AMAZEPOP - Issue 04 by AMAZEPOP

AMAZEPOP

ISSUE 04 july 2013 www.amazepop.co.uk

lawson

discussing everything from new music to favourite service stations

a*m*e

ON DUKE DUMONT SMASH, K-POP AND CHERYL COLE

charlie brown comebacks

talking through THE LONG, LONG ROAD TO THE SPOTLIGHT

POP’S MOST WANTED RETURNS REVEALED

AMAZEPOP Issue 04 Editor & Head Writer SHAUN KITCHENER Contributors BETH DAVISON BEN EGAN BECCA LONGMIRE ALEX MACGREGOR www.amazepop.co.uk www.twitter.com/amazepop

HOLLER. Welcome to AMAZEPOP. THREE. INTERVIEWS. Madness. July is nearly as far away as you can get from Christmas, but you’d never guess it from the level of atrocious spoiling we are doing to you this month. Goodness me. First up, our man Alex went off to meet Lawson last month, and you can see the fruits of his labour over on Page 6. They’re nice chaps and you’d do well do read their Q&A, so off you go. NO WAIT NOT YET. There are also lil’ chats with A*M*E and Charlie Brown to be enjoyed; the former chatting about her love of K-Pop and experiences of Emeli Sande and Cheryl Cole, while the latter talks about his long climb to the pop big league via The Script, Wiley and Dappy. Quite a mix there. This month’s poll is the Most Wanted Comebacks, which follows on nicely from last month’s Best Popstars In The World 2013 festivities. Basically, who would have been in that list if they were still, you know, doing stuff? The results are interesting, and the good news is that the winner has already confirmed that a comeback is on the agenda, so everyone can just relax as far as that one’s concerned. On top of that there’s the usual chat about new stuff, old stuff, “uncool” stuff and also the return of the Relatively Pointless Quiz, which loads of you (OK, 3 people) said they missed last time around. Take it to the bridge, Shaun Kitchener (Editor & Head Writer)

THE LINE-UP may 2013

Q&A LAWSON Page 6 A*M*E Page 12 CHARLIE BROWN Page 24 MUCHMUSIC VIDEO AWARDS CHAT: ED SHEERAN, AVRIL LAVIGNE, PSY Page 27

REGULARS FIRST VERSE Page 4 MODERN CLASSICS COLLECTION Page 32 MY “UNCOOL” ADDICTION: JEDWARD Page 36 RELATIVELY POINTLESS QUIZ Page 48

ESSAYS MILEY CYRUS: THE EVOLUTION Page 28

REVIEWS SINGLES Page 38 ALBUMS: KELLY ROWLAND, TOM ODELL Page 41 TV: BIG BROTHER Page 43 FILM: THIS IS THE END, WORLD WAR Z Page 44

BIG VOTE THING MOST WANTED POP COMEBACKS Page 16

FIRST VERSE BOOKIES RECKON PIXIE LOTT WILL REPLACE JESSIE J ON THE VOICE Jessie J could be replaced by Pixie Lott on The Voice UK, if bookies’ latest odds are to be believed.

on 16/1. At least if she joined, we’d know exactly when to expect her to pop up on TV, rather than her randomly appearing on just about any other show on the air.

At time of writing, the ‘Kiss The Stars’ songstress is hotly tipped to replace the ‘Wild’ crooner when the show returns for a third attempt at success in 2014.

Jessie J said when she left the series: “I’ve absolutely loved my time on The Voice and I hope everyone saw and knows how passionately I felt about the show. However, I can’t wait to promote my new record around the world and that has to take priority.”

BoyleSports list Pix, real name Victoria, as the 5/1 frontrunner, marginally ahead of Rita Ora, who is on 6/1. Mel B, who has already judged on 90% of all other talent shows, follows on 8/1.

peared as guest mentors for Danny O’Donoghue in the past, so could be a nice easy approach for Beeb will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones and Danbigwigs. ny O’Donoghue have yet to make Paloma Faith could also be a sensi- Alternatively, Alexandra Burke is a it known whether or not they will ble bet on 10/1, and Dido is on 12/1. ridiculous contender on 12/1, and be returning for next year’s series. Both of them have already ap- Emeli Sande can also be backed Don’t count on it.

10 AMAZING POPSTAR TWEETS: @KATYPERRY 1. If you wanna be my lover you gotta get with my friends. #fact 2. RT if you think you’re the cat whisperer. 3. RT if you still think sharks come through the drain in the pool at night. 4. @niallofficial congratulations, you didn’t let me down! xo 5. I knew you were truffle when

you walked in #dinnertime 6. Just heard a new song on the radio called “I hate being sober” I now have serious doubt for the world. 7. Sometimes it takes me weeks, months, years to write a song and then sometimes... God gives it to me in a moment. Oh, I love this moment. 8. You know the 90’s are back

when you’re voluntarily putting record scratches in your songs a la Portishead’s Dummy. 9. ATTENTION: Mercury is OUT of retrograde today. Thank GOD. 10. The new song Skyscraper by @ddlovato is pure perfection. Her voice is one of the BEST undiscovered beauties. Can’t wait for the full record.

SHANE WESTLIFE IS PRETTY CHUFFED TO BE GOING SOLO

His debut effort ‘Everything To Me’ is out next month

Shane Filan has announced he summery, acoustic-y ‘vibe’. will release his debut solo single ‘Everything To Me’ at the end of He says in a statement: ”I am inAugust. credibly excited to have joined Capitol Records, and being back The track, which comes from an in the studio in London and Nashupcoming EP of new tracks, is the ville recording new songs has been Westlife star’s first release away amazing. from the band. They announced their split at the end of 2011 and “Working on solo material is someparted ways after a Farewell Tour a thing I had always dreamed of dofew months later. ing, and I’m incredibly happy with the results.” ‘Everything To Me’, due August 25, has recently premiered online and ‘Everything To Me’ was written by has been drawing praise from the Shane with Nick Atkinson (who’s group’s dedicated fanbase for its previously worked with Gabrielle

CHERYL COLE IS BACK IN THE STUDIO

Aplin), and produced by Grammy award winning producer, Martin Terefe, whose CV boasts Jason Mraz, James Morrison and Train. On this track in particular, Filan gushed: “‘Everything To Me’ is a very personal song to me lyrically; it is such an upbeat and optimistic record, perfect for the summer. I can’t wait for people to hear it!” Tracklisting fans will be happy to learn that the three other tracks on the EP are titled ‘Everytime’, ‘Once’ and ‘Today’s Not Yesterday’.

Cheryl Cole is back behind the mic, back to work. No complaints here. possibly laying down early tracks for her fourth solo album. She uploaded to Instagram a simple snap from inside a studio booth earThe ‘Call My Name’ singer apparent- lier this month, along with the caply vowed following the Girls Aloud tion: “Back with my first true love”. split to take a break from showbiz, Don’t keep us waiting a billion years but it seems it’s already time to get for this one, Chez.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bringin back t

lawson scored their first chart hit just over a year ag top 20 singles and god only knows how many ticket sal adam to take stock 6

ng ‘band’ bands to pop”

go, and have since scored a hit album, three subsequent les. amazepop went along to meet joel, ryan, andy and of the story so far. 7

It’s been little over a year since Andy, Adam, Joel and Ryan - aka Brit pop-rockers Lawson - first burst into the mainstream public eye. In 12 months they’ve toured extensively here in the UK and abroad, scored three top 10 hits and released their debut top 5 album Chapman Square, which will be re-released with some new tracks this autumn ahead of their second album next year. Before that though, this month sees the release of their properly good new single ‘Brokenhearted’, featuring US rapper B.o.B. Alex MacGregor caught up with the lads at their label offices in London to talk new material, reality shows, Robbie Williams, on-the-

road pranks and - yes, really - the your first album were written joys of motorway service stations. with Mollie King from the Saturdays in mind... So is ‘BrokenLet’s firstly talk about the new hearted’ about anyone in parsingle, ‘Brokenhearted’ - it’s a ticular? very different sound to what you Andy: Not really, no. Like you said, guys have done before. Was this I wrote a few songs about Mollie a conscious decision on your part on the first album but I also wrote coming into this new album? about other girls I’ve dated as well, Joel: Yeah I think so. We’re always so this latest tune isn’t about a writing on the road and stuff like specific girl, it’s more general. You that, and as you say it’s a bit of a take experiences about every girl new sound for us. It’s got more of you’ve been with and use it for that a funky, Maroon 5 sort of sound to particular song. I think a lot of guys it... especially will relate to this song Andy: Rob Thomas [of ‘Lonely No because every guy’s been through More’ fame] was a big influence on that one nasty breakup and you this song, there’s a bit of a reggae know, come out the other side and infusion to it as well. they’ve been great, never been Adam: That makes it sound like a better. Bob Marley song! B.o.B features on the song. How Andy - obviously a few songs on did you get him involved?

Andy: We’d wanted to work with him for a while - we loved his work anyway with Bruno Mars, Hayley Williams and Taylor Swift - so we just reached out to his management, he really liked the tune and he said ‘Yeah, let’s do this’. He flew over recently to perform it with us at the Capital Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium which was incredible.

