Last week, The Saturdays released their third studio album: On Your Radar.

I’m still not sure if I’ll ever get around to writing a complete album review as I did for their super solid sophomore attempt Wordshaker (which I maintain is still VERY GOOD), but I can say that On Your Radar is just as excellent. Actually, it’s probably their best yet, especially considering the inclusion of “Notorious” (amazing) and “All Fired Up” (their best ever?), as well as some of the new uptempo cuts like “Get Ready Get Set” (LOVE!), “Faster” (kind of love!) and “For Myself.” (LOVE!)

But of all the new jams, there’s just one song that I’ve fallen for by far: “White Lies.”

From a producer’s standpoint, it’s hardly surprising: The track was crafted by two hugely talented Swede-pop geniuses: Carl Falk (of Nicole Scherzinger‘s “Don’t Hold Your Breath, Darren Hayes‘ “Black Out The Sun” and “Bloodstained Heart” and most importantly, Lindsay Lohan‘s “Disconnected”) and Rami Yacoub, responsible for basically all of …Baby One More Time and Oops!…I Did It Again. I mean…need I say more?

“White Lies” is absolutely brilliant–a surging, scorching pop number full of blazing four-to-the-floor synths, Nintendo-like 8-bit bleeps and blips and a soaring, guilt-ridden belter of a chorus: “Oooh, it’s time to talk about truth now/It’s time I/It’s that time that you know what you’re getting into now/These white lies, these white lies!” (Not to mention it’s MAJOR series of lyrics in general.) It’s explosive. It’s defining. It’s EVERYTHING.

As far as making a more stellar splash on the charts (which The Sats have long struggled to do), this track’s got enough of a potent power-pop mmph to really make a statement.

But after the lukewarm reception to the equally lukewarm “My Heart Takes Over” (dropping from #15 to #28 after just two weeks), an astonishingly dismal debut at #23 on the UK Albums Chart with On Your Radar, and murky waters regarding Una‘s pregnancy and Frankie‘s mystery illness (which has resulted in a weird “part-time commitment“), it’s not clear exactly where The Sats are headed after this. Well, besides on tour.

For now, let’s simply appreciate this complete and utter slice of pop perfection.

On Your Radar was released on November 21. (iTunes UK)

Last weekend, my bloggy BFFL Jon ALi and I went on a road trip to Boston. And in between the scream-singing of a majority of Talk That Talk (and some Kat DeLuna, but we’re not talking about that right now), Jon played me some of his favorite mixes from Mademoiselle Gaga‘s brand new remix album: Born This Way: The Remix.

The entire remix package is actually a pretty schweet deal, full of both throbbing, cardio-friendly House cuts and unconventionally moody re-inventions of the originals.

Along with offerings by some of MuuMuse’s favorite acts (including Hurts and Goldfrapp), instant favorites from the bunch include the haunting, dissonant re-rub of “Marry The Night” by The Weeknd & Illangelo, the brooding Depeche Mode-esque “Bloody Mary” mix by The Horrors and the reliably amazing throbbing mix of “Edge of Glory” by Sultan & Ned Shepard (who’ve worked on countless smashes with MuuMuse favorite Nadia Ali).

But my all-time favorite of the bunch so far is “Electric Chapel,” a track I’d never paid much attention to when listening to Born This Way. As it turns out, the remix was crafted by Two Door Cinema Club, the UK indie-pop trio that I “Introduuced” in the early, early days of MuuMuse back around January of ’09. (I know…positively ancient!)

As Jon explained before hitting play, the “Electric Chapel” mix is basically the ultimate stripper anthem. In fact, I’ve already assembled a tasteful nun habit to perform the mix during my nightly revue at The Cock, so watch out for that.

ANYWAY…

To celebrate the release, MuuMuse is giving away FIVE COPIES of Born This Way: The Remix.

