Alicia Keys is Pregnant!

 

Billboard: A source close to R&B singer Alicia Keys and rapper/producer Swizz Beatz confirms that the couple are expecting their first child and planning to wed, reports People.com. 

 

The musicians "are expecting a baby and are engaged to be married in a private ceremony later this year," reps for the couple said. "They're very happy."

The announcement comes after the two, who have been together since fall 2008, attended a Black Ball in London for Keys' "Keep a Child Alive" charity on Thursday, May 27.

Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) has two sons, Prince Nasir, 9, and Kasseem Jr., 3 , both from pervious relationships. This will be Keys' first marriage and the couples' first child together.

'Idol's' DeWyze, Bowersox Sign Record Deals

Billboard officially confirms that Lee DeWyze, this year's "American Idol," and his runner-up, Crystal Bowersox, have already signed their record deals.

DeWyze is signed to 19 Recordings Limited and RCA Records, while Bowersox is signed to 19 Recordings Limited and Jive Records, a source confirms exclusively to Billboard.com.

DeWyze joins Daughtry and Adam Lambert at RCA, while Bowersox can now count past "Idol" winners Jordin Sparks and Kris Allen, and 2009 finalist Allison Iraheta, as her labelmates.

Read more of this story via Billboard.

Backstreet Boys News: Freedom

Popular boyband Backstreet Boys broke the news today via their official website that they're no longer signed to long time record label Jive Records. The amicable split is very exciting for the group. "This is the best thing, at the best time that could have ever happened for us”, says Brian Littrell. “We are confident in the future of our band, and are looking forward to the new things to come. 2011 is going to be a great year for us!”

It's about time, in my honest opinion. No offense to Jive Records but based on what is happening with other artists signed to them, I believe Jive doesn't give full efforts in managing their artists. They're kinda lazy to promote their albums and other activities. Look at Kris Allen, Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta and even Britney Spears. Good thing these artists have the fan base to support them but if not, nothing's going to happen with their careers because their record label doesn't give them the exposure they need.

Now that the Backstreet Boys is out of Jive Records, I really hope Britney Spears would leave them next so she could finally have creative control over her projects!

Way to go BSB! Your fans are with you!

Lee DeWyze is the new American Idol!

It's Official! Lee DeWyze is the new American Idol!

Checkout what happened during AI Finale via this Yahoo! article or via my friends blog, I Am Hybrid Cha.

Congrats Lee!

For those who were not able to catch the two-hour grand finale, you can see the FULL SHOW below in full HQ! That's only here on STM!

STM Likes: Bionic - Christina Aguilera

OK, I guess the album review I did yesterday was the blog's most visited post this month so I decided to make another one. Also because of the fact that I needed to write my additional thoughts on Christina Aguilera's "Bionic".

After listening to it quite a few times on my iPod, I must admit that "Bionic" is growing on me big time! Still not a fan of the ballads (I didn't actually include them on music player) but the upbeat songs are getting better and better by every listen! Let me give you my thoughts on songs that standout:

BIONIC - This is the prefect song to open the album. A "welcome to my world" kind of song.

NOT MYSELF TONIGHT - I already made my review on this one. After listening to the whole album, NMT remained to be one of my favorite songs off "Bionic". I love the "GaGa beats" on it. Too bad it failed big time on Billboard, not even managing to enter the Top 20.

WOOHOO - Right from the time it hit the net, I already loved this song which features rapper Nicki Minaj. Very R&B and Aguilera's vocals is soaring in this track. The beat kind of tells you  to get your ass up and jam. And oh,  how can we not love Minaj's bad ass rap? The song  kinda reminds me of Beyonce's "Single Ladies".

ELASTIC LOVE - One of my favorite tracks off the album! Kinda reminds me of Britney Spears' "Freakshow". The strong synths give you the big O while listening to it. Lyrically, it was kind of genius except for the chorus which is kinda repetitive.

DESNUDATE - The title (which means "Get Naked") says it all. It's a sex song. Again, repetitive lyrics but seek beats. I love the fact that it's latin-flavored. Wish it was shorter though coz it gets kinda boring towards the end which kinda makes you skip to the next song.

GLAM - This song is all about fashion and being glamorous. Every girl could probably relate to this. Must be one of my least favorite off my "favorite list". I just can't relate to the lyrics.

PRIMA DONNA - Her vocals on this one can be compared to her vocals on "Fighter". Bad side about this track is that the verses are kind of "lazy" but picks up when you get to the chorus.

I HATE BOYS - This, in my opinion, is the strongest track off "Bionic" commercial-wise. Once you hear the bass-driven intro, it'll get you energized and will surely have you on your feet dancing. Downside is that it sounds a lot like Britney Spears' "Radar" and it is too short. An added verse would've made it perfect.

MY GIRLS - For me, this track would summarize what "Bionic" is all about - girls getting together, dancing and having fun. Also one of the strongest tracks off the album, this would  also fit perfectly on Gwen Stefani's record,  "Love. Angel. Music. Baby."

VANITY - This is Christina's most egocentric song on the album, talking about how "pretty" and "sexy" she is and even claiming that she "owns the throne". Let's give her the right to fantasize, it's her song and album after all.

Overall, I would say that Aguilera was wise enough to pick up music styles from past works of Britney Spears, Lady GaGa, Beyonce and Madonna and incorporated them into "Bionic". Not saying that she copied them, but obviously, she got ideas from these artists which is very much evident on songs that make up this album. Vocally, Christina still delivered and didn't sound too different from how she sounded on "Stripped". Lyrically though, this album is inferior to "Stripped" as songs on "Bionic" were more of the party anthem and sex anthem types.

STM Album Review: Bionic - Christina Aguilera

  

TRACKLIST:

1. Bionic
2. Not Myself Tonight
3. Woohoo feat. Nicki Minaj
4. Elastic Love
5. Desnudate
6. Love & Glamour (intro)
7. Glam
8. Prima Donna
9. Morning Dessert (intro)
10. Sex For Breakfast
11. Lift Me Up
12. My Heart (Intro)
13. All I Need
14. I Am
15. You Lost Me
16. I Hate Boys
17. My Girls feat. Peaches
18. Vanity

Pop Diva Christina Aguilera is all set to release her first album in 4 years on June 8, 2010. 'Bionic' as the album is called, is going to be "very futuristic" according to Aguilera herself. After listening to the album in full, I would say, it didn't turn out that way. 'Bionic' turned out to be  somewhat similar to Aguilera's previous effort, "Stripped". From pop to electro to power ballads, Christina did seem to have experimented with the sound of this album and good enough, the album turned out quite solid, in my honest opinion. 

I really love that fact that she went out of her shell this time and tried to make a lot of upbeat songs. Though I wish she made a full dance album out of this one and stayed away from the boring ballads for a change. Well obviously, I'm not a fan of the slow songs included in the album (Sex For Breakfast, Lift Me Up, All I Need, You Lost Me). This has got to be Aguilera's weakest line-up of ballads so far. None of the slow songs would actually match the caliber of her previous ballads like "I Turn to You", "Beautiful" and "The Voice Within" nor make a potential radio hit. I was actually expecting a lot from the Linda Perry-penned "Lift Me Up" but she did not deliver this time.

On a positive note, this has got to be Christina's second best album. I love "Stripped" hands down but "Bionic" is on a close second place. It kinda makes you wanna dance once you  pop this disc on your player and keeps you wanting for more until somewhere at the middle, you lose the energy and get bored of the shallow ballads. That's only until "You Lost Me" though coz once  "I Hate Boys" starts playing, you'll once again get off your feet and dance your butt off until the album's last track. Had it been a few tracks shorter, 'Bionic" would've been one of the greatest dance-pop albums out there along with the likes of Britney Spears' "Blackout", Madonna's "Confessions on a Dance Floor" and Rihanna's "Good Girl Gone Bad".

REPEAT: Not Myself Tonight, WooHoo, Elastic Love, Desnudate, Glam, I Hate Boys, My Girls, Vanity

SKIP: Sex For Breakfast, Lift Me Up, All I Need, You Lost Me

STM VERDICT:

Britney Spears - Telephone

Early this month, blogger Perez Hilton leaked Britney Spears' version of Lady GaGa's hit, "Telephone" on his site.  I was actually contemplating whether to post this one or not, so it took some time before I posted it. Just hours after Perez premiered the song on his blog, #BritneySpears actually became a trending topic on Twitter and on Yahoo! For weeks, it's been the topic on the net, with fans arguing about which version is better, Britney or GaGa? It's a known fact that the song was originally written by Lady GaGa for Britney's "Circus" album but did not make the cut.

It should be noted though that this is just a demo version.  Song producer, Darkchild confirmed that it's really Britney but this was in the very early stage of recording. This isn't a mixed version. Nonetheless, I actually love BOTH versions. They're both original. I guess we have to stop comparing these artists now and just appreciate their music. Checkout Britney's "Telephone" below:

Adam Lambert - If I Had You (Live on The Ellen DeGeneres Show)

Adam Lambert's third single off his debut album "For Your Entertainment" is the party anthem "If I Had You". The song, written and produced by the great Max Martin (Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time", "Stronger" and "3"), was actually my favorite track off Lambert's debut album and I believe, Adam also love this track and so he fought for it to be his next single. The  video for it has already been shot and Adam says he invited some of his superstar friends for a cameo on the music video, so let's just wait for it to be released. Meantime, as part of promotions, Adam performed the song on Ellen. And below we have the video for his awesome performance of "If I Had You".

STM Video Premiere: Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed

 Official album cover for Cyrus' "Can't Be Tamed"

Teen sensation Miley Cyrus is about to release her new album "Can't Be Tamed" on June 22. As the title suggests, Cyrus is now going for a sexier image after doing pop songs for quite some time. Same path that Britney Spears took when she was just starting out. And just like what Ms. Spears experienced way back, Miley is now being criticized here and there for the change of image. The first single with the same title (Can't Be Tamed) was already released and below we have its official music video.

STM Likes: BoA - fallin'

For days now, I've been listening on repeat to BoA's song "fallin'". Something about this song makes me really happy everytime I listen to it. I've always loved BoA but I'm not a fan of her recent releases coz they're just not my style. It's been quite some time since I last fell in love with a BoA song, and this track from her new Japanese album, "Identity" really got me hooked. I don't know, but I really love the melody. And the piano intro layered with hypnotic synths made me love this song more. This is J-Pop in perfect form! I really want to hear more of this from BoA. I'm in love with it!

Checkout the song's lyrics below:

fallin'

BoA

Dore kurai naita n darou

Dore kurai kimi no sei ni shita n darou

Demo ima nara I CAN MAKE IT SMILE FOR YOU

Suteki na koi dato

Sunao ni kimi no namae yoberu

Jikan to tomo ni futari no omoi demo

Nagarete yuku darou

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

Kimi ga kureta omoi deni

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

Ima no watashi ni arigatou

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

Kore kara no watashi no mirai

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

fallin' fallin' in love

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love ...

Kyou wa deka kete miyou kana

Fudan shinai MEIKU moshi you kana

SUKA-TO ni wa HAI HI-RU awase

Kono STYLE de LET'S GO!

Hikari wa KIREI ni machi wo terasu

Itsumo to chigau keshiki ga miete kuru

Hoho emu ureshii

(I Think I'm in love)

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

Kimi ga kureta omoi deni

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

Ima no watashi ni arigatou

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

Kore kara no watashi no mirai

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

fallin' fallin' in love

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love ...

I see a beautiful rainbow that makes me feel positive

It's like... I Can be anything everything I want

Yes Imma be

So I gotta sing this song for me

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

Kimi ga kureta omoi deni

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

Ima no watashi ni arigatou

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

Kore kara no watashi no mirai

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love

fallin' fallin' in love

fallin' fallin' fallin' in love ...

STM Concert Review: Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted Tour (Manila)

How I Got My Tickets

April 30, 2010 at around 3pm, I checked my phone to check for unread text messages. Dang, it ran out of battery. So I got my charger and charged my mobile phone. I immediately turned it on. There was a single unread message on my inbox and it read:

"Hi please call ms letty at______ for your kelly clarkson tickets -philippine star"

I was shaking after reading the message. Then there's doubt. For real? I won tickets to Kelly Clarkson's concert? And the answer is "Oh My God, YES!" I really won tickets to Philippine Star's text promo which I saw on our office's newspaper. 

Imagine, I was still at work when I got the text and when I called Philippine Star, Ms. Letty asked me to immediately get the ticket at their office (located in Intramuros) which closes 6pm. I didn't know what to do. I can't leave the office (which is in Quezon City) until 6pm or else I'll on undertime. But I told myself, this my last chance to watch the concert. I went on undertime and left the office at 5pm. Rushed to LRT Line 2 and took a "Pier" jeepney in Manila. I made it to Philippine Star's office at 6:20pm and got my ticket! Lucky me! Haha!

Kelly Clarkson: The Concert Experience

So I got two Upper Box B tickets to the concert. I decided to share one with my eldest sister who's celebrating her birthday on June 4 (early birthday gift! Haha!). We left for Araneta at about 6pm and got there at around 7pm. Had lunch before entering the Big Dome. We were inside Araneta Coliseum by 7:45pm. It's still not packed. Still a lot of vacant seats. Filipinos are always late, you know. By 8:15, the opening act started their set. I'm not quite sure who they are. He looks very similar to Miguel Escueta though. I did my research and it was him indeed. Haha!

Kelly Clarkson did not show up until 9:30pm. She opened the show with "All I Ever Wanted" which is also the title of the concert. She sang a lot of her hits to which the crowd responded with applause and loud cheers. Below is the setlist of the concert:

1. All I Ever Wanted
2. Miss Independent
3. I Do Not Hook Up
4. Impossible
5. That I Would Be Good (Alanis Morissette cover)/Use Somebody (Kings of Leon cover)
6. Breakaway
7. If I Can't Have You/Can't Get You Out of My Head (Kylie Minogue cover)
8. Never Again
9. Lies (The Black Keys cover)
10. Acoustic Medley
    
    1. Just Missed The Train
    2. Low
    3. Addicted
    4. Gone
11. Behind These Hazel Eyes (Acoustic)
12. Cry
13. I Want You
14. Don't Let Me Stop You
15. Sober
16. Because of You
17. Walk Away
18. Since U Been Gone

 Encore:

1. Already Gone
2. Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes cover)
3. My Life Would Suck Without You

Checkout concert photos below. By the way, thanks to kellyfied and diego_baliw for the close-up shots!

STM Verdict

I'm not going to be too technical on this one. Overall, Kelly did a very good job. She sang her heart out and mesmerized her audience. From start to finish, she sang all her songs LIVE. She seems to never get tired, jumping and dancing her butt off. She was very energetic the whole time. She also interacts with the audience. She talks to us and asks this question from time to time, "Manila, are you enjoying the show so far?" To which the audience always answered with a loud "Yes!".

I have always loved Kelly Clarkson, but this experience made me love her more. They say that the true test for a great singer is if she can sing her songs live and Ms. Clarkson definitely delivered. It's as if you're listening to her albums. It's that perfect. This girl is the true definition of a great artist - one who sings from the heart and connects with her audience. She may not have one of those "theatrical" concerts with all the props and lasers and stuff but Kelly Clarkson has the "voice" and the charisma to capture the hearts of those who listens to her.  Same weapon she used to capture our hearts during her AI days. Maybe that is why she is the Ultimate American Idol after all.

Concert Bits

• Kelly performed barefoot throughout the show.
• She only wore two outfits for this show - a sequined top which she wore first and a black coat which she wore towards the end of the show.
• There were vacant seats here and there and we were even asked to go down to the Upper Box A area to fill empty seats there. But before Kelly started her set, Araneta was almost full.
• The show started at 9:30 and ended at around 11pm.
• Concert merchandise were sold at the venue but were too pricey (for me)
• Highlight of the show was when she sang her hits "Behind These Hazel Eyes", "Walkaway", "Since U Been Gone", "Already Gone" and "My Life Would Suck Without You" (videos below).

Behind These Hazel Eyes

 Walkaway

 Already Gone

Since U Been Gone

My Life Would Suck Without You