The 2015 Taylor Top 50... Who Is Where and Why?

Wowsah, what a year in melodic music! Not so fast… that’s actually not praise. With singsong nursery rhyme one-line choruses and gimmick-filled hip-hop pervading the airwaves, 2015 proffered tough love. Last year, I discovered a hopeful muse—Ariana Grande—whose momentous melodies accompany effortless vocals that can be recreated live. This young lady delivered my No.1 single of 2014, “Love Me Harder,” f/The Weeknd. In 2015, I rewound and discovered her previous hits, which sustained me through the current pop tundra.

In 2015, Ariana Grande again leads the Taylor Top 50 countdown with her infectious dance hit “Break Free,” f/Zedd. She joins four other acts who have scored consecutive year-end No. 1’s on the TT50 since 1981: Sheena Easton, Celine Dion, Adele and Jon Secada.

There’s more to the story: Ariana owns an unprecedented SEVEN among the top 10 slots this year. While I respect her talent, she’s not yet a member of the historic pantheon commandeered by Sheena and Celine. Rather, her standing is a testament to how few competitors Ari had in 2015… Not to whine like the ole man I am, but I found many of 2015’s radio hits reminiscent of another era’s MC Hammer or Puff Daddy. In my book, “All About That Bass” is the millennial “Macarena.”

Back to Ariana, because with 12 titles in my top 50, she is certainly more than a “default.” Listen to her walloping soprano in the joyous “One Last Time,” alongside delicate accompaniment with Andrea Bocelli in “E Più Ti Penso” and commanding heartache in ballad “Just A Little Bit of Your Heart.” There ain’t nothing this 23yo can’t do.

My 2015 Best New Artist is Tori Kelly—Grammy-nominated for the same title—whose “Nobody Love” is No. 2, because I spun it nearly every damn day all year. She also places “Should’ve Been Us” at No. 24 and “Hollow” at No. 31. Tori’s stellar lead in a “Joy of Pepsi” commercial was so fun that it lands at No. 58.

Among other female vocalists, Adele roars in at No. 3 with the ubiquitous “Hello”—after back-to-back year-end No. 1’s: “Skyfall” in 2012 and “Set Fire to the Rain” in 2011. Jessie J returns with two hits: “Flashlight” and “Masterpiece,” after sharing No. 5 in 2014 with Ariana Grande via “Bang Bang.”

Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” would have been my No. 2 for the year, given the millions of times I played it… however, it already placed at No. 7 in 2014. Swiftie grazes this year’s countdown with “Style” at No. 44, “Wildest Dreams” at No. 53 and “New Romantics” at No. 59. And how about Mariah Carey making a return at No. 10 with a cut from 1997’s “Butterfly” that I heard on SiriusXM? ”Whenever You Call” is everything we used to love about the siren when she created beautiful melodies.

Nick Jonas is the highest-charting male solo act, with “Chains” at No. 11, which succeeds his 2014 No. 10 “Jealous.” And U.K. indie act Junior Turner returns for the third consecutive year with No. 12 “Guardian Angel.” Last year, this beloved and consistent singer/songwriter prevailed with a chart-trumping five top 50 hits, including No. 2 “Save Me.”

And hey, hey, Celine Dion is back after a two-year absence with her tear-inducing live AMA’s tribute to the Paris terrorist attacks. Her reading of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne a l'Amour” embodies all that makes Celine the most successful artist in TTT history. But you already knew that.

The worst of the year? Yeah you, Fetty Wap. Remember wildly popular novelties cum implosions Iggy Azalea and Kesha? Enjoy it, dude… quickly. And I still can't understand the appeal of Nicki Minaj or Meghan Trainor. On that note, 2015 is a wrap, cool cats. Thanks for reading!

The 2015 Taylor Top 50!

People Magazine: Celine Cozies With David

A picture's worth a thousand songs... Now this is a diva picola, if I've ever seen one! Go, girl!

From Robin Leach's ever-fab Las Vegas Sun column:

It was Celine Dion’s own crazy idea for a stunt photograph, and it turned out to be a first. All four of the superstars performing at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace — Shania Twain, Elton John, Rod Stewart and Celine — agreed to a unique photo shoot that next week in People magazine. 

“I don’t like to do things that are easy,” 46-year-old Canadian songbird Celine told the weekly celebrity publication. It was a coup to have all four pose for the photos. Celine was hauled 11 feet into the air to pose in the arms of the hotel’s replica of the Michelangelo masterpiece of the statue of David. 

