Katy Perry's 'Prism' Album Cover & My Thoughts On The Album After Hearing It Last Night

Last night I went to the album listening event in New York for Katy Perry's Prism, where Katy played about 10 new tracks. She worked with several Swedes on the album, including Bloodshy and Klas Åhlund, and those were really the standout tracks. (Sorry, when it comes to ballads, Katy isn't my go-to, though some may dig "Double Rainbow.")

One of the big songs that's going to get a lot of gays clutching their candy is "Walking On Air," which she did with Klas and sounds like an early-'90s house throwback. Katy said she wanted something that sounded like an old CeCe Peniston jam.

Or, as I described it on Twitter last night:

Just left Katy Perry Prism listening event & convinced "Walking On Air" is the 1-song Alphabeat Album 2 sequel we always wanted. Tres housey
— Chart Rigger (@ChartRigger) September 6, 2013

Everything else played last night was okay musically, but overall it felt like the choruses just didn't go anywhere like I really wanted them to. There's a track called "This Is How We Do" that was recorded in Stockholm with Bloodshy, and I was really hoping the chorus would just blow up. Mind you, it was a decent track, but by album number three, I feel like Katy she be knocking catchy vocal arrangements out of the park, and it just wasn't happening with this one. Who knows — maybe it's a grower.

I think if you dig "Roar," you'll be into Prism as a whole. The album wasn't cohesive enough for my taste, so I'm just going to hold out for Paris Hilton to bring the true game changing record of this decade.

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Katy Perry & Her Tits Hit The Jungle In "Roar" Video

The music video for Katy Perry's "Roar" is a lot like the song itself — safe, kid-friendly fare with Katy's boobs on display that should play well in Middle America. And there's a monkey.

She's gotten less and less edgy since the days of "I Kissed A Girl" and her whipped cream can tits, and it's safe to say now that Katy's like a human shopping mall. There's a little of something for everyone who's into mainstream USA.

Enjoy!

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Paris Hilton's New Single "Good Time" (Featuring Lil Wayne) Has A Release Date

Every single other pop ho with a pulse and/or a battery pack in their thong might as well just toss themselves into a vat of acid tits-first, because Paris Hilton is officially back. Above you'll see the bitch on the set of her video for new single "Good Time," and now the Lil Wayne-featuring trash track has a release date.

Happy to finally announce the official release date for my new single/music video for my song #GoodTime w/ @LilTunechi. OCTOBER 1ST! #YMCMB
— Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) September 5, 2013

Yes, October 1: a date that will go down in infamy. As longtime Chart Rigger readers may recall, Hilton is considered a revered rock icon around these here, and she warranted not one, but TWO banterviews in her time, upon the release of Paris in 2006.

You should seriously go back and read those legendary gems.

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US Chart Roundup: Katy Perry's "Roar" Knocks Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" Off The Top

So, the very first time Katy Perry topped the Billboard Hot 100, back in June of 2008, I asked, "Can she finger her way to a lasting career?" Five years and three months later, here's the broad with her eighth #1 single, "Roar." It's also only the eighth song to make it to the top of the chart in 2013. Let's just be happy that "Blurred Lines" is now on the decline.

Some interesting facts in looking back at the week Katy Pussy first went to #1 with "I Kissed A Girl":

* Katy & Miley are the only two in the Top 10 now who were also in the Top 10 then. (Remember Miley's way less-slutty "7 Things"?)

* Natasha Bedingfield and Leona Lewis had Top 10 hits then — their last.

* Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up" was a TERRIBLE song.

* Who the hell is Plies?

This all brings us to the rest of this week's Top 10, wherein Eminem debuts at #3 with new single "Berzerk," Lady Gaga's "Applause" dips two positions to #6 in its third week on the chart and New Zealand diva Lorde hops up to #8 with "Royals." I like that song. Sure, it sounds like she rammed Barbie Doll legs up herself to Lana Del Rey's Born To Die album far too many times, but, hey — everyone wants doom pussy these days, right?

