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“‘Oh my God, you look just like Shakira! No, no–you’re Catherine Zeta!’ ‘Actually, my name’s Marina,’” she sang on “Hollywood,” the second single off of 2010′s The Family Jewels.

It’s been over two years since her debut, and Marina + The Diamonds is back with yet another identity crisis for her second go-around in the studio–and this time, she’s evoking a cold, cruel bitch named Electra Heart.

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What’s that you say? Yup, Santi’s back!

Kicking off the promotion for her upcoming album with a bang (and a whole lot of dizzying doodle effects!), Santigold has just unleashed her “Big Mouth,” the first song and video from her long-awaited sophomore follow-up, Master Of My Make-Believe.

Produced by Switch & Portuguese electro-dance outfit Buraka Som Sistema, “Big Mouth” is pumped full of tribal drums, frantic electro bleeps and Kuduro rhythms, giving off big M.I.A. and Major Lazer vibes. (No surprises there–Major Lazer is the collaboration between Switch & Diplo, and M.I.A.’s worked with Buraka Som Sistema in the past.) As a result, you might even hear some of Beyonce‘s “Run The World (Girls)” and Nicola Roberts‘ “Beat Of My Drum” thrown in too!

“Got a big mouth, big mouth…you said enough!” Santi snaps during the maddeningly manic track, recalling the healthy helpng of sass delivered on Santigold‘s “Shove It.”

We already know that Santi’s a genre-hopping chameleon, so it’s difficult to make any real predictions about the sound of the new album just yet. But so far, it sounds like Make-Believe‘s going to be one mayjah dance party!

Liking what you hear? Well, good: She’s giving away for free on her official website. (iTunes)

Nicola Roberts is a different kind of pop star.

There’s just no getting around it, really: Ever since her name was called as one-fifth of the band that went on to become Girls Aloud during the finale of the 2002 reality series Pop Stars: The Rivals, the Lincolnshire-born redhead with porcelain skin stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the pristine pop quintet. There was something special about Nicola, something different–dare say “alternative” about the then 17-year-old songstress.

Roberts made her mark in the Aloud as the quiet, quirky vocalist responsible for some of the band’s most memorable moments–the opening seconds of “Untouchable,” the second verse of “Whole Lotta History,” the show-stopping bridge of “Call The Shots.” More often than not, it was Roberts’ shaky, vulnerable vocals that placed an ice-coated cherry on top of some of the Aloud’s finest work.

But being “different” can often be problematic, and for Nicola, induction into the Almighty Aloud was nearly a curse: From the get go, Roberts was relentlessly teased and bullied in the British tabloids for her appearance, as well as an apparent bad attitude: “Ginger.” “Pale.” “Ugly.” In 2003, Busted‘s Matt Willis pronounced her a “rude ginger bitch,” a nickname that the press fondly appropriated for years. And despite the best efforts made by her fellow bandmates to protect her against seeing the stories, Roberts was still well aware of the continuous public mockery, leading to several years of excessive drinking and an unhealthy obsession with tanning.

Lest anyone be confused and think she simply stood there and dealt with the criticism however, it’s simply not true: Nicola Roberts has always found ways to fight back.

During a performance at G-A-Y in London in 2003 for instance, the quiet crooner took a cheeky stab at Matt Willis’ attack by donning a black skirt with the words “RUDE GINGER BITCH…BOTHERD?!” painted on the back. Later on in her career, as Roberts slowly grew confident in her natural appearance, she would tackle her tanorexia head-on in an eye-opening BBC special, Nicola Roberts: The Truth About Tanning.

Now, with the release of debut record out on September 26, Cinderella’s Eyes, Roberts has gone one step further and turned the tables on her detractors completely with one loud, defiant rallying call: “TEAM GINGE.”

Read more…

STOP YOUR ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE.

Sometimes, in life, things happen that are so incredible they actually defy explanation. This happened to me last weekend at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, when I was brought face-to-face with rising popstrel, Dr. Luke protege, and Britney Spears collaborator Sabi, who was DJing at the Teen Vogue Haute Spot.

Sabi is best known for, among other things, making everyone in the world say “Who?” when her guest spot on Femme Fatale was announced, elevating Cobra Starship’s “You Make Me Feel” into a compulsively listenable track with her dope-ass hook, and releasing a truly superb pop-dubstep hybrid buzz track called “Wild Heart,” which you should definitely listen to if you haven’t already.

She is also responsible for literally the greatest lyric in the Britney Spears oeuvre: Her audacious pronouncement during her rap on “Drop Dead Beautiful” that a nearby gentleman has her “steaming like a pot full of vegetables.”

In what is possibly the most important news item you will read this year, I can reveal to MuuMuse readers excluusively here that Sabi not only is prone to steaming like a pot full of vegetables, but also steams vegetables of her very own. “I do steam my vegetables,” she confirmed. (It should be noted that Sabi was an incredibly good sport about the whole thing, and also looked super cute in polka dots and leather shorts. Bold, Sabi. Very bold indeed.)

When I told her that my initial intent was to bring a steaming pot full of vegetables for her, she laughed hard and said, “I would have died.” She has requested that on our next meeting, she be greeted with vegetables. (Direct quote: “Next time you see me, bring a pot full of vegetables.” Hopefully this will be included in her rider going forward.)

Sabi also talked about recording her upcoming album, due out in early 2012, which she reports will be “urban-rooted, mixed in with pop [and] alternative.” The album, she says, will also feature more of the dubstep influences that we heard in “Wild Heart”: “When I heard some of the dubstep that’s coming from the UK, I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s crazy, can I do something like that?’ On my album, I’ve been honing in on my sound — and I might do a feature that’s another dubstep record.”

