Mariah performed the song "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" from her new album E=MC² at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan recently. The performance of my personal favorite track off that album (tough competition though!) was hot tamale & MCC looked great. I really hope this is a future single! In related news, Mariah was also awarded with the Video Vanguard award at the ceremony. Congrats Mimi!
[Source]
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Mariah Carey Performs "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" On MTV VMAs Japan
Madonna ft. Pharrell "Give It 2 Me" Video Premiere
"Give It 2 Me," featuring Pharrell, is the second single off Madonna's latest album Hard Candy. I'm no fan of Madonna. She scares me. I don't see how she is talented whatsoever vocally. That said, I can't deny that the production of this song is hot. The video isn't horrible, though Madonna is nothing to look at. I still have to admit that Hard Candy is becoming somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me. I be diggin' Pharrell's work!
Billboard Update
^This week's #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart
This week's #1 single on the Hot 100 chart^
See full charts HERE.
"Bye Bye" Watch
TW: #26 - LW: #19 - Peak: #19 - Week: #6
[Source]
(Photo Credit: Amazon)
The Caffeine Patch: WALL-E Meets Bouncy Balls
In Theaters June 27th
BONUS: Check out a teaser poster for the short film that will be attached to showings of "WALL-E" entitled "Presto" HERE!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Usher Performs On Good Morning America
Usher appeared on Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series this morning to perform 3 songs from his new album Here I Stand: "This Ain't Sex," "Moving Mountains," & "Love In This Club," all of which can be viewed in the video above. No wonder he lip-synched "Moving Mountains" on the BET special. I've always viewed Usher as a great vocalist, but he just isn't showing it lately. I feel like he is letting his arrogance get in the way of putting on a great performance--something that is especially evident to me during "This Ain't Sex." Still, he is an awesome performer, so this showing wasn't horrible by any means. I just haven't been really impressed with anything other than his SNL performances this time around.
Koda Kumi ft. Fergie "That Ain't Cool" Video Premiere
Here's the video for "That Ain't Cool," the new single from Koda Kumi that features the one & only Fergie. I've never heard of this Koda person &, quite frankly, I haven't heard much from her--even after watching this video--because Fergie is almost the whole song. Fergie looks great in the video & I really dig the song.
Toni Braxton Cancels Vegas Show
Due to an unspecified illness, Toni Braxton has been forced to cancel the remaining dates of her show "Toni Braxton: Revealed" in Las Vegas. Toni was admitted to the hospital back on April 7th & was scheduled to resume the show in June. While no details have been revealed concerning what she has been treated for, Toni has had heart trouble in the past. I would like to congratulate Toni on a great two-year run & I wish her only the best in her career, but, first & foremost, getting well.[Source, Source]
Ashlee Simpson Pregnant, Changes Name
Ashlee Simpson & husband Pete Wentz have confirmed that Ashlee is, in fact, pregnant with the couple's first child. In addition, newlywed Ashlee has decided to take Pete's last name. Privately, she will be known as simply Ashlee Wentz, but will go by Ashlee Simpson-Wentz professionally. They aren't wasting any time! Congrats to the couple.[Source]
David Archuleta On TRL
Part 1
David Archuleta appeared, along with David Cook, on TRL yesterday for a chat. The most interesting part was when Damien put the Davids to the test & actually had them sing from the phonebook. Not so sure that was exactly what Randy had in mind for Archey, but he represented well nonetheless. One thing I learned: I now understand why people think Cook reminds them of Jack Black ... because we all know he is known for his singing ability. While the "performance" can be found in Part 1, Part 2 is more interview & the silly boxing match mentioned at the end of Part 2 can be found by clicking the Part 3 link.
Elliott Yamin Featured On Disneymania 6
Elliott Yamin takes on "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" from the Disney film "The Lion King" on the recently released sixth installment of the Disneymania CD series. Words cannot express how against Disney Channel stars completely wrecking all that is good in the world of Disney I am, but Elliott, being a truly talented artist, is an exception. He does a great job & you can buy the CD or download his song by clicking the cover.
Usher "Here I Stand" BET Special
"Moving Mountains" & "Here I Stand"
"Yeah!" & "Love In This Club" with Young Jeezy
To promote his latest album Here I Stand, Usher performed on a BET special dedicated to him this week. The show consisted of mainly new songs along with his hit "Yeah!" I was disappointed that he lipsynched "Moving Mountains," as I am really looking forward to hearing him do that one live. Other than that, the special was a good one & gave the audience a better understanding of Usher's goal with the new album.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
David Archuleta On The Early Show
David Archuleta capped off his daytime takeover with an interview & performance of "Angels" on The Early Show. When he was on Star Search, he appeared on The Early Show, so they dug up the clip of him from back then & discussed it with Archey. Very entertaining!
David Archuleta On Today
Interview + "Think Of Me"
Interview With David Cook
David Archuleta continued his talk show tour on Today by doing some interviews & performing. I'm glad he switched it up & sang a different song. His take on "Think Of Me" was a highlight of Idol 7.
David Archuleta On The Morning Show With Mike And Juliet
Interview
"Angels"
David Archuleta took over daytime television today, appearing on The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet to do an interview & perform. He gave a really interesting interview & sang very well. Go Archey!
Syesha Mercado On Regis And Kelly
American Idol 7's last girl standing Syesha Mercado appeared on Live With Regis & Kelly today & performed "If I Ain't Got You," followed by a short interview. I'm so glad she got the opportunity to get some of the shine she deserves for getting so far on Idol. She did great & I love her.
Kanye West "Flashing Lights (3rd Version)" Video Premiere
Check out the third & final video for Kanye West's song "Flashing Lights." The second version can be seen (at the time of posting) further down on the page. I'll call it creative when someone explains what it could possibly mean.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
David Archuleta On Regis And Kelly
American Idol's David Archuleta visited Live With Regis & Kelly today & performed "Angels," a song he sang on Idol, & did an interview. Archey is taking over the talk show circuit this week ... & soon, the world! Saying that I can't wait for his debut album is a gigantic understatement, but I suppose I will have to, considering he will be busy the next few months on the American Idol tour...
Preview Ashanti's "The Declaration"
^Click To Preview^Amazon has posted 30-second clips of every song from Ashanti's upcoming album The Declaration, which is set to hit stores this coming Tuesday, June 3rd. Feel free to listen to them by clicking the album cover above. Not sure how I feel judging solely on the snippets, but I'm still optimistic about the album as a whole. One thing Ashanti is not doing enough of is promotion because there's no guarantee that this CD will sell much at all in today's industry.
Usher's MTV Artist Of The Week Promos
"What's Your Name?"
"Forever (Live)"
This week, to coincide with the release of his fifth album Here I Stand, Usher is MTV's Artist Of The Week. As usual, he has shot a number of promos that will air on MTV throughout the week. A couple can be viewed above, while the rest are available to watch HERE. They feature music from Usher's new album as well as parodies of movies like "Pirates Of The Caribbean," "Juno," & "Superbad."
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
New Music Tuesday
^Click To Purchase^
May 27th is a pretty big day for music this year. Usher makes him triumphant return to the scene with the release of his follow-up to the hugely successful Confessions, Here I Stand, which, in some respects, is better than its predecessor. Also, Fergie re-releases her debut album The Dutchess with a 'deluxe' edition featuring new songs like her collaboration with Nelly, "Party People," & "Labels Or Love," the theme song for the Sex & The City movie. Speaking of which, the Sex & The City movie soundtrack, which features Fergie's aforementioned contribution as well as new music from Jennifer Hudson (& Ciara, supposedly, with the song "Click, Flash," which can be heard HERE) is also out today & can be purchased HERE.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Weekend Flashback Performance: *NSYNC At The 2000 MTV VMAs
First off, let me apologize for the incredibly obnoxious tags before & after this video; this has got to be the only one of this performance on YouTube, though. Anyway, back in the day, when people like *NSYNC were scheduled to perform on something, it was an event. Their medley on the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards is not only no exception, but one of their best performances. We may be too cool for them these days, but there is no denying that *NSYNC was one heck of a group of performers.
Kanye West "Flashing Lights (2nd Version)" Video Premiere
Here's a new official version of Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" music video. An improvement over the original, the videos for this song are really weird.
Usher "Entertainment Weekly" Magazine Cover
David Archuleta: Comic Genius
American Idol Extra
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
American Idol Extra
Oh... & guess who's signed to Jive Records? GO ARCHEY!
[Source]
Christina Aguilera "Us Weekly" Magazine Cover
Christina Aguilera is looking absolutely stunning post-pregnancy on the cover of the latest Us Weekly issue. Whether it's simply maturing or the act of giving birth & subsequently working off the excess weight, something makes this woman look better & better. Check out more scans from the issue HERE. Wow!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Nelly ft. Ciara "Stepped On My J'z": Behind-The-Scenes
Courtesy of Jermaine Dupri's "Living The Life" YouTube series, a bit of behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot for Nelly's new Ciara-featured single "Stepped On My J'z" is available for your viewing pleasure. JD shows up at the shoot around the 5-minute mark & Ciara appears not long after 6 minutes in. CiCi looks good. Apparently, there will be an Access Granted episode on BET for the video as well.
Karina "First Love" Cover
Karina is a talented new artist whose debut album First Love (art above) features the single "16 @ War" & was recently pushed back to a new release date of August 19th. I really like the cover & this young artist is definitely one to watch.[Source]
Britney Spears Working On New Album
Britney Spears is reportedly in the early stages of recording the follow-up album to last year's Blackout. She is working with producers J.R. Rotem & Sean Garrett. A source told People magazine more details:"Britney is in the experimental stages of a new album," says the source. "She's trying to find the sound and direction she wants to go in, but nothing is set in stone just yet. She has been playing the piano a lot and just singing. She says she misses 'just singing.'"
