Poolparty - Music and Other Pop Culture Happenings

Download Shakira's Beastly New Single For Free

2009-07-12T12:02:32-07:00

Shakira is offering up her new single "She Wolf" free of charge for a limited time over at ABC Music Lounge. Beginning today (7/12) at 7pm ET / 4pm PT, through Monday (7/13) until midnight ET, you will be able to download "She Wolf" for free before it's officially released on Tuesday.

Topic-wise the funky dance tune seems to be a homage to the late Michael Jackson's "Thriller." The single cover, on the other hand, finds Shakira locked up in a gilded cage wearing Madonna's leotard from the "Hung Up" video. While the song sounds nothing like anything Shakira has done before, the requisite goofy lyrics are here -- at one point our diva rhymes "me" with "lycanthropy." All she needs is an amazing video and I think Shakira has a big hit on her hands.

Download "She Wolf" here

Shakira "She Wolf"

LaToya Jackson Claims Brother Michael Was Murdered

2009-07-12T11:39:33-07:00

LaToya Jackson believes her brother Michael was murdered for money. She says she knows the perpetrators and is determined to see them brought to justice. She accused the unnamed conspirators of controlling her brother by providing access to addictive drugs.

"Less than a month ago, I said I thought Michael was going to die before the London shows because he was surrounded by people who didn’t have his best interests at heart. He was worth more dead than alive. I believe Michael was murdered, I felt that from the start. Not just one person was involved; rather it was a conspiracy of people."
LaToya Jackson

Los Angeles police chief William Bratton has not ruled out homicide. The state's autopsy will take another two weeks for the results, but the family reportedly already has the results from a private autopsy that was conducted on their request. LaToya would not comment on the results until the police results are made public.

"It will all come out. You will be shocked."
LaToya Jackson

She claims the Pop King had no real friends, despite the outpouring of love and grief from so many people who had known Mr. Jackson. It is unclear how close LaToya was to Michael or the rest of the family. She wrote a tell-all book in the 1980s which painted the clan in an unflattering light, and more recently was kept at a distance by Mr. Jackson's handlers.

"As a family, we tried to get involved. We wanted to stage an intervention. But we couldn’t get near Michael. I knew something terrible was going to happen."
LaToya Jackson

Michael and Janet Jackson 'Scream'

Loretta and Jack Love Portland, Still Learning About Life

2009-07-12T10:30:37-07:00

"I didn't know how babies were made until I was pregnant with my fourth child."
Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn & Jack White "Portland, Oregon"

Lily Allen '22' Video

2009-07-11T12:58:23-07:00

'22' is the fourth single from Lily Allen's super fabulous album 'It's Not Me, It's You.'

Lily Allen '22'

You Try to Scream but Terror Takes the Sound Before You Make It

2009-07-11T11:54:34-07:00

"My thought is if someone buries him in Neverland he will come up out of the ground like in Thriller and strangle them. He would never set foot back on Neverland. He never wanted to go there, never wanted to sleep there— never, never."
Jack Wishna, President of CPAmerica

Beyoncé Mines Her Subconscious In "Sweet Dreams" Video

2009-07-09T12:21:56-07:00

The competition between Beyoncé and Sasha is becoming fierce. A few weeks ago Beyoncé premiered the video for her latest single, the pretty but understated, "Broken-Hearted Girl." Now comes Sasha with the dance track, "Sweet Dreams." After viewing the divalicious clip, I gotta give this round to Sasha Fierce. Better luck next time Beyoncé.

Beyoncé "Sweet Dreams"

Jackson Dominates Charts and Media Ratings

2009-07-08T17:45:17-07:00

Michael Jackson's public memorial service at the Staples Center gathered 20,000 people together to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of one of the world's greatest performers in history. An estimated audience in excess of a billion people heard or watched the memorial on networks, cable, radio and digital streams around the world.

Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder and John Mayer performed, while daughter Paris concluded the memorial service with an emotionally charged goodbye to her father.

CD sales and downloads of albums and singles continued strong, with album sales in excess of 800,000 since Sony and Universal were able to replenish physical stocks that were depleted in the wake of Michael Jackson's passing. Jackson ruled over Billboard and SoundScan singles and album charts.

Michael Jackson Albums in Top 40
1 'Number Ones'
3 'Thriller'
5 'Essential'
11 'Off the Wall'
22 'Dangerous'
28 'Bad'

'We Are the World' Jackson Memorial Service

Paris Jackson Speaks at Memorial Service