BEAT BLOG

COLETTE shooting new video this weekend!

2008-08-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

This just in!

Colette, our lovely DJ/vocalist who placed #3 in the 2007 reader poll for DIVA OF THE YEAR 2007, is shooting a new video in Venice, California this weekend!

It's for the song "Think You Want It," from Colette's album Push. The song is about to be featured in the movie "The House Bunny" released on Friday. That flick, starring Anna Farris of "Scary Movie," is written by the minds behind "Legally Blond" and is about an ousted Playboy Bunny (Farris) who makes over a group of bookish sorority girls.

According to the video's directors, the Colette's clip will be themed as an '80s house party (is it just me, or are the '80s making a comeback everywhere?!). They've even been forwarding this link to potential extras for the video, to brief them on the kinds of fashions they should wear to the shoot (no lie):

Click here to see the costume ideas!

We'll keep you posted on how it comes together!
JADE

Lady Gaga is taking over!

2008-08-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Lady Gaga was on TRL last week and she talked it up about fashion, music, and working with Britney Spears. Check out the clip here:

And just in case that isn't enough, take a look at Samantha Maloney's All Access Interview with Lady Gaga. Here she explains how her monster-smash single, "Just Dance", took her from dive bars to Lollapalooza:

Lady GaGa Just Dance on All Access

DIVO to watch: WILL W!

2008-08-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing a dance-pop artist needs, it's ambition. The world is not kind to those who like to get a groove on, and radio, media, and the general public sometimes needs a kick in the pants to get over itself and get into a good, upbeat dance track. :)

With that in mind, we present Will W. He's definitely a DIVO to watch, because he's shown that he has the kind of ambition you need to work it out in the business. This Canadian singer financed the production of his debut album - Bodytalk, dropping September 27 - entirely on cash advances from his credit cards! He also dipped into savings from his day job in public relations (a day job which will likely serve him well in getting the word out about his music).

Here's the thing: unlike other indie releases, Will put his mind where his limited money was, and enlisted the help of top people to get the album together. That includes producer Adrian Eccleston (Nelly Furtado, Kylie Minogue) and sound engineering by George Graves, who helmed no less than U2's seminal "Joshua Tree" album.

Hot!

But best of all, Will is actually quite talented! His music is a dance-pop blend of Justin Timberlake, Madonna, a little George Michael. The guy is genuinely talented, and we're happy to see someone with guts and ambition on the scene (not much left of that out there!).

Click the cover art below to be redirected to Will W's website, where you can sample snippets from the album!

Definitely one to watch... look for more of him on the site soon!

JOHNNY

Hot Summer Track! Loveless feat. Amanda Wilson "Found a Miracle"

2008-08-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

If I may be so bold as to suggest this stomping summer track... check it out!

Even if you don't know Amanda Wilson by name, you know her pipes. She's the singer for Freemasons, and did vocals for their huge hit "Love On My Mind."

Am I crazy, or does her voice sound totally different on this track? I think I like it better here!

JOHNNY

Lady GaGa stars in "The Fame: Part One"

2008-08-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Between her dance-pop ditty "Just Dance," her intriguing attitude and her seeming love of shoulder pads, a lot of people have been confused by what, exactly, Lady GaGa is all about.

Luckily, she's made a short experimental film that is bound to confuse you even more! ;)

THE FAME : PART ONE - Lady Gaga

I'm really starting to like this broad ;)

JOHNNY

AMBER and ZELMA DAVIS go postal!

2008-08-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Gotta love sensational headlines, huh?

Haha. We're not saying that these two threw a diva fit. No no, we mean they went postal literally! With their new single "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" now officially out as of yesterday, the ladies released a video of them autographing, packaging, stamping and shipping the loads of pre-ordered copy orders they received from fans.

It's not only a fun glimpse at these two ladies' fun sense of humor, but at the "nuts and bolts" business that goes into being an indie artist this day and age. Check it out!

Part One

Part Two

JADE

AMBER and ZELMA DAVIS: Behind the scenes of the new video!

2008-08-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hey kids!

Hope you're all as pumped as we are for the upcoming release of the new Amber and Zelma Davis duet, "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)." (Head back a few blog entries to read more about it, if you haven't heard the full deal yet...)

The single drops on Tuesday, and at the same time we'll be able to see the music video that was shot, too! But in the meanwhile, here's some behind the scenes clips that should give you a pretty good idea of what the video is about... looks like there's some fierce female empowerment in this one! :)

Double the diva... double the fun ;)

JADE

KASKADE fan wins t-shirt contest

2008-08-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

With a name like "Fat Mouse," you wouldn't think of someone as being a real winner ;)

But apparently that's the moniker for one art-inclined Kaskade fan, who won a recent online contest, sponsored by Artcotic, to design the DJ (and our June '08 DIVO OF THE MONTH) a t-shirt.

Check out the winning look below!

You can view all the fan-inspired fashions by visiting the link below. There are some pretty hot ones!
http://www.artcotic.com/approved_submissions.asp

Sorry, only a limited number of t-shirts were printed and sold, so you may want to rev up your Photoshop and start working on your own design ;) But congrats to "Fat Mouse" for SQUEAKING by with the victory - yuk yuk!

JADE

KRISTINE W rocks at charity fashion show

2008-08-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Gotta love Kristine W... always up for a good cause!

She co-hosted and performed at a Perfectly Pink fashion show event in San Diego a few weeks ago, in support of the Breast Cancer Society.

Kristine with the Perfectly Pink crowd at Lei Restaurant & Lounge in San Diego

Of course, being the former Miss America contestant that she is, Kristine couldn't help but work the runway herself, too ;) Check out the video below for some performance and fashion show footage!

Love her!
JADE

LADY GAGA on "So You Think You Can Dance," plus album cover

2008-08-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Damn... Interscope is really pushing her!

Just a couple weeks ago she performed at the Miss Universe Pageant, no Lady Gaga scores another high-profile TV gig... on the Fox reality hit, "So You Think You Can Dance."

Amazing performance, though! The wail at the end is suh-weet!

It's amazing to see a dance artist get this kind of exposure thanks to mainstream label support. Must be soooo frustrating for artists who have been working for years to bring their club hits mainstream. Still, if one succeeds, whatever the means... at least it may open the door for more.

A return to the '90s perhaps? (We should be so lucky ;) )

Oh, and here's the cover art for Lady Gaga's full length debut album, The Fame, dropping this fall.

And if you haven't had your fill of Gaga related reality, check out her regularly updated web-isodes following her road to (duh) "the fame."

JADE

DANNII MINOGUE final performance at G-A-Y

2008-08-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

Another one bites the dust!

With super-clubs around the world folding like a house of card's, London's G-A-Y was a real nightclub legend. It began as a UK gay night in 1976 and moved to the London Astoria venue in 1993.

There have been seriously way too many performers to name throughout all those years, but it's dance diva Dannii Minogue who closed the curtains as the final performer on the G-A-Y stage. Last Saturday night, she wrapped things up with performances of her 1997 hit "All I Wanna Do" and "Xanadu," a track from her latest album Club Disco.

Check out the videos below!

A lot of people thought Kylie was goinng to perform on the final night, but she was off doing a concert.

Confession: I like Dannii better! ;)

Haha. Regardless, so sad to see another legendary club closing. :(

JADE

GIOIA BRUNO recording pro-Obama single

2008-07-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

Hey lovelies!!

Oh, you know I try to steer clear of politics here, but sometimes there's just no avoiding it ;)

Check out our NOVEMBER '07 DIVA OF THE MONTH, Gioia Bruno, hitting the recording studio to work on a track for the trendiest of American Idols... oops, I mean Presidential candidates... Barack Obama!

The new dance-pop/hip-hop single, titled "Yes We Can" is the brainchild of Andy Fraser of the British rock group Free.

Apparently the original title, "Yes We Can... Well, I think we can... I'm kind of new at this... Hillary, What Do I Do?!?" was taken.

Gag me with a spoon. Where were these divas when there was a female candidate out there... you know, someone who was both groundbreaking and qualified? I'm sure they were busy reading up on the economy, debating friends and family over foreign policy issues, demonstrating their clear understanding of the issues, and then voting for Obama. Riiiight... somehow, methinks they were just picking the dude with the cool self-help book and snazzy bumper sticker.

And I'm sure they're recording this song cause they're happy that Obama backtracked on voting against FISA, switched his support for the death penalty, supports expanding Bush style funding for faith-based initiatives, and is basically refining his position to play the usual political games... despite founding his entire candidacy on the idea that his inexperience would be compensated for by the consequent sincerity and un-jaded convictions. (What? You didn't know that? Oh, cause you were too busy being excited about like, CHANGE, and y'know, like, stuff...)

