Separated By A Fashionista

Crook Rod Blagojevich

Rachel Zoe's Husband

Special thanks to Alexandra Le (alias Suzy Creamcheese) for her help on this one.

"Us Against The World"

A new Christina Milian song has been buzzing around for a while now (it's in my August/September iTunes playlist--so somewhere around there) but it's actually really good. I hadn't posted about it till now, but the new Jason Nevins remix reminded me about how good it actually is in both its original and remixed forms. The cover art is posted above--stunning!

Here's the remix track to check out:

Hopefully it will pick up some club play now!

Here's the original R&B version if you haven't heard:


Let me know which you prefer!

"No Can Do" Live and Acoustic!!!

Here are the fantastic Sugababes performing their upcoming single "No Can Do" @ Freshly Squeezed. The girls look fantastic (great lighting!) and I love Heidi new shorter 'do! Amazing vocals as usual--no one can really harmonized like the 'babes do! Enjoy this hottness!!




Even without the usual Motown feel of the track, it's still special.

Breaking News: The Saturdays Dress Up Like Parrots

I don't think PETA would be too upset with their costumes as they do not appear to be actual feathers and appear to be something of a sequins variety. Anywhere is a pretty brill (lipsynched) performance of "Up," which still remains as one of my top ten songs of all time! I guess the slight dance routine was too much to actually sing live.


The Saturdays were probably not on the National Lottery on Christmas Eve to promote "Up," they were there to promote their upcoming single "Issues." The performance is great, they're wearing something a bit more appropriate and sing well live!


Finally, here's a cute interview the girls did about their success this year. I'm just glad their speaking voices are FAR better than the members of Girls Aloud!

Top of the Pops Christmas Special!

For Christmas day Top of the Pops in The UK aired a special of performances from song of the year's top artists. When I saw the list of performers expected, I literally would have sold my first born (not that I want one, but you get the idea) in order to attend. Unfortunately, I was across the pond in the US anyway. Here are some of the best performances from the show:

Girls Aloud-"The Promise"

I just NEVER get sick of this song! Good performance once again, but Nicola still looks nightmarish!

Pussycat Dolls-"I Hate This Part"

The only international artists on the show represent! I love this track, so I hope it will continue its upward movement on the charts worldwide. Nicole is a bit tired in her dance routine, but Melody's backing harmonies are a great touch.

Leona Lewis-"Run"

Not many performers actually add to a song in live performance but Leona always seems to. This performance of this epic song is absolutely stunning!

Alexandra Burke-"Hallelujah"

A fitting track for Christmas day, especially since it currently sits at #1 on the singles charts in the UK and is the fastest selling download of the year. The performance is a bit hoarse, and certainly does not top Leona in technique.

Mamma Mia Cast

This soundtrack exploded on the charts this year both in the US and UK and this performance is super fun. "Mamma Mia" always reminds me of clubbing in London as they seem to often play it. The Brady Bunch Movie-esque outfits in "Dancing Queen" are great!

Coldplay-"Viva La Vida"

This song was absolutely massive in 2008 and this performance really shows why!

Merry/Happy Christmas!!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas Day today!! In celebration I thought I'd post my favorite Christmas tune of all time!

Mariah "All I Want For Christmas"


Britney "My Only Wish This Year"

Nick Lachey does "Patience"

I knew this day was coming, but I've been trying to block it out. Nick Lachey has recorded a cover of the fabulous Take That song "Patience." Nick has got to be one of my least favorite artists, but I fear he may actually have a hit here in the US due to this song's amazing potential. Not enough people in the States know Take That and will probably think this is HIS song---tragedy.


Here's the great Take That version..enjoy it while you can:

Keane on Kimmel!

Keane--an amazing British band-- performed "Spiralling" on Jimmy Kimmel last night and it was spectacular...woo! I'm glad they're finally promoting this track in the US, since it's one of my faves by them!

Beyonce Video Premieres: High and Lows

Beyonce premiered two new videos from her Album I Am...Sasha Fierce. The first was the video for "Halo," which is my favorite track from the entire release and probably my favorite Beyonce solo song. It was originally meant for Leona Lewis, who I probably would have preferred on the track...but it's still great. The video isn't the most exciting video ever, but it is quite beautifully shot. The lighting is exquisite and thw water sequence is gorgeous. I don't know how believable Beyonce is as a ballerina...I probably would have gone with a recreation of the pottery scene in Ghost.
Here's the clip!



"Diva" is the other video released and it remains one of my least favorite tracks off the album. It is well produced and therefore relatively catchy, but I just don't think the hook of the song makes all that much sense..."a diva is a female version of a hustler." I never associated those as even remote synonyms before, regardless of gender.

In regards to the video...space outfits+crazy sunglasses+more black and white+copying s"Single Ladies" dance moves=one hot mess(in the least flattering sense) of a video



At least you get a vocab lesson at the start...

Katie Perry "Thinking of You" Video Premiere

Katy Perry's 3rd Single "Thinking of You" finally has an approved video attached to it. Her first video was deemed too controversial by her record label Capitol/EMI. After all, it did include a MURDER. This is another great video with a similar storyline, but done in a flirty, 40s style. However, I don't think they really needed to show us the Western Union--we probably could have figured out what happened with the gunfire and Katy's donning of funeral garb... Enjoy!



Well EMI has removed the video, but I'll repost when I get my hands on it. For now now enjoy this video someone made to the song using a Doctor Who Theme..interesting

BBC's Sound of 2008 Poll

More than 150 music experts were polled for BBC's Sound of 2008. Journalists rank artists that broke in 2008 and should give us some exciting tunes in the upcoming twelve months. The list is usually quite accurate with Mika coming in at #1 in 2007 and Corrine Bailey Rae at #1 in 2006. Here's a breakdown of some of my faves from the list:

1. Adele

She is ABSOLUTELY one of my favorite artists of all time which is quite a feat for a) not being part of a girl group, b) not singing pop music, and c) having only one record released. I'm quite surprised her album 19 was not nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy's. At least "Chasing Pavements" was nominated 3 times. Check out her video for "Cold Shoulder" below:


2. Duffy
Duffy is simply amazing. She's like a pretty version of Amy Winehouse with a mix of Dusty Springfield. I'm glad she's received so much success and so many Grammy nominations as well. It's going to be a battle between Adele and she for statues. Check out the video for "Rain on My Parade" from the Deluxe Edition of Rockferry:

3. The Ting Tings
I've also played this group on repeat for a majority of 2008. Their album is full of gems and they were even (deservingly) nominated for Video of the Year at the VMAs. Check out a video for "That's Not My Name"


4. Glasvegas
Not one of my fave bads, but they deserve a mention because of their clever name owing to the fact that they're from Glasgow!
5. Foals

6. Vampire Weekend


7. Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong
8. Black Kids
9. MGMT
10. Santogold
She's a Brooklyn native who fuses many different styles including punk, hip hop, pop and electronica to form her own musical style. Her closest musically is probably the very talented MIA. Each of her tracks is really unique but also really catchy.


11. Ida Maria
12. One Night Only

13. Alphabeat
Danish and Amazing--that's all!

I've listened to "Fascination" literally thousands of times this year.

14. Laura Marling
15. Cajun Dance Party
16. The Courteeners

17. Gabriella Cilmi (pronounced Chill-Me--you're welcome!)
She's another (Australian) singer with a soul influence a la Duffy and Adele. She has some great tracks including "Sanctuary" and "Sweet About Me," which is below:


18. Late of the Pier
19. Black Mountain
20. Lil' Wayne
He probably doesn't deserve to be on this list. Journalists are probably just mentioning him because he has been such a cultural influence--but I don't think his music is really above average for rap artists. I'm VERY surprised he was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy's--despite how many he's sold.

Leona Lewis does Letterman!

Here's the video of Leona performing "I Will Be" on David Letterman. The track will apparently be her 3rd US Single, despite promotion for "Forgive Me" and "Run" elsewhere across the globe. It's a solid track, so radio should have a fairly warm reception. I do think that "Forgive Me" is probably a better single choice. The only better choice off Spirit would be "Take a Bow," but I doubt this will see release due its proximity to the Rihanna hit by the same name.
"I Will Be" is actually a cover of an Avril Lavigne track which was co-written by Lavigne. Enjoy the performance below!

Rihanna Live @ Star Academy!

Rihanna performed duets of two of her songs with the Star Academy finalists in France yesterday. I've never thought of Rihanna as an especially strong singer (though I still love her music) but wow does she sound phenomenal compared to the accented performances by the show contestants, especially the girl during "Umbrella." Definitely worth checking out--even if it's just for the comedy factor.

"Rehab"


"Umbrella"

Vagina + Ornaments=Vagornaments

I don't exactly know why this is so funny to me, but I've had a second opinion, and it is quite hilarious....

Florence and the Machine

Florence and the Machine has been announced as the winner of the Brit Awards for Critics' Choice--the rising star that critics have deemed most like to be a success in 2009. The awards was established last year to give a new performer a platform to reach an audience. Last year's award went to Adele, who has become quite a success and a Grammy-darling. Hopefully things will turn out similar for this talented performer! Florence and the Machine will perform at the Brit Award nominations on 20 January and will receive her award at the main ceremony on 18 February. I've posted her video for "Kiss With a Fist" below:



Coming in second for the award was the fabulous Little Boots. Here's her track "Meddle" for you to check out:

Jesse McCartney New Video!

Here's Jesse's (yes we're on a first name basis) video for "How Do You Sleep." The video isn't great since it's mostly just tour footage--very low budget and we've seen it before--but the track is surprisingly good. I've been surprised with each good R&B esque- single he's released off his latest album. I did not know he had any hits in him! It also looks like his skin as cleared up or he's gotten better makeup artists to cover it up.

The Saturdays

The Saturdays have released cover art for their next single "Issues" which is out January 5th in the UK. They use the bold colors once again, which has provided a great branding tool. The single version includes the line change "leave you or kiss you" from "slap you or kiss you," which actually sounded much more like stab than slap. I must say I prefer the old lyrics, but enjoy the fresher track they've laid down for this version. If you haven't seen the video, here it is below:



Hopefully, the track will do well so they can release both "Work" and "Chasing Lights" as singles since they DESERVE to be!

Royal Variety 2008 Live Performances!

Here's an amazing performance by Leona Lewis of "Run," her Snow Patrol cover. I get CHILLS every time she goes into the first "Light Up, Light Up" bit. Enjoy her and another one of her ball gowns!



The Pussycat Dolls also performed a Medley of their " greatest hits" and would-be hits. Pretty standard for them with an amazing dance-break around 3:30.

Girls Aloud on Paul O'Grady!

Here are the girls doing an interview and performance of "The Loving Kind" on Paul O'Grady's chat show. The girl look gorgeous as usual (except for Nicola who's looking rather nightmarish despite her cute dress). Sarah's voice really gets better and better each time I hear her perform.

Interview:


"The Loving Kind"


Hopefully this track will be their 20th consecutive top 10 single in the UK! It definitely deserves to be as I would consider it among their top 5 personal best, if not top 3!

Katy Perry Third Single!

Katy Perry's third single will be "Thinking of You" and the video will premiere just before Christmas. A new video was shot last week--probably to resonate with her more mainstream fan base she has accrued. The first video to the song was filmed before she made it big with "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot N Cold." Here it is below:



I think it's quite a good video--even with the murder. Hopefully, this new one will be a little more polished. I think it could be difficult for her to have a hit with a ballad. It is a good track, so I hope it works out well for her!

All About Alexandra Burke!

Well Alexandra Burke (mentored by the fab Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud fame) has been crowned winner of The X Factor in Britain! For those of you who don't know X Factor is like a modified version of American Idol so Simon can get more money and the panel mentors the contestants more closely. Her debut single a cover of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen (also done by Rufus Wainwright for the movie Shrek) is already the fast selling single across the whole of Europe EVER. It has sold more than 105,000 copies in the UK in less than one day which bests Leona Lewis's record of 82,000 copies of her cover of "A Moment Like This."

