JIMMY STEELE PRESENTS - TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2012

What a year! 2012 really delivered a mixed bag of goodies when it comes to albums. We had stand-out sessions (like those listed below) and some that didn't really hit the mark... at all.

Below we've compiled out top 20 albums for the year... enjoy!

20. Medina - Forever
19. Missy Higgins - The Ol' Razzle Dazzle
18. fun. - Some Nights
17. Rihanna - Unapologetic
16. Christina Aguilera - Lotus

15. The Temper Trap - The Temper Trap
14. Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire
13. Morgan Page - In the Air
12. Miike Snow - Happy to You
11. Rebecca Ferguson - Heaven

10. No Doubt - Push and Shove

After an eleven year hiatus, 90s alt-pop-rock group No Doubt had some big shoes to fill. A lot has happened in the course of those eleven years, including lead singer Gwen Stefani releasing two amazing pop-electro albums that truly secured her as a woman with impeccable style (both musically and fashion-wise).

Whilst many weren't blown away by the album's lead single "Settle Down" with it's reggae/ska-punk sound, it's a great lead-in to the band's sixth studio album. "Push and Shove" is No Doubt at their finest, with cool, easy tunes that are highly addictive. Whilst commercially the album hasn't set the world on fire, it certainly has the ability to.

The Major Lazer-produced second single (the title track) grabbed the attention of many, and as it's somewhat stronger that "Settle Down," it's not alone as a stand-out on the LP. The eleven-track album is complete with the additional strong tracks including "One More Summer," "Looking Hot," "Easy" and "Gravity."

9. Ke$ha - Warrior

Maybe one of this year's most underrated albums, Ke$ha's sophomore album really works. Yes, it's not too distant from her "Animal" / "Cannibal" era, but who says it has to be? "Warrior" brings some real-time Ke$ha with "Die Young" - it has an unbeatably addictive chorus and you know you can't help but groove to it.

"Warrior" does feel like it's split into two separate albums though - tracks one to six appearing as an extension to "Animal," with tracks seven to twelve being an evolution of Ke$ha as an artist. Whilst we love the first half, the second part is where K$ really excels. It's here that we have her brilliant collaboration with Iggy Pop ("Dirty Love"), the acoustic throwback ("Wonderland"), the Greg Kurstin penned/produced track "Love Into The Light," and the epic future-single "Supernatural."

K$'s contribution to the pop market will be a gift that keeps on giving across 2013, just wait and see the success of the singles released across the coming months.

8.  Jessie Ware - Devotion

We stumbled upon Jessie Ware almost too late, but stumbled upon her none the less. Already appearing on many a 'best of' lists for album of the year in 2012, Ware's "Devotion" is a welcome to any music library. The 28 year-old hailing from the United Kingdom has been described as a modern-day Sade, full of smooth sexiness flowing from her vocals.

The album features a mix of soul, pop, electro and R&B. Stand out tracks are "Wildest Moments," "Night Light" and "Running" - although to be honest, the album is an eclectic mix of modern day sounds that are so well intertwined it's hard not to listen to the album on repeat all day before realising you've done so.

We hear rumours it's being prepared for a 2013 release in the US, which should see it do quite well after the success of a number of UK-based artists in a similar league (think Adele, etc).

7. Taylor Swift - Red

What a surprise of a record "Red" is. Crossing the boundaries between country and pop, the 23 year-old blurred the lines that saw her join the likes of many country stars before her, branching out to increase her already-heavy fanbase.

Working with producers such as Max Martin and Shellback, we were always going to get a strong influence of pop music weaving it's way through the album. Having produced three of the sixteen numbers, the duo helped carve the album's first two singles.

One of the best tracks, which sees a very mature Swift step out into the world, is her duet with Snow Patrol's frontman Gary Lightbody. Produced by Jacknife Lee (who recently worked with Crystal Castles and Robbie Williams on their new albums), it's an epic alt rock track that has 'number one hit' written all over it.

The other striking point is that the album barely has a weak spot. It has a very strong selection of possible singles; ranging from country, to pop, to electro (!) to alt rock... and it all works. It's a cohesive album that shows Swift can take some risks whilst still being true to her roots.

6. Emeli Sandé - Our Version of Events

Launching in 2011 with her debut single "Heaven," Emeli Sandé was always going to be a force to be reckoned with. The Scottish lass, who has written for the likes of Leona Lewis, Tinie Tempah and Cheryl Cole, delivered a soulful and triumphant debut album with "Our Version of Events."

