RiRi goes Canadian, eh? - Rihanna & Drake

Rihanna is officially over Chris "Shit Stain" Brown (hooray!). Rumor has it that Riri is getting cozy with Canadian actor-turned-rapper Drake, real name Aubrey Graham and better known to us Degrassi-heads as Jimmy Brooks. Now, this is a good look. I have the utmost faith in Drizzy's good intentions and actually hope that the rumor mill has it right this time. I mean, he was easily the best boyfriend on Degrassi. By a long shot. Drake is finally getting some decent exposure for his music; he's featured on a great remix of Santigold's Unstoppable along with Lil Wayne and his debut single, Best I Ever Had, is climbing the Billboard charts. I'm sure fans of Degrassi are proud of Drake's budding success, but can I just say how nice it is just to see him standing erect? Lol. The wheelchair treatment was so grimy.

So, yeah. Cute (potential) couple, yes? Drake has denied the rumors regarding their romance, but it's understandable that Rihanna might be hesitant to be public about her relationships after the Chris fiasco. The pair have reportedly been seen kissing all over NYC this past week. How hot and exciting. I could use a romance like this. Hey, Riri, if it doesn't work out, could you send Drizzy my way? I could use some Canadian lovin'.

Rihanna's Bruises

Bad Girls - Rihanna vs. The Pussycat Dolls

About a month ago, a Rihanna track by the name of Bad Girl leaked from the Confessions of a Shopaholic soundtrack. Like most Rihanna songs of late, it knocks and I've been playing it regularly. On the official soundtrack however, The Pussycat Dolls have replaced Rihanna on the track. Nicole sings the song exactly the same; the only difference is Chris Brown's rap is excluded from the PCD version. As vocalists, I easily prefer Nicole to Rihanna and I'm sure the Dolls can turn out a hot video for the track if it ever gets released as a single. But the song suited Rihanna so well that I wish she could have kept it. What do you guys think?

Chris Brown allegedly assaults Rihanna

I wasn't planning on saying anything about this, because no one really knows what's going on or what's actually true. What we do know is that Chris Brown was arrested Sunday evening and has allegedly assaulted a woman. Though her identity has not been confirmed, sources are claiming that it is indeed his girlfriend, Rihanna.

First off, it's sad that what was supposed to be a great weekend for them both has turned into such a disaster. Rihanna was set to open the Grammys last night and both artists were nominated for multiple awards. If these allegations turn out to be factual, Chris Brown's career is over. I don't think there's any getting around that. And if that happens, he brought it upon himself.

In my attempts to find out more about the situation, I'm sad to say I stumbled upon too many comments from random people to the tune of "Rihanna got what she deserved." I am extremely bothered and I figured I'd let it off my chest, so to speak, and maybe I could get back to sleep tonight. Because these people are celebrities, I can understand feeling like their situation is removed from reality in some way. No one, however, deserves domestic abuse. This is not another wacky celebrity event that the world will parody and laugh about for weeks. There is no humor involved here, so your jokes are beyond inappropriate. I don't care how you may feel about Rihanna's songs or image, you're scum if you can express concern over Chris Brown's career instead of her well being. Hopefully, it will come to light that there was a misunderstanding, or it wasn't Rihanna at all. But, for now, I'm just ashamed to see such cold comments from so many people.

Update: It has been confirmed that it was in fact Rihanna that Chris Brown assaulted. Photographic evidence was taken at the scene and Rihanna's bruises are said to have been 'horrific.' This really rocks my world. It just shatters my view of the kids of my generation and their impact on pop culture.

Oh yeah, and people are still scumbags. Chris Brown deserves every thing he gets. I hope he's brought to justice quickly.

PCD, Leona & Rihanna Perform for Royalty

A few international acts took to the stage to perform before the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. And I'm sure neither one of them knew who any of the performers were.

Don't Cha/I Hate this Part/When I Grow Up

Is it me or are the Dolls just not as entertaining as before? Nicole just isn't as beautiful as she used to be, her voice not as solid, and you can only watch five b****es jump around in knee-high boots and catsuits so many times. Don't get me wrong -- PCD will still blow Britney out of the water as her opening act next year -- they've just lost their novelty.

Run

Leona gave her usual, stunning performance. Fierce dress, girl. Her management finally got with the program and released Run as a single in the US a couple days ago. Now she can take over the world again. Love it, love it.

Take a Bow

With Beyoncé stealing some of the shine, Rihanna's not looking as bright. Granted, she probably is the artist of 2008, but 2008 is damn near over. Time for a new album, sweetie. Live performances are not her forte, but I liked the mask and the dress.

American Music Awards 2008

I can't tell you the last time I watched the AMAs, but this year's show had a lineup I couldn't miss! Just about every big name in pop music performed (and I'm sure you noticed, most of them were divas). Unfortunately, just about every performance was negatively affected by incompetent sound people, and many performers were competing with the music to be heard. That blip aside, it was a great show and next year's Grammys will have a hard time coming up with something better. My girl Christina opened the show with a medley of hit songs from her career.



I know she's promoting the greatest hits CD, but I think I would have preferred her to do just one or two songs, even if it was Keeps Gettin' Better. The medley was fun to watch for me as a fan, but because she only sang each song for a minute, I feel like she never really got into any of the songs and caught a stride. The costume was versatile and awesome, though. And while it wasn't the best day she's ever had vocally, plenty of artists still wish they had her pipes.



P!nk was awesome. Her mike wasn't loud enough, but her voice is still amazing. While not a powerhouse, that raspy quality adds that uniqueness to her music and gives her a signature sound. Her duet with Sarah McLachlan later in the show was beautiful, as well. Still not exactly feeling Sober, though.



Leona Lewis looked great and sounded great. She did all the riffs I thought she should have done in the studio version of Better In Time. I still think the song, while pretty, is rather bland and didn't make for an engrossing performance.



Now, I really don't care much for Miley Cyrus. But, this was a great performance. She's clearly not the most talented vocalist, but she played to her strengths and engaged the audience. I loved the billboard people. Kudos, Miley.



I am officially a Beyoncé fan again... but not because of this performance. I've seen the video for Single Ladies so many times and seen a few live performances, and now it's just kinda boring. Case in point: I know the choreography so well that I noticed her f*** it up at one point. Also, is it me, or did her legs look weird? All that said, it was still a great performance. She wielded that ponytail like a deadly weapon. Though, I do wish Justin could have replaced one of her dancers.



PCD has fallen off. They seemed determined to stay relevant with When I Grow Up, but ever since then the ship has been slowly sinking. While I Hate This Part has definitely grown on me, the live rendition wasn't exactly impressive. And then Nicole went on to that incredibly long, incredibly sour note before the dance breakdown. Back to the drawing board, ladies. Away. I LOVED Nicole's dress on the red carpet, though. Fabulous, Christian, just fabulous.




Finally, a "merit" award recipient that doesn't put me to sleep! Annie Lennox is so f***ing awesome. Like, seriously. Enough said.



Natasha shut it down. Her voice is incredible. My only complaint is that she didn't sing enough of Soulmate, my favorite (and her favorite) track off of her most recent album. But, damn, she was amazing. She killed Pocketful of Sunshine. Best vocals of the night, IMO. And that's saying something because it's me and Christina performed. OK.



Yes! Yes! Amazing way to close the show. Uh, LOVE Queen Latifah! (I'd love her more if she just CAME OUT ALREADY, but still). What a performance. I was like "Who the hell is Kathleen Battle?" And then she came out and my roommate and I were like "Oh, opera singer." It was awesome. Way to go, Alicia, repping for the sistas. She had too much make-up on all night, but I still love her to death. She can do no wrong.

Other performers:

New Kids on the Block: More like Old Farts on the Stage. They looked, sounded and moved like s***. Please retire. Forever this time.

