Below are ten of our favourite tracks that we're currently listening to, including Dev, The Vaccines, Christina Aguilera and J. Cole.

Dev: 'Bass Down Low'
Scoring her first US number one and UK top five hit as part of Far East Movement's 'Like A G6' (which, incidentally, sampled her track 'Booty Bounce'), Dev returns as the lead artist, bringing with her a fusion of deep bass and skittering synths in this made-for-summer-radio head-bopper.



Blondie: 'Mother'
Iconic rockers Blondie are back after an eight-year hiatus with Panic of Girls, which is released on May 30. Trailing it is the punky, new-wave 'Mother', and it has everything a Blondie fan could ask for: a retro, guitar-driven melody, Debbie Harry's husky vocals and a fists-in-the-air chorus. Watch the official music video below:



The Saturdays: 'Notorious'
The glamorous five-piece return with this dance-infused pop ditty that will inspire women up and down the country to get their gangsta on down the local Walkabout on a Friday night. Leading the campaign for their upcoming fourth studio album, the girls have ditched the coloured tights and blossomed into dancefloor divas.



The Vaccines: 'All In White'
Flying the flag for British indie-rock in a chart dominated by electronic beats and sing-speak chants, The Vaccines pursue the return of guitar music with the fourth single to be taken from their debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?, which reached number four on the UK album chart back in March. Watch a live performance of the track below:



Christina Aguilera ft. Cee Lo Green: 'Nasty'
It might be the least surprising hook-up of the month, but The Voice coaches' collaboration on 'Nasty' - an off-cut from Aguilera's Burlesque movie - shows them both at their most soulful and ballsy.



Nerina Pallot: 'Put Your Hands Up (We Are The Chatterley's Mix)'
Following 2009's The Graduate, Nerina Pallot releases 'Put Your Hands Up' from her forthcoming LP Year Of The Wolf this week. While the original is a wistful piece of soulful-indie pop, this remix courtesy of The Chatterleys injects it with a hefty dose of synths, giving it an extra summery glow.



J. Cole: 'The Return of Simba'
Rap newcomer J. Cole is currently prepping his debut album proper, which, judging by this taster, includes sampling dialogue from Disney's The Lion King. Going against the current grain of hip-hop/dance hybrids, Cole spits lyrics over a stripped-back beat for the third instalment of his Simba collection.



CocknBullKid: 'CocknBullKid'
While we have the utmost respect for anyone daring enough to release their album the same week as GaGa's, CocknBullKid's debut 'Adulthood' is without doubt a worthy competitor. This cut - the self-assessing title track - is a punch-packing pop ditty with a touch of the Lily Allens to it.



Lady GaGa: 'The Queen'
Appearing on the special edition of GaGa's Born This Way LP, the track is an ensemble of bells, strings and electric guitars twinned with a gargantuan melody. What's more, the whiff of Freddie Mercury from the get-go makes it instantly listenable.



Emmy The Great: 'Iris'
Indie-folk singer-songwriter Emma-Lee Moss trails her sophomore album Virtue with the sprightly and ethereal 'Iris'. With a sound described by the lady herself as "digital medieval", this track about "Princess Impermanent" is due for release on June 6.



Which tracks are your favourites on this week's playlist? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to? Leave your comments in the box below:

Back in 2008, little-known singer Loick Essien lent his vocal talents to Chipmunk's debut single - a move that kick-started his solo career and saw him knuckle down for two years to pen his own record. After unveiling the track 'Love Drunk' last October and following it up with the N-Dubz-assisted 'Stuttering', Essien is now prepping to release the third cut, titled 'How We Roll', from his upcoming album Identity. Intrigued, we phoned him up to get ourselves better acquainted.

What is your new single 'How We Roll' about?
"It's just about a young kid having a relationship, about you and your girl against the world. I think everybody has felt like that at some point - a young kid who really loves his girl and they have a crazy relationship."

How is work going on your debut album Identity?
"It's going really well. I've just got back from LA and I've recorded some amazing songs while I was out there. The record has taken two years to make and I just think the result is very well-rounded album. There's some up-tempos, there's a couple of songs for when the couples want to lock their doors and there are the song you'll want to hear when you're out having a good time."

