Psy knocked from top of Korean charts by 63-year-old singer

South Korean rapper Psy poses during a news conference before his concert in Seoul April 13, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Lee Jae-Won

SEOUL | Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:06am EDT

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean rapper Psy, whose latest video "Gentleman" tracked global megahit "Gangnam Style" by going viral on the Internet, has been knocked from the top of the music charts in his native country by a 63-year-old easy listening pop singer.

"Gangnam Style", which holds the YouTube record for most views with more than 1.5 billion, catapulted the sunglassed Korean with the garish jackets to world stardom and made him one of the best-known faces to grace the growing K-pop music scene.

But Cho Yong-pil, who has been a fixture of Korean pop music since 1975 with his electronic music and ballads, took over the top spot in Korea with "Bounce," according to both the daily and weekly charts on Naver, Korea's top Internet portal.

Fans lined up to buy "Hello," Cho's first album in a decade, when it went on sale earlier this week, and packed a stadium concert on Tuesday with people screaming his nickname of "Oppa" - a word used by Korean women for older men that Psy took to the world with the refrain "Oppa Gangnam Style".

Cho's songs took the top 10 places on the daily charts, pushing "Gentleman" to no. 13, and Psy had to settle for second place on the weekly charts.

But "Gentleman" surged to fifth place on the Billboard Hot 100 this week and has racked up over 220 million views on YouTube after smashing the record for first-day views for songs.

Psy told reporters he had nothing but respect for the veteran crooner, noting that Cho had praised him at a Tuesday news conference.

"I couldn't be happier, although getting on the Billboard chart also makes me really grateful," Psy told reporters on Thursday prior to leaving for the United States.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Elaine Lies)

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Michael Jackson wrongful death trial set to get underway Monday

Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson leaves the sentencing hearing of Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of pop star Michael Jackson, in Los Angeles California November 29, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Gus Ruelas

LOS ANGELES | Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:26am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The civil trial over the death of Michael Jackson is set to get formally underway next week after jury selection was completed on Tuesday in the $40 billion case that pits the pop star's mother against concert promoters AEG Live.

Six alternate jurors were chosen on Tuesday following the selection a day earlier of a jury of six men and six women for what is expected to be an emotional three-month trial.

The conclusion of the month-long search for a jury set the stage for opening statements to begin in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.

Jackson's 82-year-old mother, Katherine, is suing AEG Live, the promoters of his never-realized series of 2009 London comeback concerts, for the wrongful death of her son.

The lawsuit alleges AEG Live was negligent in hiring Dr. Conrad Murray to care for the singer while he rehearsed for a series of 50 shows.

AEG Live contends that it did not hire or supervise Murray and that Jackson was addicted to prescription drugs for years before he agreed to do the "This Is It" London concerts.

The concert promoters also argue that they could not have foreseen that Murray, who was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death, posed a danger to the singer.

Jackson, 50, died in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, from a lethal dose of the surgical anesthetic propofol that Murray was administering for sleep problems. Murray, who is not being sued, formally appealed against his criminal conviction on Monday.

Potential witnesses in the civil trial include Jackson's mother, his two oldest children, Prince, 16, and Paris, 15, as well as Murray, singers Prince and Diana Ross, and Jackson's ex-wives, Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe.

Katherine Jackson and her son's three children are seeking some $40 billion in damages from privately held AEG Live for loss of the singer's earnings and other damages. The final amount will be determined by the jury should it hold AEG Live negligent.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Eric Beech)

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Fall Out Boy outsells Kid Cudi for top spot on Billboard chart

LOS ANGELES | Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:42pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. rock band Fall Out Boy topped the Billboard 200 weekly best-selling album chart for the second time in their five-album career, besting rapper Kid Cudi.

"Save Rock and Roll" sold 154,000 copies in its debut week, according figures on Wednesday from Nielsen SoundScan, outpacing Kid Cudi's "Indicud," which sold 136,000 copies in its first week.

Industry forecasters pegged both albums to sell about 150,000 copes last week, according to trade publication Billboard.com.

Rock band Paramore, whose fourth album "Paramore" was last week's No. 1, fell to No. 12.