Ryan: I personally feel like these are the best songs we’ve written so far. The second album’s gonna be even better - a lot stronger. I mean, I know it’s often the case when the artist is like ‘Oh, this is my favourite stuff’ and then no one else likes it... Adam/Joel: Oh, don’t! Ryan: But I genuinely believe this is our best stuff. Andy’s a genius songwriter and he’s developing I saw it online and it was a great more and getting even better. performance. How was perform- Adam: Yeah. (to Andy) You’re geting at that event for you? ting more mature aren’t you? Ryan: It was pretty nerve wracking... Your last single you released here Andy: It was about 80,000 people in the UK, ‘Learn to Love Again’ there I think! is now your debut single in AmerJoel: It was quite an overwhelm- ica. How’s that all working out? ing experience - you get up there Adam: It’s not really our debut and you kind of forget everything single there as such. We’ve got you’re supposed to do, and try and some singles lined up for release let the autopilot take over and it there later in the year but this is never does, it’s crazy... just a taster to our American fans. Adam: That autopilot being ‘rock’, They’ve been with us for a very by the way. long time and we’ve not yet given Ryan: ‘Rocktopilot’! (laughs) them anything they can - legally, anyway - own yet. Robbie Williams was also on the Ryan: We do have a fanbase there lineup of Summertime Ball, and but it’s small at the moment in he spoke very highly in particular comparison to what it could be, so of you, Andy. Is it very much re- this is just really to keep them tidciprocated? ed over. Andy: 100% - me and Ryan were right at the front cheering him on The Saturdays and The Wanted during his set, he pointed at me as have obviously had their reality well which so flattering! And what shows on E! following them as he said about me was so nice of they try to crack America. Would him - we had a chat before he went you be up for doing something on and he’s just such a lovely guy, I similar? couldn’t speak more highly of him Adam: (thinks) Possibly. I think if - one of the nicest in the business. we ever did anything like that it wouldn’t be a reality show as such. People often talk in pop - and music generally - about the sec- So maybe something like Olly ond album being ‘the difficult Murs’ show he did for ITV2? one’. Does it feel like that for you Andy: Oh yeah, do you mean ‘Life guys just yet? on Murs’? I watched that actually,

it was good! Ryan: I’d love to do something like ‘Talihina Sky’, the documentary that Kings of Leon did. Adam: Yeah, like a documentary like that would be great. But it’d be more kind of fly on the wall rather than the sort of ‘set up’ situations like in a reality show. Ryan: Exactly, nothing set up. Just a complete look at life on the road, touring, performing, all of that. There’s a bit of a sea change in pop at the moment, in so far as there’s a bit of “musicianship” coming back. Is that a good thing? Andy: Definitely. We grew up - well certainly I did, I don’t know about the other lads - listening to bands like Oasis and Travis, so we love that we’re helping to bring ‘band’ bands back to pop. And we love The Script, they’re good friends of ours. Adam: And there’s like a few more bands coming up now who we’ve played at gigs or shared the bill with in the last couple of weeks who are writing and performing their own stuff, so yeah, it’s really nice. Just going back to B.o.B, I wanted to discuss some other collaborations you’ve done recently. I know you worked with Gary Barlow last year but the material you did with him didn’t make it onto Chapman Square. Will it be appearing on this second album? Andy: Yeah, I don’t see why not. I wrote with Gary after the album was finished and mastered so there was no way it could have got onto the last album. But we’ve got loads of songs saved up for the second album - and as Ryan said that’s

why we feel it’s gonna be our best about laughing at this point) work yet. And I loved working with Andy: No, seriously, we’re dead Gary, he’s an incredible writer. chuffed with that. You can’t beat a bit of Backstreet Boys - what a Also, we heard you were writing band they were. Were *NSYNC in some songs for One Direction...? there as well? ‘Bye Bye Bye’ has to Andy: Yes - although I’ve been be in there surely! writing for a lot of different artists Ryan: I’m not gonna lie - top 40 as well, but it’s good to be writing would have been nice for us but for lots of different people. Hope- you know. It’s room for improvefully the stuff I did for them will be ment next year! on their next album. Adam: And hey, we can say we’re the 41st best one of the last - ten We recently asked our read- years, was it? ers to vote for their 50 Ultimate Boyband Hits of the last 15 years. Fifteen. Your song, ‘Taking Over Me’ Adam: Ah. That’s probably why came in at 41, which was higher we’re 41! than ‘Last Goodbye’ from Andy’s Ryan: If it was 10 years we’d have old band Avenue at 49, but lower been 39. (laughs) than The Wanted’s ‘All Time Low’ Andy: Hopefully after we release at 20 and Backstreet Boys’ ‘I Want one of our other singles we can go it That Way’ which was number 1. top 40 next year! Would you say this is a fair positioning and which of those songs You’ve got another tour coming (apart from your own) would you up in October. As you’ve toured say is the best? quite a bit now are there any Adam: It’s totally unfair, we should venues you go to apart from your have been number one! Your read- hometowns that are your favourers are mental! (all the lads fall ite to play in?

Andy: Collectively, we all loved playing O2 Arena - even though that wasn’t our own show! [They played at the famous London venue for last year’s Jingle Bell Ball.] Ryan: The venue I loved the most on our last tour was Cambridge Corn Exchange (the rest of the lads chip in in agreement). Manchester Apollo was great as well. Andy: We did one of our first ever shows there supporting Avril Lavigne. Adam: We’ve played a lot of shows there but never as the headliners, so to go back there and headline will be amazing - the Manchester crowd is always wicked. Ryan: Roundhouse is a great venue as well in Camden. We can’t wait for that show actually on this new tour, it’s gonna be a good one. The traditional saying is ‘what goes on tour stays on tour’ - but are there any epic pranks you’ve played on previous tours that you can tell me about here? Adam: One time we kidnapped a horse in the back of our trailer! Ryan: It was a Shetland pony, actually... Andy: Oh yes! It was a stuffed one that we stole... Adam: (thinks) Oh no wait, I’ve got a better one! On the last tour we had a mouse trap - and every single day, someone was in charge of it and had to put in someone’s bunk on the bus - and no one knew which one it was so every night you’d hear this (imitates snapping noise) ‘EEEK!’ Ryan: I was a big fan of putting it in the cereal myself. Joel: Or sellotaping was a good one as well - we’d try and sellotape each other’s bunks up so they couldn’t get up in the morning.

Good times! What’s ahead in the next year for you now? Andy: Lots more gigs - we’ve got a lot of summer shows coming up like Hard Rock Calling, T in the Park, then our own tour. We’ll be spending a bit more time in Asia and America. Ryan: We’ve actually got a headline tour coming up in America. Andy: Potentially at Christmas we’ve got some stuff lined up in South America as well. We just want to grow organically and expand our fanbase to as many people as possible. Joel: Exactly. Get a bus, do it the old school way. Play to three or four people a night. Adam: We went to South East Asia recently and the reception we got out there was incredible, we can’t wait to go back. None of us had been on holiday or travelled there or anything, so we had no idea how it was gonna go down. Our first show was in Bangkok and we thought it’d be about 700 people that would turn up - but there was about 6,000 people there.

L-R: Ryan, Adam, AMAZEPOP’s Joel: That was good - I saw the EaAlex, Andy and Joel gles’ new documentary recently too. M25! Adam: I watched Katy Perry’s movie ‘Part of Me’. Describe Lawson in three words to an alien. Last thing you read? Andy: Meaningful pop rock. Andy: A text on my phone. Adam: Yeah, but they can’t speak Adam: Heat magazine on the train English if they’re alien, so it’d just this morning. be (makes strange gargling noise). Ryan: The Hobbit...in 1999! Andy: Yes, but hypothetically if Joel: A guitar techniques book I they spoke English then ‘meaningSome quickfire questions for you borrowed from Andy. ful pop rock’ would be it. now to wrap up...last song you Favourite motorway service stadownloaded? And finally, we ask this to everyRyan: Robin Thicke - ‘Blurred tion? one - what do you think makes a Andy: Oooh, now we’re talking! Lines’. great pop song in 2013? Adam: Mine was Keith Lemon’s There’s this really great one just Andy: Great lyrics. song ‘I Wanna Do You’. We met him outside Brighton... Ryan: Great melodies. Great recently and he made us all down- Ryan: Actually there’s a great one hooks. on the M25 they’ve just opened... load it! Adam: Big guitars. Great rhythm. Adam: Yes - it’s got a sushi bar as well! It’s between junctions 9 and Last film you watched? ‘Brokenhearted’ featuring B.o.B Andy: ‘The Wonderful Burt Won- 10 and it’s life changing. is out on July 7 on Polydor Rederstone’ with Jim Carrey and Ste- Joel: I don’t know. I think the one cords. we were at in Oxford was more ve Carrell. Ryan: Me and Joel watched picture-esque... @ThePensmith10 Andy: Nah, man. It’s all about the ‘Mama’ the other night.

Q&A(*M*E) She’s already featured on one of the year’s biggest Number One singles, been spotted by Gary Barlow and worked with the likes of Emeli Sande and Cheryl Cole. Now it’s time for her to strike out into the spotlight. Shaun Kitchener chats to A*M*E.

‘Heartless’ is a tune. How’s the reaction been for you? It’s been really, really positive. I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction right now. You’ve just had the huge success of ‘Need U’ - what was it about ‘Heartless’ that made you choose it be The One That Comes Next? I think it was always gonna be my next single regardless of if I had the Number 1 or not, just because I think it’s a smash. So we kinda went with it!

producers - they’ve done the whole One Direction album, Nicki Minaj, etc - and they were just playing me a few tracks. They played me the chorus and the first verse of ‘Heartless’ and, you know, then they played another track and we were vibin’ and I was like ‘wait, go back to that track please?’. They were like, ‘oh, you know, this track is kind of on hold for somebody else’. So I just looked at my manager and I was like ‘...No. No no no no no no. I’m gonna need this track.’ So then I wrote the rest of it with them, and that’s how ‘Heartless’ kind of came about.

What’s the story behind it? How did it come to exist? It’s quite a funny story, actually. I Did they tell you who they held was working with Carl Faulk and it for? Rami Yacoub, super-renowned Yeah, they did... but I’m not sure if

I’m allowed to say. I’ve been scanning through Wikipedia, The Oracle Of All Facts, and I see you’ve been writing with Emeli Sande? How was that? I actually didn’t work-work with her. We weren’t in the same room. I had a session with Naughty Boy and he played me the track, and he was like ‘Yeah, feel free to get on it’, and it was called ‘Find A Boy’... and we put it up as a viral thing online. You’ve also done some backing vocals for Cheryl Cole, was that a similar situation? We didn’t cross paths at all. I had originally recorded the song, but

it wasn’t quite right for me. Then my new label... it all clicked. Very Cheryl picked it up and asked me nicely. It wasn’t very hard as well. to put backing vocals on it, so I did! A track called ‘One Thousand’. How did that come around originally? How did he ‘pick you up’? I’m a HUGE CherIt was through some demos yl fan, but I can I did when I left school. My see what peomanager distributed it out ple meant when to a few A&Rs and someone they said that from his team picked it up your voice is and he obviously listened to it probably loudand was like, ‘Yeah I really like er than hers on her’. So I had a meeting with the chorus... his team and just took it from [Laughs] there, really! Do you think you maybe should have got a credit for that? You know... Things happen. I mean, it’s quite funny that people do say that. And... Yeah. We’ll move on. When Gary Barlow decided to close his label, which had obviously just signed you, before you got re-housed was there a moment of, like, ‘Oh s**t’? It was incredibly smooth, actually. Honestly, a dream. My team and

I’m not entirely certain. I’m just writing for it. I’m not sure what songs will make it and what won’t. But there’s some really good tracks on there.

You cite K-Pop as one of your big influences. What is it about that sound that appeals to you? I think they’re very intelligent. They get most of their influences from the Western world, America, bla bla bla... but they do it in a way that it’s so different. It’s not mimicky and it’s also not cheesy, which some... I don’t know... some pop Is there an album in the pipe- bands are. They just do it in a reline? Is it an ongoing process or is ally clever way. It’s very innovative there a set date? and they just think ahead, which is There is, well there is an album but amazing. there is no set date. Hoping for end of this year or early next year. I’m ashamed to say I’m not very I went to LA for sixteen days over clued up on that particular genthe last few months and, yeah, did re... but I assume there’s more to most of that. It was awesome. it than, say, ‘Gangnam Style’? Oh, yeah. Absolutely. ‘Gangnam Will the early buzz tracks like Style’ is a great song for what it ‘Play The Game Boy’ etc be on is but there is SO much more to there, or are you starting from K-pop. Absolutely. scratch?

Are there any artists in particular that Britain should look into? 2-NE-1 are on the same label as Big Band, actually. Big Band and 2-NE-1 are on the same label as Psy, so watch out for them. They’re my tips. Big Band have already sold out Wembley Arena, so I’m sure they can do some big and better things. Just going quickly back to ‘Need U’ with Duke Dumont. You’ve been grafting away for quite a while; how satisfying a pay-off for you was it when that track blew up? Yeah, amazing. Really, really amazing. It’s just nice to know that people appreciate your music and get your vibe, so more than anything it was just really nice to know that people liked my music. In the weeks leading up to its release could you kind of get a feel for how well it was going to do? Well, yeah, we were like... ‘Oh... Oh... Ohhhh...’ but we were like, ‘touch wood!’ in every interview and stuff. We never wanted to be cocky and be like, ‘Yep, we’re Number One for sure!’. But, yeah. It was amazing that it did go to Number One. And finally, it’s a bit of a wanky question but I always ask it - in 2013, what do you think makes a good pop song? Catchy lyrics. Catchy, clever lyrics. A really good melody. And an amazing beat to drive through the whole thing. And obviously the artist has to sell it really well. ‘Heartless’ is out on July 15. @ShaunKitchener

) G N I H T E T O (BIG V

most wanted comebacks

last month we launched what will hopefully end up being an annual poll of the best popstars in the world. this year, quite rightly, kelly clarkson came up trumps. but who should have been up there with her, if only they were still ’active‘? cue this new vote, designed to indicate which pop giants from the days of yore should be setting the comeback trail alight with blistering new tuneage. we gave you a longlist of 100 to choose from, and you‘re about to clap eyes on the 50 who came out on top...

BIG VOTE THING

most wanted comebacks 50 atomic kitten Their appearance on The Big Reunion didn’t exactly send Liz, Natasha and Kerry soaring to the top of your comeback wishlist, but hey - they’re in the Top 50, which they may not have been before. More adult-y pop ballads, please!

46 louise She picked up more votes in this poll than Eternal, so clearly Louise should steer clear of any Big Reunion offers and return to the pop big league on her own steam. ‘2 Faced’, anyone?

41 geri halliwell

49 westlife

45 b*witched

Perhaps not enough time has passed yet for Westlife to bring a wave of nostalgia with them, but they still picked up a decent number of votes to poke their heads inside this list.

They achieved so many number ones in such a short space of time that it’s easy to forget just how brief B*Witched’s time in the sun was. Whether or not they’d have any glimmer of chart success in 2013 is hard to say, but clearly there’s at least a smidgeon of demand for it.

48 v

Did V’s time in the spotlight get cut brutally short? Were ‘Hip To Hip’ and ‘Blood Sweat And Tears’ abso- 44 shayne ward lute classics that didn’t get enough appreciation at the time? Maybe It all went a bit balls-up for poor Shayne, didn’t it? His third album so, everyone. Maybe so. suffered delay after delay after delay and he was inevitably dropped. 47 shaggy After some joy on the West End and on Dancing On Ice, Should he There was a time at the turn of the be approached by a new record lacentury where it felt like Shaggy bel? would never, ever leave the Top 40. Mercifully, that time passed. But tracks like ‘It Wasn’t Me’ and ‘An- 43 savage garden gel’ clearly still have a special place It’s been a long, long time - 14 in many peoples’ hearts. years, in fact - since 1999’s Affirmation, so surely now is a good time for the duo to reunite and follow-up the awesomeness of ‘To The Moon And Back’ and ‘Truly Madly Deeply’.

42 liberty x

The only act on The Big Reunion who’ve made it pretty clear that they won’t be hanging around and attempting a major comeback, Liberty X have ironically polled higher than several other groups on the show who are back in the studio. A shame?

She’s been threatening to release new music for donkey’s years, so who knows if or when a new Gezza LP will actually land... but considering the sheer awfulness of the last campaign (‘Ride It’, anyone?), it’s in the best interests of her legacy that the one-time Ginger Spice releases something decent sooner or later.

40 daphne & celeste The great debate on Daphne and Celeste still rages on today (kinda. Not really.). Were they just a pure novelty pop production designed to irritate, or where they performing with an irony that most of us missed? The unexpected critical acclaim of their No140-reaching album points towards the latter, but the bottles hurled at them during the Reading Festival definitely point to the former.

39 blazin’ squad This odd collective scored big success in the early-mid 00s, notching up six Top 10 hits including the No1 ‘Crossroads’ and No2 smash ‘Flip Reverse’ - a track which many (hopefully wrongly) assumed to

BIG VOTE THING

most wanted comebacks be about anal sex. Glam.

38 amy studt The thing with Amy Studt is she already has returned in post-teenpop-rock mode. But it seems many people still do miss her brand of angsty tuneage, of which ‘Misfit’ is perhaps the most fondly-remembered.

on the likes ‘If You’re Not The One’ are still on Spotify should anyone ever feel the need to howl along.

34 black eyed peas Their hiatus - which came following an onslaught of utter cack doesn’t seem to have put people off the idea of new BEP tuneage. Perhaps when will.i.am’s done with his current solo business there’ll be more music on the cards from the whole quartet? but who knows.

33 lindsay lohan Oh, guys. GUYS. Lindsay bloomin’ Lohan! She’s not exactly an obvious choice for a pop comeback, but 37 victoria beckham lest we forget there’s still an unfinVictoria Beckham is the only Spice ished third album sitting around Girl to see all of her solo singles waiting to be released somewhere. chart inside the Top 10. OK, so she Did someone say leak? only released four - but if that’s not a reason for her to abandon this fashion business and return 32 big brovaz to semi-amusing pop music, then Whispers suggest these guys are nothing is. already signed up for The Big Re-

30 gwen stefani She’s basically dismissed her solo career altogether in recent interviews, which is a shame - Gwen’s albums were hailed as pop masterpieces, and a third would likely cause quite the fuss.

29 all saints

All Saints’ last attempt at a comeback hardly did big things, but third union 2014, so it’ll be interesting time lucky, right? If they release to see how much demand there anything anywhere near as good 36 s club juniors actually is to see them back on the as ‘Pure Shores’, then it’s worth it. Two of them are now in The Satur- road again. Warning: It may mean days, and none of them are Juniors the end of Booty Luv. 28 5ive any more - but apparently the likes of ‘Automatic High’ and ‘Sundown’ THEY’RE NOT A FIVE-PIECE 31 emma bunton are actually missed. Who knew?! THOUGH. The highest-charting Spice on this poll, Emma Bunton had a strong 35 daniel bedingfield period in the sun during her Free 27 nsync Once an inescapable force on the Me campaign, which went down Quite a low ranking, considering pop scene, Daniel Bedingfield’s well with critics and playlisters of it’s NSYNC, right? Maybe if Justin drift out of pop’s premiere league Radios 1 and 2 alike. The low sales Timberlake wasn’t back On It this was quite quiet and also quite of her last record don’t point to- year, they’d be higher. quick. Still, the blinding high notes wards a lucrative career revival,

BIG VOTE THING

most wanted comebacks 26 aqua Really, guys? Really? Aqua’s heyday was a good few years ago now, and subsequent attempts at repeating the giant sales figures have mostly fallen on deaf ears. But still, the people want what the guns blazing. people want...

