Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Black-Eyed Peas "The END" Cover

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..?

[Source]

Kelis Files For Divorce

A seven-month pregnant Kelis has filed for divorce from her husband of four years, Nas. Kelis cited irreconcilable differences. It's very sad that the two couldn't work out their troubles with a baby boy on the way, but I wish them all the best.

[Source, Source]

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.

Rick Ross' Deeper Than Rap debuts atop this week's Billboard 200 album chart. The Black-Eyed Peas sit comfortably at the peak position of the Hot 100 singles chart this week with "Boom Boom Pow." Also, widening her lead for most top 10 singles from a female artist this decade to 12, Beyonce's "Halo" hits the #10 spot.

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Idol Review: Top 5


Another week, another masterful performance from Adam Lambert. This time, he takes on "Feeling Good." How about that glory note?! As always, Kris Allen rocked the house as well. Also like clockwork, Old Yeller (AKA Danny Gokey...) & Allison Iraheta made me feel (especially tonight) like I was being punk'd. But the rant doesn't end here. Let me translate for you Randy's comments to Danny: Screw the fact that your song choice sucked. Who cares about the fact that you have no emotional connection when you perform? You can SING! ... Note to Randy: This is the Top 5 of American Idol. We are fully & completely aware that you think each & every one of the remaining contestants can SING. It's not a GOOD thing if the only positive comment you have for a contestant is that they can sing. People, if they had twisted their negative comments the same way with Lil instead, Danny would be a distant memory by now. In fact, I hope Danny saw Taylor Hicks up there tonight in all his irrelevant glory... cause no matter what place he finishes in, that'll be him in two years too. Right... & Matt Giraud finally got his pitchy self eliminated. At least there was something to crack a smile at. Boy, was that judges' save the biggest mistake of the season. Oh yeah, f#%@ this show.

Watch The Ford Commercial HERE

Estelle Promotes Belvedere Black Raspberry Vodka

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!"


[Source]

Busta Rhymes "Respect My Conglomerate" Trailer

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).

Album Review: George Huff "George Huff"

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.

"Victory" kicks off the album in an upbeat way that sets the mood for the tracks that follow, "Mighty Is Your Name" & "He Can." They're good & all, but you begin to get the feeling that you're at a worship service that just keeps going. Some soul brings life back to the album via "Turn It Around," which is followed by a pair of ballads. Clocking in at almost six minutes, "I Surrender" is much too long & really had me tiring of the background singers taking the reigns more than George. "No One But Jesus" is a little better & shows off his talent fairly well.

It is at this point that the album's sequencing confuses me & has me wondering if it's backwards because the uptempo "Free" not only finds George in his element, but it might just be the best song on the disc. The slow jam "Grateful" is a worthy follow-up that lends itself well to a little reflective moment. "I Belong To You (Yours)" keeps the previously set mood & is simply excellent. I still can't quite figure out how "Don't Let Go" came to be the lead single off this project, but it is a nice song. Tasha Collins & Coko offer up great features on "Destiny," another exquisite uptempo. I would be lying if I said I expected the (*spoiler alert*) reggae influence on "Here With Me," but I love the musically carefree metaphor that comes along with the closer.

With its disposable introduction, George Huff doesn't really hit its stride until the latter half, but it is well worth the listen once you get there. George has a unique recording voice that can really be magical on the right songs, a few of which are present on his sophomore effort. Fans will no doubt enjoy this album from this fun & entertaining performer.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Lily Allen Performs "Not Fair" On Later With Jools Holland

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.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Elliott Yamin "Fight For Love" Tracklisting + Preview

Elliott Yamin's sophomore album Fight For Love is set for a May 5th release (next week!) & the tracklisting for it has recently surfaced:

1. Let Love Be
2. Know Better
3. Fight For Love
4. You
5. Can't Keep On Loving You (From A Distance)
6. Don't Be Afraid
7. You Say
8. Apart From Me
9. Cold Heart
10. How Do I Know
11. This Step Alone
12. Someday

A snippet of each track has been posted for our listening pleasure HERE & you can also preview the bonus track "I Believe." In all honesty, Fight For Love sounds like it's gonna be really good! "Know Better" is already my jam, but if I had to pick one other song that sounded promising, I'd go with "You Say." Elliott's really coming into his own! Note: "Someday" previously leaked as "Show Me."

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Karina Performs "Mercury" On RAWsession TV

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.

New Mariah Carey "Tennessee" Trailer

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 On Hannah Montana

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.

Kelly Rowland Performs "When Love Takes Over" In Miami

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.

Teairra Mari ft. Flo Rida "Cause A Scene" Video Preview

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'!

*UPDATED* In Theaters Now...

Grade: A-

I was able to catch a showing of "Obsessed" today, which stars Beyonce alongside Idris Elba & Ali Larter. I liked the flick, though it was your basic, by-the-book thriller. Beyonce looked great throughout & I enjoyed watching her go at it with Ali.

The Caffeine Patch: Pixar's Partly Cloudy: First Look + More

"Partly Cloudy" is the Pixar short film that will be attached to "Up" when the movie hits theaters on May 29th. Check out a 30-second sneak peek of it above, which doesn't demonstrate any of the humor, but does give us an idea of what to expect visually. While we're on the subject, here's a new TV spot for "Up" that features a balloon dedicated to each of its Disney/Pixar predecessors:

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Lily Allen Performs "The Fear" On Letterman

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...

Nickelback "If Today Was Your Last Day" Video Premiere

"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 Album Update

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."

[Source, Source]

Fantasia Performs On Bobby Jones Gospel

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.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Ciara "Fantasy Ride" Webisode #1

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.

Ruben Studdard "Love IS" Tracklisting

The tracklisting for Ruben Studdard's upcoming fourth album Love IS (May 19th) has been revealed & it has some interesting titles indeed:

1. Together
2. More Than Words
3. Song For Her
4. How You Make Me Feel
5. Don't Make 'Em Like U No More
6. I Can't Help It
7. Just Because
8. My Love Is A Rock
9. The Long & Winding Road
10. For The Good Times
11. We Got Love (That's Enough)
12. Footprints In The Sand
13. Wet Pillows (Bonus Track)

"Footprints In The Sand?" "The Long & Winding Road?" Then, of course, there's that bonus track... I'm definitely interested in how the album will turn out.

[Source]

New Black-Eyed Peas Promo Pic

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!

Day26 Perform On Making The Band 4 Live Finale

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*

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Kanye West ft. Young Jeezy "Amazing" Video Premiere

"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.

Beyonce On Today



"Halo"



Interview

Beyonce continued her "Obsessed" promo tour with a stop on Today this morning, where she also performed "Halo" again. Another nice interview & good showing on the performance front, even if I am dying for that I Am... Sasha Fierce video anthology.

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.

Thumbs down to this week's #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. However, Day26 made a respectable debut at #2 by selling 113,000 copies of Forever In A Day. The Black-Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" logs another week atop the Hot 100 singles chart as Kelly Clarkson debuts at #88 with "I Do Not Hook Up" & Pink's "Please Don't Leave Me" starts off at #97.

Beyonce On Letterman

"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.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

*UPDATED* Idol Review: Top 7 Part 2



Note to Simon: You want "brilliant?" Watch the video above. Adam Lambert's rendition of "If I Can't Have You" might be my favorite performance of his yet. I say 'might' because it is apparently hard for some people who are used to hearing this song in its original form to accept this version of it, but I can't imagine it sounding any differently ... without sounding worse. (The studio version is insanely incredible.) Kris Allen's performance was awesome as usual, & the dude keeps proving how talented he is & why he deserves a spot in the finale. My only criticism of the performance is that it wasn't nearly as innovative as the judges made it seem... I mean, it's not like it would've taken a rocket scientist to come up with that drum beat. Allison Iraheta was as painful as ever, yet the judges apparently mistakened her performance for the following one. Their pathetic pimping of her proves just how desperately Joanna Pacitti was needed this season. Matt Giraud was awful--America already knows that--but in an effort to try to prove they didn't waste the save, he was guaranteed another week in the competition. In fact, sad as it may be, the judges never cease to amaze me. For Old Yeller to put us through his by-the-book mess of a performance & receive his typical praise, yet Lil Rounds chooses something right up her alley & kills, but the judges refuse to give her an ounce of credit ... sometimes I have to remind myself not to get too heated over a silly reality show. Nonetheless, we said goodbye to Lil & I'm not heartbroken, even if there are (much) worse people still left in the running. Lest we forget that we also bid farewell to Anoop Desai ... too little too late for me to really care. What I WAS quite excited about was David Archuleta singing "Touch My Hand" on the results show:



Watch The Ford Commercial HERE

Beyonce "I Am..." Tour Sneak Peek

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...

Listen To George Huff's Self-Titled Album

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.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Ruben Studdard "Together" Video Premiere

"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.

Lily Allen On The View

"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.

Preview Ciara's "Fantasy Ride"

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 Promotes Reebok Classic Remix

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!

Monday, April 20, 2009

David Archuleta "Touch My Hand" Video Premiere

"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.

New Christina Milian Promo Pic

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!

