[Hot Video Alert] Rita Ora - Shina Ya Light

Released November 5th on Roc Nation/Columbia Records, "Shine Ya Light" is the third single released by English pop/R&B star Rita Ora.  The Emil Nava-directed video sees Rita proudly taking to the streets of her native Kosovo, serving up all sorts of attitude.  While I still don't consider myself a FAN, Rita Ora is definitely growing on me.  For me, her sound lacks originality at the moment.  "Shine Ya Light" in particular sounds a bit too similar to something Barbadian dance/pop queen Rihanna might have put out a couple of years ago but she's definitely got the chops to carve out her own niche.  We'll have to see what happens, I guess.

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Folktronica Artist Ellie Goulding Premiers KILLER New Single, 'Anything Could Happen,' Out August 21st; New Album, Halcyon, Due October 9th

Wanna know what song I've been listening to on repeat for the past two days? I'll give you a hint. It's a new song from an artist whose first name is ELLIE.  That's right. Britain's folktronica DARLING (and girlfriend of international DJ extraordinaire Skrillex) is amping up for the release of her sure-to-be EPIC sophomore album, Halcyon which is due October 8th in the UK (Polydor Records) and October 9th in the U.S. via Cherrytree Records/Interscope.  First single, "Anything Could Happen," due August 21st, is absolute perfection in every regard.  Now, excuse me while I crawl into my corner and proceed with the shaking and crying.

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[Hot Video Alert] Cleo Sol - Never The Right Time (Who Do You Love)

It's been a minute since I've done a post about UK soul-pop stunner Cleo Sol and for that, I sincerely apologize.  The talented up & comer just released her major label debut single, "Never The Right Time (Who Do You Love)" on July 9th through Island Records, following some very prominent early spins on BBC Radio 1Xtra, Radio 1 and Choice FM.  Admittedly, I wasn't really feeling the track after the first listen but then I gave it a couple more plays.  NOW, I'm groovin' along to the retro-soul-infused beat. If you're not feeling it right away, definitely give it some time. This one's a grower for sure!

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Kosovo-Born British Singer/Songwriter Rita Ora Drops Hot Debut U.S. Single & Video

Hot off the success of her collaboration with DJ Fresh, Kosovo-born British singer/songwriter Rita Ora is ready to make a splash over on this side of the pond, releasing the video for her debut U.S. single "How We Do (Party)."  Produced by hip-hop hit makers The Runners (Keyshia Cole, Chris Brown, Usher), "How We Do (Party)" is the ultimate party song, borrowing lyrics from Notorious B.I.G.'s 1993 single "Party and Bullshit."  Released March 20th on Jay-Z's Roc Nation, "How We Do (Party)" was written by Andre Davidson, Andrew Harr, Bonnie McKee alongside a troop of other talented songwriters.

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In Case You Missed It...Ellie Goulding on Saturday Night Live

As I mentioned at the end of April, UK folktronica darling Ellie Goulding made her Saturday Night Live debut, appearing on the show's 700th episode, hosted by Tina Fey on Saturday May 7th. Goulding looked AND sounded stunning, singing two songs - "Lights" and "Your Song." The album debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at #129 but re-entered the chart after her Saturday Night Live performance, peaking at #72. Over on the Billboard Digital Albums chart, Lights peaked at an impressive #15.  It just goes to show what some good promotion can do for a talented artist.  Thank God for Cherrytree Records. Ellie's definitely in good hands over here.

Goulding, who recently finished a string of sold out U.S. performances, will be back in the States this summer, performing at the 20th Anniversary Lollapalooza festival in Chicago as well as some as yet un-announced additional dates. According to Ellie via Twitter, we might be hearing about the new tour as early as this next week.  If you still haven't gotten your Ellie fill after watching the below SNL performances, check out Ellie on Live! With Regis and Kelly, where she sang "Lights" on May 17th. Speaking of "Lights," it appears that she's releasing a remix EP for the song next week.  Check out iTunes on May 23rd and download the remixes!  And speaking of iTunes, the Ellie Goulding-assisted Tinie Tempah track "Wonderman" is currently this week's iTunes single of the week so download that HERE.

Check out Ellie Goulding on the web:

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

U.S. Fans: Stream Ellie Goulding's New Album, New UK Single 'Lights' Out March 14th

Who are we kidding here, if you're an Ellie Goulding fan, chances are you already have heard her debut album Lights in it's entirety (I know I've been listening to it since it came out in the UK almost a year ago) but for those of you who HAVE NOT yet heard Lights, YouTube is streaming her entire album from now until the album's release on March 8th. Ellie even recorded little greetings in between tracks, so go and check that out below in the embedded content OR go to YouTube and check it out straight from the source.

