…And We’re Back

WOW! That was insane – The 2009 UMS rocked our socks off – and now we are back after some much needed relaxation. We have so much to update you on, so let’s get started:

• Yesterday, Paula Abdul announced via Twitter (and it was confirmed by Fox this morning) that she would not be returning to Idol in its ninth season. Money seemed to be the reason behind the split and Paula was not happy with the minimal amount that producers were willing to offer her.
• Kara DioGuardi is officially signed for the 9th season of American Idol and will be the only female judge on the hit reality show.
• After a failed run at country music, pop star Jessica Simpson is turning to her fashion line to launch a new lingerie collection.
• Christina Aguilera, whose new album was to be released this fall, has pushed her album release back…a lot. It is said that the “Dirrty” songstress will release her album in the summer of 2010 and the label is not happy about it. In the meantime, however, Aguilera will begin shooting the movie Burlesque, in which she will star opposite Cher.
• Jennifer Lopez will be releasing a new single this September, which will likely end up on her Greatest Hits package out later this year.
• While it was rumored that Britney Spears would take off some time after her Circus tour, it is now rumored that the new Queen of Pop has gotten the bug to get back in the studio and will release her 7th studio album in late summer 2010. That should make for an interesting summer with Britney and Christina battling for that top spot again.
• Katharine McPhee will be releasing her sophomore album, Unbroken, on October 5th. And she recently revealed to People Magazine that since her new sound is more edgy, it inspired her to dye her brunette locks to blonde (photo to right).
• Kristinia DeBarge’s debut album, Exposed, hit stores last week and is said to be charting fairly well, while Jordin Sparks sophomore effort, Battlefield, opened at number 8 on the top 100.
• Blake Lewis has released his new single, “Sad Song”, and it is doing surprising well after his failed attempt at a first record.
• Newcomer, Jessie James, will release her debut country/pop record on August 11th. This brunette bombshell has been burning up the net with her first single, “Wanted”.
• Chris Brown first made a public apology to Rihanna on his YouTube page, but apparently it wasn’t enough. He will be making an appearance on Larry King to once again apologize to the singer and his fans for the beat down he gave Rihanna a few months ago.
• Our new obsession, Cobra Starship, will release their debut on August 11th, but you can stream the whole thing on MTV’s The Leak as of today!
• Our favorite “Bubbly” singer, Colbie Calliat will release her sophomore album, Breakthrough, on August 25th.
• Once retired rapper, Jay Z will be releasing a new album, Blueprint 3, on September 11th. The LP features the new single “Run This Town”, which features Rihanna and Kanye West.
• Whitney Houston’s new album, I Look To You, has been pushed up due to the overwhelming support from press and media. The album will be released on August 31st and is getting high praise from those that have heard it in early listening sessions.
• Justin Timberlake will be starring in, yet another, movie hitting theaters this month (August 25th). Open Road will feature Justin Timberlake starring opposite Jeff Bridges, Kate Mara, and Mary Steenburgen.

Major Drama in Pop Music:
Other than the drama will Ms. Abdul and her choice to leave Idol, there has been some serious drama going down.

• First, Kelly Clarkson released her new single, “Already Gone”, and while it’s being received well critically, the behind the scenes is causing quite a stir. It seems that the song’s co-writer, Ryan Tedder, had given both Kelly and Beyonce the same track to write on, which caused both labels to choose the songs for the divas latest albums. Beyonce’s take on the track, “Halo” was released in the spring and had a big impact on radio and Internet downloads, while Kelly’s version was just released. However, in a statement by Clarkson, she says that her version was done long before Beyonce’s album ever hit shelves. She continues by saying that she begged her label execs not to release the song as a single, but they threatened to pull all financial support for the album, All I Ever Wanted, including touring if the song wasn’t released. So it seems she was strong armed into the decision. And even though Clarkson wasn’t pleased with the decision to release the song as a single, she did reach an agreement with her label that on tour and while promoting the single, she could sing the song acoustically, a stripped down version, furthering the distance between the two tracks. While Beyonce has yet to comment on the controversy, Tedder released a statement saying,
  

  “Already Gone” is one of the best songs I have written or produced since “Bleeding Love” and stands tall on its own merits against “Halo”. They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically, and lyrically and I would never try to dupe an artist such as Kelly Clarkson or Beyonce into recording over the same musical track, the idea is both hurtful & absurd. I think when people hear “Already Gone” they will hear what I hear – one of the greatest female vocalists on earth giving her most haunting and heart-breaking performance on a song she helped write. I challenge people to listen and form their own opinions.”

• And that’s not all, the videos producer, Joseph Kahn, tweeted about his unhappiness with the final product of the video for “Already Gone” due to the label lack of letting him express his ideas and creativity. It was even rumored that the label released the video before the final version was completed. Take a look at the video below and form your opinions.
• In other drama-filled news, Mariah Carey’s new controversial single, “Obsessed”, which is said to be about Eminem has caused the white-rapper to respond. After many years of back and forth rumors about the two, Eminem released a response to “Obsessed” by releasing “The Warning”, in which he makes threats to release photos, voicemails, and other proof of his brief love affair with Carey. He even uses snippets from those voicemails towards the end of the track. How will Mariah respond? It’s getting dirty and we can’t get enough of it! Take a listen to the Em track, “The Warning” below, but beware of its explicit lyrics!

So there’s a recap of what we’ve missed, but keep it here for updates as they come in on all of these developing stories. What do you think of McPhee-ver’s ner look? What are your thoughts on the Kelly/Beyonce drama? Are you loving the Eminem track as much as me?