American Idol Quick Wrap 5/8/13~ Here Comes the Tears

Tonight, the best top three singers in the history of American Idol performed admirably thru many vats of tears on arguably the best episode of the season to date. Not only were their songs bringing us to tears but the annual home town visits were showcased and that was a serious bawl-fest. Whether it was the “Boston Strong” signs Angie witnessed or Candice‘s massive family displaying their incredible joy or the heartbreak of visiting Kree’s home where she grew up with her late parents, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. And that includes my house where I was a blubbering fool….
Yes, the emotions were high throughout the night which helped to bring out some great performances as the contestants sang three songs (Jimmy’s Choice, Judge’s Choice, Producers Choice) as they fought for a spot in next week’s finale. All of them have a good shot with these wonderful performances, but just who has the edge? Take a look at my performance rankings and predictions below~

American Idol Season 12 Top Three Performance Rankings~
~ the Astounding
1. Candice- “Somewhere”: tackling the iconic ballad from West Side Story, Candice absolutely slayed the monster with a version that rivals Barbra and Broadway’s best. It was simply amazing. Her vocals were rich with piercing emotion and soaring notes that not only transported us to a different plane but made the song seem new and fresh.I was crying and giving a “Standing O” alongside the judges. It was arguably the best “moment” of the season to date. FYI~ the other best “moment” of the season was Candice’s “Love Song”. Somebody absolutely deserves to win this competition with her insanely good performances and that someone is Candice!
~ the great
2. Kree- “Here Comes Goodbye”: singing the Rascal Flatts hit (co-written by American Idol alum Chris Sligh), Kree gave her best performance of the season. It was a glorious and emotionally wrenching vocal that had me in tears. If she records music this good with this amount of feeling, she will have a big career ya’ll. Just wonderful.
3. Angie Miller- “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”: delivering Elton John’s classic ballad with a surprising amount of heart and subtlety, Angie gave her best performance of the night. Shockingly I agreed with Randy that the verses were the best part and her simplicity there really connected with the emotion perfectly. Angie is a pro and so comfortable in front of or behind the piano. Well done.
4. Candice- “One”: Candice hit it out of the park again on U2′s glorious anthem. Her emotions were on point and the vocals really cut to the core of this aching rocker. Candice showed she can sing any genre yet again tonight and with this rock track, I’d love to see her venture into this genre on her debut album. So good!
5. Angie- “Try”: holy crap, I have to admit it. I believed Angie the rock star tonight as she truly rose to the occasion on P!nk’s recent top ten smash. Her voice fit the song perfectly and she had such confidence and swagger on the stage. She really is the whole package now.

~ the good
6. Candice- “Next to Me”: with this soaring and sultry version of Emeli Sande’s current hit, Candice showed how she can be a contemporary artist and still smash the hell out of the vocal. It felt like it was her very own song and I loved how she played with the riffs at the end.
7. Angie- “Maybe”: I’m sure most people didn’t know this Emeli Sande song before tonight, but I bet a bunch of you went straight to iTunes and bought it after hearing Angie’s lovely interpretation. (Seriously, I’m living for all things Emeli Sande right now!) It’s the perfect kind of song for Angie to sing and record. Another fine job.
~ the pretty good:
8. Kree- “Better Dig Two”: singing the recent # 1 country hit by The Band Perry (co-written by my fiend Shane MacAnally), Kree was able to let loose a bit and have fun. I could see her record something like this in the future. However, on a night of great performances, this one just seemed average. I did love seeing Kree have fun on an uptempo number though.
9. Kree- “Perfect”: I have to agree with Kree that this # 2 smash from P!nk wasn’t the right fit for her. While her voice sounded great, especially on the countrified first verse, the song just felt a bit off. I do love that Kree focused on the positive message of the song and she certainly delivered that sentiment well.

Predictions~
I don’t think they’ll announce an actual bottom two. They’ll just say who’s going home and that person will be…
Going Home: Kree

Sadly, I think this is the end of the line for our kind-hearted and full-voiced country girl Kree Harrison. She’s a true authentic singer and artist and I can’t wait to see what she does in the future…. However, if I’m wrong and she makes the finale, I’ll be surprised and excited. But who would she replace? At this point I don’t really think she can take down Candice or Angie…. We’ll find out tomorrow night on American Idol.… Oh and on a side note, I have to applaud the judges for their most civil and least long-winded judging of the season. I wish they had been like this all year!

