Cosmo4’s album Around The World that is making me go all wunderba! This album has taken ages to come out and as of typing its actually yet to be released...but the wait is finally over! After four singles spanning over three years, yes three years, the Swedish girlgroup consisting of Yasmine, Ulrika, Jenny, and Rudina are on the crux of releasing the parent album from which the singles were recorded for! I can't stress this enough though-the album isn't released yet; nor can I find any online stores holding the release but I will suggest you watch closely to CDon and their Russian record company Style-Records who are planning to release the CD very soon.

1.What’s Your Name

Ok everyone knows this one for the girls tried their best to represent Sweden with the ditty this year and were robbed by the ridiculous The Ark. What’s Your Name recalls the feisty girlpower of Wannabe, combines that with the Sugababes Round Round and throws a touch of Robyns Handle Me in the mix to produce a brilliant start to Around The World.

Critical lyric: “Cruising the land looking for somebody/Not a whimp with a tan/Not a boy thinking he's a man/True to the scale/I need a real Alpha-male”

2.Peek-A-Boo

Cosmo4’s second single. This is a bit like Please Stay and hasn’t dated one bit despite coming out early last year. Personally I’ve always felt anything with “boo” in its title will always be a DontStopthePop classic and thus the girls are already onto a pop gem before the song has even begun. Boo!!!

Critical Lyric: “It’s a game for two! It’s a game I wanna play, I wanna play with you!”

3. A Girls Gotta Do (What A girls Gotta Do)

Ooooh, very electroDannii meets Holly Valance in a dirty Ghetto-like Soho nightclub. This song throbs and thrusts!

Critical Lyric: “London to New York/Nightclubs to Sidewalks”

4. I Think We’re Alone Now

Yes! Oh Yes! It’s a poptrash disco cover of that 1980’s hit single by Tiffany. Yes I know Tiffany’s was itself a cover but Cosmo4 go for the 1980’s version and throw an amazing beat over the vocals and the thoughts of big hair, leg-warmers and dodgy videos are put to bed. Cosmo4 completely alter the song into a ethereal electro disco anthem much in the same way the current mixes of Robyn’s Handle Me have absolutely altered the rnb jam into something completely else. Remember when Girls Aloud did Jump? At first it was a bit odd but slowly and surely their take took on a life of its own. Well this version of I think Were Alone Now is a bit like that! You’ll frown at first but eventually completely forget the covers by Tiffany, Girls Aloud, the Click Five and The Rubinoos.

Critical lyric: “And we tumble to the ground….And then you say….”

5. Shop Shop

Wow! This is more like Peek-A-Boo and their two other singles. This is dedicated to the past-time of shopping. Layered with a doo-wop latino baseline it becomes an instant pop classic all about burning money. Remember when Supersister did Shopping? Well this is in the similar vein but a lot better!

Critical Lyric: “From London off to Hollywood, to Paris down to Rome again, oh baby don’t you know I will never tire, I just can’t get enough of it, I’m really really loving it, I can’t deny-ieieieieieie my desirrrrrrrrrre”

6. Adios Amigos

You know this song cos it was their 3rd single so I wont go on about it. All I’ll say is it’s a brilliant reinterpretation of Cher’s Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).

Critical Lyrics: “I said adios amigos I gotta go, amigos bye bye”

7. Vida Loca

You might think this is another latino pop song. Well it kinda is but its so much better than anything J:LO has ever done. Well it just happens to be one of the catchiest pop songs of 2007 by a girlband. Coming in at 2:56 minutes it would be a perfect comeback pop song for Cosmo4. This is like What’s Your Name part two but probably a lot better. Vida Loca takes you directly to the beaches of Spain, Ibiza and Portugal and as such methinks the girlgroup should consider releasing something in that area rather soon. Around the World would be perfect for the iberian radios. Soundwise it sounds like Kylie’s Please Stay hooked up with Love At First Sight.

Critical lyric: “Vida Loca, ayeheoeoeoeoaoeo, aeoeoeohoyaoyaoya!”

8. Mexico

This was the first single back in 2005 and its simply odd. Wonderfully odd. It’s a bit Western, a bit like something from the LuckyTwice album and then out of the blue it has elements of a country album Jessica Simpson would do if she actually got round to realising how to record a catchy pop song. Despite being three years old (its been re-recorded for the album), it still holds its own purely because its such an unusual yet quirky pop song. You’ll hear nothing like Mexico.

