Ingrid Michaelson is one with her fellow music artists, both past and present, in her new video for “Blood Brothers”, off her album Human Again. In the time-lapse video, we see the singer-songwriter — with the magic of a team of make-up artists — turn into Madonna (circa her Marilyn Monroe era), David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, Lady Gaga during her hairbow phase, KISS‘s Gene Simmons, Beyonce, John Lennon and, most impressively, Amy Winehouse.

“We’re all the same under a different name,” sings the 32-year-old songstress on the midtempo tune. Let this be a call for beef-loving artists to simmer down and their feud-seeking fans to stop pitting singers (especially the ladies) against one another. They’re all one!

Human Again is available now. Purchase is on eMusic.

[Via Popdust]

Memorial Day is next Monday (May 28), and while most of us are just stoked to get the day off work, the holiday is actually intended to honor the good men and women who’ve fallen in battle, in service to the United States. To pay tribute to them, and to keep your Memorial Day barbeque poppin’, we’ve compiled a list of 12 patriotic songs  that are so the opposite of those downer tracks that usually come to mind when someone says “patriotic songs.” Nope, there are no amber waves of grain and definitely no “Born In The USA” on this soundtrack, just a dozen uptempo tunes about heroes and the good ol’ US of A. Grab that iTunes gift card and head below to see our picks.

1. Lady Antebellum, “American Honey”


2. Carrie Underwood, “All-American Girl”

3. Lil Wayne, “American Star”

4. Kim Wilde, “Kids In America”

5. College feat. Electric Youth, “A Real Hero”

6. Miley Cyrus, “Party In The U.S.A.”

7. Duran Duran, “Rio”
Despite popular belief, this song is a love letter to America, not a boat.

8. Foo Fighters, “My Hero”

9. Madonna, “American Pie”

10. Huey Lewis & The News, “Heart Of Rock And Roll”

11. Curtis Mayfield, “Power To The People”

12. John Mellencamp, “R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.”

Which poppy patriotic songs did we miss? Tell us in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter!

Did You Hear?

:: After working with Kelly Osbourne, Madonna has tapped another famous celeb offspring to help promote her Material Girl line — Mick Jagger‘s 20-year-old daughter Georgia May Jagger. Jaggers — they’re so hot right now. [E! Online]

:: T.I. will play a bounty hunter in big-screen comedy Identity Thief, starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy. Also look out for T.I., Actor in Starz’s original series Boss, and T.I., Reality Star in VH1′s docu-series T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle. [Rap-Up]

:: Jay-Z and Kanye West‘s Watch The Throne track “No Church In The Wild” gets combined with 1920 decadence in the trailer for Baz Luhrman’s The Great Gatsby. [Pink Is The New Blog]

:: Queens Of The Stone Age‘s Josh Homme made a commercial advertising Scissor Sisters‘ upcoming album Magic Hour. Can we invite him to our kiki? [Consequence Of Sound]

:: Brandy‘s brother and Whitney Houston‘s close friend/rumored lover Ray J has been hospitalized for exhaustion. [Billboard]

After the jump, find out which music acts will be hitting the tube today.

Music on TV:

:: Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) — Norah Jones (repeat)
:: Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) — Nelly Furtado
:: Live with Carson Daly (NBC) —  Kasabian
:: Conan (TBS) — White Rabbits
:: Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) — Grafitti6

We’re not going to mince words here:  William Orbit‘s remix of Chris Brown‘s new single “Don’t Wake Me Up” is an absolute firecracker. If only Madonna‘s recent chart-challenged album MDNA had this much radness — a sentiment apparently shared by Orbit himself.

“All I will say is that certain thoughts about it that I see expressed online by committed [Madonna] fans… were blindingly obvious to me from the very get go, well before the release,” the Grammy-winning producer lamented on Facebook recently. “But you won’t see me exactly jumping up and down with delight over the way that things have panned out…we were very pushed for time.”

Hear Orbit’s mix of Breezy’s new jam — and catch the rest of his MDNA rant — below.

Chris Brown — ”Don’t Wake Me Up (William Orbit Mix)”

William’s remix contains similar flashes of greatness we’ve heard before from him, in both his production for Madge (particularly her classic Ray Of Light LP) and his work with other artists, such as All Saints’ “Pure Shores”.

