Pussycat Dolls star 'admits group split'

Ashley Roberts has reportedly admitted that the Pussycat Dolls have "broken up".

The singer/dancer has allegedly told fans outside a hotel in London that the girl group have split, reports the Daily Mail.

Ashley Roberts said: "This is the last time we'll be in the UK as a band. We've broken up. We're sorry."

The group's future has been in question for months as lead singer Nicole Scherzinger has reportedly planned to launch a solo career.

John Mayer reveals songwriting struggles

John Mayer has revealed that he is trying to adopt a new carefree approach to songwriting.

The 31-year-old singer admitted that he was previously worried about his lyrics because he did not want fans to compare them to tabloid rumours surrounding his personal life.

Writing on Twitter, Mayer explained: "I find it hard to write lyrics like I used to. This is not because people know so much about me, but because of what they think they know.

"So I find myself trying to guess what they think they know and then trying to steer clear of it and find another way to explain myself.

"The whole thing gets very tiresome and has led me to say 'f**k it' and write exactly like I used to."

Mayer has been linked to a number of female celebrities in the past, including Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz.

Gerard Way reveals new MCR LP details

Gerard Way has claimed that My Chemical Romance's upcoming album will feature the "greatest song" that the band has ever written.

The singer and lyricist discussed the progress of the follow-up to 2006's The Black Parade during an appearance at Comic-Con to promote his latest comic books.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, he said: "The songs are all wildly different, but the one I'm really excited about is called 'Death Before Disco'.

"It's a completely different sound for the band - it's like an anti-party song that you can party to. I can't wait for people to hear it.

"It brings back, lyrically, some of that wonderful fiction from the first album. I think we wrote our 'Born to Run', and I'm so amped about that. To me, it's the greatest song we've ever written - it's my favourite MCR song."

Way added that the group are "right in the middle" of producing the as-yet-untitled record, which is expected to be released later this year or early 2010.

Rihanna earned £10 million in one year

Rihanna earned an estimated £10 million last year, it has been claimed.

The 'Umbrella' singer is expected to become one of the world's richest popstars following the success of her third album Good Girl Gone Bad and a number of high profile endorsements.

According to Forbes magazine, the 21-year-old profited from a re-release of the LP, which spawned an impressive seven singles, as well as a world tour and contract with fashion giant Gucci.

The Bajan singer has reportedly enlisted Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Jay-Z to work on her new album, scheduled for release next year.

Placebo release ‘The Never-Ending Why’

Lifted from their now critically-acclaimed, top five (in twenty countries!) album 'Battle For The Sun’, Placebo are pleased to announce the release of their new single 'The Never-Ending Why’ on the 7th of September.

High energy and utterly infectious, 'The Never-Ending Why’ harks back to classic Placebo, kicking into life with a dense barrage of noise and building into a chorus that clamps itself onto your brain and refuses to let go. The single will be available on 7' vinyl with an exclusive b-side and as a download bundle that will feature the 7' tracks plus a remix.

Placebo have been highly active on the live circuit this year with 25 European festival appearances this summer alone (including a return to the mainstage at the Reading/Leeds festivals this August), followed by a huge arena tour booked for this December that includes a headline appearance at The O2 Arena in London on December 9th.

The December dates are as follows:

Tuesday 08th Birmingham LG Arena
Wednesday 09th London The O2
Friday 11th Bridlington Spa
Saturday 12 Manchester Central
Monday 14th Glasgow SECC
Tuesday 15th Dublin Olympia Theatre
Wednesday 16th Dublin Olympia Theatre

Whitney Houston album is pushed forward

WHITNEY HOUSTON is set to release her new album earlier than expected.

The highly-anticipated I Look To You was due to go on sale on September 1.

But because of "continuous excitement" stemming from listening parties, it'll be available a day earlier on August 31.

Houston recently admitted that she was inspired by her personal ups and downs in the seven years when writing the album.

Shakira is desperate for a baby

Shakira is desperate to "reproduce".

The 'Beautiful Liar' singer is certain her fiance Antonio de la Rua – the son of Argentina's former president Fernando de La Rua - is the "right person" to start a family with, and is planning to start trying for a baby as soon as possible.

The 32-year-old star said: "I constantly think about raising a family. I want to reproduce so bad! Antonio and I have been together for nine years and function as a married couple even though we're not married.

"I don't think you find the right person in your life more than once. I don't even think about how famous he is. We look at each other as a man and a woman and that's it. We try to live a normal life and I keep my family close to me so I still feel like a real person."

Shakira also reflected on 'Beautiful Liar' - her "thrilling" 2007 collaboration with Beyonce Knowles.

She added to Britain’s Look magazine: "It was fantastic to work with her. She's an amazing performer and very sweet. The song was her idea and I was so thrilled. She's a very determined and focused woman and that's something to admire."

Jay-Z to write about marriage to Beyonce

Jay-Z is planning to tell all about his marriage in a new book.

The ’99 Problems’ rapper is set to pen an autobiography in which he will open up about his life with wife Beyonce Knowles, despite the pair making a pact to not speak about their relationship publicly.

A source said: 'It’s going to cover everything from his days on the streets as a drug dealer to his fairytale wedding to Beyonce.

'He’ll also be revealing his rapping secrets.'

A spokesperson for the star confirmed plans for the tome, which as yet has no title or release date.

Its release is expected to tie in with his next album, 'The Blueprint 3’, which is due to come out in September.

The hip-hop star – real name Shawn Carter – previously scrapped plans for an autobiography, saying it would be too personal to write.

Beyonce – who married 39-year-old Jay-Z in secret last April after dating him for around six years – has often credited the pair’s refusal to discuss their relationship as the key to its longevity.

She said: 'I think I have a successful, long-lasting relationship, longer than most people’s in the industry, so I must be doing something right.

'It’s important for people to know that there’s a line you can’t cross in this. It’s real. It’s not like some fairytale that people watch for entertainment – it’s real life and it’s important to keep it to yourself.

'We worked really hard at keeping our wedding private. I've always been this way, and he's always been this way, so that's why we complement each other. We always knew that it would be private and quiet, for all the right reasons."

Joel Madden writes his memoirs

Joel Madden is writing a memoir.

The Good Charlotte rocker - who is expecting his second child with girlfriend Nicole Richie - believes the time is right for him to pen a tome about all the things he has been through.

He said: "It would be about my life. It would be about, mostly, the big changes in my life - kids, relationships, moving to Los Angeles the big life changes that I've gone through."

The 30-year-old musician is determined to put as much effort as possible into the book, as he wants to ensure it is a significant reflection of the highs and lows he has suffered.

He explained: "I'm lightly working on one, but I don't want to put a book out there if it's not actually meaningful. I'm not going to go there unless I can deliver.

"If I put a book out, I want it to be something that matters to me. It has to be real, you can't just put a book out, to put a book out. I want every page to mean something."

Joel and Nicole already have 18-month-old daughter Harlow together.

Nelly Furtado to release Spanish album

Nelly Furtado says singing in Spanish is 'liberating'.

The 'Maneater’ singer – who was born in Canada to Portuguese parents – is set to release 'Mi Plan’, her first album in the language.

Nelly admits she found it easier to get close to her emotions in a different language.

She said: "I think this album has some of my first true love songs ever. They're not complicated. They're not over-intellectualised, and I found it liberating to be able to sing in the Latin language and to express myself from my Latin soul.'

The 'Promiscuous’ star made the decision to record in Spanish after touring her 2006 smash hit album 'Loose’ left her creatively exhausted.

She explained: "I was physically tired and I wasn't feeling inspired. It was almost as if I lost my pop inspiration to write in English. I just needed a new outlet, and I found it by writing in Spanish."

The album, set for release in September, features a range of guest artists, including collaborations with Mexican singers Alejandro Fernandez and Julieta Venegas and Latin hip-hop singer La Mala Rodriguez.

However, Nelly revealed working with classical star Josh Groban on 'Silencio’ was a 'huge blessing'.

She added: "I thought it was important to showcase on this album an artist that people know more for their English recordings. So, I thought by working with Josh would actually elevate my point that language isn't a barrier when it comes to music."

Estelle denies slagging off Rihanna

ESTELLE has denied reports that she has engaged in an online war with Rihanna.

The singer slammed The Sun newspaper after it claimed that the American Boy singer took to her Twitter.com page to comment on the latest collaboration between Jay-Z and his protegee Rihanna.

The paper said that Estelle claimed she could have sung the chorus for Run This Town much better, and allegedly wrote: "Rihanna just doesn’t do it for me.'

