MUSIC TALK

No more dancing for Ellen?

Four of the world's biggest recording companies have sued the producers of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," accusing them of using songs without permission.

On the popular daytime program, which averages about 3 million viewers daily, newly named "American Idol" judge and show host DeGeneres dances to popular tunes selected by a deejay.

The lawsuit, which seeks an unspecified amount of damages, said "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" has used more than 1,000 songs without permission.

"As sophisticated consumers of music, defendants knew fully well that, regardless of the way they rolled, under the Copyright Act ... they needed a license to use the sound recordings lawfully," the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit was filed by Warner Music Group Corp, Sony Corp's Sony Music Entertainment, Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group, and EMI Group.

"It is unfortunate that the record labels have resorted to filing a suit over a straightforward business dispute which the show has always been prepared, and remains willing, to resolve on amicable and reasonable terms," Warner Bros said.

Whitney is back, her voice is not...

Whitney Houston's much-anticipated new album "I Look to You" hit stores Tuesday, and judging by the reaction of fans at "Good Morning America," she's going to do all right with it.

Houston performed a mini-concert on "GMA's" Central Park stage Tuesday, and it aired Wednesday on the ABC morning show.

Whitney Houston struggled with her voice during her much-hyped comeback performance. But industry prognosticators don't expect the diva to trip up on the charts next week.

"I Look To You" -- Houston's first album in seven years -- is expected to sell upward of 200,000 copies during the week ended September 6, which should easily enable it to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart when rankings are released next Wednesday.

Houston would do well to suppress any loud cheers so that she doesn't hurt her famous pipes. During Tuesday's performance for 5,000 concert-goers at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield, she apologized for her voice.

"I'm sorry. I did 'Oprah.' I've been talking so long ... I talked so much, my voice," she attempted to explain. "I shouldn't be talking, I should be singing," she said before breaking into "I'm every woman," the last of her three-song set. Other tracks performed included "Million Dollar Bill" and the album's title track, during which Houston choked up.

Nelly Furtado feat. Alex Cuba - "Mi Plan"

Nelly Furtado is back! Her first Spanish-language album is a mixture of design and circumstance.

There she was in the studio with her friend, guitarist James Bryan, attempting to help write the lyrics for a song titled "My Plan." But nothing worked. She tried writing the lyrics in Portuguese, but that didn't work either. And then, Alex Cuba -- a Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter whose album Furtado had recently heard and liked -- stopped by the studio to say hello. Why not try the song in Spanish, he suggested. Then he had a go at the lyrics.

"And I really liked it," Furtado recalls. "So we started really organically writing songs -- me, him and James."

"My Plan" evolved into "Mi Plan," Furtado's first full-length Spanish-language album, due September 15 as a joint venture between Furtado's own label, Nellstar, and Universal Music Latin America. "Mi Plan" will be released simultaneously in all of Universal's 77 territories around the world and may be the most ambitious Spanish-language release by a mainstream star.

While it's common for Latin crossover artists like Enrique Iglesias and Shakira to release albums in Spanish, these always have included at least one English version of a single for mainstream radio.

For Portuguese-Canadian Furtado, who has recorded Spanish collaborations, recording solely in that language is a gutsy move. "To me, music is a language in itself," Furtado says.

Given Furtado's global success, however, a Spanish-language album may be a good bet. "Mi Plan" comes in the wake of Furtado's 2006 album, "Loose," which sold more than 2 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan, and more than 10 million copies worldwide, according to Universal. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ranked it at No. 13 on its list of top-selling albums for 2006 and 2007. Its hit single, "Promiscuous," was the fourth-best-selling online track in the world in 2006.

Beyond Latin America, her star appeal is so big that the first single from the new album, "Manos Al Aire," is already climbing the European radio charts.

Furtado hasn't discarded the possibility of recording an English-language version of one of her new Spanish-language songs. "If any of the songs is a big crossover hit, then maybe I'll attempt it," she says.

Norah Jones is back: New band, new sounds, new collabs

Singer-songwriter  Norah Jones is back!  On her fourth studio album, she will move away from her jazz roots. The Blue Note Records release is due in November, the label announced Thursday.

