UK Girl Group The Saturdays Set to Take America by Storm; Announce 2013 E! Reality Series

Arguably the best UK-based girl group to emerge since Girls Aloud, The Saturdays have their sites set on an a U.S. takeover.  With eleven top 10 singles and three top 10 albums, The Saturdays are already bonafied superstars in their native Great Britain  but here in America success has been elusive, mainly due to the fact that they've been focusing their energies at maintaining a successful career back at home.  That being said, the girls haven't gone COMPLETELY unnoticed here in the U.S., receiving lots of coverage on various pop music blogs, even earning the love and adoration of the notoriously critical Perez Hilton.  It was recently announced that the five-some consisting of Mollie, Una, Rochelle, Vanessa and Frankie, would be starring in their own reality series on the E! Network (home to Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Chelsea Lately), fittingly called Chasing The Saturdays.  Premiering January 20th at 10 PM, each 30 minute episode follows the girls as they attempt to duplicate their success back home here in America, signing with Mercury/Island Def Jam Records all the while dealing with their own complicated personal lives.  Sounds like the type of RIVETING television that only E! could bring us. Count me in!

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Polydor Records Recording Artist Ed Drewett Offers Free Download of New Song

Music Is My King Size Bed-fav Ed Drewett is BACK with "Good Morning," a tasty bit of Gavin DeGraw-esque singer/songwriter pop-rock, QUITE the departure from that catchy electropop banger of a debut single, "Champagne Lemonade."  Now signed to Polydor/Universal, Ed is hard at work on his long-awaited debut album.  While we wait with baited breath, good ole' Ed has a little treat for us in the meantime, a free download of the new song, "Good Morning."  A good morning indeed!

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Paloma Faith Delivers Stunning Performance on Later...with Jools Holland; 'Picking Up The Pieces' Poised for Top 10 Debut

English songwriting siren Paloma Faith is in FULL PROMO mode this week leading up to the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album, Fall To Grace, due May 28th via RCA Records (read my REVIEW).  Faith stopped by Later...with Jools Holland on Tuesday, dazzling the audience with a real & raw performance of "Just Be," one of my clear stand outs off of the new record.

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[Hot Video Alert] The Wanted - Chasing The Sun

In the recently released video for "Chasing The Sun," the boys of UK boy band The Wanted play victim to a troop of blood thirsty vampire vixens. Not too original if you ask me but it fits the song title perfectly.  At least Director X didn't take it in a Twilight direction, choosing instead to pay homage to Wesley Snipe's 1998 action/superhero film, Blade, about a part man/part vampire sworn to hold on to his humanity while vanquishing the world of the vampire menace.  What better concept for a boy band?

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Ones to Watch in 2012: Zander Bleck

THIS is Zander Bleck. Familiarize yourself because this guy's got MAJOR potential.  Released in February, Bleck's debut single, "Temptation" is an 80s-inspired electro rock jam that he co-penned alongside legendary songwriter Holly Knight (Heart, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar).  Add to that, you know a song is HOT when you attract the attention of a hit maker of RedOne's (Lady Gaga, Enrique Iglesias) caliber, and that's exactly what happened with Bleck's "Temptation."  In an interview with USA Today, RedOne praised his new talent, calling his voice "A mixture of Jim Morrison, Bono, and Freddie Mercury," and adding "There's no male singer like that right now."  After listening to "Temptation," I'm inclined to agree.  While Bleck's talent and vocal style is certainly comparable to these rock icons, he's definitely got a vibe that's uniquely his own.

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The Wanted Set to Release Debut U.S. EP April 24th, New Single 'Chasing The Sun' Out Now

I've been championing UK boyband The Wanted here on Music Is My King Size Bed for nearly two years.  My first post was back in June of 2010 when I wrote up a "Hot Video Alert" promoting their debut UK single, "All Time Low." It's amazing to me that it's two years later and the boys are releasing hits here in the U.S.  I feel like a proud Papa!

Gearing up for the release of their debut self-titled U.S. EP, The Wanted have been releasing promotional singles ("Gold Forever," "Heart Vacancy" and "Lightning") on iTunes in the weeks leading up to the EP's release on this Tuesday, April 24th. Released April 17th, the latest single to be lifted from the EP is a banger called "Chasing The Sun," a previously unreleased track.  Co-written by English rapper Example and Alex Smith (Olly Murs), "Chasing The Sun" follows the band's successful electropop formula that gave them their international hit single, "Glad You Came."  Like "Glad You Came" before it, "Chasing The Sun" features a booty-shakin' bass line, lots of sexy synth action, a catchy hook and yes - tons of Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh's. This song is just beggin' to be a summer anthem!  "Chasing The Sun" will be sent to mainstream US radio on May 15th and is set to be released in the UK on May 21st.

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Ones to Watch in 2012: Ben Montague

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Ben Montague.  This handsome young man is about to unleash a brand new single, "Love Like Stars" on June 18th and I have to say, after listening to the studio version I'm left completely mesmerized, wanting more.  An epic, sweeping, mid-tempo ballad, "Love Like Stars" is a cinematic, soundtrack-ready stunner, complete with a big swelling chorus, backed by a lush, beautiful orchestra.  You can get a sense of the song below by watching Mr. Montague sing it live at London's O2 Arena, but the studio version is infinitely more amazing. TRUST ME (listen HERE).  Ben Montague is definitely worthy of my 'Ones to Watch' title and I think you'll agree.

Two years ago, Ben Montague saw some success with his debut single, "Haunted," (watch the music video BELOW) after it became a radio hit in the UK.  At the time, Montague was completely unattached with no record deal or album to his name. Now it's 2012 and Montague is ready to release his new album, Tales of Flying and Falling, backed by a record label - Nusic Sounds/EMI and a beautiful lead single.

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The Wanted Announce Debut U.S. Performance, Prepare for Release of Sophmore Album

America. Get ready for The Wanted! Admittedly I haven't been this into a boy band since *NSYNC last hit the charts with their 2002 hit single "Girlfriend" (with rapper Nelly - remember that song?). While there may have been a light sprinkling of appealing boy bands between 2002 and now, none have me quite as revved up as The Wanted.  There's just something about these boys...especially Max. Getting back on track, The Wanted are coming to America! No, seriously! They are.  The sexy English pop/R&B quintet are scheduled to play their first ever U.S. gig at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City on October 25th (the 1 year anniversary of their first album release).  Pick up your tickets on Live Nation HERE or by going to the Gramercy Theater Event Page HERE.

The Wanted are relatively new to the music scene, but boy did they know how to make an entrance.  Their debut self titled album was a top five hit in the UK (peaking at #4) when it came out this time last year and spawned a #1 hit with their first single "All Time Low," and a #2 hit with "Heart Vacancy."  The band's third single ("Lose My Mind") did modestly well too, coming in at #19.  Since March, the lovely boys of The Wanted (Max George, Jay McGuiness, Siva Kaneswaran, Tom Parker, Nathan Sykes) have been gearing up for the release of their sophomore album, Battleground, due on November 7th (in the UK).  March 13th saw the release of "Gold Forever," (#3) the official 2011 Comic Relief Charity single, followed by the album's official first single "Glad You Came" which went all the way to #1 and has since amassed over 6,000,000 views on VEVO.  The band's new single, "Lightning" was released this week and follows the same winning dance-pop formula that has served The Wanted so well up till now.  The single was co-penned by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and singer/songwriter Ed Drewett, who's own under-performing single "Champagne Lemonade" remains one of my favorites of last year.  This isn't the first time Drewett has paired up with The Wanted, in fact the band's debut single "All Time Low" was also co-written by Ed and Steve Mac.  Check out the video for "Lightning" below, directed by Matt Stawski (Cee-Lo Green, All Time Low).

The fact that the band is doing a performance in New York gives me hope that they're planning some sort of full fledged U.S. pop chart assault.  As of Monday night, the only thing you can buy from The Wanted on the U.S. iTunes store was "All Time Low," and an "All Time Low" remix package (featuring mixes by Digital Dog and Ralphi Rosario). Hmm. Let's hope we get a proper U.S. album release (not one of those hodge-podge best of collections), and plenty of promotion.  In other news, check out the uber sexy Max on the cover of Attitude Magazine, the best-selling UK gay magazine and a complementary behind-the-scenes video from the photoshoot. Yummy! Download "All Time Low" on U.S. iTunes HERE and "Lightning" on UK iTunes HERE, featuring remixes from Chuckie and Alias.

[EDIT: I spoke too soon. "Glad You Came" was released on U.S. iTunes on Tuesday October 18th (download it HERE). In addition you can pick up the iTunes Live EP from the band HERE.]