25 vengaboys Again, Vengaboys have already tried once or twice to revive the brand, but The Modern Pop Climate is a different place to The Olden Pop Climate, and it doesn’t seem like there’s much interest anymore... despite the quartet somehow blagging No25 on this list.

24 natasha bedingfield N-Beds’ last album, 2010’s Strip Me (released in Europe as Strip Me Away the following summer) was a really good collection - it was just a shame that nobody was that bothered about buying it. But it’s not too late for her to come back, all

acoustic guitar-led brand of tuneage back for another crack of the whip.

21 alesha dixon

Alesha’s career trajectory is INFURIATING. Dropped, resigned, dropped again... her second album, The Entertainer, was a total 23 fergie flop but was far, far better than Polling higher than the Black Eyed its predecessor The Alesha Show, Peas in this list, Fergie could do which - despite the brilliance of with returning to music as a solo Breathe Slow and The Boy Does artiste once she’s done with the Nothing - was largely cack. Is it whole baby-having thing. That too late for someone to offer her a lone LP is looking like it needs a third deal? follow-up. You know what to do, Fergs.

20 samantha mumba

22 natalie imbruglia

Look up The Mumba’s hits of yore on Spotify and you’re in for a right Natalie was never realistically go- treat. ‘Always Come Back To Your ing to trump the enormous suc- Love’, ‘Gotta Tell You’... it’s a travcess of ‘Torn’, the debut single that esty that she was only allowed one went on to become what must be studio album before being disone of the most successful No2s missed. in history. Still, there are probably still some record sales left to be reaped if she decides to bring her 19 jordin sparks A surprisingly high entry, Jordin Sparks has been absent for a ludicrously lengthy four years now. ‘Battlefield’ is one of the greatest pop songs of recent years and its parent album was a decent listen so why has it taken so long for the follow-up? Sort it out, Powers That Be. Sort it out.

18 rachel stevens It is a truth universally accepted in pop that Rachel is accountable for the greatest pop songs that

BIG VOTE THING

most wanted comebacks nobody was really interested in listening to. Her critically lauded work when largely unnoticed so now, before S Club 7’s heavily-rumoured reformation, how many would rather just have more solo Rachel instead?

17 the corrs Popular with a variety of demographics, The Corrs weren’t really that ‘pop’ considering how well they’ve fared on this list. Still, with classics like ‘So Young’, ‘What Can Approximately 7 people would I Do?’ and ‘Radio’ on their roster, buy a new Dannii Minogue album who are we to say no to more? in 2013, but curiosity is a powerful force - and who wouldn’t want to know what an update on the 16 dannii minogue likes of ‘Put A Needle On It’ would sound like? Eh?

15 pussycat dolls An odd choice seeing as Nicole Scherzinger is still doing pretty well, the Pussycat Dolls reunion would probably be most notable for the inevitable awkwardness between Scherzy and those who have bitched and moaned about her since the split. Maybe this one can be put on hold for a few more years.

what the experts reckon A cluster of bona-fide music geeks give their personal Top 5s

jessica a&r consultant, blogger, AUTHOR OF ’HOW TO MAKE IT IN POP‘ 01 nsync As Justin Timberlake gets more successful and the other four fade further into obscurity, the likelihood of this comeback is slim to none, but it would be great to see them reform for a one-off performance. A guest appearance at one of Justin’s con-

14 shania twain A cameo on a Michael Buble Christmas album apparently isn’t enough. Shania’s late-90s country-pop is still fondly remembered by her unexpectedly large fanbase, and a replica of 1997’s Come On Over would be ace.

13 will smith This Graham Norton business has put people in a good mood for new Will Smith. This is one that could probably be achievable, if people shout loud enough (and if the payday was big enough).

certs, perhaps?

02 s club 7 S Club have been rumoured for The Big Reunion series two, and reports have also said they may have their own show. Whatever they do, they need to get in shape first if they want to erase the embarrassing S Club 3 Australian TV performance from our memories!

03 abba With Agnetha back in the charts and Benny and Bjorn still working together, all

BIG VOTE THING

most wanted comebacks 12 sugababes Well, if Mutya Keisha Siobhan are having another go then why not Jade Amelle Heidi? Because the music would be bad, is probably why. But if they could edge back towards the About You Now days and away from the agonising shit- 09 jamelia ness of Wear My Kiss, you never know what could happen. O, what brilliance Jamelia was. ‘Thank You’! ‘See It In A Boy’s Eyes’! It all went a bit wrong with 11 ashlee simpson that one about the dog, but people make mistakes - and it’s about She won a legion of fans with ‘Piec- time Jamelia was back atop the es Of Me’, traded sales for mature charts where she belongs. pop brilliance with her Bittersweet World album, then stopped altogether. A comeback from either of 08 hilary duff the two versions of Jessica Simpson’s little sis would be great, to be That brief 48-hour period in which she was rumoured to be joining honest. The X Factor USA clearly paved the way for quite the Duffers nostalgia 10 mis-teeq trip. Her early-00s Disney pop-rock has aged terribly, but the glimmer From Alesha Dixon’s recent quotes, of brilliance in the likes of 2007 alit does actually sound like some sort of Mis-Teeq comeback could be on the cards. As long as the Britain’s Got Talent judge howls something to do with THA MISTEEQ FLOOOOO at some point or another, that would be fine.

they need to do is convince Frida, and it could just happen! With all four members now in their sixties, now’s the time to reform for one last celebration before they’re too old.

04 destiny’s child The new song earlier this year just wasn’t enough to satisfy Destiny’s Child fans - we need more! The U.S. hasn’t produced a great girlband since DC’s glory days, so I think they need to come back for one last

album to remind everyone how it should be done.

05 cleopatra After seeing Cleo Higgins on The Voice this year, it only seems natural that a Cleopatra reunion should follow. The girls would be perfect for The Big Reunion and with Cleo’s powerhouse vocals they could put on a great live show if they went on tour.

bum track ‘Outside Of You’ is too strong to be taken likely. Come on, Hils. Your public awaits.

07 busted Emma Willis recently said in an interview that Busted HAVE been approached by The Big Reunion producers. She also said that they’ve turned the offer down. Dammit, boys. Dammit. FOOLS.

06 billie piper The saddest thing about Billie Piper’s pop career is that she probably looks back on it now and shudders to her very core. But that’s surely all the more reason to come back and make peace with it. As long as she does ‘Because We Want To’ at her comeback gig, anything will do.

05 destiny’s child

jamie rose monk singer & actress 01 daphne & celeste They’re fun, and I feel like it’s time we had a duo back. A good duo. Bring back the duo!

02 leann rimes We just can’t fight that moonlight anymore! Country needs to come back in a

BIG VOTE THING

most wanted comebacks The Super Bowl hinted at it, the album of naff love songs hinted at it, the 3-way collabo on the new Kelly Rowland song hints at it... but it still doesn’t seem like Destiny’s Child are planning to come back properly. The only feasible option is to boycott the new Beyonce album, but that would just be stupid.

04 spice girls IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, K?

03 s club 7

01 lily allen

There have been too many rumours now for this to be completely off the cards, but would S Club 7 really work as a group of thirty- A wise choice for the winner, and is fair enough in some cases, but somethings in 2013? Only one way of course the good news is that it not when you’re as incredible as seems like this particular comeback Lily bloody Allen. Luckily, the light to find out... is actually going to happen. And at the end of the tunnel is getting about ruddy time too. Lily’s two al- clearer - first came a brief spot on 02 girls aloud bums were not only massively suc- a Pink song, and now she’s in the cessful in terms of sales and chart studio with Greg Kurstin working They’ve only been apart for four performance, they also garnered on her third record, which is probmonths, but already the cries for a a huge level of critical acclaim and ably going to be out at some point Return Of The Aloud are of a conwon a string of accolades. The in early 2014. Mediocrity is barely siderably high volume. This probaQuit While You’re Ahead mentality even a possibility. bly will never happen - at least for a good decade or so - but it’s good to GREATEST DEBUT SINGLES dream, right? We shall not forget. Who fired out the traps with the best first single? Head to amazepop.co.uk/bigvotething to vote.

next vote

big way and whatshisname on The Voice needs some help.

03 jamelia Her album was incredible. ‘Thank You’ is a great pop song.

04 will smith Justin Timberlake has laid the groundwork for that kind of maturer, cool popstar to come back.

05 shania twain

02 hilary duff

She’s got a really good voice! She always made good, full albums. You don’t get many of those nowadays.

Gonna need Dignity 2.0 at some point.

shaun kitchener amazepop editor 01 jamelia When she was good, she was GOOD.

03 jordin sparks What happened to the third album?

04 natasha bedingfield Always had a soft spot.

05 lily allen 2014 can’t come soon enough.

CHARLIE & THE TUNE FACTORY

A TOP 10 SINGLE UNDER HIS BELT AND A BUSY SUMMER AHEAD, CHARLIE BROWN CHATS TO SHAUN KITCHENER ABOUT THE STORY SO FAR 24

So I was prepping for this Q&A, loving all there is to love on ‘Floodgates’ (right), but I see now the plan has changed? What’s the drill? Yeah, basically, the next single... I’ve been in the studio to work with people I’ve never met before, and... cos I’m constantly writing, I went to the label with the new stuff and was like, ‘Is it too late to change? I wanna do this song!’. And they kinda heard it... Initially I don’t think they wanted to do it, but then I played the song and they were like ‘Yes, we could do this’, because ‘Floodgates’ hadn’t really started yet. Obviously I couldn’t have done that if it was any later in the day. Luckily, they really went for it! So I have this new single coming out in September, and before that I’m featuring on a dance track for someone, which I’m really excited about because I’ve never featured on anything before. So that’s out in August. So it’s exciting! It’s good! The featured track you mentioned - are you allowed to say who that’s with? Yeah, it’s with a new producer called Nathan Retro, he’s kind of like a new kid on the block. I’m glad I’m getting on it while it’s just started because I really believe in him and I love the song, so that’s out in August. It’s called ‘Thinking About You’ and I’m just featuring on that one. My official second single is out just after that. You’ve worked with quite a lot of people on your journey to being where you are now - for anyone who’s not aware, what’s the story so far? One of the first teams I ever worked with was a writing team that included Mark and Danny from

The Script. This was before they formed The Script, so that’s really exciting for me. Even before they were in The Script they were so talented, and I remember being really in awe of them because I’d just started out. I looked up to them and learned alot from them. They were great. And Jay Sean. Wiley has been a massive supporter and he’s one of my favourite artists, he’s really cool. It’s good now to be doing my own thing after working behind the scenes and working on other people’s stuff, it’s cool to be doing my own.

doesn’t... and I’m really grateful for that, because as soon as I got the deal with Universal I knew exactly the producers I liked, who I wanted to work with, what kind of stuff I wanted to say on the record. It’s kind of given me a good chance to plan everything.

You supported Dappy on tour, was that as nuts as it sounds? From my point of view the only nuts part was how crazy his fans are and how, you know, every time you even say the D word on stage they go absolutely nuts. That was a really good experience for me and You must have seen a lot of art- a good learning curve, because I’d ists come and go in the time that never toured before. I had no expeyou’ve been grafting - do you feel rience of singing night after night like you’ve got a good idea of to big crowds. I’d only ever done what works and what doesn’t? sporadic gigs here and there. So Yeah, definitely. I actually feel like that was really good for me. I don’t that’s a huge upside have any crazy backof being in the back- “It was frustrating stage stories though ground. For a long being in the back- because I was the suptime it was just frus- ground... I couldn’t port act so I wasn’t on trating being in the the tour bus. We were see the positive in it’ background and nevtravelling separately, er really getting to me and my guitarist. put an album out, and I couldn’t So me, my tour manager and my really see the positive in it. I was guitarist, we’d do my sound check, like, ‘I’m just stuck behind the do the gig and then go to the next scenes and I wanna get out there’. hotel, so we were away from the But now I’m actually doing it I’m so craziness! So I don’t know what grateful for the opportunity to, like Dappy’s backstage antics were. I you say, see a lot of people come caught up with him a few times on and go, see what works, see what tour but I wasn’t there, I didn’t re-

ally see anything.

On the subject of ‘On My Way’, after so long working towards an eventual single release, did it go how you expected it to? I didn’t have any massive expectations because it was my first single, so I didn’t really have anything to base it on. I was just, you know, like ‘I love the song, I’m gonna promote it until I can’t promote it any more, and I believe in it so hopefully other people will’. Everything with that song just got a green light - radio were really supportive, fans just kind of went crazy for it... the Dappy tour was really good for gauging how people were gonna take it. Top 10 was a surprise. I still remember that night, watching it climb up iTunes, refreshing my phone every 5 seconds and it’d gone up another number. It was insane. So to get to Number 7 was a dream come true, it was nuts.

My album’s going to be out either at the end of this year or really early next. It’s called Dreamspace. Because stuff can change all the time when you’re a writer yourself, it’s always subject to change, so I’m just constantly writing the whole time and I’m always looking to better myself and beat the last song so I’m gonna write up until the last minute. So the album could change shape, even though I’ve got 12 tracks now, I can definitely see 4 or 5 of them changing. I find that exciting, though, cos it’s always evolving and turning into something new. So I’m gonna be writing for that until the label drag me out and tell me that they’ve gotta master it.

You’re also on quite the festival trail this summer. How’ve they been? Yeah, they’ve been amazing. I’ve never done them before, ever. So, again, it’s a real... everything is brand new for me at the minute. I did Isle of Wight, I’m doing Yahoo! Wireless and I’m on the Yahoo! Stage, which I’m really excited about. I’m doing, it’s not a festival, but I’m doing a really cool gig for the Make A Wish Foundation. That’s gonna be amazing. And performing at the Royal Albert Hall will be amazing. I’m doing one in Hyde Park with Lionel Richie and Jennifer Lopez, which my mum’s very excited about! It’s been crazy just to be thrown into that festival ‘Thinking About You’ by Nathan line-up. When you release a song Retro featuring Charlie Brown is you don’t know if you’re gonna get released on August 11. put on massive line-ups but ‘On My Way’ has really helped me get on And in terms of an album, how’s @ShaunKitchener those. all that going?

Mingling With The Popstars at

MUCHMUSIC VIDEO AWARDS Last month a string of pop giants graced the red carpet in Canada for the annual MuchMusic Video Awards; arguably the nation’s equivalent to, say, the MTV VMAs or the Brits. Roving reporter and general AMAZEPOP BFF Becca Longmire was in attendance, poised to grill whatever A-listers came her way.

ED SHEERAN

from talking to other artists its not. I think it’s just abnormal to smile On fans who go too far: “It’s al- and pose for quite a long time. Usuways the mums, they push too far. ally when you get a photo taken The fans go crazy for a bit then you’re at a party with friends and calm down. One mum in San Fran- I don’t think it’s just me that finds cisco told me that Carrie Under- that strange. “ wood was the first kiss for this boy so I wondered if you would be the first kiss for my daughter? She was 9, pretty sure that’s a crime.” On being at the MMVAs: “I’ve alOn his favourite ginger: “Prince ways wanted to do music and I Harry is my fave red head. Only remember going home to watch because ginger women are fine, MuchMusic so now I think that I’ve they’ll always have the sex appeal made it.” but the ginger boys have it tough. Prince Harry just had to be born On juggling a new album with and he was loved!” getting married: “There’s always

so much going on, I’m so busy with this album and my new music but I’m super excited. I always get asked questions about the engagement but I don’t know what else to say apart from I’m really looking forward to it.”

AVRIL LAVIGNE PSY

On his favourite Canadian artist: “Avril Lavigne, I grew up listening to her, and I think she appeals to both males and females, she’s great.” On if he’ll ever get used to being ludicrously famous: “Never. I thought it was just me but I think

On his upcoming album: “Latest September I’ll be releasing a full album. I can’t tell you who I’m going to be working with because its not confirmed yet. It’s going to be my seventh album in Korea and debut in North America.” On balancing family life with ‘Gangnam Style’ stardom: “Being a part of a family is amazing but as an artist living as a solo is kinda nice. Inside the door I’ve got to be a father but outside the door I get to be Psy. It’s confusing because the two characters are really different!” @BeccaLongmire

SHEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S JUST BEING MILEY. At the grand old age of 20, Miley Cyrus wants to be taken seriously as a proper post-Disney recording artiste. Ben Egan explains why there was nothing wrong with her in the first place.

Miley Cyrus; a name that has always been on everyone’s lips but not necessarily for all the right reasons. Controversy has always surrounded her and she hasn’t really helped herself in some cases either. Whether it’s risky personal photos, bong smoking, lap dancing or radical image makeovers, she has been labelled with the uncool stamp since she was of a very early age.

Born Destiny Hope, because her achily-breakin’ heart father knew she was destined for stardom when she popped out into the world, Miley was thrust into the starlight when at the tender age of 8 she starred alongside her pa in a medical series called Doc, and then featured in Tim Burton’s Big Fish. It is said that she then caught the fame bug.

when she was cast as the girl who ‘has the best of both worlds’, popstar Hannah Montana for the Disney Channel. The show was an instant success and was immensely popular... amongst 13 year old girls. This could be (almost definitely is) where the uncool stigma started.

Through the show Miley has released numerous albums both as Hannah Montana and herself. The Miley’s big breakthrough came songs in this earlier stage of her

career can be classed as ‘cheesy’ and most definitely appeal to the younger audience. The singles include ‘Supergirl’, ‘Ordinary Girl’, ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ and other such cliched classics. Yet there is something quite sophisticated in some of these. Cyrus has followed her rock/country roots and, although sickeningly sweet, some songs I must admit feature on my Spotify playlist.

Her talent starts to shine and the creation of the masterpiece that is ‘The Climb’ is born. Country ballad stroke musical genius, the song is one that is career defining for Cyrus. The song features on her feature length film (which is also really chuffing good) Hannah Montana: The Movie, it is simple in production and eliminates the sassy, generic pop we have tended to see before. The ballad goodness continues with ‘When I Look At You’, As Hannah/Miley grows up, so does which is a hidden gem in Cyrus’ her music. The second soundtrack back catalogue, and ‘Obsessed’. to the TV show sees Fans of the film Pitch Miley stepping out “‘We Can’t Stop’ is a Perfect will also recof her blonde al- further example of ognise the track ‘Parter-ego’s shadow and maturity... I just hope ty In The USA’ that we Meet Miley Cyrus they covered. To add the album is as good’ for the first time. This Britney’s name into a is where Miley floursong also... GENIUS. ishes. The dance floor hit ‘See You Again’, which still remains one of Miley’s adult album came in 2010 Miley’s most popular tracks among and she made no secret about the fans, features on this album. Again, fact she was wanting to be seen in the music is designed to attract a whole new light! She named it the younger fans but the older Can’t Be Tamed and released the fans would probably call it a guilty first single under the same name. pleasure. I sure do. Themes of breaking free and growing up are evident throughout the Breakout by name, Breakout by dancepop collection of musical nature, Miley released her first full wonders. The lead single is perlength album in 2008. The album fection in itself and is totally hard sees Miley, as herself, doing music to resist - admit it. It’s a travesty seemingly that would be more ma- that pop label Hollywood Records ture for her age and more commer- did not promote the album better. cially popular. The insanely brilliant Relatively unknown second single ‘7 Things’ originates from this al- ‘Who Owns My Heart’ is one of her bum and Miley also had a hand in best works to date yet did not do the writing of some of the tracks. well commercially at all, owing to The song is filled with attitude and the fact nobody freakin’ knows it is definitely a singalong, man-hat- exists. ing classic, just what we like. ‘Fly On The Wall’ also nestles nicely in After the album Miley went a bit that category. quiet, really trying to ‘find herself’ like these artists tend to do. MiEP The Time Of Our Lives is where ley showed her talent during the people stated to pay more atten- build up of her newest promotion tion to the young rockstar diva. by releasing a couple of videos

named ‘Backyard Sessions’ (which are pretty much that... Her and a band in a backyard. Smart.). Her sublime and perfect version of her godmother’s epic ‘Jolene’ is simply sensational and the other two are phenomenal too. Now, her reinvention... Miley 2.0. Her twerking, badass self. She is back. And as it seems at the moment, better than ever. ‘We Can’t Stop’ is her latest single, moving from the dancepop scene to the R&B-pop scene. On paper I was extremely skeptical too - but I was thrilled to see/hear this track was actually really good. Yes, it may be a bit basic lyrically, but it’s highly original, infectious and a further example of maturity. It’s quite a smart move but I just hope the album is just as good. Let’s just ignore the music video to go with it, shall we... @banj_7

THE AMAZEPOP

MODERN CLASSICS COLLECTION

Released: March 26 2007 Chart Peak: No25 Label: Hollywood Records Producers: Vada Nobles, Derrick Haruin, Logic, Chico Bennett, Richard Vission, Mateo Camargo, Ryan Tedder, Greg Wells, Kara DioGuardi Singles: ‘With Love’, ‘Stranger’

op moves quickly, doesn’t it? In a genre where artists like Pixie Lott can go from label’s finest to In Desperate Need Of A Hit mode in one swift album and Jessie J can be offered a judging role on a big-budget talent show after four singles, it’s easy to forget the classics-to-be that pass us by. But that’s what the AMAZEPOP

Modern Classics Collection is for. The mid-00s may not seem like that long ago, for example, but it’s four albums’ worth of time in JLS terms. Heck, Conor Maynard was probably only about 5 years old in 2007, right? So we’ve picked out a trio of masterpieces from bygone years for you to wipe the scratches off and play in a tatty old CD player. Or, y’know, look up on Spotify.

DIGNITY Hilary Duff

I can’t think of any examples off the top of my head (helpful), but I feel like, back in the day, when tween stars wanted to Grow Up and develop a Maturer Sound, they turned their bubblegum pop-rock into nothing more than an ever-so-slightly less bubblegum brand of pop-rock; showering it in marketing that promised but rarely delivered a total change of direction.

follow-up and sort-of-best-of Most Wanted flogged an absurdly large amount of copies Stateside despite largely failing to yield any massive hit singles. But despite Dignity’s relatively low sales, the critical reception was surprisingly positive.

Cast in point 1: The Guardian, who gave it 4 out of 5 stars, reasoning: “Her jump dancewards is curious commercially, but thoroughly worthwhile artistically: the best cuts here hold But where Hilary Duff differered their own against Kylie, though slightly was that she ditched BPR the more apt comparison is Ra(can’t be arsed to write out the chel Stevens’ fantastic but unwhole sub-genre again) in favour derperforming solo album. Beats of electropop; a sound that was crunch, the bass purrs and ersatz just beginning to rear its head at eastern strings swoop.” Case in the end of the 00s. In fact, you point 2: Entertainment Weekly might (but probably won’t) say in a B+ review argued that “she’s that, like Rachel Stevens before never sounded less eager to her, Duffers was ahead of her please or more messily human... time. Maybe. It would be churlish not to hope for a happy ending in Hilary’s Dignity, naturally, failed to sell as future, but on the evidence of many copies as the former House Dignity, heartache brings out the of Mouse star’s previous efforts. best in her.” Metamorphosis, its eponymous

The set’s best offcuts included lead single ‘With Love’, all-out stomper ‘Outside Of You’, Ryan Tedder co-write ‘Gypsy Woman’ and the Eastern-influenced ‘Stranger’; which sounded like it may just have taken a cue or two from The Pussycat Dolls’ ‘Buttons’. On the subject of Tedder, it seemed to get a bit messy between the pair when he strongly hinted at a rift in a subsequent interview, but a leaked message allegedly from someone who knows someone (!!) at Hollywood Records insists that “in reality it was not her fault.... he told Hilary that she didn’t appreciate music, her fans, & that she should have fought for both singles, while, at the same time, Hilary was battling her record company for creative control on the upcoming album (sic)”. Dramz. I digress. Dignity is Hilary’s shining moment as a bona-fide pop seductress, and I’m still waiting on the follow-up.

THE AMAZEPOP

MODERN CLASSICS COLLECTION

Released: August 30 2004 Chart peak: No31 Label: Geffen Producers: John Shanks Singles: ‘Pieces of Me’, ‘Shadow’, ‘La La’

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Ashlee Simpson

Her vocal technique had many experts wondering if she’d even have a voice at all by the age of 25, but the pop-rock tunes were packed in like nobody’s business on Ashlee Simpson’s debut opus Autobiography in the mid-00s.

The younger sister of reality star and occasional releaser of average pop music Jessica, Ashlee was, on the surface of things, trying as hard as she could to carve out her own identity away from her famous sibling. Her natural blonde locks were dyed black, she opted for a very different sound, and she even sang about feeling generally worse-

off on the ballad ‘Shadow’. But, of course, Ashlee wasn’t quite as lost in obscurity as her songs would perhaps have had us believe. She did, after all, have her own glitzy record contract, and her own reality show to help give her a bit of a leg-up. If only she hadn’t fluffed it all up by being spectacularly bust-

To suggest an album for the Modern Classics Collection, or if you want to write about one yourself, tweet us @AMAZEPOP

ed in an unfortunate incident of lip-synching during a performance on Saturday Night Live, she may have gone on to be very big indeed. But anyhoo, as it was, Autobiography was a solid listen. Its lead single ‘Pieces Of Me’ connected with listeners around the world and shot into the Top 10 in the UK, and the general ‘vibe’ wasn’t as far off Avril Lavigne as many perhaps would like to think it was. The critical reaction wasn’t great. Rolling Stone accused her of “wailing in lieu of hitting notes” and Stylus argued that the title was pretty useless given that “after spending more than forty minutes with Ashlee, I feel like I don’t know her any better than I did beforehand”. Still, I’d argue that there’s plenty to be liked. Well-executed choruses come thick and fast, the more down-tempo numbers are heartfelt rather than boring and finale Undiscovered could have been a heartbreak angstfest for a generation if it’d been serviced as a single. Ashlee’s second album I Am Me let the quality drop tenfold and third set Bittersweet World failed to do the business commercially, so it seems her mainstream days of glory are now long gone. But Autobiography is definitely, for me, a better pop album than it’s given credit for. Look it up. @ShaunKitchener

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: OST Released: January 10 2006 Chart peak: No1 (compilations) Label: Walt Disney Producers: Kenny Ortega, Bill Borden, Barry Rosenbush, Drew Lane, Eddie Galan Singles: ‘Breaking Free’, ‘Stick To The Status Quo’ Yep - the first High School Musical film was released more than seven years ago. SEVEN. Let’s not beat around the bush here, guys - the music wasn’t great. It was kids’ pop at its most kiddish. But for some reason, it will (maybe) be treasured until the end of time because of the sheer hype that came with it. And hey, it was fun. The phenomenon, which paved the way for many an ill-advised Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale album, was responsible for millions upon millions of record sales around the world, and it all started with this 2006 opener. Remember all the big tunes? ‘Breaking Free’! ‘Get Your Head In The Game’! ‘Stick To The Status Quo’! ‘Start Of Something New’!

There’s something inherently likeable about it all, despite its obvious naffness, and it probably stems from its undeniable innocence. Just good, clean, at times remarkably catchy good fun. Fancy choreography, lots of good Zac Efron mimeface, and even, dare I say it, the occasional laugh. Sitting through either the film or the soundtrack in 2013 requires the right frame of mind and a cheese filter that will let a lot of excruciating saccharinity fly; but approach it with the right attitude and there’s still a hell of a lot of toe-tapping good fun to be had. Maybe. A bit. Ish. If you’re 13. @ShaunKitchener

N O I T C I D D A ” MY “UNCOOL

JEDWARD

Famously recognised as one of the most annoying novelty pop acts of all time, it may be hard to accept that some of Jedward’s discography is alarmingly good. It’s time to wake up and smell the Jepic, argues Shaun Kitchener. OK. Sit down. I know this one’s going to be a hard one to accept, but the occasional brilliance that gets sent down from Planet Jedward really is worth coming to terms with.

pop tuneage far more times than was realistically expected, despite the strong reception enjoyed by previous Euro effort ‘Lipstick’. ‘Waterline’, for one, has a criminally catchy chorus, the title track is an unexpectedly sweet midtempo I’m going to focus specifically on love song, and the boys’ voices third album Young Love (yes, there sound particularly strong on the have been three), which saw the more synth-heavy ‘Luminous’. light of day just over a year ago. Featuring their second consecu- Best of all, however, in my humble tive Eurovision attempt ‘Water- opinion, is ‘Happens In The Dark’; line’, it delivered on irresistable a great guitar-led pop ditty that

wouldn’t particularly sound out of place on a Katy Perry album (if Katy Perry was singing it, obvs. It probably would sound out of place with a Jedward vocal). Co-written by Swedish songwriting royalty Jörgen Elofsson - whose CV includes ‘(You Drive Me) Crazy’, ‘Evergreen’ and ‘Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)’ - it’s a track that probably would have been an almighty enormohit in the hands of a more universally popular artist.

