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Madrod has finally made its public debut. As Madonna completed her second song before a sell-out crowd in Miami's Dolphin Stadium Wednesday night, New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez handed her a bottle of water. "It was easy for him to hand it off because he was sitting in the front row," a witness tells E! News. "He was all excited watching her perform." And, just like that, Madonna acknowledged in public, less than a week after her quickie divorce from Guy Ritchie, that A-Rod is indeed the superfan (and waterboy) he's reportedly been for most of this year in private. The two arrived in town together on Monday and spent most of Wednesday hanging around town with pal Ingrid Casares, a prominent Miami party promoter, who introduced the pair. Madonna, 50, hit the stage of her last Sticky & Sweet American concert two and a half hours after the show was supposed to start. The Material One played from about 10 p.m. to midnight, including a guest appearance by Pharrell Williams during the closing set. A-Rod, 33, who very publicly spent Tuesday with his family at a local restaurant, stayed throughout the entire performance.
(Originally published Nov. 26, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. PT.)

By Andy Dangerfield
Entertainment reporter, BBC News
A "deluxe edition" of Leona Lewis's album Spirit has stormed into the chart at number one. But are fans getting value for money from these special releases?

Girls Aloud and Duffy are also releasing special versions of their albums, containing anything from unreleased interviews and demos to bonus DVDs, as Christmas approaches. But should fans be expected to spend £15.79 (recommended retail price) again on the same material to get the extras? "It's a two-finger salute to the loyal 200,000 fans who raced out to buy the original in its first week," says Yahoo! Music's chart expert James Masterson. "Fans are being punished. If you bought the original, you'd feel incredibly stupid. If only you'd put your money in the bank and spent it now."

'New stuff'

The original version of Leona Lewis' Spirit has been bought by more than two million people in the UK since its release just over a year ago. Now the repackaged release contains the same tracks as the original, but also has three new songs and a bonus DVD. So what should people do with the CD they have already bought? "Keep it!" said Leona Lewis in a recent BBC interview. "The new stuff will be available on iTunes if they just want the songs." But her cover of Snow Patrol's Run is not available as a single download until 1 December, two weeks after the deluxe edition album's release. And fans miss out on receiving new artwork and the "making of" Forgive Me video, unless they buy the new version. But Sony BMG says: "Deluxe editions are being led by fan demand." "Leona hasn't done much new material in the last year. But there is a real hunger for new tracks from her."

'Bizarre situation'

So why has the music industry fallen in love with deluxe versions of albums? The recent trend dates back to last year's special edition of Amy Winehouse's Back To Black, which contained live songs and her cover of The Zutons' Valerie. "You had the bizarre situation of the limited edition charting at one position and the other version charting at another," the Entertainment Retailers Association's Kim Bailey says. Record labels cottoned onto the wheeze and chart rules were relaxed in September, allowing deluxe and original versions of an album to count towards the same chart position. Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad deluxe edition, which came out in June, also attracts the ire of Yahoo!'s Masterton. Released more than a year after the original, which sold more than a million copies, the Reloaded edition had new artwork and three new tracks. "Rather than getting her to record a new album, they just tacked tracks onto the back of the old album and re-released it," he says. Universal UK's commercial director, Brian Rose, says: "If an artist brings incredible new content to us, we reserve the right to put it out and give the consumer more choice." But he adds: "We will always aim to release the deluxe edition date on date with the standard edition."

Alternative approaches

Many artists are doing just that - releasing deluxe and standard editions of their latest albums on the same date. Beyonce and Dido released different versions of their new albums last week and two editions of Britney Spears' Circus will be available from 1 December. Some artists are taking alternative approaches. Bloc Party released a digital edition of their new album Intimacy in August. Fans could pay £5 for the digital version or £10 to receive the digital version immediately and an extended version through the post two months later. And Coldplay are releasing an EP, Prospekt's March, containing unreleased material from recordings for their latest album Viva la Vida. Faced with a changing music market, labels are experimenting with different formats as they battle to win over record buyers. Are deluxe editions here to stay? In the long run, fans will decide with their wallets.

MICHAEL Jackson has converted to Islam and changed his name to Mikaeel, according to reports.The singer wore traditional Islamic dress as he pledged his allegiance to the Koran at a friend's home in Los Angeles, The Sun reports.Jackson, who was raised a Jehovah's Witness, reportedly decided to convert after discussing religion with a music producer and songwriter on his new album - both of whom were converts to Islam.The Sun reported singer Yousef Islam - formerly knowns as Cat Stevens - turned up to help Jackson celebrate.
Jackson is due to give evidence in court next week after being sued by Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, second son of the King of Bahrain.Sheikh Abdulla, who is seeking $US7 million ($10.7 million), claims he helped support the cash-strapped Jackson in the aftermath of his child molestation trial.Sheikh Abdulla claims Jackson promised to pay back the money, while Jackson says he thought it was a gift.Jackson is expected to give evidence to a London court via video link from LA.

