In the four years since his debut in 2008, Sam Sparro‘s done a lot of growing as an artist. And by that, I mean he has a mustache now.

No, no–he’s matured, his sound and style has developed further, and “I Wish I Never Met You”–the lead single from his upcoming album Return to Paradise–represents that overall evolution. Stripping away the extra synthesizers but maintaining the sleekness of “Black & Gold,” Sparro’s latest is an unbelievably well-crafted marriage between soulful ’70′s disco, piano-led balladry and chilly blasts of Euro-tinged 21st century electronica (a bit Kleerupian, if you will).

The song, which was co-written by Swedish singer-songwriter Erik Hassle (so you already know it’s good), sees Sparro alternating between aggression and anguish as he laments his last love affair. It’s just amazing.

Actually, it’s so amazing, I just started listing out bits and pieces of its amazingness, including (but not limited to):

GOD, IT’S SO GOOD.

Video courtesy of Jon Ali!

And while you’re at it, listen to a bunch of remixes from the likes of Azari & III, Stereogamous and Devil’s Gun now.

“I Wish I Never Met You” will be released in the UK on June 4. (iTunes)

A NEW O’DAY HAS COME.

Almost exactly one year since Aubrey O’Day first slayed our entire lives with her scorching dance-pop solo debut “Automatic” back in April of 2011, the outspoken chanteuse and current Celebrity Apprentice Boss Bitch returns with her long awaited follow-up: “Wrecking Ball.”

This time around however, there shall be no beat going boom–nay, not even a single booty pop–because Mizz O’Legend is serving us early ’00′s power-pop ballad realness.

Co-penned and produced by Pia Toscano (American Idol), singer-songwriter Steven Miller and former Evanescence member David Hodges, “Wrecking Ball” delivers the kind of earnest crooning that wouldn’t be at all out of place on the tracklisting of a JoJo, Katharine McPhee or Jordin Sparks record. (Or perhaps Jessica Simpson?)

“You think you could read my mind, but this is not another love song/Don’t even waste your time, I’m already gone,” O’Day angrily cries out on the chorus.

The shocker for most, of course, will be Aubrey’s genuinely flaw-free delivery (although O.G. fans of Ms. O’Day are already well aware of the songstress’ ability to croon, as evidenced throughout Making The Band and later as one-fifth of Danity Kane–RIP.) The fact is that she really can sing, and this is the most impressive showcase of her vocals yet.

While I generally prefer my Aubrey flashing diamonds and putting her body on automatic (as I’m sure she will for bulk of her upcoming debut), lady friend’s clearly on a mission to prove all the ex-lovers and haters wrong–and I’ll be damned if she didn’t just do exactly that. U MAD?

“Wrecking Ball” was released on April 23. (iTunes)

Time to cut your hair, paint your toes and cry those happy tears once again, ladies and ladyboys: Miss Cheryl is back!

Following two massive lead solo singles–2009′s “Fight For This Love” and 2010′s “Promise This” (both of which peaked at #1)–the gorgeous Girls Aloud chanteuse and former X Factor UK darling is going three-for-three with her Calvin Harris-produced single: “Call My Name,” the lead track from her upcoming album A Million Lights.

If it wasn’t already clear from Ne-Yo‘s “Let’s Go and the Scissor Sisters‘ “Only The Horses,” it is now: Calvin’s sticking to a template–namely, Rihanna‘s “We Found Love” (and soon to follow, “Where Have You Been”)–and he’s not letting go anytime soon.

“How d’you think I feel when you call my name? You got me confused by the way I change!” Cheryl cries out on repeat over the Ibiza-friendly beat breakdown of a chorus. It’s got the exact same electro-Caribbean rhythms and hands-aloft euphoric energy as “We Found Love,” and nearly the same melody too–but for some reason, I don’t necessarily mind the lack of innovation. It’s a banga, and Cheryl owns the track in her own right…even if it doesn’t quite reach to a higher level.

The song seems to fizzle out a bit early as well, leaving Mizz Cheryl to ad-lib like a ’90′s House queen (“OOH-oh-oh-OH!“) for about a minute or so. It’s an unusual way to close out the track (where’s the bridge, Chezza?!), but once again, I can’t say I mind that much either. Actually, the ’90′s influence throughout is the best part.

