Amy Winehousehas announced that her new album will be ready by January 2011, and will be just like the award-winning Mark Ronson, the man behind the horn-heavy retro sound of Back To Black. Speaking after a performance at The 100 Club in London last week, Ronson said, “Amy hasn't begun working on her next record yet. When she's got 10 songs we'll go down to the studio together.”

Winehouse made a surprise appearance at Ronson’s show, singing The Zutons’ Valerie, which the pair recorded back in 2007. She managed to forget some of the lyrics and, in her own words, sing “a bit out of sync”, but Amy made the best of it afterwards, saying, “It was really fun to be onstage with him though”.

The troubled singer made her first public appearance with her new boyfriend, actor Reggie Traviss, this week – she attended the London premiere of his new film, Psychosis, in Leicester Square. Speaking to reporters on the red carpet, Amy said she was impatient for fans to hear her new material. "I just can't wait to have new songs on stage, really."

After the high standard set by Back To Black four years ago, expectations have been high for Winehouse’s return but there have been numerous false starts already. Let’s hope this time she stays true to her word.