[Hot Video Alert] Will Young - I Just Want A Lover

I have to say, I've been super impressed by Will Young's recent string of music videos.  Each one has been more beautiful/interesting/artistic than the next.  Will's latest video for "I Just Want a Lover" dropped yesterday and once again, just like "Losing Myself" before it, this video is absolute perfection.

Read more »

Hot Video Alert: Will Young - Losing Myself

I'm not quite sure how I missed this one, but I had to do a post spotlighting Will Young's brilliant new single, "Losing Myself."  The song is the third single lifted off Young's fifth studio effort, Echoes, which was released last August via RCA/Sony Music.  The album peaked at #1 on the UK Albums Chart and spawned the stunning Top 5 hit single "Jealousy."  

"Losing Myself" was produced by Richard X, who served as the primary producer on all of Young's Echoes album. Co-written by Young and Pascal Gabriel, the single is yet another flaw-free cut taken from the album, and a follow up to "Come On," which featured a brilliantly beautiful video.  All three of Young's Echoes-era singles have featured STUNNING music videos and "Losing Myself," directed by Henry Schofield, is no exception.  Check out the video featuring Young and four attractive male dancers, as they dance (mostly) in sync to a cleverly choreographed routine set in a beautiful modern home.

Read more »

Hot Video Alert: Will Young - Come On

The original winner of Pop Idol (the UK reality series and precursor to the X-Factor) Will Young has had a long and illustrious pop career spanning nine years, quite impressive considering he's only 32 years old.  Since the release of debut #1 album, 2002's From Now On, Young has amassed a total of three #1 albums, not to mention two top 5 albums.  On the singles front, Young has been fairly successful as well, releasing four #1 singles and six top 5 albums. Not too shabby Mr. Young.  So what happened with the release of his seventeenth single, "Come On?"  The song has the misfortune of becoming Young's lowest charting single to date, peaking at a disappointing #83.  Has Young lost his mojo? God, I hope not.

Originally a 2009 single by British electro-duo Kish Mauve, Young' cover was released November 21st from his fifth studio album Echoes.  The album was entirely produced by electro-mastermind Richard X, with songwriting credits from various top English talent, including longtime Will Young collaborator, Andy Cato, Fred Falke, The Sound of Arrows, Richard Stannard, Pascal Gabriel and more.  The album, which was released this past August became Young's third #1 album and spawned the top 5 hit single "Jealousy."  The fact that the album's second single barely cracked the top 100 does not bode well for any of the album's future singles, which makes me nervous.  Would Young's long-time label drop him for one low charting single taken from a #1 album? I sure hope not.

What really MAKES this song for me is the heartwarming and heartbreaking video clip, directed by Chris Sweeney.  The video tells the tale of a boy (i.e. Will Young) and his dog.  A flashback sequence mid-way through the video fills in some details about the boy's history with the charmingly adorable mutt.  Back in the present, Young is showing his dog at a Crufts-like dog show of some kind.  Surrounded by perfectly primped and pretty pups, Young's mutt stands out for what he is...a mutt. After the dog bumbles his way through some obstacles, injuring his paw, the dog turns it around and delivers for his master and best friend.  Watching the video, it's impossible not to tear up a bit watching these two together.  The video serves as a perfectly thought out complement to an already beautiful song.  Why this song and video failed to connect with music-listeners is beyond me.  I hope Young can turn things around with his next single.  He's far too talented to have this be it. 

Look out for "Come On" remixes by Cahill, which you can download on UK iTunes HERE. Also check out Will Young on the UK horror series "Bedlam," in which he plays a charmingly nerdy tenant in a haunted apartment complex which used to serve as a mental hospital.

Check out Will Young on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//YouTube//iTunes (U.S.)

Hot Video Alert: Will Young - Jealousy

"Jealousy" is hands down my favorite Will Young song to date. There's nothing about this song that I don't like. It's absolute perfection. From Young's tender vocal delivery, to the driving beats provided by producer Richard X, "Jealousy" is an electropop masterpiece through and through. Unlike many truly ACE songs, the complementary video for "Jealousy" is equally as perfect. Directed by Diamond Dogs (Olly Williams and Phil Sansom) (The Hoosiers, Rumblestrips) "Jealousy" tells the story of impossible love. Will Young portrays a young trapezist who's heart belongs to a fellow trapeze artist. As he follows the young guy around looking all forlorn and depressed, we soon learn the reason for his sadness...he's in love with someone else. This stunning video serves as the perfect counterpart to an already perfect musical specimen. 

