Pick at the pops: 2 October 2006

Our weekly round-up of the weird and wonderful world of pop music...

When cheeky home counties singing monkeys Supergrass claimed to be In It For The Money, we knew they were having a laugh and were truly dedicated to entertaining us and blazing a trail for buzz-riffed uberpop. Could you be so sure these days?

Jarvis Cocker isn’t. The erstwhile Pulp frontman is back! Back! BACK!!! and accusing all and sundry of playing the pop game for cash. Chief targets for his ire are Razorlight who, he claims, rabbit on in their interviews about selling such-and-such quantities of albums and ‘conquering America’ without a thought for their craft. No reply yet from Razorlight, possibly too busy promoting new single with serendipitous title, America.

Also in it for the love of their work and not because of moolah difficulties, legendary boyband 5ive are on the comeback trail. Except there are only four of them now. Still, it’ll be quicker to finish them off.

There can’t be too much cash to go round, mind you, with Guinness World Records confirming that Madonna pulled in $50 million in 2004, making her the highest paid female singer in the world. You don’t say. Kylie, as ever, wants a piece of that pie, following Madge into the world of children’s books with the launch of her new bodice-ripper, The Showgirl Princess.

And, speaking of people with more money than sense, some chap has bid £2,250 for a date with loose-lipped popstrel Lily Allen. It’s all for charidee, of course, but you have to worry for the lad. She’ll be skewering him in the tabloids before dessert.

Matthew Horton

• 25/09/2006: When pop stars reunite
• 18/09/2006: Robbie's new footballing chum
• 11/09/2006: Monkeys' Mercury delight
• 04/09/2006: Foo Fighters save miners >>
• 28/08/2006: Britney gets banned in Asia >>
• 21/08/2006: Radiohead's grumpy greatest hits >>
• 14/08/2006: Natasha Bedingfield's Rocky return >>
• 07/08/2006: The heavyweight return of Meat Loaf >>