Meester to record electropop album: Gossip Girl‘s Leighton Meester (the one who was born in jail) is straying away from playing bitchy, damaged, lovesick Blair and moving into new territory: electropop. She promises to release an album with “edgy” music “you can dance to.” We hope that she’s as good at creating club music as she is at delivering snide remarks. [Ace Showbiz]
Second Wroblewski novel in the works: David Wroblewski’s hit summer debut, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, has left readers asking for more about the mute boy in Wisconsin who can communicate with dogs. HarperCollins announced last week that Wroblewski will be writing a prequel, the as-yet-untitled second book in a Sawtelle trilogy. [NYT]
Just kidding about Chenoweth: Yesterday we told you that Pushing Daisies’ Kristen Chenoweth would join the cast of David Kelley’s Legally Mad. But since then, she’s refused to play the role because she “didn’t understand celibacy.” Apparently, the actress thought there would be more sex in the show and decided she couldn’t handle being an on-screen prude (funny, because she was fine playing Glinda in Wicked). Maybe Kelley picked the right actress then for a slightly insane character? [Huliq]
Kanye declares newfound paparazzi love: Yesterday Kanye announced a New Year’s Resolution: to make peace with the paparazzi. The rapper was arrested twice in 2008, and vows to be friends with, or at least civil to, photographers this year — a daunting task, but then again, if it doesn’t kill him it can only make him stronger. [Sowetan]
NYCO still sad and leaderless: George Steel, head of the Dallas Opera, confirmed that he is not interested in taking over for Gerard Mortier as director of the New York City Opera. After Mortier left last month before even starting the gig, the NYCO has been considering its options, but Dallas’ candidate dispelled the rumors that he’d been eying moving north. [Bloomberg]