Jeff Giles
LL Cool J Signs on as First Grammy Awards Host in Nearly a Decade
Perhaps you hadn’t noticed, but the Grammy Awards have been operating without a host for the last seven years. That’s long enough as far as the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences is concerned, and to prove it, they’ve gone out and enlisted the services of all-world MC LL Cool J, who has spent the last four years hosting the Grammys’ live nominations concert show.
Kelly Rowland to Pay Tribute to Mariah Carey at BET Honors Ceremony
When BET announced its plans to pay homage to Mariah Carey at this year’s BET Honors, it raised a number of intriguing possibilities for guest performance artists. Given Carey’s long line of hits and large influence on the current crop of R&B divas, it seemed likely that the network would have its pick of big-voiced pop stars willing to pay her tribute — and it looks like they’ve chosen former
Miley Cyrus and Shakira Collaborate on Charity Song
Three years after she lent her pipes to the all-star charity single ‘Stand Up,’ Miley Cyrus has reportedly gone back into the studio for a good cause — and this time, she’s brought Shakira along with her. According to reports, the duo has collaborated on a new song, titled ‘Love & Rock,’ with proceeds going toward care and research for children with severe heart problems.
Rihanna Accused of Plagiarism in ‘We Found Love’ Video
With over half a million copies sold and a pair of hit singles on the charts in its first month of release, Rihanna‘s ‘Talk That Talk’ can safely be counted as another success in her rapidly growing list of impressive career achievements. Unfortunately, it has arrived alongside a cloud of controversy that she’s finding it tough to shake.
Florence + the Machine Perform ‘Ceremonials’ Tracks at Harrods
The London retail institution Harrods kicked off its big winter sale this week, and Florence + the Machine helped them do it in style, showing up to perform a pair of songs from the recently released ‘Ceremonials’.
Frontwoman Florence Welch showed up decked out for the occasion, wearing a striking floor-length wool cape designed by Karl Lagerfeld. Check out this collision of cutting-edge pop and h
Foster the People + Adele Rank High on Spotify’s Top Tracks of 2011
Here in the United States, we’ve only had (legal) access to the music streaming service Spotify for less than six months, but it’s already one of the most popular online destinations for music lovers. The Swedish-founded, U.K.-headquartered service took a look at what we’ve been streaming, crunched their year-end numbers and published their list of the service’s 100 most popular tracks in the U.S.
Taylor Swift + Lady Gaga Make 2011 Top-Grossing Tour Lists
The numbers are in, and it’s official: more people decided to stay home instead of seeing their favorite acts on tour in 2011. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good year for some of the artists who hit the road — including Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, both of whom made the North American top five in Pollstar’s year-end list of the top-grossing tours.
In fact, Taylor had the second-most popular tou
Lady Gaga + Elton John in the Running for ‘Best Song’ Oscar
Good news for fans of unforgettable Oscar moments: Elton John and Lady Gaga‘s duet ‘Hello, Hello,’ featured in the soundtrack to this year’s animated hit ‘Gnomeo & Juliet,’ is in the running for Best Song.
Kelly Clarkson Reveals Which Candidate She’s Voting for in the 2012 Presidential Election
It’s never easy for a pop star to make a political statement without stirring up controversy, especially during an election season. Just ask Kelly Clarkson, whose recent Twitter support for Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul sparked a mini-firestorm of protest among her followers.
Adam Lambert + Boyfriend Are Back Home After Arrest in Finland
Adam Lambert had an interesting Christmas holiday in Finland, including some authentic Finnish cuisine — and a night in the hoosegow after getting picked up for fighting with his boyfriend outside a nightclub. But all’s well that ends well, and the seemingly happy couple is back in the States.
TMZ reports that Lambert and his boyfriend, Sauli Koskinen, returned to America on Sunday, touching down
Sinead O’Connor and New Husband Call It Quits After 16 Days of Marriage
If you haven’t had a chance to buy a wedding present for Sinead O’Connor and her new husband Barry Herridge yet, you can save yourself a trip to the store: the newlyweds have gone their separate ways after only a little more than two weeks as man and wife.
Adele Breaks Another Album Record With ’21′
We’ve heard a lot in recent weeks about the records being tied, set, and/or broken by Katy Perry and Rihanna — which has made it easy to forget that Adele‘s ’21′ is still the top-selling album of 2011. Well, here’s an even more impressive reminder of the ‘Rolling in the Deep’ singer’s success: ’21′ not only outpaced sales of all other releases this year, it posted the biggest one-year sales total