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Click to watch Noel Gallagher ‘In House’ on Spinner.com.

In House is AOL Music’s series in which we welcome artists into our offices to play some music, chat with our staffers and, generally, just hang out. For our latest visit, we brought in Noel Gallagher to discuss his new band Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and their upcoming self-titled debut

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Originally published on AOL Music’s The Boot Jan. 3, 2012:

Dolly Parton is about to return to the big screen in a big way, starring in ‘Joyful Noise,’ the iconic entertainer’s first leading role since 1992′s ‘Straight Talk.’ Dolly stars alongside Oscar-nominated actress Queen Latifah in the film, which chronicles the journey of an underdog gospel choir from Pacsashau, Ga., trying to win big at the National Joyful Noise Competition in Los Angeles. The two rivals fight to boost the morale of their down-and-out town, which has been hit hard by the economic recession, but in the end they must find a common voice to succeed.

Dolly plays G.G. Sparrow, a progressive, wealthy widow of the former choir director (played by Kris Kristofferson) who is shocked to learn that her husband’s musical throne will be filled by conservative Vi Rose (Queen Latifah). Although the two seem an unlikely match at first, after one round of witty barbs, you realize they are both queens of their own respective kingdoms and actually have a lot in common.

The always delightful and insightful Dolly sat down with The Boot to talk about her long-anticipated return to the big screen, how she stays sexy for truckers and why you’ll never see her competing on ‘Dancing With the Stars.’

This is your first leading movie role since ‘Straight Talk.’ Is acting like riding a bike for you, or did you have to relearn some of your skills?

Well, that character was so me that I didn’t really feel like I was acting. But, of course, I had to go deep inside and I had a great director [Todd Graff, whose previous credits include 'Camp' and 'Bandslam']. If I was trying too hard to do it my way, he was wonderful to say, “Well, you need to have a little more edge.” But he liked me doing my own thing, being my own self as much as I could, so I didn’t feel like I was really acting that much. Although there were some wonderful moments in this, a little deeper than I hate going, so I’m just hoping it turned out good.

What’s the biggest difference between you and your character, G. G. Sparrow?

Not much. Just the fact that my name’s Dolly Parton and her name is G.G. Sparrow! [laughs]

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

It looks like you and Queen Latifah had a great time on the set together. What made you want to do this film with her?

I just liked her and everybody used to say to me, “You and Queen Latifah should do something together. You have a very similar personality, very likeable, very upfront and out there.” I could see that myself. I used to think it would be fun to work with her, because I like her. When we both got the chance to do this and found out that we both were looking at the script, we both said yes, we’ll do it if they do.

Now that you’ve worked together, can we look forward to a Dolly/Queen Latifah country-rap collaboration in the future?

No, I can’t do rap music! But we might write something together. I thought her performance on ‘Fix Me Jesus’ was incredible. We enjoyed doing the movie, but we don’t hang out together. We are very strong, independent women. I have no need to live in her world and she has no need to live in mine, but when our worlds come together we enjoy it.

Of the three original songs you wrote for the film — ‘He’s Everything,’ ‘Not Enough’ and ‘From Here to the Moon and Back’ — which one has the most personal story behind its lyrics?

When I wrote ‘From Here to the Moon and Back,’ I needed to write a beautiful love song. I picked my husband, who I love, and I thought, “Well, I’ll write some beautiful song about him.” It was about my husband in the movie, played by Kris Kristofferson, so I thought in order to make it really real and really touching, I would write it about my real, true emotions about someone I really do love and have loved for more than half of my life.

Given the breadth of your fan base, along with your Christian values, was it important for you to stick with a family-friendly movie?

No, if I found a great script, it wouldn’t have to [represent] family values. I would have my limits; I wouldn’t do something that was just totally offensive to my fan base. I own a family theme park and I have the Imagination Library books for children’s programs, so I wouldn’t want to do something that is just god-awful raunchy! But as an actress, I would be able to do something certainly more edgy than this. This is wonderful. This plays right to my audience, right to my fan base and right to my own beliefs. But no, I don’t limit myself. I’m a singer, a writer and an actress — when I find something that I feel good enough about doing.

There is some choreography in ‘Joyful Noise’ and for the first time, you’ve added dance routines to your Better Day world tour. Are we going to see a more dancing from you in the future?

