Even though we're just on the other side of Halloween, the public has already shifted its focus to Christmas. Store displays have shifted, Starbucks has drinks that are eggnog flavored and a handful of lunatics are already considering their Christmas trees. Today marks the first big film release of the holiday season in "A Christmas Carol," the Robert Zemeckis-directed animated feature that stars Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge. (For more on "A Christmas Carol," be sure to check out all the in-depth coverage over at MTV Movies.) There are plenty more holiday-themed platters on the way, but "A Christmas Carol" is the biggest Christmas-related film to hit theaters this season.

But let's face it: Today is November 6, a full 49 days before Santa Claus comes down the chimney. There's no shame in not feeling any yuletide cheer yet, as we're still a few weeks from Thanksgiving. But maybe you never miss a Jim Carrey movie, or perhaps you want to support Zemeckis so that he has enough success to make a "Roger Rabbit" sequel. If that's the case, then we've got you covered, because there's plenty of Christmas music from some of your favorite stars.

Holiday music has crossed over into pop since the invention of radio, but now just about any pop star worth his or her salt puts out a holiday album at some point. This season, David Archuleta and Bob Dylan have both dropped Christmas albums, and there's a whole heaping back catalog of stuff you could work through no matter what your musical preference is. A fan of Beyoncé? Check out Destiny's Child's "8 Days of Christmas." Do you prefer psychedelic indie rock? The Flaming Lips' "Christmas at the Zoo" is probably for you. Want a little gallows humor with your gingerbread? Enjoy Weird Al" Yankovic's "Christmas at Ground Zero." Or if you just want to rock out, check out the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl blasting out "Fairytale of New York," probably the best Christmas song ever written.

But if you want to start simple, star with Mariah Carey, whose "All I Want for Christmas is You" has quickly become a holiday standard. Be sure to stay tuned for the rest of the video playlist for a treat at the end!

It's been three years since Christina Aguilera put out an album, though she'll still be putting in a lot of time on radio starting this week. Aguilera is launching a 24-hour terrestrial radio channel that will be distributed by Clear Channel. The singer plans to fill time with interviews, news, personal commentary and her favorite songs. She joins Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh and Weezer as contributors to A.P.E. (Artist Personal Experience) Radio.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Aguilera even teased that she might be debuting new music on the station. "I'm really, really excited to release some of my new music," she said. "This is actually a great way to let my fans hear a little sneak preview." She also added that her song choices would be eclectic, dropping the names A Tribe Called Quest, the Beatles, Björk, Black Sabbath and Jay-Z into the conversation.

Aguilera isn't lacking things to do — in addition to the radio show and the upcoming album, she's landed a role in a movie musical called "Burlesque" and also has a one-year-old son.

When you put her up against her former "Mickey Mouse Club" colleagues, where does Aguilera rank? Probably behind Timberlake but slightly ahead of Britney, right?

By Garth Bardsley

Election '08 marked a dark day for gay rights. Since several states passed ballot initiatives limiting the rights of same-sex couples — including Proposition 8 in California — protests have erupted from coast to coast. Celebrities have been quite vocal about the issue, from Christina Aguilera telling MTV News, "I think [Prop 8] is discrimination," to Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy saying, "It's interesting how forward-thinking we come off by electing Barack Obama, but then how in the dark we still are by voting 'yes' on Prop 8." Pete Wentz, Whoopi Goldberg, Keith Olbermann and even Spencer Pratt have all weighed in on the issue.

The effect that the large African-American voter turnout in California had on the passing of Proposition 8 continues to be debated throughout the media. A report from The Associated Press states that seven in 10 black voters in California supported the prop, along with 52 percent of Latinos. Other reporters and bloggers have been more reticent to indict any one racial group, saying the divide was more generational. The Web site FiveThirtyEight writes, "If nobody over the age of 65 had voted, Prop 8 would have failed by a vote or two."
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By now, you're probably aware that the new Christina Aguilera bares a startling resemblance to the new "next big thing in electro-pop," Lady Gaga (a.k.a. "You know, that one girl ... the blond one ... no, not Robyn. I think she's foreign or something. No, not Peaches. No, not DJ Rap either"). And you were probably aware of this without even knowing who Lady Gaga was. Such is the power of the Interweb.

But in the rare case that you are positively, totally mystified by all the chatter, well, there's a side-by-side comparison in the right corner of this story: a promo photo of Gaga is on the left, a still from Xtina's 2008 VMA performance on the right. As you can see, there's plenty that's similar between the two — the bangs, the long blond hair and, of course, the penchant for lightning bolts drawn on or near the eyes. The fact that Gaga has been rocking this look for longer than Aguilera has plenty of folks in the blogosphere up in arms, primarily because they have nothing better to do with their time.
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See Christina in a shiny black catsuit astride a motorcycle, doing splits and aiming her wicked looking laser pistol! See Christina in a minidress riding her bicycle through a field of flowers! See Christina in a blue wig speeding through a futurescape in her "Speed Racer" mobile! And see Christina control all her alter egos with a wave of her bejeweled finger from a badass-looking control room somewhere in Fetish Mountain. It's all there for you in her new video, "Keeps Gettin' Better," which debuted on iLike on Monday.

Read more about Christina's new video here.

What do you think of her new looks?

With autumn upon us, there are many things to look forward to: changing leaves, cooler weather, fun-size Halloween candy and, most importantly, huge album releases from some of music's heaviest hitters. It all shifts into gear Tuesday, when T.I. drops Paper Trail — and although it was leaked two weeks prior to its release, the album is riding high off the lead single "Whatever You Like."

Pink is preparing for her big comeback after her last two albums received a tepid response — and with her first #1 single, "So What?," already burning up the charts, Funhouse could bring Pink out of her slump.

Fall Out Boy's latest effort, Folie à Deux, hits stores November 4 — Election Day — kicking off a month full of big-name releases. Will fans swing by the record store on their way home from the polls? The Citizens For Our Betterment certainly hope so!

Christina Aguilera, T-Pain and Ludacris will have a three-way battle for chart supremacy November 11. Christina is releasing her first greatest-hits album, Keeps Gettin' Better — A Decade of Hits, while T-Pain's Thr33 Ringz and Ludacris' Theater of the Mind work to beat out classic favorites from the blond bombshell.

Speaking of bombshells, Beyoncé releases her yet-untitled album November 18. It's being reported that she's working with everyone from Justin Timberlake to Timbaland on the album. No word yet if she will collaborate with her hubby Jay-Z.

The Killers' latest effort, Day and Age, drops November 24, and the Las Vegas natives are hoping to hit the chart jackpot.

Considering what Britney has been through these past couple of years, it's no surprise she named her new album Circus. The record arrives in stores December 2, and the newly minted VMA champ could finally be ready to regain the pop-queen crown.

The year ends in a battle royale between 50 Cent (who releases Before I Self Destruct on December 9) and Kanye West (whose 808s and Heartbreak comes out December 16). Once again, the two MCs are — almost — going head-to-head. Last year, Kanye reigned supreme. So could 2008 be 50's year?

· After a months-long standoff, the cast of "The Simpsons" has reached an agreement with the show's producers. As part of the four-year deal, the main actors will each make nearly $400,000 an episode.

· High winds blew a piece of lighting equipment into a Ferris wheel on the set of the upcoming "Hannah Montana" movie. None of the lead actors were on set at the time, but several extras were treated for injuries.

· Long Island hair-metal act Twisted Sister's 2006 LP A Twisted Christmas will get the Broadway treatment when it hits the stage this December.

· MGMT, Gnarls Barkley and Justice have been tapped for the 2008 SoCo Music Experience tour, which kicks off June 28 in Denver. The lineup also includes Blonde Redhead, Bassnectar, Dead Confederate, Eagle Seagull, the Black Keys, Kinky and Saul Williams.

· Christina Aguilera may be rich, famous and beloved, but she's really just a normal gal: The singer hosted a "Sex and the City" party in West Hollywood over the weekend.