Pink reader Bat gave me the head’s up that Paula Abdul’s official website is currently streaming a new song that appears to be the first single from her upcoming new album which is due out in Summer ‘09. The song is titled Boombox … which is curious, because Kylie Minogue just released a remix album titled Boombox and, wouldn’t you know it, features the very same song on the disc:

Head on over to PaulaAbdul.com to hear a short snippet of the track, which was also previewed on Paula’s MTV cheerleader competition show Rah! which aired on MTV yesterday. Click HERE to hear one of Kylie’s remixed versions of the track. Kylie’s Boombox is released in OZ this week and will be released here in the US on the 27th … Paula’s won’t come until the summer. While I am very excited that Paula is about to release a new album, I’m not really sure why she needs to release songs that have already been recorded and released by other more successful artists … or mebbe I just answered my own question.

[Source, thanks Bat]

Yikes! Sad and shocking news to report on the Paula Abdul front today … police found the body of, what is being described as, an “extreme” “stalker” fan of Paula’s in a van near her home here in SoCal yesterday evening. According to police, the family of this woman reported that she was missing and suggested that they look for her around Paula Abdul’s home. Sure enough, police found the body of the woman very near Abdul’s home (it is believed that she took her own life). Obvs, Paula was very “shocked” to learn of this apparent suicide near her home:

A woman, believed to have been a stalker, has been found dead outside a home in Sherman Oaks belonging to Paula Abdul, according to police. A spokesperson from the LAPD Van Nuys station says the woman was found dead inside a car around 6 p.m. Tuesday in the 3800 block of Beverly Ridge Drive, yards from Abdul’s home. The woman may have died from a drug overdose, officials said. Police say it’s also possible she committed suicide. TMZ is reporting that officers have been to the house “numerous times before” to deal with the alleged stalker. Representatives for the American Idol judge told TMZ that they know who the woman is. The identity of the woman, in her 30s, was not immediately released. Capt. Jim Miller says the woman was infatuated with Abdul.

Wow! While this is very sad, it’s also very creepy. A spokesperson for Paula Abdul has released a statement about this incident:

A rep for Paula Abdul says the American Idol judge is “shocked and saddened” after a 30-year-old woman was found in a parked car outside her Los Angeles home on Tuesday. The rep tells Entertainment Tonight that they had known about the woman for “several years”; she was an extreme fan who “has issues,” the rep says. The woman’s car was found after 6 p.m. on Tuesday after the Los Angeles Police Department received a call. The cause of death may have been a drug overdose in an apparent suicide, according to TMZ.com. Abdul was working on Idol all day and returned home late in the evening after the scene had cleared.

Again, I say, Wow! This incident could’ve been much worse had this very unstable person turned her fatal attraction on Paula rather than on herself. I don’t even know what else to say … it’s all so tragic and very scary :(

[Source, Source, Source]

Celebs and musicians of all sorts made their way out to Radio City Music Hall in NYC last night to be a part of Conde Nast Media Group’s 5th Anniversary Fashion Rocks concert event, which seeks to honor and celebrate the convergence of music and fashion. Here are a few pics from the Fashion Rocks red carpet arrivals:

Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus and Charlize Theron were among the celebrities who appeared at the fifth annual Fashion Rocks concert celebrating the relationship between music and fashion. They walked the red carpet Friday night at Radio City Music Hall amid a media circus angling for glamour shots of other stars including Fergie, Rihanna, Chris Brown and the “Gossip Girl” gang. Brown, the R&B heartthrob, soaked up all the attention with a smile as he showed off his dapper ensemble of a black vest and shirt, gray pants, shiny shoes and diamond stud earrings. “To be a musician and a great entertainer, you have to be a trendsetter. To be a trendsetter, you have to know fashion — and I have fun with it,” explained the singer, who later changed into khakis and a black shirt and scarf for a performance of his hit song “Forever.” The event will air Tuesday in a two-hour special on CBS. Proceeds will benefit Stand Up To Cancer, a program established by the Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise money for cancer research. Stand Up To Cancer held a live telethon that aired simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS on Friday night … Other performers included Timberlake, Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Duffy, the Pussycat Dolls and the Black Eyed Peas. A highlight was Timberlake and Beyonce’s sizzling duet of “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” which channeled the soulful sound of the classic song’s original singers, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Stars mingled and sipped cocktails backstage in the green room, where Leighton Meester of the CW teen drama “Gossip Girl” and her actor-beau Sebastian Stan hung out before she introduced Duffy’s performance of “Mercy.” Meester’s “Gossip” co-star Chace Crawford chatted up actress Hayden Panettiere, who embraced her rock-star side in a silver Ferragamo minidress and black heels. “I usually try to mix class and then really funk it out,” Panettiere said of her personal style. “It’s rock meets class. I try — not always succeed, but I try.”

Wow, this really does sound like a star-studded event … I can’t wait to check it out when it airs on Tuesday night. I understand there were some very cool performances, including one from Rihanna that I will be talking about in a bit. After the jump, check out some pics of Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Kid Rock and others as they took to the stage last night … (more…)

The judges of American Idol, including the newest 4th judge Kara DioGuardi who was announced as the show’s newest addition this past Monday, were all on hand in NYC yesterday for contestant auditions for the upcoming 8th season. Naturally, everyone was all smiles for the cameras with each of the previous judges offering assurances that all is well on AI and that everyone is happy/excited/thrilled/elated/etc. to welcome Kara as the newest judge:

Newly selected American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi may have met America’s most famous judges a few days ago but her colleagues say she is already part of the family. “It’s already a big happy family,” Abdul said Tuesday at the American Idol season 8 auditions held in New York. “We are so happy to have her.” In fact, DioGuardi has already had quality bonding time with all three judges, says Simon Cowell. “We had a picnic last night. I wore jammies and the girls wore negligees and we kind of broke the ice,” Cowell joked. “We had cake until two in the morning.” Joking aside, DioGuardi says the judges have welcomed her with open arms–yes, even Simon. “You were nice to me,” DioGuardi said to Cowell on the red carpet about their initial meeting. “You were actually OK.” However, DioGuardi admits it was initially intimidating to join the judges’ panel, especially due to Cowell’s notorious reputation for being Idol’s resident meanie. “I was a little bit,” DioGuardi confessed, “but I’m going to hold my own” … “We can try to gang up against the guys,” said Abdul. “I know Kara well and she speaks her mind.” In fact the pop singer knows DioGuardi very well–the two were once roommates in the late ’90s. “She quit her job and moved out to L.A. and she lived with me for a while,” Abdul told PEOPLE of her old friend. “We had a great time. She’s a great girl.”

Yeah, I still don’t get it … as I said, I’m sure this Kara chick is very talented but her addition does NOTHING to inspire me to tune in to start watching the show … in the least. Tho … I’m worried for Paula Abdul. She better watch her back.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

American Idol producers have decided that the show needs a little something extra for their upcoming 8th season — a 4th judge. Now, with a show as popular as American Idol (arguably the most popular show in the US) you might imagine that this plum 4th spot might go to someone of stellar importance and fame but, in fact, the producers decided to go with someone with zero name recognition … and way more Paula Abdulness (at least in looks) than I would’ve guessed. Here is a pic of Paula Abdul making her way thru LAX airport this weekend bound for NYC and a pic of the new 4th AI judge, Kara DioGuardi, who is lookin’ to start wearin’ Paula’s hat:

American Idol is adding a fourth judge: Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi. DioGuardi will appear at the judges’ table with Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson on the eighth season of the hit show, which premieres in January. “We are turning the heat up on Idol this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges’ table,” show creator and executive producer Simon Fuller said in a statement. DioGuardi’s songs have appeared on more than 100 million records by the likes of Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Pink, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey … “She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America’s most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show,” Fuller added. American Idol was originally slated to have four judges, executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz said in the statement announcing the news. “We’ve seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers,” she explained.

