Britney Spears wore a custom Versace dress, H Stern Jewels and Versace shoes as she received the award for Best Female Video for ‘Piece of Me’ at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards at Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles last weekend. Britney had a short comedy sketch with ‘Superbad’ actor Jonah Hill before walking out to the stage to introduce the show. She may not have performed but she did open the show. As the 26-year old singer walked onto the stage, she received a standing ovation. During her acceptance speech, she thanked God and her two sons. Later that night, she also picked the top award, Video of the Year for ‘Piece of Me’.
Sources are saying that British comedian Russell Brand has been tapped to host this year’s MTV Video Music Awards which will air from Los Angeles in September. If you don’t know who he is, he’s actually a big name in the UK and has awards show hosting experience. Russell was actually the host at the Brit Awards two years ago. He’s also known for his crazy antics and being a self-proclaimed reformed horn dog. That should make the whole VMAs interesting this year. Sarah Silverman was pretty memorable for her bitchiness. I think Russell will be able to top that with his horniness.
Jessica Simpson recently talked about her future in country music with Nashville’s Tennessean. The 27-year old blonde bombshell addressed why some people are so against her singing the genre saying “I think just because my name is attached to it. Or maybe they thought that I was just trying to stomp on their ground for a little bit and see what I could do, and then just go back and make another pop record. But I’m planning on making country for the rest of my life, and I don’t want to go back to that other world. It’s a spiritual thing for me, like ‘I know God has a plan and a purpose.’ For the first time in my life, I take a lot of pride in my talent and in the record I was able to put together. With the writers, I felt comfortable opening up, because the only way this opportunity was going to be a great one was to be honest with myself and with them. If I want to be singing it for the rest of my life onstage, I want it to be honest.”
The newest solo country singer Jessica Simpson and her fellow country singing blonde signed autographs at the 2008 CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday. She hasn’t even come out with her country album yet but Jessica’s already being treated as a country singing superstar. Country music fans are so accepting. But kudos does go to Jess as her country single ‘Come on Over’ is doing quite well on the Nielsen charts. She may have finally found something that she’s actually good at. But considering that she’s Joe Simpson’s kid, I doubt it would last. He’s going to make her sell out sooner or later.
Tori Amos is going indie as the musical genius has left her record label deciding to pursue alternative routes to get her music out to her fans. Tori’s manager John Witherspoon explained the new development to Billboard magazine saying “After 22 years of being in the shackles of the major label system, Tori has chosen the path of independence for her next work. As with many of her contemporaries, Tori is devising new and exciting ways of getting her music to the masses without the boundaries and limitations of the major music companies. This will commence with a project of new music and visuals which is being started in the summer and due for release in Spring 2009.”
Alternative music is down but country music is up. AHITS Daily Double says so by citing the attendance of music lovers for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (which drew 30,000 fewer people this year as compared to last year) and Stagecoach Country Music Festival (which drew double its audience from last year). But then again, if you compare Coachella lineups of this year and years’ past, it was really weak. Coachella is also on its 9th year while Stagecoach is only on its 2nd. Interest in the actual festivals may be a factor too and not just the love of the music itself.
The music industry is getting really desperate for cash as the days go on. Universal has just announced that its Island Def Jam branch is going to team up with Procter & Gamble on a hip hop label to be named TAG Records. P&G’s TAG body spray for men is the inspiration behind the name. Also according to the announcement, Jermaine Dupri will act as the president of the new label. It’s a win-win situation if you think about it. P&G has a direct way to market its products and the artists will get loads of support from the marketing gurus. Hurray for capitalism!
Pop beauty Rihanna managed to dodge getting gunged at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards by carrying an umbrella-ella-ella to present the award for Favourite TV Show.
And Jessica Alba left the stage unscathed after picking up the Favourite Movie Actress gong.
Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford wasn’t so lucky though - although he wasn’t too bothered about being slimed.
But Lord Of The Rings star Orlando Bloom didn’t look quite so happy to get a green splattering
The gunging was directed by awards’ host Jack Black, who was dressed as a superhero. And the Hollywood funnyman didn’t mind when he was given a slimy soaking himself.
