Kelly Clarkson is STRONGER (and
absolutely adorable)!
Walking into an interview with Kelly Clarkson, Same Same immediately noticed that this southern belle has not been changed by fame one bit. ‘Come in! Take a seat y’all!’ she ushered as we sat down to chat with one of the sweetest stars we’ve ever come across (looking gorgeous, might we add!).
We caught up with her on her recent visit to Australia, to talk about her fifth studio album, Stronger, and what it’s like to be in the business for over ten years…
What is the narrative and inspiration behind Stronger?
I guess I’ve been doing it for ten years now, so I think with that came experience, and it just makes you feel more comfortable when you’re more experienced in anything. Everything ended up kind of being about empowerment and overcoming stuff so I think generally it’s inspiring, so I hope that’s what people get from it.
You’ve mentioned in interviews that Stronger was not the album you started off making. What was the original direction of the album?
It never happens. With every record you always start off thinking it’s gonna be one way, and then it’s like… (boop) all the way over here. Like, we didn’t think it was going to be that soulful honestly; it’s a lot more soulful, even with Mr. Know It All or Let me down. I’ve always had a soulful voice on stuff, but even the rhythmic pop rock thing, that’s kinda new for me, it kinda just happened!
What’s the song on Stronger that you are the most proud of?
You Love Me. Hands down. It was a really crap situation. It was just a really bad day, one of the worst ever; don’t think I’ll have a bad one like that again. I think it’s great that being an artist you can take a bad day like that and almost use it as therapy to get it out and I think a lot of people will relate to this song. The whole idea is when people are like “I love you, but this is what you need to change about yourself and this is what’s not good about you,” and it’s like “Wow I think you’re highly confused about the definition of love.” The whole song is like, “your love is like a punch in the face.” It’s very Prince, Tina Turner, pop which I love.
‘Let Me Down’ which you wrote has a really strong message, much like it has been lifted off My December. What’s the story behind the song?
There’s kind of a little bit of everything of all my previous records, like from Thankful, and then from Breakaway, so yeah it’s kind of a conglomerate of all my previous albums which we did on purpose because those are all very different sides of me. ‘Let Me Down’, I call the cooler older brother of ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’, because it’s pop-rock but it’s a little soulful as well.
Who’s the bastard that it’s about?
Actually it’s a co-worker, it wasn’t even a relationship, it was someone that I worked with.
(NB: Same Same wouldn’t be surprised if the song’s subject was Ryan Tedder. Kelly was said to be working with Tedder again after the ‘Already Gone’/’Halo’ fiasco but nothing from their recording sessions made the final cut.)
Tell me the story behind ‘You Can’t Win’. What were you feeling when you wrote it?
I wrote it about a year and a half ago when I was touring All I Ever Wanted, and I think I was in Germany and [my makeup artist] was very annoyed with me because I wrote it during hair and make-up, and so she was trying to do stuff and I was like “I need to go to the bathroom and record this in Garageband or I’m gonna forget the melody!” so I had to go and do it; I always do that to her and she gets pissed off, but I can’t help it! You get inspired when you get inspired!
I wrote the song about having a really hard time with not even just people I was working with but just media, and the portrayal of All I Ever Wanted, fans and friends and family… everybody was like, you can’t win. If you’re the girl next door it’s like ‘boring’, or if you’re wild and crazy it’s like ‘oh you need to go to rehab’. Or people will be like ‘Oh, you’re gay, right?’, and I’m like ‘well, no’, but then it’s like ‘if you’re straight, why aren’t you married?’, so it’s like I can’t win either way! It’s that whole thing of I’m never gonna please you, so I’m going to stop trying.
Are you prepared for the can of worms you’re about to open now that you’ve recorded a drag anthem in What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)?
I love that song! I’m not even a drag diva but I love that song! It’s one of my favourite ones I’ve ever recorded. I love that it has the beat, but its also very pop rock with guitars and such a great message. Sometimes when it’s an anthem it’s throw away lyrics, but they’re great lyrics and they’re so inspiring. Sometimes when you’re having a crap day, you just wanna listen to something that makes you feel like you can move a mountain, and I feel like that when I listen to that song.
Second single?
Hopefully! That’s what I’m shooting for. Sometimes we don’t have a say.
Over the years you’ve released some really amazing songs. What’s your favourite and least favourite single that you have released?
You know what, that’s probably the same song. My Life Would Suck Without You. It’s my least favourite because when I first heard it, it did not sound like what it sounds like now, and I really had to fight to make that song better than it was, but when I first heard it, it was nothing I would say, the verses were like “I saw you smoking pot and I thought that was cool” (she sings) and I was like… What? I didn’t even get it, it was trying so hard to be edgy and cool that I wanted to vomit! I didn’t really like it at all. But Luke, Claude and Max (Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly, Max Martin) were cool with me having a hand in that. It ended up being one of my favourites now to perform live because everybody gets up for that song. And it’s a great song now, it’s a fun song.
What track do you wish got a single release from your back catalogue?
The live version of Beautiful Disaster. It’s one of my favourites. I didn’t like the album version on the first record, total crap and I didn’t like it. The producer didn’t either! He wanted to do it how we did it live but we… weren’t allowed. But the live version, Rebecca Jordan wrote that and it’s one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever gotten to sing so I was really sad that wasn’t a single.
You’ve been working on a side project with your backup singers called Already Famous. Will we see an official release of material?
We did an EP and it’s still being mixed, but it’s just a fun side project, there’s no political crap going on, so it’s just fun.
Looking back over everything you’ve learnt over your career, what would be the one piece of advice you’d give to yourself before you walked into your Idol audition?
Never take advice from someone you wouldn’t want to switch places with.
That’s it. I learnt that from a friend, her mum told her that a long time ago, and she told me two years ago and I could have really used that! Because if you think about it, if you don’t like how someone’s life is and how they’re living it, then you don’t wanna take advice from them.
I’ve decided to start a rumour that you and Adele are working on a disco banger in the vein of I Will Survive. What do I have to do to make sure this rumour becomes a reality?
Do it! Yes! Oh my God, you have no idea, she probably thinks I’m so obsessed with her (which I kind of am), like, since Chasing Pavements , I literally flew to a different city to see her in concert… and she knows that. She probably thinks I’m nuts, but I just love her voice! And there’s something so sexy and confident about a girl that can just walk up on a stage amongst all these other wild acts, and she has a piano and microphone and a mic stand and she just kills everyone. I’m telling you, [Someone Like You] is the best freaking song written in the last decade. Her heartache is our awesome day. I feel sad for her because she writes like me, like all about what’s going on in her life but at the same time it’s like thank you, because it’s one of the best songs ever.
When are you coming back for a tour?
We start in January in the States, then after that we come here and New Zealand and everywhere.
Can you please sing Anytime from Thankful when you come back?
[Screaming] That’s [my make up artist’s] favourite song! She loves a power ballad, it’s my Céline song. It’s getting harder to make set lists though, I have 5 albums now!
Will you play Mardi Gras if you’re here in time?
You know what, we might be here around then!
You’ll have 10,000 screaming gays at your feet…
I was just saying, you’re my favourite fans! Because it’s like, they love anthems, the pop ballads, and those are my favourites too.
What are your three favourite songs at the moment?
Someone Like You, Ellie Goulding’s Under The Sheets, I love her album, Lights, um… I like Set Fire— oh I don’t want to pick her again, she’s gonna think I’m fucking obsessive… and Mary Jane from Jagged Little Pill when I’m trying to do anything but work out.
If I told you Kyle Chandler has left his wife, what would your first reaction be?
Call me! He’s so hot, I would be anything he wanted me to be! He’s so beautiful.
This week Same Same has released a list of the 50 worst pop songs as voted by our readers – but don’t worry, you’re not on it…
Damn! I love to make any list!
(Reading) What! Whip My Hair!? I love that song.
(Continues reading) Paris Hilton has a song?
Yeah, she’s got a whole album.
Oops. I mean, I knew that.
