Friday, January 22nd 2010

Beyonce, Leona Lewis And Susan Boyle To Record Haiti Charity Single?

As celebrities prepare to perform on this evening’s ‘Hope for Haiti Now’ concert, reports have surfaced that Simon Cowell is planning a tribute of his own. Billboard.com confirms that the ‘American Idol’ judge is working on a charity single to benefit the Caribbean nation which will feature Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle and Cheryl Cole. The Sun goes further, noting that Beyonce, Lady GaGa, Robbie Williams and Wyclef Jean will also be involved. Here is what Cowell had to say about the project:

“I wanted to do something for Haiti so when I had calls from The Sun and the Prime Minister asking if I would get involved I agreed immediately. We are going to do a single. We only made the decision today. I have got to get it together in 48 hours.”

Cheryl Cole said: “I would be happy to lend my support.”

Last night Simon started work at the National Television Awards spreading word about our plans. And he will urge record labels to get top artists involved.

I knew it was only a matter of time before charity single came about. I always enjoy these types of projects because they allow celebrities the opportunity to lend their voices to something that benefits others. I am eager to see who else is added to the list!

Thoughts?

Posted By: Trent

30 Comments

Thursday, January 21st 2010

Celebrities Line Up For Haiti Benefit Concert

An extensive list of celebrities are scheduled to lend their support to Haiti during a benefit concert this Friday. The ‘Hope for Haiti Now’ event will air commercial-free on over 12 networks including NBC, ABC, MTV and Vh1, starting at 8pm ET. Carded to make appearances are Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Rihanna, Shakira and host Wyclef Jean, just to name a few. {Source}

This is shaping up to be an event on the level of ‘Live Aid’. It’s great to see so many big acts doing their part to help Haiti in the best way they can. However, there is one person who many people have been calling to hit the stage at the event, and that’s Lauryn Hill. Certainly, it would be amazing to see her make a rare appearance to benefit the cause and sing in that way that only she can. After watching Rihanna squeal through ‘Redemption Song’ yesterday, it became only more evident how much Hill’s voiced has been missed over the years.

Thoughts?

Posted By: Trent

45 Comments

Wednesday, January 20th 2010

Beyonce; Hits Vs Classics

She is a singer, dancer, songwriter and all-round entertainer. Without a doubt, Beyonce is one of the most dominant forces in popular music today. Ranked as Billboard’s Female Artist of the Decade, she has accumulated more #1 songs and top 10 singles in the US than any other female act during the last 10 years, creating nothing short of an empire. However, her extensive string of timely hits prove to be her greatest strength as well as her most prominent downfall.

With each new album, Beyonce has become progressively more mainstream; slowly replacing the classic R&B sound of her solo debut, ‘Dangerously In Love’, with catchy, club-ready tracks. Despite her immense growth as both a vocalist and performer, many argue that her music has become increasingly diluted to appeal to a more mainstream audience. In fact, some critics wonder if her most recent material such as ‘Ego’ and ‘Diva‘ would stand the test of time or be quickly forgotten like some of her past hits including ‘Check On It’.

Indeed, unlike artists such as Alicia Keys who have consistently provided timeless songs, the majority of Beyonce’s material is carded as ‘flavour of the moment’. For instance, while ‘Beautiful Liar (Ft. Shakira)’ was a major success, the question can be asked: how many casual listeners beyond her fanbase will remember that song in 10 years? On the other hand, Keys’ ‘Fallin’, ‘No One’ and ‘You Don’t Know My Name’ basically have a cult following of their own.

Hence, whilst Beyonce is certainly one of the most talented and versatile artists of her generation, many wonder if her music can be considered classic material or just radio hits. The challenge is now being put forward for people to list her timeless pieces as a solo artist. With the exception of ‘Crazy In Love’, ‘Irreplaceable’ and ‘Single Ladies’, I myself find that task quite difficult indeed.

Do you think that Beyonce creates classic songs or

‘flavour of the moment’ hits?

Posted By: Trent

320 Comments

Tuesday, January 19th 2010

Beyonce Covers Allure Magazine

The hottest chick in the game Beyonce features on the cover of the February issue of Allure Magazine (courtesy of Just Jared). Decked in a Roberto Cavalli dress and Cesar Paciotti sequinned boots, the 28 year old superstar is certified stunner!

Peep excerpts from her interview below:

On her plans for a family with husband Jay-Z:

“I definitely want to have a child, but I know from my nephew [Juelz] it’s a lot. I hope that those things will just happen naturally. I still haven’t had time to relax.”

On her addiction-playing spades online:

‘I play with everybody, and they curse me out when I make mistakes, and kick me out of the room. I love it, it’s really fun because no one knows it’s me.”

On her alter-ego Sasha Fierce:

“The thing that’s interesting is I don’t need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I’ve grown, and I’m now able to merge the two. I want people to see me. I want people to see who I am.”

Your thoughts?

Posted By: Sam

39 Comments

Wednesday, January 13th 2010

Hot Shots: Beyonce On The Set Of Nintendo Commercial

Beyonce was spotted hard at work on the set of a new Nintendo commercial recently. The singer will contribute download-ready designs from her ‘House of Dereon’ clothing line to Nintendo’s ‘Style Savvy’ DS. Check out more pics below:

What do you think of the pics?

Posted By: Trent

49 Comments

Tuesday, January 12th 2010

Beyonce To ‘Take A Break’ In 2010

Despite hinting that she has already begun planning a new album, Beyonce has announced that she will be taking a break from the studio in 2010. The singer sat down with USA Today to discuss her plans to rest for at least 6 months in 2010. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

It’s definitely time to take a break, to recharge my batteries,” she tells USA Today. “I’d like to take about six months and not go into the studio. I need to just live life, to be inspired by things again.

I want to go to restaurants, maybe take a class, see some movies and Broadway shows.” She also plans to spend more time with her 5-year-old nephew, Daniel, son of her sister Solange. “He’s a wonderful kid, amazing, so smart. And I spoil him, so it’s a lot of work. He’s a 24-hour job.

It will be the hardest thing in the world for me to make myself not do an album and shoot a video and turn it in and say, ‘I’m ready!’” she confesses. “I already have all these melodies and ideas in my head. I have to tell myself, ‘Sit down! Sit down!’ {Source}

I sense that Beyonce has definitely made a wise decision. Her voice, name and face are everywhere ,and she is basically over-saturating her market. Taking time away would give her audience the opportunity to ‘miss’ her, thus building fresh interest. I can definitely think of a few other singers who should do the same (Mariah Carey, Rihanna).

However, don’t be fooled by her words. Beyonce is going to be featured in Lady GaGa’s upcoming ‘Telephone’ video, she is performing at the Grammy Awards later this month and she has a verse in Alicia Key’s new song ‘Put It In A Love Song’. Furthermore, having been able to create ‘B’Day’ in just two weeks, it’s more than likely that she could generate and release an entirely new project before the end of the year.

Thoughts?

Posted By: Trent

63 Comments

Friday, January 8th 2010

Beyonce Sparks Controversy With Recent Performance

Beyonce has triggered a media frenzy after her New Year’s Eve performance in St. Barts. The fierce one was reported to have performed for Moutassim Bilal “Hannibal” Gaddafi, a member of the notorious Gaddafi family, a group widely known for violence against women and dictatorship. However, Beyonce’s camp released the following statement denying the claims:

The party in St. Bart’s on New Year’s Eve, with Beyoncé in performance, was hosted by Muatsim-Billah Gaddafi, not his brother Moutassim Bilal “Hannibal” Gaddafi, as reported in the press.

Her agents and management firm made the decision to confirm the private performance. The annual party had a long history of booking internationally known artists both American and foreign for events around the world, including Cannes.

Past performers in St. Bart’s have included Timbaland, Enrique Iglesias and Mariah Carey. Guests at this year’s party included singer Usher, former BET CEO Bob Johnson, actress Lindsay Lohan and music industry vets, Russell Simmons, Kevin Liles and L.A. Reid. {Source}

It seems that this is just another case of the media trying to twist events in an effort encourage readership. Interestingly, when Mariah Carey performed at the same event at last year for $1 million, the media had no qualms about it. Either way, by performing for the Gaddafi clan, Beyonce is in no way showing support for their motives. Does a defense attorney support rape if he represents a rapist in court? Hardly.

Thoughts?

Posted By: Trent

29 Comments

Friday, January 1st 2010

Hot Shots: Beyonce, Jay-Z And Usher In St. Barts

Jay-Z, Beyonce and Usher celebrated the arrival of 2010 in St. Barts last evening. The trio reportedly partied with other big names including L.A. Reid and Russell Simmons. Beyonce is rumoured to have been paid $2 million to perform by Libyan dictator Moammar Khadafy’s son. Check out the second image below:

What do you think of the pics?

Posted By: Trent

22 Comments

Wednesday, December 30th 2009

Beyonce Tickets Sell Out In Trinidad!

Those of you who wanted to attend the VVIP section of Beyonce’s ‘I Am…Yours’ tour in Trinidad and Tobago have just missed your chance. Hours after tickets went on sale for the event, which will be held in the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, the VVIP passes, priced at $1, 600 TT ($254 US) were the first to be sold out. Beyonce will be performing in the 25, 000 person venue on February 18th, 2010.

Beyonce never ceases to amaze me. As a Trinidadian, have witnessed first hand the magnitude of her international appeal. Literally everyone in my country is buzzing about this concert; young, old and in between. No other act in recent times who has come to our shores, including Kanye West, Whitney Houston, or Rihanna, has captured so much public interest. In fact, her show is actually selling almost as well as some of our local entertainers during the Carnival season, a rare feat for a foreign artist. I will be there!

Side: There have been string of erroneous and false reports that have been floating around today. Several self-proclaimed credible news sources ignore simple details such as the exchange rate between our currency and the US. Furthermore, although the tour listing originally stated that the concert will be held in the Queen’s Park Oval, the venue has been moved to the Savannah where a stage will be specially constructed (the norm in my country for shows of this magnitude), a fact that many other sites clearly did not take the time to investigate.