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Cake, Cage The Elephant Take Top Spots On Billboard

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Cake debut at #1, but with lowest sales in SoundScan era. By Gil Kaufman Cake’s John McCrea Photo: Noel Vasquez/ Getty Images Droll Sacramento, California, rockers Cake might never again have the chance to snatch away one of the umpteen records held by platinum darling Taylor Swift . But next week, the group can say they bested Swift, even if it is, in this case, a somewhat dubious distinction. The good news is that Cake’s Showroom of Compassion marks the band’s first #1 debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart and their first album to chart in the top 10. The bad news is that their total sales of 44,000 also mark the poorest-selling #1 debut figures for a new album in the modern SoundScan era. (Swift had set the new standard last week, when her Speak Now moved just 52,000 copies .) Another indie band took advantage of the slow new-release traffic to notch a career high. According to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, Cage the Elephant’s Thank You, Happy Birthday will come in at #2 on sales of 39,000, an impressive feat for the hard-touring band’s second major-label album. The only other new face in the top 10 is country act Steel Magnolia , whose self-titled effort lands at #7 (28,000). The rest of the top 10: Swift, Speak Now (#3, 35,000), Bruno Mars , Doo-Wops & Hooligans (#4, 32,000), Nicki Minaj , Pink Friday (#5, 32,000), the “Country Strong” soundtrack (#6, 29,000), Rihanna , Loud (#8, 28,000), Mumford & Sons , Sigh No More (#9, 26,000) and Kanye West , My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (#10, 25,000). Otherwise, it’s mostly single- and double-digit dips for the majority of the albums in the top 50, with just a few exceptions, including Cage the Elephant, whose self-titled debut surges back onto the charts at #59 as sales spiked by 113 percent to more than nearly 7,000. Over on the iTunes singles chart, Britney Spears sprints to the top with “Hold It Against Me,” which pushes Mars’ “Grenade” down to #2, followed by Enrique Iglesias ‘ randy “Tonight,” Katy Perry ‘s “Firework,” Wiz Khalifa ‘s “Black and Yellow,” Avril Lavigne ‘s “What the Hell,” the Black Eyed Peas ‘ “The Time (Dirty Bit),” Ke$ha ‘s “We R Who We R,” Lil Wayne ‘s “6 Foot 7 Foot” and Kanye West and Jay Z ‘s “H.A.M.” Gwyneth Paltrow’s well-received “Saturday Night Live” hosting gig surely helped the second collection of “Country Strong” songs hit #1 on the iTunes albums chart (the company does not release specific sales data). Right behind are Mumford & Sons, Cage the Elephant, the first “Country Strong” disc, Cake, the Black Keys ‘ Brothers , Christian act Lecrae ‘s Rehab: The Overdose, Kanye West, Daft Punk ‘s “Tron: Legacy” soundtrack and Mars’ debut album. It should be another modest week next time around, with new releases from the Decemberists , the Script , James Blunt and Social Distortion , as well as the latest Kidz Bop collection. Related Artists Cake Cage The Elephant

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Cake, Cage The Elephant Take Top Spots On Billboard

