Ashanti Terrorized By Fan- Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Loses Support- Colbert The New Jay-z?- Disney Dies- Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Still Rule- Big Hopes for Avatar and more

Not only is their music unoriginal but it appears that their video concepts are too. Absolute Punk asks: Do you think the concept behind Forever the Sickest Kids' video for "What Do You Want From Me?" (see here)may be a bit similar to The Fastest Kid Alive's "Don't Sleep Til the Music Stops"? (see here ) - more on this story

Beyonce Extends World Tour Plans

Beyonce is extending her "I Am…" World Tour to South America for a series of live concerts beginning Thursday, February 4, 2010 at Parque Planeta in Florianópolis, Brazil.

The two-week run will end in the Caribbean on the island of Trinidad on Thursday, February 18, 2010 (see itinerary following).

The tour dates mark the first time the international entertainer will perform live concerts in South America. Fans in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru will finally get the chance to see the show that critics around the world have called "spectacular" and "dazzling." Recently the "I AM…" World Tour was named the world's #1 concert attraction by Billboard Magazine's Hot Tour rankings. - more on this story

Fantasia N Pepa For Vh1 Reality

VH1's sent over some info on two upcoming new series "Fantasia For Real" and "Let's Talk About Pep" which both premiere on January 11th.

"Fantasia For Real" Premieres Monday, January 11th At 10PM ET/PT: VH1 will give viewers a close-up view into the complex, touching and surprisingly relatable life of recording artist, actress and American Idol winner Fantasia in the new series, "Fantasia For Real." The series follows Fantasia as she juggles her career and single-motherhood while devoting her energy into recording her highly anticipated third album. As Fantasia's fame has grown, her personal life has increasingly become more complicated. The sole breadwinner for her large family, Fantasia struggles to balance career, family, and the demanding life of a highly successful performing artist. Fantasia's 8 episode, 30 minute docu- series delves into how she has dealt with the seismic aftershocks of fame, all while managing the daily demands of life on the road and writing and recording new music that will connect with her fans.

"Let's Talk About Pep" Premieres Monday, January 11th At 10:30PM ET/PT: "Let's Talk About Pep" is a real-life comedy following Sandra "Pepa" Denton of Salt-n-Pepa fame as she emerges from an over 4-year romantic and sexual sabbatical to search for love again. After being burned by bad boys one too many times, Pep decided to get out of the game for a while. Now Pep is joining forces with three of her closest girlfriends—all single and searching, too—to try the dating scene again. Together the four friends will laugh, cry, and dish lots of dirt as they all try to find true love. Pep's partners in crime are: TV personality Jacque Reid, Joumana Kidd, former model, sports journalist and ex-wife of basketball superstar Jason Kidd; and the wild child of the bunch, voiceover artist and radio personality Kali Troy (a.k.a "Kittie"). -

Snoop Dogg to Co-host 2009 Sports Soup Countup Countdown

Snoop Dogg, as well as legendary NBA point guard Gary Payton, will join host Matt Iseman for this weekend's 2009 Sports Soup Countup Countdown on Versus, an hour-long special that will provide viewers with the best and worst that sports had to offer over the past 12 months.

In addition to Snoop Dogg and Gary Payton, the show will also include some special appearances by: Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp; MMA fighter Kimbo Slice; Playboy Playmate Holly Madison; wide receiver for Denver Broncos, Brandon Marshall and Manu Ginobili, shooting guard for the San Antonio Spurs who will introduce the best foreign language clips of the year.

Chad Ocho Cinco, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Mike Tyson, Michael Irvin, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal will also be part of this can't-miss special episode of Sports Soup. - more on this story

Allison Moorer Sets Album Release, On History Channel Doc This Weekend

Allison Moorer, who is set to release her Ryko debut, Crows, on February 9th, 2010, will make a special appearance in The History Channel documentary, The People Speak, which will re-air this Saturday, December 19th at 3pm.

The Grammy and Academy Award nominated singer-songwriter performs a stirring rendition of the Great Depression anthem "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime" in this poignant film inspired by Howard Zinn's best-seller A People's History of the United States.

Through a series of dramatized readings and performances by Morgan Freeman, Bruce Springsteen, Matt Damon, Eddie Vedder, John Legend, Rosario Dawson, Josh Brolin and many more, The People Speak reenacts extraordinary stories of everyday Americans who helped shape our democracy. - more on this story

Bobby Long Wraps Seven-Month North American Tour With Plans For 2010 CD And Tour

When 2009 began, Bobby Long was one of the many singer-songwriters haunting London's open-mic scene looking to build an audience of his own. When the new decade begins in a few short weeks, he will have that to his credit and more. Since last spring, Long has played some 100 shows in packed clubs throughout the U.S. and Canada. This Saturday (December 19) night's sold-out show at New York's Mercury Lounge promises a fitting close to the young performer's Dangerous Summer into fall seven-month North American tour.

While it's true that Long had a head start on a fanbase-a song he co-wrote (but didn't sing) was featured in the first "Twilight" film-it's even more relevant that it is his haunting vocals, intricately woven lyrics and intriguing guitar work that is winning him new fans and filling rooms night after night. His spare DIRTY POND SONGS, the CD he recorded in his London bedroom to have something for fans during the Dangerous Summer tour, has sold over 10,000 copies on the road. Selections from the CD have also found their way onto the playlists of key Triple A radio stations, among them Philadelphia's WXPN. It was the first to embrace the poignant opening track "Who Have You Been Loving," and showcased Long as its World Café Next Artist of the Week in late November. A brief live appearance on XPN was quickly followed by station visits to KBCO in Denver, KUT in Austin and WFPK in Louisville, building anticipation for Long's first real studio recording due in 2010.