This is some interesting news. I can see how Britney would want to start fresh by recording some new material for a proper comeback, but I just hope she waits until she is ready to release it. It is also a shame that her Blackout material won't really be treated as well as it deserves to be. Nonetheless, I am happy to hear that new music is on the way & I wish her only the best.
Usher "Moving Mountains" Video Premiere
"Moving Mountains" is the second single taken from Usher's upcoming album Here I Stand, which hits stores May 27th. I am SO happy this was chosen as the next single because I LOVE this song. The video is a continuation of "Love In This Club" & is visually stunning. Nice job all around.
Billboard Update
^This week's #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart
This week's #1 single on the Hot 100 chart^
This week's #1 single on the Hot 100 chart^
See full charts HERE.
This week, Death Cab For Cutie nabbed their first #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart with Narrow Stairs. Continuing the trend of disappointing outcomes for R&B efforts, Cherish debuted at a lowly #40 with only 13,000 copies of their sophomore album The Truth sold. Ryan Cabrera's The Moon Under Water debuted, if at all, outside the top 100 albums. On the singles front, Lil' Wayne's "Lollipop" reclaimed the #1 slot on the Hot 100 chart.
"Bye Bye" Watch
TW: #19 - LW: #27 - Peak: #19 - Week: #5
TW: #19 - LW: #27 - Peak: #19 - Week: #5
[Source]
(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)
American Idol Finale Highlights
David Archuleta & OneRepublic "Apologize"
Syesha Mercado & Seal "Waiting For You"
Jordin Sparks "One Step At A Time"
David Archuleta Guitar Hero Commercial
Overall, this was a pretty good show. There were a LOT of musical numbers, as you can see. Archey sang with OneRepublic ... & I kinda wish he could've just sung the whole thing by himself(!), but it was cool. Syesha was great, as always, in everything she did. Jordin sang as the reigning Idol & probably had a slightly difficult time hearing herself sing, but I love her anyway. David Archuleta's reactions to Mike Myers' Guru are priceless! (...Mariska Hargitay! lol) I also gotta give credit to Carly, whose talent was very underrated this season; I really hope she has a successful career because she deserves it. Lastly, Archey's Guitar Hero commercial ... kicks Cook's commercial's butt (no pun intended)!
David Archuleta Idol Finale Performances
"Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"
"In This Moment"
"Imagine"
As a top 2 finalist on American Idol this week, David Archuleta gave THE best night of performances I've ever seen. He's really spoiled us this year & it's going to really be disappointing to not have Archey light up the stage every week next season. I really can't WAIT to see & hear what is to come from David Archuleta in the near future. Here's to the best guy American Idol has ever had &, honestly, one of the great talents of our generation--David Archuleta!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Janet Jackson "Rock Witchu" Tour Promo Pic
Check out this *fierce* promotional photo for Janet Jackson's upcoming "Rock Witchu" tour to promote her latest (& equally *fierce*) album Discipline. Looks like it'll be an awesome show! The tours starts on September 10th.[Source]
Usher Performs On Dancing With The Stars
"Love In This Club"
"Yeah!"
Usher was the special guest this week on Dancing With The Stars, where he performed his first (& latest #1) single "Love In This Club," taken from his upcoming album Here I Stand (out Tuesday), & previous #1 "Yeah!" Both performances were really cool & unique, as "Love In This Club" incorporated the whole dance floor & a new jazz version of "Yeah!" was created exclusively for this performance.
The Pussycat Dolls Perform "When I Grow Up" On Jimmy Kimmel
The Pussycat Dolls premiered their new single "When I Grow Up," taken from their sophomore album, which is due this summer, with a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! They did a great job & I'm glad to see them back doing their thing, especially Nicole (of course), who returns at the group's vocalist.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Ashanti Performs "The Way That I Love You" On 106 And Park
Ashanti performed her lead single "The Way That I Love You" from her forthcoming album The Declaration, which is due on June 3rd, for the first time on TV when she sang on a special Indiana Jones-themed episode of 106 & Park. She looked good & I'm excited for the album. I'm glad she is finally promoting it!
Estelle Performs "American Boy" On The Late Late Show
Estelle performed her single "American Boy" again recently, this time at the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, which airs directly after Letterman, the show she last sang the song on not too long ago. It's basically the same, but I must admit: I think I prefer the song live. Estelle is just such a professional performer & the version they do live is much more enjoyable. Still, her new album Shine is my CD of the moment.
