Summerbeatz 2010 - Ciara, Flo Rida & Akon

Summerbeatz is the latest urban music festival to hit Australia - hot on the heels of its sister event Winterbeatz and the trail blazing Supafest - and I decided to catch the Sydney gig on Saturday night. If I'm completely honest the line up of Stan Walker, Ja Rule, Travie McCoy, Ciara, Flo Rida and Akon kind of made me want to kill myself but it turned out to be a ridiculously fun night. Which could also have had something to do with those lethal glow in the dark frozen daiquiris they serve at Acer Arena. Back to the concert. I arrived late, so I missed out on Stan Walker and Ja Rule strutting their stuff but I did catch Travie McCoy's set. He really knows how to work a crowd and drove the girls standing next to me into a wet pantie frenzy. The highlight was definitely "Billionaire", which works brilliantly in the sing-a-long context of a live show. I even got to meet Travie backstage after his set (photo on Facebook) and he was taller, skinnier and higher than I could have imagined. He seemed like a really cool guy though and I now feel obliged to give his album another listen. Next up was Ciara or C-Error as she is not so affectionately known by my fellow Beyoncé stans. Despite her past sins against the Queen of R'n'B, I have a soft spot for CiCi and was really looking forward to her show. And she delivered. Ciara doesn't have the biggest voice in music but the bitch can dance. Kind of like Janet before she became obsolete. It was great to finally hear classics like "Goodies" and "1, 2 Step" performed live and she made my night by belting out 2010's hottest sex jam "Ride". Other new songs from her soon to be released "Basic Instinct" album went down well, so it mightn't be the bomb everyone is expecting. If nothing else, Super CiCi proved she is still one of the hottest properties in urban music and a true dancing machine.

Ciara was always going to be a hard act to follow but I was shocked by how much I enjoyed Flo Rida's set. He's a surprisingly good live performer and I keep forgetting how many big hits he now has under his belt. I obviously preferred his more poptastic offerings like "Round Round" and "Low" but the rest of his tunes were eagerly devoured by fans. Mr Rida knows how to work the stage and really drove the crowd into a frenzy when he ventured into the audience on the back of a security guard. He went right past me and I got his ab sweat all over my face. It tasted like salt & vinegar chips! Flo Rida fittingly ended his set with the amazing "Club Can't Handle Me", which is still one of my favourite songs of 2010. Next up was the headliner Akon, who I've already seen perform twice this year. Akon is another performer who knows how to put on a show - coming out into the crowd in a giant beach ball (below) was a brilliant touch - but his incessant crowd surfing is starting to get a bit annoying. Nevertheless, it was great hearing "Sexy Bitch", "Put The Blame On Me" and his latest (surprisingly good) single "Angel". I'm now a total convert to the urban music festival scene and can't wait for the next Supafest in April! The afterparty was also fun and I got to hang out with Stan Walker, who is such a nice guy. I'm gonna have to wade through this blog and delete everything I've ever written about him. Stan, I take it all back. You're the new King of Australian pop!

The Return Of Matisse!

I'm so excited I can hardly breathe. My girl Matisse hasn't been thrown on the pop scrapheap after all! Thank you, La Toya God! Perhaps, I should back track for a second. Some of you might remember my original post on America's new Queen of pop. Matisse first came to nobody's attention as one half of the twintastic girlband Brit & Alex. After scoring one (very) minor hit, Brit changed her name and went solo. Her tens of fans hoped for the best but I don't think anyone expected her to change the face of pop music forever. I'm not exaggerating. "Better Than Her" is the defining anthem of 2010. I fell in love with it the first time I heard it and still spin Matisse's amazing RedOne knock off on a daily basis. Sadly, the song never took off despite the diva's amazing tour of shopping centres. As far as I'm concerned this is the biggest travesty since Suzy Ray's stunning "Disco In My Car" failed to chart! Happily, Jive finally realised that they have the second coming of Madonna of their hands and shelled out for a new remix with Akon (below). It took a couple of listens to get used to but now I'm feeling it. Sure, it's a bit desperate and not a patch on the original but anything that brings Matisse to the masses is a good thing. Now, hurry up and film a video!

Kat De Luna & Akon - Push Push

Kat De Luna has to be the unluckiest woman in pop. The current urban dance craze can be traced directly back to her 2007 album "9 Lives", yet the Dominican diva gets no credit for paving the way for Rihanna & co - let alone acknowledgement for hooking up with RedOne well before Lady Gaga. I guess revenge is a dish best served bankrupt because Kat continues to work with the hottest names in the industry despite having more flops than Dannii. But there could be some method to her madness if "Push Push" is any indication. This stunning call to the dancefloor is one of the best American pop songs of 2010 (along with Livvi Franc's "Automatik" and the ubiquitous "Better Than Her"). The production - courtesy of RADIO - is equal parts electro-dance and dancehall. I love the catchy handclaps and vocal hooks, while the euphoric chorus grabs you by the balls and refuses to let go. Akon's rap is also a surprising treat. "Come on closer with your umbrella, 'cause you're about to get rained on" is either the year's most romantic rhyme or a disturbing reference to watersports that I'll choose to ignore! Don't be put off by the demos that have been floating around the net since January. The finished version (below) is a massive improvement, lifting the original material to new heights. "Push Push" is released on the 6th of April. Fingers crossed Queen Kat finally has a hit on her hands. Oh and make sure you check out the pop pioneer's Myspace to hear the song in Spanish. I want it. Bad!

EDIT: I got in trouble for posting the final version. Here's the next best thing on Youtube!