Here's a performance of her singing Hallelujah:


Here's her doing a duet with Beyonce during the finale:


This was so sweet and actually made me like Beyonce as a human a bit more. You can see Alexandra true emotions come out and how surreal the moment must have been. We should be seeing a lot more from her in the future. I hope her debut album has some great pop hits in the style of Leona/Beyonce and isn't completely soul. I know I'll enjoy it much more!

Pussycat Dolls Live in Germany!

Watch the girls sing their latest single "I Hate This Part" live in Germany. Ashley is missing for some unknown reason..they probably figured no one would notice...but I did.
Watch around :30 for Kimberly to get caught by the velvet rope when she opens the car door. It starts off as a standard performance of the track but wait for around 3:00 and cue the pyrotechnics and the Dave Aude remix of the track--and bang! It's taken to a whole new level!

Sugababes Live Performances At T4 Album Chart Show!!

Here my girls are it once again, singing hits old and new! STELLAR AS ALWAYS! Enjoy!


Push the Button!


No Can Do!


Every Heart Broken!


Beware!


Girls!


About You Now!

Britney Takes on Japan!

Here's the one and only Britney dancing (not singing of course) live at Hey Hey Hey in Japan. FINALLY I feel like Britney is back with this performance. The tweaks to the choreography really helped and she finally has some commitment with her dance moves. She finally looks like she means it when she wraps her leg around that dancer. She just really needs to STOP wearing high-waisted hot pants. They're not flattering on her figure or really ANYONE else's for that matter. Enjoy!

"I Got You Dancing" --Lady Sovereign Official Video!!

Lady Sovereign is back with this GREAT new video. I really do love all videos that include stop-motion however. I had no idea what a talented dancer she was! I also did not know how bad she could look with curls... When I saw her live it was just her with a mic--and she was still able to command attention over the entire NY crowd. The track is available for free download off her website http://ladysovereign.com/

Her vocals sound great over this more dance inspired track. DEFINITELY check it out before her album Jigsaw drops this Spring. Hopefully, releasing on her own independent label will give her as much success as she had with "Love Me or Hate Me." --the first song by a British artist to reach #1 on the American version of TRL!

Alisha Dixon LIVE @ Miss World 2008!

Here's Alisha Dixon performing the beyond infectious "The Boy Does Nothing" live at Miss World in Johannesburg (South Africa, for those who didn't win their geography bees). This was the perfect comeback track for her to take advantage of her Strictly Come Dancing moves with the song's mambo-inspired feel.

Kate Ryan @ Premios 40 Principales

Here's a vid of Kate Ryan (singer of the AMAZING Je T'adore from 2006) singing her latest hit Ella Elle L'a live. It's a great, Europoptastic performance! She's got the rhinestoned mic just like Mariah and some kitschy choreography to match. Love this track and I love the idea of singing a song in French to an audience in Madrid. That's probably why when she wants the audience to sing along, there's a pretty much deafening silence.

Wes Carr Video Premiere

So we finally have the video premiere for the Australian Idol winner I posted about last week. Here's Wes Car and his video for "You." He's still a wolf-man/ Bo Bice stand in, but it's still a good track.

The Most Insane Paula Abdul Interview Ever!!!

Please watch this interview Paula did with David Letterman if you haven't already, and if you don't have time at least watch her entrance. Somehow I doubt you'll be able to turn this trainwreck off until it's over.



Sadly I have almost the same coat!!!

Anastacia on Paul O'Grady

Anastacia is back with her new album (out in Europe) but it hasn't been taking off like her previous efforts. If you don't know her then you're probably American. She herself is as well, but her career never amounted to much stateside. International she has sold over 20 million albums!

Luckily, she's very charming and funny in this latest interview with Paul O'Grady. I hope it will remind people of why they used to love her--it worked on me! If her personality isn't enough, then check out the fab performance of her latest single "Absolutely Positively" below.

Interview:


Performance:


She's looking great in both, so hopefully people will stop referring to her as Manastacia!

Let's Check-in with the Mail!

