Dive!

Usher is releasing his 4th single, Dive, from "Looking For Myself" (Climax, Lemme See, Scream).  Check out his newest video here!  This is probably the best R&B track on his album, but the album is really well done and there is definitely a growth from Usher that can be seen from each album musically and personally.   As far as male R&B hitmakers - Usher is the best in the world.  His pop crossover success makes him have equal success on Pop and Urban radio and charts.

Leona's Back!

One of my favorite artists, Leona Lewis, will be releasing her 3rd album, Glass Heart later this year, after a 1-year set back to re-design the album to make it even better!

This 2nd single release from Glass Heart, Trouble, shows a darker side to Leona, but also opens up a new type of album for her to develop as an artist - which is very hard to do.  The partnership with Childish Gambino is an INCREDIBLE idea, because his rapping works so well with the tone and melody of this new single. 

Can't wait to hear more from Leona!

Late Night Post - HELLO!

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Karmin!  Besides being a great looking duo, both Nick and Amy exude personality on stage and behind the scenes.  Just watch Amy sing on AGT - where she just always shows how happy she is to be doing what she does.  Brokenhearted marked their first US PLATINUM selling record, and hopefully HELLO will follow!  They are LA Reid's first signing at the NEW EPIC RECORDS, and also the first to get a PLATINUM record.  (I have a feeling next week, Cher Lloyd may be getting a plaque for WANT U BACK!)

X Factor UK 2011 Finalists

There has been some incredible debut singles released by 3 XF finalists in the UK.  Misha B, Amelia Lily, and winners Little Mix have all released some great singles/videos for the public and they are probably 3 of the best debut singles to come out of XF!

I hope to see these 3 acts come to debut in the USA within the next year like Cher and 1D - I predict massive things for them with the right marketing and team behind them!  

Take a listen:

Winner's Little Mix - WINGS (digital release: August 26)

3rd Place Amelia Lily - You Bring Me Joy (digital release: Sept. 2)

4th Place Misha B - Home Run (UK Official No. 11)

Time flies!

Wow!  It's been a while since I've posted last, but I am now done working in NYC with EMI!  And now I'll start posting some of my favorite songs, some of which will start to gain some momentum on the charts within the next few weeks:

X Factor winner Melanie Amaro's Debut single: Don't Fail Me Now.  No release date for radio or digital download is yet to appear, but this song has all of the elements to become a huge hit!



Labrinth's next single release off of his incredible debut album, Electronic Earth.  This is TREATMENT.  This single will be released on September 5th in the UK for radio. 

Olly Murs' debut USA single feat Chiddy Bang, Heart Skips A Beat, is finally gaining a lot of momentum on the Billboard Pop Charts, and with recent radio play throughout the nation, you can see his single slowly growing in sales on iTunes.

The Queen Brat, or Cher Lloyd, is really taking to the USA like a PRO!  Her fans flock to her and close down ice cream parlors in California - and her USA debut single, Want U Back, is already certified GOLD, with airplay gaining to hopefully secure her a Billboard TOP 10 within the next few weeks.  She is now sitting at 13. 

5th place isn't all that bad!

Rachel Crow's debut EP will be released June 26 and she has finally uploaded her debut Music Video to her incredibly powerful single, "Mean Girls."

What's so great about this record, is that Rachel has stayed true to who she is, with age appropriate lyrics and video - to help her connect with her fans, and hopefully attract new people to invest their music interests into Rachel!

Can't wait to go and buy her new EP!  Make sure to go get it on June 26th and she will be touring with Big Time Rush throughout the summer!  (Not too bad for coming in 5th on the XFUSA!)

TIMEBOMB!

Kylie gives an INCREDIBLE performance of her newest single, Timebomb!  After 20 years of making hits, she is still as HOT and current as EVER!  

Cheryl Cole

Here is her 2nd LIVE performance of what I'm sure will be a HIT single, Call My Name!

And she is actually singing.  You can hear some flatness at different points in the song, as well as her being out of breath and some of her ending phrases.  (And it still sounds and looks really great!)

:-)

Nothing's Real But [Rebecca Ferguson]

The day has almost come for Double Platinum UK recording artist, Rebecca Ferguson, to release her album, Heaven, in the USA (Tuesday, May 29th) along with her first US single, Nothing's Real But Love.

Rebecca was known as being a shy and timid person throughout her time on the UK X Factor, but the UK saw her star potential each week as she opened up more and more, eventually placing 2nd.

