America's Lovin' Duffy!

Duffy's getting lots of love from us here in America!

Her album Rockferry is at #3 on iTunes, behind Death Cab for Cutie and Jason Mraz. Duffy is also #2 on Amazon.com! Both websites, through customer reviews, have given the album 4 stars or more!

According to HDD, she is expected to make a Top 10 debut!

That's HUGE for a virtual unknown! It's even more huge considering Estelle, who's done more promo, stalled at #38!

Go Duffy!

THIS...is what a divorce from Bobby Brown will do for you!

  ""The Voice" Whitney Houston is all smiles at a boxing match last Monday. Her date for the evening was R&B singer Ray-J (don't get me started on that!) and she looks very happy and relaxed, despite a tell-all being released by ex-husband Bobby Brown. Show him what you're made of, Whitney!

The Jonas Brothers Tackle Diabetes In New Album

Girls, proceed to scream, squeal, and tear up.

The Jonas Brothers, arguably the biggest boy band on the planet right now, have revealed the name of the upcoming album that the "Burning Up" tour will support.

A Little Bit Longer, the band's third album, will be released on August 12th. The album title comes from the song "A Little Bit Longer", which Nick Jonas wrote about his struggle with diabetes.

The youngest brother of the band revealed he was a Type 1 diabetic in March 2007 during a benefit to support the illness. In order to help him manage the insulin-dependent disease, he uses the OmniPod insulin delivery system.

As a diabetic myself, I am very interested in how Nick will detail his experience in song. I am expecting a heartfelt ballad; a boisterous, teenybopper jam would seem a bit inappropriate (unless that's inspirational too). It takes a lot of maturity, courage, and strength to tackle something like that head on, and for that, he has my respect. When I found out he had the disease, it was shocking, considering the schedule he is able to maintain. Touring, recording, and promoting takes a lot of time and energy, and the fact that Nick is able to properly handle diabetes is truly astounding. If he and his seemingly responsible brothers are supposed to be role models for kids, then I definitely support it. Considering who the role models used to be (coughBritneycough), it is definitely a nice change of pace.

I'll probably never really like their music (I may give their album a chance), but they do have my respect.

For those who LOVE them, remember the Burning Up tour kicks off in Toronto, Canada on July 4th. The tour swings by NYC on August 10th at Madison Square Garden. Considering the response, the tour is probably sold out.

 

Picture comes from JustJared website

The Brit Females Are Taking Over!

 

Hot on the heels of Leona Lewis' unprecedented success is Duffy, whose hit European smash "Mercy" is also making its move on the charts. The song, which was a iTunes Single of the Week, is currently at #70 on iTunes Top 100 Songs!

The Welsh singer is expected to make appearances on Jay Leno and the Coachella Festival to promote the single and the album Rockferry, which will be released May 13th. If you haven't yet, definitely download a copy of "Mercy"; its fantastic!

On the Leona front, her monster single "Bleeding Love" has moved back to #1 after a stunning Idol performance. The appearance has also facilitated an increase in album sales. Spirit, which fell out of the Top 10 yesterday, shot back up to #6. The regular version sits at #13. On Amazon, her album sits at #3, only behind the pre-orders of Madonna and R.E.M.'s album Accelerate. Yes, that means she is ahead of Mariah! Also, "Better in Time" has been chosen as the next single, after an astonishing debut last week at #62!

Go Leona and Duffy!

Why The Name "David Cook" Will Be Known For Years To Come

I said in my "Idol" recap; he is the most versatile performer since Carrie Underwood. He is also the most versatile male performer in American Idol history.

I'm not crazy, and I am not overselling him. I was worried for David tonight. Rock and "Lloyd Webber" don't really mix, and I am sure Sir Webber would've been deeply offended had David "Cook" up any of his masterful compositions. That meant he had to sing a Broadway standard, the way it was.

And boy, did he sing it!

David Cook's version of "The Music of the Night", the most notable song from The Phantom of the Opera, was beyond amazing. What's even more amazing than the performance is the realization that came from hearing it; his voice is beautiful.

Here's the truth; there are many great Idol contestants, both past and present. Most of them, though, lack the versatility to maintain a career in the never-stagnant music business. Only a special few have shown the ability to remain relevant for many years after their last bow on the big stage. Two that come to mind are Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Both of them showed in their signature performances (Like That There and Alone, respectively) that they could sing anything they desire; that when the genre focus changes, they can easily maintain their relevance. It is a rare ability that not many other contestants possess.

