Rihanna Rocks Essence Festival Stage
Rihanna Rocks Essence Festival Stage
Opting to work on Independence Day, Rihanna took the stage to perform at the Louisiana Superdome during the 2008 Essence Music Festival on Friday (July 4).
The New Orleans based festival, which kicked off yesterday and runs until Sunday, “celebrates black music and culture and moved to Houston in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina smashed New Orleans. It returned in 2007, and organizers say Essence is now re-establishing its place in the city.”
According to AP reports, “an estimated 200,000 people attended the festival last year, supplying a needed injection of business into the city’s hurricane-hammered tourism industry.”
“The festival is so special to New Orleans,” said Irma Thomas, a resident who’s still struggling to rebuild her home from Katrina-related damages.
Meanwhile, the festival will be honoring Patti LaBelle tonight - as the soul diva will enjoy “performances by two original members of LaBelle — Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx — as well as performances by Chaka Khan, Angie Stone, Ledisi, Chrisette Michele, Ruby Amanfu and Thomas.”
Lindsay’s B-day Goal: Happy, Healthy, Rihanna-y Year
Lindsay Lohan’s private life has gone through some rather public growing pains over the past few years. And now, newly 22 years of age, the only growing she wants to do in public is of the professional variety.
Speaking to News anchor Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show this morning, hours after her prom-themed birthday bash, Lohan discussed her plans for the year ahead which, she said, could be summed up in two words: “focusing and working.”
“I just wanna live a happy, healthy year, and continue on the path that I’ve been on. And, you know, be with the person that I care about, and my family, and I think that’s it.”
Not to mention spend a bit more time with a certain young, female musician.
Lily Allen, that is. (You were expecting someone else?)
“I know her, and she’s a very sweet girl,” Lohan said of the “Smile” singer.
Of the rumors that she and Allen may team up to record a duet together, Lohan said it wasn’t true…at least, not at the moment.
“We haven’t discussed that, but that would actually be really fun…I would love to!”
For now, Lohan is sticking with her solo effort, which will include the already released Ne-Yo-produced single “Bossy.”
“They released it to see what people’s reactions [would be]. We didn’t really promote it or anything. We just wanted to release it.”
The response was apparently good enough to move ahead with plans for an album, which Lohan promises will be a whole new sound.
“I’m going into the studio for real in August, but I’m still waiting on tracks. I’m very picky…My last record, I didn’t really promote it or anything, I kinda just did it. I’d like to really do something different with this one.
“And it’s a different style of music for me. It’s more urban and dance, you know. It’s more Rihanna-esque, which I haven’t really ever done. Tapping into a new vibe. So I really wanna be careful about what I do.”
In the meantime, Lohan has been working on her day job, acting in the new comedy Labor Pains. Lohan said it will come out “hopefully before 2009.”
Rihanna and Chris Brown: Domestic Bliss
Rihanna and Chris Brown: Domestic Bliss
They’ve been constantly trying to dispel the rumors that they’re together. But yesterday, Rihanna and Chris Brown may have put the final nail in the coffin of keeping their love a secret.
The “Kiss Kiss” singer and his “Disturbia” gal were spotted going grocery shopping together at a West Hollywood supermarket. And no matter how hard they tried to look separate, there was no denying that they’re an item.
Recently Chris addressed the incessant notion that he was in a serious relationship with the Good Girl Gone Bad, insisting that things weren’t serious between them.
He told press, “Our relationship is growing. We started off as friends and we’re getting a little bit closer now… But I don’t want to let down all my girlfriends, so all the ladies out there, I still love y’all!”
Hot 100 Seals Its 1,000th Hit with Katy’s "Kiss"
Katy Perry just smooched her way to No. 1, and into the history books.
Her single “I Kissed a Girl” leapfrogged over Coldplay to top Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the 1,000th No. 1 hit of the rock era.
Perry landed the millennial No. 1 by selling 235,000 digital copies and surging seven spots to No. 12 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. Though her music leans pop, the racy singer is racking up spins at several alt-rock stations as well, and she’s a fixture on this year’s Vans Warped Tour.
Bill Haley & His Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock” topped the inaugural Best Sellers list back in 1955. At the time, Billboard actually had three main chartsBest Sellers, Most Played by Jockeys and Most Played in Jukeboxeswhich eventually were combined into the Hot 100 in August 1958. Ricky Nelson’s “Poor Little Fool” was the inaugural Hot 100 chart-topper for the issue dated Aug. 4.
Last week, Perry was second to Capitol labelmate Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida.” This marked the first time in 41 years that Capitol artists simultaneously held the top two spots. This week, with Perry replacing Coldplay, it’s the first time in 32 years that Capitol artists followed each other at No. 1. This last happened in 1976 when Wings’ “Silly Love Songs” succeeded the Sylvers’ “Boogie Fever.”
“Viva la Vida,” meanwhile, dropped five spots to No. 6, despite a monster chart-topping week for Coldplay’s new album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends.
Elsewhere, Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas’ Camp Rock single, “This Is Me,” scored the week’s biggest bow at No. 11. Overall, there were four debuts from the soundtrack: the Jonas Brothers’ “Play My Music” at No. 20, Joe Jonas’ “Gotta Find You” at No. 30 and the cast recording “We Rock” at No. 33.
Rihanna scored the week’s second biggest bow at No. 18 with “Disturbia,” one of three bonus tracks from her recent Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded. Though the reissue arrived in stores last week, all three tracks have now been released as singles. “Take a Bow” led the way, topping the Hot 100 in late May, while “If I Never See Your Face Again” was a remix collaboration with Maroon 5 that the band actually released as the fourth single from It Won’t Be Soon Before Long.
Among the week’s big movers, the Pussycat Dolls’ “When I Grow Up” jumped nine spots to No. 9, while Miley Cyrus’ “7 Things” leapt 60 spots to No. 10 driven largely by digital sales (130,000 copies).