Lil Wayne in his "Got Money" music video
Photo: Universal Motown Records

There will be no recession in record stores over the holidays. In fact, with major releases from some of the biggest names in music slated to hit stores over the next six weeks, this shopping season is packed with one of the biggest bumper crop of anticipated releases in years.

Unlike past years, when hyped albums by Madonna, Eminem, U2 and other megastars were the focus of shoppers' action, this year's offerings span a wide variety of new stars (the "American Idol" triumvirate of Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta), reissues by Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, a greatest-hits collection from Britney Spears and highly anticipated albums from Rihanna, 50 Cent and Shakira. (All dates are subject to change.)

November 17
First out the gate are a number of albums that have been kicking around for so long, some people began to wonder if they would ever hit shelves. Chief among them is 50 Cent's Before I Self-Destruct, a disc that has been pushed around for nearly a year as the G-Unit boss made room for his capo, Eminem, to release Relapse. Kid Sister will also finally get a street date for her long-simmering Ultraviolet album, which has been in the offing even longer than 50's disc.

"Idol" winner Kris Allen will come out of the gate with his self-titled debut, which will vie for attention with the debut from Diddy pal Justin Bieber (My World), John Mayer's Battle Studies and "MTV Unplugged" disc from Katy Perry. Also, look for greatest-hits albums from Fall Out Boy (Believers Never Die) and Janet Jackson (Number Ones).

November 23
Thanksgiving week will blow things out even more, as turkey-stuffed shoppers will be able to choose from two Beyoncé albums: a live disc called I Am ... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas, as well as a deluxe edition of her I Am ... Sasha Fierce album. She'll be fighting for attention with a deluxe edition of Britney Spears' The Singles Collection, two versions of Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster reissue, Shakira's She Wolf and Rihanna's Rated R.

A couple of divas could spoil things for the array of superstars, as "Britain's Got Talent" breakout Susan Boyle drops her first effort, I Dreamed a Dream, and "Idol" glam rocker Adam Lambert offers up his bedazzled For Your Entertainment. Also set for release is Pricele$$ from Cash Money boss Birdman and the self-titled debut from BlakRoc, anchored by blues duo the Black Keys and featuring cameos from Mos Def, Q-Tip, RZA, ODB, Raekwon, Ludacris and Jim Jones (which actually drops on the 27th, which they've dubbed "Blak Friday").

December 1
The ranks thin a bit by December, which brings the debut album from "Idol" firebrand Allison Iraheta, Just Like You, as well as the first CD from "Dollhouse" singer and Internet sensation Priscilla Renea, Jukebox.

December 8
Things get a bit nutty again the following week, with a pileup of big names, led by Chris Brown with Graffiti, the 20-year-old singer's first release since his guilty plea in June for assaulting former girlfriend Rihanna in February. The hip-hop-heavy week will also see the long-delayed Till the Casket Drops from the Clipse, Gucci Mane's The State vs. Radric Davis, and Snoop Dogg's Malice N Wonderland.

Super-producer Timbaland will host the usual array of A-list talent for his Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2, while 30 Seconds to Mars emerge from a year of label drama with This Is War. Indie faves Animal Collective offer up the Fall Be Kind EP, and rapper Redman will also stuff some stockings with a little something called Reggie Noble 9 1/2, Ludacris will release a greatest-hits album and smoothie Robin Thicke will provide some Sex Therapy.

December 15
There are only a handful of big names on the roster for December 15, but they're major ones, led by Lil Wayne's long-delayed Rebirth, the soon-to-be-incarcerated rapper's so-called "rock" album, which may be packaged with the debut from his Young Money crew. Alicia Keys will return with The Element of Freedom.

December 22
And, as befits a true diva, Mary J. Blige has the lane all to herself December 22, when she drops Stronger.

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John Mayer
Photo: MTV News

John Mayer is poised to release his latest album, Battle Studies, later this month. And while fans will enjoy trying to figure out which songs could possibly be about Jennifer Aniston, they will also get to hear his sweet duet with Taylor Swift.

