Vote at the MRAs 2011 here!



Monday, January 31, 2011
Big News: Selena Gomez & The Scene to return with new album and single?



Disney pop princess Selena Gomez hasn't been doing much on the music front in terms of singles, but her and her band have kicked off their 2011 A Year Without Rain Tour in Puerto Rico, which she got some negative press for apparently, "not having scenography, back up dancers or clothing changes", playing to a stadium that had a 18, 500 spectator-limit. Hmmmm. Stick to the smaller stages, Sel.

Nevertheless, apparently the band are to start work on a new Spanish album and another English album. And they are to lift another single after US Top 40 single A Year Without Rain. GOOD. We really need another single. Personally, I don't think A Year Without Rain (the album) was good. It had way too much filler. And the only other track I can stand is Ghost of You.

In other Disney pop princess-related news, Demi Lovato's out of treatment centre which she admitted herself into last year. Props to her for sorting herself out. Now roll on the introspective third studio album.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:09 PM | comment link here





Billboard Update



After Britney Spears breifly dethroned Bruno Mars' Grenade with Hold It Against Me, Mars has returned to #1 while Britney falls to #6 which gains the Airplay Gainer Title. The rest of the Hot 100 is exactly where you'd expect them to be, with Katy Perry's Firework at #2, Enrique Iglesias' guilty pleasure of a track Tonight (I'm Lovin' You) rising up to #4. Gaining some serious momentum is P!nk's F**kin' Perfect which manages to hit a new peak of #11 thanks to digital downloads. Taylor Swift also moves up with Back To December hitting #22 this week. Going from strength to strength is Christina Perri, who's Jar of Hearts has flown to a new peak of #26. Suffering a huge slip is Avril Lavigne, whose What The Hell has fallen to #31. No worries, Lavigne's music video premiered last week so you can expect it to go up on this week's chart. Adele's Rolling In The Deep is also pushing its way up the charts, hitting #84 this week. Rihanna's latest single S&M has re-entered at #90 this week.

Over on the albums chart, the entire Top 5 is filled with new releases with The Decemberists at #1, looking down at Kidz Bop Kids, The Script, Social Distortion, Gregg Allman in that order, while Bruno Mars' Doo-Wops & Hooligans falls to #6. Getting the Greatest Gainer Title is Katy Perry's Teenage Dream set, rising to #7 from #13 last week.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 5:51 PM | comment link here





Sunday, January 30, 2011
Big News: Cheryl Cole.. X Factor USA? Or not?



With the success of American Idol Season 10 (so far), The X Factor US/FOX execs sure don't want to mess with the debut season of The X Factor. Simon, as usual, is determined to get a certain Miss Cheryl Cole on the judging panel but apparently, reports have surfaced that FOX execs aren't too game for the idea. The Geordie sweetheart's thick accent, I would assume?

But of course, while FOX execs aren't exactly dense, Simon's smarter than that. What he gets, he wants. Thus, Cowell does have a back up plan up his sleeve. Reports are saying Mr. Cowell is planning to have Cheryl be a mentor on the show, the same way Sinitta does on the UK show. The plan is to have audiences warm up to her in ints first season before Simon tries to land her a slot on the panel next year again.

Hmmm. Well I don't watch the entire UK show, and only catch up via YouTube, I rarely saw Sinitta, actually I don't think I've seen her at all.

Cowell, work your magic and get her as a judge, please.

Source: HERE

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Music Reviews 10 @ 1:49 PM | comment link here





Avril Lavigne - What The Hell live @ Music Station



Avril Lavigne has been in Japan recently to promote her single What The Hell and her upcoming fourth studio album Goodbye Lullaby. The pop/rock stomper has been performing rather well in charts all over the world and she debuted What The Hell in Japan live at Music Station. It was okay. The vocals weren't as great as the one at Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve but she had quite a fair bit more energy.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 12:02 PM | comment link here





Jessie J - Price Tag [Music Video Premiere]



BRIT Award-winning British singer/songwriter Jessie J is riding high on the British Singles Chart with her #2 peaking debut single Do It Like A Dude. However, the swag-filled track might rub some American audiences the wrong way and Jessie has decided to play it safe with her US debut single Price Tag which features rapper B.o.B. You can pretty much expect this to be a ginormous hit as well too.

The music video isn't anything special, and it's very doll-ish and young, spirited and playful. It's nice, though.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 11:51 AM | comment link here





Friday, January 28, 2011
Matt Cardle - When We Collide live at NTAs 2011



At the recent NTAs, X Factor winner Matt Cardle delivered another sterling rendition of his record-breaking #1 coronation single When We Collide. He still proves that he's got an amazing instrument, nailing everyone of those ginormous notes, high upper range is properly glorious, if I'm being honest. Of course, there's still much to prove - for he doesn't seem like the kind of artist that could do really, really well outside of the UK. Oh well. At least he's one of the best, if not the best male vocalist The X Factor has found.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 11:27 PM | comment link here





Big News: See a behind the scenes look for Jessie J's Price Tag!



She's plastered all over VEVO and YouTube, which should work in British singer/songwriter Jessie J's favour. Her underground, swag attitude in Do It Like A Dude has been ditched in favour of a more sweet, Katy Perry-esque funland in this short clip revealing some behind the scenes for Jessie J's upcoming new single Price Tag featuring rapper B.O.B.. Of course, if you're disappointed, take note that this is Jessie's first single in the US. So she's got to get it right. And I'm not sure how America will take to Do It Like A Dude.. Price Tag does have an American sound to it - especially with the production and everything.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 3:29 PM | comment link here





Big News: Adele blows Radio 1 Live Lounge!



I have to admit that I haven't posted anything about Adele's new album/single/song releases, because I.. Don't kill me, was never really a big fan of Adele. I was one of those casual listeners, I guess. I do like her voice though, and the British pop/soul songstress had me falling in love with her current single Rolling In The Deep, a dark, brooding number about lost love. Of course, it's typical Adele, a little rough around the edges and not as polished as say.. The likes of The X Factor and its army of contestants/winners, but when it comes down to raw vocal talent, Only Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke can compare to her.

Nevertheless, Adele's been doing promotion for her sophomore record 21 which is set to top the UK Charts this Sunday over on the Albums side while Ke$ha rocks the Singles Chart midweeks. Nevertheless, Adele did Radio 1 Live Lounge, and thanks to the magical powers of YouTubers, we've got a nifty 26 minute video of her entire set - including songs Don't You Remember, Rolling In The Deep, Hometown Glory etc. And her obligatory Live Lounge cover, and guess who she covered?

CHERYL COLE OF COURSE!

Yes. Adele put her own spin on Cheryl's Europoppy #1 smash hit Promise This. I still like Cheryl's more because her cover still seems a little rough around the edges, but she put her own Adele touch. And she adores Cheryl Cole too. Which is always good in my books. ;)

If you're too lazy to go through her entire set, you can just listen to her cover of Promise This below, which is probably why you read through this entire post right?

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Music Reviews 10 @ 2:56 PM | comment link here





Thursday, January 27, 2011
Big News: David Cook premieres another video teaser



David Cook has premiered yet another video teaser in anticipation of his sophomore album which is set to be released this year. Earlier, it was revealed that David Cook had gone into the studio to work with Ryan Tedder and I came to a conclusion that Cook might've been pursuing a poppier direction. However, in this video teaser, it's obvious it's still going to be very rock-based.

I'm definitely really interested to see how this whole era pans out, especially since the first record went platinum in about 5 months, and fast forward to 2011 - pop/dance is the hottest craze right now. Only time will tell..

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:57 PM | comment link here





Avril Lavigne - Promotional Australian Interview



It's been forever since Avril Lavigne has done proper interviews and I'm glad the Goodbye Lullaby promotional campaign has finally started. She's on a promotional tour right now in Japan but a video of an interview in Australia has finally surfaced. An interesting bit of information - Avril's mum had a cameo in the video for What The Hell. Also, Avril says she was really honest in the writing of this album. Which is all the stuff I'm wanting to hear. Even if What The Hell is my #1 most played on iTunes right now..

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:52 PM | comment link here





Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Big News: Deets on Jessie J's debut album "Who You Are"!



British singer/songwriter Jessie J has shot to fame in the UK already, and the US is next. It should be a relatively easy job with her being plastered all over YouTube and VEVO, hyping her up to be the next big thing. But while Do It Like A Dude has done its part peaking at #2 in the UK, Jessie has decided to play it safe and release Price Tag featuring B.O.B. as her first US single with the music video premiering this weekend and getting sent to radio tomorrow.

Check out the tracklisting of debut album Who You Are below:
1. Price Tag (feat. B.o.B)
2. Nobody’s Perfect
3. Abracadabra
4. Big White Room
5. Casualty Of Love
6. Rainbow
7. Who's Laughing Now
8. Do It Like A Dude
9. Mamma Knows Best
10. LOVE
11. Stand Up
12. I Need This
13. Who You Are


Who You Are has been confirmed for a March 28th release date in the UK, which'll probably signal a new single in the pipeline for the UK, which a release date for the US hasn't been released yet. They're most likely going to test the market to see if the American market will take to her before making any concrete decisions.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:53 PM | comment link here





Big News: Go behind the scenes of Jennifer Lopez' On The Floor!



Thanks to MTV, we get to see a little behind the scenes look at Jennifer Lopez' new upcoming single On The Floor featuring Pitbull, which was shot last weekend. Of course, Pitbull had to introduce the video and completely mess up, saying he was on the set of J. Lo's Hit The Floor. RIGHT.

Nevertheless, we saw J. Lo playing a club owner, who oversees the entire underground club. Now, it might be just me, but I'm seeing a flashback of Alesha Dixon's video for Drummer Boy fused with Alexandra Burke's All Night Long, which incidentally also features Pitbull. But hey, at least she's playing the pop star part with the outrageous costume (that we saw) and her looking pretty much drop dead gorgeous.

PS. I have watched Season 10, and I must say.. I'm loving everything so far.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:47 PM | comment link here





Jennifer Hudson new track: Where You At



Oh. Dear. I was really anticipating this. Unfortunately, I have to say I'm a little disappointed because it's one of those middle-of-the-road pop/R&B midtempo songs which fail to make much of an impression at all. What made Spotlight such an international success is the fact that it had loads of crossover appeal while this urban-tinged track is catered more to American tastes, therefore reducing its hit potential. It's not horrible by any measure, but is the kind of song you won't bother to Google should you stumble on it when it comes on the radio.

Still, it's nice to see J. Hud looking better than ever and back in the industry.

Download Link: HERE

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:12 PM | comment link here





Avril Lavigne - What The Hell [Music Video Premiere]



Well.. Well.. Well.. Avril Lavigne's back and she's not ready to flop just yet, and the music video for What The Hell is just like the song, carefree and doesn't take itself too seriously. It's like a Ke$ha video except less glittery. And Avril's energy level doesn't exactly match the song, does it? And is it just me, or is there even MORE outrageous product placement than Pixie Lott's video for Broken Arrow? Wow...

Oh well. It's nice to see her back in the game.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 5:54 PM | comment link here





Friday, January 21, 2011
Billboard Update



Britney Spears is back and is showing other pop princess just how it's done, selling 411, 000 copies of Hold It Against Me and debuting right atop the Hot 100, pushing the overplayed Bruno Mars and Katy Perry tracks Grenade and Firework to #2 and #3 respectively. Avril Lavigne also returns to the Hot 100 with What The Hell debuting at #13 thanks to 168, 000 digital sales in its first week. Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts isn't heading anywhere but up, hitting an all new peak of #28. Also seeing some happy news is P!nk as F**kin' Perfect shoots up to #30.

Over on the albums chart, Cake and Cage The Elephant take #1 and #2, pushing Taylor Swift down to #3 with Speak Now while Bruno Mars falls just one spot away from the peak spot of #3 for Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Crystal Bowersox falls a couple spots down to #54 with debut album Farmer's Daughter while Lee DeWyze moves up to #122 with Live It Up.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 5:43 PM | comment link here





Big News: Jennifer Hudson releases teaser of new single!



Remaining one of the best singers in the game right now, Grammy and Oscar-award winning singer/songwriter/actress Jennifer Hudson is ready to return to the spotlight (OMG see what I did there?!) with her upcoming sophomore album titled I Remember Me and is set to be released March 22nd - a month dominated by Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears' new releases, with the first single Where You At hitting radio January 24th. The multi-faceted Hudson will have no problem though, as she has never been pit against those kind of pop princesses.

Of course, it's still going to be commercial and the singer has released a teaser via her offficial website. Granted, the short teaser doesn't reveal much about the song but I'm not expecting a drastic departure of the typical Jennifer Hudson music.

This timing also pretty much tells you Hudson's gonna land a performance slot on Idol's Season 10..

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:47 PM | comment link here





Big News: Rihanna premieres S&M single cover!



She looks gorgeous here. They're really nailing the single covers for this Loud era. And did I mention I'm completely obsessed with S&M?

I l-l-like it cmon!

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:33 PM | comment link here





P!nk - F**kin' Perfect [Music Video Premiere]



Pop singer P!nk is on of her empowerment stuff which have been taking over her subject matter mostly in recent single Raise Your Glass and in this new one called F**kin' Perfect. Granted, the song's quite the tune, and she does look great. However, the music video was a little uncomfortable to watch at points where it got to the protagonist of the video cutting herself and that sex scene at the start. What in the world were the directors thinking? Weird. At least the song's good. About ten times better than Raise Your Glass.

Watch on YouTube here: HERE

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:08 PM | comment link here





Big News: The Saturdays announce their 2011 plans via a new web series!



In a new web series, UK's premiere girl group The Saturdays have given fans an exclusive sneak peak at the fivesome preparing for their headlining tour this year appropriately titled The Headlines Tour. The dates run from early February to early March and though this new web series is pretty much a less cool version of their TV show The Saturdays 24/7 (which only had a 4 episode run), it does provide us bits of information for the group's plans this year. The cheesy and totally unprofessional introduction piece aside, it's the usual Sats 'behind the scenes flip'.

Basically, the girls talk about what they did over the Christmas break, but the juicy gossip comes from Frankie, who mentions that the girls are doing a "whole lot more writing for the next album". Also, she also mentions that the group might be heading overseas for some promotion. Hmmmm. My money's on European territories, I'm sure they're going to stick with UK domination ala Girls Aloud, with some promotion in other parts of Europe. They are doing quite well on the Scottish music charts..

Still, I could deal with one final single from Headlines!. Preferably Puppet. With a totally weird, creepy, cool music video like what Girls Aloud did for Sexy! No No No. Except not like Girls Aloud, which would bring more rubbish comparisons between the two groups.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 3:27 PM | comment link here





Thursday, January 20, 2011
Randy Jackson - live on Jimmy Kimmel Live



Guy didn't even try to be politically correct.

Throughout the 10 minutes of rambling, Randy Jackson's interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live can be summed up like this:

"We've got loads of talent this year, I say it every year but we've got LOADS OF TALENT THIS YEAR."

Okay, good. Now deliver. The season premiere has gotten good reviews so far. I haven't watched it yet but what do you guys think of it?

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:33 PM | comment link here





Big News: How's Alexandra Burke doing on tour?



It's her debut headlining tour, so naturally, Alexandra Burke's working it on stage. And she's already got the haters talking. The ridiculous Daily Mail has never had a nice thing to say about her rather revealing outfits, but I personally think she looks rather fit. In some pictures of course, there's gonna be the odd, awkward looking unflattering shot that some amateur is going to take and spread it on the net.

You can't please everybody. Still, her trademark powerhouse vocals are still winning praise and aren't as opinion-splitting as her wardrobe choices. Comforting.

Mirror: I reckon this is gonna be one bad ass tour...

The Sun: she put in a really polished performance in Belfast, hammering out her hits including Hallelujah, Bad Boys and Start Without You. The pipes still sound just as good as when they netted her the X Factor top spot two years ago.

Daily Mail: in her attempt to go all out as she kicked off her All Night Long tour in Belfast last night, the former X Factor winner just ended up looking a bit over-the-top as she took to the stage in a bejewelled, cutaway leotard.

The Irish Times: one album coupled with a Destiny’s Child medley does not an all-night concert make. The cracks in Burke’s armour quickly become apparent – with just four dancers and two backing singers tucked away to the left of the stage, she cuts a lonely figure on a large and somewhat empty stage. Her vocals, impressive as they may be, are not quite enough to carry an entire concert – and any Beyoncé comparisons (five costume changes reveal leotard after leotard and one befeathered gown) fall flat without the heft of Knowles’ production behind her.


As long as I see the strobelights, I'm dancing all night long..

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:06 PM | comment link here





Big News: Britney Spears & Avril Lavigne smell early success



As if we expected anything less, Britney's new single Hold It Against Me experienced so much success in it's first week. Here are just some stats to show how much success the original pop princess has experienced in the post-Gaga era.

- In its first week, Hold It Against Me has sold an outstanding 411, 000 copies, enough to send her straight to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 (only the 18th song to ever do so) and #16 on the US Pop Songs Chart. It's also currently the fourth biggest first-week sales tally in digital history.
- Hold It Against Me has topped the charts in 3 other countries (besides US) only in its first week - New Zealand, both of Belgium's charts, and Canada, coming close at #2 in Norway.
- It broke the record for the most first day spins in the US, beating out Mariah Carey's Touch My Body back in '08.
- Britney has also matched Mariah for multiple debuts at #1 on the Hot 100.
- Hold It Against Me's UK release got pushed up to January 17th due to overwhelming demand and she's at #6 on the midweeks.

Is there anything she can't do? However, despite all this success, lots of fans are expecting Spears to "really bring it" this era, including dancing. Hmmmm. Surely she couldn't have been spending that month or two in the dance studio doing nothing right?






So how's Avril Lavigne coping? Well, besides tweeting out a picture of her middle finger, the pop/punk/rock singer is as feisty as ever, and while What The Hell may bring us right back to 2007, it's all fine and fun as the single is catchier than the flu. Audiences around the world are also responding positively, with critics raving about the single. While Avril might not have as much first week sales as Britney has experienced, her numbers aren't too shabby either, selling 163, 000 copies in its first week and debuting at #13 on the Hot 100. Check out the peak positions in the countries she's charted so far.

Belgium (Ultratip Flanders) - #21
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia) - #35
Canadian Hot 100- #8
Czech Republic (IFPI) - #43
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100) - #98
New Zealand (RIANZ) - #32
Japan Adult Contemporany Airplay (Billboard) - #1
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard) - #2
Slovakia (IFPI) - #54
US Billboard Hot 100 - #13
US Billboard Hot Digital Songs - #6
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard) - #32
US Pop Songs (Billboard) - #38

Lavigne's also a spot in the Top 35 on the UK midweeks.

That's not too bad considering she doesn't have half the buzz Britney's been getting. RCA has also been rather messy with promotion as well.. Well if she flops, I'll be out for blood.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 5:01 PM | comment link here





Big News: Check out Jennifer Lopez' new single cover!



It's got J.Lo looking all glammed up with her single cover for her official first single On The Floor featuring Pitbull. It somewhat fits the song, it's colourful and summery with a little bit of a latin vibe - a bit like Shakira's Loca actually. I like.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:24 PM | comment link here





Jennifer Lopez new track: On The Floor feat. Pitbull



A couple days ago, new American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez' new track from upcoming album Love? leaked but it wasn't the final version - with Pitbull's verse running WAY too long, and the arrangement sounding far too club-oriented. Now, the track has been mixed, mastered, spruced up and cleaned up to put up a fight with the very best of pop blasting through radio speakers. While the demo sounded a little trashy, the final track sounds far more polished. It's one of those tracks where it doesn't catch on immediately but it's subtly catchy without a real hook. Let's just hope we get a hit now..

Download Link: HERE

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:06 PM | comment link here





Monday, January 17, 2011
Ellie Goulding - Lights [Music Video Premiere]



After raving about British singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding's Your Song, the Brit shows there's still some of the electronica in her yet. Lights, the title track of her debut album, just had its music video premiere and it's pretty simple, showing Goulding bang on drums and dance around in lights.

Also, in other Ellie news, she's set to release her debut album Lights in the US in early March, with the original tracklisting plus Your Song, Animal, and Lights. Personally, I'd go for Your Song as her first single Stateside as March is after all - Britney and Avril month, and I'm sure Ellie doesn't want to come across as a wannabe of both, and not get lost in the shuffle with a simple yet outstanding tune like Your Song. Will she do well in the US though..? Hmmmm. I'm not completely sure she will.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:46 PM | comment link here





Ellie Goulding - Your Song live @ Dancing On Ice



I should probably admit that I haven't been posting much about British singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding because I.. Well.. Kinda lost interest in her career. However, lately, I've been LOVING her latest single Your Song, a simple tune that works incredibly well with her unique tone. And the public seems to agree with me - Your Song is her highest charting single in the UK. EVER. Peaking at #2, it shows that a beautiful, sweet melody and voice is charming enough to send it near the top of the charts.

Goulding performed Your Song on Dancing On Ice last night, and I'm impressed with her live vocals. It sounds almost similar to the studio recording, which is remarkably better than when she first started out - performing Starry Eyed. Looks like Miss Goulding has really stepped it up. Check it out above.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:33 PM | comment link here





Big News: Jennifer Lopez releases viral video teaser "Good Hit"!



Desperate to stay afloat and relevant in today's competitive pop market, Jennifer Lopez has shot two viral videos and above is the teaser for one of them called Good Hit. This doesn't come long after On The Floor with Pitbull surfaced online yesterday. I didn't like On the Floor that much and I'm not too crazy about this either.

You'll struggle to tell if it's a hair commercial or a music video as J Lo takes a leaf out of Willow Smith's book, keeping her glamourous hair centre stage. At least she still looks so good after all these years.

Also, you can check out a recording for Venus, produced by Red One, supposedly for a Gilette TV campaign. Hmmm.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:01 PM | comment link here





Sunday, January 16, 2011
Big News: P!nk releases F**kin' Perfect music video snippet!



A clip of American pop/rock superstar P!nk's upcoming music video for second single F**kin' Perfect has made its way online and it looks set to be a sweet video. It's not something entirely extraordinary but P!nk these days has been less rockstar-ish, more popstar-ish. Still, F**kin' Perfect is still quite a tune and is undeniably P!nk.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 1:15 AM | comment link here





Jennifer Lopez new track: On The Floor feat. Pitbull



Poor J.Lo. No one's really checking for her music now. But the singer's still going ahead with her upcoming studio album Love? slated for release this year. Off the back of the upcoming tenth season of American Idol, she might get at least one charting single, but if this is a representation of the entire album, forget it.

On The Floor featuring Pitbull will serve as the lead single from the album, but although it is somewhat catchy, I don't think it sets her apart from other generic pop songs overplayed on radio these days. I'm very neutral about Pitbull, but his voice is a little grating to listen to on this track. I'm not very impressed, to be honest. C'mon J.Lo, even Paula's single releases during Idol were a billion times better than..

This.

Download Link: HERE
Download Link 2: HERE
Download Link 3: HERE

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Music Reviews 10 @ 1:04 AM | comment link here





Nicole Scherzinger new track: Don't Hold Your Breath



At least Europe likes her. Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger has been desperately trying to carve out a career for herself as a solo artist for years now, but she finally got the hit she'd always wanted in the UK when Poison hit #3 following a well-received performance on The X Factor (UK). But of course, now Scherzinger has to prove she isn't a one trick pony and has moved on to her second single Don't Hold Your Breath.

Don't Hold Your Breath is in the same league as Selena Gomez & The Scene's A Year Without Rain & Alesha Dixon's Radio, relatively weak songs if it weren't for the production. It's okay for an album track, but I'm not sure this is the track to firmly put her on the map. Oh well. At least she got one hit from this venture..

Download Link: HERE
Download Link 2: HERE
Download Link 3: HERE

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Music Reviews 10 @ 12:51 AM | comment link here





Friday, January 14, 2011
Jessie J - Who You Are live @ NYC



British singer/songwriter Jessie J is riding high on the midweeks at #2 with Do It Like A Dude set to chart at yes, #2 on the UK Singles Chart when the official chart is released on Sunday. Jessie is working on her debut album slated for a tentative release date of March this year, but the Brit said that there's nothing else like Do It Like A Dude on the album and that's it's very eclectic.

But though she might be recording her album, Jessie hasn't forgotten her love for performing, hitting New York City's Time Square to belt out the amazing Who You Are. Jessie's vocal was still pretty much faultless. Love this girl.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 10:12 PM | comment link here





Big News: Cheryl Cole nabs two nominations at this year's BRIT Awards!



The BRIT Awards have finally released their nominations and the multi-platinum selling X Factor judge Cheryl Cole has managed to nab two nominations for British Single for her swell pop tune future classic Parachute and British Female Solo Artist. Jessie J has also won BRIT's Critic's Choice, while Alexandra Burke, The Wanted and Matt Cardle have all managed to get a nod for All Night Long, All Time Low and When We Collide respectively in the British Single Category.

Check out the entire list of nominations: HERE

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Music Reviews 10 @ 9:00 PM | comment link here





Big News: David Cook works with Ryan Tedder!



The producer we all love to hate - Ryan Tedder, apparently has worked with David Cook for his upcoming sophomore album. Oh dear, it could go in the way of Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love or the robotic production of Happy. But he is featured on Far East Movement's Rocketeer which is a guilty pleasure of mine currently.

Katie Krause, an Entertainment Host, Writer & Producer for Hollywire, has tweeted that Cook has finished tracking/mixing for the as-yet-untititled album, and that he wants to return to Idol and tour the world.

But the juicy news about working with Ryan Tedder came in the form of a later tweet where she said "Oh -- and he LOVED working with Ryan Tedder, said they shared a Tulsa connection with one another."

Now, this could be at least something to look forward to. When Ryan Tedder's good, he's really really good. And this could spell perhaps a poppier direction of Cook's new material? Either way, I'm excited.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 8:27 PM | comment link here





Taylor Swift - Back To December [Music Video Premiere]



People may not be buying albums like they used to 5 years ago, but country/pop princess Taylor Swift is one of those people who can do just that. Swift recently premiered the music video for her second official single Back To December lifted from third album Speak Now which has already been certified three times platinum.

The music video is just as sombre as the song itself, and shows Swifty looking gorgeous with her new bangs and although she doesn't do much, it does show Swift growing into a woman.

FINALLY.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 8:07 PM | comment link here





Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The American Idol panel live on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno



Hoping not only the hardcore Idol fans will be tuning in to check out Idol's tenth season, the American Idol panel and Ryan Seacrest sat down for an interview with Jay Leno where they talked about everything from the new season and behind the scenes of the new season. It was pretty much basically pimping the youngsters and the 'outstanding' talent in Milwaukee. Yeah yeah. They've got chemistry though.

Check out Part 1 above and Part 2 below.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:08 PM | comment link here





Britney Spears new track: Hold It Against Me



Coming from someone who has been so anxious to hear this, I am.. Admittedly, a little disappointed. I say this because first of all, Britney is a little too overproduced on this track, and it sounds like she went straight for Ke$ha. However, where the demo was sung by Bonnie McKee, that had a bit more of an agressive vocal as compared to Britney's soft, sweet vocals. It's one of those tracks where I'm sure will really grow on me, plus, the chorus is pretty amazing.

Also, the difference in the demo and this is that that didn't have a bridge, and the track sounds like it will be featuring a dance break for Britney.

I'm not totally sold on this one, but once the video premieres, I think my mind will be changed. One thing's for sure, I'll be replaying this for days.

Also, the album will be coming out March 15th. CAN'T WAIT.

Download Link: HERE
Download Link 2: HERE
Download Link 3: HERE

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Music Reviews 10 @ 3:09 PM | comment link here





Monday, January 10, 2011
Big News: Go behind the scenes of Avril Lavigne's What The Hell video!



Hoping to get at least a little buzz in the same month Britney's releasing her album, Avril Lavigne has been doing a "Happy Hour" webisode which shows the behind the scenes of everything Goodbye Lullaby. The behind the scenes video doesn't show much, but you know that it's going to have Avril rocking around with her band in a club. Uhh, I'm sure there's more to offer in the same month you're dropping your single alongside Britney (as well). Oh well, beats hearing more news about a pushback.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:38 PM | comment link here





Big News: American Idol releases new promo + New 'Sudden Death' round?



American Idol has been nailing every single one of the promotional videos lately, good thing. Because they might need it. After a lacklustre Season 9, following a huge mess regarding the judging panel, and Simon Cowell leaving the show and bringing his massive UK hit show The X Factor to the States, the future of American Idol was and still is rather uncertain. Nevertheless, Idol is pulling out all the stops to make sure Idol's Season 10 doesn't fall too hard. In the promo video above, you can see some pretty good auditionees (though only one singer was featured), and another hopeful that looks startingly similar to Charity Vance who auditioned last year but failed to breeze through Hollywood Week. I'm thinking it's her, because there are people buzzing online thhat it isn't.

Also, Idol's exec producer Nigel Lythgoe who returned to the show this year, has tweeted that "We’re rehearsing with the Idol contestants, the first time this year. I’m still very happy with the overall standard. Tough decisions ahead." This is the "rumoured" 'Sudden Death' round that surfaced online earlier where we'll see the Top 40 cut to the Top 20. Hmmmm.

