What’s the only thing better than reflecting on my favorite releases of the past year? Why, pondering what happens next year of course!

Below are some of MuuMuse’s Most Anticipated releases of 2012–a round-up of what we already know, what we’ve already heard, what we want to hear in the next year.

Madonna, TBA (Twelfth Studio Album)

What it is: The return of the Queen.
Expected shelf date: March 2012.
Confirmed tracks: “Gimme All Your Luvin,” “Girls Gone Wild,” “Masterpiece”
Production by: William Orbit, Jean Baptiste, Martin Solveig, Benny Benassi
What we know: The chant-ridden lead single “Gimme All Your Luvin” already leaked in demo form weeks ago, though the final version will be getting a (hopefully muscled-up) makeover with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj when released in January. But between “Gimme” and the tender sound of W.E. closer “Masterpiece”–her best ballad in years–there’s still no telling what the actual direction is yet. Regardless, Orbit claims Madonna has amazed him “in unexpected ways” while recording.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Madonna doing what she does best–making innovative pop music that sets the bar and stands the test of time.

Marina + The Diamonds, Electra Heart (Second studio album)

What it is: Corruption, immoral behavior, and the death of the American dream–all in a blonde wig.
Expected shelf date: 2012.
Confirmed tracks: “Fear & Loathing,” “Radioactive,” “The Archetypes”
Produced by: StarGate, Guy Sigsworth, Diplo, Greg Kurstin, Dr. Luke
What we know: It’s going to be a concept record (to some degree). As Marina told PopJustice in an interview, the album tells the tale of an American Dream-meets-Greek tragedy through a character she came up with: Electra Heart. Her StarGate-produced alt-dance pop single “Radioactive”–the second part of an ongoing video series documenting the birth of Electra Heart–was easily one of the best songs of 2011, and leaked demo “Starring Role” proved that Diamandis’ caustic writing style is still very much alive and well.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Sharp-tongued quirk-pop with punchy beats and devastating ballads–just don’t get too mired in the concept, please.

Garbage, TBA (Fifth Album)

What it is: A rock goddess and her talented troupe finally return to save the world.
Expected shelf date: Late March/Early April 2012
Confirmed tracks: TBA
Production by: Garbage
What we know: Apart from a greatest hits package, it’s been almost seven years since Garbage’s 2005 triumph, Bleed Like Me, was released. After taking some time apart as a band (including Manson’s failed foray into crafting a solo album with Greg Kurstin and Paul Buchanan that was rejected by labels for being “too noir” and will forever remain one of the world’s greatest musical injustices), the group is back. As Butch Vig told Billboard, the album will feature “noisy guitars, big electronic beats, atmospheric film moments.” And judging by the samples that they’ve teased to fans over the past few months–they’re hitting harder than ever.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: More head-spinning electronic rock production, mind-numbingly catchy hooks and razor-sharp lyricism from the one and only Miss Manson.

Charli XCX, TBA (Debut Album)

What it is: A young Goth-pop princess on the verge of exploding.
Expected shelf date: TBD.
Confirmed tracks: “Stay Away,” “Nuclear Seasons”
Production by: Ariel Rechtshaid, Patrik Berger
What we know: The 19-year-old UK club kid’s dark, industrial 2011 buzz single “Stay Away” is easily one of my favorite songs of the year, while the bouncy, vintage ’80s sheen and crackle of lead single “Nuclear Seasons” finds the 19-year-old songstress blending elements of Marina + The Diamonds, Kate Bush and Gwen Stefani.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Gloom ‘n’ doom beats and spooky vocals.

Ke$ha, TBA (Second Album)

What it is: The trash-pop glamazon’s long awaited follow-up.
Expected shelf date: May 2012, according to Dr. Luke.
Confirmed tracks: None
Production by: Dr. Luke, Max Martin
What we know: Earlier in the year, Ke$ha told MTV that the new album was going to be “balls-out, irreverent rock and roll.” Recent leaks like “Shots On The Hood Of My Car” and “Only Wanna Dance With You” suggest more of the same glitter-drenched party pop, although it’s unclear if they’re from recent sessions. The only definite new recording is her sobering cover of Bob Dylan‘s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.” Why the long wait? Simple. She has a goal: “To reinvent pop music.” Easy, right?
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Crunchy, rowdy beats and even sleazier debauchery. But even as the rough gem she is, Ke$ha shines brightest on her balladry–fingers crossed for at least one or two.

