by Paul Sexton, London  |   November 28, 2011

Rihanna fever is officially sweeping the United Kingdom, as the Barbadian superstar lands a simultaneous No. 1 single and album for the second time this year, and several new U.K. chart records in the process. Meanwhile, “Now! That”s What I Call Music 80″ (EMI TV/Universal Music TV) creates a record of its own, debuting atop the compilation chart with first-week sales of 296,000, the biggest opening sale for any album in the U.K. market this year, either a compilation or by an individual artist. But that”s still well down on the initial 333,000 achieved by “Now 77,” its counterpart in last year”s festive market.

Official Charts Company sales data published Sunday (Nov. 27) showed her “Talk That Talk” album (Def Jam/Universal) going straight to No. 1 with first-week sales of 163,000. The single “We Found Love” (Def Jam/Universal), featuring Calvin Harris, started another week at No. 1, its sixth non-consecutive frame at the top.

Rihanna becomes the first female artist to achieve the coveted feat of simultaneous album and single chart-toppers twice in a calendar year, after the “Loud” album and “What”s My Name” track, featuring Drake, were both No. 1 in January. It”s the first time any artist has secured that honor for close to 40 years: T. Rex did it in May 1972 with the album “Bolan Boogie” and single “Metal Guru,” six months after leading the way with both “Electric Warrior” and “Telegram Sam.”

Rihanna is also the first solo female to score two different No. 1 albums in a calendar year. She extends her lead in total weeks atop the U.K. singles chart this year, now standing at seven (also including one for “What”s My Name”), and “We Found Love” is her sixth No. 1 single in the territory in consecutive five years, another record for a female artist.

Among other details of Rihanna”s stellar chart week, “Loud” maintains a top 30 place in its 54th appearance, dipping 23-27. Drake”s “Take Care” single (Cash Money/Universal Island), on which Rihanna features, climbed 12-9 (his album of the same name dropping 5-20). Three “Talk That Talk” album tracks sold well enough as individual tracks to make the new top 75: the title song, featuring Jay-Z, at No. 25, “You Da One” at No. 39 and “Where Have You Been” No. 61.

The artist album chart also saw a No. 2 debut for pop band One Direction”s “Up All Night” (Syco Music/Sony Music Entertainment), with 138,000 sales. As Michael Bublé”s “Christmas” (Reprise/Warner Music) fell from the top to No. 3, retiring Irish chart regulars Westlife came in at No. 4 with RCA/Sony”s new “Greatest Hits” set. The quartet, whose worldwide sales are estimated by Sony at 44 million, will go their separate ways after a farewell tour next May.

“50 Words For Snow” (Fish People/EMI), Kate Bush”s second new album of the year following May”s “Director”s Cut,” debuted at No. 5, three places behind the previous release. Nickelback”s “Here and Now” (Roadrunner) became their fifth consecutive U.K. top ten album at No. 10.

Below Rihanna on the singles chart, 2009 “X Factor” finalist Olly Murs debuted at No. 2 with “Dance With Me Tonight” (Epic/Syco Music/Sony Music Entertainment). The track had led the way in midweek sales data but ultimately lost out to “We Found Love,” finishing with 74,000 units to Rihanna”s 79,000. Swedish DJ-producer Avicii, aka Tim Bergling, debuted at No. 4 with “Levels” (Universal Island).

Also new inside the singles top ten were “Down For Whatever” (Universal) by Kelly Rowland featuring the Wavs, at No. 6, and 2010 “X Factor” contestant Rebecca Ferguson”s “Nothing”s Real But Love” (Epic/Sony Music Entertainment) at No. 10. En Vogue”s early 1997 U.K. top five hit “Don”t Let Go (Love)” reappeared at No. 23 after the song was performed by “X Factor” contestant Little Mix.

The surest sign of the impending holiday season came in the reappearance of the two most durable festive perennials, re-entering the top 75 and certain to chart prominently again in the coming weeks: “Fairytale of New York” (Warner Bros./Warner Music) by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl at No. 47 and Mariah Carey”s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment) at No. 64.

by Keith Caulfield, L.A.  |   November 16, 2011

It should surprise nobody, but Drake”s second full-length studio album, “Take Care,” is on its way to a monster debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week.

Industry sources suggest the set could sell as many as 725,000 copies by week”s end on Sunday, Nov. 20.

“Care” may rack up the third-largest sales week of 2011, after Lady Gaga”s “Born This Way” debut (1.1 million) and Lil Wayne”s “Tha Carter IV” start (964,000).

Drake”s first album, last year”s “Thank Me Later,” started at No. 1 with 447,000 sold according to Nielsen SoundScan, on the Billboard 200 chart dated July 3, 2010. He previously charted with the “So Far Gone” (EP) in October 2009, which topped out at No. 6.

Also on tap for possible debuts in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart next week: Childish Gambino”s “Camp” and “Glee, the Music: The Christmas Album Volume 2.” The latter may sell around 70,000 while “Camp” could shift perhaps 50,000.

Andrea Bocelli”s new live set, “Concerto: One Night In Central Park,” could make a top 10 arrival as well. The album features guest turns from Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban and David Foster, and was recorded during Bocelli”s free show on Sept. 15 at the New York City venue”s great lawn.

by Billboard Staff  |   November 08, 2011

Heavy D, a rapper whose imposing size and crossover success helped make him a major rap star, died Tuesday afternoon at a Los Angeles hospital. According to confirmed reports, the 44-year-old rapper was found conscious on the walkway near his Beverly Hills home around 11:25 am when a 911 call was placed. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. PST. Police are investigating, but foul play is not suspected.

Grandmaster Flash was one of the first in the media to relay the news when he took to Twitter, saying “I was just told Heavy D passed away.” That message created a snowball of reactions — and prayers — from fans.

Heavy D last tweeted late on Monday or early Tuesday on Joe Frazier”s death, “SMOKIN JOE FRAZIER..RIP.. truly one of the best heavyweight champs that ever lived.. GODS SPEED, MR FRAZIER!” An hour later tweeted,”BE INSPIRED!.”

Born Dwight Errington Myers in Jamaica in 1967, Heavy D moved to the Bronx in 1967 and became friends with Glen Parrish (G-Wiz), Eddie F (Eddie Ferrell) and Troy Dixon (Trouble T-Roy), who formed the rap group Heavy D & the Boyz. In 1986, their demo reached Uptown Records head Andre Harrell, and the group became the first artist signed to the label.

“Living Large,” Heavy D & the Boyz”s debut album, was released in 1987 and spawned hits like “Mr. Big Stuff,” while 1989”s “Big Tyme” served as the group”s commercial breakthrough with tracks like “We Got Our Own Thang” and “Somebody For Me.” Following Dixon”s death in 1990, Heavy D released the 1991 tribute album “Peaceful Journey.”

His first No. 1 on the Rap chart was 1989”s “Somebody for Me” and he later scored crossover hits with 1991”s “Now That We Found Love” and “Big Daddy” in 1997. His highest charting single came in 1990 when he teamed up with Janet Jackson on the No. 4 Hot 100 hit “Alright (Remix).”

Following a familiar path for many rappers, Heavy D eventually began exploring the acting world, with movie roles in 1999”s “Life” and 2002”s “Big Trouble” as well as a recurring role on the Fox drama “Boston Public.” He also wrote and performed the theme song for the landmark TV sketch comedy, “In Living Colour.”

After collaborating with artists like K-Ci & Jojo, Big Daddy Kane and Gang Starr as an artist, Heavy D contributed production work to tracks by Beanie Sigel and Timbaland & Magoo in the 2000s. Heavy D”s final album, “Vibes,” was released in 2008 and favored a reggae fusion sound instead of the rapper”s accessible brand of hip-hop.

