Adele, Katy Perry Lead Mid Year Music Sales

It's hard to believe that 2011 is already half over, but Billboard/SOUNDSCAN have released the mid-year sales numbers for albums and digital songs, and two of our favorite divas are coming out on top!

Adele's breakthrough album 21 is currently the best-selling album of the year in the U.S. over 2.5 million in sales, miles ahead of the runner-up, (Lady Gaga's Born This Way), with 1.5 million copies sold so far. And my bet is that it will stay the top seller!

The albums in the #3 and 4 spots may come as a surprise to some, with Mumford and Sons Sigh No More and Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party holding it down behind the gals. Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem" is a smash on country radio and is steadily climbing the pop charts, while the Mumford Boys have been consistent sellers all year.

And don't worry, Britney is holding her own as well, as her 7th studio album Femme Fatale is currently the #12 best-seller, and looks as if it will move into the top 10 by the end of the year!

On the singles side, Katy Perry and Adele dominate again, with Perry's "E.T." selling 4.12 million digital copies in just 6 months, while "Rolling in the Deep" is slowly closing in with 4.08 million sold.

And yup, Brit's "Till the World Ends" is in the top 20, holding down the #18 position with just under 2 million singles sold.

Very impressive girls! Click here to check out the top 20 singles and albums of 2011 (so far).

(Image courtesy of zimbio.com)

Kelly Rowland Has Arrived

Kelly Rowland has had it rough since Destiny's Child split up in 2006, trying to come out from behind the massive shadow that is Beyonce. She started out on a positive note with the Grammy winning duet "Dilemma" with Nelly, but failed to deliver a solid solo album, and was left being the hook girl on modest U.S. hits like David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over."

Well ladies and gents, that is all about to be history with the release of her new single "Motivation", featuring the one and only Lil Wayne.

The song is hottt - a super sexy, slow R&B jam that everyone knew she could produce, but hasn't until now.

The single is already a smash on the R&B charts, sky rocketing this week to #3 and earning the greatest airplay gainer award. The single is also in the top 40 on the pop charts.

And what's the best news Kelly could hear at this stage in the game? Yup, that her song is doing WAY better than Beyonce's sub par track "Run the World (Girls)", which is struggling to make a dent on radio and is currently sitting at sad #65.

I bet Matthew Knowles is having a sh*t fit right about now.

(Image courtesy of shesomajor.com)

Say Hello to...Shontelle?

Shontelle has been hovering below the R&B pop radar for years now. She reached the top 20 on the pop charts with 2008's "T-Shirt", but her real breakthrough did not come until 2010, when her single "Impossible" became a multi-format crossover hit, which finally earned her some recognition in the music biz.

But still, with all of the Rihannas and Beyonces of the world, she has yet to truly solidify her position as a consistent player on the charts.

And with her latest single "Say Hello to Goodbye", Shontelle tries to again breakthrough, with mixed results.

The track is gaining airplay on mainstream top 40, and it's definitely catchy, but there's something missing in the song, as with all of her other singles, that holds it back.

Personality.

Sure, she has a sweet enough voice. The production is solid, but if I heard this track on the radio (and wasn't such a pop music nerd), I would be like "cute song, but I'm bored."

Take a listen to "Say Hello to Goodbye" and see for yourself.

(Image courtesy of http://userserve-ak.last.fm/)

Adele Storms U.S. Album Chart

Sweet Victory!

UK songbird Adele officially cemented her status as a U.S. heavy hitter today, with her sophomore album 21 debuting atop the Billboard 200 with a reported 352,000 copies sold.

That sum is the biggest opener since Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday debuted back in in December both when they both topped 375,000.

21 has been sitting atop the world album charts for 4 consecutive weeks, and with this hefty debut in the U.S. she almost guarantees at least another week ruling the world of music.

And she's only 21 (hence the album title). You know who else is 21? Taylor Swift, and Adele's voice and songs puts Taylor Lautner's ex to shame!!

Here's a run down of this week's top 10 albums:

1. Adele 21 (352,000)

2. Justin Bieber Never Say Never: The Remixes (102,000)

3. Mumford and Sons Sigh No More (71,000)

4. Now That's What I Call Music 37 (58,000)

5. Justin Bieber My World 2.0 (42,000)

6. Bruno Mars Doo-Wops & Hooligans (37,000)

7. Eminem Recovery (34,000)

8. Rihanna Loud (33,000)

9. Nicki Minaj Pink Friday (33,000)

10. Lady Antebellum Need You Now (28,000)

(Image courtesy of http://timbretantrum.com/)

R&B Divas, Return to Us!!

