Yes, you read that correctly. What? Yes! No, I know. Stop crying. I can’t believe it either. Just–here, keep reading.

Illuminati Thug Life Tattoo-Having Navy Commander Princess Rihanna and Queen Ginge Nicola Fucking Roberts are launching a fashion talent search together for Sky Living HD in the UK.

RiRi, who is executive producing AND appearing in this production, has enlisted none other than Girls Aloud‘s Nicola to seek out up-and-coming fashion designers for a 10-week competition to find the next best British talent.

From Sky Living:

The show will celebrate the extraordinary talent and creativity in the British fashion scene. With Rihanna, a fashion icon herself, and Nicola, who created her own Dainty Doll make-up range, at the helm, the show will recognise the increasing influence popstars have on mainstream trends.

With her world-class reputation and passion for style, Rihanna is perfectly placed to find an aspiring designer worthy of the chance to break into the hugely competitive world of fashion. Tasking Nicola with fronting the search, Rihanna will be heavily responsible for casting and will be involved in editing post-production.

Rihanna – who has sold 20 million albums – will also be hands-on as the programme showcases Britain’s most promising fashion designers. Over ten weeks the unknown designers will be challenged by Rihanna and Nicola to create outfits for a string of musicians and celebrities.

The final challenge and ultimate task for the winner will be to design a unique stage outfit for Rihanna’s Wireless performance in Hyde Park in July 2012.

Honestly, this is kind of the greatest thing I’ve ever heard of in my entire life. Like…Project Runway gone RiRi? Will challenges include finding the right material for hip twerking and cake baking? Will Nicola Roberts beat her drum and toss Dainty Doll foundation at contestants as they’re booted off the show? WILL THEY BE PERFORMING TOGETHER?! I’m getting faint.

The show is now taking applications, so if you’re as good with a needle as you are with a bag of flour and some icing, click here for all the details.

This news makes me feel like…

STOP EVERYTHING IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.

A few weeks ago, we learned that Queen Nicola Roberts, Holy Ruler of All Things Ginger And Free Of Flaw, was going to release “Yo-Yo” as the third single from her incredible debut, Cinderella’s Eyes, in January.

Normally, a new single from Queen Roberts would be something that’s already exciting enough as it is–but she just had to take it a step further: Roberts announced that she would also be releasing a solo version of one of Girls Aloud‘s best, most underrated cuts in their entire catalog as a B-side: “Memory Of You.” So then everybody was just sort of like…

Well, “Yo-Yo” dropped this week (which you can now order as a a signed physical edition, or via iTunes), as did Roberts’ rendition of “Memory Of You”–and although nothing could ever top the original, it’s all the pure icy disco deliciousness we had hoped and dreamed it would be.

Nicola Roberts – “Memory Of You”

When she’s not doing the whole brilliant/grating ’40′s warbly thing, Roberts possesses a wonderfully chilly vocal delivery style, making her take on the pulsing Girls Aloud B-side an utterly lush production.

I still don’t know why there are twenty-five electric angels dancing in the rain, I still don’t know why there’s ice cream shooting lasers in the sky, and I still don’t know if sheep count us when they can’t sleep at night. (Believe me, I’ve tried asking…they’ve all got bah-d attitudes.)

However, I do know that this is still one of the best things I’ve ever heard, ever.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get lost in Japan now.

BYE LESSERS!!!

“Yo-Yo” was released on January 8. (iTunes UK)

There’s no way around it: 2011 was an astoundingly good year in pop music.

Not since the 2007 reign of Kylie‘s X, Britney‘s Blackout, Rihanna‘s Good Girl Gone Bad and Girl’s Aloud‘s Tangled Up has there been such a strong showing in pop: We found love in the most hopeless of places, hung onto a moment and danced to the beat of our drums ’til the world ended (well, until next year anyway.)

As per usual, I’ve hemmed and hawed over a final ranking for my favorite records released over the past year. Although I wasn’t initially going to rank them numerically (YAY–everybody wins!), I ultimately realized that was just a cop-out.

Nonetheless, every album featured on this list deserves to be on included on everyone’s iPods and Spotify/iTunes libraries (or, dare I say it, in your CD players), because they’re all beautiful in their way.

Now, I present my Top 25 Albums of 2011. And if you’re not satisfied with the ranking? Please…don’t hold it against me.

25. Kelly Rowland – Here I Am
24. Simon Curtis – R∆ (MuuMuse Review)
23. David Guetta – Nothing But The Beat
22. Dev – The Night The Sun Came Up
21. Darren Hayes – Secret Codes and Battleships

20. Rebecca & Fiona – I Love You Man
19. Sneaky Sound System – From Here To Anywhere
18. Cher Lloyd – Sticks + Stones (MuuMuse Review)
17. The Saturdays – On Your Radar
16. The Wanted – Battleground

15. Katy B – On A Mission
14. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Make A Scene
13. Lights – Siberia
12. Wynter Gordon – With The Music I Die (MuuMuse Review)
11. Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials

10. Clare Maguire – Light After Dark
(iTunes) (Spotify)

MuuMuse Review

As one of the 15 acts touted on the BBC’s much-buzzed about Sound of 2011 list, the pressure was on from the very beginning for UK chanteuse Clare Maguire to deliver a solid record.

