Ed Sheeran’s Harrowing Karaoke Experience

Superstar Ed Sheeran opens up about a trip to a karaoke bar that ended up in a trip to the hospital (Photo: courtesy of boomsbeat.com)

We all know them, people who say you didn’t really have a good time unless the cops were involved. But what about doctors and nurses? Was it still a good time if you had to go to the ER? Well, Ed Sheeran has given us his view on the subject.

The singer’s second album, X, was released just yesterday. In celebration, Sheeran performed for a few hundred lucky fans at an iHeartRadio Album Release Party in Burbank, California, where he shared some personal anecdotes with host Mario Lopez. One of those tidbits involved a trip to a karaoke bar in Nashville where his exuberance led to a short hospital visit with a friend.

Sheeran told the crowd how he’d been drinking and singing the night away when he accidentally sliced open one of his hands while “playing drums with beer bottles.” Hmm… I mean, you would, wouldn’t you?

Apparently, it was a pretty bad cut as he told the crowd that the white shoes he had been wearing that night turned brown thanks to a rather profuse amount of blood. Thankfully, fellow singer, and apparent knight in shining armor, Gavin DeGraw happened to be there as well.

Sheeran and DeGraw had been taking turns singing each other’s songs, karaoke-style. After seeing Ed’s hand, Gavin stated, “Man, I’ve gotta get you to the hospital!”

According to Ed, Gavin put Sheeran in the backseat of his car and drove him to a local hospital to get stitches. As if that wasn’t enough, DeGraw then took Sheeran out for a burger and then drove the stitched-up singer home. All of that and the two had just met for the first time that very night! Now that is a friend for life!

You can click here to see more of Sheeran’s performance and interview with Mario Lopez. Then be sure to check out Sing-N-Share and KaraokeOnVEVO where you can sing your favorite songs from Ed Sheeran, Gavin DeGraw, and many other of today’s hottest artists.

 

Billie Jean… On Beer Bottles? You’ve never heard MJ like this!

The Bottle Boys covering “Under The Sea” (Photo: courtesy of YouTube)

Despite his untimely death, Michael Jackson sure has been in the news a lot lately. From the release of his second posthumous album, Xscape, to an amazing, if controversial “live” holographic performance at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, MJ’s ghost is seemingly everywhere. Now, five guys who call themselves “The Bottle Boys” have channeled his spirit with a collection of… beer bottles?

A viral video of the group performing the late superstar’s classic “Billie Jean” on perfectly “tuned” beer bottles has hit YouTube and is quickly becoming a sensation. I think it’s a safe bet to say you’ve never heard Michael Jackson quite like this before.

This is far from the Denmark based quintet’s first performance as they have covered everything from Christmas songs to Lady Gaga. They also appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in 2013, thrilling the crowd, but receiving less than a warm welcome from perpetual party-pooper Simon Cowell.

OK, so they may never win a Grammy, but that’s not always the goal, is it? These guys are having fun and entertaining people both live and on YouTube. “Billie Jean” is their most recent cover and it has received almost half a million views in eight days. Simon might not be a fan, but then fun is usually best recognized by those who don’t have a stick up their bum.

No Darlin’s For Dolly: The country music icon discusses why she never had kids

Dolly opens up about her choice not to start a family (Photo: theafricom.com)

The American dream has changed quite a bit over the last few decades. The house, white picket-fence, a dog, and 2.1 kids is no longer the driving force behind the aspirations of many American citizens. Still, we glom on to any stories in the tabloids or online having to do with our favorite celebrities’ personal lives, especially when it deals with their families. Why? Because family will always be an important aspect of American culture.

Country music icon Dolly Parton has opened up about her personal views on family and why she decided not to start one of her own during her legendary five-decade career.

“I grew up in a big old family with eight kids younger than me and several of my brothers and sisters came to live with me early on in my life,” Dolly told People Magazine. “I’ve loved their kids just like they’re my grandkids, and now I’ve got great-grand-kids!”

Dolly has always been upfront about her love for family, so why hasn’t she had kids of her own?  According to her, it just wasn’t meant to be. “I often think, it just wasn’t meant for me to have kids so everybody’s kids can be mine.”

Though she’s never had children of her own, the 68-year-old icon possesses a special affinity for kids, and they for her. And she has a pretty good idea why. “I think kids relate to me because they think of me like a Mother Goose or a Fairy Godmother,” she stated. “I’m like a cartoon character; my voice is little and I’m an excitable little person like them! I’m very childlike in that way, in my nature.”

Dolly has just released her 42nd studio album, Blue Smoke, available now on Amazon, Google Play, and iTunes. Also, check out Karaoke Cloud and our free Sing-N-Share app, where you can sing several of Mrs. Parton’s most famous tunes.

The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: Timberlake’s ultimate video tribute to the “King of Pop.”

(Photo: usatoday.com)

It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, and I tend to agree that it is, then the new video for Michael Jackson‘s posthumous collaborative single, “Love Never Felt So Good,” is the most flattering tribute of all time!

The awesome video features Justin Timberlake along with several talented dancers performing some of Jackson’s most iconic moves. It also shows multiple clips from previous videos of the king himself pulling off the same moves as only he could.

From “Billie Jean” to “Bad,” the moves are all there, and while this is technically a Justin Timberlake video, the focus is on the amazing group of lesser known dancers who fill the screen with their homage to the late King of Pop.

