Woman of the Year: Beyonce

Jay Sean finds a home on Lil Wayne's Cash Money label

(NEWSER) - “It doesn't matter if we're from a little place called Hounslow,” Jay Sean tells the BBC. “If you have some good music, you can make it anywhere.” That’s how the British R&B singer found himself collaborating with Lil Wayne, and climbing to No. 2 on the US charts—making him more successful abroad than he is at home in the UK. More»

(NEWSER) - Ciara's tiny voice can't survive in the spaces her producers leave on her new album, Fantasy Ride, but the disc does provide a few fascinating diversions. Some critical opinions:

• "That's what you get with Fantasy Ride," Tom Breihan writes on Pitchfork. "A few brilliant left turns that feel almost accidental mixed in with a sort of end-times hunger for a top-40 audience that doesn't seem to exist anymore. As a vivid little snapshot of what's happened to the pop music business, it's fascinating. But it's not much of an album."

Hip-hop's first couple get tour, meet Obama

(NEWSER) - Hip-hop’s first couple got a look at the DC digs of the nation’s first family this week, with Jay-Z and wife Beyoncé getting cozy in the White House Situation Room as they waited to meet President Obama. The rapper, who’s bragged in lyrics about close relations with Obama, was in Washington for a concert Wednesday. Wonders MTV’s Rahman Dukes of the photos, “Is that Obama’s seat? Doesn’t Jigga sort of look right in that spot?” More»

Lady Gaga looks surprisingly low-key in Beyonce's 'Video Phone'

(NEWSER) - The weirdest part of Beyoncé’s collaboration with Lady Gaga for the “Video Phone” video, which premiered on MTV early today, is Gaga's cameo—"mostly because it's shockingly normal," writes James Montgomery. "It's definitely not the Gaga we're used to seeing," nor the Beyoncé for that matter. More»

Big-name acts, up-and-comers see modest rise in attendance

(NEWSER) - Concert tours remained surprisingly strong this year despite the weak economy, with slightly more people heading out to see their favorite acts than in 2008. Gross revenue held steady at $1 billion for the period from May 1 to Sept. 1, matching earnings a year earlier. Big-name acts like Kenny Chesney, the Dave Matthews Band, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, and Coldplay all enjoyed strong tours. More»