María José Returns To Save Pop!

Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration but the return of Mexico's queen of 80s covers is undoubtedly a cause for celebration. María José stole my heart last year. Her brilliant version of "No Soy Una Señora" came in at number 8 on my best singles of 2009 countdown, while its parent album ranked 24th. I love María's fun sound, saucy videos and amazing ability to recycle South American pop classics. Happily, the diva's new single showcases all three qualities. "La Ocasión Para Amarnos" is great cover of a Daniela Romo song from 1983. It was always going to be impossible to beat Daniela in the fashion stakes - look at her amazing hair! - but María makes the song her own. She's still rocking that whole P!nk meets Kelly Clarkson pop/rock blend and her voice is stronger than ever. My only concern is the video clip (below), which finds the stunning beauty striking sexy poses in an abandoned warehouse. Highlights include a weird magical sofa and a scene where she perches on factory equipment! What is it with fabulous Mexican divas and dubious film clips? Maybe it's a Mexican tradition like piñatas and telenovelas. Anyway, brace yourself for María's latest smash!

Lucero - My New Mexican Obsession

Mexican pop music continues to blow my mind. It's hard to believe that so many glorious divas could emerge from the one nation - María José, Ninel Conde, Fey, Patricia Manterola and Lorena Herrera. So much talent and beauty! Well, I have a new name to add to that long list. A couple of days ago my Mexipop soulmate Joe introduced me to Lucero and it was love at first listen. The glamorous songbird is a living legend at home. She released her first album as a 13 year old in 1982 and is still going strong today. Lucero's latest opus (above) hit stores last month and the video for the album's second single debuted recently. Nothing will prepare you for fabulousness of "Indispensable". A 41 year old balladeer jumping on the electro-pop bandwagon - complete with a film clip that channels Lady Gaga and Britney Spears circa 2000 - is hard to beat! As much as I love the song, it's all about the visuals for me. The cheap special effects, dubious choreography and unfortunate outfits combine to create the video of the year (below). Seriously, this makes Fey's iconic "Let Me Show You" look like "Bad Romance"! Truly breathtaking. The annoying thing is I now have 21 albums to catch up on. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm buying this masterpiece for the cover alone!