Lana Del Rey, Born To Die (Debut Album)

What it is: The end result of a whole lot of hipster hype.
Expected shelf date: January 30, 2012
Confirmed tracks: “Video Games,” Blue Jeans,” “Born To Die”
Production by: Justin Parker, Robopop
What we know: She’s been unfairly thrust into way too bright of a spotlight for only one or two songs so far (the genius “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans”) thanks to a nearly creepy obsession by indie bloggers both hailing and criticizing the singer (yes, she got her lips done–we get it). But the husky-voiced Del Rey–formerly Lizzy Grant–has since held her own, delivering yet another staggering, weepy-eyed smash with “Born To Die”–the title track off of her upcoming Interscope Records debut. With any luck, the album will follow suit.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Sweeping, dramatic classics sung atop hip-hop beats and Western twangy noises with all the grandeur of a James Bond theme.

Miike Snow, TBA (Second Album)

What it is: One of pop’s greatest production troupes returns for another moment of left-of-center pop-rock ingenuity.
Expected shelf date: TBA
Confirmed tracks: “Devil’s Work”
Production by: Miike Snow
What we know: Andrew Wyatt and Bloodshy & Avant–here known individually as Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, delivered one of pop’s greatest surprises with their 2009 record, Animal. After spending over a year recording, the trio returned with buzz single “Devil’s Work”–a sharp, staggering mixture of crashing drums, mighty horns and electronica. The accompanying tease of a video, featuring a man running down an empty desert highway, hints at an upcoming story to be told about the birth of a new human race. It’s weird, captivating and it’s all very promising.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Strange Swede-pop production and poignant lyricism.

Diana Vickers, TBA (Second Album)

What it is: The delightfully darling X Factor Alum’s sophomore attempt.
Expected shelf date: TBA
Confirmed tracks: None
Production by: Donkeyboy, Amir Amor
What we know: The quirky electro-pop songstress isn’t straying far from the twinkling sound of her 2010 debut, Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree. Newly premiered buzz tracks–“Music To Make The Boys Cry” and “Kiss Of A Bullet”–suggest both bright, twinkling beats and cutting Rachel Stevens-esque synth-pop.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: More of the same winning electro-pop charm, but with new and up-and-coming producers.

Sky Ferreira, TBA (Debut Album)

What it is: Pop’s most thrilling enfant terrible finally finding her footing.
Expected shelf date: TBA
Confirmed tracks: None
Production by: TBA, presumably Bloodshy & Avant
What we know: Nothing’s guaranteed. In early 2011, Ferreira released the year’s best pop EP–As If!–boasting five crunchy, forward-thinking pop cuts like “Traces” and “99 Tears.” But between album push-backs, label misfires and her own personal rebellions, no one’s certain about the fate of a Sky Ferreira LP. The underrated chanteuse has been leaking songs left and right onto her official SoundCloud, teasing everything from drifting alt-pop rock, to delicious deep disco jams, to crunchy Bloodshy & Avant unreleased gems. According to the singer herself, a new single will be released in early 2012. Let us pray.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Anything. Sky doesn’t make bad music.

As Rolling Stone reported earlier today, Amnesty International is planning to release a staggering four-CD collection of over 76 Bob Dylan covers in January. The compilation, called Chimes of Feedom, features over 80 artists including Sting, Patti Smith and Elvis Costello. But in between all the rock legends and indie delights, there’s also some rather surprising MuuMuse Approved pop acts thrown in the mix.