All Saints — ”Pure Shores”

But word has it that Orbit has passed along leftovers that didn’t make the cut for MDNA to Brown for his upcoming album Fortune.

“[Madonna] was on form and better than ever with her singing and writing and musicality, and was having a great time,” the producer wrote on Facebook, according to The Huffington Post. “We had songs lined up that were breathtaking.”

Alas, the problems, he went on to explain, lay in Madonna’s packed schedule — particularly the “various pressing commitments that took up the artist’s limited time, such as perfume ranges and teen fashion contests and other such endeavors which are beyond my own limited understanding of pop star agendas.”

He added somewhat cryptically: “The thing about having little appetite for riches and fame, and no great tower of expectations, you haven’t got anything to be taken away. And having always been an outsider, outside in the cold, It’s always clear which way the wind is blowing.”

Well, there you have it. So now he’s working with Breezy. And if this remix is any indication of the fruits of their collaborative labor, we say bring it on.

[Via ONTD]

For Glee‘s graduation episode and the Season 3 finale, “Goodbye”, the cast breaks out songs by, well, everyone: tunes by Lady Gaga, Madonna, Beyonce, Green Day, Queen, Jason Mraz and more are performed during the episode, which manages to still be only an hour long. (We’re assuming everyone’s graduation speech will be sung, since there’s no room left for actual dialogue.) Head below to listen to a slew of the numbers performed on “Goodbye”, but don’t be too sniffly — graduating seniors Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Chris Colfer will be back for Season 4.

Glee Cast – “The Edge Of Glory” (Lady Gaga cover)

Glee cast – “We Are The Champions” (Queen cover)

Glee Cast – “I Won’t Give Up” (Jazon Mraz cover)

Glee Cast – “I’ll Remember” (Madonna cover)

Glee Cast – “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” (Green Day cover)

Glee Cast – “I Was Here” (Beyonce cover)

Hear the rest of Glee‘s graduation tunes over at ONTD. All the songs will be available on Glee: The Music, Season 3 – The Graduation Album.

“Goodbye” airs Tuesday May 22 at 8 p.m. on Fox.

Over the weekend, as the music world at large became aware that Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys had passed away on Friday, musicians began paying tribute to the pioneering rapper who went by the stage name of MCA. One such artist was Madonna, who added Yauch and his Beastie bandmates as supporting act on The Virgin Tour in 1985. It was a year before their debut LP Licensed To Ill was released, and Madge gave the trio their first taste of life on the stage at a superstar level. Head below to read the words about Adam she posted on Facebook.

Madonna wrote on Saturday, “The Beastie Boys were one of a kind! And so was Adam! They were all an important part of my musical history and integral to the musical revolution that was happening at the time. I’m very sad to hear about Adam’s passing. God bless him and his family.”

The accompanying photo Madge posted shows her in leopard print shorts and a bra, running from the Boys as they spray her with water from squirt guns. It’s a cute and comical snapshot that highlights the playful nature between all involved during their short time on the road they spent together.

What do you think of Madonna’s tribute to Adam Yauch? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter.

We’re barely halfway through the year and Madonna is already on the cover of Vanity Fair Italia for a second time. (Though, it makes perfect sense considering that this has so far been the Year Of Madonna). If you remember, Madge helped the mag kick off 2012 when a 1987 shot of the fragrance entrepreneur graced VF‘s January cover. Now the Queen of Pop is back in a black-and-white spread that reminds us a bit of the Material Girl’s Dolce & Gabbana ad campaign. The issue hits newsstands in Italy May 3, will you be picking up a copy?

Avicii is one of the newest acts to surface in today’s current renaissance of electronic dance music, and he’s already breaking records: The 22-year-old producer/DJ is the first EDM artist to headline an arena tour. His popularity has no doubt been pumped up by Flo Rida‘s hit song “Good Feeling“, which samples his song “Levels”. And if you were at Coachella last weekend like us, you know that “Levels” was inescapable, being played by pretty much every artist performing in the Sahara tent — including Avicii himself.

The Swede — whose real name is Tim Berg — may also have gotten his name out there by finding himself at the epicenter of a few controversies involving Leona Lewis and Madonna, who appeared during his set at Ultra Music Festival and made some comments interpreted as promoting drug use (though she later denied that claim). See what he had to say about those sticky subjects and more in our Q&A below.

Idolator: How did it feel to perform at your first Coachella?
Avicii: It was amazing. I’ve been wanting to perform there for ages, so to finally get there was really cool. With the new production and with everything. Everything went according to plan.

Do you have any big changes lined up for Weekend 2?
This first week we premiered part of the production, and we couldn’t premiere all of it. So we’re going to premiere almost all of it this week, and then all of it for the arena tour coming up.

EDM is entering the mainstream more and more. What are your thoughts? Are you glad to see pop acts like Nicki Minaj and Madonna embrace electronic dance and collaborate with DJ producers like yourself, or would you prefer to keep it out of the mainstream?
I don’t see anything negative about it being in the mainstream. I just see it as a way for more people to discover the music. So I don’t see what would be wrong with that. For me, it’s obviously amazing the way it’s taken off. I haven’t been doing this for that long, and even for me for just a couple of years, it’s grown. And how it continues to grow now – it’s really remarkable.

That’s right — you’re only 22, and you’re one of the biggest electronic acts right now. How did this happen so quickly for you?
I got started when I was about 18 years old. It all became serious when I met my manager, and that’s when it took off and started getting to the level where it’s at now. I’ve been very fortunate with the people I work with and the opportunities I’ve been given.

Watch Avicii’s “Levels” mashed-up with Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” at Coachella 2012 (and keep watching to hear his remix of Robyn‘s “Hang With Me”):

There was some controversy between you and Leona Lewis regarding her single “Collide“, that used your song “Penguin” without permission. Can you tell us what happened?
The thing that happened there… We already knew [Leona and her team] were going to do something with the same sample that I used [Penguin Cafe Orchestra's "Perpetuum Mobile"]. That was what I was expecting. But there’s nothing I can do about that, and it’s a shame that it was going to go up against my own single at the time. But I can’t morally tell them not to do that, because it’s not my melody to begin with. But then when the track came out, it wasn’t that they took the original sample and did something new and made their own track with it. It was just kind of my track already there.

I didn’t use a sample — I reproduced and took inspiration from the original melody and made a new song from it. I changed the rhythms, I changed a lot of stuff in it, and they kind of took all of that work. And that was the problem from the beginning. We worked it out, and I got credit on the track, and they already approached us before about Leona being featured and singing over my version. We just didn’t like the vocal that much, so we decided not to go with it, and then that happened. In the end, it all worked out.

Madonna made an appearance during your set at Ultra Music Festival. How did that come about?
I travel so much, I barely have time to even stay in the loop, it’s very hard for me to stay in the loop. So I found out it was going to happen a couple weeks prior [from my manager], and that I was going to do a remix [of "Girl Gone Wild"], and she was coming out, and we were premiering the remix and she was introducing me at Ultra. And it’s amazing. One of the biggest musical icons, and I’ve grown up with her music, everyone has. That was definitely a big honor and a really big thing for me to have her up there on stage.

Her appearance drew a bit of controversy after she made those “molly” comments. Do you have any opinion on what she said?
Not really. I didn’t take it serious at the time. I didn’t read too much into it, and I haven’t really kept myself up to date with any intrigue in the scene. To me, I never really cared, to be honest. I didn’t see it as a big thing.

There are so many amazing pop and dance acts that come from Sweden — Robyn, Miike Snow, The Knife, Lykke Li and you! Is there something in the water over there? Sweden seems to be leading the pack in terms of accessible but experimental pop.
It is, I really think it is. And it has for a long time. A lot of the pop producers out there are from Sweden. I think it has to do with the fact that you’re surrounded by that in Sweden. You’re surrounded by so much talent and so much good music, that everyone’s standards just get higher. I think that’s the biggest explanation for that.

Catch Avicii performing in the Sahara tent Sunday night during Coachella’s final weekend, as well as on his upcoming arena tour.  

A good portion of Madonna‘s one-on-one with Harry Smith for Rock Center was shown on the Today Show yesterday, but the full interview aired last night. We were under the impression that Madge had nixed any TV interviews for MDNA, but perhaps her team whispered to the Girl Gone Wild that it might be best to start shilling the album on-camera a bit, given its historic plunge down the chart. At any rate, given the death of TV icon Dick Clark yesterday, the segment began with a clip of the future Material Girl on American Bandstand way back in 1983.