How much input into the album did you have?
"I worked on every track apart from three, and those were tracks that I heard and just had to have because I thought they represented what I wanted to say on this album. The rest of the songs has have fully written by myself and a couple with a few co-writers."

Who in the charts at the moment has influenced you during the writing process?
"Labrinth - he's someone I've worked with on this album and he kind of set the pace of it. The first piece of Loick Eissen that people heard he was heavily involved in, so I feel that he has been a really big inspiration for this album. It going down the route that music has no rules and its about making the best music possible and music that is going to live forever."

Any idea when the album will be released?
"September time."

Were you happy with your last single's chart performance?
"Definitely! It was my big top 40 record, so you can only imagine how exciting it is to get into the chart! It's great to get the appreciation and for the people to let me know how well I was doing. It was nice to know that all the hard work that we put in paid off - it was an amazing feeling."

You worked with N-Dubz on your single 'Stuttering', what are they like to work with?
"I think they're really cool as people, and it's not the last time we'll work together. It was really natural - it happened organically and Dappy was someone that I wanted to work with - it was mutual partnership."

Tulisa has been rumoured to appear on the new series of The X Factor - what kind of judge do you think she would make?
"She's someone who knows what it's like to build a career from the very start - so I think she would be really good. I think she would be a real judge and one that people could connect with."

Loick Essien releases 'How We Roll' on July 3. The album Identity follows later this year.

Watch the official music video below:

Remember when Lady GaGa serenaded us with the title of her second album proper at the MTV VMAs? While starting the hype nine months ahead of its full release could be considered a form of torture to her loyalists, the intervening months haven't been without their charm: claims that it's the "greatest album of the decade" and the release of the most unashamedly camp song to top the US Billboard chart in years - all the while causing a stir amongst church-goers. Now, in what has become a near-weekly tradition of the campaign, Born This Way was made available online ahead of its official release. Here are our initial thoughts on the LP, track-by-track:

'Marry The Night'
Kicking off proceedings is an electro-thumping number with euphoric synths and uplifting melody similar to the title track. This is no bad thing, as it's less in-yer-face, and it's "M-m-m-marry the night" hook is equally as catchy.



'Born This Way'
The Madonna "channelling" is still more apparent than ever, but it's hard to deny this sonic, flat-out club-pumping track about equality hasn't struck a chord with the world. In fact, in the context of the record it provides a welcome easy-listening moment that requires little concentration. We all know the words by now, right?
> Read our review of 'Born This Way' here



'Government Hooker'
The pace promptly switches from chunky synths and stadium-sized choruses to a complex and considered techno number - a direction that most assumed she was headed post-Monster. "Put your hands on me, John F. Kennedy," she purrs. This one's a grower.

'Judas'
The naughty twin sister of 'Bad Romance', 'Judas' was a risky second single but continues to improve on repeated listens.
> Read our review of 'Judas' here



'Americano'
With its latino strings, Spanish lingo and cantering beat, it might be over the top, but given that it sounds like she was dancing around the studio in her finest Flamenco dress while recording it, it's near-impossible not to be drawn in.

'Hair'
The second of three inspirational club anthems, the well-worn lyric "I am my hair" should sound like a tired cliché, but amongst the high-wired synths, twinkling piano and classic-sounding hook, this number about celebrating identity is an instant standout.



'Scheiβe'
"I don't speak German but I can if you like," GaGa announces before showing off her bilingual skills with a German skit. Set to a heavy bassline and a squiggly riff that Diplo would be proud to call his own, expect to hear this in red-light districts across the globe... if that's your bag, of course.

'Bloody Mary'
Plucked strings, a beefy beat and operatic vocals swirl around this decadent number with the same ecclesiastical tone as 'Judas' - though unlike its cousin, it doesn't try to be anything other than graceful and effortless pop.



'Bad Kids'
"I'm a twit, degenerate, young rebel and I'm proud of it," she confesses over an '80s disco-pop beat. It's nothing we haven't heard GaGa tell us many, many times before, but like much of the record, the production triumphs over some of the questionable lyrical content.

