Lopez Blogs

Just doing my little end-of-year thing tonight instead of tomorrow.


I don't usually go into the little personal bits of my life here but just a brief exception as it's the end of the year. All I'll say is that if they made a film of the last 52 weeks, it would probably be called "A Series of Unfortunate Events" - oh wait, they've already made one with that title! - anyway it would be enough to say that it was a catalogue of mini-disasters in relation to home and health, not just for me but for my loved ones too. Therefore I will just say "good riddance" to 2007 and hope we got all the bad bits out of the way this year. Therefore by the law of averages, 2008 should be fantastic. Fingers crossed ;-)


When I started this blog back in March I soon realised that it also became a kind of escapism for me, by focusing on the things that I wanted to share my enthusiasm about. I know it sounds corny, but doing EuropeCrazy (and its parallel universe, Planet Salem) got me through some bad times. If you are reading this you probably have a blog already, but if you haven't, I'd recommend starting your own blog, about whatever "floats your boat" - it's great therapy!


This is all getting a bit heavy (!) so I'll just wish everyone good health, happiness and all the best for 2008. I thought the following song was appropriate for the end of the year: it's a sweet and funny little song called "52 Weeks" by Marit Bergman and Salem Al Fakir, enjoy!



EuropeCrazy will return on Tuesday 1st January 2008 with another year of random ramblings - see you then ! X

I don't get Arcade Fire, who are topping every end-of-year poll that's going.

Is it just me?

The final shortlist of nominations for the Swedish Grammys (9th January, counting the days...) was announced three days ago, and here they are, along with my predictions. I am trying to remain objective here!

Best Album
KENT – TILLBAKA TILL SAMTIDEN
LARS WINNERBÄCK – DAUGAVA
SAHARA HOTNIGHTS – WHAT IF LEAVING IS A LOVING THING
SALEM AL FAKIR – THIS IS WHO I AM
SÄKERT! – SÄKERT!

Prediction: Salem should win this of course, but I think Kent will probably run away with this category, only because of their massive popularity. I won't really mind though if they win it - but why did The Ark's "Prayer For The Weekend" miss out on the final 5?

Best Dance/Hip Hop/Soul
ADAM TENSTA – IT’S A TENSTA THING
FAMILJEN – DET SNURRAR I MIN SKALLE
KEN – ÄNTLIGEN HEMMA
MANGE SCHMIDT – KÄNSLAN KOMMER TILLBAKS
PETTER – GOD DAMN IT

Prediction: A category I know nothing about, so I have no preference. I'd guess that Petter or Mange Schmidt would win as they seem to be the most popular.

Best Dansband/Schlager
BENNY ANDERSSONS ORKESTER/H. SJÖHOLM & T. KÖRBERG – BAO 3
DRIFTERS – ETT LIV MED DIG
LASSE STEFANZ – VAGABOND
MAGNUS CARLSSON – LIVE FOREVER - THE ALBUM
NANNE – JAG MÅSTE KYSSA DIG

Prediction: I'd love Magnus to win, but the public are likely to show their love for Nanne.

Best Group
KENT – TILLBAKA TILL SAMTIDEN
MANDO DIAO – NEVER SEEN THE LIGHT OF DAY
SAHARA HOTNIGHTS – WHAT IF LEAVING IS A LOVING THING
THE ARK – PRAYER FOR THE WEEKEND
THE HIVES – THE BLACK AND WHITE ALBUM

Prediction: Very likely Kent. You know I like Kent, but I love The Ark more so I hope they win this one.

Best Hard Rock
ENTOMBED – SERPENT SAINTS
HARDCORE SUPERSTAR – DREAMIN’ IN A CASKET
LILLASYSTER – HJÄRNDÖD MUSIK FÖR EN HJÄRNDÖD GENERATION
MUSTASCH – LATEST VERSION OF THE TRUTH
TAKIDA – BURY THE LIES

Prediction: A category I know nothing about, I don't know any of the bands so I can't predict this one.

Best Composer
ANNIKA NORLIN – SÄKERT!
BENNY ANDERSSON – BAO 3
JOAKIM BERG & MARTIN SKÖLD – TILLBAKA TILL SAMTIDEN
OLA SALO – PRAYER FOR THE WEEKEND
SALEM AL FAKIR – THIS IS WHO I AM

Prediction: Given the incredible musical diversity on his album, I can't see past Salem Al Fakir for this one.

Best Female Artist
ANNA JÄRVINEN – JAG FICK FEELING
LALEH – PRINSESSOR
MISS LI – GOD PUT A RAINBOW IN THE SKY
SONJA ALDÉN – TILL DIG
SÄKERT! – SÄKERT!

Prediction: Annika Norlin a.k.a. Säkert will win this, no question.

Best Live Act
LARS WINNERBÄCK
LENA PH & ORUP
TAKIDA
THE HIVES
TIMBUKTU

Prediction: I'd like to see Lena & Orup win this for sentimental reasons, but it's The Hives all the way.

Best Song
LARS WINNERBÄCK I DUETT MED MISS LI – OM DU LÄMNADE MIG NU
MANGE SCHMIDT FEAT. PETTER – GIFTIG
SAHARA HOTNIGHTS – CHEEK TO CHEEK
SALEM AL FAKIR – GOOD SONG
THE ARK – THE WORRYING KIND

Prediction: I'm shocked that Martin Stenmarck's "100 År Från Nu" and Mans Zelmerlöw's "Cara Mia" missed out on the final 5. You probably think it's just favouritism here, but I genuinely think "Good Song" will do it.

Best Male Artist
LARS WINNERBÄCK – DAUGAVA
MONEYBROTHER – MOUNT PLEASURE
MÅNS ZELMERLÖW – STAND BY FOR…
SALEM AL FAKIR – THIS IS WHO I AM
TIMBUKTU – OBEROENDEFRAMKALLANDE

Prediction: You know who I want to win, but I think the inexplicably popular Lars Winnerbäck will get the award.

Best Newcomer
ADAM TENSTA – IT’S A TENSTA THING
MAIA HIRASAWA – THOUGH, I’M JUST ME
OH LAURA – A SONG INSIDE MY HEAD, A DEMON IN MY BED
SALEM AL FAKIR – THIS IS WHO I AM
SÄKERT! – SÄKERT!

Prediction: Salem Al Fakir! Not just because I want him to win, but because I know he will get this one.

Best Producer
BENNY ANDERSSON – BAO 3
BJÖRN OLSSON – NEVER SEEN THE LIGHT OF DAY
BJÖRN YTTLING – WRITER´S BLOCK & WHAT IF LEAVING IS A LOVING THING
JON JOSHUA SCHUMAN & KENT – TILLBAKA TILL SAMTIDEN
SALEM AL FAKIR – THIS IS WHO I AM

Prediction: Schuman and Kent I reckon, but if it was my choice....well you know who.

Best Lyricist
ANNIKA NORLIN – SÄKERT!
EVA DAHLGREN – PETROLEUM OCH TÅNG
JASON DIAKITÉ – OBEROENDEFRAMKALLANDE
JOAKIM BERG – TILLBAKA TILL SAMTIDEN
SALEM AL FAKIR – THIS IS WHO I AM

Prediction: Where is Ola Salo - the best lyricist in Sweden? Why is he not here? Oh well it'll just have to be Joakim Berg then.

MTV Prize for Best Video
ADAM TENSTA - MY COOL (REGI: MARCUS LUNDIN)
FAMILJEN - DET SNURRAR I MIN SKALLE (REGI:JOHAN SÖDERBERG)
KENT - INGENTING (REGI: MATTIAS MONTERO/ADAM BERG)
SLAGSMÅLSKLUBBEN - MALMÖ BEACH NIGHT PARTY (REGI:ANDREAS NILSSON)
THE ARK - PRAYER FOR THE WEEKEND (REGI:MAGNUS RENFORS/KINDPEOPLE)

Prediction: The Ark will have to get an award one way or another, so give them this one!

My faithful travelling companion once told me about a review of a Stina Nordenstam album describing her music as "Nordic bleakness". He subsequently bought her CD during our Swedish holiday this year and it turned out that she wasn’t that bleak after all. The same description could arguably apply to Sweden’s biggest rock band, Kent, whose typical and uniquely Swedish style may not be to everyone’s taste. They have been going for many years and are still both critically and commercially successful. Think a kind of Swedish equivalent of Coldplay or Radiohead.

"Tillbaka Till Samtiden" however is less bleak than you’d imagine, and brings a bit of electronica into the mix. "Elefanter" kicks off the album slowly building into a pumping atmospheric anthem. "Berlin" is my favourite track, with Mr Berg’s distinctive voice over and electro-rock background, this track really defines their new sound. "Ingenting" didn’t take long to be loved at EuropeCrazy HQ and is arguably one of the most catchy, accessible songs they’ve ever made, yet with surprisingly angry lyrics. (Not sure about the choice of "Columbus" as the follow-up as it is more deserving of the ‘bleak’ tag).

On the whole, "Tillbaka" stands up as yet another high quality album from a band who are sounding stronger than ever. "Ensammast I Sverige" is the album’s epic closer, over eight minutes long. Listening to Kent, I wish I knew more Swedish as their songs have a great lyrical quality.

Nordic bleakness? Well admittedly it’s as far removed from Lucky Twice as you’ll get, but "Tillbaka Till Samtiden" is certainly not bleak - far from it.

Who’d have thought when Girls Aloud won "Popstars The Rivals" 5 years ago that they would still be around in 2007 and making high quality 21st century pop records. Pop bands aren’t supposed to make good albums - but Girls Aloud are the exception to the rule, as "Tangled Up" is not just a good pop album but a rather great one. We’ve got their brilliant writing/production team Xenomania to thank for that, with their never ending knack of giving us one unconventional pop gem after another. Here’s my track-by-track review.

Call The Shots is more subdued than what we’re used to, and to be honest is not really my favourite of their songs, but is still doing very well at the moment.

Close to Love is more high-energy and repetitive and its lyric gives the album its title.

Sexy! No No No.... This is still a high-powered treat and again defies the traditional conventions of verse-chorus-verse, and in typical Girls Aloud style has about six different songs in one.

Girl Overboard is a great Europop-style stomper which I could see being a big big hit all over Europe. Very catchy.

Can’t Speak French is a sophisticated foot-tapper which is now lodged in my brain. Apparently this will be the next single - good choice!

Black Jacks is another cracker with great vocals by Nadine on the chorus. Again the strength of this is a more unconventional approach.

Control of the Knife - a catchy mix of reggae and vocoded vocals, and another different style. Possible future single choice perhaps?

Fling - possibly my least favourite track on the album only cause it’s so annoying with that "fling baby fling baby" hookline. Goes off on a funky tangent though!

What You Crying For - uses that drum & bass style which was in vogue a couple of years ago. Filler it may be, but high quality filler nonetheless.

I’m Falling - this time they experiment with rock/pop. What I like about Girls Aloud is that they’re not afraid to stick to the one style.

Damn - Catchy and offbeat, not really much else to say!

Crocodile Tears - Girls Aloud don’t do ballads of course, but this comes quite close.

All in all, this is possibly the best British pop album of 2007. I don't know how much longer they’ll be around, but they’ll never outstay their welcome as long as they make records as good as this.

Why have one CMON in your life when you can have two!

Meet Moo. She is the second CMON to join us here at EuropeCrazy HQ. Moo is lovely and special and we love her very much. Awww.

Sevan left the chateau on last Friday night's prime. I finally got round to watching the prime and have finally figured out what's annoying me - the flashing lighting behind the stage. Must be getting old, but I find it offputting and distracting from the singers' performances!

Can't believe that the students have remained in the chateau over Christmas - I thought they'd have been sent home.

This week's prime (28.12.07) is a special dedicated to the late Gregory Lemarchal, who won Star Academy 4. Guests this week will be Nolwenn Leroy, Davide Esposito, Gérard Lenorman, Patrick Fiori, Helene Segara, Julie Zenatti, Emmanuel Moire - oh well at least I like Nolwenn and Emmanuel, otherwise :(

Anyway everyone will be singing songs which were recorded/made famous by Gregory, either during his winning run on the series or in his tragically short recording career. Hopefully it will be a fitting tribute to the young man with the outstanding voice.

Here's an appropriately seasonal game which you might want to download and play if you haven't done it already. I came across Elf Bowling a few years back and was thinking about it again the other day so decided to download it. It's not really rocket science - you're Santa and you have to knock down a gang of wacky elves with a bowling ball. It's very easy to play - maybe a bit too easy, as you will get bored after a while when you get one strike after another - but it's good seasonal fun, and worth it for the elves singing "Elf Elf Baby"!

I know I've already put all these on the blog but here is the full list anyway. For no reason other than just because I wanted to.

1. Good Song - Salem Al Fakir
2. Dream Girl - Salem Al Fakir
3. Inga Problem - Snook
4. Relax, Take It Easy - Mika
5. Stronger - Kanye West
6. Heavyweight Champion of the World - Reverend and the Makers
7. Count Me Out - Salem Al Fakir
8. The Way I Are - Timbaland
9. It’s True - Salem Al Fakir
10. Cara Mia - Mans Zelmerlow
11. Same Jeans - The View
12. Grace Kelly - Mika
13. This Is Who I Am - Salem Al Fakir
14. Stop Me - Mark Ronson feat Daniel Merriweather
15. The Worrying Kind - The Ark
16. Because of You - Ne-Yo
17. It’s Only You - Salem Al Fakir
18. Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
19. Elu Produit de L’Annee - Christophe Willem
20. When The Night Comes Falling - Sebastian Karlsson
21. Ingenting - Kent
22. Kiss The Bride - Christophe Willem
23. Don’t Hate On Me - Vincent
24. Late Night Session - Ali Love
25. Segdu Mer - Jonsi
26. Shine - Booty Luv
27. Suburban Knights - Hard-Fi
28. Work Your Magic - Dimitry Koldun
29. I Love You Mi Vida - D’Nash
30. Work Of Art (Da Vinci) - Mans Zelmerlow
31. Miss Blue - Vincent
32. Ready Set Go! - Tokio Hotel
33. Your Loss - Paul Steel
34. Come Marry Me - Miss Platnum
35. Live Forever - Magnus Carlsson
36. The Pretender - Foo Fighters
37. What Have You Done - Within Temptation
38. With Every Heartbeat - Robyn
39. Vayamos Companeros - Marquess
40. Tokyo - Danny Saucedo
41. Hooked On You - Infinity
42. Who’s Gonna Find Me - The Coral
43. Acceptable In The 80s - Calvin Harris
44. Everything - Michael Buble
45. Let Me Think About It - Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grand
46. Just Another Summer - Moneybrother
47. Love Is Gone - David Guetta
48. Through The Monsoon - Tokio Hotel
49. The Girls - Calvin Harris
50. Bubbly - Colbie Caillat

I've been enjoying all the end-of-year countdowns over the last few days: (special mentions to Pop Unlimited/Work Your Magic/Poster Girl) and having recently completed my own countdown I was just thinking about a few of the songs which narrowly missed out on my top 50 of the year so I reckon they deserve their own little moment of glory:

Bonafied Lovin' - Chromeo: This came into my life too late for inclusion in my countdown, otherwise a definite top 10 contender. Funky and fabulous.
Valerie - Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse: Ronson turned the Zutons' tune into a party anthem. This is how a cover version should be done. (Watch and learn, eh, Westlife???)
Apologize - Timbaland featuring OneRepublic: Unfortunately, OneRepublic's album "Dreaming Out Loud" failed to live up to the greatness of this track, one of my favourites of the past 2 months.
Handle Me - Robyn: Once I got over the shock of hearing that this and not "Be Mine!" would be the follow-up to "With Every Heartbeat", I actually rather liked this track. Just the right amount of quirky weirdness.
Tell Me - Salem Al Fakir: narrowly missed the chart purely because I didn't want overkill. One of the more soul-influenced tracks on the album, and shows off his brilliant piano playing.
Bejbi - Snook: I love Snook's album and could have chosen three or four songs for this list but this really nice hip-hop-ballad had the edge. Nothing to do with Salem singing the chorus (in Swedish!) of course :-)
Lovestoned - Justin Timberlake: I still think he's the best at what he does and he would seem to be one of the few genuine pop superstars around. Nothing particularly original about this, I just like it.
Dimmi Perche - Nyco: A young Frenchman singing in Italian: now if that's not a candidate for a mention on EuropeCrazy then I don't know what is. Very good catchy pop song from earlier this year.
Wanna Love U Girl - Robin Thicke: I don't really like him that much, but this Timberlake-ish song was the exception to the rule.
Behind The Cow - Scooter: Typical Scooter fare, does what it says on the tin. You shouldn't like the usual play-loud/guess-the-sample/formula techno which you expect from them, but, deep down, you know you want to.

Had a great Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.

Thanks to the most important people in my life for making it so special - you know who you are.

Got lots of lovely presents too.

Thanks to a combination of live and recorded shows, TV wasn't too bad either...

Christmas Crackers: "When Joseph Met Maria" (BBC-1): Ok I know this was on last night but I videotaped it as I thought it would be perfect to watch today. I wasn't wrong - this TV special featuring the finalists from "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria" and "Any Dream Will Do" was rather wonderful, and you can never have enough Lee Mead - gorgeous, talented etc etc, need I say more....

"Harry Hill's Christmas TV Burp" (ITV): The king of absurd TV comedy fully deserved his prime spot in the Christmas TV schedule: spiced peaches, Dot Cotton's zip, and a goose/turkey "FIGHT!" were three good reasons to love this. Even better news is that a new series is on the way!!

"Strictly Come Dancing" (BBC-1): Or rather, the first 55 minutes of this Christmas special, featuring the top 4 couples from the recent series (Alesha/Matthew, Matt/Flavia, Gethin/Camilla, Leticia/Darren) and the last two series winners (Mark/Karen & Darren/Lilia). Particularly enjoyed Mark and Matt, who are not only rather pleasant to watch but they also dance very well indeed.

Christmas Turkeys: "Strictly Come Dancing" (BBC-1): Or rather, the last 5 minutes of this Christmas special. Darren Gough? Eh? I was puzzled when he beat the brilliant Colin Jackson two years ago. Ditto tonight. Better than Mark? Alesha? Matt? Gethin? Even Leticia? No way no way. I don't understand his appeal, and I'd be grateful if anyone could explain it to me. Talking of turkeys, Tess Daly was dressed in an outfit which looked like a pair of old curtains, reminiscent of something the wicked stepmother would wear in panto. Someone in the wardrobe department must hate her that much.

"Coronation Street" (ITV): One of our all-time favourite soaps is going through a bad patch at present. No surprise therefore that this was a typically unremarkable Christmas Day episode, although I did cheer when Kevin Webster thumped the two-timing teacher. Otherwise, very boring. And why does everyone in soaps end up in the pub on Christmas Day?

Anyway I should watch less television now that I've got a fab new digital radio to listen to!! :-)

Christmas greetings from Darren and Paul zapping…

Just wanted to say a very merry christmas to everyone who has stopped by this webpage in the past year, all the artists who provided us with a plethora of amazing music, all the people who very kindly and regularly leave comments everyday, all our wonderful friends who provide us with so much enjoyment and happiness and of course the other blog sites we spend far too long poring over each day. Hope you have a wonderful time and a very happy, prosperous and successful new year. Below is a list of people we particularly love and beyond the jump are some more festive goodies. Now we are off until January 2nd as we have a week of presents, food, booze, family, friends and most importantly some lovely chuffing (boffing, porking, sexulising) to do in the confines of our very own home. See you soon!

People Paul and Darren love lots: Our families, Cat and Adam, Simon and Mark, Bernice, Ruth and Lou, Kirsty and Nick, Justin and Paul, Mark, Harona and Steph, Simon Curtis, Switch22, the (sadly disbanded) boys of Digital, J’ason D’Luv, DanUSA and UK, Poppostergirl, Bobbsypopsicle, XOLondon, Yuri and Olga, Digital Technique, Samuel ex-hotstufffile, Ben, Ed, Totoro, Glossy, Stu, Adem with an E and many more people…

Once again a big thanks to Paul for being so dedicated and enthusiastic about my music. I promise to get the album out in 2008! Happy Christmas and New Year to you. A big thank you and festive greeting for all thezapping readers who continue to show me and my music support. Hope you have a great holiday season. Simon x.

“Zap Kapow and Zap again! Switch22 wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a poppy new year. Keep up the good work dudey and get ready for 2008 as we unleash our fat beats, electro goodness, super hero capes and put our undies over our trousers for your musical delight! Keep those sexy ears peeled for mix collaborations with the fantastic Mr Cerno and the legend that is Limahl. Lots of love from Swany, SDB and UniqueKid XXX”

Hey everyone! Happy Holidays! Hope this greeting finds you all happy and healthy. Thanks to thezapping for all the support this year! Anywho - be merry and gay (I figure a large percentage of folks reading this will take that seriously : ) !!! Ha!) - and I’ll see y’all next year! X Deb

God bless the red blooded women. By the power of (grayskull) photoshop, they have transformed themselves into the three wise woman of the nativity. I bet the shepherds would have had a much better time in the cold and lowly stable if these feisty young women had turned up. 2008 is going to be a great year for the thinking mans Spice Girls, so I’m quite chuffed they found the time to pop to Bethlehem for this photo opportunity and even managed to direct the light from the guiding star into a funky festive Christmas greeting. Happy Christmas to you too girls - be sure to head on over to their myspace and check out their tunes, and maybe leave them a festive message too. You know you want to…

Seasons greetings from HomoAsbo!

Just swinging by to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a wicked new year. A big thanks to all the support you’ve shown to Billiam throughout the year. Have a good one ~ the Billiam boys.

MP3 download: Daniel Kirkley - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

MP3 Download: Conor O’Brien ~ Wish You A Merry Christmas

Thank you Thezapping for supporting us so early on. 2007 has been a fantastic year for us - the release of our debutalbum in Sweden and our first year of proper touring around Scandinavia - AND a platinum disc for Release Me and a few awards too! Quite incredible. Now we can’t wait to start playing internationally. We had our first gig in the UK in early December and it was great, we can’t wait to come back. We’re so looking forward to 2008. We’ve been asked to do a live session on BBC’s the Dermot O’Leary show on January the 5th and then we release our album in the UK in February…hopefully it will do well enough for us to come back and play there a lot more real soon! Until then; Merry Xmas, Happy New Year, thank you, thank you, thank you - lots of love to Thezapping and all it’s readers…from Oh Laura.

My fave American family who I so want to adopt me! It’s Dan, Heidi and the adorable Anna!

It’s my fave antipodean! Adem with an E. Fucking love this picture!! So just for him, I’ve put up a rather festive pic of his beloved Arctic Monkeys. How elftastic.

Look how flawless Yuri’s skin is!

This Chistmas, I’ll be waiting by the fireplace for Santa, wearing my tightest jeans and holding a plate of rohypnol-laced cookies. Happy Holidays! Love D’Luv (Chartrigger!)

Merry Christmas zapping readers from Ruthiepoos. I have had lots of fun this year reading about ace new music, and Paul’s crazy antics. How thrilling that the feeling will be touring in the new year and we can go and see them again! Happy Christmas and a zapping new year!

hello everyone! It’s me! Burn-ice (Bernice!)! Having spent many a drunken night out with Paul and Darren I have now learnt to say “that’s not for public consumption! You can’t put that on your website” otherwise Paul considers it all fair game! Anyway, happy holidays to everyone, have a great time, listen to lots of All I Want For Christmas Is You and don’t forget to return to thezapping often! It’s better than you think! HOHOHO

Happy Christmas Paul and Darren and zapping readers! It’s the glass of mulled wine we enjoyed together about a month ago! Thanks for sharing an ongoing text obsession throughout December of quotes from Love, Actually! hope you have a very Simon and Markalicious Christmas! BTW, we copyrighted “licious” years ago, but we don’t mind other people nicking it! We use “boff” from chartrigger all the time! Simon & Mark xxx

Video Download: Same Difference - All I Want For Christmas Is You (live at Nightingales)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT! SEE YOU ON THE SECOND JAN 2008!

I just want to wish everyone a a happy and peaceful Christmas and hope that Santa Claus is good to all of you.

I'm off now to get ready to see Santa (who looks suspiciously like faithful travelling companion) who'll be over later tonight. We'll be exchanging presents tonight but will wait till tomorrow of course before we open them!

Have a great time everyone! :-)))

Simon Curtis ~ Alter Boy 2007 (album of the year) featuring Pop Messiah and Put Your Make Up On (tracks of the year)

While absolutely no one who regularly reads this website will be exhibiting any surprise, the fact that Simon has continued to delight me with his music 19 months after I first heard it is one of the primary reasons driving my desire to do this site. He has had quite the chart career on thezapping charts, if not elsewhere with the following tracks making my countdown ~ Answer (number 5, July 2006), Broken (number 1, 3 weeks, November 2006), Put Your Make Up On (number 1, 4 weeks, January 2007), Resist (number 2, May 2007), Pop Messiah (number 1, 5 weeks, August 2007) and Another Heartache (number 2, November 2007) and that is why Alter Boy was the in the top 3 albums of 2006, and returns with added tracks for 2007 to claim the top position. Simon very deservedly has thezapping top album of the year 2007 with his mix of satirical, politically aware and increasingly fun pop electronica. And here are my thoughts on the joint top tracks of the year…

POP MESSIAH ~ I know Simon disagrees with me, but I still maintain that this would be the perfect lead off single for a second album. It’s bold, it’s feisty, it’s a thumping dance classic that much like the other track on this list, celebrates the glory of pop amidst a swirling thumping bass dance track that is as catchy as it is innovative and addictive. Just marvelously marvelous.

PUT YOUR MAKE UP ON ~ Kicking off the new year in 2007 was a real treat when this ode to growing up liking pop music slipped onto the airwaves. Built around the theme to popjustice with Xenomania, it’s crammed with poptasticle references to the Sugababes (red dress), etc with an incredibly catchy hook that leads into the brilliant “as a kid i got a lot of shit for/liking my music but what is it for?/you should listen to this because it gives more/yeah but it sounds lousy on the dancefloor” Anyone who loves pop kicked back, kvelled and utterly related to the glittering anthem.

Check out my chat with Simon by visiting his official fan club page or by downloading the word document here. Talking of why the album hasn’t been released, the “classic” nintendo ads, the fantastic duet with Thomas Dekker and whoring himself out for me!! I’m a pimp!!

THEZAPPING TOP ALBUMS OF 2007 (5-2 ~ The runner ups)

5 ~ Take That, Beautiful World (Tour Souvenir Edition): Released late 2006, Take That showed everyone else that a comeback was possible only if you had the tunes and talent to back it up (take note Spice Girls, East 17, boyzone, etc.) The album works best when everyone is given their time to dazzle. Ballads like Rule My World and Patience are grittier and more earthy than the early Gary Barlow compositions and Mark Owen provides a much deserved highlight with the very excellent Shine. A contemporary mature effort that still sounds quite lovely one year on.

3 key tracks: Rule The World; Shine; Like I Never Loved You At All

4 ~ BWO, Fabricator: Many people correctly pointed out that this really didn’t advance the exciting BWO sound that ruled their first two albums. And indeed that is the case. But when the pop is as catchy and heartwarming as this is, I didn’t particularly care whether it was advancing the sound or not. Glorious uptempo disco numbers mixed with delicious swoony ballads - this was a slightly more polished and credible Steps for the noughties and I continue to revel in their works.

3 key tracks: Give Me The Night; Saved My Pride; Destiny of Love

3 ~ Original Soundtrack, Hairspray: It’s rare that a soundtrack or cast recording makes my list. In fact, only 2 others have done so in the millenium (Chicago OST and Wicked OCR). However, this just wooed me from the start and indeed, I became a little obsessed with this where High School Musical 2 left me cold. Proving that promoting inclusiveness and equal opportunities could be a catchy pop infused dose of goodness, the cast always excelled vocally and only the torch song protest song fails to delight. The 3 additional tracks not in the film are equally as delightful. Just an addictive drug that I have to keep returning to over and over again. You can’t stop the beat.

3 key tracks: I Can Hear The Bells; Without Love; You Can’t Stop The Beat

2 ~ Maroon 5, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long: Really, what can I say other than Adam and the boys totally pulled it out of the bag with this excellent follow up to the almost flawless Songs About Jane. Showing an uncanny ability to produce songs that totally rock live, but come across as polished and pop and making teenage girls scream on disc, the boys mined a whole host of influences from the BeeGees to backstreet boys to prince and michael jackson. Hip pop sensibilities meet rock roots, stormy moods and bittersweet ballads. As edible as the lead singer, it’s the opus that will keep on giving way into 2008…

3 key tracks: Makes Me Wonder; Better We Break; Can’t Stop

THEZAPPING TOP TRACKS OF 2007 (The runner ups in no particular order…)

Runner up ~ BWO, Destiny of Love: I think this is possibly the most lovely post modern pop hymn that has graced the world in the last god knows how long. As lovely lyrically as it is melodically, there are a number of disco remixes yet the original album version remains one of the most elegant and beautiful songs of the year.

Runner up ~ Take That, Shine: The spiritual sequel to Mark Owen’s very own brilliant Blame It On The Boogie, this jaunty piano led tune not only has Mark on vocals in fine form, a gloriously over the top video, some lovely piano tinklings and an aces singalong chorus that is as timeless and it is modern. Listen carefully to the piano and bass line, and then go and listen to Scissor Sisters Laura and Mika Stuck In The Middle. It’s ELO-tastic.

Runner up ~ Maroon 5, Makes Me Wonder: Chartrigger quite rightly compared this to a backstreet boys type tune and it is a triumph of a band taking their pop-rock sound and blending it with a tiny bit of electronica and a lot of synthy disco to give themselves a fresh but familiar overhaul. This quite rightly was a smash all over the world and although the video for this (and subsequent singles) showed that Adam is an awful actor, the music more than made up for it. Discotastic and surprisingly so…

Right now, right this minute, I'm watching The Feeling's new video on Channel 4. The song is called "I Thought It Was Over". Nice, although on first listen it doesn't grab me in the way that "Sewn" or "Fill My Little World" did. I still like them though, and it's enough to make me look forward to hearing the new album.

Ah, what a gloriously festive weekend it has been. More about what I did during the day on Saturday in the Christmas eve post, but for now let me catch you up on what the past two evenings have been like. Friday night was Darren’s office party at a local comedy club. As I used to work at the same place as Darren does now, it was rather great to see everyone again and catch up. Plus I looked rather aces in my new fuck me pumps, ace low pocketed jeans, white shirt, black tie and black cardigan (the only ensemble i think it is appropriate to wear a cardigan with fashion fans!). The comics were rather ace, especially one woman whose Enid Blyton jokes I laughed way too loud and knowingly at. However, it was Saturday night that was just a giddy fun evening. Bernice, Daz and I went to see Same Difference at Nightingales. Now there have been a lot of huge pop acts perform there in the past (Sugababes, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Girls Aloud, et al) but i seriously haven’t see the place as packed as it was for the mighty SD. After an introduction from the host (in which a mention of an upcoming appearance from Rhydiculous got resoundingly booed, the silly haired homophobic comment making fool won’t be getting a warm welcome then!) the siblings came on stage (Sean wearing EXACTLY the same as I wore the night before. The crush continues) to a rapturous welcome. And what was lovely was that they seemed absolutely overwhelmed by the reception, and were reduced to tears several times. Darren and I had elbowed our way to the front and I took a plethora of videos and photos. That came out quite well in my humble opinion. They performed all the greats from the show, finishing with All I Want For Christmas Is You (where Sarah touched my hand and Sean shook hands with Darren and winked at him! Swoon!) and an announcement that their debut single on Syco records will be out in early March! What a marv Christmas treat. I’m more addicted than ever… Download our Christmas weekend photo album here!!

10 ~ Take That, Rule The World: How fitting that a track from one of the years most magical movies came from the magical career resurrection of one of my favourite 90s boybands! They managed to knock out an appropriately majestic and sweeping ballad that was both rhythmically catchy and not too sickly sweet. That they did it all togged up in marks and spencers clothes is a miracle i never thought i’d see in my lifetime…

09 ~ Sugababes, About You Now: One blog site (i forget which, i read far too many!) unfairly and inaccurately dismissed this fine slice of pop as something McFly might knock out to please their pre-teen fans. A long run at number one was well deserved for this hook filled number that took the girls in a new mature direction without losing any of their original fizz and sparkle. Shame about all Mutya’s solo tracks then…

08 ~ Shayne Ward, If That’s Ok With You: I admit I was mortified when I first heard this Peter Andre wannabe track mixed with Akon-esque vocals. But somehow, within a couple of listens it totally worked - and not only that, it got better with each listen and hooked into my brain. And! The horribly cheesy dance routine only made it even more loveable. Thank god as well for the buffed up video outtakes too that proliferated the web…

07 ~ Aly & AJ, Potential Break Up Song: I owe this one totally to Samuel’s enthusiasm. I was marginally wooed by their first album, but this little gem of a tune rocked my world in a way i never thought it would. Jangly guitar pop on a par with No Sleep Tonight, infused with some funky bassline and some faux-rawk-chik vocals from the sisters (not twins as i mistakenly assumed). And it even charted in the UK with minimal promotion! Don’t believe the naysayers who say pop is dead and is coming back. It’s always been here. You just had to look for it!

06 ~ Shine4, In Your House: And this one I owe totally to bobpopsicle and his sometimes scary obsession with girl bands. This is a corker though. Take one hidden alanis morrisette track from the ridiculously popular Jagged Little Pill, throw in some gorgeous harmonies, chuck it in the tumble dryer Annie Lennox made Why in and you have the most elegant reinterpretation of a song that i have heard in years. I vastly overplayed it and still am not bored of it. As bobsicles said to me today “If Hope had done this on the X Factor, they may have lasted another week” Indeed. Mercifully, the nation will never know…

10 ~ Sugababes, Change: Will the sugababes ever end? It doesn’t really seem likely, and they will probably end up being a brand like Boney M and doing gay clubs for the next 30 years with nary an original member in site. But at the moment they are still churning out classy and addictive pop tunes, and after an initial spurt of dubiosity, i really like the now not so new girl Amelle. She seems feisty. And her vocals add a smoky edge to already beautiful sounding music. Hurrah, etc…

3 key tracks: About You Now; Change; Never Gonna Dance

09 ~ Blake Lewis, ADD: Beyond all reasonable expectations this album proved to be an immense tour de force for the sixth (!) American Idol runner up. He bought something different to the show (and not just his dress sense) and parlayed that into a very listenable set of tunes that is everything I wanted Robbie Williams’ Rudebox to be (but wasn’t). How he translates that to sales is now key, but I’m hoping for the release of some of the gorgeous electronica ballads as well as his swinging remake of Puttin On The Ritz. Giddily fun and more-ish…

3 key tracks: Gots To Get Her; End Of The World; She’s Making Me Lose It

08 ~ Shayne Ward, Breathless: Another surprise! The first time I listened to this, I thought it was incredibly mediocre and boring, much like his debut album. But then on repeated spins (do mp3s spin?) I realised it was much more than a Justin Timberlake album and more of a expression of the great type of pop that Shayne used to perform back on the X Factor. There are a number of musical styles in here and Shayne pulls them off with aplomb. Whatever that means… I think I will be listening to this lots in 2008, if that’s ok with you…

3 key tracks: If That’s OK With You; Melt The Snow; Damaged

07 ~ James Blunt, All The Lost Souls: Don’t be haters people. Hate the game not the player. Clearly I have no clue what I just said, but I really adore James’ second album. And perhaps it is best that it doesn’t have a “powerhouse” you’re beautiful type track on there, and that he came back with the quite funky 1973. There are plenty of other uptempo moments on the cd, mixed with self deprecating humour, sly observations on fame and of course, getting lots of booty. Quite charming.

3 key tracks: Gimme Some Love; Same Mistake; Carry You Home

06 ~ Mika, Life in Cartoon Motion: Packed to the gills with great music that was just infinitely catchy as it was dancey. Every song could have been a single, and indeed, most have been. It was the year that this man could no wrong, and his singles releases capitalised on his chart promise rather than establishing him as an albums only act (a la 2007’s killers and scissters singles). Time will tell if this was a fluke or a novelty, but for now I’ve enjoyed his album immensely and continue to do so…

3 key tracks: Stuck In The Middle; Lollipop; Happy Ending

5= ~ Lee Pace (Ned, Pushing Daisies)

5= ~ Sean Smith, Same Difference (It’s very wrong I know, and even worse I couldn’t find a picture of young Sean without his sister, but if you click here, there is quite a nice solo one. If anyone knows how to save it let me know!!)

4 ~ Ben Barnes (Touring History Boys/Prince Caspian)

3 ~ Shayne Ward

2 ~ Adam Levine (Maroon5)

1 ~ Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl, xoxo!)

Since Leon Jackson won the latest series of "X Factor" last Saturday night, he has been a target for criticism, and not just from disgruntled Rhydian fans. Like many others, I thought Rhydian had it in the bag, whilst Leon and Same Difference were just there on the final night to make up the numbers.

Why did Leon win? Hopefully not because of the "sob stories" aspect, which IMHO ruins the show from the audition stage onwards.

Again in my own humble opinion, Leon clinched victory because in his rendition of "When You Believe" he made that connection with the audience, even an old cynic like me who hates everything about "X Factor" (although I still watched it every week). Yes, Rhydian was a note-perfect, professional singer who was too good for this contest, but in the end he failed to connect. I doubt if Leon has the emotional strength or charisma to survive in the cut-throat pop world, but what he does have is a great voice, and that's what impressed me in the end, and I like the way he sang that song.

I was genuinely delighted when Leon was announced as the winner, as it was one of those moments which hadn't really happened since the Will-Gareth "Pop Idol" showdown when you expected a foregone conclusion only to get a major surprise. Leon is no Will Young however, and his career will need to be carefully managed and the correct songs chosen for him, otherwise he may just remain a one-hit wonder.

Good luck to Rhydian though: a long career in musical theatre is virtually guaranteed, and in the end it may be more rewarding than the five minutes of fame and Christmas number one that being an "X Factor" winner brings.

For the moment though, I like Leon singing "When You Believe", and I've never liked an "X Factor" winner's single before. So there is indeed a first time for everything.

News reached us tonight that one of my favourite Swedish pop stars, Alcazar singer Andreas Lundstedt, has announced that he is HIV-positive. Andreas said in a magazine interview that he tested positive and made the decision to announce this himself rather than be pushed into an announcement by the media, and also that neither his current boyfriend nor any previous partners have the infection.

Our best wishes are with Andreas and we hope that he will continue to carry on making music and entertaining us for a long time to come - with the emphasis being on the "positive".

5 ~ Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr: A slightly dark faery tale where ancient rituals clash with the modern world, and suddenly the rules that have kept Aislinn safe (a human can see malevolent normally invisible faeries) don’t seem to be working anymore. A story of fate mixed with burgeoning love is always intruiging if never entirely original.

4 ~ My Fat Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl: A hilarious insight into teenage dramas that takes an often poignant but never self pitying look at mental health problems and eating disorders. Desperate for love, I often felt guilty laughing at some of the situations but ultimately this is a touching story that gently nudges it’s messages across rather than batters you over the head with it.

3 ~ What The Dickens by Gregory Maguire: My beloved Greg, author of the amazing Wicked and Son of a Witch writes a children’s fairy tale that is a twist on an old classic (what else?) what-The Dickens is the name of a rogue tooth fairy, the anti-hero of a story told to two children during a fierce storm by their uncle. Flipping between the two stories draws interesting parallels as characters real and fictional (in story context) struggle to find their place in the world. maddeningly ambigious about whether the story told within the story is real or not…

2 ~ Luuurve is a many trousered thing by Louise Rennison: They may be written for teenage girls, but i freaking love the hilarious, genuinely witty continuing adventures of clueless selfish red bottomed minx Georgia Nicholson. She doesn’t really mature much in this story and how she snares three men on her rack of love is beyond me. Still perhaps laughter not food is the way to a mans heart.

1 ~ Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling: It was never going to satisfy everyone and the pressure must have been absolutely immense, but i found the final tome of the adventures of Harry and co to be ultimately rewarding with few frustrations. Plot twists abound with many threads tied up going back to the first book. JK is a great writer, and I am eager to read it again, before I start the whole series from the beginning. Two quite upsetting deaths (among many!) add to the pathos of the novel and entire series…

15 ~ Scissor Sisters, I Can’t Decide: Should’ve been a single instead of She’s My Man (which I did later come to appreciate a lot more) with honky tonk piano, a cool riff and the most catchy 3 minutes of pop bytes this side of Mika. Featured prominently in the season finale of Dr Who only added to it’s cool nerd (not even remotely nerdy) quota.

14 ~ McFly, Transylvania: The stand out moment from their Motion in the Ocean album (see 13 in albums above) was a bombastic slice of Queen-esque rock opera with a stunning sing a long chorus. While Grace Kelly got all the attention, the loveable scamps kept plodding along doing their thing and keeping their fiercely loyal fanbase more than happy.

13 ~ Leona Lewis, Bleeding Love: I really had no interest in Leona Lewis once she won the X Factor last year. However, unlike this year’s undeserved winner, Leona had the pipes to back up her title. Her first single proper seemed somewhat unassuming at first, but proved to be a real grower and one of those tracks that was sung by the right person at the right time and hooked the attention of a nation. Well done you boring so and so!

12 ~ Girls Aloud, Sexy No No No: I admit it! I thought this first post greatest hits single was trying to hard to be cool and not really working. However, weeks after it had left the charts, I found myself still singing it and appreciating it’s brilliance more and more. Not so much of one song as a number of anthems blended together brilliantly in a fuzztastic electro riot of true girl power (or something!)

11 ~ Maroon 5, Wake Up Call: Charted dismally, but a corker of a single with an intriguing video. Thumping bass, Adam’s alluring vocals and a tight performance by the band (often overlooked as the backing players) hooked me from the first time I heard it. A mark ronson remix with mary j blige vocals beefed up this zapping 5 week number smash… Plus thanks to some d’luvvly divine intervention I got to chat with Adam on the phone. As if i wasn’t obsessed enough…

15 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Stand By For: Ah, little Mans. Doesn’t he look lovely above? Like he’s going to create one of those explosive fireballs a la Peter Petrelli in Heroes, back when it was good. What is good is this debut album from another PPG graduate. It mixes a healthy dose of euro pop with sturdy melodies, a charismatic vocal style and a plethora of musical genres. Heck, even the rubbish cover of Maniac has grown on me. Icing on the cake? The duet of All I Want For Christmas Is You that i added to the end of the album playlist on my archos…

3 key tracks: Cara Mia (acoustic); The Prayer; Miss America

14 ~ Magnus Carlsson, Live Forever: It’s the album that is named after the single! And it was as good as the single promised it would be. Apart from the cover of Danny’s album, this is probably the gayest thing I have heard all year. Borrowing from disco and 80s, Magnus weaved a spellbinding magic around these europop tracks and made them sound deliriously edible. It seems tragic that my head is telling me this album couldn’t possibly be a success in England at the moment. Sweden’s listening pleasure is our loss…

3 key tracks: Crazy Summer Nights; Waves of Love; Live Forever

13 ~ McFly, Motion In The Ocean: Britain’s most underrated boyband continue to garner great first week sales before the bottom falls out of their fanbase. And therein lies the real shame. Were more people to look past their preconceptions, they would find a “teen” band at the peak of their game, spewing out intricate lyrics, courageous instrumentation and a more accomplished arrangements than most “credible” indie acts can string together. Plus their regular foray into b-side cover versions never fail to be interesting (see Umbrella; Born To Run, etc)

3 key tracks: Transylvania; Sorry’s Not Good Enough; Bubblewrap

12 ~ Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Trip The Light Fantastic: Why oh why oh why was this album not a million times huger than it was? Much like Rachel Steven’s Come and Get It excellent opus, this album was probably not of it’s time, to be appreciated by only a few. Pure polished pop with an edge of class, a dollop of dance and an elegance that other artists would kill for. And she did it all so effortlessly that she made it look so very simple, when in fact it’s a complex piece of work. Plus my beloved Dan Gillespie Sells contributed, tiding me over til his new material comes out in 2008…

3 key tracks: New York City Lights; Catch You; Love Is Here

11 ~ Kylie, X: She could have shat on a turntable (and did if Nu-di-ty is anything to go by) and people would have been interested. Sales have yet to match the hype, and i’m always a little worried about putting an album so high on the list that was released so late in the year. However, several last quarter releases have been standout and this is one ~ a sparkling celebration of life, with a couple of poignant references to her battles of the past few years. I suspect this may feature as highly on next years list, as I digest it more…

3 key tracks: Wow; The One; Cosmic

6 ~ Reaper (The CW): Originally pitched as bit of a Brimstone rip-off, this comedy drama proved to have a bit of a heart, some unrequited love, demons escaped from hell and a devil who wouldn’t have been out of place in the RatPack. Even the sidekicks who were initially annoying are now quite endearing. Plus what the eff does the dad know about the contract with the devil that he doesn’t want the strangely adorable Brett Harrison to find out??

5 ~ Dr Who (BBC1): Frankly, David Tennant is rather loveable and snappily dressed as the time lord and Martha made for a delightful addition to the cast and a worthy replacement for Billie Piper (no small feat!). Episodes like Blink were startlingly effective while the two parter where the dr disguised himself as human ranks as the seasons finest two hours, while setting things up for a scisstertastic master finale…

4 ~ The Tudors (Showtime): Historical accuracy be buggered. Jonathan Rhys Meyers made an excellent Henry VIII and made me believe for the first time ever that Henry was virile enough to bag six wives. Sex, lust, disease, divorce, rear rogering, possigays and the word cunt made for a delightfully intruiging series that will return (thank God) next year. Long live the king.

3 ~ Ugly Betty (ABC): Possibly tv’s most over the top campest hour since the unsurpassed Sunset Beach. Calculated weddings, empire takeovers, murder, death, prison breaks, dating someone 2 points below your hotness level, and extracting sperm from a corpse. You don’t get that from Bones (I think ~ I’ve never watched it but might catch up with it all during the writers strike). Plus the geeky Henry took Betty (sort of) to see Wicked, so there were mondo bonus points for that…

2 ~ Gossip Girl (The CW): Essentially The OC ~ The College Years, but set in New York and still in high school. Oh. But very good. Based on the books by Cecily von Something, it has so far stayed fairly loyal to the core material and made me fall desperately in love with the Dan-Serena relationship, while enjoying the struggle for high school and business power, and parental acceptance story lines that run parallel. Dan ends up a bit gay in the books, so fingers crossed for the lovely Penn Badgely to follow suit. Deliriously campy and gloriously addictive.

1 ~ Pushing Daisies (ABC): Oh how I loved this show before it was even on the air. And then it was everything I dreamed it would be. Slightly surreal, almost comic book like in it’s colourful presentation and a whimsical tv representation of a tragic fairy tale. Plus the cast are likely to break into songs like Birdhouse In Your Soul, which only adds to the charm. Plus the pieman and Chuck end up as my favourite couple of the year, among stiff competition from the previous two shows on this list. I haven’t watched last weeks episode yet, but I am dying to see how Chuck reacts to the news that the increasingly well dressed pieman killed her father, albeit inadvertantly. Which makes it ok in my book. Long live love.

Gone but not forgotten: The Oc, Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars

Continuing quite nicely in comic book form: Buffy Season Eight and Angel season six…

20 ~ Simon Curtis, Resist: I suspect that his won’t be the first time Simon appears in the countdown of the years top tracks. Released as a free download at the mighty Popjustice singles club, the best way I can describe this is as a millenial male version of the best Janet Jackson song every written (If). Rapidfire lyrics over an electro beat lead into a pounding chorus that locks into your brain and refuses to let go. Exhilarating.

19 ~ Kylie, 2 Hearts: Not quite the comeback single everyone was hoping for, but like number 12 on this list, it was a song that got better with each listen and in retrospect is actually a little bit marvelous. Slightly glam pop, slightly rocky and ultimately very Kylie, it paved the way for career highs like a duet with Leon on the X Factor. And for that we should all clearly be very thankful!

18 ~ James Blunt, Give Me Some Love: 1973 was the big comeback single, but this was and is definitely the standout track from the sophomore set by much mocked Mr B. Showed that he had a sense of humour and was quite self deprecating. Plus was a much more realistic diatribe than Rehab on the rigours of boozy pop life and the stress and depression it can bring, wrapped in a 70s style Elton John chorus (”why don’t you give me some love/i’ve taken shit loads of drugs/ i’m so tired of never fixing the pain”)…

17 ~ Mika, Grace Kelly: Love him or hate him, you certainly couldn’t avoid him or the song that catapulted him into the limelight. Put aside the slightly twatty personality that comes across in interviews, and this was a gleeful pop song that quite rightly topped the charts for a number of weeks. The Scissor Sisters were probably and quite rightly a little annoyed and a little scared.

16 ~ Lily Allen, Alfie: You could almost imagine Homer Simpson blowing into two bottles as the backing track for this Puppet On A String inspired piece of lunacy that was actually by far my favourite track on an enjoyable debut album. Poor Alfie had his life put in public display just because he preferred playing xbox and smoking weed to working. Each to his own especially if broadcasting it sounds as casiotastic as this!

20 ~ The Click Five, Modern Minds and Past Times: I have to admit I wasn’t as enamoured of La Five’s sophomore set upon first few listens. Losing Eric Dill seemed to have altered the band for the worse. However, the songs were actually more layered and may have taken a little longer to appreciate, but ultimately were rewarding and covered a range of styles from power pop to rock ballads to almost electro influenced disco. Sadly largely overlooked by the general populous. Boooooo!

3 key tracks ~ Flipside; Happy Birthday; Headlight Disco

19 ~ Delta Goodrem, Delta: Delta proved she was a force to be reckoned with when she returned with her third album and showed that she can’t be dragged down by her boyfriends fading career. A solid selection of songs that more than made up for the largely disappointing second album. Only grumble was that it didn’t haveTogether As One on it, but the Madonna influenced first track more than made up for that! Hurrah. Though what the fuck is that cover shot about?!

3 key tracks ~ Believe Again, In This Life; Woman

18 ~ RyanDan, RyanDan: I must admit that I was more than a little wooed by them during my interview as they are absolutely charming in person. But luckily their take on classical and pop (well they were in a boyband called B4, not to be confused with my new faves BeFour), merging into classy pop made me feel all warm and glowing inside and despite one duff cover (Wind Beneath My Wings. Really?) it was a rather lovely collection of harmonies, melodies and personal lyrics.

3 key tracks ~ High; Tears of an Angel; Like The Sun

17 ~ Evan, Under Your Spell: I’m not sure when this album was released, but i soon fell in love with it and it’s erasure-esque take on pop. Possibly the most 80s influenced act of the year that made the most modern sounding album. A seamless blend of dance numbers, late night shimmying and romantic warblings. Plus Evan wore clothes that made him look like you would knock on his door, and he would pull you into the dressing room and tweak your nipples til you pleaded for mercy…

3 key tracks: Moment I Miss You; Nobody Else Like You; Turn The Lights Down Low

16 ~ Darin, Break The News: Darin’s third album once again was the album that Shayne Ward or Gareth Gates should have been releasing. however, Shayne Ward has been let off the hook by releasing the album he should release, so gareth needs to pay attention and learn. You can release a pop album with a conscience (Homeless) and still have fun and be creatively involved mixing electro pop with jangly guitar pop and ballads. All hail the elfin faced wonder!

3 key tracks: Insanity; Desire; Everything But The Girl

12 ~ The Office: Oh how adorable were Pam and Jim once they had got together? And how sad was it when Angela and Dwight broke off their secret relationship? Sure a couple of the plot lines were quite awful (kidnapping the pizza delivery boy?), but mostly this was a delicate balance of the absolutely cringeworthy peppered with sweet romantic comedy.

11 ~ Nip/Tuck: Oh how awful would it have been if the network had originally got their way and this was a half hour comedy about Dr. “Nip” Nipperson and Dr. “Tuck” Tucker? Apparently not that bad if the revitalised 5th season is anything to go by. A quick move to LA and they are consultants on a Grey’s Anatomy type show (love it when Bradley Cooper playing a surgeon screams “I need a neck tie! Oh why is it casual friday” halfway through an operation) and do a pilot for a reality show. And while this is going on, there is shitting in a hot tub, crack addiction and gay for pay porn. I mean really, that’s gotta get the viewers through the door!

10 ~ The X Factor: The only non-scripted show on the list, though I stand firm in my belief that it is totally scripted and manipulated. By far the worst year to date, yet it is still absolutely fascinating to watch. Very few good vocalists this year, so thank God Same Difference put the fun factor into the show. Futureproof were kicked off way too early, and the writers pulled out the ultimate season finale twist by making Leon the ultimate winner. Leon! Words fail me! It’s more shocking than when Christian got his throat cut in season two of Nip/Tuck! Still at least the show showed Sharon and Louis for the evil scourges of decent society that they are.

09 ~ Robin Hood: He’s still riding through the glenn (if you get that reference you are probably at least as old as me!) but hiding behind far too many clothes this year. The fool. More of a structured story has paid off, with the love story of Marian and Robin progressing alongside the revelation of a traitor in the gang. Sure the plots are the hokiest this side of Lois and Clark, but i loved that show too. Desperately hoping for a third season and more toplessness.

08 ~ Desperate Housewives: A slightly annoying and lacklustre start to the season, with some “aren’t we cool for adding non stereotypical gays that are actually stereotypical” gay dudes into the mix a few episodes in (and one was a stay at home “wife”! Why couldn’t he work? Edie fucking works!) The neediness of Edie made her spiteful and vindictive rather than amusingly predatory and vengeful, and the new woman with all the secrets was a bit annoying. Still the pace picked up and by mid seasons end, there was a motherfucker of a storm and some genuinely jaw to the floor moments. More sex for andrew though please. Threesome with the gays?!

07 ~ Grey’s Anatomy: Another show that has had declining quality in the fourth season thanks mainly to the unlikely love affair of Izzy and George, plus Meredith’s inability to be a likeable character anymore. What is it with crap fourth seasons (see Buffy, Smallville, Gilmore Girls, Lois and Clark, etc…)?! Anyway, my favourite show for 3 years is now only 7th, so it needs to sort things out stat! At least Patrick Dempsey is still looking mcCummifying!

• Honourable mentions: Big Shots, Sarah Jane Adventures, Dexter, KyleXY, Greek, Charlie Jade…
• Still to watch (but plenty of time now, thanks writers strike!): DirtySexyMoney, Chuck, Mad Men…
• In desperate need of attention (ie, I am still persevering but seriously on my last nerve with these shows): Private Practice, Prison Break, Heroes, Lost (actually all but PB have shown a dramatic improvement recently!)

THEZAPPING TOP ALBUMS OF 2007 (25-21)

25 ~ The Killers, Sam’s Town: How appropriate that the first on the list of the great albums of 2007 should have been released in 2006! But for me, this list is about albums that i listened to most in 2007 and those are final quarter 2006 albums then so be it! Sam’s Town didn’t quite match the giddy brilliance of debut set Hot Fuss, although it certainly proved that B-Flo and the boys could still pump out bombastic melodies, crafted lyrics and deliver it all with a sense of showmanship and style. Bolt on set Sawdust proved that there were some highlights to add to the opus that made it more or less complete.

3 key tracks: When You Were Young; Bones; Read My Mind

24 ~ Justin Lanning, Behind These Eyes: Young Justin worked pretty hard to get his music out there, and in an outpouring of blood sweat and tears managed to get a small record label to get his music online, leading to a larger distribution deal in the new year. and well deserved it is too. A peppy set of guitar based pop-rock songs matched with Justin’s smooth vocal style meant that despite the poppy nature of the album, the melodies were strong and the sentiments deep. A largely undiscovered treasure trove of pop gems.

3 key tracks: Voices; Fingertips; Take My Breath Away

23 ~ Girls Aloud, Tangled Up: Really, Girls Aloud should have faded into obscurity long before their greatest hits albums (given the success of other tv show acts) but have soldiered on with a stellar selection of singles, that are largely attributed to their collaboration with xenomania. This may be their best album (Christmastry notwithstanding) to date and certainly the most cohesive. In fact, along with Westlife and Sugababes, the Girls are certainly proving that you can have longevity in a pop career and continue to knock out a bonza selection of tunes.

3 key tracks: Sexy No No No; Can’t Speak French; Blackjacks

22 ~ Scissor Sisters, Ta-Dah: Another 2006 remnant but one that I appreciated much much more as 2007 rolled on. The singles may have had the law of increasingly diminshed returns, but that doesn’t mean the tracks didn’t sparkle, particularly those that were built around a honky tonk piano riff. And let’s face it ~ any album that contributed to Sean Same Difference riding onto the X Factor stage on a tricycle has got to be a bit of a winner with me.

3 key tracks: I Don’t Feel Like Dancing; I Can’t Decide; Intermission

21 ~ Rooney, Calling The World: Apart from a sanguine Christmas song on the OC Chrismukkah soundtrack, I had no comprehension of who Rooney were until I heard their glorious single When Did Your Heart Go Missing. The album certainly wasn’t disappointing ~ full of edgy guitar sounds, crystalline vocals and an aces knack of composing detailed melodies that stick in the head for days. Shame the UK got totally jipped on the cover then. The US version is way way better…

3 key tracks: When Did Your Heart Go Missing; I Should’ve Been After You; Paralyzed

THEZAPPING TOP TRACKS OF 2007 (25-21)

25= ~ Britney Spears, Gimme More: Who would have thought that this song that seemed so monotonous and dull at first would be come more insistent and insinuative with each listen? Her personal life may have been an utter car crash (and continues to be) but this slutty electro groove proves that at least her record label have an understanding of what makes a good pop song. Expect Piece of Me to be in my top tracks of 2008. Yes, I am as shocked as you are…

25= ~ Arctic Monkeys, Florescent Adolescent: More clever wordy wordplay from Adem’s wet dream. This for me was the definite stand out moment from their tres bon sophomore set and had me giggling with glee at the rapidfire lyrics that practically spewed from his tongue. Never has rubbishing someone’s life sounded so completely delightful. Now, did she ever find out if it was a mecca dobber or a betting pencil???

24 ~ Hairspray Cast, You Can’t Stop The Beat: Ah, my obsession of the year before Same Difference came into play and actually an ideal song for them to cover. Hairspray was just the feelgood movie of the year with a genuinely addictive soundtrack to match. Every moment of this song positively drips with sunshine and lollipops, and puts a smile on my face every time I hear it. Much like the film does. And same difference. Sigh…

23 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Cara Mia: Suave, good looking, great (then increasingly dubious) hair and the voice of an angel. If that angel had fallen to earth and whored himself out for a few months to get by. mans made this very europop tune sound romantic and dirty all at the same time, and the tune not only worked in dance mix format but also in a stripped back acoustic version, that sits prettily along side his beautiful interpretation of All I Want For Christmas Is You.

22 ~ Magnus Carlsson, Live Forever: It sampled A-Ha’s Take On Me for crissakes so instantly became the best A-ha but not A-Ha song since A1 actually sang Take On Me. Possibly the most pure pop offering of 2007, it sizzled with camposity and glittered with disco magic. And yet again, a stripped back version showed the song in a gentler light as a crooning Magnus sings it ballad style and positively drips with honey goodness.

21 ~ BWO, Rhythm Drives Me Crazy: This won’t be the last time you see BWO on this list. While everyone else found their third album just that little bit samey, I revelled in the fact that at least someone was putting out Stepsesque pop tunes for me to enjoy. This was a bit of a grower, but ultimately a terrific pop dance number that really did deserve to find a much wider audience…

Didn’t quite make the cut, but v good anyway: Simon Curtis, Another Heartache; Maroon 5, Won’t Go Home Without You; Mark Ronson, Valerie; Robyn, Be Mine and Roisin, Overpowered (oh don’t look so shocked at the last two! I don’t get their constant accolades but i do like a couple of their tunes!!)

Due to one thing and another I haven't even watched this week's prime yet, but I wandered over to TF1 just now to see what was happening, only to discover that Maureen - potential winner and one of my favourites - has walked out of the Chateau and quit the show!

Why do all my faves walk out? Last year it was Gael and this year it's Maureen. Seemingly citing "health problems" but I don't know any more about it.

Acer Ben - have you got any more news on this one?

Of all the music TV channels in this country, my favourite is The Box, one reason being there must be someone there who likes Swedish pop: over the past year they've shown the likes of "Lucky" by Lucky Twice / "Painted by Numbers" by The Sounds / "Chariots of Fire" by BWO. All of which flopped miserably in the British chart.

But here we go again with another attempt to launch BWO over here. Tonight I was watching The Box and they played the "Sunshine In The Rain" video, which in typical Alexander Bard-style is just a little bizarre. Oh, and Martin's cute in the video too. I like the song, maybe not as much as "Chariots of Fire" or for that matter "Temple of Love" but I wish they would have a hit here.

Jesus Christ on a cross! It’s bearforce one above wishing all thezapping readers a very beary hairy Christmas and a slappy new year. BF1 will be frolicking in the Christmas cabin this festive season, relaxing naked in the sauna and (i quote) “playing sexy bondage games with the tinsel and bauble gags”! Oh my christmas! Seriously though, the BF guys are super nice and ridiculously rude and funny and big fans of lezaps and it’s filthy rantings. Marv. Plus two of them have severely ripped tummies for bears don’t they? Anyway as an early Christmas gift, they are exclusively and guilt free allowing readers to download a low quality version of their Christmas single “Christmas Is Here” which is just filled festive cheer and bumcummery. Their words, not mine…

MP3: BearforceOne ~ Christmas Is Here

Christmas Goodies:

• Song: Westlife, White Christmas ~ Before Leon (the fucking X Factor winner! Saints alive!) murdered this last night on the finale and became the least deserving winner since creepy perv Steve Brookstein (who? exactly!), I quite liked this song. Groups like A1 have done it and made it quite lovely, but as I am on a westlife kick this week, I thought you could all listen to their version. Aren’t you lucky boys and girls?
• Film: It’s A Wonderful Life ~ It has wonderfulness baked right into the title, and although it takes a little while for the wonderfulness to occur, there is much to love about this perennial Christmas favourite. Clarence gets his wings! People donate money! God bless us, everyone!
• TV Show: Blossom, It’s A Marginal Life (Season Two) ~ remember Blossom? I bloody loved her back in the day. While all the cool kids were watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air, I was getting my Blossom fix. Aces. This festive nugget sees the Russo family have a turbulent Christmas thanks to a musicians strike which means Papa Nick has to take a job in an organ store. Bummer…