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+ "VH1 Divas" airs tonight. Watch Kelly Clarkson, Florence Welch, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott and Jessie J perform. Welch, Wanda Jackson and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings pay tribute to Amy Winehouse, and The Roots serve as house band. (MTV News)

+ Justin Bieber and Drake joined Stevie Wonder for his 16th Annual House Full Of Toys benefit concert on Saturday. Watch Wonder and Bieber perform "Someday at Christmas." (Idolator)

+ Biebs and Drake (busy boys!) were also joined by Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, J. Cole, Lil Wayne and more for L.A.'s Power 106 holiday concert on Friday. Watch various callabos here. (Idolator)

+ If you didn't get to catch the gazillion Jay-Z/Kanye West encores of "N****s In Paris" live, perhaps watching Timbaland premiere a live remix of it will almost make up for missing out. #craycraycool (Rap-Up)

+ Kanye West's been relatively Twitter silent the last couple months, but this weekend he shared a couple dozen photos ranging from fancy cars to sexy women. Holiday wish list or some secret communication? (@kanyewest)

+ Ke$ha dishes about her "Sleazy" remix with Lil Wayne, T.I., Wiz Khalifa and Andre 3000 to MTV News. "Dr. Luke and I had this idea that we wanted to just get them all on one track and make it as gangster of a track as we possibly could." (MTV News)

+ Jonas Brothers fans, hold on to your fan-made lockets: They premiered a new tune, "Dance Until Tomorrow." (Just Jared Jr.)

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Tags Amy Winehouse, Andre-3000, Buzz Bites, Celebrity, Chris Brown, Dr. Luke, Drake, Florence Welch, J. Cole, Jay-Z, Jennifer-Hudson, Jessie J, Jill-Scott, Jonas Brothers, justin bieber, Kanye West, Ke$ha, Kelly Clarkson, Lil Wayne, Mary J. Blige, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Stevie Wonder, T.I., The Roots, Timbaland, Wanda Jackson, Wiz Khalifa

Oh, hey there! I'm Sam Lansky, and this is Pop Think where I write about political unrest in developing nations and subtextual themes in the short fiction of Anton Chekhov. LOLOL, just playin'! We're talkin' 'bout pop music, y'all, which is actually the most important thing in the history of ever.

This week is officially (i.e., not officially) Adam Lambert appreciation week, because I've declared it so! Also, because anticipation is running high for the "American Idol" alum's happening-any-day-now comeback single, "Better Than I Know Myself," and sophomore album, Trespassing.

But seriously, Glambert is back in business, and this is a very good thing. So don't trip off the glitz that he's gonna display -- sit back and listen, because that Lambert reign is just kicking off.

Credit: Getty Images

Since rising to fame as a contestant on the eighth season of "American Idol," Adam Lambert has enjoyed a level of celebrity that most "Idol" alumni only dream of: His debut album, For Your Entertainment, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and his Pink-penned single "Whataya Want from Me" cracked the Top 10 and earned him a Grammy nomination. With writing credits from A-list stars and scribes like Dr. Luke, Lady Gaga and Ryan Tedder on his first album, it's no wonder that Glambert's record got so much attention.

That album, though, probably deserved even more praise than it received. Releases from "Idol" vets aren't always as sophisticated and, well, entertaining as For Your Entertainment was, from its ironic '80s glam-queen cover art down to the crunchy pop hooks that comprised its many stellar songs. But Adam's promotion of the album was fearless and ferocious, with controversial performances and his always-glamorous image providing a spectacular visual counterpart to the already-impressive sonic onslaught.

This makes news of his upcoming album all the more exciting given his track record for pop excellence. For lead single "Better Than I Know Myself," Adam's teamed up again with Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly, who helmed the title track from For Your Entertainment, as well as little ditties you might've heard such as Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A.," Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You," and Britney Spears' "Circus." My sources tell me that "Better Than I Know Myself" is a piece of flaw-free radio candy, a stunning midtempo track with a powerhouse chorus that's like a pumped-up "Whataya Want From Me," and it should cement Adam's place in the pop A-list.

+ Read more about Adam Lambert's upcoming album Trespassing after the jump.

Read more...

Related Content PHOTOS: The Most Incredible Photos Of Adam Lambert, Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Adam Lambert, Dr. Luke, Pop Think

Well, hello there! I’m Sam Lansky — writer, pop music enthusiast, and professional plastic bag drifting through the wind. It’s Thursday, and you know what that means: It’s time for another round of Pop Think!

This week, I'll be discussing the legacy of Katy Perry's record-smashing, wig-snatching album, Teenage Dream, which might just amass its sixth (!) No. 1 single if "The One That Got Away" tops the charts as her last five singles have.

Is your heart racing in your skintight jeans yet? Good! Now clean up that melted Popsicle and let your colors burst, because after more than a year, this teenage dream is still going strong.

