Gareth Dunning

IT'S the queen of pop against the young pretender as Kylie and Britney release albums in time for Christmas.

And if you've only got £15 left to spend on that loved one you'll be wanting to know which to choose.

Let's start with Kylie. Body Language is her first album since Fever and she is back with a vengeance.

The hot pants have gone, replaced by a sweater but the Australian sounds more sensual than ever.

And with tracks like Promises and Chocolate, this album presses all the right buttons.

Like first single Slow many of the tracks are a grower but after a couple of listens, it's clear that Kylie has produced an album better than anything that has come before.

Which is more than can be said for the former Mrs Timberlake.

Because Britney seems to have lost the pop power of Baby One More Time or even Oops, I Did It Again.

Gone is the sweet virgin who first burst on to the scene - replaced on this album by a girl with "outrageous sex drive".

And frankly it doesn't work.

It's hard to choose a stand out track, so I'll pick the worst one, an awful collaboration with the Ying Yang Twins (evidently they are rappers) called (I Got That) Boom Boom.

So for that last Christmas stocking filler, pick up Kylie. I wish!