Kelly Clarkson Video Premiere~ “Catch My Breath”

Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson is prepping for the big release of her first hits collection, Greatest Hits: Chapter 1, on November 19th with appearances all over the place. She played her awesome new country single “Don’t Rush” featuring Vince Gill on the CMA’s last week and she will perform her new pop smash “Catch My Breath on the American Music Awards next Sunday 11/18 on ABC. Kelly is up for two awards on the show as well (Pop/Rock Female, Adult Contemporary Artist) and you can vote for her here… In the meantime, Kelly’s gorgeous new video for “Catch My Breath” just hit the web, and I don’t think she’s ever looking better. Check it out below.

Kelly Clarkson “Catch My Breath”

Little Big Town Motorboat thru the CMA’s

Little Big Town rode their motorboating anthem “Pontoon” to the awards stage at last night’s Country Music Association Awards winning two awards which also happened to be their first wins at this show to date. They also performed that ridiculously addictive song and were clearly the night’s happiest winners. They weren’t the biggest winner though as that title went to Blake Shelton who picked up three awards including Entertainer of the Year for the second consecutive year and Best Song for “Over You” which he shared with his wife, the song’s co-writer, Miranda Lambert. Lambert also won Female Vocalist again…. One big surprise was Hunter Hayes picking up the New Artist award, but I say he deserved it and he gave a winning performance of his smash “Wanted”. Other performers included the Zac Brown Band, winner Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Faith Hill and a brilliant duet from Kelly Clarkson and Vince Gill which was easily the night’s best vocal. Also performing were the night’s hysterical hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley whose opening monologue was a riot not to mention had them dancing “Gangam Style”…. For more on the show, head to the CMA site here and check out all the winners below.

2012 CMA Award Winners~

Musical Event of the Year: “Feel Like A Rock Star,” Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw
Music Video of the Year: “Red Solo Cup,” Toby Keith
Musician of the Year: Mac McAnally
Single of the Year: “Pontoon” by Little Big Town
Vocal Duo of the Year: Thompson Square
Song of the Year: “Over You” (written by Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton)
Album of the Year: Chief, Eric Church
New Artist of the Year: Hunter Hayes
Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town
Male Vocalist of the Year: Blake Shelton
Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
Entertainer of the Year: Blake Shelton

And here’s that brilliant performance from Kelly Clarkson and Vince Gill, “Don’t Rush”

Kelly Clarkson Goes Country Again on “Don’t Rush”

Kelly Clarkson recently released her brand new pop single “Catch My Breath” from her upcoming Greatest Hits: Chapter 1 album and it’s already hit the top 30 on Hot AC and top 40 on Pop Radio. Now, she’s coming after the country charts with a brand new duet with fellow Grammy winner Vince Gill called “Don’t Rush”. The ballad is very AC country reminiscent of 90′s Shania Twain and latter-day music from The Eagles. I’ve got your first listen to the sure to be a country smash below. It will be Kelly’s fourth country single following the Grammy nominated # 2 duet with Reba McEntire “Because of You”, the Grammy nominated # 1 smash “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean and her top 20 countrified re-working of “Mr. Know It All”…. Kelly will also be performing the new single with Gill on Thursday night’s CMA Awards where she is a nominee for Female Vocalist. Watch the CMA’s Thursday at 8pm on ABC and head to Kelly’s website here for more info on the new single, her tour and the Hits album which drops on Nov. 19th.

Kelly Clarkson with Vince Gill “Don’t Rush”

Are you Ready for Kelly Clarkson’s Greatest Hits?!

One of my all time favorite singers, Grammy winning pop superstar Kelly Clarkson, is celebrating 10 years in show business since she won American Idol. To honor the occasion, she is releasing her first hits collection, Greatest Hits Chapter 1, on November 19th. The album contains most of her biggest hits from her debut # 1 Idol coronation song “A Moment Like This” to her Grammy winning smash “Since U Been Gone” and her biggest hit to date the 3 times platinum # 1 mega hit “Stronger”. Also included are three new songs, “Catch My Breath” (her hot pop dance new single), “People Like Us” and a duet with Vince Gill “Don’t Rush”. I am predicting she will be singing the latter on the CMA Awards next month where she is nominated for Female Vocalist…. The album is a great representation of this amazing vocalist. My one quibble is that I wish the gorgeous ballad “Sober” was on the record. Alas, it wasn’t really a hit. But, hey, I will take all the Kelly I can get. Take a look at the track listing for the record below and head to Kelly’s website here for more info.