While reviewers were largely (and unfairly) critical of Maguire’s debut–slighting everything from the complexity of the lyrics to the authenticity of Maguire’s artistry–Light After Dark remains one of the year’s stand-out efforts. Between blissfully whimsical, disco-tinged tracks like “You’re Electric” and “I Surrender,” as well as majorly sweeping anthems like “Sword And The Shield” and “Happiest Pretenders,” the singer evokes shades of Cher, Annie Lennox and Stevie Nicks on the largely cinematic production, which was crafted entirely by Fraser T Smith (Adele, Britney Spears).

Though largely overlooked (and harshly received) by the British press, Maguire’s record is truly solid from start to finish–an amazingly promising start for an artist still on the rise.

9. Beyonce – 4
(iTunes) (Spotify)

MuuMuse Review

4 was by no means a very well-received record.

It didn’t help that the mega-wattage superstar kicked off the campaign with the album’s non-sequitur–the extremely noisy, extremely divisive Major Lazer-sampling “Run The World (Girls).” Nor was it particularly well-favored when the ex-Destiny’s Child diva began submitting new songs to radio every other week, along with accompanying videos for nearly the entire album week after week. To most, it looked downright desperate.

But promotional tactics aside, 4 remains an incredibly strong package: With an emphasis on live vocals and instrumentation, the album’s many soul-bearing ballads (“I Miss You,” “I Was Here”), throwback feel-good jams (“Love On Top,” “Party”), along with clear odes to musical legends like Prince (“1+1″) and Fela Kuti (“End Of Time”) burst with a vintage crispness that plays as if unearthed from a lost 1970′s vinyl.

It was a major risk to take on Beyonce’s part, who opted to mostly forgo her signature urban/club sound (apart from fan favorite “Countdown”) in favor of pursuing more artistic ambitions. If left to hands that didn’t seem so hungry for a hit, 4 might have been more universally hailed as one of the year’s best releases.

8. The Sound of Arrows – Voyage
(iTunes) (Spotify)

Voyage is a perfectly apt title for Swedish duo The Sound Of Arrows‘ debut album–after all, it took over four years for the record to actually lift off the ground.

Luckily, the wait proved worthwhile: After slowly building buzz with their lush 2009 debut single “Into The Clouds,” the electro-pop outfit rapidly grew to prominence with their sensational remixes (Lady Gaga‘s “Alejandro,” Nicole Scherzinger‘s “Right There” for starters) and subsequent singles released earlier this year, “Nova” and “Magic.”

The final product is a record filled with dazzling space-age electronica and delightfully earnest, almost childlike lyricism–songs about journeys, dreams and hope for the future. It’s as though French electronica outfit M83 was given a smooth Norwegian makeover a la Röyksopp and outfitted with a sharp Pet Shop Boys-like lyrical sensibility.

In the end, Voyage isn’t just a terrific debut: It’s the stuff of dreams.

7. Lady Gaga- Born This Way
(iTunes) (Spotify)

MuuMuse Review

Lady Gaga‘s omnipresence in pop culture was unavoidable in 2011: Kicking off with debut her second LP’s lead single “Born This Way”–a throbbing, dizzying version of Madonna‘s “Express Yourself” on LSD (which did her no favors in furthering herself from constant allegations of swiping of the Queen of Pop’s schtick), the starlet utterly exploded–from the relentless performances to the images pressed against posters, billboards, entire buildings and trains.

But despite the relentless (and genius) marketing, “the album of our generation” it is not (Sorry, Elton!). Still, it’s quite good: With its sledgehammering beats and love-it-or-hate-it lyricism (“Wear an ear condom next time!”), there are plenty of surprises packed into Gaga’s punchy, eclectic release–from the Whitney Houston-esque jubilee of opener “Marry The Night,” to the wild howls of “Government Hooker,” to the ’90′s House of “Scheiße” to “Heavy Metal Lover,” which throbs with all the gritty sexual appeal of Britney Spears writhing on top of a motorcycle.

And while her pop counterparts beat her to the chase before Born This Way ever hit shelves (P!nk‘s “Raise Your Glass,” Ke$ha‘s “We R Who We R” and even Selena Gomez‘s “Who Says”), Born This Way will ultimately go down in the books as the defining soundtrack of “It Gets Better”-dom in pop music–from the lead single, to self-affirming anthems like “Hair” and “Bad Kids,” Gaga’s laudable mission to boost self-confidence and promote tolerance around the world is this record’s latest impression–and the most important.

6. Nicola Roberts- Cinderella’s Eyes
(iTunes UK) (Spotify)

MuuMuse Review

Baby in the corner learning quick, indeed: After hitting the studio with such left-of-center acts as Metronomy, Dragonette and Dimitri Tikovoi, the coolest of cool members of the almighty UK girl group Girls Aloud finally found her footing in 2011 as a quirky-pop songstress with a big, brassy voice.

