Simone Battle aka Little Miss Muffin Could Be The Next Rihanna

One look and the resemblance is unmistakable. Simone Battle, aka Little Miss Muffin, could very well be the next Rihanna.

Simone is a semi-finalist in the KIISfm Wango Tango Breakout Artist contest sponsored by Taco Bell in Los Angeles. She performed on Friday night at Universal Citywalk and caught the audience off guard with her infectious melodies and polished choreography. Simone Battle definitely stood out from the other semi-finalists proving that she has what some would call “The X Factor”.

Simone possesses everything we fell in love with when Rihanna first appeared on the pop music scene. If Rihanna doesn’t return to the brighter side of pop soon, could Little Miss Muffin claim her throne?

Madonna Says Her Children Handle The Fame Well

Madonna is adamant her children have a healthy attitude towards fame, even though they are growing up in the spotlight.

The Material Girl insists 13-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from her relationship with Carlos Leon, and Rocco, nine, with ex-husband Guy Ritchie, as well as her adopted children David Banda and Mercy James, cope well with having a superstar mom. And she’s positive the good points about her celebrity status outweigh the bad.

She tells British TV show GMTV, “Since I don’t know what that (a normal life) means, I don’t know if they’d rather have that. Anyways they don’t have a choice, they’re stuck with the mother they have and I think they realize there are pluses and minuses to it. I think sometimes they’d like to walk down the street and just feel like normal kids and that happens, and other times, you know, they get great bonuses and perks out of being my children and they know it and they’re very grateful and appreciative for it.”

“I think they’re pretty balanced in terms of how they view fame and celebrity and things like that. I think it took them a while to adjust but they’re okay.”

Neighbor Sues Madonna Because Her Music Is Too Loud

One of Madonna’s New York neighbors says the superstar’s loud music and frequent dance sessions are causing a commotion. Karen George, of Manhattan, lives above Madonna in a building on Central Park.

She said in a lawsuit filed Friday against the building’s co-op board that the Material Girl is using her apartment as a rehearsal studio, forcing neighbors to endure “blaring music, stomping and shaking walls,” for up to three hours each day.

George complained about “unreasonably high-decibel, amplified music” and vibrations pouring through walls, ceilings and radiators.

The building’s board says it has already threatened to evict Madonna. Madonna’s representatives didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Like a virgin….touched for the very first time.

Madonna Says Lady Gaga Has The “It” Factor

Madonna likes Lady Gaga because she has the “IT Factor”. The 51-year-old pop icon was impressed by the ‘Paparazzi’ singer – who is a self-confessed Madonna fan – from the first time she saw her, even though she was still refining her act. Madonna told Rolling Stone magazine:

“When I saw her, she didn’t have a lot of money for her production. She had holes in her fishnets, and there were mistakes everywhere. It was kind of a mess, but I can see that she has that ‘IT Factor’. It’s nice to see that at a raw stage.”

Lady Gaga has cited the ‘Celebration’ singer as an influence on her career and Madonna insists she can see similarities between them both.

“I see myself in Lady Gaga.”

Lady Gaga recently revealed she was thrilled when Madonna attended one of her concerts in New York. The pop star – real name Stefani Germanotta – said:

“My sister texted me and she was like, ‘Madonna is 15 feet away from me. And there are two guys having sex in the audience. I just remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is exactly what I wanted. I’ve got Madonna and I’ve got gay sex!’ “

Madonna Blamed For Bulgarian Boat Disaster

Religious leaders in Bulgaria have blamed Madonna for a boating accident which killed 15 people on Saturday – insisting her decision to perform in the country on a holy day brought bad luck.

Church officials were outraged by the singer’s plans to stage her Sticky & Sweet gig in the capital Sofia on August 29th- the day Orthodox Christians mark the beheading of Saint John the Baptist with a fast.

Following the protests, Madonna refused to reschedule the date and religious leaders are convinced her defiance of their sacred customs led to the disaster on Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid, which killed 15 Bulgarian citizens.

Church leader Nikolay, in the city of Plovdiv, close to Sofia, tells Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, “The catastrophe in Macedonia in which 15 Bulgarian citizens died was a sign from heaven. The Orthodox Church had called for people not to enjoy themselves on the day marking the execution of John. We should not allow the young to have fun on a day that should be dedicated to spiritual reflection.”

The news comes after the country’s Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, last week criticized sports officials for letting the gig take place at the Vasil Levski Stadium, insisting the concert damaged the venue’s grass pitch.

Madonna’s Tour Is Highest Grossing Ever For Solo Artist

Madonna has proved her status as the Queen of Pop – her Sticky & Sweet world tour is officially the highest-grossing road show ever for a solo artist.

According to promoters Live Nation, Madonna has raked in $408 million since kicking off her tour last August. The Sticky & Sweet tour surpasses Madonna’s own record for the most successful outing by a solo artist – her 2006 Confessions Tour grossed $194 million.

Nevertheless, the pop superstar still has some way to go before she can steal the honor of the highest grossing tour of all time – The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang tour pulled in $558 million between 2005 and 2007.