RIHANNA SCORES FIRST U.S. #1 ALBUM OF HER CAREER WITH UNAPOLOGETIC; TOPS CHARTS IN U.K. FOR 4TH U.K. #1

  (Nov. 28, 2012 – New York, NY) Worldwide superstar Rihanna continues to make pop music history as UNAPOLOGETIC, her 7^th studio album in seven years for Island Def Jam, debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart on first week sales of 238,000 copies, the first #1 Soundscan album of her career.  UNAPOLOGETIC (released worldwide on November 19^th) explodes on the success of “Diamonds,” the fastest-rising single of Rihanna’s career, which moves into its second consecutive week at #1 on the Hot 100 – her record-breaking 12^th Hot 100 #1 hit.

            “We are so proud and happy to deliver Rihanna her first #1 album in the U.S.,” said Steve Bartels, President and COO of the Island Def Jam Music Group. “The team here really pulled together and gave this project their all. Along with our partners at Roc Nation, the IDJ family has always fought to solidify Rihanna’s place atop the pop landscape. Taking an unusually short runway and turning it to an advantage – like the unprecedented 777 Tour - is a testament to the teamwork, ingenuity, ethic, and belief in the legacy of this artist that showed in every single hand that touched this project.”

            The rise of the chart-dominating #1 global hit “Diamonds” and last week’s arrival of UNAPOLOGETIC happened against the backdrop of Rihanna’s unprecedented “777 Tour,” in which she took a group of die-hard fans and a traveling international media corps of over 150 journalists representing 82 countries, aboard a chartered Boeing 777 twinjet to 7 concerts in 7 days in 7 countries, marching toward the UNAPOLOGETIC release day.  Embarking on November 14^th, the “777 Tour” touched down in Mexico City, Toronto, Stockholm, Paris, Berlin, London, and New York City. Unsurprisingly, this week Rihanna also notches her fourth #1 album in the U.K.

            With the #1 success of “Diamonds,” Rihanna overtook Whitney Houston (with 11 #1’s) – all the more incredible as Rihanna is only 24 years old!  Rihanna is now tied at 12 #1’s with Madonna and the Supremes, only behind the Beatles (20 #1’s), Mariah Carey (18 #1’s), and Michael Jackson (13 #1’s).  In addition to her 12 Hot 100 #1 singles and 23 Hot 100 Top 10 singles, Rihanna also has 18 #1 singles on the Billboard Dance Club Song Charts.

            Rihanna’s 12 #1 Hot 100 hits comprise: “S.O.S.” (her first #1, from her second album, A Girl Like Me, 2006); the Grammy Award®-winning “Umbrella” (featuring Jay-Z), “Take A Bow,” and “Disturbia” (all three from Good Girl Gone Bad, 2007); “Live Your Life” with T.I. (2008); “Rude Boy” (from Rated R, 2009); “Love the Way You Lie” with Eminem (2010); “Only Girl (In the World),” “What’s My Name” (featuring Drake), and “S&M” (all three from Loud, 2010); “We Found Love” (featuring Calvin Harris, from Talk that Talk, 2011); and now “Diamonds.”  

            Rihanna also has six Grammy Awards®, three MTV Video Music Awards, six American Music Awards, 18 Billboard Music Awards, and the hard-earned title of Facebook's most-liked public figure with 62 million likes to her name.  She was also named the world’s #1 social media star by Forbes, with over 2.9 billion views on YouTube/VEVO, the most ever for any female artist, and over 26 million Twitter followers.

Nyoy Volante New Album: Tuloy Pa Rin

I got to meet Nyoy Volante in an informal conference at MCA Music in Ortigas to talk about his new album. Entitled "Tuloy Pa Rin", it is a line up revivals and original songs. His album flagship song, Tuloy Pa Rin is a revival.

The album is composed of two disc. The other disc is a minus-one. The album also includes a duet song with Sabrina. Although the two had a duet in live performances, this is their first duet on a recording. Sabrina already is making a name for herself not only locally but also abroad. She has frequent performances in Indonesia.

Besides the CD, Nyoy's songs are also available in iTunes. Nyoy was very glad that he is also benefiting from sales online via iTunes. Nyoy said that he keeps himself busy in performances regardless of the occasion but there will surely be Valentine performances in February. The album is available in music stores in early 2013.

MCA MUSIC'S FRONTLINE INTERNATIONAL FOCUS TRACKS (NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER 2012)

"The World from the Side of the Moon" by Phillip Phillips

This is a debut album from season 11 American Idol winner, Phillip Phillips. The album includes Phillip's coronation song, "Home".

Phillip Phillips began writing songs with collaborators and recording rough tracks for the album before the American Idol Tour began in July 2012. He collaborated with David Ryan Harris on "Tell Me a Story", which he described as his favorite song in the album and the one he is most proud of. Other songwriters he collaborated with include Greg Holden and Drew Pearson who wrote his coronation song "Home". After the success of this song, Phillips indicated that the album will have a couple of songs similar to "Home". He wrote with his brother-in-law Benjamin Neil "Drive Me", a song he had originally wanted to be his coronation song. His girlfriend Hanna Blackwell also contributed lines to the lyrics on the bonus track "Take Me Away". All but three of the tracks on the main album were written or co-written by him, with four of the songs he wrote himself.

The album title, The World from the Side of the Moon, come from the lyrics of the first song on the album, "Man on the Moon." Phillips described it as the experience of watching himself in a DVD of the whole Idol season someone gave him, "so I was kind of watching myself from a whole different world that no one else really knows. It’s interesting to see how it happened and so fast. That's how I picked the title: I felt like I watched myself grow and this whole album is representing where I am."

Read Rolling Stone's story about Phillip's debut album:

Phillip Phillips Calls His Own Shots on Debut Album

'American Idol' winner takes charge on 'The World From the Side of the Moon'

Read it here: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/phillip-phillips-calls-his-own-shots-on-debut-album-20121119#ixzz2Cv8uRh00

TAYLOR SWIFT’S RED CD CLOSES IN ON 3 MILLION ALBUMS SOLD WORLDWIDE IN JUST THREE WEEKS

TAYLOR SELLS OUT FIVE STADIUM SHOWS IN MINUTES, INCLUDING TWO BACK TO BACK SHOWS AT BOSTON’S GILLETTE STADIUM 

TAYLOR WINS HER 11^TH AMERICAN MUSIC AWARD

Nashville, TN – November 19, 2012 – Released less than a month ago, Taylor Swift’s fourth studio album, RED, is already approaching the 2.8 million album worldwide sales mark.

After debuting with music’s highest first-week album sales in over a decade, RED is currently in its third consecutive week in the #1 position atop Billboard’s 200 top albums chart, and as of this week RED will have scanned more than 1.8 million albums in the U.S. since its October 22^nd release. 

RED, released on Big Machine Records, has topped the sales charts in 42 countries worldwide, with international sales topping 920,000 albums thus far. Taylor now has worldwide career record sales in excess of 26 million albums and 75 million song downloads.

This weekend, tickets went on sale for Taylor’s two July RED Tour stops at Foxborough, Mass.’s Gillette Stadium, with the back to back stadium shows selling out in just 5 minutes. 

On Friday, Taylor sold out three stadiums: Toronto’s Rogers Centre (sold out in 5 minutes), Detroit’s Ford Field (sold out in 10 minutes), and Chicago’s Soldier Field (sold out in 25 minutes), as well as arenas in Los Angeles (2 shows in 1 minute), Washington DC (2 shows in 5 minutes), Atlanta (2 shows in 5 minutes), Miami, Tampa, Columbus, San Diego and Sacramento. Tickets for Taylor’s two August shows in Kansas City also sold out over the weekend.

 

Taylor Swift’s The RED Tour will now include 11 stadium stops, for a total of 62 shows in 45 cities in 29 states and 3 provinces in 2013.  A complete listing of tour dates, including future onsale information, is available at www.taylorswift.com.

Last night, Taylor brought home her 11^th career American Music Award, winning Favorite Female Artist (Country) for the fifth consecutive year. Just a week earlier, Taylor won three European Music Awards, taking top honors for Best Female Act, Best Live Act, and Best Look. 

The fan response to Taylor’s RED album and tour has been matched by the project’s critical acclaim, with the album earning rave reviews from critics around the globe. Just this weekend, Vanity Fair dubbed Taylor “officially the new Mick Jagger,” calling her international chart-topper “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” “the year’s best pop song.” VF asks, “Who is more interesting in pop right now?” and praises Taylor’s “hooks and insouciance,” lauding her music as “canny and knowing.” 