Producer Jacquire King is working with Jones on the as-yet-untitled project, which will feature songwriting contributions from Ryan Adams, Will Sheff of Okkervil River and Jones' longtime collaborator Jesse Harris, who penned the singer's breakthrough hit, "Don't Know Why."

"I got in touch with Jacquire initially because he engineered one of my favorite records of all time, Tom Waits' 'Mule Variations,'" Jones said in a statement.

Jones is said to be branching out from her jazz-influenced pop roots on the new material and playing guitar more than piano.

In addition to working with a new producer and songwriters, Jones has made some changes in her band. Among the musicians playing on her new recordings are drummer Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) and James Gadson (Bill Withers), keyboardist James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Al Green) and guitarists Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and Smokey Hormel (Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer).

"I'd been playing with the same musicians for a long time," Jones said. "We're all still friendly and I hope we play together again, but it felt like a good time to work with new people and experiment with different sounds."

Jones' new album will be her first since 2007's "Not Too Late," which sold 1.58 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Lady Gaga: "My Show is Gay."

Lady GaGa confirmed her forthcoming joint headline tour with Kanye West. The dates have yet to be announced but she says the two maverick artists are already planning a spectacular show. 

In another interview — this one in the September issue of Out magazine — Gaga made another claim.

She said she told Kanye, "I just want to be clear before we decide to do this together: I'm gay. My music is gay. My show is gay. And I love that it's gay," she told the magazine. "And I love my gay fans and they're all going to be coming to our show. And it's going to remain gay."

Before Gaga hits the road with West, she'll get the chance to work out the live show kinks at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. She's up for nine Moonmen, and earlier this week, it was announced that she'll also be performing at the big show, alongside the likes of Jay-Z, Green Day, Taylor Swift, Pink and Muse.

Although it is yet to be officially confirmed, the tour is reported to be kicking off on October 4 in Buffalo, New York.

2009 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees

MTV has unveiled the nominations for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé and Lady Gaga lead the way with nine nods a piece, following them is Britney Spears with seven, and Kanye West and Eminem are facing off in the same four categories.

All three ladies will compete for the honor of video of the year, with Beyonce earning a bid for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Lady Gaga for "Poker Face" and Britney Spears for "Womanizer."

They square off against rappers Kanye West with "Love Lockdown" and Eminem for "We Made You" in the video of the year race. Honors will be given out at New York's Radio City Music Hall on September 13 in a show hosted by British prankster Russell Brand.

The annual awards are one of the cable TV channel's most-watched programs, as much for the celebrity antics and performances as the awards themselves.

Spears is currently on tour and her video for the song "Circus" was nominated for best choreography.

New Yorker Lady Gaga's 2008 debut album, "The Fame," included the hit single "Just Dance" and was among the top five CDs in countries including the United States, Britain and Germany.

"Poker Face" earned Lady Gaga not only a video of the year nomination but also a nod for best female video, a category that pits her against Katy Perry with "Hot N Cold," Beyonce with "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," Kelly Clarkson with "My Life Would Suck Without You," Taylor Swift with "You Belong With Me" and Pink with "So What."

Eminem ("We Made You") and Kanye West ("Love Lockdown") will square off in the best male video category against hip hop star Jay-Z with "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," rapper T.I. (featuring Rihanna) with his "Live Your Life" and Ne-Yo with "Miss Independent."

A complete list of nominees follows:

Video of the Year
» Beyonce “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
» Lady Gaga “Poker Face”
» Eminem “We Made You”
» Kanye West “Love Lockdown”
» Britney Spears “Womanizer”

Best New Artist
» Lady Gaga “Poker Face”
» Drake “Best I Ever Had”
» 3HO!3 “Don’t Trust Me”
» Kid Cudi “Day ‘N Nite”
» Asher Roth “I love College”

Best Male Video
» Eminem “We Made You”
» Ne-Yo “Miss Independent”
» Kanye West “Love Lockdown”
» TI f/Rihanna “Live Your Life”
» Jay-Z “D.O.A.”

Best Female Video
» Lady Gaga “Poker Face”
» Beyonce “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
» Katy Perry “Hot N Cold”
» Kelly Clarkson “My Life would suck without you”
» Taylor Swift “You Belong With Me”
» Pink “So What”

Best Hip-Hop Video
» Eminem “We Made You”
» Flo Rida “Right Round”
» Kanye West “Love Lockdown”
» Asher Roth “I Love College”
» Jay-Z “D.O.A.”

