This week, the world of music was battered by conflict.

• A Swedish journalist said Keith Richards smacked him — but a Richards rep told us that wasn't true.

• Lil' Kim bashed Nicki Minaj

• Kurt swung back at the bully on Glee.

• Kanye West raged against Matt Lauer and yanked his Today Show performance (though he did rap over the intercom on a Delta flight).

• Joe Jackson admitted to "whipping" Michael Jackson — though he maintained he never "beat" him.

• Most shockingly, Phil Collins admitted to suicidal thoughts. (He also showed off his collection of memorabilia from the Alamo.)

But there were healing moments, too. Gwyneth Paltrow sang well at the Country Music Awards and previewed her performance on next week's Glee. We made a spirited attempt to convince the Byrds to reunite for a tour with Buffalo Springfield. And we did our best to inform and amuse you with the following news, interviews and photos.

• Lil Wayne Returns to The Stage With Drake

• Conan O'Brien Returns With Strong

Alessandro Camon (who shared an Oscar nomination for scripting The Messenger) will adapt the June 10, 2010 Rolling Stone article "Hackers Gone Wild: The Fast Times and Hard Fall of the Green Hat Gang". In the piece, writer Sabrina Rubin Erdely uncovered the story of computer hacker Albert Gonzalez, who pulled off the biggest cybercrime in history.

Photos: Inside the Wild Lifestlye of the Hackers Who Pulled Off History's Greatest Cybercrime

Between 2005 and 2007 Gonzalez served as mastermind of a ring that stole 170 million ATM numbers, laundering the small fortune he amassed across the globe — all the while working as an informant to the Secret Service and consuming a steady diet of LSD, ecstasy and cocaine. The 29-year-old Florida native is now serving a 20-year sentence at a Michigan prison. This week the New York Times posted a story, destined for the paper's Sunday magazine, about Gonzalez. Writer James Verini recently spoke to the hacker. "I've been asking myself, why did I do

Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Kid Rock will perform on this year's American Music Awards on November 21, it was announced during the CMA Awards Wednesday night.

The three join previously announced performers Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Christina Aguilera, Bon Jovi, NKOTBSB (a.k.a. New Kids on the Block with Backstreet Boys), Ne-Yo with Diddy's Dirty Money, and Rihanna, who will open the show.

The show will air live on ABC on Sunday, November 21, at 8 p.m. ET.

Eminem and Lady Antebellum lead the nomination race for the 2010 American Music Awards, both with five nominations. Bieber received four nominations, while Perry, Ke$ha, B.o.B and Usher all got three nominations each.

For the fourth year, winners will be determined by online voting at the official Coca-Cola voting location www.amavote.com as well as ama.abc.com. Artists will be honored in the categories of Pop/Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Latin, Soundtracks and Contemporary

Early Friday morning, Michael Jackson's website released the tracklisting for Michael, the first album to be released after the pop icon's June 2009 death. The album, which hits stores December 14, will be teased by the single "Hold My Hand," a collaboration with the "Smack That" singer Akon.

"Hold My Hand" was recorded in 2007, and an unfinished version of the song appeared online in the summer of 2008. According to a statement accompanying the posting of the tracklist, Jackson wrote a note saying that he wanted "Hold My Hand" to be the first single from the project he was working on before his death.

"The world was not ready to hear 'Hold My Hand' when it leaked a couple years ago," Akon, who completed production of the track in time for Michael's release, said in the label's statement. "We were devastated about it. But its time has definitely come; now in its final state, it has become an incredible, beautiful, anthemic song."

"Hold My Hand" will be available online beginning at