Also at the US event actor Ashton Kutcher went weak at the knees, literally, and fell off stage as he gave actress Cameron Diaz the Wannabe award.
Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz has confessed that he was once so depressed that he tried to commit suicide. In an effort to encourage students suffering from mental illness to get help, Pete, Mary J. Blige and Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan front the Jed Foundation’s ‘Half of Us’ campaign which is aimed to cut student suicide rates. The 3 musicians sat down for interviews detailing their darkest hours which appear on MTV’s college channel mtvU. Pete confessed to being so messed up and taking a bunch of prescription drugs in a parking lot. Suicide is never the answer. Get help if you’re feeling depressed.
Grammy-winning country singer, who hasn’t scored a hit lately, LeAnn Rimes puts her best abs on display in a bikini shot on the latest cover of Fitness magazine. Can I just say wow?! She may not be making some good music these days but boy does she have a rocking body!
In an accompanying article, LeAnn revealed the tunes that keep her pumped up as she does her workouts. Her list includes Kanye West’s ‘Stronger’, the Foo Fighters’ ‘The Pretender’, Audioslave’s ‘Broken City’, Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Hurt’, the soundtrack from ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and a few selections from David Gray. That’s some eclectic mix.
Madonna’s new album isn’t expected to drop until well into the next year but that isn’t stopping Timbaland from leaking one of the songs that he worked on with the Queen of Pop. The producer played ‘4 Minutes to Save the World’ at the Jingle Ball in Philadelphia on Sunday night. I just hope that he got her permission to do so.
The song also features Justin Timberlake and it’s pretty hot. How could it not be when you’ve got all that great talent working on it? I’m also hoping that the finished version has a lot less of Timbaland though.
Natasha Bedinfield releases the second single from her new album next month. It’s called Pocketfull of Sunshine, and it’s awesome! Check around online to find an early release of it.
The song is already slated to be a radio hit, and it’s one everyone can appreciate and enjoy - upbeat, sing-songey, fun.
The Jonas Brothers have really hit the big time. The musical trio of brothers Kevin, Nick and Joe were seen attending the 2007 Jingle Ball pre-event at The Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday in New York City.
Another mark of their success is that they were recently announced to be performers during ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Even 2008’ along with Carrie Underwood and Miley Cyrus. They will have live performances from Times Square with the show airing on Monday, December 31 on ABC. What a hot way to rock in the New Year – an American Idol and two big names from Disney.
Music legend Ike Turner has died. He apparently died in his home in San Marcos, California which is just outside of San Diego. He was married four times, most famously to Tina Turner whom he got divorced with in 1978 amidst his constant abuse towards her. Regardless, the singing duo had 7 top ten R&B songs. Ike is survived by his four known children, Ike Jr., Michael, Ronald and Mia.
The Recording Academy issued a statement regarding Turner’s passing saying “There is no doubt that Ike Turner was one of rock and roll’s great architects with his genre-defying sound as an instrumentalist and bandleader … As a two-time GRAMMY® Award winner and recipient of The Recording Academy’s 2004 Heroes Award, Ike’s legacy as a groundbreaking pioneer in the music industry will never be forgotten.”
Despite a letter from Mom, Amy Winehouse isn’t ready to pack up and head home just yet. Instead, she vows to keep on moving forward.
Amy’s rep says she’s set on making it to the Grammys. “Amy is thrilled to be nominated for six Grammys and is very much hoping to attend. She is determined to be ready and well for that performance.”
Amy has endured a lot in her mere 24 years of life. Her husband Blake Fielder-Civil is currently in jail, and she’s already had to cancel her shows for the rest of the year as she gets herself back together. Her rep says she is under physician supervision has been writing a lot. “It’s a really difficult time and she’s been channeling it into her music.”
Wow…good for you, Amy. It’s your own self-prescribed rehab.
Fall Out Boy got a total of zero Grammy nominations on Thursday mor
ning and come night time, bassist Pete Wentz showed just how much of a sore loser he was when he pitched a fit at the People magazine Grammy kick off party. Pete continues to be a sourpuss when he made a post on the band’s official blog.
