Simon Cowell will be surrounded by women when THE X FACTOR returns for its third season this fall on FOX. Grammy Award-winning artist Kelly Rowland and international pop star Paulina Rubio join him and Demi Lovato as judges on the hit singing competition series. Simon Cowell said today,

“It’s taken more than a decade, but I’m delighted to finally be on a panel with three girls (I think!). Paulina and Kelly both have great taste and massive experience in the music industry and together with Demi, this is going to be a fun panel. It just feels like the time to do something different.”“I am very excited to be reuniting with Simon Cowell and THE X FACTOR family,” said Rowland. “It feels great to be able to take this journey here at home in the states!”“I love THE X FACTOR! I can’t wait to find the next big music star here in America,” added Rubio. “I’m so thrilled to be part of the show as a judge. Simon, be careful what you wish for, let’s see if you are ready to handle me, empieza la fiesta, amigo!”

A pop star since the age of 16, Kelly Rowland grew up in the spotlight as a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling groups of all time. Her powerful voice was a key ingredient in the group’s awe-inspiring list of chart-toppers and dance floor smashes, including four No. 1 singles in the U.S. and more than 60 million albums sold worldwide. The group received 14 Grammy Award nominations, and won three times, including Best R&B Song in 2001 for “Say My Name.” As a solo artist, Rowland has released three successful studio albums – “Simply Deep,” “Ms. Kelly” and “Here I Am” – selling more than five million records. Rowland’s first forays as a soloist contributed to the 2002 Grammy Award-winning song, “Dilemma (with Nelly),” and have been further evidenced by her gold and platinum solo albums. Her upcoming album, “Talk a Good Game,” will be released June 18. Rowland served as a judge on the eighth season of the U.K. version of “The X Factor.”

There won’t be many lazy summer days on Demi Lovato’s schedule this year. The singer has a jam-packed season ahead that includes filming the next season of “X Factor,” some concerts and promoting her new album, Demi. But she’s got something else on her calendar, though, and it has nothing to do with music.

“Actually, this summer I have to get my tonsils out,” Lovato revealed during her “Live From MTV” special, explaining that the surgery would probably keep her from going on tour, not to mention her commitment to the Fox singing show. She added, “I’m not sure if this year is the best opportunity to [tour] because ‘X Factor’ keeps me so busy.”

As for having those tonsils removed, Demi boasted she was taking a bad-ass approach: “I’m gonna do it without painkillers, though, ’cause I’m a boss. I say that now!” With live gigs still planned here and there, fans can catch Demi belting songs from her new LP, but don’t expect to hear one of the more emotional tunes on it, especially the deeply personal ballad “Shouldn’t Come Back.”

“I was just sobbing because it was just built-up emotion that I was finally getting to release in music,” Lovato said of recording the track. “And there was a turning point in the song originally about one thing and then … I was like, ‘I want to try something new,’ and kind of … freestyled the lyrics. And I just changed the song completely, and my producers in the studio were like, ‘Whoa, it just got heavy.’ “

So heavy that Demi said she can’t bring herself to sing it in front of fans … at least not yet. “With those songs, I don’t know if I will perform them onstage. To be in front of an audience and be that vulnerable, I don’t know if I can do it. … But I may have to and I may have to get over it and realize that I let the world in on this certain topic and here we go.”

Demi Lovato’s fourth studio effort, “Demi,” is aiming for a No. 3 bow. According to industry sources, the albums are projected to sell about 120,000 and 110,000, respectively, by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, May 19. The new Billboard 200 chart’s top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, May 22.

Switching gears to Demi Lovato, her new “Demi” set may sell around 110,000 — possibly her best sales week yet. She’ll likely settle for a No. 3 start behind Vampire Weekend and George Strait, however. Lovato’s last album, 2011′s “Unbroken,” started at No. 4 with 96,000. She previously opened at No. 1 with her sophomore set, “Here We Go Again,” in 2009 (108,000 in its debut). Her first album, 2008′s “Don’t Forget,” debuted and peaked at No. 2 off an 89,000 launch.

