Did You Hear?

:: Katy Perry will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live’s 36th season premiere. Amy Poehler will be the host, and we will be the audience, watching every single delicious minute of this episode. (We’re fully expecting a Russell Brand cameo, too.) [Vulture]

:: Travie McCoy stops by VH1 for a martini break with Best Week Ever’s Michelle Collins. [Best Week Ever]

:: Try as they might, here are 10 once-popular hip-hop artists who just aren’t coming back. We concur on Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Ja Rule, but we’re not so sure about Nelly (his new singles get a thumbs up from us) or D’Angelo, who’s preparing a new album with Mark Ronson.  [Smoking Section]

:: Nicki Minaj talks about her faux Twitter marriage-to-and-divorce-from Drake: “I wanted to give the blogs a bit of payback and put my own story out… I’m always single. I don’t date boys. I don’t like boys. It’s true. I don’t change. I think boys are yucky, and that’s it.” [MTV]

:: Apparently, Glee doesn’t care if you have an Oscar nomination—you need to reach Britney Spears (or at least Charice) levels of famous to get on the show. [E! Online]

After the jump, check out which stars will be lighting up the tube tonight.

Music On TV Today:
:: Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) — the Black Angels
:: Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) — Interpol
:: Live with Regis and Kelly (ABC) — Sara Bareilles
:: Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) — Ray LaMontagne
:: Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC) — OK Go (repeat)
:: Ellen DeGeneres (ABC) — Mariah Carey (repeat)

We’re not sure if it’s less advisable to release a song called “Fireworks” when the summer is deemed pretty much “over” post-Labor Day… or to release it when no less than three other Top 40 artists have already dropped songs with “Firework” in the name this year alone. But who’s R. Kelly to follow conventions? Check out the Polow Da Don-produced track “Fireworks”, off Kells’ upcoming Epic (out September 21), after the jump.

R. Kelly – Fireworks

“It’s a new day and I feel good / If I want to spread my wings, I know that I could,” sings Kells.

Between this track, Drake’s “Fireworks”, Kelis’ “4th Of July (Fireworks)”, and Katy Perry’s singular “Firework”, R. Kelly’s tune is the least bright and the most sizzling. Whereas his Motown-inspired song, “When A Woman Loves” was able to showcase a softer side of the oft-sexual (or just plain bizarre) R&B singer, this corny track sounds like it should be coming from the likes of Jason Derulo or Trey Songz—not somebody already so established in their career and who can clearly be more creative than this.

What do you think, folks? Is this just as inspirational, and worthy of Hot 100 success, like Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly”? Or is this tune way too melodramatic for you?

The new video from Missing Persons—oops, make that the Ting Tings!— is a synthy,’80s-drenched tour de force that rivals fellow Brit Mark Ronson’s recent offering, “Bang Bang Bang.” Produced by Calvin Harris, “Hands” is a frenetic track that’s given an Orwellian “Big Brother is watching you” video via director Warren Fu. Head below and watch if you’re working too hard.

The Prophet Blog notes that the clip is “Illuminati-heavy,” and references the fact that the Ting Tings are now signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. Are the duo just funning with the already-existing Illuminati rumors that surround Hova?

Ah, who cares—they can worship the Jolly Green Giant as long as they keep cranking out fun pop like this.

Did You Hear?

:: E! Online counts down Justin Bieber’s best 5 moments from Summer 2010, from his segway getaway to his new BFFship with @kanyewest. How The Biebs downing a glass of milk didn’t make the list, we do not know. [E! Online]

:: Mixmaster Doctor Rosen Rosen is back with a La Roux remix for “In For The Kill.” [Arjan Writes]

:: Ne-Yo says Beyoncé’s next album will be “another direction” for her. Bey could record a spoken word album and we’re sure even that direction would lead to the top of the charts. [Rap-Up]

:: Raekwon calls Justin Bieber a “cool cat” and thanks him for giving him the “opportunity to reach the young youth” by remixing his “Runaway Love” track with Kanye West. (Also: future Kanye/Raekwon collabs!) [Vulture]

:: The Jonas Brothers—not just cute musicians, but also funny. And clearly good sports about this sort-of fake interviewer asking them questions like, “I understand one of you is married. Why?” [Buzzworthy]

After the jump, check out which stars will be lighting up the tube tonight.

Music On TV Today:
:: Tavis Smiley (TBS) — Seal
:: Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) — Scissor Sisters
:: Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC) — the Morning Benders (repeat)

What does the Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul have up her sleeve? Mary J. Blige has been playing coy about the real direction of her upcoming album: after new track “Break Up To Make Up” earned a resounding “meh”, she tweeted that the latest joints to surface online were merely “fun throw away records”. We wonder if that goes for new track “Anything You Want”, a Caribbean-flavored track that marks something of a departure for her. Hear it below.

Mary J. Blige f/ Busta Rhymes and Gyptian – Anything You Want

Produced by Jerry Wonder (the Haitian-born whiz behind the Fugees, Shakira and others), the track lets Mary float over a reggae beat with a little spice provided by Busta Rhymes (who offers up a verse in his classic patois) and Gyptian.

Is this still a “throw away”? Or is this a calculated effort to help Mary stand out at a time when every Fantasia and Jazmine Sullivan is biting her style? If nothing else, it’s a clear sign that Mary is willing to venture far from the hip-hop soul lane where she has long reigned.