With the fourth week of American Idol auditions in full swing, we can’t help but speculate as to the (very early) favorites to win it all.

Here’s how The Hollywood Gossip, a great source of American Idol news, rumors and spoilers, sizes up the favorites so far …

1. Kristy Lee Cook: Gorgeous Oregonian had a record deal with Arista Nashville - but with the way she sings, does anyone care?
2. Michael Johns: Like Cook, once had a deal with a label (Madonna’s). The Aussie hunk has made a strong impression so far.
3. David Archuleta: Former Star Search winner has the sympathy vote locked: he struggled with paralyzed vocal cords as a child!
4. Samantha Sidley: Young beauty shined when she delivered a restrained, lovely version of Norah Jones’ ”Don’t Know Why.”
5. Carly Smithson: The most cool, alternative candidate so far - tattooed Irishwoman displayed great range on “I’m Every Woman.”
6. David Cook: No relation to Kristy Lee. Another Chris Daughtry type, hoping to become the first rocker to win American Idol.
7. Colton Swon: His take on Little Big Town’s “Boondocks” ruled - and a rumor that he plays guitar in the Hollywood round? Wow.

David Archuleta and his fellow American Idol hopefuls have a long way to go, but at least we already know they’re all better singers than Heidi Montag.

Featuring will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and many other celebrities, this video was posted on YouTube in support of Barack Obama’s bid for the presidency.

Inspired by the “Yes We Can” speech delivered by Barack Obama on January 21, the stars sing and speak along with the Democratic Illinois senator.

This terrefic video stars will.i.am, Nicole Scherzinger, Scarlett Johansson, John Legend, Common, Herbie Hancock and many, many others.

Heidi Montag is a reality TV celebrity best known for appearing on the MTV series The Hills. Heidi Montag is also an aspiring singer. Really.

Here’s her latest music video, directed by her co-star and possible fiance, Spencer Pratt. It’s not good music. We only budget it to you because it’s so low-budget, nauseating and fake that it has to be seen to be believed.

Most young men can be forgiven for not knowing what they’ll be doing two days from now, but not the Jonas Brothers.

The superstars-in-the-making have every day mapped out for the next 24 months. If you’re not a ‘tween girl, you may not be in on the phenomenon of 20-year-old Kevin, 18-year-old Joe and 15-year-old Nick Jonas.

But it’s formidable.

They opened for Miley Cyrus on her fall Hannah Montana tour to the delight of shrieking girls everywhere. Their song, “S.O.S.,” catapulted to No. 1 on iTunes. Their second album, Jonas Brothers, has sold more than 900,000 copies.

Earlier this month, the band became the youngest act to sign a deal with concert presenter Live Nation. The multimillion dollar, two-year contract includes promoting 140 shows worldwide by the New Jersey-based brothers.

While some may consider putting such big money behind a still-developing act risky, Billboard’s Ray Waddell calls it a smart move.

“The Jonas Brothers are about as safe a bet as exists in the music business today,” he says. “This is a Super Bowl year for them.”

But will their appeal have any staying power?

The comparisons with Hanson are inevitable. Like Hanson (the 1990s model) these three brothers write their own songs and play their own instruments, giving them more credibility than the average boy band.

Continue reading this article here …

Madonna is the richest woman in music, according to Forbes.

She earned $72 million between June 2006 and June 2007, thanks to her sales of her 10 albums, merchandising and broadcast deals, endorsements, H&M fashion line and Confessions tour, which grossed another $260 million.

Despite growing increasingly insane and doing little in the way of touring or making new music, Britney Spears ranked 14th on the list, earning $8 million from old hits, royalties and sales of her fragrances, etc.

At age 49, Madonna still kicks some serious a$$. To say the least. The Material Girl will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2008.

The complete Top 10 list:

1. Madonna, $72 million
2. Barbra Streisand, $60 million
3. Celine Dion, $45 million
4. Shakira, $38 million
5. Beyonce, $27 million
6. Christina Aguilera, $20 million
7. Faith Hill, $19 million
8. The Dixie Chicks, $18 million
9. Mariah Carey, $13 million
10. Hilary Duff, Avril Lavigne, Martina McBride, $12 million.

Following Spears: Carrie Underwood and Nelly Furtado ($7 million each), and Fergie, Jennifer Lopez and Sheryl Crow ($6 million each).

It’s no Rihanna nude in FHM, but this is still one pretty hot picture of the Good Girl Gone Bad. Hey, what’s not to like about promoting essential vitamin intake while showing off your assets at the same time?

This Rihanna “Got Milk?” ad is pretty sexy. No wonder she is selling so many records. That and Jay-Z producing her songs doesn’t hurt.

In what will undoubtedly be the most appropriately titled album of the year, Gnarls Barkley has dubbed it sophomore effort, The Odd Couple.

The duo - which consists of musical auteur Danger Mouse and oddball rapper / singer Cee-Lo - is still in the lab working on new material.

The follow-up to their 2006 debut, St. Elsewhere, reportedly has seen some new tracks laid down already in Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse as Napoleon Dynamite and Pedro.

While Gnarls Barkley continues to polish The Odd Couple, a new track called “Run” is making its rounds on multiple file-sharing sites.

According to GnarlsBarkley.com, The Odd Couple will hit stores in April.

The hugely successful American boy band New Kids On The Block is reportedly preparing to reunite after 14 years out of the limelight.

According to People, the members of the group, who broke up in 1994, are ditching their respective professions to make a comeback.

Crazily, New Kids On The Block sold more than 70 million albums worldwide during their 10 years together from 1984-1994.

The legendary New Kids on the Block: Brothers Jordan Knight and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.

The group went on to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in concert revenues. Will they have similar success here in 2008?

Who knows, but we really hope they only perform their hits through Hangin’ Tough. We hate these reunion tours where bands insist on subjecting us to their stuff from “the new album.” Keep it in mind, guys.

Amy Winehouse’s mother, Janis Winehouse, is prepping for the worst for her troubled daughter, in the midst of a drug-induced downward spiral.

“I’ve already come to terms with her dead,” she tells the UK’s The Mirror. “I’ve steeled myself to ask her what ground she wants to be buried in, which cemetery. Because the drugs will get her if she stays on this road.”

Amy Winehouse, 24, checked into rehab last Thursday after British tabloid The Sun released a video of her apparently smoking crack.

“I’ve known for a long time that Amy has problems,” Janis said. “But seeing it on screen truly rammed it home. She could be dead within the year.”

Janis said her daughter will be honored at next month’s Grammy Awards, “but part of me thinks she won’t be alive by then.”

“I look at Heath Ledger and Britney Spears. She’s on their path. It’s like watching a car crash - a person throwing all these gifts away.”

She plays Hannah Montana, and was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, but now she’s officially Miley Ray Cyrus after changing her name!

Given the nickname “Smiley” when she was growing up, Entertainment Tonight says the singer legally changed her name to Miley Cyrus. She chose to adopt Ray as her middle name in honor of her father, Billy Ray Cyrus.

The big news came after the Hannah Montana star ran off the stage at her New Orleans show on Saturday, claiming she was not feeling well.

The 15-year-old singer, who has scored huge hits with her show and both of her Hannah Montana records, returned five minutes later, announcing that she was feeling better but “going to sit this one down.”

The ‘tween superstar’s “Best of Both Worlds” tour is the currently one of the biz’s hottest tickets - even after reports that Cyrus used a body double during one song performed with the Jonas Brothers were confirmed.