kevin
Kevin Costner will fulfill a longtime dream in November when he releases his first album with his country-rock band, Modern West.
The actor, who told PEOPLE that his unlikely turn as a lead singer elicited double-takes when the band played a NASCAR event in July, has been playing music with some of his band mates for nearly 20 years.
An early incarnation of the band (once called Roving Boy) stalled when Costner's movie career took off, but in the past few years he's devoted more time to music. "I remember looking out into the crowd, thinking, 'This just feels right,' " Costner, 53, said in a statement about an early performance with Modern West.
The album features 12 original songs, including six tunes co-written by Costner. Several tracks will be available to country radio this week and the album will be out Nov. 11.
The band plans to tour later this year and into 2009.
http://www.people.com
Jennifer Hudson
With her Oscar-winning performance in "Dreamgirls" and roles in movies like "Sex and the City" and the upcoming "The Secret Life of Bees," Jennifer Hudson's singing career had become almost an afterthought. With the release of her formidable, self-titled debut CD, it is now deservedly back in the spotlight.
Hudson, who first came to prominence as a finalist on "American Idol," worked with some of music's hottest names on the CD. Ne-Yo and the hit-production team StarGate appear on the cool first single "Spotlight" and the semi-dark "Can't Stop the Rain." Tank works on the tough but ladylike "We Gon' Fight" and on "What's Wrong (Go Away)," Hudson goes head-to-head with T-Pain and his vocoder.
But Hudson's booming voice truly shines on tracks like "If It Isn't Love" and the Robin Thicke-assisted, Anita Baker-influenced "Giving Myself."
There are a few disappointments. Hudson's duet with Fantasia, "I'm His Only Woman," written and produced by Missy Elliott, newcomer Jazmine Sullivan and Jack Splash (Solange, Estelle), is simply a yelling contest between the former "Idol" alums. The Timbaland-produced "Pocketbook" is just as bad, where Hudson threatens to hit a man with her purse who's getting a little too familar. Please.
Overall, the CD's highlight is Hudson's vocals. She confidently sings each song — going high and low, fast and slow at the right moments, with the right amount of emotion. Which is to be expected from an Oscar winner.
CHECK THIS OUT: Power producer Polow Da Don lends a hand on "My Heart," where Hudson dismisses her man's past, claims her "bedroom game is sick" and treats her heart like a precious child, singing lyrics like "But my heart has my word to never put her in the way of harm."
http://www.baltimoresun.co
LONDON (AFP) — Despite their personal problems, Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse remain a favourite with fans and lead the nominations for best act at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards in Liverpool, it was announced on Monday.
Singer Beyonce is also up for an award and is expected to perform at the November 6 event in Liverpool.
The 27-year-old former member of Destiny's Child is competing against Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Kanye West and Lil Wayne in the 'ultimate urban' category, one of 10 awards at the event voted for by music fans.
( Read more... )Clothing company I Will Not Lose, LLC filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against rapper and producer Jay Z over a slogan used in his 2007 Rocawear ad campaign.
According to I Will Not Lose, LLC CEO Reggie Tucker, the Rocawear spokespersons like Chris Brown and Ciara used the company’s slogan “I will not lose” during the Rocawear campaign launched last year.
The hair, make-up and dresses were perfect, the steps had been rehearsed, and the celebrity audience was in place.
But
you can't plan for everything. And as Heidi Range and her Sugarbabe
bandmates marched down the catwalk last night she stepped right out of
her designer shoe.The Push The Button singer looked horrified as she
realised her fashion faux pas. But, a true professional, she didn't
miss a step.
Striding out: The Sugarbabe girls looked picture perfect as they set off at the Fashion for Relief show in London last night
In her one remaining shoe the 25-year-old kept up with her bandmates Keisha Buchanan and Amelle Berrabah, although by now she was a good few inches shorter.
One thing Heidi
couldn't control, however, was her laughter. The audience joined in as
she screamed with amusement at the mistake.
As the other Sugarbabes smile at the cameras Heidi realises her designer shoe has slipped off.
Voting is sexy!
On Thursday Christina Aguilera stepped out for the Rock the Vote event at the Esquire House in Beverly Hills. Christina is a Rock the Vote spokesperson, is also celebrating a decade in the music business with a greatest hits CD for Target, Keeps Gettin’ Better – A Decade of Hits, due out November, 11.
