Melody Plant

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?

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.

Roisin Murphy suffered a horrible accident when she was performing at a concert in Moscow on Saturday night. During one of the songs, the singer was rocking really hard and ended up hitting her forehead on a chair that was meant to be a stage prop.

Roisin was rushed to the hospital to get the injury examined. Doctors revealed that she broke her supercilliary bone, which is right above the eye socket.

Get well soon Roisin! Maybe next time you shouldn’t head-bang too hard. I guess we all learned that too much head-banging can literally have you bang your head.

Neil Sedaka is Orange

If you are looking for an Oompa Loompa or maybe someone related to the likes of George Hamilton and Donatella Versace, look no further than Neil Sedaka.

The 68-year old legendary singer and songwriter was honored at an event this past weekend. He also took some time to pose with normal-skin-toned American Idol alum in Katharine McPhee. The picture of the duo just accentuated Neil’s amber color, don’t you think?

What is it with people and spending too much time in the tanning salon? It’s not the least bit attractive. What shade is that anyway? Burnt sienna? Orange never looked so bad.

After just days of getting arrested and charged by police with one count of battery, Kid Rock opens up about the early-morning scuffle at a Waffle House in Georgia last weekend to Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show.

On the Thursday edition of the show, the ‘Rock N Roll Jesus’ crooner said he was simply trying to have a good time. He went on to say that he was provoked into a fight. “One thing led to another and windows were broken.” But the rocker insisted that it’s not like him to be like that. “The last thing I want is that reputation. I believe in just standing up for things I believe in.”

Gwen Stefani was seen leaving her New York City hotel early Friday morning with her 17-month old son Kingston. This was the day after she attended the Black Ball 2007 which was held to honor the work of Bono for the AIDS movement.

Gwen performed at the event and did a duet with Alicia Keys. Rolling Stone reports that their performance was “an elegiac version of ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday” which was originally done by Bono’s band U2. The magazine also says the Alicia’s vocals lingered in the air and was long, haunting and elegant.

The song was haunting by itself, now I’m curious how Alicia made it even more so.

Country singer Tim McGraw has hit out at the female fan who grabbed his crotch onstage this summer as “disrespectful.” McGraw was performing alongside his wife Faith Hill on their Soul2Soul tour in Lafayette, Louisiana in July, when one excited devotee reached out to grab his manhood. I understand Faith’s reaction. Unfortunately, it appears that in today’s society there is very little conscience, let alone moral fiber. Good for Faith in standing up for the respect that she and Tim deserve, and Good for Tim in standing by his woman. Just because your life is in the public eye does not mean you are owned by the public. I think Tim should have had her arrested for bodily assault. That would certainly have taught her a lesson. (It’s not too late). I’m surprised she could even get a good grip through those tight jeans/pants he always wears…even still it’s still disrespectful. Faith is too nice, because that girl would’ve gone home with one hand if it’d been me.

With the release date of her album looming in the horizon, Celine Dion took some time to glam it up for a photo shoot for her upcoming album ‘Taking Chances’. The French Canadian singer recently released her music video for ‘Taking Chances’, the first single which bears the same name as the album. The album is set for release on November 13.

Let me just say that Celine looks magnificent in her photo shoot. I wonder how they describe the theme of the photo shoot. Mysterious and alluring goddess, perhaps? She looks so fabulous! You’d almost think that there were no retouches done.

Jon Bon Jovi has never been tempted to cheat on Dorothea, his wife of 18 years - despite the constant temptations on offer to a rock superstar. The 45-year-old confesses he has been “no saint” but insists he has never delved into the “shallow pool” of the rock and roll lifestyle. I love Jon Bon Jovi - if he has never cheated -he is not one of many - I’m sure he has had plenty of chances to stray - so, if he hasn’t -that’s great! I’ve been a bon jovi fan for many years now…although I don’t like his saying ‘I’m not going to trade UP’ meaning he acknowledges that hooking up w/ a starlet would be a step UP from his gorgeous, but older wife, Dorothea. hmmm…Freudian slip there, Mr. Bon Jovi? doesn’t matter, I still love you. Remain faithful to your wife because pure and true love is with a partner whose stuck with you during all your highs and lows, give me another person who could do it for 18 years, none – you have the answer and your love with you.

Reports are circulating that Lauryn Hill is pregnant – again. Lauryn already has four children with one of Bob Marley’s spawn, Rohan, and is now pregnant with their fifth child. Rohan already has seven kids in all. That’s four short of his dad’s eleven. He still has time to catch up.

Lauryn and Rohan have had an on/off relationship going for a while and it looks like their currently off because a website says that Rohan is now residing in Ethiopia and that his MySpace page lists him as single. Ok.

Let’s hope that, much like Nicole Richie and Christina Aguilera, Lauryn’s fashion would improve now that she’s pregnant.

Pussycat Dolls front woman Nicole Scherzinger is the cover girl for the November 2007 issue of Blender Magazine. And of course, an interview accompanies the cover. Nicole talks about the Dolls, on-screen crushes, her solo album and much more.

Nicole was asked whether she thought the Dolls way of dressing and dancing can be described as naughty or raunchy. She said with much conviction “Never. Never in a million, bazillion, trazillion years. Did you see my face? I didn’t even blink.”

When talking about her solo effort, Nicole said “I need total focus, total concentration, total centering, because this album is everything I’ve been working for my whole life. You get one chance, and this is my chance.”

Her album ‘Her Name is Nicole’ will be dropping in on November 20th.

Justin Guarine and Kimberley Locke are just two from countless who didn’t win the ‘American Idol’ title. But that doesn’t mean that their worlds would stop. They are charging on with their careers and doing what Tiffany does best by performing at the opening of a Texas outlet mall.

The two runners up did their best to entertain discount shoppers at the grand opening of The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso on Friday. It’s not the ground breaking at a residential development or a regional hot air balloon festival, but hey. But adding insult to injury is that Kimberley’s name was spelled wrong at one point.

At this rate, I won’t be surprised if someone like Bo Bice would be seen singing at a park.

Britney Spears almost bailed on her custody hearing about having her boys’ visits be overnights. But she completely bailed on potential dancers which were scheduled to audition for her new video and possibly, her new tour.

Brit apparently decided to bail on everyone that morning. She didn’t show for the auditions which left dancers steamed when her new assistant called Millennium Dance Studio in North Hollywood to cancel.

A source said that “Over 50 girls waited for her to show this morning — for over an hour.” The auditions are supposed to be rescheduled some time soon. Hopefully, the dancers would be more receptive than Brit.

Paul McCartney and Heather Mills came together in court Thursday to continue the business of splitting up. I know I am going to get alot of hate posts for this, but honestly, I am as tired of hearing about this long drawn out divorce as I am of hearing about Princess Diana’s death and the ongoing long drawn out investigation into her alleged “murder”. Folks, Paul and Heather need to get it over with and we need to let Princess Di do just that, die already. Sorry if that sounds cold but how long are we going to go on and on about Di and the accident? I am surprised they are not investigating Elvis’s death! Let these people rest. Paul and Heather, big new flash, you are not the first, nor will you be the last couple to split up. Get it over already and sig the **** papers!

It seems that the Idols are getting it on with the rivalries as Clay Aiken has had a falling out with fellow American Idol alum Kimberly Locke. Kimberly is quite upset about it and she’s filling everyone in on the cat fight by writing on her official site’s blog.

It seems it all stemmed from the supposed reunion tour that Ruben, Clay and Kimberly were planning. Kimberly talked with Billboard about it but the wrong things got printed and Clay read into it wrong as well.

The gist of it is, Clay is pretty much calling Kimberly a liar and Kimberly thinks that Clay is way too full of himself.

Size matters to Janet Jackson, and she has decided to chronicle her yo-yoing weight in a new book. Yeah size does matter for everyone who’s in the public eye, you’ve got a certain image that you have built up over the years and then that’s what you have to maintain. Anything less or more is so severely scrutinized by the media that either you are virtually labeled a skinny or a fat ass. “[I'm] really coming from the soul with it, and what I was going through at different times in my life and what possibly brought it about for myself,” she says of the yet untitled book. Its mostly a fight with your mind, either you accept your new heavy looks and get on with life but that can have catastrophic effects on your career as an artist or you do something about it and live on to tell the world about or better write a book on it and sell it to the world as a new age dieting guru and that’s Janet has chosen to be.

