Beyus continues to making it rain on the charts… Beyonce Breaks Record With New Album Who releases an album at midnight with no promotion? Beyonce does beyotch. According to ABC News: Apple usually brags about its iPhone and iPad sales, but today the company is bragging about its “Beyonce” sales. Beyonce’s self-titled album released last Friday, Dec. 13, has become the fastest selling album ever on iTunes, the company announced this morning. In just three days it has been downloaded 828,773 times from the digital music service. It also broke the U.S. first week album sales record — previously held by Taylor Swift — with 617,213 sold. Of course, the fact that the album was available exclusively through iTunes and not via any other digital music service helped push along the sales. Additionally, fans couldn’t buy single songs for the usual 99 cent price; instead they were forced to buy the whole album for $15.99. The album, however, included more than just 14 songs. It also came with 17 videos. Going into the holiday season, the sales of “Beyonce” on iTunes should only rise, but Apple’s exclusive deal with the Grammy-winning singer will end soon. A double disc CD/DVD will be available at retail stores in time for the holidays, her record label said. It’s a good thing Bey’s album didn’t come out around Black Friday. Could you imagine how many people would have gotten trampled by the BeyHive trying to get the last copy of her new album?
Last night, NBC aired a three-hour live performance of The Sound of Music, the world’s most famous and beloved musical of all time, starring Carrie Underwood. The country star played Maria von Trapp, a role originated onstage by Mary Martin and belonging forever to Julie Andrews, who starred in the 1965 film. It was a project seemingly destined for failure and ripe with opportunities for public mockery and unflattering comparisons to the original classic. But was NBC’s The Sound of Music really as bad as advertised? Underwood is, by all accounts, a talented singer and a terrific person, and came off as both last night. As an actress, on the other hand, she seemed … Pedestrian? Miscast? For many, it was hard to put your finger on. The Sound of Music has a big cast, but it is Maria’s show, and many reviewers felt that the American Idol winner lacked the gravitas to get it done. With her on camera were theater veterans Audra McDonald, Christian Borle and Laura Bernanti, along with Michael Campayno and Ariane Reinhardt. Her love interest, Captain von Trapp, was played by Stephen Moyer ( True Blood ), who also sang better than you might think. But beyond that? The chemistry wasn’t as palpable as it could have been. Musicals can work on TV, but it can be tough. It’s not true television and not true theater, making the jokes and dialogue feel a little stilted at times. If nothing else, you have to give The Sound of Music credit as great theater, even if it felt a little out of place on prime time TV in the format it was presented. What did you think of NBC’s The Sound of Music? Loved it!! Liked it enough. Not a huge fan … Hated it! That sucked! View Poll »
Call it the Kardashian kurse. Or just a combination of overexposure, public fatigue and being an unlikable, egotistical blowhard more often than not. Either way, Kanye West is losing his cool … and not just in the sense of blowing a gasket every time a photographer so much as glances at him. DON’T TALK EVER! Everybody Hates ‘Ye The rapper’s decline in popularity isn’t just anecdotal. West’s concert this week brought just 4,500 fans to the Sprint Center, a venue built for 19,000. He had to cancel several other shows throughout his nationwide tour and drew criticism when he stopped a Florida concert after only three songs. In that case, Yeezus demanded that the lights be turned off before launching a profanity-laced tirade at the tech staff and storming off the stage. One can understand how this might alienate some fans … and his association with Kim Kardashian and her family may not be upping his appeal. “We are often drawn to people who have an ego and confidence that is derived from their talent,” notes human behavior expert Patrick Wanis. But conversely, “an empty ego, based on a fake self-inflated image and concept, creates an over powering sense of desperation and superficiality.” West’s talent is real. As are quotes in which he likens himself to Jesus, Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela, Michelangelo and Michael Jackson. After a while, you can’t help but roll your eyes. Kanye West – “Bound 2” (Music Video) Or be offended, when he blurts out things like “black people don’t have the same level of connections as Jewish people,” as he recently opined. And then there’s Kim. A study released in November suggests that his connection to the Kardashians may be a reason for his popularity decline. Q Scores, a website marketers use to measure recognition, reported that West’s popularity has dipped a whopping 66 percent since he