Kylie Minogue's 'Fever' Turns 10

No, I can't believe it, either, but Kylie Minogue's Fever came out 10 years ago this week here in the States. I wrote up a retrospective look back at the album for Idolator's Backtracking series, much like the piece I did earlier this month on Spice Girls' debut LP Spice.

My first memories of Fever are having my pal Moogaboo surprise me with an import copy in fall 2001 (it was released in Europe that October) and playing it over and over and over when I worked at the E! channel.

I bought it the day it came out in the US and started playing it all over again through the spring. I even skipped work one Tuesday and waited in line at 5 a.m. so I could get tickets to see her on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

It also very much reminds me of the period when I left E! and started working at Instinct (March 2002). But more on that in a bit.

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Whitney Houston's Forgotten Singles

I recently whipped up a list of Whitney Houston's 10 Best Songs That Radio Forgot for Idolator. It's pretty sexy, and you should check it out.

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Kylie Minogue Premieres Orchestral Anniversary Version Of "On A Night Like This"

Kylie Minogue is on a roll lately, and I have to admit, I'm all back in love with the broad after burning out on Aphrodite from over-playing it like an addicted coke whore two years ago.

During my ass-kicking previous week (too much other writing I had to do), I didn't get around to posting Lady Minogue's follow-up to the new version of "Finer Feelings", which is an orchestral "On A Night Like This".

This new rendition of her 2000 Light Years single was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London last fall.



And here's "Finer Feelings", which I guess I never got around to posting, either.

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Madonna's Second 'MDNA' SIngle "Girl Gone Wild": Single Art & Lyric Video

I'm pretty much of two minds about Madonna's second MDNA single "Girl Gone Wild": 1.) lyrically, it's extremely cliche ("You got me in the zone, DJ play my favorite song!") and 2.) musically, it's the best thing we've heard from her since the Confessions On A Dancefloor era.

Here's the lyric video for the Benny- and Alle Benassi-co-produced club jam, which premiered today:



I'm going to sit on this trash and give it a think, and I'll sort out more thoughts later.

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It's Saint Etienne's "Tonight" Video

Saint Etienne's video for lead Words And Music By Saint Etienne single "Tonight" has been out for a bit now, but last time I had checked it wasn't viewable in this country. And now, lo and behold, it is!

It's a low key but classy affair that depicts two female friends meeting up to take in a concert. Footage of SE is intersperses in with shots of various venues and city lights, which makes for a somewhat flashy three minutes.



Can't wait for this album.

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UK Chart Post: Adele Is A Dominatrix

It's a UK chart snooze this week as Gotye and Kimbra's "Somebody That I Used To Know" returns to #1 after a brief interruption by DJ Fresh and Rita Ora's "Hot Right Now".

Meanwhile, like in the US, Adele's 21 is currently the #1 album for a 21st non-consecutive week. The LP got a boost thanks to the singer's win at this past week's Brit Awards.

That's great. It really is. Now, how about a goddamn break from Adele, world? Sound sexy?

The UK Top 10:

1. "Somebody That I Used To Know" - Gotye feat. Kimbra *2 weeks*
2. "Next To Me" - Emeli Sande
3. "Hot Right Now" - DJ Fresh feat. Rita Ora
4. "Wild Ones" - Flo Rida feat. Sia
5. "Titanium" - David Guetta feat. Sia
6. "Domino" - Jessie J
7. "Starships" - Nicki Minaj
8. "Turn Me On" - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj
9. "Ass Back Home" - Gym Class Heroes feat. Neon Hitch *new*
10. "T.H.E." - Will.i.am ft. Jennifer Lopez/Mick Jagger

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US Chart Roundup: Katy Perry Is #1, Madonna Drops & Whitney And Adele Keep Selling

Katy Perry's bland leftover "Part Of Me" debuts at #1 on the Hot 100 this week, giving her the first chart-topping single off Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection and her seventh overall. What a dismal offering to become only the 20th single to enter in the peak position on the chart.

Meanwhile, Adele sees a post-Grammys surge as all three of her 21 jams clutter the Top 10, marking the first time a female has pulled off such a feat as a lead artist. Over on the Top 200 album chart, 21 is at #1 for a 21st week exactly one year after it was released in the States. The LP sold another 703,000 copies, and its domestic total now stands at 7.3 million.

Elsewhere, Madonna's Top 10 stay with "Give Me All Your Luvin'" proved to be short-lived, as the song has now predictably plunged 29 positions to #39 in its third week on the Hot 100. Meanwhile, I just took out a 75-year loan to see finally the Vampyre on tour this fall. I figured, well, the old '80s broads are dropping like flies these days. Better catch them while I can.

Speaking of which, Whitney Houston's former #1 single "I Will Always Love You" was a re-entry at #7 last week, and jumps up to #3 this week. Also, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" is up to #25, "Greatest Love Of All" is at #36 and "How Will I Know" re-enters the chart at #49. On the Top 200, Whitney: The Greatest Hits climbs to a new peak of #2. (It originally got to #5 upon its release in 2000).

Along these lines, be sure to check out the Whitney Houston's 10 Best Songs That Radio Forgot feature I did for Idolator this week. It will rock your to your very foundation

We'll end things on a British boy band note: The Wanted's "Glad You Came" inches up two positions to #23 on the Hot 100 this week, while One Direction's former UK #1 "What Makes You Beautiful" debuts at #28.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Part Of Me" - Katy Perry *new* *1 week*
2. "Set Fire To The Rain" - Adele
3. "I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston
4. "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" - Kelly Clarkson
5. "Rolling In The Deep" - Adele
6. "We Are Young" - fun. feat. Janelle Monae
7. "Someone Like You" - Adele
8. "We Found Love" - Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
9. "Starships" - Nicki Minaj *new*
10. "Turn Up The Music" - Chris Brown *new*

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The Brits: Adele's Middle Finger & All The Other Winners

Hey all, sorry for the lack of updates here this week. Some other writing has been kicking my butt, but things will resume as normal in the next day or so.

Here's the list of winners from yesterday's BRIT Awards. I haven't even had a chance to watch this trash yet, and that makes me sad since Adele kept things classy by flipping the bird when her British Female Solo Artist award was cut short.

2012 BRIT AWARDS WINNERS
British Male Solo Artist: Ed Sheeran
British Female Solo Artist: Adele
British Breakthrough Act: Ed Sheeran
British Group: Coldplay
British Single: One Direction (”What Makes You Beautiful”)
British Album of the Year: Adele (21)
International Male Solo Artist: Bruno Mars
International Female Solo Artist: Rihanna
International Group: Foo Fighters
International Breakthrough Act: Lana Del Rey
Outstanding Contribution to Music: Blur
Critics Choice: Emeli Sande
British Producer: Ethan Johns

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Saint Etienne's 'Words And Music' Out In May

In addition to this snazzy new photo, Saint Etienne revealed today that their upcoming LP, Words And Music By Saint Etienne, will be out May 21 in CD, two-CD deluxe, LP and special box set versions.

Says the band:

Do you remember that special alchemy that transforms even the most mundane of experiences - walking home with the headphones on at night, sitting in a bedroom with your friends in the day, getting ready to go out on the weekend - into a lingering moment of seamless enchantment, one that resonates for the rest of your life?

Our new album, Words and Music by Saint Etienne, is about that. About how music affects your life. How it defines the way you see the world as a child. How it can get you through bad times in unexpected ways. How songs you've known all your life can suddenly develop a new attachment and hurt every time you hear them.

More than how it affects and reflects your life though, the album is about believing in music, living your life by its rules.

The tracklist:

1. Over the Border
2. I've Got Your Music
3. Heading For the Fair
4. Last Days of Disco
5. Tonight
6. Answer Song
7. Record Doctor
8. Popular
9. 25 Years
10. DJ
11. When I Was Seventeen
12. I Threw it All Away
13. Haunted Jukebox

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UK Chart Roundup: DJ Fresh And Rita Ora Are Hot Right Now

Rita Ora looks like a knockoff of fellow Roc Nation ho Rihanna — and time will tell if she has the chops to stand out on her own — but for the time being, DJ Fresh's "Hot Right Now", which she features on, is at least decent (if not disposable) winter trash.



At any rate, "Hot Right Now" is the new UK #1 single. You probably won't even remember this song existed by the time July rolls around. Use once and do sexy.