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Cake debut at #1, but with lowest sales in SoundScan era. By Gil Kaufman Cake’s John McCrea Photo: Noel Vasquez/ Getty Images Droll Sacramento, California, rockers Cake might never again have the chance to snatch away one of the umpteen records held by platinum darling Taylor Swift . But next week, the group can say they bested Swift, even if it is, in this case, a somewhat dubious distinction. The good news is that Cake’s Showroom of Compassion marks the band’s first #1 debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart and their first album to chart in the top 10. The bad news is that their total sales of 44,000 also mark the poorest-selling #1 debut figures for a new album in the modern SoundScan era. (Swift had set the new standard last week, when her Speak Now moved just 52,000 copies .) Another indie band took advantage of the slow new-release traffic to notch a career high. According to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, Cage the Elephant’s Thank You, Happy Birthday will come in at #2 on sales of 39,000, an impressive feat for the hard-touring band’s second major-label album. The only other new face in the top 10 is country act Steel Magnolia , whose self-titled effort lands at #7 (28,000). The rest of the top 10: Swift, Speak Now (#3, 35,000), Bruno Mars , Doo-Wops & Hooligans (#4, 32,000), Nicki Minaj , Pink Friday (#5, 32,000), the “Country Strong” soundtrack (#6, 29,000), Rihanna , Loud (#8, 28,000), Mumford & Sons , Sigh No More (#9, 26,000) and Kanye West , My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (#10, 25,000). Otherwise, it’s mostly single- and double-digit dips for the majority of the albums in the top 50, with just a few exceptions, including Cage the Elephant, whose self-titled debut surges back onto the charts at #59 as sales spiked by 113 percent to more than nearly 7,000. Over on the iTunes singles chart, Britney Spears sprints to the top with “Hold It Against Me,” which pushes Mars’ “Grenade” down to #2, followed by Enrique Iglesias ‘ randy “Tonight,” Katy Perry ‘s “Firework,” Wiz Khalifa ‘s “Black and Yellow,” Avril Lavigne ‘s “What the Hell,” the Black Eyed Peas ‘ “The Time (Dirty Bit),” Ke$ha ‘s “We R Who We R,” Lil Wayne ‘s “6 Foot 7 Foot” and Kanye West and Jay Z ‘s “H.A.M.” Gwyneth Paltrow’s well-received “Saturday Night Live” hosting gig surely helped the second collection of “Country Strong” songs hit #1 on the iTunes albums chart (the company does not release specific sales data). Right behind are Mumford & Sons, Cage the Elephant, the first “Country Strong” disc, Cake, the Black Keys ‘ Brothers , Christian act Lecrae ‘s Rehab: The Overdose, Kanye West, Daft Punk ‘s “Tron: Legacy” soundtrack and Mars’ debut album. It should be another modest week next time around, with new releases from the Decemberists , the Script , James Blunt and Social Distortion , as well as the latest Kidz Bop collection. Related Artists Cake Cage The Elephant

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Britney Spears Taking Risks For ‘Hold It Against Me’ Video

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘She is taking risks when it comes to fashion, when it comes to choreography, when it comes to this music,’ choreographer Brian Friedman says. By James Dinh Britney Spears Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage In Britney Spears’ “For the Record” documentary, the pop icon stressed the importance of dance in her life, even saying that she’d be “dead” without it. And on the heels of a new era in music, the singer is ready to take her signature dance skills to a whole new level in the music video for her latest single, “Hold It Against Me,” according to choreographer Brian Friedman. Speaking with MTV’s “The Seven,” Friedman dished details on rehearsal time, his take on the new tune and his longtime partnership with the entertainer. “This is a dance video. Rehearsals can get pretty rough,” the choreographer said. “We’re playing it safe, we’re not trying to kill ourselves yet, but as the video comes closer and closer, we’ll definitely be hurting our backs. There was a moment while we were rehearsing where I showed Britney a section and it was something I really wanted her to do, and she freaked out. … It’s crazy when you first see something like that, how overwhelming it can be, especially when you haven’t been in the [dance] studio for a year.” Despite Ms. Spears’ early hesitation, the dance mastermind said it was probably the wrong section of the routine to show her first, revealing that the pop superstar has learned the moves and is “killing it now.” Reports of a new Britney music video leaked in December when the fansite BreatheHeavy.com posted a notice for auditions. “It’s been the biggest buzz, you know?” he continued. “There’s been a lot of speculation as to when the actual project started and it’s been blowing up on my Twitter. People have been asking, ‘Are you in rehearsals? Are you in auditions?’ and that’s the mystery that should be unknown. What we do know is we’re in rehearsal studios right now and the video’s coming.” How exactly does “Hold It Against Me” fare in comparison to the slew of other dance tunes under Britney’s belt? Calling the iTunes chart topper “the hardest dance track that she’s ever put out,” Friedman said, “It’s infectious. The beat gets inside of you, and just when you think you know it, it takes a turn. The song, in particular, is one of my favorite songs I’ve heard off the bat. I’m really excited about choreographing it.” Spears and Friedman have a long-standing professional relationship, including working together on the pop singer’s 2002 dance heavy “Overprotected (Remix)” music video. Later on in his chat with “The Seven,” the Illinois native recalled his first encounter with the then-teenager through a mutual friend who was dancing for her at the time. After meeting with the singer, Brian teamed up with her for her Grammy performance. “From then on, we became friends and she is fun to work with,” he gushed. “She’s a Southern girl — she’s all about having fun and laughing and cracking jokes. I think you can expect the unexpected from Britney. She is taking risks when it comes to fashion, when it comes to choreography, when it comes to this music — she’s grown up so much, and she’s pushing 30 years old soon, so she’s a strong independent woman and I think she wants to show that.” Are you looking forward to seeing Britney’s “Hold It Against Me” video? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Reactions To Britney’s ‘Hold It Against Me’ The Seven | Exclusives Related Photos The Evolution Of: Britney Spears Related Artists Britney Spears

