Adele Still Riding High

She's unstoppable!!!

By now everyone knows that Adele has had a year that most singers can only dream of. And as we come to the end of June, the British dynamo continues to dominate the music world.

Her sophomore album 21 is celebrating it's 16th week as the #1 album in the WORLD, and has passed the 6 million mark in sales, making it the best-selling album of the year. It also looks as if it will remain the biggest record of 2011, seeing as Lady Gaga made a big splash in her debut week, but quickly gave up the throne to Adele yet again.

Her single "Rolling in the Deep" has also been #1 in the U.S. for the past 6 weeks, blowing all of the pop-tart-lip-syncing-wannabes out of the water!

I'm not really going out on a limb here, but I'll make the predictions that she will not only win album of the year at the Grammy Awards, but she'll SWEEP the entire ceremony, winning record and song of the year as well!

GO ADELE!!

(Image courtesy of singersroom.com)

Brit's Record Breaking Week

Brit's done it again!!

This week has been a whirlwind of activity for the queen of pop, starting with the news that her 7th studio album, Femme Fatale, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, becoming her 6th chart topping album.

This puts her in a tie for second place among women for the most #1 albums in history (tied with Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson), only behind Madonna (7) and Barbra Streisand (9).

That's pretty good company if you ask me!

Her latest disc sold 276,000 in its first week, a decline from 2008's Circus (which opened at #1 with 505,00), but given that this wasn't her "huge" comeback and the state of the music biz today, that ain't too shabby!!

Britney also becomes the youngest artist ever to have a number one debut album in THREE different decades. She first did it in 1999 with her classic debut album ...Baby One More Time, and then did it 4 more times in the 2000's with Oops...I Did It Again! (2000), Britney (2001), In The Zone (2003), and the aforementioned Circus in 2008.

The only Britney album to not debut at #1 was 2007's Blackout, which had to settle for #2 after Billboard changed its rules about albums being exclusively sold by only one retailer (long story...).

And she's only 29 years old!!!

With her single "Till The World Ends" continuing to ride high on the charts (not to mention a SICK new music video), it looks like Britney is headed for another monster year.

Congrats!!!!

Rihanna Strikes a Pose for RS

R&B/Pop superstar Rihanna is the latest cover girl for Rolling Stone Magazine, looking super sexy and fierce!

This is the first time Ri Ri has been on the cover of RS, which makes me wonder why she hasn't been on it sooner!?

There's also an exclusive interview with Britney Spears in the latest issue, which hits stands this Friday.

Can't wait!!

Pink's F**kin' Perfect is F**kin' Great!

Pink's been on a roll the last couple years, and although she hasn't released a new studio album in a while, the singles off her greatest hits collection continue to be solid hits!

"F**kin' Perfect" is the second release from Greatest Hits...So Far!!! following the #1 smash "Raise Your Glass", and it looks like the song is going to be another home run.

The mid-tempo ballad shows the (somewhat) softer side of pop's reigning bad girl, but it still contains that edge that we've come to know and love with the girl formally known as Alicia Moore.

The track is currently #1 on iTunes and should be a serious contender for the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 next week, which would give her back-to-back chart toppers.

What do you think of Pink's new song??

(Image courtesy of prlog.org)

Katy Perry: MTM's Entertainer of the Year

The votes have been tallied in the last More Than Musiq poll of 2010, where you picked the "Musical Entertainer of the Year", and the lady who scored the most votes has had quite a year.

Its KATY PERRY!!

Perry quickly squished the idea that she was just a one-trick pony and delivered a killer follow-up album to 2008's One of the Boys. In the poll she scored 40% of the votes, good enough to beat Rihanna (30%) and the Cast of Glee (20%) for the top spot.

2010 was very good to Mrs. Russell Brand, with the release of her sophomore album Teenage Dream, which debuted at #1 in the U.S. and produced THREE #1 singles - "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", and "Firework".

Perry also got engaged to funny man Brand, and nabbed 4 Grammy nominations, including the coveted Album of the Year.

I wonder if 2011 will be as good to Perry as 2010 was. We shall see!!

AND stay tuned for a new More Than Musiq poll, coming soon!!

(Image courtesy of thebosh.com)

What the Hell!? Avril Debuts New Single

It's been a while, but Avril Lavigne has FINALLY released a new single, and it's not bad!

In fact, I love it!

"What the Hell" is classic Lavigne - a sweet trifecta of pop/punk riffs, bratty lyrics, and Avril's signature snarling-yet-girly vocals.

Lavigne's last studio album, 2007's Best Damn Thing was an international smash, selling 5 million copies worldwide and spawning the monster hit "Girlfriend".

"What the Hell" may not be as strong a lead single as "Girlfriend", but it reintroduces Avril as the bratty pop tart we all remember, and I'm sure her fans (including myself) will welcome her back with open arms.

What do you think of "What the Hell"?

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

Billboard Year End Charts: Ke$ha Rules Hot 100

It was a huge year for pop music, as anyone who owns a radio could tell you, and the year end Billboard charts don't lie.

The biggest single of the year belonged to none other than the queen of trash pop, Ke$ha, whose "Tik Tok" spent 9 weeks at #1 and cemented the singer's monstrous debut in 2010.

Following behind Ke$ha is country superstars Lady Antebellum, with their single "Need You Now". The song was a #1 country hit and crossed over to the mainstream top 40 in a BIG way, becoming the second biggest song of the year.

Here are the top 10 singles of 2010:

1. "Tik Tok" - Ke$ha

2. "Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum

3. "Hey Soul Sister" - Train

4. "California Gurls" - Katy Perry

5. "OMG" - Usher

6. "Airplanes" - B.O.B. (Featuring Hayley Williams)

7. "Love the Way You Lie" - Eminem (Featuring Rihanna)

8. "Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga

9. "Dynamite" - Taio Cruz

10. "Break Your Heart" Taio Cruz

How many of these songs did you download this year??

(Source: Billboard)

(Image courtesy of posh24.com)

Grammy Prediction Time!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! It's Grammy prediction time!!!!

The nominations for the 53rd Annual Grammy Award were announced last week, and there is TONS to discuss!

First the essentials - Eminem scored a leading 10 nominations, including Album of the Year for Recovery, while his monster single with Rihanna "Love the Way You Lie" scored nods in the Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration categories, just to name a few.

Hot R&B newcomer Bruno Mars comes in second with total nominations, scoring 7, with mentions in the Record of the Year category for "Nothing on You", his duet with rapper B.O.B.

Lady Gaga, Lady Antebellum, and Jay-Z all managed to snag 6 nominations apiece, with Gaga scoring her second consecutive Album of the Year nod in two years for The Fame Monster, as well as Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Bad Romance".

Check out the entire list of nominees at the Grammy Awards website, but stay HERE for More Than Musiq's first prediction category, and we're starting with a big one folks; Album of the Year.

Here are the nominees:

The Suburbs by The Arcade Fire

Recovery by Eminem

Need You Now by Lady Antebellum

The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga

Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

Winner: Eminem

- If anybody had a bigger comeback this year than Eminem, I'd be happy for you to point them out. But 2010 belonged to Marshall Mathers, who scored a chart topping critically acclaimed album that was his most well received disc in years, but he also scored one of the year's biggest songs with the #1 smash "Love the Way You Lie".

Eminem went through a hell of a lot during the past 5 years, (drug addiction, depression), and Recovery is his "Coming out of the Dark" stage. I'm not even a huge fan, but this album is a powerful declaration that Em still has what it takes to rock the world, and he deserves to take home the big prize this year.

His biggest competitor will be the new grand dame of pop, Miz Gaga. She followed her huge 2009 with a just-as-huge 2010, with her massive smashes "Bad Romance", "Alejandro", and "Telephone", her duet with Beyonce.

The Fame Monster is just an EP, which could hurt its chances with voters. However, the disc was a fan favorite, moving 1.3 million copies in 2010, and some people may still be peeved about her losing to Taylor Swift last year, and throw some votes her way.

This year's "What the F?" award goes to the Arcade Fire getting an Album of the Year nomination. The Canadian indie rock band are relatively unknown (when compared to the other nominees), and their album The Suburbs, has only sold a little over 300,000 copies in the U.S.

Also...I love her...but how did Katy Perry's Teenage Dream get in here? I'm baffled. Although Perry has ruled the radio with 3 insanely popular songs, ("California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", and "Firework"), this pop pastry of an album really has no business being here.

Notable Omissions: Where is Miranda Lambert's Revolution!?!?! This was one of the best albums of the year HANDS DOWN, and although it did earn a Best Country Album mention (which she better win), it would have been nice to see her in the big category. It also would have been nice if Florence and the Machine's album Lungs saw more Grammy love, although it was great to see them in the Best New Artist category.

Stay tuned for more Grammy Predictions from More Than Musiq!!!

