Idina Menzel 'Stands' on the Sessions Stage

Broadway superstar Idina Menzel stopped by our studio to showcase her Tony Award-winning voice with songs from her third studio album, 'I Stand.'

The 'Wicked' songstress teamed with producer Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette) for the effort, and tells AOL Music that Ballard had long been on her "dream list of producers to work with." She attributes her creativity to the "comfortable environment" he created, as well as Ballard's encouragement to write new songs.

Continue reading.. Idina Menzel 'Stands' on the Sessions Stage

Robyn Adds Some Sugar to Our Sessions Studio

Although she's probably best known for her back-to-back Top Ten hits in the late '90s -- 'Do You Know (What It Takes)' and 'Show Me Love' -- Swedish singer Robyn is ready to infect audiences once again with her pop charm. Only this time she's adding some serious electro beats to her sugary formula. While not necessarily a "comeback" per se (the singer has released three albums since her 1997 debut), her new buzzworthy self-titled album has quickly garnered the attention of old and new fans alike, including gossip bloggers like Perez Hilton.

When asked about how she's managed to stay hot in the industry, the platinum-haired singer states, "I'm still able to stay around, but it's all because there's people out there who just like what I do. I don't think too much about it. I don't make a special plan for how to survive the industry. I just find my way through it, and I do it because I want to -- that's the only reason."

Catch Robyn's white-hot Sessions performance, including a simplified electro reworking of 'Show Me Love.'

Continue reading.. Robyn Adds Some Sugar to Our Sessions Studio

Ferras Finds a Friend in Fred Durst

Who knew Fred Durst had a sensitive side? When singer-songwriter Ferras stopped by our Sessions studio and explained how the Limp Bizkit frontman helped jumpstart his career, we were a bit surprised.

"I got a call from Fred Durst and he asked, 'Can you come out and play live for me? I really dig your stuff,'" the 25-year-old musician tells PopEater. "So I met Fred -- an amazing, awesome guy -- and he was like, 'I'm signing you,' and he spent the next two years really trying to find the right home for me in terms of a record label."

Find out what captured Durst's attention by checking out Ferras' intimate Sessions performance, where he sings tracks off his debut album, including the 'American Idol' hit 'Hollywood's Not America.'

Continue reading.. Ferras Finds a Friend in Fred Durst

Panic at the Disco Deliver a 'Pretty Odd' Perfomance

Las Vegas rockers Panic at the Disco are back with their sophomore disc, 'Pretty.Odd,' and they took some time to perform a few tracks off the album when they stopped by our L.A. studio. In addition to playing their bouncing new single, 'Nine in the Afternoon,' the young group covered the Band's 'The Weight,' indicating the kind of classic influences surrounding the new record.

Watch the band add its signature flare to our Sessions studio, and check out an exclusive interview with drummer Spencer Smith and guitarist Ryan Ross.




Continue reading.. Panic at the Disco Deliver a 'Pretty Odd' Perfomance

Landon Pigg Drops By Our Studio

Nashville singer-songwriter Landon Pigg found something like success when his song 'Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop' was used in a Diamond Is Forever commercial. Pigg came into our studio to perform his sparkling hit, as well as three more songs.

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Wyclef Crowns Himself Ambassador of Music

Wyclef Jean stopped by our Sessions studio to bless us with some new joints as well as a few classics. The self-proclaimed 'musical ambassador' felt right at home as he strummed a guitar and performed his new song, 'Slow Down,' off his upcoming album, 'The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant,' and the hit, 'Gone to November,' off 1997's 'Carnival.'

"For me, the performance is just the most natural thing to me. I've been performing since a baby," Wyclef told AOL Music. "A lot of us have church roots. My dad was a minister, so the element of a band and a camera just feels right at home for me."

Continue reading.. Wyclef Crowns Himself Ambassador of Music

Nicole Scherzinger Reveals the Story Behind 'Her Name'

Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger recently stopped by our Sessions studio to perform several songs from her debut solo album, 'Her Name is Nicole.' There's more to that album title than meets the eye, it turns out.

"I started working on the album a couple of years ago, and one of the first songs that I wrote with a couple friends of mine was called 'Whatever You Like,'" she explains. "My friend Sean Garrett came up with "Ladies and gentlemen, I know what you want; she's hot as a stove, her name is Nicole," and ever since he said that that day, it kind of stuck with me.

"People always ask me, 'Hey, aren't you that girl from the Pussycat Dolls?'" she continues. "And I'm like, 'But my name is Nicole.' I'm a separate artist and individual outside of the Dolls."

Continue reading.. Nicole Scherzinger Reveals the Story Behind 'Her Name'

Paul Potts Goes From Opera to Oprah

U.K. native Paul Potts went from Average Joe to opera extraordinaire overnight, after being crowned the Season One winner of ITV's 'Britain's Got Talent.' Just a few months back, Potts was a mobile phone salesman in his hometown of Port Talbot in South Wales and now, when he's not hopping across continents, he's got his neighbors knocking for autographs. After a series of hardships including a bicycling accident and cancer scare, the worldly tenor landed a major label deal and now serenades audiences around the globe. After stopping by AOL Music for a Sessions performance, Potts paid visits to 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' and even taught infamous celebrity blogger Perez Hilton some opera. See why Potts' lucky break is well-deserved as he delivers powerful renditions of 'Nessun Dorma,' 'Con te Partiro,' 'Caruso' and more in our studio.

Just a few months ago you were working as a mobile phone salesman. How has your life changed in that time?


Life has changed quite a lot in the last three to four months. Three months ago I was a mobile phone salesman for one of the biggest mobile phone retailers in the U.K. I never believed that I'd actually find myself right here in America -- and many other places -- releasing an album. It's a huge privilege to able to do what I love doing. It's simply more than I could've ever dreamed of.

Continue reading.. Paul Potts Goes From Opera to Oprah

Kelly Rowland Is 'Moody'

When Kelly Rowland rocked our Sessions studio with a smoking-hot live performance of 'Like This' (featuring Eve), she also shared her personal fashion philosophy: moody! Watch the video to get schooled, Kelly-style.



Watch Kelly Rowland live performance
Get more style tips with Ciara's Fashion Watch

Continue reading.. Kelly Rowland Is 'Moody'

Yellowcard Find Themselves 'High and Dry'

Covers are tough by nature. It's a challenge for bands to put a fresh spin on an already great song, and they're nearly never an improvement on the original. Against the odds, Florida's Yellowcard pull off their rendition of Radiohead's 1995 hit 'High and Dry' with flying colors. Watch the same guys who belt out songs like 'Ocean Avenue' and 'Light Up the Sky' mellow out in a live version of the Radiohead classic.



Continue reading.. Yellowcard Find Themselves 'High and Dry'