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Day in Pop Report for 05/22/2013


Jon Bon Jovi Slams Justin Bieber And Hints At Sambora Problem
Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi shared his strong negative opinion of a recent Justin Bieber controversy and also hinted at the reason why guitarist Richie Sambora missed the band's tour.

Bon Jovi spoke with Evening Standard ahead of the band's music festival appearance at Hyde Park on July 5th and addressed two recent controversies; Justin Bieber taking the stage two hours late at a recent London concert and Sambora's absence from Bon Jovi's latest tour.

The veteran frontman didn't appear too shocked at the Bieber controversy. He told the paper, "Every generation has guys that do that, none of that is new.

"They run the risk of disrespecting their audience members who have worked hard to pay for their ticket, to give you the permission to take two or three hours of their lives � or in that kid's case, 80 minutes of their lives.

"Do it once, you can be forgiven. Do it enough times and shame on you. They won't have you back. Then it just becomes a clich�. It's really not cool � you're an a**hole. Go to f***in' work!"

On a topic much closer to home, Bon Jovi hinted that Sambora's reason for skipping their latest tour may have been for a similar reason to the guitarist's 2011 absence when he missed those dates while in a rehab for alcohol issues.

He said: "It's getting more and more difficult every day to not just sit here and say something... Because all I can say is this � it's for personal reasons. He's been through it before, fortunately for us the same guy who filled in last time was available this time. Read the Standard's full report for more.

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New Beyonce Song Leaks
(Radio.com) With help from a Heavy tribal beat, Beyonce's latest song, "Grown Woman," which leaked monday night (May 20), touches on the power of femininity.

Whether single, married or somewhere in between, this Timbaland-produced ladies anthem is seemingly meant to get every woman up on her feet singing, "I'm a grown woman/I can do whatever I want." Let's consider it the sequel to "Run The World (Girls)."

Mrs. Carter has always been a powerful figure in music, but on her latest song there is a new (and different) sense of confidence here. She starts off the track by letting people know she's been working at this since she was a little kid and she's no one-trick pony: "Told the world I'm gonna paint this town/ Now b****** I run this."

On the track, a snippet of which debuted in Bey's recent Pepsi ad, she continuously touts her power. She sings, "They love the way I walk/Cause I walk with a vengeance/And they listen to me when I talk/Cause I ain't pretending."

She ends it all by explaining that it took some time for her to get this ego boost and she's not giving up on it anytime soon. It's almost as if she's letting all the ladies know, "If I can do it, so can you." more on this story

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George Strait Earns 60th No. 1
(Radio.com) Country superstar George Strait has made history once again. His current single "Give It All We Got Tonight" tops the Mediabase country singles chart as the most-played song on country radio last week, giving the Country Music Hall of Fame member his 60th No. 1 hit.

This extends Strait's record for holding the most No. 1 songs on all charts of any artist in any genre (Conway Twitty previously held the record with 55).

It also means that the Sixty for Sixty campaign, to help Strait earn his 60th Number One while he was still 60 years old, was a success (Strait turned 61 on May 18).

George offered his thanks to fans in a message on his website: "I didn't realize we were making history � I just hoped we were putting out music that my fans would enjoy. As always, I'm thankful to the fans and country radio for their support on all 60 of these number one songs as well as my entire career. They are the ones who made this happen." more on this story

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Toby Keith's Hometown Devastated By Tornado
(Radio.com) Oklahoma was hit with a severe tornado on Monday (May 20) in the community of Moore, an Oklahoma City suburb. Country singer Toby Keith grew up in the neighborhoods that were hit, and he spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper about hearing the news.

"So many tornadoes come through there but I don't ever remember one hitting an elementary school right square on the button like this one did," he said, his voice shaky with emotion. "It's devastating. My sister's house got hit. It's a mile north of my mother's house on the farm where I was raised."

"This storm has devastated the community that I grew up in," he continued. "I rode my bike through those neighborhoods. I have family and friends in Moore. My heart and prayers go to those that have lost so much. But Moore is strong and we will persevere. God be with you all."

The tornado took 24 lives, including at least seven children when it hit a local elementary school, CBS News reports. "You just gotta hope that everyone takes cover," Keith said. "Oklahoma has great meteorologists and they prepare you for this. Oklahoma people are just so resilient and are used to dealing with this in the springtime. They did the best they could do, I'm sure." more on this story

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Jennifer Nettles Tells Sugarland Fans Not To Panic
(Radio.com) Sugarland is not breaking up, Jennifer Nettles has assured everyone. Though Nettles recently announced that she will release a solo album this fall, during an interview Sunday at the Billboard Music Awards she was quick to clear the air regarding the future of her band Sugarland.