(Image courtesy of villagevoice.com)

Robyn Delivers Like DOMINOS

I had the pleasure of catching Swedish pop sensation Robyn when she came to NYC this week on her international tour, and I must say, it was AWESOME!!!

I've been a fan for years ("Show Me Love" was the Sh**), and her newest music has completely re-energized her popularity in the U.S.

The show was sold out (probably about 1,000 people, impressive for someone who hasn't charted a single in the U.S. in over 10 years), and the energy was NON-STOP. She sang every note LIVE, danced like a fiend, and put on a killer light show.

The night peaked with her live rendition of her most recent single "Dancing on My Own". The entire crowd knew the lyrics, and danced until the last note.

All-in-all, it was an amazing concert!!! If you haven't jumped on the Robyn train yet, DO IT!!!

(Image courtesy of http://johaneek.files.wordpress.com/)

Swift Swiftly Crosses The 1 Million Mark

I figured it'd be big, but I really didn't think it's be THIS big!!

Taylor Swift's latest album Speak Now sold a staggering 1,047,000 copies in its debut week, becoming just the third female artist to sell over a million albums in their debut week.

Now I know Swift is a megastar, I love her and her music, but what surprises me is that Speak Now didn't have a monster first single. "Mine" debuted high on the charts (#3), but has not been as big of a hit as her previous pop crossovers. But she still managed to sell a CRAP load of records!!

This is the first time an artist has sold over a million records since Lil Wayne did in 2008 with The Carter III, and it's only the 16th time an album has sold a million copies in a week.

Needless to say, with the music industry in the crapper, this is GREAT news; people will still flock to buy BIG records from BIG artists such as Swift, giving hope to those who still buy CD's.

Swift now has the second biggest opening week by a female artist ever, ahead of Norah Jones'2004 Feels Like Home (1,022,000), but well behind Britney Spears' gargantuan selling Oops!...I Did it Again, which shifted 1,319,000 back in 2000.

Congrats T Swift!!!

(Image courtesy of gossipcenter.com)

Katy Perry Still on a Roll

It's been quite a year so far for Katy Perry. Not only did the pop star recently marry funny man Russell Brand, but she's also scored TWO #1 songs ("California Gurls", "Teenage Dream") and a #1 album, Teenage Dream, and now her third single "Firework" looks to be another huge hit!

Perry dedicated the song and video to the "It Gets Better" video campaign, where celebs talk to kids who've been bullied against telling them to be strong and that it will, well, get better.

The video is awesome, and you can't help but feel a little inspired when you watch it. Perry also sounds the best she's ever sounded - her vocals in the past have been a little iffy but there's no denying now that she can actually sanngggg.

Check out the video for "Firework" and get on your feet, because I guarantee you you'll want to start dancing!

(Image courtesy of musicparadise.com)

Eminem, Lady A Lead AMA Nominations

It has been quite a comeback year for Eminem, after scoring a massive album and massive #1, "Love the Way You Lie". Now Slim Shady has more to celebrate, as he ties Lady Antebellum for the most nominations at this year's American Music Awards, with 5 nods.

Em is up for Artist of the Year, going up against heavyweights Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and of course, Lady Gaga.

My money is on Gaga, since she was shut out last year, and um, well she's the biggest star in the world right now.

Eminem is also up for Favorite Male Artist, Favorite Album (for Recovery), Favorite Male Rap Artist, and Favorite Rap Album.

Country titans Lady Antebellum scored nods in the Breakthrough Artist category, as well as Favorite Band Duo/Group Pop, Favorite Band/Duo Country, Favorite Country Album, and Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.

Other artists with multiple nominations are Bieber with 4, and Perry, Ke$ha, B.o.B., and Usher, who all garnered 3 apiece.

For a full list of nominees, head over to Billboard.com and check it out!!

(Image courtesy of bittenandbound.com)

Delta Goodrem Good for the Soul

I've always wondered why Australian song bird Delta Goodrem never broke into the U.S. pop scene. She's young, talented, and stunningly beautiful, and is the undisputed pop princess of Aussie Land.

Her 2003 debut album Innocent Eyes is one of the biggest selling albums in the country's history, and Delta continues to release solid piano-pop tunes that I personally love.

So why have you never heard a song from her?

I would assume it's her record company, who either don't want to finance an American breakthrough, or perhaps it's Delta herself, who is content just dominating the Australian market.

In any case, I've been listening to her #1 single "Lost Without You" on repeat for quite some time now, and though I ought to share the greatness that is Delta Goodrem. Listen to the song here, and enjoy!

(Image courtesy of starpulse.com)

VMA's Go GooGoo for Gaga

The MTV Video Music Award nominations were announced yesterday, and to no one's surprise Lady Gaga scored a leading 13 nominations (a new record for the show), including nods for Video of the Year, Female Video, Pop Video, and Dance Video. The funny this is that in three of those above mentioned categories, Gaga is nominated TWICE. Her solo effort "Bad Romance" and her collaboration with Beyonce "Telephone" and "Videophone" all snagged a crap load of nominations.

Excessive, isn't it?

In the "WTF was MTV thinking?" category, Jared Leto's marginally popular band 30 Seconds to Mars grabbed a Video of the Year nomination for "Kings and Queens."

...um what?

Noticeable shut outs include the Black Eyed Peas and BRITNEY, with neither act scoring a nomination this year. (Although, in Brit's defense she didn't really have any new music out this past year, other than "3", and the video was nothing to shout about.)

Click here for a full list of nominations reported by Billboard.com. (MTV's site is too cluttered with silly things, Billboard gives you the nominees straight.)

(Image courtesy of hollyscoop.com)

Living Legend You Can Look But Don't Touch

Pop Queen Britney Spears graces the August cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine, looking fierce and fab!!

Spears has been laying low after her hugely successful professional year in 2009, where she scored multiple hit singles, one of the biggest tours of the year, and a whole new slew of fans.

In the issue, Spears talks about her relationship with Jason Trawick, and how she dreads having the sex talk with her kids in the future!

Can't wait to read it!!

P.S. - Her body looks amazing...but doesn't it look like her head was just pasted onto someone else's body? Just saying...

(Image courtesy of Britneyspears.com)

Apparently Everyone Likes California Gurls

Katy Perry continues to dominate the summer with her anthem "California Gurls." The track has been sitting at #1 in the USA AND the world, and this week breaks the one week digital sales record for a single.

United World Chart announced today that Perry's song had sold 556,000 copies this week, breaking Madonna's record she set with her single "Hung Up," back in 2005.

That's huge!! The song is quickly becoming one of the biggest digital songs in history, and it's a perfect lead up to the release of Perry's new album Teenage Dream.

Congrats!

(Image courtesy of take40.com)

Clarkson Back in the Studio

Kelly Clarkson took to her Twitter account today and announced some exciting news about her upcoming album.

Officially recorded the first song for my 5th album today! It's so awesome and is a duet but I can't tell you who quite yet :)

Woopwoop! I wonder who the special duet is with?!?!

Clarkson's last album All I Ever Wanted hit #1 in the U.S., but wasn't a huge seller, so let's hope she'll deliver some more classics like "Since U Been Gone" or "Behind These Hazel Eyes."

Can't wait!

(Image courtesy of specialnewsonline.files.wordpress.com)

The BRITNEY List

I'm surprised I haven't done this yet on More Than Musiq, but I feel it's time to announce...

My Top 10 Britney Spears songs!!

It was a hard decision considering the countless classic Ms. Spears has delivered over the years, but I'm comfortable with my decision. I give a little info as to why I chose which song, but most of them need no explanation:

10. "I Got That (Boom Boom)

- It was never a single, but this collaboration with the Ying Yang twins was a highlight from Spears' 2004 album In the Zone. It's a club-ready dance track that just begs you to move your body. And it's a great workout song!


9. "If U Seek Amy"


- Expletives aside, "If U Seek Amy" was another little slap in the face to haters and critics who trashed her in the media. The song became another top 20 hit for Spears, confirming the truth that all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if u seek Amy.

8. "3"


- #8 was originally going to "Oops...I Did it Again!" but this raunchy dance ditty about getting it on with three...or four...on the floor, is one of the best tongue and cheek songs EVER, let alone one of Brit's best! This track came from Spears' second greatest hits album, a nice little ending to a decade of hit making.

7. "I'm A Slave 4 U"

- This was the make it or break single for Spears, who had to evolve from teeny bopper singer to adult pop star. It wasn't the smoothest road, but this Neptunes-produced track received rave reviews, with its slinky beat and come-hither lyrics like oh baby, don't you wanna, dance up on me? Yes please!


6. "(You Drive Me) Crazy"

- The third single from Britney's debut album, "Crazy" was a 3 minute shot of pop heroin that would satisfy any junkie's need. From the insanely catchy chorus to the eye-popping video (with a young Adrian Grenier) this song announced that Spears was not just a one trick pony.


