Rita Ora album signing tonight in London!
Guest X Factor judge (and Jay-Z’s latest signing) Rita Ora has been tipped by many music industry types as the UK Rihanna, and following her THREE number one singles (‘Hot Right Now’ with DJ Fresh, ‘RIP’ feat. Tinie Tempah and ‘How We Do (Party)’), Rita’s debut album Ora was released yesterday!
We gave you all the goss on the album MONTHS ago (we’re good like that), and after her first three singles each sold over 100,000 copies in their first weeks, Ora looks set to hit the top of the album charts on Sunday.
What’s more, the lovely Rita is doing an album signing in London tonight! Ms Ora will be meeting fans and signing CDs at HMV Whiteleys in Bayswater from 6pm. Wristbands to access the event are available instore from 9am today (first come, first served), so get yourself down there and tell Rita that Maximum Pop! sent you.
MP! chats to Will Best!
*ringgggg!!* ooh that’s the MP! phone – and the lovely Will Best is on the line…
Hello, Will! Are you looking forward to T4 On The Beach on Sunday?
I’m nervous but getting more excited every day. We had a big meeting about it this morning to go through ideas and the games we’re going to be playing. I think it’s gonna be bloody hilarious!
What can we expect to see?
T4 is about popstars, music and playing ridiculous games. Every week we play a game with a really tenuously punned title, to get either us or the popstar to look stupid! That’s going to be a big part of T4 On The Beach so we’ll have popstars firing things into the crowd from giant catapults and popping balloons between each other’s chests. I may be dressed up as a dog.
What kind of dog?
Oh, just a general dog costume! Pudsey and Ashleigh are going to be there. When I was little I used to do dog agility courses so I may be competing against a real dog while dressed as a dog myself.
So is this T4′s Got Talent?
Exactly! Pudsey’s Got Talent and then T4 Has Zero Talent.
Will Pretends To Have Talent?
Yeah, exactly. Matt might be dressed in S&M gear…
Wow. Moving on, which of the acts are you looking forward to seeing?
Labrinth because he’s amazing live, he runs around playing five instruments at the same time! I’m a big fan of Rita Ora. She’s a lovely girl, very nice to talk to and to look at(!) and I think she’ll do an amazing performance.
Rita is signed with Jay-Z’s label in America. Do you reckon Jay and Beyoncé might turn up?
They’ll probably be backstage. I’ve invited them and they’re certainly gonna try and pop down, sure. We get on pretty well!
Perhaps Beyoncé will serve ice creams.
Yeah, well she’s gonna bring the baby and they’ll just be hanging out. Most of those sorts of big names will be hanging out backstage but they just won’t want to be on the stage. It’s about letting the Brits shine on the stage but backstage of course Kanye will be there with Kim Kardashian, Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Just our mates, basically, you know?
The line-up is pleasingly British: Rizzle Kicks, Stooshe, Conor Maynard, Tulisa, Little Mix… what does this say about UK pop in 2012?
We don’t need American acts because British pop is just so strong. Look at The Wanted going off and absolutely smashing it in America!
Cover Drive promised MP! they would bring the Barbadian sunshine to the beach.
Well they’ve been told that if they don’t then they can’t play! That’s a condition for them.
That’s in their contract?
Yeah!
Edward Jedward famously broke his leg on the T4 On The Beach stage. Which popstar is most likely to end up with an injury this year?
Jamelia did herself an injury one year and chipped her tooth backstage with Olly Murs, and Peter Andre injured himself on stage as well, so it literally could be anyone!
We hear that yesterday you were talking balls with Adam Lambert. Care to explain?
Yeah, we were talking about fanclubs. Adam’s fanclub are called the Glamberts. I have a fanclub called the Besticles, but there’s only two of them and you know, they’re always hanging around. It was that kind of “hilarious” testicle-based banter.
Well as long as the Besticles keep you warm at night, Will.
I keep them warm! It’s a hands-on job.
Haha! So what else are you up to?
I’m very busy! It’s a bit surreal. The Crush is a monthly show on 4Music that I guest-present with a different popstar each time. The Love Shaft is a dating show for E4 that is set in a lift. That’s going really well. I get loads of tweets saying things like, “Will, this is the worst thing I’ve ever seen but I bloody love it.”
High praise indeed.
It’s the sort of show that’s made by the contestants. Some incredible people have taken part! We had a girl on there who didn’t know what a sandwich was. She didn’t understand the concept of a sandwich!
Are you still doing any modelling?
When you say “still”, er, I’ve not really done modelling! I worked in the Abercrombie & Fitch shop for a brief period. I have, bizarrely, been signed to Premier Models, in their ‘Special Division’, which is for people who could in no way actually be models but because they’re on telly somebody might want to take a picture of them.
So if the weather’s nice on Sunday will you be whipping your top off on the T4 stage?
I really hope not.
What about letting the Besticles get some sunshine?
Haha! I will be wearing a mankini but it’ll be a very small one so there’ll be one Besticle each side of the main thong.
Might we even see the love shaft?
Hahaha! If you’re very, very lucky. Only people right at the front would be able to see the love shaft, unfortunately.
If you were going to show the love shaft to any popstar on the T4OTB bill, who would it be?
Most of them have already seen the love shaft. Maybe I’d show it to Dappy and say, “what do you think? How do I measure up?” I’ve spent hours on photoshop trying to recreate the Dappy photo on myself. It’s actually harder than it looks…
Maybe try the stretch effect. It’s great to see newcomers on the T4 On The Beach bill, like Josh Osho, Lawson and Lonsdale Boys Club.
We’re here to help at T4. We start careers… and then end careers with serious injuries!
Edward Jedward is still psychologically recovering.
In that case we’ll get Jedward back and injure them again. We’ve done a lot of polls on the T4 website but I couldn’t find “which popstar would you like to seriously injure?” for some reason.
Probably for the best! Any other goss?
Not really, we’ve talked about my balls and my general crotch area. I think that’s pretty much everything we had to cover, right?
Right! Thank you very much, Will. We had the Best time talking to you!
T4 On The Beach takes place this Sunday 1st July in Weston-super-Mare. Tickets are on sale now. Visit www.channel4.com/t4.
Rita Ora – ‘Party And Bullsh*t’ – Alarm Pop
With the snow finally gone and spring fast approaching, it’s time for our favourite pop stars to start busting out their best hot summer jams – we wanna start hearing loads more songs like Jessie J’s ‘Domino’ and Cover Drive’s ‘Twilight’.
And it might only be February, but new girl on the block Rita Ora has already answered our prayers. You may remember her as the voice on new Number One single ‘Hot Right Now’ from DJ Fresh, or as the well-dressed star that almost tried to steal MP! mascot Braithwaite when he visited the Big Top 40 studio.
Proper debut single ‘Party And Bullsh*t’ is nothing groundbreaking, but it’s insanely catchy and feel-good, which are two of the most important ingredients in amazing pop songs, right? Plus the radio premiere was introduced by mentor Jay-Z. Doesn’t get any more promising than that, does it?
Listen to ‘Party And Bullsh*t’ below.
What do you think? Rita Ora, Party And Bullsh*t - sh*t or hit?
Barack Obama’s Spotify playlist, Kanye & Jay-Z’s new video, Alesha Dixon’s Twitter hate and Adam Levine’s new record label – gossip!
Ever wanted to know what’s on Barack Obama’s iPod? Well we don’t have that, but we do have the next best thing. The US president has uploaded a 2012 Campaign playlist on Spotify which includes tracks from Florence And The Machine, No Doubt and U2 – there must be a mistake though because we can’t see Girls Aloud on there. Everyone loves Girls Aloud, right?
The rumour mill went into overdrive last night, claiming that Kanye West & Jay-Z were to play an impromptu gig in Shoreditch. Fans slowly gathered outside the high street station to be treated to a projection of the brand new ‘N****s In Paris’ video on a loop. If you were safe and sound at home, watching One Direction on Blue Peter, then reenact the moment by watching the video here on YouTube.
Alesha Dixon’s vocal talents have come into question by, wait for it, a Britain’s Got Talent reject! Auditionee Abbey Jordan wrote to the star on Twitter “I’m the girl out of ‘like mother like daughter’ at auditions today, before you slag of my mums singing? Listen to yourself! (sic)” Alesha stayed classy, leaving Abbey to move her hating on to David Walliams instead. How much we betting she’ll be back next year?
Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine has started up his own record label and has signed Matthew Morrison (better known as Will Schuester) as his first act. The Glee star will release his second album through the label and expressed his excitement at the signing, claiming that he and Adam shared a ‘vision’. We’ve had a vision of Adam Levine too – it looked more like this though.
Jessie J and JLS set for Sport Relief, Simon wants Katy Perry for X Factor, Blue Ivy causes a stir and Marina announces new single – gossip!
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Little baby Blue Ivy is only weeks old but is already creating quite an impression. In fact, so much so that her parents Beyoncé & Jay-Z have apparently filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office to protect her name for future branding opportunities. Watch out for official Blue Ivy pencil cases, coming to a House of Dereon near you soon.
Marina And The Diamonds has announced the details of her brand new, upcoming single. ‘Primadonna’ is reportedly produced by Dr Luke and will be released in April. It’s the second single (or ‘first official single’ if you’re taking her word for it) to be taken from Marina’s forthcoming album Electra Heart. Confused? Us too. But we’re excited to hear it nonetheless.
Both Jessie J and JLS have been lined up as guest performers on this year’s Let’s Dance For Sport Relief. The show, in aid of Sport Relief is set to begin next month and will feature celebrity contestants such as DJ Tony Blackburn and Ulrika Johnson. Couldn’t they just have JLS competing against each other?
Katy Perry could be joining The X Factor USA if rumours are to be believed. In an interview with US show Extra, Simon Cowell described her as ‘fun and feisty’ and the ideal candidate for a judging role. The singer is no stranger to this, after guest judging on UK X Factor – and she provided so much entertainment (read as: pretending to feel up Cheryl Cole) we’d love to see her as a permanent fixture.