Also, a report from Daily Mail has said that Simon Cowell has signed Will Smith as a judge. First off, don't think this one is true. Secondly, I laughed a bit because I read 'Willow Smith'.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:03 PM | comment link here





Jessie J - live @ BBC



Fresh from her BBC Sound of 2011 win, British singer/songwriter Jessie J sat down for a lengthy interview where they discussed pretty much everything - how she got started, how she got signed, how her first label pretty much died on her, and going on a writing trip in America where she co-wrote Party In The USA, Miley Cyrus' smash international hit. BBC got pretty much everything covered and this girl's got a lot riding on her shoulders.

Also during the interview, she mentioned that she intended to send Do It Like A Dude to Rihanna's camp and how she's so thankful her label told her she should kept it for herself and she did. It's currently #5 on the midweeks in the UK. Also, she mentioned that she has turned down writing for Christina Aguilera. Poor, poor Christina. Nevertheless, Jessie will be awarded with the Brits Critics' Choice Award later this year. Also, Jessie (not mentioned in this interview) has recently started work on her submission to Britney's camp.

Also in other Jessie J news, the singer is keen to duet with another British vocal stunner Leona Lewis, on a When You Believe-esque track that Mariah and Whitney did back in the day. Okay.. We'll see.

Back to Jessie J and her BBC interview. She performed Do It Like A Dude, Who You Are and Big White Room, with the latter two performed acoustic.





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Music Reviews 10 @ 3:47 PM | comment link here





Saturday, January 8, 2011
Bruno Mars - Grenade live @ Ellen



Just a little over two days ago, radio's new obsession Bruno Mars hit the Ellen DeGeneres Show to perform his #1 smash hit Grenade. Unfortunately, I was reluctant to watch the video as I've gotten incredibly sick of Grenade and Just The Way You Are. But if there's one thing Bruno can do incredibly well, is sing. His live performances are usually on point and Mars gave a passion-filled performance this time around. There's no denying his talent, no doubt. But radio stations need to stop playing Katy Perry's Firework and Mars' Grenade.

Still, you can check out the yet another flawless performance above. Anyone wants to bet he'll be going home with at least 2 Grammys this year?

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:33 PM | comment link here





Friday, January 7, 2011
Billboard Update



We're still going into 2011 boringly, with Katy Perry taking the top spot again on the Billboard Hot 100, pushing Bruno Mars' Grenade to #2 while Ke$ha rounds out the Top 3 with We R Who We R. Rihanna and P!nk also stay intact with What's My Name? and Raise Your Glass maintaining their positions at #4 and #5 respectively. After a one spot slip last week, Taylor Swift moves up two spots to #25 this week. In an incredibly weird week, Swift has collected the Airplay Gainer title for Mine, the lead single from her Speak Now album that was released ages ago. Christina Perri's also on her way up with Jar of Hearts at #41 this week. Carrie Underwood's also not doing too shabbily, with Mama's Song sneaking back into the Top 60, moving three spots up to #60 this week. Selena Gomez & The Scene, however, are headed the other way as A Year Without Rain falls two spots to #77. The Glee effect still isn't wearing off for Bruno Mars yet, as Marry You moves up to a new peak of #85. It's kinda obvious this might be the third single..

Over on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, Taylor Swift reigns at #1 while Eminem and Rihanna leap back into the Top 3 with Eminem's Recovery and Rihanna's Loud at #2 and #3 respectively. Bruno Mars has also skyrocketed back into the Top 10, flying from #20 last week to #7. Ke$ha's also seeing good signs with Cannibal jumping exactly 20 spots to #19 this week. Poor Susan Boyle though, after battling with Taylor Swift the past couple weeks, The Gift has fallen hard, dropping to a disappointing #31 after coming in second last week. Crystal Bowersox is also falling, with Farmer's Daughter placing #62 this week. Still, she's still doing better than eventual American Idol winner Lee DeWyze whose post-Idol debut Live It Up is at #170 this week.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 10:43 PM | comment link here





Big News: Deets on Britney's new single!



If there's anyone in this pop music industry who can make people excited with little to no details about projects, it's Britney Spears. Of course, when you're Britney, you don't even have to do anything to go platinum. Nevertheless, Spears herself took to Twitter to upload the single cover of her new single Hold It Against Me which has Britney looking utterly gorgeous. She also told her fans via Twitter that she's "Heard an early demo of my new single leaked. If u think that’s good, wait til you hear the real one Tuesday". EEEEP.



Above is the demo that Britney was talking about. It's obviously not Britney singing over the track as it's just a demo. Nevertheless, it's sure to be a club favourite everywhere. I'm not sure this is EPIC at first listen, but I'm sure once Britney's version of it comes out, it might start to grow on me.

However, it wasn't just Britney herself that was on Twitter to drum up excitement. Up and coming media mogul Ryan Seacrest also pipped in, saying that he's gotten an exclusive preview of the track from Britney's managers themselves. However, he didn't just hear Hold It Against Me, he also heard a tentative future single I I I Wanna Go. Also, according to Ryan, Britney's been hard at work the past month or two rehearsing for the music video for Hold It Against Me which the legendary pop icon will shoot in two weeks.

