Usher 's new song "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy, is now the #1 song on the  Billboard's Hot 100 with an impressive 50 spot jump from. The track is from Usher's new album, "Here I Stand," due in June via LaFace/Zomba . [Source]

Chinese official are planning to tighten control on foreign bands. This comes after Bjork made a statement about supporting freedom in Tibet while doing a concert in Beijing. A statement on the Chinese culture ministry website said that Bjork's actions had "broke Chinese law and hurt Chinese people's feelings", and that as a result the organization would take action to "further tighten controls". [Source]

According to BMG Label Group chairman/CEO Clive Davis: Whitney Houston will be releasing her first album since 2002. The album is anticipated to drop sometime this winter. Speaking during Billboard's Music & Money Symposium this morning (March 6) at New York's St. Regis Hotel, Davis said four songs have been completed for the as-yet-untitled project, and four more will be put to tape later this month. "We're on track for a holiday release," he said. "We're not going to compromise who she is to fit into today's hip-hop radio market. The public wants Whitney material." [Source] 

According to Eonline.com Snoop Dogg and Oprah are butting heads. Apparently Oprah called out Snoop as the prime offender in degrading women in hip-hop. Snoop fired back saying Oprah doesn't even know him and didn't give him the opportunity to come on the show and defend himself. [Source]

Janet Jackson is planning to write a weight-loss book with her nutritionist, David Allen. Due to fans questions about how she managed to loose weight, she was inspiried to put a book together. "Everybody asks me -- men, women -- how did I do it?" she tells Billboard. "Even young people will come up to me and they have an issue with their weight and they're very concerned. So it's basically my journey; it's not just this sterile, weight loss and how to do it book, but my journey even from when I was a kid ... being an emotional eater. It takes you through those moments in my life up 'til now and what worked for me. " [Source]

According to the Daily Star there seems to be an unauthorized biography of Amy Winehouse going around. Upon seeing this book at on sale at her local garage she demanded for the book to be taken off the shelves. This all happened around 5am after Amy and some friends were said to be out at night having a "marathon booze". One onlooker told the newspaper "She wasn't happy. I don't know if she'd seen something offensive in the book, or if she just didn't like the idea of the book being on sale at all. But as soon as she saw it, her mood darkened."  [Source] 

Kanye West's blog is sporting some new pictures said to be from his next single off the album Graduation. The video for homecoming is stated as "Coming Soon" and from the pictures alone you can tell this is going to be yet another creative masterpiece. See here

Paula Abdul is gearing up to release her first studio album since 1995. According to Billboard, the album will include some of Abdul's best-known hits as well as new material. "I will always be grateful for Randy getting me back into even the idea of helping me do this," says Abdul. "I didn't realize how much I missed it." [Source]