Tuesday, January 06, 2009

[WGO] Rihanna Engaged, Kelly & Robyn Are Coming, and Taylor Swift Has Another Crazy Week!

-I don't post for a few days, and Rihanna done gets engaged to her hottie BF Chris Brown. At least that's what PopBytes is reporting.

-Everyone seems to be worked up into a crazy frenzy about Kelly Clarkson and the impending release of her new Max Martin/Dr. Luke single "My Life Would Suck Without You". Sure, I'm excited as the next "Since U Been Gone" fan, but I also kinda feel like would it be really funny if all of this hype gets let down and "My Life..." actually "Suck"s. I'm so mean. The new album is due in March, with the single due to leak any second now. Keep holding your breath, everyone.

-Happy News coming to you thanks to the good people at Billboard Mag: Electronica group Royksoop from Norway will feature my love Robyn on their upcoming album, which will be released internationally in March. I'm not so familiar with this band, aside from their recent hype track "Happy Birthday" after hearing about it on PopJustice -- but it makes me happy that we will get new stuff from Robyn! Finally! Read all about it here.

-Also thanks to Billboard: In a recent interview with Lance Bass, he continues to get my hopes up with a possible *NSYNC reunion. But honestly, until I hear it from the lips of Justin Timberlake, I take everything with a grain of salt. Lance stated that the length of the hiatus (since 2002) has surprised "most" of the group's members (read: everyone except Justin), and that even though none of them could forsee the take off of Justin's career, there was "no way we'd ever stand in his way." He went on to state he assumed a new *NSYNC album would have more of a hip hop vibe (um...?), when I would think it would sound something more like a poppier version of Justin's stuff with a bit more R&B thrown inbetween. Best get in there before them V-Factory/NLT/Varsity Fanclub boys steal your thunder. But then again, I was always one of those fans who was annoyed by Justin's statements that he was soooo different from *NSYNC, since he wrote most of the singles anyway toward the end, and I could totally hear the whole band doing any one of his songs. Still...

The funniest part of the interview was when Bass stated he is considering a solo career, with more of"rock" vibe like Aerosmith and the Goo Goo Dolls. Um...I'm confused. Weren't you the country guy who never got solos because you sang bass? ::sigh:: Read the whole thing here.

-In sad news, Robert Ward of the Motown group Ohio Players, died this past Christmas. I mention this because Ohio Players were best known for their song "Love Rollercoaster", a song that has become a bit of an inside joke between a friend of mine and I after watching "Final Destination 3". Just watch it and you'll understand why. Mr. Ward -- you are missed.

-The biggest release due out next Tuesday is the soundtrack to the upcoming film "Notorious", a biopic about the life of the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls...I dug "Mo Money, Mo Problems", but find it sad that is the marketplace when this is the biggest release of the week.

-Taylor Swift is shaping up to have another big week (AGAIN?) on the Billboard Album chart for this week. This is starting to become ridiculous. Don't get me wrong -- I adore "Love Story". I think she's a phenomenal writer. "Picture To Burn" is a great song to turn up (when I'm alone) and rock out to (when I'm alone) because I now know all the words (when I'm alone). But to be #1 yet again...admist all of the big releases, blocking out Kanye, Beyonce, Britney, etc, it's kinda insane. I suppose we're still in that grey area of post-Christmas spending, but still! Her other album,"Taylor Swift", is shaping up to bump up more than 10 spots to #11 this week! Nuts.

-In the radio neck of the woods: Katy Perry's latest single"Thinking of You" was the most added song to Top 40 radio this week, while 3 Doors Down's "Citizen Soldier" proved a hot commodity in the Active Rock category. Other songs getting considerable buzz on the radio formats: Blue October's "Dirt Room" (Alternative), Coldplay's "Lovers In Japan" (Rock), P!NK's "Sober" (Hot Adult Contemp), Charlie Wilson's "There Goes My Baby" (Urban Adult Contemp), my girl Keri Hilson and (the god-awful) "Turning Me On" which features Lil Wayne (rhythmic), GS Boyz's "Stanky Legg" (??) (on Urban), Buckcherry's "Rescue Me" (Rock), and Tim McGraw's "Nothing To Die For" (Country).

-I didn't get the chance to talk about last week's Hot 100 Chart, but not much has changed, top 10-wise. Beyonce and "Single Ladies" was #1 again, in an ongoing debate between B and T.I. In fact, this continues the end of 2008's reign of a three R&B/hip hop artists having two songs in the top 10 (Beyonce,T.I. and Kanye West). Except this week my favorite Lady Gaga managed to streak past T.I. and Rihanna to score a personal best on the chart with "Just Dance" landing at #2 after along 21 weeks on the chart.

Rounding out the top 10:
3. T.I. feat. Rihanna "Live Your Life" (peaked at #1, 14 weeks on chart)
4. Kanye West "Heartless" (peaking after 8 weeks)
5. Taylor Swift "Love Story" (peaking after 16 weeks)
6. Katy Perry "Hot N Cold" (peaked at #3, 22 weeks on chart)
7. Britney Spears "Womanizer" (down two spots, peaked at #1, 13 weeks on chart)
8. Kanye West "Love Lockdown" (peaked at #3, 15 weeks on chart)
9. T.I. "Whatever You Like" (peaked at #1, 21 weeks on chart)
10. Beyonce "If I Were A Boy" (peaked at #3, 12 weeks on chart)

For the rest of the chart:
-Britney continues to hold on with "Circus" at #11 after 4 weeks on the chart.
-Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" is still hot property at #12 after a whopping 37 weeks on the chart.
-Rihanna has back to back positions at #19 and #20 with"Disturbia" and "Rehab" respectively.
-The Pussycat Dolls "I Hate This Part" (which I continue to maintain is the best song from their new crappy album) jumped up quite a bit this week from #32 to #21 after just 5 weeks on the chart. They may have another hit on their hands with that one. Who could have predicted that? ;)
-David Archuleta continues to give 'Idol 7' winner David Cook a lashing with his single "Crush" jumping from #45 last week to #27. The song peaked at #2 last year, and has been on the chart for 20 weeks.
-My beloved the Veronicas may finally get the US hit they deserve with their first US charted single, "Untouched", bumping up from #35 last week to #29 this week after just five weeks on the chart. May it continue to rise!
-Paramore's "Decode" from the 'Twilight' soundtrack may bea sleeper surprise. After 8 weeks on the chart, it has jumped from #44 to #33, a personal best for the song.
-The Jonas Brothers "Lovebug" reentered the Hot 100 this week at #49, after being on the chart for 13 weeks for its highest position so far. Must have been all that hype about the New Years performance. It's a shame, too, because "Lovebug" is the best song on "A Little Bit Longer."

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