Billboard Bits serves up the best bite-sized nuggets of music news and gossip.
Katy Perry Denies Britney Spears Diss
Some speculated that Katy Perry was making veiled digs at Britney Spears last week when she wrote on Twitter regarding product placement in music videos, “Do it with style and grace… Not so in your face like some. You have to get creative with it. Some artists don’t care though, and you can tell,” shortly after Spears’ video for “Hold It Against Me” premiered. While Spears’ clip features product placements for perfume, cosmetics and a dating website, Perry was not referring to Britney — and it thoroughly outraged that media outlets would paint such a portrait. Perry took to Twitter this morning (Feb. 23) to clarify, and to blast the “tabloid media” (aka, “filth,” in her words). Among her comments: “I expressed an overall feeling about product placement […] Most, if not all popstars welcome deals with products to offset costs of high-budget vids in these recessional music industry times. […] Once again, stop pitting artists against artist for your sensational satisfaction.” (@KatyPerry)
Justin Bieber Is Kanye West’s ‘New Beat Protege’
The rumored Justin Bieber/Kanye West collaboration is official: A photo posted today to the rapper’s Twitter account shows West and the teen star in the studio, with Bieber working from behind a laptop and West at a keyboard. West Tweeted as a caption to the photo: “My new beat protege.” (@kanyewest)
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Ottawa Station Bans Carrie Underwood Over Husband’s Hockey Trade
An Ottawa radio station banned all Carrie Underwood songs after husband — Ottawa Senators hockey star Mike Fisher — was traded to the Nashville Predators. Fisher told the Vancouver Sun that wife Carrie “was extremely disappointed and frustrated.” The country star and the athlete, who married in July, are relocating to Nashville, Underwood’s hometown. (MSN)
Rihanna, Ryan Phillippe, Colin Farrell: A Rumored Love Triangle
Rihanna seems to have a very active love life. A source told Us Weekly the singer has been hooking up with Ryan Phillippe for several months, and another source told The Sun she has also been sexting Colin Farrell. Riri and Phillippe were recently spotted together at a Gucci/Roc Nation brunch in L.A. and at Rihanna’s 23rd birthday party, “keeping it on the down-low,” according to one source. The singer and Colin Farrell met on the set of a chat show near Christmas, and reportedly have been sending “raunchy text messages” since. (PopEater, Us Weekly)
Red Hot Chili Peppers Reveal Acid-Influenced Title Of New Album
Red Hot Chili Peppers have revealed the title of their upcoming album. According to frontman Anthony Kiedis, the release, the group’s first since 2006’s “Stadium Arcadium,” will be titled “Dr. Johnny Skinz’s Disproportionately Rambunctious Polar Express Machine-head.” The influence? Drugs, of course — a friend, Kiedis said, came to the band after one of his “legendary acid trips” and rattled off the name as being one of his No. 1 hits while performing a “sold-out show to the planets and the moons.” No release date has been set for the album as of yet. (NME)
Daft Punk, Coca-Cola Team For ‘Club Coke’ Bottles
Daft Punk and Coca-Cola have teamed up to introduce a new bottle design inspired by the French electronic duo. The silver and gold “Club Coke” bottles, based off the duo’s helmets of the same colors, will be found in stores and clubs on a limited basis beginning in March. (Hypebeast via Daily Swarm)
(Reporting by Jillian Mapes, Kevin Rutherford and Katie Morgan.)