Ne-Yo

Ne-Yo scored his second U.K. No. 1 single yesterday (June 29), as "Closer" (Def Jam/Universal) climbed 2-1, while Coldplay started a third week atop the album chart with "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" (Parlophone/EMI).

Ne-Yo topped the British singles survey in March 2006 with "So Sick" and visited the top five in each of the following two years, with "Sexy Love" (No. 5 in July 2006) and "Because of You" (No. 4 in April 2007). "Closer," from Ne-Yo's upcoming third album "Year of the Gentleman," drops 28-25 on the current Billboard Hot 100.

Ne-Yo replaced Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" at the top of the new U.K. singles chart. That song fell to No. 2 as Jordin Sparks' recent top three U.S. hit "No Air" (Jive/Sony BMG) featuring Chris Brown climbed 10-3 across the Atlantic. Brown saw his own "Forever," also on Jive, move 5-4 in the U.K., while "We Made It" (Interscope/Universal) by Busta Rhymes featuring Linkin Park climbed 14-10.

London DJ Ironik debuted at No. 11 with "Stay With Me" (Asylum/Warner Music) as Sam Sparro's former No. 2 hit "Black & Gold" (Universal Island) rebounded 15-12. The Jonas Brothers climbed 16-13 with "SOS" (Hollywood/EMI) and Scottish rock band Glasvegas scored its first top 40 hit as "Geraldine" (Columbia/Sony BMG) arrived at No. 16. "Elevator" (Atlantic/Warner Music) by Flo Rida featuring Timbaland rose 27-20.

Coldplay's third week atop the album chart kept them ahead of Duffy's "Rockferry" (A&M/Universal) in an unchanged top four. Icelandic band Sigur Ros made a No. 5 debut with, "Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust" (EMI), which translates as "With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly."

Two climbers in the singles chart scored top 10 album debuts, as Chris Brown's "Exclusive" came in at No. 16 and the Jonas Brothers' self-titled set arrived at No. 9. The Ting Ting's "We Started Nothing" climbed 20-11 and Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black -- The Deluxe Edition" (Universal Island) rose 25-13.

Coldplay climbed 4-1 on European Top 100 Albums with "Viva La Vida...," while Duffy's "Mercy" leads Eurochart Hot 100 Singles for a third straight week, and fourth overall.

Jay-Z

The tents are packed up and most of the 140,000 music lovers have made their weary way home, but memories of this year's Glastonbury festival, and its headline act Jay-Z, are likely to linger.

The choice of the U.S. rapper to perform on the main stage at a festival best known for its guitar-based rock acts was widely criticized, and Oasis' Noel Gallagher riled the musician by saying the organizers were wrong to pick him.

Jay-Z's response was emphatic. He opened his show with a film using Gallagher's now infamous comments and a montage of clips parodying him, before launching into an acoustic rendition of one of Oasis's biggest hits, "Wonderwall." Most fans and critics were impressed.

"His performance will go down in Glastonbury history," wrote the Independent in a review of the festival.

Rather than being booed off stage as some predicted, "both audience and artist rose to the occasion and turned in a moment of real, euphoric, pop-culture history," added the Times.

The Guardian concluded: "It's brilliantly staged, utterly thrilling and it makes Gallagher look a bit of a berk."

The Daily Mirror tabloid, however, described his performance as dull. "I felt seriously short-changed as I walked away from this performance," it said.

Bon Jovi

New York officials say Bon Jovi will play at a free concert in Central Park on July 12. The concert is billed as a prelude to the July 15 Major League Baseball All-Star game, which will highlight the final season at Yankee Stadium.

The event will be announced this afternoon during a press conference at New York's City Hall, including details of ticket distribution.

Bon Jovi wraps its North American tour with a July 14-15 stand at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Nas

Rapper Nas has broken his tradition of sidestepping brand partnerships and inked a one-year partnership with athletic apparel company Fila, Billboard can reveal.

Fila will offer reciprocal financial support for Nas' print and TV ad campaign as well as his upcoming tour in support of his untitled album, due July 15 via Def Jam. In return, the MC will wear Fila products and co-create an apparel line that draws from fashions of the late '80s.

"My best friend Will and I loved Fila," Nas tells Billboard. "It represented prestige and everything that was cool to us. When Will passed, we buried him in a black Fila sweat suit, so doing a deal with them has a lot of significance for me."

According to Fila president John Epstein, it was a natural match. "One of my executives spotted Nas shopping in our Manhattan store and struck up a conversation with him," Epstein says. "Nas isn't interested in selling out. He's interested in being true, and that fits with our brand."

Nostalgia aside, some may view Epstein as brave to co-brand his company with an MC who's pledged to unpack America's racial struggles.

"I had some trepidation, and then I started talking to 16- to 20-year-old kids in focus groups," Epstein says. "They looked at me like I was crazy for not understanding his message of positive change. Nas is relevant to his followers and I don't have to understand it as long as they do."

Tony Yayo

We’ve already established a few things with G-Unit’s recent trip to Africa. First, 50 Cent is huge down there. Not just, “Oh hey, it’s 50 Cent” huge, but huge in the way that thousands of people sacrificed their regular weekly expenditures on, say, water or food, so that they could go to a concert.

Second, 50 Cent might just be bored with all his fame and wealth, enough that he was genuinely interested in learning about South Africa’s struggle with Apartheid. He met with Nelson Mandela, Mandela’s grandson and toured two Apartheid museums in Soweto and Johannesburg, taking it all in.

And third, I’m a lucky bastard for getting the assignment.

Now while 50’s G-Unit mates Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks are, by proxy, pretty famous down there themselves, they didn’t really pick up the social-consciousness vibe that 50 was feeling. Case in point, on the day we went with Curtis to the Apartheid Museum and to Nelson Mandela’s house, Yayo and Banks were sleeping in.

On the third day of our trip, we followed 50 to a platinum mine in Steelpoort, South Africa, a 45-minute plane ride north of Johannesburg. 50 joked about wanting to see “where his platinum plaques” came from, but he was really there to see the working conditions of a mine he said he may or may not be investing in. OK, he won’t win a spot on our “Hottest Humanitarians in the Game” roundtable — but it’s something. Where were Yayo and Banks that day? They decided to take a trip to a lion park in Johannesburg with the rest of the concert production crew.

It’s a tough call for a producer when you only have one camera and one cameraman (hey Nick!). Follow 50 deep into the earth or go on safari with Yayo and Banks. What’d we do? The only thing you could do: Follow 50, but give Yayo one of those hand-held Flip-Cams. Hilarity ensued!

Yayo had the camera for the entire week we were in South Africa, and while we certainly can’t show you ALL the footage, there’s certainly more than enough to keep you laughing. This man needs his own TV show! Enjoy …

Linkin Park

Linkin Park weren't sure they'd be able to top last year's Projekt Revolution tour, but with a lineup that includes veteran rap and rock performers Busta Rhymes and Chris Cornell, as well as the Bravery and Ashes Divide, this year's bill may prove to be their most eclectic yet.

"We just pick groups that we think would be a good match together," Linkin Park MC Mike Shinoda said of the tour, which will hit 24 cities, kicking off July 16 in Mansfield, Massachusetts, and wrapping up August 24 in The Woodlands, Texas. "We want to create a bill that we think we'd enjoy seeing this summer."

After collaborating with Linkin Park on "We Made It," the first single off his eighth album, Blessed, Busta Rhymes was determined to join them on tour.

"Apparently, Busta was telling people, 'You don't understand, I'm going to be on that tour; you need to get me on that tour,' " Shinoda recalled. "I was saying to our touring committee ... with the single, it would be really great to do at least some shows with Busta."

Rhymes laughed at his efforts. "I was going hard, though, shamelessly," he said. "I wanted this bad."

"Busta, he's a performer," Shinoda said. "This isn't a DJ on the stage playing records."

With Rhymes and Linkin Park spending so much time together on the tour, are other collaborations on the horizon? "Absolutely. Why not?" Rhymes said. "Make an album, a couple of albums. Make a movie together. You know what I'm saying?"

Cornell decided to join the tour after enjoying his brief time with Linkin Park in Australia last October. "It's not that easy to find bands or artists [that are musically] different from what you do but that you like and your fans are going to like them, and it all makes sense but it's completely different," Cornell explained.

The former Audioslave and Soundgarden frontman described his spontaneous approach to creating a set list. "I sort of decide on the moment what the set list will be and sometimes even when we're onstage — it depends," Cornell said. "The funny part is when I'll forget. There will be a song that everybody loves that everyone expected to hear, and I forgot that song existed."

Cornell may also be debuting material from his recent collaboration with chart-topper Timbaland, who is producing Cornell's third solo album, which is planned for a September release.

"The idea of playing some new material is good," Cornell said. "Not every day is the same for me. Sometimes an audience feels different, so for me it requires a couple of different songs. You never know."

Metal band Atreyu will headline the tour's smaller Revolution stage, where 10 Years, Hawthorne Heights, Armor for Sleep and Street Drum Corps will also play.

"We just kept sending manila envelopes full of $1 bills," Atreyu lead singer Alex Varkatzas joked of how they made the lineup.

Before the U.S. leg of the tour begins, Projekt Revolution will head to Europe for the first time in the tour's five-year history, with a completely different lineup that includes N.E.R.D., the Used, H.I.M., the Blackout, InnerPartySystem and Enter Shikari. After three stops in Germany (June 21, 27, 28), the tour meets up with Jay-Z in Milton Keynes, England, on June 29.

"For some reason, there's an interest in this tour, there's an interest in what it means, and I think that it's translating in other places," Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington said. "We've never showed up to the U.K. and sold 50,000 tickets, but when we say we're doing Projekt Revolution and we have these different bands, all of a sudden it's, like, awesome."

One thing that hasn't changed since last year is Linkin Park's commitment to making the tour "green" by donating $1 from every ticket purchased to help reduce global warming through their charity, Music Relief.

Even after five years of putting this tour together, Linkin Park are excited to hit the road again. "When all the musicians on a tour feel like this is really an opportunity, and we're probably not going to be able to do this again, you're living in that moment, and you're being present with the fact that this is a really special thing we get to do," Bennington said. "It's just like I'm living out a fantasy."

