Taylor Swift makes more US chart history

The pop juggernaut that is Taylor Swift continues to decimate and downright annihilate every remaining chart record. This time around , Swift becomes the first female solo artist in Billboard's  56 year history to knock themselves off the Number 1 spot.

Blank Space climbs to the top spot knocking Shake It Off from its perch. It becomes Swift's third Hot 100 chart topper. Current album 1989 has already sold 2million copies having already become the biggest selling album of the year. It shifted another 300, 000 copies in the States in the past week.


It will be interesting to see in 2015 if Swift can break another record. Michael Jackson and her rumoured arch nemesis Katy Perry both hold the joint record for most Number 1's from a single album , for Thriller and Teenage Dream respectively.
Both those albums churned out 6 chart toppers ,although Katy Perry did have the added help of an album reissue and numerous remixes to equal the record.

So for Swift to break the record , a further 5 US Number 1's is needed in 2015. I wouldn't put it past her at this stage.  Style , Out Of The Woods , Bad Blood , Wildest Dreams , New Romantics and All You Had To Do Was Stay could all very well hit the top spot.
At this moment in time , I'd back her to equal the record. The material and potential hits are there in abundance on 1989 ,  an album that is an embarrassment of riches. With the right videos and single choices , another chart record could very well lie in smithereens at the talented hands of Ms Swift

New Emeli Sande for early 2015

Scottish singer Emeli Sande is gearing up for the release of her sophomore album in early 2015. Sande , who was ubiquitous throughout 2012 with multi platinum Brit Award winning debut Our Version Of Events , has stated she expects the album for first quarter release in 2015.

It's going really good, really, really good. It's feeling quite strong, so we're just getting it finished off right now and hopefully I'll be back in all of this pretty soon!"


Sande recently announced the end of her marriage to Adam Gaugine after 1 year and will play a Christmas gig in aid of homeless charity Shelter. She's also part of the record breaking Band Aid 30 , which looks set to give Sande her third UK Number 1 on Sunday. 
Sande also appears on French superstar DJ David Guetta's new album Listen , on the track
What I Did For Love , due for release on November 23rd.

Emeli Sande is alos set to perform this weekend on The X Factor.

Taylor Swift plays crazed ex in Blank Space video

Taylor Swift has premiered the fantastic video for forthcoming new single Blank Space. The video see's Swift gamely send herself up as a crazed ex girlfriend. In one of her best videos to date Swift is happily in love with a wealthy beau  but when things turn sour , Swift cuts up his clothes and smashes his car.

 

Blank Space marks the second release from the record breaking 1989 album , and follows the massive Shake It Off.

Watch the video for Blank Space below

Stars unite for Band Aid 30

Bob Geldof and Midge Ure have confirmed what they called the 'worst kept secret in pop history ' , with a press conference confirming the ultimate charity record Do They Know It's Christmas Time ? , will be rebooted and re-released with a whole new cast of musical heavyweights and old favourites.
Band Aid 30 ,  will this time endeavour to raise money to fight the Ebola crisis gripping West Africa. It comes 30 years after the original record became one of the biggest selling singles of all time , scooping the coveted Christmas Number 1 spot in 1984. The original record featured Bono , Duran Duran , George Michael , Spandau Ballet and Paul Weller.

Ten years ago , the track was re-released ,again hitting the festive top spot , featuring Chris Martin, Robbie Williams , Snow Patrol and Dido.

This time around Ed Sheeran , Adele , Chris Martin , Bono , One Direction , Sam Smith , Emeli Sande, Paloma Faith , Bastille , Elbow , Foals , Ellie Goulding , Olly Murs , Jessie Ware , Sinead O'Connor , Fuse ODG , Underworld , and Queen's Roger Taylor are all set to lend their vocals to the track.
Paul Epworth who's produced Adele and Florence and the Machine will produce the record which will be recorded this Saturday , November 15th , in the same studio in Notting Hill where the original was recorded.

The track itself will be available to download for 99p from Monday November 17th with the physical CD costing £4. All proceeds will go to fighting Ebola. The original record in 1984 was in aid of the Ethiopian famine. Expect more big names to be confirmed for the record between now and Saturday.

I'd quite like to see George Ezra , Labrinth , Kylie Minogue , Florence Welch , Lily Allen , Kasabian , Take That and Katy B all get in on the action.

Taylor Swift smashes US chart records with 1989

It's Taylor Swift's world , and right now , we are all living gloriously in it. Swift has only gone and done it again. 1989 becomes Swift's 4th US Number 1 album , and even more impressively , her third consecutive album to bypass 1million sales in its first week. Swift becomes  the first act in US chart history to achieve such a milestone.

The critically acclaimed 1989 shifted a whopping 1.322million copies in just a week. Previous album Red shipped 1.208million copies in 2012. In 2010 , Speak Now ,  sold 1.047million copies in its first week.
1989 becomes the fastest selling album in the US in over 12 years. Not since Eminem back in June 2002 with The Eminem Show , has a single album shifted so many copies in its first week. Eminem sold the same amount back in that pre-iTunes era.

