Katy Perry's 'Firework' Shines Over Hot 100

Katy Perry becomes the first female artist in 11 years to take three straight radio singles from an album to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as "Firework" lifts 2-1. She first topped the chart in June for six weeks with "California Gurls," featuring Snoop Dogg. That was followed by a two-week stay at the top in September with "Teenage Dream," the title track from her former No. 1 Billboard 200 set, which was recently bestowed a Grammy nomination for album of the year.

Monica was the last female to scale the Hot 100 with three consecutive radio cuts from one album, when title cut "The Boy Is Mine," featuring Brandy, "The First Night" and "Angel of Mine" all hit No. 1 between June 1998 and February 1999.

"Firework" is Perry's fourth overall Hot 100 No. 1, as she also led the list for seven weeks in the summer of 2008 with "I Kissed a Girl," her first chart entry.

"Firework's" ascension to No. 1 means that six different songs in the past six weeks have claimed the top Hot 100 ranking, extending a turnover ratio not seen in more than 20 years.

"Firework" sizzles at the top of Digital Songs for a second week with 212,000 downloads (down 9%), according to Nielsen SoundScan, while ranking as the week's top Airplay Gainer with a 12-8 lift on Radio Songs, up 25% to 83.3 million listener impressions, according to Nielsen BDS.

Last week's No. 1, P!nk's "Raise Your Glass," drops to No. 2, while Rihanna continues to climb back up the list (5-3) with her former chart-topper "What's My Name?," featuring Drake.

The Black Eyed Peas improve 9-4 with "The Time (Dirty Bit)" as the title moves into the runner-up slot on Digital Songs with 198,000 (up 10%). Their new album "The Beginning" starts at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, with 119,000.

Bruno Mars continues his upward trajectory with "Grenade" (10-5), while his "Just the Way You Are" slips 4-7. In between Mars's two tracks is Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)" (3-6).

Ke$ha stumbles 6-8 with "We R Who We R", Nelly falls 8-9 with "Just a Dream" and Trey Songz comes back into the top 10 with "Bottoms Up," featuring Nicki Minaj (11-10). The title has now spent seven weeks in the top 10.

"Glee" contributes to the Hot 100's Digital Gainer and Hot Shot Debut awards, as the cast's cover of Florence and the Machine's "Dog Days Are Over" is the top new entry at No. 22, selling 98,000 (No. 8 on Digital Songs). The song is one of five new entries by the "Glee" Cast this week.

Meanwhile, Florence and the Machine's original recording jumps 58-21 on the Hot 100 and 40-11 on Digital Songs, matching its previous best peak on the former list and achieving a new peak rank on the latter, moving 90,000 downloads (up 121%). The song reached its previous best rank following the band's head-turning performance on the MTV Music Video Awards in September.

The holiday season is in full swing, as the chart hosts its first two seasonal entries, both by top-selling alternative bands. Coldplay opens at No. 25 on the Hot 100 and No. 12 on Digital Songs (90,000) with "Christmas Lights," while topping the Holiday Digital Songs chart with the track.

The Killers enter at No. 79 on the big chart and No. 43 on the sales list (34,000) with "Boots." The band has released a holiday single each year since 2006, with its first offering, "A Great Big Sled," having been the only one to have previously charted on the Hot 100 (No. 54 peak).

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Willow Smith to Tour with Justin Bieber in Europe

Jessica Simpson’s Xmas album tanks as her clothing line nears $1 billion in annual sales

Jessica Simpson’s pop career continues to slide further into oblivion as her holiday LP Happy Christmas tanks in the charts. Despite a heavy promotional schedule, which included a PBS TV special, the disc debuted at #123 with sales of just 10,000 on last week’s Billboard chart. Compare that to Susan Boyle’s reign at the top with The Gift and Mariah Carey’s top five debut for Merry Christmas II You, and you get the picture.

Jessica’s recording career may be in the dumps and her last reality show The Price of Beauty may have bombed in the ratings, but that’s OK because the Simpson sister is about to become a billion dollar baby when her clothing line makes history by becoming the first ever celebrity fashion line to reach annual sales of $US1 billion. Yup, you read that right — ONE BILLION DOLLARS. That’s what fashion industry bible Women’s Wear Daily are predicting that The Jessica Simpson Collection will make in annual sales within the next two years after netting an astonishing $750 million this year alone, driving Simpson’s net worth up to $100 million. The line, which produces everything from clothing, jeans, perfume, cosmetics, luggage, handbags and shoes, will be expanding next year by launching a sportswear line, which WWD estimate will rake in between $150-200 million over the next two years.

So as you can see, Jessica Simpson can have all the flops she wants because with a billion dollar business behind her she can afford to make mistakes. That next mistake will most likely be her next “pop album”, which she’s hoping to have produced by The-Dream & Tricky after being impressed by their work on her Happy Christmas LP.

Who would’ve ever thought that Jessica Simpson’s little clothing empire would be making more than celebrity lines from the likes of Britney Spears, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez?

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Announcements on new Avril Lavigne CD

Two years in the making, singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne's fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, will be released by RCA Records on March 8, 2011. Lavigne will debut the first single "What the Hell" on New Year's Eve during "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve."

Lavigne worked with longtime collaborators Deryck Whibley, Evan Taubenfeld and Butch Walker, as well as songwriter/producer Max Martin. Lavigne continues to share her personal experiences through her writing and music, and Goodbye Lullaby is a further evolution of this, propelled by a more raw and organic sound.

Among its upbeat tracks are "What the Hell," an unabashed embrace of fun and freedom, and "Stop Standing There," fueled by an early-‘50s girl-group feel. The album runs the gamut of emotions: Lavigne expresses her gratitude for special people in her life in the rocker "Smile," explores the dynamics of a relationship in "Push," shows her vulnerable side in "Wish You Were Here," and finds the strength to close one chapter of her life and move on to the next in the title track "Goodbye."

Outside the recording studio, Lavigne is a successful entrepreneur who continues to design and direct her lifestyle apparel brand, Abbey Dawn, which has expanded its worldwide footprint and will be shipping to 50+ countries beginning this month. Along with her popular fragrance Black Star, she recently introduced Forbidden Rose and is launching a third fragrance in 2011. This September, Lavigne's past charitable work also inspired her to create The Avril Lavigne Foundation. The Foundation works in partnership with leading charitable organizations to design and deliver programs, raise awareness, and mobilize support for children and youth living with serious illnesses or disabilities.

Avril Lavigne has made an indelible mark on the music community, selling more than 30 million albums worldwide, earning eight Grammy nominations and seven Canadian Juno Awards. She burst onto the music scene in 2002 with the critically acclaimed Let Go, featuring the smash singles "Sk8r Boi" and "Complicated." Her 2004 release, Under My Skin, debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, as did her third album, The Best Damn Thing, which produced the irrepressible #1 single "Girlfriend" and logged more than 130 million views on YouTube! Lavigne also wrote the song "Alice" for Tim Burton's critically acclaimed Disney Film Alice in Wonderland.

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Tesco 'disappointed with Coyle's sales'

Tesco's have revealed that they a disappointed with the sales of Nadine Coyle's debut album.

The Girls Aloud star's debut album Insatiable was released exclusively via the supermarket last month, where it charted at a disappointing 47 despite a hefty promotional campaign across its 2,500 branches.

The Telegraph reports the supermarket is blaming an "anti-Tesco" campaign from the music label heads, who are said to be unhappy that the chain is breaking into the industry.

A spokesperson said: " We’re obviously disappointed that Nadine’s album hasn’t got off to the start we all hoped for, but it’s a great record from a brilliant artist and once we start getting some proper airplay I think a lot more people will discover this for themselves.

"Tesco is used to facing tough competition and we’ll be getting right behind Nadine’s second single in the New Year."

Insatiable is reported to have sold 10,000 copies to date.

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Mandy Moore to work with husband

Mandy Moore wants to make a record with her rocker husband Ryan Adams.

The singer and actress is currently earning plaudits for her voice work in the latest Disney film Tangled.

And, although there is nothing in the pipeline at the moment, Mandy has revealed her desire to combine her talents with Ryan on an LP.

She says they already have a proven combination - and this will work even if the project is not a traditional collaboration.

"I don't know about a duet," Mandy told E! Online. "But I would love to work with him on the next record. I'm sure he'll be involved in some way. We work well together."

The 26-year-old, who has released six studio albums, says she is getting inspiration from various classic artists before recording her next release. As well as Ryan, 36, Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney is on her radar.

"I'm listening to McCartney right now and a lot of Gram Parsons. My hubby, too. It's hard to ignore that influence in the house," she explained.

The pretty brunette also revealed her Tangled auditions were drawn out. Yet she was able to perform a tune by one of her idols. "It was singing and singing and singing," Mandy said. "I got to go in and sing Joni Mitchell's Help Me. I mean, how often do you get to read a scene and sing a Joni Mitchell song in an audition?!"

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M.I.A. Announces Release of Mixtape on New Year's Eve

Controversial singer/rapper M.I.A. has announced that she was will be releasing a new mixtape to ring in the new year. "Vicky leekx mixtape coming new years eve!" the electro-pop star tweeted on Friday (Dec. 3). "Layin bad minds to rest 2010!" Though details regarding the mixtape are scarce, the "XXXO" singer reportedly found time to record it in between tour dates, as she has been on the road for much of 2010, and will be making her last stop in Paris on December 12.

M.I.A. previously released her breakthrough 'Piracy Funds Terrorism, Volume 1' tape back in 2004, a collaboration with ex-boyfriend Diplo, which garnered her critical acclaim and commercial attention, before the release of her debut.

The 'Vicky Leekx' mixtape follows the July release of M.I.A.'s third album /\/\/\Y/\, her highest charting LP, which featured the controversial "Born Free" video, and is in stores now.