50 Cent's Ex-Girlfriend

50 Cent's Ex-Girlfriend Files Restraining Order; Rapper Hits Back With Defamation Suit

The battle between 50 Cent and ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins — mother of the couple's 11 year-old son, Marquise, whose house burned down in a suspicious fire earlier this month — heated up on Thursday when Tompkins took out a temporary restraining order against the rapper. The legal order, which requires 50 to forfeit all firearms and stay at "curbside" when picking up and dropping off Marquise, also bans 50 (born Curtis Jackson) from being on any property where Tompkins is, according to her lawyer, Paul Catsandonis.

"Threats have been made against my client and she needs to take the proper safeguards to protect herself and her family," Catsandonis told MTV News. While the lawyer said the threats came from "Mr. Jackson," he would not go into specifics.

One reason he declined to elaborate on the alleged threats was because 50 has filed a defamation lawsuit against Tompkins, who has accused him of being involved in the fire last month, which burned down the $4 million New York home owned by the rapper that she was living in with their son. The fire, which officials called "highly suspicious," sent Tompkins and the child to the hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation.

Following the fire, TMZ.com aired footage of Tompkins stating that 50 was "obsessed" with her and that he'd recently threatened her life. "If he can't have me, no one can," Tompkins said. "He said that he was going to have someone come kill me, and see what he does. This is what he did." An attorney for 50, Brett Kimmel — who could not be reached for comment at press time — said at the time of the fire that, "any suggestion that [50] had anything whatsoever to do with the fire at his home is outrageous and offensive." 50 had tried to evict Tompkins from the property last month unless she began paying rent, Kimmel said, and the couple had been fighting in court over the property for several months.

Explaining the defamation suit, which was to be filed on Friday in New York, Kimmel reportedly told New York's Daily News, "there comes a point where you can no longer sit on your hands and listen to her spread these falsehoods. Besides hurting his reputation, they have a damaging impact on their son."

Catsandonis confirmed that he'd been served with the defamation papers, which he said alleged that his client was engaging in a "character assassination" of the rapper as a result of her comments following the fire. "They're seeking $20 million in the defamation suit and also seeking enforcement of the visitation order from family court," he said. As for the restraining order, it is temporary now, but Catsandonis, who called the defamation suit "baseless and retaliatory in nature," said he will argue in court next month for a permanent order.

In responding to the defamation suit, Catsandonis said he is also considering filing a countersuit claiming defamation against his client.

The Shins

The Shins are likely to self-release their fourth studio album through frontman James Mercer's Aural Apothecary label, Billboard can reveal. The beloved indie rock group's first three albums were released by Sub Pop.

"The deal will be more of a [pressing and distribution] deal than a traditional record deal," Shins manager Ian Montone tells Billboard. "That partner could very well remain Sub Pop, who have done a remarkable job with the band and have a great staff of people who really love music. It could be a digital partner with respect to other rights. All of this is being determined. The first goal is to make the record and see where that takes us."

Says Sub Pop general manager Megan Jasper, "The Shins have been a huge part of Sub Pop's story. We'd love to continue working with them."

The Shins are seeking a deal that would allow them to own their masters, "and, in addition to the marketing tools we have at our own disposal, team up with a label partner that will assist with additional marketing, radio, and various costs," Montone reports.

For a band like the Shins, who have sold 1.58 million albums in the United States since 2001, according to Nielsen SoundScan, such a deal makes sense because "it allows them to have the best of all possible worlds -- control and ownership, as well as the ability to still partner with a label and be able to take advantage of that traditional infrastructure," according to Montone.

The band's most recent album, 2007's "Wincing the Night Away," debuted at a career-best No. 2 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 538,000 copies.

Phish

Could Phish be ready to reunite? According to an online report, the beloved jam band will do exactly that at some point in the near future, when it hits the studio to make an album with producer Steve Lillywhite.

Phish broke up in August 2004 following a blowout concert in its home state of Vermont. Of late, rumors have heated up that a reunion might be in store, based on comments guitarist Trey Anastasio has made in interviews.

All four members were also on hand in New York last month to accept a lifetime achievement award from the Jammys, but did not perform live or address the possibility of a reunion. A Phish spokesperson was unavailable for comment at deadline.

Lillywhite previously produced Phish's 1996 album "Billy Breathes." Through a spokesperson, he offered a "no comment" to Billboard when asked if he was planning to work with the band again. At present, Lillywhite is in Dublin recording with U2, with whom he's collaborated for three decades.

Since disbanding, Phish's members have released a wealth of solo and collaborative music, often featuring each other. Due up next is an album from bassist Mike Gordon, "The Green Sparrow," due Aug. 5 via Rounder, which features guest turns from Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell.

Phish's Web site has also offered the regular release of archival live material. Due Aug. 5 is the double-DVD set "Phish Walnut Creek," taped July 22, 1997, at the Raleigh, N.C., venue of the same name. Fans who pre-order from the site will receive a 75-minute bonus audio CD featuring performances from prior Walnut Creek shows.

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne blows away the competition this week on the Billboard 200 as he nabs Hot Shot Debut honors at No. 1 with his first-chart topper -- "Tha Carter III." The set moved an astounding 1,006,000 units in its first week, making it only the 15th album to sell at least a million in one week since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991.

