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Posts Tagged ‘Mary J. Blige’

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Pop icon Janet Jackson joins Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige as a co-headliner for the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans this summer. The annual music fest is held every July 4th weekend, and this year, in addition to Jackson and the other headliners, will include performances by Estelle, LL Cool J, Monica, Ruben Studdard and Trey Songz.

Jackson also released a new single today, Nothing, from the Why did I Get Married Too? soundtrack. interestingly, the ballad was produced by her ex-boyfriend, Jermaine Dupri.

Janet Jackson added to Essence lineup

Simon Cowell, American Idol’s surly captain and creator, is quitting the TV ratings juggernaut at the end of this season, he told the Television Critics Association yesterday.

Simon confirmed that he would move on to produce an American version of his popular UK show, The X Factor, set to premiere on Fox in the fall of 2011.

“I felt like doing something different,” Simon told the press. “I want to leave Idol this year bigger and better than it’s been before.”

But Idol, once an unstoppable ratings phenomenon and envy of all networks, is entering its 9th season as a beleaguering show.

Since its debut in 2002, Idol earned the top dollars from advertisers and reigned as the no. 1 most-watched show on television. Three years ago, the show peaked with more than 30 million viewers tuning in to each episode.

But for the past three years, Idol’s stats have been slipping.

In 2009, an average of 25 million people watched each show, according to Nielsen, down 1.7 million viewers from the previous year. Idol’s advertising sales fell 5 percent last year, to $858.59 million, according to estimates from TNS Media Intelligence.

Idol already lost one of its star judges, Paula Abdul, to a reported contract dispute. Cowell, according to AdAge, asked for a $150 million, three-year contract renewal. By contrast, host Ryan Seacrast got a $45 million deal.

Fox will now have to answer to News Corp.’s shareholders, who can’t be happy about fewer ad dollars, and an inevitable ratings slump without Simon. this season, Fox will depend on new judge Ellen DeGeneres and a slew of guest judges, including Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham, Katy Perry, Mary J. Blige, Avril Lavigne and Shania Twain, to keep audiences interested into 2011. Cookie-cutter characters, from small town girls trying to make it big to guitar-wielding rocker guys with spiky hair, aren’t going to cut it without Simon, either. Adam Lambert was last season’s only saving grace.

As for Cowell’s second act, he could make big bucks if The X Factor takes off. It’s a massive hit in Britain, according to the Times, with nearly one-third of the country tuning in to the most recent season’s finale in December.

The show is similar to American Idol’s hit-factory formula. Viewers watch singers as they belt out pop songs and vote for their favorites each week. But, unlike Idol, each of the four X Factor judges get to pick a favorite guy or girl. they will coach their singer throughout the season in the hopes that viewers make them the next big music star. the competition between judges could add a little spice to the show, especially if rumors that Paula will judge with Simon on The X Factor are true.

However, The X Factor’s premise is so similar to Idol, we wonder if Fox viewers are already overloaded with reality competition programming. We’ll have to watch closely to this season’s ratings to see.

Regardless of what happens in 2011, tonight’s Idol premiere should get a little ratings boost thanks to Simon’s clever news slip. once again, the cheeky music mogul and Idol mastermind has found a way to keep himself in the brightest spotlight.

Simon Cowell Kills American Idol

Susan Boyle will finish out 2009 at No. 1. The British singer’s debut album I Dreamed a Dream tops the Billboard 200 for a fifth consecutive week, selling another 510,000 copies, while Mary J. Blige and Young Money were the only two debuts within the top 40.

Mary J. Blige’s ninth studio album Stronger withEach [...]

Smack around the 1:07 mark……Apparently MJB didn’t know New York Post cameras were roving around when she went upside the head of hubby Kendu Issacs during her album release party this week.

Did domestic violence survivor and women’s rights crusader Mary J. Blige slug her husband, producer Kendu Issacs?

A representative for the singing legend has dismissed speculation that her marriage is in trouble, following reports of a public brawl with husband Kendu Isaacs during her album release party in New York City on Tuesday.

The “No More Drama” hitmaker has been married to the record industry executive since 2003, but the couple was rumored to be having problems following a reported incident at a party at the M2 Ultralounge. The New York Post reports the singer flew into a rage after she caught her husband looking at one of the waitresses and hit him front of shocked guests — including Busta Rhymes and hip-hop supercouple Jay-Z and Beyonce.

“She turned to him and was screaming, ‘You’re not going to ruin my night.’ They got up in each other’s faces before someone tried to separate them, at which point she shoved the guy aside, pulled back and popped (hit Isaacs) in the face. She was yelling at him, ‘What are you gonna do, Chris Brown me?’ Four of her bodyguards and two of the club’s kept them apart.”

Kendu was kicked out of the club and a dishelved MJB left a short time later. Mary’s publicist is adamant that the couple’s relationship is stronger than ever.

“They’re as happy as can be. They’re spending the holidays together with their three children. Everything’s great,” says spokeswoman Karynne Tencer.