One Republic have 'All The Right Moves' in new video - watch now

Ryan Tedder and his band One Republic are back with a song that sounds....like every other Ryan Tedder track. That's not a bad thing, of course, as he's penned such masterpieces as 'Apologize' and Leona Lewis' 'Bleeding Love.' We're totally loving the subtle updates on the formula though - the more organic guitar and drum sounds, particularly. The video we could take or leave...it's a bit 90's throwback (Annie Lennox 'No More I Love Yous,' anyone?) but the whole thing ends up a solid 7/10.



The song is out January 11, from One Republic's forthcoming new album

Happy New Year from ScopiSat and Kylie

2009 comes to an end in mere hours, and since we celebrated Christmas with some Kylie it seems only appropriate to do so for the new year as well. Here's Kylie singing 'I Should Be So Lucky' on Jools Holland for New Years a couple years back. Here's to a great 2010!

Billboard's Top 25 of '09 in under 5 minutes

So '09 is drawing to a close, and the next chart will be officially dated "2010," so we now know with absolution what the top 25 tracks of the year were.  And what does one do with such powerful knowledge?  Jam them all into a five-minute megamix, of course.

DJ Earworm is at it again - see if you can name all the songs.










Literally Amazing.

A friendly holiday reminder from Amy Winehouse (photo)

Crack kills, kids.

Paloma Faith wonders if "You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful" - watch the video now

While Amy Winehouse is "otherwise engaged," somebody has to pick up the MOR-retro-throwback banner.  That somebody is Paloma Faith.  Your grandma will love it, your kids won't hate it, and after it's over the world will be exactly the same.



Still, pretty video though. 
The single is out now with an album in February, and a U.S. launch sometime in 2010. 

Lets all have a listen to Sade's "Soldier of Love"

Very nice, yes?



The "sure to be sex-inducing" album is out Feb 8 worldwide

Chart Chat UK: December 27, 2009

Something quite interesting happened this week.  The battle for Christmas number one is over, with a result that until a few weeks ago would have been unthinkable.  Rage Against the Machine managed to beat the yearly X-Factor winner's single to the top spot for the crucial Christmas chart, leaving the reality talent show champ languishing in number 2.  But X-Factor winner Joe Mcelderry this week is redeemed, edging up to the pole position and saving himself the embarrassment of being the only X-Factor winner ever to not top the charts.  In the end, everybody wins - the anti-establishment crusaders got their Christmas chart victory, and the X-Factor machine keeps on trucking. 
Lady Gaga holds down the fort at 3, while Cheryl Cole racks up her second straight solo top 5 with "3 Words," her brilliant Will.i.am collaboration.
The rest of the chart suffers from the post-holiday blues, with no new material put out until the new year.  In fact, the only new entry that isn't a Christmas tune is Jay-Z featuring Mr. Hudson with "Young Forever" all the way down at 30. 

Hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday and a happy new year to you all!

The UK Top Ten:
1 - The Climb: Joe Mcelderry
2 - Killing In The Name: Rage Against The Machine
3 - Bad Romance: Lady Gaga
4 - 3 Words: Cheryl Cole ft Will.i.am
5 - Starstrukk: 3Oh!3 ft Katy Perry
6 - Meet Me Halfway: Black Eyed Peas
7 - Don't Stop Believin': Journey
8 - Russian Roulette: Rihanna
9 - You Know Me: Robbie Williams
10- Tik Tok: Kesha

Shakira becomes a 'Gypsy' - watch the live performance now

So the last single 'Give It Up To Me' isn't really going as planned, so Shakira's gone back to her 'Underneath Your Clothes' reserves.  The album's no Rated R-style flop but the record label's clearly scrambling.  What do you think, readers?  Has 'Gypsy' won you over?



No release date yet for the single, but a video has already been shot.  We'll bring it to you as soon as it's out!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from ScopiSat - A Kylie Xmas Gift

We here at ScopiSat want to wish everyone out there a wonderful holiday.  Because it's so close to Christmas absolutely nothing is happening in the music world.  So here is Kylie wishing everyone a merry Christmas and singing some songs while fake snow falls.

Who wants to see the new Calvin Harris video "You Used To Hold Me"?

Us too.


Calvin Harris - You Used To Hold Me

Calvin Harris | MySpace Music Videos

Sia says "You've Changed" in new video - watch now

ScopiSat fave Sia is back with the debut single from her forthcoming album "We Are Born" and it is as delightful as we were hoping.  She's gone in a more soulful-disco direction, and that's just fine by us.  The video is also just as kooky and humorous as we have all come to expect.

Well done.



The album is out in April 2010

Fe-Nix get their "Swagga" on - watch the video now

The tragically named girlgroup from London Fe-Nix (really, girls?) are set to CHANGE THE FACE OF MUSIC (read: not change anything at all in the least) with their single entitled 'Swagga.'  The energetic girls bounce and pose their way through a certainly passable video, and taken as a whole it's actually alright.  It's just in time really, as the Pussycat Dolls are on their way out...but now, by the grace of God in all his wisdom we have a worthy replacement.  Bring on the mediocrity.   



Amen.

"Swagga" is out in 2010

RIP Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy was one of the most underrated actresses of her generation, in ScopiSat's opinion.  She was also a crazy good singer - she churned out the LITERALLY AMAZING "Faster Kill Pussycat" with Paul Oakenfold a few years back.  She was working on a solo album, and here's hoping some of it surfaces.  Sad news :(

Vita Chambers has the 'Young Money' - watch the video now

It's a bit Gaga, a bit shouty 'I Love Rock and Roll' and a lot good.   Barbadian up-and-comer Vita Chambers lands a very effective first punch with this debut track. 



Amazing.

Rihanna is 'Hard' - watch the video now

Rihanna is getting all Hard for you.



That is all.

Lady Gaga sings "Speechless" for the Queen, suspended in the air - watch now

Lady Gaga's march toward absolute supremacy continues, as she performs at the Royal Variety concert for the United Kingdom's aristocracy.  The annual concert is a showcase of the "best of the year," all mashed into a couple hours. 

