More Bad News For Real Housewives Fans -- Nene Leakes Won't Be Returning To Atlanta

It looks like Beverly Hills isn't the only Bravo show undergoing a dramatic casting change. Late yesterday, People Magazine broke the news exclusively that Nene, the raining queen of the Atlanta installment of the Real Housewives franchise won't be coming back for season eight.

It's painful for me to say this, but it looks like Atlanta's first casting casualty is the HBIC herself. I don't know why she's leaving, in fact she hasn't said specifically any reason herself. It doesn't even seem like Bravo is willing to budge on the real reasons going on behind the scenes, but it's obvious that Nene won't be short of work any time soon. With her stage acting on Broadway, her television career, and her upcoming RHOA spinoff, she's going to be doing pretty well on her own.

Nene issued the following statement via her official Facebook page:

"This is so hard for me to type! I cry as I do so! After seven seasons, I am so grateful for all the love and laughs! I can confirm that I have decided not to return to RHOA for the eighth season. Thank you everyone that has watched and supported me over the years on this amazing platform! Special thanks to Andy Cohen, True Entertainment, & Bravo for giving me the opportunity to show the world Nene Leakes and sometimes give them NayNay. This has been such a big part of my life but I am excited for new beginnings that I will share with you soon. With lots of thoughts and prayer, I've decided to step out on faith and not fear. xoxo"

At this time we are still expecting Nene's spinoff show where she will be road tripping with fellow former RHOA co-star Kim Z. Nene has not yet announced any further career plans, but surely we will be seeing more of her in the near future. Nene was the last remaining original cast member for this installment.

JPop Watch: Koda Kumi Concert Series CM Provides First Glimpses Of "Hurricane" Music Video

Ok so that title is a mouth full, but it got the message across, right? Well in case you haven't been obsessively following Kuu-chan like I have for the past few months, she's got a new album coming out. Well, kind of. Either way it looks like the track she's promoing the most "Hurricane" is going to be another summer jam to get everyone excited, but the music video has eluded us thus far. Until now. Again, kind of.

倖田來未 Koda Kumi - Walk Of My Life - 2015 TOUR [JIJI PRESS REPOR...
倖田來未 Koda Kumi - Walk Of My Life - 2015 TOUR [JIJI PRESS REPORT HD]
Posted by 倖田 來未 Koda Kumi - America on Monday, June 29, 2015

I can't get enough of "Hurricane". It is so much closer to the old Kumi that I've been missing than what we've gotten over the past few years. It has a great dance, and putting it at the front of her show (as it appears anyway) she is full of energy and ready to take on the track. If you pay attention to the background, we get what looks like clips of the music video, but unfortunately the clip doesn't last long. It looks to be a similar style to "Like It", a track and single from the latest album.

The rest of the CM shows clips of various already released material, but done live and in the usual insane Koda Kumi fashion. For instance, she's dangling from the ceiling while singing "Dance In The Rain", and then after a dramatic costume change she's at the piano with "Walk Of My Life". She seems to be exhausted by the end of the clip, but with her intense dancing and antics, that's kind of expected, no?

Summer of Love, Kumi's new remix album, is set to come out July 22. It will contain three new songs entitled "Hurricane", "Ex Tape", and "No One Else But You", as well as mixes of her previous work dating all the way back to 2006. This release is very similar to 2012's  Beach Mix or her semi-annual Driving Hits series. Kumi is no stranger to releasing new tracks in unconventional ways, especially after her last EP was only available at her live shows and included new material.

There are three versions of Summer of Love, one as a CD only, and two others that are bundled with either a DVD or a Blu Ray disc. Each has it's own cover. You can preorder them on CD Japan now.

Skin Wars Season 2 Episode 3 [Review]

It's that time again! I love this show so much and all it's competitors. Now we've gotten to the point where I am going to be sad to see anybody go home. After last week's sad elimination I'm not sure if my heart can take it. But alas, we must go on, and check out the new episode of Skin Wars!

Colette Carr Is Finally Back With EP "Static. Start."

There is a God! I guess now I'll have to become a devout Christian or something, right? Regardless it's time to celebrate because whiz kid pop goddess Colette Carr has made her comeback, and she's as amazing as ever. Take a quick look at Static. Start.

 I can't even express how excited I am to discover this. I had noticed that Colette was more active on social media, but I didn't realize she had a whole new EP for us. I heard rumblings about a new album coming out this year called Believe In Us, but since then I had not seen a thing. Lucky for us all Colette is a fan of releasing EPs to get the music out quicker to us, thus we have Static. Start.

Of the four songs on this release all of them are the more pop flavor, completely leaving her rap elements in the dust. The title track "Static" is the best example of Colette's new vibe. It's not electro-pop, exactly, but it's also nothing like you'd hear on today's radio. cCarr has tapped into her inner muse and found her sound, and it is an amazing one. Even on slower tracks like "Moments In Love", she manages to keep the energy up and keep any listener interested.

After the initial disappointment of the "Going Ham" mixtape disappearing, I was unsure whether she was still up to making music, but thankfully she's back on the steady trail. Along the way she has recruited her old friend Frankmusik to produce this masterpiece. I don't know about you, but I'm damn happy to have her back on my iPod.

For anyone unsure if this release is for them, not only are all the tracks preview-able, but also "Static" is currently free for everyone with an iTunes account. Get it now and enjoy it forever!

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Ditches Two Wives, Possibly A Third

It looks like the upcoming season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is going to suck. Hard. Over the past few weeks Bravo has made a string of announcements about the show, and none of them have been positive. It looks like the next season will pull a RHNY and have a completely new cast.

Why God? Why must you punish the gays by taking away Brandi Glanville from our televisions? Bravo formerly announced yesterday that she is not coming back for the new season. This instantly makes me feel like the show is going to be cancelled. This announcement is a quick followup to last month's announcement that Kim Richards wasn't going to be returning as well, leaving only four ladies in the current lineup.

But what about Yolanda? Shortly after taping wrapped for the last season her Lyme Disease spiked up. During the taping of the reunion a few months later she could barely stand to be on set for thirty minutes. She also released a statement saying she could no longer read or write. It really looks like she won't be returning, although no official statement has been made.

What is the show going to do with only half it's cast. If you add on that the fandom really didn't feel like Eileen Davidson made enough of an impression to last another season, it looks like we are left with a skeleton crew. I guess that means it's casting time for Bravo. Who can they look to cast?

Well according to Radar Online, Bravo has already talked to the other-other Richards sister, Kathy Hilton. You know, Paris Hilton's mom? The one I said they were going to have on next season? Yeah. I'm taking all the credit for that. You're welcome Andy. No official statement has been made as of yet. It's also worth stating they haven't confirmed anybody coming back other than those who have bowed out.

So what do you think? I am personally devastated that Kim and Brandi are gone, but I can't say I'm no surprised. Kim really needs to get away from the public eye and focus on herself, and without Kim, Brandi is alone and set to be the enemy of the state. This season may be off to a rocky start, but I honestly hope it's not going to fail. I'm already pretty positive RHNJ is doomed without Teresa, and I can't have two shows cancelled in one year.

Skin Wars Season 2 Epiosde 2 [Review]

And we're back! This week the post is happening on schedule. Yay me! Anyway, I'm glad to see that my favorites have survived the first round, but given that this episode is one of the hardest challenges the show has, I don't think it will be easy to make it by this week. Let's see what craziness ensues!

Skin Wars Season 2 Episode 1 [Review]

After a few delays, I can finally bring you my review of the first episode of Skin Wars season two! Unfortunately, GSN doesn't offer their stuff on iTunes, so no fun screen caps this time, but all the content is still there! Find out who rocked it, and who screwed up. Find out now!

Help Fund Our New Project: Famous By Proxy the Podcast!

I finally got everything together! Yay me! Well the time has come. We've been planning this for months and now the time has come for you to do your part. I am ready to make Famous By Proxy a reality, and I would love for you all to be a part of it!

Please please PLEASE go to our Kickstarter page and donate! There are tons of great rewards for those who want to donate and become a part of the project.


Everyone who donates at least a dollar will be personally thanked on our Facebook Page, for the whole world to see, but for those who want to give a little more, there are even greater rewards.

For 15 dollars: You will be featured on this very site for the rest of it's existence (which will be forever, obviously). We will be starting a "Wall of Fame" page for this level of backer and above starting July 1st.

For 30 dollars: We will thank you personally in our debut episode, expected to premier in December as long as we meet our funding!

For 75 dollars: You can get our first ever T-shirt featuring the fantastic logo designed by my good friend and record producer Jared Jones.

For 150 dollars: I will talk about your music, and even play a track! Not an artist? Well I'll play your favorite small time artist to get their name out there!

For 250 dollars: You can be my co-host for an episode. Come along and comment on all the music, tv, and drag you can handle!

For 500 dollars: You get to help me interview someone! I will have a list of celebrities (musicians, drag queens, and reality tv contestants) who want to participate, and you can do a ride-along, and ask up to five of your own questions to be featured on the show, or just for your own private use!

This is my dream, guys, and I hope that we can make this a reality! Thank you all so much for the opportunity, and please don't mind the low quality video. I guess it's just more proof we need better equipment!

Dean Ford's Title Track "Get Messy" Is Here And It's Wonderful

I can't even remember how I stumbled up on Dean Ford, but damn am I happy I did. He may have been MIA for a few years, but all that matters is he is back now and he's providing us with even more dance-rock to get us all moving. This time he's even brought a few friends. Check out "Get Messy" by Dean Ford.

"Get Messy" is a bit more electronic than I had been used to from Dean. His last album, CTRL was more of a rock piece with hints of techno, and now it seems to be flipped around. It feels like whole new territory for him, and given that he even introduces himself at the start of the track, I think this may be a whole new Dean Ford we are dealing with.

Dean didn't come alone with this one. First of all we have a very talented young lady named Renee Coolbirth. She was also featured on the lead-in single for the new EP, "Something To Die For". It would seem these two are good friends. Both of them are talented, so I for one have no problem with this marriage of music.

For the second feature we have U.S. rapper Spose. Most people know him from his big hit "I'm Awesome", but I, however, know him form when he teamed up with Girlicious because I'm gay. Apparently he has had some albums under his belt, and his contribution to this track could really heighten the appeal of Dean Ford and Get Messy.

The EP is set to debut August 18. As of now there is no official track list. But don't fret! You can get this track for free right now on BandCamp simply by signing up for his mailing list. 

Hyper Crush Is Back! Listen To "The Room"

I. Love. Hyper. Crush. They are in my top five favorite bands of all time, and now they are back to rock our faces off yet again. Preston, Holly, and Donny are the true combination to bring a smile to this face, and after you listen to this track, I'm sure it'll happen for you, too.

This song is a real club banger. It's been a hot minute since we've had a new track out of this trio, and "The Room" was well worth the wait. The group had taken a bit of  a break from recording and was touring, and recently announced they would be releasing new music. This track is a bit of a departure from the sound of their most recent album Vertigo back in 2013.

As of now there is no accompanying information with the song. They simply dropped the track with very little notice (I'm talking less than 24 hours) and no other information. It is available to download for free at this time which suggest that this is not an "official" single, but they have pulled this stunt before with another track from their album Night Wave. There is also no indication on if they are going to release a full album at this time.

Until we have more info from the group, we will have to assume they are taking the new route of indie music where they release a string of singles instead of an album. Given that it's been two years since we've had a full on Hyper Crush single, and that Donny and Person are busy working on their side project MVTH, the future of Hyper Crush is still unclear.

Giulietta Gets Us Pumped For Her New Album With Video For "Real 1"

If you haven't been following Giulietta, you may be surprised as to what her sound is like now. Gone is the techno/electropop sound she had on albums past. Now she has moved on to a very solid and smooth R&B vibe. Probably the best example of this is "Real 1", her newest video.

I love this track. I really cannot get enough of this. As much as I loved the Code Pink era of  Giulietta, XXI is shaping up to be an even better time for her. She really seems to be at home in this new sound, and given some of the transitional songs such as "No De$$ert" where she dabbled into rapping this seems to be an obvious next step.

"Real 1" is very much a girl power track. The whole song is about how her ex shouldn't have dumped her because all his new girls are nothing. She was the real one. The chorus is really what will either draw you in or send you running. "You got bitches and bitches ain't Sxxt." is one of the most awesome and powerful lyrics I've heard from the music scene this year. Her restrained anger is something you don't see every day.

The video, again, is in true Giulietta style. For the past few videos she's done, they mainly feature her singing to the camera in various outfits without a plot. We do get the vibe of the track here, however, during the segments where her man is tied up with a sheet over his face being "tortured". This is not to say it's not an entertaining video. Giulietta is a beautiful woman, and the production is really well done.

This is the third single from her new album XXI due out June 16 (US) and June 17 (Aus). As of this time there are no pre-orders available, and track listing is still TBA.

Willam and Latrice Team Up For Fun Song "Thick Thighs"

Being that I was coming into this song expecting to hear another parody of "Blurred Lines", I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I mean I don't listen to mainstream radio these days so I honestly can't tell you if this is a parody song or not, but it doesn't seem to be. The good news is we finally get to see the dream team of Willam and Latrice team up again (remember season four? The challenge Willam was DQ'd in? They were good!). Give this crazy, fun, body-positive video a good lookover.

Damn. These ladies are doing something right. They have accumulated more that 250,000 views in less than a week. Seeing as these two are among the top fan favorites from the entire history of Drag Race, it seems weird that we had to wait this long to see them in a song together. Looks like Willam finally found time in between his solo tracks and teaming up with Alaska Thunderfuck and Courtney Act or any combination of those two.

This song is very body positive. Willam, who has said on many occasions that he was fat as a child, and Latrice who is very much large and in charge, are the perfect people to get this message across. It's all about still getting that D no matter what size you are. I'm sure Latrice has no problem pulling in the boys, Wilam is proof that if you are unhappy with what you look like, it's possible to fix it and look amazing. Either way you're covered.

"Thick Thighs" has a very typical music video for drag queens. Lots of sexy muscle hunks in tight underwear shaking their junk around while the stars of the video do very little. We have two different shots of the girls, one of them on the couch together, and another of them on separate stripper poles. It's really not much to marvel at, but the sexy boys will probably keep your attention long enough to make it through the video.

Willam is a mastermind of music, and I can't think of a time when I wasn't excited to see Latrice on my computer screen. It's pretty damn obvious why this song is skyrocketing to success. If you are as in love with it as I am, be sure and grab a copy of it on iTunes. On a side note the whole album is worth checking out, including the "AAA Girls", his AIDS charity ride song with Alaska "Ride For Aids" and  a fun little song with Rhea Litre called "Ucc" (I'll let you figure out what that means for yourself).

Dark Intensity and Liz Primo Want You To Dance (With Your Heart)

It is 100% impossible for Liz Primo to release a song that isn't amazing. No, really. Even when she's a feature she has a way of making sure the song is golden. Dark Intensity is no stranger to the music scene (or Liz for that matter), and the two of them have brought together a beautiful spectrum of talent, experience, and fun that is definitely worth checking out. Let's take a quick look at "Dance With Your Heart".

There is something about a Dark Intensity mix that really gets my blood pumping, so hearing that he was taking on this song as the lead bill, I was incredibly excited. Manny Martinez definitely has a way with creating a fun elecro-pop jam, and this is a very evident example. "Dance With Your Heart" is a very layered piece, and depending on what settings you have your speakers on (IE bass and treble levels, volume, etc) you can hear different pieces of the track. Of each of the times I've listened to the song so far, I've heard new things with each play.

Liz is a siren who always manages to pull me back in with each new song. I found myself in love with her vocals as far back as her song "Devil In Me", and I've stuck with it ever since. She is an undeniable vocal talent. I love seeing that after all the love Dark Intensity has show her over the years (he has done remixes of so many of her songs) that she is up to returning the favor by providing vocals to an already show stopping song.

It's the lyrics that are really the only place I have to grip with this one. It really feels like Manny had the song completed and handed it off to someone else for the lyrical content. The lyrics feel shoehorned in at places, leaving a bit more to be desired.  While the words have a great message, they often get a big jumbled up and don't seem like they fit with the back track. This is very evident in the rushed lines on the chorus such as the lines "No second chances/No Looking backDontcloseyoureyes" and the awkward off kilter repeating of "Live your life". Something about the syncing and timing of these lines really throw off the chorus for me in an otherwise beautiful track. The verses are all perfection, and feel much more at home in this electronic wonderland.

