IS BEYONCE PREGNANT?
Earlier Wednesday morning, news broke that Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z were rumored to be expecting their first child together. A source spilled to Us Weekly that the power couple “was shocked,” explaining that while Bey “loves kids… she wasn’t ready to be a mother just yet. She really wanted to get her album done and tour the world again.” The site claims record executive Kevin Liles stated, “Jay has been all about family since I met him, and he’s always going to be. I wish them the best.” While the couple is yet to confirm the news, we can’t help but wonder if Beyonce will one day share the same parenting views that Solange has for her six-year-old son (See Related Cut #1). We will keep you posted with further updates!
KATY AND RUSSELL ARRIVE IN INDIA
Katy Perry and Russell Brand have arrived in India. The couple is set to get married in the country on Saturday, and People reports that the pair has landed safely and soundly after leaving from Brand’s native England on Tuesday morning. Perry took to Twitter to ask for “respect and love” during their “private” ceremony, calling it the “greatest gift” they could receive.
GAGA RULED U-K RADIO
Lady Gaga is the most played person on U-K radio. According to Nielsen, the pop star had her songs played 275-thousand times in the last calendar year, with her most spun tune being “Bad Romance.”
GO AS GAGA FOR HALLOWEEN
Don’t be surprised if you see quite a few Lady Gaga’s during Halloween this year. According to USA Today, this year will be the first in recent memory that the hottest costume will not be for kids, but for adults. In fact, a top executive for Rubie’s Costume Co. says that the Gaga costumes are “the single most popular costume we’ve sold for adults in our 59 years in business.”
RIHANNA & KATY PERRY COLLABO?
We already know that Rihanna and Katy Perry are best friends, but in a new interview, RiRi hints that the two might be hitting the studio soon to lay down a track for Rihanna’s upcoming Loud album. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rihanna says that even though Loud is due out next month, the pair is trying to get something on tape soon.
FORMAL COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST BIEBER
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, a formal complaint has been filed against Justin Bieber after an incident at a laser tag center last Friday. The father of the 12-year-old boy involved in the incident has lodged a complaint against the teen star with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The department indicated that it was investigating an incident at Planet Lazer in suburban Vancouver. But further information about the child who reportedly sustained a minor injury at the hands of the 16-year-old pop star was not made public because he is a minor. Bieber had been in Vancouver over the weekend because he had a show in the area on Tuesday night.
TAYLOR SWIFT & DARIUS RUCKER TOP iTUNES CHART
Taylor Swift’s new single, “Back to December,” is the most-downloaded song on iTunes this week. Far East Movement’s “Like a G6” featuring Cataracs & Dev holds tight at number two for the third straight week and Nelly’s Just a Dream” is up two spots to number three. Bruno Mars’ debut single, “Just The Way You Are,” falls to number four and Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World)” rounds out the top five. Darius Rucker’s Charleston, SC 1966 is the top downloaded album on iTunes. It’s followed by Big Time Rush’s BTR, Lil Wayne’s I Am Not a Human Being, Far East Movement’s Free Wired and Sign No More from Mumford & Sons.
JRANDALL DROPS “OH LA LA”
JRandall is an up and coming singer form Delray Beach, Florida. His single “Spirit of the Radio” was featured on the soundtrack to Step Up 3D. His latest single is the dance anthem “Oh La La,” featuring Akon. J, who has also worked with Flo Rida, T-Pain and Timbaland, will release his debut album in early 2011. For more about the musician, head to JRandalLand.com.
To hear his single “Oh La La” featuring Akon, click here: http://goo.gl/0hot.
LIL WAYNE TOPS BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART
Lil Wayne’s I Am Not a Human Being bowed at number two on the Billboard album chart, exclusively from download sales two weeks ago. It dropped to 16 last week but this week, its actual CD release helps the effort climb 15 notches to the summit, selling over 125-thousand copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the first album to debut out of the top spot to then climb to number one since the Twilight Saga: New Moon entered the chart at number two and climbed to the summit in its second week on the list one year ago. Hootie & the Blowfish frontman-turned solo country star Darius Rucker arrives at number two with his second country album, Charleston, SC 1966, selling 101-thousajnd copies. Nickelodeon TV stars Big Time Rush bow at number three with their debut album, BTR and Band Perry’s self-titled full-length debut enters at number four. Eminem’s Recovery falls one rung to number five.
