“American Idol” Quick Wrap 4/17/13~ It’s a Diva Smackdown

American Idol is now down to five ladies and I will argue that it is the best top five in the history of the program and definitely vocally the most talented in Idol’s 12 seasons. Tonight the ladies put it all out on the stage in a divalicious smack down as they covered the great divas including Whitney, Celine, Barbra, Beyonce and of course Mariah which led to a fantastic second half of the show. Now, the first half wasn’t too bad either as the women sang “Songs From the Year they Were Born”, but it paled in comparison to the “Diva” round… So, just which performances overall were the best and which lady is in danger of going home? That is, if any of them actually go home~ hello the “Save” is still supposedly in play…. Take a look at my rankings and predictions below.

American Idol Rankings 4/17/13
~ the great
1. Angie- “Halo”: I really had trouble trying to decide what was the best performance of the night, but to my shock I’m giving it to Angie’s fantastic interpretation of this Beyonce smash. It wa a daunting task that she handled tremendously and it was easily the best, and my favorite, Angie joint since her original song in Hollywood week.
TIE 2. Amber- “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?”: Amber gave an insanely perfect vocal on this Barbra Streisand song I’ve never heard of  tonight. It was gorgeous and glorious, much like Amber herself. She is so perfect with these jazzy standards that I think perhaps she could do a Norah Jones type record in the future and have a great deal of success.
TIE 2. Candice- “When You Believe”: this song had the perfect arc, perfect emotion and the perfect vocal. Candice had me in tears by the end and truly did Whitney and Mariah proud.
4. Candice- “Straight Up”: With fantastic reworking of the # 1 smash from 1989 by original Idol judge Paula Abdul, Candice proved her versatility and song choice savvy. This was another wonderful performance in a season where Candice can simply do no wrong.
~ the good:
5. Amber- “Without You”: I really liked this performance and Amber’s vocals were naturally great. I also enjoyed her vocal choices to differentiate it from Mariah’s version. Really good job.
~ the pretty good
6. Kree- “Have You Ever Been in Love?”: Kree’s take on this Celine Dion hit was quite nice and effortless. I really felt her emotion and longing. However, she hit some off notes for once, but still a solid showing.
7. Kree- “She Talks to Angels”: I really loved the acoustic opening to this Black Crowes cover. However, the rest of the song felt a little route and forced. That said, Kree’s voice was beautiful on it. Maybe I just expected more from it?
~ the decent
8. Angie Miller- “I’ll Stand by You”: while I appreciated the sentiment of the song and her dedication to Boston, Angie really over-performed the song and lost a lot of the meaning for me. She also hit some rather wonky notes along the way.
9. Janelle- “When I Call Your Name”: Janelle’s vocals were really beautiful and lovely on this Vince Gill track. I just wish it wasn’t so boring and surprisingly emotionally disconnected.
10. Janelle- “Dumb Blonde”: while I though it was a fun performance and I love Janelle’s personality, this Dolly Parton cover fell flat. She didn’t have the vocal prowess to make it unique and it felt a little too literal of an interpretation of the song.

Predictions~
Bottom two: Janelle and Amber (only because they seem to be the ones with the smallest fan bases)
Going home: Janelle
* BUT ACTUALLY I THINK NO ONE WILL GO HOME~ I think they’ll either activate the “Save” (especially if Amber is the lowest vote getter) or the Producers will just declare it a “No Elimination” week. That happened once before with the Idol Gives Back show in season 6 I believe, so it’s not unprecedented.

So, that’s my take on the Idol women and their Diva ways. I was shocked Angie had my favorite song of the night and a little underwhelmed that the girl I’m still betting will win it all, Kree, had a slightly off night. I was also on the Amber/Candice love train again and I just hope these two divas can go to the top three together. We will see…. And we’ll see who, or if anyone at all, gets sent home tomorrow night on American Idol… featuring a guest appearance by one of their own Idol divas, Clay Aiken!!! hehe,

Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce Salute President Obama on Inaguration Day

Today President Obama was inaugurated for his second term in office, and with the ceremony, we were also treated to a celebration of song. Along with iconic singer James Taylor, two of my favorite artists saluted the President with glorious vocal performances as Grammy winners Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce sang “My Country Tis of Thee” and “The Star Spangled Banner” respectively. Check out their wonderful performances below and congratulations to President Obama on his Inauguration on today, the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday…. Also, click here for the President’s great speech honoring equality and moving forward as a united nation.