It has already been a big year for UK [X Factor] talent to cross over the pond, as we have already seen the huge success of One Direction and Cher Lloyd (Want U Back) has just released her single for digital download this week.  Now it's Rebecca's turn.

"Nothing's Real But Love" was a Top 5 hit in the UK, and comparisons can already be made to Adele.  Not a copy or a phony - but an original.  A songwriter.  A singer.  A performer.  A talent.   "Nothing's Real But Love" shows off the tenderness, honesty, and soul of Rebecca from beginning to end.  This one song alone can tell her story that what's most important aren't the material things that are so easy to buy, yet forget - but the experience of love and what finding true love can do for a person.

Rebecca uses her life stories to express herself through her unique tone quality that isn't only for Top 40 airplay, but will have huge cross-genre appeal and will be received well by young and old alike. 

Hopefully American is now ready to embrace the newest talent to cross over from the UK and start listening to what is definitely going to be a successful career ahead.

Darkside

It's been a while since my last post, but I have been busy, just recently starting my internship with EMI Music!  It's been lots of fun, with a broad array of music tasks I have been asked to do, and I was even getting some information on this new song, Darkside, by Kelly Clarkson!

*Music Video will be added once it is available to blogger!

Rita Ora!

I love new artists - especially ones that have their own unique style, voice, production, etc.  And Rita Ora is no exception.  She already had a No. 1 single in the UK with DJ Fresh earlier this year, and might possibly have herself another one this Sunday with R.I.P. ft. Tinie Tempah! 

So - here's a look at the next Brit artist to cross over that big pond! 

More Labrinth!

Labrinth is definitely doing his 'thang - and I have never heard him sound better!

I love this song, Express Yourself, and his album, Electronic Earth, is incredible!  Singer, Songwriter, Producer - no wonder Simon signed him to Syco as his ONLY non-talent show artist!

Cinco de Mayo Video!

One of my favorite new artist's from the UK, Labrinth, has a new VEVO Lift video of his newest single, Express Yourself, which he will be performing on Britain's Got Talent within the next few weeks. 

His album, Electronic Earth, is on sale now in the UK, and in the USA, he is signed with RCA Records/Syco.  I can't wait for his music to finally be released in the USA as it should be!

I also just found his performance of his NO 1 hit single, Earthquake, too!

New Karmin Remix

I'm loving the creativity Karmin has when changing up their songs - and this re-tooling of Brokenhearted is definitely NO different! 

Check out the amazing remix here!

N-Dubz: Playing With Fire

Here is some N-Dubz to make your day THAT much better!  I love international talent, and can't wait to see how I can influence the current USA charts to bring international talent here!

My girl is back - Cheryl Cole, that is!

After nearly 1 1/2 years with no new music releases and her vacancy on both versions of The X Factor, Cheryl Cole has FINALLY released her highly anticipated, CALL MY NAME feat. Calvin Harris. 

Now, all Cheryl has to do is make it over to the USA to unleash her full potential and take over our airwaves!

P!nk!

One of my all time favorite singers and performers is P!nk.  After almost overdosing on drugs and alcohol by age 15, she turned her life around when she was signed to a record deal with L.A. Reid.  Since then, she has huge world-wide success and 5 albums + Greatest Hits! album.  Just recently I got all 5 of her albums, and found this GEM in her 2nd album, Missundaztood, called Misery ft. the one and only, STEVEN TYLER! 

Simon Cowell speaks about One Direction

Here is a terrific interview with Simon Cowell and Rolling Stone regarding the creation and success of 1D!  The most interesting thing I found was that he was ready to give the band to another label within Sony music if they had come up with a better vision for the group!  WOW!  (He would have made $$ either way, though!)

So here is the interview:

Simon Cowell on One Direction

HOT Tunes of the Month!

I am going to start a collection of the HOT Tunes of the Month, and for April here is my list of what to listen to:

"Young" - Tulisa

"Dance Again" - Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull

"Want U Back" - Cher Lloyd ft. Astro

 

"Last Time" - Labrinth

"Stronger" - Kelly Clarkson

"Elephant" - Alexandra Burke

"What Makes You Beautiful" - One Direction

"Starships" - Nicki Minaj

"Turn Me On" - David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj

"Wild Ones" - Flo Rida ft. Sia

Olly Murs!

I think I will have at least one post for every successful X Factor finalist, because I seem to love most of the artist's music!

