The knowing irony of Robbie’s new album title has been somewhat deadened by his recent comeback performance on the X Factor - even if he might claim he was being postmodern, wink to camera. Whatever, three years on from the generally panned Rudebox, the question isn’t is Robbie’s new album any good but rather, is Robbie the pop star worth the effort anymore?
Continue reading "Robbie Williams - Reality Killed The Video Star" 
There’s been a flurry of hype around Miike Snow and their eponymously titled debut album - as the band themselves admit it’s something they never expected when they got together to “mess around”. But they’ve got form - of the trio behind the sounds, singer Andrew Wyatt has just finished Daniel Merriweather’s new album and Swedish pair Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg are also known as Bloodshy & Avant, the writing and production team behind Britney’s Toxic as well as a stack of other pop successes including Madonna, Sugababes and Kylie Minogue. So is their hybrid debut the sound of a hundred stars spun in a blender? Er, no…
3 Words - it’s an invitation of an album title isn’t it? Could do better. You’re so ca-yute. Dubious trouser choice. But that’s to get away from the point isn’t it - and the point, after all, is the music. It being time to face it etc. Oh no, hang on, Cheryl is not an X Factor contestant, something it’s difficult to discern these days. Let’s get back to the music. Not the shredded MC Hammer trousers, the military garb, the Janet Jackson dance moves. The music. Following hot on the heels of Alexandra Burke’s debut last week which was more Leona than Leon, Cheryl Cole’s debut had better be a belter right? After an exhaustive week of listening in RealMusic Blog HQ, we can say that it’s no Girls Aloud. Instead, Cheryl’s plumped for military drumbeats, sleek R&B and production so shiny you could wear it round to your mum’s for tea and get a complement…
When your mentor (who happens to be one of the most powerful and influential men in the music biz) declares that you have “the potential to be one of the most important artists of your generation” live to millions at the MTV Europe Music Awards there’s going to be a fair bit of pressure for your album to deliver. But when your mentor and executive producer is the hip-hop/R&B megastar Kanye West, you must know your in good hands, right…?
