Ciara: 'Spears a sweetheart to tour with'

Ciara has spoken out about supporting Britney Spears on her current world tour, insisting that the singer was a "sweetheart" to work with.

The 'Work' star opened for Spears on her British dates and recently confirmed that she would join the 'Womanizer' singer on the road again for her second tour of the US which kicks off in August.

Speaking to Rap-Up, she said: "I did a few days with her in the UK and that turned into us doing all these dates coming up, so I'm excited about it. The first time she came by, she was like, 'Hey Ciara! I just want you to know your show is great'.

"Backstage, it was really quiet, serene. It was just a cool vibe for women. We need to support each other and have good, positive energy around each other. That's what it was."

Ciara previously admitted that she had struggled with some of her performances during Spears's tour of the UK because she was suffering from a cold.

Jackson will be posthumously more popular

Tito Jackson says his brother Michael will become more popular than The Beatles or Elvis Presley now he is dead.

The former member of the Jackson Five – the group which launched his brother’s stratospheric career – has revealed Michael was bitter critics never classed him as one of the all-time truly great musicians during his lifetime.

Tito said: 'Michael always wanted people to think he was the greatest. I knew that, millions and millions of people knew that, but the media would never say it.

'They would never give him his due, even though he had all the records to prove it. They kept him below the mega-stardom reserved for Elvis and The Beatles. They would never put his name next to them. That’s all he wanted when he was living.'

The 55-year-old musician insists it is only since Michael’s untimely passing last month that the world has rediscovered his sibling’s music and humanitarian message.

Tito added to Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper: 'I love Elvis and The Beatles but Michael showed the world something we never imagined.

'Now that he’s dead he will rise even higher than them. He has definitely done more than them.

'It wasn’t just music – it had messages like 'Heal the World’ and 'We Are The World’. They were anthems for the world that brought people together.'

Sine his shock death on June 25, aged 50, it has been estimated the 'King of Pop’ has sold nine million albums worldwide.

Shakira used dictionary to write songs

SHAKIRA has admitted that she used to rely on a dictionary to write songs.

The Columbian singer's first language is Spanish but because she performs many of her sings in English, she struggled to get her lyrics to make sense.

She said: "Writing songs used to be so difficult for me. A few years ago I could barely speak English and I used to write my songs with a dictionary. It was a real labour of love and I would sit there for hours just looking up words. But now thankfully it comes to me more naturally and spontaneously."

Shakira recently revealed she hopes her forthcoming untitled album helps people "forget their troubles" by dancing to her up-beat tracks.

She said: "It's very electronic and dance-oriented, club-oriented. It's designed for people to have fun and enjoy themselves and forget about their troubles and the crisis.

Jackson's sister to release tribute record

LA TOYA JACKSON is set to release a tribute record to her late brother Michael.

The singer said she will make a song called Home, which was originally recorded in 2003 as a homage to her family, available on iTunes on July 28.

According to BBC News, all proceeds from the single will be donated to Aids Project LA, a charity which was supported by Michael Jackson.

Meanwhile, a hearing which will determine who will look after the singer's three children has been postponed for the second time.

It has been re-scheduled to take place on August 3 .

His mother Katherine Jackson is currently the temporary guardian of his children, two of which are the children of his ex-wife Debbie Rowe.

Dido goes back to what she knows best

DIDO has said she will return to her "electronic roots" for her forthcoming fourth album.

The singer-songwriter is working on the follow-up to 2008's Safe Trip Home, which saw her experiment with a different approach to music.

Writing on her website, she said: "I intentionally didn't use any electronics on the third album. It was a challenge that started as a small thought and then turned into a big theme of the record.

"We had a lot of fun creating sounds from all manner of instruments - bells, wind instruments, strings, brass, pots, pans, cans, sandpaper, anything. This was instead of using anything pre-programmed."

She added: "It was a great learning experience for me and also made me a much better musician pretty quickly!

"It's also making me really appreciate the joy of electronics again on this new album I'm making. It's good to take a break and now I'm celebrating my electronic roots again."

Dido's fourth studio album is scheduled to be released early next year

Mike sued.

UK pop singer Mika is set to be sued by a female reggae artist who claims he stole her name.

Belgian chanteuse Mika says the Grace Kelly singer, whose full name is Mica Penniman, should change his moniker as she registered the name in the 80s.

She said: "I was called Mika before him and have registered the name. Even though his real name is Mica, I think he should change it."

The reggae singer - who has released five albums in her native Belgium - also wants Mika to pay her damages.

A source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "She's not happy. There's only enough room for one Mika in the pop world - and she was here first."

Belgian Mika released her debut single, MLK, in 1989 but it wasn't a big hit and neither were her subsequent releases.

In contrast, the other Mika - whose family were forced to flee war-torn Lebanon for Paris before later settling in London - saw his debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion, sell more than three million copies worldwide.

If the Love Today singer is forced to change his name, he will not be the first.

In 2001, Popstars' runners-up Liberty had to change their moniker to Liberty X while Irish boyband Westlife were originally known as Westside.

Bang! Showbiz

Mika debuts new song

MIKA debuted his new single on the radio today.

The singer premiered We Are Golden on Ken Bruce's morning show on BBC Radio 2's and said he was "nervous as a seven-year-old girl".

The Love Today star revealed that writing the his new album, recorded at the Olympic Studios in London, had been like a second adolescence.

He said: "I wish I had written [the LP] when I was a teenager. I used to write music to give me a feeling of value and get me through a lot of things."

Mika releases new single 'We Are Golden' on September 6 and the album of the same name on September 21.

Jackson's brother blames doctor for death

Tito Jackson claims Dr. Conrad Murray's "panicking" helped cause his brother's death.

Tito - who was left devastated when brother Michael of a suspected cardiac arrest last month - accused the pop legend's physician of wasting vital minutes by not getting help quickly enough after he collapsed and stopped breathing.

He said: "My opinion is that he panicked when my brother didn't wake up.

"I think the doctor probably figured he was in trouble and he tried to revive Michael. He did have a pulse but he couldn't bring him back.

"I don't know what the time lapse was between the doctor finding him and when he called paramedics.

"But I believe if he had immediately called for help we might still have my brother here today, he would definitely still be alive."

Tito also accused Murray of failing to carry out CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) correctly. In the aftermath of Michael's passing it was revealed the physician CPR on the dying star while he lay on a soft bed instead of the accepted practice of a hard surface.

Tito, 55, added in an interview on Spanish TV: "The CPR attempt is one of the things I noticed that was very strange.

"CPR is one of the first things you learn to do as a doctor, and you don't do it on a soft bed."

When asked whether he thought Michael had been murdered, Tito replied: "Anything is possible.

"It's a very strong word, the police are investigating what happened. Until there is some kind of revelation, I don't want to comment. Everything is on the table."

Meanwhile, Michael's mother has asked for a judge's ruling on whether she can challenge the authority of the two men named in his will as the executors of his estate.

Although the filing does not challenge the appointment of lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain, a favourable ruling for Katherine Jackson could help her gain control of her son's estate, which is valued at more than $500 million.

Chris Brown apologises for assault

CHRIS BROWN has publicly apologised for beating up ex-girlfriend Rihanna.

The R&B singer posted a two-minute video on his website last night expressing his regret about the attack and telling his fans that he is sad and ashamed of his conduct.

Brown was arrested February 8 and later charged with assault likely to cause great bodily harm. He pleaded guilty to the assault charge last month and faces sentencing on August 5.

He could be made to serve five years of probation and perform six months of community work.

Dressed in a long sleeve red shirt and looking directly at the camera, Brown said he had apologised to Rihanna several times.

He said: "I've told Rihanna countless times and I'm telling you today, I'm truly, truly sorry that I wasn't able to handle the situation both differently and better."

Brown says on the video he wanted to speak out earlier, but his lawyer advised him against it.

He expressed his "deepest regret" over the incident and said he "accepts full responsibility", telling viewers that he wishes he could "live those few moments again", because he was taught "better than that."

He said: "I intend to live my life so that I am truly worthy of the term 'role model."

Jackson shouldn't be be buried in public

Jermaine Jackson doesn't want his brother Michael to be buried with "bad people".

The former Jackson 5 bassist - who is still devastated by the death of his pop legend sibling, who passed away of a suspected cardiac arrest last month - wants the singer to be laid to rest at his former Neverland ranch and not in a public cemetery.

He told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "I think it's a great possibility Neverland will be his final resting place. We have to think about security - we can control that there. In a public cemetery we couldn't.

"The options are Neverland or the main cemetery in Los Angeles. I'm totally against the idea of a public cemetery. I just don't like it.

"He's done so much to make the world special - and he needs to be somewhere special. He should be somewhere where it's safe and where he isn't sharing the ground with other people who are not good human beings. At those places they bury people who have done bad things in their life.

"Why should he be in the company of these bad people? He should be by himself. His world is Neverland."

Michael died on June 25 aged 50 and had a public memorial service was held on July 7, but his body is yet to be buried.

However, Jermaine - who wants to turn the 2,500-acre estate into a memorial so fans can come from around the world to pay their respects - says the final decision is down to their mother and father, Katherine and Joe.

Katherine - who has temporary custody of Michael's three children, Prince Michael I, 12, 11-year-old Paris and seven-year-old Prince Michael II, also known as 'Blanket' - isn't keen on her son's final resting place being at Neverland but could change her mind if the kids are given ownership of the ranch.

A source said: "Katherine is still opposed to Michael being buried at Neverland, but would relent if it could be arranged for Michael's children to gain ownership of the property. If they could have complete ownership, Katherine would approve."

She had been against the idea as authorities had searched Neverland after Michael was accused of child molestation - charges which he was eventually acquitted of in 2005 - prompting the singer to abandon the property

Jackson's son thinks he's on holiday

Michael Jackson's youngest son thinks his father is on holiday.

Prince Michael II, also known as 'Blanket', doesn't realise his singer dad died last month and was left confused after the 'Thriller' star's memorial service in Los Angeles.

Mark Lester - who is godfather to Michael's three children, Prince Michael I, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old 'Blanket' - told Hello! magazine: "It is obvious to me that Blanket is still unsure about what exactly happened to his father. He said, 'Where's daddy gone? On holiday?' It was a rhetorical question and it broke my heart.

"Prince was taciturn, unusual for him, but we still had a hug. Paris gave me a tight hug and we just held each other for a while. We were both welling up. I told her that her dad would always lie in her heart and be remembered by at least half of the world. Paris replied, 'I'm just glad he is at peace.' "

British actor Mark, who rose to fame as a child star in movie musical 'Oliver!', also revealed his three godchildren - who are currently being looked after by Michael's mother Katherine Jackson, who has temporary custody of them - have begged to spend this Christmas with him and his family.

He said: "Paris was disappointed my daughters couldn't come to the memorial. She asked me, 'Can we come and stay with you at Christmas and I can bring the presents?'

"I was very touched and still hope it can be arranged. It's difficult to say until the custody arrangements have been finalised."

Mark, who is planning to attend the service when Michael's body is buried, also insisted Prince Michael I and Paris have no relationship with their biological mother, Michael's ex-wife Debbie Rowe.

The 50-year-old star explained: "The children don't know her and haven't seen her for years. The possibility the three children might be split up - 'Blanket', of course, is by another mother - is unthinkable and I believe it would be disastrous for them."

Meanwhile, Michael's father Joe Jackson has denied beating his son when he was growing up.

When asked about allegations he physically harmed Michael as a child, Joe told US TV talk show host Larry King: "That is a bunch of bull. That is not true. I never have. I raised him just like you would raise your kids. Why would I harm Michael? He was my son and I loved him. I still love him."

It was recently alleged Michael was left sterile and unable to have children after Joe kicked him in the testicles when he younger.

Ian Brown to release Jackson-inspired album

IAN BROWN said he is going to release an album inspired by Michael Jackson.

The former Stone Roses frontman will release My Way, his sixth solo album, in September, according to NME.com.

And he said the LP was mostly inspired by Jackson's seminal 1982 album Thriller and ironically, the final day of mixing took place on June 25, the day he passed away.

Speaking to NME, Brown said: "Thriller was our blueprint. Every time we wrote a song we didn't think was strong enough, we scrapped it. We mastered it on the day that Michael Jackson died too, so I'm taking that as a good omen."

Recorded at Manchester's Battery Studios with producer Dave McCracken, My Way will include lead single Stellify, which is out September 21.

GaGa stuns Germans in Kermit outfit

Lady GaGa has shocked fans in Germany by attending an interview wearing an outfit made up entirely of Kermit the Frogs.

The 'Paparazzi' singer, who last week donned a gimp mask to a press conference in Malta, wore the extravagant costume ahead of a live show in Munich.

"My friends and I in New York, this is the life we live, we believe in vanity," the 23-year-old said.

"I dress this way all the time because it inspires my life. I dress this way as my whole life is art and my whole life is performance."

Carey imitates Eminem in new video?

Mariah Carey has been spotted on the set of her new video 'Obsessed' - dressed like rapper Eminem.

The 'Shake It Off' singer sported a similar-looking ensemble to that of Eminem, which included an oversized sweatshirt, baseball hat and baggy sweatpants, People reports.

The musicians have recently been engaged in a war of words via song, after Eminem's new album track 'Bagpipes From Baghdad' suggested that he wished to rekindle his romance with the popstar.

Carey's husband Nick Cannon openly criticised the hip-hop star, who later said that the song was meant to "wish them the best" for their marriage.

Carey has reportedly hit back at Eminem with her new single, which details an unnamed individual's infatuation with her.

Ellis-Bextor hopes to release album this year

SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR has said she would like to release some new material before the year is out.

Speaking to Digitalspy.co.uk, she said: I'm working on finishing my album as soon as I can, but I've got lots of work to do.
"It's coming together really well and hopefully I'll have new material out before the end of the year."

The pop star has recorded between 15 and 20 tracks for her upcoming fourth album and described it as "very dance-pop - quite tough electro".

Britney set to regain control of her affairs

Britney Spears conservatorship could be set to end.

The 27-year-old singer s father Jamie Spears - who was made co-conservator of her personal and professional affairs following her public breakdown last year - wants a judge to review the conditions of the agreement when Britney's Circus world tour concludes in November.

Gossip website TMZ reports: "Jamie can't ask the judge to end it - just to review it. The judge then decides if Britney should regain control of her life.

Jamie thinks Britney - who currently has shared custody of her two children with ex-husband Kevin Federline, Sean Preston, three, and two-year-old Jayden James - is now strong enough to look after herself.

Meanwhile, Kevin, who starred in 2005 reality TV show Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, which followed the couple's relationship, is keen to star in a new programme with his girlfriend Victoria Prince and his sons.

A source said: "Victoria will be a big part of the series. They are not engaged, but she lives with him full-time in his place in Encino.

"Victoria and Britney first met before Britney's tour at Kevin's home. They had a meeting face-to-face, when Victoria was home alone with the kids. It was awkward, but Britney was nice."

Attention Tokio Hotel fans: Circle October 2 on your calendars

That's the day the German quartet will release their new album, Humanoid, according to producer/songwriter David Jost
In a statement to MTV News, Jost said it's "now certain" the new TH album will be released October 2, and it draws influences from the world of science fiction — or at least frontman Bill Kaulitz does.
"Bill has already given a name for the new record: Humanoid. The word 'Humanoid' comes from the science-fiction language, meaning 'humanlike,' " the statement reads. "This word is pronounced differently in the English and German language but is written the same way in both languages. Bill wanted the new record to have only one name worldwide: Humanoid."
Just last month, snippets of two English-language tracks — "Dark Side of the Sun" and "Pain of Love" — hit the Net, both of which will reportedly be featured on Humanoid. Within hours, those snippets were removed, but they can be found on sites like YouTube.

New song from paramore!!!

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Summer :)

Hey all…well okay I’m new to this and I’m not English so if I make mistakes don’t hate me...
But well yea its summer and its hot outside and it’s just wonderful I love it. My favorite time of year is summer. So I’m really happy these days :D , at least I try to be. Anyways. 3 week of the holidays left then I start the second year of college and I’m so excited. First year of college was amazing… but I’ll get back to that later :D just enjoy the summer while it’s here.