If you were planning on pre-ordering a digital copy of the album for yourself, iTunes has that up now if you're interested. The iTunes version has a previously un-released version of "Starry Eyed" from the Cherrytree House. If you haven't picked up tickets yet to see Ellie on tour yet, what are you waiting for? She's already sold out dates in Washington D.C. and San Francisco and here in Boston she's moving things to a larger venue due to high demand. Check out elliegoulding.com/tours for more information and to find out where to snag tickets. I can't wait to see her live!

Ellie Goulding's single with UK rapper Tinie Tempah, "Wonderman" will be out next Monday (March 7th) in the UK, followed on March 14th by her new solo UK single "Lights."  Oh - on a slightly related note check out Ellie Goulding interviewing fellow Brit Jessie J over on Ping.

Check out Ellie Goulding on the web:

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

Hot Video Alert: Tinie Tempah - Pass Out (Live on Jimmy Kimmel Live)

In cased you missed it, here's UK hip-hop star Tinie Tempah making his U.S. television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live, dazzling the audience with his #1 hit record "Pass Out." The performance was FULL of energy, as I expected it to be. "Pass Out" is currently available to download on U.S. iTunes (HERE) and it's the first single taken off his forthcoming American debut, Disc-Overy, due out May 3rd on Capitol Records. You can also check out Tinie closing out the show with a performance of "Frisky," his Labrinth-assisted second UK single HERE. Tinie will be gracing Coachella for the first time this April, preceded by a U.S. tour. Stay tuned for details!

Check out Tinie Tempah on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//VEVO

Hot Remix Alert: Katy Perry - E.T. (Futuristic Lover) (Suneil S Club Mix)

Bring on the remixes for Katy Perry's fourth single off of her sophomore album, Teenage Dream. While initially, "E.T." was not my first choice, it's grown on me considerably since the first time I heard it. Written by Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Joshua Coleman and produced by Dr. Luke, Ammo and Martin the song is a more appropriate choice for a single than let's say, "Peacock," for example. The song was first released digitally before the album came out as a hype-generating tactic by the label, whereupon the single debuted at #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single will be officially released on February 27th in the UK and on March 1st in America.

To date, all of Perry's Teenage Dream singles have been remixed for the clubs, so a remix package for "E.T." seems imminent. Confirmed official remixers thus far are Manhattan Clique, Dave Audé and DJ Tiësto. There's also an official radio remix featuring UK rapper Tinie Tempah which is generating some interest at the moment.

On the unofficial remix front we have a fantastic mix by Suneil S, an Edinburgh-based producer/remixer. Suneil S. released his first single back in 2007 and has been making strides and improving upon his work ever since. In addition to creating fresh, new sounds Suneil has received support from big names in the the electronic music scene including Rasmus Faber, Axwell, StoneBridge, Jerome Isma-Ae, Timo Maas, Tomcraft, Jesse Voorn and many more. This year, Suneil S takes his knowledge and passion for electronic music to the airwaves with a weekly resident show alongside DJ Kay-Dee for Serbia's AS FM, showcasing the finest in House music. Check his fantastic remix of the new Katy Perry single, "E.T." below and if you like what you hear, DOWNLOAD it for yourself.

Katy Perry - E.T. (Suneil S Club Mix) by Suneil S

Check out Suneil S on the web:

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Tinie Tempah To Appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Debut Album Due in May

The tides are shifting folks. I think my musical tastes may be evolving yet again. The more I listen to Tinie Tempah, the more I start to question my musical interests. While Hip-hop has never been a genre of music that I've shied away from, it's never been a genre that I've sought out or craved. In the past I would listen to a hip-hop song I liked over and over again, but that would be the end of it. Now, I don't know what it is with Tinie Tempah, but I just can't get enough.

Yes - there are HUGE differences between U.S. hip-hop and UK hip-hop. Artists like Tinie, N-Dubz, Example, Plan B, and Professor Green infuse different styles of music into their hip-hop beats, primarily of the the electronica persuasion. I think it's this melding of genres that initially captured my attention and made me listen. 2010 turned out to be a tremendous year for Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu Jr. (AKA Tinie Tempah). Not only did his debut album go #1 on the Official UK Album Charts but Tinie has two #1 hits ("Pass Out," "Written In The Stars") and four Top 5 singles under his belt. As if that wasn't enough to brag about, Tinie won two MOBO awards (including one for 'Best Newcomer'), was nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award and has 4 pending BRIT Award nominations this year (the BRITS will air on February 15th). WOW!