When asked what it meant to her to have 114 million people tune in to her Super Bowl halftime performance in early February, Madonna tells Smith, “It meant the world to me. It meant that, I guess that people were curious to see what I was going to do, and I felt really lucky.”

Madge and the Rock Center contributor have a comical exchange when he says it seemed that she almost cried while talking about the Super Bowl, and she denies it. “I know when I’m about to cry, Harry. You don’t know me that well, okay” Madge quips.

Madonna launches Her Fragrance In NYC

8 Photos »

The segment goes on to show Madge talking about her MDNA lyrics dealing with her divorce from Guy Ritchie (“There’s a rule of thumb when it comes to writing” says Madonna, “and it’s write about what you know”), and a diehard Madonna fan who got his idol to autograph his arm at the launch of her new fragrance Truth Or Dare last week, then went and had the singer’s name permanently tattooed on his skin.

Perhaps the most revealing moment comes when the 53-year-old pop icon admits that she does have days where she feels like taking a break from her career. “Of course I have those days,” she says. “I’m having them right now, just about every other day. I just want to stay home in my bed.”

What are your thoughts on Madonna’s full Rock Center interview? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments!

Coachella was raging more than ever this year with the large array of electronic artists taking over the Polo Fields. Justice and Girl Talk comandeered the larger stages, while the dance tent overflowed with dance fiends ready to party rock to the likes of David Guetta Avicii, and Martin Solveig, who has been spinning tunes and releasing albums for a decade now, but came on the radar in the past year with the help of a hit with Dragonette called “Hello”. Most recently, he brought a range of sounds and rave-worthy styles as one of Madonna‘s main producers on MDNA.

Solveig, who hails from Paris, shook the Sahara tent on Saturday night, remixing songs like fun.’s “We Are Young” and Daft Punk’s “Harder Better Faster Stronger”, and caused an eruption with his own tunes “Hello” and “The Night Out”.  Even better than taking in his euphoric bangers? Getting to speak to him personally right after. Take the jump for our chit-chat with the French knob-twiddler.

Idolator: Hi, Martin! I’m Becky from Idolator.
Martin Solveig: Idolator! I love it! It’s impossible to pronounce when you’re French.

Don’t worry, a lot of Americans can’t pronounce it either.
That’s what’s cool about it!

I absolutely loved your set! But why didn’t Dragonette join you for your hit “Hello”? She played the Mojave tent earlier today.
I know why. She was answering questions for guys like you! So it’s your fault she didn’t make it!  [Laughs.] But I’m going to try to see if it’s possible for her to jump up next week. It’s so rare that we are at the same place at the same time. That would have made sense.

That song was huge all over the globe. Is that when things really took off for you?
It definitely took things to a different level, especially in the US, where I was pretty insignificant before. But it changed it all. It became a platinum record, which is crazy! And it also coincides with the time of a great positive revolution for electronic dance music in general in the US. So I’m glad to have had my little share of that, to make awareness of [dance] music in the US. In Europe, it’s been up for a longer amount of time. If I may say, it’s such a pleasure to play in the US. I don’t know how to put it differently. The consideration for the electronic artists is so much bigger here.

You worked extensively on Madonna’s MDNA, and now you’re joining her on several dates of her world tour. 
Everything I’ve had the chance to do with her, it’s crazy. Crazy good. Such a great experience to share a little bit of time with her.

Did she call for you? How did you end up working together?
She decides a lot, especially on the artistic level, she decides everything on her own. Yeah, she made the decision. I was part of a list of potential guys, and her manager called me and said, send over some stuff, we’d like to listen to it, we’re interested. And that was it. The first sessions went very, very well.

Was it intimidating working with her?
Very, very. Of course! If you’re not intimidated in front of Madonna, it means… of course it is. But she’s very relaxed, especially in a studio. After a few days, we started to simply collaborate as artists collaborate together.

Madonna caught a bit of heat from some EDM artists (like deadmau5 and Paul Van Dyk) for her “molly” comments at Ultra Music Festival. What are your thoughts about what she said?
I said everything I have to say about that. Which is that… I said everything. I said it to MTV, so I’m not gonna do any follow-up comment. It’s certainly not my role to comment on what she said.

[For the record, Solveig told MTV: "She's a lot more ironical than a lot of people think, and ... she has this dry sense of humor, which sometimes makes her say or do things that are a little bit shocking, which is also the reason why everyone loves her."]