Kelly Clarkson “My Country Tis of Thee”

Beyonce “The Star Spangled Banner”

And I have to share this great picture and quote from President Obama. Thank you Mr. President!

One Direction Rules a dreadful VMA’s.

This year’s MTV Video Music Awards ratings were down 50 percent and I’m not really surprised. The show was really lackluster with only Pink delivering a killer performance with her latest amazing single “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)”. Other performances by Taylor Swift, One Direction, and Rihanna were pretty blah while Green Day and Alicia Keys (featuring gold medal winning Olympian Gaby Douglas) could only muster a little more excitement. And then there was the mess that was 2 Chainz. Aside from that you had egotistical and arrogant winners like Rihanna and her douchebag jerk bf Chris Brown spouting ungrateful speeches or just incoherent ones from the likes of Nicki Minaj (oh dear what is she gonna be like on American Idol next season?)… Speaking of One Direction, they were the big winners with 3 awards while Rihanna took home two including Video of the Year for “We Found Love”. Take a look at all the winners below and head to MTV here for more info on the show and the performances.

2012 MTV Video Music Award Winners~

Video of the Year: “We Found Love”- Rihanna w/ Calvin Harris
Female Video: “Starships”- Nicki Minaj
Male Video: “Turn Up the Music”- Chris Brown
Pop Video: “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction
New Artist: “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction
Hip Hop Video: HYFR”- Drake w/ Lil Wayne
Rock Video: “Paradise”- Coldplay
Video with a Message: “Skyscraper”- Demi Lovato
Electronic/Dance Video: “Feel So Close”- Calvin Harris
Shareworthy Video: “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction
Art Direction: “Wide Awake”- Katy Perry
Choreography: “Turn Up the Music”- Chris Brown
Cinematography: “Bad Girls”- M.I.A.
Editing: “Countdown”- Beyonce
Visual Effects: “First of the Year”- Skrillex
Direction: “Bad Girls”- M.I.A.

And here’s Pink’s amazing performance of “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)”

http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/832106/blow-me-one-last-kiss-live.jhtml#id=1692712

 

A Fond Farewell to Etta James

The iconic and influential soul/r&b/blues singer Etta James lost her battle with leukemia this morning at the age of 73. This amazing singer left a mark on the music business that will always be treasured. Her most famous recording “At Last” has been covered by every artist in the book from Beyonce to Celine Dion and she will be missed tremendously. So, please enjoy one more song from Etta James as she performed “At Last” in 1993 when she was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. RIP Etta.

Etta James “At Last” (live at the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony)

My Music Roundup for 2011

The other day I posted my top five albums for 2011 led by the one and only Adele whose album 21 stole everyone’s heart including mine. Every song on it was brilliant and two of them end up on my top 5 songs list for this year. Now, remember this list is what I liked the most, so don’t giggle when you see a lot of pop divas. Let’s be honest, they are my favorites. I do love all kinds of music, but the divas do rule the day… Anywho, take a look at my top 20 Singles for 2011 and more music notes about the year below.

My Top 25 Songs of 2011:

1. “Don’t You Wanna Stay”- Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson

2. “Someone Like You” – Adele

3. “We Found Love”- Rihanna w/Calvin Harris

4. “Rolling in the Deep”- Adele

5. “Fuckin’ Perfect”- P!nk

6. “Born This Way”- Lady Gaga
7. “Firework”- Katy Perry
8. “Mr. Know It All”- Kelly Clarkson
9. “Run”- Matt Nathanson & Sugarland
10. “Give Me Everything Tonight”- Pitbull w/Ne Yo, Nayer & Afrojack
11. “The Edge of Glory”- Lady Gaga
12. “Grenade”- Bruno Mars
13. “For the First Time”- The Script
14. “Moves Like Jagger”- Maroon 5 w/Christina Aguilera
15. “S & M”- Rihanna
16. “Party Rock Anthem”- LMFAO
17. “Pumped Up Kicks”- Foster the People
18. “On the Floor”- Jennifer Lopez w/ Pitbull
19. “Call Your Girlfriend”- Robyn
20. “Uncharted”- Sara Bareilles
21. “Fuck You”- Cee Lo Green
22. “Sexy and I Know It”- LMFAO
23. “I Wanna Go”- Britney Spears
24. “E.T.”- Katy Perry w/ Kanye West
25. “Just a Kiss”- Lady Antebellum

And some random musings….

Favorite Dance Tracks (that didn’t make the top 25)…
“Night of Your Life”- David Guetta w/ Jennifer Hudson
“Higher”- Taio Cruz w/Travie McCoy & Kylie Minogue
“Save the World”- Swedish House Mafia
“Hello”- Martin Solveig
“Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)”- Kylie Minogue
“Good Girl”- Alexis Jordan

Songs by Tween Titans that won me over:
“Love You Like a Love Song”- Selena Gomez & The Scene
“Skyscraper”- Demi Lovato

Album I was surprised to really like: Country Strong soundtrack (featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, Leighton Meester, Faith Hill, Sara Evans, Tim McGraw, etc)

Song that Beat me into submission til I loved it: “E.T.”- Katy Perry w/Kanye West
Stupidest Song of the year (and perhaps ever): “Red Solo Cup”- Toby Keith
Song I never want that I never want to hear again: “Hey Soul Sister”- Train
Most Disappointing Album: 4 by Beyonce

Best Glee cover: “Rumour Has It/Someone Like You” (both originally by Adele)

Most Fun Trend in Music: Potty Mouth Songs….
“S & M”- Rihanna
“Tonight I’m Fucking You”- Enrique Iglesias
“Fuck You”- Cee Lo Green
“Fuckin’ Perfect”- Pink

Please take a Loooooooooong Nap: Taylor Swift
Please go away and never come back: Justin Bieber
Sorry, it’s apparently never going to happen: Nicole Scherzinger’s solo career

So, there’s a brief recap of some of my favorite songs and some fun musings on the music biz from last year… Who were your faves? And who are you looking forward to in 2012? … For me, it’s Madonna, but I bet you could’ve figured that out. =)

My Big Bold Grammy Nomination Predictions!

Tomorrow night CBS will air their live Grammy nomination concert featuring performances by former winners Lady Gaga, Sugarland, Rihanna, and Usher who are all likely to hear their names in this year’s list of contenders. Also performing are likely nominees Jason Aldean (who could wind up with 5 nominations alongside duet partner Kelly Clarkson), The Band Perry and Ludacris. But the one name you are likely to hear more than any other is Adele who should be the front-runner for all the big categories and could wind up with at least 7 nods (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Pop Album, Pop Solo, Pop Collaboration, and Short form Music Video). Other acts who could wind up with multiple nominations include Tony Bennett (with the late Amy Winehouse) in the General and Pop Fields,  Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and Jay Z in the rap categories, Beyonce v. former band mate Kelly Rowland in R&B, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars in Pop, Robyn in Dance and Aldean, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry and Brad Paisley in Country.
There are some interesting changes this year too that should impact the categories. They combined the Male and Female categories into one Solo category in each field along with combining the Group and Collaboration categories into one contest for Vocal Duo, Group or Collaboration. Because of these changes, I think there may be 6 acts in several of these categories. But enough of my babbling… Take a look at my predictions for the Big 4 categories and the Pop Field and check back tomorrow for the full list of nominees.

