Haven’t done this for a while!
Representing Iceland: Nylon – Losing A Friend (Watch it)
Are we sure these girls are from Iceland and not Ireland? Maybe there was a misprint somewhere along the line cos they even seem to have Irish accents when they sing. If someone said it was Bellefire I’d believe it – in fact, with Nylon supporting Westlife on tour, I half think it actually IS Bellefire, having a last desperate attempt at success. I don’t think it’s going to work, but full marks for cunning!
Representing the USA: Dixie Chicks – Not Ready To Make Nice (Watch it)
I’ve already shown my love for this on VKTRS and Stylus so I won’t go on too much, but I’m really pleased it’s getting a proper UK release. Maybe it won’t do so well as people here don’t know the full story behind it, but it’s still a very powerful and generally great song.
Representing the UK: Lily Allen – Smile (Watch it on The Box)
I know some people don’t think Lily lives up to the hype, but I personally love her and this is one of her best songs. She does chav chic in the best Robyn/M.I.A style with hoop earrings matched with nice summer dresses. This should be one of this year’s summer anthems. It’s as good as Ms Dynamite’s It Takes More but unlike Ms D, Lily has enough ace music to fill a whole album, and best of all she doesn’t seem desperate to be urban – she’s impossibly cool already, without a crap rap in sight.