By Soren Baker
(Johnny Nunez, WireImage)
They are close friends who have toured together.
Now they're appearing together on a new cut.
Janelle Monae features Erykah Badu on her new song "Q.U.E.E.N."
"Am I weird to dance alone late at night?" Monae sings on the funky tune. "And is it true we're all insane?"
Read More »from Janelle Monae Recruits Fellow ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’ Erykah Badu for New SongBy 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.
Read More »from Ciara, Future Talk at the Pool, Head to the Bedroom in ‘Body Party’ Video
(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.
Read More »from Jon Bon Jovi Comes Clean About Richie Sambora on ‘Ellen’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.
Read More »from Calvin Harris Breaks Michael Jackson’s Chart Record in the UK
(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.
Read More »from Lauryn Hill Gets Two-Week NoticeBy Jon Wiederhorn
(Ben A. Pruchnie, Getty Images; Jim Spellman, WireImage)The father of the late English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse is unimpressed by Beyoncé and Andre 3000’s cover of her song "Back to Black," which will appear on the soundtrack to "The Great Gatsby."
In an interview with the UK’s Daily Mail, Mitch Winehouse was critical of Beyoncé’s delivery. "I don’t think she brings anything to it," he said.
Winehouse, a London taxi driver, said he was never asked for permission for Beyoncé and OutKast member Andre 3000 to cover "Back to Black," but was paid "a lot of money" for the recording rights. "They have got to pay for the privilege, which is what they are doing," he said.
Read More »from Amy Winehouse’s Dad Disses Beyonce’s Cover of ‘Back to Black’ for Great Gatsby SoundtrackBy Laura Ferreiro
photo: Will Ragozzino/Getty ImagesGoing through a divorce is never easy, but when you’re one of rock’s most enduring and revered power couples, playing it out in the public eye makes it even rougher. In late 2011, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of legendary alternative rock band Sonic Youth announced they were separating after 27 years of marriage. They largely remained quiet about the cause of the break up, until now.
By Jon Wiederhorn
(Dave M. Benett, Getty Images)
Critically and commercially acclaimed songwriter Lana Del Rey’s star continues to rise. Shawn "Jay Z" Carter, the executive producer of the film, has just announced that Del Rey’s "Young & Beautiful" will be the lead single for the soundtrack to the modern film adaption of Baz Luhrmann’s "The Great Gatsby." The love song features piano, spare electronics and full orchestration that compliment Del Rey’s yearning vocals: "Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful?"
"The movie is highly glamorous and exciting," enthused Del Rey. "Rick Nowels and I were thrilled to write the song."
Read More »from Lana Del Rey Releases First Single for ‘The Great Gatsby’ Film Soundtrack
(Michael Tran, FilmMagic)
If you ever wanted to walk on by -- or even step on -- the Backstreet Boys, you're in luck. The iconic '90s boy band got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Monday morning in front of hundreds of screaming fans. The star, the Walk of Fame's 2,495th, is located on the 7000 block of Hollywood Boulevard, near the Live Nation building.
Hollywood insiders know that these honors don't come out of the blue -- they're usually tied into some sort of milestone, upcoming album, tour or film. Sure enough our boys from the backstreets celebrated their 20th anniversary on Saturday with a special fan celebration in Hollywood where they previewed some songs from a new album, due later this year, as well as a trailer for a documentary about the band, that's due in 2014. Next month, the group will launch its latest world tour in China.
Read More »from Backstreet Boys Immortalized on Hollywood Street
photo: New York Daily News ArchiveRichie Havens, the renowned New York folk singer who will forever go down in history as the man who opened the Woodstock festival, died of a heart attack Monday at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was 72.
Back on August 15, 1969, Havens was originally slated as the fifth act on the opening day of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, which took place on Max Yasgur's farm outside Woodstock, New York. But Havens was enlisted to be the emergency festival-opener when the first scheduled band on the day's bill, Sweetwater, got stuck in traffic. Havens, along with two other musicians who were already on the festival grounds, helicoptered their way to the Woodstock stage with two conga drums and two guitars, kicked off the show, and performed a legendary three-hour set while other artists were still en route. After Havens ran out of encores, he improvised a song based on the old spiritual "Motherless Child," which became "Freedom." And the rest was history.
NEW YORK (AP) — In one photo, a woman is on all fours, presumably picking something up, her posterior pressed against a glass window. Another photo shows a couple in bathrobes, their feet touching beneath a table. And there is one of a man, in jeans and a T-shirt, lying on his side as he takes a nap.
MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Denmark's Emmelie de Forest has won this year's Eurovision Song Contest with her ethno-inspired flute and drum tune "Only Teardrops," despite tough competition from spectacular stage shows by performers from Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
MALMO, Sweden (AP) — An ethno-inspired flute and drum tune from Denmark is the bookmakers' favorite to win this year's Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, which also features a bizarre opera pop number from Romania and an Armenian rock song written by the guitarist of Black Sabbath.
By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - Native American actress Misty Upham never dreamt she would be walking the red carpet at Cannes to showcase a film shot on her reservation. Upham features in "Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian", focused on the relationship between World War Two veteran Jimmy Picard, a Native American Blackfoot, and Georges Devereux, his psychoanalyst. Upham said like Picard, played by Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro, she is Blackfeet, the largest tribe in Montana state. ...
NEW YORK (AP) — Ratings for the "American Idol" finale plunged to a record low for the 12-year-old show.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles sheriff's spokesman says 'Terminator 2' star Edward Furlong has been arrested on suspicion of violating a restraining order filed by his ex-girlfriend.