To enter to win, follow me on Twitter (@MuuMuse) and tweet me with the following phrase:

I want to be born again with @MuuMuse! #BornThisWayTheRemix http://bit.ly/uBEEUi

Five winners will be selected and notified on Tuesday, November 29. US entries only, please.

NOW DANCE, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS.

Born This Way: The Remix was released on November 21. (iTunes)

Today, our glorious and all-knowing Illuminati Navy Commander Princess RiRi has finally unleashed her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk. IT’S A CELEBRATION, BITCHES! Now which one of you baked the birthday cake?

If you didn’t know all this already…um, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! Check out the MuuMuse review right now! I’m drunk on love–with the album, that is! Just kidding. I’m also drunk right now.

That’s why I want to share the love with YOU, ’cause you da one that I dream about all da-a-ay!

MuuMuse is proud to be giving away 5 COPIES of the standard edition of Talk That Talk.

Want to enter to win? Watch n’ learn: Just follow me on Twitter (@MuuMuse) and show me your cockiness (I love it) by tweeting me with the following phrase:

I love it, I love it, I love it when you tweet it @MuuMuse! #TalkThatTalk

Five winners will be randomly selected and notified on Monday, November 28. US entries only, please!

Go on: Do ya thang and enter now! Who knows? You might find love in a hopeless place. Good luck and farewell!

Talk That Talk was released on November 21. (iTunes)

It’s been just over two years since BBC Sound of 2009 winner Little Boots, née Victoria Hesketh, unleashed Hands.

The stunning dance-pop debut (read the MuuMuse review now!) resulted in several gems, including the hypnotizing “Stuck On Repeat” and the RedOne-produced “Remedy” a storming pop tune which recalled all the best bits of Fame-era Gaga. Now, Boots returns with the lead single from her forthcoming sophomore studio album: “Stuck,” released today in the UK.

The song was crafted in just one day with James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco, responsible for production on such gems as Peaches‘ I Feel Cream (including the brilliant “Lose You”) and Beth Ditto‘s stunning 2011 eponymous solo EP.

From the press release:

“The song came in the latter stages of writing the new album,” Boots explains. “James and I had been emailing, and unusually both had a free day. It was one of those that just came out. Immediately it felt right. It also shed a new light on a lot of the other songs I’d been working on for the album.

“Everybody shake ’til your heart breaks,” Boots croons on top of early ’90′s House pulsations (Inner City comes to mind) and an ever-so-slight Italo-disco crispness, recalling all the reasons I fell in Boots with “Stuck On Repeat” in the first place: Haunting vocals and timeless disco beats.

“I love the statement shake ’till your heart breaks: it’s that violent kind of romance that runs through some of my favourite songs,” she says of the song in the press release.

I’m utterly obsessed. If “Shake” is an early indication, Little Boots ain’t suffering from a sophomore slump anytime soon.

Little Boots – SHAKE by LittleBoots

Along with its digital release, “Shake” will be available as a limited edition vinyl. The song has also received the full remix treatment, including upcoming re-rubs by Azari & III and Crazy P.

“Shake” was released on November 14. (iTunes)

In case you’ve been living under THE WORLD’S BIGGEST ROCK EVER, you already know that Queen JoJo‘s just released a brand new single: “Disaster,” the lead track from her upcoming album Jumping Trains.

As I’ve established previously in my review of the single, “Disaster” is an amazing pop song. Thoroughly so.

Now, the song can be yours in the physical sense.

MuuMuse is proud to be giving away TWO COPIES
of JoJo’s new single, “Disaster.”

To enter to win, follow me on Twitter at @MuuMuse and tweet the following phrase:

I’m burning up forever and always with @MuuMuse! #Disaster http://bit.ly/rrAn03

Two winners will be selected and notified on Thursday, November 17.

And if you haven’t already caught the accompanying video (yes, I do consider you less of a person if you haven’t), you can still watch it now. Your body will thank you for it later.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be jumping trains.

