Pop Corner

AILBHE MALONEwields some extended metaphors

* TRACK OF THE WEEK:Everything Is Embarrassing by Sky Ferreira.

Sky F’s popped up intermittently in Pop Corner over the past few years, but it seems as if finally there’s an album on the horizon. Written with Blood Orange (aka Dev Hynes aka Test Icicles) this is a laid-back ’80s groove. Stripped-back pianos and a drum machine give the impression of Jamie xx trying his best not to dance to Prince at a wedding disco. How’s that for an extended metaphor?

* Niall Horan continues to play coy about his relationship with Demi Lovato. The Mullingar member of One Direction told a radio station: “Me and Demi [Demi and I, Niall], we’re just really good friends. She’s been doing well. She’s been updating me on what she’s been doing and stuff, and hopefully I will get to see her next week when we come to LA for the VMAs. We actually haven’t met yet, but hopefully I’ll get to see her next week.” If Bieber and Selena have taught us anything, it’s that a pop star’s definition of “good friends” is different to that of a pleb’s. We’re remaining suspicious of this one.

* Rita Ora’s been learning how the mega-rich roll, and it’s not how she imagined. When she went to meet with mentor Jay-Z in New York, she was surprised to find herself flying in a tin-can plane. Ora explain: “Jay-Z didn’t fly me to New York first class. Even the biggest make you pay and work your way through! Now I’m so grateful for it. I turned up at the airport and went to Air India. I didn’t even know they existed and they flew me economy. They didn’t even check I had my seatbelt on.” Flight-safety issues aside, she revealed that there are certain perks to working with Hova. “I came back with 50 more pairs of trainers than I had before. What happened was, during our first meeting I scuffed one of my trainers and wiped a bit off. Jay-Z said ‘You dont need to do that’, and he took me to get new ones!”