Critical lyric: “In 1990 we took a little trip, went all the way from China to the mighty Missisip.”

9. Poor Romeo

Oh my Gosh! The Girls go hyper discoschlager! Nanne and Shirley move out of the way for the girls of Cosmo4 are walking through. This is the campest song on the album and demands to be released. The best way I can describe it would be if I compared it to Alla Flickor and the Jennifer Lopez early hit Waiting For Tonight. Girls Aloud would kill Xenomania for a song like Poor Romeo! This has to be the strongest songs on Around The World and reeks of smash hit single.

Critical lyrics: “Romeo! Oh my poor Romeo!”

10. What’s Not To Like

Ok, the girls slow things down. Is this their only ballad? Sort Of! Cosmo 4 turn all PussyCat Dolls with their attempt to go all rnb but sadly it doesn’t quite work. I am a pop boy so I might be a bit biased but after nine songs of pure pumping pop this song slightly jars. What’s Not To Like isnt a bad song but it doesn’t sit well especially after the brilliant disco song Poor Romeo. It starts off well as in it could actually eclipse the sublime ballad by All Saints Never Ever. The main problem of the song is it drags on a bit too long. It’s a fine song but it lacks the sparkle of the other tracks on Around The World.

Critical Lyrics: “Your looking at me, your liking my curves, I am telling you straight, you get on my nerves!”

Bonus Tracks:

11.Whats Your Name (Holter Remix)

Perhaps sensing that the Rnb stylings of Whats Not To Like didn't quite add up Cosmo4 included a discotastic remix of their already anthemic Eurovision attempt. And its good. Very good.

12. Peek-a-Boo (Soundfactory Club Mix)

Soundfactory are usually into hardcore throbbing beats but on this mix they refuse to go do a house mix and instead do something very different and I can even smell a The Knife influence.

Conclusion

Around the World is a very strong pop album. Historically one might say its the sort of album that could come straight after Spiceworld. Loaded with anthems that will go down in girlband history, Cosmo4 have recorded a cd that all pop lovers should own. Its taken them ages to get to this stage but the girls can relax now, its done and hold their heads up high. Sweden has done very well this year when it comes to girlbands (Caracola, PayTV, Miss Match, LuckyTwice) and one hopes that Cosmo4 manage to get this cd out for fans who’ll adore this cd. At the moment its getting released in Russia but I think Sweden, Spain and Germany would lap Around The World in their droves.

I’ve been told by the powers in charge that the CD might get some kind of Itunes release so keep your ears to the ground. Songs that demand to be released as singles are Vida Loca, A Girls Gotta Do and the mighty Poor Romeo. In short, this album has to be released!

Critical Links:
Cosmo4 Official Site
CDon
StyleRecords
Cosmo4 Official Myspace
GoMusic (A good Russian music store that will stock Around The World when its released)

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Coming up: something very cool from PayTV, Soccx, Caracola, LuckyTwice………….

JONAH The World Exclusive Interview (as his single enters the Swedish top ten!)

TheWorldofJonah

Forget ya Dannys, Justins, Willys, Olas, Darrens, and Mans-lets get down to business here. We're talking pop business. Real, deep and hard. Thats how DontStopthePop likes its pop singers. Mean, gritty and a Gucci bag full of love, laughter and giggles. The high pitched popBoys in this popworld come and go but rarely do they seem to please the towers of DontStopthePop. In short DSTP has grown tired of boy pop princes. They appear to be nothing more than pretenders to the throne as one Henry Tudor might say. I desire something bold, honest, kingly and commanding. Yes-I want a singer with balls. Pop balls if you wish!

So step forward Jonah. The man is a legend to be true but what follows below is bewildering. DSTP has already featured him and it was so successful an interview seemed only natural. So two days ago an interview was done and today to DSTP's absolute joy Jonah's song Summer High has moved from no.14 in Sweden and has landed deep in the top ten of the Swedish charts.

As they say in Sweden "Veckans Smash Hit!"

Quite amazing! Oh yes, heads are certainly turning and very quickly too! This is a man who has sung and lived the words of I am What I am, danced with British rentboys, taught the lyrics of Eurovision failures to Saudi royalty and could literally teach a thing or two to our British pop male acts.......so on with the questions!

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First of all, let me say that you’ve had a great response after appearing on DontStopthePop a few days ago! Why’d ya think that is?

Because you British guys has such an excellent taste of course (laughs). To be honest I was really surprised when I discovered your site, the article and all the positive comments. Its very flattering!

One of our readers and one of your fans, Peter Lassing of Karlstad to be exact, responded by saying that you’d started in doing music years ago. He added “He was 12 or 13 something and already shining like a star. It was something very special about his appearance on stage.” What was the show and what do you remember from that time in your life?

Wow, what a compliment……..Oh god, what show was that?! Hmmm i can’t really remember what show it was but what I do remember is that in that exactly period I was really getting determined that I wanted to become a singer. I did shows and started to sing and dance more seriously and also had my first roles.

Well, I for one never knew you’d started doing music so young! What was your favourite production?

That i was in or that I looked at?!

Both!

My favourite musical I always wanted to watch was Fame. I had such a hard time to decide whether I wanted to be Nic who was this fabulous singer, soft and humble or Tyrone who was this cool guy and a greeeeeaaaat dancer. Its still my problem .... to be the humble, soft homestayer or that cool groovy partyguy! Hahahahahahaaha!!!!!

My favorite musical to be in was a stage-version of Bröderna Lejonhjärta by the Swedish favourite writer Astrid Lindgren. It’s such a heartbreaking story and is about two brothers. Bobby go and read it if you haven’t!

Will do! Now a lot of the replies ran with one major theme-that your a pop artist with a sense of dignity. How would you reply to that?

It’s really important to me to always stay true to myself and my heart... I hope it may shine through. For example I been asked to participate in the Swedish version of American Idol for two seasons and both times I’ve turned it down. That’s not my way of making music. I love the show but I wouldn’t like to be in it. For me music starts in the heart. Not in others expectations. That goes not only for music by the way! That’s also how i want to live my life. To get that no 1 hit or to get a worldwide breakthrough isn’t the most important thing you know...

So, straight to your music! Who are you working with on this album?

I’ve chosen a lot of different writers and producers for the album. All extremely creative and with a lot of experience. We also had a lot of songs send to us from other countries and some of them may be on the album. Your disco-icon and one of my old favorites Rick Astley wrote one of the songs I listened to earlier today hehe... Maybe I’ll add it. He was sooo cool at the height of his career. A keyperson in the whole affair is my 1st hand producer Anders Lundstöm. He is almost as much of the Jonah-music-style as myself. I love working with him!

Will the sound of the album mirror your first two singles or Summer High?

It’s more Summer High. Absolutely! But I’ll promise you; there will also be dance remixes (winks).


Theres a lot of love for Summer High! Will the album explore all the seasons of the year?

Of course... I love to give energy and make people dance and be happy.... but right now it’s alot of ballads in the making... those heartbroken ones... a typical autumn-phenomena... Songs for spring will also be easy... but winter??? Uhhh i hate the winter!

Ok, I’ve been lucky enough to hear some of your new sounds and its great. Although demos they all have that distinct quality based around your voice and sublime 1960’s pop molded into a 2008 disco hype. The decision to go with the Summer High direction will please many including myself. What are the songs your most proud about at the moment?

Hmm--- There is a song called "Walk with me" that i wrote myself that is very close to my heart at the minute. “Will you still love me in the afternoon” is also one of my favorites. It really puts my life together in a song hehehehehe...

Whats it about?

It’s about the feelings you have when you wake up to late for breakfast a sunday at noon.
But above all... I love "Look at me now". That’s a special song for me. Also a ballad as the other two. I hope it will be chosen as the next single. And "Play (If you)" is also fab... sexy dirty and very me. (Oh and Jonah winks again!).

Can you describe what you wanna do with your first album? And want you want to it sound like?

I want it to be a picture of me. Different sides of my person... You should be able to find songs suitable for every occasion: Like bringing me as your friend into different parts of your life. Suitable to dance to at the party, cuddle up with in the sofa those heartbroken nights with ben & jerry ice-cream and just the tv as comes on or to become the soundtrack of your wildest moments in bed...

Ahem. Perhaps a title then? What about “Jonah’s Arc”? Have you got to that stage yet? Of giving it a name?

Hehehe great title... but unfortunately I’ve already named it... "Welcome to my world”

If your sound as an musician had to be plucked out in just 5 key words I’d go with “groovy”, “pop”, “uplifting”, “Quirky” and of course “stylistic”. Would you agree with those & would you add any to those?