See, this is why I don't go political. Whatever, it's my blog and I'll bitch if I want to! ;)

Peace, love and fuck-you-DNC ;),
JADE

New COLTON FORD video: "Tug of War"

2008-07-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

Enjoy ladies (and gents!). It's the new video from February '08 DIVO OF THE MONTH, Colton Ford.

It's the title track from his debut album, "Tug of War."

JADE

ULTRA NATE releases new double-disc album!

2008-07-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Check it out, April '07 DIVA OF THE MONTH, Ultra Nate, is releasing a new double-disc album: Alchemy/G.S.T. Reloaded. And of course, that means a hot new Karl Giant photo-shoot to go with it! Here are the pics below.... ;)

Alchemy/G.S.T. Reloaded drops on August 5. The first disc features all new remixes of tracks from Ultra Nate's last (and, IMHO, best!) album, 2007's Grime, Silk & Thunder. That disc already yielded the #2 hit "Love's the Only Drug," and back-to-back #1s "Automatic" and "Give it All You Got." Plus there's "Twisted," the single she recorded earlier this year. In other words, these brand spanking new remixes of those hits and other GST tracks should be too hot to handle. Here's the disc 1 track list:

DISC 1: The Remixes
01. "Love's The Only Drug" (Morgan Page Mix)
02. "Falling" (Mark & Shark Mix)
03. "Automatic" (Tikaro, J. Louis and Ferran Remix)
04. "Give It All You Got" featuring Chris Willis (Bimbo Jones Mix)
05. "Freak On" (Ferry Corsten Mix)
06. "Getaway" featuring Dajae (Craig C Master Mix)
07. "Twisted (Got Me Goin Round)" (Lost Daze Club Mix)
08. "Star (It's Showtime)" (Funky Junction and SplashFunk Extended Mix)
09. "Scandal" (Zoned Out Remix)
10. "Lethal Shot" (Mood II Swing Extended Mix)

The second disc is Ultra's first EVER commercially released DJ mix! That's right, the diva is a DJ, too! Normally she spins at SUGAR, her party down in Baltimore, MD... but now, you can sate your sweet tooth with your very own Ultra set. ;) Here's the disc 2 track list:

DJ mix - DISC 2: Sugar Sessions 01
01. "Twisted (Got Me Goin' Round)" (Kenny Dope Mix)
02. "Getaway"featuring Dajae (Quentin Harris Mix)
03. "Love's The Only Drug" (Adam Rios Shelter Mix)
04. "Love's The Only Drug (Thommy Davis Tribal Mix)
05. "Scandal" (Craig C. Album Mix)
06. "This House" (DJ Pope's POJI House)
07. "It's Over Now" (Quentin Harris G.S.T. Mix)
08. "Getaway" featuring Dajae (Spen and Irv's Breakaway Mix)
09. "Automatic" (Spen and Thommy Code Red Mix)
10. "Feel Love" (Ron Carroll BMC Remix)
11. "Falling (DJ Oji POJI Mix)
12. "Falling" (DFA Mix)

Can't wait!!

Ultra is always inspiring in her music, but DIVA DIVO also took a few to chat with photographer Karl Giant about the amazing shots he took to promote this release. As always, Giant did fabulous work and here's what he said about the vision behind it:

Karl Giant: "The concept was my version of Anime mixed with hyper color and action figures. Ultra is my muse, she is fearless when it comes to trying new looks. I appreciate that she trusts me."

Umm... wouldn't you?? He always makes her look amazing!!

Ah, and Giant also confirmed that he just finished shooting the video for "Twisted" with Ultra and DJ Louie Vega. We're sure those visuals will be just as fantastic ;)

JADE

AMBER and ZELMA DAVIS to duet on classic disco remake!

2008-07-23T17:16:00.001-07:00

You heard right, all! Amber has announced the identity of her long anticipated duet partner, and the upcoming single they're preparing to release... it's a good one!

Amber has collaborated with Zelma Davis, former lead vocalist for the hugely influential dance group C+C Music Factory! If you lived through the '90s, you lived through Davis' hot hit singles: "Things That Make You Go Hmm..." "Here We Go, Let's Rock & Roll," and "Do You Wanna Get Funky," to name a few.

But wait... there's more!

Here's the single cover for their duet, which hits on August 12...

Oh yes, that's right! Amber and Zelma have taken on a remake of the classic disco hit, "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" the ode to female self empowerment (you go, girl!) made famous by Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand.

By the way, here's the cover for the original 1979 single... look familiar? :)

For the record, Amber tells DIVA DIVO that it was pure coincidence, and that she had no idea what the original single cover looked like. Amber told us...

"I thought, 'Let's keep it simple. Keep it Diva. Barebacked, black and white, side by side, looking diva-like to the camera."

Well, great minds think alike!

Okay, one last thing... if you're ready to hear some snippets from the single, learn how you can pre-order personally autographed copies, and even get a glimpse at rehearsals... check out the behind-the-scenes footage with the girls below!

Umm... one question: how ADORABLE is Zelma!

You're going to hear lots more from these ladies on the site soon, so check back often :) But for now, enjoy the big news!!

Love,
JADE

Lady GaGa performs at Miss Universe 2008!

2008-07-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

How did I miss this???

Last week, our MAY '08 DIVA OF THE MONTH, Lady GaGa, performed live at the Miss Universe 2008 pageant! She kicked off the swimsuit competition with her club hit, "Just Dance." Check it out (and by the way, watch the whole thing... she interrupts the catwalk struts with her song a few times ;)):

Love the "Golden Girl" esque shoulder pads, girl. Love 'em ;)

Haha. Seriously, though, great to see a dance act getting some serious TV airtime! Of course, probably no coincidence that GaGa is signed to a major label like Interscope. (As Meja would say, "It's all about the money, it's all about the dim-dim-diddy-dum-dum...")

Still, GaGa's pretty freaking cool (hence her DIVA status), and if this means dance-pop might have a chance to ingratiating itself on to the public again (hello 1990s!) we're all for it.

Gaga for GaGa,
JADE

Spotted! RACHEL PANAY and DJ RANNY in Boston

2008-07-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats a little paparazzi surprise ;) Haha. Look who we spotted wandering the streets of Boston... it's RACHEL PANAY (June '07 Diva) and DJ RANNY!

Okay, okay, they weren't exactly wandering... just in seek of a cocktail, and popped into Sonsie on Boston's trendy Newbury Street.

Careful divas and divos... you're not safe from our prying eyes off the dance floor, you know ;)

By the way, be sure to send us any candid pics you have of run-ins with your favorite DJs and performers. Email 'em to jade@divadivodance.com!

Byeee.
JADE

From Porn to True Colors

2008-07-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys!

February Divo Colton Ford was invited by Cyndi Lauper to perform at her True Colors Tour. Check out this great clip from CBS News on LOGO!

Click here for Video

-Johnny-

Madonna meets Nelly: plus Sticky & Sweet Tour working set list

2008-07-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Madonna fans,

Looks like you have a common friend in Nelly Furtado! Check out the clip below, from Nelly's recent concert at Westerpark, The Netherlands. Closing out her performance of "Give it to Me" (her collaboration with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake), she switched into a nice homage to Madonna's current single of the same (sorta) name: "Give it 2 Me." (Fast forward to the 2:30 mark)

Gotta respect those who pay respect! ;)

Anyway, now don't take this as gospel, because Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet Tour" is still three long months away from its October launch; a lot can change in that time, especially when you're talking about a diva of the highest order. You know Madonna is going to switch up every detail of that show until she has it exactly like she wants it!

BUT we do have what is believed to be the current set list in rehearsals with Madonna and her dancers right now. If you want to read it, highlight the (invisible) text below:

Candy Shop
Beat Goes On
Human Nature
Borderline

Into the Groove
Jump
Heartbeat
Music
She's Not Me

Devil Wouldn't Recognize You
Miles Away
Spanish Lesson
La Isla Bonita
You Must Love Me

4 Minutes
Impressive Instant
Ray of Light
Hung Up
Give it 2 Me

What do you think? Personally, I'm feeling the second section a ton. But the rest... eh... there are a number of songs in there that I feel like she's driven into the ground over the last few years, especially with all the promo tours, special one-off shows, etc. Not sure... we'll have to see how this pans out. I wouldn't exactly be disappointed if this was the final show... but I think she can do better.

Tell me what you think!

JADE

Acid House Mini-Documentary

2008-07-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

Check out this little 4 min documentary about ACID House set to The Shapeshifters – Chime. Their next new single out on Defected!

-Johnny-

Total Popstar Winner!

2008-07-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Total Pop Star Crowns DaNica from Red Lion, PA Season One Winner

Hollywood, CA - July 1, 2008 *** After months of arduous online singing challenges, millions of votes and weeks of intense studio work, a true Total Pop Star has been born. On Sunday, June 29th, Total Pop Star, a groundbreaking online singing competition, announced their first season's winner to be DaNica (pronounced DaNēka) from Red Lion, PA. Total Pop Star's first season's finalists competed for the crown by performing live in front of a studio audience, entertainment press, music industry VIPs and celebrity judges - Deborah Gibson, Joey Lawrence, Annette DuCharme and Andrew Van Slee.