Lady Gaga's performance is classily understated, but the set and outfit are reassuringly over the top.  You can almost see the wheels turning in Gaga's head, thinking that in a few years when the Queen is her servant and the Haus of Gaga with a sequined fist, every Friday will be "wacky outfit Friday" and teacups will be worshiped as gods.

Leona Lewis says 'I See You' in new video - watch now, with clips from Avatar!

We here at ScopiSat really don't care as much as we should about Avatar.  Apparently it is THE MOST AMAZING THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED but something about the trailers leaves us cold.   Ah well, at least we have the soundtrack to keep us warm.  See exhibit A, the Leona Lewis theme a la 'My Heart Will Go On' but with a video that features people that are blue because they are aliens, not because they are suffering hypothermia in northern Atlantic waters. 

It's a Kylie Party in the USA - Live In New York is out now!

For all you pop fans in the USA, today is the magical, fantastic day that Kylie: Live In New York is available.  Get the full concert now on iTunes here, including 3 exclusive studio versions of tracks from the show!  For those of you who missed it, it's a must buy.  For those of us that were there it's a great reminder of a great night.  So yeah, just a must-buy all around.

Who wants to watch the new Rihanna video? Yeah, go on then...

The more this all goes on we have been getting the distinct feeling that 'Rated R' is going to be a bit Kelly Clarkson 'My December'.  Big artistic leap blah blah no sales blah blah giant pop comeback hurrah.  In the meantime here's a preview of Rihanna's upcoming video for next single 'Hard.'



There's that then.  Now excuse us while we put on some 'SOS' remixes and relive the old days. 

Swedish act Name The Pet do 'American Boys' - watch the video now

This is Popjustice's Song of the Day.  There is a reason.



In a SHOCKING TWIST, Name The Pet is actually a woman.  And she is amazing.

Alexandra Burke dances around in 'Broken Heels' in new video - watch now!

...because the British love American Football...



We're still a little divided on the song, so we'll leave it up to you readers to decide whether it's brilliant or shit.  It seems like it has all the elements of an AMAZING POP MASTERPIECE but something about it just doesn't sit quite right.  It's the perfect punch, it just never lands. 

Out January 11 in the UK, by which time maybe we'll have come around.

Lady Gaga's got some competition - watch the baddest 'Bad Romance' video yet

Ah, the interwebs...


Bad Romance - Lady Gaga (hitmanbreakeroftheye) - The funniest videos are a click away

Hot Chip have a 'One Life Stand' in new video - watch now!

Never has a fish-eye lens, a man that sounds a bit like a woman and a lot of synthesizers been so fun...  here's the new video from Hot Chip, called 'One Life Stand.'   Cute title, yes?


Hot Chip - One Life Stand (MySpace Exclusive)

Hot Chip | MySpace Music Videos

The album, also named 'One Life Stand' is out Feb 1

Banned of St. Trinians go Up And Away - watch the video now

The first St. Trinians film (for all you in the U.S. think Harry Potter with all girls, pop music and no magic...in essence it's a grown up 'Madeline') was such a RAGING CRITICAL SUCCESS that there is now another one, and thankfully Xenomania is back on board with some banging tunes.  This song is called 'Up And Away' and is easily better than anything Mariah Carey has put out since 'Honey.'  The song also comes with a video, but it's really best we don't focus on that...



Amazing?  Amazing. 

Mariah Carey overemotes and says I 'H.A.T.E.U' in new video - watch now

...and Mariah, the feeling's mutual...



Out now on Island

Janet Jackson pretends to sing on the X Factor - watch the performance now

Today nothing is happening and ScopiSat has a law school final so lets all relax and watch Janet do things on stage to music.



That was nice wasn't it.

Alicia Keys' solo 'Empire State Of Mind' is better than the original - watch now!

So Alicia's new album will be out soon, and it will feature a brilliant take on Jay-Z's 'Empire State of Mind' which Ms. Keys guests on now.  So what do you think, readers?  Improvement?  Or just a nice diversion?



The album is out Dec 15

Lady Gaga has a Bad Romance all over the X Factor - watch the live performance now!

Here's guessing Lady Gaga will one-up all this years' other performers on the UK's X Factor... lets see shall we:



And that's that then.

Chart Chat UK: Dec 6, 2009

It's going to be a short one today, as law school finals beckon.  Luckily absolutely nothing happened this week on the charts.  Peter Kay repeats at number 1 with the Children in Need single, while Rihanna's 'Russian Roulette' leaps up to 2 on the back of her X Factor performance.  Lady Gaga is nipping at her heels, as 'Bad Romance' hops up 2 places to 3.  With a stunning performance on last night's X Factor, my money is on this track being next week's number one.  Alicia Keys also benefits from the X Factor performance bump, with her new single bowing at number 8, one spot above Timbaland and Nelly Furtado's 'Morning After Dark' debut.  From there on down nothing much happens, but lets all spare a thought for Lily Allen who crashes in at 39 with 'Who'd Have Known,' after its full release.  It's an abysmal placing for sure, but it's also the fourth single from her current album so no one will be losing too much sleep.

The UK Top Ten:
1 - The Official Children In Need Medley: Peter Kay
2 - Russian Roulette: Rihanna
3 - Bad Romance: Lady Gaga
4 - Meet Me Halfway: Black Eyed Peas
5 - You Are Not Alone: X Factor Finalists
6 - Watcha Say: Jason Derulo
7 - Tik Tok: Kesha
8 - Doesn't Mean Anything: Alicia Keys
9 - Morning After Dark: Timbaland ft Nelly Furtado
10- Fight For This Love: Cheryl Cole

Sign of the Apocalypse #10: Aqua's 'Spin Me Your Christmas' gets a video

Sometimes words fail and we here at ScopiSat have to just sit back and let a work of true artistry speak for itself.  So here, without any introduction or fanfare, is video for the soon-to-be-perennial-classic Aqua Christmas single. 

