MUSIC DOWNLOAD LOVER

Taylor Swift

2008-02-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Sean Kingston

2008-02-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Girl

Big Girls, Don't Cry (feat Fergie)

After producing an endless array of hit records for the likes of musical heavyweights such as 50 Cent, The Game, Rihanna and Snoop Dogg, production savant J.R. Rotem has turned his attention to one of the most innovative young talents in music, Sean Kingston, the first signing on his Beluga Heights label.

Kingston, a 17 year old native of Jamaica who now lives in Miami brings his very unique triple threat of talent of rapping, reggae chatting and soulful harmonization with the 2007 release of his debut yet to be titled album.

"As an artist, my whole goal is to make powerful and classic music," Sean divulges. "I want everyone to feel me and understand where I'm from and that's what this album will do. The music is all about an authentic Sean Kingston vibe. JR is a talented dude and a dope producer and he saw that I had something different than any other artist out there. Together we're a powerful force.

In addition to J.R., The Runners, Cool and Dre, DJ Felli Fell, and DJ Khaled will be supplying beats. In just a short time, Kingston has already done what few in his age bracket can accomplish - solidify a following in the streets and get people excited about music again.

He has two certified thunder knockers on his hands with "Colors 2007" and the Jamaican remix. The original version is a lyrical brouhaha with Kingston showing he can hang with the acclaimed guest MCs. Miami Mayor Rick Ross and the multi-platinum west coast superstar, The Game. The reggae remix of Colors is a Caribbean hailstorm featuring the legendary Vybez Cartel and the always profound Kardinal Offishall. Both records maintain the same theme of unity and self-reflection.

"That's the whole campaign," Kingston, whose parents are from Jamaica, elaborated. "The song is about representing every flag that you're loyal to - whether it is Jamaica, the States, your block etc. It's a lifestyle record that can be a street anthem no matter where you are. I couldn't ask for anybody better than The Game and Ross to join me on the track. The Reggae version came up because I knew I had to do one special for Jamaica. The first person I thought of was Vybez Cartel. His verse came out crazy. Then Kardinal Official, that's my homie, he really attacked the track."

Kingston's album is shaping up to be as diverse as the colors are on the different flags he talks about.

The melody of "Stand By Me," also acted a muse for the first official single off the album "Beautiful Girls." It is way more than puppy love when Sean lays his vocals on the record, singing about a shattering break up.

"You're way too beautiful girl," he sings about heartbreak. "Girls will have you suicidal when they say it's over."

"I heard the track 'Stand By Me,' one night in the studio, the radio was on. "I asked J.R., did anybody ever flip that? He made the beat the beat right there on the spot and I wrote the songs in a few minutes. It's hard when you're in love and a girl tells you that it is time to end things. I know everyone can relate to that, so that's why I had to write about it."

"Drummer Boy" finds Kingston sticking mainly to rapping over the trouncing pounce of drums, while "I Can Feel" takes it to the party and incorporates a sample of Phil Collins' timeless "In the Air Tonight."

Perhaps one of the most eye opening track however may the song "Prosecutor," where Kingston vents about what he calls the wrongful imprisonment of his sister and mother. "You're lying and there's no way to prove it," he fumes.

Sean says he was inspired to write the record after he saw his family incarcerated when he was just 14 years old.

"I always had my sister and my brother," he began to explain. "My brother was doing his own thing, he was there but he was running around doing his own thing. When my mother and sister went away, it took a lot out of me. My sister went away for four months and my mom been away for over a year. When she went way, I was like 'nah man, this is too much.' I was only 14. I missed her like crazy but I pulled through and used it as my motivation. "Prosecutor" is a defining song on the album for me - nothing fake about it because it touches on something very personal to me. The dope melody that's on there makes me feel even closer to it."

Kingston wants to make it clear that he is no cookie cutter artist that has the songs laid out for him. He comes up with 100 percent of his lyrics.

"Man, it feels good to get that creative freedom," he says. "Not a lot of artists are put in that position. I don't feel that just because I'm a young dude, somebody should write my songs and say 'ok spit it this way.' I think music is better when it comes from the person, when it comes from your heart. I feel comfortable writing my own music and them letting me do it, is a great situation.

Sean talks about J.R. more like a big brother, rather than an Executive Producer of his album. Couple of years ago, Kingston started randomly hitting music industry contacts on MySpace. Although none of the A&R reps responded, Rotem emailed him back. J.R. almost had no choice, "Sean would hit me up at least three times a day!" J.R. says.

"He just had a real distinct sound," Rotem remembers. "I worked with some of the best and I don't see why Sean can't grow to be one of them. His potential is limitless."

Rotem invited Sean for a meeting in Los Angeles, coincidentally; the young performer was already in the process of moving to California. Shortly after their initial meeting, Rotem had a flagship artist for his Epic records joint venture, Beluga Heights. For Sean, it was almost like a prophecy beginning to be fulfilled. Not only is music his love, it is in his blood. Iconic Reggae artist Buju Banton is his uncle and Jack Ruby, who produced records for Bob Marley and Burning Spear in Jamaica, is his grandfather. Now Kingston says he's looking forward to making music and living out his dream.

"In the future I want to have my own label and work on the business side," he said. "I went to acting school when I was younger, so I want to get into that. I want to get into every aspect of the business. It took me a little while to develop and build my sound, to find out who the real Sean Kingston was. I didn't know if I wanted to harmonize, or to rap. But I found out that I can do it all."

Source

Sean Kingston

2008-02-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

Leona Lewis

2008-02-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

Bleeding Love

A Moment Like This

eona Lewis, a fantastically talented 21 year old singer/songwriter from London, writing fresh, provocative words and melodies, which when coupled with her vocal range, give a new and exciting sound.

Leona grew up in North London listening to her Dad’s record collection. She says “I loved listening to Minnie Ripperton and Anita Baker plus 80’s big vocalists Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Oleta Adams and more recently Eva Cassidy and at the age of 6 I decided to be a singer”.

After writing her first song at the age of 12 Leona now has over 100 songs written about the experiences of growing up, love, friendships and blossoming into a young woman.

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Leona Lewis

2008-02-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

Mariah Carey

2008-02-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

Without You

Endless Love

We Belong Together

The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Mariah Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice; an elastic talent who moved easily from glossy ballads to hip-hop-inspired dance-pop, she earned frequent comparison to rivals Whitney Houston and Celine Dion , but did them both one better by composing all of her own material. Born in Long Island, NY, on March 27, 1970, Carey moved to New York City at the age of 17 -- just one day after graduating high school -- to pursue a music career; there she befriended keyboardist Ben Margulies , with whom she began writing songs. Her big break came as a backing vocalist on a studio session with dance-pop singer Brenda K. Starr , who handed Carey 's demo tape to Columbia Records head Tommy Mottola at a party. According to legend, Mottola listened to the tape in his limo while driving home that same evening, and was so immediately struck by Carey 's talent that he doubled back to the party to track her down.

After signing to Columbia, Carey entered the studio to begin work on her 1990 self-titled debut LP; the heavily promoted album was achart-topping smash, launching no less than four number one singles:"Vision of Love,""Love Takes Time,""Someday,"and"I Don't Wanna Cry."Her overnight success earned Grammy awards as Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist, and expectations were high for Carey 's follow-up, 1991's Emotions . The album did not disappoint, as the title track reached number one -- a record fifth consecutive chart-topper -- while both"Can't Let Go"and"Make It Happen"landed in the Top Five. Carey 's next release was 1992's MTV Unplugged EP, which generated a number-one cover of the Jackson 5 's"I'll Be There"; featured on the track was backup singer Trey Lorenz , whose appearance immediately helped him land a recording contract of his own.

In June 1993, Carey wed Mottola -- some two decades her senior -- in a headline-grabbing ceremony; months later she released her third full-length effort, Music Box , her best-selling record to date. Two more singles,"Dreamlover"and"Hero,"reached the top spot on the charts. Carey 's first tour followed and was widely panned by critics; undaunted, she resurfaced in 1994 with a holiday release titled Merry Christmas , scoring a seasonal smash with"All I Want for Christmas Is You."1995's Daydream reflected a new artistic maturity; the first single,"Fantasy,"debuted at number one, making Carey the first female artist and just the second performer ever to accomplish the feat. The follow-up,"One Sweet Day"-- a collaboration with Boyz II Men -- repeated the trick, and remained lodged at the top of the charts for a record 16 weeks.

After separating from Mottola , Carey returned in 1997 with Butterfly , another staggering success and her most hip-hop-flavored recording to date. #1's -- a collection featuring her 13 previous chart-topping singles as well as"The Prince of Egypt (When You Believe),"a duet with Whitney Houston effectively pairing the two most successful female recording artists in pop history -- followed late the next year. With"Heartbreaker,"the first single from her 1999 album Rainbow , Carey became the first artist to top the charts in each year of the 1990s; the record also pushed her ahead of the Beatles as the artist with the most cumulative weeks spent atop the Hot 100 singles chart.

However, the 2000s weren't as kind to Carey . After signing an 80 million dollar deal with Virgin -- the biggest record contract ever -- in 2001 she experienced a very public personal and professional meltdown that included rambling, suicidal messages on her website; an appearance on TRL where, clad only in a T-shirt, she handed out Popsicles to the audience; and last but not least, the stupendously awful movie Glitter and its attendant soundtrack (which was also her Virgin Records debut). Both the film and the album did poorly critically as well as commercially, with Glitter making just under 4 million dollars in its total U.S. gross and the soundtrack struggling to make gold sales. Following these failures, Virgin and Carey parted ways early in 2002, with the label paying her 28 million dollars. That spring, she found a new home with Island/Def Jam, where she set up her own label, MonarC Music. In December, she released her ninth album, Charmbracelet , which failed to become a success. Although she took nearly three years for a follow-up, Carey found a hit with 2005's The Emancipation of Mimi, her most successful record in years.

Source

Mariah Carey

2008-02-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

Taylor Dayne

2008-02-18T08:52:00.000-08:00

In a career now reaching over 12 years Taylor Dayne has established herself as one of Pop Music's most successful artists. Her versatile voice has gained recognition in multiple formats from pop, rock, dance to adult comtempary.

Taylor has earned herself millions of album and single sales worldwide, two sold out world tours and 3 grammy nominations. Her voice reaches across the lines of age, gender and culture.

Taylor was born in Long Island, New York on March 7th...1962. Taylor began singing as a child running around the house constantly singing commercials and along to the radio. She soon discovered she had an amazing gift and then begin to fine tune it. She sang in a rock band at 15, after school trained classically to strengthen her singing albilities. Taylor soon joined a band called "FELONY" and got some hands on experience and also joined another band after that called "THE NEXT".

After this stage Taylor knew her love was to go solo and so she tried sending out demo's but soon she met her long time buddy and producer "Ric Wake" who together they found they had something special when it came to making music.

Taylor asked big companies for their throw away tracks and it just happened that a song called "TELL IT TO MY HEART" would be the launching pad of an amazing career.

"TELL IT TO MY HEART" soon soared up the pop charts all over the world bringing Taylor into the eyes of millions of fans and selling over 1 million copies worldwide and hitting number 1 in five countries. This was an unexpected success, Taylor was blown away by just how quickly it all started. She had signed with big label "ARISTA" and with a big hit they needed an album like yesterday. Taylor and her crew got to work and the debut album "TELL IT TO MY HEART"(1988) was made in a mere 6 weeks and spawned big hits such as:

* Tell It To My Heart
* Prove Your Love
* I'll Always Love You
* Don't Rush Me

This album went on to sell over 2 million copies worldwide and Taylor toured the world including opening for "Michael Jackson" on his BAD Tour. Then where most artists fall short Taylor stunned the critic's by gaining another 4 Top Ten Singles from her follow up album "CAN'T FIGHT FATE"(1990) which includes her USA #1 smash "Love Will Lead
You Back":

* With Every Beat Of My Heart
* Love Will Lead You Back
* I'll Be Your Shelter
* Heart Of Stone

This album also sold over 2 million copies worldwide and a world tour followed. Taylor then took a creative hiatus to prepare for her 3rd album, after 3 years Taylor was ready to release her next album tilted "SOUL DANCING"(1993) which she shows her amazing voice off and tops the charts with a remake of the Barry White song "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" which hits #1 in Australia and Top 20 in Usa and features the hits:

* Can't Get Enough Of Your Love
* Send Me A Lover
* I'll Wait

"SOUL DANCING" goes on to sell over 1/2 million copies in the USA and goes gold in Australia and peaks at number 3 on the album charts.

In 1994 Taylor records the theme song for the motion picture "The Shadow" starring Alec Baldwin and astounds fans with her dynamic vocal range.

* Original Sin

In 1995 Taylor decides to leave her record label "ARISTA" to take time out and to discover where she wants her career to go and on departure releases her "GREATEST HITS" album featuring her 10 consecutive smash hits plus remixes of:

* Say A Prayer
* I'll Wait
* Tell It To My Heart

Over the next 3 years Taylor takes up acting and stars in the movies:

* Stag
* Fools Paradise
* Love Affair

It was actually back in 1994 when Taylor starting to really take acting seriously and as well as her 3 movie roles, Taylor has also appeared on various Televison shows including
"Rude Awakenings".

In 1998 Taylor develops her own record label and begins work on her 4th solo album released in late 1998 tilted "NAKED WITHOUT YOU"an amazing album that showcases her writing and vocal talent and features the dance hits:

* Whatever You Want
* Unstoppable
* Naked Without You

"NAKED WITHOUT YOU" was a long wait for eager fans but was treasured by all her many fans and although only released in the USA, word is legal problems are holding up release for the rest of the world.

In 1999 Taylor tours and promotes the album and it is announced that a "LIVE CD" will be sold at her Live Shows and through her website in the near future.

In 2000 Taylor records a song tilted "Planet Love" for the motion picture "Flawless". This song soars to the #1 spot on the Billboard Dance Charts and fans go crazy over this great song:

* Planet Love

In May 2000 Taylor tours the USA and announces she is working on her 5th solo album and is working with great writer's and producer's.

In JULY 2000 the LIVE CD is being sold at Taylor's Live Shows in the USA and it will be sold through her website as a very limited edition collector's CD. The LIVE CD at this stage is not getting a commercial release:

* Live CD

Taylor Dayne fans from around the world eagerly wait for the LIVE CD to be sold on her website and for her forthcoming new album...

Source

Taylor Dayne

2008-02-18T08:47:00.001-08:00

Garth Brooks

2008-02-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

Lonesome Dove

The River

Garth Brooks jump-started country music at the beginning of the decade, raising its worldwide visibility and prestige to an unprecedented level, and going on to become the biggest selling solo artist in U.S. music history, with over 62 million in sales.He's also the fastest selling album artist in RIAA history and one of the industry's most awarded, the latest nod coming from the Country Music Association when the organization named him its 1997 Entertainer of the Year.

This year, he infused new energy into country when he played to the largest crowd ever to attend a concert in New York's Central Park, a performance viewed by an additional 14.6 million television audience. His 1997 tour has attracted well over three million fans since Garth hit the road last March. What those statistics mean is that enormous numbers of people are touched by what Garth Brooks loves to do:make music.

It's clearly an example of how records should be made, too, where songs and performances are the first priority, and time frame is a distant second, where hurriedly finding ten tunes and booking studio time is not even a consideration. Sevens was recorded over more than a year, giving Garth time to road test the material, to add the musical nuances that make these tracks so uniquely tasty, and find songs so representative of the artist's person.

"This is a very personal album," Garth adds. "I only wrote six of the songs, but there are many that are so 'me' that people I work with every day thought I wrote them." In addition to the personal nature of the album, there is an exciting variety to Sevens, a diversity that expresses a myriad of sounds, emotions and stories. The songs range from stone country honky tonkers to shimmering ballads to dark reflections to lighthearted beach-flavored revelry.

While the end result is a seamless recording that moves effortlessly through the fourteen songs, it didn't start out that way, according to Garth. "When I started making this record, I was confused," Garth admits. "At that time I hadn't been touring, and I came in wondering where I was going. Allen sensed that I was questioning myself andbasically said, 'Okay, I'll drive.'"

They recorded over a period of a year, and although Garth soon regained his
confidence, Allen Reynolds (producer) continued in the driver's seat. "That's what I love about him," Garth says. "He didn't back off what he'd started. He brought me songs that were more 'me' than some I'd written myself. He pushed for fourteen songs and the sequence you hear now."

Listening to Garth Brooks and Allen Reynolds talk music somehow makes the GB sales phenomenon all the more enthralling. Ego is always checked at the door at a Garth Brooks session. It's strictly about songs, musicians and a love for what is being created. The man has always been about the music, and the music brought the man success as few have ever experienced.

Just look at the album statistics: His debut album, Garth Brooks, released in 1989,was the biggest selling country album of the 1980's. His sophomore outing, No Fences, is the biggest selling country album of all time. Ropin' The Wind was the third biggest, and the first album to debut at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 Album chart and the Billboard Country Album Chart. The Chase and In Pieces both entered the pop and country charts at No. 1. And Sevens made history before it was even released. The debut single, "Long Neck Bottle," became the only single to be added by every Radio & Records reporting station on the day of its release."Long Neck Bottle" debuted in the R&R chart at No. 10, the highest single debut in its history.

Garth has made four NBC specials, all of which were overwhelming ratings
successes. The first special, This Is Garth Brooks, was filmed at Dallas' Reunion Arena in September 1991. This Is Garth Brooks, Too! was filmed over the course of three sold-out shows at Texas Stadium in Dallas in 1993, and that show gave NBC its first time period win among adults (18-49) since August 1992. When The Hits aired in January of 1995, it gave NBC its best adult rating in that time slot since January 19, 1994. The behind-the-scenes documentary, Tryin' To Rope The World, featured never-before seen footage of Garth's first European/Australian tour in 1994.

In December of 1996, VH1 premiered Garth Brooks: Storytellers, as part of its critically acclaimed singer/songwriter series. This intimate look into Garth and his music doubled the ratings of shows featuring rock stars including Sting, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello and Melissa Etheridge.

Garth--Live From Central Park, first aired on August 7, 1997. The spectacular was the most watched and highest rated original program on HBO in 1997, beating all broadcast competition in the time period as well as three of the four networks combined! The 1997 Super Bowl did not do as well. Based on HBO average ratings, Garth--Live From Central Park was the most watched special on cable television in 1997.

Along with the sales came awards including a Grammy, 11 American Music
Awards, 10 Country Music Association Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music
Awards, five World Music Awards, and eight People's Choice Awards, including Favorite Male Musical Performer for the past six years. He was named Artist of the '90s at the 1997 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.

Given the past eight years of sales, awards and concert tickets, there's no doubt that the numbers connected to Garth Brooks are formidable. But make no mistake about this: in 1997 the one number that counts is Sevens.

Source

Garth Brooks

2008-02-18T08:34:00.001-08:00

Keyshia Cole

2008-02-18T08:26:00.000-08:00

Just Like You

I Just Want It To Be Over (Feat Alicia Keys)

Keyshia Cole is the real deal. Like many young people raised in a tough neighborhood, the 21-year-old songstress endured a tumultuous childhood in Oakland, California, and has fought all her life to keep her dream of a music career alive. Now she's realizing that dream on her own terms with her first album for the A&M label, The Way It Is. It's been a long road for Keyshia, but it's her powerful voice-- a bell-like instrument whose soaring clarity is topped off with a tantalizing touch of soulful grit -- that's carried her through, not to mention the diminutive singer's personal combination of sugar, spice, sass and sex appeal, along with a solid-steel spine.

"Being young, you have to be really dedicated to doing it for yourself," says Keyshia, who co-wrote most of the songs on her new CD and cites artists like Mary J. Blige and Brandy as inspirations. "There's a lot of trials and tribulations you have to go through to get what you want, especially if you feel like it belongs to you."

Keyshia's talent, personality, and faith have won her fans and supporters within the notoriously picky entertainment industry since she was a young girl. While still a pre-teen she convinced then-superstar MC Hammer that he should put her on, and she even got a chance to do some recording with the rap star before she was 12 years old. She also scored sessions singing hooks with other Bay Area artists, including Messy Marv's "Nubian Queen" remix, which was a regional hit for the rapper, and with Tony Toni Tone's Dwayne Wiggins, who featured her on his soundtrack for the indie film Me & Mrs. Jones.

Within minutes of catching her boyfriend cheating, Keyshia was in her car driving to Los Angeles in the middle of the night to start a brand-new life. It only took the determined singer a few months of making connections to snag an introduction to A&M Records President Ron Fair, who immediately signed her to her first solo recording deal. For her first album, Keyshia has garnered the support of none other than reigning hip-hop star Kanye West; producer and songwriter DaRon of R&B group 112; rapper Chink Santana, whose gruff stylings have graced hits by Ashanti and The Inc.; and popular producer E-Poppi. She also got a chance this past Spring to collaborate with Eve for her debut single, "Never," on the Barbershop 2 soundtrack.

So what's everybody raving about? Check Keyshia's first single with West, "I Changed My Mind." The tune is a perfect fit for Keyshia's longing soprano and her distinct stance as a performer: Like many young women, she's looking for love, but she's not so desirous of romance that she'll sacrifice her own needs. Having been devoted to her man, she quickly realized that he is devoted to himself. What's a girl to do? She simply changes her mind about being involved and walks away.

Keyshia easily admits that the song reflects her romantic philosophy. "That song was actually about being focused and dedicated to what you want and what you're trying to be. It's about the things you're trying to accomplish in life and dealing with somebody, a significant other, who comes in between that, especially with their ways. I want to be an example for young girls in following your goals and dreams and making it happen and checking him out later if you have to."

A twist on that philosophy is on display in "I Should've Cheated," which was crafted by DuRon, a producer whose songs Keyshia admired so much she chased him down in Atlanta to work with him. On the track, Keyshia sings of being a devoted girlfriend who is constantly accused of cheating by her man. It seems that two can play that game, and Keyshia has no trouble letting Mr. Suspicious know what's up. "That song has a lot of emotion, because I feel every girl and every guy can relate to that," she says. "If somebody is doing you wrong or saying that you're doing something and you're being the best that you can be in the relationship, then you get home and they're like 'Where you been?' "Well, where I could have been is ...' Don't start! It could get real ugly."

At the same time, Keyshia's songcraft reveals that the plucky artist isn't afraid to let a man know she's interested. On the flowing "We Could Be," she fearlessly lays out all a former friendship could blossom into. On the mid-tempo "Down N Dirty," she has no trouble expressing what she'd like to do, while on the spare, deep groove "Talk To Me," co-written by singer Mya, Keyshia lets a guy know that his seeming disinterest is just a front. And Chink Santana lends his gritty rhyming skills to "Situations," another love song with a twist.

