In a time of crisis, isn’t it comforting to know that there are still things out there to live for? As an example: 
Shayne Ward, who we last saw in a re-enactment of the Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” video, is hard at work on his third disc, with a summer target for release. While I recognize that I’m just a small blog on the huge superhighway of the Internet, could it be possible that Shayne read that last entry, and felt the need to make changes in his life (and diet)?
I’m training hard and believe me it’s hard work when you’ve got an instructor, ha he’s putting me through my paces, but it’ll all be worth it trust me.
Shayne, Shayne, Shayne. Don’t go changin’, to try and please us. You never let us down before. We blame all of the missteps in promoting “Breathless” on Simon Cowell and the record label. How else do you explain single-worthy songs like “Tangled Up” and “You Make Me Wish” never seeing the light of day, let alone the magic of half-naked scenarios for Shayne to make videos of. Interesting note in the January blog entry, though…there’s talk of a duet. Hmmm…wonder who his management team might think it’s a good idea for Shayne to duet with. Possibly another X-Factor winner who has already achieved success in the elusive American market? Only time will tell.
Speaking of duet partners riding coattails, can we talk about Colby O’Donis (or Adonis, as D’luv refers to him) for a moment? Talk about one of the luckiest guys on the face of the planet. Just 20 years old, and he already has 3 top 20 hits, including co-star billing with Akon and Lady GaGa, and a Grammy Nomination for “Just Dance” to boot. He’s only had one hit on his own (“What You Got”, which hit #14 on the Billboard Hot 100), but his handlers are hoping that a remix of “Let You Go” will fly at radio to keep the track record intact (check it out here). It sounds a LOT like “Let Me Love You” by Mario, but I’m not sure that this has hit written all over it, even though I like it. What do you all think?
The planned closures of the Virgin Megastores in Times Square and Union Square in New York City and the Market Street store in San Francisco are the beginning of the final wind-down of the Virgin Entertainment Group North America. Over the next few months, the company also plans to shutter its other three stores in Orlando, Fla., Denver and Los Angeles, with the company expected to be liquidated sometime this summer.
Okay, someone woke Vince up and decided that he needed to be a bit more visible in the industry. Besides the Erasure hits package and last year’s Yaz(oo) tour, Vince recently took on remixing duties for the Saturdays’ vastly improved remix of “Issues”, and now 
Last Saturday, I got to stop in and browse a little bit, which hasn’t happened much recently, and it seemed like every catalog item was on sale. I didn’t buy much (Alison Moyet’s “Singles” for $5), but in a weird way, it was comforting to wander around the store, listen to Snow Patrol on the overhead, and check out all of the listening stations with music that most people will never care about. I have always coveted the time I’ve spent in record stores, even after I escaped the retail rat race, and to see that opportunity go away is not a pleasant thought to me. The whole “world of music at your fingertips digitally” is great when I know what I’m looking for, but for me, there will always be a longing for a more tangible music experience.
Based on the horrible quality of last night’s contestants, Nick Mitchell, aka Norman Gentle, will get through to the Final 12 tonight. And yes, I voted for him. He was far and away the best part of last night’s show. Stay tuned…
– How about America’s Next Top Drama Queen, Tatiana! If VH1 can hand out the title of Best Week Ever, then maybe we should award the Worst Week Ever to Ms. Del Toro. Despite the fact that she had moments of brilliance on Tuesday night (mixed in with moments of mediocrity), the judges who supposedly put her through to this round were completely SHOCKED that she could sing. She’s delusional enough to work around that, though. Tonight, on the other hand, was just downright cruel. American Idol truly slipped to a new low, as the producers held Tatiana out for the final judgment against Danny Gokey, who most have already pegged to make it to the top 2. The news had to be broken to her at some point, but the true cruelty was in following her emotional breakdown all through Danny’s repeat performance of “Hero”. It was just downright evil. Speaking of evil…
– America gets the whole picture. While there was talk that Anoop Desai was destined for Top 12 greatness, a buzz was also building for Michael (formerly Jeremy) Sarver. The fact that the vote was so close between the two of them shows that folks took into account the full history of their performances, because if the viewers hadn’t taken that into account, Ricky Braddy should have easily had Michael’s spot in the top 3. Chances are good that both Desai and Braddy will be back for the Wildcard round.
– You only get one shot. Jackie Tohn, Anne Marie Boskovich, and Brian Keith…it’s been nice knowing you. Anne Marie might make it back to the Wildcard round, but all three took major falls from contenders to also-rans based on one performance. And let’s not even get into the rest of the ladies. The guys really do have the upper hand this year, with the exception of Alexis Grace, who was miles away from her female counterparts.
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