Flop of the Pops Music Blog

WATCH: Dave Berry interviews Sugababes 4.0

2012-01-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been much news on the Sugababes 4.0 front for a while now - ever since the release of comeback single "Freedom" was cancelled and former member Mutya Buena won the right to use the b(r)and's name on wrapping paper and similar goods. Whilst rumours of the original founding members regrouping (under a different name) have been semi-confirmed now, the three nu-babes have been busy pursuing their own individual ventures: Heidi Range (center above) currently making waves as a contestant on Dancing On Ice whilst both Jade Ewen (left) and Amelle Berrabah (right) have gone into the studio to record solo material.

Here they sit down with Dave Berry of "The Hot Desk" for some fun questions and cheeky banter:

MUSIC VIDEO: MDPC feat. Lady Gaga - Bomb Ass Chick

2012-01-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

The few times Lady Gaga has been involved in a Hip-Hop track have been disappointing, to say the least. Her feature on Trina's last album was altered to feature Kalenna from Diddy Dirty-Money instead once Gaga blew up and became a huge international star. The less said about her feature on has-been that never-really-was Wale's "Chillin" the better. I'd reason than not even her feature on CJ Holland's unreleased anthem "Luv U Sum" can redeem her as a potential hook singer after her train-wreck feature on the official remix/single version of Beyoncé's "Video Phone".

So then, we know mierda abounds whenever Gaga is called in by her hood-radicated homies for a ghetto fabulous collabo. But what happens when you sample what is arguably her magnum opus thus far and then lace tight harmonies and a Polow Da Don-tinged Look At Me Now-sampling track underneath?

CHILD.

MDPC are Will, Ralph, Nick and Oz, specializing in "heart racing lyrics enclosed within infectious melodies that ride the drums and synths effortlessly."

MUSIC VIDEO: Kesha - Sleazy (Remix 2.0 Get Sleazier) feat. Wiz Khalifa, André 3000, T.I., & Lil Wayne

2012-01-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

Queen of Auto-tune Kesha's been away for a minute doing things other than releasing chart-topping singles, but thankfully for the continued well-being of Pop as we know it she is back with a feisty visual to accompany the official remix of her urban-flavoured track "Sleazy" which I posted back in December.

The clip follows a gang of drag Queens and their companions getting down and dirty to the pussy-popping anthem which features A-list rappers Wiz Khalifa, André 3000, T.I. and Lil Wayne.

Enjoy:

FIRST LOOK: Amelle Berrabah "Rebel"

2012-01-26T05:09:00.000-08:00

Everyone's favourite Moroccan Sugababe Amelle Berrabah is set to release her debut solo single "Rebel", sometime soon. The track is the first to be taken from her upcoming debut solo album, but is apparently being released in order to promote and regenerate interest in the Sugababes b(r)and, with her album release possibly happening AFTER the next Sugababes album.

As is the mode nowadays, Amelle has baptised her fans with a team name, the "Rebelles" - originally "Rebels" but changed after an attack from angry Jamelia stans (apparently they still exist). No word when the song itself will debut but seems to be sooner rather than later.

Check out three further images below, the first solo Amelle shots, although not the official promo shoot for the release. Needless to say, bitch is scorching.

NEW MUSIC: Chris Brown - Turn Up The Music

2012-01-26T04:40:00.000-08:00

Reigning Urban-Pop prince (or is that King now?) Christopher Maurice Brown - that is, Chris Brown or Breezy for short - has unveiled the new single from his upcoming "Fortune" LP, his fifth studio album to date. Titled "Turn Up The Music", it's another run of the mill electro-urban banger in the same vein as previous hits "Yeah 3x" and "Beautiful People". Despite not representing any major departure from his previous output, it's a strong track - no doubt the solid radio/international hit he needs to open up the new era successfully.

Enjoy below:

MUSIC VIDEO: T Mills - Vans On

2012-01-25T18:57:00.000-08:00

FINALLY! After a long ass wait, finally a video for sleazy white-tatted-boy sing-rapper T Mills's absolute tchoon of a song, "Vans On", originally titled "Fuck Em (With My Vans On)". It's unfortunate that his very best song (thus far) should end up with his very worst, non-event of a no-budget music video, but still...something's always better than nothing, right?

Now that he's signed with a major, T Mills has been making moves, re-releasing his EP, shooting music videos and generally inching towards a full-on assault on mainstream media. 2012 is his year and I can't bloody wait.

