VH1's 10 Biggest Flops of 2013

VH1 wrote:

While we like celebrating the biggest comebacks, our favorite songs and albums and all the insanely awesome GIFs, sometimes things are just a flop. This year was filled with a number failures, whether it was albums (sorry, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake), music videos (all Kanye) or reunions (98 Degrees had nothing on the competition). Unfortunately for these artists, things didn’t work out. Here are the biggest flops of 2013: 10. 98 Degrees Reunion One expected trend to happen this year: ‘90s pop group reunions. Destiny’s Child got back together during the Super Bowl, Backstreet Boys reunited the original line up for a new album and world tour, and N*SYNC shared the stage at the MTV VMAs. Meanwhile, 98 Degrees reunited and released a new album with little fanfare. The group, which was always came in third to BSB and N*SYNC, failed to make headlines like the other reunions. The group’s performance on The Sing-Off was a wonderful reminder of their talent, but it was too little too late. 9. The Other Two Members Of Destiny’s Child After reuniting at the Super Bowl, 2013 looked like a promising year for all three members of Destiny’s Child. While Bey went on tour (and secretly worked on her album), Kelly Rowland signed up to judge the X Factor and released her fourth solo album. Talk A Good Game was generally liked but failed to burn up the charts. Her judging stint did nothing to boost ratings for the reality competition series. Meanwhile, Michelle Williams announced that she was releasing her fourth solo album and starring in a new reality show. However, by the end of 2013 neither one materialized. She merely became a footnote in Bey’s outstanding year. We miss you girls together, please come back. 8. American Idol After a sharp decline in 2012, American Idol continued its track downward in 2013. There was nothing the show could do to reignite the love for the series, especially against stiff competition like The Voice and it’s a cappella kid-sister, The Sing-Off. Even though Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj both signed on as judges, the two failed to do anything except squabble with each other. And both failed to get the career boost from the series that was last enjoyed by Jennifer Lopez. 7. Mariah Carey Failing to enjoy the career boost other judges usually have received in the past, Mariah Carey wasn’t able to do anything spectacular with her American Idol platform. She initially kicked off the summer with easily one of the best jams, “#Beautiful.” However, she never followed it up with anything leaving fans wanting more and wondering if they’d ever get a new studio album. Even though she was considered one of the biggest comebacks of the summer, she flopped on closing out the year. 6. Britney Spears, Britney Jean It’s too early to tell if the album is truly a flop but given the mediocre response, it’s certainly a disappointment. Presented as the deepest Britney record, it’s mainly just a shell of what the singer once was. Clearly fans took notice. Britney Jean was the lowest debut for the artist landing at number 4 with 107,000 copies in the first week. “Work Bitch,” her first single failed to connect with fans. Although the singer has a loyal fan base with gays, she still has to produce good music in order to get people to buy what she’s offering. 5. Azealia Banks After blowing up on YouTube and building a rabid Internet fan base, Banks quickly became the one to watch. For nearly two years, fans and critics have been waiting for an album that never materialized. Then there was that homophobic Twitter feud with Perez Hilton and her last-minute cancellation of a headlining performance at Lollapalooza. Sorry Azealia, time’s up. In 2014, we’re banking on Angel Haze. 4. Kanye West, Bound 2 Music Video While no one can take away from the critical success of Yeezus, there have been a few questionable moments in the promotion of the album. The worst (and biggest disappointing) moment of them all was the music video for the standout track, “Bound 2.” The Lisa Frank-inspired video featuring a half-naked Kim straddling Kanye’s literal motorcycle was not the visual anyone expected. When compared to the other outstanding videos the rapper has produced, it was hard to understand how or why anyone involved thought this was a good idea. 3. Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience Pt. II Even though VH1 listed Justin Timberlake as the year’s biggest comeback, it doesn’t takeaway from the disappointment of his second album this year. Given the strength and success of The 20/20 Experience, it felt greedy (and unnecessary) to release a second album of original music that didn’t hold up to the first. 2. Lana Del Rey, Tropico Short Film First question: Why? Second question: No, seriously, why? Given the success Lana Del Rey had this year (earning Original Song Oscar buzz for “Young & Beautiful” and scoring her first Top 10 hit with a remix of “Summertime Sadness”), it really makes no sense why she released a 30-minute short film featuring three old songs other than to hold onto people’s attention as she makes fans wait for her next album. If the video had been good, then no one would be bothered but it wasn’t. The film was a bloated, awkwardly literal version of three less-than-stellar tracks. Gaga she’s not and considering Gaga’s year, LDR might want to channel someone else in 2014. 1. Lady Gaga, ARTPOP Perhaps in a decade from now, fans and critics alike will look back on this album as something special for the music it delivered. Until then, Artpop will just be regarded as a massive commercial failure focused squarely too much on stunts and not on the music. Given how much Gaga outdoes herself with each new album, it is no surprise that Artpop buckled under the pressure. However no one is feeling the pain more than her record label, which sank $25 million into making this spectacle profitable while Lorde, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus easily ran away with all the success and the attention.

Ashley Tisdale's album will be mostly pop

With 2014 right around the bend, Ashley Tisdale once again has fans' attention after releasing "You're Always Here," earlier this month. But she notes that her deeply personal ballad, about the loss of her grandfather, doesn't really tease what her new album will sound like. "I'm still trying to find exactly where I want to go with that. I've been heading towards a specific direction and I think that's where I'm going to be," she told MTV News. "It's obviously still pop and we've been playing with more dance pop. My last album was pop rock, so I definitely kind of have been more into the dancier type of pop songs. It's definitely heavily pop for sure." And while she's been hard at work on the music, she hasn't quite nailed down a release date. It's been four years since she released an album with 2009's Guilty Pleasure. "I don't even know if I'm just going to do singles or do an album. It's really just me going into the studio and doing what I love," she said. "I've been inspired to start doing music again. I've been really excited to be back in the studio and figuring out what that next sound is. But I definitely missed it and I'm having a lot of fun with it, so we will see."

full article here.

Britney Spears reveals setlist for Vegas show

Britney Spears has revealed the setlist for her 'Piece of Me' Las Vegas residency.

The tracklisting was revealed during a teaser for Spears's I Am Britney Jean documentary.

The popstar will open her show with Britney Jean lead single 'Work Bitch', followed by 2008 single 'Womanizer'.

will.i.am collaboration 'Scream and Shout' will also feature in the show, as well as her 2003 single 'Me Against the Music', featuring Madonna.

Notable omissions include fan favourites 'Everytime', 'Overprotected' and 'Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know'.

The setlist for 'Piece of Me' in full:

Work Bitch
1. Work Bitch
2. Womanizer
3. 3
4. Oops… I Did It Again
5. ...Baby One More Time
6. Me Against The Music
7. Slave 4 U
8. Toxic
9. Circus
10. Scream and Shout
11. Till The World Ends
12. Piece Of Me
13. Hot As Ice
14. Boys
15. Perfume
16. I Wanna Go
17. Lucky
18. Stronger
19. If U Seek Amy
20. Get Naked (I Got A Plan)
21. (You Drive Me) Crazy
22. Do Somethin'
23. Freakshow
24. Gimme More


Britney Spears's 'Piece Of Me' Vegas residency kicks off at Planet Hollywood on December 27

Billboard's 20 Best Songs of 2013

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20 Bruno Mars, "Treasure" Bruno Mars' throwback single, about the love he's got for a girl that isn't beaming like she should be (yet), made more than a few fans smile this year. 19 Paramore, "Still Into You" This joyous corkscrew of a love song crystallizes Paramore's unexpected, deeply enjoyable 2013 comeback -- "Let 'em wonder how we got this far," Hayley Williams sings, "'Cause I don't really need to wonder at all." 18 MIGOS feat. Drake, "Versace (Remix)" Named after the fashion house, MIGOS' single had the South rumbling for a bit, but it wasn't until rap stud Drake hopped on it for arguably the best guest verse of 2013 that it quaked throughout the country. 17 Luke Bryan, "That's My Kind of Night" Country music's biggest new star had humble plans for his kind of night -- driving a truck, having his gal by his side, and a catfish dinner, perhaps -- but "That's My Kind of Night" was anything but straightforward, especially given its nod toward hip-hop with the "Uh! Uh!" opening and the T-Pain name-check. 16 Pusha T, "Numbers on the Boards" After his debut album faced countless delays, Pusha T silenced those who doubted him off the strength of the first "My Name is My Name" single. Over distorted buzzing courtesy of Don Cannon and Kanye West, "Numbers on the Board" featured a sly Pusha T boastfully spitting uncut rhymes of dealing. 15 P!nk & Nate Ruess, "Just Give Me a Reason" Both P!nk and fun.'s Nate Ruess possess the ability to deliver booming choruses, but for their sparkling duet, the pair (mostly) dials down the vocal power to showcase the minute cracks in a crumbled romance. 14 Avicii, "Wake Me Up!" Admit it: the first time you heard the opening acoustic strums of "Wake Me Up!," you crinkled your nose and asked, "Is this REALLY Avicii?" But the EDM maestro's massive beats would be dropping soon enough, this time around the soulful requests of Aloe Blacc. 13 Miley Cyrus, "Wrecking Ball" Swinging nude atop a wrecking ball tends to leave one pretty exposed, but "Wrecking Ball" is even more naked than its music video -- Cyrus sounds on the verge of tears as the song swivels away from its chorus, but then the hook crashes back in with the power of a… well, you know. 12 Vampire Weekend, "Diane Young" "Modern Vampires of the City" shoved Vampire Weekend's African influences into daring new corners, with no songs more evident of the band's playfulness than the euphoric sock hop of "Diane Young." 11 Ciara, "Body Party" Ciara delivered her best steamy slow jam since 2009's "Promise," all while revitalizing Ghost Town DJ's R&B classic "My Boo." "Body Party," which was the foundation of the singer's self-titled album, featured a counted-out singer exuding new confidence above sleek production from Mike WiLL Made-It. 10 Justin Timberlake, "Mirrors" Seven years after bringing sexy back, Justin Timberlake moved on to operatic love songs on "The 20/20 Experience," with none resonating quite as pristinely as the extended bleeding-heart jam "Mirrors." 9 Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell, "Blurred Lines" Forget the backlash: Robin Thicke's suggestive whispers, Pharrell's beaming bounce and T.I.'s charming raps rightly ruled the summer, and gave Thicke his first No. 1 Hot 100 single. 8 Disclosure feat. AlunaGeorge, "White Noise" In a year in which Disclosure and AlunaGeorge watched their audiences and cultural cache grow exponentially, the two duos' wiry, icy-cool collaboration represented a high point for each. 7 Drake, "Hold On, We're Going Home" While his first "Nothing Was the Same" single, "Started from the Bottom," amped listeners for Drake's third studio album, it was "Hold On, We're Going Home" that cemented Drake's sonic versatility. The rapper's light, synth-infused ode to inseparability strode into the Top 5 of the Hot 100 chart, and soon became a must-play at wedding receptions. 6 Kanye West, "Black Skinhead" Fueled by a level of fury and militance never heard in his music before, Kanye West's menacing eruption careened into everything in its path this year. Radio hits be damned -- "Black Skinhead" was raw, unadulterated and unstoppable. 5 Daft Punk feat. Pharrell, "Get Lucky" The Daft Punk gents have engineered generally perfect singles before -- "One More Time," "Around The World," "Digital Love," and the list goes on -- but "Get Lucky" was even warmer and more radio-friendly, even if that radio might exist in another decade. And like the legend of the phoenix, Pharrell Williams' comeback was spectacular, and sorely needed. 4 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Mary Lambert, "Same Love" The triumph of "Same Love" is in its specificity: just as Macklemore uses anecdotes about his childhood and his YouTube perusing to outline the ridiculousness of homophobia, Mary Lambert's message avoids cliche by staying strictly personal: "I can't change, even if I tried, even if I wanted to." "Same Love" is a cry for civil rights presented in a manner that's almost startlingly smart. 3 Lorde, "Royals" The cavernous drums, the finger-snaps, the warped synths that creep in from the edges during the second verse… they're great and all, but the whole affair would feel slight if not for the 16-year-old voice at the center of the storm. Lorde oscillates between disaffected rapping and intoxicating crooning, decrying the falsities of fame while becoming a star herself. 2 Kacey Musgraves, "Follow Your Arrow" You didn't have to be a hardcore country fan to boogie along to Kacey Musgraves' exuberant call to make lots of noise and kiss lots of boys -- or lots of girls, if that's something you're into. Musgraves previously exhibited her whip-smart writing on her somber breakthrough hit "Merry Go Round," but "Follow Your Arrow" was something wholly independent and altogether hopeful -- a helpful reminder that there is no single way to happiness. Spoiler: (Close) 1 Miley Cyrus, "We Can't Stop" Maybe the history books will remember the twerking and tongue-unfurling of the music video, but "We Can't Stop" was one of the bolder musical choices in recent memory, and that risk paid off tremendously. From the moment that Mike WiLL Made-It's beat kicks in with a screwed-down call of "IT'S OUR PARTY, WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT," Cyrus torched her Disney-approved image under the hottest flame of the year.                   I am going to so my own list this list is ridiculous on so many levels. MH

Christina Aguilera Covers 'Life & Style'; Denies Lipo

http://earsucker.com/christina-aguilera-covers-life-talks-liposuction-rumors-62697/

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Christina is fighting back after a report surfaced claiming the star had liposuction. She looks better than ever and sources close to Christina say she worked hard for her new body — see her new diet and exercise plan below. Christina Aguilera, 33, has dropped a reported 35 pounds thanks to diet and exercise, pals tell Life & Style magazine. “Christina didn’t get lipo. She’s worked hard to change her eating habits, and you can see the results,” a Voice insider says. “The last thing Christina wants to hear is that people are talking about her losing weight with liposuction. She’s sick and tired of people assuming things about her body,” a friend tells the magazine. VH1′s The Gossip Table showed a pic of Christina when she was more curvy and we must say she definitely looks gorgeous no matter what! Christina dropped the weight by dieting and working out! “Christina takes her lunches and snacks with her to work now, so she can watch how much she eats instead of overindulging in anything bad for her.” She cut back on alcohol, limiting the empty calories, but occasionally has a glass of wine. “She eats carbs, protein, snacks like pretzels — she just watches how much she eats,” says a friend. Nutritionist Keri Glassman agrees that this works for real women — “If you learn to control portions and also focus on eating the right quality foods — those loaded with fiber and protein — you’ll end up being healthier and lose weight. It’s important not to eat until you’re stuffed and also not to wait until you’re starving.” To burn calories, Christina loves yoga, which doubles to de-stress her. “She loves her body now. She really is happy.” “Whatever size or shape you have, it’s important to embrace it,” Christina has said.

