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Well, here's a nice change of pace: Nicole Scherzinger, formerly of The Pussycat Dolls and judge on "The Sing Off," has a new video for her single, "Right There," and it doesn't sound like everything else on the radio! Not that we're complaining about the endless stream of disco-sticked pop that's dominating music at the moment, but it's pretty refreshing to see a vocally talented artist like Nicole Scherzinger tap into a more R&B-heavy sound on a pop record. The electric guitar lick that rips through the song's bass line is a sort of a little lost gem. The kind you got when Destiny's Child sampled Stevie Nicks's "Edge Of Seventeen" in "Bootylicious."

Anyway, back to the video! Of course, Nicole looks stunning. Dressed like a mix between an eskimo and Willow Smith (we called it!), Scherzinger tears up a ghostly downtown L.A. with the assistance of 50 Cent. And just because she's flying solo doesn't mean that Nicole has gone without the support of some strong females, either. Their back-up dancing remind us why Nicole owned the competition during her stint as a competitor on "Dancing With The Stars" in the first place (and also how she lead The Pussycat Dolls to the top of the charts as the quintet's lead singer).

+ Watch the video for Nicole Scherzinger Featuring 50 Cent, "Right There."

Tags 50 Cent, Destinys Child, Nicole Scherzinger, Pussycat Dolls, Stevie Nicks, Willow Smith

Nicole Scherzinger was photographed filming her new music video for "Right There" off her upcoming album, Killer Love, in Los Angeles. And is it just the air in here, or does the former Pussycat Doll look eerily like an adult version of widdle Willow Smith? Nicole rocked some genie pants, leather boots, a whole lot of bracelets and an enormous, braided ponytail that was just begging to be whipped back and forth, à la Willow herself.

We're not saying that Nicole is taking cues from a 10-year-old, but we're not saying that would be a bad idea, either, considering that Willow is -- even at her young age -- already a style icon. And with Nicole finally ready to break out on her own (and why shouldn't she, considering she can sing and dance like a pro, and her time is way overdue?), modeling her wardrobe after someone already leading the pack would surely be a bold move in the right direction.

Needless to say, we were pretty happy to actually find pics of Nicole whipping her hair back and forth, this time in some sort of sexy Southwestern shaman getup that only makes us more excited to see the Pussycat Doll finally claw her way into back into the zeitgeist.

Credit: Splash News

Tags Nicole Scherzinger, Pussycat Dolls, Star Spotting, Willow Smith

Credit: WireImage

We haven't heard from the Pussycat Dolls in a while (save for that "Don't Cha" ringtone I can't figure out how to delete), but fear not! Group founder and choreographer Robin Antin will see to it that we get some PCD back into our lives...and soon. (Yay?) An all-new version of the group is currently being cast, and from the audition video footage, these tryouts look like the leggings and bustier convention I never get invited to.

The search for the new group will be a part of a new reality show documenting the girls' journeys, and Kim Kardashian will act as a producer. "It's really about finding that sexiness," Antin said about casting the perfect new Pussycat Dolls group. "Obviously I'll look for a triple threat. I want girls who are incredibly talented, incredible singers, incredible dancers...Beautiful girls on the inside and out," she continued.

A reality show about casting the new Pussycat Dolls with Kim Kardashian as a producer? I think we've reached the apex of pop culture, folks. We've passed the rubicon -- save yourselves!

+ Watch the video of the new Pussycat Dolls auditions here.

Tags Kim Kardashian, Pussycat Dolls, We Have To Say Something

Fusing the best parts of more than 50 years of R&B history, from girl group melodies to the classic soul of Aretha Franklin and infusing it with a modern sensibility (a.k.a. great beats), Brit singer V.V. Brown is like a one-woman encyclopedia of soul.

Well known as a force behind the scenes, with writing credits on songs by the Pussycat Dolls and Sugababes, Brown has struck out on her own, with her debut album, Traveling Like The Light (on iTunes now and elsewhere April 20).

Traveling... is full of incredibly well-crafted songs, from the raucous Brit Pop-flavored stomp of "Quick Fix," to the reggae skip of "Shark In The Water." Brown has the distinct ability to flit from sound to sound and emotion to emotion, all while keeping her fun-loving, bubbly personality intact.

For anyone who loves Amy Winehouse, Solange Knowles or Janelle Monae--bright, effervescent, intelligent soul music--Brown is a must-hear.

Check out the video for "Shark In The Water" below. Traveling Like The Light is out now. You can hear a bunch of jams on her MySpace page.

Tags Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, Janelle Monae, Pussycat Dolls, Solange Knowles, Sugababes, video, VV Brown

+ Jay-Z had yet another homecoming last night, playing another typically awe-inspiring show at Madison Square Garden—the venue which hosted his Fade To Black concert film and his 9/11 benefit show. Opener Young Jeezy nearly stole the show from the headliner, though. The Atlanta rapper brought out Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne, who celebrated his lack of incarceration by performing Young Jeezy's underground hit, "I'm Goin' In." (MTV News)

+ Justin Timberlake's affair with Hollywood continues unabated. The pop star will act opposite Cameron Diaz in the upcoming film Bad Teacher. A couple of things are wrong with this: 1.) We're getting a little annoyed that Justin Timberlake keeps finding movie sets more inviting than recording studios, and 2.) Did anyone notice that Diaz is Justin Timberlake's ex-girlfriend. Jessica Biel can't be cool with this. (Just Jared)

+ The psych-pop kids in MGMT have a new full-length album, Congratulations, out April 13.  And by way of promotion, they've made a snappy infomercial, highlighting all the neat bells and whistles that come with the CD's packaging. (Flavorwire)

+ The Pussycat Dolls tour bus is probably a pretty lonely place these days because the nu-burlesque girl group recently lost more members, Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts. The pair left the Nicole Scherzinger-led group while they were on tour in England. (PopEater)

+ Idolator have put together a jaw-dropping gallery of the craziest, most passionate, most ornate, most dedicated and, in some cases, most disturbing pieces of fan art they could find. The package includes renderings of Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Adam Lambert, Kanye West and many more. (Idolator)

Tags Adam Lambert, Drake, Jay-Z, Jessica Biel, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, MGMT, Nicki Minaj, Nicole Scherzinger, Pussycat Dolls, Taylor Swift, Young Jeezy

A couple of weeks ago we hipped you to the "tropical soul" stylings of Debi Nova, a Costa Rican-born Los Angeles-based session-singer-turned-solo-artist.

After working with the likes of Ricky Martin, Black Eyed Peas and others, Nova has set out on her own. And her debut full length, Luna Nueva, due in March, is full of rhythmically complex pop-R&B. This sound is wonderfully captured on the album's lead single, "Drummer Boy."

Directed by Thomas Kloss (Pussycat Dolls, New Kids On The Block), the "Drummer Boy" video is a seductive introduction to Nova. With an acoustic guitar melody over a skittering beat (not unlike something Timbaland would cook up for Nelly Furtado), Nova does some dancing in the desert. There is a blessed lack of narrative to the vid; at some point some equally accomplished dancer friends show up to join in on the fun, but that's about it. It's more or less a platform for Debi Nova to show off her pipes and her moves.

Luna Nueva is due out in March. You can hear more music at Debi Nova's MySpace page. Check out the premiere of "Drummer Boy."

Related Content The Buzz On Debi Nova

Tags Black Eyed Peas, Debi Nova, New Kids on the Block, Pussycat Dolls, Ricky Martin, video

We've got SO much to discuss regarding internationally-flavored group Paradiso Girls. I will try to remain composed, but I have such an investment in these girls that I may chick out at some point...

Let's ease in with the video for "Patron Tequila," from the quintet's debut album, Crazy Horse... Wait, first I want some credit: I was an early adopter of this track, even texting uninterested parties: I am obsessed with this ridiculous song that Keri Hilson wrote about puking from margaritas ... which is what "Patron Tequila is about.

Watch the video below for a little Eve and Lil Jon, as well as Paradiso's hip-thrusting fiend of a lead vocalist (on this track), Aria Crescendo. Now it's cool each of the five Paradiso Girls is of a separate nationality, but I'm only going to discuss two: Aria, born in Paris, raised in Transylvania (I didn't make that up), and Chelsea Korka, the group's sole United States-ian.

I remember Aria from a gay-ish music video a few years back, "Girl I Told Ya" by Valeria (just gay-ish, as in Katy Perry, wink-wink, we-might-be-two-girls-who-actually-hook-up-at-"sleepovers" gay).

Now here comes my inappropriate investment: Chelsea, if she looks familiar to you, was straight-up robbed on the first season of The Pussycat Dolls: The Search for The Next Doll. I didn't watch -- I couldn't watch -- Season 2 of that show out of outrage and protest. Chelsea was my girl; now, as a Paradiso, sweet revenge is MINE!

Anyway, like The Pussycat Dolls, Paradiso Girls is a Robin Antin production, and it was sort of built around Aria. Working with Interscope and will.i.am, Paradiso auditioned and recruited the four other members you see now. Since then, the girls scored a featured spot on DJ Space Cowboy's "Falling Down" and made their TV debut on LOGO's 2009 NewNowNext Awards. Check out the live performance, with a lead-in from none other than RuPaul. Whut?

By the way, just one year ago, Lady GaGa made her TV debut on the NNN Awards. Could be a good sign...

Tags Eve, Keri Hilson, Lady Gaga, Lil Jon, paradiso girls, Pussycat Dolls, Will.i.Am

Somebody call 911! Sean Kingston gives the "what a gwan" dancehall revival a Bollywood makeover in his sauna of a new video for Tomorrow single, "Fire Burning." And let me tell you. That little preview we broke you off with last week had nothing on the real deal.

Processions of zoot suit G-men and fly dancers on Razor scooters snake their way through a bass-bumping warehouse where the animal-print-Spandex-clad guests are jumping higher than the temperature. And just when you think it couldn't get any hotter, the dance crews show up.

The explosive scene gets packed enough to make "Jai Ho" jealous! And, between the swing kids, the booty dancers, and the break crews, if you watch close, you could really learn a thing or two. Get with it! Sean Kingston! "Fire Burning!"

Tags A.R. Rahman, Pussycat Dolls, Sean Kingston, video

Pussycat Dolls' latest video, "Hush Hush; Hush Hush," is noteworthy not just because the song's title contains a semi-colon, which you don't see every day, but because the song and video hold a lot of behind-the-scenes dramz. The song is from PCD's Doll Domination. Doll Domination 2.0, but honestly, they could've just called it Doll Drama 2.0. Because...

1.) You won't hear much of the other Dolls in "Hush Hush; Hush Hush." Nicole Scherzinger recorded lead and background vocals on the song. No wonder Melody Thornton had some "words" during PCD's concert in Phoenix this past April. That, and the fact that originally, "Hush Hush; Hush Hush" was originally tauted as "Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger." Ouch.

2.) In the beginning of the video, a super naked Nicole Scherzinger uses the PHONE in the bathtub, which is just SUCH a bad idea for a variety of reasons. Though not as bad as using a hair dryer in the bathtub, which you should REALLY never do.

3.) "Hush Hush; Hush Hush samples Gloria Gaynor's 1978 hit "I Will Survive," and certainly the video's disco scene is an homage to that era, while Nicole Scherzinger's hair, makeup, and lame' look are clearly an homage to Diana Ross.

4.) Yes, the DJ in the video is Perez Hilton. Modest, too, as he's wearing a t-shirt that says "'Hush Hush featuring Perez." Perez has also appeared in Simple Plan's "When I'm Gone" video, Eric Hutchinson's "Rock And Roll" video, and The White Tie Affair's "Candle (Sick And Tired)." There's also a quick cameo by Carmen Electra. Also, check out that cameo by HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition -- it's a teensy little fashion laptop that's almost as pretty as Nicole. Hearts it!

5.) "Hush Hush; Hush Hush" was directed by Rich Lee, who also directed All-American Rejects' "The Wind Blows" video and Fergie's "Clumsy."

Tags Diana Ross, Eric Hutchinson, Nicole Scherzinger, Perez Hilton, Pussycat Dolls, Rich Lee, Simple Plan, video

This week Nicole Scherzinger's bindi joins Madonna's Kabbalah bracelet and Rachael Ray's fashion keffiyeh in our virtual museum of misappropriated religious paraphernalia. OK, so we don't really have a virtual museum (and we're not mad at bindis, either!), but if we did, it would definitely have a Darjeeling Limited trolley ride.

Pussycat Dolls' "Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)" would be a fitting soundtrack for such a ride. The spicy Eastern disco-thumper is a remix, with added vocals, of A.R. Rahman's Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire song of the same name. The video is an elaborate dance extravaganza, the kind made famous by suddenly super-hip Bollywood movies. And you know what? It fits. Like a midriff-revealing sari, it fits.

When asked about the PCD remix, Scherzinger told the UK Sun, "It’s such an honour to be able to collaborate with A.R. Rahman and be a part of the Slumdog Millionaire project... I found the movie’s story and music very spirituality uplifting." Notice she said "honour," not "honor," in another display of newfound Pussycat Doll worldliness. Slumdog Millionaire must have really changed her life! Watch "Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)," right here!

+ See how "Jai Ho" was made in this behind-the-scenes exclusive!

Tags A.R. Rahman, Bollywood, Madonna, Nicole Scherzinger, Pussycat Dolls, Rachael Ray, Slumdog Millionaire, Wes Anderson