However , Britney Spears 2000 sophomore album Oops..I Did It Again , remains the fastest selling female album in American chart history.
Swift's 1989 , is now the biggest selling album by an artist in the USA this year after only a week. A remarkable achievement given the decline in digital and physical sales of music. And the continued plagues of illegal downloading. In fact , Swift or any other artist may never reach this milestone again in the modern era.
Taylor Swift has made genuine music history this week. The only album to sell more than her this year is the Frozen soundtrack which has sold more than 3million copies since last November.


Right now , Swift is riding a critical and commercial wave at the age of 23. Its an incredible feat. And with next years 1989 World Tour to come , Swift may have staked a huge claim to the throne of the new Queen of Pop.

Beyonce highest earning woman in music

Beyoncé has been named as the highest earning female in music in 2014 , according to a new list published by Forbes.
Her self titled smash album as well as the mega grossing Mrs Cater Show World Tour and On The Run tour with hubby Jay Z , saw Beyoncé pocket a massive $115m. Her lucrative deals with Pepsi and H&M , also added to the total , ensuring Blue Ivy stays in designer gear. Beyoncé reissues last years surprise self titled album with The Platinum Edition on November 24th.


Woman of the moment ,  Taylor Swift , was second on the list with an impressive $64m , earned from her Red world tour as well  as deals and endorsements with CoverGirl. Expect Swift to top next years list , with a massive world tour to come.


Despite a quiet year musically , apart from side project You+Me ,  the mighty Pink earns third place with earnings of $52m.

Most surprising placing on the list is perhaps Lady Gaga. Despite massive hype and promotion for ARTPOP and its subsequent world tour , Mother Monster is placed at 9th on the list with $33m


The full list of the top 10 highest earning women in music 2014 is as follows


1. Beyoncé ($115m / £72.3m)
2. Taylor Swift ($64m / £40.2m)
3. Pink ($52m / £32.7m)
4. Rihanna ($48m / £30.2m)
5. Katy Perry ($40m / £25.1m)
6. Jennifer Lopez ($37m / £23.2m)
=7. Miley Cyrus ($36m / £22.6m)
=7. Celine Dion ($36m / £22.6m)
9. Lady Gaga ($33m / £20.7m)
10. Britney Spears ($20m / £12.5m)

Ella's all Yours

Ella Henderson has confirmed her next single. Yours will serve as the third single from recent chart topping debut album Chapter One.
Due for release on November 30th , Henderson is rumoured to be returning to the X Factor for a ive performance of the track.

The track follows the massive success of debut smash Ghost and it's follow up Glow.


Henderson is currently eyeing up Stateside success after a well received performance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in the US yesterday. Ella performed Ghost ,  to a huge American TV audience.

New Beyonce album to be released next week ?

Having already  stunned the music industry with last December's surprise release of self titled album Beyoncé. Less than a year later , Beyoncé is planning on doing it all over again. And it's next week if a leaked photo circulating social media is to be believed.


The leaked document reveals that Part 2 of last years BEYONCE album will hit iTunes on November 14th , with a physical release on November 24th.
The alleged reissue will include last years album , alongside the supposed new album , which like last yaers album will have an accompanying video for each track. It also states that a live dvd of the Mrs Carter Show will be part of the bundle.


The tracklisting for Part 2 is

Sweet Illusions
DONK (feat Nicki Minaj )
Good in Good Bye
Loyal
Renouncement (feat Justin Timberlake
Sensation Of Pain
Fashion
KO
True
Cherry (feat Rihanna )
Flawless Remix (feat Nicki Minaj )

Of course , nothing is confirmed so for now I'd take it all with a large pinch of salt. On the other hand , new Beyoncé music is always welcome. Is she about to spoil us for a second time in a year.

Ed Sheeran scores record breaking Number 1

 

Ed Sheeran has scored his second UK Number 1 of the year with the stunning Thinking Out Loud.  The song follows Sing which topped the chart in June.
Sheeran now adds another chart record to an already impressive bow this year. Thinking Out Loud now holds the record for having the longest climb to Number 1 after spending 19 consecutive weeks on the chart.

The track first entered the charts at the end of June , following the release of his second album , the massive X.
His performance on last weekend's X Factor helped propel the track to the chart summit at last.


Sheeran has the biggest selling album of the year so far with X. He will take to the stage in Glasgow this Sunday night for the MTV Europe Music Awards.

Ariana Grande unveils Love Me Harder video

Ariana Grande has unveiled the video for forthcoming single Love Me Harder.  The duet with Canadian alt-R&B singer The Weeknd is amongst the most critically acclaimed from current album My Everything.


The track follows the massive success of singles Problem , Break Free and Jessie J and Nicki Minaj collaboration Bang Bang.

Grande is et to perform at this years MTV Europe Music Awards in Glasgow this Sunday , November 9th