After almost five straight years of setbacks and delays due to label fuckery, management reshuffling and everything else in between, the grand return of JoJo has officially begun.

“Disaster” is the official lead single from the singer’s upcoming third studio album Jumping Trains, due out later this year on Interscope Records.

While the brilliant Can’t Take That Away From Me–a free 11-track mixtape JoJo released in 2010–found the young singer exploring new terrain within chilly electronica grooves and soulful, church-ready slow jams, “Disaster” brings listeners back to the signature pop-rock sound that first propelled the Massachusetts-born pop starlet into the spotlight well over seven years ago.

And for those of you who fell hard from her very first scathing kiss-off track, “Leave (Get Out),” you’re in luck: JoJo’s still pissed.

“‘Cause the walls burned up and our love fell down / And it turned into whatever, now we’re saying never,” JoJo angrily cries out on top of the song’s massive chorus. The crashing drums, dramatic strings and triumphantly marching mega-beat all invoke some of the greatest, most devastating pop-rock mid-tempo ballads in recent memory, including Jordin Sparks‘ “Battlefield” and yes, even a bit of her own 2006 smash, “Too Little, Too Late.”

But apart from a return to the power pop production of her past hits, “Disaster” signals JoJo’s growth as both a vocalist and an individual: Proof lies no further than the song’s snarling, teeth-gritting bridge, which bites harder and burns deeper than just about anything she’s released to date. (“You shot the bullet, you shot the bullet that killed me!”)

It’s clear that the 20-year-old songstress has done a whole lot of growing up over the past few years in her absence. And with such an amazing track in tow, it’s the perfect time for this incredibly talented singer/songwriter to reclaim her spot on the radio waves and show us what she’s got once again.

Welcome back, JoJo. You’ve been sorely missed.

“Disaster” will be released on September 6. (iTunes)

STOP EVERYTHING IN YOUR FUCKING LIFE BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY FUCKING SONG THAT MATTERS TODAY.

David Guetta – “Titanium (feat. Sia)”

So it’s a fight you want? Well, as Jordin Sparks would likely say: YABETTAGOANDGETCHURAMMA.

Powerhouse Aussie-born soulstress Sia comes guns blazing in “Titanium,” the final track off of David Guetta‘s forthcoming record Nothing But The Beat, which is due out on August 30 in the US.

“Titanium” is a blend of many amazing elements–from the delicate guitar-strummed verses of Rogue Traders “In Love Again” to the explosive, crashing choruses of every song featured on Kelis‘ 2010 electro-masterpiece, Flesh Tone.

While our society has come to abuse this word, there’s really only one way to properly describe the song: Epic.

From the very first second, “Titanium” teems with an anxious anticipation of what’s to come. Yet even by the time the song’s chorus does rolls around, you still won’t be ready: “Shoot me down, but I won’t fall / I am titanium!” Sia triumphantly declares, and then it happens: The beat drops, giving way to a gasp-worthy, pearl-clutching orgy of stadium-sized synthesizers and filthy, grinding electronica.

Lyrically speaking, the song contains all the reinforcement of some of the major Top 40 self-empowerment anthems floating around as the ditties du jour in pop music today, as Sia stands strong (presumably against haters–still unconfirmed) directly within the line of fire: “I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose / Fire away, fire away / Ricochet, you take your aim / Fire away, fire away,” she boldly announces. For fans of Demi Lovato‘s similarly metal-minded “Skyscraper”, you’ll be pleased to know that Sia too is holding her ground as an impenetrable alloy–only further proving that the pop industry will soon be overrun by singing Japanese robots.

On the serious: “Titanium” is the best thing Guetta’s produced in ages (well, since Kelly Rowland‘s “Commander.”) While the frighteningly successful French DJ has become a dance floor staple for the latter half of the past decade, Guetta’s usually due to churn out something truly transcendent every year or so–”Titanium” is one of those moments.

Easily a favorite of the year.

“Titanium (feat. Sia)” will be released on August 8. (iTunes)

Kitsuné, seminal purveyors of fashionable dance music, are out with their latest collection of well-curated indie pop cuts this week. Here are some reasons why this is a good thing:

1. Although most Kitsuné compilations skew heavily toward the indie dance spectrum, this one is actually “indie dance” themed. This means that it’s indier and dancier than ever.