Spawning five singles, including two that just missed the top spot (both "Heaven" and "Next To Me" stalling at #2 in the UK), the album is complete with beautiful melodies. The LP heavily features production work by Naughty Boy, who also claims single credits on "Daddy."

Having just hit the one million sales mark in the UK alone, it's a clear winner when it comes to the commercial market. Whilst some have said it's too ballad-heavy, it's a beautiful record that will continue  to earn Sandé her stripes in years to come.

Apart from the single choices, other stand outs include "Mountains"and "River."

5. Rita Ora - Ora

Dubbed London's answer to Rihanna, Rita Ora first bounced into the spotlight (via her Roc Nation record label) featuring on DJ Fresh's dubtastic "Hot Right Now." The track secured both a number one track in their homeland, and started what was to be known as the Ora-Era.

Months later the talented 22 year-old dropped her first singles stateside and in her homeland - two different singles to suit both markets. "How We Do (Party)" for the US (and Australian) market, with "R.I.P." (feat. Tinie Tempah) for the UK market. Whilst there was a lukewarm take-up to Ora's brilliance in the states, both singles hit the coveted top spot in the UK (and top ten in Australia).

"Ora," released in August, was a nice surprise. Delivering the writing talents of some of pop's well-known names - Ester Dean, Bonnie McKee, Sia, Greg Kurstin - the LP also saw Ora co-pen some of the tracks. Throw in production work by The-Dream, Stargate, Chase & Status and Major Lazer and you have a winning album.

The blonde-bombshell's debut is a solid piece of pop music and it's strong, mature and highly addictive. Stand out tracks are "Radioactive," "Uneasy" and "Roc the Life."

4. Ellie Goulding - Halcyon

Goulding's sophomore album was hanging on the promo single "Hanging On" (see what we did there?) featuring rapper Tinie Tempah. The dubstep track, a cover of Active Child's song from 2011, was released in July to a very impressed crowd.

"Anything Could Happen," the albums lead single, followed shortly after. Produced by Kish Mauve's Jim Eliot (who worked on seven of the album's twelve tracks), it was a synth-indie-pop dream, becoming the starlet's first Australian hit, peaking at #20 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

"Halcyon" is a cohesive mix of beautiful vocals and intricate melodies fused with dubstep beats that marry Goulding's style like a match made in electro heaven. "Figure 8," one of the albums best tracks, serves as the next single. It's a strong track, one of many on the album.

3. Marina and the Diamonds - Electra Heart

After the brilliance that was the debut album from Britain's latest indie pop darling, Marina Diamandis, or Marina and the Diamonds as her stage name, high hopes were in place for the sophomore album from this starlet in 2012. And well, "Electra Heart" delivered.

Unlike it's predecessor "The Family Jewels," in which Marina took us on a journey through indie pop, new wave and folk, "Electra Heart" was always going to be the record that saw Marina head straight for pop stardom. We're talking bubblegum-popping, electro-loving, Dr Luke-producing, Katy Perry-supporting, pop.

As a taste of what was to come, Diamandis released "Radioactive" in late 2011 - produced by Stargate and DJ Chuckie. It was Marina in a different light, an opportunity to introduce the "Electra Heart" persona and campaign that we'll all grown to love. After postponing the album release (which was originally due for late 2011), Marina jumped back in the studio to spend further time redefining the album and current tracklist.

"Primadonna," the album's lead single (yes,"Radioactive" was reduced to a buzz single), peaked just outside the top ten in the UK, and became her highest selling single here in Australia - hitting a high of #21 on the ARIA Charts and achieving a platinum-selling status.

It was followed by "Power & Control" (co-penned by Steve Angello of Swedish House Mafia and produced by hit-maker Greg Kurstin) and "How To Be A Heartbreaker," found only on the repackaged US version of album.

In addition to the singles, highlights include "Starring Role," "Lies," "Teen Idle" and "Sex Yeah."

2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

Twenty-five year-old Christopher Breaux, aka Frank Ocean, made headlines in the lead up to his debut album "Channel Orange" for all the wrong reasons. Well, maybe not the wrong reasons, but it was certainly a bold move in declaring his (bi)sexuality to the world.

