First, Ashlee Simpson confirmed that she was writing her fourth album (yasssss!), and now, we have our first little scrap of info on the project.

According to Ashlee’s Twitter account, she’s hoping to hit the studio with writer-musician-producer John Shanks. Shanks was a key player in the post-Matrix pop/rock explosion that filled almost half of the last decade, contributing his talents to albums from Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson, Liz Phair, Sheryl Crow, and about a billion other people.

Oh, and he worked with Ashlee, too. Yup, John co-produced almost every track from Ashlee’s first two albums ‘Autobiography‘ and ‘I Am Me‘, but was noticeably absent on her urban-pop flop ‘Bittersweet World’.

Is Ashlee returning to pop/rock for her fourth LP? God, I hope so.

Pop music has been a cold and desolate place ever since Ashlee Simpson hung up her ill-timed backing track in favor of full-time motherhood, but now after recent speculation that she had returned to the studio, the Simpson sister herself has gone and confirmed the happy news.

“Yes, I’m in the studio now,” She told OnTheRedCarpet.com. “I’m doing it quietly, taking my time, enjoying it. Because, really I’m at a great place in my life and my first priority is Bronx. It will be just what I want it to be, at the right time, when I’m ready for it.”

Whether or not her new direction will be the pop-rock of her first two albums, or the more experimental pop of 2008′s Bittersweet World is yet to be determined.

“I think in time, as I’m writing, I keep on discovering new things, so I’m really excited for that. We’ll have to wait and hear.” {source}

Bittersweet World was Ashlee’s moment to really cement herself as a big popstar and not just a chart topping fad, but it just didn’t end up working at all. At the moment, I can’t really imagine what sound she would do, or even where she’d fit in with today’s pop scene. All her albums were great, but Ashlee was always somebody who sold a lot of records off the back of being really famous — mainly from being marketed as the anti-Jessica Simpson when Jessica was at her all mighty peak. Now that Jess and Ash’s careers aren’t so hot, it’s going to take a miracle to either one of them back to the top of the charts.

As I said though, Ashlee’s music has always been great, and she was easily the best artist to come out of the manufactured pop-rock boom from earlier this decade. Plus she’s married to Pete Wentz, who runs a successful indie record label, so it isn’t all over for Ashlee just yet.

After a two year hiatus from the music scene, it looks like Ashlee Simpson could be plotting a return to music, after her friend and guitarist Ray Brady Tweeted that the pair have started writing together recently and are “getting back on the horse”.

The news of Ashlee working on music again are in line with comments she made back in March, in which she expressed interest in doing a fourth album and said that she was getting the itch to start writing again.

Can Hilary Duff please take note?

Since debuting in 2004, Ashlee has sold roughly 8 million records worldwide, mainly from her first two efforts Autobiography and I Am Me. Her last album Bittersweet World marked a move into new musical territory for the singer, and was well received in certain circles, but was a commercial disappointment.

Since then, Ashlee had a failed acting gig on the CW’s cancelled Melrose Place, returned to Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago, and gave birth to her first child.

New album please.

Ashlee Simpson’s acting career may not have gone the way she was hoping (she was axed from TV’s Melrose Place 2.0), so now the married mother-of-one is planning to return to her music career – and she even has a new album in the works.

“I’m going to start writing again for a fourth album. At the moment it’s been a little bizarre but I’m definitely going to start to write again because I’m getting that itch.” {source}

Ashlee didn’t specify what kind of sound she’d be doing this time around, but she did mention that she’s listening to all the bands on her husband Pete Wentz’s record label Decaydance Records, which includes artists like Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes and Panic at the Disco.

The singer-actress, now 25, first burst onto the scene in 2004 when the teen pop/rock craze was in full effect, delivering two US #1 albums and racking up combined sales of around 8 million records. She then returned in 2008 with her third album Bittersweet World which featured a brand new sound courtesy of Timbaland, The Neptunes and Kenna. Unfortunately the album was a commercial disappointment and only sold about 200k worldwide.

I’m actually a big fan of Ashlee’s music and thought all three of her albums were great pop records, but I also think that her shelf-life as a major pop star has expired. I’m still excited for a new album though, and I don’t really mind what genre she does since I’ve liked all her music so far.

Fresh from being fired from Melrose Place Ashlee Simpson got straight back to work by hitting the Broadway stage to play the lead role of Roxie Hart in Chicago.

This should keep a cheque in the mail for the time being, but when is she going to go back into the studio?

Also at the Chicago opening night was reality TV queen Jessica Simpson who showed up to support her little sister Ashlee.

Just like her sister Jess seems to have ditched her music career as well, instead focusing on a new reality show with VH1 The Price of Beauty, which will follow the 29-year-old as she travels around the world examining beauty in different cultures.

Sounds riveting. *falls asleep*

Susan Boyle had a lot to smile about today when she was snapped celebrating and signing copies of her debut album I Dreamed a Dream.

The album has just broken the record for the highest first week sales in UK chart history with 410k.

Not only is it destroying the charts in the UK, but HitsDoubleDaily have reported that SuBo’s first week sales in the States now total 670k.

Very fucking impressive!

Justin Timberlakes N*Sync curls returned yesterday when he was snapped on the set of his new film The Social Network.

Stop filming this damn movie and get back into the studio! If I don’t get my JT fix soon I’ll literally kill myself and I’m not even lying. Ok I am but whatever.

Soul songstress Joss Stone was snapped in London yesterday turning on some Christmas lights. I see that her label is giving her great promo.

In other news Joss has recentyl lashed out at Katy Perrys BF Russell Brand after he made fun of Robbie Williams rehab treatement.

“(Brand’s) a disgusting pig. Mean, mean, mean. What he said about Robbie was horrible. You can’t kick someone when they’re down… But that’s the kind of person Russell Brand is. He’s just unpleasant… I just think some people are genuinely nasty characters, and he’s one of them. I’m glad I don’t know him…”

Adding, she says, “What Russell Brand did to Robbie is just like what Kanye did to Taylor. I don’t care how talented you are: doing things like that is not nice. So f**k off… Kanye just wants attention. As simple as that… let’s not make excuses. It’s not fair to judge other people and to try to destroy their careers. Come on! Just stop it. Be nice!” [Source]

Joss Stone serves up nothin’ but the real 24/7!

Fergie was snapped last night partying in Paris with Burlesque Queen Dita Von Teese.

The singer recently teamed up with rocker Slash for a cover of the Guns ‘n’ Roses classic “Paradise City”. Click here to check it out in case you missed it.

Singer/actress Ashlee Simpson showed off her new dark hairdo earlier today when she went to a doctors appointment in Beverly Hills.

Despite being fired from Melrose Place Ashlee is already preparing to get back to work and will reprise her role in Chicago as Roxie Hart when she hits Broadway this December.

Rumours are also floating around that she’s starting a clothing line, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

How about a new album Ashlee?

Ciara was snapped leaving a salon in Los Angeles this afternoon.

The 24-year-old recently signed a lucrative deal to be the face of the new LG Touch phone. She’s also working on her next album with The-Dream & Tricky, and will also appear in an upcoming issue of German Vogue.

Country crooner Carrie Underwood walked the red carpet last night at the 43rd Country Music Awards. Carrie played co-host for the night, and also performed her new single “Cowboy Casanova”.

You can check out the raunchy (by her standards) performance by clicking here.

Carrie has a lot to be happy about at the moment. Not only is “Cowboy Casanova” the #1 single on the country charts, but her third album Play On just topped the Billboard 200 with 318k copies sold. That gives her the highest first week sales of 2009 for a female artist, and the second highest overall.

Congratulations!

The CW’s new ratings challenged Melrose Place is about to undergo a major makeover, and the first person on the chopping block is popstar Ashlee Simpson.

According to the shows producers, they’re planning on wrapping up the current season’s murder mystery so they can move the show into a “fun, romantic, sexy upbeat” direction, and move away from the dark intrigue that started the season off.

Also getting the boot is Colin Egglesfield, who plays the brooding alcoholic Auggie.

“They’re total professionals and they took it like professionals.” said the producers “When you go into a show you never know what’s going to evolve and what the possibilities are. But because they knew ahead of time [that leaving was a possibility], it wasn’t a complete shock.”

The news however probably has come as a shock to Simpson, who in recent interviews revealed that she had purposely put her music career on hold to focus on Melrose Place. [Source]

Ashlee is a bad actress, but her character is one of the best on the show so I can’t believe they’ve fired her. This is bullshit. Melrose Place is one of the only interesting and juicy soaps/dramas on TV now, but because it’s flopped in the ratings the producers are going to re-tool the whole thing and make it immature and cliche’d like Gossip Girl and 90210.

The show being dark, scandalous, and intriguing is what sets it apart from other Teen soaps and makes it more adult. Do they not realise that?

They’re completely missing the spirit of the original now. It sounds like they’re just making another crappy teen show and using the Melrose Place name for publicity. The only good thing to come out of this is that maybe Ashlee will record another album. I’m personally a big fan of her as a pop star so I’d love to hear more music.

Rihanna was snapped yesterday arriving at Milk Studios in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. The singer is set to premiere her new single “Russian Roulette” tomorrow (Oct 20th) at 11:23 a.m. EST. According to Ryan Seacrest the song was both written and produced by Ne-Yo.

You can check out a new teaser video over at Robo’s website by clicking here.

I’m seriously dying to hear this song now. Her little tactic of keeping everything a secret has worked like a charm! By the way she needs to ditch that alien hair ASAP.

Singer/actress Ashlee Simpson was snapped the other day (Oct 18th) leaving the Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills where she was doing press for new TV show Melrose Place.

The newest episode airs tonight on the CW. Check out the preview for it here.

Ashlee looks cute and I loved her in last weeks episode of Melrose. I can’t believe she’s blackmailing Michael!

Singer Shakira was snapped last night at the 2009 Whitney Museum Gala in

You can check out a preview of her sexy new video for “Did It Again” by clicking here.

Shaki looks hot and so does her new video!

Also at the same event was new mother Jennifer Hudson, who looked gorgeous as she showed off her post-baby bod in a soft pink gown.

J-Hud is currently working on her sophomore album, whilst preparing for her upcoming ABC Christmas special.

Christina Milian finally took her baby bump out of hiding and confirmed to the world that she was pregnant when she hosted a party in Vegas over the weekend. The 28-year-old is reportedly four and a half months along. I’m happy because she’s happy, but she can kiss goodbye to her career as a pop star and so can we.

Also snapped was singer/actress Ashlee Simpson who celebrated her 25th birthday with sister Jessica Simpson and husband Pete Wentz at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas. The Melrose Place hottie recently revealed that she’s still planning on returning to music, but she’ll continue to focus on acting for the time being.

And last but not least was Mariah Carey looking sexy as usual with her husband Nick Cannon at a screening of Precious.

Speaking of Melrose Place, you can blame that show for the lack of updates lately. Well actually nothing has really been happening music-wise anyways, but I’m on holidays at the moment and I’ve been glued to the old DVD’s because I’m obsessed to the new version at the moment. I’ll do a bunch of updates later today so don’t worry! I have one I’ve been putting off, and keep checking back here for Usher’s new single which I’ll post as soon as it leaks.