On the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Wayne is also No. 1, but he's not the Hot Shot Debut, as street-date violations forced his album onto the chart early last week. So, the top debut this week is actually Plies' "Definition of Real" at No. 2. That matches his previous high, when "The Real Testament" also debuted in the runner-up slot last year.

Wayne also scores the Hot Shot Debut on the Billboard Hot 100 with "3 Peat" at No. 66.

Country duo Montgomery Gentry ropes the Hot Shot Debut on Top Country Albums with "Back When I Knew It All" starting at No. 3. All seven of the act's albums have bowed in the top 10.

Greatest Gainers: George Strait's "Troubadour" takes the Greatest Gainer trophy on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums as the album posts a 6,000 unit gain this week. It's likely that the country king's album was a natural gift purchase for men last week, with the Father's Day holiday falling on June 15, the final day of the SoundScan tracking week.

Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III" actually grabs the Greatest Gainer cup on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, as it rises 32-1 following its premature debut last week due to street-date violations.

On the Billboard Hot 100, Katy Perry's seemingly unstoppable "I Kissed a Girl" rises 4-2 with the Greatest Gainer/Airplay award. Meanwhile, Metro Station's breakthrough hit "Shake It" climbs 14-10 with Greatest Gainer/Digital honors.

Pacesetters: On the Billboard 200, Jeremy Camp's "Beyond Measure" sells 12,000 off a 72% increase, thanks to continued sale pricing of the album at the influential Family Christian chain of stores. The retailer is carrying the album for $5.

The spirit is alive and well over on Top Country Albums as well, as the various artists compilation "God Bless the U.S.A." zips 61-44 with 2,000 and a 96% increase. Switching gears to Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, hip-hop duo Cool Kids motor 89-64 with "The Bake Sale," grabbing Pacesetter honors.

Motley Crue

Motley Crue are back with a new album, a song that's a hit with gamers and an upcoming festival tour, but the bad-boy rockers are frustrated that a long-awaited movie about their lives is going nowhere.

The glam-metal veterans first announced in 2006 they had reached a deal with MTV Films/Paramount to start producing a biopic based on their best-selling autobiography "The Dirt," which was co-written with Neil Strauss

But the band is now looking for new partners, bassist/lyricist Nikki Sixx told Reuters. "We're trying to get them (MTV) out of the way to make this movie that should have been made a long time ago," he said.

"MTV has become bogged down in its own way. It's a channel that used to be hip and has now actually become unhip. We signed with them because we believed they were right, but they haven't come to the table," he said. "We need to find the right partner. They are not the right partner."

Paramount Pictures and MTV Films, both units of media conglomerate Viacom Inc, declined comment.

Fighting with partners and among themselves is nothing new for Motley Crue, whose members also include singer Vince Neil, guitarist Mick Mars and drummer Tommy Lee.

After rising to prominence in Los Angeles' heavy metal scene in the early 1980s, the band enjoyed such hits as "Dr. Feelgood" and "Shout at the Devil," but also endured the temporary departures of both Neil and Lee, record-label strife, waning popularity and the consequences of drug abuse.

Next Tuesday, the band will release the autobiographical album "Saints of Los Angeles," which it will promote during its touring hard-rock festival, Crue Fest, starting next month. It marks the band's first studio album of new material by the original lineup in over 10 years, since "Generation Swine."

"It's a fun album with some dark moments. It covers a lot of emotions of four human beings and their life as a band," said Sixx.

Crue Fest, which will run from July 1 through August 31, will also feature Grammy-nominated rock acts Buckcherry and Papa Roach, as well as Sixx's side project Sixx: A.M.

D'Angelo

R&B star D'Angelo is making progress on his first studio album since 2000, which will likely be released early next year via J Records. The label purchased D'Angelo's contract in 2005 from Virgin, which issued his first two studio albums.

For his as-yet-untitled J debut, D'Angelo has already collaborated with Raphael Saadiq and also plans to record with John Mayer, according to a source. A single may be out before the end of the year.

D'Angelo has largely fallen off the musical map since 2000's "Voodoo," which has sold 1.69 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its single "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," hit No. 2 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 25 on the Hot 100.

In recent years, the artist has endured a serious car accident and drug-related arrests. In lieu of new music of his own, he's made sporadic guest appearances on albums by Common, Snoop Dogg and J Dilla.

On Tuesday (June 24), Virgin will release a CD/DVD retrospective, "The Best So Far...," featuring hits, rarities and previously unreleased videos.

Staind

Staind has set an Aug. 19 release date for its next Atlantic album, "The Illusion of Progress." First single "Believe" will hit U.S. radio outlets on June 24.

"It's a departure from the last record," Staind frontman Aaron Lewis tells Billboard. "There's a lot more effect-y experimentation and a lot more textures with vintage instruments and vintage amps."

The band recorded at the studio that Lewis keeps in his barn with producer Johnny K. And while Staind previously swore to rock even harder this time out, Lewis says it's aware of pressure for another ballad-style track along the lines of such hits as "Outside" and "It's Been Awhile."

"That's what the record label wants," he says. "You're foolish not to [be aware] of that."

"Illusion" is the follow-up to 2005's "Chapter V," which has sold 986,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Staind will be on tour this summer, beginning July 4 in Muskegon, Mich.

Young Jeezy

Rapper Young Jeezy was charged with driving under the influence and speeding after he was pulled over on an Atlanta highway early Wednesday (June 18).

The multi-platinum-selling artist, whose real name is Jay Jenkins, was driving a Corvette when he was stopped about 2:30 a.m. on Interstate 85, police department spokesman Officer James Polite said.

The arresting officer noticed the vehicle did not have a license plate, but Polite could not say how fast Jenkins was driving.

Jenkins was charged with speeding, driving with no proof of insurance or license plate, having an open container, reckless driving and driving impaired by alcohol or drugs.

He was released from the Atlanta City Detention Center a few hours later on a $4,100 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court July 17.

His attorney, Scott E. Leemon, said in a news release that Jenkins was arrested after leaving a recording studio, where he was working on his new Def Jam album, due in August.

"A court date has been scheduled and Jeezy looks forward to getting the matter resolved," Leemon said.

Oasis

Oasis has expanded its partnership with Sony BMG by signing a new three-album deal with the company. The profit-sharing agreement will find Oasis continuing to release music on its own Big Brother imprint, with global distribution and marketing by Sony BMG.

Oasis' first three albums were released by Creation Records. Afterward, the band launched Big Brother and inked a distribution deal with Sony's Epic label for the albums "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants,"Heathen Chemistry" and "Don't Believe the Truth."

The first fruit of the pact will be Oasis' seventh, as-yet-untitled album, which is expected before year's end. Sony BMG will all pursue worldwide initiatives with the band's back catalog.

"Oasis are in complete control of their destiny and could have chosen to sign with anyone, or even go it alone, so I am delighted that they have chosen to continue to work with us," says Sony BMG Music Entertainment U.K. chairman/CEO Ged Doherty.

Added Oasis management principal Alex McKinlay, This allows the band to take advantage of all the opportunities presented by the new business models available today as well as remaining totally in control of their own destiny."

Oasis will return to the road this summer for a short North American tour, beginning Aug. 26 in Seattle. Three dates in Mexico are also on tap for November.

New Guns N' Roses Tracks

Nine purported "mastered, finished" tracks from Guns N' Roses' 14-years-in-the-making album "Chinese Democracy" were leaked online yesterday (June 18) by the Web site Antiquiet.com, prompting a quick cease-and-desist from the band's handlers and the removal of the links.

Six of the songs have already leaked in one unfinished form or another: "Better," "The Blues," the title track, "Madagascar," "IRS" and "There Was a Time." But these versions appear to be much further along on the path toward completion, and feature new touches like organ and tambourine on "IRS" and a beefed-up chorus with multi-tracked vocals on "Madagascar."

The three previously unheard songs are "Rhiad and the Bedouins," "If the World" and a track whose title is unknown.

"Rhiad," which was played live by Guns N' Roses in 2001 and 2002, is a pounding rocker with a trademark down-and-dirty main guitar riff and a flashy solo. "If the World" is a head-spinning blend of flamenco guitar, industrial synth tones, bluesy piano licks and Rose at the top of his vocal register, while the unnamed track is an even more unusual melange of piano-led crooning, orchestral bombast and a serene instrumental outtro.

"Chinese Democracy" was last on Interscope's release schedule in March 2007. In late March of this year, the Axl Rose-led band signed a new management deal with industry heavyweights Irving Azoff and Andy Gould and began what it described as "negotiations" with Interscope to release the album.

But even if its release is drawing near, "Chinese Democracy" will likely go down as the album with the most troubled birth in rock history. Work began on it way back in 1994, and since then, Rose has burned through a reported $13 million in production costs as well as every lone original member of the group.

The endless delays reached comic levels this spring, when soft drink manufacturer Dr Pepper offered to send a free can of the drink to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" arrives anytime during the calendar year 2008.

Coldplay

As tipped here yesterday, Coldplay scores its first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week with "Viva La Vida," which jumps from No. 2 spurred by digital sales of 246,000 copies. The group's fourth Capitol album, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," is expected to debut at No. 1 next week.

The last British group to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 was the Spice Girls with "Wannabe" in February 1997.

Capitol has even more reason to celebrate, as the label's Katy Perry moves 4-2 with Greatest Gainer/Airplay honors for "I Kissed a Girl." This marks the first time Capitol has had the top two slots on the Hot 100 in the same week since Billboard's Sept. 2, 1967 issue, when the label had Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe" at No. 1 and the Beatles' "All You Need is Love" as the runner up.

Last week's No. 1, Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" featuring Static Major, drops to No. 3, but Wayne has some major consolation, as his new album, "Tha Carter III," debuted yesterday at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 with sales of more than 1 milion units.

Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" slides 3-4 on the Hot 100, while Rihanna's "Take a Bow" holds at No. 5. Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine" rises 9-6, while Jordin Sparks' "No Air" featuring Chris Brown sticks at No. 7.

Brown's own "Forever" is right behind thanks to an 11-8 jump, while Usher's "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy drops 6-9. Rounding out the top with a 14-10 increase is Metro Station's "Shake It," thanks to digital sales of 120,000 copies. Lil Wayne's "3 Peat" is the chart's top debut at No. 66.

On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Keyshia Cole's "Heaven Sent" is No. 1 for a second week. The top debut on that tally is Plies' "Please Excuse My Hands" featuring Jamie Foxx and the-Dream at No. 62. LL Cool J's "Baby" enters at No. 86, his 42nd entry on the chart since 1985.

