So, this is the official cover for The Black-Eyed Peas' upcoming album The END (June 9th). To be fair, will.i.am defends it as follows: "This is the face of digital energy. This is what we look like when Fergie, apl, Taboo, & will.i.am combine digitally." Uh, it sucks. It's one thing to have this in a music video, but as an album cover..?
The above video describes how Estelle joined forces with designer Jonathan Kelsey to promote the new Belvedere Black Raspberry Vodka & introduce a bag inspired by it. You can check out some promotional photos of the two below. The bag is alright, but what's with the crap hanging off the bottom of it? Eh, whatever... "diva's gettin' money!"
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Here's a trailer for Busta Rhymes' next music video (smh) "Respect My Conglomerate," which will feature appearances by Lil' Wayne, Jadakiss, Tyrese, Idris Elba, & David Banner, among others. Oh please... this is ridiculously dramatic; just release the video already. I'm also loving how they don't even feature the SONG in this mess. I'm fast losing interest in his forthcoming album Back On My B.S. (May 19th).
Amidst the battle of the divas that was the third season of American Idol, one man was able to hold his own among them: George Huff. After finding some success after the show with a gospel career, George makes a return to the scene with his self-titled sophomore album. George Huff finds him once again in his comfort zone where he belongs.I know. Seeing another Lily Allen performance of "Not Fair" from It's Not Me, It's You isn't exactly ideal for me either, but I desperately wanted to post something! At any rate, this one is from across the pond at Later With Jools Holland.
Elliott Yamin's sophomore album Fight For Love is set for a May 5th release (next week!) & the tracklisting for it has recently surfaced:Another performance has emerged from Karina's recent RAWsession TV appearance. This one is of a new song titled "Mercury" off her upcoming sophomore album. I like it & I feel really optimistic about her second effort.
Some additional footage of Mariah Carey in "Tennessee" has surfaced, courtesy of this new trailer for the movie. I look forward to hopefully seeing "Tennessee" when it finally opens in limited release on June 5th.
David Archuleta has made an appearance on a new episode of Hannah Montana. He was amusing & sounded great on their duet, which is called "I Wanna Know You." Just so you know, that headline was nauseating to type & there's very few people I'd do it for.
In Miami recently, Kelly Rowland performed her song with David Guetta, "When Love Takes Over." Not that her singing along with the track did much for me, but I do like the song.
Check this sneak peek of Teairra Mari's video for second single "Cause A Scene" off her to-be-released sophomore album At That Point. Looks like this video might be sizzlin'!
Grade: A-Lily Allen recently performed on the Late Show With David Letterman--you guessed it--"The Fear," which is taken from It's Not Me, It's You. It'd be nice if she'd switch it up here & there, but I can't knock her hustle. Now, as for that soccer mom haircut...
"If Today Was Your Last Day" is the third single off Nickelback's latest album Dark Horse. I'm really not too fond of this band's videos, but I must say that I was really enjoying the song. I guess that's what's important anyway.
Imogen Heap is a unique artist whose ethereal vocals gel exquisitely with her mixture of electronic and pop music. In August, she will finally release her third solo album, which is entitled Ellipse. Some of the tracks on the album will be "First Train Home," "Earth," & "Canvas." Many songs she has recorded for the album, including the incredible "First Train Home," can be previewed in various stages of completion HERE on her YouTube page. Fans, like myself, of Imogen have been following her vlogs there for quite some time & have been awaiting Ellipse for what seems like forever. Trust that, should you give her a chance, it will be worth the wait for you as well. If you are interested in listening to some of Imogen's past work to see if she is for you, here are some of my favorites: "Goodnight & Go," "The Moment I Said It," &, for the 'greater risk, greater reward' types, a live version of "Just For Now."He's Done Enough
Total Praise
I know I'm a good five months behind with this, but it took quite a while for the videos to make it onto the net... which is why I've only just discovered these gems. Fantasia sang (& I mean SANG) her way through "He's Done Enough" alongside her mother as well as "Total Praise" on Bobby Jones Gospel & brought down the house! Make sure to watch through the end of that second performance cause she was really gettin' it! I'd forgotten how much Fantasia is needed in the industry until now.
Ciara has begun offering an inside look at her current schedule to fans via Fantasy Ride webisodes. In this first one, CiCi does a little acapella of "Like A Surgeon" (see: mark 3:15) & "Never Ever" (see: mark 5:00), gives us a sneak peek of some rehearsals, & more. She sounds as good as, if not better than, the recording of "Surgeon!" As you may have noticed, Fantasy Ride drops May 5th.