Billboard's 15 Best Albums of 2013

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15 Chance The Rapper, "Acid Rap" To appreciate Chance The Rapper's brilliant "Acid Rap" mixtape to the fullest extent, one has to listen all the way through "Everything's Good (Good Ass Outro)," the latter bookend of the tape, which begins with the Chicago MC on a phone call with his father, thanking him for his love and support. It's a revealing moment that's followed by a typically rapid-fire rap about the ongoing change in Chance's life, and that juxtaposition between the two halves of the outro exhibits who Chance The Rapper really is: a regular guy with a mesmerizing gift for stringing together rhymes. "Acid Rap" improves upon Chance's "10 Day" mixtape in nearly every way, blasting soul music to the forefront and showcasing the rapper's more outlandish instincts. At the beginning of the year, Chance The Rapper was a relative unknown chatting with his dad about a laptop; at the end of 2013, he was releasing songs with Justin Bieber. - Jason Lipshutz 14 Lady Gaga, "ARTPOP" There was the Jeff Koons sculpture, the accompanying app, the shape-shifting performances and the outrageous fashion choices, but the heart of Lady Gaga's "ARTPOP" was a collection of 15 vibrant colors that were uniformly unafraid to exist outside the lines. The slinky sex of "Do What U Want," sneering stomp of "MANiCURE" and exotic sensuality of "Aura" all helped to underline Gaga's versatility, as she strode away from her "Just Dance" persona and delved into more complicated musical matters. "ARTPOP" is the statement of a singer-songwriter who wants to be more than a pop artist, and although the extravagant details surrounding the album cemented Gaga's status as a provocateur, she hasn't lost her touch for creating otherworldly hooks. - Jason Lipshutz 13 CHVRCHES, "The Bones of What You Believe" Unlike their Glassnote labelmates Mumford & Sons and Phoenix, Scottish trio CHVRCHES had their respective sound mastered from the get-go, and audiences responded in kind. "The Bones of What You Believe" makes good on the promise of early singles "Recover" and "The Mother We Share" by giving singer Lauren Mayberry more of the full-bodied synth-pop music that works so well underneath her nimble voice. In a crowded fourth quarter that featured a handful of female pop divas unfurling their best assortment of refrains, Mayberry's delicate yet slicing set of pipes made "The Bones of What You Believe" ripe for repeated visits. - Jason Lipshutz 12 Vampire Weekend, "Modern Vampires of the City" Those of us who remember how Vampire Weekend first penetrated the blogosphere -- on a tsunami of hype, with Ivy league-loathing naysayers poised to lash out before ever hearing more than a couple of songs -- can now clearly recognize that the early champions of the band had it right all along. However, no one could have predicted, after absorbing the spunky guitar licks and tales of cross-campus romance on 2008's "Vampire Weekend," that Ezra Koenig and co. would mature into the ace songwriters of "Modern Vampires of the City," exploring themes of love and loss in a manner that's serious without being joyless. Vampire Weekend's first two albums are great listens, but "Modern Vampires of the City" is their first effort that sounds essential. - Jason Lipshutz 11 Justin Timberlake, "The 20/20 Experience" After years of fans clamoring for Justin Timberlake to return to music, the pop superstar met those demands with a supremely ambitious full-length. The first part of his two-part "20/20 Experience" series featured Timberlake, alongside producer Timbaland, pushing sonic boundaries with six- to eight-minute songs that keenly explored the depths of R&B and unconditional love. Timberlake captivated and charmed listeners from the beginning of his "20/20" promotional run, with award show performances, TV appearances, buzzing singles (“Suit & Tie,” “Mirrors”) and a collaborative tour with Jay Z. In the end, however, the most memorable aspect of JT's return was the sound of his voice dripping with emotion and inner peace. Welcome back, Justin. - Erika Ramirez 10 Kacey Musgraves, "Same Trailer Different Park" 2013 found prized Nashville songwriter Kacey Musgraves coming out from behind the scenes and crafting perhaps the year's most unifying album. "Same Trailer Different Park" transcended country music fandom and crossed over into the hearts of pop fans, indie rock diehards and beyond. It's twangy and catchy, sure, but what really made Musgraves' arrow hit the bullseye was her ability to move the listener with her lyrics, which spun tales of dead-end towns, working-class waitresses and friends-with-benefits relationships. Her subjects may seem hopeless at first glance, but Musgraves always injects enough of her winsome charm to make it seem things like will work out in the end. - Chris Payne 9 Arcade Fire, "Reflektor" Leave it to Arcade Fire to up the ante after winning a Grammy for album of the year, and then delivering on the hype with another classic. Alternative rock's leading husband and wife duo, Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, mused on Greek mythology and oppressed island nations in the follow-up to "The Suburbs," and traded vocals in songs that sound ready to take on the arenas they'll be playing next year. And to prove the band's continued evolution, a famous collaborator, LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, pushed Arcade Fire's sound toward more rhythmic boundaries. How great is "Reflektor"? Great enough to (maybe) make one want to abide by the band's friendly request to wear formal attire worn to their upcoming shows. - Chris Payne 8 Rhye, "Woman" The full-length collaboration of singer/producer Mike Milosh and producer Robin Hannibal is a tough sell based on its description: easy-listening love songs with ornate arrangements and a male singer that sounds like Sade. But then you listen to "Woman," and it all makes sense. Rhye offers strong, guileless songwriting instead of studio tricks, letting the flickers of light from Hannibal's production -- a casual beat, some dramatic string flourishes, maybe a stray wind instrument or two -- guide Milosh's elegantly fragile voice. The 10 songs of "Woman" are beautifully drawn and everlasting, making for one of 2013's most pleasant surprises. - Jason Lipshutz 7 Daft Punk, "Random Access Memories" Eight years removed from their previous full-length, 2005's underwhelming "Human After All," Daft Punk's return was actually right on time -- thanks, in part, to the revival of a genre that hasn’t thrived in four decades: disco. With Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers riding shotgun on the album’s most danceable songs (“Lose Yourself to Dance” and “Get Lucky”) and 2013 all-star contributor Pharrell Williams peddling his falsetto, Daft Punk duo Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter showed that, under their robot helmets, they're still a pair of groove-seeking fellas. - Brad Wete 6 HAIM, "Days Are Gone" For Exhibit A in this year's "Living Up To The Hype" tour, here's HAIM's debut album, which arrived after a handful of killer singles, must-see festival performances and online tutorials on how exactly to pronounce 'HAIM' (in case you forgot, it rhymes with 'rhyme'). "Days Are Gone" distributed the immediate hooks of early tracks like "Don't Save Me" and "Forever" across a brightly colored album, with producer Ariel Rechtshaid tightening the screws on the ferociously fun rock song "The Wire" as well as "Honey & I," which sounds like the best song Fleetwood Mac never recorded. Este, Danielle and Alana Haim have learned how to flourish in the spotlight after years of playing together in a family band, and no song on "Days Are Gone" shrinks from greatness. - Jason Lipshutz 5 Drake, "Nothing Was The Same" Really, what genre does this album even fall into? The question, in regards to Drake's third album — a hybrid of rap and R&B with sprinkles of this and that — doubles as a compliment. In 2013, several heavyweight hip-hop peers (Jay Z, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, J. Cole) dropped new sets, but none can boast an album this innovative, cohesive or flat-out good. There’s the upward mobility banger “Started From the Bottom,” mucking things up with hostility. A few tracks later, the tender “Hold On, We’re Goin' Home” (just a few BPMs shy of being a true ballad) comes in for a hug. Connecting those sentiments requires quality threading. Drake and the set's producer Noah "40" Shebib clearly are excellent tailors. - Brad Wete 4 Lorde, "Pure Heroine" One of the best albums of last year, Kendrick Lamar's "good kid, m.A.A.d city," showcased an artist effectively rearranging his genre by emerging with an innovative, fully formed story to tell on his first try. Lamar's first album didn't spawn a single quite as inescapable as Lorde's "Royals" eventually became, but like the Compton rapper, the New Zealand teenager used her first long-player to create a detailed profile of the Outsider life: in this case, in an unseen city, perpetually disenchanted but deeply passionate underneath the eye-rolls. Aided by Joel Little's magnetic trap production, "Pure Heroine" extends the limits of pop music thanks to Lorde's penchant for smart, sticky refrains placed atop hazy beats. Look beyond "Royals," and prepare to be dazzled. - Jason Lipshutz 3 Disclosure, "Settle" While American EDM artists cranked out some behemoth singles this year, the English duo of brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence curated a staggeringly accomplished debut long-player. When it comes to their respective genre, the Disclosure guys certainly did their homework: if a sound was hot in the dance world, the brothers Lawrence snatched that sound, twisted it next to dozens of other ideas, and manifested that collection into an hour-long album that goes by in seemingly half that time. There are house bangers like "White Noise" built around pummeling production, and then sultry, R&B-tinged jams like "Latch" that showcase the talents of guest vocalists like Sam Smith. On one end, "Settle" is a soundtrack for all the highs and lows of a night out in the city, and on a more serious note, it's probably the trend British dance music will be following for some time. - Chris Payne 2 Kanye West, "Yeezus" “Yeezus” is not only Kanye West’s most radical album by a long shot, but one of the sharpest left turns by a major musical artists ever recorded. “Yeezus” transports the listener into the mind of the passionate, polarizing being that is Kanye West, who refuses to conform to expectations at a time in which most artists would rest on their laurels, or muse upon the comfort of a new relationship and impending fatherhood. Instead, West's sixth studio album found ‘Ye aggressively rhyming about his fervid beliefs on social errors, the media’s perception of him and his complex relationship with women, all of which was drenched in unflinching emotion. What makes the opus even more visceral is the progressiveness of the production, which pulled from industrial, techno and acid rap without batting an eye. "Yeezus" was another triumph in a career full of them, and yet again proved that West's artistry should never be underestimated. - Erika Ramirez Spoiler: (Close) 1 Beyoncé, "Beyoncé" Swept away in the hype? Maybe. But really, who isn't crazy in love with Beyoncé right now? It's been less than a week since her fifth solo album parachuted, without warning, into the iTunes store in the dead of night, leaving fans and critics alike in awe of the sheer ballsiness of the move—a superstar releasing their product with zero promotion. Wow, right? That could have been one hell of a failure. It was not. Sure, a decent amount of time is needed to see past the fog of excitement. We had six days. Not much of a chance to live with it sans rollout (or lack thereof) reverence. But let's try to take a step back and talk music. "Beyoncé" is stellar, standing tall amongst the albums it leapfrogged to land at No. 1 here—accessible enough to appeal to pop ears ("XO"), bizarre and transformative enough with winds and ghostly warbles ("Haunted," "Mine") to qualify as a gorgeous art project. None of the other albums on the list cover as many bases as she does here at as high a performance quality. Her voice both soars and rumbles about familiar subjects: female empowerment and love. But especially regarding the latter, she delves deeper than ever before—shoveling beneath surface level ditties. That's the key switch-up. Once slightly ajar, Beyoncé knocks the door into her personal life off the hinges on this appropriately self-titled set. Want to know about additional strength her king provides his queen with an embrace? Conversely, how about the vivid worries she's had about splitting with him? It's all there on "Beyoncé," set to warm, well-curated production from a who's who of hit-makers. This is an album made by a fearless, grown-ass woman—somehow self-assured, stoic, fragile and thoughtful all at once. And for those reasons, she wears the crown. - Brad Wete

Simon Cowell on X Factor's Future

http://www.mjsbigblog.com/simon-cowell-confident-x-factor-will-return-new-judges-can-launch-stars.htm

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Simon Cowell and Alex & Sierra spoke with reporters ahead of the X Factor finale on Wednesday and Thursday. Here are a few soundbites from the conference call. What he thinks of season 3 so far: “I think the show started off OK. I thought the 4 chair section of the show was terrific. I thought the early live shows were Ok. And the last two weeks have been amazing.” Simon believes X Factor will get renewed, “I think–more than think…the show will be coming back next year.” But his role may change, “As for my role on it, I might have a different kind of role. We haven’t discussed that yet.” When a reporter asked a follow up question later, he refused to elaborate. But he did say, “With the current landscape as it is, we’re going to have a very, very crowded marketplace. What we have with X Factor is a huge core fan base who loves the show, but we’ve got to be more different this year than we were this year. We’re in the middle of a presentation with FOX to say this is what we think the show should look like, this is is what we think the fans will like. Yes, my role could change on that show. But I can’t say any more than that.” Simon said that the decision was made to let iTunes telegraph the rankings rather than doing last year’s leaderboard. It was a “cooler way of doing it.” He insists that he “doesn’t have a clue who won each week” and that he was convinced Restless Road were going to be in the final. Also, “if it was the same person ever week [at the top of the board] then I suppose it would have been boring.” On how he feels about The Voice ratings beating X Factor, “Of course we’re not happy about it, but we’re all big boys here. We haven’t opened with a huge number. We’ll probably keep that number. But lets make a great series, and most importantly, lets make some great records with the artist. That’s what’s going to win the long term battle. I’m never in this for the short term. Out of all the shows this year the [Alex & Sierra] the best artists to come through on any of these shows. That makes up for being second place in the race.” On next year’s changes if the series returns. Could the show drop down to once a week, “Possibly. I won’t say which night, but I think there’s a better night for us. If we could get it, it would be amazing. They [singing shows] started off as 1 hour shows. Now they’ve turned into two hours, two and a half hours. It’s like watching a movie. Then you have a third hour the following day. It is probably getting too much. You can pack everything into two hours, and I think it could work really well. If the show comes back would Simon keep the same judging panel? “Probably not.” He has some prospects in mind, but he would not elaborate. Simon is a little butthurt that The Voice aired first, “You’ve got to be very careful about it, is that you don’t look and sound like everybody else. It was frustrating, because X Factor was on the air before The Voice, and we created the whole mentors thing. Then The Voice did the same thing on their show. But The Voice aired in America before X Factor. It looked like we were copying them.” With Restless Road gone, Simon is putting all of his eggs in the Alex & Sierra basket, “Because of what Alex & Sierra have achieved on iTunes, over the last couple of weeks, which is phenomenal, I’ve never seen this happen with an artist and a contestant. The show has stepped out–what it set out to achieve–which is, you find a star. I’m really happy.” Will Simon work with eliminated group, Restless Road, “I think so. In any one of these situations, you kind of let the fans decide for you. Because if they’re going to really follow this group, they let you know. They make up our minds for us. There seems to be an awful lot of support for them. And they’re great guys and they’re very talented. I’m disappointed they weren’t in the finals.” Alex said that Simon allowed them to make their own decisions. “Give me Love” was a real turning point, he says. “We had chose that song on our own. It went over so well. I think that was when Simon started trusting us to make some good decisions on our own. That’s been our thing. Being able to make decisions and being able to work with him.” The duo’s iTunes hit, “Say Something was totally their idea. “It was the first time we both got to sit down…and be artists that are just singing the music that they want to sing. The charts definitely reflected that it was a good decision,” said Sierra.

