Last night was my first Lily Allen show and she did not disappoint. She looked great, she sounded great and we all had a blast. The last song of the night was Lily’s cover of Britney Spears’s song Womanizer and for a brief few moments Lindsay Lohan came out on stage to say hello to the crowd:

And here’s a pic of the pair sharing a smoke outside:

As I said, we all had so much fun. My fave performance was her song Fuck You which she got everyone to sing along with her. The whole place was joyously singing along with middle fingers in the air … twas fun, twas fun. Darion even managed to get some video of us singing (badly) with Lilly on Fuck You which you can watch (and cringe at) HERE.

After the concert, we made our way back to Ollie’s apartment for cupcakes and an impromptu photoshoot:

I seriously have the coolest friends ever … I love them all dearly :)

OH and it gets better than just a simple pic of Lindsay on stage with Lily, I also managed to find video of Lily’s Womanizer cover (with special appearance by L. Lo) as performed last night — check it out after the jump …

In the #10 position, Beyoncé’s I Am …:

Altho I didn’t love every single track on this album, much of it is really fun and very memorable. Honestly, for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) alone the album is a hit. I may not be totally on board with the whole Sasha Fierce thing but as long as Beyoncé keeps bringin’ the jams like the ones on this album, I think I can get used to it.

At #9, Jason Mraz’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.:

I’ve been a minor Jason Mraz fan for a while now but this album really won me over to Team Mraz. I must admit, I didn’t really pay that much attention to him before he started blogging on My Space but once he got my attention, I was hooked. I’ve yet to listen in full to Jason’s other albums but if this one is any indication, I think I’m gonna like what I hear. Additionally, Mraz just published his own book of Polaroid photos … which wins my heart in other ways as well.

At #8 is Juliana Hatfield’s How To Walk Away:

Juliana always comes at us with great music and this album is proof positive that she’s still got it. For me, this album was an even better treat because I ordered it from her official website and it came packed with a bonus disc of demos that were recorded with the album. I really wish more people knew about Juliana … I think she appeals to so many people. I’m just glad that she continues to make music because discs like this one are always welcome on my iPod.

In the #7 position is the Ryan Adams and the Cardinals album Cardinology:

Ryan Adams releases music almost on a daily basis and, amazingly, it’s all good. While I wasn’t too crazy about Easy Tiger, I really loved Cardinology. My only regret is that the album is too short. I wish there were about 3 more songs on the disc but, knowing Ryan, I’m sure it won’t be long before we get a whole new disc of stuff to enjoy.

At #6 is the new Leona Naess album Thirteens:

I was SHOCKED when I learned that Leona Naess had released a new album months before I heard about it … but was very happily surprised. Thirteens is a great album of somber and poignant tunes … and comes with 13 bonus tracks that are still downloadable HERE. One can never have too much Leona Naess … the hits just keep on comin’.

After the jump, check out my Top 5 Fave Albums of 2008 including my fave of the bunch AND my list of Top 10 Singles of the Year …

At #5 is Ghosts I-IV by Nine Inch Nails:

This year, NIN finished out their record contract and in celebration released an epic 4 disc collection of instrumental music online, on their terms. While NIN is known for the aggressive style of their music, it is their quieter more melodic music that really surprises listeners. On this years Lights in the Sky Tour, the band unplugged themselves for a portion of the performance to play select Ghosts tracks on regular instruments — stand up bass, xylophone, etc. — which was, by far, my fave portion of the show. Disc 1 of Ghosts is available online for FREE download but I cannot stress enough how amazing the whole collection is as a whole.

At #4 is Britney Spears’s Circus:

Britney Spears is back and her album Circus is a true return to form. Of the 12+ songs on the disc (including the bonus tracks), there are only a couple that I could live without. My Baby, while sweet, is just a bad pop ballad and Mmm Papi is just bad. The rest of the songs, tho, are incredible … with Phonography, Amnesia, Quicksand and Circus as my faves. The disc is really well-rounded and is proof positive that Britney is, indeed, back!

