Coming soon...

I'm really looking forward to the mysterious new Christopher Nolan direct film 'Inception' starring Leonardo DiCaprio and we've finally got a full length trailer, below.

I still have no idea what it's about.

Song of the Moment: One Night Only - Say You Don't Want It

Today's song of the moment has a video that has already received a lot of attention thanks to it's leading lady. One Night Only's lead singer George Craig is a part time model and full time boyfriend of British Actress, and Harry Potter star, Emma Watson. Watson appears in the 'Lady and the Tramp'-esque video for the band's first single 'Say You Don't Want It'.

The video is about as cool as possible, as is the song. Part Killer's, part Coldplay with tinges of MGMT, 'Say You Don't Want It' is pure bliss and just the right song to listen to on a hot summer's night. With it's 80's guitar riffs and Craig's Brandon Flower's-like delivery the song will likely be a radio hit and sit well with the Radio1 crowd. It's also a bit anthemic so that if it ever does crack the mainstream it's likely to be ingrained in the public's conciousness.

It'll be interesting to see if One Night Only manage to sustain any kind of longevity or even a career beyond this first single, but we'll just have to wait and see. Enjoy 'Say You Don't Want It' and it's video below.

no. just no.

Yesterday DC Comics unveiled the new look for female superhero and comic book legend, Wonder Woman.

THIS is the best they could come up with??!! Where are the boots? Where are the stars and stripes? For the love of God, where is that luscious hair? I know she's 69 years old now but still... If they decide to give Batman properly fitted clothing then I'll be writing an official letter of complaint.

Lord Gaga

To your left is Jo Calderone, featured in the new issue of Japanese Vogue for men. Except Jo doesn't exist, he's actually Lady Gaga in full boy drag. I am literally speechless.

WHAT could possibly be bad about this?

The first Titanic film became the biggest movie ever at the time... call us cynics but we can't see history repeating itself.

Have Faith in yourself, Paloma

To your left is singer/songwriter Paloma Faith at this year's Glastonbury festival and I only have one thing to say: Paloma, you are not, I repeat NOT, Lady Gaga, Roisin Murphy or Grace Jones.

Being a fan of all four ladies, I run the risk of being hypocritical when I say that all these bizarre costumes Faith continues to wear are a major distraction and completely unnecessary. My reasoning is this; Gaga, Jones and Murphy are all performance artists both visually and in their music, their style is big, dramatic and lean towards the avant garde. Paloma's music is not. For example, if I was going out to a club, on goes my copy of 'The Fame Monster'. If I was having friends over for dinner or fancied chilling out, on goes my copy of Faith's début album (which by the way is fantastic).

The image she is trying to portray does not reflect her music, which is a shame as her album is no less exciting than any dance song you can hear on the radio. Her talent is undeniable to those who have heard it, but when she dresses this way it does her no favours other than perhaps a few comments from fashion columnists. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for pushing boundaries and defying expectations but only when it compliments the music and doesn't distract from it. The next time I hear the amazing "Stone Cold Sober", I don't want to be thinking about giant inflatable fruit attached to her bra (that is not a suggestion by the way).

One year on...

Today the world is reminded that one year ago, King of Pop, Michael Jackson died.

Much controversy still surrounds the death of the superstar, as it did through out his life, however his legacy and influence is in no doubt. Whatever you thought of him in his personal life, it's an understatement to say that Jackson's impact on pop music and pop culture is immense. For the best part of two decades now it has been impossible to turn on the radio, watch a music video or go to a concert and not feel Jackson's influence all around you. He endured a level of fame that nobody on the planet, except perhaps Madonna, could begin to relate to; there was always famous people and then Michael Jackson.

It seems clear that Jackson's legacy will go the way of John Lennon and Elvis before him; a sad, bizarre, tabloid oddity towards the end of his life, but remembered as a music legend of God-like proportions. And rightly so.

Below is one of, in my opinion, the best Michael Jackson songs ever. Criminally underrated, 'Blood on the dance floor' is classic MJ - emotional delivery, intense beat and an undeniable 'it' factor that only Michael could provide.... enjoy.

Natural Beauty?

When we first started this blog I promised myself two things; one, that I would not turn this in to a Lady Gaga fan site, and two, that I would not post anything about any member of the Kardashian family. Well almost two weeks in and I've already broken both of them.

When you think about it, the Kardashian sisters are really everything that's wrong with pop culture at the moment. In a similar way that Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie were almost a decade ago, they are famous for being famous or at the very most for being the spawn of famous people. They have no talent beyond posing for pictures and looking good, but can we even say that now?

Kim Kardashian (left) the most famous of the three sisters (and let's face it, the prettiest) is renown for being a 'natural' beauty, but she's now starting to resemble Terry Hatcher or even Michael Jackson in the 'Bad' era. Anyone who thinks this girl has become to look so polished naturally is delusional. I'm not an expert by any means, but in my humble opinion and at the risk of being sued (her late father represented OJ you know...), she has blatantly had her face filled with botox, fillers, implants, collagen and God only knows what else. At only 29 years old, this worries me.

What pressure is the media or society putting these girls (and boys for that matter), famous or otherwise, under? It's a shame that Kim felt the need to start messing with what she was born with before she even got to three decades on the planet. It's a slippery slope, and one she may live to regret. However when all you've got really is your looks, then the temptation to keep a hold of them for as long as possible is hard to resist.

Her California Girls...

Katy Perry shows off the full extent of her talent (left).

Purple/Bluey Rain

Despite what the experts said, if the video below is real then it really has started raining oil on the shores of the Gulf.

Underrated: Alanis Morissette - Under Rug Swept

A little sooner than we realised, this week’s ‘Underrated’ focuses on another album, but this time by a completely different kind of female artist – Alanis Morissette’s ‘Under Rug Swept’.

When she exploded on to the international music scene in 1995, Alanis Morissette quickly became the poster girl for angry young women everywhere – a label she did not embrace. The former national teen star had previously released two pop albums in her native Canada before being signed to the Madonna owned record label Maverick, where she released what would go on to become the biggest selling album by a female artist in US chart history ‘Jagged Little Pill’. The angst ridden heavy rock-pop disc, written and produced by Morissette and hit maker Glen Ballard, was originally only made to sell enough copies so that Alanis could record a more polished second album for the label. All that changed when radio stations and MTV put ‘Pill’s first single ‘You Oughta Know’ in to heavy rotation and by the time the album’s biggest hit ‘Ironic’ was released, it had already sold nearly 20million copies world-wide. The ‘damage’ was done, Morissette would forever be referred to as the angry white female of her generation.

After an extensive world tour to promote ‘Jagged Little Pill’ Alanis began work on it’s follow-up, the intriguingly titled ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’. The album itself, co-written and produced again with Glen Ballard, and it’s title expressed Morissette’s dismay at the image portrayed of her by the media and attempts to shatter the idea that she was a one-trick-pony. First single ‘Thank U’, written after she had fallen ill while travelling in India, surprised critics and fans alike with it’s serene and peaceful sound. The video for the track also caused controversy and was unintentionally humorous, featuring Alanis walking naked around New York City, with only her trademark long brown hair giving her any modesty. Much of ‘SFIJ’ follows a similar theme to ‘Thank U’ of forgiveness and spiritual contemplation, a far cry the from the angst and frustration expressed in it’s predecessor. Also the exhausting 18 song track list and a lack of hook and chorus in some of the songs, as well as a formula that confused her most loyal fans, led to the album barely selling in excess of 5million copies. Alanis toured ‘SFIJ’ through much of 1999 and 2000 before taking timeout from the spotlight all together.

After nearly two years of legal disputes with Maverick, which led to Madonna herself begging Morissette not to leave the label, in February 2002 Alanis was finally able to release her 3^rd international album ‘Under Rug Swept’. Preceded by the radio hit ‘Hands Clean’, ‘Under Rug Swept’ was Morissette’s most commercial sounding album to date, which is by no means a bad thing. Gone was the majority of personal contemplation expressed on the previous album, instead Alanis sticks to where she sounds most at home: dissecting her relationships.

At only 11 tracks long and full of sing-along hooks, ‘URS’ is a far more accessible album than ‘SFIJ’ and shows a maturity lacking in ‘Jagged Little Pill’. Interestingly, Alanis did not to work with Glen Ballard on ‘URS’, instead she wrote and produced every single song herself – a creative decision she has said happened organically. Morissette also had an interesting approach when it came to creating the songs that appeared on the album; she would write the song and lay down the vocals for it at the same time, if the process was taking longer than about 20 minutes the track would be discarded and she would start another. Alanis said it gave the disc a sense of urgency, another reason behind keeping the track list down to only 11 songs. This unique method helps keep ‘URS’ not only an incredible display of talent, but listenable from beginning to end.

Tracks like guitar-heavy opener ’21 things I want in a lover’ and the folk-y ‘Utopia’ show a fearlessness and sense of self which Alanis had not shown in her previous work. The scathing ‘Narcissus’ and the brilliant ‘So Unsexy’ seem almost custom built to appeal to a whole new generation of angry young women. Other stand out tracks include; the role-reversing lead single ‘Hands Clean’; an ode to the 9/11 fire-fighters ‘Surrender’ and the outstanding ‘Precious Illusions’. On ‘Under Rug Swept’ Alanis seems to have finally come to terms with her fame and herself. She embraces her quirkiness not only in her lyrics but in the arrangements and production of the songs.

Commercially however ‘Under Rug Swept’ was not a major success. Selling only half of what ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ had, Maverick did not promote the album beyond 2 singles. Alanis took the disc on tour and released an EP ‘Feast On Scraps’ which consisted of songs recorded in the ‘URS’ sessions but not included on the final product. Morissette has gone on to release two more studio albums since ‘URS’ but neither have been huge commercial successes like ‘Jagged Little Pill’ became.

Neither a break-up album nor a collection of spiritual introspections, ‘Under Rug Swept’ stands alone as Alanis Morissette’s most creative and commercially appealing album to date. It is essentially a collection of great rock-pop songs, written by a truly unique artist. That originality may mean Morissette will never again have a commercial breakthrough like ‘Jagged Little Pill’ but I suspect she’s not worried either way. When you have the amount of talent and creativity Alanis does, something like record sales will never be a top concern. Frankly, she’s better off for it.

Get me to the car

While the rest of the UK was either watching the world's longest tennis match at Wimbledon or England getting through to the next stage of the World Cup today, I coincidentally had the day off from work and spent it on the beach with friends. We decided to spend this evening watching the new Jonah Hill/Russell Brand film 'Get Him to the Greek', if you haven't seen it yet - don't waste your money like I did.

When I tell you that the best thing about it were the scenes featuring P Diddy acting, you get an idea of just how awful it was. Not only has Hill's weight become so distracting now that it's impossible to enjoy any of his acting, but Brand plays the same one-dimensional un-likeable character (the only type of character he can play) as he does in 'Sarah Marshall' - a film only marginally better than this. I don't know if my perception of the film was slightly affected by the fact we were sat so close to the screen I could have swam in the actor's pores, that it was about 40c in the cinema or that a woman who found it necessary to narrate the thing, was sat behind us. In summary - I didn't like it.

During the film my friend turned to me and asked when was the last time I had seen a good film, at the cinema or at home? I couldn't think of one. I did enjoy the new SATC, but was it a good film? Not particularly. I think the last one may have been Guy Ritchie's 'Sherlock Holmes' which was released 6 months ago. One decent film in 6 months and counting is either saying a lot about the state of mainstream cinema in 2010 or a lot about my tastes.

game, set and ... record breaking match!!

wimbledon witnessed history in the making this week as two racket bearing giants took to court 18 on tuesday in a match that would spill over into wednesday and possible thursday to break all known records - a testament to the true fitness and gusto of the players.

John Isner (USA) had to fend off a break point challenge in game 101 (yes that's right) during the 5th set but managed to claw back the advantage. with neither player backing down in sweltering heat and what must have been exhaustion it looked like there would never be a clear winner.

