OLIVIA DEAN is preparing to pull out the big guns for the follow-up to her year of triumph — by enlisting the help of hitmaker extraordinaire Nile Rodgers.
She’s become one of the UK’s favourite musicians thanks to the runaway success of her album The Art Of Loving.
Now I’m told Chic great Nile is keen to work with Olivia and personally reached out to her.
Their teams are looking for space in the schedules to go into the studio together.
A source said: “Nile has his finger on the pulse when it comes to music and thinks Olivia is just amazing.
“He was actually aware of her before her album dropped and is really keen to get in the studio with her.
“She really does have the world at her feet and is pretty honoured that such a star wants to work with her.”
Nile has written, produced and performed on albums totalling more than 750million sales.
He has worked on tracks including David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Duran Duran’s The Reflex and Like A Virgin by Madonna.
More recently, he has contributed to Beyonce’s albums Renaissance and Cowboy Carter, and Coldplay’s tenth album Moon Music.
But Olivia doesn’t have loads of time in her diary right now, having kicked off a debut arena tour in Glasgow last Wednesday.
She has shows in London this week and will stay on the road across Europe and North America until the end of August, before jetting Down Under in October.
Released last September, The Art Of Loving has turned her into a global star, spawning the singles Man I Need, So Easy (To Fall In Love), A Couple Minutes and Let Alone The One You Love.
She proved to have the Midas touch, because after teaming up with Sam Fender on a version of his song Rein Me In, it spent eight weeks at No1 — and is on course to return there this Friday.
Olivia has also achieved career milestones including performing on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage in 2024.
On how to build her career, Olivia previously said: “Make an album, play Jools Holland and play the Pyramid Stage.
“I’ve done them now, I need to figure out some new goals.”
With Nile by her side, I’m sure Olivia will continue to dominate.
MIS-TEEQ confirmed my story that they’re reuniting to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, Lickin’ On Both Sides.
I revealed in January that Alesha Dixon, Sabrina Washington and Su-Elise Nash were discussing getting back together for a one-off performance.
And now Mis-Teeq’s Instagram page has kicked back into action, with a video showing their performances from 2001 – when the record came out.
The biography on their account reads: “25 Years. One Legacy.”
Watch this space.
COOPER: MY SLIM PICKIN’
COUNTRY singer Cooper Alan wants to do the unthinkable and drag Eminem into the world of cowboy music.
In an exclusive chat with Bizarre, the TikTok sensation – who has racked up 11.5million followers – revealed that the Slim Shady rapper tops his dream collaboration list.
Cooper said: “Eminem has always been my favourite. It would probably never happen, but that’d be really cool.
“Eminem on a country song, I think that would be crazy.”
He’s also got another surprise duet in mind, this time with with Scottish brothers The Proclaimers.
He added: “We’ve been covering their 500 Miles as our encore, so we’ll throw their hat in the ring too. Dream collab, The Proclaimers.”
I caught Cooper live in London last week on his To The Pub Tour, and the show was absolute carnage – in the best way possible.
The singer is wrapping up his first UK shows in Glasgow tomorrow, following the release of latest album Winston-Salem.
The New Normal singer had fans battling it out in a beer-chugging contest before pouring pints straight into the front row from the stage.
Laughing about the stunt, he said: “You’d think I’d be better at pouring the beer.
“But it comes out too fast, it goes all over their face.”
After testing their drinking skills, he was full of praise for our crowds.
Cooper said: “I was impressed with the British drinking ability, especially on a Tuesday night.”
That’s those Americans told.
If you want proper drinkers, come to Britain.
MEGAN DITCHES ‘CHEATER’
MEGAN THEE STALLION has broken up with boyfriend Klay Thompson after accusing him of cheating on her.
In a statement confirming her split from the NBA basketball player, she said: “I’ve made the decision to end my relationship with Klay.
“Trust, fidelity and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship.
“When those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward.
“I’m taking time to prioritise myself.”
The WAP rapper was with Klay – who’s yet to address the claims – for just under a year.
On Instagram she wrote: “Cheating, had me around your family playing house.
“Got ‘cold feet’. Holding you down through all your HORRIBLE mood swings and treatment of me during basketball season . . . now you don’t know if you can be ‘monogamous’???”
FOO FIGHTERS celebrated the release of their album Your Favorite Toy with a launch party in London, then performed two new tracks on Saturday Night Live.
But it looks like the band, above, will be prevented from scoring their seventh No1 album, as Noah Kahan’s new record The Great Divide has sold three times more in the UK since they were both released on Friday.
MADGE BASQUES IN GLORY
SHE might be 67, but it’s clear Madonna can still party hard as she leaves a nightclub in bridal lingerie at 2am yesterday.
Madge, in shades and knee-high boots, hosted a bash at The Abbey in West Hollywood, where she played new track I Feel So Free and also premiered an upcoming song, believed to be called Freedom.
That could well be her third track with that title.
She recorded one for her 1994 Bedtime Stories album, though it didn’t make the cut at the time, and made another during sessions in 2014 and 2015, which wasn’t officially released but did leak online.
There was some chaos at the Los Angeles nightspot as fans grappled to get close to the superstar, who was standing behind the DJ decks.
Punters were pushing and shoving, with one woman pouring her drink over a man’s head.
Celeb fans Addison Rae and Julia Fox were also there.
Let’s hope they didn’t have soggy bonces.
BOY GEORGE FACES UP TO EUROVISION
BOY GEORGE is all set to make his Eurovision debut next month – but it sounds like he’s put less thought into his vocals than how he will react when the scores are revealed.
The singer is featuring on San Marino’s entry Superstar, by Senhit.
He said in an exclusive chat at the London Eurovision Party: “I’ve been to so many awards shows where I’ve been nominated, so I will be able to deal with nerves when it comes to the points.
“You have to learn that face where you’re like, ‘I’m so happy for everyone else’.
“But I’ll be so in it. I think Senhit will be more nervous than me.
“I won’t be nervous on the night, not really. There will be nervous energy and excitement.”
The Culture Club frontman joked he better not get stage fright, adding: “Probably on the night, I’ll be like, ‘Argh, this is huge.
“What if I forget to say the right words?’. I won’t have a lot to do, but sometimes not having much to do can be worse. But I think I’ll be fine.”
He has high hopes that San Marino can beat the UK entry Eins, Zwei, Drei by Look Mum No Computer.
George added: “I’d love us to win. San Marino is a small country. Ireland is not doing Eurovision this year so, they can vote for me as I’m Irish.”
THE ROLLING STONES are having fun with the promo for their new album Foreign Tongues.
They have turned their website into a CCTV geek’s heaven with ten cameras showing them at work.
Producer Andrew Watt, who worked on their last No1 album Hackney Diamonds, features in the videos, and helped shape the ten album tracks.
Insiders said there is a top-secret – and random – collab on the new record, out later this year. I’m told no one would ever guess.
SYDNEY CENTRE STAGE
HONKY tonkin’ Sydney Sweeny squeezed into this tiny corset dress to enjoy the world’s largest country music festival.
She was spotted in the crowd during the Stagecoach event in California.
The actress, who seemed to take inspiration from Madonna’s latest corset look, was seen on top of boyfriend Scooter Braun’s shoulders as they watched Ella Langley perform on Friday evening.
She was then back on Saturday for day two and got on the mic herself, inset.
Her lingerie brand Syrn hosted a pop-up where she belted out Sweet Caroline on karaoke and was joined by showbiz pals Diplo and Lance Bass.
Perhaps a music career beckons next .