Today marked the opening of the first American Topshop, which is located here in NYC.

Check out this video by MTV of one of my favorite new artists, Ida Maira shopping up a storm:

Hello hello. As you may recall, since 2007 I’ve had an obsession with the Norwegian singer Ida Maria. I randomly found out about here when I was checking out the winners in a Norwegian contest for unsigned artists. When I took a listen of the track “Oh My God,” (which you can now hear all over those “Gossip Girl” tv ads) I was immediately in love and I hailed her as a promising Band of the Day.

Fast forward nearly two years later and Ida Maria has a record deal–a few in fact, which is allowing her to bring her glorious music to the rest of the world. Her debut album, Fortress Round My Heart, is now available digitally on Upper 11/Mercury Records and will be released as a hard copy on April 14th.

Ida Maria is also bringing her live show to a town near you, and I definitely urge you to check her out. When I saw her first American show in 2007 at the Knitting Factory, she was amazing–rolling around on the floor, knocking the drum kit over, having a ball of a time.

Tour dates are as follows:

March 23 – New Orleans, LA – The Parish
March 24 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft at Center Stage
March 26 – Washington, DC – Black Cat
March 27 – West Chester, PA – The Note
March 28 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
March 30 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
March 31 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
April 18 – Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Also check out her video for “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked”: