The rise of Rihanna's "Disturbia" to the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart ended the seven-week reign of Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" while also becoming the artist's fourth career No. 1.
Rihanna is now tied with Beyonce and Mariah Carey as having the most No. 1 singles by a female artist this decade. "Disturbia" is the fourth chart topper for the singer following "SOS" (2006), "Umbrella" (2007) and "Take A Bow" (2008), which is No. 4 on the Hot 100 this week.
Her rumored boyfriend, Chris Brown, stays at No. 2 with "Forever," while "I Kissed a Girl" falls to No. 3. M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" jumps from No. 16 to a career-best No. 5, aided by its appearance in the trailer for the new comedy "Pineapple Express."
Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" slips 5-6, Kardinal Offishall's "Dangerous" featuring Akon holds at No. 7 and Lil Wayne's "A Milli" falls 6-8. Rounding out the top 10, the Jonas Brothers' 'Burnin' Up" rises 11-9, and Ne-Yo's "Closer" stays at No. 10.
On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, "A Milli" dethrones Keyshia Cole's long-running No. 1, "Heaven Sent." Ludacris' "What Them Girls Like" featuring Chris Brown and Sean Garrett is the top debut at No. 73.
A new single from singer-actress Brandy hit the Internet marking her first official release since 2004's "Afrodisiac" album.
"Right Here (Departed)" from producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is a mid-tempo track that will appear on her upcoming CD "Human," due in the fall.
It's also the first effort from the singer-actress since her Dec 2006 car accident on a Los Angeles freeway, in which a woman was killed. The City Attorney's Office decided in December not to file misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges against her.
In "Right Here (Departed)," Brandy sings on the chorus: "When you feel you're heart's guarded / And you see the break's started / And when the clouds have all departed / You'll be right here with me."
"Being able to express myself and my journey through my music is a feeling I can't describe," the singer says about her upcoming album. Listen to "Right Here (Departed)" HERE.
A collection of greatest hits from Brooklyn-based producers and performers Full Force is included on the CD "Legendary," currently available via Sony.
Among such classics as "Ain't My Type of Hype" and "All Cried Out" are several brand new tracks, including "Water from Stone and You" (featuring the debut of Bowlegged Lou's rap artist son LOU$TAR), "Everyday is Mother's Day" and "We're Feelin U Oprah" feat. Big Shawn, a track dedicated to Oprah Winfrey and inspired by the group's mother, to whom Oprah is a hero. The video can be seen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvJhWPL-8kE .
In addition to "Legendary," a new online album titled "Full Force of Course" will be available on iTunes in the upcoming weeks. This online version will feature the tracks listed above, as well as other new songs: "Makin Love on the Dance Floor" (with Najee), "We Love the Girls" and a "Full Force Greatest Hits Medley" performed live at the Apollo Theater.
The Roots are pairing up with rock/pop act Gym Class Heroes for a fall tour that will see the groups alternating headlining duties.
The trek begins Oct. 2 in Baltimore with opening act Estelle, and runs through Nov. 1 in Albany, N.Y. Tickets go on sale this weekend for the general public.
The Roots are currently on tour internationally through the end of the month but will have some time off before the fall run with Gym Class Heroes. Estelle will be promoting her Homeschool/Atlantic debut, "Shine," which has sold more than 83,000 copies.
Gym Class Heroes has been traveiling this summer with the Vans Warped Tour in advance of the Sept. 9 release of its Decaydence/Fueled By Ramen album "The Quilt."
The album features contributions from the-Dream, Cool & Dre, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Busta Rhymes, Estelle and Daryl Hall.
Here are Gym Class Heroes/the Roots' tour dates:
Oct. 3: Baltimore (Rams Head Live!)
Oct. 4: Norfolk, Va. (The Norva)
Oct. 5: North Myrtle Beach, S.C. (House of Blues)
Oct. 6: Atlanta (The Tabernacle)
Oct. 7: Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (House of Blues)
Oct. 8: Miami (The Fillmore at Jackie Gleason)
Oct. 10: Houston (Meridian, w/ Estelle only)
Oct. 11: Dallas (The Palladium Ballroom)
Oct. 12: Austin, Texas (The Backyard)
Oct. 14: Phoenix (The Marquee)
Oct. 19: Las Vegas (House of Blues)
Oct. 21: Denver (The Fillmore Auditorium)
Oct. 23: Milwaukee (Eagles Ballroom)
Oct. 24: Chicago (Congress Theatre)
Oct. 25: Detroit (The Fillmore Detroit)
Oct. 26: Toronto (Sound Academy)
Oct. 28: New York (Roseland Ballroom)
Oct. 30: Worcester, Mass. (The Palladium Downstairs)
Oct. 31: Asbury Park, N.J. (Asbury Park Convention Hall)
Nov. 1: Albany, N.Y. (Washington Avenue Armory)
Lil Jon says he has a fresh new sound to go along with his restructured record deal with digital entertainment company The Orchard. He says the music will prove to fans that his talent extends far beyond the crunk genre he helped to create.
