Could Lauryn Hill be ready for her big comeback?

Hill's fans have been waiting for 13 years for the elusive performer to release the follow-up to her 1998 Grammy-winning solo offering, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

But save for a much-ballyhooed stop-and-start reunion with the Fugees and a leaked single, “Repercussions,” that managed to chart last year, she still hasn’t given what her legions of very patient fans have been pining for: an album.

She’s been nowhere near dormant over the years, though, often popping up at music festivals here and a string of dates there. But she often garners headlines for how long she makes the audience wait (one report said three hours late, with no opening act). Hill is taking things a bit more seriously, it seems, by announcing the dates for her “Moving Target: Extended Intimate Playdate Series.”

The series will kick off in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday and hit 12 cities across the country, including previously announced sets at this year’s Coachella Music and Arts Festival on April 15, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 7 and Miami’s Jazz in the Gardens Festival on March 19.

The “playdates,” as she is billing them, will afford Los Angeles fans that didn’t shell out the money for Coachella the opportunity to see her at the more intimate Club Nokia on April 18.

All things considered, the debut of a new Michael Jackson music video comes as a bit of a surprise.

Not because the King of Pop is no longer living -– we’ve come to terms with that -- but his first posthumous release, “Michael,” sorta came and went without much of an impact.

But his estate is pressing on with the video for the Teddy Riley produced “Hollywood Tonight,” the album’s second official single and one of its standout tracks.

In the video, which premiered Thursday, a young woman steps off a charter bus, suitcase in tow, ready to take on the big city. She moonlights as a waitress by day, a stripper by night, hits the audition circuit to no avail. Stop us if you've heard this story before.

Released in December, the album didn't leave a lasting impression on the hungry buyers ready to get their hands on anything Jackson-related –- or ever garner a wave of critical acclaim (we gave the album a middling two and a half stars). Though it debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 228,000 copies, its sales paled in comparison to the soundtrack to “This Is It,” which sold 890,000 copies in five weeks.

Much has been said about the transformations that producers would bring to the revamped season of “American Idol,” leaving purists to ask: Will it rejuvenate the aging show, or will the stream of tweaks flounder? 

One change that had the potential to make the most difference -- besides new judges, of course -- was the addition of some marquee music producers to help the contestants dress up theme nights. 

Viewers got the first taste of this when the 13 finalists took the stage Wednesday to tackle songs by their personal idols.

Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Universal Music Group's Interscope Geffen A&M Records and the competition’s in-house mentor, enlisted his own dream team of producers to rotate duties, including Polow Da Don, Rock Mafia, Rodney Jerkins, Don Was, Jim Jonsin, Ron Fair and “Tricky” Stewart –- and that was just for the first week (Timbaland and Alex Da Kid are also confirmed for the show as well).

The producers were each given a finalist and had a hand in arranging and producing his or her selected song, all under the watchful guise -- and often criticism -- of Iovine.

Phil Collins fully intends to quit  music –- just not for the reasons people may think.

After a barrage of headlines reporting his motivations for quitting -- some said it was the result of bad reviews, feeling unloved by fans and poor treatment by the press -- the British singer, drummer and actor took to his official website to clear the air.

Writing that he felt the media were  painting "a picture of me that is more than a little distorted," the 60-year-old said he was most confused that his retirement was such a major story, since he hadn’t “spoken to anybody in the press for a few months.”

Collins broke down his reasons for walking away from his more than four decade career, which includes multiplatinum success both as a solo artist and with Genesis, Grammy awards and an Academy Award for his music in the film "Tarzan."

After Thursday night's show, Pop & Hiss caught up with the 13 chosen "American Idol" finalists, who were immediately (and we mean immediately) thrust into the spotlight of flashing lights and eager reporters looking for a sound bite from America's new darlings at an after party thrown in their honor Thursday night at the Grove. 

Check out video interviews of them all. We chat about favorite artists, inspirations, who they'd love to cover if given the chance (Black Keys! Esperanza Spalding! Beyonce! Usher?) and if they think they have what it takes to walk away with the crown this year.

Lauren Alaina 

Hometown: Rossville, Ga.

Currently resides: Rossville, Ga.

Age: 16  

Related:

Idol Notes: Pop & Hiss lends an ear to the tunes that play out on "American Idol"

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video credit: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times

After Thursday night's show, Pop & Hiss caught up with the 13 chosen "American Idol" finalists, who were immediately (and we mean immediately) thrust into the spotlight of flashing lights and eager reporters looking for a sound bite from America's new darlings at an after party thrown in their honor Thursday night at the Grove. 

Check out video interviews of them all. We chat about favorite artists, inspirations, who they'd love to cover if given the chance (Black Keys! Esperanza Spalding! Beyonce! Usher?) and if they think they have what it takes to walk away with the crown this year.

