CMT Awards Highlights

Last night (Jun 8), the CMT Awards were held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and hosted by rocker-turned-country-crooner Kid Rock. The show boasted many moments that made Country fans smile, laugh, and see just how “cool” Country can be.

Speaking of cool, the end of the show was set on fire by Jason Aldean and seasoned rapper, Ludacris. The two collaborated on Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” where the Country star sang the chorus and the rapper spit the verses. It was one of the best cross-format collaborations that I’ve seen in a while. Apparently, Kid Rock thought so, too.

“Country’s kind of opened their arms and said, ‘Hey, if it’s cool and something good, we’re going to embrace that,'” he said. “I think country’s blazing the trail on just being open-minded.”

As far as awards go, not one star or group dominated the night. Among others, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, The Band Perry, and Lady Antebellum all took home one award.

• Taylor Swift – Video of the Year, “Mine”
• Miranda Lambert – Female Video, “The House That Built Me”
• Sugarland – Duo Video, “Stuck Like Glue”
• The Band Perry – USA Weekend breakthrough video, “If I Die Young”
• Lady Antebellum – Group Video, “Hello World”
• Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” ft. Zac Brown Band on CMT Crossroads – CMT Performance of the Year
• Justin Bieber & Rascal Flatts – Collaborative Video of the Year, “That Should Be Me”

Blake Shelton was the only multi-award winner, taking home awards for Male Video (“Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”) and Web Video of the Year (“Kiss My Country Ass”). Shelton accepted the awards via satellite from the LA set of “The Voice” where he is the only Country judge, among three other pop stars.
“My gosh,” he said, “I can’t believe Shania Twain gave me an award.”

Twain’s entrance during the evening will likely be one of the most-talked-about parts of the show. She stumbled as she started down a runway but apparently came away unscathed, giggling as she took the stage.

 The performances rocked the house and found the crowd on their feet for most of the songs. Keith Urban performed his “Long Hot Summer,” while Zac Brown Band sang their new summer anthem “Knee Deep.” The Band Perry performed their own “You Lie” while sampling Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie.” Lady Antebellum also took a page from someone else’s book. They sang their new tune “Just A Kiss” and added Prince’s “Kiss” with lead singer, Charles Kelley jumping from his falsetto to playing the drums.

A couple actors were there to present awards, including Kristen Chenoweth. “This whole show is entertaining,” Chenoweth noted. “I think the Oscars could learn something from it.”

Did you watch the CMT Awards? What did you think?

Hear New Music First – HP 

Member’s Pick Are Here!

Here are the member-nominated “member’s picks” of the week!

“Rocks Instead of Rice” by Kellie Pickler – Pickler, a product of American Idol, released her self titled second album in 2008 and this song was not released as a single so we thought it would be fun to have as a member’s pick.

“Long Hot Summer” by Keith Urban – This song was not included on the American release of Urban’s latest album “Closer” so we are lucky to have a member nominate it.

“Want Your Love” by Anoop Desai – Desai was also a contestant on the 8th season of American Idol and his debut album “Zero.0” came out in May.

Let us know how you like these songs by going to your jukebox and rating them!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Hear New Music First – HP

HitPredictor Chart Results

Every week we make our own charts on the hottest songs out there, partly with the feedback YOU give us! So keep voting because we couldn’t do it without you :) So without further hesitation, here are this week’s HitPredictors.

Plain White T’s hasn’t made music since their 2008 “Hey There Delilah” but now they are back with “Rhythm of Love” and it’s a Top 40 HitPredictor this week.

Speaking of Rhythm, the Rhythmic HitPredictor’s this week are “Fall For Your Type” by Jamie Foxx ft. Drake and Chris Brown‘s new track titled “Look at Me Now” ft. Lil Wayne.

No surprise for this next category, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” is still making waves, even though that is expected of a single that only came out a short time ago. It is a Hot AC HitPredictor this week along with Maroon 5′s new track, “Never Leave This Bed.”

And last but definitely not least, Keith Urban‘s new hit “Without You” is the only Country HitPredictor this week!

What do y’all think about this week’s HitPredictors?!

Hear New Music First – HP

Super Bowl Sunday: Music Review

I thought I would do a special Sunday night post just because of the Super Bowl and all the music that surrounds the event. The Black Eyed Peas just got finished performing during halftime of the big game. Usher and Slash confirmed rumors of being surprise guests by also making appearances.

The Peas did snippets of their songs “Where Is The Love,” “Boom Boom Pow,” “Pump It,” and “Let’s Get It Started.” Fergie then joined Slash, guitarist from Guns n Roses, Slash, for a rendition of “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Fergie did her best Axl Rose impression while singing the famous lyrics, and although I think her voice sounded a bit rough. They did prove that the group was performing their own vocals, which does not happen often in huge performances such as the Super Bowl, so I do applaud them for that. Usher also rocked the house with his smooth dance moves and pristine white performing his “O.M.G.”

Before the game, Lea Michele, from “Glee” sang “America The Beautiful” and it was, in fact, beautiful. Christina Aguilera then took the stage for the National Anthem. I could have done without X-tina’s butchering of the song that represent’s our country. The almost minute long tune, was turned into twice that length with Aguilera drawing out every note way longer than appropriate. To me, it was more yelling than singing and her voice sounded very rough when she tried to belt out the end. She was hardly drowned out by the jets soaring overhead, barely. Was it just me?

Way before the game started, in Tailgate central, the Super Bowl had set Keith Urban and Maroon 5 to perform. Both guys made great performances. Urban performed his hit “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” and a new song from his just-released album, Get Closer, entitled “You Gonna Fly.” I thought both were perfectly sung tunes and Urban had just the right amount of excitement saying to the crowd, “We’re at the Super Bowl, Baby!”

Adam Levine, and the guys from Maroon 5, sung “Misery” and “Never Gonna Leave This Bed,” both from their newest album, Hands All Over. Some says that Levine’s voice is too high and feminine but I thought they did a nice job and the crowd was definitely into it.

Over all, I liked the Super Bowl performances. Critics are claiming that the Black Eyed Peas didn’t really sing and it wasn’t that musically talented, but it was a production, with the Peas in lighted space suits. If you look at it from a performance stand point, they definitely did that. And that’s what it was meant to be.

What did you think of the Super Bowl performances?

Hear New Music First – HP

Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman Welcome Daughter

Keith Urban, who was in our hidden song contest last week, and his wife Nicole Kidman, welcomed a daughter into their family via surrogate. The couple revealed the news this morning, although the bundle of joy was born on December 28.

Faith Margaret Kidman-Urban was born at Nashville’s Centennial Women’s Hospital. Faith was born through a gestational carrier and is the biological daughter of Kidman and Urban.

“Our family is truly blessed, and just so thankful, to have been given the gift of baby Faith Margaret,” the family says in a statement. “No words can adequately convey the incredible gratitude that we feel for everyone who was so supportive throughout this process, in particular our gestational carrier.”

This is the second child for the star-studded couple, who already have Sunday Rose, who is 2. Kidman also has 2 children from her previous marriage to Tom Cruise.

Congratulations Nicole and Keith!

Hear New Music First – HP

Susan Boyle remains atop Billboard 200 after an increase in album sales in second week!

Susan Boyle remains at the top of the Billboard 200 as her holiday album The Gift sells 335,000 in its second week, which is a 5% increase from last week’s 318,000 units!

Billboard reports a second-week increase in sales for the No. 1 selling album is extremely rare, with Justin Bieber’s My World 2.0 being the last to do so in April, when it saw an increase of 3% in sales, largely attributed to the Easter shopping holiday.

Billboard speculates the target demographic of Boyle’s album – older consumers who buy music at a more leisurely pace and not necessarily on the drop date – could be largely why sales numbers haven’t fallen, in addition to the fact that it is a holiday-themed disc, which was appropriately released to coincide with both Thanksgiving in the U.S. and the upcoming Christmas holidays.

The rest of the Billboard 200 top 10 includes:

• At No. 2, O Holy Night, Jackie Evancho, 239,000
• At No. 3, Loud, Rihanna, 207,000
• At No. 4, Illuminations, Josh Groban, 191,000
• At No. 5, Born Free, Kid Rock, 189,000
• At No. 6, Nothing Like This, Rascal Flatts, 165,000
• At No. 7, Get Closer, Keith Urban, 162,000
• At No. 8, Christmas Album, Glee Cast, 161,000
• At No. 9, Speak Now, Taylor Swift, 146,000
• At No. 10, 5.0, Nelly, 63,000

Are any of these albums on your wish list for Christmas? There are still plenty of new releases to come before the holidays; our updated upcoming releases list will be published on Friday!

Hear new music first – HP

Keith Urban announces 44-date North American Get Closer tour

Keith Urban has announced a massive 44-date North American tour rolling out next summer in support of his new album Get Closer.

The tour, titled after the new album, will keep the country music star on the road from mid-June through mid-October. Billboard reports that in addition to new material from Get Closer, the shows will feature some of Urban’s greatest hits including “Better Life,” “Days Go By,” “Somebody Like You,” and “Sweet Thing.”