Pop singer Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" and country singer Blake Shelton's "Based on a True Story" held at the third and fourth spots respectively on the chart for the second consecutive week.

Indie rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs' fourth album "Mosquito" debuted at No. 5 on the chart.

Pop singer Pink's "Just Give Me a Reason" topped the digital songs chart for another week with 262,000 downloads, a 7 percent decline from last week, while hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us" was No. 2 again with 245,000 downloads, a 17 percent rise.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop" placed fourth, behind Rihanna's "Stay" and ahead of Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors" on the digital chart.

French DJ duo Daft Punk's new song "Get Lucky," which features singer-producer Pharrell Williams, sold 113,000 downloads last week on only three days of sales. It is the duo's first single in three years.

Year-to-date albums sales stand at 90.5 million, a 5 percent decrease from the same period last year, while 2013 digital song sales of 434 million have declined 2 percent compared to last year.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)

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Singer Lauryn Hill gets reprieve on tax evasion sentencing

1 of 5. Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill leaves the Federal Court in Newark, April 22, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Eduardo Munoz

By David Jones

NEWARK | Mon Apr 22, 2013 10:48pm EDT

NEWARK (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning singer Lauryn Hill was given a two-week reprieve on her sentencing for federal tax evasion on Monday as a federal judge admonished her defense counsel for failing to come up with most of the tax money promised prior to her scheduled hearing.

Hill, a solo artist and a member of the Fugees rap trio, pleaded guilty in June 2012 to failure to file federal tax returns from 2005-2007, when she earned $1.8 million. She faces up to a year in prison for each charge.

Lawyers for Hill, who burst to stardom with her 1998 album the "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," said they made a $50,000 payment toward the back taxes and penalties, but still need to come up with another $504,000 no later than May 3.

They had expected Hill to raise money from signing a new recording contract by the fall of 2012, but Hill was unable to complete the recording sessions. She has not released an album since 2001.

Hill, a mother of six children, including five with Rohan Marley, the son of reggae legend Bob Marley, claimed she failed to pay the taxes while she was sheltering her family to get away from excessive publicity and threats.

Attorney Nathan Hochman, representing Hill, said the singer had lined up a deal with a "hard money lender" for a loan that was secured by two real estate assets, and that she was expecting final approval of the loan sometime this week.

"For Miss Hill, the only question was when she was going to pay those taxes, not if," Hochman told reporters after the hearing.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo rescheduled the final sentencing hearing until May 6, but warned lawyers for the hip hop star that the court would not allow another slip up.

"This is not someone who stands before the court penniless," Arleo told the court.

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Vicki Allen)

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Mamma Mia! Bookie offers odds on ABBA reunion

Cast and members of Abba appear together at the premiere of the motion picture version of the musical 'Mamma Mia' in Stockholm July 4, 2008. From left to right are: Abba's Benny Andersson, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Abba members Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Christine Baranski, Colin Firth, screenwriter Catherine Johnson (pointing), director Phyllida Lloyd, producer Judy Craymer and Abba member Bjorn Ulvaeus.

Credit: Reuters/Bob Strong

LONDON | Thu Apr 25, 2013 11:57am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - A British bookmaker is taking bets on an ABBA comeback after singer Agnetha Faltskog hinted at a possible reunion for Sweden's most successful band.

Faltskog, who has come out of retirement to release a solo album called "A", was asked by German's Die Zeit Magazine if she would be open to an ABBA reunion and she responded positively.

"Maybe a charity concert? I would not say 'No' right away," she said.

Her former husband Bjorn Ulvaeus and his fellow ABBA songwriter Benny Andersson vowed in 2008 not to reform the group that broke up in 1982 after nine British No.1 hits.

The fourth member of the group whose hits included "Mamma Mia", "Super Trouper", and "Dancing Queen", was Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

But speculation about ABBA reforming has mounted in the lead-up to the opening of a ABBA museum in Stockholm in May.

British bookmakers Paddy Power seized on the speculation to offer odds of 14/1 for ABBA to perform together in 2013.

The bookmaker was offering 16/1 on ABBA opening the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, on May 16 as this was the show that propelled ABBA to fame following their 1974 win with the song "Waterloo".