The UK Top 10:

1. "Hot Right Now" - DJ Fresh feat. Rita Ora *new* *1 week*
2. "Next To Me" - Emeli Sande *new*
3. "Somebody That I Used To Know" - Gotye feat. Kimbra
4. "Titanium" - David Guetta feat. Sia
5. "Wild Ones" - Flo Rida feat. Sia
6. "Domino" - Jessie J
7. "Alone Again" - Alyssa Reid feat. Jump Smokers
8. "T.H.E." - Will.i.am ft. Jennifer Lopez/Mick Jagger
9. "One Thing" - One Direction
10. "Twilight" - Cover Drive

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Lady Miss Kier Of Deee-Lite Vs. Madonna

In case you're not up on the drama surrounding Madonna's new Top 10 single "Give Me All Your Luvin'" and the supposed similarities between it and Brazilian artist Joao Brasil's "L.O.V.E. Banana", then read here.

Here's the "L.O.V.E. Banana" video:



Here's what Lady Miss Kier of Deee-Lite had to say about it all on her tumblr:

"that is the exact same hook of the song ( which is the only rememberable part of both songs ) in the same key , same delivery. oops..she did it again. she’ll probably pay them approx 500,000$ in hush money to retain writers credit or probably already did. it’s what she’s always done. she’s McDonna being herself."

 Here's what an Idolator reader had to say when I included Miss Kier's commentary yesterday:

"The songs sound nothing alike. And Lady Miss Kier is just mad she spent all her money on Crystal Meth and raving in the 90’s while Madonna was working out and working hard. I used to see that poor girl out all the time and she was always grinding her teeth and looked tweeked out of her head. That was back in the Alig days. God bless her but she is no creative genius and clearly bitter at the 'Other' lower east side girl’s success."

And here's Kier's response to the reader in the comments section:

"Japes- i have never smoked meth , never liked cocaine and have never been out gurning as you say – you ought to be ashamed of yourself for spreading rumors about me. I speak my mind because i am confident in my knowledge of music. both songs are not well written but I’m tired of mediocre fans of Madonna giving praises to a thief and I’m not the only one saying it. you are deaf and blind if you havn’t noticed how fake your idol is-Just because i chose not to work with the crooks i met in the music industry dosnt mean i’m not a success- I have no regrets for walking away from a 7 album contract on the same label as madonna- the politics were rotten and i’m not a puppet- I am an original songwriter who takes my unique abilities seriously- do not speak of what you dont know lady miss kier"

All in all, a good read on a Friday morning, no? Considering I've played Deee-Lite 573 times in the past year, according to last.fm, I almost did a back flip over getting a response from Miss Kier on a post I wrote.

 Where do you stand on the whole "Give Me All Your Luvin'" vs. "L.O.V.E. Banana" kerfluffle? Other than the cheer-like "L-O-V-E", I'm not hearing much of a case there.

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US Chart Roundup: Madonna Lands 38th Top 10 Hit, Battles Whitney Like It's 1992 Again

Madonna's lead MDNA single "Give Me All Your Luvin'" jumps up from #13 to #10, thus becoming her 38th Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. This puts her even further ahead of The Beatles, who racked up 34 Top 10s, and Michael Jackson, who had 28. Ye Olde Vampyre's last Top 10 single in the States was "4 Minutes," which peaked at #3 in 2008.

Billboard notes that the song's radio airplay dropped 54%, however, since the special Clear Channel promotion, where the song was played on the company's stations every hour on the hour, ended once the Super Bowl kicked off.

And if you've been following "Give Me All Your Luvin'" on iTunes, then you noticed the song had been in the Top 10 at the digital store up until last weekend, when both sales of Whitney Houston songs jumped after her death and The Grammys aired. "Poor" Madge got pushed further and further down in the wake of both events (many artists who performed at the Grammy ceremony saw an expected surge in single sales), and her single is now floundering at #34 at the store. What she could use right now is an increase in radio play.

And speaking of Whitney, her 1992 Bodyguard single "I Will Always Love You" flies back into the Top 10 at #7. The song had previously spent 14 weeks at #1 between '92 and '93. Madonna released her album Erotica three weeks before The Bodyguard soundtrack back in fall 1992, but found herself sidelined on the charts by Whitney's juggernaut movie tunes. (The fact that the public was recoiling from Madge's graphic Sex book and gouging their eyes out with sporks after watching her godawful Body Of Evidence trash in the theater didn't help.)

Other Whitney songs that re-enter the Hot 100 this week: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (#35) and "The Greatest Love Of All" (#41). Over on the Top 200 album chart, Whitney: The Greatest Hits is back at #6 after selling 64,000 copies by Sunday evening. The collection previously peaked at #5 in 2000.