On SoundScan’s Building chart (below), Lovato is No. 1 while Vampire Weekend is No. 2. The Building tally is a precursor to the final Billboard 200 ranking — reflecting the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan’s tracking week as reported by six major merchants. While it appears that Lovato — at least by the Building Chart’s ranking — as the lead over Vampire Weekend, that will change over the weekend, and on the official Billboard 200 chart next week.

And then there were two. Right now, Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell are the only two folks sitting on the “X Factor” judges table after both L.A. Reid and Britney Spears parted ways with the series. So, what’s next? Well, Lovato, who is stopping by the MTV Newsroom on Tuesday for an MTV.com live stream at 3 p.m. ET, dished that there are some A-list acts in the running to join the show. Simon has even reached out to Demi for ideas. “Yes! He has! I’ll like text him and be like ‘I have a crazy idea!’ And he’s like ‘Who? Talk to me!’ And I’ll like call him or whatever and we’ll talk,” she told MTV News on Monday (May 13) at the Fox upfront presentation. “I’m not letting you know any of them. You’ll find out soon enough. We have to make a decision soon.”

As it turns out, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the names being tossed around. She added, “Simon is like ‘Anything is possible.’ Last year we had Britney Spears. That was incredible.”

While Spears won’t be back for more “X Factor” fun for the show’s third season, her mentoring was felt by more than just the contestants before her departure. “What I learned from Britney is that you don’t have to change. Her family, we laughed several times, ’cause our families are so similar. Our moms are super close now,” she revealed. “And our dads are really similar. She has this southern down-to-earth family. And she’s still a southern down-to-earth girl. I already knew that you don’t have to change in the industry, but even at her level of success being the icon that she is, it was really refreshing.”

Last Tuesday (May 7), Demi Lovato asked her 13 million Twitter followers, “What’s your favorite song off #DEMI??” Her fourth studio album, “Demi,” was to be released on May 14 through Hollywood Records, but the 20-year-old pop singer posted the full album online eight days earlier, and wanted to get some instant feedback. The question was retweeted 18,000 times, with responses ranging from the sassy synth flare-up “Fire Starter” to the yearning ballad “Nightingale” to “Heart Attack,” the album’s lead single, which currently sits at No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart.

“I actually wanted to see what everyone’s favorite was,” Lovato tells Billboard, “but there wasn’t one song that stood out as everyone’s favorite. A lot of the time the fans were like, ‘Oh, there’s too many good ones to name!’ And that was really cool… but I actually wanted to know what their favorite was.”

It’s a good problem for Lovato to have — two and a half years after withdrawing from a world tour to enter a treatment facility and confront “physical and emotional issues,” the singer has become one of the most in-demand young artists in pop music, thanks in part to a comeback album, 2011′s “Unbroken,” that spawned the radio smash “Give Your Heart a Break” and netted her a spot on the judges panel of the U.S. version of “The X Factor” last year. “Demi” is a more diverse album than “Unbroken” (read the Billboard track-by-track review here), expanding Lovato’s repertoire while keeping her powerful pipes front and center; it’s an album that carries a wealth of Top 40 offerings, and could very well continue the singer’s upward trajectory towards ubiquity.

Before “Demi’s” release, Lovato chatted with Billboard about idolizing vocal powerhouses, re-upping with “The X Factor” and why “Demi” captures who she is in a way that “Unbroken” did not.

Billboard: “Demi” is out this Tuesday. Are you the type of person that keeps a close eye on first-week album sales?

Lovato: I’m definitely the type of person that’s gonna be watching it and wanting it to do well, but I have to tell myself that music isn’t just coming out for a week — it’s about the long run. I’m putting this music out there to be around for a long time, so if it does well this next week, great, and if it doesn’t, whatever, because I’ll hopefully be around in this industry for a long time.

Wait, are those teen screams I hear off in the distance? The 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards must be just around the corner. The MMVAs flaunted a little early star power on Thursday evening by announcing child actress turned chart-topping pop starlet Demi Lovato as the host of the 2013 ceremonies, going down as usual at MuchMusic’s Queen West headquarters on Sunday, June 16, 2013.

The “Heart Attack” singer, currently serving as one of the judges on the U.S X-factor series, will perform on the MMVAs broadcast in addition to her duties as master of ceremonies. She’s also up against One Direction, PSY and Taylor Swift — along with “wild card” choices Pink, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis — in the running for Your Fave International Artist/Group of the Year, one of three fan-voted awards to be handed out on the show.