5. "Everytime"

- Britney is not known as a balladeer, but this single off In The Zone haunted the top 40 for months. Her falsetto is delicate and proves that Spears can actually carry a tune, and the lyrics (rumored to be about the breakup with Justin Timberlake) reveal the vulnerability that would soon overtake her career and personal life.

4. "Piece of Me"

- Although Britney was in the midst of a mental breakdown during the recording of her album Blackout, it has been her most critically acclaimed disc ever, with a lot of the credit going to this single. "Piece of Me" was the first time Brit actually addressed the celebrity/paparazzi-driven life that was driving her crazy. It was another top 20 hit for Spears, but even more it was a milestone in a career where Spears rarely unveiled her true inner feelings.

3. "...Baby One More Time"

- The one that started it all. There's a reason why "Baby" is still one of her biggest hits, and most beloved pop songs ever. Right out the gate we are hit with Britney's nasally, sensual vocals, and with a little Max Martin pop magic sprinkled on top it became an instant classic.


2. "Circus"

- Britney had said that for her Circus album she did not want to reveal as much about her life as she had during her Blackout stage, but in this monster dance pop track, Britney still offers us an inside glimpse of the circus that is called her life. I'm a put on a show kind of girl, don't like the back seat, gotta be first.

1. "Toxic"

- For most true Britney fans, it's almost unanimous that "Toxic" is by far her best song EVER. From the production to the lyrics to the over the top music video, this top 10 hit has Britney at her best; Singing a high-octane dance track with some of the best producers (Bloodshy and Avant) in the biz. It won Spears her first (and only) Grammy award for Best Dance Recording, and set the standard for high-class pop.

Honorable Mentions: Born to Make You Happy, Stronger, Overprotected, Out From Under


(Image courtesy of startrip.tv)

Can Perry Beat the Sophomore Slump?

MTV wrote a story about new music for 2010 from some of the biggest names in the biz, including sassy pop-tart Katy Perry, who is set to release her sophomore album within the year.

Perry has been on a wild ride since 2008, scoring multiple hits including her first #1 single "I Kissed a Girl", along with other smashes "Hot N Cold" and "Waking Up in Vegas."

She sold over a million albums of her first CD and has developed a faithful legion of fans, now it all depends on if she can deliver a second time around.

The infamous "sophomore slump" has hit acts such as Leona Lewis (her new CD Echo has sold less than a quarter of what her debut did) and Jordin Sparks (although she hit the top 10 with her single "Battlefield", her album of the same name quickly fell off the charts), so Perry's got to deliver the goods or she might end up being remembered as that "girl who sang that song about kissing other girls."

Perry has already worked with Weezer front man River Cuomo and Rihanna collaborator Tricky Stewart on songs for her upcoming CD.

Hopefully they'll be some hits on that record!!

(Image courtesy of www.todayfm.com)

Grammy Predictions: Part 4

The award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance has gone to some of the best female vocalists of all time: Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and it is always one of my favorite categories to watch because sometimes they throw in a couple surprises.

Here are this years' nominees:

Adele for "Hometown Glory"

Beyonce for "Halo"

Katy Perry for "Hot N Cold"

Pink for "Sober"

Taylor Swift for "You Belong With Me"

Who Will Win:

Beyonce. It will be B's night at this year's Grammys; I predict that she'll walk away with at least 5 awards, and if she is able to win more she'll break her own record of most wins by a female in one night (she's tied with Norah Jones and Lauryn Hill who have all taken home 5 in one night).

Halo was an epic song this year, and not to mention beautifully sung and performed. It will be a hard one to beat.

Who Should Win:

It's a tough one, but I'm going to have to go with Beyonce. Pink delivers a serious punch with "Sober", but I think voters will think that it's too rock-tinged for this category. Adele was last year's winner in this category, but the hype has died down on her so don't expect a repeat. Katy Perry has been a quirky breath of fresh air in the pop world the last two years, but her pipes can't match her competitors. And Swift, who has 8 nominations this year, could face a complete shut out at the awards.

I have a feeling that she'll have a tough time in all of the categories she's up for, which include both the pop and country categories. It will be hard for Grammy voters to decide which category she fits in, country or pop. The confusion may lead to them completely omitting her and just go with a safer bet.

But we shall see!

(Image courtesy of images.celeb9.com/)