TAYLOR SWIFT TOPS DIGITAL SONGS CHART
Taylor Swift’s “Back to December” arrives at number one on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart, selling over 241-thosuand downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Swift’s title track from her forthcoming album, Speak Now, bowed at number two last week. The song bumps Far East Movement’s “Like a G6” back down to number two with 223-thousand downloads. Meanwhile, P!nk’s Raise Your Glass leaps 53 notches selling over 129-thousand copies.
TRAVIE McCOY’S NEW VIDEO
Travie McCoy has released the video for his new song, “Need You,” on Vh1.com. The clip was directed by Luga Podesta and features the Gym Class Heroes frontman hanging in Chinatown with two chopsticks keeping his hair pulled back. He sings in the rain as he tries to chase down the girl of his dreams. The video will make its TV premiere on Saturday during Vh1’s Top 20 video countdown, starting at 9 AM Eastern.
You can watch the video here: http://goo.gl/UwXL
NATASHA BEDINGFIELD & MORE AT MUSIC CONF
At The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard 2010 Film & TV Music Conference, Natasha Bedingfield and producer Dr. Luke will take part as keynote speakers and Carson Daly will participate in a case study. The event takes place on October 27th and 28th at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, California. Now in its ninth year, the conference offers attendees the opportunity to learn from, network with and expose their music directly to the industry’s most influential executives and creative talents, including award-winning composers, record label and publishing professionals. Learn more about it at BillboardEvents.com.
B.O.B. REACTS TO MAKING HOTTEST MC’S LIST
After learning that he claimed the number nine spot on MTV’s annual Top Ten Hottest MCs, B.o.B. told MTV that his only “personal challenge was to put an album out that was well-received.” The rookie explained that “to be able to do that and still get the lyrical crowd to pay attention shows me a lot.” Despite the fact that his debut album, The Adventures Of Bobby Ray, gave birth to “Nothin’ On You” featuring Bruno Mars, “Airplanes” featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore and “Magic” — all of which reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — Bobby Ray feels “there’s still a lot more that [he] can do.” Perhaps the Grand Hustle artist will aim to take the top spot next year? Speaking of which, the final list will be revealed at 8 PM Eastern on Sunday, October 24th on MTV2.
A TAYLOR SWIFT THANKSGIVING SPECIAL
This Thanksgiving, NBC will air a special about Taylor Swift. It’s called Taylor Swift — Speak Now and takes fans on a trip with Taylor from New York to Los Angeles as she launches her latest album. It will also feature behind-the-scenes footage of Taylor’s recording studio, autograph signings and live shows and appearances. Taylor Swift — Speak Now will follow NBC’s traditional Thanksgiving shows at 8 PM Eastern.
SARA BAREILLES TO PERFORM FOR OBAMA
Sara Bareilles is a headlining performer most places that she goes — but for one person, she’s going to make an exception. According to the Associated Press, the “King of Anything” singer will be performing in Las Vegas before President Obama addresses the same audience at his Moving America Forward rally. This won’t be Sara’s first time performing for the President, as she also sang at the First Family’s 2010 Easter Egg Roll.
JOHN MAYER AND KIM KARDASHIAN RUMORS
John Mayer has already dispelled the rumors once, but it seems that talk of the singer-songwriter trying to hook up with Kim Kardashian is coming back stronger than ever. According to the New York Post, the two were seen out to dinner together in New York City recently, with a source saying that they “brought along other friends, but the idea was to see if they would hit it off.” Reps for the two celebs didn’t comment.
TAYLOR SWIFT TALKS MARRIAGE
Taylor Swift isn’t sure if she wants to get married. The crossover star told Parade magazine that she’s seen some “great” marriages and some that have been “not so great,” and that it’s made her wonder if working for love is “worth it.” Learn more at Parade.com.
