US Chart Roundup: Ellie Goulding's "Lights" Sure Took Its Sweet Time...

Seventeen years, four months and 23 days after Ellie Goulding's single "Lights" was released, the song finally makes its way into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, as it moves up to #6 this week.

Okay, the song wasn't really released that long ago. But I vividly recall writing about the music video way back in January 2011, and Goulding first performing "Lights" live on American TV in May that year. At any rate, the song has far exceeded the success it had in Ellie's home country of the UK, where it peaked at #49 on the chart.

Elswhere, Calvin Harris snags another Top 40 single in the US as his Ne-Yo-featuring "Let's Go" climbs to #35. One Direction also pull off the same feat with "What Makes You Beautiful" follow-up "One Thing", which is at #39.

Cher Lloyd's first US chart entry "Want U Back" ascends to #51, while The Wanted continue their slow crawl upward  (to #75) with "Chasing The Sun".

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Call Me Maybe" - Carly Rae Jepsen *3 weeks*
2. "Payphone" - Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa
3. "Somebody That I Used To Know" - Gotye feat. Kimbra
4. "Wide Awake" - Katy Perry
5. "Where Have You Been" - Rihanna
6. "Lights" - Ellie Goulding
7. "We Are Young" - fun. feat. Janelle Monae
8. "Starships" - Nicki Minaj
9. "What Makes You Beautiful" - One Direction
10. "Scream" - Usher

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Pet Shop Boys' New Single "Winner": Hear 30 Seconds

"You're a winner, I'm a winner, this is all happening so fast," Neil Tennant sings on the chorus of new Pet Shop Boys single "Winner." A 30-second clip has made its way online, via the German Amazon site. But you can hear it below:



Interesting that they're leading Elysium off with a ballad-type number. But it sounds uplifting and...Olympics-inspired, even?

The full song gets its world premiere on BBC2 Monday morning, before it hits iTunes on Tuesday. More info on that here. 

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Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen's "Good Time" Is...

I really dug Owl City's "Take It All Away," a song off his spring EP Shooting Star. And it's true, I kind of overlooked his new pair-up with Carly Rae Jepsen "Good Time" when it surfaced last week. But it was officially added to iTunes today, so better late than never.



The song is catchy enough, and I can totally see tween glitter meltdown on the gay disco runway happening for some with this. But if I'm being honest, it's a bit flimsy, and is probably more of a grower.

Still, Owl City had the zeitgeist-y song in 2009 with "Fireflies" and Carly Rae has the zeitgeist-y song at the moment with "Call Me Maybe". How can "Good Time" miss, right?

This is the first single from Owl City's upcoming album The Midsummer Station (out August 21).

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Pet Shop Boys' First 'Elysium' Single Is "Winner"

Pet Shop Boys have announced that the first single off upcoming LP Elysium is called "Winner," and that it will debut on UK radio (The Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio 2) on Monday (July 2) morning, with the song being added to iTunes the following day.

Then, waaay later in the summer, on August 6,  a physical CD single containing three B-sides and two digital bundles with remixes and bonus tracks will be released. 

Also coming next week: the official release date announcement for Elysium.

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Paris Hilton Debuts Soulful Track "Last Night" During Stellar DJ Set At Sao Paolo's Pop Festival

Paris Hilton has finally come out of her musical hibernation to save us all from croak-throated amateurs like Adele. During her amazing DJ set over the weekend at the Pop Festival in Sao Paolo, the soul legend premiered her new track "Last Night," a collaboration with Pitbull/"Give Me Everything" producer Afrojack.

Never mind the fact that Paris accidentally hit play on Rihanna's "We Found Love" at the same time (causing it to collide with the first few moments of her own tune), or that she kind of half-sang over the track, all the while appearing as if she could barely remember the lyrics.

SHE'S BEETHOVEN, FUCKERS!

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'Robyn Is Here' Is Now 15

In happier anniversary news this week (happier than Michael Jackson's death, at least), Robyn's debut album Robyn Is Here turns 15 this week (in the US). It was originally released here on June 24, 1997.

Check out Moogaboo's fab writeup for Idolator's Backtracking series. Likewise, in case you missed them, Xolondon did pieces on Annie Lennox's Diva and En Vogue's Funky Divas — both of which are now 20 — recently.

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Michael Jackson Did Three Years Ago This Week

Christ, time flies by quickly. Michael Jackson died three years ago yesterday (June 25), and in light of that, I did a list of his 10 Best Songs Radio Forgot for Idolator.

At the time, I was freelancing at ABC.com, the website for the TV network, and writing/re-writing online bios for the cast members of shows like Desperate Housewives, Brothers And Sisters and Lost, as well as doing recaps for Ugly Betty.

Life was so different then. Life will no doubt be so different three years from now.

Don't stop till you get enough.

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