James Blunt Warms Up To 'California Gurls'

by Jessica Letkemann, N.Y. | July 04, 2011 10:03 EDT

"Nothing comes close to the golden coast" this 4th of July as we turn to a Brit -- singer/songwriter James Blunt -- for a sweet nod to one of the great 50 states with his Katy Perry's summer pop juggernaut "California Gurls" for this week's Mashup Monday.

Photos: James Blunt's Mashup Behind-The-Scenes

James Blunt at Billboard

"I sing like a girl myself, so why not?" Blunt says jokingly of why he choose to sing the decidedly feminine Katy Perry tune. "Of course, I was trying the Snoop Dogg rap [too] and I think you'll find it's not on the track -- particularly with an English accent it doesn't really work."

James Blunt may be a far cry from the very American Perry, but both artists know a thing or two about topping the Hot 100 chart. Perry's "California Gurls" perched at No. 1 and was crowned Billboard's 2010 Song Of The Summer. Blunt's 2005 hit "You're Beautiful," which was inescapable for months, similarly rocketed to No. 1.

But far from resting on his past hits, Blunt is back with his first new album in four years, "Some Kind Of Trouble." Watch him perform single "I'm Your Man" at Billboard's studios below.

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MORE VIDEO FROM JAMES BLUNT'S BILLBOARD VISIT: