Ginuwine Preps New Album For 2009

Ginuwine is set to return in the first quarter 2009 with a new single and album. The as-yet-untitled project will be released by Notifi Records, with distribution through Warner Bros. Notifi is headed by CEO Ira Dewitt.

In addition to singer/songwriter/producer Tank, who is executive producing the album, Ginuwine is collaborating with Next founding member RL and Harold Lilly Jr., among others.

“Everything is still in the works,” Ginuwine tells Billboard.com. “I don’t want to rush anything. I’m just working on various songs and definitely hoping to work with others like Polow da Don and Timbaland. However, at this point I can say the music will reflect a maturing Ginuwine. I’m not the same young man I was when I first got into music. ”

Ginuwine was 21 when he hit big in 1996 with “Pony,” his first crossover hit (No. 1 R&B, No. 6 pop). The single garnered the Washington, D.C. native a contract with 550 Music/Epic and propelled his Timbaland-produced debut album, “Ginuwine — The Bachelor,” to multi-platinum status.

The singer’s sensuous vocals graced several more hits: “Differences,” “In Those Jeans,” “So Anxious” and “I Need a Girl (Part Two)” with P. Diddy. Ginuwine also added more platinum-selling albums to his catalog, including 1999’s Timbaland-produced “100% Ginuwine” and 2001’s “The Life.”

His last Epic studio album was 2005’s “Back II Da Basics,” followed in 2006 by a greatest hits package. Ginuwine also released an independent project, “I Apologize,” in 2007.

Hits Set Tees Up Next Christina Aguilera Album

Beyond marking Christina Aguilera’s first decade in the business, the Nov. 11 Target exclusive “Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits” serves as a sneak preview for the artist’s next RCA studio album.

Aguilera tells Billboard the as-yet-untitled set will arrive in summer 2009 and will be mostly produced by Linda Perry.

“With my last album, I had music that was very ’20s, ’30s and ’40s, and was very detailed and part of a very specific genre and sound,” she says. “But with this new album, I wanted to go in a completely opposite direction-a very futuristic, robotic sound and computer-sounding vocals. I’m experimenting with my voice in ways I’ve never done before, almost like a technical, computer-generated sound, which is different for me because I’m the type of vocalist that just belts. I’m always inspired by new things because I get bored.”

“The album is very pop and very upbeat, and it’s inspired by [Andy] Warhol and the late-’60s scene,” says RCA senior VP of marketing Scott Seviour, who adds that Aguilera has been in the studio as often as she can, considering she became a mother in January. “Once you hear the new material you’ll have a very clear idea what the direction of it is.”

As for “Keep Getting Better,” it includes new versions of “Genie in a Bottle” and “Beautiful,” titled “Genie 2.0″ and “You Are What You Are (Beautiful),” respectively, plus the new songs “Keeps Getting Better” and “Dynamite.” Staples such as “Dirty,” “Come On Over” and “Hurt” also appear.

Produced by Perry, the new and remixed tracks all feature “futuristic sounds with beats driven more toward dance music,” Aguilera says. “This time around, I’m playing with this superhero element based on the fact that fans have grown up with me since I was 17 and have continually supported my changes throughout the years.”

Aguilera is planning to tour next year.

Pharrell, Paul Oakenfold, Of Montreal Remix Maroon 5

Pharrell Williams, Of Montreal, Deerhoof, David Banner and Paul Oakenfold are among the disparate names joining forces for the Maroon 5 remix album “Call & Response,” due Dec. 9 via A&M/Octone.

Also contributing new versions are Swizz Beatz, Mark Ronson, the Roots’ Questlove, Cut Copy, Just Blaze and Tiesto among others.

“I’ve always found it really interesting that a group of people looking at the same painting can all see different things,” says Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. “That was the idea behind this record-to take a few of our songs and have them interpreted by some of our favorite artists. We were really blown away by what they came up with.”

Maroon 5’s lone appearance on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart was a big one; the single “Makes Me Wonder” topped the tally in August 2007. Its parent album, “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long,” has sold 2 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Maroon 5 begins a South American tour Sunday (Nov. 2) in Monterrey, Mexico. In December, the band will play shows in Dubai and South Africa.

Here is the track list for “Call & Response”:

“If I Never See Your Face Again” — Swizz Beats
“Wake Up Call” feat. Mary J Blige — Mark Ronson
“Sunday Morning” — Questlove
“Makes Me Wonder” — Just Blaze
“This Love” — Tricky Stewart
“She Will Be Loved” — Pharrell Williams
“Shiver” — DJ Quik
“Wake Up Call” — David Banner
“Harder to Breathe” — Cool Kids
“Little Of Your Time” — Bloodshy and Avant
“Little Of Your Time” — Of Montreal
“Goodnight Goodnight” — Deerhoof
“Not Falling Apart” — Tiesto
“Better That We Break” — Ali Shaheed Muhammad
“Secret” — DJ Premier
“Woman” — Sam Farrar of Phantom Planet
“This Love” — Cut Copy
“If I Never See Your Face Again” feat. Rihanna — Paul Oakenfold

Toby Keith - That Don’t Make Me A Bad Guy

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Toby Keith - That Don’t Make Me A Bad Guy

“In a world of copycats, Toby Keith stands alone —”I created my niche,” he says. That said, his new album is not exactly like the last or the one before that, and is pleasantly surprising in its evolution. Despite the familiar bravado of “Time That It Would Take” (”In the time it would take me to tell you where I’ve been, I could take you places you ain’t never been before”), there’s also a vulnerability here. “Lost You Anyway” and current single “She Never Cried in Front of Me” detail self-investigation following failed relationships. Meanwhile, “Creole Woman” finds him unable to avoid the temptations of a voodoo mistress. The bluesy “Missing Me Some You,” written from the perspective of a soldier on duty somewhere in the Middle East, is the set’s best cut. —Ken Tucker”

Various Artists - High School Musical 3: Senior Year

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Various Artists - High School Musical 3: Senior Year

“The genius of the “High School Musical” machine becomes more apparent in its third installment—the first for the big screen. As seniors Troy (Zac Efron), Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) and Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) graduate from fictitious East High, they also leave the franchise and attempt to repackage themselves as mainstream pop stars with wider demographic appeal. Meanwhile, new faces like British exchange student Tiara (Jemma McKenzie-Brown) start to sing and dance their way into the hearts of the faithful. The infinitely refreshable series has its musical formula down: Take “Rent”-style modern Broadway, add a kid-friendly dance beat with allusions to current pop, remove all hints of angst or lust. The result is another utopian vision of American teens, made for preteens. But the cast attacks the material with such sell-it-to-the-back-row spunk that anyone who likes a good show can’t help but get a kick out of it. —Kerri Mason”

The Cure - 4:13 Dream

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The Cure - 4:13 Dream

“The Cure’s 13 studio albums have established Robert Smith as a master craftsman of the beautifully calculated mess. The lush arrangements on “4:13 Dream” don’t build a Wall of Sound so much as a whitewater, where heavily distorted guitar and effects share momentum with fluid melodies and memorable pop hooks. Six-minute opener “Underneath the Stars” builds a dark, wistful dreamscape that is jolted to consciousness by first single “The Only One,” a playful, ecstatic love song in the vein of hits like “Friday I’m in Love.” “The Hungry Ghost” is a galloping tale of greed set against paradoxically optimistic chord progressions, while “This. Here and Now. With You” uses ascending and descending scales to captivating effect. The set goes out with the frenetic rocker “It’s Over,” but longtime fans may wish it weren’t: This was originally planned as a double-album.—Evie Nagie”

Led Zeppelin To Tour, Record Without Robert Plant?

The non-singing members of Led Zeppelin apparently aren’t waiting around for Robert Plant to sign off on a reunion tour and/or album. In an interview with BBC Radio, bassist John Paul Jones said he and guitarist Jimmy Page and drummer Jason Bonham “are trying out a couple of singers.”

“We want to do it,” he said. “It’s sounding great and we want to get on and get out there.” But he cautioned Plant sound-a-likes were not the goal, and that “it’s got to be right. There’s no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don’t want to be our own tribute band.”

With Plant, Zeppelin reunited for a well-received one-off concert last December in London. But Plant, who has been touring with Alison Krauss for most of 2008, recently said he has no plans to work with the band again.

In recent months, Page, Jones and Bonham have logged rehearsal time together in the hopes Plant would agree to tour. Rumors have also circulated that Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy is in the running to step in for Plant.

On Nov. 4, Rhino will release a 10-disc boxed set featuring Led Zeppelin’s nine studio albums plus the rarities album “Coda” in mini-LP replica sleeves with artwork from the original U.K. vinyl releases.

AC/DC To Debut At No. 1 With 784,000

AC/DC will earn its second No. 1 album — and first chart-topping debut –
as “Black Ice” will bow atop The Billboard 200 tomorrow (Oct. 29). The Columbia set sold a whopping 784,000 units in its first week of U.S. availability, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The entry marks the second biggest sales week of the year, trailing only Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” (Cash Money/Universal Motown) with 1,005,000. It’s also AC/DC’s best sales frame since SoundScan began tracking data in 1991.

“Black Ice,” which was released exclusively in the U.S. through Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and AC/DC’s official Web site, is the group’s first studio album since 2000’s “Stiff Upper Lip.” That set debuted and peaked at No. 7 with 130,000 in its opening week.

AC/DC last crowned The Billboard 200 in early 1982 with “For Those About To Rock We Salute You.” The band begins an extensive world tour tonight in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

LL Cool J Exits Janet Jackson Tour

In another setback on her “Rock Witchu” tour, Janet Jackson has lost her opening act: LL Cool J. The rapper’s publicity firm announced yesterday (Oct. 27) that he has dropped out as the headliner for Jackson because of unnamed scheduling conflicts.

It’s the latest problem on Jackson’s tour, her first North American outing in seven years. The 42-year-old singer was forced to cancel a string of earlier concerts because of a bout of migraine-associated vertigo. She recently resumed while being treated for the illness, which is characterized by dizziness, imbalance and other symptoms.

Jackson’s upcoming shows are tonight in Auburn Hills, Mich., and Saturday in New York. She is expected to announce more dates.

LL Cool J released his final album under contract for Def Jam, “Exit 13,” in August. The set has sold just 80,000 copies so far in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The veteran rapper’s only scheduled date is Nov. 21 in East Rutherford, N.J., as part of Hot 97’s Check the Rhyme concert.

Usher Mulling ‘Worldwide’ Album

Usher plans to make his next album a “worldwide entertainment experience.”

The singer, who launches his One Night Stand Ladies Only tour on Sunday in Atlantic City, N.J., told Billboard.com during a conference call that his follow up to this year’s platinum “Here I Stand” will be “all about adapting new musical styles in creating a unique blend between what I know works here in America and what I know will be appreciated worldwide. I may go to France and do some work. I may go to London … Japan.

“There’s tons of artists I want to work with abroad. I can’t give you specific (names) but I am interested in working with artists who are out of the range I’m accustomed to. I want to try new things.”

Usher said he hasn’t started recording but that the album would be the next thing on his docket, following the tour and an “ensemble” movie that’s among the film projects he’s considering. He might dig into some existing material — “There’s tons (of songs) leftover from all four albums I’ve done,” Usher acknowledged but added that “When I work I work … based where I am and what my story is at the moment,” meaning his focus will likely be on fresh material.

All of that will be on the backburner during the One Night Stand tour, however, which Usher promised will be “a night to remember.” He said the concept was inspired by Teddy Pendergrass, Marvin Gaye, Prince and other influences who “did things special like this for their female fans.”

Everything from the repertoire to the stage set — “It’s intended to feel as though you’re looking into my great room and here we are about to have a party in this house” — has been tailored to the intended audience, and Usher is using his Web site to let those ladies register for meet ‘n’ greet opportunities and to be the one lucky woman brought on stage each night for an even more intimate experience with the singer.

As for his male fans, Usher said, “I cannot prohibit them from buying tickets and being part of it … However, I do want them to know this show is catered specifically to women.”

Leading up to the tour, Usher — an outspoken supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama — has released a socially conscious new single, “Hush,” via iTunes. Proceeds from sales of the song will go to the singer’s New Look Foundation.

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