Kenny Chesney's "Better As a Memory" jumps 4-1 on Hot Country Songs, his 14th chart-topper here. Brad Paisley's "Waitin' On a Woman" is the top debut at No. 51.

Billboard's rock charts are unchanged at the top; Weezer is No. 1 on Modern Rock with "Pork & Beans" for a seventh week, and Disturbed's "Inside the Fire" tops Mainstream Rock for a seventh as well.

Death Cab For Cutie

Death Cab For Cutie, Erykah Badu, Wyclef Jean, Panic At The Disco, Joss Stone, Lupe Fiasco and Dashboard Confessional are among the top names joining headliners R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots at the tenth Voodoo Experience, to be held Oct. 24-26 at New Orleans' City Park.

Billboard.com can reveal that the event will also feature performances by DeVotchKa, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Cold War Kids, Ghostland Observatory, Joseph Arthur, Old 97's, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, the reunited Shudder To Think, the Gutter Twins, Thievery Corporation, Tokyo Police Club and Man Man.

Among the dozens of local and/or non-rock acts set to appear the Neville Brothers (making their first appearance at Voodoo Experience), the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Irving Mayfield's New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, the New Orleans Bingo! Show, Ozomatli with Chali 2na, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Kermit Ruffins, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Iguanas, Bonerama, Marc Broussard and King Britt, the latter staging a tribute to local mp3 music legend Sister Gertrude Morgan.

Weekend passes priced at $115 go on sale Monday (June 23). Three-day VIP passes will also available for $450.

Britney Spears

More than any other single artist, Britney Spears was the driving force behind the return of teen pop in the late '90s. The blockbuster success of the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys certainly paved the way for her own commercial breakthrough, but Spears didn't just become a star -- she was a bona fide pop phenomenon. Not only did she sell millions of records, she was a media fixture regardless of what she was (or wasn't) doing; among female singers of the era (many of whom followed in her footsteps), her celebrity star power was rivaled only by Jennifer Lopez. From the outset, Spears' sex appeal was an important part of her image. The video for her debut single, "...Baby One More Time," outfitted her in full Catholic-school regalia and sent her well on the way to becoming an international sex symbol. Yet Spears' handlers seemed to be trying to have it both ways -- there was a definite tension between the wholesome innocence Spears tried to project for her female audience, and the titillating sexuality that enticed so many male fans. Those marketing tactics made Spears a somewhat controversial figure, the subject of endless debates concerning appropriate role models for teenage girls. Early on, Spears tried to defuse the controversy by preaching abstinence until marriage, and even denied that she was consciously cultivating such a sexualized image. Of course, the more provocative and revealing her on-stage wardrobe became, the less plausible that claim seemed. But apart from her ability to tiptoe the line between virginal coquette and brazen tart, Spears had a secret weapon in Swedish pop mastermind Max Martin, who had a hand in the vast majority of her hits as a writer and/or producer. With Martin crafting the sort of contemporary dance-pop and sentimental ballads that made stars of the Backstreet Boys, Spears kept on delivering the goods commercially, as her first three albums all topped the charts.

Britney Jean Spears was born December 2, 1981, in the small town of Kentwood, LA, and began performing as a singer and dancer at a young age. With a nationally televised appearance on Star Search already under her belt, Spears auditioned for the Disney Channel's The New Mickey Mouse Club at age eight. The producers turned her down as too young, but one of them took an interest and introduced her to an agent in New York. Spears spent the next three years studying at the Professional Performing Arts School, and also appeared in several television commercials and off-Broadway plays. At 11, she returned to The New Mickey Mouse Club for a second audition, and this time made the cut. Although her fellow Mouseketeers included an impressive array of future stars -- *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, Christina Aguilera, and Felicity actress Keri Russell -- the show was canceled after Spears' second season. She returned to New York at age 15 and set about auditioning for pop bands and recording demo tapes, one of which eventually landed her a deal with Jive Records.

Spears entered the studio with top writer/producers like Eric Foster White (Boyzone, Whitney Houston, Backstreet Boys) and Max Martin (Ace of Base, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC). In late 1998, Jive released her debut single, the Martin-penned "...Baby One More Time." Powered by its video, in which Spears and a troupe of dancers were dressed as Catholic-school jailbait, the single shot to the top of the Billboard charts. When Spears' debut album of the same title was released in early 1999, it entered the charts at number one and stayed there for six weeks. Once the ubiquitous lead single died down, the album kept spinning off hits: the Top Ten "(You Drive Me) Crazy," the near-Top 20 ballad "Sometimes," and the Top 20 "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart." By the end of 1999, ...Baby One More Time had sold ten million copies, and went on to sell a good three million more on top of that. Its success touched off a wave of young pop divas that included Christina Aguilera, Pink, Jessica Simpson, and Mandy Moore. Spears was a superstar, drooled over in countless magazines, including a Rolling Stone cover that prompted immediate speculation about the still-17 year old having gotten breast implants.

