Jeff Giles
Taylor Swift Is Billboard’s 2011 Woman of the Year
Billboard has shown a great deal of love to Taylor Swift by honoring her as its latest Woman of the Year.
Swift, 21, has been recognized before by this prestigious music industry trade, receiving titles for Top Country Artist, Top Country Album and Top Billboard 200 Artist. But this new recognition makes her the youngest artist ever to earn the honor.
Willow Smith Enlists Nicki Minaj for Her New Single, ‘Fireball’ [AUDIO]
Willow‘s back for her next attempt at achieving ‘Whip My Hair’-level success, but this time she’s brought along hip-hop princess Nicki Minaj to up her game.
Both stars trade rap verses on the recently released ‘Fireball,’ where the 10-year-old multimedia magnate kicks things off by asking “Um, hello? Can we get this party started?”
Beyoncé Shows Off Baby Bump in New Video for ‘Countdown’ [VIDEO]
Beyoncé has been ramping up anticipation for her new ‘Countdown’ video for days now, right down to a ticking clock on MTV’s homepage.
At last, the countdown to ‘Countdown’ is over.
Kelly Clarkson Leaks New Track, ‘What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)’ [AUDIO]
Kelly Clarkson, who’s seen several tracks from her upcoming album leak well before their release date, decided to take matters into her own hands this week.
Clarkson took to Twitter and gave her followers an unexpected treat: a free download of the title track from her upcoming album, ‘Stronger.’
Rihanna Sets Chart Record with Her New Single, ‘We Found Love’ [AUDIO]
Rihanna‘s latest release ‘We Found Love’ leaped from 16th to ninth on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, giving the pop princess her 20th Top 10 single on the chart.
If you’re thinking that it seems like she compiled all those hits awfully quickly, you’re right; in fact, with ‘We Found Love,’ Rihanna has become the fastest solo artist ever to accomplish this feat.
Taylor Swift Reveals New Album Will Feature Lots of ‘Sad’ Songs
The New Yorker doesn’t usually devote much space to young artists or current trends, but they made an exception for Taylor Swift in their most recent issue, giving a full profile of the artist that, as they point out, has sold more albums in the last five years than any other musician.
Swift was characteristically frank in the article, offering her thoughts on life and love as a 21-year-old supers
Is the Honduran Government Banning Ricky Martin Because He’s Gay?
You’d hardly expect an artist responsible for frothy pop songs such as ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca,’ ‘Shake Your Bon-Bon’ and ‘She Bangs’ to be at the center of a political controversy, but that’s apparently exactly where Ricky Martin is these days.
Rumor has it that an upcoming Martin gig in Honduras may be canceled — not to mention the star’s visa is in jeopardy — because government officials disapprov
Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson Show Is ‘On Steroids’
As the doctor who presided over Michael Jackson‘s death stands trial and the world is preoccupied with the grisly details of his final hours, Cirque du Soleil is preparing to honor the fallen icon with a spectacular tribute to his musical legacy.
The project, dubbed the ‘Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour,’ will launch October 2 in Montreal, and is only part of what the Jackson estate has pla
Britney Spears Tackles Body Image Issues Through Airbrushed Photos
Britney Spears is addressing body image issues head-on through a series of before-and-after airbrushed photos commissioned to help educate schoolchildren about the unrealistic physical expectations created by the media. (And, uh, Britney Spears’ videos.)
‘Twilight: Breaking Dawn’ Soundtrack Track Listing and Artwork Revealed [AUDIO]
Most of the considerable hype surrounding the ‘Twilight’ series has centered on the many, many books and movie tickets it’s sold, but the franchise has also been a musical phenomenon, generating more than 4.5 million units in sales over three soundtrack albums.
With the next installment in the series scheduled to reach theaters on November 18, dedicated Twi-hards — not to mention music retailers —
Lady Gaga Reveals She’s Hard at Work on New Album and Tour [AUDIO]
In today’s pop marketplace, it’s commonly accepted for an artist to take three years or longer to finish a new album, which is almost exactly how long it took Lady Gaga to get from her first full-length collection, ‘The Fame,’ to its recently released follow-up, ‘Born This Way.’
But Gaga didn’t get where she is by following what everyone else is doing, and based on comments she made during a recen
Mary J. Blige Returns in November with New Album, ‘My Life II’
Starting with 1999′s double-platinum ‘Mary’ collection, Mary J. Blige has released a new album every two years, and she’ll keep that streak alive this fall with the upcoming ‘My Life II: The Journey Continues…Act I.’
For her 10th full-length studio effort, Blige has created a sequel to her Grammy-nominated 1994 sophomore release, ‘My Life,’ which sold three million copies, spawned four hit singles