Three years after the record breaking Teenage Dream , Katy Perry will release her third studio album Prism on October 22nd.
As yet no tracklisting has been revealed , but Prism is tipped to be less bubblegum and more mature than the globe conquering Teenage Dream. That album spawned a record run of US Number 1 singles including Firework , E.T and Last Friday Night ( T.G.I.F )
Perry has been using a gold semi-truck that will visit various cities across the globe to promote the album. It made its first appearance Monday afternoon in LA , with the title and release date of the album emblazoned across the truck.
Online reports have also surfaced about the first single to be taken from Prism. Long time Perry producer Dr Luke has already tweeted that the song title begins with the letter R.
This has led to speculation the track is expected to be titled Roar or Rawr. It's been co-written by the legendary Max Martin and future pop queen Bonnie McKee. The song is expected to premiere towards the end of August.
With Perry and Gaga announcing new singles and albums within days of each other , expect a mammoth chart battle between the two this winter. Prism appears three weeks before ArtPop.Its a given that either album will accumulate the highest first week sales of any album in the US this year. But which one. Perry recently overtook Gaga as the second most followed person on Twitter.
But the pressure will be on both. Perry is coming off a huge single campaign with Teenage Dream. And then theres Gaga who soaks every new project in hype. It'll be an interesting winter for pop fans. But , regardless of chart positions , sales figures and critical acclaim , lets hope both women deliver some fantastic pop music once again
The new age of Gaga is almost upon us. And if the music can live up to the inevitable , insurmountable hype. Then 2013 could be Gaga's for the taking once again.
Last night , Gaga unveiled the artwork for forthcoming single Applause. The track out August 19th , is her first since 2011's Marry The Night.
It serves as the first single from her long awaited ArtPop album , released on November 11th. A long time coming after 2011's Born This Way.
That was a fantastic album , in retrospect. Sure it was overhyped and the album itself could have lost a few duds , but it was at times a memorable and epic pop bombast that gave us Edge Of Glory and Government Hooker.
In a lot of respects , ArtPop could be a make or break album for Gaga. We know what she is capable of , but will she deliver. For all her pretension , Gaga is a fantastic artist. A lot will rest on Applause and perhaps a second single before ArtPop drops. One thing is for sure , we will all be talking about Gaga again
When Siobhan Donaghy infamously went to the to toilet in Japan and climbed out the window, subsequently leaving the original line up of the Sugababes in 2001. It became one of pop's most acrimonious splits, seeped in poison and bitterness , secret languages and battles with depression.
But for all the infamy that came with the original incarnation of one of British pop's most recognizable brands , there was too a cult fondness for what would until now, become their only album as that trio. The fantastic One Touch.
Thirteen years on and who could have foreseen that Mutya Buena , Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy would have buried the hatchet , reformed and returned to the studio to release one of pop's most eagerly anticipated albums.
The first fruits of that album were unveiled today , courtesy of the fantastic lead single Flatline. Produced by Dev Hynes , the man behind Solange's mighty Losing You , the song is set for release on September 1st.
Thus far , the song has been greeted with unanimous praise online , the track itself shows why these three sound so on point together vocally. It was always one of their charms. Hearing them together again after so long is quite glorious.
The track has hints of Florence and the Machine , and may very well be one of the great pop singles of the year. I think its fair to believe the hype with Mutya Keisha Siobhan.
It'll be interesting to see if this hype and goodwill translate into sales. As fondly remembered as they are as being the " Original Sugababes " , the trio never really shifted the units back in 2000 and 2001.
But that remains to be seen , as for now , with the album ahead of us , Flatline , is a qualified triumph and a beautiful , captivating breath of fresh air. Mission accomplished
Irish indie band Kodaline are on course to top the UK Album chart this weekend with their stunning debut album In A Perfect World. The Dublin four piece fronted by Steve Garrigan are just 1.500 copies ahead of Kanye West's critically lauded Yeezus. Kodaline have produced one of the best debut albums of the year with In A Perfect World. Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure , replete with anthemic choruses , enhanced by Garrigan's vulnerable yet soaring vocals.
The record recalls Snow Patrol , Coldplay , U2 and Keane. Garrigans vocals trace Jeff Buckley and Damien Rice. It's that good. . It's a triumph of an album that deserves its success.
Miley Cyrus has most definitely come of age , if her eyecatching , white trash inspired video for new single We Cant Stop is anything to go by.
The former Disney star cavorts and writhes on a bed , makes out in a swimming pool with a plastic doll , channels Ke$ha in some questionable white trash black beanie hat.
Then theres the dancing bear back packs. It's certainly a video that will get pop fans talking. The promo is either a hot mess or strangely brilliant. It for sure aint dull.
Cyrus will release We Cant Stop , on August 18th , with a new album to follow later this year. Its her first album since 2009's Cant Be Tamed , which Cyrus says she now feels "disconnected " from.