Girls Can't Catch hear their 'Echo' in new video - watch the full clip now

Last time we saw the Girls Can't Catch crew, they were hanging out in a garbage dump playing croquet.  As you do.  Apparently the girls are pretty crafty, as they've somehow assembled all the trash around them into a digital projection screen, picked some rather fashionable frocks out of the dump, and perched themselves atop the White Cliffs of Dover after popping into John Lewis to have a makeup consult.  As for the song, it's pretty good, albeit in a second-rate Saturdays kind of way.  It's difficult to pinpoint why exactly it comes off that way, but something about the production and vocal delivery brings it down from AMAZING to just very very good. 

 Check out the video here - apologies, as you may have to suffer through an ad for a GPS system you obviously DESPERATELY NEED.


Out Jan 18, 2010 (how did it suddenly become almost 2010?  Is this a shock to anyone else but us??) on Fascination, ahead of a full album sometime in the spring.

Kylie set to release 'Live in New York' album; New Speakerphone mix with live video - listen now!

ScopiSat was one of the lucky few who saw Kylie at her Hammerstein Ballroom show here in New York City, and we can tell you it was LITERALLY AMAZING.  Luckily for everyone who didn't catch it, Miss M is releasing the creatively titled 'Live In New York,' an album of the entire NYC show.  To celebrate/cross-promote, Kylie's put up a brand new studio mix of the tour version of 'Speakerphone' which is very very good.  Some superfan has taken an impressive array of clips from the For You, For Me tour and synced them to the studio mix.  It is very good. 



'Live in New York' is out Dec. 14 for download in the US, UK and Worldwide, and will apparently include three studio mixes:  Speakerphone, Come Into My World, and Light Years.  Amazing.

Toni Braxton and Trey Songz are so 'Yesterday' in new video - watch now!

Toni Braxton is on what seems like her eighth comeback, but she never wears out her welcome.  This go-round we are treated to a midtempo ballad all about 'heartbreak' and that sort of thing, and an accompanying video that was apparently filmed in an Anthropologie retail location.  The video also features a shirtless Trey Songz, and some blond skank in the beginning that looks like Brooke Hogan if she got her face redone.   Oh wait, it's actually Brooke Hogan for some reason.  



'Yesterday' is out now on Atlantic

Nick Jonas goes solo on 'Who I Am' - listen to his new track now

One of the Jonas Brothers (frankly we're not exactly sure which one) has decided to do something other than dance around on stage with two other adolescent boys while girls scream.  That 'something' is dancing around on stage by himself while girls scream.  Here is Nick Jonas and The Administration's debut single, 'Who I Am.'  It starts out a little Ben Harper and ends a little....not.  

Who wants a Lady Gaga's Christmas song for free? (free download)

So Lady Gaga has become the de facto global empress of everything as of late, and far be it from her to leave Jesus to continue his stranglehold on something as delightful and pure as Christmas.  To celebrate our new holiday overlord, here is her 'Christmas Tree,' as a free download.  Because us minions love free stuff, don't we?



Click here to download the track free!

Marina and the Diamonds go to 'Hollywood' - watch the video now!

The Marina and the Diamonds train rolls steadily on towards an ACTUAL ALBUM RELEASE, as evinced by this rather stellar major-label single.  It is called 'Hollywood' and has a very Hollywood-esque video to go along with it, including lots of American flags and young cornfed jocks.  It also includes the phrase 'I'm obsessed with the mess that's America.'  



'Hollywood' is out in early February, with Marina's first album arriving February 22.  Buy both please.  Thanks.

To celebrate a very boring Pixie Lott video lets listen to a very not-boring mix of 'Cry Me Out' (full song)

Pixie Lott's new single is out today, and we'd post the video here except a) her people (Universal Music) have deemed the clip unworthy of embedding, and b) it's actually a gigantic snoozefest anyway.  So instead here is the Bimbo Jones remix of 'Cry Me Out.'  Ah, much better.

Chart Chat UK: November 29, 2009

The chart is very, very boring this week. Unless you're the accountant for Children in Need. Peter Kay flies up 17 places to claim the number 1 spot with the official CIN single, pushing the X Factor Finalists to 2. Lady Gaga hits the top 5 with 'Bad Romance,' and Rihanna leaps in with her new single 'Russian Roulette.' With a performance tonight on the X-Factor, this will likely be a top 3 smash this time next week. At 9 is Britain's new every-woman hero, Susan Boyle, with 'Wild Horses.' Her album version of 'I Dreamed A Dream' also hits the top 40 at 37. Yes, that's how boring this week is - we are talking about the number 37 entry. The only other newcomer to the top 20 is Mariah Carey's snooze-fest, 'I Want To Know What Love Is' at 19.

The UK Top 10:
1 - The Official Children In Need Medley: Peter Kay
2 - You Are Not Alone: X Factor Finalists
3 - Watcha Say: Jason Derulo
4 - Meet Me Halfway: Black Eyed Peas
5 - Bad Romance: Lady Gaga
6 - Russian Roulette: Rihanna
7 - Tik Tok: Kesha
8 - Fight For This Love: Cheryl Cole
9 - Wild Horses: Susan Boyle
10- Happy: Leona Lewis

Rogue Traders remind us 'Love Is A War'

Here is a video from Rogue Traders. In it, half naked people of varying degrees of sexiness throw food at each other. It is quite fun.



The song is ok, but if you watch on mute and instead play the new Lady Gaga album it's really pretty enjoyable.

Robin Thicke tries to give us 'Sex Therapy' - watch the video now

If Color Me Badd was still around they would probably do something like this. A word of advice: if you put the video on mute it's not terrible.



Out now on Interscope

Cheryl Cole and Will.i.am tell us '3 Words' in new video- watch now!

'3 Words' is by far the best track on Cheryl Cole's new solo album. The song is simple yet catchy, by-the-numbers but groundbreaking. It's one of those songs that begs for a video, but for which a video can never live up to. In short, it's a pop masterpiece. The video, however, will no doubt be divisive, as it's all Gaga-weird and retro strange. It comes off as some sort of hipster art installation but with a budget and a proper makeup artist, a bit like an art school project that the really rich girl in class gets her father to fund. "Daddy, I simply MUST have Will.i.am." Etc.