GREATEST HITS CHAPTER 1~ TRACK LISTING
1. Since U Been Gone
2. My Life Would Suck Without You
3. Miss Independent
4. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)
5. Behind These Hazel Eyes
6. Because Of You
7. Never Again
8. Already Gone
9. Mr. Know It All
10. Breakaway
11. Don’t You Wanna Stay (with Jason Aldean)
12. Walk Away
13. Catch My Breath
14. People Like Us
15. Don’t Rush (featuring Vince Gill)
16. A Moment Like This
17. I’ll Be Home For Christmas

And to tide you over til the official video for “Catch My Breath” hits the web, enjoy the Lyric Video below and grab the single on iTunes now!
Kelly Clarkson “Catch My Breath”

First Listen~ Kelly Clarkson’s Brilliant New Song “Catch My Breath”

It’s been ten years since Kelly Clarkson won the first American Idol and went on to become a Grammy winning pop superstar. She just finished up her fantastic Stronger tour supporting her platinum album of the same name which included three big hits including her biggest song to date, the # 1 “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” which has sold close to 4 million copies. (That song is also the biggest selling song from an Idol alumni to date). Yesterday she picked up two American Music Award nominations and she will be performing at the Country Music Association Awards next month where she is also a nominee. With all of that going on, she somehow managed to record three new songs for her upcoming Greatest Hits album. It will be her first compilation entitled Greatest Hits: Chapter 1 and will be out on Nov. 19. Now, the first new single from the record has hit the airwaves, “Catch My Breath”. This great pop dance track was written by Clarkson, Jason Halbert (her musical director) and Eric Olson and sounds like another smash. The lyrics address her long journey in the music industry with all its ups and downs and being able to finally come into her own as an artist and a woman. It has a great message, a fantastic melody and I love it. So, now what do you think? Take a listen to the new song below and get it on iTunes and all digital retailers next Tuesday Oct. 16.

Kelly Clarkson “Catch My Breath”

It’s Blake, It’s Miranda, and It’s an “Idol” Diva Face Off at today’s CMA Nominations

The current prom king and queen of country music, husband and wife duo Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, maintain their position as a super power country couple by leading this morning’s CMA Award nominations. Both singers grabbed five nominations for this November’s Country Music Association awards while up and comer Eric Church matched their 5 nods. Grabbing three nominations apiece were Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, Little Big Town, Kenny Chesney and Dierks Bentley. In the prestigious Entertainer of the Year category, Shelton will take on Swift, Chesney, Aldean and Brad Paisley who will also co-host the show again with Carrie Underwood... Speaking of Underwood, she grabbed her 7th consecutive nomination for Female Vocalist this morning, a category she has won 3 times, and this year may be her most dramatic battle yet. While she will take on former winners Lambert, Swift and Maritna McBride, she will also face off with Kelly Clarkson. Yes, Grammy winning pop singer and the other biggest American Idol vet, Clarkson is in the running against Underwood. Don’t be too surprised she’s here though as she had a top twenty country hit with the country version of “Mr. Know It All” this year and she won a CMA last year for her massive hit duet “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean. We’ll see if either Idol lady can win on November 1st when the CMA Awards air on ABC. In the meantime, head to the CMA website here for more info and look at all the nominees below.