MUSIC VIDEO: Imogen Heap - Xizi She Knows

2012-01-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

Grammy Award-winning Jason DeRuler hitmaker, alternative diva and Essex beauty Imogen Heap is back with a new single, "Xizi She Says", released just after the Chinese New Year.

The video was shot in Hangzhou, China, and is part of an upcoming film documenting Imogen's 6 week residency in Hangzhou. The song is the fourth to be taken from her upcoming fourth studio album.

Like Imogen, both song and video are stunning.

MUSIC VIDEO & FREE DOWNLOAD: Autoheart - Control

2012-01-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

Formerly known as The Gadsens, Autoheart comprises Jody (vocals), Simon (piano/keyboards), Barney (guitar), David (drums) and Jihea (bass). The band was formed back in 2007, when Jody and Simon first met and began working on the score for an indie film Simon was then involved with. Things kicked off with a cover of Bronski Beat's "Small Town Boy", which was followed by "The Sailor Song". Called 'heaven' by The Guardian, the track was met with widespread support and opened a lot of doors for the band - including being chosen by Greenpeace, Oxfam and WaterAid as the music for 2009's Glastonbury Festival awareness video.

Two and a bit years on, they're back with "Control", a stark portrait of the reality of the breakdown of a doomed relationship. "Control" is the first fruits of their sessions with producer Danton Supple (Coldplay - X & Y) and first single from their upcoming debut album.

Sweet stuff!

Download & Stream:

Music video:

MUSIC VIDEO: Citizens! - Reptile

2012-01-25T05:18:00.000-08:00

Source: Dazed Digital Premiere & Interview

Protégés of Alex Kapranos (lead singer of Franz Ferdinand if ya don't know), Citizens! had it's genesis when Tom and Lawrence bonded over their mutual failure at picking up girls at a house party. Having recruited three others and formed a band, they quickly got to recording demos, which Kapranos heard and liked, to the point of then doing their whole album with them.

"Reptile" is the follow-up to "True Romance" (click the link) and it's video just premiered on Dazed Digital. It's slightly Franz Ferdinand-y but not in a major way, just housed on the same block if you catch my drift. Cool song and quirky dancing, me gusta!

Enjoy:

FREE DOWNLOAD: Christianoshi - Fuck Me

2012-01-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

OH. MY. DAYS. Shit = B-A-N-A-N-A(s).

Christianoshi is a London-based pop artiste making high-grade 80s-tinged electro-pop. He first premiered his solo material last year. Accompanied by two backing dancers he strutted his stuff and commanded the crowd on the infamous catwalk of SOS, legendary club promoter Warboy's latest party venue in Shoreditch. Prior to that he had brief flirtations with a number of bands, all of whose hearts he promptly broke.

Anyways - back to Christianoshi. The music is crazy, hectic, quirky, infectious. His blatant love of melody and clever lyricism pack a potent punch, though lyrics "which tend to avoid references to fucking at the discotheque find him somewhat outside the box frequented by his chart-bothering peers". Having signed a publishing deal, he's been hard at work writing and recording.

With all that in mind, I present to you the fantastic "Fuck Me" (this shit killed me) for free download, as well as brand new track "Over Yourself", both of them co-produced by Christianoshi with Scissorkicks, the man behind the very first Klaxons EP.

Enjoy below:

"Fuck Me" (Stream & Download)

"Over Yourself" (Stream)

MUSIC VIDEO: Sleigh Bells - Comeback Kid

2012-01-24T17:08:00.000-08:00

Beyoncé did wrong not getting noise-pop sovereigns Sleigh Bells involved with her lead single from this current era (as was rumoured at one point).

"Comeback Kid" is the lead single from Sleigh Bells new album, "Reign Of Terror" (amazing title right?) out next month.

Enjoy:

NEW MUSIC: Diana Vickers - Boy In Paris

2012-01-24T16:49:00.000-08:00

Another day, another new Diana Vickers track. Well, this isn't a full track, just 1:32, which is more than enough to amp one up for Diana's forthcoming sophomore album because this is decidedly LUSH.

Until then, fans can catch Diana performing "Boy In Paris" and other new songs at the Ruby Lounge in Manchester (8 Feb) and Cargo in London (9 Feb). Get tickets at Gigsandtours.com.

NEW MUSIC: Vincent Did It - Somebody

2012-01-23T18:24:00.000-08:00

Yet another slice of VDI goodness is served up. "Somebody" follows up "Dynamo" and "So You're Alive" as the third Vincent Did It track, lifted from his upcoming debut EP, out soon via Killpop Records.

Enjoy:

NEWS IN: Michel Teló & Shakira Duet

2012-01-23T17:22:00.000-08:00

Source.

