UK Chart Roundup: Icona Pop Kick Robin Thicke To The Curb, The Wanted Debut In Top 5

And so it's Chart Rigger's top pick for Best Single Of 2012, Icona Pop's "I Love It," that puts the guillotine to Robin Thicke's four-week reign at the top of the UK chart with "Blurred Lines." ("I Love It" previously peaked at #7 here in the States.) I dig that this happened, but, to tell the truth, both songs can take a hike at this point, and I never really need to hear either for at least 17 more years. This brings us to The Wanted, whose gimmicky...

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US Chart Roundup: Miley Cyrus & Her Ass Have A 7th Top 10 Hit With "We Can't Stop"

With Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" clogging up the top of every chart in the world yet again (it's not that sexy, everyone), it's best that we instead turn our eyes to Miley Cyrus' twerking, gyrating ass. It's hard to believe that five-and-a-half years have gone by since the onetime squeaky clean Disney chirpstress initially charmed her way into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 with "See You Again." Her last foray into the upper tier of the chart...

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It's Club 2Gethr's "Livin' The Dream" Video ... Starring Nicki French!

If you're a casual pop music observer and have been wondering what producer Mike Stock and British songstress Nicki French have been up to since they paired up nearly 20 years ago for their globally successful cover of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart," then wonder no more!Stock's new project, Club 2Gethr — a themed teen trio akin to Fast Food Rockers, 10 years later (this time it's all about camping, kiddies) — just premiered their music video for "Livin'...

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UK Chart Roundup: Robbie Williams And Dizzee Rascal Are Riding High

I can totally co-sign with Dizzee Rascal and Robbie Williams' new pair-up "Goin' Crazy," which debuts this week at #5 on the UK singles chart. It's actually a fun jam that's way better than it has any right to be.Aside from his participation in charity singles and, of course, his work with Take That, this marks Robbie's sixth collaborative effort to make the Top 20, following "Kids" with Kylie Minogue (#2), "Somethin' Stupid" with Nicole Kidman (#1),...

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My Frankmusik Interview

No rest for the wicked. In addition to posting my Idolator interview with Pet Shop Boys on Friday, I also published a recent chat I had with a very emotional, candid Frankmusik, whose album Between was released two weeks ago. You can watch it here.My video producer Alex and I really put some time in to make this interview have a documentary feel, and I feel like it turned out pretty great. This marks his first album since parting ways with Interscope,...

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Pet Shop Poster

Just caught this Canon-sponsored feature in the latest (June/July) issue of Details, which spotlights Fab.com founder Bradford Shellhammer's upstate New York country home — and, more importantly, his Pet Shop Boys poster in his country home.It's provided inspiration for me to frame my own PSB Very poster, which I recently picked up off eBay in an effort to jazz up the Idolator office. I feel like I outgrew hanging posters on my walls at home about...

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My Pet Shop Boys Interview

As promised, my interview with both Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys is finally seeing the light of day! The rather lengthy chat I had with them for Idolator is now online. (We spoke for roughly 55 minutes.) I'll post a link to the Instinct piece — which offers up different highlights from the conversation — once it's online, as well.Pet Shop Boys speak to @idolator about the inspirations that drove them when recording new album #Electric...

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US Chart Roundup: Miley Cyrus And Her P***y Have A Video Now For "We Can't Stop"

Hmmm. Mariah Carey and Miguel's "#Beautiful" seems to be stuck in a holding pattern at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it's eerily reminiscent of MC's lead Emancipation Of Mimi single "It's Like That" a million years ago (eight, actually). That one, if you recall, got sidelined at #16. But here's the good news! The song is a Top 10 hit...in Croatia. And South Korea.Anyway, Avril Lavigne, another frequently hit-strapped ho, is up to #20 with "Here's...

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Meeting Kylie Minogue, Being A Fanboy

I've had the good fortune to interview Kylie Minogue twice over the telephone — once for Instinct and once for Idolator — over the past three years. I even drafted up questions for a co-worker last summer, who chatted with Kylie on camera (and the result was this mind-blowing, personal video I received). But unfortunately, I had never met her in person...until yesterday.The Aussie pop doll was signing copies of her photo book Kylie Fashion at Sak's...

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Pet Shop Boys' Ravey "Vocal" Video

Pet Shop Boys' "Vocal" video may be very on-a-budget, but it's still a fascinating watch. Well, fascinating for me, at least, since it's comprised of footage of late-'80s rave parties in the UK, and last year I spent about 6 hours over a three-day period watching such footage on YouTube into the wee hours.If you watch closely, it almost looks like flashes of Chris Lowe, a confessed rave party-goer back in the day, appear in there. In fact, there's...

