Adele Goes Diamond

Adele is setting fire to the record books.

Less than two years after her sophomore set took hold of the Billboard 200 chart, 21 has achieved Diamond status in the United States, selling over ten million copies. In the era of digital music, this is no small feat. What’s more, only seven other artists have reached this milestone faster than the British chanteuse.

On my first day writing this blog, 21 topped the charts for the very first time, and my ears couldn’t get enough of a little song called Rolling in the Deep. Ninety-two weeks later, I’m chronicling Adele’s latest achievement — and belting Skyfall at the top of my lungs.

Express Yourself

NBC and the NFL are opening their hearts to Madonna.

As per the rumors, the Queen of Pop has officially signed on to perform during the halftime show at Super Bowl XLVI, scheduled to air on the Peacock on February 5. If you can believe it, this will be the first time Madonna has graced the stage at the Super Bowl. The news was confirmed during tonight’s game between the Lions and the Saints.

Not to be outdone by such previous big-name acts as the Black Eyed Peas, the Who, and Bruce Springsteen, the pop music icon is pulling out all the stops for her performance, even teaming with Cirque du Soleil. One thing’s for sure, she’s certainly not holding back! Would you expect anything less from the Material Girl?

Madge is gearing up for a busy winter. Apart from her Super Bowl performance, she also has two other projects in the works. Her film W.E., which recently premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, is also opening in February, just days before the Super Bowl. Madge both co-wrote and directed the period piece. She’s also busy in the recording studio working on her next album, which is due out in stores sometime next year.

Am I the only one who was shocked to learn that Madonna has never been given the honor of headlining the Super Bowl halftime show? I mean, come on! This is only Madonna we’re talking about, arguably the biggest solo act in the world. I would think that her name would have come up at some point during the last, say, twenty years or so. Now that she’s finally going to be taking the stage at the biggest televised event of the year, I’m looking forward to catching her performance. She might not sound like she used to, but the woman sure knows how to put on a good show.

Are you excited to see Madonna perform at the Super Bowl, or would you rather the spotlight shine on someone else on February 5?

Spanish 101

You might spot a familiar face at McKinley High when classes resume in the New Year.

Ricky Martin is reportedly being wooed by series creator Ryan Murphy to guest star on an episode of Glee scheduled to air in January. The Latin superstar would be playing – wait for it – a gorgeous Spanish teacher with a killer voice to match. What could this mean for Will, McKinley High’s resident Spanish teacher? Well, the show choir director shouldn’t be too worried, considering Martin would be joining the show for only one episode. Then again, Gwyneth Paltrow parlayed her guest appearance as substitute teacher Holly Holiday into a three-episode arc on the hit series. (That same role won Paltrow an Emmy for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy earlier this year.)

I’m still waiting for (the newly engaged!) Anne Hathaway to make her debut as Kurt’s aunt, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Ricky Martin tear up the stage at McKinley High in the meantime. The “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer is certainly an inspired choice for the role. Whether or not Martin impresses, you can bet your bon-bon that people will tune in to watch him shake his.

Are you feeling good about this news? Would you rather see someone else as McKinley High’s new Spanish teacher? Who else would you like to see join the McKinley High faculty?

Tickle Me Katy

Katy Perry and her infamous bust are making their triumphant return to Studio 8H on December 10. The twist? The pop singer, who’s been riding a wave of hit singles ever since “California Gurls” crashed the charts last summer, will not be performing on the acclaimed late-night sketch comedy series. Instead, she’ll be handling hosting duties, while her recent tourmate, Swedish popstar Robyn, rocks the Saturday Night Live stage.

I’m still a little skeptical, but I can get on board with this decision. Perry is, after all, no stranger to comedy. She previously guest-starred on an episode of How I Met Your Mother, and her husband is British comedian Russell Brand. She’s also proved that she’s a good sport by mocking her controversial appearance on Sesame Street when she was a musical guest on SNL last season. In the sketch, Perry donned a cleavage-bearing top with a smiling Elmo on the front.

Are you excited to see Katy Perry host Saturday Night Live? Are you disappointed that she won’t be performing?

Scheiße!

The numbers are in, and Lady GaGa fans have spoken loud and clear: there’s no getting between a “mother monster” and her “little monsters.” 

GaGa’s second full-length studio effort, Born This Way, topped the Billboard 200 chart, selling 1.1 million copies in its first week of release, the biggest debut since 50 Cent brought on The Massacre in 2005.  With Amazon briefly pricing the album at 99 cents, it is of little surprise that the majority of sales (662,000) came from digital retailers. 

As a diehard fan of the hardest working woman in show business, I shelled out $15.99 for the deluxe edition on the morning of May 23.  I’ve had the album on repeat ever since.  While I could live without all the remixes, Born This Way is a fun and eclectic mix of pop, dance, and electronic tracks.  (On a side note, it’s a great album to work out to!)  What are your favorite tracks from Born This Way?

Adeleonfire

For the past couple weeks, I’ve been on a bit of an Adele kick.  Ever since I watched Gwyneth Paltrow deliver a moving rendition of the soulful songstress’s Turning Tables on Glee, I’ve been listening to the British singer non-stop.  It seems I’m not the only one.  Two months after I blogged about her sophomore set 21 debuting atop the Billboard 200 chart, Adele’s reign atop the charts continues.  I, for one, am hardly surprised.  I’ve listened to the whole album, and it’s fantastic.  The Grammy winner’s voice is so powerful, her lyrics so heartwrenching, and her melodies so beautiful, that I can’t get enough of her.  I recently learned that she’ll be performing in Montreal next week, but, alas, the show is already sold out.  Were any of you lucky enough to score tickets to one of her shows?

Watch Adele sing Set Fire to the Rain, one of my favorite tracks off the album, live on a recent episode of Later with Jools Holland, a British music television show. 

Beyond the Edge

 

With only two weeks to go before she releases Born This Way, the hardest-working woman in show business released a new single this afternoon called The Edge of Glory.  When I finally got the chance to listen to it tonight, my initial reaction was, “She’s done it again.”  Called “a massive power ballad with heavy club beats” by Rolling Stone, The Edge of Glory is very different from Born This Way and Judas, but in a good way.  The track has an unmistakable ’80s influence, a distinctive saxophone solo, and a soaring chorus.

While we’re on the subject of Lady GaGa, did anyone happen to catch her Monster Ball concert special that aired on HBO this weekend?  (Funny story: I was at my grandparents yesterday for Mother’s Day, and found out that my 77-year-old grandmother saw it and loved it.  We went on to discuss GaGa’s awesomeness at length.)  If I’m being honest, I was a little disappointed by the special.  Before you judge me, you should know that I’ve seen the Monster Ball twice, and both times had the time of my life.  That said, I was expecting more of a behind-the-scenes look at the tour.  GaGa put on a tremendous show for her Little Monsters, but I thought the special could have been a little more revealing.  What did you think of Lady GaGa’s Monster Ball: Live at Madison Square Garden?

Sweetest Thing

Exam period is underway, so I won’t be able to post as often as I’d like for the next little while.  I look forward to posting more regularly starting in May.  Now, on to the news!

Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark may be giving him headaches, but at least Bono has something to smile about.  Live Nation Entertainment announced today that U2’s 360° tour, which will make a stop in Montreal this summer, has become the highest grossest tour of all time, edging out the Rolling Stones’ Bigger Bang tour, which previously held the record with $554 million.  What’s more, the tour hasn’t even ended yet! The Irish rock band will play an additional 26 stadium shows before the tour closes on July 30.  When all is said and done, the tour will have been seen by 7 million people worldwide, and will have raked in over $700 million dollars. 

My friend Edward is one of U2’s biggest fans, so I’m used to hearing how great they are.  Nevertheless, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I came across this story.  I mean, $700 million is a pretty staggering figure!  I don’t plan on seeing the show, but I’d love to hear from anyone who has tickets to either of the Montreal shows, or has already seen it elsewhere!

O Canada

I wasn’t able to watch the Juno Awards last night, but I did happen to catch the opening of the ceremony, which featured a clip of host Drake on Skype with Justin Bieber, who’s currently on tour in Europe.  The two musicians talk Degrassi, Tim Hortons, and Sarah McLachlan, and essentially bask in their Canadianness. This morning, when I went looking for the clip on YouTube, I stumbled upon another skit from the awards show, featuring the rapper trying to start up a new record label called Old Money.  Yes, it’s exactly what you think it is.

P.S. Sorry about the poor audio quality of the Bieber clip!

The Kid’s Got It

Justin Bieber can officially add “box office star” to his already impressive resume.  The Hollywood Reporter announced today that Justin Bieber: Never Say Never has become the highest grossing concert-themed movie domestically, surpassing Michael Jackson’s This Is It.  The documentary-concert film hybrid directed by Jon M. Chu grossed an estimated $470 thousand over the weekend to reach a total of $72.2 million. 

I’ve see the flick, and sure enough, it made a Belieber out of me.  Sure, I resented having to pay the extra fee on the ticket just so I could have the singer stick out his hand toward me.  And yes, I could have lived without watching hordes of prepubescent girls swoon over the seventeen-year-old.  Nevertheless, I was really impressed by his talent.  I mean, there’s really no other word to describe someone who picks up his first pair of drumsticks at two years old!