Russell Brand is already 'under the thumb' of his new wife Katy Perry

The comic actor has started taking orders from his pop star spouse ' who he wed in India last month ' and she has even started telling him to wear.

In his first TV interview since tying the knot, he told ITV show 'Loose Women': 'The other day, I put a shirt on and she went, 'You're not wearing that shirt are you?' I thought, 'That's actually happening? That's a thing off a sitcom.' That happened in my actual life. I wasn't allowed to wear it.'

Describing himself as 'under the thumb', he continued: 'f she says don't wear that shirt, I don't wear it.'

Despite the star-studded guest list and glamorous location, Russell insists his nuptials were just like anybody's else's wedding day.

He explained: 't was just normal. It's like a normal wedding. Everyone gets all worked up about showbiz and celebrity, but other than the bit where you're on the TV or you're singing a song, it's normal. It's just a normal marriage.'

The 'Get Him to the Greek' star also denied he gave Katy a tiger on their wedding day, adding: ''m a vegetarian, you don't give people tigers, it's stupid, it's dangerous, and the tigers don't like it.'
Article Source:http://www.music-news.com/

Linkin Park poised for number one debut in US

Linkin Park are certain to repeat the success of their last album and once again debut at number one atop the US chart later this week.

Hitsdailydouble.com is predicting sales of between 250-260k for the first week of the Rick Rubin produced 'A Thousand Suns' album.

The site also points out that their last Linkin Park record, 'Minutes To Midnight' from 2007, sold 623k in week one.

'A Thousand Suns' is the forth album for Linkin Park. It is a concept album about nuclear war. The title came from Hindu Sanskri text Bhagvad Gita 'f riddance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like splendor of the mighty one'.

The first Linkin Park album 'Hybrid Theory' was released in 2000. It has sold more than 10 million copies in the USA.

The band released the second record 'Meteora' in 2003 and third 'Minutes To Midnight' in 2007.

Bon Jovi are releasing a career-spanning greatest hits compilation

Music icons Bon Jovi are releasing a career-spanning greatest hits compilation November 9th on Mercury Records. 

Bon Jovi GREATEST HITS will transport listeners through the band's worldwide monster hits of the past and offer a bridge to the future with the debut of four brand new tracks. 

'Music marks milestones in all our lives,' notes frontman Jon Bon Jovi. 'These songs have stood the test of time and they remind us all where we came from, even as we keep our eyes towards the future.'

Bon Jovi GREATEST HITS will be a 16-song single disc chock full of the band's biggest chart-toppers including 'Livin' On A Prayer,' 'Always,' 't's My Life,' 'Wanted Dead or Alive,' and 'Who Says You Can't Go Home.' 

One of the biggest bands on the planet, they have sold a staggering 120 million albums worldwide, scored 5 UK Number 1 albums alone and played live to over 34 million fans.

Two new songs, including lead single 'What Do You Got?,' round out the tracklisting. 'What Do You Got?' will hit radio airwaves globally at the end of August and is a brand new Bon Jovi classic. 

An inspiring ballad with Richie Sambora's guitar to the fore, it is a message from a band who have brilliantly captured on record the everyday hopes and dreams of millions throughout their career ' always strive for more but never forget what is really important in life. 

Bon Jovi GREATEST HITS - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION will be a 28-song two disc edition made up of the GREATEST HITS CD from the standard edition and a second disc featuring beloved fan favorites including 'Bed of Roses,' 'Blood on Blood,' 'These Days,' and 'Keep The Faith' plus the third and fourth new tracks created for this project.

The four new songs ('The More Things Change,' 'No Apologies,' 'This Is Love, This Is Life' and the first single, 'What Do You Got?') were written specifically for inclusion in this compilation. 

The complete tracklistings for Bon Jovi GREATEST HITS and Bon Jovi GREATEST HITS - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION will be unveiled exclusively at www.bonjovi.com.

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have split up

The pair ' who met when they shot family drama movie 'The Last Song' in 2009 ' have broken up after more than a year of dating, representatives for the Australian actor have confirmed, with friends of the singer-and-actress claiming she is too focused on her career to have a relationship.