2. Alexander Dexter-Jones has a song called “Phantastic Phone Call.” Alexander Dexter-Jones is the half-brother of Mark Ronson, which means that great music is in his genes; he is also a sibling of designer Charlotte Ronson, which means that fashion* is also in his genes.

3. Two of the artists featured are Swedish — first, the ever-lovely Icona Pop, who team up with Logo X on the punchy “Luvsick,” and The Touch, whose track “Sermon” is a masterpiece of weird tribal minimalism, evoking The xx at their very best. Kitsuné founder Gildas explains: “The track’s about an oxygen-less civilisation that’s about to collapse.” (I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, but this is the second-best song about not having any air that I’ve ever heard, bested only by “No Air” by Jordin Sparks.)

If you put this on at a party, it is very likely that all of your mean hipster friends will begin to dance — not because they want to, but because they just can’t help themselves.

And that’s about all you need to know.

*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A VERY FASHIONABLE COLLECTION.

Want to win your own copy of the collection?

MuuMuse is proud to be giving away
5 copies of Kitsuné Maison Compilation 11.

To enter to win, send an email to muumuse@gmail.com with the subject line “KITSUNE.”

Five winners will be randomly selected and notified on Thursday, May 26. Good luck!

Kitsuné Maison Compilation 11 was released on May 16. (iTunes)

Fact: In Sweden, it is illegal to make bad music.

Okay, so this may not be empirically true, but it is a reality that the Swedes are known for exporting pop of the very highest quality. In my ongoing series, Amazing Things I’m Listening to From Sweden, I discuss the best Scandipop that’s been quietly slaying your faves.

Andreas Wijk – Like My Style

Andreas Wijk is a Swedish fashion blogger and model who looks like, well, a Swedish fashion blogger and model. (Photographic evidence here, here, and here. Please try not to kill yourself.) In typically life-isn’t-fair fashion, though, Andreas is additionally endowed with some impressive vocal gifts: A smooth, likable voice that would fit perfectly among, say, the boys of The Wanted. His debut single, “Like My Style” — and indeed we do, Andreas — is a surprisingly self-assured little pop bauble that sounds like Erik Hassle as produced by Dr. Luke. While there may not be a lot of crossover potential here, the combination of style and “Style” (see what I did there?) should be more than enough to attract the attention of teh gayz — who are, as we all know, the only listening audience that really count.

Beldina – Here We Go

The dopest bassline I’ve heard this year comes courtesy of Beldina Malaika, a Kenyan-Swedish neo-soul songbird whose new single, “Here We Go,” has been generating buzz all over the place. Instrumentally, it’s a nice throwback to 2007-era Justice, even if it does tread the well-traveled lyrical territory of prepping for a G.N.O. It doesn’t have the punk theatricality of Adiam Dymott or the twee levity of Asha Ali, but Beldina’s sound is slick, polished, and modern. I’d call it a welcome addition to the canon of Sweden-by-way-of-Africa vocalists.

Lykke Li – Sadness is a Blessing

Lykke Li’s sophomore effort, Wounded Rhymes, is a stunning hour of dark-as-pitch pop, but I’m particularly drawn to what’s slated to be the second UK single: “Sadness is a Blessing.” The track is both sad and majestic, without any of the preciousness that colored Youth Novels, and this confidence points to the artist’s developing sonic maturity. After all the brash swagger of “Get Some,” it’s refreshing to see Lykke return to a place of vulnerability.

Erik Hassle – Stay Away

I consider Erik Hassle the unsung hero of the Swedish pop scene. Sure, his music veers further toward the MOR pop-rock vein of The Fray or Snow Patrol than the icy electropop promulgated by Robyn and September, but I expected that this would result in a warmer international reception than the one he’s received; if a song as infectious as “Hurtful” can’t get radio play, then there is truly no justice in the world of music programming. “Stay Away” is the second single from his latest EP, Mariefred Sessions, following the MuuMuse Approved “Are You Leaving,” and it’s similarly melancholy, but with more strumming guitars than chilly synths. The fact that Mariefred Sessions went to #1 on the iTunes Sweden album chart the day it was released is a small consolation for this criminally underrated act.

