María José Returns To Save Pop!

Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration but the return of Mexico's queen of 80s covers is undoubtedly a cause for celebration. María José stole my heart last year. Her brilliant version of "No Soy Una Señora" came in at number 8 on my best singles of 2009 countdown, while its parent album ranked 24th. I love María's fun sound, saucy videos and amazing ability to recycle South American pop classics. Happily, the diva's new single showcases all three qualities. "La Ocasión Para Amarnos" is great cover of a Daniela Romo song from 1983. It was always going to be impossible to beat Daniela in the fashion stakes - look at her amazing hair! - but María makes the song her own. She's still rocking that whole P!nk meets Kelly Clarkson pop/rock blend and her voice is stronger than ever. My only concern is the video clip (below), which finds the stunning beauty striking sexy poses in an abandoned warehouse. Highlights include a weird magical sofa and a scene where she perches on factory equipment! What is it with fabulous Mexican divas and dubious film clips? Maybe it's a Mexican tradition like piñatas and telenovelas. Anyway, brace yourself for María's latest smash!

Lucero - My New Mexican Obsession

Mexican pop music continues to blow my mind. It's hard to believe that so many glorious divas could emerge from the one nation - María José, Ninel Conde, Fey, Patricia Manterola and Lorena Herrera. So much talent and beauty! Well, I have a new name to add to that long list. A couple of days ago my Mexipop soulmate Joe introduced me to Lucero and it was love at first listen. The glamorous songbird is a living legend at home. She released her first album as a 13 year old in 1982 and is still going strong today. Lucero's latest opus (above) hit stores last month and the video for the album's second single debuted recently. Nothing will prepare you for fabulousness of "Indispensable". A 41 year old balladeer jumping on the electro-pop bandwagon - complete with a film clip that channels Lady Gaga and Britney Spears circa 2000 - is hard to beat! As much as I love the song, it's all about the visuals for me. The cheap special effects, dubious choreography and unfortunate outfits combine to create the video of the year (below). Seriously, this makes Fey's iconic "Let Me Show You" look like "Bad Romance"! Truly breathtaking. The annoying thing is I now have 21 albums to catch up on. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm buying this masterpiece for the cover alone!

Beyoncé - Irreemplazable

One of my favourite things about Beyoncé is her unprecedented ability to milk an album. Think about "Sasha Fierce" - four or five re-releases, a live CD, a live DVD, 9 singles and a compilation of remixes. The situation was pretty similar with "B'Day". Australia only got 3 singles and a tour edition but the rest of the world was blessed with 8 singles as well as a seemingly endless string of re-issues and what is probably my all time favourite Beyoncé collectible. "Irreemplazable" was released in late 2007 in a bid to crack the lucrative South American market. I'm not sure if the EP had the desired effect but I adore every second of it. The Spanish versions of "Listen", "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar" are uniformly fabulous and I'm addicted to the trashy reggaeton remix of "Get Me Bodied". However, one track stands head and shoulders above the rest. The Norteña remix of "Irreemplazable" would easily feature in my Beyoncé top 10, probably my top 5. And I can't explain why. I didn't know Norteña was a musical genre (from Mexico characterised by accordions and the bajo sexto) before this song and "Irreplaceable" doesn't even do it for me in English. The appeal probably lies in its novelty - Chola Bey makes a once in a career appearance - and the fact that it vaguely reminds me of the calypso explosion from the 1980s. Think La Toya's "On A Night Like This" and every second song Audrey Landers released between 1983 and 1987. To me this is the musical equivalent of a boozy afternoon in the summer sun. Interpret that as you will! Anyway, prepare yourself for Mexican Beyoncé - you just might like it.

Ninel Conde - The Mexican Beyoncé

I really don't know that much about Mexico's stunning Ninel Conde apart from the fact that she's the arch rival of my beloved Lorena Herrera and is clearly a massive Beyoncé fan if the video clip of her latest single is anything to go by. "Mujeriego" plays like a four minute homage to Sasha Fierce. The costumes, choreography and outfits all look very familiar. It's like "Single Ladies" crossed with "Sweet Dreams" with a dash of "One Night Only" thrown in for good measure! Don't get me wrong, I'm not throwing shade on lovely Ninel. As far as I'm concerned all foreign divas should steal from their more famous international counterparts. Hell, Ami Suzuki would be hocking her box on a Tokyo street corner if she stopped copying Kylie! I just think it's interesting that Ninel borrowed B's image so completely but stuck with her own unique brand of trashtastic Mexi-pop. It doesn't quite gel but who gives a shit when the finished product is this much fun? The Beyoncé themed video is hilarious - she obviously hired Fey's low budget special effects team - and the song is a welcome burst of trashy fun. I particularly love the catchy chorus and low brow production values. Ninel is not in Lorena's league of fabulousness yet but she could well be a contender if she keeps this up! Sit back, relax and enjoy the sheer cinematic brilliance of "Mujeriego" (below).