Another Lady GaGa magazine cover (this time with Marc Jacobs)

As if we needed any more proof that this is going to be sooo gay...

The Pretty Reckless - Light Me Up

So The Pretty Reckless released their debut album today and I have to say it's pretty good and no where near as scary as Taylor Momsen would have you believe.

More Pink than Slipknot, 'Light Me Up' is an obnoxious loud shot of rock-pop adrenaline (at at around 35 minutes long, it's also rather short) that is full of hook-laden, sing-along melodies and clichéd self-important lyrics (and I mean that in the nicest way possible).  This is really what Avril Lavigne should have done next, but in her absence from the music scene, Momsen seems poised to pick-up where Lavigne left off.

In some ways, 'Light Me Up' is a tribute album to a variety of pop-rock performers who have come before.  From the Sheryl Crow-esque title track and the fun Green Day-punk of 'Goin Down' to the 'American Pie' (the song, not the films) inspired lyrics of 'Nothing Left to Lose', there is certainly an obvious amount of inspiration throughout the CD.  Inspiration does turn in to all out copying on the aforementioned Pink rip-off 'Factory Girl' and the Kelly Clarkson's 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' melody stealing 'Just Tonight'.  Neither are bad songs, but in amongst all this familiarity, a bit of originality wouldn't have gone amiss.

The Pretty Reckless really shine when Momsen puts her Courtney Love hat on, on the lead singles 'Make Me Wanna Die' and the superb 'Miss Nothing'.  Both the song 'Light Me Up' and 'Since You're Gone' are other highlights on an album almost completely devoid of any filler.  Certainly worth the price of the CD, 'Light Me Up' is full to the brim of potential and at times completely flawless moments.  Pink will want to make sure she gets that new album out soon as her pop-punk rocker crown could be jeopardy.

Another ridiculous advert

Seeing as this is slowly becoming a Britney Spears fan site, I thought I'd share the latest fragrance advert from Britney for her new scent 'Radiance'.  We recently featured the tacky bejewelled bottle in all it's glory and now here's the equally tacky sparkling TV spot.



What does choosing your own destiny have to do with perfume again?

Is 'Desperate Housewives' getting good again?

I haven't watch 'Desperate Housewives' since around the third series - after the ground breaking first series it just never seemed the same.  Since then they've skipped the series ahead by five years and had a pretty disastrous plane crash to shake things up, but still, I couldn't muster the enthusiasm to watch again.

Now at the start of series seven, DH seems to finally be getting really good again.  I'm basing this solely on the fact that Vanessa Williams has joined the cast as the latest housewife.  If she brings half as much sass as she did in 'Ugly Betty' playing the villainous Wilhelmina Slater, then hopefully the show will be given the breath of fresh air it has desperately needed since Nicollette Sheridan's Edie Britt left.

Either way here's the completely over the top and ridiculous trailer for the seventh series.

I know what I'm going as for Halloween

Mission: Youth

Let me preface by saying I don't actually like Tom Cruise, but despite what the headline above the pictures suggests, he's not looking bad at all for 48 years old.  Of course he doesn't look like he did when he was 21 - nobody in their forties looks like someone in their twenties, no matter how much surgery 'dental work' they've had done.

On another note, Brad Pitt (the photo on the left was taken last week) is not looking too bad for his age either; wikipedia puts him at 46 year old.  I also forget that without that bird's nest on his face he's actually quite attractive.

It's interesting how we constantly speculate on whether female celebrities have had surgery 'dental work', but never male celebrities.  I'm not saying Tom or Brad have had anything done, but I know a few 40 something year old men and they don't look half as good as these too.

I wonder who their dentist is?

Magazine Cover of the day 2: Britney as a manga character on Pop magazine quarterly

She's been teasing her fans for a week or so now about a big magazine cover, and yesterday Britney Spears finally revealed her new front cover of fashion and pop culture magazine Pop.

Let's talk for a minute about it.  Britney, looking like a young Courtney Love (very grunge, very 90's, very on-trend) is photographed in the same pose that appears on the cover of the US edition of her debut album 'Baby One More Time' wearing a wedding dress (something often associated with Britney).  The juxtaposition between vixen and lolita was something Britney has played around with a lot in the past (post-shaven head Britney has had to step off that tight-rope though because, well, it's just not believable any more at 28 years-old) and this photo is certainly a nod to that.  The imagery of Japanese art mixed with faux advertisements is a clear reference to the times we live in, where art cannot exist without commerce and vice versa - something Britney, as a pop star in the 21st century has come to represent.

It's kind of cute, kind of sinister and kind of amazing.

Magazine Cover of the day 1: Gaga as a man on Vogue Japan

No, really it's her.

Last month we talked about this and here it is, Lady Gaga dressed as her male alter ego Jo Calderone on the cover of Japanese Vogue.  

Very Gaga.  Very Nick Knight.

Underrated: Christina Aguilera - Bionic

‘Underated’ is back, back, back this week with a look at Christina Aguilera’s ‘Bionic’.

Christina Aguilera’s album ‘Bionic’ is one that many of her fans in the UK and Europe will have no idea exists.  But did you know that ‘Bionic’ was actually a record breaking number one album in the UK?  It holds the title as the fewest selling number one album in British chart history and the fastest drop in UK album chart history, falling from number one to number thirty-six.  Ok, so they’re hardly record breaking achievements Aguilera is likely to be shouting from the roof tops, but the fact that it got to number one at all considering the lack of promotion it received outside the US is quite a feat.

When ‘Bionic’ was released in June 2010, Aguilera found herself in a strange position.  Since her hugely successful sophomore album ‘Stripped’ in 2002 she had enjoyed being the top pop princess on the scene thanks to Madonna’s move in to electro dance music and Britney’s move to the psyche ward.  Despite lacklustre sales of it’s follow-up ‘Back to Basics’ in 2006, ‘Stripped’ and it’s hit singles such as ‘Dirrty’ and ‘Fighter’ had established Aguilera as a unique and exciting talent.  Then in 2008, whilst Christina was busy raising her first child, one four letter word burst on to the scene and changed everything: Gaga.

With the huge success of her first two albums, Lady Gaga became the most unique and creative talent in some years to find major mainstream success.  Basically, Gaga turned the pop music world on it’s head, she was able to raise the bar and all other female pop stars had begun to be compared to her.  Beyonce made the first move and instead of competing against Gaga, actually teamed up with her on the hit singles ‘Videophone’ and ‘Telephone’.  Now, nearly five years since her last studio album, Christina Aguilera was about to release her new CD in to a post-Gaga world with one problem - she had no idea anything had changed.

Since releasing her greatest hits disc in 2008, Christina had excited fans by hinting her next album would have hints of electronica music and focus on the future – in direct contrast to the throw-back themes of ‘Back to Basics’.  Many critics were also intrigued when Aguilera announced she was working with electro queen Peaches and New York transgender group Le Tigre on the new album.  So when it was revealed the first single from the album ‘Not Myself Tonight’ would be produced by hip-hop heavy weight Polow da Don, many were confused as to how this would fit in with the fresh new, futuristic sound Christina had promised.  The truth is, it didn't.

‘Not Myself Tonight’ is not a terrible song, remixed and played really loud it’s actually very good, but in it’s radio edited existence it lacks anything particularly attention grabbing or different to what you can already hear by other less established artists.  It didn’t help that the video Aguilera made for the single is absolutely ridiculous – over stylised, over sexed and over the top, not to mention a homage rip-off of several other music videos by Madonna and Beyonce.  For some reason many detractors accused Aguilera of copying Lady Gaga in both music and image with ‘Not Myself Tonight’, but to be honest I don’t see it.  This bad press sent Christina’s record label in to panic mode and all overseas promotion was cancelled to concentrate on the US market.

Aguilera’s problem is that she paid no attention to what had happened in music and pop culture in the time she was away.  One look at the Billboard top 100, or even a trip to a club would have given Christina all the hints she needed as to where to take her music next, instead she just did what she wanted to, as she always has.  And one look at her record sales in recent years would have shown her that would be a mistake.  As a result when ‘Bionic’ (a title in relation to the futuristic direction Aguilera wanted to go in) was released, it struggled to get any attention from the music buying public, radio or TV.

Luckily for Aguilera ‘Bionic’ is actually a pretty good body of work and had it been released two or three years earlier it would have been a huge success.  The more poppy tracks like the ode to loving yourself album-closer ‘Vanity’ (a former song of the moment) and the Peaches/Le Tigre collaboration ‘My Girls’ prove Aguilera has a sense of humour.  The album’s title track and the MIA penned ‘Elastic Love’ have a genuine futuristic sound and either would have been a far better choice for first single, whilst ‘I Am’ and ‘You Lost Me’ both written by Aguilera and Australian singer Sia, find Christina singing in new and more moving ways than ever before.

Other great tracks include the fun hip-hop/pop track ‘Woohoo’ featuring Nicki Minaj and the sensual ‘Sex for Breakfast’, however neither are particularly unique and once again, not really futuristic.  One track ‘Prima Donna’ sounds like something Ciara would have made on her last album, certainly not a bad thing, but probably not the kind of comparison Aguilera would have wanted.  If only she had included more tracks like bonus songs ‘Monday Morning’ and ‘Birds of Prey’ on the main disc, these are truly unique electro-pop songs that would certainly have better suited ‘Bionic’s mission statement.

There could still be hope for ‘Bionic’.  Despite the first two singles ‘Not Myself Tonight’ and ‘You Lost Me’ not receiving much attention, there are enough great songs on there for Aguilera to turn it around.  The trouble is, with the release of the soundtrack to her first movie role ‘Burlesque’ this November, has Christina given up on ‘Bionic’?  I guess we’ll find out, but it would be a shame to see an artist who claims to put so much in to her art, to just abandon her latest work.  And if not, let’s hope Aguilera rediscovers her own artistic identity and is able to make an album as unique as she thinks it is.

From Russia with Love

So, earlier today I slightly begrudgingly saw the latest movie starring Angelina Jolie 'Salt', and I have to be honest and say I really enjoyed it.  And believe me - I really didn't expect to.

'Salt' finds Jolie playing Evelyn Salt, an FBI spy who is accused of working for Russia.  The part, which was rumoured to have been originally written as a male for Tom Cruise sees Evelyn shoot, run and blow-up her way through various situations to reveal her true identity.  It's the type of character that Jolie plays so well and proves she is perhaps the only female actress today who can not only play such a part, but pull it off too.  It's also clear Jolie is aware what her name can bring to a film like this; she is rumoured to have received a $20million pay-check for 'Salt' (an amount normally reserved for male actors).  Performing almost all her own stunts and single-handedly elevating the entire film from being just another action movie - Angelina earns her money.

Thin on dialogue and fully formed characters, 'Salt' is a true action-packed popcorn movie - so anyone expecting anything more will be disappointed, but those seeking 90 minutes of pure escapism should definitely check it out.

"Sometimes it's all you need to wear"

Because when your career is falling to pieces thanks to a flop album, poor image choices and the fact that not many people like you, the best thing to do is release a fragrance.  Another one.

How unique and original.  That'll stop those suggestions that you're completely money orientated and have lost that 'it' factor that once set you apart  from your contemporaries.

Don't get me wrong I used to LOVE Christina but the girl doesn't help herself.  This Sunday 'Underrated: Christina Aguilera - Bionic'.