Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from the trials and tribulations of Lily Allen, to pathetic exits for Diddy and Ashton Kutcher, to a Baywatch babe gone big, and since it's Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
* The internet can be a great way for artists to communicate with their fans. Unfortunately, it can also be a haven for negativity. Lily Allen found this out the hard way last week when she posted a blog about her thoughts on illegal downloading and the resulting conflagration turned into such a huge mess that she ended up taking down the blog and then announcing she has no plans to extend her recording contract once it's up. Does this mean that Lily Allen could be done making music? Personally, I hope not, and I hope that she keeps voicing her opinions on music industry related topics, as well. Even if people think she says the wrong thing at times isn't that better than the artists who say nothing at all, or the artists who simply say what their handlers tell them to say? Allen is only 24, so she's going to have moments when she shows a little naiveté. Allen also happens to be a phenomenally original talent. Hopefully enough people will see the latter and let it make up for the former.
* I'm guessing when Warner Music Group / Atlantic Records signed Diddy to a five year exclusive deal they were expecting a little more out of it than they ended up getting. Diddy's one album release on Warner, 2006's Press Play, failed to go platinum and his five year deal will be up at the conclusion of the month. Although the joint venture with Warner Music Group and Bad Boy will remain in place, Diddy says that personally, he will be moving on. The Puff-ster released the following statement concerning this, saying "I have elected to accept an opportunity to move my recording career and future label venture to another company." This begs the question, what recording career?
* The new fall television season always gives us both some new favorites to talk about and some shows that stumble out of the gates and don't make it past their first season. The first new show to be cancelled this year was the Ashton Kutcher produced Mischa Barton vehicle The Beautiful Life. I actually like Mischa Barton, but the show was pretty terrible, lasting all of two episodes. To put that in perspective, in 2001 there was a show called Dead Last that lasted eight eps. This means The Beautiful Life managed to finish worse than Dead Last.
* In an apparent effort to ruin the beauty icons of my youth, when Celebrity Fit Club returns in 2010 one of its cast members will be former Charles in Charge and Baywatch babe Nicole Eggert. First they had on Weird Science's Kelly LeBrock, now Nicole Eggert… who's next, Claudia Schiffer? I don't want to see that these beauties have let themselves go! Why can't they just cast people that were never attractive in the first place? That would make watching the show a heck of a lot easier.
* Can a clothing store move CDs? Nashville rockers Shirock are about to find out as they've become the first indie band that Hollister is distributing in their stores. The band's album, Everything Burns, was made available last Tuesday in over 500 Hollister's nationwide. This is a very nice score for an indie act. Of course, since the album will be in Hollister, the same exact CD will also be available at Abercrombie & Fitch, just jacked up in price and with a different logo slapped on it.
* Buffy had a baby! Sarah Michelle Prinze and Freddy Prinze Jr. welcomed a baby girl into the world last week. No word on whether or not it came out stake in hand ready to slay any vamps, but one can hope, right?
* Finally, if the Black Eyed Peas can hang on to the number one spot on Billboard's singles chart for one more week, between "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" they will have held the top spot for half of 2009. Wait… you mean if you make happy, fun music people will like it? WOW, who'da thunk!
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
* The internet can be a great way for artists to communicate with their fans. Unfortunately, it can also be a haven for negativity. Lily Allen found this out the hard way last week when she posted a blog about her thoughts on illegal downloading and the resulting conflagration turned into such a huge mess that she ended up taking down the blog and then announcing she has no plans to extend her recording contract once it's up. Does this mean that Lily Allen could be done making music? Personally, I hope not, and I hope that she keeps voicing her opinions on music industry related topics, as well. Even if people think she says the wrong thing at times isn't that better than the artists who say nothing at all, or the artists who simply say what their handlers tell them to say? Allen is only 24, so she's going to have moments when she shows a little naiveté. Allen also happens to be a phenomenally original talent. Hopefully enough people will see the latter and let it make up for the former.* I'm guessing when Warner Music Group / Atlantic Records signed Diddy to a five year exclusive deal they were expecting a little more out of it than they ended up getting. Diddy's one album release on Warner, 2006's Press Play, failed to go platinum and his five year deal will be up at the conclusion of the month. Although the joint venture with Warner Music Group and Bad Boy will remain in place, Diddy says that personally, he will be moving on. The Puff-ster released the following statement concerning this, saying "I have elected to accept an opportunity to move my recording career and future label venture to another company." This begs the question, what recording career?
* The new fall television season always gives us both some new favorites to talk about and some shows that stumble out of the gates and don't make it past their first season. The first new show to be cancelled this year was the Ashton Kutcher produced Mischa Barton vehicle The Beautiful Life. I actually like Mischa Barton, but the show was pretty terrible, lasting all of two episodes. To put that in perspective, in 2001 there was a show called Dead Last that lasted eight eps. This means The Beautiful Life managed to finish worse than Dead Last.* In an apparent effort to ruin the beauty icons of my youth, when Celebrity Fit Club returns in 2010 one of its cast members will be former Charles in Charge and Baywatch babe Nicole Eggert. First they had on Weird Science's Kelly LeBrock, now Nicole Eggert… who's next, Claudia Schiffer? I don't want to see that these beauties have let themselves go! Why can't they just cast people that were never attractive in the first place? That would make watching the show a heck of a lot easier.
* Can a clothing store move CDs? Nashville rockers Shirock are about to find out as they've become the first indie band that Hollister is distributing in their stores. The band's album, Everything Burns, was made available last Tuesday in over 500 Hollister's nationwide. This is a very nice score for an indie act. Of course, since the album will be in Hollister, the same exact CD will also be available at Abercrombie & Fitch, just jacked up in price and with a different logo slapped on it.
* Buffy had a baby! Sarah Michelle Prinze and Freddy Prinze Jr. welcomed a baby girl into the world last week. No word on whether or not it came out stake in hand ready to slay any vamps, but one can hope, right?
* Finally, if the Black Eyed Peas can hang on to the number one spot on Billboard's singles chart for one more week, between "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" they will have held the top spot for half of 2009. Wait… you mean if you make happy, fun music people will like it? WOW, who'da thunk!
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
[Tags] POP
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