Search the Community

Watch the video version of this article here! Although her star has faded a little in recent years, Katy Perry remains one of the biggest and most bankable popstars of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums and 100 million records over her ten year career. With hits ranging from debut single 'I Kissed A Girl' to 'Teenage Dream' and 'Chained to the Rhythm', Perry has until recently been a fixture of the charts, with every single she releases becoming not just a hit but an entire cultural happening. But with so many hits it seems impossible to avoid comparison with other artists, and Katy has had a handful of songs which have been noted for their striking similarities to other artist's tracks. Some of these tracks have just a passing resemblance, but others - #3, particularly - are almost note for note identical copies of other songs, and the public has definitely noticed. In this list, we'll be looking at five of the most obvious comparisons, as well as the original artist's reactions - and not all of them are pretty. Read on to find out more! Katy Perry - California Gurls (Feat. Snoop Dogg) Sounds Exactly Like... Ke$ha - TiK ToK 'California Gurls' has to be the most famous of all of Katy's "familiar" songs, and it's resemblance to the artist formerly known as Ke$ha's song 'TiK ToK' was remarked upon almost as soon as it was released. In this case, though, there's a pretty clear reason for the similarities: namely, the fact that both songs have exactly the same producers. 'TiK ToK', written by Kesha but produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco, was the biggest hit of 2009 and went on to be the fifth best selling single of all time, so it makes total sense that Luke and Blanco would attempt to recreate it's success in 2010 with Perry as the chosen artist and Snoop Dogg stepping into Diddy's shoes. While most of the songs on the list have just one or two similar elements to other tracks, 'California Gurls' is notable for being quite literally identical to 'Tik Tok', excluding the lyrics and the bridge. Not that that stopped it from being a hit: 'California Gurls' had no trouble at all hitting #1, a year after 'TiK ToK' did the same. Katy Perry - Bigger Than Me Sounds Exactly Like... Ania Wyszkoni - Lampa i sofa If you're just a casual fan of Katy's, you probably won't have heard 'Bigger Than Me', an album cut from last year's Witness; and similarly, if you live outside of Poland, chances are you won't have heard Ania Wyszkoni's 'Lampa i sofa', which literally translates to 'Lamp and Sofa'. Thankfully, it seems as though there's at least one Katy Cat who's also a Polish resident, because it wasn't long after 'Bigger Than Me' was heard for the first time that people pointed out it's essentially a note for note recreation of Wyzkoni's song with English lyrics added. To be fair to Katy, it's slightly far-fetched that this song really is plagiarised - even though 'Lampa i sofa' was a pretty big hit in Poland, hitting #2 on the charts there, it's unlikely that either Perry or her co-writers Sarah Hudson and the members of Purity Ring would have ever heard the track before. But those similarities in the chorus are just undeniable... Katy Perry - Roar Sounds Exactly Like... Sara Bareilles - Brave It took about two seconds after 'Roar' was released in 2013 for people to start comparing it to Sara Bareilles's 'Brave', which had been released four months prior as the lead single off her fourth album The Blessed Unrest. This time there was no getting around the similarities in melody and self-empowerment lyrics: Katy definitely knew about 'Brave', given that she'd Tweeted about it shortly after it was released to express her admiration. While their fans were duelling it out online though, Perry and Bareilles were apparently all good behind the scenes. Bareilles stated in an interview with ABC News Radio that she and Perry had been friends for a "long time", and that she had given her blessing to 'Roar' before it's release. "If I'm not mad I don't know why anybody else is upset," she mused. The two even performed 'Roar' together at a showcase, alongside Tegan and Sara and Ellie Goulding. And in the long run, the controversy was actually great publicity for Bareilles's theretofore unknown song: it prompted her record label to release 'Brave' to contemporary radio, giving it a much needed boost in promotion. Katy Perry - Dark Horse (Feat. Juicy J) Sounds Exactly Like... Flame - Joyful Noise Let's be honest: if you're anyone outside of the very exclusive "Christian hip hop" community, you won't have heard of Flame, the rapper who's released such monumental works as Our World: Fallen and Our World: Redeemed. That's why we find it a little hard to believe that Katy Perry and producer Dr. Luke stole the beat from his 2009 song 'Joyful Noise', as was alleged in a lawsuit he brought against her back in 2014. Flame's accusations were based on the idea that if you slow down 'Joyful Noise' by ten beats per minute and change the pitch an octave, the beats in each song are almost identical - although in our view, that's a lot of work to do to make the songs appear similar. He further alleged that the song's reputation was “irreparably tarnished by its association with the witchcraft, paganism, black magic and Illuminati imagery evoked by the same music in 'Dark Horse'" - a pretty big claim given the song's lack of reputation in the first place. Thankfully, the lawsuit was thrown out in 2015, but we're sure Flame will get his royalties when Jesus returns to walk the earth. Katy Perry - E.T. (Feat. Kanye West) Sounds Exactly Like... t.A.T.u. - All The Things She Said We're sure that the similarities between these songs are entirely coincidental, but it's fun to listen back to them for a little nostalgia flash anyway. Katy's 'E.T.' was released back in 2011, with the single version featuring a few verses by Kanye West, and it's weirdly familiar to anyone who turned on the radio back in 2002. Listen back to fake lesbians t.A.T.u's biggest hit 'All The Things She Said' and you'll notice that the choruses of each song have the exact same chord progression and beat. No wonder anyone born in the 90s likes 'E.T.' so much. Which song are you most surprised to hear is "inspired" by another artist? Are there any obvious rip offs we're totally missing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below!

Another day, another hole in the sinking ship that is Katy Perry's Witness album. So far this era, Katy has been accused of cultural appropriation, approving of misogyny and homophobia, and being an all around tryhard mess. Now, with the release of her latest music video for 'Swish Swish', Katy has proven the latter, while adding a new SJW buzz word to the description of herself: fat shamer. The 'Swish Swish' video was released several days ago, and features Perry putting together a group of misfit sportsmen - the Tigers - to take down a group of pro basketballers - the Sheep. Over the course of the video, Katy's crew - which includes people such as Backpack Kid, known as Pack Man; choreographer Dexter Mayfield, known as Hair Jordan; and YouTube vlogger Christine Sydelko, referred to as Shaquille O'Meals - learn to channel their negative moments into positive earnings and ultimately win the game. But not everyone was happy about Sydelko's appearance in the video. Over the course of the six and a half minute clip, Sydelko chows down on some tacos, eats a basketball and then burps it back up, and seduces one of her opponents over a tortilla. According to Twitter, this was unforgiveable "fat shaming" which turned Sydelko's appearance into one big fat joke and made the video unwatchable. The situation was made worse when Sydelko's vlogging partner, Elijah Daniel, took to Twitter to vent his frustrations on her behalf. The two YouTubers also took to their channel later on to react to the video live. While Elijah continued his tirade against Perry, Christine was understandably more diplomatic, and said that she wasn't offended by the video in the slightest. For our part, while we understand the point that Twitter users were trying to make, we frankly think that Christine should be thankful for even being given the opportunity to star in a music video from one of the worlds biggest stars. 'Swish Swish' currently has over 40 million views which is more than Elijah and Christine's channel put together, and will be syndicated worldwide in countries around the globe. That's exposure YouTube could never get you. Christine also claims that she was unaware of the emphasis that would be placed on her weight in the video, which is standard practise for most music videos which don't want to reveal their plots before release. However, there was no mention of her ever trying to voice her concerns about the video to the director and if worse had come to worse she could have simply refused to participate. In our opinion, this is simply another case of someone taking the money and exposure a star will give them, before turning around and spitting in their face for more publicity. But what are your thoughts?

