andPOP » Interscope Records

American Idol’s Pia Toscano wins record deal

Kimberly Rupnarain — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:11:54 +0000

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Well that didn’t take very long.

Not even a full day after her abrupt and shocking elimination on American Idol, UsMagazine.com is reporting that American Idol season 10 contestant, Pia Toscano, has landed a recording contract.

Toscano, who — much to the shock of both the viewers and the judges – was cut from the popular Fox television show on Thursday, will record her first album under the Interscope Record’s imprint, chaired by Idol mentor, Jimmy Iovine.

“Pia is being signed to a deal with Interscope Records who are rushing her into the studio to record an album ASAP,” a source who Us cites as ‘familiar with the contract’ said. “Starting [Thursday] night after the show, Interscope told her they wanted her and first thing [Friday] morning Interscope brass started calling every top songwriter and producer in town to get an album together and rush release it.”

As for the contract, Us’s insider said, “Papers are being finalized. It’s basically a done deal. She’s signing. They rushed everything but she’s so excited.”

Exciting news for Toscano and also for her fans who had to pick their jaws up off of the floor when she was eliminated from Idol. Even former Idol contestant, Jennifer Hudson was in disbelief.

“I can not believe they just eliminated Pia! ReAlly..????,” Tweeted the star, whose seventh-place finish on the third season ultimately wound up with her garnering more fame and industry accolades than the actual winner, Fantasia Barrino. “Long as she walked away with that voice she will be alright !! Just hate to see talent like that go!”

And with the New York native’s fresh recording contract, Hudson was right on the money.

Toscano will also go cross-country this summer, for the Idols LIVE! concert. During a conference call on Friday, she told reporters, “You don’t know for sure why things happen, but you know, it did! It was my time to go on the show and I’m excited to see what my future holds.”

Lady Gaga Plans for 3-D Concert and DVD

Sam Rashid — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:26:14 +0000

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You heard right, Lady Gaga is planning for a 3-D concert and a subsequent DVD, reports MTV News.

On top of planning for the 3-D concert and DVD, Gaga is still in the middle of the Australian leg of her Monster Ball tour and she is also putting the finishing touches on her music video, “Telephone.”

A Gaga representative from Interscope Records said that “there are talks about a 3-D concert and DVD in the near future.”

However, no other information was provided at press time, including how a 3-D concert would be presented.

Last week, there was talk about a 3-D DVD on Gaga fan websites, but this is the first time a 3-D concert has even been talked about.

Back in December, Gaga included a pair of 3-D glasses with each deluxe edition of her Frame Monster album. She explained that the glasses would soon come in handy for upcoming things.

As for now, Gaga is preparing for the debut of her “Telephone” video, which is scheduled to premiere Thursday night at 11:30 p.m. ET on E! News.

Gaga and her Little Monsters will soon captivate millions, once again.

Black Eyed Peas Sued for Plagiarism

Graham Slaughter — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:16:21 +0000

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Things are starting to look a little shady in terms of the Black Eyed Peas’ reputation.

The hip hop group is being sued by artist Phoenix Phenom for their 2009 smash hit Boom Boom Pow. Phoenix Phenom, formally known as Ebony Latrice Batts, claims that her song Boom Dynamite sounds too similar to BEP’s Boom Boom Pow to be honest coincidence.

It appears that Phoenix Phenom not only feels ripped off by Fergie and co., but by Interscope Records as well. One year ago, Phoenix Phenom pitched her song to the producers, and her track was flat out refused. A little while later, Boom Boom Pow was topping the charts and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording.

This isn’t the first time the band has faced allegations of plagiarism. In November 2009, the band was sued by Adam Freeland because his song Mancry sounded suspiciously similar to BEP’s Party All the Time.

Racy, Shocking and Provocative: Lady GaGa Dances Her Way into the Music World

andPOP Staff — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:23:38 +0000

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Lady GaGa, an up-and-coming pop artist hailing from New York’s East Side, is a woman who is not afraid to use forceful language when defending her favourite artists.

“Gwen is fucking brilliant. Anyone who says Gwen isn’t brilliant is a dumbass,” said the 22-year-old pop culture enthusiast, referring, of course, to onetime No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani.

Lady GaGa (who got her name from the Queen song “Radio GaGa”) has been involved in the music scene and pop culture since her early teen days. She was playing New York night clubs at 14 and penning songs for the likes of the Pussycat Dolls and New Kids on the Block by her early 20s.

Through relentless self-promotion, Lady GaGa was eventually signed as an artist to Interscope Records. She landed on the top 40 charts this summer with her song “Just Dance” and collaborated with Akon for her upcoming album “The Fame,” due in stores on Sept. 16.

Lady GaGa said that working her way up though the music industry helped her to grow as an artist, and she believes that hard is the key to making music a profession.

“I don’t really feel like reality TV gives you a career,” Lady GaGa told andPOP, referring to shows like American Idol that set out to launch the career of unknowns. “I did it the way I believe you have to.”

Aside from her electro-pop, dance-pop, and rock infused music, Lady GaGa is also known for her racy live shows, which have been described as a form of shock art. Here’s an example: during performances, Lady GaGa will strip down to a pair of her personally-designed and manufactured hot pants and bikini top, light cans of hairspray on fire, and strike a pose below a disco ball to the orchestral sounds of “A Clockwork Orange” – bearing no resemblance to a typical pop-tart concert.

“I’ve always done my shows this way, I never changed it,” said Lady GaGa. “I like to be provocative. I want my live shows to be important because it’s different.”

Her energetic live show caught the attention of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, who invited Lady GaGa to perform at his Four of July Spectacular party in Las Vegas. The artist agreed to play the show after a dinner with Perez.

“I am such a celebrity-obsessed person, so in some ways Perez and I are very similar,” said Lady GaGa.

Not only is Lady GaGa obsessed with pop culture, she defends pop music and major labels in a way that many other artists avoid.

“I think for whatever reason, society views the big label as evil, or a big factory. People don’t learn about how the label is nothing except for artist that work for it. Artists like Timberland – they are totally brilliant, crazy, and artistic. The whole myth that pop albums do no make good albums is totally neglected by the impact that they have on the world.”

“The Fame” will feature the electric music and theatrics that Lady GaGa is known for, but she also hopes show others what they can do with music.

“I hope to inspire some kind of change in music and to bring back pop. I want it to be important; I want people to be inspired,” she said. “If not, then I did a shitty job.”