The Pop Trash Diva Update

The unparalleled musical genius of Billiam was always going to be a hard act to follow, so I thought I'd just ramble on about a few of my favourite divas tonight. As Dannii's #1 fan (not currently undergoing psychiatric treatment), I feel it's my duty to remind everyone that Dannii's stunning new single is released tomorrow in the UK. "Touch Me Like That" is a sublime slice of dance music built around a throbbing sample of Sylvester's "Mighty Real" and deserves to be a massive hit. Unfortunately, download sales have thus far been underwhelming. Beautiful Dannii can console herself with the knowledge that "Touch Me Like That" debuts on the Australian club chart this week at #48!

Dannii isn't the only Minogue making waves on the ARIA charts. While not quite as spectacular as Dannii's stunning club debut, Kylie has claimed the top stop on the Australian album chart with "X" - giving the older Minogue her third #1 album. Having lived and breathed "X" for the past week, I'm more convinced than ever that Kylie has crafted one of the best albums of her career. Hell, I've even grown to appreciate "Nu-Di-Ty"! If you're looking for the perfect Christmas present for a Kylie fan, you can't go past the "X" USB (pictured above). Mine arrived on Friday and I haven't had this much fun with a toy since my last trip to Adult World. As far as I know, there are no plans to release the USB in Australia, so you're best bet is to order it online. It's currently being stocked by Play.com and HMV UK.

Hopefully some of Kylie's success can rub off on Tina Arena. I've had a sneaky listen to Tina's "Songs Of Love & Loss" ahead of its official release on Monday and the album is breathtakingly beautiful. Tina not only interprets a selection of much loved classics - she takes them to new heights and makes them her own. If the popularity of "To Sir With Love" on iTunes is any indication, "Songs Of Love & Loss" has every chance of being a big hit. Expect a detailed review of the album later in the week.

In further chart news, the Young Divas land at #10 with "New Attitude". I've already sung the album's praises to anyone who will listen but I probably haven't mentioned the brilliance of the iTunes bonus track. The Divas take on Whitney Houston with a cheeky cover of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". Needless to say, it's camper than Kylie at an ABBA concert and is well worth downloading. Speaking of high camp divas, it's hard to surpass the classy antics of She Is The King - Australia's beloved female Elvis Impersonator. SITK's glorious cover of "Viva Las Vegas" (complete with drag queen filled video clip) was one of the year's poptastic highlights and her new album promises more of the same. "Comeback" serves up a fine selection of Elvis covers and is released tomorrow. While you're there, why not pick up the Gold Tour Edition of Marcia Hines' amazing "Discotheque" album. More about that later.

Last but definitely not least is Chloe Lattanzi. Olivia Newton-John's daughter is ten kinds of crazy but there is no denying her huge talent. Chloe's catchy anorexia anthem, "Delicious", is one of my favourite tracks of 2007 and the other material to leak from her forthcoming album has been phenomenal. I was very excited to read that Chloe is finally ready to release her debut single in Australia after more than three years of delays. Chloe is set to launch her career with "It's Magic", an insanely catchy anthem that heavily samples her mother's #1 hit from 1980. The song has been a favourite of mine since the demo first appeared on Chloe's Myspace and I'm confident it will be huge! Chloe is THE upcoming diva to watch in 2008!Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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The Gayest Album Ever?

I honestly thought the Young Divas' debut album was the gayest thing I had ever heard. An endearing collection of camp pop classics ("Gloria", "Woman In Love", "What A Feeling" etc), the album struck a chord with homosexuals and bored housewives across Australia and became an unexpected double platinum smash hit. Twelve months have passed since then and the band has undergone some cosmetic changes. Ricki-Lee Coulter left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by last year's Australian Idol runner up, Jessica Mauboy. The line up might be different but end product is very much the same. The girls have delivered another fabulous album of reworked gay classics. The critics will deride their lack of development and credibility but I applaud the young divas for serving up another feast of the low brow magic. The rest of the world can have Girls Aloud and the Sugababes, I'm more than satisfied with our local superstar girlband! Here is my track by track review:

Got To Be Real - 9/10

Few songs make you want to get up and dance more than Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be Real". As such, Cheryl's much loved disco classic is the perfect opening track for "New Attitude". The divas make it blindingly obvious from the very first song that the album's one and only objective is to get you out of your seat and "Got To Be Real" conveys that message in great style. Disco purists will be horrified by the trashy rap but I think it works wonderfully. It's complete inappropriateness renders the song even more camp if that is even possible.