For instance, there’s Natasha Bedingfield with “Ring Them Bells,” Miley Cyrus with “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome”, which nicely showcases the puff-puff-pass Disney pop princess pleasantly crooning with a country twang above a guitar strum, and even a RedOne rendition of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” which isn’t nearly as offensive as how it appears on screen.

But then, there’s Ke$ha‘s cover of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”…and it’s incredible.

Now, it’s all well and good to slag off Ke$ha as a beer-guzzlin’, bathroom BJ-givin’ glitter fame hooker prostitute wench (and believe me, I do it often), but that’s only a matter of playing into the persona she’s perpetuating as a pop star. Whether or not she’ll embrace it one day, Ke$ha is a genuinely talented singer-songwriter–she’s got an incredible ear for crafting killer hooks, as well as an impressive voice when its actually stripped of all Auto-Tune (see her pre-K-e-dollar sign-ha days demo, “Goodbye”)–and when she wants to wash off the glitter and turn on the grit, she truly can.

From Rolling Stone:

Ke$ha’s love for Bob Dylan is well known, and she has long touted his 1969 release Nashville Skyline as her favorite record of all time. But when it came time to record something special for Amnesty International, she set her sights on “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” from 1963′s The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan instead. She had no idea that the experience of recording it would turn into the cathartic and emotional experience that it did.

“I didn’t want this to sound like a pop version of a Bob Dylan song,” Ke$ha tells Rolling Stone. “That’s the last thing I wanted this to sound like.”She brought her friend, producer Bob Ezrin, on board, and the two of them discussed an interpretation of the lyrics that positioned the song as a suicide note from the female perspective. But then it became something different entirely; something personal.

Accordingly, her rendition of Dylan’s song is absolutely devastating. Stripped of all vocal editing and floating above only the most minimal instrumentation (a lone string or two and some distorted ambient noise), the pop star cries as she powers through the heartbreaking number, which she originally recorded as a one-take on GarageBand while alone at home: “Goodbye’s just too good a word babe, so I’ll just say fare thee well,” she cries before breaking down into a series of sniffles and whimpers.

The cover is Ke$ha’s most haunting, chill-inducing recording to date (by far) and a very clear representation of Dylan’s influence on her as an artist (yes, I’m being completely serious), and if you can connect to even one-fourth of the emotion she’s poured into this sobering cover, chances are you’ll probably wind up in tears too.

Chimes of Freedom is now streaming on Facebook and will be released on January 24.

For Britney, the bass keeps getting big-gah. For Ke$ha, the sleaze just keeps getting sleeeeazy-ah.

Though it’s been mostly quiet on the K$ front while the trash-pop princess spends her time laboriously recording her highly anticipated 2012 follow-up to Animal (read: busy making out with bearded truckers in the woods of rural Arkansas), K$ has decided to delight her loyal animals with a semi-brand new treat: A re-remix of “Sleazy”!

From Ke$ha’s official website:

Ke$ha takes “$leazy” to a whole new level with her “Sleazy Remix 2.0 Get Sleazier” featuring Lil’ Wayne, Wiz, T.I. and Andre 3000. This track will be released exclusively through iTunes on Dec 13th, so mark your calendars now and get excited!

The slow-grindin’, potty-mouthed Bangladesh-produced banga off of 2010′s Cannibal EP already got the remix treatment once back in January thanks to Andre 3000. Now, with new verses from Lil’ Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and T.I. thrown into the mix? Girl…it’s gon’ be one filthy gang-bang.

THE BEAT SO PHAT, GONNA MAKE ME COME…OVER TO YA PLACE!

“Sleazy (feat. Andre 3000)” was released on January 17. (iTunes)

French House fans, rejoice!

French producer/DJ extraordinaire Fred Falke is set to unleash his debut artist LP, Part IV, on December 5.

The man behind the smashing productions and remixes for some of MuuMuse’s favorite acts–including Annie, Gossip, Miike Snow, Uffie, Ke$ha, Florrie and Will Young–will be bringing his first-ever artist record through Kris Menace‘s label, Work It Baby.