With the huge success of his hit "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" and it's English language version "If I Catch You", Brazilian country-pop star Michel Teló now has his eyes set on world domination. Having already announced his desire to pursue an international career and make further releases in English, he's now upping the stakes and placing his bets on a duet with a Colombian beauty we all know and love.

With over 70 million records sold worldwide, the highly intelligent Shakira is arguably the most successful international act to ever come out from South America. For over a decade (since 2001's Laundry Service) she has remained comfortably in the musical A-list of the English speaking world, doing what few other international acts have been able to: crack the US market, and stay there.

Teló - who has also confirmed that he's been going after SEVERAL international features for his new English-language songs - is eager to enlist Shakira's assistance on his next album. The two will be together at Brahma's VIP chamber at Sapucaí, during this year's carnaval, and that's most likely where Teló will be wanting to close the deal definitively.

Earlier in the week Teló participated in rapper Pitbull's show in Recife, Brazil. Incidentally, Pitbull and Shakira themselves recently collaborated on hit single "Rabiosa", so it woudn't be too surprising if Teló has also been setting his sights on a guest rap from the popular Cuban rapper.

Check out the music video for current single "If I Catch You", which has already amassed 42 million views:

MUSIC VIDEO: Jack Peñate - No One Lied

2012-01-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

Best known for his 2007 breakout hit "Torn On The Platform", the wonderfully named Jack Fabian Peñate is an amazing English singer-songwriter known for making some excellent tunage across various genres.

He's finally back with "No One Lied", accompanied by a simple music video which can be seen below. He may not be as fresh-faced as before, and the usually fabulous hair isn't at it's best, the music is as great as ever. What a voice, what a talent!

Directed by Dani Castro and shot in one take at Jack's home January 19th:

NEW SINGLE: Khia - Pay Yo Pussy Bill (NSFW)

2012-01-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

Best known for her break-out hit "My Neck My Back", her Platinum-selling debut album and features on Trick Daddy's "J.O.D.D." and Janet Jackson's "So Excited", rapper Khia is back with a new single, "Pay Yo Pussy Bill", which samples one of her own hilarious skits from a previous album.

The song serves as the latest in a string of promo releases from upcoming double-CD album, Khia Shamone AKA Motor Mouf, pencilled in for release later this year.

As one might guess from the title - and as is always the case with Miss Khia - the track is NSFW from start to finish. This is for the grown folks only!

NEW MUSIC: DJ Assad feat. Sabrina Washington - Make It Hot

2012-01-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

Sabrina Washington is best known as one-third and lead vocalist of early 00's UK R&B/Garage girl group Mis-teeq, who were acclaimed as the UK's answer to Destiny's Child and scored a string of radio smashes before abruptly disbanding when their label went bankrupt. Since then she's been keeping things relatively quiet - briefly adopting the name Puma Washington, releasing a standalone single "OMG" back in 2010 and at one point discretely negotiating a deal with US label Young Money/Cash Money (Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj) although it's unclear what - if anything - ever came of that.

Now she's back with "Make It Hot", a collaboration with French DJ Assad which is already garnering airplay at French radio. It's completely not what you'd expect from Sabrina-from-Mis-teeq and a dancefloor banger of the kind that's very in vogue right now - whilst I hope it's a hit for her (even if just in France), I hope harder a Mis-teeq reunion happens sooner rather than later.

Check out the track and official teaser video below:

WESTLIFE FAREWELL TOUR DATES 2012

2012-01-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

14 years and 44 million records sold later, Ireland's biggest export Westlife are calling it quits. Formed in 1998, the four-piece (originally a five-piece until Brian McFadden left in 2004) made history by having their first seven singles hit #1 on the UK and Irish charts. Last year they announced their departure from Simon Cowell's record label Syco Music, dissatisfied at how they had been handled by the mogul post his American Idol and X-Factor success. Their Greatest Hits was released on RCA/Sony last November, charting at #4 in the UK and selling 430,000 copies - enough to make it one of the top-selling albums of the year.

The group will disband definitively - they have vowed never to regroup - after wrapping up their Greatest Hits/Farewell Tour, whose tour dates you can see below.

