Day in Pop 2010 Rewind: Top Stories From January

Mariah Carey Announces Album Release

Mariah Carey has completed her 13th studio album, Angels Advocate, a brand new collection of newly remixed duets with some of her favorite artists, performing Mariah's favorite songs from her #1 R&B album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel (released September 2009). Angels Advocate will be released on March 30th.

In advance of the Angels Advocate album release, two new Mariah Carey singles are on the way this week - "Angels Cry" featuring fellow Island Def Jam artist Ne-Yo is impacting at Urban A/C radio, and "Up Out My Face" featuring Nicki Minaj is impacting at Urban and Rhythm radio formats.

New videos for both tracks were co-directed by Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey. Both videos will be available at all platforms starting Monday, February 1st. - more on this story

Ke$ha Sets Radio Record

Ke@ha's first single "TiK ToK" lands at the no. 1 spot at Top 40 Radio and sets the all time record for the most weekly spins in the 17 year history of the Billboard Charts.

Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" set the weekly spin record when it was played 10,859 times in a week. This week Ke%ha bests that record with "Tik ToK" logging 11,224 spins, setting the new record.

"Tik ToK" has sold over 3 million copies in the US alone (over 4 million worldwide) and continues to grow weekly. - more on this story

Rhythm & Blues Foundation Tribute Teddy Pendergrass

As R&B and Soul legend Teddy Pendergrass was laid to rest this weekend, the Rhythm & Blues Foundation - the pre-eminent non-profit organization dedicated to Rhythm & Blues music - spoke today for the entire R&B community in not only expressing its sympathy to the Pendergrass family, but its love and appreciation for the lasting impact its former Board member continues to have on the lives and careers of countless artists for generations to come.

Damon Williams, newly elected Chairman of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, joined several Board members in citing Teddy's overall contribution as a musician and humanitarian who helped others with spinal cord injuries through his own foundation, as an outstanding example of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's vision.

"Teddy Pendergrass was a one-of-a-kind voice and a one-of-a kind person whose contributions and impact on R&B music cannot be measured," said Williams. "His dynamic voice, impeccable style, and warm personality were truly a gift to the world. Teddy was a dear friend and colleague of the R&B Foundation, who served diligently on our Board of Directors for several years. We're especially proud that his home town of Philadelphia is our home as well, and we applaud and cheer Teddy for his life's work. He was truly, as one his many hit songs reminds us, one of our 'greatest inspirations.'" - more on this story

Lonestar Return with New Album

The New Year of 2010 launches with the promise of the much-anticipated return to the charts of a true country music super-group—Lonestar –whose career path to date has been marked by countless multi-platinum milestones.

The band is releasing their first studio album in four years—cause enough for celebration to the universe of country/pop cross-over fans who have long embraced them. And the news gets better. Party Heard Around The World, their 10th album, is a total 'hands on' creative effort, produced by the band with eight of the ten tracks written by the foursome. Noted lead guitarist and original member Michael Britt said in a recent interview: "We feel that this album is a complete reflection of the group, circa 2010. It's personal and powerful music that reflects the core values of Lonestar through lyrics, performance and production."

Lonestar's commitment to open the new decade with a new chapter of music will have the full label support of Saguaro Road Records and be the subject of a major multi-phase national retail/radio/media/marketing campaign set to roll-out in advance of the April 27th street date - more on this story

Snoop Dogg To Deliver More Malice: Deluxe Album And Movie

Snoop Dogg announced that he will release the follow up to his latest release entitled More Malice: Deluxe Album and Movie on March 23rd. The new album will feature 5 songs from the previously released "Malice N Wonderland" along with 5 entirely new songs and 2 remixes. Included with More Malice will be a never-before-seen mini-movie entitled Malice N Wonderland The Movie which features Snoop in the title role with cameos from Jamie Foxx, Xzibit, Nipsey Hussle and more.

The first highly anticipated single from More Malice is the remix to fan favorite "I Wanna Rock" featuring superstar Jay Z. The two kings from their respective coasts take turns on the mic on this Scoop Deville produced club anthem. The single will be available on iTunes on January 26th. Additionally, the Snoop Dogg and Soulja Boy song, "Pronto," gets the remix treatment with Southern alum Bun B jumping on the track.

In addition to new music, the 40 minute action packed movie included in the package tells the story of superhero Malice (played by Snoop Dogg) in his hometown of crime plagued Wonderland. The safety of the city is up to Malice who fights crime and strives to bring peace back to his neighborhood. Music from the accompanying album is featured throughout the dramatic film. - more on this story

David Copperfield Attorney Addresses False Rape Claim

The Smoking Gun Reports: A two-year FBI probe into a Seattle woman's claim that she was raped by David Copperfield was closed this week, shortly after federal investigators learned that the alleged victim is being investigated for prostitution and lying to cops about a sexual assault that purportedly occurred last month, police records show.
A PR company sent us the following statement by David Copperfield's attorney, Angelo Calfo of Yarmuth, Wilsdon, Calfo PLLC in response to the FBI's announcement: "David Copperfield, his family and friends are relieved that federal prosecutors finally closed their investigation without bringing a single charge, after Bellevue police recommended that the so-called victim be charged as a criminal for making a false rape claim last month against a Seattle-area man," Calfo said.

"Her lies to Bellevue police support what David has said all along: her two-year old claims against him are patently false, absurd and contradicted by each and every witness and by documentary evidence. - more on this story

Ke$ha Debuts At No 1

Ke$ha tops the Billboard Top 200 chart with her debut album "Animal" (RCA Records / Kemosabe Entertainment). "Animal", which was released on January 5th, is #1 album in the US, selling 151,942 copies.

It is also #1 on the Digital Albums Chart, setting the record for the best ever digital album sales for a new artist and is the 3rd biggest digital album debut by a female, coming in right after Taylor Swift and Britney Spears.

This also marks the biggest first week for an artist's debut album released in January in SoundScan history. Ke$ha is also the first artist since Leona Lewis' debut in 2008 to have a #1 debut album AND a #1 debut single. - more on this story

Conan O'Brien Vs NBC

Conan O'Brien has issued a statement about the chaos over at NBC over plans to shuffle their late night lineup after their Leno in primetime experiment failed miserably (keeping in character with the rest of the NoBody Cares network's lineup). Here is what he had to say: People of Earth:

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both. - more on this story