The tracklisting for Ruben Studdard's upcoming fourth album Love IS (May 19th) has been revealed & it has some interesting titles indeed:
The promotional photos just keep rolling out for The Black-Eyed Peas' forthcoming album The END (June 9th). I'm really anticipating the album. With "Boom Boom Pow" at #1 for a third week, I suspect I'm not the only one!
Imma Put It On Her (ft. Diddy)
Perfectly Blind
Day26 performed two songs from their sophomore album Forever In A Day on last night's live finale of Making The Band 4. Diddy joined the group for "Imma Put It On Her," which was fine, but when they hit the stage for "Perfectly Blind," mayhem ensued. That performance was a hot mess. If this means their releasing the slow jam as their second single, they should've picked "Anything" instead ... but I guess they can't since they left that brilliant song off the mediocre album. *Sigh*
"Amazing," featuring Young Jeezy, is the fourth single taken from Kanye West's latest album 808s & Heartbreak. I really didn't enjoy the video as much as I thought I would, but the scenery is still pretty 'amazing.' I am quite fond of the song. Note: The last half of the video is Kanye's interview on 106 & Park from when he stopped by to premiere the video.
"Halo"
Interview
Beyonce put in an appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman last night to promote her new movie "Obsessed," which opens this Friday, & perform "Halo," the latest single off I Am... Sasha Fierce. I must say that the performance was outstanding! I'm so happy to see her perform "Halo" again. Also, the interview was pretty entertaining, if I do say so myself.
Beyonce gave The Ellen DeGeneres Show a behind-the-scenes look at her "I Am..." tour, which is set to kick off in the US on June 21st. Looks like one hot show! See the tour dates HERE. I wanna go...
I know I'm a bit late on this, but is there ever really a bad time to (legally) listen to music for free? After a reader gave me the heads-up on where to find this, I thought I'd be too late, but as Simon Cowell would put it, "It's good news!" Click HERE to stream George Huff's entire self-titled sophomore album. I'll be reviewing the album soon.
"Together" is the first single taken from Ruben Studdard's upcoming fourth album Love IS (May 19th). I like the video--it serves its purpose. I also find it clever how they have Ruben singing in a club so as to not-so-subtly hint that he can be relevant.
"The Fear"
Interview
Lily Allen did some more American promotion by appearing on The View, where she performed "The Fear," the first single off It's Not Me, It's You, again & sat down for a rather entertaining interview.
Clips of each song from Ciara's upcoming third album Fantasy Ride (May 5th) are finally available to stream HERE. This is our first opportunity to hear "Like A Surgeon" & "Tell Me What Your Name Is," as they haven't leaked in full yet, but a change or two can be heard in those that have. The album sounds pretty darn hot!
Kid Sister has partnered up with Reebok to promote the Reebok Classic Remix collection. For the campaign, Kid Sister covered "I'll House You," a snippet of which you can listen to HERE. This girl needs to put out that debut album Dream Date already!
"Touch My Hand" is (most likely) the third single taken from David Archuleta's self-titled debut album. Normally, I don't care for live videos, but this one just fits ... probably because this tour was AmAzInG! It's also the perfect song for a video like this. Good stuff.
Christina Milian is looking like her naturally beautiful self--if only for a moment--in this new promotional photo for her upcoming album Elope. This is hot tamale! Now, Christina, give us some equally hot new music!The Pussycat Dolls performed "Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)" again, this time on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The song is off PCD's forthcoming re-release Doll Domination 2.0, which has been pushed back to an unknown date. Be sure to catch their chat with Ellen at the end... how sweet!
Vonzell Solomon needs our help to pick her new single. You know what that means: new music! It's been a minute since Baby V finished third on the fourth season of American Idol, but this is the most of her new recordings we've heard since then, so you know I'm in stan heaven. Go HERE to listen to parts of "Rise Above," "D.I.R.T.B.A.G.," "Gotta Boss," & "Bad Chick," & make sure you let Vonzell know which one is your favorite! Honestly, all four of these are incredible & I love the variety they offer, so I'm still trying to choose my favorite. I can't wait to finally get her album!
"I Do Not Hook Up" is the second single taken from Kelly Clarkson's new album All I Ever Wanted. I was already in love with the song, but the Bryan Barber-directed video just puts the cherry on top. iLike.
"Boom Boom Pow" is the first single off The Black-Eyed Peas' upcoming album The END (June 9th). The Peas went for a digital look in this new clip &, I must say, they succeeded! I love it. Very fresh. I liked the song already, but it really had me getting into it. I'm definitely pumped for the neverending energy now!
India.Arie sat down for a particularly interesting interview & gave a wonderful performance of "Pearls" while appearing on Tavis Smiley recently. I love the rawness of India.Arie's music. Her new album Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics is out now.
Kelly Clarkson has offered up a taste of the video for her second single "I Do Not Hook Up" off All I Ever Wanted. I'm all kinds of giddy about this one!
Solange continues to push her latest album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams with a performance of "T.O.N.Y." on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. She was gettin' it at the beginning! Chick's got style.
Brandy is set to make her return to television in ABC's comedy pilot "This Little Piggy." She will play the high-maintenance wife of Jeff Davis' character, who is one of two adult siblings that move in with their oldest brother. I hope with every ounce of my being that this show gets picked up & I can guarantee ABC that I, along with a huge number of die-hard Brandy fans, will be tuning in to the show when the fall rolls around. So exciting!Kelly Clarkson sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a baseball game between the New York Yankees & Cleveland Indians recently. Now that's more like it! Effortless. Kelly's new album All I Ever Wanted is available now.
Fantasia is the latest to offer up some reality goodness. She is set to star in her own as-yet-untitled reality series on VH1 to premiere in early 2010. I really enjoy these opportunities some stars give us to have a look inside their world. Plus, it ain't bad promotion either! I was hoping for new Fantasia music before next year, but if this is what it takes for her to receive the success that she deserves again, then so be it.
Ciara made an appearance on this week's episode of America's Next Top Model, where she turned into Super C for a photoshoot with the contestants. CiCi not only killed it, but made this tired show watchable for once. Hmm... I wonder where they got the idea for the shoot? If you're interested in checking out the final products, click HERE if you can handle the fierceness! Of course, make sure you pick up Fantasy Ride on May 5th.
Michelle Williams has joined the fight against AIDS alongside Until There's A Cure. Definitely a good look. Check out their official site HERE for more info.
The Black-Eyed Peas offer up a little bit more of that energy that never dies with this new set of promotional photos. I'm definitely looking forward to that video for "Boom Boom Pow," the lead single off their upcoming album The END (June 9th).
UPDATE: The Peas have an interesting, to say the least, viral campaign going on right now--
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Fergie took a quick break from The Black-Eyed Peas on Easter to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Obama family. She started out iffy, but she handled it better than I thought she would. It could've been better had it not been acapella though.
George Huff finally got the promotional train going for his self-titled sophomore album by appearing on Good Day New York to perform first single "Don't Let Go" following a short interview. He sounded great, but I'm not sure this was the ear-catching lead single he needed to create the buzz about his new album that he so desperately needs at this point. Nonetheless, I can't wait to hear & review the album (as soon as I get it ... has it even leaked?)
Keri Hilson has teamed up with up-&-coming rapper Asher Roth for a track on his debut album Asleep In The Bread Aisle (April 20th). The song is called "She Don't Wanna Man" & can be heard HERE. I'm not really sure why she worked with this joke cause the result is kind of a mess, but feel free to decide for yourself.Keri Hilson "Turnin' Me On"
Day26 "Imma Put It On Her (ft. Yung Joc)"
A couple of our favorite R&B stars hit the stage for BET's Spring Bling 2009 this weekend. Keri Hilson turned her swag on once again to perform "Turnin' Me On," while Day26 performed their blazing single "Imma Put It On Her." I loved both.
Teairra Mari recently filmed the video for "Cause A Scene," the second single off her upcoming second album At That Point, alongside Flo Rida in Las Vegas. It looks like the video might just be hot & I must admit that I've taken quite a liking to the song, so I wish Teairra only the best.
Ryan Leslie appears to be working on some new Keri Hilson- & Fabolous-featured material, as featured in the above clip. It sounds hot thus far & I'm excited to hear the outcome of a Ryan/Keri collabo.
Here's some footage from the video shoot for Day26's second single "Stadium Music" off their forthcoming sophomore album Forever In A Day (April 14th). I guess, with green screen, you never know what to expect. Why did they choose this as the second single though? The song's been available forever & practically served as a buzz single already anyway. Of course, they don't exactly have an abundance of single-worthy material on their new album to choose from.
Amerie is finally showing signs that the wait for her new music is almost over. She has announced that the name of her forthcoming album is Break Ups To Make Ups & that the set is due for release in June/July. The album will be her fourth studio album, but only third US release. I'm glad we finally have a title, which is a step in the right direction, but I'll believe that release date estimate when the first single is released.
I must say... not one of my favorite headlines. David Archuleta is set to guest star on an episode of the Disney Channel's Hannah Montana entitled "Promma Mia" (oh dear) that premieres on Sunday, May 3rd, @ 7:30/6:30c. The episode will also include the debut of "I Wanna Know You," a *gulp* duet between David & She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. My favorite famous teenage guy & least favorite famous teenage girl? Ah, well, you know I'll be tuning in.Our favorite R&B singer from down under Jessica Mauboy performed an acoustic version of her current single "Been Waiting," the title track off her debut album, on Good Friday Appeal today in Australia. Gotta love her natural talent! Note: The performance starts right before the three-minute mark.
Check some on-set footage of The Black-Eyed Peas shooting their video for "Boom Boom Pow," the first single from the group's upcoming album The END (June 9th). The concept, straight from the mind of will.i.am I'm sure, seems out there, but in a cool way & should make for a great video.
A set of promotional photos for Monica's upcoming BET reality show Still Standing has emerged. The lovely shots were taken by Monica's favorite photographer Derek Blanks. I'm beyond excited for the show, which premieres in September.
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Keyshia Cole is featured on the cover of King magazine's final issue. I still can't get over how grown & sexy she has evolved into looking. Very nice. Keyshia's latest album A Different Me is out now.
The Leak, brought to you by MTV, home of "Making The Band 4," *surprisingly* bagged the exclusive first listen to Day26's forthcoming sophomore album Forever In A Day (April 14th). I haven't managed to listen to it yet, but I'm quite excited to do so!Check out the third UPisode in the promotional series for Disney/Pixar's upcoming tenth film "Up." Animated entertainment, eh? Much better. "Up" arrives in theaters in 3D on May 29th.
Beyonce lends her voice to Shine, the lead singer of The Wubb Girlz, for the Nick Jr. movie "Wubb Idol," which is based on the show Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! (sensing a theme here?), that debuts on May 1st. A promo video, which you can view above, for it has been released & as much as I want to say that this is cute, it looks pretty stupid. Has entertainment for children always been this bad? If you like what you see though, you can watch The Wubb Girlz's music video for "Sing A Song" HERE.
"Hustler's Anthem '09," featuring T-Pain, appears to be the second single taken from Busta Rhymes' forthcoming album Back On My B.S. (May 19th). I'm definitely glad Busta is back being his signature self in this clip, but the song is way too average for me. Note: The last half of the video is Busta's interview on 106 & Park from when he stopped by to premiere the video.
Nicole Scherzinger performed "America The Beautiful" for the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania. Sure the girl needs to learn how to breathe, but I think she pulled it off.
Things for LaKisha Jones' upcoming debut album So Glad I'm Me (May 19th) just keep shaping up. The tracklisting for the Idol alumni's project has surfaced:Slow Motion
Halo (Beyonce Cover)
The lovely & talented Karina performed her own "Slow Motion" as well as Beyonce's "Halo" for RAWsession TV. I was particularly feeling her rendition of "Halo." If you ever doubted this girl's abilities, check her out here. Karina's debut album First Love is out now.
For me, the journey to Ciara's third album has been a less-than-Fantasy Ride. The latest update on the project is its official tracklisting & unfortunately, it's quite a letdown. Take a look:The fabulous Jazmine Sullivan has made her way to France to perform her latest international single "Dream Big," which is taken from her debut album Fearless, on Le Grand Journal. She did her thing as always. Part of the interview does follow, but most of it is in French.
Christina Aguilera continues her endorsement deal with jeweler Stephen Webster with this new pair of ads. As usual, Christina looks amazing!
Beyonce has filmed a commercial for the game Rhythm Heaven, which is available with the new Nintendo DSi. It's cute. Beyonce's third album I Am... Sasha Fierce is available now.
Katharine McPhee will be a guest star on the April 8th episode of CSI: NY. For some incentive to watch the above clip, a snippet of a new Katharine song called "It Won't Hurt So Much" can be heard & I think it sounds great.
"The Fear"
"Not Fair"
Interview
Lily Allen recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to perform the two singles "The Fear" & "Not Fair" off her second album It's Not Me, It's You & sit down for an interview. Oh, silly Lily!
Here's the cover for Elliott Yamin's upcoming sophomore album Fight For Love (May 5th). The title track & first single is awesome, so I'm really looking forward to this project.