Sara Lumholdt – Enemy

No shade to Eric Saade, but this was my favorite track to emerge from this year’s Melodifestivalen. It doesn’t hurt that Sara Lumholdt was once one-fourth of the epic bubblegum pop group A*Teens — alongside her better-known blonde counterpart, Marie Serneholt — and also performed circa 2007 under the pseudonym Sara Love, releasing a truly epic trash-pop single called “Glamour Bitch.” (Seriously.) History aside, “Enemy” swagga-jacks the hell out of Jordin Sparks‘ “Battlefield,” from the chord progression to the love-is-violence extended metaphor, and that is not a bad thing. So what if it’s derivative? It’s catchy, melodramatic, and highly listenable.

Genre: Pop, R&B
For fans of: Leona Lewis, Sugababes, Jordin Sparks

Ladies and ladyboys, meet singer-songwriter Carrie Mac.

Having just come off tour opening for X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, the multi-talented UK songstress (she plays violin, guitar and piano…plus the ocarina to boot!) is now gearing up to begin her official debut.

On April 18, Miss Mac will take a crack (too fun, too fun) at tearing up the charts with her debut single, “Till I See You Again.”

The song, a piano ‘n’ strings pop number, is chock full of radio-friendly appeal, playing somewhere in between the ranks of a modern R&B-tinged mid-tempo (Keri Hilson‘s “Energy”) and the power pop balladry of yesteryear (I’m hearing a touch of Celine Dion‘s “Power of Love” in the chorus).

Given her track record thus far, it certainly seems as though Mac could make a dent in the UK Singles Chart: Last year Mac released a gorgeous ballad called “Hello” for digital sale in Scotland (now available worldwide–watch her perform the song live) that managed to crack the Top 40 without any promotion.

“A few years ago I wasn’t ready for this. But now I feel I can deal with whatever is thrown at me now. It’s time for me to show people I can sing live, write my own songs and play my own instruments. This is a long overdue, here I am,” Mac says of her forthcoming debut.

With any luck, it’ll be worth the wait!

“Till I See You Again” will be released on April 18. (iTunes)

So here’s a post I’ve meant to do for over a month.

Jessica Mauboy is the runner-up from the fourth season of Australian Idol.

For those who haven’t encountered her name yet in their musical journey, a very brief history: Jessica Mauboy has a very listenable and melodic voice, comparable to that of Jordin Sparks, Alexandra Burke or Charice. Following her exit from Idol, the singer released her electro-tinged R&B debut in 2008, Been Waiting. The record spawned about a half dozen radio smashes, including the two very good singles that first caught my attention two years ago: “Been Waiting” and “Burn.”

On November 5 of this year, Mauboy released Get ‘Em Girls, the follow-up to her debut. ‘Urban’-flared and even more radio-friendly than her first album, Get ‘Em Girls nearly bursts at the seams with a dizzying array of American and Australian producers and co-writers, including Bangladesh, Harvey Mason Jr., Audius, Brian Kennedy and even the legendary Billy Steinberg (who penned Madonna‘s “Like A Virgin”)–not to mention the artist guest list, featuring Snoop Dogg, Ludacris and Iyaz. Not too shabby!

Though a somewhat eclectic bunch, the talent medley totally worked for Mauboy, resulting in a what proved to be one of the better albums of the year. (See–it even made the MuuMuse Top 40 list!)

Two songs from the album have already been released as singles (“Saturday Night (feat. Ludacris)” and “Get ‘Em Girls (feat. Snoop Dogg)”), although both songs were coupled with shoe-string budget clips that make Girls Aloud‘s “Something Kinda Ooooh” video look groundbreaking.)

Singles aside, I wanted to share one of my favorite album tracks: “Maze,” which was produced by Fredro (who’s also responsible for album tracks “Can Anybody Tell Me?” and “Forget Your Name”) and co-penned by one of my current songwriter crushes, Claude Kelly.