"ABBA fans will be spitting out their meatballs in excitement at prospect of a reunion. Given home turf, plus the 40th anniversary of their Eurovision triumph, Paddy Power's 16/1 to open the show looks to be worth a pound of anybody's money," said a spokesman for the bookmaker.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Backstreet Boys get Hollywood star ahead of world tour

Backstreet Boys (from L-R) A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter and Brian Littrell pose by their star after it was unveiled on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California April 22, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

LOS ANGELES | Mon Apr 22, 2013 9:35pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Boy band the Backstreet Boys - now all grown men - on Monday marked their 20th anniversary and their upcoming world tour by getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"Backstreet is Back ... and we aren't going anywhere," Nick Carter, 33, told fans as all five members of the 1990s band gathered to unveil their star - located right next to another popular boy band, Boyz II Men.

The close harmony singers were visibly emotional as they thanked their families and fans for their support over the years.

"What an honor it is," said Kevin Richardson, 40, holding back tears. "What a beautiful day. What another beautiful way to celebrate 20 years together."

Formed in 1993 in Florida, the Backstreet Boys went on to sell more than 130 million albums worldwide and score hits like "I Want It That Way," and "Shape of My Heart."

The other members of the group are Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough.

After several hiatuses in the 2000s and the departure of Richardson, the five original members officially got back together last year and will embark on a world tour in May, starting in China.

Backstreet Boys are also due to release a new album this summer, and a music documentary in 2014.

(Reporting by Lindsay Claiborn Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)

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African diva Angelique Kidjo wins Songlines Best Artist award

Benin singer Angelique Kidjo performs during the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo December 11, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Leonhard Foeger

By Angus MacSwan

LONDON | Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:27pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - African diva Angelique Kidjo was named Best Artist in Songlines magazine's annual world music awards on Friday, lauded for her high-energy shows and her championing of social causes.

French veterans Lo'jo, who mix French folk with African and Arabic sounds, picked up the Best Group award and the young Zimbabwean band Mokoomba was chosen as top Newcomer.

The Best Cross Cultural-Collaboration went to Dub Colossus for the blend of Ethiopian roots, reggae and dub beats on their latest album "Dub Me Tender Vol. 1+2".

Kidjo, originally from Benin, is one of Africa's biggest singing stars. Over the years she has worked with Prince, sang at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and sold out New York's Carnegie Hall.

The Best Artist award was given for her live "Spirit Rising" album but was also recognition of her career achievements, Songlines editor-in-chief Simon Broughton told Reuters.

"She's been around a long time but she's always inspiring," he said. "What clinched it was a concert she gave in London in March for Women's Day. It was breathtaking. I've never seen her so exuberant. She bonds people and really makes it special."

Kidjo, 52, has adopted the mantle of the late South African singer Miriam Makeba as a political voice and campaigns for women's rights and education in Africa.

"The award is also for what she stands for," Broughton said.

Lo'jo, from southwest France, has also been around a long time and the band's latest album, "Cinema el Mundo", showed them to be as strong as ever.

"They are much better known in the Francophone world than elsewhere. They've not been tempted to become more mainstream," Broughton said.

"They are a quality act, an unusual, interesting group, especially in their connections with West and North Africa."

YOUNG BANDS AND FANS

The Newcomer winner, Mokoomba, is a young group from Zimbabwe but the horn-driven music is pan-African, bringing in the sounds of Congo, South Africa and other countries. Its "Rising Tide" album sealed the award.

Dub Colossus' award was recognition of its work over the past 10 years in popularizing Ethiopian music and blending it with modern beats.

"It's risen from being unknown to something hip and really getting an audience. There's a lot of people fusing Ethiopian and Western sounds so they represent a wide movement and are bringing in a lot of young people," Broughton said.

World music has had mixed fortunes in the past year.

The live scene was still healthy, with a host of performers filling venues in London and elsewhere, Songlines publisher Paul Geoghegan said.

But the recording scene was very difficult for artists, record labels and distributors due to the closure of record stores and declining CD sales. The collapse of British chain HMV, whose shops stocked a wide variety of world music, was a big blow, he said.

(Editing by Louise Ireland)

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