The finale showdown and party got off to a sizzling start with a LIVE preshow hosted by Total Pop Star's Ashley Noel and a jumping deejay set by The Perry Twins. Once the finale competition got underway, the temperature in the studio grew hotter and hotter with each finalist taking the stage. The web series' six most totally talented finds included: Casey Lee Smith from Glendale; AZ, Destinee Q. from Surprise; AZ, Colton from South Wales, NY; Selyne from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Shantá from Los Angeles, CA and the winner DaNica from Red Lion, PA. During the final showdown, each finalist performed an original song written by TPS judge, creator and executive producer Andrew Van Slee and songwriter Annette Ducharme.

As the winner, DaNica receives a a prize package and recording contract through Universal Music Group's producer Andrew Van Slee's XMG Records. The entire prize package is worth over $150,000. Along with the Total Pop Star winner trophy, DaNica received $2,500 cash, an all expense paid trip to London, an all expense paid trip to Hawaii, a Toshiba laptop, a Sony Handicam, an I-Pod Touch 8GB + Jam Jacket, a Canon PowerShot, Bose Headphones, a Sony Digital Voice Recorder and a $100 iTunes Gift Card.

For more information please visit: http://www.totalpopstar.com.

New Amber video and song

2008-06-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

Amber, via her infamous message board, has been teasing her fans with news of a new song and video. She promises that her dance fans are going to love it. It will receive a very limited physical release, pre-orders only. It will also be available as a legal download on all the major sites.

Here is a video still - she looks great!

HEARTBEAT DEMO

2008-06-24T04:29:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

We stumbled upon this clip the other day. You may have heard all the stories about how Pharrell made Madonna actually cry. I think the story goes something like Madonna wasn't singing the song the way he wanted, so he kinda yelled at her and said she was doing it wrong. I guess she had been struggling with this melody for a while and started to cry. He then said something to the effect of "Wow, Madonna has a heart!" This totally made her cry more...

Anyway, thank God they made up, and thank God Pharrell isn't the real singer... Here is the demo clip that simply shows M how to sing the song :)

Celebrate Pride Month

2008-06-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!

Happy Pride to all of our GLBT Readers! Centaur Records has a new mix disc out called Pride 08 - the 11th in the series! It contians HIGH-ENERGY REMAKES OF SEVEN BILLBOARD #1 SONGS ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY MADONNA, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, LEONA LEWIS, ONE REPUBLIC, LISA STANSFIELD, THE FRAY & DENIECE WILLIAMS. This new release will be available on iTunes and in stores nationwide on June 24.

Party Groove: Pride 08 offers something for everyone, drawing on four decades of music that feature a balanced blend of male and female vocals. This years CD's got 12 songs that take you on a journey through time, criss-crossing genres and eras with familiar lyrics and melodies, while offering a new perspective on songs that we know and love, including remakes of seven songs that previously reached the #1 position on Billboard.

Track listing :
ARTY GROOVE: PRIDE 08
mixed by DJ MAX RODRIGUEZ
01. Mike Melange featuring Alan Connor - Let Your Love Flow (7th Heaven Club Mix)
02. David Vendetta - Hold That Sucker Down (Vocal Mix)
03. In.Deep - 4 Minutes (Dance Remix)
04. Marshall - How To Save A Life (Dance Mix)
05. Lady D. - Bleeding Love (Keith Haarmeyer's Pride & Disco Mix)
06. Alan Master T - People Hold On (Extended Mix)
07. Cory Ray - Apologize (Davidson Ospina Remix)
08. Katty B. - Let's Hear It For The Boy (Factory Main Mix)
09. Lisa Marie Experience - Keep On Jumping 2007 (LME Extended Mix)
10. Angelica - In The Evening (Eurotrance Remix)
11. Uniting Nations - Do It Yourself (Go Out And Get It) (Fonzerelli Commercial Club Mix)
12. Kirsty Hawkshaw vs Kinky Roland - Fine Day 2008 (Sam Ho Remake)

Coca Cola and Dance Music

2008-06-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!

Check out Past Divos Lucas Prata and Kaskade, as well as past Diva Jes on www.coca-cola.com/we8.

You can download an entire 7 track album from the site, for FREE!
Listen to Lucas's track Just Say Yeah below

What is we8?