This Week In The iTunes Music Store [3 March 2007 Edition]

There are a few interesting doings at the iTMS this week. After the jump, we'll talk about new music from Tila Tequila, the Dixie Chicks, and some new Nirvana-inspired playlists.

* Have y'all heard of this Tila Tequila person?

In case you haven't heard of her, Tila Tequila is a "model"-"turned"-"musician" who up-til-now [at least] has been famous more for her racy photos than her music. Tila also is pretty-much the undisputed "most popular" resident of MySpace, with [as of this writing] *1,703,260* "friends".

When she wasn't "practicing celibacy" by "sleeping with" her "sex toy" Jared Leto [insert your own "30 Seconds To Mars" jokes here, please -- Ed.], she was threatening to release a record that would take the world by storm. Unfortunately, she had some trouble getting a record deal -- and I have no idea why, of course -- so there has been a considerable delay.

But on Tuesday, Tila's song finally hit the iTMS. Tila hopes to become the first unsigned artist ever to make it to [presumably] the Billboard Top 20. As Idolator notes, if she quickly can get even 10% of her MySpace "friends" to pony-up $0.99 for the track -- which smartly comes bundled with a free video for the song -- she should make it with plenty of room to spare.

After 24 hours in the store, Tila did crack the iTMS top 100. And as you can see in the graphic above, the iTMS is still pimping her in the masthead. But even though "I Love U" has finally made it past the not-exactly-current "White & Nerdy", she's still languishing at #73, behind such au courant hits as the year-old "Hips Don't Lie" [#71] and "Chasing Cars" [#51] [we're giving Tila a pass on being a full *65 spots* behind "Not Ready To Make Nice"...that whole history-making five-Grammys-in-one-nite thing a few weeks ago, ya know -- Ed.].

So, what do you think? Does Tila Tequila have "the goods" to make it into the Billboard Top 20? Or -- to lower the bar a bit -- the iTMS Top 20?

Do you care?

* And speaking of the Dixie Chicks...

Next to Tila on the masthead is an ad for an "exclusive" Dixie Chicks track, "The Neighbor". Although the track is "new" to the store this week, it was actually written and recorded for the Shut Up & Sing documentary last year.

Striking while the iron is hot is a smart move on the Chicks' part. There's still no word on whether the Chicks plan to break up as previously rumored, but their website still lists only 2006 tour dates -- i.e., no upcoming shows.

Are the Chicks reconsidering in light of their astounding Grammy sweep? Are they waiting to make a decision -- or an announcement -- until after the April 16th CMT [that's "Country Music Television", BTW] Music Awards, where "Not Ready To Make Nice" is a nominee in the categories of Video Of The Year and Group Video Of The Year? The CMT Music Awards are awarded based on fan votes at the CMT website. How the Chicks fare at these awards should give them some idea how "country music fans" feel about them now.

Stay tuned. But in the meantime, pick up "The Neighbor". It's a solid track.

* And finally, "He's the one who likes all our pretty songs..."

I missed this last week, but in a blatant attempt to cash in on on the occasion of the 40th birthday of Kurt Cobain's dead body, the iTMS put together some Nirvana-esque playlists called "Influences", "Contemporaries", and "The Nirvana Legacy".

And apparently, I'm writing copy for the iTMS and didn't even know it!

Here's a description of Everclear's "Santa Monica" from the "Contemporaries" collection:

" "Santa Monica" (Track 2): In many ways the pretty-boy answer to Nirvana was Everclear. What you may find on closer scrutiny is that Art Alexakis was fighting many of the same demons as Mr. Cobain, he just used more bleach. "

"More bleach" -- very clever.