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.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
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
| Quote: |
| 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.
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.
| Quote: |
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.
| Quote: |
| 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.” |
Sunday, December 8, 2013
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.
“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.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
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.”
“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!
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.”
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.”
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
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
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? |
source
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Ryan Tedder Q&A: On 'Counting Stars,' New Beyonce
"I'd rather have a song that peaks at No. 15 that's meaningful and embedded in the cultural framework we live in than a No. 1 song that explodes for five seconds," says the OneRepublic frontman.
Slow and steady has been the approach for all of OneRepublic's singles, ever since Timbaland's remix of "Apologize" catapulted the band to instant fame in 2007. Ryan Tedder's long-running group has now sent its single "Counting Stars" to a new Hot 100 peak (No. 6 on last week's chart), a whopping 22 weeks after it debuted on the tally in July. OneRepublic's latest hit has come at a time in which Tedder is busier than ever with other songwriting projects, which will likely keep him on the charts well into 2014.
Check out Tedder's Q&A with Billboard about the slow-rising success of "Counting Stars," making music with a message, and what we can expect from him in the next 12 months:
Billboard: "Counting Stars" will likely be the biggest global hit in the seven-year history of OneRepublic. How does that make you feel?
Tedder: It's insane. I just hung up with the head of international at our label today -- it's on pace to be bigger than "Apologize" was for us… It's uncanny because you never know which is gonna be "the one." I think as a band we've put out stuff people have connected, but it's still a bit like lightning in a bottle. You don't really know when the world decides, "I have to have this as my theme song," unless you're Max Martin or Dr. Luke.
Given "Counting Stars"' uplifting, faith-based message, it must be gratifying to be connecting with such a meaningful song.
I think it's our responsibility as a band, and what separates us from everyone else. I took that from being a fan of U2 for two decades now, since "Achtung Baby." To this day, they might be the only band on that level who sings about things other than just boy-girl troubles or the kind of selfish, "I'm a badass" stuff. I've spoken with Bono about this when we toured with him, and he said the same thing. I felt a responsibility to actually write and sing about things that have a level of human gravity to them. If everybody else sings about sex and love and lust and money, then somebody's gotta be singing about life and faith and hope and things of that nature. And in the pantheon of their esteemed career, they've had two No. 1 hits, and I think both were 25 years ago. It's not about that -- it's about what songs feel real. I'd rather have a song that peaks at No. 15 that's meaningful and embedded in the cultural framework we live in than a No. 1 song that explodes for five seconds, becomes the dance hit of the summer, then goes away.
You remain active as a songwriter for other artists, too. Who's keeping you busy right now?
I co-produced the new Fray single with Stuart Price, which has just come out, and it looks like I might have another UK No. 1 with James Blunt and his single "Bonfire Heart" soon… I've got something on the next Beyonce that could be the biggest song I've been a part of in recent memory. I can't talk about it, but I can say I did it with The-Dream. And then I've got Birdy, who I think is the artist to watch for the next three to four years. She's un-freaking-believable. And when I'm home I've been focused on Adele big time. She's just chilling for the moment, as she deserves to chill, but I'd love to do a song with [Paul] Epworth and Adele.
With so much blowing up around OneRepublic right now, how are you making time for your other projects?
I've just had a philosophical conversation with my manager because, starting in 2014, we want to cut it down and do a lot less and really only focus on the things that I really think challenge me. I've been motivated by taking on projects outside of my wheelhouse that I don't really do, like really pop or really indie like Churchill. I'll intentionally take projects where there's a snowball's chance in hell I'll have the big hit, but it's gratifying to do something that's really hard for me to do. I wanna focus on things I think I can really excel at moving forward, not wasting anybody's time. So I'm obviously focused with Adele. I also want to go in with Florence [Welch] — she and I have been talking for three years about getting together. I want to go back in with Ellie [Goulding], we just did "Burn," and I'm also talking to Ed Sheeran, talking to the Script.. And then hopefully at some point, another guy we've talked about for years and timing is Timberlake. I'm going to attempt to catch him on tour before he goes in to do another album. I think he and I could do something really, really cool. We've been friends about 10 or 11 years.
How much do you attribute OneRepublic's success to the team around you?
I can't say enough great things about Interscope and Universal Music and Laffitte Management. We share our manager with Pharrell, and as big as Pharrell has been in the last year, you would never know Ron manages anybody but us. He's the guy up at 3 in the morning stressing out, like, "Why hasn't 'Counting Stars' broken in Holland yet? Why are we only in the 40s?" I'm never confused that it's not about numbers. But I've learned with our band that if you have the song that becomes the theme song to somebody's senior year in college, or their best friend passed away and you got them through it, you've created a connection with that person for the rest of their life. And very few people get to do that. For me, that's the coolest gig in the world.
Slow and steady has been the approach for all of OneRepublic's singles, ever since Timbaland's remix of "Apologize" catapulted the band to instant fame in 2007. Ryan Tedder's long-running group has now sent its single "Counting Stars" to a new Hot 100 peak (No. 6 on last week's chart), a whopping 22 weeks after it debuted on the tally in July. OneRepublic's latest hit has come at a time in which Tedder is busier than ever with other songwriting projects, which will likely keep him on the charts well into 2014.
Check out Tedder's Q&A with Billboard about the slow-rising success of "Counting Stars," making music with a message, and what we can expect from him in the next 12 months:
Billboard: "Counting Stars" will likely be the biggest global hit in the seven-year history of OneRepublic. How does that make you feel?
Tedder: It's insane. I just hung up with the head of international at our label today -- it's on pace to be bigger than "Apologize" was for us… It's uncanny because you never know which is gonna be "the one." I think as a band we've put out stuff people have connected, but it's still a bit like lightning in a bottle. You don't really know when the world decides, "I have to have this as my theme song," unless you're Max Martin or Dr. Luke.
Given "Counting Stars"' uplifting, faith-based message, it must be gratifying to be connecting with such a meaningful song.
I think it's our responsibility as a band, and what separates us from everyone else. I took that from being a fan of U2 for two decades now, since "Achtung Baby." To this day, they might be the only band on that level who sings about things other than just boy-girl troubles or the kind of selfish, "I'm a badass" stuff. I've spoken with Bono about this when we toured with him, and he said the same thing. I felt a responsibility to actually write and sing about things that have a level of human gravity to them. If everybody else sings about sex and love and lust and money, then somebody's gotta be singing about life and faith and hope and things of that nature. And in the pantheon of their esteemed career, they've had two No. 1 hits, and I think both were 25 years ago. It's not about that -- it's about what songs feel real. I'd rather have a song that peaks at No. 15 that's meaningful and embedded in the cultural framework we live in than a No. 1 song that explodes for five seconds, becomes the dance hit of the summer, then goes away.
You remain active as a songwriter for other artists, too. Who's keeping you busy right now?
I co-produced the new Fray single with Stuart Price, which has just come out, and it looks like I might have another UK No. 1 with James Blunt and his single "Bonfire Heart" soon… I've got something on the next Beyonce that could be the biggest song I've been a part of in recent memory. I can't talk about it, but I can say I did it with The-Dream. And then I've got Birdy, who I think is the artist to watch for the next three to four years. She's un-freaking-believable. And when I'm home I've been focused on Adele big time. She's just chilling for the moment, as she deserves to chill, but I'd love to do a song with [Paul] Epworth and Adele.
With so much blowing up around OneRepublic right now, how are you making time for your other projects?
I've just had a philosophical conversation with my manager because, starting in 2014, we want to cut it down and do a lot less and really only focus on the things that I really think challenge me. I've been motivated by taking on projects outside of my wheelhouse that I don't really do, like really pop or really indie like Churchill. I'll intentionally take projects where there's a snowball's chance in hell I'll have the big hit, but it's gratifying to do something that's really hard for me to do. I wanna focus on things I think I can really excel at moving forward, not wasting anybody's time. So I'm obviously focused with Adele. I also want to go in with Florence [Welch] — she and I have been talking for three years about getting together. I want to go back in with Ellie [Goulding], we just did "Burn," and I'm also talking to Ed Sheeran, talking to the Script.. And then hopefully at some point, another guy we've talked about for years and timing is Timberlake. I'm going to attempt to catch him on tour before he goes in to do another album. I think he and I could do something really, really cool. We've been friends about 10 or 11 years.
How much do you attribute OneRepublic's success to the team around you?
