52 And Still Going Strong

Tonight marks the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards on CBS and the line up is incredible.  Some of the confirmed talent that I'm already salivating over includes:
- Lady Gaga, who has six nominations tonight, opening the show with a confirmed duet that is said to "blow us away",
- Beyonce singing a medley of her three biggest hits of the past year,
- The Black Eyed Peas singing the mega-hit "I Gotta Feeling",
- P!nk, who will take the Grammy stage for the first time singing "Glitter In the Air,
- Lady Antebellum, who's new album is setting new heights for country/pop crossovers, will take the stage,
- and we can hardly wait for the Michael Jackson tribute which will include performers Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Usher, and Smokey Robinson.  There will also be a special, 3-D presentation of  Jackson's mini movie "Earth Song".

Confirmed to appear on the 52nd birthday of music's biggest night are Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Eminem, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Taylor Swift.  And get this - the internet buzz is that Britney Spears, who's confirmed to appear - sitting in front of Gaga - will actually perform!  That's right, it's being rumored that producers for the show have been trying to keep her performance under wraps, but earlier today rumors began that Britney is bringing her "Circus" to the Grammy stage.  A source close to the show has said that the Pop Princess, after having a successful and healthy year, is ready to perform in front of her peers again, after her humilitating performance on the VMA's a few years ago. 

Don't get your hopes up though, nothing is confirmed until it happens with Britney.  It seems every award show that's taken place in the last few years has had a rumored performance from Miss Spears and we're always let down when it doesn't happen.  But if the reigning teen queen does put on a show tonight, we're sure she will pull out all the stops. 

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The Grapevine

A lot of news to report in the world of music and I'm pleased to say a lot of it is in the name of charity.  With the devastation continuing to overtake Haiti, celebrities across the board are putting their names, brands, and money towards the cause.  For music fans, that means we've got a lot of great charitable music to buy.  The Hope For Haiti compilation, live recordings from the telethon, is the biggest selling album this week, also making it the highest selling charity CD of all time.  Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris' version of the song, "Hallelujah" from the telethon is the most downloaded song on iTunes and a MUST for all JT or Morris fans.  Quincy Jones is rearranging the hit, "We Are the World", written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.  Among the new names scheduled to appear on the reworked track - Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Kanye West.  American Idol's Simon Cowell is also putting his efforts towards the suffering - producing a charitable version of the R.E.M. song "Everybody Hurts".  Artists expected to appear on the track include Bon Jovi, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, and Robbie Williams.
 

In other music news, it seems we'll have to wait a bit longer for the long awaited new album from our favorite "Dirrty" girl.  Christina Aguilera, who is still filming her film debut Burlesque, announced this week that her album Bionic will be released sometime in April, pushing it back from its initial March release date.  RCA, the singer's label, confirmed the news, but did not give an official new release date, only confirming that her first single from the disc will be a track called "Glam" and would impact radio next month.  Christina debuted a new ballad from the album on the Hope For Haiti telethon called "Lift Me Up". 

After some media trouble and failed movie attempts, it looks like Lindsay Lohan has gone back to studio.  The actress/singer/hot mess has been working on her 3rd album since 2007 and after putting things on hold, she's hoping to get this project off the ground.

2010 is shaping up to be another big year for Lady Gaga, who will reportedly be opening this Sunday's Grammy's on CBS.  The singer confirmed the news on her Twitter page, also noting that she will perform a duet on the show, but it would not be her next single "Telephone" with Beyonce.  Rumors are swirling that Gaga may be joined on stage with Sir Elton John.  Gaga is also currently shooting the video for her new single with Beyonce this week, and it is said to be released sometime in March. 

One artist who won't be performing at this year's Grammy Awards is Rihanna.  Initially reports indicated that the singer would be taking the stage after her performance last year had to be canceled last minute.  It was the night before last year's awards that she was physically beaten by her boyfriend at the time, Chris Brown.  This singer told Carson Daly on his radio show this week that she's planning to attend, but was not invited to perform saying, "We messed their show up pretty bad last year.  They might be a little mad at me".  Rihanna is currently finishing up her new video for the single "Rude Boy", which is being described by people on set as her most controversial video to date. 

The punk-pop princess that took the nation by storm late last year with her single, "Tik Tok", is continuing to burn up the charts.  Ke$ha is prepping the release of her second single, "Blah Blah Blah", which features Colorado band 3OH!3.  A video is expected sometime in the coming months, while the song already holds the top spot on the digital download charts.

Another teen queen who continues to break chart records is country's Taylor Swift.  Taylor broke the record for best first-week sales by a female artist when her single, "Today Was A Fairytale", from the Valentine's Day soundtrack, hit 325,000 in sales.  The prior record belonged to Britney Spears' "Womanizer", which moved 286,000 in October of 2008.

Speaking of Miss Spears, Scott Storch has confirmed a title for a song he produced for the reigning Princess of Pop's upcoming album. "Second Chances" is expected to be a cut on the album, which may be out early summer 2010.  It seems Britney has recorded quite a few tracks for the album and is said to be excited about getting some more new music out there.  And while we won't hear any new tunes before March, when the expected first single is to be released, Britney will soon appear in the latest Candie's campaign.

One of our favorites, Matt Morris, announced this morning on Alice 105.9 in Denver that he will be on George Lopez's Lopez Tonight next week.  Set your DVR's people - I am sure we'll see another great performance for the talented singer-songwriter.  Tickets for Matt Morris' first show at the Bluebird Theater in Denver are on sale now - if you're in the area, get them now!

And for those of you gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday - only about one week away - you won't want to miss the opening ceremonies.  It was announced yesterday that Idol alum, Carrie Underwood, will be singing the national anthem.  Underwood joins other big names, including Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Billy Joel and last year's Jordin Sparks.  Queen Latifah will also take part in the opening, singing "America the Beautiful", while The Who will take on the Halftime Show duties.  The Super Bowl happens live, February 7th on CBS.

And lastly, Jennifer Lopez, is set to guest star on How I Met Your Mother.  The star will play Anita Appleby, an author of self-help books that train and counsel men through denial.  Expect to see Lopez on the small screen sometime in March, around the same time Carrie Underwood will appear on the series.  J. Lo is also rumored to appear in a late episode of Fox's hit show, Glee. 

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Idol Informer

As the ninth season of American Idol continues to dominate the ratings - probably people tuning in to get their final fix of Simon unleash on the nation's tone deaf - other Idol news is dominating the headlines.

• As more and more celebrities continue to turn their charitable efforts towards relief in Haiti, Idol judge Simon Cowell has joined in the efforts.  Cowell is teaming with The Sun to record a charity single for the paper's Helping Haiti campaign.  Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Wyclef Jean are on board for the track and it is rumored that Cowell's artists Susan Boyle and Leona Lewis could be lending the voices to the track, as well. 
• Season 6 winner, Jordin Sparks, is guest starring in an upcoming episode of the Fox show, Bones.  Sparks confirmed it via twitter earlier this week, saying "Big news….Yes, I’m going to be on Bones! #Bones #Bones #Bones I’m so excited! Holy moly. Can’t wait to see the set! Not tonight episode though. I’ll let you know when I can!".
• Kimberly Caldwell, a contestant from Season 2, is readying the release of her long-awaited debut album.  Without Regret will hit stores this spring.
• Idol alum Jennifer Hudson lent her talent to the nationally televised Help For Haiti telethon on Friday night, singing The Beatles classic, "Let It Be". 
  
• Last season's, Anoop "Anoop Dog" Desai, has signed a record deal making him the last of the Top 10 from Season 8 to get a record deal.  His album will hit stores in April with a single earlier in the spring.  
• Jason Castro, the dread wearing contestant from Season 7, recently married his longtime girlfriend in his hometown of Dallas.  The newly wed singer will release a full length album on Atlantic Records this Spring.  
  
• Adam Lambert has teamed with Entertainment Tonight  and the American Red Cross to spread the word about the need for help in Haiti.
  

Lambert's PSA is below - please remember that these people are in desperate need of ANYTHING.  You can help a lot with so little.  

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Hope For Haiti

Last night network and cable television was filled with Hope. The Hope For Haiti telethon aired last night in hopes of raising funds for relief in Haiti.  Live from London, New York, and Los Angeles, stars of all kinds gathered in support.  Performances by Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Jay Z, Rihanna, Bono, Sting, Sheryl Crow, Alicia Keys, Keith Urban, and many more made up the two hours of what will hopefully be a continuation of support from Americans to the country that is in such need right now.  Please click the link above and give what you can.

You can also download all of last night's performance on iTunes now - it's a great way to give!  Videos of all of last night's performances are over at MTV.com, but some of my favorites are below.

Christina Aguilera w/ Linda Perry: Lift Me Up from her new album, Bionic


Jennifer Hudson: Let It Be


Jay Z, Bono, The Edge, & Rihanna: Stranded (Haiti Mon Amor)


Beyonce w/ Chris Martin (Coldplay): Halo


Justin Timberlake w/ Matt Morris: Hallelujah


Madonna: Like A Prayer

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The Pussycat is Out of the Bag

Kimberly Wyatt, from the super group, The Pussycat Dolls, gave a revealing interview recently about the dramatic changes about to come to the girl-group.  In the tell-all, Wyatt opens about the tumultuous relationship between her and the group's leader, Nicole Scherzinger.  She also goes on to say that her and fellow Doll, Melody Thorton, have been released from the group leaving Ashley Roberts and Jessica Sutta to join Nicole in the search of new girls. She said ,

"I've been a Pussycat Doll for longer. [Nicole] was one of the last to join. But we'd have to share a dressing room while Nicole would have her own. We'd be on the tour bus together but she wouldn't come on and would get her own transport. I'm closer with the other girls because of the system that was in place."

Kim was also fed up that she and the other girls were never getting to show off their vocal talent, saying, "it's not true at all that only one of us can sing. Everyone in the group has a beautiful voice. We just weren't showcased as much." She also explains that if Roberts and Sutta choose to leave PCD behind, she wants to start a new girl group consisting of the four girls who will each share the spotlight equally.   She explained,

"When it was made aware to me there would be changes in the group I didn't agree with it. I love the girls so much. That was my family. So I hope to continue the movement. I'm taking my future into my own hands. We are looking at ways to keep working together. We all want to. But when we do that we're not allowed to call ourselves the Pussycat Dolls. Right now there is a lot of controversy. I haven't spoken to Nicole about it. She's full speed ahead with her career. I always knew this sort of change was to come so there's nothing to be bitter about. At the end of the day I always knew I was not the captain of the ship."

Kimberly is now a judge on the new reality show Got To Dance and is independently recording an upcoming solo album. She says the changes and future of the Dolls will be announced once Nicole has finished her solo album and promotion.

But, if Nicole's solo career finally gets launched, will Robin Antin, creator of the Dolls, continue with the group?  She confirmed to MTV News that the early stages of a follow up to the girls' sophomore album, Doll Domination, is already in the works.  She says, "a couple of the songs right now that we're working on are absolutely incredible. It's definitely new and fresh, and I think everyone's going to love it for sure."  When asked about the departure from Wyatt and Thorton, Antin wouldn't confirm, only saying, "We're looking at new girls. It's phase three of the Pussycat Dolls because we did our first album, our second album, and now we're going on to our third. We're touring. A lot is coming up." I guess that is still yet to be seen.

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Have A Little Fun Today

Have you heard of Matt Morris?  Ha!  Well, if you're keeping up with the Idol Insider you should have answered yes, seeing that we've almost exclusively covered his career this year.  And we promise that more news is on the way, but before we let Mr. Morris rest, I must share with my readers his performance from yesterday's Ellen.  Not only did Matt rock his single "Money", but he shared the stage with his album producers, Charlie Sexton and Justin Timberlake (yep, the one and only), closing the show with "Bloodline".  It rocked my face off and I know it will rock yours off, too.





So there you have it folks, Matt Morris is officially a star. After his performance on Ellen, Matt's album took the the number one spot on iTunes' Singer-Songwriter chart while his singles "Money" and "Bloodline" took the top two singles spots, and When Everything Breaks Open  is currently climbing the overall chart sitting pretty in the Top 10.  Congrats Matt!

....And now back to regularly scheduled programming.

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Remind Me To Remind You

Matt Morris will be performing on Ellen today - be sure to tune in to catch Justin Timberlake, his friend and colleague, introduce Ellen's favorite new singer.  If you don't believe me, watch the clip above...it's not to be missed.

American Idol airs again tonight on Fox, featuring all the behind the scenes footage from the the auditions.  Do you already have your favorite?  Tune in tonight as we continue the search!

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Matt Morris Weekend

Singer, Matt Morris, has had a very busy week in promotion celebration of his debut album, When Everything Breaks Open, available now.  He had his record release party at New York's Drom, where he was interviewed by a slew of publications, including US Weekly.  Last night, Morris appeared on David Letterman and then again on The Early Show this morning on CBS,  singing his single, "Money", on both programs .  A smart choice by camp-Morris, seeing as the song became quite topical last week in the wake of the disaster in Haiti.  Matt performed with a full band, including Denver musicians Dave Preston and  Jon Powers.  If you missed Matt's appearance on The Early Show, I have included the clip below.





In addition to his performances above, Matt will be performing on Ellen this coming Tuesday, which is a dream for the Colorado singer-songwriter.  When Matt found out, he posted this video on his YouTube account.



In case, you still haven't gotten enough of Mr. Morris, be sure to pick up his album, When Everything Breaks Open, and tune in to his performance on January 19th on Ellen.  And for those who still haven't gotten your fix, I've put together a collection of videos for your enjoyment.

First up: Matt Morris has written a slew of hits for Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, and his friend, Justin Timberlake.  He and Timberlake wrote "The Only Promise That Remains" for Reba's Duets album, which Justin also appeared on.  Check out this video of Reba, Justin, and Matt talking about the process of writing and recording the song.



Next:  AOL followed Matt around his hometown (Denver, Colorado) to get a better sense of where he came from, who he is, and what inspires him.




Lastly:  His brief interview with Popnography gives fans a glimpse into what his process is for songwriting, both for himself and other artists.

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Starting Over

This morning the video to accompany Adam Lambert's new single,  "Whataya Want From Me", premiered on the net and VH1.  The video showcases less of the glitz and glam we've come to know from "Glambert", especially from his controversial American Music Awards performance in November, but I think that this is the fresh start the singer needs.  The song, written by P!nk and Max Martin, has all the makings of sure-fire hit.  And to answer the question posed by Lambert in the single - this sound, vocal, and performance is exactly what we want from you.   

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Matt Morris Gives A Little "Love"

And so it begins, Matt Morris appeared on Fox61 this morning to promote his album, When Everything Breaks Open.  You can catch Morris' interview and performance of the track, "Love" here.  And don't forget to check out Matt when he performs live tomorrow night on David Letterman, this weekend on CBS' Early Show, and next Tuesday on Ellen.  But if you miss any of the action, you can, of course, check back here for all the footage.

  
We will have more Morris-related videos posted over the weekend to celebrate the release of his album, so check back.

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Please Be Kind and Remind

American Idol kicks of its 9th season tonight on Fox with a 2-hour season premiere, featuring all the behind the scenes footage from the Boston auditions.  There are plenty of reasons to tune in this season, but the biggest reason came from an announcement made yesterday.  Simon Cowell announced that "this will be [his] last season on American Idol" so he can focus on bringing his show, X Factor, to the states in the fall of 2011.  Simon said he is very excited to be bringing another great show to Fox's lineup and even hinted that we may get a chance to see a Paula-Simon reunion when the show premieres.  But, this season of Idol also brings us a new judge, Ellen DeGeneres, who will begin her run on the show starting in February, the return of Idol Gives Back, and a whole new group of hopefuls trying to make their way into America's hearts.  Don't miss the two-night season premiere, kicking off tonight at 8/7c on Fox.

Today marks the official release of Matt Morris' debut album, "When Everything Breaks Open".  We reviewed the album, check it out here, and are urging all music lovers to pick up this incredible collection of tunes.  We'll be celebrating the release of this highly anticipated LP by bringing you Matt Morris related news and posts all week long, keep checking back.

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Artist To Watch: Matt Morris

If you haven't heard the name Matt Morris, or found yourself jamming out to his tunes, you soon will.  Matt, a resident of Denver, Colorado, is prepping the release of his debut album, titled "When Everything Breaks Open".  Coincidence?  I think not.  The soulful, pop tracks delivered on his first effort indicate that Matt is destined to break wide open.

But this won't be Morris' first time in the spotlight.  He got his start on The New Mickey Mouse Club (and there is plenty of footage to prove it), where he acted, sung, and danced his way into the hearts of many alongside Britney Spears, Keri Russell, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake.  It was there that Matt truly got his "break", but no thanks to Disney or the show's producers.  It was his relationship with the other cast members that would soon turn his dreams into reality.   

Matt began penning songs for some of his MMC friends, including the stand out tracks on Aguilera's "Stripped" album, and the track, "(Another Song) All Over Again", which appeared on Justin Timberlake's "Future Sex/Love Sounds".  Morris also co-wrote "The Only Promise That Remains" for Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson's first hit, "Miss Independent", but it's not one that he's prepared to cover at any of his upcoming shows, so Clarkson fans keep the requests to yourself. (Sorry Matt!)  His knack for writing some killer pop tunes was clear, but little did the world know, he had his own voice, literally and metaphorically, that he was ready to share with the world.

 

As Justin Timberlake continued to add new projects to his resume, - singer, dancer, actor, clothing designer, producer - he got an itch to start his own label, Tennman Records.  And in the blink of an eye, Matt Morris was on his way.  It was a long road in the studio and finding the right timing, but we've finally arrived to the release of Morris' debut, which is well worth the wait.  "When Everything Breaks Open" is exactly what his longtime fans would come to expect from him and is such a diverse compilation of tunes, it will turn those who've yet to hear him into loyal followers.  While some comparisons could be made to Timberlake, especially when Morris goes into his falsetto range, it's far from bringing "SexyBack".  Timberlake does, however, lend his voice to background vocals on a few tracks.

The star of the album is undoubtedly Matt's smooth and rich voice, which has the ability to span his range from deep baritone to a high falsetto within a few bars in a single track.  And while it's hard to pinpoint just one moment on the disc, filled with thirteen delicately chosen tracks, as the standout, the thought provoking "Bloodline" is flawless.  Matt delivers some of his most gut wrenching lyrics, while teaming with one of my favorite female artists Patty Griffin, who lends her voice to the backdrop on the song.

"Don't You Dare", a long time favorite of mine, opens the album with an assertive authority that carries on with tracks like "In This House" and the soulful jams, "Love" and "You Do It For Me".  "Money", which poses the question, "How you make change without money?", blends Morris and Timberlake's voices nicely through the chorus and provides one of the most radio-friendly tracks in the bunch.  "Live Forever" is the most touching moment on the album, while providing the LP's title lyric, "When everything breaks open/ everything breaks down" and is reminiscent of something that easily could have been a track from another Denver band, The Fray.  And while The Fray don't make any appearances on this album, "Just Before the Morning" teams Matt with another talented Denver musician, Dave Preston, who co-wrote the track with Morris and is now touring with the singer on his promotional tour across the country.

"The Un-American" has the catchiest melody on the album, while providing a heavy, yet sarcastic, lyrical content.  The track, which is even more fun when Matt performs it live, has been playing on radio stations across the country and is making its way into Un-American, er American, homes.  This album is undoubtedly one the best of the new decade and I'm already anticipating more from this talented "star on the rise".

And if you haven't yet had a chance to check out Morris perform live, you must visit his website to find out when he'll be in your area because his is one show you don't want to miss.  If he's not going to be in your neck of the woods anytime soon, you can see him live on David Letterman on 1/15, The CBS Early Show on 1/16, and when he stops by to visit Ellen on 1/19.  "When Everything Breaks Open" is available on iTunes now, and will be officially released on Tuesday, January 12th.

BEST BET:  Ensuring you receive the standout bonus track, "100,000 Strong".  The track is a perfect way to end the journey Morris takes listeners on through "When Everything Breaks Open". 

BETTER LEFT UNSAID:  Since each track is so un-apologetically honest to the person that Matt Morris is, I, too, will be so - there's nothing wrong with this one.

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The Grapevine

Now that it's the new year, I think I am finally over the news of Carrie Underwood's engagement, and am ready to move on with my own, real life. Ha!  But, since it took us so long to recover from the devastating blow, I've left you gossip-less and surely in need of an update.  So, what is the world of pop music talking about to ring in the new year?

Starting with Underwood news, we're excited to announce that Carrie will make her acting debut in an upcoming episode of How I Met Your Mother.  Underwood will play Tiffany, "an enigmatic pharmaceutical sales rep and love interest" for lead character, Ted.  Underwood's episode will air sometime in March.

American Idol is starting up again on Tuesday and the buzz around the new season, and the new judge, has already begun.  The overly touched up, poorly photoshopped photos of the cast (judges and host) have hit the net, including the addition of Ellen DeGeneres replacing Paula Abdul.  And, although, Ellen won't appear on the show until February, she's being hyped for the new season at every turn.

Newbie, Ke$ha, who's debut animal Animal hit stores on January 5th, is making a big splash.  Her debut single, "Tik Tok" marked the first number one single of 2010 and has set the record for one-week sales by any female in history.  If you haven't picked up your copy of Animal, now would be the time.  It includes some great tracks and we're sure that we'll be hearing much more about this slice of American pie in the coming months.

Lady GaGa, who is currently on "The Monster Ball Tour" across the nation, has confirmed that she will release her third album, a full length, in late 2010 - one year after the release of her sophomore effort, The Fame Monster.  Since the recent release was supposed to be an extension of her debut album, The Fame, GaGa has been busy readying new tunes for a new album.  That would make it one hit album per year, which seems just about right on course to keep her on top of the charts for the next decade.

Information is beginning to leak about Christina Aguilera's new album, which we've learned is called Bionic.  The new disc will be released in March and is said to be a whole new direction for the diva.  Aguilera recently said that this is "a whole new episode of [her] life".  The album's tentative first single is a Tricky-Stewart produced track titled "Glam", which is described as a "poppy, hip-hop influenced throwback to Madonna's "Vogue".  Other confirmed tracks are the "addictive elctronic title track" and a song she dedicated to her son, Max, entitled "Lullaby".  Aguilera collaborated with a lot of talented performers, writers, and producers for the new album, including Sia, Sanitgold, M.I.A., Ladytron, Flo-Rida, Dr. Luke, and Switch and Goldfrapp. It looks like 2010 will be a big year for the once "Dirrty" singer, who is currently filming her on-screen debut.  The movie, a musical (doy!), titled Burlesque, will costar Eric Dane, Kristen Bell, and Cher and will likely be in theaters in November. 

On the heels of her red hot "Circus" tour, Britney Spears is already readying a new single and album.  2009 proved to be a much better year for Britney, who suffered from a very public breakdown in the previous years.  She released a number one album, Circus, had the highest grossing world wide tour of the year, and released a 58-track singles compilations entitled Britney Spears: The Singles Collection, which included all of her hit singles, remixes, and B-sides documenting her 11+ years in the business.  And now, it's being rumored that Miss Spears may have a new track to radio as early as March, with a full length album dropping in the summer. 


And finally, is anyone ready for more SPICE in their life?  With rumors floating for the past few months that the girls of spice may be reuniting once more for a special project, Mel B (Scary Spice) took to her website to confirm the information.  The gossip columns have been a speculating that the Spice Girls may return to the stage to kick off the 2010 Winter Olympics, - a one time performance - while others are guessing that the girls had so much fun on their reunion tour in 2008 that they're doing a full length album.  It has also been reported that the fearsome fivesome have been meeting with writers to turn their story and songs into a musical for the theater.  Isn't that just a live version of SpiceWorld??  The details of the reunion should be released in the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled on the Insider for more info. 

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New Year, New Idol Insider

 

It's a new decade - welcome to 2010 - and Idol Insider decided it was time for a new look, layout, and plan for this blog.  I am still going to report on the latest pop music news, but I will also be reviewing some of the newest releases, introducing you to new artists, and, of course, keeping you up to date on all things Idol.  I am sure that 2010 is going to be a great year for music and I am eager to share all of it with you. Happy New Year, friends - may this next decade be full of greatness!

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