KE$HA PENS SONG FOR RIHANNA
Ke$ha, who has scored a number one hit with her debut single “Tik Tok,” has written a track for Rihanna. According to Rap-up.com, the 22-year-old singer hopes the tune will be on Rihanna’s next album. Ke$ha also penned The Veronicas’ song “This Love” and Miley Cyrus’ “The Time of Our Lives.” Ke$ha’s debut album, Animal, was released last week.
JASON DERULO WANTS TO PREVENT SWINE FLU
MTV, the White House and Jason Derulo are all teaming up to help educate young people about the dangers of the H1N1 virus. This week is National Influenza Vaccination Week and in support of that, MTV News will be following pop star Derulo as he goes to a Chicago clinic to get his flu shot. Stay tuned to MTV all week long to see video of Jason getting vaccinated, or check it out at MTV.com.
BEYONCE DISCUSSES NEW HEAT FRAGRANCE
During a recent interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Beyonce revealed that she is “happy” she completed her first fragrance line called Heat. Bey stated “Everything, from the bottle design to the name and the ideas for the commercials – that’s me.” The multi-platinum selling singer added, “When I commit to something, I do it 100 percent, and I’ve never had [creative control over a fragrance] until this project.” Heat will be available in stores in February under the tag line “Catch The Fever.”
The perfume retails for 39 to 59 dollars. Learn more at ReadyToCatchTheFever.com now.
RIHANNA SEARCHES FOR BONE MARROW DONOR
According to the New York Post’s Page Six, Rihanna is helping an Olympic hopeful suffering from leukemia find a bone marrow donor. The Yale Law School graduate, Seun Adebiyi, dreamed of being the first Nigerian in the Winter Olympics but has since fallen ill. Ri Ri released a statement that reads, “Together we can help him make his dream come true.” Visit NYPost.com now to learn more.
KRIS ALLEN DOES HIP-HOP
Kris Allen has been covering Kayne West’s song “Heartless” in concert, but have you ever heard the American Idol perform the hip-hop classic “Gangsta’s Paradise?” Kris did a mash-up off both songs recently at a show in Las Vegas and you can see video of it now at KrisAllenOfficial.com.
IS KATY PERRY PREGNANT?
Katy Perry and Russell Brand are engaged, but is it because the pop star is pregnant? That’s the rumor circulating around the Internet, and PerezHilton.com says that it’s because of a series of possible baby-related posts on Twitter made by Perry. Is Katy being serious, or just messing around? Judge for yourself by following her at Twitter.com/KatyPerry.
NICK JONAS FILLS IN FOR REGIS
Nick Jonas filled in for Regis Philbin on Live with Regis & Kelly on Friday morning, and there is now video of his hosting job on YouTube. Head there now to see Nick talking about his brother’s wedding and much more.
MADONNA AND SEAN PENN ARE NOT DATING
Madonna and ex-husband Sean Penn were seen having dinner in New York City last week, so rumors began to fly about a possible romantic reconnection between the two. Madge’s longtime publicist, Liz Rosenberg, quickly put a stop to those, telling People magazine that the two were having dinner at separate tables in the same restaurant, Penn came over to say hello, and “that’s all it was.”
HBO OBAMA DOCUMENTARY SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE NOW
The soundtrack to the acclaimed HBO documentary By The People: The Election of Barack Obama is going to be available exclusively on iTunes. It features music from some of the biggest artists in the world, including Bruce Springsteen, John Mayer, Jon Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow and many more. All proceeds from the sales of the albums will benefit the United Way and their efforts to rebuild houses on the gulf-coast. Check it out on iTunes now.
LEAD PUSSYCAT DOLL AND BF BREAK-UP
Pussycat Doll lead singer Nicole Scherzinger and boyfriend Lewis Hamilton have reportedly split up after two years. According to NME.com, reps of both the pop star and the Formula 1 racer have confirmed the break-up, saying that they “remain close friends.”
PHARRELL TO SCORE ANIMATED FILM
XXLMag.com reports Pharrell Williams will handle the score for an upcoming animated film titled Despicable Me. This will be the first time the mega-producer has handled the instrumentation of a major motion picture. Williams described the opportunity as a “dream come true” and he has already completed the title track for the film, which opens July 9th.
PREVIEW JOHN MAYER’S STORYTELLERS NOW
John Mayer’s Storytellers doesn’t premiere on Vh1 until January 28th, but you can get a sneak preview of it now on his official Web site. The singer-songwriter has posted his performance of the song “Heartbreak Warfare.” John’s Storytellers premieres January 28th at 8 PM Eastern on Vh1.
GAME GETS PUSHED BACK
We’ve just learned Game’s upcoming R.E.D. Album won’t be hitting stores in February. According to his Twitter account, the West Coast emcee delayed the project because he needs to complete more than 200 hours of community service before he can travel. He tweeted: “The judge told my lawyer & my P.O. I can’t travel or do any out of state promo until I finish my community service… ain’t that a b***h.” Fans can expect the disc to now arrive on March 23rd.
GREEN RIVER ORDINANCE TO HEADLINE TOUR
Green River Ordinance just announced through a press release that they will be hitting the road in 2010. The Texas rockers will be headlining a trek that kicks off February 10th in Vienna, Virginia and runs until the 20th when it wraps up in Columbus, Ohio. Learn more at GreenRiverOrdinance.com.
MICHAEL BUBLE IS TYING THE KNOT
Michael Buble is getting married! According to People magazine, the Canadian is tying the knot with his Argentinean girlfriend, Luisana. His rep told the mag that they have actually been engaged for two months and that “they’re adorable, in love and laugh all day long.”
ADAM LAMBERT IS STILL DISCUSSING AMA PERFORMANCE
Adam Lambert is still getting asked about his performance at last year’s American Music Awards, and the former American Idol contestant actually says it went down the way it did because of his parents. According to the New York Post, Lambert said, “My dad is a Dead-head, my mom’s a Jewish-American princess from Jersey. They never got hung up on stuff like that, and I’m fortunate, because there’s a lot of people who come from households where it’s not OK.”
M.I.A. GETS “ODD” ON NEW ALBUM
Fans of M.I.A. will be happy to hear that the “Paper Planes” singer may be releasing a new album as soon as spring. The singer told NME.com that the new record is “really odd” and “more musical” than her previous albums. She said she’s abandoned “gimmicks” this time around and aims to make something that isn’t “trendy” and lasts longer than the “length of a DJ’s attention span.”
KINGS OF LEON PLAY SUPPORT
Kings of Leon are one of the biggest bands on the planet but they’ll be returning to their roots next month. According to a report in the Daily Mirror, on February 5th in their hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, Kings will open for The Features, a group they recently signed to their new record label. The venue only fits 500 people so fans will be sure to see a very intimate set from the boys.
SEE KINGS OF LEON’S FASHION LINE
Fans who are anxious to see Kings of Leon’s new fashion line, wait no longer! The KOLxS2A line appears online for U-K Vogue and features plaid shirts, a leather jacket, bandanas and more. KOL fans that want to dress just like the band can get a sneak peek at the line now at Vogue.co.uk.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND UNPLUGGED
Vampire Weekend is the latest band to get Unplugged for MTV. The New York group went acoustic for a set that can now be seen on MTV.com. Vampire Weekend release their new album Contra today.
SPIDERMAN MUSICAL PUSHED BACK AGAIN?
Alan Cumming is set to play the “Green Goblin” in the Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark musical on Broadway, but he says the play is in deep trouble. Cumming told the New York Times that the musical, which features music written by Bono and The Edge, is delayed due to an “iceberg of financial ruin.” The play was set to debut in late February.
MORE BANDS ADDED TO BAMBOOZLE
The line-up for this year’s Bamboozle festival in New Jersey has expanded. Say Anything, OK Go, Matt and Kim and more have been added to the bill, which will also feature headliners Paramore and Weezer. For full info on the fest, which takes place the first weekend in May, visit Bamboozle.com.
RIHANNA TO PLAY SUPERBOWL CONCERT
Rihanna is scheduled to play one of this year’s lead-up concerts for Super Bowl XLIV. According to Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam organizers, she will join Justin Bieber in South Beach during the event, which will air Saturday, February 6th on Vh1 at 9 PM Eastern.
Acts that will perform for a similar show on February 5th include Pitbull, Nelly Furtado and Paulina.
BREAKING BENJAMIN TO OPEN FOR NICKELBACK IN 2010
Breaking Benjamin is set to do more touring with Nickelback. Breaking Benjamin will open for Nickelback on some spring tour dates starting on April 23rd in St. Louis, Missouri during the Dark Horse trek. But before that, Breaking Benjamin will head out on a co-headline tour with Three Days Grace, which gets underway next month.
