PopSugar

Gwen and Akon Dumped By Verizon

PopSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 00:03:59 PDT

Verizon has pulled its sponsorship of Gwen's Sweet Escape Tour as a result of the disturbing video of Akon (her opening act) simulating sex on-stage with a girl who turned out to be only 15-years-old. The video made its way around the internet and his actions were so disturbing that it's no shock that there are professional repercussions.

Gwen's manager, Jim Guerinot, however, had this to say: "Akon has been a perfect gentleman on this tour. His show has at best been a PG show. Children of all ages have been attending. We have had no complaints -- nothing but satisfied people. And I would say that we're shocked that Verizon would drop Gwen Stefani as part of this whole debate."

Even so, losing the tour's main sponsor must be rough. Maybe it's time for Gwen to look into finding herself another opening act.

Source

Get Ready For A Sweet Escape

PopSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:28:41 PST

Gwen took little Kingston along to the NRJ Music Awards. This kid has got so much exposure to the industry he'll probably be producing music before he's out of diapers. Looks like he's about to get some more experience too. Mommy Gwen is gearing up for her North American tour which kicks off in San Diego on April 22nd. Akon and Lady Sovereign will also be performing. Tickets go on sale Feb. 10th. Check out the list of tour dates for Gwen's Sweet Escape here!

For more pics just

View 6 Photos ›

Source

Gwen Going on Tour with Lady Sovereign

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:00:14 PST

Gwen Stefani just announced the dates of her Sweet Escape Tour, which kicks of April 22 in San Diego and continues with 40 shows through June. Opening acts include Akon and UK rapper Lady Sovereign, which is funny because I just saw Lady Sov quoted in Rolling Stone saying: "This year [in music] has been rubbish. Apart from me, it's just been sh*t."

I'll admit: I'm not a huge fan of Stefani's new album, The Sweet Escape, either. But as a live act, she totally won me over when I saw her perform "Wind It Up" at the Billboard Music Awards. The woman knows how to put on a show. To see the complete list of tour dates,

read more
Apr-22 San Diego, CA - Coors Amphitheatre** Apr-24 Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center** Apr-25 Bakersfield, CA - Rabobank Arena** Apr-27 Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre*** Apr-28 Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Pavilion Apr-30 Salt Lake City, UT - The "E" Center May-02 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center May-03 Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion May-05 Dallas, TX - Smirnoff Music Centre May-06 Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May-08 Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre May-09 West Palm Beach, FL - Sound Advice Amphitheatre May-11 Atlanta, GA - HiFi Buys Amphitheatre May-12 Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre May-14 Raleigh, NC - Alltel Pavilion May-15 Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre May-17 Washington DC - Nissan Pavilion May-18 Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center May-20 Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre May-21 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena May-23 Boston, MA - Tweeter Center May-24 Philadelphia, PA - Tweeter Center at The Waterfront May-27 Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel and Casino*** May-29 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre May-30 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre Jun-01 Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills Jun-02 Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center Jun-04 Omaha, NE - Qwest Center Jun-05 St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center Jun-07 Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center Jun-08 Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre Jun-10 Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre Jun-12 Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place Jun-13 Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome Jun-15 Vancouver, BC - General Motors Place Jun-16 Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre Jun-18 Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre Jun-19 San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre Jun-22 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Jun-23 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre ** Akon only *** Lady Sovereign only

Music Video: Gwen Stefani, "The Sweet Escape"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:48:13 PST

Yahoo! Music today is premiering the new Gwen Stefani video for "The Sweet Escape," the latest single off the singer's album of the same name. I like the new-wave vibe and catchy "whoo-hoo! yee-hoo!" refrain of this song, which was produced by Akon. But I guess I'd rather listen to Gwen than watch her, because I'm not crazy about the gold-drenched, Rapunzel-inspired video. Check out out the video premiere and let me know what you think.

CD Review: Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape

BuzzSugar — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 19:46:06 PST

Gwen Stefani may be channeling Scarface-era Michelle Pfeiffer on the cover of The Sweet Escape (Interscope), but her second solo outing is squarely rooted in eighties pop, with a little bit of Sound of Music thrown in.

While the bizarrely alluring first single, "Wind It Up," has Gwen yodeling and sampling "The Lonely Goatherd," the title track (produced by and featuring Akon) is a veritable kitchen sink of new-wave references, cramming in chimey keyboards, punchy brass, tambourines, and a catchy "whoo-hoo! yee-hoo!" refrain. But the nostalgia doesn't end there. "U Started It" is a well-executed Prince homage, with its sultry vocal melody and synthesized strings, while "Orange County Girl" has Stefani rapping through her life story: "A lot of things have changed but I’m mostly the same / These are a few of my favorite things."

But while the standout tracks on "The Sweet Escape" are undoubtedly unique, most of Stefani's pop/hip-hop hybrids start to sound saccharine after just a few listens. For the rest of my take,

read more "Now That You Got It," one of several Neptunes-produced songs on the album, is a skittish hip-hop experiment that feels grating and repetitive, while the danceable "Fluorescent" suffers from synthesizer overload. One of the most disappointing tracks, however, is the sugary-sweet "4 in the Morning." Despite its party-all-night perspective, the somewhat generic melody could very easily be mistaken for 1990s teen girl pop. So while yodeling over hardcore rap beats may be weird, at least its edgy, and I like my Gwen with a little bit more edge.

Gwen's a Little Teary-eyed

PopSugar — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 15:57:33 PST

Why is Gwen crying in this artwork for her new album, The Sweet Escape? Do you think it's because she lost to Nelly Furtado for World's Best Pop/Rock Artist at the WMAs last night? Doubt it. She didn't even go so she couldn't have cared that much. And it's a good thing too because the show evidently wasn't that good!

Source

6 Pretty Pink Floral Swimsuits For Lil Girls

Kate Stahl — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:07:48 PST

Planning a Winter escape to somewhere sunny and warm? Mama isn't the only one who needs a new swimsuit. Pick up one of the following pink floral suits for your littlest girls (we'll bring you boys options soon), and get ready to say "bye bye" to snow and cold and "hello" to the beach in sweet style!

January's 10 Most Charming New Nail Polishes

Miriam Lacey — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:05:00 PST

It's January, and although where most of us live it's especially cold and dreary, in the world of nail color, it means just one thing: resort collections. That's right, this month marks the debut of bright, bold polishes meant as an escape from the Northern Hemisphere chill. So crank your heater up, grab a mai tai, and get ready for some sweet, cheerful relief in every shade from neon orange to Chanel's latest, prettiest pink.

Source: Flickr User Krystal T

The No-Diet Trick to Reducing Belly Fat

Shape — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:07:27 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health.

In a new study published in the Journal of Obesity, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that mastering mindful eating and reducing stress effectively prevented weight gain, even without dieting, and that the women who experienced the greatest reduction in stress lost the most belly fat. In a nutshell, mindful eating is about being aware of your eating patterns and thoughts rather than acting on autopilot.

In this study, 24 of the 47 stressed, overweight or obese women were randomly assigned to practice mindfulness, while the other 23 served as a control group. The mindful group participated in weekly sessions for nine weeks, which included an intense meditation retreat, stress reduction, learning to recognize hunger and fullness, and become more aware of taste. They were asked to spend 30 minutes a day meditating and practicing mindful eating. These women experienced significant reductions in cortisol, a stress hormone linked to an increased appetite and more belly fat, and were able to maintain their body weight while reducing belly fat. In contrast, the women in the control group continued to put on pounds and saw no reduction in cortisol.

If you're like a lot of my one-on-one clients you may be thinking, "I don't have 30 minutes a day to meditate!" I hear you. But in my private practice I have found that a little mindfulness goes a long way. Check out my previous post about how practicing eating slowly, even just once in a while, can help raise your eating antennae. You can even practice by eating chocolate!

Learn more about how chocolate helps with losing weight after the break!

Top 100 Workout Songs

FitSugar — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:30:47 PST

I'm one of those people who has to listen to music when working out. The snappy fast beats inspire me to push harder, especially up hills or in the last five minutes of my workout. If you can't get through a cardio session without tunes, and your playlists are feeling a little blah, check out this list of the Top 100 Workout Songs compiled by Fitness magazine. You're sure to find some new songs to add to your iPod.

Keep reading to hear which tunes made it to the top of the list.