Chart revenge sweet for Frankee as Eamon curses

Despite being carefully edited for public consumption, his expletive-strewn tirade at a former girlfriend has kept hip-hop singer Eamon at the top of the charts in Britain and the United States for the past four weeks.

Despite being carefully edited for public consumption, his expletive-strewn tirade at a former girlfriend has kept hip-hop singer Eamon at the top of the charts in Britain and the United States for the past four weeks.

But now "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" has been deposed on both sides of the Atlantic by "Fuck U Right Back", from an unknown singer called Frankee, who claims to be the subject of Eamon's song.

Frankee, 20, is said to have been so offended by her ex's accusations that she recorded her song, released on an obscure indie label, as a means of revenge. Using the same tune, she retaliates with a similar level of F-words, informing the world that she had "better sex all alone" and suggests that he was infected with genital lice. She went to number one in both charts on Sunday night.

Frankee said deposing her former boyfriend was the "best revenge" she could ask for. She told a music industry website: "I felt publicly humiliated after hearing his track and thinking it could be about me. But I think he's beaten. There is no comeback record to mine. If he can think of one, then good on him. I don't think he can.''

Many believe this to be a cynical music business publicity stunt. Initially, Eamon's reaction was to deny all knowledge of her existence but then he claimed he knew the record company was auditioning women for the part. "Frankee is definitely not my girlfriend or ex-girlfriend. The only way I was associated with her song was when I was asked for licensing permission by Frankee's representatives, which makes me a writer on her song by copyright law, but I really didn't expect all this to come out of it. They are having fun, it's cool, but in the end they are paying me for their 15 minutes of fame,'' he said.

Jonathan Bown, features editor of Smash Hits, said Eamon might simply be trying to protect his image: "He's got an ex-girlfriend talking about how bad he is in bed and how he gave her crabs ­ he's bound to say it's a publicity stunt.'' Bown considers that it may not matter much either way: "It's very easy to be cynical about this but I don't think there's a problem. It's something the kids can believe in and its actually very empowering for young girls to see one get their own back.''

Of course, the publicity for a couple of aspiring singers from New York is priceless. One clue to the background comes from the fact that Eamon is signed with Jive, the same label as Britney Spears and her ex, Justin Timberlake, and will have seen the oceans of coverage garnered by their very public split. Timberlake also appeared in a video to publicise his version of "Cry Me A River", in which he is shown cavorting with a woman in a bedroom made to look like Spears and is surprised by another woman ­ bearing a striking resemblance to his ex. Eamon is a supporting act on Spears's next tour.

Whether both go on to have long and fruitful careers or not, they are assured of joining one of the more interesting footnotes to popular music history, that of estranged couples who gave vent to their emotional traumas, leaving the rest of the world to look on as voyeurs. Even Lennon and McCartney were not exempt, with McCartney's "Too Many People" on his Ramsolo album being seen by many outsiders as critique of Lennon and Yoko Ono.