The Mail always has some interesting articles online, let's see what we have today:

A write-up of the Girls Aloud Christmas Spectacular! Hopefully I'll have video of this soon.

A fun article about how Lindsay Lohan forgot to wear a bra again and while distracted on a call actually got into a paparazzo's car instead of her own. Read about the jacket they call "lumberjack-style jacket" and them actually call Samantha Ronson one of Hollywood's most sought after DJs, HERE

Finally, see Michael Jackson in his most bizarre outfit yet--identical (sans face mask) to one worn by my friend Ally. HERE

Sugababes on This Morning!

Here's the vid of the Sugababes having a chat and performing on This Morning in the UK. You may want to skip ahead to around 3:30 to see them perform their next single "No Can Do." Unless, you're a mega-fan like me and want to see them try eating some sprouts!



They are so flawless at singing and they ACTUALLY do it live! Sounds just like the record with enough ad-lib to give each performance personality--stunning! I really hope "No Can Do" turns into the big hit it should be. It's a really unique track that mixes Motown with a fresh sound of today.

La Roux--Q&A

Well I wrote to La Roux with a question and she replied with an answer, so I guess that's enough to make it my first official "Q&A" with a star on my blog! I wrote to her asking if she had plans to release and/or perform in the US and she replied "hopefully it wont be too long before i get out there. dates will be on the myspace. LOVE
La RouxXXX"

Could be very exciting!!

(Image courtesy of LA Roux's myspace)

Most Bizarre Story of the Day! (or middle of the night as it happens to be)

A New Orleans man took the stand in the murder trail relating to his wife's death and claimed the costume he purchased was not a disguise used in the alleged murder, but just a change of appearance. The bizarre part is that "I wanted to look like Victor Newman," Vince Marinello said. Victor is one of the oldest (both in terms of the show and in age) characters on The Young and the Restless.

Click here to read the full story by WDSU.

Holla, Alesha's Back!

The fab Alesha Dixon has premiered here second video "Breathe Slow" off her latest hit album The Alesha Show. It follows the highly successful and highly amazing "The Boy Does Nothing." The video is pretty great and makes me want to go back to Vegas again (or at least a London casino). It's a cute clip and she gets to show off her amazing dancing skills and overall gorgeousness. It follows the latest trend for black and white videos (ie Single Ladies)--I think probably because it's a good way to make lower video budgets look a bit more plush. Enjoy below!!

Sugababes Karaoke Favourites!

Watch the video below to hear what the Sugababes consider their Karaoke faves!



Now hopefully they won't get murdered in Malaysia....

Ladyhawke does Womanizer!

Well one of my favorite artists from New Zealand, Ladyhawke, has done a cover of one of my favorite songs of the year, Womanizer. Here is it below from BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge:



In case you're not familiar with this extremely talented artist, I've included one of her best jams below:

Britannia High!

Well my new obsession of the past day has been Brittania High, a new series that's been taking Britain by storm(aka airing). It's similar to HS Musical or Fame in that it's set in a performing arts high school and involves a lot of fun musical numbers. It's different in that it's "distinctly British" which is even better for me being the Anglophile that I am. It features music from Universal Music (including all my fave girl bands) as well as original songs partially created by Gary Barlow of Take That. The cast is really talented and will actually be opening for Girls Aloud(who made a guest appearance on the show) on their 09 tour. I may need to arrange for tickets to that! Here are a couple scenes of songs from the show:

Episode One Opening:


Official Video:




Yes, this is the guy from Coyote Ugly:

Karaoke Killing

Apparently murders associated with bad karaoke performances are somewhat common in some southeast Asian countries..you learn something new every day! There was another murder in Malaysia this week when a man reportedly hogged the mic at a “a coffeeshop-cum-karaoke outlet.” Maybe I need to rethink singing all those Hilary Duff songs next time...

For the Full Article Click here.

Lily (not Laverne) Releases Album Cover

Make sure to buy her album February 10 when it's in stores (possibly later for the US release)!

Soup Clip of the Week!

Well The Soup is for sure one of my favorite shows and this week it was combined with one of my other favorite things (cue Maria) Soap Operas! I could not even believe this clip existed. Don't the producers, directors, assistant directors--anyone really--proof the show before they air?? Apparently not.

Some More from Down Under--Saucy!!

This is not the typical type of artist/music I like, but for some reason (ie it was written by the pop megahit machine behind Australian Idol) I really enjoy it. It's by the latest Australian Idol winner Wes Carr, who is like the AU version of Bo Bice (not a good thing). Here's a live performance below, since the official video isn't out yet!



Don't you think our American Idol should involve fireworks and possibly occur at the Sydney Opera House? Beautiful.

In other news, Lady Gaga's single "Poker Face" off her amazing album The Fame is currently #1 on the Australian singles chart! Hopefully, her future US singles will do as well as "Just Dance" finally is after coming out about 7 months ago. At least international success should guarantee another record! YES! Listen Below:

Awesome Aussies!

So there have been a few pretty sweet artists crawling out of the woodwork from Australia this year. I was really into The Veronicas earlier this year...except that song that was ruined by that Yaz Birth Control ad...which I still believe they named that pill after the 80s band. My new beyond belief obsession is with Jessica Mauboy. According to her wikipedia she was the runner up on Aussie Idol in 06, then joined some band called "Young Divas"--which sounds like it had the potential to be my new favorite band based on names alone, and is now focusing on her solo career.

Her album "Been Waiting" that just came out down under last week is definitely one of the most complete albums from start to finish since Lady Gaga's "The Fame." I'm always astounded when a pop act makes an album that great all the way through, but somehow Jessica has done it and (co) wrote most of it! She kind of reminds me of the down under version of Rihanna. Sadly, the album has peaked at #16 on the ARIA charts despite strong performances from the first two singles. I've posted the videos to these below. You should def check them out and keep wishing (or praying if you believe in that sort of thing) for a US release. I sense a huge future for her here in the US if Sony plays their cards right--especially with Flo Rida being on the first track. Enjoy!!!





Also check out Natalie Bassingthwaighte's first solo video below. With a name like that it's a good thing she found success with one of my former obsessions Rogue Traders. The song is a bit of a grower, but definitely hot.

"The Loving Kind" Premiere!

Girls Aloud have premiered their new video for their next single "The Loving Kind." It's definitely my second favorite track off their album "The Loving Kind" after "The Promise" and makes a perfect follow-up single. It's definitely in the style of "Call the Shots" from their last (and slightly better album). The girls (except the ginger one of course) look stunning. Cheryl looks beyond amazing and Sarah looks like Madonna except minus about 100 years of life.

La Roux--Quicksand Video!

I'm a huge fan of songs called "Quicksand" between this and the phenomenal Britney bonus track! La Roux is a new artist from the UK signed to Polydor in the style of Lily Allen. I think she was using some tagline like "falsetto from the ghetto" or something, which I think pretty much sums her up. Very visually cool video, featuring a leopard morph at the end and a gigantic pineapple! What else could you ask for??

Check out her myspace! You won't be disappointed!

http://www.myspace.com/larouxuk

New Lily Allen Video!!

Lily Allen, despite people badmouthing her, is still one of my favorite artists. Her first album remains one of my faves and the new tracks she's premiered on her myspace sound smashing. Her first single now entitled "The Fear" (formerly "I Don't Know") and the video is premiered above. It's a great video for an amazing track. Her lyrics are edgy and touch on a lot of current issues in the media. Her lines are written very smartly and approached in a way only she can really pull off. Probably my favorite line is "I'm a weapon of massive consumption, it's not my fault, it's how I'm programmed to function." I know EXACTLY how she feels. The clip is very 60s flower child, meets Alice in Wonderland, meeting Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She looks flawless and hopefully this will catapult her back to music success--hopefully stateside this time around.

Britney Promo Tour

With "Circus" (the single/video NOT the album) being a career high, come some definite low points while on her promo tour. They are certainly nowhere near as disastrous as last year's VMAs, but clearly show she is not back to "old Britney" as many would claim.

