Tag: "Kelly Clarkson"

Everyone’s favorite radio friendly compilation is back, and in a surprising twist of events the makers of Now That’s What I Call Music have featured Black Veil Brides‘ ”In The End” on their 45th installment. Appearing as a “Now What’s Next” bonus track, Black Veil Brides finds a home among other bonus artists, Born Cages, Walk The Moon, and Capital Cities.

Although it’s a shocker to see the band included on a track list that also features acts like Taylor Swift, Ke$ha, One Direction, and Ne-Yo, it’s refreshing to see Now That’s What I Call Music delving a bit more into the unknown. At least, the unknown of many regular Now listeners.

Check out the full track list after the jump, and keep an eye out for our upcoming interview with Black Veil Brides by following us on Twitter!

Continue reading ‘Black Veil Brides Featured On ‘Now That’s What I Call Music 45′’

It’s not even worth asking if you remember “Party In The USA.” Of course you do. Miley’s 2009 hit was so infectious that it would have taken a blood transfusion to get rid of it that fall. But it wasn’t just Miley who created that monster hit. Aiming for total chart domination, she teamed up with mad pop genius Łukasz Gottwald a.k.a. Dr. Luke, the same man who masterminded hits like ”I Kissed a Girl,” “My Life Would Suck Without You,” “Tik Tok,” “We R Who We R,” “Teenage Dream,” “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” and practically every other chart-topping pop song that you’ve heard in the past half decade. The man is a pop music machine, and he’s not done with Miley yet. After inking a new deal with RCA records, Miley will once again be collaborating with Dr. Luke on her new album along with other big names like Tyler The Creator and Mary J. Blige. Prepare your ears for complete invasion.

More like this:

• Borgore Recruits Miley Cyrus For His “Decisions” Music Video
• Miley Cyrus Covers Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”

Last night marked President Obama‘s second inauguration ceremony. Among the many celebrities and speeches of the day, we saw spectacular performances by Beyonce, fun., Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and James Taylor.

Five-time Grammy winner James Taylor was the first to take the stage, with an acoustic rendition of “America The Beautiful.” Kelly Clarkson followed the inaugural address and performed “My Country Tis Of Thee,” while Beyonce closed the performances with “The Star Spangled Banner.”

As the ceremony ended and the Inaugural Ball commenced, Alicia Keys sang her hit “Girl On Fire,” with the simultaneously sweet and awkward title change, “Obama’s On Fire.” Jennifer Hudson provided the soundtrack for the President and First Lady’s dance, as they swayed to a cover of Al Green‘s “Let’s Stay Together” (which the president himself ad-libbed at an event last year). The band fun. then closed the evening with their hit, “We Are Young.” You can view fun.’s performance right here and the rest of the performances after the jump. Continue reading ‘Music Of The Presidential Inauguration: Beyonce, fun., Kelly Clarkson And More’

To kick off President Obama‘s second term in office, Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, and James Taylor will perform at the inauguration on January 21. The eclectic trifecta will respectively tackle the national anthem, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” and “America the Beautiful.” While Clarkson and Taylor are surely fitting in the inauguration performance amid tight schedules (Clarkson was recently engaged and Taylor has been involved in intensive charity work over the holiday season), Beyoncé is undoubtedly the busiest of all the inauguration performers. Barely two weeks after her presidential performance, she’ll appear at the Superbowl XLVII halftime show on February 3, and will see the release of her HBO documentary film – “a multi-faceted portrait of the 16-time Grammy Award-winning singer, businesswoman, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, wife and mother” – on February 16. A crazy schedule for sure, but nothing out of the ordinary for Bey’.

If you’re a fan of Beyoncé, check out OurStage artist UltraMi.

More like this:

• President Obama Sings The Blues
• Obama, Beyoncé, Jay-Z Mingle At Fundraiser Dinner

This past weekend Kelly Clarkson and her boyfriend of roughly one year, Brandon Blackstone took to Twitter to share the news of their recent engagement.

“I’M ENGAGED!!!!!” Clarkson shared. “I wanted y’all to know!! Happiest night of my life last night! I am so lucky and am with the greatest man ever.”

Blackstone, the stepson of Reba McEntire, chose a yellow canary diamond for his blushing bride to be, who later told her fans:

“It’s a yellow canary diamond with diamonds around it and Brandon designed it with Johnathon Arndt! They did an amazing job! I can’t wait to make Brandon‘s ring with Johnathon as well!”

But don’t expect a grandiose southern wedding just yet. Earlier in the year, while on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show Clarkson revealed that the two would probably elope.

“Honestly, I’ve never been the girl to plan a wedding… We will totally, probably elope.”

What do you think of the couple’s recent engagement? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

If you like Kelly Clarkson check out OurStage artist Mieka Pauley.

More like this:

• Kelly Clarkson Releases “Catch My Breath” Video
• Kelly Clarkson Streams “Don’t Rush” Featuring Vince Gill

We have discussed the forthcoming greatest hits collection from Kelly Clarkson a few times in recent weeks, mainly due to the fact America’s first reality idol announced the inclusion of three new tracks. We streamed two prior to now, and today we finally have the third (and it’s fantastic).

“People Like Us” bridges the gap between pop music meant to empower the downtrodden and the need to dance until you cannot think straight while singing as loud as your potentially inebriated self can manage. On the first spin I knew I would soon be annoying the rest of the OurStage staff by playing it on repeat and following the end of this post will make that one of my many goals for the day. You can experience “People Like Us” below:

More like this:

Kelly Clarkson Releases “Catch My Breath” Video
Kelly Clarkson Streams “Don’t Rush” Featuring Vince Gill

Original American Idol champion Kelly Clarkson has spent over a decade in the pop limelight, and will mark the occasion with the release of her first greatest hits album next week. Included on this compilation is a pair new tracks, including her infectious new single, “Catch My Breath.” The video for the single premiered today on YouTube, and you can now enjoy the clip by hitting the “play” button below:

If you enjoy Kelly Clarkson, check out OS artist Meika Pauley!

More like this:

Taylor Swift Performs At The CMA Awards
Kelly Clarks Premieres “Don’t Rush”

When I think Kelly Clarkson, I’m flooded with images of the sensational pop superstar, belting out strong choruses and dancing along to catchy beats. She’s an independent, take no guff, fierce role model, and that’s exactly the Kelly Clarkson we’ve grown to love.

However no one said the industry was without change, and as we listen to her latest release, “Don’t Rush” featuring Vince Gill, we’re falling in love with a much different version of Clarkson, as she dips into the country world.

Laid back, breezy and an overall easy listen, “Don’t Rush” is an intriguing peek into the vastness of Clarkson’s talents and capabilities, as she and Gill sing along in concise harmony.

Take a listen for yourself right here.

If you like Kelly Clarkson, check out OurStage artist Anneliese van der Pol.

More like this:

• Kelly Clarkson Releases New Single “Catch My Breath”
• Your Country’s Right Here: Vince Gill Returns to his Bluegrass Roots

There’s a lot to be said about music industry “role models” now a days. But one artist that’s managed to keep her head above water and prove stronger by the day is none other than American Idol sweetheart, Kelly Clarkson.

Winding down her international Stronger tour, Clarkson is back with a brand new single called “Catch My Breath,” off her upcoming release Greatest Hits – Chapter 1. The song is true Kelly Clarkson style all the way, with strong vocals, catchy beats, and as always, empowering messages.

“To celebrate the strength and longevity that my fans, friends, and family have supported me with I wrote this song ‘Catch my Breath’ with one of my best friends that has seen me through everything,” Clarkson shared with fans on her website. “This song represents who I’ve been, what I’ve felt, and where I’m headed as not only an artist but as a 30 year old that is now smart enough to know that it’s time to stop, catch my breath, and be proud of not only what has been accomplished but of all the people that have helped me become the woman I am today.”

Listen to “Catch My Breath” right here and keep an eye out for Greatest Hits-Chapter 1, which drops Nov. 19.

If you like Kelly Clarkson check out OurStage artist Lauren Light.

More like this:

• ‘The Voice’ Is Back: What’s New For Season 3?
• Nicki Minaj Considers Reality Show

Something interesting recently went down atop the U.K. singles and album charts. Elton John reigned on the list of best-selling albums with a collection of 40-year-old songs, while Florence + the Machine was No. 1 on the singles chart for the first time ever. The band’s vehicle? A song that was originally produced by Paul Epworth, a regular Adele collaborator (“Rolling in the Deep” and “He Won’t Go,” the best song on 21) who had never managed to go that high in the U.K. working with the world’s biggest female pop star.

Alas, he wasn’t exactly scaling that height with Florence either—at least not alone. And therein lies the twist in this chart saga: a good beat. Those Elton John classics had been updated with a danceable 2012 electro sheen by Australian production duo Pnau on the chart-topping Good Morning to the Night, an album featuring dozens of John songs from between 1970 and 1977 crammed into eight tracks and credited to Elton John Vs Pnau, while Florence’s Epworth-produced Ceremonials track “Spectrum” was the leading single via the re-titled and remixed-by-DJ/producer Calvin Harris (for optimal under-the-strobelight consumption) “Spectrum (Say My Name) (Calvin Harris Mix).”

When Bryan Ferry sang, “Don’t stop the dance,” was this what he had in mind? Beat-driven pop where singers share star billing with the producers who boost them to the top? More than ever, the recording arts have become a producer’s medium, in much the same way that film is a director’s medium, with the behind-the-scenes talent dominating both the sound and the vision. (The stage, in singing–when it’s actually live–as in acting, remains the domain of the performer.) With a smaller pool of star producers creating a bigger bulk of the hits, pop music has become as homogenized as Hollywood blockbusters.

According to Ron Fair, a veteran music executive and producer who has worked with Christina Aguilera, Fergie and Lady Gaga, it’s a logical progression from how records are now made. “A producer today is a hybrid role of producer, songwriter, and beat maker,” he says. “What we used to call arranging is now called making beats, so generally, the producer is the guy who walks in with the song. Back in [Beatles producer] George Martin’s and [Linda Ronstadt/James Taylor producer] Peter Asher’s day, they weren’t responsible for making songs.”

Dance music, however, has always been more of a producer’s forum than middle-of-the-road pop. But with disco in the ’70s, it didn’t always show. When one remembers Donna Summer’s greatest hits, Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” or Amii Stewart’s “Knock on Wood,” the spectacular vocals probably come to mind first, then the beat.  Continue reading ‘Sound and Vision: Do Today’s Pop Music Producers Have Too Much Power?’