While it seems that Chris Brown has gotten away from his past with awards, Grammy performances and praise for his comeback, there are clearly people who still think about his history of domestic violence.
This past week, a photograph went viral when a shopper shot an image of Brown’s ‘Fortune’ CDs at a London HMV store with a sticker that read, “Warning: Do not buy this album! This man beats women.”
Noticing that that the stickers were probably put up by someone who walked into the store, a rep for HMV has told E! News that the company was made aware of the incident and took immediate action.
“It was very much an isolated incident and nothing to do with HMV or representing our views,” the rep said “It would appear a member of the public popped into one of our stores yesterday and stickered a handful of CDs. These were spotted and quickly removed, but, before we could act, the individual concerned must have taken a photo and sent it to the media. To our knowledge there are no further stickers in our stores now.”
Brown, who assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, has since been taking steps to control his behaviour. And it appears that Rihanna has moved on as well. With the two of them caught smooching at the VMAs, this relationship continues to be a large part of media speculation.
But as ballsy it might have been to put up the stickers, I’m glad there are still people trying to make others aware of what Brown did in the past.
While he may be forgiven by many, I’m still no fan of the double standard Hollywood puts upon its stars. While Brown continues to be lauded with awards and positive attention, Kristen Stewart on the other hand, just can’t catch a break because she cheated on her boyfriend.
Come on. This is A+ sexism right there, Hollywood.
Proving once again that she has some serious vocal chops, Kelly Clarkson decided to take a shot at covering a song that isn’t really within her genre. But by adding in a little Texas country twang, she definitely made Rihanna’s “We Found Love” sound like her own!
At Virginia Beach, V. A on Tuesday during a tour stop, the singer, (who obviously can’t get the song out of her head like the rest of us!) even decided to dedicate her cover to a fan.
“This is for Christoper Buew, Brewer, Christopher Brewer… I can’t say it right. Oh my goodness, say it five times fast,” says Clarkson, before proceeding to say Brewer’s last name five times. “See? I can’t do it. So I’m gonna sing this song that’s by Rihanna!”
I love Kelly for showing off what she can do by singing these fun little covers. From Lady Gaga to Rihanna, what should she cover next?
“You and I” — Anjulie
Produced by Italian DJ Benny Benassi, Anjulie’s “You and I” combines a fun, danceable beat with lyrics you can sing along to. The Euro-track shows the Canadian artist’s versatility, as it’s a departure from her recently-released track “Headphones.” You can download “You and I” starting tomorrow!
“Anything Could Happen” — Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding first released a lyric video with fan submitted Instagram photos for “Anything Could Happen.” Now, the lead single from her second studio album Halycon finally has an official music video. The video is about Goulding and her soulmate getting into a car accident and is filmed on a beautiful beach in Malibu. This isn’t your typical car crash though, as the beach is littered with shining spheres, mirrored pyramids. Goulding herself wears a flowing gown. It’s a pretty heart-wrenching video and hopefully isn’t a metaphor for her real life relationship with DJ Skrillex!
“Oath” — Cher Lloyd Read more…
British boy band The Wanted unveiled their new single ‘I Found You’ yesterday and it sure shares the similar sounds of their first hit single ‘Glad You Came’!!
About discovering love in an unexpected place, the song features bouncy synths and a quick tempo. This song was also produced by Steve Mac, who also worked on ‘Glad You Came.’
What do you think of the new tune? While it sounds a lot like their first single, my prediction says they’ll do well with this new single. Because really, who doesn’t like a catchy tune to dance along to?
Glee is my secret guilty pleasure. From the show’s addictive storylines to the cast’s ever-so-catchy covers, I just have to keep tuning into the show over and over again to see what happens next.
So in anticipation of the show’s fourth season (which begins on Sept. 13), a mash-up sung by the cast features the likes of Britney Spears and Justin Bieber!!
Singing Spears’ ‘Boys’ and Bieber’s ‘Boyfriend’ , the song will surely be a hit with the ladies as heartthrobs Darren Criss and Kevin McHale can be heard singing and evidently, melting all of our hearts.
All this time, I thought being in a metal band was hard work. With all the screaming and head thrashing, it really must be exhausting.
But forget any metal band you’ve ever listened to. This little girl who goes by the stage name Murp makes it look way too easy. Decked out in fairy wings and supported by her older brother on the drums, the duo perform a song called Zombie Hit that will surely make you want to cause havoc in a mosh pit.
Play this song while reading:
Okay, now that you have the appropriate soundtrack we want to remind you to take a couple moments out of your day to appreciate the goddess Beyoncé on her birthday. Challenge: Think of a memory in your past that centers around Beyoncé. Mine involves choreographing a nameless song on Destiny’s Child album with my good friend in grade six. Fast forward to university and my roommates and I unsuccessfully tried to learn the “Single Ladies” dance, however we weren’t as lithe and flexible as we were in our youth (sad face).
Anyway, the REAL POINT here is the Grammy-award singer turns 31 today and we’re celebrating! A couple celebrities wrote to Beyoncé on her website for the big day. See their messages below:
Gwyneth Paltrow
“For dear sweet BB on the occasion of her 31st birthday… We love you so very much. Love Gwyneth, Chris, Apple, Moses.”
Tina Knowles
“God blessed me with one of the greatest gifts in my life on Sept. 4, 1981. Happy birthday.”
“Beyoncé, Happy birthday to youuuu!! I love you so very much. I am so thankful you’re in my life! P.S. Me & you will never part!”
Let’s celebrate with gifs!
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Dead Man’s Bones, a folk-rock duo from Los Angeles. We haven’t heard much from Dead Man’s Bones lately, so this is a bit of a throwback post AND a plea for them to make more music.
There are two particularly awesome things about Dead Man’s Bones. One: their folk-rock sound. Two: RYAN GOSLING. Yup, Ryan Gosling is in a band. So just in case your crush on him was wavering, he decided to become even more awesome. But, unlike other actors-turned-rockstar situations, Dead Man’s Bones is actually genuine, different and worth your ear time.
Band members: Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields. Gosling performs under the alias “Baby Goose.”
Known for: Dead Man’s Bones are known for their dark lyrics and imperfectly perfect songs..
Used in a sentence: “Dead Man’s Bones is like accidentally discovering those two cute guys from high school have a morbid fascination with zombies and horror movies, yet you’re still totally into them.”
File next to: Flight of the Conchords
Download now: “My Body’s a Zombie for You”
Fun facts: Gosling met Shields when The Notebook star was dating Rachel McAdams. Shields was dating her sister at the time. They bonded over their mutual love of horror movies and music. So they decided to create a scary musical.
Eventually they decided to just focus on the music. The band has a personal rule of not doing any more than three takes for any song, embracing the imperfections that occur. They also play all the instruments themselves.
Timeline: Read more…
I’ll admit that haven’t heard too much from Leona Lewis since her 2008 hit ‘Bleeding Love’. But if a Childish Gambino collaboration is any indication of a comeback in North America, then I think there’s a reason to get excited.
Partnering up in ’Trouble’, the new song is mid-tempo ballad focusing on a relationship that’s breaking apart. The single will appear on Lewis’ third album ‘Glassheart’, which is set to hit stores in November. Having delayed the release of her album, the singer has since recruited artists like will.i.am and Polow Da Don to reshape her music.
This collaboration is an interesting one for me. As a massive fan of Childish Gambino, I’m glad to see him working with different artists. From Tina Fey to Leona Lewis, I really wonder who he’ll work with next!
What do you think of the song?
It seems like Miley Cyrus is going through tons of changes lately. She just got engaged to Liam Hemsworth and has a new awesome Twiggy-esque look. Some of that evolution is bound to inspire her music right? We’re super excited for Cyrus’ fourth studio album, which is supposed to introduce us to her new sound. We can expect some great collaborations too, considering she worked with Pharrell Williams himself.
Cyrus is featured in the new song “Decisions” by Bogore. And while I wish she was more heavily featured (she only comes in the chorus), I’m digging the dubstep vibe.
Cyrus tweeted the track to her followers on Aug. 20: ”Yo check out Decisions me & @borgore new track.” What do you think of it?
Listen to it here:
It’s crazy how so many people get discovered off the internet these days with the help of technology. Even though you weren’t physically there on the chilly sidewalk to watch street musician Bryson Andres do his thing, you saw it on YouTube.
Andres did an amazing tribute to One Republic’s “Secrets,” and all I can say is W-O-W! I wish the guy got some more tips, but it’s clear that his performance made me actually want to listen to more music involving violins, it was that good.
Nickelback is a band that has the special ability to be made fun of on the internet. From their power chord-heavy songs to Chad Kroeger’s rough singing, they’re often ridiculed for their over-use of themes involving women and sex and coming out with songs that all just sound the same.
So what better way to respond to all this criticism? Why of course, a new melodramatic music video for their song “Trying Not to Love You”.
Featuring Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander as froth-artist barista, the video shows him trying to impress a blonde customer (played by Baywatch’s Brooke Burns)…among other peculiarities.
While I don’t exactly know what’s going on in the music video, I can’t decide whether I’m laughing at the music video or along with the band’s humour.
I’m sure the guys from Nickelback are cool people. But seeing that this music video is so absurd, I don’t think my opinion about their music has changed.
And besides, haven’t I already heard this song before? It sure sounds kind of familiar…
Before One Direction, The Wanted and Big Time Rush, one of the hottest boy bands in the music scene was none other than 98 Degrees.
Making their reunion official on August 17 with a special performance on ‘TODAY’, the boy group consisting of Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre and Jeff Timmons treated fans to live renditions of ‘The Hardest Thing’, ‘Because of You’, ‘I Do’ and ‘Invisible Man.’ The concert, marked the group’s first television appearance in over 10 years.
“In the 10 years since our last performance as 98 Degrees we’ve each achieved personal success and grown as individuals, while remaining a close-knit family,” the band said in a press release in July. “We have also been fortunate to have the support and enduring love of our fans every step of the way. With so much to celebrate, this reunion is going to be one big party, so whether you tune in to the ‘Today Show’ or join us at the MixTape Festival, everyone’s invited.”
EEEEEE! How exciting is this? As a 90s child, a 98 Degrees reunion will certainly bring back some nostalgic feelings. Now if only N Sync would get back together…that would just be the cherry on top.
Watch them perform below!
I know talent when I see it and somebody should get this bird to a recording studio ASAP. With an awesome flow and beats so sick, i’m shocked as to why Drake or Jay-Z hasn’t called him up for a collaboration.
*Sigh* Animals, the never get the credit they deserve.
Today Psy released a slightly unnecessary but still highly entertaining female version of his viral hit “Open Condom Style” “Gangnam Style,” just in case you were yearning for a higher pitched version to sing along to.
The second version, which is called ”Oppa You’re My Style,” features HyunA, a South Korean singer and dancer from K-Pop group 4Minute. The lyrics have been mended to come from a female’s point of view. HyunA claims Psy is “just her style” while dancing with him in a short white dress — though we’re missing the intensity of the horse riding move from the first music video.
While I want to say I won’t be addicted to this track, that would be a complete lie since it’s already stuck in my head.
Watch the video below:
It’s been four years since New York rapper Nas released a solo album, so his new record Life Is Good serves as a re-introduction to his fans. In a phone interview with ANDPOP’s Azra Kassam, Nas talked about collaborating with Amy Winehouse and his best prank ever (it involves a blow up doll).
Life is Good was his daily mantra before becoming his album title: These last few years have been difficult for Nas, particularly because of a high profile divorce from singer Kelis. But he rose above it all and bared his soul for his eleventh studio album Life Is Good. “Instead of looking at all the losses, I started looking at them as blessings,” he said. “I started saying ‘Life is Good’ and it became a daily mantra… It was the obvious thing to do when it was time to title my album.”
So there you have it kids, the next time you’re feeling blue, try creating a positive, daily mantra for yourself. You can thank Nas later.
He and Amy Winehouse share the same birthday: Nas recently released “Cherry Wine,” a collaboration with Amy Winehouse, which appears on Life is Good. He said it was amazing to collaborate with Winehouse before her tragic death. “She was an incredible artist, she was a pure artist, and she was someone who loved music more than most people I meet,” he said. “She had a spirit that was about being honest and being raw and not caring about what anybody thinks.” In fact, Nas said when he was putting “Cherry Wine” together, he felt Winehouse’s presence as an angel.
Coincidentally, both Nas and Winehouse shared the same birthday, Sept. 14, though he was born ten years earlier.
Listen to it here:
His best prank involved a blow up doll: Read more…
We basically had a slumber party convo with Princess Taylor Swift last night when she hosted a live web chat with the world on YouTube. She told us about a week ago that she had MAJOR news and she didn’t disappoint. Swift revealed that she has a new album coming out on Oct. 22 called Red and a new single called “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” She also unveiled her new album cover (above).
Although Swift is so young, she’s also like an oh-so-wise Yoda when it comes to relationships. She said about the songs on the album: “They’re all pretty much about the kind of tumultuous crazy, insane, intense, semi-toxic relationships that I’ve experienced in the last two years. And all those emotions, spanning from intense love, intense frustration, jealousy, confusion, all of that, in my mind all of those emotions are red. There’s nothing in between — there’s nothing beige about those feelings.
She hosted the live chat from Nashville in front of fans from across the world. The album will have 16 songs, including the title track. It also features collabs with several artists and songwriters, including Ed Sheeran. Apparently Swift and Sheeran wrote the song while sitting on a trampoline.
She played “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” during the chat and joked “it’s a really romantic song that’s to my lovely ex-boyfriend.”
Who do you think it’s about?
This will be the last one, kay guys? I’m so sick of cover artists uploading “Somebody That I Used To Know” covers on YouTube, so let’s make this the final one. It’s appropriate considering singer Gotye uploaded it to his own account gotyemusic. The version includes all the YouTube covers he could find, including a cover by Ingrid Michaelson and another by Pentatonix. Gotye wrote under the description: “Reluctant as I am to add to the mountain of interpretations of Somebody That I Used To Know seemingly taking over their own area of the internet, I couldn’t resist the massive remixability that such a large, varied yet connected bundle of source material offered.??”
In the name of girl power, the Spice Girls will be performing at the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games tomorrow!
While there hasn’t been any confirmation on what songs the ladies will be performing, pictures of the girls rehearsing were posted on Twitter as they practiced their choreography on top of black cars.
Posh Spice aka Victoria Beckham was the first to confirm that the group would be performing at the Olympics about three weeks ago.
“We are so proud to be English and we are very excited about the Olympics,” she said.
But don’t count on another reunion for the girls just yet. “I don’t know about a comeback tour, but I loved being back with the girls. There was a lot of fun, we did so much together and we’ll see. If they’re up for something then I certainly am.”
Oh, for the sake of my childhood…please go on ANOTHER reunion tour! While I’ll get to see you perform tomorrow, I guess I’ll have to settle for Viva Forever!, the West End Musical based on the Spice Girls’ hits.
That being said, what songs do you want to hear when they perform tomorrow?
Hopefully, they’ll perform this song.
Question: Do professional athletes or rappers party harder? According to rapper Mac Miller, athletes go pretty hard. He told @Jordans_Life that back when he was starting his career, he went to a birthday party for NBA player Amar’e Stoudemire. Think tequila, wild girls, Steve Nash and Jason Richardson doing the Hulk. Mac also talked about loving Canada — if not only because of our lax attitude at the border.
Watch the interview here:
