Melody Plant

Mariah Carey was set to perform in Dubai on May 15th but for all those who have tickets, might as well get a refund as the diva has just cancelled the show. Unfortunately, Fergie, who was set to follow Mariah the next day, cancelled as well. According to the official press release “Midas Promotions along with Blue Giraffe Entertainment and On Golden Pond Pictures regret to announce the ‘Divas in Dubai’ concert event is being rescheduled to a later date in the Fall 2008. Mariah and Fergie are disappointed that they won’t be able to perform. They had scheduled this one special event in their calendars and were looking forward to performing for the Dubai fans.” The official reason for the postponement is “the extremely compressed time frame along with unforeseen logistical complications compelled us to move the event later in the year to ensure a show commensurate with the level of success of these world class artists and the people of Dubai.”

Celine Dion went into overdrive when she performed at O2 Arena in London, England on Tuesday. That day marked the first time that Celine has been in the UK for over ten years. She kicked off her concert with the upbeat ‘I Drove All Night’ and ended her show with the ballad ‘My Heart Will Go On’. Before embarking on her world tour, the 40-year old singer just completed a record 5-year, 5 nights a week show at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. After her tour, the singer will focus more of her time on her family and other interests.

Madonna’s single ‘4 Minutes (To Save the World)’ featuring Justin Timberlake is proving to be one of the Queen of Pop’s biggest hits in years! According to MediaTraffic, the single has now reached the top spot on the United World Chart Global Track Chart. Madonna’s hit of a single is #1 on the iTunes Charts in 14 countries out of the 22 top countries listed. Of the remaining 8 countries, she’s listed in either #2 or #3 in six of them with Japan and Greece not listing her in the top 10… yet. She’s topping the charts all over the globe!

Do you want to dance for Madonna so you can get the chance to dance WITH Madonna? The Queen of Pop recently held auditions for dancers on Thursday in Los Angeles with call backs taking place on Friday. The dancers are for Madonna’s upcoming projects (a tour maybe?) with Jamie King directing the circus. The chosen strong and versatile dancers will get professional pay with work starting on April 2008 with an indefinite termination date. When they came out with the audition’s description, hopefuls were told to bring knee pads and different shoes. Sounds like they had a definite work out on that one.

Rihanna has banned umbrellas from her UK tour.

The 20-year-old star has insisted the item be confiscated from fans, in case they injure themselves trying to copy the dance routine to her hit song ‘Umbrella’.

Andy McDonald, a security guard at the Aberdeen Exhibition Centre, where Rihanna performed on Monday, said: “We were taking precautions over a potential accident. We were told Rihanna’s song features dancing with umbrellas on stage. We didn’t want the crowd following her actions and someone getting their eye poked out.”

The decision follows reports of several injuries caused by umbrella-related incidents during Rihanna’s recent European dates. One fan due to attend one of the singer’s upcoming shows said: “I was really looking forward to whipping out my umbrella during the song. I have been practising the routine for weeks but it has all been for nothing.”

Max Liron Bratman is one lucky baby boy. Christina Aguilera flaunted her svelte post-pregnancy body at the signing of her new DVD ‘Back to Basics – Live and Down Under’ at Best Buy in West Hollywood on Tuesday. This was the singer’s first appearance since the birth of her son in mid-January.

In an interview earlier than day, Christina revealed to Ryan Seacrest that her pregnancy experience will play a role on her next album. She said “I’m very excited! I’m so inspired. This whole incredible thing that’s taken place in my life, between the pregnancy and the birth… I’ve got so much in me to write about. This next record, I want to have a lot of fun with it. I’ve been brainstorming for the last nine months of my pregnancy. This next album will have a whole new me. A different me.”

I, for one, think that Janet Jackson’s newest single ‘Feedback’ is a great song but it appears that it has failed to connect with the public. The song has failed to get into the top 30s on the singles’ charts. In addition to that, according to Soundscan, the song has dropped from #44 last week to #66 this week. That’s some sad news.

On a brighter note, Rihanna continues to rule as her new single ‘Don’t Stop the Music’ jumps from #15 to #6. Maybe Janet needs to do more stuff like Rihanna’s. It’s obvious it’s what the music fans want.

She had the biggest selling album of 2005 and everyone has been wondering when she would be back. After several delays to her album, we now know when Mariah Carey would officially be back.

There has already been a listening session in London for her new album which pretty much confirmed that her album would be out soon. Billboard now has a few more details and even mentions the release of Mariah’s new record on April 1st, and that’s no joke. They also have more info about specific songs and if that’s anything to go by, it looks like her album is a very promising one.

Hilary Duff made a big no-no for singers recently. At a concert in Mexico this past weekend, the singer/actress began singing into the microphone while it was still turned off. Her ‘backing track’ came on later and it was all good.

The video has already been posted on YouTube and you can check it out. There’s an obvious delay between her opening her mouth and “singing” and the track coming on. At the very least she didn’t do a monkey dance. That would have made the whole thing really obvious. She would have been booed offstage much like Ashlee Simpson was back in her SNL snafu.

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.

A tired and sleep-deprived Amy Winehouse finally got a little bit of rest when she crash landed on a couch while waiting for her flight at a Barbados airport on Saturday. And I thought she was on vacation. What was she all tired for?

The sleeping train wreck, I mean, beauty was later spotted at Heathrow airport in an exposed bra, mesh tank top, rolled up denim cutoffs and some sort of bow-like hair contraption. She looks more ready to catch Madonna’s 1985 Virgin Tour rather down ready to face the London cold. Careful Wino, you might end up catching the flu.

There are several things being said about Britney Spears being released from Cedars-Sinai. They say that she no longer posed an imminent threat to herself. A source says that “It is very difficult to keep a patient in a psych ward at a hospital for longer than 24 to 48 hours. Even if you have tried to commit suicide (which Brit did not do) you are released as soon as you are no longer a threat to yourself… Brit is no different than other mentally ill people. After being admitted and given meds they are released if they are not a suicidal threat to themselves or others.”

I can finally give you some happy baby news that is in no way connected to Britney Spears. Canadian singer/songwriter/producer Chantal Kreviazuk is pregnant! She and her musician husband Raine Maida are expecting their third child together.

Sources are saying that the baby is going to be a boy. If that is true, he will be the couple’s third boy. That’s a lot of testosterone in the house. They should make another one after him and pray hard that it’s a girl. But congrats goes to them for having another baby and to Rowan and Lucca Jon on welcoming a little brother.

From Scary Spice to just plain Scrooge, Mel B pocketed a whopping £10,000 from a Christmas fundraiser in aid of terminally ill kids.

Despite the estimate MILLIONS the Spice Girls are expected to make on their comeback tour, Mel refused to waive her appearance fee for helping the Make a Wish Foundation.

An insider at the store fumed: “All Mel B did was sing a couple of Christmas songs, sign autographs and mingle with the crowd collecting donations in a plastic bucket. And for that she pocketed £10,000 that should have gone to needy kids. Many people felt she should have waived her fee. It’s the least she could have done to help raise cash for the kids.”

Bah humbug. Who thinks Mel should get a lump of coal in her stocking this year?

Mom-to-be Lily Allen and her Chemical Brothers boyfriend Ed Simons were spotted doing some last minute Christmas shopping in Notting Hill in London on Wednesday. The Sun was first to report that the British singer was pregnant and she recently just announced that she IS pregnant with her first child.

Lily’s rep released a statement on Wednesday saying “I am pleased to confirm that Lily Allen and her boyfriend, Ed Simons, are expecting their first child. However, as the pregnancy is at a very, very early stage, the couple ask that you respect their privacy, as the health of Lily and their child is their paramount concern.”

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!

It just goes to prove that money and fame cannot make you immune to normal human feelings and suffering. The sad news is depression still affects us all; rich and poor alike. And singer Alicia Keys; as gorgeous and successful as she is, is one of those to suffer.

The fab ‘No-One’ artist has revealed that a tendency to bottle up her feelings leads to feelings of hurt and anger. She said: “I was feeling so sad all the time, and I couldn’t shake it. I started burying my feelings, and it got to a point where I couldn’t even tell my family or my friends, ‘I’m twisted,’ or ‘I’m exhausted,’ or ‘I’m so angry.’ I became a master of putting up the wall so that I was unreadable.”

Thankfully Keys has since pulled through that tough time and is enjoying life with current boyfriend Kerry Brothers. But it is a note to remember that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side; and no-one is above being human.

Parents everywhere are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Maybe Christmas isn’t ruined after all.

It has been announced that Miley Cyrus, a.k.a. Hannah Montana, is extending her extremely popular tour and adding 14 more shows. The shows begin January 11 in Detroit and go until January 31 in Miami.

Disney says it was an overwhelming response from fans that made them decide to add the additional shows. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that it’s a huge revenue maker.

One downfall - the Jonas Brothers, who are touring with Miley, will not be on the added shows. Instead, Aly & AJ will join Miley from January 11 to January 24, with another “special guest” appearing for the remainder of the shows.

Tickets go on sale this Saturday!!!

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.

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’.

Well we are familiar with celebs having interesting or dangerous hobbies. Only yesterday did I comment on KT Tunstall’s love of rock climbing despite worrying about losing limbs in the process. And now soldier boy James Blunt joins the masses and reveals his love for the Swiss Slopes.

Hmm something tells me it’s not the skiing James loves though. Famed for his womanising ways, it is rumoured that the ‘You’re Beautiful’ singer took the virginity of hundreds of chalet girls at his favourite resort in Switzerland. And to top it off; his conquests are proudly wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “James Blunt Took my Virginity”.

Blunt is typically male and very proud of his reputation, saying: “I once found myself in a swimming pool in Los Angeles with nine naked models and I was the only bloke. I’d like to think any woman I have known has enjoyed being with me.”

Yes but how much is really true James?

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’.

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.

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.