I think you say it really good there. Honesty is another word I’d like to use. As well as personal.

What three things since the release of your first single "I am What I am", are you most proud of?

Thats a though one. I’m proud of walking my own way. Instead of doing what everybody expected and to put all my life into becoming a popstar back then in 2001. When i was just 20 something i wanted to wait until the time was right. Now is that time. I’m older...But what the fuck who cares? Uhh 3 things.. that means 2 more... hmm need to think about that one...

Ok, I know your disco friends with fellow DontStopthePop favourites, Miss Match! Would you three ever consider teaming up to create a perfect slice of pop music? Perhaps special guests for your album?

Hehe... We’ve talked about it since we first hooked up when we were on the same tour around Melodifestivalen 2007... especially when we go out to a party we always end up talking about how fab it would be hehe... I love those girls! But now since Alcazar has re-united we had to make a promise to not do anything togheter for awhile... We don’t want the disco divas in Alcazar to be forgotten in the shadows hahahahaha!!!!

Now on Neon Nights, Dannii Minogue wrote and dedicated a song to her vibrator/dildo. The song was called Vibe On and despite never ever being released it’s a bit of a favourite. What aspects of your life are influencing the subjects that you find yourself writing about and putting to music?

Everything. Totally!

September, Miss Match, Lucky Twice, Robyn, B-Tween, Danny, Magnus Carlsson, BwO….you can see where this is going.... Two questions. The first why is the Swedish pop scene so damn good? And secondly, where do you see your music and your style fit into that batch of singers?

First of all i do NOT agree with you.. I think some of these Swedish acts are really boring to be honest... But some of them are really super! Since ABBA we also had some strange self-confidence that we are a good music country... I think that helps... there are so many talented producers, writers and artists in Sweden... And somehow we all seem to get to be able to make magic... that’s the good part of being a small country. Hmmmm where do i find my music... well... thats a tough one though.

Out of all of those acts mentioned…which one would you 1) Go Camping with… 2) Go Partying with… 3) Collaborate on a Kylie tribute album…

Ok well I probably would say Miss Match on all three... but to make it more fun I’ll add some more!

i) love to go camping with Robyn (I’d love to have her for myself a couple of days!)
ii) go partying with September (she reaaaaaly knows how to party).
iii) To collaborate on a Kylie tribute album? That would have to be with Magnus (could it be more camp?)
iv) and go to bed with? BwO!

(I didn’t add part iv that was completely from the mind of Jonah!)

Can you tell the readers about the time you burnt the hotel down with the drag queen hostess Miss Matulda?

Once at a show in northern Sweden I was feeling sick, so I returned to my hotel room for some tea and lit a bunch of candles. Then I figured that wine would be a better cure, opened a bottle and then remembered that my friend, the drag queen hostess Miss Matulda, was in the room down the hallway. I went over with a glass for her as well. She was just in the middle of putting on her make up, so I went back to my room after ten seconds. When I opened my room door, I saw that the candles had set the whole curtain on fire. In shock, I figured the right thing to do was to immediately and take control of the situation for everyone’s best……..

So I managed to grab a hold of my Dolce & Gabbana’s and my designer stage clothes before the firemen pulled me out of the room. As the last to leave the building, I was standing face to face with about 50 firemen and police officers, but luckily for my guilty ass, no one was looking at me. Instead, all eyes were on the transvestite only wearing fishnet stockings, heavy eye-brows and a bare upper body.


Talking of burning down the house…Did you think Scooch deserved to do better at Eurovision?

I loved Scooch! Me and my best friend – a winner of Eurovision a few years ago - were watching it via satellite in Spain... I did the scooch-dance for the entire month in Puerto Banus And I even tried to teach a particular SchejkPrince from Arabia the lyrics. He loved the "coffee tea" part haha….

Are you yourself toying with the idea of entering the competition?

We are working on an entry for the Swedish competition. BUT my dream is to enter for England... yes you may think that seems strange but i have my reasons. And let’s face it... You could do with some Swedish help!

You’ve worked with Schlager legend Shirley Clamp. Would you ever consider releasing a schlager album (or perhaps just a bonus track?). I know its miles away from your current sound but I’ve always thought your deep vocals and a boy singing Linda Bengtzing’s “Alla Flickor” would be rather polemic! And an English version too?! I think we'd all love a male version of that Swedish classic!

