What do you do when you're a chart-topping popstar whose third album goes unexpectedly below the radar? You come back with stomping electro-rock-pop tunes aplenty and reclaim your status as a world-beater. What do you do then? Take a year out to make your most varied and personal record to date? P!nk did. Is Funhouse enjoyable euphoria or maddening misery?


P!nk - Funhouse
You've probably only avoided P!nk's smash hit comeback single 'So What' if you've been providing a home for insects living under a rock. It boasts the biggest hook arguably by any song since 'Crazy In Love' (though this will age more kindly) and plenty of tongue-in-cheek husband-bashing lyrics ('I'm gonna drink my money, I'm not gonna pay his rent'). No P!nk album is complete without a healthy dose of Max Martin and on So What he delivers his best spunk yet; this is utterly perfect pop. 'Sober' slows the tempo; it's a sad affair with lonely lyrics softly sung until the chorus explodes, sporting a simple syllables-in-pairs hook. Sticking with one producer may have proved more sensible here; Tony Kanal of No Doubt fame and R&B hitmaker Danja both have (vastly different) distinctive styles, but coming together you'd guess it was made by somebody altogether less prolific. The overly-understated production is the only criticism of an otherwise great song which combines melancholy with radio-friendliness effortlessly.

'I Don't Believe You' is a stripped-back ballad which seems placed irrationally early in the tracklist, killing all of the pace created previously. Despite this it's a truly beautiful reminder that whatever feist there may be in P!nk, she's capable of real emotion and longing - and much more of it than the average pop princess. 'One Foot Wrong', the sole contribution from producer Eg White, is an absolute mis-step, a song so sparse and miserable and so without merit that it warrants no repeat listens. Things improve with 'Please Don't Leave Me', an upbeat love song and an obvious hit. The pleading chorus of 'I always say how I don't need you but it's always gonna come right back to this; please, please don't leave me' is packed with a genuine warmth few others can achieve.

The parade through radio territory continues on 'Bad Influence', a party anthem with throwbacks to 2006's 'U & Ur Hand'. P!nk manages to turn the chorus' generic reverb of 'you, you, you' into something altogether more quirky, once again showing off her ability to take a trend and rip it apart. The album's title track is another uptempo with a glorious hook succeeded by a countdown to 'fun'. It feels so tailor-made for arena performances that any low-key showing just would not do; Tony Kanal did a much better job here and it shows, the influences of his own work not exactly hiding in the corner. 'Crystal Ball' takes an opposing route, all stripped-back guitars and softly-uttered vocals. P!nk is so adaptable that she's just as believable cooing 'i'm not scared at all of the cracks in the crystal' as she is boasting about midnight parties and the punch-ups which follow. On 'Mean', a Butch Walker production with more than a hint of country, she poses the question 'how did we get so mean?'. An acknowledgment of her natural flaws, it's something few will struggle to relate to.

'It's All Your Fault' is the heaviest, most rock-infused song on the album, harking back to 2003's 'Last To Know'. It's an unconventional love song which sees P!nk lose patience as she demands some acknowledgement of her efforts; 'I hold my breath because you are perfect, but I'm running out of air, and it's not fair'. The same vibe is carried forward to 'Ave Mary A', whose theme is not altogether dissimilar from that of earlier hit 'Dear Mr President', highlighting the wrongs of the world. It manages to not only pack a punch but convey severe sadness, as our heroine mourns 'where did you go?'. Closer 'Glitter in the Air' sees the return of the subtle vocal delivery over a tinkly piano beat. As ever it's believable and lovely.

Bonus track 'This Is How It Goes Down' pays homage to P!nk's R&B roots, though not without a heavy drum-led intro, but a final highlight is 'Boring', a joyful uptempo brimming with with delicious parody ('if you don't get it right, I'ma be like really really mad! Insert rap here!'). Perhaps it failed to make the cut because P!nk wanted the album to be a little more sensitive and emotional than her previous work, but all the same it's a gem which deserves to be heard.

Funhouse is an album shining with artistic merit. P!nk is quite possibly the most skillful of the mainstream pop stars; her large range and gravelly tones allow for almost any kind of emotion; few others could fit as many contrasting feelings into one song without it sounding contrived or false. It seems the public understand her too; five albums in she's at her peak, selling out arenas like she were the Beatles reunited, setting trends Madonna could only dream of, combining the beauty of operatic divas with the electricity of a rock band.

So is Funhouse enjoyable euphoria or maddening misery? It's both. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

Now, Britney's seen that we're looking at her like she's some kind of freak so she's decided to do somethin'. That somethin' is the release of her second new album in fourteen months. Is Circus a well-staged show or an elephant-ridden mess?


Britney Spears - Circus
Electronic sirens mark the beginning of Britney Spears' record Circus; apt for an electropop artist whose life has been full of turmoil, hospitalisation and court cases for the past 18 months. That's behind the world's favourite pop princess now though, and 'Womanizer' boasts a clear message of 'I'm back'. It's not a perfect piece of urban-pop a la Gimme More by any means; it's repetition soon grates and the middle 8 with it's disasterous 'maybe if we both lived in a different world / but we don't' lyric is barely worthy of a late-stage demo; however it makes a statement and brings a catchy hook to the masses, so it's job done.

On the title track Britney's monotone vocals are layed over a dingy beat with no climax other than a sensual pre-chorus. It's another almost-but-not-quite moment, and as second single it can't even begin to compare with the almighty 'Piece Of Me', Britney's biggest UK hit since 'Everytime'. Things get a little more old-school next; on 'Out From Under', a Guy Sigsworthy slowie, Brit cooes over tinkling piano beats harking back to the more epic aforementioned hit. It's not a retread though, more of a casual nod, and as such it works. 'Kill The Lights' is a banger with Danja production whose lyrics aren't exactly unlike those of 'Piece of Me', but whose hook is altogether different. It's another fairly decent if unspectacular moment and completes the album's reasonable opening quarter.

'Shattered Glass' is where things really begin to pick up. A fierce kiss-off which sees Spears smirk about an ex-lover's loss and her gain, it packs a fantastic chorus which borders on melancholy. It's ridiculously short and an extra verse or a proper middle 8 could easily have been added, but it sports charm aplenty anyway. 'If U Seek Amy' and it's cheeky title mark the first time Britney has worked with current hitmaker of the moment Max Martin since his earlier peak at the turn of the century, when she was an innocent bubblegum pop favourite with little sex appeal. That is corrected here, the raunch stacked high as Britney sighs 'oh baby baby, if u seek amy tonight' over an electronic marching beat not unsimilar to that of P!nk's world-beater 'So What'. It's brilliantly fun, catchy stuff perfectly suited to Spears.

Brit's frequent collaberators Bloodshy & Avant, responsible for 'Toxic' and 'Piece of Me', return to weave their magic on the album's highlight, the beautiful 'Unusual You', a midtempo with a heart-breaking hook of 'didn't anyone tell you you're supposed to break my heart? I expect you to'. What makes it such a winner is a truly believable vocal; the sad vocoded effect placed on Britney's vocal works perfectly and a cute electro-string-aided middle 8 tops it all off. On 'Blur', a guitar-aided mellow number, Britney confesses 'can't remember what I did last night, everything is still a blur'. She may not be a credited co-writer but it seems a fairly realistic scenario given the trauma of her life up until recently.

'Mmm Papi' is as ridiculous as the title would suggest, and by far the most enjoyable uptempo on the album. Britney sounds sexiest when she's not trying; her slight drawl is hugely appealing. It's the sort of song which will likely draw criticism for being deemed trashy but it's actually hugely fun and as radio-friendly as they come. 'Mannequin' ruins the run of highlights with it's throwaway lyrics sung over a trashy, crashing backing track with no distinguishable melody or hook. It rivals 'Boom Boom' as the most dreadful thing Brit has ever lent her vocals to, and rumours of it being the set's third single are worrying to say the least. On Dr. Luke's 'Lace and Leather', Britney chirps trite lyrics over a dramatic, frantic backing track. It's verging on filler but it's enjoyable all the same. 'My Baby', the album's closer and the second and final Sigsworthy ballad, again falls a little limp. The chorus is nice enough but we're in generic arena here, all guitars and high-pitched vocals. Given the album's electro undertones, 'Unusual You' would've been a far more appropriate closer.

Circus boasts some seven bonus tracks over it's release in various territories; first up is 'Radar', which is advertised as a 'new mix'; in reality the changes are so minimal it's barely worth a listen, especially given that the original wasn't exactly a highlight of parent album Blackout. 'Rock Me In' is a fun ditty with production from electropop genius Greg Kurstin; a fast-paced chorus and short song length mean it's gone as fast as it came, but it's a worthwhile addition to any fan's collection. 'Phonography', a Bloodshy number which sounds more Danja, is dark, sexy and delicious. 'I make no apologies, I'm into phonography', our girl informs us; 'talk that sexy to to me!'. Phone sex anthems don't get much better than this. Of the above, the UK only gets 'Radar', which is something of a shame.

'I forgot my name, I forgot my telephone number' Spears apologises on 'Amnesia', a sweet and summery affair with a massive hook. There's no telling what Larry Rudolph was thinking when he chose this album's tracklist, but he needs some sort of punishment because this is clear hit material, one thing the main album is a little low on. Rising star 'Lady GaGa' contributed to 'Quicksand', another light affair with a large reverb hook of the kind so fashionable at present. Again, the song should've made the main tracklist. 'Amnesia' is on the UK edition of Circus and 'Quicksand' is an iTunes-special.

Two more tracks close the affair; 'Rock Boy', an in-your-face pop-rock moment which sounds more Ashlee Simpson than Britney (not a put-down) and is easily forgotten, and 'Trouble', which is infinitely more interesting and features a heavy sample of Madonna's wonderful 'Get Together'. It's a tantilising glimpse into how Britney doing an album of Confessions-esque dark dance would sound, and it's available as an iTunes pre-order bonus.

As a whole, Circus really works. It has a near-perfect balance of fun, sexy, fierce and melancholy, the four ingredients Britney has always done so well. It sports decent songwriting and strong, fresh production and aside from the odd plunker a well-chosen tracklist, although three or four of the bonuses not making the cut is a real shame. Most importantly it tells the world that Britney is still relevant - moreso than ever, even.

She definitely did somethin'.

Continuing with hits collections (and being careful to avoid that dreaded term - you know the one, begins with 'greatest' and ends with 'hits', despite many such CDs being neither great nor hit-packed). The latter brings us squarely on to The Best of Hilary Duff; whilst her greatness as a popstar is up for debate, she's not had many hits; is this collection worth a try?

As a sidenote, I'm reviewing the American edition of the album, since the European/UK edition isn't available yet.


The Best of Hilary Duff
This 'best of' collection will try and fool you into thinking it contains the highlights of Hilary Duff's musical career; I should begin this review by stating that on no account does it do any such thing. It contains a selection (oddly, not all) of Duff's singles, many of which have been far from her best work. With that in mind we start out with 'Reach Out', an unusually-shoddy Ryan Tedder production. Tedder's work is so often glossy, subtle and synthy; this tired retread of Depeche Mode's 'Personal Jesus' (which Jamelia did a much better job of sampling on the almighty 'Beware Of The Dog') is a bit of a slap in the face for the listener; more a b-side than a hits collection-leading single and opening track.

Moving on then, to 'Holiday', the second and final of the collection's two newies, and another Tedder moment. In sharp contrast with Reach, Holiday is glorious; simplistic and beautiful, boasting numerous hooks and crisp production. Hilary's vocal has been cleverely employed here; she may not have the biggest pipes but she more than holds her own against the beat without having to resort to studio robotics. A further strength is the song's lyrical content; 'you took a holiday from us / if your heart went down forever / should've told me where it was' she sighs with great melodrama. This is intense pop at it's best, both youthful and sophisticated.

The three singles from Duff's much underrated 2007 set Dignity follow, playing out in reverse order. First is 'Stranger', a harshly overlooked gem which whilst failing to make waves amongst the public proved to Hilary's not-inconsiderable fanbase she was not going to be written-off if she had any say in it. The pulsating, hard-hitting electro-rock beat compliments a deliberately cold vocal; the high point of the song comes when the music disappears for a moment, allowing Duff to welcome in the second verse acapella with a scorned quiz of 'did I ever do anything that was this cruel to you?'. On 'With Love', the Dignity lead-off (and that album's only true hit), much of the same is in evidence, and although the song initially makes less impact with it's slight non-event of a chorus, it offers a middle eight to challenge the best of them. 'Play With Fire', a buzz (read: flop) single, closes the dignified (sorry) trilogy. It's better than With Love, offering a cool, buzzy beat and a sexy faux-dangerous chorus. All three were co-written by pop genius Kara DioGuardi, whose skills both with a pen and at the mixing desk have made for some of the most exciting mainstream music of recent times; certainly she seems at home with Duff.

'Wake Up', written by Hilary alongside the Madden brothers Joel and Benji of Good Charlotte fame, is a cute, light effort with a pre-party vibe which works nicely; the lyrics of the cut are poorly-misguided ('London, Paris, maybe Tokyo; there's something going on everywhere I go tonight'; perhaps Hilary brought out the Disney in the Maddens) but overall its likeability factor makes it worth repeat listenings. 'Fly' marks the return of DioGuardi's golden hand, and it shows; the song is as tailor-made as any ever could be for an arena audience, providing Duff with her most rocky outing yet. It's not a sound our girl would be advised to do an album's worth of, but as a one-off it's great - and works perfectly on a collection such as this.

It seems to be the trend of late to remix hits for these compilations, but it's a surprise that the song on here found in 'new for 08' form is Hilary's best single, the mighty 'Come Clean'. However, whilst we've lost a classic we've gained a three-minute slice of furious electro brilliance; Duff's vocal blends perfectly with the rave-style beat to the extent that you might even forget about the original's opposingly innocent tones. 'So Yesterday' follows, or at least it does if you can bear to absorb its dated tweeny vibe without throwing your fingers at the skip button. 'Why Not', another cutesy outing which hit the top 20 of the Australian and British singles charts, works its youthful fun factor to it's advantage; the song is so pure and joyful that the primary-school lyrics barely even come into the equation.

The final two songs are remixes of the set's two new openers; don't run, though! Whilst Richard Vission's club mix of 'Reach Out' doesn't merit repeat listenings, Bermudez & Chico's reworking of 'Holiday' absolutely does, for the sole reason that it does not attempt to drag the mournful original onto the dancefloor against its will, but instead merely adds radio-friendly bass and electronica, closing the collection on a hugely addictive note; clearly Duff goes by the mantra of saving the best for last.

Hilary Duff's career has been a rollercoaster; she has suffered as many chart disappointments as she has successes, and she's had to battle to lose the pre-teen audience stigma so long attached to her. However, she's a fighter; she put out an album the likes of Kylie Minogue or any other contemporary disco princess could only dream of with 2007's Dignity, and she's got two perfect collaberators in the form of Ryan Tedder and, in particular, the failproof Kara DioGuardi. And with a departure from the limiting, useless Hollywood Records on the horizon, and a truly strong, to-the-point hits collection under her belt, she may finally get the chance to prove her worth in a scrappy industry keen to dump anybody in favour of the new girl on the block. If anyone deserves a chance, it's Hilary.

It's approaching Christmas which means record labels are bustling to shove out hits collections as a way of making an easy buck - but after just three studio records, Christina Aguilera might not seem like the most deserving candidate. Does the new compilation by the glamorous A-lister with earth-shattering pipes merit a purchase?


Christina Aguilera - Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits
Christina is the anti-Britney; the naughty to Britney's nice, the innovator who makes her rival look like a puppet - or so she'd like to think. Her presumptuously-titled Greatest Hits highlights Aguilera's laid-back work ethic; ten years in the industry has seen her release only three studio records, of which two were huge successes. 'Genie In A Bottle' kicks the chronological tour of C-Ag's career off, all sweetness with a hint of sexy. Follow-ups 'What A Girl Wants', 'I Turn To You' and 'Come On Over Baby' fail to make the best use of a vocal as tailored as any could be to power-pop, but Christina shines on 'Lady Marmalade', a P!nk-assisted cover of the disco classic injected with an extra dose of raunch.

'Dirrty', Aguilera's first comeback single and a surprise US flop, offers little in the way of the artistry she boasts of, instead ramming her leather-adorned crotch down our faces in a not-so-subtle attempt to prove that the starlet has become a woman. Much better is 'Fighter', the finest single of Christina's career and one of the most gloriously dramatic pop moments of the twenty-first century; operatic backing vocals combine with a rock soundtrack to make for the highlight of Scott Storch's production CV. It's back to the dreary with 'Beautiful' though, a song more sickening than the candyfloss her hair at the time resembled. C-Ag does ballads better when she's barely even trying, as shown on 'The Voice Within', a beautiful epic which makes more of a statement with it's own shyness than the faux-empowerment anthem which preceeds it.

Christina skips backwards a decade or five on 'Aint No Other Man', designed to highlight the apparent genius of our girl's love for retro. Here, though, it truly is brilliant - the song radiates a relentless, joyful energy whilst packing the biggest hook of its release year. 'Hurt' sees Aguilera embrace the drama again; a soulful ballad with the emphasis firmly on her emotive vocal, its sadness only adds to its appeal. On 'Candyman', the upbeat jazz makes a triumphant return under flirty lyrics - 'met him out for dinner on a Friday night / he really had me workin' up an appetite' - to make for the most youthfully appealing song of Aguilera's entire catalogue, and something of a modern-day classic (and a karaoke favourite).

The four new tracks added to the collection are something of a mixed bag. The title song packs a tight, Goldfrapp-inspired beat and an understated verse before erupting into a huge, anthemic chorus; 'I'm your supergirl / out to save the world / and it keeps gettin' better' she convincingly tells us. 'Dynamite' is a light electropop number with a throwaway chorus and vocals which seem out of time with it's furiously-paced backing track, whilst the re-worked 'Beautiful' is a lazy rehash with a re-recorded vocal which sounds as if it was uttered from Christina's sleep - and we can't blame the girl, the backing track is so hazily dull. The star turn here is 'Genie 2.0', which as the title suggests is an update of her best-loved single. A hard, pounding electro beat is employed under an effortlessly sultry vocal; 'come on, come on and let me out', C-Ag whispers, the result being something so sexy Janet or Madonna would probably sell a limb to get their lace gloved-hands on it.

Christina Aguilera isn't the perfect popstar; she can be too self-indulgent, too reliant on her past-it producer of choice Linda Perry, and too unwilling to admit she's made a shamelessly pure pop song. But this hits collection drives home the point that when she's on form, armed with an immense uptempo and a staggeringly huge vocal, she's a world-beater, and for the likes of 'Fighter', 'Candyman' and the new 'Genie' alone it's worth an hour of your time.

Oh, and most importantly... it's better than Britney's Greatest Hits.

Once the deluxe edition of her new record I Am Sasha Fierce (!) appears, we'll be reviewing it properly, but for now here are our thoughts on the highlight of the Standard Edition disc...


Beyoncé - Radio
The original child of destiny is back, terrorising the airwaves once again - but hang on, for here is a song (an uptempo!) so devastatingly fierce that you will be begging your local station to spin it. And they'll be happy to. 'Radio' features a relentlessly energetic Jim Jonsin beat and some clever stereo/boyfriend metaphors ('the only one that Papa allowed to hang out in my room with the door closed / and Mama never freaked out when she heard it go boom, cos she knew we were in the zone'). Divas singing about their love for their steroes isn't anything new; singing it with such fire as is present here, though, is refreshing.

Beyoncé probably won't release Radio - so often these days the gems go avoided - but there can be no doubt it's her best uptempo since Baby Boy.

First listens are always fun - proclaiming a song is the worst you've ever heard only to be licking the screen when it plays two days later - which is why we're going to have a bit of a laugh and review Shontelle's cleverly-titled debut 'Shontelligence' track-by-track, having not heard it until now. Keep your eyes peeled for contradictions over the next few days!


Shontelle - Shontelligence [2008]

T Shirt > The album's opener and lead single has been steadily making waves for a few months now. It's sweet, twinkling, is highly addictive and the idea of wearing her man's t-shirt to tide her over until his return is a nice one. Not a ground-breaking song, but it's not aiming to be, and it can be enjoyed for what it is - a gorgeous, catchy hit.

Battle Cry > This one was used to support the Obama for President campaign. Obviously Shontelle swung it! This is my first listen and it's in a similar vein to T Shirt, with a beat a little harsher. Her vocals are strong and there's a petite rap-ish middle 8 - a good start to the album.

Superwoman > This is the second of the two I knew before sitting down to listen to Shontelligence. It's another summery confection with another pretty message (she seems to be good with her lyrics and themes) and it's extremely instant; it should be a future single without a doubt.

Cold Cold Summer > Well, cold is the key word here! This is an icy, stringy affair with a nice echo during the verses and a soulful, stripped-back sound. It's got quite a bite in a so-over-you sort-of sense. Definitely going to be a future favourite of mine I think, and it's firmly in album track territory.

Roll It > This is an older song which has been recorded with Rihanna, Shontelle's fellow Bajan, in the past, but this is my first listen. The synthy intro sounds distinctly Kat Deluna-esque; the song sounds like a RedOne production to a degree. Shon's Carribean tones shine through here; it's a very sexy, fun song which could be a hit with a proper push.

Life Is Not An Easy Road > The Jamiacan tongue sticks around here for another pleasing, breezy number with a chilled backing track. It's the sort of thing you can imagine would've been a hit in the 1990s, complete with a video portraying lots of muscular people getting high on a beach at sunset. Contrary to how that sounds, it's a good thing! This track treads the gap between filler and decent nicely.

Focus Pon Me > Oh, fierce! It has to be said Shontelle's vocal during parts of this sound extremely similar to Rihanna's whisper-singing voice. The middle-Eastern beat works remarkably well under Shontelle's silky tones. It's another welcome album track, and a departure from the rest of them in style.

Plastic People > This is another summery one, with guitars and a lovely verse. Somehow though the chorus lacks the punch you feel has been build up to. It sounds demo-like too; a definite filler.

I Crave You > Unless I'm very much mistaken, this samples Sting's 'Shape Of My Heart' - how utterly random! Aside from the well-applied string sample, it has a dark reggae beat and an emotive vocal. It reminds me so much of 'Shape' though! This is a good thing however.

Ghetto Lullabye > A haunting flute compliments the drum beat on this one, which sounds as if it was recorded somewhere between the rainforest and the pyramids. It sports a smooth vocal which remains cool and monotone until the slightly raised middle 8 section. Not very commercial at all, and probably all the better for it.

Flesh And Bone > Not quite the epic closer I had desired; instead another reggae-infused song. It's perfectly competent.

So to sum up, Shontelligence is, on first listen at least, a reasonably good debut. It has it's highlights and it's fair share of Filler, but said filler is at least perfectly listenable, and when it is great, it's really great.

I'm going to say singles should be Roll It second and Superwoman third. Overall 7/10 - a good start for a girl with big promise, and a good point from which to build on next time around.

Continuing with a bit of a UK R&B theme, it's time for a look at the comeback of the King of modern UK soul, that Lemar guy. He's been responsible for a couple of truly great songs ('If Theres Any Justice' being a true classic) and also for getting a bit shirty with poor James May on Top Gear, but with the likes of Taio Cruz on the scene, is the ex-Fame Academy finalist still relevant? And if she knew what exactly?


Lemar - If She Knew
Where is there to go when you're a lone male on the UK R&B scene who has already taken his dedicated, sizeable fanbase on a voyage through modern soul? Well, add a little electro to the mix. On 'If She Knew', his first single in 18 months, Lemar croons over a subtly sparkling beat which the likes of Timbaland or Darkchild could well have produced. So, this comeback is more polished than ever before - but, as ever, Lemar is no puppet singing 'sex me up' lyrics over an instrumental worthy of better. No, when he sings 'if I ever let her go, I wouldn't make it a single day' in those silkily emotional tones, we really believe it.

The pop/R&B landscape isn't one of much justice, but with UK contributions so few and far between, stellar efforts like this deserve to be rewarded, so here's to the soulster - one of the few reality TV emergants who has managed to continue releasing music and to shake the tag - getting the hit he deserves.