David Cook has it.

He proved with this signature performance that he could virtually sing anything, beautifully. The rich tone, the shocking range, and the edgy grit makes nearly every genre attainable to him. Coupled with his creativity and his knack for altering songs to fit his musical taste, David can easily hold on to success as the years go by.

When the phrase "American Idol" officially entered the pop culture lexicon, I took it to mean an artist who the majority of the public, regardless of what genres they enjoy, could enjoy and adore.

I don't think anyone fits the bill right now as much as David Cook.

His amazing performance is below:

Me to Sony BMG: Drop The Lawsuit Against Perez!

Now, I am not to defend Perez Hilton of all people, but this is just wrong!

Sony BMG is suing Perez Hilton because of song clips he put on his website that were allegedly from Britney Spears' album Blackout. He is being slapped with a lawsuit despite the fact the songs were already available before appearing on Perez's website and that he only streamed them.

What is really annoying about this is that Perez heavily promotes Sony BMG's artists, for free. Perez's website is one of the most influential right now, with millions visiting his blog a month. To sue someone who really is an ally is absurd.

The argument for Sony BMG is that streaming her songs could affect album sales. That is a load of bull, and they have to know it. If anything, the leaked songs gave press to Britney's colossal flop of an album.It's not Perez's fault that Blackout barely sold 500,000 copies. It's Britney's fault.

I don't understand why record companies don't use the internet to their advantage. With websites like Perez, TMZ, and YouTube around, you have TONS of advertising. Instead of removing YouTube videos of artists' music, they could put up special tracks themselves. That way, the listener has more of an incentive to buy the record. It's common sense, for heaven's sake! Instead of suing Perez, Sony BMG could've sent him a cease-and-desist message. They could've also worked with him, sending him exclusive music to promote on his website.

It just seems so childish for a major label to go after someone who has only helped them in the past. Yes, he is a rude ass, but he is good business. It's practices like this that are signaling the collapse of the record industry.

If Sony BMG wants to save any face, they will definitely drop the insulting and ridiculous against Perez Hilton.

Here is the link to Perez's post about the matter:

Sony BMG vs. Perez Hilton

Perez Hilton in Lawsuit Drama with Sony BMG!

Have you ever wondered why the world's biggest gossip blogger Perez Hilton hasn't mentioned some of his favorite artists in a while?

That's because many of them are on the Sony BMG music label, who are suing him!

Perez is being sued by record company Sony BMG after he posted songs that were supposedly from Britney Spears' album Blackout back in November of last year. The songs were leaked online by someone else before he posted them on his blog, he claimed during an interview with BBC's Radio 1 a few days ago.

As a result of the lawsuit, Perez is refusing to talk about anyone from Sony BMG, including his favorites Leona Lewis, Celine Dion, and more, until the lawsuit is resolved. He said that he refused to give a company free promotion if they are treating him so badly.

Well, what do you think? Unfair to the artists? Unfair to Perez? Honestly, I'm stuck on this one.

Leona @ Sports Relief Special on BBC

Here is UK megastar Leona Lewis pewrforming at the Sports Relief telethon last night (her latests single in the UK supports the charity).

Here is Footprints in the Sand (one of my songs of March 2008)



And here is Better In Time:



People in the UK, don't forget to either download or buy the single in the stores today! Let's get her another #1!

In Support of Leona Lewis: All By Myself

Continuing with my support of England's new soon-to-be megastar, I haven't decided to put up her best performance from British reality show, The X-Factor.

A year ago, I believe, I accidentally stumbled upon this video. I was watching another video on YouTube of Celine Dion and in the comments, someone wrote "Leona is a billion times better than this trash" or something to that effect. I thought they were crazy, but I clicked the link anyway, just to vindicate myself.

By the time she hits the last note, I was sold on Leona Lewis completely. I have a big issue with reality show contestants singing the "Untouchables" like Celine, Whitney, Mariah, U2 (see more in my future Idol post), mostly because they simply aren't as good. This girl was an exception. She, at 24, no less, easily matched one of the greatest vocalists of all time (a superlative I don't toss around lightly). I knew from that moment onward she was destined for stardom.

I would see that this kind of vocal masterclass was a regular thing with Leona, but this performance far outweighs the rest with its master vocals and heartrending emotion.

Enjoy.