Demi Leaving the X Factor

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20767533,00.html

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Demi Lovato is leaving The X Factor, a source close to the singer tells PEOPLE. The reason? "She plans to spend next year completely focused on her music," says the source. "She had a great run and a good time," says the source. But the show's demanding schedule conflicts with the singer's plans for 2014. Lovato, 21, who has served as a judge for two seasons, is about to headline her first arena tour, which kicks off Feb. 9 in Vancouver and will also feature X Factor alums Cher Lloyd, Little Mix and Fifth Harmony. In November, Lovato, who had a guest stint on Glee earlier this year, talked about her current priorities. "I think ultimately my main thing is singing," she said. "Maybe movies once in a while, if the right role comes along." She added that she also wouldn't mind a little bit of a break. "I will take the month of January completely off!" she vowed. "I want to vacation! I want to watch crime shows on my DVR on my couch ... I need to do some exercising and I don't really have time to do it. I love horseback riding and never get to do that stuff, but January is my time to do all of that."

RCA on P!nk's Honors, Albums By Shakira, Jennifer Hudson vid

Video:

http://bcove.me/1zozcto6

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Biz caught up with the heads of the RCA Music Group, president and COO Tom Corson and CEO Peter Edge at Billboard's 2013 Women in Music event. The execs, who are having a banner year with Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus and Daughtry, discussed another incredible RCA artist, P!nk, who won Billboard's Woman of the Year honors. Corson recalled first working with her when she was signed to Arista/LaFace while Edge credited her supreme "dedication" as an artist and her incredible live show as two big reasons behind her amazing success. Corson also spoke about the diversity in RCA's executive ranks and lauded our Women in Music event. When asked what's coming up in Q1 after RCA's big year Edge had one word, "Shakira;" while Corson mentioned new albums by Jennifer Hudson and Kid Ink as well as carry-overs from Q4, which includes Kings of Leon and Britney Spears.

Watch video:
http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/record-labels/5840080/rca-heads-tom-corson-peter-edge-on-pnks-honors-q1-albums-by?utm_source=twitter

Billboard: How ''Beyonce'' Stayed a Secret, Singles Sent Out

When Beyonce’s fifth album arrived surreptitiously Friday morning at midnight, it was without the aid of an advance single, marketing campaign, radio airplay or TV performances. But now that it’s out and setting iTunes ablaze with a weeklong, album-only exclusive, which of the album’s 14 tracks will get the single treatment?

Starting next week, it will be two -- the Pharrell Williams-produced “Blow” at Top 40, and the Jay Z-assisted “Drunk In Love” at R&B/Hip Hop, starting next week, according to multiple sources who confirmed plans to Billboard. “XO,” a rousing ballad penned by Ryan Tedder and The-Dream, will follow later in 2014 as the second single at Top 40. Not that what just happened is about one song -- even to radio programmers, many of whom started playing “Beyonce” in its entirety on Friday.

“Beyonce is bigger than a single. Beyonce has created a movement,” says Reggie Rouse, VP of urban programming at CBS Radio and program director at V-103 and WAOK in Atlanta. “We’re featuring every track this weekend on V103. We put up all 17 video clips on our website. We're doing a blog on Beyonce. She just kills it. She is the standard. Beyonce made every radio station, blog, TV station react to what she did. Jay by himself is great, Beyonce by herself is great. Together? There’s nothing like it.”

So how did Beyonce keep the project so secret? Lots of code names, for starters, and a shifting deadline that wasn’t finalized until a week ago. As Beyonce stated in a video announcing the album on her Facebook page, the plan all along was to release everything all at once -- 14 songs and 17 videos -- as a surprise. “I miss that immersive experience," she says, of watching music videos like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as a family, as a mass event. "Now people only listen to a few seconds of a song on the iPods and they don’t really invest in the whole experience. It’s all about the single, and the hype. It’s so much that gets between the music and the art and the fans. I felt like, I don't want anybody to get the message, when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it’s ready and from me to my fans."

According to multiple executives involved with the project who spoke with Billboard under condition of anonymity, the album really started to take shape in its current form in late October, as Beyonce started narrowing down songs that fit the more minimalist approach. Previously previewed songs “Grown Woman” (featured in a Pepsi commercial) and “Standing On The Sun” (featured in an H&M spot) were soon removed from the tracklist, though “Grown Woman” is featured a bonus video-only cut. Beyonce was still working on the vocals and production until the week of Thanksgiving, before producers started being notified of their final cuts.

Then late last week, final meetings were held with Columbia, Parkwood (Beyonce’s management company) and iTunes to finalize plans for the album, which was code-named “Lily” to avoid leaks. Another final meeting announcing the album to employees and producers was held at Columbia yesterday, Dec. 12. Only the most senior executives at iTunes, the album’s exclusive distributor until a planned physical release on Dec. 21, were clued in on the plans.

Streaming services will start having access to the album next week, but one service -- Songza -- already started promoting the album on Friday. Under the same guidelines that radio follows, Songza was able to purchase a copy of “Beyonce” off iTunes and upload it to its airwaves just like a Hot 97 or a KISS-FM could on Friday. By Friday afternoon, Songza had started pushing out a “Beyonce”-themed playlist called XO and began integrating the album’s tracks into its pop and R&B playlists.

Elias Roman, CEO of Songza, credits the early access to “Beyonce” to “the beauty of the internet radio license,” which is unlike DMCA-compliant services like Rdio, Spotify or MOG. “If this would have leaked there was no way we would be able to play it, neither would Z100,” he says. “As long as we legally acquire the content, we can play it to our users.”

As for promo plans, Beyonce is in the midst of wrapping up the U.S. leg of her Mrs. Carter Tour, which plays Chicago tonight (Dec. 13) and comes to New York’s Barclays Center next Thursday (Dec. 19.) Though plans were still being finalized, a screening event featuring a theatrical presentation of the 14 videos was being prepared.

Dark Horse is the official 3rd single for Katy Perry

Lea Michele Reveals Her Biggest Fear For 100th Glee Episode

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1718927/glee-star-lea-michele-reveals-her-biggest-fear-100th-episode.jhtml

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Come 2014, the original cast of "Glee" will all be back together again when the 100th episode airs on Fox. And there's no one more excited than Lea Michele. "I'm so excited. I can't wait to [see] everyone at work. I'm so excited to see Amber [Riley]. I'm so excited to Mark [Salling] and Harry [Shum Jr.] and Dianna [Agron] and Heather [Morris]. I think Kristen Chenoweth is coming back," she told MTV News. "I'm trying so hard to get Jonathan Groff to come back for an episode. It's gonna be great... I think the 100th episode is going to be very emotional, obviously, surrounded by the family. It's like we can do anything together." In addition to welcoming back familiar faces, the March 18 episode will also include the cast performing updated versions of some of the show's most memorable covers, as voted on by fans. And, the "Cannonball" singer has one sequence she's hoping she doesn't have to recreate come 2014. "There were some performances that were so difficult and I see it happening. I see myself putting on those goulashes again to do 'Singing in the Rain,'" she said of the track, which the cast performed in 2010 as a mash-up with Rihanna's "Umbrella." "And I'm like 'Oh my god, please don't make us do that again!' We were so cold, we were freezing." Then again, there's also one track from the show's first season that she's hoping to do over, even if it conjures up some strong emotions. "If I could do anything again, the thing is that some of them are very emotional but I'm the kind of person I don't run away from my feelings, I don't run from things that scare me," she said. "I want to feel all the emotion and so to be surrounded by the cast and sing something like [Queen's] 'Somebody to Love.' As hard as that might be, I think that, it just brings back some of the most amazing memories of someone [Cory Monteith, who died in July] who we loved so much and it's numbers like that I hope we do." While fans will have to wait until March to find out what tracks make the cut, the show will return from hiatus on February 25. Shortly after that, Michele's debut album, Louder, will hit stores on March 4.

Hilary Duff Gives In-Depth Interview to Twitter Fanpage

Hilary recently caught up with her twitter fanpage Hilary News and gave them an exclusive 26 minute interview about her music, acting, and more.

Here's an excerpt of the music portion of the interview. The rest has been transcribed at the following link Click Me and videos are also included.

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J: What inspired you to return to the studio and what do you hope to accomplish? H: I think it was just taking such a big break. I wrote a bunch of books. I wasn’t doing much. I met Mike so we were traveling a lot. I wanted to just take a break. I felt like I was tired and not enjoying what I was doing after working so hard and touring for so long. I didn’t have much of a personal life. It was such a crucial time to grow and figure out who you are. I was kind of – not told who I was, cause I knew who I was. But I was stuck a little bit because everyone had this preconceived image of who I was, and it was who I was, but I felt like I wasn’t able to grow or change at all. So taking that break, I started writing because I always need some kind of creative outlet and even though I love those books, it took me writing them to realize that that’s not really where my passion was. I got pregnant and I was really excited about that. J: And you had your little boy, he’s so adorable. H: He is my everything. He’s the sweetest little guy. He’s such a good, pure spirit. It’s just amazing to be with him every day. But I don’t want to just be a mom. I have so much more inside of me. So I started writing while I was pregnant and even recording a little bit, but nothing I was too excited about. It was just spiritually amazing getting into that groove again – of writing and finding my confidence and stuff. It had been five years and I’m still in that process. Then once I had him (Luca) I thought I was going to want to get back into the studio again and it didn’t work out that way. I was just really happy being a mom and enjoying my time with him. Then I think when he was at 12 months it felt good enough for me to be away for a little bit and still feel like myself again. And I think seeing that outpour of attention from my fans like “When are we going to get new music back?” or “When are you coming back with music?” and it being so freakin’ persistent, it sparked that side of me that was like “people want to see me again.” J: But then it’s got to be hard, going on tour again. H: I’m going to be able to figure that part out. I don’t think I’ll ever do a tour again where it’s 6 months. I’m going to have to schedule it a little smarter than that. Maybe do two-week runs then go home for a week. Maybe I’ll have him (Luca) for a week on the road, but he’s going to start pre-school soon. I’m just going to have to learn that I’m lucky to be able to have the time with him and not have a 9-to-5 job where I’m gone all day, every day, but I might have a week where I’m in LA, and then two weeks when I’m not at home. Honestly it feels so good now that I’ve written about 7 to 8 songs, I just feel like I’m on the direction. I finally feel like I’ve really thought about it. J: I’m not sure if you are allowed to say anything and I know you like keeping secrets, but are you signed to a new label? H: I’m not. No. I’m not. I’m still taking meetings and there’s some exciting potential. I will be signed to a label. A lot of people thought that I wanted to do it on my own, but I think that they (labels) bring a lot of important things to the table. But I don’t need one right now. I’m still in the studio working with all of the people that I want to working with, without a label. I’m playing my music for the few labels that I’m talking to. They’re excited about it, but I’m just trying to play my cards right. I’m still writing and I’m still recording, and I’m still taking songs that I love. There are some songs on the record that I recorded, that I didn’t write, but I did some of them as demos. So I’m not like a snob where I have to write them all. So I’m still in that process and I still think it could be better. Towards the end, I’ll turn my record in and then get all their notes and maybe fix some things, and sign. J: So it’ll be a little bit before we start getting some news when you sign? H: I mean, you guys will hear about it. I’m sure it’ll be big news. I hope to have a single by late spring.

Katy Perry get backlash on UK X Factor

It was supposed to be an evening that showcased the best of British vocal talent. But Katy Perry failed to impress television viewers with her performance on The X Factor live final at London's Wembley Arena on Sunday night. The 29-year-old singer well and truly lit up the stage in a grand finale that was distinctly lacking glamour, as she plunged down from the ceiling of the iconic venue in a giant cage. But while the Californian starlet certainly impressed with her attention-grabbing look, her vocals weren't quite so highly-praised by television viewers, who flocked to Twitter to slate her performance. One user on the micro-blogging site wrote: 'Katy p should have learnt her lesson from last time and MiMED.' Another fumed: 'What number do we call to vote Katy Perry off?'

Meanwhile, Nicole Scherzinger has been praised for her performance with winner Sam Bailey.

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After the performance – which Gary Barlow described as the best of the night – Nicole said: “I just want to thank Mrs O for putting us together, thank you so much Mrs O. We love you and this series wouldn’t be the same without you.” She added of Sam: “This one is right in the middle of glory and it was an honour to share the stage with her.”

Britney's Telegraph interview/profile piece

“This is scary,” admits Britney Spears, looking mildly alarmed. In an hour, the pop superstar will climb on to a small stage, perch on a stool in front of the worldwide media and numerous record executives, and give“Britney Jean”, her eighth album, its first public airing.

She’ll be joined on stage by her producer, Will.i.am, but the audience will focus on just one person, as she introduces songs, including her new single, Perfume, from an album (now free to stream on iTunes) that promises to delve further than ever before into the life of this surprisingly shy icon. “I’m eager for people to hear what I’ve been working on,” she adds. But I’m so nervous at the same time, because it’s such a personal album for me.”

It’s late November and we’re in a private room at a Los Angeles recording studio-cum-art-space. Beyond a door, guests are eating sushi and drinking cocktails while a sound system pumps out her greatest hits, but in our quiet space a healthy-looking Spears sits politely on the edge of a sofa, her hands in her lap.
 

Tonight’s event is not the only thing that’s on her mind. On 27 December, she’ll follow in the footsteps of Céline Dion and Elton John with a Las Vegas residency, due to run for two years at Planet Hollywood, for which she will earn a reported $300,000 (£184,000) a night. It was launched in September with a 4am event in the Mojave desert, involving 1,000 Britney lookalikes, the star herself arriving by helicopter.

“Vegas is definitely a new challenge,” she says. “But I wanted to be able to put on a different type of show. You get to do so much more when you don’t have to put your stage in trucks after the show every night – we got to build a venue specifically for my show. It’s going to be more like a party than a typical concert.”
Spears, who turned 32 on 2 December, is in great shape, wearing a plain black vest, tight black leggings and black heels. “I need to rehearse more now than I did before,” she admits. “I feel I’m more of a perfectionist these days.”

This pressure isn’t all self-imposed. Back in 1999 when Spears first found international fame with …Baby One More Time, she could gauge reactions based on the roar of arena shows or sackloads of fan mail. But that was a long time ago, before she was a mother of two and the many ups and well-documented downs that have made her one of the most photographed and written-about celebrities of modern times, a subject of fascination across every demographic. In 2013 feedback comes from an internet’s-worth of fans and showbiz commentators who don’t hesitate to express their opinions on what Spears should – and shouldn’t – be doing.

“The increased scrutiny does make me a little harder on myself these days,” she says. “There are more expectations of me now, not just in terms of what I do, but also in terms of who I am.”
Part of the problem is that the ups of the past 15 years were extraordinarily high. Signature hits such as Toxic and I’m A Slave 4 U have helped her shift more than 100 million albums, she has scooped awards at the Grammys and MTV VMAs, her tours have grossed more than $380m (£233m) and she received her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame when she was just 21. And she’s still hitting the spot: last year her will.i.am collaboration, Scream & Shout, went to number one in 24 countries. Almost 35 million people follow her on Twitter, and Forbes billed her as 2012’s highest-paid woman in music, ahead of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Rihanna, with earnings of $58m (£35.6m).