If I Can't Have You - 8/10

The nod to disco continues with a dashing and surprisingly faithful cover of Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You". The song is a welcome blast of pure pop but the girls bring nothing new to the track. In fact, their version is virtually interchangeable with Kim Wilde's 1993 version - only with better vocals. Expect this to be a party favourite over the Christmas season.

Turn Me Loose (Ft. Savage) - 9/10

The first single from the album is a sublime dance cover of Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose". It will be interesting to see how the song performs on the charts but download sales have been promising. "Turn Me Loose" is the divas' biggest concession to current music trends with its slight urban edge and hilarious rap. It might sound like a mess but "Turn Me Loose" works surprisingly well. The vocal performance is particularly impressive.

I Can't Wait - 10/10

The Young Divas pillaging Stevie Nicks' back catalogue should be wrong in so many ways but "I Can't Wait" is a blistering work of pop brilliance. Stevie's original is one of my favourite songs. The inspired mix of guitars and synths was so far ahead of its time that a modern remake feels almost appropriate. I'm not sure what Stevie would make of this version but I love it. "I Can't Wait" works remarkably well as a dancefloor anthem and the surprisingly sleek production distinguishes the track from the rest of the album. Exquisite!

Jump (For My Love) - 9/10

Just when you think "New Attitude" couldn't possibly get any gayer, the divas ramp up the camp factor with a fabulous cover of The Pointer Sisters "Jump (For My Love)". It's hard to destroy pop as perfect as this but it is possible as Girls Aloud proved with their lifeless destruction of the track. Thankfully, the Young Divas show this classic the respect it deserves and serve up a glorious slice of trashy fun.

Love Will Lead You Back - 8/10

I still can't believe that the girls cover Taylor Dayne twice on the one album. That fact alone should be enough to convince most gays to buy "New Attitude". The first Taylor Dayne interpretation is "Love Will Lead You Back". As the only ballad on an album of upbeat dance anthems, "Love Will Lead You Back" makes a welcome change of pace and allows the girls to show off their big voices. Taylor would be proud.

Chain Reaction - 10/10

After a short romantic breather, the divas return to their bread and butter. A camp as tits cover of a gay classic. This time around the lovely ladies give Diana's "Chain Reaction" a makeover and deliver one of the album's highlights. After hearing Steps' abysmal cover I always thought "Chain Reaction" was one of those songs that shouldn't be fucked with. I'm happy that the divas have proved me wrong. Absolutely epic.

New Attitude - 10/10

The title track is a delicious cover of my favourite Patti LaBelle song. "New Attitude" was fierce in 1985 and the song is still a knockout more than 20 years later due to some snappy production and inspired vocal performances by all four divas. I hope this irresistible call to the dancefloor is considered for a single release at some stage.

I'm So Excited - 8/10

Few songs recall the 80s quite like The Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited". The original is one of my all time favourites and the Young Divas show the song the respect it deserves. However, I can't help but feel some of the original's magic has been lost in the manic production of the divafied version. Not as good as their version of "Jump" but still a treat.

Tell It To My Heart - 10/10

I have a feeling someone in the Young Divas camp is a massive fan of Kelly Llorenna. Firstly the ladies follow in Kelly's footsteps by covering "This Time I Know It's For Real" on their first album and now update another classic that has previously received the Llorenna treatment. Taylor Dayne's "Tell It To My Heart" obviously lends itself to trashy club queens with big voices and the Divas turn in a stunning performance that will have Kelly and Taylor scratching their weaves in astonishment. This is a blast of pure poptastic fun and hopefully a future single.

Dear Santa (Bring Me A Man This Christmas) - 10/10

The Young Divas meet The Weather Girls and campy brilliance ensues. The Weather Girls' "Dear Santa" is the gayest Christmas carol ever recorded and it somehow feels appropriate that the torch has been passed to the Young Divas. Fuck "Silent Night", "Dear Santa" will be pumping out my stereo this holiday season.

There's nothing new about the Young Divas' attitude on their second album. Considerably more money has been spent on the production and artwork (I LOVE the cover!) but the formula hasn't changed a bit. The songs are still all cover versions of much loved pop classics. Some might call the album artless. I call it smart - and fucking entertaining! "New Attitude" is released on November 26 and belongs in every poof's collection. Pre-order your copy from Chaos, Sanity or iTunes.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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Minogue Mania & Other Tid Bits

Minogue mania begins in earnest today with the release of four (!!) new Dannii albums in addition to the digital release of Kylie's "2 Hearts". While I wait patiently for my copies of "Girl (2CD Re-Release)", "Neon Nights (2CD Re-Release)" and "Unleashed" to arrive in the post, I've been overdosing on Dannii's new digital release "Club Disco" - a collection of B-sides, remixes and unreleased material from the AATW sessions. Check out my review over at Dannii's Dirty Box. I'm truly in awe of Dannii's greatness - even her unreleased rubbish is a cut above anything else I've heard so far this year! Poor Kylie must be so jealous of Dannii's stunning good looks and amazing vocal ability. She can take some comfort in the fact that "2 Hearts" has already landed at #15 on the Australian iTunes chart less than a day after being released, pretty much guaranteeing a top 20 debut next Sunday on the strength of downloads alone.

Robyn News

Robyn is returning to Australia! The Swedish pop queen's last visit rocked my world and I'll do my best to witness her return - despite the fact that tickets to her Sydney show (supporting local dance band, Sneaky Sound System) have already sold out. Robyn's visit will no doubt bolster the chart chances of "With Every Heartbeat", which this week reaches a new peak of #4 on the Australian club charts. Read more about Robyn's visit and her kooky tour rider here. Speaking of Sneaky Sound System, their self-titled album shoots into the top 5 this week on the back of their recent ARIA victories. The album appeared on my best of 2006 countdown almost a year ago (sorry, I just wanted to brag!) and I couldn't be happier that it's finally receiving the recognition it deserves.

Tina Arena's "Songs Of Love And Loss" Tracklisting

I couldn't possibly be any more excited about Tina Arena's upcoming covers album - that is, until I saw the amazing tracklist:

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
The Look Of Love
So Far Away
I Only Want To Be With You
To Sir, With Love
Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)
Love Hangover
The Windmills Of Your Mind
The Man With The Child In His Eyes
Everybody Hurts
Until
Woman

The idea of Tina belting out the "Theme From Mahogany" and "Love Hangover" blows my mind. Let's just ignore the unnecessary inclusion of REM's "Everybody Hurts". The album comes out on the 3rd of December and can be pre-ordered from Chaos.

Young Divas' "New Attitude" Tracklisting

Tina Arena isn't the only Australian diva with a fierce album of cover versions on the horizon. There are at least four more in the form of the fabulous Young Divas. The tracklist of their new album, "New Attitude", makes me want to touch myself:

Got To Be Real
If I Can't Have You
Turn Me Loose
I Can't Wait
Jump (For My Love)
Love Will Lead You Back
Chain Reaction
New Attitude
I'm So Excited
Tell It To My Heart
Dear Santa (Bring Me A Man This Christmas) (Bonus Track)

This masterpiece looks even gayer than their first album and I honestly didn't think that was possible. I can't believe they are covering Cheryl Lynn, Taylor Dayne (twice!), Diana Ross, The Pointer Sisters (twice!), The Weather Girls as well as my favourite Patti LaBelle song on the one album. I'm tempted to name "New Attitude" my album of the year and just get it over and done with! The album hits stores on the 26th of November and can be pre-ordered here.

Goddess Celine

Up until very recently, Celine Dion was one of the few divas gay icons that I simply couldn't stomach. I believe I may have even called Celine's music a crime against humanity. Well, I take it all back. I'm still not convinced about her music and I'll never entirely forgive that disturbing Anne Geddes album but Celine is love. If you don't believe me - watch this interview with Larry King. I started to simultaneously laugh and cry when Celine rants about letting looters steal in New Orleans. The woman is positively certifiable but she clearly means every word and that is refreshing in this day of crippling political correctness. Thankfully, Celine's new single is as fabulous as that giant wig on her head. "Taking Chances" is amazing and the trannytastic video is majestic. Celine emerging from a helicopter in drag queen stilettos and jaunty leather cap is just too fierce! "Taking Chances" is released in Australia today. Bring on the album!

Other Random Hotness

I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong. A couple of weeks ago I wrote off The Veronicas' new song as a major disappointment. It took about 25 listens to sink in but "Hook Me Up" is really rather wonderful. I love the TATU inspired faux lesbian, incest video too. The Veronicas released their second album in Australia today.