On the feel-good, old-school-styled ballad "Love," Keyshia's powerful vocal intensifies a straight-ahead plea to the object of her affection, who's involved with someone else. It was a real-life situation that compelled Keyshia, who admits ballads are not her favorite style, to come up with the lyrics to "Love" in five minutes flat. At a Malibu restaurant, she spied the same guy who years earlier had told her he wasn't interested in a committed relationship with her dining with his girlfriend. "So I was looking at the girl and I was like, 'What is it about her? You know, like seriously, what are you thinking?'" Keyshia remembers. "And I just wrote about it, it came out really quick." She immediately headed into the studio with producer Greg Curtis: "After I wrote the song, I went to the studio about 4 in the morning, and by 5 or 6 I was done with the song and that's what you hear."

Ms. Cole even applies her keep-it-real aesthetic to the tune "You've Changed," in which she takes on none other than Jay-Z for the lyrics to his tune "Song Cry." The tune is from the point of view of a neglected wife who's had enough.

The realities surrounding where she was raised and the hurdles she overcame are never far from her mind. She says she recorded the tune "Streets Is A Mothafucka" because the lyrics reflected some true-to-life scenarios, including crime, drugs, and the hustles that come with survival. "It's just different things that we see in the 'hood that we never see in Hollywood. I liked the contents of the song, because I felt like no girls talked about it," she says.

A self-described "hard worker" who can sometimes be "goofy" and "fun" yet says she would never kiss a guy she doesn't know for a video, Keyshia is passionate about providing inspiration to young girls, and young people in general, who come from troubled backgrounds. "I want to be an example for young people, especially growing up in the 'hood, because it's already hard enough to not be focused, not to be trying, to be doing something," she says, adding that hope and faith and holding on to a dream can carry anyone far. The tattoo on her right shoulder -- a cross, a heart, and a star-- truly reflects her belief that goals can be realized, despite the circumstances. "It's really possible," she says with a grin. And those are her thoughts -- just the way it is.

Source

Keyshia Cole

2008-02-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

Lenny Kravitz

2008-02-17T01:07:00.000-08:00

Is there Any Love In Your Heart

Love, Love, Love

"This record has a very tough attitude," asserts the creator of the densely textured sound that roars from these tracks like a sustained act of spontaneous generation. "I like extremes and contrast and I let myself reach that edge, stripping everything back to the essentials and taking a very direct path. Nothing's wasted. Nothing's unnecessary."

Recorded primarily in early 2001 at his new state-of-the-art Roxie Studios in Miami, Lenny captures that creative energy in full flower, with assured, unfettered performances and production illuminating his passionate points of view. "There's a definite theme that unites these songs," Lenny Kravitz reveals. "It's about being positive, about moving forward and seizing the day. I'm very optimistic and that's a great place to be."

It certainly is. Three years ago, the release of the album 5 catapulted Kravitz to the front ranks of rock and roll's prime movers, consolidating a lifetime of music-making into a furious burst of creativity that included the breakthrough hit "I Belong To You," and double Grammy-winning follow-ups, "Fly Away" and "American Woman."

Effortlessly assuming the superstar mantle, Kravitz paused long enough to release a greatest hits collection that sold upwards of eight million copies worldwide and spawned his third consecutive Grammy for the newly cut "Again" (a track originally slated for Lenny). Yet even while putting the finishing touches on the Greatest Hits package, Kravitz was already assembling the elements of his next project. "I've got a place in the Bahamas," he explains, "just a beachfront shack on an island with no distractions, where I started writing. After I got about three or four songs, I went into the studio. I never write a whole album before I start recording. A big part of what I do is discovering the direction as I go. I let the tracks take their own shape, not dictated by my ego. The music will always tell you what's going on, where it's heading and when it gets there. All you've got to do is listen."

Kravitz was obviously listening. He built a seamlessly integrated sound from the ground up. "It takes a lot of experimentation, a lot of trial and error and a lot of patience," he allows. "As you add one element after the other, the dynamics of the music changes and what sounds great the first time you lay it down may not hold up when you add another layer. The way I work is to get each part in place as I go. One day I might do a bass or drums or guitar. I'll mix, balance and EQ it, then move on. I'm mixing as I go, making it work step by step. I don't believe in fixing it in the mix. If it doesn't work now, it's not going to work later."

In marked contrast to all this exacting sonic science is the resulting breathtaking intimacy and immediacy. Lenny accomplishes the seemingly impossible goal of sounding virtually live, as if one extraordinarily ambidextrous individual is playing it all, and all at the same time. "If you turn it up, it becomes like a wall of sound coming down on top of you," Kravitz elaborates. "What I wanted to achieve was one big sound, a musical collage made up of many parts that all come together as a whole. Of course," he adds with typical understatement, "trying to do that by yourself makes it harder."

His astonishing feat of self-expression makes it hard to imagine anyone else intruding. With Lenny, Kravitz creates a vast aural canvas on which he renders a strikingly personal, unfailingly honest and completely authentic lyrical landscape. The sentiments expressed in such standout tracks as "Yesterday Is Gone" and "Dig In" ring with the resonance of hard won truth, a spiritual wisdom that never preaches but persuades by example. The flash and roar igniting "Battlefield Of Love" and "Bank Robber Man" (based on the artist's well-publicized run-in with Miami police) convincingly underscore his mastery of real rock and roll's supercharged elements, while such key cuts as "Believe In Me," "Pay To Play" and "If I Could Fall In Love" are examples of a songwriting skill at the peak of its expressive powers.

At the same time, Lenny is laced with songs that can only be described in their own terms. On "You Were In My Heart" the artist conveys a truth all the more poignant for being familiar to anyone who has ever honestly searched themselves. "A Million Miles Away" offers unflinching insights into isolation, while the album's stunning closer, "Let's Get High," is a genuinely transcendent experience in both style and substance.

"It's about eliminating all exterior distractions," Lenny Kravitz explains of another album highlight, "Stillness Of Heart." "It's about making peace with yourself, about being enough. People feel inadequate unless they're validated by things like money or status. But, at the end of the day, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and deal with that person."

On Lenny, this gifted and intuitive artist has searched himself, taken the full measure of his life and art, and found music that reflects a brilliant light. The album has already taken Kravitz to new heights with the artist winning his fourth record breaking Grammy Award in the "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance" category for the single, "Dig In." With previous awards for "Again," "American Woman" and "Fly Away," never before in Grammy history has an artist won four consecutive awards in this category. Kravitz also was honored this year to receive his first American Music Award for Favorite Male Artist (Pop/Rock).

In an era of music where careers have become very disposable, Kravitz's remarkable decade-plus career is only beginning with his first world tour in 3 years, scheduled to kick off in Japan on April 9th.

Source

Lenny Kravitz

2008-02-17T00:59:00.000-08:00

Sheryl Crow

2008-02-17T00:52:00.000-08:00

The First Cut Is The Deepest

I Shall Believe

Sheryl Crow was born on February 11, 1962 in Kennett, Missouri to a family immersed in music. Her father Wendell Crow played trumpet in swing bands before becoming a lawyer, and her mother Bernice taught piano. Sheryl began piano lessons at age 5, and growing up on the music of artists such as Christine McVie, Elton John, and Bob Dylan, she composed her first song at age 13. She went on to major in music at the University of Missouri in Columbia, and while there, she became part of a rock cover band named Cashmere. After graduating, Sheryl taught music to autistic children for two years at a St. Louis elementary school, and has since been an advocate of Save the Music, a program that supports the teaching of music in schools.

Sheryl's career as a professional singer/songwriter has its roots in hard work and perseverance. She began by moving to Los Angeles in 1986, where she worked as a waitress and searched for music gigs in her free time. Eventually, she managed to get work singing for several commercial spots, including a McDonald's jingle. Around this time, she auditioned as a backup singer for Michael Jackson, and impressed his camp enough to be accepted onto the two year Bad world tour.

Following the end of Jackson's tour in 1989, Sheryl suffered a six month bout with depression. Her music career managed to survive through this tumultuous time, and she got more work doing backup vocals for Sting, Foreigner, Stevie Wonder, and Rod Stewart, as well as for Don Henley on the End of the Innocence tour. Meanwhile, she continued to write songs, some of which were recorded by the likes of Celine Dion, Wynonna Judd, and Eric Clapton.

Around this time, producer Hugh Padgham was impressed with Sheryl enough to present her demo to the now-defunct A&M Records. She was quickly signed to the label. Padgham squeezed a largely commercial record from her--one that did not do justice to her true talents--but A&M chose not to release it. Sheryl's boyfriend at the time, Kevin Gilbert, attempted to remix the album in 1991, but it never came to light. He eventually presented the demos to Bill Bottrell, an engineer and producer with a studio in Pasadena. Gilbert, Bottrell, singer/songwriter David Baerwald, and a few other musicians soon began holding jam sessions at local clubs on Tuesday night, and when Sheryl was invited to join in, the infamous Tuesday Night Music Club was born.

During these sessions, the band developed several songs that made it onto Sheryl's debut album, including the breakthrough hit Leaving Las Vegas. The title of the song was borrowed from a novel by John O'Brien, who was friends with Baerwald. The novel later became the framework for the movie of the same title starring Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue.

Sheryl's debut album Tuesday Night Music Club was released in the fall of 1993. In early 1994, it began climbing the charts, fueled by the success of the single "Leaving Las Vegas." In March 1994, Sheryl performed the song on The Late Show with David Letterman. When asked if the song was autobiographical, she offhandedly said that it was. Her bandmates took the comment as a dismissal of their contributions, and animosity formed between them. Baerwald refused to forgive Sheryl for the comment. Although not a direct cause, the scenario marked the beginning of a tragic era in Sheryl's personal life. Her band would eventually part ways. O'Brien shot himself shortly after the Late Show performance, and in May 1996, Gilbert would be found dead of autoerotic asphyxiation.

Perhaps caught up in the mania that surrounded the infectious pop-single All I Wanna Do, the work on Tuesday Night Music Club earned Sheryl a slew of awards. At the 37th Annual Grammy Awards in 1995, "All I Wanna Do" won Record of the Year, the first time the award had been scooped up by a newcomer in years. Sheryl also won Best Female Pop Vocal for the song, as well as Best New Artist. The album has sold over 6 million copies. Singer Liz Phair cited it as one of her favorite albums of the year, and Entertainment Weekly named Sheryl Rookie of the Year. She toured behind the album feverishly, signing onto the H.O.R.D.E. festival tour and Woodstock '94. She also performed at the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, a gig she shared with the Eagles.

In 1995, Sheryl and Bottrell began work on her second album, but bad feelings were strangling the project. Eager for an escape, the two relocated to New Orleans. But the problems were not left behind in Los Angeles. Almost immediately, the two split up. Bottrell abandoned the project, leaving Sheryl to produce the album herself.

In the fall of 1996, Sheryl's self-titled second album was released, and immediately spawned the hit single If It Makes You Happy. The album, almost exclusively the work of Sheryl alone, was met with critical success and put to rest the debate over her personal music skills. The sophomore effort was also the focus of controversy because of a lyric in the song Love Is A Good Thing. The lines "Watch out sister/Watch out brother/Watch our children as they kill each other/With a gun they bought at Wal-Mart Discount Store" caused the nation's largest retailer to pull the album from their shelves. Although the move cost Sheryl an estimated 500,000 units of sales, A&M Records stood behind her decision to leave the lyric unchanged. Sheryl has said that the song is an observation of America's problems and not a direct attack on Wal-Mart. For the record, however, guns are indeed a part of the chain's inventory.

Sheryl's second album garnered its fair share of awards, although with less fanfare than her debut album. At the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997, Sheryl took home Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "If It Makes You Happy" and Best Rock Album. Later that year, she released the title track for the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies starring Pierce Brosnan. It would later be nominated for another Grammy for Best Song from a Motion Picture.

In 1998, Sheryl's third album, The Globe Sessions, was released. Spawning the moody first single My Favorite Mistake, the album won the approval of fans and critics alike. It was nominated for Best Album and Best Rock Album in 1999 for the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, and Sheryl was nominated for Best Producer of the Year, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for There Goes the Neighborhood, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "My Favorite Mistake." When all was said and done, she took home the Grammy for Best Rock Album of the year.

In 1999, the album Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live in Central Park was released for the holiday season. The album features Sheryl performing duets with artists including The Dixie Chicks, Stevie Nicks, Eric Clapton, Lilith Fair collaborator Sarah McLachlan, and more.

Sheryl's work has also appeared on many motion picture soundtracks, including Hope Floats, Boys on the Side, Message in a Bottle, The Faculty, and Practical Magic, on which she performs with Stevie Nicks. She has also contributed to the Led Zeppelin and Carpenters tribute albums.

Source

Sheryl Crow

2008-02-17T00:46:00.000-08:00

Jack Johnson

2008-02-17T00:37:00.000-08:00

Sexy Plexy

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

Jack Hody Johnson was born in 1975, near Haleiwa, on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Being the son to a famous surfer throughout the islands Jeff Johnson naturally led to an interest in surfing at a young age, having practically learned to surf as he learned to walk, the man has grown up on his board. He eventually became a champion surfer who scored a sponsorship with Quicksilver and who seemed to be heading towards the professional route.

Jack began surfing the universally revered and feared Pipeline at age 10. By 17, he made the finals at the Pipe trials, becoming the youngest invitee ever to do so at the world's most prestigious surfing event. Unfortunately, Jack suffered a near death experience at age 17 after crashing his body into the reef during the Pipeline Masters.

While recovering, he pursued his interest in filmmaking and soon became a surf film director, photographer, producer and score composer. Though he received much praise for his surf cinema documentary, Thicker Than Water (1999) and also a follow-up surf flick called The September Sessions (2000) which won The Surfer Magazine Poll award for best film of the year.

Jack Johnson also began writing songs during his college years, having played the guitar since 14 and being brought up with influences such as Nick Drake, Ben Harper, the Beatles, Bob Marley, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and A Tribe Called Quest.

One day G. Love was introduced to Jack for a day of surfing and ended up recording Jack’s song “Rodeo Clowns” for his last album Philadelphonic. It became the first single from the album and Jack sang and played on the track.

His four-track demo caught the ears of Ben Harper's producer and right hand man, J.P. Plunier, who worked with Jack on his debut album Brushfire Fairytales in early 2001 with Harper and his lap steel guitar making a guest appearance.

Jack Johnson's newst cd, On And On was produced by Mario Caldato Jr. It was recorded in his native island of Hawaii, carrying the same carefree aloha spirit that graces his debut album and showing that rock stardom has yet to change this wave-riding island boy. On And On also features the same line up from his debut with Adam Topol on drums/percussion, Merlo Podlewski on bass, and none other than Jack Johnson on vocals and guitar.

Source

Jack Johnson

2008-02-17T00:32:00.000-08:00

Hillary Duff

2008-02-14T02:37:00.000-08:00

Come Clean

Wake Up!

Life is sweet – and getting even sweeter – for the pop world's favorite girl-next-door. Sure, Hilary Duff starred in a monstrously huge TV show but that's, like, so yesterday 'cause Hilary's exercising her right to change her mind and act her age. No more trying to fit a circle into a square. With her first real pop-rock album, Metamorphosis, and the #1 single "So Yesterday," Hilary is finally free to be who she wants to be.

"Change is a very important and natural thing," says Hilary. "We called the album Metamorphosis because it's about changes that everybody experiences. It's not just about me, but it is very personal. The change might seem a little sudden because most people are used to seeing me as a character through Lizzie McGuire and movie roles that I played. So this music is a good way to get everyone to know the real me. Everyone evolves and changes."

A triple-threat talent, Hilary has become a music, film and television phenomenon thanks to an unbroken string of hits that began with her starring role in the Disney Channel Original Series Lizzie McGuire, the record-breaking #1 show in its timeslot. Hilary made her singing debut on that hit sit-com, lending her fresh vocals and sunny style to "I Can’t Wait" from the RIAA-certified platinum Lizzie McGuire Television Soundtrack. In her motion picture debut, Hilary co-starred with Frankie Muniz in this summer's action-adventure hit Agent Cody Banks. Next came singing and starring roles in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, in which Hilary played – prophetically enough – an American tourist mistaken for a huge singing star.

Proving that life imitates art, Hilary’s singing career is exploding on Top 40 radio, MTV and Top 200 retail charts. Metamorphosis – her amazingly appealing debut solo album of 13 songs – shipped well in excess of gold with 800,000 copies on August 26, 2003 and charted #2 on the Billboard 200 its first week of release. Its debut single, "So Yesterday," became an instant #1 retail hit at Walmart.com, and stormed the pop singles charts on July 29, hitting the #1 spot after quickly making top-request waves at national Top 40 radio and on MTV’s signature program "Total Request Live," where Hilary's "Why Not" music video (from the RIAA-certified platinum The Lizzie McGuire Movie Soundtrack) had already been a Top 10 staple for months.

MTV also hosted a prestigious premiere for the "So Yesterday" music video on its July 21 presentations of Making The Video and TRL All-Star Backyard BBQ and featured Hilary in MTV Diary. Duff recently was a presenter at both the MTV Video Music Awards and the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, where she accepted the trophy for "Favorite TV Show" on behalf of Lizzie McGuire. And although there’s not one molecule of space left for another top award her shelf, "So Yesterday" has become the #1 most-streamed video on AOL.

"I’ve always sung, ever since I could talk," says Hilary. "At home, at school, in the choir, everywhere. But about two years ago I decided to be a real singer, and started working with really cool singers, musicians and songwriters. Best of all, I started working in the studio, experimenting and putting material together. I’ve really fallen in love with the studio. I just know that a lot of my fans relate to the album."

What kind of music can fans expect from Hilary on Metamorphosis? A chameleon-like variety of changing moods, from the romantic ballad "Where Did I Go Right?" to the ultimate break up song, "So Yesterday." From the tough-talkin' "Party Up" to the hard rockin' "Little Voice."

"The music on the album is a little different from the pop songs everyone’s heard from me before, because Metamorphosis has all the kinds of music I like to listen to," Hilary explains. "There are a lot of different sounds, from rock to eletronic – with a whole range of tempos from some deep, slow songs, to some high-energy rock songs to give me a boost. Everybody goes through different moods and different feelings and sometimes when you put on your favorite song it makes you feel a little bit better."

The 13 pop-rock songs on Metamorphosis were produced, arranged, written and mixed by the very best in the business. The album’s behind-the-scenes-talent includes Charlie Midnight (Joe Cocker, James Brown, Joni Mitchell) who contributed to nine tracks; The Matrix (Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera), the producing masterminds behind "So Yesterday," "Where Did I Go Right?" and "The Math"; Chico Bennett (Madonna, Usher, Destiny’s Child); Matthew Gerrard (Nick Carter); John Shanks (Michelle Branch); Kara DioGuardi (Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias); singer-songwriter-producer Meredith Brooks; plus some of the best pop-rock musicians anywhere.

"Can I tell you how awesome everyone’s been to work with? They are the very best writers and producers and musicians ever, and they’ve been so open to my opinions," Hilary says. "It was important to me that all the songs we recorded really meant something special to me personally. I got to talk with some of the writers and say, 'You know, I feel like this . . .' and they really got it, which is so cool. I loved the whole process. It’s so exciting. I love that the whole album really relates to me and my life."

Two songs were special contributions from Hilary’s number one idol: her talented big sister, Haylie Duff. "Since she knows me better than anyone else in the world, Haylie wrote 'Sweet Sixteen,' a really fun song that totally relates to my life right now. She also came up with 'Inner Strength' and it's really beautiful. Very empowering and uplifting."

Speaking of idols, here's what another one has to say: "Hilary is just completely a light to the world," no less an authority than Britney Spears told Popstar! magazine. "So beautiful and so incredibly sweet. Her music is amazing . . . she should just be herself and never change."

It's difficult to comprehend all that Hilary Duff has accomplished in the past few years. Prior to Metamorphosis, Hilary had already sold 2.2 million albums, spent six weeks in the Billboard Top 10 and earned two platinum album awards. She has starred in one #1 television series, two hit movies, and has already made two more major films (20th Century Fox’s Cheaper By The Dozen with Steve Martin, and Warner Bros.' A Cinderella Story) to be released later this year. Plus, not one but two television specials will honor the big day she turns "Sweet Sixteen."

Not bad for someone who really just wants her driver's license.

Source

Hillary Duff

2008-02-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Carrie Underwood

2008-02-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

Before He Cheats

Jesus Take The Wheel

Parents are Steve & Carole Underwood of Checotah. Carol is a retired school teacher from Checotah public school. Steve retired from an industrial plant and has cattle.

Carrie graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 as Salutatorian of her class. She also has 2 older sisters.

Carrie has sang in Checotah for Old Settlers Day, Lion's Club, and church starting at a young age.

Carrie plays the guitar and piano and is also a senior at Northeastern State College, Tahlequah, majoring in mass communication, she left school to compete for the American Idol, but plans to pursue her degree. She is a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority.

Carrie's first single will be released in June of this year.

Carrie will perform with the show "American Idols Live!" with other contestants as it tours the United States and Canada starting in July in Florida. Oklahoma's performance will be at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Ok. August 10.

Carrie is busy making the talk show rounds such as Entertainment Tonight, Inside Addition, Larry King, Regis, and others.

Carrie was presented a new red Mustang convertible and the use of a private jet for a year.

Carrie has a relaxed manner and country charm that captured the hearts of the judges, the voting public, and the world.

Old Biography:
-----------------

Carrie Underwood started singing in public when she was a small child and made her first studio recording at age 13. Carrie has peformed many festivals in a few states, trying to get her record career started.

Carrie has performed at numerous festivals and various other shows in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, & Tennessee and has been the opening act for "Diamond Rio", "The Wilkinson's", "Exile", " "Gene Watson," Billy Hoffman" and "Earl Thomas Conley". She is a member of First Freewill Baptist Church and yes she sings in the choir. She was aHonor Student at Checotah High School in Checotah, Oklahoma .She is also a member of The National Honor Society. She spent a summer as a page for Oklahoma State Representative Bobby Frame.

Carrie lives the typical life her parents and her dog Blondie a Cocker Spaniel. She has 2 older sisters Shanna and Stephanie. Her family raises cattle but Carrie wont eat beef because she may be eating one of her pets. Carrie is a big sports fan and played softball for 8 years before it took a back seat to music. She is a DALLAS COWBOY AND Troy Aikman Fan.