Still, it's a lot better than most of the snooze-fests kids are releasing these days. 9/10 for the song and 7/10 for the video averages out to a very passable 8. The single's already at 26 in the UK, and is officially released Dec 21.

Adam Lambert is here 'For Your Entertainment' in new video debut

Once you get past the Britney beat, the over-the-top vocals and the fact that the whole clip comes off like an America's Next Top Model shoot, it's not too bad is it?



The single and album 'For Your Entertainment' are out now on RCA

Kelis puts a donk on it: her new song 'Acapella' is a literally very amazing rave-up - listen now

Kelis is taking a break from her current divorce drama and finally releasing some new music. And it is good. Oh, it is very good, readers. It's a world away from the (still brilliant) R&B minimalist shimmy of 'Milkshake,' but it sounds like she's been doing this kind of mind-blowing dance for her whole life. 'Acapella' is a David Guetta donk-fest in the vein of Kylie's 'Light Years' or even an updated 'I Feel Love' by Donna Summer. It is new and fresh but still very 'now,' and deserves to be absolutely massive.



10/10, about as close to perfection as pop can get. And who'd have known it'd come from Kelis. 'Acapella' is likely going to be the sound of the season at holiday parties, clubs, and anywhere it is poppers o'clock. Just remember you heard it here first - we totally called this one. No word on an official release, but a new album is due in 2010 on Geffen Records via Will.i.am's Music Group. I don't think I'm alone when I say the Spring can't come soon enough.

Sign of the Apocalypse #9: Fredrick Ford trades in porn for pop

It must be difficult to be so good at one thing, and so bad at another... Here is porn star Fredrick Ford (his real name, obviously) in his new video, for the single 'Life of the Party.'



Epic.

Adam Lambert gets gay on ABC primetime with 'For Your Entertainment' - is gay finally ok? Watch now!

Following on from our J.Lo post, another of the acts to perform last night at the AMA's was Adam Lambert. While he was one of the few to sing live, he didn't sound very good at all. Luckily no one was listening because they were too busy being shocked by his simulation of oral sex with a male dancer, gay kiss, and general thrusting and writhing. The interwebs are all up in arms about what this means and how society will either be elevated to a higher plane or crumble completely because of what we witnessed. ScopiSat remembers when Madonna being sexual was a big deal because 'that's not how a lady should act - only men can get away with it.' She helped to rid the world of the antiquated notion that women could not exhibit desire or be overtly sexual. It's the same idea that gay men constrained by now - America is fine with its Will Trumans and Clay Aikens, gays who don't really do much about their desires. They might hold a guy's hand but any overt sexuality is hidden beneath good grooming and moisturizer. So, are we witnessing the "sexualization" of the gay man? And if we are, are we sure Adam Lambert is the guy we want up there doing it??

J.Lo knocks herself out in the ring with 'Louboutins' performance - watch now

So J.Lo - or is it Lola now - performed her new track last night at the American Music Awards. We initially weren't really on board with this one, but 'Louboutins' is actually growing on us. A bit like a fungus. In any case, J.Lo took a bit of a spill around 3:00. She covered it up decently, and now her name and the title of the song she was performing will be on every entertainment magazine show along with a slip clip. Well done, marketing. Well done.






The single is, coincidentally, out Nov 23

Chart Chat UK: November 22, 2009

If anyone is shocked at the new number one this week, they clearly don't know how this whole thing works.  Since its inception, X-Factor has been a chart force to be reckoned with. It's only been since downloads began to be included in the tally, however, that the full impact of the show (and indeed other talent competitions) has been evident.  Most weeks the low end of the chart is riddled with ages-old tracks that were performed by the contestants the prior week, but whenever a truly new X-Factor product hits the market it is destined for greatness.  In the commercial sense at least - critically most of these things are reviled.  In any case, this week's top track is by all 12 X-Factor finalists, inventively called "X-Factor Finalists 2009," who give the karaoke treatment to Michael Jackson's 'You Are Not Alone.'  It's for charity so we'll leave the discussion of its musical merits to you.  That pushes Black Eyed Peas down to 2, with Leona Lewis' latest down to 4, sandwiching the new entry from Jason Derulo.  'Whatcha Say' already topped the charts in the US, and gives him his first hit in the UK.  The rest of the top ten is pretty boring, save for the re-entry of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance,' up 3 to number 8 on the strength of its new video.  Up next we have Alesha Dixon, who lands another top 20 hit with the Gary Barlow-penned 'To Love Again.'  Fully released this week, it's questionable whether it will push any higher, but for now it at least ups awareness for her repackaging of her debut album.  The single, along with Peter Kay's new entry at 18, will have all proceeds donated to Children in Need.  50 Cent has a new track in at 23, and fresh off her X-Factor appearance, Shakira clocks in at 26. 

The UK Top Ten:
1 - You Are Not Alone: X Factor Finalists 2009
2 - Meet Me Halfway: Black Eyed Peas
3 - Whatcha Say: Jason Derulo
4 - Happy: Leona Lewis
5 - Fight For This Love: Cheryl Cole
6 - Everybody In Love: JLS
7 - Tik Tok: Kesha
8 - Bad Romance: Lady Gaga
9 - I Need You: N-Dubz
10- 3: Britney Spears

Janet Jackson's 'Make Me' video reminds us how good she can be - watch now

This track, taken from Janet's new Greatest Hits (my, there are a lot of those being chucked out these days aren't there) isn't up there with her best, but the video certainly isn't half bad.  At best it is pretty damn good, and at worst it reminds us what Miss Jackson does best.  With a new album out in 2010, things are definitely looking up!

Aqua want you to 'Spin Me Your Christmas' in their new track

The Aqua 'comeback' continues its...er....half-assed trudge across the globe...with this new track that is being scotch taped onto the end of their latest album.  Because clearly this - THIS - will be that extra push that people need to buy the package en masse.  Yes, NOW the throngs will form, pounding at the gates of the last remaining record shop in the EU.  iTunes will crash from the data overload.  7Digital will freeze.  The maniacal hordes of Aqua fans, in their double-clicking desperation, will bring down Europe's telecommunications infrastructure, clamoring for just one more listen of 'Spin Me Your Christmas,' Aqua will reverse its descent into obscurity and POP WILL BE SAVED.  Yes.  That is exactly what will happen. 