Fergie On Today
"Barracuda"
"Clumsy"
Interview
Fergie recently stopped by Today to briefly discuss The Dutchess: Deluxe, the upcoming re-release of her debut album (with 4 bonus tracks) due May 27th, & perform 2 selections from the set: new(-ish) track "Barracuda" & hit single "Clumsy." Fergie is one heck of a performer & I must say that, for Fergie standards, I was actually impressed by her vocals. "Barracuda" is kind of a weird song, though.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Michelle Williams "We Break The Dawn" Video Premiere
"We Break The Dawn" is the first single off Michelle Williams' upcoming third album Unexpected, which is set to drop August 12th. Michelle showcases her new look & sound in the video for the lead single, which compliments the song quite nicely. While nothing too extravagant, Michelle looks great in the cool & sexy new video. If someone would have told me, say, a year ago that one of my most anticipated albums of '08 would be Michelle Williams, there's no way I would have believed them. And yet...
Keri Hilson Debut Single News
It seems as though Keri Hilson has had a change of heart. The first single off Keri's debut album In A Perfect World..., due September 23rd, will now be "Energy." The cover for the single, which will be released for digital downloading on May 27th, is featured to the left. Keri looks amazing & I'm so glad we are finally getting some news (a date!) on her long-awaited debut album. Also, a snippet of "Energy" that can be heard HERE sounds amazing!
Ashlee Simpson Marries Pete Wentz
The younger Simpson is now a married woman. Ashlee Simpson married boyfriend Pete Wentz over the weekend at her parents' house. Among the 150 guests were her sister Jessica Simpson, Jessica's boyfriend Tony Romo, Nicole Richie, & Joel Madden. All enjoyed an "Alice In Wonderland"-themed reception following the ceremony. Congrats to the happy couple![Source, Source]
Janet Jackson On Ellen
"LUV"
"Rhythm Nation"
Interview
Thankfully, Janet Jackson resumed promotion for her Discipline album by appearing & performing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday. Janet went on the show to announce her upcoming "Rock Witchu" tour & performed what is hopefully her new single "LUV" & her old favorite "Rhythm Nation." For the performances, Janet was on her A-game, as she nailed them both & entertained like only she can. As for the tour, Janet wants your 'feedback' on what to sing, so if you would like to give suggestions, Janet requests that you call the number 323-622-8139. The tour kicks off September 10th.
Monday, May 19, 2008
*UPDATED* Jennifer Hudson Album Update
Jennifer Hudson is preparing for the release of her self-titled debut album this September. The set will be preceded by first single "Spotlight," which will impact radio on June 9th & be available for download the following day. The single was produced by Ne-Yo & Stargate, while other contributors to her album include Timbaland, The Underdogs (who worked on the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack), Diane Warren, Robin Thicke, & Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. Jennifer had the following hint to give as to what to expect:I think people will be pleasantly surprised, because it shows a side of my work that no one has heard before.
Wow, things are really starting to shape up for this project! I really love Jennifer Hudson, so I hope there is only smooth sailing between here & September for her project ... *knocks on wood* Also, for those who haven't yet, click HERE to listen to "Spotlight."
UPDATE: Check out the single cover for "Spotlight" on your right.[Source, Source]
Carrie Underwood Performs "Last Name" At The ACM Awards
Carrie Underwood performed her latest single "Last Name," her third from sophomore album Carnival Ride, last night at the Academy Of Country Music Awards. She's doin' it big these days! This was a cool performance.
[Source]
The Veronicas "This Love" Video Premiere
"This Love" is the third single off The Veronicas' sophomore album Hook Me Up, which was recently released to iTunes in the US. The song is the third single in Australia, as they are Australian, but it is their latest. The video is a decent effort. I like the song as well.
Ashlee Simpson "Shape" Magazine Cover
Here's Ashlee Simpson on the June cover of Shape magazine. She looks really good. Job well done. Her new album Bittersweet World is in stores now.[Source]
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Weekend Flashback Performance: Christina Aguilera At The 2000 MTV VMAs
So, I think I'm gonna finish out the '00 VMAs & post all my favorite performances from that show because, well, I just really liked it that year. Here we have Christina Aguilera performing "Come On Over Baby" all the way back from her debut album. She was very energetic & her vocal delivery was flawless as usual. Many might remember this one, however, as she was joined on stage at the end by Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit (remember when the world cared about them?). Just a lil' somethin'-somethin' for shock value. This has just always been one of my faves from Christina.
Usher Performs On Saturday Night Live
"This Ain't Sex"
"Love In This Club" (ft. Young Jeezy)
Usher is in the building! He performed his new song "This Ain't Sex" for the first time & his #1 hit single "Love In This Club" with Young Jeezy on SNL. Both performances were incredible &, as if it needed to be said, Usher has returned to show all of those wanna-bes how it's done! Don't forget to pick up his new album Here I Stand when it hits stores on May 27th. It's gonna be a hot one &, if you aren't quite convinved yet, click HERE to hear snippets of every track! You will notice a little detail about the album is spilled here: there will be a hidden track entitled "Will Work For Love" (which actually sounds better than a few of the regular album cuts) on the CD. Cool beans.
