Usher "Behind The Music"

I finally got around to watching Usher's Behind The Music special & I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Unlike a lot of female other artists I like, I hadn't really ever heard Usher's story in this way, so it was interesting to hear--for example, I've never really known anything about his debut album lol. Plus, this time, it actually makes sense that they included a lot of relationship-type stuff, considering the whole Chilli/Confessions situation. It helps me understand where he's coming from a little better with his latest album Raymond Vs. Raymond, the deluxe edition for which (...has a cover identical to that of Versus, so I won't be posting it, &...) will hit stores alongside his new EP Versus on August 24th.

Solange & Of Montreal Perform "Sex Karma" On Jimmy Fallon

Solange is trying too hard to gain credibility with this performance of her collaboration with Of Montreal called "Sex Karma" that will be featured on the band's upcoming album False Priest (September 14th). I don't get it. At all.

The Black-Eyed Peas Perform "Rock That Body" On GMA

Following a chat on Good Morning America, The Black-Eyed Peas performed their latest single "Rock That Body" off The E.N.D.... which they were apparently lying about because their next album The Beginning has been slated for release late this year. Have you guys not given us enough headaches in the past year?! I really do wish Fergie would just release a second solo album next & break away a little from will.i.am so she could sing closer to her full potential, but that's not what would have happened anyway... even if that stupid *insert expletive here* "I Gotta Feeling" hadn't sold six million copies.

Kelly Rowland Album Update

It seems like these days, Kelly Rowland just stays backtracking when it comes to her forthcoming third album. The (now) as-yet-untitled project has been pushed back (again) a week to November 2nd, the only explanation for which I can come up with is because people will have just gotten paid. Kelly did recently reveal however that a song being considered for inclusion on the album is a girl power anthem entitled "I'm That Chick". How original... lol. Also, she has expressed interest in writing with Adam Lambert for the project & they are currently working on getting it set up! That's good & all... I mean, I wish she'd just stop recording already & get this train (which is already in motion) a-movin'... not that Universal Motown has any interest/history in doing so either... but a collaboration between the two of them would be incredible!

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Sean Kingston ft. Nicki Minaj "Letting Go (Dutty Love)" Video Preview

Nicki Minaj aids Sean Kingston on his new single "Letting Go (Dutty Love)" off his upcoming third album & you can catch a glimpse of her in the video for the track above (don't blink!). Normally I wouldn't particularly care to see a new Sean Kingston video, but if Nicki's in it, bring it on!

Vonzell Solomon "The BabyV Show" July 29th

Billboard Update

^#1 Album #1 Single^

Not much to report this week... Eminem's Recovery still tops the Billboard 200 album chart & his Rihanna-assisted "Love The Way You Lie" kicks off another frame atop the Hot 100 singles chart with the Airplay Gainer title yet again.

See full charts HERE

OneRepublic Performs On Stripped

After discussing confusing Lady Gaga lyrics with the audience (you know you were wondering about that too!), Ryan Tedder & the rest of OneRepublic performed their cover of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" as a medley with ... Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" on iheartradio's Stripped. Umm, OneRepublic's sophomore album Waking Up is out now.

Dirty Money On Lopez Tonight

"Hello Good Morning" (ft. Rick Ross)



Interview
Despite the fact that the sun has set on their hit "Hello Good Morning", Dirty Money performed the stale single off their album-that-will-apparently-never-be Last Train To Paris & sat down for an interview (yes, all of them!) on Lopez Tonight. No wonder the album didn't come out last month--they're never gonna release another single!

Katharine McPhee Performs "Surrender" On Good Day LA

Katharine McPhee took a break from recording her upcoming Christmas album Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You to chat with the hosts of Good Day LA about her work with Feeding America & perform her song "Surrender" off Unbroken. I think I need to give Unbroken a listen with fresh ears, as I haven't listened to it in a while, because I enjoyed that performance. Also, her hair looks great now that it's dark again!

Britney Spears "Radiance" Ad

"I'm A Slave 4 U" singer Britney Spears debuted the ad for her zillionth fragrance "Radiance" earlier today via Twitter.

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Backstreet Boys On Lopez Tonight

"If I Knew Then"



Twitter Q&A



Skit w/ Steve Carell
The Backstreet Boys performed their new single "If I Knew Then" off This Is Us on Lopez Tonight, where they stuck around to answer fan questions from Twitter after the show & gave Justin Bieber some excellent advice. Good stuff!

Katharine McPhee Christmas Album Update

Katharine McPhee has formally announced that she is currently recording a Christmas album to be released this fall. Titled Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You, the album will include a cover of the Billy Squier song of the same name as well as classics like "O Holy Night", "This Christmas", & a medley of "Away In A Manger" & "O Little Town Of Bethlehem". Thankfully though, Katharine has also written an original song for the album. I've already had about as much of the same ol' Christmas songs as I can take in my lifetime, but I honestly believe that Kat can sing them beautifully enough that I'll forget, if only for a moment, that I hate them so.

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Rihanna To Make Acting Debut In "Battleship"

Rihanna is all set to kick off her acting career in "Battleship", a film adaptation of the board game to be directed by Peter Berg ("Hancock"). She will star alongside Taylor Kitsch (TV's Friday Night Lights) & Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood) in the movie, which will see its release on May 18th, 2012. Does this strike anyone else as bizarre? Rihanna is acting now... & in the "Battleship" movie?! lol I mean, she can't even perform & that's part of her profession... how's she gonna do this? Then again, it IS an action movie, & if all Megan Fox has to do in the "Transformers" movies is look pretty, surely RiRi can pose it up with some guns in this flick well enough.

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Dondria "Dondria Vs. Phatfffat" Tracklisting + Preview

In the timeless words of Rihanna, the wait is ova. Fans of Dondria who have been waiting years to see which of her songs would make the final cut on her debut album Dondria Vs. Phatfffat (August 17th) needn't look any further. Check out the album's tracklisting below:

1. You're The One
2. Saving Myself
3. Shawty Wus Up (ft. Johnta Austin & Diamond)
4. Making Love
5. Can You Help Me
6. Where Did We Go Wrong
7. No More
8. Still Be With Me
9. You're The One (JD's Jeep Mix)
10. Believer
11. Kissed By The Sun

I'll have to consult with my very own Dondria stan to be sure, but it appears that all the essentials are present & accounted for! That's not all though: Click HERE to listen to snippets of all 11 tracks!! Ya, umm, pretty sure it sounds, like, incredible.

Natasha Bedingfield "Touch" Video Premiere

"Touch" is the first single lifted from Natasha Bedingfield's forthcoming third album. Overall, I like the video. I was all excited at first cause the visual played out the lyrics, but with Natasha still being the narrator, which I liked & found to be a perfect opportunity for this type of song to NOT have a club-set video for once... until exactly that happened. But it kinda turned around again by the end.

Teairra Mari Update

To clarify, this is an all-in-one album/EP/mixtape update... because they all kinda affect each other. Anyway, Teairra Mari has finally caught on to what we've all been saying for quite some time now & realized that she is not 'at that point' anymore, so she's decided to start from scratch on her upcoming sophomore album & has scrapped the title as well. Considering the numerous leaks, which she cites as her reasoning behind going back to the drawing board, her decision is perfectly understandable, but for the people (see: me) who were digging the direction she was going with At That Point... here comes her Sincerely Yours EP to the rescue! The 7-song set, which *fingers crossed* will be released digitally to iTunes on August 17th, is confirmed to include the songs "Sponsor", "Body", "Emergency", "Operator", "Might Get Lucky", & "Hunt 4 U" (& hopefully "Lights Go Down", which would give us what would have been the complete At That Point album). Now, why "Automatic" isn't being included (not that I want it to be at THIS point), seeing as how it has a video, I don't know... unless they just couldn't afford to pay Nicki Minaj LOL! As for Teairra's Point Of No Return mixtape, it will be half remixes, a la her Usher & Drake covers for which she has shot videos, & half original material. Remixes we can expect will be of Alicia Keys' "Empire State Of Mind (Part 2) Broken Down", a dedication to Mari's hometown of Detroit, as well as Young Jeezy's "Lose My Mind" & Rick Ross' "Super High". (Check out the recently leaked "Coins" below, which I suspect to be one of the 6-7 original recordings featured on Point Of No Return. Mavado aside, I like it!) The mixtape is set to be released either the first or last (full) week in August. I say first--not just because I'm impatient, but because it might help generate some buzz for her EP. Either way, after this news overload & considering the prospect that we might FINALLY get some Teairra music, which one of the above emotions are you feeling?! ;)

Coins (ft. Mavado)

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Estelle "Fall In Love" Video Premieres

"Fall In Love" is the first official single (second overall after "Freak") off Estelle's upcoming album All Of Me. Versions of the song with both, each, & neither of these guys have surfaced recently, but check out the one featuring John Legend above & the Nas-featured version below. I think I actually prefer the latter because more of the video's storyline, which includes a love interest played by the guy from Rihanna's "Russian Roulette" video actor Jesse Williams, is featured & I would rather listen to Estelle longer with a little rap section than hear John sing a whole verse honestly.

Michelle Williams "Cancers 4 A Cause" Ads

Michelle Williams poses it up for a good cause in this pair of shots supporting Cancers 4 A Cause: Where Music Meets Fashion 4 A Cure. It's always great to see a celebrity using their recognition to help out, but it doesn't hurt that she looks fab with her short 'do in that ribbon dress!

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Jordin Sparks "In The Heights" Commercial & Ad

On August 19th, Jordin Sparks will be joining the cast of Broadway's "In The Heights" for a 12-week limited engagement ending November 14th. Check out Jordin singing "When You're Home" from the musical in a new commercial promoting her stint above as well as an ad of her smiling face that's sure to be plastered all over NYC below. I just wish I could go! In the meantime, I'll just stay listening to her criminally overlooked sophomore album Battlefield.

[Source]

Album Review: Kelis "Flesh Tone"

Known for her unique sense of style, Kelis has never been one to stick with one look for too long & her music has followed suit. After exploring the many sounds of the R&B world, from the sultry to the rock-leaning, the new mother took to a more timely dance sound for her fifth studio album Flesh Tone. While dance music isn't my personal favorite, this is Kelis we're talking about & if anybody can transition from one style to another while maintaining a sense of authenticity, it's her.

"Intro": This gives the listener a good indication as to what they can expect from the album & is a decent track all around, however... 4/5

"22nd Century": I'd say this would've been a perfectly fitting introduction to Flesh Tone. I mean, "Welcome to the 22nd century... everybody's dancin'"..? She certainly does her thing here. 4.5/5

"4th Of July (Fireworks)": This is another solid track. I wanna take this opportunity though to address the segues that appear at the end of every track in the middle of the album expect "Scream". While they serve their purpose fine, I find them mostly unnecessary, as every song basically has the same beat & they would all pretty much flow together by themselves. What really bothers me about the segues though is that they often differ from the track they accompany so vastly that it almost takes away from the listening experience. 4.5/5

"Home": She pretty much perfects the direction she's going for with this project here. 5/5

"Acapella": The lead single is personal lyrically, which I can appreciate, but it's far from the best song on the album. It's alright though. 4/5

"Scream": Another decent one, but as much as I'm trying to judge this disc solely as a dance album as opposed to comparing it to R&B efforts that I might prefer, the talking is rather cheesy. 4/5

"Emancipate": The repetitive yelling during the chorus bugs me a bit, but as a whole, it's not bad because this album is a really good one to listen to from beginning to end without skipping any tracks. 3.5/5

"Brave": Pretty sure this is my favorite track on the album. 5/5

"Song For The Baby": A sweet track & perfect ending to the album. 4/5

What appeals most to me about Flesh Tone is that Kelis' voice fits in so well with the dance sound. She also makes really good dance music--or at least the kind that makes an R&B fan want to listen. Would I say that I personally prefer this to her last effort Kelis Was Here? Nah. And the fact that Flesh Tone has nine tracks (half as many as Kelis Was Here) isn't my favorite part about the album, but for creativity's sake & since the album works so well as a whole that you forget how few tracks there actually are, I'm willing to forgive this time. At the end of the day, Kelis is in a happy place making this kind of music right now & she does everything she tries very well, so I'm happy too.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Usher "Versus" Cover & Tracklisting

Above is the lame cover for Versus, Usher's sequel to Raymond Vs. Raymond that drops on August 24th. The tracklisting for the 9-song set is below... & of course, the ONLY track that hasn't leaked yet is the Ciara collabo. Really, Usher? A bunch of RVR leftovers?! Well, & "There Goes My Baby" (which is simply omitted on the second disc of Raymond Vs. Raymond: The Deluxe Edition).

1. Love 'Em All
2. DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love (ft. Pitbull)
3. Hot Toddy (ft. Jay-Z & Ciara)
4. Lay You Down
5. Lingerie
6. There Goes My Baby
7. Get In My Car (ft. Bun B)
8. Somebody To Love (Remix ft. Justin Bieber)
9. Stranger

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Jazmine Sullivan Album Update

If you're anything like me, then you're desperate for a new Jazmine Sullivan album... & we're in luck(!) because details regarding the singer's sophomore effort have now surfaced. The project, being preceded by soulful first single "Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)" (cover art to the left/listen below), is titled Love Me Back & set for a September 28th release. She's coming, folks!

Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)

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Janelle Monae "Jet" Magazine Cover

A post-performance (or so it appears) Janelle Monae covers the latest issue of Jet. 'This generation's James Brown?' At least! Janelle's debut album The ArchAndroid is available now.

[Source]

Kid Sister "Big & Bad" Video Premiere

"Big & Bad" is the third single off Kid Sister's debut album Ultraviolet. She stays releasing these singles like she's actually selling! That's not a dig at her though, as she happens to be quite a guilty pleasure for me. What gets me though is how good this video looks... I mean, if Christina Aguilera can sell 6-figures & get no budget for a second video on a major label, but Kid Sis gets a decent looking third video after selling triple sewage water..? #justsaying

Mary J. Blige "Melodies" Ad

Mary J. Blige is rolling out the products! In addition to her new fragrance, MJB has announced her very own line of sunglasses called "Melodies". It makes plenty of sense, but for the hundreds of dollars they are rumored to cost, she can keep 'em. For much less, I would suggest buying her new album Stronger With Each Tear instead.

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Marques Houston ft. Rick Ross "Pullin' On Her Hair" Video Premiere

"Pullin' On Her Hair", featuring Rick Ross, is the new single lifted from Marques Houston's forthcoming album Mattress Music (September 14th). Deep.

Vonzell Solomon "The BabyV Show" July 22nd

Billboard Update

^#1 Album #1 Single^

Because Eminem is the only person who seems to be able to sell like it's a decade ago, his Recovery tops the Billboard 200 album chart again this week & his Rihanna-assisted "Love The Way You Lie" makes its way to the top of the Hot 100 singles chart, giving Rihanna her seventh #1 since first appearing on the Hot 100 chart dated June 11, 2005, the most chart-toppers by any artist during that span. "Love The Way You Lie" also earns both the Digital & Airplay Gainer titles this week. In addition, Usher scores the Hot Shot Debut with his Pitbull-assisted single "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love", which comes in @ #19.

See full charts HERE

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Monica "Love All Over Me (Viewers' Choice)" Video Premiere

With over 15,000 votes cast, the fans have spoken & 73% chose the winning ending of Monica's "Love All Over Me" video above. That's the one I chose. ;) I also must say that the video is much more enjoyable this way without all the flashing back & forth between the two guys at the end. Monica's new album Still Standing is out now.

LeToya Album Update

LeToya is busy recording her third solo album & has taken to Twitter to keep fans updated on what's going down. Recently, the former Destiny's Child singer logged studio time with Harvey Mason Jr. & songwriter Andre Merritt (Rihanna's "Disturbia"). Harvey did some great production on Toni Braxton's latest album Pulse & has been my hero ever since I found out he is the male singing voice on Pulse's last track "Why Won't You Love Me", so his work with LeToya should turn out nicely.

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Mary J. Blige "My Life" Commercial & Ad

Mary J. Blige is launching her first fragrance "My Life", which she named after her second album. Check out the commercial for it above & the print ad that's currently running for the perfume below. Classy, just as expected.

[Source]

T.I. ft. Keri Hilson "Got Your Back" Video Premiere

"Got Your Back", featuring Keri Hilson, is the new single off T.I.'s forthcoming album King Uncaged (September 28th). I really like the way Keri sounds on the second half of the chorus (& that pre-chorus bit too)! I also like the second look, but the first one's kinda rough. (Kinda wish she'd go back to the "Knock You Down" video look... #justme...)

Christina Milian Getting Divorced

<-- Take a good look at that & tell me what out there could possibly be better enough to give Christina Milian up..? Well, first off, The-Dream, who has managed to achieve the unfathomable feat of being the world's biggest AND dumbest douchebag--all in one chubby little package, cheats on her, HIS WIFE. Then, they announce their *surprise* separation. Now, it has been revealed that NINE days before his WIFE gave BIRTH to their CHILD, The-Dream filed for divorce from her. ~ AND, as I type this, it has just been unveiled that Christina denies having been separated from The-Dream (as he claims) at the time he filed the divorce papers, thus rendering his reasoning that their marriage was "irrevocably broken" void & stating instead that the divorce should be granted due to his infidelities. And *deep breath* because this whole situation wasn't messy enough, Christina has admitted to signing documentation that disallows her from receiving any spousal support in the event of a divorce--documentation that The-Dream presented to his 9-MONTH PREGNANT wife, who was in no state to sign such paperwork. ~ Altogether now: WHAT A DOUCHE!!! Chris Beatdown, is there anything you would like to say to Terius?

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Shontelle "No Gravity" Cover

Shontelle graces the cover of her sophomore album No Gravity, which will be set free on August 24th thanks to hit first single "Impossible". I like it! I can't help but think of something similar She Who Must Not Be Named did recently... but who cares!

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Jay Sean ft. Nicki Minaj "2012" Behind-The-Scenes

Nicki Minaj is featured on Jay Sean's new single "2012" & the two of them recently shot a video for the track. Feel free to listen to "2012" in its entirety below. Jay, BOOOOO!!! What an obvious & LAME topic for a song. Nicki MURDERED her verse though as usual. I was just thinking the other day how fantabulous it would be if all rap features on all songs were done by Nicki...

2012 (ft. Nicki Minaj)

Kelis Performs At The Cherrytree House

Brave



22nd Century



4th Of July (Fireworks)
Kelis performed some tracks off her new dance album Flesh Tone acoustically (you knew it had to happen eventually) at The Cherrytree House recently. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the performances sounded though, with the quality increasing the higher I posted the video. Musically, the label's single choices for this album baffle me, as "Brave" is one of the standouts, whether dance or acoustic.

Kelly Rowland Album Update

A lot has been going on with Kelly Rowland's upcoming third solo album since we last checked up on the project. For one, it's no longer self-titled; instead, Kelly is asking her fans to name the album & you can click HERE to enter your submission. Judging by her attitude towards the album thus far & the level of individualism she has displayed recently, I was starting to really like the idea of the disc being self-titled, but oh well. Also, whatever she calls the album, it's now set to come out on October 26th. The pushback, Kelly claims, is because she hasn't finished recording yet, recently hitting the studio with the likes of Tricky Stewart & Akon. Yay!.. & nay. You know what though? I really wish people would stop announcing release dates & then pushing them back to finish recording. Finish, THEN announce a date so you can stick to it! Pushbacks are killing the industry because the label gets unnecessarily scared, then the fans get frustrated & pull their support. Get with the program, folks!

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Keri Hilson Collaborates With Bei Maejor

Keri Hilson offers her support to Jive Records recording artist Bei Maejor & his Upside Down project by collaborating with him on the song "Gamez", a FREE download for which is available directly from the artist on the above video's YouTube page. Cool concept with the video game sounds & all, but it's been done before... & better.

Christina Aguilera "You Lost Me" Video Premiere

"You Lost Me" is the second single lifted from Christina Aguilera's new album Bionic. The video is directed by Anthony Mandler. LOL RCA wasn't ABOUT to give her any kinda budget for this video, were they?! It's a shame cause this song deserves better, but at the end of the day, it's the song that really shines & what really counts anyway. Edit: I forgot that I was gonna throw up the new "You Lost Me" dance remix that recently surfaced on this post. I'm all for new runs, but this is just a big NO-NO for this song:

You Lost Me (Hex Hector & Mac Quayle Radio Edit)

Nicki Minaj "Your Love" Video Premiere

"Your Love" is the second single off Nicki Minaj's as-yet-untitled debut album (November 23rd). At first, I wasn't this song's biggest fan to be honest, but now I can't stop playing it. As for the video, what can I say? I prefer "Massive Attack" Nicki, but this was good too.

T.I. ft. Keri Hilson "Got Your Back" Video Preview

Keri Hilson poses it up in this sneak peek at the video for "Got Your Back", her collaboration with T.I. Likin' what I see, likin' what I hear... but I want YOUR music, Keri! ;)

N.E.R.D. Performs On Jimmy Kimmel

Party People

Hot & Fun

N.E.R.D. performed their new single "Party People", a slight improvement over "Hot & Fun" as far as I can tell, on Jimmy Kimmel Live! recently. Both tracks can be found of the group's new album Nothing (September 7th).

Wynter Gordon "Dirty Talk" Video Premiere

"Dirty Talk" is the first single off Wynter Gordon's upcoming debut album With The Music I Die. I quite like the unobvious concept + she looks great in the video. Not to mention that I LOVE both the tone of Wynter's voice & this song! Now everybody go buy this song so that her album can finally come out :)

Q Da Kid ft. Dondria "It Was All A Dream" Video Premiere

Dondria gives her best Brandy vocal during the chorus of labelmate Q Da Kid's "It Was All A Dream". She's one talented gal! I do find it interesting that this video looks a bit more professional than her new one...

Natasha Bedingfield Performs "Touch" On 2010 Do Something Awards

The 2010 Do Something Awards called & Natasha Bedingfield listened, taking to the stage to perform her new single "Touch". I've realize now that the reason I can't get into this song is because the verses are too monotonous! Looking forward to the new album though.

Dondria ft. Johnta Austin & Diamond "Shawty Wus Up" Video Premiere

"Shawty Wus Up", featuring JoHNta Austin & Diamond, is the second single off Dondria's forthcoming album Dondria Vs. Phatfffat (August 17th). After initially being disappointed with the song, I've come to realize that Dondria, while not showcasing her vocal range like in "You're The One", sounds really nice on this track. That said, the video... I mean, Johnta is misspelled. *pauses* The song title is misspelled. And the lighting..! Oh, JD.

New Kelly Rowland Promo Pics

Kelly Rowland is lookin' fine in this new pair of promotional photos for her upcoming self-titled third album, which appears to have been pushed back from its September 21st release date. Surprise surprise. Both of these pictures though, especially the first one, are fire!

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Daughtry "September" Video Premiere

"September" is the third single lifted from Daughtry's sophomore album Leave This Town. They sure spread the singles out, don't they! As for this one getting chosen, I mean, it's gets better as it goes along, but uh... I haven't listened to Leave This Town in a year, so... :)

Billboard Update

^#1 Album #1 Single^

Eminem continues his reign atop the Billboard 200 album chart with Recovery, while Kelis' Flesh Tone debuts @ #48 with 8,000 copies sold (that's what happens when you give the UK something first... *didn't say that*). Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg spend another frame on top of the Hot 100 singles chart with "California Gurls", but Rihanna & Eminem are right on their tail with "Love The Way You Lie", which stays @ #2 & earns the Airplay Gainer title again this week. Debuting this week is Fantasia's "Bittersweet" @ #94!

See full charts HERE

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Monica "Love All Over Me" Video Premiere

"Love All Over Me" is the second single off Monica's Gold-certified album Still Standing. The Chris Robinson-directed video is nice, if not entirely worthy of this song. However, this version of the video has a cliffhanger, as the ending has yet to be decided! You can vote on Mo's official site for who you think she should end up with & the winning video will premiere on July 23rd:

David Archuleta Album Update

I'm psyched to report that David Archuleta has announced that his sophomore album Other Side Of Down (I love Pixar too, Dave! lol) comes out on September 14th! The first single "Something 'Bout Love" (cover art to the left) will be available on iTunes July 20th, the same date you will be able to pre-order Other Side Of Down on David's official site. Speaking of the single, this album news comes at the perfect time because just today, I listened to "Something 'Bout Love" in my car for the first time (car speakers >>> laptop speakers) & was almost late for work because I just HAD to put it on repeat for a hot second! I love it!! I especially love that David went in a direction that isn't exactly what some may have anticipated (see: me) & shattered all expectations yet again! No wonder his fans are still so incredibly supportive & voted him Best "American Idol" Ever..!

Natasha Bedingfield "Touch" Behind-The-Scenes

Here's a quick look on the set of Natasha Bedingfield's video for "Touch", which so far looks pretty predictable...

Janelle Monae Performs "Tightrope" On 2010 ESPY Awards

For one reason or another (My guess? Her awesomeness was too much for them to handle.), Janelle Monae performed her current single "Tightrope" off The ArchAndroid at ESPN's 2010 ESPY Awards. Note: The performance is a rather short one, so there's nothing Janelle-related past the 2-minute mark.

Melanie Fiona Performs "Bang Bang" On Regis & Kelly

Melanie Fiona pulled "Bang Bang" out of her bag of tricks for a performance on Live With Regis & Kelly recently. Short, but sweet. It's good to see that they are 'bridging' the gap between albums by continuing to promote The Bridge instead of having Melanie simply disappear.

Wynter Gordon "Dirty Talk" Behind-The-Scenes

Wynter Gordon is finally showing signs that her career is going somewhere with this behind-the-scenes look at her "Alice In Wonderland"-y video for "Dirty Talk", the first single off her forthcoming album With The Music I Die. She seems cool! I can't wait to see the final product!

Jennifer Lopez "Behind The Music"

I know I'm terribly late with this, but once again, I wanted to have a chance to watch the Behind The Music episode about Jennifer Lopez in its entirety before posting so I could offer my take on it. I thought it was interesting taking a trip down memory lane with most of this stuff. However, they may as well have called it Behind The Relationship because the main focus was the many loves of J.Lo rather than her music. The one personal thing about Jennifer that I'm glad they covered though is motherhood because it takes the focus off the negative energy surrounding her upcoming album Love? & drives home just how happy & content she is with her life at this point. Me likey.

Usher "There Goes My Baby" Video Premiere

"There Goes My Baby" is the new single off Usher's latest album Raymond Vs. Raymond, the deluxe edition of which coincides with the release of Versus on August 24th. 'Bout time. I like the video, but it's not amazing. Kinda makes you miss the "U Got It Bad" days when Chilli was his love interest... nothing against the song though cause it's very nice. Oh, & if you're wondering why it has the look of a Rihanna video, it's because Anthony Mandler directed it.

Nicki Minaj Collaborates With Trey Songz

Because he just won't go away, Trey Songz is releasing a new album entitled Passion, Pain & Pleasure on September 14th & Nicki Minaj has featuring duties on first single "Bottoms Up":



Kinda strange, I'm not gonna lie. I don't know why Trey thinks he's a rapper now...

OneRepublic Performs "Secrets" On VEVO Go Shows

OneRepublic decided to surprise the students of Denver University with an impromptu performance of their latest single "Secrets" off Waking Up for VEVO Go Shows. #IHeartVEVO

New Beyonce "L'Oreal" Commercial

Beyonce is currently starring in yet another commercial for L'Oreal cosmetics. I like this one though, considering it's appropriate for her.

Album Review: Sarah McLachlan "Laws Of Illusion"

It's been seven long years since Sarah McLachlan's last studio album Afterglow was released & at least for me, it's been quite a wait. Afterglow is an incredible album & although I must give Ms. McLachlan credit for tiding us over nicely, most notably with her 2006 Christmas album Wintersong, it's quite hard not to have something to follow it up for so long. Needless to say, when the release of her new album Laws Of Illusion was announced, it had a lot to live up to as far as I was concerned. Luckily though, Sarah is awfully consistent--a rare quality--so Laws Of Illusion did not (entirely) disappoint.

"Awakenings": A great way to start off the album. It sets the mood very well & sounds lovely. My only complaint is that the lyrics don't jump out at you (not immediately at least), a trend that seems to show up throughout the album. 4.5/5

"Illusions Of Bliss": While still good/of Sarah McLachlan quality, the acoustic guitar comes as a bit of a shock. It just doesn't fit as in with the laid back feel of the music I expect from her as most of the other songs. 4/5

"Loving You Is Easy": This one has grown on me a bit. I still don't love the stacatto piano, but I've come to appreciate the lighthearted mood of the song. 4/5

"Changes": A very nice album filler. 4.5/5

"Forgiveness": My favorite song on the album. It's got that signature Sarah sound & lyrics that are not only human, but also heartfelt, considering her love-related personal struggles. 5/5

"Rivers Of Love": Pretty. 4.5/5

"Love Come": Gorgeous! It's songs like this that give her albums that extra something special. 5/5

"Out Of Tune": Not my favorite--I can't decide if it's because it has to follow such a strong song or not--but good nonetheless. 4.5/5

"Heartbreak": Signature Sarah! A little cheesy lyrically, but I love the electronic effects. 4.5/5

"Don't Give Up On Us": You may have heard these next two tracks on Sarah's greatest hits album Closer already, but I'm glad she included them here so those of us who already own most of her material can still get the only new songs on the best of set. Not to mention that they're good too. 4.5/5

"U Want Me 2": Also a winner. (This one even has a video!) 4.5/5

"Bring On The Wonder": You can always count on a beautiful closer from her & this one's no different. Not quite "Dirty Little Secret" though. 4.5/5

The hidden track, a piano version of "Love Come", is just as gorgeous, if not more so, as the studio version & has me wondering why she doesn't just record all of her songs this way. That said, Laws Of Illusion is a wonderful album just the way it is. It has a lot of competition in Afterglow & unfortunately doesn't quite match its predecessor, but is still a lovely offering from the just-as-lovely Sarah McLachlan.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Carrie Underwood Gets Married

27-year-old Carrie Underwood tied the knot with her 30-year-old hockey player now-husband Mike Fisher on Saturday evening. (#thatisall lol) Congrats to the happy couple!

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Christina Aguilera "You Lost Me" Behind-The-Scenes

Christina Aguilera gives us a little sneak peek at what we can expect from the video for her second single "You Lost Me" off Bionic with this clip. I'm so excited for this video cause "You Lost Me" is my favorite song on the CD! I also love her new look now that I see her all done up with it. Isn't that screenshot hot? lol

Melinda Doolittle On Praise The Lord

"I Will Be"



"People Get Ready" w/ Bo Bice



Interview (Pt. 1)



Interview (Pt. 2)
Melinda Doolittle was recently a guest on TBN's Praise The Lord, where she performed "I Will Be" off her debut album Coming Back To You & "People Get Ready" as a duet with sad-excuse-for-an-Idol-runner-up (for consistency's sake) Bo Bice. She sounded great! It's been too long since I've listened to her album. Melinda also sat down for an interview, where she was able to promote her new book "Beyond Me" & discuss how the process of writing it has inspired her to start writing for her sophomore album!

Usher Collaborates With Enrique Iglesias

Besides Nicole Scherzinger, another guest Enrique Iglesias has on his new album Euphoria is Usher. The two collaborated on the track "Dirty Dancer", which you can hear below:



Usher's taken Enrique to the dark side! (lol) Honestly though... not bad.

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Natasha Bedingfield Performs "Touch" On So You Think You Can Dance

Natasha Bedingfield performed her new single "Touch" on So You Think You Can Dance & did a great job (minus the screaming towards the end *shrug*). I'm trying to like the song, but I seem to be able to find more things wrong with it than right. For example, I don't like the timing of the lyrics during the verses... but maybe they just needed to turn the background music up during the performance.

Usher To Release Sequel, Final Chapter To "Raymond Vs. Raymond"

On August 24th, Usher will release Versus, an 8-track sequel & final chapter to his sixth studio album Raymond Vs. Raymond. The two discs will be available to purchase together as Raymond Vs. Raymond: The Deluxe Edition (hopefully in addition to being sold seperately... think Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster). The lead single off Versus is the Pitbull-assisted "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" (listen below). Versus will also include second single "Hot Tottie", a Polow Da Don production, as well as a collaboration with Bun B. I see Mr. Raymond has noticed the *mild* success of his protege Justin Bieber's albums of similar length & decided to try it for himself. Considering our crappy digital market, I'm all for shorter, but more frequent albums--hey, it's better than just singles! That said, it appears Usher is trying to capitalize on the success of "OMG" by continuing in that direction & I ain't havin' NONE of it! (And here we thought you weren't either, Ursh... hmm...)

DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love (ft. Pitbull)

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Vonzell Solomon "The BabyV Show" I'm Baaaaack

Ciara "Basic Instinct" Cover

Ciara has unveiled the stunning cover art for her fourth studio album Basic Instinct (August 17th). I love it!! #stanmoment =P

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Imogen Heap "Everything In-Between: The Story Of Ellipse" DVD Trailer

At long last, Imogen Heap is set to release the Ellipse making-of DVD "Everything In-Between: The Story Of Ellipse" on August 31st! Above, you can check out the trailer, which brings back a lot of fun memories for me of watching all 40 of Immi's vlogs that she made while in the recording process for Ellipse.

Teairra Mari "Sincerely Yours" Update

Teairra Mari has released a new single called "Body" from her upcoming digital EP Sincerely Yours (August 17th). "Body", the single cover for which can be seen to the left, was produced by Warren "Oak" Felder. Below, you can listen to the single, which appears to have taken the place of previous pick "Coins" featuring dancehall artist Mavado. While not bad, "Body" isn't exactly groundbreaking either. (Maybe it just feels a little tainted to me since her recent viral videos seem to be precursors to this song & its lyrical content.) Judge for yourself:

Body

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Billboard Update

^#1 Album #1 Single^

The good news: Someone went platinum in two weeks in 2010! The bad news: It was Eminem, whose Recovery starts a second week atop the Billboard 200 album chart. Katy Perry's Snoop Dogg-assisted "California Gurls" continues topping the Hot 100 singles chart, where Eminem & Rihanna maintain the runner-up position with "Love The Way You Lie" thanks to a minor 17% decrease in digital sales with 280,000 copies sold & the Airplay Gainer title.

See full charts HERE

Brandy "Rolling Out" Magazine Cover

Brandy & the rest of the Norwood clan cover the latest issue of Rolling Out. Get it, Bran! Now if you'll just get us some new music... :)

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Marques Houston ft. Rick Ross "Pullin' On Her Hair" Video Preview

Marques Houston has given us a sneak peek at the highly original concept for his new video "Pullin' On Her Hair", which features Rick Ross. Marques' upcoming album Mattress Music drops September 14th.

Britney Spears "Cosmopolitan" Magazine Cover

Britney Spears is on the cover of the August issue of Cosmopolitan. Because she can.

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*UPDATED* Ciara "Pretty Girl Swag" Song Premiere

In addition to covering Waka Flocka Flame, Ciara has continued improving the awful material of painful rappers with this cover of Soulja Boy's "Pretty Boy Swag". Apparently, "Pretty Girl Swag" & "Hard In The Paint" are for a forthcoming Basic Instinct mixtape, so hopefully that turns out better than the whole Fantasy Ride mixtape situation. If you'd like an excuse to stare at CiCi at the top of this post a little longer, check out the other two versions of "Pretty Boy (Girl) Swag" below:

Pretty Boy (Girl) Swag (ft. Soulja Boy)


Pretty Boy (Girl) Swag (ft. Soulja Boy & Gucci Mane)

UPDATE: I just HAD to share Ciara's blazing new single "Gimme That" with you all ASAP:

Gimme That

Kelis Performs "4th Of July (Fireworks)" On Today

Kelis stopped by the Today show to celebrate the release of her new album Flesh Tone with a performance of her latest single "4th Of July (Fireworks)". I kinda wish they had released her album last week so she could've performed this song before the Fourth of July had come & gone, but she's doing her thing & that's all that matters!

Esmee Denters Covers "As" For Billboard

Esmee Denters shows her love for Stevie Wonder by covering his song "As" for yet another installment of Billboard's Mashup Mondays. I'm not familiar with the song to be honest, but she sounded really good singing it!

New Music Tuesday: Kelis "Flesh Tone"

Today is the day that Kelis' fifth studio album Flesh Tone is finally released in the US. You can purchase your copy of the album, which features the singles "Acapella" & "4th Of July (Fireworks)", by clicking the link above.

Janelle Monae "Coca-Cola" Commercial

I'm super excited for Janelle Monae because she has landed herself a Coca-Cola endorsement deal! Check her out doing her thing in this new Coke commercial. Her new album The ArchAndroid is out now!

Melanie Fiona Album Update

Melanie Fiona sat down with Sound-Savvy during this past weekend's Essence Music Festival to discuss, among other topics, her upcoming sophomore album. Titled The MF Life (for 'The Melanie Fiona Life'... she might wanna rethink that title), Melanie has been working on the project with The Bridge songwriter Andrea Martin as well as John Legend, who she has also collaborated with for his forthcoming album. Listen to Ms. Fiona describe the "stadium soul" sound she is going for on the album & more above.

Alicia Keys On The Early Show

A few days ago, Alicia Keys performed "Distance & Time" off her fourth album The Element Of Freedom before breakin' it down with a little "Empire State Of Mind"--all following an interview--on The Early Show. Haven't heard "Distance & Time" in a while, so that was nice... & she was right--this is the first time she has performed it on American television. You need to go sit down though, Alicia!

Teairra Mari "My Lovin'" Video Premiere

"My Lovin'", a cover of Drake's "Find Your Love", is a single off Teairra Mari's upcoming mixtape Point Of No Return, which is apparently due in mid-July. Nasty, put some clothes on! I must admit though that in my personal opinion, Teairra has only improved on the Drake songs she has covered so far. And with her 7-track EP Sincerely Yours coming to iTunes on August 17th... I'm just excited that she is finally releasing some music!

Keyshia Cole Album Update

Finally, we have a tidbit of information regarding Keyshia Cole's upcoming fourth album. "Trust" producer "Toxic" Donald Alford has revealed that he has produced a duet, which he describes as a "slow ballad," between the singer & Tank for the project. Toxic is also doing more work on the album, which should drop later this year. I love, love, LOVE "Trust", so to hear that a similar sound is being cooked up for Keyshia's next LP is music to my ears!

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Esmee Denters & Chipmunk Perform "Until You Were Gone" On T4 On The Beach

Esmee Denters joined Chipmunk to perform their collabo "Until You Were Gone" on this year's T4 On The Beach. Poor thing was having technological problems, but she still pulled through! I wonder when she's gonna release that album 'round these parts...

Karina "Perfectly Different (Unplugged)" Video Premiere

Karina has shot a video for an unplugged version of her new song "Perfectly Different", which will likely be included on her forthcoming sophomore album. The style of direction is a little cheesy, but those vocals cannot be denied! Not to discourage anyone from buying her new album when it comes out, but if you like "Perfectly Different", look up some of her leaks--it just gets better from here!