After exploding onto the solo scene with her rapid-fire Diplo-produced bleep-bloop fest “Beat of My Drum,” Roberts released a record filled with crunchy, experimental electronica (“Fish Out Of Water”) and lush disco tunes (“Yo-Yo”) that found the ginger pop princess tackling her insecurities, embracing flaws and evoking all sorts of unexpected influences in between, including The Andrews Sisters (“Lucky Day”), Kate Bush (“i”) and Lily Allen (“Say It Out Loud”).

Weird, warbling (and occasionally even grating), Roberts’ record is one of the year’s most intriguing and daring debut efforts by a long shot, earning the quietest member of the Almighty Aloud legions of new fans proudly proclaiming themselves forever Team Ginge.

5. Will Young – Echoes
(iTunes UK) (Spotify)

Produced by Richard X (responsible for another one of the year’s best releases, The Sound of Arrows’ Voyage)–along with some help by Richard “Biff” Stannard (Spice Girls, Kylie Minogue), Kish Mauve‘s Jim Eliot and frequent Richard X collaborator Pete Hofmann, original Pop Idol winner Will Young‘s sixth studio effort, Echoes, is nothing short of an absolute pop triumph.

From the surging heartbreak of lead single “Jealousy,” to the warm, ’70′s-encrusted disco stomp of “I Just Want A Lover,” to the icy electronica chill of “Losing Myself,” Young’s velvety coos and Richard X’s lush, dreamy electronic production come together effortlessly to form something truly magical.

The result is Echoes: Easily the year’s finest work by a male pop artist, and one of the best releases of the year, period.

4. Rihanna – Talk That Talk
(iTunes) (Spotify)

MuuMuse Review

From the Ibiza-friendly euphoria of lead single “We Found Love,” you’d have thought Rihanna‘s sixth studio album Talk That Talk was going to be a foray into clubland revelry: Well, not so much.

Instead, the disc saw RiRi and her faithful “Rude Boy” accomplice Ester Dean teaming up with tried-and-true Top 40 pop maestros like StarGate, Dr. Luke and Calvin Harris to get positively freaky. The result? Her rudest outing yet, which found the Bajan beauty demanding listeners to suck her cockiness and lick her persuasion (“Cockiness (Love It)”) on the floor, on the bed, on the couch (“Watch ‘N’ Learn”) and everywhere in between.

Along the way, Ri taunts with cutesy flirtations (“You Da One”), bossy brag tracks (“Talk That Talk”) and almighty club anthems that put “Don’t Stop The Music” to shame (“Where Have You Been?”). There’s depth and emotion, too–found on cuts like the (ironically) sobering “Drunk On Love” and deluxe track “Fool In Love”–but for the most part, she’s just having herself some fun.

At least one thing’s for sure: You’ll never look at a birthday cake the same way again.

3. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
(iTunes) (Spotify)

MuuMuse Review

No one puts Kelly in a corner: On Stronger, the original American Idol‘s fifth studio outing, Clarkson’s got her fist raised in defiance–and the result is something truly worth crying out loud about.

Equipped with a set of masterful pipes as powerful and poignant as ever, Clarkson tackles the naysayers, good-for-nothing men and even her own inner demons with resilient anthems like “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” and “Let Me Down,” agonizing pleas (“Honestly,” “Dark Side”), and sharp, cutting sass (“You Love Me,” which the talented singer declared to be the greatest song she’s written to date.)

With Stronger, Clarkson once again found her stride–perfectly marrying the radio-ready Top 40 pop of 2009′s All I Ever Wanted with the raw anguish of her bleak third studio album, 2007′s My December resulting in what sounds a whole lot like the older, wiser sibling to her 2004 masterpiece, Breakaway. In other words: It’s her strongest album yet.

2. Adele – 21
(iTunes) (Spotify)

MuuMuse Review

Sometimes hype is purely hype, but sometimes–as with Adele‘s sophomore effort, 21–it’s fully justified.

Following its release back in February in the US, Adele’s 21 spent an astonishing 39 weeks in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 (along with several dozen more impressive figures, as tallied by Billboard), was nominated for myriad awards (including 6 Grammy Awards), and topped countless “Best of 2011″ round-up lists.

With her unpretentious emotional honesty, husky throwback vocals well beyond her years, and a magnificent knack for songcraft, Adele dominated radio for months on end with her now iconic releases–from the howling cry of “Rolling In The Deep” to the unbelievably raw, teary-eyed devastation of album closer, “Someone Like You.” Deeper into the record, the young powerhouse vocalist only burns brighter on instant classics including the Fraser T. Smith-produced “Set Fire To The Rain” and the sauntering, bluesy “Rumour Has It.”

With 21, the incredibly talented, incredibly young English chanteuse didn’t just put out a stellar sophomore record that trumped its predecessor while providing an alternative to the dance-pop drenched landscape of Top 40 radio–she set the entire world ablaze.

And, in at #1…

1. Britney Spears – Femme Fatale
(iTunes) (Spotify)

MuuMuse Review

Despite everything that’s ever been called into question–her dancing, her lip-syncing, her ability to read off of a cue card–only one thing has always remained (and until I’m proven wrong, will always remain) true about Britney Spears…

The music has never stopped being incredible.

From the rallying chants of the Ke$ha-penned “Till The World Ends” to the final heartfelt cries of “Criminal,” Spears’ seventh studio album, Femme Fatale, is a ceaselessly catchy record filled with explosive, surging uptempo cuts (“I Wanna Go”), quirky mid-tempos (“How I Roll”) and racy odes to ex-sexin’ (“Inside Out”) that remain fresh and innovative to this day.

By employing both longtime collaborators (Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Bloodshy & Avant), as well as some relative newcomers to the Spears circle (Fraser T. Smith, Will.I.Am), the reigning pop princess dove deep into modern club beats, weird Swede-pop textures, and gritty dubstep influences to craft a cutting-edge collection of future-pop tunes–all while maintaining that unmistakably “Britney” sound.

The dubstep breakdown of “Hold It Against Me” alone–the album’s lead single which immediately rocketed to #1 upon release in January (and remains as fresh to the ears as the day it debuted)–has since led to an entire wave of dubstep-infused Top 40 pop, now heard on songs like Flo Rida‘s “Good Feeling” and Rihanna‘s “You Da One.”

Femme Fatale celebrates the very essence of pop music, affirming for the seventh time why Britney Spears is the ultimate pop star of our generation. But she’s Britney (bitch), and none of this should come as much of a surprise. After all, there’s a certain catchphrase I coined from back in the very beginning of the year that will forever ring true…

2011: YEAR OF THE SPEARS.

BRIEFLY CEASE YOUR BEING.

Flaw-Free Ginger Goddess Queen Legend Nicola Roberts is, as we’ve already determined with her debut solo record Cinderella’s Eyes, an amazing pop star. But now, she’s just gone and done something EVEN MORE AMAZING.

Her upcoming single, “Yo-Yo,” (watch the video which premiered earlier this week) is due out in the UK on January 8. And for fans who pre-order the EP on iTunes UK NOW, they’ll receive Roberts’ solo version of Girls Aloud‘s “Memory Of You.”

“Memory Of You,” for those not already aware, is one of Girls Aloud’s greatest songs of all time. (Note: Girls ALoud only make amazing songs, but this just so happens to be one of the most amazing-est.) It is a 100% Perfect, icy disco Xenomania gem, with literally no flaws to be found whatsoever.

What’s even more amazing is that you can already listen to 1:30 sample of Nicola’s solo version on iTunes UK! (US fans: Log into the iTunes, change the store to UK and search “Nicola Roberts Yo-Yo.”)

Now, the thing about Nicola’s version of the song is that it is COMPLETELY AMAZING AND ABSOLUTELY FUCKING EVERYTHING.

While we wait for the full version (time goes by…so slowly!), allow me to refresh your MEMORY FOR YOU.

AHHHHHH!!!!!!!

“Yo-Yo” will be released on January 8. (iTunes UK)

NO, BUT REALLY: STOP YOUR LIFE.

Nicola Roberts has just premiered the video for “Yo-Yo,” the third single off of her gorgeous debut album Cinderella’s Eyes, and it is a 100% flaw-free experience.

Playing like (Ginge) Barbie in the opening scenes, Queen Nicola puts on a haute-as-fuck fashion show for the lens while getting ready to go out for the night with her yo-yo of a (hunky) boyfriend. Effortlessly glam posing, Ms. Roberts! Aloud fans worldwide are beaming with pride.

Fast forward to the party, and we find the two now doing a bit of snuggle ‘n’ grind amidst the revelry. Cameras are flashing while they’re dirty dancing! But at the end of the night, is he really there for our girl? Watch and decide for yourself!

If the lighting and styling look familiar, that’s probably because the video was directed by photographer Freddie Helwig, who shot all of the brilliant album artwork for the Cinderella’s Eyes campaign. To make this shoot even more special, “Yo-Yo” is Helwig’s music video directorial debut.

Frankly, the video is the perfect companion to an already perfect song. Every shot is gorgeous, and Nicola looks absolutely stunning. By the time that crystalline middle eight comes creeping into the speakers and she begins agonizing and writhing up against the shower wall, it’s clear that Roberts has absolutely nailed it (again).

So, so proud! TEAM GINGE FOR LIFE.

“Yo-Yo” will be released on January 8. (iTunes UK)

Team Ginge–rejoice!

UK Pop Princess Nicola Roberts will return on January 2 with “Yo-Yo,” the third single from her debut record, Cinderella’s Eyes–and easily one of the best tracks off the album. (Read the MuuMuse review now!)

From the official press release:

The single was written by Nicola with Dimitri Tikovoi. ‘Yo-Yo’ marries classic pop lyrics (“don’t want to be the last to know, will it be a yes or a no?”) to a post-Dalston Ronettes vibe and a pulsing, demented electro breakdown.

“The song is about being in that position with a guy when you really don’t know whether you’re coming or going,” explains Nicola. “Being in that position can make you really vulnerable. It’s the dark, desperate and doubtful side of love.”

Fabulous news! With its gorgeous melodies and that oh-so-lush icy disco middle eight (“And I can’t let go-o-o!”), “Yo-Yo” is one Roberts’ finest solo moments yet. Let’s hope for big chart numbers to follow!

And now, let us all enjoy Nicola’s completely flaw-free performance of the song for MSN UK. Truly stunning!

Cinderella’s Eyes was released on September 23. (iTunes UK)

We’ve seen a lot regarding Cheryl Cole, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle ’round these parts lately. Now it’s time to give some shine to another member of the brilliant fivesome known as Girls Aloud: Kimberley Walsh.

Earlier today, Fabulous published an interview and rocker-chic photo shoot with the Aloud’s resident theater geek (remember that musical medley during the Chemistry Tour?) as she begins her run as Princess Fiona in the West End’s Shrek The Musical.

It’s a great read in full, but here’s some excerpts for ye of the lazier variety:

On having the least amount of drama out of all the Girls Aloud members:

Sometimes I do look at myself and think how it’s all been very easy. In a way, that makes me worry that it shouldn’t be such plain sailing and wonder when something bad will happen to me! But to be honest, I always felt that bit older than the other girls so I always felt I knew myself a bit more and had a bit more of the confidence you get in that way.

On being with her boyfriend of over 8 years, former Triple 8 member Justin Scott:

We still think of ourselves as really young, but actually we do need to get going! We’ve bought our first proper house together, which is a home rather than a place to live. I’m incredibly lucky to be financially secure and to be with the man I want to be with for the rest of my life. I’ve got no excuses, really – apart from that I need to get through this show and then we’re talking about the Girls Aloud reunion next year…

On being curvier than the average pop star:

I’m proud of my shape because I think it sends a better message to girls. And yes, there were definitely times in Girls Aloud where it could get difficult. All of those girls are so slim and there would be the moments where they’d say: ‘Let’s do hot pants in the next video,’ and I’d be thinking: ‘Oh no!’ But my attitude very quickly changed to: ‘What the hell!’ So I’d look curvier in the shorts – so what? That is me and I’d think: ‘I’m just standing up for all the curvy girls like me.’

On bandmate Cheryl being ‘heartbroken’ over the US X Factor snub:

People don’t really know Cheryl. Everybody talked about it like it was the most horrific thing, that it was this massive deal, but it wasn’t like that for her. She’s very much: ‘That’s life, some things don’t work out and let’s move on.’

On the girl group now rapidly growing popular in the UK, The Saturdays:

The Saturdays have done well, but people don’t know them individually,” says Kimberley. “People got to know us in Popstars: The Rivals. Then after we won, it may have looked easy but it was incredibly tough. That was when we bonded. We kept thinking we were going to lose it all, nothing was certain and it made us stick together. It made us fighters, it made us a real team, real friends.

God, I love me some Kimba: She’s got such an incredibly refreshing and positive outlook on life, she’s outspoken, and she’s completely proud of her legacy as an Aloud. Just some of the many reasons why the Girls Aloud roster remains unmatched!

You’ve got to love those constant references to a 2012 reunion as well. Let’s make it happen, ladies!

Nicola Roberts is a different kind of pop star.

There’s just no getting around it, really: Ever since her name was called as one-fifth of the band that went on to become Girls Aloud during the finale of the 2002 reality series Pop Stars: The Rivals, the Lincolnshire-born redhead with porcelain skin stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the pristine pop quintet. There was something special about Nicola, something different–dare say “alternative” about the then 17-year-old songstress.

Roberts made her mark in the Aloud as the quiet, quirky vocalist responsible for some of the band’s most memorable moments–the opening seconds of “Untouchable,” the second verse of “Whole Lotta History,” the show-stopping bridge of “Call The Shots.” More often than not, it was Roberts’ shaky, vulnerable vocals that placed an ice-coated cherry on top of some of the Aloud’s finest work.

But being “different” can often be problematic, and for Nicola, induction into the Almighty Aloud was nearly a curse: From the get go, Roberts was relentlessly teased and bullied in the British tabloids for her appearance, as well as an apparent bad attitude: “Ginger.” “Pale.” “Ugly.” In 2003, Busted‘s Matt Willis pronounced her a “rude ginger bitch,” a nickname that the press fondly appropriated for years. And despite the best efforts made by her fellow bandmates to protect her against seeing the stories, Roberts was still well aware of the continuous public mockery, leading to several years of excessive drinking and an unhealthy obsession with tanning.

Lest anyone be confused and think she simply stood there and dealt with the criticism however, it’s simply not true: Nicola Roberts has always found ways to fight back.

During a performance at G-A-Y in London in 2003 for instance, the quiet crooner took a cheeky stab at Matt Willis’ attack by donning a black skirt with the words “RUDE GINGER BITCH…BOTHERD?!” painted on the back. Later on in her career, as Roberts slowly grew confident in her natural appearance, she would tackle her tanorexia head-on in an eye-opening BBC special, Nicola Roberts: The Truth About Tanning.

Now, with the release of debut record out on September 26, Cinderella’s Eyes, Roberts has gone one step further and turned the tables on her detractors completely with one loud, defiant rallying call: “TEAM GINGE.”

