Pop Singer KDrew the Latest to Capitalize on Growing Industry Trend of Releasing Official Lyrics Videos

Body & Soul (www.KDrewMusic.com) (PRNewsFoto/Indie Music Group)

NEW YORK, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With the recent release of an official lyrics video for his new single "Body & Soul (She Got Control)" rising pop singer KDrew is the latest music industry star to capitalize on a growing trend. Gone are the days when people would play their favorite song on repeat with album liner notes in hand to learn the lyrics so they could sing along.  Also dated are the annoying webpages made just for lyrics that all too often contain errors. The growing popularity of YouTube provided an outlet that allowed thousands of fans to create fan-made videos with lyrics using simple home based video-editing software like iMovie.  And now, as the internet has become the predominant source for new music discovery and consumption, official lyrics videos are becoming a trend in the music industry.

Pop superstars Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Jason Derulo are among those artists who have recently released official lyrics videos in advance of debuting their fully produced videos. Perhaps beginning with the viral spread of multiplatinum singer Cee-Lo Green's lyrics video for his hit "Forget You" in August of 2010, official lyrics videos serve as early marketing tools to get listeners familiar with the music before the fully-produced videos are released.  Each month "lyrics" takes its place among the "most-searched terms" on the internet, at times even outranking terms such as "sex."  Artists and labels seem keen to try to convert heavy organic search interest to traffic to their VEVO pages and official websites.

Roxette's New Album, 'Charm School,' and New 'Greatest Hits' Collection to Be Released July 26 by Capitol/EMI

After 25 years as a world-famous act with more than 70 million albums sold, one of Sweden's top pop groups steps back into the spotlight a decade after the release of their last studio album (Room Service). Roxette's acclaimed new album, Charm School, released internationally in February, will be released digitally in the U.S. on July 26 by Capitol/EMI. On the same date, Capitol/EMI will release a new collection of Roxette's Greatest Hits on CD and digitally. (PRNewsFoto/Capitol/EMI)

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After 25 years as a world-famous act with more than 70 million albums sold, one of Sweden's top pop groups steps back into the spotlight a decade after the release of their last studio album (Room Service).  Roxette's acclaimed new album, Charm School, released internationally in February, will be released digitally in the U.S. on July 26 by Capitol/EMI.  On the same date, Capitol/EMI will release a new collection of Roxette's Greatest Hits on CD and digitally.  Both titles will be available for album and individual song download purchase from all major digital service providers.
 

Charm School is a new album of 12 songs in a style that's best described as "updated classic Roxette," from the initial power pop fireworks of "Way Out" to the bittersweet closer, "Sitting On Top Of The World."  Roxette's new Greatest Hits collection features 12 major chart hits and fan favorites, including "It Must Have Been Love," "The Look," "Listen To Your Heart," "Dangerous," and "Joyride," as well as two new songs from Charm School.

100 Reasons Why New Jersey Should Be Known for Music Instead of Snooki

BELMAR, N.J., May 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- How did the State that was home to such great musicians as Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, and Count Basie become synonymous with Snooki? That question rumbled through the mind of award-winning music journalist Gary Wien. The Jersey Shore native decided to see for himself if New Jersey was still the home of amazing musicians or if it had truly become the freak show appearing on the former music television station.

Between September 2010 and January 2011, Wien listened to over 2,200 albums by New Jersey artists released within the last decade. He listened to the good, the bad, and the very ugly; yet somehow remained a music fan through it all. He describes the Top 100 albums in his new book, Are You Listening?, which is available at http://www.njmusic.org and select bookstores.

Quincy Jones and The Global Gumbo Group Unite With the Middle East's Biggest Music Artists to Launch Charity Song 'Tomorrow/Bokra'

Quincy Jones and The Global Gumbo Group Unite With the Middle East's Biggest Music Artists to Launch Charity Song 'Tomorrow/Bokra'. (PRNewsFoto/Global Gumbo Group)

Global Gumbo Group Chairman Quincy Jones and President Badr Jafar partner with the industry's leading Arab stars to record the single for children in the region, in association with Mawazine Festival

RABAT, Morocco, May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary producer Quincy Jones has partnered with United Arab Emirates-based social entrepreneur Badr Jafar to jointly produce an Arabic charity single entitled 'Tomorrow/Bokra' to raise money and help finance educational arts and culture scholarships and projects for children in the Middle East and North Africa. The project is being implemented in association with the Mawazine Festival.
 

