26th August, 2008
Remembering: Aaliyah is still one in a million
I turn on MTV and see Rihanna’s new video, “Disturbia.”
Its dark edginess has it at the top of the charts, and she reminds me of another pop star — Aaliyah. She had that same sweet but mysterious thing working for her, too.
Aaliyah should be my age. She should be releasing a new album. She should be here. But she’s not. Aaliyah died in a plane crash — Aug. 25, 2001, forever 22 years old.
And sometimes it feels like she’s been forgotten. It seems as though she was just famous enough to make headlines but not a big enough Hollywood star to be remembered after a year or two passed by.
I didn’t know her, but sometimes I miss her. She always came around at the perfect time, with just the right summer song.
When she died, I cried until my eyes were dry and sore. I was confused by my grief. I mean, really. Crying over a singer? But it felt like I’d lost a friend.
I know I’m not alone in this. Even though we don’t personally know them, entertainers connect with us through their work. And when they die, especially unexpectedly, we cry. Kurt Cobain, Heath Ledger, Tupac Shakur — each had his following, and each his mourners.
Through her music, I felt Aaliyah was singing the songs of my teenage years, tearing pages out of my lovesick diary. Turn me inside out/Make my heart speak/Don’t want no one else/You are all I need.
Her beats were bass-heavy, hard enough for guys to like. But Aaliyah’s love-laced lyrics represented for the ladies. She truly represented a marriage between hip-hop and R&B.
I’ve read Internet blogs that dis and doubt Aaliyah’s accomplishments. Some were confused when Fader gave her the coveted cover of the magazine’s icon issue earlier this year. She’d been discounted as one of R. Kelly’s young girls, a mediocre star with only posthumous success. Sure, she was no Madonna or Janet Jackson, but she does qualify as a young icon. Her influence and inspiration permeate today’s pop music and culture.
Long before it was the norm for R&B pop stars to close deals with clothing lines and cosmetics brands, Aaliyah was modeling for Tommy Hilfiger. Before her death, she was supposed to star in the “Matrix” sequels.
Timbaland, the acclaimed producer partly responsible for the mega-stardom of Justin Timberlake, worked with Aaliyah first. He called her his muse. Fans of Aaliyah quickly became admirers of Justin.
Pop tarts such as Ciara and Cassie not only borrow from Aaliyah’s fluid dance moves, but they use her modest and sexy style, too. Aaliyah never showed too much. Her style was half-tomboy, half-girly.
I see a lot of pop stars who have borrowed from her street-sweet style. I wonder where she would have taken her music, how much she would have grown by now.
We will never know, but we can still be comforted by her music — three albums and a dozen or so random singles.
That’s the awesome thing about celebrities: They have a never-ending lifeline through their movies, music and interviews. I can put on an old album such as “One in a Million” and still get lost in Aaliyah’s breathy, sugary voice.
In a way, I can just press “play,” and she becomes again unforgettable. At least to me.
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Posted at 7:08 pm | Comment (0)
25th August, 2008
Naomi Campbell felt a connection to the Great Sphinx of Giza Egyptian landmark
Naomi Campbell felt a spiritual connection to the Great Sphinx of Giza.
The supermodel spoke to the half-lion, half-human Egyptian landmark while on a personal tour conducted by secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass.
Hawass said: "She is particularly interested in the Great Sphinx of Giza. She claims she feels a great spiritual connection to it. I took her to visit and she started talking to it."
However, the acclaimed archaeologist cannot reveal what Naomi said to the decaying statue.
He added: "That is a secret. She wouldn't even tell me."
The bizarre revelation comes shortly after Naomi hit out at Kabbalah - the mystical Jewish faith whose followers include Madonna and Demi Moore - comparing it with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
The tempestuous model said: "I knew about Kabbalah before Madonna got involved. Kabbalah is not a religion, it's a program.
"I don't like getting hooked on things like that. It reminds me of AA but just with different words.
"They've got the same principles. We're all looking for positivity in our lives and looking towards the light but I just believe in God.
"I am religious. I pray most days and do my thing. But each to their own."
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Source Tags: madonna, naomi campbell, style, supermodel
Posted at 2:43 pm | Comment (0)
21st August, 2008
Justin Timberlake: Recording with Madonna is a huge achievement for me!
But singer says they had their ups and downs
Justin Timberlake says recording a song with Madonna is one of his biggest achievements.
The singer collaborated with the music legend, 50, on the track 4 Minutes earlier this year.
‘Working with her was definitely a dream of mine,’ he reveals.
‘And when it came to actually doing it…It was everything you’d think it would be!
'It was great and it was bad and it was cool and it was tedious sometimes and it was fun and we went down into the valleys together and we came out on top of mountains.’
Justin, 27, says the experience brought them closer.
'We had a really good time,’ he tells Hello! ‘And I’m now very happy to be able to call her a friend.
'She’s a really, really special person.'
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Posted at 5:27 am | Comment (0)
20th August, 2008
Madonna claims her spiritual age is 36
Madonna claims her spiritual age is 36.
The 'Give It 2 Me' singer - who turned 50 (16.08.08) - has been told by Kabbalah priests she is 14 years younger than her true birth age.
The star has since banned guests attending her celebrations from referring to her being 50, according to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper.
She has also issued instructions informing her guests not to bring any cards, cakes or presents which state her true age.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Justin Timberlake - who teamed up with Madonna on the smash hit track '4 Minutes' earlier this year - was unsure what to buy the queen of pop for her special day, and so has settled for golfing vouchers.
Earlier this week, it was reported Madonna was considering delaying her birthday celebrations after twisting her ankle.
The singer was set to throw a lavish party at her country estate in Wiltshire, England, but suffered the injury while rehearsing for her upcoming world tour.
A source said: "Plans are very hush-hush but Madonna is definitely going to celebrate in style.
"Unfortunately, not everything has gone as expected as she's had many other things on her mind. On top of all the stress, she twisted her ankle over the weekend.
"She views this as a sign she should postpone the birthday bash and play it by ear instead."
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IVideo News Network: Entertainment Tags: birthday, injury, justin timberlake, madonna, style
Posted at 7:19 am | Comment (0)
11th August, 2008
Report: Madonna may postpone birthday bash over ankle injury
Madonna may be forced to delay her 50th birthday party because she's sprained her ankle.
The singer was snapped with a bandaged left limb while out in New York over the weekend.
She had planned to host a lavish do at her Wiltshire estate this Saturday, and is said to have postponed it for 2 weeks.
But the injury hasn’t stopped husband Guy Ritchie, 39, pushing the boat out.
'Guy wants it to be traditional and British,’ a source tells the Daily Mirror. ‘He has already ordered crate-loads of real ales.
‘He's also arranged for a folk band to play and the people invited are all pretty old school - Gwyneth Paltrow, Stella McCartney and Trudie Styler - basically friends Madonna's known for years.
‘Everyone else will be immediate friends and family, plus a few people from Malawi that Madonna will be flying out.
'A few of her Kabbalah associates are also expected.’
Photo and Source Tags: birthday, gwyneth paltrow, hollywood, husband, injury, madonna, new york, style
Posted at 6:29 pm | Comment (0)