Tonight Taylor Swift will join good company when she does double duty as Saturday Night Live's host and musical guest. Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Janet Jackson are just a few who have done the same. The host appearance comes on the heels of Taylor Swift landing five new songs in the pop top 40 this week from her re-release of the album Fearless. No final word has been announced on whether Kanye West will make a surprise appearance. However it seems certain that the notorious MTV Video Music Awards incident will be recreated somehow. For a bit more of a preview of Taylor Swift on Saturday Night Live, check out the promo clips below:

• Taylor Swift and Bill Hader
• Taylor Swift and Kristen Wiig

_{Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images}

It is a world today in which high profile albums are often leaked in advance of their street dates. However, Rihanna is taking a new approach with her upcoming Rated R album. She will perform a live concert of the album's songs for an audience of 6,000 at a so far undisclosed location in London on November 16, 2009, a week before Rated R hits stores. The show will be streamed live to fans around the world via the Internet. The concert's sponsor Nokia has posted a Rihanna interview where she talks about the new album and the live stream. Thus far, it seems that Rihanna's new music is reaching an audience. At the present time, Rated R's first single "Russian Roulette" is already #2 in single sales at iTunes and nearing the top 20 in pop radio airplay.

Related link:

• Top 10 Rihanna Songs

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_{Photo by Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images}

Kris Allen's first single from his upcoming self-titled solo album has struggled to catch on. "Live Like We're Dying" has received strong positive critical reviews. Now there is a video to help promote the song. Will it turn "Live Like We're Dying" into a major hit? Check out Kris Allen's new video and let us know your snap judgment!

• Watch Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying"

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_{Single cover courtesy Jive Records}

Beyonce took this year's MTV Europe Awards by storm winning 3 top accolades. Her victories included Best Song for "Halo," Best Female and Best Video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)." She put an exclamation point on the victories with a stunningly sexy performance of "Sweet Dreams." Among the other top winners were Best New Act Lady Gaga and Best Rock winners Green Day.

The return of the MTV Europe Awards to Berlin, Germany is a part of commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The official celebrations will take place Monday, November 9, 2009. U2 performed a free concert at the Brandenburg Gate last night as part of the festivities.

Top winners at the MTV Europe Awards include:

• Best Song - Beyonce "Halo"
• Best Group - Tokio Hotel
• Best New Act - Lady Gaga
• Best Female - Beyonce
• Best Male - Eminem
• Best Urban - Jay-Z
• Best Rock - Green Day
• Best Alternative - Placebo
• Best Live Act - U2
• Best European Act - maNga
• Best Video - Beyonce "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"

_{Photo by Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images}

Cheryl Cole was already quite popular in the UK as a member of the girl group Girls Aloud and a judge and mentor on the talent show X Factor. Now she has become the hottest new solo pop star of the year topping the charts with her single "Fight for This Love" and album 3 Words. Now is a great time to find out more in the profile of Cheryl Cole.

_{Photo courtesy Polydor}

Rihanna will take the stage at this year's American Music Awards. She will be joining a stellar lineup when the ceremonies are broadcast live November 22, 2009. Her new album Rated R is scheduled to hit stores the following day. No announcements have been made about which song she will perform. However, it seems the official single "Russian Roulette" may be the best bet. Among the list of announced performers so far:

• Black Eyed Peas
• Kelly Clarkson
• Daughtry
• Eminem
• Jay-Z
• Alicia Keys
• Lady Gaga
• Adam Lambert
• Jennifer Lopez
• Rihanna
• Carrie Underwood

Related link:

• 2009 American Music Awards Nominations

_{Photo by Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images}

Jason DeRulo has quietly become one of the top new pop artists of the year and now his single "Whatcha Say" has climbed all the way to #1. Lady Gaga also makes chart history this week. Read all of the details in this week's coverage of the US pop music charts.

_{Single cover courtesy Beluga Heights}

The end of the first decade of a new century is less than two months away. Now we begin our look back at the best music of the past 10 years. Check out 100 great moments in pop music on the list of the Top 100 Pop Songs of 2000.

The impressive achievements keep piling up for Lady Gaga. Now she has become the first artist in the 17 year history of Billboard's top 40 pop radio singles chart to reach #1 with four singles from a debut album. "Paparazzi" follows "Just Dance," "Poker Face," and "LoveGame" to the top of the charts off the album The Fame. Lady Gaga shared a personal story related to the record-setting mark with MTV. She said, "It was even more exciting because my dad had just recovered from his surgery, so it was kind of like this amazing moment that I got to share."

_{Single cover courtesy Interscope}

This week the top female country crossover star before the appearance on the horizon of Taylor Swift returns with her third studio album. It is just the first of 10 great new pop releases in stores this week. Check out all the details in the list of the Top 10 New Pop Albums for this week.

_{Album cover courtesy Arista Records}