Nas & The Roots perform 'Nasty'

Jimmy Fallon always has the best performers on his show, and last night was no different. Nas stopped by to perform his latest single 'Nasty' with Jimmy's house band, The Roots. There is no doubt in my mind that Nas is still one of the best rappers alive (check his verse on 'Triple Beam Dreams' off of Rick Ross's Rich Forever mixtape for further proof). Check out the video above.

Video: Madonna - Give Me All Your Luvin' (Feat. Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.)

The 2012 Superbowl half-time show is going to be unreal. Whether you are a Madonna fan or not, you know that this show is going to be a spectacle like no other. Plus, she's only gone and got M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj to come and give her a helping hand. The three locked themselves in the studio a few months ago to work on a top-secret collaboration, set to feature on Madonna's upcoming album, MDNA. And this collaboration has come to light today. My God, was it worth the wait. 'Give Me All Your Luvin'', in short, is pop perfection. From the 'Daphne and Celeste'-esque cheerleader chants, to Madonna's vocals that take us back to her heyday.

Also, the video is just brilliant, with Nicki and Maya assuming the roles of the cheerleaders and Madonna the leading lady. If watching this video does not make you feel even a little bit happier then I'm afraid there is no helping you.

Video: M.I.A. - Bad Girls

It must be hard being M.I.A., being the coolest person on the planet and all. She defines the word swag and can pretty much do whatever she wants. Mrs 'I'm going to perform at the Grammys, while nine months pregnant, and still look amazing'.

'Paper Planes' off of her second album Kala, was a career defining moment for Maya. The success of that song is proof that you can still make it in the music industry by not compromising and making the music that you love and believe in. Although, while I have my doubts if she'll ever be able to achieve that amount of mainstream success off of the back of one song again, M.I.A. still knows how to make hits ('XXXO' was one of the best songs of 2010).

Maya is returning in 2012 with an, as yet, untitled fourth album, and 'Bad Girls' looks to be the first single from this project. The visuals for this song were directed by Romain Gavras, who directed the infamous 'Born Free' video, from her third album /\/\ /\ Y /\. Check out the 'Bad Girls' video below.

Song of the Day: #9

Recent collaborations with David Guetta and Flo Rida (both tracks currently residing in the top five of the UK singles chart) have hurled Australian singer Sia Furler into the mainstream spotlight, and if anyone deserves their moment in the sun, it is undeniably Sia. Releasing her first album, OnlySee, back in 1997 she had remained relatively unknown up until the release of her 2010 album We Are Born. And it is from this album that I have chosen today's song of the day. 'You've Changed' is an up-tempo pop gem that never grows old, and when I first heard it, it sparked my love for Miss Furler. If you like what you hear then make sure you check out some of her other outstanding, but severely underrated songs, including, 'Breathe Me', 'The Girl You Lost To Cocaine' and 'Clap Your Hands'.

Oh, and the video to 'You've Changed' is simply genius.

Video: Bombay Bicycle Club - How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep

I'm a big fan of inventive videos, and what Bombay Bicycle Club have done here is brilliant. They have taken 'How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep', the opener from their third album A Different Kind of Fix and given it an entertaining stop-motion, claymation visual treatment. I have to admit, I'm not really the biggest fan of BBC's most recent album, because I feel it's not as easily accessible as I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose and Flaws. However, there are times when you hear a song in a different context, for example, in video form, and suddenly, you just get it. This is one of them times.

Check out the video below.

Song of the Day: #8

When 'Game Over (Female Takeover)' dropped at the end of 2010, a number of the UKs finest female rappers were given their moment to shine in a notoriously male-saturated genre. And shine they did, far outstripping the original version of the song, which featured Tinchy Stryder, Professor Green, Example, et al.

Despite nearly all the the women bringing their A-Game, it was Manchester's very own Envy that I was most interested in hearing. After purchasing her debut album Set Yourself On Fire on a whim in April 2010, I have been a massive fan ever since, lapping up any new material that she releases. As well as being one of the most promising emcees the UK has to offer, Envy (real name Nicola Varley) hosts her own radio show on Manchester's Unity Radio, which is always an entertaining listen. Oh, and Envy also has one of the most entertaining twitter feeds going ... shoutout @envysays.

Choosing one of Envy's songs was tough, but I had to go with the opening track to the album, also called 'Set Yourself On Fire'. It's the perfect album opener; raw, honest and exhilarating and it sets the tone for the rest of the record. If you like what you hear I would thoroughly recommend you check out the rest of her album.

'Set Yourself On Fire'

Charli XCX

While the phrase 'goth-pop' (no, wait, come back!) may not have you trembling with excitement, Charli XCX is definitely someone to take note of. When she started to make waves in 2009, with songs like 'Art Bitch', I admittedly had my reservations about how much staying power she had. At the time it felt like the record label she was with were trying to emulate the success of artists like Lily Allen and Kate Nash by forcing a then 15-year-old Charli into the twee-pop mould.

However, 2011 was a completely different story. Charli XCX returned in the early summer with the monstrous hit 'Stay Away', recalling the sound of Shakespeare's Sister. 'Stay Away' sounds fresh and bursting with ideas, demonstrating how Charli has far outgrown her peers and treads her own path. 'Stay Away' was followed up by 'Nuclear Seasons' which cemented her intentions to make a mark on the world. Her debut album is expected to drop later this year and promises to be a very inventive and unique piece of work. You can listen to 'Stay Away' and 'Nuclear Seasons' below.

'Stay Away'



'Nuclear Seasons'