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Lil Wayne’s ‘6 Foot 7 Foot’ Video Is ‘A Game Changer’

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I think the video’s going to be shot … not on Pluto, but I think on Mars,’ DJ Scoob Doo says. Photo: Getty Images Related Artists Lil Wayne

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Britney Spears Going For A More ‘Urban’ Sound, Danja Reveals

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Producer says singer is still recording tracks for upcoming album. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias Britney Spears Photo: Fame Pictures According to music producer Danja , Britney Spears is still hard at work on her March album release. The producer, who has worked with Spears on songs like “Gimme More,” “Break the Ice” and “Kill the Lights” in the past, reveals that he and the pop superstar are still working on tracks together. “Britney, I don’t have too much news, but I’m always creating something,” he told MTV News on Thursday, the same day that Spears’ first single, “Hold It Against Me,” was topping the iTunes charts . “Still recording. She still has songs to cut, but we’ll see what happens.” When asked what kinds of songs he’s throwing together for Britney , his comments echoed those he made last June. “I just took my track level up. I just wanted to make sure it’s still hard-hitting and still that same energy that people heard, but very today’s time,” he said. “So we’ll see. I don’t know what the project will end up being, but we’ll see. We did have a meeting like a year ago, and they wanted it to sound urban, hard-hitting, not so much dance, but just that similar sound.” Danja says that he has yet to actually get in the studio with the star, but he has been in conversation with her about any potential songs that might be included on her still untitled album. “Well, for me, this time around I haven’t been in with her yet,” he revealed. “It’s just been us writing and creating and really nailing a sound or a song more than anything.” In addition to working on tracks for the album, Spears is also hard at work on the video for her first single. Her choreographer Brian Friedman spoke to MTV’s “The Seven” this week, describing what fans will see when the video drops. “I think you can expect the unexpected from Britney,” he said. “She is taking risks when it comes to fashion, when it comes to choreography, when it comes to this music — she’s grown up so much, and she’s pushing 30 years old soon, so she’s a strong, independent woman and I think she wants to show that.” Related Artists Danja Britney Spears

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Britney Spears Going For A More ‘Urban’ Sound, Danja Reveals

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Producer says singer is still recording tracks for upcoming album. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias Britney Spears Photo: Fame Pictures According to music producer Danja , Britney Spears is still hard at work on her March album release. The producer, who has worked with Spears on songs like “Gimme More,” “Break the Ice” and “Kill the Lights” in the past, reveals that he and the pop superstar are still working on tracks together. “Britney, I don’t have too much news, but I’m always creating something,” he told MTV News on Thursday, the same day that Spears’ first single, “Hold It Against Me,” was topping the iTunes charts . “Still recording. She still has songs to cut, but we’ll see what happens.” When asked what kinds of songs he’s throwing together for Britney , his comments echoed those he made last June. “I just took my track level up. I just wanted to make sure it’s still hard-hitting and still that same energy that people heard, but very today’s time,” he said. “So we’ll see. I don’t know what the project will end up being, but we’ll see. We did have a meeting like a year ago, and they wanted it to sound urban, hard-hitting, not so much dance, but just that similar sound.” Danja says that he has yet to actually get in the studio with the star, but he has been in conversation with her about any potential songs that might be included on her still untitled album. “Well, for me, this time around I haven’t been in with her yet,” he revealed. “It’s just been us writing and creating and really nailing a sound or a song more than anything.” In addition to working on tracks for the album, Spears is also hard at work on the video for her first single. Her choreographer Brian Friedman spoke to MTV’s “The Seven” this week, describing what fans will see when the video drops. “I think you can expect the unexpected from Britney,” he said. “She is taking risks when it comes to fashion, when it comes to choreography, when it comes to this music — she’s grown up so much, and she’s pushing 30 years old soon, so she’s a strong, independent woman and I think she wants to show that.” Related Artists Danja Britney Spears

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Britney Spears’ ‘Hold It Against Me’ Tops iTunes In 16 Countries

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘This is absolutely incredible!’ singer’s manager tweets. By Jocelyn Vena Cover art for Britney Spears’ “Hold It Against Me” Photo: Jive Forget any arguments that Britney Spears is some kind of underdog ; with the release of her latest tune, “Hold It Against Me,” earlier this week, the singer is certainly proving that she’s still at the top of the pop heap. Her manager, Adam Leber, tweeted that the singer was (as of press time) at the top of the iTunes charts in 16 countries: the U.S., Sweden, Australia, Greece, Switzerland, France, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and Spain. “This is absolutely incredible!” Leber wrote. “Brit’s fans never cease to amaze me.” In addition to thanking the fans, Leber also shared that Brit is hard at work on the video for the track. “Went 2 dance rehearsals yesterday with @BritneySpears & @brianfriedman. HIAM video is going to be incredible to say the least. More to come,” he tweeted Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, Britney Spears thanked fans for all the support they’ve been showing the lead single from Brit’s March album. “Couldn’t of asked for a better 1/11/11..thanks to all my fans and all of the radio stations for playing HIAM!” she wrote . “I am truly blessed…” On Tuesday, the same day the song was up for purchase on iTunes, it launched straight to #1 on the site and quickly broke all previous radio records for the most spins in the first day of release. “Top 40 outlets across the country immediately put ‘Hold It Against Me’ in rotation and received instant-reaction airplay at America’s most-influential stations, including Z100 and WXRK in New York and KIIS and KAMP in Los Angeles,” radio-industry analyst Kevin McCabe said in a statement. Are you feeling the new Britney single like the rest of the world seems to be? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Reactions To Britney’s ‘Hold It Against Me’ Related Photos The Evolution Of: Britney Spears Related Artists Britney Spears

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Lil Wayne Thanks Fans With Preview Of Rolling Stone Shoot

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Lil Wayne Thanks Fans With Preview Of Rolling Stone Shoot

‘Thank you for making ‘6 Foot 7 Foot’ #1 on iTunes,’ Weezy writes. By Paul Cantor Lil Wayne in Rolling Stone Photo: DJ Scoob Doo On the heels of his performance alongside Eminem on “Saturday Night Live” this past weekend, Lil Wayne took to his blog WeezyThanxYou.com to express appreciation to his fans as well as offer a glimpse of a recent shoot he did for his upcoming Rolling Stone cover story. “The shoot was in Miami two weeks ago, and just being able to do this type of stuff again is therapeutic,” he wrote. “Be sure to pick up the issue when it hits stands. Thank you to the people at Rolling Stone for the opportunity.” The behind the scenes photo was taken by DJ Scoob Doo and shows Wayne standing shirtless in a photo studio with a pair of fluorescent sun glasses on, presumably looking at the Rolling Stone photographer’s lens. Wayne also thanked fans for supporting the first single from Tha Carter IV “6 Foot 7 Foot.” The song, which samples elements of Jamaican folk song “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” rocketed up the iTunes charts and landed at #1 in less than a week. “Thank you for making ‘6 Foot 7 Foot’ #1 on iTunes,” he wrote, “you will continue to be #1 in my heart.” Wayne is just starting to reemerge in public after being released from prison in early November. His appearance on “SNL” was his first televised appearance since then. On the show, he performed Eminem’s single “No Love,” from Recovery. Em ceded the spotlight after performing “Won’t Back Down,” and Wayne went into an electric-guitar-laden take of “6 Foot 7 Foot.” Of the highly anticipated performance, DJ Scoob Doo said, “The energy in the building is historical, and it’s extra special to see everybody fight for position backstage to see Lil Wayne take over ‘SNL.’ ” Related Artists Lil Wayne

