During a recent performance of ‘Speechless’ in her ‘Monster Ball Tour’, Lady GaGa issued a statement to her critics who have been calling for her to slow down. Now that her tour has been extended until April 18th 2011, many worry that the singer is risking her health, especially since she has lost several pounds as a result of her hectic schedule. However, GaGa says that she’d “rather not die on vacation” but would “rather die on stage” with her fans. Check out the footage below (starting at 6:25) where GaGa proclaimed “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”:

(more…)

Check out this new song that Alicia Keys sang for the ‘Sexy and the City 2’ soundtrack. The record, entitled ‘Rapture’, was originally performed by Pop legend Blondie and features Keys’ input of a few rapped bars. The ‘Sex and the City 2’ soundtrack hits stores on May 25th. Listen to ‘Rapture’ below:

(more…)

The music industry has many biases against women involving skin colour, body type and even the texture of their hair. However, the most prevalent of all these issues is the one that most people overlook: age. It seems that as soon as  a female artist nears the dreaded age of 40, the clock starts clicking against her, with each passing moment being nothing more than borrowed time. Indeed, while many may herald a woman’s 40th birthday as a milestone of achievement, the music industry considers it be an expiration date.

No matter how successful or famous the act, the age of 40 presents a hurdle that is near impossible to overcome. From Toni Braxton to Jennifer Lopez, female artists struggle to find their place on the charts amongst their younger counterparts, regardless of their talent or the strength of their material. For instance, Janet Jackson’s latest album, ‘Discipline’, boasted some of the best records she has released since 2001’s ‘All For You’, yet it has been unceremoniously overlooked by the masses. Yet, there is one thing that women can do remain relevant: change their target audiences.

Female artists receive tremendous pressure from their fans and critics alike to start “acting their age” once they enter their 40’s. Suddenly, the revealing clothing and playful lyrics that defined their music before their 40th birthday become taboo. These women are automatically expected to behave more ‘maturely’ and craft material to attract consumers within a similar age bracket on the Adult Contemporary formats. For instance, Mariah Carey,whose sex appeal is almost as famous has her vocal range, is being pressured to tone down her look and “grow up”. In fact, she was slammed by various critics for her #1 single ‘Touch My Body’ (which she made when she was 38) because of its “juvenile” lyrical content. It seems that women are expected to magically transform into political analysts as they grow older; placing their sex appeal and playfulness in a box, only to be used behind closed doors.

Interestingly, male artists do not face similar criticism for their musical efforts. Jay-Z and R. Kelly, for example, are both over the age of 40 yet neither have been told to adjust their lyrics. Quite notably, R. Kelly’s ‘Untitled’ album was littered with sexual content with hardly anything resembling the ‘mature’ sound of ‘I Believe I Can Fly’.

Thus, it seems that the music industry is just another construct of the male-dominated world in which we live, where women continue to be pressured to conform to certain standards that men manage to evade. Nonetheless, many may argue that women themselves are at fault for their own downfall. While it may be true that women have to work harder to achieve success in their 40’s, artists like Madonna and Sade Adu (who are both in their 50’s) continue to enjoy similar accomplishments to what they did in their youth. Maybe some female artists get too comfortable with their earlier achievements and their declining success is simply a signal from their longtime fans to step up their game.

Do you think that the music industry has an age limit

on success?

International mover and shaker Kelly Rowland features in the latest issue of Cosmopolitan (South Africa). Check out a sample of the 29 year old’s classy shoot below…

(more…)

In a recent interview with Rap-Up.com, Kelis spoke candidly about the comparisons that fans have been making between her, Lady GaGa and Rihanna. The ‘Acapella’ singer noted that she sees “noticeable” elements of her style in both their music and their fashion sense but she does not have any animosity toward the two. Check out what Kelis, whose ‘Flesh Tone’ album hits stores on May 17th in the UK and July 6th in the US, had to say below:

(more…)

Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger once again scored the highest marks of the evening on yesterday’s ‘Dancing With The Stars’ episode. Scherzinger and dancing partner Derek Hough heated up the dance-floor with their showing of the Paso Doble and the Foxtrot. Peep their stunning performance above…

Your thoughts?

Peep these new promotional shots of rap superstar Khia’s new LP ‘Motor Mouf A.K.A. Khia Shamone’. Looks like someone is still digging in Lady GaGa’s closet…

Your thoughts?

Pop star Kelly Rowland held a fan-chat on UStream live from the studio, where she and hitmaker Rico Love were laying down new vocals for the ‘Urban Mix’ of Rowland’s new single ‘Commander’. Check out the hilarity below, which includes one loopy Rihanna stan attempting to get Kelly to shut-down yours truly (16.06 min mark).

(more…)

The video for Drake‘s brand new single ‘Find Your Love’ made its debut a few moments ago. Set to serve as the second release from the Canadian rapper’s ‘Thank Me Later’ LP (due June 15th), the song’s accompanying video -which was shot in Jamaica- was directed by frequent Rihanna collaborator Anthony Mandler. Check it out below…

(more…)

Usher paid a visit to ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ today. The entertainer performed his latest #1 single, ‘OMG‘, and was even joined on stage by Oprah herself during his rendition. Check out the performance below:

(more…)

Leona Lewis and Jennifer Hudson‘s eagerly anticipated duet ‘Love Is Your Colour’ made its debut a few moments ago. The song, which is set to feature on the ‘Sex & The City 2’ soundtrack (due May 25th), is a stirring mid-tempo, which sees their respective vocals soar. Great track!

Check it out below…

(more…)

80’s Pop singer Sinitta has hinted that Mariah Carey may be up for the role of a judge on the US version of ‘The X-Factor’. The artist stated that media mogul Simon Cowell is currently trying to fill the judging panel with major celebrities and that his close friend Carey is considering the post. Nothing has been finalised yet but Cowell is reportedly determined to make sure that the show is a definite success. {Source}

Judging on this show could be both a good and bad situation for Carey. While it will give her the opportunity to continue to work on her new album and possibly get some inspiration from the experience (as well as a very large cheque), some may consider this move to be an indication that her star power is fading. Either way, this may very well be a great opportunity for Carey to further build her brand and share her wealth of musical knowledge with a new generation of singers.

Sidebar: Imagine Carey teaching someone like Leona Lewis to be a diva. Priceless.

Thoughts?