Since 2008, the UK XF has launched most of its stars (in its 5th season!) from Alexandra Burke and JLS to One Direction, and now Little Mix!  But in 2009, Olly Murs came in 2nd place, but that didn't stop him get 2 Double Platinum albums, and 4 #1 singles!  Currently, Olly is releasing his newest single off of his DOUBLE PLATINUM album, "In Case You Didn't Know"!

His single, "Oh My Goodness" shows off Olly's super slick vocals, along with his lyrics revolving heavily around "that girl" who seems to inspire much of his music.  It might be that mystery that keeps him very current and dominating the charts in the UK.

Olly will be debuting in the USA this summer with his first single, "Hearts Skips A Beat"!  Olly will hopefully close the gap, where MALE POP STARS in the USA have not been as prominent and popular as the huge number of female stars that have been dominating the charts for the past 5 years: Rihanna, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, P!nk, Adele, and many more!

Here is Olly's performance of "Oh My Goodness" that he sung on The Voice of Ireland.

Music Research

Hey readers!

I am working with a group for my Consumer Behavior class to analyze some interesting questions based on MUSIC!  I am really excited to see the results, but FIRST need you to take the short 5 minute survey!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K5XQT35

:-)

Some PIXIE before Bed! :-)

Just searching through YouTube for 5 minutes can lead me to find some incredible videos, and listening to LIVE Pixie Lott performances is NO EXCEPTION!  Here is her acoustic performance of her song, Nothing Compares - truly breath taking!

AKPrO Jam of the Day!

If you've read most of my blogs, there is some International element to them - and most likely there is a UK artist I am promoting because I think they have HUGE potential to be World Wide stars.  Unfortunately, N-Dubz has broken up (for now), but Tulisa, Dappy, and Fazer will have solo careers which I'm sure will be as big, if not bigger than N-Dubz itself!

Today's jam is inspired by one of my favorite N-Dubz song, Love Live Life! 

Enjoy!

Simon Cowell MasterClass

Just finished watching the Simon Cowell Master Class from OWN. 

He gives LOTS of great advice about working in the Entertainment Industry.  Some of the big topics included:
 - Talk 10%, Listen 90%
 - Know when it's time to leave the fair
 - Always have fun
 - Be patient
 - Be a sponge
 - Start with the negatives and work with them
 - Be confident

These are only a few snippets of great advice Simon gives while talking about the span of his career, the ups and downs, huge failures, huge successes, and how it takes time to be a success - but it's going to be a very fun process!

I recommend this to ANY future entertainment moguls that want an insight into one of the most well known, and respected men in the industry.

Oprah's Master Class - Simon Cowell

One Direction DOMINATES the HOT 200 and Sets a Record!

It's finally happening - the rise of the Vocal Groups!  UK Boy Band, One Direction had their very first No. 1 entry on the Billboard HOT 200 and they have made history by having the FIRST EVER debut at NO. 1 on the Billboard charts for a UK Pop Group.  Incredible.

So why the rise of the Vocal Groups?

In the USA, pop groups of the 90s, like the Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, and *N Sync were huge successes, but eventually seemed to fade away as they all broke up and attempted to have solo careers.  While this may be true in the USA, the UK is quite different.  Groups like Westlife, Take That, Girls Aloud, and N-Dubz have dominated the UK album charts while their seemed to be nearly no vocal groups in the USA.  But what is happening is the vocal group fad is repeating itself and people are going CRAZY in the USA.  One Direction made their US Television debut on the Today Show where nearly 10,000 people waited to see them perform (most of them camping out over night to see them perform!!).

With 0 marketing efforts put on One Direction for their success in America, it might be confusing to understand why the outbreak of success?  The answer is simple - social media.  The use of YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and other sites has catapulted this group into instant US stardom, like never seen before.

Adding to One Direction, is another UK pop band, The Wanted, who have had massive HOT 100 chart success with their single, Glad You Came, as well as Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush, who are currently touring with One Direction in the USA.

Within the next 2 years, there will be an explosion of Vocal Groups trying to get their songs heard, but it will definitely be interesting to see who will make it to the top.

Let's just hope this time, it isn't a fad, and like in the UK, the vocal groups can always keep replenishing to keep up with the times!

Chris Rene Music Video for YOUNG HOMIE!

It's finally here - Chris Rene has made his "Young Homie" single (also his 10M+ YouTube hit X Factor audition) into a music video and it has been released TODAY!  What's so great about this Hip-Hop/R&B style is that you can understand every word Chris is singing, and his voice is what shines, rather than a background of loud beats.  If the rest of his songs on his album have an incredible production like this, I can definitely predict a very high charting album for Chris!

New Single from Jessie J?!

Laserlight ft. David Guetta, is rumored to be Jessie's next single released from her repackaged "Who You Are" album and here is a stripped down, incredibly sung, and versatile arrangement of the song!

Jessie J ft. David Guetta - LaserLight

Alexandra Burke

With Alexandra's new single, Elephant, currently sitting at NO. 2 on the Official Mid-week charts, I found this really great cover of Janet Jackson's, Let's Wait a While. 

Let's Wait a While

Elephant ft. Erick Morillo

Two Great Songs!

Since I've been in NYC, I haven't had too much time to blog, but will post 2 incredible Pop songs that have now been added to most Top 40 radio stations and will be crawling up the Billboard Charts! 

     "Wild Ones" by Flo Rida feat. Sia

 

    "Ass Back Home" by Gym Class Heroes feat. Neon Hitch

N-Dubz!

I'm not sure if there are many hip-hop artists or groups that can sound as good as N-Dubz live.  I'm not sure why they were never brought to the USA, but thank goodness for YouTube and the wonders of Social Media in our world, so we can look at talent all over the world.  

Playing With Fire - N-Dubz

It's Britney BITCH!

For those who can't seem to understand why Britney Spears would be an incredible addition to the X Factor USA panel, here is her INTRO montage from her appearance a few years ago on the UK X Factor. 

Kitty has THE X FACTOR

Kitty Brucknell, from the UK X Factor, was always in the press for being out-of-the-box, different, unique, and controversial and she never changed who she was, and always sounded and looked fantastic.  Here is one of my favorite performances of Kitty, that I had to watch because someone really tortured this classic on American Idol, and only Kitty's version could remind me how it is supposed to sound.

Timeless.

What can be better than listening to a duet between Tony Bennett and Josh Groban?!  This is just simply remarkable, no editing, just impeccable vocals that just tell a story!  ENJOY!

The video isn't loading on YouTube yet, but here is a link with the fantastic recording!

Tony Bennett, Josh Groban - This is all I ask (via AOLBlog)

The Real Young Homie!

Young Homie what you trippin' on?  Well, CHRIS RENE, obviously!  This well produced, vocal track to Chris Rene's debut single, Young Homie, will sure to garner loads of radio playback and downloads.  Take a listen!

AKPrO Cover of the Day!

Today's "Cover of the Day" is sung by none other than the super talented, Brit, Pixie Lott.  She always brings a refreshing sound to anything she sings or covers, so it's no wonder that this cover, to one of the most popular songs of the decade, Poker Face, is sung absolutely beautifully with such character.

Pixie Lott - Poker Face

Carrie is Back!

As I am not one to listen to Country music, Carrie Underwood has always been the exception, with her impeccable vocals, her charm, and her Pop-like music.

She has finally released a new single, Good Girl, and it is safe to say that the American Idol Champ is on her way to making a very successful new album.

ENJOY!

Madonna Did It First?

Currently trending on twitter is the phrase, "Madonna Did It First."  While this could possibly be true, in this music industry, and in any industry for that matter, it doesn't matter who is the first to do it, but who does it best. 

So, I am assuming this trending topic is comparing Madonna and Lady Gaga, as it always happens.  But Lady Gaga is creating music for our generation and the future, is original and unpredictable, sings LIVE and really well too, and makes sure to connect with her fans whenever she can.  This alone is why Lady Gaga does it best, even if Madonna was the 1st to make "unpredictability and top charting music" famous.

Conclusion: It only matters who does it best - not who does it first. 

Example 2: The X Factor didn't do it first, but does a better job at creating different stars in different genres to make sure the contestants come out of the shows as stars to sell lots of records - not just a winner who may sell a few records.  We shall wait until the finalists release their records to see how well they do - but with LA Reid and Simon Cowell behind the albums, I have no doubt this will be a HUGE SUCCESS!

AKPrO Music Video of the Day: Better In Time - Leona Lewis

From one of my Top 5 female singers, enjoy Leona Lewis' hit single: Better in Time!

X Factor Rumors

After it was confirmed that the late Whitney Houston was being considered for an X Factor role, more rumors have now come out. 

The latest being - JANET JACKSON!  She has definitely been through a very versatile career and could probably mentor talent really well!

Other RUMORS:

P!NK - this is my No. 1 pick, although she is a mother!!
Fergie - She wants to get preggars...so who knows if she'd want to commit
Katy Perry - She has been a guest on the UK and she was witty, kind, and efficient.  She would be great, especially since she has an AMAZING track record with her music.

