‘Idol’ rivals Aiken, Studdard to square off in stores

New York – Two former “American Idol” rivals – second-season winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken – will battle again when their new albums are released next month.

Aiken’s third album, “A Thousand Different Ways,” will be in stores Sept. 19. The new CD combines 10 cover versions of well-known songs from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s with four new songs, RCA Records announced Thursday.

Studdard’s “The Return” will be released Sept. 26 on J Records. It follows his 2004 gospel album, “I Need an Angel.”

Studdard narrowly beat out Aiken to win the “American Idol” contest in May 2003. Their debut albums – Aiken’s “Measure of a Man” and Studdard’s “Soulful” – were released later that year, with Aiken’s CD in stores about two months before Studdard’s.

The first track on Studdard’s new CD is “The Return of the Velvet Teddy Bear,” the 27-year-old singer said earlier this week.

Tracks on Aiken’s new disc include Bryan Adams’ “Everything I Do (I Do It for You),” Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me” and Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.”

‘Rocky’ statue’s move gets no-decision from panel

Philadelphia – A push to move the bronze statue of a triumphant Rocky Balboa to the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps is on the ropes.

Sylvester Stallone donated the statue of himself playing the boxer from the film “Rocky III.” Since that 1982 donation, the city has debated where to keep the statue of Rocky with his gloved arms raised. Most recently, a group proposed putting the 8-foot, 6-inch statue at the base of the museum steps that the cinematic icon mounted in the original 1976 “Rocky” movie.

But the city’s Art Commission objected to that move Wednesday, questioning its artistic value.

“It’s not art,” artist Moe Brooker, a member of the city Art Commission. “It was a prop.”

The 3-3 vote by the commission’s art and architecture committee was not a knockout, but left the proposal down with the referee counting.

Joan Schlotterbeck, city commissioner of public property, who spoke in favor of the site, withdrew the application before it went to the full commission and said she would return and make a new presentation. The commission has said other locations should be considered.

Alexander latest star to visit ‘Chris’ on TV

Los Angeles – Jason Alexander plans to drop in on “Everybody Hates Chris” next season.

Alexander (“Seinfeld,” “Listen Up”) is set to play the principal of Corleone Junior High on two episodes of the sitcom and will direct a third, series producer CBS Paramount Network Television said Thursday. Air dates have yet to be announced.

Chris Rock’s UPN sitcom, based on the comedian’s childhood in Brooklyn, survived the merger of that network with WB. It is now on new network CW’s debut schedule and is set for an Oct. 1 premiere.

CW is a joint venture between CBS Corp. and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Whoopi Goldberg was previously announced as a guest star for the comedy’s second season, playing a new next-door neighbor for Chris’ family.

Shakira thanks fans in U.S. for MTV nominations

Mexico City – Shakira dedicated her seven MTV Video Music Awards nominations to the Latino community in the United States.

“I too am one of them,” the 29-year-old singer said Thursday as part of her “Oral Fixation” world tour.

Shakira is up for seven awards for the video of her smash single “Hips Don’t Lie,” tying the Red Hot Chili Peppers for the most nominations. She is the first Latina to be nominated for seven awards.

The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, scheduled to air live on MTV, will take place Aug. 31 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Shakira has been singing mostly in Spanish while touring Latin America but will switch largely to English when the U.S. leg of the tour opens Aug. 9 in El Paso, Texas. She also plans performances in New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

The Colombian singer won six Billboard Latin Music Awards this year.