Source

Carrie Underwood

2008-02-04T07:43:00.001-08:00

Sara Bareilles

2008-02-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

Her sound has been described as everything from Norah Jones to Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple to Alicia Keyes. It is tempting to make comparisons but she's much more than a carbon copy. In fact, she is anything but. Influenced by soul, jazz, rock, and pop-her writing is bold, honest, and edgy. Intelligent, unpredictable lyrics and melodies delivered courtesy of a truly soulful and powerful voice, Sara's music is something that definitely sets her apart.

Sara sang and performed in her native Humboldt County community productions and high school ensembles, but has no formal training in either voice or piano. Much of her adolescence was spent perched in front of a worn piano teaching herself chords and scribbling out simple melodies and lyrics. Though her first compositions "Star Sweeper" and "I love a Parade" didn't win her any Grammies they remain testimony to the fact that songwriting has been a passion of this 25 year-old since a young age. Over the years, those early compositions have grown into songs that are currently heard in independent films, television, and on local radio. The first performances seen only by the walls of the house she grew up in are now experienced by hundreds of people at a time.

A graduate of UCLA's Communication Studies Department, Sara has spent the last three of her seven years in Los Angeles developing her skills as a songwriter, vocalist and performer. She can currently be seen performing at local venues, festivals, and universities on a regular basis. In 2003, she co-produced her first independent studio demo, "Careful Confessions." She exhibits an insatiable thirst to challenge herself and find new ways to tap into her own creativity. "This recording was a milestone for me, and a lesson in understanding the relationship between being in creative control and knowing exactly what you want. I was very humbled by my own lack of confidence and vision. It made me crave a better understanding of my own music, and what I love about the music from my favorite artists. It made me realize the role of a producer and my own capacity to fulfill that role. The whole experience was very powerful, and the final product is a tangible piece of my learning process. I'm nowhere near being finished. Now, I want to do it all over again."

In April 2005, Sara signed a record deal with Epic Records. She is fast approaching the next level in her career, and she is thrilled, but has reservations about trying to find her niche within the music industry. While her pursuit of a career in music was never really in question, Sara is finding difficulty in deciphering where her path leads now. "I know where I want to go. I guess I'm just becoming more aware of the millions of different ways to get there. I'm struggling to find my identity as an artist in an industry that seems to punish you for needing time to figure it out. I'm going after my career goals in a way that makes me feel confident in the decisions I'm making and allows the music to speak for itself. If I achieve a more modest level of exposure because of this, so be it. It's about the music. End of story."

Source

Sara Bareilles

2008-02-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Chris Daughtry

2008-02-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

It's Not Over

Wanted Dead Or Alive

Christina Aguilera

2008-02-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hurt

Tell Me (Feat Puff Diddy)

Ain't No Other an

In the two years from the day that she burst onto the world musical landscape, Christina Aguilera has scored four #1 smash hit singles, watched sales of her chart-topping RCA debut album surpass the 12 million mark worldwide (23 million CDs and singles total sold to date), headlined the Super Bowl Half-Time Show, performed for the President, and to top it all off, took home two Grammys including one for Best New Artist, headlined a mammoth 2000 international tour, released a Spanish language album, and a holiday album of seasonal favorites. Christina Aguilera continues to provide evidence that she is the premier musical voice of her generation.

Christina first began performing at age six in school talent shows and became known as the 'little girl with a big voice.' At age eight, she appeared on the nationally syndicated 'Star Search,' using her runner-up winnings to buy a portable sound system so she could sing in the park. By the time she was 10, Christina was singing the National Anthem for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins. And then, at twelve, she joined the ensemble cast of 'The New Mickey Mouse Club,' appearing on the Orlando-based show along with future stars Britney Spears, J.C. and Justin of 'N Sync, and Keri Russell of 'Felicity.' After two years, the show ended and Christina got the opportunity to travel overseas to further hone her musical skills. In 1997, Christina performed in places as far flung as Tokyo, Japan (where she released a single with Keizo Nakanishi called 'All I Wanna Do') and Brasov, Romania, but always with her eye on the same goal. 'I always wanted to have my own album recorded and released before I graduated high sc

hool,' says Christina. She certainly took quick strides toward that goal.

In early 1998, after finishing some demos and shopping for a record deal, Christina auditioned to sing 'Reflection' for Disney's animated film 'Mulan.' The filmmakers needed someone 'who could hit a high E above middle C,' according to Christina, who then cut a one-take demo in her living room singing to a karaoke tape of Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Run To You.' The demo was rushed to Disney, and within a day, Christina was in a Los Angeles studio recording 'Reflection.' That same week, RCA Records signed her to a record contract. 'Mulan' premiered in June 1998, and 'Reflection' turned into a Top 15 A/C single, with Christina performing it live on 'CBS This Morning' and the 'Donnie & Marie Show.' 'Working on the 'Mulan' project was so unbelievable,' Christina said in June 1998. 'I seriously thought I wouldn't get the job because the song was so difficult. It's so cool to hear your voice in a theater.' The single went on to garner a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture and Christin

a the attention of some of the best writers and producers in the industry.

On her self-titled debut album for RCA, those writers and producers helped Christina showcase her special talents. 'I was thrilled to work with so many great writers and producers on my album," says Christina. 'What A Girl Wants' was produced by Guy Roche (Brandy, Cher, Dru Hill, Aaliyah, K-Ci & Jo Jo), 'Genie In A Bottle' was produced by ex-System member David Frank and Steve Kipner, and 'Blessed' was penned and produced by Travon Potts (co-writer of Monica's chart topping 'Angel of Mine'). Meanwhile, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers ('N Sync, Boyzone, Brand New Heavies) contributed a pair of tracks, the soul-flavored 'Love For All Seasons' and the rousing 'Love Will Find A Way.' Christina is particularly proud of the album's ballads, such as the Matthew Wilder-produced 'Reflection,' and 'Obvious' written by newcomer Heather Holly, and of course, master tunesmith Diane Warren's smash 'I Turn To You.'

Christina Aguilera's breakthrough year in '99 began with her first #1 single 'Genie In A Bottle,' which stayed atop the charts for five consecutive weeks and rocketed the album to #1 upon its release in August 1999. The follow-up single 'What A Girl Wants' reached the coveted first Billboard Hot 100 #1 slot of 2000 (the first #1 hit of the new millenium) and helped to push the album into platinum territory many times over ('Come On Over Baby' became the third #1 from the album later in 2000).

Among other honors, along with stars like Jodie Foster and Aretha Franklin, Christina was named one of the most fascinating women of 1999 on the 'Ladies Home Journal' CBS-TV special earlier this year. Christina also won 1999's Best New Artist at this year's ALMA Awards, the annual event honoring the best in entertainment from the Hispanic-American community. She graced the covers of many national magazines, including Entertainment Weekly, Teen People and Latina and performed as a musical guest on 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show,' and was the only female guest performer on VHI's 'Men Strike Back.' She also performed on other TV specials such as 'The Essence Awards,' 'Disney Summer Jams,' and 'People Magazines's 25 Hottest Stars Under 25.'

Other highlights for Christina over 1999 included a duet with blues legend BB King and a solo performance of 'The Christmas Song' for President Clinton on TNT's 'Christmas at the White House' TV special. This led to the President asking Christina to sing the first song on his televised Millenium special from Washington. Christina had to decline due to a prior commitment to perform from Times Square in New York on MTV's New Year's Eve broadcast.Christina's amazing new year of 2000 began with a great duet performance with Enrique Iglesias at the Super Bowl Half Time Show which also featured Phil Collins and Toni Braxton.

What made all her commercial success so much sweeter, were Christina's two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal performance. In February 2000, Christina's incredible ride to the top reached new heights as Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge and Sara McLaughlan announced that the Grammy for Best New Artist goes to - Christina Aguilera! 'It was an incredible shock for me,' Christina recalls of that amazing night. 'I was completely unprepared. My album had been out the least amount of time compared to everyone else, so I thought there was no way I'd win. But I was overwhelmed, shocked and overjoyed all at the same time.'

As for her national summer 2000 tour, co-sponsored by Sears and Levi's, Christina was equally enthusiastic. 'It was exciting to take my full band and my dancers out on the road,' she says, 'and giving the show an edgy, theatrical vibe. I was in on all the creative aspects of planning the show, of covering new ground, doing more blues, soul, and some spectacular choreography.'

Christina recorded a Spanish language album 'Mi Reflejo' released in fall 2000 and a seasonal album ready in time for the holidays. Said Christina, 'I've always been proud of my Ecuadoran heritage. Recording a Spanish album and working with a great producer like Rudy Perez, gave me a chance to explore my Latin side.' As for the Christmas album, Christina was excited about performing with a 70-piece orchestra and the opportunity to record both new and traditional holiday tracks. 'I did a duet with Dr. John on 'Merry Christmas Baby,' she notes, 'and several new pop Christmas songs with a real R&B edge.'

In March 2001, Christina collaborated with Ricky Martin on 'Nobody Wants To Be Lonely' that peaked at number 11 on Billboard charts, and became a worldwide international hit.

Christina also proved that she can work with other divas, as she did in the remake of 'Lady Marmalade,' from the 'Moulin Rouge' soundtrack which spent five weeks at #1. Teamed with Pink, Mya and Lil' Kim, their video took home the 2001 MTV Video Award for 'Best Video of the Year' (among many awards the record received). She also appeared on the All-Star Tribute remake of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On?,' with a star-studded cast including Bono and Nelly Furtado. She capped off an amazing 2001 by winning her second Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album for 'Mi Reflejo.'

Billboard Magazine recently wrote about her great prospects for a long future:

'Christina Aguilera's much anticipated sophomore album is likely to be a hit with the critics and crowds alike. Boasting an edgier sound and self-written lyrics, this CD should end comparisons between Aguilera and bubblegum queen Britney Spears.

It's been two years since the release of Aguilera's self-titled debut disc - which was home to #1 hits like 'Genie In A Bottle,' 'What A Girl Wants' and 'Come On Over Baby.' This former Mousketeer has risen to a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum pop powerhouse.

In the time since her entrance into the music world, Aguilera has proven successful in both the English and Latin fields. Aguilera has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry including BB King, Brian McKnight, Sting, Ricky Martin and most recently Pink, Mya and Lil Kim on their #1 smash 'Lady Marmalade.' Not bad for a 20-year old.

The outlook is very good for her newest record. She has expanded her horizons musically and gained new and excited fans. There's nowhere for this young and talented beauty to go except up.'

With fans ranging beyond the teen market, Christina has shown that this 'Genie in a Bottle' has been released - and is soaring.

'This (new) record is extremely personal,' Christina recently told Time magazine. 'It's so personal that I feel like people from my past will say 'Oh my God, she's singing this to me.' I have a lot of things to say and a lot of things to let out of me. I feel like I was very confined in that first record to be very pop-driven. I want to be a poet and have a chance to explore that and let people know what's really on my mind.'

Over all, Christina Aguilera is as overwhelmed as she is thrilled by her enormous success, but she remains reflective and grateful. 'It's been quite a roller-coaster ride,' she laughs, 'But I think I've grown and learned a lot about myself. In this business, it's often all about hype, record sales, and a crazy schedule of traveling, performances, and it can be easy to get lost in all that. But for me, the greatest thing is being able to interact with fans and touch peoples' lives. I know that's a greater accomplishment than selling records. For that I give thanks. I simply love the job I'm doing.'

Source

Christina Aguilera

2008-02-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

Justin Timberlake

2008-02-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

Like I Love You

Take It Fro Here

Girlfriend

Justin Randall Timberlake was born on 31th January 1981in Memphis,Tennessee. This musically historical place had already produced musical idols like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. This cute boy was given the nickname " Curly ". Justin gained his first stage experience through various talent shows. When he was twelve he was discovered at an audition for the " Mickey Mouse Club " kids show. He moved with his mother to Orlando, where he not only gained more showbiz experience but also got to know JC.

Curly is the natural comic in the group and he takes enormous pleasure in making others laugh. This skill is only aided by his ability to act goofily. As well as being an excellent dancer and talented musician Justin is also very sporty. His favourite sport is basketball but, because of his hectic schedule with 'N SYNC he has admittedly little time to devote to his hobby.

Advanced for his age, Justin is a purposeful and ambitious young man, who knows exactly what he wants. This must explain why, despite all the stress, he still has enough energy to successfully continue his schooling through a special correspondence course for young artists. His favourite subjects are maths and physics.

At the beginning of 'N SYNC's career, on those rare occasions when he made a mistake during the dance routines, this smart young man, being the perfectionist that he is, often reacted by pulling sweet, tormented faces. As frontman alongside JC, he carries a heavy load on his young ( albeit broad ) shoulders being the main focus for the cameras. His likeable, friendly smile has captured the hearts of the majority of 'N SYNC fans. Despite his great success Justin remains modest and can't quite come to terms with his effect on girls. He simply can't understand why the fans become speechless when he looks at them.

IDEAL WOMAN : " She definitely has to have a sense of humor. But she has to be intelligent. I want to be able to talk to her. I guess I want just an all - over picture. Everyone deserves the best and everyone has somebody out there for them. The first thing I notice is the way she presents herself and carriers herself. If she's confident, then she's true to herself, and that's something that attracts me to a girl. "

Source

Justin Timberlake

2008-02-03T06:09:00.001-08:00

Nelly Furtado

2008-02-03T05:57:00.000-08:00

Say It Right

Promiscuous Girl (Feat Timbaland)

"It was summertime and I was in the Azores, hanging around the small village my parents are from. I was looking out on this very rural setting, on a road going up a hill. There was an old man coming down the hill with a pitchfork on his shoulder. He was wearing gum boots, work pants and a Coca-Cola T-shirt. I saw that and thought, That’s my album!"

Quaint tales and obscure sayings and antique vases safely encased under museum glass are all nice relics of tradition. But the living history and customs of different cultures and different times seem, for singer Nelly Furtado, as rocking as a Camaro stereo blaring monster beats.

The timeless and cutting-edge comprise essential components of the energetic m?lange that has made Furtado one of pop music’s premier artists. This mix emerges with an explosive new simplicity and breadth on Folklore (set for release Nov. 25, 2003, on DreamWorks Records). The album is Furtado’s follow-up to her multiplatinum debut, Whoa, Nelly! It just shows how variously and hard the stuff on Folklore, as Nelly Furtado imagines it, can kick.

"This is the folklore of my mind," Furtado says. "The word often conjures up something old, but I’m kind of flipping its usual understanding. Folklore is something magical and mystical. I like that. But more than that, I think of it as a belief in origin. It’s people’s stories basically. Everybody everywhere has his or her own folklore. It can be light; it can be dark. And it doesn’t always have to come from the past. The historical part is not the point. Gossip about a celebrity? That’s modern folklore. The story of Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off a bat? That’s folklore as well."

Furtado showed up on the scene in the fall of 2000, 20 years old, with the release if her acclaimed debut, Whoa, Nelly! Radio tracks such as I’m Like A Bird and Turn Off The Light, both Top 10 hits on the Billboard singles charts, introduced listeners to a young Canadian, British Columbian by birth and Portuguese by heritage, who brought a self-styled vibrancy to the diverse musics she whipped together: hip-hop, Portuguese fado, pop, soul, classical, Brazilian, dance, folk, Latin and anything else that seemed expressive and alive to her.

Working with the production team of Track and Field (Gerald Eaton and Brian West) in Toronto, where she has lived since her late teens, Furtado struck fans and musicians as that extraordinary thing, a genuinely real and talented person. The songs she wrote and sang in her alert voice were about feelings old, new and futuristic; local and international; serious and daft; historic and chic; and the music was as inventively rhythmic as it was melodic. For all of this, Furtado and Whoa, Nelly! were recognized. Among slews of other citations and nominations, the Canadian Juno Awards named Furtado its Best New Solo Artist and Best Songwriter in 2001, and at the 2002 Grammy Awards, I’m Like A Bird won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Whoa, Nelly! remained a presence in the marketplace for two years, a lifetime by pop music standards. But as Folklore demonstrates, that was only the beginning. The new album’s songs produced by Track and Field and Furtado further develop the ideas and emotions that have long compelled Furtado. And with her ever-upbeat sense of fusion and generosity, and without sacrificing zing or immediacy, her music continues to ignore the stylistic restrictions that can leave pop music stale. One need look no further than first radio track Powerless (Say What You Want) for evidence of this.

Furtado (signed by DreamWorks A and R exec Beth Halper) began Folklore by making demos of the songs she had written while headlining shows across North America on her 2002 Burn In The Spotlight Tour. At first, she worked on her own. "But then at some point I went, ‘Hmm,’" Furtado says, "'I miss working with Track and Field.' Because I find that, when I work with them, my music comes together really quickly, very effortlessly. And it’s fun which, above all, music should be; if you’re not having fun there’s no point. So, we started working together in Santa Monica [Calif.] last spring."

Furtado realized that her new songs were somewhat different from her earlier material. "I think I’ve grown a lot," she says. "A lot of the songs on my first album, I was a teenager still; I was just kind of writing, writing away, and hadn’t experienced all that stuff. My first album was very aware of how I didn’t want to tour with a somber record. Therefore I recorded a happy, energetic record on purpose, because I didn’t think I was strong enough to go onstage and stand behind melancholic songs. I just wanted to share goodness and positivity and bright colours with the world. Now, I’m stepping back and understanding that I can do both; I can still be positive and yet really raw and real at the same time. In the past I’ve hidden behind a lot of metaphors. There’s always a veil in front of that. Now, it’s more like whoa, whoa, there’s nothing to hide behind. I’m far more comfortable in my skin, I suppose."

Musically Furtado remains as adventurous as ever, a product of hip-hop freedom who still likes the streamlined U.S. pop and gnarly guitar rock she grew up on. Yet she never allows those passions to close down her thirst for the reality of folk and the flair of international forms. The first song that ever swept her away was a tune by an earlier fusion-minded soul, Prince. The song was Power Fantastic, which Furtado encountered on a friend’s mix tape. "I had never heard anything like it," she remembers. "I think because it was so very lush and gorgeous, his voice. But at the same time, the level of emotion was high." Ultimately Furtado would go on to love the work of artists as different as Smashing Pumpkins and Jeff Buckley, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Caetano Veloso. (Veloso, along with banjoist Bela Fleck and the Kronos Quartet make guest appearances on Folklore.)

As the child of Portuguese parents who immigrated to Canada, Furtado has always heard these many genres through the prism of Portuguese folk and religious musics. "I look at music with a very open mind and really wide lens," she says. "When you don’t have any boundaries, you’re limitless, you can do anything because you have no bias. There’s a difference between having no bias and having no taste. You can navigate your way through all sorts of genres, which is what I like to do." Furtado’s career, as well as her music, amply demonstrates this.

In 2001 she sang on a remix of Missy Misdemeanor Elliot’s Get Ur Freak On, while in 2002 she recorded Fotografia, a duet with celebrated, Grammy-winning Colombian singer-guitarist Juanes, which hit #1 on the Latin charts.

For all her interests, Furtado remains as rooted in her Portuguese ancestry, and her intriguing thoughts and memories about her heritage animate Folklore. The church music she grew up with, for example, can function as a musical agent of transcendence. "I could be at my aunt’s barbecue," Furtado explains, "at her house, in her kitchen, making food, cooking chicken, drinking port wine. And someone will pull out a church book, a little songbook, and start singing. And I’ll just start singing. It becomes non-church, really, something that connects people to their homelands. I do believe that my melodic sensibility comes from growing up with all this great Portuguese folk church music. It’s weird. It’s just a melody and a lyric, but you feel as though you’re somewhere else when you hear it."

Her desire to fashion what she calls a post-folk record informed Furtado’s recent recording. "I really wanted to make a record that played on folk themes but was very modern at the same time," she says. "Folk is universal; it exists in every single country, every nation, every language, this idea of somebody picking up a guitar and singing about what’s around him or her. It’s spontaneous, real, down-to-earth, family-oriented. We’re playing with those themes, with taking folk instruments from all these different countries. That’s why we’ve included things like a banjo and accordion, trying to mix it up a bit."

"The goals of this collection," Furtado says, "crystallized in her mind when she was on vacation last year, spending time in The Azores, the Portuguese island group in the mid-Atlantic where her family originates.

I was visiting a grandparent of a friend of mine, an elderly woman," she recalls. "I was at her house, and she had all the beautiful old antique photos laid out on her cement terrace on the top of this hill. So, all these old photos were laid out on this cement table; all her things were outside the house. And it started to rain a bit, and she had all her clothing hanging on the clothesline. And on top of this beautiful hill, I could see the ocean below, and the hills over there. And in the distance, I heard a young person drive by with their booming system cranking techno music."

For Nelly Furtado, it all makes happy/sad, folky/hip-hoppy, weird/logical, hopeful kind of sense. "I would love to be described as a girl sitting on the porch," she says, "on a rocking chair singing to the wind. Kinda like a person on the street walking around, seeing what I see. I want to capture the wisdom of what I’ve learned from my ancestors, from my grandparents and all my heritage, going back to the old country. I would love to be seen as a woman, as a girl cackling at the world, but praying for it at the same time."

Source

Nelly Furtado

2008-02-03T05:52:00.001-08:00

Jay-Z

2008-02-03T05:37:00.001-08:00

AT millennium's end, the hottest rapper in pop music is Jay-Z. Since the release of his quadruple-platinum Vol. II … Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z has had an incredible string of urban radio hits: "Can I Get a …," "Hard Knock Life," "Jigga What, Jigga Who," "Money, Cash" … the list goes on and on. And unlike many of today's most popular rap artists, he built an extensive catalog of hits before making his mark on the charts and enjoys underground respectability as well as mainstream acceptance.

Longtime rap fans may remember Jay-Z as an associate of the Jaz, who had a minor hit in 1988 with "Hawaiian Sophie." Before that, he was Shawn Carter, a young man from Brooklyn's Marcy Projects. Though Carter was a promising student, his wild behavior led him to a vocational high school in Brooklyn, where he met future stars Christopher Wallace (the Notorious B.I.G.) and Trevor Smith (Busta Rhymes).

As a young MC, Jay-Z appeared on several underground mix tapes, and his work with the Jaz appeared promising. But with bills to pay, Jay-Z increasingly found himself mired in the criminal underworld, a life he had known since the age of 16. It wasn't until 1992 that he found the courage to leave the life of a drug dealer behind him.

After his retirement from crime, Jay-Z began to look for a record deal as a solo artist, but only had a guest appearance on long-forgotten rap group Original Flavor's 1993 single "Can I Get Open" to show for his efforts. It wasn't until a friend, Roc-A-Fella CEO Damon Dash, convinced him to form a record company with him that Jay-Z's career finally got off the ground. Jay-Z released his first single through Roc-A-Fella in 1995, "In My Lifetime." It proved to be a hit in New York's fickle hip-hop scene, and helped Dash and Jay-Z secure a distribution deal for Jay-Z's debut, Reasonable Doubt.

Though it wasn't a huge seller, Reasonable Doubt confirmed Jay-Z's status as one of the most promising lyricists in years, a rapper who vividly portrayed the highs and lows of being a black gangster. It yielded two hits, "Can't Knock the Hustle" (with Mary J. Blige), and "Feelin' It." More importantly, it earned the admiration of veteran rap stars as varied as Ice Cube and the Notorious B.I.G., who joined Jay-Z on "Brooklyn's Finest," a vicious response to 2Pac's "Hit 'Em Up" single. A third hit, "Ain't No N****" (with Foxy Brown) found its way onto The Nutty Professor soundtrack.

The next year, Jay-Z and Dash negotiated a new distribution deal with Def Jam Records for Roc-A-Fella. The ascendant rapper had promised that Reasonable Doubt would be his only album, but he followed it up in 1997 with In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, a somber effort partly influenced by the murder of the Notorious B.I.G. Despite mixed reviews, the album entered the charts at No. 3, went platinum, and spawned two singles, "The City Is Mine" and "Sunshine" (with Babyface and Foxy Brown).

"I think 85 percent of it is solid," Jay-Z told Vibe magazine. "And that 85 percent was better than everybody else's album at the time."

That winter, Jay-Z was one of several opening acts on Puff Daddy's 1997 "No Way Out" tour. But conflicts with the tour's promoters led him to abandon ship soon after it began; instead, he decided to focus his energy on the fledgling Roc-A-Fella label and a straight-to-video film, Streets Is Watching. A short film about a group of hustlers in Brooklyn, Streets also served as a showcase for Roc-A-Fella artists like rapper Memphis Bleek, R&B duo Christion, and mix-tape star DJ Clue.

In the spring, Jay-Z and his growing stable of artists mounted a nationwide tour. Growing commercial and critical acclaim, coupled with the mainstream acceptance of hardcore rappers like DMX and Master P, made the summer of 1998 an excellent time for Jay-Z to achieve crossover success. The buzz began with a guest appearance on Jermaine Dupri's hit single "Money Ain't a Thing." Then, with help from former Cash Money Click member Ja Rule and Amil from Major Coinz, Jay-Z released the bouncy, upbeat "Can I Get a …" which went platinum-plus and made Jay-Z a major star. (It eventually appeared on the Rush Hour soundtrack.) And in the fall, he released his third LP, Vol. II … Hard Knock Life. It opened at the top of the Billboard charts and stayed there for five weeks.

"This whole thing, me reaching the zenith of my fame on my third album, it seems backward to other people, but this is how it's always been," Jay-Z reflected in Vibe. "People are looking for the sensational, and I'm just not that [person]." Despite his modesty, Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life dominated the winter charts, spawning several singles — the aforementioned "Can I Get a …" the platinum-selling title track, "Jigga What, Jigga Who," and "Money, Cash, Hoes." His vocals also graced other hit albums of the season such as DJ Clue's The Professional ("Gangsta S---"), Foxy Brown's Chyna Doll ("Bonnie and Clyde Pt. II"), and Timbaland's My Bio ("Lobster and Scrimp").

In 1999, Jay-Z joined his fellow Def Jam cohorts DMX, Method Man, Redman, and DJ Clue on the "Hard Knock Life" tour. He also drew some attention for threatening a boycott of the 1999 Grammy Awards (he was nominated for three). "I am boycotting the Grammy Awards because too many major rap artists continue to be overlooked," he told the Associated Press. Despite the comments, Jay-Z did accept his Grammy for Best Rap Album. Throughout the year, Jay-Z has continued to make news, whether donating the proceeds from a Denver performance to the families involved in the Columbine, Colo., tragedy; making guest appearances on several of the year's top rap hits (Ja Rule, Memphis Bleek, Ruff Ryders); or launching a fashion line, Rocawear.

The latter half of the year is shaping up to be a busy one for the former Mr. Carter. He sings the lead track "Girl's Best Friend" on the Blue Streak soundtrack (a film starring Martin Lawrence, who makes a cameo appearance in the song's video). Fans can also catch him on new releases by Puff Daddy and Mariah Carey. In September he's in the running for three MTV Video Awards — Best Rap Video, Viewer's Choice, and Best Video From a Film. Finally, the follow-up to Hard Knock Life, with the working title of Vol. III, is scheduled for a December release.

— Mosi Reeves

Sourcee

Natasha Bedingfield

2008-02-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

Unwritten

These Words

Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born November 26, 1981) is an English singer and songwriter who debuted in the 1980s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield recorded rock and gospel songs for the Hillsong London Church.

She recorded her first album Unwritten in 2004. The album contained primarily uptempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music,[1] it enjoyed international success with over 2.5 million sold worldwide.[2] In 2007, she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for "Unwritten".[3] Bedingfield's second album N.B (2007) was yielded by "I Wanna Have Your Babies" and "Soulmate". Bedingfield has achieved 5 top ten singles in the United Kingdom to date.

Bedingfield has promoted humanitarian causes throughout the world, and is noted for her work with children in the "Stop the Traffik" campaign through her mother's charity, Global Angels.

Early life

Bedingfield was born in the Lewisham district of London to New Zealand-born Molly and John Bedingfield who are both charity workers.[4] She has three siblings; an older brother Daniel and a younger sister Nikola, who are both pop singers, and a younger brother, Joshua. Her interest in music was encouraged by her parents and growing up she took guitar and piano lessons.[5] As a teenager, Bedingfield and her siblings, Daniel and Nikola, formed the dance/electronic group, The DNA Algorithm.[6] The group provided Bedingfield with the opportunity to explore different musical genres and expand her songwriting abilities.[7] She provided vocals for the group which primarily performed dance-pop music about religion, independence and empowerment, themes that would later be found in her own solo compositions. The DNA Algorithm performed at several Christian music festivals before disbanding.[8] Bedingfield attended a year at the University of Greenwich, where she studied psychology to "make [her] a better songwriter."[4][5] After a year of studying psychology, she left university to concentrate on singing and songwriting. She began to record demos in the garages of friends who had recording studios. Bedingfield eventually took these demos to record companies.[9] Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield composed and recorded songs for the Hillsong London Church. In 2004, her recordings appeared on the church's live album Shout God's Fame and the children's album Jesus Is My Superhero by Hillsong Music Australia.[10]

Music career

[edit] 2004–2006: Unwritten

Bedingfield signed a recording contract with Sony BMG in 2003.[11] Her first album Unwritten was released in September 2004 and features collaborations with Steve Kipner, Guy Chambers, Patrick Leonard and rapper Bizarre. The album contained uptempo pop rock songs and influences from R&B music.[1] Bedingfield's lyrics focused on independence, opportunism and female empowerment.[5] Reviews of the album were generally positive and it was described as a "well-made pop album for the new millennium" by All Music Guide.[1] The album debuted on the UK albums chart at number one and reached the top thirty in the United States.[12] It sold well, reaching multi-platinum status in the United Kingdom[13] and the U.S.[14] At the 2005 Brit Awards, Bedingfield was nominated for four awards, she was also nominated for an award at the 2006 Brit Awards and in 2007 she was nominated for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" at the 2007 Grammy Awards.[15][3]

The first single released from the album was "Single", which reached number three on the UK singles chart.[16] The song's lyrics and its accompanying music video, depict Bedingfield's single lifestyle.[17] "These Words" was released as the album's second single. The song became Bedingfield's first UK number-one and U.S. top twenty single.[18] "Unwritten" was released as the album's third single in 2004, the song reached number six on the UK singles chart and it also became the second most played song on U.S. radio in 2006.[19] The songs lyrics discuss "living your own life without other people telling you how to live it".[20] "I Bruise Easily" was released as the album's fourth single, it did not perform as well as its predecessors but was still a moderate success, reaching number 12 on the UK singles chart.

In November 2006, Bedingfield released the DVD Live in New York City, which contained a live concert performance as well as music videos and a documentary. That month she recorded the Diane Warren-penned song "Still Here" for the film Rocky Balboa.[21] The song, however, did not appear on the soundtrack; although it was included on her second album.

In July 2007, she appeared on an online YouTube music video of Esmée Denters singing "Unwritten". Bedingfield sang backing vocals off-screen for most of the video, but joined Denters in front of the camera at the end of the song.[22]

[edit] 2007–present: N.B

Bedingfield's second album N.B was released in April 2007. Bedingfield recollaborated with Kipner along with Eve and Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine. The album takes influence from a variety of music styles such as R&B, reggae and electronica.[23] Bedingfield commented that it differed from Unwritten because it represented her shifting priorities from being a single young woman to "dating, searching for a partner" and "looking for Mr Right".[5] The album debuted on the UK albums chart at number nine and received mixed reviews by critics, who found that it had "good pop moments...but [was] pretentious".[24] Natasha_Bedingfield_Unwritten.jpg

"I Wanna Have Your Babies", the album's lead single, was panned by critics for its "beyond-banal lyrics" about finding the right man to father her children.[25] The song was moderately successful, reaching number 7 in the UK, number 8 in Ireland and the top fifty in most other markets.[26] "Soulmate" was released as the album's second single on July 2, 2007 and also peaked at number 7 in the UK.[27] "Say It Again" has been confirmed as the third single to be released from N.B on October 1, 2007.

To promote N.B., Bedingfield embarked on the FutureSex/LoveShow tour in May 2007, supporting Justin Timberlake[28] and on July 1, 2007, Bedingfield performed at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London.[29]

Natasha Bedingfield's live session at Abbey Road Studios was recorded for Live from Abbey Road and the performance was screened on an episode shared with Iron Maiden and Gipsy Kings. The show was screened on Channel 4 (UK) and the Sundance Channel (USA).

[edit] Non-musical projects

Bedingfield is a philanthropist who has donated time and money to organizations such as the Global Angels, an international children's charity founded by her mother, Molly Bedingfield.[30] She became associated with the organization in 2006 because of her celebrity status which she could use to help "people around the world, particularly children, who live in conditions that would horrify us".[31] Bedingfield is now an ambassador for Global Angels and in November 2006 she visited India for three weeks in support of the charity. She visited an orphanage in Calcutta and a refugee camp for former child prostitutes in Mumbai to learn more about the situation and the conditions in these areas. Bedingfield later expressed her shock at what she had witnessed.[8] Video diaries filmed during her trip were posted on her official website in early 2007.[32] She is also an advocate for Stop the Traffik, a global coalition which works to end human trafficking[30] and a member of the (RED) campaign.[5]

In 2004, Bedingfield showed interest in acting and made her debut in the James Bond video game From Russia with Love in November 2005. She lent her voice to the character Elizabeth Stark, the British Prime Minister's daughter who is kidnapped in the opening sequence.[33] Bedingfield commented that she would like to do more acting, but only if the film "was good enough, and it was a role that [would] fit me."[33] Bedingfield is not set to appear in any forthcoming films in the near future.

[edit] Personal life and image

In 2006, the media incorrectly reported that Bedingfield was dating Nick Lachey and Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine. Referring to the media reports, Bedingfield commented that "Adam is lovely but I didn't date him or Nick. As soon as you talk to a famous guy, you're immediately linked."[34] Bedingfield is currently dating estate agent Matt Robinson,[35] but will not discuss their relationship because it is something she would like to keep private.[34]

Bedingfield is often characterized by her "girl next door" appearance. She does not want to mislead fans by presenting a false image of herself in photo shoots and music videos, and will only dress and act as she would in her private life.[36] Bedingfield refuses to pose for men's magazines, although she did appear in Arena Homme Plus because the magazine allowed her to wear "lovely dresses".[37] Bedingfield's image in the music video for "I Wanna Have Your Babies" was mocked in an article published in The Guardian. The newspaper made fun of Bedingfield's "clean-cut, straight-toothed, good Christian girl" image, writing that the video is an effort by Bedingfield and her management to be provocative to sell more records.[38]

Source

Natasha Bedingfield

2008-02-01T15:50:00.001-08:00

Rihanna

2008-02-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

Don't Stop The Music

Umbrella (Rihanna Feat Jay-Z)

Rihanna is a North American R&B/Soul singer. Most of the worldly population would also classify her as a tradtional dancehall singer; who has splurged onto the entertainment scene unexpectedly.

Rihanna was born on the Caribbean island of Barbados in 1988. Through the years, particularly during her pre-teen and teenage years, she would sing to friends and family only for amusement purposes. One day, a mutual friend of Rihanna introduced her to music producer Evan Rogers, whose home base is in New York.

He asked Rihanna to perform whatever song that came to mind for her. Rogers was obviously suprised on what great talent Rihanna had. Immediately, both Rogers and Rihanna made demos containing close to twelve tracks including the 2005 smash hit Pon De Replay and mailed the demos out to various recording comanies including Def Jam Recordings where Rihanna would eventually be signed onto.

Shawn Carter, also known as simply 'Jay Z' in the urban community, who was recently crowned as the CEO of Def Jam, was enticed by the mature sounds of the talented singer, and immediately started recording for her upcoming LP disc.

Of course Rihanna completed the recording of her LP disc entitled Music Of The Sun. She amazingly did not just sing the notes to the songs that can be heard on the album, she also co-written a majority of them. She has gone to various radio stations around the United States promoting her vivacious single, "Pon De Replay," and her album, which will be released on August 30, 2005.

Rihanna says she is inspired by such artists like Alicia Keys, Beyoncé Knowles and Mariah Carey. She also states that on her album, you'll not only listen to reggae, but you'll hear ballads and other R&B fused tracks. Well, we can't wait

Source

Rihanna

2008-02-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

Jordin Spark

2008-01-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

Shy Boy

At an age when most teens are looking forward to a carefree summer break, Jordin Sparks at 17, graced the stage as the youngest American Idol winner and spent the summer months crafting her eponymous debut album. Honing all the confidence, class and breathtaking range of emotion that put her at the epicenter of the entertainment world for most of 2007, Jordin is pouring everything into her upcoming album due out on 19 Recordings/Jive Records in November.

Jordin says the album also benefits from a summer-long vocal workout on the road during the 56 city Pop Tarts American Idol Live! Tour that just recently ended. “I learned so much being out there every night singing live,” she says. “How to grab hold of a song. To have and keep that control. I’ve always been a student of singing – listening to stuff on the radio and trying to figure out how a singer is ‘breathing,’ how they do harmonies. What was great about performing live every night is building the strength in my voice and seeing it resonate with the audience. I tried to bring that into my sessions for the album. Giving that kind of power to the material.”

Effortlessly navigating a dream-team of ‘A-list” writing/producing talent on her new album that includes The Underdogs (Dreamgirls soundtrack, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige), Eman (Nick Lachey, Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion), Robbie Nevil (High School Musical soundtrack), and former Color Me Badd star-turned producer/writer Sam Watters (Jessica Simpson) – all of them adding color and dimension to her multitude of talents ala Jordin’s kickoff single, “Tattoo.” Written by Amanda Ghost, (who co-penned James Blunt’s breakthrough classic “You’re Beautiful,”) and produced by the Norwegian street-tinged duo Stargate, (Beyonce, Ne-Yo, Rhianna), the single has buoyantly reacquainted music fans with Jordin’s remarkable vocal presence.

But it’s her ability to completely wrap herself around a song, as she does on her new ballad “Permanent Monday,” (produced by Eman and written by Lindy Robbins) that raises the bar on her new album, revealing a depth and knack for storytelling that sculpts a landscape worthy of the singer’s entire repertoire of emotions. “When I listen to a demo I like to know how it was done. I try to imagine what I can bring to it,” she says. “Put my spin to it. All my favorite artists, whether contemporary or classic – all had a way of making that certain song their own. I don’t know If I had a plan for this album so much as I had a method. To give myself to each session, each song – every note. I think in the end that’s how you create the full spectrum for your fans. I have rock cuts, edgey stuff, and of course ballads like ‘Permanent Monday’ which I love to do.”

Born in Phoenix, AZ, (she resides in Glendale) she admits that the high-intensity environment of her father’s occupation (her dad, Phillippi Sparks, was a professional football player for the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys) may have schooled her in how to cope with the rigors of show business early on. “My family was always very loving, very grounded. My dad kept us calm no matter what was happening with his career, and my mom made me fiercely independent. She was big on teaching us responsibility and fending for ourselves. I think I understood early the importance of setting goals and being prepared to meet them.” Growing up in a bi-racial household also taught Jordin another valuable lesson. “Amazingly, I never felt singled-out. Even at school, we were always treated with respect, never out of the ordinary, which when I look back, is really an incredible thing. I try to be that accepting whenever I encounter a new or difficult situation.”

Perhaps her most revealing life-lesson is the tale about how Jordin nearly missed out on being an Idol contestant altogether. No stranger to musical competitions, it’s the way she handled the potentially biggest disappointment of her life – being sent home on her first Idol try - that reveals a strength of character truly rare in a just-turned-17 year old. “I remember being at that first audition looking down that long line that just seemed endless and asking myself: ‘What am I bringing to this – how will they ever notice me’ she says.’ They didn’t, with the young singer being dismissed after her first L.A. audition. “I went home, shook it off and said ‘wait a minute, I can do this if they let me.’”

Where most teenagers might have buried such a disappointment in a countless array of distractions – Jordin made a bee-line for a second audition held in her native Arizona. She won, earning her another shot in front of Idol royalty at a Seattle audition where she sang Celine Dion’s “Because You Love Me.” The rest – as they, say is – well… “Giving up is not part of my vocabulary,” she says proudly. “Sure, I get down, but I’ve learned to let the negative roll off my back. You have to if you want to keep on going in this world.”

When asked if there is anything truly surprising her fans might want to know about her – she laughs: ‘The fact that I like post-hardcore bands – ‘Screamo’ bands like Silverstein (from Burlington, Ontario) and others.” Jordin is quick to add she’s also a sucker for ‘80’s music. “I’m full of surprises,” she smiles. “I’ve found out the best thing about making your first album is how much you continue to surprise even yourself.”

“Overnight success” is overwhelming to anyone at any age’ but Jordin Sparks is taking it all in stride and shining brightly with every step. Her biggest challenge may be her upcoming album, but if you take into account her steady foundation, awe-inspiring talents and unlimited enthusiasm, her biggest challenge may just prove to be her greatest success.

Source

Colbie Caillat

2008-01-24T02:47:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Liar (Beyonce)

World Wide Woman (Beyonce)

A great song, says Colbie Caillat, should lift your heart, warm the soul and make you feel good. Taking her own sound advice, "Coco", the debut album by the 22 year-old Californian singer-songwriter is simply crammed full of them.

In an age when marketing has been elevated above content and so many songs are written and produced to a pre-ordained formula, Caillat comes as a welcome breath of fresh air. Records these days seem to fall into two categories. The vast majority tend to contain one or two good tracks which you download to your computer so that you never have to listen to the rest of the album again. Far more rare are those that demand to be listened to from start to finish, with every song in perfect symmetry. Think of the kind of vintage, organically-crafted albums that Carole King or Joni Mitchell used to make. Thankfully, it's a tradition that is being kept alive today by the likes of Norah Jones, Jack Johnson - and now Colbie Caillat.

"If you listen to an album like Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, every song has its place," she says. "If you took one away you'd spoil the balance of the entire record. That's the kind of album I wanted to make. It wouldn’t feel right to have my name on a record that was just a few good tracks and then lots of filler."

The reference to Fleetwood Mac is revealing. Caillat grew up in the idyllic clime of Malibu, California with music all around her. Her father, Ken Caillat, co-produced Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" and "Tusk" albums and later ran his own record label. As a child she recalls the likes of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie being around. "Of course I've learned a lot from them. You'd be a fool not to," she says. Yet she is totally her own woman.

She began singing with serious intent at the age of 11 after hearing Lauryn Hill's version of Killing Me Softly. "I think her voice is absolutely beautiful and it made me want to start singing so I entered a talent show and of course I sang a Lauryn Hill song." As she grew older, however, her father offered one crucial piece of advice. It was all very well having a great voice, he pointed out, the people who command real respect in the music business are the songwriters. "I thought about that for a long time", she says.

In truth, it took some time coming - but when it did, the floodgates opened. "I needed to play an instrument to write songs and although I had piano lessons as a kid, it never went anywhere because I was never in the right state of mind to practice," she recalls. Surprisingly, it wasn't until she was 19 - little more than two years ago -that she eventually took up the acoustic guitar. "I wrote my fist song after my very first guitar lesson and then it just all flowed out," she recalls. "If something's biting me I hold it in because that's the kind of person I am. Then it comes out in songs. Things builds up inside of me and I'll write three songs in a weekend. It's a release. I don't choose what to write about. It's just there."

Along the way, she found two key collaborators in Mikal Blue, who hired her when she was 15 to sing some songs he'd written for a fashion show, and singer/songwriter Jason Reeves. Together, they helped to craft the songs on "Coco," which Blue also produced.

"The songs always start put with me," she explains of the collaborative process. "I'll be sitting around at home getting bored and something will come out. Then if I get stuck, I can take it to Mikal or Jason. Having people you trust to bounce ideas around keeps the creativity flowing."

Once she had a bunch of songs, she put a few of them on MySpace, more in hope than expectation. "Nothing much happened for a few months," she remembers. "Then I wrote this song called Bubbly and put it up there and it got this huge reaction. I mean thousands and thousands of hits every day."

In the end, she became the number one unsigned artist on MySpace for four successive months, garnering an almost unbelievable 10 million plays. Record labels started courting her and she signed with Universal Republic because, she says, they offered her total creative freedom. "The great thing about MySpace is that you can build up an army of fans and then when you go to a record company, there's no point in them trying to change what you do because it's already been tried and tested," she points out.

Quite what it is about Bubbly that struck such a chord, she's still not entirely sure. "I guess it's the simplicity of the lyrics and the melody," she says. "It's meant to make you feel good and everybody can relate to it." And "Coco" - the album is named after a childhood nickname which stuck - is full of similarly memorable songs imbued with an irresistible warmth which draw on a rich array of influences. "I love all kinds of music and I've been influenced by all of it," she says. "Classic rock like Fleetwood Mac and the Steve Miller Band. Original soul like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Lauryn Hill. Bob Marley and reggae, John Mayer. Anything that makes you feel good."