[Source]

The Pussycat Dolls Perform "Jai Ho" On Ellen

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!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Vonzell Solomon Needs YOUR Help

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!

Kelly Clarkson "I Do Not Hook Up" Video Premiere

"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.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

The Black-Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Pow" Video Premiere

"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!

Friday, April 17, 2009

India.Arie On Tavis Smiley

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 "I Do Not Hook Up" Video Preview

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 Performs "T.O.N.Y." On Jimmy Fallon

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 Lands New TV Role

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!

[Source, Source]

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Kelly Clarkson Performs National Anthem On Indians @ Yankees

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 Gets Reality Show

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.

[Source, Source]

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.

Rascal Flatts' Unstoppable tops this week's Billboard 200 album chart. The Black-Eyed Peas continue their reign atop the Hot 100 singles chart this week with "Boom Boom Pow." Other Hot 100 action includes Day26's "Imma Put It On Her" with Yung Joc & Diddy debuting at #79. They may have a hit yet!

[Source]
(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Ciara On America's Next Top Model

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.

Idol Review: Top 7


Adam Lambert rocked out to "Born To Be Wild" this week & was his usual incredible self. I know how crazy that sounds, but who sings that high without EVER being off? I wasn't in love with Kris Allen's song choice (though I didn't hate it), but he was amazing anyway. I also liked Lil Rounds (who was NOT in the bottom three) ... I'll admit she's definitely no Vonzell or Syesha, but I love the tone of her voice. Allison Iraheta (who WAS in the bottom three) received an especially excessive amount of praise from the judges for her dreadful--even for her--performance. Anoop Desai ... wait, hold on ... *YAWN* ... who we talkin' about? Old Yeller attempted to ruin another Mariah song. But it was Matt Giraud's horribly out-of-tune, if not forgettable (How can you blame me for forgetting him when he doesn't even know who he is?), performance that finally earned him what he had coming ... until Kara's undying love for him got his butt saved. And so ends her being my favorite judge. At least we got an outstanding performance from Jennifer Hudson of "If This Isn't Love" out of the results show:


Watch The Ford Commercial HERE

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

New Michelle Williams "Until There's A Cure" Ad

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.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

*UPDATED* New Black-Eyed Peas Promo Pics

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--

[Source]

Monday, April 13, 2009

Fergie Performs National Anthem For Obamas

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 Performs "Don't Let Go" On Good Day New York

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?)

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Keri Hilson Collaborates With Asher Roth

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.

Happy Easter!

[Source]

Saturday, April 11, 2009

BET Spring Bling 2009 Performance Highlights

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 ft. Flo Rida "Cause A Scene": Behind-The-Scenes

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, Keri Hilson, & Fabolous In The Studio

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.

Day26 "Stadium Music": Behind-The-Scenes

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.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Amerie Album Update

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.

[Source]

David Archuleta To Guest Star On "Hannah Montana"

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.

[Source, Source]

Jessica Mauboy Performs "Been Waiting" On Good Friday Appeal

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.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The Black-Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Pow": Behind-The-Scenes

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.

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.

Keith Urban scores the top spot on this week's Billboard 200 album chart with Defying Gravity. The Black-Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" zooms 39-1 on this week's Hot 100 singles chart. The Peas broke the records for best single-week & debut download totals for a group by shifting 465,000 copies. How exciting!

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Idol Review: Top 8



If you haven't heard by now, Adam Lambert's performance of "Mad World" on American Idol this week (see: above) was brilliant. The Top 8 were forced into the '80s by the pick-a-song-from-the-year-you-were-born theme, & Lil Rounds & Kris Allen each did a decent, if not spectacular, job. Judge favorites Old Yeller & Allison Iraheta failed miserably as usual. Anoop Desai's inability to succeed at more than one type of song rightfully landed him in the bottom three, while Matt Giraud's identity crisis continued to get the best of him & Scott MacIntyre's time (finally--something I find myself saying a lot lately) ran out. This is kinda random, but is it just me or do you also find something sorta wrong with rappers performing on American Idol? Anyway, for the love of talent--Adam Lambert FTW!!

Watch The Ford Commercial HERE

Monica "Still Standing" Promo Pics

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 "King" Magazine Cover

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.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

*UPDATED* Listen To Day26's "Forever In A Day"

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!

UPDATE: As it turns out, this album is a pretty huge disappointment. Not a single track on it tops the material to your right (see: Songs Of The Moment) that was left off.

The Caffeine Patch: UPisode #3 "Snipe Trap"

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 Gets Animated

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.

New Music Tuesday

^Click To Purchase^
Today is an interesting day for new releases. First up, we have the self-titled sophomore album from American Idol season five finalist George Huff. The album, which features the (video-less) single "Don't Let Go," hasn't leaked yet, but sounds promising. Britney Spears' documentary "For The Record" also comes out today. It's quite the special & definitely worth picking up.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Busta Rhymes ft. T-Pain "Hustler's Anthem '09" Video Premiere

"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 Performs "America The Beautiful" On WrestleMania

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.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

LaKisha Jones "So Glad I'm Me" Tracklisting

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:

1. Grateful
2. So Glad I'm Me
3. Beautiful Girl
4. Same Song
5. Let's Go Celebrate
6. Ain't Worth It
7. Nothing
8. Be Alright
9. You Give Good Love
10. Free
11. Memories (Fade Away)
12. Just As I Am

It appears that a few adjustments have been made from the material that leaked from her a while back, so that's an encouraging sign that they wanted to get the album just right. I'm always excited when a talented singer finally gets their shot.

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In Theaters Now...

Grade: A-

Karina Performs On RAWsession TV

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.

*UPDATED* Ciara "Fantasy Ride" Tracklisting

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:

1. Ciara To The Stage
2. Love Sex Magic (ft. Justin Timberlake)
3. High Price (ft. Ludacris)
4. Turntables (ft. Chris Brown)
5. Like A Surgeon
6. Never Ever (ft. Young Jeezy)
7. Lover's Thing (ft. The-Dream)
8. Work (ft. Missy Elliott)
9. Pucker Up
10. G Is For Girl (A-Z)
11. Keep Dancin' On Me
12. What's Your Name
13. I Don't Remember

After all this time, they're seriously gonna release an album that has slowly leaked almost entirely? & they're really gonna leave "Go Girl" off? Even "Get Up" was included on Ciara: The Evolution & it had been properly released on the "Step Up" soundtrack! I would almost give the album credit for at least having some hot material, but probably THE best two leaks of the bunch, "Echo" & "I'm On," will only be available on the deluxe edition. Honestly, they should've stuck with the other cover & changed the title of the album because on May 5th, fans will not be going on a Fantasy Ride.

UPDATE: The red & purple versions of the Fantasy Ride cover have been switched & are now being used for the deluxe & standard edition, respectively.

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Jazmine Sullivan Performs "Dream Big" On Le Grand Journal

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.

New Christina Aguilera Jewelry Ads



Christina Aguilera continues her endorsement deal with jeweler Stephen Webster with this new pair of ads. As usual, Christina looks amazing!

Beyonce's Rhythm Heaven Commercial

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 "CSI: NY" Sneak Peek

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.

Lily Allen On Jimmy Kimmel

"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!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Elliott Yamin "Fight For Love" Cover

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.

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Friday, April 3, 2009

Ciara "Fantasy Ride" Revised Cover + Deluxe Edition Cover & Details

Standard Edition

Deluxe Edition

Apparently, Ciara's team heard the negative feedback regarding the plain original Fantasy Ride cover & appropriately spiced things up a bit. I love the new art because it gives a visual to go along with the Fantasy Ride title & it's just really cool!

In related news, information about what will be included on the DVD that comes with the deluxe edition of Fantasy Ride has been revealed. The "Go Girl," "Never Ever," & "Love Sex Magic" music videos will thankfully be included as well as making-of footage for the "Go Girl" & "Love Sex Magic" videos. Also, behind-the-scenes from photoshoots to rehearsals to studio footage will be included. Sounds like an excellent package! Fantasy Ride finally arrives on May 5th.

Jennifer Hudson "Entertainment Weekly" Magazine Cover

For their latest issue, Entertainment Weekly has chosen Jennifer Hudson as their cover girl. J-Hud looks lovely. Her self-titled debut album is out now.

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Day26 "Forever In A Day" Tracklisting

Day26 are set to release their sophomore album Forever In A Day on April 14th. A bunch of new songs have leaked recently, but if you're curious as to which have made the cut, look no further. The album's tracklisting is below:

1. Just Getting Started
2. Imma Put It On Her (ft. Diddy & Yung Joc)
3. Shawty Wats Up (ft. T-Pain)
4. Think Of Me
5. Stadium Music
6. Bipolar
7. Perfectly Blind
8. So Good
9. Girlfriend
10. Babymaker
11. Then There's You
12. Need That (ft. Jermaine Dupri)
13. Reminds Me Of You
14. Your Heels
15. Truth Is A Lie

So, a good half of the album is already available. I'll have to listen to the songs that made it onto the final album again to get a real feel for them, but I am noticing the absence of "Lemme Luv U Girl," which saddens me. Hopefully there's enough hot material on Forever In A Day to make up for it.

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