Here’s some juicy X Factor-themed gossip I’ve picked up on my recent travels around Planet Pop… It turns out that Union J isn’t the first band George Shelley has been a member of. He was in a mixed sex pop group before he made the X Factor finals and ditched them. To be fair, who… Continue reading The Gossip: X Factor special
Unsigned Month: Introducing Chelcee Grimes
I’ve written about Chelcee Grimes before, when she was signed to RCA. Unfortunately she never released any music with the label, but that wasn’t for lack of quality songs. In fact, her planned first single Mannequin was a work of pop genius and her old MySpace is full of cute R&B-pop gems. During her RCA days… Continue reading Unsigned Month: Introducing Chelcee Grimes
Unsigned Month: Introducing Nimmo and the Gauntletts
When it comes to indie-pop, my main criteria (apart from good songs, of course) is that the artist should make a statement, to stand out from the endless parade of pleasant but forgettable Hype Machine chart-toppers. Nimmo and the Gauntletts caught my eye because they are truly unique, and make no attempt to hide it.… Continue reading Unsigned Month: Introducing Nimmo and the Gauntletts
Unsigned Month: Introducing Phreeda Sharp
When it comes to female rappers it seems the key to commercial success can pretty much be boiled down to “be American.” However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t loads of talented British rap girls vying for a chance, and one who I recently discovered is Phreeda Sharp. Phreeda is 24 and clearly not a bandwagon-jumper… Continue reading Unsigned Month: Introducing Phreeda Sharp
More gossip from Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell
What seems like years ago, I began reading the ridiculously long biography of Simon Cowell by Tom Bower. I’ve had to put up with some very boring Sinitta stories, but I’ve also discovered some amazing gossip. I wrote up some of my favourite bits from Simon’s pop A&R years a few weeks ago, and now… Continue reading More gossip from Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell
Sponsored Post: Introducing Julissa Veloz
Julissa Veloz is a Dominican-American pop princess who’s ready to make an impact on the charts with her new single Overload, which is released today. Julissa first became famous with an appearance on American Idol, from which she became known as “tiara girl”. Since then she’s got a cool new look and has gone top… Continue reading Sponsored Post: Introducing Julissa Veloz
Unsigned Month: Introducing Relics
There’s a space on Planet Pop for a boyband with instruments, and Relics are my top choice to fill it. They look like stars, seem to be genuine friends and the YouTube cover videos they’ve posted so far show that lead singer Jake is a great pop vocalist. They’ve also got the support of Prestige… Continue reading Unsigned Month: Introducing Relics
Unsigned Month: Introducing Parade
Most artists are lucky if they release one song as good as Light Me Up in their careers, but Parade have several ready to unleash on the British public. It’s even more impressive that these songs have all been recorded without any help from a record label. I’m a bit biased as I’ve been working… Continue reading Unsigned Month: Introducing Parade
Unsigned Month: Introducing Queen of Hearts
You can always tell when an artist is realising their own vision, rather than fitting into a mould created for them, and Queen of Hearts is definitely one of those artists. Previously part of a girl trio called Red Blooded Women, Liz Morphew created Queen of Hearts as her solo pop persona. She defined a… Continue reading Unsigned Month: Introducing Queen of Hearts
Unsigned Month: Introducing Violet
Stop the search for the next Florence and the Machine! It turns out she was under our noses the whole time. Violet is the new band fronted by Pixie Geldof, who I thought of as just another hipster socialite until I saw her perform live. She seems to have inherited the music gene from her… Continue reading Unsigned Month: Introducing Violet