Australian Singer/Songwriter Delta Goodrem Releases Stunning New Single and Video

It's been about five years since we've heard a peep out of Aussie pop princess Delta Goodrem, but at long last, the wait is over.  "Sitting On Top of The World" is the 27 year old singer/songwriter's brilliantly concocted comeback single, destined to be a smash in her native Australia and hopefully the rest of the world.  Released in Australia and New Zealand April 13th, this up-tempo drop of liquid pop gold was co-written by Goodrem and Grammy-winning producer John Shanks (Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion), who also served as producer on the track.  The song is the lead single off Goodrem's upcoming fourth studio album, due out later this year on Sony Music Australia.

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Hot Video Alert: Darren Hayes - Black Out The Sun

"Black Out The Sun," the second single from Darren Hayes' upcoming fourth studio album, is due for release in the UK October 2nd and follows first single "Talk Talk Talk" as well as the Australia/New Zealand-only release of another track called "Bloodstained Heart."  Beautiful and dramatic at the same time, "Black Out The Sun" is a passionate song that showcases virtually everything there is to love about Darren Hayes, including his handsome good looks, emotive song lyrics, lush orchestration, etc.  Not only is "Black Out The Sun" is a beautiful song in and of itself, but this seemingly perfect little slice from Hayes' new album, Secret Codes and Battleships, has officially sealed the deal, making that new album of the most anticipated new albums for me.

The video for the new single was directed by Grant Marshall and features choreography from Darren's own sister, the award winning Claire Marshall.  Marshall, in addition to being Darren's sister has also choreographed tours for both Darren Hayes and his former band, Savage Garden.  Grant Marshall first worked together on the video for Hayes' 2003 single "Crush (1980 Me)," a top twenty hit in both Australia and the UK.  According to Hayes' official blog, the video for "Black Out The Sun" is the video he "has always wanted to make" and it appears as if no expense was spared.

"How do you shoot a clip for a song that most people who've heard the new album 'Secret Codes and Battleships' agree defines the sound of the album? You hire a huge soundstage, vintage camera lenses from the widescreen era of Hollywood and you work with a long term collaborator. Darren Hayes has created a piece of film that fits perfectly the cinematic sound of his new album." {SOURCE}

Shot on the same soundstage where Peter Pan and the Chronicles of Narnia were filmed, the video utilizes vintage anamorphic lenses from the 70s, the very same type of lenses used to shoot classics like the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films.  The video is absolutely stunning!

"Black Out The Sun" was co-written with Carl Falk (Backstreet Boys, Taio Cruz, Nicole Scherzinger) and recorded the same day that Michael Jackson passed away.  As one could gather from the name alone, the song is not necessarily a happy one, rather it delves deep into a world where all traces of love have been lost.

"Black Out The Sun is a song about not wanting to be in a world without love. The idea that you could simply switch the sun off and the ground would turn to poison because all the things that made it beautiful were really in the reflection of the eyes of the person you've lost. I had this idea to show my demons depicted almost like human crows - jackals stalking my every step, waiting for me to lose hope and give up. But I never would". {SOURCE}

UK fans make sure you download the single when it's released on October 2nd. Australia, you guys can download his new single "Bloodstained Heart" on iTunes HERE while us Americans have "Talk Talk Talk" (and various remix packages) available to download on U.S. iTunes HERE.  Mixed by Robert Orton (Lady Gaga, Kelis, t.A.T.u.) and produced by such names as Walter Afanasieff (Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera) and Carl Falk, Hayes' new album, Secret Codes and Battleships is due for release October 17th on Mercury Records/Powdered Sugar.

Check out Darren Hayes on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Darren Hayes Is Back: New Single, New Video, New Album In The Fall

No question about it. Darren Hayes is one of my favorite male vocalists of all time. Ever since I first heard him on the radio, singing as 1/2 of pop duo Savage Garden, I've been mesmerized by his flawless tenor, unique sound and flawless falsetto.  My adoration continued with the release of his sophomore solo album, The Tension and The Spark and subsequent singles "Pop!ular," and "Darkness."  While I somehow missed the 2002 release of Spin,  Hayes' first foray into solo popstardom, I've since educated myself and count "Insatiable" as one of my favorites in his catalog.  Now, with the release of "Talk Talk Talk," I am mentally preparing myself for another classic Darren Hayes album.  I am so freakin' excited!

Following the split up of Savage Garden, Darren Hayes recorded his debut solo album Spin, produced by Walter Afanasieff, who had previously worked with Hayes on Savage Garden's sophomore album, Affirmation.  First single, "Insatiable" peaked at #3 in Hayes' native Australia and #1 in New Zealand.  Internationally, "Insatiable" was a top ten hit in both Sweden and the UK, even peaking at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Chart.  Hayes went on to release 3 more singles from the album, "Strange Relationship," "I Miss You," and "Crush (1980 Me)," all of which were top twenty hits in the UK.  The album itself did alright on the charts as well, coming in at #3 on the ARIA Album Charts, #2 on the UK Albums Charts and #35 on the Billboard 200 chart.

By the time I realized Darren Hayes was recording solo music, he was already gearing up for the release of his second album, 2004's The Tension and the Spark, produced by Hayes and Robert Conley.  The album was decidedly more electronica-influenced than his debut, which more teetered on the edge between pop and R&B.  Released in September by Hayes' long time label Columbia Records, The Tension and The Spark failed to have the same impact as his debut, peaking at #8 in Australia and #13 in the UK.  While first single, "Pop!ular" was a hit at home (peaking at #3), over the in the UK it just missed the top ten, coming in at #12.  Over in the States, "Pop!ular" earned Darren Hayes his first and only Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play #1, thanks to a remix package that included mixes by Almighty, Wayne G, Peter Presta, Jason Nevins, Guido Osorio, Johnny Budz and more.

After the release of Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden in 2005, which featured two solo tracks by Hayes' including one of my favorites, "So Beautiful," Hayes announced that he had parted ways with his label, Columbia Records, and started his own indie label Powdered Sugar.  2007 saw the release of Hayes' third album, This Delicate Thing We've Made, much of which was co-written by Conley and produced by Justin Shave.  The album was preceded by a promotional single, "Step Into The Light," which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with remixes from Dave Pezza, Hook N Sling, Moto Blanco, Shave and Sugar, Tony Moran and Wayne G & Andy Allder.  The first official single, "On The Verge Of Something Wonderful" was an electropop gem co-written and co-produced by Hayes and Conley, featuring remixes by Wayne G and Justin Shave.  The single was a top twenty hit in the UK and peaked at #29 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

"Talk Talk Talk" is Hayes' first single since 2008's "Casey," off his third album.  Co-written and produced by Carl Falk (Delta Goodrem, Nicole Scherzinger, Gavin DeGraw), mixed by Robert Orton (Lady Gaga) and mastered by Bob Ludwig, "Talk Talk Talk" is a brilliant and very welcome comeback for Darren Hayes, who's been out of the spotlight entirely too long if you ask me.  According to Hayes, "Talk Talk Talk" can be described as "peace talks between two lovers at war," and is "a slice of glorious synth-laden modern pop with swirling live strings and heartfelt lyrics" according to the press release.  The single, released worldwide on June 23rd is the first to be taken from Hayes' fourth album, Secret Codes and Battleships, due out in October through Mercury Records/Universal Music Australia.  Surprisingly, the single only managed to peak at #79 on the ARIA Singles Chart, which isn't promising at all.  Check out the visually stunning video below, directed by Hayes' longtime partner Richard Cullen.

Check out Darren Hayes on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Darren Hayes - Me Myself And (I)

Darren Hayes is back with a second official single from his 2 disc album, THIS DELICATE THING WE'VE MADE. First came the club single, Step Into The Light followed by radio single On The Verge Of Something Wonderful. Now we have Me, Myself And (I).

The track in and of itself is a pretty club friendly track, but the added bonus of remixes makes it even more club-centric. Due out on November 5th in the UK, this track was co-written by Hayes. The video can be seen on YouTube and it's quite a bit of fun. You can pre-order the track digitally on 7Digital or just wait till tomorrow! 7Digital is releasing it with two remixes by Wayne G./Andy Allder and Andrew Friendly.

Other Known Remixes Include:

7th Heaven Club Mix
7th Heaven Dub Mix
7th Heaven Radio Mix
Andrew Friendly No Dub Mix
Andrew Friendly Total Dub Mix
DJ Wayne G & Andy Allder Lucky Club Remix
DJ Wayne G & Andy Allder Mix

Check it out!