(Forgive the brief cut-out at :35 seconds and the unintentionally hilarious backwards loop at 5:45.)

And now, a clip of Natalie Imbruglia playing her very first V Festival set, including a brief interview afterward.

With each passing day, “Want” becomes more and more of a serious contender for Single of ’09. Who’s with me? I could listen to this on repeat for days…

…that is until we hear “Scars,” the track Chris Martin called “the best Coldplay song of all time,” on her upcoming record, Come to Life.

Aside from his recent reality stints and tabloid stunts, Dead or Alive front Pete Burns is preparing to release new music.

Burns has co-written and recorded two new tracks with London-based production team, The Dirty Disco. According to the producers, the singer actually rescheduled his recording time with the Scissor Sisters after hearing their song, “The Art” (a sample of which is featured below.) Rumor has it Dead or Alive will be prepping a comeback album of sorts for later on in 2009 as well.

Heavy electro, heavy vocoder…et tu, Cher?

Oh my God! Yesterday, Amy Housewine Winehouse sauntered out of nowhere for a surprise performance along with The Specials at the V Festival yesterday for their song, “You’re Wondering Now.” And guess what? She actually did the damn thing!

No falling asleep at the mic, no mysterious rifling through the bee-hive for “hair clips”–just singing. She even managed to riff a few lines at the song’s end with pleasant results! Now I’m not going to jump and call this Wino’s glorious return to form, but hey…it’s a start.

CharlieBoy808 just posted an incredibly long, painfully awkward one hour clip of Utada‘s entire July 12 meet-and-greet experience in Hawaii hosted by DA RADIO 102.7. You can choose to watch the entire thing, or allow me to bullet-point some of the juiciest morsels of information (as a good blogger ought to do for his adoring audience.) Oh, and because the Master of Ceremonies is an intolerable douche.

Here we go:

+ Utada had to cancel her May meet-and-greet because she of a severe case of tonsillitis–she’s fine now, but her doctors warn that she may need surgery if she gets it one more time.
+ She’s doesn’t necessarily even want to make it big in America–”it’s just a new challenge, it’s interesting to me.”
+ Her favorite group is the Cocteau Twins.
+ She would like to become fluent in French.
+ Utada on being born in New York and moving to Japan: “Everyone feels a bit alone, a bit different. So, I came to see my “outsider”-ness as a strength…I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be foreign, it’s something you can feel comfortable with if you don’t want to be like everyone else.”
+ Utada on whether “Come Back to Me” was written about someone specifically: “I’ve written songs specifically about certain guys I’ve been involved with or friends, but for that song, it’s just in general, put together from different experiences and people I’ve been involved with.”
+ Utada’s first boyfriend was Hawaiian.

+ She’s not planning on singing English covers of her Japanese hits: “To me, the songs I’ve written in Japanese are completed the way they are. The melodies I write for Japanese lyrics, I can’t–it’s really difficult to envision the same melodies sung with English words.”
+ She hopes to have a concert in Hawaii before she retires.
+ She doesn’t mind if you download music, but she thinks paying for music is the one way to show your support for an artist.
+ On the state of the music industry: “I don’t see that many new artists that are really, really interesting coming out as much as I think there used to be at some point in the past. The record companies are being really insecure because they’re not making any money right now. They can’t invest in unknown artists…they’re try and make new money out of artists they think will make money with the kind of stuff that’s already been put out that’s done well…it’s kind of difficult to be adventurous right now.”
+ She has no desire to be in movies.
+ The grass is always greener: “I dream of things like getting a job at a local coffee shop taking orders, or working in a bookstore.” At school, she at one point wanted to go into neurology and biochemistry.
+ She would like to have children one day.
+ “I think it’s weird how people tend to think musicians, especially songwriter types, are good people…I don’t think musicians are meant to be role models.”

+ The last time Utada got drunk was last week. She played some drinking game where you stab plastic knives between your fingers.
+ She’s thinking of recording a covers album, potentially including her karaoke favorite, Burt Bacharach‘s “What the World Needs Now.”
+ Utada never actually wanted to be a musician–it just happened: “I don’t regret it all, but I wanted to make my parents happy.”
+ She’d be interesting in working with Kanye West for a collaboration, though she listens more to Snoop Dogg, Tupac, and Notorious B.I.G.
+ She performed an impromptu verse from Biggie’s “Hypnotize.” It was glorious.
+ In the last minute of the interview, she managed to squeeze in a mention of that fucking teddy bear, Kuma-Chan.

More than anything, this clip renewed my complete and utter love for Utada. It comes and goes in waves, but I always come back to remembering what a truly amazing artist she is–and why she’s my favorite Japanese artist of all time.

Here comes the video leak (and song premiere!) of “Forever is Over,” the brand new single from The Saturdays‘ upcoming album due out in October.

The song was produced by Sam Watters and Louis Biancaniello, the same hit factory behind several tracks off of Kelly Clarkson‘s All I Ever Wanted and Jordin Sparks‘ “Battlefield.”

Accordingly, it is all about the chorus and middle eight for this Xenomania-meets-Clarkson experience. Radio-friendly doesn’t even begin to describe it–the chorus is simply massive.

And as for the video? The time between the 2:30 and 2:45 mark is all you really need to get the good stuff. Normally I’d be more descriptive, but let’s face the hard truth–I don’t even have the desire to learn each girl’s name individually.

The song is actually somewhat strong. Unfortunately, I just don’t believe in The Satz as a girl group.

Girls Aloud/Sugababes/Dolly Rockers/Bananarama do it better…

Kissy Sell Out is going on tour this autumn with the Kissy & Ko. Youth Tour–and he wants MuuMuse to help find him some opening DJ acts!

Kissy’s looking for TEN artists to fill slots before his shows on tour. If you think you’ve got the skills (and/or ability to be in the UK in September and October), head to this website and submit your 15-minute mini-mix to be judged in order to find, in Kissy’s (or his PR person’s) words, “the next Fatboy Slim.”

The competition ends on September 7, so what are you waiting for? Gets to mixin’!

And now, courtesy of Mr. Sell Out–a free track to tickle your mix bone.

DL: Kissy Sell Out – Apple Jelly

Tonight was Britney‘s first show for the third leg of The Circus: Starring Britney Spears in in Hamilton, Ontario.

So, what’s new? What’s changed? Let us review:

+ New remix of “Boys.”
+ Slightly altered, deleted scenes version of “Sweet Dreams” video interlude.
+ New outfit for “Me Against the Music” and “Everytime.”
+ New outfit for “Freakshow.”
+ New outfit for “Hot As Ice” and “If U Seek Amy.”
+ “Mannequin” removed, “Touch of My Hand” returned.

The round-up of changes is brought to you by World of Britney and MuuMuse reader Mikey. Since all the other changes involve outfits (which you’ll see crop up in photos later tomorrow), let’s take a look at WoB reader Diony’s play-by-play of the “Sweet Dreams” interlude:

I was confused watching sweet dreams, because it looked different but i wasn’t sure. Same costume and set, but I realized it must’ve been, had to have been changed up a tad. There is an added part, where Britney says, “Everybody…Everybody” a bunch of times and a lot of dancing. Must be a deleted scene.

I’m intrigued. It doesn’t sound like it’s a deviation…just something slightly more (MOAH?!) than the original. The “Sweet Dreams” interlude is one of my favorite parts of the show–it best remain that way.

Oh, and isn’t that white dress gorgeous on her for “Everytime”? Less is more, B…less is more.

One week ’til showtime (yet again)…see you at the Circus!

I don’t know who this Madonna character is, but she sure seems like a party, doesn’t she?