Katy and co bring you some new tunes

Head over to GCN.ie now and you'll catch this week's Friday Four with the new Katy Perry single, James Vincent McMorrow, Ghost Beach and the amazing Lulu Jones.

Vegas, Vogueing and Bros Fist Pumping: Britney's Work Bitch reviewed

It's already something of a ridiculous time in pop with Katy Perry and Lady Gaga being pitted against each other and a "fourth quarter" schedule that sees everyone from Cher to Miley Cyrus unload a high profile pop album before the year is out.

But there's always going to be some space for whenever Miss Britney Spears decides to bring us some new stuff ahead of album number eight arriving before the end of 2013.

There's been a drip feed of collaborators mentioned all year and while some fans winced at the involvement of Will.i.am as executive producer  his touch seems to be bringing interesting people onboard, from Naughty Boy and Emeli Sandé (who could easily adapt the emotive pop-soul they've been huge with over here to Britney and take it to a new audience) and even possibly the likes of Charli XCX.

The general message seemed to be "this is going to get personal" and the dance side of Brit Brit might take a break.

But then comes along new single Work Bitch which is neither personal or as "urban" as we may have been lead to believe. But is this all part of a Vegas ready strategy behind Britney's next move?

Work Bitch is a hyped up dance tune (I can't bring myself to embrace the horrific term "EDM" when it comes to talking about commercial dance music) that riffs on the kind of giant, wall of sound electronica favoured by Swedish House Mafia et al. 

In fact it was thought that Sebastian Ingrosso, one third of SHM, had worked on the song but it's in fact one of the acts he handles, Otto Knows (whose Million Voices is one of the biggest crossover dance tunes of the last 12 months) who is responsible for the beat on the Will.i.am produced track (Which also features Irish pop songwriter Ruth Anne Cunningham on co-writing duties). 

Still, it's easy to see the DNA of tunes like Million Voices or Swedish House Mafia's Greyhound in the sense of build and frenzied, thumping bass that form most of Work Bitch's production. There's definitely a sense that melody has been sacrificed for raved-up excitement at times but thankfully there's enough sass and Britney talk-singing to elevate the enterprise. 

It's got a bit of a weird structure and while it rubs shoulders off  of every enormous dance-tinged pop single of the last few years it has a slightly more aggressive and demented swing that makes it feel like a bold move for her. And like the best Britney singles it manages to fit in with where pop is and feel slightly in it's own lane.

Basically we're talking Swedish House Mafia's Greyhound, the British-ney bits of Scream and Shout (and sadly of some of Britney's oddest run ins with the paparazzi making it something of a fan reference point), the energy and stomp of a track made for vogueing too (the rumours that it samples RuPaul are sadly false but Britney screaming "WORK BITCH" definitely channels the same kind of idea as Ru's signature hit Supermodel) and the kind of weird vocal delivery that summed up Blackout highlights like Toy Solider and Hot as Ice.

And it's obvious that Las Vegas has been factored into this single too. From the forthcoming confirmation of her long mooted Vegas residency to the cheeky Vegas sign in her single cover, it's obvious that this is a big part of the next phase of Britney (and probably a big money deal).

And Britney going to Vegas isn't just going to compete with the Cher, Celines and Bette Midlers of this world, she'll be expected to pull in a younger skewing audience. 

With Calvin Harris and co. packing out clubs along the Vegas strip, this new investment in dance music for young partiers heading towards Vegas is surely an influence on this new tune. One that will sound as good reswizzed in a Vegas superclub as it will opening her own headline show. Certainly what TMZ reported about the Vegas show and it's aimed audience today would confirm that. 

It's likely that we'll get a more "straightforward" second single before we get the album (As is now de riguer these days and likely a ballad) and it's still a bit of a jolt to hear Britney half singing / half talking over such an aggressive electronic-driven cut but it's got enough humour and camp thrills to suggest that Britney is going claw her way back to the top of the pop heap by fitting right in and doing her own thing all at once.

Marina and The Diamonds Unveils "How To Be A Heartbreaker" Video

This has been quite the banner year for Marina and the Diamonds with album number two, Electra Heart finding her critical and commerical success. It's a triumphant and intelligent pop album that does big choruses and big ideas with aplomb. There was little need to add a new song after it's release but How To Be A Heartbreaker (Added to the US releases of the album and a proposed reissue over here) is such a strong slice of contemporary pop that it's easy to make excuses.

The bubbly Dr. Luke/Benny Blanco/Cirkut cut (co-written with Marina of course) plays like the twin sister to Primadonna, a clever take on that polished American pop sound that will make a perfect radio hit while still allowing some personality to shine through.

After a delay over releasing the video because she looked "ugly" (According to her tweets anyway) the video is finally here and it's a slideshow of painfully hot male models in swimsuits and barely there outfits who look on as Marina flirts knowingly. It's a slick and engaging visual mashing up 50s/60s teen culture references with some late 90s bubblegum pop references too (there's also quite the feel of Bruce Weber and Herb Ritts to the way the models are photographed, that glossy fashion mag goes pop feel is laced throughout). Indulge in plenty of male flesh and nudge-nudge-wink-wink Marina moves below:

It's funny how this contrasts with Christina Aguilera's Your Body video which arrived today also. Both songs and videos paint the female popstar as in control and seducing men with their knowing feminine wiles. Marina, in contrast to the colorful splatter movie take of Xtina's effort, is a tad more subtle however neatly turning the notion of a female character left wanting by a no-good male of a million teen movies on it's head while appreciating male beauty and sending up the objectification of both male and female bodies in pop videos. Both videos are laced with a camp wit, although Marina also scores points on the "just look how many boys in speedos I have" front.

How To Be A Heartbreaker is available on the US edition of Electra Heart and will be released here in mid October.

Ke$ha Komes Back, But Is Pop Stuck In A Rut?

Ke$ha's new tune Die Young appeared online late yesterday before a lyric video (and what I'm sure was in no way a label placed tweet from Britney) surfaced today as K$ rolls out the album campaign for second album Warrior (not counting the reissued mini album buzz of the Cannibal release). Die Young set Twitter alight when it leaked although reaction was mixed with plenty suggesting the track was a disappointment.

After repeat listens it's obvious that Die Young is no stinker but it just feels a little too similar to every second pop smash of the last 12 months to get really swept up in it. It's got snatches of Flo-Rida, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, fun. and One Direction in it's DNA yet never quite jumps to undeniable smash status.

The hook-y chorus with it's chanting feel is fun and the verses have plenty of the spoken-word charm of the best Ke$ha moments but it feels like this either needed to go into harder dance-pop territory (i.e. a bigger drop) or strip away the generic Dr. Luke vibes for something a bit quirkier.

It says alot about how pop music has been in such rude health that a song with as much as catchy appeal as this might seem a bit disappointing but perhaps we've reached a tipping point. It certainly feels like the Dr. Luke & co school of shimmer-y guitar driven synth pop has reached it's apex as much as the rave-pop stylings of Guetta and Calvin Harris. Here's to the full-length album allowing Ke$ha a little space to serve up something different (she's already been talking up something more experimental in various interviews) while we all try and get the chorus to this one out of our heads: