Roll Call: Kelly’s New Album & Paris’ Karaoke Canoodling

Your Daily Dispatch of Celebrity Shenanigans: July 27, 2007 by Tommy Vergason

RUMORS UP IN SMOKE: Paris Hilton hit the club scene again this week, USMAGAZINE.COM reports. The formerly incarcerated heiress was spotted at Guy’s nightclub in West Hollywood early Wednesday morning, reportedly accompanied by Whitestarr lead singer (and former boyfriend to Mischa Barton) Cisco Adler. According to US, the pair arrived at the club around 1:00 AM with two unidentified girls. Clad in skinny jeans, a black tank and a sequined top, Paris reportedly took to the club’s stage to sing ‘80’s pop hit “Bette Davis Eyes” in honor of a friend’s birthday, but remained for an unexpected encore when the DJ started playing her single, “Stars are Blind.” Adler followed up with a rendition of the karaoke classic, “Brown Eyed Girl,” and then left the stage to rejoin Hilton, according to the report. Sources reportedly told US that Paris and Cisco were seen “making out more than once,” but they left the club in separate cars around 2:30 AM. Additionally, the sources claimed that Hilton and Adler were “openly” smoking marijuana at the club, but Hilton’s rep, Michael Sitrick, vehemently denied that allegation (at least in regards to Hilton). “Paris absolutely did not smoke pot Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, as I understand was reported. That report is false,” he told US. Paris herself told Larry King that she has never done drugs during her post-jail interview last month. As for being out and about with Adler, Sitrick confirmed that they were indeed together that night. “She was with Cisco Tuesday night/Wednesday morning,” he reportedly said.

A NEW TUNE FOR KELLY?: Kelly Clarkson is heading back into the studio to record a new pop album for 2008, FOX NEWS’ ROGER FRIEDMAN reports. Sources reportedly told Friedman that Clarkson has agreed, through her new manager Narvel Blackstock, to make the album with songs selected by RCA/SonyBMG head honcho Clive Davis and his team. This news comes on the heels of reports that Clarkson and Davis disagreed on the hit-making status of the songs featured on her current release, “My December,” which Clarkson wrote (or co-wrote) herself. Despite his reported reservations with the material, Davis greenlit the release of the album, which has been a moderate hit on the charts compared to Clarkson’s earlier releases. A planned tour to promote the album was also canceled due to lower-than-expected ticket sales. Kelly addressed the reported “feud” on her official Web site this week, stating that many of the rumors surrounding her diagreements with Davis hav been “blown way out of proportion and taken out of context.” She went on to speak of her respect for Clive in the posting: “Contrary to recent characterizations in the press, I’m well aware that Clive is one of the great record men of all time. He has been a key advisor and has been an important force in my success to date. He has also given me respect by releasing my new album when he was not obligated to do so.” She ended her statement with an apology to “those whom I have done disservice,” and wrote that she was looking forward to the future. No further details of the new project are known at this time.

BACKSTREET IS BACK: Backstreet Boys fans have something to sing about, as BILLBOARD announced that the not-so-boyish boy band’s new album is slated to drop in October. The as-yet-untitled album will hit stores on October 30, courtesy of Jive Records. A piano-heavy rock ballad called “Inconsolable” will reportedly be the first single, scheduled to hit U.S. radio outlets on August 27. While original Backstreet member Kevin Richardson left the group last year, the remaining originals — Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and AJ McLean — will soldier on without taking on a replacement. The new album is the follow-up to 2005’s “Never Gone,” which debuted at # 3 on The Billboard 200 chart and has sold 747,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. 2007 is a special year for the Backstreet Boys, as it marks the 10th anniversary of their career with Jive.

RIHANNA’S ‘SPLIT PERSONALITY’: R&B sensation Rihanna is enjoying huge success with her single, “Umbrella,” and latest album, “Good Girl Gone Bad.” And while she has no intentions of actually becoming “bad,” she did struggle with finding a balance between her stage persona and real-life personality when she was developing the album. MTV.COM reports on an interview Rihanna conducted with Vibe Vixen magazine for its upcoming Aug./Sept. issue, in which she reportedly confessed to dealing with “split personality issues” (though not of the clinical kind). “It wasn’t that [my management or the Def Jam label] told me what to do,” she reportedly said of her previous projects. “It was more of what I couldn’t do. I couldn’t wear red lipstick. I couldn’t wear my hair in a ponytail; all kinds of stupid things.” She noted that there was once a big difference between “Rihanna” (her actual middle name), and her given namesake and usual self, Robyn, but that she’s found a new balance between the two. “Being ‘Rihanna’ wasn’t natural. So I rebelled. I’m doing me. Now, Robyn and Rihanna are much more similar,” she is quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, for those who’d like to stay dry with an official “Rihanna” umbrella, the Totes brand has a collection of three to choose from.

‘LOST’ FINDS A MISSING CAST MEMBER: Some details on the next season of “Lost” have been found! E! ONLINE’s KRISTIN VEITCH reports on the “Lost” panel at the San Diego Comic-Con, in which show producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cused teased fans with tidbits about the show’s future. Among the reported highlights: Harold Perrineau will indeed return to the show as a regular cast member early next season, according to Lindelof. Perrineau will reprise his role as Michael Dawson, last seen departing the island in a boat (with his son) at the end of season two. The producers wouldn’t say how or why Michael comes back, but they indicated that his story would be about “redemption,” in light of his betraying his friends (and even killing two people) to get his son back from the mysterious “Others.” Lindelof also mentioned a change in the show’s format, reportedly saying that the trademark “flashbacks” are “going the way of the dodo” (as in “extinct”). As for complaints that things got a little too violent last season? Lindelof felt that the violence was justified in serving the storyline, and that it isn’t likely to let up. “If the violence stays intense, it will at least be perpetrated by catastrophically good-looking people,” he joked.

SYLAR’S POINTY-EARED ‘TREK’: More exciting news from the Comic-Con: Actor Zachary Quinto, best known as the villainous Sylar on “Heroes,” has been confirmed to play a young Mr. Spock in J.J. Abram’s upcoming “Star Trek” film. ACCESS HOLLYWOOD’S SCOTT MANTZ reports on the long-rumored news, along with the additional surprise announcement that the original Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy, will return to the film as well! While specific plot details have been kept under wraps, the storyline will look back on the early days of the original crew and how Kirk and Spock first met. Nimoy will play the older Spock looking back at his early days. The young Kirk still has to be cast, which shoots down rumors that Matt Damon will play him. Abrams said that William Shatner, who played Kirk in the TV series and earlier films, will not appear in the new film.

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