2012 CMA Nominations~

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Kelly Clarkson
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

“Chief” – Eric Church
“Four the Record” – Miranda Lambert
“Home” – Dierks Bentley
“Own the Night” – Lady Antebellum
“Tailgates and Tanlines” – Luke Bryan

Music Video

Come Over – Kenny Chesney – Directed by Shaun Silva
Over You – Miranda Lambert – Directed by Trey Fanjoy
Pontoon Little Big Town – Directed by Declan Whitebloom
Red Solo Cup – Toby Keith – Directed by Michael Salomon
Springsteen – Eric Church – Directed by Peter Zavadil

Musician

Sam Bush – Mandolin
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Danny Huff – Guitar
Brent Mason – Guitar
Mac McAnally – Guitar

Single of the Year

Dirt Road Anthem – Jason Aldean
God Gave Me You – Blake Shelton
Home – Dierks Bentley
Pontoon – Little Big Town
Springsteen – Eric Church

Song of the Year

Even If it Breaks Your Heart – Eli Young Band – Will Hoge and Eric Paslay
God Gave Me You – Blake Shelton – Dave Barnes
Home – Dierks Bentley – Dan Wilson, Brett Beavers, and Dierks Bentley
Over You – Miranda Lambert – Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton
Springsteen – Eric Church – Eric Church, Ryan Tyndell, and Jeff Hyde

Musical Event Of The Year

Dixie Highway – Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson
Feel Like a Rock Star – Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw
Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die – Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, Jamey Johnson, and Kris Kristofferson
Safe and Sound – Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars
Stuck On You – Lionel Richie and Darius Rucker

Vocal Duo Of The Year

Big and Rich
Love and Theft
Sugarland
Civil Wars
Thompson Square

New Artist

Lee Bryce
Brantley Gilbert
Love and Theft
Thompson Square
Hunter Hayes

Get Unplugged with Kelly Clarkson Tonight!

Grammy award winner Kelly Clarkson just grabbed her fifth top five album (Stronger), her 9th top ten single on the Hot 100 (“Mr. Know It All”), won her first Country Music Association Award (Best Vocal Event for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean), is gearing up for her world tour that kicks off in January, and is set to perform at the American Music Awards on ABC on Sunday night. So, how does she spend her down time? Well, she gets in bed with VH1 apparently. Not only will she be headling the latest VH1 Divas special (alongside Jennifer Hudson) in December, but she also has her very own Unplugged concert airing tonight at 11pm. In the special Clarkson performs three new songs from her latest record (“Mr. Know It All”, “Dark Side” and the new single “What Doesn’t Kill You”), her classic “Since U Been Gone” and an amazing cover of fellow Idol winner Carrie Underwood’s gorgeous ballad “I Know You Won’t”. The show is simply amazing and Clarkson’s voice is perfection. I can’t recommend it more. Watch the show tonight on VH1 or online at VH1.com right now!
And here’s a little taste for you, the glorious and heartbreaking version of “I Know You Won’t”

Kelly Clarkson “I Know You Wont” (on VH1 Unplugged)

First Listen~ Faith Hill “Come Home”… it does not give me faith…

Oh, Faith Hill, where have you been? The Grammy winning country superstar hasn’t released a record in ages and was about to become a footnote of 90′s/early 00′s country pop history when I heard she was appearing on last night’s CMA Awards to perform a brand new single. YAY, Faith was back I thought… that is until I heard the new song. Unfortunately, upon singing her new ballad “Come Home” at the show, I was worried about how it will do because it was pretty bad. Faith was flat and pitchy and a little strained throughout the performance. And worse yet, the song is a second-rate cover of a fantastic pop song originally done by Grammy nominees Sara Bareilles and One Republic. So, yeah, I’m a little disappointed. At least the recorded version (to be followed by her upcoming album in the new year) on iTunes is better, so Faith has hope. But, what do you think? Check out Faith’s new single from the CMA’s below and then listen to the gorgeous original as well.

Faith Hill “Come Home” (live at the CMA‘s)

Sara Bareilles & One Republic “Come Home”

Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift and the Band Perry reign at a messy CMA Awards

Taylor Swift surprised last night on the CMA Awards. No, she didn’t actually sing good live~ in fact, she was terrible. However, she surprisingly won Entertainer of the Year for a second time over a field of boys, and after she had lost in all her other categories. In fact, it was a surprising show because of just how bad it was. Or I should say how bad the performances were. Some were just boring (The Band Perry) while others were awful (Swift and a shocking flat and pitchy Sara Evans and Faith Hill) and the less said about Blake Shelton’s disastrous “Footloose” show opener (featuring a brief odd cameo by Kenny Loggins), the better. Plus, the direction of the show and the sound mixing were off all night… On the bright side, hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood were adorable and they sang a lovely duet. The other highlight was a performance by winners Sugarland with Matt Nathanson on their song “Run”. Now, that’s how you sing people!
Check out all the winners below led by The Band Perry and Jason Aldean with two apiece and for more on the show, head to the CMA website here. (And a special shout out to my Kelly Clarkson who picked up her first CMA Award, becoming the second former American Idol to do so after Underwood’s multiple wins, for Vocal Event of the Year with Aldean).