Baby? That made the worst? I think he’s so cute. I haven’t heard a lot of these… what (confused), Just The Way You Are (Drunk At The Bar)? Can I just have this to look them up? Oh my God, Who Let The Dogs Out! I hate that song, I’ve hated that song since junior high, sorry Baha Men!
Source: http://www.samesame.com.au/features/7469/Kelly-Clarkson-is-STRONGER-and-absolutely-adorable.htm
Great interview.
MH
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Billboard's 21 Under 21: Music's Hottest Minors List
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
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
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.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Chord Overstreet Confirms Working On Album
Beside continuing to explore his talent in acting, Chord Overstreet is also trying his hands at music. The actor who played Sam Evans in the second season of "Glee" said he's currently working on an album. "I've been encouraged and excited by the interest from record labels and publishers," he told TVLine.
Revealing when the decision to make his own music came to him, Chord recalled it happened after he was offered to return to the FOX TV series. "They offered me the chance to come back for a few episodes, but there was nothing guaranteed so I decided to dive into the music thing," the 22-year-old hunk reasoned.
The son of country music musician Paul Overstreet admitted that he was initially bummed after learning he was not picked up as a regular. He, however, said, "I had the best time working on the show and I had one of the best life experiences. It was a blast. But I decided to look at it as an opportunity to dive into my music."
"I've been writing music my entire life and I had an opportunity to work on a record. It's something I have a huge passion for. I did a lot of thinking and I felt like it was a good time to work on my album and focus on that avenue of my career," he went on before adding that he hopes to "get something out there for the fans to hear pretty soon."
Revealing when the decision to make his own music came to him, Chord recalled it happened after he was offered to return to the FOX TV series. "They offered me the chance to come back for a few episodes, but there was nothing guaranteed so I decided to dive into the music thing," the 22-year-old hunk reasoned.
The son of country music musician Paul Overstreet admitted that he was initially bummed after learning he was not picked up as a regular. He, however, said, "I had the best time working on the show and I had one of the best life experiences. It was a blast. But I decided to look at it as an opportunity to dive into my music."
"I've been writing music my entire life and I had an opportunity to work on a record. It's something I have a huge passion for. I did a lot of thinking and I felt like it was a good time to work on my album and focus on that avenue of my career," he went on before adding that he hopes to "get something out there for the fans to hear pretty soon."
Britney Confirms Next Single Is "Criminal"
"I don't know if i'm at liberty to tell, but I will anyway! It's Criminal.
The song, when I first heard it, its just really different and there's nothing i've heard
like this before so I really wanted to deliver this song and I was thinking of a really cool concept
for the video just to make it interesting... you'll have to see!"
SOURCE
The song, when I first heard it, its just really different and there's nothing i've heard
like this before so I really wanted to deliver this song and I was thinking of a really cool concept
for the video just to make it interesting... you'll have to see!"
SOURCE
Brandy Talks Record Deal, Guest Starring on ‘Drop Dead Diva'
Brandy is getting back in the game. Fresh off announcing a new deal with RCA/Chameleon Records, the R&B singer is making her return to acting. The “Moesha” actress will guest star on three episodes of Lifetime’s “Drop Dead Diva” (starting Sept. 4), playing Elisa Shayne, the ex-girlfriend of Parker (Josh Stamberg), who comes to him for legal help.
She spoke briefly about her new record deal during her appearance on “Good Day LA” today. “I’m working with people that believe in me,” shared Brandy, whose new album is due in early 2012. “It’s hard to work with people that think you’re done. … I love what I do and if I can touch just two people, then I’ve done my job.”
Don’t expect to see the star of VH1’s “A Family Business” doing more reality television in the future. “No more reality for me. I don’t think I’m interesting enough for reality. My reality is a little boring for what reality TV is today.”
She spoke briefly about her new record deal during her appearance on “Good Day LA” today. “I’m working with people that believe in me,” shared Brandy, whose new album is due in early 2012. “It’s hard to work with people that think you’re done. … I love what I do and if I can touch just two people, then I’ve done my job.”
Don’t expect to see the star of VH1’s “A Family Business” doing more reality television in the future. “No more reality for me. I don’t think I’m interesting enough for reality. My reality is a little boring for what reality TV is today.”
Monday, August 22, 2011
Pitbull gets sued
Pitbull had everyone partying to his No. 1 single “Give Me Everything,” except for Lindsay Lohan. The actress has filed a lawsuit against the Miami rapper, claiming that the song disparages her name.
TMZ reports that Lohan is upset over the lyrics on which Pitbull makes reference to her jail stint. “Hustlers move in silence, so I’m tiptoein’ to keep flowin’/ I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan,” he raps on the Ne-Yo and Afrojack-penned smash, which appears on his latest album Planet Pit.
In her lawsuit, Lohan claims that “the lyrics, by virtue of its wide appeal, condemnation, excoriation, disparaging or defamatory statements by the defendants about the plaintiff are destined to do irreparable harm to the plaintiff.”
She states that she is “a professional actor of good repute and standing in the Screen Actors Guild, is suing under the New York civil rights laws, which protects people from having their name exploited for commercial purposes.”
The suit seeks to prevent broadcast of the song and asks for unspecified damages.
TMZ reports that Lohan is upset over the lyrics on which Pitbull makes reference to her jail stint. “Hustlers move in silence, so I’m tiptoein’ to keep flowin’/ I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan,” he raps on the Ne-Yo and Afrojack-penned smash, which appears on his latest album Planet Pit.
In her lawsuit, Lohan claims that “the lyrics, by virtue of its wide appeal, condemnation, excoriation, disparaging or defamatory statements by the defendants about the plaintiff are destined to do irreparable harm to the plaintiff.”
She states that she is “a professional actor of good repute and standing in the Screen Actors Guild, is suing under the New York civil rights laws, which protects people from having their name exploited for commercial purposes.”
The suit seeks to prevent broadcast of the song and asks for unspecified damages.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Sia writes for Leona Lewis.
The Australian native has turned her musical talents towards helping others within the industry with recent writing credits belonging to Christina Aguilera & Neon Hitch. The co-writer, Greg Kurstin, has collaborated with the likes of Ke$ha, Kelly Clarkson, Sia, Britney Spears and Lily Allen, to name a few.
Leona's album is expected to drop in the summer.
Leona's album is expected to drop in the summer.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Moves Like Jagger Video Premiere date Revealed!!!
Are you ready for a whole lot of shirtless Adam Levine?
Well, sorry, we're going to make you wait until Monday when E! News exclusively premieres the music video of Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" featuring Christina Aguilera.
Now, the band and Xtina performed the ode to Mick Jagger's swagger on the semi-finals of The Voice but Adam kept his shirt on the whole and didn't really try out any Jagger moves. Fortunately, the video directed by Jonas Åckerlund, took care of that both those problems!
Check out the entire video this Monday on E! News at 7 p.m. ET/PT and we'll also be bringing you the online debut of the clip the same day right here on E! Online at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
http://www.eonline.com/news/sneak_peek_adam_levine_goes_very/256338?cmpid=sn-000000-twitterfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=twitterfeed&utm_campaign=twitterfeed_topstories&dlvrit=48939
Well, sorry, we're going to make you wait until Monday when E! News exclusively premieres the music video of Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" featuring Christina Aguilera.
Now, the band and Xtina performed the ode to Mick Jagger's swagger on the semi-finals of The Voice but Adam kept his shirt on the whole and didn't really try out any Jagger moves. Fortunately, the video directed by Jonas Åckerlund, took care of that both those problems!
Check out the entire video this Monday on E! News at 7 p.m. ET/PT and we'll also be bringing you the online debut of the clip the same day right here on E! Online at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
http://www.eonline.com/news/sneak_peek_adam_levine_goes_very/256338?cmpid=sn-000000-twitterfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=twitterfeed&utm_campaign=twitterfeed_topstories&dlvrit=48939
Simon Cowell: Mariah Carey Must Have X Factor Role
Simon Cowell: 'We Have to Find a Role' for Mariah Carey on The X Factor
Whatever Mariah Carey wants, Mariah Carey gets.
The X Factor judge Simon Cowell, whose new talent competition debuts this fall, is willing to give into the demands of the pop diva, whom he says "wanted to be involved in the show from day one."
