Lady Gaga, Usher, Natasha Bedingfield

 
Lady Gaga’s popular videos are so popular they’ve landed her on the moon! Or so to speak: the recently announced MTV Music Award nominations predict Gaga will have an impressive date with the Moonman. She’s set two new records: the first female artist to have two videos nominated in the “Video of the Year” category simultaneously (“Bad Romance” and “Telephone”) and the most nominations ever in a VMA show (13)! Performers at this year’s show on Sunday, September 12 in Los Angeles include the recently wed Alicia Keys, the recently recovered (from her July harness stage mishap) Pink, plus Jay-Z, Usher and Katy Perry.
 
Speaking of Usher and Katy Perry, some tasty end-of-summer treats have leaked from both their camps. Usher’s latest hit, “DJ Got Us Falllin’ in Love,” from the August 24th-released Versus EP (the companion to his Raymond Vs. Raymond album) has several hot club remixes by Jump Smokers and DJ Kue. Also arriving August 24 is Perry’s new album, Teenage Dream, and it’s quickly shaping up to be one of the most anticipated pop albums of the year. The incredible title track already has a dreamy dance remix by Liam Keegan. Newly leaked tracks “Not Like the Movies” (a lovely, vulnerable ballad produced and co-written by Greg Wells, producer of OneRepublic’s “Apologize” and Perry’s own No. 1 hit, “Waking Up in Vegas”) and sexually charged “Peacock” prove there are lots of hit-song peacock feathers to strut.
 
Strutting her stuff on camera is Christina Aguilera in the just-released trailer for her movie, Burlesque. And the shocker is—it actually looks good! Granted it might be one of the gayest movie in recent memory (Cher! Chicago-style choreography!), but at least it looks better than Showgirls—or Glitter!
 
A glitter glove returns from the grave as Michael Jackson releases a new album in November. How, you ask? Jackson’s former manager, Frank DiLeo, says at the time of Jackson’s death more than 100 completed and unreleased songs were left on hard drives (supposedly recorded during the King of Pop’s ’80s heyday). There’s also collaborations with Akon, Ne-Yo and will.i.am—though the Black Eyed Peas front man is opposed to the posthumous album release, saying, “[Jackson] was a perfectionist and he wouldn’t have wanted it that way.”
 
Fortunately alive with a new release in November is Natasha Bedingfield with her new album, Strip Me. She promises it will “be a contrast to the music out there that’s gimmicky. It’s real and raw musically.” Single “Touch” is out now.
 
Taylor Swift’s new Speak Now touches down October 25, and first single “Mine” can be yours now. Will she top the 10 million copies sold of 2008’s Fearless? We’re sure Kanye will have something to say about it…    N