Fredro, the song’s producer, is a Swedish-born writer who first began making waves in the early ’00′s producing for about a zillion of MuuMuse’s most approved acts including Shontelle‘s “Ghetto Lullabye” (!), The Sugababes‘ “Switch” (!!), and Holly Valance‘s “Hush Now” (!!!), as well as another former Australian Idol contestant–Season 1 winner, Guy Sebastian.

Claude Kelly is the same man responsible for co-penning Britney‘s “Circus” and “Shattered Glass” (I know, I KNOW…deep breaths!), Miley Cyrus‘ “Party In The U.S.A.” with Jessie J, and a handful of the better offerings from Christina Aguilera this year, including “Woohoo,” “Desnudate,” and arguably Burlesque‘s best number, “Express.” As one of his latest productions now soars up the Billboard charts (Bruno Mars‘ devastatingly good “Grenade”), I’m fully anticipating the talented songwriter to dominate in 2011.

So that is that, and now we have “Maze”: A fantastically slick, electronica-infused R&B scorcher.

The song is particularly fantastic because it somewhat recalls JoJo‘s legendary “Too Little, Too Late” in that the chorus is very anthem-like and triumphant/inspirational sounding, when in fact the actual message of the song is rife with inner turmoil and a certain degree of sadness.

Speaking to its ‘explosive’ quality, “Maze” basically contains approximately two and a half choruses. First, there’s the pre-chorus (“Yeah, ’cause…one minute you want my tou-ee-uch, yeah / Next minute you don’t want none”).

Upon first listen, it seems like this could be the song’s decent chorus–but it isn’t. IT JUST FEEDS INTO A BETTER ONE: “OOOOOH! Should I stay or should I GOOOO?”

But then, something EVEN MORE AMAZING happens toward the end of the actual chorus: “Your heart is like a MA-EE-AY-ZE!” J. Melly bellows and repeats, rendering the listener physically incapable of doing anything except throwing their head back and hollering right along with the Aussie R&B songstress.

In conclusion: “Maze” is a-MAZE-ing. Do you see what I just did there?! LOLOLOLOL.

Get ‘Em Girls was released on November 5. (Australian iTunes) (Been Waiting is available on US iTunes).

Fefe Dobson‘s got a new single out on September 7, and it’s called “Stuttering.”

You can currently snatch it for free (as long as you spread the word online. Such is the nature of the digital era!)

It seems that Dobson’s still pissed post-”Ghost,” which is a bit silly (or incredible) given that her upcoming album is named Joy.

As a pop track, the melodies and rhythms are deeply and wonderfully derivative: The chorus is reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson‘s “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” the delivery style is similar to every Jordin Sparks song you’ve ever heard, and the verse melody reminds me of Iyaz‘s “Replay.”

There’s also the nonsensical repetitive bit (“oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ay-ay-ay-ay”) thrown into the end of chorus, which is now an all but required trait for any Successful Pop Song of the 21st Century.

But please, let’s not get it twisted: “Stuttering” is a solid, solid pop track. Just because it sounds like a blend of things that already exist doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be sneaking its way up the charts soon. I’m obsessed at the moment.

PS: “Ghost” is still fucking amazing. Or have you forgotten yet? Let’s review.

Joy will be released later this fall.

Click here to preview and purchase more music from Fefe Dobson.

So, this is something new and interesting.

The night before my interview with Sky Ferreira, I received a vaguely mysterious e-mail from MuuMuse reader Sam Lansky with an attachment entitled “Fame Fatale.” The e-mail suggested that the attached may assist me in preparing for my interview.

As soon as I began reading, I already knew: This had to be published immediately.

“Fame Fatale” is not only a remarkably in-depth analysis (and personal account) of Ferreira’s curious rise to fame, but a thoughtful contemplation of the manufacturing of the modern pop star and the very conventions of the music industry itself. It’s extremely well-researched, poses tough questions, and deserves your full attention.

With his permission, I’ve asked Sam to feature his article on MuuMuse. It’s an incredible piece, and I do highly recommend that all of my Muusers give it a thorough reading–even if it’s “tl;dr” territory.

I do, after all, hope to keep a literate company.

Click “Read More…” to read Sam Lansky’s “Fame Fatale: The Rise of Sky Ferreira.”

Read More…