Haha... I’ll perform it as a bonus on my first G A Y show... I promise you.

Am I right in thinking you taught arts at several universities in 2005?

Not arts... but performing arts... Well since 2000 really... mostly in sweden but also around Europe...

As it’s the title of your new single, what memory do you recall as a summer high? What made it so good? Was it “erotical” or “tragical” (or both!).

On my first visit ever to an English gay bar, my friends and I ended up having a bet about who would get the cute David Beckham-look-a-like that was strutting around looking delicious. I won, which was fun, but not as fun any more when I asked him what he did for a living and it turned out he was a prostitute! How did the night end? Well I didn’t have to pay!

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So there you have it-Jonah Hedqvist: A Pop Legend!! He's obviously the most exciting male acts to step up to the microphone since, like whenever. He’s taught performing arts around the globe some of which included teaching Arabian royalty the naughty lyrics and dance steps to Scooch’s Flying The Flag. His album sounds poptastic and DontStopthePop has already pre-ordered five thousand copies to give to loved ones come Christmas time. What strikes me reading the interview back is how utterly distinct, mature & frank Mr.Jonah is and in a time when male pop acts seem guarded, manufactured and believe screeching is singing Jonah is one of a kind. Jonah is the perfect DontStopthePop popstar & we all await his next move with baited breath!

Critical Links:

Jonah's Myspace
WorldofJonah (still in wip)
Buy Summer High at CdOn
Buy Once In A Life Time at QX
Pre-Order Welcome To My World at CdOn

DSTP Info: The voting for the Pop Awards has finally come to an end! The winners will be announced very soon. Album reviews for Caracola and Lucky Twice are on the way as are reviews for the new Cds by Pay-TV and Soccx.

FREDRIK KEMPE Disco Volante

Måns Zelmerlöw seems to be pretty much all over blogland these days with his Eurovision attempt Cara Mia. The song itself is just a collage (Finally, Disco Volante and Vincero to be precise) of the the hits released by Fredrik Kempe who also wrote Cara Mia (surprise!). Mister Kempe probably rivals the poor Magnus Carlsson with the number of failed attempts to represent Sweden at Eurovision. It seems with Cara Mia however, Freddie has given up fronting the songs himself and is handing them out to other more bankable acts. As you'll hear on Disco Volante, his operatic lungs and his ability to camp it up are second to none. The strings, the OTT lyrics and the female backing chorus at the end-its like all the musicals of our entire history all rolled into three minutes! Enjoy!

This was the sort of stuff we were all hoping the Charlotte Church would record.....C'est la vie!

Buy Fredrik Kempe here and check out his official website here

MONROSE GET REJECTED & GERMANY SENDS FRANK

Sending a subpar Frank Sinatra to Eurovision doesn't really wash with me. In fact it stinks! Perhaps one is pissed Monrose were rebuffed but even I, girlband superfan, realise Even Heaven Cries was a dud track. They so should have gone with 2 of a Kind. I can just see the Helsinki performance-three diva's strutting down the stage, singing about 'different kinda people' and all to rather very-now electro-slash-rnb disco beat. Yes, some might critique its closeness to ManEater/SexyBack but I don't really think thats a bad thing! Oh and its was written by Gary Barlow!

The above video of Monrose performing 2 of A Kind at the Dome has everything a 21st century Eurovision really should do-electropop, windmachines, limp wrists as essential elements of the choreography and the world peace lyric of "we're all in this together".......oh and did I mention it was written by Gary Barlow?

THE BRITISH EUROVISION ENTRANTS IN FULL!

The site says that these tracks should be available to 12:00 GMT (13:00 CET) on March 17th. Its the 3rd. So be quick-I don't think they shoulda been put online so early. Thanks to a little pinkiedust I've had the scooch track for sometime but now I hear the others I think the fab4 are actually the best of the bunch. So without any hesitation or delay, I am about to saysomething you'd never expect to hear in an sentence-Scooch are the best of the bunch!!!!!1111!!

Be quick as they might not be there for long....

SCOOCH ARE BACK!

Fact: Their first album was better than anything produced by Steps. They were the true sons and daughters of ABBA and Deuce. Thank god for Eurovision. Things we hate: Big Brovaz, Cyndi, Brian Harvey and some twats who used to be The Darkness..