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Day in Pop Report for 05/31/2012


Rihanna Goes Topless For Magazine
(popmusiclife) Rihanna is featured topless on the cover of the July issue of Esquire's UK edition.

The pop superstar is the feature interview in the new issue, which goes on sale Monday, June 4.

The singer was shot for Esquire by acclaimed photographer Matt Irwin in East London; there's a mix of video and photos from the session here.

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Justin Bieber Causes Near State Of Emergency
(TMZ) Police in Norway were on the verge of declaring a state of emergency in Oslo, after tens of thousands of unruly Justin Bieber fans overran the city -- and now, they're begging the singer for help.

Justin's was scheduled to perform 4 new songs last night outside Oslo's famed opera house as part of his "Around the World" TV special -- and we're told crazed Bieber fans from all over Europe descended on the city for the event.

We're told the crowds have swelled to such overwhelming numbers, the police lost control -- and are pleaded with Bieber to take the stage early ... before all hell breaks loose.

Bieber was aware of the situation -- he tweeted, "...for the show to happen u must all listen to the police. we are all concerned for your safety and i want what is best for u. please listen." more on this story

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Ray J Finds Cloths Thought Lost in Whitney Houston Death Room
(TMZ) How convenient ... just hours before TMZ posted a story about a stylist suing Ray J over designer clothes that went missing from Whitney Houston's death room in February, the singer found them.

Ray J's being sued by an L.A. stylist named Marc Littlejohn, who claims he gave Ray J $2,880 in designer threads for a Grammy event ... and they were never returned. According to the lawsuit, they were left in the Beverly Hilton hotel room where Whitney died and haven't been seen since.

But now Ray J's rep tells TMZ the mystery was solved last night when one of Whitney's associates handed the clothes over to the singer. Sources tell us the items were taken from Whitney's room along with the rest of her belongings. We're told Whit's people couldn't get in touch with Ray J because he changed his phone number.

The pricey fabrics include two suits and one jacket. more on this story

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Lost Star Matthew Fox's Camp Denies Woman Beating Allegation
(TMZ) Sources directly connected to Matthew Fox tell TMZ ... the actor has never beaten a woman in his life, contrary to the allegations made by his "Lost" co-star Dominic Monaghan.

As you know, Monaghan tweeted the allegation, claiming Matthew "beats women. not isolated incidents.often ..."

Our sources say Fox and Monaghan have not spoken for years, and they never had any sort of blowout argument so it's baffling to Fox as to why Dominic would go on such a rant.

A female bus driver accused Fox last year of punching her in her vagina. Fox denied the allegation and no criminal charges were filed. more on this story

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Robyn Plans Body Talk Club Nights While On Coldplay Tour
Robyn is hitting the road with Coldplay on 18 dates of the band's summer tour and the she plans to bring the party to some of the coolest local clubs along the way.

Robyn and London-based DJ/producer Rokk will present a series of "Body Talk" club nights in London, Miami, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

Robyn is no stranger to club nights - she co-ran the successful Tutti Frutti night in Stockholm and has guest DJed at her friend Rokk's London club night, "Body Talk," which inspired the title of her 2010 series of Body Talk albums. The trilogy received three Grammy nominations in the past two years. more on this story

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Sublime Frontman Rome Going Solo
Sublime with Rome's frontman Rome will release his debut EP, "Dedication," digitally on June 12th.

The "Dedication" EP is highlighted by the title track, which Rome co-wrote with Nate Ruess of fun. and Jeff Bhasker (fun., Kanye West, Jay-Z), who also produced the song.

"Dedication" will impact alternative radio June 5th. The companion video for "Dedication" is currently in production and will debut later this summer. more on this story

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Florence And The Machine Deliver Spectrum Video
(popmusiclife) Florence And The Machine have released the video for "Spectrum," the latest single issued from their current album, "Ceremonials."

The clip was directed by David LaChappelle and John Byrne. The group has also offered up a behind the scenes look at the making of the video.

LaChappelle's last music video was for Amy Winehouse's "Tears Dry On Their Own," back in 2007. "It was a complete dream to work with David La Chapelle," said Florence. "I collected his books as a teenager, and I fantasized that he would direct the video for 'Spectrum' from the moment the song was written. I still can't believe it actually happened, and I'm completely overjoyed that he felt such a connection with the song." Watch the video and behind the scenes here.

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X-Factor's LeRoy Bell Teams Up With Zahara
X-Factor finalist LeRoy Bell is teaming up with South Africa's biggest pop star Zahara to record together and perform on her first ever live DVD titled "The Beginning," slated for release later this year.

The live concert will take place June 8 and 9 at Carnival City and will feature a wide array of musicians and dancers.

"I'm very excited to be performing and recording with Zahara," said LeRoy. " I fell in love with her voice immediately. She's phenomenal and it won't be long before the world outside of South Africa discovers her true talent." more on this story

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M83 Release Reunion Video
(Mute) M83 has released the official music video for the song "Reunion," the second single from Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.

Directed by Fleur & Manu and Produced by DIVISION, "Reunion" is part two of the story that commenced with "Midnight City." Together, these two tracks are the soundtrack for a pack of gifted kids with telekinetic powers who escape from an institution and run wild through a desolate cityscape. In the first video we witness their liberation, with "Reunion" we experience their defiance.

Having recently relocated to Los Angeles, the video reflects Anthony's ongoing love affair with the magical escapism of film and the city itself. Watch it here.

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Kasey Anderson & The Honkies Announce Dates With Counting Crows
Kasey Anderson & The Honkies have mapped out their summer tour plans which include a run of dates supporting the Counting Crows.

The Crows recently covered Kasey Anderson on their latest release, Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation) via Collective Sounds. They chose to cover Anderson's "Like Teenage Gravity," from his 2010 release Nowhere Nights (Red River Records).

Of the song, Counting Crows' front man Adam Duritz wrote in the album's liner notes: "Ryan Spaulding raved about Kasey Anderson so I bought all the records and I really dug them. I really found out how right Ryan was a few months later when Kasey came down to Austin last year to play Smoke & Sand, Ryan's Smashing Life (RSLblog.com) & Tyrannosaurus Record's 2011 SxSW showcase. His big lonely rock songs are addictive but he crushed at Smoke & Sand with an acoustic set. Maybe that's why I chose 'Like Teenage Gravity' to cover over songs like 'I Was A Photograph' or 'Exit Ghost.' I don't know. I love his recording. It has a sparse almost hymn-like simplicity." more on this story

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VH1 Storytellers: Jason Mraz Premieres Tomorrow
VH1 Storytellers: Jason Mraz, is set to premiere tomorrow, Friday, June 1st at 11 PM ET/PT on VH1. The network sent over these details:

Performing before an intimate crowd at NYC's legendary Metropolis Studios, Jason Mraz wore his heart on his sleeve in a confession-filled "VH1 Storytellers" that proved to be therapeutic for both the artist and the attending fans. One moving moment occurred when he revealed the song "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" caused him great guilt since it was inspired by his best friend, Charlie, who was diagnosed with cancer. At its base, the song was written about a man who wasn't going to worry his life away despite his circumstances. Mraz explained it was difficult to watch the song transform from a personal, emotional piece into an upbeat hit song. "..I had suddenly gone from this little idea about my friend and turned it into a huge pop song," Mraz said. "(I thought) 'this is probably going to end up being the single and I'm going to have to go out there and be this guy � this big pop song guy.'"

Prior to singing "Love for a Child," a song about a small boy watching his parents split up, Mraz confessed that he'd never asked his mother her feelings about the song � so he called her a half-hour before coming on stage that night. He relayed her honest sentiments, "I try not to listen to that song very much. It's a beautiful song, but I just wish it was about somebody else."

But perhaps the most emotional story of the night came when Mraz broke down into tears as he spoke of overcoming the relationship and professional struggles that were his inspiration for "I Won't Give Up." Mraz shared with the audience, "You sometimes contemplate ending your life. It's a ridiculous thought, but we're human and it's one of the powers we have."

The hour-long "VH1 Storytellers" episode will feature Mraz performing a selection of hits including "You and I Both" and "93 Million Miles" from his most recent album, "Love Is a Four Letter Word."

Several online-exclusive performances from the show will be available at Storytellers.VH1.com leading up to and following the on-air premiere. The full show will be available at Storytellers.VH1.com following the on-air premiere on Friday, June 1st.

Grab a preview here.

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Imaginary Cities Summer Tour
Imaginary Cities have mapped out a string of North American headlining dates for this summer.

This tour will take the band across their native Canada, and will also include dates in the northern U.S and their Lollapalooza debut on August 5th in Chicago.

The band is currently on the road with MeWithoutYou and are touring in support of their debut album Temporary Resident." more on this story

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Jenna Jameson Arrested For Suspected DUI After Smashing Up Range Rover
(TMZ) Jenna Jameson's Range Rover is gonna be Exhibit A if her drunk driving case goes to trial, because it's pretty clear she was out of control when she plowed into a pole Friday.

The porn star's SUV was towed after Jameson was arrested on suspicion of DUI. The front wheels are completely wrecked, the front axle is broken and the right side is smashed in.

The prosecutor's gonna have a field day telling the jury that Jenna had to be drunk because she's normally an expert maneuvering around poles. more on this story

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Mark Zuckerberg's Bride's Wedding Dress Not Selling
(TMZ) Mark Zuckerberg's freshly-minted wife, Priscilla Chan, evokes a lot of interest but not much action ... according to the shop where she bought her wedding dress.

Cate Malone, the owner of the Little White Dress shop in Denver, CO, tells us the store has been buzzing with curious customers who have been trying on the $4,700 Claire Pettibone gown Priscilla wore at her surprise wedding.

In fact ... traffic on the shop's website has gone up a whopping 680% since the nuptials.

But here's the bottom line -- it's a big fat zero, because no one has bought the dress. more on this story

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TV's Sherlock Holmes Fights Crime In Real Life
(TMZ) Jonny Lee Miller is taking his new gig as TV's Sherlock Holmes seriously ... 'cause he took it upon himself to fight some crime in L.A. on Friday ... and WON!!!

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the "Elementary" star noticed some guy messing with his mailbox and decided to take matters into his own hands, by chasing the dude down.

Highly trained to "act" like he fights crime, we're told Miller confronted the mail thief -- the two exchanged nasty words, then an actual scuffle broke out as Miller tried to stop the guy from stealing other people's mail.

Sources tell us Miller called 911 while still exchanging blows with the alleged criminal ... and when the cops arrived, they arrested the man on the spot for mail theft and recovered the stolen mail.

Score one for Sherlock. more on this story

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Johnny Tapia's Wife Suspects Drugs Use Before His Death
(TMZ) Former boxing champ Johnny Tapia's wife believes her husband used illegal narcotics in the week before his death -- this according to law enforcement.

TMZ has obtained a copy of the police report taken after Johnny's body was found in his New Mexico home this weekend -- and according to the document, Teresa's suspicions stem from Johnny's longstanding drug problems. Teresa said she had no evidence to back it up.

Police found no proof of illegal drugs in the home, but did come across a locked safe filled with prescription meds -- including Hydrocodone (generic Vicodin) and Quetiapine (a drug used to treat schizophrenia).

Cops say they also found a Hydrocodone pill by Johnny's body.

Family members told police Johnny had been complaining of stomach problems in the hours before his death -- which might explain the Pepto Bismol cops also found on the scene.

Johnny's autopsy was completed yesterday. Results are expected in a couple weeks. more on this story

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Anne Hathaway's Ex-Boyfriend Deported After Leaving Prison
(TMZ) Anne Hathaway's ex-boyfriend/convicted conman Raffaello Follieri was taken from federal prison in Pennsylvania and kicked out of the country ... TMZ has learned.

Follieri pled guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering back in 2008 -- after swindling millions from investors in an American church-buying scheme. He's been behind bars ever since.

Follieri was released last week and immediately deported to his native Italy. A rep for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement tells TMZ, "ICE carried out the order of an immigration judge, and removed Follieri from the United States May 25, 2012."

Follieri dated Hathaway from 2004-2008. more on this story

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Singled Out: David Watt Besley's Lonely Room
Today David Watt Besley tells us about the song "Lonely Room" from his debut album "Believe These Eyes". Here is the story:

The song "Lonely Room" is about communication, or the lack of. This person is to proud or stubborn to be helped, or to take advise from the loved ones around him/her. The person in this song has been offered these things many times and has refused, so much that those around him have thought about giving up. This song is a plea to those loved ones that have left him alone. It's hard to be heard behind closed doors and harder to be helped with a closed mind. Step outside that Lonely Room and say thanks or you might end up living the words to this song!

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!

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