If you are ready to shake your ass or if you are a die-hard Liz Primo fan like me then get over to iTunes and grab a copy of the song. Also be sure to check out the extended club mix for those of you who don't want the song to end!

Celebrate Pride Month With Chase Silva And His New Single

It's Pride Month! In case you've been living under a rock, as of this year June is nationally recognized as LGBT Pride Month. It has been the designated month for gay pride events for a long, long time beforehand, though. And now to get you in the mood, we have a new anthem for everyone out there. It comes from a talented and promising new artist Chase Silva, and trust hunty, you are going to love.

In order to get his voice and his message out there, Chase has teamed up with international DJ duo Groove Addix to bring this track to life. Chase has his own credentials, including being a sexy Pacific Islander (Hellloooo Hawaii!) and winning the Pride Idol contest in Seattle last year. He has been a local talent for a while, but now he's trying to spread his voice across the nation. He's already beat out over forty competitors in his home town, and now he's ready to slay the competition, uniting us all with this special track.

"Free To Be Me" is exactly what it sounds like. It's a song celebrating the world we live in today. Things have come so far, and even though we still have a long way to go, we are to a point in history where being gay isn't a death sentence. Sure not everyone loves us, but we know exactly where we can all go to feel safe and, well, free to be who we are. The message that this song carries is so important for the history of LGBT, and with the national recognition of gay pride by our nation's president, I feel like this song's importance cannot be overstated.

On his side, he has not only the crazy talented Groove Addix, but also remix masters such as Paul Goodyear, Sweet Team, and Jared Jones, taking this from one song to a full album, guaranteeing that you can find one mix that is going to be a good fit for you and your tastes. Be sure to grab the single, out now on iTunes courtesy of JRED Music.

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 7 [Final Thoughts]

The show's over folks. We've got another six months before we have more Drag Race, but before we leave season seven in the dust, how did we all feel about it? Well I have some opinions, and you're gonna hear it. Season seven was a trip, and whether it was a good one or a bad one, you'll have to figure out for yourselves.

Pearl Takes Drag Queen Music In A New Direction

We've seen it a hundred times over. Queens get on RuPaul's Drag Race and think the immediate next step is to make music (regardless of how quickly they went home). Well let's take a look at season seven finalist Pearl. Now, before you roll your eyes let me tell you this -- it's not that she sings in the tracks, it's that she produced them. That's right. One of the few instances of a contestant showing their skills in the music industry in something other than autotune. Get into Pearl's new EDM album "Pleasure".

I know it has been done before, but it's so rare and unappreciated to have a contestant on the show be a producer as opposed to a singer that I have to highlight this momentarily. As far as I was aware, Pearl hasn't really bragged on her DJ or producer skills, but from sampling this album, she clearly has a lot of things she wants expressed. And with a name like "Pleasure", it's sure to be exactly what you would expect from this flazeda queen.

Now, this may not be music for everyone. There is very little singing on these, with only four of the fifteen tracks having guest vocalists. The rest is club bumping pure EDM. For those of you who appreciate this style, it will totally be your jam, and for those who don't usually venture into this spectrum of the techno rainbow, it is something everyone should at least check out to see if it's your flavor.

What really gets me about "Pleasure" is how the tracks are named.  Never before on an album have I looked through the names of the songs and completely seen the artist in them. Song names include "Pervert", "Fake Plastic Love", and "Botoxicated" really scream Pearl to me, not to mention the title track. She is very laid back yet sexual, and each song on here not only sounds like it came from this beautiful artist, but look like it, too.

The album cover is perfect, the genre is perfect, and the timing is perfect. While not even the queens themselves know who's snagged the crown just yet (as of this writing), it looks like in a manner of speaking, Pearl has already won.  I guess we will just have to wait and see tonight. Speaking of tonight, "Pleasure" goes live at midnight. Be sure to preorder your copy now so you can celebrate instantly, no matter who wins!