Newcomers and returns that can lead to surprises of Grammy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Adele may be a bet sure to clean up at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, but if music fans think that it means a night of few surprises, they should ask Justin Bieber.

Canadian teen idol leaves the Grammys altogether last year after losing the best new artist award to jazz bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding - the first jazz artist to win the coveted prize.

New artist of the Sunday race is also diverse and may have even dropping jaws, but this will not be the only show in the largest exhibition of price of the music industry that will attract the attention of millions of fans watching on television.

Singer Adele gives his first major performance since throat surgery. Katy Perry appears in a key event for the first time since its split with ex-husband, Russell Brand, and then, there are R & B singers - and former lovers - Chris Brown and Rihanna, which is both to.

Still, among the races, the new artist category present among the most fascinating game of the night candidate. Rappers, Nicki Minaj and j. Cole, The Band Perry country music group, rock band Bon Iver and producer of dance electronica Skrillex are competing for the title in a category that is often the most difficult to predict.

Minaj, 29 years old, is the most successful commercial law in five after his No.1 "Pink Friday" album, and a sign of popularity, it appears the largest TV scene in the world at half-time show of Super Bowl week last with Madonna.

But surprise entries for Bon Iver and disc jockey Skrillex - first dance electronica act to get a blink of eye in the revelation category - were torn apart by the experts.

"Last year, Grammy voters pulled a fast one," said Bill Werde, publishing Director of music for Billboard magazine.

"Everyone expects the name of Justin Bieber was called and they announced the name of Esperanza Spalding.". "If the jaw - its great it will be if Skrillex walked on stage to accept the price of the best new not Nicki Minaj, that I think that many people would say is the front runner," said Werde.

Skrillex, 24, has an impressive head of total five Grammy nods this year, including two for his album of dance "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites".

Good Iver, by Justin Vernon, has four nominations, including two in the categories folder and the song of the year for "Holocene".

And not rely on The Band Perry - three brothers and sisters, whose single "if I Die Young" was a cross-over hit the country and pop radio last year and helped win the trio eight awards for various groups of country music.

"Everyone thinks Nicki Minaj has a good chance of winning or j. Cole or The Band Perry, but rap is still very well at the Grammys," said Lyndsey Parker, editor of Yahoo! Music.

Minaj has also three other shots at home take a Grammy Sunday, including best performance rap for his song "Moment 4 Life" with Drake

A NIGHT OF FIRST

Grammy show performances can make or break an artist, and several big names are returns of sorts on Sunday.

Adele, 23, for six awards, will perform live in public in his first major performance since undergoing surgery for throat in November 2011.

Katy Perry, which has used excerpts from his marriage for his work on the 2011 Grammys, is in the show Sunday with two nods for its unique success "Firework". But it is likely to make the headlines for his first big public release since her English actor husband that Russell Brand filed for divorce in December.

"I think that loan of Katy to go out and show everyone, she is not a victim and that it runs on the show," said Bonnie McKee, songwriter of hits of Perry "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)."

"Of course, it must be recognized (the divorce), but it with a wink and a smile." "The show must go on," said McKee.

Emblematic of the 1960s Group The Beach Boys will use the Grammy spotlight to their first show for more than 20 years before a new album and tour later this year.

And rocker Bruce Springsteen will take the stage with his E Street Band for the first time without saxophonist Clarence "Big Man" Clemons, died of a stroke last June.

The greatest return can be to rapper Chris Brown, whose career was derailed about three years earlier on the night before the Grammys, after he was arrested for beating his companion, Rihanna.

Brown has spent recent years since the incident of 2009 to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of fans and times, with three nods Grammy and Rihanna, who has four, will perform on Sunday evening, although on the separate steps.

"There certainly poorly his career during this weekend of Grammy." "There is always talk about his redemption... but I do not think it has repaired enough," said Parker.

Rihanna, appointed to the coveted album of the year honor for "Loud", will perform with Coldplay on the main stage, while Brown joins Foo Fighters, David Guetta, Deadmau5 and Lil Wayne in a dance music special on a stage outside the room of the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"The Grammys know that would get an interest...".I would hate (Brown and Rihanna) emphasis on the Grammys on other artists, but it is going to get much attention, said Parker.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Review: Paul McCartney "Kisses" a Valentine's day treat

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - it is a new album of Diana Krall, even if it has Paul McCartney song and his name on the cover. It is a good thing. All rights, it is a highly reductive way of describing McCartney fine new album of old standards, "Kisses on the bottom."