I absolutely LOVE where Will Young is headed, musically speaking.  I think as a young artist, you've got quite a few chances to refine your sound and grow as a musician and at the age of 32, Will Young certainly has grown.  When Young's Groove Armada collaboration, "History" was released I started to get excited.  There had been rumblings around rumorville that Will was working on a more dance-pop sounding record, however aside from a few obligatory dance remixes there was nothing to show for those rumors.  Enter "History" and all of my wishin' & hopin' suddenly became a reality.  "Jealousy" appears to be a continuation of that electro sound that Young experimented with on "History."  According to Young in an interview on STYLIST.co.uk, this new sound is something he'd been wanting to do for a while.

"My music has evolved a fair bit and I would say this is an electro-pop album. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for around six years and this felt like the right time to change musical direction. The music still retains an essence of me so it doesn’t feel like I’ve done something dishonest." {SOURCE}

"Jealousy" was co-written by Young and UK electro duo Kish Mauve (Kylie Minogue - "2 Hearts," "All The Lovers") and produced by Richard X (Róisín Murphy, Sophie Ellis-Bextor), who consequently produced Young's entire fifth studio album, entitled Echoes. Serving alongside the talented Mr. Young we have an impressive array of talented songwriters including Fred Falke, Andy Cato (Groove Armada), Richard Stannard, Kish Mauve, the Sound of Arrows, and Pascal Gabriel. Echoes is due out in the UK on August 22nd and is preceded by the release of "Jealousy" on the 21st.  Check out this video of Young performing the song live for the first time on Alan Carr: Chatty Man and check out the stunning video below (U.S. fans you can watch it HERE).

Check out Will Young on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//YouTube//iTunes (U.S.)

Hot Video Alert: Olly Murs - Please Don't Let Me Go

Olly Murs may very well be my next pop crush. While he may have lost to Joe McElderry on the sixth series of X-Factor, he's already got the 1UP, releasing the first post-X-Factor single from his debut album, due out in September on Epic/Syco Music. Close your eyes and "Please Don't Let Me Go" could very well be another Will Young single. Open your eyes and...well...same story. Murs shares many similarities to Young and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, I'm hoping his album shows a bit more pop variety.

The video features Murs as a guest at a "Summer Solstice Garden Party" along with a myriad of other colorful characters (including an eccentric, boozy old lady with a dog). Amongst the guests we meet the object of Murs' desires, a pretty young lady playing hard to get. The video is fun, summery and safe, much like the song itself. Not a bad first effort but we'll have to see how the song charts when it's released on August 30th.

Co-written by Murs, Steve Robson and Claude Kelly, Murs is also known to be collaborating with Roy Stride from Scouting For Girls, John Shanks, Eg White, Trevor Horn, Wayne Hector and Matty Benbrook on his debut album. "Please Don't Let Me Go" will be available as a CD and digital download, with b-side called "This Ones For The Girls." Also worth noting, Digital Dog has remixed Murs' debut single. Given how remixable Will Young's music is, I'm sure this single will lend itself well to the dance genre.

Tracklisting:

1. Digital Dog Club Mix

2. Digital Dog Dub

3. Digital Dog Radio Edit

4. Radio Edit

Check out Olly Murs on the web:

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

Dim The Lights, and Here We Go...

Download Lee DeWyze's New Single, "Beautiful Day" on iTunes

The 9th season of American Idol came to a close last night with the crowning of the newest singing sensation, Chicago's own Lee DeWyze. While Crystal Bowersox was originally my first choice to win, Lee may just have won me over in the end. Since the beginning of the competition Lee was definitely a front-runner for me, but a series of misses (i.e. - "Chasing Cars," "Lips of an Angel," "Fireflies") had me second guessing myself. It wasn't until his Top 12 performance of The Rolling Stones' "Beast Of Burden" that I really started to see what I saw during his audition round in Chicago.



Not only is he dreamy, but he's got this little-bit-rough, lotta-bit-soulful voice that exudes both sensuality and vulnerability at the same time and when he hits his stride...MAN can he sing. The boy's got pipes! While there were a few mis-steps along the way (i.e. - "A Little Less Conversation," "Kiss From A Rose,")...and a shockingly disappointing finale week performance (where his nerves got the best of him), he pulled it out in the end and won over America's vote. I was nervous last night. Well...nervous AND excited. I was still straddling the fence last night and when Lee faltered during...all of his performances...I thought that there was a shred of hope for Crystal to win, since she knocked it out of the park. After watching the finale though, I feel really good about the end result.