And just because I had to watch it like 10 times in a row, I’m gonna share it with you again. Check out Candice’s astounding performance of “Somewhere” below.

Adam Lambert Makes History Landing at the Top of the Billboard Charts!

Grammy nominated American Idol alum Adam Lambert blasts on to the top of the Billboard 200 Albums chart this week with his sophomore release, the awesome pop-dance record Trespassing (which I give an “A” grade to by the way). In doing so, he makes some history. Not only is this the first time an Idol alum has succeeded another Idol at the top of this chart (as Lambert replaces Carrie Underwood after two weeks in the pole position), but he also becomes the first openly gay recording artist to debut at # 1 on this chart. Sure, other gay artists have topped the Billboard 200 like Elton John and George Michael, but they weren’t out at the time. So, kudos to Adam! I’m thrilled and I hope the record continues to sell well because it’s incredibly good and a marked improvement from his quite good debut, For Your Entertainment which has sold almost 900,000 copies to date (which basically triples the amount that season’s winner, Kris Allen, sold). With his debut, Lambert becomes the 7th Idol winner to hit the summit of this chart following Underwood (who’s done it 3 times), Kelly Clarkson (who’s done it twice), Chris Daughtry of Daughtry (also twice), Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard and Scotty McCreery… Other debuts this week come from the Glee cast, Tenacious D and some group I’ve never heard of called Bloom…. For more on Adam’s achievement, head to Billboard here and take a look at the new top ten below.

Top Ten Albums on the Billboard 200:
1. Trespassing- Adam Lambert (debut)
2. 21- Adele (last week~ 2)
3. Blown Away- Carrie Underwood (lw~ 1)
4. Little Broken Hearts- Norah Jones (lw~ 5)
5. Rize of the Fenix- Tenacious D (debut)
6. Now 42 Compilation- Various Artists (lw~ 4)
7. Bloom- Beach House (debut)
8. Glee, the Music: Season Three – The Graduation Album- Glee Cast (debut)
9. Tuskegee- Lionel Richie (lw~ 3)
10. Up All Night- One Direction (lw~ 7)

Over on the Hot 100 Singles chart, not much is going on as Gotye’s “Somebody that I Used to Know” holds on top for a 6th week. However, next week, Canadian Idol finalist Carly Rae Jepsen may shake things up as her debut single “Call Me Maybe” comes within striking distance of the top. And she may have to fend off this year’s Idol finalists as the debut singles from Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez will also be eligible to chart and often land in the upper regions of the Hot 100 in their first week. Stay tuned!

Top Ten Singles on the Hot 100:
1. “Somebody that I Used to Know”- Gotye w/Kimbra (last week~ 1) *6 weeks on top
2. “Call Me Maybe”- Carly Rae Jepsen (lw~ 4)
3. “Payphone”- Maroon5 w/ Wiz Khalifa (lw~ 2)
4. “We Are Young”- fun. w/Janelle Monae (lw~ 3)
5. “Starships”- Nicki Minaj (lw~ 6)
6. “Wild Ones”- Flo Rida w/Sia (lw~ 5)
7. “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction (lw~ 7)
8. “Glad You Came”- The Wanted (lw~8)
9. “Boyfriend”- Justin Bieber (lw~ 9)
10. “Drive By”- Train (lw~ 10)

And before I go, enjoy Adam Lambert’s fabulous performance of his current hit single from Trespassing, “Never Close Our Eyes”, on last week’s Idol results show.

A Few Thoughts on today’s Oscar Nominations…

This morning Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) announced this year’s contenders and as always we saw the front runners like The Artist and Hugo grab headlines. However, we also saw some shocking snubs and some interesting inclusions. I already posted the full nominee list, so let’s take a look at a few thoughts I have on those who will be contending for this year’s Oscar.

Favorite Nomination: Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)… I was so happy to see her included in this hilarious film. She gave a wonderfully hysterical performance that had way more layers than you might expect. Comedy needs more representation at the Oscars, so this is a nice start. (Also kudos to Kristin Wiig and her Oscar nominated script for the film).

Best Surprise: Rooney Mara and all the love for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This fantastic film nabbed 5 nods in total. I just wish it was up for Best Pic and Director (David Fincher).
Biggest Snub: Michael Fassbender (Shame)… apparently his great performance may have been overlooked by his hot nekkid body? Or he cancelled himself out with other great turns in A Dangerous Method and Jane Eyre.

Other Big Snubs:
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)… looks like academy members really didn’t like this film, which is a shame because Leo was great
Armie Hammer (J. Edgar)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)… another film that may have been too dark and unlikable to get it’s great star a nod.
Albert Brooks (Drive)
Drive in all other categories (except sound)
Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt and Young Adult… apparently this acerbic dark comedy just didn’t resonate with Oscar voters. I’m sad, cuz it was a good flick.
Steven Spielberg (War Horse) for Director
Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Alan Rickman (Harry Potter) both proved its hard to get nominated for big popcorn action films… oh and motion capture performances may never get nominated.
Elizabeth Olsen and Martha Marcy May Marlene… this great indie introduced us to a major acting star in Olsen and still got bupkiss
50/50 and Joseph Gordon Levitt… another great indie that should’ve gotten some love
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 in all big categories…. why oh why couldn’t this amazing franchise ever pull out a Best Pic nom? Especially when the final installment was clearly one of the best films of the year.

More Snubs: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus), Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Ides of March), The Adventures of Tin Tin (in Animated film), Carey Mulligan (Shame), the casts of The Ides of March and Midnight in Paris, Beginners for Screenplay and Director (Mike Mills)

~ And a Big Boo to the voters for dissing The Help for Screenplay, Score, Song, Costume Design and Director… That wonderful film should’ve had 9 noms, not just 4.

~While I’m complaining, I just have to say yuck to all the nods for The Tree of Life. Oy vey!

Other nice inclusions:
~Demian Bichir (A Better Life)… this wonderful performance in this small indie broke through with a SAG nod and he made the list today. I’m thrilled.
~Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)… can you believe this is his first nomination? I just wish it was for a better film.
~Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Max Von Sydow... I’m so happy one of my fave films of the year finally got some love. And I was kinda shocked to see it among the 9 nominees for Best Picture.
~Moneyball grabbed more noms that The Descendants, hehe….
~W.E. got into costume design. Yes, a film by Madonna got an Oscar nod. (I just wish her Golden Globe winning song “Masterpiece” had been eligible)

Speaking of Best Song….
What the heck is wrong with that category? By having a ridiculously difficult rule of the songs needing to rate 8.5 or higher by the music branch (out of 10), only 2 songs made the cut… And the one from The Muppets wasn’t even the best song from that film…
Look at all the snubbed songs that should’ve gotten mentioned:
“Life’s a Happy Song” (The Muppets)
“Pictures in My Head” (The Muppets)
“Bridge of Light” (Happy Feet 2) by P!nk
“Hello Hello” (Gnomeo & Juliet) by Elton John
“The Living Proof” (The Help) by Mary J. Blige
“Lay Down Your Head” (Albert Nobbs) by Glenn Close, etc

So, there are just a few thoughts for you… Now, let’s see who is gonna win… I’d say The Artist is still out in front despite Hugo landing the most noms…. I still have hope for The Help too.. and Meryl better win… With that said, what are your favorite noms? And who is the worst snub? Sound off below and watch for more on the Oscars in the weeks ahead.

The Artist, The Descendants, Meryl and Madonna win Big at the Golden Globes

Well, Madonna sure did piss off Elton John at tonight’s Golden Globe Awards… No, not because of anything she said, but because she won the award for Best Original song for her gorgeous track from W.E.,”Masterpiece”. It beat Elton’s track from Gnomeo and Juliet and boy, did he have a disgruntled face if I’ve ever seen one. That was just one fun highlight from a night that saw few surprises, but was rather entertaining as a whole. Ricky Gervais returned as host and was quite funny but not as controversial as last year and was only bleeped once I think. Heck, Meryl Streep was bleeped too! Speaking of Streep, she won her 8th Globe for Lead Actress in a Drama for The Iron Lady while Michelle Williams won for Lead Actress in a Musical or Comedy. These wins, along with Viola Davis’s win at the Critics Choice Awards on Thursday, are making it a real horse race for the Best Actress race… Best Actor could be tight between tonight’s two winners as well, George Clooney for Drama and Jean Dujardin for Musical or Comedy. Both of their films won as well with The Descendants taking Drama and The Artist nabbing the trophy for Musical or Comedy. The latter film won the most awards with a third for Best Score…. Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer continued their winning runs in the supporting category while Martin Scorsese pulled out a surprise win for Director for Hugo.

