Pitchfork

All those those boys stuck on Annie's shoe can perk up a bit, because the Norwegian popstress is hard at work on a new album. She's currently in New York City recording tracks for the follow-up to 2004's Anniemal, and according to MTV.com, she wants to have the record in stores by the end of the year. "The record company might have a different idea," Annie said, "but I'm in a hurry."

The as-yet-untitled album looks to further Annie's campaign to conquer the indie world, with sessions already booked with ex-and-maybe-current-Smashing Pumpkins/A Perfect Circle guitarist James Iha (who previously remixed her song "Me Plus One"). She's also re-teaming with "Chewing Gum" producer Richard X for two tracks: an original called "Remind Me of You" and a so-obvious-it's-genius cover of Stacy Q's Madonna-lite 80s hit "Two of Hearts". Yes!

MTV.com also reports that Annie plans to work with Alan Braxe soon. Double yes!

"The new songs are more club-oriented, still '80s-sounding, but different," Annie told MTV. "But to be honest, I never really know what things will sound like until I finish the album. I'm sort of in the middle of the album. There's going to be a lot of different people, it's going to be more diverse, but I'm not quite sure which direction the production will go."

While the album gets polished and possible titular puns get sorted (Anniemation? Anniematronic? Anniemosity?), Annie plans to release a new single, "Crush", this summer. Not a Jennifer Paige cover, the song was written when Annie was a teenager, so let's cross our fingers for plenty of rainbows-and-unicorns-on-spiral-notebook observations.