This Week's Top Pop Stories

Here are the top stories from this past week's Day in Pop report

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 cliché. 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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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. "Clichés are clichés, 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.

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.

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

Justin Bieber Booed At Awards Show

(Radio.com) Justin Bieber won two awards but was booed when he went to accept one of them during the 2013 iteration of the Billboard Music Awards Sunday night (May 20).

Radio.com reports: Bieber, who went the edgy route with his performance and leather attire, was honored as the Top Male Artist and scored the Milestone Artist award, a fan-voted accolade. But during his acceptance speech, Bieber took to some of his detractors.

"I'm 19 years old," he started. "I think I'm doing a pretty good job. And basically, from my heart, I just really want to say it should really be about the music. This is not a gimmick. I'm an artist and I should be taken seriously, and all this other bull should not be spoken of."

This was met with a mixture of applause and boos from the audience, something generally not heard at an awards show. - Watch video here.

Trace Adkins Wins All-Star Celebrity Apprentice

(Radio.com) Country music came out on top during the live finale of the the NBC reality competition All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. Singer Trace Adkins won the top spot over his fellow finalist, magician Penn Jillette.

The real winner, though, is Trace's chosen charity, the Red Cross, which will receive more than $1.5 million as a result of his win. This includes a $250,000 first-place prize.

Trace's win came at the tail end of a whirlwind week for the veteran singer. The previous Tuesday he released his latest album Love Will…, a collection of love songs that he said in a recent interview came together in part thanks to Donald Trump and the scheduling requirements for Celebrity Apprentice.

The final episode of Celebrity Apprentice took place Sunday night (May 19) during a live broadcast. The competition involved selling ice cream through the Walgreen's chain. Trace was selling Maple Macadamia Mash-Up, while Penn was selling Vanilla & Chocolate Magic Swurtle. During the week of competition Penn actually sold more ice cream. - more on this story

Miguel Falls On Audience Members At Billboard Awards

(Radio.com) Chris Brown mimicked some fighting moves while Miguel actually (kind of) used some during the 2013 iteration of the Billboard Music Awards Sunday night (May 20).

The talk of the night ended up being Miguel's performance of "Adorn." Throughout much of the song, the R&B singer performed behind a screen that allowed images and words to be projected upon it, giving the performance an astral, otherworldly feel.

Once the screen was lifted, Miguel trounced to the front of the stage, twirling and whirling before deciding to leap from one part of the stage to another outcrop, which involved traversing over a group of attendees.

But as Oregon Trail has shown us time and time again, you're not to the end until you've hit the shoreline, and the singer just missed getting his whole body onto the stage, landing partly on two females in the audience, injuring one who reportedly walked away with minimal injuries. - more on this story

Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio Joining X Factor

(Extra) The rumors are true? Extra reports that sources confirm have confirmed to them that Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio are joining "The X Factor" as judges for next season.

There have been numerous reports that Rowland and Rubio were in talks to join returning mentors Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato, but "Extra" has been told the decision has been made and a formal announcement could come as soon as today.

Rowland and Rubio will be replacing Britney Spears and L.A. Reid. "The X Factor" is set to start filming auditions in Charleston, SC, this Tuesday and Wednesday. - more on this story

Beyonce Responds To Pregnancy Rumor

(Radio.com) Beyonce is reportedly not pregnant. Over the weekend, Ebro Darden, the Program Director for New York radio station, Hot 97, allegedly received an email from Jay-Z refuting recent claims by unnamed sources to E! Online that his wife was expecting baby number two. In a YouTube clip, Darden talks about the email, but never shows actual evidence of his correspondence with the rapper.

Backing up Darden's claims is an Instagram post from Bey herself, which reads: "I can't stop the rumors from starting, and I can't really change peoples minds who believe them, all I can do is sit back and laugh at these low life people who have nothing better to do than talk about me."

The photo was posted Friday (May 17) and was later deleted by the superstar. Clearly though this is not the end of the Beyonce baby bump watch. - more on this story

Miley Cyrus Announces New Single

(Radio.com) For the past year, Miley Cyrus has been hard at work on her latest album, giving out a few details here and there, but never letting fans get a listen. That is until now.

At the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night (May 19) Cyrus announced that her new single, "We Can't Stop," drops on June 3. She isn't giving much away about the sound of her latest song–produced by Mike Will, who has worked with Rihanna, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Kelly Rowland–but she did tell E! News that she's been done with the song for "about a year."

"I've had to keep my lips sealed and just not saying anything," she explained. "So you'll see." Cyrus did however reveal that the song is dedicated to her fans, the people who have never stopped believing in her.

"I feel like this song really is for them and how I feel—that I can't stop and I'm going to be who I am and they should be who they are and that they can't stop and no one can stop us," she said.

Adding, "It really is an inspiring song for my fans. We don't care, we can do what we want." - more on this story

ODB's Widow Responds To Rock The Bells Announcement

(Radio.com) Less than a week after Rock The Bells announced the festival would include a RZA-directed virtual performance from Ol' Dirty Bastard, ODB's widow has voiced her disappointment about not being consulted.

As the administrator of ODB's estate, Icelene Jones said she is the single person that can greenlight the use of her late husband's likeness. "I am disappointed that Rock the Bells would not contact me directly about the use of my husband's image," Jones said in a press release. "I am looking forward to talking to Wu-Tang about this matter and coming up with a positive solution in order to bring my husband to the stage once again."

"They need to come to me. I'm so available," Jones told HipHopDX. "I'm accessible. I'm easy to contact. I just want to make that understood. I'm a nice person. It's just that people are doing things without my knowledge."

Jones continued: "I know it's something the fans would like. I don't want to stop anything like that. Bringing him back to life again—it would be a beautiful thing to give the fans what they want. I don't want control or anything like that."

Despite the uneasiness she feels about being left out of the mix, Jones said that her son, Boy Jones, who has performed at Rock the Bells, is looking forward to being part of the festival again. - more on this story

Ed Sheeran Completes New Album

Ed Sheeran spoke with Billboard ahead of Sunday night's Billboard Music Awards and he revealed that he has turned his new album into his record company, but fans will still have to wait for it.

Sheeran said he had just turned it in to his label and added, "It was going to be this year but I don't finish touring till October and then there's no time to get a plan together. I'm going to spend October, November, December planning and then just smash it out next year."

Back in March, Sheeran told an Australian website that the album will be released on Monday February 17, 2014 (North American releases are typically on Tuesday while other parts of the world release albums on Monday). He also revealed one song title: "'Photograph', that will be the big one on the album," he said. - Read that report.

Cody Simpson Explains What Fans Can Expect From New Album

(Radio.com) Less than a year after releasing his debut full-length pop album, Paradise, 16-year-old Cody Simpson just announced new music is on the way.

Paradise reached No. 27 on the Billboard 200 and produced Simpson's catchy breakthrough single "Wish U Were Here," which helped him garner a tour with Justin Bieber and a legion of zealous fans. While Simpson has much in common with Bieber–they both got their start posting YouTube videos of themselves performing cover songs–he had a hand in writing many of the tracks on his albums.

For the sophomore album, titled Surfers Paradise (out July 16), Simpson said he knew exactly how he wanted it to sound and the type of music he wanted to represent him as an artist. He describes it as a "classic summer album" and said to expect a few pop songs like his latest single, "Pretty Brown Eyes," a light-hearted club track which introduces his rap skills, along with a few quieter acoustic tracks.

"I grew up playing the acoustic guitar and I decided I really wanted to go back to my roots on this album," he told Radio.com. "I grew up listening to Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer so they definitely inspired a lot of the album too. There's a really mellow, acoustic sound to it."

Along with writing his own songs, Simpson also produced a number of tracks on Surfers Paradise, including "Awake All Night," which he recently released online.

Simpson explained that the production credit happened naturally. He was originally headed to the studio to record a track someone else had written for him, but the song just didn't feel right. So, he abandoned the track and began to write "Awake All Night" with the desire to compose a lullaby on his guitar. - More from Cody here.

Marc Mysterio Dance Contest Voting Starts and Flo Rida Dub Step Rumor

DubSteppers.org have opened up the voting for their Marc Mysterio Everything Is All Wrong Dance Video Competition and we hear from Mysterio about the Flo Rida collaboration speculation.

The site has invited their readers to view 8 dance videos that were submitted for the contest and then vote for the clip that they think has the best moves here.

Marc Mysterio also addressed rumors that he met with Flo Rida's label 'Poy Boy' in Miami to discuss a possible Mysterio/Flo collaboration on an album track.

"We'll see, it would be a massive endorsement to dubstep if it happened but the song must remain honest to the core sound of genre and not sell out" says Marc. -

Jessie J Reveals New Single Details and Releases Tease Video

(popmusiclife) UK pop star Jessie J has given fans a sneak peek at her working in the studio on her upcoming single, which will be a song called "Wild," and will be her first worldwide single.

The singer has released new video footage that features her recording her vocal tracks, alongside songwriter Claude Kelly and also tweeted details about the single:

"Wild" will also feature Big Sean and Dizzee Rascal…a video is expected to be issued soon. "MY FIRST WORLDWIDE SINGLE IS CALLED 'WILD' Feat @BigSean and @DizzeeRascal GO to http://www.jessiejofficial.com to let the fun begin! #jessiejwild," she tweeted. - Check out the video here.

Josh Turner Reflects On First Time He Heard Himself On Radio

(Radio.com) The first time Josh Turner heard "Long Black Train," his second single ever, on the radio in 2003, he had to pull off the road. "My wife Jennifer and I were driving to my hometown in South Carolina," Turner tells Radio.com.

"We were on this two-lane country road and I was listening to my hometown station and [when] we had finally gotten within range of it 'Long Black Train' comes on the radio. I had to pull off the side of the road because it was such an emotional moment."

Turner went on to explain that this was the moment he had been "waiting for and dreaming about for years and years."

"As a young boy growing up down in South Carolina, to a lot of people being a famous country singer seemed like a lofty goal and even unattainable," he said. "I never doubted it one second. So for that moment to happen in my life was a huge turning point for me." - more.

George Michael Injured In Car Crash

(Radio.com) George Michael was injured in a car crash last Thursday (May 16) in England, according to the BBC. A spokesman for Michael confirmed he had been involved in an accident but said the singer only had "superficial cuts" and was "fine." No arrests have been made.

A statement on his official website reads: "George Michael was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic accident yesterday evening, no third party was involved. He is being treated for superficial cuts and bruises but is fine. We have no further comment at this time."

According to the BBC report, an ambulance spokesman said: "The man, who we believe to be in his 40s, sustained a head injury and following treatment, stabilization and immobilization by land and air ambulance crews, he was flown to hospital for further care."

A police spokesman said: "The exact circumstances of what happened are unclear at this time and until further investigations have been carried out it would be inappropriate for us to comment further." - more on this story

Police Investigating Chris Brown Death Threats

The Los Angeles Police Department are reportedly currently investigating death threats that were made against Chris Brown, according to TMZ.

They report that their unnamed sources informed them that multiple calls were made to the office of Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos and that the caller threatened Browns' life.

The LAPD have reported began an investigation after Geragos filled out a police report and provided the police with all of the information he had on the calls. - Read the TMZ report.

Kanye West Debuts Controversial 'Black Skinhead' on SNL

(Radio.com) A day after debuting new song "New Slaves" on the sides of 66 buildings in major cities around the world, Kanye West took the Saturday Night Live stage to showcase the song, as well as another new one, "Black Skinhead." The tracks serve as the first taste of 'Ye's new album, Yeezus, which is expected for release June 18.

Following Kanye's since-deleted "June 18″ tweet (and a slew of non-confirmation confirmations), Kim Kardashian appeared to confirm the release date and title with an Instagram photo showing the album's packaging yesterday.

Leading up to his SNL performances, West appeared apathetic. In episode promos, he seemed dead-eyed and uninterested alongside host Ben Affleck, having already made his thoughts about SNL fairly clear at a surprise show earlier this week, announcing that he wouldn't be doing any skits on the show ("Hell nah, I ain't doin no motherf***ing SNL skits. This is my godd*** life. This ain't no motherf***ing joke).

"Ladies and gentlemen, here he is, the man you came to see: Kanye West," Ben Affleck, host of the episode, announced before Kanye launched into "Black Skinhead". The primal screams Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter mentioned being a thing on West's new album? He's right, and they can be found on this atmospheric new song, which sounds to sample Marilyn Manson's "Beautiful People."

"Pardon me getting my scream on," he shouted over intense strings, driving drums and images of barking dogs. "Black Skinhead" started and ended with a stamp carrying the words "NOT FOR SALE" projected onto the back wall of the SNL stage. - Watch the performance and read more here.

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles Going Solo With Rick Rubin's Help

(Radio.com) It hasn't been even a week since Jennifer Nettles tweeted out some cute photos of her with her five-month-old son Magnus, but now the Sugarland singer has unveiled the news that she is working again. Specifically, she is in the midst of recording her first solo album. And the man helping her with songs and production on the project is none other than Rick Rubin.

"I'm super-respectful of his pedigree," Nettles says of Rubin, who has worked with such artists as Johnny Cash, The Band Perry, Neil Diamond, the Dixie Chicks, the Beastie Boys, Slayer and Tom Petty. "I still get nervous around him, in a kind of a music-crush way."

Nettles tweeted the news to fans on Friday, " I am absolutely thrilled and wholly proud to be working with Rick Rubin on my new solo album!"

The album, Nettles' first without her Sugarland partner Kristian Bush, has no official release date yet, or even a title, but according to Rolling Stone it is due sometime this fall.

"This album is different than what I've done before," Nettles told Rolling Stone. "What I do with Sugarland, primarily it's stuff that starts with me and Kristian [Bush, Sugarland co-founder] writing together. It's fun to play with that masculine energy, but for this I wanted to do something really personal – more intimate and emotional." - more on this story

Justin Bieber Owes Thousands For Monkey Care

(Radio.com) Day care don't come cheap for Justin Bieber, who reportedly owes a German animal shelter thousands for watching his monkey, OG Mally.

Last month, Bieber was forced to leave his pet capuchin monkey, OG Mally, at the Munich airport because he didn't have the correct documentation to allow the pet in the country. Bieber was given 30 days to come up with the papers, and he ultimately decided to give up the monkey.

However, it seems he didn't tell that to the Munich animal shelter where Mally has been held since being taken away from Bieber. The shelter is now billing Bieber for the cost of care for his monkey. Between general care, food and vet visits for OG Mally, Bieber's bill is several thousand dollars, according to the Munich customs office.

Furthermore, the shelter is still waiting for a response regarding next actions for Mally. He has a deadline of today to come up with papers with legally reclaim OG Mally, otherwise the monkey will be moved permanently to a German zoo or animal park. - more on this story

Candice Glover Wins American Idol Amid 47 Percent Drop in Viewers

(Radio.com) Last week's two-hour American Idol finale brought out the star power, but in the end it was Candice Glover's night. The first all-female AI finale in nine years and first female winner in six years, Candice Glover (as well as her competitor Kree Harrison) alternated performances with some of the biggest stars in music before Glover closed the show with her powerful vocals as she held back tears to sing her new single "I Am Beautiful."

"Persistence, determination and a lot of talent. You deserve it," Ryan Seacrest told Glover, who auditioned for AI twice before her win this season.

Meanwhile, the judges showed off their powerhouse singing with former contestants. Keith Urban's new single "Little Bit of Everything" made its television premiere, while Mariah Carey brought us back to the '90s with a montage of her hits, complete with a wind-blown look.

Even former AI judge Jennifer Lopez took the stage for her clubtastic summer jam "Live It Up." Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson, PSY, Jessie J, Travis Barker, The Band Perry, Aretha Franklin, and Frankie Valli also took the Idol stage.

Despite the A-list performers, the Season 12 finale didn't rack up the numbers. According to Deadline, the two-hour finale last night was down 47 percent from last season's finale.

Idol pulled in 13.61 million viewers last night — 8 million less than the 21.5 million who watched last season's finale. Season 12 is the first Idol finale to have less than 20 million viewers. - more on this story

Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green Returning To The Voice

(popmusiclife) The Voice has announced the return of coaches Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green. The pair, who took this season off to work on music projects, will rejoin the program for its fall 2013 run.

Shakira and Usher are currently filling the coaches seats temporarily vacated by Aguilera and Green. The current cycle of The Voice is averaging a 5.2 rating, 14 share in adults 18-49 and 14.5 million viewers overall on Monday nights, making it the season's #3 primetime series on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, as well as the #2 entertainment series and the #1 reality series, according to "most current" results from Nielsen Media Research.

The Tuesday edition is averaging a 4.7/14 in 18-49 and 13.4 million viewers overall, making it the #4 entertainment series on in 18-49. Every telecast of "The Voice" so far this cycle, excluding recap episodes, has won its time period in adults 18-49. - more on this story

Jennifer Lopez Releases Live It Up Video

(popmusiclife) Jennifer Lopez has released a new music video for "Live It Up," the first single from the former American Idol judge's forthcoming studio album.

Lopez filmed the video in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, earlier this month but it didn't go off without a hitch as Extra reported at the time that shots were fired at the scene of the video shoot (see report here)

Lopez performed the track on the American idol season finale this past week, marking Jennifer's first appearance on the series since wrapping up her judging duties at the end of last season. - Watch the video here.

Dierks Bentley Promises More Depth On New Album

(Radio.com) Dierks Bentley sure can talk fast, as the team at Phoenix station KMLE 107.9 found out when they sat him down for an interview this week. But that's OK, because he's a good-natured guy with an honest soul and a lot to say.

Dierks was in Phoenix as part of his Locked & Reloaded Tour with Miranda Lambert. He spoke openly and passionately about his upcoming album, Riser, which he recently announced will be hitting stores this fall.

"I kinda threw the playbook away again," he said of the album. "I'm working with a different producer, different engineer. Just different songs, man, and it feels really fresh."

Ross Copperman, who co-wrote Dierks' 2012 hit "Tip It On Back," was enlisted this time as producer. Dierks also brought back executive producer Arturo Buenahora Jr., who worked on his first two albums. Additionally, some of the music on Riser was cut outside of a traditional recording studio.

"It was important to get out of the studio and sing in different places," Dierks said in a press statement about the album, "and to do it with other people in the room. That way, you have an audience and you get a sense of what's working, what's not working, when it's feeling good, not feeling good. It brings a little more emotion and energy out of your voice." - more.

Voice Champ Cassadee Pope Filming New Reality Show

(Radio.com) After winning the third season of The Voice, life has been a whirlwind for Cassadee Pope. She signed a record deal immediately with Republic Nashville, and soon she was writing music and hitting the road to promote new single "Wasting Away These Tears."

These days, she's also living life with cameras around her at all times. As she explained to Charlotte station The New 103.7, "I am doing a docu-series. It's less dramatic than a reality show, and it's gonna be on CMT around September."

The show will follow Cassadee on her journey from The Voice through the following months of recording, radio tours, and her debut as opening act on Rascal Flatts' upcoming summer tour. "I want to show the fans the nitty gritty of [making music]."

Part of her journey includes another hurdle: Winning over the country world after jumping in from the punk-pop world. She had been a member of the band Hey Monday since 2008, but on The Voice she won over fans and mentor Blake Shelton with a series of country songs, including a cover of Miranda Lambert's "Over You."

"People are a little hesitant," Cassadee says of her transition to country, "but for the most part I think, on the show, I proved to a lot of people that as long as you're real, you're genuine and you're singing songs you connect with, then no matter what genre people will embrace you." - more on this story

Tim McGraw Excited About Turning 50, New Album and Taylor Swift

(Radio.com) Tim McGraw is not afraid of turning 50. Having just reached age 46 on May 1, the country star told CBS This Morning's Gayle King in an interview today (May 17) that he's even "looking forward" to that impending milestone.

"I hear that it's the best time of your life," he says. "So I'm getting prepared for my 50s." And based on Tim's accomplishments of late, he has no reason to be anxious about that half-century mark. He's in arguably the best physical shape of his life; he's got three wonderful daughters with wife Faith Hill; and he's just put out a strong new album, Two Lanes of Freedom, for a brand-new label.

It's his 12th studio album in a recording career that has stayed strong and grown stronger since his debut 20 years ago. Does he feel that Two Lanes is actually his best album to date? "I think so," he says, adding, "I think I always feel that way. I look at every album as a progression from the last album."

His collaboration on the song "Highway Don't Care" with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban was something different, too. "I wanted to sing with Taylor for a while," he says. "The toughest part was finding a song that wasn't really a 'love song.' And when I heard this song, with that part in it, it was perfect." - more on this story

Gloriana Mixing It Up on Alan Jackson Tour

(Radio.com) Country trio Gloriana has been spending time on the road this spring opening shows for Alan Jackson. Recently they stopped by Radio.com to fill us in on what fans can expect from their live show–and what they've learned opening for someone of Jackson's stature.

The three members of Gloriana–Rachel Reinert and brothers Tom and Mike Gossin–join Jackson again this weekend for two shows in Florida and Georgia. And they all rave about their tourmate.

Jackson is "absolutely amazing," Reinert said. "Being able to play in front of his crowd is a huge honor for us. To get to stand side stage and watch him do his thing every night, he's such a legend. It's great to be a part of that."

Reinert explained that, whether they're opening for Jackson or playing their own headlining gigs, their sets are a mix of songs from their debut 2009 release as well as their latest album, A Thousand Miles Left Behind.

"We're always constantly changing and trying to improve," she said. "We're a live band, we love touring and playing with our fans. We don't know who we are without it." - more on this story

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