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All The Beatles ‘Live and Dead’ to perform at Hollywood Bowl

Legendary quartet The Beatles might once again go on stage in full strength. This show by all the stars Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison in Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl will be possible thanks to modern digital technologies.

Participants of the legendary group The Beatles once again find themselves on the same stage in its entirety. This will happen in Los Angeles in the Hollywood Bowl. Still alive Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will personally take part in the show, and John Lennon and George Harrison will be “enlivened” using the latest technology, musicians will be recreated in the form of digital images. As reported by Some Kind of Awesome with reference to information obtained from the British tabloids, this unique presentation is to be held on August 27, 2011-year. It is also reported that the proceeds from the show will go to charitable foundations working for peace and for the study of breast cancer.

It should be noted that so far there is no official information about the upcoming Los Angeles event. Are the reports about ‘unification’ of The Beatles true or rumors, fans of the group will probably learn a little later. It must be recalled that The Beatles performed twice in Hollywood Bowl, once in 1964, and later in 1965.

The famed quartet from Liverpool won extraordinary popularity in the sixties of last century, broke-up in 1970. After that, each of the ex-Beatle decided to go solo.

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Hilary Duff 'wants musical return'

Hilary Duff has revealed that she will return to music when she feels "really inspired".

The singer and actress, whose last album was 2007's Dignity, said that she is keen to release more music but is undecided on what her future record would sound like.

"You know what, I want to and I think that until I feel really inspired by something that I wanna do, like a way I want to go, I couldn't do it," she told Maney and Riley.

"I think one day I'll wake up and I'll say, 'That's exactly it!' you know, and then I could do it. But right now, I'm not focused on that."

Duff is currently promoting her first novel, called Elixir.

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New Britney Spears Album in March!

Taylor Swift is EW's Entertainer of the Year: This week's cover

Taylor Swift kicked off 2010 with a No. 2 single debut (“Today Was a Fairytale”), a hit movie (Valentine’s Day), and four Grammy wins, including Album of the Year. She then spent months headlining arena concerts and big-ticket awards shows. But there was one achievement — the Oct. 25 release of her third record, Speak Now — that topped everything. Buoyed by strong reviews and the radio-friendly hit “Mine,” Speak amassed a jaw-dropping 1,047,000 units in first-week sales, the highest tally for any release in five years. For all that, the confidently sweet 20-year-old who was only 2 months old when Entertainment Weekly launched in 1990 is now our youngest-ever Entertainer of the Year.

In our interview, Swift talks about all the speculation surrounding the subjects of the songs on Speak Now, understood to include ex-boyfriends Taylor Lautner, Joe Jonas, and John Mayer. “Sometimes I would laugh because I would see it in print and it would say, ‘This song, which is written about her ex, so-and-so…’ And they would write about it as if it was fact. The fact is, I haven’t ever confirmed that any song is about any particular person. There’s something kind of freeing about that. As far as I’m concerned, it’s all still up in the air.” She also explains how she decided to perform her song “Innocent,” which sure seems to be about Kanye West, at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. “I had decided that I didn’t want to perform on the show. Or even go. Then I woke up in the middle of the night and I realized that I had to, and that I wanted to perform that song.”

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Grammy nominations 2011: Katy Perry uses blasphemy after 'Teenage Dream' Album of the Year nod

Apparently using blasphemy as entertainment isn't so cheap after all.

Katy Perry was so surprised by her Grammy nomination for Album of the Year for "Teenage Dream" that she issued a religious expletive when the host of "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!" questioned her during the show Wednesday night.

"Are you feeling some Grammy love tonight?" LL Cool J asked Perry, who was seated in the audience wearing a revealing metallic gold dress.

"Hell yes!" she blurted out, before adding, "Excuse me, sorry CBS."

She then held her hands up in a prayer motion and thanked her peers for the nomination.

During the concert, the 25-year-old pop star didn't shy away from impious behavior, engaging in some graphic choreography while performing "California Gurls." While singing the line "so hot/will melt your Popsicle," she gesticulated wildly towards her groin area.

Pulling an about-face after the ceremony, Perry ended her post-Grammy tweet fest with the simple hashtag "#GOD."

Perry's behavior comes as a surprise after she tweeted over the summer that "using blasphemy as entertainment is as cheap as a comedian telling a fart joke."

The post came after Lady Gaga's sexy quasi-religious video for "Alejandro" -- in which she wore a latex nun's habit and was ravaged by a group of scantily clad men -- was released, though Perry denied the two events were related.


Katy Perry performs 'California Gurls' during the Grammy nominations concert. (AP)

Perry, who was raised by Christian pastors and first started singing in church, said she took issue with blasphemous behavior regardless of the perpetrator.

"You know, when Madonna was on a cross, and sometimes my boyfriend will say things that are little bit 'eh' for me from where I come from," she told a French radio station.

Incidentally, Gaga is also nominated for Album of the Year for “Fame Monster,” as are Arcade Fire for "The Suburbs," Eminem for "Recovery” and Lady Antebellum for "Need You Know."

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