And from the sunny, upbeat promise of songs such as Bubbly and Oxygen to the gentle, semi-r&b groove of The Little Things and the lilting reggae of Tied Down, "Coco" is one of those classic albums that simply makes you feel glad to be alive. "You make me smile, please stay for a while," she sings on Bubbly. It really ought to be her mantra.

Source

Colbie Caillat

2008-01-24T02:38:00.000-08:00

Fergie

2008-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

Big Girl Don't Cry

Glamorous

Ever since they were a fledgling group in the environs of Los Angeles, The Black Eyed Peas have flaunted a passionate, energetic hip-hop spirit people have always been drawn to. They've earned fans worldwide with their inventive approach to hip-hop music, inspiring people with loose rhymes, and a positive spirit and funkafied vibe. On Elephunk, the group's third album, that spirit seems to course through their beings even more than ever.

The Black Eyed Peas will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and newcomer Fergie named the album Elephunk to conjure up a big, deep funk sound. Produced in its entirety by will.i.am and apl, the album boasts a mix of live instruments and traditional hip-hop samples and beats. It also mixes the group's breathless verbal acrobatics with a very conscious view of the world.

BEP's music has always been firmly entrenched in hip-hop but also with an eye to other musical forms. Elephunk, more than previous albums, seems to transcend the simple genre categorization, something will.i.am admits was intentional, both lyrically and musically. "This is a hip-hop record but we didn't go into this with hip-hop on our mind," says will.i.am. "We were just thinking of good songs, good music. We didn't want to say anything typical, like 'My style is this, and my rhymes are like that.' A couple might have slipped in but we were really tired of saying things like that."

Elephunk was recorded in three different spurts over the last two years, beginning in 2001. "We would record about eight songs each time," remembers will.i.am. "Then each time we went back, I felt I'd changed and grown as a producer. So we'd do eight more songs, and those eight would be better than the previous eight. It kept going until we were done."

will.i.am's rhymes are clever and irreverent but it's his work as a producer on Elephunk that he's most proud of. Songs like "Where Is The Love," with Justin Timberlake, the quickstepping fast-rap of "Hands Up," and the Louis Armstrong growl of "Smells Like Funk," demonstrate not just a sophisticated ear for new sounds but a head for interesting arrangements and tight songwriting. will.i.am's talent lies in his ability to mold live instruments, samples and drum machines into a uniform sound. He's always taken a musically broad perspective and on this album, it shows more than ever.

"My volition as a producer has definitely grown," he says. "I think my understanding of music has grown, I've discovered new ways of manifesting my thoughts into reality, and I know my equipment better."

Elephunk also welcomes a new member into the BEP fold Los Angeles native Fergie. The singer met will.i.am at BEP shows around town and was invited to join in on a recording session. In the studio, one song turned to three turned to five turned to an invitation to join the group. Says Fergie about her experience, "This group is just totally open to new ideas and directions."

Some of those new directions on Elephunk include songs like "Anxiety," which matches The Black Eyed Peas with popular platinum rock band Papa Roach, whom they met and bonded with on tour. The group's are really similar says will.i.am. "The energy between us was thick. When we started talking to them, it was a real conversation, like we were 60 and just hangin' out at a bus stop."

The song itself relates the tension of the world today with personal struggles the members of the different groups have gone through into one, hard-hitting rhythmic jam. "These last couple of years haven't been easy," says will.i.am. "Is it guilt? Stress? Uncertainty over what's going to happen in the next five years? Is it rap? Hip-hop? The fact that everyone is clubbin' and gun totin' and we're thought of as just some fashionable motherfuckers? It's a whole bunch of stuff going on."

Overall, will.i.am couldn't be happier with the way the album's turned out, and he feels people will be open to the new directions The Black Eyed Peas are going in. "The audience is smarter than they've ever been," he says. "Maybe ten years ago, they were run-of-the-mill, but these kids today aren't the same. They've got it together."

Bio courtesy of A&M Records

Fergie

2008-01-23T15:47:00.001-08:00

Chris Brown

2008-01-23T15:40:00.000-08:00

Run It

Say Goodbye

Source: Jive Records / Zomba Label Group

He’s a lot like the 16-year-old boy living in the house next door to you: one minute he’s five-foot-seven, the next he’s 6’1. One minute he’s a cute little boy trying to dribble a basketball, the next a superstar point guard. One minute he’s ducking under the covers pleading for five more minutes of shut-eye, the next he’s racing through a day full of recording, performances and interviews.

With his easy-going demeanor and schoolboy charm, Chris Brown could easily be somebody that you know. With his incredible voice and a debut cd laced with clever lyrics, hypnotic tracks and impeccable vocals, he’s someone that the world will soon know.

Chris isn’t part of some A-list producer’s camp. Nor does he hail from any of those famous urban music hubs like NYC, Compton or the ATL. Straight from Tappahannock, VA --- population 2000 – Chris Brown proves that real talent, persistence and charisma still have a place in the music industry.

One listen to Chris’ 16-year-old voice and you’re tempted to draw comparisons: Michael Jackson, Tevin Campbell, and Usher. But listen a bit longer and those comparisons begin to dissipate as it becomes clear that, while Chris certainly channels the creativity of those who have come before him, he definitely has a style, a flavor and a place in music that are all his own.

His debut CD Young Love takes us on a journey through the malls, parties and teen hangouts as Chris covers a variety of subjects: A girl that he’s dying to hit the dance floor with. A girl that’s got another man. A girl that has him totally and completely head over heels in love. It’s an album about young boys, young girls -- young love.

The first single, the Scott Storch-produced “Run It,” is an irresistible up-tempo dance joint with an attention-grabbing hook. “It’s basically saying to a girl ‘If you’re at the party by yourself, show me how you get down but if your man’s here, tell me first. So basically it’s talking about runnin’ it. Go ahead, do your thing.”

The slightly braggadocios “Gimme That” finds Chris running down his credentials to a hottie. “It’s just explaining how I’m coming out, the typical bragging about yourself a little bit but not too much and telling the girl who might be older than you ‘You may be three years older , but you hot, Gimme that.’”

The title track, which was produced by The Underdogs and includes an interpolation of Blue Magic’s 70s classic “Side Show,” addresses the age-old issue of puppy love. “This song is going to be the new teenage anthem,” says Chris. “Even when teenagers really are in love with each other a lot of older people are like ‘Love? You’re barely old enough to go outside at night!’ But what they don’t know is that kids our age really do have feelings for each other so this song is basically telling older people that even though we’re young, we still love each other. I think all the teenagers can relate to it.”

Producers Dre and Vidal serve it up on the melodically pleasing “Yo,” a song simply about a boy seeing a beautiful girl that he can’t allow to escape his grasp. “It’s about a girl that you maybe saw at a party or at a mall. You’re telling your boys, ‘I need to holla at her’ but you don’t know her name and you just say ‘Yo!’”

But when Chris Brown says ‘yo’ it’s as if he gives new meaning, new depth and whole new feeling to the word. Chris’ vocals are fresh and inviting, soulful and soaring. He wraps his emotions around each and every lyric and adds the right amount of passion, fun and swagger at just the right time.

From the vocally acrobatic “Your Man Ain’t Me” to the tender, ponderous “Is This Love” (both produced by The Underdogs) to the naughty ‘Poppin’ (a tribute to a young lady’s physical attributes), Chris Brown explores the many colors of life and love as a teenage boy and he does so without being too infantile or too raunchy. “You don’t want to come out too sexual,” he explains. “I’m young. I want to appeal to people my age as well as older people. This gives me time to grow with my audience so I can make that change when I’m about 20. But for right now I don’t wanna be too kiddie but I don’t wanna be too grown.”

In selecting songs for Young Love, Chris said he simply relied on his own sense of what was hot and what was real for him and his peers. “When I hear these songs, I feel something. I know I can relate to them. I take myself out of the artist box and I become an audience member and I critique myself.”

Chris got his musical initiation early on, inspired by what he refers to as the “eclectic” taste of his parents and soaking in the sounds of his favorites: Michael Jackson, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, Anita Baker, and Aretha Franklin.

But, like most young boys, Chris was soon drawn to rap and was certain that he would be the first emcee to put Tappahannock on the map. “I was rapping,” he recalls. “I didn’t understand that I could sing until I was like 11 or 12. My mom heard me singing around the house and she said, ‘What are you doing? You really can sing!’ So then I started going to school and singing to the girls.”

By the time he was 13, Chris realized that his voice was more than just a chick magnet. And so did his mother as he began to hook his son up with various producers. “When I went in and started working, there were ups and downs but I loved it and I knew I wanted to do it for the rest of my life.”

And the rest of his life is off to a great start. Chris Brown comes to the music industry fully-loaded as not only a talented vocalist, but a versatile songwriter, an amazing dancer and a blossoming young businessman who has learned the many intricacies of the music industry. Still, he enjoys a rousing game of basketball and, despite his demanding career, he says. “I still hate waking up.”

Chris may still be a lot like the boy who lives next door to you. But not really. You’ll see.

Source

Chris Brown

2008-01-23T03:04:00.000-08:00

Bond

2008-01-23T02:46:00.000-08:00

Shine

Kismet

Flo-Rida

2008-01-22T03:20:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Lopez

2008-01-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

All I Have (Feat LL Cool J)

Waiting For Tonight

Name : Jennifer Lopez
Nickname : ''La Guitarra'' (guitar shaped body)
Date of Birth : July 24, 1970
Place of Birth : New York, New York USA
Sign : Sun in Leo, Moon in Aries
Height : 5'6''
Eyes : Brown
Hair : Brown
Occupation : Singer, Actress & Model
Father : David Lopez - A computer operator
Mother : Guadalupe Lopez (School Teacher)
Sisters : Lynda & Leslie
Spouse : Ojani Noa [Divorced- February 1997 - 1998]
Fan Mail : Jennifer Lopez
C/O United Talent Agency
9560 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 500
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Breif Biography
Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1970. Her parents came to New York from Ponce, Puerto Rico. She is the middle of three sisters. At the age of 7, young Jennifer went on her first tour - around New York City with her dance class.At the age of 16 Jennifer got a little break with a bit part in the film ''My Little Girl'' (starring Mary Stuart Masterson). But Jennifer's first love was still dance, and when she read about a scholarship to a dance school in Manhattan, she went down and grabbed the opportunity. At this time she was taking a full time course load at Baruch, working in a law office and taking her dance classes. Eventually this would lead to a falling out with her mother, who didn't want Jennifer to pursue dance as a career. When her mother gave her the ever popular ''you live by my rules as long as you live under my roof'' speech Jennifer took that as her cue to break out on her own. Not having anywhere else to live, she took up residence in the building where she took her dance classes. A yea

r and a half of auditioning with no success brought Jennifer to the verge of a breakdown. But salvation would come in the form of a tour that sent her dancing across Japan. Before this, she had auditioned to be a ''Fly Girl'' for the show ''In Living Color'' but she had been turned down.

Upon returning from Japan, she received a call from ''In Living Color'' asking her to audition again. This time she made the cut and it was off to Hollywood. She didn't really enjoy her time on ''In Living Color'', as she longed for an acting career that would put her in the spotlight. Her first television job as an actress, on the Fox series ''South Central'' came her way because the producer of the show was married to one of the other fly girls, and he took notice of Jennifer during a special Fox aired about the Fly Girls. ''South Central'' only survived one season, but she quickly resurfaced on television screens appearing as ''Melinda Lopez'' first in the short lived ''Second Chances'' series, then ''Hotel Malibu.'' In 1995 she jumped onto the big screen in her first major role, opposite Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson in ''Money Train.'' She would go on to work opposite such talents as Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson, but it was her work with Gregory Nava, who directed her in ''My Family, Mi Familia'

' that would lead her to the role that would make her a star.

After an extensive nationwide search, Jennifer was chosen to play Selena Quintanilla Perez, in the official biopic of the life of the fallen Tejano star. Taking part in the production of ''Selena'' would impact Jennifer's life in many ways. On the personal side, Jennifer's fiancéé, Ojani Noa, proposed to her at the wrap party for Selena. The couple had met in Miami while Jennifer was filming ''Blood And Wine'' with Jack Nicholson. Ojani, a Cuban immigrant, was an aspiring model working as a waiter at Gloria Estefan's restaurant, Larios On The Beach. They were married in Miami on February 22, 1997, after knowing each other less than a year. Jennifer's sudden rise to fame with the release of ''Selena'' the following month would put an excessive strain on the marriage, and the couple filed for divorce just a little over a year after they were married.

After news of the divorce made headlines, the gossip papers quickly had her romantically linked to the likes of rap impresario Sean ''Puffy'' Combs, Sony Music President Tommy Mottola and Salsa singer Marc Anthony. Jennifer herself remains tightlipped - and rightfully so - on the subject of her personal life (although she has recently admitted that she is in fact having a relationship with Puffy). Back on the professional level, role as Karen Sisco in 1998's ''Out Of Sight'', opposite George Clooney, has brought her into the major leagues, making her the highest paying Latina actress in history.

Playing Selena also brought back Jennifer's interests in being the ''her all around'' entertainer, and she decided to record a demo of her singing, completely in Spanish. After a bidding war among a number of record companies, Jennifer was signed to Sony Music's Work Group label. Her first CD, a pop album with a Latin flavor (although mostly in English) was released June 1, 1999. Working with the likes of Emilio Estefan, Rodney Jerkins and Sean ''Puffy'' Combs, the music world is buzzing that Jennifer is ''the next Gloria Estefan'' set to become the mainstream Latin crossover star Selena herself surely would have been, had she been given the chance. That early prediction seems accurate, as her first single, ''If You Had My Love'' shot to 1 on the Billboard chart, and has been certified platinum (one million sales).

Jennifer Lopez

2008-01-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

Spice Girls

2008-01-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

Wannabe

Viva Forever

FORMED: 1993

"Girl Power" became a rage in the late 90's largely due to the fab five from London, no not the Beatles, and not even their equivalent, but from the Spice Girls. Hitting the scene in 1997 after responding to an ad in a British publication, the five smashed the charts with their first hit "Wannabe" which reigned at No.1 in the UK charts for seven weeks.
Sporty, Ginger, Posh, Scary and Baby rounded out the first mix of Spice Girls. And spicy they were. Known for their wardrobes ranging from a miniscule Union Jack skirt to Nike track pants, their debut album Spice put a catchy tune in the heads of those who would rather not remember. Maybe it's just the British but some of the lyrics..."If you want to be my lover / you gotta get with my friend"??? What's that all about?

The British media found lots of tabloid material in the Spices. Ginger's nude picture from her days as a model surfaced, Posh's quick temper and old boyfriends came back onto the scene and rumours of Sporty's sexual orientation were questioned. Not that rumours good or bad are ever bad publicity. But all of things they have been accused of, being compared to the girly version of New Kids on the Block cannot be good for one's image.

In early 1998, Ginger announced that she was leaving the group in order to pursue a solo career.

Since that time we have heard the release of her Schizophonic which has proved that her solo choice may not have been a bad choice. The remaining four spices released their first single in "Viva Forever" which hit No.1 in the U.K. At the MTV Europe Music Awards, they accepted four awards for Best Group and Best New Pop Album for their ginger-less efforts. Maybe the split was best for everyone.

The band has also garnered other awards. Their acting in the movie Spiceworld gave them the accolades for seven Razzie awards ( given to bad acting around the time of the Oscars). Though were not sure that singing is their thing acting definetely is not. The four are expected to release another album in the near future. It's sure to bring lots of press regardless of the quality and actual substance.

Spice Girls

2008-01-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

Timbaland

2008-01-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

Apologize (Feat. One Republic)

Give It To Mee

BIOGRAPHY: b. Tim Mosley, 10 March 1971, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. Timbaland has rapidly established himself as one of the hottest producers of the 90s thanks to his highly acclaimed work with hip-hop and R&B artists including Aaliyah, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Ginuwine. Since the late 80s he has worked on and off with rapper Magoo, a fellow Virginian. Timbaland's concerted efforts to break into the music business bore its first fruits on Jodeci's Diary Of A Mad Band and The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel, co-writing the latter's "Bring On Da Funk". His real breakthrough came in autumn 1996, when he worked on Aaliyah's One In A Million, the follow-up to her R. Kelly -produced debut.

Timbaland worked his magic touch on stand-out tracks such as "If Your Girl Only Knew", "4 Page Letter" and "One In A Million". On a roll, he then wrote and produced hits for Ginuwine ("Pony") and SWV ("Can We"), before hooking up with Elliott, his other long-term musical partner. Timbaland and Magoo's major contributions to Elliott's Supa Dupa Fly introduced a new sound to the record-buying public. The funky syncopated beats on the hugely popular single "Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" confirmed the arrival of a new southern dynamic to rival the traditional east oast/west coast hip-hop axis. Timbaland built on his success with October 1997's Welcome To Our World, a joint effort with Magoo that was hailed as one of the year's key albums. It was premiered by "Up Jumps Da' Boogie", a Top 10 R&B/number 12 Hot 100 hit in September. The following May's "Clock Strikes" single sampled the theme to Knight Rider, and reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100.

By now Timbaland was heavily in-demand as a producer, and the oundtracks for Can't Hardly Wait and Dr. Dolittle included his remixes of lliott's "Hit 'Em Wit Da' Hee", Busta Rhymes' "Turn It Up/Fire It Up", Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody" and All Saints' "Lady Marmalade". He then worked with Elliott's prot?g?e Nicole on her August 1998 breakthrough, Make It Hot, and collaborated with Elliott on the soundtrack to Why Do Fools Fall In Love, which included Destiny Child's "Get On The Bus", Coko's "He Be Back", Total's "What The Dealio", and the Missy Elliott collaborations with Busta Rhymes ("Get Contact") and Mel B. of the Spice Girls ("I Want You Back"). Timbaland also contributed to Jay-Z's chart-topping Vol. 2 ... Hard Knock Life ("Ni*** What, Ni*** Who", "Paper Chase"), and, in November, released his debut set Tim's Bio, the soundtrack to a purported movie about his life and music. The following March saw the release of Ginuwine's eagerly awaited new set, 100% Ginuwine, and in June Elliott's sophomore se
t Da Real World received excellent reviews.

Thanks to Sasha(The Next One In A Million Legend) for submitting the biography.

Timbaland

2008-01-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

The Academy Is

2008-01-20T00:39:00.001-08:00

Slow Down

Almost Here

Bio of The Academy Is...
“We want to move people… to impact in them the same way we’ve been affected through music.”

The Academy Is…almost never was. Frontman William Beckett and guitarist Mike Carden grew up as rivals, in separate bands on the Chicago local music scene. William eventually left his band, wanting to take music more seriously and looking for someone who shared his passion. Mike’s band broke up also and the two gradually found themselves talking more and more; engulfed in amazing conversations about music. After realizing they were very much alike, they decided to try their hand at writing songs together and The Academy Is…was born.

William and Mike share a love of the classics - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, U2. These elements, along with eclectic alternative influences like Weezer and Death Cab For Cutie provide the foundation for Almost Here, the debut release from The Academy Is… Produced by James Paul Wisner (Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever, Underoath), Almost Here is a love letter to music itself; a smart, honest record about growing up, having dreams and making them come true.

On Almost Here, The Academy Is…shoots from the hip and aims for the heart. “It’s an extreme, magnified reflection of who we are as individuals.” William explains, “Lyrically, I try to capture experiences we all have, and genuinely try to portray the ways we respond to them.” From the first notes of the naturally perfect opening track, “Attention” to the raw, explosive “Checkmarks” the album bursts with infectious energy. Each song is a perfect pop picture that is both self-portrait and mirror.

Since William and Mike first came together in 2002, The Academy Is…have paved their way with lightening speed. After adding Adam Siska on bass and a second guitarist and drummer, the full band headed into the studio and recorded an EP for Chicago label LLR Records. Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy heard it and was so impressed that he convinced his label, Fueled By Ramen, to fly out and see them. Fueled By Ramen immediately signed the young band and put them to work recording their full-length debut.

Mike and William holed up in a remote apartment in a suburb of Chicago, writing, collaborating and discovering who they were as musicians. They wrote the record essentially about the record; about being isolated, broke and exhausted but utterly exhilarated at the same time. “I’ll sing you something you won’t forget” William challenges on “Season,” a song about having one chance to make it and really wanting to move people with music. These themes run throughout the ten tracks on Almost Here, as does the desire to break down stereotypes and be heard as themselves. “Almost Here is a great snapshot of where our lives are right now,” William says, “We really wanted to speak to people and tell our story the right way.”

After six months Mike and William headed to Florida to record the appropriately titled Almost Here. “We aren’t quite ‘here’ yet,” William explains, “We are too young to be content and to have everything figured out. It’s all about pushing each other and each other’s boundaries. There is always more to accomplish.”

In 2004 the band underwent a lineup change, finally securing Tom Conrad as second guitar/backing vocalist and Andy Mrotek on drums. They hit the road hard, touring with Fall Out Boy, Something Corporate, Midtown, Matchbook Romance, Motion City Soundtrack and Armor For Sleep. They perfected their live shows, with William coming into his own as a confident and charismatic frontman.

The Academy Is… are:

William Beckett – vocals
Mike Carden – guitar
Adam Siska – bass
Tom Conrad – guitar/ backing vocals
Andy “The Butcher” Bishop Mrotek - drums

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The Academy Is

2008-01-20T00:34:00.000-08:00

Celine Dion

2008-01-20T00:23:00.000-08:00

The Power Of Love

It'sAll Coming Back To Me Now

From humble beginnings in a rural French Canadian home town, Céline Dion has risen to international superstardom like a shooting star. Céline has been called the premier contemporary pop vocalist of the Nineties. She has earned music industry accolades from around the world: Grammy Awards in the US, Juno and Felix Awards in Canada, and World Music Awards in Europe. The entire world has seen Céline Dion literally transform herself from a gifted pre-adolescent into an international superstar.

Born in Charlemagne (a small town 30 miles east of Montréal, Québec, Canada), Céline is the youngest of 14 children of a highly musical family. Her parents, both musicians, operated a small club, and on weekends, the entire family performed and entertained the local population. From the tender age of 5, Céline sang with her siblings and quickly acquired the ability to perform live. At the age of twelve, together with her mother and one of her brothers, Céline composed a French song which would forever alter the course of her life.