In the blog titled “got bitterness? vs. a revelation on true connection (and the award goes to)” Pete reveals just how he felt about the lack of nominations but yet being asked to appear and even perform for a kick off party.
But apart from bitterness, Pete actually has a great point about relevance and acceptance in there. It’s a good read.
If their performance at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show was anything to go by, the Spice Girls concert wouldn’t be any good. But the thing is, that performance isn’t anything compared to the actual show because the show is really good!
Besides making LA fans go crazy by singing all their hits on Wednesday, Baby, Scary, Ginger and Sporty each belted out solo numbers. Mel C did ‘I Turn to You’, Scary made her own rendition of ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’ and Ginger did ‘It’s Raining Men’. I forget what Baby sang but it brought the house down along with the other 3 nonetheless.
What did Posh do? Instead of belting out her own solo number, she opted to prance down the runway to a mix of Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ and RuPaul’s ‘Supermodel’.
KT Tunstall has given up her love of rock climbing due to fears she will lose her fingers to frostbite. What a sentence! The huge singer claims that a climbing holiday in the Isle of Skye a few years ago was the best time she ever had; but she worries that the dangerous hobby will damage her fingers so much it will prevent her from playing the guitar.
She says, “What worries me most is damaging my fingers. At the moment, I can’t afford to risk losing them to frostbite but I’d love to do more in the future.”
We feel for you KT but totally agree. Fans of your music urge you not to ruin your fingers – we wait with baited breath for your next album.
Avril Lavigne went to a great low when she had a free concert in Canada this past weekend for the opening of a Best Buy. The only thing that gets lower than that is if it happened to be a disaster – which it was!
A fan turned non-fan said that the show was a joke especially after Avril showed up nearly two hours late while her fans stayed out in the freezing cold and snow just to see her outdoor concert. The show was scheduled to start at 1PM but an announcement came at 1:50PM that she was only to arrive in 15 minutes. Shame on her!
Britney Spears’ latest album ‘Blackout’ is already on the fourth week of its release and it has literally blacked out. Her album has already dropped to a very disappointing 41st place this week in the US according to the new Soundscan charts.
What’s far more disappointing is that Brit’s album has only sold a total of 466,834 copies. That means that her latest effort will not be selling more than a million copies unless some sort of miracle happens. ‘Blackout’ will be the only Britney CD to date that will not go to platinum.
Well that has to suck for her. But I doubt that she really cares.
Another Spice Girls blog is up with Geri Halliwell penning it. In her blog, she admits that with all the rehearsals going on for the Spice Girls’ world tour, she feels like she’s stuck in some sort of ‘Spice Bubble’.
“I actually feel like I’m in the Spice bubble… we are encapsulated in this world where we are just immersed in each other’s lives constantly. Just before the run through of the show this morning, Mel B, Victoria and I even went to the loo together… in separate cubicles, obviously!”
She also talked about the Spice Kids having play dates and surprising Mel B in the live final of Dancing With the Stars.
Ashley Tisdale is a big music lover. And like any true music lover, she’s not stuck on one type of music but rather a whole range that seemingly doesn’t have any connection at all. She recently made her own top 10 music picks for 2007 and I can say that the girl has some good taste.Taking the top spot is Carrie Underwood with ‘So Small’, followed by Paramore with ‘Misery Business’, Rihanna with ‘Umbrella’, The Used with ‘Pretty Handsome Awkward’, Beyonce with ‘Irreplaceable’, Michael Buble with ‘Everything’, The Academy Is with ‘Everything We Had’, Plain White T’s with ‘Hey There Delilah’, My Chemical Romance with ‘Teenagers’ with Justin Timberlake rounding her list off with ‘Summer Love’.
Another celebrity baby has been born. A fat and healthy baby boy just entered Usher’s life, as his fresh wife gave birth.
The couple is thriving with joy, and Usher is content with his new found fatherhood. His wife, Tameka Foster, has already 3 children, this is her fourth. A late child for Tameka as she is already 37 years old, in contrast with the young singer who is only 29.
Their whole marriage is wrapped in mystery and no one really know if they got married just because he was pregnant or if the couple really intend of spending their lives tighter. That is for us to see and maybe comment on in the future, for now let’s all welcome usher’s new baby boy.
I don’t know what that is peeking from underneath Amy Winehouse’s dress but I’m praying that it’s not a tampon string. Can you say ewww?
Apart from being grossed out, concert goers were angered by the ‘Rehab’ singer on Saturday when she gave one of the worst performances of her career. Knowing her track record, that says a lot. Wino actually walked out of the concert midway through her set!
Amy went on stage with smeared make up and a cigarette hanging from her lips. She disappeared from the stage a couple of times before completely storming off when the audience began to boo and heckle her.
Lily Allen was recently asked on what she wants to do if and when she decides to quit being a singer and leave the music scene completely.
She said, “I’d like to live in the country and have chickens and pigs. It’s a great job but it doesn’t leave time for what’s important - like having a family. I’m going to do one more album. I just want to make some money - maybe I could retire at 25.”
Let’s just take it for what it’s worth. This Lily that says she wants pigs is the same one that says she’s changed yet still manages to bash Victoria Beckham.
American Idol’s most recent champion Jordin Sparks’ debut CD is expected to come in at #2 this week, so say some industry projections. She would come in behind Alicia Keys who’s expected to dominate the charts for the entire holiday season.
Jordin’s album is expected to sell between 90,000 to 100,000 on its first week. While the numbers aren’t that bad, those projections would actually make Jordin’s album have the lowest debut for an American Idol winner – ever! Yes, it’s worse than Ruben’s. A lot of runners up sold even more than that in their first week. That has got to hurt.
And it will include Michael. That’s right 70’s hit band – The Jacksons, who last toured in 1984, are planning a reunion for one last tour. And Jermaine Jackson insists that star brother, Michael, will definitely be involved. Apparently he has attended all meetings and discussions and plans are set to reunite sometime in 2008.
The original plan was for the reunion tour to be in 2005, but the controversy behind Michael’s child abuse trial put all plans on hold. Now that he has been cleared of all charges plans can move ahead.
My problem with this is two things. One: if you put Michael in the middle of the other five; Tito, Marlon, Jackie, Jermaine and Randy…is he really going to look like pat of the family? And two: The Jacksons were children in essence back in the 70s and 80s when they had hits with “I want you back” and “ABC”. Surely the adult voices will not do the songs the same justice? Only time will tell I guess…I await with baited breath.
Spice Girls mania is alive and kicking in the US, a little quiet in the UK and close to dead in South America. The girls have cancelled the only announced concert in South America. They sent an email to fans that had already signed up for tickets to the Buenos Aires show in explanation.
They say that due to their solo projects and family obligations, they are unable to extend the tour and that the Buenos Aires date is one that they are finding hard to fit into their schedules. As some sort of consolation, the girls will be holding contests for South American fans. The prize of which is a trip to London, flight and accommodations taken care of, to watch one of their shows.
Kylie has released her 10th studio album with more confidence than ever. And she has scooted off to Germany to promote it.
The miniature singer, most recently in the news for being humiliated by a saucy statue created by Madame Tussauds, was cleared last year of the horrible disease; Breast Cancer, which knocked her down in 2005.
And now as she promotes her new album X, she says, “I think it’s not so difficult to write a decent song but to write a great song is a difficult thing. I like the challenge of trying to find that and at the very least, writing something that I enjoy singing and all people love. It took me a number of years to find my confidence to do that but now it’s just part of me.”
What a trooper. I remember listening to Kylie when I was a kid and she is still going strong; with the right attitude and music that pleases the new generations as the times move on. You go girl!
We should already come to expect that after showing up for their first show together and the fact that their reunion tour is just around the corner, another Spice Girls blog would be up. This time around, it’s from Sporty Mel C. She talked about rehearsing, performing and even nerves.
She’s incredibly excited about their upcoming tour and spoke about the rehearsals saying that she thinks after all of it, they may just as well run a marathon. She also talked about the rush of being on stage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last week but said that she was incredibly nervous and even shaking the whole time.
I’m sure the nerves will be gone come the start of their tour.