We’re definitely happy about this! We’ve been wanting for Demi to host the MMVAs for years now!!! Happy news!

Woohoo! Demi surprised her loyal fans by releasing the songs from her album ‘Demi’ a week early. Demi Lovato you are so good to your fans! That is a whole 8 days before she will release the album! Demi surprised her fans by having them tweet about new songs, and the more they tweeted, the more she released.

Listen here. The full album will be released on May 14.

What do YOU think ? Which one of Demi’s new songs do you like the most? Will you be getting it when it comes out on May 14?

Hey everyone! We were fortunate enough to get on a phone call with Demi Lovato yesterday to talk about her upcoming album release, as well as discuss her morals, struggles, and success. For only being 20 years old, her story is absolutely amazing. It’s beyond refreshing to see someone so successful spreading such a positive message. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome her into the Evolve movement.

E: Hey Demi! It’s great to have you with us for this feature. Thank you so much for finding the time. First off, let’s hear about you’re upcoming album release! What’s the story behind this record in a nutshell?
DL: Thanks for having me! But yes, my self titled album “DEMI” comes out on May 14th and is by FAR the best reflection of who I am as a person to date. I touch on some really heavy topics this time around, so I feel like this album is a definite step up for me musically and a great way to mature with my fans and open up to them about sides of me they’ve yet to meet.

E: Which song are you most excited for your fans to hear?
DL: The song that stands out to me that I think fans will absolutely LOVE is Nightingale. It’s one of my personal favorites on the album that has a really deep, personal meaning to me. Warrior is also one that I think fans will be in love with because I know I am… But I don’t want to give away too much!!

Demi Lovato is pleased treatment made her overhaul her social circle. The 20 year old star checked into a center in 2010 due to “physical and emotional issues”. She later admitted suffering from bulimia and self harming. She also turned to alcohol during her darkest times and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Looking back, Demi is amazed by how sucked in to celebrity life she had become.

“A couple of months before I went to treatment, I had a birthday party and there were a couple of hundred people there. It was full of people who I considered my closest friends,” she told Company magazine. “When I turned my phone on after being in rehab for three months, I expected lots of text messages and phone calls. I had four texts. That was a wake up call. I have severe trust issues but I try not to be jaded.”

Now the star has a select group of people she is close to and knows she can rely on. Although it was hard to realize she needed to make changes in her personal life, they have been for the better.

“I don’t have loads of friends. I used to, but then I realized, do any of them actually care? Now I have people who, if I break my leg in the middle of the night, they’ll come to the hospital with me,” she said. “Or they’ll answer the phone at 4 am if I need them.”

The former Disney star used to be close friends with Miley Cyrus and while they still talk, they don’t see each other much. The star has also dismissed claims she dated One Direction’s Niall Horan, insisting they were just friends. She can’t understand why people are so keen to discuss her personal life, or that of other stars.

“I don’t care about Taylor Swift’s love life. I don’t care about Harry Style’s love life,” she said. “I care about mine. I find it weird that people are so obsessed with other people’s love lives!”

The singer spills about who she looks up to and what it’s like to be a mentor. Demi has faced her fair share of criticism over the years, but she’s turning her experiences into something positive that she can pass on to younger girls. Through her partnership with Acuvue 1-Day, she gets to be a role model and mentor to teens who may be struggling with insecurities of their own. Read on for the singer’s get-confident tips and feel-great beauty advice.

How did you get involved with Acuvue 1-Day?
I heard that they were doing this incredible contest with teenagers, trying to help them achieve their dreams. I’m just such a firm believer in going after what you believe in, so I definitely wanted to be a part of it.

How did you envision your future when you were a young teen?
I always knew that I wanted to be in the spotlight as a musician or actress. I knew that this is what I wanted to do.

Who was your inspiration back then?
I really looked up to Shirley Temple and I thought that if she’s a superstar at five years old, I can do it, too! I’ve also really admired everyone from Kelly Clarkson to Christina Aguilera to Whitney Houston.

Here’s some backstage snaps to get you excited – there’s plenty more where these came from…

GALLERY LINKS:
Photoshoots > Backstages > Company 2013