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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Lady Gaga Gets Naked, Shows Off Fake Arm & Preps For "Applause" And Other Stuff

Lady Gaga has been quite a busy broad lately, tossing out promo pics left and right. And lookee here — it's her boobs and hoo hoo on full display, in this art! pop! video where she practices the method of performance artist Marina Abramovic! (Basically, just an excuse to get her cans out and cause a fuss.)



I'm pretty jazzed about the upcoming single ("Applause" is out August 19), and so far the pretension of this whole ARTPOP thing isn't pissing me off too much. Maybe she'll straddle that prosthetic arm in the music video?

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It's Katy Perry's "Roar" Single Cover

Maybe Katy didn't get the memo that the '80s are out and the '90s are sexy?

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It's Avril Lavigne's 'Avril Lavigne' Album Cover

Avril Lavigne Instagram'd the cover art for her upcoming self-titled album, and I can get down with the Black Swan whore look displayed here.

A funny thing happened on Idolator this summer when we posted our annual Song Of The Summer poll — the choices being Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," Mariah Carey and Miguel's "#Beautiful," Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" and Avril's "Here's To Never Growing Up" — and Avril won. The most floppy of them all.

Abbey Dawn forever.

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Lady Gaga's "Aura" (Or "Burqa") Demo Leaks

For more than a minute, Internet rumors had a mysterious yet-to-be-heard song called "Burqa" being pinpointed as Lady Gaga's lead ARTPOP single. We now, of course, know that's not true, as "Applause" is going to clap its way into your consciousness on August 19 (or, honestly, probably several days before that, when it leaks). Still, what of "Burqa"?

The song in question, now possibly titled "Aura," finally made its way online last night. Upon listening to it, it's clear that it's a demo — the vocals are too uneven in volume, the intro beat is pretty basic and the song seems to be missing a second verse. It's all very reminiscent of that day in spring 2011 when snatches of a rough version of "Judas" kept leaking left and right.

And speaking of "Judas," "Aura/Burqa" throws a bit of an initial wet rag on the notion that Gaga was going to be a little more "Poker Face" and a lot less Born This Way this time around.



There is something to be said for letting go of conventions and structure and being Art! Pop! Still, would it kill Lady Gaga to just give us another good old-fashioned verse-chorus killer, circa Fame Monster?

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UK Chart Roundup: Calvin Harris & Ayah Marar's "Thinking About You" Goes Top 10

I've said it before, and here it is again: "Thinking About You" is simply the best song on Calvin Harris' 18 Months album. And now it's hopped into the UK Top 10 at #9. The vocals are by Ayah Marar, who also chirped on Calvin's best Ready For The Weekend track, "Flashback."

"Thinking About You" now gives Harris his eighth (!) Top 10 hit off 18 Months (or his ninth, if we're to count Rihanna's tacked-on "We Found Love").

The UK Top 10:

1. "Wake Me Up" - Avicii *3 weeks*
2. "Love Me Again" - John Newman
3. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell
4. "Summertime Sadness" - Lana Del Rey
5. "Best Song Ever" - One Direction
6. "I Love It" - Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX
7. "La La La" - Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith
8. "Let Her Go" - Passenger
9. "Thinking About You" - Calvin Harris feat. Ayah Marar
10. "Bang Bang" - Will.i.am

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Lady Gaga vs. Katy Perry: "Applause" & "Roar" Promo Gone Wild On Social Media

I'm pretty jazzed about the return of Lady Gaga, at least for new single "Applause," which is to arrive on August 19. But what's hilarious is how now Katy Perry is trying to one-up her with her own swing back into the pop scene.

These two broads' back-and-forth promo antics on social media yesterday played out like two hoes in the high school playground trying to vie for riding the same dumb jock's pole — which is actually pretty brilliant, considering the dumb jock (that would be us, pop fans) is likely to pay more attention and, ultimately, fuck both at the same time.

So above is Gaga's tease for her "Applause" lyrics," while below you'll find Katy Perry's "Roar" teaser clip, where she burns her goddamn "Teenage Dream" wig. Up next: wrestling braless in a jello-slathered kiddie pool.

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Everything About Annie's "Back Together" Video Makes Me Smile

The not-real chart show countdown at the beginning...can we get a full length version of Deejay Jesu's "This Ol' House," please?

If you've not yet bought The A&R EP (it came out this week), hop to it. This is some straight up '90s realness. Thanks, Annie and Richard X.

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Katy Perry's Next Album Called 'Prism', First Single Called "Roar"...Maybe

Here's a photo of a gold truck that drove around Los Angeles on Monday with the words Katy Perry Prism on it, and the date October 22, 2013. One would therefore assume that this is a somewhat legit announcement of Katy Perry's post-Teenage Dream album, with its release date...or the mad actions of a loony Katy Perry stan.

Anyway, some site called Idolator also spilled the tea that the leads Prism single is called "Roar" (or "Rawr"), and it's apparently another Dr. Luke/Max Martin/Bonnie McKee concoction. Because there really aren't enough of those, you know?