It can’t be denied that there is a strong drug presence at electronic music festivals — even here at Coachella. As a DJ and producer in that world, what are your thoughts: Should EDM artists embrace the reality? Distance themselves from it? Or not comment at all? 
I’ll be straight and one hundred percent honest with you: I’ve never used even the slightest bit of drugs in my whole life. Maybe I smoked like one joint when I was 18, that’s my drug experience. So I feel pretty bad to talk about it, because I don’t know shit about it. I’ve been in this electronic music world for 15 years, and I can just say that I’ve enjoyed every bit of it without drugs. No one has really offered me. I’m not the right person to talk to about this.

martin solveig says "hello" to coachella 2012

8 Photos »

How does it feel to play your first Coachella?
It’s absolutely… the site is very impressive, with the mountains. It’s so beautiful. Look at the lights! You could travel here just for sightseeing, and then in the middle of that, you have crazy installations, crazy artists … Honestly, I basically said to my manager in the US that the Coachella spot is a gift, so, thank you. I was so true about that. I just wish I could have brought my girlfriend, she would have loved it … But I’m trying to play good sets so they want me next year!

As you may have noticed, Coachella can be a really weird place. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen so far this weekend?
I’ve seen a couple of looks that were pretty intense. I’ve seen a finger belt.

A… finger belt?
Finger belt. It’s a belt made of fingers. It’s pretty crazy. And it’s really well done, so you can’t really tell if they’re real or fake fingers.

Did you happen to see that blow-up doll rocking out to your set?
Yeah, well, that’s classy! You would admit, the finger belt is a bit more edgy.

Martin Solveig’s EP The Night Out, out now. His full-length US debut Smash is due later this year. And he can be seen live on Saturday at Coachella, and on select dates of Madonna’s MDNA World Tour.

Madonna was exultant over the #1 debut of MDNA, not least because these days “it’s hard to sell albums,” she told interviewer Harry Smith in a new segment for The Today Show. Of course, she’s seen plenty of recent evidence in of that in the album’s historic plunge on the charts after its second week on sale. But she’s got other fires to put out too: her 15-year-old daughter (and business associate in the fashion world) Lourdes was seen smoking a cigarette the other day. How did that happen? As a parent, “I don’t think I’m as tough as I should be. I need to be tougher,” Madge says. Right, because everyone knows Madonna is known for being a big softie. 

The pop megastar told Smith that, despite being one of the wealthiest entertainers in the world, she struggles to balance work and her family. “It must be hard because I complain all the time,” she joked. “We all have our challenges. To be a single mother of four and to work as much as I do, since I live my life in a metaphorical fishbowl, it’s pretty challenging. So far I’ve survived with sanity and humor intact.”But she’s not laughing about the fact that her teen-age daughter (who also sang back-up vocals on MDNA track “Superstar”) was seen puffing away. “Cigarette smoking I’m not very fond of, for anyone. I don’t approve of anyone smoking cigarettes, most of all my daughter.”

Madonna herself has lit one or two herself (most recently in the “Girls Gone Wild” video), but only a fool would bring that up to her face. (We dare you, Lourdes!)

What do you make of Madonna’s revealing interview? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.

Like the rest of the music world, we were saddened by news of Dick Clark‘s sudden passing on Wednesday (Apr. 18). In taking time to look back on the media pioneer’s unequivocal impact on music, television and entertainment, we found ourselves captivated by Dick’s interviews with the great pop artists of the early days of his 33-year run on American Bandstand. Above, watch the late TV personality’s 1972 interview with teenaged Michael Jackson, in which Clark ominously comments, “This poor man’s life has been dissected completely.” Below see nine more of his greatest Bandstand interviews, from Madonna to Janet, LL to Prince.

1969: Stevie Wonder says he’s been working on an arrangement of a Beatles song, but he won’t reveal which. Could he have been referring to his 1970 reworking of the Fab Four’s “We Can Work It Out”, which scored him a Grammy nomination?

1975: In this ABBA interview, Benny introduces Frida as his fiancée and Bjorn and Anna as married. Both couples would later divorce. Sad face.

1978: Aretha Franklin — years before she would don her infamous bow hat at President Obama’s inauguration — wears what appears to be a futuristic shower cap for her Bandstand interview.

