Here's the cover for the deluxe edition of the soundtrack for "Cadillac Records" (December 2nd). The film, which stars Beyonce, will hit theaters on December 5th. It is unknown at this time whether this edition of the soundtrack will feature more music from Beyonce or not, so stay tuned for that.Check out the new Nike ad starring Nicole Scherzinger & LeBron James. This is cracking stuff. You gotta check it out!
Check out Britney Spears' lovely album cover for Circus (December 2nd) above. The picture is really nice & I'm liking the circus theme. My only issue is that I don't think the picture particularly fits the album title, but it's all good. The tracklisting for Circus is below:
A snippet of each track off David Archuleta's upcoming self-titled debut album (November 11th) is available for streaming HERE. This album is going to be insanely awesome. I don't even know if I'll be able to handle listening to all 12 of these songs at one time when the album comes out. David Archuleta is such a special talent & I definitely recommend taking advantage of this sneak peek--even if you've never been a fan before.
Beyonce performed her new single "If I Were A Boy" for the very first time on Japan's Music Station recently. She did an amazing job. This is a really good song for Beyonce live. Her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce hits stores on November 18th.
"Forgive Me"
Interview
Leona Lewis has begun promotion in the UK for her upcoming re-release Spirit: The Deluxe Edition by performing the new single "Forgive Me" & doing an interview on GMTV. Leona is such a charming celebrity & she did well with the performance. Spirit: The Deluxe Edition arrives on November 17th across the pond.
According to JET magazine's issue with Toni Braxton on the cover (see: left), her first single is titled "Get Loose." I thought I'd let you all know since I posted news about the single not too long ago. We should expect to hear it soon. Toni's new album is set to be released early next year, so get ready!
Ciara & Mary J. Blige are a couple of the many collaborators featured on T-Pain's new album Thr33 Ringz, which drops on November 11th. As the album recently leaked, I thought I'd share their tracks with you. Ciara is featured on "Blowing Up" [Listen HERE], which is very typical T-Pain. I'm big on the electronic sound, but this one is almost overboard with it. In other words, I prefer their other collabo "Go Girl." Mary J. Blige joins Akon & Diddy on "Change" [Listen HERE]. The song has a good message, but I guess I just don't buy a serious track from T-Pain. I like the vocoder effect on singers, but I really hate T-Pain.
Check out the cover for Maroon 5's upcoming remix album Call & Response (December 9th) above. The group had some of their favorite artists remix their biggest hits & this is the result. The tracklisting, which includes the production credits, is below:
To use their wording, Leona Lewis dazzles on the cover of the latest issue of Evening Standard. The international superstar will re-release her debut album in the form of Spirit: The Deluxe Edition next month in the UK. [Source]
"Playa Cardz Right," featuring 2Pac, is the first single off Keyshia Cole's upcoming album A Different Me (December 16th). The thing that struck me most about this video is how beautiful Keyshia looks! She is stunning in the Benny Boom-directed clip, which is very much a tribute to 2Pac. I'm still not sure about the song as a lead single, but there's no doubt that Keyshia sounds great on it. In related news, the third season of Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, her BET reality show, will premiere on November 11th.
John Legend & his artist Estelle interviewed eachother on MySpace's Artist-On-Artist. It's an entertaining clip to say the least. His new album Evolver dropped this week, while her latest Shine is out now.
Mario has been hard at work on his fourth studio album, which is set for release in March of next year. He has worked with several of today's hottest producers on his follow-up to Go, including Tricky Stewart, Babyface, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Stargate, & Polow Da Don. Mario is aiming for a combination of old school & new school with his new album. As I've mentioned time & time again, Go was seriously slept on, so I'm excited about what else Mario has to offer."Shake Your Groove Thing" is the first single taken from the new Alvin & The Chipmunks album Undeniable, which drops November 4th. How can you not love these guys?
Above is the simple, yet effective cover for Kanye West's upcoming album 808s & Heartbreak (November 25th). Also, for those who have yet to see them, check out the single covers for Kanye's first two singles off the album ("Love Lockdown" & "Heartless") below. Brilliant:
Here's the cover of Avant's self-titled album, which is due out December 9th. This is one talented, yet underrated guy. I'm very interested in what he will offer with this new album. Check out the set's tracklisting below:
I know what you're thinking. It's just been so long since I last posted some of these lol. Christina Aguilera just looks so dang hot in this shoot! Her greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits comes out November 11th.
Check out the cover of Deborah Cox's new album The Promise, which drops on November 11th, above. After some time away from the contemporary R&B scene, Deborah is back & apparently 'promises' to bring it (I tried). Some of you, like myself, may know her from her biggest hit to date "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here," but it appears that we should be paying attention to her this time around. The tracklisting for The Promise is below:OHMYGOSH. This is incredible. Brandy heard my request & properly performed her first single "Right Here (Departed)" on TRL earlier today. If you didn't think you were going to buy B-Rocka's new album Human on December 9th before, this video will change your mind.
The promotional photos keep rolling in for Beyonce's new album I Am... Sasha Fierce, which comes out on November 18th. I think somebody knows how to take a picture!
Leona Lewis performed her current overseas single "Forgive Me" on The National Lottery in the UK recently. I'm really enjoying her live offerings of this song. Her upcoming re-release Spirit: The Deluxe Edition is set for release on November 17th across the pond.
In related news, Leona has been added as a performer at this year's American Music Awards. The show goes down on November 23rd.
[Source]
Beyonce surprised a Jay-Z crowd by performing part of her new single "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" at Power 105.1's Powerhouse event. It was fly, though I didn't like the camera angles & I don't even think she was using a microphone lol. Don't forget (like you would): Beyonce's new album I Am... Sasha Fierce will be released on November 18th.
Melinda Doolittle will finally release her debut album Coming Back To You in January '09 & although we don't even have a set release date yet, you can check out the album's tracklisting right now:Pink sat down with the ladies of The View for an interview & then performed her first single "So What" off the new album Funhouse (out now). The interview is great, especially thanks to the audience's reactions to Pink's music video clips, which are played on the screen behind them. Pink screwed up a tad during the performance, but it was still good.
Here's Usher's video for his new single "Hush," which is available on iTunes now. Hold up. Is that American Idol season 6's Stephanie Edwards?! I loved her!
"Battle Cry" is (I believe) the second single off Shontelle's forthcoming album Shontelligence (November 18th). I wonder who she is supporting in the upcoming election...
This may not be my typical kind of artist, but Lily Allen really is worth a shot. The British singer will release her sophomore album It's Not Me, It's You on February 10th. Check out the tracklisting for the set below:Here's Solange's appearance on Ghost Whisperer in music video form. She performed her song "6 O'Clock Blues" from her latest album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams, which is out now. Check out this lovely (official) montage of the show's main couple Melinda & Jim. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the song.
The Pussycat Dolls have finally started pushing that second single ... & in a big way too. PCD performed "Whatcha Think About That" off their new album Doll Domination (out now) on Dancing With The Stars with special guest Missy Elliott. While Nicole took over Missy's part at the beginning, the woman herself showed up as a surprise later in the performance. The Dolls did a great job with this one. In news that should shock no one, Missy's new album Block Party has been pushed back to February 10th. I'm sad, but I know it'll be worth the wait. (Plus, I'll have Brandy to occupy me through the year's end anyway!)
"Live Your Life," featuring Rihanna, is the latest single off T.I.'s new album Paper Trail. This one just didn't do it for me. The clip, which was (not surprisingly) directed by Anthony Mandler (Rihanna's "Disturbia"), was boring & Rihanna didn't seem to be incorporated into the video very well. People keep saying she looks good in this, but I just don't see what's so hot about that boy. As far as the concept, I'm glad T.I. has turned that corner in his own life, but I didn't find it translating to film very well.
Brandy performed her first single "Right Here (Departed)" off the highly anticipated new album Human (December 9th) for the first time at JAM'N 94.5's Monster Jam yesterday. Though it's only a partial clip & was performed at a concert rather than an awards show or something, I think B-Rocka did well. I'm all for supporting your family, but couldn't Ray J (who was on-stage & wouldn't shut up the whole time) have just been in the audience? Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing a proper live performance of this song (&, for that matter, "Long Distance").
Here's the cover of Mya's new album Sugar & Spice, which will be released exclusively in Japan on December 3rd. I like. I just wish she'd give us American fans a chance.John Legend released his third album Evolver today & performed its first single "Green Light" solo (with a background vocalist on Andre's parts) on The Early Show. He actually brought them back from commercial with a bit of his new song "It's Over" & gave a short interview before giving his main performance, which was good. I haven't listened to his entire new album yet, but I like what I've heard so far pretty well. Of course, he gets bonus points for the Brandy collabo.
Pink is getting her promo on for the release of her new album Funhouse, which came out today. She performed first single "So What" earlier, coincidentally on Today. The performance follows a funny short interview. Good stuff, but don't strain yourself too much, Pink--you're just getting (this party) started!
Here's yet another promotional photo of Christina Aguilera to be used for the release of her greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits at Target stores on November 11th. This one's a bit more puzzling than the others (what is she sitting on anyway?), but lovely just the same.
The incredible David Archuleta will be releasing his self-titled debut album on November 11th & that day can't come soon enough. From the clips I've heard thus far, this album is going to be beyond amazing. Check out the tracklisting for the album below:
I'm really excited because I just found out that Alvin & The Chipmunks will be releasing a new album entitled Undeniable on November 4th. Obviously being released thanks to the success of their recent film, this release is just an album & not another soundtrack. Check out the tracklisting for the album below:
Pink drops her fifth studio album Funhouse today. The new album features the #1 "So What." I reviewed it positively recently & according to my recent poll, 57% of you are already interested, so check it out! You can purchase your copy by clicking on the album cover on the widget to your right."I Stay In Love" is the fourth single taken from Mariah Carey's latest album E=MC². I cannot stress enough how beautiful this ballad is. Thankfully, the video, which was directed by Mariah's husband Nick Cannon, matches the song. I really hope the public picks up on this one.
UPDATE: If your DVR hates you like mine hates me, then you are in luck because the entire episode of Access Granted for "I Stay In Love" can be viewed on YouTube! (Pt. 1 // Pt. 2)
"Keeps Gettin' Better" is the new single off Christina Aguilera's upcoming greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits (November 11th). I don't know about y'all, but I could use something that isn't depressing right about now & this is it. Christina did an awesome job with her new video! I love the special effects & her whole new look. I even like the song more & more each time I hear it. Bring on that new album!
Tragically, the missing 7-year-old nephew of Jennifer Hudson, Julian King, was found dead in an abandoned SUV in Chicago. He was the son of Jennifer's sister Julia Hudson. I really hope whoever did this gets what they deserve.One Step At A Time
No Air
Australia's luck seemingly never runs out, as they had Jordin Sparks perform a couple of singles off her self-titled debut album on Sunrise recently. Jordin sounded wonderful, but I sure miss her over here. How awesome would a new Jordin album be sometime (early) next year?!
Kelly Rowland's duet with French singer Nadiya entitled "No Future In The Past" has finally surfaced here with the premiere of the song's video. I like the video & Kelly looks flawless. French R&B singers just don't do it for me, but Kelly sounds great.
To celebrate the recent 10th anniversary of her first single, Britney Spears has re-recorded "...Baby One More Time" with the song's original producer Max Martin. The song, renamed "One More Time," will have "the same feel to it," but with an urban twist. Though likely to be used in Britney's upcoming performances & world tour, it is unknown exactly the manner in which the track will be released, though it could possibly show up as a bonus track on her forthcoming album Circus (December 2nd). Sounds awesome!Here's another one of the several new versions of "Walking Away" that Craig David recorded to help promote his upcoming greatest hits collection, which hits UK stores on November 24th. This one features French artist Lynnsha. The video is just about as plain as the last one.
Take Me On The Floor
Popular
The Veronicas performed two songs from their sophomore album Hook Me Up, which is available now in the US, on Australian TV show Sunrise. These girls are just too cool to pass up.
Pink has evolved quite a bit throughout her career. She has gone through many different sounds, ranging from R&B to pop to rock & everything in between. One thing is for certain though: the girl is talented. I've always followed Pink because of that fact. As she prepares to release her fifth studio album Funhouse, I find it very exciting that she is having so much success with its first single "So What." As I'm sure others have noticed as well, it seems that Pink has really found the sound she is most comfortable with & is therefore making some of the best music of her career. This fact is further proven after listening to Funhouse in its entirety."Come Over," featuring Sean Paul, is the fifth single off Estelle's latest album Shine. I think I prefer the original version of the song without Sean Paul, but it's the same song either way. The video is nice, though watching Estelle & Sean Paul all over eachother isn't my ideal activity. I'm not sure how these singles are doing in the UK, but they just keep puttin' 'em out, don't they? I wonder if they plan on pushing any of them here in the US.
Ashanti has teamed up with Rock The Vote to help make clear how important it is to vote in the upcoming election. The big day is November 4th!
Carrie Underwood is the latest talented star to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" on the World Series. Yet again, Carrie proves what an astounding talent she truly is.
A little while ago, I posted Toni Braxton performing at this very halftime show. Now, I would like to share Christina Aguilera's part with you. Christina performed both "Ain't No Other Man" & "Candyman" at the event. As she looks to the future with her new project, it seems fitting to take a look back at Christina's last album. While she always rocked "Ain't No Other Man," Christina always made her performances of "Candyman" very special. The Back To Basics era was an incredible time for her visually. However, I'm sure Christina will just 'keep gettin' better' as time goes on.
Keyshia Cole looks stunning in this promotional photo for her upcoming album A Different Me (December 16th). Who knew Keyshia had this in her? As far as her being 'different' on her new album, I hope she means different in this kind of way because musically, Keyshia has always been on-point.
Grade: AKeyshia Cole has offered us a sneak peek of the video for her first single "Playa Cardz Right" off her upcoming third album A Different Me (December 16th). Keyshia is lookin' good in this clip & I look forward to the video, though I hope they stray away from the beach set-ups a bit so as to avoid having the video look a lot like the one for "Heaven Sent." I'm still not so sure about this single choice, but Keyshia always brings it with her albums, so I'm not too worried.
UPDATE: Another new Sasha Fierce promo has surfaced--
Check out this short sneak peek of Christina Aguilera's video for "Keeps Gettin' Better," the first single off her upcoming greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits (November 11th). This one is definitely shaping up to be a winner! I can't wait to see the finished product.
UPDATE: Christina thanks the fans in this continuation of the above clip--
UPDATE #2: Here's Part 3--
In some of the saddest news I have ever reported, Jennifer Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson & brother Jason Hudson were found shot to death Friday afternoon in Chicago. Also, Jennifer's 7-year-old nephew has been reported missing. A suspect is in custody & is being questioned, but the missing boy was not found with the suspect. Jennifer is reportedly flying home from Florida to be with her family at this very difficult time. My condolences & prayers to Jennifer & her family. What a horrible, horrible thing.Kanye West "Jesus Walks"
Tonight, a special aired entitled "A Night For Vets: An MTV Concert For The BRAVE." Kanye West performed "Jesus Walks" in a pre-recorded segment from his "Glow In The Dark" tour that was entertaining, but the stars of the show imo were Angels & Airwaves. Their performance of "Secret Crowds" was totally awesome. You can't blame Tom for his silliness, but what I love about AVA is that they really seem to understand music, which makes for some great music indeed.
Check out this TV spot for Beyonce's new movie "Cadillac Records," which hits theaters December 5th, to watch her as Etta James in action for the first time. Lookin' good! I'm pretty darn excited about this film.
Pink switched things up a bit & performed the title track off her upcoming album Funhouse (October 28th) on Sunrise in Australia recently. I really enjoyed watching her perform this song. She did an awesome job. (Funhouse album review coming soon!)
The second urban single off Beyonce's third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce (November 18th) will be "Ego." Beyonce had been looking to get Kanye on the track, but the pair weren't able to make it happen in time to make the album. However, Kanye West has now recorded his verse for "Ego," which will be included on an upcoming remix of the song. Also, the second pop single off the forthcoming album will be "Halo." Sounds cool."Numba 1 (Tide Is High)," featuring Keri Hilson, is the second single off Kardinal Offishall's new album Not 4 Sale (out now). Keri is everywhere! I love it & I hope this means no more pushbacks for her debut album In A Perfect World..., which is slated for a December 9th release.
Nickelback is set to release their new album Dark Horse on November 18th. Check out the tracklisting for the project below:"Return The Favor," featuring Timbaland, is the second single taken from Keri Hilson's upcoming debut album In A Perfect World... (December 9th). WOW. The song is hot, but the video is hotter. I love all the looks & the choreography in this Melina-directed clip. Keri is on fire!
After almost 10 months of dedicated blogging, I have finally reached my 1000th post milestone! This has been one of the most fun rides of my life & I only see better days ahead. Thanks for all of your support! I thought I would dedicate this post to the premiere of Vonzell Solomon's first single "Classy." My favorite American Idol contestant of all time will soon be releasing her debut album & we finally have a taste of what she has to offer. I love the song & Vonzell is so deserving of much success--& she is the only person I can say that for from personal experience.
It wasn't too long ago that Jordin was over in the UK on this very show promoting her single "No Air." Now, Jordin Sparks has returned to Loose Women to perform her new UK single "Tattoo" off her self-titled debut album. It's great to hear Jordin perform this song again. There is no end to my love for Ms. Sparks.
On the music front, Mariah is prepping for the release of her fourth single off E=MC², "I Stay In Love." Check out the single cover for the gorgeous ballad below:
The video for "I Stay In Love" will premiere during BET's Access Granted this Monday, October 27th. In fact, if you'd like to preview the video now, click HERE.
[Source]
The Backstreet Boys performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Game 1 of the World Series. Pop music sure has gotten rather awful as of late. Those poor Jonas children would kill to have half as much talent as these guys.
Cassie has recently added Pharrell Williams & Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins to the long list of producers working on her as-yet-untitled sophomore album, which is due in the spring of 2009. The other producers that have been enlisted thus far include Kanye West, Danja, Ryan Leslie, Mario Winans, Bryan-Michael Cox, The-Dream, & Tricky Stewart. All I have to say is that she's lucky they moved her release date to next year because there are way too many much better R&B ladies slated for releases this year.
Another day, another random album appearance for Katharine McPhee. I'm only kidding, as I'll always take what I can get, but Katharine McPhee will, among others, be featured on the new album from David Foster called Hit Man: David Foster & Friends (November 11th). The collection will cover David, a pianist, playing during his "David Foster & Friends" concert earlier this year. Check out some of the highlights of the CD/DVD's tracklisting below:Celine Dion - "Because You Loved Me" (CD & DVD)
Brian McKnight
Sadly, in her fifth week on the show, Toni Braxton was eliminated from Dancing With The Stars. Rocking a shorter 'do, Toni did dance the west coast swing very well in my untrained eye's opinion. Toni was doin' that moonwalk! She did a wonderful job during her time on the show & I only wish her the best in her future endeavors. Now, Toni, you can concentrate on that new album we are all very excited about! Anyway, as an added bonus/farewell, check out Toni & her partner Alec on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday below (Is Toni or Ellen the comedienne?):
UPDATE: Last night & this morning, Toni stopped by a couple shows to discuss her time on DWTS. Check out her appearances below (sorry about the tags)--
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Good Morning America
Here, we have will.i.am's music video for "I Like To Move It," which is from Dreamworks' latest animated movie "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," hitting theaters on November 7th. Gotta love it.
Check out this interview Brandy did on the radio show On-Air With Ryan Seacrest recently. It sure is an entertaining one. Brandy's new album Human drops on December 9th.
Here is the video for one of the several remakes of Craig David's hit "Walking Away" that he recorded for his forthcoming UK greatest hits album (November 24th). This one features Spain's Alex Ubago. They really went all out for this video lol.
In what is likely at least partially the reason behind the pushback of Brandy's long awaited fifth studio album Human (December 9th), she recently logged studio time with Timbaland, the man behind B-Rocka's last album Afrodisiac. On a side note, Brandy will be shooting the video for her second single "Long Distance" this week. I am one of the world's biggest Brandy fans & I loved Afrodisiac. Here's the thing: I really do believe that Brandy & Darkchild have a magical chemistry, & I was looking forward to hearing a full album of tracks from the duo (a la Full Moon, my current favorite B-Rocka album). That on top of the fact that I really, really wanted Human to drop sooner than later. Still, I am absolutely positive that Brandy will bring it with this new album & that it will no doubt be worth the wait.
A TON of new Christina Aguilera promotional photos have hit the net. They are to be used in conjunction with the release of her upcoming greatest hits album Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade Of Hits (November 11th). This girl takes the best pictures, I'm tellin' ya.
