Union J v Lorde Pop Slam!

Get ready because two of the biggest

pop stars in the universe are about to go into battle.

Kiwi pop sensation Lorde

against the almighty boyband Union J.

There can only be one winner, so stay right here.

I'm Amberley Lobo and this is Pop Slam!

Going head to head we've got...

-# And we'll never be royals

-Royals

..Lorde.

# It don't run in our blood

# That kind of luxe.... #

She's got stellar song writing skills

and rules the charts all over the world.

-# Let me be your ruler

-Ruler

# You can call me Queen Bee... #

She's huge. But how will she fare against...

-# Tonight we'll live forever

-We'll live forever... #

..Union J?

George, Josh, Jaymi and JJ have got it all.

Hits, hotness and some seriously good hair.

# It's all good... #

This is going to be one epic Pop Slam, people!

So who's team are you on? Team Lorde or Team Union J?

Can't decide?

Well put that phone on silent and pay attention

because I'm going to be delving into the lives of these megastars

to see who has what it takes to win the most coveted prize in pop.

The Ambo!

There's only one way to win the Ambo,

and that's by gaining as many of my Ambo points as possible.

I'll be dishing them out over three slamming rounds of poposity.

Where I meet the people who knew the stars back in the day.

Then I check out how hard they've been working.

And finally, I scrutinise their style.

All before the big moment...

And the winner of the Ambo is...

You might not agree with the outcome,

and if not, go to the CBBC website and have your say.

Hey, Ambo.

I'm on Team Lorde because I think that song Royals is really good.

She is a great singer and I love her songs.

I'm on Team Union J because I love them so much.

I've been there for them since the beginning.

I love their songs and their voices. Especially the song You Got It All.

But seriously, who would you choose? I mean, Lorde is so creative.

She's got an amazing voice and I love her style.

But then with Union J, it's four for the price of one.

Who do you think's gonna win?

Well, there's only one way to decide. It's time for Pop Slam!

Round 1 - Pop Potential.

This is all about how our stars made it big.

First up, Union J.

# Loving you is easy

# Loving you is easy

# Loving you... #

These days, Union J are one of the biggest boybands in the UK.

But before they hit the big time

they were just four kids from the South of England

who dreamed of stardom.

We all know and love Union J.

I mean, they're huge and everyone knows who they are.

But it's not always been that way.

Back in 2010, they were one three-piece band

and a chap named George Shelley who loved to play the guitar.

But when they combined forces,

they would become one of the biggest boy bands in the country.

Here's how it all happened.

# I think I finally found the one

# Here's come the change

# I think the change has just begun

# I'm not the same

# I think I've finally found the one... #

Let's rewind. Before Union J, there was Triple J.

But then before Triple J, there was Josh and Jaymi.

Are you still with me? Good.

The two met whilst studying performing arts

at the world-famous Sylvia Young Theatre School.

Sylvia and her school have taught the likes of Rita Ora

and McBusted's Matt and Tom.

And back in 2011, Josh and Jaymi were weekend pupils there.

Mega scoop, I've tracked down Josh's best mate Tim

to find out all the goss from those early years.

-Tim! Bring it in.

-How are you doing?

Great to meet you. So good. What was a young Josh like?

-Was he all about the music?

-Always.

No matter where we were, whether we were walking into a party,

he'd be singing. In the car. Even on his lunch breaks,

like, he'd be doing a karaoke session in the cafe at college and stuff.

So always, always singing.

-# I won't live forever

-Won't live forever... #

Tim and Josh have been BFFs since college

and old mate Tim has even featured in a Union J video!

What was Josh into, besides music?

Other than music, he was really into his football.

He was a goalkeeper.

He was quite a good goalkeeper, to be fair to him.

Oh, really? Did he let many in?

Against me, yeah.

There was a point where we had a game against each other, like,

our football teams came together.

And...a little hat-trick.

SHE CHEERS

Talk to me about his hair. Has it always been so amazing?

Oh, no. Back in the day, it was like proper slicked to your head.

He used to have the hair product in, straighten it,

and it'd be like sizzling and burning.

It's amazing he hasn't done any serious damage cos it is

looking lush right now.

And has he changed much?

Do you know what, in all honesty, he hasn't.

Like, not one bit. Like, he's still really genuine.

He's still a laugh. He's a good...a really nice guy.

He's just one of the lads really.

-And the hair's got a little bit better.

-A lot better. THEY LAUGH

Tim, it has been absolutely amazing. Put it here.

It's been a pleasure. Take it easy.

# All I see is you when I wake up

# You, when I talk

# You, when... #

Bye, Tim!

-Oh, hello.

-Oh, hi, Josh.

Nah, can't be.

Ambo, you crazy dingo, that WAS him. Ah, well. Back to the story.

Josh and Jaymi were going from strength to strength

but to make it big, they needed to get bigger, literally,

so they decided to become a three-piece.

Step up, Jamie Hamblett.

Before music took over Jamie's life, he spent his days on one of these.

Whoa!

Well, obvs a real one.

Yes, believe it or not, Jamie was a flat racing jockey,

and a pretty good one at that.

He won 23 races and even rode one of the Queen's horses!

Have 3 Ambo Points for being a superstar jockey.

In 2009, Jamie decided to hang up his saddle

to concentrate on his music.

He then met Josh and Jaymi, to create Triple J.

The band already had a Jaymi so he became JJ, as in Jockey Jamie.

# He got his fortune on the plate... #

With Triple J together,

the boys set about practicing to become the next big boy band.

# He's got six zeroes but no one to share it with... #

Meanwhile, in North Somerset, a young chap by the name of

George Shelley also wanted a career in music.

Time to get digging and find out everything I can about him!

This is too much. I'm about to meet George's best mate, Emily.

Play it cool, Ambo. Play it cool.

Emily, no way! You're George's best mate. Come here.

I want to know everything about George.

# ..fix a broken heart

# You have to try... #

Let's talk George.

What was he like back in the day?

He was quite quiet. Quite shy.

But really nice and sweet.

-Hold the phone. Quite quiet?

-Yeah, he was quite shy in himself.

Like, he didn't really very many friends or anything.

I sort of brought him out of his shell.

So, was he into the singing?

Yeah, he was always...

I think that was his point where he just started to let himself go

and become more confident.

He'd always have the guitar there and sing,

and that's when you could really see the real George.

So, cos he was quiet, was he singing around everyone at school

or was it something only you got to see?

No, I really had to push it out of him.

I was like, "Come on, pick up your guitar. I want to hear you sing."

He was like, "No, no, no."

Finally, I heard him sing one day and I was like, "Whoa!

"You've got to go on the X Factor."

-Really?!

-Yeah.

-And that's how it all started?

-Yeah.

George, I'm giving you 2 Ambo points for building up

the courage to get your music out there.

Off went George

and his guitar to audition for the 2012 series of X Factor.

And guess who else was there.

Me!

No, it was Triple J, of course.

And what happened next was legendary.

They both got kicked out of boot camp. Oh, not so good.

But don't worry, Lady Luck was smiling down on them

and one of the other groups had to pull out of the competition.

So Triple J got a call to come back on X Factor as a four piece.

Goodbye Triple J, hello Union J.

# Your stare was holding

# Ripped jeans, skin was showing

# Hot night, wind was blowin'

# Where you think you're going, baby?... #

This was their first ever performance

at the X Factor judges' houses.

And after this, they were guaranteed to go through to the live shows.

Boys, have 2 Ambo Points for making the most of your second chance.

# I took no time with the fall

# You gave me nothing... #

But despite being amazing and incredibly popular,

Union J didn't win the X Factor, that prize went to James Arthur.

But those record industry peeps know a good thing when they see it,

so, in December 2012,

they signed Union J up and the dream was back on.

# Don't ever say you're lonely

# Just lay your problems on me

# And I'll be waiting there for you... #

They had their deal but success was a long way off.

# You don't have to worry

# I'll be all right... #

What Union J needed was a hit single.

And in 2013, that's what they got

when they smashed into the top ten with Carry You.

# Carry you

# I'll carry you

# I'll carry you

# You know that I'll carry you

# I'll carry you... #

Union J had made it.

Hitting the big time after not winning X Factor

earns you 3 Ambo Points, boys.

# In your shoes... #

Right, that's how Union J made it.

Now it's time to head across the globe to find out all about

Lorde's rise to superstardom.

# ..the ladies out

# They're in their finery

# A hundred jewels on throats

# A hundred jewels between teeth... #

Lorde may be a member of music royalty now,

but before all that,

she was just a kid who grew up right here in Auckland, New Zealand!

# We live in cities you'll never see on screen

# Not very pretty but we sure know how to run things... #

When you think of New Zealand, you think Middle Earth.

# Living in ruins of a palace within my dreams... #

But this isn't a story about orcs and hobbits,

it's about a girl named Ella Yellich-O'Connor

and her quest to become one of the biggest names in pop.

Lorde.

Spoiler alert, she totally did it!

# Don't you think that it's boring how people talk... #

The story of how Ella became Lorde started right here.

It was on these beaches in Devonport, New Zealand,

where a young Ella loved to hang out.

# I'm bored... #

Another thing Ella loved to do was read.

And by the age of 12, she'd read over a thousand books!

# ..chasing a million things I want... #

In 2009, Ella flew to South Africa to represent her school

at the World Literature Quiz Final, where her team came second

to none other than the UK.

-# But I know they'll never own me

-Yeah... #

I'm giving you 4 Ambo Points for travelling to another continent

to take part in a massive literary competition.

So how did Ella go from a bookworm to budding pop star?

Well, it all started at her school.

When Ella was 12 she was already a budding musician

and was playing in a band called Extreme.

That's her there on the left, obvs.

Not only that, but in 2009 she won her school's annual talent show.

Have 3 Ambo points for rocking the school.

So Lorde was wowing everyone at her school

but she needed to take it to the next level

and let the whole of her country hear her sing.

And that's exactly what she did

when she was invited to appear on Radio New Zealand.

Hi, welcome to New Zealand.

This is Radio New Zealand. My name's Jim.

This is mega famous New Zealand radio DJ Jim Mora.

Back in 2009, word of Ella's amazing voice reached him

and Jimmy boy was quick to get her on his show.

She was 12 years old and this was the very studio Lorde was in.

We have extended an invitation today to Aucklander Ella Yellich-O'Connor.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Let me play you the Pixie Lott song that Ella sang first.

# What would my momma do?

# Uh-oh, uh-oh... #

And you can imagine, she's 12 years old,

we're expecting something quite sweet, I suppose, as you do.

And we get this.

# What would my daddy say? #

And then came the Kings Of Leon song, which was even more amazing.

# Someone like you and all you know

# And how you speak... #

Ella, you can have 3 Ambo points

for getting on the radio and singing

to over 100,000 listeners.

It's no surprise that New Zealand

went wild for Ella.

The texts started coming in.

And the reaction from the rest of the people in the radio station.

And we knew that we had kind of discovered a star.

With the help of Jim, it wasn't long before word of Ella's amazing voice

spread throughout the musical grapevine.

A talent scout at Universal Music heard a recording of one

of her performances and gave her a deal at just 13 years old.

Now Ella had a record deal, all she needed was a stage name.

Ella loves all things royal and aristocratic,

so she went for Lord - with an E on the end

to make it a little bit more girly.

She had the name, now all she needed was a hit.

And that's exactly what she got with the regally named Royals.

-# And we'll never be royals

-Royals

# It don't run in our blood

# That kind of luxe just ain't for us

We crave a different kind of buzz

# Let me be your... #

Lorde, have another 3 Ambo points for starting

your recording career with humongous hit.

-# And, baby, I'll rule

-I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule

# Let me live that fantasy... #

And that brings us to the end of Round 1.

Let's have a look at the scores.

These guys have all shown some serious talent from a young age

but it's Lorde who takes a narrow lead.

We've seen how our stars made it,

now it's time to see how hard they've been working.

It's time for Round 2.

Round 2 - Pop Success.

This is all about what our stars have been up to,

to make sure that they stay at the top of the charts.

First up, Union J.

# You took a diamond from the dust

# Made it brighter with your love

# How will it shine now you're gone... #

What really makes The Js stand out from the crowd

is their amazing live performances.

In 2013, the lads embarked on a massive Europe-wide tour!

# And I hear it in the air, the song for you and I

# Every dream that we share is written in the sky... #

When Union J are on the stage, it's actually quite hard to hear them

because the fans are going crazy with their screaming.

When you can hear them, they are amazing live.

They smash it when they're on stage.

# Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh... #

The Union J fans are called J Cats

and in 2013 they turned out in their thousands to see the boys in action.

Have 2 Ambo points for working really hard

with your live performances.

And it's not only their gigs where Union J put on a spectacular show.

-It's Union J.

-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-# Tonight we'll live forever

-We'll live forever

-# Do things we won't remember

-We won't remember

# But it's all good.... #

The boys work mega hard to get the Union J name out there.

They're regulars in magazines and on radio and TV shows.

And they're more than willing to suffer for their art.

In 2013, they appeared on Sweat The Small Stuff where,

during a game, poor JJ got his arm hair waxed off

by bandmate George and Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw.

HE SCREAMS

Ouch. Well, no pain, no gain.

That's gonna be worth 4 Ambo points for that one.

Whilst Union have been taking the UK by storm,

Lorde has been setting her sights on world domination.

# I've never seen a diamond in the flesh

# I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies... #

Lorde's first single, Royals, was huge.

It wasn't just a chart-topping hit here in her hometown of Auckland.

It also reached the top spot here, in the US of A,

where she became the first ever New Zealand singer

to reach the top of the charts!

And it stayed on top for a whopping nine weeks.

Say what?!

# ..we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams

# But everybody's like, Cristal, Maybach... #

But the Royals rollercoaster didn't stop there.

Next to get onboard was the folks here in the UK,

sending Lorde to - you guessed it - number one.

-# And we'll never be royals

-Royals

# It don't run in our blood

# That kind of luxe just ain't for us

# We crave a different kind of buzz

# Let me be your ruler... #

Lorde, I'm awarding you 2 Ambo points for taking

over the world with one song.

-# And baby, I'll rule

-I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule

# Let me live that fantasy... #

All this success led to Lorde winning two Grammys in 2014.

The Grammys are the biggest awards in pop

so I'm giving you 3 Ambo points for winning two of them.

# We count our dollars on the train to the party... #

Royals was huge and made Lorde so successful

that she's now writing songs for Hollywood.

# This is the start of how it all ends

# They used to shout my name, now they whisper it... #

Yellow Flicker Beat appeared on the soundtrack

for the awesome Hunger Games - Mockingjay Part One.

Not only that, Lorde got to hand-pick all the artists

and songs on the soundtrack.

Huh. Kudos.

# ..the colours disappear

# I never watch the stars, there's so much down here... #

Lorde, have another 2 Ambo points

for creating movie magic

with your own soundtrack.

# ..red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart... #

# Ah

# Beautiful life... #

Having your tunes used in a blockbuster movie is awesome,

but you know you've made it when you get your very own dolls!

Let me introduce you to my collection.

Hello!

# I carry you. #

-Quite literally, I carry you.

-SHE LAUGHS

Am I right, George?

# Beautiful life

# It's a beautiful life... #

Have 2 Ambo points for having your very own plastic clones.

That's big time, but it's nothing compared to actual real life

celeb bessie mates.

Becoming a household name in America

brings with it some pretty famous friends.

And Lorde's BFF is none other than T-Swizz herself. Taylor Swift.

Totes jelly.

# The drink you spilt all over me. #

Her friendships with famous people must work both ways.

I mean, on one hand, she's obviously thinking,

"This is quite cool. I'm from a small town.

"I'm best friends with one of the most famous people in the world,"

BUT don't forget that she herself is sort of very, very cool.

So, if you're hanging out with Lorde, that makes you look cool.

T-Swizz is your best mate - that deserves another Ambo point.

And that brings us to the end of Round 2.

Union J have had some big-time success,

but those Grammys have pushed Lorde further ahead.

It's all to play for in Round 3.

You know what to do! If you don't agree, get online and have your say.

We found out how our pop royalty made it big

and how successful they have been.

It's now time to see how glam they've become in Round 3.

Round 3, Pop Star.

This is all about our celebrities' lives - clothes, cars,

pets or whatever else they choose to splash their cash on.

First up, Lorde.

# Call all the ladies out

# They're in their finery

# 100 jewels on throats,

# 100 jewels between the teeth... #

I have a confession to make - I love Lorde's style.

I mean, she can wear some pretty outrageous outfits,

but she still manages to look amazing.

Lorde oozes style all the time

whether she's blinging it up on the red carpet,

getting suited and booted in her videos

or even wearing a massive hat.

# We live in cities

# You'll never see on screen

# Not very pretty

# But we sure know how to run things. #

And it has to be said, no-one pulls off gothic lippy like Lorde.

Lorde has a really kind of identifiable style.

I always think if you can dress up as someone at Halloween,

then you've made it.

She's confident with the way that she looks

and I think it's only going to evolve.

Lorde, take 4 Ambo points for your awesome style

and trend-setting lippy.

# You got it all. #

But let's not forget about our Union J lads.

Union J are one trendy boy band

and I'm about to meet the man who started that trend.

#Shamazing!

This is Frank Strachan. He's a top pop stylist

and worked with the boys when they first got together.

You obviously styled the boys at X Factor.

What were they like to style?

They were great fun.

It was really for us about trying to build an identity for them

as a band that they could then go forward with.

And what was that kind of identity that you tried to build?

They don't really rock the boat.

They're not really pushing anything. They're just looking like cool lads.

Is being in a band about keeping it all uniform

or do you get to keep a bit of your own identity?

I think that times have moved on from

when bands looked like a uniform, little package.

No-one really believes that any more.

I think it's much better for the fans to be able to identify

with individual members, but, at the same time, I think

it's important that it looks like they're all at the same party.

They're all going to the same thing.

It has been amazing chatting all things Union J. Bring it in.

# Cos you got it all. #

For looking great and keeping it simple, have 2 Ambo points, chaps.

We all know Union J like to look good,

but, this one time, fashion came at a price for Josh.

Now, I wasn't there at the time, but I imagine it went

a little something like this.

Hey, man, what's up, what's up?

So, George, what are you wearing tonight to accessorize for the gig?

I was thinking I might go with my Superman undies.

Ni-i-ice! Oh, what are you going to do, Josh?

Well, I was thinking I'd rock this, you know, sweater around my waist.

Oh, look, it could be a tripping hazard.

I wouldn't do that if I was you.

Oh, George, you make me laugh.

Tripping hazard? I never trip for I am Josh Cuthbert!

Let's go make some music.

Oh, nice! Steps at tonight's gig.

Shotgun at the going-down-first.

Uh, whoa! Oh, no!

I've...I've tripped on my jacket.

Josh Cuthbert never falls.

Nooo!

That's right. Josh's jacket came loose

and he tripped over it and fell down the stairs.

But don't worry, he suffered no injuries

other than a little bit of a red face from embarrassment.

# Yeah, yeah, yeah

# Cos you got it all

# You got it all. #

Lorde and Union J not only like to look good,

they also like to give a little bit back too.

# I may not always love you... #

In October 2014, Lorde teamed up

with a bucketful of pop superstars to release a charity single

for children in need.

# I'll make you so sure about it... #

Nice wings, Lorde.

# God only knows what I'd be without you. #

-LIP-SYNCHING:

-# Because you know I'm all about that bass

# 'bout that bass, no treble

# I'm all about that bass 'bout that bass, no treble. #

Also in 2014, Union J performed a lip-synching cover

of Meghan Trainor's humongous hit - All About That Bass -

all in the name of charity.

-LIP-SYNCHING:

-# Yeah, it's pretty clear, I ain't no size two

# But I can shake it, shake it

# Like I'm supposed to do... #

I'm going to give you both 4 Ambo points for your charitable style.

And that brings us to the end of Round 3.

Well, I think it's safe to say that none of us want this to end,

but it's time to get down to business

and find out who has won the Ambo,

right after we take a look back at what we've learned.

We have been in the company of pop royalty for this Pop Slam!

Lorde and Union J, both have legions of fans,

enough hits to fill a hammock and stylish looks to boot.

This Pop Slam! is too close to call.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's the moment we've all been waiting for.

The Ambo points have been counted and independently verified by me.

Good luck, guys.

And the winner of the Ambo is...

Oh, no! It's Lorde. Josh, I am so sorry. I mean, Union J.

I'm so sorry, but, girl, get in here.

Throw away those Grammys, you've got an Ambo now.

Let's see you in action.

# Red, orange, yellow flicker beat

# Sparking up my heart. #

How good was that?! Uh!

There's plenty more where that came from.

Make double sure you guys tune in next time to see more

of your favourite pop stars battle it out to win the Ambo.

# And this is the red, orange

# Yellow flicker beat

# Beat, beat, beat Mm. #