Lauded by The New York Times as “one of the most important pop artists of the last decade,” and by Rolling Stone as “one of the few genuine rock stars we’ve got these days,” 22 year-old Taylor Swift is a six-time GRAMMY winner, and is the youngest winner in history of the music industry’s highest honor, the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Taylor is the only female artist in music history (and just the fourth artist ever) to twice have an album hit the 1 million first-week sales figure. She holds the record for the biggest digital sales week ever for a song by a woman, and for the second-largest song sales week overall, as well as the worldwide iTunes record for highest ever first-week album sales. 

Taylor, who writes all of her own songs, has an album on Rolling Stone’s prestigious The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time (by women) list, and Time magazine has named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She is Billboard’s youngest-ever Woman of the Year, and her more than 100 industry award wins have included the American Music Awards’ Artist of the Year, the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year and three European Music Awards.

Taylor’s two most recent albums are two of only 18 albums in the entire history of music to sell more than 1 million copies in a single week. She has had singles top both the country and pop radio charts around the globe, and has thus far scored 11 #1 singles across multiple radio formats. She is one of the top 5-selling digital music artists worldwide, and is the top-selling digital artist in country music history.

THE HOTTEST HITS EVER…GANGNAM STYLE! --- The BIGGEST Album Launch and Fan Party of the Year!

Get ready for the BIGGEST ALBUM LAUNCH and FAN PARTY of the year!

MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines) together with SM Mall of Asia Music Hall powered by SUN BROADBAND are proud to bring you their latest holiday offering --- THE HOTTEST HITS EVER… GANGNAM STYLE!

Penned as “The Ultimate CD Compilation of the Year”, this powerful CD compilation is loaded with twenty of the biggest international chart-busters and record-breaking hit singles by ALL ORIGINAL ARTISTS! This sizzling new album includes “Gangnam Style”, the most successful single to date (with over 775 million YouTube views!) by South Korean singer / rapper PSY! It also includes the hottest record-breaking singles of 2012 such as “Call Me Maybe” (Carly Rae Jepsen), “Payphone” (Maroon 5), “Boyfriend” (Justin Bieber), “Starships” (Nicki Minaj), “Where Have You Been” (Rihanna) and more!

The album launch will take place at the MUSIC HALL of SM MALL OF ASIA on NOVEMBER 23 (Friday), 11:00 am onwards (program starts at 2:00 pm) featuring various performances by SOMEDAYDREAM, 143, SABRINA, TOTO SORIOSO, AIKEE and SKAPECREW! Hosted by CHICO LOCO and KRISTIN DERA!

The event also introduces us to SUN BROADBAND’s latest technology --- the Sun Broadband Entertainment Stick! A first-of-its-kind broadband product that lets you access the hippest tunes and download certified hits from your favorite artists from the Sun Broadband Downloads Hub (www.sunbroadband.ph/downloads) for FREE! Do you dig hip-hop or is jazz more your thing? Are you hooked on the latest dance tunes or are pop rock songs in your repeat playlist? With Sun Broadband Entertainment Stick, you can look for the newest titles across music genres, listen to your favorite artists, and download them for free! That’s because subscribers can download 10 free original songs every month, making your Sun Broadband experience better and better! A definite must-have for music enthusiasts, the Sun Broadband Entertainment Stick is available for Prepaid for only P995, which includes a modem and SIM pre-loaded with 5 day unlimited internet, and Postpaid for as low as P250/month with 35 monthly hours.

FUN, FREEBIES, FAN BOOTHS, EXCITING RAFFLE PRIZES and MORE SURPRISES await all attendees of the event!

Prizes up for grabs during the event /raffle:

·         SIGNED ITEMS from some of your favorite artists featured in the compilation!

·         PREMIUM MERCH ITEMS

·         LIFESIZE STANDEES and MINI STANDEES of Justin Bieber, Greyson Chance, Adam Levine, Jedward, Nicki Minaj, Carly Rae Jepsen, Rihanna, Jessie J, Owl City and more!

