A couple of weeks ago we introduced XFM’s Winter Wonderland. Now, to go hand-in-hand with their sister station 95.8 Capital FM’s more pop-tastic event, the Jingle Bell Ball, we’re offering two lucky people a taste of the gig by giving you the chance to win a brand new CD from Alexandra Burke.

The event takes place this Saturday and Sunday (5th and 6th December) at London’s O2 Arena, and features performances from amazing artists such as Lady Gaga, Alexandra Burke, JLS, Shakira, Tinchy Stryder, Sugababes, Ne-Yo, La Roux, Dizee Rascal and many more. There’s still a chance for you to win exclusive tickets to the Jingle Bell Ball. Simply tune into 95.8 Capital FM for a chance to win pair of tickets every hour.

To win one of two copies of Alexandra Burke’s new album, all you have to do is email me with the answer to the question below, and we’ll pick a winner at random from the correct answers as at midday on Thursday (3rd December). Please note that we will only send this within the UK, and you’ll have to provide us with a postal address.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO ALL THAT ENTERED.

Following on from the amazing lineups of the past two years, the Mencap Little Noise sessions are back again this November to raise more money for the mental disability charity.

The lineup is almost complete, with a string of pretty amazing performances scheduled. Personally, I’m most excited about Editors day, along with the pop-tastic Alexandra Burke, Mika and Newton Faulkner days – all of the shows have great talent and with the promise of special guests, I say you should hop on down to Union Chapel to check out some great music. Head on over to the Little Noise Sessions website for more answers to your questions.

The artists so far announced include:

Monday 16th November
Editors
The Maccabees
Bombay Bicycle Club
Everything Everything

Tuesday 17th November
Alexandra Burke
Alphabeat
Marina and the Diamonds
VV Brown

Wednesday 18th November
Mika
Paloma Faith
Alex Gardner
Daisy Dares You

Thursday 19th November
Richard Hawley
I Blame Coco

Friday 20th November
Lostprophets
The Blackout
Egyptian Hip Hop

Saturday 21st November
Taio Cruz
Tinchy Stryder
Chipmunk

Sunday 22nd November
Florence and the Machine
Golden Silvers
Erik Hassle
Ellie Goulding

Monday 23rd November
David Gray
The Low Anthem
Lisa Mitchell

Tuesday 24th November
Newton Faulkner
Scouting for Girls
Little Comets
Stornoway

It’s that time of year again when the race to the top of the charts is at it’s most competitive. But who has managed to win this year’s festive contest to Christmas number one? Well, despite a considerable campaign to knock her off the top spot, X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke has still managed to claim the coveted position with her rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’.

Burke’s version sold over half a million copies this week, making it the fastest-selling single by a female solo artist, ever. Entering on download sales alone, the late Jeff Buckley (pictured right) followed closely behind Burke at number two with his version of the same iconic song. But which ‘Hallelujah’ do you prefer? Check out the videos to both versions, below!

Alexandra Burke -

Jeff Buckley –

Other vintage tracks experiencing a revival in this week’s chart battle include The Pogues and Kirsty Maccoll’s ‘Fairytale of New York’, reaching number twelve and Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas’ at seventeen. Here is the complete Christmas top twenty :

1. Alexandra Burke : Hallelujah
2. Jeff Buckley : Hallelujah
3. Leona Lewis : Run
4. Beyonce : If I Were A Boy
5. Geraldine : Once Upon A Christmas Song
6. James Morrison/Nelly Furtado : Broken Strings
7. Kings Of Leon: Use Somebody
8. Beyonce : Listen
9. Take That : Greatest Day
10. Britney Spears : Womanizer
11. The Killers : Human
12. The Pogues featuring Kirsty Maccoll : Fairytale of New York
13. Bandaged : Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth
14. Katy Perry : Hot ‘N’ Cold
15. X Factor Finalists : Hero
16. Alesha Dixon : The Boy Does Nothing
17. Mariah Carey : All I Want For Christmas
18. Akon : Right Now (Na Na Na)
19. Girls Aloud : The Promise
20. Beyonce : Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)

I personally was gunning for Status Quo’s track, ‘It’s Christmas Time’, but as you can see that didn’t even reach the top twenty (sigh..).

Meanwhile, Take That reached the top of the album charts this week with ‘The Circus’. The album reached the headlines this week after selling over a million copies in just eleven days. Consequently, the album has become the fastest-selling of the 21st century! Wowza! Certainly a record-breaking and generally exciting week for the music industry! Merry Christmas!