Here's the cover for the deluxe edition of the soundtrack for "Cadillac Records" (December 2nd). The film, which stars Beyonce, will hit theaters on December 5th. It is unknown at this time whether this edition of the soundtrack will feature more music from Beyonce or not, so stay tuned for that.Check out the new Nike ad starring Nicole Scherzinger & LeBron James. This is cracking stuff. You gotta check it out!
Check out Britney Spears' lovely album cover for Circus (December 2nd) above. The picture is really nice & I'm liking the circus theme. My only issue is that I don't think the picture particularly fits the album title, but it's all good. The tracklisting for Circus is below:
A snippet of each track off David Archuleta's upcoming self-titled debut album (November 11th) is available for streaming HERE. This album is going to be insanely awesome. I don't even know if I'll be able to handle listening to all 12 of these songs at one time when the album comes out. David Archuleta is such a special talent & I definitely recommend taking advantage of this sneak peek--even if you've never been a fan before.
Beyonce performed her new single "If I Were A Boy" for the very first time on Japan's Music Station recently. She did an amazing job. This is a really good song for Beyonce live. Her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce hits stores on November 18th.
"Forgive Me"
Interview
Leona Lewis has begun promotion in the UK for her upcoming re-release Spirit: The Deluxe Edition by performing the new single "Forgive Me" & doing an interview on GMTV. Leona is such a charming celebrity & she did well with the performance. Spirit: The Deluxe Edition arrives on November 17th across the pond.
According to JET magazine's issue with Toni Braxton on the cover (see: left), her first single is titled "Get Loose." I thought I'd let you all know since I posted news about the single not too long ago. We should expect to hear it soon. Toni's new album is set to be released early next year, so get ready!
Ciara & Mary J. Blige are a couple of the many collaborators featured on T-Pain's new album Thr33 Ringz, which drops on November 11th. As the album recently leaked, I thought I'd share their tracks with you. Ciara is featured on "Blowing Up" [Listen HERE], which is very typical T-Pain. I'm big on the electronic sound, but this one is almost overboard with it. In other words, I prefer their other collabo "Go Girl." Mary J. Blige joins Akon & Diddy on "Change" [Listen HERE]. The song has a good message, but I guess I just don't buy a serious track from T-Pain. I like the vocoder effect on singers, but I really hate T-Pain.
Check out the cover for Maroon 5's upcoming remix album Call & Response (December 9th) above. The group had some of their favorite artists remix their biggest hits & this is the result. The tracklisting, which includes the production credits, is below:
To use their wording, Leona Lewis dazzles on the cover of the latest issue of Evening Standard. The international superstar will re-release her debut album in the form of Spirit: The Deluxe Edition next month in the UK. [Source]
"Playa Cardz Right," featuring 2Pac, is the first single off Keyshia Cole's upcoming album A Different Me (December 16th). The thing that struck me most about this video is how beautiful Keyshia looks! She is stunning in the Benny Boom-directed clip, which is very much a tribute to 2Pac. I'm still not sure about the song as a lead single, but there's no doubt that Keyshia sounds great on it. In related news, the third season of Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, her BET reality show, will premiere on November 11th.
John Legend & his artist Estelle interviewed eachother on MySpace's Artist-On-Artist. It's an entertaining clip to say the least. His new album Evolver dropped this week, while her latest Shine is out now.
Mario has been hard at work on his fourth studio album, which is set for release in March of next year. He has worked with several of today's hottest producers on his follow-up to Go, including Tricky Stewart, Babyface, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Stargate, & Polow Da Don. Mario is aiming for a combination of old school & new school with his new album. As I've mentioned time & time again, Go was seriously slept on, so I'm excited about what else Mario has to offer."Shake Your Groove Thing" is the first single taken from the new Alvin & The Chipmunks album Undeniable, which drops November 4th. How can you not love these guys?
Above is the simple, yet effective cover for Kanye West's upcoming album 808s & Heartbreak (November 25th). Also, for those who have yet to see them, check out the single covers for Kanye's first two singles off the album ("Love Lockdown" & "Heartless") below. Brilliant:
Here's the cover of Avant's self-titled album, which is due out December 9th. This is one talented, yet underrated guy. I'm very interested in what he will offer with this new album. Check out the set's tracklisting below:
I know what you're thinking. It's just been so long since I last posted some of these lol. Christina Aguilera just looks so dang hot in this shoot! Her greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits comes out November 11th.
Check out the cover of Deborah Cox's new album The Promise, which drops on November 11th, above. After some time away from the contemporary R&B scene, Deborah is back & apparently 'promises' to bring it (I tried). Some of you, like myself, may know her from her biggest hit to date "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here," but it appears that we should be paying attention to her this time around. The tracklisting for The Promise is below:OHMYGOSH. This is incredible. Brandy heard my request & properly performed her first single "Right Here (Departed)" on TRL earlier today. If you didn't think you were going to buy B-Rocka's new album Human on December 9th before, this video will change your mind.
The promotional photos keep rolling in for Beyonce's new album I Am... Sasha Fierce, which comes out on November 18th. I think somebody knows how to take a picture!
Leona Lewis performed her current overseas single "Forgive Me" on The National Lottery in the UK recently. I'm really enjoying her live offerings of this song. Her upcoming re-release Spirit: The Deluxe Edition is set for release on November 17th across the pond.
In related news, Leona has been added as a performer at this year's American Music Awards. The show goes down on November 23rd.
[Source]
Beyonce surprised a Jay-Z crowd by performing part of her new single "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" at Power 105.1's Powerhouse event. It was fly, though I didn't like the camera angles & I don't even think she was using a microphone lol. Don't forget (like you would): Beyonce's new album I Am... Sasha Fierce will be released on November 18th.
Melinda Doolittle will finally release her debut album Coming Back To You in January '09 & although we don't even have a set release date yet, you can check out the album's tracklisting right now:Pink sat down with the ladies of The View for an interview & then performed her first single "So What" off the new album Funhouse (out now). The interview is great, especially thanks to the audience's reactions to Pink's music video clips, which are played on the screen behind them. Pink screwed up a tad during the performance, but it was still good.
Here's Usher's video for his new single "Hush," which is available on iTunes now. Hold up. Is that American Idol season 6's Stephanie Edwards?! I loved her!
"Battle Cry" is (I believe) the second single off Shontelle's forthcoming album Shontelligence (November 18th). I wonder who she is supporting in the upcoming election...
This may not be my typical kind of artist, but Lily Allen really is worth a shot. The British singer will release her sophomore album It's Not Me, It's You on February 10th. Check out the tracklisting for the set below:Here's Solange's appearance on Ghost Whisperer in music video form. She performed her song "6 O'Clock Blues" from her latest album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams, which is out now. Check out this lovely (official) montage of the show's main couple Melinda & Jim. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the song.
The Pussycat Dolls have finally started pushing that second single ... & in a big way too. PCD performed "Whatcha Think About That" off their new album Doll Domination (out now) on Dancing With The Stars with special guest Missy Elliott. While Nicole took over Missy's part at the beginning, the woman herself showed up as a surprise later in the performance. The Dolls did a great job with this one. In news that should shock no one, Missy's new album Block Party has been pushed back to February 10th. I'm sad, but I know it'll be worth the wait. (Plus, I'll have Brandy to occupy me through the year's end anyway!)
"Live Your Life," featuring Rihanna, is the latest single off T.I.'s new album Paper Trail. This one just didn't do it for me. The clip, which was (not surprisingly) directed by Anthony Mandler (Rihanna's "Disturbia"), was boring & Rihanna didn't seem to be incorporated into the video very well. People keep saying she looks good in this, but I just don't see what's so hot about that boy. As far as the concept, I'm glad T.I. has turned that corner in his own life, but I didn't find it translating to film very well.
Brandy performed her first single "Right Here (Departed)" off the highly anticipated new album Human (December 9th) for the first time at JAM'N 94.5's Monster Jam yesterday. Though it's only a partial clip & was performed at a concert rather than an awards show or something, I think B-Rocka did well. I'm all for supporting your family, but couldn't Ray J (who was on-stage & wouldn't shut up the whole time) have just been in the audience? Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing a proper live performance of this song (&, for that matter, "Long Distance").
Here's the cover of Mya's new album Sugar & Spice, which will be released exclusively in Japan on December 3rd. I like. I just wish she'd give us American fans a chance.John Legend released his third album Evolver today & performed its first single "Green Light" solo (with a background vocalist on Andre's parts) on The Early Show. He actually brought them back from commercial with a bit of his new song "It's Over" & gave a short interview before giving his main performance, which was good. I haven't listened to his entire new album yet, but I like what I've heard so far pretty well. Of course, he gets bonus points for the Brandy collabo.
Pink is getting her promo on for the release of her new album Funhouse, which came out today. She performed first single "So What" earlier, coincidentally on Today. The performance follows a funny short interview. Good stuff, but don't strain yourself too much, Pink--you're just getting (this party) started!
Here's yet another promotional photo of Christina Aguilera to be used for the release of her greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits at Target stores on November 11th. This one's a bit more puzzling than the others (what is she sitting on anyway?), but lovely just the same.
The incredible David Archuleta will be releasing his self-titled debut album on November 11th & that day can't come soon enough. From the clips I've heard thus far, this album is going to be beyond amazing. Check out the tracklisting for the album below:
I'm really excited because I just found out that Alvin & The Chipmunks will be releasing a new album entitled Undeniable on November 4th. Obviously being released thanks to the success of their recent film, this release is just an album & not another soundtrack. Check out the tracklisting for the album below:
Pink drops her fifth studio album Funhouse today. The new album features the #1 "So What." I reviewed it positively recently & according to my recent poll, 57% of you are already interested, so check it out! You can purchase your copy by clicking on the album cover on the widget to your right."I Stay In Love" is the fourth single taken from Mariah Carey's latest album E=MC². I cannot stress enough how beautiful this ballad is. Thankfully, the video, which was directed by Mariah's husband Nick Cannon, matches the song. I really hope the public picks up on this one.
UPDATE: If your DVR hates you like mine hates me, then you are in luck because the entire episode of Access Granted for "I Stay In Love" can be viewed on YouTube! (Pt. 1 // Pt. 2)
"Keeps Gettin' Better" is the new single off Christina Aguilera's upcoming greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits (November 11th). I don't know about y'all, but I could use something that isn't depressing right about now & this is it. Christina did an awesome job with her new video! I love the special effects & her whole new look. I even like the song more & more each time I hear it. Bring on that new album!
Tragically, the missing 7-year-old nephew of Jennifer Hudson, Julian King, was found dead in an abandoned SUV in Chicago. He was the son of Jennifer's sister Julia Hudson. I really hope whoever did this gets what they deserve.One Step At A Time
No Air
Australia's luck seemingly never runs out, as they had Jordin Sparks perform a couple of singles off her self-titled debut album on Sunrise recently. Jordin sounded wonderful, but I sure miss her over here. How awesome would a new Jordin album be sometime (early) next year?!
Kelly Rowland's duet with French singer Nadiya entitled "No Future In The Past" has finally surfaced here with the premiere of the song's video. I like the video & Kelly looks flawless. French R&B singers just don't do it for me, but Kelly sounds great.
To celebrate the recent 10th anniversary of her first single, Britney Spears has re-recorded "...Baby One More Time" with the song's original producer Max Martin. The song, renamed "One More Time," will have "the same feel to it," but with an urban twist. Though likely to be used in Britney's upcoming performances & world tour, it is unknown exactly the manner in which the track will be released, though it could possibly show up as a bonus track on her forthcoming album Circus (December 2nd). Sounds awesome!Here's another one of the several new versions of "Walking Away" that Craig David recorded to help promote his upcoming greatest hits collection, which hits UK stores on November 24th. This one features French artist Lynnsha. The video is just about as plain as the last one.
Take Me On The Floor
Popular
The Veronicas performed two songs from their sophomore album Hook Me Up, which is available now in the US, on Australian TV show Sunrise. These girls are just too cool to pass up.
Pink has evolved quite a bit throughout her career. She has gone through many different sounds, ranging from R&B to pop to rock & everything in between. One thing is for certain though: the girl is talented. I've always followed Pink because of that fact. As she prepares to release her fifth studio album Funhouse, I find it very exciting that she is having so much success with its first single "So What." As I'm sure others have noticed as well, it seems that Pink has really found the sound she is most comfortable with & is therefore making some of the best music of her career. This fact is further proven after listening to Funhouse in its entirety."Come Over," featuring Sean Paul, is the fifth single off Estelle's latest album Shine. I think I prefer the original version of the song without Sean Paul, but it's the same song either way. The video is nice, though watching Estelle & Sean Paul all over eachother isn't my ideal activity. I'm not sure how these singles are doing in the UK, but they just keep puttin' 'em out, don't they? I wonder if they plan on pushing any of them here in the US.
Ashanti has teamed up with Rock The Vote to help make clear how important it is to vote in the upcoming election. The big day is November 4th!
Carrie Underwood is the latest talented star to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" on the World Series. Yet again, Carrie proves what an astounding talent she truly is.
A little while ago, I posted Toni Braxton performing at this very halftime show. Now, I would like to share Christina Aguilera's part with you. Christina performed both "Ain't No Other Man" & "Candyman" at the event. As she looks to the future with her new project, it seems fitting to take a look back at Christina's last album. While she always rocked "Ain't No Other Man," Christina always made her performances of "Candyman" very special. The Back To Basics era was an incredible time for her visually. However, I'm sure Christina will just 'keep gettin' better' as time goes on.
Keyshia Cole looks stunning in this promotional photo for her upcoming album A Different Me (December 16th). Who knew Keyshia had this in her? As far as her being 'different' on her new album, I hope she means different in this kind of way because musically, Keyshia has always been on-point.
Grade: AKeyshia Cole has offered us a sneak peek of the video for her first single "Playa Cardz Right" off her upcoming third album A Different Me (December 16th). Keyshia is lookin' good in this clip & I look forward to the video, though I hope they stray away from the beach set-ups a bit so as to avoid having the video look a lot like the one for "Heaven Sent." I'm still not so sure about this single choice, but Keyshia always brings it with her albums, so I'm not too worried.
UPDATE: Another new Sasha Fierce promo has surfaced--
Check out this short sneak peek of Christina Aguilera's video for "Keeps Gettin' Better," the first single off her upcoming greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits (November 11th). This one is definitely shaping up to be a winner! I can't wait to see the finished product.
UPDATE: Christina thanks the fans in this continuation of the above clip--
UPDATE #2: Here's Part 3--
In some of the saddest news I have ever reported, Jennifer Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson & brother Jason Hudson were found shot to death Friday afternoon in Chicago. Also, Jennifer's 7-year-old nephew has been reported missing. A suspect is in custody & is being questioned, but the missing boy was not found with the suspect. Jennifer is reportedly flying home from Florida to be with her family at this very difficult time. My condolences & prayers to Jennifer & her family. What a horrible, horrible thing.Kanye West "Jesus Walks"
Tonight, a special aired entitled "A Night For Vets: An MTV Concert For The BRAVE." Kanye West performed "Jesus Walks" in a pre-recorded segment from his "Glow In The Dark" tour that was entertaining, but the stars of the show imo were Angels & Airwaves. Their performance of "Secret Crowds" was totally awesome. You can't blame Tom for his silliness, but what I love about AVA is that they really seem to understand music, which makes for some great music indeed.
Check out this TV spot for Beyonce's new movie "Cadillac Records," which hits theaters December 5th, to watch her as Etta James in action for the first time. Lookin' good! I'm pretty darn excited about this film.
Pink switched things up a bit & performed the title track off her upcoming album Funhouse (October 28th) on Sunrise in Australia recently. I really enjoyed watching her perform this song. She did an awesome job. (Funhouse album review coming soon!)
The second urban single off Beyonce's third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce (November 18th) will be "Ego." Beyonce had been looking to get Kanye on the track, but the pair weren't able to make it happen in time to make the album. However, Kanye West has now recorded his verse for "Ego," which will be included on an upcoming remix of the song. Also, the second pop single off the forthcoming album will be "Halo." Sounds cool."Numba 1 (Tide Is High)," featuring Keri Hilson, is the second single off Kardinal Offishall's new album Not 4 Sale (out now). Keri is everywhere! I love it & I hope this means no more pushbacks for her debut album In A Perfect World..., which is slated for a December 9th release.
Nickelback is set to release their new album Dark Horse on November 18th. Check out the tracklisting for the project below:"Return The Favor," featuring Timbaland, is the second single taken from Keri Hilson's upcoming debut album In A Perfect World... (December 9th). WOW. The song is hot, but the video is hotter. I love all the looks & the choreography in this Melina-directed clip. Keri is on fire!
After almost 10 months of dedicated blogging, I have finally reached my 1000th post milestone! This has been one of the most fun rides of my life & I only see better days ahead. Thanks for all of your support! I thought I would dedicate this post to the premiere of Vonzell Solomon's first single "Classy." My favorite American Idol contestant of all time will soon be releasing her debut album & we finally have a taste of what she has to offer. I love the song & Vonzell is so deserving of much success--& she is the only person I can say that for from personal experience.
It wasn't too long ago that Jordin was over in the UK on this very show promoting her single "No Air." Now, Jordin Sparks has returned to Loose Women to perform her new UK single "Tattoo" off her self-titled debut album. It's great to hear Jordin perform this song again. There is no end to my love for Ms. Sparks.
On the music front, Mariah is prepping for the release of her fourth single off E=MC², "I Stay In Love." Check out the single cover for the gorgeous ballad below:
The video for "I Stay In Love" will premiere during BET's Access Granted this Monday, October 27th. In fact, if you'd like to preview the video now, click HERE.
[Source]
The Backstreet Boys performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Game 1 of the World Series. Pop music sure has gotten rather awful as of late. Those poor Jonas children would kill to have half as much talent as these guys.
Cassie has recently added Pharrell Williams & Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins to the long list of producers working on her as-yet-untitled sophomore album, which is due in the spring of 2009. The other producers that have been enlisted thus far include Kanye West, Danja, Ryan Leslie, Mario Winans, Bryan-Michael Cox, The-Dream, & Tricky Stewart. All I have to say is that she's lucky they moved her release date to next year because there are way too many much better R&B ladies slated for releases this year.
Another day, another random album appearance for Katharine McPhee. I'm only kidding, as I'll always take what I can get, but Katharine McPhee will, among others, be featured on the new album from David Foster called Hit Man: David Foster & Friends (November 11th). The collection will cover David, a pianist, playing during his "David Foster & Friends" concert earlier this year. Check out some of the highlights of the CD/DVD's tracklisting below:Celine Dion - "Because You Loved Me" (CD & DVD)
Brian McKnight
Sadly, in her fifth week on the show, Toni Braxton was eliminated from Dancing With The Stars. Rocking a shorter 'do, Toni did dance the west coast swing very well in my untrained eye's opinion. Toni was doin' that moonwalk! She did a wonderful job during her time on the show & I only wish her the best in her future endeavors. Now, Toni, you can concentrate on that new album we are all very excited about! Anyway, as an added bonus/farewell, check out Toni & her partner Alec on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday below (Is Toni or Ellen the comedienne?):
UPDATE: Last night & this morning, Toni stopped by a couple shows to discuss her time on DWTS. Check out her appearances below (sorry about the tags)--
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Good Morning America
Here, we have will.i.am's music video for "I Like To Move It," which is from Dreamworks' latest animated movie "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," hitting theaters on November 7th. Gotta love it.
Check out this interview Brandy did on the radio show On-Air With Ryan Seacrest recently. It sure is an entertaining one. Brandy's new album Human drops on December 9th.
Here is the video for one of the several remakes of Craig David's hit "Walking Away" that he recorded for his forthcoming UK greatest hits album (November 24th). This one features Spain's Alex Ubago. They really went all out for this video lol.
In what is likely at least partially the reason behind the pushback of Brandy's long awaited fifth studio album Human (December 9th), she recently logged studio time with Timbaland, the man behind B-Rocka's last album Afrodisiac. On a side note, Brandy will be shooting the video for her second single "Long Distance" this week. I am one of the world's biggest Brandy fans & I loved Afrodisiac. Here's the thing: I really do believe that Brandy & Darkchild have a magical chemistry, & I was looking forward to hearing a full album of tracks from the duo (a la Full Moon, my current favorite B-Rocka album). That on top of the fact that I really, really wanted Human to drop sooner than later. Still, I am absolutely positive that Brandy will bring it with this new album & that it will no doubt be worth the wait.
A TON of new Christina Aguilera promotional photos have hit the net. They are to be used in conjunction with the release of her upcoming greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits (November 11th). This girl takes the best pictures, I'm tellin' ya.
Check out this 30-second trailer for T.I.'s new video "Live Your Life," which features Rihanna. BET will air an Access Granted episode to premiere the full video on October 28th.
Pink's upcoming fifth studio album Funhouse (October 28th) can be heard in full right now on MTV's The Leak. Check it out! I'm lovin' it.
"The Greatest" is the second single off Michelle Williams' recently released album Unexpected. Looks like the long-awaited video was worth the wait. Michelle looks wonderful & this is in fact one of the best songs on her awesome new album, so there's just nothing to lose here. If you haven't already, now is definitely the time to discover the 'great'-ness that is Michelle Williams!
You know that phrase "I'm big in Japan?" Well, turns out, Elliott Yamin sooo is. Long story short, Elliott released his self-titled debut album (re-titled Wait For You after his first single) in Japan with a few previously available bonus tracks & it was so successful that he's now re-releasing it there. In addition to a couple more previously available bonus tracks ("A Whiter Shade Of Pale" & "I'll Make You Dance"), a cover of the song "Home" by Kiyama Yusaku, who recently covered Elliott's "Wait For You," is being included on the re-release. I was hoping to wait for more details on this set before posting about it (e.g. an actual tracklisting), but it appears to have already been released, so since there still isn't more info, I thought I'd share what I knew. As unimportant as a tracklisting might really be, I'm sorry to report that no one in Japan has leaked the studio version of "Home," so feel free to scour YouTube for that over the coming weeks. Anyway, for those interested (I would be, but I ain't made of money!), click HERE to purchase Wait For You: Premium Edition."IfULeave," featuring Mary J. Blige, is the new single from Musiq Soulchild's upcoming album On My Radio (December 9th). Honestly, I'm not a fan of Musiq, so this one's for MJB. However, I don't particularly care for the video. The song's good though.
Beyonce is once again looking her best on the cover of the latest issue of InStyle magazine. The hottest chick in the game just keeps raising the bar with each photoshoot she does. Check out her fierce InStyle shoot below & don't forget that her new album I Am... drops on November 18th:
[Source]
Melinda Doolittle will finally unleash her debut album very soon. The album, which is titled Coming Back To You, will drop in January. Melinda's first single from the set is "It's Your Love," which is set to impact radio this month. The 13-track project was recorded with live musicians. Check out this description of Coming Back To You:From the first horn blasts of “Declaration Of Love,” listeners will feel a driving pulse & unstoppable energy that is reminiscent of Tina Turner’s iconic hits, while [title track] “Coming Back To You” & “Wonderful” feature Melinda’s silky voice wrapped around the smooth, sleek sounds of classic R&B. Melinda commands the emotional storytelling & funky delivery of the blues in “Dust My Broom” & “Walkin’ Blues,” & her impeccably artful & expressive voice has never been more on display than on the beautifully lush ballad “I’ll Never Stop Loving You” & the stripped down jazzy melody of “Wonder Why.”
The former Island Def Jam artist behind the hit "The One You Need" will finally get the chance to shine. Megan Rochell has signed with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins for the opportunity to release her debut album. I was excited about Megan, but then she disappeared, so I'm glad she's been given the chance to present herself to the world properly.Christina Aguilera performed her hit "Beautiful" on Turkey's version of Deal Or No Deal during a recent trip to the country. Honestly, it sounds like a joke to me, but it's true. Christina did, however, look & sound very 'beautiful' indeed. Her greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits will be in Target stores on November 11th.
Heading back ten years with this one, there's never a bad time to remember Aaliyah. The late singer performed the Oscar-nominated song "Journey To The Past," which she recorded for the animated film "Anastasia," at the 1998 Academy Awards & did a fabulous job. Aaliyah was an incredible talent & many people forget that about her. Luckily, this video also features a short red carpet interview with Aaliyah from that night, so it's wonderful to see her bubbly personality again as well. This was one of the first songs I ever heard from Aaliyah & it remains one of my favorites.
We haven't heard much from Mya since she was said to be leaving Universal Motown earlier this year, but all that's about to change. Mya has now signed with a label called Manhattan Records & will be releasing her debut album for them entitled Sugar & Spice on December 3rd ... in Japan. Sugar & Spice will be preceded by the first single "Paradise" (Listen HERE). How curious. Wasn't Mya's last album Liberation exclusively released on a Japanese music site (probably just for contractual reasons)? Anyway, I sure hope they release this album in the US next year."Where's Your Love?," featuring Tinchy Stryder & Rita Ora, is a new single taken from Craig David's upcoming greatest hits collection, which will be released in the UK on November 24th. Though the video was somewhat strange, it was alright. I do like the song though.
Pink "So What"
The Veronicas "Untouched"
Both Pink & The Veronicas performed at the 2008 ARIA Awards in Australia recently. Though her VMA performance was better, Pink killed it again. The Veronicas, who are from Oz, did well also.
After releasing four successful albums in the UK, Craig David is coming out with a greatest hits collection (cover art to the left) there on Monday, November 24th. The album will include two new songs: the single "Insomnia" as well as "Where's Your Love," which features Tinchy Stryder. While the regular edition will feature 13 hits in addition to the aforementioned new material, a deluxe edition will include an additional four hits as well as a DVD with 13 music videos & more. As a US fan, I would love to own this incredible package, but I suppose only time will tell for that. For his UK fans, you can view the regular edition tracklisting HERE & the deluxe edition tracklisting HERE.Pink has shot several short public service announcements for Choose Or Lose, which can all be seen above. Topics discussed range from Pink's new music to very philosophical concepts. I really would like to take a minute to talk about this. I will say that I am a well-educated individual--just to be honest--so what I have to say isn't just the same nonsense you sometimes read on the internet. One of the reasons I've continued to admire select musical artists as I've grown up is because of people like Pink. While I'm perfectly aware of the fact that the entirety of Hollywood is liberal, I still applaud her for thinking for herself. She's really managed to avoid the majority of the arrogance that comes with being a celebrity & form her own opinions. Love her for that. Her new album Funhouse arrives on October 28th.
"Buttons" & "I Don't Need A Man"
"Don't Cha"
The Pussycat Dolls performed several songs from their debut album in an exclusive concert at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. With their sophomore album Doll Domination out now, I get what they're doing & I don't like it one bit.
Michelle Williams FINALLY got to perform somewhere to promote her newly released album Unexpected! She sang her song "Hello Heartbreak" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! recently. Good stuff. I'm hoping for her performance of "The Greatest" to become available to post.
UPDATE: Yay! Check out Michelle's awesome live rendition of "The Greatest" below--
Check out the cover art for Shontelle's upcoming debut album Shontelligence (November 18th) above. I like her, but whatever possessed her people to release this album on the day that Beyonce's new record comes out is beyond me.
Natasha Bedingfield continued to promote the heck out of her new single "Angel" by performing it as well as giving an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday. All I have to say is that Michelle Williams needs to get in touch with Natasha's promo people.
Standard Edition
Deluxe Edition
Kanye West has performed his first single "Love Lockdown" again, this time on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Kanye's new album 808s & Heartbreak is set to be released on November 25th.
"Superhuman," featuring Keri Hilson, is the latest single off Chris Brown's recent re-release Exclusive: The Forever Edition. I'm thankful for this video because it helped me rediscover this great song (mainly thanks to Keri). She looked wonderful in the clip as well & had pretty good chemistry with Chris. I sure hope this gives Keri the boost she needs come time for her debut album In A Perfect World... to be released.
Ask & you shall receive. The Pussycat Dolls finally switched it up by performing their new single "I Hate This Part" off the newly released album Doll Domination on what I believe to be an Australian morning show called Sunrise. Hopefully this winner can help out sales of PCD's sophomore album.
UPDATE: Their performance of "When I Grow Up" *sigh* is below--
It may not drop for a little over a month, but Beyonce's new album I Am... (November 18th) already has a tracklisting. Check out what we can expect from double-disc project, including production credits, below:
Before you get too excited, this is a UK only re-release. That said, isn't Leona absolutely gorgeous on the cover of it?! Leona Lewis is set to release Spirit: The Deluxe Edition on Monday, November 17th, for her UK fans. The CD/DVD re-packaging of her debut album will feature her cover of Snow Patrol's "Run," which is new for everyone, as well as the two tracks that were previously available only on the US release of Spirit ("Misses Glass" & "Forgive Me," hence its single release overseas). The DVD will include the making of the "Forgive Me" video as well as all of Leona's music videos thus far: "A Moment Like This," "Better In Time," "Footprints In The Sand," "Forgive Me," & both the UK & US versions of "Bleeding Love." Pretty sweet package if you ask me.Toni Braxton danced the samba pretty well on her fourth week as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars. Congrats to her for making it to next week. Toni FTW!
In what will hopefully be the last of today's bad news, Kat DeLuna has "split with" her label Epic Records. After selling a dismal 63,000 copies of her debut album 9 Lives, something tells me it was more of a 'dropped from' kind of situation. Nonetheless, the 20-year-old, who is working with the likes of Akon, Jim Jonsin, & RedOne on her sophomore album, seems optimistic about her career. Sorry to be so blunt, but I never cared too much for her anyway.