Back on the Hot 100, The Wanted climb to #25 with "Glad You Came," Ellie Goulding's "Lights" is up to #79 and Calvin Harris debuts at #90 with "Feel So Close," a previous #2 hit in the UK.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" - Kelly Clarkson *2 weeks*
2. "Set Fire To The Rain" - Adele
3. "We Are Young" - fun. feat. Janelle Monae
4. "Sexy And I Know It" - LMFAO
5. "Good Feeling" - Flo Rida
6. "We Found Love" - Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
7. "I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston *re-entry*
8. "Turn Me On" - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj
9. "Rack City" - Tyga
10. "Give Me All Your Luvin'" - Madonna feat. Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.

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Whitney Houston's 'Greatest Hits' Sold A Bunch Of Copies Last Weekend

Whitney Houston's 2000 collection Whitney - Greatest Hits sold 64,000 copies by this past Sunday's chart data cut-off time — enough for it to debut on Billboard's Top 200 at #6. Pretty remarkable, considering news of Whitney's death didn't break until Saturday afternoon.

Here in the States, Houston's hits collection had been the top downloaded album on iTunes until Adele won 7,459 Grammys on Sunday and bumped the late singer down to #2. Likewise, "I Will Always Love You" had been perched atop iTunes' singles roundup until Katy Perry's godawful new warble fest "Part Of Me" was released yesterday and captured the #1 position. Great going, America!

Personally, I remember when Whitney - Greatest Hits was released and being annoyed at the fact that some of her older jams were only on it in remixed form. Isn't that always a kick in the junk? Junior Vasquez remixes of "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" over the original versions? We weren't all having fucked up weekends on meth at circuit parties at the turn of the millennium, you know.

But, hey — those remixes totally stood the test of time, right?

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Nicki Minaj's Single "Starships" Is Generic

So basically, it's Taio Cruz's "Dynamite" with some swear words. And yet, there it is at #7 on iTunes. Guess "Stupid Hoes" didn't really work out so well? Nicki Minaj imperial phase, please end soon (and take RedOne with you).

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Katy Perry's New Single "Part Of Me" Sucks

A Teenage Dream leftover that first leaked in 2010 is at #1 on iTunes. Katy Perry imperial phase, please end soon.

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Grammy Winners: Adele Takes Home All Six Awards She Was Up For

Queen Of Just About Everything Adele swept the 54th Grammy Awards on Sunday by winning all six categories she was nominated in: Album Of The Year (21), Record Of The Year ("Rolling In The Deep"), Song Of The Year ("Rolling In The Deep"), Best Pop Solo Performance ("Someone Like You"), Best Pop Vocal Album (21) and Best Short Form Music Video ("Rolling In The Deep").

Adele now ties Beyonce with the most awards won by a female in one night at the Grammys. She also performed her lead 21 single, "Rolling In The Deep", and drew a standing ovation from the crowd at the Staples Center at the end.



Ironically, Adele's 21 is currently the leader on Billboard's Top 200, and is just one week shy of matching the 20-week reign of Whitney Houston's soundtrack to 1992 film The Bodyguard. Whitney, as the world knows, died on Saturday at the age of 48.

Here's Jennifer Hudson's tribute to Houston from the Grammys last night.



The 54th Grammy Award winners

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: 21, Adele
RECORD OF THE YEAR: “Rolling In The Deep”, Adele
SONG OF THE YEAR: “Rolling In The Deep”, Adele
BEST NEW ARTIST: Bon Iver
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE: “Someone Like You”, Adele
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM: 21, Adele
BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “Body And Soul”, Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO: “Rolling in the Deep”, Adele
BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO: “Foo Fighters: Back and Forth”, Foo Fighters
BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA: Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1
SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA: The King’s Speech
BEST DANCE RECORDING: “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites”, Skrillex
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites, Skrillex
BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM: Duets II, Tony Bennett
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE: “Walk”, Foo Fighters
BEST ROCK SONG: “Walk”, Foo Fighters
BEST HARD ROCK/METAL PERFORMANCE: “White Limo”, Foo Fighters
BEST ROCK ALBUM: Wasting Light, Foo Fighters
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM: Bon Iver, Bon Iver
BEST R&B ALBUM: F.A.M.E., Chris Brown
BEST R&B PERFORMANCE: “Is This Love”, Corinne Bailey Rae
BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE: “Fool For You”, Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
BEST R&B SONG: “Fool for You”, Cee Lo Green and Jack Splash
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION: “All Of The Lights”, Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE: “Otis”, Jay-Z & Kanye West
BEST RAP SONG: “All of the Lights”, Kanye West
BEST RAP ALBUM: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM: Own The Night, Lady Antebellum
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE: “Mean”, Taylor Swift
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “Barton Hollow”, The Civil Wars
BEST COUNTRY SONG: “Mean”, Taylor Swift
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM: Ramble At The Ryman, Levon Helm
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM: Paper Airplane, Alison Krauss & Union Station
BEST BLUES ALBUM: Revelator, Tedeschi Trucks Band
BEST FOLK ALBUM: Barton Hollow, The Civil Wars
BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO: “500 Miles High”, Chick Corea
BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM: The Mosaic Project, Terri Lyne Carrington and Various Artists
BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM: The Good Feeling, Christian McBride Big Band
BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM: Forever, Corea, Clarke and White
BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM: If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t), Betty White
BEST CHILDREN’S ALBUM: All About Bullies… Big and Small, Various Artists
BEST MUSIC THEATER ALBUM: The Book of Mormon
BEST COMEDY ALBUM: Hilarious, Louis C.K.
BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM: Rebirth of New Orleans, Rebirth Brass Band
BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM: Tassili, Tinariwen
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL: Paul Epworth

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UK Chart Roundup: Madonna's New Single Flops, Whitney Houston Sales Expected To Surge

Despite Top 10 chart placings in other European countries and a #13 debut in the ever-fickle US market, Madonna's lead MDNA single "Give Me All Your Luvin'" has entered the UK chart at the humbling position of #37. This marks her second-lowest chart placing for an official single in the country since her career began, following Hard Candy's "Miles Away" peaking at #39 in 2008. Maybe the Brits are over Her Madgesty after she dared to make W.E.?

Whatever the case may be, the wave of Madonna goings-on in recent weeks has now certainly been overshadowed by the death of Whitney Houston. The 48-year-old singer was found dead in her hotel room at Los Angeles' Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday (supposedly submerged in her bathtub), the eve of today's Grammy Awards. Whitney was expected to attend her mentor Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party last night.

Says the Official Charts Company:

"The Official Charts Company expects a slew of the tragic singer's songs to take places in the Official Singles Chart and Official Albums Chart over the next week, as fans pay tribute by enjoying her music in the wake of her untimely death. Although first verified sales reports will not be made until Tuesday morning (incorporating sales from Sunday and Monday), the Official Charts understands that sales are already surging."

Here in the US, Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" is currently the #1 song on iTunes, while "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" is #7, "The Greatest Love Of All" is #9, "One Moment In Time" is #15 and "How Will I Know" is #18. Whitney - The Greatest Hits is the top album.

At the UK iTunes store, Houston's The Ultimate Collection and Whitney - The Greatest Hits are the top two albums, respectively.

The UK Top 10:

1. "Somebody That I Used To Know" - Gotye feat. Kimbra *1 week*
2. "Titanium" - David Guetta feat. Sia
3. "T.H.E." - Will.i.am ft. Jennifer Lopez/Mick Jagger *new*
4. "Domino" - Jessie J
5. "Alone Again" - Alyssa Reid feat. Jump Smokers
6. "Wild Ones" - Flo Rida feat. Sia
7. "Twilight" - Cover Drive
8. "Mama Do The Hump" - Rizzle Kicks
9. "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" - Kelly Clarkson
10. "Born To Die" - Lana Del Rey

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Madonna's Next Single Is "Girls Gone Wild"

Madonna did interviews with both The Voice host Carson Daly and American Idol Ryan Seacrest yesterday. But rather than post the clips and force you to listen to those old queens (Carson and Ryan, that is), here are the worthwhile facts, boiled down:

* Next MDNA single = "Girls Gone Wild"
 
* Despite rumors, Britney Spears does not feature on the song

* The video is being shot in the coming weeks

* MDNA will have three ballads among the other uptempo tracks

That's about it. The rest was all about M.I.A. flipping the bird at the Super Bowl (Vampyre called it "irrelevant" and "a teenager thing to do," and asked "What was the point?"), W.E. and her upcoming tour.

Sexy.

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Watch Pet Shop Boys Discuss 'Format' And Their Various B-Sides Over The Years

Pet Shop Boys posted a series of videos talking about their various B-sides over the years, to promote the new collection Format, which was released in the UK this week. (I finally ordered my copy the other day.) Given the duo's various labels in the US over the years — and the fact that PopArt took three years to come out here because of that — I can't see Format getting a domestic release anytime soon.

Anyway, I gathered up the three best interview clips below. They were shot while the PSBs have been in L.A. recording their upcoming studio album, which is due out this fall.

Chris talks about "After The Event" — but can't remember the A-side.



Neil talks about B-sides being more prevalent in the digital age than ever.



Chris discusses knowing early on if a song is going to be a B-side or not.



Watch the full set of interview clips here.

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Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection' Details Announced

This crazy bitch will stop at nothing to get a sixth #1 single off her album! Katy Perry's expanded edition of Teenage Dream, called The Complete Confection, will be released on March 27.

Here's what's on it:

* The original 12 tracks
* The mix of "E.T." with Kanye West
* The mix of "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" with Missy Elliott
* The acoustic Jon Brion version of "The One That Got Away"
* Three new songs
* A 7-minute Tommie Sunshine megamix of the six released singles

"It was an incredible honor to tie the King of Pop's Billboard Hot 100 record, but I’m moving forward and had a few things left to get off my chest. So this is the complete special edition of my album for my fans,” states Katy in a press release.

In other words, she wants to beat the King Of Pop.

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US Chart Roundup: Republican Kelly Clarkson & Vampyre Madonna Have A Good Week

The Republican Kelly Clarkson lands her third chart-topping single this week, as "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" swaps places with last week's top song, "Set Fire To The Rain" by Adele, on the Billboard Hot 100. This gives The Republican her third #1 hit, after her 2002 American Idol winner's song "A Moment Like This" and lead All I Ever Wanted single "My Life Would Suck Without You" (2009).

The other big chart news: Ye Olde Vampyre Madonna's new jam "Give Me All Your Luvin'" debuts at #13 after selling 115,000 downloads between Friday and Sunday, thus marking her 56th entry on the Hot 100, as well as her first Top 20 hit in the States since "4 Minutes" reached #3 in 2008. This comes after over 112 million viewers tuned in to watch Madge's pretty fucking rad Super Bowl halftime performance.

After looking over the performance of all Madonna's singles to date (Christ, I was bored), "Give Me All Your Luvin'" is now her 44th Top 20 singles in the US. Elsewhere, The Wanted's "Glad You Came" hops up 10 positions to #30. 

On the Top 200 album chart, Lana Del Rey's debut album Born To Die enters at #2, while Madonna's 2009 greatest hits set Celebration re-enters at #24.

So now that the you've had a week to digest The Formaldehyde Girl's The Material Girl's first single off MDNA, what do you think of it?

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" - Kelly Clarkson *1 week*
2. "Set Fire To The Rain" - Adele
3. "Good Feeling" - Flo Rida
4. "We Found Love" - Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
5. "Turn Me On" - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj
6. "Domino" - Jessie J
7. "Rack City" - Tyga
8. "Young, Wild & Free" - Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa ft. Bruno Mars
9. "Sexy And I Know It" - LMFAO
10. "It Will Rain" - Bruno Mars

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Brandy & Monica's "It All Belongs To Me" Isn't A Complete Disaster

When it comes to sequels to classic jams, it's best to just not. Unless you're David Bowie and it's "Ashes To Ashes" and "Hallo, Spaceboy". Although, the later was, to quote Edina Monsoon discussing Lulu, like that, darling.

That said, Brandy and Monica's "It All Belongs To Me" has been unleashed on le Internet, and it's not horrific as some will have you believe. It's just, well, not really a sequel to their chart-topping 1998 hit "The Boy Is Mine", which it's being billed as.

At least it doesn't sound like one. And if you're billing it as a sequel, the public will want it to sound like the sequel. Which it doesn't. So, anyway...



This comes off more like what would happen when Robbie Williams would go into the studio in the late '90s and say to the producer, "I want a song that sounds like Oasis sounding like The Beatles."

In fact, if this was never released as a single but tucked away as the last song on either Brandy or Monica's upcoming albums, "It All Belongs To Me" could actually be viewed as refreshing.

Brava, ladies, for the Facebook reference, though. That should age well.

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Madonna's 'MDNA' Album Cover (Standard Edition)

Kylie looks amazing here. View the deluxe edition cover.

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