"It's not just music for the United States: It's world music," Lil Jon explained to the Associated Press. "I'm touching so many different kinds of people on this album as well as keeping my core fan base at the same time."
His forthcoming CD was supposed to be titled "Crunk Rock," but Lil Jon says he may change the name to reflect the album's new direction — and his new freedom.
"It's totally given me a new energy, a new everything," he said of his release from TVT Records, which was bought by The Orchard. "When you have a lot of stress and negativity around you, when you cut that away, you cleanse. ... I'm starting over, basically."
Lil Jon, 37, is reportedly working with dance acts, soca musicians and rock stars on the new album.
"I want people to say it's a breath of fresh air from everything that's out there," he says. "It's still going to be me and what they know me for, but it's still going to be newer."
With his mama newly returned as his manager, Usher has been announced as one of the performers set to kick off the 2008 NFL season with a free Sept. 4 concert at New York's Columbus Circle.
The show, also featuring country star Keith Urban, will precede the NFL season opener between the Super Bowl champion New York Giants and the Washington Redskins at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., reports Billboard.
John Mellencamp, Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, Hinder and Keyshia Cole performed at last year's NFL Kickoff concert in Indianapolis.
Natalie Cole will spend October on the road to promote "Still Unforgettable," her forthcoming album of American standards, due Sept. 9.
The follow-up to 1991's "Unforgettable ... With Love," which sold more than 14 million copies worldwide and earned Cole several Grammy Awards, includes the lead single "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," a posthumous duet with her late father, Nat King Cole.
"If there was going to be another 'duet' with Dad, I felt it should be something more whimsical, fun and light," Cole said in her bio. "At the same time, I was looking for a song that would also be familiar to a certain type of audience. I think this is going to work just as well. It's adorable and loving between parent and child. It feels like he's right there with me. How do you top that?"
Below is the tour itinerary for Cole's "Still Unforgettable" tour:
October 2008
7 - Indiana, PA - Fisher Auditorium
9 - N. Bethesda, MD - Music Center at Strathmore
10 - Brooksville, NY - Tiles Center for the Performing Arts
11 - Newport News, VA - Ferguson Center for the Arts Concert Hall
12 - Charlottesville, VA - Paramount Theatre
15 - Fort Walton Beach, FL - Emerald Coast CC
17 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Concert Hall
18 - Columbus, GA - RiverCenter
19 - Atlanta, GA - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
22 - Brampton, Ontario - Rose Theatre
23 - Windsor, Ontario - The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Labelle, the formidable trio of Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx and Patti LaBelle, has named their first full-length studio album in over 30 years "Back to Now." The set will be released by Verve Records on Oct. 21 and features production by Gamble & Huff, Wyclef Jean, and Lenny Kravitz. Hendryx says of the project: "It's as if we never stopped. The thread just continues." LaBelle adds: "We have a sound like no one else has." Dash says: "This new album definitely represents Labelle today."
Gnarls Barkley has finally released its "iTunes Soho Sessions," a five-song EP recorded live at New York's Soho Apple Store with a stripped-down sound. "Gnarls wanted to celebrate the essence of the songs," said a spokesperson for the band, "by playing simplified versions and letting the emotions do the lifting." The iTunes Soho Sessions are available now exclusively from iTunes. Songs featured on the EP are "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)," "Who's Gonna Save My Soul," "Surprise," "Crazy" and "A Little Better."
The Cheetah Girls are preparing for their 50-date North American tour in support of "The Cheetah Girls One World" soundtrack for the group's third movie on the Disney Channel. The trek kicks off Oct. 8 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, and wraps Dec. 21 at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego. Tickets go on sale Aug. 23 via Ticketmaster and AEGLive.com. The soundtrack drops Aug. 19 via Walt Disney Records.
R&B artist Sammie has severed ties with Dallas Austin's Rowdy Records and released his new single, "One Way Street," via his manager Malcolm Lee's independent imprint Empire Entertainment. Lee said in a statement: "The release from Rowdy Records wasn't mutual, but needed! This new start gives Sammie the opportunity to perform in front of his fans again and show that talent is still warranted in this business."
Sources: Page Six, SOHH, TMZ, Eurweb, Concreteloop, Patty Jackson, YBF, Starpulse, All Hip Hop, Photorazzi,
