Music conglomerates, agents, judge panels and TV networks – use to devise lists of famous singers and decide amongst themselves who would take home the top honors year after year. With the digital age, twitter, face book, American Idol and more – it now lies in the hands of the consumers themselves.

According to TipTopTen.com, Rihanna ranks as the #1 female singer of 2011 so far for her performances Love the way you lie, Rude Boy, and what‘s my name. Runners up on their presumptive 2011 list also contain Taylor Swift, Kesha, Katy Perry, and who could forget the odd and unforgettable Lady Gaga coming in at fifth place.

American Idol creates new teeny bopper singers ever year based on the vote of millions of American viewers. This year’s final two are Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina who are now well on their way to making a successful career in singing all because of popular demand, voters like you and I. However, whether they can successfully launch a super star career is far from certain.

As history shows us, many of the contestants and winners of American Idol go on to make mediocre careers and stay in the lime light. It just goes to prove that 30 million people may watch the final episode of American Idol, but those 30 million consumers don’t immediately go to iTunes and download the winners’ album or songs. It seems that American Idol was able to create a wildly successfully television show but they were unable to convert those viewers in additional sales for their winners.

American Idol does have one bright spot, however it resides within their judges panel. Jennifer Lopez, voted sexiest woman of the year. She also happens to be a super star singer and movie star grossing millions of dollars in profit, year after year.

Social Media is far becoming the number one way to solidify your position as a famous singer, whether you are good or not. One very famous example is a song called “Friday” that amassed millions of viewers in a very short amount of time (sung by Jessica Black). But there is one catch, it isn’t very good, in fact, it is more of a joke than it is a well made music video. Conan O’Brien even created a spoof of her music video, he called in “Thursday.” It goes to show you that a perfect pitch voice isn’t always required to become a famous social media icon.

To become immortalized in music history, you need more than just the fleeting fame from social media. You need a unique voice, character and the love of the American People (or the Japanese if you’re Michael Jackson or Baseball). Many chart toppers sell themselves using sex, Hollywood, or the lime light which is temporary and eventually leaves a bitter taste in the back of your throat. Taylor Swift has a reputation, great music, and is very young in her career – all of which point her in the direction of the greats like J-Lo and Michael Jackson that will last for a century.

In conclusion, this year’s list of famous singers will be determined by you, the consumer, the people based on your votes, your “likes,” tweets, and most importantly, your iTunes purchases. Whether Rihanna takes home the coveted top spot as 2011 #1 female singer or whether it falls on the new comer Scotty McCreey will ultimately be your decision so make your vote count.

According to the lawsuit, West had access to the original lyrics. A man named John Monopoly who doesn’t own either Boardwalk or Park Place was West’s business manager and received copies of the Stronger lyrics from Vincent Peters, of Leesburg, Virginia who recorded a song called “Stronger” in 2006.

When reviewing the lyrics, they are not identical but close enough to make one wonder whether the allegations are indeed true.

Chicago Breaking Business quotes Peters as saying, “Peters said his song included ‘What don’t kill me make me stronger,’ while West’s says ‘That don’t kill me can only make me stronger,’ the suit said. Another example, Peters alleges, is ‘couldn’t wait no longer,’ while West says, ‘I can’t wait much longer.’”

Both songs make reference to supermodel Kate Moss which also is very suspicious. The last piece of evidence is that both songs use the word “wronger” which is also an unusual word not used often in common language or lyrics.

As Ricky Ricardo from “I Love Lucy” may say, “You got some splainin’ to do.”

Burt Rutan, the developer of the spacecraft is against the idea. He is quoted as saying, “I am against the idea.” He also goes onto say, “Sending a 16-year-old into space is like sending a donkey to the Kentucky Derby. You’re setting yourself up for failure.” But Branson thinks otherwise, “Sending the hot Bieber into space will not only propel his career into outer space but will launch our spacecraft, the VSS Enterprise, to the demographic that we are looking for which is rich, teenage thrill seekers.”

About the Justin Bieber lyrics he will be singing in space the young star is taking it in stride saying, “This is just another April fool’s joke, you know. No one is going anywhere.”

The title song, “Discipline,” which is the 20th track on the album, shows off Janet as a bit of an erotic fembot who may just make someone’s day on the BDSM scene. In the song “Luv” Janet Jackson compares falling in love to a car wreck, with the same shock and surprise as one who’s been broadsided.

The Luv lyrics say, “I can’t believe the way you wrecked into my heart / I think I should sue ya.” But, Jackson also carries on the Discipline motif and imagery when she sings, “I had the right of way / I saw the sign you disobeyed.” Perhaps some bad boy needs a spanking about now?

The song “Rock Wit U,” not to be confused with the Alicia Keys song of the same name is a sensual track of a similar theme to the Keys endeavor. Janet’s Rock Wit U has a decidedly techno feel and sexual overtones that let her purr the words to the lover in her song.

On first listen “Feedback” may be a bit confusing as there is a double meaning to the word. The Feedback lyrics say, “So here’s my demonstration / A peep show /Tonight my body’s an exhibition baby.” But, then Jackson goes onto clarify that Feedback is also a musical term that singers and bands will be familiar with when she sings, “Strum me like a guitar blow out my amplifier / When you hear some feedback keep going take it higher.”

Janet Jackson Discipline Tracks

1. I.D. (Interlude)
2. Feedback
3. LUV
4. Spinnin (Interlude)
5. Rollercoaster
6. Bathroom Break (Interlude)
7. Rock With U
8. 2nite
9. Can’t B Good
10. 4 Words (Interlude)
11. Never Letchu Go
12. Truth Or Dare (Interlude)
13. Greatest X
14. Good Morning Janet (Interlude)
15. So Much Betta
16. Play Selection (Interlude)
17. The 1 feat. Missy Elliott
18. What’s Ur Name
19. The Meaning (Interlude)
20. Discipline
21. Back (Interlude)
22. Curtains

When I listened to Discipline and watched the video I had to wonder how many fans will be screaming for a wardrobe malfunction (and of course a little whip action). There is a good video also that shows snippets of songs from the entire Discipline album. Now, go watch and listen or else you will be severely punished.

Snoop Dogg appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live show recently and talked about the new Ego Trippin’ CD along with his family life and reality TV show, “Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood.” The rapper told King that the Ego Trippin’ lyrics have changed from his previous work in that it shows due respect to women.

Snoop Dogg told Larry that the way he was raised, he was “brainwashed” into disrespecting women and now he’s had a change in attitude, especially because of his marriage, family and relationship with his mother.

Dogg also told King that he had a hard time getting David Beckham on his reality TV show, because his wife Victoria (Posh Spice) objected thinking Snoop Dogg was a party animal, but she changed her mind when she found out the rapper is a family man, now.

The Ego Trippin’ song “Sexual Eruption” has explicit lyrics that are slightly different than the PG version of the song “Sensual Seduction”. Sexual Eruption talks about a girl that Snoop Dogg met at a club. Early in Sexual Eruption we learn that she is with another guy as the lyrics state, “She might be with him but she’s thinkin’ about me.” Later in the song, Snoop does a little trash talking typical of rap, but brings it back home that he cares about giving her pleasure first before pleasing himself.

The song “Neva Have 2 Worry” talks about being relevant after all these years and the fight to remain so. The explicit lyrics on Neva Have 2 Worry look back at his travels in the hip hop industry since 1992 and the impact of gangsta rap. The lyrics say, “Who’d ever thought I would make it this far / out of the hood to be a big star.” The song also speaks of the fight Snoop Dogg had to take on in regard to the censorship of his music when he sings, “Swimming with the sharks and I almost drowned.”

Unofficially, the tracks from the Ego Trippin’ album are Press Play, Snoop Dogg Is Out, Gangsta Like Me, Neva Have 2 Worry, Sensual Seduction (Sexual Eruption) and Life of Tha Party. The Snoop Dogg Ego Trippin’ CD takes hip hop in a different direction, yet stays true to its roots, so that fans of the Dogg everywhere can revel in the rap artist’s new mature outlook on life.

On the Leaked version of Tha Carter III, in the song “Gossip,” Lil Wayne asks people to stop gossiping about him. He calls gossip a weak emotion and “The lady of a nigga”. The Gossip lyrics go on to compare Lil Wayne to other rappers and he says, “But I’m much more bright.” The lyrics talk about the double-edge sword of fame and how gossip tears him down, but it has also built him up. Near the end of the song the Gossip lyrics say, “I graduated from hungry, and made it to greedy” as final words of empowerment over his critics.

In the song, “Let Em”, the lyrics in a bravado manner talk about gun violence and the “One way ticket to gun play city.” Lil Wayne goes onto say, “I’m In your place with pillows over your face / Let the feathers protect you from the metal.” Though this may be a stereotypical rap song in theme there is some nice wordplay that will keep the listener engaged.

In 1961, “Please, Mr. Postman” was a number one hit for the Marvelettes. Lil Wayne samples from this song and in doing so has created his own unique “Mr. Postman” song. In the Postman lyrics, Lil Wayne is in fact the Postman who delivers his lust to some other man’s woman. Near the end of the song the lyrics say, “I pick up her bills and I pick up her tab / You might find a few steps on your mattress from the Postman.”

The song “Zoo” is a buddy track featuring Lil Wayne and Mack Maine. The lyrics talk about Wayne being a young lion and Maine being a young bull. This bravado buddy song does have several good lines including Lil Wayne putting his wordsmith spin on the fact that he has big shoes to fill saying, “Wanna walk in my shoes, you need 10 socks.”

A few of the unofficial songs off Tha Carter III include: I’m Me, Gossip, Kush, Love Me or Hate Me, Talkin About It, Let Em, Mr. Postman, and Zoo. Tha Carter III was originally due out in February but has been pushed back to be released on March 18, 2008.

The title song, “Love Revolution” is a high-energy rock song where Kravitz proclaims his feelings for his love interest. The Love Revolution lyrics say, “It is time for a love revolution. It is time for a new constitution.” Most of Love Revolution is musically driven with plenty of guitar riffs and drum beats one would expect from a classic high energy rock song.

On the second song off the album, “Bring It On,” Kravitz starts-off with high energy as well with a Led Zeppelin reminiscent sound on guitar, drums and the pacing of vocals. This hard rockin’ empowerment song starts with the lyrics “I’m ready to take on this world and rock steady. Come on, bring it on.” Later on the Bring It On lyrics state, “I’m gonna keep on moving. I’m gonna make my sound.” Simply by going to the Lenny Kravitz website, Bring It On starts playing automatically.

On the sixth song on the track, “I’ll Be Waiting,” Lenny Kravitz takes it down a notch and sings about love lost. The I’ll Be Waiting lyrics talk about Kravitz’s eternal love for the female protagonist who isn’t reciprocating the same feelings. He sings, “I’m the one who really loves you, baby. I’ll be knocking at your door. As long as I’m living, I’ll be waiting.” Near the end of the song we learn that she is gone, hurt by another and Lenny wants her back when he sings, “I want to be with you, until I’m old .. please come home.”

Love Revolution Songs

1. Love Revolution
2. Bring It On
3. Good Morning
4. Love Love Love
5. If You Want It
6. I’ll Be Waiting
7. Will You Marry Me
8. I Love the Rain
9. A Long and Sad Goodbye
10. Dancing Till Dawn
11. This Moment Is All There
12. A New Door
13. Back in Vietnam
14. I Want To Go Home

A mixture of hard rock and sensitive, soulful sounds, It’s Time for a Love Revolution will make you want to jump on the bus and go along for this wild ride.

As a Hawaiian surfer dude, Jack Johnson has hit the big time with his first three albums and soundtracks scoring over 15 million sales so far. The Sleep Through the Static album was recorded in Hawaii and Los Angeles using solar energy.

According to Jack, many of the themes of his song are about making babies, raising them, the world they will grow up in and friends he will miss.

The first song on the albums is “All at Once” where Johnson on acoustic guitar sings a sensitive song to a female about life together and having kids an how overwhelming this big step can be. The All at Once lyrics say, “All at once the world can overwhelm you. There’s almost nothing you can tell me that could ease my mind.”