Oh yeah, that was the same choreography that I did in ‘Joyful Noise.’ Michele Lynch, who did the choreography for the movie, helped with the staging on the whole little show where I did ‘River Deep, Mountain High.’ I did a few little slides and a few little things that were out of the ordinary for my fans to see, which they seemed to really enjoy and love! But that was the scariest and the worst part — me trying to dance!

I’m just like Steve Martin in that movie, ‘The Jerk.’ I’m just that white trash, offbeat … it was so hard for me to try to dance with these people that just jump out of the womb, hit the floor and go into a song and dance routine. Here I am just trying to keep up! So, that was the hard part.

So, no ‘Dancing With the Stars’ for you?

Oh no! They have tried to get me on that ever since it started, even before this movie, and I said, “ARE YOU INSANE!?” [laughs]

You would be amazing!

Nooo! I would be amazing all right, but not in the right way!

Kristin Chenoweth recently came to the AOL Studios to perform her new song, ‘What Would Dolly Do?‘ You seem to inspire people — including other artists — with your ability to adapt and stay positive, how do you do it?

Well, I’ve just been around so long that I think people just feel like they know me. I’m like a comfort zone for a lot of people, and I’m from a big family. I’m kind of that rags-to-riches story, everybody knows it is possible to have that American dream. I’m very friendly and down home because I love people. I see my family in everybody that I meet, I see somebody I love that reminds me — you remind me of a niece — and I just feel like I know people and they feel like they know me. People know that I will just blurt out what’s on my mind, and that seems to be OK. It seems better to be who you are then to try to fake it and be something else.

You’re the only country star on Men’s Health magazine’s recent list of the 100 hottest women of all time. What’s the main thing you do to stay sexy?

Whatever it takes, I guess! I don’t know, you never know if you’re sexy. You don’t ever know if you’re pretty. There is a certain group of people that would find me anything but sexy. But them old truck drivers and them good ol’ boys, yeah, I’ve been a fantasy to them for a lot of years. I’m sure there’s that other group that find me a bit over the top, a little bit bizarre, a bit phony — too much this and too much that. But if somebody thinks I’m sexy, that’s great. Men’s Health magazine? I’ll take it! Hottest women of all time? Well, yay me, who knew?! [laughs]

Dolly Parton’s ‘Joyful Noise,’ which features three original songs from the superstar including a duet with Kris Kristofferson, opens in theaters on January 13. Click here to find out more info on the film, including movie times in theaters near you.

Originally published on AOL Music’s The Boot Jan. 3, 2012

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Click to watch Florence + The Machine ‘Behind The Sessions.’

Florence Welch‘s voice is a true force of nature. Hearing it on a Florence and the Machine record is one thing, but being in the same room with her while she’s belting out her hits almost makes you physically feel her vocals. And it’s even more of a stark experience when she does it over acoustic instrumentation, like she did for a special Sessions taping at our New York studio. After her performance, which included tracks from her new album ‘Ceremonials’ as well as her 2009 debut ‘Lungs,’ we sat down with Welch to talk about recording at Abbey Road, the sophomore slump, her favorite cocktail and why she’s nearly caused a few car accidents.

“It’s a funny thing [when you're drunk], you’re not really thinking in a normal way, you know? You’re not thinking literally, you’re thinking laterally. Everything’s coming in quite a strange way, and it was almost as if the song appeared from nowhere.

Credit: Neil Rasmus, BFA

Originally published on Spinner.com in partnership with Vanity Fair:

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, around 80 lucky guests gathered at La Grenouille, a cozy French restaurant on New York’s Upper East Side, to partake in an evening hosted by Vanity Fair, jewelry designer Solange Azagury–Partridge and Martha Wainwright. The evening’s entertainment included the singer-songwriter performing three songs from ‘Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, à Paris: Martha Wainwright’s Piaf Record’ along with selections from her own repertoire.

The intimate affair consisted mainly of Wainwright’s friends and family, including her brother Rufus, who formed a cheering section at the top of the stairs to support her every word.

Decked out in jewelry from Azagury-Partridge, ‘Wizard of Oz’-style striped tights and a French twist, Wainwright and pianist Thomas Bartlett took the stage, which in this case was a small balcony overlooking the glow of La Grenouille’s main floor.