Dates provided by Westlife's online PR, Dawbell:

14/05 - Metro Radio Arena - Newcastle

15/05 - Echo Arena - Liverpool

17/05 - Motorpoint Arena - Cardiff

19/05 - Motorpoint Arena - Sheffield

20/05 - LG Arena - Birmingham

22/05 - Capital FM Arena - Nottingham

23/05 - O2 Arena - London

26/05 - MEN Arena - Manchester

27/05 - SECC - Glasgow

05/06 - Capital FM Arena - Nottingham

07/06 - 02 Arena - London

08/06 - LG Arena - Birmingham

09/06 - MEN Arena - Manchester

11/06 - Motorpoint Arena - Cardiff

12/06 - Motorpoint Arena - Sheffield

13/06 - Echo Arena - Livepool

15/06 - Metro Radio Arena - Newcastle

MUSIC VIDEO: Nicki Minaj - Stupid Hoe

2012-01-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

She's baaaaaaaaack (not that she ever really went anywhere). "Stupid Hoe" is the first single from Nicki Minaj's upcoming sophomore album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded", out later this year.

The video itself is pretty much Nicki-by-numbers, nothing special, but understandable considering this seems to be just a lead-in release. Earlier today Nicki hit #1 on US iTunes with her David Guetta collaboration, "Turn Me On", so I doubt she or team are too worried.

Enjoy:

MUSIC VIDEO: Far East Movement feat. Rye Rye - Jello

2012-01-20T03:53:00.000-08:00

Interscope/Cherrytree electro-hop dirty-bass propagators Far East Movement have finally premiered the music video for new single "Jello", featuring touring partner and label mate Rye Rye. I previously premiered the official Unicorn Kid Remix here on FOTP.

That Oprah lookalike killed me.

In all seriousness, if they can replicate the success of "Like A G6", 2012 seems set to be a grand year for both Far East and Rye Rye (assuming she can likewise replicate Dev's trajectory of subsequent solo & collaborative hits).

Enjoy:

THE WANTED: UK Tour Dates 2012

2012-01-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

UK boyband The Wanted are on the verge of breaking the US, with official US debut single "Glad You Came" climbing on iTunes and debuting on the Hot 100 at #85 (thanks to downloads of about 20,000). Thankfully, their UK fans need not worry, as they are set to continue promoting second album "Battleground" into 2012 with their very own tour - spanning Scotland and Ireland as well as England.

Recently signed boy band (as opposed to "boyband") Lawson and girl band Fanfair will be joint support acts.

Dates:

15 February - Capital FM Arena - Nottingham

17 February - ME Arena - Manchester

18 February - Sheffield Arena - Sheffield

20 February - Brighton Centre - Brighton

23 February - Motorpoint Arena - Cardiff

24 February - Echo Arena - Liverpool

25 February - Newcastle Arena - Newcastle

27 February - SECC - Glasgow

28 February - AECC - Aberdeen

1 March - LG Arena - Birmingham
2 March - International Centre - Bournemouth
3 March - 02 Arena - London
5 March - Brighton Centre - Brighton
6 March - BIC - Bournemouth
8 March - Odyssey Arena - Belfast
9 March - 02 Arena - Dublin
26 June - Croke Park - Dublin

Pretty much non-stop through February and March - poor guys, they'll be bloody exhausted after that!

MUSIC VIDEO: EJ - Mama, I'm Gonna Sing

2012-01-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

Cutting in at just under 2 minutes, Swedish-born London-based debutante EJ's single "Mama, I'm Gonna Sing" packs a mean punch. Already garnering healthy radio support (BBC 1Xtra, Kiss, Radio 1) and accompanied by remixes from the likes of Jamie Jones, Pete Tong & Savage Skulls, the track precedes 'future anthems' "Bangers & Mash" and "Supersize", out later this year.

The music video features EJ and her duplicates dance and march to the beat. Check it out below:

NEW MUSIC: Foster The People - Don't Stop (Matt Nash & Dave Silcox Remix)

2012-01-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

Renown English producer duo Matt Nash and Dave Silcox serve up the official remix for current American indie kings/Hypemachine royalty Foster The People's latest single "Don't Stop".

Shit be insane, dang!

(Be sure to 'Subscribe' and check out the rest of their awesome output).

YOUTUBE: Walk Off The Earth - Somebody I Used To Know (Gotye Cover)

2012-01-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

One would imagine the original would be nigh on impossible to match, but these guys (and lady) right here are just...frickin' awesome! While the original by Gotye & Kimbra has just gone viral in the UK and broken into the US charts, I'm told this cover is already something of a hit in Canada - not surprising given the video's already amassed some 29 million YouTube views.

Be sure to 'Subscribe' and check out Walk Off The Earth's original material:

FREE DOWNLOAD: Coastal Cities - Thinktank (Colour Coding Remix)

2012-01-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

Australian synthpop outfit Colour Coding provide an awesome remix to Coastal Cities' "Thinktank".

Listen & download below: