Well, here’s one press release I never saw coming!

Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s long awaited, much anticipated fourth studio album has finally been granted a solid release date in the UK: June 6.

On the same day, La Bex will release her latest single “Starlight,” an utterly lush mixture of chilly vocals and warm Italo-disco pulsations that first leaked a few weeks ago.

Haven’t heard it yet? Click below to hear the upcoming single streaming in full, courtesy of Purple Entertainment!

And now, the full press release:

Sophie Ellis-Bextor will release new single ‘Starlight, the follow-up to the international hit ‘Not Giving Up On Love’, on 6th June followed by her new album ‘Make A Scene’ on the same day.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is back with album number four, after baby number two, looking and sounding better than ever. With a sound that is a mixture of pop, Disco, Nu-Disco and 1980s electronica, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has become established as a multi-platinum selling artist over the past decade. With hit singles such as ‘Take Me Home (A Girl Like Me), ‘Get Over You / Move This Mountain’ and ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ under her belt, Sophie still remains one of today’s most exciting British female solo artists.

‘Starlight’ is a perfect chilled dance anthem that is instantly catchy with a soft but edgy beat. It is a track that can easily take you from sun lounger by day to nightclub by evening and is the perfect summer anthem.

Sophie’s new album ‘Make A Scene’ is an exciting and energetic pop juggernaut on which Sophie was heavily involved with all parts, including co-writing much of it and working with an in-demand team of writers and producers that includes Freemasons, Greg Kurstin, Calvin Harris, Cathy Dennis, Metronomy, Richard X and Armin Van Buuren.

Two songs on the record come from the renowned Freemasons. The first, ‘Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)’ was not just a massive success in the UK but also went on to become one of Sophie’s biggest successes on the continent, particularly Russia where it reached number two in the chart. The second song is the single ‘Bittersweet’ which is a euphoric and emotive epic track with dramatic drum machines and cold eighties synths.

The albums opener ‘Revolution’ was written with Greg Kurstin (Kylie, Lily Allen and Ke$ha) and Cathy Dennis and with its catchy gritty bass and crunching beats it is the perfect upbeat introduction to ‘Make A Scene’. Sophie also worked with Calvin Harris on the album on track ‘Off & On’ which is an edgy, electro track which has the trademark Calvin Harris sound mixed with Sophie’s smooth vocals, and is sure to be a hit.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor emerged ten years ago with rare poise amidst the most memorable chart scuffle since Brit pop. ‘Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)’ with Italian producer Spiller, her debut solo release (after splitting with rock band The Audience), has recently been awarded the astonishing accolade of the decade’s most played track on radio.

Sophie will be touring the UK this summer alongside both Erasure and Bryan Ferry as well as performing at a host of boutique UK festivals.

I’M SO EXCITED!

And now, what we’ve all been waiting for: The video premiere for Dannii Minogue‘s “Perfection.”

Wait, what? It’s–OH, FUCK. SORRY. I saw a boat, and then I sort of assumed it was “Perfection” from the ocean and the arm choreography and–well, never mind then.

This is Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s glamorous new video for her single with Armin van Buuren, “Not Giving Up On Love.”

As per usual with collaborations between DJs and disco divas, the producer just had to go and inject himself obnoxiously dancing about at his turntable (David Guetta, I’m staring directly into your face).

Those dancehall moments ruin the magic a bit, though not entirely: This is still Bextor’s game, and she looks nothing less than her usual, statuesque self, standing and posing effortlessly in front of various summery locales.

This is also the first full-length taste of the song (at last!), proving that the full song more than stands up against the hype as one of Ellis-Bextor’s finest releases thus far.

Just listen to those devastating lyrics, especially the chorus: “Hold me now / Nothing else matters, it’s just the two of us / And if it all falls down / Nothing else matters, you know we’re strong enough / I’m not giving up, I’m not giving up on us / I said I’m not giving up, I’m not giving up on love.”

And all on top of a timeless trance beat? Absolutely sublime.

I expected nothing less.

“Not Giving Up On Love” will be released on August 20.

Here we have a screen capture from the upcoming video for Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s collaboration with Armin van Buuren, “Not Giving Up On Love,” courtesy of Sophie herself.

Perfection.

Click here to hear a one minute taste of the new single.

Brace yourselves.

• There is a song that exists called “Not Giving Up On Love.”

• “Not Giving Up On Love” is a song that combines the beats of Armin van Buuren, the writing of the Nervo Sisters, and the vocals of Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

• “Not Giving Up On Love” is the second single from Armin van Buuren’s upcoming studio album Mirage, due out on September 10.

• You can now hear a preview of “Not Giving Up On Love” in the form of a Dash Berlin‘s 4AM Mix above.

• According to my professional blogger predictive skills, “Not Giving Up On Love” is going to be FUCKING AMAZING.

Then again, it’s Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Are you honestly surprised right now? If so, GET OUT.

Nadia Ali is one of the greatest natural voices on the dance floor scene.

Formerly of Iio (“Rapture”, “Is It Love?), the singer has since embarked on her own successful career as a solo artist. After a series of songs recorded with artists including Rosko and Armin van Buuren, Ali finally unveiled her long-awaited debut album Embers in September of 2009.

A stunning collection of heavenly trance music and ambient sound, the album showcases both Ali’s unique vocal delivery and her knack for scribing deeply personal, sophisticated electronica, proving why she’s since become such an overwhelmingly admired, oft-requested collaborator for producers and artists alike.

Last Friday, I had the honor of speaking to Nadia as she prepared for a trip to Brazil. She was amazingly kind and as sweet as expected, and she provided a lot of thoughtful, in-depth responses to my questions. Instead of drafting up a short feature, I thought her fans would instead appreciate the full-on Q&A. Below is the entire transcript. I hope you all enjoy!

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