Katy Perry announces new album via giant gold truck

Katy Perry has a golden record on her hands.

The 28-year-old Santa Barbara native revealed long-awaited new details about her upcoming fourth album by sending a gigantic golden semi-truck onto the streets.

The semi-truck, which first appeared in Los Angeles on Monday, was painted gold and had the words KATY PERRY - PRISM - 10/22/13 plastered in a daring black font on its sides and back. Perry then took to her Twitter account to invite L.A. fans to track down the truck and post pictures of it.

Although Los Angeles citizens were the first to get a glimpse of the gold transport truck, Perry promised that other cities would be able to get a look, saying, "Don't you worry, Los Angeles is just the first stop on the map". On Tuesday, the truck appeared in San Francisco. The album's known collaborators are Bonnie Mckee, Max Martin, Dr. Luke, and Sia Furler. In May, it was reported she was recording a duet with Maroon 5's frontman Adam Levine.

Prism, which hits stores October 22, will be Perry's first album since 2010'sTeenage Dream. Her 2010 record allowed her to spend an unprecedented 69 consecutive weeks in the Billboard Hot 100's Top 10. In total, Teenage Dream's singles spent 225 consecutive weeks in the Billboard Hot 100, smashing Michael Jackson's record of 130 weeks which he attained with 1982's Thriller. Her 2011-2012 tour, the California Dreams Tour was awarded the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Live Act, the Teen Choice Award for Choice Music Tour, and People's Choice Award for Favorite Tour Headliner. The tour also secured spots on Billboard and Pollstar's list of the top tours of 2011.

With Prism's release less than 3 months away, the release of a single is reportedly imminent - Perez Hilton and Idolator are reporting the album's lead single will be titled "Roar" - however this has not yet been confirmed. The record will be released through Perry's longtime label Capitol Records; a subsidiary of Universal Music Group in October.

Selena Gomez 'STARS DANCE' Album Review!

Tracks:

"Birthday" is a questionable album opener, with some obvious mature themes that aren't really consistent with the rest of the album. The electronic garage house track definitely sees Gomez at her most experimental, and while we can definitely see Gomez dipping her toe in a lot of different genres with this song -- which is extremely refreshing -- the song's lyrics are ultimately fairly repetitive and predictable, however we still appreciate Gomez's unexpected take on this genre.

"Slow Down" sets up the electro-dubstep-pop sound for the rest of the album. Reminscent of tracks by Zedd and Swedish House Mafia, the song sees Gomez uttering some pretty sexy sentences such as "You know I'm good with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Breathe me in, Breathe me out, so amazing" and "No stopping 'til the morning, You know I'm ready for it". Gomez's first take of the dubstep genre offers a generally subpar vocal performance and a fairly generic electronic sound, however will nonetheless communicate with her fans as well as fans of the genre.

"Like A Champion" is one of the album's highlights; a banging Summer track with reggae undertones that create definite Carribean vibes. Including a great sample and an infectious chorus and beat, the song is a perfect summer dance album that will shine on stage at her upcoming world tour. During the hook, Gomez ultilizes an Antilles accent that can easily be compared to work from Rihanna. While the song's care-free attitude and lyrics may not communicate with all listeners, the song will definitely be a staple for most listeners in their teens and 20's.

"Come & Get It" was a wise choice for the album's lead single, as it is one of few songs on the album that is suited for mainstream radio. The song, which draws influences from worldbeat and tribal music and contains a middle-eastern sample, is an infectious radio Summer hit. It's lyrics may be repetitive to some listeners, and its writers definitely weren't aiming for a song with a unique lyrical message, however the song will nonetheless continue to rise on the charts and has already proved to be one of the most popular songs of the year.

"Forget Forever" will likely be a favorite of fans of Gomez's previous work, however is also a solid track for new listeners who are favor her more experimental work on Stars Dance. The song, like many others on the album, is a soaring Summer track with a Summer-y electronic light-hearted dance break. The song is an upbeat hit sure to be a staple for any listeners who are recently single and ready to mingle, and is the most pop track on Stars Dance. The song also benefits from Gomez's pop-perfection vocals.

"Save The Day" sees a return to the garage house sound heard in the album's opening track. The song contains a dubstep-inspired dance break and uses a production that draws influences from acid-y dubstep songs by other artists that heavily utilizes synthesizers. While the lyrics start off as generally inventive, by the end of the song it seems as if the writers are relying on idiosyncratic metaphors, making the song's lyrics not match the production.

"B.E.A.T." begins with a hip house, heavily computerized verse that will immediately remind listeners of Dev's contribution to Far East Movement's hit "Like a G6". The song proceeds to some bass-y beats that are again heavy on synthesizers. The song then takes an unexpected hip hop acid house turn, again showing that Gomez is not afraid to experiment with her latest record. While the song's lyrics may not be the greatest, the song is a definite club hit that will communicate with Gomez's mature listeners - particularly ones in their 20's or maybe even early 30's.

"Write Your Name" opens with some auto-tuned up-pitched soaring vocals over a simple synthesizer beat, before the beat drops and is replaced by a slightly more intense, semi-dubstep beat. As the song continues, it may give listeners vibes reminiscent of K-Pop artists (without being as annoying). The song's lyrics are at times unique, however are mostly somewhat annoying and strange. The song isn't one of the album's stand-outs, however is a tune that will be a pick for listeners looking for a more beach-friendly song during the Summer months.

"Undercover" may draw an influence from Ke$ha's hit "Die Young" -- which is shown through the album's use of heavy synthesizers and a standout dancey dance break, as well as infectious lyrics. As the song continues, it is shown that the track is one of the album's most electropop songs, while not failing to dabble in more experimental genres, such as dubstep -- which, by this point on the record, is becoming more of an obvious entity than a subtle presence on the album.

"Love Will Remember" starts off with a voice mail recording of a male voice -- allegedly Gomez's on-an-off, maybe, probably-ex Justin Bieber -- who professes his love for Gomez. The voice recording is projected over a simple melodious piano backdrop. The song than transitions to some pretty emotional words, with nothing but a piano in the background. But don't be mistaken -- the song isn't a ballad. Well, not quite. A synthesizer is added to the piano, and Gomez insists that "love will remember you, love will remember me". We're not really sure that means, and similar to other portions of the album, the song relies on a personified metaphor that doesn't make much sense. Although the song is not exactly a ballad, it sees Gomez at her most poignant on the album, and while the song was largely anticipated due to the media attention surrounding the break-up of "Jelena", the song's minimal production means it is far from the album's most memorable track.

Overall, Stars Dance is an inventive album that sees Gomez transition perfectly to a unique and mature sound that will gain her new fans while still maintaining fans of her previous albums. While her vocals may be considered by some to be subpar, Gomez has proven that she has enough talent to be alongside other mainstream artists, and Stars Dance provides enough hits and potential single choices to keep Gomez musically relevant during her upcoming musical hiatus.

"Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites" Finale Predictions & Live Updates

NOTICE: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS!!

Predictions:

• Fourth Place: Eddie Fox
• Third Place: Dawn Meehan
• Second Place: Sherri Biethman
• First Place: John Cochran

Actual Outcomes:

• Third Place: Eddie Fox
• Second Place (tie): Dawn Meehan, Sherri Biethman 
• First Place: John Cochran

LIVE UPDATES: 

REMOVAL DUE TO ILLNESS AND FINAL CHALLENGES

8:10 p.m.: Erik Reichenbach has been removed from the game due to dehydration and exhaustion. The remaining contestants are upsetted by this.

8:30 p.m.: Dawn Meehan, Eddie Fox, Sherri Biethman, and John Cochran participated in a reward challenge involving towers made of wooden cards. Cochran won the challenge as well as an advantage in the final immunity challenge. The advantage has not yet been revealed.

8:50 p.m.: Dawn, Eddie, Sherri, and Cochran just went on the annual nostalgic walk reminiscing about the contestants of the season.
9:03 p.m.: Dawn, Eddie, Sherri, and Cohcran participated in a semi-physical semi-puzzle challenge. Cochran's advantage is that he didn't not need to untie bags from a post, which the other contestants need to do. Sherri fell significantly behind in the challenge after struggling to untie her third and final bag. Cochran's advantage evaporated after he was unable to assemble the pieces of his puzzle, however he eventually caught up. Eddie spent a large amount of time with only one piece of his puzzle, unable to find other pieces. Cochran won the challenge after successfully completing the puzzle, with Sherri and Dawn close behind. The other contestants appeared proud of Cochran,who is now secured a spot in the final three provided he does not give his immunity to another contestant.

FOURTH PLACE AND PENULTIMATE TRIBAL COUNCIL

9:20 p.m.: Cochran has decided he should take Sherri with him to the Final 3 however is divided on his opinions for Dawn and Eddie; viewing them as potential threats. Tribal Council starts with the contestants discussing Erik's departure. Eddie and Cochran both think that Erik's departure allowed them a spot on the Final 3. Cochran says he is more confident than he was during the previous season. Dawn thinks Eddie will be on the Final 3, and Eddie argues that he has only betrayed one person on the jury. Sherri and Erik ask Cochran to vote for Dawn, however Dawn says she is not worried. Eddie votes for Dawn, and Dawn, Cochran, and Sherri vote for Eddie, effectively removing Eddie from the game. The Final 3 are Dawn Meehan, Sherri Biethman, and John Cochran. After his elimination, Eddie says that Sherri has "a 0% chance of winning" and that this is why she was brought to the Final 3. Eddie appears disappointed but not upset.
9:30 p.m.: Dawn, Sherri, and Cochran celebrate Final 3 with cocktails and vegetables. They are all very proud, and Dawn says she is confident that she will win and that she has enjoyed playing with Cochran for two seasons. Cochran says he feels unprepared to address the jury despite his education and knowledge in the game. The trio share an emotional moment before proceeding to Tribal Council to address the jury.

FINAL TRIBAL COUNCIL AND JURY ADDRESSES

9:33 p.m.: Eddie has shaved! Dawn says in her opening statement that she feels that she played the game very humble and emotionally. She says she views Cochran as an important ally. She feels she has left her comfort zone this season but that she feels very proud. Sherri says in her opening statement says she is a successful business woman and that she entered the game looking at the contestants as employees, but that she feels she successfully integrated with the contestants. Cochran says in his opening statement says he is socially awkward and anxious but that he feels that he was like a therapist during the season and that timing was his greatest attribute during the game. The jury and contestants appear excited.

JURY QUESTIONS

9:54 p.m.: Malcolm does not have a question for Sherri or Dawn, but he gives advice to Dawn telling her to be brave. Malcolm asks Cochran what attribute Cochran has that Malcolm doesn't. Malcolm appears happy with his answer. Eddie asks Sherri if she is willing to admit that she got carried to the Final 3 or if she thinks she is there for strategic reasons. Sherri says she was not "carried" to the Final 3 and the jury laughs at this. Eddie says that Dawn appeared emotional during the game. Eddie asks Cochran how the game has changed him, and Cochran says he has gained confidence and that he would feel comfortable hanging out with the "three amigos" (Eddie, Malcolm, and Reynold). Phillip tells Sherri that he is removing her from Stealth 'R Us and that he does not have a question for her. Phillip tells Dawn that she was too emotional during the game and therefore won't vote for her. Phillip says that he enjoyed playing the game with Cochran who he called a "Real-class act". Erik says that Dawn broke his trust when she voted for Brenda, and Dawn says that was only a strategic move. Erik tells Sherri that she was a "seashell on the beach" and that she did not make any significant moves. They end up in an argument. Dawn tells Michael that Cochran did not really make any strategic moves and that he often just "showed up and asked other people who he should vote for her". Cochran says Dawn's paranoia was crippling to their alliance and that Dawn says she was paranoid because of the pressure of the alliance. Cochran says if he hadn't become her "therapist", than Dawn would not still be in a game. Reynold tells Dawn that he has disliked her since the beginning of the game because she was not genuine and phony. Dawn says she was not aware of this, and that she thinks Reynold has a great sense of humor but that he is vulgar. Andrea says she is not bitter and that she is proud of the trio. She asks Cochran to compare himself to an animal, and he says he was a chameleon because he was adaptable to the timing of the game which allowed him a spot in the Final 3. Andrea says that Dawn played a strategic came. She does not have a question for Sherri. Brenda tells Cochran that they did not have an emotional bond. Cochran says he separated the game from his emotions, and Cochran says Brenda should vote for her because he was just playing the game. Brenda tells Dawn that she feels extremely betrayed by Dawn. Brenda says that she had Dawn's fate in her hands during the retainer incident. Brenda asks Dawn if she actually would have left the game if she didn't get her retainer back, and Dawn says that she wouldn't have actually pulled herself from the game, however Brenda doesn't believe her and asks her to take out her retainer to prove it, which Dawn does (and it is hilarious and slightly disturbing). Brenda does not ask Sherri a question.

LIVE SHOW AND WINNER

Sherri says she doesn't think she will win. Cochran says he feels confident but that he is prepared for any outcome. Dawn says she doesn't think she will win but that she will be able to buy some new teeth. At 10:05pm, John Cochran is declared the $1,000,000 winner of Survivor: Caramoan in a unanimous decision; the first unanimous decision since Survivor: Tocantis in 2009. Cochran says he likely won't become a lawyer despite attending Harvard but aspires to be an author. Dawn says she went against her character and that she lost stability after voting out Corrine. Dawn says she shut down her Twitter account due to negativity. Brenda appears via satellite from Miami and says that she still feels hurt. Dawn tells Brenda that she didn't realize the move would hurt Brenda so much and that she wouldn't have betrayed her if she had known. Dawn apologizes however says that she doesn't entirely regret the decision. Brenda says she thinks Dawn is a good person, and Brenda reveals that she is pregnant and is due any day which is why she is appearing via satellite. Phillip inducts Jeff Probst into Stealth 'R Us. Boston Rob shows up and calls Phillip very entertaining. Jeff announces that the twenty-seventh season will begin filming on May 13, 2013. He doesn't announce where the season will take place, however shows a short clip of blood pouring as a "teaser" for the season and encourages visitors to guess details about the season on Twitter. Most are guessing the season will have something to do with families, while other possibilities include a cast full of people who have been back-stabbed, and a cast full of people who have been removed for medical reasons. It is announced Malcolm has shot a guest-spot on The Bold and the Beautiful. Andrea blames her loss on "attractive men" who distracted her. 71% of votes cast for Sprint Fan Favorite were for 2 contestants - Malcolm and Brenda, however the $100,000 prize ultimately went to Malcolm. The new season will be titled Survivor: Blood vs. Water. No word yet on where it will take place.

Demi Lovato 'DEMI' Album Review!

Track by Track Review:

ALBUM RATING: 2.7/5

Key Tracks: "Heart Attack", "Without the Love"

Skip-overs: "Neon Lights", "In Case"

Synopsis:
With her fourth album, Lovato continues to offer her signature Pop with R&B and Rock undertones sound, with this album going in a slightly more dance vibe than her previous efforts. Lovato's vocals shine through feel-good tracks such as "Heart Attack" and "Made in the USA", and through the inspirational "Warrior". The album makes throwbacks to 90's and early 2000's hits while also providing an electronic modern spin. However, while providing a handful of potential Summer hits, with Demi, Lovato ultimately fails to create any memorable tracks and doesn't seem to even be making an attempt to do anything non-generic. The wannabe-club banger "Neon Lights" is too over-produced, predictable, and unnecessarily auto tuned that it is not even remotely enjoyable, and the track "In Case" fails to be a memorable song due to its confusing themes. At its best moments, Demi has enough fun tracks to make it a Summer staple, and Lovato continues to offer her strong vocals on a majority of the album's tracks, however Demi ultimately doesn't offer anything outside of the box and Lovato continues to waste her potential by issuing mostly processed, typical Pop tracks that don't allow Lovato to escape her pop rock Disney persona.

CBS's 'Criminal Minds' faces potential departure of two lead actresses

According to most insiders and bloggers, CBS's long-running police procedural Criminal Minds faces a certain renewal due to strong ratings, however recent reports state that the show could potentially lose two of its lead actors (and only main female actors) due to a contract dispute.

Fan-beloved characters Penelope Garcia (played by Kirsten Vangsness) and Jennifer "JJ" Jureau (A.J. Cook) may be departing from the show due to reported pay dispute. While their male counterparts Thomas Gibson, Joe Mantegna, and Shemar Moore are finalizing their contracts with the show and Matthew Gray Gubler has already signed on, Vangsness and Jureau have declined "final offers" from CBS to renew their contracts. According to Deadline, the two actresses are reportedly refusing to accept the offers because they would only receive half the amount of money that the male leads receive. As a result, CBS and the producers of the show have been slammed by the media and fans for being "sexist".

This won't mark the first time that the show has apparently neglected its actresses. During season six, Cook was fired from the show, before being re-hired later in the season due to fan complaints and declining ratings. Rachel Nichols, who played Ashley Seaver, was hired as Cook's replacement, however was fired after the sixth season when Cook was asked to return. Also during season six, character Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) was "killed off", however returned for season seven, but did not return for season eight.

As of yet, Gubler, who plays Spencer Reid, is the only confirmed actor to return for the ninth season. Gibson and Mantegna are both close to signing on, while Moore is still in negotiations as he wasn't happy with the first offer.

No word yet on if Vangness and Jureau have been offered re-worked deals, however Examiner.com reports that the deadline for the renewal of the actors' contracts was May 6. Filming for the eighth and current season wrapped on April 27, 2013, with the season finale set to air on May 22, 2013. CBS will hold their Upfront conference in New York next week, where the show's and actors' fate will be confirmed.

TV Cancellation Index (2013-14)

Following the tradition that we introduced last year, and with renewal season about a month away, we're predicting the fate our beloved shows on the four major networks; CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox, as well as The CW.

We will be marking the show in one of five categories:

• Renewed (We're predicting a renewal)
• Cancelled (We're predicting a cancellation)
• Already Renewed (Already officially renewed)
• Already Cancelled (Already officially cancelled)
• Completed (On previously-announced final season)

We will add up these scores and give each network an individual percentage. Whichever network has the highest percentage will be declared "The First Stop NETWORK OF THE YEAR", while the network with the lowest percentage will receive the title of "The First Stop MOST HORRIBLE NETWORK OF THE YEAR". However, if the show is listed as "Completed", the show will not be factored in to the network's overall score. Just a reminder: for the 2011-12 TV season, we declared CBS as the NETWORK OF THE YEAR and NBC as the MOST HORRIBLE NETWORK OF THE YEAR.

CBS:

• 2 Broke Girls - Already Renewed
• Blue Bloods - Already Renewed
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Already Renewed
• CSI: New York - Cancelled
• Criminal Minds - Renewed
• Elementary - Already Renewed
• Golden Boy - Cancelled
• Hawaii Five 0 - Already Renewed
• How I Met Your Mother - Already Renewed
• Mike & Molly - Already Renewed
• NCIS - Already Renewed
• NCIS: Los Angeles - Already Renewed
• Partners - Already Cancelled
• Person of Interest - Already Renewed
• Rules of Engagement - Cancelled
• The Good Wife - Already Renewed
• The Mentalist - Already Renewed
• Two and a Half Men - Renewed
• The Big Bang Theory - Already Renewed
• Vegas - Cancelled

Overall rating: 75% (Down 1% from 2012) 

Overall mark: B

NBC:

• 30 Rock - Completed
• 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue - Cancelled
• Animal Practice - Already Cancelled
• Community - Renewed
• Chicago Fire - Renewed
• Do No Harm - Already Cancelled
• Deception - Cancelled
• Guys with Kids - Cancelled
• Go On - Renewed
• Grimm - Renewed
• Hannibal - Renewed
• Law and Order: SVU - Renewed
• Parenthood - Renewed
• Parks and Recreation - Renewed
• Revolution - Renewed
• Smash - Cancelled
• The Office - Completed
• The New Normal - Cancelled
• Up All Night - Cancelled
• Whitney - Cancelled

Overall rating: 45% (Down 7% from 2012)

Overall mark: F+

ABC:

• Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 - Already Cancelled
• Happy Endings - Cancelled
• Last Resort - Already Cancelled
• Zero Hour - Already Cancelled
• Red Widow - Cancelled
• Private Practice - Already Cancelled
• Malibu Country - Cancelled
• 666 Park Avenue - Already Cancelled
• Body of Proof - Cancelled
• Last Man Standing - Renewed
• The Neighbors - Cancelled
• Nashville - Renewed
• Revenge - Renewed
• Suburgatory - Renewed
• Castle - Renewed
• The Middle - Renewed
• Once Upon a Time - Renewed
• Scandal - Renewed
• How to Live With Your Parents - Renewed
• Grey's Anatomy - Renewed
• Modern Family - Renewed

Overall score: 52% (Down 14% from 2012)

Overall mark: D-

Fox:

• The Mob Doctor - Already Cancelled
• Touch - Cancelled
• Fringe - Completed
• Ben and Kate - Already Cancelled
• The Cleveland Show - Cancelled
• Raising Hope - Already Renewed
• The Mindy Project - Already Renewed
• Bob's Burgers - Already Renewed
• American Dad - Already Renewed
• Glee - Renewed
• New Girl - Already Renewed
• Bones - Already Renewed
• The Simpsons - Already Renewed
• The Following - Already Renewed
• Family Guy - Already Renewed

Overall score: 73% (Up 7% from 2012)

Overall mark: B

The CW:

• Cult - Already Cancelled
• 90210 - Already Cancelled
• Emily Owens, M.D. - Already Cancelled
• Nikita - Renewed
• Gossip - Completed
• The Carrie Diaries - Cancelled
• Hart of Dixie - Renewed
• Beauty and the Beast - Renewed
• Supernatural - Already Renewed
• Arrow - Already Renewed
• The Vampire Diaries - Already Renewed

Overall score: 63% (Up 1% from 2012)

Overall mark: C-

THE RESULTS:

• Network Average Percentage: 61.6% or a "C-" (Down 3.8% from 2012)
• The First Stop Network of the Year: CBS (Second Year in a Row)
• The First Stop Most Horrible Network of the Year: NBC (Second Year in a Row)

THE RANKINGS:

1. CBS (Same Ranking as 2012)
2. Fox (Same Ranking from 2012)
3. The CW (Up 1 Ranking from 2012)
4. ABC (Down 1 Ranking from 2012)
5. NBC (Same Ranking as 2012)

See you next Spring for our 2013-14 index! Hopefully by then NBC can figure out what the hell they're doing!

Avril Lavigne debuts new song, refuses to grow up

Avril Lavigne has recently decided that she's going to reject the human-aging process.

Her new Epic Records-released single "Here's to Never Growing Up", written by herself alongside fiancee and Nickelback member Chad Kroeger, 38, as well as a couple other people, the song (just like every other mainstream single released in the 21st century) debuted on On Air with Ryan Seacrest this morning. The upbeat anthem is reminiscent to songs of hers like "Complicated" (2002), while the message is similar to that of P!nk's "Raise Your Glass" and Ke$ha's "We R Who We R". The background chanting during the chorus is likely inspired by Rihanna's "Cheers (Drink to That)". But notably, the song is very similar to Cher Lloyd's "Oath". The song features a few Radiohead references, with Lavigne insisting that a group/couple is listening to a "blaring boombox" while drinking out of "whatever" and getting into a truck. But before all this happens, they call up all their friends and meet at 10:30, because they refuse to "stop" or "change". Lavigne also declares that if they say "forever", they stay forever, and then they can be forever young. These lyrics are followed by some typical obnoxious teenage blabber about walking down the street and telling strangers to "kiss my ass", and raising their glasses as the evening approaches.

In conclusion, the song clearly doesn't offer any inventive lyrics, and continues to communicate a message that we're pretty sure was said enough times in 2010, but the song will nonetheless get stuck in your head IMMEDIATELY, but its care-free and warm weather sound is guaranteed to make the song a Spring and Summer radio and iPod staple for adolescents and people who still haven't realized that they will inevitably grow old and become wrinkly.

Check out the just released lyric video for "Here's to Never Growing Up", but proceed with caution because you're gonna be shaking your head for the rest of the week to get it unstuck from your brain.

Song rating:

• Lyrics: 2.5/5
• Message: 2/5
• Vocals: 4/5
• Catchy-ness: 4.5/5
• Overall: 3.7/5