Madonna's new single is a 'Revolver' - listen to the remix now!

For Madonna's next single off her 'Celebration' package, Mantis-arms has tapped production genius David Guetta to rework 'Revolver.'  It sounds like a Britney track, feels like a hit, and still will probably peak somewhere below number 70.  But hey, it's all about album sales these days isn't it... The best part about the remix is the lack of Lil' Wayne's rap which plagues the original. 



No word on a physical release for the single, but 'Celebration' is out now in a variety of formats and track listings

Miley Cyrus and Timbaland say 'We Belong To The Music' - listen to the full track!

In a completely obvious pairing (see what we did with there...because it's not actually obvious at all and is actually quite odd...get it?), Timbaland has tapped Miley Cyrus to appear on his new album 'Shock Value 2.'  The song is just as you'd expect from Timbaland, but Miley's voice actually lends itself pretty nicely to this genre.  In any case it's nice to have someone on a Timbaland record who can actually sing and isn't autotuned within an inch of their life.



'Shock Value 2' is out Dec 8

Elin Lanto's 'Love Made Me Stupid' video - watch now

This song showed up on Popjustice's website today along with the opinion that it is 'very good.'  We're kind of digging it, but with all the hundreds and thousands of songs and videos that must be floating around the Popjustice office we're wondering if this really was the best they could do... In all fairness though, it's Euro, it's catchy and the lyrics are delightfully English-as-a-second-language. Lets all take a listen:



Ugh never mind.  Scratch this whole post, it's amazing.
Dammit, Popjustice...

Shakira wants you to 'Give It Up To Me' in her new video - watch now!

Apparently there is some 'let's make a video that looks like we dug it out of the VHS video singles bin at the landfill where Tower Records dumped all their unsold goods in the 1990s' craze going on right now.  Following Lady Gaga and Beyonce's odd and effects-heavy outing, now we get Shakira's take on dodgy CGI (look, she's the Statue of Liberty!) and tight choreography done in front of a green screen (look, there are speakers behind her!).  It's just as well, though - this isn't Shakira's best song either, so it wouldn't do for it to have a phenomenal video to go with it.


She looks quite good though, yes?

The Saturdays want you to check your 'Ego' - watch the full new video now!

ScopiSat was less than impressed with the Saturdays' last Kelly Clarksonish shouty single but thankfully the girls have dialed down the angst with new track 'Ego.'  It's all superheros and villains and DRAMATIC REVEALS OF CLEAVAGE and has more in the way of plot than every Girls Aloud video combined.  



Out on January 4 on Fascination

Beyonce and Lady Gaga mess up your 'Video Phone' - watch the video now!

Ok so by now most everyone that cares has seen the 'Video Phone' er...video.  It goes without saying that the song is utter crap, but the video does have some interesting bits.  Such as:

1.  When Beyonce dances around in a Princess Leia bikini like she's in a TLC video
2.  When Lady Gaga appears for NO REASON
3.  The end bit where Beyonce looks like Bettie Page and pulls it off
4.  The blatant SuperSoaker sponsorship deal that funded this whole debacle



3/10  See me after class.

MPHO wants you to 'See Me Now' - watch the video now!

Mpho is one of those up and coming artists that is 'hotly tipped' by 'the blogs.'  That usually translates into a faux-indie album of noise and a steady fade into obscurity, but every so often a real bright spot emerges.  Luckily Mpho is one of these bright spots, as we'll likely be hearing much, much more from her.  This single kind of came and went, but is still knocking around.  Most importantly it is still very, very good.



Mpho's debut album is out sometime in 2010 on Parlophone

Chart Chat UK: November 15, 2009

A new number one this week, as the chart battle between Black Eyed Peas and Leona Lewis comes to a close. The Peas are on top with "Meet Me Halfway," barely edging out Leona's "Happy" which is relegated to number 2. Both had the benefit of an X Factor performance last weekend, but in the end the Peas emerged victorious. The next new entry comes from N-Dubz, whose 'I Need You' comes in at 5, 2 places above Britney's new track '3.' Both are out in full release, so neither looks likely to move any higher. Sugababes' first post-Keisha track, 'About A Girl,' bows at 8 also in full release. With all the hoopla surrounding their lineup change it's possible the girls were hoping for more. Top 5 certainly shouldn't have been out of the question. The track itself is quite a corker but there's a distinct feeling that the Sugababes might be nearing their expiration date. Robbie Williams' new track 'You Know Me' flies in to the top 20 at 17, weeks ahead of its release date. Perhaps this 'BIG COMEBACK' thing isnt' going to be a huge disaster after all...

The UK Top Ten:
1 - Meet Me Halfway: Black Eyed Peas
2 - Happy: Leona Lewis
3 - Everybody In Love: JLS
4 - Fight For This Love: Cheryl Cole
5 - I Need You: N-Dubz
6 - Tik Tok: Kesha
7 - 3: Britney Spears
8 - About A Girl: Sugababes
9 - Down: Jay Sean
10- Bad Boys: Alexandra Burke

Lady Gaga's 'Fame Monster' album sampler! (video)

Gaga's 'Fame Monster' album (released in the US as a standalone, and in the UK as a double disc with The Fame) isn't out for another couple of weeks, but now we can all hear snippets of every one of the new tracks. If anyone had any doubts (who could be that stupid) about the clips should put them pretty well to rest.



Amazing.

Mariah Carey's "I Want To Know What Love Is" video is here and no one cares (full video)

It is FINALLY here, the moment you've all been waiting for! The new Lady Gaga video is out! Also Mariah Carey has released this snooze-fest for her new single. In it a cross-section of urban America watches (interracial couples! gay couples!) as Mariah sings to them with her dead, dead eyes.



