Cheryl Cole wins fastest-selling No. 1 of 2010

Cheryl Cole has notched up her second UK number one and the fastest selling non-charity single of 2010 with new track 'Promise This'.

The X Factor judge's much-discussed performance on the show last Sunday saw her latest release sell over 157,000 copies this week, just pipping Barbadian singer Rihanna's comeback track 'Only Girl (In The World)' to the top spot.

The lead song from the 'Umbrella' hitmaker's upcoming album Loud achieved first week sales of 126,000, giving Rihanna her 14th UK top ten hit and the second fastest-selling single of the year so far.

Nelly's 'Just A Dream' climbs from 11 to eight this week, where it becomes sandwiched between two big fallers, in the shape of Duck Sauce's 'Barbra Streisand' at seven and The Wanted's sophomore track 'Heart Vacancy' at nine.

Outside the top of the chart, Michael Bublé's 'Hollywood' lands at 11 after being boosted 16 places by an X Factor appearance, while former top five smash 'Miami 2 Ibiza' by Tinchy Stryder and Swedish House Mafia slips just behind at 12.

Elsewhere, a triple bill of new releases - Tim Berg's 'Seek Bromance', Peter Andre's 'Defender' and Devlin's 'Runaway' - make their mark further down the chart, arriving together at 13, 14 and 15 respectively.

The top ten in full:

1. (-) Cheryl Cole: 'Promise This'
2. (-) Rihanna: 'Only Girl (In The World)'
3. (1) Bruno Mars: 'Just The Way You Are'
4. (4) Cee Lo Green: 'Forget You'
5. (6) Michael Posner: 'Cooler Than Me'
6. (5) Katy Perry: 'Firework'
7. (3) Duck Sauce: 'Barbra Streisand'
8. (11) Nelly: 'Just A Dream'
9. (2) The Wanted: 'Heart Vacancy'
10. (8) Tinie Tempah: 'Written In The Stars'

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Rihanna performs "Only Girl (In the World)" live on the X-Factor

MTV EMA 2010: Rihanna To Perform!

Set your DVRs because Rihanna will join the likes of Miley Cyrus, B.o.B. and Hayley Williams and take the stage to perform at the 2010 MTV EMA!

Rihanna first hit the EMA stage back in 2006 to perform her hit "S.O.S.," and since then a whole new Rihanna has emerged: the good girl went bad and got a new "R" rating. The one-time girl-next-door (from Barbados) is now a full on envelope-pushing fashion goddess who, in addition to topping charts and winning Grammys, can also now add actress and author to her resume. AND she's a four-time EMA nominatee for Best Pop, Best Song, Best Female, and Best Video! We love you, Rihanna, but give the rest of us gals a chance!

No word yet on which song Rihanna will be performing from her upcoming album Loud, but does it really matter? Rihanna always hits the stage with killer energy, amazing hair, insane ensembles, and confidence like she's the only girl in the world. (See what I did there?)

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New Ke$ha song from "Cannibal"

Feed On Ke$ha’s ‘Cannibal’ Album Cover

Uh, oh—looks like someone just discovered Photoshop! The cover art for punctual pop glamstress Ke$ha’s upcoming mini album Cannibal has been unveiled, and it looks like it got run over by a Mack truck hauling a freight of glitter canons and Crayola magic markers. (So in other words, business as usual for the “We R Who We R” hitmaker!) Head below to see the full image, plus the cover for the Animal + Cannibal re-release of her debut LP.

Both Cannibal and its accompanying Animal + Cannibal package are due out November 22—just in time for Thanksgiving. Mmmmm. Human flesh and cranberries…

Ke$ha is set to bedazzle the country by performing a medley of her hits at the American Music Awards the night before the release of her latest set of jams.

UPDATED: Here’s the official tracklist for Cannibal, which MTV News posted today:

1. “Cannibal”
2. “We R Who We R”
3. “Sleazy”
4. “Blow”
5. “The Harold Song”
6. “Crazy Beautiful Life”
7. “Grow a Pear”
8. “C U Next Tuesday”
9. “Animal (Billboard remix)”

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Katy Perry - 'Firework' Video Premiere

Fergie to Receive Billboard's Woman of the Year Award

Black Eyed Peas vocalist and six-time Grammy-winning artist Fergie will receive the Woman of the Year Award at the 2010 Billboard Women in Music Event on Dec. 2 in New York.

"I am humbled and excited to accept the Billboard Woman of the Year Award," Fergie says. "Being honored by Billboard is a great career achievement."

Fergie spent 2010 touring the world alongside her Black Eyed Peas bandmates on the Blackberry Presents: The E.N.D. World Tour, performing hits from the group's hugely successful 2009 album, "The E.N.D."

The Black Eyed Peas own the longest streak of consecutive weeks spent at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart by any artist in the chart's 52-year history, with 2009 singles "Boom Boom Pow" reigning for 12 weeks and "I Gotta Feeling" for 14. Additionally, "I Gotta Feeling" is the best-selling digital song in Nielsen SoundScan history.

"The E.N.D." is first album in two decades by a group to yield five top 10 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. The album has sold 2.8 million copies in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.

On. Nov. 30, the Black Eyed Peas will release "The Beginning," their sixth album and an aptly-titled follow-up to "The E.N.D." The album's first single is "The Time (The Dirty Bit)," which will be released Nov. 9.

As a solo artist, Fergie released 2006's "The Dutchess," an album that spawned three No. 1 songs on the Hot 100. "The Dutchess" became the first debut collection by a female artist since 1990 to generate five top 10 singles.

In addition to her thriving music career and extensive charity work related to breast cancer awareness, Fergie has seen success with her fragrance line Outspoken, her multiple fashion lines under Fergalicious and her acting career.

"Fergie took the music industry by storm the moment she came onto the scene, and we're thrilled to celebrate her career achievements and incredible successes over the past year by honoring her with the Billboard Woman of the Year Award," says Bill Werde, Billboard's editorial director. "Fergie is a unique artist with great business savvy, style and an unbelievable dedication to philanthropic efforts, making her an inspiration to aspiring female artists everywhere."

Billboard's annual Women in Music Event celebrates the most powerful and talented women in the music business, coinciding with the publication of Billboard's Women in Music Power Players list.

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Nicki Minaj Gets ‘Revenge’ with Eminem

Roman Zolanski is about to meet Slim Shady. The alter-egos of rap’s most formidable forces will go head-to-head on a track for Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday.

Rap-Up.com has exclusively learned that Young Money’s First Lady and Eminem have recorded a song called “Roman’s Revenge,” which will be included on Nicki’s debut album, due November 22.

Fans can expect more heavy-hitters on the highly-anticipated project, in addition to Em, who trades bars with Nicki’s colorful alter-ego Roman. During a Ustream session earlier this week, she revealed that Drake would also make an appearance on the album, calling their collaboration one of her favorites.

Pink Friday has already spawned the singles “Your Love,” “Right Thru Me,” and “Check It Out” with will.i.am. Find out what other songs made the final cut when the tracklisting hits iTunes this weekend.

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Kid Cudi Is Starting a Rock Band Called Wizard

MTV Shows

Because he's “over” rapping. Cudi breaks it down for MTV:

I don't get any fulfillment out of it anymore. I don't get fulfillment out of writing a 16. That's why you don't ever hear me on Kanye joints like that. For two reasons: he's dope and I'm just not gonna be rapping on 'Ye records and getting bodied all the time. I'm more passionate when he's like, 'yo Cudi, come up with a hook.' Cause he asks me to put verses down but I'll try to procrastinate or disappear or something. I just really get more fulfillment out of singing now. I'm teaching myself the guitar, that's my new found love. I never thought that I could play an instrument. Picked it up, surprised myself. It's been two and a half months, I'm already starting my next project. It's a rock album, I'm doing a band with [producer] Dot [da Genius] called Wizard.

First, can we just say — thank the universe for Kid Cudi! Back in 2007, when he was another mixtape rapper with an underground hit, who could have imagined he'd develop into the ridiculous blog-fodder-producing quote machine that he is today? (Vulture got four posts out of that liquid-cocaine thing alone.) And that's because, to his great credit, Cudi's bold enough to try to make a rock album knowing full well that he'll get tons of shit for it. The legacy of Kanye's experimental 808s & Heartbreak looms ever larger.

It's actually not a completely out-of-left-field development: “Erase Me,” from his upcoming Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, is straight pop-rock, and it's as catchy as anything else occupying air space on rock radio. And even though rock music made by people who have played the guitar for less than three months is generally an unappetizing proposition, this time it doesn't — surprise! — sound like all that terrible of an idea. Cudi's always had a knack for churning out giant choruses (exhibits A and B); if he doesn't feel like rapping in between those giant choruses anymore, we can deal with it.

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Slash feat. Fergie 'Beautiful Dangerous' Video Premiere

Ke$ha: AMAs Performance On The Way!

Ke$ha will hit the stage at the 2010 American Music Awards next month!

The 23-year-old “We R Who We R” singer - and AMA nominee - will perform a medley including her new single. Also performing at the show are Katy Perry and Justin Bieber, who racked up three and four AMA nominations, respectively.

“To have my name nominated alongside them really solidifies the impact I’ve had on American pop culture and pop music the past year,” K$ said. “I’m really honored and definitely going to cover America in glitter.”

FYI: K$‘ Last Girl on Earth tourmate, Rihanna, will also reportedly perform at the ceremony.

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Speak Now Could Result in Sales of a Million PIeces

And a 20-year-old came to save them.

Country crossover star Taylor Swift won't be of drinking age until Dec. 13, but she's already celebrating, as Christmas comes early for the record industry.

The voice of a teen generation released her third album this week, Speak Now, on Scott Borchetta's Nashville-based Big Machine label along with Universal Republic, which has the industry partying like it's 1999, and we don't mean the sale price for a deluxe double album.

Between physical sales and a record-setting pace for digital downloads, the album forecast is between 900k and the magic million mark. The race to that milestone, the first album to do so since Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III in 2008, will provide a measure of suspense to next week's HITS sales chart, based on the response from those music retailers who haven't turned their storefronts into local Tea Party headquarters.

It would also be the largest first week for a Country artist since Shania Twain's Up sold 874k in Nov. 2002, and the first Country artist to go over a million since Garth Brooks' Double Live moved 1.085m in the good old days of Nov. 1998.

Swift's Speak Now is also approaching the year's top digital sales week, held by Eminem's Recovery, behind only Coldplay's Viva La Vida. The album immediately becomes a contender to topple the hip-hop-star's release for the year's best seller, which is now at 2.86m and counting.

The week's only other notable release is Warner Bros. deluxe Michael Buble album, Crazy Love (Hollywood the Deluxe EP), which is on target for between 20-25k in first-week sales.

The market was up 3% vs. last week, down 10% vs. same week last year and now down 13% year to date. You may now check your clothing for bed bugs. And oh, yeah, for everyone in California... Vote yes on Proposition 19 in favor of legal marijuana.

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Adam Lambert to Release Unplugged Album 'Around Thanksgiving Time'

While still occupied with the tour of his debut album "For Your Entertainment", Adam Lambert apparently has returned to studio. He is currently preparing an acoustic album and has started doing a cross promotion during his Glam Nation traveling show.

"There is going to be an acoustic CD," Lambert said during an interview in Australia. "I don't have an exact release date. Probably around Thanksgiving time -- November, December. We went around Europe in the earlier part of this year, and here [in Australia], and we did a lot of promo."

The "American Idol" alum went on, "And so I had Monty, my guitar player, and my drummer at the time - and we just did very stripped-back versions of the songs... and then we also recorded some of the actual stuff from the Glam Nation tour. So it's going to be a mix of both."

From Australia, Adam Lambert went to Hawaii and then starting November 6, he will travel around Europe for a number of concerts at least until late November 29. Afterwards, he is going back to North America for two gigs in Los Angeles.

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New Nadine Coyle Songs

Mariah Carey - "All I Want for Christmas is You (Extra Festival)"

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to be transformed into feature-length film

Hey, remember the popular Michael Jackson video for “Thriller,” where Jackson and director John Landis adequately summed up the experience of listening to “Thriller” and then provided the visual addendum of zombies and other monsters doing an elaborate choreographed dance to “Thriller”? Deadline reports that GK Films would like to take that video and extend it to feature-length as a $50 million-plus film that would explore “the song’s folklore.” For example, where did that “funk of 40,000 years” originate? What exactly is a “diller”? And so on. Also, it would have something “involving Vincent Price and the town he grew up in.” Uhh… You mean St. Louis?

Currently Jackson’s This Is It collaborator Kenny Ortega is attached to direct, with The Hangover screenwriter Jeremy Garelick handling the script; meanwhile the whole thing is tied up in an extremely expensive rights issue with the Jackson estate, but it’s expected to move forward any day now—because there’s always more money to be consumed, by grizzly ghouls from every tomb.

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Cheryl Cole And Rihanna To Work Together

Cheryl Cole has confirmed she and Rihanna will record a duet together.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard Rihanna wanted to work with me," Chezza admitted. "When I found out she wanted to collaborate, I got goose bumps all over.

"We're definitely doing something together next year. I'm totally up for it."

The hook-up came about after the Rude Boy singer said she was a fan of Cheryl’s 3 Little Words album and said the Geordie star was "the most beautiful woman I have ever seen".

In other Cheryl news, the Promise This singer has revealed that she owes her life to rumoured boyfriend Derek Hough, who insisted she get a blood test when she fell ill, from which malaria was diagnosed.

“He's an amazing, amazing person,” Cheryl told Piers Morgan in her Life Stories interview. “I can never repay him for that.” The sickly star was in tears as she recalled how she’d been given just 24 hours to live after contracting the most deadly form of malaria on a trip to Tanzania.

But although she was happy to praise Derek, Cheryl stopped short of admitting they were dating. “I am not confirming or denying anything. People can think he's my boyfriend, people can think he's my best friend,” she said.

The couple haven’t been photographed together lately but that’s only because Derek is based in Los Angeles where he is appearing on Dancing With The Stars, while Cheryl is busy with The X Factor.

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Justin Timberlake Says Music Career's Not Over, Covers Drake

At his concert for Shriners Hospitals for Children, Justin Timberlake covered Drake - and assured fans that when he decides he wants to come back to the music business he’ll be better than ever!

The 28-year-old entertainer played acoustic versions of his hit “Cry Me A River,” Bill Withers‘ classic “Ain’t No Sunshine” and Drake’s “Over,” adding his own lines to the song!

“Don’t be pissed off I’m an actor - it’s not over,” Justin sang. “And when I come back, I’m gonna come harder / I’m doing me.”

Check out the medley below - be aware that there are some brief moments with strong language!

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Nadine Coyle 'Attacks' Cheryl For Miming

Nadine Coyle has apparently taken a swipe at her Girls Aloud bandmate, Cheryl Cole, insisting she would never mime during a performance.

As we previously reported, Chezza has come under fire for allegedly miming her new single Promise This on The X Factor's Sunday results show, and now Nadz has claimed she won't perform on the ITV show because she wouldn't be able to sing live.

Coyle told The Metro: "I’m not doing Strictly Come Dancing or X Factor for this campaign. I only want to do live shows. I think the problem, well not the problem as such, but what happens with TV shows is you can’t always do things live."

"You can’t really get the full effect and with Insatiable being such a big song and because I’m just starting off I want it to be all about doing stuff live. I would rather go back to when I started doing music in Ireland and it was all live. I mean you just don’t mime."

She added: "So I’m going back to my roots to do that as nerve racking as it is, because you’re worrying about a 12-piece band and you have that ‘ahh anything can happen, it’s live’ feeling, you know?’

Despite not being present at The X Factor for Cheryl's performance, it has now emerged that unlike the rest of Girls Aloud, she wasn't invited.

The Insatiable singer has told The Mirror that Cole 'forgot' to post her XF invite, telling the newspaper: "I didn't know it was happening.. I didn't even know about it. But it's fine, really it is."

She added: "I really want to see them this week. Fingers crossed, I'm hoping we can. I guess it's long-overdue."

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Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" is "huge"

Early word from retail is that Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Big Machine) is “huge” and “exploding,” with some initial projections in the 800-900k range—downright stunning for this day and age. On top of that, half of the iTunes Top 20 tracks are from the album. So how high can Speak Now go in week one? Won’t be long till we find out.

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Album Sampler for Kid Cudi's "Man on the Moon II"

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Movie Trailer

Justin Bieber and Willow Smith dancing at Staples Center

Rock Mafia feat. Miley Cyrus - "The Big Bang"

Cover for Beyonce's "I Am...World Tour"

Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch The Throne' Expanded To Full-Length Album

Back in August, Kanye West revealed that he would be releasing a joint EP with none other than Jay-Z called Watch The Throne. Then, two tracks from the project were released as part of West's G.O.O.D. Fridays series. This past weekend, in an interview with MTV's Sway, West revealed that the project will be beefed up to full-length status, and that he plans to record with Hov in the south of France somewhat soon. Specifics as to what new tracks will appear on the project have not been revealed yet, or if the previously released G.O.O.D. Friday tracks that were implied to be a part of it will remain so. A release date is also still pending.

Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is due out Nov. 22.

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Cover for the Black Eyed Peas "The Beginning"

Listen To The World Premiere of Greyson Chance's Debut Single TOMORROW!

After making a splash onto the web video scene and soon after being scooped up and named the first artist on Ellen Degeneres' new record label ElevenEleven, young Greyson Chance is on the launching pad of a long music career.

The 13 year-old web sensation first rose to fame back in April when he posted a YouTube video of him singing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" -- to date, the video has garnered a whopping 32,000,000 views and counting.

Tomorrow, the singer/songwriter will take the next step of his career when RyanSeacrest.com exclusively world premieres his debut single "Waiting Outside The Lines" at 6am PST/9am EST.

"The song comes from the heart and I hope and pray that my fans can use it to 'escape' from all the pressures of life," said Chance. "I can't wait for everyone to take this journey with me."

After Ryan Seacrest world premieres the single on-air and online tomorrow, Chance will perform it LIVE on Ellen's show! Don't miss what's sure to be a show-stopping performance -- click here to find out when "Ellen" is on in your area!

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Kanye West makes history with Runaway film

There are moments in music history in which have completely altered and revolutionized the music industry for ever. These are epic moments which sometimes aren't recognized for their significance until decades later. Moments such as:

* Bob Dylan releasing the six minute "Like a Rolling Stone" , ending the three minute song era.
* Grandmaster Flash's "Adventures on the Wheels of Steel" becoming the first rap song to ever use samples from other songs.
* Michael Jackson's "Thriller".
* NWA's "F*** the Police" becoming the first banned song from the radio and music television.
* Or even the discovery of Napster which introduced downloading; marking the end of traditional music formats as we knew them.

On Sunday, October 23rd another one of these moments took place. Kanye West premiered his Runaway film to the entire world. A 35 minute film based on the story of a phoenix; played by Selita Ebanks; who crashes into earth and is forced to learn about life on earth. The film starts with Kanye rapping and driving on a road surrounded by woods when he is suddenly hit by the phoenix that crashes right in the middle of the road causing a huge explosion. West then tries to help her assimilate to the life on earth. However the film shows how people on earth aren't accepting of anything that's different; depicting the human race as intolerable and indifferent.

The film was directed by West himself. There's not much dialogue throughout the film rather a compilation of snippets from songs off Kanye's new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy which comes out November 22nd. The DVD of Runaway will also be included with the limited edition version of the album.


Now think about how unique, original and revolutionary a venture like this is ? No music artist in history has ever even attempted to compile a film made up of various songs from one album, telling a story the way West did has done with Runaway . Not to mention the film was played simultaneously on MTV, MTV2, and BET. Millions of viewers tuned in to watch: supporters, doubters, and casual music fans. On twitter; one of the largest networking sites; #Runaway was the number one trending topic. And oh yeah #askkanye was 3rd, #selita was 6th and #Ebanks was 7th all at the same time.


The man is a visionary. Whether you like the person he is or you despise him, you have to respect his impact and his dedication to what he loves to do. With Runaway and his new album he is raising the bar, and setting up new standards for all music artists (emphasis on artist). Soon instead of music videos for individual singles all music artists will be making films just like this one, probably better. But we must all remember a decade or two from now who was the originator, and whom to give credit to . Mr. Kanye Omari West.

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Britney Spears' New Song 'Pleasure You' Leaked; Studio Execs Furious

A new track from Britney Spears upcoming album has been leaked months before its planned release, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

The pop sensation plans to release Pleasure You - a three minute tune in which Spears stays true to form and sings about being submissive, a servant and doing whatever it takes to please her man.

The track was played to RadarOnline.com by a source connected to the singer.

The leak has infuriated record bosses at Spears’ label JIVE, who were stunned when informed of the unauthorized release by RadarOnline.com.

"We are totally unaware of the song being leaked," a JIVE rep told RadarOnline.com.

"We don't know how her song or any other artists song could have been released. We're looking into the issue."

One verse of the track is particularly colorful where the pop star sings:

"If you want to get rough in that lay on your back, I got the max suddenly I'll pull you through whatever just to pleasure you."

The song beat is soft and slow, curiously, like that of an R&B song — a monumental shift for the pop starlet.

"We can't discuss details as to if she's working on a new album," the rep told RadarOnline.com.

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Whoa! Willow Smith You’re On Serious Fire — You’ve Beaten Rihanna in YouTube Video Views!

Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair” video has quickly become a pop culture phenomenon and YouTube has the numbers to prove it!

There’s no doubt that everyone has fallen in love with 9-year-old Willow Smith and her song “Whip My Hair,” but the surprising thing is that she’s beating out heavy hitters in the music biz, like Rihanna, 22, for top video views on YouTube!

Rihanna’s video for “Only Girl (in the World)” was posted Oct. 14 and has reached 3,518,973 (and counting!) views. That’s not small peanuts for the multi-platinum music star, but from the looks of it, she’s got some serious competition!

Willow Smith, daughter of mega movie stars, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, has hit the music scene running with her song “Whip My Hair.” Her viewing numbers since the video premiere Oct. 19 have gone beyond expectation and trumped Rihanna with 4,909,999 (and counting!) views!

Wow! We are totally impressed that a 9-year-old can possess so much talent and charisma to steal the spotlight from a seasoned artist like Rihanna!

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Will.i.Am and Nicki Minaj - "Check It Out" Music Video

Florence and the Machine wins two Q Awards

Florence Welch, of Florence and the Machine, was a double-winner at the Q Awards in London taking best female and best track for You've Got The Love.

Take That also made their first public appearance since Robbie Williams rejoined them in July.

The band, whose comeback single, The Flood, and new album, Progress, are both due out next month, won the magazine's hall of fame award.

Kasabian were named best act in the world.

Take That, who were sneaked into the awards to avoid the red carpet, were led on stage by Gary Barlow to collect their award.

'Extremely happy'

In their acceptance speech, Williams hinted that the band might be back for good.

"Very happy to be back - first day and we've won an award," he said. "I'd like to thank my boys. Extremely happy here. Looking forward to the next few years."
Take That with their award Take That made their first public appearance as a band since Williams quit in 1995

Another newly reformed band - Suede - picked up the Q inspiration award.

Singer Brett Anderson paid tribute to their original guitarist, Bernard Butler, who quit the line-up in 1994 during the recording of second album Dog Man Star.

"I don't think we can accept this award without mentioning Bernard and that great work he did with us early on. This one's for Bernard too."

He later described Suede's reunion in 2010 as "temporarily permanent".

'Alternative universe'
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“Start Quote

We are looking forward to rubbing it into Arcade Fire's nose as soon as we see them!”

End Quote Matt Berninger The National

Surprise winner of best album was High Violet, the fifth release by New York band The National.

Singer Matt Berninger told the BBC: "It was weird and surreal and fun to see so many heroes in the same room. It felt as though we were plopped into an alternative universe for an hour there."

The National beat Arcade Fire, Green Day, Kings of Leon and Muse to the best album prize.

Berninger joked: "We are looking forward to rubbing it into Arcade Fire's nose as soon as we see them!"

Paolo Nutini picked up best male and Bryan Ferry was named the Q icon.
Mark Ronson and Paolo Nutini pose at the Q Awards 2010 Mark Ronson and Paolo Nutini were both winners

Best new act went to folk band Mumford and Sons while US rockers Green Day won the live award.

Best video went to End Credits, by Chase and Status featuring Plan B, who also won best breakthrough act.

Plan B said the award was a surprise, adding: "I expect the worst, I expect people to ignore me and be down on me because that is what I've experienced. I'm a little bit unaware of how big it has got until other people make me aware of it."
Continue reading the main story
Related stories

* Travie reveals Ronson Jacko song
* Reformed Suede to receive Q award

The Q classic album went to Band on the Run, by Wings. Sir Paul McCartney dedicated his award to late wife Linda who died in 1998 from cancer, who co-wrote and played on the album.

Meanwhile, the innovation in sound award went to super-producer Mark Ronson. Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, who presented the award, said Ronson was a deserving recipient.

"Having worked with him over the last 18 months, he's pretty extraordinary in the studio and has an enthusiasm and a willingness to experiment that you don't find in many modern producers."

There were also awards for other long-established acts including Madness, The Chemical Brothers, and Crowded House's Neil Finn.

Suggs, of Madness, joked the band had been "idle" for 30 years and that they were being rewarded for the laziness.

Other stars who attended the event at London's Grosvenor House Hotel included Nadine Coyle, Charlotte Church, Ray Davies, Corrine Bailey Rae, Sandie Shaw, Bernard Sumner and KT Tunstall.

Singer Clare Maguire, 22 - currently on tour with Plan B - was tipped as the next big thing.

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Eminem Is The Hottest MC In The Game!

Everyone loves a comeback story, and in 2010, that's what they got from Eminem.

Even though Marshall Mathers sold 608,000 copies of 2009's Relapse in its first week, the project was panned by critics and longtime Em fans. They said he rhymed in too many weird voices, that the production sounded dated and that the subject matter was too grim. The LP didn't make enough of an impact, and there really wasn't much buzz around Eminem to even warrant him making the Hottest MCs list last year.

This year, however, was totally different. Eminem pretty much dominated 2010 from start to finish, and the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust voted him the #1 Hottest MC in the Game. "Obviously, the last album was lackluster," mtvU's Yomi Desalu said during the Hottest MCs roundtable discussion. "I think he recognized that, not being on the board last year."

Em got back in the swing of things this year, first by ripping the all-star posse cut "Forever," which, despite being released in September 2009, had enough momentum to keep playing all the way into 2010. Then he guested on the Lil Wayne single "Drop the World," a highly anticipated duet between the two rappers that had been buzzed about for years; added a poignant verse to the remix of B.o.B's "Airplanes"; and even dropped a couple of freestyles (on Drake's "Over" beat and Lloyd Banks' "Beamer, Benz or Bentley").

It all led up to the release of the first single from Recovery, "Not Afraid." The song was a turn of form for Em that found him spitting motivational rhymes and encouraging people to face their fears, for better or worse. In a post-recession America, it felt like a message people really needed to hear: Don't give up, because we're all in this together. "Not Afraid" hit #1 on the Hot 100 and pushed Recovery to 741,000 units sold its first week. Em followed that with "Love the Way You Lie," which was poignantly assisted by Rihanna.

That song also hit #1 on the Hot 100, as well as pretty much every other Billboard chart. The video was viewed 6.6 million times on the day it debuted on Vevo, a record for the site, and has since been viewed 167 million times. Both songs remain staples on radio playlists and video countdowns nationwide.

"Something about Em this time around, you don't feel like he's following some type of formula," MTV Jams' Tuma Basa said. "He didn't come out with that corny Slim Shady record. This time, he came like, 'I came to play.' And the records have this motivational anthemic type [of feel] we haven't seen in him. He's stepping into a new space."

While there's little doubt Em will take home a stack of trophies at the 2011 Grammys, he actually nabbed two this year for Best Rap Album (Relapse) and Best Performance by a Duo or Group ("Crack a Bottle" with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent). He also brought home VMAs for the Best Male Video and Best Hip-Hop Video for "Not Afraid," while winning three Teen Choice Awards (Choice Rap Album for Relapse, Choice Rap Artist and Choice Rap/Hip-Hop Track for "Love the Way You Lie").

He also had a handful of performances on the BET Awards, the VMAs and the Grammy Awards. And who could forget his cameo on the season finale of HBO's "Entourage"? Em was everywhere in 2010.

But it was his Home and Home Tour with Jay-Z this past September that really showed just how big of a year he had. MTV News' Shaheem Reid wrote of the concert at Comerica Park: "Detroit hasn't screamed this loud at a baseball park since Kirk Gibson was hitting home runs in the 1984 World Series." Em actually faced stiff competition during the roundtable, where he was initially voted #2. Some Brain Trustees were coming for his head, claiming Jay-Z or Kanye should actually have that slot. The coup didn't last long, though.

"When you do close to 3 million in three months — come on, man," MTV News supervising producer Sean Lee said.

"You think Kanye's gonna sell 3 million?" MTV News senior producer Rahman Dukes added.

Others, like MTV News senior writer Jayson Rodriguez, felt like Kanye held more cultural caché at the moment. He was the new guy on the block; Em was old news.

But when it came down to a test of skills and performance on records, Eminem got the nod.

"He jumped on Wayne's 'Drop the World' and murdered that verse," Reid said. "Obviously, you heard him on 'Airplanes' with B.o.B, a very unexpected collaboration. Now you gotta come sit at the table with the other bosses in rap, and he's doing it."

Eventually, after initially voting to keep Jay-Z at #1, because of Eminem's momentous year, the roundtable pushed Em to the top.

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Lady Gaga Reaches Billion YouTube Views

In March, Lady Gaga became the first person to reach one billion views of her music videos on the Internet. Today, she hit the one-billion mark on YouTube alone.

At the time of writing, uploads from Lady Gaga’s official music video channel, including the MTV Video Music Awards-winning videos “Poker Face”, “Paparazzi”, “Bad Romance” and “Telephone” feat. Beyoncé, have a total of 1,000,059,920 views.

Lady Gaga is the most popular singer on almost every major Internet website. Besides dominating YouTube, she also has the most subscribers on Twitter and Facebook. Earlier this year, Gaga was named the most searched for celebrity on Google.

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Cheryl Cole performs "Promise This" Live

Taylor Swift - 'Speak Now' Target Commercial

Kanye West's "Runaway" Movie

Nicki Minaj will announce tracklisting on Monday

Another Shakira Fan Jumps on Stage During Concert

Preview of Kanye's "Runaway" Video featuring Nicki Minaj

New Kanye West Songs

Nicki Minaj - "Blow Your Mind"

New Cheryl Cole Leaks

New Taylor Swift Leaks

Nicki Minaj To Talk Being #6 Hottest MC On ‘RapFix Live’

Attention Barbies! Your leader Nicki Minaj is the #6 rapper on our Hottest MCs in the Game list for 2010 and the first woman to ever join the esteemed round-up. To celebrate her rank, lyrical talent and penchant for entertaining faces, she’s stopping by “RapFix Live” this Sunday (October 24) to chat with Sway and answer all of your questions.

Immediately following MTV2′s “2010 Hottest MCs in the Game” broadcast, during which the top five will be revealed, Nicki Minaj will take questions from fans on MTVNews.com at 2:30 p.m. ET. Just make sure to send messages through Twitter to @MTVRapFix with the hashtag #rapfixlive beginning now and throughout the show for your chance to connect with the Nickster.

As for how she made #6, aside from the fact that Nicki had a radio staple this summer with the Annie Lennox-sampling single “Your Love” — which hit #1 on Billboard’s Rap Songs chart — she really made her presence felt by beasting other MCs on their own tracks. Counting guest appearances among Kanye West, Rick Ross and Jay-Z (‘Yeezy’s “Monster”) and Ludacris (“My Chick Bad”) and her show-stealing appearance on DJ Khaled’s star-studded “All I Do Is Win” remix, she killed each feature. She also stood out among her crew on Young Money’s “Bedrock” and “Roger That” while arguably out-spitting Drake on his own song, “Up All Night.”

But Nicki’s appeal wasn’t just limited to hip-hop.

Christina Aguilera called on her for “Woohoo,” Sean Kingston recruited her for the reggae-tinged “Letting Go,” Usher tapped her for “Lil Freak,” and labelmate Jay Sean did the same for his pop hit “2012.” And to further cement her status as the top feature artist of 2010, Trey Songz’s “Bottoms Up” is currently #2 on Billboard’s R&B Songs chart. On top of all that, her debut album, Pink Friday, doesn’t even drop until next month.

Is it possible to be any hotter than Miss Minaj? We seriously doubt it.

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Mariah Carey's "Oh Santa!" debuts at Number 1

The singer builds anticipation for "Merry Christmas II You," due Nov. 2, with first single "Oh Santa!," which debuts at No. 1 on Billboard's new Holiday Digital Songs chart (one position above her original version of "All I Want for Christmas Is You"). The follow-up album to 1994's "Merry Christmas" includes a duet with Carey's mother, Patricia.

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Crazy Shakira fan jumps on stage at concert

Kanye West says Taylor Swift, Dixie Chicks, Ray Charles didn't deserve Grammys

Kanye West has strong opinions about awards shows. Anyone who has forgotten this salient fact can find a reminder in West’s latest explosive interview with Access Hollywood. The rap superstar spoke out against what he sees as undeserving recent winners of the Grammy Award for Album of the Year…including, you guessed it, Taylor Swift. Oh dear. Here we go again!

“Where’s our instant replay clock?” West asked, according to Access Hollywood. “Why are the last four Albums of the Year: Taylor Swift, Dixie Chicks, Ray Charles and Herbie Hancock? Like, you know, with all due respect… that’s inaccurate.” (Speaking of inaccuracies, he forgot to mention Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, who won in 2009. Maybe he’s a fan.)

Instead, West suggested a few albums he’d rather have seen win. “It’s like ‘SexyBack’ — you know what I’m saying? Like [Justin Timberlake's] FutureSex/LoveSounds, Gnarls Barkley. How about Usher — Confessions? How about albums that sold 10 million?”

Lest you misunderstand the motivations behind these words, West clarified the larger social significance involved: “I pinpoint the Grammys and the VMAs because they have to take responsibility, because they mean something to us. Little kids, 6 years [old], that are singing in front of the mirror. They’re also thinking about their Grammy speech; they’re thinking about when there will be a VMA so these people, whoever run them… they have to take some responsibility to say what really happened in culture this year because we’re marking it down.”

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Cheryl Cole Promises Girls Reunion

Cheryl Cole insists Girls Aloud will get back together but says the group are enjoying their break away from each other.

Cheryl Cole insists Girls Aloud will get back together.

The 'Promise This' singer has enjoyed huge solo success since the group - which also consists of Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberly Walsh - took a break last September but she is adamant they will reunite as they have signed a deal.

The 27-year-old beauty said: "We have a three album deal with the record label - we signed it before we took a break. I actually think this break is really important for us as people. Forget artists and whatever we're doing as that, just for us as women. We've been together since I was 19, I remember Nicola's 17th birthday when we'd just got together. We're all young women now and we were living and breathing each other. It was intense and it's been nice to learn about yourself as I felt we'd just morphed into one person. We needed this space to grow.

"Nadine's releasing her first album so she needs that time. So we kind of all just need a bit more time."

Although she can't set a date for the reunion, she says they are all looking forward to working together again.

She told BBC Radio 2: "The strange thing for us is that it doesn't seem like two minutes since were together, Because we still see each other regularly. We haven't split up and we will get back together - just a case of as and when."

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Taylor Swift - Speak Now previews

Miley Cyrus and B.o.B to perform at the MTV EMA 2010

MTV today announced more A-List talent performances are set for MTV EMA 2010, helping to make the show on 7th November in Madrid the biggest and best EMA yet.

MTV EMA 2010 is sponsored by the new Suzuki Swift, Calvin Klein Jeans and Dell.

The teen sensation, now megastar artist Miley Cyrus will be bringing sassy Southern charm to Madrid for her first ever MTV EMA performance. Also confirmed is Billboard number one artist B.o.B – who also hails from a US Southern city, Atlanta – who will be making his EMA debut performing ‘Airplanes’ with Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams.

“I can’t wait for the EMAs!” says Miley, “It will be my first performance on this amazing show and the people of Madrid are going to be the best audience ever!”

Said B.o.B, "I'm very excited about my upcoming performance with Hayley at the EMAs this year, here's hoping that this is the first of many!!"

MTV also announced two new additions to the presenters bill. International phenom Snooki (Nicole Polizzi) of Jersey Shore fame will be joining her reality show co-star Pauly D as they take to the stage in Madrid. Stunning True Blood actress Evan Rachel Wood will also be on hand to present an award at MTV EMA 2010.

Hosted by Eva Longoria, MTV EMA 2010 will broadcast live from Madrid’s Caja Magica on MTV platforms across the globe from Sunday, November 7th, 2010, 21:00 CET, and will feature performances by Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Kid Rock, Kings of Leon, Linkin Park, Plan B, and Shakira. Pauly D, Emily Osment, The Dudesons and Johnny Knoxville will make appearances. MTV EMA 2010 will broadcast live from 9pm CET, Sunday 7th November on MTV channels around the world. MTV EMA 2010 will also stream live on www.mtvema.com and Facebook from 21:00 CET on Sunday 7 November 2010.

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Christina Aguilera To Perform At 2010 AMAs

Christina Aguilera’s first performance since announcing her separation from husband Jordan Bratman will be at the 2010 American Music Awards, airing November 21 on ABC, Access Hollywood has learned exclusively. She will perform a song from her new movie “Burlesque.”

Christina stars in the new film, opening November 24, alongside Cher, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Cam Gigandet, Julianne Hough, Eric Dane and others.

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Christina filed for divorce from her husband last week. In the papers filed last Thursday in Los Angeles, and obtained by Access Hollywood, the Grammy winner cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.

“Burlesque” is about a small town girl (Christina), who moves to LA and starts work and becomes the center of drama at a burlesque club, run by a former dancer (Cher).

Cher has gone on record praising Christina and her other co-stars, including Kristen, Eric and Julianne.

“Bout me & Xtina ! Didn’t know her b4, but she worked her a** off,” Cher Tweeted recently. “She has my respect & a great deal of my love.”

“I wanted 2 help her ! In my heart I think I did,” Cher, 64, added.

“K bell kicks a** ! She is smoking,” Cher wrote of Kristen, who plays Christina’s rival, Nikki. “Julianne has a great sensitivity! Eric well I’ve known him since he was a teenager I’m proud!”

Cam also got a Tweet shout out from the superstar as did Peter Gallagher, who are also part of the cast.

“Cam has got chops,” Cher wrote. “Peter Gallagher never stops creating! Hope I don’t seem like stupid Divia Just observations.”

Cher, who won an Oscar for “Moonstruck” in 1987, added that filming the project wasn’t easy, especially with all the stars.

“I was scared but I loved working with all the REALLY Precious Talented actors! I’m lucky,” she added.

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New Black Eyed Peas song - "The Time"

Album review: Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now'

If any album has a shot at selling a million copies in its first week (and it’s been two and a half years since any album did), it’s Taylor Swift’s Speak Now, which comes out Oct. 25. If nothing else, the follow-up to 2008’s Grammy Award-winning, six times-platinum Fearless will launch a million speculative blog posts, since much of her third album is said to be about “Taylor Swift and that Twilight kid,” as Katherine Heigl put it in a Life as We Know It punchline. Then there’s the song that’s definitely about Kanye West, the single that might be about Glee star Cory Monteith, and the six-and-a-half minute utter excoriation of John Mayer, whose already tough year is about to get a little rougher.

Confronted with subject matter that was gossip mag material before it became lyrical fodder, country fans might quote the famous chorus of Waylon Jennings: “Are you sure Hank done it this way?” Fans of the confessional singer-songwriter tradition in popular music, meanwhile, could similarly ask: Are you sure Joni done it this way?

Indeed, when Joni Mitchell released Blue in 1971, most of her fans weren’t devouring every line to try to figure out whether it was about Crosby, Stills, or Nash. But that was then, and this is Speak Now, very much a product of its transparent times. If Swift’s approach to songwriting is far more diaristic than some of her predecessors, oldsters may see that as exhibitionistic, but her twenty-something contemporaries will recognize it as perfectly in keeping with the candor of the Facebook generation. Why settle for a roman a clef when you can be real?

Speak Now does keep one foot, or at least a couple toes, in teen-pop. The bouncy title track, in which the singer breaks up an ex-beau’s wedding sounding like Feist on happy pills, is arguably the bubblegummiest thing she’s ever done. And “Never Grow Up,” an acoustic lullaby, is so patently anti-adult that Swift advises the baby she’s tucking in for the night to stunt its own growth before the kid has to experience future rejections or desertions. But for the most part, Swift seems comfortable with the whole growing-up thing—which she accomplishes not by tarting herself up, as disastrously attempted by Miley Cyrus, but by fully embracing the singer-songwriter genre and the deeper, more complicated emotions that fuel it.

The best and most shocking song here, “Dear John,” is the one that parents may be reluctant to let their tweens hear—not because there’s any sexual explicitness to it, but because its ravaged emotions in the wake of an ill-advised fling feels like a cold slap in the face to kids who’ve barely exited the Disney princess years. It’s a brilliant song, and not necessarily an easy one to listen to… at least until the chills-inducing climax, when Swift gets past the nastiness and sings: “All the girls that you run dry/Have tired, lifeless eyes/’Cause you burned them out/But I took your matches/Before fire could catch me/So don’t look now/I’m shining like fireworks/Over your sad, empty town.”

It would be a pretty devastating track with or without the knowledge that it is allegedly about John Mayer, with whom Swift was rumored to have a brief tryst. Consider this the unofficial confirmation. The details of Swift’s ballad about a guy with a “sick need to give love and take it away” all square up with what’s known, or suspected, from tabloid reports earlier this year: The disapproving mom (“My mother accused me of losing my mind/But I swore I was fine”), the disapproving public (“I ignored what they said: Run as fast as you can”), 12-year age difference (“Don’t you think 19’s too young/To be played/By your dark, twisted games”), and… the name. Surely Mayer must’ve realized, if he did romance Swift, that she’s not big on pseudonyms.

You expect comeuppance in a Taylor Swift album, if not necessarily the stark kind doled out in “Dear John.” There’s more of the playful sort heard on the previous two albums in “Better Than Revenge,” the most breathlessly paced rocker on the album, which begins with the singer whispering “Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did,” then chiding a rival with the line, “I’m just another thing to roll your eyes at, honey… She should keep in mind that there is nothing I do better than revenge.”

It’s a fun number, but if there were many more along those lines, you might worry that Swift could be falling into a vengeance-is-mine-sayeth-the-lioness schtick. Actually, what’s most surprising about Speak Now—once you get past the bitterness of “Dear John”—is how unexpectedly sweet it is. Swift’s had her moments before, but she’s never treated a boy quite as affectionately as she treated her mom in the previous record’s “Best Day.” This time around, she doesn’t try just a little tenderness, but a lot—and most of it seems to be reserved for a Taylor Lautner-like figure who was loved and, purposely or inadvertently, left behind.

“I feel you forget me like I used to feel your breath,” she sings softly in “Last Kiss.” In “Long Live,” she stands proudly, even as “the cynics were outraged, screaming ‘This is absurd.’” It may sound self-congratulatory, or it may just be someone at the top of her game, briefly paired with someone at the top of his game, latching on for all it’s worth to something that’s destined to fade, as the lyric acknowledges it will.

Will the cynics still be outraged when Speak Now becomes the biggest-selling album of the next year? (“Mean,” the only other song on the album to allude to some defensiveness on Swift’s part, is an utterly upbeat country song that even has a funny and extremely self-aware nod to those who say she “can’t sing.”) They may be out in greater force than ever before, but the stone-hearted among them who listen to Speak Now will find it hard to complain that Swift somehow stole that Best Album Grammy for Fearless. Entirely self-penned, sans the collaborations of the previous albums, it’s an enormous breakthrough in songwriting maturity, while hardly forsaking the childlike lack of pretense that made earlier efforts such guilt-free ear candy. Deal with it, haters: It’ll be decades before she’s holding her peace.

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Mariah Carey's Preview of "Merry Christmas II You"

Robyn's 'Body Talk' compilation artwork and track list revealed

Body Talk: Released…
USA – 22nd Nov
Scandinavia – 22nd Nov
Australia – 26th Nov
UK – 29th Nov
Germany – 3rd Dec

I’m going to keep mixing up my tours with studio time and am hoping to stick to this new way of releasing music next year. This is the third, last part and completion of the Body Talk album. It was never my goal to break some kind of a world record in how many songs I could release in a year. Although I think it would count as a pretty good attempt, it’s been about the process for me. It’s been very interesting to try and figure out a more organic way of making music. A way that is unbiased and has it’s starting point in what feels logical to me, but also to the listeners.

Even though it was never a conceptual idea, but a practical solution to the problem of getting bored with just doing one thing at a time, it has influenced not only the music, but all the visual content for the album as well. And the way I’ve communicated with press and listeners. It’s been amazing to share the process with you. As soon as I have had an idea of what I’m doing so have the fans and that interaction has been super interesting and fun to me. As I’m writing this, I am still mixing the third album.

There are 5 new songs ready to be released and I’m also including music from Body talk pt 1 and 2 to complete this body of work in what will make the turbo version of the Body Talk album. Thanks for tagging along with me on this ride!

1. "Fembot"
2. "Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do"
3. "Dancing on My Own"
4. "Indestructible"
5. "Time Machine"
6. "Love Kills"
7. "Hang with Me"
8. "Call Your Girlfriend"
9. "None of Dem" (featuring Röyksopp)
10. "We Dance to the Beat"
11. "U Should Know Better" (featuring Snoop Dogg)
12. "Dancehall Queen"
13. "Get Myself Together"
14. "In My Eyes"
15. "Stars 4ever"

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Jessica Sutta (formerly of Pussycat Dolls) - "I Wanna Be Bad" Music Video

Rihanna To Open The American Music Awards

Rihanna will be the opening act for this year’s American Music Awards, according to Rap-Up.com and Universal Music.

Rihanna has been nominated for “Favourite Soul/R&B Female Artist” along with Alicia Keys and Sade. Click here to VOTE!

The 38th annual AMAs will air live on Sunday, November 21st, at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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Single Cover for Rihanna's "What's My Name"

PREVIEW: Rihanna Discusses "Bad Ass" New Album

Next month Rihanna will release one of the year's most anticipated albums, Loud, and the singer has a lot of ambitions for it. "It's really expressive and sassy and flirty," she tells SPIN. "It's also blissful and really feminine."

There's a lot on the line with this record. Rihanna's been riding high on the pop charts with her Eminem collaboration "Love the Way You Lie," while her last album, the platinum-selling Rated R, spawned the massive singles "Rude Boy" and "Hard."

The singer took a break from finishing the album to give us a sneak peek of four of the edgier songs, including the Avril Lavigne-sampling "Cheers" and the sexually charged "S&M":

"S&M":
Rihanna delivers some of her most provocative lyrics on this track, including lines like "Sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me." But she says people shouldn't take the sexually charged lyrics too literally. "I don't think of it in a sexual way, I'm thinking metaphorically," she says. "It's more of a thing to say that people can talk….people are going to talk about you, you can't stop that. You just have to be that strong person and know who you are so that stuff just bounces off. And I thought it was super bad ass."

"Man Down":
On this reggae-tinged track, Rihanna delivers graphic lyrics about shooting a man, but it's not like she's armed with a glock and gunning down dudes on the street. "The song is about breaking a man's heart," Rihanna explains. "It's a very cleverly written song and what I love about it is that it's not a lyric you'd normally hear a female singing." As for the reggae vibe of the record, Rihanna says the music is an echo of her roots. "The vibe is Jamaican and West Indian," she says. "That's something that's close to me."

"Cheers":
Rihanna experiments with grungier sounds (heavy guitars, rock beats) on this pub-appropriate anthem, which samples Avril Lavigne's ballad "I'm With You." "It's one of my favorites on the album," Rihanna says. "It's a song you would hear in a bar but I think you could also hear it all over pop radio. It's really grungy and melodic and catchy. And the way the producers sampled Avril — it's like she's an instrument. It's really cool how they combined [the song] with her vocals."

"What's My Name":
Stargate and Ester Dean penned this track, which features guest vocals from Drake. "It's a really fun flirtatious song," she says. "It has a youthful energy. And it's so catchy, like, you can't get it out of your head."

On the video front, Rihanna just dropped her latest, "Who's That Chick," and the production may be her most over-the-top yet. She teamed up with chip-maker Doritos to produce a "day" and "night" version of the video, which allows the user to toggle back and forth between both versions while the video streams. (Check out the Jonas Akerlund-directed clip here.) "It was strange because we had to shoot the exact video twice, the exact same way with the exact same staging and the same choreography," Rihanna says. "But it was cool to see the dynamics of the set, just to see how much it was contrast. I think it's very cool."

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Rihanna - Who's That Chick Night Vs Day Comparison

Who's That Chick (Day/Night Versions) from Jon ALi on Vimeo.

Kanye West's Next Single To Feature 11 Artists, Including Elton John

Kanye West revealed last night that his third single "All of the Lights" will feature 11 other artists including Kid Cudi.

Kanye's G.O.O.D. Friday leaks have featured some very large guest lists, but all of those will pale in comparison to Kanye's third single. Last night in Los Angeles Mr. West aired a short screening of his film Runaway, where he revealed that the next single would feature 11 artists.

Hip Hop fans may be a bit disappointed as this cast doesn't feature his usual emcee collaborators, but Kid Cudi and 10 singers. Those who 'Ye said will appear are Rihanna, Alicia Keys, John Legend, The-Dream, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, Ryan Leslie, Fergie, La Roux’s Elly Jackson, the aforementioned Kid Cudi and Rock legend Elton John.

The Louis Vuitton Don didn't include full verses from each, but bits and pieces and described the track as “completely seamless and completely ghetto as fuck.” The song will be heard in his 35-minute Runaway film, premiering Saturday, October 23, at 8 EST.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy drops November 22.

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'X Factor' confirms Cheryl Cole performance

Cheryl Cole has been confirmed to perform on this weekend's X Factor live results show.

The Girls Aloud singer will take to the stage on Sunday to perform new material, believed to be upcoming single 'The Flood' from her second solo album Messy Little Raindrops.

A post on the official X Factor website read: "It’s official! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... our very own Cheryl is going to perform on The X Factor this weekend!

"Yes during Sunday’s show the Girls' mentor will transform into her other role as global pop superstar, and treat us to some of her new material! It's all very exciting!

"After her performance she will then no doubt effortlessly re-assume her role as judge, in time for the dreaded sing-off."

The X Factor results show airs on Sunday at 8pm on ITV1.

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Nadine Coyle - ALBUM SAMPLER

Michael Jackson Album of New Songs In Limbo

That album of Michael Jackson‘s unreleased material?

I’ll tell you what: it’s in limbo.

Later this week we may get a sharper picture of what’s going on. But this much I’ve surmised from talks with various sources.

The best material available really comes from those sessions with Eddie Cascio in New Jersey circa summer 2007. Some of the songs were already written by Eddie’s brother Frank Cascio and recorded as demos with a local singer named Bobby Ewing. Michael put his vocals on them during that time he stayed with the Cascios in New Jersey.

At first there was a lot of skepticism about the tracks. I’m told that co-executor John McClain questioned whether the vocals were really Michael’s, or faked. But they are Michael’s. And they will be needed to round out the selections.

Teddy Riley and a couple of other producers have worked to fix up the Cascio tracks for release.

McClain was also working on tracks. It’s unclear how these have gone. I’m told, not so well. Many of them are outtakes from “Invincible,” an album that wasn’t so good in the first place. And no one’s bothered to approach Michael’s engineer, Bruce Swedien, about tracks from “Thriller” or “Bad” he might have in his archives.

There’s truly confusion now in the inner circle about how to proceed. Sony is waiting for delivery but there’s no album art or concept.

As for a cover: I am told McClain commissioned one a la “Sgt. Pepper” with a montage of drawings or caricatures of people in Michael’s life whom he admired. Funny: several lawyers were jammed in among Martin Luther King and Marvin Gaye. McClain’s picture, sources say, was larger than most of the others.

Needless to say, that’s been scrapped.

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Kanye West's album art: Banned in the U.S.A.? Perhaps 'banned' isn't the right word

Superstar rapper Kanye West has become a master of all media in creating anticipation for his upcoming release, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," unleashing songs free to the Web, conceiving show-stopping television appearances and prepping his first short film. Sometimes, as appears to be the case today, the artist's unpredictability has even caught his label off-guard, as the outspoken artist took to the Web and declared that the artwork for his upcoming album had been rejected for the U.S. market.

The artist has also been regularly baring his soul on Twitter, offering his thoughts on rugs, women's fashions, last year's MTV Video Music Awards fiasco with Taylor Swift, the overuse of the term "LOL" and plenty, plenty, plenty more. On Sunday, the artist utilized Twitter once more, declaring that his desired album cover for "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" was "banned in the USA!!!"

Kanye wrote, "They don't want me chilling on the couch with my phoenix!" and revealed a piece of graphic artwork in which a naked representation of the artist was in a sexually suggestive position with the mythological firebird in female form. In a follow-up tweet, West wrote, "In the '70s album covers had actual nudity... It's so funny that people forget that... Everything has been so commercialized now."

A source familiar with West's discussions with Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam on the cover art agreed to speak solely on the condition of anonymity, proclaiming that he did "not want to lose my job over this." The source seemed to indicate that the debate over the artwork was not one that was cut-and-dry. West was strongly urged to use alternate art, the source conceded, but added that West "was told if he wanted to do it, the label would stand behind him."

At issue, said the high-placed industry source, was whether or not mass-market retailers such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart would carry an album featuring venomous nudes, and one that would no doubt inspire controversy. Though sales at mass merchants have been declining in recent years, data from Nielsen SoundScan for the last two years still had the likes of Best Buy and Wal-Mart accounting for at least 10% or more of physical CD sales.

A potential boycott from a major retailer would no doubt have a massive impact on West's album sales, especially during the holiday season. "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is currently scheduled for a Nov. 22 release in the U.S. Though retail reps were unavailable for comment on Sunday evening, follow-up tweets from West seemed to indicate that concerns over retail acceptance played some part in his refusal to alter his intended cover.

Wrote West, "In all honesty ... I really don't be thinking about Wal-Mart when I make my music or album covers #Kanyeshrug!"

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Taylor Swift Confronts Mayer, Laments Lautner In New Album

Whatever the reactions to Taylor Swift's third full-length album, Speak Now, might be, there are two critics whose responses we can easily pin down in advance.

Taylor Lautner is going to love it.

John Mayer? Not so much.

The hotly anticipated album, which comes out Oct. 25, has been held tightly under wraps until now, with only a handful of songs made available for advance listening even to journalists who have been doing interviews with Swift. Now that her label is finally starting to play the album for select critics, it's easy to fathom why its contents have been closely guarded, all fears of leakage aside. Some of the lyrics are startlingly candid, even by the standards of Taylor "Naming Names, Taking No Prisoners" Swift.

And listening to "Dear John," the scorching song that is-from all appearances-aimed at Mayer, all we can say is: Joe Jonas, you got off easy.

When I talked with Swift last month after hearing a few of the new songs, she didn't hesitate to frame Speak Now as her diary of the last two tumultuous years. The general public might have to guess which relationships or incidents most of the songs are about, but the subjects of the lyrics will quickly recognize themselves, she feels confident.

"They're all made very clear," Swift told me. "Every single song is like a roadmap to what that relationship stood for, with little markers that maybe everyone won't know, but there are things that were little nuances of the relationship, little hints. And every single song is like that. Everyone will know, so I don't really have to send out emails on this one."

But, I said, by necessity of her fame and that of her recent boyfriends, she is past the point of using proper names in the lyrics now.

"Um," she responded, "there's still names that I used. Wait till you hear those."

Actually, there's only one actual name called out anywhere in the 14 songs. So if you were thinking that "Dear John" takes its title strictly from the old expression "a dear John letter," you might want to think again. Swift is nothing if not extremely literal.

With most serious singer-songwriters, it might seem voyeuristic to speculate on the personal situations being reflected upon in song. But Swift has lived her life as a fairly open book, all but inviting her fans to relate her well-known relationships to their own as she evidences a gift for writing in both autobiographical and universal terms.

And it might seem sensationalistic to focus on "Dear John" at the expense of the rest of the album if it didn't feel like it might be her masterpiece to date, or at least the most bracingly, joltingly honest song you've heard any major performer have the nerve to put on record in years. Maybe not since John Lennon took on estranged partner Paul McCartney in "How Do You Sleep" has a major pop singer-songwriter so publicly and unguardedly taken on another in song. But while Lennon's song came off as mean-spirited, Swift was motivated by vulnerability and woundedness, which makes her song far braver... and more cutting.

The first chorus begins: "Dear John/I see it all now that you're gone/Don't you think I was too young/To be messed with/The girl in the dress/Cried the whole way home/I should've known." A second version of the chorus includes the lines: "It was wrong/Don't you think nineteen's too young/To be played/By your dark, twisted games/When I loved you so."

When rumors of a Mayer/Swift romance broke, some of us had a hard time imagining it, because of his rather famously ruinous reputation in matters of love and her ever-present, protective mom. "Dear John" addresses that: "My mother accused me of losing my mind/But I swore I was fine..." And: "You'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand/And I'll look back in regret I ignored what they said/'Run as fast as you can'."

Swift, who turns 21 in December, won't outrightly acknowledge the subjects of these songs-except for "Innocent," the one written to Kanye West-so we have to allow that maybe "Dear John" is about some other much older man her mother warned her about who is known for "all the girls that you run dry," and not the 32-year-old Mayer... Like, the late John Forsythe, maybe? Hmm. Gonna have to stick with our original educated guess on this one.

There may be those who'll accuse Swift of exploiting her own romantic travails in this and other songs. But the extended bridge section of "Dear John" (and, at six and a half minutes, the entire song is fairly extended) packs such a cathartic punch, it really does transcend any tabloid associations. When Swift sings "I'm shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town," anyone who ever felt manipulated or used and found the strength to move on may be cheering like it's the 4th of July.

"Dear John" is the most powerful song on the album, but hardly the only vivid or emotional one. It's not all vituperation, though. The apologetic "Back to December" can't be about anyone but Lautner, and to our ears, so are several of the other new tracks-none of them about revenge, all of them about fondness for the admittedly brief time spent together. While Swift was writing these songs, Lautner's pointy werewolf ears must have been burning nonstop, to the point of spontaneous combustion. He has to be as flattered as Mayer should be flabbergasted.

While you wait for Speak Now's release on Monday, here's a bible on what to expect from the hour-plus album, from first track to last.

MINE

The opening track and first single is already practically a standard, having been rush-released way back on August 4, in response to a leak. Who's it about? Definitely not one of Swift's longer-term steadies, but a shorter-lived crush. (If you had to attach a name to it, it could be Glee actor Cory Monteith, whose are-they-or-aren't-they-dating friendship early in 2010 never seemed to amount to much. Or, it could be about an infatuation so short-lived we never got to hear about it.)

I asked Swift how "Mine" fit with the true confessions theme of the album, since the bits about marriage clearly go beyond the sphere of sheer autobiography.

"It actually is a confession of some sort," she responded, "because this is a situation where a guy that I just barely knew put his arm around me by the water, and I saw the entire relationship flash before my eyes, almost like some weird science-fiction movie. After I wrote the song, things sort of fell apart, as things so often do. And I hadn't talked to him in a couple months. And the song came out, and that day I got an email from him. And I was like"-she claps her hands-" ‘Yes!' Because that one was sort of half-confession, and half-prediction or projection of what I saw. And the fact that it came across so clearly to that guy that he would email me meant that I had been direct enough."

How did the fellow in question take to realizing that their brief flirtation had resulted in an entire fantasy of togetherness, arguing, falling apart, and married reconciliation-ever-after? Swift suddenly became coy. "Um... I don't know. I didn't really respond. But he was sort of like, ‘I had no idea... I realize I've been naïve.'"

SPARKS FLY

"Sparks Fly" is apparently the oldest song on the album, having been performed live-and leaked to the web via a crude concert recording-back in 2008. So hardcore Swift fans are familiar with the bones of this song, if not yet the revised lyrics and arrangement. The chorus is still the same as in the live bootleg that's circulated among fans for a couple of years, but some of the verses have been changed. Among the new lyrics: "My mind forgot to remind me you're a bad idea." Some of the changes make the protagonist of this upbeat song a bit cockier than before. A line that once went "Something that'll haunt me when you're not around" has had a role-reversal switch, so that she now promises to give her b.f. "something that'll haunt you when I'm not around." Apparently she's a little more confident of her charms than she was two years ago.

BACK TO DECEMBER

This song, which was already released on iTunes, doesn't leave many doubts about who it's addressed to, since Swift broke up in Lautner last December. It's been widely noted that it's her first "apology" song. She is, after all, known more as the singer of "Picture to Burn" than for writing songs acknowledging that maybe it's her picture that should've been burned. But she emphasizes that, for her, repentance was no mere lyrical exercise.

