Christina Aguilera Page 4

Kylie Jenner's Halloween costume is definitely one of our favourites this year. She went all out as Christina Aguilera in the 2002 video 'Dirrty' for a party that took place in LA this weekend. Sure it wasn't scary, but it was definitely scarily accurate.

Kylie Jenner has a jam-packed Halloween weekend

The youngest of the Kardashian clan put up a number of snaps of her inspired costume choice on Saturday (October 29th 2016), plus a video of her dancing along to 'Dirrty'. She was off to a party at Bootsy Bellows in Los Angeles, where her 37-year-old sister Kourtney Kardashian and 26-year-old boyfriend Tyga joined her.

Continue reading: Kylie Jenner Channels Xtina In 'Dirrty' Halloween Costume

Stevie Wonder is set to head up a star-studded tribute concert to the legendary Prince in St. Paul, Minnesota next month, that will also feature performances and appearances from people in the late star’s inner circle.

Billed as ‘The Official Prince Tribute’, the show was first announced back in early July, just over two months after Prince had died from an accidental overdose of painkillers, but details of the show have been slow to emerge since then.

In addition to R&B legend Wonder, the line-up also boasts Christina Aguilera, Chaka Khan, John Mayer, Tori Kelly, Anita Baker, Doug E. Fresh and Luke James.

Continue reading: Stevie Wonder And Christina Aguilera Included In Star-Studded Prince Tribute Event

The estate of Whitney Houston has cancelled a planned duet between Christina Aguilera and a hologram of the late singer. Footage of the duet briefly leaked online on Thursday (May 19th) but the performance, which was set for ‘The Voice’s’ season 10 finale next week, has now been axed after Houston’s estate decided the hologram was ‘not ready to air’.

Christina Aguilera will not duet with the Whitney Houston hologram on ‘The Voice’ finale.

In a statement given to Entertainment Tonight, Pat Houston, the executor of the estate, said: “We are so appreciative of the opportunity for the Whitney Houston hologram to appear on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ with a talent pairing as extraordinary as Christina Aguilera and Whitney Houston.”

Continue reading: Whitney Houston's Estate Cancels Christina Aguilera Hologram Duet

She only announced last month that she was joining ‘The Voice’ as a special advisor, but Miley Cyrus seems to be making her move to the NBC reality show more permanent, revealing she’ll be a coach on season 11.

The 23 year old singer will be making her debut on the show on Monday (March 28th) when the knockout rounds commence and her role as Key Advisor begins, which will see her offer advice to all teams and contestants.

Cyrus confirmed the news on Twitter herself, writing: “It's true! I am going to be the newest judge on Season 11 of The Voice @NBCTheVoice #thevoice.” She’ll most likely be joining Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Alicia Keys, the replacement for Pharrell Williams who has already confirmed he will not be returning after the current season.

Continue reading: Miley Cyrus Will Be A Coach On 'The Voice' Season 11

Christina Aguilera is said to be “furious” with producers of ‘The Voice’ for allegedly offering Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani a ‘sweetheart deal’ to pay them bonuses for ramping up the chemistry between them when on screen.

Aguilera, 35, has returned to the judging panel on the US version of the reality singing competition after a one year break. She is reported to be unhappy with an exclusive offered to the couple, after Stefani joined as a mentor on fellow judge Shelton’s team.

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani have reportedly been offered a 'sweetheart deal' by 'The Voice' producers

Continue reading: 'The Voice' Judge Christina Aguilera "Furious" About 'Loved Up Bonus' Offered To Blake Shelton And Gwen Stefani

Christina Aguilera has a very special person she wants us to meet, her six-month-old daughter Summer Rain who graces the cover of this week's People magazine alongside her famous mother.

Christina Aguilera has been sharing the first pictures of daughter Summer Rain.

Inside the issue ‘The Voice’ coach gushed about her baby daughter, describing their first moments together. "I was speechless,” the singer said. "She was literally like an angel...We had an immediate calm bond, and I felt unexplainably connected to her and her spirit.”

Continue reading: Christina Aguilera Introduces The World To Daughter Summer Rain On People Magazine Cover

The Super Bowl XLIX was all anyone could talk about over the weekend - and it wasn't just about the epic win of the New England Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks. As per usual, this year provided some pretty hilarious highlights, most notably from 'The Tonight Show''s Jimmy Fallon.

Jimmy Fallon provided the comedy at Super Bowl XLIX

Fallon was shooting a Super Bowl special for 'The Tonight Show', filming at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix for the first time in honour of the occasion. Despite special guests Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola and LeGarrette Blount of the Patriots making an appearance, Fallon did well to keep the attention on him with his admittedly impressive 'Super Bowl of Lip Sync Battles' skit.

Continue reading: Jimmy Fallon's Lip-Sync Battle Becomes Super Bowl XLIX Comedy Highlight

Christina Aguilera is back in the red, swivelling chair of The Voice, USA. The platinum pop diva will be back for the eighth season, starting in early 2015, making the new line-up look suspiciously similar to the programme’s initial foursome.

Christina has announced she'll be back on The Voice USA for its eighth season

Xtina was part of the originals with Maroon 5 star Adam Levine, country singer Blake Shelton and singer-songwriter CeeLo Green: the quartet that steered the show for the first three seasons. Shakira and Usher took on the coaching roles in season four before the Genie in a Bottle singer returned with CeeLo for season five.

Continue reading: Xtina Is Back On The Voice USA!

Christina Aguilera and Matt Rutler just welcomed a baby girl into the world this weekend! The consensus around the web is: we couldn’t be happier for the offspring of two people we’ve never met and are unlikely to ever meet. And they make a really cute family. And Christina looked stunning in her pregnancy photoshoot for V Magazine, so based on that completely unscientific evidence, we expect the little one to look as cute as the tiniest, sparkliest button in the bowl. You know, when they decide to finally sell those first baby photos.

Christina and her fiance have created a new human.

The Genie In A Bottle singer met Rutler on the set of 2010’s Burlesque, where he worked as a production assistant. So there’s one good thing that came out of that movie, at least. The two dated for a few years, before announcing their engagement in February. He proposed on Valentine’s Day, because they’re just oldschool and romantic like that. Soon after, the artist formerly known as Xtina broke news of the pregnancy and it’s been Happily Ever After since. A few weeks before the birth, Aguilera showed off her baby bump and motherly pride in the aforementioned photoshoot. She’s also apparently been working on a new album and Baby got the very first listen. The mom-to-be shared a picture from the recording session, as you do, of herself with a pair of headphones around the bump. She captioned said masterpiece: “t self in a studio with a pair of headphones placed on her baby bump. "Baby girl getting first listen to what mama's been creating in the studio.”

Continue reading: After Eventful Pregancy, Christina Aguilera And Matt Rutler Welcome Baby Girl

You love babies, we love babies, let’s have some baby announcement to end a truly awful week of news. The baby news comes courtesy of Christina Aguilera and fiance Matt Rutler, who welcomed their first daughter together (or child of any persuasion, actually). Aguilera already has one son – six-year-old Max – with ex husband Jordan Bratman.

Christina Aguilera has created life. Again.

Aguilera and Rutler have been engaged for a month and made the pregnancy announcement way back in February. During her pregnancy, Aguilera was not the shy, retiring type of mom-to-be. In fact, she even posed completely nude for V magazine just a few weeks before giving birth, showing off an impressive bump and an even more impressive level of comfort and confidence.

Continue reading: Congrats To Christina Aguilera For Creating A Brand New Human! Again!

Christina Aguilera is heavily pregnant with her second child, but this doesn't mean she isn't still the same sexy blonde bombshell everybody loves! In fact, Aguilera put her pregnancy curves on full display in a recent nude photo-shoot to show off how body confident she is.

The 33 year-old singer and 'The Voice' coach bared all in several stunning snaps for V Magazine, and now joins a list of pregnant celebrities who also have posed nude while carrying a child, which includes Demi Moore and Jessica Simpson.

Continue reading: Heavily Pregnant Christina Aguilera Poses Nude In Sexy Photo-Shoot

Christina Aguilera is pregnant once again.

The 33 year-old is expecting a baby daughter with new fiancé Matt Rutler.

This will be the pair's first child together.

Continue reading: Christina Aguilera Is Expecting A Baby Daughter With Matt Rutler

Opera soprano Renee Fleming has been announced to sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb. 2. Fleming’s appointment is a pretty big deal, considering that the Super Bowl is easily the most watched television event of the year in the US. Last year, 111 million people nationwide tuned into the game, the infamous Super Bowl ads and, of course, the half time show. Fleming is also a bit of an unusual choice, given that the anthem has been performed by mainstream pop stars every year for the past decade.

