“King of Hearts” has been a long time coming–from leaked demos, to video previews, to grainy fan videos sent in from Kanye West‘s DJ sets overseas, to official remixes–but now, Cassie‘s major comeback single has finally been unleashed.

And the verdict? It’s one of my favorite songs of 2012 already. Easily.

From the opening drippy electro-blips, to the hand claps, to the ghostly moans echoing in the distance, to the stomping four-to-the-floor beat, the J2-produced club banger is a genius return for Cassie, meshing together the singer’s signature chilly-R&B delivery (“Me & U”) with the “jungle beats” of Ibiza (as she described in V Magazine last month) to form one long, hypnotic blast-off into the depths of space.

Still, this isn’t your standard dance-pop ditty found in heavy rotation your local Top 40 radio station–it’s better. Way better.

If there’s any comparisons to be drawn, “King of Hearts” channels elements of Janet‘s tranced-out Discipline masterpiece “Rock With U,” Kelis‘ hugely underrated 22nd century dance floor masterpiece Flesh Tone, as well as the spooky club thump of Britney‘s iconic “Gimme More.”

It’s that kind of fresh, it’s that kind of innovative: The lyrics, the melodies, the song structure, the delivery, the beats–there’s not one part of this song that contains even a single molecular flaw.

“You are the prince of charm/Seduction is your art/You’ll never play my love/You’re just my king of hearts,” Cassie sweetly croons on repeat. Are there any other pop lyrics quite as charming out there right now? It’s the ultimate love letter–all the more fitting that the song is to be officially released on Valentine’s Day.

Simply put: “King of Hearts” is a game-changer. Please…don’t fuck this up, Diddy.

“King of Hearts” will be released on February 14. (iTunes)

Calling all Lana Del Rey lovers!

Last week, my good friend Jonny of LoveJonny Designs (he’s the one who made that “Cupid Boy” tee for me when I was going to see Kylie!) tweeted a photo of an adorable Lana Del Rey tote that he’d recently created.

Given that MuuMuse has been so Lana Del Loco lately, I asked Jonny if wanted to design something special for MuuMuse readers…and so he did! Check out the tote above, inspired by “National Anthem” and “Born To Die.” Isn’t it gawgeous?

To enter to win the custom-made Lana Del Rey tote,
tag yourself in this photo on MuuMuse’s Facebook page.

A winner will be randomly selected and notified on Thursday, February 16. Good luck!

Money is the reason we exist. Everybody knows it, it’s a fact…kiss kiss.

Born To Die was released on January 31. (iTunes)

Photo credits: Elvis Di Fazio, Marco Ovando

After charming our pants off with heartbreaking New Wave synth-pop demos like “Maybe Tonight” and “Take Me Out” back in December of 2010, followed by the delightfully camp video for “Stay In Touch” last October, the Aussie-bred electro-pop duo known as Garçon Garçon are finally unleashing their debut EP on February 14, entitled–well EP.

To preview the collection, the boys have been premiering snippets all across the blogosphere, including “Save Our Souls” at It’s The Money Shot, “Maybe Tonight” at Electroqueer and “Take Me Out” at ArjanWrites. Now, MuuMuse is proud to give an Excluusive taste of their upcoming collaboration with Cazwell: “Hollywood Song.”

From Garçon Garçon’s vocalist, Nathan:

We came up with the chorus for this song very quickly when we started working together and tried so many different versions, but it sat on the shelf for quite a while. Nothing seemed to gel. Then one day Nick played this really cool, simple bassline and we both looked at each other and knew we had it. I went on a holiday to L.A and came back and wrote the lyrics for it straight away. I was really inspired by the nightlife, amazing people and just the energy in the city. This song is all about going out and just having an amazing time and not wanting the party to end.

Filled with bouncy ’80′s-encrusted beats, “Hollywood Song” finds the boys briefly steering away from their more melancholy tunes and diving in for a night on the town: “Basically, one day I was playing around with a basic synth riff and rhythm, and I could hear my sister scream ‘wooooh’ from the other room and clap her hands,” adds Nick. “I kinda knew we were on the right track. Ha!”

Nick describes “Hollywood Song” as a reaction to penning one too many “vanilla songs” for the upcoming EP:

After all, the EP is largely centered around our lives as teenagers, growing up in the 80s and 90s. From what I can remember, I was a pretty arsehole kid! We really wanted to inject some of that ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude into the EP, and I think this definitely follows through onto the cover art which turned out hilariously perfect.