Ever since she went crazy, Britney Spears’ record label has been mum. But not anymore.

MTV News was able to get an interview with label rep Allan Mayer. He says, “It’s not Jive’s place to fashion a public-relations campaign with respect to Britney’s personal issues, but Jive does care about her and does support her. We’re not pointing fingers — because the media and the paparazzi wouldn’t exist if there weren’t an appetite for it. But there’s no question that when you have someone at this level of celebrity, they become like cartoons or soap-opera characters, and we forget that they’re human beings. People say that’s the trade you make, that you have to give up your privacy or the ability to lead a normal life, but sometimes you make that bargain before you realize what it entails and it’s too late. Britney’s a grown woman, and she makes her own choices, and we respect that. But she’s been at a disadvantage [without a consistent team], and obviously that makes it harder to cope.”

Drop her!

Pop star Shakira is donating $40 million from Latin America for Solidarity Foundation (ALAS) - which she co-founded with Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez to help rebuild areas hit by natural disasters. The ALAS foundation will also invest $5 million into a three-year commitment project for children in the two regions. Now that’s hot! I never thought that a singer who not only sings hot but looks ever hotter can have such a kind heart to donate a massive $40 million. I have maintained and thought always that charity begins at home and there’s no end to charity because the world needs more and more of those who have the resources to come forward and donate generously. It’s just a matter of having the heart in a cause and then charity becomes a way of life. Go on Shakira you rock this way and you can rock with your hips something we all have seen many a times but today I have seen you rocking like never before.

Rumors went around that Britney Spears would supposedly premiere her new music video for ‘Gimme More’ on the Thursday edition of MTV’s ‘Total Request Live’. The video was said to be directed by the same guy that directed Beyonce and Shakira’s ‘Beautiful Liar’, Jake Nava. We’ll see.

However, an MTV representative went on the record with Extra! that Britney will not premiere any music video on the show. You see?

In other Britney news, her fifth album which is due out on November 13 is rumored to be titled ‘Pieces of Me’. Even more rumors?

Here’s something that’s not: she’s a wreck.

Rocker Courtney Love wants to launch her own perfume - but is worried nobody wants to smell like her. The former Hole front woman also thinks her hell raising reputation might hinder chances of selling a fragrance. She is so right about herself on this thing, she stinks, her music stinks, her hairs stink and so would her perfume if it were ever launched. And if someday the perfume is evolved and hits the market then she shall be the only one going to the stores housing her perfume to buy it. She will take the cab every day and buy the perfume until the last bottle is purchased off the rack and then ask the makers to please stop making it because it is so expensive and gives such a bad smell that she wouldn’t like to use it herself. She will also have to go to a discount mart and ask the vendors to please purchase the bottles that she purchased from the stores and a cheap discount coz she has no idea what to do them those unused bottles. So Courtney if you want to avoid such embarrassment just forget about your own perfume fragrance.

Celine Dion has refused to ever set foot on a red carpet again because she hates answering superficial questions about the clothes she is wearing. The superstar singer was savaged by the fashion police for wearing a backwards white Dior suit to the 1999 Oscars and has never truly recovered from the criticism. She makes a good point.. I can care less where the diamonds or dresses come from. The questions are just repetitive and boring. Celine is one of the most respectful artists in the world today and she knows that the red carpet is all about flaunting your unnatural self and showing those rented diamonds and evening dresses for that picture to be flashed next morning in the papers. She is a singer, an entertainer and a performer but for sure is not a pathetic model who needs to flaunt she skin and wear the so called right dresses because she is a model. Celine has her dressing sense and she looks beautiful as well.

The Australian songstress who brought us hits like ‘Torn’ and… well, ‘Torn’, Natalie Imbruglia was cornered by the paparazzi outside Hollywood hot spot Koi on Saturday. Wow! Someone still knows her? 1998 called, they want you back Nat!

The 32-year old singer was visibly annoyed by the blatant invasion of privacy and exited the eatery asking the photographers “How can I get you to stop? Can you leave me alone now?”

Nine years of obscurity do barely anything to anyone’s fame, especially if you come out of Koi. If only there were other restaurants in LA. You should have known better Nat! That’s the price you pay for your ignorance.

On Wednesday September 26th, Gloria Estefan will go to her fans in the Bronx for an in-store autograph signing at Starbucks in the Kingsbride Plaza (225th and Broadway, Bronx NY). She will be signing copies of her new Spanish language CD - 90 Millas – available on Burgundy Records/Sony BMG on September 18th. This proves that there is new age media and advertising but you still have to meet and reach out to your fans the old fashion way, meeting them face to face. In the yester years artist meet at city squares and common place of the community and sing for them too, today its at a Starbucks coffee outlet but you have to go there sign autographs and mingle with the fans. I think this kind of interaction could be very positive for the artist, coz most of the time the fans that come to meet you will say all the goods things about you and that would eventually boost your confidence that people like you.

Yep, it’s all about the sales and the money for the BLING. But tell you what Kanye would not be the one to lose his sleep over record sales (though he would like if his sales beat his rivals), he’s just a cool customer with such things. Where as 50 Cent is someone whose got a bad temperament, he is the one whose been barking like a mad dog over the rivalry in the days preceding the release of the album. Am glad kanye west is beating 50 cent. 5o is too cocky and immature and he needs to be taught a lesson. Kanye won’t even come out with a statement regarding his record sales and 50 Cents, I know he would have known by now that he is catching up, so maybe right this moment he’ll be planning his next assault and prove he is one jerk of an ass that needs to be thrown out of our music world.

Is Britney Spears getting ready to shock the world again? Is she going to appear on yet another awards show just a week after her 2007 MTV VMAs more famously known as the Sunday night massacre?

According to UsMagazine.com, she could be. They are reporting that FOX is in talks with the pop star’s peeps to book her for the Emmy’s. Thankfully, she won’t be performing but rather having her come on and apologize for the VMAs. A show source says that she’s weighing the offer.

Why would she need to apologize for her VMAs performance? We’re in major need of therapy for that traumatic experience but she’s the one without a career.

Now that he has been proved this chaps just going keep running his point over and over again till we damn kick his ass and tell him that it’s been six months since the VMAs have been over. He might have been right that Britney will prove to be a failure at the MTV awards but that doesn’t mean he is some kind of messiah knows what’s going to be the Britney Spears performance and other things too, then he would have known that Kanye West wasn’t going to win in any of the five categories. So we all know he is not a messiah. Britney tired to get it right but she couldn’t, she is just a human trying to get it right all over again, she might not succeed but at least she’s tired to success, you these morons who think she finished and a waste need to take a closer look at themselves at see if they have ever achieved even a fraction of the success that Britney has. Mr. Timbaland good for you that you’ve been able to get a prediction right, but the same could happen to you.

Shakira already knows how to put out a hit record – but now she’s tackling an even bigger subject: the history of western civilization. Isn’t this piece of news something so different from what we all have being listening, viewing, reading for so many days now. News of the MTV VMAs where singers just boozed, parties, broke relations, fought with each other, gave bad performances bla bla bla. With so much happening isn’t it so cool of Shakira to sit down and learn something that’s worthy of a mention. While everyone else has been at the beach, the MTV Awards and the Emmys, Shakira’s been studying History of Western Civilization all summer at UCLA. I think this is absolutely cool thing that she has enrolled herself into, instead of wasting time and energy of wasteful matter she’s decide that there is time for better things in life and she is utilizing that time for something good, babes you rock!

For all the good Lil’ Kim says it does, the “Magic Stick” can’t make a lawsuit disappear.
The raunchy rapper and guest-MC 50 Cent have been sued by a record producer who claims he never cashed in on the royalties he was due from his work on the hit single, which appeared on Kim’s 2003 album La Bella Mafia. Carlos Evans claims, he was paid a $7,500 advance and was promised a cut of the profits, Evans says, but he hasn’t been paid and his requests for a royalty audit have been ignored. Screwed up guy who ever he is, why didn’t he shout so loudly before when he has a lounge in his mouth? What did he think, like they going to come at his house and tell him, ‘hey Evans you did a fanstatic job in that 2003 album, I can’t remember the name of the album but I can remember you, your share of 50 cents as royalty share’. It’s a doggy dog business out there and none’s going to give you your share until you have the tenacity to get what’s yours.