Everything else is stupid.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Roar" - Katy Perry *1 week*
2. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell
3. "Berzerk" - Eminem *new*
4. "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus
5. "Holy Grail" - Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake
6. "Applause" - Lady Gaga
7. "Wake Me Up!" - Avicii
8. "Royals" - Lorde
9. "Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons 
10. "Summertime Sadness" - Lana Del Rey & Cedric Gervais

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UK Chart Roundup: Shane Filan Put Something Or Other Out, But OMG — Remember Pop!?

Back in 2011, Floplife announced their split after 148 years of being the most boring boy band on the planet. What happened next: Shane Filan, one of the indistinguishable gents from the outfit, hopped over to America to record some songs, and the first official solo release from him is "Everything To Me," which debuts at #14 on this week's UK chart.



So, #14 —quite a thankless position that has claimed many-a-single in its time. Last week Matt Cardle and Melanie C's duet "Loving You" wound up debuting there. (This week that one dropped to #37.) It's where Take That's second single off The Circus, "Up All Night," ended up in 2009, much like Pet Shop Boys' "Love etc." the same year and, let's not forget the most important one of all: Pop!'s 2004 debut single "Heaven And Earth."



Sigh. You can check out this postmortem I did on Pop! eight years (!!!!!!) ago.

The UK Top 10:

1. "Burn" - Ellie Goulding *3 weeks*
2. "Wake Me Up" - Avicii
3. "Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine)" - Klankarussell feat. Will Heard
4. "Summertime Sadness" - Lana Del Rey vs. Cedric Gervais
5. "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus
6. "Lost Generation" - Rizzle Kicks *new*
7. "Applause" - Lady Gaga
8. "Earthquake" - DJ Fresh feat. Diplo & Dominique
9. "Hold On, We're Going Home" - Drake
10. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell

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Lady Gaga Teases "Swine," "Manicure" & "Sex Dreams" Ahead Of Sunday's iTunes Festival

Remember how Ke$ha was rambling on Twitter two years ago about how she was going to invent a new music genre called "cock pop," and then she vomited up an album with songs that sounded pretty much like her debut? Well, I think the real money is on Lady Gaga as far as bringing rock back into pop. At least as far as we can tell from these rehearsal vids promoting her appearance at tomorrow's iTunes Festival in London.

This is some 1987-era Cher-meets-Lita-Ford shit.

"Swine"



"Manicure"



"Sex Dreams"

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US Chart Roundup: Applause, Applause Applause & Summertime, Summertime Sadness

"Blurred Lines" has been #1 for 12 weeks now. That's THREE MONTHS. Only 14 songs have ever topped the Billboard Hot 100 for that length of time or longer, and the last one to do so was the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" in 2009.

In other words, like "I Gotta Feeling," "Blurred Lines" is now one of those songs that you're likely so absolutely sick of, you won't have an appreciation for it again until it's 18 years from now, when you're feeling nostalgic for the 'teens decade, and "Blurred Lines" comes on some radio station during retro lunch hour or whatever the fuck and you're all, "Ooh, that was my jam! I need to make a playlist of just this song!" And it won't happen a day before then. Because right now "Blurred Lines" is making you want to bayonet your eyes.

This leaves Katy Perry to flounder at #2 for a second week with "Roar," while Lady Gaga inches up closer to her, at #4, with "Applause." Now that scag Miley Cyrus needs to just drop like her thong does at Christmas dinner and we can watch some real Katy vs. Gaga drama play out.

On a final note, Avicii, Lana Del Rey and Cedric Gervais all claim their first Top 10 hits this week as "Wake Me Up!" and Gervais' remix of "Summertime Sadness" move up to #7 and #9, respectively.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell *12 weeks*
2. "Roar" - Katy Perry
3. "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus
4. "Applause" - Lady Gaga
5. "Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons 
6. "Holy Grail" - Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake
7. "Wake Me Up!" - Avicii
8. "Safe And Sound" - Capital Cities
9. "Summertime Sadness" - Lana Del Rey & Cedric Gervais
10. "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams

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Lady Gaga & Justin Timberlake & *NSYNC: The Best MTV VMAs Performances

For the first time since Britney gave her career-defining performance of "Gimme More" in 2007, the MTV Video Music Awards gave us all something (good) to talk about.



Lady Gaga continuously snatched her own wig as she opened the VMAs with "Applause" last night, and it was the best performance...until Justin Timberlake hit the stage for about 20 minutes (!!), belting out his entire catalog of hits and doing a quick "Girlfriend/Bye Bye Bye" medley with his old *NSYNC boy bandmates.



Timberlake, the recipient of this year's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, also wound up snagging Video Of The Year for the excellent "Mirrors" (which also won for Best Editing, while David Fincher won Best Directing for "Suit & Tie").

Here's the full list of who won what:

2013 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS
VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
MICHAEL JACKSON VIDEO VANGUARD AWARD: Justin Timberlake
BEST FEMALE VIDEO: Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble”
BEST MALE VIDEO: Bruno Mars, “Locked Out Of Heaven”
BEST COLLABORATION: Pink & Nate Reuss, “Just Give Me A Reason”
BEST ROCK VIDEO: 30 Seconds To Mars, “Up In The Air”
BEST HIP HOP VIDEO: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Can’t Hold Us”
BEST POP VIDEO: Selena Gomez, “Come & Get It”
BEST VIDEO WITH A SOCIAL MESSAGE: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Same Love”
BEST SONG OF THE SUMMER: One Direction, “Best Song Ever”
ARTIST TO WATCH: Austin Mahone
BEST DIRECTION: Justin Timberlake, “Suit & Tie” (Director: David Fincher)
BEST EDITING: Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Capital Cities, “Safe And Sound”
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Bruno Mars, “Treasure”
BEST ART DIRECTION: Janelle Monae & Erykah Badu, “Q.U.E.E.N.”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Can’t Hold Us”

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It's Miley Cyrus' 'Bangerz' Album Cover, New Single "Wrecking Ball" & MTV VMAs Slut Fest

Miley's new album cover looks like it was the condom used when Miami Vice fucked the Cocktail soundtrack.

Speaking of which, here's Miley in heat, getting knocked up by every male (and a few females) at the MTV Video Music Awards last night.



But, really — she's sensitive. Let's listen to her sad new ballad, "Wrecking Ball," which is the #1 song on iTunes. America loves a whore with a heart of gold.

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UK Chart Roundup: Matt Cardle & Melanie C Have A Semi-Comeback

Aww. Matt Cardle and Melanie C's "Loving You" is actually a semi-hit in the UK, debuting at #14. The song is Matt's first to crack the Top 40 since the Gary Barlow-penned "Run For Your Life" landed at #6 in 2011, and it's Mel's first solo single to do so since "I Want Candy" made it to #24 in spring 2007. (Later that year, the Spice Girls reached #11 with "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)".

Ah, the good ol' days.



The UK Top 10:

1. "Burn" - Ellie Goulding *2 weeks*
2. "Wake Me Up" - Avicii
3. "Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine)" - Klankarussell feat. Will Heard *new*
4. "Earthquake" - DJ Fresh feat. Diplo & Dominique *new*
5. "Summertime Sadness" - Lana Del Rey vs. Cedric Gervais
6. "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus
7. "The Other Side Of Love" - Sean Paul *new*
8. "Lifted" - Naughty Boy feat. Emeli Sande *new*
9. "Applause" - Lady Gaga
10. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell

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'Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1' Turns 10: Read The Producer's Great Interview

Following his spectacular chat with British producer Richard X for Annie's The A&R EP last month, John Hamilton — aka frequent Chart Rigger collaborator Moogaboo — whipped up a wonderful anniversary piece on Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1, which turns 10 today.

Read it over at Idolator, and be sure to catch the long-lost original single sleeve for Liberty X's "Being Nobody," plus the advert for the girl group that never materialized, Sweet-X.

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US Chart Roundup: Neither Katy Perry Or Lady Gaga Able To Unseat Robin Thicke

 

Sorry, stans. When all was said and done, neither Katy Perry's "Roar" or Lady Gaga's "Applause" were unable to unseat Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" from the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week.

What did happen, though, was this: Perry and Gaga each racked up their 12th Top 10 singles, as "Roar" jumped from #85 to #2 after selling 557,000 downloads last week, and "Applause" debuted at #6 (218,000). "Roar" technically outsold "Blurred Lines," by the way, but the latter scored more airplay and streaming points, and is now around on top for an 11th week to annoy the fuck out of everyone. Sorry, KatyKakez.

Of the 13 singles each pop broad has had serviced to radio in the States, only one missed the Top 10 on the Hot 100 — for Katy it was "Thinking Of You" and for Gaga it was "Marry The Night" — and, coincidentally, both of those songs peaked at #29.

One last thing to note: for this week at least, "Roar" has now matched the peak position of Katy's previous Top 10 hit, "Wide Awake," and ditto for Gaga with "Applause" and "You And I."

And that, folks, is the way the hooker sizzles.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell *11 weeks*
2. "Roar" - Katy Perry
3. "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus
4. "Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons 
5. "Holy Grail" - Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake
6. "Applause" - Lady Gaga *new*
7. "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams
8. "Treasure" - Bruno Mars
9. "Cups" - Anna Kendrick
10. "Safe And Sound" - Capital Cities

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In Defense Of Lady Gaga's "Applause": Watch The Music Video

Over on Idolator last week, I made a case for why Lady Gaga's lead ARTPOP single "Applause" doesn't suck, a bulk of critics seem to think.

In it, I wrote the following:

Art and pop references aside, “Applause” finds Gaga sending the biggest musical love letter to a fanbase since Backstreet Boys‘ 1999 single “Larger Than Life.” Personally, I’ve found myself more drawn to the sound of the track itself, which plays like a return to Gaga’s days of The Fame. The opening, pulsating synths are a straight-up throwback to the “Poker Face” intro — albeit slightly sped up — while the handclap-laden chorus swells and soars with the same pop frenzy that made “Paparazzi” such a delight.

Of course, as far as critical opinion goes, I've never been aligned with the majority, especially when it comes to Gaga.

And so now we get the "Applause" video, which I also find to be miles ahead of what any other low rent, z-grade pop hag is doing these days. Sorry, but Gaga's head on a swan's neck — not to mention her in David Bowie drag — just appeals to my own twisted sensibilities

I don't think there's been a more debated and deconstructed pop single this year. And that, in the end, is what makes "Applause" so exciting. In that sense, job well done, Gaga.

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UK Chart Roundup: Ellie Goulding Lands First #1 Single, Gaga's "Applause" Debuts At #5

Ellie Goulding's "Burn" debuts at #1 this week in the UK, thus knocking Miley Cyrus down to #3. Good! "Burn" kicks" "We Can't Stop" in the pussy as far as being a far more quality jam.



I was pretty disappointed when "Burn" dropped out of site quickly here in the States, after briefly making an appearance in the iTunes Top 10. Then again, given Ellie's track record here, "Burn" will probably become a stateside hit some time in 2015.



That brings us to Lady Gaga's "Applause," which goes in at #5, despite going on sale two days later than the rest of last week's new singles. "Applause" is now Gaga's highest-charting UK single since 2011's "Born This Way," which peaked at #3. The rest of the single from that one's same-titled parent album failed to crack the Top 5.

On a final note, poor The Wanted — "We Own The Night," their fourth single from yet-to-be-released third album Word Of Mouth flops at #10. I honestly have yet to hear this song, and I don't think I'm going to remedy that any time soon. Ta!

The UK Top 10:

1. "Burn" - Ellie Goulding *new* *1 week*
2. "Wake Me Up" - Avicii
3. "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus
4. "Summertime Sadness" - Lana Del Rey
5. "Applause" - Lady Gaga *new*
6. "Trampoline" - Tinie Tempah feat. 2 Chainz
7. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell
8. "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High" - Arctic Monkeys *new*
9. "Holy Grail" - Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake
10. "We Own The Night" - The Wanted *new*

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US Chart Roundup: Katy Perry Is About To Explode

Katy Perry's reductive "Roar" clocks in at #85 on the Billboard Hot 100 after getting some late-week airplay spins. America is eating the single up, as the latest reports have this trash racking up 525,000 downloads by the time this week's chart cut-off time rolls around — likely enough to finally knock "Blurred Lines" off the top after a 10-week run. If that happens, "Roar" will be only the eighth single to reach #1 in 2013.

Elsewhere, the rest of this week's Top 10 is the exact same as it was last week: sexy.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell *10 weeks*
2. "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus
3. "Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons
4. "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams 
5. "Holy Grail" - Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake
6. "Cups" - Anna Kendrick
7. "Treasure" - Bruno Mars
8. "Clarity" - Zedd feat. Foxes
9. "Safe And Sound" - Capital Cities
10. "Love Somebody" - Maroon 5

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Shady Lady Gaga Releases "Applause" A Week Early (Sorry, Katy Perry)

Not content to let Katy Perry have her week in the sun with new Sara Bareilles rip-off song "Roar," Lady Gaga cited leaks of snippets of "Applause" for the reason she pulled the trigger a week early on the single's release.

Good! "Applause" kicks "Roar" in the tiger pussy anyway, with all its Bowie-esque flourishes and irresistible hooks. It's so nice to hear Gaga ditching the awkward Born This Way posturing and getting back to Fame Monster amazingness.

One of these broads is going to finally knock "Blurred Lines" off the top of the Hot 100, and my money is on Gaga.

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UK Chart Roundup: Miley's "We Can't Stop" Starts At the Top

Over on the UK chart, Miley Cyrus manages to do one better than she's been able to here in the States by taking "We Can't Stop" to #1. (It's been stuck at #2 for the past month on the Billboard Hot 100.) The song also happens to be Miley's first Top 10 hit in the UK, besting the #11 position "See You Again," "The Climb" and "Party In The U.S.A." each peaked at.

What a glamorous achievement, Miley. Pack your nose and stick your ass up in celebration, gurl.

The UK Top 10:

1. "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus *new* *1 week*
2. "Wake Me Up" - Avicii
3. "Trampoline" - Tinie Tempah feat. 2 Chainz *new*
4. "Summertime Sadness" - Lana Del Rey
5. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell
6. "Love Me Again" - John Newman
7. "Holy Grail" - Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake
8. "Thinking About You" - Calvin Harris feat. Ayah Marar
9. "Best Song Ever" - One Direction
10. "I Love It" - Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX

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Ayah Marar's "The Real" Is A Really Good Song You Should Know

While everyone's just getting up to speed with singer Ayah Marar, thanks to her feature on Calvin Harris' current UK Top 10 single "Thinking About You," you should know that her dance-pop album The Real was quietly released in the US by Radikal Records in July.

The LP is a bit of a grower, with a few cookie cutter numbers weighing it down a bit. Still, the title track is definitely one worth checking out.

And here 'tis:

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Katy Perry's "Roar" Leaked: Listen

This is okay. I think it would come off better if it was some lesser slag moaning it. But to be honest, I expected a bigger jam to come flying out of Katy's tiger pussy. Instead, it's a mewing kitten pawing lazily at her left boob.

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It's 12 Seconds Of Lady Gaga's "Applause"

These 12 seconds of "Applause" have me back aboard the ARTPOP train, after being slightly derailed by "Aura/Burqa" last week.

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