Madonna is being sued over her new fashion line, Material Girl. The latest line which is a joint venture between her and daughter Lordes Leon launched at Macy’s earlier this summer. In court documents posted on Radar, L.A. Triumph says, “Between 1997 and present day, L.A. Triumph and its predecessor have sold millions of dollars of the Material Girl brand of clothes in commerce throughout the United States and have spent large sums in its promotion and advertisement.” L.A. Triumph claims they have registered Material Girl name on its own clothing since 1997.

Entertainer Wyclef Jean is planning on fighting the decision made by the Haitian electoral board, which found him ineligible to run for president of Haiti. “After careful consideration and much soul-searching, I have made the decision to contest Haiti’s board of election’s pronouncement stating that I am ineligible to run for the presidency of the country,” he adds, “I will be seeking a solution through legal channels, and I urge my countrymen to be patient through this process. In the 36 hours since the board’s decision, I have been in constant conversation with my family, friends and advisers, and reading the comments of good people and supporters throughout the Haitian diaspora. I’ve also been closely monitoring the situation on the ground, which I am happy to report has remained peaceful and thoughtful. I, along with my supporters, am deeply disappointed that I have been denied the chance to present my candidacy to Haiti’s voters. I want to continue in my efforts to always keep Haiti top of mind for the world–I don’t want to give anyone the chance to forget the earthquake victims, or my impoverished homeland, rich only in human potential and kindness.”

R&B singer Faith Evans was arrested on Saturday after being stopped at a “drunken driving” checkpoint in Los Angeles. Officer Cleon Joseph says Evans was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor drunken driving. Her car has been impounded and she was released on bail Sunday morning. A VH1 reality series chronicling Evans’ life is currently in production, while  her new album is scheduled for release in October.

Rapper B.o.B landed at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart this week, after selling 84,000 copies of his debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray.

This is the first time in more than three years that a solo male artist has topped the chart with his first release. Rick Ross was the most recent prior to this week, when his Port of Miami debuted at No. 1 on August 26, 2006.

Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now continues to perform well, holding at No. 2 on sales of 76,000 copies – a mere 8% drop from last week.

Bullet for My Valentine entered the chart at No. 3 with Fever. The 71,000 discs sold mark the best sales week of the group’s career. They were followed at No. 4 by Justin Bieber’s My World 2.0. Rounding out the top five is AC/DC/s’ Iron Man 2 soundtrack.

Melissa Etheridge’s Fearless Love debuted at No . 7 on sales of 46,000 units. Also debuting in the top to is Miranda Cosgrove’s first studio album, Sparks Fly, which entered the chart at No. 8.

Last week’s top album, the Glee soundtrack to its Power of Madonna episode, dropped to No. 10, a 70% decrease in sales.

The Glee cast’s celebration of Madonna, The Power of Madonna soundtrack, debuted atop the Billboard 200 album chart this week, after selling 98,000 copies.

The love for Madonna extended to her back catalog. Her greatest hits album, Celebration, re-entered the Billboard 200 at No. 86, and Madonna’s catalog sales jumped 44%.

This is the third release from Glee and the first to hit the top spot. It is also the first television soundtrack to hit the top spot on the Billboard 200 since the September 2007 release of the High School Musical 2 soundtrack.

Following at No. 2 is Lady Antebellum’s Need You Know, which jumped from No. 3 to No. 2 on sales of 83,000 units. Following at No. 3 is last week’s top album, Justin Bieber’s My World 2.0, which sold 81,000 copies.

The AC/DC soundtrack to the forthcoming film Iron Man 2, enters the chart at No. 4 on sales of 76,000 copies. Rounding out the top five is Usher’s Raymond v. Raymond, which dropped one spot to No. 5.

The only other new release in the top 10 is Jimmy Buffett’s Encores live collection, which is a Wal-Mart exclusive. The double-length disc sold 31,000 units.

Pop star Justin Bieber returns to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart after his sophomore album, My World 2.0 sold 102,000 copies in its third week of release.

Bieber unseats last week’s top album, Usher’s Raymond v Raymond, which dropped one spot after selling 92,000 copies.

Slash has the week’s top debut; his self-titled album sold 60,000 copies in its first week on the charts, and entered at No. 3. He was followed at No. 4 by Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now at No. 4. Rounding out the top five was the Now! That’s What I Call Music Volume 33 compilation.

The week’s only other top-10 debut was Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour, which sold 28,000 copies and entered at No. 10.

Columbia Records will release The Power of Madonna, a seven-track, mini-album that will feature the cast of Fox’s hit comedy Glee.

The Madonna-themed episode will air April 20, and the mini-album will hit store shelves the same day.

The track listing for The Power of Madonna follows:

1. Express Yourself
2. Borderline/Open Your Heart
3. Vogue
4. Like A Virgin
5. 4 Minutes
6. What It Feels Like For A Girl
7. Like A Prayer

100% of funds raised will go towards relief efforts in Haiti and there are NO backend costs.
Additionally, the Entertainment Industry Foundation has waived all administrative fees.
https://www.hopeforhaitinow.org

As the music industry has become more fragmented over the years, artists have found success in many ways. Selling records is no longer as easy as getting on the radio and having a hit record. While some artists can still find success traditionally, most need to promote their music in many different places. Whether it is by licensing songs to be placed in movies and television series or having your songs performed on shows like American Idol, musicians have had to work harder and think outside the box to achieve mainstream success.

In the past several years, television shows like High School Musical and Hannah Montana have brought a new generation of artists to the forefront. Musicals are cool again and, as is often the case when an idea becomes successful in the entertainment industry, everyone tries to capture the magic that the initial show had. Usually, they fail.

And so, it seemed the the musical craze had reached the tail end of its popularity when Glee made a single-episode debut earlier this year in an attempt to drum up some buzz. A Fox television hour-long musical dramedy about a high school glee club did not scream instant hit. And yet, after one episode, the show was an instant hit. Great writing and a talented, inspired cast proved successful instantly and by the time the show returned as a weekly series this fall, maintaining the momentum it built up earlier, it was not a surprise that it became the season’s breakout hit.

One of the major reasons for its success is the fact that the singers on the show are interpreting the shows in a way that don’t make the viewer feel like they’re watching bad karaoke at a local bar on a Tuesday night. The arrangements of well-known songs like “Don’t Stop Believin’”, “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”  are inspired and energetic. And it is this energy that will continue to propel Glee. One wonders whether the writers will be able to maintain the drama over 22 episodes and over subsequent seasons, but as long as the producers continue to select great songs and the performers maintain their current level of enthusiasm, Glee will bring joy and happiness to music fans for a long time to come.

Barbara Streisand surprised many this week when her latest album, Love Is the Answer debuted atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, after selling 180,000 copies in its first week of release.

Streisand’s ninth No. 1 album, prevented Paramore’s Brand New Eyes, and Mariah Carey’s Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel from capturing the top spot in their first week on the charts. Paramore debuted at No. 2 on sales of 175,000 units, and Carey landed at No. 3 after moving 168,000 copies.

Breaking Benjamin’s Dear Agony entered the chart impressively at No. 4 on sales of 134,000 copies. Rounding out the top five is Alice in Chains’ Black Gives Way to Blue, which sold 125,000 units in its first week of release.

Other notable new release include Madonna’s greatest-hits set, Celebration, which debuted at No. 7; Miranda Lambert’s Revolution, which entered at No. 8; and Selena Gomez and the Scene’s Kiss and Tell, which opened at No. 9.

Last week’s top album, Pearl Jam’s Backspacer dropped from No. 1 to No. 10, and Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 fell from No. 2 to No. 6.

The MTV Video Music Awards were supposed to be highlighted by an opening tribute to the late Michael Jackson; however, the stirring opener was soon upstaged by the boorish behavior of Kanye West, for whom obnoxious behavior has become de rigeur.

The outburst occurred soon after Taylor Swift received the award for best female video. While Swift was graciously accepting the prize, West jumped onstage and  said, “Taylor, I’m really happy for you, and I’m gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.”

Swift, who was shocked and visibly upset by the interruption, never finished her speech and West, who returned to his seat and was booed by the crowd at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, was escorted out of the building soon after.

On a blog post after the ceremony, West wrote: “I’M SOOOOO SORRY TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND HER FANS AND HER MOM. I SPOKE TO HER MOTHER RIGHT AFTER AND SHE SAID THE SAME THING MY MOTHER WOULD’VE SAID. SHE IS VERY TALENTED!”

Later in the evening, when Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” took home video of the year honors, the singer invited Swift on to the stage, saying “I’d like Taylor to come out and have her moment.” Swift took the stage and thanked the people she originally planned to acknowledge before she was interrupted.

The show began with an emotional speech from Madonna about Jackson, during which she said about the King of Pop, “Sometimes, we have to lose things before we can truly appreciate them.” She was followed by a musical tribute to Jackson, which included an appearance by Janet Jackson.

Other notable performances came from Lady Gaga, Green Day, Muse, and Pink.