James Durbin 

Hometown: Santa Cruz

Currently resides: Santa Cruz

Age: 22  

Related:

Idol Notes: Pop & Hiss lends an ear to the tunes that play out on "American Idol"

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video credit: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times

After Thursday night's show, Pop & Hiss caught up with the 13 chosen "American Idol" finalists, who were immediately (and we mean immediately) thrust into the spotlight of flashing lights and eager reporters looking for a sound bite from America's new darlings at an after party thrown in their honor Thursday night at the Grove. 

Check out video interviews of them all. We chat about favorite artists, inspirations, who they'd love to cover if given the chance (Black Keys! Esperanza Spalding! Beyonce! Usher?) and if they think they have what it takes to walk away with the crown this year.

Ashthon Jones 

Hometown: Valdosta, Ga.

Currently resides: Nashville

Age: 24  

Related:

Idol Notes: Pop & Hiss lends an ear to the tunes that play out on "American Idol"

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video credit: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times

After Thursday night's show, Pop & Hiss caught up with the 13 chosen "American Idol" finalists, who were immediately (and we mean immediately) thrust into the spotlight of flashing lights and eager reporters looking for a sound bite from America's new darlings at an after party thrown in their honor Thursday night at the Grove. 

Check out video interviews of them all. We chat about favorite artists, inspirations, who they'd love to cover if given the chance (Black Keys! Esperanza Spalding! Beyonce! Usher?) and if they think they have what it takes to walk away with the crown this year.

Jacob Lusk 

Hometown: Compton

Currently resides: Compton

Age: 23  

Related:

Idol Notes: Pop & Hiss lends an ear to the tunes that play out on "American Idol"

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video credit: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times

After Thursday night's show, Pop & Hiss caught up with the 13 chosen "American Idol" finalists, who were immediately (and we mean immediately) thrust into the spotlight of flashing lights and eager reporters looking for a sound bite from America's new darlings at an after party thrown in their honor Thursday night at the Grove. 

Check out video interviews of them all. We chat about favorite artists, inspirations, who they'd love to cover if given the chance (Black Keys! Esperanza Spalding! Beyonce! Usher?) and if they think they have what it takes to walk away with the crown this year.

Stefano Langone 

Hometown: Kent, Wash.

Currently resides: Kent, Wash.

Age: 21  

Related:

Idol Notes: Pop & Hiss lends an ear to the tunes that play out on "American Idol"

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video credit: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times

After Thursday night's show, Pop & Hiss caught up with the 13 chosen "American Idol" finalists, who were immediately (and we mean immediately) thrust into the spotlight of flashing lights and eager reporters looking for a sound bite from America's new darlings at an after party thrown in their honor Thursday night at the Grove. 

Check out video interviews of them all. We chat about favorite artists, inspirations, who they'd love to cover if given the chance (Black Keys! Esperanza Spalding! Beyonce! Usher?) and if they think they have what it takes to walk away with the crown this year.

Scotty McCreery 

Hometown: Garner, N.C.

Currently resides: Garner, N.C.

Age: 17   

Related:

Idol Notes: Pop & Hiss lends an ear to the tunes that play out on "American Idol"

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video credit: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times

After Thursday night's show, Pop & Hiss caught up with the 13 chosen "American Idol" finalists, who were immediately (and we mean immediately) thrust into the spotlight of flashing lights and eager reporters looking for a sound bite from America's new darlings at an after party thrown in their honor Thursday night at the Grove. 

Check out video interviews of them all. We chat about favorite artists, inspirations, who they'd love to cover if given the chance (Black Keys! Esperanza Spalding! Beyonce! Usher?) and if they think they have what it takes to walk away with the crown this year.

Paul McDonald 

Hometown: Huntsville, Ala.

Currently resides: Nashville

Age: 26 

Related:

Idol Notes: Pop & Hiss lends an ear to the tunes that play out on "American Idol"

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video credit: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times

After Thursday night's show, Pop & Hiss caught up with the 13 chosen "American Idol" finalists, who were immediately (and we mean immediately) thrust into the spotlight of flashing lights and eager reporters looking for a sound bite from America's new darlings at an after party thrown in their honor Thursday night at the Grove. 

Check out video interviews of them all. We chat about favorite artists, inspirations, who they'd love to cover if given the chance (Black Keys! Esperanza Spalding! Beyonce! Usher?) and if they think they have what it takes to walk away with the crown this year.

Naima Adedapo 

Hometown: Milwaukee, Wis.

Currently resides: Milwaukee, Wis.

Age: 26  

Related:

Idol Notes: Pop & Hiss lends an ear to the tunes that play out on "American Idol"

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video credit: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times