As predicted, Vampire Weekend notches its second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as Modern Vampires of the City debuts atop the list this week. The set sold 134,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, which is a record-high sales week for the act. The group’s last album, Contra, previously held…

Usher and Pharrell Williams sit down to talk about everything from the beginnings of his career to what makes him a magnetic performer and now his continuing roll as mentor to Justin Bieber. Then Pharrell introduces his protégée, Leah LaBelle, and they discuss the intuition that artists and producers must have to make great music.

Kelly Rowland is coming to a television near you. The Grammy-winning singer has officially signed on as a judge for the U.S. edition of “The X Factor.” Fox announced today that Kelly will join the singing competition when it returns for its third season this fall. She will grab a seat alongside returning judges Simon…

As expected, XL/Beggars’ Vampire Weekend release will debut at #1 this week on the HITS Album chart, with MCA Nashville’s George Strait and Hollywood pop diva Demi Lovato jockeying for the two spots right behind the alternative darlings, whose newest, Modern Vampires of the City, is being touted as a stylistic breakthrough. Other chart tidbits:…

On Monday, Eight Mile Style, LLC, the company that administers the rights to Eminem’s music filed a lawsuit against Facebook. The complaint filed in Michigan federal court not only accuses the popular social network of lifting one of Eminem’s songs for the April launch of a new application called “Facebook Home,” but tells the story…