01 Justin Bieber
02 Tyler, The Creator
03 Selena Gomez
04 Scotty McCreery
05 Jackie Evancho
06 Mac Miller
07 Demi Lovato
08 Nick Jonas
09 Rye Rye
10 Victoria Justice
11 Lex Luger
12 Il Volo
13 Cody Simpson
14 Willow Smith
15 Greyson Chance
16 Mindless Behaviour
17 HyunA
18 Porter Robinson
19 One Direction
20 Miguelito
21 Miley Cyrus
lol at this list.
MH
Friday, September 30, 2011
VH1′s 100 Greatest Songs of the ’00s”
“VH1′s 100 Greatest Songs of the ’00s” List:
1.
Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, “Crazy in Love”
2. OutKast, “Hey Ya!”
3. Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
4. Eminem, “Lose Yourself”
5. Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone”
6. Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx, “Gold Digger”
7. Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland, “SexyBack”
8. Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
9. Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together”
10. 50 Cent, “In Da Club”
11. Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, “Umbrella”
12. Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
13. Green Day, “American Idiot”
14. Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy”
15. U2 , “Beautiful Day”
16. Beyoncé, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
17. Coldplay, “Clocks”
18. Christina Aguilera, “Beautiful”
19. Destiny’s Child, “Bootylicious”
20. Britney Spears, “Toxic”
21. Jay-Z , “99 Problems”
22. Alicia Keys, “Fallin’”
23. P!nk, “Get the Party Started”
24. Missy Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On”
25. Nelly, “Hot in Here”
26. The White Stripes, “Seven Nation Army”
27. Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, “Yeah!”
28. Madonna, “Music”
29. Foo Fighters, “The Best of You”
30. Gwen Stefani, “Hollaback Girl”
31. Amy Winehouse, “Rehab”
32. Maroon 5, “This Love”
33. Johnny Cash, “Hurt ”
34. Janet Jackson, “All For You”
35. John Mayer, “Daughters”
36. *NSYNC, “Bye Bye Bye”
37. Britney Spears, “Oops!…I Did It Again”
38. Miley Cyrus, “Party in the U.S.A.”
39. Adele, “Chasing Pavements ”
40. Fall Out Boy, “Sugar, We’re Going Down”
41. R. Kelly, “Trapped in the Closet”
42. Train, “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)”
43. Katy Perry, “I Kissed a Girl”
44. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Californication”
45. Eve featuring Gwen Stefani, “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”
46. Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow, “Picture”
47. Christina, Lil’ Kim, Mya, Pink, “Lady Marmalade”
48. Kings of Leon, “Sex On Fire”
49. Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
50. Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”
51. Natasha Bedingfield, “Pocketful of Sunshine”
52. Shakira feautring Wyclef, “Hips Don’t Lie”
53. Blink-182, “All the Small Things ”
54. Norah Jones, “Don’t Know Why”
55. The Killers, “Mr. Brightside”
56. DMX, “Party Up (Up In Here)”
57. Mary J. Blige, “Family Affair”
58. Jason Mraz, “I’m Yours”
59. Justin Timberlake, “Cry Me a River”
60. Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
61. Kelis, “Milkshake”
62. Avril Lavigne, “Complicated”
63. Andrew W.K., “Party Hard”
64. Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule, “I’m Real (Murder Remix)”
65. Aaliyah, “Try Again”
66. Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell, “Drop It Like It’s Hot”
67. Leona Lewis, “Bleeding Love”
68. Ludacris featuring Shawnna, “Stand Up”
69. Evanescence, “Bring Me to Life”
70. Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana, “Run It!”
71. Colbie Caillat, “Bubbly”
72. Jet, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
73. Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland, “Promiscuous”
74. Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone, “Ridin’”
75. Gavin Degraw, “I Don’t Want to Be”
76. T.I. featuring Rihanna, “Live Your Life”
77. Nickleback, “How You Remind Me”
78. Plain White T’s, “Hey There Delilah”
79. Enrique Iglesias, “Hero”
80. Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins, “Get Low”
81. Bruce Springsteen, “The Rising”
82. Matchbox Twenty, “Unwell”
83. D’Angelo, “(Untitled) How Does It Feel”
84. Linkin Park, “In the End”
85. Macy Gray, “I Try”
86. Aerosmith, “Jaded”
87. The Darkness, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
88. Fountains of Wayne, “Stacy’s Mom”
89. M.I.A., “Paper Planes”
90. Mystikal, “Shake Ya Ass”
91. Creed, “With Arms Wide Open”
92. Flo Rida featuring T-Pain, “Low”
93. Ok Go, “Here It Goes Again”
94. Daughtry, “It’s Not Over”
95. James Blunt, “You’re Beautiful”
96. Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes, “Don’t Cha”
97. Shaggy, “It Wasn’t Me”
98. 3 Doors Down, ‘Kryptonite”
99. Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats”
100. Sisq?, “Thong Song”
Quote:
September 29, 201 – VH1 once again declares a new “100 Greatest…” list with the best jams of “the ’00s.” Hosted by Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, VH1 will take viewers on a ride to relieve the decade of Y2K with the 5-night, 1-hour special VH1′s “100 Greatest Songs of the ’00s” starting Monday, October 3 at 10/9c. Additional guest commentators and artists scheduled to appear include Natasha Bedingfield, Kelly Rowland, Train, Colbie Caillat, Lil’ John, The Plain White T’s and more.
Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” featuring Jay-Z comes in at number one, hailing as the decade’s top song followed by OutKast’s 2007 song, “Hey Ya!” The following songs landed rankings three through 10: Lady Gaga, “Poker Face;” Eminem, “Lose Yourself;” Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone;” Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx, “Gold Digger;” Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland, “SexyBack;” Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind;” Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together;” and 50 Cent, “In Da Club.”
How the hell is Slave 4 U not on there. SMH at the list. And Toxic needs to be higher.
MH
1.
Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, “Crazy in Love”
2. OutKast, “Hey Ya!”
3. Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
4. Eminem, “Lose Yourself”
5. Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone”
6. Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx, “Gold Digger”
7. Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland, “SexyBack”
8. Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
9. Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together”
10. 50 Cent, “In Da Club”
11. Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, “Umbrella”
12. Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
13. Green Day, “American Idiot”
14. Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy”
15. U2 , “Beautiful Day”
16. Beyoncé, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
17. Coldplay, “Clocks”
18. Christina Aguilera, “Beautiful”
19. Destiny’s Child, “Bootylicious”
20. Britney Spears, “Toxic”
21. Jay-Z , “99 Problems”
22. Alicia Keys, “Fallin’”
23. P!nk, “Get the Party Started”
24. Missy Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On”
25. Nelly, “Hot in Here”
26. The White Stripes, “Seven Nation Army”
27. Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, “Yeah!”
28. Madonna, “Music”
29. Foo Fighters, “The Best of You”
30. Gwen Stefani, “Hollaback Girl”
31. Amy Winehouse, “Rehab”
32. Maroon 5, “This Love”
33. Johnny Cash, “Hurt ”
34. Janet Jackson, “All For You”
35. John Mayer, “Daughters”
36. *NSYNC, “Bye Bye Bye”
37. Britney Spears, “Oops!…I Did It Again”
38. Miley Cyrus, “Party in the U.S.A.”
39. Adele, “Chasing Pavements ”
40. Fall Out Boy, “Sugar, We’re Going Down”
41. R. Kelly, “Trapped in the Closet”
42. Train, “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)”
43. Katy Perry, “I Kissed a Girl”
44. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Californication”
45. Eve featuring Gwen Stefani, “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”
46. Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow, “Picture”
47. Christina, Lil’ Kim, Mya, Pink, “Lady Marmalade”
48. Kings of Leon, “Sex On Fire”
49. Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
50. Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”
51. Natasha Bedingfield, “Pocketful of Sunshine”
52. Shakira feautring Wyclef, “Hips Don’t Lie”
53. Blink-182, “All the Small Things ”
54. Norah Jones, “Don’t Know Why”
55. The Killers, “Mr. Brightside”
56. DMX, “Party Up (Up In Here)”
57. Mary J. Blige, “Family Affair”
58. Jason Mraz, “I’m Yours”
59. Justin Timberlake, “Cry Me a River”
60. Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
61. Kelis, “Milkshake”
62. Avril Lavigne, “Complicated”
63. Andrew W.K., “Party Hard”
64. Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule, “I’m Real (Murder Remix)”
65. Aaliyah, “Try Again”
66. Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell, “Drop It Like It’s Hot”
67. Leona Lewis, “Bleeding Love”
68. Ludacris featuring Shawnna, “Stand Up”
69. Evanescence, “Bring Me to Life”
70. Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana, “Run It!”
71. Colbie Caillat, “Bubbly”
72. Jet, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
73. Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland, “Promiscuous”
74. Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone, “Ridin’”
75. Gavin Degraw, “I Don’t Want to Be”
76. T.I. featuring Rihanna, “Live Your Life”
77. Nickleback, “How You Remind Me”
78. Plain White T’s, “Hey There Delilah”
79. Enrique Iglesias, “Hero”
80. Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins, “Get Low”
81. Bruce Springsteen, “The Rising”
82. Matchbox Twenty, “Unwell”
83. D’Angelo, “(Untitled) How Does It Feel”
84. Linkin Park, “In the End”
85. Macy Gray, “I Try”
86. Aerosmith, “Jaded”
87. The Darkness, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
88. Fountains of Wayne, “Stacy’s Mom”
89. M.I.A., “Paper Planes”
90. Mystikal, “Shake Ya Ass”
91. Creed, “With Arms Wide Open”
92. Flo Rida featuring T-Pain, “Low”
93. Ok Go, “Here It Goes Again”
94. Daughtry, “It’s Not Over”
95. James Blunt, “You’re Beautiful”
96. Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes, “Don’t Cha”
97. Shaggy, “It Wasn’t Me”
98. 3 Doors Down, ‘Kryptonite”
99. Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats”
100. Sisq?, “Thong Song”
Quote:
September 29, 201 – VH1 once again declares a new “100 Greatest…” list with the best jams of “the ’00s.” Hosted by Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, VH1 will take viewers on a ride to relieve the decade of Y2K with the 5-night, 1-hour special VH1′s “100 Greatest Songs of the ’00s” starting Monday, October 3 at 10/9c. Additional guest commentators and artists scheduled to appear include Natasha Bedingfield, Kelly Rowland, Train, Colbie Caillat, Lil’ John, The Plain White T’s and more.
Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” featuring Jay-Z comes in at number one, hailing as the decade’s top song followed by OutKast’s 2007 song, “Hey Ya!” The following songs landed rankings three through 10: Lady Gaga, “Poker Face;” Eminem, “Lose Yourself;” Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone;” Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx, “Gold Digger;” Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland, “SexyBack;” Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind;” Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together;” and 50 Cent, “In Da Club.”
How the hell is Slave 4 U not on there. SMH at the list. And Toxic needs to be higher.
MH
Pitbull's 4th Single is...
... International Love (Feat. Chris Brown)
Goes for radio adds October 11th
http://www.allaccess.com/top40-rhythmic/future-releases
Goes for radio adds October 11th
http://www.allaccess.com/top40-rhythmic/future-releases
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Leona Lewis Interview
It is early August in London and Leona Lewis is singing. It's subtle and barely loud enough to be heard, but her lips are moving and the delicate sound of her soaring voice can just be be made out. She is standing in the middle of a large photo studio for our Rollacoaster cover shoot and a nearby sound system is blasting out classic hits like Whitney Houston's "Queen of the Nile" and "Set You Free" by N-Trance and she simply cannot resist but sing along. It is easy to imagine that if she were to allow herself to project to full live-performance volume, she would easily match the vocals of the original singers - or effortlessly exceed them.
It was over five years ago that a shy Leona Lewis first appeared on our television screens as part of the third season of The X-Factor. Back before the production values were grossly inflated, hopefuls auditioned in an enclosed room in front of judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osborne, and Lewis' breathtaking rendition of "Over the Rainbow" made a seemingly uninterested Cowell snap to attention and declare, "That's what it's all about!" In the following weeks, the transformation between the timid girl backstage at the live shows and the powerful vocalist in front of the microphone had the nation falling in love, and on December 16, 2006, Lewis triumphed over runner-up Ray Quinn to become the first female winner of the competition.
As the photographer clicks today, the shy girl that was first on our screens is hardly visible. Appearing confident, relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera, Lewis laughs and jokes with the crew over the course of the day and is sure to thank everyone before we leave to talk at a nearby café. It had been almost two years since the release of her second album, Echo, and Lewis has been spending the last several months in recording studios in London, Sweden and LA as she works on the third.
"I can't wait for people to hear it," she says over cappuccinos. "There is a real trip-hop feel to some of it and then there is a real dance feel," she explains. Although fans of the ballads of her first two efforts need not worry as there are still enough of those to keep everybody satisfied. "you've still got to get those in there," she smiles. It was during the course of her sell-out 2010 UK arena tour, titled The Labyrinth, that Lewis decided it was time to shift gears with her music, and her forthcoming album is, in part, a result of the tour's success. "We remixed a lot of ballads into uptempo, energy-driven songs [to perform live]," she recounts. "And a lot of my fans were on Twitter saying, 'We want to hear you do something uptempo like on tour'. I really wanted that to spill over into the album, which is why we did 'Collide'."
Released last week, "Collide" is the first single to be drawn from the new album and reveals the more dancefloor-friendly beats fans can expect to accompany Lewis' signature vocals. The single was intended to be a stomping return for Lewis following months out of the charts and, although well received by critics and fans alike when it was first played on air back in July, online commentators quickly claimed the song "ripped off" the track "Penguin" from musician Avicii. This accusation was swiftly rebuffed by the record label and Lewis herself, and she explains as we talk that she and Avicii were to release "Collide" together. "It's not just in my morals," she tells us, mortified by the plagiarism accusations. "Why would I do that when it would blatantly get found out? Everything I have done is clean cut and above board and I've never done anything dodgy, so the one thing that people turn into a negative, they will. I think it's only a handful of people who want to ramble on about it, but it doesn't bother me," she states, adding defiantly, "Most people know it's not the truth. And I know it's not the truth."
Putting the situation behind her, the single nonetheless serves as a great precursor to the forthcoming album for which Lewis has worked with talents like Emelie Sandé, Sia, and long time collaborator Ryan Tedder. "He's a cool guy to work with," she breathes, still impressed by his song writing abilities. "He can do Adele and then he does One Republic, and the couple he has [for me] are properly dancy - I love that diversity." It would seem obvious that Lewis and Tedder would reunite having worked together on her biggest hit, 2007s "Bleeding Love", which rocketed to the top of music charts the world over and has sold in excess of 4.6 million copies. However, Lewis isn't pressuring herself under the success of her biggest hit. "I was so happy that it was a success and I definitely wanna have records that are as big because I want to keep going. But when 'Bleeding Love' came out there were five people who tried to make 'Bleeding Love' again. And when 'I Gotta Feeling' by Black Eyed Peas came out, ten people tried to recreate that. And it never works. Unless you do something completely different or progressive, then you are just selling yourself short - and I wouldn't want to do that." It must also be encouraging that Simon Cowell trusts her enough to allow her to create the album without him breathing down her next. "it's been amazing to have him and he has given me free reign on this to say when it's finished. Otherwise I would had to have released the album by the end of last year - which would have been really crazy," she says with a sigh of relief. "He is really good to have on side and I guess he really believed in me since the beginning and has always backed me up." Cowell remains the most famous person in Lewis's phone book ("No One tops that") and they speak on the phone "a couple of times a month - especially when the album is wrapping." Would he answer if she were to call him now? "His PA might pick up. He is crazy busy." And what would he say if he did answer? "Have you finished the album yet?" she laughs.
Although more self-assured than when she first came to the nation's attention, one of the attribute that makes Lewis so likeable is that she hasn't let her incredible fame go to her head. She still lives in Hackney, spends her allocated holiday time catching up with her family and manages to avoid desperate tabloid-grabbing behaviour. She reveals a story about one of her tattoos that demonstrates her wicked sense of humour (We nearly choke on our coffee as she offers to "get me tats out"), but then shows her compassionate side when she explains the small heart-shaped tattoo on her chest started to fade the day her tattooist died. It is not the supernatural edfe of this story that strikes us, but the heartfelt empathy she expresses for the wife and young child the tattooist left behind. Aren't celebrities of her calibre only meant to care about themselves? Aren't they supposed to make outlandish statements and attend events looking like they dressed in the dark? Doesn't she worry that some people may consider her personality a bit… boring?
"I've read it," she says. "Especially from one journalist who's never actually met me. But it doesn't bother me. I'd rather be seen like that than a harsh, brash person. If my friends said that, THEN we'd have something to worry about."
With a hectic work schedule, Lewis doesn't always have much time to spend with her friends but relishes every minute when she does. For fun she enjoys nights out at bars and clubs, hosting games nights at her house in Hackney or hanging out in parks - and hints that she might enjoy a night on the sauce more often than the press would be aware "I don't drink at events or when I know that I'm going to be photographed. I'm smart like that," she smiles, before bashfully revealing she last got drunk two days previously during a night out at London restaurant Nobu ("I had the white wine to myself and it must have been really strong…"). Exiting the dining venue, Lewis successfully concealed her intoxication when confronted by an audience of awaiting paparazzi at the establishment's doors - something she wasn't expecting. "I've never had that many paparazzi standing outside anywhere," she gasps. "I guess I've never been to Nobu before. Maybe they called them?"
Furthermore, she wasn't expecting all the positive press she received from Fashion Gossips about her "on trend" attire the following morning. "That was nice!" she beams. "Normally, they're like, 'She looks like shit!'"
Also present in the resulting paparazzi shots is German boyfriend, Dennis Jauch. The paid met while Leona was on her 2010 UK tour and Jauch (pronounced "Yow") performed as her backing dancer. Lewis roars with laughter when we point out that dating your backing dancer is a very Madonna thing to do, but appears reserved when asked if she will give more details about their relationship. "I try not to talk about it too much or give anything away. It's really important to have that as part of your private life," she states flatly, and seems pleased when we concede that we had been unsure whether she was even seeing anymore before the Nobu photographs, as her conversations about or appearances with Jauch are almost nil. "It is a definite worry that the press would want to expose anything from romantic relationships to life with your family. I don't want my brothers or nephews or anyone to be in the media because they haven't chosen to be there. They don't have a voice in it, so it's not fair on them."
Our shoot today is the first part of weeks of promotional work for Lewis and our time to talk is running out, so we quickly ask a final question while we have her in the flesh - does she keep in touch with XFactor runner up Ray Quinn? Her entire face lights up at the mention of his name. "Oh Ray!" she exclaims. "Little Ray! [A Pause] No. I haven't spoken to him in ages!" And yet she seems to know exactly what he's been doing for the last year and half, suggesting she keeps up to date with her fellow X Factor finalist's progress. We said she was compassionate.
Little over a week later and Leona Lewis is back in LA putting the final touches to her album. In the time since our shoot, London has descended into anarchy with riots raging across the capital over a three day period. Lewis' home area, Hackney, became engulfed in the street fighting and the star was at home when trouble started. Two cars were torched near her front door and her dad came close to being swept up in the carnage while traveling to her house to deliver a CD. "He saw this guy smash in a Mini's window and throw a petrol bomb in there, so he called me and was like, "Erm, how badly do you need this CD?" and I was like, "You need to run home right now!" It was insane!"
She describes the violence as both "disgusting" and "traumatising" but insists Hackney will remain her home. "You have to remember it is a very poor area and they're taking away funding for youth programmes but I just think [the rioting] was literally some hood rats that jumped on the bandwagon to go a bit insane. There are actually some really lovely areas in Hackney."
Staying in LA for ten days, Lewis is "keeping on top of things" by remaining on British time. Her resulting early mornings followed by hours in the studios and then heading to bed while the sun is still blazing show an incredibly hard working attitude. But hard work in the nature of the business and there are a number of busy months ahead with scheduled TV appearances, album promotions, performance dates in Japan and a mini tour of America - the last of which she is especially looking forward to, having initially been scheduled to support Christina Aguilera last year on her North American tour, which was cancelled at the final hour by the American following a number of personal issues ("How very dare she!" she jokes).
When she thinks back to the person she was on the X Factor, Lewis feels she's changed exponentially, but naturally. "i've come a long way since then and I've grown as a performer, as a singer, everything. I was in that weird teenage-adult stage for a long time - making decisions that perhaps weren't right, but I've realised in the last couple of years that I have grown up and I know myself so much more."
And in the time that we spoke has she got back in touch with Ray Quinn?
"No!" she wails apologetically. "i just haven't had any time. I'm sure we'll bump into each other at some point. I need to… because he's so cute!"
Very good read.
MH
It was over five years ago that a shy Leona Lewis first appeared on our television screens as part of the third season of The X-Factor. Back before the production values were grossly inflated, hopefuls auditioned in an enclosed room in front of judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osborne, and Lewis' breathtaking rendition of "Over the Rainbow" made a seemingly uninterested Cowell snap to attention and declare, "That's what it's all about!" In the following weeks, the transformation between the timid girl backstage at the live shows and the powerful vocalist in front of the microphone had the nation falling in love, and on December 16, 2006, Lewis triumphed over runner-up Ray Quinn to become the first female winner of the competition.
As the photographer clicks today, the shy girl that was first on our screens is hardly visible. Appearing confident, relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera, Lewis laughs and jokes with the crew over the course of the day and is sure to thank everyone before we leave to talk at a nearby café. It had been almost two years since the release of her second album, Echo, and Lewis has been spending the last several months in recording studios in London, Sweden and LA as she works on the third.
"I can't wait for people to hear it," she says over cappuccinos. "There is a real trip-hop feel to some of it and then there is a real dance feel," she explains. Although fans of the ballads of her first two efforts need not worry as there are still enough of those to keep everybody satisfied. "you've still got to get those in there," she smiles. It was during the course of her sell-out 2010 UK arena tour, titled The Labyrinth, that Lewis decided it was time to shift gears with her music, and her forthcoming album is, in part, a result of the tour's success. "We remixed a lot of ballads into uptempo, energy-driven songs [to perform live]," she recounts. "And a lot of my fans were on Twitter saying, 'We want to hear you do something uptempo like on tour'. I really wanted that to spill over into the album, which is why we did 'Collide'."
Released last week, "Collide" is the first single to be drawn from the new album and reveals the more dancefloor-friendly beats fans can expect to accompany Lewis' signature vocals. The single was intended to be a stomping return for Lewis following months out of the charts and, although well received by critics and fans alike when it was first played on air back in July, online commentators quickly claimed the song "ripped off" the track "Penguin" from musician Avicii. This accusation was swiftly rebuffed by the record label and Lewis herself, and she explains as we talk that she and Avicii were to release "Collide" together. "It's not just in my morals," she tells us, mortified by the plagiarism accusations. "Why would I do that when it would blatantly get found out? Everything I have done is clean cut and above board and I've never done anything dodgy, so the one thing that people turn into a negative, they will. I think it's only a handful of people who want to ramble on about it, but it doesn't bother me," she states, adding defiantly, "Most people know it's not the truth. And I know it's not the truth."
Putting the situation behind her, the single nonetheless serves as a great precursor to the forthcoming album for which Lewis has worked with talents like Emelie Sandé, Sia, and long time collaborator Ryan Tedder. "He's a cool guy to work with," she breathes, still impressed by his song writing abilities. "He can do Adele and then he does One Republic, and the couple he has [for me] are properly dancy - I love that diversity." It would seem obvious that Lewis and Tedder would reunite having worked together on her biggest hit, 2007s "Bleeding Love", which rocketed to the top of music charts the world over and has sold in excess of 4.6 million copies. However, Lewis isn't pressuring herself under the success of her biggest hit. "I was so happy that it was a success and I definitely wanna have records that are as big because I want to keep going. But when 'Bleeding Love' came out there were five people who tried to make 'Bleeding Love' again. And when 'I Gotta Feeling' by Black Eyed Peas came out, ten people tried to recreate that. And it never works. Unless you do something completely different or progressive, then you are just selling yourself short - and I wouldn't want to do that." It must also be encouraging that Simon Cowell trusts her enough to allow her to create the album without him breathing down her next. "it's been amazing to have him and he has given me free reign on this to say when it's finished. Otherwise I would had to have released the album by the end of last year - which would have been really crazy," she says with a sigh of relief. "He is really good to have on side and I guess he really believed in me since the beginning and has always backed me up." Cowell remains the most famous person in Lewis's phone book ("No One tops that") and they speak on the phone "a couple of times a month - especially when the album is wrapping." Would he answer if she were to call him now? "His PA might pick up. He is crazy busy." And what would he say if he did answer? "Have you finished the album yet?" she laughs.
Although more self-assured than when she first came to the nation's attention, one of the attribute that makes Lewis so likeable is that she hasn't let her incredible fame go to her head. She still lives in Hackney, spends her allocated holiday time catching up with her family and manages to avoid desperate tabloid-grabbing behaviour. She reveals a story about one of her tattoos that demonstrates her wicked sense of humour (We nearly choke on our coffee as she offers to "get me tats out"), but then shows her compassionate side when she explains the small heart-shaped tattoo on her chest started to fade the day her tattooist died. It is not the supernatural edfe of this story that strikes us, but the heartfelt empathy she expresses for the wife and young child the tattooist left behind. Aren't celebrities of her calibre only meant to care about themselves? Aren't they supposed to make outlandish statements and attend events looking like they dressed in the dark? Doesn't she worry that some people may consider her personality a bit… boring?
"I've read it," she says. "Especially from one journalist who's never actually met me. But it doesn't bother me. I'd rather be seen like that than a harsh, brash person. If my friends said that, THEN we'd have something to worry about."
With a hectic work schedule, Lewis doesn't always have much time to spend with her friends but relishes every minute when she does. For fun she enjoys nights out at bars and clubs, hosting games nights at her house in Hackney or hanging out in parks - and hints that she might enjoy a night on the sauce more often than the press would be aware "I don't drink at events or when I know that I'm going to be photographed. I'm smart like that," she smiles, before bashfully revealing she last got drunk two days previously during a night out at London restaurant Nobu ("I had the white wine to myself and it must have been really strong…"). Exiting the dining venue, Lewis successfully concealed her intoxication when confronted by an audience of awaiting paparazzi at the establishment's doors - something she wasn't expecting. "I've never had that many paparazzi standing outside anywhere," she gasps. "I guess I've never been to Nobu before. Maybe they called them?"
Furthermore, she wasn't expecting all the positive press she received from Fashion Gossips about her "on trend" attire the following morning. "That was nice!" she beams. "Normally, they're like, 'She looks like shit!'"
Also present in the resulting paparazzi shots is German boyfriend, Dennis Jauch. The paid met while Leona was on her 2010 UK tour and Jauch (pronounced "Yow") performed as her backing dancer. Lewis roars with laughter when we point out that dating your backing dancer is a very Madonna thing to do, but appears reserved when asked if she will give more details about their relationship. "I try not to talk about it too much or give anything away. It's really important to have that as part of your private life," she states flatly, and seems pleased when we concede that we had been unsure whether she was even seeing anymore before the Nobu photographs, as her conversations about or appearances with Jauch are almost nil. "It is a definite worry that the press would want to expose anything from romantic relationships to life with your family. I don't want my brothers or nephews or anyone to be in the media because they haven't chosen to be there. They don't have a voice in it, so it's not fair on them."
Our shoot today is the first part of weeks of promotional work for Lewis and our time to talk is running out, so we quickly ask a final question while we have her in the flesh - does she keep in touch with XFactor runner up Ray Quinn? Her entire face lights up at the mention of his name. "Oh Ray!" she exclaims. "Little Ray! [A Pause] No. I haven't spoken to him in ages!" And yet she seems to know exactly what he's been doing for the last year and half, suggesting she keeps up to date with her fellow X Factor finalist's progress. We said she was compassionate.
Little over a week later and Leona Lewis is back in LA putting the final touches to her album. In the time since our shoot, London has descended into anarchy with riots raging across the capital over a three day period. Lewis' home area, Hackney, became engulfed in the street fighting and the star was at home when trouble started. Two cars were torched near her front door and her dad came close to being swept up in the carnage while traveling to her house to deliver a CD. "He saw this guy smash in a Mini's window and throw a petrol bomb in there, so he called me and was like, "Erm, how badly do you need this CD?" and I was like, "You need to run home right now!" It was insane!"
She describes the violence as both "disgusting" and "traumatising" but insists Hackney will remain her home. "You have to remember it is a very poor area and they're taking away funding for youth programmes but I just think [the rioting] was literally some hood rats that jumped on the bandwagon to go a bit insane. There are actually some really lovely areas in Hackney."
Staying in LA for ten days, Lewis is "keeping on top of things" by remaining on British time. Her resulting early mornings followed by hours in the studios and then heading to bed while the sun is still blazing show an incredibly hard working attitude. But hard work in the nature of the business and there are a number of busy months ahead with scheduled TV appearances, album promotions, performance dates in Japan and a mini tour of America - the last of which she is especially looking forward to, having initially been scheduled to support Christina Aguilera last year on her North American tour, which was cancelled at the final hour by the American following a number of personal issues ("How very dare she!" she jokes).
When she thinks back to the person she was on the X Factor, Lewis feels she's changed exponentially, but naturally. "i've come a long way since then and I've grown as a performer, as a singer, everything. I was in that weird teenage-adult stage for a long time - making decisions that perhaps weren't right, but I've realised in the last couple of years that I have grown up and I know myself so much more."
And in the time that we spoke has she got back in touch with Ray Quinn?
"No!" she wails apologetically. "i just haven't had any time. I'm sure we'll bump into each other at some point. I need to… because he's so cute!"
Very good read.
MH
Katy Perry's 6th Single Is...
Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Such is the thinking, as voiced by EMI Music/Capitol Records EVP/marketing and promotion Greg Thompson, behind the label's decision to release a sixth pop radio single from Katy Perry's album, "Teenage Dream."
The set's "The One That Got Away" goes for airplay next month.
The label stressed that it is not specifically releasing "One" with the hopes of rewriting Hot 100 history. Rather, the decision factors in Perry's fondness for the song, its ear-catching hook and her obvious track record of success at pop radio.
"If it goes to No. 1, that would be great," said Thompson. "If not, we still have a Katy song on the radio in fourth quarter," potentially fueling further sales for "Dream" in the busiest of shopping seasons.
Even if "One" is not a Hot 100 No. 1, Perry still offers her fans the gift of a Yuletide-timed release. If it does reach the apex, Perry herself opens the gift of unprecedented Hot 100 history.
Adding to the song's chart-topping potential: a "touch-up," i.e., a Dr. Luke-produced radio edit of the album version, according to Thompson, and a video. The label is currently "reading treatments" for the proposed clip. (Perry penned the song with Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald) and Max Martin).
Perry's "California Dreams Tour," which kicked off in February, continues with U.S., South American and European dates through Dec. 1. Of the 40 concerts reported to Billboard Boxscore, the tour has grossed $22 million and played to 408,000 fans.
http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200#/news/katy-perry-s-sixth-teenage-dream-single-1005351222.story
Nice choice.
MH
Such is the thinking, as voiced by EMI Music/Capitol Records EVP/marketing and promotion Greg Thompson, behind the label's decision to release a sixth pop radio single from Katy Perry's album, "Teenage Dream."
The set's "The One That Got Away" goes for airplay next month.
The label stressed that it is not specifically releasing "One" with the hopes of rewriting Hot 100 history. Rather, the decision factors in Perry's fondness for the song, its ear-catching hook and her obvious track record of success at pop radio.
"If it goes to No. 1, that would be great," said Thompson. "If not, we still have a Katy song on the radio in fourth quarter," potentially fueling further sales for "Dream" in the busiest of shopping seasons.
Even if "One" is not a Hot 100 No. 1, Perry still offers her fans the gift of a Yuletide-timed release. If it does reach the apex, Perry herself opens the gift of unprecedented Hot 100 history.
Adding to the song's chart-topping potential: a "touch-up," i.e., a Dr. Luke-produced radio edit of the album version, according to Thompson, and a video. The label is currently "reading treatments" for the proposed clip. (Perry penned the song with Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald) and Max Martin).
Perry's "California Dreams Tour," which kicked off in February, continues with U.S., South American and European dates through Dec. 1. Of the 40 concerts reported to Billboard Boxscore, the tour has grossed $22 million and played to 408,000 fans.
http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200#/news/katy-perry-s-sixth-teenage-dream-single-1005351222.story
Nice choice.
MH
Friday, September 9, 2011
Rolling Stone: 'I Wanna Go' Best Song of Summer
10. Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera, 'Moves Like Jagger'
NBC's The Voice seemed like another American Idol knock-off doomed to the same reality show dustbin where Chains of Love and Love Cruise now reside. Surprisingly enough, the show found a huge audience –and managed to reinvigorate the careers of judges Adam Levine and Christine Aguilera. They teamed up on this dance song that became a much-needed radio hit for both artists. It also joins the list of recent pop songs to reference Mick Jagger – including Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" and Kanye West's "Swagga Like Us."
9. Adele, 'Rolling In The Deep'
The biggest album of the year was supposed to be Lady Gaga's Born This Way. Then Adele came out of nowhere with her second album 21 and crushed everything in its path. The LP was propelled by the single "Rolling In The Deep," which has been inescapable all year. It's been on Gossip Girl, Glee and pretty much every other show on television. "I love seeing Lady Gaga's boobs and bum,"Adele told Rolling Stone in April. "I love seeing Katy Perry's boobs and bum. Love it. But that's not what my music is about. I don't make music for eyes. I make music for ears."
8. Good Charlotte, '1979'
No, Good Charlotte didn't release a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" this summer. This is an original song that looks back nostalgically on a simpler time. "The Clash was on the radio," Joel Madden sings. "And Mom and Dad were still in love in 1979. It was a good good year." He also references "Heart of Glass," "Rock & Roll High School" and "Dream Police." Madden was born in March of 1979, so the dude must have a pretty good memory.
7. Lady Gaga, 'Edge of Glory'
Lady Gaga wrote this song about her grandfather dying, but after recruiting Clarence Clemons to play sax on the song it's become an unlikely tribute to the the Big Man. He played the track with her on the finale of American Idol and shot a video for it shortly before he died. "She's the real deal," Clemons told Rolling Stone in February. "All the craziness and stuff, there's a purpose to all of it. She has no boundaries . . . It's a day I'll never forget. I always wait for Bruce to call and say 'come do this' and it's real exciting for me. I never saw this happening, though."
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers, 'The Adventures of Raindance Maggie'
The Red Hot Chili Peppers had a lot to prove when they released the first single from I'm With You. It was the public's first look at new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who has the incredibly difficult task of replacing the mighty John Frusciante. The debut single "The Adventures of Raindance Maggie" charted all over the world, and hit Number One on the American Rock Songs chart – proving the band does have life after Frusciante. For the video, they took a page out of the Beatles and U2 playbook by playing on a rooftop. Unlike those previous two rooftop shoots, nobody tried to shut them down.
5. Panic! at the Disco, 'Ready to Go (Get Out of My Mind)'
Panic! at the Disco have had a rough past few years. Their 2008 LP Pretty. Odd was a drastic change from their emo roots, and they even dropped the exclamation mark from their name. Fans were pissed, and they just got angrier when half the band left the group in the summer of 2009. On their newest album they brought back the exclamation mark and their old sound. What remains of their fanbase is very pleased.
4. Coldplay, 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall'
Coldplay are one of the last rock bands that can reliably release a big hit single in advance of every new album. Hell, even U2 can't pull that off anymore. Coldplay say that their upcoming Mylo Xyloto is inspired by 1980s American graffiti, and the video for "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" certainly plays into that theme. It remains to be seen whether Coldplay can keep up this momentum with their next few singles from the LP.
3. Foo Fighters, 'Walk'
During Nirvana's heyday few people predicted that the drummer would pull a Phil Collins and become a superstar outside of the band, but that's exactly what he's done. The Foo Fighters just seem to get more and more popular. As big as they are here in America, they're even bigger in Europe. It's truly remarkable. Their new album Wasting Light was cut in Dave Grohl's garage with Nevermind producer Butch Vig. The single "Walk" was inspired by Dave Grohl's attempts to teach his daughter to walk.
2. Foster the People, 'Pumped Up Kicks'
"Pumped Up Kicks" sounds like a sugary pop song, but when you stop and listen to the lyrics it's clear the song is about a psychotic kid who pulls a gun on the popular kids at this school. It's sort of a "Jeremy" for a new generation. Recorded by the Los Angeles indie pop band Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks" is one of the surprise hits of 2011, rising to Number Three on the Billboard Hot 100.
1. Britney Spears, 'I Wanna Go'
This contest wasn't even close. Britney won by a landslide, which shouldn't come as any surprise. The woman works with the most successful pop songwriters in the industry. This track was co-written by Swedish songwriting legend Max Martin – the man behind everything from "Since U Been Gone" to "I Want It That Way" to Britney's first hit "...Baby One More Time." He's a 40-year-old Swedish guy, but he knows exactly what American teenage girls want to blast in their cars. The video for "I Wanna Go" starts with Britney giving a press conference, which is hysterical because she's one of the least media-accessible singers in the world. It's easier to get a sit-down with Bob Dylan than it is with Britney.
NBC's The Voice seemed like another American Idol knock-off doomed to the same reality show dustbin where Chains of Love and Love Cruise now reside. Surprisingly enough, the show found a huge audience –and managed to reinvigorate the careers of judges Adam Levine and Christine Aguilera. They teamed up on this dance song that became a much-needed radio hit for both artists. It also joins the list of recent pop songs to reference Mick Jagger – including Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" and Kanye West's "Swagga Like Us."
9. Adele, 'Rolling In The Deep'
The biggest album of the year was supposed to be Lady Gaga's Born This Way. Then Adele came out of nowhere with her second album 21 and crushed everything in its path. The LP was propelled by the single "Rolling In The Deep," which has been inescapable all year. It's been on Gossip Girl, Glee and pretty much every other show on television. "I love seeing Lady Gaga's boobs and bum,"Adele told Rolling Stone in April. "I love seeing Katy Perry's boobs and bum. Love it. But that's not what my music is about. I don't make music for eyes. I make music for ears."
8. Good Charlotte, '1979'
No, Good Charlotte didn't release a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" this summer. This is an original song that looks back nostalgically on a simpler time. "The Clash was on the radio," Joel Madden sings. "And Mom and Dad were still in love in 1979. It was a good good year." He also references "Heart of Glass," "Rock & Roll High School" and "Dream Police." Madden was born in March of 1979, so the dude must have a pretty good memory.
7. Lady Gaga, 'Edge of Glory'
Lady Gaga wrote this song about her grandfather dying, but after recruiting Clarence Clemons to play sax on the song it's become an unlikely tribute to the the Big Man. He played the track with her on the finale of American Idol and shot a video for it shortly before he died. "She's the real deal," Clemons told Rolling Stone in February. "All the craziness and stuff, there's a purpose to all of it. She has no boundaries . . . It's a day I'll never forget. I always wait for Bruce to call and say 'come do this' and it's real exciting for me. I never saw this happening, though."
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers, 'The Adventures of Raindance Maggie'
The Red Hot Chili Peppers had a lot to prove when they released the first single from I'm With You. It was the public's first look at new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who has the incredibly difficult task of replacing the mighty John Frusciante. The debut single "The Adventures of Raindance Maggie" charted all over the world, and hit Number One on the American Rock Songs chart – proving the band does have life after Frusciante. For the video, they took a page out of the Beatles and U2 playbook by playing on a rooftop. Unlike those previous two rooftop shoots, nobody tried to shut them down.
5. Panic! at the Disco, 'Ready to Go (Get Out of My Mind)'
Panic! at the Disco have had a rough past few years. Their 2008 LP Pretty. Odd was a drastic change from their emo roots, and they even dropped the exclamation mark from their name. Fans were pissed, and they just got angrier when half the band left the group in the summer of 2009. On their newest album they brought back the exclamation mark and their old sound. What remains of their fanbase is very pleased.
4. Coldplay, 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall'
Coldplay are one of the last rock bands that can reliably release a big hit single in advance of every new album. Hell, even U2 can't pull that off anymore. Coldplay say that their upcoming Mylo Xyloto is inspired by 1980s American graffiti, and the video for "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" certainly plays into that theme. It remains to be seen whether Coldplay can keep up this momentum with their next few singles from the LP.
3. Foo Fighters, 'Walk'
During Nirvana's heyday few people predicted that the drummer would pull a Phil Collins and become a superstar outside of the band, but that's exactly what he's done. The Foo Fighters just seem to get more and more popular. As big as they are here in America, they're even bigger in Europe. It's truly remarkable. Their new album Wasting Light was cut in Dave Grohl's garage with Nevermind producer Butch Vig. The single "Walk" was inspired by Dave Grohl's attempts to teach his daughter to walk.
2. Foster the People, 'Pumped Up Kicks'
"Pumped Up Kicks" sounds like a sugary pop song, but when you stop and listen to the lyrics it's clear the song is about a psychotic kid who pulls a gun on the popular kids at this school. It's sort of a "Jeremy" for a new generation. Recorded by the Los Angeles indie pop band Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks" is one of the surprise hits of 2011, rising to Number Three on the Billboard Hot 100.
1. Britney Spears, 'I Wanna Go'
This contest wasn't even close. Britney won by a landslide, which shouldn't come as any surprise. The woman works with the most successful pop songwriters in the industry. This track was co-written by Swedish songwriting legend Max Martin – the man behind everything from "Since U Been Gone" to "I Want It That Way" to Britney's first hit "...Baby One More Time." He's a 40-year-old Swedish guy, but he knows exactly what American teenage girls want to blast in their cars. The video for "I Wanna Go" starts with Britney giving a press conference, which is hysterical because she's one of the least media-accessible singers in the world. It's easier to get a sit-down with Bob Dylan than it is with Britney.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Adele To Record Theme For James Bond Movie?
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/09/03/adele-to-sing-bond-theme
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/5560950/Adele-stirred-by-new-project
Quote:
Soul superstar Adele has sent fans into a frenzy by hinting she is next in line to record a James Bond theme.
The London-born singer teased her big secret during an interview with U.K. TV host Jonathan Ross after he asked about her upcoming projects.
Adele mentioned the recording studio, before blurting out, "It is actually a theme, what I've got to do. Wow, that's really giving something away!"
She then covered her mouth, and Ross began humming the Bond theme tune. Adele added, "It's a concept. One song."
Adele will be in good company if she does end up on the spy soundtrack - Jack White and Alicia Keys, Madonna, Sir Paul McCartney and Dame Shirley Bassey have all released 007 themes.
The full interview with Ross is due to air on U.K. TV on Saturday.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/5560950/Adele-stirred-by-new-project
Quote:
Soul superstar Adele has sent fans into a frenzy by hinting she is next in line to record a James Bond theme.
The London-born singer teased her big secret during an interview with U.K. TV host Jonathan Ross after he asked about her upcoming projects.
Adele mentioned the recording studio, before blurting out, "It is actually a theme, what I've got to do. Wow, that's really giving something away!"
She then covered her mouth, and Ross began humming the Bond theme tune. Adele added, "It's a concept. One song."
Adele will be in good company if she does end up on the spy soundtrack - Jack White and Alicia Keys, Madonna, Sir Paul McCartney and Dame Shirley Bassey have all released 007 themes.
The full interview with Ross is due to air on U.K. TV on Saturday.
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