But it is clear that Macca gives lot of creative control to Krall, played the piano on each track, except one, which is credited for rhythm arrangements and his producer of long date Tommy LiPuma, not to mention frequent collaborators of Krall as orchestrator Johnny Mandel.

Funny that, 20 years after its last major collaboration with a major pop artist, Elvis Costello - a successful but short-lived situation where you felt perhaps mutual stubbornness eventually received their - it could be taken with Mrs. Costello and apparently McCartney surrender himself to his artistic sensitivity.

It is almost to say that McCartney has no deep knowledge where the affinity for the pre-rock retro represented here, written by Frank Loesser, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. It is said that he wanted to do an album melodies of his family types to sing around the Christmas period in days of pre-Elvis pre-fab. And, perhaps, he felt sufficient time has now elapsed since Ringo Starr had the same idea with his first solo album, "Sentimental Journey", in 1970. (Okay, probably not really a matter of concern.)

As painful as standards of Rod Stewart albums, how much is pleasant to McCartney. He is not speaking in a language completely, foreign, on the one hand, and to the choice of song was not chosen by the kind of standards for commercial optimization of mannequins that Stewart used at every turn exhausting obvious. And if you know Krall and LiPuma, you know that arrangements not fighting anyone on the head more are the song selections.

About half of the songs are performed jazz quartet-style, or something close, and about half add orchestration of to sentence Mark Mandel. Intolerant syrup does need step fear: a light touch prevails throughout. That applies to McCartney song, too, which is surprisingly retained - residents too, sometimes.

A young Macca have perhaps added many frills "l dooby", but it sounds as if he felt so much deference to the serious jazzbos side (which also include guitarists John and Bucky Pizzarelli and bassist Christian McBride) that he felt the need to retain freshness. Even on a song like "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the" Positive, which naturally lends itself to a bit of embellishment vocal twee, singer fairly straight plays.

There is certainly lively, however, from the opening "" I will sit right and write me a letter "-a song had it been organized differently, could also have gone on s McCartney other album covers, the focusing on rockabilly"Run Devil Run", since it bridged the era of rock Elvis Presley Sun Sessions." in the "

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Dierks Bentley new album brings country fans "Home"

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - If the single "Home" is the cornerstone of Dierks Bentley's latest album of the same name, then the song "Thinking of You" is the CD's hearth because the fire within it warms both body and soul.

Bentley wrote the song for his 3-year-old daughter, Evie, who sings on the track of the new album that went on sale on Tuesday.

"I'm not someone to put their kid on their album," Bentley, the father of two daughters, told Reuters in an interview. "I got this email on my birthday when I was out on the road and it was Evie singing that song back to me. It just about broke my heart. It was the best and worst birthday present ever.

"It's so real and honest and I just couldn't take it off the track once I heard it. You know in country music there are sad songs about drinking and love gone wrong but there's another whole level of sad when you're missing your daughter. That's a whole range of emotion there I'd never felt before."

The 36-year-old Bentley's passion shows through whether he is singing about his daughter or a relationship ready to leap to the next level, or delivering fun-loving tunes like the new album's first single, "Am I The Only One?"

The singer's ninth album follows his highly successful offering "Up on the Ridge" that landed Bentley three Grammy nominations last year, including for Best Country Album. All told, Bentley has had eight No. 1 singles, including "Feel That Fire" and "Sideways."

He said "Up on the Ridge" gave him a chance to stretch out.

"My fans allowed me to experiment and do things a little different, and I still think the record opened the landscape creatively for me," Bentley said.

"With 'Home' I was trying to make a country record that was really representative of me, what I do in country music that is unique. There are certain things I'm known for, like the party songs and the fun songs, and there are songs on this record that are in the same vein, like 'Tip it on Back' and 'Come a Little Closer.' Then there is new ground for me, like 'Thinking of You' and 'When You Gonna Come Around.'"

The lyrics on the title tune can be interpreted in many ways, which is what the Arizona-born singer wanted.

COMING HOME

"Home for me can be coming back to Nashville after I've been on the road. But for soldiers it's seeing that shore for the first time after a year or more in a foreign country," he said.

"People who hear it will interpret it according to what is going on in their life at the moment. Some of the most touching stories I hear are from the soldiers who come up to me and talk about what it's like to be flying back to the States and seeing that piece of land for the first time."

