Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The first-ever Billboard.com Fan Favorite Award


When the Billboard Music Awards are handed out in Las Vegas on May 22, there's one trophy that will stand apart all the others - and that's because the decision of who gets it is entirely up to you.

The first-ever Billboard.com Fan Favorite Award will be presented to the musician who receives the most votes in our exclusive Billboard.com readers poll. There'll be no chart statistics, airplay data or ticket sales influencing this decision. Your vote and your vote alone will decide the winner!

The poll will be open from Monday, May 9 through Friday, May 20. The winner will be announced on May 22, the day of the Billboard Music Awards.

Check out the list of selected nominees below. Don't see your favorite as one of the choices? Submit their name in as a write-in candidate (We'll count every vote equally). Every submission counts, so vote now and vote often. And be sure to tune in to on ABC on May 22 to watch Rihanna, Cee Lo Green, Nicki Minaj, Black Eyed Peas and more of your faves perform at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Wanna vote? CLICK HERE!


Sunday, May 8, 2011

Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Music Video: Motorycle Mayhem Meets Biblical Betrayal



Lady Gaga combines motorcycle mayhem with biblical betrayal in the music video for "Judas," the second single from the pop star's forthcoming sophomore album "Born This Way." The five-minute-plus clip, which re-imagines the singer as Mary Magdalene and actor Norman Reedus as Judas Iscariot, leaked online today (May 5) hours before its official premiere tonight at 7 p.m. EST on E!


J Lo's ON THE FLOOR



Jennifer Lopez's return to the public consciousness occurred about six months before the release of "On the Floor," when the pop star signed on as a judge for the 10th season of "American Idol." Even if the listener immediately thinks of Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler when she coos, "Let me introduce you to my party people," at the beginning of "On the Floor," J. Lo's new single is a welcome return to dancefloor relevance for the 41-year-old creator of hits like "Waiting for Tonight" and "Love Don't Cost a Thing." RedOne provides a throbbing yet understated beat, and Pitbull drops by for a rapid-fire verse that rhymes "badonkadonk" with "Donkey Kong." But Lopez steals the show by pulling back her vocal power during the minimalist bridge and busting out her still-potent pipes during the chorus.


Saturday, May 7, 2011

HoMin just dropped their Japanese album!


Yunho and Changmin's First Album After Restarting Activities Released! First Press Limited Edition Contains 16 Minute Drama PV)

Yunho and Changmin, who restarted activities as a 2-member Tohoshinki, delayed the release of their first album after their comeback, “Why (Keep Your Head Down) Japan version, due to the effect of the Tohoku Earthquake, and finally released it on 4 May, with the approximately 16-minute long drama PV version of “Why?(Keep Your Head Down) included.

This new album was released for sale in Korea in January, and became a hot topic when it dominated the top spots of various charts. 3 versions of the bonus track “Before You Go” have been added to this album, making a total of 14 tracks and consists of CD and DVD. The CD includes “Why?(Keep Your Head Down),” the theme song of Fuji TV drama “Beautiful Neighbour” which aired from January to March, and other songs.

In the first press limited edition DVD, aside from the drama PV, also includes the jacket shoot and making of videos, and is priced at ¥5,500. The normal DVD version has 2 dance versions of “Why?(Keep Your Head Down)” included, and is priced at ¥3,990.

Also, Tohoshinki’s new song “I Don’t Know” is scheduled for distribution on ChakuUta (Mobile download) starting 11 May.

Jennifer Lopez 'Love?': Track-by-Track Review





Lopez recruited plenty of hitmakers to help craft "Love?," including R&B boundary-pushers The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, Norwegian duo Stargate and none other than Lady Gaga, who boasts two credits on the album ("Invading My Mind" and "Hypnotico"). Gaga's frequent collaborator RedOne also produced the set's lead single, "On the Floor" (featuring Pitbull), which helped kick-start Lopez's musical comeback with a top 10 debut on the Billboard Hot 100.

Play NOW 1. "On the Floor" -- Long overdue J.Lo/Pitbull collab reveals said floor's versatility over crisp synths. Donkey Kong/Tonka Truck/Lambada nostalgia, anyone?


Play NOW 2. "Good Hit" - For the kids. "Pieces of Me"-esque Auto-Tune use and neck-snapping beat keeps momentum going nicely, but Nicki Minaj, Jennifer is not.

Play NOW 3. "I'm Into You" - Dancehall groove, breezy verses and come-hither hook is perfect for sun-soaked, summertime road trips. Weezy cameo FTW.

Play NOW 4. "(What Is) Love" - Older, wiser Jennifer channels love-addled J.Lo circa '03 to answer album's central ? Bieber would slay this if the gender was flipped.

Play NOW 5. "Run the World" - The-Dream's fingerprints all over this = a good thing. After the internal confusion of "(WI)L," this one's refreshingly self-assured.

Play NOW 6. "Papi" - The pro-monogamy house trend revived by RiRi's "Only Girl," still going strong here. Fun, harmless, & strictly for Jenny's Latina fans.

Play NOW 7. "Until It Beats No More" - Sounds like she's singing straight to Marc Anthony on this one. Honest and adult. "I feel the beat again, stronger than before." Aw.

Play NOW 8. "One Love" - "What's wrong with a girl wanting everything?" Jennifer wonders over this slow roller. Nothing, when you're a triple-threat superstar.

Play NOW 9. "Invading My Mind" - RedOne & Lady Gaga (collaboration 1 of 2) bring the hit potential, while Jennifer brings the heat.  All irresistible '80s euphoria & release.

Play NOW 10. "Villain" - Variations on Kanye's "Flashing Lights" beat never get old, but this feels oddly placed after the confessional vibe of the last track.

Play NOW 11. "Starting Over" - Another ballad in disguise, thanks to pummeling bassline and mournful introspection. First payoff comes at the :33 mark - hi, Robyn!

Play NOW 12. "Hypnotico" - Gaga collaboration 2 of 2 gets right into the Mother Monster's headspace. Handclaps, boy-toying, fun with syllables & a boricua shoutout.

Play NOW 13. "Everybody's Girl" - So very disco. Being tired of fame is a tired theme, hence the bonus track status, but this'll work just fine for a Zumba playlist, so thx!

Play NOW 14. "Charge Me Up" - Did you know? Four-on-the-floor fatigue is a real illness. A ballad would actually be very welcome right about now.

Play NOW 15. "Take Care" - Finally, some hip-hop. Delicious melodies by the-Dream and retro drums. All that's missing is Ja Rule's growl! Kidding. Kind of.

Play NOW 16. "On the Floor (Ven a Bailar)" - Even sexier than the original, and the rare seamless ranslation of an English-language hit. Also, Pitbull should never not rap in Spanish.