On the live season finale of Making The Band, Diddy broke the news that he was kicking Aubrey & D. Woods out of Danity Kane, the group he formed on that very show not too long ago. What exactly this means for the future of Danity Kane has yet to be seen. It would make sense for something like this to be a publicity stunt, but that scenario is looking less & less likely. Why Diddy would do this to what is very likely his most successful act on Bad Boy is beyond me. Personally, I think Dawn is the most talented member, so I'm not too bothered by the news. That & I don't care too much for Danity Kane anyway. Nonetheless, it would be a shame to see the end of this promising group come too soon.Like Mario before her, Jennifer Hudson gave a unique on location performance of her hit single "Spotlight," the first taken from her recently released self-titled debut album, for Pepsi Smash on Yahoo! I really feel the need to stress just how special & rare a talent like Jennifer is. In addition to her magnificent voice, I just love her attitude. Get it, J-Hud!
As was the case with her last album B'Day, Beyonce is planning to not only re-release her upcoming album I Am... (November 18th) with Spanish recordings, but also shoot videos for every song on the album. Beyonce has already recorded a Spanish version of her new single "If I Were A Boy," which will be released soon. An undisclosed Latin artist will guest on the re-release, which will take place in February of next year. The I Am... video anthology is also set to be released in February. I can't say I'm jumping for joy about the Spanish re-release. Does Beyonce just have the biggest Spanish-speaking audience or something? I understand that she wants to make money, but there comes a point... I mean, she isn't even partially Spanish. What I am excited about is another video anthology. The B'Day one basically rocked my world, so I'm all for more of the same.
Check out the rather simple teaser poster for "Up," Disney/Pixar's next movie, which is due to be released in, as you can see, Disney Digital 3D on May 29, 2009. I really loved "WALL-E," so I have high hopes for this one.
To accompany Disney's latest direct-to-DVD movie "Tinker Bell," a soundtrack has been released & it features a song by Katharine McPhee. The track Katharine performs is called "Let Your Heart Sing." Again, I will say that I'll take what I can get, but can't she stop the fairy tale business & release her new album already..?
Alicia Keys leads the pack of American Music Award nominees this year with a whopping 5 nominations. Other nominees include Mariah Carey, Jordin Sparks, Mary J. Blige, & Alvin & The Chipmunks! You can vote for the winners HERE. The Pussycat Dolls, Pink, & Rihanna are scheduled to perform at the ceremony, which will air live on Sunday, November 23rd, on ABC & be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Gosh, I hate award shows.Mario "Let Me Love You"
Natasha Bedingfield "Pocketful Of Sunshine"
Mario performed his biggest hit to date "Let Me Love You" & Natasha Bedingfield sang one of her most recent singles "Pocketful Of Sunshine" on Frosted Pink With A Twist, a cancer awareness special, over the weekend. The singers were joined by Olympic gymnasts during the performances, which served as both awkward (see: Mario) & entertaining (see: Natasha). Mario, where's that new album you were supposed to put out?
Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee performed her solo rendition of "Sally's Song," which is included on the new compilation album Nightmare Revisited, on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno. I promise that I'm really not that into rock, but I group Amy in with Fergie & Nicole Scherzinger as one of the especially talented lead singers in the industry, so I would recommend taking a listen.
Former Australian Idol runner-up Jessica Mauboy returned to where it all started when she performed her first single "Running Back" recently. The Australia native was assisted by Flo Rida, who performed his part on video. I only discovered Jessica through this new single of hers, but she seems very promising.
Check out this sneak peek at Keri Hilson's music video for her Timbaland-assisted second single "Return The Favor," which is taken from Keri's debut album In A Perfect World... (December 9th). This video looks SIIICK! Miss Keri is doin' it big & I'm lovin' it.
Pink is still across the pond promoting her forthcoming album Funhouse (October 28th) by performing its first single "So What" on For One Night Only. I can't get enough of her. Good stuff.
Check out the vibrant cover art for Kid Sister's upcoming debut album Dream Date (November 25th). I'll have to hear the whole album to know for sure, but I must say I am liking Kid Sister so far. You can view the tracklisting for Dream Date below:The Pussycat Dolls continued their (late) promotion for Doll Domination, the group's recently released sophomore album, by performing first single "When I Grow Up" on some kind of fashion show called Macy's Passport. 'Don't cha' think it's time to sing another song?
Beyonce's new movie "Cadillac Records" hits theaters on December 5th (though I doubt in a wide release), 3 days after the release of the film's soundtrack. In the movie, Beyonce plays Etta James, which explains why songs like "At Last" are sung by Beyonce here. Check out the full tracklisting for the set below:
Check out the cover art for the new Nickelback CD Dark Horse above. In normal rock fashion, the group members don't appear on the cover, but whatever. Dark Horse is set to be released on November 18th (against Beyonce ... hmm).
Here's the cover art for The Vault, a new collection of old Ashanti recordings that will be released October 14th. Amazon only lists the album as an mp3 download, rather than as a CD, so I'm not sure what that means. Anyway, check out the tracklisting for The Vault below:The Pussycat Dolls performed their first single "When I Grow Up" off newly released sophomore album Doll Domination at a boxing match *SMH* recently. While we may have seen this performance a thousand times, I wonder why PCD seemed to practically halt promotion for their new album beginning the day it came out. They were on Ellen & then did nothing until their two new videos recently premiered. How are people supposed to know your album is out (because they obviously didn't...) if you don't perform on TV shows like everybody else (except Michelle Williams--grr!)?
Serving as the follow-up to 2006's "Open Season" is the direct-to-DVD sequel "Open Season 2." The cover art for the film, which will be released January 27, 2009, is featured above. The original filmmakers, Sony Pictures Animation, are behind the project, so I'm very excited for this. As far as I know, their reason for not releasing this in theaters is to save money because they believe the movie will perform plenty well simply on DVD. To read a synopsis for "Open Season 2," click HERE.It may not have been so long ago, but as Pink launches her fifth studio album Circus, I want to look back on what an international success her last project I'm Not Dead was. Pink displayed her excellent performance skills with this medley of her hits "U + Ur Hand" & "Get The Party Started" as well as a cover of "Sweet Dreams" at the 2007 MTV Australian Video Music Awards. Starting off on a motorcycle, Pink makes her way down the massive set until she stops to, oh, do a few acrobatics. It probably also came as a delight to Pink that Australia doesn't censor television quite as much as America. This is just one of the many fun examples of why Pink is so special.
"If I Were A Boy" is one of two first singles off Beyonce's third studio album I Am... (November 18th). What an incredible video. Now I understand the depth of this song & why it is being praised so much. I've never been big on them, but this Jake Nava-directed clip is definitely my favorite black & white video ever.
David Archuleta sang "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch of a baseball game tonight. He did an awesome job! David's self-titled debut album is due out on November 11th.
"I Hate This Part" is the third(?) single off The Pussycat Dolls' recently released sophomore album Doll Domination. I'm not sure why this video is premiering so soon after the one for their second single "Whatcha Think About That," but I'll take it! It's a nice one & I really must express how much I'm loving that this is basically Nicole's video.
Jazmine Sullivan performed her #1 hit "Need U Bad" from the fabulous debut album Fearless on The Ellen DeGeneres Show recently. I could listen to this girl sing all day. In fact, I often do! Keep the performances coming! (Although, if you want to perform "Bust Your Windows" for a change, that'd be cool too.)
Hot off her portrayal of Etta James in the upcoming "Cadillac Records," Beyonce has landed the role of Eartha Kitt in a biopic of the entertainer's life. Eartha Kitt is perhaps best known as a former Catwoman. I suppose it is Beyonce's goal to play every famous black woman they make a movie about, but I like her acting, so it's alright with me. On the music side, Beyonce's third studio album I Am... is due out on November 18th.
The-Dream is all set to release his sophomore album by the year's end. Love Vs. Money is due out on December 16th, but no first single has been chosen yet. Possibilities include "You Ain't S***," "Fancy," "Right Side Of My Brain," "Make Love To Me," & "Kelly's 12 Play," which is inspired by R. Kelly. Mariah Carey is actually listed as a guest on "My Love," while Lil' Jon produced the track "Booty." The-Dream re-teamed with partner Tricky Stewart & producer LOS Da Maestro, the latter of which worked on the bulk of Love/Hate, The-Dream's debut effort. Also, an encore to the track "Nikki" from his first album will appear on the set. While I'm mainly interested in the Mariah collabo (The-Dream & Tricky Stewart were the two behind MC's hit "Touch My Body"), I'll be checking to see what The-Dream has in store with this new album.Oh. My. Gosh. ... I want to see this. Now. ... Britney Spears will have a documentary entitled "For The Record" air November 30th @ 10/9c on MTV. After a crazy last few years, "For The Record" will show the world Britney's side of the story & I can't freaking wait. Her new album Circus comes out on December 2nd.
"Angel"
Interview
Natasha Bedingfield stopped by the Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson last night to perform her latest single "Angel," which is taken from her sophomore album Pocketful Of Sunshine, & give an interview as well. Both are lovely, though the interview is a bit weird. Ah well.
The wonderful Sarah McLachlan performed her single "U Want Me 2" off her recently released greatest hits collection Closer: The Best Of Sarah McLachlan on Live With Regis & Kelly. What a gorgeous song.
Check out this brand new ad for Britney Spears' latest fragrance "Hidden Fantasy." Beautiful! I can't wait for her new album Circus to drop on December 2nd.
Toni Braxton has revealed (...pun intended) a few details concerning her debut release from Atlantic Records. Her first single will be out "in a month" & is produced by none other than Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. I'm so glad to see Toni getting her new material out sooner rather than later. Not only am I terribly anxious to hear it, but she is smart enough to use her Dancing With The Stars stint to her advantage. Yay!I know some Melinda fans stop by here, so this is for them (of which I am included). Check out this song Melinda Doolittle recorded with Michael W. Smith entitled "Amazing Love" for the soundtrack to "Billy: The Early Years." I know nothing about the film, but the song is lovely. Melinda is one of those rare people that can sing absolutely anything & make it sound good. If you like what you hear, feel free to support Melinda by purchasing the track HERE.
Check out this totally awesome new poster for "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," which hits theaters on November 7th. I can't wait!
Gorgeous. It goes without saying that I am very much looking forward to a new Beyonce record. I like the two new singles, but I'm hoping they grow on me. The videos look hot though. Beyonce looks to be changing it up a bit from the industry norm at the moment, so that'll be cool & I'll try to keep an open mind about it. Look out: Beyonce's back!
American Idol season six's LaKisha Jones has tied the knot. She married financial advisor Larry Davis in Beverly Hills on Sunday. Among those in attendance were her fellow Idol contestants Melinda Doolittle, Sanjaya Malakar, & Haley Scarnato. LaKisha also has an album due out in February 2009. Congrats, LaKisha! Hope you enjoy married life & know that we can't wait to hear your new music!
Ashanti graces the cover of the newest issue of Today's Black Woman. She looks great. Ashanti's latest album The Declaration is available now.
After premiering the video for his first single "Love Lockdown" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday, Kanye West came back today to perform the song. Overall, I enjoyed the performance, as I'm a fan of the song, but I can only take so much of that vocoder business. Nonetheless, Kanye's upcoming album 808s & Heartbreak drops on November 25th.
Check out this first look at Michelle Williams' video for "The Greatest," the second single off her new album Unexpected, which came out this week! At least we get something to serve as promotion for Michelle's album release. "The Greatest" is an awesome song & the video definitely looks promising.
"Bust Your Windows" is the second single taken from Jazmine Sullivan's exquisite debut album Fearless. The highly anticipated video is finally here! Although there is no window busting, I really like the video. Jazmine looks great &, of course, I love the song!
The lovely Jennifer Hudson continues to hit up all the big shows (that Michelle Williams should be at right about now) to promote her self-titled debut album (out now) by performing a remix to her first single "Spotlight" on Dancing With The Stars. I like! Why didn't they release this version as the single?
Am I the only one who had given up on this thing? If so, then luckily for me, it turns out that the wonderful Keyshia Cole will be releasing her third studio album by the end of this year after all. The record, which is called A Different Me, is set to be released on December 16th. Interestingly, the first single off the album will be "Playa Cardz Right" featuring 2Pac, which was featured on 2Pac's posthumous 2006 album Pac's Life, but was never released as a single. I'm not sure how I feel about a recycled lead single, but I am positive that Keyshia will bring it with this new album as she always does."Clumsy"
"Big Girls Don't Cry"
"Here I Come"
"Barracuda"
Long time, no see, Fergie! The Pea herself performed a set of songs off her debut solo album The Dutchess for Pepsi Smash. I'm not sure why this seems like the first time I've seen her since she rereleased her album back in May, but whatever. I was delighted at how well she sounded personally. She got really into "Barracuda!"
"Go Girl," featuring T-Pain, is the first single off Ciara's upcoming third album Fantasy Ride (December 9th). It appears that, on this abundant day for video premieres, CiCi takes the cake. This Melina-directed clip has it all (the sexy outfits, the great dancing, the sleek look) & is just perfect for Ciara. She always surprises me: I was a fan after hearing "Oh" & became a fanatic after listening to Ciara: The Evolution, but Ciara refuses to give up until I am a friggin' stan, so that's just what she might get if she ain't careful lol. December 9th can't even sorta come soon enough. Btw, if you missed Ciara's episode of Access Granted for "Go Girl" from earlier today, feel free to check it out HERE courtesy of my friends at The Celebrity Network!
"Please Don't Leave Me"
"Sober"
"So What"
"Just Like A Pill"
Interview (Pt. 1)
Interview (Pt. 2)
Pink is rocking my socks off with these specials. This time, she headed overseas to perform a set of songs & give an interview at 4Music. Pink performed "So What" as well as the same two new songs we've seen her perform already off her forthcoming album Funhouse (October 28th) & her first UK #1 single "Just Like A Pill" from 2002's Missundaztood. I am looking forward to that new album more everyday. Pink always gives the most entertaining interviews. I love how she describes coming up with the title Funhouse.
"Love Lockdown" is the first single taken from Kanye West's fourth album 808s & Heartbreak, which is set to drop on November 25th. I'm not all that interested in hip-hop, however this song is the business. The video is quite strange, though who would expect anything else from Kanye?
Paris Bennett welcomed a 5 lb., 15 oz. baby girl on Monday. Her daughter's name is Egypt Bennett. The baby's father is unknown to the public. The former American Idol finalist will release her Christmas album A Royal Christmas on October 14th, while her sophomore effort is expected early next year. I'm glad everything seemed to go smoothly for Princess P.
Ryan Leslie's self-titled album is set to finally be released in February of next year. The cover for the project is featured above. Also, you can check out the tracklisting for the set below:"Forgive Me"
"I Will Be"
"Bleeding Love"
Interview
Leona Lewis performed selections from her hit debut album Spirit & gave an interview during a visit to Clear Channel's Stripped. I am so glad Leona did this because it reminded me why I loved her in the first place. I enjoyed watching her perform her new single "Forgive Me," thought her live rendition of "I Will Be" was incredible, & even liked hearing "Bleeding Love" again. Also, her interview was very charming. For those interested in hearing Leona sing "Better In Time" for the zillionth time, click HERE.
Toni Braxton danced the waltz on the third week of competition on Dancing With The Stars. Personally, I think Toni looked great in the dress! She is safe again(!), so Toni FTW!
Former Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams changes it up with her third solo album Unexpected, which is out today. Her new album is a move away from her previous pair of gospel efforts & features the single "We Break The Dawn." I highly recommend purchasing Unexpected (you can read my review HERE), which can be done by clicking the album's cover on the Amazon widget to your right. I'm sure the (at least) 45% of you interested in the album knew it was finally out though, considering the wonderful job Michelle's label has been doing this week promoting it... Anyway, I just wanted to note that while I may have been quite generous with the 5-star ratings as of late with my album reviews, if people want to serve up great music, then I'll take it!
In addition to the single "U Want Me 2," the other new song from Sarah McLachlan's greatest hits collection Closer: The Best Of Sarah McLachlan, which came out today, is "Don't Give Up On Us," which she performs here for Yahoo! Music. It's nice to hear her voice again. Sarah is a very special kind of talent.
"If This Isn't Love"
"Giving Myself"
"Spotlight"
Check out these three performances from Jennifer Hudson's recent BET special "Jennifer Hudson: In The Spotlight," all of which come from her recently released self-titled debut album. She did a great job with all of them. Gotta love J-Hud.
Beyonce is setting up what will likely be a massive promotional campaign for her upcoming as-yet-untitled album (November 18th) by appearing on the cover of the latest issue of Essence. It'll be interesting to read what she (finally) has to say about her wedding to Jay-Z. Bee looks nice on the cover as well.
Honestly, Michelle Williams was always the Destiny's Child member I didn't particularly care for as a solo artist. I only say this because it appears that she knows that many of us felt this way. However, Michelle is looking to change all that with her secular debut Unexpected. This album serves as her third solo record, following a pair of gospel efforts, & a drastic change from the sound she was previously known for aside from DC3. As the album's first track "Unexpected Intro" suggests, I didn't actually expect Michelle to venture into the territory that she does with Unexpected. Thankfully though, she did. (Just to clarify: her sound is 'unexpected,' not the release of the album, despite what her label might hope. :P)
Alicia Keys continued on the promo trail for her & Jennifer Hudson's new movie "The Secret Life Of Bees," which hits theaters on October 17th, by appearing on Live With Regis & Kelly & taking the opportunity to perform the latest single off her newest album As I Am, "Superwoman." She did a nice job.
John Legend's sound has 'evolved' this time around with his third album Evolver, which is due on October 28th. The guest-filled tracklisting for the project can be found below:
Many are considering Pink's upcoming fifth studio album Funhouse (October 28th) as one of their most highly anticipated releases of the fall. I am one of those people--even if I can't wait for a lot of CDs--so I'm pleased to bring you the tracklisting for the set:
