day 3.148

the x factor

it looks like the x factor may finally be going somewhere. after months of speculation, simon cowell announced the show's official cast. while we've known music mogul la reid would be joining cowell at the judges' table, the other two spots remained a mystery- until now. cheryl cole and paula abdul will fill out the final two mentor slots on the show. cole's virtually unknown to american audiences, but she definitely has the industry know-how and pull to make a star. she's served as a judge for the uk x factor, producing the most promising act during the most recent season, cher lloyd (i'm a little obsessed).

but before joining x factor, cole helped headline the biggest girl group to hit britain since the spice girls, called girls aloud. the group was formed on the uk's idol predecessor, popstars. while the group never made it to america, there's a good chance they will with cheryl's sure-to-be stateside success. a reunion (the group disbanded to pursue solo careers) is planned for sometime in 2012.

and there's no need to explain paula - we all know paula. i'm just excited she'll be reunited with cowell for moments like this.

paula is reportedly in final negotiations to join the show after some contractual obligations with cbs (where her failed dance show, live to dance aired). but the hosts have signed on the dotted line. pussycat doll front-woman nicole scherzinger will join british tv presenter steve jones on stage to moderate and commentate on the series. apparently high school musical costar corbin bleu originally had the gig, but because of his lack of chemistry with scherzinger, he was dropped last minute.

all this news make me even more excited for the x factor to premiere. after the voice premiered before any of the x factor's cast was nailed down, i was nervous for the series' success. but i don't think i need to worry anymore - the cast is just as impressive (and will probably bring more personality and drama) as nbc's competition crew.

day 2.316

all good things must come to an end?

do you ever think to yourself, "what the hell happened to kirsten dunst?" the '90s teen comedy staple has worked on few projects since spiderman 3 in 2007. there was that stint in rehab and all, but in-demand actresses don't stop working. well miss torrence shipman is back in a movie that's getting some serious oscar buzz. all good things stars dunst as the wife and possible murder victim of a real estate-tycoon heir, played by ryan gossling. it's based on the life of robert durst, a real life heir to the durst real estate fortune. durst's wife, kathleen, disappeared in the early 1980s, and she hasn't been heard of or found since. rumors have long followed durst that he in fact murdered his wife, and suspicion grew stronger when durst's long time friend was found murdered in 2000. check out the trailer above. it looks like it's going to be a serious psychological thriller and will probably make everyone question if they really know who their significant other is...kirsten dunst has three more projects in the works now, including the highly anticipated adaptation of jack keouac's on the road, with kristen stewart. it seems like dunst is taking on much more dramatic roles, which hopefully will pay off for the star.

want to hear some new music?

a lot of musical acts released new singles this week. here's a look at some of the ones that caught my eye.

everyone's favorite dirty party girl is releasing a companion album to animal, called cannibal. "we r who we r" is the lead single off the disc, and from the sound of it, cannibal will be more of the same. auto-tuned sings-speak all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. i mean, is anyone really complaining? we all need some guilty pleasure music in our life.

speaking of guilty pleasures, it looks like pussycat dolls lead single nicole scherzinger is giving a solo career another go. the singer's earlier attempts, "baby love" and "whatever you like," failed to take off and a 2007 album called her name is nicole never made it to stores. "poison" is very club, very dance. it reminds me a lot of where kelly rowland has gone with her career (see: "commander"). hopefully nicole's dancing with the stars win and possible spot on the x factor's judging panel will help "poison" take off.

leighton meester's solo music career seems to have been put on the back burner, but her film career is taking off. the gossip girl star already filmed the roommate and monte carlo, both due out next year, and is part of the ensemble cast of country strong. leighton plays a new country teen queen and a snippet of a song from the movie, "words i couldn't say" hit the internet today. check out the short clip above. if leighton's pop/dance-inspired music career doesn't take off, she might want to consider the country route. she definitely has the voice for it.

and, speaking of country strong, the music video for the title single was released today. in the flick, gwyneth paltrow plays a recovering alcoholic country music superstar trying to get her career back on track. paltrow sings all of her own songs and, wouldn't you know, she's actually pretty good. good enough to land a guest gig on glee. check out the video above - the movie hits theaters december 22.

day 2.250

nicole scherzinger can sing

and vanessa hudgens can't. nicole and vanessa are part of the hollywood bowl's weekend-long production of rent, directed by neil patrick harris. check out nicole's performance above and vanessa's attempt below. sound and picture quality aren't great on either, but you'll get the gist.