The return of Gina G

Over the past few weeks I've been inundated with requests to review the new Gina G single. I would have whipped up something earlier but I was waiting on the video clip. Which is every bit as... stunning as I had imagined. Basically, the glamorous pop icon wanders around a dubious nightclub flirting with gay "boys". I think poor Gina accidentally wandered into a MAG convention because these homosexuals look like they've been on the grind since 1987. My favourite part of the clip is when the former redhead performs on stage and you can see my friend Natty trying to duck for cover in the front row (1:35 mins)! OK, so it's not "Telephone" but the Eurovision legend looks fabulous and the song is really cool. The only difference between this and Havana Brown's current top 10 hit is major label support. "Next 2 U" is the kind of cute and fluffy pop anthem that Gina perfected in the late 90s - with a modern twist. Fingers crossed she finds an audience this time around because I want an album. Her last opus "Get Up & Dance" was sorely underrated and Australia needs another dance diva of a certain vintage now that Dannii has retired to host a rubbish TV show. Check out the video and download this smash from iTunes now!

Read my lips - Melissa Tkautz is back!

I'm so overwhelmed with excitement I can hardly breath - let alone type - so I'll keep this short and sweet. Pop trash icon Melissa Tkautz is about to embark on yet another comeback! Feel free to fall to your knees and start praising Jesus! The former E Street actress turned era-defining pop icon is one of my all time faves. My very first post, way back in 2006, was devoted to her unparalleled fabulousness and she's been a regular on the blog ever since. So what is legendary sex symbol up to now? It appears she's lent her heavenly vocals to a new club anthem by Ministry of Sound DJ Nick Jay. The future #1 smash is called "Something About You" and has a subtle Latin flavour that will make it perfect for the summer months. Which makes the decision to drop a preview in the middle of Winter slightly perplexing but Melissa works in mysterious ways! Check out the amazing promo clip below. Bondi beach looks amazing and Melissa gets a stunning plug. Please let there be a saucy video clip featuring Ms Tkautz rolling around half naked in the sand and another amazing live performance on Sunrise.

Comeback Of The Millenium

It's the comeback that 10 desperate pop fans have been waiting for - 90s super group Bachelor Girl is reuniting to promote what I expect to be a multi-platinum selling greatest hits compilation. I can hardly breathe! In case you're a foetus or have trouble remembering the late 90s for other (more valid) reasons, Tania Doko and James Roche are Australian pop legends. At a time when grunge was still in full swing, Bachelor Girl sang bright, happy songs about love and public transport.

Of course, I'm referring to the iconic "Buses and Trains" - a track that easily ranks as one of the best homegrown pop songs of the past 20 years. Their enduring masterpiece was a top 5 hit in 1998 and went on to become something of an international smash, peaking at #84 in the UK and #29 in Sweden. According to the always 100% reliable Wikipedia. 13 years have passed since then but I still give "Buses and Trains" a spin when I need a bit of cheering up. There's just something irresistible about Tania's bemused tone and the homespun wisdom of the lyrics. They never did top that anthem but their debut album was jam packed with gems - particularly the Alanis-lite magic of "Lucky Me". Bachelor Girl's sophomore album was less memorable but I loved "I'm Just A Girl", the video for which found Tania strutting through Melbourne airport in knee-high fuck me boots. They don't make 'em like that anymore!

Back to the reunion. The duo's new opus is called "Loved & Lost: The Best Of Bachelor Girl" and is released on April 15. It includes four previously unreleased tracks, which I assume are from their scrapped third album. Excitingly, the group will embark on a brief tour to promote the comeback of the millenium. See you all at the Sydney gig on June 3! Oh and here's "Buses and Trains" just for the hell of it.

Nelly Furtado - Night Is Young

You know Christmas is coming when the shops begin to flood with 'greatest hits' packages and cynically timely re-releases. I really couldn't give a shit about most of them - with the obvious exception of Queen Ke$ha's future classic "Cannibal" - but I'll definitely grab a copy of "The Best Of Nelly Furtado" when it hits stores on the 15th of November. The Canadian pop star has always been a favourite of mine. I was literally obsessed with her debut album to the point where my ex-boyfriend threw it out the car window to avoid hearing "I'm Like A Bird" one more time. What a cunt! Then "Folklore" came along and I fell for her new, softer sound but also happily went along for the ride when she sold out and jumped on the Timbaland bandwagon. Nelly is nothing if not versatile!

Since "Loose" propelled the diva back to the A List, she's been busy working on a number of side projects like her beautiful Spanish album "Mi Plan" (I don't care about her pronunciation, haters!) as well as collaborations with N.E.R.D. and Tiesto. I guess that makes Nelly's latest single a comeback of sorts - being her first solo, English language release since 2007's "Do It". Has it really been that long? The reaction to "Night Is Young" has been a bit mixed but, as usual, I'm on board. It's not the deepest song Nelly has ever written but I like the upbeat lyrics and fun chorus. With everyone from P!nk to Katy Perry churning out mindless party anthems, it would have been nice for her to do something different but I'm not complaining. "Night is Young" will do nicely over summer. There isn't a video yet but Nelly recently performed an acoustic version (below), which I think I actually prefer. She looks and sounds gorgeous. Can't wait to hear the other new tracks!

Nikka Costa's Pop Makeover

I mentioned in an earlier post that one of the (musical) highlights of my recent European trip was snaring a copy of Nikka Costa's latest single in Germany. That might sound incredibly lame to... just about everyone but Nikka and I have history. You see, the adopted Australian was one of my high school obsessions. Which is fucking weird given her rock/soul/funk sound. "Butterfly Rocket" screams the 90s to me more than bucket bongs and Buffy. Our passionate affair continued well into the next decade with her amazing breakthrough album "Everybody's Got Their Something" but we drifted apart as the years passed and I'm ashamed to say that I never got around to buying her last independently released opus "Pebble To A Pearl" (something I'll have to rectify ASAP).

That takes me back to Germany where Nikka has a new album slated for release on the 3rd of September. And if the lead single is any indication, it's set to be stunning return to form. "Ching Ching Ching" is an interesting change of pace for the former rock chick. The soulful sound of her previous albums has been replaced by upbeat guitar pop. Naturally, the faithful are up in arms - accusing the diva of "selling out" - but I love it. And so do the Germans, who recently made it Nikka's first chart hit in over a decade. Take that, whingers! "Ching Ching Ching" demands a couple of listens but stick with it. The lyrics are typically wry and the chorus should come with a 'catchy as fuck' warning. This would be my favourite comeback of 2010 if Jennifer Rush hadn't escaped from her crypt to record the song of the year. Anyway, make sure you watch the classy video. Nikka must be pushing 40 but she looks hotter than ever and the simple concept works. EMI Australia need to get on this shit instead of wasting their time and money on Erika!