MAROON 5 OWE THEIR SUCCESS TO ONE SONG
How did Maroon 5 turn into the band they are today? Well apparently, it all had to do with the Aaliyah and Timbaland song “Are You That Somebody.” In an interview with the L-A Times, frontman Adam Levine said that the band, then known as Kara’s Flowers, were almost ready to quit the music business, but heard that song and realized that they should change their sound to be a little more R&B. Read more at LATimes.com.
LEE DeWYZE ALBUM INFO
Reigning American Idol champ Lee DeWyze has just revealed some more information about his debut album. According to a press release, it’s going to be titled Live It Up and will be available on November 16th. Also, the first single is titled “Sweet Serendipity” and it fittingly debuted on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show last week. Learn more about Lee and Live It Up at LeeDeWyzeOfficial.com.
SPECIAL NEON TREES SHOW IN NYC
Neon Trees are holding a private concert in New York City next week. The band is offering fans a chance to attend by way of a contest, which you can learn more about now at NeonTrees.com.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF LINKIN PARK
Wonder what it would be like to spend a day with Chester and Mike from Linkin Park? Noisecreep did just that and fans can read what their day in the life of Linkin Park was like now at LinkinPark.com.
PETE WENTZ REVIEWS KANYE WEST MOVIE
MTV News asked Pete Wentz if he’d review the highly anticipated new Kanye West movie, Runaway. The former Fall Out Boy bassist calls the film “artistically large” and the “single most ambitious music video of the decade.” West’s Runaway film debuts on MTV, MTV2 and BET on Saturday at 8 PM.
UPDATE ON MONICA’S ENGAGEMENT
We previously reported Monica got engaged to L.A. Laker Shannon Brown, but we’ve now learned details on how he popped the question! The professional basketball player proposed to the singer last Tuesday in front of both sets of parents and presented Monica with a gorgeous 10 carat ring. A family member spilled to SandraRose.com that Brown needed her parents to be there since he “wanted it to be private and intimate and amongst family because family is most important to them.” The couple immediately began dating after meeting on the set of her “Love All Over Me” video shoot in June.
EMINEM WAS BULLIED IN SCHOOL?
According to The Smoking Gun, legal documents have surfaced that suggest Eminem was horribly bullied in elementary school in Detroit. The site claims his mother, Deborah Mathers, actually tried to file a lawsuit against the school for not preventing or helping to protect Slim Shady from getting physically harassed. In the documents, the rapper allegedly endured injuries including “cerebral concussion, post-traumatic headaches and intermittent loss of vision and hearing.”
EMINEM, RIHANNA RECONNECT FOR SECOND COLLAB
JustJared.com reports hitmaker Alex Da Kid produced a new Eminem and Rihanna collaboration that will appear on the singer’s forthcoming album, Loud. The Slim Shady-assisted track will apparently serve as a continuation of their “Love the Way you Lie” duet. However, the publicist for the song’s producer refused to comment. We’ll keep you posted with further updates.
WAKA TAKES NUMBER EIGHT ON MTV MC’S LIST
For those who counted him out, Waka Flocka Flame has the last laugh knowing that he’s claimed the number eight spot on MTV’s annual Top Ten Hottest MCs list. The “No Hands” rapper was recognized for effortlessly pumping out club-ready bangers like “O Lets Do It” and “Hard in Da Paint.” He also scored points for his debut Flockaveli LP opening in the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart. The new announcement has everyone dying to know which artists will grab the remaining slots — be sure to tune in for the full list on Sunday, October 24th on MTV2.
MTV senior producer Rahman Dukes stated, “[Waka] put out three consistent records in a row. He’s coming out a region that’s known for putting out one great record.”
JA RULE TO STAR IN NEW FILM
According to Rap-Up.com, Ja Rule put on his acting hat while filming a new crime thriller, Goat. The rapper will portray a man trying to pick up the pieces in his life in the Paul Borghese-directed flick. Rule was spotted shooting scenes in New Jersey on Tuesday and hopes to have the indie flick complete early next year. In related news, fans can expect his comeback album, Rule York, to arrive via Mpire Music Group sometime in 2011.