"Oh, god no!" she exclaimed, when asked if she and Kristian Bush would be breaking up the band. "Nobody panic," she said, mugging for the camera. "We're just taking time to do things individually�personally and professionally. And we're super supportive of each other on both those fronts."

Nettles was interviewed by Billboard on the red carpet before Sunday's award ceremony. It was her first public appearance since her son Magnus was born five months ago.

During the interview she was practically giddy about her upcoming solo album; however, she didn't want to go into much detail about the songs or the sound, as she didn't want to "give everything away."

She did admit, though, that "it's still country, absolutely. But I think it's gonna show a different side that I don't always get to show on Sugarland records." More including video of the interview.

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Madonna Opens Up About Family, Kardashian and Elton John Feud
(Extra) After Madonna accepted her Top Touring Artist prize at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, the superstar sat down exclusively with "Extra's" Jerry Penacoli, and opened up about her family, her Met Gala photo with Kim Kardashian and her feud with Elton John.

Rocking a bodysuit and thigh-high tights, Madonna talked with Penacoli about her "MDNA" tour and working with her children, Lourdes, 16, and Rocco, 12. "It was great to have a working family� to me that's my idea of fun, to be creative, to do what I love to do and see my kids working around me and earning their way in life. My daughter worked in the costume department and she loved it. My son was in the show, and he loved it."

Madonna explained how she juggles raising her four children, including son David Banda and daughter Mercy James, both 8. "I try to find the right balance between being there for them and guiding them and also being an artist. I'm trying to find enough time in the day to do those jobs well."

The mom continued, "I try to be very clear with them. This is my persona for work. What we aspire to do is to work and to be good people. If you don't have those two things, fame is nothing, so I try to drill that into their heads."

As for Lourdes, who's boyfriend who is rumored to be "Homeland" actor Timothee Chalamet. Madonna said, "She has a very nice boyfriend." Playing coy when Jerry asked if it is in fact Timothee she said, "I don't know!"

Madonna also loves fashion and told Jerry that when she posed with Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala it was the second time she had met the reality TV star. "I met her years and years ago when she was a little girl, believe it or not. She told me she was a huge fan of mine, and it was during the time I was wearing all of the rubber bracelets on my arms. I took off all of the bracelets and gave them to her and then I completely forgot about it. She reminded me when I saw her the other night. Now she's a pregnant lady!"

As for her infamous feud with Elton John, John recently confirmed to "Extra" the two made up. Madonna confirmed the reconciliation at a restaurant in Nice, France. "After we kissed and hugged, he paid for my dinner, as he should."

For those who did not catch Madonna's "MDNA" tour in person, a TV special will air June 22 on the Epix movie channel. She also announced to Penacoli that the tour special is being released on DVD and Blu-ray in September. more on this story

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New Judges For The X Factor Confirmed
(Radio.com) Since the departure of high profile X Factor judge Britney Spears and record exec L.A. Reid, speculation has run rampant as to who will join Simon Cowell's U.S. judging panel.

The question was answered this week when the show announced its new judges will be Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio. Judge Demi Lovato will also return for next season, rounding out the panel.

Cowell commented in a press release, saying, "It's taken more than a decade, but I'm delighted to finally be on a panel with three girls (I think!). Paulina and Kelly both have great taste and massive experience in the music industry and together with Demi, this is going to be a fun panel. It just feels like the time to do something different."

This duo certainly add something different to The X Factor. Rowland � a founding member of Destiny's Child, an R&B solo star and the voice behind the massive dance hit "When Love Takes Over" with David Guetta � possesses variety but can potentially help identify R&B talent, which has gone unrecognized on the show this far. Rowland is no stranger to The X Factor family, having previously served on the panel for the U.K. show.

Rubio is a legend in Latin music and should assist The X Factor in tapping into the ever-growing Latino audience. While she doesn't have the cross-over appeal of Jennifer Lopez on American Idol, she does have credibility that could potentially draw a segment of the viewing audience who haven't considered X Factor previously. more on this story

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Eurovision Vote Controversy
(Radio.com) When Denmark's Emmelie de Forest walked off the stage as winner of this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden on May 18 (with her song "Only Teardrops"), there wasn't a hint of scandal in the air.

After all, Europe's Eurovision Song Contest was launched 58 years ago as a way to strengthen diplomatic relations between members of the European Broadcasting Union. The competition boasts an impressive roster of past contestants, including Celine Dion, Olivia Newton John, ABBA, Englebert Humperdinct and Katrina and the Waves.

However, it seems this year's competition may have done more harm than good for relations between Russia and its neighbor, Azerbaijan, so much so that the two country's governments are holding press conferences to discuss growing Eurovision controversy.

Azerbaijan has come under scrutiny for admitting that the votes submitted for Russian contestant Dina Garipova had been omitted from Azerbaijan's final tally of points.

When Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov read the list of votes submitted via cell phone for the contest, Russia was listed in second place behind Ukraine, meaning that Azerbaijan's Northern neighbor should have received 10 points.

But in the final rundown of the contest, Russia received none, something Mammadyarov calls a "detective mystery." Now the question remains: where did the votes go? more.

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Zac Brown Band Release Jump Right In Video
(Radio.com) Talk about a song tailor-made for summer: Zac Brown Band's "Jump Right In" is all about kicking back, cutting loose, and maybe getting a little crazy. And the video for the song takes the concept one step further.

It's got white sand, blue water and tiki bars, along with plenty of drumming and dancing�but it also involves such antics as hatchet tossing, jet pack flights, and human catapulting.

While it's not exactly Jackass, the idea of being shot out over the water by catapult (with or without beer in hand) will certainly give the saner minds among us pause.

There's actually a story within the video, involving a character named Flody Boatwood and his musical partner Danny. The band released a behind-the-scenes video that gives a bit more background. It also shows what a great crew of artists and supporters Zac and the band have gathered around them. Check it out and read more here.

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Darius Rucker Shares The Secret To Country Music
(Radio.com) "It's not the twang that makes it country, it's the lyrics," Darius Rucker told Radio.com. "Country music for me is being able to tell a story."

Rucker knows this firsthand, as he grew up entrenched in country music and is releasing his third country album, True Believers, today (May 21). In our Radio.com Essentials profile, Rucker broke down country music stereotypes and explained the stories behind many of the songs on his new album, while Entertainment Weekly's Grady Smith provided some back story on the former Hootie & the Blowfish singer.

It's a common answer to the question, "What type of music do you like?": "I like everything but country." But Rucker, who himself encountered great success in the mainstream with rock before segueing to country, pleas with music fans who respond this way.
"To have that stereotype of my dog died or my wife left me, that whole stereotype that they love to live with," he explained, "every time I hear somebody say that ["I like everything but country] I say, 'Take one day and listen to country.'"

As for those who claim country music is all about the same tired lyrical themes of Southern living, Rucker counters that he sings about what he knows.

"For me, I don't sing about pickup trucks and stuff like that because that's not a life I lived," he said. "Clich�s are clich�s, there are a lot of guys that don't write about that stuff but there are a lot of guys that do and it works." More including a stream of the special.

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Beady Eye Release Second Bite Of The Apple Video
(hennemusic) Oasis offshoot Beady Eye have released a video for "Second Bite Of The Apple," the first single from the band's forthcoming album, "BE."

Due June 10 (June 11 in North America), "BE" was recorded in London with producer Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs).

The band's Liam Gallagher, Andy Bell and Gem Archer experimented with Protools, cassette tapes, samplers, recorded conversation, iphone apps and unusual instrumentation to create an ambitious collection of new songs.

"Working with Site just opened something up in us," said Gallgher. "He's without a doubt the best producer I've ever worked with, a real outlaw - he doesn't give a f**k, no rules. We had a new found focus when we were writing it - we really got our heads down and got our sh*t together - clear heads, none of that crap from the 90s. It feels like a really special record for us." Check out the video here.

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Robin Thicke Discusses His Unrated Video
(Radio.com) Robin Thicke is known for his soulful music but this time around it's his music video that's making headlines. The unrated version of "Blurred Lines," which Thicke premiered April, features several women sans clothing. YouTube quickly banned the naked clip, but not before it racked up more than one million hits.

"We just had a great feeling about the song," Thicke told Carson Daly. "I made it last summer. I mean, I had it for about eight or nine months and Jimmy Iovine liked it, but nobody was really jumping all around the place for it."

"And then we shot the video and Jimmy called me seven seconds into the video and he said, 'This is a smash! This video is amazing!'"

"We had always planned on making an unrated [version], we like to call it. Not X, it's just unrated," he said. "So what we would do is shoot a segment with the girls dressed and then they would take their clothes off [and] we'd shoot the same shot." more on this story

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