'Highway Unicorn (Road To Love)'
With a title reminiscent of an arena-rock classic, the song just falls short of expectations, but the '80s rawk guitars akin to Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'' are felt at full force here.

'Heavy Metal Love'
One of the less hectic efforts on the record, its pulsating beat and whispering vocal provide a momentary breather after the string of full-throttled club-pop stompers.

'Electric Chapel'
Probably the least instantaneous track of the lot, in the context of the LP it's a by-numbers marrying of church bells and electric guitars that doesn't amount to much.

'Yoü and I'
The closest thing to a ballad on the record, you'll have already heard this piano-driven number if you were a latecomer to her 'Monster Ball' tour. The album version has been tinkered with considerably by comparison, but it nonetheless remains an excellent song built around a simple melody.

'Edge of Glory'
GaGa closes with one of her pre-album release "gifts" - an ode to her late grandfather that she wrote immediately after his death. Combining air guitars with sledgehammering beats and a Springsteen-inspired sax solo, the album ends on a triumphant fists-in-the-air high.



> Lady GaGa poll: What do you think of 'Born This Way'?
> Lady GaGa's 'Born This Way' leaks online
> Read our full coverage on Lady GaGa

What do you make of Born This Way? Which are you favourite tracks? Leave your comments in the box below.

Below are ten of our favourite tracks that we're currently listening to, including Justice, Parade, Ed Sheeran and Young Knives.

Justice: 'Civilization'
Four years after their debut album, Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Ronsay return with 'Civilization' - and with a catchy melody and sledgehammering electro-beat, their sophomore LP is shaping up to sound as impressive as their last.



Neon Hitch: 'Silly Girl'
After touring with Neneh Cherry, Professor Green and 50 Cent, 2011 looks to be London singer-songwriter Neon Hitch's breakout year. This cut from her debut album, which was executive-produced by Benny Blanco (Ke$ha, Wiz Khalifa), is a hypnotising mix of tribal beats and head-spinning electronics.



Grouplove: 'Itchin' on a Photograph'
Brooklynite indie-alt quintet Grouplove release their major label debut 'Itchin' on a Photograph' on June 19. Currently on NME's 'Radar' tour, this follow-up to the infectious indie-release 'Colours' is summer road trip music at its best.



Lady GaGa: 'Judas' (Goldfrapp remix)
Following her leather-clad performance at Radio 1's Big Weekend, this re-swizzle of 'Judas' courtesy of Goldfrapp turns the song's Euro-pop chorus into an altogether more sinister affair.



Ed Sheeran: 'The A Team'
After five self-released EPs and over 600 live shows, Ed Sheeran releases his official debut single on June 13. The atmospheric acoustics combined with his fragile vocal has us more than excited for his first LP '+', due out this summer.



Parade: 'Perfume'
Following the success of 'Louder', Parade have hauled in producers The Fairground once again for their follow-up 'Perfume'; a feel-good pop ditty about boys, shoes and smellies. Listen to a preview of the track below:



Young Knives: 'Human Again'
Their critically acclaimed third studio set Ornaments From the Silver Arcade may have underperformed in the charts, but Young Knives are pressing on regardless with its '60s jangle pop standout 'Human Again', which is officially released on May 30.



Fallulah: 'I Lay My Head'
Danish star Fallulah is gearing up to release her debut album in the UK - and with the trailer's playful guitars, Balkan-style drums and a Bat-for-Lashes-meets-Kate-Bush delivery, we're sure it'll have little trouble bothering the charts when it's released on August 29.



JoJo: 'The Other Chick'
After four years of label conflicts, a now-all-grown-up JoJo returns with this lead from her third studio album Jumping Trains. Listen to the audio in full below:



Dannii Minogue: 'I Begin To Wonder'
Following her departure from The X Factor, we reckon the time is ripe for the other Minogue to resurrect her music career. What's more, this top two hit in '03 proved that she wasn't always a poor man's Kylie.



Which are your favourite tracks on this week's playlist? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to? Leave your comments in the box below: