Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
4/4's drug formula for E=MC2
Whatever drugs Mariah Carey’s taking are doing wonders for her music. Actually, what am I saying, “whatever drugs”? It’s obvious that she’s on the pot, or that she wants you to think she is – an inhaled “sssssss” kicks off the best song, “I’m That Chick,” on her best album, E=MC². And then: “Ooh wee!" is repeated enough to make this slow-burning disco come off like the shadier cousin of Rick James’ “Mary Jane.” Weed imagery dominates her boasts (“Boy I got you caught up inside of my haze,” “You’re fiendin’ to blaze up and taste me,” “You ain’t seeing things or hallucinating,” “Pull me in and breathe,” “I’m like that uptown haze them real thugs blaze / We’ll touch the sky…”), as though delusion is her artistic medium
And, duh: of course she’s high. I can’t imagine anything but marijuana driving her to the destination of this album’s title, which, in long form stands for Emancipation = Mariah Carey (squared). That sort of nonsense-logic is the thing of tokers and children, and image-wise, Mariah is both. (And seriously, even when you spell it all out, what the fuck does “Emancipation = Mariah Carey (squared)” even mean? Is that, like, a two-second review of The Emancipation of Mimi? Is it her coy way of simultaneously announcing that this album is its sequel and that she doesn’t understand exponents? And if so, she so high that she thinks her “2” needs to be up there with her?) Whatever, though, tracks like “Chick” and “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time” are sonic euphoria, career-highs that are so clean, you could snort off them.
And then, the paranoia sets in and it clings to this album like patchouli on Like a Prayer. I count no fewer than six rewrites of her relevance-reigniting megahit, “We Belong Together” (in sequential order: “I Stay in Love,” “Love Story,” “Last Kiss,” “Thanx 4 Nothin’,” “For the Record” and “Bye Bye”). These tracks, I assume, are intended to be hit insurance and as such, suggest that the memory of Glitter and the ensuing pop gutter hasn’t faded a bit. Between its pop hits, Emancipation flirted with a live, full-band feel; E=MC²'s motif, in total contrast, is the plastic boom-tick of the 808-ballad. Not that I'm complaining -- to rewrite "We Belong Together" is to rewrite "Breakdown," a track forward-thinking enough to still bear repeating.
The best of these fast slow jams is the Bryan Michael Cox co-produced “For the Record,” which skirts sounding like it’s stuck in the past via futuristic chimes, whooshes, thwacks and pseudo-strings. (Incidentally, Cox is also responsible for “I Stay in Love,” the most soulless song Mariah’s cut since, well, before Glitter. It sports a piano line so deliberate, it’d be laughed off a Broadway original cast album.) The commercial crassness of these retreads is perfectly encapsulated in “Bye Bye,” in which Stargate’s stock ballad beat fits under the “We Belong Together” template. Meanwhile, Mariah announces this song “is for everybody.” Not just all the parents and children of the world -- everybody! Take that, Celine! “Bye Bye” is about death, and only thing more universal than that topic is probably taxes (funnily enough, E=MC² was released on April 15). Initially, the obsequiousness of “Bye Bye” was too revolting even for me, but what keeps me coming back to it is its ultimate silliness. I snort at “This is for my peoples who lost their grandmothers” every damn time I hear it, and the chorus litany of “Mamas, daddies, sisters, brothers, friends and cousins” sounds like the basis of a companion piece to the preschool standard, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” It’s supposed to make me cry, but “Bye Bye” makes me howl inside. It’s not so much like laughing in church as it is at the crazy lady ranting about abortion on the corner, shaking her plastic fetus.
From what I’ve gathered, those who hate this album, hate it for the lack of sophistication in its flagrant hit-mongering. But that’s like hating a Pollack for being too splattery. People forget that Mariah’s function has always been that of hitmaker. She’s worked hard for her numbers (18 No. 1's and she has the balloons to prove it). Until her 2001 breakdown, working hard meant averaging an album a year and rerecording virtually every single for various remixes. She's lessened the pace, but the wheels upstairs turn just as rapidly. E=MC² originally was supposed to come out six months ago. Leading up to November, every time she’d make a public appearance and answer the inevitable questions about the album, she’d talk about it as a work in progress, frequently saying that she was “just recording,” even into the new year. I love that Mariah has seemingly turned from compulsive releasing to obsessive crafting, as though she can only be pathological about pop music. (I can relate!) And you want to talk obsessive? Seven of these 14 tracks strike within 10 seconds of the three-minute-thirty-second mark, the supposedly magic running time for a pop single. She thumps the Bible on the arresting piano-gospel closer of “I Wish You Well,” but everywhere else she thumps The Manual.
“Cruise Control,” which cops reggae no more offensively than your average Gwen Stefani track, knits three hooks in a row. It sports a pre-chorus bridge, a chorus and then a mega-chorus. The songwriting craft is astounding. Equally astounding? The idea that it’s appropriate to adopt a Jamaican accent for the track’s second verse, which hilariously goes: “’Can’t nobody can’t nobody tell me nuttin' / When he comes into view / ‘Cause he’s the flyest ting when he be cruisin’ on me avenue / When tha door open, de gals pon de block / They be hopin’, to rob tha clock me say no man / Step up step up bottle broken think I’m jokin’…?” Ting! She says “ting!”
But then, she’s always been interested in passing, from her career-long transition from adult contemporary to hip-hop soul, to now, as she rocks a rasta hat with the fake dreadlocks and elsewhere adopts the ghetto-fab swag of “Migrate” (“’Soon as we walk through the door / Fellas be grabbin' at us like whoa / Tryin' to get us goin' off that Patrón / We sippin' Grigio...slow”). I see this as nothing but a further shading in of her frequently childlike identity: she’s playing dress-up. In a time when aging divas like Janet Jackson and Madonna are doing everything they can to fade into the (often vivid and nice-looking) wallpaper of their music, Mariah isn’t afraid to be her ridiculous self. It’s one thing to sing as well as she does (or rather, can, via editing of her increasingly brittle voice), or to have the knack for melody and harmony that's only getting stronger as she grows older. But Mariah’s secret formula is that larger-than-life persona that she filtrates so precisely into her work. It’s why she can pull off a (dirtily) Southern-fried power-ballad like “Side Effects.” It’s why this album is better than The Emancipation of Mimi (too tempered in the persona department for my taste). And it’s why E=MC² is so damn addictive.
That's the point, but the underlying theme suggests an inverse of it: E=MC²'s engineered infectiousness is a symptom of Mariah's dependence on quantatitve superstardom (via chart success). This isn't an album; it's a collection of hits. As such, it's a perfect reflection of Mariah's pop-artistry and fame addiction. That drug thing? Nothing new at all.
And, duh: of course she’s high. I can’t imagine anything but marijuana driving her to the destination of this album’s title, which, in long form stands for Emancipation = Mariah Carey (squared). That sort of nonsense-logic is the thing of tokers and children, and image-wise, Mariah is both. (And seriously, even when you spell it all out, what the fuck does “Emancipation = Mariah Carey (squared)” even mean? Is that, like, a two-second review of The Emancipation of Mimi? Is it her coy way of simultaneously announcing that this album is its sequel and that she doesn’t understand exponents? And if so, she so high that she thinks her “2” needs to be up there with her?) Whatever, though, tracks like “Chick” and “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time” are sonic euphoria, career-highs that are so clean, you could snort off them.
And then, the paranoia sets in and it clings to this album like patchouli on Like a Prayer. I count no fewer than six rewrites of her relevance-reigniting megahit, “We Belong Together” (in sequential order: “I Stay in Love,” “Love Story,” “Last Kiss,” “Thanx 4 Nothin’,” “For the Record” and “Bye Bye”). These tracks, I assume, are intended to be hit insurance and as such, suggest that the memory of Glitter and the ensuing pop gutter hasn’t faded a bit. Between its pop hits, Emancipation flirted with a live, full-band feel; E=MC²'s motif, in total contrast, is the plastic boom-tick of the 808-ballad. Not that I'm complaining -- to rewrite "We Belong Together" is to rewrite "Breakdown," a track forward-thinking enough to still bear repeating.
The best of these fast slow jams is the Bryan Michael Cox co-produced “For the Record,” which skirts sounding like it’s stuck in the past via futuristic chimes, whooshes, thwacks and pseudo-strings. (Incidentally, Cox is also responsible for “I Stay in Love,” the most soulless song Mariah’s cut since, well, before Glitter. It sports a piano line so deliberate, it’d be laughed off a Broadway original cast album.) The commercial crassness of these retreads is perfectly encapsulated in “Bye Bye,” in which Stargate’s stock ballad beat fits under the “We Belong Together” template. Meanwhile, Mariah announces this song “is for everybody.” Not just all the parents and children of the world -- everybody! Take that, Celine! “Bye Bye” is about death, and only thing more universal than that topic is probably taxes (funnily enough, E=MC² was released on April 15). Initially, the obsequiousness of “Bye Bye” was too revolting even for me, but what keeps me coming back to it is its ultimate silliness. I snort at “This is for my peoples who lost their grandmothers” every damn time I hear it, and the chorus litany of “Mamas, daddies, sisters, brothers, friends and cousins” sounds like the basis of a companion piece to the preschool standard, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” It’s supposed to make me cry, but “Bye Bye” makes me howl inside. It’s not so much like laughing in church as it is at the crazy lady ranting about abortion on the corner, shaking her plastic fetus.
From what I’ve gathered, those who hate this album, hate it for the lack of sophistication in its flagrant hit-mongering. But that’s like hating a Pollack for being too splattery. People forget that Mariah’s function has always been that of hitmaker. She’s worked hard for her numbers (18 No. 1's and she has the balloons to prove it). Until her 2001 breakdown, working hard meant averaging an album a year and rerecording virtually every single for various remixes. She's lessened the pace, but the wheels upstairs turn just as rapidly. E=MC² originally was supposed to come out six months ago. Leading up to November, every time she’d make a public appearance and answer the inevitable questions about the album, she’d talk about it as a work in progress, frequently saying that she was “just recording,” even into the new year. I love that Mariah has seemingly turned from compulsive releasing to obsessive crafting, as though she can only be pathological about pop music. (I can relate!) And you want to talk obsessive? Seven of these 14 tracks strike within 10 seconds of the three-minute-thirty-second mark, the supposedly magic running time for a pop single. She thumps the Bible on the arresting piano-gospel closer of “I Wish You Well,” but everywhere else she thumps The Manual.
“Cruise Control,” which cops reggae no more offensively than your average Gwen Stefani track, knits three hooks in a row. It sports a pre-chorus bridge, a chorus and then a mega-chorus. The songwriting craft is astounding. Equally astounding? The idea that it’s appropriate to adopt a Jamaican accent for the track’s second verse, which hilariously goes: “’Can’t nobody can’t nobody tell me nuttin' / When he comes into view / ‘Cause he’s the flyest ting when he be cruisin’ on me avenue / When tha door open, de gals pon de block / They be hopin’, to rob tha clock me say no man / Step up step up bottle broken think I’m jokin’…?” Ting! She says “ting!”
But then, she’s always been interested in passing, from her career-long transition from adult contemporary to hip-hop soul, to now, as she rocks a rasta hat with the fake dreadlocks and elsewhere adopts the ghetto-fab swag of “Migrate” (“’Soon as we walk through the door / Fellas be grabbin' at us like whoa / Tryin' to get us goin' off that Patrón / We sippin' Grigio...slow”). I see this as nothing but a further shading in of her frequently childlike identity: she’s playing dress-up. In a time when aging divas like Janet Jackson and Madonna are doing everything they can to fade into the (often vivid and nice-looking) wallpaper of their music, Mariah isn’t afraid to be her ridiculous self. It’s one thing to sing as well as she does (or rather, can, via editing of her increasingly brittle voice), or to have the knack for melody and harmony that's only getting stronger as she grows older. But Mariah’s secret formula is that larger-than-life persona that she filtrates so precisely into her work. It’s why she can pull off a (dirtily) Southern-fried power-ballad like “Side Effects.” It’s why this album is better than The Emancipation of Mimi (too tempered in the persona department for my taste). And it’s why E=MC² is so damn addictive.
That's the point, but the underlying theme suggests an inverse of it: E=MC²'s engineered infectiousness is a symptom of Mariah's dependence on quantatitve superstardom (via chart success). This isn't an album; it's a collection of hits. As such, it's a perfect reflection of Mariah's pop-artistry and fame addiction. That drug thing? Nothing new at all.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
my prayers go out...
Toni Braxton, 40, will not be returning to her Las Vegas show until next month in order for her to undergo more medical tests stemming from her April 7 hospitalization for chest pains, the Associated Press reports. Braxton, has been treated in the past for pericarditis, a viral inflammation of the heart.
The six-time Grammy winner was initially expected to return to her Las Vegas show, “Toni Braxton: Revealed,” this week. Flamingo President Don Marrandino said her Tuesday-through-Saturday shows are also off, and Braxton will take advantage of a previously scheduled two-week break. The Flamingo is offering refunds for the canceled shows.
how did she do
Here are some articles about MARIAH CAREY week on Idol..
• MTV: Devoting an entire night to an artist the contestants are never able to top makes about as much sense as Mariah hijacking Einstein's theory of relativity for an album title. But I suppose if producers are ready to go off the deep end, Mariah Carey's the perfect person with whom to do it. Mimi actually turned out to be a pretty awesome coach. She was in great spirits while working with the contestants and displayed little of the, um, offbeat charm we all witnessed during that infamous "Cribs" episode. There were no wardrobe changes, no impromptu stripteases and no diva attitude. She even hugged Jason "Looks Like a Homeless Dude" Castro! All in all, Mariah acted more like a seasoned songwriter than an eccentric millionaire, which was great news for the top seven.
• USA Today: Routine belting from David Archuleta (When You Believe), Carly Smithson (Without You) and Syesha Mercado, whose Vanishing was regrettably mannered, paled by comparison. But it was a surprising victory for the Idols, and you have to call the win… Mariah.
• Seacoast: I was skeptical of the wisdom of Mariah songs because of her impossible vocal range (and when she said "I feel weird about the whole 'judging' thing" I feared the worst) but she - and the contestants - surprised me. She actually had some specific pointers for the Idols and many of them were wise enough not to try to mimic the Mimi. That's where Cookie and Dread were ahead of me and the women - you don't follow her voice, you follow her words and make the arrangement your own.
• Miami Herald: Mariah Carey proved to be the most instructive American Idol mentor/coach since Season 5, two years ago, when Barry Manilow coached Chris Daughtry to a series standout I Walk the Line. Carey, currently riding the nation's top single, Touch My Body, did more than simply gush and applaud the remaining seven hopefuls who were faced with singing her octave-stretching pop and R&B tunes: She had precise musical ideas for how to make a song better for each individual voice.
• Entertainment Weekly: Mariah Carey turned ''American Idol'' into a release party for her new CD, and most performers did her songbook proud. And how about Mariah as mentor? (I thought the diva seemed genuinely sweet and sincerely excited hearing her work get reinterpreted by Idol's young singers.)
• Huffington Post: I thought she would be a disaster as a coach and that a week devoted to her songs would be a mountain of melisma overload. Carey appeared focused and helpful, giving those who seemed receptive very specific suggestions as far as melody, runs, and arrangements.
• Film: Trying to sing Mariah is a little like skating on thin ice while holding a tiger by the tail with one hand and trying to bite off more than you can chew with the other. It's hard. Good thing the contestants actually had Mariah as their mentor this week. Who's better to coach you through a Mariah song than Mariah herself? I have never been much of a Mariah Carey fan, but I have to admit that after watching her interview and the coaching sessions, I have a little bit more respect for her. She's not nearly as flaky as I, for some reason, imagined her to be.
• MTV: Devoting an entire night to an artist the contestants are never able to top makes about as much sense as Mariah hijacking Einstein's theory of relativity for an album title. But I suppose if producers are ready to go off the deep end, Mariah Carey's the perfect person with whom to do it. Mimi actually turned out to be a pretty awesome coach. She was in great spirits while working with the contestants and displayed little of the, um, offbeat charm we all witnessed during that infamous "Cribs" episode. There were no wardrobe changes, no impromptu stripteases and no diva attitude. She even hugged Jason "Looks Like a Homeless Dude" Castro! All in all, Mariah acted more like a seasoned songwriter than an eccentric millionaire, which was great news for the top seven.
• USA Today: Routine belting from David Archuleta (When You Believe), Carly Smithson (Without You) and Syesha Mercado, whose Vanishing was regrettably mannered, paled by comparison. But it was a surprising victory for the Idols, and you have to call the win… Mariah.
• Seacoast: I was skeptical of the wisdom of Mariah songs because of her impossible vocal range (and when she said "I feel weird about the whole 'judging' thing" I feared the worst) but she - and the contestants - surprised me. She actually had some specific pointers for the Idols and many of them were wise enough not to try to mimic the Mimi. That's where Cookie and Dread were ahead of me and the women - you don't follow her voice, you follow her words and make the arrangement your own.
• Miami Herald: Mariah Carey proved to be the most instructive American Idol mentor/coach since Season 5, two years ago, when Barry Manilow coached Chris Daughtry to a series standout I Walk the Line. Carey, currently riding the nation's top single, Touch My Body, did more than simply gush and applaud the remaining seven hopefuls who were faced with singing her octave-stretching pop and R&B tunes: She had precise musical ideas for how to make a song better for each individual voice.
• Entertainment Weekly: Mariah Carey turned ''American Idol'' into a release party for her new CD, and most performers did her songbook proud. And how about Mariah as mentor? (I thought the diva seemed genuinely sweet and sincerely excited hearing her work get reinterpreted by Idol's young singers.)
• Huffington Post: I thought she would be a disaster as a coach and that a week devoted to her songs would be a mountain of melisma overload. Carey appeared focused and helpful, giving those who seemed receptive very specific suggestions as far as melody, runs, and arrangements.
• Film: Trying to sing Mariah is a little like skating on thin ice while holding a tiger by the tail with one hand and trying to bite off more than you can chew with the other. It's hard. Good thing the contestants actually had Mariah as their mentor this week. Who's better to coach you through a Mariah song than Mariah herself? I have never been much of a Mariah Carey fan, but I have to admit that after watching her interview and the coaching sessions, I have a little bit more respect for her. She's not nearly as flaky as I, for some reason, imagined her to be.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
knocked up?
Ashlee Simpson and her fiance, rocker Pete Wentz, are expecting a child together, US Magazine reported on Monday, just days after the couple announced that they were engaged.
Hmmmmmmm..... Ashlee Simpson as a mom?
Hmmmmmmm..... Ashlee Simpson as a mom?
Saturday, April 12, 2008
god help us all.....
A Press release from FOX reveals that the top 7 contestants on(the worst season ever) American Idol will return to the Idol stage to perform songs by Mariah Carey on Tuesday, April 15 at 8pm.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
took long enough
(The article below is from The Boston Globe, def not by me)
Once upon a time, in the melodramatic environs of CBS's "As the World Turns," there was a boy named Luke and another boy named Noah, and they fell in love. They shared in self-discovery, made it through a trying time when Luke was paralyzed from the waist down, celebrated his miraculous recovery, and kissed onscreen. Twice.
more stories like this
Then they stopped kissing. And some fans were happy. And some fans got very, very angry.
They point, these Luke-and-Noah champions, to two major near-misses since. Once, during an episode of the soap opera near Christmas, Luke and Noah moved toward a kiss, and the camera quickly panned to mistletoe. Then, on a very special Valentine's Day episode, every other couple on the show shared a kiss. Luke and Noah hugged.
One gay-themed website, afterelton.com, created a running ticker of the time that has elapsed since Luke and Noah since locked lips onscreen. (At press time, it was 157 days and running.) After the mistletoe episode, fans - who refer to the couple as "Nuke" - sent bags of Hershey's Kisses to CBS. More recently, they've launched a publicity drive, blitzing reporters with long, heartfelt statements of Luke-and-Noah support.
"We appreciate so much that the show is doing this," said George Hinds, 29, a youth employment counselor in Cambridge who helps run the fansite lukeandnoahfans.com, and praises the show for airing daytime TV's first gay kiss. "The campaign is really here to let them know we think it's time to move forward. We think America can handle it."
But for the show's producers, the Luke and Noah love story has proved to be sensitive terrain. "We're trying to make a show that appeals to our entire audience," said Jeannie Tharrington, a spokeswoman for Procter & Gamble Productions, which produces the 52-year-old CBS series - and has been fielding complaints and kudos from all sides since Luke and Noah first appeared.
The recent changes, she said, have come "because of some of the feedback that we've gotten, and because of what we thought was best for the show creatively."
Gay characters on television are common by now, both on cable and on network shows such as ABC's hit drama "Brothers and Sisters." And Luke and Noah, played by Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann, respectively, follow in a long tradition of daytime soap characters with coming-out stories; in 1993, Ryan Phillippe had an early role as a gay teen on ABC's "One Life to Live." In recent years, daytime talk show hosts Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres, both openly gay, have attracted broad fan bases.
But with their frank talk about love, their forthright conversations about when they'll first have sex, and their very occasional smooches, Luke and Noah represent something new in the soap opera world. "This was one more programming frontier," said Andy Towle, who runs the popular gay-theme blog towleroad.com and has kept readers up to date on Luke and Noah developments.
The story line began in late 2005, when Luke, the son of one of the show's longstanding couples, began the long process of coming out to his parents. Barbara Bloom, CBS's senior vice president for daytime TV, said the show's executive producer and head writer laid out a tentative long-term plotline in advance, unfolding it slowly so that the audience would conclude that Luke was gay before he officially announced it. From the start, she said, the writers hoped Luke would go on to become a central character, with everything that entails: "It's daytime television. It's the love story business."
more stories like this
The coming-out saga garnered praise in the gay community and an award from the gay-rights group Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Hansis and the actress who plays his mother appeared in public service announcements on CBS.
And because the story line played so well with fans, Tharrington said, the writers eventually added Noah.
"Everyone in the town came to accept Luke as he was, and the viewers did, too," Tharrington said. "What we kept hearing from viewers is, 'We love Luke. We want him to have a love interest, too.' "
The "Nuke" story has drawn another GLAAD award nomination, and has attracted a new set of "As the World Turns" fans: gay men who now follow the show with a mix of activist pride and love-struck glee. Some watch Luke and Noah clips on YouTube, where an enterprising viewer has edited episodes down to the relevant scenes. Hinds said he has started to watch the soap in its entirety, "because I just wanted the show to be successful - to support the story line."
But Tharrington and CBS officials said they heard complaints from viewers opposed to the story line - though they won't say which side draws a bigger response. The American Family Association, a conservative group based in Tupelo, Miss., has received hundreds of complaints about the Luke-Noah romance - particularly their kisses, said Randy Sharp, the group's spokesman.
"It was a big turnoff for them," Sharp said. "The word 'repulsive' was used once or twice. 'Offensive' was used more than once. . . . It was overtly gratuitous. It's not necessary to the story line itself."
Sharp's group championed a boycott of Procter & Gamble in 2004, complaining about some of its gay-friendly corporate policies. This time, Sharp said, group leaders had a phone conference with Procter & Gamble officials, and asked members to contact the company.
"Our request to them was to do away with the homosexual characters," Sharp said. "Your writers can come up with good story lines that the general public would watch and not be offended by."
Indeed, Hinds says he wonders if the show's apparent solution - to keep suggesting kisses without showing them - is really pleasing anyone. "Conservative fans," he points out, "still see the intimacy."
Bloom, at CBS, says support for Luke and Noah has been unwavering. "We have never in any way asked them to censor that story or pull it back," she said.
And she said there are signs that, overall, the story has been good for "As the World Turns." Over the course of Luke's saga, Bloom said, the show has moved into a solid position as the third-rated soap across all networks.
But while both Bloom and Tharrington insist that Luke and Noah will remain, no one's making any promises on progress. Drawn-out love stories, Bloom points out, are a daytime drama staple.
"In the soap-opera business, you walk a very fine line between love stories, happily-ever-after, yearning, and obstacles," Bloom said. "The drama comes from the quest."
By Joanna Weiss
Globe Staff / March 1, 2008
deal or steal?
Gay and lesbian media portal PlanetOut Inc. agreed to sell its magazine and book publishing business to Here Networks for $6 million. A formal agreement should be done by April 30 and the deal should close by August 31. In February, PlanetOut reported a $51.2 million loss for 2007. The company's accumulated deficit on Dec. 31, 2007 was about $89.5 million. The company had 237 employees at the end of 2007. San francisco Business Times
WOW 6 Million? That seems really cheap to me....
WOW 6 Million? That seems really cheap to me....
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
not yet madge...
"Touch My Body" remains at #1 for a 2nd week in a row on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart, issue date April 19, 2008. By doing so, Mariah is now tied with Elvis Presley for the artist with the most cumulative weeks at the top position of the Hot 100 Chart. Each of them has spent 79 weeks at #1.
bamm
Welcome back to the main stream.. Stacey Dash, it's great to see her back in the press. I cant wait to pick up KING magazine.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Monday, April 07, 2008
no good news
She proved it wasn’t the case when she performed on the German version of American Idol in Cologne, Germany. As she sang her new single, and people are saying that her thighs were very apparent fuzzy. I think it photo angle. She was also criticized for appearing to have lip-synched her song. Add to all that, it was also revealed today that her upcoming album has been leaked online.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
whats old is new again
New Kids today (from left to right): Joey McIntyre, 35; Jonathan Knight 39; Donnie Wahlberg, 38; Jordan Knight, 37; and Danny Wood, 38. The five will appear on "Today" on April 4 to address rumors of a reunion.
Im really surpised that Donnie Wahlberg is involved, he actually has a career..
press release
(April 2, 2008 – New York, NY) International superstar Mariah Carey reaches a once-in-a-lifetime career achievement as her current single "Touch My Body" goes to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week and becomes her 18th career #1 hit – surpassing one of the most enduring chart records in Billboard Hot 100 history, Elvis Presley's 17 #1's. Mariah is now positioned as the only active recording artist in the 50 years of the Hot 100 (which began in 1958) with the potential to surpass the Beatles' all-time high of 20 #1 hits.
"Touch My Body" takes over #1 with an all-time record-setting 286,000 debut week at #1 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart and a Hot 100 Airplay radio audience now over 115 million.
"Touch My Body" is the first smash from Mariah's highly anticipated hot new album E=MC² , arriving in stores April 15th. Pre-orders are now underway for E=MC², with iTunes customers receiving "Touch My Body" instantly with their pre-order.
"Touch My Body" was one of two songs Mariah performed last month on NBC's Saturday Night Live (show to be re-run on May 3rd). Last week, Mariah gave a special performance of "Touch My Body" and "We Belong Together" after the third season premiere of the MTV reality series, The Hills. The episode set a year-to-date record as the highest rated telecast on cable TV, with 5 million viewers tuning in.
On April 9th, Mariah will join an all-star cast for the second annual IDOL Gives Back two-hour TV special, a music celebration raising awareness and benefiting various U.S. and international charities. The first special raised $76 million last year, and won a prestigious Governor's Emmy Award.
On Monday, April 14th, Mariah will appear as special guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, preceding the E=MC² album release day on the 15th. The next night, April 16th, Mariah will perform on American Idol after serving as musical mentor to that week's finalists.
"Touch My Body" was produced by Mariah Carey, C. "Tricky" Stewart, and fellow Island Def Jam artist The-Dream. Other guest producers joining Mariah on E=MC² include Jermaine Dupri, DJ Toomp, Stargate, Will I Am, Bryan Michael Cox, Nate "Danjahandz" Hills and James Poyser. The album is executive produced by Mariah Carey and Antonio "LA" Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group.
The 11th studio album of her career, E=MC² follows-up The Emancipation Of Mimi , Mariah's worldwide 10 million selling #1 album, which generated three Grammy awards (including Best Contemporary R&B Album), two #1 singles, and countless more honors during its 18-month stay on the charts. Released April 12, 2005, Mimi was an industry phenomenon for the mega-platinum award-winning superstar. Soundscan's biggest-selling album of the year, it brought total sales of Mariah's albums, singles and videos to over 160 million worldwide, making her the top-selling female recording artist in history.
Mimi featured "We Belong Together" (Grammy winner for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song) and "Don't Forget About Us," Mariah's 16th and 17th #1 singles respectively – which tied Elvis Presley's 17 #1's. "Touch My Body" now surpasses Elvis as Mariah's 18th #1 hit, and positions her as the only active recording artist with the potential to surpass the Beatles' all-time high of 20 #1 hits. "Touch My Body" also marks Mariah's 78th cumulative career week at #1, as she closes the gap on Elvis Presley's all-time high record of 80 weeks at #1.
"Touch My Body" takes over #1 with an all-time record-setting 286,000 debut week at #1 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart and a Hot 100 Airplay radio audience now over 115 million.
"Touch My Body" is the first smash from Mariah's highly anticipated hot new album E=MC² , arriving in stores April 15th. Pre-orders are now underway for E=MC², with iTunes customers receiving "Touch My Body" instantly with their pre-order.
"Touch My Body" was one of two songs Mariah performed last month on NBC's Saturday Night Live (show to be re-run on May 3rd). Last week, Mariah gave a special performance of "Touch My Body" and "We Belong Together" after the third season premiere of the MTV reality series, The Hills. The episode set a year-to-date record as the highest rated telecast on cable TV, with 5 million viewers tuning in.
On April 9th, Mariah will join an all-star cast for the second annual IDOL Gives Back two-hour TV special, a music celebration raising awareness and benefiting various U.S. and international charities. The first special raised $76 million last year, and won a prestigious Governor's Emmy Award.
On Monday, April 14th, Mariah will appear as special guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, preceding the E=MC² album release day on the 15th. The next night, April 16th, Mariah will perform on American Idol after serving as musical mentor to that week's finalists.
"Touch My Body" was produced by Mariah Carey, C. "Tricky" Stewart, and fellow Island Def Jam artist The-Dream. Other guest producers joining Mariah on E=MC² include Jermaine Dupri, DJ Toomp, Stargate, Will I Am, Bryan Michael Cox, Nate "Danjahandz" Hills and James Poyser. The album is executive produced by Mariah Carey and Antonio "LA" Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group.
The 11th studio album of her career, E=MC² follows-up The Emancipation Of Mimi , Mariah's worldwide 10 million selling #1 album, which generated three Grammy awards (including Best Contemporary R&B Album), two #1 singles, and countless more honors during its 18-month stay on the charts. Released April 12, 2005, Mimi was an industry phenomenon for the mega-platinum award-winning superstar. Soundscan's biggest-selling album of the year, it brought total sales of Mariah's albums, singles and videos to over 160 million worldwide, making her the top-selling female recording artist in history.
Mimi featured "We Belong Together" (Grammy winner for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song) and "Don't Forget About Us," Mariah's 16th and 17th #1 singles respectively – which tied Elvis Presley's 17 #1's. "Touch My Body" now surpasses Elvis as Mariah's 18th #1 hit, and positions her as the only active recording artist with the potential to surpass the Beatles' all-time high of 20 #1 hits. "Touch My Body" also marks Mariah's 78th cumulative career week at #1, as she closes the gap on Elvis Presley's all-time high record of 80 weeks at #1.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
c.r.u.s.h
Porn Star Damien Crosse, because I have friends who arent gay that read my blog, I couldnt post the pics I really wanted to lol. I am respectful..
fool for lust
So its April 1st! APRIL FOOLS DAY.. Im not really in the mood this year to be creative and jokester.. Mostly b/c Im still pissed about losing my wallet and my ID. But since I know Im not a fool in life, I realized I am a fool for LUST..
Monday, March 31, 2008
congrats my friend
World number six Andy Roddick is planning to marry 20-year-old model Brooklyn Decker.
“The couple wanted to tell their family and close friends first but good news travels fast,” said a note on American Roddick’s official Web site (www.andyroddick.com).
“With their hectic travel schedules, Andy and Brooklyn plan to enjoy their engagement and will wait to set a wedding date.”
I wont comment more on this due to personal reasons.. and if you know me you know why..
Sunday, March 30, 2008
l o v i n g
Ashlee Simpson's new look.. I really hope she leaves it this way for awhile.. And Pete cute as always
just because
Here is the lady behind all the wealth of knowledge that I post on the blog. The amazing Ms. Cady McClain
Saturday, March 29, 2008
fight skin cancer..
I know the Marc Jacob shirts are old, but I did not realize Jason Thompson was on one. I need to find one ASAP..
this makes me happy
Emmy-nominated Noelle Beck, best known to daytime audiences as Trisha Alden McKenzie on LOVING, has been cast as Martha Byrne's replacement on AS THE WORLD TURNS.
Byrne, who taped her last scenes as Lily Walsh Snyder on March 14, chose to leave the show after Procter & Gamble would not meet her contract demands. She talked about the reason she left in a chat with fans two days later: "I made a request to work at least the same number of shows that I was in last year and was told NO. That day is when the recast call went out."
Beck, who was recently seen in an episode of CASHMERE MAFIA, returns to daytime for the first time since 1995. Soap Opera Digest interviewed her a few years ago and asked about a return to soaps: "I think I would if the right role came along. It's a wonderful job for a working mother. In my career, it's hard to find a job that lasts for more than three or four months. Or if you're lucky enough to get a nighttime series, which I've been, they haven't lasted. So you get all excited, and make the move with your family, then you're at the mercy of the networks. The soaps tend to stay around longer than a lot of the nighttime series anyway."
Beck and Susan Haskell were the most rumored actresses to land the role fo ATWT's central heroine. Due to the fact that this will be a difficult situation for any actress, to replace a long time fan favorite, Beck is about as good a choice as ATWT could have made. No first airdate has been announced.
I love Noelle Beck.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
letting go in the same boat
Life can be short, and lord knows accidents happen sometimes to those we love the most. These days we have so many messages of fear that creep into our lives. I found my little hospital stay a wonderful reminder to embrace everything and everyone you love. That letting go of the old resentments or anger really is worth it. It’s hard to enjoy a beautiful tree when all you are thinking is “damn that bastard!”
I know it’s all easier said than done, but it’s definitely my new goal to practice happiness.
A good doctor rummaged around in my tummy and found some things that shouldn’t be there. He took them out and put me all back together, and I feel a bit like re-arranged breakfast sausages, but oddly enough I feel operated on in a psychic way, too. I know I have had a lot of anger in the last few years, and don’t want anger to grow in me again in any way. I want to feel all the peace that this beautiful life has to offer. Perhaps that was the bigger lesson.
I believe we manifest a lot of the things that happen to our bodies. I don’t mean to say we are to blame for things that could be environmentally or genetically caused, but I think our minds are far more powerful than we give credit. I understand now why women wear lipstick to their mastectomy. On every level, it is good to reinforce our beauty and joy in living.
I hope that this new phase of my life is filled with “yes!” Yes to joy, yes to love, yes to friends, yes to life.
I hope you can feel some of that, too!
cady mCclain
I know it’s all easier said than done, but it’s definitely my new goal to practice happiness.
A good doctor rummaged around in my tummy and found some things that shouldn’t be there. He took them out and put me all back together, and I feel a bit like re-arranged breakfast sausages, but oddly enough I feel operated on in a psychic way, too. I know I have had a lot of anger in the last few years, and don’t want anger to grow in me again in any way. I want to feel all the peace that this beautiful life has to offer. Perhaps that was the bigger lesson.
I believe we manifest a lot of the things that happen to our bodies. I don’t mean to say we are to blame for things that could be environmentally or genetically caused, but I think our minds are far more powerful than we give credit. I understand now why women wear lipstick to their mastectomy. On every level, it is good to reinforce our beauty and joy in living.
I hope that this new phase of my life is filled with “yes!” Yes to joy, yes to love, yes to friends, yes to life.
I hope you can feel some of that, too!
cady mCclain
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
I came to have a party
Whitney, Audrina, LC . . . and MC— came out in Times Square last night to celebrate the much-anticipated premiere of the new season of The Hills. I gotta be honest I fast forwarded thru the show, I didnt care about the whole Paris thing. MC's performance was the highlight of the night for me without a doubt. But I am curious where was Lo?
and DAMN MC looked great and FIT!
Monday, March 24, 2008
magic
Rich over at my favorite music blog FOURFOUR has made this funny video. Here is what he posted about it...
"Mariah = Pebbles
I made the following video with the intent of proving that the verses of Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" sound like Pebbles Flintstone's baby babble. The biggest discovery during the making of it, however, is that Pebbles was kind of a ho."
Make sure your check out FourFour...
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
do.. do you have a first aid kit handy?
I feel really bad, that Ive had the cd for a little over a week (via the internet) and I couldnt have the review for the album up on the same day as the release.. Lazy ass I am... But anyways this past Tuesday March 18th, my girls from Making The Band (Danity Kane) release their 2nd cd.. Welcome to the Dollhouse...
Now I can say I was a fan of the girls from DAY 1.. before there was even a "band" Welcome to the Dollhouse def picks up where Danity Kane left off. Bringing the hits. As I have said before what makes a good album for me is when I can enjoy listening to it, fully without having to skip a lot of songs.
Watching this new season of the show, you hear bits and pieces of songs that honestly left me wanting more, and after checking out the cd it left me fullfilled. Right off bat the girls bring the heat with some energy pop with the songs "Bad Girls", (produced by Missy Elliott) "Damaged", and (my personal favorite) "Pretty Boy" Those are followed by two very sexy songs "Strip Tease" (another personal favorite) and "Sucka for Love" (a fun slow and sexy song, for those like myself who are addicted to kissing and hugging touching and rubbing)My biggest complaint is that there are too many "interludes".
The second half of the cd is where it becomes a every other song love for me "2 Of You" is a nice R&B track, but I thought that song was used for a soundtrack a couple of months ago so it was surpising to see that there. I love "Lights Out" which based on the MTB4 ep. that is a song that Dawn wrote, very nice and smooth song, but the biggest winner of the whole cd for me is "Poetry" I love love love love this song, soo pretty, I had an early rough cut of it, where the girls all sung different parts and it sounds soo different from the final version but I deleted off iTunes after I got the album version not thinking to check it out first. It wasnt any better/worst, just the same song with the girls singing different parts.
Overall I really enjoyed the album, I was a little surpised by how much I would like it. Ive heard songs from the guys (Day 26) and there are a few like 2 songs that I like so they have a lot to learn from the girls if they plan on being Bad Boy 4 life.
Now I can say I was a fan of the girls from DAY 1.. before there was even a "band" Welcome to the Dollhouse def picks up where Danity Kane left off. Bringing the hits. As I have said before what makes a good album for me is when I can enjoy listening to it, fully without having to skip a lot of songs.
Watching this new season of the show, you hear bits and pieces of songs that honestly left me wanting more, and after checking out the cd it left me fullfilled. Right off bat the girls bring the heat with some energy pop with the songs "Bad Girls", (produced by Missy Elliott) "Damaged", and (my personal favorite) "Pretty Boy" Those are followed by two very sexy songs "Strip Tease" (another personal favorite) and "Sucka for Love" (a fun slow and sexy song, for those like myself who are addicted to kissing and hugging touching and rubbing)My biggest complaint is that there are too many "interludes".
The second half of the cd is where it becomes a every other song love for me "2 Of You" is a nice R&B track, but I thought that song was used for a soundtrack a couple of months ago so it was surpising to see that there. I love "Lights Out" which based on the MTB4 ep. that is a song that Dawn wrote, very nice and smooth song, but the biggest winner of the whole cd for me is "Poetry" I love love love love this song, soo pretty, I had an early rough cut of it, where the girls all sung different parts and it sounds soo different from the final version but I deleted off iTunes after I got the album version not thinking to check it out first. It wasnt any better/worst, just the same song with the girls singing different parts.
Overall I really enjoyed the album, I was a little surpised by how much I would like it. Ive heard songs from the guys (Day 26) and there are a few like 2 songs that I like so they have a lot to learn from the girls if they plan on being Bad Boy 4 life.
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