Like politics, dogs and Cher, Time seems to affect The Music Industry differently to how it affects normal human beings. A year in human terms is like a decade in the music world; sounds, styles and genres continually boom in and out of fashion, while an endless litter of new artists bounce eagerly onto the scene to nip at the ankles of established acts. Artists who take a year out to write a new album soon feel like they’ve been gone forever *COUGH* La Roux *COUGH*, while Lady Gaga’s almost continuous presence in the charts since her debut in 2009 makes it feel like she’s been knocking around far longer than her relatively short two years.

For an artist to be celebrating ten years in the industry is therefore quite a big deal- the kind of big deal where your Nan puts Corrie on mute for twenty minutes and gets out the fondant fancies and Babysham. When that artist is a TV talent show winner who managed to maintain a career during a decade which saw the industry morph into something almost unrecognisable from its pre millennium incarnation, AND do it with the same record label he first signed to, AND still be achieving platinum album sales, it’s nothing short of amazing.

Yes, prepare to feel old- this month marks exactly ten years since an unknown Will Young first ambled politely into a Pop idol audition and sang ‘Blame It On The Boogie’ in front of an equally unknown Simon Cowell. Young went on to win Pop Idol in February 2002, and while the careers of most of his talent show contemporaries soon went to that Big Karaoke Bar in the sky, Young’s distinctive style and sound soon garnered a loyal fan base who appeared to stick by him as social networking saw the industry fragment into a series of smaller sub genres with smaller sales. During his ten years in the industry he’s managed to sell eight million albums worldwide, and while his last few single sales have been disappointingly low (representing a wider trend in the industry as a whole), his album sales have continued to perform well– each one achieving platinum status.

So what do you do if you’re Will Young and want to celebrate your tenth birthday in the music biz? Down your own weight in WKD and end up sprawled in your own vomit outside a cash point while singing Swagger Jagger to alarmed bystanders?? OF COURSE NOT. This is Will Young, and he’s been very sensibly writing his new album ‘Echoes’, along with producer Richard X and a team of co writers which reads like a modern pop fans wet dream: Sound of Arrows, Groove Armada and Fred Falke to name but a few.

The first single to be released from the album is ‘Jealousy’- a beautiful ‘tears on the dance floor’ electro ballad about unrequited love and the slightly creepy stalker tendencies it can induce. The departure from Young’s usual sound is striking; dance edged and synth heavy, ‘Jealousy’ is Young’s mission statement for the next phase of his career- having the confidence to make music which he genuinely loves while still maintaining a commercial edge. Having written or co-written every song on Echoes it also feels like this could be his most personal album to date, and while a change in direction is always a risk, now feels like the right time for him to take it.

‘Jealousy’ is available to buy from 21^st August

‘Echoes’ is available to buy from 22^nd August

Where? The Pyramid stage, Glastonbury Festival 2011

The Saturday night headliners selected a rather random yet brilliant, well for me any way, entrance tune as they casually strolled on stage to the Back to the Future theme tune. Could this have represented the fact that this is the greedy bands headlining slot for the third time in nine years? Perhaps, yet I saw this as a good sign and hoped that I would not be disappointed and regret my decision for choosing them over The Chemical Brothers who were now playing on the Other stage. And I am more than happy to say that I was not disappointed, they knew what we wanted and they delivered: creating a moving and uplifting atmosphere which only increased throughout their performance. Chris Martin’s recognisable voice carried far across the fan infested crowd only drowned out when well known favourites such as ‘The Scientist’ and ‘Politik’ were played. Their songs were no doubt accompanied with an impressive laser show, added strength and power to their meaningful songs or there just to literally represent the lyrics: such as ‘Yellow’ unsurprisingly spurring on a mass of yellow lighting radiating over the crowd.

Even though their passionate performance was consistent, I felt like something was missing. Perhaps a surprise guest or an unexpected cover was needed just to give it that extra edge and transform their commendable performance into an unforgettable one. However towards the end of their set the band acknowledged the crowd and the legendary location to the tune of Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a wonderful world’ causing cheers to spread through the never ending crowd. ‘Clocks’ and ‘Fix You’ were the highlights of the night; with not one person in sight standing still: showing us that Coldplay were indeed worthy of headlining once again.

Picture Courtesy of Beacon Radio

Where? The Pyramid stage, Glastonbury Festival 2011

Considering it was a Friday night at the legendary Pyramid stage and there were only fifteen minutes to go the crowd was worryingly small. Though with an open mind I used the spaces to my advantage and waded through the mud to get a closer look. The lights went down and instantly David Bowies’s ‘Space Oddity’ blasted out of the speakers tricking the crowds excitement into overload only to let it come crashing back down to earth when Bono’s serious face appeared. I noticed that more people had arrived but it felt more like they were just there with nothing else to do. The flat atmosphere then turned for the weird as fairly disturbing images of mating insects appeared on the screen as the band nodded along in time with the uninspiring opening ‘Even better then the real thing’. Next they attempted to brainwash us with phrases such as “Everything you know is wrong” followed by a whole compilation of rude words and ‘intelligent’ messages you couldn’t help but fixate on as they rapidly flashed from one to the next: probably to distract the crowd from the dull song being performed.

However an attempt at an uplifting atmosphere, that is usually found around the Pyramid stage, occurred with ‘One’ and a mass sing along to ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for’. They eventually went back to their vague space theme by playing a message from astronaut Mark Kelly to his wife, though what was to be achieved by this still boggles me as as far as I’m aware his wife was not present at the U2 performance. Though the classic ‘Beautiful Day’ saved the show slightly as it never fails to create a slight warm fuzzy feeling inside, even though the rain hadn’t stopped. Obviously ‘With or without you’ set us all swaying in our now sobered up state, desperately needing a strong drink and not being able to ignore the part of us that cruelly wished that Bono’s back problems had returned for the festival this year.

Picture Courtesy of Beacon Radio

Ok, so imagine vintage swing music, ra-ra dresses and top hats; the lot. Now mix in some electro beats and a touch of drum n bass and the result should be very similar to what The Correspondents produce. Off the stage, for me, the music does not in any way create the same effect as it does when performed live, as what really carries this diverse duo is front man Mr Bruce. Even if the idea of electro swing does not inspire your dancing feet then this man certainly will. The vocalist’s movements are unlike anything you have ever seen and appear to be interpretive dancing at its best as he represents every beat and sound with a forceful yet controlled jolt of an arm or a high kick of a leg. His feet move as if he is gracefully leaping off of hot coals and his face exudes a crazy pleasure: an expression that would be fitting around the time of Halloween. Accompanied with extremely tight leggings, slick hair and a masquerade inspired top Mr Bruce is a sight for sore eyes. Though once his enviable energy hits you, you find yourself utterly and totally jealous that your body parts do not quite achieve the same animated coordination.

Being at Glastonbury Festival, in the bizarre surroundings of Shang-ri La, The Correspondents really pulled out all the stops with Mr Bruce transporting his moves to a conveyor belt; creating a confusing yet clever effect. His singing altered from strong long notes to a fast speed, border lining on the realms of beat-boxing: whipping the crowd up into a frenzy. Their finale featured a remix of High Contrasts ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ and with the cheers continuing long after they left the stage it was clear that everyone wanted more.

Where? The Pyramid stage, Glastonbury Festival 2011

There, stood in front of a blinding bright pyramid backdrop was the bootylicious silhouette of the Goddess herself, Beyoncé Knowles. The response was deafening; an eruption caused by the weekend-long anticipated wait for the a-list diva. There was a tense build up with an indistinguishable tune soon revealing itself to be the introduction to the explosive hit ‘Crazy in Love’ with fireworks encouraging the famous trumpet opening and the entrance to an overwhelmed Beyoncé who stood strong with an expression of pure happiness and disbelief on her face. Managing to achieve a fairly close spot within the crowd, and being the case that most of the crowd consisted of shorter females, I could see well and thank god as I did not want to miss a thing.

After her explosive entrance, which coincidentally informed us that Jay-Z would not be joining her, Beyoncé continued to impress us with fiery dance moves and sultry sounds to help deliver her message of independence to all us ‘single ladies’: so much so that I could actually sense the brave male viewers squirm slightly in their muddy wellies. Not that they would have minded too much as unsurprisingly Beyoncé looked stunning, sporting a shimmering gold number, high sparkled heels and sensationally wild hair. She surprised the crowd with fresh covers such as a raunched up cover of The Kings of Leon’s ‘Sex on Fire’, the enchanting Etta James’ ‘At Last’ and by intertwining ‘Sweet Dreams’ with the Eurythmics classic. With her fans in mind, who have supported her 15 year long career, she thanked us with a Destiny’s Child mega mix, covering originals such as ‘Say My Name’ and top hits like ‘Survivor’. Her passion and energy was an unstoppable force lifting the spirits of everyone out there in the endless sea of festival goers. Her all female backing band exuded sass and confidence, with her backing singers the ‘Momma’s’ providing humour with their comments on the men in the crowd.

