Britney Spears’ song about threesomes — a new track from her upcoming The Singles collection — will debut at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 this week. It’s just her third No. 1 single ever (after “…Baby One More Time” and “Womanizer”), and the first No. 1 debut since Taylor Hicks’ post-Idol-victory tune “Do I Make You Proud” more than three years ago. It’s also the first non-American Idol song to enter the chart at No. 1 since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” did it almost 11 years ago, according to Billboard.
So does this huge first week mean Britney’s comeback is now complete? Or do people just really, really love Peter, Paul & Mary?
On Monday, the New York offices of Warner Bros. Records were decorated with the same yellow caution tape that graces the cover of Michael Bublé’s fourth studio album, Crazy Love (which just debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart). Perhaps because they knew he’d be stopping by to do some press — and to interrupt a meeting of the top brass.
“It’s quite amazing actually,” he says after crashing that conference room gathering next door. (We heard the applause through the wall.) “I walked into the office in L.A. seven years ago and I did the same thing, and they had no clue who I was. I’ve been told the first thing I said was, ‘Hello, I’m your bitch, Michael Bublé, and I’m going to work so hard for you.’ I’m sure I was like the 10,000th person who came in, and they were like [mumbling under his breath], ‘Alright, let’s see what you can do.’ It turned out pretty good.”
After the jump, the crooner who earned a Grammy for his last effort, 2007′s Call Me Irresponsible, shares the stories behind some of Crazy Love‘s memorable tracks, his 30 Rock vocal cameo,the song he considers his finest performance (which you still haven’t heard), and more. READ FULL STORY »
And so, the twain shall meet! Which they do, on the upcoming Squara album The Trouble With Flying, out October 27. According to Davis’ publicist, “After a fortuitous meeting backstage, Davis handed his childhood hero a copy of [his 2007 debut] sunshyness and the two started collaborating. Squier co-wrote and is featured on two of the album tracks.” Stream one, “Tell Me,” below:
Recently, Fastcompany.com took the real-life NYC locations of the Hova’s most recent Manhattan mash note, “Empire State of Mind,” to Google Maps. And voila! A custom page with those trademark upside-down teardrops pinged to every locale shout-out in the song: Brooklyn, Tribeca, Harlem, 560 State Street, the World Trade Center, Bed-Stuy, Yankees stadium…
Earlier this evening, Rihanna announced via Twitter that she’ll release her first album since 2007′s Good Girl Gone Bad. The tweet reads: “The Wait Is Ova. Nov 23 09.” While reps would not confirm details of the album, one insider tells EW.com that Nov. 23 looks to be an accurate release date, but that the album will not be titled The Wait Is Ova.
Rihanna announced via her new Twitter account that she’ll release her fourth album on Nov. 23. “The Wait is Ova,” she wrote in her first-ever tweet (a similar post was made on her website). Her last album was out in 2007.
A lot of questions got resolved yesterday about the new Michael Jackson single “This Is It” — in particular, exactly who wrote the tune. (The answer apparently being Jackson and veteran singer-songwriter Paul Anka.) But you may still be wondering just who is Safire, the singer who originally recorded the track when it was called “I Never Heard.”
Safire was born Wilma Cosme on the island of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and subsequently moved to New York’s Spanish Harlem. In the late ‘80s, she recorded a clutch of singles for Cutting Records and became a leading light of the on-the-rise Latin hip-hop/freestyle scene (a largely regional phenomenon whose ranks yielded stars like Stevie B, Exposé, and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam).
After signing with Mercury/Polygram, Safire put out her first, self-titled, album, featuring the Marc Anthony-penned single “Boy I’ve Been Told.” Her big commercial break came with the slow-paced 1989 hit, “Thinking of You,” a song dedicated to her uncle, who had passed away from AIDS complications. Spin magazine put her on their cover (see left), and the singer was also featured in the pages of Vogue. In 1990 Safire released a less successful second album, I Wasn’t Born Yesterday, which featured the Jackson-Anka composition.
According to Safire’s current manager Sal Abbatiello, the song was originally intended as a duet between Safire and Anka, whose writing credits also include the English lyrics for “My Way.” “They thought Safire was going to be the next Gloria Estefan,” says Abatiello. “She had put out three big dance records and she was becoming a very well known artist. And then she put out the ballad ‘Thinking of You,’ which was one of the most played records of the year. But when Michael met her in California at the studio, he saw how young and beautiful she was. He told Paul, ‘You can’t do the record with her, she’s too young.’ And he gave her the song.”
Safire continues to perform, and following Jackson’s death earlier this year, she posted a tribute on her myspace page which concluded, “R.I.P. Michael you will truly be missed but you will live on in every song. Love always SAFIRE.”
Of course, one of the songs Jackson will live on through is “This Is It,” or, if you prefer, “I Never Heard.” Either way, you can hear Safire’s version of the track below as well as her biggest hit, “Thinking of You.”
Santa chopping off a tobogganer’s head with an axe in 1984′s Silent Night, Deadly Night? That’s just a reindeer game. A wheezy, 68-year-old Bob Dylan recording an album of Christmas standards? Backed by singers whose overt enthusiasm makes the Andrews Sisters sound moody? That’s not how you deck the halls:
The proceeds of Christmas in the Heart will go to food charities, which makes one want to say something nice about the whole affair. And to be honest, there is something fascinating about hearing the perennially dour Dylan let go and sing silly Holiday carols with casual glee.
His loose approach to singing is also what gives this yuletide offering its most bone-chilling moments, however—hearing Bob hack out the words “With angelic host proclaim/Christ is born in Bethlehem” reminds one of grandpa clearing his throat after finishing a glass of eggnog.
Is the whole album a Christopher Guest-esque self-parody? Is this just Dylan doing whatever the hell he wants? Most importantly, will you listen to Zimmer-Claus when you’re decorating your Christmas tree? Weigh in below.
The video for “Meet Me Halway,” the third single from the Black Eyed Peas’ Billboard-obliterating fifth album The E.N.D., has leaked online, and it is Legend-ary (paging Mia Sara!). Watch below:
What do you think, little BEPpies? Better than “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling”? Or send these space-bedouins, Fergie-fairies and moonwalkers back to black?
Britney Spears’ song about threesomes — a new track from her upcoming The Singles collection — will debut at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 this week. It’s just her third No. 1 single ever (after “…Baby One More Time” and “Womanizer”), and the first No. 1 debut since Taylor Hicks’ post-Idol-victory tune “Do I Make You Proud” more than three years ago. It’s also the first non-American Idol song to enter the chart at No. 1 since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” did it almost 11 years ago, according to Billboard.
On Monday, the New York offices of Warner Bros. Records were decorated with the same yellow caution tape that graces the cover of Michael Bublé’s fourth studio album, 
You probably know 
Perhaps you’ve heard that Jay-Z hails from New York state — specifically, 
A lot of questions got resolved yesterday about the new Michael Jackson single 
