'High School Musical' sets chart record
NEW YORK, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Beyonce's "Check On It" featuring Slim Thug held the No. 1 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 and Pop 100 album charts for a second week Thursday.
But the music big news revolves around "Breaking Free," the single from the Disney Channel's "High School Musical," Billboard.com reported.
The single by Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens recorded the Hot 100's biggest jump in the history of the chart -- moving up from No. 86 last week to No. 4 this week with absolutely no radio play. The 82-point lead was based solely on digital downloads.
No. 2 on the Hot 100 was Nelly's "Grillz" featuring Paul Wall and Ali & Gipp and the song moved up the Hot Ringtones chart, knocking the Black Eyed Peas "My Humps" to No. 2 after 10 weeks.
Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" moved up to No. 3 on the Hot 100 and held onto No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for a sixth straight week.
James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" was No. 5 on the Hot 100, Ne-Yo's "So Sick" was No. 6 and Chris Brown's "Run It!" was No. 7.
Jamie Foxx's "Unpredictable" featuring Ludacris was No. 8, the Pussycat Dolls' "Stickwitu" fell to No. 9 and Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" rounds out the Hot 100's top tier.
Preparations under way for new 'Potter'
BURBANK, Calif., Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The stars are back along with a lot of new faces for the next film based on J.K. Rowling's series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."
Principal photography will begin Monday at England's Leavesden Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures announced in a news release Thursday.
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles as teen wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
Joining them will be Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt; Helen McCrory as Bellatrix Lestrange; Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks and Kathryn Hunter as Mrs. Figg.
Evanna Lynch, 14, beat more than 15,000 hopefuls at an open casting call to win the role of Luna Lovegood, Warner said.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will be released in 2007.
McCartney set for Grammy debut
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Paul McCartney has won 13 Grammy Awards and now the former Beatle is going to make his debut performing during the awards ceremony.
McCartney will take stage Wednesday during the 48th Annual Grammy Awards telecast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Recording Industry Association of America announced Thursday. McCartney is up for three awards including album of the year for "Chaos And Creation In The Backyard."
Also making her Grammy debut will be "American Idol" first season winner, Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson was nominated in the best female pop vocal performance category for "Since U Been Gone" and best pop vocal album for "Breakaway."
R&B newcomer Ciara was added to the lineup for the previously announced tribute to Sly & the Family Stone. She's up for three Grammys including best new artist.
Several presenters were added to the lineup Thursday, including Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt and actress Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon.
The Grammy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS.
Karl Lagerfield jumps on the podcast wagon
NEW YORK, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Karl Lagerfeld announced Thursday his fashion line will become the first to make its New York Fashion Week show available as a podcast.
Lagerfeld's show will close out the Fashion Week festivities Feb. 10 and the show will be available later that evening for download on the iTunes Music Store Web site, the designer announced in a news release.
Karl Lagerfeld LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Tommy Hilfiger Corp.
