Comparing siblings is never fair, is it? But here goes. When it comes to the Jacksons, I'd have to say I prefer Janet.

But that's a recent phenomenon. Back in the more innocent days of 1983, long before the freakish media obsession and allegations of child abuse, it was Michael all the way. That's the year Thriller hit the record stores, bringing a slew of hit tunes to the radio and red pleather jackets to the retail market. I didn't own the jacket, but Mary J. Blige and Beyonce did, or so they confess over at Amazon.com. Amazon is promoting the 25th anniversary re-release of the Thriller album, which includes special collaborations with current artists.

I'm pretty sure I have the dusty vinyl tucked away somewhere in storage, but I'm seriously tempted to get this album. Not for Michael, but because of the collaborations. Truthfully, if you could imagine Michael Jackson collaborating with any current artist, would this woman be the one?

Fergie. That's just weird enough that I might spend money to hear it. She's on the track for “Beat It,” and reviews I've read online suggest that if you are a Michael purist, you'll hate it, but if not, it's kind of fun. … continue reading

As 2007 winds down, it's that time of year for self-reflection, for looking back to see how far you've come, and for looking forward toward your goals and dreams. But, most important, it's the time of year for "Person of the Year" awards and "Best of" lists! Yay! As reported in Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. this week, Blender magazine has named Fergie as its Woman of the Year.

Yes, Stacy Ferguson is woman of the year. It's a music magazine — what did you expect, women who work toward eliminating global warming or world hunger? No, they chose a big girl who doesn't cry. Except she did cry during the interview with Blender when they told her she won. Heck, Fergie cried when she won the Teen Choice Award earlier this year! And she admits in the interview that she cries all the time, even when watching Nip/Tuck. … continue reading

As Time magazine points out, MTV isn't anyone's primary source of music videos these days. But the Video Music Awards still have a home on the channel. This year's nominees include Beyoncé (seven nominations), Rihanna (five nominations) and Amy Winehouse (three nominations). Those three are nominated for Female Artist of the Year, along with Fergie and Nelly Furtado.

The Best New Artist nominees include Winehouse, Lily Allen and Carrie Underwood. Meanwhile, Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" is nominated for Monster Single of the Year, which seems perfectly appropriate to me, especially in the sense of City-Eating, Village-Decimating, Brain-Sucking Single of the Year.

If Rihanna wins, she'll match her Moonman statuette:

Beyoncé's slew of nominations include four for "Beautiful Liar," her duet with Shakira. I still don't really know what the "Liar" part is about, but the "Beautiful" is clear.

And here's Amy Winehouse in the "Rehab" video, which is nominated for Video of the Year. Yes, yes, yes. … continue reading

Many of us have been paying attention to Stacy Ferguson for a while now. We have danced, jogged, biked, walked or driven around with her and her fellow Black Eyed Peas doing their "Elephunk" and "Monkey Business" all over our iPods. But with "London Bridge," "Glamorous" and, most recently, "Big Girls Don’t Cry" having soared up the Hot 100 and Billboard 100 charts to the top spot, Stacy Ferguson, known worldwide as Fergie, now has corporate America shifting in its high-backed chair to pay a little closer attention.

As the lead-in to the video story reports, "Fergie has become a global star, and big business wants in on the action ..."

Hold up a minute. This is sort of funny. Big business and Fergie? How the heck did this happen? If she's invited to ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange, I'm going to quickly start building an ark, because the apocalypse can only be a few minutes behind. Achieving pop music status is not the same as having corporations in your back pocket or handbag (or whatever means Ferguson uses to lug her cash around). But Ferguson now seems to have both pop status and financial support, with two major companies aligning themselves directly with her name for product placement partnerships. … continue reading