Back in June, we reported that Dr. Luke's legal team had demanded that Kesha hand over a group of select texts between herself and Lady Gaga as evidence in their ongoing defamation trial. According to Luke, the texts were proof that Kesha had defamed his name publicly by spreading three intentional lies about him: that he had raped her, that he had given her drugs against her will, and that he had also raped Katy Perry. Up until now, those texts were under lock and key. But thanks to the transparency of the New York legal system, they have now been uploaded online for anyone to view as they please. The original document is online and is probably worth a look just for the sheer bizarreness of watching two major popstars texting like twelve year old girls, but if you don't feel like scrolling through pages of digital information you can read the full transcript below. Apart from confirmation that Kesha was indeed under the apprehension that Luke raped Perry - an accusation that both Perry and Luke have both vehemently denied - the texts also brought to light the fact that both Kesha and Gaga at one point considered Perry "mean". While Gaga has always shrugged it off in interviews, the rivalry between her and Perry is well-documented, meaning her claim is pretty unsurprising. But Kesha's negative opinion is a little more confusing, because as far as we know the two were always good terms, with Kesha even appearing as a background extra in Perry's breakthrough music video for 'I Kissed A Girl'. Not long after the documents were released online, Gaga took to her social media of choice to retract her claims, countering that Perry is "truly a kind soul" and that her past opinions were a result of "differences w/ each other". And it wasn't long before Perry responded with a Tweet of her own, attesting to the fact that there was no bad blood between the two whatsoever. Conspicuously absent in the Twitter love-fest was Kesha, who kept quiet about the whole situation. Although it would be easy to suggest that Kesha still holds a grudge against Perry, it's just as likely that she's been advised by her legal team to keep quiet on the issue given that it's part of an ongoing case. Either way, we have to wonder what exactly happened in the past that would lead both Gaga and Kesha to consider Perry "mean". Was it really just the fact that Katy wasn't coming forward about her alleged rape, or was there more to it? We were always led to believe that Taylor Swift was the snake of the music industry, but maybe there was another side to the story we haven't been let in on. Your thoughts?

It's hard to believe that it's been four years since Kesha launched a lawsuit against her onetime producer and continued manager Dr. Luke, and that even now in 2018 the full extent of that lawsuit is only just becoming apparent. Because while Kesha's lawsuit against Luke was dropped several years ago, Luke himself was quick to launch a counter-suit against Kesha which alleged that she intentionally defamed his name to the tune of ten million dollars. Luke's suit is based on three alleged falsities that Kesha stated about him in various outlets. One is that he raped her, and another is that he gave her drugs against her will. But up until now the third falsity has gone unknown. With it's reveal today, Luke has made the whole suit even messier by dragging two other A-list popstars into the suit. We learnt a while ago that Luke's team had asked Lady Gaga to turn over her text messages with Kesha to the court as evidence, and now we know why. According to Luke, Kesha told Gaga in a series of text messages that Luke had raped not only herself, but Katy Perry as well. The allegation is an interesting twist in the tale of deceit. If Luke's claim is correct - which still isn't a sure thing, as context could account for a lot in this case - then the truth of the matter between him and Kesha comes down to this very text. If she was telling the truth about Katy, it's likely that she was telling the truth about her own experience; if she was lying, her credibility is entirely wasted and there's no reason she couldn't have lied about her own abuse. Of course, the only person other than Luke who knows about the alleged Katy Perry abuse is Katy herself. For the record, Katy has never said anything about Luke raping her, or said anything negative about Luke at all for that matter. When it was noted that she hadn't worked with him for her Witness album, she simply stated "I had to leave the nest". Katy has apparently been deposed for the case, but it's so far unknown what she's said. We do at least know why Luke chose the figure of $10 million for the lawsuit, however; according to him, that's the amount that he lost out on when he wasn't able to produce Katy's albums due to the lawsuit. So tell us: what are your thoughts on this absolute mess?

In some ways, 2008 was pretty similiar to 2018. A shock candidate had just entered the White House, bypassing Hillary Clinton who people thought was a sure thing. The worldwide economy was still at breaking point, there were still tensions in the Middle East, and global warming was still hugely under-recognised. Betty White was still popular, and O.J. Simpson was still headed straight for priosn. But in other ways, 2008 was a completely different time from the one we're now living in. Politically, things were much more liberal - we had Barrack Obama in office instead of Donald Trump - and musically, we were still exploring the genres of folk and rock concurrent with the R&B revival taking place. Trap wasn't even a thing, and Cardi B was swinging on a pole somewhere without a dollar to her name. In this list, we'll be looking at fifteen of the biggest songs of ten years ago. Some of them are probably still played at whatever New Year's Eve countdown you listen to, but others will definitely be forgotten gems. Check them out below and let us know what you think in the comments! 15. Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine I'd always assumed that 'Pocketful of Sunshine' only became a hit in 2010 after it was memorably featured in Easy A; but it turns out the song actually first found it's success back in 2008, when it charted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. As Easy A's Olive remarks, 'Pocketful of Sunshine' really is the "worst song ever", but like most of the singer-songwriter style songs released in 2008 it's also incredibly catchy. Prepare for this to be stuck in your head for the next week. 14. Jazon Mraz - I'm Yours Speaking of annoying singer-songwriter songs, let's take a look back at the breakthrough single from one hit wonder Jason Mraz. Along with Colbie Caillat's 'Bubbly', 'I'm Yours' led the charge for summery, acoustic pop songs to offset the overproduced dance pop on the radio, and it found huge success among the "middle aged women who post Minion memes" crowd. Even though it only hit #6 on the Hot 100, it stayed on the charts for an insane 76 weeks, becoming the longest charting song at the time; and it now holds the honour of being the tenth best-selling digital song of all time in the US. It's easy to understand why, but that doesn't make the song any better. 13. Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown - No Air Remember when people still admitted to listening to Chris Brown songs instead of playing them in their wireless headphones in dark alleys and dead-end streets? 2008 was definitely Brown's year, and he found success not only as a solo artist with 'Kiss Kiss', 'With You' and 'Forever' (all of which have to be strong contenders for the most annoying song ever - this is becoming a trend, 2008), but also with his duet with American Idol alum Jordin Sparks. The song is bang on trend for the year, featuring the same R&B beat which had blown up in 2007 and the icy synths that Timbaland had been pushing for the past few seasons. 12. Mariah Carey - Touch My Body It might be unfair to refer to Mariah Carey as the female Chris Brown, but it's obvious her star has fallen quite a bit in the decade since she released 'Touch My Body'. Back then, MiMi was praised for her frank take on sexuality and her funny self-parodies - such as in the video above, where she seduces her Wi-Fi installation man - but now it seems that she's criticised for trying too hard to be sexy and taking herself way too seriously. Mariah could definitely learn something from the success she back in 2008. 11. T.I. - Whatever You Like 'Whatever You Like' is actually the name of two T.I. songs - one Nicole Scherzinger attempt he featured on which was a huge flop, and one solo effort which blew up internationally and effectively launched his career. 'Whatever You Like' was the song of the summer back in 2008, and went on to be the sixteenth most successful song of the decade. It's stood up relatively well over the years, although we have to say that our personal favourite version of the song is Anya Marina's chilled out cover. 10. P!nk - So What Although R&B and hip-hop was huge back in 2008, the power-pop vibe mastered by stars like Kelly Clarkson and Hilary Duff was still grasping on to it's last moments in the sun. Case in point: 'So What', which was the first single from P!nk's Funhouse album, and which marked a huge return to the US charts for the singer after she failed to sell in the country during her I'm Not Dead era. It's sad given that 'So What' is actually incredibly trashy and a shameless cash grab compared to that previous album, with some of the laziest songwriting including lines like, "So what/I'm still a rockstar/I've got my rock moves/And I don't need you tonight". That said, the song is still a P!nk and Max Martin collaboration, which means that it's as super catchy and feelgood as you'd expect from the team that brought you 'U + Ur Hand'. 9. Flo Rida - Low (Feat. T-Pain) There was a time back in 2008 when you couldn't turn on any radio station, visit any shopping mall, or tune into any episode of whatever trashy MTV reality show you were trying to watch without having to endure yet another spin of Flo Rida's 'Low'. Rida has vanished into obscurity in the last few years, but up until then he had a penchant for writing incredibly catchy songs, and 'Low' is no exception. Bolstered by a placement in Step Up 2: The Streets (yes, it was that long ago), 'Low' was such a huge hit when it was released that it went on to become the highest selling single of the 2000s decade. If only someone could explain what "apple bottom jeans" actually are. 8. Rihanna - Disturbia Rihanna was telling us she was a "good girl gone bad" from the time 'Umbrella' was first released, but it wasn't until 'Disturbia' dropped that we actually believed her. 'Disturbia' follows in the footsteps of 'Thriller' in presenting an image of mental anguish, paranoia and anxiety which is nevertheless surprisingly fun to dance to - and in a weird coincidence, it was even penned by future ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, who clearly had is own issues with mental anguish. With one of the catchiest executions of "bum bum be dum" ever created, 'Disturbia' also happens to have one of the best music videos Rih's ever released, featuring tarantulas, wolves and S&M eyepatches. It's a total classic that still makes our Halloween playlists to this day. 7. Madonna - 4 Minutes (Feat. Justin Timberlake) Madonna is one of the few artists who's probably had a hit no matter how many decades back you go, but back in 2008 it had been a while since she'd released a true chart topper. Everything changed with '4 Minutes', a Justin Timberlake and Timbaland collaboration which launched her back into the public's consciousness. Featuring a call and response chorus and some vague lyrics about the apocalypse perfect for the increased talk of global warming, the song was the perfect way to bring Madge into the future. We just wish she'd been able to be as successful with any of her singles since then. 6. Sara Bareilles - Love Song Following in the trend of Bedingfield and Mraz is Sara Bareilles's 'Love Song', a laidback folky bop which made the perfect easy listening for 2008. The story behind the song is that Bareilles was becoming frustrated with her label's refusal to release her music, so she wrote an archetypal "love song" dedicated to her executives in a passive aggressive attempt to impress them. Regardless of the feud, it seems that both parties won in the end because 'Love Song' ended up spending 19 weeks in the top ten and becoming one of the biggest hits of 2008. 5. Timbaland - Apologize (Feat. OneRepublic) 'Apologize' was actually first released as the first single from OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud, but when it failed to make waves the band hit up Timbaland for a remix (and an impressive name check) to blow up the radio. The only real thing Timbo added was a much-parodied line of "eh eh, eh eh" background vocals, but that didn't stop the public from eating the new version of the song up - it stayed in the top ten for twenty five weeks which made it the longest song to hang in there so long since 1999. 4. Alicia Keys - No One Alicia Keys' 'No One' is probably the quintessential song of 2008, combining the Timbaland style of R&B, the OneRepublic style of acoustic rock and the Jordin Sparks brand of irritation into one fusion of a track. The fact that everyone in the world thought they could hit the high notes that Alicia masters just made matters worse. Nevertheless, 'No One' became the most listened-to song on US radio in 2008 with over three billion listeners, while also becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. 3. Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl It's weird to think that just ten years ago nobody knew who Katy Perry was, and that the world's first introduction to the heretofore Christian pop star was a song all about flirting with bisexuality (something we're sure she'd be too "woke" to do now). 'I Kissed A Girl' has to be one of the most manipulative, disingenuous and trashy songs ever written, but thanks to the stylings of super producer Dr. Luke (there's another sentence that just wouldn't be written in 2018) it managed to become a hit anyway, topping the charts for seven weeks in a row. If nothing else, it launched the career of Perry (who, after all, brought us 'Teenage Dream') and it added to the conversation surrounding LGBTQ rights, so it can't be all bad. 2. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love If you've ever had a break up, you'll be all too intimately familiar with this song and the precise playthrough during which your tub of ice cream begins to run out. 'Bleeding Love' is the quintessential heartbreak song - heartfelt and wrenching, and with a climactic note which no one can actually hit during karaoke but which everyone tries to. There's clearly a lot of sad people in the world, too, because the song hit #1 in 35 countries. Sadly, it's a success Leona has never quite been able to match - while the follow up 'Better In Time' was moderately well received, every single since has been a flop, at least outside of her home country of the UK. 1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida Before Coldplay was being unnecessarily bashed for their Super Bowl Half Time Show performance in 2016, they actually enjoyed a successful career which largely climaxed with the release of 2007's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The titular single from the album was 'Viva La Vida', a rousing, grandiose statement of glorious intent for the rest of the album which never fails to put a smile on people's faces or a tear in their eye. With references to love, death and war, 'Viva La Vida' really has it all, and it succeeded not just as a onetime popular single but as an enduring testament to the band's legacy. What was your favourite song of 2008? Let us know in the comments! And for a trip down memory lane, check out the ten biggest hits of 2007 here.

Katy Perry and Taylor Swift's infamous feud started thanks to the opening of Katy's Teenage Dream Tour back in 2013 - and it ended today with the opening night of Taylor's Reputation Tour. You might recall that the impetus for the entire five year feud was that a select group of backup dancers, who had worked regularly with Katy, decided to leave Taylor's Red Tour to join Katy's Teenage Dream Tour, where their skills were apparently being put to better use. Taylor decided to take this move as a slight against her and held Katy personally responsible, and spent the next few years dropping shade into her interviews about an "unnamed female artist" who sabotaged her tour. Things came to a head with the release of 'Bad Blood' in 2014, which Perry clapped back at with last year's diss track 'Swish Swish'. Katy seemed to extend the hand of forgiveness shortly after that single's release, but it wasn't until today that things really seemed to be coming to a head. Swift recently posted an update on her Snapchat story which showed her receiving a gift on the opening night of her tour. The present contained a literal olive branch (a symbol of letting things go), a handwritten letter, and some very Perry-esque stationary which leaves no doubt in our minds who sent the gift. While we don't know exactly what the letter says, fans have deciphered the phrases, "I've been doing some reflecting on past miscommunications and other feelings between us...", "deeply sorry", and "clear the air". It seems like the feud may finally be over. Knowing how these two interweave their songs with their personal lives, we wouldn't be surprised if a collaboration was in their future. Your thoughts?

Katy Perry is one of the biggest names in pop music in the last ten years, with her sudden rise to fame from being a mere Christian gospel singer who would often sing in her local church, to being a global success story with five number one singles from just one album. Katy has proven her ability to accelerate up the charts numerous times, earning records that only the King of Pop Michael Jackson has to his name...but the question is, how many of these things have been achieved with her latest era, Witness? With the release of her fourth studio album Witness, Katy has gone through some major changes that have left most fans of the Teenage Dream Katy confused and rather upset. Let's take a look at how her previous albums and eras have ranked compared to her latest. Kathryn Perry, an innocent and sweet Christian gospel singer debuted with her brand new and evolved image as the punk-rock "Katy Perry" with the release of her first studio album One Of The Boys in 2008. She gained a sizeable fanbase and loyal listeners during this era, catching the general publics and critics eyes. In April of 2008, she released her first single from the album, 'I Kissed A Girl'. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 scoring Katy her first number one, and is now 5x platinum in the United States, with the album being certified Platinum as well. Five years after her debut studio album, Katy released what is now one of her most successful and iconic albums, Teenage Dream. The bubblegum pop album was critically acclaimed and loved by the general public. The album gained a Grammy nomination from the #1, now diamond certified song 'Firework' which has become a global hit and a defining moment of Katy's career. In total the album gained five number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, which set many records as Katy was compared to Michael Jackson in the media. She released multiple music videos which have become some of Katy's signature pieces, such as the videos for 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)' and 'California Gurls'. Teenage Dream has been certified 3x platinum in the United States as of 2017, and has since been celebrated with a re-release of the album featuring new tracks along with a tour and feature film, Katy Perry: Part of Me. Shortly after, Miss Perry released her third studio album Prism in which she released more of her defining singles such as 'Dark Horse' and 'Roar'. Both singles were released alongside two iconic music videos which have gone down in history as some of Katy's greatest. Both singles also went number one on the Billboard chart, scoring Katy a whopping eight number one singles. Not only did she score two number one singles, but she also performed at the 49th Super Bowl Half Time Show in 2014, where thousands of people watched her perform many of her career defining songs. Now...last but certainly least, in 2017 Katy released her fourth studio album Witness which was debuted with the lead single, 'Chained To The Rhythm'. The song introduced a new side of Katy: a politically charged chameleon which fans were indecisive on whether they liked or not. The song landed at number four on the Billboard 100, which while impressive is also the lowest chart placement for one of her lead singles. Shortly after the release of the first single, she released 'Bon Appetit' which landed at #59 on the Hot 100, even with multiple performances and an expensive-looking music video. 'Bon Appetit' is now her worst charting single to date, and lowest charting second single throughout her entire career. Katy has not only failed commercially but has also been critiqued on her horrendous performances with Migos where she was lousy, boring and racist with her mimicking of the rap groups dance moves. During this era Katy has been hit with multiple accusations of bigotry with her insensitive Obama jokes. This leads me onto my second question, and the most important one of all. How exactly can Katy come back from this horrific era, if it's possible at all?

It's hard to believe it, but 2017 is already coming to an end - and what a year it's been. Between endless headlines of political incompetencies, tragic natural disasters and groundbreaking exposés of sexual abuse, one thing has, like always, remained our constant comfort and saviour - music. Pop in 2017 has been a pretty varied affair, although the running theme has been the odd fusion we predicted last year of country music, tropical beats and EDM drops. It's those undercurrents that birthed some of the most annoying, repetitious songs of the year - 'Despacito', 'Shape Of You' and 'Meant To Be', we're calling you all out - but it's the same sounds that created some of the catchiest, most powerful and most groundbreaking tracks of the year too. In previous years we've run this list as a dictatorship, with the editors telling you our opinions on the best tracks of the year with no external advice sought. This year, we decided to branch out into a democracy by inviting some of our favourite members to submit their songs of the year, limiting our input to just the ordering of each song in a (semi-)ranked list. We hope you enjoy our collection of songs, and that you ring in the New Year's with joy, love, safety and most importantly, lots of music. 17. Lana Del Rey - Tomorrow Never Came (Feat. Sean Ono Lennon) Submitted by @Countess Lana Del Rey's Lust For Life was a marked departure from her debut album Born To Die not just in name, but also in intent; the album was less about Del Rey's own personal demons and more about the demons facing our society in 2017. But that's not to say that the album is impersonal, and 'Tomorrow Never Came' is a stunning example of that. The lyrics are typical Lana, lamenting a lost love through a simple metaphor - "I waited for you in the spot you said to wait/In the city on the park bench in the middle of the pouring rain/You said to meet me out there tomorrow, but tomorrow never came" - but the production is more gentle, hopeful and soft than Lana has explored in her albums before. The song is made all the more heartbreaking due to the song's feature of Sean Ono Lennon, who - as you might have guessed - is the son of Yoko Ono, who famously frequents the memorial to her late husband John Lennon in Central Park as much as she can. The Beatles may never be able to get back together, but if this song proves anything it's that their spirit lives on. 16. Steps - Scared of the Dark Submitted by @coolaideonfire UK pop superstars Steps returned in 2017 to celebrate their 20th anniversary and kicked things off with comeback single 'Scared Of The Dark', their first released since 2012's poorly received holiday album Light Up The World. The single commands the listener's attention immediately with a dramatic string introduction before Faye and Claire, arguably the groups strongest singers, take on its brooding first verse. You'd be forgiven for mistaking the single as a middling ballad at first, but the chorus signals a change in direction as the song explodes into the unashamed brand of pop the band were popular for the first time they entered the charts back in the late 90s. "Scared Of The Dark" should serve as a masterclass for any nostalgic act aiming to stage a comeback so many years after their initial success. The song is clearly cut from the same cloth as the band's biggest hits, and should please any Steps fan (or any fan of 90s pop for that matter), but it doesn't sound dated at all. This is a slice of pop heaven from an equally well produced and pop-heavy album, Tears On The Dancefloor. 15. K.I.D - Elevator Submitted by @Caolicolor 'Elevator' transcended every normcore stan Twitter gay who slept on K.I.D for the past three years into an instant stan. With it's heavy paced, dark, and atmospheric sound, it's a great getting ready to fuck song worth listening to. 14. Kelly Clarkson - Love So Soft Submitted by @Ruthless Love Since September 4, 2002, Kelly Clarkson has been a staple in the music industry. She became the winner of the inaugural season of the now-defunct Fox reality competition series, American Idol (which returns March 2018 on ABC), and has since become one of the most forceful performers in today's generation. Since winning, she signed an immediate deal between 19 Recordings, RCA and S Records and released her debut album, Thankful (2003). Following her debut release and still under her Idol contract (which later became solely associated with RCA), she gave us six additional albums: Breakaway (2004); My December (2007); All I Ever Wanted (2009); Stronger (2011); Wrapped in Red (2013) and Piece by Piece (2015), as well as a greatest hits compilation in 2012. In 2016, Clarkson announced the end of her partnership with RCA, citing the relationship as an "arranged marriage," and signed a deal with Warner Music's Atlantic Records. Under this deal, Clarkson promised us a "soul-influenced" album. And, in 2017, she gave us just that. Meaning of Life marks the first release from Clarkson free from her Idol deal and showcases the singer at her strongest and most secure. The album's first single, 'Love So Soft' proved a departure for Clarkson. Known for giving us angst-driven pop rock songs, 'Love So Soft' is drenched as a soulful R&B track, matched with superior vocals and a confidence that only Clarkson could maintain. It's safe to say that fifteen years after being named our American Idol that Clarkson is still the Idol of our hearts and of the music industry. She is proving to us that she is no longer accepting the idea of conforming to what society and the industry believes a modern day pop star should look, sound and maintain herself as, and is instead doing what she feels is right: being Kelly Clarkson. 13. Katy Perry - Tsunami Submitted by @BlackoutZone Katy's latest record may or may not be a musical masterpiece consisting of "woke" (as she likes to describe them) pop songs and original, groundbreaking, multi-genre efforts, but either way there is one significant track that stands out not only from the rest of the album, but the whole musical scene of 2017. 'Tsunami' is about Katy's magnificent sexual experience with her lover. She compares their love to swimming in open waters and his sexual power hitting her like a tsunami. The track is really well written and Katy totally nails the ocean theme with her beautiful lyrical references, such as: "Anchor in me, and get lost at sea/The world's your oyster/I am the pearl/Open waters/Sink into me slowly." The production is simply marvellous! Mike Will Made It channels typical Tame Impala synths mixed with his usual style and it works perfectly. The dreamy instrumental is building, progressing and flowing like an ocean wave which makes the track delicate yet very haunting. When Lady Gaga announced her collaboration with Kevin Parker, the leader of Tame Impala, which later gave birth to her lead single 'Perfect Illusion', this track is exactly what I expected it to be. Mike recently shared the demo instrumental to the song, and it's interesting to see how the track changed in its production states and hear all the sounds lost under Katy's voice in the final product. 'Tsunami' is undoubtedly my song of the year and Katy's best effort to date, sadly it will probably remain unnoticed by the general public and Grammy committee as I can't see it being released as a single or getting any real success... 12. Aly & AJ - I Know Submitted by @Kim Craig Going into 2017, who'd have known it would finally be the year best friends and sister duo, Aly & AJ, would get their shit together and release an appetiser sized EP, Ten Years, marking the rebirth of their long lost musical career since 2007's Insomniatic. The sister duo returned with a viciously infectious 80's synth pop sound which left heads around the globe bald. My song of the year, I Know, included on this EP release, talks about friendship and the commitment everyone is capable of giving to those in need. With distorted echoes and a fluttering backbeat, I Know offers the best and most valuable piece of music the duo has released since, well, ever. With a full LP due out by Summer 2018, Aly & AJ should be on everybody's radar because they're back to slay. 11. Kesha - Rainbow Submitted by @Ari The past three years have seen a very public and serious legal battle between Kesha Rose and her former producer and manager Dr. Luke over years of alleged sexual assault. After losing her case last year and being denied a retrial, Kesha forged onwards by releasing the massively critically acclaimed album Rainbow on the 11th of August. My favourite song of 2017 has to be the title track off that album. The song begins with a key description of tough times and feelings which are clearly straight from Kesha's heart (she wrote this song all by herself). The song then swiftly moves into an upbeat movement about the good times and how life can and will get better. The live orchestra in the studio along with the background vocals that harmonise with the chorus give it a massively joyful and warm feeling which by the end of it is sure to leave you with a strong buzzing sense inside. In a year where a lot of truths have come out in the industry thanks to the powerful #MeToo movement, I think Kesha gives us a much needed reminder in 'Rainbow' that "in every tunnel, there's always a light at the other end". 10. Miley Cyrus - Malibu Submitted by @Whoknowsmehere After much consideration and re-listening to many songs over the last couple of days, I have come to the conclusion that the one song that just seems to stick with me is be 'Malibu' by Miley Cyrus. It was a tough choice for me between 'Malibu', Shania Twain's 'Life's About To Get Good', Camila Cabello's 'Havana' and Rita Ora's 'Anywhere'. When I first heard 'Malibu' I was not all that thrilled about it to be honest. However, after listening to it numerous times it really grew on me. I think what did it for me was the simplicity of the song and yet how catchy it was. I do not know exactly what message she was trying to get through with the song - we each get different things from it - but what I took away from it is how much she has grown as a person and an artist, and that she may have finally figured out who or what she wants to be. I have to be honest though: if this is the new Miley, a part of me will miss the old Miley. She sure had the entertainment factor down to a science. 9. Odd Eye Circle - LOONATIC Submitted by @nanapop99 While the majority of people don't listen to K-Pop, I've been a fan of this genre for a few years now and I don't think I've been this hooked on a girl group debut since 2NE1. LOONA has a really unique concept which consists of debuting a new member every month with a solo song: for now the label has revealed ten members out of the full twelve (for those who want to hear more, here's a solo song which I really love). The full group has yet to debut but Odd Eye Circle is the second sub-unit of LOONA and it consists of three members. 'LOONATIC' is technically not a single off their EP but it's definitely the song that got me into this group. The moment I listened to it for the first time, I knew that it would be my favourite! It has a very unique sound that I've personally never heard in any other songs and it's also very catchy. The lyrics are kinda difficult to hear and understand but the instrumental is really what's best: it has a really dreamy feel to it that I love. The track was originally released in Korean but they later released an English version as a gift for international fans which you can listen to above. 8. Rita Ora - Your Song Submitted by @Dayfid 'Your Song' is the lead single from Rita Ora's second album which may actually get released and promoted! It's written by Ed Sheeran who provides background vocals and Steve Mac who also produced the track. The best part is that driving intro synth or whatever that thing is with those background snaps that loop throughout the song without getting boring. The song was performed and promoted literally anywhere. It's been performed live 9+ times and has become Rita's most promoted body of work besides her own actual body (along with an acoustic performance uploaded to YouTube with that random writer). Slay, Rita Oral! 7. Kesha - Learn To Let Go Submitted by @Joe "Your past only has as much effect on your future as you want it to." - Kesha, Huffington Post. My song of the year is the one that made me feel the most emotion upon first hearing it. On July 2nd, Kesha released 'Praying', her triumphant return to music. But it’s what she followed up with that truly took my breath away. Kesha has said that 'Learn To Let Go' played a big part in Rainbow as a whole and was one of the first songs written for the album. I vividly remember waking up to the song and music video being released. I immediately broke down crying. I felt like Kesha had written the song just for me. I related to every line. She refers to the bitterness she’s held onto and that there’s this voice that’s always telling her that she isn’t strong, that’s it’s her fault. When in fact, you choose to play the victim or to be the survivor. It’s so easy to give others advice, but to follow it yourself? Not many "practice what they preach" and I’ll admit to this. This song helped me let go of the pain and the hatred I held towards myself for far to long. Back to Kesha...The music video is a collection of home movies and shots of Kesha dancing in a forest. I took the music video as Kesha reclaiming her innocence. Reclaiming who she once was. She dropped the dollar sign and came back better and more real than ever. This song is a testament to just that: accept the shit, accept that it doesn’t define you, accept that you are yourself at the end of the day, and let yourself move on. 6. Selena Gomez - Bad Liar Submitted by @Fetish My song of the year is, by a long shot, 'Bad Liar' by Selena Gomez. With 'Bad Liar', Selena introduced a new image, sound and style to her music and bought an alternative twist to her mostly bubblegum-pop centred discography by sampling one of the best bands of all time, Talking Heads. The song was a huge step for Selena, showing both the general public and her diehard fans that she could explore new sounds and pull them off both brilliantly and effortlessly. The stripped back production and mid-tempo flow of the song accentuates her voice, allowing her to capitalize on her infamously restricted vocal ability; while the lyrics - handled by Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter and Selena herself - are genius, featuring bizarre lines like, "But just like the battle of Troy, there's nothing subtle here." There's also no ignoring the amazing music video which paired with the song, in which Selena plays numerous characters, crafting a fun and interesting storyline while giving the song a whole other meaning. There's no denying that this was easily the catchiest song released this year, and although it was ignored by the Grammy's...It was definitely receiving attention elsewhere, as the song is now Selena's most acclaimed piece of work. 5. Dua Lipa - New Rules Submitted by @Countess I can't lie: before 2017, I had no idea what the hype over Dua Lipa was about or why Kendall Jenner with voice lessons was getting so much online buzz just for looking pretty and having one decent song (her breakthrough sleeper hit 'Be The One'). But then 'New Rules' came along, and everything changed. Backed by a unique production, the song is one of the best examples of the countdown chorus previously attempted by Brooke Candy and Sia and Beyoncé, and it's structured to pop perfection. The only thing that could have made it better is the music video, which with it's instantly Instagrammable scenes of flamingos by the pool and girl power hairbrushing immediately raised the song to memeable status. This one will be hard for Lipa to beat. 4. Lana Del Rey - Love Submitted by @Speedy "I made my first four albums for me, but this one is for my fans and about where I hope we are all headed." That's how Lana Del Rey introduced her latest album Lust For Life, and we couldn't wait to listen to the fan-devoted record. The first introduction to what seemed a new era of Del Rey's approach to music was the lead single 'Love' (initially called 'Young & In Love'), a dreamy song about the new generation of "kids" (as Del Rey calls them in the song) that are mesmerised by the past while surrounded by the future. The only thing that ties them is that feeling of dressing up just to go nowhere because they're "young and in love" - a total shift of perspective for Lana when it comes to the feelings she invests in her songs. There's no characterisation or melodrama here: just a direct approach to a basic human feeling, and a girl with a big bright smile and flowers in her hair, singing happily on the moon, because "it's enough to be young and in love with life". 3. Lorde - Green Light Submitted by @Countess Lorde took a break after the release of her 2013 breakthrough album Pure Heroine, and her absence was sorely obvious to some in the pop music world. But when she returned with the resounding 'Green Light' this year, it made the four year wait completely worth it. The perfect comeback single, 'Green Light' begins with a series of bizzarely personal, vulnerable lyrics such as "I know about what you did and I wanna scream the truth/She thinks you love the beach, you're such a damn liar". The build is up gradual, but it makes that explosive moment when the chorus first drops all the more glorious. Channeling the likes of Coldplay and Florence + The Machine, 'Green Light' is a slice of euphoric pop perfection which sees Lorde dancing through the sadness of a breakup, and it's orchestrated to perfection. If you've been looking for a new workout song, I think you might have found one. 2. Kesha - Woman Submitted by @victorxcx The last few years have been a crazy journey for Kesha, and as fans we naturally wondered how all these events would influence the sound of her third studio album (the first without Dr. Luke’s production). 'Praying', the first single, is for sure an epic song and a triumphant return; but 'Woman' is the bop that we were all waiting for, and the song that shows that while Kesha has grown a lot she still has that sassy attitude that made us fall in love with her back in the Animal days. Given her background, I'd guess that the meaning of 'Woman' is even more powerful than we can imagine just listening to it on the radio or at the clubs. After all the ups and downs, Kesha is stronger and more independent than ever and I’m definitely here for it. The production is pretty amazing as well: I love how laid-back it is, and my favorite part is the laugh before the second chorus and how it evolves to the flawless bridge. 'Woman' was also confirmed as the second official single from Rainbow so I'm hoping it will get the success it deserves (I’ll be definitely streaming and watching the music video all year long!). 1. Rita Ora - Anywhere Submitted by @Cypher A gem from 2017's pop catalogue, Rita Ora sings about finding gem locations "a million miles from LA" with a cherished friend. The beauty of the track is that the subjects referred to could very well be about non-romantic friends. With the world having been through a year of turmoil and natural disasters, this song gives the hope of freedom to the listener for 3 minutes and 42 seconds. The glitched vocals in the chorus give free-range interpretation and emotional fluidity for people seeking a temporary space away from reality. Without having to take a physical vacation, this song takes the listener on a ride through a journey of "fun, a little less fun", and "crowds of empty faces." Running through the woods of Estonia, climbing to a peak in the Alps, roaming the streets of New York, or swimming with sharks off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, this song has the potential to forever bring you back to those locations long after the trip is over. Take a listen to the song and let your mind roam free. What was your favourite song of 2017? Let us know in the comments below! And for a trip down memory lane, check out the best songs of 2016 and 2015.

Pink has been a busy bee lately promoting her upcoming album Beautiful Trauma and its lead single 'What About Us?'. During an interview with KISS FM UK, she was asked to pick a side in Taylor Swift and Katy Perry‘s ongoing feud. The biggest feud since Hilary and Lindsay, Taylor vs. Katy apparently began when Taylor accused Katy of stealing dancers from her tour, and has escalated ever since. Wonder which side P!nk took? Wonder no more! She said: Seems like P!nk is more of a Swiftie than a Katycat. All we can say is "Swift Swift Bitch" or however it goes. Katy has recently said that she is ready to let the feud go and that she's sorry for anything she ever did. After all, it feels like the media are more bothered with the feud than the people involved at this point. Did P!nk make the right decision?

Katy Perry has announced that her Witness tour will be delayed. Initially, the singer was set to start her tour on September 7th in Ohio. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, it was delayed to September 19th, and will officially begin in Montreal. Perry announced the postponement herself in a statement released online: To make up for the delay, Katy went ahead and announced the opening acts for her tour dates, which will defeinitely give her fans something to look forward to. Noah Cyrus will join the tour from September 19th - November 1st (my baby is rising!), Purity Ring will play from November 7th - December 20th, and Carly Rae Jepsen will be around from January 5th - February 5th.

On July 2, 2017 The Voice Australia aired its Grand Finale. The winner turned out to be Judah Kelly whose coach on the show was Australian singer Delta Goodrem (whoever she is). Although the contest is mainly about seeking out new talent and watching them perform, we couldn't stop thinking about the stars who were invited to give their performances there. The first performer of the night was Noah Cyrus. Introduced by her older and more famous and more talented iconic legendary sister Miley Cyrus, Noah performed her new single 'I'm Stuck'. What is noteworthy is that her performing skills have really developed since her first performances, where she looked super stressed and awkward. Watch her performing 'I'm Stuck' below: The second performer of the night was Niall Horan. The ex-One Direction member performed his new song 'Slow Hands'. In my humble opinion, the performance wasn't memorable, but he did a good job. Props to him! The last performance of the night was given by Katy Perry. The artist sang her heart out performing her brand new single 'Swish Swish' originally featuring Nicki Minaj. The lyrics video to the song starring Brazilian Butt Queen and worldwide meme Gretchen is already available on YouTube! Katy's performance was amazing. She made use of those props and served some vocals. It's admirable considering she's not the best at singing live. Check her performance below!

In the ongoing feud between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, it's becoming increasingly clear that there's no real winner. While Taylor has shaded Katy in interview after interview, her diss track 'Bad Blood' was miles more successful than Katy's recent attempt 'Swish Swish'; even though Katy is coming out on top just by discussing the feud and her limited part in it so openly. And in her latest move, Taylor's continuing to cut off her nose to spite her face, assuring mutually assured destruction for both parties with no one a winner. You'll remember that Taylor has been notoriously anti-Spotify and anti-streaming for a while, ever since she penned an open letter to the company back in November of 2014 on the eve of her 1989 album release. Back then, she told Yahoo: Since then, she's held firm against Spotify and even attacked Apple Music on its launch for not reimbursing artists who had their music listened to during a free trial period (Swift has since appeared in ads for Apple, suggesting the two are back on good terms). Despite the begging of her fans and a "love letter" Spotify wrote to her to win her back, Swift had apparently decided that she was better than streaming services; and judging by her net revenue last year, she wasn't wrong. But all that changed on Thursday night when TaylorNation, the Instagram page representing Swift's management team, made the following post: The significance of this won't be lost on Katy Perry fans, who'll know that for the past few months the newly cropped popstar has been teasing the release of her album Witness. Witness was released on exactly the same day, at exactly the same time as Taylor decided to revive her music on streaming services. And to rub salt in the wound even more, Swift later announced that all of her albums would be available for a reduced rate on iTunes, clearly in the hopes that a discount would help her albums outnumber Katy's new one in the pop charts. On the one hand, it's true that the RIAA did announce Swift's milestone just twelve hours before the post was made. On the other hand, it's an extremely unlikely coincidence that Swift's team just happened to organise for every single streaming platform to re-add Perry's music in just twelve hours. And its even more unlikely that none of Swift's handlers would have known about Katy's album release, especially given how much Katy's been talking about Taylor this album cycle. What are your thoughts on Swift's latest move? Is it an savvy power play, an obvious and petty trick or nothing but sheer coincidence? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

You might have thought that the era of everyone hating Taylor Swift was well and truly finished when she released her Zayn collab, 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever', late last year. Think again. For if new reports are anything to go by, three of Swift's most infamous mortal enemies - Calvin Harris, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry - are teaming up to release a song for the formers new album - and it would be a wasted opportunity not to have them do some dragging while they're all in the same room. Billboard spilled the beans slyly this week when discussing 'Swish Swish', the newly released song from Perry's new album Witness which also happens to feature Minaj. "Witness is due to drop June 9.on Capitol Records and will include the already-released tracks 'Chained To The Rhythm' and the Migos-featuring 'Bon Appétit'," they informed us, before letting on: "Perry and Minaj will team up again for the Calvin Harris tune 'Soft Lips'." While we already knew that Perry would be featuring on Harris's new album, it's interesting news that Nicki is also involved. In case you've forgotten, each of the three artists has their own reason to seek vengeance on Swift: Harris slammed her on Twitter after she went behind his back to tell the public that she had co-written on his single with Rihanna, 'This Is What You Came For'; Perry had to face Swift's public drags after she was referenced in 'Bad Blood'; and Minaj was on trial thanks to Swift's Twitter accusations of disobedience against her. Sadly, fellow Anti-Swift Squad members Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato are nowhere to be found on the album, but there are some other great singers like Frank Ocean, Migos, Young Thug, Future, Khalid, Travis Scott, Kehlani, Pharrell, Big Sean, John Legend, Schooboy Q, Ariana Grande, D.R.A.M., Lil Yachty, Jessie Reyez, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Snoop Dogg joining the mix. Phew. We're not yet sure if the song will be released as a single, but given the high profile collaborators it would be a shame not to promo the hell out of it. Either way, we won't have long to wait: Funk Wav Bounce Vol. 1 is set to drop on June 30th.

It's a new year in pop music, and already artists are gearing up for their 2017 releases. While we can never be 100% sure what's around the corner nowadays (we can thank Beyoncé and her surprise release strategy for that), we do already have some idea of how the next twelve months in music will play out if all goes according to plan - and from what we can tell, this year will be an even bigger year than the last when it comes to amazing new releases. Check out all you have to look forward to down below! Allie X - CollXtion II The release of Allie X's second EP, CollXtion II, has been a long and convoluted one thanks largely to an ill-advised plan to get fans involved in the creative process. Taking to Spotify, Allie announced her ɄNSOLVED initiative, in which she would post early demos and acoustic versions of her songs so that her fans to vote on which would make the ultimate album cut: we got singles 'Too Much To Dream', 'All The Rage', 'Casanova', 'Old Habits Die Hard' and 'That's So Us' that way. But fans preferred to be involved in other capacities, leaking dozens of songs that potentially have a place on the album in the radio silence that followed each single release. There's definitely enough material out there to make this EP an LP, but it remains to be seen if the project will ever be completed at all. Charli XCX - TBA Charli XCX had ambitious plans for 2016, hoping to release an EP, an album and a mixtape all in the same calendar year; although at the end of the day we only got the EP, the genre-defying Vroom Vroom project. The EP debuted a new sound XCX had masterminded with Tumblr It Girl and PC Music producer SOPHIE, a clash of 90s pop, J-Pop and trip-hop beats which was further showcased in her live performances for tracks like 'Girls Night Out', 'No Angel' and 'Bounce'. So far, though, the only sound we have of the album is the lead single 'After the Afterparty', which stepped away from the alternative sound she had been exploring for a pure bubblegum pop fantasy. Hopefully XCX will manage to tread the line between label desire and personal creativity successfully. Dua Lipa - Dua Lipa Since the release of her debut single ‘New Love’ back in August of last year and the blow up of her breakthrough track 'Be The One', Dua Lipa has captured the hearts of pop fans who prefer a little more substance from their tunes. Although she’s released six more singles and several collaborations since then, Dua’s album has been pushed back majorly from September of last year to February of this year as she focuses on breaking into the US market, so we’re still not sure if she has the chops to pull off a full-length album. Time will tell if she has what it takes! Fergie - Double Dutchess Fergie's second album has been a long time coming since the release of her first solo album, The Dutchess, back in 2006. We've had several false starts so far - from 2014's moderate R&B hit 'L.A. Love (La La)' to last year's hard-hitting hip-hop hit 'M.I.L.F. $' to the recently released reggae-inspired 'Life Goes On' - but from what we can tell Fergie has more than enough tracks for the album and photoshoots and music videos already handled, so a release seems imminent. Her first album was marked by it's variety, and we can expect more of the same here, with a range of collaborators from will.i.am to Mike Will Made It to Dr. Luke to Nicki Minaj all expected to contribute. Iggy Azalea - Digital Distortion Iggy Azalea may not be the most popular girl on the Internet these days, but if nothing else the girl knows how to write a fun tune. Her second album, the interestingly named Digital Distortion, was due for release last year but has been retuned since the commercial failure of the lead single ‘Team’, which only managed a position of #42 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite that, other tracks (including the promo single 'Azillion' and leaked tracks 'Sexy' and 'Savior') have been confirmed for the album, along with registered titles such as 'Middle Man' and 'I Got That Boom Boom'. Since then, she's headed back into the studio to work with the likes of Zedd and Verse Simmonds on new tracks which are apparently inspired by her newfound sense of freedom and fun as a single woman. Hopefully she'll be able to recapture the magic of 'Fancy'. Katy Perry - TBA Katy Perry’s fourth studio album has been teased mercilessly, with multiple leaks of snippets, the stellar leaked song ‘Witness’ and stand-alone single ‘Rise’ all hinting at possible directions the project might take. If ‘Rise’ and her new nose ring are anything to go by, Katy might be aiming for a more dark-pop sound this time around; although with Max Martin, Savan Kotecha and Shellback all still in the mix for her recording sessions you can expect some more radio-friendly hits like ‘California Girls’ on the way as well. Kesha - TBA Kesha’s long-awaited third studio album was also on last years list of the most anticipated albums of the year, which should be some indication of how long fans have longed for this album. Back then, there was a single called 'Lover' released with Spookey Ruben, along with rumours of a lead single called 'Child of the Moon' which had a "Stevie Nicks-witchy vibe"; although lately Kesha's been working with a country music band called Yeast Infection. Thanks to the lawsuit between her and her accused rapist Dr. Luke which has been dominating most of her life in recent years, the album has been continuously delayed; but Kesha has apparently submitted over twenty two songs to her label for consideration and Sony itself has issued a statement saying that they “hope to share exciting new music with Kesha’s fans soon”. Take that with a grain of salt. Major Lazer - Music Is the Weapon Aside from a few bops that were released in the form of singles, Major Lazer's last album Peace Is the Mission was a bit disappointing in terms of tracklisting, featuring only eight tracks of which about four of them were listenable. Thankfully, the supergroup seems to be taking their time for their sophomore release, and they've already lined up a veritable whos who of pop music for collaborators. The album is set to feature vocals from Justin Bieber, MØ, Ariana Grande, Sia, Nicki Minaj, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Gwen Stefani, Iggy Azalea, Konshens, Benny Blanco, Tinashe, The Weeknd, Travis $cott, Bonnie McKee and Camila Cabello, just to name the works that have already been announced. Do we sense the album of the year coming soon? Rihanna - TBA (#R9) Rihanna’s #R9, the unofficial title fans have already given her upcoming album, seems to have been in the works since at least when the Bajan popstar dashed fans hopes for an ANTI re-relase by confirming she was instead working on something new. Despite this, Rih’s gone uncharacteristically quiet about the release and her planned collaborators, which suggests it might be further away than we originally thought. With upcoming roles in Bates Motel and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, however, we know Rihanna will still manage to keep herself busy in 2017. Tove Lo - TBA (Lady Wood Part 2) Tove Lo’s latest album, the inventively titled Lady Wood, was released this year to positive reception - its lead single ‘Cool Girl’ made it to our list of the top ten best songs of 2016, and the album itself made the cut as well - so it’s no surprise that she’ll be moving forward with plans to release a sequel to the album, which according to her has already been finished. Lady Wood was split into two parts - ‘Fairy Dust’ and ‘Fire Fade’ - and we can expect more of the same with this one, which will apparently be split into 'Light Beams' and 'Pitch Black'. Our only concern is one of variety - Tove’s already covered the highs and lows of love and drug addiction with her last album, and we’re not really sure where she’s going to go with this one. Still, given how talented of a songwriter she is (Tove has written songs for stars like Hilary Duff, Ellie Goulding and Girls Aloud), we’re pretty positive she’ll make it work somehow. Nelly Furtado - The Ride Nelly Furtado's been almost completely absent from the popular charts since the release of 2007's groundbreaking Loose, the album which spawned singles such as 'Maneater' and 'Promiscuous' and which made her a household name. Despite that, she's still been quietly releasing songs which range from the Spanish-language 'Manos Al Aire' to the hip-hop inspired 'Big Hoops' to last years collaboration with Blood Orange, 'Hadron Collider'. She's set to make a comeback this March with her album The Ride, which seems to harness a new experimental sound thanks to a partnership with producer John Congleton. The lead single 'Pipe Dreams' is already out: check it out here for a sample of the project. Zara Larsson - TBA When she's not talking about how much she hates men, Zara Larsson can occasionally release some pretty good pop songs: and hard as it is to believe given her age, she's released plenty of them, with a debut album and several EPs already under her belt. She's set to make her international debut this year with her new album, which already has the hits 'Lush Life', 'Never Forget You' 'Ain't My Fault' and 'I Would Like' to back it up. Apparently there's only one more single to go before the albums released, so you can expect this one to pop up on our radars pretty soon. And there's more... Also coming this year are albums from Bonnie McKee (the project may or may not be connected to her recent 'Stars In Your Heart' single, which was recorded several years ago), Kanye West (Turbo Grafx 16, which was announced as soon as work on his last album wrapped up but which has been put on pause as he recovers from his well publicised mental breakdown last year), Kiiara (her first full length album, led by single 'Dopamine'), Melanie Martinez (her yet to be titled second album which has already been completed), Rita Ora (her long-awaited second album) and Terror Jr (their first, which may feature songs 'Trippin' and 'heartbreaks'. Plus, they may not have been officially confirmed yet, but we've been dropped hints by artists like Aly & AJ, Kylie Minogue, Lana Del Rey and Nicki Minaj that new music from them is imminent. Which album are you most looking forward to in 2017? Let us know your thoughts down below?

Just weeks after confirming that a shaved head is, in fact, the sign of a severe mental illness, Katy Perry has debuted her own buzzcut on Snapchat. Perry sparked backlash back in February of this year when she joked about mental illness on the Grammys redcarpet. When asked by Ryan Seacrest how her three year break from music went, Perry stated "That’s called taking care of your mental health... I haven’t shaved my head yet." Later, when interviewed by CBS about her newly blonde hair, she stated, “It's like the last colour in the spectrum that I can do. I've done all of them and the only thing left to do is shave my head, which I'm really saving for a public breakdown.” Sadly, it seems as though the day has finally come when Perry's tenuous mental condition has snapped. Perry debuted her new shaved head on Snapchat, when she posted a suspiciously Bieber-esque shot of herself in a green trench coat with a puppy in the background. Sadly, her very public meltdown didn't stop there, with Perry then confirming her gender transitioning on her official Instagram page with a pre- and post- testosterone photograph. In response to her worrying activity, fans have started using the hashtag "#Pray4Perry" on social media, tweeting their well wishes for the troubled starlet. Some have suggested that the meltdown may have been triggered by Perry's split from boyfriend Orlando Bloom; while ex-husband Russell Brand has reportedly told the press "I take no responsibility for this".