Mariah's new album is out now in the US and out Nov 23 in the UK

Lady Gaga's collaboration with Beyonce has just leaked and we can listen to it right now

Beyonce. Lady Gaga. Singing a song together. It is called 'Telephone' but that doesn't matter because it could be called 'Poo Loaf' and it would still be AMAZING.



Lady Gaga also sang on Beyonce's new track 'Video Phone' but it isn't nearly as good so we're ignoring that one.

'Telephone' features on Lady Gaga's 'Fame Monster' album, out Nov 23

Who wants to hear the new Rihanna 'Rated R' album sampler? (video)

We thought so.



Out the week of Nov 20 on Def Jam/Universal/Mercury

Tegan And Sara want you to go to 'Hell' - watch the video now!

ScopiSat fave Tegan and Sara, the identical twin-lesbian-amazing duo has a new album and single out and it is very very good. A lot of fans are unhappy that the new album is slickly produced and lacks the plodding, pensive folk ballads of their earlier work. But on an album that features absolute gems like 'Hell,' who cares, right readers?



The album, 'Sainthood,' is out now on Sire Records

Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance,' 24 hours on

We have had a full day to digest the new Lady Gaga epic, 'Bad Romance,' and it is still LITERALLY VERY GOOD.

Some thoughts:

1. That makeup artist needs a raise.
2. Lady Gaga likes men with tattoos and so do we.
3. Something about writing 'Bath Haus' instead of 'bathhouse' makes it sound a lot more exotic and classy.
4. Lady Gaga is probably going to be a fairly big star.




Yes. Quite good indeed.

PUT DOWN WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING AND WATCH THE NEW LADY GAGA 'BAD ROMANCE' VIDEO RIGHT NOW (full clip!!!)

Lady Gaga's "people" are keeping rather close wraps on this insanely-anticipated video, so for now we'll have to settle with a low quality version on here.  HOWEVER, the HQ version can be viewed on Gaga's official website here.  It is.....AMAZING.



Yes.  Amazing.

Edit: Madonna, your throne has officially been usurped.

Nelly Furtado takes on bad boyfriends in her new video for 'Mas' (video)

Nelly has a nice kitchen, yes?

As far as the song goes, it's a pretty nice diversion.  The cool electro bit where her voice skips somewhere in the middle is particularly fun.  What do you readers think?



Out November 13 physically

Leighton Meester's new video for 'Somebody To Love' is QUITE GOOD (watch the full clip now)

And here we witness the birth of a popstar.



Amazing.

Also Robin Thicke is not terrible to look at, no?

Update:  No really.  It is AMAZING.

Chart Chat UK: November 8, 2009

We have a new number one this week, and it's exactly who you'd expect it to be. JLS, last year's X-Factor runners up, clock up their second number one (third if you count 'Hero' with all the finalists) and cement their status as a legitimate pop group to be reckoned with. Anything less than a number one would have cast some doubt on their future, and anything lower than top 3 would have been disastrous. Last week's top track, Cheryl Cole's 'Fight For This Love,' moves down to number 2 to make room for the boys, but gives X-Factor artists both of the top songs in the land. With Alexandra Burke hanging around at 5, X-Factor has pulled a trifecta. Ke$ha crashes in at 6 with her debut solo single (having previously been featured on Flo-Rida's international number 1 'Right Round') and still has a few weeks to go before its full physical release. Watch this space. At 9 we have somewhat of a surprise, with dance group Chase and Status garnering their first top 40 hit with 'End Credits.' They've been busy writing for Rihanna's new album and doing quite a bit of touring, so maybe they've just finally reached critical mass. Up four spots to 10, Lady Gaga grabs yet another top 10 hit with 'Bad Romance.' The epic (at least from the previews) video isn't even out yet, and Gaga has just now started promotion for the track, so it would be unwise to bet against this pop gem. Snow Patrol land at 15 with their electro-tinged 'Just Say Yes,' from their greatest hits compilation. The future of this one is uncertain, as the album is released tomorrow. Will that kill the single's chances? We'll just have to see. 19 finds Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin,' which benefits from the double-whammy of Glee hitting UK airwaves and its use in the X-Factor. Also benefiting from the X-Factor...er...factor... is Bon Jovi, whose new track, 'We Weren't Born To Follow,' becomes their highest charting track since 2006. Chris Brown enters at 29 with 'I Can Transform Ya.' It's difficult to know whether this single would have done much better without the whole Rihanna mess, as Brown has a pretty spotty singles record in the UK anyway. In any case it becomes his 8th top 40 hit. And that's enough said about that.

The UK Top Ten:
1 - Everybody in Love: JLS
2 - Fight For This Love: Cheryl Cole
3 - Meet Me Halfway: Black Eyed Peas
4 - Down: Jay Sean
5 - Bad Boys: Alexandra Burke
6 - Tik Tok: Ke$ha
7 - Haven't Met You Yet: Michael Buble
8 - What About Now: Westlife
9 - End Credits: Chase and Status
10- Bad Romance: Lady Gaga

The first clip of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' video - watch now! (video)

Today is a momentous day because Lady Gaga did something and we were all fortunate enough to see it. Here is the first look at Gaga's 'Bad Romance,' a video that promises to be LITERALLY VERY GOOD.



Correct? Correct.

Even if there was no more to the video and the song just played while we all stared at a blank screen, this whole thing would easily rate a 7/10. Well done, champagne all around.

It's Scopitone Saturday!!

Today's Scopitone needs no explanation. It is a CLASSIC. And it is AMAZING.

Robbie Williams goes through the looking glass in 'You Know Me' - watch the full video now!

Ask five people how Robbie's big comeback is going and you'll get five completely different answers. 'Bodies' fizzled a bit but still landed at a respectable number 2 and gave Mr. Williams his biggest hit in quite a while. After a shambolic X-Factor performance, Robbie ruled the stage at BBC Electric Proms and garnered some stellar reviews, but then turned around and canceled his much-hyped MTV EMA performance. Mixed signals, anyone? Well now with the release of his new album 'Reality Killed the Video Star' only days away, Robbie and EMI are hoping to railroad this whole project in the right direction, and apparently their solution is to play it completely and utterly safe. 'You Know Me,' the second single lifted from the album, is a low-key pop number with some horns and a gentle swing. No bite and all......bunny.