Even though Beyoncé is clearly a born performer, with her fierce moves, attitude and sex appeal; she still remained humble and graceful. These admirable qualities shone brighter then the tip of the Pyramid stage when she stepped down into the crowd during her finale ‘Halo’ and joined her fanatic, tearful fans who even after all the mud have probably not washed since in order to savour their dream encounter. The screens played a montage of the past three days, presenting the beauty of Glastonbury Festival and touching a rather overwhelmed crowd; drawing the festival to a momentous close. Even now I cannot help but find myself drifting back to Beyoncé’s unforgettable performance: witnessing her radiance and feeling a sense of empowerment. Being the first female to headline in 20 years, and without the need for any famous friends, Beyoncé truly showed us how independent women can ‘run the world’.

Picture Courtesy of Beacon Radio

You probably haven’t heard of Junica. And if you haven’t heard of Junica you probably haven’t heard Junica’s amazing song ‘Living In My House’ featuring Ladyhawke. And if you haven’t heard Junica’s amazing song ‘Living in My House’ featuring Ladyhawke then you *definitely* probably didn’t know that it’s been available to buy on iTunes since March.

THIS IS GOING WELL ISN’T IT?

But for those of you currently looking back on the last three months of your lives and thinking ‘I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHARING THOSE MONTHS WITH JUNICA! WE’LL NEVER GET THOSE MONTHS BACK!!!’ before running barefoot into the street and sobbing against a lamp post, don’t panic! Junica forgives you. Junica is just glad you found each other in the end.

So who/what is Junica? Well, Junica is the latest musical project from the rather talented New Zealander Nick Brinkman, whose previous groups include Over The Atlantic and Psychic Powers. He’s decided to go it alone for this one, and he’s managed in the process to make a bit of a pop indie gem. ‘Living In My House’ is the first single to be released from Junica’s self titled E.P and features bouncy synths, an addictively catchy chorus and a very New Order-esque guitar riff which adds a dreamy, nostalgic quality to proceedings. For those of you who wish Ladyhawke would stop dicking around and get on with releasing her second album, there’s also the added bonus that her vocals make a rather welcome feature. (Now make us a new album Ladyhawke you big amazing genius!!!)

There’s a small treasure trove of songs currently on Junica’s Soundcloud page. One is a brilliantly atmospheric remix of ‘Living In My House’ by Kids Of 88, and another is ‘The Wrong House’- a beautiful pensive lament which allows Nick Brinkman’s earnest vocals to shine through.

The Wrong House by junica

It’s still very early days in the Junica life cycle, but it would be nice to see the E.P sell more than the ten copies it probably will in the UK when first released. Brinkman’s previous projects show he has an accomplished talent for song writing, and the Junica songs we’ve heard so far make us really quite excited for a full album. WELL DONE JUNICA!

‘Living In My House’ is currently available to download on iTunes.

The ‘Junica’ E.P is available to download from 4 July

What would Sporty Spice sound like in 2011?

WELL, LIKE THIS ACTUALLY

And by ‘like this’ we mean ‘really rather surprising and not at all like her slightly bizarre 2007 cover of ‘I Want Candy’ which can only be a GOOD THING’.

Mel C always seemed to have the most potential as a solo Spice. Her debut album ‘Northern Star’ had moments of pure pop brilliance which hinted at an instinctive ability to craft a bloody good song or two when she wasn’t back flipping on tables or pissing around on a giant union jack bus. Yet despite being musically one of the most successful of the Spice’s to date, she always seemed in those early solo years to be a bit uncomfortable in her own skin- like she didn’t know who she was or what she wanted to be. In the course of the Northern Star campaign she went from crop haired rock chick in a tartan skirt, to pensive R & B philosopher, to tanned blonde Ibiza babe in the space of three singles. She’d been let off the Spice Girls leash and seemed to crave credibility outside of her Sporty Spice persona, yet seemed unsure where to find that credibility.