A source told E! Online: 'Ever since she left for Detroit to film 'LOL: Laughing Out Loud', Miley has been super focused on her work. Liam wanted more, but she's 17 and has other priorities right now. He's been a distraction. Miley's not with anybody else.

'Liam visited her twice on the set and both visits were only about 24 hours in length, by Miley's choice. She is not ready to settle down, and Liam's not a happy camper. They're both young.'

However, friends of the young stars have not ruled out a reconciliation in the future.

The source added: 'To say they are done forever would be premature, but it's safe to say for now they are doing their own thing.'

Speaking about their relationship earlier this year, Miley admitted their first kiss while filming 'The Last Song' made her realise she was interested in him romantically.

She said: 'That kiss definitely triggered something. It triggered something in my head that made me realise this was going to be a lot of fun and it made me realise that one day you can feel bad and the next you can meet someone who is your soulmate or your best friend or whatever and that's really cool."

Kimberley Walsh loves the 'low-maintenance' lifestyle of not being in Girls Aloud

The 28-year-old singer admits she had got bored of being groomed by a stylist before the band went on their hiatus but now feels like she is having a 'treat' when someone else does her hair and make-up for photoshoots.

She explained: ' like my low-maintenance lifestyle, it's a bit wash and go, so it's quite nice.

'But when I do the odd photoshoot and TV stuff, I do get excited about getting dressed up because it's not every single day.

'By the time we took our little break, we were literally like, 'I cannot have my hair pulled again' because if it's every day it doesn't feel like a treat anymore. But now it does and I'm grateful not to have to do it myself.'

Despite enjoying her relaxed appearance, Kimberley insists she can't wait to reunite with her bandmates ' Cheryl Cole, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle ' later this year.

She said: ' will get excited because we do miss each other and as much as it is crazy mayhem it is good fun and it is nice having the girls to support you.

't's different being on your own ' bittersweet. There's good and bad to everything isn't there?'

Taylor Swift unfazed singing in front of Paul McCartney and Coldplay

Taylor Swift has performed in front of hundreds and thousands of fans now but when it was time to perform at the Grammy Awards she had to face some pretty famous faces. Paul McCartney and Coldplay were sitting in the front row.

'You try not to be aware when you are singing a song of who is in the audience because you just try not to be nervous as much as possible,' Taylor tells Undercover News. 'After you get off stage you can geek-out and say 'oh my God, Coldplay and Paul McCartney and all of these people where in the audience.'

She was nominated for a Grammy for the first time in 2008 but lost to Amy Winehouse. That did not matter at all to Taylor Swift. 'At that point I was just shocked that I even got nominated,' she tells Undercover. 'At that point I hadn't hit that place where everyone knew my music and everyone was familiar with who I was. I think my record had just gone platinum so for me I was just excited that I was even in the category. To get nominated for a Grammy at age 17 was just the craziest thing for me.'

This week Taylor Swift released her new single 'Mine'. It will feature on her third album 'Speak Now' due though Universal Music on October 25.

Beyoncé sells new dream for the Obama age, says Professor

Beyoncé is the most persuasive and influential celebrity in the world, according to Staffordshire University Professor Ellis Cashmore.

'Not only does she sell downloads, cds, ringtones, movie tickets, her own label clothes and any number of products, from cologne to television, but she sells a new American Dream based on an idea ' that racism is over,' says Cashmore.

In his new article 'Buying Beyoncé' Ellis Cashmore argues that Beyoncé's most notable feat is in selling the idea that America's centuries-old problem of racism has vanished. 'When she serenaded the US President Barack Obama and his wife at their inauguration ball in January 2009, she achieved the unimaginable,' says Cashmore. 'Here was a conspicuously successful black women singing to the first black president in history.'

Cashmore, Professor of Culture, Media and Sport at Staffordshire University, believes Beyoncé is a symbol for a new age, though, he adds, a misleading one: 'Despite the progress of the past few decades, the USA is still mired in its past. African Americans do poorly at school, live in the poorest housing, spend a disproportionate amount of time behind bars and, despite the election of Obama, are underrepresented politically compared to their size in the total population ' more than 1 in 7 Americans are black.'

In his article, which is published in the latest issue of Celebrity Studies, Cashmore documents the overall social position of African Americans and contrasts this with the position of Beyoncé and other A-list black celebrities, such as her husband Jay-Z, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Alicia Keys. 'Their success can be interpreted by middle America as evidence that, in the land of opportunity, you can emerge from an impoverished background and live the good life.' 

Cashmore adds: 't's easy to imagine how Americans think to themselves, 'If these billionaire celebrities can make it, why can't any other black person in America. After all, racial discrimination didn't stop them. It's a deceptive illusion.'

Cashmore, whose books include Tyson: Nurture of the Beast and Celebrity/Culture believes Beyoncé is a perfect emblem for the Age of Obama. 'n a sense she is unique,' he says. Her earnings and her influence make her the most globally conspicuously successful black woman this side of Oprah, and, remember, she isn't 29 till September.'

Ellis Cashmore is professor of culture, media and sport at Staffordshire University, England. He can be seen discussing the article at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdg1XZqNk8U.

50 Cent has regained almost all the weight he lost for a film role

The 'In Da Club' rapper ' who shed an enormous amount of weight in just nine weeks for his part in 'Things Fall Apart' ' has found it easy to put the weight back on and has been gorging himself on high calorie foods. 

He explained: 't's the art of eating. The no complex route. It seems everything that is fun is no good for you. I had different things I don't usually have in my diet to put the weight back.'

He continued: ''m now 210lbs. I was a little fat boy, but I'm back at the gym. At my maximum weight I was 214.'

In the movie, 50 Cent - real name Curtis Jackson - plays an American football player diagnosed with cancer and he slashed his weight from 214 pounds to an astonishing 160 with a liquid diet and three-hour-a-day treadmill walks for the role. 

Shocking pictures posted on his website were captioned with the details of his weight loss.

The caption read: "50 Cent lost a lot of weight for his upcoming movie 'Things Fall Apart'. In the movie 50 Cent plays a football player diagnosed with cancer.

The 'Candy Shop' hitmaker can't wait until the movie comes out because he thinks his performance is fantastic.

He said: ' think the film project is going to be great, not just the transformation and the weight loss but my performance in itself. I'm excited to see it.'

Britney producer hints that new record is ready

Britney Spears could have a new record out in as little as a few weeks.

It's a very vague timeline, but producer Rodney Jerkins told UStream that 'Britney fans are gonna be so happy in a few weeks.'

The sly tip of the hat is the first we've heard about any new Britney since the singer's label Jive Records confirmed in March that she has had begun working on her seventh album.

Danka and Predator Dub Assasins have previously revealed that they have been in the studio with Britney.

The record marks her follow up to her massive 2008 album 'Circus' and will be her seventh album.

Janet Jackson is 'moving on' from her brother Michael Jackson's death

The singer ' whose older sibling, the late King of Pop, died on June 25 last year ' still thinks about him every day but is trying hard to enjoy life and look towards the future.

She said: 'There isn't a day goes by even now that I don't think about Michael, where we don't all think about him. But right now, I'm in a better space and I'm moving on with my life. At time it can be hard. But I'm growing and learning and loving. I'm enjoying my life very much and I've learnt that life is precious.'

Determined to make the most of life, the 44-year-old singer still feels like a 'kid inside', and spends a lot of time with younger colleagues and her 25 nieces and nephews in a bid to stay feeling youthful.

She explained: 'To be honest with you, I still feel that I'm very much a kid inside. Yes, I'm 44 and enjoying many aspects of that. I like the feeling of maturity it gives me. But at the same time, I feel a huge connection with, say, 20 year olds like the dancers I work with ' we do a great deal of bonding. And a lot of my nieces and nephews are in their 20s, so we're close. Maybe it's the kid in them speaking to the kid in me. They're young adults, still learning. They have that energy and love of life, and I think I still have that too.'

Janet's bond with these family members is so strong, she admits they often turn to her when they are in trouble.

She added to You magazine: ' get texts and emails all day long from them. Aunty Janet this and Aunty Janet that. I'm the aunt that they come to when they're going to get in trouble. You know, 'I just got a tattoo, or a piercing. And my dad saw it last night and he ants to choke me! Can you talk to him, Aunty Janet?'Search Amazon.com for fergie

New single Review Edei In My Bed

In My Bed is Edie’s first single taken from her debut album, which is due in the autumn. Edei’s been working with the team that developed Joss Stone for a couple of years, and was support on Girl’s Aloud arena tour. 

This is deceptively upbeat jaunty song which perfectly showcases Edei’s vocal talents. It’s pop, but it’s laced with rhythms and brass that actually give it a jazzier/funkier texture. Edei’s voice is pretty raw at times, but is drenched with such soulful emotion, that it infuses the song with a darker edge that only comes to the fore after several listens. 

The remixes are probably a sop for the club circuit and of are of passing interest only. The Dave Aude remix sounds like a Madonna Confessions on Dance Floor offcut, while the Almighty Radio mix isn’t, at all.

release date: 12 Jul 2010 // label: Alma Recordings 

will.iam has promised to put a smile back on Cheryl Cole's face

The Black Eyed Peas star ' who first became friends with the brunette beauty when she appeared in his 'Heartbreaker' video ' revealed following her bout of potentially deadly disease malaria, the singer is 'making good progress'.

He said: 'Cheryl's incredibly strong, spirited and a fighter. She's making good progress and will be back on track shortly. It's her passion. And I'll see her soon. I want to put that gorgeous smile back on her pretty face.'

Sources close to the pair recently revealed the 'I Got A Feeling' hitmaker has been bombarding Cheryl, 27, with calls and text messages in the hope of reassuring her all is fine when it comes to her career.

An insider said: 'They've been texting and calling. And not only does he make her laugh, he also helps her feel calm. 

'will's recording with the Black Eyed Peas at the moment, but he's waiting for the all-clear to come and see Cheryl ' and has reassured her that when she's well, she'll still have the brilliant career she's worked so hard for.'

Gwyneth Paltrow Drops 'Country Strong'

As one half of one of one of the most high-profile (and award-winning) celebrity couples in the world, Gwyneth Paltrow isn't normally the one in charge of creating music. She leaves that up to husband Chris Martin, frontman for the massively popular band Coldplay. Paltrow usually sticks to starring in films like the "Iron Man" series, "Proof," "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" and "Shakespeare in Love" (for which she won an Academy Award) and for reaching out to fans via her online newsletterGoop.

But for her latest film, Paltrow will be spreading into Martin's territory. In the upcoming "Country Strong" (which hits theaters in December), Paltrow plays a country singer who attempts to resurrect her career with the help of her husband (Tim McGraw), an up-and-coming songwriter (Garrett Hedlund of "Tron: Legacy" fame) and a fresh new face on the country scene (Leighton Meester). As part of the film, Paltrow has recorded a brand-new song called "Country Strong" that will be released as a single. It just premiered on the Internet, and you can listen to it here.

This isn't the first time Paltrow has lent her singing pipes to a movie role, as she famously crooned karaoke tunes with Huey Lewis in the 2000 movie "Duets." As far as "Country Strong" goes, Paltrow makes for a pretty convincing stand-in for an actual country singer, as her voice has plenty of conviction and power, and she sings with just enough twang to make it sound authentic (but not so much that it sounds cartoonish). Really, it's pretty excellent, and it may end up giving her a hit on country radio, as it would sound right at home next to Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Taylor Swift. Is Paltrow destined for a bigger musical project like Scarlett Johansson or Zooey Deschanel? Time will tell, but she clearly has the chops and the resourcefulness for something bigger.

What do you think of Gwyneth Paltrow's country song? Let us know in the comments!

Ke$ha's Animal Tears Apart 'Popology'

They say a well-rounded education is the key to success, and if that truly is the case, the my schooling is woefully incomplete when it comes to the subject of pop. That's why we bring you "Popology," the guide to modern radio-friendly stars as seen through the eyes of a guy who grew up on punk and metal. In case you missed previous installments, catch up with Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Eminem and others here.

This week, Ke$ha conquers the world.

While listening to Animal, the debut album from Ke$ha, something occurred to me: This album is exactly like the recently-leaked WikiLeaks papers about the war in Afghanistan.

No, seriously. Hear me out.

Ke$ha recently told Paper magazine that she would be willing to work on a country album but is "really digging being called, like half-jokingly, a white-girl rapper. I think it's really funny and I'm going to ride that train for a little bit." That's an incredible thing to admit. The thing about the WikiLeaks documents is that they don't really disclose any facts that people didn't already know. It's a lot of information that was already out there and reported on. But the fact that the government is on the record acknowledging it is a pretty big deal. It's one thing for everybody to know that something is true, but it's another thing for the party in question to admit that said thing is true.

Ke$ha's statements about shifting her personality are a lot like that. Everybody pretty much knew that she was a construction of her own design, a hyped-up, extra-loud version of a pop star who covers herself in glitter and rolls around in adrenaline-pumping pop constructions put together by the most talented songwriting ninjas of the day. But for her to actually come out and say, "Hey! It's all a ruse!" makes it feel a little more real.

Jon Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi Plays On After Tearing Calf Muscle Onstage

Bon Jovi Plays On After Tearing Calf Muscle Onstage

Rocker JON BON JOVI played through the pain on Friday night (09Jul10) after suffering a crippling leg injury during a BON JOVI concert in New Jersey.

The band was performing at the New Meadowlands Stadium in their native state when the singer began limping around the stage.

But Bon Jovi refused to let the incident ruin the night and vowed to press on and complete the show's finale.

He told the crowd, "Don't you worry folks, I ain't got nowhere to go. Just felt my calf muscle go. I'm old, what can I tell you?"

The 48-year-old star proved to be a complete professional and finished the set before receiving medical attention backstage.

His representative tells People.com, "Jon Bon Jovisustained a torn calf muscle.

"Jon made light of the injury and went on to close the show with their hit, Living On a Prayer. The band ended the night together, thanking the capacity hometown crowd, and assisting Jon off the stage."

And the singer has no intention of taking time off to let his leg heal.

The rep adds, "The injury will not prevent Bon Jovi from playing any of their upcoming stadium dates this summer."

Cheryl Cole is keen to return to work

The 'Fight for This Love' singer ' who has had to take a break from all her commitments after she was struck down with potentially fatal tropical disease malaria ' has reportedly been texting Simon Cowell saying she is bored and wants to resume her role as a judge on his British pop star search show 'The X Factor' as soon as possible.

Speaking to 'GMTV', Simon said: 'The worst is over. The texts are getting increasingly feisty so she's on the mend.'

However, the music mogul admitted he is trying to stop the 27-year-old brunette beauty ' who is believed to have contracted the illness while on holiday with rumoured boyfriend Derek Hough in Tanzania last month ' from rushing back to work too quickly. 

He explained: 't was serious and she was ill - we didn't realise how ill. But judging by the text messages I've had, she is definitely looking forward to getting back to work. 

' think our job is to make sure she doesn't come back too quickly because I think she's bored out of her mind and going crazy.'

Cheryl ' who as well as pulling out of 'The X Factor' had to cancel her scheduled appearances at the V Festival in August - was discharged from hospital last Thursday morning (15.06.10) and is now convalescing at her home in Surrey, South England.

Miley Cyrus Happy To Be Compared To Britney

Miley Cyrus has revealed she took Katy Perry's labelling of her as "Britney Spears all over again" as a compliment.

The California Gurls singer is alleged to have made the comment backstage at the MuchMusic Awards in Toronto last month, Life & Style reports.
"She's definitely headed the Britney route. It's worse. Look at those outfits. It's bad," Perry is alleged to have said about the Can't Be Tamed performer.
Reflecting on the comparison the Hannah Montana star said: "I try to look at everything in my life as positive. So I can either look at it and say it's negative, and look at the things she's done wrong, and say, 'How can someone compare me to her?'" Hollywood Life reports.
The 17-year-old performer went on to explain she was not upset by Perry’s description because she chose to reflect on Spears' many successes.
"I could be the positive person and look at all the amazing history that she's made, and the things that she’s accomplished," Cyrus said.
"I choose to take it as a compliment," she added.

Eminem, Rihanna To Shoot 'Love The Way You Lie' Video On Tuesday

Rihanna and Eminem are joining forces to shoot a music video for their hit song, "Love the Way You Lie," this week, director Joseph Kahn confirmed on his Twitter.

"Got off a call. Emergency music video. Gonna write and turn in a treatment in three hours to shoot asap," wrote Kahn, who has helmed other clips for Eminem, as well as Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson and Lady Gaga. "Video is gonna happen. Lots of work to do now. Did I say three hours? I f---ing lied. Finished and sent. 45 minutes. FTW. Video is awarded. Starts shooting Tuesday. Eminem & Rihanna. Off we go!"

The pair performed "Love the Way You Lie," off of Eminem's already-platinum Recovery, live together at Activision's E3 party last month.

"It's really beautiful, and it really stands out," Rihanna has said about the duet. "It's a really unique record. I'm really excited about it."

Kahn directed Eminem's videos for "Without Me" and "We Made You." For 2002's "Without Me," he won a Grammy, and VMAs for Video of the Year and Best Direction. And while "Love the Way You Lie" will mark the first time he's worked with Rihanna, he directed two of her ex Chris Brown's recent videos, "Crawl" and "I Can Transform Ya.

Rapper 50 Cent has revealed he may have to push back the release date of his new dance-inspired album, as some of the tracks ''don't quite fit''.

Rapper 50 Cent has revealed he may have to push back the release date of his new dance-inspired album, as some of the tracks ''don't quite fit''.

50 Cent is considering pushing back the release of his next album.

The G-Unit leader - who shot to fame after the release of 2003 LP 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' - has admitted while he has finished laying down tracks for the new dance-inspired record he has now written new material which "doesn't quite fit".

He explained: "I've written the album 'Black Magic', but I'm not sure if it'll be my next album. Since I've made it back to America, after recording in the UK and different territories while I was on the road, I started writing material that don't quite fit that concept.

"Black Magic' had a specific vibe to it, a different style of music and I was playing with different song structures and music from different genres like rock music."

The 'In Da Club' hitmaker - who is currently filming thriller 'Blood Out' alongside Val Kilmer and AnnaLynne McCord -thinks the reason some of the tracks don't fit is because so many different producers have been involved in creating the album.

He told Brazil's Rolling Stone magazine: "I've been writing some things that don't quite fit that because so many producers were accumulating material to send me more ideas so when I got back, I was kinda bombarded with a whole lot of production."

Lady Gaga Surpasses President Obama In Facebook Fans

President Obama, Starbucks, "House," "Twilight" and "South Park." What do all of these things have in common? As of Friday, they all had fewer Facebook fans than Lady Gaga.

According to the British social-network statistics site FameCount.com, Gaga is on the verge of becoming the first living person to roll up 10 million Facebook fans. As of press time on Friday (July 2), she surpassed the only other living person on the list who had exceeded her tally: President Obama. Gaga's fan count reached 9,940,462 to the leader of the free world's 9,444,942. She also continues to spank Obama in Twitter followers (4,762,938 to 4,422,923) and YouTube subscribers (311,716 to 191,562).
The singer, who never misses a chance to shout out her rabid fanbase of "little monsters," is also miles ahead of other living celebs on the list when it comes to Facebook followers, including Britney Spears (3.1 million), Ashton Kutcher (3.6 million), Taylor Swift (5.8 million), Selena Gomez (5.2 million) and even Justin Bieber (5.9 million). But she still can't hold a candle to the King of Pop. Among musical acts, only the late Michael Jackson's Facebook fans list is more massive than Gaga's.
As of press time, the only other Facebook pages to top Gaga's were for Texas Hold 'Em Poker (20 million), Jackson (14.1 million), the online game "Mafia Wars" (12.7 million), "Family Guy" (10.1 million) and Facebook itself (10.7 million). Other entities that are surprisingly further down on the friends count list than Gaga?: "Twilight" (7.1 million), "South Park" (6.5 million), Coke (6.1 million), Lil Wayne (5.9 million) and, yes, Skittles candy (5.5 million).

Gaga's upsurge this week on Facebook might have something to do with her cover story in the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine, in which she provides the most intriguing peek yet into her closely guarded private life. In addition to the bombshell interview with former Afghan war General Stanley McChrystal, the Gaga feature has helped to propel the magazine's newsstand sales to twice what it usually does.

Eminem, Justin Bieber Are Rare Exceptions As Album Sales Fall

Thanks to Eminem, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Lady Antebellum, record sales for the first half of 2010 weren't totally in the toilet. But strong sellers from those artists only helped slow the bleeding of an industry that has suffered declining annual sales for much of the past decade.
According to midyear figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan on Thursday, overall U.S. album sales fell 11 percent in the first six months of the year to 213.7 million, down from the 232.8 million in sales during the same period in 2009. Between January 4 and July 4 physical album sales fell to 154 million, down from the 172.9 million over the same 26-week period in 2009.
But while CD sales were sliding again, digital album sales were up by 13.7 million to 42 million. Sales of digital tracks were mostly flat, down .2 percent to 597 million.
"Strong releases in 2010 have helped to slow the decline of new album sales," said David Bakula, senior VP of analytics at Nielsen Entertainment, in a statement. "Albums by Eminem, Justin Bieber, Lady [Antebellum], Lady Gaga and Sade have each sold more than a million copies so far this year, and Lady A's Need You Now has sold more than 2.3 million albums, surpassing last year's best seller of this time period by a million units."
Eminem's Recovery quickly passed the 1 million mark in two weeks and Drake's Thank Me Later appears poised to reach that watermark within the month. Things are likely to be even more grim in the second half of the year in light of 2009's second-half sales boost in the wake of Michael Jackson's June 2009 death. After the King of Pop's passing, fans snatched up millions of his solo and Jackson 5 CDs and digital tracks, boosting sales figures in an otherwise flat period.

Jackson could help out again in the fall if a promised album of previously unreleased material hits shelves in time for the holidays. That LP, along with albums from T.I., Kanye West and Katy Perry in the coming months, could help boost the industry's bottom line.

Michael Jackson’s secret son surfaces

Michael Jackson has an alleged secret son.
Insiders claim Donte Williams Jackson, who lives with the late “Thriller” star’s 80-year-old mother Katherine Jackson, is the result of a fling between the legendary King of Pop and an unknown woman.
The 18-year-old has spent most of his life being looked after by Alejandra Oaziaza, who has four children with Michael’s brothers Randy and Jermaine.
It was initially believed Donte was the son of Randy and Alejandra, but he was born just eight months after their son Randy Jr.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “‘Michael was very close to Donte. We’re not even sure if Donte knows who his parents are.”
“He’s one of the nicest kids you could possibly meet.”
Insiders claim Donte came about after a fling in Las Vegas in the early 1990s.
Donte is the second alleged secret son of the legendary singer, who has children Prince Michael, 13, and Paris, 12, with ex-wife Debbie Rowe and eight-year-old Prince Michael II, also known as Blanket, whose mother is unknown. It is also believed 26-year-old dancer Omer Bhatti is his child

Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood Nominated For CMT Music Awards

Fans got to vote on the final group of nominees for the 2010 CMT Music Awards, set to take place on June 9 in Nashville. On Tuesday (May 11), Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and this year's crossover act Lady Antebellum lead the nominees with three nominations each, as voted on by the fans after the initial set of nominations were announced in April.
Swift and Underwood will face off in the Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year categories. Lady Antebellum are also nominated for Video of the Year. Swift rounds out her noms with a nod for Collaborative Video of the Year, while Underwood is up for CMT Performance of the Year from the 2009 CMT Music Awards.
A full list of nominees can be found on the CMT Music Awards website. The final nominees for Video of the Year can be voted for right through the show. Fans can vote on the other categories through June 8. The show will take place at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, which is also the venue for the June 22 Nashville Rising flood-relief benefit.
"When you look at the talent and diversity amassed within these categories, it's easy to see why this has been CMT's biggest year ever," CMT President Brian Philips said in a statement. "Hosted by our Nashville-brother-by-way-of-Detroit Kid Rock, this night promises to be an unforgettable party!"

A number of Nashville regulars are set to perform, including Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, with more acts to be announced.