Expect the album to include more collaborations with Dr. Luke, who Sabi says is “so skilled… and the nicest guy ever,” as well as tracks with Benny Blanco, Toby Gad, and Diplo (!). Her only criterium, she says, is that “they bring me hotness.”

You’re welcome.

Thanks to Alex Goldschmidt for providing moral support, and also for promising Sabi that next time we saw her we would bring her “a bushel of vegetables from the farmers’ market.”

Sam Lansky is a contributor to MuuMuse.

HOMAHGAW. HOLD ME TIGHT.

It’s real, it’s actual: Here’s your first listen to Nicola Roberts‘ debut single, “Beat Of My Drum,” as well as its accompanying B-side, “Porcelain Heart,” courtesy of We Are Pop Slags.

“Beat Of My Drum”

IT’S SO GOOD AND THEN THE CHANTING OF THE L-O-V-E AND THEN THE HAPPY-GO-LUCKY DIPLO BEAT AND THEN THE SPEAK-SINGING M.I.A. FRIENDLY-NESS OF IT ALL AND THEN I CAN’T EVEN.

“Porcelain Heart”

IT’S SO GOOD AND THEN THE REAL SINGING AND THE LUSH, DARK DISCO BEAT AND THE SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR FRIENDLY-NESS OF IT ALL AND THEN I CAN’T EVEN.

Dead. Coffin. Done.

“Beat Of My Drum” will be released on June 5. (Pre-Order from iTunes UK)

It’s Friday, Friday…and you know what that means: The unveiling of Nicola Roberts‘ solo music plans!

The Ex-Alouder’s official website has just been refreshed–including a news section, a personal diary and a mini store to pre-order the singer’s debut single “Beat of My Drum,” as well as her upcoming debut album due out in Autumn: Cinderella’s Eyes. (For a limited time, you can pre-order signed copies of both. Can you guess what I put my credit card to use for this morning?)

From Nicola’s official website:

On 5th June Nicola will launch a brand new chapter in her sparkling career with the release of her first-ever solo single, the brilliant Beat of My Drum!

Nicola worked on the track with Dimitri Tikovoi and Diplo, and the single is the first to be taken from her forthcoming debut solo album Cinderella’s Eyes which will be released this autumn!

Nicola had this to say on the eve of her new pop assault: “for over a year, I’ve been in the studio writing my own songs and working towards making my own record. The time has come where I have to come out of my safe bubble that is the studio and share my music with you…. butterflies just got worse…”

Along with the news, Roberts also uploaded a special video teaser of the behind-the-scenes recording process for her album, which includes a portion of the instrumental for “Beat of My Drum,” which a PopJustice forum member has graciously uploaded. In case you want to listen again, it sounds like this:

Boy, Diplo just loves him some “Pon De Floor,” doesn’t he? So spacey! So 8-bit! Sounds promising–can’t wait!

“Beat of My Drum” will be released on June 5. (iTunes UK)

STOP YOUR ENTIRE LIFE AND EVERYTHING IN IT.

The LEGEND that is Nicola Roberts (of Girls Aloud fame) has just begun rolling out the promotion for her forthcoming debut solo single: “Beat of My Drum,” reportedly produced by Diplo & Switch. (I can’t even believe I’m typing these words!)

The glamorous ex-Aloud member just unveiled her official website and Twitter account today with a single tweet: “4 days to go…”, along with a promotional photo by UK fashion designer, Henry Holland (pictured above).

The (seemingly) official single cover comes directly from a TwitPic, which cropped up earlier tonight courtesy of the PopJustice forums.

Given that Nicola’s donning the same shoes as in the promo shot and the same logo, I’m fairly 100% this is real. The source also went on to reveal that the single will be released on June 5, featuring a B-side called “Porcelain Heart.” STUN-NING!

The Juergen Teller/Marc Jacobs overexposed high fashion treatment. The stilettos. The song title. The producers…it’s all so perfect! This is exactly the treatment she deserves. I’m already shaking with anticipation!

This is simply everything. E-V-E-R-Y-TH-I-N-G!

Beyoncé will be featured on the cover of March 2011 issue of French fashion magazine, L’Officiel.

The magazine, which is currently celebrating it’s 90th anniversary of publication, just uploaded a behind-the-scenes clip of the shoot featuring the leggy legend in African-inspired haute couture.

The photo shoot is likely the first of many promotional appearances to come before the follow-up to 2008′s I Am…Sasha Fierce, which is reportedly nearly complete.

In an interview with MTV Australia last week, Sia revealed that she’d just submitted a track for consideration on the record, although the album is already almost done: “Well, there’s only one song left for this album, so I probably won’t get on this album, but hopefully the next one. That’s my dream, that’s my goal.”

Sia is just one of the many writers and producers tapped to work on the next record, including indie noise-rock group Sleigh Bells, Ne-Yo, Jim Jonsin and Diplo. As Sleigh Bells guitarist Derek Miller told NME: “Beyoncé works with whoever she wants to work with, probably 30 or 40 producers.” As of right now, none of the producers are officially attached to the project.

But with the recently confirmed headlining set at the Glastonbury Festival in June (the first female headliner in the festival’s history–about time!), it’s a near guarantee that we’ll be hearing something new from Miss Beysus very shortly.

BEST YEAR OF POP EVARRRR.