More Than Musiq is BACK, and with a new poll!!!

These ladies dominated the airwaves during the 90's and into the 2000's, but they've been MIA for quite some time now, musically speaking. Which is why More Than Musiq is now asking you to vote for Which R&B Diva Do You Want To See Have a Comeback?

The choices are as follows:

Jennifer Lopez: J*Lo was once the biggest star on the planet, but with her last two albums flopping and her most recent movies getting abysmal reviews and tanking at the box office, our girl from the Bronx is in desperate need of a comeback.

Ashanti: Her debut album sold nearly 4 million records and won a Grammy Award, but follow up records failed to reach the same success. She hasn't had a top 10 pop hit since 2004, so it'd be nice to hear some fresh tunes from the 30 year old.

Brandy: She's been in the limelight, but for all the wrong reasons. In 2006 she was involved in a fatal car accident that lead to the death of the driver in the other car. She's also been starring in her tacky reality show with her brother Ray J, and is now a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. But she's sold over 10 million records, and her last two albums have been met with critical acclaim. We want another "The Boy is Mine"!!!!

Toni Braxton: Her album sales make her one of the 25 best selling female artists of all time, with 6 Grammy awards and over 20 million in record sales under her belt. But weak album sales and legal trouble have kept Braxton under the radar for far too long. Her voice is too good to go unheard!!!

So people, don't forget to vote (at the bottom of the page), and let's bring these divas back to top form!!!

(Image courtesy of blog.sohh.com)

Soo Gay, in a Good Way

The new trailer for Burlesque has hit the Internet, and it's a gay man's dream!!

The films stars none other than Cher and Christina Aguilera, and judging by the trailer, it has it all - singing, dancing, CHER, and of course, diva fighting for the spotlight!

The music sounds fantastic, I mean, how could it not with Christina singing? And Aguilera actually looks like she might be a decent actress, but that's just from seeing the trailer so who knows.

Check out the preview here, and get ready for some excitement!!

(Image courtesy of todayfj.com)

Glee Tops Chart Again, Christina's Bionic Disappoints

This probably comes as no surprise to many, but Christina Aguilera's new disc Bionic debuted at a disappointing #3 on this week's Billboard 200 Albums chart, selling only 110,000 copies. That is a HUGE decline from 2006's Back to Basics, which debuted at #1 with 346,000 copies sold.

It appears that Xtina is in the middle of an identity crisis; she says that she evolves and likes to change her sound all the time, but right now it just seems as if she is jumping on the auto-tune-sleeze-dance-pop ban wagon. And what makes it worse is that her new songs pale in comparison to that of dance pop divas like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Britney.

Beating Aguilera this week were two soundtracks. The latest Glee soundtrack took the #1 spot this week, selling 152,000 copies, a very solid number for the franchise (but not such a solid number for a #1 album.)

The soundtrack to the new Eclipse came in at #2 with a reported 144,000 albums sold last week. The first two soundtracks for the Twilight movies (the original Twilight and New Moon) have sold millions, so it will be interesting to see how this one holds up.

(Image courtesy of nickcannon.com)

Poor, Poor, Whitney

This is so sad, because she had one of the most iconic voices in the history of pop music.

Whitney Houston may have done OK with a #1 'comeback' album last year, but her recent European/Australia tour has been a DISASTER. If you've heard, Whitney's voice is GONE. The once untouchable voice is just a shadow of its former self, leaving pop music fans heartbroken all around the world.

During one of her concerts in Australia, fans actually left the concert because Whitney would take breaks mid-song, cough, be off-key, and just look a hot mess!

I blame Bobby Brown for getting her hooked on coke and ruining that voice everyone loved!

Check out a classic vid of Whitney singing back in 1987, and one from 2010. BIG DIFFERENCE.

(Image courtesy of examiner.com)

Poll Results and New Poll!!

It's been busy busy busy this past couple of weeks, but the More Than Musiq poll closed a few days back, and there's a winner!

YOU voted for your favorite female singer, and coming out on top is none other than our fave pop icon Britney Spears!!!

Brit Brit garnered 31% of the vote, beating on second place finisher Rihanna, who managed to get 25%.

Looks like people still love our queen of pop!

It's crazy to think that Spears has been in the limelight for 11 years now, when most people thought she's just be a flash in the pan!!

Go Brit!!

Now our new poll is going in a different direction. Celebrities are ridiculous. They love to be the center of attention, and more often than not they get a lot of attention for doings something really stupid. Like say, run for political office.

More Than Musiq's new poll will ask readers to vote for which celeb they'd vote for for President! The list has been narrowed down to five candidates, so choose wisely. You never know, in ten years we could be saying "Yes madam President Oprah."

(Image courtesy of askmen.com)

Aguilera Debuts New Song, Pop Fan Disappointed

Christina Aguilera debuted her latest single yesterday, a little electro-pop ditty called "Not Myself Tonight."

The tune feels a little forced, with Aguilera jumping on the electro-banwagon a-la Ke$ha and Britney, and leaves a lot to be desired.

Christina is literally one of the best pop vocalists to ever grace the stage, and it's a shame that she is hiding her voice with this over-produced track. I mean, I know that this type of music is all the rage, but most people tweak their voice with auto-tune and crap like that because they can't sing!

X-tina likes to evolve, as we all know, but it seems as if she's always a step behind. She needs to stick with what she's good at; huge monster pop ballads that showcase those stunning pipes!!!

Take a listen to her new single "Not Myself Tonight", and judge for yourself.

(Image courtesy of Billboard.com)

Monica Returns

Well, she never went away, really.

R&B singer Monica is riding high with her latest single "Everything to Me", which moved into the #1 position on Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop charts. Her album Still Standing, is expected to debut high on the Billboard 200 this week as well.

Congrats to her! Monica has been through some tough times in the past decade; her boyfriend shot himself and committed suicide in front of her in 2000, causing her to fall down a spiral of depression for quite some time.

She was able to bounce back with 2003's #1 album After the Storm, and now it looks as if she's destined for another hit album!

It's nice to see her back on top, but to be honest I'd love for her to score another MONSTER pop hit like the ones she released back in the late 90's (obviously you remember "Angel of Mine", "The First Night," and of course, the Grammy-winning duet with Brandy "The Boy is Mine.")

But for now she's just doing her thing! Take a listen to her latest #1 hit, "Everything to Me".

(Image courtesy of imagehosting.gr)

RiRi Continues to Deliver

Although her most recent album Rated R is not selling as briskly as her previous efforts, Rihanna continues to release some stellar singles.

This week she scores her 14th top ten hit with "Rude Boy," making her the female artist with the most top 10 hits since 2000 (yes, she beat out Beyonce!)

"Rude Boy" is a SICK song, with tons of percussion beats that make it a perfect party track. RiRi's been performing the song live everywhere lately, and her voice has been on point!

In the past Rihanna has not been very impressive when she sings live, (I saw her perform in Massachusetts in 2006, she kind of sucked...) but it sounds like she's been training those pipes!

Check out a recent performance of hers on the Ellen show!

(Image courtesy of tweetgazette.com)

Click here to check it out!

Pick Your Favorite Diva!

There's a new poll up at More Than Musiq! And it's an easy one!

Who is your favorite female artist? Is it Britney? Taylor? Rihanna? Gaga?

Well now you can go vote and make your choice!! Scroll down to the bottom of the page!!!

(Image courtesy of exclaim.ca)

J*Lo Splits From Label

After two albums that tanked and a slew of songs that didn't catch on, I wasn't surprised to hear about Jennifer Lopez parting ways with her longtime record label Epic Records.

Although Lopez says that she just simply decided not to re-up her contract with the label, I'm sure there are other reasons why the two entities are not working together anymore.

It's because J*Lo sucks now!

Do you remember when she was actually REALLY REALLY famous!? She could do no wrong from 1999-2004. Within that time she sold 10 million records, scored three #1 singles, appeared in hit box office films, and created a multi-million dollar empire!

Now? She's dancing around in glittery leotards and falling down on stage.

Let's hope that she gets her act together, hires someone who can actually write GOOD pop songs, and score another hit soon!!

(Image courtesy of gossip.whyfame.com)

The Divas Need to Step Up

I rarely blog about Mariah Carey; I'm not really sure why I don't, I do enjoy her music a lot and think she HAD one of the best voices in pop/r&b music. But if you listen to some of her live performances today and compare them to her 90's concerts, there's a BIG difference.

What happened!? Carey's famous 8-octave voice is so pathetic now that it's almost embarrassing. She doesn't have Whitney Houston's excuse for smoking too much crack...so is it just because MC became lazy and stopped training her powerhouse vocals?