But, even though he feels overwhelmed at this prospect, Jack Johnson also has some positive feelings as well when he sings, “There’s a world we’ve never seen. There’s still hope between the dreams.”

The second song off the album is also the title song, “Sleep Through the Static,” which is appropriately released on Super Duper Tuesday as a political anti-war song. At first, the Sleep Through the Static lyrics state, “Who needs keys when we’ve got clubs? Who needs please when we’ve got guns?”

A little later on, Jack Johnson sings, “Shock and awful thing to make somebody think /
That they have to choose pushing for peace supporting the troops.” The part about sleeping through the static seems to be a choice one can make when they don’t want to deal with the hate in the world.

Sleep Through the Static

1. All at Once
2. Sleep Through the Static
3. Hope
4. Angel
5. Enemy
6. If I Had Eyes
7. Same Girl
8. What You Thought You Needed
9. Adrift
10. Go On
11. They Do They Don’t
12. While We Wait
13. Monsoon
14. Losing Keys
15. Goodbye (iTunes Bonus Track)

While Sleep Through the Static also features Jack Johnson and his band on electric guitar, it is the acoustic work that touches one and shows how this Hawaiian surfer dude can be smooth as silk in lyrics and musical harmony. Sleep Through the Static is guaranteed to keep your eyes wide open.

Besides Kristofferson at the beginning, Willie Nelson also pays homage to another musical legend Bob Dylan at the end of the CD by belting out a Willie-esk version of “Gotta Serve Somebody.”

The first song on Moment of Forever is, “Over You Again,” where a mournful Willie Nelson sings about love lost to the woman he’s trying to get over. In the Over You Again lyrics, Willie sings, “And you can’t imagine just how hard it’s been” and then he goes onto say, “I had it all worked out, we’d only be the best of friends.” Later in the song we learn, “Baby, I never really got over you at all. I’ve been looking in the mirror and lying like a dog.” So, Over You Again speaks of love lost and then trying to be friends with a woman only to realize that the pain and love is still there.

Willie Nelson’s song “It’s Always Now” is a heartfelt love song telling his love interest to disregard the past and focus on their relationship in the now. The It’s Always Now lyrics say, “Brace your heart. Save yourself some sanity. It’s more than just a memory. It’s always now.” He goes onto say, “It’s really only you and me. And it’s always now.” He is trying to convince her to let go of the pain of the past and start fresh and stay in the moment.

Moment of Forever

1. Over You Again
2. Moment Of Forever
3. The Bob Song
4. Louisiana
5. Gravedigger
6. Keep Me From Blowing Away
7. Takin’ On Water
8. Always Now
9. I’m Alive
10. When I Was Young And Grandma Wasn’t Old
11. Worry B Gone
12. You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore
13. Gotta Serve Somebody / (Hidden Track)You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore

Willie Nelson’s BioWillie diesel fuel may be heading south quickly, but the legendary singer / songwriter knows how to keep us entertained with that outlaw country crooning. The Willie Nelson Moment of Forever album is sure to please the Red Headed Stranger’s fans worldwide.

The song “Liverpool 8” co-written by Starr and Dave Stewart is an anthem to the town where Ringo’s career with the Beatles started and his fondness for his roots. In a line from the chorus Ringo sings, “Destiny was calling. I just couldn’t stick around / Liverpool I left you, but I never let you down.”

Other notable songs on Liverpool 8 include “Gone Are the Days,” “Harry’s Song” and “Pasodobles” that include personalized lyrics and a creative new sound.

Liverpool 8 Songs:

1. Liverpool 8
2. Think About You
3. For Love
4. Now That She’s Gone Away
5. Gone Are The Days
6. Give It A Try
7. Tuff Love
8. Harry’s Song
9. Pasodobles
10. If It’s Love That You Want
11. Love Is
12. R U Ready?

Are you ready for Ringo Starr’s Liverpool 8 when it hits the stores next week? If you just can’t wait, you may want to hop a flight for January 12 when Ringo will debut Liverpool 8 at the Liverpool 2008 Capital of Culture celebration.