Adele Notches Best Sales Year Since Usher's Confessions

In 2011, 21 moved more than 5.6 million copies in the U.S.
By Gil Kaufman


Adele
Photo: Getty Images

<P>The music industry has been stuck in a rut for nearly a decade. But every once in a while, it still manages to produce one of those unstoppable hit albums that give everyone that good old feeling. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:604336" width="240" height="211"></div><p> This year's model is Adele's <I>21</I>, which not only sold more copies than any other album in the U.S. in 2011 (more than 5.6 million to date), but which has also moved the most units of any artist since 2004. According to a Reuters report, those gaudy figures (which top 15 million worldwide) make the British songbird the first artist to cross the 5 million mark in one year since Usher did it with his fourth studio album, <I>Confessions</I>, which sold 7.9 million units more than seven years ago. And to think she did it by releasing just two mega singles, "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You," and barely touring North America due to recurring vocal issues.&#8232; There have been other big hits along the way to Adele's mark, including Eminem selling more than 3.4 million copies of his comeback <I>Recovery</I> album last year and Taylor Swift taking the honors in 2009 with <I>Fearless</I>, which sold 3.2 million copies. But none have come as close to Usher's mark in the interim. There doesn't seem to be any chance Adele will be surpassed by the end of the year: The closest contenders are Lady Gaga's <I>Born This Way</I> (2.08 million) and Michael Bubl&#233;'s <I>Christmas</I> (2.4 million). The other good news is that overall music sales are expected to be up slightly (3 percent) by the end of this year, marking the first time that's happened since 2004.</p>

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Blue Ivy Carter: Destiny's Child

An open letter to Jay-Z and Beyoncé's brand-new baby girl, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery


Beyonce
Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage

<P>Dear Blue Ivy Carter (or whatever your name ends up being), Hi, welcome to the world! We've never actually met, though I did say hello to your dad at that Grizzly Bear show a couple years ago (he kind of nodded back to me), and one time I was in the same room as your mom, so I feel like I'm in a pretty good position to be speaking directly to you right now. Anyway, you are just a few days old and, as such, probably not all that familiar with the way things work, but I figured I'd let you in on a little secret: You are very famous, and you are probably always going to be. Shoot, you've already landed your first feature, and it's better than anything Lourdes Leon has ever done. You are the First Daughter of Hip Hop, not to mention the <i>actual</i> Destiny's Child. And given all that, you childhood is going to be a little unorthodox: You will undoubtedly be the subject of creepy fashion spreads in gossip mags (just ask Suri) and you will definitely never get to go to a Chuck E. Cheese or anything. Sorry in advance. But honestly, Chuck E. Cheese isn't that great anyway. You're not missing much. <CENTER></CENTER> On the flipside, being famous is really, <i>really</i> great. You will get to go to any preschool your little heart desires, you can have anything you want for lunch and you could probably play point guard for the Nets once Deron Williams leaves. I can't even begin to imagine what your first birthday party will be like, but I hope I'm invited to it. You will be afforded the kinds of opportunities we mere mortals can only dream of; yours will be a life unlike most. It goes hand-in-hand with being a celebrity at age zero &#8212; sure, you'll probably be assigned a security detail as soon as you're able to walk, but, really, it's a small price to pay for the unlimited possibilities of fame. But here's the thing: I hope you never actually <i>act</i> like you're famous. You are, despite all evidence to the contrary, just another human being. No more, no less. As you get older, try to follow Louis C.K.'s advice: Don't be an a--hole. A lot of this will be up to your parents, which is a good thing, since they seem to be two of the more grounded folks on the planet, despite being multimillionaires who own part of an NBA franchise. They certainly know the value of hard work (maybe don't ask your dad about said "hard work" in his early days, though), and neither of them has ever forgotten where they came from. Which is why you should probably listen to them, no matter what &#8212; even if they refuse to let you rent out Priv&#233; for your first ballet recital. Trust me, it's for your own good. Because, really, I hope you grow up to be your own person, that you follow your own muse and be happy and well-adjusted. You don't even have to be a celebrity; you could be a teacher or a scientist or a social worker. In fact, maybe you should &#8212; they're all more honorable professions. But if you want to follow in your parents' footsteps, that's fine too; I just hope that when I'm 50 and interview you on some red carpet, I will be relieved to discover that you are a very nice person. I have a feeling you probably will be. You have good role models in that regard. Oh, and please tell your mom and dad congratulations for me. So good luck with your life. It's going to be a wild, wonderful thing. I look forward to seeing how you turn out, and I get the feeling I'm not the only one. I know you've got a busy sleeping/eating schedule ahead of you, so I'll let you get back to it. But before I go, let me leave you with one last piece of advice: Whatever you do, try not to listen to Uncle Kanye. That guy's nuts. Sincerely,<br> James <i>Any more advice for Blue Ivy Carter? Let us know in the comments!</i> <CENTER></CENTER></p>