From Falke, courtesy of the press release:

So much of modern music takes the ideas in the 70′s and 80′s and uses them in a very superficial way. I hope I have managed to create something that re-asserts the musicality of this era within the context of modern music and modern production methods. I’ve always sought to re-align the modern French sound with the musical heritage that informed it, to bring that sound to a young crowd…to make it relevant to them.

I was fortunate enough to get a first listen to Part IV earlier today, and while there aren’t any artists featured on the (mostly) instrumental 12-track record, the album’s slick, euphoric French House productions are nothing short of pop perfection–an absolute must for any proper party playlist.

Prepare for a wallop of funky disco grooves, hazy electronica and searing House beats!

And now, a reminder of the genius of the Falke…

Still incredible.

Part IV will be released on December 5. (iTunes)

Fact: Everything Swedish is better than you.

As Sweden’s pop ambassador to the interwebz (a title I made up for myself just now), it’s my job to highlight the very best pop music coming out of Sweden. (This is an easy job, given that Swedish pop music is always good.) In my ongoing series, Amazing Things I’m Listening to From Sweden, I’m bringing you the dopest Scandinavian sounds out there. Just don’t blame me when you end up spending your paycheck renting a proxy server in Stockholm so you can shop on Swedish iTunes. (Trust me — the exchange rate does not work in our favor.)

Velvet – Love Struck

Velvet’s music is, as her name suggests, plush, decadent, and just a little trashy. But her new single, “Love Struck,” packs the euphoric punch of one of those eight-minute ravey dance remixes, crammed into three densely packed minutes of pounding pop goodness. The opening synths evoke Ke$ha, but the chorus is all Velvet: “Feel me now/Boy, you’ve got me love struck,” she sings, a driving house beat underpinning crashing synths. While perhaps not as impeccable as the V Factory track by the same name (any V Factory fans in the house? No? Okay, glad we talked about it), it’s a more than worthy effort from the dancefloor diva.

Deportees – Islands & Shores

Deportees fall on the indier end of the Swedish pop spectrum, but as with their contemporaries — like The Perishers, Shout Out Louds, or even José González — their music is a more refined, genteel rock than what we tend to hear stateside. Packing a solid pop pedigree (drummer Thomas Hedlund toured with Phoenix, and bandmate Anders Stenberg is Lykke Li’s guitarist), “Islands & Shores” is a miniature epic of love and heartbreak. “I figured out why some days feel like ages/I figured out why some rooms feel like cages,” frontman Peder Stenberg sings as the song builds with layer after layer of guitars, drums, and strings, reaching an orchestral climax and then collapsing into dissonance. I can’t deny that “Islands & Shores” has a little bit of the Springsteenian heartland rock crunch of The Gaslight Anthem — which I normally find quite odious — yet the poppy Scandinavian backbeat marries the two forms marvelously. A sad, beautiful song for fall.

Loreen – Sober

Dance chanteuse Loreen doesn’t have the established track record of some of her better-known counterparts, but her 2012 Melodifestivalen entry, “My Heart Is Refusing Me,” was a superb nugget of moody dance-pop that certainly put her on my radar. (The fact that it was covered by perennial favorite Andreas Vijk, whose acoustic cover is as impossibly gorgeous and perfect as he is, only adds to its appeal.) Her newest single, “Sober,” continues in the grand tradition of great songs with that title — see Kelly Clarkson and P!nk for more — with an irresistible melody and crisp house production. “I know this moment will be over/Tomorrow comes and we are sober,” Loreen belts over glistening synths. Um, Agnes who?

Caotico – Brains Out [feat. Tove Styrke]

Caotico and Tove Styrke are both virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, but this track has already received a ton of attention from English bloggers — and it’s no surprise, given that it’s modern, infectious, and hilariously scabrous. Vocals from rising underground pop band Caotico set the scene — “The air was filled with the scent of burned rubber/The sky was dark for the first time this summer” before Swedish Idol hottie Tove Styrke jumps in to make her demands: “Fuck my brains out/Like you did last night!” In most contexts, this chorus would just be arbitrarily crass — but here, paired with an effervescent electropop beat and Tove’s squeaky vocals, it’s nothing short of adorable.