Has one album been more dominant on radio in the last year than Katy Perry's Teenage Dream? Since its release in August 2010, Katy's sophomore album has spawned a spectacular five consecutive No. 1 singles -- "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "E.T.," and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." It comes as no surprise, given that the album is an undeniable monster, crafted with the industry's top producers -- Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Stargate, Tricky Stewart. It's also devastatingly infectious, with a solid-gold collection of pop smashes.

Katy was already well-established as a radio-slaying act after her 2008 debut One of the Boys went platinum and ushered in megahits like "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot N Cold." But there must be some special magic in an album like Teenage Dream, which, if new single "The One That Got Away" tops the Hot 100, would break the record she currently shares with Michael Jackson for the artist with the most consecutive No. 1 hits from one album. Even if über-producer Dr. Luke is the closest thing to a surefire hit machine that exists in today's music industry -- even he isn't entirely immune to the fickle conditions of the pop market -- an album needs more than just catchy hooks to achieve the kind of success that Katy has with Teenage Dream. Something has to strike a singular chord with the listening public to reach that pinnacle of unparalleled achievement.

And clearly it has, even though Teenage Dream is a curious record, thematically. Sonically, it’s consistent -- furiously hook-driven pop-rock with a thunderous dance influence -- but lyrically, these singles cover a lot of ground. There's the wistful jubilance of the title track, the heartrending nostalgia of "The One That Got Away," the frivolous fun of "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" and "California Gurls," the uncanny lust of "E.T.," and the "it gets better" self-empowerment message of "Firework" -- a more diverse collection of ideas than is represented in many pop albums, to be sure. One thing is certain, though -- if there's a unifying theme represented on Teenage Dream, it's right there in the title. This is an album about youth: its joys, its miseries and its tragic brevity.

+ Read more about Katy Perry's teenage dreams after the jump.

Read more...

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Tags Dr. Luke, Katy Perry, Pop Think

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A preview of Jessie J's new song "Domino" was released in snippet form a few weeks ago, and it only clocked in at 21 seconds. But those 21 seconds were good enough to catch our attention and force us to literally stalk the internet looking for the full version. The single was set to drop Aug. 30, but it leaked today (bless your heart, Mr. Leaker-Man). While we always feel a little sad for any artist whose music gets illegally released, we're gonna stop being sad now to tell you that WE LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH.

Much like the snippet, the full-length "Domino" is your quintessential high-energy pop song -- it's got layered synths, a cheeky guitar intro and booming drums in the hook. Oh, and Dr. Luke produced it, which basically means it's gonna shoot straight to No. 1. Though the song is pure pop, we do hear hints of the more soulful, R&B side of Ms. J as she belts out, "Every second is a highlight/When we touch don't ever let me go."

And yes, we have to mention that the Katy Perry comparisons will run rampant with "Domino." But it's our firm belief that Jessie is so vocally talented that she can sing anything and make it sound unique. If it takes comparing her to Katy to get U.S. audiences to open up to her, then so be it. But Jessie J handles this track like a boss.

+ Listen to Jessie J's "Domino."

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Tags Dr. Luke, Jessie J, Katy Perry

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It's our professional opinion that former "Buzz On" alum Jessie J has one of the best voices in the land. While we sometimes wish that the "Nobody's Perfect" singer would cut down on the heavy production so the world could hear her true greatness, she doesn't seem to be doing all that badly -- her single "Price Tag" debuted at No. 1 in the U.K., Ireland and New Zealand, and it ranked in the top 10 in 10 additional countries.

So why shouldn't she call upon the talents of her "Price Tag" producer/good pal Dr. Luke (Britney Spears, Ke$ha, Miley Cyrus) again for "Domino," Jessie J's new track rumored to be dropping Aug. 30? While the preview may literally be the shortest in history (it clocks in at about 21 seconds), it was long enough for us to deduce a few things: First, that Jessie's voice is so good it's scary, and second, that Jessie might just break through to U.S. audiences with "Domino," as Katy Perry might think it's her they're listening to! Seriously guys, listen to this preview. Sooo Katy!

So once again, all praise Dr. Luke and his magic sound board. Dude clearly knows what's up.

+ Preview "Domino" by Jessie J.

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Tags Dr. Luke, Jessie J, Katy Perry

Maybe she's borrowing a page from Kanye West's book (he dropped almost all of the songs from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy before the album's release), or maybe she's just doing it because she's Britney Spears and she therefore can. Either way you look at it, Britney Spears has adopted a sort of serialized, piecemeal, here-have-another-appetizer-before-the-meal method of rolling out her new album, Femme Fatale.

First there were more than a dozen teasers for her "Hold It Against Me" video. And now, over the last week, we've been treated to three new songs, all presumably taken from Femme Fatale, in teaser/preview form. Earlier this week it was "The Big Fat Bass," featuring Will.i.am. And today we've got two more songs: a teaser of "Criminal" and the full version of  "'Til The World Ends."

"'Til The World Ends" was reportedly produced by Dr. Luke and cowritten by Ke$ha. And it doesn't take a genius to hear Ke$ha's us-against-the world/ we're-going-out tonight effect on the song. It's an up-tempo club track, and its "whoa-oh's" will likely be a battle cry all spring and summer. A snippet of the song showed up earlier today, with an unofficial, full-length version spreading through Tumblr like wildfire today.

"Criminal" is an altogether different animal. On this mid-tempo, elegant pop track (reportedly produced by Max Martin), Britney sings about why bad guys finish first with her. It's a really different sound from what we've heard so far off of Femme Fatale.

+ Listen to "Criminal" and "'Til The World Ends."

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Tags Britney Spears, Dr. Luke, Kanye West, Ke$ha, Max Martin, Will.i.Am

Ahhh! The anticipation is killing us! Two days ago we got a preview of Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go," which we played probably 50 times in a row. This time, we're hearing a 30-second snippet of "How I Roll," which has more of that Dubstep influence that "Hold It Against Me" taps into. Three songs in, and we're totally OMFG about Femme Fatale. There are just not enough GIFs in the world to explain our excitement.

Like last time, it was Dr. Luke, one of Britney Spears' producers, who let the cat out of the bag on Twitter. He tweeted, "something like that," along with a link to "How I Roll." Something like what? What do you mean, Dr. Luke? Is that code?! Is there more?!!?! WE NEED TO KNOW!!

"How I Roll" was produced by Bloodshy and Avant, the same production team behind Britney Spears' "Toxic" and "Piece Of Me," and you can hear a lot of that influence in the track -- tons of synth and a machine-gun-fire beat. Also, hand claps! Everyone knows hand claps are the best part of any song.

+ Listen to a sneak peek of Britney Spears' "How I Roll."

Tags Britney Spears, Dr. Luke

(Credit: Neil Mockford/FilmMagic)

+ Ke$ha is being sued (for something in the neighborhood of $14 million) by her former managers who claim producer Dr. Luke induced her to breach her contract with them. (MTV News)

+ According to a BET executive claims to have heard six Lady Gaga tracks from Born This Way, and it left his speakers "gasping for water." He also claims the song "Edge of Glory," is "phenomenal." (Toya'z World)

+ Elton John thinks "American Idol" should change up its format. (EW Music Mix)

+ Nicki Minaj would rather her young fans don't repeat the bad words found on her Pink Friday album. (TheFABlife)

+ Will.i.am, not busy enough with performing, producing, acting, etc., is now the director of creative innovation at Intel. (Billboard)

Tags American Idol, Dr. Luke, Elton John, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Will.i.Am

(Credit: David Aguilera/BuzzFoto/FilmMagic)

Max Martin and Dr. Luke are some savvy dudes. The two super-producers--the men behind hits such as Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and Ke$ha's "TiK ToK"--are experts when it comes to incorporating "of-the-now" sounds into their pop music wizardry.

For example, keen-eared listeners might have heard the influence of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their minor-key indie rock in the chords of Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone." And now, with their production on Britney Spears' new single, "Hold It Against Me," the duo have again sampled (not literally) some very in-vogue sounds, that of the Brit dance genre of Dubstep.

So, what is Dubstep? Glad you asked! Its origins go back to the electronic music scene in South East London, almost 12 years ago. In its most basic form, Dubstep combines the skittering rhythms of breakbeat dance music and drum 'n' bass, some dark digital atmospherics and a splash of modern R&B for melody.

As Mixmag rightly points out--experts that they are--you can hear the Dubstep influence on Britney Spears' new single at the 2:22 mark of "Hold It Against Me," when the droning bass collides with some collapsing drums and the treated vocals dance all over the digital debris.

The role of Dubstep in Britney Spears' music will likely become more pronounced when her album drops, as she was reported to have worked with famed Dubstep producers Rusko on some tracks.

Dubstep artists worth checking out include Burial, Flying Lotus, Skream and, yes, Rusko. Happy listening!

Tags Britney Spears, Burial, Dr. Luke, Flying Lotus, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Kelly Clarkson, Max Martin, Rusko, Skream, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

(Credit: @BritneySpears)

It's here, y'all! We thought we were going to have to wait until Tuesday to hear Britney Spears' new single, "Hold It Against Me," but Britney surprised us by releasing it to radio a day early. "Hold It Against Me," the first single off of her untitled new album, definitely has the signature Britney Spears dance/pop sound, but it's also quite a bit club-ier than we're used to. Break out those glow sticks and hot pants, people.

Produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin (the super production team behind Ke$ha and Katy Perry), "Hold It Against Me" is perfectly primed to be the most requested song at every party/club/school dance/Bar Mitzvah for at least the next six months. The sound of "Hold It Against Me" is harder than we're used to from Britney and a lot more epic. In other words, we already have it on repeat!

And of course, it wouldn't be a Britney Spears song without at least one of those famous double entendres: "If I said I want your body now, would you hold it against me?" Britney asks. Great new pickup line or greatest new pickup line?

Is Britney Spears officially back? What do you think of "Hold It Against Me?" Is it stuck in your head already, too? Let us know!

+ Listen to Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me."

Related Content Best Of Britney Spears Photos, Britney Videos

Tags Britney Spears, Dr. Luke, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Max Martin