Pick at the pops: 27 November 2006

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

As November draws to a close, the industry turns to examining its navel and handing out worthless gongs. The NME leads the pack with the publication of its Cool List, Beth Ditto of the Gossip looming large over everyone else. Lily Allen scoops a creditable third, but still feels she’s been snubbed after "another f***ing Muse cover" knocked her and other Cool Females off the front page. There’ll be other publicity, Lily.

And all publicity’s good publicity, isn’t it, Britney? The internet’s a little less perky this week, as Britney ex and polymath Kevin Federline announced that the Britney Sex Tape doesn’t actually exist. We’ll believe it when we see it. Or not.

Speaking of pop stars not in the buff, Nelly Furtado has revealed that she turned down $500,000 to pose for Playboy. Crucially, she hasn’t ruled it out entirely, wisely noting no doubt that Timbaland-inspired chart comebacks only last so long.

Another comeback of sorts is on the cards for Top Of The Pops just a few short months after its noisy demise. There’ll be a Christmas Special this year, same as every year, but there are no plans for the show to return permanently. Fearne Cotton, Edith Bowman and Reggie Yates will be presenting, just to make sure.

More great institutions have fallen in battle this week, in the tussle for the Album Chart No.1. Greatest Hits packages from U2 and Oasis and a "new" Beatles album have all been vanquished by Westlife’s latest assault on the market. The singles chart is sewn up by the resurgent Take That, prompting fears of a full-blown boyband revival. This weekend’s release into the community of Eton Road only compounds the horror.

Matthew Horton

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Pick at the pops: 27 November 2006

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