To be totally honest, this move to add a 4th judge feels really forced … like the producers felt like they needed to do something to jazz up the show which will be entering its 8th season in January. On the one hand, going with an “unknown” person as the 4th judge means that she will not take away too much from the already established judges on the panel. On the other hand, this new judge looks a lot like Paula Abdul … and the fact that she has written Grammy Award nominated songs for so many performers gives her a pedigree that Paula doesn’t have — should she be worried? I am actually very surprised that AI didn’t go for someone with more starpower to be the 4th judge … no offense to the obvs talented Ms. DioGuardi but she doesn’t really inspire any more desire to watch the show for me. In the end, I believe that AI will still be as popular as it would’ve been even if they didn’t add a new judge to the mix … I find it hard to believe that ratings will go up merely because of the addition of this new judge. I guess we’ll see come January.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Last night a few entertainers of the Hispanic variety were honored at the 2008 ALMA Awards (for all y’all gringos out there Alma means spirit or soul in Spanish) which were held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, CA. The ALMA Awards are handed out by the National Council of La Raza in order to honor Latino performers (actors, film and television directors and musicians) who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field. Here are a few pics from the red carpet arrivals yesterday afternoon:

Most of the folks who strutted their stuff down the red carpet looked pretty fantastic. Jessica Alba was lookin’ fierce as hell just a few weeks after she gave birth to her first baby, Honor Marie. Eva Longoria — who was host of this year’s ALMA Awards — showed off one of the 10+ outfits that she reportedly wore yesterday alone. I love that Edward James Olmos brought his moms, Eleanor Huizar, with him to the awards show. She looks so proud of her son. Paula Abdul was in the hiz, lookin’ as wonderfully tragic as usual (who dresses this woman?!), and was seen on the arm of her supposedly ex-boyfriend JT Torregiani. The couple reportedly split in June but they looked pretty friendly together last night.

But anyways, after the red carpet runway show was finished, it was time to get down to handin’ out some ALMA Awards — and it got pretty Ugly … here are a few pics from the show itself:

“Ugly Betty” and its star, America Ferrera, took top honors at the 2008 ALMA Awards, which recognize achievements by Hispanic artists. The ABC comedy series won awards for directing and best performance by a Latino-led ensemble cast. Ferrera, 24, was named Chevy Entertainer of the Year for her on-screen work as Betty Suarez in “Ugly Betty” and her off-screen efforts to encourage young people to get involved in the political process. Shakira was also recognized for her offstage efforts, receiving the Humanitarian Award for her work in early childhood education. A host of artists, including BeBe Winans, Wynonna Judd and Lucero, performed a tribute to Linda Ronstadt, who received the Trailblazer Award for her contributions to American music. The Black Eyed Peas, the Cheetah Girls, Sergio Mendes and Cheech and Chong also performed at the ceremony, hosted by Eva Longoria Parker at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Sunday. Other acting-award winners included Charlie Sheen, Edward James Olmos, Roselyn Sanchez and Judy Reyes. Designer Narciso Rodriguez was honored for special achievement in fashion … The ceremony will be televised Sept. 12 on ABC.

It should come as no surprise that ABC’s Ugly Betty (Performance by a Latino Ensemble in a Television Series) and its star America Ferrera (Entertainer of the Year) cleaned up at this year’s ALMA Awards. The show is a total Hispanoid lovefest and it does an amazing job of portraying Hispanics in a positive light. I commend Shakira on her win as Humanitarian of the Year — she is one of those celebs who really does put her money where her mouth is. I am *THRILLED* that Edward James Olmos (Actor in a Television Series, Drama) is still winning accolades after all of his years in the biz. I’ve been a huge fan of the man since his Stand and Deliver days and cemented my love for his acting abilities after his performance in Selena. As a new fan of Battlestar Gallactica, I gives me great pride and happiness to see this very talented Hispanic actor at the helm of such a great TV Show. Much congrats to all the winners this year and to everyone who was nominated or just came out to help celebrate Latin Pride in Entertainment. Click HERE to see a full list of this year’s ALMA Award winners.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]