But she released a statement that insisted that the comment was made by one of her followers on the micro-blogging site.

Speaking to MTV.com, she said: "Twitter is a funny old thing. I just need to be clear though. I have not said anything at all about me wanting to be on the Jay Z / Kanye / Rihanna track.

'Someone else twittered that remark to me and one of the U.K. tabloids then chose to 'rewrite' this and post it online... Watching this unfold, it is crazy that something that I didn't even say can end up as such a big news story.'

Kelly Clarkson: 'I didn't copy Beyoncé'

Kelly Clarkson has denied the suggestion that she ripped off Beyoncé's hit single 'Halo' for her upcoming track 'Already Gone'.

The singer explained that the similarity between the two songs resulted from both artists working with songwriter-producer Ryan Tedder of One Republic, CBC News reports.

Clarkson said: "Ryan and I met each other at the record label, before he was working with anyone else. We wrote about six songs together, four or five of them made the album.

"It was all fine and dandy. I'd never heard of a song called 'Halo'. Her album came out when my album was already being printed."

She added: "No-one's gonna be sittin' at home, thinking, 'Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyoncé and Kelly the same track to write to'. No, they're just gonna be saying I ripped someone off. I called Ryan and said, 'I don't understand. Why would you do that?'"

The former American Idol star claimed that she "fought and fought" to prevent her record label from releasing the track as a single, but the company refused to agree to her request.

Clarkson said: "In the end, they're releasing it without my consent. It sucks, but it's one of those things I have no control over.

"I already made my album. At this point, the record company can do whatever they want with it. It's kind of a s**tty situation, but... you know, you learn."

Miley Cyrus wishes she had other talents

MILEY CYRUS has reportedly admitted she wished she had another talent.

The singer and actress said if she wasn't in the music business, she would aspire to be a painter or photographer.

Speaking to the Star Telegram, she said: "I would like to be a photographer, and honestly, I am the worst painter, but if I could be anything I would want to be a painter, but I can't paint so that [crosses] that out.

"I love playing my guitar. I always have my guitar with me. That is my favourite thing, is writing the music."

She added that the downside to being famous is constantly being away from home.

She said: "The best thing is the travelling and meeting new people, and the worst thing is the travelling. It is the best and worst because I am away from home all the time.

"Also, it is fun to meet new people and see new things and go places that you probably wouldn't be able to go."

Avril Lavinge strips down new album

AVRIL LAVINGE is going back to her roots for her next album.

The singer said she will abandon the "cheerleader" style of her last album The Best Damn Thing, for a more traditional sound.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, she said: "[The Best Damn Thing] was intended to be fun, to be rockin'. All I had in my mind was my live show, running around on stage, getting the crowd involved.

"This record, I just really, really wanted to sing. We started recording each song, some of them, just with acoustic guitar and the vocal and building it from there. It's stripped down. I love performing that way, so I really felt like it was time to make a record like that. To just make it all about the vocal and the performance, and the vibe, and the emotion."

She added: "I was always really honest in my lyrics. I think more so when I was younger, and now it's kind of come back to that. Just like, you know what? I'm not trying to write a perfect pop song. I'm just trying to write a song that's honest right now, even if something sounds weird or a lyric might not make sense to someone."

Jackson lay in state without his nose

Michael Jackson's nose was missing as he lay in state.

An eyewitness claims he saw the singer's body on an autopsy table with part of his face completely disappeared.

The witness said: "The prosthesis he normally attached to his damaged nose was missing, revealing bits of cartilage surrounding a small dark hole."

Jackson - who died a month ago today of a suspected cardiac arrest - was believed to have had a number of surgical operations change the shape of his nose, which eventually eroded it away. He was also thought to be obsessed with plastic surgery and altering his appearance.

The witness added: "Jackson's face - which he had so painfully reworked and concealed from the public for decades now - lay out in the open undisguised under the harsh lights."

One of the 'King Of Pop's former housekeepers has previously told how the singer kept a number of false noses, which he applied using plasters and glue.

Adrian McManus said: "In his closet he had a jar of fake noses and stage glue, which he told me he used for disguises. But some were similar to his real nose, just without the hole."

Reasons for Jackson's fascination with surgery are unclear, though he has hinted it was because he was bullied as a child. Other sources said he was desperate not to look like his father, Joe Jackson, whom he had accused of hitting him as a youngster and aking fun of his appearance.

Pussycat Doll is naturally sexy

Nicole Scherzinger says being "sexy" comes naturally to her.

The Pussycat Dolls singer believes it's her inner confidence that makes her attractive to the opposite sex, not her skimpy stage outfits.

She said: "Sexy is a confidence that comes from within so I don't think you have to be all glammed and dolled up to be sexy. I think you could be naturally sexy with jeans and a T-shirt or a skirt. I don't know if it's like an inner sense of humour or just a light that shines from within.

"I take the attention from men as a compliment! I think that ultimately comes from a confidence which comes from within so yes, that confidence is empowering."

Nicole - who is dating Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton - believes her self-assurance has grown since she joined the girl group in 2003.

She added: "I definitely think the Pussycat Dolls has brought out an inner Pussycat within me. I feel like when I'm onstage and the lights come on, a different persona comes over me. And I just take on a whole other animal or beast.

"I don't know if it's in the lights or if it's in the fans or just a combination of all of that, but I guess that's when the Pussycat Doll comes out in me."

Billy Joel struck down with flu

BILLY JOEL has been forced to postpone a joint concert with Sir Elton Jonh after he fell ill with flu-like symptoms.

The pair was due to play a sold-out gig in Buffalo, New York last night as part of their Face to Face world tour but doctors ordered Joel to rest.

A rescheduled date for the show is expected to be announced next week.

Rihanna goes on secret date with Mr Hudson

RIHANNA has gone on a secret date with Mr Hudson.

The Umbrella singer took the British R&B star to the London premiere of the new Quentin Tarantino film 'Inglorious Basterds' this week.

But she made sure she was not seen with him until the film started and they were later spotted together again at the screening's afterparty.

A source told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "Rihanna didn't want to make a big deal out of her going on a date with Mr Hudson, so she never told anyone she was bringing him.

"They have been meeting up secretly and on the red carpet they refused to be pictured together. Once they were inside the cinema though, they were stuck together like glue and then they both slipped out of the back door at the end to go for a meal."

Rihanna, 21, is believed to have been introduced to Mr Hudson by Kanye West.

Jackson's friend begged him to give up painkillers

URI GELLER has revealed that he confronted Michael Jackson about his drug taking after finding him passed out one day.

Speaking on TV documentary 'My Friend Michael Jackson: Uri's Story', the psychic spoon bender said: "I've never seen him take anything, but I've seen the aftermath and the aftermath sometimes was devastating.

"I couldn't wake Michael up one day. I grabbed his body and I kind of tried to wake him up. I was really concerned. I said, 'Michael what have you done, what have you taken? Michael open your eyes, are you OK?'

"There were moments when we tried to forcefully explain to him that he can't go on with this. And he would say, 'Don't tell me, this is my private life, stop, stop there.' "

On another occasion, Uri confronted his friend after finding him motionless in bed and believes Michael knew one day his addiction to prescription medications would end his life.

He added: "I really shouted, 'Michael, Michael stop it, Michael you will die, you're killing yourself. Look at you, the world needs you, nobody wants to lose you.'

"And he was there in bed and he just stared at me and you know, I'm sure he knew of course, I'm sure he knew but only God knows now why, why he did this."

Pussycat Doll to give men high heel lessons

Kimberly Wyatt is to teach men to move in high heels.

The Pussycat Dolls singer is set to lead a two-day dance course in London and has promised to show people how to boost their confidence by walking in the sexy footwear.

She said: "I find it amazing how you can tell how insecure a person is from their walk.

"Some girls don't know their left from their right. I will be teaching how to walk and dance in high heels. Guys can do it too - maybe not in heels - but they can improve their walk."

The blonde star also revealed she is planning to follow in the footsteps of her bandmate Nicole Scherzinger and work on solo projects, but insisted the girl band are not planning to quit.

She added to Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "I'm working on a solo album with rapper Baby Bash.

"It's a dance pop record and I'm so excited by it. It's not the end of the band though. It's the foundation for our solo projects. We are all independent girls but will always be the Pussycat Dolls as well."

Despite being excited by the dance classes and her solo album, Kimberly's ultimate dream is to break into movies.

She explained: "I loved movies like 'Flashdance' and 'Fame' as a kid and I'm glad that people are loving dance again. My dream is to star in my own dance movie."