Being part of what was tagged as the "next best thing in hip-hop" group Odd Future (or OFWGKTA), coming out and openly talking about your first love being with a member of the same sex was really one of the last things anyone expected from the talented star. Regardless, it set the e-world alight with mixed comments and reactions, most praising Ocean on his bravery in doing so.

We're referring to the track "Thinkin' 'Bout You" - originally penned for R&B star Bridget Kelly - Ocean decided he wanted his voice heard after revealing the track was extremely personal to him. The melodic R&B song was indeed about Ocean's first love, a first love he shared with a man.

Whilst being released in April, "Thinkin' 'Bout You" is still receiving chart-love today, climbing the Billboard Hot 100 again this week to it's highest peak so far in it's 19-week chart history. As far as singles go, "Sweet Life" and "Lost" - again two of the albums strongest tracks - were also released.

And lastly, "Pyramids." In an almost ten-minute production of beats, synths and dramatic melodies, Ocean delivers the next strongest track on the album (behind "Thinkin' 'Bout You"). It's a mix of mood-driven lyrics and R&B soul that has had the star compared to artists such as the iconic Prince (namely, his "Purple Rain").

Overall, the album is a strong effort for a debut release, and a very worthy contender of the most recent 2013 Grammy nominations.

1. Lana Del Rey - Born to Die / Paradise

When compiling our albums of the year list it was a no-brainer for us that the highly-anticipated debut album from Lana Del Rey was going to come in at the top position. Whilst the lead single "Video Games" took the indie-pop underworld by storm in 2011, it wasn't until the then b-side "Blue Jeans" and follow on single "Born to Die" caught our attention that we were hooked.

Spawning five singles (the above three plus "Summertime Sadness" and "National Anthem"), the LP is an eclectic mix of tragedy, love and vintage throwbacks. The release features notable productions by Rick Nowels (Lykke Li, John Legend) and Justin Parker (Ellie Goulding, Rihanna); with Del Rey co-penning all tracks on the standard and deluxe editions.

Combining the "Paradise" EP and revealing "Born to Die: the Paradise Edition," it added the darker element - somewhat more creative and less commercial than it's predecessor. The lead single "Ride" is a perfect taste and opener for the eight-track EP, with beautiful gems like "Cola," "Body Electric" and the The Clovers 1954 classic "Blue Velvet."

With over 2.6 million copies of the album(s) sold worldwide so far, I reckon we're not the only ones who have fallen in love with the star that they claimed was never gonna make it. Excellent year, Miss Del Rey, excellent year.

KE$HA REVEALS BUZZ SINGLE "C'MON"

Whilst Ke$ha's "Die Young" continues to dominate charts across the globe (this week bulleting to #3 on the ARIA Singles Chart on the back of her promo tour in Australia last week), the "Tik Tok" singer teases her upcoming "Warrior" album with buzz single "C'Mon."

Co-penned by Bonnie McKee, the track features production by the hit team Dr. Luke, Cirkut, Benny Blanco and Max Martin. Take a listen below.

"Warrior" will be available November 30 [iTunes]

KE$HA PREMIERES "DIE YOUNG" VIDEO

"Tik Tok" superstar Ke$ha has premiered the video for the Nate Ruess (of fun.) co-penned track "Die Young," the lead single to be taken from her sophomore album "Warrior." The track was produced by pop-superstar trio Dr Luke, Benny Blanco and Cirkut.

The video, directed by Darren Craig for The Uprising Creative (Alicia Keys "Girl On Fire"), features a whole range of Illuminati references, sex-crazed minions, wolves and some serious chorey - all taking place south of the border. On top of that, K$ looks smokin'.

Catch the full clip below.

"Warrior" will be released 30 November [iTunes]

KE$HA PREMIERES "DIE YOUNG"

American pop star Ke$ha has premiered "Die Young," the lead single from her sophomore album "Warrior." The future number one hit and summer smash was produced by Dr Luke, Cirkut and Benny Blanco. Take a listen to the hot new track below.

Apart from Dr Luke and Blanco, "Warrior" is rumoured to feature additional writing and production work from Nate Ruess (from fun.), Sia and Iggy Pop. What an interesting combination!

"Die Young" will be out later today, with "Warrior" available from 30 November [iTunes]

KE$HA ANNOUNCES "SLEAZY REMIX 2.0: GET SLEAZIER" FEAT. LIL WAYNE, WIZ KHALIFA, T.I. AND ANDRE 3000

Glitter-trash queen Ke$ha has announced that her Cannibal album track Sleazy has received a fresh makeover which features a swagger of artists join her as she becomes even sleazier. The release, Sleazy Remix 2.0: Get Sleazier, features Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, T.I. and André 3000.

Taken from the popstar's official site:

Ke$ha takes “$leazy” to a whole new level with her “Sleazy Remix 2.0 Get Sleazier” featuring Lil’ Wayne, Wiz, T.I. and Andre 3000. This track will be released exclusively through iTunes on Dec 13th, so mark your calendars now and get excited!

The remix is available digitally today [iTunes]

News alert! Things you need to know about music, this week

Teen heart-throb Joe Jonas informs us Stevie Nicks is an all-time favorite musical talent, and he'd like to open for See No More writer, Chris Brown. [AOL Music]

Unbeatable? Unbroken. Following on from the success of the Kerli co-penned track Skyscraper, Demi Lovato reveals album title. [Twitter]

Apparently she can't get enough. Jennifer Lopez confirms what we've all been thinking about American Idol. [Billboard]

Wanna talk about sex, baby? Salt 'n Pepa are coming to town (the East Coast, Australia) across November/December. [The Music Network]

After spending time deciphering her dyslexic messages, it seems Cher wants you to know you'll love her new duet with Lady Gaga, apparently titled The Greatest Thing. [Twitter]

Speaking of, Lady Gaga has now been confirmed for this years MTV Video Music Awards alongside Adele and Bruno Mars. [Gaga Daily]

And finally, Ke$ha informs us tuna are the terror of the high seas. Apparently. [Facebook]

My friends, that was some of the the things you need to know about music, this week...

MTV Video Music Awards, nominees announced

For those of you that had enough time on your hands and spent that time on Twitter yesterday, you would have seen an influx of tweets come through about the nominations for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

There are some impressive nods for artists such as Katy Perry (with nine nominations) and Adele (with seven nominations) and equally, there are a disappointing lack of nods for others such as Rihanna (with one nomination) and Ke$ha (no nominations)

Addtionally Beyoncé, Lady Gaga & Nicki Minaj all received three nominations each.

Some of the notable categories are below. For a complete list of nominees and categories, visit the official site [MTV.COM]

Video Of The Year:

Adele – Rolling In The Deep

Beastie Boys – Make Some Noise

Bruno Mars – Grenade

Katy Perry – Firework

Tyler, The Creator – Yonkers

Best Pop Video:

Adele – Rolling In The Deep

Britney Spears – Till The World Ends

Bruno Mars – Grenade

Katy Perry – Last Friday Night

Pitbull f/ Ne-Yo, Nayer, and Afrojack – Give Me Everything

Best Female Video:

Adele – Rolling In The Deep

Beyonce – Run The World (Girls)

Katy Perry – Firework

Lady Gaga – Born This Way

Nicki Minaj – Super Bass

Best Male Video:

Bruno Mars – Grenade

Cee-Lo – Fuck You

Eminem – Love The Way You Lie

Justin Bieber – You Smile

Best Collaboration:

Chris Brown f/ Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes – Look At Me Now

Kanye West f/ Rihanna and Kid Cudi – All Of The Lights

Katy Perry f/ Kanye West – E.T

Nicki Minaj f/ Drake – Moment 4 Life

Pitbull f/ Ne-Yo, Nayer, and Afrojack – Give Me Everything

BRITNEY SPEARS REVEALS "TIL THE WORLD ENDS" (FEMME FATALE REMIX) FEAT. NICKI MINAJ & KE$HA

Following on from the success of her remix of S&M with Rihanna, Britney Spears looks to mirror the collaboration by joining forces with pop divas Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha to remix Till The World Ends.

The official remix sees the Femme Fatale track take a dubstep turn with Minaj introducing the remix with a new rap tied in with Brit-Brit's verse, and Ke$ha locking in the chorus. All in all, it's actually pretty hot.

I'm loving the fact all my ladies are joining forces to bring us these new jams. Who's next?

Till The World Ends (The Femme Fatale Remix) will be available to purchase digitally shortly, for now keep an eye on Britney's profile [ITUNES]

[VIDEO PREMIERE] Britney Spears // Till The Worlds Ends

Whoa, oh-a, oh-a, oh-a, oh!

Britney Spears has premiered the video of her latest single, Till The Worlds Ends, the second single to be lifted off her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. The clip is one of two to be released - this seems to the apocalyptic version, the other is the choreography version.

Things to note about this video:

+ Whilst the track was co-penned by Ke$ha, I wasn't under the impression Spears was also taking video clip advice from her as well...? Brit even looks like she's been styled by K$ - minus the trademark glitter of course! Although... it does kinda look like we're recycling an old red jumpsuit in there... are we Team Brit?

+ Whilst the "world is ending" there seems to be lots of underground club-slash-sex action going on. For some reason I feel like I'm watching a mash-up of the opening scene from Blade and an apocalyptic take-over from War of the Worlds. Or a sequel to another video perhaps...?

Anyway. My verdict for the Ray Kay directed video is, I LOVE IT. I don't care if Spears looks like she's loving it in some parts, and bored in the next, for me the clip is awesome! Enjoy!!!

Till The Worlds Ends and Femme Fatale are available digitally today [ITUNES]

[FRESH RELEASE] Britney Spears // Till The World Ends

And so, here we have it. The Ke$ha penned, Dr Luke and Max Martin produced track sung by Britney Spears. Till The World Ends leaked online last week and since then was confirmed that it is the follow up single to Hold It Against Me, taken off the Femme Fatale album.

Femme Fatale is not due in stores for another couple of weeks, so by releasing Till The World Ends earlier Miss Spears has a higher chance of securing another Billboard Hot 100 #1. In fact, Britney hasn't been able to score two number hits from the same album... could things be about to change?

I digress. The track, which is very clearly a Ke$ha track, will do well for Brit. It's as infectious as Hold It Against Me and obviously the commercial market will pick it up immediately - making it another chart smasher for her.

But, what's your thoughts...? Me - yeah it's ok. It'll grow on I me...

You can pre-order Femme Fatale digitally, additionally Till The World Ends is available for purchase today [ITUNES]

[VIDEO PREMIERE] Ke$ha // Blow

Umm. Dawson? Unicorns. Black bras. James van der Douche. Rainbow, glitter, shotguns.

And that, my dear friends, is a brief summary of Ke$ha's new video for her latest single, Blow. Not really much else to say except for watch it yourself. K Dollar at her weirdest finest.

Purchase Animal, Cannibal and/or Blow digitally today [ITUNES]


Ke$ha - Blow.

Jimmy Steele's Top 50 Singles of 2010 (Part I)

PART I

Over the last week or two the world has been inundated with various radio stations, blogs, TV channels, and official chart companies releasing their Top 50/100 singles and/or albums of 2010. So, what can I do except respond to the world with my own?

Before I get into my own personal Top 50 Singles of 2010, let's visit some of the official outcomes released by the major markets across the globe...

ARIA - Australian Recording Industry Association (AUS)

[OFFICIAL SITE]

20.  TELEPHONE  //  Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce

19.  EMPIRE STATE OF MIND  //  Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

18.  CLUB CAN'T HANDLE ME  //  Flo Rida feat. David Guetta

17.  RAISE YOUR GLASS  //  P!nk

16.  JUST A DREAM //  Nelly

15.  REPLAY  //  Iyaz

14.  I LIKE IT // Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull

13.  IN MY HEAD  //  Jason Derülo

12.  TIK TOK  //  Ke$ha

11.  AIRPLANES  //  B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams

10.  DJ GOT US FALLIN' IN LOVE  //  Usher feat. Pitbull

9.  TEENAGE DREAM  //  Katy Perry

8.  JUST THE WAY YOU ARE  //  Bruno Mars

7.  ONLY GIRL (IN THE WORLD)  //  Rihanna

6.  FIREFLIES  //  Owl City

5.  CALIFORNIA GURLS  //  Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg

4.  HEY, SOUL SISTER  //  Train

3.  DYNAMITE  //  Taio Cruz

2.  OMG  //  Usher feat. will.i.am

1.  LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE  //  Eminem feat. Rihanna

Billboard.com (US)

[OFFICIAL SITE]