GOOD LUCK!

“Disaster” was released on September 6. (iTunes)

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been movin’, groovin’ and generally getting DOWN to Sneaky Sound System‘s fiercely real third studio album, From Here To Anywhere, released last month worldwide.

Seriously, it’s one major disco gem packed with ’80′s and ’90′s House realness: From the big, bossy beats of “We Love,” to the cool synths of “I’m Not Leaving,” to the deliciously sexified pulsations of “Really Want To See You Again”–it’s a total pulse-raising celebration, perfect for a nightly underwear dance party for one! (…OR MORE. AYOOO!)

MuuMuse is proud to be giving away 5 copies
of Sneaky Sound System’s From Here To Anywhere.

To enter to win, follow me on Twitter at @MuuMuse and tweet the following phrase:

I want to go From Here to Anywhere with @MuuMuse! http://bit.ly/uJzhy8

Five winners will be selected and notified on Wednesday, November 16. Good luck!

From Here To Anywhere was released on October 25. (iTunes)

Just one year after releasing the sizzling “What’s My Name?” in October of 2010, Drake and Rihanna have teamed up once again for another incredible collaboration: “Take Care,” the Jamie XX (The XX)-produced lead single off of Drake’s upcoming studio album of the same name.

Though his most popular tunes tend to be big, bossy rap tracks like “Over” and “Headlines,” Drake truly proves himself a true innovator with his unique brand of spook-R&B, including the masterfully moody “Marvin’s Room” from earlier this year (which resulted in JoJo‘s own cover of the song, otherwise known as one of the greatest songs of the year.)

Now the Canadian rapper/crooner has done it once again–this time with RiRi’s help. And Gil Scott-Heron.

“I know you been hurt by someone else, I can tell by the way you carry yourself,” the Barbadian princess gently sings. The lyrics come courtesy of “I’ll Take Care Of You,” written by the late jazz-soul poet who died earlier this year.

Underneath Ri’s vocals, the song bursts with gentle disco pulsations and piano melodies, as if briefly sampling a taste of Hercules & Love Affair…or more appropriately, The XX. After all, “Take Care” also samples producer Jamie XX’s own remix of “I’ll Take Care Of You” as featured on 2011′s We’re New Here, a remix album based on Scott-Heron’s 2010 record, I’m New Here.

Just as with Rihanna’s feature on Coldplay‘s upcoming Mylo Xyloto single “Princess of China,” “Take Care” finds Rihanna singing in a way she hasn’t really explored before. But whereas her Coldplay collabo found RiRi pushing herself to emotional new heights, “Take Care” finds the singer experiencing all-time levels of sexy–sensuously purring above the minimal beats.

Pounding drum patterns soon break up the beats and pour into the mix, bringing to mind the gorgeous bleakness of Kanye West‘s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (especially considering West’s own sample of Scott-Heron in “Who Will Survive in America”), and even Rihanna’s own “The Last Song” off of Rated R.

Once Drake takes command of his own song, the drums beat harder as his rhymes grow progressively faster. “When you’re ready, just say you’re ready/When all the baggage just ain’t as heavy,” Drake tenderly croons back at one point during his verse. It’s gorgeous, haunting and largely unforgettable: This is next level hip-hop.

At this point, there’s no denying the spark of magic between the two: Come for the chemistry, stay for the lasting chills.

Take Care will be released on November 15. (iTunes)

In September of 2010, the world (well, the UK) watched as a jittery Worcestershire-born girl named Cher Lloyd strolled across the stage–suited in a a fitted black jacket and shredded white jeans–to audition for the X Factor. After a brief grilling by the judges regarding her name and age (“You look more!” Louis Walsh exclaimed after learning she was only 16 years old), Lloyd announced she’d be performing (Keri Hilson‘s cover of) Soulja Boy‘s “Turn My Swag On.”

And then she opened her mouth to sing.

Read more…