¡viva la graham!

Girls Aloud and Sugababes might have once joined forces for charity, but they’re going head to head in the singles arena once again with their respective new tracks, “Can’t Speak French” and “Denial.” Neither one would have been my choice from their most recent discs, but the flashy clips certainly liven things up a bit (thankfully). As usual, I’m partial to Sugababes, so I’ll put it first:

And Girls Aloud:

Where’s your new video, Danity Kane??

you saw it here first! haha, perhaps because no one else cares?? (that headline was meant to be ironic, by the way.)

it’s the new sugababes video, “about you now.” i am obsessed with the song at the moment, and maybe i was hoping for more with the visual accompaniment. the girls look glam and gorgeous, of course, but it’s mostly just them in yellow dresses striking poses — chests out, arms akimbo, etc.

the best bit is that the lyrics are slightly different than in the version i’ve been listening to. way to keep me on my toes, ladies!

the new sugababes single “about you now” made its debut on radio 1 today, but so far i haven’t been able to find streaming audio of the entire track.

from what i’ve heard, the song is just as amazing as i hoped it would be. if you liked what the group did with that arctic monkeys cover earlier this year, this will be right up your alley. check out a clip at the girls’ myspace, and watch this space for the forthcoming video.

also, on a side note, they say heidi (pictured, center) is pregnant because of her pose in this new press photo. and obviously newbie amelle (left) doesn’t pull rank, because they chose a photo in which she’s the only one not looking the part. photoshop can’t fix a blank expression, but don’t worry, dear. it will get better with time.

UPDATE! for the time being, you can find a radio rip of “about you now” online here and here (via kevipod music).

this isn’t news for blog addicts, as it already made the rounds, but i realized i had yet to mention groove armada’s fantastic “song 4 mutya (out of control)” featuring mutya buena. the ex-sugababe did well with her debut single, but this one is improving on that success.

dripping with ’80s synths and new wave style, the track suits mutya rather well. the video doesn’t really mesh with the song, in my opinion, but when you’ve got a single this good (and a singer this photogenic), it doesn’t matter.

also, i must say… after the modest success of “i see you baby (shakin’ that ass),” who knew groove armada had this in them?

that’s how i’d describe the new siobhan donaghy single “so you say,” and the video is breathtaking as well. the only part of the clip that throws me is the bit at the end, when she kisses that creepy guy with sparks in his mouth and sort of becomes a zombie (or something?). what is that about??

other than that, i’m very pleased with the ex-sugababe. after a so-so attempt at a solo comeback a few months back, i was afraid she would begin a descent into oblivion. au contraire! “so you say” is lush and ethereal yet still accessible to the average pop music fan. this should definitely put her career back on track.

mutya buena left the sugababes behind more than a year ago, so it’s about time she came out with something on her own. her debut solo single, “real girl,” is a lot of fun - even if it’s not terribly original (most of the melodies mirror those of the song it samples, lenny kravitz’s “it ain’t over till it’s over”).

regardless, this is a promising start for an extremely talented vocalist. let’s hope the rest of her upcoming album is this funky.

i now present to you every little english pouf’s big gay dream come true! sugababes and girls aloud together on one track, a completely unnecessary but altogether lovable cover of “walk this way.” i hope you enjoy the camptastic video clip, which i meant to post weeks ago but it somehow slipped through the cracks.

“walk this way” currently reigns supreme atop the u.k. singles chart, which is especially nice as the proceeds go to charity. but hopefully both girl groups will soon get back to business and come up with something even better (read: original) next time ’round.

ex-sugababe siobhan donaghy glams it up in the stunningly beautiful video for her new single “don’t give it up.” as you can see from this photo, she’s wearing a bit more make-up these days — it’s outrageous without being garish — and she’s ditched her h&m duds for something a little more, shall we say, opulent. ooh, and her hair looks fantastic, too.

it’s a welcome change, though unfortunately the actual song isn’t quite as enchanting as the couture-clad siren. it’s nice enough, but you know keisha sugababe is not impressed. also, despite her own success, siobhan still has that brooding thing about her. it just makes you want to shake her and say, “chin up, woman! it can’t be that bad.”

a lot of gay men have a straight guy fantasy… hey, i’ve been there! and scissor sisters’ jake shears is no exception.

the saucy singer admitted he has a thing for dave berry, a british television presenter who happens to be dating sugababe heidi range. although the ‘babes covered adina howard’s “freak like me” a while back, i doubt heidi would let jake have his wish (even if she could watch, and if dave was fucked up enough to give it a try, and if jake wasn’t in a loving, committed relationship… ok, that’s a lot of ifs!).

anyway, here’s a photo of the happy, photogenic couple. i can sort of see what jake might see in him… i bet the accent is the clincher.

i am in love with the sugababes song, “easy,” and not just for its suggestive lyrics. you may recall the aforementioned: “got such a pretty kitty, boy / know you wanna pet it.” but the ‘babes also want you to know that “the weather’s nice and wet just south of the border.” ooh, and let’s not forget: “hey mister postman, where’s the mail for my mailbox?”; and another favorite: “i wanted sex on the beach and i don’t mean on the rocks.”

the hyper-stylish video accompaniment might not make much sense, but i love it, too. of course with such dirty things coming out of their mouths, keisha, heidi and amelle have been placed in the only suitable environment - ultra-modern toilet stalls! ok, it’s almost unforgivably silly, but doesn’t the dripping red nail polish make up for it just a little bit?

the song is fantastic, but the promo clip is genius for sheer comedy value alone. as you might guess, it’s the video of the week. now that i feel completely debauched, i’m off to take a shower…