KATY PERRY COVERS RIHANNA, JAY Z, WILLOW
Lady Gaga wasn’t the only one to kick off a tour over the weekend. Katy Perry began a world trek in Lisbon, Portugal, and she decided to cover a bevy of songs, including Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World,” Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin’” and Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair.” Check out video of it now on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp6UBHcb-HU
GAGA DRESSES UP FOR HER FANS
It’s very rare that you will see Lady Gaga not dressed up in a crazy outfit, and the pop star said that it’s all because of her fans. She told British magazine Hello! that she wants to give her Little Monsters “everything they deserve,” and that they “do not” deserve to see her in “sweat pants and sneakers.”
GAGA INTERNET SENSATION GOES ON ELLEN
Ten-year-old Maria Aragon of Winnipeg, Canada, the latest Internet sensation who gained fame after her version of Lady Gaga’s new single “Born This Way” hit ten-million views on YouTube, appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday (2/22). Maria told the talk-show host that she decided to cover the tune because of its positive message. Don’t worry if you missed it because you can watch the whole episode at Ellen.WarnerBros.com.
BIEBER CUTS HIS HAIR
Don’t be too upset ladies, but Justin Bieber has cut his hair. The pop star, who is known for his signature swooshing haircut, decided to have a bit of a trim, and People.com has gotten their hands on the photo. The Biebs wrote on his Twitter page that he’s actually donating his shorn locks to raise money for charity. Learn more and see the pic at People.com.
A WAX BIEBER STATUE
Justin Bieber is getting a wax statue made of his likeness. According to a rep at famous wax-statue makers Madame Tussauds, the pop star’s figure will be unveiled in March. The statue will debut in London and Amsterdam first, and then at their New York location pretty soon after.
GOING TO BE A WAIT FOR NEW NO DOUBT
It might be a little while before we hear some new music from No Doubt. Lead singer Gwen Stefani told the Wall Street Journal that they already have ten songs finished for their next album, but that since both guitarist Tom Dumont and bassist Tony Kanal recently had babies, “it’ll be a while” before it’s released.
SARA BAREILLES LOVES ENGLISH ACCENTS
Sara Bareilles is currently touring all over the U-K with Maroon 5, and that’s a good thing, because apparently, the “King of Anything” singer loves English accents. She told Bang Showbiz that her “favorite” thing about being across the pond is the “accent,” and that she can “listen to it all day.” For a complete list of Sara’s tour dates, head to SaraBMusic.com.
IS RIHANNA TEXTING COLIN FARRELL?
Could something be going on between Rihanna and actor Colin Farrell? A source told British paper The Sun that the pair has reportedly been exchanging racy text messages, and that, “they’re both single, so why not?” The two reportedly met while on an English TV show a little before Christmas.
MUMFORD & SONS TEST OUT NEW MUSIC ON FANS
Mumford & Sons are working on a new album this year, but the British band just announced more U-K and Ireland tour dates. So how will they do both? Singer Marcus Mumford said they are going to “road test” their new music with their fans, a tactic they tried for their last record. The process worked because the group has sold over 800-thousand copies of their debut album, Sigh No More, in the U-S alone!
LMFAO TALK NEW ALBUM
LMFAO have been working hard on the follow-up to their breakthrough album, Party Rock, which was released back in July of 2009. We caught up with Sky Blu and Red Foo, who told us why it has taken so long to follow their debut (See Related Cut #4). LMFAO have just released their new single, “Party Rock Anthem.” Their forthcoming album, Sorry For Party Rocking, should be released later this year.
NEW BOYZ EXPLAIN “BACKSEAT”
New Boyz hooked up with The Cataracs for their new single, “Backseat.” Legacy and Ben J told us the meaning behind the song (See Related Cut #5). New Boyz will release their new album, Too Cool To Care, on May 10th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKu0CogurDQ
EMINEM IS VERY, VERY POPULAR
Eminem is the most popular rapper on YouTube. According to FameCount.com, Slim Shady became just the third person to have more than one-billion views of their videos on YouTube, joining Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. The site reports that Em also has the chance to surpass Gaga as the most “liked” person on Facebook — he has right around 28-million on the social networking site, while Gaga is sitting at 28.6.
MELANIE FIONA SINGS “O CANADA”
Before Sunday Night’s NBA All-Star game, Melanie Fiona gave a stunning rendition of the Canadian National Anthem, “O Canada.” If you missed it, check it out at Rap-Up.com.
CHRIS BROWN SIGNS AUTOGRAPHS
Chris Brown is doing more and more to repair his once tarnished imagine. At NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, Breezy signed autographs for the Boys & Girls Club of L-A, and even taught them some nice basketball moves. Learn more and check out picture form the event at Rap-Up.com.
MAN STEALS FROM LIL’ WAYNE VIDEO SHOOT
A man was arrested for stealing items from a Lil’ Wayne video shoot in Southern California over the weekend. According to the Whittier Daily News, a Louis Vuitton purse, tickets to the NBA All-Star game, a wallet and a laptop were all taken, and thanks to a tracking device in the computer, police were led to the home of Marco Negrete, who was a back-up dancer at the shoot. He was arrested and his bail was set at 20-thousand dollars.
