Pop Shots - There’s No I In Team

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Justin Bieber teaming up with Taylor Swift, to 98 Degrees staying separated for a little bit longer, to Marilyn Manson joining forces with some really random folks at Revolver’s Golden Gods Awards, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift are reportedly teaming up to make some music together. The Canadian boy wonder broke the news on British radio station Capital FM this past week when he said he wrote a song with Swift for his upcoming album. Bieber, didn’t, however, say whether or not they were going to sing it together. If they do, North America could be in some big trouble as every teenage girl’s head will explode. I hope Island Records is prepared for both the inevitable cleanup, and repopulation efforts.

* Do you remember those fantastic rumors that 98 Degrees might be getting back together for a summer tour? Nick Lachey squashed them this past week, tweeting that the only tour he’ll be doing this summer is at Babies R Us, a reference to the fact that his first child is on the way. He did, however, add the hashtag #neversaynever, so there is a glimmer of hope that 98 Degrees may, at some point, hit up US cities and give them just one night, una nocha.

* Nicki Minaj has taken over the top spot on Billboard’s album chart with her first week sales of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded topping out at over 250,000. Madonna’s MDNA fell a record 86.7% in sales, proving that the former queen of pop is no match for an army of Barbies.


* UK boy band One Direction has been sued for trademark infringement because they’re apparently using the same name as a small California pop-rock group. The US version of One Direction’s biggest claim to fame? This lawsuit.

* You know that whiney friend of yours that can’t even win a game of pickup basketball, or Mario Kart, without getting all annoying about it? Axl Rose is the music industry’s version of that friend. This past week the Guns N’ Roses co-founder and frontman wrote an open letter declining his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, citing that he doesn’t feel wanted or respected at the ceremony. If this is anything like Chinese Democracy, Rose will accept his invitation to the Hall of Fame ten years after anyone gives a damn about it.

* Last week, Johnny Depp, who he has entered the stage in life where he can do anything he wants simply because he’s Johnny Depp, played the guitar as a part of Marilyn Manson’s performance at Revolver’s Golden Gods Awards. Interestingly, that wasn’t even the strangest part of Mason’s act. No, that honor would go to the pseudo rapey duet type thing the 43 year old Manson did with 18 year old Taylor Momsen (who else had Manson pegged as a Gossip Girl fan?).


I don’t know about you, but I think that sort of thing seems Pretty Reckless.

* Hundreds of years from now, when new psychology text books have been written and are being used in the field, there will be a special kind of crazy named after Courtney Love. Her most recent outburst involved two of her favorite targets - Dave Grohl, and her own daughter, Frances Bean. In an attempt to sully Grohl’s name, Love made the claim that she’d heard the former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman had hit on Frances, adding that it was because he’s sexually obsessed with Kurt Cobain. Grohl has, of course, denied these accusations, and Frances has said Grohl has never approached her in more than a platonic way. Looks like someone’s going to have an awkward Thanksgiving... again.

* Carley Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” is an early nominee for pop’s spring/summer song of 2012. It’s cute, has a feel good vibe, and features a chorus that’s impossible to get out of your head. The video is also pretty fun, and has a nice twist at the end. It’s tough not to enjoy this one.


And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.