The three albums that followed again hinted at moments of potential greatness which disappointingly never seemed to materialise. While the first album experimented with different sounds and genres, the following ones became ‘soft rock by numbers’- safe, predictable and not really worthy of an artist who was part of the biggest pop phenomenon of the 90’s.

But now after a four year break from the music biz she’s back! (yay) And she’s actually sounding better than ever (double yay). ‘Rock Me’ is the first single from Mel’s new album ‘The Sea’, and not only does it manage to sound fresh and relevant in a 2011 setting, it also kind of feels ‘right’ for her. Granted, the video looks like it’s been shot on the same budget as your nans weekly Asda shop, but Mel’s performance is bouncing with energy and enthusiasm. She looks like she has a confidence and belief in what she’s doing. And she looks AMAZING.

The song itself is a fun, catchy three minute romp which suggests a move to the dancier side of pop. If this is a taster for the rest of the album, then YES PLEASE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Rock Me is available worldwide on itunes from 26 June.

Lady Gaga and Patti Labelle singing over the rainbow? That’ll blow us away we thought, and we weren’t wrong – but not because of the vocal harmonies:

Now that was some warbling that would make Mariah Carey’s eyes water. Still its fantastic to see two divas crossing the generations and getting totally pissed up to sing for strangers. It’s like a drunken cool mum hitting the town with her slutty daughter, not even flinching at the see through dress and exposed nips.

We were expecting more from the performance, but frig being disappointed. The two were clearly having an amazing time. We’re now putting all of our tiny might into lobbying Gaga and LaBelle to bring out a record.

Well Nicola Roberts’ first solo single, Beat of My Drum, has been a long time coming. So before we go into any review of it, get your ears around this:

Ahhh. It was everything we hoped and more.

However, we have to be honest – when the teaser came out our faith was a bit tested. While we loved the Metronomy vibe, we were unsure she could keep it up for a full three and a half minutes without us having to have a breather.  Instead the song nicely builds to the chorus.

She’s been working on this for a long time and has had the bravery to try something totally different  from what would have been expected. We’re pretty confident it will be a hit.  With the production from Dimitri Tikovoi (who is also behind Goldfrapp, The Horrors and Placebo) and Diplo she can bring everyone from hipsters to pure pop tarts into the Nicola Roberts stable.

While Nadine has failed to get chart success, Cheryl is desperately looking for a role on Dancing with the Stars and Kimberly has been dropped from hosting the Xtra factor (which by the way we’re still bitter about), we’re really rooting for Nicola to be the one to surprise everybody and fly the Girls Aloud flag in 2011.

Yey! Rihanna’s new video for Man Down is out, this’ll be a laugh. Oh wait, no. Don’t do that. Oh, cobblers!

That’s the thought process you’ll go through as you watch the video:

So yes she’s decided to make an even more controversial video than S&M. We’re pretty sure she intends to highlight the issue of rape. However, given her previous videos, where she’s thrown sex about to sell records, there are bound to be accusations she’s just lending the topic to get some publicity. Further some have said (and we’re not saying this we hasten to add!) that she’s kind of playing into a dark stereotype – namely that usually a girl goes around leading boys on before the event happens. This topic isn’t one we really want to get into, because its hugely sensitive and we’re not experts, but it is a dangerous subject for Rihanna to be playing with.

Brave, stupid or just an irresistible dig at Chris Brown? You decide.

Over in the states the video is having to be reshot as it’s just a bit too much for daytime TV network exec have said.

As far as the music goes, it’s interesting she’s letting a more reggae, Jamaican sound come to the fore. This, combined with the lyrics, lends it a bit of a light tone which sometimes made us laugh. Here’s a good example:

“What starts out as an altercation turns into a sticky situation”

She is of course talking about the murder and rape of the Man Down video – but it could equally apply to spilling some Vimto.

The sponsors in the video also made us laugh. We all know she loves Vita Coco and that they love her, but what’s the moral here? It’s such a strange video to choose product placement for. Coca Vitae, for the girls who like to get vengeance?

Another source of amusement was that by the end of the song she’s singing “criminal, criminal, criminal” in an accent totally different to the one she started the song. The fact remains though that despite controversy and absurdity, it’s still a damn catchy pop song.