GAGA HAS ANOTHER NUMBER ONE DANCE SONG
Lady Gaga’s song “Telephone” has reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart, her fifth single in a row to do that. The tune, which of features Beyonce, joins “LoveGame,” “Paparazzi,” “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” as songs at the top of that particular chart. Learn more at GagaDaily.com.
GAGA PERFORMS AT THE BRIT AWARDS
Lady Gaga performed last night at the Brit Awards in London. The pop star sang reworked versions of two songs, “Telephone” and “Dance in the Dark,” and dedicated them to her friend, designer Alexander McQueen, who recently passed away. Gaga also won all three awards that she was up for, including Best International Female Artist.
LADY ANTEBELLUM ON OPRAH
Lady Antebellum will make their The Oprah Winfrey Show debut on Friday as part of the show’s Oprah’s Fridays Live special.
NE-YO, BEYONCE EARN KIDS CHOICE NODS
The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards nominees have been announced and Beyonce is looking to bring home the coveted Favorite Female Singer Award. Meanwhile, noted hip hop acts like Jay-Z, Mario and Ne-Yo are vying to win in the Favorite Male Artist category. In addition, the Black Eyed Peas are up for Favorite Music Group. You never know who will win! Be sure to catch the 2010 Kids Choice Awards on March 27th at 8 PM Eastern on Nickelodeon. Head over to Nick.com now to see the full list of nominees.
WE ARE THE WORLD TOPS ITUNES CHART
The star-studded “We Are The World” remake tops the iTunes chart. All proceeds from the track are going to the Haiti relief effort. The Black Eyed Peas’ latest single, “Imma Be,” remains at number two, while Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister” is at number three, followed by Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” and Young Money and Lloyd’s “Bed Rock.” Ke$ha, who held the top spot for weeks, has fallen to number six with “Tik Tok.” Meanwhile, Sade’s Soldier of Love is the most downloaded album on the Web site, besting Tonight by TobyMac, Need You Know by Lady Antebellum and The E.N.D. from the Black Eyed Peas.
RICKY MARTIN AIMS TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING
The Ricky Martin Foundation, in partnership with the University of Puerto Rico and the Protection Project at the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University, released the first research conducted in Puerto Rico on human trafficking. The 91-page report concludes that sex tourism and human trafficking are serious problems in Puerto Rico, and that the island is used as a transit point for smuggled women and children. The singer has been bringing attention to human trafficking and other forms of modern-day slavery for many years. He said traffickers are thriving in Puerto Rico and across the U-S mainland explaining, “What we are dealing with is a situation where people are suffering because no one is hearing their voice.” Martin is pushing for more legislation against human trafficking in Puerto Rico.
DRAKE CHOOSES FIRST SINGLE OFF DEBUT LP
According to Rap-Up.com, Drake has announced what song will be the first single from his highly-anticipated debut album, Thank Me Later. The lead offering from Drizzy’s upcoming disc is titled “Over” and was produced by Boi-1da, who crafted “Best I Ever Had” and “Forever.” Fans can expect the disc to hit stores this spring!
MARIAH CAN’T SELL OUT ARENAS?
Mariah Carey is reportedly struggling to attract the masses to watch her perform live in concert. According to ThatGrapeJuice.net, during the diva’s January 27th outing at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C, out of a possible 3166 seats, the songbird only managed to fill 2430, leaving 736 seats empty. Mi Mi is scheduled to perform in Dallas, Texas tomorrow night for the next stop on her Angel’s Advocate Tour. Here’s to hoping the singer can turn it around!
WYCLEF TO RECEIVE NAACP’S VANGUARD AWARD
Wyclef Jean will receive the coveted Vanguard Award during the 41st Annual NAACP Image Awards on Friday, February 26th. The prestigious accolade honors those who have gone above and beyond to bring awareness to others about racial and social issues. The GRAMMY Award-winner founded Yéle Haiti back in 2005 in hopes of bringing a brighter future for Haiti. He’s also served as a pivotal figure in gathering aid for his troubled homeland. The ceremony airs live from Los Angeles’ historic Shrine Auditorium at 8 PM Eastern on FOX.
JAY-Z EXPLAINS “WE ARE THE WORLD” ABSENCE
MTV News caught up with Jay-Z to find out why the emcee wasn’t a part of the “We Are The World” remake. The mogul explained “some things are untouchable” and feels the original should be treated as Michael Jackson’s iconic video “Thriller.” Hova applauds the efforts of everyone coming together to help aid the Haiti relief, however Jay couldn’t contribute to something that can never be re-created. Visit MTV.com to learn more now.
METRIC ANNOUNCED NEW TOUR DATES
Metric has announced a short stint of U-S headlining dates. The trek will kick off on March 17th in Tempe, Arizona and will wrap up March 27th in San Diego. This past week, Metric’s disc, Fantasies, popped back into the Billboard Top 200 chart for the first time since its debut nine months ago. Learn more about Metric at ILoveMetric.com.
NO DOUBT INTO THE ‘80s
Gwen Stefani talked a little about No Doubt’s upcoming album after premiering her new fall line for her fashion company L.A.M.B this past week. Stefani told reporters that No Doubt are starting over in the recording studio, and not using a lot of the music the band laid down while Gwen was working on her solo stuff. Stefani also said No Doubt are rocking out to ‘80s tunes in the studio to help them figure out what they love and what they want for their own sound. Learn more at RollingStone.com.
KINGS OF LEON GO BIGGER
Kings of Leon have announced what will be their biggest U-K gig to date. The Tennessee band plan to headline a show in London’s Hyde Park on June 30th. Before that, the group will head to Manchester, Tennessee to play Bonnaroo on June 11th. Head over to KingsofLeon.com for more info. Tickets for the Hyde Park gig go on sale this Friday over at LiveNation.co.uk.
NO SHOOT-OUT AT BEYONCE CONCERT
We previously reported there was a shoot-out during a Beyonce concert in Brazil; however her rep has claimed no such event ever happened. Her camp told UsMagazine.com, “The reports of gunfire during Beyonce’s concert in Brazil that allegedly ended her show early are totally false. Beyonce played to record crowds on her recent tour in Brazil without incident, including an audience of 60,000 in Sao Paulo on Saturday, February 6th and two sold-out shows in Rio on February 7 and 8.”
LIFEHOUSE DOES DALLAS
The NBA All-Star Game was in Dallas, Texas over the weekend, and it brought some pretty big-name celebs to the Big D. The guys from Lifehouse were there, and have posted some videos from their experience on their Twitter account. Check them out now at Twitter.com/LifehouseMusic.
MICAHEL FRANTI GOES TO THE MOVIES
Just like Kelly Clarkson did last week, Michael Franti took some time out of his day to head to the theater to watch the new flick Valentine’s Day. The singer-songwriter wrote on his Twitter account that he thought it was “actually quite good” and that it “won him over.” His hit song, “Say Hey (I Love You),” is featured on the soundtrack, which is in stores now.
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH ROB THOMAS
Want to see what went on behind the scenes at the video shoot for Rob Thomas’s latest single “Someday?” Well now you can, as the matchbox twenty frontman has posted some footage on his official Web site. Check it out now at RobThomasMusic.com.
JOHN MAYER, THE PORN DIRECTOR?
In John Mayer’s revealing interview with Playboy, besides making comments perceived as racist and speaking openly about his ex-girlfriends, the singer-songwriter also said that his “dream” was to write a porno-movie. Well now, it looks like Mayer could get a chance to make his dream come true! According to TMZ, porn industry giant Vivid Entertainment wants to offer Mayer the opportunity to write and direct a movie for their company. Learn more at TMZ.com.
DANIEL MERRIWEATHER TO HEAD OUT ON TOUR
Daniel Merriweather has just been named as the opening act for Corinne Bailey Rae’s upcoming North American tour. According to a press release, the trek kicks off on April 9th in Vancouver, Canada, which will be just over a month after the singer-songwriter releases his debut album, Love & War, which comes out on Tuesday. Learn more about the tour at DanielMerriweather.com.
MADONNA TO DIRECT!
Madonna, the director? According to Variety.com, that is going to soon be the case. The Web site reports that Madge is set to write and direct a movie titled W.E., about the former King of England Edward VIII. Up In The Air star Vera Farmiga is slated to star in the flick. Learn more at Variety.com.
NO PROBLEMS WHEN IT COMES TO MADONNA’S GIRL’S SCHOOL
The reports of their being friction between villagers and Madonna’s Raising Malawi charity on the land where Madge wants to build her girls’ school are apparently false. The Associated Press reported that people are angry that they are being displaced for the construction of the institution, but according to the charity’s spokesman, those reports were “not factual” and the head of the village actually “made a very long speech about how grateful he was for this project.” The school is set to open in 2012.
MADONNA ON A REALITY SHOW
NBC’s newest show, The Marriage Ref, is going to have a special guest appearing on an episode. Madonna’s spokesperson confirmed to the Associated Press that Madge will be on an episode of the upcoming reality show, which features celebrities and referees trying to help married couples work out conflicts. The series premieres after the Olympics but as yet, there are no further details on Madonna’s appearance available.
LEONA LEWIS GOES TO BRIT AWARDS
Leona Lewis was thinking about boycotting the Brit Awards because of their decision to serve duck liver on the menu at the event, but because the people in charge decided to remove it, the “Bleeding Love” singer was in attendance. Lewis wrote on Twitter that she went to the show and it was “very excited to watch the performances.”
FLAVOR FLAV OWES 63K IN CHILD SUPPORT
According to the New York Post, Flavor Flav reportedly owes more than 63-thousand dollars in unpaid child support. The Public Enemy hypeman is the father three children with Mary Parker — who claims the reality star owes exactly 63,458 dollars in back payments. In January, Parker won an appeal that would make Flav pay 837 dollars a week and cover the tuition of her kid’s private schools.
ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS FOR SALE
Abbey Road Studios, the legendary place where The Beatles recorded much of their music, is up for sale. Record label EMI, which owns the studios, are looking to sell it to reduce their debts. England’s Financial Times reports that it is not yet known if the location is what is for sale or just the brand. The asking price is unknown but the building is estimated to be worth about 20-million dollars.
HEATHER MILLS IS OUT OF MONEY
Heather Mills got 50-million dollars in her divorce settlement with Paul McCartney less than two years ago, but it turns out that she’s spent most of the money already. The activist revealed on a British TV special that she’s given most of the cash to charity and “paid for a couple of properties for my daughter’s future security.” Mills added, “I could never sit with millions of pounds in the bank that could make matters change.” On the special, Mills also discusses her relationship with McCartney and you can read more about it at Mirror.co.uk.