To give the track a little extra mmm papi, the boys enlisted sexy NYC rapper Cazwell to lay down one of his signature sizzlin’ verses for the track: “We really wanted to collaborate with someone on this track and had been fans of Cazwell for a long time so we called him up and showed him the track and asked him to rap on it,” explained Nathan. “Luckily for us, he agreed so we sent it over and he nailed it! His rap is perfect for track and really adds something to it. We wanted this to be a fun summer song and I think we got that.”

Naturally, the rude boy MC delivered with his signature sass: “My pink tuxedo’s on, bring your leopard thong/Smokin’ that Cheech & Chong in the back of a Chevrolet/Glass up/Picking up hookers, face down, ass up,” he demands.

From Cazwell:

The Garçon Garçon boys are A LOT of fun. I got to party with them when I was in Sydney for Mardi Gras. I love their new wave disco sound! I loved “Hollywood Song” as soon as I heard it and knew I wanted to rap on it.

Below, take a first listen to “Hollywood Song (feat. Cazwell),” which will be released on EP on February 14.

EP will be released on February 14. (Official Website)

In case you hadn’t already heard, Madonna‘s been busy writing and directing a movie over the past 3 years called W.E. (Want to read about my experience at the film’s screening in NYC? Warning: I got a little emotional.)

The film’s score was composed by Abel Korzeniowski, while the final song, “Masterpiece”–one of Madonna’s most extraordinary ballads in years and WINNER of the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Original Score, thank you very much!–was co-penned by Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry and produced by William Orbit.

Now, the music from the movie has finally been made available on W.E. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, which was released digitally on January 31 on iTunes.

And so, to celebrate both the film’s release on February 3 and its accompanying soundtrack…

MuuMuse is proud to be giving away 5 copies of the W.E. soundtrack and five mini-posters.

To enter to win, simply comment with the word “MASTERPIECE” on this post at the official MuuMuse Facebook page. 5 winners will be randomly selected and notified on Wednesday, February 15. US entrants only, please.

Good luck!

W.E. will open at select theaters across the country beginning on February 3. The W.E. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released digitally on January 31. (iTunes)

HEY, over there…

Yes, YOU! Put down the video games. I have something to say!

Today, the ever delightful, ever controversial heaven-sent songstress Lana Del Rey released her debut studio album, Born To Die. (In case you missed it, check out the MuuMuse Review now!)

Want to own the album in physical form? Not exactly a million dollar man? Well, I don’t want you suffering from summertime sadness! Button up your blue jeans and pop open a can of Diet Mountain Dew, ’cause we’re off to the races…

MuuMuse is proud to be giving away 5 copies
of the standard edition of Born To Die.

To enter to win, simply head over the official MuuMuse Facebook page and leave a comment on this status update with YOUR favorite song from Born To Die.

5 winners will be selected and notified on Tuesday, February 7. Good luck, all you bad boys and girls!

Born To Die was released on January 31. (iTunes)

Everyone’s got something to say about Lana Del Rey.

In Late June, the cut-and-paste clip for the singer’s “Video Games”–then just a buzz track–dropped with a thud onto YouTube. Spliced between old movie sequences, paparazzi clips and fuzzy home videos, we watched as a husky-voiced, otherworldly chanteuse pouted and cooed a dreary, vintage-sounding ode to her beloved: “It’s you, it’s you/It’s all for you, everything I do,” she begs. The song’s haunting melody, coupled with Del Rey’s bombshell looks and curious mannerisms, drew adoration and anticipation from countless bloggers worldwide, including myself.

Only weeks after the clip premiered, the overnight Internet sensation came under fire, as dissenters were quick to point out what Google already knew for months: Lana Del Rey, born Lizzy Grant, was raised by her father, a real-estate entrepreneur, and her mother, an advertising account executive in Lake Placid. After a stalled launch two years prior, the singer had since been signed to Interscope in March of 2011, paired off with top UK writers and hip-hop producers, and thrust quietly into the world (again) as Lana Del Rey.

Critics scoffed at her stories in interviews of living in a trailer park (despite this fairly telling interview from back in 2008 in…a trailer park), as though an artist’s legitimacy is earned only by being born into hardship. Her image changed, too, including an unquestionably fuller set of lips (“They’re fake!”, they cried), as though the emotional value of a song is determined by a single Restylane injection.

In short, haters continued to hate: Internet campaigns–spearheaded by the ever-sarcastic Hipster Runoff–effectively began a Del Rey witch hunt, tearing apart her music lyric by lyric, her videos frame by frame, and over-analyzing every word she’s ever uttered in an interview to an obsessive degree.