She’s come a long way from her childhood town of Kentwood, Louisiana, a place whose other claim to fame is as the dairy capital of America’s South. “It’s a small town where everyone knows everyone,” she says. “You visit your friends and neighbours without ever telling them you’re showing up.”

At the age of three, Spears was attending dance lessons; by eight she was travelling to Atlanta, Georgia, with her mother Lynne, a former teacher, to audition for the Disney television series The Mickey Mouse Club. A spell in a performing arts school, several television advertisements and an understudy job on Broadway later she was finally cast as a Mouseketeer alongside Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and her future boyfriend, Justin Timberlake. When The Mickey Mouse Club was cancelled she returned to Kentwood but she and her mother were not about to admit defeat.

An immaculately turned-out and friendly woman, Lynne is in Los Angeles with us today, just as she’s been with her daughter since those first auditions and the meetings with Jive Records that eventually propelled Britney to international fame. (Although Lynne and Britney’s father, Jamie, divorced in 2002, they were reconciled eight years later.)

“My mom is a wonderful woman,” says Spears. “She’s always been an inspiration to me, but having kids helped me make even more sense of my relationship with her. My sons [Sean] Preston and Jayden are eight and seven now – and not only do I find myself doing some of the things my mom used to do, I also understand why she did them.”

Compared with many children of celebrities, Spears’s boys, whose father is her ex-husband and former backing dancer Kevin Federline, have a relatively low profile, but earlier this year she took them to a film premiere. In footage of them outside, Jayden is having a great time posing for the cameras, but at one point, amid the bellowing and flashing of the media, his brother has had enough, and turns to his mother for comfort.

“That was Preston – he’s kind of shy,” she says. “I kind of keep them in their world – their kid world, away from the limelight. I feel that’s a different side of me. ’Cos, you know, it’s a lot to deal with. For a lot of people. Especially if you’re shy, like my boys, it can be overwhelming.”
After two decades of fame how has she learnt to deal with this? What’s the trick?

At the beginning of 2013 Britney split from her fiancé, Jason Trawick, and the end of that three-year relationship, she tells me, is the reason “Britney Jean” is her most personal album to date.
“There are a lot of songs about heartbreak I can relate to because of the break-up I went through this year,” she explains. “When you go through heartbreak, you just do the things that get you by. Eventually you realise it’s about making the most of life. Even on the album when it talks about having a good time with friends and family, it’s because these are the things that make you happy and get you through heartbreak.”

She hopes the lyrics will inspire others. “There is definitely an element of that. I’ve always followed my heart and pursued my dreams, and I imagine that people find that inspiring. I hope that is the effect I have on my fans and people in general. I definitely want to project a positive energy out into the world.”

That said, Perfume, a song she co-wrote with hitmaker du jour Sia Furler, the woman behind hits including Rihanna’s Diamonds, is surprisingly bleak. “I hate myself,” she sings. “I feel crazy, such a classic tale.” Although right now she is dating 27-year-old David Lucado, who works at a Los Angeles law firm, the suggestion is that Spears feels doomed to endure a succession of disappointments in her search for true love.

“You put yourself through it again and again,” she agrees. “But each time love takes you over. It feels different every time for me. Every guy who I’ve been with, it’s been a different kind of love. And right now, I’m having a magical love.”

Although “Britney Jean” may be her most personal album to date, over the years her music has hinted at the reality of her life. As far back as 2000’s Lucky, a track on her second album, she sang about a starlet who cried in cars, “Thinking if there’s nothing missing in my life, why do these tears come at night?” In her 2002 single I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman, she sang, “All I need is time, a moment that is mine, while I’m in between.” Instead, she found herself under increasing scrutiny, followed everywhere she went by hordes of paparazzi. In 2007, she released the single Piece Of Me, in which she sang of paparazzi “hoping I’ll resort to some havoc, end up settlin’ in court”; of being “Miss Bad Media Karma, another day, another drama”. She was “Mrs Extra, Extra, This Just In; I’m Mrs She’s Too Big, Now She’s Too Thin”.

By 2008 Spears had moved on from daily dramas; neither too big nor too thin, she was getting herself back on top and in shape, with a routine of healthy eating and early nights. “I feel like an old fart,” she said at the time. I ask if 2008 was when she felt she had to grow up quickly. “Yeah, but I liked it. And believe it or not, I ended up liking going to bed early, in a weird way. At night, that’s when you mess up. So if you go to bed at 9.30, you’re good.”

In recent years, she’s kept herself busy. “Really busy, actually,” she says. “But it’s been nice. I got to be more of a stay-at-home mom – in fact, I had a whole year off when I was just doing the mom thing.” We talk about her “French country”-style house on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and about the early years of her career, such as when she and Timberlake turned up at the 2001 American Music Awards clad entirely in denim. “It was a pretty carefree time,” she says. “We were just, like, ‘We look great, let’s go!’ I have great memories of that time: there were a lot of rehearsals, but there was also a lot of clubbing and a lot of dancing. I still think the best night of my life was when I was 22 years old. It was New Year’s Eve, and in Hawaii.”

Her smile hints at a fun night, but also suggests that the details are not for public consumption. “It was a long time ago,” is all she will say. “But it was fun.” But, she adds, “I get bored really, really easily so I always have to feel like I’m doing something – I have to get back to work and start working.”

Is the recording studio her safe place now?

“Yes, yes. Definitely. And that feeling of safeness comes through in my music now more than it ever has before – that’s how I feel comfortable making personal music.”

From talent shows as a child to tabloid headlines as an adult, Spears has spent a long time being judged, so when Simon Cowell invited her to join the American X Factor judging panel in 2012 it was not a decision she took lightly.

“I did have trouble being overly critical at times but then I’d simply remind myself to be constructive and positive versus mean,” she adds. “Being able to mentor young singers was the main plus point. I think overall it was a positive experience.”

Not every career move is remembered so fondly. On the topic of Chaotic, the 2005 documentary that granted unprecedented access to her marriage to Federline, she says: “I would never do something like that again.” She purses her lips. It looks as if this is the first time she’s considered Chaotic in many years. “Actually, that was really bad,” she decides. “That was probably the worst thing I’ve done in my career.”

When I ask if that includes Crossroads – her not-exactly-Oscar-winning 2002 film – she looks suddenly outraged and clutches her hand to her heart. “No!” she shouts, springing to life. “I like Crossroads! F— you!”

And then, to my relief, she laughs.
 

SOURCE

Demi Lovato plans to release a new album next year

Any resolutions for the New Year?

“I don't believe in resolutions, because every day you can start. You don't have to wait until the New Year to start exercising more. You don't have to wait until January 1st to start your diet. Start today. You don't even have to start tomorrow. Start right now! That's my outlook on life. It's actually kind of the opposite. I'm trying to see how much I can do BEFORE the New Year.”

The race is on!

“The race is on and I've gotta finish things! I'm already working on my next album. I'm back in the studio working on Saturday. I'm SO excited to just create and hopefully be able to put out an album while I'm touring next year! I'm touring South America and in the United states, and it's my goal to make that world wide. But it also depends on what's going to happen next year. I may do 5 shows. Who knows, it's crazy. You just gotta keep working at it. But you have to have a healthy balance as well. I make sure that I get nights off, and one day off a week. I used to do 70 shows in 90 days. Sometimes two shows a day. Now I'm at a place where I'm comfortable being able to say no and set boundaries. I know my limit. I'm REACHING my limit but I have January off, so I'm good.”

