MATCHBOX TWENTY HEAD “NORTH” WITH NEW ALBUM

Multi-platinum pop-rock superstars return on the first all-new collection in ten years;

Album to be heralded by thrilling new single; “She’s So Mean” set to impact in Mid-June; “North” arrives everywhere on September 4th 2012.

Atlantic recording group Matchbox Twenty has announced the release of their hugely-anticipated new album scheduled to arrive everywhere on September 4th.

“NORTH” marks Matchbox Twenty’s fourth full-length studio recording and first all-new album in a decade.  “The title refers to us finding our way,” says Matchbox Twenty’s Paul Doucette.  “We went into this record with a lot of material. Many different songs that could have taken us in many different directions.  It sort of overwhelmed us for a bit. But, at a certain point, we figured it out. We figured out where North was.”  The album’s electrifying first single, “She’s So Mean,” is slated to be unveiled in June.

“NORTH” sees Matchbox Twenty driving their pop-rock sound further forward; magnifying the indelible melodies, crafty lyricism, and glorious hooks that have always defined their multi-platinum body of work. The band—Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Kyle Cook and Brian Yale,– lived together last Summer in a house in Nashville  where they all collaborated on the new material before once again joining forces with the Grammy Award-winning producer Matt Serletic at his Emblem Studios in Calabasas, California.  The result of their labors stands among Matchbox Twenty’s finest, with songs like “Overjoyed” and “Put Your Hands Up” marked by the band’s instantly identifiable sonic approach and unadulterated high spirits.

“NORTH” follows Matchbox Twenty’s most recent release, 2007’s RIAA gold certified “EXILE ON MAINSTREAM.”  In addition to compiling such classic hits as “Push,” “Bent,” and “Unwell,” the album featured six new tracks, including still another smash single, the Steve Lillywhite-produced “How Far We’ve Come,”  which is the band’s biggest selling single to date. The group also did a SRO global tour in support of “EXILE ON MAINSTREAM” playing in front of their largest crowds ever in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Matchbox Twenty immediately established themselves as one of modern pop-rock’s most popular and talented new bands with the arrival of their blockbuster debut album, 1996’s “YOURSELF OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU.”  The album generated five extraordinary hit singles – including “Long Day,” “Back 2 Good,” and “3 am” – on its way to RIAA Diamond Award certification for total U.S. sales now exceeding 12 million.  Two further multi-platinum albums followed, with 2000’s “MAD SEASON” and 2002’s “MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE” each spawning a steady stream of hugely successful singles, including such chart-topping favorites as “If You’re Gone,” “Disease,” and “Bright Lights.”

In addition to more than 30 million records sold worldwide, Matchbox Twenty has also earned countless accolades, including five Grammy nominations, four American Music Award nods, and the 2004 People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Musical Group.”  What’s more, Rob Thomas has proven one of the most highly decorated artists of recent years, receiving three Grammy Awards, 11 BMI Awards, and two Billboard “Songwriter of the Year” honors for both his chart-topping solo work as well as collaborations with such legends as Santana, Mick Jagger, and Willie Nelson. Thomas’ collaboration with Carlos Santana on “Smooth” was also named the #2 Most Popular Song Ever on Billboard’s List of the 100 Most Popular songs behind “The Twist.” He was also named to Billboard’s Top 20 List of Hot 100 Songwriters 2000-2011 at #5 and was the top ranking artist/songwriter on the list.

Listen to Matchbox Twenty chart topping hit “If Your Gone”: HERE!

By;

Asyari Amir

TAYLOR SWIFT HONORED AS “WOMAN OF THE YEAR” AT BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS

Las Vegas, NV – May 21, 2012 – Taylor Swift was awarded the coveted Woman of The Year Award at last night’s Billboard Music Awards. The top award honors “the achievements of a trailblazing female artist over the past 12 months, and acknowledges her overall success in the music business and her leadership in embracing the changing industry.” At 22 years old, Taylor is the youngest Woman of the Year winner in history.

Taylor Swift is the only woman in music history to release three #1 albums in a row, each selling more than 5 million copies, putting her in the company of  the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson. With the release of her most recent album, Speak Now, on which every song was written solely by Taylor, she made history on the Billboard Hot 100, charting a record-breaking 11 songs from one album in a single week. In addition, Taylor also currently holds the Billboard Hot 100 record for the most Top 10 debuts by an artist in the 53-year history of the chart. Further, her self-titled debut album holds the record for the longest-running album on the Billboard 200 chart – EVER.

Taylor has won 6 GRAMMY Awards, and is the youngest-ever winner of the music industry’s highest honor, the GRAMMY for Album of The Year. She is the reigning American Music Awards Artist of the Year (all genres), and is the first artist in history to win this top prize twice. Taylor has written every song on each of her three studio albums (all released on Big Machine Records), and has career record sales of more than 22 million albums and 50 million song downloads. She has earned Multi-Platinum and Platinum album sales certifications in 17 countries around the globe.

Speak Now is one of only 17 albums in the entire history of music to sell more than 1 million copies in a single week. Taylor’s blockbuster Speak Now World Tour played 111 shows to more than 1.5 million fans in sold-out stadiums and arenas in 19 countries spanning 4 continents.

The Times (London) wrote, “Swift’s superb voice and musical ability marked her out as a rare talent. She had the entire arena swooning,” and The New York Times calls Taylor “important” and “one of pop’s finest songwriters.” Rolling Stone has praised her as “a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift.” Taylor has twice been named Entertainer of the Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

In addition to her music successes, Taylor has established herself as one of the world’s most philanthropic celebrities – raising money and awareness for causes ranging from clean water to literacy to disaster relief. It was just announced this week that Taylor will fund a new education center for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

By;

Universal Music Malaysia