Taylor Swift: What's the big deal with this girl? The most interesting thing about her is that she dated a Jonas. And, trust me, she knows. That's why she can't stop talking about it. I don't get it.

Coldplay: Chris Martin was loopy like always, but it was awesome. Love their sound.

Mariah Carey: How about this, Mimi? How about you just put up a cardboard cut-out of yourself up on stage and save the trip. I mean, it's not like you're going to move or sing anyway.

Rihanna: While Rehab will definitely be another notch on Riri's belt of hits, she still needs to learn a thing or two about stage presence. She looked hot, though.

Kanye: I'm sorry, I tried, but I'm not feeling any of his new music. And while watching him give an acceptance speech is a nail-biter, watching him perform is a yawn.

...It's June...I'm still in school -_-

I know, I know. I'm late. Blame finals. That's right, I'm still in school. I still have an unsettling amount of pages to write before I can leave this place and return home to NYC. Sweet, blessed NYC.

So, yeah. It's June! Hooray for summer!! I went to Six Flags the other day. It wasn't quite the usual experience; I don't think it's warm enough yet here in Chicago to fully appreciate Hurricane Harbor. But, it was fun. Up until the part where my bag was stolen. Mmhmm.
This month, Crystal Kay releases her new single, 涙のさきに (Namida no Saki ni) from what I'm sure will be her fantastic forthcoming album. The video for the single is sort of like the こんなに近くで (Konna ni Chikaku de) video, except on crack. But Kuri looks good, channeling Michael (always a good idea), and stepping out of her box.

The Incredible Hulk smashes into theaters this weekend. The trailers look good, and honestly, it really couldn't be any worse than that other Hulk movie. Rumor has it that Marvel is setting up a film adaptation of The Avengers, with Ed Norton and Robert Downey Jr. reprising their roles as the Hulk and Iron Man, respectively. Sounds hot.

Finally, industry darling Rihanna repackages last year's Good Girl Gone Bad with a few extra songs. Lead single Take A Bow has already been a #1 hit, her collaboration with Maroon 5 has been well received, and I'm really starting to dig Disturbia. Can she do no wrong?

Enjoy June, bitches!! Hopefully I can manage a return to form over the summer months and update this sucka a little more regularly. Maybe, maybe not. ^_^

Current♥Fancies

Here's what's playing on my iPod these days...

Take A Bow - Rihanna

It's no Umbrella, but it's really quite catchy. It quickly shot to #1 on the Hot 100 chart last week, so clearly someone, somewhere agrees with me. I doubt it'll inspire many people to go out and buy the re-release of Good Girl Gone Bad but, it's another hit Rihanna can add to the list.

When I Grow Up - The Pussycat Dolls

I love it now. Love, love, love. Check out the performance below if you haven't already.

American Boy - Estelle/Kanye West

I'm kinda late catching on to this song, but it's definitely poised to be the crossover hit Estelle has been waiting for. She owes a lot to Kanye, though; his flow takes the track to the next level.

Ur So Gay - Katy Perry

Katy Perry is quickly climbing the charts with her single I Kissed a Girl, but I love the catchy kiss-off that is Ur So Gay. I'm going to go ahead and predict that Katy will garner a lot of attention this year. She's a new artist who can actually sing and she's got clever lyrics to boot. Not to mention, gorgeous.

Damaged - Danity Kane

I've been singing "How you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it" for months now and it hasn't gotten old. I'm surprised that five girls with minimal talent being managed by Diddy have been able to last this long, but I won't knock the hustle.

Rihanna - Belle of the Ball

Though she hasn't come away with any Grammys tonight (yet), isn't Rihanna just the darling of the music industry? 2007 was such an awesome year for her and she hasn't squandered any of the momentum. She's still high on the charts with Don't Stop the Music, got another cute, trend-setting haircut, and just always looks amazing. She's not the greatest talent or the best performer, but it's hard not to root for her.

*Update: Rihanna just won her first Grammy! Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for her mega-hit Umbrella. Her acceptance speech, like her dress, was very cute, thanks in part to Jigga.