One Direction RISES FAST!

Within 2 days from its USA release on Valentine's Day, One Direction's No. 1 UK Hit, "What Makes You Beautiful" has already climbed into the top 10 on iTunes!  While this is huge news, you can't use iTunes charts like the billboard charts, since the iTunes charts change frequently throughout the day - so we will see at the end of the week how well received this tune is!  But, I would anticipate this song taking over airwaves of Top 40 US stations pretty quickly!

Go 1D!

New Music Alert

Two of my favorite artists, Usher and Rebecca Ferguson, have some new music that has been released.

Usher's track, "Climax" is probably his new single to come from his next album.  The track goes back to R&B basics with Usher, which he lost touch with in his last album, but did so well for him in his incredibly well-received "Confessions" album. 

"On & On" by Rebecca Ferguson

For Rebecca's new B-side single that comes with her 2nd released single, Too Good To Lose, is just another beautifully written and sung song by an artist who just means every word that she sings.  Rebecca is already hitting the adult contemporary airways here in the USA, and it won't take long for her to reign on our Billboard Charts!

NBC: Who's Safe?

It seems like NBC is getting an overhaul - and FAST.  After harsh ratings this past Fall, finishing in dead last (4th), as per usual, new entertainment chairman, Bob Greenblatt, is getting rid of NBC's former marketing team (about 10 employees) and replacing them with people he knows and trusts - his former team at Showtime.  While the publicity department is also expected to see some pink slips being handed out, no new coverage on any other firings have been announced yet.

What do I think about NBC's situation?  Well - they have no "sure" tv shows that are great lead-ins and that will guarantee viewership.  They have the Voice, although I won't analyze that until the season is over because their ratings have dropped every week since its premier.  But even if their ratings were steady, every other day of the week NBC struggles to get by, as FOX takes the win in the key 18-49 demo and CBS takes the win in total viewers. 

So, I guess getting a new marketing team - who should be able to market new NBC shows in a better way to get people to turn on network TV again.  We will see how they do over the summer, and with probably another brand new line up this FALL!

Topic: NBC Layoffs in Marketing Dept - Publicity Dept is next.

Do you "L-U-V Madonna's" new music?

Well, let me put this in one word: No. 

Why not you ask?

Some lines in the chorus, in particular in her new song, "Give Me All Your Luvin," puts it into perspective:

"Don’t play the stupid game
Cause I’m a different kind of girl
Every record sounds the same
You’ve gotta step into my world
Give me all your love and give me your love
(L-U-V- Madonna)"

If she really wants to make a comeback into 2012 with music for our time, then:

• "Every record" should not sound the same 
• We should have music that may have qualities of the 90s, but not make us feel like we are transported back into a time when dressed in full denim was not shunned upon
• Music must be current or breaking boundaries for the future of music
• Have music that shows you are not a 13-yr old cheerleader (L-U-V Madonna!...barf!)

Some redeeming qualities of the song:

• The marketing of the music is incredible - a video clip premier on American Idol and the song is being played on all top music stations in the country every hour for the entire weekend!
• Nicki Minaj - While any musician would be more than excited to be featured in a Madonna song, Nicki adds some "modern" vibes to the song right before it goes back into being a cheesy, dated 90s tribute song. 

The most accurate comparison (from the tweets of Lesley Abravanel from the Miami Herald) for this song is that it is like "sugarfree gum."

So here is the music video...sigh:

X Factor is up in FLAMES!

 

No exaggeration needed because 3/5 of the X Factor team have not been asked to return for Season 2 of the US version of the singing competition.


Host Steve Jones, and judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul will not be returning next season.

Many had already assumed Steve and Nicole would not return for the next season.  But the firing of Paula was a shock - to everyone.

Many people did not connect with Steve, but I am a huge supporter of his hosting style and his humor.  He went above and beyond, fighting with producers in his ear, while staying as professional as possible to make sure the show stayed in its time frame...and boy did it!  Not 1 episode, not even the finale went into the next show, and most episodes ended 2 minutes early!  If FOX could not appreciate that, I don't know what they can appreciate.  Many criticized Steve's hostility and "cruel" nature...while I saw a host who did everything possible to win the American hearts. The biggest criticism was when he told Lakoda Rayne the "dream is over" and the social media world went for the jugular.  What most people probably don't realize is that Steve is only reading the script, the script that is written on a teleprompter.  I am not sure who writes the script, most likely a producer, but the script writing is something that will need help.  The script should be written by an American who knows how to phrase intros and exits, making smooth transitions between segments, and allows the host to show full emotion.  On a positive about his comment to Lakoda Rayne, Steve was 100% right for Lakoda Rayne, because indeed, the dream was over, and I think they responded so negatively because they knew it was true.  They did not act like or sing like a group (**insert a tuner in each of their faces to show pitch-iness**), they didn't think like a group, they didn't even look like a group!  Hence...they were voted off pretty fast on the show.