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T.I.’s No Mercy Debuts At #4 On Billboard

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on T.I.’s No Mercy Debuts At #4 On Billboard

Susan Boyle holds tight to #1 on next week’s albums chart. By Gil Kaufman T.I.’s No Mercy Photo: Grand Hustle Records Susan Boyle has officially earned the honorary title of Christmas Queen. For the second year in a row, the “Britain’s Got Talent” runner-up is taking on all comers with a chart-topping holiday release that has a stranglehold on the top spot of the Billboard 200 albums chart. Her second release, The Gift, will once again take the pole position next week with sales of 243,000, giving her a five-week total north of 1.3 million, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. The only new release to crack the top five is T.I.’s No Mercy, which comes in at #4. The album sold 159,000 just weeks after the King of the South reported to prison for an 11-month sentence tied to a probation violation from his 2007 federal weapons case. Also breaking into the top 10 is the “Tron Legacy” soundtrack from helmet-rocking techno duo Daft Punk, which moved 71,000 copies in its chart debut. The top 10 is otherwise just a shuffle of the usual suspects. Taylor Swift keeps her grip on the #2 spot with Speak Now, which sold 201,000 copies, pushing her past the 2.3 million mark in less than two months. Swift is followed by the “Glee” Christmas album (#3, 193,000), grade school reality-show opera singer Jackie Evancho’s O Holy Night EP (#5, 149,000), Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday (#6, 82,000), Josh Groban’s Illuminations (#7, 75,000), another “Glee” collection, Vol. 4 (#8, 74,000), and Rihanna’s Loud (#9, 71,000). After just two weeks in the top 10, Kanye West’s well-reviewed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy falls to #14 as sales shrank by 39 percent to 67,000. The Black Eyed Peas had an even harsher comedown for The Beginning, which drops 10 spots in week two to #16 (62,000, sales down 48 percent). Hard rockers Hinder enter the fray at #37 with All American Nightmare (35,000) while deadmau5 squeaks in at #47 with his album 4×4=12 (27,0000) and British soul siren Duffy hits #72 with her second album, Endlessly (18,000). My Chemical Romance are marching the wrong way on the chart with Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, which drops 27 spots to #87 in its third week, selling just 15,000 copies. That’s gangbusters compared to season nine “American Idol” winner Lee DeWyze, who continues to struggle to get traction for his debut, Live It Up. The LP slides another 10 spots to #133 on sales of 9,000, giving him a one-month total just shy of 72,000. The “Glee” Christmas album is tops on the iTunes albums chart, besting T.I., who settles in at #2, followed by Kanye, “Tron,” deadmua5, Mumford & Sons’ Sigh No More, Bruno Mars’ Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Hinder, Rihanna and the “Burlesque” soundtrack. The singles chart once again belongs to Katy Perry and her smash “Firework,” with Mars right behind with “Grenade.” They’re followed by the Black Eyed Peas’ “The Time (Dirty Bit),” Rihanna and Drake’s “What’s My Name,” Pink’s “Raise Your Glass,” Ke$ha’s “We R Who We R,” T.I.’s hookup with Eminem, “That’s All She Wrote,” Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow,” Trey Songz’s “Bottoms Up” and Enrique Iglesias’ “Tonight.” Next week should present the first challenge to Boyle’s domination with the arrival of late pop icon Michael Jackson’s first posthumous studio album, Michael, as well as new discs from R. Kelly, Diddy-Dirty Money, Ciara and the major-label debut of “Idol” runner-up Crystal Bowersox. Related Artists T.I. Susan Boyle Taylor Swift

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