Search Results for: prince

No Doubt songs produced by hip-hop producers Timbaland and the Neptunes, recently pulled from the final sequencing of the group’s upcoming album Rock Steady, might still see release at a later date. No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont noted that the songs “didn’t fit in,” but tells LAUNCH that it doesn’t mean they’re not quality. “They’re good songs that I’m sure will find the light of day at some point,” he says. “They were just a little more hip-hoppy and didn’t feel right with the rest of the songs we had for the record.” The Timbaland song is called “It’s A… Read more »

Cue ear-splitting shrieks from millions of preteen girls. For Lance Bass, as most adults don’t know, is one-fifth of ‘N Sync, the mega-selling boy-band that has helped keep the music industry afloat in recent years. It’s hard to imagine ‘N Sync winning a Grammy Award for its lightweight pop. So – strange but true – Bass is setting his sights on winning a coveted Academy Award from stuffy Hollywood for his role as a moonlighting movie producer. The 22-year-old Mississippi native set up a movie production company earlier this year, naming it A Happy Place, and is holding meetings like… Read more »

With a career spanning nearly 35 years, Elton John has a simple explanation for his longevity: “I tend not to look back. I look forward.” That said, John doesn’t disagree with the overwhelmingly favorable reviews that refer to his new album, “Songs From the West Coast,” as a vintage work hearkening back to the early 1970s hits that established him as a leading pop music figure. “I’m fine with that,” says John, 54, of comparisons to such early albums as “Tumbleweed Connection” and “Madman Across the Water.” “It’s the same kind of lineup as I had on the old albums,… Read more »

“You’re going down [Heather],” Lance Bass joked earlier this month about his first feature film, “On the Line,” making more money when it opens October 26 than Heather Graham’s “From Hell,” which is scheduled for release the week prior. “Nah, I’m so new to this, I don’t know who’s opening up against us in the week so I don’t know what good numbers are, what bad numbers are. As long as people go see it and enjoy it that’s all I care about.” In the movie, Bass stars as Kevin Gibbons, a guy who’s too shy to ask for the… Read more »

No Doubt began as a good-time ska-party band, full of California sunshine. But in the last few years, that’s been obscured by smog: bruised egos within the band, gloomy lyrics and weak record sales for last year’s Return of Saturn. The bad times are all gone on their upcoming album, Rock Steady, reports singer Gwen Stefani. “We’re not taking ourselves so seriously,” she says. “It’s like, get over it. We’re a fucking band and we’re really lucky to be doing what we do.” Rock Steady, out December 18th, is a sweet pop confection, made with arrays of keyboards, a dance-floor… Read more »

No Doubt might as well change their name to No Rules for their upcoming album. Rock Steady, due December 18, is a scattered collection of pop, rock, rap and reggae songs produced by everyone from Prince to Dr. Dre. Singer Gwen Stefani, all smiles talking about her band’s fifth album during the video shoot for the all-star “What’s Going On” remake, explained how her band of brothers returned from Saturn with an urge to do something different. “After 14 years of being a band, you build all these rules up,” Stefani said, adjusting her shiny No Doubt belt buckle. “That’s… Read more »

It’s two days until ground zero, when artists, a few lucky fans and music biz bigwigs will descend on the Metropolitan Opera House in New York for the 18th annual MTV Video Music Awards. While the night of the show is traditionally characterized by glitz and glamour, the feeling in the air Tuesday, the first day of rehearsals, more closely resembled the frenzied first day of a high school stage production than the controlled chaos the VMAs have come to represent. The sweeping stage flaunted its massive video screen and raised circular podium, though all its other accoutrements remained under… Read more »

Some of hip-hop’s biggest names had yet to make their way to the Jackie Gleason Theater a few hours before the Source Hip-Hop Music Awards show was to begin taping late Monday afternoon (August 20). Others had dropped out entirely. Snoop Dogg was scheduled to perform but pulled out at the last minute for undisclosed reasons, and multiple nominee Jay-Z also decided to skip the event. P. Diddy and the Bad Boy Family, like Eminem and D-12, won’t be at Monday’s show but will still be a part of the program, which will air August 28 on UPN. They pre-taped… Read more »

Original pop princess Debbie (now Deborah) Gibson, who scored massive pop hits in the late Eighties with “Shake Your Love” and “Lost in Your Eyes,” will meet a new generation of screaming teens when she opens up for ‘N Sync on six dates of their current Pop Odyssey tour. Gibson, who released her latest album, M.Y.O.B. (Mind Your Own Business) on her Golden Egg label earlier this year, will open for the ‘N Sync boys from August 16th to 27th. ‘N Sync, Deborah Gibson Tour Dates: 8/16 – Indianapolis, RCA Dome 8/18 – Pittsburgh, Heinz Field 8/20 – Columbus, OH,… Read more »

As one of the very young, very blond female singers on the pop charts these days, Mandy Moore has gained a reputation as the most wholesome of the bunch. Moore, who dresses in jeans and T-shirts, says she’s not trying to send any good-girl messages – she’s just being herself. “I’m probably the most boring, lame 17-year-old out there,” she told The Associated Press. “I’m not necessarily sending out the message that you shouldn’t dress provocatively.” Britney Spears, 19, and Christina Aguilera, 20, have been criticized in the media for their sexy wardrobes. Moore’s third album in two years, “Mandy… Read more »