Real Music People

Ne-Yo wants to duet with Marilyn Manson. The R’n’B star wants to team up with the goth shock rocker on a track and intends to approach him in the near future.

Ne-Yo, 25, revealed: “I’m trying to get hold of Marilyn Manson about an idea I have. Ne-Yo goes rock!”

The singer – who had a UK number one hit single in June with his singer ‘Closer’ – has also revealed he would love to collaborate with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

He added: “When I got told ‘Closer’ had beaten Coldplay to number one in the UK, I couldn’t believe it. I am THE Coldplay fan, so that was really cool. I’d love to do something with them – me and Chris Martin that would be cool.”

Ne-Yo - real name Shaffer Chimere Smith – is currently exploring the British scene, after being given an MP3 player loaded with tracks by UK artists. He said: “I’ve been discovering a lot of new stuff. You wouldn’t think they were my kind of thing but I really like The Feeling. I like some of Duffy’s stuff, but not all of it. If she can escape the ‘I’m a blonde Amy Winehouse’ thing she’ll be OK. People are saying that in the US, because of the style of music and the fact she’s from the UK.”

Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida has to date been the No.1 selling album in 36 countries around the world, including in the U.S., where it held the top spot for two weeks, and in the U.K. where the album has been No.1 for the last four weeks.

Coldplay’s previous album, the 10 million-selling X&Y, reached No.1 in 32 countries in 2005.

In a number of countries, including the U.K., France, Germany and Japan, first week sales of Viva La Vida exceeded those of X&Y, and Viva La Vida has already been certified gold or platinum in 31 countries including platinum in the USA, Germany and Australia and double platinum in the U.K. and Canada.

In many countries Viva La Vida held the top spot on the album chart in its second week, including in the USA, U.K., Australia, Canada, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and New Zealand.

Viva La Vida set the record for the highest first week album sales ever on the iTunes Store worldwide, in addition to being the biggest album pre-order in iTunes’ history. In the U.S., 288,000 week one sales were digital downloads, the biggest ever first week sales tally for a digital album, and with 394,000 digital albums sold in the first three weeks, Viva La Vida is the all time best selling digital album in the States. U.S. over the counter sales for Viva La Vida across all formats have now exceeded 1.1 million according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In the U.K. Viva La Vida is the fastest-selling album of the year with over the counter sales of more than 600,000 since its release on 12 June, while in Germany the album is already the biggest selling release of the year as well as the fastest.

Coldplay will launch their North American tour with two sold out dates in Los Angeles on July 14th and 15th.