BGT’s The Loveable Rogues haven’t just given up time from their now-very-busy schedule to play Doctors and Nurses with our much loved MP!ers, they’re also going to sign 5 postcards for us to give away. For your chance to win a card personally signed by Eddie, Sonny and Té by this Sunday 20 May simply:
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After renditions of hits from One Direction, Pixie Lott and Justin Bieber, Emily, Sian, Jessica, Lauren and Bianca are back with their take on Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj’s ‘Knockout’. This attitude-full cover goes straight into our favourites, and as usual the harmonies are as smooth and well blended as the whiskey we’ve had too much of tonight. *Hic* Now get back to working on album 2 girls.
Stooshe’s second single ‘Black Heart‘ is brilliant, and so too is the cover artwork. Take a look at the hand-drawn artwork below and look out for the single’s release on 18th June.
Update: According to this tweet, the girls are now in the studio with Fred Ball who has worked with JLS, Little Boots, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Samsaya, Daley and Little Mix and looks like this.
Parade are busy working on their second album and although they might not have a record deal, pop’s most underrated girlgroup *do* have a series of hit-makers lining up to write with them. Today brings news that attractive Essex chap and The Wanted’s ‘All Time Low’ / ‘Glad You Came’ songwriter Ed Drewett and pal Tim Powell are working with Sian, Emily, Jessica, Lauren and Bianca. Yes, that’s Tim Powell of Xenomania fame who had a hand in The Sugababes and Girls Aloud’s finest moments. Huzzah. More Parade news as and when we get it find it on twitter.
If later this year you’re set to head off for three years of baked bean eating, excessive drinking and occasional study sessions that’s also known as Going To University then there’s no better way to decide on your shortlist than attending Open Days. But forget manic day trips with little time to investigate the campus, let alone the local. The University of East Anglia is offering six students plus their parents and three of their friends the ultimate in Open Day Experiences – a VIP, bespoke, all-expenses paid day at UEA that’s a stress-free, budget-free way to explore what they have to offer. Plus, for those that attend the Open Day and go on to study with UEA, one lucky winner will also be picked to win an “Access all Areas” campus card, giving them free access to music, sports and arts events for the duration of their undergraduate degree. Definitely a better way to save pennies than that diet of Pot Noodles you had planned.
Jedward have released the artwork for their third (!) album Young Love, released June 4. They’ve ditched the quiffs, donned the denim, and pulled their best smouldering facial expressions. Are we the only ones coming over a little flustered? The record features their Eurovision hit ‘Waterline’ (it’s quite good), and if you’re Irish you can grab it on the slightly earlier date of June 1.
After weeks and weeks (and weeks and weeks) of speculation, Britney Spears and Demi Lovato have finally been unveiled as Paula Abdul and Cheryl Cole’s Nicole Scherzinger’s replacements on The X Factor USA’s judging panel. For Demi, still only 19 years old, an enviable $1 million payday. For Britney? A ridiculous $15 million. But will they be worth the cash?
In terms of media attention, of course they will – especially Britney. Every week there will be at least one story (most probably false) on a US gossip website claiming she’s having a meltdown, ignoring her acts, being a diva behind the scenes and/or sleeping with Simon Cowell. Demi may fall victim to reports of suffering from her broad array of personal demons (the poor girl’s had to deal with bulimia, bipolar disorder and addictions to substance abuse and self-harm over the past couple of years), but, at least for the first few weeks of the series, Britney will be all anyone will be talking about.
Will they be good panellists? For Britney, all we can do is hope. Since she infamously hit rock bottom in 2008, her recovery has consisted largely of being placed on a complete media lockdown. Every interview has been carefully scripted to the point where this particular radio chat from last year, where she flashes the occasional funny face and laughs the odd laugh, has become all too rare (check out her X Factor questioning as well – interesting!).
In all honesty, it’s Demi who we think might just steal the show. She’s fiesty, she’ll speak her mind, and if she ever performs during a live show, she’ll smash it. This is a massive opportunity for her and we’re nervously predicting that she’ll grab it with both hands and come out the other side all the better for it. We just have to hope that neither her nor Britney join Steve Jones, Nicole, Paula, Cheryl Cole, Kate Thornton and so many more on the pile of people who’ve been chewed up and spat out by the Cowell talent machine.
Alexandra Burke has generously released 30-second snippets of every song from her upcoming second album Heartbreak On Hold, which finally gets its UK release on June 4. How does it sound? Promising. The good news is that ‘Elephant’ seems like one of the weakest songs – which makes the decision to release it as a single even more puzzling – and, whilst the rest of it doesn’t exactly sound like the most boundary-pushing effort of the year, we are pretty excited to hear the full record. We’re particularly stoked by ‘Sitting On Top Of The World’ and ‘Between The Sheets’. Our only hope is that Alexandra still has some kind of ‘identity’ on it, and doesn’t get lost in a been-there-done-that LP full of songs that sound influenced by Every Song In The Charts 2009-2012. Still, if all else fails, at least there’s an EPIC piano ballad tagged on the end.
Kelly Clarkson fans, your prayers have been answered. The one-woman anthem factory will be heading over to the UK later this year for five arena shows in support of her fifth album Stronger. Tickets are on sale at 9am on Friday (May 18), and the jaunt will call in at Manchester Arena (October 12), Birmingam’s LG Arena (October 14), Glasgow’s Braehead Arena (October 16), Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena (October 18) and London’s Wembley Arena (October 20). There is an 87.3% chance that it will be amazing.
Bosses at The X Factor USA last night finally confirmed what the world has known for weeks – Britney Spears and Demi Lovato have joined the judging panel! Whilst Britney has enjoyed an internationally successful twelve-year-long career in showbiz, Demi is still a relative newbie – especially in the UK. So if you’re still confused as to who she is, allow us to present you with her ultimate Top 5 videos.
‘This Is Me’
If you’re allergic to cheese, you might want to look away now. Demi smashed onto the global stage with Camp Rock, the 2008 Disney movie with more cause for cringing than Louis Walsh at a boyband convention. But ‘This Is Me’ became the big hit of the soundtrack, and gave us our first glimpse at the Demster’s impressive vocal chords.
‘La La Land’ Fresh faced and ready to attack a pop career without the help of her Disney TV show Sonny With A Chance, ‘La La Land’ was a spunky pop-rock strut with lyrics about resisting the stereotypical trappings of fame. Basically it’s about not being like Britney Spears, which is slightly awkward.
‘Don’t Forget’
Written by the lady herself, ‘Don’t Forget’ was the title track to her first album and is a slow-building ode to an ailing relationship. It’s got a much harder edge than most of the other tracks on the album, and it remains a massive fan favourite.
‘Here We Go Again’
Demi’s second album, released in 2009, was a No. 1 smash in the US, and it was led by this title track – a Kelly Clarkson-like angsty anthem with some glass-shattering vocals. It’s about as original as putting butter on bread, but for a slightly overdone sound, it’s pretty decent.
‘Skyscraper’
On the other side of well-documented personal struggles came ‘Skyscraper’, a track performed with all the secret heartache of dealing with so many demons behind closed doors. With backing vocals from none other than Jordin Sparks, ‘Skyscraper’ shot to the No. 1 spot on the US iTunes store last year and saw in a new era for Demi. Bubblegum-rock was gone, and mature young-adult pop was in.
Conor Maynard
50 million YT views, & now he's on MP!
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It's not technically a nipple-tastic pic (although if you squint you should be able to spot one or two) but we couldn't resist sharing this swoon-worthy pic of the JLS lads on the opening night of their 4th Dimension tour. As you were.
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The rest of the One Direction get in the Irish spirit to help band mate Niall celebrate St. Patrick's Day this weekend - looking good guys. Who knew green would suit them all, eh?
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