20.  IMMA BE  //  The Black Eyed Peas

19.  COOLER THAN ME  //  Mike Posner

18.  JUST THE WAY YOU ARE  //  Bruno Mars

17.  TEENAGE DREAM  //  Katy Perry

16.  TELEPHONE  //  Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce

15.  RUDE BOY  //  Rihanna

14.  IN MY HEAD  //  Jason Derulo

13.  BEDROCK  //  Young Money feat. Lloyd

12.  I LIKE IT  //  Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull

11.  NOTHIN' ON YOU //  B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars

10.  BREAK YOUR HEART  //  Taio Cruz feat. Ludacris

9.  DYNAMITE  //  Taio Cruz

8.  BAD ROMANCE  //  Lady Gaga

7.  LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE  //  Eminem feat. Rihanna

6.  AIRPLANES  //  B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams

5.  OMG  //  Usher feat. will.i.am

4.  CALIFORNIA GURLS  //  Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg

3.  HEY, SOUL SISTER  //  Train

2.  NEED YOU NOW  //  Lady Antebellum

1.  TIK TOK  //  Ke$ha

The Official Chart Company (UK)

[OFFICIAL SITE]

20.  CLUB CAN'T HANDLE ME  //  Flo Rida feat. David Guetta

19.  FIREWORK  //  Katy Perry

18.  REPLAY  //  Iyaz

17.  DYNAMITE  //  Taio Cruz

16.  SHE SAID  //  Plan B

15.  TELEPHONE  //  Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce

14.  RUDE BOY  //  Rihanna

13.  EMPIRE STATE OF MIND (PART II)  //  Alicia Keys

12.  FORGET YOU  //  Cee Lo Green

11.  EVERYBODY HURTS  //  Helping Haiti

10.  PASS OUT  //  Tinie Tempah

9.  WE SPEAK NO AMERICANO  //  Yolanda Be Cool vs D Cup

8.  CALIFORNIA GURLS  //  Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg

7.  AIRPLANES  //  B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams

6.  FIREFLIES  //  Owl City

5.  OMG  //  Usher feat. will.i.am

4.  ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD  //  Rihanna

3.  JUST THE WAY YOU ARE  //  Bruno Mars

2.  WHEN WE COLLIDE  //  Matt Cardle

1.  LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE  //  Eminem feat. Rihanna

PART II - TBC

Ke$ha trashes up soldiers in tights and heels, X-Factor Australia

So let me get this straight (ha, first and last time I'll say that!) - if you don't already luuuuuuurve the trashiness that is Ke$ha, why are you even reading my blog? For a starters the girl has class. Yes, it may the be the class of an under-age homeless New York hooker, but she has class. The girl also has fluro. The girl luuuuuuurves her fluro.

I'm getting side-tracked. My point being, if you didn't already love Ke$ha you should now. Her latest single, We R Who We R, which landed at #1 in Australia, Canada and the US; and which I previewed for you all WEEKS before it even hit the airwaves (see original post here if you don't believe me - so there); was performed by Princess Trash Ke$ha on Monday's elimination round of X Factor Australia.

The performance was BRILLIANT. Ke$ha ripped up her stockings, she played some kinda of guitar/bassy thing (ok, so you know what I mean), and she looked trash fierce. AND in case you didn't notice the dancing soldiers in TIGHTS AND HIGH HEELS, the video for you is below so you can relive the show. Yes, they are BOYS in tights and high heels.

FARKING HAWT. Can't wait for her shows in Mach '11. YES - they're on sale tomorrow, here's the link for the Sydney shows!

Enjoy! I'm going to watch the clip again.

Ke$ha to debut #1 with We R Who We R, acts Sleazy

Yep, she's gonna do it. Debut at #1 that is.

By now you would have heard Ke$ha's latest installment to her musical reign of pop-trash-power, We R Who We R, especially if you read my blog about it 3 weeks ago. According to Billboard, the track will debut at #1 in the Hot 100 today/tomorrow - the 17th track in the history of the Billboard charts to do so.

Over here in the land of Oz, we're expecting the same when the ARIA charts launch this coming Sunday. We R Who We R has been at the top of the Australian iTunes chart since Saturday, which will give it enough digital sales in the reporting week (Friday through Thursday) to lock in the coveted position. Of course I could be wrong, but hey, I doubt it.

The track is taken off Ke$ha's Cannibal EP, which is slated for launch late November. Cannibal can purchasing on it's own, or as part of a combo-deluxe deal with Animal. Think what Gaga did with The Fame / The Fame Monster. Yeah, same deal.

Miss Pop-Trash-Power herself has actually been busy this week, as she's also tempted us with another offering from her Cannibal release, titled Sleazy. Check out the video below to give it a listen. Busy, busy, busy girl!

[FRESH RELEASE] Ke$ha // We R Who We R

Well the new stuff just keeps on rollin' on in...