When Roberts’ solo campaign became public knowledge broke in early 2011, fellow Alouders Cheryl Cole and Nadine Coyle had already released their own solo efforts: Cheryl supplied the radio-friendly R&B-pop with smashes like “Fight For This Love” and “Promise This” with producers like Wayne Wilkins and Will.I.Am at the helm, while Nadine lent her tried-and-true diva pipes to Toby Gad and Guy Chambers-penned torch ballads and powerful pop tracks like “Insatiable.”

Roberts, as the running theme of her personal narrative goes, had something a little different in mind. Reports soon indicated that the singer was heading into the studio with indie-approved acts like Diplo, Dimitri Tikovoi, Metronomy, Dragonette and The Invisible Men, generating (accurate) predictions from the get-go that this particular Aloud member’s solo career would be the most ambitious, forward-thinking Aloud offering yet. “I didn’t want to play it safe and I didn’t want to make a record that was a guaranteed commercial success,” she told The Guardian back in June.

Out burst lead single “Beat Of My Drum” in May, an all-out assault of Diplo-produced jittery video game bleeps and blips, nonsensical electronica noise and a major cheerleader-approved chorus that found Roberts shouting–truly yelping–from the top of her lungs: “L! O! V! E! Dance to the beat of my drum!”

Every inch of the song was symbolic; the blossoming from the quiet, meek girl group member to a full-blown solo star of her own accord. From the lyrics (“Graduation, take a bow/See how strong you’ve made me now”) to the video, which featured an initially nervous Nicola taking to the stage and slowly taking over a gymnasium with a group of zany dancers and a ceaseless amount of booty bounces and cocky hair flips–put Roberts firmly in control of her career with her own brand of crazy, sexy, cool.

Even the vocals took most fans by surprise: Far from the gorgeously crooned, disco-friendly vocals we’d come to expect from Roberts while in Aloud, here was the same girl now utterly belting out a number with an odd, erratic mixture of Broadway-ready vibrato and ’40′s-era doo-wop wailing.

Roberts’ voice was even further highlighted in follow-up single “Lucky Day,” a sparkling, sing-songy track produced by Dragonette that found Roberts riffing up and down with all her might–nearly to the point of parody–against a backing track of glittery electronica and pounding beats.

Finally, on September 26, Roberts released her long-awaited solo debut, Cinderella’s Eyes, a collection of smartly crafted, endlessly cool electro-pop tunes.

Even the album’s gorgeous, Juergen Teller-esque campaign shots are as tasty as its contents. Decked out in ornate stilettos and brilliant designer threads filled with loud splashes of color, Nicola is pictured in a variety of brilliant poses: Sitting atop a kitchen sink cluttered with dirty dishes, walking a pony on a leash, scandalously holding a jar of dumdums between her legs, lying rigid against a hardwood floor–the perfect mixture of silly, chic and sophisticated.

Cinderella’s Eyes is largely an exercise in self-empowerment and self-discovery (though not without its fair share of self-doubt.) Unlike the all-too-assured “it gets better” anthems manufactured by hit-making machines like Katy Perry (“Firework”), Roberts’ record shines with a solid footing in reality: It’s not so much “It gets better,” it’s “It gets better…if you do something about it,” a rare shred of honesty that simply doesn’t exist in modern pop these days, and the kind of music that feels more inspiring and motivational than most other mainstream feel-good anthems today.

“Little girl, you got to do it for yourself / In a world where cards are so randomly dealt,” Roberts sagely advises on the album’s title track, one of the many moments of Roberts’ grand reclamation of her own destiny. Bouncing along an ’80′s synth beat, Roberts offers her well-intentioned advice through infectious hooks and melodies. “No more pretending there’s happy endings, you got to make one, make one,” she continues.

Fittingly, it’s The Invisible Men–the same producers behind one of the Aloud’s most forward thinking, game-changing smashes, 2004′s “The Show”–that claim responsibility to two of Cinderella’s Eyes‘ most thundering tracks: “Say It Out Loud” and “Take A Bite.”

Featuring deliciously rich vocal stuttering and layers upon layers of gorgeous electronica, “Say It Out Loud” is a euphoric moment of synth-pop, reminiscent of something Ellie Goulding might produce. “‘Cause the only medication / For a heart that knows it’s breaking / Is to get it out now, say it out loud…WOAH!” she shouts aloud on behalf of all broken hearts.

“Take A Bite,” meanwhile, grinds and grooves with along a rollicking drum ‘n’ bass beat that evokes an early Aloud brattitude…and even a rap to boot! “Called me a rude ginger bitch and say I bought bigger tits / They’re gonna eat all their words, they’re talking absolute shit,” she merrily sing-songs, taking one last jab at the nickname that’s haunted her for years.

Even the album’s lone cover, “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime,” a cover of The Korgis, is a no-brainer addition to the collection. Crooning on top of a slow-sizzling electronic groove, Roberts’ rendition converts the 1980 hit into a throbbing slow jam that fits in effortlessly with the rest of the production as she croons one of the album’s key themes: “Change your heart…it will astound you.”