Take a listen to two performances by Carey of her hit song "Make it Happen." One is from 2009 and the other is from 1994. Her voice is MUCH weaker, and she sounds pretty bad. And I don't think I am being unfair and pinpointing just a "bad" performance she had because I have seen many-a-mariah performance lately (does the Michael Jackson memorial ring a bell; when she could barely hit ANY of the notes to "I'll Be There") and they have been piss-poor.

You be the judge.

"Make it Happen" 1994

"Make it Happen" 2009

(Image courtesy of blogs.reuters.com)

I Needed a Couple Days To Soak It All In

Well the Grammy Awards have come and gone, and after much thought and meditation regarding the show, here are my thoughts:

-Taylor Swift becomes the youngest person EVER to win Album of the Year, which is undoubtedly the biggest award of the night. I have mixed feelings about this. I love T-Swift, and her album Fearless was a critical and commercial hit this year, so I understand why voters would choose it as Album of the Year.

HOWEVER. I do not think that it was a better album that Lady Gaga's The Fame, which I felt should have taken home the top prize.

-Gaga won two awards that night; Best Dance Recording for "Poker Face" and Best Electronic Album, but she was shut out of all the big awards and didn't even make an awards appearance onstage during the live telecast.

Lame.

- Although Swift won the big prize, Beyonce won the most. Sasha Fierce took home a whopping 6 awards on Grammy night, breaking the record for most wins by a female in one night (Beyonce, Norah Jones, and Lauryn Hill all won 5 awards during past Grammys).

That's impressive, and I think that every award she won was well deserved, EXCEPT Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, which she won with her song "Halo."

I'm sorry, but Pink should have definitely taken home this prize. I think she is highly underrated (she's taken home 2 Grammys during her career, compared to Beyonce's 13), and "Sober" was a powerful pop song this year.

- The Black Eyed Peas somehow won 3 awards...W...T...F...?

I can't believe that people think that BEP's music is 'critically acclaimed'. IT'S NOT. It is complete pop fluff, and don't get me wrong, I enjoy fluff, but this is ridiculous.

That being said, the entire show was highly entertaining and fun to watch, which obviously was apparent to many people as this year's show was the highest rated one in 6 years!

And although Britney did not win (she lost Best Dance Recording to Gaga), and although she was named the Worst Dressed of the night, I was PUMPED that she even showed up!!!!

Can't wait for next year!

(Image courtesy of examiner.com)

Remember When J*Lo Was Famous?

It seems like so long ago when Jennifer Lopez was actually making hit songs and hit movies. Her last film efforts were horrendous (does anyone even remember El Cantante? Didn't think so...), and she's missed on more than one occasion with her attempts at a musical comeback.

Now she's attempting another career revival, with her new single "Louboutins" (Yes, the footwear.)

The song is not a complete failure, but it's not a complete smash. It seems that La Lopez just can't find a catchy hook anymore, and "Louboutins" is a perfect example of repetitive, somewhat annoying hooks that just don't go down well.

Take a listen for yourself.

Jennifer Lopez "Louboutins"

(Image courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk)

More Chart Dominance For Gaga

Billboard Magazine reports that Lady Gaga has earned her FIFTH consecutive #1 pop single, as her song "Bad Romance" advances to the top position on the top 40 charts.

This is the first time in history that an artist has scored five number one songs in a row with their first five attempts.

Very impressive if I do say so myself!!

In other Gaga news, the eccentric pop star won two trophies at last night's People's Choice Awards, winning Favorite Breakout Artist and Favorite Pop Artist, beating out the likes of Britney Spears and Taylor Swift.

(Image courtesy of bhanks.encblogs.com)

Gaga Continues to Deliver the Hits

I keep waiting for Lady Gaga to release a song that just sucks, but seriously this woman can't miss.

Her latest song "Telephone" features Beyonce and it is a SICK dance track.

I actually would prefer is B wasn't even in the song; her part is way weaker than Gaga's and she can't match the huge pipes that the new pop queen has.

Take a listen to Telephone!

(Image courtesy of www.styletraxx.com)

Poll Results: It's All About Beyonce

The More Than Musiq Poll results are in, and YOU chose Beyonce's "I Am...Sasha Fierce" as the disc that should take home Album of the Year at the 2010 Grammy Awards.

Beyonce garnered 33% of the votes, good enough to beat second place finisher Dave Matthews whose album "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King" snared 22% of the votes.

I thought it was strange that Matthews was even nominated in this category, but I guess people like him enough to vote for him!

Stay tuned for a new poll!

(Image courtesy of www.bluesandsoul.com)