Go David Archuleta! (Idol Review: Top 3 Part 2)
Above is the best performance of the week: "And So It Goes" by David Archuleta. Brilliant. Oh ... my ... GOSH! The purity in his voice... the acapella... Archuleta = perfection. He also did amazingly well on his other two performances: "With You" (yes, the Chris Brown song ... except for better--I love that he said 'boo') & "Longer." Also, Idol season 3 winner Fantasia returned with a bang (& bright red hair...) to perform her song "Bore Me (Yawn)" from her self-titled latest album:
GO DAVID ARCHULETA!
ARCHEY FTW!!!
[Source]
We Say Goodbye To Syesha (Idol Review: Top 3 Part 1)
"If I Ain't Got You"
"Fever"
"Hit Me Up"
As the producers wished, Syesha Mercado was voted(?) off of American Idol this week after making the top 3. I felt a separate post was needed to commemorate the accomplishments of this outstanding contestant. Syesha is one of the best talents this show has ever seen & I'm so happy she was so successful. I'm so very proud of her! Just to clarify, I do believe that she had the lowest number of votes (neither David has ever been in the bottom anything before), but I know her finale chances were sabotaged for ratings. Anyway, after looking back, Syesha had an amazing night of performances this week & I've provided them for you all to view. Enjoy them for now, as I'm positive we will be seeing more of Syesha soon!
Additional Links:
Top 3 Ford Music Video (Lots of S-YES-ha!)
Syesha On American Idol Extra
Friday, May 16, 2008
Mary J. Blige Performs "Stay Down" On Oprah
Watch Mary J. Blige perform "Stay Down," the second single off her latest album (& Oprah's favorite of the summer) Growing Pains, on Oprah. "Stay Down" was a standout imo on Growing Pains (which I think is a solid album), but after watching this performance, I have a newfound love for the song. MJB went to town & then some with her delivery here, so what's not to love?
2008 BET Award Nominees Announced
The details surrounding the 2008 BET Awards were disclosed this week with the announcement of the nominees & slated performances. Among the performers is an all-star line-up that includes Mariah Carey, Usher, & Mary J. Blige. As far as the nominations go, I went through the categories & found the highlights. Check them out:Best Female R&B Artist:
Mary J. Blige
Mariah Carey
Keyshia Cole
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
Best Group:
Danity Kane
Day26
Best Female Hip Hop Artist:
Missy Elliott
Eve
Kid Sister
Lil' Mama
Trina
Best New Artist:
Estelle
The-Dream
Best Collaboration:
Let It Go (Keyshia Cole ft. Missy Elliott & Lil' Kim)
Video Of The Year:
The Way That I Love You (Ashanti)
Just Fine (Mary J. Blige)
Like You'll Never See Me Again (Alicia Keys)
Viewers' Choice:
No One (Alicia Keys)
Let It Go (Keyshia Cole ft. Missy Elliott & Lil' Kim)
No Air (Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown)
In italics, I provided my pick in each selected category. To view all of the nominees, click HERE. The show, which is sure to be a must-see, airs June 24th on, of course, BET.
[Source, Source]New Michelle Williams Promo Pic
Check out Michelle Williams in a hot new promotional photo for her upcoming album Unexpected, set to be release on August 12th, & new single "We Break The Dawn." The former Destiny's Child member is looking amazing these days. I never thought I would care so much about a solo Michelle record, but August can't come soon enough![Source]
Danity Kane Perform On Yahoo! Pepsi Smash
"Damaged"
"Poetry"
Danity Kane stopped by Yahoo! Pepsi Smash recently & performed a couple joints from their current album Welcome To The Dollhouse. They sang their top 10 hit "Damaged"--go Dawn!--as well as album track "Poetry." The girls sounded great, but they apparently got a little help with that. Still, DK were on point throughout. I really enjoyed these clips.
Billboard Update
^This week's #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart
So, over on the Billboard 200 album chart, Neil Diamond debuted with his first #1 album thanks to the push provided by his recent American Idol appearance. But I don't care. On the Hot 100 singles chart, Rihanna shot up from #53 to #1 with her new single "Take A Bow" (from her upcoming re-release of latest album Good Girl Gone Bad, due June 17th) following the song's digital release. But I hate that song. So, I'm gonna start something up again that I do like:
"Bye Bye" Watch
TW: #27 - LW: #38 - Peak: #23 - Week: #4
[Source](Photo Credit: Amazon)
The Game ft. Keyshia Cole "Game's Pain" Video Premiere
"Game's Pain," featuring Keyshia Cole, is The Game's first single off his upcoming album L.A.X., due July 8th. Keyshia's my girl & she looks good in the video, but I'm just not lovin' it--the song, the video (which is just your average rap video)... do look out for Ice Cube, who makes a cameo. I am liking, however, Keyshia's little peace offering to MJB at the end!