Frenchmen Nicholas Mahut fought valiantly against Isner, although causing himself some grief in the 107th game when dropping the first 30 points on his own service, not deterred however he dug in and pulled level.

this was a game that should have been rather ordinary but instead verged on extraordinary! it's impossible to imagine what kept these two tennis titans going - the crowd? the buzz? the bananas?? but it certainly seemed to surpass the abilities and will power of us mere mortals!

in a game stacked with aces - 98 for the Yankee and 95 for Mahut it was hard to back a winner! both kept pushing until Mahut appealed to the umpire due to light, Isner clearly not wanting to leave the court looked more than a little put out. so after 117 games and 10 hours of total game time the crowds reluctantly filtered out, in no doubt that they'd been part of something amazing, and they'd certainly had their monies worth.

setting records for the longest set and match ever played and most ace's served both men can be proud of their performances

two note worthy quotes:-

"he's a big man but he's got soft hands" commentator in relation to Isners back hand

"I came earlier, in the French area" John McEnro about watching the 5th set from the start.

Alanis Remains

Earlier this month !point. favourite Alanis Morissette performed her song 'I Remain' from 'The Prince of Persia Soundtrack' (awful film btw) on the Jay Leno show. The song is quintessential Alanis and her performance of the track is a real reminder of how truly powerful her voice is - something that is often forgotten about her. We'll be doing something more in-depth about Alanis soonish but until then enjoy the clip below...

All the country lovers

When Stuart Price, the executive producer of the new Kylie Minogue album 'Aphrodite', recently discussed the project, he said all the songs were put through a 'Parton Test'. Basically only tracks that still sounded good sang in the style of Dolly would make the final cut. He also confessed that Minogue does a great 'Dolly-fied' version of lead single 'All the Lovers'. Well below are the Scissor Sisters giving it their best shot. It is, of course, ridiculously good. Enjoy!

Song of the Moment: Christina Aguilera - Vanity

Christina Aguilera’s new album ‘Bionic’ has a lot of great songs on it. Unfortunately it also has a lot of not-so-great songs on it too. Today’s song of the moment ‘Vanity’ is one of the former. It’s probably about as ‘Britney’ as Christina will ever get - which is a very good thing – although Spears herself doesn’t possess the strength or conviction in her voice to pull it off.

‘Vanity’ is an ode to loving yourself; accepting that there’s nothing wrong with that and reminding people that you’re f*cking amazing. The last track on the disc, it packs an electro pop swagger that not only makes it one of ‘Bionic’s more authentic numbers, but one of its gayest too. It’s a provocative, hilarious F-U ego trip, best listened to when strutting down an unpleasant street, surrounded by unsightly people as a reminder that you are far too fabulous to be there. One of the best moments is close to the end of the track when Aguilera talk-sings “Let us not forget - who owns the thrown” – a defiant statement perhaps aimed at another blond native New Yorker? In fact the only let-down in ‘Vanity’ is straight after that line, when you hear Christina’s son Max respond “you do mommy”. A sweet gesture, however it’s completely inappropriate in a song including the lines “I’m a bad-ass b*tch” “that b*tch is so f*cking pretty” and “ain’t nobody got sh*t on me”. The word “B*tch” actually appears in the song 10 times.

It’ll be interesting to see if ‘Bionic’ becomes a hit album, as so far it’s failed to make an impact the way Christina and her label had anticipated. The problem is that Aguilera promised us an electro-pop album and what we got was a pop/r’n’b album with a few electro moments - it seems a case of her label having one idea for the disc and Christina having another. What’s clear is that with more songs that sound like ‘Vanity’ ‘Bionic’ would be a much better listen than what it is.

Remember “if the shoe fits – wear it b*tch!”

Fame Kills

Fan-Brill-Zing

The fantastic Robyn covers the brilliant 'Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" by the amazing Alicia Keys on Radio1's Live Loung.

Fantastic. Brilliant. Amazing.

Look at my nipples/Look at my ribs

On the left is Oscar winning actress and all round legend Dame Helen Mirren. On the right is 90210 actress Annalynne McCord with her sister Angel. 63 is the new 22.

You know that 'Commander' song we were rambling on about the other day....

....well here's the official video. WARNING: best viewed by looking away from the screen.

The song however, is still completely flawless.

"I'll turn you in to a fart joke"

YouTube parodists 'The Key of Awesome' recently uploaded their latest piss-take below. This one focuses on the twitter-gate incident a few weeks ago when Katy Perry in directly referred to Lady GaGa as blasphemous. Perry, who's latest music video features cream squirting from her cupcake bra, gets what's coming to her in the parody. If only real life was like this....

A Fox & A Cat

On the right is Megan Fox at the premier of her new film 'Jonah Hex' this week. On the left is notorious plastic surgery addict, socialite and my favourite freak-show Jocelyn 'Cat Lady' Wildenstein. I'm not implying anything....

Coming Out/Staying In

You can tell news is slow when the two biggest stories in the entertainment world this weekend have been the 'coming out' of a one-hit-wonder and the retirement of a former teen star.

Vanessa Carlton singer of the 2002 hit 'A Thousand Miles' (below) has announced that she is bisexual during her performance at Nashville Pride this weekend according to AfterEllen.com. Although I'm not in complete shock, it's a very welcomed announcement from the talented singer/songwriter that I'm sure will help with her artistry, as only now can she be completely honest with her audience.

Also doing the rounds on gossip sites this weekend is the announcement via Twitter (which in 2010 is where all important and world altering announcements are made) that former 'The Amanda Show' and star Amanda Bynes is retiring from acting at 24 years of age. She tweeted "I don't love acting anymore so I've stopped doing it.....I Know 24 is a young age to retire but you heard it here first I've #retired". Let's be honest since she co-starred in 'Hairspray' in 2007 Bynes hasn't done anything of note in terms of acting anyway, so this statement is slightly redundant. Yeah, there's not much else to say is there?

Good luck to both ladies!

GaGa Kills 'The Fame Monster'

Gagadaily.com a highly reliable source for news on Lady GaGa has confirmed that the superstar's latest single 'Alejandro' will be the final single taken from her hugely successful (and frankly amazing) re-release of 'The Fame'/second album 'The Fame Monster'.

All I can say is thank God. Despite the fact that 'The Fame Monster' still has a few potential single choices (in particular the track 'Monster') after the lacklustre performance of 'Alejandro' on the charts, GaGa has realised she needs to take a rest from us and that we need a rest from her. Since she literally exploded on to the music scene at the end of 2008 she has completely revolutionised the way the music industry works and what we think of as a 'pop star'. The growth and changes she and her image have gone through in little over 18 months is ground breaking and has been impressive to watch. However as the Madonna rip-off 'Alejandro' video has proven, GaGa's originality is being compromised by her inability to just.... stop. Hopefully this break will allow her to come back at the start of the new year with a new sound and look as well as something new to say. As an early supporter of the native New Yorker, I'm proud of everything she has been able to do so far and I for one cannot wait to see what's next.

Her world tour 'The Monster Ball' will however continue in to the beginning of next year which will tide her little monsters over until she releases her third album in Spring 2011.

The Man In the Mirror

There's nothing I don't love about this front cover of the new 'Billboard' magazine. Amazing Picture, poignant headline. Check out the article here.

Song of the Moment: Kelly Rowland - Commander

For just over a month now the first single 'Commander' from Kelly Rowland's upcoming album 'Kelly Rowland' has been bubbling under the mainstream radar and now it finally seems ready to make a big impact. This, the second single (third over-all track) from Rowland and producer David Guetta is a relentless demand to "dance" and couldn't be more different, or vastly superior, to their summer '09 smash 'When Love Takes Over'. In short, it's the best Kelly Rowland song yet. Also, in addition to 'Commander', two more new songs have been given the single treatment in the US; the defiant 'Grown Ass Woman' and the haunting electro-esque 'Rose Coloured Glasses'.

Things seems to be finally coming together for the former Destiny's Child member, who's solo success so far has been limited, despite releasing a number of memorable tracks (Dilemma with Nelly, Stole, Work) and two solo albums. Stepping out from the shadow of Destiny and her friend Beyonce must be extremely difficult but Rowland seems to be creating an identity of her own with this new project, hence being aptly titled 'Kelly Rowland'. Her blend of urban beats with a dance/electro/pop sensibility is not only extremely current and radio friendly, but seems completely authentic. Expect BIG things for Kelly this year.

Underrated: Britney Spears - Blackout

Welcome to the first ‘Underrated’ – an in-depth look at the moments and people in pop culture who have gone by without recognition. This first instalment takes a look at the 2007 album ‘Blackout’ by pop superstar Britney Spears.

July 2007. Britney Spears had spent the start of the year falling out of night clubs, getting out of cars without underwear on, shaving off all her hair and going in and out of various rehabilitation facilities. All this had been captured by the ever present lens of the paparazzi and presented to a public already familiar with the bizarre antics of the former teen star. Even before all this we had already seen her marry twice – one, lasting only 48hrs in Vegas to a childhood sweetheart, have two children and divorce a second time.

If anyone was in need of a comeback it was Britney.

Then in the peak of summer, like a phoenix from the ashes, a new song - the first single from Spears’ 5^th studio album - leaked online. ‘Gimme More’ is a taste of 21^st century American pop at it’s very best; produced by Timbland protégé Danja and written by Keri Hilson, the blend of Danja’s pulsating beats, Hilson’s sensual lyrics and Spears’ breathy hypnotizing vocals, ‘Gimme More’ is perhaps the best Britney Spears song ever. From the opening line “It’s Britney, bitch” to Danja’s shout out “the legendary Miss Britney Spears” ‘Gimme More’ is the manifesto for the rest of ‘Blackout’- bratty, brave, bold, brash, Britney.

Second single ‘Piece of Me’, produced and written by long time Spears’ collaborators Bloodshy and Avant further drives home the point that this, at least sonically, is a new edgier Britney that doesn’t care what you (aka the media) think. Other album highlights include another Danja produced track, the sexy ‘Get Naked (I Gotta Plan)’, album closer the Pharrell Williams penned ‘Why Should I Be Sad’ and another Bloodshy and Avant effort ‘Toy Soldier’ which, with it’s obnoxious delivery, busy production and catchy lyrics is quintessential Britney.

Full of fresh sounds for the time and well crafted club driven beats, ‘Blackout’ remains Britney’s most critically acclaimed album, yet commercially it has been her least successful. It doesn’t take a genius to realise the reason for this; an audience distracted by the seemingly hourly updates on blogging sites and tabloid magazines on Spears’ personal life would probably have been completely unaware a new album was being released. This combined with what little promotion Britney herself did for the project (her lazily mimed performance of ‘Gimme More’ at the MTV VMA’s that year probably did more harm than good and I refuse to even acknowledge the accompanying music videos to the album’s three singles) led to it ultimately going largely unnoticed by the record buying public.

It’s a shame that, outside of Britney Spears fans, ‘Blackout’ has never received the recognition it deserves. Whether that recognition lies with Britney herself or the teams of producers and writers who helped create the album is debatable. What is clear is that ‘Blackout’s influence can be heard in the work of numerous artists including Ciara, Lady GaGa, Christina Aguilera and even Madonna. Britney Spears, the trend setter? Hardly. What ‘Blackout’ does prove though, is that even when she is in the middle of a personal life crisis, you can still count on Britney to lead the way to the dance floor. And it’s still fun to join her.

Oh say can you... sing?

For the second time this week, Christina Aguilera performed the US national anthem during the NBA final games. I'm not going to concentrate on her Ronald McDonald-esque make-up again, just her, quite frankly amazing, performance. Just her, her microphone and that incredible voice that only comes around once a generation. It's a real reminder why we fell in love with Christina in the beginning, before she felt it necessary to remove all her clothing every time she made a music video or had a photo shoot. Check out the video below....

The Boyleing Point?

They need this as much as Esther Rantzen needs a decent hair cut. Oscar winning film director Danny Boyle has been brought on board to help direct the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic games. This is a welcomed boost for a project that has been nothing but plagued with PR and political disapproval almost as soon as it was announced. However with the unique creativity of Boyle on their side, the forthcoming sporting event seems to be finally hitting it's stride. It very nearly makes up for that dreadful logo and those scary mascots.

Coming to a Superdrug near you soon....

Don't get me wrong, part of me LOVES Mariah Carey - she's actually pretty hilarious when pitted against the right interviewer, plus did you know she writes all her own music? I didn't and it impressed me when i found out. But do we really need another celebrity fragrance? Especially when this cheap shit is what we get? In fact I thought this looked tacky beyond all belief and doubted if it was genuine. Unfortunately it is - unlike that picture they've used of Mariah.

God Bless America

Congratulations to former 'Ugly Betty' star America Ferrera who announced her engagement today to long term boyfriend Ryan Piers Williams. I've always liked America, she seems like the kind of celebrity who would genuinely be nice to you if you bothered her for an autograph. Plus, my boyfriend recently made me realise that 'Ugly Betty' was perhaps one of the best written American TV shows of the last decade. I was disappointed, but not shocked when it was cancelled this year - after it's initial hype, it never really did capture a strong large audience. The picture to the right, taken this week at the Edinburgh film festival, proves that being engaged looks good on the budding film star.

Uh-oh

With the coverage of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico at an all time high, an image like this really says more than any company VP or US President ever could.

tit for tat?

so why bother proving your just as talented as everyone else in your err 'chosen field' when you can prove your just as cool as them. Miley Cyrus got re-inked this week - just a short while after our favorite ex church choir girl Katy Perry. Miley was snapped along with her new man Liam after getting the word love tattooed in her right ear. Darlin if that's the only part of you he's lovin then you need an upgrade!!

Like a Virgin

We're sure there's a Dick joke in here somewhere but we're going to rise above it. Here's burlesque icon Dita Von Teese and Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson celebrating Dita becoming immortalised on one of Virgin's planes to celebrate 10 years of flying non stop from London to Las Vegas. Bet that's not the first time she's ridden a Dick that big! Ok we caved....

Ummmm....

I'm not sure if it's the painted on eye brows, the ridiculous false lashes or the foundation on her bleached hair, but something's not quite right with this picture of Christina Aguilera at the NBA Finals this week....

Well this is clearly amazing...

Amazing.

The new Kelis video has arrived....

The video for Kelis' new single '4th of July' just premièred on YouTube channel Vevo. Despite in many aesthetic ways being a perfect fit for the song, for what is perhaps the best track on her amazing new album 'Fleshtone' the video looks like the budget was no more than about $100 - most of which seems to have been spent on the dress. It's a shame that more money hasn't been invested in to the 'Fleshtone' project by Kelis' record company - the material is clearly worthy of it and will easily end up being one of this year's strongest albums. As time goes on it seems clear that Kelis herself is carving an imprint in the music industry as this generations Grace Jones. She has genuine talent and originality that many other pop stars today have been unable to match. Enjoy the video below!

Finally!

Eagerly anticipated by nobody, MGM have released the 'sinsational' - their words, not mine - 'Showgirls 15th anniversary edition' on DVD and Blu-ray.... Unfortunately for Elizabeth Berkely's this will always be the grave stone that marks where her career once lived.

award winning peformance by Michele at Tony's

the incredible talent that is Lea Michele performing at the 2010 Tony's....How can you not love this girl? face of Idina Menzel and lungs of an ox - Not so sure on the fringe mind you, but I'd like to think that even those living the dream slip and have a bad hair moment!

welcome

Hi and welcome to the first post from the !team. We plan to use this blog to explore the world of pop culture, accompanied by a healthy dose of opinion and some might say sarcasm - we say witt. Bare with us while we get to grips with this blogging malarkey, but expect regular up to date posts and the occasional editorial.

Thanks

!team