Usher will perform with a troupe of digital dancers during a concert at London's Hammersmith Apollo on June 11, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show will be streamed live on the R&B star's VEVO channel.

Viewers will be able to join him on stage when he performs recent single "Scream" by creating an avatar that will then dance on screen. Montreal-based Moment Factory is behind the virtual dancing technology.

"They’re feverishly beavering away, trying to put flesh on the bones of this fantastic idea that they said they possibly could do and we all jumped on," said Hamish Hamilton, director of the webcast and Madonna's 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. "They foolishly, in a meeting, said, ‘Yeah, we can do this.’ At which point we went, ‘All right – do it. We’ll see you in two weeks in London.’"

Usher's latest album, Looking 4 Myself, is due out in North America on June 12.

Madonna performed the first show in her 'MDNA' world tour in front of thousands of fans in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Thursday (May 31).

The pop diva's new show features dark, religious imagery, visuals smattered with blood and guts and a marching band routine similar to the cheerleader routine she performed during the Super Bowl half-time show earlier this year.

The "Material Girl" took the stage in a confessional and then smashed its glass with a rifle. She opened the show with recent single "Girl Gone Wild" accompanied by dancers dressed as monks. She then performed "Give Me All Your Luvin'" and a mash-up of "Express Yourself" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" in a marching band conductor outfit.

Read a full recap here.

A personal letter written by Michael Jackson to his former wife Lisa Marie Presley in which the late pop star complains of insomnia has been pulled from an auction.

The letter was to be auctioned by Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills as part of a memorabilia sale but Presley requested to have the letter pulled.

Written sometime between 1993 and 1996, the note reads: "Lisa I truly need this rest I haven’t slept litterally [sic] in 4 days now. I need to be away from phones and business people. I must take care of my health first Im’[sic] crazy for you."

He signed the letter "love turd," one of his apparent nicknames.

CEO Darren Julien told E! Online that the note was removed because of its "personal nature" and the company's desire to maintain a "good relationship" with Presley, who was married to Jackson from 1994 to 1996.

Red Hot Chili Peppers will release 18 songs over the next six months as part of a singles series. The tracks will be available on 7-inch vinyl and as digital downloads.

"We have been writing stuff while touring," bassist Flea tweeted. "We are also going to put out 18 new songs over the next 6 months on 7 inch and digi."

Although no official release date has been set, other band members have tweeted that a torrent of new music is on the way.

The singles come on the heels of the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April. They are currently on tour in support of their 10th album, I'm With You.

Nike's second collaboration with rapper Kanye West will be released on June 9. The original Air Yeezy, which came out three years ago, marked the first time the brand worked with a non-athlete.

Inspired by late '80s basketball design, the shoe will be available in platinum and black editions and features hand-skived anaconda textured leather quarter panels and a reptilian spike on the rear. The loop strap contains hieroglyphics that spell out YZY and the leather lace toggle is etched with the Roman numeral II.

According to a press release, "fit was essential to the design with the goal to make the shoe slimmer than the original by tailoring it to Kanye West’s foot."

West, who has been sporting the sneakers during his Watch The Throne concerts with Jay-Z, tweeted last year that he's already at work on the Air Yeezy 3.

City officials in the Norwegian capital Oslo are on the verge of declaring a state of emergency after hordes of Justin Bieber fans descended on the city to catch a free outdoor concert by the pop star on Wednesday (May 30).

TMZ reports that police have been overwhelmed by the number of fans arriving from across Europe to see Bieber perform four new songs off his forthcoming Believe album outside Oslo's opera house. The concert will be taped for his Justin Bieber Believe: Around The World prime time special that will air on NBC on June 21.

Apparently authorities are having trouble controlling the masses and have asked Bieber to take the stage early.

"For the show to happen u must all listen to the police," he tweeted. "We are all concerned for your safety and i want what is best for u. please listen."

More Music News:

• Adam Lambert: 'Gay pop stars get less support'
  

Jennifer Lopez's boyfriend, actor and dancer Casper Smart, has apparently had her name tattooed on his penis. An unnamed friend of the multi-tasking pop star and American Idol judge spilled the beans to tabloid rag In Touch Weekly.

"Jennifer thinks Casper’s tattoos are sexy, but this one is her favorite, for obvious reasons," the friend explained. "She loves it, and she loves him."

Here's the full report (via Celebitchy):

What says "I love you" more than having your girlfriend’s name tattooed on your nether region? Nothing, if you’re Jennifer Lopez’s boyfriend, Casper Smart.

According to a friend, Casper surprised J.Lo with this token of his affection – and she was thrilled with the latest addition to his already inked-up body!

"Jennifer thinks Casper’s tattoos are sexy, but this one is her favorite, for obvious reasons,” her friend says. "She loves it, and she loves him."

It’s a lovefest all around, according to another source, who says Casper’s friends and family have become "obsessed" with his high-profile relationship. One wrote on his Facebook wall: "All of you mom and dad’s friends are living vicariously through you" after Casper posted a photo of him with J.Lo. And his mom has even renamed herself Shawna Lopez!

More Music News:

• Jay-Z, Kanye West release "No Church in the Wild" video
  

Adele has been laying low since picking up some serious award show hardware earlier this year, but the mega-selling British soul singer is poised to re-take the spotlight with an hour-long special on NBC next month.

On June 5, the U.S. broadcaster will air Adele Live in London with Matt Lauer, a special featuring an exclusive interview with the Today show host as well as a selection of performances from her Adele Live At The Royal Albert Hall DVD.

In a preview clip, Adele sits down with Lauer to discuss the music legends that reached out to her while she was recovering from throat surgery last year, the rumours that swirl around her and her Grammys outfit.

Adele's sophomore album, 21, won six Grammy Awards and has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide since its release last spring.

NBC will air the special on June 5 at 8 p.m. EST.

(via Rolling Stone)

More Music News:

• Bob Dylan receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
  

President Barack Obama awarded Bob Dylan a Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honour, during a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday (May 29).

The folk icon was one of 13 recipients to receive the honour alongside author and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Israeli president Shimon Peres and astronaut John Glenn.

"By the time he was 23, Bob’s voice, with its weight, its unique, gravelly power was redefining not just what music sounded like, but the message it carried and how it made people feel," Obama said. "Today, everybody from Bruce Springsteen to U2 owes Bob a debt of gratitude."

"There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music," he added. "All these years later, he's still chasing that sound, still searching for a little bit of truth... And I have to say that I am a really big fan."

Dylan is working on his 35th studio album, which is reportedly due out in September.

(via NME)

Pop star Adam Lambert became the first openly gay artist to hit number one on the Billboard album chart, however he feels that support from gay music fans has eluded him.

In an interview with Britain's Instinct magazine, he said gay fans are more likely to support female singers than their fellow gay males.

"As a community, we’re a little bit resistant to a gay male pop star ourselves," he said. "It’s very easy for people to look at my origin, which is American Idol, and automatically assume that I’m a commercial sellout or a puppet or a flash in the pan. I don’t think I’m any of those things.

"There’s something weird there. We’re very eager to celebrate a strong female," he added. "But to celebrate a fellow gay man—it gets catty sometimes."

Lambert's sophomore album Trespassing hit number one on the Billboard 200 chart last week. He also recently released the music video for his Bruno Mars-penned single "Never Close Our Eyes." Watch it here.

(via Digital Spy)