It didn’t help that Del Rey’s star skyrocketed too quickly: When the singer took to the stage of Saturday Night Live in early January for a jittery performance of her double A-side debut, the world–largely unaware of her particular brand of deep-voiced, slow-spoken artistry to begin with–pounced: ABC news anchors, musicians and all began eagerly participating in the most bizarrely overwrought public skewering, labeling it “the worst performance in SNL history.” (It wasn’t.)

To this day, the persecution continues with sexist headlines (“Lana Del Rey shows off some upskirt on some magazine cover!”) and nasty blog comments, as Indie absolutists hungrily seek any opportunity to “out” Del Rey with a quivering, condemning point of the finger shouting “FRAUD!”

In reaction to a recent interview in which Del Rey discussed drinking underage to deal with her own troubles, Hipster Runoff posted a mocking meme of Del Rey, the words “My daddy only cared about hoarding dot-coms: Confessions of a Teen Drinker” written across the picture.

If there were ever a case to be made about cyber-bullying, Lana Del Rey’s e-burning at the stake would be the shining example.

Read more »

Disclaimer: My thoughts on W.E. will not be published until the week of release (February 3.)

Now and then, there are some moments when I’m invited to cover an event, a concert or simply spacing out mid-interview with somebody important and/or pretty where I completely lose focus of everything happening in my head and ask myself: “I’m sorry, but what the fuck is my life right now?”

Last night, as I was walking down the aisle of the Ziegfeld Theater to take my seat in the front row at the premiere of Madonna‘s new film W.E., I had that moment.

I’ve never been to a movie premiere in my life, so when I picked up my tickets at Will Call and saw that I was seated in Row A of the orchestra, I was utterly ecstatic: Front row?! INSANE! It was only when I took to my seat however, that I quickly realized as I massaged my neck worriedly: Front row at a concert? INSANE! Front row at a movie premiere? Not exactly prime real estate. That is–except for a perfect view of whoever introduces the film.

For that, it would soon be worth all the eye straining.

After entering the theater at around 7 P.M. on Monday night, my friend Martin and I began anxiously squirming in our seats trying to predict when and where she would appear. From behind the curtain? From the ceiling? Who could be sure?

A few minutes later, Camille of Hard Candy Music began eagerly texting me from outside to tell me that the stars were began drifting through the red carpet, which meant that Madonna’s arrival was only moments away. She suggested that I make a run for the door.

Here, I knew I had two real options: I could stay seated because of my crippling social anxiety and deep-seated fear of rule-breaking and/or shenanigans, or take a chance, make a change…and breakaway. So I booked it, passing through the lobby and heading straight for the front–until the intimidating security guard stopped me. “Sir, you can wait out here,” he offered harshly. Well, so much for that.

A brief moment of bravery now squashed, I stood by the Vita Coco refreshment table, pretending as though I was anxiously awaiting someone to appear (or serving Vita Coco juice boxes).

Left: DVF. Right: A very shoddy photo of Brahim (Lola on far right–black hair).

Now, I’m not one to get too fussed about celebrity spotting (that is, unless it’s Madonna–foreshadowing!). After all, they’re just people (stars–they’re just like us!), and often so devastatingly normal. Yet the assortment of celebrities waltzing into the lobby at the Ziegfeld weren’t exactly D-listers.

Before I returned to my seat, Diane Von Furstenburg suddenly came trudging into the lobby with a bevy of other-worldly models, merrily making the rounds with guests right in front of the concession stand. She was all smiles, and almost reminded me of a distant relative I only see around Christmas. Had I a few drinks in my system, I might have even tried to give her a hug. Mercifully, that didn’t happen.

More models walked in. As I stood faux-texting and watching with bated breath, a quick whisp of black hair passed by. Before I could react for a photo, I recognized the hushed state of the lobby immediately: It was Lourdes, Madonna’s gorgeous daughter, and it was far too late for me to prove it. I did capture a moment of her walking away alongside Madge’s hunky beau, Brahim, but otherwise, I failed.

Other familiar faces walked in afterward, including Martha Stewart, Ivanka Trump, Project Runway winner Christian Siriano, his boyfriend Brad Walsh, and Real Housewives of New York‘s Kelly Bensimon (who, for the record, was the biggest stunt queen. Not only did she stay seated and smiling as everyone passed by once the movie was over, but she stood against the exit doors like an usher, beaming hungrily at each pair of eyes passing by as we left. I see you, fame-hungry housewife. I SEE YOU.)