Miley Cyrus has always had the makings of a good popstar. Both her and Demi Lovato always had the vocal chops to be taking seriously as credible pop artists. Demi certainly has garnered huge success with her current record.
Cyrus meanwhile has chosen a more brash , try hard approach to her next record. We Cant Stop is neither spectacular nor a monstrous failure. It's just a bit beneath her and a bit underwhelming. Instead , her guest vocals on Will I Am's Fall Down , and the brilliant Ashtrays and Heartbreaks , with Snoop Lion , are more appealing.
Watch the new video for Miley Cyrus' We Cant Stop below
Cher made her live return last night with a performance on the finale of the The Voice in the US. The singer , sporting a bizarre purple wig performed new single Womans World.
The track is the first taken from her forthcoming album , now entitled Closer To The Truth , out on September 24th.
The new album derives its title from a line from a new song written by Pink , who reportedly duets with Cher on I Walk Alone. Apparently , her Lady Gaga duet The Greatest , may not make the final album. Other tracks rumored include a song by Scissor Sisters frontnman Jake Shears.
Online reaction to Cher's performance last night was mixed at best , with her purple wig being heavily talked about on Twitter.
Watch the new lyric video for Cher's new single Woman's World below
Kanye West is having quite the week. His fiancee , the ubiquitous media empire that is Kim Kardashian gave birth to his first child , a baby girl. He also dropped his sixth studio album Yeezus to mass critical acclaim. West may be one of the most ferocious egomaniacs in music but look beyond that and what you have is a visionary , both prolific and innovative.
Since 2004's The College Dropout , took hip hop by storm , West has released over 92 singles , of which 56 are him as a featured artist. He's sold over 12 million album s, 30 million digital downloads and has charted consistently every year since 2004.
Here I count down Kanye West's 10 Greatest Hits , focusing solely on his solo material rather than his stellat work with Jay -Z and his numerous features
10. Through The Wire ( 2004 )
Inspired by West's 2002 car accident , this Chaka Khan sampling single announced Kanye West to the world.
It gave him his first UK Top 10 and marked him out as an artist to watch
9. Heartless ( 2008 )
Taken from 808s And Heartbreaks, the song is also memorable for its fantastic Hype Willimas directed video.It hit Number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of West's more underrated hits
8. Touch The Sky (2006 )
A Curis Mayfield sample and an Evil Knievel video homage featuring Pamela Anderson make Touch The Sky one of West's best anthems. The video was beaten by dance duo Justice for Best Video at that years MTV Europe Music Awards. It was here Kanye made his first award show stage invasion to protest his loss.
"The video had Pamela Anderson!!! " West's talent for incorporating samples was used perfectly on this
7. Love Lockdown (2008 )
I debated whether to have this higher or not as its genuinely one of my favourite West tracks. It's sparce , minimalist pop tone and pulsating drum beats make it a career stand out. It was Kanye's first flirtation with the EDM genre and was executed thrillingly. The American Psycho inspired video fitted perfectly.
6. All Falls Down (2004 )
This gem from West's debut was his first ever US Top 10. Syleena Johnson's irresistible vocal enhance an already fantastic track about insecurity within the black community.
5. All Of The Lights (2011 ) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy may very well be Kanye West's greatest album. This heavyweight track features most notably Rihanna on vocals , Alicia Keys , Elton John and John Legend amongst others. It earned West 2 Grammys. Kanye raised the bar again with suitable bombast and drama, One of his finest moments
4. Monster (2010 )
Featuring Jay-Z , Bon Iver , Rick Ross and a show stopping verse from a then relatively unknown Nicki Minaj , Monster is just that. Ferocious , menacing and fierce and gloriously eeerie , it is the hit that got away of sorts. Maybe because its video was banned for its horror imagery. Think a more extreme Thriler. The track was huge hit critically and may well be Nivki Minaj's best performance on a record taht really should have been bigger than it was
3 . Stronger (2007 )
This Daft Punk-sampling mammoth gave West his first UK Number 1 single. It was also a Us Billboard chart topper and arguably one of West's most famous tracks.
Kanye at his most innovative fusing electronica and hip hip.
2. Gold Digger (2005 )
One of Kanye's most well known tracks and most successful. This spent ten weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and became a phenomenon that cemented Kanye Wset as a mega star. Oscar winning actor Jamie Foxx's vocals on the Ray Charles sampling I Got A Woman were sung worldwide. The iconic line " I aintsayin she a gold digger , but I aintmessin with no broke nigga" It was true pop culture moment as well.
1. Jesus Walks (2004 )
And so after much deliberation , my ultimate Kanye West single. A bold , booming atmospheric masterpiece where Kanye espouses on Jesus walking with both the sinner and saint. The gospel choir is tribal and thrilling. Kanye has often seemed to think he is the Second Coming .Maybe not , but this towering classic will ensure West's musical legacy for decades to come