"She is on the record," he told MTV News, adding that the collaboration, which appeared online Thursday, originally came together after he tweeted that he wanted to work with the singer. "You know what? It's like the tweet version of 'The Secret' — no better way to put it out into the universe than to tweet it."

Swift also openly expressed a desire to work with Mayer in interviews, but the details of how it actually came to be are a bit fuzzy to Mayer. "Well, you know, tweeting it is more just sort of the exposition of my idea," he explained. "But then it's not like she reads the tweet and goes, 'I'm in,' although she may have. I don't remember."

The idea for the song came to Mayer in a dream. "I woke up with the song in my head called 'Half of My Heart,' " he recalled. "And the idea is that it's this real sort of updated — not that it needs to be updated — sort of Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks thing."

On the track, Mayer sings lead with Swift lending backup vocals. "I thought, 'Well, if this is going to be my love letter to that style of music, who's going to be the Stevie Nicks in this equation?' " he recalled. "And I thought, 'This Taylor Swift girl is going to be around for a long time.' "

• John Mayer
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Alicia Keys onstage at Keep A Child Alive's 6th Annual Black Ball in New York City on Thursday
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

When Alicia Keys established the Keep a Child Alive organization, she set out to raise a bit of money, awareness and support for families in Africa and India who have been affected by AIDS. What began as a small idea has blossomed into a major charity organization, as evidenced by the group's annual Black Ball. Held on Thursday night (October 15), the event hosted 1,000 guests and raised $2.4 million at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom.

	The 6th Annual Black Ball

"Keep a Child Alive will continue to serve the poor devastated by this disease, and we are so happy that more than 250,000 have already received our services since our inception," Keys said in a statement. "We will continue to fight for them as long as it takes."

The event, which was co-hosted by Keys, supermodel Iman and "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi, honored a trio of special guests, each of whom have made strides in helping the KCA cause: former President Bill Clinton (recognized for his Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative), Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson (for his work with Virgin Unite) and Senegalese singer Yossou N'Dour (who has used his music to combat malaria and poverty in Africa). N'Dour also performed at the event, along with Keys, John Mayer and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

Keys welcomed an eclectic number of A-list stars to the show, including Halle Berry, Usher, Spike Lee, Nick Cannon, David Bowie, Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beatz. The guests were not only treated to the performances but also a dinner (with a menu designed by Lakshmi) and a fund-raising auction. Keys' new album The Element of Freedom drops in December, but this may be her greatest accomplishment of the year.

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John Mayer
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images

Demi Lovato and John Mayer have never been shy about sharing their love with the world. After the pair had an ongoing Twittermance earlier this year, Mayer worked with the Disney princess on the track "World of Chances" from her Here We Go Again album.

But Mayer didn't feel pressured to return the favor when it came to his November release, Battle Studies. "I like Demi a lot," Mayer said. "It's not a matter of obliging her. I look at what makes the best song, what makes the best sound, what makes the most timeless thing."

Regardless of that decision, he does think if Demi keeps working as hard as she does, she'll have a lot of success. "I think Demi has a huge career in front of her ... depending on the decisions she makes in her life," he explained. "And when you're young and you're a star, my thing for her is like, just keep writing, just keep working, just keep developing."

Mayer said Demi needs to try to forget that the world is watching during her evolution as an artist. "You have to keep developing, even if you're out in public. It's really difficult to be seen in the public and still continue to be vulnerable as an artist," he said. "But when you're 16 or 17, you have to. ... You gotta keep learning, [even if] people are watching you."

• John Mayer
• Demi Lovato

John Mayer and Tim Kash
Photo: MTV News

Like the rest of America, John Mayer wept when Miley Cyrus decided to leave the Twitter-verse last week. Unlike the rest of America — or, say, the 99.8 percent that isn't famous — he could sort of understand why she did it.

