Justin Bieber”s released two editions of “My World,” but this weekend we find out it”s really true as Paramount”s “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” opens in more than 3,000 theaters across the U.S. It will top the box office if it can beat the Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston rom-com “Just Go With It.” The movie is aimed straight at the heart of Beiber”s 7-13-year old female demo, but it very palatable to parents who have to take their kids. Read my review here; my colleague Drew McWeeny”s here.
1) Justin Beiber (not ranked last week): He”s an underdog for best new artist at Sunday”s Grammy Awards, but he may be top dog at the box office this week with “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.”
2) Lady Gaga (not ranked): Did you feel the seismic shift at 6 a.m. EST Friday morning as a meteor hit the earth? What? That was just the globe reacting to Momma Monster”s new single, “Born This Way,” as it shot to the top of the iTunes chart. She”s the subject of a “60 Minutes” profile on CBS Feb. 13 right before she appears on the Grammys. Yes. It”s all LG all the time from now until “Born This Way”s” May 23 release.
3) Irving Azoff (not ranked): He”s having a good week. Not only does he become chairman of the board of Live Nation Entertainment, LNE buys the remaining stake it did not own in Azoff”s Front Line Management for $116.2 million (which he split with MSG). We”d wager that Azoff is now worth more than WMG, which lost $100 million in shareholder value this week. We know which one we”d feel more comfortable buying stock in.
4) Guy Hands (not ranked): After putting EMI through a few years of turmoil and a nasty lawsuit with Citi that ended with Citi taking control of EMI, he”s confirmed rumors that he has actually interested in buying back EMI. What”s the definition of insanity? Oh yeah, doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result.
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5) Warner Music Group (not ranked): It”s in the doldrums now, but that makes it all the more attractive to bidders and they are coming calling, according to a NY Post piece. Among the rumored bidders is Zomba founder Clive Calder. The South African has kept a low profile, but is considered one of the savviest and shrewest execs in the history of the music business, if not the wealthiest, with his value at more than $1 billion.
6) Nicki Minaj and Jason Aldean (No. 2): This hip-hop diva and country hunk may not seem to have much in common, but they both pulled off a neat feat this week: Minah”s “Pink Friday” finally made it to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 more than two months after its initial release, while Aldean”s “My Kinda Party” rises to No. 1 on the Billboard”s Country Albums chart after hanging out for 14 weeks at No. 2 behind Taylor Swift”s “Speak Now.” Good things come to those who wait.
7) Aerosmith (not ranked): Steven Tyler has caught all kinds of flack since joining “American Idol” as a judge, most of it from his bandmate Joe Perry. But we bet Perry will hush up now: sales of Aerosmith”s greatest hits albums have soared 250%, according to Nielsen SoundScan (and originally reported in The Hollywood Reporter.)
8) Lollapalooza (not ranked): Although organizers won”t confirm, the Chicago Tribune reports that Eminem, Muse and Foo Fighters will be headliners at the Aug. 5-7 Windy City festival.
9) Black Eyed Peas (not ranked): Sure, most critics hated the Peas” half-time Super Bowl performance, but fans voted their approval by heading to iTunes. In the few hours between the Peas” Feb. 6 appearance and when the charts closed at midnight that night, their digital track sale were up 25% from the prior week. I gotta feeling they”re pretty happy about that.
10) NKOTB/BSB (not ranked): While acts with current chart hits are struggling to fill clubs, New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys sold out Boston”s Fenway park in minutes for their June 11, 2011. Granted, Boston is NKOTB”s home, but that”s still amazing. WTG NKOTB/BSB