On the TV front, Modern Family and Homeland won the series awards while Downton Abbey won TV Movie/Miniseries. There were several acting surprises though, both good (Matt LeBlanc) and bad (Kelsey Grammar~ no offense to his work, but how on Earth did he beat Bryan Cranston and Damian Lewis, argh!!!) Also, Laura Dern pulled out a little bit of a shocker for Lead actress in a Comedy over front runners Zooey Deschanel, Amy Poehler and last year’s winner Laura Linney. For more on the show, head to the Globes site here and take a look at all the winners below.

 

2012 Golden Globe Winners:
Best Picture (Drama): The Descendants
Best Actor in a Movie (Drama): George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Picture (Comedy or Musical): The Artist
Best Actress in a Movie (Drama): Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Actor in a Movie (Comedy or Musical): Jean Dujardin, The Artist
 Best TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Modern Family
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Supporting Actress in a Movie: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best Actor in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Best Actress in a TV Series (Drama): Claire Danes, Homeland
Best Foreign Language Movie: A Separation (Iran)
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Best Screenplay: Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
Best Animated Movie: The Adventures of Tintin
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Best Actress in a Movie (Comedy or Musical): Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Idris Elba, Luther
Best Original Song: “Masterpiece,” W.E.
Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Best TV Series (Drama): Homeland
Best Actor in a TV Series (Drama): Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Best Miniseries or TV Movie: Downton Abbey
Best Actress in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Laura Dern, Enlightened
Best Supporting Actor in a Movie: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

And here’s the song that made Elton so mad. (Mary J. Blige didn’t look too happy either when she lost the category as well by the way)… Madonna’s “Masterpiece” from W.E.

American Idol Recap 3/30/11~ The Idols love Elton

For the second week in a row, the season 10 American Idol competitors proved their mettle as they tackled the iconic songs of Grammy winning legend Elton John. With such a fantastic songbook, it was hard for them to go astray and most of them soared. Only three singers, in my humble opinion, missed the mark and they weren’t even that bad. But the stakes are big tonight with two of them getting eliminated… So, just who will it be? Take a look at my rankings and predictions for Idol does Elton night below.

American Idol Performance Rankings 3/30/11

~There’s Something About the Way they Sang Tonight…
1. Lauren: in a really tight race for this week’s top spot between Lauren, Pia and Stefano, our teen wonder clinched the crown with one beautiful note as she slid into a country tinged falsetto on 1973′s “Candle in the Wind”. All of Lauren’s choices and intonations were brilliant tonight. It was simple, beautiful, and a bit heartbreaking. All in all, her best performance since the top 24 were announced.
2. Pia: this girl continues to give me chills with her flawless performances as she did tonight on another gorgeous ballad, 1972′s # 2 “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (which later hit # 1 for Elton as a duet with George Michael in 1992). I cold listen to Pia sing for days and tonight she was simply wonderful, very emotionally connected, and she looked super hot.
3. Stefano: I was a little nervous about Stefano taking on 1972′s classic “Tiny Dancer” but he more than held his own. He made it his own. His performance was contemporary, resonant and lovely. He’s back ya’ll.
4. Jacob: with a pitch perfect and somewhat subdued version of the # 6 hit from 1976 “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word”. He reigned in the vocal gymnastics for the most part and dove headfirst into this tale of unrequited love. It was simply great and he kept the crazy face and diva moves to a minimum too! Well done.
5. Casey: wow, now that was a comeback. With a subtle and soulful performance of Elton’s signature 1970 # 1 hit “Your Song”, Casey proved the judges made the right decision in saving him. It was fantastic and he made me a fan again (after a few weeks of jumping off the Abrams bandwagon, that is…)
6. Thia: yes, I know you’re shocked she’s ranked this high, but goshdarnit, did you hear her vocals? Damn, that girl sang beautifully last night on the 1973 # 2 hit “Daniel” (which I was first introduced to by Wilson Phillips~ feel free to giggle if you like). She connected to the material for the first time and gave her best performance to date in my opinion. But is it enough to hang around? (methinks not…)
7. James: throwing everything at you but the kitchen sink tonight (victory jumps, audience participation, a flaming piano!) James acted like he was the headliner on a big rock tour and it was incredibly entertaining. That said, it was more flash than substance as he belted out top 20 hit from 1973 “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”. James is clearly in it to win it, but I think he needs to realize he hasn’t quite earned the title of rock star just yet.
8. Scotty: despite going first on a good night, Scotty is easily safe with another strong if not too memorable performance of 1970′s “Country Comfort” (the one Elton song I’d never heard before and one Scotty hilariously chose because it had “country” in the title). He was totally in the safety zone and delivered yet again, but is it starting to become too much of the same?

~I Don’t Wanna Go on With You Like That
9. Haley: I don’t know what crack the judges were smoking with their ridiculous over-praising of Haley’s annoying, cheesy, forced and totally NOT sexy (that’s for you Steven) version of “Bennie and the Jets”, a # 1 smash from 1974. While her vocals were more than adequate and it was her best performance to date, Miley 2.0 has no real connection to her material and is just a bunch of bells and whistles looking for an engine. She’s kinda a mess.
10. Naima: Oh girl, I love ya, but that wasn’t very good. Delivering the #12 hit from 1983 “I’m Still Standing”, Naima gave it a reggae spin. I certainly give her an “A” for effort and ambition. However, I give her a “C” for execution. And unfortunately, I think the audience probably despised it…
11. Paul: seriously, why is he still in the competition? Yes, he’s a really nice cool fun guy, but um, no I don’t want to hear him sing! He pretty much butchered ”Rocket Man”, the classic # 6 hit from 1972. Maybe I need to drink the spiked Kool Aid the judges are sipping every time he comes on stage cuz I don’t get it. It was bad, end of story.

Predictions:
Since two people are going home… let’s do a Bottom 4-3-2…
Bottom 4: Thia, Naima, Haley, Paul
Bottom 3: Thia, Naima, Paul
Going Home: Thia, Naima

And there you have it, I think it’s the end of the Yellow Brick Road for our pageant girl Thia and our funky diva Naima. However, I’d love to see Haley or Paul go instead. And on a night where most of the performances were great, you never know what’s gonna happen (just ask Casey)…. So, who do you think is gonna get the boot? And on a side note, did you love Ryan’s new hair? Let me hear it below.

My all NEW American Idol Top 11 Power Rankings

Holy crap, American Idol actually had a shocking and totally suspenseful results show last night. Not only did it feature the surprise ouster/save of previous front-runner Casey Abrams, but we also had amazing live performances from Jennifer Hudson, Sugarland, a surprise from Stevie Wonder and an appearance by the Hulk (Hogan, that is). I swear, the only thing that might’ve made you want to fast forward was the Ford commercial. Yes, even the opening group number (“River Deep Mountain High”) was pretty good, and hoorah, they’re still singing live on those! … I’m still a bit shocked that Casey was in the bottom three along with Stefano and Thia. The bigger surprise is that the annoying Haley made it thru before the three of them. However, when Casey was announced as the lowest vote getter (over Stefano), I nearly spit out my Diet Coke. Now, yes, I like Stefano better than Casey, but this was truly a shocker America! … I wasn’t so shocked that our illustrious judges quickly cut off his “Sing for his Life” moment and easily announced they’d save him. But it was some great television and was anyone else concerned that Casey was having a heart attack?! Thank goodness he wasn’t… And now, he can see how he ranks in my all NEW Top 11 Power Rankings. Check them out below.

My American Idol Top 11 Power Rankings (all new style)
1. Pia: my personal favorite maintains her position at the top of the list with another fantastic performance. Her vocals are simply flawless, plus she just looks and acts like a star. Now, if she shows some versatility with an upbeat number next week, she’ll continue increase her lead. (last week~ 1)
2. James: the rollicking rocker and wrestling lover sails back up to the on deck position after his fantastic “Living For the City” perf. He becomes more fun and likable every week and could be a serious challenger for the title. I certainly wasn’t thinking that a few weeks ago. (lw~ 5)
3. Lauren: the lady who we all thought was most likely to win before the top 24 started has regained that mojo and moves back up the chart a notch. She has grown vocally for the past two weeks showcasing more confidence and the sass that we loved when we first saw her. (lw~ 4)
4. Jacob: with a gigantic performance that brought the audience to its feet, Jacob ruled Motown week and moves back up the list. Could he be the next Ruben Studdard or will he end up the next George Huff ~who wound up in 5th place in season 3… but hey, he’s Jen Hud’s backup singer now! (lw~ 6)
5. Scotty: with a surprisingly good performance this week in a theme totally outside of his wheel house, Scotty acquitted himself nicely and looks a solid bet to remain in the top five or higher for the rest of the competition. (lw~ 3)
6. Paul: ok, I don’t really get the appeal of his voice, but he clearly has a following. He’s also a fun good-looking fella who I’m sure the ladies love. If he can keep giving these lackluster performances and remain safe, I’m confident he could end up midpack when all is said and done. (lw~ 9)
7. Naima: arguably the most exciting singer in this top 11, Naima continues to march to a different drummer (or drummers as she did on Wed) and give us interesting interpretations of each song. She clearly has a strong artistic voice and I’m thrilled she’s still hanging on. (lw~ 10)
8. Stefano: oh dear did my fave male singer take a tumble this week. His “Hello” apparently left viewers wanting to say “goodbye” as he barely escaped elimination. Mr. Langone needs to step it up quick next week and reclaim his former glory. (lw~ 2)
9. Casey: well, we all can see that Casey is no longer a likely contender for the crown as he was psuedo-eliminated this week. I’m glad he was saved as he deserves to hang on for a few weeks and is a unique talent. The question is how far can he go now that we know this likable yet strange guy is on shaky ground. (lw~ 7)
10. Thia: despite giving her best performance to date, Thia remains a perennial bottom three dweller. I highly doubt that will change. The question is just where will she land when all is said and done… at # 9, 10 or 11th place… (lw~8)
11. Haley: seriously, America, you didn’t even put this mess in the bottom 3 this week? What are you thinking??? Well, I still say she’s on borrowed time and will surely get the boot next week. (lw~ 11)

There you have it, my updated Idol Power Rankings! As you can see, Pia remains my pick to win (both because I want her to and because I think she will at this point) and Haley, Thia and Casey have their work cut out for them. We’ll see if any of them can turn it around next week when the singers tackle the songs of Elton John! And they better bring it because it will be a big double elimination (at least all 11 will get to tour though)… Oh and Idol contestants, if you wanna stay in the competition, just sing like J Hud below. She’s amazeballs as the kids say…

Jennifer Hudson “Where You At?” (live on American Idol 3/24/11)

Songs for Japan

As I’m sure you’ve heard, the crisis in Japan is nowhere near an end. The damage, destruction and death toll is enormous and heartbreaking, but there is a way you can help. Along with donating to groups like the Red Cross, you can also help by purchasing the Songs for Japan compilation sold exclusively on iTunes. It features 38 songs by huge names like Madonna, Pink, John Lennon, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Rihanna and many more. The album only costs $9.99 and all proceeds go directly to the disaster relief fund. For more on the album, info on Japan relief and to buy the album, head to iTunes here. And check out the full track list below. It’s a pretty amazing album and a great way to help out those in need.

Songs for Japan:
1. John Lennon “Imagine” (Remastered)
2. U2 “Walk On” (Radio Edit)
3. Bob Dylan “Shelter From The Storm”
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Around The World” (Live)
5. Lady Gaga “Born This Way” (Starsmith Remix)
6. Beyonce “Irreplaceable”
7. Bruno Mars “Talking To The Moon” (Acoustic piano version)
8. Katy Perry “Firework” (Remix)
9. Rihanna “Only Girl (In The World)”
10. Justin Timberlake “Like I Love You”
11. Madonna “Miles Away” (Live)
12. David Guetta “When Love Takes Over”
13. Eminem “Love The Way You Lie”
14. Bruce Springsteen “Human Touch”
15. Josh Groban “Awake” (Live)
16. Keith Urban “Better Life”
17. Black Eyed Peas “One Tribe”
18. Pink “Sober”
19. Cee Lo Green “It’s Ok”
20. Lady Antebellum “I Run To You”
21. Bon Jovi “What Do You Got”
22. Foo Fighters “My Hero”
23. REM “Man On The Moon” (Live)
24. Nicki Minaj “Save Me” (Clean version)
25. Sade “By Your Side”
26. Michael Buble “Hold On”
27. Justin Bieber “Pray” (Acoustic)
28. Adele “Make You Feel My Love”
29. Enya “If I Could Be Where You Are”
30. Elton John “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”
31. John Mayer “Waiting On The World To Change”
32. Queen “Teo Torriate (Let Us Cling Together)” (Remastered)
33. Kings Of Leon “Use Somebody”
34. Sting “Fragile” (Live in Berlin)
35. Leona Lewis “Better In Time”
36. Ne-Yo “One In A Million”

And here’s John Lennon’s classic “Imagine”

Adam Sandler to Justin Bieber~ You Got Served!

Well, apparently, Bibermania was just not strong enough to stop the Sandler this weekend. Despite many predictions that Justin Bieber’s concert/documentary/3D film Never Say Never would win the weekend at the box office, it actually landed in second with a strong $30 million. However, that wasn’t good enough to beat Adam Sandler whose latest comedy, Just Go With It, co-starring Jennifer Aniston opened to $31 million. They led 4 new films for the frame which saw the best numbers of 2011 so far. Opening way ahead of expectations was the new tune, Gnomeo & Juliet, produced and featuring music by Grammy legend Elton John took in a surprisingly good $25 million for third. Following in fourth was Channing Tatum’s historical action epic, The Eagle, with a mild $8.5 million. Take a look at the new top ten below which also saw another fantastic hold for Oscar favorite The King’s Speech below and head to Box Office Mojo for more weekend numbers.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N Just Go With It Sony $31,000,000 – 3,548 – $8,737 $31,000,000 – 1
2 N Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Par. $30,260,000 – 3,105 – $9,746 $30,260,000 $13 1
3 N Gnomeo and Juliet BV $25,500,000 – 2,994 – $8,517 $25,500,000 – 1
4 N The Eagle Focus $8,589,000 – 2,296 – $3,741 $8,589,000 – 1
5 1 The Roommate SGem $8,400,000 -44.0% 2,534 – $3,315 $26,053,000 $16 2
6 4 The King’s Speech Wein. $7,412,000 -3.9% 2,263 -321 $3,275 $93,857,000 $15 12
7 3 No Strings Attached Par. $5,645,000 -29.5% 2,756 -294 $2,048 $59,866,000 $25 4
8 2 Sanctum Uni. $5,132,000 -45.7% 2,789 +2 $1,840 $17,505,000 $30 2
9 8 True Grit Par. $3,770,000 -18.8% 2,072 -830 $1,819 $160,340,000 $38 8
10 5 The Green Hornet Sony $3,600,000 -39.7% 2,090 -943 $1,722 $92,332,000 $120 5

The Matthew Morrison Mini-Concert!

I can’t believe I haven’t posted about Glee in what seems like ages. Well, thank goodness Emmy and Golden Globe nominated Glee star Matthew Morrison made some news over the weekend. The Tony nominated Broadway star took to the stage at The Grove in Los Angeles on Saturday 1/29 for a mini concert featuring some of his fave songs from Glee plus one new original “My Name” which will be featured on his solo debut album and looks like it will fit right in on the AC and Hot AC charts. The new disc is due in the Spring (likely May) and will contain several new tracks written by Morrison and a duet with Grammy winning legend Elton John. For more on Matthew’s upcoming album, head to his website here and enjoy his concert below… Also, get ready for Glee as it returns with an all new supersized episode following Sunday’s Super Bowl on Fox.

Matthew Morrison Live at the Grove ~ set list:

“Golddigger”
“Young Girl/Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
“My Name”
“Sway”
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

Today is World AIDS Day~ what will you do?

Today, Dec. 1st, 2010 is World AIDS Day… How will you recognize today? Celebrate those you’ve lost? Donate to a worthy organization like Aid for AIDS? Volunteer for a wonderful program like AIDS Project Los Angeles? Whatever you do, remember the fight is still raging on and everyone infected with HIV and AIDS needs our support. For more on World AIDS Day, click here.

Also, here’s Elton John’s gorgeous song “The Last Song” which honors his friend Ryan White who passed away from AIDS as a teenager.