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Pick at the pops: 22 January 2007

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

News is filtering through that DJ Tim Westwood’s status as most middle-class hip-hop fan is under threat. Not content with helping the shy, retiring Jay-Z back into the public eye by duetting on his comeback, Coldplay’s bed-dampening main man Chris Martin is now set to appear on Kanye West’s third album. “Dad, you’re so embarrassing,” Apple probably remarked.

An equally worrying mismatch is on the cards with reports that Scottish actor and generally unconvincing Alec Guinness impersonator Ewan McGregor is being lined up to play Kurt Cobain in a forthcoming biopic. No doubt he’ll be good at the later scenes, but the whole iconic rock-god thing may need work.

Someone needs to patent an exciting new reality TV show, Pop Star Driving School. Fidgety American R&B star Usher has been up before the beak over there on speeding charges, while prissy ska flouncer Preston – of Ordinary Boys, Celebrity Big Brother and storming out of Never Mind The Buzzcocks fame – has spectacularly failed his driving test with 14 minor and four major faults. He’d have had a better chance staying out of the car.

Over in the Top 40 - traditionally slow at taking down the Christmas decorations - the old order is on the way out. Leona is hurtling down the chart, replaced at the top by Lebanese/American/Parisian/British one-man Darkness, Mika. With up and coming acts Just Jack and The View hot on his heels at No.s 2 and 3, the new year has finally begun.

And, just to put everyone off their lunch, it’s been announced that Robbie Williams plans to strip at Sir Elton John’s 60th birthday bash. As if turning 60 wasn’t bad enough.

Matthew Horton

• 15/01/2007: Whitney auctions her belongings >>
• 08/01/2007: The Police to reform? >>
• 02/01/2007: James Brown RIP >>
• 18/12/2006: Girls Aloud v Lily Allen >>
• 04/12/2006: Potty Pete pays the penalty >>
• 27/11/2006: Nelly says no to Playboy >>
• 20/11/2006: Queen's greatest-selling hits >>
• 13/11/2006: Ms Dynamite's high speed crash >>
• 06/11/2006: Glastonbury to go "gay"? >>
• 30/10/2006: McFly hit top spot yet again >>
• 16/10/2006: Girls Aloud v All Saints in war of words >>
• 09/10/2006: Razorlight ready for world domination >>
• 02/10/2006: Madonna's record breaking millions >>
• 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 >>