You Know Me - Robbie Williams (Official full-length video)

Robbie Williams | MySpace Video

The album is out Nov 9, with 'You Know Me' out as a single on Dec 7, both on EMI

Leona Lewis is 'Happy' at the MTV EMAs (video)

It should be illegal for someone to be this beautiful and talented.



But what are we all thinking of Gothic Leona? It's a bit like when Christina Aguilera went goth, except that this actually works. And does anyone notice the blatant 'Wicked' rip off during the breakdown?

Alexandra Burke performs new track 'The Silence' (full video)

There are two amazing things in this video. 1. Peter Andre doing a quite good job at hosting a television show. 2. Alexandra Burke singing a VERY GOOD song.



'The Silence' is from Alexandra's new album 'Overcome,' which is out now on Syco. No word on whether it will be a single, but we're thinking it would be a great choice for the holidays. What do you guys think?

Rihanna debuts new video for 'Wait Your Turn' - watch the full video now!

Rihanna's new album launch is in full swing now, with the release of the 'Wait Your Turn' video, which is all black and white moodiness and dramatic posing. It's something of a throwback to the glory days of music video. The song itself is a 'return to roots' for Rihanna, with distinctly island-flavored verses building up to a sing-along chorus. Not bad, we suppose. Not bad.

Mini Viva's new video 'I Wish' is one big American Apparel ad (full video for 'I Wish')

Here's the brand new video for Mini Viva's new single (and, if you listen to 'the blogs,' POP MASTERPIECE) 'I Wish.' It's pretty straightforward, with the girls being all cutesy walking around LA and touching things that miraculously turn to COLOR.



On further listen, it is clearly not as good as Girls Aloud's 'Call The Shots' so lets just put a stop to those rumblings. It's still pretty damn amazing, though, and will be all yours to buy November 30 on Polydor/Geffen.

Backstreet's back...and it's.....alright. Watch the new Backstreet Boys video now!

The Backstreet Boys are going all JLS and doing a video of them running around a city doing things. There is Brian singing in the street. There is Nick singing in the street. There is Brian and Nick singing in the street. And then there's some other stuff with other people.



'Bigger' is out now for download on JIVE

Aqua is back - watch the video to 'My Mama Said' now!

Apparently there is some big 'people having dinner' movement among music video directors (see yesterday's Stefanie Heinzmann post).  The latest evidence comes from Aqua's new video to accompany their forthcoming greatest hits package, and we'll warn you, readers... it is.......Euro.  It all starts off well, and you might even think to yourself, as we did, 'wow this is actually coming off rather classy and credible - Aqua might just return to relevance.'  And then the guy who we'll always think of as 'Ken' starts speak-singing and the whole thing turns and any semblance of legitimacy is lost except for in a tiny corner of Europe where they like this sort of thing. 


Find more videos like this on The Hype Factor

5/10 but only because the beginning is quite nice.  The Aqua greatest hits album is out next year but we'll probably just stick to playing our 'My Oh My' single over and over and reliving our late teens.

New Rihanna? Go on then. (full song - 'Bubble Pop')

This 'Rated R' thing is shaping up to be pretty phenomenal isn't it?  Even though ScopiSat is a bit underwhelmed with the lead off single there is something to say for doing a 'soft landing' for such a highly anticipated project.  The public doesn't want to be hit over the head with an act as huge as Rihanna, and if something like 'Bubble Pop' was the first single there could very well be some heads shaking.  It's definitely a different direction but we are definitely loving it.  It's not confirmed as being on Rated R, but our guess it will show up at least as a b-side eventually.  Here's the Will.i.am collaboration for your listening pleasure:

Chart Chat UK: Nov 1, 2009

Somewhat of a surprise at the top, as Cheryl Cole repeats, relegating Westlife's new track, 'What About Now,' to number 2. Jay Sean debuts at 3, with Alexandra Burke at 4. Michael Buble leaps up 4 places to 5 with 'Haven't Met You Yet.' The next new entry is down at 11, with Miley Cyrus' 'Party In The USA' finally getting its British debut and matching the peak of her previous two highest charting singles 'See You Again' and 'The Climb.' It must be frustrating for the young singer to have just missed having a top ten hit three separate times now. The single was fully physically released this past week, so there is little hope of the song rising any higher. Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance,' the lead track off of her repackaged 'The Fame Monster' album clocks in at 14, and without a video or any real promotion it's completely up in the air where this one goes from here. The rest of this week's chart is pretty lackluster and Xtra Factor is on so that's all for now.

The UK Top Ten:
1 - Fight For This Love: Cheryl Cole
2 - What About Now: Westlife
3 - Down - Jay Sean
4 - Bad Boys: Alexandra Burke
5 - Haven't Met You Yet: Michael Buble
6 - Meet Me Halfway: Black Eyed Peas
7 - Oopsy Daisy: Chipmunk
8 - Million Dollar Bill: Whitney Houston
9 - Bodies: Robbie Williams
10- Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling

Stefanie Heinzmann is ‘Unbreakable’ - watch the video now

Stefanie Heinzmann is a Swiss soul singer who reminds us a lot of Joss Stone but without the smarmy attitude and shoelessness. She puts out some nice pop tunes, and though new single 'Unbreakable' isn't going to change the world, it comes with one of our favorite videos in a long time. Things start out all Pottery Barn and end up in the best food fight ever. It really is a sight to watch in HD.

It's a Scary Scopitone Saturday!!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Snoop Dogg gets some 'Gangsta Luv' - watch the video now

If you're not in the Dogg Pound, you might not be aware that Snoop is back and better than ever. Don't worry, we just found out today. Comeback track 'Gangsta Luv' is a by-the-numbers rap tune with a nice hook and a bit of a throwback vibe. The video is pretty entertaining, and while not groundbreaking, at least it keeps the greenscreen operators in business.


Snoop Dogg on MUZU.

What do you all think, dear readers? Will you be buying what the Dogg is selling?

Britney finally shows us her '3' - watch the entire video now

Britney's US chart-topper (and, one would imagine, soon to be international smash) '3' finally gets a video and anyone hoping for a Spears sex-fest will be sorely disappointed. But if you're a fan of hooker-pole dancing and quick edits that manage to not show Brit doing more than one move at a time, you'll be quite pleased.

Still a good jam, and at this point the video is just window dressing. So we're totally on board with the vid.



Out now in the US and out Nov 9 in the UK

Janet Jackson has a new song out and we totally didn't notice - listen now

Ok so this is actually already out on iTunes in the US, so we totally missed the America boat. Considering it's now a month on from its release, so did everyone else. However, JJ is gearing up to chuck it out in the UK next month, so lets give it another listen shall we?



Well that was about 1/3 of a great song and a whole lot of filler.

Out now in the US, Out Nov 23 on Polydor in the UK

A first look at Britney's '3' video - watch it now (it doesn't take very long)

Us: Well that was satisfying, wasn't it?

You: No.

:(

Nora Jones goes 'Chasing Pirates' - watch the video now

She once said that maybe someday she would 'rock out.'  This might be the closest we get.  That's not to say it's anywhere near either 'rock' or 'out' but for Norah the guitar bit and harder edge are a bit of a new direction.

In any case it's another nice, flowy mid-tempo track from Miss Jones, and will sound perfect with your pumpkin spice lattes all autumn.

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Out now on iTunes

Chris Brown thinks he can 'Transform Ya' - watch the video now and decide if he's right (video)

Of course the question we're all asking is 'but can he transform himself.'  But this isn't about his personal issues.  It's about the music.  The tuneless, boring, done-to-death music.  The video is all EXCITEMENT and DANCING and really doesn't match the absolute banality of the track, but whoever did the CGI certainly earned their pay.  Visually very nice. 



Out now on Jive/Zomba

Can we just talk about the Adam Lambert album cover? (pic)

It's really as if a focus group met in a room, took some Ecstacy, threw on the Xanadu soundtrack and WENT TO TOWN.

Flawless skin though. 

Westlife take a crap Daughtry song and make it worse (video)

It will clearly be number 1 this week.  Little girls will lock themselves in their rooms with it blasting for months.  MOR DJ's will play it for years.  And it will be terrible forever. 

On the upside, the gay one looks rather nice during the middle eight bit.  



Out now on RCA.

Mini Viva's 'I Wish' debut (radio rip)

So 'I Left My Heart In Tokyo' turned out to be a rather surprising smash for Mini Viva, and the girls hope to keep the momentum going with new Xenomania single 'I Wish.'  For a few weeks now it's been hyped up on 'the blogs' and amongst people 'in the know' as somewhat of a masterpiece along the lines of Girls Aloud's 'Call The Shots.'  Now we're not saying it's terrible by any means, but do any of you readers hear anything NEARLY as brilliant as CTS in this?  We didn't think so :( 



It's no 'Call The Shots' or even a 'Can't Speak French' but 'I Wish' is still quite a bit above average.  Give it a 7/10. 

Chart Chat UK: Oct 25, 2009

The UK Top Five is quite diva-heavy this week, as we see a reality show contestant one-two punch at the top.  Alexandra Burke, the X-Factor winner, slides down to number two with her Flo Rida collaboration 'Bad Boys,' giving up the top slot to Popstars: The Rivals winner/X-Factor judge Cheryl Cole.  Cole's debut single, despite being rather divisive, was always going to make a big splash, and splash it does, with 290,000 copies sold - over 130,000 of those on its first day of release.  Thus it becomes the fastest selling single of 2009, and handily thrusts Cole into the 'Top Stars' bracket.  At 4 we have Robbie Williams, whose comeback has been described by the media as both an epic failure and a spectacular win.  In reality it's probably somewhere in the middle, but it must be encouraging to all involved that 'Bodies' didn't fall off the face of the earth after its debut last week.  The number 5 spot brings us to another artist whose comeback has been a bit questionable.  Whitney Houston, once one of the most bankable singers (and actresses) in the business, has fallen on some difficult times in recent years.  You might have heard about it.  If not, here's the short version:  Whitney married Bobby Brown, did some crack, stopped eating, divorced Bobby Brown, and may or may not have quit doing drugs.  In any case, her first official comeback single, 'Million Dollar Bill' hardly set the charts on fire out of the gate.  But a few weeks on and an AMAZING and shambolic X-Factor performance later, the song vaults up 9 spots to grab Whit's first UK top 5 since 2000.  The rest of the top 10 is pretty uneventful, with some minor shuffles of weeks-old tracks, save for the number 10 entry from Young Soul Rebels.  The not-unpleasant 'I Got Soul' isn't anything to write home about, but it's better than another Black Eyed Peas track isn't it.  The Saturdays continue their swift descent, down 6 to 14, just below Shakira who drops 5 down to 12.  17 and 20 see new entries this week, with Cobra Starship's 'Good Girls Go Bad' and Alphabeat's 'The Spell,' impacting the chart.  This is likely as far as both tracks will go, as each were fully released this week.  For Cobra Starship this is a great result, while Alphabeat has to be a bit disappointed with such a lowly position for their 2nd album's lead-off single.  Christina Aguilera's 'Hurt' enjoys another run at the top 40, re-entering at 25, thanks to its performance on X-Factor, and at 36 we find Lostprophets, whose 'It's Not The End of the World...' faceplants down a full 20 places.

The UK Top Ten:
1 - Cheryl Cole: Fight For This Love
2 - Alexandra Burke: Bad Boys
3 - Chipmunk: Oopsy Daisy
4 - Robbie Williams: Bodies
5 - Whitney Houston: Million Dollar Bill
6 - Taio Cruz: Break Your Heart
7 - Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling
8 - Jay-Z: Empire State Of Mind
9 - Michael Buble: Haven't Met You Yet
10- Young Soul Rebels: I Got Soul