nigels

Yep I was there Wednesday night and it was like Sarah had no energy whatsoever. She would just stand there rather than doing any dancing and her singing was shocking! Having said all that overall it was brilliant - but then almost every song was a classic! Did seem a bit empty though on the floor and there were rows of empty seats.

This is great - with Loreen at number 1 maybe this will get The Saturdays thinking if they do it for the UK next year they will get that elusive number 1 they desperately want!

Was the backing singer actually singing the main stuff for Greece? Only caught the last minute but it sounded like two voices singing live with the dancing ones mic turned down?

It's not on the list but Kelly Clarksons Stronger deserves to be a big hit. It's great but I just can't see it getting much air play or the exposure it really needs.

Adele. I don't love the album like I do Gaga but no question this is her year and nothing Gaga has done matches Someone Like You at the Brits for impact.

Simon Cowell has already tweeted congrats to military wives on Xmas number 1 so he seems to think its a certainty!

“@stefanogabbana: The new Madonna single its Woooooooooooowwwwwwww.....” This was tweeted earlier - gonna be great!!!! The excitement is really building!

Except this song is being produced by Martin Solveig - most definitely not Timbaland or Pharrell! This could be great - lets get positive and optimistic! She needs to do a big show at the Superbowl so cheerleaders makes perfect sense! It doesn't mean she will be in that outfit with her Pom Poms dancing around like a teenager - it means she has got the concept and sense of occasion. Nicki Minaj could bring far more energy to the song than a retread of 4 mins. This all sounds good!

We have to hope that this is a serious indication of the path that Madonna is going with this album. Serious writers, serious melodies and lyrics and then the music will come. I dont want a 50 year old singing about candy. I would love a woman singing about her life experience to some epic melody combined with futuristic rock/dance/electronic - aim high madonna!

I think we should try to get Eliza Doolittle to represent us! Her mum is Frances Ruffelle who was robbed with Lonely Symphony! Eliza could do a fantastic unique song and make amends for the UK and for her mum!

Having just heard Robbies new song i think he should change his release date to a week earlier. I dont think he has a chance against Alexandra but could easily beat The Saturdays (who certainly dont deserve number one with their weakest single to date!).

i have to say i love madonna but i dont think this new song is going to do much - i can see it struggling to get top 5. People were walking off the dancefloor in the club i was in and to be honest to me this is where madonna seems to be showing her age. Hung Up sounded fresh and exciting, Celebration sounds like she cant really be bothered - its a very easy no thought tired sounding song- wheres the innovation? Lady Gaga is truly showing her how it should be done at the minute.

Andrew has to get rid of EOS!

Its not fixed. Hopefully Jade or Mark will win but knowing the British public i can see the twins winning it! The sooner the bbc realise that we need true Eurovision fans only to decide what represents us the better!!!

I think judging from todays performances - it has to be between either Mark or Jade. I didnt really like Jades performance but think Andrew/Diane would be able write a song/ballad more suited to her range. Mark definitely would deliver with the right song too.

EOS wont be in the bottom two after that. That was midly entertaining actually. Still not suitable for eurovision though.

This is not the song for them. They werent bad last week but this ust highlights how weak their voices are and they shouldnt represent us.

She needs to! Charlotte or the Emperors of Soul must go this week

Well having now caught up with everyones performances i think it has to be between either Mark or Jade. Both would be able to deliver the goods. I think Andrew could do a great song for The Twins but their voices might not be good enough. Jade obviously would be better with a fast song but i doubt thats what they have in mind. Anything but Charlotte or Emperors of Soul please. And whilst i think the BBC could have found a far stronger group of performers for us to select from i am very impressed by the Andrew/Diane combination! Definitely a chance of a semi decent placing i think now - provided we dont perform second on the night!

Mark is very good. Needs to do something with that arm. Given a half decent song he would be great.

There is NO WAY we can send them. That was outdated rubbish. Andrew wouldnt be able to write a decent song and sell them in Eurovision at all.

Well i am now afraid that opening ensemble was terrible!!! Thankk God John Barrowman isnt involved though to mess it up this year!

I just wondered what direction people think Madonna should take after the relative failure of the Hard Candy era. I have been a huge madge fan since the beginning but i definitely think she messed up with this one and will have to come back with some stunning music to get back some respect and admiration. I think the main thing she needs to do is make sure her next image is believable. I have gone along with all her image changes up until Hard Candy, understood them and got what she was trying to do but in my opinion Hard Candy didnt work because it simply didnt make sense. Going from dance diva to urban act didnt work, the styling was all wrong (the album artwork appalling), and some of the music the worst she has recorded (Incredible - being far from it). She was trying too hard to be sexy. I think Madonna has always been about sex but i wouldnt say she has always been considered "sexy". Now i dont want to ageist but a 50 year old dressing in a bra and knickers, and singing "my sugar is raw" was just not going to work. It made her look desperate and old and therefore far from sexy. Whereas for Madonna i would say her sex appeal came from her confidence, power, style and imagery. The provocative nature of madonnas work never seemed forced until now. For me Madonna needs to and deliver an album about love and loss that people can relate to and has a much more natural sound (eg Like A Prayer). Nothing forced about it. I would also try to avoid an album thats all urban or all dance and just go for a more varied feel. Better producers (imagine how good a song like Miles Away might have sounded if produced by William Orbit) and better co-songwriters. Finally i think she needs to put some clothes on and have some fun - there was absolutely no humour in Hard Candy a true pop classic would see her back in public affection. In terms of a tour - i think she needs to suck it up and fully embrace her back catalogue too. She wont get away with people paying £160 a ticket to hear the new stuff on the next tour. She needs some support to get the crowd going and then really just say we are here to have fun so mix things up and sing Holiday, True Blue, Express Yourself, Material Girl, Dress You Up, etc... alongside the known songs of the present! And dont redo them in a fashion that makes them unlistenable, just strap on a feather boa, pink cowboy hat, get a band on and have a singalong - we dont need all the pyrotechnics! Anyway - what do other people think (and yes i know she will probably just carry on in her underwear and try to be young till shes 70!) Nigel