Last month, on Oct. 1, Heavy D performed 80s classics — “Nuttin” But Love,” “Is It Good to You,” and “I Want Somebody” — at the 2011 BET”s Hip-Hop Awards. Tyrse joined him on stage to sing the chorus to “Now That We Found Love,” widely considered the star”s most identifiable track. He also performed the song “Jam” at the Michael Jackson tribute concert in Wales on Oct. 8 in a duet with La Toya Jackson.

by Cassandra Vinograd

A new album of recordings by the late soul singer Amy Winehouse will be released in December, Island Records said Monday. It said “Lioness: Hidden Treasures” will contain 12 songs – previously unreleased tracks, alternative versions of existing hits and brand new songs – recorded by the beehive-wearing singer who died at her London home on July 23.

The label said Winehouse”s longtime musical partners Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi had spent time since her death listening to recordings of the singer, who many said never sang or played a song the same way twice.

Island Records said the duo quickly realized that they had “a collection of songs that deserved to be heard, a collection of songs that were a fitting testament to Amy the artist and, as importantly, Amy their friend.”

The album – Winehouse”s third after “Frank” and “Back to Black” – will be released on Dec. 5. Ronson and Remi compiled the tracks in collaboration with Winehouse”s family, management and the label.

Winehouse”s final studio recording – a cover of “Body & Soul” sung with Tony Bennett – will be included in the album.

The singer”s father, Mitch Winehouse, said he had never before heard another one of the tracks, “Halftime,” and described the song as “just incredibly beautiful.”

“If the family had felt that this album wasn”t up to the standard of ”Frank” and ”Back To Black” we would never have agreed to release it and we believe it will stand as a fitting tribute to Amy”s musical legacy,” he said in the Island Records statement.

A donation of 1 pound ($1.60) from the sale of each album in the U.K. will go to a foundation to assist disadvantaged children and young adults set up in the artist”s name following her death.

Last week a British coroner ruled the Grammy-winning singer died from accidental alcohol poisoning when she resumed drinking after weeks of abstinence.

The 27-year-old Winehouse had fought a very public battle with drug and alcohol abuse for years, and there had been much speculation that she died from a drug overdose.

by Mesfin Fekadu, The Associated Press  |   October 18, 2011 7:20 EDT

Justin Bieber is in the holiday spirit: The singer says he”s the first artist on the Universal Music roster to have part of his album sales benefit charity.

Partial sales from “Under the Mistletoe,” his Christmas album that is out Nov. 1, will go to various charities, including Pencils of Promise and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“Universal never actually allowed money from the album to go to charity, so it”s kind of a unique thing and I”m very happy and proud of what we”ve done,” the 17-year-old said in an interview from Lima, Peru, on Monday.

Universal Music Group is the parent company to labels like Interscope Records and Island Def Jam Music Group, where Bieber is signed to. Universal is also the home to acts like Eminem, Rihanna, Kanye West and Lady Gaga.
Bieber said he isn”t sure how much of the sales will go to charity, but thanks his team for helping him achieve his goal of wanting to help others during the holiday season.

“I tell them basically what I want and they kind of go and help me get it done,” said Bieber, who will also donate money to various food banks.

“Under the Mistletoe” features collaborations with Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, among others. He said he wanted to “work with people who had great experiences with Christmas albums.”

“They were all great people and fun to be around,” said the Canadian-born entertainer, who appears on a “super festive” version of Carey”s classic song “All I Want for Christmas.”

Chris Brown co-wrote and co-produced the song “Christmas Eve,” which Bieber says “all the ladies will like.” And there are also tunes featuring Usher and the country trio the Band Perry.

“They”ve been really successful and great in the country world, so I wanted to get them on my Christmas album and cross some barriers and try to get some different audience members to listen to my music,” he said. Bieber, who also raps on the Busta Rhymes-assisted “Drummer Boy,” said he enjoys performing different styles of music.

“I guess I can be pretty versatile – being able to do country music and put out a record of me rapping on the Internet,” he said. “I just think that with the Internet, not a lot of artists can be taken seriously if they try to change lanes and so I made it kind of apparent at first that I love to do everything and people kind of take me seriously when I switch over, so I”m really lucky to be able to have that.”

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 22, 2011

Explore Talent (http://www.exploretalent.com), a premier online social-network for industry insiders, announced today on its exploretalent news site that singer Katy Perry has become the first woman to score five number one songs from one album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The only other singer in history to have had this honor was the King of Pop, Michael Jackson with his album “Bad.” However, Michael Jacskson was only on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for seven weeks, while Katy Perry has stayed at the top for 18 weeks.

The coolest part about this? Only pop legend himself, Michael Jackson has had five No. 1s from one album and that album was “Bad.”

But Jackson spent a total of seven weeks at the top with his “Bad” songs; Miss Katy Perry has been at the top spot now for an impressive 18 weeks.

The album that has catapulted Katy Perry to this success is called “Teenage Dream,” and her new single from this album, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” has sold 1,745,000 digital copies in the US to date.

For more information, and to read other celebrity news, check out the talent agency”s site.

Explore Talent”s proprietary software and vast infrastructure is the most advanced entertainment-based technology of its kind. The site”s popularity is based on the fact that there are many ways for talent to network, make friends and connect with other industry players, participate in wide variety of contests and earn prizes for being active on the site. The easy access to a pool of 5 million members attracts industry players who are posting every month about 50,000 new auditions and job openings which is 30 times more than any other site.

by Keith Caulfield, L.A.  |   September 09, 2011

With Adele””s leap from No. 19 to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week with “Someone Like You,” the singer achieves the biggest jump to No. 1 in the chart””s 53-year history that wasn””””t spurred by the release of a single.

Every other larger vault to No. 1 in Hot 100 history came as a result of a single arriving to the market. That includes the charts greatest jump, Kelly Clarkson””s 97-1 leap in 2009 with “My Life Would Suck Without You” or what was the tally””s biggest climb until 2002: the Beatles” 27-1 rise with “Can””t Buy Me Love” in 1964.

Adele Brings a Ballad Back to the Hot 100 Summit

“Someone,” on the other hand, zoomed to No. 1 thanks to buzz generated by Adele”s MTV Video Music Awards performance on Aug. 28. The song, her second No. 1, was released to digital retailers on Feb. 22 as a track on her XL/Columbia “21″ album, which arrived the same day.

“Someone” sold 275,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, in the week ending Sept. 4 (up 191%). Its huge sales increase came courtesy of the song”s water cooler-worthy performance on the most-watched VMAs in history. On the show, Adele sang the heartbreaking ballad on a darkened stage, accompanied by a sparse piano.

MTV VMA Ratings: Biggest Audience Ever

“Adele””””””””s all about the music,” Columbia senior VP of sales Steve Kennedy says. “She and her manager, Jonathan Dickins, wanted to get across in the VMA performance that the music was more important than anything else.”

“With all the bombastic theatrics going on that night,” Kennedy continues, “we felt that her very simple set would completely stand out [against] everything else.”

MTV executive VP of music and talent Amy Doyle echoes Kennedy”s thoughts. “Adele is one of those rare artists that can command a stage with just the power of her voice and subtle nuances of her vocals. ””Someone Like You”” is timeless and we”re proud that we could provide her with the world”s largest stage to introduce the song to a global audience.”

The staging of Adele”s VMA performance — and its impact – recalls her BRIT Awards turn on Feb. 15. On the U.K.”s equivalent of the Grammy Awards, she sang “Someone” in a similar setting, and it immediately caused a huge surge on the official U.K. charts. The next week, “Someone” vaulted 47-1 on the singles tally while “Rolling in the Deep,” the albums first single, moved 5-4 the same week.

Adele Ties Beatles Record on U.K. Charts

Meanwhile, on the U.K. albums chart that week, “21″ held at No. 1 for a fourth frame and its predecessor, “19,” climbed 6-4. With those stats, she became the first living act since the Beatles in January 1964 to have two titles simultaneously in the top five on both the U.K. singles and albums charts.