The original ideas for the shoot didn’t get Celine excited, and she came up with her own “dream” of winding up in David’s arms. The magazine photographers loved her idea and said, “Let’s do it.” Afterward, Celine told People’s Mark Gray: “I don’t know if anyone else went into David’s arms, but, if I am the first, I am very honored.” Turns out she was the first... *

Meanwhile, a wondrous collection of still shots from Celine & NeYo's "Incredible" video (courtesy of Facebook's Celine Dionn).

At (Long) Last: Celine Dion Releases Video Clip For Neo Duet 'Incredible'

I'll never understand why it took six months to release a music video for Celine Dion's duet "Incredible" (with Neo) from album "Love Me Back To Life." For god's sake, word broke in January that the pair was filming the clip. And astonishly, even after it made its long-awaited debut on ABC's "Good Morning America," it's still not on YouTube. Grrrrr!

In fact, at this point, it appears that all momentum has been sapped from the project... at least in the States. Shame, shame, shame on Sony. THIS should have been the second single, following the title track... instead of the tepid "Somebody Loves Somebody."

The video itself is vaguely amusing, with waaaaay too much superfluous footage from secondary players. Aside from Celine and Neo giving it their all on an NYC rooftop, about the only intriguing footage is of a giraffe walking down city streets. Really? This is the best we got after six months?

I was truly hoping that this would be the track to restore Celine to the mainstream Top 40, with Neo's assistance. It's a mighty fine track and a should-be single. Fortunately, views on social media now count toward the Billboard Hot 100... so if Sony doesn't have the gumption to make a proper push, maybe... just maybe... the public's might will make a difference.

And yet here we are in 2014... as the latest, greatest non-talent Iggy Azalea rules the Hot 100 with the decidedly low-octane "Fancy." Oh, mercy, what a world, what a world!

UPDATE... At last, posted publicly...

You've Been Waiting For This, Right? The Taylor Top 10 For 1Q 2014

Oh, I know you've been aching & awaiting, cool cats. And here we are: The Taylor Top 10 for the first quarter of 2014... Enjoy, you hear?

1. Close Your Eyes—Roxanna

2. Save Me—Junior Turner

3. In My Bed—Ariana & The Rose

4. No More the Fool—Junior Turner

5. Burning Gold—Christina Perri

6. The Mother We Share—Chvrches

7. (See You) In My Memory—Patrick Dwyer

8. Think Twice (demo version)—Celine Dion

9. Carry On—Lisa Stansfield

10. Raging Fire—Phillip Phillips

BONUS: Feel The Love—Kimberley Locke f/Cahill

Olivia Newton-John Invades Vegas For Flamingo Residency!

Following in the footsteps of Celine Dion's mega-success as an A-level entertainer setting up residency in Las Vegas, fave Olivia Newton-John is the latest (and indeed greatest) act to set up shop in town, launching a 45-date set at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino.

Press has been nuts over her April 2 arrival into town, complete with a welcoming parade befitting of a Presidential inauguration. Congrats to my buddy Michael Caprio, Livi's longtime publicist, for engineering the whole damn thing. Now, let's see, when shall I plan on a Vegas sojourn to revisit Olivia? *

Happy Birthday Celine Dion: Juno Awards 3/30, Muppets, 'Incredible'

Given the ghastly results of the 2014 Grammy Awards (one word: Lordes), it's inspiring to see Canada get it right. The 2014 Juno Awards

nominees include four nods for Celine Dion—including the big guys, Album & Artist of the Year for "Loved Me Back To Life."

In all, Celine garnered nods for Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Fan Favorite and AC Album of the Year. Unfortunately, she was not nominated in the Aboriginal Album of the Year category. Sigh...

Leading the nominees are Arcade Fire (6), Serena Ryder (5), Michael Bublé (5), Drake (4), Celine (4), Hedley (4) and Tegan & Sara (4). The awards show will stream live via junoawards.ca, beginning at 7 p.m., with the show airing in Canada at 9 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 30—which happens to be Celine's birthday.

Meanwhile, “Incredible,” Celine's phenomenal duet with Ne-Yo—chosen as the second single from LMBTL in North America and Italy—was nominated as "World’s Best Song" at the World Music Awards, and chosen by NBC as an official anthem of Sochi 2014 Winter games. Meanwhile, we are still awaiting the release of the music video, which was lensed two months ago. I must say, Sony has not only dropped the ball on this project, but lost it...

And of course, there's Celine's inclusion in the just-released "Muppets Most Wanted," in which she duets with Miss Piggy. That looks awfully hilarious, indeed. *

Celine Dion Posts Two Best-Selling All-Time Female Songs In U.K. Top 10

Happy International Women's Day, whatever the hell that is (deemed an annual celebration of the

economic, political and social achievements of women's rights across the globe)... The U.K.'s OfficialCharts.com has shared the 40 best-selling singles from female singers—and Celine Dion is the only artist to have two songs among the top 10. Well-done, Brits!

The chart reveals that Cher's "Believe" tops them all, selling 1.79 million copies and spending seven weeks at No. 1 in 1998. Next in line is Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" from 1992. Below the video are the top 10:

 1. "Believe," Cher (1998)
 2. "I Will Always Love You," Whitney Houston (1992)
 3. "...Baby One More Time," Britney Spears (1999)
 4. "My Heart Will Go On," Celine Dion (1998)
 5. "Someone Like You," Adele (2011)
 6. "The Power of Love," Jennifer Rush (1985)
 7. "Wannabe," Spice Girls (1996)
 8. "Think Twice," Celine Dion (1994)
 9. "We Found Love," Rihanna f/Calvin Harris
10. "Never Ever," All Saints (1997)
11. "Call Me Maybe," Carly Rae Jepson (2012)
12. "Hallelujah," Alexandra Burke (2008)
13. "Price Tag," Jessie J (2011)
14. "Can't Get You Out of My Head," Kylie Minogue (2001)
15. "Saturday Night," Whigfield (1994)
16. "Torn," Natalie Imbruglia (1997)
17. "Poker Face," Lady Gaga (2009)
18. "2 Become 1," Spice Girls (1996)
19. "Only Girl In the World," Rihanna (2010)
20. "I Feel Love," Donna Summer (1977)

The Best New Song Of 1Q 2014: Roxanna's 'Close Your Eyes'

Over the past couple years, I've had the opportunity to write two bios for Canadian vocalist Roxanna, including several phoners. Not only is her heart as big as the sky, but her favorite

entertainers are Olivia Newton-John and Celine Dion. How could I resist such perfect taste?

Rox has just released single "Close Your Eyes," the kind of cloud-bursting power ballad I live for. It takes all of one listen to recognize that this is a wholly hit-worthy song... and what mainstream radio is sorely lacking anymore. At least we're past so much angry hip-hop, only to be supplanted by screechy generic dance beats. Sigh... Nice to know there are still lush, velvet-lined female vocals with messages of hope & inspiration.

And it's right here! To absorb, embrace... and SEE. Wait until you have a look at Roxanna. Beautiful inside and out. Bravo!

Celine Dion Demonstrates Her Might On 'The Voice' Finale

"Incredible" isn't just the name of Celine Dion's fabu duet with Ne-Yo... It also describes to a "T" her performance on NBC's live finale of "The Voice" last week. She also performed a sky-scraping scat-packed rendition of classic "Love Can Move Mountains" with newly crowned winner Tessanne Chin. See the performances here and here!

In addition, on December 18, Celine hosted the 15th annual "A Home For The Holidays" special, performing tracks from new album "Loved Me Back To Life," alongside Ne-Yo and Chris Young.

The album LMBTL is now four times Platinum in Canada, two times Platinum in France, two times Gold in the U.K., and Gold in Belgium, Hungary, Poland and South Africa, selling (a comparatively humble) 1.3 million copies worldwide. Following its early

November release, "Loved Me Back To Life" soared to No. 1 on iTunes in 44 countries.

In Canada, the disc has remained a Top 10 hit since its release—selling 105,000 copies in its first week, making it the highest sales chart debut in the country since 2008. In the U.K., the album has also remained lodged in the Top 10 since its release.

To support the release, Queen Celine has blanketed TV, including U.S. appearances on "Today," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," "The View," "CBS This Morning," "Ellen," QVC and "The Dr. Oz Show" (yep, I've seen every one of them) and in the U.K., on "Strictly Come Dancing" and "The X Factor." And, of course, she continues her sell-out show in Las Vegas at Caesar's Palace. Bravo, girl!

P.S. No wedding ring on "The Voice." Starting to get anxious about the continuing reports that her marriage with Rene Angelil is troubled. Uh oh. *

Celine Dion's 'Loved Me Back To Life' Strikes Gold In U.K./New Single Is...

Celine Dion's 'Loved Me Back To Life' has been certified gold in the U.K., only three weeks after its November 5 release. The album is still riding high in the Top 10 Official Album Charts, while on the Billboard 200 in the U.S.—ouch—it has fallen to No. 26 after debuting at No. 2.

EXCELLENT CHOICE! Potent powerhouse 'Breakaway' has been announced as the second single in the U.K., a vocal tour de force and absolutely among the best tracks on "LMBTL" which there, is Celine's highest-charting album in a decade, debuting at No. 3 on the Official Albums Chart. "Breakaway" has already earned kudos as BBC Radio 2's "Record Of The Week," following the success of the title track "Loved Me Back To Life," also a BBC "Record Of The Week" and A Listed at Radio 2.

Meanwhile, here in the States, radio airplay of Celine's "Loved Me Back To Life" and second single "Somebody Loves Somebody" have barely registered... It appears that corporate radio still rules the roost here... pitiful.

Celine will perform "Breakaway" on "Strictly Come Dancing" in the U.K., on December 15. In addition, she is hosting and performing on "A Home for the Holidays," co-starring Ne-Yo, Chris Young and others, an hour special spotlighting adoption. It airs on CBS at 8 p.m. December 18.

And coming this spring: Celine makes a cameo in the new Muppets movie, "Muppets Most Wanted," in theatres March 21, 2014. Below, she continues to heavily promote the new disc with more magazine cover interviews. Go, girl! *

Say It Isn't So! National Enquirer Reveals The Truth About Celine's Marriage!

Oh, no! After 19 (not 18, dimwits!) years of marriage it appears that Celine Dion has decided she's done with René Angélil! A new hit album, three kids, Las Vegas... fuhget about it! The National Enquirer reveals that Celine has removed her wedding ring!! I knew it would never last!!


Meanwhile, new album "Loved Me Back To Life" has debuted at the top of the charts around the world... It is No. 1 on iTunes in 44 countries, including Canada, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Luxembourg, Poland and South Africa, and reached the Top 5 in an additional 42 countries.

In the U.S., we are shamed with a No. 2 entry for LMBTL, behind Eminem's latest tripe. Only in America, oh, sigh...

Kate Winslet Shimmers On Cover Of November 2013 'Vogue'

Okay, so yes, for sure, Kate Winslet has been photoshopped and re-colored to a point of near absurdity, but there's no doubt that this is among the most beautiful images of the 38-year-old actress I have ever seen.

Kate is the the youngest person ever to accumulate six Academy Award nominations—and she finally picked one up in 2008 as Best Actress for "The Reader." She also won an Emmy Award for her performance in the (dreadful) 2011 miniseries "Mildred Pierce."

But hey, she'll always be that girl that starred with Leo DeCaprio in 1998's "Titanic," which garnered an Oscar for Best Song for Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," right?

FIRST LOOK: Celine Dion's 'Loved Me Back To Life' Liner Notes

To my gruesome shagrin, iTunes and Amazon are showing that Celine Dion's release today of "Love Me Back To Life" is BEHIND Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP 2 Deluxe Edition" (blech, yuk, eek, gross, passe, sigh!)

On Amazon, as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, Celine is No. 2, followed by Gaga's "Artpop."On iTunes, she currently ranks No. 5,  behind Eminem (deluxe), "PTX, Vol. 2" (?), Eminem's regular release and Avril Lavigne's new self-titled disc.

At least Britney Spears' "Britney Jean" remains behind Celine, at No. 6 on Itunes. Rounding out the top 10 there: "Pure Heroine" from the inexplicably popular Lorde, "Word Of Mouth" from The Wanted, Matangi's "M.I.A.," and Katy Perry's "PRISM."

Back to the joy, cool cats! Below is a first look at the digital booklet for "LMBTL" (thank you, Tony!)...

At Last... Celine Dion's "Loved Me Back To Life" Hits Retail!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013... The day that launched a million albums! After six years, Celine Dion releases her first English-language album since "Taking Chances." At last!

Celine Dion: Loved Me Back To Print

The French press continues to shower Celine Dion with love on the eve of her new English-language release "Loved Me Back To Life." Oui, oui! Second pic: Earlier covers from 2013.