How much would it cost to get a pop star round your house? MP! Investigates
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Real life pop stars pulling shapes and crooning in your living room in an intimate performance just for you. It’s the reality of the very rich and the greatest dream of the very poor. But just how much moolah would you need to see Parade, The Wanted, GMD3 or Justin Bieber trading Wembley Arena’s stage for your semi in Middlesex? MP! Investigates has the answers you probably won’t want to hear.
- Parade
After crashing at houses all over the country during Live & Lost, the Parade girls are definitely no strangers to this. For an official private performance you'll need to ask your mum for about £10,000 but on the bright side Parade are one of the few bands that will come out to your house. As long as you live somewhere nice and your bedroom is tidy.
- The Wanted
Time to get extra shifts on your paper round because it costs a whopping £75,000 to hire The Wanted for a private performance. But that's not even the worst part – the band will no longer turn up to just any old house. Rumour has it that if you live somewhere flashy in the South of France and chuck in a few ham sandwiches then you're all set…
- The Saturdays
They used to perform for fans for the measly price of around £35,000, but these days The Sats have apparently got better things to do and will no longer come to your parties. But then who would want a heavily pregnant Una sat on their sofa like a ticking time bomb?
- GMD3
If you're desperate to nab these three boys (who are yet to even release a debut single) then the price is understandably lower – but it still might be a little bit out of your range. Offer up £1,500 and some snacks and you could be within arms length of Dan, Greg and Mickey in no time.
- Kanye West & Jay-Z
We imagined it would probably cost an arm and a leg to hire these two out. We weren't wrong. Luckily, if you're the daughter of an Arab billionaire and your 16th birthday is coming up, you've got a good chance of Jay and 'Ye dropping by. But it'll cost you a hefty £4 million – those Yankee hats don't pay for themselves.
- Justin Bieber
As far as we can tell, the only way you'll get The Biebs to perform at your party is if you're his manager. Justin did an impromptu set to help Scooter Braun celebrate his 30th, including performances of his biggest hits and a quick bash on the drums. Was that the sound of a thousand teenage hearts breaking? Oh well, never say never eh?
- Shakira
No word on how much the "Hips Don't Lie" singer was actually paid to perform at Indian tycoon K.P. Singh's 80th birthday party, but she arrived on his private island in a boat decorated specifically for the occasion. Something tells us that getting a bus to your house won't be her cup of tea…
So dearest MP!er, what we have we learned? Unless you’re a billionaire that lives in rural France and don’t mind getting your personal chef to make 12,000 gourmet ham sarnies, it’s probably best if you just get your bloke mates to play dress up whilst miming to All Time Low. Hands up if we just ruined your day. Oh dear.
Which pop stars would YOU want to perform at your birthday party?
Don’t Quote Me On That!
Am I a millionaire yet? That will hopefully come this year. The difference with me is that I am very conscious of my money and I look after it.
Well aren’t you lucky, Olly Murs?
I didn’t think hard about using the word b*tch. I rapped, I flipped it, I sold it, I lived it. Now with my daughter in this world I curse those that give it.
Are you getting soft on us Jay-Z?
I speak to Elton on a weekly basis. He’s very involved.
Sounds like Ed Sheeran’s mum never taught him not to name-drop
Thing hangs out with Oh My!, TW on Ellen, Blue Ivy Carter’s musical debut and Cheryl and Rihanna’s duet- Gossip!
The Wanted brought their patented blend of great hair and British charm to the USA when they taped their appearance on The Ellen Show yesterday. Apparently host Ellen DeGeneres personally invited the boys after she heard their music; this lady helped launched Bieber so is a pretty big deal. Bet Max is wishing he’d dressed up a bit more now…
MP! favourites Oh My! are showing the newest member of the team, Thing, the time of his life today. They’re giving him a guided tour of London (he’s only been here a few days, he got stuck on the Central Line for 7 hours yesterday) and filling him in on lots of pop gossip. If he’s brave enough he might even ask them to re-name him. Lets see if Jade and Alex can do any better than Cover Drive…
Is Cheryl Cole giving out free cake or something? The singer has reportedly bagged another big name to work on her new album. Following Taio Cruz and will.i.am, Rihanna is apparently dead keen to record a duet with Chez and is in talks to collaborate on a “party anthem”, something along the lines of Whigfield’s ‘Saturday Night’ we hope.
She’s already the most famous baby in popland and now Blue Ivy Carter can add the honour of Youngest Popstar Ever to her list of achievements. The three-day-old daughter of Beyonce and Jay Z has had her cry sampled on Jay’s new track ‘Glory‘, a gushing ode to his little girl. Just a thought, but shouldn’t Jay be at home changing nappies instead of recording? Have a word B.
Disney UK has just launched Superbia– the first ever online game for kids inspired by Disney Channel shows. With digital areas for hit shows like Selena Gomez’s Wizards of Waverly Place, users can choose their own personalised avatars, customise outfits, and visit the virtual homes of their favourite Disney Channel characters. MP! have already been playing for hours…
Tonight Thing is skipping his Tuesday Knit-a-Popstar class for an exclusive preview of the new series of Skins (it’s his second favourite show after Countdown). The latest series continues the stories of the third generation of characters. Keep your eyes out for Thing’s review coming later this week.