Jamie Lynn Spears Q&A

As she storms Hot Country Songs with 'How Could I Want More,' Spears discusses the love she's always had for the genre, the pros and cons of her last name and her 'pop icon' big sis

Britney Spears' new album "Britney Jean" is due to launch on next week's Billboard 200, but this week, her younger sister swoops in and steals chart headlines. Twenty-two-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears makes her first Billboard chart appearances, as "How Could I Want More" enters Hot Country Songs at No. 29 and Country Digital Songs at No. 8. The midtempo, traditional-country love song starts with 28,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"I can't believe that my song has reached Billboard," Spears beams. "It's a dream come true."

Her newfound chart success follows her earlier spotlight starring on Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101" in 2005-08. After becoming a mother to daughter Maddie in 2008, Spears has returned with her self-released new single.

Chart Beat caught up with Spears upon her maiden chart arrival for her take on topics ranging from her lifelong love of country music, whether her last name can be a hindrance and her "second mom," Britney.

Billboard: Have you always been a country music fan? People might've expected you to go the pop route.

Jamie Lynn Spears: I get this question a lot, as you can imagine. I think people forget that I grew up in Louisiana, and that my father is as southern as they come (laughs). Country music was a big part of me and my dad's relationship, and still is.

I understand where people would assume I'd [be a] pop [act]. I mean, my sister is a pop icon, so I completely get where people would've expected that!

Major congratulations on your first Billboard chart hit. What can you tell us about the origins of "How Could I Want More" (a co-write with Rivers Rutherford)?

It's about having everything, and still struggling with wanting more. My experience was with a relationship at the time, but I think it's very relatable in many other situations, as well. We have all had those times in life.

I sang this song when I was in a vulnerable place, and I believe that translates onto the record. The honesty behind my voice in that moment is what I think everyone can connect to.

What plans do you have to promote the single? And, is a full album on the way?

I just want to get out there and do my part as an artist. I hope to go to every country radio station that I can and personally shake hands and give a reason to believe in me. I also want to meet as many fans as I can and play as many shows as I can for them.

I think the best way to "promote" your music is to personally take the time with people, whether it be with a fan or a label executive.

Yes, a full album is in the works!

OK, the obvious: What kind of sibling rivalry is there between you and Britney, if any? Do you plan to tease her with your new chart success? More seriously, I'm guessing that you share a relationship, as sisters, that's unique and all yours, away from prying paparazzi.

Me and Brit, I'm sure no one believes me when I say, there is no rivalry! You have to remember that we are 10 years apart, so I always saw her as a second mom. We have fun like only sisters can, but we don't have that young sibling rivalry.

She was one of the first people to call and tell me how proud she was of the success of ['More'], so charts won't come between me and her – never will!

You'll quickly add to your Billboard chart history next week when "Britney Jean" debuts in the Billboard 200's upper reaches. What was the experience like of recording the set's "Chillin' With You" with Britney?

It wasn't some thought-out plan for us to do a song together or anything. It was super natural the way it all went down. I had been playing her some things that I had been writing, and she really liked them, so she asked me to come to the studio with her while she worked on her album. I went with her for a few days, and she asked me to sing on one of the songs. So, I jumped in and did it!

It was fun, and the song is fun. I feel blessed to be on a song with my sister for the first time.

In addition to your own enviable Nickelodeon success, a benefit of having a big sister in the entertainment business is that you can learn valuable lessons from her career and apply them to yours.

I started working when I was very young, so I believe that taught me responsibility at a young age. I was blessed to have that experience.

As a child [ed. note: Jamie Lynn was just seven when her sister's "...Baby One More Time" entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998], Britney really taught me work ethic. She never expected anything from anyone and earned her way by hard work. But, she always appreciated every moment of it.

So, I learned you have to really care, and really work your ass off!

Is having the last name Spears a double-edged sword as you promote the new single? Hopefully people will judge you on what's a quickly-charting hit.

Hopefully! I think people assume that the name Spears just makes record labels' doors fly open (laughs). It may open some doors, but it's quite the opposite in certain situations. People don't want to put money and time into someone they think is just [looking] to take the easy road to success.

And, I wouldn't want to work with anyone who only worked with me just because of my last name instead of my music, anyway. I want to have people love my music first, and then love me.

Being a mom probably puts any musical success into perspective. How are you enjoying motherhood?

It really has! Being a mom makes you have to stop and think. You can't be irrational, and everything must be thought-out so that your child ultimately is always the first priority. It's been the main thing I have harped on to my team: "Maddie comes first."

As far as being a mom, I am in my element when I'm in "mom-mode." that's where I'm most confident and get my most joy, when I'm being a mom.

Bonus question: What's the Spears' family Christmas going to be like?

My dad's cooking will be going on, but who knows? You'll have to check back in on that one!

Hilary Duff: New Single Should Be Out In The Spring

Hilary Duff poses for a picture with host Dina Pugliese while appearing on Citytv Toronto’s Breakfast Television on Wednesday (December 4) in Toronto, Canada.

On the show, the 26-year-old actress and singer revealed some exciting news: fans should expect a new single by possibly the Spring of 2014!

“I think by Spring I should have a single,” Hil said on the show.

“The first six songs I’ve done have all been really dancey and upbeat, uplifting, happy stuff. So now I’m getting into the moody,” Hilary added about her upcoming album. “It’s important to have that fine balance and show all your sides. It’s got a bit of an indie, dance feel.”

Fergie returning to music soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzGOAWbsvV0&feature=player_embedded

Rolling Stone Lists Their Top 50 Albums of 2013

Rolling Stone's Top 50 LPs of 2013
1. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
2. Kanye West - Yeezus
3. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
4. Paul McCartney - New
5. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
6. Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
7. Lorde - Pure Heroine
8. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
9. Arctic Monkeys - AM
10. John Fogerty - Wrote a Song for Everyone
11. Parquet Courts - Tally All the Things That You Broke
12. Jake Bugg - S/T
13. Disclosure - Settle
14. Drake - Nothing Was The Same
15. Atoms for Peace - AMOK
16. David Bowie - The Next Day
17. Danny Brown - Old
18. Ashley Monroe - Like a Rose
19. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
20. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle
21. Sky Ferreira - Night Time My Time
22. Phoenix - Entertainment
23. My Bloody Valentine - MBV
24. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2
25. Elton John - The Diving Board
26. Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
27. Miley Cyrus - Bangerz
28. Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park
29. Bombino - Nomad
30. Tegan & Sara - Heartthrob
31. Haim - Days Are Gone
32. CHVRCHES - The Bones of What You Believe
33. Pusha T - My Name is My Name
34. Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You
35. Best Coast - Fade Away EP
36. Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt
37. The So-So Glos - Blowout
38. Kurt Vile - Walkin on a Pretty Daze
39. Keith Urban - Fuse
40. Pearl Jam - Lightning Bolt
41. J Cole - Born Sinner
42. Earl Sweatshirt - Doris
43. Savages - Silence Yourself
44. Valerie June - Pushin' Against a Stone
45. Avicii - True
46. Franz Ferdinand - Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
47. MIA - Matangi
48. Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus
49. The Flaming Lips - The Terror
50. Beck - Song Reader

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2013/12/rolling_stone_l_1.html

78Violet are releasing their first EP in early 2014

Aly & AJ are releasing their first EP as 78Violet early next year. The girls’ management has confirmed with us that they are currently finalizing a track-list for the upcoming EP, which will precede their debut LP as 78Violet that will come later in 2014. This will mark their first official musical release as a band since 2007′s Insomniatic. We’ll be posting more information on the EP as it’s available, so stay tuned. We can’t wait to see what the girls have in store for us as 78Violet! What do you guys think, are you as excited as we are?

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