But it’s when Nicola breaks away from the positivity on a few tracks however that the record becomes even more real–and to a degree, somewhat flawed. “i” is undoubtedly Nicola’s most unhinged moment, a Kate Bush-evoking slow jam that finds the songstress issuing out a laundry list of daily worries and aspirations on top of a hazy beat and groovy guitar strum straight out a post-LCD Beatles songbook. “I’m scared of dying and not trying, scared of getting old / I’m scared of telling lies, [in] case karma comes and eats me whole,” she warbles off-key. “I don’t like the people that leave comments on the Internet / They preach they’re perfect while they’re fucking you with intellect.” It’s both the best and the worst representation of the album–the most irritating moment vocally in some ways, but also her most vulnerable outpouring of insecurities.

Fittingly, it’s worth noting upon hearing “i” that Cinderella’s Eyes simply isn’t perfect: While the production and lyricism easily makes the album one of the best of the year, it’s Roberts’ newly discovered new pipes that occasionally throw off the record, often jumping from pleasant crooning to grating yelps in a matter of seconds. The shrill shrieks can often be cringe-worthy and–at certain points–nearly unbearable.

Even some of the album’s more uptempo cuts threaten to burst at the seams with their combination of Nicola’s vibrato-heavy vocals and big pop production. “Gladiator,” for instance, bounces along with the same happy-go-lucky pop energy as Sky Ferreira‘s “99 Tears.” But unlike Ferreira’s too-cool-for-school air that works so well with “99 Tears,” Roberts’ chirpy, Liza-like delivery comes across as downright annoying, making the unexpectedly naughty lyricism (“I got some KY, time to open wide!”) feel all the more…err, grating.

Vocal limitations aside, Cinderella’s Eyes still largely flourishes as a whole. And when Roberts isn’t busy bettering herself, she’s wearily ruminating on relationships gone bad.

“Yo-Yo,” a chilly mid-tempo, captures the essence of what made Girls Aloud so legendary while still remaining true to Roberts’ own personally narrative as she goes back and forth in a relationship gone south. “You come around, stop messing around / If you wanna be my baby please tell me now,” the singer pleads. And while you’re at it, prepare for the album’s most lush moment during the bridge–a full minute of shiver-inducing, Aloud-esque icy disco crooning: “You got me wrapped right around your finger / And I can’t let go, and I can’t let go,” she agonizes.

“Fish Out Of Water,” Metronomy’s other production aside from “i”–is perhaps the album’s most understated moment. Riding along a weird, warbling wave of ambient noise, Roberts tenderly ponders the loss of her first love. Of course, there’s also the song unbelievably gorgeous finish, as Nicola purrs in her (way underutilized) lower register: “Even if I have to go alone, I’d rather that then let you go, so I’ll face the road unknown.” It’s a chilling moment that surely would have been another one of Nicola’s show-stopping lines in an Aloud offering.

Yet while all the electro-encrusted gems dispersed throughout the record represent Nicola’s quirky personality, nothing quite epitomizes Cinderella’s Eyes like its final moment: “sticks + stones.”

Floating along a sad, haunting melody, the album’s closer is a fearless, be-all end-all account of Roberts’ experience as a member of the Aloud, featuring a bridge that might as well be a page ripped directly from her diary during the mid ’00′s:

Too young to buy my own bottle of vodka
So I’d beg the driver please I need another
How funny that I was too young for so many things
Yet you thought I’d cope with being told I’m ugly
Over and over I’d read it, believe it
Said no to the shrink I can fix me I think
I got friends in my head they’ve got me on the mend
I am pretty in my mirror, easy to pretend
17 and thought that I’d won the jackpot
Seems I didn’t read between the lines of this one
I can’t think why I could of made you so, so angry
Your bullets I don’t feel them come on and fire at me

In the same vein as Christina Aguilera‘s legendary “Beautiful” (albeit with a more personal touch), as Roberts reassures once and for all: You’re not alone–a touching way to signal the end of her debut.

“With all their mean words, they’re ugly / Starting to see I’m lucky, and that’s enough,” Roberts tenderly concludes at one point. If that isn’t one of the most powerful pop lyrics to be uttered in years, I honestly don’t know what is.

Cinderella’s Eyes would certainly be considered a solid attempt for any debut artist–let alone a girl group member-turned-solo star (a category from which the end results are so rarely satisfying.)

Yet while Roberts has successfully made the transition from the shadows of the Aloud into the spotlight as an act in her own right, her debut is often weakened due to a delivery gone unrestrained; the result being a series of shrieks and yelps (which is perhaps to make up for nearly a decade of being subjected to quiet crooning in the background) that isn’t always the easiest to endure.

Still, thanks to her emotional honesty, charming wit, and ability to avoid any and all pandering (i.e. no club cuts or cliche love songs), Nicola has forged her own unique musical identity as a solo act while taking a stand once and for all against the bullies. There’s a kind of solace in Cinderella’s Eyes–it’s real, it’s relatable, and it’s one of the best offerings of 2011.

By all accounts, Team Ginge has won the war.