At some point, the usher announced that the movie was about to begin. I wasn’t about to get locked out to continue watching the celebrities parading by, so I dashed back to my seat to get settled.

Several more minutes passed before a few friends excitedly came over and pointed out that she was in the far back of the theater preparing to head to the front. An announcer took to the center of the theater, quieting the audience as he prepared to introduce Madonna. And then I realized: She was coming down my aisle.

A bright light shone down the entire walkway as she glided down amidst deafening cries, people audibly gasping, cheering or–at a loss for words, simply shouting “Beautiful!” As she grew closer to the front, the crowd slowly died down to an equally deafening silence. At that point, everyone was simply staring, seemingly stunned.

She was just a few feet away at that point. I saw a tuft of blonde hair bouncing, and then her face. My mind started racing. There she is–the woman who brought us everything from “Lucky Star” to “Vogue” to “Frozen” to “Hung Up”–standing right there, and then…my mind went blank. She was a mere inches away from me. I think I let out a whimper, or perhaps a sharp gasp. If I tried to say something, nothing came out. I wouldn’t remember even if I did.

Before anyone could react, she was already strolling past to the front of the room. With the train of her dress gripped in her right hand, she quickly turned and surveyed the audience. She looked remarkably iconic–classic Old Hollywood glamour. At once, she thrust the train to the ground. The entire theater shook. She had arrived.

I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic when I say that the train toss itself was arguably better than most pop performances in 2011.

Standing poised, Madonna began her speech by thanking all of the actors, cast and crew of W.E. for their work. She discussed the making the film, her commitment to telling a story, and her own interpretation of the movie. In usual Madonna form, it was all very dramatic, remarkably enunciated and occasionally pretentious, yet her passion for the project was palpable.

At a point, she seemed to tire out from all the speaking. “I’m sorry that I’m so tired,” she said, pained. “I’ve been working my ass off for the Superbowl!” The crowd immediately erupted in cheers.

She warned us that when she gets tired, she gets emotional and often cries. And in the last few moments, it actually happened: “Finally, I’d like to thank my mother…” she began to say, suddenly choked up. A devastating quiet filled the room. “because really…this story,” her voice began to break in between tears as she pulled at her dress. “This story is the journey of a female’s soul, and…my mother gave me life. So thank you, and enjoy the film,” she announced, before quickly heading stage right as the crowd stood and clapped. The Queen, ladies and gentlemen.

So now, a quick pop quiz: One of your biggest idols–if not THE biggest (remember–Britney‘s my favorite, but Madonna is The Queen), just sashayed past you, delivered a speech no more than 10 or 15 feet away, broke into tears, and then glided away into a sea of flashing lights. What do you do when the lights dim and the film reel begins to spin?

The answer, as I learned: Cry very quietly in the darkness.

Of all the Norwegian electronica chanteuses in the world, Kate Havnevik is probably my favorite.

I first discovered Havnevik back in 2006 with her debut record Melankton, a dreamy collection of electronica-infused tunes produced by the ever-amazing Guy Sigsworth (Britney Spears, Alanis Morrissette) and Carmen Rizzo. She’s also the voice behind my favorite Röyksopp production (and one of my favorite songs of all time, ever), 2005′s “Only This Moment.”

After releasing her Me EP back in November 2009, Havnevik partnered with PledgeMusic last August to raise money for the mixing, master and production for You, her much-anticipated full length follow-up to Melankton (as well as donating a portion of the funds to cancer research). It worked: By the time it was launched in August 21, the album was already 100% funded on September 7, and released to all who pledged donations on October 10.

Now, the record has been picked up for physical and digital distribution worldwide by Continetica Records on March 12.

The lead single from the album, “Mouth 2 Mouth,” finds the singer once again pairing off with Sigsworth, diving deep into chilly ambient waters: “Calling your name/You’re diving again/You are my sunken friend,” Kate croons across the tripping electro-organic beat, recalling the multi-layered bliss of quirky UK alt-electro songstress, Imogen Heap (who’s also worked extensively with Sigsworth in the past as Frou Frou).

“Mouth to mouth and head in sand/I am holding you,” she delicately coos during the chorus. The heavy breaking beats also seem somewhat dubstep inspired, similar to Lights‘ gorgeous 2011 effort, Siberia.

All in all, it’s yet another aural treat from the always enchanting Ms. Havnevik. Listen and swoon!

Kate Havnevik – Mouth 2 Mouth by katehavnevik

“Mouth 2 Mouth” will be released on February 20. (iTunes)