Best Pop Video
» Britney Spears “Womanizer”
» Beyonce “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
» Lady Gaga “Poker Face”
» Wisin Y Yandel “Abusadora”
» Cobra Starship (featuring Leighton Meester) “Goodgirls Go Bad”

Best Rock Video
» Coldplay “Viva La Vida”
» Paramore “Decode”
» Kings of Leon “Use Somebody”
» Green Day “21 Guns”
» Fall Out Boy “I Don’t Care”

Breakthrough Video
» Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Heads Will Roll”
» Matt & Kim “Lessons Learned”
» Passion Pit- “The Reeling”
» Bat for Lashes “Daniel”
» Anjulie “Boom”
» Cold War Kids “I’ve Seen Enough”
» Death Cab for Cutie “Grapevine Fires”
» Gnarls Barkley “Who’s gonna save my soul”
» Chairlift “Evident Utensil”
» Major Lazer “Hold the Line”

Best Video (That Should Have Won A Moonman)
» David Lee Roth “California Girls”
» Foo Fighters “Everlong”
» U2 “Streets Have No Name”
» George Michael “Freedom”
» Ok Go “Here It Goes Again”
» Tom Petty “Into The Great Wide Open”
» Dre “Nothing But A ‘G’ Thang”
» Beastie Boys “Sabotage”
» Bjork “Human Behavior”
» Radiohead “Karma Police”

Best Choreography
» Beyonce “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
» Kristinia DeBarge “Goodbye”
» Britney Spears “Circus”
» Ciara f/Justin Timberlake “Love Sex Magic”
» A.R. Rahman & PCD f/Nicole Schweisinger “Jai Ho!”

Best Direction
» Beyonce “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
» Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”
» Britney Spears “Circus”
» Cobra Starship f/Leighton Meester “Goodgirls Go Bad”
» Green Day “21 Guns”

Best Editing
» Beyonce “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
» Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”
» Britney Spears “Circus”
» Miley Cyrus “7 Things”
» Coldplay “Viva La Vida”

Best Special Effects
» Gnarls Barkley “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
» Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”
» Beyonce “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
» Eminem “We Made You”
» Kanye West (featuring Mr. Hudson) “Paranoid”

Best Cinematography
» Beyonce “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
» Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”
» Britney Spears “Circus”
» Green Day “21 Guns”
» Coldplay “Viva La Vida”

Celebrity Deathmatch Round 3 - Slim Shady vs. MC

The war of words against Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon — which began with Eminem's "Bagpipes From Baghdad" and continued with Carey's "Obsessed" — took another turn Thursday night (July 30), when Slim Shady dropped a new dis track against Mariah called "The Warning."

Eminem raps (addressing Mariah), "The only reason I dissed you in the first place is because you denied seeing me. Now I'm pissed off."  Then the Detroit rapper adds, "Oh gee, is that supposed to be me in the video with the goatee?/ Wow Mariah, didn't expect ya to go b---s out./ B---h, shut the f--- up before I put all those phone calls out/ You made to my house/ When you was wilding out/ Before Nick, when you was on my di--."

From there, Em goes onto graphically describe his one full sexual encounter with Carey, labels her a "liar" and other ugly names, and threatens to reveal personal pictures and phone messages he has of the singer.

"If you gonna ruin my career, you better get one," Eminem advises Nick Cannon.

In recent weeks, all three parties have denied any hard feelings.

Carey has denied having a previous relationship with Eminem; Eminem has insisted there was one.

Carey told MTV News, "Everybody started having their own speculations about who the stalker [in the video] was. I'm like, look, when I look at that stalker and me with the beard and the whole nine yards, I look like my cousin Chris. I do. I look like my brother and my cousin Chris. So basically, you know, all the speculation about who I'm playing in the video, it's not accurate."

So much drama... time to move on everyone! The music biz need some good songs, not good gossips.

Whitney Houston - "I Look To You"

The new Whitney album will be in stores September 1st. The first official single, “Million Dollar Bill” (written by Alicia Keys and produced by Swizz Beatz) will premiere on July 28th.

"Million Dollar Bill" is an up-tempo, joyful track about love and probably one of the funkiest songs Whitney has ever done. “Million Dollar Bill” has an amazing bass line and almost recalls early  Michael Jackson in Off The Wall. The catchy hook, “You make me feel like a million dollar bill.” Her vocal is strong with some power notes toward the end. The song has an Alicia Keys sound but fits for Whitney — it’s current without making her seem like she is trying to compete with teenagers. The song already received rave reviews in major publications.

The single “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” produced by David Foster and written by Diane Warren is the promo single for this album.

"I Look To You" will be Houston's seventh studio album and represents a new start after a seven-year hiatus that included some well-publicized troubles (including drug problems and a nasty divorce from ex, Bobby Brown.)

For Whitney, there is no such thing as a “comeback” — icons “don’t call it a comeback,” they just jump back in the game whenever they are ready.  One thing I do know is no one should expect 1985 Whitney.  Artists evolve and it’s limiting when we trap performers in a particular box or era.  The best piece about the tracks is that Whitney has some grit to her voice, her vocals are still strong but she doesn’t mind getting a bit nasty with it.  While the album isn’t finished, I believe folks will be pleasantly surprised.

I Look To You Official Tracklist (available Sept. 1)

1.   Million Dollar Bill
2.   Nothin' But Love
3.   Call You Tonight
4.   I Look To You
5.   Like I Never Left (feat. Akon)
6.   A Song For You
7.   I Didn't Know My Own Strength
8.   Worth It
9.   For The Lovers
10. I Got You
11. Salute

For more information please visit: www.whitneyhouston.com

The War of Words - MC is 'Obsessed' with Eminem?

Mariah Carey is talking aim at Eminem in her new single after the rapper suggested he'd bedded the singer in the lyrics of his track "Bagpipes From Baghdad." His crude remarks upset Carey's husband Nick Cannon, who attacked Eminem publicly, sparking a war of words between the two stars. The rap star rhymed, "Mariah, what ever happened to us, why did we have to break up... Nick Cannon better back the f**k up. I'm not playing, I want her back, you punk."

But now Carey is keen to have the last laugh, calling Eminem "delusional" on her new track "Obsessed" - the first single from her upcoming album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel."

Carey really slaps Eminem with the line, "You're a mom & pop, I'm a corporation/I'm a press conference, you're a conversation," suggesting the rapper isn't a worthy suitor.

"Obsessed" is certainly a change of pace for Mariah Carey who has built one of the most phenomenal pop music careers of all time out of songs primarily about love, sex and inspiration. The new single is a very direct, bordering on nasty, dis reportedly of Eminem but probably of others as well. Lyrically "Obsessed" is interesting, but musically it just doesn't hold up with the standard of Mariah Carey's other work. She sounds surprisingly bored for the words she is singing.

On the other hand, MC deserves extra kudos for the funny and creative video, in which she plays an Eminem-look-a-like-fanatic who is obsessed with Mariah Carey... adding a good dose of irony to comedy.

FYI: New single, "Obsessed" is available now.  "Memoirs of an imperfect Angel"  will be in stores 8/25/09. 

MJ - "His Music Will Live Forever."

Reports that he was collaborating on a comeback album with leading hip-hop and R&B artists emerged as early as 2006. He had worked on songs with will.i.am, and Ne-Yo had offered material for consideration.

Billboard reported last week that Jackson had been at work on both a new pop album, his first since 2001's Invincible, and an instrumental album of classical music.

Others point to older recordings. Tommy Mottola, formerly head of Sony Music, Jackson's record company, says the singer accumulated a lot of material that never left the studio.

Whatever the truth may be, as for now the fact is that 800,000 copies of Michael Jackson albums were bought in the U.S. last week (nearly double his sales from the previous week), according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Jackson is claiming the entire Top 10 roster on the Top Catalog Album chart this week. His Number Ones collection is the top seller, followed by Thriller. Solo albums occupy every position but No. 7, where the Jackson 5's Ultimate Collection album resides.

On Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, Jackson holds five out of the top 10 slots, with Man in the Mirror leading as his top-selling digital download song of the week.

Four Jackson CDs also are in the top 10 albums sold on iTunes, and five of the top 10 singles for the week ending Monday.

It's clear that the King of Pop's fame never fades even after he's gone, and "his music will live forever."

Europe gets 'Sticky & Sweet' on July 4th

Tomorrow (July 4th) is the opening night of Madonna's 2009 Sticky and Sweet Tour! The Material Girl and her whole band are busy rehearsing for the show, which will be played 29 times in 25 different cities all over Europe from July 4th to September 2nd. The 2009 leg of the tour is to feature some changes, including a couple of songs that were not performed last year.

The Sticky and Sweet Tour debuted in 2008 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales before making an extensive circuit of Europe and the U.S. for three and a half months. Now, Sticky and Sweet is back in Europe and Madonna dons the Givenchy leotard and leather boots once more. The queen of pop, who could pass for much younger than her 50 years, again puts on a dazzling show, cavorting around the stage in a variety of outfits from bondage gear to 1980’s dance inspired boxing shorts.

The show has four distinct themes, Pimp, Old School, Gypsy and Rave, giving the set designers, (and Madonna’s costume designers, who include Givenchy and Stella McCartney), plenty of scope to push the boundaries. Pride of place must be given to the vintage Rolls Royce car with the Madonna number plates and the giant M’s on either side of the stage, encrusted with diamante reputed to have cost over $1m.

The Sticky and Sweet Tour is already the #1 Biggest Grossing Tour in history for a solo artist.

In 2009, the new tour stops will include appearances in never before played markets such as Werchter Belgium, Marseille France, Hamburg Germany, Oslo Norway, Helsinki Finland, Tallinn Estonia, Ljubljana Slovenia as well as stops in Romania, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria. Additional appearances by Madonna will include return visits after more than 15 years to Madrid, Gothenburg and Munich. The tour will close with two performances in Israel.

“This new run of dates will further solidify Madonna’s position as one of the top selling touring artists of all time,” said Arthur Fogel, Live Nation’s Chairman of Global Music and CEO of Global Touring/Artist Nation.

Also, as a treat, UK fans will have the privilege to watch on Sky 1 a special Sticky & Sweet show filmed in HD at Buenos Aires' River Plate Stadium last year!

The show will repeat Monday on Sky2 and Tuesday on Sky1 (see below for more info).

Madonna Sticky and Sweet: Live
On: Sky1 (106)
Saturday 4th July, 21:00 to 23:30

Madonna Sticky and Sweet: Live
On: Sky2 (107)
Monday 6th July, 23:00 to 01:30

Madonna Sticky and Sweet: Live
On: Sky1 (106)
Tuesday 7th July, 22:00 to 00:30

For more info about the broadcast, please visit: http://sky1.sky.com/show/madonna-sticky-and-sweet

"The Day When Music Died..." - R.I.P. Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was born Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary.

He was 4 years old when he began singing with his brothers (Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito) in the Jackson 5. After his early success with bubblegum soul, he struck out on his own, generating innovative, explosive, unstoppable music.

The peak may have come in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson moonwalked off with the show, joining his brothers for a medley of old hits and then leaving them behind with a pointing, crouching, high-kicking, splay-footed, crotch-grabbing run through "Billie Jean."

The audience stood and roared. Jackson raised his fist.

By then he had cemented his place in pop culture. He got the plum Scarecrow role in the 1978 movie musical "The Wiz," a pop-R&B version of "The Wizard of Oz," that starred Diana Ross as Dorothy.

He had strong follow-up albums with 1987's "Bad" and 1991's "Dangerous," but his career began to collapse in 1993 after he was accused of molesting a boy who often stayed at his home. The singer denied any wrongdoing, reached a settlement with the boy's family, reported to be $20 million, and criminal charges were never filed.

Jackson's expressed anger over the allegations on the 1995 album "HIStory," which sold more than 2.4 million copies, but by then, the popularity of Jackson's music was clearly waning, even as public fascination with his increasingly erratic behavior was growing.

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, and they divorced in 1996. Later that year, Jackson married Deborah Rowe, a former nurse for his dermatologist. They had two children together: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. Rowe filed for divorce in 1999.

Billboard magazine editorial director Bill Werde said Jackson's star power was unmatched. "The world just lost the biggest pop star in history, no matter how you cut it," Werde said. "He's literally the king of pop."

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks, as was his ever-changing appearance.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sales of over 750 million albums worldwide.

Recently, Michael Jackson re-released "Thriller," the best-selling album of all time.

He passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009.

Quotes about the death of Michael Jackson by other stars:

"I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible. I am heartbroken for his children who I know were everything to him and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me." — Lisa Marie Presley, former wife of Michael Jackson and daughter of Elvis Presley.

"Michael Jackson was my generation's most iconic cultural hero. Courageous, unique and incredibly talented. He'll be missed greatly." — Russell Simmons, hip-hop entrepreneur and founder of Def-Jam Records.

"Michael was a pop phenomenon who never stopped pushing the envelope of creativity. Though there were serious questions about his personal life, Michael was undoubtedly a great entertainer and his popularity spanned generations and the globe." — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"He was a true musical icon whose identifiable voice, innovative dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and sheer star power carried him from childhood to worldwide acclaim. A 13-time Grammy recipient, Michael's career transcends musical and cultural genres and his contributions will always keep him in our hearts and memories." — Neil Portnow, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences president.

"I can't stop crying over the sad news. I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever. My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless." — Madonna, pop star.

"I am very sad. No one will be able to replace him. But I know that the light that he emanated from the stage will live on with all of us who saw him for what he was and always will be a great teacher, pure musical inspiration." — Ricky Martin, pop star.

"Peace to the King. ... He was one of my childhood idols. I salute you King of Pop. You made the whole world moonwalk together." — LL Cool J, rapper-actor.

(Credits for news information: AP, Reuters and TMZ.)

"Now I'm That Bitch"

Rihanna's newest competition from the isle of Barbados is Livvi Franc, a luscious 21 year old diva-in-the-making with distinctive vocal and songwriting ability.

Her MySpace site states, "The debut single "Now I'm That Bitch," produced by Salaam Remi (Amy Winehouse), sends a clear message - a "Bitch" is all about "Being In Total Control of Herself" and Livvi is certainly in control on her debut album, featuring production from RedOne (Lady GaGa), JR Rotem (Rihanna, Leona Lewis), Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue)."

Livvi's pop gem is a hot single that takes lyrical inspirations from other outspoken female artists (like Lauryn Hill or Alanis Morissette).

“In high school, I was a wallflower and as I matured, I came into my own,” says Livvi.

"I learned that being defined as a bitch doesn’t have to be negative. The song is about when that crush—in high school or in life—does not notice you, as you come into your own, you will be able to say, ‘Now I’m that bitch.’”

With bold self-assurance and a musical style that is an eclectic mash-up of pop, folk, and Caribbean flavor, it’s no wonder the arrestingly feminine and powerful chant Livvi announces on her single incites confidence in women around the globe.

Livvi Franc’s debut album drops this summer on Jive Records.

Tours, Tours, Tours... Summer 09

It seems that this summer many big stars will be hitting the road again (or for the first time in many years) to bring their show spectacular to their fans.

First stop on our list is Michael Jackson who already made more headlines with the lawsuits surrounding his upcoming farewell tour then probably what he will with his actual concert. The 50 shows set to kick off (after a week delay now) starting on July 13th.

For his "This is it!" gig Michael Jackson is set to turn the Kent house he'll be renting during his London O2 Arena residency into a replica of his Neverland Ranch. The singer has apparently told gig promoters AEG that he wants a funfair installed in the grounds of Foxbury Manor in Chistlehurst, Kent.

Fans are anxious, promoters are stressed and his lawyers are well paid, all hoping that things would go well.

Nex stop on our tour countdown is the Queen of Pop, Madonna who had a lot to celebrate this week due to the ruling of Malawi's Higher Court that granted her the adoption of 3 year old little girl, "Mercy."

Also, with record breaking sell outs in London, Brussels, Oslo, Tallinn, Helsinki and Gothenburg, Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet Tour" - 2009 - reaffirms Madonna's status as one of the most successful touring artists of all time. She'll be re-visiting Europe and now Tel Aviv twice this summer, starting on July 4th in London.

Madonna's girl pal, Britney also announced that just like her icon she would go on and continue with her highly successful theatrical tour, "Circus" by visiting Australia (for the first time) and then returning for a North American encore.  The 20 cities tour will kick of on August 20th in Hamilton, ON.

Finally, starting in July, the legendary singer/songwriter, Tori Amos will be out on her U.S. “Sinful Attraction Tour” performing songs from her new album, "Abnormally Attracted to Sin." 

We might be facing an economic recession, but it's time to save that dollar fans to see one of these summer concerts! 

When Love (Luck) Took Over Kelly R. Career...

Singer Kelly Rowland was in France last summer when she discovered DJ David Guetta, at one of his exhilarating techno shows in Cannes.

When she later met up with Guetta and asked him to play a new track for her, the French DJ unveiled a pop number built around a piano loop and throbbing percussion. Soon after that the track became the groundwork for "When Love Takes Over," the latest song of Kelly Rowland. 

Last month, "When Love Takes Over" was officially released as the first single from Guetta's upcoming album, "One Love," and bulleted at No. 2 on the Hot Dance Airplay chart.

The success of "When Love Takes Over" comes at an intriguing time in Rowland's career. An amicable split with Columbia in March led the singer to explore other media, and she landed on Bravo's "The Fashion Show" as a co-host with style guru Isaac Mizrahi. The reality show premiered May 7.

Although Rowland is still between labels and doesn't have concrete plans for another solo album, she hints that her next effort may return the favor for Guetta and focus more on the clubs. "This has definitely inspired me to put more of a dance sound on an album of my own," she says. "I want to try out that world without straying too far from my urban roots."

"Her Diamonds"

Three time Grammy-award winning artist Rob Thomas' new song "Her Diamonds," is the first single from his upcoming album entitled "Cradlesong" which hits retail stores on June 30th, 2009.

Collaborations with South American and African percussionists had a strong influence on the global rhythms included on "Cradlesong," Thomas told Billboard.com last fall. "We started off with the idea of doing a newer version of [Paul Simon's] "Rhythm of the Saints," Thomas said.  "And that kinda carried us a long way through. It gave us a whole new bed to work with, like 'How do I get my pop sensibility around this and work it into that?' It was a lot of fun.”

Rob is also making some news as one of the top musicians in our country adopting web 2.0 and new digital music technologies to interact with his followers and fan base. On March 11th he joined Twitter and in just over a month has attracted nearly 28,000 followers (@ThisIsRobThomas). Not everyone is Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) but then again, Ashton can't write and record songs that sound like this.

Rob's melodies keep you interested after more than a few plays of the song. They aren't always predictable and it ends up being refreshing.  He's got a good voice and a good presence but it's really his songwriting that is noteworthy.

"Her Diamonds" is not as immediately arresting as when Rob Thomas kicked off his solo career with the funky "Lonely No More." However, the more you listen you realize "Her Diamonds" is Rob Thomas at his best in both songwriting and singing. Expect to hear "Her Diamonds" all over the radio all summer in 2009.

FYI: Thomas’ first solo album, “...Something to Be,” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 in 2005 and has sold 1,587,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. He also co-wrote the 1999 mega-hit “Smooth,” which Billboard last year named the No. 2 Hot 100 song of all time.  Matchbox Twenty has sold 16 million albums.

"Abnormally Attracted to Sin" ... and the Financial Crisis

Kylie USA 2009

While Kylie Minogue is a superstar overseas, in the United States, she’s been more of a cult phenomenon.

Because of that, Minogue has spent most of her time touring places like Europe, Asia and her native Australia, while admittedly treating the United States like an afterthought.

But Minogue is about to change her mindset. She is launching her first North American tour this fall, and while it will be short — only six cities — she’s hoping to reconnect with her small but feverish fan base (a second show was recently added in New York City when the first sold out in an hour).

"I've wanted to tour in America and Canada for years," admits Kylie, "I know that fans have been waiting a long time for this and I'm thrilled that the opportunity has finally arrived."

Kylie's eagerly-awaited North American concert debut is being produced by Los Angeles-based concert promotion firm Bill Silva Presents (BSP).

"Kylie has such a successful career outside of North America that it has taken quite a while to find a window in her schedule for the U.S. and Canada," said Silva. "Her amazing fans in North America will be well rewarded for their patience when they experience her show and its entire spectacle. We are confident in the tour's success, and hope that Kylie will make this the first of many tours to our shores."

Tickets will go on sale in each market on the weekend of May 15, however early access to tickets in the U.S. will be available to American Express Cardmembers beginning this Thursday, May 7, through Ticketmaster. Members of Kylie's mailing list via her official website www.Kylie.com will receive an exclusive email that contains information of special ticket pre-sale offers.

Here are the dates for Kylie's tour:

• Thu 30th Sep Fox Theatre - Oakland (San Francisco Bay Area)
• Sat 3rd Oct The Pearl 'Palms Resort & Casino' - Las Vegas, NV
• Sun 4th Oct Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA
• Wed 7th Oct The Congress Theater - Chicago, IL
• Fri 9th Oct Air Canada Centre - Toronto, ON
• Sun 11th Oct Hammerstein Ballroom - NYC, NY

A second New York date was just added - October 12th at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Paula Abdul is clearly "Here for the Music" only!

Another comeback, another lip-sync performance on live TV and another rehab visit... Guess who it is this week?  I know, I know... the list is almost endless, but no, it's not Britney nor Lindsay Lohan and not even Ashlee Simpson...

It's our ever optimistic American Idol judge, Paula Abdul who has been accused of a lot of things throughout her career... most of which were true... or actually turned out to be true, according to her recent interview in the latest issue of "Ladies Home Journal." 

As E! News (and dozens of other media outlets) reported earlier this week, American Idol's "nice" judge graces the June cover of the magazine, and the accompanying article claims that Paula checked into La Costa Resort and Spa in  Carlsbad, Calif., to kick her painkiller addiction.

But this is not true, according to Paula. "It was very stressful for me to hear that and to be quoted saying something I never said," Paula said on WKQI's Mojo in the Morning radio show today. "I've never checked into a rehab clinic. I've never been addicted or abused drugs, and I've never been addicted or abused alcohol. I've never even been drunk in my life."

Sure Paula, all those times during Idol when you lost your concentration, focus and could not even read from the teleprompter properly or remember the contestants' names (after many weeks) were all just the result of um.... being "plain tired."

Well, I'm not a pharmacist and don't have access to her CVS prescriptions... but something really stinks here.... And speaking of things that are suspicious...

This week Paula also made headlines another way... Her live? comeback performance on Idol with her latest auto tune hit, "Here for the Music" clearly proved two things: 1, the woman can still dance and 2, no she still can't sing...

When will people ever stop using auto tune???

Either way, the song is mediocre, a heard it all before bubblegum disaster. Clearly, she is here for the music only since it is not about her singing...

FYI: Paula Abdul released her new song, “Here For The Music,” this week . The single reunites Paula with producer Oliver Lieber who helmed the chart topping album "Forever Your Girl." The track was co-written by Danielle Brisebois and Wayne Rodrigues and is the first song from Paula’s upcoming album due out in Fall 2009 on Filament Entertainment Group.

No Doubt - "The Procrastination Tour"

No Doubt are touring to overcome writer's block.

The group are set to go out on the road for their first concerts in five years and admit they planned to record a new album first, but struggled for inspiration.

Singer Gwen Stefani said: "We're calling it the procrastination tour."

Bassist Tony Kanal added: "We were in the studio, trying to write but things weren't coming. Gwen was feeling like she couldn't find the place where she wanted to start the writing process. We just need to get out on the road.

"Once the four of us looked at each other and said, 'It's time to play,' the pressure was lifted and we got really excited. It was like four adults became four little kids again. We're giddy about it."

The group have been on hiatus while Gwen - who has two sons, Kingston, two, and Zuma, eight months, with husband Gavin Rossdale - launched a solo career and took time out to raise her family, but the 'Just A Girl' star admits they planned to get back together much sooner.

She told MTV news: "I'm the biggest procrastinator. It's not the rest of the band's fault, it's my fault, because I had this whole game plan: 'OK, I'm gonna go on tour with my last record, I'm gonna come home, I'm gonna get pregnant, I'm gonna have a baby, but while I'm pregnant, I'm gonna make the No Doubt record.' That was, like, the plan, but it all didn't work."

No Doubt have been off the road for nearly five years now. That's all about to change.

On Saturday, Gwen and the guys will take the stage at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, then on Sunday, they'll close out the Bamboozle Festival at the Meadowlands. Both dates will serve as tune-ups for a massive summer tour with Paramore, their first full-scale jaunt since 2004.

The No Doubt/ Paramore tour kicks off May 19 in Fresno, California.