Cheryl reveals she’s CLOSE to finishing her album a week after her split from Liam Payne
The Geordie songstress said her and former Girls Aloud bandmate Nicola Roberts had penned every track for her upcoming record
THERE’S been plenty of drama to inspire Cheryl’s new album.
But rather than wallowing at home writing ballads about heartbreak, she was upbeat and on great form when I caught up with her at Simon Cowell’s summer party on Monday.
Cheryl made a surprise appearance at the bash, a week after The Sun revealed her split from Liam Payne.
She told guests she is doing great, then spoke to me about her new music — revealing that the album has been co-written with former Girls Aloud bandmate and close pal Nicola Roberts.
Cheryl told me: “Nicola and I wrote every track together. It’s been great working with one of my best friends, but I’m really proud of the album and excited for people to hear the new music.
“It’s pretty much finished. At this stage we’re deciding what will be the first single. We’re choosing between about three songs, but that’s quite a nice problem to have. Thankfully I’m not looking at it, saying, ‘Oh God, all this work and we don’t have a hit record’. I think we do.”
Cheryl also hinted Nicola will make a vocal cameo, adding: “I think she may appear somewhere. I can’t wait to get it out there for people to hear.
“It’s going to be a few months. We don’t have a date yet but I’ll tell you more soon.”
One fan is sure to love the record — Cheryl’s year-old son Bear.
She said: “He has heard my music and recognises his mum’s voice, but doesn’t know where it’s coming from. He finds it very confusing.”
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Liam crash pad
LIAM Payne spent five years on a tour bus with One Direction – but he may remember that as roomy compared with his new pad.
The Strip That Down singer has moved into a flat in a converted warehouse in West London after quitting the £5million Surrey home he shared with his now ex, Cheryl, and their son Bear.
A source said: “Liam had to find somewhere quickly when they split and his main criteria was a place in London. Although the Surrey house was his, he wanted Cheryl and Bear to be comfortable and safe, which is why he moved out.
“The building he’s in now is nowhere near as glamorous as anywhere he’s lived since becoming famous. It’s miles from where you’d expect a millionaire pop star to live.
"Fans probably think he’s living it up somewhere beautiful and this is not that. But he’s been working on his new album in the capital and is in and out of the UK, so needed to be near transport links.”
Liam has kept quite a low profile since his split with Cheryl but at least a trip to a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Italy’s Lake Como got him out the house for a while.
He should savour that five-star luxury while he can.
Justin Timberlake, O2, London
I SENT Bizarre reporter Howell Davies to review Justin Timberlake’s gig as his Man Of The Woods tour arrived in the capital on Monday.
Here is what he made of it . . .
TWO decades of hard work built up to February’s Super Bowl performance – and now Justin is basking in the success of his back catalogue.
Not just a chance to showcase his new tunes, his latest show is something of a greatest hits medley, whether it’s his seductive vocals on SexyBack or crowd singalong with Mirrors.
This show isn’t just a treat for the ears, it’s a feast for the eyes, too, thanks to three interconnected stages snaking through the arena, complete with two built-in bars in the centre which Justin has no qualms about clambering on to dance and down shots.
He is still a master performer – with impeccable choreography, a generous live band, a set with screens that drop down from the roof and incredible lighting.
And more than 15 years after its release, he can still hit the falsetto chorus in Cry Me A River.
Unfortunately this tour is for his latest album, which doesn’t have the punch of his hip-hop-tinged pop classics, and it feels a bit like being at Scout camp when he gathers around a campfire for Flannel.
But Can’t Stop The Feeling gets the mood back up again for an impeccable finale.
Justin may be a Man Of The Woods, but he hasn’t been put out to pasture just yet.
★★★★★
You all-fright Simon?
SIMON Cowell looks as if he’s seen a ghost as he leaves his record label party.
The X Factor boss appeared to be suffering a touch of the hex factor while pulling a series of strange faces at the Victoria and Albert Museum in West London on Monday.
Luckily it seems Lauren Silverman cast a spell over him and brought the smile back to his facE.
bizbit
WARD Thomas have said their next album will be called Restless Minds, due out on October 5.
It follows the Brit twin sisters becoming the first UK country act to top our charts with album Cartwheels in 2016.
Kylie is the latex thing
KYLIE Jenner is dressed to thrill as she transforms into a superhero to launch her range of summer cosmetics.
The reality star looks red hot in thigh-high latex socks, matching crop top and see-through plastic cape in the sexy shot which she shared with her 110million Instagram followers.
And in case she had forgotten her name – the new mum sat on top of a box with ‘Kylie’ plastered across it.
She this week ditched lip fillers for a more natural look.
It’s better late-x than never for Kylie to show what she’s really a-pout.
Planting a seed
LED Zeppelin’s Robert Plant said he’s feeling Dazed And Confused about why his band haven’t been on James Corden’s viral smash Carpool Karaoke.
At the Nordoff Robbins Silver Clef awards at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, the rock legend said: “I was on The Late Late Show about two months ago in LA but I didn’t get to the Carpool.
“I don’t know why. It must be something about significance.”
Getting Led Zep in the back of a car would be the reunion of the century.
Bieb just so in love
AS far as gushing PDAs go, Justin Bieber has well and truly outdone himself.
The reformed pop brat confirmed his engagement to Hailey Baldwin with this Instagram snap and a lengthy caption yesterday. He wrote: “Was gonna wait a while to say anything but word travels fast.
"Listen, plain and simple, Hailey I am so in love with everything about you. So committed to spending my life getting to know every part of you, loving you patiently and kindly.”
Kindly pass the bucket . . .
Con's life is tweet
CELEBS often have tweets come back to haunt them, but none more than The Vamps’ Connor Ball.
Just hours after tweeting a pic next to his car and saying he was “the worst driver in the world”, Connor narrowly escaped serious injury when his motor collided with a motorway barrier on Sunday.
He had been making his way home to Birmingham following a private gig. The bassist skipped promo for the band’s new Day Edition album on Monday to recover. He will join them at the South Tyneside Festival this Sunday.
The shaken-up star said: “You should always remember to cherish your life.”
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JADA Pinkett Smith struggled with a sex addiction before marrying Will Smith.
The actress said: “My sort of addictions jump around. When I was younger, I definitely think I had a sex addiction of some kind, that everything could be fixed by sex.”
BEFORE his gig at BST Hyde Park in London on Friday, Michael Buble spoke about his four-year-old son Noah’s 2016 liver cancer diagnosis, saying: “My whole life changed and my perspective on life . . . what it’s all about and what matters. I’m thankful for the grace.”
THE X Factor’s Jack Walton is back on the music scene with a summer hit, Amazing Grace. He signed with Louis Tomlinson’s label Triple Strings after appearing on the talent show four years ago and credits the ex-One Direction singer with helping to launch his career.
ABBA fans can breathe a sigh of relief – Pierce Brosnan has said that movie- goers won’t have to put up with much of his singing in the Mamma Mia! sequel. He said: “I don’t sing as much in this one as I did in the last – I don’t know why. But I do sing a capella in this one.” Oh dear.