"I've always sort of felt like I try to write songs that the people that they're about deserve," she told me. "And up until now I haven't really felt like I really, really needed to apologize to someone and someone deserved that from me. It's just necessary. From knowing the situation and writing honestly, I can't leave that part out, and I don't think I should. And I think that you should be able to say that you're sorry to someone, and sometimes the best way I know how to say anything is in a song... I think that for me, especially playing that song for the first time for people around me, like my family and my friends, they made that point right away-like, ‘You realize you've never done this before. You've never really apologized to someone in a song.' I guess I wasn't conscious of that when I was writing it, because it just was exactly what I needed to say. It wasn't like ‘Oh, I haven't covered this emotion yet.' It was just a new emotion for me to feel."

SPEAK NOW

Also already released on iTunes, the title track is the frothiest song on the album, at least sonically, with Swift trying out an uncharacteristic vocal style that's closer to Feist than her usual, more conversational approach toward singing.

"The song was inspired by the idea of bursting into your ex-boyfriend's wedding and saying ‘Don't do it'-which was originally inspired by one of my friends and the fact that the guy she had been in love with since childhood was marrying this other girl," she explained to me. "And my first inclination was to say, ‘Well, are you gonna speak now?' And then I started thinking about what I would do if I was still in love with someone who was marrying someone who they shouldn't be marrying. And so I wrote this song about exactly what my game plan would be...

"When titling an album," she explained last month, "for me the first step is I go down the titles of the songs I have so far, and see any of those titles could be the recurring theme throughout the entire record. At this point I had probably 70% of the songs that ended up being on the album. And I just kept going back to ‘Speak Now,' because I think it's such a metaphor, that moment where it's almost too late, and you've got to either say what it is you are feeling or deal with the consequences forever. And I feel like that's such a metaphor for so many things that we go through in life, where you can either say what you mean or you can be quiet about it forever. And this album seemed like the opportunity for me to speak now or forever hold my peace."

DEAR JOHN

"The girl in the dress wrote you a song..." Yes, she did. (See introduction.)

MEAN

By far the country-est song on the album, not to mention by far the country-est tune she's ever done, with an abundance of mandolin and banjo. It's easy to imagine this becoming a theme song or rallying cry for the growing anti-bullying movement. Verses like "Calling me out when I'm wounded/You, picking on the weaker man" and "You have pointed out my flaws again, as if I don't already see them/I walk with my head down, trying to block you out" leading to a triumphant we-shall-overcome-the-mean-girls-(and-boys) chorus.

Said chorus could count as a case of backwards projection, flashing back to Swift's pre-fame life: "Someday I'll be living in a big old city/And all you're ever gonna be is mean." But there is a definite allusion to recent controversies when, toward the end of the song, she adds: "And I can see you year from now in a bar talking over a football game/With that same big loud opinion, but no one's listening/Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things/Drunk and talking all about how I... can't... sing." Snap!

THE STORY OF US

Early fan speculation, based in preliminary teases about the content of the tune, was that this one was about Joe Jonas. But she wrote about Joe on her last album, in "Forever and Always." Do we think she's going to devote a song to him at this late date any more than the New York Times is going to feature on-the-scene reporting from the Spanish Civil War?

"That was the last song that I wrote on the record," she told me, "because it happened most recently. It was at an awards show, and there had been a falling out between me and this guy, and I think both of us had so much that we wanted to say, but we're sitting six seats away from each other and just fighting this silent war of ‘I don't care that you're here.' I don't care that you're here.' It's so terribly, heartbreakingly awkward."

Obviously, the wound was fresh, so even though Swift did run into Jonas at a couple of awards shows this year, it seems much more likely to place its setting as the People's Choice Awards in January, where Swift and Lautner were reported to have successfully avoided each other, just three weeks after breaking up. Key lyrics: "I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how/I've never heard silence quite this loud." Also: "I would lay my armor down, if you would say you'd rather love than fight."

NEVER GROW UP

No, this isn't another song about Kanye West. (Good guess, though.) Though this one could also be called "Innocent," it's sung to an actual baby. "Never Grow Up" is a sweet lullabye with an undercurrent of sadness or even wary adult bitterness, as Auntie Taylor advises the infant whose nightlight she's turning on: "To you everything's funny/You've got nothing to regret/I'd give all I could, honey/If you could stay like that."

ENCHANTED

The most unabashedly romantic song on the album, and also one of the best, "Enchanted" describes the aftermath of meeting a special someone without knowing whether the instant infatuation is at all reciprocated.

"That song is about pining away for if you're ever going to see someone again-walking away too early," she explained. "It was about this guy that I met in New York City, and I had talked to him on email or something before, but I had never met him. And meeting him, it was this overwhelming feeling of: I really hope that you're not in love with somebody. And the whole entire way home, I remember the glittery New York City buildings passing by, and then just sitting there thinking, am I ever going to talk to this person again? And that pining away for a romance that may never even happen, but all you have is this hope that it could, and the fear that it never will.

"I started writing that in the hotel room when I got back. Because it just was this positive, wistful feeling of: I hope you understand just how much I loved meeting you. I hope that you know that meeting you was not something that I took lightly, or just in passing. And I think my favorite part of that song is the part where, in the bridge, it goes to sort of a stream of consciousness of ‘Please don't be in love with someone else/Please don't have somebody waiting on you.' Because at that moment, that's exactly what my thoughts were. And it feels good to write exactly what your thoughts were in a certain moment."

Apparently, nothing came of this enchantment, except for the song. At least that's the impression given by how Swift acknowledges the guy in question hasn't heard it yet, though she expects him to recognize that it's about their brief encounter when he does hear it. "I think so," she said with a slight laugh. "Using the word ‘wonderstruck' was done on purpose," she added (referring to the line "I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home"). Because that's a word which that person used one time in an email. And I don't think I've ever heard anybody use that term before, so I purposely wrote it in the song, so he would know."

(And now every guy who ever ran into Taylor Swift at a social event in New York is thinking: "I did say 'wonderstruck,' right?")

BETTER THAN REVENGE

A fast-paced rocker in the tradition of vengeance songs like "Picture to Burn," but aimed at a Mean Girl. "She underestimated just who she was stealing from..." Indeed. "I think her ever-present frown is a little troubling/She thinks I'm psycho because I like to rhyme her name with things." Speaking of rhymes, the chorus rhymes "she's an actress" with "better known for the things she does on the mattress." Parting thought: "You might have him, but haven't you heard?/You might have him, but I always get the last word." Oh, we imagine "she" heard, whoever she might be.

INNOCENT

Swift premiered this song about Kanye West at the scene of the crime-the MTV Music Video Awards. "I think a lot of people expected me to write a song about him. But for me it was important to write a song to him."

Judging from how flawlessly Swift pulled off her subway performance of "You Belong With Me" shortly after the Kanye incident, it was easy to surmise that she just brushed it off like the preternatural pro she is. But that's hardly the case. "The fans in the subway know exactly what happened that night. It's something I'm never gonna forget. And I'm always going to look back and smile on how they really, really helped me through that.... I'm so emotional and human.

"You have to try really hard to regulate what you feel, what you let in, and what you don't. Because things like criticism, you are told to be very thick-skinned about things like that. But then when it comes to making an album, if you make everything general and kind of gloss over your actual raw feelings, that doesn't benefit anyone... As far as what to feel and what level to feel it, I can't really control any of that. It's just how things hit you, and what you let in is definitely something you've got to find a balance for."

HAUNTED

The most musically dramatic song on the album has effervescent-oops, make that Evanescence-qualities, with strings bumping up against squalling guitars, to underscore the romantic obsession being described. "Something's gone terribly wrong/You're all I wanted," she sings, demanding at one point late in the song: "Finish what you started!"

LAST KISS

A much more tender post-breakup song than the desperate one that precedes it in the lineup. Best lines: "All I know is, I don't how to be something you miss." And: "So I'll watch your life in pictures/Like I used to watch you sleep..." Now, that's haunted.

LONG LIVE

Hard to imagine there's any way the closing number isn't about Lautner, if the ongoing affection she's publicly expressed for him is true (not to mention the remorse heard earlier in the album in "Back to December"). She describes herself and her paramour in heroic terms: "The crowds in the stands went wild/We were the kings and the queens/And they read off our names..." That may strike some listeners as self-important for a celebrity to have written, but later in the song, Swift describes things more in the terms of a homecoming king and queen than Hollywood royalty, saying: "You traded your baseball cap for a crown/And they gave us our trophies/And we held them up for our towns."

Taken at its word, the song would seem to have been written during this moment of mutual triumph, but the conquistador attitude occasionally gives way to bittersweet prophecy, as Swift sings, "If you have children someday, when they point to the pictures, please tell them my name..."

Somehow, we have a feeling the guy's kids aren't going to have a hard time deducing on their own who the blonde girl is. If there was any doubt, Speak Now helps ensure she'll have a spot in the history books and not just a faded teen-pop photo album.

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