Pop corner

AILBHE MALONEinvites Cheryl round for a deep-pan

TRACK OF THE WEEK

Stay by Rihanna ft Mikky Ekko

Despite the #rihannaplane #777tour fiasco, Unapologetic has been hiding a gem. We haven’t wanted to live inside a song as much as this since Video Games. Sultry and resigned, it climbs only to fall back, over a shimmering cymbal background. The featured artist, Nashville singer Mikky Ekko, wrote the track. Keep an eye on him.

Chezza’s been waxing lyrical about the wonders of exercise to Hello! Magazine: “I love exercising. There is a lot of stress and pressure in my job so when I have those two hours to myself I feel I can shut the rest of the world out. I don’t have my phone, just loud music, and it feels good when I release endorphins through exercise.” Cheryl went on to say: “I don’t care what anyone tells you, there is no such thing as being able to eat whatever you want. I think it’s really important to eat healthily and it makes such a difference to your energy.” Sod the endorphins, C. Come round ours and we’ll order a pizza and some wine.

Florence Welch needs a break, and soon. She explained “I’ve been on tour since I was 21. I need a break and to have the chance to do normal things, like go to the supermarket and hang out with my friends. I’ve only just moved out of my mum’s house, so I’d like to settle into my new place and start getting inspired again. If I started writing songs now, all they’d be about is tour buses and hotel rooms.” We agree – there’s not an awful lot that rhymes with “hotel room”.

Justin Timberlake insists he hasn’t retired from music. It’s all the press’s fault, he told MTV. “You’re the ones who stopped talking about me as a musician. You guys act like I said I’ve retired. I can tell you this, when I’m ready to say something, you always know that I’ll say it in the biggest possible way, it really comes from the heart.” Yeah great, JT, but do you think you could get a move on?