Watching Lee get choked up even before Ryan Seacrest announced him as the next American Idol got ME all emotional. This guy REALLY wanted to win and in the end, I think he deserved it. After being panned WEEK over WEEK for not showing how much he WANTED THIS title...after watching the last few minutes, how can you not see his passion? He was practically wearing it on his sleeve. Congratulations Lee DeWyze! Well done. Well deserved. Lee's single, a cover U2's "Beautiful Day" is available for download now.

Download Crystal Bowersox's New Single "Up To The Mountain" on iTunes

I generally dread the American Idol finale. Almost as much as I dread "Idol Gives Back" and 3/4 of every single Results Show. There's just SO MUCH FILLER! It drives me crazy! That being said...I was pleasantly surprised by this years finale (granted, due to a Comcast issue I missed the first 30 minutes or so). While I'm sure much of the spectacle of it all had to do with Simon Cowell's last appearance on the show...that didn't mean that it was any less spectacular. American Idol delivered quite an enjoyable finale.

Let's first talk Idol singles..."Beautiful Day" by U2 for Lee...and Patty Smith's "Up To The Mountain" for Crystal. OK...well...I need to brush up on my Patty Smith I quite enjoyed Crystal's performance last night. It's a song that fits her vocal style and her whole vibe. "Beautiful Day" is another good fit for Lee's voice and style. It's...as Kara would say...very commercial, which is good. Lee's got a commercial vibe about him that I think will do better on mainstream radio, and his cover of "Beautiful Day" may go on to prove that point. Gone are the days where American Idols release a cheesy, saccharine piece of pop-garbage (i.e. "A Moment Like This," "This Is My Now") and THANK GOD for that. I've always thought that the American Idols should release cover songs as singles. That's what the X-Factor contestants do! In my opinion, a good American Idol cover song has a much higher likelihood of actually being played on mainstream top 40 radio. Also...don't the contestants spend all season singing covers? Why derail the train just to give some college student the chance to get his or her songwriting break. Keep the momentum going with an updated COVER song. Well done American Idol. Well done.

Let's briefly talk about the finale spectacle itself...starting with Will Young's performance of "Leave Right Now" on Tuesday night's show. Loved seeing Will performing in America, although too bad he was singing over a Season 9 Montage and no one was paying attention. Last night's finale had several highlights for me. The first being an appearance from Ms. Paula Abul, who gave her buddy Simon a proper send off. To that end, the parade of Idol contestants, all singing "Together We Are One" really teared me up. I don't think it was the performance itself...because that was a cluster, I think it was more seeing everyone on stage in one place. Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Jordin Sparks, Taylor Hicks, Kris Allen...and a whole slew of past contestants all marched on stage and sang their hearts out. Very touching. Seeing Janet Jackson perform was also quite wonderful. She hasn't lost one bit of...anything over the years. Ms. Jackson (if I'm nasty) has still got it going on. Love her new hair by the way, don't you? Solid.

All in all a very entertaining Finale. Given what a shit show this past season was, I am surprised by how much I loved the last 3 hours of the season. The final 2 deserved to be at the top. Crystal, despite not winning is going to be JUST FINE. I look forward to watching the journey these two talented kids are about to embark on. It's going to be quite the ride, I'm sure.

Check out American Idol on the web:

Official Site

Will Young To Release New 'Best Of' Album in the U.S. and Perform on American Idol Finale

Well this is promising. Since they started using Will Young's song "Leave Right Now" as the contestant exit song on American Idol, I guess U.S. interest has been peaked. I don't think this is a bad thing in the slightest...in fact...it's about time! Our American Idols are promoted overseas! How come UK winners aren't? Well...I suppose that's all different now...Leona Lewis has done alright for herself stateside, and Alexandra Burke is supposedly going to be introduced to U.S. audiences at some point (although who knows when) but Will Young was the original Pop Idol in the UK, so what's the delay? I guess his genre of music, straight up pop, isn't such a big deal here in the States, with radio favoring urban-tinged pop music over traditional pop. Nonetheless, I'm excited that the label is giving America the chance to check him out.

Leave Right Now is an 8-track compilation of Will's hits from his last 3 studio albums (music from his debut, From Now On, was ignored) and will be released via Jive/19 Recordings on CD May 25th. I noticed the album on iTunes back on May 4th (when it came out digitally, preceded by the single's digital release on March 31st) and thought that was it...that it would just be a digital release to satisfy American Idol viewers who wanted to hear more from the singer (his first 3 albums are already available to download on iTunes here). Now that it's getting a physical U.S. release, I wonder what that means for Will Young's future in the U.S.? Hopefully something. I'm still loving his Groove Armada collaboration and hope it sees the light of day (as a single) and there's been nothing new recently on rumors of his forthcoming dance album. Whatever Young's deal is, I'm glad that 19 Recordings is shining the spotlight on him here in America. I'll say it again...it's about time! Check out Will Young performing "Leave Right Now" on the May 25th finale of American Idol.

Check out the video for "Leave Right Now," which is also available to download on Will's U.S. iTunes store.



Track Listing:

1. Leave Right Now (As Heard On American Idol Season 9)

2. Your Game (Album Version)

3. Friday's Child

4. Switch It On

5. All Time Love

6. Who Am I

7. Changes (Album Version)

8. Grace

Check out Will Young on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//YouTube//iTunes (U.S.)

Groove Armada and Will Young Make 'History'

Will Young

I'd been hearing about the Will Young/Groove Armada collaboration for a while before Groove Armada's new album, Black Light was finally released. THIS is the kind of music Mr. Young should be putting out. His voice is just so well suited to this style. FLAWLESS. The song is called "History" and you can see Young performing it live on Jonathan Ross' show on BBC 1 below. If this isn't a single from Black Light I'll be very disappointed. The fact that it's being performed live and promoted is a good sign, right?

Young confirmed last year that he's working on a dance album, collaborating with the likes of Superbass as well as Groove Armada and Gregg Alexander. In addition to the dance album, Young is also at work on an album of cover songs by playwright/composer/director/actor/singer Noel Coward.

Young will be co-headlining with Bananarama at this year's Osborne House Summer Concerts on The Isle of Wight. Young will be performing on Saturday July 31st, and Bananarama the following Sunday. You can get tickets now by clicking HERE.

Check out Will Young on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//YouTube

In My Stocking...

Let the post holiday spending begin! Last week I got myself a pair of the BOSE ear buds. So far so good. The sound quality is excellent and they are very comfortable. I think they are quieter than my iPod ear buds which is also a plus. I don't want anyone to tell me to turn my music down AND there's nothing I dislike more than hearing someone elses music on the train or bus.

In addition, I did a little shopping on CDWow.com. They were having a post-holiday 40% - 80% off sale for CDs, DVDs and other things, running till New Years Eve. With their free shipping and large selection of imports, I thought I'd stock up. Here's the rundown on what I got:

CHERYL COLE - 3 WORDS

I've been listening to Cheryl Cole's album non-stop since it leaked. It's really a quality pop album, if you ask me. While there is a little bit too much of will.I.Am for my liking, the tracks are all solid. I'm absolutely loving the second single, "3 Words," featuring Mr. will.I.Am. The video for that single is absolutely stunning. I also dig the forthcoming 3rd single which has been announced as "Parachute." Check out Cheryl on the cover of UK music magazine, Q, on newsstands now. Hot Tracks: "3 Words," "Parachute," "Fight For This Love," "Rain On Me," "Heaven"

ALICIA KEYS - ELEMENT OF FREEDOM

I haven't purchased an Alicia Keys album since her debut. I'm honestly not too sure why I purchased this, her fourth album. Keys is undoubtedly talented but lately her genre of music as a whole just hasn't impressed me that much. I think that given my state of mind of late, more mellow sounds are calming and relaxing to me, rather than the driving dance/electro beats that I've craved up until now. I'm always on the lookout for that next emotional ballad to unlock the waterworks in my eyes. With Keys' knack for writing emotive and passionate songs, combined with her crazy piano and vocal skills - it's pretty safe to assume that there are some cry-worthy songs on this album. Hot Tracks: "Doesn't Mean Anything," "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart," "Wait Til You See Me Smile," "Love Is My Disease," "Put It In A Love Song," "Through It All," "Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down," "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"

LEONA LEWIS - ECHO

Leona Lewis' second album has been growing on me in the months since my initial review. The more I listen to Echo, the more easily I am able to connect to it. My initial complaint was that there weren't enough up-tempo numbers, with Lewis instead resorting to her standard brand of "boring" ballads. Perhaps that was unfair. There's definitely a place for big ballads. Not every artist needs to sing up-tempo Gaga-esque dance tracks. At this time in my life, I need all of the big, beautiful sad ballads I can get my hands on. I guess you can say that this purchase was an emotional one. Leona releases "I Got You" next in the States and rumor has it that "Outta My Head" will serve as the next international single. Both are stand outs in my opinion. Hot Tracks: "I Got You," "Love Letter," "Fly Here Now," "Brave," "Alive," "Outta My Head," "Broken"

WILL YOUNG - THE HITS

Will Young is one of my biggest celebrity crushes. The handsome singer/actor has struck me ever since I first heard of him back when his career was just taking off in the UK. Not only is Young a talented singer, but he's also a role model, coming out as a gay man. He also had brilliant role in Mrs. Henderson Presents..., a beautiful little British film. It's hard to believe that this young talent (only 30 years old) has had four albums out since winning Pop Idol back in 2002. His greatest hits album (titled The Hits) features 12 songs taken from his first four albums, plus two new tracks - single "Hopes & Fears," and "If It Hadn't Been For Love." Young has a reportedly brilliant collaboration with Groove Armada and is rumored to be working on a more dance/electro album for his next project. Well...we know how well that turned out for Robbie Williams (see Rudebox) but I love Will and think a dance album will really suit his voice. Hot Tracks: "Leave Right Now," "Your Game," "Friday's Child," "Switch It On," "All Time Love," "Who Am I," "Changes," "Hopes & Fears"

ALEXANDRA BURKE - OVERCOME

I think Alexandra Burke's debut album was what I was looking for in Leona Lewis' second album. There are ballads but there are also plenty of up-tempo club friendly tracks. That being said, I think there's room for both artists. As I mentioned above, I've really become attached to Leona's Echo. Alexandra's album is definitely suited for the U.S. Top 40 market and may even get some play on U.S. R&B radio stations. Leona's album is definitely more suited for adult contemporary radio stations, though it seems to be getting some play on mainstream radio as well. Regardless, I have space on my iPod for both X-Factor winners. They both do their own thing and do it well. Burke will reportedly be re-tooling her debut album for U.S. markets, but will be releasing the same videos that have already seen a UK release. U.S. audiences can expect Burke's new album to drop sometime in 2010. Hot Tracks: "Bad Boys," "Broken Heels," "Nothing But The Girl," "You Broke My Heart," "Overcome," "It's Over"

In addition, I snagged these albums:

WHITNEY HOUSTON - I LOOK TO YOU

JOSS STONE - COLOUR ME FREE

THE SATURDAYS - WORDSHAKER

THE SATURDAYS - CHASING LIGHTS

ANNIE - DON'T STOP

JAMIE CULLUM - THE PURSUIT

DAVID GUETTA - ONE LOVE

Next week (January 5th) I'll likely be picking up brand new albums by Katharine McPhee (Unbroken) and the debut album, Animal by Ke$ha. Oh and January 26th sees the release of the much anticipated album The Sea by Corinne Bailey Rae. Lots of good music coming in the New Year.

Massive Album Art Update - Part 2

This is a huge album artwork. So huge in fact that I couldn't put in all of the labels that I normally would have - one for each artist. Oh well! A majority of these covers came from Coverlandia. Enjoy!

"Make Me" is the new song from Janet Jackson and has been called a tribute to her brother Michael's single "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and will be part of her second compilation album, the double disc, 30-track Number Ones which is due for a release on November 17th. I enjoy Janet Jackson and am excited about the new single. I wish her nothing but success. Girl definitely needs it, as her last two albums have not done well in the charts.

To be honest, I haven't really gotten into the new Gossip CD. Maybe that's because it hasn't been officially released in CD format here in the states. It came out on iTunes here in June but that's not enough for me. The only time I buy digital CDs is when there's an "exclusive" remix included...and then I go purchase the album version as well. Well...it's finally coming out here in the states on October 6th and will include a new track, "The Breakdown." Gossip is coming to Boston on Sunday October 11th and I'd love to see them. I just need to find someone to go with. "Love Long Distance" is the new single out in the UK and you can watch the video HERE.





This is the second UK single from Swedish pop star Agnes Carlsson. A follow up to "Release Me," "I Need You Now" was written by Anders Hansson and Sharon Vaughn and has been remixed for the clubs by Cahill, Almighty, Grant Nelson, Ali Payama, Kindervater and Alex K. Sounds hot! The single will be out November 16th digitally, followed by the physical CD release. Nice lineup here for the remixes. Sounds good! Check out the UK radio edit HERE.

Here's the official album and single artwork for the debut Alexandra Burke single. I'm only disappointed because she's wearing practically the same outfit that she's wearing in both the promotional photos released prior to the single. I do like the whole silver thing she's got going on but I was just hoping for a little something extra. Oh well. The song is still fun, as is the video. I'm also enjoying the Moto Blanco remixes of the track and hope that the label releases some more.

"Doesn't Mean Anything" is the new single from R&B singer, Alicia Keys. I have to admit that it's pretty damn good. I have to agree with ArjanWrites when he calls it "her poppiest work to date." Check out the single HERE and let me know if you like it. Buy it on iTunes HERE. As far as the artwork goes - it's nice. While I prefer artwork with a photo of the artits, this is quite...pretty? Anyway - good stuff here.