"I think she's smart enough to realize there is some interference of the brain that she doesn't want to deal with. Artists have enough to deal with," Mayer told MTV News. "She's a child, she's a fantastic artist — I think there's enough mental real estate being taken up by dealing with all of that stuff. ... For whatever reason, I am old enough and smart enough to tell someone to go f--- themselves if they tell me to go f--- myself. I think if you're in Miley's situation, it might take a little too much time to play goalie for your own heart and mind. So I totally get it."

Mayer, a Twitter titan in his own right, said that he shared Cyrus's frustrations with the site and the nascent negativity it breeds. But, as he's quick to point out, that's just the nature of the era in which we live — an era he skewers in "Who Says," the first single from his upcoming Battle Studies album (due November 17) and one he's dubbed "The Hate-rix."

"I call it that because it's not really happening. It's just this fake world of people criticizing other people," he laughed. "It's a shame, but look, that's what it comes down to in America. Miley is somebody who's made a bunch of money doing something she loves. Most people do things they hate, for less money. If somebody can repurpose something that somebody loves doing for a lot of money, in order to make a little bit of that money, they're gonna do it.

"So nobody hates Miley Cyrus; they're just picking up on her brand, repurposing it, to try to make a little bit of Miley cash," he continued. "It's damaging people's minds. Imagine Shannon Doherty with a Twitter account, back in the '90210' days. That would've just flat-out killed her."

So, in the interest of self-preservation, does Mayer see himself following in Miley's footsteps and jettisoning his Twitter account? In one word: no.

"I would rather tell the world to eat my a--hole before I would delete my Twitter account," he laughed.

• John Mayer
• Miley Cyrus

John Mayer and Tim Kash
Photo: MTV News

John Mayer knows that people are making assumptions about his latest single, "Who Says" (from November's Battle Studies album), which begins with the line, "Who says I can't get stoned?"

"I can't lie about that," he told MTV News when asked about the song's lyrical content. "It sort of plays with your perception a little bit, and it starts out and you go, 'Oh, is he being campy?' But if you stay with the song long enough, then you start to realize it's not about marijuana. It's actually about freedom and living your life."

The video for the song, which premiered on Wednesday (October 14), is a glossy kaleidoscope of party moments paired with scenes of Mayer alone in his apartment, cleaning up and playing guitar. And he says those two images of his life are at the heart of the song.

"It starts out where you go, 'Oh, I get it. You're going to be like the male Amy Winehouse here,' but then it gets sweet," he explained. "And I think the sweetness takes over and you begin to trust the message."

Mayer claims he didn't want it to be controversial for the sake of controversy. "It's like, people don't like things that are purposeful shocking; they feel abused by it. So, at first I can understand people would think it's purposefully trying to be boisterous ... but by the time the solo kicks in, you're like, 'This guy might be from the heart right now,' " he said. "And by the last chorus I feel like you go, 'OK, I get it.' "

Mayer said he feels everyone is too concerned with their images these days, and he blames the Internet and gossip blogs for that.

"We live in what I call 'The Hatrex,' " he said. "It's this Internet matrix ... fake-world people criticizing other people and putting other people down in their heads. And for me, it was like, this is a cool little song. I'm going to use it to tell people to sit down and the shut the eff up ... and let me buy you a beer."

• John Mayer

John Mayer's charity checks posted to Twitter on Friday
Photo: twitter.com/johncmayer

Let's all give John Mayer a round of applause for the week's most altruistic use of Twitter. Little more than 24 hours after he challenged TMZ to produce a copy of his 2001 mug shot and offered a charitable $25,000 reward, the singer has coughed up the dough.

Following the photo's publication by both TMZ and The Smoking Gun, Mayer uploaded images of two different checks, each for $12,500 — one to Pet Orphans of Southern California and another to Ace of Hearts — which are both organizations that rescue animals from the Los Angeles area and place them in adoptive homes.

"Well done, TMZ," Mayer tweeted. "But the real winners today are the puppies."

