In her latest turn on the talk show circuit, Eve stopped by The Wendy Williams Show to discuss her hiatus from music and why she took so much time between albums. "I think my album wasn't what the execs wanted and they just put it on the shelf," she said, referring to her former deal with Interscope.
Reps for the hit BBC drama Downton Abbey have denied Diddy's claim that he has joined the cast as a series regular. The rapper has been talking up his participation on the show in a series of tweets that started on May 15. The tweets turned out to be a plug for Diddy's recent parody of the show on FunnyOrDie.com.
Beyoncé posted to her website a handwritten apology to Belgian fans after postponing the first of two scheduled shows in Antwerp on Tuesday. After the postponement was announced, rumors began flying that Beyonce was pregnant again, but the singer explained that she wasn't feeling well. According to reports, she was ordered by doctors to rest in order to recover from exhaustion.
Nicki Minaj is reportedly planning to part ways with American Idol at the end of this season. The news comes via an Idol insider, who spoke with Us magazine following Randy Jackson's announcement about leaving the show. "It's safe to say she isn't coming back to Idol," the source tells Us.
Usher will be honored with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Golden Note Award at the 26th Annual Rhythm and Soul Music Awards on June 27. Usher said of the honor: "I take the art of songwriting and music-making very seriously, so to be given the ASCAP Golden Note Award from an organization of my fellow music creators is a huge honor.
Robin Thicke and Pharrell took to the stage during a recent episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show to perform "Blurred Lines," the title track off Thicke's upcoming new album. The duo performed the track, which has reached number one on the iTunes chart and number 54 on Billboard, alongside three models providing backup.
Karen Faye, Michael Jackson's makeup artist and friend of nearly three decades, said that in the days before his death the singer was paranoid, repeated himself continuously and was so cold she bundled him in a blanket, put him in front of a space heater and hugged him to try to stop the shivering.
Chris Brown's next single, "They Don't Know," will feature never-before-heard vocals from Aaliyah, the singer who died in a plane crash in 2001, Brown announced during a BET Awards press conference Tuesday. "I got something real special for my fans," Brown said before explaining that a video for the track was shot in Los Angeles over the weekend.
Drake leads this year's BET Awards with 12 nominations, including five separate nods for Video of the Year. Drizzy is nominated for his singles "HYFR" and "Started From the Bottom" in the Video of the Year category, and he will compete against his collaborations with 2 Chainz ("No Lie"), Kendrick Lamar ("Poetic Justice") and A$AP Rocky ("Problems").
R. Kelly may have something different planned for his fans — an album of country music. He told Vibe magazine that he's been working in that genre. "I've really been writing a lot of country songs," he said. "I used to get criticized for doing a 'Bump & Grind' then turning around and doing a gospel song. But the truth is I'm glad I have a gift that allows me to switch lanes."
The-Dream has released the track list for his upcoming album, IV Play. The follow-up to 2012's Terius Nash: 1977 features a standard edition (14 tracks), as well as a deluxe edition that featured four additional tracks. Dream takes the album out on the road with Kelly Rowland for a U.S. tour.
Beyonce is carrying another child, according to a source, who unveiled the news to the New York Post. The insider has it that "multiple sources" said that Lady Bey was expecting following her appearance at last week's Met Gala. "Music insiders are chattering about Beyoncé expecting her second child with husband Jay-Z," Page Six reports.
Nicki Minaj is on the cover of the latest edition of Teen Vogue. The American Idol judge offers up her take on a number of issues for the mag's readers, including the true nature of the music biz. "People treat this business like its high school," the singer explained. "It can absolutely feel like one big popularity contest, and you know what? I can't be bothered."
Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio have been targeted by the producers of The X Factor to join Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato for season three of the program on FOX. The network is currently looking for replacements for L.A. Reid and Britney Spears. Other names mentioned in negotiations are Jenifer Love Hewitt and Hilary Duff.
Mariah Carey has released a behind-the-scenes look into her latest music video, "#Beautiful." In the clip, she explains that the red Porsche Speedster used in the vid has sentimental value: it was a restoration project her dad long wanted to complete. The hit has been getting air play, writes That Grape Juice, "thanks to a costly yet effective Clear Channel deal . . ."