Rumors are swirling that due to an upcoming expiration-date on SS501's contract with DSP Entertainment, the expected comeback/reunion of the KPOP boy band will inevitably be delayed.

The 5-year contract, due to expire on June 8 are leading to widespread talk that key members of SS501, including Kim Hyun Joong will refocus on solo careers, or acting, and that he may even join forces with TVXQ's Jaejoong to form an independent entertainment company.

Despite the circulating gossip, DSP Entertainment insists that the album, despite delays, is nearing completion, and should still be out in May.

All-4-One, JoJo, Diana King, Frankie J, Baby Bash, PM Dawn, SWV, TQ, and V Factory will all play the upcoming Then & Now Concert in the Philippines. The massive music festival brings nine international pop stars together to perform May 15 at the SM Mall of Asia in Manila, Philippines.

It will be a rare opportunity to catch the greatest stars to ever grace a karaoke machine in one place at once time. Promising to deliver on the hits at a show of this magnitude means renditions of 'I Swear' by All-4-One, Coming of Age's 'Coming Home To Love' (via Terrance Quiates), PM Dawn's 'Set Adrift on Memory Bliss,' SWV's 'I'm So Into You,' JoJo's 'Baby It's You,' Baby Bash's 'Suga Suga,' and Diana King's 'Tougher Than Love,' which the Manila Bulletin calls "a staple song in most videoke and comedy bars."

President and chief executive officer of Divan Media Group Janeth Chang stated that "our primary goal is to provide the Filipino audience exciting live outdoor entertainment."

As pointed out by the World Cup blog, the Shakira, Freshly Ground collaborative anthem 'Waka Waka (Time For Africa)' is actually largely "borrowed" from a song by the Cameroonian band Golden Sounds, who ironically, later changed their name to Zangaléwa -- the same name as the song in question. In fact, the tagline in the original chorus is plucked verbatim for the official World Cup song.

In addition to this interesting anecdote, there's a terrifying freeze frame at the 3:15 minute mark of the official video (see above). Hit the jump to watch both the official video and a performance of 'Zangaléwa.'

Stunning footage of Akon's reception upon arrival in Sierra Leone leaked yesterday via a twitter video. Akon, in the city's capital Freetown to play their April 27 independence day last week, found himself suddenly surrounded on all side by rabid fans. The amateur videography accurately observed that the mob didn't "give a f-ck" about their own safety, as they literally piled onto the SUV in which Akon and his body guards were traveling.

As the video winds down, you hear sirens in the distance, seemingly heading towards the scene to break up the unrelenting crowd. You can watch the video after the jump.

In an effort to raise awareness for a United Nations campaign against poverty in South Africa, Soweto Gospel Choir and Baaba Maal, along with six other prominent African musicians have collaborated on a track called '8 Goals for Africa.' The eight different music groups account for the eight goals in the song.

The collaborative effort includes Yvonne Chaka-Chaka, Hip-Hop Pantsula, Oliver Mutukudzi, Mingas, Wainaina, Angélique Kidjo, and South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela. The group of musicians will perform the song in June during the 2010 World Cup, and it will be available for free online with an accompanying video.

Charice hits Dubai today for the annual Rhythm 'n' Voices concert hosted there, along with Filipino-American pop singer and current host of Pilipinas Got Talent, Billy Crawford, for an event dubbed as "a festival of world class Filipino artists."

You might be asking yourself why such late notice on the performance. Last year, a promoter who ended up behind bars for his actions, duped the Filipina pop star into flying to Dubai to perform for a concert that he'd purportedly planned, only to disappear and fall out of contact upon her arrival. Thanks to that experience, this concert had remained tentative until recently.

The two artists will perform at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.

Spotty but likely information leaked recently onto bellanaija.com that Nigerian pop star D'Banj is in the process of some U.S. major label grooming on the path towards pop stardom that includes a "million dollar budget for promotion and artist development," and that "even compared to what they offer 'urban' stars, the contract is way above that."

D'Banj, a Fela Kuti acolyte with four records under his belt, who was called "African Michael Jackson" by Wyclef Jean when to two met at the 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards, will also be playing Fela in the international tour of the musical of the same name currently running on Broadway.