With one month left to go, Professional Pop Savior Nicola Roberts has just unveiled the stunning cover art and tracklisting for her much anticipated, already amazing* debut album Cinderella’s Eyes, due out on September 26.

Tidy? No, no, no! But brilliant? Oh, it’s magic. She looks like The Divine Queen of Porcelain!

And now, the tracklisting:

1. Beat Of My Drum
2. Lucky Day
3. Yo-Yo
4. Cinderella’s Eyes
5. Porcelain Heart
6. i
7. Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime
8. Say It Out Loud
9. Gladiator
10. Fish Out Of Water
11. Take A Bite
12. sticks + stones

Good. I love it. And now, some rather exciting blurb from the rather exciting press release:

Nicola Roberts releases her debut album ‘Cinderella’s Eyes’ on September 26th through A&M Records.

The album has become one of the most anticipated pop releases of the year following the lead single, ‘Beat Of My Drum.’ Teaming up with a stellar list of producers and co-writing all the songs [apart from one cover] Nicola has spent the past 18 months working on the 12 track album. Collaborators include Dimitri Tikovoi, Diplo, Metronomy, Dragonette and Invisible Men. As fresh as anything you’ll hear this year the album is a riot of colossal pop melodies, underground sounds, singing, rapping and astonishing honesty.

There’s ‘Yo-Yo’, which marries classic pop lyrics (“don’t want to be the last to know, will it be a yes or a no?”) to a post-Dalston Ronettes vibe and a pulsing, demented electro breakdown. The brilliant ‘Porcelain Heart’ is quirky, bonkers pop, while ‘Sticks & Stones’ is a series of frank snapshots behind the scenes of life in a pop band (Spoiler alert: it’s not always laugh-a-minute). Most tellingly, the breezily confrontational ‘Take A Bite’ – “you push me to fight, everybody’s got a limit, so put ’em up” – feels like an object lesson in what it might sound like if, having been yelled at, heckled, told she’s ugly and crap for almost a decade, a 25-year-old was finally allowed to scream back.

“I had to feel like I would say and mean every single one of these lyrics,” Nicola recalls on writing songs for the album. “I would say, ‘I’d never say that in a million years, why would I put it down just because it rhymes?’ It’s as simple as this: I’ve been given an opportunity to make the album I want to make, so I’ve absolutely put every last bit of heart and soul into it.”

IN CONCLUSION: PERFECT.

*It has to be amazing. There’s just no way it’s not.

Dear God, she’s done it again.

Nicola Fucking Roberts, Pop Savior, the youngest member of Girls Aloud and professional Doer of No Wrong, has just unveiled the second single from her forthcoming solo debut Cinderella’s Eyes: “Lucky Day,” due out on September 18. And guess what?

IT’S COMPLETELY AMAZING.

Co-penned by Dan and Martina of Dragonette (who know a thing or two about a good hook), Roberts’ lust-ridden release is marked by a sparkling four-to-the-floor disco sheen, wacky warbling and an infectious spunk that just won’t quit. “You’ve got a fast car / So why the hell we driving slow? / Zoom, zoom, zoom me!” the fiery-headed chanteuse playfully taunts, no doubt one of the naughty come-ons offered up by Dragonette’s feisty femme lead, Martina.

While Roberts’ debut single “Beat Of My Drum” failed to inspire some listeners with its glitchy, full-on Diplo-produced beat and cheerleader-friendly chorus (politely bowing out at #27 on the UK Singles Chart), “Lucky Day” seems more likely to appeal to public interest with its blend of Roberts’ theatrical, throwback delivery and the song’s lush 21st century disco-pop production. (I mean, it’s worked for Lily Allen in a kinda-sorta-similar degree, yes?)

As one of the first songs scribed before officially embarking on her solo venture, “Lucky Day” finds Roberts boldly reclaiming her voice in a big way. “Maybe it’s my lucky day!” she calls out during the song’s hypnotic chorus; her dramatic Liza-esque vibrato quivering beneath each syllable.

Previously limited to hushed middle eights and killer one-liners while aboard the S.S. Aloud, Roberts has clearly brushed off her big, brassy pipes to fully let loose on her second single–literally wailing with all her heart. (Frankly, she’s giving the Aloud’s lead vocalist Nadine Coyle a mayjur run for her money.)

“When I wrote Lucky Day I had short hair and was really into 40s fashion. All of the ‘woah woah woah woah’ and the ‘ah ha’ really is a reflection of that,” The Almighty Ginge says of the song’s yelps and howls.

Thus underscores the true genius of La Roberts: Like fellow (sometimes) Ginge Róisín Murphy before her, Roberts’ distinctive vocals and personal style are simply too rich to relegate to the ranks of an anonymous dance diva crooning on top of the latest, greatest Guetta beat. At the same time, the young singer’s comfort natural proclivity toward danceable beats restricts her from ever standing too close to the edge of indie singer-songwriter/jazz lounge crooner-dom.

The result? Sophisticated, quirky disco-pop–the very, very best of both worlds.

“Lucky Day” will be released on September 18. (iTunes)