By the time ...Baby One More Time finally started to lose steam on the singles and album charts, Spears was ready to release her follow-up. Oops!...I Did It Again appeared in the spring of 2000, and the title track was an instant smash, racing into the Top Ten. The album entered the charts at number one and sold over a million copies in its first week of release, setting a new record for single-week sales by a female artist. Follow-up singles included "Lucky," the gold-selling "Stronger," and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know," which was co-written by country diva Shania Twain and her producer Mutt Lange. A year after its release, Oops!...I Did It Again had sold over nine million copies. Rumors that Spears was dating *N Sync heartthrob (and fellow ex-Mouseketeer) Justin Timberlake were eventually confirmed, which only added to the media attention lavished on her.

For her next album, Spears looked ahead to a not-so-distant future when both she and much of her audience would be growing up. Released in late 2001, Britney tried to present the singer as a more mature young woman, and was accompanied by mild hints that her personal life wasn't always completely puritanical. It became her third straight album to debut at number one, although this time around the singles weren't as successful; "I'm a Slave 4 U," "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman," and "Overprotected" all missed the Top Ten. In early 2002, Spears' feature-film debut, Crossroads, hit theaters, but its commercial performance was somewhat disappointing; moreover, her romance with Timberlake fizzled not long after. Spears next made a cameo appearance in Mike Myers' Austin Powers: Goldmember, and contributed a remix of "Boys" to the soundtrack. Meanwhile, sales of Britney stalled at four million copies, perhaps in part because a new breed of teenage female singer/songwriters, like Michelle Branch and Avril Lavigne, was emerging as an alternative to the highly packaged teen queens. Spears took a break from recording and performing for several months, and began work on a new album in early 2003. The results, In the Zone, reflected a wish to be taken seriously as a mature (though still highly sexualized) adult. Predictably, it topped the charts and launched several singles into orbit, including the musically adventurous "Toxic," "Everytime," and "Me Against the Music."

In the Zone hit number one on the Billboard 200, and "Toxic" snagged a Grammy for Best Dance Recording. But by 2004 there were no longer any illusions of Britney's personal life being all wholesome candy canes and kisses. First there was the star's bizarre two-day marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander, followed by the controversial, highly sexualized Onyx Hotel tour, which was eventually canceled (allegedly because of a knee injury) despite positive financial numbers. Starbucks and cigarettes were Britney's constant accessories in the endless paparazzi photos, and the revelation of her relationship with former backup dancer Kevin Federline made the tabloids even more ravenous. Spears and Federline married in September and were tabloid regulars in the months after the ceremony. (A photo of a barefoot Britney leaving a dingy gas station bathroom made the Internet rounds.) The couple also starred in Chaotic, a UPN reality show consisting mostly of their own home videos that was met with howls from the critics and blogs.

2005 was no less eventful for Spears. She released Greatest Hits: My Prerogative that January, but it was the announcement of her pregnancy that really garnered the headlines. Sean Preston Federline was born in September, and a bidding war ensued for first rights to the baby photos. As the hubbub surrounding Sean's birth continued, Britney released a remix album just in time for the holiday season. In 2006, Spears discovered she was pregnant again; shortly after the birth of her second son, Jayden James Federline, she divorced Federline. Early in 2007, Spears went to Malibu, CA's Promises Treatment Center; when she left, she began working on her comeback album and performed a few small shows at House of Blues locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, Anaheim, and Las Vegas that May. Despite ongoing turmoil in her life that summer and fall -- including a disastrous performance at MTV's Video Music Awards -- Blackout arrived in October 2007.

Metallica

Metallica rarely turns down the chance to pack its stadium-sized sound into a tiny venue, and Thursday was no different, as the group warmed up for its Bonnaroo peformance tonight with a nine-song set in front of approximately 175 lucky fans at Nashville's the Basement.

According to fan accounts, the group played "No Remorse," "Fuel," "Harvester of Sorrow," "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Master of Puppets," "Sad But True," "Motorbreath and "Seek and Destroy" for an audience of fan club members and club employees.

In other Metallica news, the band has reversed what it called an error by management company Q Prime and is now allowing blogs to post reviews based on rough cuts of its forthcoming album. Representatives for Metallica last week demanded the reviews be taken down, as the tracks that were previewed for the bloggers were only rough mixes.

Stone Temple Pilots

Atlantic Records sued two members of Stone Temple Pilots yesterday (June 12), accusing them of trying to prematurely end their recording contract with the Warner Music Group label.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, claims lead singer Scott Weiland and drummer Eric Kretz have threatened to stop performing under their contract and have indicated they would like to end the agreement unless Atlantic makes significant changes.

The record company said in the suit that while Stone Temple Pilots has already delivered six albums, it wants the group to record a seventh album and deliver up to two more if Atlantic decides it wants them.

Stone Temple Pilots reunited last month for its first national tour in eight years. The group, whose momentum was often curtailed by Weiland's drug problems, had fallen apart shortly after a 2002 tour. In late 2003, the other two members of the group, guitarist Dean DeLeo and bassist Robert DeLeo, were released by Atlantic from their recording contract as they said they wanted to pursue separate careers.

Atlantic said in the lawsuit that the group -- Weiland, Kretz and the DeLeos -- was now touring successfully and had indicated its intention to record together again. The record company said its contract with Stone Temple Pilots was written under New York laws and that the musicians are trying to use California laws to terminate it.