My Big Bold Grammy Nomination Predictions~

Album of the Year:
Adele- 21
Jason Aldean- My Kinda Party
Tony Bennett- Duets II
Lady Gaga- Born This Way
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy- Kanye West
~spoilers: The Union- Leon Russell & Elton John, Doo Wops & Hooligans- Bruno Mars, So Beautiful or So What- Paul Simon, Speak Now- Taylor Swift

Record of the Year
“Rolling in the Deep”- Adele
“Firework”- Katy Perry
“Don’t You Wanna Stay”- Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson
“Grenade”- Bruno Mars
“Pumped Up Kicks”- Foster the People
~spoilers: “Fuckin’ Perfect”- P!nk, “Moves Like Jagger”- Maroon 5 w/Christina Aguilera, “Super Bass”- Nicki Minaj, “The Lady is a Tramp”- Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

Song of the Year:
“Rolling in the Deep”- Adele
“Firework”- Katy Perry
“Fuckin’ Perfect”- Pink
“Don’t You Wanna Stay”- Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson
“Pumped Up Kicks”- Foster the People
~spoilers: “Back to December”- Taylor Swift, “Grenade”- Bruno Mars, , “Paradise”- Coldplay, “All of the Lights”- Kanye West, “You and I”- Lady Gaga

Best New Artist:
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
Foster the People
Jessie J
Nicki Minaj
~spoilers: The Civil Wars, Christina Perri, LMFAO

Pop Solo Performance:
“Someone Like You”- Adele
“Mr. Know It All”- Kelly Clarkson
“You and I”- Lady Gaga
“Grenade”- Bruno Mars
“Firework”- Katy Perry
“Fuckin’ Perfect”- Pink
~spoilers: “Best Thing I Never Had”- Beyonce, “So Beautiful or So What”- Paul Simon, “Jar of Hearts”- Christina Perri

Pop Performance Duo, Group or Collaboration:
“Need You Now”- Adele & Darius Rucker
“Body & Soul”- Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
“Paradise”- Coldplay
“Moves Like Jagger”- Maroon 5 w/ Christina Aguilera
“Pumped Up Kicks”- Foster the People
~spoilers: “E.T.”- Katy Perry w/ Kanye West, “The Lady is a Tramp”- Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, “For the First Time”- The Script, “Give You Everything Tonight”- Pitbull w/ Ne Yo, Nayer & Afrojack,

Pop Album:
21- Adele
Born This Way- Lady Gaga
Doo Wops & Hooligans- Bruno Mars
The Union- Leon Russell & Elton John
So Beautiful or So What- Paul Simon
~spoilers: Femme Fatale- Britney Spears, Loud- Rihanna, The Ladykiller- CeeLo Green

* One interesting note~ Lady Gaga’s record company did NOT submit the single “Born This Way” for Record or Song of the Year or any single in the Dance categories. I think they screwed up big time. They did submit “Judas” and “You and I” in the Record and Song categories but those will have to fight hard to grab a nod…

Glee sings with the People’s Choice Awards

Glee is having a critically resurgent season this fall and tonight is their big “First Time” episode featuring a couple of big “firsts” in the romantic lives of their couples Kurt (Chris Colfer) & Blaine (Darren Criss) and Rachel (Lea Michelle) and Finn (Cory Monteith). So, it’s fitting that today the show has more to celebrate as it lead this morning’s People’s Choice Award nominations garnering 7 nods including Favorite Comedy and bids for stars Colfer, Monteith, Michelle, Jane Lynch and guest stars Kristin Chenowith and Gwyneth Paltrow. We’ll see how the show fares when the awards are handed out on CBS on January 11th, 2012 live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles…. Leading the music nominees were the ladies with Katy Perry, Beyonce, Adele, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga all garnering multiple nods. On the movie side, The Help, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Bridesmaids and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 led the charge. One interesting note came with the four nominations for Ryan Reynolds despite all of his movies tanking this year…. To vote for your favorites, head to the People’s Choice site here and check out all the nominees below.

Favorite TV Competition Show

American Idol
America’s Got Talent
Dancing with the Stars
So You Think You Can Dance
The Voice

Favorite Network TV Comedy

The Big Bang Theory
Glee
How I Met Your Mother
Modern Family
Two and a Half Men

Favorite TV Comedy Actor

Alec Baldwin
Chris Colfer
Cory Monteith
Jim Parsons
Neil Patrick Harris

Favorite TV Comedy Actress

Courteney Cox
Jane Lynch
Kaley Cuoco
Lea Michele
Tina Fey

Favorite Song of the Year

The Edge Of Glory, by Lady Gaga
E.T, by Katy Perry featuring Kanye West
Moves Like Jagger, by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
Party Rock Anthem, by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennet and GoonRock
Rolling in the Deep, by Adele

Favorite Band

Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Linkin Park
Maroon 5
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Favorite Male Artist

Blake Shelton
Bruno Mars
Eminem
Enrique Iglesias
Justin Bieber

Favorite Country Artist

Blake Shelton
Keith Urban
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift

Favorite Book Adaptation

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Help
I Am Number Four
Soul Surfer
Water For Elephants

****

Favorite Network TV Drama

The Good Wife
Grey’s Anatomy
House
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries

Favorite TV Drama Actor

David Boreanz
Hugh Laurie
Ian Somerhalder
Nathan Fillion
Patrick Dempsey

Favorite TV Drama Actress

Blake Lively
Ellen Pompeo
Emily Deschanel
Eva Longoria
Nina Dobrev

Favorite Cable TV Drama

Dexter
Game of Thrones
Pretty Little Liars
True Blood
White Collar

Favorite Cable TV Comedy

Hot In Cleveland
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Nurse Jackie
Royal Pains
Weeds

Favorite TV Crime Drama

Bones
Castle
Criminal Minds
CSI
NCIS

Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show

Fringe
Supernatural
True Blood
The Vampire Diaries
The Walking Dead

Favorite Daytime TV Host

Al Roker, Anne Curry, Matt Lauer, Natalie Morales, Savannah Guthrie (The Today Show)
Anderson Cooper (Anderson)
Ellen DeGeneres (The Ellen DeGeneres Show)
Kelly Ripa, Regis Philbin (Live with Regis & Kelly)
Rachael Ray (Rachael Ray Show)

Favorite Late Night TV Host

Conan O’Brien (Conan)
David Letterman (Late Show with David Letterman)
Jay Leno (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno)
Jimmy Fallon (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)
Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live)

Favorite TV Guest Star

Gwyneth Paltrow (Glee)
Jim Carrey (The Office)
Katy Perry (How I Met Your Mother)
Kristin Chenoweth (Glee)
Michael J. Fox (The Good Wife)

Favorite TV CelebReality Star

Gene Simmons
Giuliana Rancic
Kathy Griffin
Kim Kardashian
Tia and Tamera Mowry

Favorite New TV Drama

A Gifted Man
Grimm
Hart Of Dixie
Once Upon A Time
Pan Am
Person Of Interest
Prime Suspect
Revenge
Ringer
The Secret Circle
TerraNova
Unforgettable

Favorite New TV Comedy

2 Broke Girls
Allen Gregory
Last Man Standing
Man Up!
New Girl
Suburgatory
Up All Night
Whitney

Favorite Female Artist

Adele
Beyoncé
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift

Favorite Album of the Year

21, by Adele
4, by Beyoncé
Born This Way, by Lady Gaga
Femme Fatale, by Britney Spears
Own The Night, by Lady Antebellum

Favorite Pop Artist

Beyoncé
Demi Lovato
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Rihanna

Favorite Hip Hop Artist

B.o.B
Eminem
Jay-Z
Nicki Minaj
Pitbull

Favorite R&B Artist

Beyoncé
Bruno Mars
Chris Brown
Ne-Yo
Rihanna

Favorite Music Video

Judas, by Lady Gaga
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.), by Katy Perry
Party Rock Anthem, by LMFAO featuring Goonrock and Lauren Bennett
Rolling in the Deep, by Adele
Run The World (Girls), by Beyoncé

Favorite Tour Headliner

Bon Jovi
Katy Perry
Taylor Swift
U2
Usher

Favorite Movie

Bridesmaids
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Help
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Favorite Movie Actor

