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Ke$ha, Taio Cruz, Tinchy Stryder

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The undeniably talented songwriter and producer, who has worked with stars such as LEONA LEWIS, THE SUGABABES and WILL YOUNG, has now made it to the top spot with his new album. With Taio's track "Break Your Heart" climbing the charts – it debuted at number one – this second album is perfectly timed.

Comprised of 11 original numbers and his Tinchy Stryder hook-up Take Me Back, all of which feature Cruz as at least a co-writer (befitting given his history as a songwriter for Will Young and current calling as a collaborator with the likes of Sugababes, Britney Spears and Cheryl Cole), Rokstarr bounces to a beat that feels fresh and vibrant. Even at its slowest moments – the glitchy RnB of Best Girl, the syrupy I’ll Never Love Again and Forever Love’s Vocoder-smoulder – this collection sounds like tomorrow’s hits, today.

That number one was written for Girl-Aloud-gone-solo Cole, but made its way back to Cruz after drawing a blank from the sometime talent show judge’s management team. And the result is one that’s gone some way to making Cruz into the star he is at present, the track a naggingly infectious, smooth-of-chorus affair with a vocal hook so sharp and barbed it’s a wonder one can think of anything else for a full ten minutes after it’s finished. As far as calling cards go, it’s up there with Sound of the Underground.

Not that Cruz hadn’t enjoyed chart success before now – last year saw Come On Girl make the top five, and its parent LP, Departure, went top 20 – but Rokstarr really marks his arrival as a pop force to be reckoned with, and will see many other artists flock to work with him. Dirty Picture, featuring US singer Ke$ha, is the kind of track Sugababes should be patching up their every difference ever for, and Only You takes the anthemic atmosphere of Take That at their most mother-and-daughter friendly and puts a neat contemporary RnB spin on proceedings.

With such a talent obviously crying out for attention, and rightly receiving it, there’s only really one question to end on: why, oh why, is the title spelled like that? Answers on a virtual postcard, please.

BBC