Christina said she’s hard at work on her next album, which she expects to release next year, which will feature the futuristic sound of ‘Keeps Gettin’ Better’:
[It] definitely has touches of that, elements of that. But [we] go further with that. That was a taste of what’s to come.”
27 year old singer also says she feels sexier than ever in her decade of fame.
Her secret: Wisdom.
I think it is sexier to be more knowledgeable about life, growing from your experiences, growing into a woman or person – if you do learn from your lessons, that is.”
Pink has never been afraid to speak her mind, bare her soul, and share her deepest feelings in her songs.
As she casually confers,
I have no choice. It’s what I do.”
Indeed, it is what Pink does. And, her 23 million in album sales, two Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, and eight top 10 hit singles are proof that the tattooed badass with the heart of a pussycat does what she does well. But, with her fifth studio album, Funhouse (Oct. 28 via LaFace/Zomba), Pink gets even more personal, more exposed, and more revealing.
On her current radio smash “So What,” Pink gets real once again but this time it’s infused with her trademark humor as evidenced by such funny-honest lyrics as
I guess I just lost my husband/I don’t know where he went/So I’m gonna drink my money/I’m not gonna pay his rent.”
Having her ex, Carey Hart, in the Dave Meyers-directed video diffused some of the reaction to the lyrical content.
At first I was kind of irked because everyone was like, ‘Well, wait. I thought the split was amicable and now she’s talking shit about him?! What the *&^#$%’ It’s hypocritical.’
But once everyone saw the video and saw that Carey was in it, it shut everybody up, which was lovely,” explains P!nk, who collaborated with Max Martin once again for this track.
Carey hadn’t heard the song before he did the video. That’s how much he trusts and loves me. He pretty much just rolls his eyes, throws his hands up in the air, and hugs me. He gets it. He gets me. It’s nice.”
http://www.celebritymound.com
Kanye West won't face felony charges for his Sept. 11 arrest involving a tussle with paparazzi, the L.A. County District Attorney's Office announced Friday.
Instead, the L.A. City Attorney's Office is reviewing the case for a possible misdemeanor charge, office spokesman Frank Mateljan said.
The rapper, 31, was arrested on a felony vandalism charge for allegedly damaging a photographer's equipment.
Also arrested was West's road manager, Don Crawley, 32, who's also accused of breaking photographers' equipment.
Both West and Crawley are free on bail.
West's lawyer, Blair Berk, wasn't immediately available for comment
People.com
Ciara is back with a brand new track “Go Girl” featuring T-Pain
Ciara “Go Girl” featuring T-Pain
So as previously reported “Go Girl” has been selected as the official first single off Ciara’s forthcoming album "Fantasy Ride". The track was produced and also features T-Pain.
The track premiered on Ciara's Myspace this week!
I'm
not sure if this song cuts it...Fair enough its an ok song to listen
to, but it does nothing.
We all know shes never been the "Mariah Carey
or Mary J Blige",Dancing is more up her street...This song doesn't seem
like a good dance track, that being said, she has done songs like
"Promise and Like a Boy" and made it work...Im just not sure, it seems
kinda bland to me.
Maybe more listens and a good video
Her new album "Fantasy ride" is set for a December 2008 release.
Despite a string of shaky live performances, fans seemed to have embraced Jessica Simpson's transition to country music.
The album -- which sold 65,000 copies since coming out last week -- ranked No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200.
Simpson's first single, "Come on Over," hit No. 18 on the Hot Country Songs list last month.
Do You Know is Simpson's sixth album. Her previous effort, A Public Affair, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2006 with 101,000 albums sold.
2004's In This Skin was her highest ranking album, reaching No. 2 on the charts.
So why did Simpson decide to ditch pop for country?
"I am a country girl," she told Billboard.com in December. "I grew up in Texas, and country music was what I listened to. I always wanted to make a country album, but I wanted to wait until the time was right."
She cited Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Reba McEntire as role models.
"I think there is a strength in female country artists," she added.
Another inspiration?
Beau Tony Romo!
Simpson wrote him a song called "Back in My Old Boots."
"He reintroduced me to myself," Simpson revealed in the June issue of Glamour. "I thought that I had to be deeper, more profound and more artsy. You change with the guys you date."
http://www.usmagazine.com
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