When it comes to performing live, Fleming is a trusted veteran.

Some of the performances have been stunning and unforgettable, like Aretha Franklin’s 2006 rendition, while others, like Christina Aguilera’s 2011 blunder might be better left forgotten. Hopefully, this year’s anthem performance will have patriots in tears (the good kind), but if not, there are always these historical renditions to look back on fondly.

Continue reading: Renee Fleming Announced For Super Bowl 2014: A Look Back On Some Of The Great Anthem Singers Through The Years

Christina Aguilera will feature on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack after recording an original song titled 'We Remain' specially for the sequel.

Sam Claflin [L] and Jennifer Lawrence [R] in 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Voice coach made the announced on Twitter on Wednesday (September 25, 2013), tweeting to her 9.4 million followers: "Love the underlying message of @TheHungerGames. 'We Remain' is special new song, its message to my fans & how I connect w/ the movie, alike."

Continue reading: Christina Aguilera Joins Rock Heavyweights On 'Hunger Games Catching Fire' Soundtrack

The quest to find America's next singing sensation is on, and we've got two familiar faces returning to the fifth season of The Voice to boot, as Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green made their triumphant returns to the hit series. And now, with the show earning it's very first Emmy win, for 'Best Reality Competition,' the pressure was on for the season opener to deliver, and you better believe that it did.

Christina was back, and arguably came away from the opening night with the best performer.

Season five's opening episode wasn't just a blast because we got to see Christina, Cee Lo, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton back together again, although admittedly that was pretty great, but more because the first round of acts were some of the best singers the show has ever had! Maybe it had something to do with the return of the Holy Alliance, or maybe it was to do with the night's 'Rock 'n' Roll' theme, who knows maybe the just put something in the water, but last night (23 Sept.) the blind auditions were out of this world.

Continue reading: Christina Aguilera & Cee Lo Green Are Back With A Vengeance In 'The Voice' Season Opener

TV host Holly Willoughby, who has previously earned herself the nickname 'Holly Willoughbooby' for wearing clothing that flashes off her rather er...ample cleavage, drew attention to herself yet again on Saturday's (22 June) final of BBC singing talent contest The Voice.

The 2.5 hour show saw Northern Irish Andrea Begley sing her way to victory, but Holly's outfit gave the partially-sighted 27 year-old a run for her money in the publicity stakes, according to The Independent.

The gown in question was a Gucci black silk floor length piece from their 2012 collection, featuring floral lace embellishments and cascading Swarovski crystals to create a rather deep V down the chest - the latter aspect created quite a stir amongst viewers.

Continue reading: Complaints For Holly Willoughby's Dress In 'The Voice' Final: Beeb Apologises For Boob-Baring Outfit

Frank Ocean at the TIME 100 Gala in New York 

It was the annual TIME 100 Gala on Tuesday night (April 23rd 2013) celebrating this year's most influential faces from world leaders to movie stars and the red carpet was full of stars waiting to congratulate the 2013 list.

Grammy winning superstar Christina Aguilera dazzled at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York looking classy and much trimmer than she has been in recent months and making the TIME'S 100 Most Influential People In The World list in the Artists category. She was joined by 2013 Grammy and BRIT artist Frank Ocean who has dominated the R&B industry with his spectacular debut album 'Channel Orange' and his rather inspiring love life confessions. Talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon (of 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon') and Jimmy Kimmel (of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!') were also present, as was 'Breaking Bad' star Bryan Cranston whose crime drama has won him a Primetime Emmy. Lena Dunham landed a place in the Icons category for her comedy show 'Girls' which has won her a Golden Globe. Other honourees included Perry Chen, the founder of Kickstarter - a creative project fund-raising website, who reached the Pioneers list, and fashion designer Michael Kors who hit the list of influential Titans of the world.

Continue reading: Lena Dunham And Frank Ocean Among TIME 100 Gala Honourees For 2013 [Photos]

Tonight (March 25) marks the first instalment of the brand new series of The Voice USA - and what's more, it brings two completely new faces to the judges' seats (as any new talent show series tends to do now-a-days) with Usher and Shakira taking up the spots made vacants by Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green.   

We all know that new a series means new faces, but what it also means is new auditions - and does anyone really watch these shows for anything other than the often torturous lengths some people go to in order to have their voices heard? Well maybe, but the majority of us only watch it for these first few weeks anyway and on a show where the contestant is regularly out-witted and upstaged by a piece of furniture then we've got a good chance that this years auditions are going to be some memorable ones.

As well as the usual tomfoolery from the hopeful contestants, the fourth series of The Voice USA should be an interesting one anyway just to see how the new judges gel. Cee Lo and Christina have already mentioned that they are only taking breaks and will be returning to the show and it was the chemistry shared by the four that really drove the show forward. With two new, although admittedly popular replacements, there is a chance that the show might not work the same way it did before and the show may end up being a disaster. However - and this is probably a more likely outcome - what if Shakira and Usher are too good and Cee Lo and Christina never get invited back, creating an all out war that may spill into a spin-off series! Maybe that won't happen, but hey, it's TV and weirder things have. The Voice airs on NBC tonight (March 25) 8 ET/PT.

Continue reading: Are New Judges Usher And Shakira Ready For The Voice USA Challenge?

The Super Bowl half-time entertainment shows have slowly evolved into one of the biggest deals in the entertainment industry. Get it right, get richer (you’ll already be rich, if you’re performing at the Super Bowl, these days). Get it wrong? Suffer at least 12 months of ridicule and about a fortnight of humiliation every year subsequently, as people like us dig up lists like this to remind everyone of your shame.

A good Super Bowl Halftime Show can be life-affirming. Patriotism in its finest form; live music at its glitziest and its most extravagant. Here are five of the best:

5. Diana Ross, Sun Devil Stadium, 1996

Continue reading: The Best And The Worst Performances In Super Bowl History (Videos)

Well, it was about time. With a week left until the Super Bowl, the National Football League finally announced that this year, the national anthem at the game will be sung by none other than Alicia Keys.

The fourteen-time Grammy winner seems like a perfectly solid choice for the honorary job, although, with previous Super Bowl performances in mind, she probably doesn’t have that much to compete with (cough, Christina Aguilera’s botched performance in 2011).

Despite the Super Bowl being hosted in New Orleans this year, the entertainment will be dominated by New York ladies as it seems, with NY-native Keys singing the anthem and residents of the Big Apple Beyonce, along with fellow Destiny’s Child singers Kelly Rowland and Michele Williams (it is rumoured), performing in the half time show. So far, this is all the news anyone has about the entertainment at this year’s game, but even so, it looks like everyone, including non-football fans, will be catered for. If you don’t tune in for the game, it may be worth at least checking out the entertainment. And those shiny, shiny Super bowl ads. Despite rumoured changes to the tone of the advertising, we’re sure there will be no shortage of scantily clad women in the ad breaks, as per Super Bowl tradition. And with so much money being poured into the entertainment and advertising, surely, this will be one to watch. After all, the Super Bowl only comes along once a year.

Mick Jagger has finally broken his silence on the subject of Maroon 5's number one hit 'Moves Like Jagger' and revealed that he didn't get paid anything for his reference in the song.

The Rolling Stones lead vocalist appeared for an interview on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' and, to the viewers' amusement, produced a list entitled: 'Top Ten Things I, Mick Jagger, Have Learned After 50 Years In Rock 'n' Roll'. On the list was a light-hearted dig at Maroon 5's song 'Moves Like Jagger' featuring Christina Aguilera, the video of which begins with footage of Jagger in his younger years and later shows singer Adam Levine trying out some of the famous dance moves. Jagger had written on his list that he had learned that "You don't earn a cent when someone does a song about having moves like Jagger." The music legend also drew laughs from his other advice which included, "Be considerate of other hotel guests - trash your room by 10 pm" and, "Before shouting 'Hi Seattle!' make sure you're in Seattle."

'Moves Like Jagger' is not the first number one hit that has referenced the star; he has also been mentioned in Ke$ha's 'TiK ToK' ('We kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger') and Cher Lloyd's 'Swagger Jagger'. 

Justin Bieber arrives for the AMA Awards in Los Angeles

THe 40th anniversary of the American Music Awards brought out all the big names that you'd expect from the US music industry and more, with stars past and present rubbing shoulders at a truly star-spangled gathering at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles yesterday (November 18, 2012). However, despite the presence of Youtube sensation Psy - who closed the evening by being joined by MC Hammer for his huge hit 'Gangnam Style' - the US biggest selling artist of the year Taylor Swift, and pop royalty Usher and Christina Aguilera, there was only name on everybody's lips. Justin Bieber took home the top award of the evening, Artist Of The Year, and his mom Pattie Mallette was there to celebrate it with him. 

Continue reading: PICTURES: Justin Bieber Wins Big At The American Music Awards 40th Anniversary

The Dave Matthews Band have pledged to donate $1 million to help those affected by Superstorm Sandy. Fox News have reported that the band, originally from Charlottesville, Virginia made the announcement today (Wednesday November 14, 2012) on their website, revealing that the opening date of their winter tour will be a benefit show and all ticket and merchandise sales will go to the Bama Works Sandy Relief Fund, which was established at the Community Foundation of New York.

When the storm hit the East Coast of the USA just over two weeks, it caused devastation and widespread damage. There were power outages in New Jersey and New York and the clean-up operation continues to try to get communities back to their former state. The band’s show at the Izod Center in New Jersey on November 30, will benefit the Bama Works fund.

The Dave Matthews Band aren’t the only high profile artist to help with the relief effort following the storm. NBC hosted hosted a telethon concert, featuring some of the world’s best-love musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi and Sting. Christina Aguilera performed a moving rendition of her hit song ‘Beautiful,’ which became one of the highlights of the concert.

The album cover of Lotus sees Christina Aguilera, emerging from a baby-pink lotus, naked and glowing in the stance that is more than reminiscent of Venus in Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. After a distinctly unsuccessful last album, Bionic(have you heard of it? No, we'd completely forgotten about it too), Lotus is undoubtedly a bit of 'rebirth' attempt for Aguilera.

We really want to love Lotus. We love Christina, both Back to Basics and Stripped were albums that defined a generation, with lyrics that engaged women's sexual autonomy, and a voice that lends itself to songs made for the dancefloor ('Dirty') as well as heartbreaking narrative numbers, such as 'Beautiful'. Who hasn't cried at that video? So, yes, we want to utterly adore Lotus, but we just can't. It's good, it's not terrible, but Aguilera seems to be stagnating rather than rising again in this new album. Despite being distinctly 'Christina', she hasn't pushed borders, the boundaries are miles away and she's trapped right inside.

One of the real lowpoints is 'Shutup', an unattractively simplistic and overly worked track. However, highlights include her collaboration with fellow The Voice coach Cee Lo Green in 'Make the World Move'. The subtle beauty of 'Blank Page', which doesn't quite hit the high marks that 'Beautiful' attained, is nevertheless gorgeous. 'Empty Words' is another great track, and somewhat relevant to the latest criticism she's been getting: "Go ahead and say the things you gotta say / You know you're only throwing empty words my way." Despite not loving Lotus we certainly like it, and it's more than worth a listen. When Aguilera lets her song writing and voice shine through, it's a great record, but when synth takes over, all her charm is lost.

Colleagues and friends, Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera have been working together this past eighteen months on UK export 'The Voice' and despite certain on air spats, they actually seem to remain very close.

Last month, in response to a vast amount of criticism that Aguilera was receiving in response to her weight gain Levine was vocal in his defense of her. At the time he said,quoted in E!, "The one thing about the culture right now-celebrity culture particularly-that is so ugly is [that] people feel like they can just say nasty things about other people.she gets a lot of it.. It pisses me off. Of course I have her back, of course I defend her."

Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres he has repeated his defences. Ellen had praised him for his efforts and he said "It's a very basic thing- She should be left alone. No one should bother or haggle her about her weight or anything that she does or says. So, that's it. That's how I feel about it." Levine is currently recording for both season three and four of The Voice, which he's found somewhat confusing, especially knowing that he'll miss Christina. "The first time we [shot both series in a week] was trippy, because it wasn't the original people, but it was also a lot of fun. I remember thinking to myself, I love these guys, but just miss Cee Lo and Christina. But then I realized, it's OK because I'm going to see them in a week from now." Usher and Shakira have taken the places of Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera as the coaches in the US talent show. Series three is currently airing and series four, with the new judges, is set to return on March 25th 2013.

The stars came out to raise money for the reconstruction of areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy last week, and fewer seemed more committed to the cause than Bruce Springsteen, a New Jersey native who saw his home neighbourhood devastated in the storms.

Springsteen was among a host of New Jersey locals including Jon Bon Jovi and the E Street Band, whilst Long Islander Billy Joel, Bronx native Mary J. Blige, Bostonian Steven Tyler and Staten Island’s Christina Aguilera also lent a hand for the hour long televised show titled ‘Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together’. It was Springsteen who took the day though, closing the showing and singing with closed eyes and gritted teeth. "God bless New York and God bless the Jersey Shore” he called out at the end of his short performance, with it looking like he’d could’ve gone on for many many more songs if the network had allowed him to.

Other highlights of the event saw Jon Bon Jovi perform a solemn, tributary ‘Prayer’ to his home town. Many of the performances were punctuated with video segments, and footage of the wreckage that came from the storm. It has to be said, though, that despite the undoubted cost of damages, the east coast of the US got off lightly compared to the Caribbean, where 69 people lost their lives.

Christina Aguilera and The Roots performed a pretty special version of her single ‘Your Body,’ along with Jimmy Fallon. The musical stars joined the chat show host in his office before appearing on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, using his office supplies as musical instruments. Somewhat surprisingly, Fallon proved to be a pretty impressive vocal talent, in no way outdone by The Roots or Aguilera.

Christina herself was in fine voice, and the video clip makes for pretty entertaining viewing. Dressed in a leather jacket and with pink dip-dyed hair, her powerful vocals sounded great over the unusual percussion provided by The Roots. The seven members of The Roots were crammed into the office, with Fallon and Aguilera and used items such as elastic bands, paper clips, scissors and coffee pots to bulk up the song.

On Friday night, Aguilera also performed at the Hurricane Sandy Tribute Concert, aired by NBC. Performing at the concert, she explained how she had grown up on Staten Island, which had been devastated by the hurricane. She went on to sing a moving rendition of ‘Beautiful,’ one of her biggest hits and a tale of finding inner strength in tough times. She was praised by the PopCrush blog for not trying to use the event to promote her new album, but just pouring her heart and soul into the performance and trying to offer hope to those in need.

Continue reading: Office Party! Christina Aguilera, The Roots & Jimmy Fallon's Unusual Performance Of 'Your Body'

America is still rocked by the devastating aftermath of hurricane Sandy, and the thought that 'never would a disaster like this happen to me' seemed to resonate on the faces at the Sandy Benefit Concert on Friday (Nov. 2). 

The star power drawn in was impressive, with such entertainers as Bruce Springsteen, Danny Devito and Mary J Blige each pledging their time to the good cause.

Opening the night's proceedings was Staten Island-born Christina Aguilera, who kicked things off with a powerful and stripped down rendition of her song 'Beautiful'. Relying solely on her vocals, Xtina packed a heft punch that delivered all the way home. Next up to perform was New Jersey's Jon Bon Jovi who first gave a shout-out to his hometown of Sayerville, N.J., before re-appropriating his hair-rock hit 'Livin’ On A Prayer' to suit the sombre mood in the studio.

Continue reading: Danny DeVito, Christina Aguilera And Jon Bon Jovi Among Superstars Who Show Support For Hurricane Sandy Benefit

A Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together Telethon was held last night in the hopes of bringing relief to the millions affected when Hurricane Sandy ripped through the East Coast of America.

NBC aired a commercial-free telethon last night (Nov 2) live from storm-ravaged Staten Island, with Matt Lauer helming the celeb fest that urged viewers across America to pledge what they could and help the millions suffering from the storm.

Christina Aguilera got things started, entering a dark stage and delivering a powerful, stripped down version of ‘Beautiful.’ After the Staten Island native’s performance, a rolling montage of just some of the destruction was played, ending with a still of the once bustling Jersey Shore, after which Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi gave acoustic performances of ‘Who Says You Can’t Go Home’ and ‘Living on a Prayer’ with guitarist Bob Bandiera and Lorenza Ponce on the violin.

Continue reading: Stars Show Support For Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together Telethon

Christina Aguilera opened the highly publicised charity telethon, "Hurricane Sandy: Come Together", in aid of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. It was a fitting role for the singer and 'The Voice' coach, as she was born and raised on Staten Island, which is one of the areas most affected by the enormous storm.

"I was born in Staten Island" she began, addressing the crowd. "We are here for you. We will do whatever we can to help. We will not leave any one of you behind, because every single one of you matters." She then broke into a heart wrenching rendition of 'Beautiful'. Other acts that followed included Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Aerosmith. "Today" hody Matt Lauer said that it was easy to get everyone on board, mostly requiring "one phone call". 

CBS news reports some very generous commercial donations already pledged, including $1m from the CBS themselves, $2m from Disney, and a further $1m from News Corp. Celebrities all over the US are tweeting support for the telethon, particularly the Jersey Shore stars who found their own fame in New Jersey. Before taking to the stage, Christina left a tweet, saying "Sending my love and support to everyone on the east coast who's been affected. Thinking of u all. XoXtina" 

Today show host Matt Lauer personally urged NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke to orchestrate a musical event for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, according to USA Today. Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together will air live from the Rockefeller Center on Friday (November 2, 2012), featuring performances from Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Sting, Mary J Blige and Christina Aguilera.

New York and New Jersey were devastated by the storm and stars associated with both areas, including Kevin Bacon, Tiny Fey, James Gandolfini, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon will also appear at the event, which aims to raise money for victims of the hurricane. Lauer said it was a tour of a neighbourhood in Rockaway Beach, Queens, that made him put his plans into action.  "I came back and said, 'We've got to do something quickly here," said Lauer says. "I feared facing a period next week where the focus would be blurred. We've got an election coming up, and I feared people affected by this would be pushed to the side." He then said that unlike many television rivals, NBC was "a very New York-centered media company" adding, "you can't live in New York without being struck by what a big thing this is." A post 9/11 telethon arranged by George Cloone, which aired on all of the major networks, raised at estimated $200 million. Friday's special will air on NBC as well as cable networks it owns including Bravo, E!, HBO, Syfy and Discovery Fit & Health.

As for the set-lists, Lauer said "the songs are going to be instantly recognizable." 

Continue reading: Matt Lauer: We Need Springsteen And Bon Jovi, Pronto!

Bruce Springsteen has been confirmed as one of the major US acts to play a benefit concert for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, which has blighted the East coast of the United States this week. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be joined by Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Sting and Bon Jovi for the televised special, which will air on Friday (November 2, 2012). It will be hosted by Matt Lauer (of the Today show) and the late night chat show host Jimmy Fallon will be making an appearance, as will NBC News’ Brian Williams.

The money collected from the event will be donated to the American Red Cross, who are organising relief efforts for those affected by the devastating storm, as well as other disasters. The Red Cross will provide food, shelter, emotional support and other services to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. After Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, a similar benefit concert raised around $50 million for the Red Cross.

The concert, named ‘Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together’ will air at 8pm EST on Friday, on ET on NBC, NBC.com, USA Network, SyFy, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, E!, Style Network, G4 and more.” However, a spokesperson for NBC Universal has told the New York Times that any channels not owned by NBC will not be able to air the concert.

So it is Beyonce's turn to lead out the fun and games at the famous Super Bowl half-time show. Quite frankly it's been a long time coming; one of the premiere pop stars of the past decade and more, the former Destiny's Child's star power has been calling out for her to get the spot at some point. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves and assume that just because she is who she is, she's going to deliver a stunning fifteen minutes. Plenty of big names have been known to fall; here are some of, what we reckon to be the worst half-time shows in Super Bowl history.

Madonna, M.I.A, Nicki Minaj, 2012

The fact that everyone was talking about M.I.A having the audacity to stick her finger up at television cameras tells you just how boring this half-time show actually was. A creaking Madonna did what she's ended up doing on most of her shows this year and sent her crowd into a stupor, with garish and brash visuals and costume not making up for an utter formulaic performance from the (former?) Queen of Pop. She should be thanking M.I.A for giving us a reason to remember it to be honest.

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Christina Aguilera’s weight was brought under intense scrutiny by her record label, the singer has revealed.

According to The Sun, record execs were extremely worried back in 2002, saying that the Stronger singer’s weight was out of control, and that her career would suffer should she not slim down. By 2006, she was at her lightest, but Aguilera has said ‘no more,’ and wants to be herself: “During the promotion of my album Stripped, I got tired of being a skinny, white girl. I am Ecuadorian but people felt so safe passing me off as a skinny, blue-eyed white girl,” she explained. “The next time my label saw me, I was heavier, darker and full of piercings! Let me tell you, that wasn't an easy pill for them to swallow. Aguilera, whilst famous for her powerful voice, is also renown for her feisty attitude, so perhaps record bosses should have known better than to try and pin her down. “I told them, ‘You are working with a fat girl. Know it now and get over it. They need a reminder sometimes that I don't belong to them. It's my body. My body can't put anyone in jeopardy of not making money anymore - my body is just not on the table that way anymore.” Good for her!

The story comes just after the 31-year-old released her aptly titled single, Your Body. Her upcoming album, Lotus, which, she told US Online, “represents a celebration of the new me,” will be out November 17, 2012.

The US season of The Voice powered on through another weekend with spots on the teams becoming harder to come by and more and more decent singers falling by the wayside as a result. With Christina Aguilera having recently announced that she won't be appearing on the coaching panel next year, and nor will Cee-Lo Green, it looks like she's now got a strong chance to make a winning exit after managing to nab a much-improved Dez Duron from the other coaches to put him in her team of 16.

Remember the name Dez Duron? If you were following The Voice last season you might do; he gave up college to audition for the NBC program last time out only suffer the indignity of having no coaches turned towards him. Ouch. Nevertheless, he's come on strong this year and sounded the part, whilst the judges were in no doubt about his physical prowess even before turning round, thanks to screams from more besotted members of the audience.

There was another potential contender for a final place too, according to Rolling Stone, with 17 year-old Brandon Mahone heading over to Maroon 5's Adam Levine after impressing with a soulful voice that had all four coaches putting in an offer for him. Another of Levine's picks, Michelle Brooks Thompson impressed as well. With the knockouts due to begin soon, the competition is sure hotting up.

It's getting tighter and tighter as we get to the last "blind" rounds of The Voice in the USA. With a lot of the spots now taken, there were some good performers finding it a struggle on the latest edition of the show, although in spite of that there was still good news for a couple of standouts during the course of the NBC show.

Among the most impressive was 17 year-old Brandon Mahone, as well as leading female contenders Michelle Brooks-Thompson and Terisa Griffin. Whilst these first timers impressed, their stories were eclipsed by 22 year-old Dez Duron; Duron had dropped out of college to audition in the season last year but didn't manage to turn a single coach's chair. It was a different story this time for Duron though, the delighted performer seeing Blake Shelton, Cee-Lo Green and Christina Aguilera battling for his attention. Ultimately he decided to join Team Christina.

As for the 17 year-old Mahone, it was Maroon 5's Adam Levine who proved most persuasive, telling the starlet after he'd belted out The Temptations' I Wish It Would Rain that "you seem to have studied what it is to be a performer from that era to the point where you felt like one of them ... it felt like you were just the next in line." They were words Mahone couldn't help but listen to and he'll be a threat as the weeks progress.

We're only one week into the third season NBC's The Voice, but the network is already announcing changes and they involve the departure of Christina Aguilera, as well as fellow original judge Cee-Lo Green. This season will be the last that's seen of the pair, as there is a new Aguilera album, Lotus to promote and tour, whilst Green is taking time off to work on new music and a scripted comedy about his life.

In their place? None other than Colombian singing sensation Shakira and general R'n'B superstar Usher. Not bad, as replacements go. "We are thrilled to welcome Usher and Shakira to The Voice, " Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement reported by The Clicker. "The addition of these popular iconic artists continues the tradition established by Christina, Cee Lo, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. Doing two back-to-back cycles of this show requires a tremendous amount of time, and we are happy to accommodate the commitments made by Christina and Cee Lo."

Those disappointed at the news need not fear, though. Both have indicated that they will be returning to the show once they've finished with their other projects. "By pursuing my first passion of music during the break, I am also able to come back and offer even more to my team on 'The Voice' in the future," Aguilera said in a statement, whilst Green commented "Thank you, NBC, for supporting my decision to take this season four hiatus! I will return for season five and will be watching season four."

Music feuds can become one of the most interesting parts of the industry, although sometimes, they can be more than just a little bit harsh and/or nasty. Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears have been pop-rivals for a while now, and with the upcoming birth of Spear's baby, Aguilera has taken the opportunity to slam any hopes of a musical comeback. Mainly because she believes that Spears "let herself go", and will no longer manage her 'sex-symbol' status.

Britney Spears' most recent album, 'In the Zone' was released on 18th November 2003. 

Aguilera has expressed horror at the deterioration in Spears' appearance, in part due to her announcement that she's expecting her husband Kevin Federline's child, given in early 2005. Aguilera appears to have expressed hope that Spears will take to motherhood well and enjoy it, as she does not believe that a comeback would be worth the effort. Aguilera explained, without mixing words: "She's let herself go. I can't see a comeback on the cards."

Continue reading: Are Christina Aguilera And Britney Spears Feuding?