1980: Following his performance of “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” 19-year-old Prince is interviewed by Dick about the “thousands” of instruments he plays.

1984: Madonna presciently tells Dick her dream is “to rule the world.”

1985: Run-D.M.C. and the late Jam Master J talk about shooting the movie Krush Groove.

1985: During Weird Al Yankovic‘s appearance on Bandstand, the funnyman tells Dick he’s here “to make the world a better place to live in.”

1985: We’d like to remember Bobby Brown the way he is in this interview with his group New Edition.

1986: After performing “What Have You Done For Me Lately”, Janet Jackson talks about the new “mature” sound on her latest LP Control, saying how she thinks she’s finally found her niche.

1986: LL Cool J was the show’s first ever hip hop act. We could watch LL hilariously describe English food as “TASTY” on an infinite loop.

What’s your favorite Dick Clark memory of all time? Tell us in the comments below, or on Twitter and Facebook.

Madonna is headed south of the border on her MDNA World Tour, Live Nation announced Monday (Apr. 16). In addition to her appearances in Europe and North America, the Billboard chart-topper will play dates in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Chile in late November and December. The now eight-month-long MDNA World Tour kicks off in Tel Aviv, Israel on May 29. Head below to see where Madonna will be stopping in Mexico and South America.

Madonna MDNA World Tour 2012 South American Dates

11/24 — Mexico City, Mexico (Foro Sol)
11/28 — Medellin, Colombia (Estadio Atanasio Girardot)
12/1 — Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (Parque Dos Atletas)
12/4 — Sao Paulo, Brazil (Estadio Do Morumbi)
12/9 — Porto Alegra, Brazil (Estadio Olimpico)
12/19 — Santiago, Chile (Estadio Nacional)

Are you planning to catch Madonna on her MDNA World Tour? Tell us in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter.

Madonna isn’t letting her recent 86.7% drop in album sales get her down. Not only does the timeless diva now have a Jean Paul Gaultier Diet Coke bottle designed in her likeness to celebrate, she’s also got the launch of her new Truth Or Dare fragrance line to focus on. The pop icon arrived at Macy’s Herald Square on Thursday night (Apr. 12) looking absolutely flawless in her black Dolce & Gabbana dress as she met and greeted the lucky first 200 customers. Check out Madonna as she strikes a pose at her kick-off and tell us below (or on Facebook and Twitter) if you’ll be giving all your luvin’ to the “narcotic florals, balanced with addictive woods and vanilla”-smelling perfume.

You may think that Madonna decided to sit down at her sewing machine in 1990 and whipped up her famous cone bra and corset worn in the “Vogue” video and on her Blond Ambition Tour all on her own. But no, the outfit sprung from the imagination of revered couture designer Jean Paul Gaultier, who is now the creative director of Diet Coke. In the soft drink company’s new campaign for Europe (sorry, US fans), Her Madgesty’s classic ensemble adorns one line of the bottles, while a couple different recognizable Gaultier designs appear on others. Head below to watch the TV spot for the fashionably fizzy drink.

Most artists would give their left arm to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. But not Axl Rose! He’d rather be seen on a T-shirt worn by Lana Del Rey these days. His letter to the Hall, Madonna‘s record-breaking album sales drop, Britney Spears‘ rumored X Factor salary and the announcement of three (!!) new albums from Green Day are what had people talking this week. See where each of these music movers and shakers landed on our Pop & Fizz ranking below!

To see exactly how these artists entered the hype index, check below.

• Axl Rose Declines Induction Into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: Read His Letter
• Eminem Will Join Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre At Coachella
• Lollapalooza 2012 Lineup: Florence + The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Calvin Harris & Fun.
• Nicki Minaj’s Roman Reloaded Debuts At #1, Madonna’s MDNA Suffers Huge Drop
• B.o.B & Taylor Swift’s “Both Of Us”: Listen
  
• Britney Spears To Receive $15 Million To Become A Judge On The X Factor
• Green Day Announce Plans To Release Album Trilogy
  
• Nicki Minaj On Nightline: Don’t Compare Her To Lady Gaga (Watch)
  
• One Direction & Simon Cowell Facing Lawsuit Over Band Name
  
• Damon Albarn Confirms The End Of Gorillaz And Blur
  

How did this week’s chart stack up for you? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.

