Jennifer Rush & The Song Of The Year?

We're almost at the halfway mark of 2010 and already a handful of tracks stand out as early contenders for the song of the year. There's Kylie's exquisite "All The Lovers", Robyn's bitter "Dancing On My Own", Livvi Franc's criminally underrated "Automatik", Matisse's stunning mega-flop "Better Than Her" and Tania Foster's unreleased gem "Supawoman". Well, you can add another stunning anthem to that shortlist. Earlier this year 80s icon Jennifer Rush released her first studio album in over 13 years. "Now Is The Hour" debuted at an impressive #21 in Germany but the lead single underperformed and the album has since fallen down the charts faster than "Not Myself Tonight". It might be too late to revive Jen's stalled comeback but the recently released second single is nothing short of spectacular. "Echoes Love" is easily the diva's best track in 25 years and the Seductions Radio Mix turns an already brilliant pop song into something extraordinary by giving it an irresistible disco makeover.

Think "Release Me" (Agnes not Zoe Badwi) meets Cher's "Strong enough" and you get some idea of what to expect. Jennifer's glorious pipes inject the anthem with heart and soul, while the lyrics are unashamedly romantic without being vomit inducing. And let's not forget that magnificent chorus. Amazingly, "Echoes Love" is still very much a diamond in the rough. The production could do with a polish and the remix - while very effective - sounds like it was thrown together in 5 minutes by the intern at Jen's record label. I'm sure AATW or 3 Beat Blue could work wonders with it for the UK market but I doubt they'll bother. And not because of the song's quality. Who is going to take a chance on a 49 year old plastic surgery addict who looks like Sylvester Stallone in drag? It's a shame because this gorgeous stunner is worth a dozen 20 year old Swedish bimbos. Nevertheless, I'm convinced the song will find love and affection from pop connoisseurs around the globe. Brace yourself for the brilliance of "Echoes Love" and the mindblowing natural beauty of Jennifer Rush (below). A huge thanks to Gordon for bringing this amazing treasure to my attention.