The demo tape containing the song was brought to the attention of René Angélil, a well respected personal manager. In January 1981, René was so taken by the voice of the young Céline, that he became determined to make her an internationally known talent - he even mortgaged his house to finance the recording of Céline's debut album!

Céline began to receive recognition for her talent in 1982, winning the Gold Medal at the Yamaha World Song Festival in Tokyo, along with the coveted Musician's Award for Top Performer. In 1983, she became the first Canadian ever to receive a Gold Record in France.

The streak of recognition had only just begun.

By 1988, Céline had established a strong name for herself in her native province of Québec, where she was enjoying superstar status, receiving numerous Felix Awards and racking up platinum albums. That same year, Céline won the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, Ireland, where she performed live before a television audience of 600 million viewers throughout Europe, the USSR, the Middle-East, Japan, and Australia.

In September 1990, Céline released 'Unison' - her first English-language album and her first for Sony Music - and scored a breakthrough US hit with the Top 5 single "Where Does My Heart Beat Now".

Céline's international breakthrough came when she recorded the title track for the soundtrack to the animated Disney hit movie 'Beauty and the Beast'. The song went to number one and garnered an Academy Award and a Grammy Award. "Beauty and the Beast" formed the cornerstone for Céline's second English language album, called simply 'Céline Dion'. That album produced four more hit singles including "Love Can Move Mountains," "Water From The Moon," "If You Asked Me To" and "Did You Give Enough Love." In Canada, the album went six times platinum and set the stage for an incredible streak of Juno Awards.

On December 17, 1994, Céline Dion and René Angélil were married at Notre Dame Basilica in Montréal.

At this time, the Céline juggernaut started rolling at a momentous pace in the UK. British fans took extremely well to "Think Twice," a ballad on 'The Colour Of My Love.' For five consecutive weeks, the song and album stood on top of the respective British charts, an achievement not replicated since 1965 and the heyday of The Beatles. "Think Twice" remained at number one for two more weeks, surpassing the magic million mark to become only the fourth million-selling single ever in the UK by a female artist.

With 'D'eux,' Céline achieved what everyone thought was impossible - introduced French music to the upper reaches of the British charts. The world had truly discovered Céline Dion.

Blessed with one of popular music's great voices, she has crossed all barriers - even that of language - with her electrifying series of international hits. With her breakneck pace of recording, video shoots, touring and appearing on TV shows and awards specials, it seems like Céline has time for little else. Not the case when it comes to an important cause. Céline has used her talents to further the cause of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In fact, one of Céline's most emotional songs ("Vole," from the 'D'eux' album, later translated into English as the song "Fly," which appears on the 'Falling Into You' album) is a touching memorial to her niece, Karine, who was taken from her by this disease.

Released in March 1996, 'Falling Into You' became the best-selling album released that year; topped the charts in 11 countries, and was voted Album of the Year and Best Pop Album at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony. The album has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.

'Let's Talk About Love' is the follow-up to Céline's double Grammy Award-winning album. Recorded in London, New York and Los Angeles, 'Let's Talk About Love' features a host of special guests including some of popular music's greatest vocalists, songwriters, and producers.

'Let's Talk About Love' was released on the same day as the soundtrack of the motion picture 'Titanic'. Both albums featured the much-loved Titanic movie's theme song, "My Heart Will Go On," written by James Horner and produced by James Horner and Walter Afanasieff. "My Heart Will Go On" quickly became the wedding song of choice for Céline's fans.

In a stunning back-to-back achievement, 'Let's Talk About Love' went on to match the 27 million worldwide sales of its predecessor; 'Titanic' also sold over 27 million copies worldwide. It is the all-time best-selling orchestral soundtrack in recording history. Céline sang "My Heart Will Go On" on the worldwide telecast of the 70th Annual Academy Awards, live from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song -- the second Oscar for a song sung by Céline Dion, following "Beauty And The Beast".

A new French album, 'S'il suffisait d'aimer,' recorded in February 1998, was officially released worldwide on September 8. The first featured single, "Zola sourit" received rave responses on the radio all over the world. Céline first introduced her fans to the album's title track during her Let's Talk About Love World Tour.

Céline's next album, 'These Are Special Times,' featured sixteen songs for the holiday season, including the Christmas pop classics "Blue Christmas" and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)"; and such traditional religious favorites as "O Holy Night" and "Adeste Fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful)". In addition, 'These Are Special Times' produced the No. 1 single "I'm Your Angel," Céline's duet with R. Kelly, who wrote and produced the song; the Diane Warren-penned title track, "These Are Special Times"; and "The Prayer," a duet with Andrea Bocelli.

Also, in 1998, Dundurn Press released the much anticipated biography: Céline...The Authorized Biography. After travelling with Céline and her entourage for over a year and spending hours in one-on-one conversions with the star, Georges-Hébert Germain recounts the story of one of the world's best loved vocal artists. Céline and Georges-Hébert Germain later collaborated once again on Céline Dion...My Story, My Dream. Released in 2000, Céline recounts her story in her own words and straight from her heart. The autobiography is an exquisitely detailed portrait of Céline backstage, on the road, and in the recording studio.

'All The Way...A Decade Of Song' is a collection of Céline's greatest hits, including her chart-topping hit singles "The Power Of Love," "Because You Loved Me," "I'm Your Angel," and the Grammy and Academy Award-winning classic "My Heart Will Go On." Also included are "Beauty And The Beast," "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"; and "If You Asked Me To".

Seven brand-new songs, were recorded specifically for this collection, including the title song "All The Way," a respectful and loving tribute to one of Céline's all-time favourite singers, the late Frank Sinatra.

On New Year's Eve 1999, in Montréal, Céline Dion gave her last public performance before beginning a temporary hiatus from show business to enjoy her private life... and improve her golf game!

During Céline's hiatus, a compilation album, 'The Collector's Series...Volume One,' was released in October 2000. Among Céline's greatest hits and best-loved recordings, the album also includes "The Power of the Dream" which Céline performed at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games as well as a Spanish version of "All By Myself".

But the greatest joy for Céline and René came with the birth of their son René-Charles Angélil, born January 25, 2001 at 1:00 AM, weighing 6 lbs, 8 oz. He was baptized six months later on July 25, 2001, in Montréal's grand Notre-Dame Basilica.

A new peak in Céline's spectacular career was reached when she released her new album 'A New Day Has Come' in March 2002, which ended her two-year hiatus. The album entered number one in more than 17 countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States within two weeks of its debut. It features new tracks that range from pure 21st century pop, "A New Day Has Come" to dramatic ballads "Have You Ever Been In Love" and "I Surrender," from breathtaking dance music "Sorry For Love" to a pair of pre-rock classics "At Last;" and "Nature Boy." Other highlights include "I'm Alive," "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)," and "Rain, Tax (It's Inevitable)".

The release of the album was accompanied by a blitz of TV specials, appearances on talk shows and magazine interviews all over the world.

In March 2003, Céline began a three-year commitment to appear five nights a week at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, a 4000-seat arena designed for her show. A 90-minute event, A New Day... introduces a new form of entertainment, a fusion of song, performance art, theatrical innovation and state-of-the-art technology. The show was created by Dragone Productions, a team led by Franco Dragone, the creative spirit behind ten of the critically acclaimed productions by Cirque du Soleil.

On March 25th, to coincide with the opening of A New Day..., Céline released 'One Heart,' a brand new album featuring an upbeat cover of Roy Orbison's classic "I Drove All Night" as its first single. The album also includes songs produced by Ric Wake, Anders Bagge, Kristian Lundin, Peer Astrom, Max Martin, Mark Taylor, Erick Benzi et Humberto Gatica.

On October 14th of the same year, Céline released the much anticipated '1 fille & 4 types,' her first French album in five years. Artistic director Jean-Jacques Goldman, the power behind 'D'eux' (1995) and 'S'il suffisait d'aimer' (1998), had come up with an idea to surround her with three different writer-composers who have made their mark on the French music scene: Jacques Veneruso, Erick Benzi and master guitarist Gildas Arzel.

The voice of one or other of these incomparable artists accompanies Céline's performance throughout the album, produced by Benzi and guided by Goldman from start to finish. '1 fille & 4 types' debuted as the top selling in Canada, France and Switzerland in its first week of release. The first single, "Tout l'or des hommes" also made radio history by establishing the record for becoming the highest charting Francophone single on the National CHR Audience chart in the BDS era in Canada.

On June 14th, 2004, Céline's album 'A New Day...Live In Las Vegas' was released into stores worldwide. The album, which includes a behind-the-scenes DVD, features thirteen songs perfomed live on stage from her Las Vegas show A New Day... and two new studio-recorded tracks: "You and I" and "Ain't Gonna Look The Other Way". The live tracks feature Céline's most recognizable songs such as "My Heart Will Go On" and outstanding renditions including Barbra Streisand's "If I Could", Frank Sinatra's "I've Got The World On A String" and Stevie Wonder's "I Wish".

October 11th, 2004, Céline's latest album 'Miracle' officially hit stores worldwide. This is album is all about the love and bond between a mother and her child, something which is precious and cannot be compared. 'Miracle' includes Céline's newest single which has the same title as the album, and many others including "Bhram's Lullaby".

With each new release, Céline has managed to top her previous successes and, along the way, has become one of the brightest stars in the world of popular music. Who would have imagined that Quebec's best-kept secret could have conquered the world the way she has?

Looking back now, we should have known it all along.

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Celine Dion

2008-01-20T00:06:00.000-08:00

James Blunt

2008-01-19T23:10:00.000-08:00

You 're Beautiful

Wiseman

James Blunt’s family have served in one kind of army or another since 995A.D. A long line of warriors. Savages really. Not a musical bone in any one of their bodies. The only music he heard growing up was “Happy Birthday” and “Silent Night”. His father considered all music, even classical, to be unnecessary noise. Although James was not one to rock the family boat, he didn’t really think he was going to join the army – it sort of crept up on him. Plus his family didn’t have a boat. Aged fourteen he just held the teenage conviction that he would have an interesting life – maybe that’s why he picked the guitar? Then again, maybe if he hadn’t, he would have tripped over it. He went to University and studied Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering and Sociology, spending most lectures asleep on the floor at the back. In much the same way, he ended up in the army. In essence, one day he was sleeping off a hangover at the back of a sociology lecture hall and the next thing he knew he was in Kosovo with a gun and a guitar strapped to the side of a tank, wondering who he could possibly sleep with to get out of this war. To break up the super attenuated monotony, James would sometimes stroll through Serb villages wearing an East German cap singing, “All we are saying is give peace a chance”. “We were peace-keepers at that point,” he explained, shrugging helplessly.

So how did the music get into him, you might ask? Well if you were sent to boarding school aged seven, studied Engineering by mistake (“I thought we were going to fly planes, but we just pulled metals apart – the brochure was very misleading.”), joined the army by default, guarded The Queen, buried The Queen Mother and pranced around London like a tit for Japanese tourists to photograph, what you’re going to want to do very much after that, besides getting stoned and laid, is put your gun down, pick up a guitar and make an album in America with Linda Perry. So James came to Los Angeles in September 2003 to record with Tom Rothrock et al. At night he’d go to bars, bringing with him his valuable British accent (in the U.K., too posh for some people – in LA, the best thing she’d heard all night) and the fact that like 50 Cent he’d been shot at numerous times, but unlike the Cent, had dodged the bullets. One song, “Goodbye My Lover”, was recorded in his landladies’ bathroom (“She was a frequenter of mental hospitals and in general, a freak – but pleasant”) where, naturally, she kept a piano.

From birth in a military hospital in Tidworth, to Harrow School, to Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering, to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, to The Household Cavalry, to Kosovo, to Buckingham Palace, to a recording studio in Los Angeles. How did James get from there to here? Only James Blunt’s hairdresser knows for certain, and either he isn’t talking or James cuts his own hair, and it’s up to you to join the dots – there are ten of them on the album.

Written by The Landlady

James Blunt

2008-01-19T22:53:00.000-08:00

The Fray

2008-01-19T22:42:00.001-08:00

The Fray

2008-01-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

How To Save A Life

All At Once

From the sleepy sprawl of America's Mile-High City comes The Fray, a Denver-based foursome whose melodic pop-rock songs and soaring vocals resonate with sprawling tapestries and tales of hopefulness and heartache.

Formed in 2002 by Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King (guitar, vocals), The Fray earned a loyal grassroots following through impressive area gigs and the support of local radio which led a listen-driven campaign to get the band a record contract. With strong word-of-mouth, the band won "Best New Band" honors from Denver's Westword Magazine and garnered substantial airplay on two of Denver's top rock stations - the demo version of "Over My Head (Cable Car)" became KTCL's top 30 most played song of 2004 in just 4 months. The band signed to Epic Records in 2004 and will release their debut album "How To Save A Life" this September.

"Three years ago, I thought I wanted to start a real estate company," laughs co-founder King. A serendipitous encounter with former schoolmate Slade at a local music store begat an impromptu jam session that begat an impromptu songwriting session that begat The Fray. It wasn't your usual rock n' roll lineup - vocals, guitar and piano - but it worked. The uplifting, melody-driven songs were catchy enough to attract two former bandmates of Slade's - drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarist Dave Welsh. "Ben and I were basically a package deal at the time," explains Welsh. "Ben joined first, but I think he felt lonely without me."

It didn't hurt that the boys were all consummate musicians. A pianist from an early age, King competed in the local recital circuit before dropping piano altogether and picking up the guitar in junior high. "The coolest guys in my eighth grade class all played guitar," confides King. "I wanted to fit in." Slade began singing when he was eight, but temporary voice problems led him to discover the piano at age 11. After regaining his vocal abilities a year later, he continued studying piano and learned guitar in high school. "I wrote my first song at 16," explains Slade, "which is when I first picked up the guitar." Wysocki began taking drum lessons in the sixth grade, but only after having endured piano lessons at his parents' request. Welsh grew up in a musical household, and struggled with piano and saxophone before settling on guitar at age 12.

The lineup secure, all the band needed was a name. Jokes about the boys' tendency to battle it out over song composition led to the suggestion of "The Fray," and the name stuck. So did The Fray's style - a sophisticated, emotional blend of tinkling pianos, acoustic and electric guitars, and gently insistent rhythms that serves as an ideal backdrop for Slade's pitch-perfect, achingly beautiful vocals. The band's first single, "Over My Head (Cable Car)", echoes the poignant lyricism of Counting Crows and the melodic intensity of U2. The title track, "How To Save A Life", is a heartbreaking meditation on salvation inspired by Slade's experience as a mentor to a crack-addicted teen. Both songs employ an epic sweep, speeding up and slowing down so effortlessly that the listener can't help but become emotionally involved by the time the crescendo hits.

Considering the quality of songwriting involved, the band's rise to local prominence within the span of a year doesn't seem so implausible. In January of 2004 The Fray were no-namers trying to find gigs. By December, they were getting radio pick-up and playing sold-out shows at 500-capacity venues. With a series of U.S. tour dates supporting legendary geek rockers Weezer in July, The Fray will have the opportunity to make even more new fans by the time "How To Save A Life" drops in September 2005.

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Plain White T's

2008-01-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

Plain White T's

2008-01-19T22:04:00.000-08:00

Hey There Delilah

Season Of A Lifetime

Five years is a long time, but it's also an advantage. Plain White T's formed in '97 sometime between the summer and fall. Tom Higgenson (vocals/guitar), and Ken Fletcher (bass), had been in a band together and decided to move on and asked friend Dave Tirio to play drums for a power-pop trio. Tom had already written several songs, which the band adopted to their new style, and eventually made a recording of. After two years of playing every show they could, it was time to make some changes. Steve Mast (lead guitar/vocals), brought in his experience and voice to the mix. And three years just seemed to fly by, just like that.

It brings us to present day. Two albums later, the first self-released debut effort was a 13 song record called "Come On Over", which sold over 3,000 copies. The most recent recordings all made it onto "STOP", which they released in November of '01. 12 of their most mature and honest songs yet. The focus on this album is what drives you to listen from start to finish. It's as if they know what you have been through everyday of your life and wrote an album about it.

Along with their rapidly growing fan base in the Midwest, the band has toured the South from Texas to Arizona, and played up and down California with some great bands. Besides opening for great bands such as Sum41, Jimmy Eat World and Me First and the Gimme Gimme's, just to name a few, they have played numerous sold out shows at a couple of Chicago's most prestigious venues, one being the Metro.

PLAIN WHITE T'S have proved their worth through a DIY attitude and their relentless pursuit of national success. This band has high hopes for the future and refuses to settle for anything less of great. They have extremely hard work ethics and push their name out there through shameless promoting. They believe that honesty mixed with simple but solid structure creates the best songs. They believe in their music and that's something to get behind and work for. The music is the best part about these guys. It always comes down to great songs. This band has plenty of them.

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Avril Lavigne

2008-01-18T05:45:00.000-08:00

Blur

2008-01-18T04:07:00.001-08:00

Beyonce Knowles

2008-01-18T03:03:00.000-08:00

Hoobastank

2008-01-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

The Reason

Inside Of You

Band Members: Dan Guitar, Doug Vocals, Chris Drums, Markku Bass

"What if I don't want to hear the things you say? Where were you when I was needy yesterday?" -Too Little Too Late

Put a band together with influences like Faith No More, Tool, and Fishbone, let each member add unique influences ranging from Phish to Guns n Roses to Trance music. Enter Hoobastank.

Flash back to July of 1998 and enoughmoney saved up to self release the first album They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To, spreading the Hoobastank sound across Southern California, throughout the United States, and as far as the UK, Brazil, Russia, and Israel.

Even further back to the summer of 1994 when Dan and Doug and Markku started writing music together, and then to early 1995 when Chris answered the right newspaper ad to complete the quartet. Forward a bit to the summer of 1995. The Roxy in Los Angeles. The first show: the lights, the adrenaline and the fans. The fans like you that have enabled Hoobastank to consistently sell out local shows, to play up and down California and Arizona, and to play venues as large as the Palace and even the Universal Amphitheatre.

And then look to what is almost yesterday. A band that has matured and grown enough to get signed to Island/Defjam Records and be picked up by the booking agency CAA, and then to tomorrow: a new album that will set new standards for and a tour that will bring the energetic Hoobastank sound even closer to you.

It has all led up to this, and this is only the beginning...

(written by Dan Berman)

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Shakira Gallery

2008-01-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

Shakira

2008-01-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

Hips Don't Lie

Beautiful Liar (Beyonce Feat. Shakira)

BORN: February 2, 1977

Shakira, the graceful one, has been sneaking up on you-the Grammys, the MTV Video Awards, those Pepsi spots. She's a child prodigy who wrote her first song at age eight, a blond-locked Colombian who speaks three languages and loves only in Spanish. She's a perfectionist who spends hours in the studio; she needs to be close to nature but her passion is the crackle of electric guitars. She is in the blush of youth, but she's far older than her 24 years. As her countryman, Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote, "Shakira's music has a personal stamp that doesn't look like anyone else's and no one can sing or dance like her, at whatever age, with such an innocent sensuality, one that seems to be of her own invention."

The swift ascent of Shakira's star is the stuff of Latin American legend. At the age of 13, she signed her first recording contract with Sony Music Colombia and released her first album Magia. (Magic). After graduating from secondary school, Shakira decided to dedicate her life to the music, recording Peligro ("Danger") and Pies Descalzos, ("Barefeet") in the years that followed, which broke her in Latin America , Brazil (over one million sales) and Spain.

Her next album, ?Dónde Están Los Ladrones? produced by Shakira and executive produced by Emilio Estefan, established her as the major force behind Latin pop-rock, going multi-platinum in the U.S., Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Central America, Mexico and platinum in Spain. Then came a Grammy and two Latin Grammys, the key TV appearances, the brave new world of Shakira, the star. Shakira is a walking, living, breathing, singing contradiction. "I was born and raised in Colombia, but I listened to bands like Led Zeppelin, the Cure, the Police, the Beatles and Nirvana," said Shakira. "I was so in love with that rock sound but at the same time because my father is of l00% Lebanese descent, I am devoted to Arabic tastes and sounds. Somehow I'm a fusion of all of those passions and my music is a fusion of elements that I can make coexist in the same place, in one song."

It's the songs that make her new album, LAUNDRY SERVICE, her first with English-language tunes, the kind of breakthrough work that will turn the pop world on its head. From the tango-inflected "Objection (Tango)," to the Middle Eastern flavor of "Eyes Like Yours," to the lyrical innovations of "Underneath Your Clothes", to the richness of the melodies of "The One," to the pop-rock of "Whenever Wherever," Shakira will stand in the ranks of the best singer-songwriters in any language.

"I think I am celebrating life more than ever," said Shakira. "I had a slightly narrow vision of love. Now I am feeling unguarded, and it feels great. I feel washed clean of the way I looked at things in the past, which is why I am calling the album LAUNDRY SERVICE."

The most extraordinary thing about LAUNDRY SERVICE is the way she was able to translate her Latin American sensibility into a new language. The idea to do songs in English first came up during Shakira's partnership with Emilio and Gloria Estefan. Gloria initiated the process by translating "Ojos Así," a song that appeared on Shakira's last album, Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where are the Thieves?). "I wanted to have her involved in this somehow because she was one of the people that really believed that I could make a record in English," said Shakira.

But nurturing the belief that she could write songs in English was a strong challenge. "The first song I wrote by myself for this record was "Objection," remembered Shakira. "I prayed and asked God to send me a good song today, and I remember I started writing the song a couple of hours after. I wrote the music and lyrics at the same time, and when that happens it's really magical to me." When she completed "Objection," she knew that she could write ten more, so she packed up her loved ones and set up portable studios in rural Uruguay. Taking in the primordial energy of natural surroundings, Shakira came up with a crop of new songs more introspective, more passionate than any she had written before. "I had to find a way to express my ideas and my feelings, my day to day stories in English. So I bought a couple of rhyming dictionaries, read poetry, and authors like Leonard Cohen and Walt Whitman," she said.

"I would feel love in Spanish but I would think about how to express that love in English. Afterwards that became such a natural process, and if you check the subject of my songs, most of them talk about my own experiences and feelings and what I was actually going through in my life," said Shakira. "Is impossible not to write about love.. It's the great mystery of life. It makes me ask myself new questions every day."

Shakira is one of the poetic songwriters of her generation and considered the best female lyricist in Latin America: On the ballad "Underneath Your Clothes," she claims as territory a man she likens to "a song written by the hands of God"; on the blues-rocker "Fool" her "tears make a sea of desert." But she is still as quirky around the edges as she's always been-on "Ready for the Good Times" she remembers close encounters with roaches; on "Poem to a Horse" she scolds a friend dulled by "hydroponic pot," and on "The One," she rewards her true love by shaving her legs and learning how to cook.

"I try to represent only myself, but there are many women that identify with me," said Shakira. "I am definitely not a woman who washes her husband's clothes every day. I hope I don't sound like a feminist leader saying these things. I just try to be honest the way I write."

There's no doubt that Shakira has maintained her creative integrity with her new project. But perhaps more importantly, LAUNDRY SERVICE is a record that reflects her deep love for the basics of rock production. "I felt that I needed to make an organic record with real players in the studio playing live music and doing it like they made records 30 years ago, in the old times," said Shakira. "We used an engineer named Terry Manning, who's worked with ACDC, Led Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz. He's somebody from the old school. I was determined not to depend on too many electronic sounds, and he definitely understood that."

On LAUNDRY SERVICE there is a very strong dedication to old-fashioned rock riffs, to the soulful, bluesy singing styles of a Bonnie Raitt, even the mournful, wailing guitars of Aerosmith. But Shakira can't help being herself, and that means that "Whenever Wherever," will bounce along with some help from Andean pan flutes and Brazilian drums, and "Eyes Like Yours" bursts from your CD player with navel-baring, belly-dancing furor. And for those longing for Shakira in her original language, four new tracks in Spanish are included. "The world has become so small and music is so eclectic now, and our taste is so broad that that's almost predictable that all this crossover from one culture to another was going to happen," she said, then paused for a second, making sure everyone knew she had her priorities straight. "But I know that rock and roll is never going to die."

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Radiohead

2008-01-13T06:37:00.000-08:00

Paranoid Android

Nude

FORMED: 1989, Oxford, England

Radiohead is widely regarded as one of the world's most important bands of today. While their debut was rather modest, they were shot to stardom after the success of "OK Computer" - a success that few probably would have expected or predicted when the five of them started playing together in the early 80s after meeting at Abingdon School in Oxford.
Thom Yorke was the driving force of the band. He was singing in the punk band TNT, but asked the TNT bass player, Colin Greenwood, if he wanted to join him and guitar player Ed O'Brien in a new band. One year older Phil Selway started playing drums in the band. Colin's younger brother Jonny hung around them, bugging them, asking to join. Eventually, he was allowed to play with them, first on the harmonica, then, on the keyboards. Finally, he became the lead guitarist.

The band was named "On A Friday" because they rehearsed on Fridays. They made their debut at the Jericho's Tavern in 1987. April 1991, they recorded their first demo tape. The demo gave them the opportunity to record another tape, and the Manic Hedgehog Demo got the ball rolling for the band. Parlophone A&R representative Keith Wozencroft heard it, and after seeing the band live at Jericho's, "On A Friday" signed for EMI. They also changed their name to Radiohead after Talking Head's song "Radio Head" from the True Stories album.

In May 1992, the band released Drill EP which would eventually be a very sought after collector's item. When it was released, however, it reached #101 only and the band toured as a support band. Then, they released Creep EP in September 1992. Still, the big break didn't come before 1993 when Creep entered the Billboard Modern Rock Track Chart, peaking at second place. A re-issue of the single gave Radiohead the break they needed in the UK. Still, the album Pablo Honey never took off, and the fuss around the band faded in spite of them releasing My Iron Lung EP which got fairly good reviews.

Radiohead's second album, The Bends, was released in March 1995. This album got a better reception than Pablo Honey, and the band got a slowly growing horde of loyal fans. However, they had to release five singles from the album before they got a top 10 hit with the beautiful Street Spirit [Fade Out].

One month after the release of the six-minute-long single Paranoid Android, Radiohead released OK Computer in June 1997. The album skyrocketed to the top of the charts and spent 71 consecutive weeks on the UK Chart, harvesting amazing reviews. MTV played the Paranoid Android single regularly, and Radiohead became superstars, winning several awards. OK Computer sold to platinum, and it has gained reputation as one of the 90s most significant albums.

Then, things went quiet around Radiohead. They released Airbag/How Am I Driving? EP and Meeting People Is Easy, a weird little movie about the band made by Grant Gee, who also directed the No Surprises video. However, the band ran into some problems making the follow-up album to OK Computer. The recording sessions were long and in many ways, the band members had to re-define their roles in the band.

Radiohead's music was also kind of re-defined when their fourth album, Kid A, was released in October 2000. The album went straight to number one in spite of the fact that no ordinary promotion scheme was used, and no singles were released from the album. Kid A was totally different from OK Computer. Radiohead had found inspiration from a lot of other sources, turning their heads to more experimental music. Still, Kid A was a success.

June 2001, eight months after Kid A, Radiohead released the second part of their long recording session. The album Amnesiac contained tracks that were made at the same time as Kid A, and while the album held songs with guitar riffs, the Kid A experimental sound was also present at Amnesiac. On tour, Radiohead premiered a few new songs that showed a tendency towards going back to the good old guitar-based style. However, where Radiohead will go from now on is hard to tell. But a whole lot of loyal fans are waiting for their next move.

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Enrique Iglesias

2008-01-13T06:28:00.000-08:00

Be With You

Escape

Occupation: Musician
Date of Birth: May 8, 1975
Place of Birth: Madrid, Spain
Marital Status: Single

Born May 8, 1975 in Madrid, Spain, Enrique Iglesias has
followed in his father's large footsteps with even larger
footsteps of his own. The hot singer that just released his
first English language album has had a long history in the
music industry and already is the best selling Latin
recording artist in the world, though Ricky Martin may
claim the same distinction. Enrique released his first
album in 1995 although secretly had been planning the
release since the age of 16. Although he was the son of a
famous musician, Enrique and Julio are not very close, as
during his childhood his father was mostly away from home
busy with his own music career.
At the dawn of the new millennium, Enrique Iglesias was the best-selling Latin recording artist in the world. The son of multi-million-selling singer Julio Iglesias, Enrique was born in Madrid, Spain, where he lived with his mother, his brother Julio, and his sister Chabeli. In 1982, his mother sent them to live in Miami with their father. While there, Enrique was exposed to three different cultures and musical influences: Hispanic, European, and American.

Iglesias' own career started when he was still attending Gulliver Private School, a very prestigious school in Miami. He made his singing debut in a production of Hello, Dolly, after which he began practicing his singing without his parents knowing. After a year studying business at the University of Miami, he decided to follow his passion for music. In 1995, he sang in person for his soon-to-be manager, who at Iglesias' insistence of not wanting to use his family name, first shopped his demos as an unknown Central American singer named Enrique Martinez. It wasn't until he earned a record deal with Fonovisa that Enrique told his father and mother of his aspirations. Then he flew to Toronto, where no one knew him and he could concentrate just on music, to record for five months.

That first album, Enrique Iglesias (1995), sold more than a million copies in three months (it earned him his first gold record in Portugal in a mere seven days) and to date has sold more than six million worldwide. The second album, Vivir (1997), enjoyed global sales of more than five million discs and launched his first world tour, backed by sidemen for Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and Billy Joel. In a mere three years, Iglesias had sold more than 17 million Spanish-language albums, more than anyone else during that period. (The U.S. was his biggest market.) He also won the 1996 Grammy for Best Latin Performer, 1996's Billboard Artist of the Year, Billboard's Album of the Year for Vivir, two American Music Awards, a World Music Award, eight Premio Lo Nuestro awards, two ACE Performer of the Year awards, and ASCAP prizes for Best Composer of 1996 and 1997, in addition to countless accolades around the world.

With 1998's Cosas del Amor, Iglesias moved to more mature content; his earlier material had been written when he was 17 years old. Then came Enrique, his first Interscope album and first in English. It achieved gold or platinum status in 32 countries and brought his global album sales to a total of more than 23 million. In 2001 he released the follow-up, Escape. Iglesias alternated Spanish- and English-language albums during the next two years, first offering the ballad collection Quizás in 2002, then the mainstream English record 7 in 2003. Four years later the single "Do You Know (The Ping Pong Song)" announced the coming of his 2007 album Insomniac. ~ Ed Nimmervoll, All Music Guide

* Son of Julio Iglesias
* The same writing team that wrote singer Cher's "Believe" wrote his hit "Bailamos."
* Considers himself a songwriter first, and singer second.
* Son of Filipina beauty Isabel Preysler
* Younger brother of Julio Iglesias Jr.
* Number #1 Spanish album: Quizas (Latin Billboard Charts)
* Has two half twin sisters, Cristina and Victoria.
* Sisters: Chabeli, Tamara and Ana.
* Brothers: Julio Jose and Michael Alexander.
* Appeared on the cover of the Spanish edition of 'Rolling Stone', December 15th, 2002.
* Number #3 Spanish Song: "Papa Que La Vida" (Latin Billboard Charts).
* Number #1 song "Papa Que La Vida" on Latin Billboard Music Charts.
* Has had 16 number #1 songs.
* Is the first Latin artist to have the most #1 singles on Latin Billboard Charts history.
* Had a mole on his right cheek removed. [April 2003]
* His song "Quizas" ("Maybe") is about his dad, Julio Iglesias.
* Quizas received a Latin Grammy nomimation for Best Male Pop Vocal Album (2003)
* "Be With You" received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording (2001)
* Decided to part with his trademark mole after a doctor told him it could become cancerous.
* Won The Latin Grammy For "Best Male Pop Vocal Album" [September 3rd, 2003]
* His new single, "Addicted", is from his [new] 4th English album titled "7" Enrique's album is due out November 25th, 2003.
* Born in Madrid, Spain, but grew up in Miami, Florida.
* His song "Addicted" debuted on Casey Kasem's AT40 on November 16th, 2003 at #38
* Song "Addicted" is #37 on Casey Kasem's AT40 [November 23rd, 2003]
* His song "Addicted" only went up to #26 on Casey Kasem's American Top 40
* Was Ryan Seacrest's first musical guest on his new show "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" on 12 January 2004.
* Co-wrote Clay Aiken's song "The Way"
* He is half Spaniard and half Filipino.
* Has two half brothers, Miguel Alejandro (1997), Rodrigo (1999), and half twin sisters, Victoria and Cristina (2001).
* Sister, Chabeli Iglesias, is a Spanish singer-actress.
* In Spanish his song "Bailamos" means "we dance" and "Para Que La Vida" means "why there's life" .
* Was the executive producer on his albums, Escape, Quizas, and Seven.
* His favorite food is Sushi, but he says he's also a big fan of fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Burger King and Taco Bell.
* Wrote all the songs on his Escape, Quizas and Seven albums.
* When he was about 9 years old, his grandfather was kidnapped but later found safe and well.
* Appeared on "On-air with Ryan Seacrest" on 19 May 2004. He was interviewed by a fan of the show named "Super Enrique Fan." He was interviewed before his performance at the Wango Tango Concert held 15 May 2004. He sang "Addicted," "Hero" and "Bailamos."
* At the Wango Tango Concert held 15 May 2004. He sang "Addicted," "Hero" and "Bailamos."
* August 2004; chosen as a renowned songwriter to sit on the executive committee to choose the Maxell Song of the Year.
* 15 September 2004: In the 7th Annual In Style Magazine's "What's Hot Now" Poll, he almost beat out Clay Aiken for the title of Sexiest Singer.
* Including both his English and Spanish albums, Enrique named his album "Seven" because it was his 7th album all together.
* November 2004; Enrique will be on the board of advisory in the project "International Year of Microcredit." The project offers small loans to business people in impoverished countries.
* December 2004: His song "Not In Love" was voted #3 Best Dance Track/Song by Billboard Magazine for the year 2004.

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Amy Winehouse

2008-01-13T06:16:00.000-08:00

Some Unholy War

Wake Up Alone

Fresh from her triumphant performance at the Brits where she picked up the British Female Solo Artist award, Amy Winehouse has her much anticipated new single, ”Back To Black”, released on April 16th through Island Records. The single is the title track from Amy’s stunning album “Back To Black”, which this week re-gained the no. 1 slot, and looks set to go triple –platinum in a matter of weeks with sales fast approaching the 900,000 mark. Amy is currently in the middle of her sell-out UK tour which will be followed by her first ever US tour. The American dates kick off with a sold-out show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City where Amy will also mark her US television debut with a performance on the David Letterman Show.

It’s been a fantastic few months for Amy since the release, at the end of October ’06, of her anthemic single “Rehab”. “Rehab” entered the chart at no. 7 and was followed by “Back To Black” which was released to universal acclaim and finished the year topping many end of year polls. A second single, “You Know I’m No Good”, featuring Ghostface Killah, was released in January and gave Amy her second big hit. Two Brit nominations, a South Bank Show award and an Elle Style award followed before Amy scooped the British Best Female last week at Earl’s Court. Amy’s live shows feature songs drawn from her platinum debut “Frank” and “Back To Black”. “Frank” established Amy as one of the most exciting and challenging artists in pop music, and “Back To Black” proves, beyond any reasonable or unreasonable doubt, what a truly remarkable talent she is. Winehouse’s song-writing and fearlessness as a lyric writer has been grafted onto some of the most astonishing material of her short career so far. “Back To Black” sees her teaming up once again with “Frank” producer Salaam Remi and, for the first time, with New Yorker Mark Ronson (Lily Allen, Robbie Williams and Christina Aguilera).

Two years ago, following the success of “Frank”, Amy began thinking about what she’d like to do with her second record. “Frank” was her grand and suitably blunt-speaking break-up record, and it won her a battalion of fans around the world, marking her out as one of the most distinct new voices in pop; confessional, elemental and with that rarest of combinations: humour and soul. “I didn’t want to play the jazz thing up too much again. I was bored of complicated chord structures and needed something more direct. I’d been listening to a lot of girl-groups from the fifties and sixties. I liked the simplicity of that stuff. It just gets to the point.” You can hear it on the subtley Supremes-referencing intro of “Back To Black”. But her reach stretches further. While the girl-groups of the sixties to which she had become enthralled contained their vocals, Amy can break loose with Aretha-style vocal stylings on “Just Friends” or by turning the whole idea of drying out into a gospel spiritual on the stunning opener “Rehab”. “Love is a Losing Game” is pure classic modern song-writing: brief, to the point and drenched in emotion. Other highlights include the Nas inspired “Me and Mr Jones”, the beautiful “Wake Up Alone”, “I’m No Good”, the personal epiphany that you can behave just as badly as all those guys that have messed you around and stamped all over you, and the bluesy smooch of the title track, “Back To Black”.

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Nelly Furtado

2008-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Say It Right

All Good Things

"It was summertime and I was in the Azores, hanging around the small village my parents are from. I was looking out on this very rural setting, on a road going up a hill. There was an old man coming down the hill with a pitchfork on his shoulder. He was wearing gum boots, work pants and a Coca-Cola T-shirt. I saw that and thought, That’s my album!"

Quaint tales and obscure sayings and antique vases safely encased under museum glass are all nice relics of tradition. But the living history and customs of different cultures and different times seem, for singer Nelly Furtado, as rocking as a Camaro stereo blaring monster beats.

The timeless and cutting-edge comprise essential components of the energetic m?lange that has made Furtado one of pop music’s premier artists. This mix emerges with an explosive new simplicity and breadth on Folklore (set for release Nov. 25, 2003, on DreamWorks Records). The album is Furtado’s follow-up to her multiplatinum debut, Whoa, Nelly! It just shows how variously and hard the stuff on Folklore, as Nelly Furtado imagines it, can kick.

"This is the folklore of my mind," Furtado says. "The word often conjures up something old, but I’m kind of flipping its usual understanding. Folklore is something magical and mystical. I like that. But more than that, I think of it as a belief in origin. It’s people’s stories basically. Everybody everywhere has his or her own folklore. It can be light; it can be dark. And it doesn’t always have to come from the past. The historical part is not the point. Gossip about a celebrity? That’s modern folklore. The story of Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off a bat? That’s folklore as well."

Furtado showed up on the scene in the fall of 2000, 20 years old, with the release if her acclaimed debut, Whoa, Nelly! Radio tracks such as I’m Like A Bird and Turn Off The Light, both Top 10 hits on the Billboard singles charts, introduced listeners to a young Canadian, British Columbian by birth and Portuguese by heritage, who brought a self-styled vibrancy to the diverse musics she whipped together: hip-hop, Portuguese fado, pop, soul, classical, Brazilian, dance, folk, Latin and anything else that seemed expressive and alive to her.

Working with the production team of Track and Field (Gerald Eaton and Brian West) in Toronto, where she has lived since her late teens, Furtado struck fans and musicians as that extraordinary thing, a genuinely real and talented person. The songs she wrote and sang in her alert voice were about feelings old, new and futuristic; local and international; serious and daft; historic and chic; and the music was as inventively rhythmic as it was melodic. For all of this, Furtado and Whoa, Nelly! were recognized. Among slews of other citations and nominations, the Canadian Juno Awards named Furtado its Best New Solo Artist and Best Songwriter in 2001, and at the 2002 Grammy Awards, I’m Like A Bird won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Whoa, Nelly! remained a presence in the marketplace for two years, a lifetime by pop music standards. But as Folklore demonstrates, that was only the beginning. The new album’s songs produced by Track and Field and Furtado further develop the ideas and emotions that have long compelled Furtado. And with her ever-upbeat sense of fusion and generosity, and without sacrificing zing or immediacy, her music continues to ignore the stylistic restrictions that can leave pop music stale. One need look no further than first radio track Powerless (Say What You Want) for evidence of this.

Furtado (signed by DreamWorks A and R exec Beth Halper) began Folklore by making demos of the songs she had written while headlining shows across North America on her 2002 Burn In The Spotlight Tour. At first, she worked on her own. "But then at some point I went, ‘Hmm,’" Furtado says, "'I miss working with Track and Field.' Because I find that, when I work with them, my music comes together really quickly, very effortlessly. And it’s fun which, above all, music should be; if you’re not having fun there’s no point. So, we started working together in Santa Monica [Calif.] last spring."

Furtado realized that her new songs were somewhat different from her earlier material. "I think I’ve grown a lot," she says. "A lot of the songs on my first album, I was a teenager still; I was just kind of writing, writing away, and hadn’t experienced all that stuff. My first album was very aware of how I didn’t want to tour with a somber record. Therefore I recorded a happy, energetic record on purpose, because I didn’t think I was strong enough to go onstage and stand behind melancholic songs. I just wanted to share goodness and positivity and bright colours with the world. Now, I’m stepping back and understanding that I can do both; I can still be positive and yet really raw and real at the same time. In the past I’ve hidden behind a lot of metaphors. There’s always a veil in front of that. Now, it’s more like whoa, whoa, there’s nothing to hide behind. I’m far more comfortable in my skin, I suppose."

Musically Furtado remains as adventurous as ever, a product of hip-hop freedom who still likes the streamlined U.S. pop and gnarly guitar rock she grew up on. Yet she never allows those passions to close down her thirst for the reality of folk and the flair of international forms. The first song that ever swept her away was a tune by an earlier fusion-minded soul, Prince. The song was Power Fantastic, which Furtado encountered on a friend’s mix tape. "I had never heard anything like it," she remembers. "I think because it was so very lush and gorgeous, his voice. But at the same time, the level of emotion was high." Ultimately Furtado would go on to love the work of artists as different as Smashing Pumpkins and Jeff Buckley, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Caetano Veloso. (Veloso, along with banjoist Bela Fleck and the Kronos Quartet make guest appearances on Folklore.)

As the child of Portuguese parents who immigrated to Canada, Furtado has always heard these many genres through the prism of Portuguese folk and religious musics. "I look at music with a very open mind and really wide lens," she says. "When you don’t have any boundaries, you’re limitless, you can do anything because you have no bias. There’s a difference between having no bias and having no taste. You can navigate your way through all sorts of genres, which is what I like to do." Furtado’s career, as well as her music, amply demonstrates this.

In 2001 she sang on a remix of Missy Misdemeanor Elliot’s Get Ur Freak On, while in 2002 she recorded Fotografia, a duet with celebrated, Grammy-winning Colombian singer-guitarist Juanes, which hit #1 on the Latin charts.

For all her interests, Furtado remains as rooted in her Portuguese ancestry, and her intriguing thoughts and memories about her heritage animate Folklore. The church music she grew up with, for example, can function as a musical agent of transcendence. "I could be at my aunt’s barbecue," Furtado explains, "at her house, in her kitchen, making food, cooking chicken, drinking port wine. And someone will pull out a church book, a little songbook, and start singing. And I’ll just start singing. It becomes non-church, really, something that connects people to their homelands. I do believe that my melodic sensibility comes from growing up with all this great Portuguese folk church music. It’s weird. It’s just a melody and a lyric, but you feel as though you’re somewhere else when you hear it."

Her desire to fashion what she calls a post-folk record informed Furtado’s recent recording. "I really wanted to make a record that played on folk themes but was very modern at the same time," she says. "Folk is universal; it exists in every single country, every nation, every language, this idea of somebody picking up a guitar and singing about what’s around him or her. It’s spontaneous, real, down-to-earth, family-oriented. We’re playing with those themes, with taking folk instruments from all these different countries. That’s why we’ve included things like a banjo and accordion, trying to mix it up a bit."

"The goals of this collection," Furtado says, "crystallized in her mind when she was on vacation last year, spending time in The Azores, the Portuguese island group in the mid-Atlantic where her family originates.

I was visiting a grandparent of a friend of mine, an elderly woman," she recalls. "I was at her house, and she had all the beautiful old antique photos laid out on her cement terrace on the top of this hill. So, all these old photos were laid out on this cement table; all her things were outside the house. And it started to rain a bit, and she had all her clothing hanging on the clothesline. And on top of this beautiful hill, I could see the ocean below, and the hills over there. And in the distance, I heard a young person drive by with their booming system cranking techno music."

For Nelly Furtado, it all makes happy/sad, folky/hip-hoppy, weird/logical, hopeful kind of sense. "I would love to be described as a girl sitting on the porch," she says, "on a rocking chair singing to the wind. Kinda like a person on the street walking around, seeing what I see. I want to capture the wisdom of what I’ve learned from my ancestors, from my grandparents and all my heritage, going back to the old country. I would love to be seen as a woman, as a girl cackling at the world, but praying for it at the same time."

