Melody Plant

Beyonce Knowles gave her fans a great surprise for her last concert in London earlier this week. Legendary singer George Michael made a surprise appearance at the 27-year old singer’s show at the O2 Arena. They sang a duet of her hit number one song ‘If I Were a Boy’. I’m a not a big fan of Beyonce but that performance was a treat for any music lover out there. That would have easily left her London fans wanting more. They don’t have to fret though as Beyonce is rumored to be going back to the UK in November for more concert dates.

The 2009 Grammy Awards which was held at the Staples Center this past Sunday in Los Angeles, California was pretty interesting regarding their line up of duets – or not. The Jonas Brothers jammed to their hit song ‘Burnin Up’ with none other than music legend Stevie Wonder. The musical band of brothers also performed Stevie’s classic hit ‘Superstition’. Back in September, the Jonas Brothers performed at the birthday part of Stevie’s 7-year old son, Kailand. Mind you, Nick, Joe and Kevin all looked mighty debonair during both their red carpet appearance and their performance. Big kudos goes to their stylist once again!

New Kids On The Block are set to release a duet with rapper Ne-Yo.

The boy band – who recently reformed following their success in the late 80s and early 90s – have teamed up with the R’n’B singer on their new track ‘Single’.

According to sources, the song will also appear on the band’s upcoming album ‘The Block’ which will be released worldwide in September.

Other singers who appear on the highly-anticipated record include the Pussycat Dolls and Lady Gaga, and it features tracks produced by Timbaland, Teddy Riley and RedOne. New Kids On The Block – Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joe

McIntyre, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg – will release their first comeback single ‘Summertime’ this August.

It was recently reported the group will be collaborating with pop legend Michael Jackson, who is keen to revive his own career.

Donnie said: “It’s very exciting. It’s one big party and everyone wants to join us!”

New Kids On The Block will start their North American tour this September.

All hopes of Lily Allen making a splash with her upcoming album have gone down the drain. The other British pop wreck is set to record a duet with train wreck from the US Lindsay Lohan. Lily is working on finishing her second album but reports are saying that she still wants to add another song to it called ‘Wherever You Go’ and plans to record it with Lindsay. If Lily really wanted to further her career and make a big deal out of it, she should have just enlisted label mate and rumored rival Katy Perry to do the duet with her.

Amy Winehouse is working on a new track with Babyshambles.

Band frontman Pete Doherty confirmed the ‘Rehab’ singer teamed up with guitarist Mick Whitnall in the studio while he was in London’s Wormwood Scrubs Prison.

He said: ‘Mick and Amy have a great relationship. They have been working on material while I was in prison. When I came out I went straight to the recording studio. I just want to get the music going. We’ve been told we will be doing a third album. That will keep me busy and hopefully out of trouble.’

The collaboration, first sounded out last year, is tipped to be released as a single and will appear on the next Babyshambles album.

Earlier this month, producer Mark Ronson reportedly halted sessions to record the new James Bond theme with Amy, 24, saying he was not sure she was ready to work on new music. Pete was released from jail last week after serving 29 days of a 14-week sentence for drug offences.

New photos of American Idol alum and recent record label dropout Katharine McPhee with Broadway producer husband Nick Cokas at their February 2 wedding reception at St. Viviana’s in Los Angeles have been released. New information about the wedding has come out as well. The couple had a special candle lighting ceremony and walked down an aisle of ivory and pink rose petals. It was first reported that Kellie Pickler was a guest but she also happened to be a bridesmaid. 43-year old Nick serenaded Kat with his rendition of Billy Joel’s ‘She’s Got a Way’ while 23-year old Kat sang her version of Natalie Cole’s ‘Unforgettable’.

Once upon a time, in a not so far away place, no one thought of Michael Jackson as one mangled freak or a potential pedophile. Back in that day, he was also considered one of the best musicians of all time. But that’s way back in the day. Now, the so-called King of Pop is trying to relive his glory days as he has re-recorded ‘Thriller’, the best selling album of all time, for its 25th anniversary with some “contemporary” artists. Some of the songs are hit or miss but should they release a single off of it, Akon’s take on ‘Wannabe Startin’ Something’ is sure to be a killer hit.

Remember the days of couple-led variety shows? Think Donny and Marie. Well, no, they aren’t making a comeback. Get a little more recent and think…..

Sanjaya and Shyamali!

Believe it or not, we are not free from the gripping hair that is Sanjaya. He and his singing sister are currently in talks with MTV to do their own variety show called, surprisingly, The Sanjaya and Shyamali Show. The show will include a mixture of singing, dancing, and comedy. Oh, and don’t forget hairstyling tips!

Besides the television show, those few people who actually liked Sanjaya for his singing will be thrilled to know that he is working on his first cd. He has been working with vocal coach Seth Riggs who has tutored the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Faith Hill.

British pop singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield made a huge splash as a new artist in late 2005 and early 2006. Her first two singles, “These Words” and “Unwritten” crackled with energy and wit that seemed to signal a unique pop talent was emerging. However, following up such an auspicious beginning has been a difficult task for Bedingfield. “I Wanna Have Your Babies,” the first single from her second album N.B., peaked at a relatively disappointing #7 in the UK in the spring of 2007 causing Epic Records to delay release of a single in the US. 6 months later “Love Like This” is being promoted as the first American single from the album.

Where Natasha Bedingfield’s first hits inspired with their words of self-awareness and personal encouragement, “Love Like This” is a somewhat dull, breezy, simplistic dissertation on romance between long-term friends. It would be very easy for this single to get lost amid more unique or challenging pop songs. Natasha Bedingfield sounds like just another pop singer here. Uniqueness and the ability to stand out are lacking.

In a clear effort to give the song a pop boost, Sean Kingston is brought in for a brief featured part. This vocal serves no purpose other than providing an extra element for the single’s marketing campaign. Natasha Bedingfield needs to step up her game if she will avoid losing a significant part of her initial pop audience.