With the release of her first note, friends pressed against wine racks and stared up in adoration, absorbing Wainwright’s rendition of Edith Piaf‘s 1957 classic ‘La Foule.’ Friends smiled as, in true Piaf-style, she poured over the balcony along with her printed-out lyrics, tackling each note with the same intensity as Bartlett’s chord progressions.

Listening to Wainwright sing the works of the French cultural icon, the untrained ear would think it was the Canadian-American folk singer’s own songs. The Francophone chanteuse found that the intensity of her life, after the loss of her mother and the birth of her first child, drew her to Piaf’s therapeutic words.

“It’s nice to be able to attach my own life to it,” Martha explained to Spinner when ‘Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, À Paris’ was first released. “I’m not an actor and this is not a recreation of Piaf, so it’s important for me as an artist to be able to feel these songs. That’s probably why I picked these specific songs, because there was something in them that spoke to me.”

The singer moved gracefully from Piaf to her own music, donning a guitar and a powerful, gritty tone with each song. Her fifth song was an emotional piece she wrote about the loss of her mother, Kate McGarrigle, to sarcoma. The Wainwrights have famously worn their hearts on their collective sleeve, but this song was written by a changed artist, one who has focused the last two years on singing Piaf, an emotional boot camp that would affect any artist’s work for the better.

“I don’t think people are necessarily going to be able to detect Piaf [in my music] from now on,” she explained in the same interview. “But at the same time I think that singing this [material] is really hard, and all of the things that you put your voice through must have an effect on how you can then use your voice later.”

She left the stage while cheers abounded, the most coming from Rufus, who nudged her to sing another. For the encore, she dedicated ‘Tell My Sister,’ a song written by her mother, to Rufus and, like a supportive stage mom, he mouthed every word, grinning from ear to ear.

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Originally published on The Huffington Posts’ Black Voices and AOL Music’s The BoomBox:

The two seem like an unlikely match at first but, after one round of witty barbs, it’s apparent they’re both Queens of their own respective kingdoms and that’s a lot to have in common. In their roles, the lauded entertainment icons fight to boost the morale of their down and out town, which was hit hard by the economic recession, but in the end they must find a common voice to succeed.

Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton sat down with The BoomBox to discuss their respect for one another, Latifah’s surprise dream collaboration with British act Zero 7 and the rhymer’s childhood connection to God.

What drew you to work on ‘Joyful Noise’? Were you ever in a choir?

Queen Latifah: Yeah, I sang in the chorus when I was a little kid and my aunt directed a big mass choir in Virginia where I kinda grew up. I grew up a lot in Maryland and Virginia because that’s where my mom is from so we were always down there for summers, Thanksgivings, Christmas, you know. Church was a requirement, there was no choice in the matter, so was vacation bible school. Gospel has been in me since I was a kid.

Your character in the movie has strong Christian values and your performance on the song ‘Fix Me Jesus’ is very raw and emotional. Did performing the spiritual music in the movie bring you back to any particular crossroad in your life?

QL: Umm, probably a few of them. How many crossroads are you allowed to have in life? I seem to have a lot of crossroads. I think maybe I crossed back across the same road too often. For me doing that [performance], I thought about the challenges of everyday life, personal things going on in my life, family things going on and really just wanting to be connected to God. Just knowing that God can fix me. He can fix me, he can fix you, he can fix everything and that’s a good thing to know.

I think in that particular scene I was able to draw on a lot of personal challenges that I have faced over the last year or two and really just put it into that and always keep coming back to God.

How are you different than your characters Vi Rose and G.G. Sparrow, in the movie?

Dolly Parton: Not much [laughs]. Just the fact that my name’s Dolly Parton and her name is G.G. Sparrow.

QL: I think I’m cuter personally but people may debate that [laughs]. Well, I’m not a mother of two teenagers but I think I’m not as rigid or traditional as Vi Rose may be. I think I’m a little more open-minded, modern and maybe a little more out there.

Vi Rose is more of a Taurus or a Virgo; she’s more of a perfectionist with things and a controller. I’m a Pisces so I’m more free-spirited. But, I do feel like I have a direct connection with God for some reason; always have since I was a little kid — I would talk to God, talk to the sky.

When did you first realize you had that connection with God?

QL: When I was pretty young and I don’t know if maybe it’s because we had a lot of deaths in our family at a young age. I lost my grandfather at 7, I lost a lot of aunts and uncles who were very close to me at an early age and I just felt an inclination to talk to God. I don’t know how it came about exactly but I never really felt that I was alone. Later on, it developed more into a religion I think, but I always felt connected to a higher power.

Is there any chance that you and Dolly may do a country-rap collaboration?

QL: [Laughs] I’ma do the singin’ though, she gon’ do the rapping and the dancing. That would be awesome! I don’t know if it will be a country-rap collaboration but I think that there is a possibility of a collaboration in our future for sure.

DP: No, I can’t do rap music but we might write something together! Weren’t you impressed with her singing in the movie? I thought her performance on ‘Fix Me Jesus’ was incredible and I think she really can sing it on out there.

Did you learn anything from each other musically or pick up any acting tips while on set?

QL: No, I think I just admired her. She is extremely gifted and talented, I mean she is a hellified singer. You can just feel the soul in her music. She can do runs that the soulful-est soul singer can’t do. She is really, really a great songwriter, a great singer and a great actor.

I was surprised how quickly she was able to come up with songs for this film. It seemed like one day, Dolly’s in, three days later, here’s five records for the movie. I was like, “Wow, she’s so skillful at it,” and I thought that the songs that she wrote were great.

DP: I just liked her and everybody used to say to me, “You and Queen Latifah should do something together. You have a very similar personality, very likeable, very upfront and out there.” I could see that myself, I used to think it would be fun to work with her because I like her. When we both got the chance to do this and found out that we both were looking at the script, we both said yes, we’ll do it if they do.

Did you have any influence on the musical direction of the film? For example, on the pop mash-up ‘Higher Medley’?

QL: No, I adjusted some of the lyrics. I know Mervin Warren [the film's composer]. I had something to do with him getting the job, and I know his skill level so I don’t need to do his job for him. I just suggested an adjustment to certain words that I thought rode the line a little too close to secular content.

I brought him a little closer to being more gospel, more praise and God-influenced rather than secular. Those are the things that I kind of influenced, reining some of that stuff in to make sure that it was realistic for what a church choir would sing.

There has been a lot of change in the industry since your first album dropped in 1989. How have you adapted over time and stayed positive?

QL: I think as far as the music industry is concerned, it’s kind of been the wild, wild West in a way with the Internet, which is not necessarily a bad thing to me. I think it’s been tough for us as writers when our music is downloaded for free. But as far as what an artist can do, I think is fantastic. I come from an independent mindset, you know from Flave [Flavor] Unit Management. We come from an independent background so creating your own destiny without a lot of money or creating your own identity and success without a label is, I think, a fantastic accomplishment.

Before the Internet got to where it is right now you couldn’t really do that as easily. I think that it’s been a good thing in that sense for the artists. It’s made you have to work harder but you get the control. You have more ownership, you can create your own identity and you can build something of value for a label to want to invest in. I think that’s a great thing so I think it’s been kind of cool in those ways.

I don’t like that the part where female rappers don’t play on the radio as much. That to me is the big deficit — females in hip-hop. Other than that, I think that there’s a lot of good things happening.

Treach and Vin Rock recently sat down with The BoomBox to discuss Naughty By Nature’s new album and your collaboration on ‘God Is Us.’ Are there any other artists in 2012, that you would like to work with?

QL: Oh yeah, my boys! Hmm, there are a lot of new people that I think are pretty dope. Zero 7, I would love to work with Zero 7. I love their vibe and their instrumentation. I love the various kinds of music they can make as an electronic group. They still sound influenced by so many different types of music that my style could fit into a lot of different vibes that they create and I’m more collaborative like that.

Are there any other artists that you are into right now?

QL: I listen to Drake, Rick Ross. God, who do I listen to? I like Wale, Uncle Murda. Of course, Jigga, Kanye, Nicki [Minaj], you know all the rest that everybody loves.

So you like what Nicki’s doing?

QL: Yeah, it’s raunchy as all get-up but I love it! She’s the best at what she does. I think she has a great voice too. She’s a pretty good singer, so I like that she sings and raps. I knew you was going to work that Nicki in there! Nah, Nicki’s dope.

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Click to watch Kristin Chenoweth ‘Behind The Sessions.’

With credits including Tony-winning stage work, roles in acclaimed television shows and films, a memoir and a handful albums, it would seem that things come pretty easy to Kristin Chenoweth. Still, a resume like that doesn’t guarantee acceptance or success in the country music world, as the multi-talented star found out while recording ‘Some Lessons Learned,’ her first album in the genre.

As part of her mission to prove herself to any doubters, Chenoweth stopped by AOL Music’s studio in New York for a Sessions taping that featured several songs from the record. After her incredible performance, AOL Music sat down with the gracious and hilarious pint-sized singer to discuss her first foray into country, her family, her legacy and whether or not she’ll ever play Dolly Parton in a biopic.

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Click to watch Childish Gambino ‘In House’ on The BoomBox.

When Childish Gambino speaks, he drops some droll gems. The conversation begins like a smooth ride on a never-ending highway and tends to hit those bumps that keep drivers from careening off into a ditch. He wants to make sure you’re paying attention, like when he compares gangsta rap to donuts. Yes, he did that. The California-born rapper, known to most as Donald Glover, is a comedian and it’s ingrained in his psyche. He can’t shake it off, which led him to a career playing character Troy Barnes on NBC’s comedic series ‘Community.’ But just as he fancies inciting laughter with his authentic brand of witticism and snark, his lyrical alter ego is moved by sharing rhymes of a similar nature with the masses.

Courtesy Warner Music

Originally published on AOL Music Blog Aug. 2, 2011:

You know Victoria Justice as the aspiring singer Tori Vega — the character she portrays in her hit Nickelodeon show ‘Victorious‘ — but you probably didn’t know that this busy 18-year-old is currently balancing a music, film and television career, all while quickly becoming a rising pop star with some serious ambition. Fresh off the release of her new ‘Victorious’ record, AOL Music caught up with the young singer to talk about her upcoming solo project, her new movie ‘Fun Size‘ with ‘Jackass‘ actor Johnny Knoxville and the worst part about being famous.

You are currently filming for the upcoming comedy ‘Fun Size,’ what is it like behind the scenes with Chelsea Handler and Johnny Knoxville?

I just met Chelsea for the first time two days ago. Our first scene together was an emotional one. She’s really cool though, very sharp and witty. I’ve really enjoyed hanging out with her so far. We still have a few scenes left to film together. Chelsea, Jackson [Nicoll] (who plays my younger brother) and I have shared a lot of laughs. We like to goof off a little and have fun.
Johnny has also been amazing. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was so pleasantly surprised. He’s such a genuine person and so sweet. He’s completely true to himself and where he came from and that’s something I respect a lot. He’s perfectly cast as his character, I think his scenes are going to be hilarious. It was such a pleasure getting to know him.

The ‘Victorious’ soundtrack is set for release August 2, what is your favorite song on the album?

My favorite song … that’s such a hard question! I like so many of them. My two favorites would probably be ‘Freak the Freak Out’ and ‘Best Friend’s Brother.’ I like ‘FTFO’ because I think it’s just a really good song, and it’s the first song from the show to go Gold, so I think it will always be special to me. I like ‘BFB’ because it’s a song I wrote that came from my own personal experience. I think it’s really fun and catchy. The response from the fans has been amazing. I’m really proud of that.

You have mentioned in other interviews that you are heavily involved in the writing process for your upcoming solo album, how will your solo work be different from what you sing on ‘Victorious?’

I have been working hard on it, whenever I get any downtime I try to write. My solo album will definitely have a little bit of a different sound. I’m 18 years old, so it’s going to be slightly more mature. I’m going to be singing mostly about my own personal experiences or things that I’m observing around me.

You recently reached your millionth fan on Facebook, how have you adjusted to all the change that has happened in your rise to fame?

Yes, I have. The fans are so incredible and many times I’m so touched by their support. I have recently noticed changes in my life because of the popularity of the show. I never really thought about it, until I wrapped this last season at the end of February. I was so busy working that I was very rarely out and about doing normal stuff. I realize now that mostly anywhere I go, I get recognized. The interesting thing is it’s people of all ages, which goes to show you the power of TV. I’ve been on TV since I was 12 on ‘Zoey 101,’ and I got recognized a lot then, but mostly by younger kids.

It seems the world has changed a lot since then though. The internet and social media networks have really exploded and there’s so much focus on everyone’s personal life. Just recently, I noticed the paparazzi are paying attention to me (I always tried to keep a low profile when it came to that) and that makes me more guarded. There was an incident recently, where I was riding my bike in my own neighborhood, which I’ve always felt really safe in and never had to worry about photographers, and the next thing I know there were photos online of me. That was an eye-opening experience for me. They must’ve been hiding and snapped the photos. Actually, it was a little scary for me because now I know they know where I live, so now I’ll always be looking over my shoulder.

On the positive side, with a higher profile brings the opportunity to bring attention to issues that you believe in that can help people. I was asked to join a charity that really spoke to me that was started by the United Nations, the organization is called ‘Girl Up.’ It’s about bringing awareness to American girls to help other girls just like them in developing countries. These girls need our help to be able to get an education, medical care and supplies, a safe place to gather and many more things that we take for granted in this country. I’m really proud to be a part of the cause. I will be going to Guatemala the end of August on my first trip to see firsthand the challenges that they face.

As a thank you to all your Facebook fans you released a video of you covering Jessie J‘s ‘Price Tag,’ why did you choose that song?

It was current and I really liked the message. It was very impromptu. I knew I would have fun singing it and I did. My next cover though, I might do in a studio, because at home with my computer isn’t the best sound.

Which recording artists would you like to collaborate with in the future?

I would love to collaborate with John Legend, Carole King, Hall and Oates, or Sara Bareilles. Honestly, that’s such a hard question to answer because I respect and admire so many artists. There are so many talented people out there. A week ago I would’ve said Amy Winehouse as well … she’s a huge inspiration for me. Her story is so tragic. When I heard the news about her passing I was genuinely saddened. Just awful.

What albums or artists do you have on repeat on your MP3 player? Are there any artists that may surprise your fans?

I’m really into Adele, Kings of Leon, Sara Bareilles, Amy Winehouse. I really like all types of music though. Classic rock — I’m a big Beatles fan, Rolling Stones, Elton John. I love lots of old Motown as well: Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5 and the Temptations.

An artist that I have on my iPod that would surprise my fans would have to be Barry Manilow. Well … at least my older fans! By older I mean in their 40s and 50s. I doubt any of my younger fans are ‘Fanilows.’ Nothing better than listening to some Barry on a rainy day, love it.

What projects are you working on next?

As soon as I finish filming ‘Fun Size’ I fly back to L.A. to work on some music whenever I can. My schedule’s going to be so crazy though, so I’m going to try and write whenever I have free time. Then I start filming Season 3 of ‘Victorious.’ Which means that I’ll be recording a lot more music for the show, I’ll be learning a lot of choreography, filming music videos, etc. I’ll be pretty busy. I’d love to continue doing film as well. I have such a passion for it.

Credit: Kelly Mahan, AOL

Music industry fests like CMJ regularly mix a few reunions into their bacchanal of baby bands, but usually it’s alt-rock icons like Dinosaur Jr., which was why the surprisingly unheralded return of ’90s R&B legends En Vogue was such a shocker. Could this be the real En Vogue? The four Oakland ladies who ran the pop charts with a series of sassy smashes and then simply disappeared? Why yes, it could. And damn, can they still sing.

Read the full article with original photos now on Spinner.com

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Click here to watch Karmin ‘In House’ on AOL Music Blog.

After being catapulted to stardom thanks to a viral YouTube cover of Chris Brown‘s Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne-assisted ‘Look at Me Now,’ Karmin dropped their original debut single ‘Crash Your Party.’ The Runners-produced track samples the Black Sheep’s 1991 hip-hop classic ‘The Choice Is Yours,’ which Nick started banging out on the keyboard to remind us all of which song they were talking about. After an impromptu live preview of the new track, Amy revealed that the group is aiming for a February release for their studio debut of originals. “They’re throwing around the idea of Valentine’s Day, which is kind of cute, I think.” Did we mention, Amy and Nick are also engaged to be married … to each other? Awww!

Karmin, who managed to finish one another’s sentences throughout their entire visit, have recorded 40-50 songs together and are currently narrowing down the selection to make an album. “We’ve been working with the best of the best. It’s crazy, we’re so spoiled,” Amy gushed after revealing the group has worked with everyone from famed production team Stargate (Rihanna, Beyonce), to superstar writer Claude Kelly (Bruno Mars, Britney Spears).