But then, it would be ignorant to say that Jedward aren’t popular in their own right too. Their last album may have peaked outside the Top 60 in the UK, but they’ve had a 100% strike-rate with hitting No1 in Ireland so far, and they’ve clocked up a trio of chart-topping singles as well. Their fanbase is among the most fiercely loyal on the planet.

sembled assault of cover versions, received one-star reviews from The Guardian, The Express, Financial Times and Digital Spy among others, and sentenced them to damnation as a novelty act that would never be taken seriously by the mainstream press. Fair enough, it sold a decent amount and was a logistical move following the stuff they did on The X Factor, but they Maybe the story would be slight- probably would have done much ly different if they’d begun the better to have begun their fairly brilliance as soon as they left The recent string of Actually Very Good X Factor, rather than a couple of Tunes a couple of years earlier. years further down the line. Debut LP Planet Jedward, a hastily-as- Celebrity Big Brother in 2011

proved that their personalities remain as irritating to some as adorable to others, but there’s a savvy pair of pop brains operating in there somewhere. They’ve made critically acclaimed children’s TV, they’re decent role models for their younger fans, and hey - in the occasional photo-shoot they’re even quite the eye candy. If you need further convincing, give them a quick glance on Spotify. Pick out the songs I’ve mentioned here and try telling me you don’t like them at least a tiny bit. @ShaunKitchener

THE REVIEWS BIT

SINGLES

Titles marked with a * were reviewed in a previous issue but had their release dates moved.

AlunaGeorge - ‘You Know You Like It’: Hipsterpop continues its domination with this latest sophisticated cut from the widely-tipped duo. ‘You Know Like It’ is perhaps not quite as head-turning as its predecessors ‘Attracting Flies’ and ‘Your Drums, Your Love’, but anticipation for their album is likely to bolstered further. 71%

Avril Lavigne - ‘Here’s To Never Growing Up’*: Avril can always be relied on to deliver an amazing hit single, and that’s exactly what she does yet again with ‘HTNGU’ - a brilliant summer anthem with the right amount of wistfulness and allout celebration. 94%

A*M*E - ‘Heartless’: The genius of this long-tipped newbie is given a much bigger platform following that big Duke Dumont smash, and ‘Heartless’ is a perfect song to introduce A*M*E to the masses. A big chorus, nifty lyrics and some attitude-laden vocals make it a huge summer favourite. 88% Calvin Harris - ‘Thinking About You’: He’s already released 475 sinAvicii - ‘Wake Me Up’: Avicii is like- gles from the 18 Months album, so ly to continue an impressive line of what’s one more? ‘Thinking About chart smashes with this latest club- You’ puts faith on Harris’s own ready floorfiller. The acoustic vocal talents and those of relatively unadds a touch more intrigue to this known singer Ayah Marar instead compared to, say, ‘I Could Be The of a well-known A-lister, and it’s One’, and a place atop the singles another comfortable ace. 78% charts is basically guaranteed. 70% CHVRCHES - ‘Gun’: CHVRCHES

TOM ODELL

Is the Brit Critics’ Choice winner’s debut opus worthy of its hype or of its harsh criticism? [Page 42]

BIG BROTHER 14

Channel 5’s third “normal people” series is well underway - how does it fare to previous runs? [Page 43]

produce another ace with ‘Guns’, a glam, synth-heavy, 80-style electrofest with a suitably fragile vocal from singer Lauren Mayberry. 84% Ciara ft Nicki Minaj - ‘I’m Out’: The second official single from the often under-rated R’n’B vixen, ‘I’m Out’ is bursting with fierce attitude from both Ciara and an on-form Minaj, as well as great production from Rock City and The Co-Captains. Rihanna would kill for this song. 85%

over by some nice nostalgic lyrics, Diana Vickers - ‘Cinderella’: She’s but -more importantly - everyone back. Whether or not ‘Cinderella’ who loved her first time around will can follow ‘Once’ to the top of the be delighted to hear her continuing charts is uncertain, but it’s every bit along much the same lines. 86% as good as expected. Good Lord, Iggy Azalea - ‘Bounce’: Landing we’ve missed that voice. 90% somewhere between Nicki Minaj Eliza Doolittle - ‘Big When I Was and Ke$ha, ‘Bounce’ will be irritatLittle’: Fresh from some unexpect- ing to some but genius to many. If ed success with Disclosure, Eliza is the stars align, Iggy could be huge. back to her plinky-plonky best with 80%

to B.o.B. for an unexpected use of ‘two shits’. 72% Lucy Spraggan - ‘Lighthouse’*: Spraggers kicks off her major-label career with exactly the kind of thing she does best: simple, guitar-led indie-pop with oodles of sentiment and heartfelt lyrics. Lovely. 89%

Jahmene Douglas - ‘Titanium’: A covers album perhaps isn’t what Jahmene’s biggest fans were hopthis lead cut from her long overdue Katy B ‘What Love Is Made Of’: ing for, and it’ll be surprising to see second album. Those who weren’t a fan of her breezy brass-led pop The coolkid of 2011, Katy B is back how well it does at an odd time of first time around might be won for her second album campaign year for That Sort Of Thing - but it and, whilst ‘What Love Is Made Of’ almost goes without saying that doesn’t quite feel like as much of his voice is in tip-top form on this an inevitable smash as some of her stripped-down re-interpretation previous releases, it’s no less lack- of David Guetta and Sia’s smash, ing in artistic quality. Effortlessly and those who championed him slick. 88% throughout this X Factor journey will lap up the sentiment. 59% Lawson ft B.o.B - ‘Brokenhearted’: Original as a jam sandwich, Jonas Brothers - ‘Pom Poms’: This ‘Brokenhearted’ is a safe choice of track’s been kicking around Statesingle from pop’s most under-ap- side for a few months yet, and preciated ladband, but hugely doesn’t feel like it’s truly caught on. likeable nonetheless. Special nod But like much of the JoBro canon, if

REVIEWS: SINGLES you’re a fan of their harmless poprock you’ll presumably find little fault in this. It’s just a tad too forgettable. 52% Justin Timberlake - ‘Tunnel Vision’: Better than ‘Suit and Tie’, weaker than ‘Mirrors’; ‘Tunnel Vision’ continues JT’s middling comeback campaign with some decent work from Timbaland. 69% Nina Nesbitt - ‘Way In The World’: If Lucy Spraggan’s career fails to lift off, it’d be understandable if she was a little pissed off with Nesbitt. Their quirky lyrics have a lot in common and they each are beyond competant with a guitar in hand, but Nesbitt differs slightly in her Cranberrys-esque vocal tone, which just keeps on sounding better. 80% Pink feat. Lily Allen - ‘True Love’: As ‘Just Give Me A Reason’ cross-

es the line into being completely overplayed, ‘True Love’ provides Pink’s repertoire with another glorious anthem about the thin line between love and hate. Lyrically it’s nothing new from Ms Moore, but the addition of Lily Allen and some slightly breezier production make it a cut above the rest. 91%

Selena Gomez - ‘Come & Get It’: Its relatively monotune structure keeps it from joining the likes of ‘Love You Like A Love Song’ or ‘A Year Without Rain’, but ‘Come And Get It’ still has a lot going for it. The Bollywood/electro crossover generally works, Selena’s breathy vocals nestle comfortably into the big Professor Green - ‘Are You Get- beats and rumours that the song ting Enough’: What a racket. Pro was originally intended for Rihanna Green’s raps are well-written and are easy to believe. 83% the slightly old-school production is commendable, but Kane’s “ARE StooShe - ‘My Man Music’: Its YOU GETTING ENOUGH?” yell chances of chart glory are slimtakes a fair few listens to get used to-none, but Stooshe sound like to. Once you’re used to it, it’s a sol- they’re having a whale of a time id comeback. 73% on this highlight from their pretty decent London With The Lights Rihanna ft David Guetta - ‘Right On LP. Its chaotic composition and Now’: ‘Stay’ continues to prove it- rowdy chorus will grate on many, self as a tough act to follow as far as but there’s plenty of fun to be had if Rihanna singles are concerned. Not you’re willing to go along with the good enough to float without a big ride. 78% promotional push. 66%

REVIEWS: ALBUMS

KELLY ROWLAND

TALK A GOOD GAME Kelly Rowland’s R’n’Btinged output has been consistently strong in terms of its chart reach in the US; her last album Here I Am performing well and its trailer single ‘Motivation’ earning quite the following.

Am stalled outside the Top 40, only managing to break the Top 50 following a performance on The X Factor’s semi-final.

ally-charged, brilliantly-purred R’n’B ditty and the 90s beat of ‘Red Wine’ is one of her most classy, chilled offerings to date.

So, sensibly, club floor-fillers are just about ditched completely for Talk A Good Game. ‘Kisses Down Low’ is as raunchy as its title suggest (“I like my kisses down low / Makes me arch my back / When you give it to me slow / Baby just Here in the UK, she had large- like that”), but generally Kelly’s ly stuck to a more dance-based got much more to discuss this sound, but - despite a couple of time than the sexytalk that drove lukewarm hits (‘Down For What- so many of her previous hits. ever’ peaked at No6 in late 2011), the European re-hash of Here I ‘Down On Love’ is an emotion-

But it’s ‘Dirty Laundry’ where she lets it all hang out, emotionally speaking. On the surface it may be easy tabloid fodder (Beyonce talk? DIRT ALERT) but there is a lot of genuine outpouring going on here, and it’s no surprise K-Ro recently broke down in tears while performing it an intimate gig. It’s the centrepiece of an honest, accomplished and generally just outright interesting album. 85%

REVIEWS: ALBUMS A quiet, relatively new and nowhere near as established production like the one you’re gorping at is hardly one to poke holes in something as iconic as NME, but listening to Tom Odell’s album in relation to their recent 0 out of 10 review is a puzzling experience. The mag’s now infamous critique got them into trouble with both the floppy-haired blonde’s father and his mentor Lily Cooper (nee Allen), but while it’s not exactly a shocker that Long Way Down wasn’t up their street, awarding a flat out zero rating seems more than a little harsh. The cack that they’ve given scores of 2 or 3 to should feel incredibly complimented.

TOM ODELL LONG WAY DOWN 42

For me, from a pop fan’s perspective, the set is far from the most exciting offering of the year, but it certainly is a darn site better than I expected. Where I thought I’d be bored, I was actually a little moved; and where I expected to laugh at tryhard attempts to be a Real Credible Artiste I found myself liking the gentle piano melodies and often haunting vocals. Opener ‘Grow Old With Me’ in particular is a right cracker. Yes, mispronounced vowels are still more annoying than they are quirky, and lead single ‘Hold Me’ remains undeniably forgettable, but Long Way Down finally justifies some of the hype around the Brit Awards’ Critics’ Choice prize’s first ever male winner. Emeli Sande you have been warned. 78%

REVIEWS: TV

BIG BROTHER As Big Brother has gone on through the years, to its most dedicated fans it has become ever more apparent that the success of each season depends more than anything else on its balance of housemates. Fortunately, its 14th season has struck gold. With the selection of inmates ranging further up the age scale than it has done in a long time (the first, rather crap run on Channel 5 was exclusively under-30s) and the number of fame-hungry wannabes being as low as you could realistically hope it to be, the show feels as close to its earlier years on Channel 4 as it can get. Fifty-

something Jackie is contributing as much to the show as teenage pin-up Sam, for example, and the eclectic bunch are just being left to get on, fall out and make up again without too much interference from producers.

Clark and AJ Odudu who now share the role with Willis, and they’re getting better as the weeks go by. AJ arguably has more natural charisma than Rylan, but both are growing into their roles as the series progresses and should be a safe bet to stay on the job for anEmma Willis, replacing Brian Dowl- other series. ing in the role of lead presenter, is taking to the live eviction shows Favourite housemates? At this earlike a duck to water - it’s a job she’s ly stage Gina Rio’s ability to call a clearly wanted for a very long time, spade a spade without a care for and the interviewing skills she per- the consequences is endlessly enfected on spin-off Big Brother’s Bit tertaining, but it’d be wise to bet On The Side transfer well to the on likeable twins Jack and Joe and ‘main’ programme. adorable blonde Sophie making it to the final week as well. 3 weeks Speaking of BBBOTS, it’s Rylan down, 7 to go. 84%

REVIEWS: FILM

THIS IS THE END By BETH DAVISON

Sometimes movies with more celebrity than substance are stupid *cough* Movie 43 *cough*. But sometimes they’re written and directed by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg and are actually pretty funny. This Is The End centers around a party at James Franco’s house (yes, that James Franco!) littered with celebrities both minor and A-List, all of whom are suddenly all faced

with the apocalypse. The aforementioned Rogan and lesser well known actor Jay Baruchel are the protagonists, the latter of whom is visiting from New York and, loathing the Hollywood scene, fears he is losing his best friend to the shallow pitfalls of stardom.

guessed, this is not a serious film. It’s what most stoners would come up with if they all happened to be loaded and had a lot of mates who were Hollywood moguls! That being said it’s an original idea played out well with a sentimental streak surrounding friendship and, when watched with a pinch of salt, is a After a select few survive the in- great way to spend a few hours. itial emergence of Hell, the film becomes a tale of survival with With comedy gags aplenty and Jay and everything he hates about clever nods to previous films that Hollywood all trapped in the the geeks amongst us will enjoy same building. As you might have (they each record emotional video

diaries on the prop camera from the set of 127 Hours, for example), it’s nice to see A-List-ers not taking themselves too seriously. When Rhianna (!) puts up with a cokedup Michael Cera grabbing her ass you know the level of comedy to expect; combine that with the fact that the majority of the gags surrounding Emma Watson’s cameo are to do with rape and chances are you’ll be laughing even though you should know better.

by the end of the film and the 107 minute running time feel a little stretched. With a budget of $20 million some have argued that this a film about smug twenty-something celebs wasting audiences’ time and money. I feel differently. Whilst the concept is not as clever as the cast think it is, there’s no point being snobby about it because it’s a simple set up which delivers with the laughs. Rogan and Franco remain on form with amusing cameos from start to finish Arguably the central joke does tire (two words: Backstreet Boys). For

those keener on a deeper meaning, you could read it as judgment on the consumerism of celebrity culture and how it’s all destined for damnation but to be honest, keeping it shallow will keep it funny. If you like the Rogan/Franco gang and enjoyed films like Pineapple Express you will love This Is The End. Oh, and you’ll never watch a Michael Cera movie in the same way again. 70% @BethBecomesHer_

REVIEWS: FILM

WORLD WAR Z By BETH DAVISON

but not many that hadn’t already been done.

OK, so the Zombies-take-overthe-world-and-only-one-man- Based on a novel by Max Brooks, can-save-the-day storyline may World War Z luckily had credible feel a bit overdone. source material and a solid fan base already in line. Combine this We’ve had Dawn of the Dead, with the backing of a certain Brad Day of the Dead, Night of Living Pitt as both lead actor and probloomin’ Dead. We get it, they’re ducer and this might explain the dead and they’re scary, enough al- hype; and certainly helped gain a ready! But then back in 2002 Dan- director previously involved with a ny Boyle stepped onto the scene Bond movie. The initial budget was with his take on zombies; humans $125 million but would soon grow infected with Rage, extremely way beyond this; and teaser trailfast and absolutely terrifying in 28 ers had been in cinemas months Days Later. This year then, when before the release date. It’s safe World War Z hit our screens there to say that expectations were cerwas a lot of directions it could go in

tainly high. It’s a relief then to say that World War Z has a lot of substance to it; more than many of the critics were expecting, and has been largely well received. The plot is only loosely based on the books, with a lot of characters and short stories being condensed into the experiences of Gerry Lane, former United Nations employee turned family man who witnesses the zombie apocalypse from the front lines in Philadelphia with his wife and two children. Tense isn’t even the word. Forster

has created an aura of suspense similar to Boyle’s creation over a decade earlier. Like 28 Days Later the zombies are fast and infected with something that spreads virally across the population. To its credit, World War Z is one of the most ambitious zombie movies to date - It takes the idea of “everyone I know is dead” and applies it to a global scale, committing to bringing images of Lane’s journey from Korea to India, Wales to Nova Scotia. It gives the sense of crisis and hysteria a more urgent appeal that keeps the adrenaline pumping and hearts hammering.

Annoyingly for its budget the CGI should be better. Due to complications and political controversy large and expensive reshoots were necessary and the money spiraled to over $200 million. Yet the special effects are, frankly, lacklustre and, as seems to be more and more common, the 3D is a waste of money with the light loss of certain scenes dramatically affecting the quality. One other criticism is in the pacing of the film; the ending certainly feels rushed and the middle lags slightly. This being said World War Z does have a lot going for it. Die-hard

zombie film fans will definitely find some clichés but Forester’s film is a brave attempt to reinvigorate a tired genre. Brad Pitt is, as always, is on top form and an excellent lead to carry the narrative (although a haircut wouldn’t go amiss!), with a refreshing support cast of relatively unknown actors behind him. With clever plot devices and twists that will keep you guessing, this is one of the best zombie/infected human films in recent years and, as long as you don’t mind chewing your nails to bits, is well worth a look. 80% @BethBecomesHer_

RELATIVELY POINTLESS

POP QUIZ last Top 10 single? 10. Which member of One Direction has the fewest Twitter followers? 11. Which member of The Saturdays has the most Twitter followers? 12.What was the name of Pixie Lott’s first single? her best friend The prize? Absolutely nothing. Lesley say “She’s just being MiThe point? There isn’t really one. ley”? The fun value? Average at best. 6. What is JJ off Union J’s actual ALAS. Test your pop geekdom first name? with the below questions. 7. How many more Number 1s have 1. Who has joined Simon Cowell, JLS had than Alexandra Burke? Demi Lovato and Kelly Rowland on The X Factor USA’s judging panel 8. In which year did the first series this year? of Fame Academy air? 2. Jessie J has left The Voice. How 9. In what year was Geri Halliwell’s many times did she see one of her acts make it to the show’s Final 3? 3. Lily Allen’s ‘Smile’ was a UK No7 in which year? 4. Who had the higher-charting solo album - Nicola Roberts or Kimberley Walsh? 5. In which Miley Cyrus song did

13. Name the duet that Amelle Berrabah recorded with Tinchy Stryder. 14. How many Top 10 singles has Conor Maynard had thus far? 15. Which member of The Wanted was Andy Brown from Lawson previously in a boyband with? Look out for the answers in the next issue. Or just look them up on the internet.

UNMISSABLE AT THIS YEAR’S EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE