Shallow-bration

So I was asked to come up with a suggestion for what Madonna's Greatest Hits collection should have as a tracklisting by a friend of mine who knows people who know people who are working on the project. No-brainer for me, and I even came up with a suggested list of iconic videos that Madonnna's done over the years.

If you know me well, you'll know that I do know a little bit too much about Madonna, but unlike Perez Hilton, I do not call her my role model or example in life. He's such a loser, but that's my take.

But back to me.

So apparently my suggestion was sent thru' to the guy who's handling this project in the US, and I was honestly curious to see how close my list will be to the final tracklisting. And I was also curious to hear the new song Celebration, penned by Madonna & co-produced with DJ/producer Paul Oakenfold.

And then yesterday, I saw this monstrosity that is the new album cover.


I'm all for street art, but this? The Greatest Hits album cover? Seriously?

The person behind the art is Brainwashed (how apt), a renowned street artist who's got a lot of buzz and blah blah blah, and I'm sure he's cool and all that, but for a 25-year career to be summed up by this piece of art, I think it falls short. Way short. Like so short that I-can't-believe-I'm-blogging-about-it short.

But in the name of being fair (which I can be), here's an interview with Mr Brainwash himself.

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I respect the art, but I'm no fan of the work. And the music video better be good. Happy Shallow Friday, everyone.

We Can All Do With A Bit Of Jesus

Much has been said about Madonna's new paramour Jesus Luz and many questions have been asked about why are they together.

Does this photograph help?


And if you need more convincing, you can click here.

Madonnainspired?

Tim Burton's vision of Alice In Wonderland will be out next year but the first promotional pictures for the concept art have been released, and simply put, Mr Burton does not disappoint.

When I saw the photo of good-tipper Johnny Depp made up as The Mad Hatter


I couldn't help but think that the make-up artist perhaps could have been slightly inspired by


...gapped tooth and all! I'm just saying...

Keith Haring. Just Because.

I've always been slightly intrigued by the man behind the crazy figures and squiggly lines whose artistry was both unique and accessible.

I don't know much about Keith Haring besides the fact that he wore glasses, he was gay and that he died from AIDS. Later, I was surprised to learn from watching Madonna interviews that she was friends with Keith, and that they were both the same age. She even used his artwork in one of the performances on her Sticky & Sweet Tour.



So today, in my daily trawling of the internet for random bits of info, I came across this documentary posted on Towleroad which made real the man behind the name. (The intro's in Dutch but the rest of the program's in English)


Keith Haring Documentary from ovicone on Vimeo.
Thoroughly fascinating. I can watch this over and over again. Until they remove it, of course.

32 Minutes!

That was all the time Madonna spent on stage, performing for 3000 people at NYC's Roseland Ballroom last night.

For a promotional gig, it sure boasted some mighty impressive production values (Strobe lights! Crane cameras! Travelator action!) Check out these clips from the Hard Candy Promo Tour.

Opening number "Candy Shop"



The next single "Give It 2 Me"



Justin popped in for some sexy dry-humping...



Hot!

He Just Did It

While the missus is peddling Hard Candy, Guy Ritchie is making news with this ad he directed for Nike.



I would say that it's all been done before. Not for Nike, mind you, but you might remember this wild video by The Prodigy directed by Jonas Akerlund.



Not that I don't heart Guy Ritchie, who is choice Man Candy in his own right.



Happy Labour Day, Randomers!

Hard Candy Eye Candy

While I think about what I wanna say for my review of Hard Candy on OneTwoMusic, you might wanna check this out on 30 April at 10pm EST (if you're in the US, so that'll make 2 of you reading this) for the 'live' streaming of Madonna's promo gig at NYC's Roseland Ballroom.

For the rest of you, check back from 15 May onwards to watch the gig on demand.

The album is definitely a well-crafted piece of work and I'm sure the promo gig will continue in the Madonna tradition of first-rate entertainment. Early reports suggest that there will be a distinct retro vibe in the outfits and musical arrangements.

Here's another cover featuring a new promo pic of Mrs Ritchie.

Hot Mess, Hot Party

~ This has been floating about for a while, but is it just me or is the fact that Whitney Houston is doing it with Brandy's baby brother, Ray J - who also happens to be more (in)famous for that sex tape with Kim Kardashian - just kinda makes the argument that drugs are bad, mmkay? What a hot mess!

~ If you're gonna be in HK this weekend, check out the celebs at the invitation-only launch of Madonna's Hard Candy in Qube+ in Lan Kwai Fong.

It promises to be a hot party with the entire album being played, and there's nothing like HK party-goers who I know will dress according to the "Sticky & Sweet" theme. I love HK freaks.

Here's the party banner ad on Wydham Street.

And here's the invitation that the exclusive guest-list received.

And stay tuned 'cos I might have a spare copy of the Japanese edition of Hard Candy to give to a lucky Randomer. It's got a bonus track titled Ring My Bell, for all you fans who simply love Madonna, free stuff, or just wanna make a quick buck on ebay.

Surprise, Surprise

I'm still recovering from my weekend in HK.

First there was the surprise farewell party, organized by Eugene & Alexis, which I didn't see coming at all, which made it all the more pleasant. Those of you who came by, a huge thank you.

Then there was the 12-hour day of back-to-back catch-ups with friends on Saturday. I was so beat that I actually stayed in on a Saturday night. Sunday kicked off with lunch with Brandon's folks and friends, followed by the 'exploratory chat' about work, and finally, Sammy & Jonny's wedding reception and dinner. Sammy glowed and Jonny's speech made me cry (I'm so useless at weddings).

I also had the best time playing part-time manny to a friend's 9-year old (she called me a teenage girl) and 7-year old (he said I had boobs). Ah, kids.

I also got the chance to listen to an advance copy of Madonna's Hard Candy and I must say that the 1st single, 4 Minutes, is nothing like the rest of the album. Look out for future hits Miles Away (catchy hook!), Give It 2 Me (quirky euro-centric), Heartbeat (retro-flavoured), Candy Shop (sticky & sweet) & The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You (drama).

Apparently the leak has already made it to the internet, so happy hunting, Randomers. In the meantime, I'm digging this artwork for Hard Candy's deluxe edition.

I so have to hit the gym.

The Mylie Factor

The world's biggest teen sensation, 15-year old Mylie Cyrus - if you're over 28, you'll know her daddy Billy Ray - has been posting her 'home videos', made with her BFF Mandy. They call it the Mylie & Mandy Show (imaginative!) and the YouTube uploads have already gained a substantial following, which is spawning talk of their own reality series.

In their most recent posting, Mylie & Mandy make their own version of Madonna's 4 minutes.



Will Mylie's teen following play a part in giving Madonna her next #1 song?

Also, in related news, fansite drownedmadonna.com has confirmed (with the requisite 'subject to change' caveat) that Madonna will kick off her next world tour on the anniversary of 9/11 in London's Wembley Stadium.

You wanna go?

I Want Candy

And the countdown to Hard Candy continues with this teaser.



And the screencaps for the 4 Minutes video have also made it online (courtesy of Drowned Madonna). Here's a taste of sticky & sweet...











The video premieres in Asia on 7th April at 4:04pm (HK/SG), as of the time of this writing.

Countdown To Candy

Interesting.

I still think the cover looks super cheapo.

Stuffed Jalapenos

~ If you thought politics was boring stuff, you've gotta read about the link between New York governor Mark Spitzer and a high-class prostitution ring, which charged between US$1,000 and US$5,500 per hour.

Mark Spitzer has made a name for himself as a tough attorney-general, and now the current governor of New York, who used tough tactics to go after shady businessmen and their deals, as well as, get this, prostitution rings. So you know that there are lots of people celebrating the downfall of the man who was called Mr Clean.

Will he resign? Will this have any knock-on effect on his political ally Hillary Clinton in her presidential bid? And just what do you get for US$5,500 an hour?

~ I'm sure Tom Cruise is not keen on the resurfacing of an old story, with yet more details.

There was lots of gozz about how he had handpicked Katie Holmes (after Jessica Alba said no, but you know that), but now a former Scientologist has revealed more details about his 'options'.

Click here to find out more about this story that just keeps going and going and going...love it!

~ Some of you might have heard about this flash mob exercise in randomness in NYC's Grand Central Station last Saturday. Enjoy the cool/freaky show.



~ Madonna was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by her latest collaborator, Justin Timberlake, in a ceremony in NYC on Monday night.

There's been some measure of media chatter about her induction, and whether she's worthy of the honour. I'm not about to get into that here, but you can read the New York Time's story on it here.

By the way, I love that she wore a one-piece under her see-through tunic.

In related news, Justin Timberlake co-wrote and sings on 5 songs on the new Madonna album "Hard Candy". You could say this is Justin's 'bridge' album before his new record drops, which some are speculating will happen later this year.

I'm off to dinner after a snack of stuffed jalapenos. You have a good Tuesday evening.

Vadge Of Honour

Madonna graces the cover of Interview magazine in a new photo shot by celeb-tographer Steven Klein.


When I'm 50, I wanna be able to get into this position and then get back up without any assistance.

Have a fabo week, Randomers, with or without assistance.

The X-Factor, The Return, The Leak & The Jackass

~ Could the power-coupling of X-Factor favourite/cutie Leon and a resurgent pop diva have helped in crowning the UK's newest X-Factor champ?



I think Kylie is only a handful of women who can make me like lace. And that's a very, very small hand to begin with. And I'm kinda liking that she's bringing curvy back.

~ After 2 albums that flopped - one brought down by a flashed boob, and the other, well, what the heck was 20Y.O. really about anyway? - Janet Jackson has finally jumped ship from (ever-diminishing record label) EMI and signed with Island Def Jam, one of a few labels under the Universal Music Group (world's #1) that can still make and market hits.



Coincidentally, Janet's boyfriend is a senior executive at Island Def Jam. I'm just saying...

The new album is called Discipline and the first single is the production-heavy, beats-driven "Feedback". Have a listen

~ And super-producer Timbaland might have gotten himself in a spot of bother with the Queen of Don't Fuck With Me, a.k.a. Madonna.

He's produced a bunch of songs for Madonna's new album and one of them, 4 Minutes To Save The World, features Justin Timberlake. It's also believed to be the first single from this as-yet-untitled (no, not Licorice) new project.

Timbaland appeared at the city of Philadelphia's Jingle Ball event 2 nights ago and played the song, wihch then got posted on the internet. Warner Music has requested most sites streaming the song to remove it.

Ahem, here's a low-quality version. You get the picture.

~ Have you heard about the first studio-produced movie that will premiere online?

Look out for the watershed Jackass 2.5 coming to a computer near you on December 19th. The picture is not from the movie, but I like seeing Jackass star Johnny Knoxville sans shirt.

Burger Me Senseless

~ Ok, apparently Madonna's album is not gonna be called 'Licorice'. Phew!

~ Wanna play your part in test-driving a sex toy for men?



~ Here's the teaser trailer for the Sex And The City Movie. Can't wait!



~ And congratulations to my friend Ravenous Rabbit whose new gourmet burger restaurant opens today. Check out The Daily Grind in Bangsar Village when you're in the neighbourhood.


Congrats, Way Cheng!

Licorice?

~ It's been confirmed that the new Madonna album that's coming out in about 8 to 12 weeks' time is gonna be called 'Licorice'.

It will feature Pharrell (who probably needs the gig to regain his musical mojo) and the Tim twins - red-hot producer Timbaland and (Justin) Timberlake. There have been reports that Justin's collaboration with Madonna is gonna 'melt the speakers', according to Pharrell, but I'm more curious to hear the Kanye rap on 'The Beat Goes On", one of the tracks that's been (intentionally?) leaked for months now.

This album so cannot suck but then again, stranger things have happened. There's also gonna be another greatest hits collection coming out some time after June next year, and that will mark the final Madonna album on Warner Music, marking the end that started in 1983 with this classic.



~ And the nominees have been announced for the 50th Grammy Awards and the big 2 are Kanye West, who gets 8 nominations, and Amy Winehouse, who scores with 6. It's gonna be an interesting evening on February 10th (or 11th in Asia) at the Staple Center. Check out the full nominee list here.

~ And thanks to OneTwoMusic for this gem from the Celine Dion archives. This is possibly the gayest music video EVER.



Have a fab weekend, bitches.

Wow

~ Can you believe we're just hours away from the announcement for the year's best music?

Well, at least as seen by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), who you might know is the authority that votes on which artists win the much sought-after Grammy Awards.


The music class of 2007 is a motley crew of huge hits and breakout stars - from the ubiquitous hits of Beyonce (Irreplaceable), Justin Timberlake (so many!) & Rihanna (Umbrella), to Kanye's triumphant 3rd album Graduation; Ne-Yo & Amy Winehouse also made huge inroads on the American charts this year, so I'm super curious to see who gets picked.

If you wanna read what the industry experts have to say, click here.

~ I've been listening to Kylie's new album 'X' almost non-stop over the past week, and I must say that 1 song truly puts me in a good mood. It's simply titled 'Wow' and the pompom dress that Kylie's sporting in this performance (from ITV's The Kylie Show) just adds to general fun-ness of this ditty. I love it!



~ And whatcha think of Madonna's new hair-do?