Ke$ha has literally just released her new track to radio. Titled We R Who We R off her new album, Cannibal (to be released in November), Ke$ha informed Entertainment Weekly that she was inspired to write to song in response to the recent gay bullying which has led to teen suicides in the US.

I'm pretty confident the track will follow the success of her first four smash hits off her debut album Animal, and no doubt place in the top 10 again globally.

On a side note, great news about the album is that Ke$ha has been working with the very talented Dr Luke and Max Martin on some of the new tracks!

Listen to the track below. I'll have more information on the video clip and album when I can! Enjoy.

IT'S OFFICIAL - AUSTRALIA LOVES P!NK AND P!NK LOVES GAY MARRIAGE

To be honest I think we already knew that Australia seems to be mesmerised by P!nk - after launching it here on this blog, P!nk's latest single Raise Your Glass was rushed to digital media and within 24 hours of doing so, was #1 on iTunes Australia.

If the single stays at the top of the iTunes chart for another 24 hours (very, very likely), P!nk will have scored herself her fourth #1 single in Australia, knocking Rihanna from the top spot with her latest single Only Girl (In The World). Of course we'll need to wait 'til Sunday for the "official" announcement as ARIA post this weeks results on their site.

The track, which was penned by P!nk herself and pop master Max Martin (responsible for way to many pop smash hits to mention, working with artists such as Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Taio Cruz, Adam Lambert, etc) is taken from her greatest hits album to be released in Australia on November 15, titled Greatest Hits... So Far!

After chatting with MTV.com a few days ago, P!nk revealed info about the video clip, which started shooting on October 4:

"I will be celebrating a gay wedding [in the video]," she said of the clip, which she said was shooting this week. "I am not the minister. ... There's so many [celebrations]. Of course typical psychotic me, it's 80,000 different things going on."

Pink said the video's theme was inspired by real-life experience. "I threw my best friend's wedding in my backyard — [she] is gay and she married her wife, and it was absolutely beautiful," she recalled. "At the end of it, her mom said, 'Why can't this be legal?' and started crying. It was just the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen, so that's why I'm doing it in my video. "

Well surprise, surprise. Another super star supporting gay marriage. I swear, if this country's government (ie: Gillard - yes YOU) doesn't hurry the bejesus up and move past their ignorant, Neanderthal laws... well, well... I might just burst out in song.

Back to P!nk. The video should be out in the next few weeks - stay tuned, you'll see it here first!

SKY FERREIRA AND "OBSESSION" - HOW VERY GEN Y OF ME

Sometimes I think there is a little Gen Y boy trapped inside this great big piece of Gen X man hunk. Today, that thought couldn't be any more prominent when I stumbled upon the new Sky Ferreira single, Obsession, which is featured on the new The Vampire Diaries soundtrack.

The track, which reeks of Ke$ha if you ask me, is kinda hot - I gotta admit it. What's even hotter is that the 2-minute-something video I've posted below features snippets from season 2 of The Vampire Diaries. Damn. Damn Damian, Damn.

The official video for Obsession is available on Sky's official site, however I can't decide which is my favourite - the original clip, or the one below... actually, it's the one below.

NERVO - CAN THESE GIRLS DO NO WRONG?

Australia's NERVO twins, Mim and Liv, can seem to do no wrong!

The Melbourne born girls started off as successful models with the Chadwick Models Agency, before setting their eyes on becoming talented songwriters, producers, remixers, DJ's and recording artists.
The girls penned the worldwide club smash When Love Takes Over by David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland. The song, known and loved by all across the globe (unless you've been hiding under a rock... or in cave... or out at sea - you get the point) went to #1 in the UK and #6 in Australia, scoring platinum status (+70,000 copies sold).

Most recently they've co-written the loveable track Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love) for Kylie Minogue's new album Aphrodite. If you ask me the track is 2010's version of Kylie's Love at First Sight - hot, hot, hot.

And of course I can't forget the endless volume of tracks they've written for artists such as Ke$ha, Pixie Lott, The Pussycat Dolls and many more.

Let's move forward to today - the girls have just joined forces in the studio with Andrew Klippel (ex-Euphoria for all you Love You Right fans) and Luke Steele (Empire of the Sun). Can't wait to hear the outcome of that session!

Here's a taste of their hot, hot, hot music - This Kind of Love feat. Ollie James which was released in April this year. Look forward to their new single, Irresistable, which should be released soon.

Much love.