I can't say enough great things about Interscope and Universal Music and Laffitte Management. We share our manager with Pharrell, and as big as Pharrell has been in the last year, you would never know Ron manages anybody but us. He's the guy up at 3 in the morning stressing out, like, "Why hasn't 'Counting Stars' broken in Holland yet? Why are we only in the 40s?" I'm never confused that it's not about numbers. But I've learned with our band that if you have the song that becomes the theme song to somebody's senior year in college, or their best friend passed away and you got them through it, you've created a connection with that person for the rest of their life. And very few people get to do that. For me, that's the coolest gig in the world.
Gaga talks AMA Performance, Katy Controversy, Tour
Interview
http://soundcloud.com/gagadailyofficial/lady-gaga-on-carson-daly#t=0:02
http://soundcloud.com/gagadailyofficial/lady-gaga-on-carson-daly#t=0:02
| Quote: |
| Lady Gaga called into AMP Radio for a quick interview with Carson Daly before jumping on a plane to Japan. Gaga spoke about her Presidential scandal-themed performance with R. Kelly at this year’s American Music Awards, insisting that she hadn’t intended it to be a commentary on the recent 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination. “We were trying, actually, to steer the performance away from Marilyn, that was my attempt,” she said. “It’s really more just about any kind of scandal. I mean, there’s been lots of scandals in the White House, but you know, there’s scandals everywhere else, you know, in pop culture and celebrity life and so I was doing sort of a comment about this.” Mother Monster has also spoken out to defend fellow pop star Katy Perry, who is being accused of being culturally inappropriate by some viewers who watched her geisha-inspired performance at the American Music Awards. Gaga was in the audience, but didn’t see things that way at all. “Maybe it’s because unconditionally means you’re supposed to love no matter what and geishas are paid?” she pondered. “I think people are generally too sensitive and they should just leave her be, but you know, I’m not really the person to ask.” Towards the end of the interview, Gaga hinted at a tour announcement next month. “I can’t wait to bring my tour back to America. We’re going to be announcing it very soon! I’ll make sure to call you, Carson,” she said. “I’m going on tour next year and we’re announcing something in December.” |
Ciara Talks To GQ About New Single & More
   GQ: This year's been great for you. Your new album, Ciara, was a hit and "Body Party" went Gold—it's one of my favorite tracks this year. Ciara: It's one of those songs that happened fast, because it has such a sweet vibe. I can't even lie, when we were mixing it, I was listening to it over and over like a fan. I don't like using obvious samples, but it felt right—I couldn't ignore the track the way [producer] Mike Will flipped the sample of "My boo." It's one of those songs a girl can sing to her man and where guys don't have to feel too cool to slow dance with your girl. GQ: And you've just released your new single, "Overdose." Ciara: The song's got a throwback '80s vibe with a modern twist; I think that's unexpected. It's more a product of my experimentation—it has a vintage-y feel, but I feel like everyone can love it. And what's better than to dance to the feeling of love? The song's about embodying that energy. GQ: Speaking of dancing, you're one of the best. How would you advise the GQ guy? Ciara: Go with the flow; don't overthink it. If you're a head-nod kind of guy, nod your head. If you're a guy who likes to coast out and rock or sway, just do that. Whatever you do, don't get out there and try do something you haven't practiced. Do what shows your style and vibe—let me catch that without you trying to show me anything. I'm kind of okay to just chill. Keep it simple and let the girl guide you a little bit. If you can do that, I think you'll be all right. GQ: One more GQ-centric question: What are your style dos and don'ts for guys? Ciara: I love when people have their own creative vision, when a person stands out and tries different things. I also think less is more. A T-shirt and some Balmain jeans or even just simple jeans can still look nice—it can be powerful, too. There's nothing better than when a man is in tune with who he is. I believe a person's style is an expression of who you are—way more than dancing. And confidence is everything. Confidence is what makes that simple white tee and jeans look good. | ||
Friday, November 22, 2013
MTV Hands Over Network to Miley for 8 Hours for her Birthday
via press release:
MTV TURNS NETWORK OVER TO MILEY CYRUS TO CELEBRATE HER 21ST BIRTHDAY WITH 8 HOURS OF MILEY-HOSTED PROGRAMMING
INCLUDING ORIGINAL SPECIAL “21 CANDLES: MILEY’S MTV MOMENTS”
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 BEGINNING AT 12:00 PM ET / PT
Miley’s Biggest Smilers Can Tweet #HappyBirthdayMiley and Post Instagram Birthday Wishes for the Star For the Chance to Make It Onto MTV
New York, NY (November 20, 2013) – MTV is handing the network over to world renowned entertainer and multiplatinum recording artist Miley Cyrus on Saturday, November 23 for an 8-hour celebration of the pop-culture queen’s 21st birthday, hosted by none other than Miley herself. The MTV / Miley collective has generated some of pop culture’s biggest moments of the year including two headline-grabbing performances at the “2013 MTV VMAs” in August and the “2013 MTV EMA” this month.
Beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET/PT, Miley will kick off the party with the debut of “21 Candles: Miley’s MTV Moments.” The all-new original special will celebrate the 21 reasons why fans loves the megastar, including Miley’s best MTV moments of all time, a look back at her milestone music videos and performances, as well as celebrities and fans giving birthday shout-outs and sharing their favorite Miley memories. Cyrus will appear throughout the special reflecting on her career and what’s to come in her 21st year.
Immediately following at 12:30 p.m. ET/PT will be a re-airing of the MTV docu-film “Miley: The Movement Deluxe Edition” featuring new commentary from the birthday girl before she introduces and hosts two of her favorite MTV shows, “Awkward” and “Snooki and JWOWW.” The “21 Candles” special will then repeat at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Throughout the day, Smilers who tweet birthday wishes to #HappyBirthdayMiley or post Instagram video messages beginning today will have the chance to appear on the network throughout the 8-hour celebration.
From her artistic and controversial music videos to live performances, Miley Cyrus has dominated the music charts and set the pop culture conversation ablaze in 2013. Her new critically acclaimed new album Bangerz debuted at #1 on both the Billboard Top 200 Chart and the Digital Album Chart in the U.S., in addition to hitting #1 on iTunes in more than 70 countries. Bangerz also debuted at #1 in Canada, Australia, Ireland and the UK.
Next, Miley will embark on the highly anticipated Bangerz tour. The 38 city tour kicks off on Valentine’s Day February 14, 2014 in Vancouver, BC and visit cities throughout the United States and Canada. Tickets are on sale now.
“21 Candles: Miley’s MTV Moments” is a production of MTV.
MTV TURNS NETWORK OVER TO MILEY CYRUS TO CELEBRATE HER 21ST BIRTHDAY WITH 8 HOURS OF MILEY-HOSTED PROGRAMMING
INCLUDING ORIGINAL SPECIAL “21 CANDLES: MILEY’S MTV MOMENTS”
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 BEGINNING AT 12:00 PM ET / PT
Miley’s Biggest Smilers Can Tweet #HappyBirthdayMiley and Post Instagram Birthday Wishes for the Star For the Chance to Make It Onto MTV
New York, NY (November 20, 2013) – MTV is handing the network over to world renowned entertainer and multiplatinum recording artist Miley Cyrus on Saturday, November 23 for an 8-hour celebration of the pop-culture queen’s 21st birthday, hosted by none other than Miley herself. The MTV / Miley collective has generated some of pop culture’s biggest moments of the year including two headline-grabbing performances at the “2013 MTV VMAs” in August and the “2013 MTV EMA” this month.
Beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET/PT, Miley will kick off the party with the debut of “21 Candles: Miley’s MTV Moments.” The all-new original special will celebrate the 21 reasons why fans loves the megastar, including Miley’s best MTV moments of all time, a look back at her milestone music videos and performances, as well as celebrities and fans giving birthday shout-outs and sharing their favorite Miley memories. Cyrus will appear throughout the special reflecting on her career and what’s to come in her 21st year.
Immediately following at 12:30 p.m. ET/PT will be a re-airing of the MTV docu-film “Miley: The Movement Deluxe Edition” featuring new commentary from the birthday girl before she introduces and hosts two of her favorite MTV shows, “Awkward” and “Snooki and JWOWW.” The “21 Candles” special will then repeat at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Throughout the day, Smilers who tweet birthday wishes to #HappyBirthdayMiley or post Instagram video messages beginning today will have the chance to appear on the network throughout the 8-hour celebration.
From her artistic and controversial music videos to live performances, Miley Cyrus has dominated the music charts and set the pop culture conversation ablaze in 2013. Her new critically acclaimed new album Bangerz debuted at #1 on both the Billboard Top 200 Chart and the Digital Album Chart in the U.S., in addition to hitting #1 on iTunes in more than 70 countries. Bangerz also debuted at #1 in Canada, Australia, Ireland and the UK.
Next, Miley will embark on the highly anticipated Bangerz tour. The 38 city tour kicks off on Valentine’s Day February 14, 2014 in Vancouver, BC and visit cities throughout the United States and Canada. Tickets are on sale now.
“21 Candles: Miley’s MTV Moments” is a production of MTV.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
"Britney Jean" Tracklist Now On iTunes
STANDARD VERSION
1. "Alien"
2. "Work Bitch"
3. "Perfume"
4. "It Should Be Easy (feat. will.i.am)"
5. "Tik Tik Boom (feat. T.I.)"
6. "Body Ache"
7. "Til It's Gone"
8. "Passenger"
9. "Chillin' With You (feat. Jamie Lynn)"
10. "Don't Cry"
DELUXE VERSION
11. "Brightest Morning Star"
12. "Hold On Tight"
13. "Now That I Found You"
14. "Perfume (The Dreaming Mix)"
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/britney-jean-deluxe-version/id736211014
I can't wait to listen to this.
Paris Hilton Lists Her Favorite Current Dance Hits
| From Martin Garrix to Fatboy Slim, see who made the DJ's cut. When she's not releasing happy-go-lucky singles on her new label home, Cash Money Records, Paris Hilton is a jet-setting DJ, with a residency in Ibiza that she will repeat next year. Hilton has played shows on nearly every continent, and will likely be invading major dance festivals like Ultra in 2014. So which EDM cuts has Hilton been pumping recently? She gave Billboard's Andrew Hampp some insight into her recent set lists and discussed her favorite current dance songs in the latest edition of Pop Shop's "Gimme Five" series. For more with Hilton, check out our video interview about her Lil Wayne-assisted single "Good Time," as well as this 'Remember The Time' on her 2006 hit "Stars Are Blind." |
Interview with her top 5 fav's here
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5785896/gimme-five-paris-hilton-lists-her-favorite-current-dance-hits
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Cassadee Pope Talks 'The Voice', 'Going Back Country Roots'
few videos can be seen here
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-615/5719500/cassadee-pope-talks-the-voice-and-going-back-to-my-country-roots
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-615/5719500/cassadee-pope-talks-the-voice-and-going-back-to-my-country-roots
| Quote: |
| Cassadee Pope will release her debut country album, "Frame By Frame," via Republic Nashville on Oct. 8. "When I get to walk in a store and see my album on a shelf, it will be so rewarding," she tells Billboard. "That's my creation. I'm going to make sure that if it's in the back, I'll put it in the front. That's what you've got to do." With the exposure she gained by winning "The Voice" last December, the Florida native admitted her run on the show was an emotional roller coaster. "Knowing that each week could have been my last was very nerve wracking," she admits, but with every week that passed, her confidence grew a little. "At each stage, I realized that I didn't even think I would get this far. So, even if I did go home, I know I made it further than a lot of people – and I should be grateful for that. With that being said, it was still very scary. I did not want to go home, and I treated every week like it was my last." She has hit the charts with the same fire and passion in which she approached "The Voice." The first single from "Frame By Frame," "Wasting All These Tears," has made an impact for the singer, hitting No. 27 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Pope says she had a feeling about the song from the beginning. "It was one of the first songs I heard in publishing meetings," she says. "It was my first time doing those. I had always written my own music. I fell in love right from the first line. It reels you in, There's such a picture that it paints. I knew it was a song I wanted for the album. I didn't think it would be the first single. I thought it would be something we released a little further down the line. Then, we recorded it, and I started playing it for people, I started performing it live, and the reaction was just undeniable. It had so much emotion. I think it's a great first impression for people. Though Pope did release several projects as a member of Hey Monday -- as well as a solo EP in 2012, she says that releasing an album on her own is a lot different. "I'm probably the most personal with this project than I have been with anything else. Getting to work with Dann Huff was really special. He's so good, and his rock, pop, and country sensibilities are all so great. I knew I wanted to do country music, but he helped me really hone in on what that sound is, and making sure that I was staying true to myself – going back to my country roots, but having that modern feel to it. I think we came out with a really great body of work." |
Katy Perry will perform another Prism song tonight if....
IF WALKING ON AIR GOES TO THE TOP
SOURCE
and it is currently #1 on iTunes.
| Quote: |
| You want another shade of #PRISM? Let's take WALKING ON AIR to the TOP spot & in exchange, Katy will play a NEW song you've never heard tonight! |
SOURCE
and it is currently #1 on iTunes.
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