Global Gumbo Group, which was established earlier this year, will record the new Arabic version of the song 'Tomorrow (A Better You, A Better Me)', Jones' famous anthem of peace, hope and unity, in Rabat, Morocco, concurrently with the 10th edition of the MAWAZINE Festival Rhythms of the World. It was twenty six years ago that the iconic recording 'We Are The World,' also produced by Jones, generated tens of millions of dollars to help ease suffering in Africa. A contemporary version of the song was also released last year to aid the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
The 'Tomorrow/Bokra' recording will involve some of the biggest names in Arabic music, including: Majida El Roumi (Lebanon), Kathem Al Saher (Iraq), Mayada El Hannaoui (Syria), Hussein Al Jassmi (UAE), Saber El Rebai (Tunisia), Amr Diab (Egypt), Asma Lmnawar (Morocco) and many others. The line-up of artists is an unprecedented summit of Middle Eastern talent on a scale never seen before.

American Idol Winner Scotty McCreery is Still Second

Young Garner, N.C., Resident Crowned Winner of Season 10

PLANO, Texas, May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite winning Season 10 of American Idol, Scotty McCreery was telling the world he is second during last night's finale. Since the beginning of the season, McCreery has been seen wearing a black I Am Second bracelet on his right wrist, showing his support for the groundbreaking I am Second movement (http://bit.ly/illiHd).

I Am Second is a multimedia movement that chronicles the personal stories of struggle and transformation of celebrities and everyday people.

"In a competition where it is easy to get caught up in the greatness of 'me,' it is refreshing to see a young man who can remember who really is first," said Mike Jorgensen, I Am Second executive director. "Though we have never spoken with Scotty about I Am Second, it is inspiring to see him take part in the movement and confidently display his faith to millions each week."

Lady Gaga and Interscope Records Team Up With Appetizer Mobile to Release "Lady Gaga: The Monster In You" App

Following her wildly successful albums "The Fame" and "The Fame Monster," and now number one atop the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, Lady Gaga releases "Born This Way." To celebrate the new album, the international superstar releases a new iPhone and Facebook app for fans to channel their inner "Little Monsters" and share with others around the "Monster Globe".

NEW YORK, May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lady Gaga and Interscope Records have teamed up with Appetizer Mobile, a New York City-based leading full-service mobile development digital agency, to release "Lady Gaga: The Monster In You" mobile application now available for iPhone ($.99) and Facebook.

Known as the 'Social Media Master' with 10 million Twitter followers and 32 million Facebook fans, Lady Gaga is taking over the app space. "We're thrilled with the opportunity to develop Lady Gaga's newest apps," said Jordan Edelson, CEO and Founder of Appetizer Mobile. "Our goal was to create a fun and interactive experience to connect Gaga's fans around the world to promote her new album. We're excited to launch the applications and can't wait to see 'Little Monsters' popping up all over the globe."

Decca Records to Release Imelda May's Mayhem July 19

U.S. TOUR DATES INCLUDE CENTRAL PARK SUMMER STAGE AND LOLLAPALOOZA

"Powerhouse..."—Dallas Morning News

"...an exceptional revivalist who is as retro-comely as she is robustly gifted..." —The Orange County Register

NEW YORK, May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Decca is set to release Imelda May's Mayhem on July 19. The release marks her second album in the states and her first on the label. America is already well acquainted with May through her performances on "The Tonight Show" in April, the 2010 Grammy Awards and a PBS Concert Special with Jeff Beck.  With the release of Mayhem, Imelda will embark on a string of summer dates including a July 21 album release party at New York City's Mercury Lounge, Central Park Summer Stage with Wanda Jackson and Lollapalooza (dates attached).
 

May has achieved triple-platinum status in her native Ireland and gold status in the U.K., along with receiving numerous awards including Best Breakthrough Artist at the 2010 Classic Rock Awards and Best Female Artist of 2010 at the Irish Meteor Awards.  She has also graced TV screens in the U.K. performing on "Graham Norton" and twice on "Jools Holland." Mayhem has received four-star reviews from MOJO, The Daily Mirror, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. The album reached number seven on the U.K. chart, remained in the Top Ten for two weeks and the Top 20 for eight weeks.