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Day in Pop Report for 02/03/2015


Suge Knight Facing Life In Prison Over Hit & Run Murder Case
Rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight had his bail revoked and is scheduled to be in court today (February 3rd) to enter a plea on charges of murder, attempted murder and two counts of hit-and-run. Knight is possibly facing life in prison if convicted due to California's three-strikes law.

Knight originally had his bail set at $2.2 million after he was arrested for the alleged hit-and-run incident last week where one person was fatally wounded and another was hospitalized.

On Monday (February 2nd), Knight's bail was revoked. A Los Angeles Sherrif's Department spokesperson said that the move because of concern that the former Death Row Records executive could be a "possible flight risk" and also because Knight is a "three-strike candidate," and also "possible witness intimidation issues and [Knight's] criminal past", according to Rolling Stone.

The hit-and-run incident occurred while Knight was out on bail in a separate robbery case and ABC reports that the new criminal case filed against Knight notes that the new charges, along with Knight's prior convictions, make this a third-strike case, where he faces life in prison if convicted.

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Bobbi Kristina Brown 'Fighting For Life' Says Family
The family of Whitney Houston say in a statement that Whitney's daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown is "fighting for her life" after the 21-year-old was hospitalized this weekend.

Bobbi Kristina's husband Nick Gordon found her unresponsive in the bathtub of their Roswell home in suburban Atlanta on Saturday (January 31) and she was reportedly placed in a medically induced coma, according to CNN.

Her father, singer Bobby Brown, issued the following statement to E!, 'Privacy is requested in this matter. Please allow for my family to deal with this matter and give my daughter the love and support she needs at this time."

On Monday, Rolling Stone published the following statement from her family, "Bobbi Kristina is fighting for her life and is surrounded by immediate family. As her father already stated, we are asking you to honor our request for privacy during this difficult time. Thank you for your prayers, well wishes, and we greatly appreciate your continued support."

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Taylor Swift Not Performing At The Grammy Awards
Taylor Swift went online on Monday to share her excitement with fans about the upcoming Grammy Awards but also broke the bad news that she will not be performing at this year's ceremony.

Swift explained on her Tumblr page why she will not be performing, "Since my whole life is wrapped up and entangled in the planning of The 1989 World Tour right now, I'm not going to be performing on the Grammys this year. I need this time to focus only on the tour."

However, she did reassure fans that she will be attending the ceremony where she has been nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

"I'm really excited to be nominated for 3 Grammys this year and even more excited that I'll be there having a dance party/rage fest in the audience," she wrote. "I will also be presenting the award for Best New Artist."

And she concluded by writing, "I hope I'll see you out there at one of the stadiums this summer having a rage fest of your own!"

The 57th Annual Grammy Awards are scheduled to air February 8 on the CBS television network.

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Kelly Clarkson Reveals Album Details and Mystery Duet
Kelly Clarkson has revealed more details about her forthcoming album, "Piece by Piece", and she also ended the mystery about who she performs a duet with on the album.

Clarkson previously teased the duet by telling fans that it was with a male artist she had worked with before. On Monday she revealed that the album will feature a duet with John Legend entitled "Run Run Run".

Legend and Clarkson had previously worked together on the ABC singing competition show Duets. They along with Robin Thicke, and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles acted as mentors to the contestants. The show premiered in the Spring of 2012 and was canceled after one season.

The new album is scheduled to be released on March 3rd and will be released in a standard version as well as a deluxe version that will include three bonus tracks.

Clarkson explained on Twitter how she selected the album's title, "It's the title of the most personal song on the album and all the songs are little pieces of me." She also said that the album's first single, "Heartbeat Song," is "the most lighthearted song on the album!" Check out the tracklisting here.

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Katy Perry Breaks Super Bowl Halftime Viewership Record
Katy Perry made history on Sunday after she topped Bruno Mars' record for the most viewed Super Bowl halftime performance after she captured an audience of 118.5 million viewers in the U.S.

Bruno Mars performance in 2014 set the previous record but Perry brought in an additional 3.2 million viewers according to Nielsen ratings data, reports Billboard.

Perry celebrated her Super Bowl XLIX performance on Sunday by having the roman numerals XLIX tattooed on the side of her finger. She posted a photo of the tattoo along with the message, "I thought it would be appropriate to draw blood tonight...XLIX" on Instagram.

If you missed Perry's performance on Sunday, you can watch it on YouTube here.

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Bobby Shmurda Posts $2 Million Bail
(Radio.com) Bobby Shmurda is about to be out of jail--for now. The Brooklyn rapper was able to post his $2 million bail with the help of "management associates," according to the New York Times, and the bail bondsman Ira Judelson, who's worked with the likes of Ja Rule and DMX.

The NYT clarified that the "management associates" were not affiliated with Epic Records, the label to which he's signed. The city set the bail at a high level after claiming that Shmurda was the leader of the gang.

"There is no question that [Shmurda] is the driving force behind the GS9 gang and the organizing figure within this conspiracy," said one of the city's prosecutors, Nigel Farina. Read more here.

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Lil Wayne Might Be Releasing Another Mixtape Soon
(Radio.com) If you thought the release of Sorry for the Wait 2 meant that Tha Carter V was just around the corner, you may be wrong. Or, at least, it might not be the next Lil Wayne release to appear. Rumors are now swirling that the mixtape Dedication 6 might appear before The Carter V or is at least in the works, after DJ Drama posted a picture on social media of him, Wayne, and Cash Money president Mack Maine with the caption "Sorry For The Wait 2. Carter V. Dedication 6."

Lil Waynes run of sequels is a trademark of his career and shouldn't surprise anyone that Dedication 6 would be in the pipes. The biggest concern should be that Weezy maintains his focus and doesn't water down his primary release by trying to release too many projects at once.

As we've seen from Lil Wayne, his methods of release have resulted in classics and disappointments, so it is anyone's guess as to where Tha Carter V will fall on this spectrum.

See the post here.

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Rihanna Previews 'FourFive Seconds' Video
(Radio.com) Rihanna has been one busy pop star of late, performing at a high-profile pre-Super Bowl party with Kanye West and shooting a much-anticipated music video to the song "FourFive Seconds" with Paul McCartney and West.

On Monday (February 2), Rihanna took to her Instagram page to tease a quick tease of what fans can expect when the video is released with a brief glimpse of the video.

The clip Rihanna has shared reveals the singer emotionally belting out the song's lyrics in a stark black & white motif, sporting long straight hair and a denim shirt, reflective of the single's artwork.

The pop star recently revealed that "FourFive Seconds" is slated for Rihanna's R8 album that's expected later on this year during a behind-the-scenes shoot for the new video. Watch the clip here.

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Mariah Carey Struggles With Another Live Performance
(Radio.com) The vocal woes for Mariah Carey continue. The singer, who famously struggled with many of the higher notes during her performance of "All I Want for Christmas Is You" at the Rockefeller Tree Lighting ceremony last year, again had a few problems last weekend, this time with her song "Fantasy."

TMZ posted video of the performance, showing Carey struggling with the song despite a backing lip sync track. Carey seems unfazed to her credit, but the audio and video tell a whole other story.

Perhaps things will have improved by the time Carey's Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace begins. Carey's last album, Me: I Am Mariah' The Elusive Chanteuse, hit stores last year. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 58,000 copies in its first week. Watch the video here.

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Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart Stage Super Bowl Lip Sync Battle
(Radio.com) The biggest battle on Super Bowl Sunday wasn't really between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, it was between Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart.

Yes, these two comedians laid it all on the line on the Tonight Show stage, where they battled epically in the game of lip sync. Along with Jimmy Fallon, the two participated in the Super Bowl of lip sync where only the toughest lip syncer survives.

These guys weren't fooling around, there was Ferrell showing off his Beyonce moves for "Drunk in Love," even rolling around in the "sand" just like Bey did in the video.

Fallon channeled Kelly Clarkson with a few knee slides, while Hart slowed it down for a little John Legend dedicating it to his lady love, but bringing tears to Ferrell's eyes in the meantime.

Though, Ferrell brought it back with a little Adele Dazeem "Let It Go." While Hart showed us his roar with Katy Perry, minus dancing sharks.

But as the home team, Fallon wasn't looking to take anything back to New York but the win, bringing out his pal Drew Barrymore to perform a little Dirty Dancing. Complete with the lift.

Watch The Video here.

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Eric Church Plays Surprise Solo Acoustic Arena Show
(Radio.com) Eric Church is a trouper who can roll with the punches. And he proved it this past Saturday night in Salt Lake City. With many members of his band and crew sick with a stomach bug, it seemed that Church's planned show at EnergySolutions Arena would need to be cancelled. But instead of leaving fans hanging, Church (who wasn't sick himself) chose to take the stage anyway. And he did so alone with just his acoustic guitar.

'If you've seen our show so far on this tour, you're probably wondering what the hell is going on right now," Church is quoted on his website as having said during the show. "Well, so am I. Here's the deal, yesterday we had the stomach flu strike our band, our crew, everyone. We had no one to hang video, lights, nothing. But I'm still here. I'm still standing. We've talked about how every show on the Outsiders Tour is different. Well tonight, will be the most different one. There's nobody left, its just me. I'm going to give you everything I got."

And so he did, throwing together a last-minute 19-song acoustic set. "There was a moment earlier today when I didn't this show was going to be able to happen," he said from the stage in a moment captured on video. "So I took a chance on Salt Lake City."

He then launched into a version of Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road," which segued neatly into his own hit "Springsteen." Read more here.

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Giorgio Moroder and Kylie Minogue Release New Video
(Radio.com) While Daft Punk helped push Giorgio Moroder back into the forefront of popular culture, Moroder has a much bigger party in store for his first album in 30 years.

Charli XCX, Sia, and Britney Spears will all reportedly show up on the new collection, while another collaborator's contribution, Kylie Minogue, is now ready to share. Today, a video emerged of the joint track, titled "Right Here, Right Now." (via Pitchfork)

The clip sees Minogue dancing her heart out while the 74-year-old Moroder mans the decks. Coming after the previously released Moroder single, "74 is the New 24," it's nice to see both Minogue and Moroder appearing youthful and energetic.

No release date has been unveiled for the Moroder album, and while it is rumored to be titled 74 is the New 24, that does not seem to be officially announced yet. What we do know is that new Moroder is on the way, and with it will come bangers.

Check out the clip for "Right Here, Right Now" here.

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Eric Paslay Reveals Engagement To Longtime Girlfriend
(Radio.com) Eric Paslay will be one lucky lady's "Friday Night" for life. The country singer, who penned tracks for Lady Antebellum, Jake Owen, Eli Young Band and Rascal Flatts before embarking on a solo career, told The Tennessean that he proposed to longtime girlfriend Natalie Harker over the holidays.

Paslay said the two met at his former publishing company seven years ago and have been dating for the past two years, after Harker went on to work for another publishing company.

"She was the one that got a bunch of my songs cut, heck all of my hits recorded," Paslay said. "We've got a bunch of fun memories together. I keep joking, 'I guess I have to keep her.' I'd be a fool to let her go." Read more here.

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Danger Mouse Working On Red Hot Chili Peppers' New Album
(Radio.com) The Red Hot Chili Peppers promise new music this year. After a since-deleted tweet from Flea as to who will be producing their 2015 release, the band has now confirmed that Danger Mouse will have a hand in the process.

According to interviews with Chad Smith and Flea, the next album will be "super danceable" and "very different and unique." In an interview with Rolling Stone, Chad Smith said the album was "shaping up good."

'We've done the 'guys get in the room and jam out songs, everybody playing together all at once' thing. And we wrote a bunch of songs that way," he told Rolling Stone. "And we're now going to try another method that will be really challenging for us and will bring new, exciting results for the band." Read more here.

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Gucci Mane Teams With Young Thug For 'Down on That'
(Radio.com) Gucci Mane has released a new song featuring his one-time protege Young Thug, "Down On That." The song opens with a typically hoarse, high-pitched Young Thug yelping his way through a verse about his drug connects.

Don't sleep on the highlight of his verse, a truly bizarre ad-lib he unleashes at 49 seconds in--he snarls what seems like a pure, made-up guttural sound, with a vague resemblance to "sriracha."

In the context of the very uneven quality control that has marked Gucci's post-prison output, his verse here is definitely strong: "I thank God money fell for me, I hope we always be together/A n-- told me he was scared for me, I told him get his s- together," he raps.

The song is supposed to be from the upcoming Brick Factory 3, which was originally scheduled for release this week but has been pushed back. Check out the new song here.

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Ariana Grande Names New Dog After Harry Potter Character
(Radio.com) Ariana Grande must have watched/read Harry Potter lately, because everything's been coming up magic for the singer. After deciding on which Hogwarts school she'd be in (totally Slytherin), Grande has taken it a step further by giving the name Sirius Black to her new puppy.

Grande announced the news on her Instagram with a photo of the adorable pup, commenting that "the puppy breath is out of this world" and adding that she'll be the "Edie Beale of dogs."

Sirius Black is one of the major characters of the Harry Potter universe, the godfather to Harry and the best friend of Harry's father James. He also has the ability to transform himself into a giant black dog. See the post here.

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Pop Stars Celebrate Super Bowl With Queen Classic
(hennemusic) An all-star cast of pop stars joined Jimmy Fallon and The Roots for an a capella version of the Queen classic, "We Are The Champions", on a special edition of The Tonight Show following NBC's broadcast of Super Bowl 49 on Sunday.

Jimmy and the Roots teamed up with Carrie Underwood, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, Blake Shelton, Usher, Meghan Trainor, One Direction and Christina Aguilera for the 1977 classic that is a favorite of sports teams around the globe.

Featured on Queen's 6th album, "News Of The World", "We Are The Champions" peaked at No 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on its way to selling 4 million copies in the States alone; the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009.

Watch the performance here.

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