·         SUN BROADBAND ENTERTAINMENT STICKS

THE HOTTEST HITS EVER… GANGNAM STYLE! is indeed your perfect soundtrack to celebrate the holiday season. Get it now in CDs exclusively under MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines) available at Astroplus and Odyssey Music & Video | Special thanks to SM Mall of Asia, SUN BROADBAND, MYX Music Channel, Love Radio, YES FM, HOT FM, BusinessWorld and HerWord.com

Adidas Laced Up Tour

         Adidas Together With Breathe & Stop Presents the “Laced Up” Tour 2012

        The brand with 3 stripes to throw another region-wide party with 3 legendary DJs

Heavy Boogie & adidas Originals are at it again! 

After the wildly successful Breathe & Stop Tour in August 2012, the first region-wide tour of its calibre, November will see 3 more legendary Hip Hop DJs shaking down dance floors across 6 iconic cities In South East Asia. 

This dynamic event series continues on in the tradition of the groundbreaking Breathe & Stop events by integrating dance, music & the audience in a celebration of originality & passion. 

The “Laced Up” Tour features 3 of the World’s most critically acclaimed party rockers DJs Apollo (Invisibl Skratch Piklz / Triple Threat Djs / SF), Vinroc (5th Platoon / Triple Threat Djs / SF) & Tony Touch (Rocksteady Crew /NYC) in Singapore on November 15th, Kuala Lumpur 16th,  Saigon 17th, Manila 22nd, Jakarta 23^rd & Bangkok on the 24th. 

Armed & ready with a diverse selection of quality Hip Hop, Soul, Funk, House, Reggae, & everything in between, these are three of the most skilled, well-rounded purveyors of quality music on the planet who have come together for the adidas Originals “Laced Up” Tour. 

They are set to amaze audiences with blistering World Champion level technical skills & unparalleled musicality in their first tour of Asia together.

The tour will also feature the Breathe & Stop Champion dance crew from each region in an exclusive showcase performance. 

For the first time, the Breathe & Stop Cypher One battle will see 15 of the best dancers in each city battle it out till one winner reigns supreme demonstrating their flavor, musicality, style, stamina & skillfulness over at least 3 different genres of music. 

Along with the Heavy Boogie crew, top local talent from around the region as well as breathtaking live visuals from Scratch Media, this will be a nonstop party rocking extravaganza not to be missed.  

The Manila party will be held in Time Club, Makati Avenue, Makati City.

For more details & updates, visit facebook.com/BreatheAndStop

Limited tickets! Reserve yours today via tickets@heavyboogie.com

Your Favorite Music from MCA MUSIC - Now Available on iTunes Philippines!

The launch of iTunes in Asia, particularly in the Philippines, has made both local and international music universal and readily available for everyone. Last June 2012, the biggest online media store in the world, made a grand debut in Asia as it opened in twelve territories including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines making it easier for customers in the region to buy and download music and videos.    

Check out this year’s hottest album releases on iTunes Philippines only from MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines): 

International

·         Rod Stewart (Merry Christmas, Baby)

·         Diana Krall (Glad Rag Doll)

·         The Rolling Stones (GRRR!)

·         Taylor Swift (RED)

·         Robbie Williams (Take the Crown)

·         Ne-Yo (R.E.D.)

·         Justin Bieber (Believe)

·         Maroon 5 (Overexposed)

·         Carly Rae Jepsen (Kiss)

·         The Wanted (Special Edition EP)

·         Greyson Chance (Truth Be Told part 1)

·         Frank Ocean (channel ORANGE)

·         The Killers (Battle Born)

·         No Doubt (Push and Shove)

·         Rihanna (Unapologetic)

·         Gotye (Making Mirrors)

·         Lana Del Rey (Born To Die)

·         Ellie Goulding (Halcyon)

·         Bridgit Mendler (Hello My Name Is…)

·         Madonna (MDNA)

OPM

·         Sabrina (Acoustic Love Notes / I Love Acoustic 5)

·         Nyoy Volante (Tuloy Pa Rin)

·         Chicosci (This Is Not A Chicosci Record)

·         1:43 (Sa Isang Sulyap Mo)

·         Krissy & Ericka (Twelve Fifty One)

·         Tanya Markova (Shock Pop Edition)

·         Pedicab (Kaya Mo Mag-sando?)

·         Domino (I Love You, But I’m Driving Single)

·         Oktaves (K.U.P.A.L. Single)

·         Various Artists (Certified OPM Hits)

·         Various Artists (Your Favorite Pinoy Movie Theme Songs)