Early estimates predict the Boss’ Wrecking Ball will surpass 21 for top spot on week’s Billboard albums chart. By James Montgomery Bruce Springsteen Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images There’s been no other #1 album in 2012 besides Adele’s unstoppable 21 — and it hasn’t even been close — though all of that might change this week as Bruce Springsteen is poised to make a run at the top spot on the Billboard albums chart. According to industry site Hits Daily Double, Springsteen’s new Wrecking Ball disc is giving 21 its toughest competition to date in the battle for #1 on next week’s Top 200. With slightly more than half of retail data compiled, Adele has sold roughly 89,000 copies of her album, while Springsteen has sold nearly 82,000. Based on those early estimates, Hits is estimating Wrecking Ball will sell approximately 200,000 copies (Springsteen’s previous studio album, 2009’s Working on a Dream, bowed at #1 with sales of more than 223,000 copies), ending Adele’s run of 10 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard albums chart. The last record to sit at #1 besides 21 was Michael Bubl
21 sets a new high mark for post-Grammy sales. By Gil Kaufman Adele at the 2012 Grammys Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Adele is starting to make this look a little too easy. And also, who out there doesn’t own 21 already? After all, they’ve had a full year to get their act together. In the same week that she celebrates 52 weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart, all of them spent in the top 10, the singer set yet another high-water mark when she notched the biggest sales week yet following her Grammy Awards comeback . In the wake of her six-for-six night at the awards show, Adele rolled up her biggest sales week to date, moving 730,000 copies, more than doubling her previous high mark of 399,000 for the week ending December 25, 2011, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. The last album to sell more copies in a single week before Adele’s big jump was Lil Wayne , whose Tha Carter IV moved 964,000 in August 2011. To put her giant leap into perspective, in her 52nd week on the charts, Adele moved the third-highest amount of product of any artist in the past year, surpassed only by Lady Gaga ‘s Born This Way (1.1 million) and Weezy, and coming in ahead of highly anticipated chart bows by Drake (631,000), Coldplay (447,000), Jay-Z and Kanye West (436,000), Lady Antebellum (347,000), Beyonc
‘Part 1’ of ‘Twilight’ finale also racks up 50,000 downloads and 80,000 video-on-demand transactions. By Jocelyn Vena Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” Photo: Summit Entertainment “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” DVD is, unsurprisingly, flying off the shelves. After the film was released to disc at midnight Saturday morning, it reportedly sold 3.2 million discs over the course of two days. But, that’s not all: The flick also snagged 50,000 downloads and 80,000 video-on-demand transactions during the two-day period when the sales were tracked, according to The Hollywood Reporter . The numbers make “Breaking Dawn” the top-selling release of the year. It bows at #1 on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert overall disc sales chart, followed by “Lady and the Tramp” and “A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas.” Now that it can be played on repeat, Twihards are certain to be memorizing every sweet and saucy moment of “Part 1,” before the final installment hits theaters this November. A scene from the Bill Condon-directed “Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” played at a special Target in-store event just before “Part 1” dropped. Fans were treated to five minutes of footage , including behind-the-scenes shots of “Twilight” hunks Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner preparing for battle in the woods. The exclusive scene followed Bella as she finds a note in a book with instructions from Alice, explaining what to do to get new passports. The clip then cut to an emotional conversation between Edward and Bella, who share a juicy kiss. But, perhaps the scene fans most wanted to sink their teeth into was the first shot of vampire Bella, which included those famous red eyes and special-effects-aided speed. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Best ‘Breaking Dawn’ Interviews Of 2011 ‘Twilight’ Fans Keep Busy Until ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 2’ Related Photos ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Premiere
Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe music video with added lyrics for a better listening experience. To purchase Under the Mistletoe album and more, click this link: tinyurl.com All rights for music and video goes to UMG, VEVO and all associated with Justin Bieber and his record label. Lyrics were added for the widespread and distribution on Justin’s music to the public, intending no copyright fraud or infringement, rather to support the sales of his music. I claim no right nor ownership over this video. http://www.youtube.com/v/QYNRQ9CWviI?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Link: Mistletoe Music Video and Lyrics – Justin Bieber
Looks like Jay-Z may now be up to 100 problems. After a perceived attempt to cash in on the populist Occupy Wall Street protests through the sale of T-shirts with the slogan “Occupy All Streets” for $22, the duds were removed from the ” Otis ” rapper’s Rocawear website Saturday with no explanation. All in a 48-hour span. So what happened? Jay-Z came under fire after it was reported that Rocawear didn’t plan to donate any of the proceeds from the sales to the Occupy Wall Street movement he claims to support. That fact was later confirmed by his label. “The ‘Occupy All Streets’ shirt was created in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement,” a Rocawear rep said in a statement Friday. “Rocawear strongly encourages all forms of constructive expression, whether it be artistic, political or social.” “‘Occupy All Streets’ is our way of reminding people that there is change to be made everywhere, not just on Wall Street. At this time we have not made an official commitment to monetarily support the movement.” Needless to say, those involved in “Occupy Wall Street” were not happy. “To attempt to profit off of the first important social moment of 50 years with overpriced pieces of cotton is an insult to the ongoing fight for economic civil rights known as #occupywallstreet,” an Occupy Wall Street leader who goes by “Grim” said. Meanwhile, Russell Simmons, an avid supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement, said the shirt in question “takes #OccupyWallStreet to the next level.” It did . The shirts, which were sold for $22 a pop, are no longer available.
