LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – In Shakira's hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, there's a 15-foot metal statue of her, wearing bell bottoms and strumming a guitar. It was donated by a German sculptor in 2006, in the midst of the singer's wildly successful Oral Fixation world tour, which featured her jaw-dropping belly-dancing and a finale of "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean.

Shakira occasionally strummed a glittery

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Bigger, brighter and more danceable than predecessor Alright, Still, this autobiographical album is chock-full of double standards, crashing generalisations, and taunts, giving a handy update on Lily's state of mind.

Opener Everyone's At It is a wonderful ball of contradiction. Pointing the finger at everyone, from those taking sleeping pills to those on crack, Lily admits that she's been there. Now, bored with all-nighters, it's

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JERUSALEM (AP) - The musician formerly known as Cat Stevens released a charity song on Monday to help the children of Gaza. The United Nations said the London-born Yusuf Islam recorded a rendition of the George Harrison song "The Day the World Gets Round," along with the German bassist and former Beatles collaborator Klaus Voorman. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the U.N. agency in charge of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and to the nonprofit group Save the Children more...

The breakthrough, boisterous techno-pop of Universal Republic newcomers Cash Cash bounded into stores bright and early in 2009, with their Universal Republic debut album, Take It To The Floor, which was released on January 20. The charismatic band is currently riding the wave of their insatiable hit "Party In Your Bedroom," which has exploded on radio and via YouTube, thanks to the turbo-charged chemistry supplied by brothers Jean Paul Makhlouf (vocals, guitar) and Alex Makhlouf (keyboards,

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A special series of online podcasts featuring rare and intimate conversations with the label's legends, producers, songwriters and singers, are now available at www.classic.motown.com. The podcasts are also available on iTunes.

These exclusive podcasts are just part of a year-long celebration of Motown's 50th and its lasting legacy, which included the Dec. 9 release of Motown: The Complete No. 1's, a 10-CD box set in the shape of the label's famed "Hitsville U.S.A." birthplace

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "American Idol" champ David Cook is going back to school, announcing a U.S. tour on Friday that will take him to colleges around the nation.

Cook's 37-date tour will begin on February 13 at Florida State University in Tallahassee and end on April 25 at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, AOL music Web site www.PopEater.com said.

Most of the concerts will take place at colleges, including

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Twenty five: the number of years the incredible songtress Wynonna Judd has been bringing her amazing voice, her inspirational stories and her unique blend of country, soul and good 'ol Rock'n'Roll to the masses. In celebration of this illustrious career, Wynonna will be releasing her 7th studio album in 2009 - an eclectic assortment of standards paying homage to all the different genres and songs that have formed the soundtrack to her own life. Produced by long time collaborators Don

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