got with Kim. It makes sense if you think about it. “When putting two egotistical, self serving individuals together, you’ll create a rather vile spark,” says California-based PR expert Angie Meyer-Olszewski. “And in times of economic hardship across the country, bragging about materialism is typically frowned upon. The Kardashian brand is a sinking ship.” “Anybody who jumps on board will eventually fall. A successful celebrity in his own right, Kanye made a horrible strategic decision by engaging with Kim.” Not only that, they procreated and made North West ! A cute baby, yes. And also a link to Kim that will never be broken in the eyes of the public. Kim is also infiltrating his professional life. His video for “Bound 2,” co-starring his topless fiancée and baby mama, become an instant laughingstock, parodied by Seth Rogen and James Franco . So how can ‘Ye turn this thing around? Kanye West Attacks Photographer “He can definitely win back fans, as soon as the attention moves back to music since he is such a talented artist,” says PR company owner Elissa Buchter. “The amount of ego you’re allowed to get away with is directly proportional to success of your projects,” she notes, so he has to put up or shut up. As long as Kanye West rap songs are on top of the charts, this expert believes, “his romantic life isn’t going to crush his credibility as a superstar.” Even if Kim and Kris Jenner are mentioned in the same breath as he is every time his name is spoken or his image comes to mind? Stay tuned.
A$AP Rocky linked up with Bun B to chop it up for his ongoing “Back & Forth” series via Vice’s Noisey channel. The topic of conversation in this first part is the usage and origin of the word “trill.” “The trill sh*t started in the penitentiary,” expained Bun B. “The homie Spoon, when he came home he started using the word. So that word got associated with the west side of P.A. and with that scene… Continue reading →
The Jonas Brothers are handsome, well-dressed, good dancers and solid singers. But that doesn’t mean Nick, Kevin and Joe make like Michelle Rodriguez . They only swing one way, the boy band members tell the latest issue of Out . “We have a lot of gay friends and gay fans. It’s a boy band stereotype; people assume, but we don’t take offense,” Joe tells the publication of the chatter, while Nick adds: “Prior to us being a band, I was a super theater geek. I loved theater and I still do, and I care about fashion, and I care about a lot of things that I feel like stereotypes are attached to.” The siblings are touch on something even more controversial than their sexuality: Miley Cyrus and her recent raunchy antics. Asked about the singer’s infamous VMA routine , Joe admitted: “It wasn’t my favorite performance of hers. I think that there’s one way of saying you’ve grown up, and there’s another way – I think that’s her way.” Still… Cyrus has a number-one single. Her album is expected to sit atop the charts when it goes on sale next week. “She’s smart,” Nick says of his ex-girlfriend. “She’s very smart. We’ve always known that about her. She’ll always be successful. [The performance] was funny – I was laughing.” As for their own upcoming album? Kevin hopes people will keep their minds open: “We have a lot of people hearing new stuff, and maybe they have had misconceptions in the past of who we are as a band. At the end of the day, I think people are surprised to know that we’re a rock band at our core.”
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2? More like cloudy with a chance of $35 million, as the animated hit is forecasted to chow down on its box office competition. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Trailer When final figures come in Monday, the inevitable sequel to the 2009 hit is expected to coast to the top of the charts at theaters in its opening weekend. The debut met most analysts’ expectations and ends September, a normally sluggish month at the box office, on a flourish for the movie industry. Even if reviews were mixed on the sequel, critics agree that its success illustrates the hunger families have for something compelling to see with kids. So much so that it thrashed two films many believe to be early awards contenders, Ron Howard’s racing thriller Rush and Hugh Jackman’s crime drama Prisoners . Those two movies battled for a distant second, with Prisoners’ $11.2 million (in its second week in theaters) looking to be enough of a haul to claim it. Rush took third with $10.3 million in its first weekend of release. The Paula Patton comedy Baggage Claim was in fourth place with $9.3 million. Rounding out the top five? Don Jon, the raunchy comedy and directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, with a respectable $9 million thus far. Here’s the top five at the box office according to early estimates: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 : $35 million. Prisoners: $11.2 million. Rush: $10.3 million. Baggage Claim: $9.3 million. Don Jon : $9 million.
