Today's Pick

British producer, songwriter and creative visionary Naughty Boy brings us a brand new track and music video for his new track, "Wonder," featuring frequent collaborator Scottish singing sensation Emeli Sandé. In just four years, Naughty Boy has experienced an incredible career trajectory. From a tiny shed in Watford to his own state-of-the-art studio in Ealing, The rising producer has crafted compositions for everyone from Tinie Tempah, Wiley and Professor Green to Cheryl Cole, Leona Lewis as well as Emeli Sandé.
The latter's debut album "Our Version Of Events," largely produced by Naughty Boy, shot to No.1 earlier this year and is the biggest selling new album of the year so far. The cool master conductor has reintroduced the charts to the sound of ska, edgy urban beats and trip hop as well as uplifting, thought -provoking tunes rich with emotion, grandeur and drama. "Wonder," is the first single to be released by Naughty Boy himself.
With dramatic production and a powerful message, the song starts off with a subtle piano and Sandé's sweet and soft vocals. A chorus even chimes in as you can hear the clear and precise beauty behind Naughty Boy's creation. The euphoric track, with its uplifting carnival sound, is the lead single to be taken from his debut album, "Hotel Cabana," which will be available in early 2013. "I want it to be an album for our time; it has a concept to it, so it's more like a film in some respects," Naughty Boy said. "I view it like I'm not just a producer – I'm a director too."
Even the video feels like a movie and not just a short music video. As a songwriter and producer Naughty Boy politely flaunts his amazing gifts and talents on the story and song. The Nadia Otzen-directed clip sees Sandé floating on a boat surrounded by a forest containing pink foliage and she is on a journey to the spectacular "Hotel Cabana" being guided by the elusive gatekeeper. The star continues to travel towards a lone white door amongst the trees. The video is great and gives you a great look at what is to come with Naughty Boy's new album "Hotel Cabana."

Loick Essien has revealed the video to his new upbeat love song "Me Without You," which will serve as the fourth release from the London singer's forthcoming debut album, "Identity," is currently slated for a March 5, 2012 release. Following on from the summer success of his No.2 club hit "How We Roll," the 21-year-old returns to the charts with another winner track and it shows that the young artist isn't scared to show his vulnerable side with a raw and emotional ballad insight into love and heartache.
Having co-written this emotive track which is mixed and produced by Mike Spencer, "Me Without You," is a proper blub-fest about breaking up with someone who you still want to be with, and trying to go on without them. "There's nothing worse than ending a relationship with someone you don't want to break up with," says the daredevil. "This song is about trying to rebuild your life when it feels like you can't go on without them. Everyone has felt like that at some point and it's something we can all relate to."
In the current pop climate, it takes balls bigger than a prizewinning pumpkin to steer of the ubiquitous lowest common denomiguetta club sound that has pop pinned to the wall by its throat, and on the basis of his second single we can conclude that Essien does indeed, metaphorically, have a sizable scrotum. "Me Without You" sounds current, of course, but there's a lightness of touch in the production that lets the song itself breathe. Which is all rather splendid. It should also be noted that "Me Without You" concerns one of our favorite pop topics: the nonstop blubbathon stage of a collapsed relationship.
That was sad enough. Then we saw the new video for it and it seems that Essien thinks being completely heartbroken makes him immune to getting run over. From one promising UK act to another, Essien has yet again delivered a single that sounds nothing like its predecessor. Undeniably mesmerizing, the voice re-establishes his abilities, and exactly why the R&B singer was nominated for a MOBO. "Me Without You" is an amazing Pop R&B song. It is a really beautiful and heartfelt, sad, breakup song. It has a cool, harder, almost-rock-type beat with smooth vocals on top. I'm really impressed with this singer's voice. He's got talent.

The N-Duz star Dappy has revealed the video for his debut solo single "No Regrets." The single is the first to be taken from his as-yet-untitled debut solo effort, out September 19 and the album is expected later in the year. The hat-loving rapper has now decided to pursue a solo career while bandmate and his cousin Tulisa taking on a new role as 'The X Factor' judge and Fazer embarking on his producing career. So Dappy is the first band member to release his own track.
"No Regrets" has all the essential ingredients required for a huge hit, including a killer key change and a gospel choir. "It's all about me as a person and explains why I've been so crazy and spontaneous," he told the Daily Star. In "No Regrets," the N-Dubz star namechecks celebs as diverse as Kurt Cobain, Chris Brown, Michael Caine and Richard Branson. And he even has a cheeky pop at the Royal newlyweds. The multi-talented Londoner writes, raps and sings his own songs, and with a song like this, his solo chart bid should be taken very seriously indeed.
The video, was filmed in Los Angeles earlier this year and shot by music video legendary director Benny Boom (Nicki Minaj, 50 Cent, R Kelly, and Snoop Dogg), is all high production value, posturing, side storylines and rooftops aka a really nice attempt to get some fans stateside. It has Dappy singing outside weatherboard houses and on top of LA skyscraper, and shows the story of a single mum turning her life around by training as a nurse and a boxer training to win a match.
The flight to LA must have been a lonely one as the 24-year-old UK rapper embarked on his solo journey, shooting the video for his debut single "No Regrets." You don't expect a conceptual, mini movie style video with Dappy and so for actors to play out the lyrics, It's a bit of a pleasant surprise. The lyrics are perfectly portrayed in a suitably emphatic video, nothing ground breaking about the visuals but it won't hinder the process of Dappy taking the top spot on the charts.

He grew out of east London's grime scene, and currently enrolled as a student at the local university. But 22-year-old Kwasi Danquah, better known as Tinchy Stryder, has more in common with an earlier, smoother generation of black British musicians, as well as US R'n'B giants such as Akon, whose unit-shifting powers he may just end up replicating. Stryder has recorded his 2nd #1 single with his song "Never Leave You".
The track "Never Leave You," featuring Amelle Berrabah of the Sugababes, written by Taio Cruz was released on August 2. The song is the 3rd single from Stryder's upcoming 2nd studio album, "Catch 22", which will be release next Tuesday. "Never Leave You" went straight to #1 on the UK Singles Chart in its week of release, knocking off "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas from the top spot, and earned him a UK #1 for 2nd time.
This song is beautiful, the British hip hop/rapper may have started the year as the so-called "Prince of Grime", with a star harmony turn from Sugababe Amelle, these two really compliment each other. This will be a sure and instant hit. I reckon the rythmn, tune and tempo is as good as Tip and Rehanna’s "Live your life". Lyrics slightly let it down, but only slightly.