Lady Gaga, Robin Thicke and Miss Universe

So people didn’t just love Miss Universe 2008 and Crystal Stewart’s fall, but also its music. Here are the two official music videos of the songs used. Robin Thicke‘s Magic as heard in the night gown competition and Lady Gaga‘s Just Dance (featuring Colby O’Donis and Akon) as heard in the bikini competition.

On one hand we have platinum seller, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and occasional actor Robin Thicke. On the other we have 22-year old dance-pop and electronica musician who has written songs for Pussycat Dolls. I sure am looking forward to more music face offs between the two.

Sam Sparrow: Soul Meets Funk

Sam Sparro‘s amazing debut album will officially be released in the U.S. later this month. Of course, all you savvy pop aficionados around the world have already found a way to get a hold of this good piece of music, but the time has come to pop the champagne and share our little secret with others.

Sparro’s self-titled debut album will hit U.S. shores on June 24 and will be released on Universal Repuplic, the label that previously brought us acts like Amy Winehouse and Mika.

The openly gay pop singer brings an utterly delicious, solid and consistent blend of pop, soul and funk that has superstar written all over it. It’s Prince, Goldfrapp and D’Angelo are rolled into one irresistable package. His single “Black & Gold” that typifies Sam’s signature sound – as Sam would it put it, “classic soul meets classic funk mixed with the kind of music I listen to now.”

Listen to his “Black & Gold”

Life Before Death: Photography of the departed

Taking portraits, easy. What about taking portraits before and after death?

“This sombre series of portraits taken of people before and after they had died is a challenging and poignant study. The work by German photographer Walter Schels and his partner Beate Lakotta, who recorded interviews with the subjects in their final days, reveals much about dying – and living.”

If you check out this article from guardian.co.uk, you’ll find the two portraits of all of the subjects were taken within a month. It’s strange how they can be so different within a month, being alive and being dead.

Life Before Death is at the Wellcome Collection from April 9 to May 18.