Hold on to your hats ladies and gents, because Britney's back.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 2:02 PM | comment link here





Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Big News: David Cook releases video teaser!



To drum up a little excitement over his sophomore album with a tentative release date this year, David Cook's team have put together a little teaser of Cook recording in the studio. The two songs heard in the teaser are Goodbye to the Girl (David Cook, Andy Skib, Neal Tiemann) and Paper Heart (David Cook, Julian Emery, James Lawrence Irvin). By the way, Cook premiered Paper Heart at a gig he did late last year if you remember.. Cast your minds back.. Yeah. That's the one. And if the names Andy Skib and Neal Tiemann are unfamiliar to you, those are his bandmates.

Can't wait for this album!

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Music Reviews 10 @ 3:42 PM | comment link here





Big News: Ke$ha selects Blow as the next single!



Well, this is clearly long overdue. After Ke$ha milked We R Who We R like crazy, the always trashy pop star now has a new single in the pipeline - Blow, reports All Access, who've also mentioned Blow will be released to radio February 8th. If that's true, Ke$ha's going head to head with Gaga's first single from her Born This Way album, right after Britney Spears drops her single Hold It Against Me, which now has an unknown release date (nope, no more January 7th), and Avril Lavigne's comeback single What The Hell.

Clearly, Ke$ha isn't taking any chances because Blow is one of the catchier songs on the Cannibal EP. Of course, being in the same company when Avril, Britney and Gaga will be reigning the charts, Ke$ha's rep might see a boost. Usually when some lesser artists are doing well amongst the company of the better pop stars, they too will enjoy a boost. Just so long as they don't market Blow the way they marketed We R Who We R because I am THOROUGHLY sick of that song, especially since the music video took ages to premiere.

Just so long as Ke$ha fights for her spot in one of pop's biggest years, she shouldn't be fading out too quickly.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 3:28 PM | comment link here





Monday, January 3, 2011
Emily Osment - Lovesick [Music Video Premiere]



Making the most of her $2 promotional budget for her latest music video Lovesick, Disney pop princess Emily Osment has given us a Gaga meets Tron meets Ke$ha look for her latest music video. Sure, it's cheap looking but you can't have been expecting much could you? Although all of her music videos have been better.. Nevertheless, it's Ke$ha's Your Love Is My Drug on a tight budget. At least she's not giving up..

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Music Reviews 10 @ 6:42 PM | comment link here





Sunday, January 2, 2011
Jennifer Hudson - Feeling Good live @ Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve



Well this was random. Jennifer Hudson joined an all-star line-up at Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve to perform a cover of Nina Simone's classic Feeling Good. If you remember, fellow American Idol finalist Adam Lambert did the same during his season of Idol, but where Lambert's version was creepy but properly amazing (his second best performance after Whole Lotta Love me thinks), Hudson's was KINDA bland. She didn't rely on any vocal theatrics to boost the performance or anything. So all in all, the only thing you can pretty much conclude is that she wore a very pretty dress.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 9:51 PM | comment link here





The Wanted - Lose My Mind live @ The Sun



After a debut #1 single and a #2 follow up, a #29 peak position for their latest single is not what The Wanted are gunning for. So of course, more live performances are in order to get this pop tune with a chorus that's chunkier than a bloody chunky box, much higher than a.. Measly #29. Where their vocals faltered on The X Factor, the boys have made up for a certain sweetness the original tune could never muster. The boys did it acoustic for The Sun and I have to say, that was quite impressive pretty much close to amazing.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 9:46 PM | comment link here





Saturday, January 1, 2011
David Archuleta - The Other Side of Down + Elevator live @ FOX New Year's Eve



While Avril Lavigne was rocking to her new single What The Hell at Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve, David Archuleta was jamming to two songs from his latest sophomore pop album The Other Side of Down which saw the youngster brave the cold and deliver two energetic performances of the title track and Elevator which you can check above and below respectively. One thing about Archuleta, is that he's always a fantastic singer and this was no exception.

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:58 PM | comment link here





Avril Lavigne new track: What The Hell



It's the new year, and Avril Lavigne is the first artist to premiere new music. Technically, the pop/rock superstar should be worried. Her last proper album release was the pre-Gaga world but all worries are thrown in the air with What The Hell. Needless to say, it's incredibly amazing, the kind your rock around the room with. It's catchy, more meaningful than the best of Ke$ha's single, and it doesn't masquerade as an 'inspirational' song, and is just a properly fun, pop track. I. Love. It. Bring on the album!

Download Link: HERE
Download Link 2: HERE



Above is the performance where she debuted What The Hell and it's good to see Lavigne having fun and giving a kick ass performance. Girl has really stepped it up vocally.

All my life I've been good but now, I'm thinking what the hell!

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Music Reviews 10 @ 4:31 PM | comment link here