Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
| Subscribe to Newser's RSS feeds RSS | Follow Newser on Twitter Twitter

NEWS ABOUT: pop music

pop music stories: 77 news summaries

41 - 60 of 77 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 4 Next >>

Switch to grid view »

NEW RELEASE

Tonight Marks Reinvention
for Franz Ferdinand

Disco-charged album offers 'brand new start' for Scottish band

Jan 27, 09 11:08 AM CST
(Newser) - Franz Ferdinand’s third album, Tonight, is a “wholesale reinvention of their sound,” writes Andy Langer in Esquire. Establishing riffs rooted in bass rather than their trademark guitar sound, the quartet’s effort—out now—treads where few have dared, says Langer.  “The Achilles heel of... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • Scotland • pop music • Britain • music review • Franz Ferdinand

MUSIC REVIEW

55-Year-Old Singer Leaves Pop Tarts in
the Dust

Beyoncé, Swift should hear Lucinda Williams

Jan 26, 09 6:40 PM CST
(Newser) - Beyoncé and Taylor Swift ought to get real and hear 55-year-old songstress Lucinda Williams, David Hajdu writes in the New Republic. Reviewing albums by all three, Hajdu dismisses Beyoncé's "bipolar" attempt to drum up musical personas, and warns Swift against such concoctions as her star rises. Williams' album,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
pop music • country music • Beyonce • Lucinda Williams • Taylor Swift

OPINION

What Makes Joel the
Worst Singer Ever?

Contempt, phoniness drives 'really bad art'

Jan 24, 09 3:33 PM CST
(Newser) - Billy Joel serves up his own brand of schlock-rock, but why is it so uniquely bad? Critic Ron Rosenbaum easily pans the piano man—"anodyne, sappy, superficial, derivative, fraudulently rebellious"—but what he hates most is the “unearned contempt" in Joel's tunes. It's usually for “the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • art • pop music • Billy Joel

 Brit Spells Trouble 
 on 'If U Seek Amy' 

Racy double meaning in If U Seek Amy could get it B-A-N-N-E-D

Jan 13, 09 1:48 PM CST
(Newser) - Bleeping out cuss words is all but mundane for radio stations, but Britney Spears' third Circus single, If U Seek Amy, (say it fast, boys and girls) has them a bit perplexed on how to censor. Nice try, Brit, but most DJs won't be allowed to play it, MTV ... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Britney Spears • pop music • censor • radio stations • Top 40

 Brit's Circus Tops the Charts 

Will be singer's fifth No. 1

Dec 10, 08 11:06 AM CST
(AP) - Britney Spears' latest CD, Circus, has landed her back at a familiar position—No. 1. The singer's comeback CD—make that her second comeback CD—will top the album charts next week, according to her label, Jive. Though Nielsen SoundScan does not release its official figures until today, estimates... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • Britney Spears • pop music • celebrity • album release • album • album sales

(Newser) - Blur, the '90s Britpop band famous for “woo-hooing” through its hit single “Song 2,” will reunite this summer for a live show in London, NME reports. The original four members of the band have not performed together publicly since 2000, and the long-awaited reunion announcement has fueled... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • pop music • reunion concert • Alternative rock • Blur

(Newser) - It looks like Britney Spears will have her fifth No. 1 album next week. Her new Circus CD is poised to debut in the top spot when figures are released, Billboard reports. Spears is expected to sell about 455,000 copies. Among female artists, only Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Mariah Carey,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • Britney Spears • pop music

OPINION

Country Music's Pop Push as Off-Key as GOP's Populism

As Republicans' populists appeal hits dull notes, so does country's pop flirtation

Nov 20, 08 2:18 PM CST
(Newser) - Joe the Plumber is transforming himself into Joe the Country Singer, but he might not want to quit his day job, whatever it was. In the New Republic, David Browne warns that “country is no longer the music of the middle for many Americans.” Instead, Barack Obama's iPod,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
John McCain • GOP • pop music • Republican Party • country music

NEW RELEASE

 Beyoncé 
 More Gimmicky 
 Than Fierce 

Diva shows split personality on new double album

Nov 18, 08 11:47 AM CST
(Newser) - Beyoncé’s latest, I Am … Sasha Fierce, consists of two discs: one with “some lovely ballads” and the other “aggressive, sexual, and, well, fierce,” writes Leah Greenblatt in Entertainment Weekly. But despite a few gems, “the collection might have been better served had she... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • pop music • Beyonce • music review

 Britney Sweeps 3 VMA Awards

But delivers uninspiring 'performance'

Sep 8, 08 4:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Comeback kid Britney Spears swept three MTV Video Music Awards last night—but delivered an uninspired performance, reports ABC News. Fans had hoped Spears' appearance would redeem her image after the star's last addled MTV performance. But Britney delivered a meek Valley Girl skit with Superbad star Jonah Hill, lamely... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • Britney Spears • MTV • pop music • music videos • Video Music Awards

MUSIC REVIEW

 Tokio Hotel Rocks
 Screaming
 Tweens

With big hair, big riffs and MTV buzz, Germans threaten to go mainstream in US

Aug 24, 08 10:53 AM CDT
(Newser) - Having dominated Europe, German rockers Tokio Hotel are threatening to go mainstream in the US, if the reception their riff-heavy pop metal earned among screaming preteens in San Francisco this week is any indication. "The best way to describe the glam-metal-emo-pop-tween group," Aidin Vaziri writes in the Chronicle,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Britney Spears • San Francisco • Germany • MTV • pop music • Tokio Hotel • Miley Cyrus • heavy metal • Jonas Brothers • music review

Alanis Ex Cops to Making Mess, Inspiring Song

Full House star confirms rumors that he 'oughta know'

Aug 15, 08 3:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Comedian Dave Coulier says he is indeed the target of Alanis Morissette's angry 1990s hit "You Oughta Know." The two had a nasty breakup at the time, but Coulier denied the rumors that he was the creator "of the mess that you made when you went away"... More »

MORE ABOUT:
pop music • admission • breakup • song • comedian • Alanis Morissette • Dave Coulier

Rick Astley, Watch Your Virtual Back

Now-classic YouTube prank spreads into politics as 'Barackroll'

Aug 11, 08 10:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - The infamous (and infamously annoying) stunt known as a "RickRoll"—a Web link allegedly of interest to the recipient that actually leads to a YouTube video of Rick Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up"—has a sequel, E! reports: the "Barackroll." It intercuts... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • YouTube • pop music • music videos • Rick Astley

 Brit Says Bye-Bye to Sam Lufti

Restraining order's up, but he's still kicked to the curb

Jul 31, 08 2:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - A restraining order was lifted yesterday against Sam Lufti, the man by Britney Spears' side during her string of embarrassing mishaps earlier this year. But he won't be seeing her any time soon, reports AP. The singer "does not want to be further harrassed or contacted" by her former... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Britney Spears • pop music • Sam Lutfi • Jamie Spears • celebrity parents

 Best Brouhahas Over Albums

Recent controversy over Nas's new release is far from the first

Jul 28, 08 9:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - Nas’s new album gained its fair share of buzz before release because he originally planned to call it the 'n-word.' He settled on no title at all. Other album controversies, from the Los Angeles Times:
  • The Beatles, Yesterday and Today: The so-called butcher cover featured mutilated baby
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
list • pop music • Nirvana • Beatles • album • controversy

Chief Justice Ain't Got a Bob Dylan Quote

Roberts almost cites singer correctly in dissenting decision

Jun 29, 08 4:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - A Supreme Court decision was livened up this week by a quote from 1960s thinker, Robert Dylan—known to his fans as Bob. Regarding a stand-off between phone companies, Chief Justice John Roberts quoted, "When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose," from Bob Dylan's 1965 hit... More »

MORE ABOUT:
John Roberts • Bob Dylan • pop music • US Supreme Court • rock music

OPINION

I Was Never In It to Win It: 'Accidental' Idol

Cook says he 'was never in it to win it'

Jun 15, 08 11:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - David Cook almost didn't audition for American Idol—he was there to offer moral support to his younger brother. But goading from his family kicked off a whirlwind journey that took him from fledgling Midwest rocker to Billboard star. Cook tells Rolling Stone about his modest beginnings—and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • reality TV • American Idol • Rolling Stone • pop culture • pop music • celebrity • TV shows • interview • David Cook

 50 Top Pop Brainiacs 

Lennon, Marley, Berry rock on

May 25, 08 11:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - "Towering natural abilities" and "exceptional creative powers" infuse the most memorable music of generations, forged by Blender's top 50 pop-music geniuses. The top 10:
  1. Bob Dylan: Each of his brave self-reinventions is "an authentic American original."
  2. John Lennon: "His drive pushed the Beatles
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • Kurt Cobain • Keith Richards • rock stars • Bob Dylan • John Lennon • pop music • celebrity • musician • Stevie Wonder • Miles Davis • Madonna • Mick Jagger • Thom Yorke • Bob Marley • Chuck Berry

Fox Boots 'Idol' Favorite's Dad From Backstage

Despite warnings, Archuleta's papa altered Tuesday song

May 11, 08 9:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - David Archuleta may be the fan favorite on "American Idol," but his dad is now Fox's persona non grata backstage. The network has banned Jeff Archuleta, who had been intensely involved in prepping his son, after his call Tuesday to change the lyrics of “Stand By Me,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • reality TV • American Idol • pop music • competition • song • David Archuleta

Obituary

 Country's
 Eddy Arnold Dies at 89 

The 'Tennessee Plowboy' sold 85M records, brought music to the masses

May 8, 08 1:16 PM CDT
(Newser) - Eddy Arnold, the “Tennessee Plowboy,” died this morning at the age of 89, the Tennessean reports. Ranked as Billboard’s most popular country musician of all time, Arnold sold more than 85 million records and had 37 singles on the pop charts. Besides being remembered as a caring... More »

MORE ABOUT:
obituary • pop music • country music • record sales • Billboard charts • Nashville • Eddy Arnold

41 - 60 of 77 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 4 Next >>


from our news partners