Wolf Box – Mirror Wisdom

You remember Isabel Guzman, right? The Swedish sprite who released utterly sublime dance-pop songs like “Lovesong” and “Mysterious” back in 2007, then disappeared completely? (Okay, maybe it’s just me.) Either way, she’s back, with the artistic (i.e., inexplicable) new band name “Wolf Box” and a serious (i.e., brunette) new hairstyle. Her first two songs, though, are nothing short of perfection. “One for the Radio” is ambient pop, humming and thrumming before launching into a big, melodically charged chorus, but “Mirror Wisdom” is piano-driven and gloomy, with a grinding chorus that wouldn’t sound out of place on the latest Lykke Li record. I’m calling it what it is: A a long-overdue return for a little-heard popstar who never got a chance to realize her true potential.

Sam Lansky is a contributor to MuuMuse.

Um…FINALLY!!!

“Backstabber,” one of the many demos that surfaced long its appearance on Animal, was always a favorite of mine from the Kween of Dumpster-Pop’s 2009 major label debut.

According to popular Ke$ha lore, a video for the song was shot many moons ago. And although photos some on-set photos surfaced in May, nothing ever ended up happening for the song…until now, of course.

That’s right! The video has finally leaked.

So what’s the plot? Well, some blonde bimbo decides to fuck with K-e-dollar sign-HA and swipe her sick set of wheels while she’s busying making her nightly payphone call to a local crack dealer (assumed, though unconfirmed). RU-UDE!

But don’t worry–K$ ain’t having NONE O’ DAT, so she comes back swingin’ after a few sweet street moves with her bad ass crew. Payback’s a bitch…that never showers.

As it turns out, the video for “Backstabber” is actually one of K$’s most representative videos to date: It’s got truckloads of glitter, leather, pervs, mussy hangover hair, growdy make-out sessions, dueling drag queens…and even some wig snatching! It’s kind of everything we’ve come to love and admire about the Almighty Trashcan With Feet.

In all seriousness though, I’m so jazzed that this video came to see the light of day! Between all the sweet choreography and fierce styling (plus the fact that “Backstabber” is such a fucking good pop song), it would’ve been a major shame if everyone’s hard work was stuck bottled up in some film canister until the end of time.

PARTY ON, K$!

Animal was released in January of 2009. (iTunes)

As the scribes behind such colossal pop smashes as David Guetta and Kelly Rowland‘s “When Love Takes Over,” Ke$ha‘s “Fuck Him (He’s A DJ)” and Kylie Minogue‘s “Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love),” it’s safe to say that Liv and Mim Nervo–more commonly known as the Nervo Twins–know a thing or two about writing a hit.

The drop dead gorgeous Aussie-born duo have written for dozens of today’s most beloved pop and dance acts–from Armin van Buuren to Rachel Stevens to the Pussycat Dolls, rapidly becoming one of the music industry’s most consistent, unstoppable hit machines for the latter half of the past decade.

But penning smashes for some of today’s most beloved pop acts is only one of the components to Aussie duo’s recipes for success: The twins have just as quickly climbed their way to prominence within the dance community as a result of their frenetic, high energy live DJ sets, achieving the ultimate stamp of approval after being cast as one of the opening acts on Britney’s massively successful Femme Fatale Tour earlier this year.

Now, as their profile continues to grow between both the packed dance floors of the indie-dance community and the radio airwaves of the mainstream pop scene, the girls are now taking their first steps toward a debut in their own right with the release of their debut Astralwerks single on August 16: “We’re All No One,” featuring Dutch DJ Afrojack and indie-House titan, Steve Aoki.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak with the ever-lovely Mim of the Nervo Twins just one day after the duo stepped down from their opening DJ duties on Britney’s wildly successful Femme Fatale Tour. Read on to see the full interview, including banter about being on tour with Britney, writing for the divine Miss Kylie (and nearly Cheryl Cole!), and all the latest on Nervo’s upcoming debut.

Read more!