ANTM Cycle 10: Robbed!
On the left is America's Next Top Model 10 runner-up Anya. On the right is top 3 semifinalist Fatima. Above you see, at the very least, 2 of the very best models ever to be featured on ANTM. And yet ... they both lost in the finale to Whitney, Cycle 10's plus-size model. Oh ... & did I mention that Whitney can't model?
'Why, then, is she the new Top Model winner?' you might wonder. Why, thanks for asking! Buzz on the show was fading, some believing it had gone on far beyond its time. (Note: Was I one of those people? No! Was I a loyal watcher who still enjoyed the show whole-heartedly? Yes!) Also, many were simply positive that a full-figured girl would never win the show.
Hmm... let's see. Your show is on the most ratings-challenged network of all the major stations & people are losing interest. Oh, the horror! So, Tyra did the one simply pathetic thing she could possibly do to make the world care in the least bit that her little show still exists--make a plus-size girl win. Well, Whitney, in all her caddy, haughty glory, was the only one there, so she had to win. Unfortunately for Tyra & Co., Whitney can't model. They knew this because she had been in the bottom 2 ... 4 times! But, ah heck, so much for the reputation of the show.
What makes this bad is that the girls she was up against were not only SOOO much better than Whitney, but they could have easily won any other cycle of the show. And Anya was actually extremely likable on top of her uncanny ability to model! As for Fatima, there is no way around it: the girl is incredible.
So, there you have it. The show has gone the way of American Idol with its rigging for ratings & there's no hiding it. Pathetic.
Well, thanks for putting up with my rant! As a reward, here are some amazing shots (to prove my point) of what should have been--not that they do the girl any justice...:
Thursday, May 15, 2008
New Ashanti Promo Pics
I am loving these new promotional photos of Ashanti, taken to promote her upcoming album The Declaration, out June 3rd, & second single with Nelly & Akon, "Body On Me". She is looking fresh & in the right mood for a summer release.
[Source]
*UPDATED* Pussycat Dolls To Perform At MTV Movie Awards
The Pussycat Dolls (lead singer Nicole Scherzinger pictured at the left) are preparing to launch their second album. The girls will perform their first single from the album, "When I Grow Up", at this year's MTV Movie Awards, airing on June 1st. As a huge Nicole fan, I'm interested to see how PCD will do this time around!
UPDATE: According to newly surfacing details, PCD will actually premiere their new single on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 20th, followed by their performance discussed above. The cover of the single, which shows the group's current line-up of 5 girls, is to your right. For their upcoming album, the girls are working with the likes of Timbaland, Ne-Yo, Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, Rodney Jerkins, & Sean Garrett. Big names! Listen to "When I Grow Up" HERE.[Source, Source]
Ciara "Fantasy Ride" Update
Ciara is taking a very different approach to her forthcoming third album Fantasy Ride that is set for release in September. For the album, CiCi will be releasing 3 separately packaged discs, bundled together, that will each feature 5 to 6 similarly-themed songs. Here's a breakdown of how that will work:Disc 1 - "Groove City" - features sensual songs in the vain of her hit "Promise"
Disc 2 - "Crunktown" - self-explanatory, features songs similar to "Goodies"
Disc 3 - "Kingdom Of Dance" - features house-leaning, freestyle-type songs
Tricky Stewart (Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body") & Ciara are executive producers of the project, which Tricky will take over, along with Jasper, on the "Groove City" disc. Danja helms both "Crunktown" & "Kingdom Of Dance". The first single "High Price", featuring Ludacris, is set to drop in June. WOW! Ciara is really aiming to break the mold with this one! I'm super excited for her new record now. It sounds like Ciara is bringing all her strengths together for us to enjoy this time 'round. Excellent!
[Source]
N.E.R.D. "Seeing Sounds" Cover
Check out the unique cover of N.E.R.D.'s upcoming album Seeing Sounds, which features singles "Everyone Nose (All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Bathroom)" & "Spaz" & is due June 10th. I like it! It definitely stands out. I am wondering what the boys are doing, but then again, do I wanna know?
Natasha Bedingfield Performs "Pocketful Of Sunshine" On Chelsea Lately
Fresh off her Idol appearance, Natasha Bedingfield performed the title track off her latest album Pocketful Of Sunshine again on Chelsea Lately. Her Idol performance did wonders on the Billboard charts, causing her album to zoom up 73 spots to #24 & her single to move up 11 slots to #8 last week. Good for her!
Beyonce And Solange In New Handbag Ad
Here, we see Beyonce & sister Solange starring in a new Japanese handbag campaign by Samantha Thavasa. Can you say cheap?![Source]
Ashlee Simpson Performs "Outta My Head" On Nokia Green Room
Ashlee Simpson performed first single "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" once again at the Nokia Green Room recently. I like her new album Bittersweet World, & even the studio version of this song, but how many times does she have to perform this the same way?
Mary J. Blige Working With Big Boi
Mary J. Blige is helping OutKast's Big Boi out with the release of his first solo album. For the set, Sir Luscious Left Foot ... Son Of Chico Dusty, which is due later this year, MJB collaborated with Boi on "The World Is Too Big", the album's second single. This sounds like an interesting variation of styles coming together, so I'll be sure to check this one out.Wednesday, May 14, 2008
N.E.R.D. "Everyone Nose" Video Premiere
"Everyone Nose (All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Bathroom)" is the first single off N.E.R.D.'s upcoming third album Seeing Sounds, due June 10th. This video features cameos from Lindsay Lohan (Ha! Clever.) & Kanye West. Ya, so, it's pretty disturbing. I think I'll just listen to their music & try to be oblivious to the lyrical content as much as possible from now on...
Mariah Carey Discusses Wedding On Ellen
Part 2
Mariah Carey appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday for her first post-wedding interview. Above, MCC talks about Nick & the wedding. Part 1 features the pair discussing Ellen's birthday. Part 3 features the topics of Mariah's new movie "Tennessee" & her having kids. Part 4 features a little comedic moment involving a tattoo ... sort of. Though possibly not quite as informative as I would have liked, I thoroughly enjoyed the interview & it's great to see Mariah so happy.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Usher "Here I Stand" Tracklisting
Usher's follow-up to his diamond-selling Confessions album, Here I Stand, is due out May 27th. The tracklisting for the set, which was recently revealed, can be viewed below:1. Intro
2. Love In This Club (ft. Young Jeezy)
3. This Ain’t Sex
4. Trading Places
5. Moving Mountains
6. What’s Your Name (ft. will.i.am)
7. Prayer For You Interlude
8. Something Special
9. Love You Gently
10. Best Thing (ft. Jay-Z)
11. Before I Met You
12. His Mistakes
13. Appetite
14. What’s A Man To Do
15. Lifetime
16. Love In This Club Part II (ft. Beyoncé & Lil' Wayne)
17. Here I Stand
It's no surprise that Usher has lined up quite the guest roster for this album. He's really stepped up his game for this one & its release can't come soon enough.
[Source]
Maroon 5 ft. Rihanna "If I Never See Your Face Again" Video Premiere
"If I Never See Your Face Again", featuring Rihanna, is the new single by Maroon 5 that will be included on both acts' forthcoming re-releases of their latest albums. As I've said before, I like the song ... & the video is alright. I did enjoy Rihanna's chemistry with Adam Levine, Maroon 5's lead singer. Rihanna's reissue of Good Girl Gone Bad is set for release on June 17th, while Maroon 5's It Won't Be Soon Before Long re-release is due in late June.
Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys "Essence" Magazine Covers
For their annual Black Music Month issue, Essence magazine features Mary J. Blige & Alicia Keys (along with Jill Scott) on special edition covers of the issue. The women are looking fly & this sounds like an interesting issue to pick up.
[Source]
N.E.R.D. Perform "Everyone Nose" On Letterman
N.E.R.D. have started off promotion for their upcoming album Seeing Sounds, due June 10th, by performing first single "Everyone Nose" on the Late Show With David Letterman. Don't get it twisted--when they said everyone, they didn't exclude themselves. Nonetheless, they served up a decent performance.
Usher And Young Jeezy Perform "Love In This Club" On The Hills
Apparently a new trend has begun that has music's biggest stars performing on ... The Hills. For the finale, Usher, accompanied by Young Jeezy, performed his current single & #1 hit "Love In This Club" for the first time in the US to start off promotion for his new album Here I Stand, which is set to be released on May 27th & is shaping up to me a very solid record. The performance was weird on account of the girls blocking the view of the cameras constantly, but Usher was back on it. He is one heck of a performer.
New Music Tuesday
Out this week are Ryan Cabrera's third album The Moon Under Water & Cherish's sophomore effort The Truth. Both can be streamed HERE. I went out & bought Ryan's CD, as I have yet to be disappointed by him, & it is well worth it. Cherish's album is a decent effort, but nothing to write home about. If you like what you hear, you can purchase a copy of each by clicking their respective covers on the banner to the right.
Britney Spears Returns To How I Met Your Mother
After a successful initial guest-starring appearance on the sitcom, Britney Spears makes her triumphant return as Abby to How I Met Your Mother. The CBS show was once again up in the ratings & Britney was really funny. Enjoy her clips from the episode above.
Carrie Underwood Inducted Into Grand Ole Opry
Carrie Underwood has become the most recent member of The Grand Ole Opry, a huge honor in country music. Her induction by Garth Brooks is above, while the rest of her special, including performances & an interview, can be viewed below. Congrats, Carrie!