"[John Mayer] is awesome," TMZ's Harvey Levin wrote on his Twitter. "These two animal charities are really hurting 'cause of the economy. J.M. has just saved a bunch of lives."

The whole thing got started when Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump was arrested in L.A. for driving without a valid license and his mug shot was widely disseminated on the Internet. Mayer announced that he had been arrested for the same offense and challenged TMZ to locate his mug shot for the charitable donation. The Smoking Gun actually beat TMZ to the scoop, posting Mayer's mug shot following his arrest in Atlanta in May 2001. The case was dismissed exactly one month later.

The success of the entire Twitter-based endeavor has Mayer thinking about other ways folks should dig into his past for a reward. "Challenge," he wrote. "I was married for four years to a member of the Moody Blues. Produce the certificate and I'll buy you one chicken tender."

• John Mayer

John Mayer
Photo: Mat Szwajkos/ Getty Images

It's not often that you hear about celebrities getting playful with their mug shots, but it's just been that kind of week. John Mayer's mug shot from 2001 has become the subject of a rather bizarre media tussle.

It all started earlier this week, when Fall Out Boy singer Patrick Stump was arrested in Los Angeles for driving without a valid license, and his mug shot made the rounds. In apparent commiseration, John Mayer took to Twitter and revealed that back in 2001 he was arrested for the same offense as Stump, noting that "It's the lamest answer to the question 'why you in here?' " He then took it a step further by tweeting:

"Challenge: if Harvey Levin at TMZ can produce my mug shot, I will donate 25k to the charity of his choice."

TMZ then said the Mayer mug shot was "on its way." However, at 3:03 p.m. on Thursday (August 27) TheSmokingGun.com beat TMZ to the punch, claiming to have found the photo first:

"While he technically made this offer, via Twitter, to the gossip site TMZ, we figured it applied to any other bounty hunters. Like The Smoking Gun, for example. So, as seen below, here's Mayer's mug shot. The photo was snapped after the performer was collared by Georgia cops in May 2001 for speeding and driving without a license. To those keeping score, TSG was the first site to post Mayer's mug shot, which we did today at 3:03 PM."

TMZ.com also claims to have been the first Web site to locate the picture, also claiming to have posted the photo at 3:03 p.m.

Several minutes later, TheSmokingGun.com updated its entry with the following addendum:

"A post to our Twitter page (tsgnews) noting that 'Mayer owes us $25,000' was also made at 3:03 p.m. For its part, TMZ posted the photo at 3:10 p.m., with the site's customary 'EXCLUSIVE' claim. While the TMZ item carries a backdated 'posted' time of 3:03 p.m., a check of the item's comments section shows that the first comment was recorded at, not surprisingly, 3:10 p.m., moments after the photo appeared on the gossip site. Both sites received the image from Ashanti Moore, an administrative assistant with the Atlanta Department of Corrections, who e-mailed the photo to TMZ (but only after it first appeared on TSG)."

So what does a 2001 mug shot of John Mayer mean? A lot to a charity, if Mayer comes through with his pledge!

A rep for Mayer had no comment when contacted by MTV News about the matter.

• John Mayer

Nick Cannon
Photo: MTV News

It seems like everyone in Hollywood has an opinion when it comes to the incident between gossip blogger Perez Hilton and the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am. After news broke of their reported altercation in Toronto over the weekend, celebrities began reacting to the news that Will's manager, Polo Molina, allegedly hit Perez after he called Will an anti-gay slur.

Aubrey O'Day, who has been regularly bashed by Hilton, spoke to MTV News about the incident and actually seems to be on Hilton's side, at least in principle. "I'm sure as everyone knows there've been many times I wish I could slap Perez, but you don't, 'cause at the end of the day, he's doing a job. You're doing a job, and there's a place for everyone in this industry, good or bad."

Nick Cannon, who recently got into his own online war of words with Eminem, isn't taking sides in this beef, but does have some advice for Hilton. "It's funny, 'cause I know both of them; they're both good people in their own right," he told MTV News. "Some people don't like Perez, but Perez is very opinionated, and it's kind of like one of those things — sometimes you got to watch your mouth. But violence is never the answer. Why everyone bringing Will.I.Am into it? He ain't the one that punched Perez. The entourage can always get you in trouble. See, Perez has to get himself a more gangsta entourage. All controversy is good controversy for him."

Some celebrities think that Hilton's negative coverage of celebrities like Tila Tequila and John Mayer, and the words he used when speaking to Will.I.Am the night of the incident, led to the confrontation. "When you get rich saying hateful things sometimes you ask for it," said "Transformers" star Josh Duhamel, who is married to Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie, told "Entertainment Tonight." "It's an unfortunate incident, and I hope it goes away."

Kelly Clarkson, who was also in Toronto over the weekend for the Much Music awards, commented about the incident on the Canadian cable network's show "MOD." "When you dish that much out, you have to be able to take somethin'," she said, joking that she was sending flowers to Will's manager, Molina, who was officially charged with assault on Monday. And after noting that violence isn't the right way to solve problems, she added, "I've been hit in the face before, and I didn't cry about it."

On his Twitter, Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy wrote a post that seemed to support Will.I.Am, at first: "Will.I.Am-1, Perez-0. It's about f---ing time." But he later diplomatically added, "Violence is not the answer. Trust me, been through it. The fact is, not everyone is going to take being called a vulgar expletive lightly."

Frequent tweeter John Mayer instigated quite an epic Twitter conversation with Perez about the incident, first criticizes him for exhibiting "a profound lack of control" and then offering to teach him the Israeli martial art Krav Maga. "You know how to find me," Mayer wrote. "Words have cause and effect, even if the effect is wrong."

Among the several celebrities who have come to Perez's side are Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag. "Speidi is never buying anything black eyed pees related!" Spencer tweeted. "Not that I did in the past but now I really won't! What a coward!"

Heidi tweeted Perez on Monday morning, asking, "Are you ok? I am praying for you!! God bless xoxo."

Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus seemed surprised by the whole thing, telling the gossip blogger that she was surprised by the incident. "Are you are kidding right??? omgosh!" she wrote on her Twitter. "Wow! I'm glad you are ok!!!!"

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Taylor Swift
Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images

First Demi Lovato worked with him for her new album out this July. And, now it seems that Taylor Swift is catching John Mayer fever.

Swift, who is still riding the wave of the chart-dominating Fearless, recently revealed that, much like in Lovato's case, she met Mayer via Twitter, and now she could be hooking up with Mayer in the studio for her next album.

"He Twittered the other day that he wrote a song, and he wants to make it a duet with me," she tells Elle in the magazine's new Women in Music issue.

"Waking up to this song idea that won't leave my head. 3 days straight now. That means it's good enough to finish," Mayer Tweeted in March. "It's called 'Half of My Heart' and I want to sing it with Taylor Swift. She would make a killer 'Nicks' in contrast to my 'Petty' of a song."

Swift was more than flattered by the attention. "I freaked out when I heard, because I've been such a big fan of John for such a long time," she told Elle. "I'm really excited about just the idea that he would even mention me in his Twitter!"

In May, Mayer took their partnership offline and onstage in L.A., when he joined Swift for a duet of his hit "Your Body Is a Wonderland" and her song "White Horse."

Of course, a new album also means that Taylor will have to write new songs about the boys who have done her wrong. On the Fearless track "Forever and Always," she shared her side of her breakup with Joe Jonas, and she promises that kind of honesty won't fade for her next album.

"There are definitely breakup songs on this record, but not too many," she said, which makes sense, since she's probably too busy for guys these days.

"I like to balance out the amount of happy songs, breakup songs, sentimental songs, I-miss-you songs, angry songs," she told the magazine. "I don't want to try and harp on the same emotion too much because I feel like if you make the 'angry' album, that's going to lose people."

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