I made a complete spectacle of myself at Mardi Gras this year, so I'm going to keep this post short and sweet - before erasing what I can remember of the night from my memory forever. The rumours that Rihanna would jump in a cab and head over to Moore Park after her show at Acer Arena turned out to be a load a shit. At least, I think so because everything after 6am is a bit of a blur. Instead we were treated to the fabulous double bill of Alexis Jordan and Wynter Gordon. Seriously, who needs Riri when you can have two divas that can actually sing? First up was Alexis. I've been a huge fan of this girl from the moment I heard "Happiness" way back in May 2010. She has a huge voice and some killer tracks up her sleeve. Alexis just needs to work on her image. I know she's only young but that girl next door persona is already getting boring. Having said all that, the 18 year old did a great job at Mardi Gras. She sounded fantastic and looked cute in her blue sequined butterfly cape. Dancing is obviously not her thing but she has what it takes to develop into an amazing performer over the next few years.
The other party performer was the divine Wynter Gordon, who I ran into while queuing for the toilet. Classy. I was surprised she remembered me from our interview and wished her luck for the show. Not that she needed it. Wynter almost blew the roof of the RHI off with her spectacular performance of "Dirty Talk". Her double platinum number one hit - when is it going to be officially certified by ARIA? - was the song of the Australian summer and always destined to become a gay classic. Let's face it, we all love a song about getting our legs up on the bar in the back of someone's car. The sexy singer looked stunning in her red jumpsuit and showed genuine star quality as she prowled around the stage like a true diva. Check it out below. I was a bit surprised she didn't sing the official Mardi Gras anthem "Pride (Putting It Out There)" but I guess there was a one song limit. Wynter's follow up to "Dirty Talk" comes out in a couple of weeks and I hope it's another massive hit. She has the looks, voice and charisma to mix it with the big girls. Oh and I should also give props to Seamus Haji for the night's best DJ set. He even played Mimi's "Touch My Body". Bless.
Ok, that might be an exaggeration but I am very partial to the teenager's debut single "Happiness" - or more specifically, the ridiculously cute Jump Smokers remix (below). The 18 year old diva first came to prominence on America's Got Talent and was recently signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation label. Beyoncé's husband doesn't have a great track record of unearthing talent - after all, he foisted Rihanna upon the world - but I'm down with Alexis. She has an amazing voice (check this out, Brandy almost cums in her jeans!) and she's already stated that her album is going to be full of upbeat pop music. That leads us to her debut single. "Happiness" was produced by Stargate and, in its original form, is a fairly typical example of their work. I like it but the Jump Smokers really bring the song to life by speeding it up for the dancefloor and emphasising the multitude of hooks. It's so cute and catchy. Just be careful because you'll have "I got to hurry hurry hurry now, quick quick quick" stuck in your head for weeks! Oh and if you like your dance music a little more progressive, give the amazing Deadmau5 remix a spin. Alexis recently filmed a video for "Happiness" and her album is scheduled for release later this year. So far, so good. What a relief to finally have a teen sensation that isn't a prostitute or bible bashing virgin.