Written with Dan Wilson and Brett Beavers, Bentley gave substantial credit to his co-writers.

As Bentley tells it, the three were working on a lyric when he was called away by his wife asking for help starting her car. When he returned, Wilson and Beavers had stopped working on the other song and come up with a melody for the verse of "Home," intending it to be about America or a place everyone calls home.

"When I'm on tour and hanging out with people I see that there is a lot more in common among us than we might think. So we thought we could write a song about that and that it might be a really interesting take on a patriotic song," Bentley said.

The album's first single, "Am I The Only One," about a guy ready to head out on a Friday night who cannot find any of his buddies to party with him, might be more typical for Bentley. But his duet with Karen Fairchild of the band Little Big Town on "When You Gonna Come Around," broke new ground.

The sexy tune pairs Bentley's rough edge with Fairchild's sultry vocals to convey the message that this is a relationship ready for the next step.

"I love Karen's voice," Bentley said. "Little Big Town is one of the most talented bands out there today. I saw her at a party in Nashville and asked if she'd come sing on this song and she said yes. A couple days later she came in and it turned out perfect."

Bentley is touring in the United States, then embarks on tours of Canada in late February and Australia in March. He resumes his "Country & Cold Cans" tour at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre on April 13.

(Reporting By Vernell Hackett; Editing by Andrew Stern and Bob Tourtellotte)

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Rep says Lana Del Rey did not have a tour to postpone

LOS ANGELES, Feb 7 (TheWrap.com) - Lana Del Rey has not postponed her spring tour -- because she didn't even have one planned, says a representative for the "Video Games" singer.

The rep shot down a New York Post report that said the singer had postponed a 30-date tour due to the overwhelmingly negative reaction to her performance on "Saturday Night Live" last month.

There was never any tour in place to cancel or delay, spokesman Matt Hanks told TheWrap.

"Lana told MTV several weeks ago that she plans to tour in October," Hanks said. "There has never been a spring tour announced or cancelled."

Del Rey will continue to perform in support of her recently released album "Born to Die," he added.

The singer, who appeared on "Late Show With David Letterman" late last week, will appear at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and at the San Francisco Amoeba store on Thursday. The representative adds that Del Rey has "been extremely active in Europe" in promoting the album.

Citing sources, the Post claimed that Del Rey and her manager had pulled the plug on the road jaunt after her much-maligned "SNL" appearance, and decided to push the dates back in order to let the furor over her performance die down.

Del Rey's performance of her single "Video Games" on "SNL" drew widespread derision, with everyone from actresses Juliette Lewis and Eliza Dushku to NBC news anchor Brian Williams slamming her appearance. Many thought the performance was a skit by "SNL" player Kristen Wiig. (It wasn't, but Wiig spoofed the singer during a segment on "SNL"'s Weekend Update on Saturday.)

Del Rey defended herself in a subsequent interview with Rolling Stone, telling the magazine, "I actually felt good about it. I thought I looked beautiful and sang fine."

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Adele beats 7 new albums to keep top spot on chart

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British singer Adele stood her ground atop the Billboard album chart with "21" on Wednesday despite seven new entries vying for No. 1 this week, including stiff competition from country music singer Tim McGraw.

"21," which has sold more than 6 million copies in the United States since its release in February 2011, notched its 18th week in the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart.

Adele, who has been resting her voice after vocal cord surgery last November, said she will be making her live comeback at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 12.

Country music star McGraw's 11th studio album, "Emotional Traffic" debuted at No. 2, scoring the singer his 14th top 10 album in the Billboard 200 chart and 13th No. 1 in the Billboard Country Albums chart.

New albums from rock band "Lamb of God," singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, "American Idol" alumnus Kellie Pickler, Christian music singer Kari Jobe and soul singer Seal dotted the top 10, along with the "2012 Grammy Nominees" and "Kidz Bop 21" compilation and Drake's "Take Care."

After a couple of weeks in early January that saw low unit sales figures, the chart was rejuvenated this week across the top 10. Still, "21" was the only album to cross the 100,000 copies mark, partially driven by a re-issued deluxe edition released last week in Target retail stores.

Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You") took the top spot on the Digital Songs chart, followed by Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" holding steady at No. 2 and last week's chart-topper, David Guetta's "Turn Me On" featuring Nicki Minaj, falling to No. 3 this week.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Jamie Lynn Spears Talks Country Music Career & Hurtful Teen Pregnancy Press: 'I Did The Best I Could'

The unexpected pregnancy of Jamie Lynn Spears shocked fans of the then-16-year-old Nickelodeon star in 2007.

Now almost 21, Jamie is speaking out about her struggles as a teen mom and the painful press that came along with her very public pregnancy.

PLAY IT NOW: Dish Of Salt: Bristol Palin Talks Teen Pregnancy & Guest Starring On ‘The Secret Life Of The American Teenager’

"I had to make a decision that I could sleep with every night. I did feel responsible for the young girls and the mothers who I probably confused and let down. I apologize for that," Jamie told Glamour magazine in an interview for their latest issue, of deciding to keep her baby. "But I wasn't trying to glamorize teen pregnancy. I hated when [the tabloids] said that. Everybody is dealt a hand of cards. It was my choice to play them the way I played them. But the hateful comments hurt."

Jamie, who split from daughter Maddie's father Casey Aldridge in 2010, said watching the tabloids having a heyday with sister Britney Spears' tribulations made her decide to move out of Los Angeles to escape stressful scrutiny.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Jamie Lynn Spears

"I just wanted to get away from it as much as I could, to just go away and be a mom and figure out what I wanted, and to earn a sense of respect back for myself," she told the mag. "Move to a town in the middle of nowhere and just raise my child. All I could be was a good mother. If anybody had anything to say after that, there was nothing I could do."

Jamie also opened up about the difficulties of being a teen mom.

"There were so many times -- especially when Maddie would get sick -- when I would cry to myself and think, 'I really don't know what to do,'" she said. "It takes bravery to be a young mom, and it does take bravery to let the world watch."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Former Child Stars

Now an aspiring country singer, Jamie Lynn resides in Nashville, Tenn., with Maddie, 3, and finds music a helpful outlet to express everything she's gone through in the last five years.

"I was a kid who did a kid show. Then I went away and raised my child, and the world has never met me as an adult," she said. "This is the first time anybody is really meeting me as a grown woman and grown mother making a decision about what to do with my life... My music will speak for itself."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: A Look Back: Britney Spears’ Early Years

For the full interview with Jamie Lynn, head over to Glamour.

Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Grammys to feature first dance music segment

Grammy show producer Ken Ehrlich had considered putting dancing/electronica music into the ceremony in the past, but could never quite figure out how to incorporate the high-energy club feel in front of a sometimes staid audience.

He thinks he's figured it out this year. For the first time, the Grammy show will put the spotlight on the genre with a segment featuring Grammy nominees Deadmau5, the Foo Fighters, Chris Brown, David Guetta and Lil Wayne, all performing in a tent space amid 1,000 fans.

"We decided to go all out this year," Ehrlich said of the performance taking place outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where Sunday's ceremony will be held. "All we're going to try and do next week is to try and put the home audience in the middle of it. ... It is more than just sitting there and watching it."

Dance music did not receive its own category until 2003 with the best dance recording/dance field, and the music had not been featured with its own segment in the show.

"I don't know that I figured out a way to do it that felt right until now," Ehrlich said in an interview Monday. "My feeling about dance is it's such an immersive experience for the participant, that to put it on stage ... where the audience is not a part of it ... I don't know, honestly, until we came up with the idea of doing it this way, I don't know if it ever would have worked."

Ehrlich calls the performance the "most ambitious number that we've ever done outside the Staples Center." It will feature at least four cameras from audience level as Deadmau5 (pronounced dead mouse) and the Foo Fighters perform his remixed version of the band's song "Rope," which netted him one of his Grammy nominations, and as Brown and Lil Wayne perform with Guetta.

Ehrlich said the performance reflects the popularity of dance music over the past few years.

"As much as a recorded medium that it is, and the fact that it's selling a lot of CDs and downloads, it's really a live experience," he said. "It is more than just sitting there and watching it."

Other performers on the show include Adele, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Brown, Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift for what Ehrlich boasted would be a "pretty amazing show."

"What I try and do when we're building this show is to think about the audience first. ... What can I do that's going to keep an audience for 3 1/2 hours watching the Grammy Awards?" he said. "I do try and look for how broad I can make it and still assume that people are going to tune in and stay with it."

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Online:

http://www.grammy.com

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Nekesa Mumbi Moody, the AP's music writer, reported from New York. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi.

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