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Avril Lavigne

2008-01-13T05:51:00.001-08:00

Girlfriend

HOT

Unapologetically original. Unabashedly in your face. Avril Lavigne's 2002 debut Let Go gave young women a defiant voice and set it to music they could rock out to. Fourteen million albums and eight Grammy nominations later, the Canadian chanteuse returns with Under My Skin but if you're expecting a whole lot of the same, you've got another thing coming. This is not a girl who rests on her laurels.
Under My Skin opens with the dramatic tracks "Take Me Away" and "Together," which set the scene for the kick-ass guitars and radio-ready chorus of "Don't Tell Me," a song of willful female empowerment that picks up where "Complicated" left off. From there it's a one-two punch of three-chord guitar licks ("He Wasn't") and head-bopping optimism ("Who Knows") alongside swirling, brooding melodies ("Freak Out") and moody tracks ("Forgotten," "Nobody's Home") that reveal a darker side of Avril Lavigne.

"I grew up so much in the past two years," admits the Napanee, Ontario, native. "I've been through a lot, I've learned a lot, and experienced a lot both good and bad. These songs are about all of that, and each is very personal to me." Working with producers, Butch Walker (of the Marvelous 3), Raine Maida (of Our Lady Peace), Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Pearl Jam), Avril co-wrote the dozen introspective songs on Under My Skin in near secrecy. "I'd just come off my world tour and got back to Toronto and was writing right away," the 19-year-old says. "I had no idea what I was going to do. No one did. People wondered if I'd run out of things to write about, but it was the opposite."

After a lunch date with fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk turned into a major chick-bonding session, Avril and Chantal sat down to write. The chemistry was ineffable. "We got together one night and all of a sudden we had a song," she says. "No one knew what I was up to, not my management, not my label." The duo got together the next night and wrote another song. "We did that for two weeks and wrote 12 songs." Momentum took over and by summer Avril was moving into Chantal and her husband Raine Maida's Malibu house to record. "I was only off my tour for a couple of weeks, and I was ready to record," Avril recalls.

The California air provided a needed escape from Avril's frantic life. "It was a great time for me, living out there, being out of the public eye, and having my independence. And my friendship with Chantal evolved into one of the best I've ever had." Chantal and Avril would spend all night in the studio perfecting the songs. During the day, Avril learned the city by driving to and from the studio and wherever she needed to be. No photos, no interviews, no pressure. Eventually they recorded most of the songs in Raine's studio, and those songs appear unaltered on Under My Skin. The rest of the tracks, co-written with her guitarist Evan Taubenfeld (and one track with former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody), were cut just up the road. "I was involved in every aspect of making this record. I'm very hands-on," she says. "I knew how I wanted the drums, the guitar tones, and the structures to be. I understand the whole process so much better this time because I've been through it. I'm really picky with my sound."

Picking favorites out of her 12 hand-made babies is another matter. "They all mean so much to me, but I love ‘Together,’ which is all about being in a relationship and knowing it's not right. It's a song that basically says, it's not working out honey." A couple of other tracks mine dysfunctional relationships and have hooks as catchy as those on "Complicated" and real-life narratives (like "Sk8er Boi"), but what truly underscores Avril's growth are the more positive tracks, such as "Who Knows" and "Take Me Away." "I guess that's just the way that I am now," admits the former supposed attitude junkie. Deep, piano-driven tracks like "Together" and "Forgotten" reflect Avril's growth, maturity, and change since the release of Let Go. "I'm happy with what I'm doing and have faith that everything is going to work out for the best." She's also found a feminine side to offset her well-publicized tomboyishness. "I'm such a chick. I'm a hopeless romantic, and surprisingly old-fashioned," Avril laughs. "That's why I wrote a song about not giving it up to just any guy ["Don't Tell Me"]." Girly quirks aside, Avril's anxious to get the show on the road. "It feels so good to be singing new songs," she says. "I feel refreshed and I'm looking forward to the next thing."

Optimistic or melancholic, Avril's two-year wild-ride on the rock-star express has shaped her world view and taught her a whole lot about balance. "The songs on Under My Skin are definitely deeper than those on Let Go," she says, "But I still love a good pop song. I'm basically just a girl who likes to write, who likes to rock out, and who wants music to be a part of my life forever."

She's also just a girl with a bell-clear voice and the ability to bottle youthful anguish and enthusiasm into tidy, infectious songs. Avril Lavigne's Under My Skin is sure to get under yours.

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Akon

2008-01-13T05:39:00.000-08:00

Don't Matter

Never Took The Time

The mere act of surviving on a day to day basis is the foundation from which a true artist builds his craft. Multi-talented newcomer AKON is no exception to this rule. His dynamic debut album, TROUBLE, a collection of stirring songs, creatively reflects the ups and downs of the singer/songwriter/producer's life experiences. A crafty blend of soulful hip-hop, TROUBLE is AKON's vibrant first time tour-de-force.

"TROUBLE evolved from the struggles I went through and what I did and am still doing to correct those things," offers AKON, who has had his fair share of adolescent problems with both the legal and school system, as is reflected in his redemption song "Trouble Nobody." "I've got a habit of writing about everything I go through," he explains, "and this album gives a glimpse of where I am now."

To understand where AKON is right now is just half the equation. The other half lies in where he came from: this young artist possesses a unique history. A Senegalese African, AKON moved to the United States when he was seven. His family is headed by legendary percussionist and jazz musician Mor Thiam, whose expertise for playing the Djembe, a traditional African drum, has been touted as "unrivaled." Being brought up in an environment that treasures the true artistic value of musicianship and revels in the mastering of instrumental skill has had a momentous affect on AKON.

It was AKON's deep rooted love and passion for music, evolving from filial admiration, which allowed him to turn his life around, despite his trouble as a youth residing in New Jersey. AKON began playing several different percussion instruments and eventually embraced hip-hop music and culture, despite his initial disdain for the genre. "When I first heard hip-hop I thought it was rubbish because I didn't understand the concept of people talking over music," AKON recalls, "But as I started growing up, living a little and listening to the lyrics, I realized that I was going through a lot of stuff these rappers were talking about and I could relate."

Once hip-hop took over his life, AKON's musical development exploded and he began channeling his energy into writing and producing his own music. Songs such as "Show Out" display how much hip-hop has influenced him. Over the sparsely yet hard hitting groove, "Don't tempt me/'Cuz I'm close to the edge/I'm trying not to lose my head," ring the lyrics that cleverly integrates original school lyrics. At the same time, the song pays homage to hip-hop pioneers all while maintaining its own identity.

Meanwhile, his first single "Bananza (Belly Dance)" exhibits another side of the artist. On this song AKON puts forth a feel-good vibe. Singing over a seductive and sensual beat, "Bananza (Belly Dance)," is one of AKON's most irresistible tracks. The song integrates a unique up tempo dance beat with a distinct wind instrumentation floating in the background guaranteed to improve every listener's mood. The reason for this, AKON says, "There are a lot of negative things going on today." "We need to party and just have fun," he continues, "'Bananza…' is a party record. You just go in the club, party and enjoy those beautiful women."

However, life does not solely revolve around beautiful women and leisure time and AKON is well aware of this. On the somber, soulful "Ghetto" and the meditative, impressive "Journey," AKON gives listeners an in-depth look into a harsher world, one that is just as gripping as it is chilling. But rather than sensationalize his own drama, AKON transmits, to his audience, the feeling of being a part of his inner circle.

AKON's personal appeal and ability to reach a listener is a part of his whole package: a package that includes, most importantly, his distinctive vocals and a relaxed singing style. It is as though he is speaking to you as he sings in a very intimate manner. "When I sing the sound comes from the mood that I am in. These records are coming straight from the heart," AKON divulges.

Genuine and honest, AKON's music is a step in a new direction: a trajectory that will lead us on a delightfully fulfilling path. Says AKON, "When I'm on the mic, I'm just giving the listener a part of me." Be prepared to receive it.

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The Fray

2008-01-13T05:15:00.000-08:00

How To Save A Life

She is

From the sleepy sprawl of America's Mile-High City comes The Fray, a Denver-based foursome whose melodic pop-rock songs and soaring vocals resonate with sprawling tapestries and tales of hopefulness and heartache.

Formed in 2002 by Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King (guitar, vocals), The Fray earned a loyal grassroots following through impressive area gigs and the support of local radio which led a listen-driven campaign to get the band a record contract. With strong word-of-mouth, the band won "Best New Band" honors from Denver's Westword Magazine and garnered substantial airplay on two of Denver's top rock stations - the demo version of "Over My Head (Cable Car)" became KTCL's top 30 most played song of 2004 in just 4 months. The band signed to Epic Records in 2004 and will release their debut album "How To Save A Life" this September.

"Three years ago, I thought I wanted to start a real estate company," laughs co-founder King. A serendipitous encounter with former schoolmate Slade at a local music store begat an impromptu jam session that begat an impromptu songwriting session that begat The Fray. It wasn't your usual rock n' roll lineup - vocals, guitar and piano - but it worked. The uplifting, melody-driven songs were catchy enough to attract two former bandmates of Slade's - drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarist Dave Welsh. "Ben and I were basically a package deal at the time," explains Welsh. "Ben joined first, but I think he felt lonely without me."

It didn't hurt that the boys were all consummate musicians. A pianist from an early age, King competed in the local recital circuit before dropping piano altogether and picking up the guitar in junior high. "The coolest guys in my eighth grade class all played guitar," confides King. "I wanted to fit in." Slade began singing when he was eight, but temporary voice problems led him to discover the piano at age 11. After regaining his vocal abilities a year later, he continued studying piano and learned guitar in high school. "I wrote my first song at 16," explains Slade, "which is when I first picked up the guitar." Wysocki began taking drum lessons in the sixth grade, but only after having endured piano lessons at his parents' request. Welsh grew up in a musical household, and struggled with piano and saxophone before settling on guitar at age 12.

The lineup secure, all the band needed was a name. Jokes about the boys' tendency to battle it out over song composition led to the suggestion of "The Fray," and the name stuck. So did The Fray's style - a sophisticated, emotional blend of tinkling pianos, acoustic and electric guitars, and gently insistent rhythms that serves as an ideal backdrop for Slade's pitch-perfect, achingly beautiful vocals. The band's first single, "Over My Head (Cable Car)", echoes the poignant lyricism of Counting Crows and the melodic intensity of U2. The title track, "How To Save A Life", is a heartbreaking meditation on salvation inspired by Slade's experience as a mentor to a crack-addicted teen. Both songs employ an epic sweep, speeding up and slowing down so effortlessly that the listener can't help but become emotionally involved by the time the crescendo hits.

Considering the quality of songwriting involved, the band's rise to local prominence within the span of a year doesn't seem so implausible. In January of 2004 The Fray were no-namers trying to find gigs. By December, they were getting radio pick-up and playing sold-out shows at 500-capacity venues. With a series of U.S. tour dates supporting legendary geek rockers Weezer in July, The Fray will have the opportunity to make even more new fans by the time "How To Save A Life" drops in September 2005.

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Alicia Keys Gallery

2008-01-13T05:01:00.001-08:00

Green Day

2008-01-13T04:32:00.000-08:00

Boulavard Of Broken Dreams

Working Class Hero

Childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar,lead vocals) and Mike Dirnt (bass, vocals; born Michael Pritchard) formed their first band 'Sweet Children' when they were 14 years old in Rodeo, California. By 1989, the group had added drummer John Kiftmeyer (aka: Al Sobrante) and changed their name to Green Day after one of their songs. That year, the band independently released their first EP, 1,000 Hours, which was well received in the punk scene. The band soon signed to local independent label, Lookout! Records (run by Larry Livermore) and their debut album "39/Smooth" was also released that year. Shortly after its release, Kiftmeyer announced that he was going to college and suggested his former drum tutor Tre Cool (born Frank Edwin Wright, III) to take over as the band's permanent drummer(vocals too). Throughout the early '90s, Green Day continued to cultivate a cult following, which only gained strength with the release of their sophomore album, 1992's 'Kerplunk'.

The underground success of 'Kerplunk' led to a wave of interest from the major record labels. Eventually the band decided to sign with Reprise Records and their major label debut 'Dookie' was released in the spring of 1994. Thanks to relentless touring and somewhat surprising MTV support for initial single "Longview," Dookie became a mainstream hit. The album continued to gain momentum throughout the summer, with the second single "Basket Case" spending five weeks on the top of the American modern rock charts. At the end of the summer, the band stole the show at Woodstock '94, which helped the sales of Dookie increase. By the time the fourth single "When I Come Around" began its seven-week stay at number one in the modern rock charts in early 1995, Dookie had sold over five million copies in the US alone. Eventually this figure would top eight million records sold in America, and selling over eleven million copies internationally. Along with Dookie's commercial success, the band also received critical acclaim when they won the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.

Green Day quickly followed Dookie with 'Insomniac' in the fall of 1995. Prior to the album's release they again hit number one again on the U.S. modern rock charts with "J.A.R.," (a tribute to their friend Jason Andrew Relva, which appears on the soundtrack to the film 'Angus'). 'Insomniac' performed well initially, entering the US charts at number two and selling over two million copies by the spring of 1996. However, none of the subsequent singles -- including the radio favourite 'Brain Stew/Jaded' -- were as popular as those from Dookie. In the spring of 1996, Green Day abruptly cancelled a European tour, claiming exhaustion. Following the cancellation, the band spent the rest of the year resting and writing new material. The end result is what many call the best album of their career: 'Nimrod'.

'Nimrod' was well received by fans and critics alike, managing to land at #10 on the Billboard charts having sold 80,000 copies in it's first week. However, Green Day's comeback single "Hitchin' A Ride" only made it to #5 on the modern rock charts despite being placed in heavy rotation on MuchMusic and MTV. In response to this the band released what is arguably their most successful single ever. Although it would not make it to number one in the mainstream charts (it's highest position was #2), "Time of Your Life" is now probably the most well known song Green Day have ever written. Featuring Billie Joe on acoustic guitar & vocals, and Petra Hayden (of That Dog) on violin, "Time Of Your Life" became the song to play in any remotely sad situation. The song was even used on the last ever episode of the hit TV show Seinfeld (the most watched finale in the history of TV). Along with Seinfeld, the song was also played during two different episodes of hit drama E.R, making it possibly the most heard song that year on television. Despite gaining the band more critical respect than they would have received with another Dookie or Insomniac, 'Nimrod' only sold about two million copies, and was seen as a commercial flop in comparison. During the 'Nimrod' era the band also vastly improved their live show and even one "Best Live Performance" at the Kerrang awards.

After nearly two years out of the media spotlight Green Day returned in late 1999 to play Neil Young's "Bridge School Benefit Concert", their first live acoustic performance. Green Day began recording their follow-up to "Nimrod" shortly after, which would eventually become "Warning:". Early in the recording process, the band decided to fire producer Scott Litt, and produce the album themselves. This would be the first time since "Kerplunk" that anyone other than Rob Cavallo had produced the band. After they finished recording, Green Day decided to do something else they hadn't done before and headlined the 2000 Vans Warped Tour. Green Day played an amazing set and brought more fans to the tour than any other year in Warped's history (their Toronto performance alone attracted 7,000 more fans than they had any other year).

Released in the fall of 2000, "Warning:" was by far Green Day's most ambitious album to date and first single "Minority" sat at the top of the Billboard Modern Rock Chart after just four weeks. Although "Warning:" contained some of the band's best songs to date (in particular the excellent third single "Waiting"), many fans didn't take too well to the band's new punk-folk sound. Although it has since been certified platinum sales status, "Warning" is arguably Green Day's least successful album. After "Warning:" the band released a greatest hits album entitled 'International Super Hits' and a b-sides compilation called "Shenanigans" as well as their first DVD 'International Supervideos" which chronicles the band's music videos thus far. The band subsequently embarked on a huge 'Greatest Hits' world tour which lead to many people believing the end was nigh for Green Day seeing as most bands only release a "Greatest Hits" albums near the end of their career.

However, these rumours soon died down when after another long hiatus the band announced that a new album was in the works. "What's It Going To Sound Like?" people wondered from all over the Green Day community. "Is it going to be another 'Warning' or are they going to go back to their Punk Rock roots?". Those questions have recently been answered with the explosive new single "American Idiot" which incidentally is also the title track to the new album. For the first time in Green Day's history, Billie Joe has let loose some great politically motivated lyrics and from what we have heard of this album already it looks like Green Day might have made the best album of their career!

In 2005, Green Day toured in England. The tour was called "Bullet in a Bible". Green Day rocked over 300,000 people. Green Day got the name "Bullet in a Bible" from a bible in a war museum that had a bullet stuck in it.

Green Day has released a single called "Working Class Hero". The song also has a video.

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Linkin Park

2008-01-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

Bleed It Out

What I've Done

In The End

They're at it again! Chester, Mike and the rest of Linkin Park released another phenomenal album titled Meteora. Sophomore albums are famously tricky affairs. Musicians have their entire lives to pen their debut album, the theory goes, and a relatively short time to follow it up. But what if the debut in question is the biggest selling album in recent memory? And what if the music industry has Hollywood-like expectations for another instant blockbuster? That was the scenario Linkin Park faced when they entered the studio to record Meteora, the follow-up to their multi-platinum debut Hybrid Theory.

To those outside the band, the pressure to follow up that success might have seemed insurmountable. But within Linkin Park, vocalists Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, guitarist Brad Delson, turntablist Joseph Hahn, drummer Rob Bourdon, and bassist Phoenix weren't sweating it in ways you might expect. Instead of dwelling on outside expectations, they set to work, meticulously crafting each moment of each song to their own exacting standards. The bigger picture developed accordingly.

"We don't ever want to have the mindset where we need to sell 10 million albums each time out. That's ridiculous," says Bennington. "It's a blessing to sell that many albums; it doesn't happen very often in this business--even once in your career is an achievement. Our obligation is to our fans. We're not going to get too comfortable and say it's a given that people will run out and buy our albums." "And if you know us, you know the biggest pressure came from within the band," says Shinoda.

"We just wanted to make another great album that we're proud of," says Bourdon. "We focused on that, and worked hard to create songs we love. We're our own harshest critics." If you doubt that, consider this: Shinoda and Bennington wrote 40 unique choruses for Meteora's poignant first single, "Somewhere I Belong," before arriving at the best possible version.

The entire band, in fact, sounds more fully realized on Meteora. It's a rare achievement: A full integration of six members that still retains the unique qualities of each individual. The end result is the thumbprint style known as Linkin Park. "We don't really analyze the chemistry," says Bourdon. "We're just lucky and grateful that we found each other and that we work so well together."

"The collaborations are more seamless now," agrees Bennington. "Mike, for instance, knows more about me as a person, and I know more about him, so it's easier to write lyrics together. It's not possible to have secrecy in our relationship. You have to open up, because you want the other person to be on the same page. We're all that way with each other."

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Chicago

2007-12-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Perhaps more than any other city in the United States, Chicago, located at the center of the nation, has reflected the cultural diversity that has served as both a nurturer of significant musical talent and a magnet that drew the best from other areas. Jazzman Lionel Hampton arrived in Chicago when he was 11 years old in 1919? bluesman Muddy Waters got there in 1943, when be was 28. But Benny Goodman, the King of Swing, didn't have to travel; he was born in Chicago in 1909.

In 1967, Chicago musicians Robert Lamm, James Pankow, Walter Parazaider, Lee Loughnane, Terry Kath, Peter Cetera, and Danny Seraphine formed a group with one dream, to integrate all the musical diversity from their beloved city and weave a new sound, rock 'n' roll band with horns. Their dream turned into 20 Top Ten singles, 12 Top Ten albums (five of which were #1), and sales of more than 120 million records.

Most pop stars who emerged in the 1960s will tell you that they got their inspiration by seeing Elvis Presley perform on TV in the '50's. But Walter Parazaider born in Chicago on March 14, 1945, had a slightly different experience. I started playing when I was nine years old because I saw Benny Goodman on The Ed Sullivan Show, "he says. I was a clarinetist to start with. Parazaider came by his interest in music naturally. His father was a musician who had turned from full-time to part-time work when he started a family. "I can't think of a time growing up when there wasn't music in the house, " Parazaider says, "whether it was my dad practicing by himself or playing in a band that was rehearsing at the house, or my mother listening to records, and that's from my earliest recollection." As a result, when he began to take an interest in playing music himself, "the support that I had from my mother and father over the years was phenomenal."

Parazaider studied and practiced the clarinet for the next several years, and by his teens had displayed so much proficiency that he became the protege' of the E-flat clarinetist in the Chicago symphony.

But even for a classical music prodigy, the late '50's were a time when other forms of music exerted an influence. "I picked up the saxophone along the way," Parazaider recalls, "and discovered that you could make a buck and get some girls playing a saxophone in a rock 'n roll band. So, I enjoyed a schizoid musical existence, so to speak, from about the age of 13 on, playing in anything from an octet playing all the standard big band tunes, any rock 'n roll from Tequila to any of the Ventures stuff that they'd use a saxophone on, and did that along with pursuing the classical career, because my idea at that time was to take my teachers place in the Chicago symphony."

Pursuant to that goal, Parazaider enrolled at Chicago's DePaul University, where his teacher taught, all the while still playing "Many gigs and smoke-filled rooms and dance halls, and also some orchestra balls." It was at DePaul that he met another young Chicago musician, Jimmy Guercio, who years later would become Chicago's producer. "We started playing in different rock 'n roll bands in the area,"

Parazaider recalls, "played a lot of the beer bashes at Northwestern University and the surrounding colleges in the area, and we became quite friendly." Meanwhile, Parazaider was maintaining his "schizoid musical existence at DePaul, though with increasing difficulty. He recalls, "After about a year and a half of realizing I didn't want to study trigonometry and how to teach health class in school, and also realizing with the help of some of my professors that, because I wasn't a patient person, I wasn't cut out to be a teacher. I changed my major. I prepared for about a year and a half and played a degree recital for the principal members of the Chicago symphony and an audience. I passed with flying colors and received a playing degree in orchestral clarinet. In the meantime, I had taken all my masters credits in English Lit."

But while doing all that academia work, Parazaider had also gotten a non-classical musical idea he thought had promise: a rock 'n roll band with horns. In the trendy world of pop music, horns took a back seat in the mid-'6O's, when bands, imitating the four-piece rhythm section of the Beatles, stayed with the limits of guitars-bass-drums. Even the Saxophone, so much a part of '50's rock 'n roll, was heard less often. Only in R&B, which maintained something of the big band tradition, did people such as James Brown and others continue to use horn sections regularly.

In the summer of l966, the Beatles turned around and brought horns back. Their Revolver album featured songs such as "Got To Get You Into My Life," which included two trumpets and two tenor saxophones.

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