In the #3 position is Pop Up by Yelle:

Yelle has been called the French M.I.A. but I just call her fabulous. The entire album is in French but that does not take away from the infectious nature of the songs. I found my self singing along (poorly) with the songs almost after just one listen. I’m telling you, if the album had been recorded in English she would’ve made a huge splash here in the US with this disc. Altho this album was released digitally last year, it was released domestically in 2008 and quickly became one of my fave albums. I’m not even sure how I heard about Yelle … but, I promise, if you give her a try you’ll prolly love her as much as I do.

My #2 album of the year is the self-titled debut album from Santogold:

Santogold has, too, been compared to M.I.A. but to me she sounds more like a modern version of Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Her lyrics are so smart, her singing is so beautiful and her style is just cool as hell. If I were to compare Santogold to M.I.A. it would only be in that they are both extremely talented, know how to craft songs around fun beats and will prolly be putting out amazing music for years to come. Santogold’s debut album is an impressive first step in, what I hope will be, a very successful career.

And my fave album of 2008 is The Slip by Nine Inch Nails:

While most NIN albums follow a unified epic theme, The Slip is much less organized and offers tunes that can exist on their own. While I really loved the whole concept of their previous studio album Year Zero (which, incidentally, was my #1 album of 2007) I think I like the pared down nature of this album just as much. As I mentioned before, NIN ended their contract with their record company and are now in a position to release their own music when and how they like … for The Slip, Trent Reznor decided to give the album away to fans for free writing, “This one’s on me.” If you haven’t yet, click HERE to download this album in full for free. This album, by far, was my fave release of the year. I can only hope that NIN will be comin’ at us again soon with a new batch of music in the coming year.

Here are my fave singles of 2008:

1. Beyoncé – Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
2. Britney Spears – Womanizer
3. Lady Gaga featuring Colby Odonis – Just Dance
4. Mariah Carey – Touch My Body
5. Estelle & Kanye West – American Boy
6. M.I.A. – Paper Planes
7. Madonna – Give It 2 Me
8. Sara Bareilles – Love Song
9. Kid Rock — All Summer Long
10. Duffy – Warwick Avenue

What albums and singles made YOUR list for 2008? I’d love to hear what all y’all thought was the best music of the year.

Britney Spears celebrated her 27th birthday Tuesday under the Big Top and before the TV cameras of Good Morning America. Dressed as a ringmaster, Spears made her entrance atop a circus wagon – accompanied by clowns, jugglers and performers dressed as circus animals. For her second number, “Womanizer,” Spears smashed through a fiery hoop. Afterwards, she announced that her concert tour would begin in New Orleans March 3. Then came the cake. The appearance, inside the Big Apple Circus tent within New York’s Lincoln Center, also marked the launch of Spears’s sixth studio album, Circus – her first CD since her 2007 comeback step, Blackout. As Spears announces on the title track (and delivered on GMA), “There are only two types of people in the world, the ones that entertain and the ones that observe.” GMA’s Robin Roberts called Spears’s appearance “our concert event of the year.” Claimed cohost Diane Sawyer about those gathered inside the circus tent, “There are about a gazillion people [here].” Among them: the pop star’s mother, Lynne Spears, and Britney’s two young sons, Preston and Jayden. Interspersed with the promos for Spears’s performance during Tuesday’s GMA were birthday greetings from the likes of Reese Witherspoon, John Travolta, Nicollette Sheridan, Teri Hatcher and PEOPLE’s newly named Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman – who sang “Happy Birthday” and blew her a kiss. “You look great,” Witherspoon relayed to Spears, “and I hope you have a great day.” Added Taylor Swift: “You have been officially awesome for 27 years.” On Sunday, Spears’s MTV special, Britney: For the Record, which documented some of her personal problems of the past year, was watched by more than 3.7 million viewers, according to the cable music network. Those are high numbers for MTV.