In Love & War: The Prelude is the album sampler preceding the upcoming 4th studio album from R&B singer Amerie. The sampler contains six tracks (some full tracks, some snippets). Not bad...Amerie looks hot and the artwork is really cool and different. I haven't really liked an Amerie song since "1 Thing" and "Talkin' To Me" but I'm willing to give her another chance. Hopefully this long-delayed album will be a smash for her. She's got talent - that's not even a question. The album drops on November 2nd in the UK and on November 3rd in the U.S.

YAWN. Don't get me wrong, like any good gay I enjoy Barbara Streisand. Love Is The Answer, her new album of jazz standards (out September 29th) just sounds like a snooze to me. Perhaps if we see some remixes here I might get into it but otherwise, I'm going to have to pass. Apparently, the album was recently promoted on QVC, including a special edition DVD. Funny - QVC definitely seems like the best way to reach her target audience these days. Anyone out there excited for new Barbara?

"Be On You" is the official 4th single off of the Flo-Rida album R.O.O.T.S. Produced by hitmakers, Stargate this new single continues in the tradition of hot collaborations that make up the entire album - this time, it's R&B stud Ne-Yo. The single will be released on October 6th. I've liked nearly every other single off of R.O.O.T.S. so I'm sure this one will be no different. Looking forward to any potential remixes as well. Should be hot.

"Fever" is the second official single off of the new Cascada album, Evacuate The Dancefloor. The single is coming out in Germany on October 2nd. I like this cover - Natalie Horler looks GOOD. She also looks HOT in the video, which you can check out HERE. Remixes come to us from Ryan Thistlebeck, Ian Carey, D.O.N.S and Mowgli/Bagheera.

Cheryl Cole (formerly Tweedy) is a member of top selling UK girl group, Girls Aloud, judge on Britain's X-Factor as well as a budding solo artist. Her first single as a solo artist is "Fight For This Love" and it's got JAM written all over it. Written by Steve Kipner, Andre Merritt and Wayne Wilkins, it's due to be released in the UK on October 19th. Off of her upcoming album on Fascination Records, Three Words (out October 26th). I'm really feeling the music video which features Cheryl singing and dancing her way into the spotlight. I hope and pray that this doesn't lead to ALL of the Girls Aloud members to release solo albums causing the group to split. That would be a sad day. Anyway, I'm loving this album and single artwork. Cheryl looks stunning. The script is a little hard to read, but other than that it's quite nice. Check out the video HERE.

"Cowboy Casanova" is the lead single off of country singer and American Idol winner Carrie Underwood's third album, Play On (out November 3rd). I've said before that I don't much care for country music, but I make an exception when it comes to Carrie Underwood. She's beautiful, she's talented and I think she has MASSIVE pop crossover potential. That being said, I don't think she should pull a Leann Rimes and switch genres. She should stick to her guns and keep on making country records. "Cowboy Casanova" is not pop music by any means, but it's certainly crossing over into pop territory a teeny tiny bit. It's got all of the necessary country TWANG without being TOO much. Well done Ms. Underwood. Well done. Check out the song HERE. The single is out in the U.S. now and comes out in the UK on September 27th.

AWKWARD! David Archuleta looks like a deer caught in the headlights. It looks like Archie has been watching a little too much Tyra and smiling with his eyes. Yikes. He looks awful here - pale, scared out of his wits and frankly, just creepy. Anyway, this is Archuleta's second studio album - Christmas From The Heart, out October 13th.

Fixin' To Thrill is the second full-length studio album from Canadian electro outfit, Dragonette. The band features the talents of singer/songwriter Martina Sorbara, bassist/producer Dan Kurtz, guitarist Chris Hugget and drummer Joel Stouffer. The first single is the title track, available now on iTunes with remixes from Don Diablo. I am loving the creativity here on this cover. WOW. So cool! It's like a creepy, cool collage of some kind. The album is out on September 29th.

"Admit It" is the second official single from Justin Timberlake protege, Esmée Denters. Off of her debut album, Outta Here (out January 11th in the UK) "Admit It" is the follow up to her 1st single, "Outta Here" and was written by Denters herself and was produced by Justin Timberlake and Toby Gad. The video was released on September 3rd. The single is out in the UK on December 28th. Check out the video HERE.