I'm not a huge fan of Alicia Keys but I've been humming "No One" ever since I slow danced to it with a female Justin Timberlake impersonator at The Flinders' lesbian R'n'B night on Saturday. Which is pretty impressive, considering I'm on crutches. Alicia is everything that Leona Lewis wishes she could be if she wasn't so painfully mediocre. "No One" is released today.

Last but not least, Nelly Furtado is set to release her 5th single from "Loose" in Australia. "Do It" is one of my favourite tracks from the album and I'm glad it's finally getting its moment in the sun. "Do It" is released on the 12th of November in Australia.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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An Australian Icon And Four Fabulous Divas

All hail the return of a true Australian icon! Tina Arena has been snapped up by EMI and is planning to release new material in Australia for the first time since being dumped by Sony in 2004. I'm incredibly excited by this. Tina has been a favourite of mine since Young Talent Time and no other local diva comes close to matching her powerful pipes. The new album is titled "Songs Of Love And Loss" and appears to be a covers album of tracks by the likes of REM, Burt Bacharach, Carole King and Dusty Springfield. What's more, Tina is about to embark on a national tour with a 35 piece orchestra to celebrate her return. You can order your tickets from Ticketmaster. Wild sex with George Clooney couldn't keep me away!

In other happy news, my favourite girlband - Young Divas - are back with a fierce new track, "Turn Me Loose". The song is a cover of Loverboy's 80s classic and is another slice of pop trash heaven. The presence of an obese rent-a-rapper just makes the whole experience even more hilarious. Girls Aloud and the Sugababes wish they could be this fabulous. New member, Jessica Mauboy, fits in nicely and the song is a fantastic choice. The divas' sexy stylist Gary Leeson has been working overtime. The ladies all look amazing. Paulini's "sex hair" weave is the hottest thing I've seen in ages. I just hope Team Sony open their wallets and commission some decent remixes this time around. "Turn Me Loose" is released on the 19th of November and can be pre-ordered here. Welcome back, girls! Make sure you check out the Divas' amazing performance of the song on last night's Australian Idol.

Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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Craptastic Covers - What A Feeling!

Few songs ever manage to capture the zeitgeist of an era quite like Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What A Feeling". Giorgio Moroder's masterpiece endures as a pulsating testament to all that was fabulous about 1980s pop music. The song also scored one of the most memorable sequences in popular movie history. Who will ever forget Jennifer Beals' steel worker/erotic dancer's audition in "Flashdance"? The stumble and the triumph! Dirty, old Geri Halliwell ripped off the scene in the video for her awful cover of "It's Raining Men", as did Jennifer Lopez in the significantly more glamorous clip for "I'm Glad". The song and the famous audition scene recently appeared in an Australian beer commercial - which resulted in Irene Cara being invited to perform "What A Feeling" at the 2006 AFL Grand Final! I'm not sure what the beer swilling football fans made of 47 year old Irene's performance but I was beside myself!

My original intention for this post was to navigate my way through the multitude of "What A Feeling" cover versions but it soon dawned on me that Irene's anthem has been covered more often than Dannii has gone on holiday. As a result, I've decided to mention a couple of craptastic international covers before concentrating on a selection of Australian versions. One of the most startling interpretations is DJ Bobo's stunningly awful rap extravaganza. The bizarre video clip, bad rapping and even worse dancing makes this a very guilty pleasure indeed! Swedish cunt, Carola Haggkvist, serves up a more traditional version, while Polish Idol, Hania Stach, struggles with the lyrics but still sounds kind of fabulous. Which is more than I can say about Swedish pop tart, Agnes Carlsson, who sounds completely disinterested. "What A Feeling" has also been warmly embraced by dance music producers. Global Deejays had a massive club hit with their dance version and spoofed the audition scene in their trashy video. The Hughes Corporation produced another worthy dance interpretation, although the soft porn video is slightly worrying.

"What A Feeling" has always been popular with Australian pop fans and has been covered numerous times. Here are some of my favourite versions:

Young Divas

The Young Divas' debut album of 80s covers would have felt incomplete without a version of "What A Feeling". The girls give it their all and the song duly becomes one of the album's many highlights.

The "Razzle Dazzle" Soundtrack

"Razzle Dazzle" is the latest Australian comedy to flop at the box office. The whole thing would have been completely unbearable if it wasn't for the presence of ex-"Prisoner" star Kerry Armstrong and not one but two versions of "What A Feeling"!

Wendy Matthews

The strangest contributor to the "Razzle Dazzle" soundtrack is Wendy Matthews, who was hugely successful in the early 90s with sparse ballads like "The Day You Went Away" and "Token Angels". She is the last person I would have picked to sing a trashy re-make of "What A Feeling", given her recent move towards the adult contemporary market. The production on this track is pretty awful (it sounds like someone recorded it on their answering machine) but it is a fun change of pace for Wendy.

Natasha Stuart

Natasha provides three tracks on the "Razzle Dazzle" soundtrack, including "What A Feeling" and an equally trashy cover of Rozelle's "Everybody's Free". Natasha has been plugging away on the live music scene for quite a few years now and I recently saw her perform as Deni Hines' backing vocalist. If Natasha has the Deni seal of approval, that's good enough for me! This version of "What A Feeling" is really quite bizarre. Check out Natasha's other songs on her informative Myspace.

Louis Gaston

Admittedly, Louis Gaston isn't Australian but this dance mix was huge on the Australian club scene. It's kind of tragic but it gets me going!

Madeline Perrone



Madeline was a contestant on the recently completed first season of "Australia's Got Talent", which famously employed Dannii as a judge. Madeline covered "What A Feeling" in the semi-finals and eventually placed in the top 4. Anyone who mentions Dannii in their pre-song interview and dances around in baggy overalls is alright by me. I want a studio version!

Bjorn Again

The original Bjorn Again (they eventually licensed the name to several international acts) formed in Melbourne in the late 1980s as an ABBA tribute band. They eventually widened their musical horizons in the 1990s and covered a variety of other acts. Their rendition of "What A Feeling" makes me moist. I LOVE Bjorn Again and can hardly wait for their upcoming tour in July. This is fabulous!

Marcia Hines

I've saved the best for last! Marcia Hines is one of the holy divas of the Australian music scene and it seems only appropriate that an icon of the 80s leaves her stamp on one of the iconic songs of that decade. Marcia's version of "What A Feeling" is very faithful to the original and holds up as a fun slice of 90s pop. However, the M 1:11 Remix is by far the best and most unusual Australian interpretation of "What A Feeling". The remix transforms the song into a sunny urban groove, complete with a guest rapper - and somehow manages to NOT be shit! It's hard to explain but there is definitely some kind of genius at play here - "Take a ride with Marcia Hines, she shines all the time!"

You can purchase most of these versions from iTunes or search for physical copies on Australian Ebay. The "Razzle Dazzle" Soundtrack and Young Divas' album are available from Sanity and Chaos.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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Young Divas - Searchin'

The Young Divas released the third single from their self-titled debut album in Australia today and, being only slightly obsessed with the band, I rushed out to buy it. I'm still annoyed that "Searchin'" was chosen as a single when it is one of the weakest tracks on the album but the sexy single cover eases some of the pain. It's truly amazing what airbrushing and a soft lens can accomplish! Unfortunately, the Divas continue their run of releasing stingy singles with no B-sides. At least "Searchin'" has a couple of remixes, unlike their ultra-cheap previous offerings. None of the remixes are world shattering but I'm rather enjoying the "Pop Embassy Remix" and I've uploaded it for your listening pleasure.

Make sure to support Australia's classiest girl group by purchasing the single at Chaos or Sanity.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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Before They Were Young Divas - Part 3

The third and final part of my Young Divas special will focus on the magnificent Paulini. Paulini is one of the alumni of the very first season of Australian Idol. She came in fourth after being criticised on national television by one of the judges for being too fat, which is actually quite ironic given the multitude of plus-sized women to frequent later series of Idol - including fellow "divas" Ricki-Lee and Kate DeAraugo. In fact, it seems you have to morbidly obese to even make it to the final 12 of Australian Idol these days. The controversy helped raise Paulini's profile and, as clearly the most talented vocalist to appear on the show, she was quickly snapped up by Sony.

I have already dedicated a post to Paulini's magnificent second album (or third, if you count a shitty Christmas offering), "Superwoman". That album was also recorded before the Young Divas formed but this post will focus on Paulini's number 1 debut album, "One Determined Heart". Paulini's debut single, a cover of "Angel Eyes", sets the tone of the album. "Angel Eyes" is a lovely ballad, which showcases Paulini's impressive voice. It is also pretty fucking boring. I really like "Angel Eyes" but an album of full of ballads and dodgy cover versions was never the best career move. Thankfully, there are a handful of interesting remixes.

"Angel Eyes" hit #1 on the Australian singles chart and remains Paulini's only solo top 10 hit. The follow up, "We Can Try", was written by Audius - whose dubious claim to fame is working with Dullta Good-rim. The original version of "We Can Try" is bland crap but the remixed radio version is sensational. The song made the top 30 and, in its remixed form, remains one of my Paulini favourites. It seems far more suited to "Superwoman" than "One Determined Heart" - ie. it appeals to people under the age of 90.

I hope I'm not sounding too critical of "One Determined Heart" because in comparison to the other Young Divas solo albums it is a work of unbridled genius. There are several excellent tracks and Paulini's vocals are exquisite. Another highlight of the album is the selection of bizarre cover versions. The album contains one of the strangest cover versions I can remember hearing. Paulini's version of "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" is notable for being her first cover of a gay classic and surely the only R'n'B rendition of the song. Not only has the song been turned into a mid-tempo soul ballad, it is also sung as a duet with a man - which makes some of the lyrics rather interesting! It's so wrong, it's kind of right.. if you know what I mean!

Actually, I'm mistaken about "No More Tears" being Paulini's first cover of a gay classic. I had forgetten about this live medley from Idol which includes "Don't Leave Me This Way" and "Freeway Of Love". As usual, Paulini's voice is immaculate.

It seems appropriate to finish any discussion of "One Determined Heart" with yet another cover version. The song selection is truly baffling and one of the most random choices is Phil Collins' "One More Night". Paulini's version is rather nice, although it is begging for a remix.

If Paulini rings your bell, why not keep the woman in diet pills by buying "One Determined Heart" and/or "Superwoman" at Sanity, Chaos or Australian Ebay. Both albums are recommended but "Superwoman" is infinitely superior. This ends my rundown of the pre-diva careers of Paulini, Kate, Emily and Ricki-Lee. It will be interesting to see what 2007 holds for the divas. I have a bad feeling that "Right About Now" is being lined up as single number 3. I hope not because it is one of the worse tracks on their fabulous album. I hear rumours that Sony is intent on rushing out a new album with original material in 2007. That can only be good news!Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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Before They Were Young Divas - Part 2

Rest assured that today's post will include no pictures of naked people (I understand, I'm developing something of a reputation!). Instead, I'm continuing my exploration of the floptastic solo careers of the Young Divas. Today it's Ricki-Lee Coulter's turn to be dragged under the microscope. Ricki-Lee immediately stood out from the crowd when she first appeared on Australian Idol. For starters, unlike the other contestants, she wasn't butt ugly and could actually sing. Ricki-Lee looked a certainty to win the second series but in a major upset, she was knocked out early in the competition. However, her potential did not go unnoticed and Ricki-Lee was snapped up by a record label before the series had even ended.

Ricki-Lee's self-titled, debut album is something of a musical dog's breakfast. Shock records obviously couldn't decide whether to market her as a cute pop star, an edgy bad girl or most amusingly, as a gangster ho - so they basically tried a bit of everything. Ricki-Lee sings Mariah-esque ballads, bubblegum pop and funky hip hop tunes (complete with cheap rent-a-rappers!) with varying degrees of success. The album does contain its fair share of excellent songs but the lows are pretty desperate. And yet, "Ricki-Lee" has grown on me immensely since its 2005 release. "Hell No!", the lead single, sounds like a tragic urban-pop version of Alanis Morissette's "Ironic". The song peaked at #5 on the Charts and has become something of an Australian trash classic. The second single, "Sunshine", was also a top 10 hit but unlike "Hell No!", "Sunshine" is sweet and upbeat enough to grace a Young Divas' album!

The rest of the album is such a mixed bag that no particular song is reflective of the overall sound. I have selected three of my personal favourites to share. "Stay With Me" has an Indian vibe and a chorus that involves a lot of "la la la"-ing. In other words, it's fucking fabulous! "Tell Him" is a mid-tempo R'n'B number that wouldn't sound out of place on the US charts. I mean that as a compliment! The song showcases Ricki-Lee's impressive pipes without ever being bland or boring. The final song, "Let Me Hear You Say (Ft. Nitty)" is here for pure entertainment value. I love it when nice white girls hire a rapper and try to sound like a streetwalker. Ricki-Lee's attempt at an urban party anthem is great, although I'm not sure who she thinks she's fooling!

Ricki-Lee's album is still readily available, so if you like what you hear please buy it. You should be able to find it at Sanity or Chaos. Part 3 of my Young Divas special will focus on Paulini's debut album and include Paulini's first tragic cover version of a gay classic!

Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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Before They Were Young Divas - Part 1

I love the Young Divas. They really are a pop trash addict's wet dream - a manufactured girl group who cover gay disco classics and look like sumo wrestlers in drag. I've made several posts about Paulini and her amazing "Superwoman" album, but I realise I have all but ignored the other three members. Basically, because I thought they were completely useless. However, I have had the near spiritual experience of watching the band perform live several times over summer and the other tragic skanks have won me over. Kate, Emily and Ricki-Lee might be as rough as the Australian cricket team but they can sing and they are amusing, in a car crash kind of way. I have decided to review the (failed) solo careers of all of the "divas". Paulini is my favourite YD and Ricki-Lee's album is actually quite wonderful in an "oh no, she didn't!" manner, so I'm going to start off with the two least trashtastic divas: the ever-expanding Kate DeAraugo and Hawk Eye, aka Emily Williams.

There really isn't much to say about Emily. Apart from the fact that she was runner-up in the third series of Australian Idol, behind Kate DeAraugo. Emily is the only Young Diva yet to release a solo recording. The closest she has come is singing the bonus track for the Young Divas' album, a fairly shocking cover of Dolly/Whitney's "I Will Always Love You". I doubt this offering will have fans petitioning for a solo album. Emily does have a nice voice but she seems disinterested and bored A LOT of the time. During concerts she often stops singing mid-song to talk to the crowd about her life and her sister (who was also on Idol). It was nice and personal the first few times but the novelty has well and truly worn off. Strangely, when the girls sing together, Emily comes across as one of the most competent performers. Emily is growing on me but I still think the most intriguing thing about her remains the fact that she was a forklift driver before entering Idol!


Kate DeAraugo entered the first two series of Australian Idol but was rejected. She made the cut the third time around and ended up winning the whole damn thing. I'm still not sure how she did it. I was less than impressed with just about everything about Kate during her run on Australian Idol, from her dreary choice of soft-rock material to her pleasant but generic voice. Kate's debut single, "Maybe Tonight", hit #1 and the follow up, "Faded" was a substantial hit. However, Kate's album disappeared after a couple of weeks and Sony decided against releasing any further singles. "Maybe Tonight" is actually quite a lovely ballad, while "Faded" (penned by the Veronicas) is a surprisingly good slice of pop-rock. Unfortunately, the rest of her debut album is rather shit. In many ways, Kate is the odd "diva" out. Her musical influences seem to be quite rock orientated and she looks far more comfortable in a tracksuit than a sequined mini-skirt. And yet, it is this fish out of water quality that makes Kate so endearing.

The second part of my "Before They Were Divas" special will focus on the trashtastic Ricki-Lee Coulter. Stay tuned!Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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Australia's Wonderfully Awful - Girlband

Girlband are the latest girl group to emerge from Australia. They are the product of a reality TV series that followed the girls from auditions, through the recording process and the release of their first single, the astoundingly awful "Party Girl". The whole project imploded when "Party Girl" struggled to make the top 50 and disappeared a couple of weeks later. The show was car crash TV at its best due to the hilarious bimbo antics of the girls. I'm sure if they had been given even a moderately bad song they might have scored a hit.

"Party Girl" will probably be Girlband's first and only release, which is a shame because they have great trash potential. Girlband makes Young Divas look like The Supremes but the girls do have some vocal ability. Like the Young Divas, they have contributed a song to the charity album "Songs Of Hope And Journey", which I, rather uncharitably, rubbished below. Girlband offer up a cover of "By Your Side", which is surprisingly pleasant. In fact, I think I prefer it to Young Divas' contribution, a cover of "2000 Miles".

If tragic girl groups make you wet, give Girlband a try!

You can order "Party Girl" from Chaos. "Songs of Hope & Journey" can be ordered from both Sanity and Chaos.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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Young Divas - The Gayest Album EVER!

I have already discussed Young Divas at length in my Paulini post but after listening to their debut album for the past week, I thought they deserved their own. Young Divas have done the impossible and put together an album that "out gays" Marcia's "Discotheque"! In fact, both albums share pretty much the same concept. Marcia's album is comprised of covers of disco classics from the 1970s, while Young Divas stick to 1980s pop music. And not just any old 80s material. This album is basically a collection of gay anthems and trash classics! The tracklist itself was enough to get my juices flowing and after listening to the album several times over the past week, I can say that I'm not disappointed!

There are a couple of tracks that have been done to death and really should have been left in peace - but who cares? Paulini and her backing singers breathe life into these classics and will hopefully bring a whole new audience to the likes of Donna Summer and Laura Brannigan. A couple of interpretations are unneccessary and fall flat but, on the whole, this album is gay pop heaven and about as much fun as you can have without being on drugs! I'm obviously not the only one who thinks so because the album beat out some serious competition to debut at #4 on the Australian Album Chart, while the second single from the album, "Happenin' All Over Again", climbs into the top 10.

Here is my track by track review:

What A Feeling: Irene Cara's classic gets yet another workout. I was expecting to be annoyed by this given my affection for all things Giorgio Moroder and Irene Cara. However, the layered vocals work a treat and this anthem can't help but make you dig out some leg warmers and dance around like a poofter. I love it - but it loses a point for the cheap keyboards. 9/10

This Time I Know It's For Real: Young Divas launched their career with this SAW cover and it manages to more than hold its own with Donna Summer's original and Kelly Llorenna's fabulous high energy re-make. The song hit number #2 and is still in the top 50. "This Time" is heavenly. Kudos to the producers for being smart enough to let Paulini do most of the singing. 10/10

Right About Now: Now this is the odd one out! A cover of a Mousse T dance hit from a few years ago. The Divas have turned this into an En Vogue inspired urban groove anthem. The song doesn't really fit that well with the others but it does come as a relief amongst all the cheese. I have a feeling this could be the next single as the girls sang it on the final of Australian Idol last Sunday night. It could be a grower but it's not my favourite. 7/10

Gloria: This is one of those songs that should never be messed with. Laura Brannigan's original would definitely make a list of my 20 favourite songs of all time. So, I was a more than a bit reluctant to listen to this. It is a butchery, but such a big, bright, gay hatchet job that I'm ashamed to say I LOVE it. I just hope Laura isn't spinning in her grave. 9/10

Happenin' All Over Again: The second single from the album takes on Lonnie Gordon's big hit. It's fun but hasn't grabbed me like their cover of "This Time I Know It's For Real". I would take Lonnie's version over this any day. That said, "Happenin' All Over Again" is still top shelf pop. 8/10

Searchin': This song has always amused me - pop music's most infamous lesbian singing about hunting down a man. Hazell Dean's original is a high camp classic and this version stays pretty true to the original but injects some much needed attitude. Such insipid trash - I ache for it! 8.5/10

Woman In Love: By far the strangest interpretation. While most of the cover versions "gay up" the originals to an even greater extent, Young Divas turn Barbra Streisand's classic into a slow groove R'n'B number. I'm not sure it works. In fact, it doesn't. Barbra's version shits all over this. 6/10

It's Raining Men: How many people have covered this song? It would have to make the list of the most covered songs of the past 20 years. I was dreading another version after that filthy Halliwell bitch (Geri - not Deirdre!) destroyed it for the Bridget Jones' Diary soundtrack. This version is much better than fat Geri's. In fact, it almost matches the heights of Deirdre Halliwell's "It's Raining Jizz"! The Weather Girls still take the crown but this is surprisingly excellent. 8/10

Let's Hear It For The Boy: I adore Deniece Williams and was fearing what the Divas would do with her 80s classic. I was relieved and delighted when I discovered that they had given the song a bubble gum pop makeover! This would make my shortlist for the next single. Deniece fans will probably pull their hair out in disgust but admit it - this is insanely fun! 9.5/10

She Works Hard For The Money: Another Donna Summer classic gets a Young Divas makeover and just like their cover of "This Time I Know It's For Real", this is an absolute winner. Another possible single, this is just about irresistable. 9.5/10

Say I'm Your No. 1: Yet another Stock Aitken Waterman cover, this time it's Princess's turn. "Say I'm Your Number One" is one of the classiest songs ever to come out of the hit factory and Young Divas do it proud. The slower pace comes as a bit of a relief after the onslaught of gay disco that comes before it. Paulini's lead vocals are sublime. 8.5/10

You'll Never Stop Me From Loving You: Yes, that ugly, red troll -Sonia- gets a Young Divas overhaul. The Divas shit all over that hideous beast. They seem to save their best for SAW covers and this is another superb track. A great way to end the album. 8/10

Overall Verdict: This is fuckin' gay and essential for all homosexualists. Order your copy at Chaos or Sanity.

Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Divas
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