Michael’s popularity shows no signs of subsiding as “Love Never Felt So Good” hit the Billboard Top 20 in its first week of release. The parent album, Xscape, was released Wednesday (5/13) and is expected to sell 140,000-150,000 copies by the close of the week, landing it in the #2 spot on the Billboard charts and proving that we will always remember one of the most beloved entertainers of all time.

 

 

A Mother’s Day Miracle: Eminem buries the hatchet with his mom in new video

Eminem dropped a new video on Mother’s Day apologizing to his mom for past hurtful statements (Photo courtesy of rapbasement.com)

Throughout his 18-year career, Eminem (a.k.a., Marshall Mathers) has never shied away from expressing exactly how he feels in his lyrics. From his personal battles with substance abuse to his disdain for other artists, Slim Shady has held nothing back, including his animosity towards his own mother.

In one of the most famous feuds in music history, Eminem regularly embedded hateful messages about his mother, Debbie Mathers, in his songs. Ranging from her alleged drug use to the mistreatment of both him and his younger brother, Eminem put it all out there for the public to hear. Making matters worse, Ms. Mathers sued her son in a high-profile defamation case in 2001, which was eventually settled out of court.

This volatile feud may finally be coming to an end, however, as Eminem has dropped a new video apologizing to his mom for the hurtful things he said about her in his previous songs. Entitled “Headlights,” the song was included on his 2013 studio album The Marshall Mather LP 2, but the video for the single hit just in time for Mother’s Day, 2014.

 

 

Partners In Rhyme: Jay Z and Kanye kickstart Samsung’s concert series at SXSW

Kanye and Jay Z kick off Samsung’s concert series at SXSW/photo courtesy itsbizkit.com

The dynamic duo of Kanye West and Jay Z gave a Texas-sized performance last night/early this morning, helping to kick off the music portion of this year’s SXSW conference in Austin. The concert was the first in Samsung‘s series of performances and filled the 4,600-seat Austin Music Hall.

According to the AP’s Chris Talbott, fans were lined up hundreds of yards around the block waiting to get in. Of the ones lucky enough to gain entry, many were admitted free of charge! How? Simply by showing their Samsung device complete with Samsung’s new Milk Music streaming service. Nice!

The hugely successful show also succeeded in stealing some of Apple‘s thunder as it was scheduled at the same time as the iTunes Festival hip-hop night (taking place just down the road at the ACL Moody Theater) featuring Kendrick Lamar and ScHoolboy Q.

Some speculate that it was a purposeful dig given the fact that Kanye had recently voiced some scathing remarks directed toward Apple CEO Tim Cook. During a concert in New Jersey, Kanye took a moment to state, “Stop trying to get performers to play your festival for free! You are rich as (expletive).” Coincidence? Not likely. 🙂

Check out songs featuring Jay Z, Kanye West, and many other hip-hop icons with KaraokeOnVEVO and Sing-N-Share.

Ylvis Has Left The Forest: “What Does The Fox Say” finds its way to Karaoke Cloud!

How do you achieve international stardom in the pop-music industry? Apparently by making fun of the pop-music industry! Just ask Ylvis, the Norwegian comedy duo consisting of brothers Vegard and Bard Ylvisaker. Their “anti-hit” video “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say)” has embedded them firmly into Western pop-culture and now the satirical sensation has made its way to Karaoke Cloud!

Originally intended as nothing more than a promotion for their Norway-based comedy show, “I kveld med Ylvis (Tonight with Ylvis), The Fox was written and produced as a sardonic take on the electronic dance music industry. The video was posted to Youtube on September 3, 2013, and has gone uber-viral with over 287 million hits and the song itself claimed the #6 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks. That makes it the highest ranking song by a Norwegian artist since a-Ha smoked the charts at number 1 with “Take On Me” in 1985! Ah…sweet irony.

What Does the Fox Say has spawned an amazing amount of covers and parodies and has even been featured on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live.

And now it’s your turn! You can download the original song on iTunes and be sure to check out the fully-authorized Karaoke Cloud version below (courtesy of KaraokeOnVEVO) to do your best Ylvis imitation. Or replace the words as you see fit and make your very own parody. We’d love to see some of your ideas on Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter! You never know, you could be the next “accidental hit!”

Lightning Strikes…Again! Pearl Jam returns with “Lightning Bolt.”

 

In 1991 Pearl Jam exploded onto the music scene with their debut album “Ten,” quickly becoming one of the hottest rock bands in the country and placing themselves firmly at the forefront of the grunge movement. Now, twenty-two years later, the gods of grunge have returned to release what is, ironically, their tenth studio album, “Lightning Bolt.”

There is no doubt that Pearl Jam’s presence and style has matured over the last two decades, but with riffs from original guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready and the stirring vocals of front man Eddie Vedder, “Lightning Bolt” brings back memories of cargo shorts, flannel shirts and unkempt hair.

Thanks in part to Pearl Jam’s stellar rise to the top of the rock industry, other bands stormed onto the scene, further fueling teenage angst and insuring that grunge (sometimes referred to as the “Seattle sound”) reigned supreme as the most popular music genre of the mid-90’s.

The late 90’s saw the premature decline of grunge with many of the more prominent bands breaking up, not to mention the tragic death of Nirvana front-man Kurt Cobain. This gave rise to what many called the “post-grunge” era which saw the birth of more commercially viable groups such as Bush, Matchbox Twenty, and Nickelback.

Regardless of how you would classify today’s music era, Pearl Jam is still here and still rocking hard. Get “Lightning Bolt” on Amazon.com or iTunes and be sure to check out Karaoke Cloud and KaraokeOnVEVO, where you can sing along with thousands of your favorite tracks from all genres!