First up was her stop at the Bambi Awards in Germany. Not a terrible performance but not entirely inspired either. It does features the first use of the flaming ring and giant circus ball, both of which are cool effects. Megan Ryan is clearly the only celeb to pan to in the audience.


Next up was her stop in France at the show Star Academy, similar to Idol. Here, she gives another slightly tweaked performance of Womanizer without fully committing to her dance routines. The truly awkward part comes at the end when the host comes out for what can only be described as an impromptu interview disaster. Watch her "interview" around 3:45 in the video. She clearly has no intention of taking those flowers even with her name clearly being pointed out as a hint by the host..it's like no one has given her flowers after a performance before, which I somehow doubt is the case. Then the host Nikos wants her to give advice to the contestants on the show because "they want her job." She responds completely in shock that they would want her job. Maybe she doesn't realize her job is being a performer? I guess she doesn't know what kind of show she is even on. Clearly not everything is okay...at least her outfit is quite flattering.


Here next stop was on the X Factor (similar to American Idol) in London. Another mediocre performance that at least gave the show high ratings. Also another awkward interview. The host around 3:40 asks how she thinks the contestants did while performing her songs and she responds "amazing. I met so many different people. The place is beautiful and I love being here in London it's awesome." She has that looking of being in class thinking about anything but being there and the professor calls on you for your opinion. Her words of wisdom for the contestants are "good luck and just keep doin' it." Thanks for that Brit! Words to live by.

Circus Video Premiere!

Finally the video we've been waiting for! Britney is back in a big way with this track and this video. This video is a very good piece of cinematography featuring some great shots. Britney is looking in fine form and ACTUALLY dances with some energy and commitment behind her moves. My fave shots include the doves coming out of the hat near the beginning and Britney standing silhouetted in front of the fireworks. Ch-ch-check it out below!




It doesn't officially premiere in the US till Friday at 8pm on MTV.

For the Record--Crock or Doc?

I know this is a little bit delayed, but it actually took me a bit to process everything about this supposed documentary about probably the biggest star of our time. The marketing for the special Britney: For the Record claimed that "No topic was off limits. No question went unanswered." I knew that this wouldn't exactly be true because they aren't going to discuss any alleged drug use or medication, and thus went in with pretty low expectations. However, even with these quite low expectations, I was still horribly disappointed. What MTV had produced was not a documentary, but an incredibly biased, unrevealing special dedicated to promoting Britney's album, single and fragrances.
In her interview sections she seemed quite distant, confused, and not willing to really shed light on very much in her life. About the head shaving incident she just claimed that "people shave their heads all the time." Had I been interviewing her, I would have followed up with "why did you run into the salon and grab the shears from the hairdresser? why not do this at home?" They also neglected to talk about many of the incidents we, as fans and media consumers, really wanted to know about. I think TMZ was right in their calling this a "crockumentary."


The most revealing parts of the documentary were parts of the footage of her just being herself. You were able to see that funny girl that made most of us fall in love with her. The part of the special where they take you inside her dealing with the paparazzi and how overwhelming it is for her was also quite powerful. The heartbreaking part is watching her being interviewed saying confusing, weird, and vague things like "heaven is heaven." Even with all she has been going through, she still has over ten years of media training. It's really heartbreaking seeing this person that most of us are rooting for, though looking physically better, still mentally not being completely recovered. Not to say that she is exactly a "hero" per say, but she is someone that a lot of people looked up to growing up. I don't know many people in the late 90s that didn't want to be her, a member of BSB, or 'N Sync. Hopefully, she will get her confidence (and possibly sanity) back and really impress us all. The video for circus is quite "epic" in a sense, but her live performances and certainly her media appearance need a lot of work. More on this later!

BJ's back! BJ's back!

Well after a nearly 2 year hiatus, BJ's back! I've decided I have too much free time on my hands and should really get back into blogging about new happenings in the entertainment business--especially new music. There's a lot of new music happening right now and a lot of entertaining moments (what with Britney's comeback and all) that provide quite a bit of fodder. Please leave comments and I'll try to be better about posting and do so more frequently than every 2 years!