Usher Performs On Radio 1's Big Weekend
Usher recently performed a full concert on Radio 1's Big Weekend in (you guessed it) the UK. The songs featured were both new cuts from his upcoming album Here I Stand, out May 27th, & old hits. Check out the setlist below:
This Ain’t Sex
You Make Me Wanna
U Remind Me
U Don’t Have To Call
Moving Mountains
Confessions (Pts. I & II)
U Got It Bad
Burn
Here I Stand
What’s Ya Name?
Yeah!
Love In This Club
Monday, May 12, 2008
Kelly Rowland, Ashlee Simpson Perform Again In The UK
Kelly Rowland "Daylight"
Ashlee Simpson "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)"
So, here's Kelly Rowland & Ashlee Simpson both on BBC's Sound in the UK recently, performing the same songs they've been pushing across the pond for a while now. 2 things: 1) What's with the setting? Are they performing under an overpass? WTH?! & 2) I think I get it now. Due to their previous success, both their record companies idiotically made the decision that promotion to sell a record was not necessary. Discovering how pathetic their choices were in the equally pathetic sales that followed, they gave up on the US, instead turning their attention to the UK. Since, they've been trying to right their wrongs to Kelly & Ashlee by making them perform the same song 867 times in the last couple weeks all in the same place. Ya, that's how it's supposed to work...
Ashanti Sings Dedication To "Mother"
Seen here in a dedication to her mom to tie in with Mother's Day, Ashanti sings her new song "Mother", which we are hearing for the first time. The song is set to appear on Ashanti's upcoming album The Declaration, currently scheduled for June 3rd. It's a nice video & will probably make a nice song, but it's not exactly (not that it's supposed to be) single material ... if you catch my drift.
Kelly Rowland And Nelly Perform "Dilemma" On Radio 1's Big Weekend
Kelly Rowland & Nelly joined up for a rare joint performance of their hit "Dilemma" this past weekend in the UK at Radio 1's Big Weekend. It's pretty obvious that they don't--or at least he doesn't--perform this very often. Kelly was on point & tried to help out as Nelly forgot almost all the words & butchered the performance. They do have mad chemistry though.
Keri Hilson Collaborating With Chris Brown
For the upcoming re-release of his sophomore album, Chris Brown has teamed up with Keri Hilson on one of four new tracks to be included on Exclusive: The Forever Edition, which is due June 3rd. The track is titled "Superhuman". I am really anticipating some new material from Keri, but why'd she have to go & collaborate with this ... dude? She's better than that, but I guess you have to do something here & there to keep busy until you, oh, take over the world.[Source]
N.E.R.D. "Everyone Nose" Video Preview
A sneak preview of N.E.R.D.'s video for first single "Everyone Nose (All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Bathroom)" off their upcoming third album Seeing Sounds, due June 10th, can be viewed above. The full video is said to feature Lindsay Lohan. I am really feeling N.E.R.D.'s music right now. Hear their second single "Spaz" in a new Zune commercial HERE.
[Source]
*UPDATED* IITY?
Above I have featured both David Archuleta & Syesha Mercado, 2 of the top 3 American Idol contestants, singing the national anthem this past week at their respective homecomings. David went back to Utah & sang at the Utah Jazz basketball game, while Syesha went back to Florida & sang at the Tampa Bay Rays baseball game. By clicking on their 'see more' links, you can view more footage, including hometown interviews & more! Geez... Is it Tuesday yet?
UPDATE: Check out a few more Idol-related videos below--
The Caffeine Patch: New Kung Fu Panda Trailer
Here is the new theatrical trailer for Dreamworks' upcoming computer animated film "Kung Fu Panda", which hits theaters on June 6th. Dreamworks always makes very enjoyable & funny movies in this field, so I can't wait! Looks good to me.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Weekend Flashback Performance: Britney Spears At The 2000 MTV VMAs
Ah, those were the days. Remember when everyone was excited about the new millennium, totally into pop music, & you could tune into the MTV Video Music Awards & they would rock your world? So, in keeping with the same awesome show as last week, I would like to feature Britney Spears' performance of both "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" & "Oops!... I Did It Again", in which she famously stripped off her suit to reveal a skin-colored glittery outfit & proceeded to rock the stage like nobody's business. I remember watching this & really getting into it ... as much as possible, being that I was young & my mom was in the room. That's still a hot remix & that's still a hot performance.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Monica Preparing Reality Show
Monica has announced that she will be shooting a reality show to give fans an inside look at the making of her new album. The show will document her everyday life being a mom as well as the recording of her new material. Monica has also reserved the recording of any possible first single off the new record for the taping of the show. This is really exciting to me because I think it just may give Monica the boost she needs [see: Keyshia Cole] & because I am a big fan of Monica.[Source, Source]
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