Ok, so file this one under old news but I don't care. A couple of weeks ago I made an amazing discovery. Ann Lee is not dead! In fact, the iconic singer is still churning out music in Europe and even released a CD single in Germany earlier this year. I can't believe this momentous news wasn't shouted from every blog on the internet. "2 Times" is one of the defining songs of the 90s. Surely the return of Ann Lee is the musical equivalent of an acting great like Pia Zadora coming out of retirement? Where is the fanfare and mountains of hype? You should all be ashamed! So, I guess you're wondering if glamorous Ann still has the Midas touch. Well, I'm proud to report that time has not wearied her musical genius. Co-written by Whigfield (I wish I was making this up!), "2 People" sounds like it was dragged kicking and screaming from 1999. I'm guessing the stunning diva spent the past decade in a time capsule because this masterpiece could be a cut from "Dreams" - her legendary debut album. That no one bought. Ann's comeback didn't exactly set the charts on fire either but I'm glad she's back. Check out "2 People" below and order your copy from German Amazon today!
Aussie rock chick turned electro-pop diva Sarah McLeod has launched an initiative to help keep homeless kids off the street. From now until Christmas, Sarah will be donating ALL the proceeds from her cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark" to Father Chris Riley's Youth Off The Streets program. For a lousy $1.69 you get an awesome song - which is currently sitting pretty at #9 on the ARIA club chart - and the satisfaction of knowing you helped a homeless kid find a bed for the night. Bargain! Watch the ex-Superjesus frontwoman talk about the campaign below. Oh and make sure you swing by her website to pick up a copy of her EP. It's a limited run of 500, so get in quick. They are individually numbered, come with a personal message and a poster. I've already ordered mine!
While her has-been sister desperately plans a one country world tour to kickstart her flop career, the pride of the Jackson clan has been rubbing shoulders with European royalty. It must be cold there in Toy Toy's shadow, Jan! Contemporary music's finest vocalist jetted into Seville to judge a horse show and almost caused a riot with her breathtaking beauty. Spain hasn't been rocked this hard since the last time Tony Tornado got drunk and walked the streets of Chueca singing "Los Amores"! I have no idea how La Toya snagged this gig. Wearing a horse hair weave doesn't make you an equine authority but I digress. Toy's status as an international A Lister is confirmed by her attendance and the footage of her arriving at the event in full flamenco dress (below) is the most fabulous thing I've seen in 2010. La Toya looks absolutely stunning but I can't stop laughing at her elaborate poses. Someone should have thrown her some castanets to complete the look or at least taken the jug of Sangria off her until after the event! Seriously, if I wasn't sure that Spain is my spiritual homeland before this debacle - I am now 100% convinced. Watch in awe as La Toya redefines beauty, elegance and sophistication as we know it!
Before I get on with this historic installment of Pop Panel, I need to get some housekeeping out of the way. From now on I'll try to post this bitchfest every Monday instead of Sunday. It seems to be easier for everyone involved. For more updates on Pop Panel - make sure you follow me on Twitter. Now for the good stuff. You might be wondering why I've chosen La Toya for this week's banner. Well, the impossible has happened. Toy Toy's perfect Pop Panel score has been equalled! To be honest, I didn't think that stunning achievement would ever be repeated - at least not until the Pope of Pop releases her next single - but one legendary diva has swept all before her and landed full marks from all 6 judges. We now have a new leader and you better bow down to this fabulous bitch! The follow bloggers helped crown the new Queen of Pop:SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Kim Zolciak - Google Me (below).jpg)
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I'm so excited! My favourite dance diva and occasional drinking partner is currently celebrating her second consecutive #1 club hit in the US. Luciana topped the chart a few weeks ago under her alias Isha Coco but she finally gets to see her own name in the pole position as "I Like That" crushes the competition. Seriously, this feels like a dream. I still remember when Stephen (the fabulously talented brother of Luci's equally gifted stylist) sent me an email saying he had just helped film a video for a singer called Luciana. As a long suffering fan from the 90s, I almost exploded and believe I was the first person to post it on a blog. Since then "I Like That" has become a double platinum #3 smash in Australia and a top 40 pop airplay hit in the States. Hell, Dannii even danced to it in an advertisement and Kylie recently tweeted her approval. $ucce$$! To celebrate Luciana's latest stunning achievement, Interscope has just released another digital bundle of remixes (above). I love the new cover and the new mixes but I wish there was a physical copy to add to my collection. So what's next for the undisputed Queen of Clubs? Luci told me that "I'm Still Hot" is likely to be the next US single, while a track called "Top Of The World" is slated for Australia. I haven't heard the latter but "I'm Still Hot" sounds amazing. The lyrics - which include the already iconic line "I don't need your drama, I am Luciana!" - are brilliant and I love the hot beat. Check out a live performance below. Babe, you've done it again!
I've been inundated with (at least two) requests to review this single and I'm more than happy to oblige. Mylène Farmer needs no introduction if you live in Europe but my Australian homegirls and gays might need some help. She is often described as the French Madonna due to both her phenomenal chart success in the 80s and inability to age gracefully. Personally, I think the comparison is unfair because unlike her American counterpart, Mylène still has hits and is not completely irrelevant. Although her latest smash does have more than a whiff of desperation about it. The completely natural, surgically untouched 49 year old has hooked up with RedOne for "Oui Mais Non" and some critics are accusing her of ripping off Lady Gaga. How ridiculous! Everyone knows that Gaga stole Kat Deluna's sound first - so, who cares? And everything sounds better in French anyway. You could probably read the obituaries to me en français and I'd think it was a love poem. But I digress. The production is slick, the chorus is catchy and RedOne thankfully forgot to bring his vocoder to the studio. I'm sold. The video, on the other hand, is a lazy "Bad Romance" rip off but you can't have everything. I've already ordered a physical copy of this from French Amazon. It's worth the 10 Euros just to stare at Mylène's natural beauty for hours on end! 
A couple of weeks ago I posted a preview of Wynter Gordon's new but not really improved "Dirty Talk" video. Well, the clip debuted in full earlier this week (below) and it's better than I expected. Wynter looks beautiful and it's definitely slick and stylish. I just think the trashy naughty school girl original was more fun and better suited to the song. But who really cares? I'm just excited "Dirty Talk" is taking off in Australia. The dance anthem is already a top 5 ARIA club hit, was the 10th most added song to Australian radio last week and is steadily climbing iTunes. As of last night it was firmly lodged in the top 100 and looks set to keep on rising. Even more exciting is news that Wynter is flying down to bless us with her fabulousness. America's hottest dance diva will before the following shows in December:
I'm hyperventilating! I just logged into Facebook and read the most glorious update of 2010. Pop trash icon Chloe Lattanzi has finally released her debut single. In Japan! 8 years after signing her first record deal! Seriously, I couldn't be more excited if La Toya actually started over. Olivia Newton-John's troubled daughter has been a staple of this blog from the very beginning. Her catchy, anorexia anthem "Delicious" remains a firm favourite of mine and I even crowned her the Pop Trash Queen of 2008. Though my faith in Chloe's unparalleled talent never wavered, I was starting to think she might be too edgy for the pop world but I'm so glad I was wrong. Her debut single is called "Wings And A Gun" and sounds like a stunning emo-pop masterpiece from the 50 second preview (below). The song is released in Japan today to coincide with her mother's Japanese tour. Marketing genius! Surely, it's Australia's turn next?
I have a love/hate relationship with Sarah Connor. Her overwrought ballads (and entire "Soulicious" album) are considered crimes against humanity in most civilised nations but the German diva occasionally gets it very, very right - her desperate "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" rip off "From Zero To Hero" and top 20 Australian smash hit "Bounce" immediately spring to mind. Unfortunately, the past couple of years have seen a slide in Sarah's popularity at home. Her last album was considered a failure by her lofty standards and her new single recently stalled at a disappointing #16 on the German singles chart. I blame the hideous cover because the song is the best thing Sarah has released in years. Seriously, bitch - get a nose job! Produced by Kay Denar and Rob Tyger, "Cool As Ice" is a Eurovision worthy trashfest with a killer chorus and fabulous faux RedOne production. Sarah even manages to look good in the glamorous video. Sure, it's not the most original song of 2010 but formulaic dance-pop doesn't get much better. I think it's time for Ms Connor to try her luck in Australia again. The ten fans that made "He's Unbelievable" a #77 smash back in 2004 wouldd lap this fabulous shit up! 
Summerbeatz is the latest urban music festival to hit Australia - hot on the heels of its sister event Winterbeatz and the trail blazing Supafest - and I decided to catch the Sydney gig on Saturday night. If I'm completely honest the line up of Stan Walker, Ja Rule, Travie McCoy, Ciara, Flo Rida and Akon kind of made me want to kill myself but it turned out to be a ridiculously fun night. Which could also have had something to do with those lethal glow in the dark frozen daiquiris they serve at Acer Arena. Back to the concert. I arrived late, so I missed out on Stan Walker and Ja Rule strutting their stuff but I did catch Travie McCoy's set. He really knows how to work a crowd and drove the girls standing next to me into a wet pantie frenzy. The highlight was definitely "Billionaire", which works brilliantly in the sing-a-long context of a live show. I even got to meet Travie backstage after his set (photo on Facebook) and he was taller, skinnier and higher than I could have imagined. He seemed like a really cool guy though and I now feel obliged to give his album another listen. Next up was Ciara or C-Error as she is not so affectionately known by my fellow Beyoncé stans. Despite her past sins against the Queen of R'n'B, I have a soft spot for CiCi and was really looking forward to her show. And she delivered. Ciara doesn't have the biggest voice in music but the bitch can dance. Kind of like Janet before she became obsolete. It was great to finally hear classics like "Goodies" and "1, 2 Step" performed live and she made my night by belting out 2010's hottest sex jam "Ride". Other new songs from her soon to be released "Basic Instinct" album went down well, so it mightn't be the bomb everyone is expecting. If nothing else, Super CiCi proved she is still one of the hottest properties in urban music and a true dancing machine.
Ciara was always going to be a hard act to follow but I was shocked by how much I enjoyed Flo Rida's set. He's a surprisingly good live performer and I keep forgetting how many big hits he now has under his belt. I obviously preferred his more poptastic offerings like "Round Round" and "Low" but the rest of his tunes were eagerly devoured by fans. Mr Rida knows how to work the stage and really drove the crowd into a frenzy when he ventured into the audience on the back of a security guard. He went right past me and I got his ab sweat all over my face. It tasted like salt & vinegar chips! Flo Rida fittingly ended his set with the amazing "Club Can't Handle Me", which is still one of my favourite songs of 2010. Next up was the headliner Akon, who I've already seen perform twice this year. Akon is another performer who knows how to put on a show - coming out into the crowd in a giant beach ball (below) was a brilliant touch - but his incessant crowd surfing is starting to get a bit annoying. Nevertheless, it was great hearing "Sexy Bitch", "Put The Blame On Me" and his latest (surprisingly good) single "Angel". I'm now a total convert to the urban music festival scene and can't wait for the next Supafest in April! The afterparty was also fun and I got to hang out with Stan Walker, who is such a nice guy. I'm gonna have to wade through this blog and delete everything I've ever written about him. Stan, I take it all back. You're the new King of Australian pop!
Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2010/11/
Now that I've sobered up after the craziest weekend in recent memory and finally got Pop Panel out of the way for another week, I can get down to the important stuff - like two new Kylie videos in two days! Christmas really has come early! Let's get "Better Than Today" out of the way first. It's no secret that I wouldn't have picked this as the third single from "Aphrodite" and pretty much expect it to kill the album but that doesn't mean I hate it. In fact, the song has grown on me. A lot. The remixes are fun and there is something irresistibly light hearted and fun about this perky jam. I just don't think it's a hit. And the video isn't going to help its cause. Directed by Kylie herself (with a bit of help from Willie Baker), "Better Than Today" is a cheap as chips re-hash of the live performances she has been using to promote the song in Europe. Think of this as a slightly less trashtastic "All I See". And you know what, that's ok by me. I found the "Get Outta My Way" video a horribly over-stylised and ultimately stillborn affair, so I'm kind of glad this is a bit more organic and exuberant. It's just clear that Parlophone has pretty much pulled the plug on "Aphrodite" if Kylie's video budget is any indication.
Welcome to the latest Pop Panel installment! Once again, sorry for the delay but I was too hungover on Sunday to turn on my computer - let alone whip up this shit up. Maybe I'll move it permanently to Mondays. Anyway, I hope it was worth the wait. I don't have a stunning A List celebrity guest like last week but I do have one of the closest Pop Panel battles in recent memory and some of the most stunning anthems to grace my blog in a very long time. Less than a point separated the winner and runner-up this week and I kind of wish it was a tie. I love them both so much! I'm also relieved about the bottom two. Taste still wins over hype and marketing on Pop Trash Addicts! The following bloggers helped me determine our latest single of the week:SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Elise Estrada - You're So Hollywood (Below)
Sorry for the soft porn but it's pretty much impossible to find a picture of my favourite new diva with clothes on. That's just how Tanya rolls! Apart from keeping Russian men's magazines in business, the stunning beauty is also in the process of making Lady Gaga completely redundant by stealing (and vastly improving) her act. And Tanya isn't ashamed to admit as much! I can't speak a word of Russian but she apparently name checks her inspiration in the song and definitely pays homage to the fame monster in the breathtakingly amazing film clip. Seriously, this is the best thing I've seen in AGES. I love the ridiculously catchy song - where can I buy this exquisite slice of pop perfection? - but the raunchy video lifts classy Tanya into a whole new stratosphere. The pride of Russia spends the clip modelling wandering around the world's most glamorous trailer park, flashing her tits and arse. That is when she's not fellating an ice cream or going down on her fat German husband to turn on her disturbingly attired next door neighbour. The outfits in the video are also amazing. Like Lady Gaga as styled by the Reject Shop! And for the most amusing/offensive piece of pop symbolism of 2010, look no further than the watermelon at approximately 2:20 minutes. Filth! A big thanks to Christoffer for alerting me to the new Queen of slavic pop. 
I've been meaning to write about Zayra for months. She first appeared on my pop trash radar earlier this year when "V.I.P." started making waves on the US dance chart. The song eventually became a top 5 club hit and hasn't left the 'recently played' playlist on my iPod ever since. So who is this mysterious diva? Well, I know she's gorgeous and hails from Puerto Rico. I'm also aware that she came to fame on the reality TV show Supernova in 2006 and released a couple of Spanish language albums in the early noughties. But things get a bit murky after that. The stunning Latina eventually re-emerged this year with a scorching hot dance sound and edgy new image. While "V.I.P" chronicled the trials and tribulations of being rich and beautiful, her latest single is a good old sex anthem. Not that you can actually hear or distinguish the lyrics. Zayra is too fabulous for anything as mundane and pedestrian as enunciating her words! The focus, rather, falls on the catchy chorus, thundering dance beats and stunning video clip (below) - which basically re-creates a Tarantio movie. Our glamorous heroine plays a bad arse bitch who saves a pair of bikini clad twins from a psycho killer. Amazing! Now bring on the remixes and let Zayra claim her throne as the new queen of dance.
