Whether dominating the airwaves with an anthem about same-sex marriage or representing for larger ladies on the catwalk, Beth Ditto’s proved herself a natural non-conformist. So when we heard gossip that she’d spent a year listening to Abba and hired Girls Aloud’s producers to oversee her latest studio effort, we were surprised to say the least. Having recently heard Gossip – the band, that is – we can confirm their sound’s definitely more chart-friendly than in days of yore. So what if everyone expected punk, not pop? Beth followed her instinct and defied us all. And, really, what’s more punk-rock than that?