Seriously, this morning’s performances were truly a sight to see. The spectacle was totally worth getting up and out so early for. The production value, which I don’t think translated quite as well on live TV, was phenomenal. I am very much looking forward to seeing what sorts of tricks Britney’s got up her sleeves for her upcoming tour. Wade Robson, who is reportedly directing Britney’s new concert tour, was in the hiz this morning going over last minute touches right before she performed. It was all just very exciting to see her back in action. The crowd was just raucous the entire time … it was a blast. After the jump, check out video of Britney’s performances of Circus and Womanizer …

Britney Spears sang her latest hit on the X Factor stage during her first UK television performance in over four years. The pop singer, who turns 27 on Tuesday, mimed her way through her latest single Womanizer after the five remaining finalists each covered a classic Britney track. Spears, who was dressed all in black, with hotpants, fishnet tights and knee-high boots, did not coach the show’s contestants, as previous guests have done. It has been reported Spears travelled with a 45-strong entourage of stylists and security. And reports claimed she is said to have banned contestants and judges from approaching her. But the judging panel gave her a standing ovation along with an excited crowd. On Monday, she releases her sixth studio album Circus, and has been on a whistle-stop tour of Europe to promote the record. Earlier, Alexandra Burke, who sang Toxic, said: “When I was nine, Britney brought out Baby One More Time, and I loved her. I’m very excited about meeting her. This is the Britney we all know and love. I hope I can do my Britney song justice, with my own twist.” Eoghan Quigg performed Sometimes, Ruth Lorenzo – who was later voted off the reality show – sang I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, Diana Vickers sang I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman and JLS took on Baby One More Time.

For me, the folks making such a big deal of Britney lip-syncing (”miming”) are missing the point — and none of this criticism is new. Even at the height of her fame, critics felt it necessary to try and demean her performances by making a point of the lip-syncing. She is a performer, not really a singer … she has always been this way. I, for one, do not mind it at all. I find when critics attack her for the lip-syncing it’s because they’ve run out of other things to complain about … it means that things have finally gotten back to normal ;) Regarding this performance, I felt that she offered the most vim and vigor of all the performances she put on this week. Even tho she wore the same outfit that she wore in Germany, I think she looked the best on X-Factor than on the other two shows. The rolling steel cage ball was taken out of the performance and made it feel more like a dance routine than a “spectacle” — I liked it. At the end, Britney got a standing ovation from the crowd and from the judges. The girl is not trying to reinvent the wheel … slowly and steadily, she is working towards getting back to her comfort zone. I think she is handling it all very well. After the jump, check out a backstage photo of Britney with the X-Factor judges, a few photos of Britney making her exit from the venue and video of her performance in full …

Here is a very cute group shot of Britney Spears with the X-Factor judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole (of Girls Aloud), Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue (my girl!):

Here are a few pics of a jubilant Britney waving to her admirers as she left the X-Factor studios last night:

And without further ado (for those of you who have yet to see it or just want to watch it again), here is Brit’s X-Factor performance of Womanizer:

Britney Spears wowed French fans on TV on Friday when she performed her new hit Womanizer on talent show Star Academy. A night after making her first major comeback performance since the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards – at the 2008 Bambi Awards in Germany – Spears was in Paris for her TV turn. Wearing a flashy red corset dress, she sent fans wild with a lip-synced performance. Spears will complete her whistle-stop tour on Saturday night when she performs on TV talent show The X Factor.

Two down, one more to go. Last night’s performance in France was very much like the one she gave in Germany except for the obvs costume change and amped up energy level. The more stoic crowd in Germany make Brit’s performance feel more stunted … last night’s raucous crowd gave her the electricity she needed to turn in a more vibrant performance. I suspect that tonight’s performance on X-Factor will feature the same Womanizer routine, possibly with yet another costume change. After the jump, check out video of Britney’s performance on Star Academy last night …

Ahead of her highly anticipated visit to London this weekend, Britney Spears has cemented her comeback with a knockout performance at the 60th annual Bambi Awards in Germany. The superstar performed alongside Pink and Leona at the star studded bash, where there was a random array of award recipients including Lewis Hamilton and Meg Ryan. Britters collected an award herself for Best International Popstar and designer Karl Lagerfield was gushing when he presented the star with her award. He told her “I admire you, not only for your art but also for your energy, for your comeback not only as a phoenix but as a bird of paradise. And it’s great.” Britney’s extravagant circus inspired performance was a hit with the crowd with the superstar looking back to best in a madonna-esque outfit Earlier this week it was confirmed Spears will play two concerts at the O2 in London next June as part of her forthcoming world tour.

Woot! She looked great! The performance was well executed, well staged and perfectly timed … stage one of her European promo tour went off without a hitch. Collecting another award for her accomplishments was just the icing on the cake. Lagerfeld is right in saying that Britney is more than just a phoenix rising from the ashes … she has always been so much more than that. And it was so nice of Madonna to lend her that outfit to wear ;) After the jump, check out a few more photos of her performance, a few photos of Britney in the press room posing with her trophy and (prolly what you’re really interested in seeing) video of Britney’s full performance …

Look at the determination, not to mention her rockin’ ass:

She really does look like she’s back to her old self:

And here is Britney’s circus-themed performance of Womanizer (Remix) in full:

[T]his is a shot from inside the [Rolling Stone] shoot! We can’t show you the sets and the outfits because they have been deemed TOP SECRET! It was a super fun shoot and Brit was dancing around the set having a great time. :) More details coming soon!

Love it! I understand that many magazines are scrambling to try and book Brit Brit for their covers as well. With a new album on the horizon and continuing interest to hear from Britney herself, I can understand how magazines might be fighting for the right to get interviews with our dear Britney. This is just great news … and right on par with pulling off an entirely successful comeback. Thank the gods for her manager Larry Rudolph. You can tell that he is, once again, making the right calls to ensure that her career gets and stays solidly on track.

Additionally, there appears to be new official artwork for Britney Spears’s new single Womanizer. After the jump, check it out …

As you may recall, we’ve already seen the artwork for the promo version of this single and this is said to be the artwork for the single release. I mean, it’s a nice photo … nothing too special, tho. I think a shot from the music video would’ve made a great coverphoto but … whatevs. I don’t mind this artwork one bit. I’m just really looking forward to that Rolling Stone photoshoot and interview that should be coming our way in the coming weeks. Woot!

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Another week, another record-breaking jump to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Britney Spears makes a near-maximum 96-1 rise with “Womanizer,” returning to the top of the list for the first time since her debut single “…Baby One More Time” hit No. 1 in January 1999. This is the third time in the past two months that the mark for the biggest jump to No. 1 has been shattered. On the Hot 100 dated Sept. 6, T.I. soared 71-1 with “Whatever You Like” and last week he sprinted 80-1 with “Live Your Life.” Spears’ single is spurred by first-week download sales of 286,000, the biggest opening-week tally by a female artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking digital downloads in 2003, besting Mariah Carey’s take for “Touch My Body” by just over 200 units. In between her nearly 10-year gap between No. 1s, Spears has placed four other top 10s on the Hot 100, the last being “Gimme More,” the first single from her last set, “Blackout.” That song jumped 68-3 last October with first-week download sales of 179,000. “Womanizer” previews Spears’ sixth studio set “Circus,” due Dec. 2 via Jive.

Sooo … according to Billboard magazine, Womanizer becomes Britney’s second #1 song on the Hot 100 chart?! I guess I never really paid attention to her chart success considering all of the amazing singles she has put out over the years. I am pretty geeked that Britney’s song made a record-breaking jump from the #96 position to the #1 position — especially when you consider the song charted even before it was available for sale and managed to make its mark based solely on radio play. I think it’s quite clear that Britney’s comeback is in full swing with this news … now the question becomes, to what heights will Britney continue to soar as she continues to release new material?

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… his name is Brandon Stoughton and he is a model represented by the LA Models agency. He has been featured in campaigns for Calvin Klein and was even photographed by my friends Steph & Alek for their blog OhLaLaMag.com. Here are a few of Brandon’s hot pics:

Wooooot! He is really one hot dude, yes? I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him, that’s for sure ;) And since we’re on the subject of his hawt performance in Britney’s new music video, why don’t we take another look at Womanizer. After the jump, check out the video in full …