Melody Plant

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.

Cassie was spotted when she attended the Pepsi Smash re-launch party at Pasha nightclub on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Thursday night. The singer recently did an interview with Billboard about her a-yet-untitled sophomore album which will be dropping on May 20.

The 21-year old said that “I guess I grew up a lot but I’m still in essence the same person. Lots has changed in my life, stuff that has made me think about things differently. I’m more vulnerable and you can hear my vocals better this time around. There’s real emotion and a much realer connection with my fans.” A single is yet to be released but Cassie assures that it will be a club record.

It is being reported that Heidi Montag’s first single ‘Higher’ is on its way in just a few short weeks. It will be out with a digital-only release on February 5, the same time that the video produced by Spencer Pratt comes out. Oh boy.

I don’t really know what Heidi’s musical style is like but if her musical influences are anything to go by, it should be a fascinating tableaux. In a release, she sited being influenced by Jesus, Theron Feemster and Britney Spears. There’s a pink elephant in the room and a joke to be made about ‘The Hills’ being alive with the sound of Heidi’s music.

Janet Jackson’s latest single ‘Feedback’ is getting hotter by the minute. Now that she’s released the video for the song, it’s bound to shoot through the roof. Her video is phenomenal! The video has a very ‘outer space’ feel to it much like her and her brother, Michael’s, ‘Scream’ video.

What makes it completely Janet and completely hot are the dance moves. The girl knows how to move. The choreography, the special effects and the ending make the video pure perfection. Kudos to Gil Duldulao for making the hot moves and Saam Farahmand for his vision. And of course, thanks to Janet for giving men out there something to dream about.

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.

I have to say she is a Little Miss Sunshine…

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.

Santa, you can put this one in my stocking!

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.

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!

Leona Lewis’ debut record ‘Spirit’ officially took the #1 spot in the UK albums’ chart this week and it broke records on the way there. Her album because the UK’s fastest-selling debut of all time selling an amazing 375,872 copies!

Leona was up against the Spice Girls, Led Zeppelin and Celine Dion. She actually beat the #2 Spice Girls by over 300,000 copies. Wow! Leona’s current single ‘Bleeding Love’ is #1 on the singles’ chart for the fourth consecutive week, seeling a total of 563,702 copies.

Leona’s album ‘Spirit’ is now scheduled for release in the US on March 18th.

There is another military man attempting to reach heights in the world of music, and he is Beautiful. Jay Picton is a physical trainer in the Navy, sporting rugged good looks and a promising music career. His single, Unexplainable Reason, has already topped an independent online chart, and he has hopes it will breakthrough to the regular pop charts in the not too distant future.

He claims to have hit the music business by accident. After a knee injury put him on sick leave he began to learn the guitar and write his own songs. Meeting his girlfriend then gave him the opportunity he needed; introducing him to Clyde Ward of Worldwide Productions. Clyde has worked with many great acts including Lionel Richie; whom our budding star has now recorded 3 songs with.

Yes girls, he does have a girlfriend (sigh); but just look at that picture. Isn’t he gorge? Keep those ears peeled for Jay Picton on your radio; if his voice matches his looks he is definitely on for a winner.

In a sneak peek at their highly anticipated world tour that will kick off on December 2 in Vancouver, the members of the biggest British girl group to ever come out in the 1990s almost stole the show from feathered and jiggly-bodied models on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show held on Thursday.

The Spice Girls reunited and performed for the first time in almost 10 years. They performed one of their classic singles ‘Stop’ decked out in 1950s-style military outfits complete with male backup dancers. After a change of clothes and decades, the girls came out to perform their latest single ‘Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)’ decked out in 1930s evening gowns.

Too bad they lipsynched the whole time.

Tori Amos recently had a concert in Chicago this week and everyone that left the concert could only talk about one thing: her performance of the song ‘Me and a Gun’. It’s the seminal song off her debut album that talks about rape.

Tori dressed up as her ‘Pip’ character and performed the usually acapella song with her full band. At the end of the song, she even brought out some props in the form of a gun and a knife. That’s some heavy stuff right there.

On a lighter note, the singer debuted the song ‘Raspberry Swirl’ for the first time on her current tour. It’s the first time she performed that song in years.

Pony Up! are an all-female four piece hailing out of Montreal, Canada. They apparently formed on New Year’s Eve 2002 and since then have been busy touring Australia, North America, and now the United Kingdom.
Perhaps there is something special here then that did not reveal itself on the night. Perhaps it was just the bad P.A. system that made them sound boring, nervous and not particularly interesting to watch or listen to.
To be fair to the girls, every now and then you do hear a lot of potential in their playing, and they do have a few decent songs. The only problem seems to be that because they are quite a novelty in the world of rock ‘n’ roll, a girl band who are not pop – it seems that perhaps they have been let off more easily than their male counterparts would be. Sleater-Kinney they are not, though they seem to be compared to them quite often. Another part of the ‘not enough girls with guitars’ problem one must assume.
The only ray of sunshine in the band was guitarist Sarah Moundroukas who seemed to be a very talented performer. Any time she took up the reins of a song, the interest of the crowd seemed to perk up just a little bit more than usual.
Perhaps if she were the lead singer in the group the whole quality of the band would be much better. Sadly the real lead vocalist Laura Wills seems to enjoy being the centre of attention far too much for that to ever happen, even if she cannot sing very well.

Singers need more than the spotlight though, and even ones who have sold over 200 million albums still want to feel like they have something to offer. So she’s left the lights of Vegas behind, stepped back into the real world and in fairness to her, brought along a clutch of songs that actually may change a few people’s opinion.

Amongst the list of luminaries who twiddle a knob, knock out a lyric or strum a guitar for her are the all-conquering Timbaland, king of R’n’B balladry R Kelly, ex-Evanescence axe wielder Ben Moody, Christina Aguilera and Pink co-writer Linda Perry… and the always entertaining Dave Stewart, whose influence stretches so far that there’s even a lyrical snip of The Eurythemics’ “Here Comes The Rain Again” woven into the title track.

The highlights are two very different songs. In the power ballad corner, she shows off her larynx with a belting take on Heart’s endless queen of soft rock, “Alone”. Up against it for the title is the more contemporary “Shadow Of Love”, a song with enough disco and fun for Kylie to sing it.

Taking Chances doesn’t quite do what the title suggests, but it does push Celine Dion to the edge of her comfort zone and show an artist who not only wants to remain relevant but is prepared to work hard to stay that way.

Everyone predicted that Carrie Underwood’s CD would sell a lot and would go to the top of the charts but it actually did even better than any prediction made. ‘Carnival Ride’ is currently the #1 album in the US and has sold over 527,000 copies during its debut week. This is the American Idol alum’s first #1 album and also bested her previous effort ‘Some Hearts’ which sold 315,000 units in its first week.

Her record sales is also the best sales week for a female country artist since Shania Twain’s ‘Greatest Hits’ release back in November 2004. Carrie’s debut is also double what Kelly Clarkson’s ‘My December’ CD sold in its first week.

Congratulations Carrie!

What a weird coincidence, Duran Duran’s new video “Falling Down,” which was co-directed by Justin Timberlake is about a young star who is forced to go to rehab against her will and loses it. If this is about Britney I think this is quite low from J.T. I mean no one can argue that Britney is at a low point in her life. People can be judgmental of her, but it really is uncalled for from someone who said that he once loved Britney and that he wanted to help her through her tough times. I mean after Cry me a River Britney never said anything and took the high road (if cheating rumors were true she deserved the dissing), but it’s been YEARS, get over it Justin. JT could have been way classier and not jump in with all the haters. If you are such a creative artist stop taking cheap shots. Why is justin so obsessed with Britney. he says how he hates the press being all over his shit than he does shit like this. Leave Britney alone!!!! Why is he taking cheap shots at her? Who the fuck does he think he is?

Polysics and Young Love are all out on the road together

Here are the tour dates:

November 1 Providence, RI Heartbreak Hotel
November 2 Gettysburg, PA Gettysburg College
November 3 Emmitsburg, MD St. Mary University
November 4 Raleigh, NC Disco Rodeo
November 6 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
November 7 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Jackie Gleason Theater
November 9 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
November 10 Dallas, TX Palladium
November 11 San Antonio, TX Sunset Station
November 13 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
November 14 Phoenix, AZ The Marquee Theatre
November 16 San Francisco, CA Warfield
November 17 San Diego, CA SOMA
November 18 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre
November 19 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre
November 20 Orange County, CA The Grove
November 23 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues

Chris Brown has ended hip-hop sensation Soulja Boy’s reign at the top of the U.S. pop charts with his new song Kiss Kiss. Brown’s collaboration with rapper T-Pain has toppled Soulja Boy’s Crank That (Soulja Boy), which spent seven weeks at number one. I think Chris Brown is HOT so he should stay him self! And about this toppling thing, well music today is as creepy as these guys themselves. There are just a few good looking males in the music industry and the other just a stinking pigs using a hell lot of perfume to hide that bad odor slipping out from underneath their armpits. Well that’s all that I’d like to these guys, for me the music of the Rolling Stones and other established artist is more fun listening to rather than have some cranked up music make me deaf in the ears.

Jive Records is officially giving up on trying to get Britney Spears to promote her new album. They’re not even planning a tour despite her single “Gimme More” topping the charts. The label realizes that Britney doesn’t care and is apparently becoming fed up with her antics. Her label should understand that she is basically in turmoil right now and she is clearly unfit to be on tour right now. What if she goes on a tour promoting the album and during an interview she starts crying because there is some bad news that coming from her custody trail. Then the media and her record would be at logger heads, her record label would have to defend her because she is in a way representing them when on tour and that paparazzi as usual needless to say would be out there in their full numbers trying to blow up the story by saying she is mentally ill. Best that she doesn’t tour right now.

Mary J. Blige has just released a new video for her new single called ‘Just Fine’. The video is awesome and the song is a great jam. Mary J’s new single is a bit of a departure for the R&B diva. It’s up-tempo and is a feel-good anthem. She most definitely left the gut-wrenching and tortured emotions outside of the recording booth.

Different as the sound may be for all you die-hard fans of Mary J, she’s still the same diva. Except, instead of wanting to wallow in your tears while listening to her sing all her anguish out, she’ll make you want to sing that today is going to be a better day, today is going to be just fine.