New releases last four weeks: Pop

Review: Betty Boo's irreverent blend of pop, rap and dancefloor sass took UK charts by storm in 1990, and her debut album Boomania here returns by way of a deluxe edition digging as deep into that exact era-defining sound as can possibly be dug. Originally launched off the back of her breakout appearance on The Beatmasters' 1989 single 'Hey DJ / I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing)', Boo's first full-length reached number four on the UK charts and went platinum. This expander reissue compiles 12 originals and 14 bonus cuts, including multiple versions of the four hit singles, from the King John and Peter Lorimer mixes of 'Where Are You Baby?' to Vince Clarke's Oratonic mix of '24 Hours'.

Review: Released in 1992, Grrr! It's Betty Boo marked a stylistic and personal evolution for Betty Boo, arriving two years after her platinum-selling debut (also reissued now through the Betty Boo estate). While it didn't replicate the commercial heights of Boomania, it still delivered a memorable top 20 single with 'Let Me Take You There' and offered a flurry of follow-ups including 'I'm on My Way', 'Catch Me', 'Thing Goin' On' and 'Hangover'. With its bold visual identity referencing Tigra cigarette packaging and a dedication to her late father, the album hinted at more introspective themes beneath the tongue-in-cheek flair. Critics noted its playful absurdity and inventive rhyming, while Madonna later lamented its lack of recognition, calling it "horribly ignored". Sad to say, this would be Boo's last album before stepping away from music some years.