The year 2011 has been good to Taylor Swift, with her being dubbed as Billboard Magazine’s “Woman of the Year” earlier this month, most recently, the country-pop sensation was presented with the Nashville Symphony Harmony Award at the Nashville Symphony Ball Saturday evening (Dec 10) in Tennessee.

According to a press release from the event, Swift, a 4-time Grammy winner, was recognized for “exemplifying the unique harmony between the many worlds of music that exist in Nashville, and her significant contributions to the development and appreciation of musical culture.”

In addition to being named Billboard’s 2011 “Woman of the Year” and receiving this latest honor at the Nashville Symphony Ball, Swift was also named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association in November.

More photos of Taylor Swift in Nashville are below:

Nicki Minaj got a little emotional when she accepted her “Rising Star of 2011″ award last week at Billboard’s 6th Annual Women in Music event.

The award, which Nicki dedicated to her “Barbz” (her fans), highlights an incredible year for the Young Money rapstress. And naturally, she got a little teary eyed as she thanked her loyal fans.

“I just know that I am so incredibly thankful and grateful for a couple little kids. Maybe a few million, I call them my Barbz and I know they are not in here today but I know they will hear me say this,” a teary eyed Nicki Minaj said in her acceptance speech. “Barbz, I love you so much for being by my side for such a long time. Billboard, Thank you so much for recognizing me. Even before Superbass and even before Pink Friday, you believed in me.”

She continued, “All of the women tonight that have been recognized, I am so proud of you for showing me that this can be done, and that this is possible and for showing so many girls that you can be your own boss and that you can make music that you want and that you can project an image that you believe in.”

Immediately after receiving her award, Nicki also thanked “Woman of the Year” award recipient Taylor Swift, who contributed to the success of Nicki’s hit single “Super Bass.”

Nicki told Robin Roberts, “First I saw a radio interview and they asked her what song she liked and she said, ‘Can it be a song that didn’t come out yet’ and she started rapping Super Bass. Then she tweeted that she liked ‘Super Bass’ and then all of her fans who had never heard about Nicki Minaj went and purchased it. After Taylor tweeted that, ‘Super Bass’ climbed up 80 something spots the same day on Itunes. And that is why people don’t understand  why I keep on Thanking Taylor Swift. This is real.”

Could a Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift collaboration be in the works? Guess we’ll have to just wait and see! For now, check out the video footage of Nicki Minaj’s emotional acceptance speech below:

[Necole Bitchie]

Rapstress Nicki Minaj and country-pop sensation Taylor Swift were honored Friday (Dec 2) at the 2011 Billboard Women in Music event at the Capitale in New York City.

Minaj was named Billboard’s “Rising Star,” while Swift received the honorary “Woman of the Year” award. “All the daydreams that I had as a little kid — I guess this is what it looks like,” Taylor told Billboard as she accepted her award.

Nicki was also grateful about being recognized by Billboard, and dedicated her award to her fans, who she affectionately calls her Barbz. “I love you for being by my side for so long,” she said.

The 2011 American Music Awards took place at the Nokia Theater L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California last night (Sun. Nov 20).

The annual showcase of American music was quite the star-studded spectacle too, with red carpet appearances from the likes of Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Soulja Boy, Taio Cruz, Miguel and many more.

Take a look at over 20+ photos from the red carpet of the 2011 AMAs below:

Decked out in a tight, curve-hugging dress, Kim Kardashian was honored by The Huffington Post at their 2011 Game Changers Awards at Skylight SoHo in New York City on Wednesday (Oct 18).

Rapper/producer Swizz Beatz and R&B singer Estelle attended the 2011 STAT! For New York City’s Public Hospitals Gala Wednesday at the Bellevue Hospital Center Atrium in NYC. Hip-Hop pioneer Doug. E Fresh was there too and posed for individual pics with both Swizz Beatz and Estelle.

R&B/Pop diva Janet Jackson performed in concert for her “Number Ones Up Close and Personal” Tour in Perth Wednesday night.

Former Danity Kane singer turned reality star Aubrey O’Day is a part of the next season of “Celebrity Apprentice,” and was spotted filming on location for the show in New York City on Wednesday.

Country-Pop sensation Taylor Swift celebrated the launch of her brand new fragrance “Wonderstruck” at Sephora Americana in Glendale, California Wednesday.

Jersey Shore‘s Ronnie Magro (who recently broke up with his off-and-on girlfriend Sammie Giancola) and actress Gabourey Sidibe showed up at the “Paranormal Activity 3″ super-fan screening at the Regal Union Square Theater in New York City Wednesday evening.

And actresses Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston embraced each other as they smiled for the cameras at ELLE’s 18th Annual Women in Hollywood Tribute at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles Monday night (Oct 17).

Forbes Magazine recently revealed this year’s list of Entertainment’s Highest Earning women … And you’ll never guess who’s at the top!

Okay, you can probably guess who’s at the top.

OPRAH!

Oprah, after pulling in a whopping $290 million between 2010 and 2011, earned the most money among a list of 10 women in entertainment who pulled in big bucks between May 2010 and May 2011.

Right after Oprah comes Lady Gaga, who made $90 million, followed by reality TV star Bethenny Frankel ($55 million), supermodel Gisele Bundchen ($45 M) and and daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres ($45 M), rounding out the Top 5.

See who else made the cut below:

1. Oprah Winfrey – $290 Million

2. Lady GaGa – $90 Million

3. Bethenny Frankel – $55 Million

4. Gisele Bundchen – $45 Million

5. Ellen Degeneres – $45 Million

6. Judge Judy – $45 Million

7. Taylor Swift – $45 Million

8. Katy Perry – $44 Million

9. Beyonce Knowles-Carter – $35 Million

10. Danielle Steele (Author) – $35 Million

Taylor Swift is a true fan of Hip Hop!

The Country-Pop singer brought newly freed rapper T.I. on stage to perform “Live Your Life” last night at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Check out the footage above!

Chris Brown thrilled fans in Washington, D.C. Saturday night (Sep 17) as he performed for his “F.A.M.E.” tour at the Verizon Center. The R&B/Pop singer ran through a number of his hits, including “Gimme That,” “Kiss Kiss,” “Take You Down,” “Deuces,” “Look at Me Now” and more.

Rapper Big Sean attended and performed at the Worldwide Launch of “Gears of Wars 3″ for XBox 360 at Best Buy Theater Monday (Sep 19) in New York City.

Tyra Banks greeted fans and signed copies of her new book “Modelland” at Neiman Marcus for Books and Books at  Bal Harbour Shops Monday.

Taylor Swift accepted an award Monday night in Nashville, TN at the 5th Annual ACM Honors.

Music legends Elton John and Tony Bennett hung out at Tony’s 85th Birthday Gala Benefit for Exploring the Arts at the Metropolitan Opera House Sunday night (Sep 18) in New York City.

R&B legend Aretha Franklin was also spotted with Elton John at Tony Bennet’s 85th Birthday Gala.

And Laurence Fishburne, pictured here with his wife of 9 years Gina Torres, showed up at the L.A. Opera’s White Night Season Opening Gala & Premiere Of “Eugene Onegin” At The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in California Saturday afternoon (Sep 17).

The “blue carpet” of the 2011 Teen Choice Awards last night in L.A. was a huge melting pot of celebrities from all walks of life, with singers, rappers, actors, actresses, reality TV stars, internet sensations and more all posing for pics!

Some of the big names who took pictures outside the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA before the big show were Justin Bieber, Tyra Banks, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, the Kardashian/Jenner family (Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall, Kylie AND Lamar and two of his kids), Zoe Saldana, YouTube sensations Rebecca Black and Keenan Cahill, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, and Troian Bellisario from “Pretty Little Liars,” Raven Symone, Taylor Swift, Sean Kingston, Taylor Lautner and many many more.

Check out 30+ pics of celebs arriving at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards below!!

Taylor Swift recently covered Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” with her own acoustic version during a concert in Grand Rapids Michigan.

Taylor Swift channels a young Nicole Kidman as she appears on the cover of the August 2011 issue of Teen Vogue Magazine. The country music superstar tells the magazine that her pals are the most important thing to her.

“My friends all have different jobs, some I get to see at award shows, some I see when they’re home from college, some are in my band!” the 21-year-old said. “I’m so lucky to have so many people I love and trust.”

More excerpts from Taylor’s cover story are below:

On being nervous just before performing:
“I do [get nervous]. But only if I’m not sure what the audience thinks of me, like at award shows. I never look down at the front row! My heroes watching = nerves!”

On her favorite TV character:
“Detective Olivia Benson from Law & Order S.V.U. I sit in my apartment and watch hours of that show. So I sort of feel like me and Olivia are BFFs.”

On her favorite dress:
“I get to wear it every night on tour at the end of the show when I’m singing ‘Love Story.’ It’s long and sparkly (big surprise, right?) and a total princess dress.”

The stars were out last night (Sun. May 22) at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards!

Among the many celebs who walked the white carpet outside the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas were Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Trey Songz, Keri Hilson and Ne-Yo.

Check out 25+ pics from the red carpet below:

Taylor Swift recently made a guest appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres show, and revealed that she doesn’t care about the paparazzi invading her personal space and the media honing in on her relationships.

“I’ve just come to an acceptance of the fact that this is my life,” Swift told Ellen. “If someone wants to hide a relationship or has privacy issues, then we don’t have the same viewpoint. Cause for me it’s just, live your life, if people happen to take pictures then, you know, you laugh about it in the car afterward. It’s whatever.”

After her short interview, Taylor hit the stage for a debut TV performance of her new single “The Story of Us.”

Check out both the interview and the performance below:

Spotted @ Neon Limelight

Taylor Swift is hitting back at the not-so-nice critics in her brand new “Mean” video!

The lyrics in the track, which serves as the country starlet’s 3rd single from her platinum selling album Speak Now cover the issue of bullying and being singled out.

Check out the new video below:

During an interview Tuesday night on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” the songstress explained:

“I’m spending a few weeks out in L.A. ’cause I have video shoots and stuff to do, so I needed to go buy a record player and they have really good ones at Target. I’ve been listening to a lot of music on vinyl. It makes it an event.

“I listen to everything. Right now I’m listening to a lot of 50 Cent and Nicki Minaj and Keri Hilson and Rihanna,” she revealed. “I’m listening to a lot of rap, hip-hop music right now.”

We would pay to hear Taylor Swift rap on just ONE SONG on her next album. Wouldn’t you?

Country music was honored Sunday night (Apr 3) in Las Vegas at the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Notable country acts like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Jennifer Nettles, Miranda Lambert and more all walked the red carpet outside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas before making their way into the building the catch the ceremony.

Once inside, the show (hosted by country music artist Reba McEntire for the 7th time in a row) featured performances from Carrie Underwood, Steven Tyler, Taylor Swift and others. Big winners for the night included Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum and more.

Check out 10+ pics below!

Grammy Award winner singer Taylor Swift has to be beaming from ear to ear upon learning of her recent achievements. According to reports, The “Speak Now” singer has managed to sell 20 million albums worldwide, and recently received a plaque to commemorate the accolade after recently completing the European leg of her world tour.

The 20 millions albums sold include sales from the country-pop singer’s first three albums: Taylor Swift (released in 2006), Fearless (2008), and 2010′s Speak Now.

When speaking to the Associated Press, Swift gushed:

“It’s just sort of beyond my comprehension to get a plaque like that, and the fact the fans have done that much for me in such a short period of time is unreal, and I’m so excited and so thankful.”

Congrats Taylor!

You would think after the famous VMA incident with mic snatching rapper Kanye West, Taylor Swift could endure almost anything. However…..that’s not the case.

The “You Belong with Me” country singer recently revealed to Sugar Magazine that any insults directed at her are still hard to ignore.

“I’m not stronger than anybody else. I feel everything that happens to me, whether it’s a mean comment from a friend or a stranger. At no point in this process did I grow a thick skin.”

When asked if she ever has tantrums, the 21-year-old singer/songwriter said:

“I’ve learned that I respect people less when they scream and yell. So when I’m mad, I try to keep the volume level of my voice really even. It’s more impressive if you can remain calm when you’re mad than if you lose control. I just hate the idea of taking my emotions out on other people. You know what I mean?”

Swift also claims it’s hard to hide how she’s feels and everybody in her life knows what she’s going through.

“I don’t think that being a strong person is about ignoring your emotions and fighting your feelings. Putting on a brave face doesn’t mean you’re a brave person. That’s why everybody in my life knows everything that I’m going through. I can’t hide anything from them. People need to realize that being open isn’t the same as being weak.”

Awww, poor baby (LOL). You would think that being a celebrity in the lime light would make Taylor tougher, but we guess not. Celebrities are criticized constantly and sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. We hope Taylor gets the memo.

Your thoughts?

Taylor Swift takes it “Back to December” in her newest music video release. This track is lifted from the Pop-Country superstar’s highly successful third album Speak Now (currently holding the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart) and is rumored to be about Swift’s ex-boyfriend, “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner.

Check out the new video below!!

‘Back to December’ itself has plenty of clues that the song is about Lautner. The song’s title is reportedly a reference to the couple’s December 2009 split, and Swift’s lyrics describe “tan skin” and a “sweet smile” that seem to match Lautner’s hunky looks, in addition to referencing the month of September, when the couple reportedly began their romance.

Swift, who admitted that the song is “A first for me, in that I’ve never apologized to someone in a song before,” uses the video’s stunning imagery to paint a pretty clear picture that she’s sorry about what happened with the ‘Twilight’ star and maybe leave a few hints that she wants him back. (Source: Pop Eater)

What do you think about the video?

Celebs were front and center last Wednesday night (Jan 5) as they attended the Covergirl 50th Anniversary Celebration at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood, CA.

Some of the famous faces who walked the red carpet and were spotted inside the shindig were Queen Latifah, Taylor Swift, Raven Symone, Hank Baskett & his wife Kendra Wilkinson, Ellen DeGeneres & her wife Portia de Rossi, and more.

Check out 15+ pics below!

Taylor Swift performed her album’s second single “Back to December” at last night’s (Sun. Nov 21) 2010 American Music Awards, held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. The 20-year-old Country-Pop sensation threw in a snippet of One Republic’s “Apologize” in the performance.

Check out the pics and the video footage below and when you continue reading…

Taylor Swift made history last week when her new album debuted at #1 and sold over 1,000,000 copies in its first week (something that hasn’t been done since 2008 when Lil Wayne dropped “The Carter III”). And now the young country music star has reason to celebrate once again as her third studio album Speak Now is still sitting atop the Billboard 200 albums chart after selling 320,000 copies in its second week!

Jason Aldean‘s “My Kinda Party” fell in right behind at #2 (193K), with Mariah Carey‘s new Christmas album “Merry Christmas II You” coming in at #4 (55K) followed by Lil Wayne‘s “I Am Not a Human Being” at #5 (45K)

This is likely to be Swift’s last week at #1 as Susan Boyle‘s newly released Christmas album is predicted to take the spot on next week’s charts. Enjoy it while it lasts, Taylor!

“I have always loved how fragrance can shape a memory, the way certain scents remind you of events and people that are imprinted in your thoughts,” Swift said in the press release announcing the fragrance deal. “Lately I’ve been having fun experimenting with combining some of my favorite scents, so I’m really excited about working with Elizabeth Arden to develop my own unique fragrance.”

Swift joins the likes of Britney Spears, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Usher, Justin Bieber and others who have also released their own fragrances.

In a recent interview with US Magazine, Swift says that she can’t wait to see what responses she gets from the guys she wrote songs about.

“I’m not only excited about sharing the songs with fans; I’m also pretty interested to hear the response from the guys I’ve written about on this record.”

But when it comes to love….does Taylor have a special formula?? Right now the 20 year-old singer admits that she’s just going with the flow.

“I don’t seem to have any real strategy or pattern when it comes to love. I’ve been careful in love. I’ve been careless in love. And I’ve had adventures I wouldn’t trade for anything. At times I’ve been really guarded and careful and afraid to trust someone. But other times, you want to jump in headfirst. I’ve had moments of thinking, ‘This is who I love and I don’t care what anyone says.’ Those moments are beautiful and wild and exciting, but I’ve learned that those moments can end up hurting you in the end.”

Good for you Taylor….we’re glad you’ve gotten it somewhat figure out.

Disney star Selena Gomez’s new album A Year Without Rain doesn’t hit stores until Tuesday (Sep 21)……but her BFF Taylor Swift already approves of it!

In an interview with MTV News, Selena spoke on how excited Taylor was when she heard her new album.

“It was so funny, I got to see her and we played each other both of our records, and I was so excited. I’m so excited for her record ’cause it’s amazing. But then she heard mine and it’s so funny ’cause she’s very passionate and she’s very dramatic — which I think is why we’re friends because we’re both dramatic — but she has her favorites already.”

Selena also told what tracks she likes the most from Taylor’s upcoming album Speak Now, due in stores October 25th.

“My favorite songs from her record would be ‘Dear John’ and another one … it’s number 13 on the record ’cause that’s her favorite number … it’s really sweet. There’s two that I’m absolutely in love with.”

That’s what friends are for!

Country music’s scorned little kitten Taylor Swift premiered a new song titled “Innocent” (the first single from her new album) last night at the MTV Video Music Awards in which she forgave rapper Kanye West for interrupting her VMA win last year (in a nutshell).

Swift was pretty boring and out-of-key for most (if not, all) of her whack performance, which she opened with a video clip of last year’s incident (below the belt, much?). Taylor’s third album Speak Now hits stores next month (Oct. 25). Check out a few pics from Taylor Swift’s VMA performance below and continue reading for the video footage…

No way Kanye!!

Taylor Swift isn’t all that happy about Kanye West’s recent apology to her on Twitter and wants him to get over it……like she has.

According to a close friend of the country-pop singer, Taylor is pretty much tired of hearing about the whole VMA incident and believes that Kanye is bringing it all back up to promote his upcoming album.

“She’s fed up of hearing about it and is disgusted that he has the cheek to use her name to promote his new album! Taylor has moved on from the incident and is hoping Kanye will eventually do the same.”

Yeezy originally apologized on Twitter and even went on to say that he’s written a song for Taylor.

“How deep is the scar… I bled hard.. cancelled tour with the number one pop star in the world … closed the doors of my clothing office. I wrote a song for Taylor Swift that’s so beautiful and I want her to have it. If she won’t take it then I’ll perform it for her. (sic)”

We think Yeezy should just give it up……some things should just be left alone!

The wait is over!!

The cover for Taylor Swift’s upcoming album Speak Now has finally been released…and it has a nice Alice in Wonderland feel to it!! In this album, the country-pop singer says she wrote every song by herself, and they are all dedicated to specific people in her life.

“These songs are made up of words I didn’t say when the moment was right in front of me. These songs are open letters. Each is written with a specific person in mind, telling them what I meant to tell them in person.”

Speak Now hits stores October 25th.

]]> http://gossiponthis.com/2010/08/19/taylor-swift-speak-now-album-cover/feed/ 0 http://gossiponthis.com/2010/08/05/taylor-swift-cried-mine-no-1-itunes/ http://gossiponthis.com/2010/08/05/taylor-swift-cried-mine-no-1-itunes/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:26:55 +0000 GOT STAFF http://gossiponthis.com/?p=72569

Taylor Swift‘s brand new single “Mine” leaked to the web yesterday, 12 days before it was due to officially be released by the label. More »

Taylor Swift‘s brand new single “Mine” leaked to the web yesterday, 12 days before it was due to officially be released by the label. And because of that, Taylor and Big Machine Records have decided to push the single’s release up!

The song, which is the first offering from her upcoming third studio album Speak Now has since rushed to No. 1 on the iTunes chart and Swift tweeted that she cried when she found out about the good news:

“I landed in Japan and got 20 texts and looked at iTunes and got tears in my eyes. And so, we begin again.”

In a recent interview, the 20-year-old Pop star described the new track as being about finding someone who makes her believe in love:

“I think I’ve developed this pattern of running away when it comes time to fall in love and stay in a relationship. The song is sort of about finding the exception to that and finding someone who would make you believe in love and realize that it could work out, because I’m never ever going to go past hoping that love works out.”

Congrats to Taylor on the single doing numbers but why is she always crying about something? Such an emotional little girl… (LOL!)

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO “MINE”

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[See post to listen to audio]
Taylor Swift is back with her new single off her upcoming third album Speak Now. The track is titled “Mine” and for once, she isn’t talking about fairy-tales, though it’s still about a boy and has her signature style on it.

Speak Now will hit stores October 25th and it is already projected to sell approximately 750,000 units the first week. Let’s see how long it takes before the radio eats this up. Check out the song above and continue reading for the download link…

D/L: Taylor Swift – “Mine”

TV exec. Nick Cannon and rapper Common kicked it at the Integration vs. Brand Interruption event presented by Digitas at the Cannes Advertising Festival in Cannes, France yesterday (Tues. Jun 22).

Singer Shakira launched her new fragrance “S By Shakira” in Madrid, Spain.

Jessica Simpson hung out with TV personality AJ Calloway at the sneak peak of the Jessica Simpson Jeanswear Showroom in New York City.

Taylor Swift was excited to see singer Faith Hill on the red carpet of the Nashville Flood Relief Concert in Tennessee.

Taylor also chatted it up with Miley Cyrus backstage at the concert…

R&B singer John Legend performed Monday night (Jun 21) in Los Angeles at the “Waiting for Superman” movie screening at the Regal Cinemas LA Live Stadium.

Tori Spelling hosted a signing in Los Angeles for her new book “Uncharted TerriTORI” and brought along the family: her husband Dean McDermott, their son Liam Aaron McDermott and their daughter Stella Doreen McDermott.

Estelle and Sean Paul posed for pics together on the red carpet of Malibu Rum’s First Day of Summer Kick Off at the Tribeca Rooftop in NYC.

Sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian hit up the 17th anniversary party for Vegas Magazine at the Surrender Nightclub at Encore Las Vegas Saturday night (Jun 19).

And actors Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith and Will Smith attended the premiere of “The Karate Kid” in Shanghai, China Friday (Jun 18.)

It’s a bird, it’s a plane………It’s Taylor Swift!

Country singer Taylor Swift will be starring in an upcoming 25-page comic book entitled Fame: Taylor Swift. The comic will be focused in depth on the singer’s life and quick rise to fame. It also includes events such as the Kanye West incident during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Fame: Taylor Swift is part of a comic biography series that also features celebrities such as David Beckham, Hilary Clinton and Lady Gaga.

We see you Taylor!!

Russell Simmons launched his NOH8 milkshake in honor of the 40th LA Pride Anniversary at Milions of Milkshakes over the weekend (Sat. Jun 12) in West Hollywood, CA.

Kelly Rowland posed for pictures at the AXE Lounge in Southampton, New York Friday (Jun 11) to promote the release of her new single “Commander.”

Singers Maxwell and Erykah Badu performed in concert at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.

R&B singer Usher posed backstage with his award for “2010 Celebrity Fragrance of the Year” at the 2010 Fifi Awards at the New York State Armory in New York.

Kim Kardashian chilled with Randy Jackson at the 38th Annual Fifi Awards.

Actress Jada Pinkett-Smith spoke on stage last Wednesday (Jun 9) at the 2010 CMT Music Awards in Nashville, TN.

Singer Taylor Swift also attended the 2010 CMT Music Awards in Nashville. The young country music sensation presented an award with Faith Hill during the show.

And country singer Carrie Underwood was spotted posing with her awards at the 2010 CMT Music Awards Press Room. Underwood won the “Video of the Year” and the “CMT Performance of the Year” awards, two of the biggest honors of the evening.

Singer/songwriter Alicia Keys kicked off the UK leg of her “Freedom” Tour Wednesday night (May 19) at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

UK singer Alexandra Burke walked the red carpet at the Blur video game launch party at Sound in London, England.

Actor Gary Dourdan was spotted having lunch with friends Wednesday at a restaurant while in France for Day 8 of the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival.

R&B singer/songwriter John Legend performed at the EIF/City Year Celebration of Hope & Achievement at Paramount Studios in Hollywood Tuesday night (May 18).

Country/Pop singer Taylor Swift took home an award last night at the 58th Annual BMI Pop Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in California. The 20-year-old singer/songwriter won the trophy for “Pop Song of the Year” and made history as the youngest songwriter to receive the honor.

Actress Tatyana Ali attended the Carousel of Hope kickoff luncheon Tuesday in Beverly Hills. Tatyana stars in the new thriller “Locker 13.”

Model Cassie was seen at Dirty Money’s “Last Train to Paris” album listening party hosted by her boyfriend Diddy at Daddy’s House in New York City.

Actor/comedian Chris Tucker and actress Angela Bassett were spotted at the 9th annual Power of a Dream Gala hosted by the U.S. Dream Academy at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

And Reggae artist Damien Marley and rapper Nas continued the promotional efforts for their newly released joint album Distant Relatives by paying a visit to BET Studios in New York City Monday (May 17) to record an episode of 106 & Park.

Newly single actress Halle Berry was spotted in Burbank, CA as she visited a friend in the area Wednesday afternoon (May 5).

Rapper/actor Common was all smiles in Soho, New York City yesterday (Wed. May 5) before he made his way to the Ziegfield Theater for the premiere of his new movie “Just Wright.”

Common’s co-star Queen Latifah was spotted outside of ABC studios to record an appearance on “Good Morning America” in an effort to promote “Just Wright” Wednesday.

The paps caught country/pop music sensation Taylor Swift getting some shopping in at an antique store in New York City Wednesday.

British singer Leona Lewis was spotted on her way out of the BBC Radio One studios in London Wednesday afternoon. The X Factor winner was kind enough to sign a few autographs for fans before going on her way.

Singer/songwriter Justin Timberlake and his girlfriend actress Jessica Biel were spotted leaving a restaurant in the Tribeca district of Lower Manhattan, New York City yesterday morning after grabbing a quick bite to eat for breakfast.

Actress Kerry Washington paid a visit to the “Late Show with David Letterman” Wednesday and can be seen here posing for a few quick pictures for the paparazzi outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City where the late-night talk show is filmed.

Actor/comedian Chris Rock was seen avoiding traffic while crossing the street in Manhattan Wednesday afternoon.

NYC shutterbugs caught comedian/actor Steve Harvey as he left his hotel in New York City Wednesday.

Fame-whore Tila Tequila was spotted arriving at Luxor Resort Casino’s LAX Nightclub in Las Vegas Wednesday night. She was there to kick off Cinco de Mayo festivities and performed her new single “I Love My DJ.”

Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World 2010 Gala was held at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center last night (Tues. May 4) in New York City. Celebrity attendees for the event were Taylor Swift, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Nick Cannon, Gayle King and more.

Country/pop singer Taylor Swift, who was recognized in the artists category of the 2010 Time 100 (Click Here for the full list), served as the entertainment for the evening. Check out 15+ pictures from the Time 100 Gala below…

Tons of Hollywood celebrities came out to the Costume Institute Gala Benefit to celebrate the opening of the “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identiy” exhibition at The Metropolitan Musem of Art Monday night (May 3) in New York City.

Some of the celebs who attended the event and walked the red carpet were Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Diddy, Russell Simmons, Oprah, Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, Whoopi Goldberg, Naomi Campbell and more.

Check out 20+ pictures of celebrities at the Annual Metropolitan Musem of Art Costume Gala below and when you continue reading…

Pop/country music sensation Taylor Swift already has 4 Grammy Awards under her belt, has sold over 10 million albums and made history as the youngest CMA (Country Music Awards) winner in history all before the age of 21. And now the singer/actress can add being the new face of CoverGirl to her list of accolades!

According to People.com, Taylor Swift has been chosen as CoverGirl’s latest spokesman, joining the ranks of A-listers like Drew Barrymore, Rihanna, Queen Latifah and Ellen DeGeneres. Her ads for CoverGirl’s new line of luxury cosmetics aren’t set to debut until early next year, but in the meantime, check out a picture (above) of her on the set of one of them!

…and it won’t be about fairy-tales! Country/Pop singer Taylor Swift has taken a break since the huge success of her last album Fearless, which dominated both the charts and the garnered her several awards last year, but now she seems to be ready to make new music.

In an interview with Vogue, Swift reveals that along with turning 21 this year and moving out of her parents’ house, she will also release a new album in the fall. Fortunately, this one will be a lot more mature than her last.

“I don’t think I could put on a new character for two years of my life if it wasn’t really what I was going through. I have these formulas for making music; they’re almost mathematical: Who are you today? What did you write about in your diary? What idea hit you at 4:00 A.M.? Looking back on what these past two years have been for me, it feels like this magical dream of, Really? We toured all over the world? We played an arena in London? This is happening? Readjusting my goals and dreams has been something I’ve had to do a lot lately.”

This may just mean that she won’t be singing about being “Fifteen” anymore. If so, both we (and Kanye) are all for it!

Young country music sensation Taylor Swift kicked off her 2010 “Fearless” tour to a sold out crowd at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL last night (Thu Mar 5).

In related news, it was announced this week that the 20-year-old singer is up for 5 Academy of Country Music Award nominations, including the top honor: “Entertainer of the Year.” The 45th Annual ACMAs air live on CBS next month (Apr 18).

Check out a few pics of Taylor performing for a sold out audience in Tampa, Florida below…

Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta came to Taylor Swift‘s defense earlier regarding her very pitchy performance at the Grammys this past Sunday. While doing so, he also took a shot at American Idol saying:

“This is not ‘American Idol.’ This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It’s not about that technically perfect performance.

Maybe she’s not the best technical singer, but she’s probably the best emotional singer because everybody else who gets up there and is technically perfect, people don’t seem to want more of it.”

Seems that the first American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson took an offense to his remarks and responded in an open letter to him on her blog:

Wow …..Dear Scott Borchetta,

I understand defending your artist obviously because I have done the same in the past for artists I like, including Taylor, so you might see why its upsetting to read you attacking American Idol  for producing simply vocalists that hit ‘the high notes’. Thank you for that ‘Captain Obvious’ sense of humor because you know what, we not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the ‘right’ notes as well. Every artist has a bad performance or two and that is understandable, but throwing blame will not make the situation at hand any better. I have been criticized left and right for having shaky performances before (and they were shaky) and what my manager or label executives say to me and the public is “I’ll kick butt next time” or “every performance isn’t going to be perfect” ……I bring this up because you should take a lesson from these people and instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your ‘humble’ opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.

Sincerely,

One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes 

We completely agree with Kelly on this one. And was Mr. Borchetta serious in calling Taylor the “best emotional singer?” *side eye* How emotional can you get when singing about fairy tales and being fifteen? He must have not watched the same Grammy performance we did because no one seemed to “want more of it.”

Most of you probably saw Taylor Swift‘s recent performance with Stevie Nicks at this year’s Grammys (if not, peep it HERE) and you probably saw how mediocre and pitchy Taylor’s vocals were. Well since then, there has been a bunch of negative chatter about the terribly put together performance and now Taylor’s label boss Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records has come to her defense:

“Maybe she’s not the best technical singer,” he began in comments to The Tennessean, “but she’s probably the best emotional singer because everybody else who gets up there and is technically perfect, people don’t seem to want more of it.”

He also went on to say this about her voice:

“I think (the critics) are missing the whole voice of a generation that is happening right in front of them,” he told the paper. “This is not ‘American Idol.’ This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It’s not about that technically perfect performance.”

Hmmm. It’s great to see Taylor Swift’s label boss coming to her defense like captain save a hoe but there’s really no excuse for Taylor’s awful performance. And she definitely deserve that “Album of the Year” Award. Just thought we’d throw that out there…

More pics of Taylor at the 2010 Grammys below…

** BONUS: CLICK HERE TO WATCH TAYLOR DROP HER GRAMMY IN THE PRESS ROOM **

Musician Taylor Swift may have won four awards during Sunday night’s (Jan 31) Grammy Awards, but she only took three trophies home. Why? Because she dropped one!

When the young country music star hit the platform in the press room to pose for pictures, one of her Grammy Award trophies slipped out of her grasp and hit the ground. “We’ve got more, don’t worry!” a member of the crew was heard saying before she was given another one (for photo opp purposes).

It’s unknown which award was ruined, between Album of the Year, Best Country Album or Best Female Country Vocal Performance. But it would be hella ironic if it was her “Album of the Year” award, which most people agree she didn’t deserve, especially over Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

And did we mention this was all caught on tape? Continue reading for the hilarious video!

* UPDATE: False alarm. Taylor only dropped a prop trophy. The committee mails the engraved awards to the winners at a later date. Apparently the winners don’t actually “take home” the trophies they receive during the ceremony because results aren’t revealed until the night of the show. But even though Taylor didn’t break her own award, it was still pretty funny!

Following an introduction by Haiti native Wyclef Jean, R&B singer Mary J. Blige collaborated with opera star Andrea Bocelli live on stage Sunday night (Jan 31) at the 2010 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles and the duo sang Simon & Garfunek’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” which was dedicated to the people of Hait.

Another duet of the night came from country music sensation Taylor Swift and rock legend (and former Fleetwood Mac member) Stevie Nicks, who performed an off-key version (courtesy of Swift) of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” before moving on to Taylor’s hit single “You Belong to Me.”

And following his performance of “Pretty Wings,” R&B crooner Maxwell brought out R&B legend Roberta Flack for a duet of Flack’s “Where is the Love.”

More pics of all three performances (plus video) when you continue reading…

MARY J. BLIGE & ANDREA BOCELLI – “BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER”

TAYLOR SWIFT & STEVIE NICKS – “RHIANNON” + “YOU BELONG TO ME”

MAXWELL – “PRETTY WINGS” + “WHERE IS THE LOVE” (W/ ROBERTA FLACK)

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES / WIRE IMAGE

The star-studded 52nd Annual Grammy Awards went down last night (Sun. Jan 31) in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. And the red carpet was swarming with celebrities, including Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Usher, Mya, Drake (who arrived with his mother), Akon (rocking a Lady Gaga t-shirt), Britney Spears (who reportedly made a last-minute decision to attend), Jennifer Hudson and tons more.

Continue reading for 50+ pictures of celebs walking the red carpet before making their way into the Staples Center for the biggest night in music…

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES / WIRE IMAGE

Award winning music producer/record executive Clive Davis held his annual pre-Grammy bash Saturday night (Jan 30) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California, and a good number of the entertainment industry’s elite were in attendance.

Rihanna, Ciara, Usher, Katy Perry, Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Jennifer Hudson and the Black Eyed Peas are just a few names of the many celebrities who attended and/or performed at the big event, held every year right before the Grammy Awards.

Continue reading for a ton of pictures!

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES / WIRE IMAGE / FILM MAGIC

Over 83 million people tuned in last Friday night (Jan 22) to catch the Hope for Haiti Now telethon, which aired live and commercial-free on several major networks and was also streamed real-time online. The effort was spearheaded by MTV Networks, actor George Clooney and rapper/singer Wyclef Jean (who is from Haiti himself) in an effort to raise awareness and relief for the troubled country of Haiti, who suffered a massive earthquake earlier this month. According to recent numbers, over $61 million in pledges were made by members of the general public. Organizers will continue to take contributions for the next six months.

Celebrities who helped out by either performing or taking phone calls from pledges (or both) included Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bono from U2, Taylor Swift, Denzel Washington, Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson and tons more. Continue reading for more pictures and click here to peep the performances if you missed them last week.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES / WIRE IMAGE

Big name stars like Beyonce, Madonna, Jay-Z, Rihanna and more are scheduled to perform in what’s beginning to look like a dress rehearsal for the upcoming 2010 Grammy Awards.

The stars mentioned, among others, will take part in a two-hour televised telethon today (Fri. Jan 22) called “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief.” The show will air on all major cable networks beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern and will feature musical performances from all over the world from folks like Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Shakira, Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and proud Haiti native Wyclef Jean.

The show, which in the United States will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time on all the major networks and on cable channels, is to feature musical performances from multiple locations: Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Shakira and Wyclef Jean will play in New York, while in London Bono and the Edge of U2 will collaborate with Jay-Z and Rihanna, with Coldplay also slated to perform. The program in Los Angeles is to include performances by Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake and a collaboration among Keith Urban, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. Songs from the telethon will be for sale on iTunes for 99 cents beginning Saturday, will all proceeds going to a number of relief organizations.

SOURCE: NY TIMES

Actress/musician Queen Latifah played host to the 2010 People’s Choice Awards, held Wednesday night (Jan 6) at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Latifah and rapper/actor LL Cool J presented the “Favorite Female Artist” award to Taylor Swift together during the show.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES / WIRE IMAGE

Poor album sales has caused Chris Brown‘s third studio album Graffiti to open at a disappointing #7 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. Additionally, the 20-year-old entertainer’s release only sold an even more disappointing 102,000 copies which is about half of what it was predicted to sell a few days before its release. His last two albums, Exclusive and his self-titled debut sold 294k copies and 154k respectively. Exclusive debuted at #4 on the charts while Chris Brown opened at #2. To this date Chris has never had an album debut at #1.

One artist who hasn’t been having a hard time selling artists recently is “Britain’s Got Talent” runner-up Susan Boyle, whose album titled I Dreamed a Dream sold an impressive 582,000 copies in its third week, rounding the total number of albums sold to nearly 2 million in less than a month! The album has also been sitting in the #1 position since its initial release.

Imprisoned rapper Gucci Mane‘s sophomore album The State vs. Radric Davis moved 90,000 units putting it at the #10 position while Justin Bieber‘s My World moved 97,000 units putting it at #8. Continue reading for the full top 10!

#1: Susan Boyle – “I Dreamed A Dream” – 582k
#2: Andrea Bocelli – “My Christmas” – 400k
#3: Soundtrack for “Glee” – 173k
#4: Taylor Swift – “Fearless” – 168k
#5: Carrie Underwood – “Play On” – 107k
#6: Lady Gaga – “The Fame” – 103k
#7: Chris Brown – “Graffiti” – 102k
#8: Justin Bieber – “My World” – 97k
#9: Michael Buble – “Crazy Love” – 82k
#10: Gucci Mane – “The State vs. Radric Davis” – 90k