Atlantic said claims by Kretz and Weiland that they have a right to terminate the contract "have given rise to a definite, real and substantial controversy between the parties that threatens to harm Atlantic's business."

Atlantic is seeking a court declaration of its rights under the recording contract, the costs of its legal fees and any other relief the court decides is appropriate.

In a statement, STP maintains it "never threatened anything more than remaining away from the studio until equitable terms could be arranged. The precipitous filing of this action is yet another example of the difficulties facing artists in the new music environment, as relationships between artists and their labels fall further and further apart."

The band says it hopes the suit will be shelved "to permit negotiations to continue in a positive spirit rather than under a dark cloud of hostility. Should everyone operate in good faith, STP are certain that a new album from the band will be available soon. Should Atlantic instead pursue this scorched earth policy towards the band, the ultimate victims will be STP's fans, who will never be able to enjoy a new album from the group."

Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Bedingfield has been drafted as the opening act for most of New Kids On The Block's upcoming reunion tour. The trek begins Sept. 18-19 in Toronto and runs through Nov. 26 in Los Angeles.

Bedingfield is enjoying a top 10 Hot 100 hit with "Pocketful of Sunshine," also the title track of her latest Epic album. The song is No. 9 in its 17th week, while the album is No. 45 on The Billboard 200 in its 20th. It has sold 275,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The artist is currently on the Verizon VIP Tour, performing with Kate Voegele and the Veronicas, through July 10 in San Francisco.

Beck

As tipped here last month, a new Beck album will be available in a matter of weeks. The Danger Mouse-produced "Modern Guilt" is due July 8 via DGC in North America and a day earlier via XL Recordings in Europe.

Last year saw Beck release a lone single, "Time Bomb," which was nominated for a Grammy in the best solo rock vocal performance category. His previous studio album, "The Information," peaked at No. 7 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 432,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Beck begins a summer tour June 25 in Hove, Norway. The trek will conclude Sept. 20 at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl, with support from Spoon and MGMT.

Here is the track list for "Modern Guilt":
"Orphans"
"Gamma Ray"
"Chemtrails"

"Modern Guilt"
"Youthless"
"Walls"
"Replica"
"Soul of a Man"
"Profanity Prayers"
"Volcano"

Disturbed

Disturbed claims its third Billboard 200 No. 1 as "Indestructible" bows atop the chart this week. Moving 252,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the Warner Bros. set follows in the footsteps of the rock act's 2002 album "Believe" (284,000) and 2005's "Ten Thousand Fists" (239,000).

Only six other rock bands have earned three straight No. 1 debuts with studio albums: Van Halen, U2, Metallica, Dave Matthews Band, Staind and System of a Down.

The 28th edition of the "Now That's What I Call Music..." series starts at No. 2 on the chart with 185,000. All 28 of the multi-label compilations have reached the top 10 on the chart, as have many of its spin-offs, including "Now That's What I Call Christmas." "Now That's What I Call Classic Rock," which also debuted this week, bows at No. 20 with 23,000.

After topping the chart last week, Usher's "Here I Stand" (LaFace/Zomba) slips to No. 3 with 145,000, a 67% decrease in sales.

Weezer's third self-titled set starts at No. 3 with 126,000. The Geffen effort's first single "Pork and Beans" has already spent several weeks atop Billboard's Modern Rock chart. Weezer's last album, 2005's "Make Believe," arrived at a career-high No. 2.

Journey's Wal-Mart exclusive set "Revelation" opens at No. 5 with 105,000 copies. It's the band's highest charting album and best sales week since "Trial By Fire" debuted and peaked at No. 3 with 145,000 in 1996. That was the band's last album with lead singer Steve Perry; new frontman Arnel Pineda was discoved by Journey via YouTube.

Ashanti lands at No. 6 with "The Declaration" (Universal Motown), shifting 86,000. Her last studio effort, 2005's "Concrete Rose," started at No. 7 with 254,000 during Christmas week 2004.

The New Line soundtrack to "Sex in the City" tumbles 2-7 with 60,000 (-9%) this week. Jewel's first country set, "Perfectly Clear" (Valory Music Group), moves 48,000 to debut at No. 8. It also bows at the summit of Top Country Albums. Jewel's last Atlantic album, 2006's "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland," also started at No. 8.

3 Doors Down's Universal Republic self-titled set slips 3-9 with 45,000 (-29%). At No. 10, Chris Brown's "Exclusive" (Jive) enjoys a whopping 261% increase to 36,000, thanks to a reissue of the album last week with additional songs.

Other big debuts this week include Opeth's "Watershed" at No. 23 (Roadrunner, 20,000), Radiohead's "Best Of" at No. 26 (Capitol/EMI, 18,000), former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale's "Wanderlust" at No. 32 (Interscope, 15,000), the compilation "Vans Warped Tour '08" at No. 34 (ADA, 15,000) and Poison singer/ reality TV star Bret Michaels' "Rock My World" at No. 39 (VH1 Classics, 13,000).

Aimee Mann's "@#%&! Smilers" (SuperEgo) arrives at No. 80 with 8,000, while new at No. 83 is the self-titled Sub Pop debut from up-and-coming Seattle rock outfit Fleet Foxes, which sold a couple hundred copies less than the Mann release.