LuxBuzz

Whoa. Aretha Franklin is apparently upset with Beyonce for referring to Tina Turner as “the Queen” before their joint performance at the Grammy Awards last Sunday.

Does she really care that much? Franklin rants afterward: “”I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyonce. However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy.”

Seriously? Pretty sure SHE is bringing on the controversy.

My point of view? Step aside Aretha and Tina, for Beyonce’s reign as queen has begun.

Ooooh. Just a tip for you LuxBuzz readers! PerezHilton is giving away tickets to Kanye’s instantly-selling-out concert tour featuring Rihanna, N.E.R.D, and Lupe Fiasco.

He may have acted like a diva at the Grammy’s, but lets face it: everyone loves Kanye, not to mention free tickets! And Rihanna is absolutely amazing too!

Check this link out for the scoop: http://tinyurl.com/yvc9dp

How exciting!

Allegedly finalist Carly Smithson–formerly Carly Hennessy–already had a record deal and even sold a couple hundred copies of an album.

“Ultimate High was released in stores nationwide three months ago. So far, it has sold only 378 copies–amounting to about $4,900 at its suggested retail price….The story of MCA and Ms. Hennessy shows the dysfunctional economics of the music industry at work. MCA, one of Universal Music’s major labels, initially hooked up with the spunky teenager three years ago because it was trying to get a piece of the great success competitors enjoyed with young pop artists like Britney Spears and ‘N Sync. Ms. Hennessy, a native of Dublin, had released her debut musical effort, Carly’s Christmas Album, in Ireland at age 10, after performing all over Europe as Little Cosette in Les Miserables. At 13, she was named the Irish national spokesmodel for the Denny sausage brand. Soon, she and her family began hoping for much more, and Ms. Hennessy dropped out of high school…”

And the rest is history: moved to America, became a finalist on our country’s “American Idol”.

But a music career and record deal? Totally against ‘Idol’ rules!!

Hmmm. Wonder what Simon thinks…

There were several surprises and shockers in the 50th annual Grammy Awards. Of course, the performance everyone was looking forward to did, after much questioning, happen. You know the one I mean. The ever unpredictable Amy Winehouse (pictured during the performance below). Though she performed from London, she managed to score five Grammy awards!

A list of winners, nominees, and more may be found on www.grammy.com.

And of course we were all watching the red carpet! Amongst the most controversial were Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, and Beyonce.

Rihanna, who has been stirring the fashion pot lately, sported a bright blue dress with a really odd design that is making some fashionistas question her very taste!

Miley Cyrus, whom up until lately I thought of as just another tween idol, was looking all grown up at the Grammy’s, wearing loads and loads of makeup and a short, albeit age- appropriate sparkly Celine frock.

Beyonce showed off her newly blonde locks (see below). I wasn’t a fan. It just didn’t look natural! What do you think?

One thing that couldn’t go unnoticed was the behavior of our boy Kanye upon winning a Grammy. He kept ordering the prompt music to stop and proceeded (after a long speech, and my open jaw in place) to ignore his escort and walk briskly off the stage. Did NOT appreciate that diva attitude!!

It was a fun night, with appearances from Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin to Feist! The glamour of the Grammy awards is always anticipated, and this year was no exception!

R&B/Soul Artist Ledisi (that’s pronounced Led-i-see) has been nominated for 2 Grammy awards, Best New Artist and Best R&B Album. Before the nominees were announced, I’d never heard of her, but I was interested since she had been nominated. This year her third studio album was released. It was her first major label release, though. Other best new artist nominees Paramore and Amy Winehouse (whose 1st album was unavailable in US originally) have also had previous albums. Anyways, I listened to Ledisi’s album, Lost and Found a few times since the noms were announced. She is very soulful and her style is reminiscent of great R&B artists from the past, though she makes it her own. Most of her songs are about relationships and love. Her voice remains beautiful throughout the album. I rate Lost and Found a 4 of 5 - definitely worth a listen.

Ledisi’s other albums are titled Soul Singer and Feeling Orange But Sometimes Blue. She was also featured on the compilation album We All Love Ella a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.

-Sheryl

Love her or hate her, she is certainly an interesting individual! Her hit single “Rehab” has caught the attention, positive and negative, of several music gurus and critics.

Some say her crazy personality and lifestyle is simply too much for them to handle. After all, she is in and out of rehab constantly, it seems!

Many do not think she is a stable person, which could more or less be a result of her drug use. She has recently canceled several concerts, and just a few weeks ago, walked off the stage in the middle of her set!

And the buzz lately is her withering stature. Rumors of a possible eating disorder loom about.

My thoughts? It’s just an effect of her drug use. What do you think?

Oh, and while she may be interesting and famous, those awful low-low-rise jeans have GOT to go!

I’ll make this very quick:

Search for the artist meiko on iTunes!  While listed as a folk artist, meiko is sure to please a variety of music tastes.  “How Lucky We Are” is my favorite track on the self-titled album, “Meiko”.

Insightful lyrics and calm beats?  Perfect for any winter playlist.

I can’t believe I haven’t discussed her in an entry yet!  She has been on the 25 most played on my iPod for months now.  Ingrid Michaelson’s smooth, calming voice is so original, buying her hit single “The Way I Am” will leave you wanting more.

Her album, “Girls and Boys”, is simply phenomenal.  Everything you would want in a CD.  I’m sure most of you heard “The Way I Am” on that ever-popular Old Navy commercial about a month ago.

Though it was an incredibly tough decision, my favorite song on the album is “Breakable”.  The lyrics are thought-provoking, catchy, and ultimately dominate!

Be sure to pick up a copy of her album, “Girls and Boys”, if you haven’t already.  It’s perfect for any day, any time of year.  You will definitely be obligated to replay these songs over and over again.  I have played “Breakable” over one HUNDRED times and am still not even close to tired of it.  Classic, anyone?

Enjoy your Saturday!

Fall Out Boy and guests Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T’s and Cute is What We Aim For are finishing up a tour of the US. I had the chance to see them play in Philly. The show was pretty good. Cute is What We Aim For opens up the show. Their set was pretty good, but a bit short. They’re still playing songs from their first (only) album from last year. They still put on a pretty good show. I missed majority of the PWTs set due to my love for Cute. I was waiting in line to meet the boys of Cute when PWTs played. I did hear “Hate” and “Hey There Delilah.” Both songs sounded great. They sound almost exactly like the CD versions of the songs. Gym Class was amazing. They give a great show. They kept the crowd moving and were so exciting.

I’m not a big FOB fan, but their set was pretty good. They were fun. They performed “Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner” acoustic and it sounded beautiful. I have no idea what the words are or what the song is about, but the sound was great. They kept the crowd going with tracks like “Sugar, We’re Going Down” and “Dance Dance”. All in all, the show was great. I’d go again if I could.

Remaining Tour Dates:

-Sheryl

As you probably know, the 90’s British pop sensation “Spice Girls” are going on a reunion tour, and their greatest hits single has been released.

I was hoping for an upbeat, fun song. When I read the title, “Headlines”, I thought that I was going to get exactly what I wanted. But I must admit, I was disappointed. The song’s lyrics are okay, with only mediocre catch to them. But the beat just isn’t…well, spicy!

Still, as kids we adored the Spice Girls, so a reunion song is definitely worth checking out. I suppose the song is worth $.99 on iTunes.

Check it out and tell us what you think!

Spice Girls: 90’s (above) to now (below).

How they have changed!

Peace.