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UK Chart Roundup: Things Really Weren't Much Better Around This Time In 2003, Either

If you thought it was dull having Robin Thicke & Co.'s "Blurred Lines" at #1 for a third week, consider that 10 years ago right now, Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life" was in the midst of a four-week stint atop the UK chart.Stuff that makes you want to punch yourself in the dick, really.The UK Top 10:1. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell *3 weeks*2. "La La La" - Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith3. "Let Her Go" - Passenger4. "Get...

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US Chart Roundup: Robin Thicke Does The Impossible, Scores A #1 Single

Each time Robin Thicke puts out a new album, I can't help but think, oh, man — nice guy, hot piece of ass, but it's never gonna happen. Case in point: His only Top 40 hit was 2007's "Lost Without U" (which peaked at #14), and his last album didn't even dent the Top 20. I've really just felt Robin's songs were just never really up to scratch.But in 2013, as Baauer, Macklemore and Daft Punk have shown, anything goes...including Robin Thicke having...

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Goldfrapp Announce 'Tales Of Us' Album

Goldfrapp blew me away with their Head First album in 2010 (eff you all who disagree that it was a rad record!), and today the duo have finally announced the follow-up, Tales Of Us. The new LP will be released on September 9, and the tracklist is as follows (the first thing that becomes apparent is that it's all names...aka the "us" in question):1. Jo2. Annabel3. Drew4. Ulla5. Alvar6. Thea7. Simone8. Stranger9. Laurel10. ClayThe short trailer above...

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It's Justin Timberlake's "Tunnel Vision" Single Art

With "Mirrors" now at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (soon to unseat Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us" at #1?), Justin Timberlake has let slip that his third single off The 20/20 Experience will be "Tunnel Vision." Personally, this wouldn't have been my choice for the the next single. I'd have gone with something a bit more upbeat like "Let The Groove Get In" or "Don't Hold The Wall.""Tunnel Vision" just seems a bit too...murky?...

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It's Cher's "Woman's World" Single Art

Damn. This song first premiered on Thanksgiving Day last year — over six months ago. Anyway, the "Woman's World" single is finally about to be released, and Cher is set to perform it live (?) on The Voice on June ...

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UK Chart Roundup: Blurred Thongs

SNATCH.The UK Top 10:1. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell *2 weeks*2. "La La La" - Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith3. "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk4. "Let Her Go" - Passenger5. "Dear Darlin'" - Olly Murs6. "Cary You'" - Union J *new*7. "Antenna" - Fuse ODG *new*8. "Wild" - Jessie J feat. Big Sean & Dizzee Rascal 9. "Can't Hold Us" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis10. "Waiting All Night" - Rudimental feat. Ella Eyre...

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US Chart Roundup: Miguel Might Need That "#Beautiful" Money For Legal Fees

Jesus, ascending the Billboard Hot 100 can be a slow-moving process, no? Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors," which was released in February (and stuck at #3 for the past month) finally ekes its way to #2, now that Pink's "Just Give Me A Reason" is taking a tumble. Just behind, at #3, is Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," a song that seems inevitably destined to reach the top, if not become one of those annoying "Song Of The Summer" things.Anyway, Mariah Carey announced...

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Pet Shop Boys' "Vocal": Hear The New 'Electric' Single

Following "Axis" and "Fluorescent," Pet Shop Boys have now let another preview of their trust-me-it's-excellent upcoming album Electric out into the ether: the radio edit of new single "Vocal"!UPDATE: The full album version (all six+ minutes of it) is now available on iTunes, with a CD single, digital bundle and 12" to follow soon. A vocal-less version of "Vocal" was previously played by Armin Van Buuren (hear it below), while the radio edit premiered...

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UK Chart Roundup: Jessie J's Wild Boobs

This ho is in her skivvies, 'cause she don't give a fuck.The UK Top 10:1. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell *new* *1 week*2. "La La La" - Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith3. "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk4. "Let Her Go" - Passenger5. "Wild" - Jessie J feat. Big Sean & Dizzee Rascal *new*6. "Dear Darlin'" - Olly Murs7. "Can't Hold Us" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis8. "Waiting All Night" - Rudimental feat. Ella Eyre 9. "We Own It...

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