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FMQB Thinking Ahead!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Quick Hits: Rihanna, Mumford & Sons, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Skylar Grey & Eminem, Pennywise

October 31, 2012

Rihanna's next album, Unapologetic, will be released as a standard, traditional version on November 16, but for fans who are willing to open their wallets, there will be some very high-end options available as well. The limited edition, numbered Diamonds Executive Platinum Box, due out on December 11, will cost $250 and will come with "Diamonds" colored vinyl remixes, an 11 x 17 handwritten personal note from Rihanna to her Navy, 2GB credit card-style USB flash drive, unisex shirt with a Michael Muller photo of Rihanna taken during her Unapologetic album shoots, seven 12 x 15 lithographs featuring Muller photos, a Magnus Voll Mathiassen illustration and exclusive Unapologetic images. It will also include three stickers featuring the album's cover art that can be used on iPhones or other smart phones, seven laptop stickers, a 40-page notebook with handwritten notes and lyrics, a deluxe version of the album with a 28-page booklet, a 20-minute DVD with unreleased footage and more. For those who don't want to spend quite that much cash, there will be a Diamonds Deluxe Edition Box for $79 that will include the t-shirt, laptop stickers, deluxe version of the CD, the DVD, fan poster, a bracelet and more.
In other Rihanna news, she will return to Saturday Night Live as the musical guest on November 10, with Anne Hathaway hosting. It will be Rihanna's fourth SNL appearance.

Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons new tour documentary film, Road to Red Rocks, will be released on January 22. The film comes from their Gentleman of the Road tour which ended at Colorado's famed Red Rocks Ampitheater. The group previously revealed footage from that performance in their video for "I Will Wait."

In a chat hosted on her LittleMonsters.com site, Lady Gaga revealed that she may release her next album, ARTPOP, in two installments. Apparently, some of the tracks Gaga is working on are so out in left field that she's contemplating releasing one disc of "experimental" tracks, and one that is more traditional, straight-ahead Pop. "It's a bit more modern. You never know if radio is ready," Gaga said of her new material. "I can't decide how to tracklist it yet. Sort of thinking that volume one should have all the commercial songs and save the experimental material for volume two."

Beyoncé might be recording again, judging by a tweet from R&B crooner Miguel. Miguel tweeted a picture last night of himself in the studio with Beyonce and he wrote: "woah. creating for Virgo’s all weekend." However, the tweet has since been deleted. Meanwhile, Bey will provide the entertainment at the Super Bowl halftime show on February 3 in New Orleans.

The ninth annual Black Ball to benefit Alicia Keys' Keep a Child Alive charity, which was to have taken place on Thursday, has been postponed due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. A new date will be announced in the coming weeks. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all our fellow New Yorkers affected by this devastating storm," the organization said in a statement. The yearly event raises funds for children and family suffering from HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.

Skylar Grey is set to release a new single, "C'Mon Let Me Ride," on December 11. It will be the lead single from her upcoming album, Don't Look Down, and it comically features Eminem singing the hook of Queen's "Bicycle Race." Grey told Rolling Stone that idea came from Em, who executive-produced the album. "That was an Eminem move. The first time I heard his verse, he had added that part in as well and it made me laugh, so we kept it," she said. "I love hearing Marshall change his voice like that and just be a character." Grey also said that Don't Look Down will show different sides of her personality, but serious and funny. "I think the album is a bit more playful than people are expecting, but 'C'Mon Let Me Ride' is about as far as I take that," she says. "You get to see the full spectrum of my multiple personalities. There's definitely a good balance between all the dark stuff that I do; that's what everybody knows of me." Billboard reports that Em will be Executive Producing Don't Look Down as well.

Singer Jim Lindberg has rejoined the band Pennywise. He made the announcement on KROQ/Los Angeles' Kevin & Bean morning show, along with guitarist Fletcher Dragge. "We're happy to announce that Jim is rejoining Pennywise and we’re all looking forward to playing music together again," said Dragge. "We're going to celebrate our reunion with a show at the Hollywood Palladium, January 18 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Pennywise for our friends and fans in L.A." In 2009, Lindberg announced his departure from the band in order to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests. Meanwhile, Pennywise briefly toured and recorded with singer Zoli Teglas from the band Ignite.

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