Although unadventurous (can’t cope with the “We Found Love” comparisons? Try PopJustice’s 7 Stages of the Cheryl Single), “Call My Name” is still a solid, repeat-friendly (if not by-the-numbers) production from an artist back where she belongs: On the dance floor.

And keep your eyes peeled for what’s next: The Anthony Mandler-directed clip for the song hits Vevo on May 2.

BREAKING (1 PM): Cheryl’s “Call My Name” sounds VERY GOOD in a car with the windows down. Score adjusted accordingly.

BREAKING (2 PM): I CANNOT STOP PLAYING THIS SONG.

WE FOUND CHERYL IN A HORSE’S PLACE.

“Call My Name” will be released on June 10. (iTunes UK)

Erik Hassle, the Swede-pop prince behind the massive 2008 Swedish smash “Hurtful” (which also saw some lukewarm lovin’ in the US and the UK back in 2010), is back for another round of gorgeously crooned torment.

Penned by Malin Dahlström of Niki & The Dove, “Stay” is Hassle’s devastating lead single from his forthcoming second studio album due out in late spring. “Stay with me/You don’t have to go,” Hassle pleads during the song’s chorus. More stripped than “Hurtful,” the production relies on a haunting piano melody, strings and a slow-soldiering beat, as Hassle agonizes over lost love: “If you love someone, you should not let it show.”

At one point, he offers a quiet exchange between the two, almost like the bridge of Robyn‘s “Be Mine”: “How you doin’ now?/I said ‘It’s been a while and I’m fine’/You said ‘Are you happy? But are you happy?’/Wait, wait/Just wait, don’t tell me you’re in love!” he cries.

For those who found themselves sobbing to Adele‘s “Someone Like You” last year (and really, how could you avoid it?), consider this one an apt tear-addled companion.

“Stay” was released on April 16 in Sweden. (iTunes Sweden)

Three months ago, the boys (and über-fierce girl!) of Scissor Sisters unveiled “Shady Love”, their swaggerific electro-disco smut strut featuring Azealia Banks. Now, the troupe returns with their first official single off of their upcoming fourth studio album Magic Hour: “Only The Horses.”

Produced by Calvin Harris and Boys Noize, “Only the Horses” is essentially the Scissor Sisters’ own version of “We Found Love”: From the verses, to the soaring chorus, to the Ibiza-ready beat breakdown.

“Only the horses can bring us back home tonight,” Shears yelps during the chorus before the euphoric House synthesizers come blaring into the speakers.

On the one hand, it’s amazing: “Horses” might be the Sisters’ most mainstream-friendly effort yet, which could make for major chart success abroad (and perhaps even stateside). On the other, it demonstrates the slightly troubling fact that Calvin’s stuck on a template–and he’s not budging anytime soon. His new-ish song with Ne-Yo, “Let’s Go,” is almost exactly identical to this, which is already identical to Rihanna‘s 2011 smash.

Still, even if “Horses” may not be quite as innovative as “Shady Love, it’s still a smashing surge of energy. Just don’t yell too much when you’re sing-shouting that chorus–you might get a little hoarse. (See what I did there? AHAHA!!1!!!1)

“Only the Horses” will be released on May 13. (iTunes)

Legendary mamacita, Nicki Minaj side-eye shade thrower, and thoroughly free of all flaw Queen J. Lo just called in to On Air with Ryan Seacrest to premiere her brand new RedOne-produced dance floor banga, “Dance Again,” which will either be the lead single from her upcoming eighth studio album or from a greatest hits collection. She don’t know yet!

(Translation: If this one’s a smash, she’s going with a new album.)

Despite her jam-packed schedule working behind the judge’s booth on American Idol, it appears as though Jenny’s got a whole lot of other things she’d like to be doing with her time as well.

Her grueling to-do list, in no particular order:

1.) Dance.

2.) Love.

3.) Dance Again.

The blazin’ hot track also features professional bulge Pitbull, who offers insightful commentary throughout regarding the one subject closest to his heart: His global reach. “Is he really worldwide? Uh, yes!” Mr. Worldwide decides aloud. Finally, the debate is over!

Also of note: The beat from Pitbull’s verse is lifted directly from Nightcrawlers‘ 1992 House smash “Push The Feeling On,” which Pitbull already sampled (in a different section of the song) for 2009′s “Hotel Room Service.” From this, we can deduce two things: 1.) Pitbull really fucking loves “Push The Feeling On” and 2.) We’re now entering the seventh circle of Reductive Hell.

Now, look: Is “Dance Again” sonically identical to “On The Floor,” “Papi,” and every other uptempo banga on Lopez’s quite amazing seventh studio album, LOVE? Oh, yes. Does Kat Deluna reserve the right to remain thoroughly pressed about the fact that Jenny is quite literally snatching song after song from her Belgium-only album, Inside Out? Indeed!

But you know what? It’s Jennifer Lopez! She can be as reductively derivatively generic as she likes, and I’m still going to go H.A.M. for whatever she’s serving. When the DJ bumps some Jenny up in the club, I lose my mind, my clothes, and whatever tiny shred of dignity that’s been hanging by a string from my bedazzled jock strap for the duration of the night.

Therefore, I do declare “Dance Again” a smash!

VIVA LA J. LO!

“Dance Again” will be released on April 2. (iTunes)

After teasing about a brand new track over the past few months, The Saturdays have just premiered their latest single in the UK: “30 Days.”

Co-penned and produced by Steve Mac (“Higher,” “Notorious”) and Autumn Rowe (Alexis Jordan, Leona Lewis), the Sats’ latest electro-banger finds the girls getting heavy-hearted about missing their faraway sweethearts. “I know you can feel this pain/Don’t worry I’ll be back again,” the girls promise.

From the press release:

Frankie Sandford explains; “30 Days is about being apart from the person you love and counting down the minutes until you’re back together. The song really struck a chord with us – it’s a situation all of us can relate to, and we think alot of fans will relate to it as well.”

All at once the track explodes into an Ibiza-lite chorus of euphoric synthesizers (which plays like a lesser version of Rihanna‘s “We Found Love.”) “One month, 4 weeks/Too many hours/Sun rise, sun fall/Growing tired,” the girls cry out.

The song’s greatest selling point, as PopJustice pointed out in their preview review yesterday, is the mega-catchy melody baked into the chorus (“30 days to love, oh-WHOA-oh!), although it ends up feeling more like a lesser version of Girls Aloud‘s “Call The Shots.”

Don’t get me wrong: I’m into “30 Days” (sort of), but considering that the girls just released a solid album full of certifiably amazing cuts (um…hello, “White Lies”?!), it’s a little puzzling that they’ve ditched the On Your Radar campaign entirely for something that’s merely…good-ish.

“30 Days” will be released on May 14. (iTunes UK)

Get fired up like a smoking gun!

VEVO has just premiered the lyric video for the radio version of “Girl Gone Wild,” the second single off of Madonna‘s upcoming twelfth studio album MDNA, due out on March 26.

Check out the full song below! Review to come when I regain consciousness…

EDIT: Okay, well, that happened. And…I love it!

Yes, yes, yes…there are negatives, of course. I hear them loud and clear! In fact, I had to steer clear of social media for a while to mull this one over for myself.

Vocally, she does sound a bit disengaged from the song–even possibly bored in places! And given that Benny Benassi was the one responsible for crafting something as untouchable as “Brave” off of Kelis‘ 2010 Flesh Tone (and even the defining remix of Madonna’s own “Celebration”!), I’m admittedly a bit shocked at the…hmm, sort-of flatness of the production?

And no, this isn’t the stuff of lyrical genius either: There’s some tiny glimmers of Godney (808′s and In The Zone!), plus some nods to classic Madge (“Erotica,” “Burning Up”), but ultimately, this is mostly an unadventurous ‘all up in da club’ moment. (Then again, “Into The Groove” wasn’t exactly highbrow…)

But that’s about where the issues end for me: Given that this is Madonna, there’s always going to be an impossible amount of hype and anticipation and expectation built around the music. As my friend Keith Caulfield from Billboard rightly pointed out in a spot-on assessment on Twitter, “Because she is MADONNA, everything she does is examined with a microscope. She is the biggest pop star alive….whatever she does is hyper-criticized. If it’s good, it’s not “good enough.” If it’s so-so, it’s a disaster.”