At the beginning of the series, critics didn't see Steve on air often and he was often the punchline to many jokes about him appearing in front of large monuments to announce city names and announcing in a huge truck, and that's it.  Well, honestly, he was interviewing every single contestant and their family's - but most of that wasn't aired.  Also, because of the production, the background music was usually too loud to hear anything he was saying - so of course it would seem like he was shouting at us, but he was just trying to be heard!  To the fault of the producers and writing on the show (as well as the firing of Cheryl Cole and switching Nicole from host to judge), Steve was not given the opportunity he needed to be a success on the XF and therefore was let go.  It would have been a better idea to go from the inside and see why Steve was perceived poorly, rather than fire him completely.  It may be easier to fire him, but if the producers don't change their writing, and presence of the host early on, similar criticisms will follow.

As you can see, I was a Steve Jones fan!  Now for Nicole...

Nicole is one of my favorite singers, her album Killer Love was received incredibly well in the UK and she had 3 "top 5 Hits" and a Number 1 album.   Unfortunately, Nicole and her label (Interscope) were not prepared for her to have a full time commitment on the show and release another single (Don't Hold Your Breath) and her album (Killer Love).  Maybe watching Cheryl Cole release 2 albums (to Number 1, nonetheless) on the UK X Factor made her and her label a bit confident to not stress over the promotions - but that's what led to many mistakes on the show concerning Nicole.  Nicole tried some promotions in the US during the XF, but also was in the UK performing and spreading word about her 2012 tour...but what about her 3 "Over 30" contestants that she had to mentor.  Well...it seems like they were mentored via Skype - which is not how you mentor an artist.  She was unprepared for her role as a judge and unfortunately her solo career has had too many hick-ups.  Currently she is touring in Europe, but there has been no word of when her album will be released or if she will still promote, my favorite single on the album, Don't Hold Your Breath, which saw immediate downloads when it was released, and then fizzled away.

Besides Nicole's music, she was seen as incoherent, childish, and annoying.  From speaking in 100 different accents, to baby voices, to crying over 2 contestants (where one was significantly better...*insert Rachel Crow's big fall here!*), to choosing horrible song choices for her acts - Nicole was not ready to be a judge.  While she is one of the nicest celebrities you could ever meet, she is not a judge, and should only be a solo artist selling millions of record worldwide.  In the world of business, stick with what you good at, and do it well!

Finally...on to Paula.

Shockingly, I have not as much to say about Paula because, well, I am shocked!  Simon and team XF went through trying times when they signed Paula (long contract signings until the day of the first auditions)!  They were Saula, the loveable two, the two who could not stop arguing, but that American's fell in love with.  If anything, Paula was more coherent, lucid, constructive, and kind than ever before!  So, it is to my shock that she was canned.  The only explanation to her firing is that Simon wants a complete change - possibly a more serious panel of critics that will be able to balance each other better.  While keeping LA Reid as Simon's sparring buddy is a great idea, there needs to be 2 female panelists to fight for what they believe in as well.

So after this long blog, who will replace Paula and Nicole, and who will be the next Steve Jones?

Rumors for Judges: Mariah Carey, Cheryl Cole (really...does anyone think she would go through this again?!!), Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry

Rumors for Host: Victoria Becham (what about her as a judge...Mel B was a smash hit on the Aus X Factor and gave them HUGE ratings!), Ryan Seacrest (insert lots of $$$$ here)

For now, I have no opinion to who I think should be a judge or host just yet, since the rumor mill is just starting.  I am anticipating news within the next few weeks since audition dates should be announced very soon!  If I was firing 3/5 of my team, I would already have a list of people in mind to hire right away - so we shall see shortly who the new judging panel will be.

Only one prediction, or rather opinion for what Paula should do next - she would be an incredible addition to the UK X Factor panel to replace Kelly Rowland, if rumors are true she is not returning.  The banter/chemistry between Paula, Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh, and Tulisa would be incredible!  So Simon, you can thank me for this incredible idea!

That is all for now!

~ AKPrO!