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It's Justin Timberlake's "Take Back The Night" Video

Justin Timberlake has never masked his inkling for all things Michael Jackson, and with new single "Take Back The Night" — the first from his upcoming The 20/20 Experience - 2 Of 2 (out September 30) — he holds a magnifying glass up to those tendencies.

The song, which sounds not unlike a mashup of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Off The Wall," probably falls at a 6 on the 1-to-10 JT Scale Of Pop ("Mirrors" being a 10, of course). It's a bit more than enjoyable than "Suit & Tie," with an irritatingly catchy chorus, but overall, it's not really pushing the envelope much, is it?

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Richard X On Annie's 'The A&R' EP, Pet Shop Boys' "Fugitive", Rachel Stevens' "Some Girls

Longtime Chart Rigger sidekick John Hamilton (aka Moogaboo) interviewed Richard X, the producer behind Annie's just-released The A&R EP, among dozens of other massive pop jams, and you can read their chat over at Idolator.

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Lady Gaga's "Applause" Single Cover Art: Talk About Scary Monsters

I'll admit it, I'm very excited to hear what Lady Gaga comes up with when she reaches up her Monster snatch and yanks out new single "Applause" on August 19. But, Jesus — does this broad always have to be so derivative?

The "Applause" single artwork premiered last night via WWD, and she had this to say about it:

"It’s the end of the night after the show. When I look at it I see that there is a longing for the applause. I see that there is a void that is leaking onstage, that the performer is leaking, that the art is sort of becoming something else in front of your eyes. Something more human, something more honest."

All I really see is Bowie.

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UK Chart Roundup: Shitevicii

The UK Top 10:

1. "Wake Me Up" - Avicii *2 weeks*
2. "Best Song Ever" - One Direction *new* 
3. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell
4. "Love Me Again" - John Newman
5. "I Love It" - Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX
6. "La La La" - Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith
7. "Let Her Go" - Passenger
8. "Bang Bang" - Will.i.am
9. "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk
10. "Come & Get It" - Selena Gomez

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US Chart Roundup: Pet Shop Boys' 'Electric' Is Their Highest-Charting Album Since 'Very'

With everything on the Billboard Hot 100 remaining pretty much hooker meat, let's instead turn to the Billboard 200 album chart, where Pet Shop Boys' Electric goes in at #26. Like in the UK this past weekend, the duo have now landed their highest-charting album since Very. Here in the States, 1993 pop masterpiece Very peaked at #20, and eventually snagged a Gold certification.

Electric is now the Pet Shop Boys' seventh of their 12 studio albums to make the Top 40 in the US, and their first to do so since Yes clocked in at #32 in 2009. (It's follow-up, Elysium, made it to #44 last fall.)

Below is the full listing of how the duo's studio albums have charted in America. (Go here to see how they charted in the UK.)

1. Please (#7, 1986)
2. Actually (#25, 1987)
3. Introspective (#34, 1988)
4. Behaviour (#45, 1990)
5. Very (#20, 1993)
6. Bilingual (#39, 1996)
7. Nightlife (#84, 1999)
8. Release (#73, 2002)
9. Fundamental (#150, 2006)
10. Yes (#32, 2009)
11. Elysium (#44, 2012)
12. Electric (#26, 2013)

A job well done with their first outing on their own new label, x2. Now, roll on the tour — I've got tickets to see that laser fest on both nights they're playing in New York.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell *7 weeks*
2. "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus
3. "Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons
4. "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams 
5. "Treasure" - Bruno Mars
6. "Can't Hold Us" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton
7. "Cruise" - Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly
8. "Holy Grail" - Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake
9. "Cups" - Anna Kendrick
10. "Mirrors" - Justin Timberlake

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Lady Gaga's First 'ARTPOP' Single Is Maybe Called "Applause"

Lady Gaga's lead ARTPOP single, out August 19, is looking to be called "Applause" — at least as far as we can surmise from this photo posted last night on LittleMonsters.com — and is said to be produced by DJ White Shadow.

So take that, all you Monsters who thought it was going to be "Burqa."

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I Interviewed Goldfrapp Again

Yesterday Alison Goldfrapp became the only artist to-date that I've interviewed three times. This one was all about upcoming album Tales Of Us (out in the US on September 10). I'll post the link once the interview is up, sometime in August.

Last week the gorgeous, Lisa Gunning-directed short film for "Drew," the first Tales Of Us single, premiered, and it absolutely blew me away. It looks like some lost Merchant Ivory film. And it has a pair of hot, naked dudes in it. What's not to love?



My previous interviews with Goldfrapp can be found below:

* 2010: Head First
* 2012: The Singles

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Annie's 'The A&R EP': Listen To "Hold On" And "Invisible"

It's sounding like you could do a lot worse than pick up Annie and Richard X's The A&R EP when it's released on August 5. You've already heard "Back Together." Now get a load of the light and breezy "Hold On" below, and hear edgier dance track "Invisible" over at the Guardian's site.

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