Long, in fact, began working with producer Liam Watson, who produced "Elephant" by the White Stripes, on tracks for that debut outing during a short break from touring this past fall. In addition to recording the tracks live with a band for the CD, Long expects to also record some tracks in his signature solo acoustic style. He will return to Watson's Toe Rag Studios in London, known for its collection of vintage analog equipment, in January to continue recording before hitting the road for a series of European shows. Current plans are for an early summer release. - more on this story

YouTube Star Julia Nunes Sets EP Release and Live Dates

A musician since age 13, Julia Nunes is revered for both her playful songwriting and massive YouTube fanbase. Julia's YouTube video channel has received nearly 30 million views! The 20-year-old upstate New York native is pleased to announce the release of her 5-song EP, I Think You Know. The record was produced by Jack Conte of Pomplamoose and will be released February 2, 2009 on Rude Butler Records.

Julia was invited on a Summer tour with Ben Folds in 2008 after hearing her dazzling cover of one of his songs. Her upbeat ukulele-driven songwriting style has also caught the attention of Molly Ringwald who said on Good Morning America in June 2008 that she took up the instrument after seeing Julia play on YouTube.

While Julia mainly plays ukulele, melodica, piano and guitar, she also likes to use household items such as pillows, water bottles, tissue boxes or an old slinky, for extra percussion. "I Think You Know," the deceivingly upbeat title track from her upcoming EP, features a toy piano, hand claps and layered vocal harmonies. Be sure to catch Julia Nunes live on her January tour which kicks off in Los Angeles. - more on this story

Country Weekly Celebrates 15th Anniversary With Special Issue

Garth Brooks was on the cover and Faith Hill was just launching her career on April 12, 1994, when Country Weekly magazine hit the streets for the first time. Since then, the Nashville-based publication has seen and covered pretty much anything worth seeing and covering in the country music world—from the highs of hit records, major award shows and stadium concerts to the sad stories of divorces, lost record deals and the deaths of beloved stars.

Along the way Country Weekly has earned the rabid loyalty of fans throughout the U.S., as well as in several other countries, and has acquired a reputation as the "go to" source for country radio personalities who want the latest scoop on stars ranging from legendary icons to newcomers.

In a special Dec. 28 collector's edition of Country Weekly, on stands Dec. 21, the publication takes a look back at how far the magazine and the industry have come since 1994. It includes a timeline of major industry happenings over the past 15 years, plus often-funny photos of how current stars looked way back when. FYI, Taylor Swift was as cute as a 5-year-old as she is now, having just turned 20 on Dec. 13. - more on this story

Cosmic Gate Announce North American Tour Dates

Cosmic Gate, this years' highest climbers in DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs Poll, announce North American tour dates in preparation for their new mixed compilation release "Back 2 Back" on Black Hole Recordings.

Cosmic Gate is Nic Chagall and Bossi, best described as one of the most highly-sought after electronic acts today. In their homeland of Germany, they have achieved seven Top 40 singles, a Top 10 hit in the UK, as well as eight albums under their belts, (four artist albums and four mixed compilations) spanning a career of 10 years. Releasing their artist album "Sign of the Times" earlier this year, it garnered support from the likes of trance kings, Tiësto and Armin van Burren. Their highly acclaimed compilation series "BACK 2 BACK" is now in it's fourth installment, poised for release on February 23rd, 2010 on Tiësto's, Black Hole Recordings, coupled with an action packed North American tour.

No strangers to the States, Cosmic Gate played a whopping 40 times at a slew of venues in the US in the last 12 months. They both admit that their most exciting gig this year was playing at the How Sweet it Is Festival in San Bernardino, and it's the States where they have felt the electronic pulse beat the strongest! - more on this story

Corinne Bailey Rae Premieres New Video

Grammy winner Corinne Bailey Rae is premiering her new video for "I'd Do It All Again," the first single from her forthcoming album The Sea. The video is directed by acclaimed film director Jamie Thraves, the man responsible for such iconic videos as Radiohead's 'Just' and Coldplay's 'The Scientist'.

Talking about the video Thraves exclusively told MySpace "Corinne and I met just as I was formulating the idea. She told me she was fan of my work, said she thought it was very real looking, cinematic and quite dark and that's what she wanted for her video, nothing too sunny she said. I looked at her other videos and realised just how sunny they were and why she wanted to do something different for this song but on the day we filmed it was such a lovely sunny day - I told Corinne the sun just seems to follow her around, but it's okay because in sad moments the sun can underline sadness just as easily as rain."

"I'd Do It All Again," the first single from GRAMMY winner Corinne Bailey Rae's forthcoming album, The Sea, goes to radio this week and will be available at all digital retailers in early January. A sweeping, defiant declaration of love and faith, the song is one of many highlights on The Sea, set for January 26th release on EMI's Capitol Records. - Check out the video here

Flo Rida Top Digital Seller of the Decade

After bursting onto the scene in late 2007, Poe Boy/Atlantic recording artist Flo Rida has claimed a digital first. The Miami-based rapper's debut smash single "Low," from his debut album "Mail On Sunday," has been named the top-selling digital song of the decade with over 5.2 million digital downloads sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In addition, his 2009 hit single "Right Round" ranks #11 this decade, with nearly 4 million digital downloads sold.

This isn't the first time Flo Rida has made digital history. "Right Round," from the rapper's 2009 album "R.O.O.T.S." remains the highest-selling digital debut of all time. The track also remains the highest selling one-week digital single in history, with more than 636,000 downloads sold its debut week.

The former one-week record, which was held by Flo Rida for "Low," ranks #2 all-time with more than 467,000 digital downloads sold in a single week. In addition, "Right Round" is the fastest-selling digital single ever, with 1 million downloads sold in just two weeks. - more on this story

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