The No. 1 Hot 100 triumph of “Someone” follows a seven-week run at the top by the lead single from “21,” the multiformat smash “Rolling in the Deep.” Earlier this year, when it debuted on the Latin Songs chart, it became the most widely crossed-over song of the past 25 years. The Latin tally was the record 12th Nielsen BDS-based Billboard airplay chart on which “Rolling” appeared.

“Rolling in the Deep”” broke down a lot of doors with regards to multiformat play,” Kennedy says. “Someone Like You”” is about to crash through them all again.”

“Rolling” is currently the top-selling song of the year in the United States, with 5 million sold. Adele””””””””s “21″ is also the year”s biggest album, with 3.3 million.

Columbia expects that “21″ will continue to sell at a fast clip, projecting that the album could shift a total of 4.5 million by the end of the year and between 5 million and 6 million by March 2012. The latter sum would include whatever sales bump the singer will likely receive from the Feb. 12 Grammy Awards — where Adele seems a lock to take home at least a few trophies.

Most of today”s news is covering the events and performances that took places at the MTV Video Music Awards last night, but I feel that it”s important to take time to remember the man who made music videos the creative art form that it is today — Michael Jackson. Off stage he always appeared to be this shy little boy, but if you put a microphone in front of him he transformed into the world”s greatest performer. The legendary singer wowed us with his ground-breaking videos that became short stories with developed plots, interesting characters, and let”s not forget about those incredible dance moves. In honor of what would have been the King of Pop”s 53rd birthday (which fittingly falls right after the VMAs), I wanted to celebrate his musical contributions to the world by providing his top 5 music videos. Of course, we all know that there are several more that could be listed, but these are my particular favorites that never fail to get me off the couch and dancing around my small NYC apartment. Happy Birthday MJ!

5. Beat It

Always trying to make the world a better place, Michael used this song as a way to warn people about the dangers of gang violence. Fighting is never the solution and can lead to dangerous consequences, so just heed Michael”s words because “It doesn”t matter who”s wrong or right, just beat it!” And of course, that iconic red jacket became just one of many popular fashion statements.

4. Smooth Criminal

Always famous for the stories in his videos, Michael decided to tell the story of a girl being “struck down” by an assailant. Strutting around a 1930”s nightclub, dressed in a classic white suit, Jackson pulled out some of his most impressive dance routines. The quick, sharp moves leave you always wondering: how did he do that? And of course let”s not forget about that spectacular gravity lean that had kids (including myself) falling to the floor trying to imitate that truly phenomenal dance move.

3. The Way You Make Me Feel

Every guy can relate to the power a woman can have over him, but not everyone can pull off such impressive dance moves while lamenting about it. As Michael tried to win this girl”s affections, he undoubtedly won ours over and left us wanting more. Even though gyrating and thrusting in front of a woman in a back alley may seem a little, well, creepy, he made the girls go wild and wish he was pursuing them. While MJ was known for inappropriately grabbing himself during many of his videos, audiences couldn”t help but go crazy for it. It was different; it was scandalous; it was fantastic.

2. Billie Jean

Michael knew more than anyone the about ups and downs of being famous. The constant adoration may sound nice, but with it came the lack of privacy, the constant judgment, and the stalkers. This song told the story of a girl who claimed that Michael is the father of her child, which he denied by saying “the kid is not my son.” I remember thinking how cool it was when the floor lit up wherever he stepped. He was always thinking of new, creative ways to attract our eyes to his talented feet. And of course he practically stole the show during the 1983 Motown 25th Anniversary when he debuted his infamous moonwalk for the first time while performing this song. He really made history that night.

1. Thriller

A horror story and dance party all rolled into one — this song was (and still is) constantly played at dances, parties, weddings, and everything in between. Everyone knew the dance steps and wanted to become zombies too. Yes, the world fell in love with Michael and his work helped to inspire our current pop artists and make them into the performers they are today including Usher, Chris Brown — the list goes on and on. Artists wanted to be him, fans wanted to know him, and much like his little zombie friends in this video — his memory and impact on the world will never die.

Service hopes social aspect will catch on among younger users

Watch out iTunes, Pandora and Amazon; there is a new player entering the battle for supremacy in providing music for the masses. Sweden’s Spotify hit the shores of the United States two weeks ago, receiving rave reviews by those who have gotten their hands on the service.

The secret to Spotify”s popularity may be the instant gratification of the service—the ability to listen to any song in Spotify’s massive library at any time. After a successful run in Europe, the company is hoping that it will catch on in the United States.

“The response so far from the US has already been amazing,” said a Spotify spokesperson. “We hope that people in Palo Alto will love Spotify as much as they do in Europe.”

Local teenagers have already begun exploring the service, which is free for a limited time for new users. While the service still has kinks, its growth shows promise.

“Spotify is a good idea, but people need to be able to share their entire music library instead of just playlists,” said Palo Alto High School junior Wesley Shiau. “Spotify is good only as long as people share their music, and beyond that it doesn’t seem like anything new.”

Spotify is most concerned with the continuing issue of piracy in the music industry, but hopes their service is simply a better alternative.

“Our biggest competitor is piracy rather than other streaming services,” said the spokesperson. “Our goal is to offer a user experience that is higher quality, simpler and altogether better than piracy.”

Spencer Schoben, a senior at Palo Alto High School agreed that piracy is an issue, pointing out the differences between teenagers today and an older generation that bought entire albums worth of music.

“Our generation just doesn”t grasp the concept of paying for music per song or per album,” Schoben said. “Spotify allows people to pay per month and then listen to whatever song they want, which I feel is much more of what teenagers want.”

Shiau believes that while the service has potential, it can’t hold up against the lure of piracy for some teenagers. Schoben, however, believes that it has a chance to accomplish this feat.

“Compared to piracy, it is worse of course since piracy is music for ‘free’ and you still have to pay to use Spotify offline,” Shiau said.

“I think it has a good chance of decreasing music piracy and causing teenagers to listen to music legally again,” Schoben said. “I think Spotify is exactly what teenagers want and is something they would likely even pay for.”

Time will tell if Spotify will succeed in turning teenagers into paying customers of music, but for now, the new service is flashy and has started to catch on among them.

Spotify is operating in a limited phase in the United States. One either has to receive an invite from a subscriber or request one from Spotify’s website. One can bypass obtaining an invitation by buying a service plan.

Many celebrity deaths have been hit by the Curse of 27: among the singers and actors who died at the young age of 27, there is Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain and the latest, Amy Winehouse.

Jazz-rock diva Amy Winehouse has joined the tragic list of the Curse of 27. She died this weekend at her home in Northern London. The police reports do not have a cause of death cleared out yet, but the speculations say it might have to do with a drug overdose. Winehouse was known for her erratic behavior which included drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders and violence. Her sudden death reminded of a long line of famous artists who disappeared from this world at the same young age. They are known under the name of Club 27, also named the Forever 27, which gathers all the influential music artists who died at that age.

Kurt Cobain – the Nirvana guitarist and founder committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. He died on April 5, 1994. According to his wife, Courtney Love, he had attempted suicide before, overdosing.

Jim Morrison – the Doors frontman died in 1971, on July 3, of heart failure. His girlfriend found him dead in the bathtub in his apartment in Paris. No autopsy was performed, thus leaving many doubts and questions regarding his death.

Jimi Hendrix – the guitarist and songwriter died on September 18, 1970, after mixing sleeping pills with wine. The medical report from the autopsy showed that he chocked on his own vomit.

Janis Joplin – the famous singer and songwriter for the Big Brother and the Holding Company died on October 4, 1970, supposedly of a drug overdose. She was found dead on the floor, beside her bed.

Brian Jones – the Rolling Stones founder and guitarist died on July 3, 1969. He drowned in his swimming pool at Cotchford Farm. Although many suspected it was murder and not an accident, the coroner’s report said “death by misadventure.”