IT SEEMS the world is starting to gather pace again following the slow-down we've experienced over the past 12 months.

And the same can be said for the music world. We welcomed plenty of new talent into the charts last year, from Lady Gaga and Daniel Merriweather to JLS.

Now 2010 looks set to bring even more new talent in our direction, which I've noticed just by looking at the interviews I've booked in my diary.

A young talented lady called Esmee Denters established herself last year with a song called Outta Here. She sings of wanting to leave a broken relationship and the lies behind (clearly a man involved here somewhere), and to forget the troubles with it.

As a big hit, it's recognised on the radio and in bars on your night out. However, you probably wouldn't recognise her if you bumped into her while trying to get on the escalator in the Potteries.

Esmee, below, joined me on Signal One this week. A cute, bubbly young lady, she worked as a waitress, confessing to me that she wasn't very good at it so customers had every right to be miserable. That was until she was discovered on YouTube, covering songs and doing her own thing. With help from a producer and management team, she was brought to the attention of a charming young man called Justin. Justin Timberlake.

JT went on to produce her album, and within it are some leg-jiggingly good rhythms and hooks. Take her new single for example, called Admit It. It oozes a retro sound but just makes you want to dance, even if you're like me and dance like a penguin slipping in olive oil.

Having toured with Justin Timberlake and Enrique, she is sure to gain a huge following. I would compare her work to Lady Gaga, who she quotes as a friend and inspiration. Fancy costumes and publicity stunts aside – I think she's better than Gaga. Her voice is powerful and she is more classy – some may say, less 'odd'.

One thing to note about Esmee, especially if you're a lady, is that Enrique Iglesias actually made a move to kiss her on the lips while they toured together. She turned away, telling me that he kisses everyone and so she wouldn't have felt special. How many ladies would do that? She also turned me down for a date, but that's nothing special – it happens far too often!