Urban told Billboard he was particularly excited about playing his newest songs on stage saying: “Even as we were writing for the album, I could tell right away that these songs were gonna soar in concert. I don’t know how many new songs we’ll be adding at this stage, but I do feel as the tour progresses and people have had time to live with the album we may very well end up playing the majority of them. I think songs like ‘Georgia Woods’ are tailor made for the grand concert experience.”

Here is the Get Closer tour itinerary:

June 16: Mobile, Ala. (Civic Center)
June 17: Jacksonville, Fla. (Veterans Memorial Arena)
June 18: Tampa, Fla. (St. Pete Times Forum)
June 23: Columbia, S.C.  (Colonial Life Arena)
June 24: Charlotte, N.C. (Time Warner Cable Arena)
June 25: Raleigh, N.C. (RBC Center)
June 29: St. Louis, Mo. (Scottrade Center)
June 30: Moline, Ill. (Wireless Center)
July 7: Hershey, Penn. (Giant Center)
July 8: Boston, Mass. (TD Garden)
July 9: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)
July 14: Newark, N.J. (Prudential Center)
July 15: Philadelphia, Penn. (Wells Fargo Center)
July 16: Albany, N.Y. (Times Union Arena)
July 19: Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena)
July 21: Cleveland, Ohio (Quicken Loans Arena)
July 22: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Van Andel Arena)
July 23: Detroit, Mich. (The Palace of Auburn Hills)
July 28: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)
July 29: Toledo, Ohio (Huntington Center)
July 31: Ft. Wayne, Ind. (Memorial Coliseum)
Aug. 4: Atlanta, Ga. (Gwinnett Center)
Aug. 6: Nashville, Tenn. (Bridgestone Arena)
Aug. 11: Cincinnati, Ohio  (US Bank Arena)
Aug. 12: Knoxville, Tenn. (Thompson Boling Arena)
Aug. 13: Augusta, Ga. (James Brown Arena)
Aug. 18: Tulsa, Okla. (BOK Center)
Aug. 19: Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)
Aug. 20: Omaha, Neb. (Qwest Center)
Aug. 25: Jonesboro, Ark. (ASU Convocation Center)
Aug. 26: Tupelo, Miss. (Bancorpsouth Arena)
Aug. 27: Lafayette, La. (Cajundome)
Aug. 28: Dallas, Texas (American Airlines Center)
Sept. 8: Buffalo, N.Y.  (HSBC Arena)
Sept. 29: Seattle, Wash.  (KeyArena)
Oct. 1: San Jose, Calif. (HP Pavilion)
Oct. 2: Sacramento, Calif (ARCO Arena)
Oct. 4: Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
Oct. 7: Glendale, Ariz. (Jobing.com Arena)
Oct. 8: Los Angeles, Calif. (Staples Center)
Oct. 11: Denver, Co. (Pepsi Center)
Oct. 13: Milwaukee, Wis.  (Bradley Center)
Oct. 14: Chicago, Ill. (Allstate Arena)
Oct. 15: Minneapolis, Minn. (Target Center)

Tickets for the concerts will begin Feb. 11 and continue (based on the show’s date) through April. Get more ticket information here.

Do you hope to catch a stop of Urban’s Get Closer tour?

Hear new music first – HP

New Nicki Minaj, Nicole Scherzinger, Atomic Tom & more!

Happy Wednesday! We have some brand new Nicki Minaj, Nicole Scherzinger, Atomic Tom, and Keith Urban in the jukebox now to help get you over the mid-week hump! So read a little about the brand new tracks we’ve got below waiting for you to rate in the HitPredictor jukebox and let us know what you think of their hit potential!

Nicki Minaj throws down with Eminem in her new track “Roman’s Revenge” which has the two in a battle of words as characters: Minaj as her bizarre alter ego Roman Zolanski with Eminem’s Slim Shady. The characters exchange jabs over a thumping beat. This collaboration is one of the most highly anticipated from Minaj’s upcoming debut album Pink Friday, which drops Nov. 22. Do you think she has a radio hit with “Roman’s Revenge”? Check it out at HitPredictor and let us know!

Nicole Scherzinger is getting closer and closer to launching her debut solo album with reports that the as-yet-untitled disc was produced by RedOne and will feature collaborations with Jay Sean and Ne-Yo. Part of the new breakaway effort is Scherzinger’s official first single “Poison” which has a euro-trance club vibe. Do you think this track has the potential to be a hit for the Pussycat Dolls singer? Could it finally launch Scherzinger’s solo career?

Amy Winehouse has just dropped new music! It’s a cover of the 1963 classic “It’s My Party” by Lesley Gore.  This track was produced by Mark Ronson (who also produced Back to Black) and is pretty true to Gore’s original, complete with Motown-style back-up singers! It is reportedly to be part of a Qunicy Jones-curated album Q: Soul Bossa Nostra, which also features covers by Akon, Usher and others. Do you think Winehouse does a good rendition? Does this track have any hit potential?

Could a robbery be one of the best things to happen to Atomic Tom? The Brooklyn-based quartet reportedly had all of its instruments stolen last month and recently took to the subway with their iPhones and a video camera to record a rendition of “Take Me Out,” a single from their July release of The Moment on a New York City subway train. The YouTube video of Atomic Tom rocking out their iPhones is already a viral hit. Do you think this track will be a radio hit with all of the recent attention or do you think it is just a flash in the pan?

Even though Keith Urban has a new album out, a track from Defying Gravity, released in March 2009, is now gaining some attention (funny how that works, isn’t it?). We have “My Heart Is Open,” a sweet song in which Urban sings of how he is ready and willing to find love again ready for you to rate. Do you think this track from by the Australian country crooner deserves more airplay? Have a listen in the jukebox and let us know!

As you check out these new tracks at HitPredictor make sure you take note of any hidden songs you come across, and submit them by 3 p.m. Eastern Thursday, Nov. 4 for some bonus points!

Hear new music first – HP

Hidden song contest winners!

Thanks to everyone that took part in our hidden song contest this week! We had some brand new tracks hidden in the jukebox from some of today’s hottest artists, so it was a good mix for you guys to check out some new music while earning bonus points!

Every HitPredictor member that correctly reported a song by the 3 p.m. EDT deadline today was given a 25-point reward per song and an entry for each song’s 250 point bonus drawing!

A big congratulations to this week’s winners of the 250-point giveaways. Those lucky winners were HitPredictor members pookookygirl, musicfan4ever, and dancegirl21.

Almost everyone reported finding all three songs this week which were Bruno Mars’ “Talking to the Moon,” nominated by trevorstrain269, “Put You In A Song” by Keith Urban which HannahMichelle8 sent in, and David Archuleta’s “Elevator” nominated by mangofreako.

This week we had so many good nominations that will once again have FIVE brand new members’ tracks going into the jukebox tomorrow. So make sure to check back to find out what the new songs will be, and give us your feedback on them! After all, these tracks were nominated because someone out there thought they had the potential to be a hit, and we want to know if you agree!

So, let’s get ready for next week! We need your nominations! Remember, if we use your song, whether it’s in the hidden song contest, or add it to the jukebox as a members’ pick just because we want to test whether it has hit potential, you will earn a 25-point reward! So, keeping that in mind what do you think deserves some jukebox time? A new track from your favorite artist or something you heard in passing on the radio? You can submit your suggestions here on our Facebook page, or e-mail me directly at maijaliisa [at] hitpredictor.com!

Please submit your top two picks only and make them the best ones you know!

Hear new music first – HP

Carrie Underwood leads award winners at CMT Music Awards

Last night Kid Rock hosted the CMT Music Awards, and several country music stars including Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, and Keith Urban had big nights. The CMT Awards are chosen exclusively by fan voting.

The awards were held at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville, in the city that sustained millions of dollars of flood damage just more than a month ago, that destroyed thousands of priceless instruments and put historical landmarks – including the Grand Ole Opry – under several feet of water.

Carrie Underwood, the show’s only multiple winner, won a Buckle trophy for Video of the Year – the show’s top honor – for “Cowboy Cassanova”, in addition to an award for Performance of the Year (“Temporary Home”).

Miranda Lambert won the Female Video of the Year for her “White Liar” while Keith Urban took home the counterpart Male Video of the Year for “‘Til Summer Comes Around” and Lady Antebellum, whose Need You Now is this year’s best-selling album to date, won the award for the Group Video of the Year for the video of the album’s title track.

All the big winners including Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum as well as Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, and the Zac Brown Band all performed in addition to host Kid Rock during the show.

MTV noted that Kid Rock ended Rock ended show with some signature music biz words of wisdom: “I’d like to leave on this note right here: As a music lover, if it looks good, you’ll see it. If it sounds good, you’ll hear it. If it’s marketed right, you’ll buy it. But if it’s real, you’ll feel it.”

Did you watch the CMT Music Awards? Are you surprised Carrie Underwood was the only multiple award winner last night?

Hear new music first – HP

List of confirmed performers for upcoming CMT awards continues to grow

Even more country music stars have been added to the list of performers at the upcoming CMT awards!

The awards show is scheduled to air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville at 8 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday June 9 on CMT and CMT.com.

The AP is reporting that Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, and Zac Brown Band have been confirmed as performers at the June awards show. They will be joining previously announced performers Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.

The show, to be hosted by Kid Rock, will also feature at least one performance from the crossover star.

Voting for the awards is still open at CMT.com, and will remain open through June 8. The votes for Video of the Year will be taken via text message live during the show June 9.

Do you plan to watch?

New music first – HP

New Sara Bareilles single at HitPredictor along with some other new music!

Happy Music Monday everyone! We are in the process of uploading some brand new music for you to rate!

Right now, we have Sara Bareilles’ brand new single “King of Anything” in the HitPredictor jukebox!

This is the first single off Sara’s new sophomore album, Kaleidoscope Heart, which she has reportedly been working on in the studio for the past seven months! The album is due out sometime late this summer and is something Sara says “has shaped up to be something I’m so incredibly proud of.”

So check out the song at HitPredictor and let us know what you think. If you want to hear more Sara you will have a chance to see her live at several Lilith Fair Tour shows in Late July and early August. Click here for more information (dates, locations, and tickets) for those shows.

We also have new music from Sarah McLachlan, Keith Urban, Uncle Kracker, John Rich, and more! So make sure to check the HitPredictor jukebox for a taste of what’s new in music and let us know what you like!

New music first – HP

Country music stars kick off fundraising telethon, raise more than $1.5 M

– Photo by Jae S. Lee/The Tennessean

Many of country music’s biggest stars gave performances and helped answer phones on Sunday during a telethon from the Ryman Auditorium, aired on the GAC Network to raise money for flood relief in Tennessee. The AP is reporting that the effort has already raise at least $1.5 million, with the final tally due out today.

Singers such as Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Sheryl Crow, Kellie Pickler, Martina McBride, Rodney Atkins, Randy Montana, Cece Winans, Jaci Velasquez, Will Hoge, and Keb’Mo’ all joined in on the effort.

Brad Paisley kicked off the show and the donation effort, singing “Welcome To The Future” before contributing a $100,000 donation with his wife and co-host, Kimbery Williams Paisley.

Keith Urban performed an acoustic version of “Help” by the Beatles, and explained that even he was personally affected by the flooding stating: “We certainly weren’t spared. Our place out in Franklin, we had quite a bit of damage out there. And other than a lot of my musical equipment – which floated down the river toward Smyrna, I think is where it was seen last – it’s just been a very moving experience for me.”

According to the AP, the money raised will go to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Did you watch?

New music first – HP

NBC announces star-packed lineup for summer concert series

NBC has announced the lineup for the 2010 summer concert series, and for its 15th year the show has lined up some of the biggest names in the business to rock the Rockefeller plaza outside the Today Show studio every Friday morning from May 14 – Aug. 27.

The concert series, sponsored by Toyota, is seen as one of the biggest promotional opportunities for an artist today, and traditionally provides a big sales boost for many performers while also providing a great introductory stage for launching new releases.

The complete lineup as it was announced today is shown below; however, additional acts are expected to be announced and added to the already star-heavy mix.

Lineup for the Toyota Concert series on Today

• May 14, Sting
• May 21, The Script
• June 3, American Idol season 9 winner and runner-up
• June 4, Justin Bieber
• June 8, Christina Aguilera
• June 11, Rascal Flatts
• June 18, James Taylor, Carole King
• June 25, Maxwell
• July 2, Maroon 5
• July 9, Lady Gaga
• July 16, Enrique Iglesias
• July 23, John Mayer
• July 30, Carrie Underwood
• August 6, Train
• August 13, Ke$ha
• August 20, Keith Urban
• August 27, Katy Perry

Which of these artists do you plan to tune into the concert series on Today to see?

New music first – HP

Cast your vote now for Album Of The Year, Best Country Album

We have two new Grammy polls up at HitPredictor today, as we try to get your vote on all the major Grammy categories before the end of the week.

The first poll asks you to pick who you think will win the Grammy Award for Album Of The Year. The nominees are:

• Fearless – Taylor Swift
• The Fame – Lady Gaga
• The E.N.D. – The Black Eyed Peas
• Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King – Dave Matthews Band
• I Am… Sasha Fierce – Beyoncé

Our second poll is for all you country music lovers out there! It asks you to pick who you think will win the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. The nominees are:

• Fearless – Taylor Swift
• Call Me Crazy – Lee Ann Womack
• Defying Gravity – Keith Urban
• The Foundation – Zac Brown Band
• Twang – George Strait

Let us know what you think! We will be publishing your picks this weekend just before the awards, so make sure you check back to see whether our HitPredictor members can predict Grammy winners as well as they can predict the hits!

New music first — HP