Landing in stores this week is the second album from "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson.
For Breakaway, the follow-up to her 2003 debut, Thankful, Clarkson enlisted songwriting help from Avril Lavigne (who co-wrote the album's title track), ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody and David Hodges, who also worked with Evanescence (see "Kelly Clarkson: Just Listen").
In other unusual-collaboration news, the Jay-Z/ Linkin Park mash-up album Collision Course hits stores this week. It includes tracks that layer Jay's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" over Linkin Park's "Lying From You," and mixes the rapper's "99 Problems" with the rockers' "Points of Authority" and "One Step Closer." A DVD featuring a live performance is included with the CD (see "Jay-Z And Linkin Park Show Danger Mouse How It's Done").
From rap and rock to straight-up rap, Nas releases Street's Disciple, his follow-up to 2002's grandiosely titled God's Son. The double-disc set may have a slightly less epic name, but the track titles, including "A Message to the Feds, Sincerely, We the People," "Nazareth Savage" and "Me & You (Dedicated to Destiny)" prove the rapper has yet to tone down his attitude ("Nas: A Fire Inside").
Atlanta's T.I. had to narrow down a list of approximately 70 potential tracks for his third album, Urban Legend. The disc follows 2003's Trap Muzik.
Out Tuesday, November 30:
- Afroman - Jobe Bells (Hungry Hustler)
- Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway (RCA)
Read: "Kelly Clarkson: Just Listen"
Buy Now: Breakaway (RCA) - Dirty Vegas - One (Capitol)
- Drovers - Dreamland (Fundamental)
- The Exies - Head for the Door (Virgin)
- Josh Groban - Live at the Greek (Warner Bros.)
- Gerald Levert - Do I Speak for the World? (Atlantic)
- Jay-Z & Linkin Park - MTV Ultimate Mash-Ups Presents: Collision Course (Roc-A-Fella/Warner Bros.)
Read: "Jay-Z And Linkin Park Show Danger Mouse How It's Done"
Buy Now: MTV Ultimate Mash-Ups Presents: Collision Course (Roc-A-Fella/Warner Bros.) - Wynton Marsalis - Unforgivable Blackness (Blue Note)
- Modern Day Zero - Coming Up for Air (Bullet 339)
- Nas - Street's Disciple (Sony)
Read: "Lindsay Lohan Inks Record Deal"
Buy Now: Speak (Casablanca) - Ludacris - Red Light District (Def Jam)
Read: "Ludacris LP Salutes Austin Powers, Takes Aim At Bill O'Reilly"
Buy Now: Red Light District (Def Jam) - Cam'ron - Purple Haze (Roc-A-Fella)
- Diana DeGarmo - Diana DeGarmo (RCA)
Buy Now: Diana DeGarmo (RCA)
December 14:
- Ashanti - Concrete Rose (Def Jam)
Buy Now: Concrete Rose (Def Jam) - Tupac Shakur - Loyal to the Game (Interscope)
Read: "Eminem Signs On For Another 'New' Tupac Album"
