Music Blogs

Tate Stevens (Photo: Mike Moore)If forced to say one single thing about Season 2 "X Factor" winner Tate Stevens, it would have to be that he's certainly an efficient guy. While his predecessor champion on the reality show, Melanie Amaro, has yet to release a full-length album, Stevens blew through the process of creating a complete release in an extraordinarily short amount of time.

Just how short? Well, you'll have to read our exclusive interview with him to find out the amazing details. At any rate, the resulting self-titled debut hit stores right on schedule April 23--and what's more, Stevens couldn't be happier about how it all turned out. "I'm super proud of this thing," he said excitedly, no less than half a dozen times during our conversation.

By Soren Baker

Ciara and Future have been openly discussing their relationship.

Now they're acting it out.

The couple meet, greet and share intimate time in Ciara's sensual "Body Party" video.

Ciara and Future check each other out in the clip's opening scenes, which take place at a nighttime mansion party.

Then, as Ciara wraps up a poolside conversation with a friend, Future appears and introduces himself before the video switches to a steamy striptease scene in which Ciara writhes seductively in black lingerie for a cigar-puffing, multiple gold chain-sporting Future.

(Ellen)

Guitarist Richie Sambora has been AWOL from Bon Jovi since April 3, when he left the band's tour surrounded by mystery. A lone tweet attempted to explain his absence. "Thank you everyone for your concern. I'm well, but had to stay in LA to take care of a personal matter. Love you all and see you very soon."

Since then, Richie has checked in with two other tweets, one on April 15, wishing "healing" after "that severe act of cowardness in Boston." In another on April 18, he wrote, "Hey everybody…Just want you all to know I'm all good…Thanks for all the positive vibes…" But other than that, there's been little talk about the reasons for Richie's departure and if -- and when -- he'll return to the fold.

(Kristen (Jower-Ho) Shaffer)

Fantasia’s fourth album, Side Effects of You, offers a breakthrough on several fronts.

Lyrically, she confronts the dramas that have haunted her throughout her 10 years in the business, and, musically, she produces a cohesive body of work that suits her better than past efforts that teamed her with a seemingly random list of hit makers.

[Related: Fantasia Talks Mantasia, Girl Power & “Idol’s” Evolution]

“I wanted to do like Michael Jackson did with Quincy Jones,” Tasia says during Part 1 of an exclusive three-part interview with Yahoo! Music. “He got with one producer and they created a monster.”

By Laura Ferreiro

(Getty Images, Michael Ochs Archives)Calvin Harris has proven that he's the baddest of them all, breaking Michael Jackson's long-standing chart record as the artist to achieve the most top 10 hits from the same album.

The Scottish DJ and producer made UK chart history with "I Need Your Love," his dancefloor-packing collaboration with English singer Ellie Goulding, which hit number seven on the UK charts this week.

It's the eighth song is from his album 18 Months to make it to the top 10, beating the record Jackson set with his 1987 album Bad and again in 1991 with Dangerous, which each racked up seven top 10 hits. It's also the first time in the chart's 60-year history that this feat has been accomplished.

(Kena Betancur, Getty Images)

There's good news and bad news for Lauryn Hill. The good -- she wasn't sentenced to prison on Monday for tax evasion. The bad -- she has to come up with more than $500,000 before May 3 to stay out of the clink.

Ms. Hill, who's had hits as a solo artist and a member of the Fugees, pleaded guilty last June for failure to file federal tax returns in 2005, 2006 and 2007 when she raked in a total of $1.8 million.

Hill's lawyers say that they've paid $50,000 toward her bill for owed taxes and penalties, but still have to come up with that other big chunk of change before the end of next week.