Women in music

Britney Spears' latest creative venture isn't a musical one – a watercolor painting the singer previously shared on her Instagram account recently sold for $10,000 at a Las Vegas charity auction.





The piece, which features five flowers (four larger ones and one smaller one) in hues of pink, purple and blue, is now the prized possession of one Robin Leach, the former host of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

According to an Instagram user who shared a photo of Leach with his purchase, the former TV host was both the auctioneer and the winning bidder.

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Jennifer Lopez turns a grimy subway platform into a steamy dance club in the new video for "Amor, Amor, Amor," the singer's latest Spanish language single.




In the video, Lopez and featured guest Wisin have their respective troupes showdown in a dance-off at the vacant subway station before the train arrives, at which point the party goes mobile underground. The video ends with both singers' exiting the subway and hopping in Wisin's sleek Abarth.

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Brenda Holloway ~ Every Little Bit Hurts

Taylor Swift's Reputation scored the best-selling week of 2017 – and became the year's highest-selling album in total so far – as the singer's latest Number One LP sold over 1.2 million copies in its debut week.





Reputation marked the fourth time Swift crossed the platinum plateau in an opening week – following 2010's Speak Now, 2012's Red and 2014's 1989 – making her the first artist to achieve four million-selling weeks, Billboard reports. Reputation also notched the 10th best sales week in Nielsen Music history.

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SZA delivers a sparse and striking rendition of "Go Gina" in a new video for Vevo's Lift series. "Go Gina" appears on SZA's debut album CTRL.




Set in a misty forest, the clip finds SZA and a lone bassist stripping "Go Gina" of its drums and synths to craft a beautifully simple arrangement. As the hypnotizing bass line churns, SZA delivers a dexterous vocal performance filled with clever runs that reach a chilling and surreal peak as she suddenly appears before a giant mirror situated in the middle of the clearing.

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Taylor Swift remained at Number One as the singer's Reputation added to its 2017-best sales with an additional 256,000 total copies in its second week on the Billboard 200.





After going platinum in its opening week – and after another week being withheld from streaming services – Reputation sold 232,000 more traditional copies to hold onto the top spot, making Swift the first female artist since Adele in January 2016 to spend two consecutive weeks at Number One, Billboard reports.

Reputation was already 2017's best-selling album thanks to selling 1.2 million copies in its opening week.

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Taylor Swift notched her third straight week atop the Billboard 200 as the singer's Reputation added another 147,000 copies to its platinum-plus haul.



Swift also became the first female artist since Adele and 25 in early 2016 to spend at least three straight weeks at Number One on the Billboard 200, Billboard reports.

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Sia has unveiled the new video for "Ho Ho Ho," the second chapter in a Claymation trilogy showcasing songs from her seasonal LP Everyday Is Christmas.



Picking up where the "Candy Cane Lane" video left off, "Ho Ho Ho" finds Sia's yarn-haired Claymation character pursuing a snow monster into a secluded house in the middle of the woods.

After befriending the creature, the little girl discovers the root of the snow monster's anger – an icy Midas touch – and, with the help of gloves, helps the monster string up Christmas lights and celebrate the holiday.

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New Jersey DIY heroes Screaming Females unveiled a striking live video for their latest song "Deeply," which features singer/guitarist Marissa Paternoster performing a stripped-down version of the song alongside singer-songwriter Laura Veirs.




Recorded at the home studio of Thermals frontman Hutch Harris, the pair turn the into an aching folk-tinged number. Paternoster unspools crackling electric guitar lines over Veirs' acoustic strumming, and during the song's simple, affecting refrain – "And I fall/ So deeply and I fall" – Veirs' soft vocals rise sweetly in harmony with Paternoster's rich croon.
"Deeply" will appear on Screaming Females' forthcoming album, All At Once, which arrives February 23rd via Don Giovanni. The record marks the trio's seventh album and follows 2015's Rose Mountain. In October, Screaming Females shared album cut, "Glass House."



Screaming Females recorded All At Once at Seattle's London Bridge Studio and Red Room with producer Matt Bayles. The record will notably find the trio fleshing out their barebones rock aesthetic with synthesizers, Wurlitzers and xylophones. Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty also guests on album cut, "Soft Domination."

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Kesha released an arena-friendly cover version of "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman, the P.T. Barnum musical drama. The singer showcases her wide range on the track, belting over a lush arrangement of piano, strings and choir.



Keala Settle performed the original version of video which appears on the film's recently issued soundtrack. Fellow cast members Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Zendaya also appear on the album.

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