CMA Award Winners:
Music Video: Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter, “You and Tequila”
Musical Event of the Year: Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson, “Don’t You Wanna Stay”
Song of the Year: Kimberly Perry (songwriter), “If I Die Young”
Single of the Year: The Band Perry, “If I Die Young”
Album of the Year: Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party
Vocal Group: Lady Antebellum
Vocal Duo: Sugarland
New Artist: The Band Perry
Male Vocalist: Blake Shelton
Female Vocalist: Miranda Lambert
Entertainer of the Year: Taylor Swift

And here’s the best performance of the night~
Sugarland with Matt Nathanson “Run”

Baby Daddy (?) Bieber Leads the Charts

Justin Bieber just can’t get out of the news. Following the claims that the 17 year-old fathered some chick’s baby (which he vehemently denies), the Biebs got some good news today as he nabbed his third # 1 album. Selling 210,000 copies, Bieber’s Under the Mistletoe debuts on top of the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart making it the first Christmas album from a solo male artist to debut in that position. (On a personal note, I can’t stand hearing any Christmas music til at least after Thanksgiving~ better yet mid December. So, please don’t be playin’ the Biebs holiday tidings near me, lol). Justin also lays claim to the title of most # 1 albums (3) by an artist under 18 years-old breaking his tie with LeAnn Rimes who had two…. Now, it wasn’t all about tween heart-throbs on the chart this week as 5 other records debuted in the top ten from rapper Wale, Grammy winning country singer Miranda Lambert, Grammy nominees Florence + the Machine, R& B crooner Tyrese and former X-Factor contender Susan Boyle whose latest gave her a third top 5 album, albeit with a huge drop off in sales compared to her last two…. For more on this chart, head to Billboard here and check out the top ten albums below.

Top Ten Albums on the Billboard 200:
1. Under the Mistletoe- Justin Bieber (debut)
2. Ambition- Wale (debut)
3. Four the Record- Miranda Lambert (debut)
4. Someone to Watch Over Me- Susan Boyle (debut)
5. 21- Adele (last week~ 4)
6. Ceremonials- Florence + the Machince (debut)
7. Mylo Xyloto- Coldplay (lw~ 1)
8. Christmas- Michael Buble (lw~ 5)
9. Open Invitation- Tyrese (debut)
10. Stronger- Kelly Clarkson (lw~ 2)

And here’s Miranda Lambert’s rocking current top 5 country smash “Baggage Claim”. Watch for her to perform it on the CMA Awards tonight on ABC.

Looking at the Hot 100 Singles chart, Rihanna makes it two weeks in a row with “We Found Love” featuring Calvin Harris. She is likely to hold on another week despite the quickly rising LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It”. Take a gander at the new top ten below.

Top Ten Singles on the Hot 100:
1. “We Found Love”- Rihanna w/ Calvin Harris (last week~ 1)
2. “Sexy and I Know It”- LMFAO (lw~ 3)
3. “Someone Like You”- Adele (lw~ 2)
4. “Moves Like Jagger”- Maroon 5 w/ Christina Aguilera (lw~ 4)
5. “Stereo Hearts”- Gym Class Heroes w/ Adam Levine (lw~ 6)
6. “Without You”- David Guetta w/Usher (lw~ 7)
7. “Pumped Up Kicks”- Foster the People (lw~ 5)
8. “Good Feeling”- Flo Rida (lw~ 12)
9. “You Make Me Feel”- Cobra Starship w/Sabi (lw~ 9)
10. “Party Rock Anthem”- LMFAO (lw~8)