Though Madonna has drawn ire from the electronic music community for her seemingly-innocent “molly” comments at Ultra Music Fest, she’s still got the support of the EDM artists who appear on MDNA. Martin Solveig, the producer responsible for Madge’s “Give Me All Your Luvin’” (as well as her rumored new single “Turn Up The Radio”), will join the pop queen on the European leg of her upcoming tour. His new EP The Night Out is out now, perfect for your road trip out to Coachella, where the “Hello” artist will be playing in the Sahara tent on Saturday. 

The best kept secret in the music industry is that pop divas, like fine wines and British actors, only get better with age. So far this year we’ve seen Madonna score her eighth Billboard chart-topping album (however short-lived), Jennifer Lopez storm the iTunes chart with “Dance Again” and the re-emergence of Gwen Stefani as the voice of No Doubt. With new albums from Shania Twain, Cher and Kylie Minogue on the way, 2012 is shaping up to be the year when pop’s leading ladies prove that 40 really is the new 20.

To celebrate the phenomenon, we’ve put together a list of our top 15 timeless divas — women of a certain vintage who remain relevant, influential and important to music fans of all ages. For your favorite singer to qualify, she just had to be born prior to 1972, have an iconic career and still practice pop. Hence no Barbra Streisand or Reba McEntire. Rankings are based on chart stats, record sales, pop culture status and recent success. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Nicki Minaj‘s Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded has become her second chart-topping album after posting better-than-expected first-week sales of 253,000 copies. Unfortunately for Madonna, her “Give Me All Your Luvin’” pal bumps MDNA off the #1 spot on Billboard‘s Top 200. And as noted yesterday, Madge’s drop is a record-breaking, steep one — 86.7% to be exact. MDNA fell from sales of 359,000 out of the gate to 48,000 in its second week, which has now caused the album to plummet down to #8 on the chart.

Madonna’s opening-week sales were aided by the fact that concert-goers who purchased tickets to her fall North American tour were given the option of receiving either a physical CD or digital download copy of MDNA. Those who opted for the album therefore contributed to the initial 359,000 total copies sold. But without a hit single dominating the airwaves, it was naturally impossible to maintain the momentum by week number two.

Billboard points out that Madonna has now topped Lady Gaga for the biggest second-week drop in sales of an album in the SoundScan era. Last spring, Gaga’s Born This Way fell 84.27% from its first week (when it sold 1.1 million copies) to second (174,000). That album’s sales were, of course, aided by the Amazon MP3 Store’s now-infamous 99-cent sale.

It is worth mentioning that Madonna, who is currently rehearsing for her tour, has done nearly zero promotion for MDNA, save for a live chat with Jimmy Fallon for Facebook and a couple Twitter fan Q&A sessions.

The Top 10 Of Billboard’s Top 200 Chart

1. Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded *new* *1 week*
2. Adele, 21
3. Rascal Flatts, Changed *new*
4. Lionel Richie, Tuskegee
5. One Direction, Up All Night
6. Of Monsters And Men, My Head Is An Animal *new*
7. Various, The Hunger Games soundtrack
8. Madonna, MDNA
9. Marvin Sapp, I Win *new*
10. Shinedown, Amaryllis

Did You Hear?

:: Does this mean it’s true love? Kanye West will reportedly appear on an upcoming episode of rumored-girlfriend Kim Kardashian‘s E! show Keeping Up With The Kardashians. “Watch for Kanye to make several appearances on the show towards the end of the season,” a source says. Yeezy has appeared on one of Kim’s bajillion E! shows before, but only under the guise of giving fashion advice. [Radar Online]

:: Fergie and Darren Criss get animated for an upcoming episode of The Cleveland Show. [E! Online]

:: Can’t wait to find out what Madonna will sing during her MDNA tour? Get some song list spoilers. [Pink Is The New Blog]

:: Train have basically recorded their own version of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire”. But did they manage to fact check their lyrics before recording? [Popdust]

:: Go on a road trip with Ladyhawke in her new video for “Sunday Drive”. [Vulture]

After the jump, find out which music acts you can find on the tube today.

Music on TV:

:: Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) — Kaiser Chiefs
:: Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) — Neon Trees
:: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC) — the Ting Tings
:: Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) —  the Civil Wars
:: Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC) — Foster the People
:: Ellen DeGeneres (NBC) — Ellie Goulding