If you’re wondering whether Jay-Z’s wife Beyonce attended the Watch the Throne tour opener in Atlanta this weekend, here’s your answer. Bey was spotted in the front row at Philips watching Kanye and her hubby kick off their joint tour. Check her out below! RELATED: Jay-Z On Past Assault Charge: “F*ck It I’m Guilty!” [EXCLUSIVE] Watch The Throne Set List [PHOTO] Watch The Throne Concert Review [EXCLUSIVE] Watch The Throne Concert Footage [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO] Jay-Z & Kanye Record “Otis” [VIDEO] Jay-Z & Kanye’s “Otis” Vehicle Will Be Up For Auction Jay-Z And Kanye West “Watch The Throne” Documentary [VIDEO] Listen To Jay-Z & Kanye West “Watch The Throne” Now! Jay-Z & Kanye West’s “Watch The Throne” Breaks iTunes Sales Record “Watch The Throne” Trailer [VIDEO] Kevin Hart As Chocolate Droppa Freestyle To “Otis” [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]
Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures will feature previously unreleased tracks. By Gil Kaufman Amy Winehouse Photo: MTV News The world will finally get to hear the music Amy Winehouse was working on before her unexpected death earlier this year. According to a press release from her English label, a posthumous collection of unheard studio tracks, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, will be released on December 5. The 12 tracks on the disc were put together by Winehouse’s longtime collaborators, producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, and will include songs she recorded before, during and after the releases of her two studio albums, 2003’s Frank and her smash 2006 breakthrough Back to Black . “It was said by all who worked with Amy that she never sang or played a song the same way twice,” read the release announcing the disc. “It quickly became apparent to Salaam and Mark that they had a collection of songs that deserved to be heard, a collection of songs that were a fitting testament to Amy the artist and, as importantly, Amy their friend.” The disc is a “chronicle of her musical development” and will feature alternate takes of previously released songs, including a demo version of “Wake Up Alone” and mellower takes of “Tears Dry on Their Own” and “Valerie,” as well as her recently released Tony Bennett duet, “Body & Soul.” It will also have a number of covers, such as the Shirelles’ “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You” (with just Amy and her guitar, recorded at her London home in the spring of 2009 in the midst of the singer’s struggles with drugs and alcohol) and a 2002 reggae version of the classic ’60s doo-wop song by Ruby & the Romantics “Our Day Will Come.” Winehouse died in July at age 27 as a result of excessive alcohol intake. “I spent so much time chasing after Amy, telling her off, that I never realized what a true genius she was,” her father, Mitch Winehouse, said. “It wasn’t until I sat down with the rest of the family and listened to this album that I fully appreciated the breadth of Amy’s talent, from jazz standards to hip-hop songs, it really took my breath away.” Among the unreleased songs are “Halftime” and “The Girl From Ipanema,” which were cut during sessions for Winehouse’s debut, Frank . The standard “Ipanema,” in fact, was the first song an 18-year-old Winehouse sang when she flew to Miami to record with Remi, who said in the release that Amy’s reinterpretation of the bossa nova classic made him realize that, “I was dealing with a very special talent. Her approach to the song was so young and fresh, it really inspired the rest of our sessions.” Mitch Winehouse said he’d never heard the “incredibly beautiful” song “Halftime” before, but that if the family “had felt that this album wasn’t up to the standard of Frank and Back to Black, we would never have agreed to release it and we believe it will stand as a fitting tribute to Amy’s musical legacy.” One of the most recent tracks is a duet with Amy’s hip-hop pal Nas titled “Like Smoke,” which was recorded in May 2008. Another unheard song, “Between the Cheats,” is reportedly a take on Winehouse’s troubled marriage to ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, recorded in May 2008 for possible inclusion on her third album. Fans will also hear “Best Friends,” a Remi-produced track from 2003 that used to serve as Amy’s live show opener. Winehouse had been working on her follow-up to Black for two years before her death, but it is unknown if the upcoming release represents the totality of the music she recorded during that period, of if there could be another collection in the offing sometime in the future. Some of the proceeds from the sales of the album will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity set up by the singer’s family to fight addiction. Related Photos Amy Winehouse: A Life In Photos Related Artists Amy Winehouse
From the moment that Jay-Z and Kanye West took the stage at Philips Arena — on identical cubes with images of vicious Rottweilers rising from both ends of the venue — there was an inescapable feeling that there was going to be something regal about this show. After all, it’s the Watch the Throne tour, and Kanye and Jay did not disappoint. They dynamic duo kicked things off with “H.A.M.,” the first unofficial single from their joint “Watch the Throne” album. From there it was a dizzying, highly-entertaining, at times emotional 2 1/2 plus hour thrill ride of hit after hit. No special guests showed up at the concert, but Jay and Yay have so many hits between them that was a minor factor. The spectacular light and laser show and fiery pyrotechnics certainly helped, even if people were expecting T.I. to come out for his verse on the “N*ggas in Paris” remix. There was also no way the two could perform all of their hits, and it was noticeable that Jay didn’t perform any songs from his classic debut “Reasonable Doubt” or his “American Gangster” album. After warming up the receptive crowd a huge American flag was unfurled on the main stage as Jay-Z and Kanye appeared together to perform their smash hit “Otis.” For the rest of the night the two superstars alternated between their respective hits and songs from Watch the Throne. At one point Kanye even shed a tear while performing overly-Auto Tuned versions of “Heartless” and “Runaway.” Raised in Chicago, a lot of fans might not realize that Kanye was actually born in Atlanta and his father still lives here. Jay made a point to announce to the crowd early in the show, referencing Yay, “He was born in ATL!” Jay also proclaimed proudly later on in the evening: “ATL, you are now looking at the best of black excellence!” One of the most poignant moments of the show was when the arena played Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” and everyone sang along right before Jay and Yay went into “No Church in the Wild.” The only other moment that came close to that was when the two stars had everyone hold up a cell phone or lighter during “Made in America,” illuminating the entire arena. In the end Watch the Throne was an amazing show that lived up to all its hype. But should we expect anything less from two of hip hop’s greatest talents? Check out some exclusive video from the show RIGHT HERE! Here’s the partial set list from Friday night’ show: H.A.M. Who Gon Stop Me Otis Welcome to the Jungle Gotta Have It N—- What, N—- Who Can’t Tell Me Nothing Jesus Walks Diamonds from Sierra Leone Where I’m From Public Service Announcement You Don’t Know Run This Town Monster Power Murder to Excellence New Day Hard Knock Life Izzo (H.O.V.A.) Good Life Empire State of Mind Runaway Heartless Stronger On to the Next One Dirt Off Your Shoulder Touch the Sky All of the Lights Big Pimpin’ Gold Digger 99 Problems No Church in the Wild Lift Off N—– in Paris Made in America Encore Why I Love You RELATED POSTS: Watch The Throne Concert Footage [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO] Jay-Z & Kanye Record “Otis” [VIDEO] Jay-Z & Kanye’s “Otis” Vehicle Will Be Up For Auction Jay-Z And Kanye West “Watch The Throne” Documentary [VIDEO] Listen To Jay-Z & Kanye West “Watch The Throne” Now! Jay-Z & Kanye West’s “Watch The Throne” Breaks iTunes Sales Record “Watch The Throne” Trailer [VIDEO] Kevin Hart As Chocolate Droppa Freestyle To “Otis” [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO] Kanye West And Russell Simmons Occupy Wall Street [VIDEO]
Watch The Throne has spawned some weird artwork including a photo meshing together images of Jay and Kanye. They must have been feeling very patriotic during the recording of Watch The Throne because the latest artwork for “N*ggas In Paris” is simply a flag with names on it. Is this all we get for the next single? Jay-Z & Kanye West’s “Watch The Throne” Breaks iTunes Sales Record The Music Charts Decoded: Jay Z & Kanye take #1 Spot, Beyonce Remains Steady & Drake Breaks Top 10
You would think that it was Pippa Middleton – not her sister Kate – who walked down the aisle with Prince William this summer judging from the way the media has honed in on her. But what’s even odder than the supplanting of her in the tabloids instead of her future queen sister is the fascination with her butt. This butt: Ma’am and/or sir, why is this a thing of wonder? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not throwing shade. Pippa is an attractive and shapely woman (very slim, but with a nice frame). But she isn’t carrying anything in her ‘backyard’ that is such a wonder to behold. Why is there such a fascination with non-Black women who have butts? Back when we were the only ones known for having large bottoms, they were the worst thing ever. But in the past ten years, it seems like everyone wants to be bootylicious. And women like Pippa are being held up as some sort of gold standard when her butt is more worthy of a participant ribbon. To paraphrase Paul Mooney, “everybody wanna be a Negro, but don’t nobody want to be a Negro.” However, considering the fact that Pippa’s butt is more on the flat side than the J.Los and Kim Kardashians of the world, perhaps praising her behind is a shift away from the big booty obsession. Is the Pippa-pimping a return to the rejection of the more voluptuous (and typically considered to be “ethnic”) body type? I think that’s a more than likely possibility. Our “royals” are a family of Black folks from the South Side of Chicago. And even though President Obama has a unique pedigree, the woman by his side is an undeniably Colored one. Brown skin, Black girl hair, big booty. For all those who have celebrated the victory-in-diversity that is an Obama White House, there are folks who want to get that ‘old thing’ back. And Pippa is undeniably uncolored. Hmm…am I just a conspiracy theorist, or do you see the connection here? Kim Kardashian Gets Butt X-Ray To Prove Haters Wrong [PHOTO] Jay-Z & Beyonce: That’s His “Bitch”?
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