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Drake And The Weeknd Work Like 'Family'

Producer 40 says Drake's 'Crew Love' was 'an important record for him to make, and the Weeknd was someone that he wanted to include on that.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Steven Roberts


The Weeknd and Drake
Photo: Getty Images

To his fans, the Weeknd is quite mysterious. Though the Toronto singer/songwriter stayed plenty busy putting out three free albums online last year, he has shied away from the spotlight, making very few public appearances and doing only a small number of interviews.

While he remains an enigma to fans, to Drake, Noah "40" Shebib and the entire October's Very Own team, the Weeknd (real name: Abel Tesfaye) is family.

"Weeknd is obviously someone very close to us and our family. He's from Toronto and someone we've been associated with and working with for quite some time," Shebib told MTV News when we visited Toronto in December. "So that's close to home, that's easy. He's in and out of the studio whatever the case is — that's family."

Weeknd released his first album House of Balloons in March, then its follow-up Thursday in August and then completed the trilogy with Echoes of Silence in December. His music has no doubt caused a stir, and he was most recently tapped to perform at the upcoming Coachella music festival. Two key appearances on Drake's Take Care also did a lot to raise the Weeknd's musical profile. His soulful wails drive Drizzy's pulsating hometown dedication "Crew Love." Even to the unfamiliar, it's impossible not to notice Tesfaye's key contribution.

" 'Crew Love' was just a moment for Drake, as far as the content of the record and what was going on around him in his life and his people and his team and how much he cares for them," 40 explained. "That was just an important record for him to make, and the Weeknd was someone that he wanted to include on that, and that made sense."

On "The Ride," the Weeknd contributes in a different way, blending his vocals into the background of the track while Drake raps throughout. It's almost as if the emerging vocalist is an instrument, rather than a guest on the track. " 'The Ride' was really just a vibe, it was a vibe that the Weeknd caught, and it was just so crazy that Drake wanted to rap on it," Shebib said. "On 'The Ride,' he's definitely an instrument, and he's singing all through Drake's vocals."

It is all a great introduction for an artist with a ton of potential, but as for what the Weeknd has planned next, no one really knows. "He's not interested in playing the game right now," Shebib said. "He wants to put out his music, and I think when he's finished putting out his music, he'll reassess his feelings on the game."

After our interview with 40, the Weeknd released the third mixtape in his trilogy (Echoes of Silence), and now we wait to see what's next.

Miss any of our exclusive interview with Noah "40" Shebib? Check out his track-by-track breakdown of Take Care, his thoughts on the Rihanna-featuring title track and why he isn't competing with Kanye West.

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Tracy Anderson Is Pregnant!

Big news for celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson and husband Matt Mogol!

?I?m pregnant,? confirms the 37-year-old fitness guru to Us Weekly. This will be baby no. 1 for the couple, who tied the knot in Big Sur on September 27, 2011.

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Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2012/01/12/tracy-anderson-pregnant

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Justin Bieber's Snake To Lady Gaga's Egg: 2011 Red-Carpet Highlights

Beyonce's baby bump was one of the year's most-memorable moments.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images

<P>Anything can happen on the red carpet at any given awards show, and in 2011, it felt like anything that could happen <i>did</i>. As MTV News reflects on some of the biggest moments of the year, we decided to remember some of the most-memorable things A-listers did live right in front of us all. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="id:1676574" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Lady Gaga's Egg<br> In February, Gaga had everyone guessing how she would arrive to the Grammys. Given her penchant for crazy looks, no one would have guessed she would have showed up in an egg. Designed by Hussein Chalayan, Gaga later emerged from the structure to proclaim that she was "Born This Way." What was your favorite red-carpet moment of 2011? Vote in our Newsroom poll! Snooki<br> Speaking of the Grammys, the reality star joined MTV News' own Sway Calloway to talk to all the stars at the show. After helping us out on the 2010 red carpet, we learned that anything is possible with Snooki, and 2011 solidified that she's the fieriest "meatball" to grace the "Jersey Shore." We wonder if she and Bruno Mars ever ended up dating. <b>Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed</b><br> "Twilight" star Nikki Reed surprised everyone when she hit up the MTV Movie Awards in June. No, she hadn't borrowed Gaga's egg: She was rocking an engagement rock from her beau and "American Idol" alum Paul McDonald. The couple used the red carpet as the platform to announce their engagement, and married in October. Beyoncé's Baby Bump<br> She might have rubbed that burgeoning baby bump onstage at the Video Music Awards in August, but hours before she took the stage, donning a bright orange gown, Beyoncé let the paparazzi know she was expecting her first child with hubby Jay-Z by flaunting her pregnancy glow. Justin Bieber's Snake<br> While Beyonc&#233; shared with the world her baby news, Bieber not only planted a kiss on VMA pre-show host and real-life lady love Selena Gomez, but also introduced her to his pet snake. His name? Johnson. She seemed less interested in the snake than perhaps he would have liked. <i>What was your favorite red-carpet moment in 2011? Share your pick below!</i></p>

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Adele Notches Best Sales Year Since Usher's Confessions

In 2011, 21 moved more than 5.6 million copies in the U.S.
By Gil Kaufman


Adele
Photo: Getty Images

<P>The music industry has been stuck in a rut for nearly a decade. But every once in a while, it still manages to produce one of those unstoppable hit albums that give everyone that good old feeling. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:604336" width="240" height="211"></div><p> This year's model is Adele's <I>21</I>, which not only sold more copies than any other album in the U.S. in 2011 (more than 5.6 million to date), but which has also moved the most units of any artist since 2004. According to a Reuters report, those gaudy figures (which top 15 million worldwide) make the British songbird the first artist to cross the 5 million mark in one year since Usher did it with his fourth studio album, <I>Confessions</I>, which sold 7.9 million units more than seven years ago. And to think she did it by releasing just two mega singles, "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You," and barely touring North America due to recurring vocal issues.&#8232; There have been other big hits along the way to Adele's mark, including Eminem selling more than 3.4 million copies of his comeback <I>Recovery</I> album last year and Taylor Swift taking the honors in 2009 with <I>Fearless</I>, which sold 3.2 million copies. But none have come as close to Usher's mark in the interim. There doesn't seem to be any chance Adele will be surpassed by the end of the year: The closest contenders are Lady Gaga's <I>Born This Way</I> (2.08 million) and Michael Bubl&#233;'s <I>Christmas</I> (2.4 million). The other good news is that overall music sales are expected to be up slightly (3 percent) by the end of this year, marking the first time that's happened since 2004.</p>

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Taylor Lautner: Pacific Design Center Stud

He's been keeping a low profile these days, but Taylor Lautner was caught by the paparazzi while out in West Hollywood on Thursday (January 12).

Looking hunky in a navy short sleeve top with grey trousers and aviator shades, the Jacob Black stud offered up a smile as he made his way inside the Pacific Design Center during the midday outing.

The sighting comes as Taylor is easing back into public view just prior to next week's DVD release of his movie "Abduction" - which will be available to bring home on January 17th.

Co-starring his ex-girlfriend Lily Collins, Lautner previously spoke with Seventeen about their liplock in the action flick with the full interview available to be watched below!

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/taylor-lautner/taylor-lautner-pacific-design-center-stud-575971

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Christina Aguilera & Her Birthday Boy Max

Happy birthday, Max!

Christina Aguilera treated her son Max to a trip to Legoland in Carlsbad, California to celebrate his 4th birthday (January 12). Joined by the singer's beau Matt Rutler, the pair checked out the attraction and even took a spin on a Lego boat. Looks like fun!

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Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2012/01/12/christina-aguilera-max-bratman

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