With the UK eating out of his palm, Tinie Tempah now turns his his sights on the US as he prepares to release his debut album in America this Spring. As the 'best selling UK newcomer of 2010,' Tinie hopes his international success translates into Stateside success. His debut album, Disc-Overy is due out on Capitol Records May 3rd and will feature songs from his UK debut as well as new material recorded just for the album's U.S. release. Things are looking up for Tinie as MTV has already named him an "Artist to Watch in 2011" and Entertainment Weekly named "Written In The Stars" the next big hit of 2011" (download it on iTunes HERE).

To help promote the album's U.S. release Tinie Tempah will be bringing his energy to various festivals including Coachella, Ultra Music Festival and SXSW. A full fledged U.S. tour is also expected in March with tour dates and venues to be announced shortly. In the meantime, catch Tinie Tempah in his first ever U.S. television performance this upcoming Wednesday, February 2nd when her performs "Pass Out" on Jimmy Kimmel Live.  "Pass Out" is currently available to download on the iTunes U.S. store HERE.

Check out the videos for "Pass Out" and "Written In The Stars" below and the video for his next UK single, "Wonderman" featuring Ellie Goulding HERE. "Wonderman," is due out March 6th.

Check out Tinie Tempah on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//VEVO

Hot Video Alert: Tinie Tempah feat. Ellie Goulding - Wonderman

Inspired by 70s American TV series The Six Million Dollar Man, the video for Tinie Tempah's new single "Wonderman," features Tinie in the title role. After being injured in space, Tempah is outfitted with bionic parts including an arm, leg, eye, ear not to mention super human spped and strength. Together, these new parts turn Tinie Tempah into an unstoppable force of good. A hero if you will. British singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding portrays a scientist assigned to oversee Tinie's transformation and progress throughout. While Goulding claims to have done her own stunts for the video, those scenes appear to have been cut from the final video as Goulding is only seen watching Tinie through a glass window or standing over him taking notes. No matter, the video is chock-full of death defying stunts, awesome special effects and two of my favorite British artists. All in all, a very solid video.

"Wonderman" will be released in the UK on March 6th via Parlophone Records. The Labrinth-produced single entered the UK Singles Chart at #45 - the week after Tinie's debut album, Disc-Overy came out. Here's hoping that, come March, the single has a nice, impressive debut on the charts. It definitely deserves it! If you're in the UK you can check out the video below (U.S. fans try HERE). Make sure you also check out Tinie and Ellie performing the song live last Thursday at the Brit Awards 2011 Launch Party. Wow Ellie! Quite the impressive drum solo. Maybe they'll both do the song live again at Coachella?

Check out Tinie Tempah on the web:

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

New Tinie Tempah Video Out Saturday, Debut U.S. Album Out In March

THIS IS GONNA BE EPIC! Tinie Tempah's NEXT single has been announced as the Ellie Goulding-assisted "Wonderman." According to Electroqueer, the single has a March 7th release date in the UK but the video is premiering this Saturday, January 22nd. "Wonderman" will be the fifth single lifted off of Tempah's debut album, Disc-Overy (DL Records Ltd./Parlophone), succeeding "Invincible" which features frequent David Guetta-collaborator Kelly Rowland (of Destiny's Child fame).  I wasn't such a fan of Rowland's contribution to the album but add Ellie Goulding to a track and you have be HOOKED!

Tempah has really blew up in his native UK last year! Two #1 singles ("Pass Out" & "Written In The Stars" with Eric Turner)? Two Top Five singles? ("Frisky" with Labrinth & "Miami 2 Ibiza" with Swedish House Mafia), oh and not to mention Disc-Overy went Platinum in the UK, with over 300,000 albums sold. DAMN!  Quite the year.

While, to date, "Invincible" has been Tempah's lowest charting single, peaking at #11, I don't think he has anything to worry about. Success seems to be following Tinie Tempah internationally, where single #3 "Written In The Stars" was certified Gold in both Australia AND New Zealand.  American fans, don't feel left out! Tinie Tempah's Disc-Overy album is set to make it's stateside debut on March 22nd via Capitol Records. While we're all waiting, be sure to check out this fierce little trailer for the forthcoming "Wonderman" video. I bet the remixes for this one are gonna be off the hook!  The single hasn't even officially been released yet and it's already charting on the Official UK Singles Chart at #45. I'll be back with more on the video this weekend after it premieres on Saturday. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the FANTASTIC Star Wars (?)-inspired artwork (above) and the trailer (below). Can't wait for "Wonderman!"

Check out Tinie Tempah on the web:

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