MARIAH PREVIEWS HOLIDAY ALBUM
If you’re not sure if Mariah Carey’s upcoming holiday album will make a good stocking-stuffer, the diva recently appeared on the Home Shopping Network to preview the project. Viewers were treated to select snippets off Mi Mi’s Merry Christmas II You LP which drops on November 22nd.
On the show, Carey stated, “A lot of people look at making a Christmas album like, ‘Oh, it’s just as throwaway thing and then I’ll do my real album. For me, these are timeless pieces of work that can last year after year after year and so I want to be able to listen to it.”
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuIccKbaMPs
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5jxG9VgGo4
WAL-MART DENIES BANNING KANYE’S ALBUM
Just days after Kanye West accused Wal-Mart of playing a huge factor in retailers deciding to ban the controversial cover of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, a spokesman for the company told EW.com that they’re actually looking “forward to carrying it in our stores on November 22nd. As always, it’s our standard practice to carry the edited parental advisory version. We did not reject the cover artwork and it was never presented to us to view.” There you have it.
LADY A’S WEBISODE WEDNESDAY
This week in Lady Antebellum’s Webisode Wednesday, the trio answered some of their fans’ most burning questions. Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott took turns answering each question that was submitted on their website. Dave was asked what it’s like to have Hillary in the group, to which he responded it is “wonderful” and teaches him about girls. Hillary revealed her favorite Taylor Swift, song is “You Belong With Me” and Charles explained he thinks “When You Got A Good Thing” is the most personal song on their album, Need You Now, since it was written about his wife after they got married. Watch Lady A’s latest Webisode Wednesday at LadyAntebellum.com.
DIDDY-DIRTY MONEY TALK NEW VIDEO CONCEPT
MTV News reports that Diddy-Dirty Money are looking to capture the raw emotion of their new single, “Love You No More” featuring Drake, in the new video for the track. Puff told MTV, “The concept of the song is about when you love somebody so much that you forget about yourself.” He explained that in the clip, fans will get to see the mogul “being in a relationship with a young lady and you’re constantly loving this person. And hoping that this day comes where they change and they love you back.” The song is off the group’s oft-delayed album, Last Train to Paris, which will now hit shelves on December 14th. Visit MTV.com for a behind the scenes look of the Gil Green-directed video.
LIL WAYNE LOVED BY FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
Us Magazine reports Florence + the Machine are huge hip hop fans. After performing during last week’s Dancing with the Stars, the red-haired singer stated that she was “really excited Brandy passed me in the corridor. ‘The Boy Is Mine’ was such a huge song for me.” The “Dogs Days Are Over” singer added, “I’m a really big Lil Wayne fan as well, I’m excited for his new album. I love Drake and I’m excited for Kanye’s new album.” Visit UsMagazine.com to learn how Florence reacted when she ran into Nicki Minaj backstage at the VMA’s!
KANYE PISSED AT L.A. TIMES WRITER
Attention journalists! Whatever you do, don’t mess up the name of Kanye West’s upcoming album. An L-A Times writer named Chris Lee was blasted on Twitter by the rapper himself after Lee wrote a review and incorrectly called the album My Dark Twisted Fantasy. ‘Ye wrote the following:
“I believe the writers name was Kriss Lee who so bent on giving a soulless description of my work that he decided to call the album…not even by the write name…ironically but I feel more strategically removing the word ‘Beautiful’ from the title! Wow! I assumed a respected media source liKe the Los Angeles Time would send a writer that would at least have the respect to call the album…by it’s proper title. It’s called “MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY” Kriss…Even if your goal was perpetuate non-positive…thought association. You see what happens when you write with a negative agenda. You have the entire Los Angeles Time’s coming off…like a non credible news source that can’t even fact check a well publicized album title. How can anyone believe anything you ever write again? I feel sorry for the LA Times more than anything for missing the opportunity.”
WANNA DRESS LIKE WILLOW SMITH?
In the colorful video for “Whip My Hair,” Willow Smith rocks a white hooded “OneZ” jumpsuit that you can now purchase. For just 99 bucks, you can buy California Christiania Republic’s new one-piece in adult and kid’s sizes via CaliforniaChristianiaRepublic.com today! If you haven’t done so already, check out the nine-year-old’s new video via MTV.com today!