Maybe Britney Spears was just waiting for the madness to die down—and the music to get turned up. The popster, who chose to remain absent from what turned out to be her mistrial on an invalid-license charge and the majority of this year's conservatorship hearings, was in court Friday to talk business pertaining to dad Jamie Spears' control over her estate—namely, her plans to hit the road. "There isn't a lot I can tell you about it," court spokesman Allan Parachini said during a brief press conference afterward. "There was discussion of Ms. Spears' future immediate business plans. Particularly touring in support of her album." The conservatorship, signed off on Feb. 1 when Britney was briefly hospitalized for a psych evaluation, was made permanent last month, meaning her camp will have to file a separate petition to extract herself from the arrangement. Today's hearing in downtown Los Angeles was most certainly not called, though, to address a change in the conservatorship arrangement, Parachini added. "No, that did not come up. I have been asked by a couple of you whether the purpose of today's proceedings was to express a desire for a change in the status of the conservancy. No, she didn't raise that. That didn't come up. "It was not part of today's hearing. It was about the tour professional. She has an album that is coming out. All of what is necessary to support the album." Britney, clad in a black dress and stiletto heels, arrived with her dad, parking underground (and surrounding herself with sheriff's deputies) to best avoid the paparazzi. On her way out of the courthouse, however, she smiled (and said, "Thank you," when complimented on her appearance) at reporters. The "Womanizer" chanteuse then held what looked like a board game or other flat object in front of her face to prevent the paps from taking her picture in the car on her way out of the garage. Spears' upcoming album, Circus, is due out Dec. 2, the singer's 27th birthday. And apparently a tour will follow after.
—Reporting by Whitney English and Claudia Rosenbaum

Everything old was new again in Nashville tonight.
While Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles injected a much-needed jolt of femininity into the Entertainer of the Year category, it was still Kenny Chesney who was tippin' his hat to the audience at the end of the 42nd Annual Country Music Association Awards.
"As much as tonight is about awards, I really believe that being able to stand up here is more about great songs, it's more about the fans," said the touring dynamo and now four-time Entertainer of the Year.
"It's more about being onstage every night in front of a lot of people that really make it happen for me and the band out here…I'm really humbled tonight and I really appreciate it."
Chesney accepted the honor from Shania Twain, who told a pleasantly surprised audience, "It's good to see you, too. I hope to be seeing a lot more of you." Former promising newcomer Carrie Underwood, now a veteran of the country scene, shared hosting duties with Brad Paisley, who opened tonight's ceremony by teaming with Keith Urban on their new single, "Start a Band."
"To be here together, actually hosting this show, has got to be the honor of a lifetime," Paisley told the crowd.
"Some of the all-time greats…have hosted this show, so I've got some massive—I mean, huge—boots to fill," he continued and, turning to his cohost, added, "And also I believe Dolly hosted this show, so…good luck."
"That's way too much for me to live up to," Underwood quipped. However, she played the part of the diva quite well, changing no less than seven times Wednesday (highlights: a one-shouldered emerald-green cocktail dress, a pink Grecian-cut gown and the massive bauble she wore while performing "Just a Dream").
In addition to that microphone, she and Paisley also shared second consecutive respective winsfor Female and Male Vocalist of the Year.

"Mama, it's real hard to sing when you're in the second row crying," the platinum-selling 25-year-old said. "Thank you, country music. I came here through an unconventional way and you guys didn't have to accept me at all. But everybody in town, everybody in Nashville, everybody in the country music community has been so great."
And while she has moved past thanking American Idol, Underwood wasn't too big for her britches to thank Idol mastermind Simon Fuller.
Starting their own tradition, meanwhile, were Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland, who collected their second consecutive CMA award for Vocal Duo of the Year.
Nettles also proved that she could go it alone, winning Song of the Year for her solo effort "Stay."
No strangers to a repeat trip to the podium, either, was Rascal Flatts, who continued to prove that life is both a highway and a swell place to sell millions of countrified pop records by notching their sixth straight win for Vocal Group of the Year.
Nashville fixture George Strait picked up his 20th and 21st CMAs tonight, winning both Song and Album of the Year with "I Saw God Today" and the disc from whence it came, Troubador.
The performance-riddled evening was made all the more genre-spanning by the second straight appearance by the Eagles, who cracked the country charts last year with Long Road Out of Eden and triumphantly followed up last year's headline-making awards-show debut with a live rendition of "Busy Being Fabulous."
Yes, the Eagles now have a song called "Busy Being Fabulous."
Crossover appeal was also provided by Kid Rock, who brought the audience to their feet with his tale of hot summer nights in Northern Michigan, "All Summer Long"; Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker, who's found new success as a country artist; and Hollywood-type presenters Miley Cyrus (with dad Billy Ray in tow), Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Reese Witherspoon.
"It's a true testament to the global power of country music"—not to mention Keith Urban—"that you'd have us Aussies here tonight," said Jackman.
The CMAs featured 21 performances altogether, including solo numbers by Urban and Paisley, as well as hit songs belonging to New Artist of the Year winner Lady Antebellum, last year's best new artist (and this year's tabloid-gracing JoBro ex) Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Sugarland, Chesney, Martina McBride, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson.
Here's the complete list of winners from the 42nd Annual Country Music Association Awards: • Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney
• Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood
• Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley
• New Artist: Lady Antebellum
• Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts
• Vocal Duo: Sugarland
• Single of the Year: "I Saw God Today," George Strait
• Album of the Year: Troubador, George Strait
• Song of the Year: "Stay," Jennifer Nettles
• Musical Event: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Gone, Gone, Gone"
• Music Video: Brad Paisley, "Waitin' on a Woman"
• Musician: Mac McAnally, guitar