Talk show, Good Morning America aired a clip of Rihanna during an interview with Diane Sawyer this morning. Rihanna opened up for the first time on television about the incident that occurred in February, when ex-boyfriend Chris Brown assaulted her.
The R&B singer discussed the difficulty of having to endure the public analyzing and chatter revolving around the incident. She also assured Diane that she knew what had happened wasn’t her fault and that she was not to blame for the assault.
She was then asked why she had felt so ashamed to speak out about what happened. Rihanna sadly replied by …read more

The countdown to OneRepublic’s highly anticipated album, Waking Up, continues but fans have already been enjoying the band’s first single “All The Right Moves” and now they’ve released two more tracks “Secrets” and “Everybody Loves Me” which can be grabbed at the iTunes store now.

OneRepublic is also hosting an awesome contest for fans – they are asking everyone to create a new Twitter background for their official account Twitter.com/1republic.  Check out all of the rules here for the chance to become a featured design.

Carrie Underwood has released Play On and I think it’s going to be a big hit.  That first single “Cowboy Casanova” is pretty catchy and the rest of the tracks sound great from what I’ve heard on the preview.   
At this point, though, it’s hard to imagine that Carrie can really do any wrong since her fans adore her and even people who don’t like country music have found themselves singing along to hits like “Before He Cheats.”
Plus, how hot does she look on the cover?  Here’s the track listing:

Cowboy Casanova
Quitter 
Mama’s Song 
Change 
Undo It 
Someday When …read more

NOW That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 32 will be released today and, as usual, it’s a great collection of songs.  The CD features 20 recent major hits from the pop, hip-hop and crossover country charts and is definitely a good choice for a party. 
I know that you can create your own playlists with an MP3 player but sometimes it’s good to not have to think about what songs you want to put together.  I often forget tracks that I really wanted to include so I think compilations like this are great.
As a bonus, NOW That’s What I Call …read more

I consider them to be a one-hit wonder but Danish-Norwegian group, Aqua, is releasing a Greatest Hits album so if you’re a big fan of “Barbie Girl” and “Dr. Jones” you might want to pick up a copy.
Even though the band broke up in 2001, they are now releasing their first single in eight years, “Back To The ‘80s,” and two other new tracks on the compilation which is slated for a November 3, 2009 release date.

Producer/songwriter Claus Norreen says, “We write songs that put a smile on people’s faces…Maybe people are ready again for music that’s about good times.”
On …read more

He might not be the most current artist, but a lot of people have enjoyed the music of Kenny Rogers over the years.  He’s produced some major hits including “Lady” and “The Gambler” as a solo artist but some of his collaborations are just as memorable.
Kenny Rogers: The Greatest Duets was released earlier this week and includes songs with artists like Tim McGraw and Don Henley but also features collaborations with his most common duet partner, Dolly Parton (I love “Islands in the Stream”).
Here’s the track listing:

Islands In The Stream (Kenny Rogers Duet With Dolly Parton)
Make No …read more

What a year for Chris Brown.  At the beginning of 2009, it seemed like the world just could not get enough of him.  His songs were so popular, kids and grown-ups loved him and his career was really skyrocketing.  And then he beat up Rihanna… there’s something about assault and battery that ruins the mood, don’t you think?
The singer’s third album, Graffiti, is currently slated for a December 15, 2009 release date and is the first major thing he’s done (aside from all that community service) since his altercation with his ex-girlfriend back in February.
The album’s first single, “I …read more

I love Brian McKnight.  He’s one of those artists that might not make the mainstream charts with most of his songs but it just doesn’t matter – he’s so talented that the music industry is richer just by having him open his mouth.

After being pushed back twice, McKnight’s Evolution of a Man album has been released and is said to feature collaborations with Jill Scott and Stevie Wonder (I couldn’t confirm from what I could find about the album).  The first single, "What I’ve Been Waiting For", was officially released on August 21, 2009.
Tracklisting:

"The Brian McKnight Show"
"Just A …read more

Ever since Michael Jackson died earlier this year, anything having to do with the King of Pop has been a hot commodity but nothing has generated more buzz than the music and video footage associated with the This is It world tour that he never even got to start.
A movie featuring clips from rehearsals and musical numbers will hit theaters this Friday but you can pick up the This Is It soundtrack today.
The two-disc set contains the original album masters of some of Jackson’s biggest hits including “Billie Jean,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Human Nature,” and “Thriller.”
The second disc offers fans a …read more

Tegan and Sara are releasing their sixth studio album, Sainthood, tomorrow and, as the name suggests, the tracks explore “secular themes of devotion, delusion, and exemplary behavior in the pursuit of love and relationships.”
I think that fans are going to be interested in the song “Paperback Head” since it is the first time Tegan and Sara co-wrote a track since they normally prefer to write separately.
Here’s the track listing:

"Arrow"
"Don’t Rush" 
"Hell"
"On Directing"
"Red Belt"
"The Cure" 
"Northshore" 
"Night Watch" 
"Alligator" 
"Paperback Head"
"The Ocean" 
"Sentimental Tune" 
"Someday"

For more information on the band check out their MySpace profile …read more