Britney is back - and so are the brickbats

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Britney Spears hasn't even taken her seat as the new judge of "The X Factor," but the pop icon is already getting a lesson in the media glare of live, talent show television. Spears had barely wrapped up an appearance in New York confirming she is joining the singing contest before the celebrity knives were out, raising the question of how well the singer, who went through a public meltdown in 2007, can handle all the newfound attention. ...

George Clinton, Black Eyed Peas end song lawsuit

(Reuters) - The funk pioneer George Clinton has settled a lawsuit in which he accused the pop and hip hop group Black Eyed Peas of using part of one of his songs in remixes of its hit song "Shut Up" without permission. The settlement followed two weeks of mediation, and was revealed in filings this week in Los Angeles federal court. Terms were not disclosed, but the mediator Gail Killefer in a court filing said the settlement "fully" resolved the dispute. ...

Adam Lambert boots Underwood from Billboard No. 1

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert pushed his fellow "Idol" alum off the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart on Wednesday to score his first No. 1 album with "Trespassing." Lambert's second studio album sold 77,000 copies in its first week, a significantly lower debut than Underwood's "Blown Away" debut two weeks ago, which sold 267,000 copies to score the top spot on the chart. "Blown Away" fell to No. 3 this week, behind Adele's juggernaut "21," which added a further 63,000 copies to its phenomenal sales record this week. ...

Samuel L. Jackson to host BET Awards

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Somebody better bring the bleep button into the shop for a tune-up: Samuel L. Jackson is hosting this year's BET Awards. The "Snakes on a Plane" star's hosting gig was revealed Tuesday by the network, along with nominees for this year's event. Past hosts for the ceremony, which was launched in 2001, include Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Damon Wayans and Jamie Foxx. Last year's event was hosted by actor/comedian Kevin Hart. ...