"You can't say no to Mariah," Cowell, 51, tells PEOPLE. "We have to find a role for her. I'm a huge fan of hers – not just as an artist, but as a person, and I love her to death."
But Cowell also says that having Carey on the show poses a slight problem.
"We just can't shut Paula [Abdul] and Nicole [Scherzinger] up," he joked. "Add Mariah into the mix as well and you won't even have anyone singing."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20516274,00.html
Whatever Mariah Carey wants, Mariah Carey gets.
The X Factor judge Simon Cowell, whose new talent competition debuts this fall, is willing to give into the demands of the pop diva, whom he says "wanted to be involved in the show from day one."
"You can't say no to Mariah," Cowell, 51, tells PEOPLE. "We have to find a role for her. I'm a huge fan of hers – not just as an artist, but as a person, and I love her to death."
But Cowell also says that having Carey on the show poses a slight problem.
"We just can't shut Paula [Abdul] and Nicole [Scherzinger] up," he joked. "Add Mariah into the mix as well and you won't even have anyone singing."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20516274,00.html
Friday, August 5, 2011
Hilary Duff talks more about new album.
"It's definitely going to be pop music. I'm a sucker for a catchy song and dance music — that's my sweet spot, so I'll definitely do that … I want to collaborate. I think I'm a big believer in collaboration. I haven't done it for four years, so I'm not sure where my competence level is, of just trying to write the whole thing. If there's an amazing song that I love that's done right now, I'd sing it, or I'd love to sit down and write with people. I think it'll be a mish-mash."
Beyonce's THrid Single Is...
Finally, some label confirmation on Beyonce's next single (since Sony Music hasn't been to great with updating their street dates). Her next single to receive video treatment is "Countdown" as confirmed by Complex Magazine and director for the video Adria Petty, who also directed Beyonce's "Sweet Dreams" clip. Fans were thrown off when "Party" appeared in Sony Music Central's street release catalog for a late July release for Rhythmic and Urban radio, while "End of Time" dancer rehearsals were rumored to be taking place at the Millennium Dance Studio in North Hollywood, California. Now we've learned that Parkwood has decided to fund Beyonce's "Countdown" for radio release an a video shoot. There are no words on a single release or video details, but we will surely keep you updated.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Nicki Minaj's New Single Is...
FLY (feat. Rihanna)!
Will go to radio on Sept. 11th in UK, Sept. 13th in US (rumored)
Source for UK date: Digital Spy
Will go to radio on Sept. 11th in UK, Sept. 13th in US (rumored)
Source for UK date: Digital Spy
Christina records 'killer' duet w/ Eminem!
http://www.misformusic.com/index.php/2011/08/christina-aguileras-comeback-album-to-feature-killer-duet-with-eminem/
Quote:
It has been reported that Christina Aguilera’s fifth studio album will feature a collaboration with rap superstar Eminem.
The pair, who famously fell out and then made up are thought to be working on the ‘killer’ song, with Christina excited at the prospect of releasing the track as a single.
An insider said: “Christina knows after her last album bombed that she would have to do something special for fans to be interested in her music again.
“It’s a killer track and is bound to be a massive worldwide hit if released as a single, which is exactly what Christina is hoping for. She can’t wait to release the record and prove all her critics wrong”.
It has also been reported that Christina is working with producer William Orbit on the record, which is expected to be released in 2012.
idk if this is true. but thats awesome if true.
MH
Quote:
It has been reported that Christina Aguilera’s fifth studio album will feature a collaboration with rap superstar Eminem.
The pair, who famously fell out and then made up are thought to be working on the ‘killer’ song, with Christina excited at the prospect of releasing the track as a single.
An insider said: “Christina knows after her last album bombed that she would have to do something special for fans to be interested in her music again.
“It’s a killer track and is bound to be a massive worldwide hit if released as a single, which is exactly what Christina is hoping for. She can’t wait to release the record and prove all her critics wrong”.
It has also been reported that Christina is working with producer William Orbit on the record, which is expected to be released in 2012.
idk if this is true. but thats awesome if true.
MH
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