Daniel Radcliffe
Hugh Jackman
Johnny Depp
Robert Pattinson
Ryan Reynolds

Favorite Movie Actress

Anne Hathaway
Emma Stone
Jennifer Aniston
Julia Roberts
Reese Witherspoon

Favorite Movie Icon

George Clooney
Harrison Ford
Morgan Freeman
Robert DeNiro
Tom Hanks

Favorite Action Movie

Fast Five
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Thor
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
X-Men: First Class

Favorite Action Movie Star

Hugh Jackman
Ryan Reynolds
Shia LaBeouf
Taylor Lautner
Vin Diesel

Favorite Drama Movie

The Adjustment Bureau
The Help
Limitless
Moneyball
Water for Elephants

Favorite Comedy Movie

Bad Teacher
Bridesmaids
Crazy Stupid Love
Friends With Benefits
The Hangover Part II

Favorite Comedic Movie Actor

Adam Sandler
Ashton Kutcher
Bradley Cooper
Ryan Reynolds
Steve Carell

Favorite Comedic Movie Actress

Cameron Diaz
Emma Stone
Jennifer Aniston
Mila Kunis
Natalie Portman

Favorite Movie Star Under 25

Chloe Moretz
Daniel Radcliffe
Emma Watson
Rupert Grint
Tom Felton

Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast

Bridesmaids
The Hangover Part II
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
X-Men: First Class

Favorite Animated Movie Voice

Anne Hathaway as Jewel (Rio)
Jack Black as Po (Kung Fu Panda 2)
Johnny Depp as Rango (Rango)
Katy Perry as Smurfette (The Smurfs)
Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen (Cars 2)

Favorite Movie Superhero

Chris Evans as Captain America
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
James McAvoy as Professor X
Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique
Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern

Adele leads the American Music Award Nominations

Grammy winner Adele has had an incredible year with two number one singles (“Rolling in the Deep” and the current chart topper “Someone Like You”) and the best-selling album of the year in America and the world, 21. And things just keep getting better as the singer landed the most American Music Award nominations today with 4 nominations. I’m betting she wins all of them too… She will have some competition from the likes of multiple nominees Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift to name a few. Other artists who grabbed several nods include Bruno Mars, The Band Perry, Jason Aldean, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Beyonce. Take a look at all the nominees below and head to the show page here to vote for all your favorites. Watch the show live on ABC on Sunday Nov. 20th at 8pm.

2011 American Music Award Nominees~

ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Adele
Lady Gaga
Lil’ Wayne
Katy Perry
Taylor Swift

Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist:
Justin Bieber
Bruno Mars
Pitbull

Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist:
Adele
Lady Gaga
Katy Perry

Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group:
LMFAO
Maroon 5
OneRepublic

Favorite Pop/Rock Album:
Adele, 21
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Rihanna, Loud

Favorite Country Male Artist:
Jason Aldean
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton

Favorite Country Female Artist:
Sara Evans
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift

Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group:
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
Lady Antebellum

Favorite Country Album:
Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party
The Band Perry, The Band Perry
Taylor Swift, Speak Now

Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist:
Lil’ Wayne
Nicki Minaj
Kanye West

Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album:
Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne
Lil’ Wayne, Tha Carter IV
Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday

Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist:
Chris Brown
Trey Songz
Usher

Favorite Female Soul/R&B Artist:
Beyonce
Rihanna
Kelly Rowland

Favorite Soul/R&B Album:
Beyonce, 4
Chris Brown, F.A.M.E.
Rihanna, Loud

Favorite Alternative Rock Artist:
The Black Keys
Foo Fighters
Mumford & Sons

Favorite Latin Artist:
Enrique Iglesias
Jennifer Lopez
Pitbull

Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist:
Casting Crowns
Toby Mac
Third Day

Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist:
Adele
Bruno Mars
Katy Perry

Sprint New Artist:
Foster the People
Hot Chelle Rae
The Band Perry
Thompson Square
Marsha Ambrosious
Miguel
LMFAO
Wiz Khalifa

And here’s a little Adele treat for you. Enjoy a live version of her song “Set Fire to the Rain” which continues to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 despite not being an official single. (Watch for it to be announced as the third single in the coming weeks).
Adele “Set Fire to the Rain” (live)

Glee “Asian F” Highlights

Well, the title of this week’s Glee may have been “Asian F”, but I gave last night’s episode a big “A” grade. It was by far the best of the season and incorporated everything we love about the show from the first season. Plus, the spotlight shined on two of our fave glee clubbers who don’t get much attention, Mercedes (Amber Riley) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr.). The former went all diva in her Jennifer Hudson audition song (I shared that with you the other day) and her Dreamgirls and Fame numbers while the latter had his first great singing solo on “Cool” (which unfortunately I cant find any video of yet). We also had some beautifully played moments with Mike (hello Shum has become quite the actor) and his parents. Great stuff. And of course, it culminated in a gorgeous version of Coldplay’s “Fix You” by Mr. Shu (Matthew Morrison) and the kids. Check out the song highlights below.

Rachel (Lea Michelle) & Mercedes “Out Here on my Own” (from Fame)

Glee Club “It’s All Over” (from Dreamgirls)

Brittany (Heather Morris) w/Santana (Naya Rivera)- “Run the World (Girls)” (originally done by Beyonce, and hello, this version actually made me like the song!)

Mr. Shu & the Glee club “Fix You”

Lil Wayne, Adele, Beyonce and Gaga storm the charts after the VMA’s

Despite the fact that MTV rarely plays any music anymore, their Video Music Awards shows still can have a big impact. After last week’s telecast (the highest rated in the network’s history), a ton of artists saw big sales boosts for their latest releases. Adele increased by 88% while Beyonce flew up 87% following their brilliant performances. Another VMA performer Lil Wayne made a gigantic debut at # 1 on the album chart with his latest, Tha Carter IV, selling 964,000 copies for the second biggest debut of the year (after Lady Gaga’s Born This Way). It was Wayne’s 3rd chart topper and held off debuts from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, DJ superstar David Guetta and country crooner Jake Owen. Take a look at the new Billboard top ten below.

Billboard 200 Top Ten Albums:
1. Tha Carter IV- Lil Wayne (debut)
2. I’m With You- Red Hot Chili Peppers (debut)
3. 21- Adele (last week~ 3)
4. Watch the Throne- Jay Z & Kanye West (lw~ 2)
5. Nothing But the Beat- David Guetta (debut)
6. Barefoot Blue Jean Night- Jake Owen (debut)
7. 4- Beyonce (lw~ 12)
8. The R.E.D. Album- The Game (lw~ 1)
9. What Matters Most- Barbra Streisand (lw~ 4)
10. Now 39 Compilation- Various Artists (lw~ 6)

Over on the singles charts, the VMA’s caused all kinds of havoc with two big debuts from performers as Lil Wayne’s “Mirrors” with Bruno Mars began at # 16 while Beyonce’s “Love on Top” opened at # 20. Jumping into the top ten were performers Lady Gaga who grabbed her 11th top ten with “You and I” and Cobra Starship whose sang on the pre show and nabbed another hit with “You Make Me Feel”. But the biggest winner from the show was Adele whose second single, the glorious ballad “Someone Like You” rocketed to the top becoming her second consecutive # 1. Check out the new top ten below.
And for more on the charts head to www.billboard.com

Hot 100 Top Ten Songs:
1. “Someone Like You”- Adele (last week~ 19)
2. “Moves Like Jagger”- Maroon 5 w/Christina Aguilera (lw~ 1)
3. “Pumped Up Kicks”- Foster the People (lw~ 3)
4. “Party Rock Anthem”- LMFAO (lw~ 2)
5. “Super Bass”- Nicki Minaj (lw~ 6)
6. “You and I”- Lady Gaga (lw~ 16)
7. “Lighters”- Bad Meets Evil w/Bruno Mars (lw~ 4)
8. “You Make Me Feel…” –Cobra Starship w/Sabi (lw~ 18)
9. “Give Me Everything”- Pitbull w/NeYo, Nayer & Afrojack (lw~ 9)
10. “Last Friday Night”- Katy Perry (lw~ 5)

And here’s a final treat for you~ the new # 1 song in the country sung live in her home with some great little remarks from the one and only Adele…
Adele “Someone Like You (live at home)”