Cilmi: 'New songs sounding R&B'

Gabriella Cilmi has said that her second album is sounding "more R&B".

Cilmi, who scored a number eight hit with debut album Lessons To Be Learned, is working on her follow-up record with Xenomania's Brian Higgins.

"The new material is sounding more R&B," she told the Daily Star. "I've been listening to a lot of Blondie too, especially their song 'Rapture'. It's a direction I'm keen to continue with, but I've only written a couple of tracks with Brian Higgins so far, so it's too early to really say."

The 17-year-old popstar also claimed that she is considering dabbling in hip-hop music and performing a rap on a new song.

"I toyed with rap on one of my current songs 'Save The Lies'," she said. "It didn't really work out, but it hasn't put me off. I'm going to give it another go for sure."