Check out The Wanted on the web:

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

Hot Video Alert: The Wanted - Glad You Came

"Glad You Came" is technically the second single (officially the first) from English boy band The Wanted's yet-to-be-released sophomore album. The song was written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and Ed Drewett and produced by Steve Mac, the genius producer who's worked with everyone from Westlife and Kelly Clarkson to Leona Lewis and Delta Goodrem. "Glad You Came" is a hands down floor filler, bringing more of a dance club sound than any of their previous singles.  Remixed by Italian house DJ Alex Gaudino, the song is destined to be a hit on the UK dance charts, not to mention the singles chart.  Previous single, "Gold Forever" peaked at #3 on the UK Singles chart, becoming the band's third highest charting single released so far, following "Heart Vacancy" which peaked at #2.  Download "Glad You Came" on UK iTunes when it's released July 10th.  Director X was at the helm of this super fun, super hot video, filmed on the Spanish island of Ibiza.  The video showcases each of the boys (Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker and Nathan Sykes) romancing their way across the island, dropping by the club, the beach a house party and a boat.  There is plenty of shirtless action too as the boys cool off in the pool and in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

It's hard to believe that The Wanted are such a new boy band, first making waves with their 2011 BRIT-nominated debut single "All Time Low," which debuted at #1 on the charts.  Follow up single, "Heart Vacancy" was also a bonafied hit for the boys, proving they had staying power on the charts.  While "Lose My Mind" only managed to crack the Top 20, the boys came back strong with their Comic Relief Single, "Gold Forever," taking it all the way to #3.  It's too soon to tell how "Glad You Came" is going to do on the charts, but we'll find out when it's released July 10th on Geffen Records.  The boys signed a U.S. record deal with Island/Def Jam so hopefully we'll be able to get our hands on this single at some point here too.  In the mean time, check out the "Glad You Came" video below (U.S. readers click HERE). Love these guys!

Check out The Wanted on the web:

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

In Case You Missed It...Music Video Round Up

SO you all know I LOVE music videos. Turns out I missed a s%@t load of them during my brief hiatus, so instead of going through them one by one...I decided to post them all at once, starting with the oldest. Here we go!

I HEART The Wanted. My favorite new UK boy band. "Gold Forever" is a dance-pop gem from their forthcoming sophomore album. Written and produced by Steve Mac and co-written by Wayne Hector and Claude Kelly the song was the official 2011 Comic Relief Charity single. The single debuted at #3 on the UK Singles chart, going on to become the band's third top-ten hit. Featuring remixes by Steve Smart & Westfunk, and Moto Blanco the single is destined to be a dance club hit as well. The fun video premiered in early March and was filmed on the same set as The King's Speech. Check out the boys and their cute clown noses above. Darling!  Look out for single #2, "Lightning," written by another favorite of mine, Mr. Ed Drewett.

"Gone" (AKA Dilemma Pt. 2) is the latest single from U.S. rapper Nelly's 5.0 album. "Gone" was written by Eric Goody II, Cornell Haynes, Earl Hood, Rico Love and Jim Jonsin (and produced by the latter two). In the Marc Klasfeld-directed video, Kelly Rowland reprises her role as Nelly's love interest, a role she first played in the video for his 2002 hit single, "Dilemma." While not as catchy as "Dilemma" it's nice to see Kelly and Nelly back together again. To date, the song has peaked at #59 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

"I'll Take Care Of You" is the latest single to be lifted off of American Soul artist Gil Scott-Heron's new album, We're New Here. We're New Here is actually a remixed album, produced by Jamie xx (of The xx). Scott-Heron's album was called I'm New Here, and is predominantly a blues and spoken-word album, like many of Scott-Heron's previous albums. Jamie xx seems to infuse electronic-elements into the original material seamlessly. The emotional, beautiful video for "I'll Take Care Of You" was directed by JJ Medina and AG Rojas and follows the story of an extraordinary young woman, single mother and boxer - Nisa Rodriguez. Playing like a mini movie, this stunning video shows the day-in-the-life of Rodriguez. Definitely worth a look.

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The Wanted Premiere New Comic Relief Single

Well that was fast! British boy band The Wanted are already finished promoting their self-titled debut album? Sad! I think there might have been a few more hits on that record but what do I know? The boys are prepping for the release of their new single, "Gold Forever," due March 13th. "Gold Forever" has been selected as this year's Comic Relief charity single. Listen to the single BELOW.  Starting out like your run-of-the-mill boy band ballad, the song quickly shifts gears, bringing those sexy boys to the yard dance floor for a full on dance pop anthem. LOVE it.

The Wanted (AKA Max George, Jay McGuiness, Nathan Sykes, Siva Kaneswaran and Tom Parker) released their self-titled debut album on October 25th through Geffen Records, peaking at #4 on the Official Albums Chart. The successful debut album spawned two Top 5 singles, including the #1 hit single "All Time Low." Third single, "Lose My Mind" was the band's lowest charting single, peaking at #19 on the UK Singles Chart.  The boys are currently working with Steve Mac on their sophomore record, due out sometime in 2011.

Check out The Wanted on the web:

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

Hot Video Alert: The Wanted - Lose My Mind

I may not have been the BIGGEST fan of The Wanted's single "Heart Vacancy" (which BTW has grown on me considerably since the first listening) but third single, "Lose My Mind" takes me back to what I loved about the boys in their first single "All Time Low." The video was filmed at the iconic Coney Island and features the boys in all their hotness, doing their thing, dancing and singing.  The video being filmed in New York only makes me wish they would release some tuneage over on this side of the pond.  In due time I suppose.

"Lose My Mind" showcases their individual vocal talents in the form of a fun, up-tempo track, ripe for the remixing. And remixed this song was...by UK remix extraordinaires 7th Heaven and Cahill. BRILLIANT! The boys (Max, Siva, Jay, Tom and Nathan) have been doing exceedingly well with their debut album. First single "All Time Low" went all the way to the top of the UK singles charts, single #2 peaked at...well...#2. As for their self titled debut album...well it debuted at #4. Not too shabby for a new boy band fresh on the scene. If their past success is any indication, "Lose My Mind" should deservedly go top 5. It's a quality pop song sung by a quality pop group. Check out the boys doing it live on last weekend's X-Factor results show. Ace job boys! "Lose My Mind" is out in the UK on December 27th.

Check out The Wanted on the web:

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

Hot Video Alert: The Wanted - Heart Vacancy

Nathan, Jay, Siva, Max and Tom (AKA The Wanted) are back with "Heart Vacancy," single #2 off their forthcoming debut self titled album. The follow up to the more up-tempo "All Time Low," "Heart Vacancy" calls to mind CLASSIC American boy band ballads of the late 90s/early 00s. Bands like the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, LFO...those guys had it all. The Wanted are VERY much in that same vein and I think that's a compliment to the boys, their producers and their record label. I also think that it was wise to first release a snappier, up-tempo pop song like "All Time Low" which wound up going all the way to #1 on the UK Single Charts.  While it was inevitable that The Wanted would release a ballad eventually, starting out strong with something a bit dancier is always a wise move.

The sappy video channels the Giuseppe Tornatore classic, Cinema Paradiso, complete with a cast of characters including a little boy and a projector. All throughout the video The Wanted boys mope around this little picturesque Italian town, singing sadly as they make their way through the narrow streets. The song showcases EACH boys' vocals, not to mention their good looks. While "All Time Low" might be more my cup of tea, I do appreciate that these Abercrombie Models singers can in fact sing. I'm interested to see how this single does on the charts when it's released on October 18th, followed by the album release on October 25th via Geffen. Check out the video below. Oh and on an unrelated note...does anyone else think Max kinda looks like Shayne Ward?

Check out The Wanted on the web:

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

Hot Video Alert: The Wanted - All Time Low

The Wanted are a UK boy band that I first read about on Popjustice. Apparently they've been teasing fans with clips from their music video for first single "All Time Low," but the wait is over. Signed to Geffen Records, The Wanted consists of 17 year old Nathan Sykes of Gloucester, 21 year old Max George of Manchester, 19 year old Jay McGuiness of Nottingham, 21 year old Tom Parker of Bolton, and 21 year old Siva Kaneswaran from Ireland. The boys are all good looking and seem to be decent singers (evidenced by the fact that they all have a part to sing). The song itself is decent...not your typical ballad with sort of an electro-pop thing going on a little over a minute in. I'd want to hear what the rest of the album sounds like before I make a final assessment but their first single has certainly peaked my interest.