Back in 2008, I slammed Hard Candy as a desperate attempt for relevancy when I first heard the record (as I think a lot of fans did as well.) Now, I find myself revisiting quite often–most of the cuts, like “Dance 2Night” and “Heartbeat,” are actually phenomenal pop records. For some reason (the internet!11!!1!), it’s just too easy to all pounce at once.

While we’re on the subject, I’m so tired of seeing these holier-than-thou arguments about what our pop stars should be singing about. She’s 53, and she’s singing about dancing! And possibly even sex! (Oops, I didn’t know she couldn’t talk about sex!) Oh, so what? Fuck off, seriously–or should we just pray you never want to get some past the age of 50?

I find the dismissal of Madonna as an old woman incredibly insulting. It’s ageist and sexist, as I’ve tried to defend throughout this entire campaign so far: She challenged the expectations of what a woman should be as a pop artist 30 years ago, and she’s challenging the expectations of what a woman should be as an older pop artist now. You may not like it, you may not be comfortable with it…but that’s who she is, take it or leave it.

Also, it’s Madonna–you should know by now that the woman’s going to stay stubborn.

At the end of the day, this song is still fun, to me at least–like a brighter mash-up of “Celebration” and Confessions On A Dance Floor‘s “Sorry”. There’s hooks for days, the beat’s a-bangin’ (yes, I get it, it’s not the most ‘revolutionary’), and there’s no way I’m going to go to bed tonight without hearing “Hey-ey-ey, ey-ey-ey” echoing in my head until I pass out.

Oh, and that spoken word “Act of Contrition” introduction on the album version of the song? That’s a nod to a track on her 1989 album Like A Prayer for those unaware, and it’s utterly genius.

I enjoy “Girl Gone Wild.” Like, a lot. In fact, the more I listen, the more I absolutely L-U-V the song. Besides, it’s going to sound MAJOR in the clubs.

Is this all a cop-out? An excuse? Am I being basic? Or perfectly Kat Delusional? Potentially. I’m a diehard fan, so it’s impossible for me to look at this one too objectively, folks. But as it turns out, I’ve simply run out of fucks in my inventory to give out regarding my own biases. We all have them, after all…

Frankly, I’d rather just shut up and dance.

MDNA will be released on March 26. (iTunes)

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)

Get ready, y’all, because the evolution of Adam Lambert has just begun.

See, I’ve had a chance to listen to the new Adam Lambert single, “Better Than I Know Myself,” — in full. Great news — it’s really, really good.

First off, I should say that the snippet, which was released today, doesn’t really do the song justice. You can hear that the chorus sees Adam reaching into the higher part of his register, with booming, “Halo”-like drums and a skittering backbeat. But part of what makes the song magical is the way it builds from the opening of whining synths and a nicely percussive backing track, then builds instrumentally into the chorus. Dr. Luke‘s signature style as a producer is the juxtaposition of relatively subdued verses and a huge, explosive chorus, and “Better Than I Know Myself” does that magnificently.

The added talents of Claude Kelly, too, who remains one of the finest songwriters currently in the game, augment the song’s impact, since Claude has a way of cutting to the core of an emotional conflict with quick, elegant images. “Cold as ice, and more bitter than a December winter night/That’s how I treated you,” Adam sings in the opening lyrics, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it simile that speaks volumes.

The most emotionally potent moment is the bridge, where the richer synths yield to a tinkling piano and the lyrics turn unexpectedly vulnerable: “I get kinda dark/Let it go too far/I can be obnoxious at times/But try and see my heart.” It’s a lovely turn, with a candor that’s refreshing to hear in pop music, and it makes the song truly memorable.

In my piece last week for MTV Buzzworthy, I wrote that “My sources tell me that ‘Better Than I Know Myself’ is a piece of flaw-free radio candy, a stunning midtempo track with a powerhouse chorus that’s like a pumped-up ‘Whataya Want From Me,’ and it should cement Adam’s place in the pop A-list.” I’m sticking by this, especially the latter statement. “Better Than I Know Myself” is more radio-ready as anything on his last album, and I would be stunned if it didn’t perform excellently on the charts, and catapult Adam way further into the realm of superstardom than he’s ever been before.

“Better Than I Know Myself” is the lead single off of Adam’s upcoming album, Trespassing. (iTunes)