George goes from risque to risky

The sexy shenanigans of George Michael's last single Freeek! got people hot under the collar, and now he is causing a political storm with his follow-up.

Shoot The Dog is causing a fuss as his most controversial single to date, with George questioning the UK's alliance with the US and mocking Tony Blair for doing everything President George W Bush tells him to.

And the video pushes things even further. Made by the team behind the satirical cartoon series 2DTV, an animated George can be seen coming on to Cherie Blair while her husband, portrayed as a poodle, is tickled by Bush.

In the song George voices his concerns about Britain being the next target for terrorist attacks.

He sings: "Mustapha, Mazeltov, the Gaza boys and all that holy stuff. I get the feeling when it all goes off, they're going to shoot the dog."

The dog he refers to is Blair's "poodle-like" Britain. While the singer is aware of the controversy he is causing, he says he's under no illusion that his opinions are any more important than anyone else's.

But he says: "I have strong opinions on Britain's current situation and I feel that in a time when public debate is being suppressed, even something as trivial as a pop song can be a good thing.

"Shoot The Dog is intended as a piece of political satire and I hope that it will make people laugh and dance, then think a little."

But many are saying the single could be damaging to his career. Some radio stations could ban the track because of the anti-government message.

And Americans might not take too kindly to George describing their government as "bullying".

As he freely admits: "It's a massive and totally unnecessary risk for me."