Like It Like That is the fifth album from Australian Idol, Guy Sebastian. Due to be released on October 23rd it's preceded by the album's title track and first single which came out August 7th in Australia. Debuting at number 6 on the ARIA singles chart, it finally hit #1 and becomes Sebastian's 4th #1 single down under. Sebastian still has plans to come back to America and release an album here. Hopefully this is the case, as we're always looking for young, fresh talent and Sebastian's blend of R&B, Soul and Jazz would be a welcome, refreshing change. On the album cover...Sebastian looks totally bad ass. I love it.

"Break Up Song" is the second single (and title of their forthcoming album) from the Boston-based girl group Jada, currently signed to Universal/Motown Records. I have to say that I quite enjoyed their debut single, "American Cowboy" (which was featured on an episode of the hit TV show House) and the fact that they are from Boston is kind of cool, given that's where I live. The girls call the song chill and mid-tempo. Hmm. "American Cowboy" was up-tempo and fun. I hope this new single is a worthy follow up.

The Pursuit is the title of the new album by English jazz crooner Jamie Cullum. Released on November 10th, this will be Cullum's 5th album. Produced by Greg Wells (Katy Perry, OneRepublic and Deftones) and preceded by first single "I'm All Over It," this could be a cool album. I enjoyed Cullum's third album, Twentysomething but could not find a memorable track on the follow up, Catching Tales. These producers have me thinking that Cullum has something going on here with the new record and I'm hoping that I'm right.

This is the new live album/DVD from American singer/songwriter Jason Mraz. Recorded in Chicago, the album officially comes out on November 10th but can be pre-ordered on Jason's official website now. If you pre-order the album now on Jason Mraz's official store you'll receive the record before it's in stores (on or around October 27th). Pretty exciting if you're a die hard Jason Mraz fan. Fun and whimsical - I love this cover - just like I love Mraz and his easy-breezy vocal style.

"Body Language" is the new single from actor/singer Jesse McCartney. Man - I can't believe that they are still milking this record for singles. It came out in May of 2008 originally, followed by a re-release in April of 2009. "Body Language" was one of the new tracks included on the re-release version of Departure, Depature: Recharged and features a guest appearence from T-Pain. Yes, Jesse McCartney is a cougar-magnet. That being said, I'd rather not see some sexy, scantily-clad silhouette on the sleeve artwork. Put a photo of the guy on the single artwork. He's too good looking to be ignored. Listen to the single HERE. Buy the single HERE.

JLS (Jack the Lad Swing) are a British boyband who made their first appearence in Britain's X-Factor Season 5, where they came in 2nd to winner Alexandra Burke. Signing to Epic Records, JLS released their debut single, "Beat Again" in the UK this past summer where it went to #1. Follow up single "Everybody In Love" will be released on November 2nd. Produced by hitmaker J.R. Rotem, the single will precede their debut self-titled album, out November 9th.

Belgian pop star Kate Ryan offered me my first taste of europop/dance music back in 2002 when I saw the music video for her fifth single "Libertine," off of the re-release of her debut album Different. French Connection has been billed as a French concept album and is due for release in Canada and France on October 13th and October 23rd respectively. The first single, "Babacar" was released in June and was a cover of France Gall's 1987 song of the same name. In looking at the tracklisting, French Connection appears to feature all French-language tracks - both new and old. I don't know if that's much of a new concept. What does excite me is that included on the album are TWO versions of both "Libertine" and "Desenchantée." The album artwork is a little cheesy with the French flag, but whatever. She looks good. I'm ready to dance.

Kris Allen is just so damn cute that you can't help but crush on him. That being said, Allison Iraheta was my favorite contestant from the last season of American Idol - hands down! I always prefer a female singer to a male singer. I don't know what it is, but girls just tend to have crazy range and better style. Sure, these are both generalizations. Honestly, I'm happy that everyone in the Top 3 received major label contracts. In listening to the lead single off of Allen's debut album, "Live Like We're Dying" and learning that it's actually a cover of a b-side by The Script, I'm left pleasantly surprised. It definitely sounds like a Script song if you ask me, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This single is actually giving me hope for Kris Allen's as yet untitled debut album. The single was released on iTunes on September 25th.

No offense to country music as an institution, but it never used to be this sexy. Female country singers today are sexin' it up to sell records and I don't know - I think it's probably working. Miranda Lambert first gained attention as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star where she came in 3rd. Signed to Epic Records/Columbia Records, Lambert is getting set to release her third album, Revolution on September 29th. Included on the album are singles "Dead Flowers" and "White Liar" along with 13 other songs. You gotta give props to an artist that writes her own stuff and Lambert co-wrote all but 3 of these tracks. Serving as co-writers on this album are boyfriend Blake Shelton, Ashley Monroe, Charles Kelley and David Haywood of Lady Antebellum.

"I Get In" is the new single from former B2K member Omarion. "I Get In" originally leaked this past summer when it featured an appearance by Lil Wayne. After the leak, Omarion asked to be released from Lil Wayne's Young Money Records and has since re-recorded the song with an appearance by Gucci Mane. It recently was announced that Omarion has left SonyBMG and signed on with EMI. His third solo album is called Ollusion and is due to be released November 24th. This single cover has BALLER written all over it. Hot. Looking forward to this.

This appears to be the official artwork for the new Joss Stone album, Colour Me Free, which I mentioned in my last album artwork update. I LOVE this artwork and hope it's for real. Color by number activities were always my favorite sort of coloring book when I was younger. This artwork is fun and creative and I can't wait to hear what the final product sounds like. It's due out on October 20th and preceded by first single "Free Me." Just a side note - that artwork that I showed in my last update wasn't official, in fact it says "Coverlandia" right there on the cover. Oops! Oversight on my part.

French artiste Sliimy (Yanis Sahraoui) released his debut album Paint Your Face on September 8th. First single "Wake Up" features an impressive line up of remixes from the likes of Eddie Amador, Digital Dog, Ian Neiman, Soul Seekerz, and Buzz Junkies. With a sound that's been compared to Prince and a look that's very similar to MIKA, Sliimy is an interesting character for sure. Signed to Perez Hilton's label Perezcious Music Sliimy's "music will make a lot of people smile," according to Hilton. The artist is currently part of Hilton's first ever concert tour performing in cities across the country. I love this album art - colorful and fun. It reminds me of Lily Allen's artwork for Alright, Still. Purchase his album now and purchase the remix EP for "Wake Up" on September 29th.

Wow. Island Records wasted no time in snapping up some cover art with the new Sugababes. Looks like the girls were snapped right there on the set of their new music video for "Get Sexy" follow up single "About A Girl." The girls do look a little trashy here but as I said before, I'm not going to discount the group quite yet. I'm going to wait until I hear what the new lineup sounds like together before I pass judgment. I've said before that I think Jade Ewen is a talented singer and I think that she should be given a shot. The album, Sweet 7 is still due to be released on November 23rd and will be preceded that same month by second single, "About A Girl."

The Killers are releasing a new live album on November 9th in the UK and on November 10th in the U.S. Live From the Royal Albert Hall was recorded in London this past July and features a DVD as well as CD, including footage from festival dates that the band headlined over the summer. The album features tracks from Hot Fuss, Sam's Town, Sawdust and Day & Age. Once again, I absolutely love the whole mosaic style that started with the whole Day & Age album era. I'm pleased to see it still going on with this live album.

The Saturdays are fast becoming one of my favorite of the imports out of the UK. While I like the title Wordshaker better than Colonial Masses, I'm still left with a big question mark in my mind...WTF is a "wordshaker?" As for the album artwork...I like it for the most part. What I'm NOT crazy about is the font color. Pale yellow does NOT pop against the beige background. They designer would have been wiser to choose a black font and it looks like I Popjustice agrees with me. The first single "Forever Is Over" will be released on October 5th, followed by the album on October 12th.

Add this album to my list of must haves this fall. Wow! I am in love with Glee. It's a quirky, cute, cheesy, fun TV show on Fox and it's all about a high school glee club. Featuring fun musical numbers and a terrifically talented cast of young people, I was thrilled when they announced that there would be a series of soundtracks released, starting with The Music, Volume 1. Due out on November 3rd, The Music Volume 1 includes 17 tracks including "Don't Stop Believing" (Journey), "Take A Bow" (Rihanna), "Alone" (Heart), "No Air" (Jordin Sparks), "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (The Supremes), "Sweet Caroline" (Neil Diamond) and "Defying Gravity" (from Wicked) and more. Cannot wait for this! Check out the singles available now on iTunes.

At the age of 30 (WOW), Will Young has come a long way since Pop Idol. Ready to release his first Greatest Hits album on November 16th, The Hits features 12 tracks from Young's first four albums - From Now On, Friday's Child, Keep On, and Let It Go. The album also features 2 bonus tracks, one of which - "Hopes & Fears" will serve as the first single, out on November 8th. The album will come in a standard as well as a deluxe edition, the latter which will include a bonus DVD full of videos. While I'd rather have a new album - especially since his new album is going to be dance/pop, working with Superbass, Groove Armada and Gregg Alexander - I think Young has a lot to be proud of with his career. I've always had a bit of a crush on Will and I think he looks great on both covers.