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Friday, December 31, 2010
Lindsay Lohan's Family Threatens To Sue Over 'Dogs In Pocketbooks'
Mom Dina Lohan says the family has 'a very strong case' against satirical film.By Terri Schwartz
Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images
It took less than a day for reps from the Lohan family to speak out against Charles Casillo's latest film, "Dogs in Pocketbooks." The screenplay was written as a satire of Lindsay Lohan's life, though Casillo was emphatic that the film was "in no way mean-spirited toward Lindsay," adding, "It's the kind of thing she has spoofed about herself in the past."
But the Lohan family has been notoriously sensitive about anything that makes a mockery of Lindsay, most recently seen when they sued E-Trade for $100 million because of an ad that was modeled after her and ran during the Super Bowl.
Dina Lohan, Lindsay's mother, spoke with TMZ and said the family is considering legal action against Casillo. She said the new movie is "definitely based on Lindsay's likeness" (something Casillo did not try to hide when the film was announced Monday) and that the family has "a very strong case. It's shadowing E-Trade."
The Lohan family has already contacted their lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, who told TMZ she thinks they have a case against the film. "They are again using [Lindsay's] likeness without her being compensated," the lawyer said. "Not only that, but they are advertising the fact they are using her likeness. Anyone bringing negativity will be dealt with accordingly."
When TMZ contacted Casillo for comment, he backpedaled and said that allegations that the movie is based on Lindsay are "totally blown out of proportion." He argued that the character is a composite of many young Hollywood starlets, including Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow.
"Dogs in Pocketbooks" follows a "bratty movie goddess in and out of rehab, in trouble with the law, and hounded by greedy agents, predatory paparazzi, off-the-wall stalkers and crazed media." The title is an obvious reference to the trend Hilton started by carrying around her teacup Chihuahua in her purse, but the rest of the character description sounds markedly similar to Lohan.
On Monday, it was announced that model and heiress Lydia Hearst Shaw would play the lead, with Joan Collins cast as her agent. Casillo said of Hearst Shaw, "She's one of the few supermodels who can actually act. She's smart, well-read, charming and very beautiful. We looked at a lot of actresses for this role, and I was really knocked out."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more -- updated around the clock -- visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Artists
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images
It took less than a day for reps from the Lohan family to speak out against Charles Casillo's latest film, "Dogs in Pocketbooks." The screenplay was written as a satire of Lindsay Lohan's life, though Casillo was emphatic that the film was "in no way mean-spirited toward Lindsay," adding, "It's the kind of thing she has spoofed about herself in the past."
But the Lohan family has been notoriously sensitive about anything that makes a mockery of Lindsay, most recently seen when they sued E-Trade for $100 million because of an ad that was modeled after her and ran during the Super Bowl.
Dina Lohan, Lindsay's mother, spoke with TMZ and said the family is considering legal action against Casillo. She said the new movie is "definitely based on Lindsay's likeness" (something Casillo did not try to hide when the film was announced Monday) and that the family has "a very strong case. It's shadowing E-Trade."
The Lohan family has already contacted their lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, who told TMZ she thinks they have a case against the film. "They are again using [Lindsay's] likeness without her being compensated," the lawyer said. "Not only that, but they are advertising the fact they are using her likeness. Anyone bringing negativity will be dealt with accordingly."
When TMZ contacted Casillo for comment, he backpedaled and said that allegations that the movie is based on Lindsay are "totally blown out of proportion." He argued that the character is a composite of many young Hollywood starlets, including Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow.
"Dogs in Pocketbooks" follows a "bratty movie goddess in and out of rehab, in trouble with the law, and hounded by greedy agents, predatory paparazzi, off-the-wall stalkers and crazed media." The title is an obvious reference to the trend Hilton started by carrying around her teacup Chihuahua in her purse, but the rest of the character description sounds markedly similar to Lohan.
On Monday, it was announced that model and heiress Lydia Hearst Shaw would play the lead, with Joan Collins cast as her agent. Casillo said of Hearst Shaw, "She's one of the few supermodels who can actually act. She's smart, well-read, charming and very beautiful. We looked at a lot of actresses for this role, and I was really knocked out."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more -- updated around the clock -- visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Jeff Bridges Heaps Praise On 'True Grit' Co-Star Hailee Steinfeld
Bridges calls the 14-year-old actress' performance 'remarkable.'By Terri Schwartz
Jeff Bridges
Photo: MTV News
With the Coen brothers' "True Grit" making its way into theaters this week, all eyes likely will be turning to newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, who plays the film's young leading lady, Mattie Ross. In her first major role, the 14-year-old actress ultimately has to carry the first portion of the movie, and her performance has been garnering some serious buzz during this awards season. When MTV News caught up with Steinfeld's co-star Jeff Bridges while he was promoting "True Grit," he said he was impressed by the intensity of her performance while they were filming on set.
"What a tough, challenging role for a seasoned actor. All that dialogue, kind of tricky way of speaking. Thirteen-year-old girl, never been in a movie, and she comes up with that performance," Bridges gushed. "Isn't that remarkable?"
Steinfeld found herself surrounded by a full cast and crew of cinema veterans. The Coen brothers won an Oscar for directing 2008's "No Country for Old Men" and have been nominated two other times, Bridges took home a Best Actor Oscar for his role in last year's "Crazy Heart," and Matt Damon and Josh Brolin both have received Academy Award nods in acting categories in the past. But Bridges said Steinfeld didn't need any acting tips from himself or any of the other castmembers.
"I might have slipped out a tip once or twice, and I always regret when I would do that. It's almost like a reflex action — you can't help but put yourself into the other actor's position sometimes," he explained. "I always appreciate a tip from some guy, one of the other players, but no, I let her run free. The brothers directed her beautifully."
With all the buzz Steinfeld has been getting for her "True Grit"
performance, she now is one of the main actresses being looked at to play another strong female character: Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games." When Steinfeld spoke with MTV recently while promoting "True Grit," she said it "would definitely be an honor" to even be considered for the Katniss role.
"I didn't even realize that people were mentioning my name," she said. "It's every actor's dream to be recognized for something that they love to do, and to get recognized for that is pretty amazing. I thank the people out there who think that."
Check out everything we've got on "True Grit."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Jeff Bridges
Photo: MTV News
With the Coen brothers' "True Grit" making its way into theaters this week, all eyes likely will be turning to newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, who plays the film's young leading lady, Mattie Ross. In her first major role, the 14-year-old actress ultimately has to carry the first portion of the movie, and her performance has been garnering some serious buzz during this awards season. When MTV News caught up with Steinfeld's co-star Jeff Bridges while he was promoting "True Grit," he said he was impressed by the intensity of her performance while they were filming on set.
"What a tough, challenging role for a seasoned actor. All that dialogue, kind of tricky way of speaking. Thirteen-year-old girl, never been in a movie, and she comes up with that performance," Bridges gushed. "Isn't that remarkable?"
Steinfeld found herself surrounded by a full cast and crew of cinema veterans. The Coen brothers won an Oscar for directing 2008's "No Country for Old Men" and have been nominated two other times, Bridges took home a Best Actor Oscar for his role in last year's "Crazy Heart," and Matt Damon and Josh Brolin both have received Academy Award nods in acting categories in the past. But Bridges said Steinfeld didn't need any acting tips from himself or any of the other castmembers.
"I might have slipped out a tip once or twice, and I always regret when I would do that. It's almost like a reflex action — you can't help but put yourself into the other actor's position sometimes," he explained. "I always appreciate a tip from some guy, one of the other players, but no, I let her run free. The brothers directed her beautifully."
With all the buzz Steinfeld has been getting for her "True Grit"
performance, she now is one of the main actresses being looked at to play another strong female character: Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games." When Steinfeld spoke with MTV recently while promoting "True Grit," she said it "would definitely be an honor" to even be considered for the Katniss role.
"I didn't even realize that people were mentioning my name," she said. "It's every actor's dream to be recognized for something that they love to do, and to get recognized for that is pretty amazing. I thank the people out there who think that."
Check out everything we've got on "True Grit."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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'True Grit' Clips
MTV Rough Cut: 'True Grit'
Stephen Dorff Says Jack Nicholson Will Love 'Somewhere'
'I think he'll identify with it so much,' Dorff says about his friend and onetime co-star.By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Stephen Dorff
Photo: MTV News
Ever since they shared screen time in the 1997 heist flick "Blood and Wine," actors Stephen Dorff and Jack Nicholson have remained close friends. Their relationship may not necessarily be "bromance" territory, but it's close enough that Dorff has shared his career ups and downs with the Oscar winner, and asked for his advice over the years. When MTV News caught up with Dorff recently to talk about his critically acclaimed new film "Somewhere" — a role that he called the most challenging of his career — he said he thinks the flick is one Nicholson will really enjoy.
"I think he's going to really love this movie because to me it's a film that isn't made anymore today," Dorff explained. "It's such a character piece and I think he'll identify with it so much.
Dorff revealed that he already got a big thumbs-up from Nicholson after "Somewhere" took home the top prize at Italy's Venice Film Festival in September.
"After we won Venice, I remember telling him how excited I was," he recalled. "And he's like, 'Way to go, Dorff!' "
We then brought up the fact that Nicholson has taken several actors under his wing over the years — pointing out to Dorff that the Hollywood legend had taken an interest in "Mad Men" actress January Jones when she was first starting out.
"Well, he takes an interest in a lot of women, let's be honest," Dorff responded with a chuckle. "He definitely took me under his wing. I think it's rare for Jack to take a young guy under his wing — he's not hanging out with too many guys.
"He did do that with Sean Penn and he's definitely given me great advice over the years," Dorff added. "I always feel like I have him as a friend and he'll show up if he can. And he's always been my favorite actor, so for me, he's a friend, and it's nice to get a little starstruck still. It keeps me remembering who I am and where I am, and Jack's still somebody that makes me a little nervous."
If Dorff has his way, he and his buddy Jack will take their friendship to the big screen via a comedy the younger actor is hoping to make with Adam Sandler's production company.
"It's a very funny comedy idea for me and him set in the South of France," Dorff told the UK's Independent newspaper last month. "We're not in script form yet but I wrote the treatment and they've already bought it so as soon as I get a break from working, I'll turn that into a script and I'll go and tell Jack. ... And I'll get Sony to give him his $15 million and then we'll go and make the movie — because he likes money."
Check out everything we've got on "Somewhere."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Stephen Dorff
Photo: MTV News
Ever since they shared screen time in the 1997 heist flick "Blood and Wine," actors Stephen Dorff and Jack Nicholson have remained close friends. Their relationship may not necessarily be "bromance" territory, but it's close enough that Dorff has shared his career ups and downs with the Oscar winner, and asked for his advice over the years. When MTV News caught up with Dorff recently to talk about his critically acclaimed new film "Somewhere" — a role that he called the most challenging of his career — he said he thinks the flick is one Nicholson will really enjoy.
"I think he's going to really love this movie because to me it's a film that isn't made anymore today," Dorff explained. "It's such a character piece and I think he'll identify with it so much.
Dorff revealed that he already got a big thumbs-up from Nicholson after "Somewhere" took home the top prize at Italy's Venice Film Festival in September.
"After we won Venice, I remember telling him how excited I was," he recalled. "And he's like, 'Way to go, Dorff!' "
We then brought up the fact that Nicholson has taken several actors under his wing over the years — pointing out to Dorff that the Hollywood legend had taken an interest in "Mad Men" actress January Jones when she was first starting out.
"Well, he takes an interest in a lot of women, let's be honest," Dorff responded with a chuckle. "He definitely took me under his wing. I think it's rare for Jack to take a young guy under his wing — he's not hanging out with too many guys.
"He did do that with Sean Penn and he's definitely given me great advice over the years," Dorff added. "I always feel like I have him as a friend and he'll show up if he can. And he's always been my favorite actor, so for me, he's a friend, and it's nice to get a little starstruck still. It keeps me remembering who I am and where I am, and Jack's still somebody that makes me a little nervous."
If Dorff has his way, he and his buddy Jack will take their friendship to the big screen via a comedy the younger actor is hoping to make with Adam Sandler's production company.
"It's a very funny comedy idea for me and him set in the South of France," Dorff told the UK's Independent newspaper last month. "We're not in script form yet but I wrote the treatment and they've already bought it so as soon as I get a break from working, I'll turn that into a script and I'll go and tell Jack. ... And I'll get Sony to give him his $15 million and then we'll go and make the movie — because he likes money."
Check out everything we've got on "Somewhere."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Mía Maestro Michael Michele Michelle Behennah Michelle Branch
Is T-Pain Signing To Young Money?
According to a jeweler who just crafted a Nappy Boy/ Young Money piece, T-Pain is heading to the hitmaking crew.By Mawuse Ziegbe
T-Pain
Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Will the king of Auto-Tune soon rock some Young Money-approved jewels? Judging by the footage of some bling that recently hit the Web, T-Pain may be the newest member of Wayne's crew.
In a video that surfaced online Thursday (December 30), jeweler Gabriel Jacobs, who has created rock-laden pieces for Birdman, 50 Cent and more, shows off a hefty ruby-and-black-diamond-studded piece in the shape of the New York Yankees-inspired Young Money logo that also features what appear to be tiny Nappy Boy insignias (the mark of Pain's label) along the sides. Jacobs says in the clip that he crafted the king-size ice, which he says costs about $40,000 alone and almost $100,000 with the chain, because Pain is signing with Weezy's camp.
A rep for T-Pain did not respond to MTV News' request for comment at press time.
A T-Pain move to Young Money would continue the Auto-Tune crooner's longstanding musical relationship with Weezy. Wayne and T-Pain have already charted together with collabos like Weezy's Tha Carter III single "Got Money" and Pain's Thr33 Ringz cut "Can't Believe It," which both dropped in 2008. The dreadlocked duo have also maintained that they plan to put out a joint album, an effort Pain told MTV News in March was temporarily thwarted by Weezy's eight-month prison bid.
"The T-Wayne album, we're actually gonna wait until he gets out," Pain said about Weezy's jail time. "He has so much going on. He has Rebirth out right now. I don't wanna interrupt that. We just gonna wait until he gets out to really get in on that. We recorded a bunch of songs. But, right now, it's time for him and his personal sh--. We definitely got an album's worth of material, but it's only an album's worth. It's nothing to pick from. We just got an album. We can put out whatever we feel like and say, 'Hey, this is T-Wayne's album,' or we can actually try to make it good. Like we're actually trying to make an album and say, 'This is the good T-Wayne album.' Rather than just record 12 songs and say, 'Here you go, mutha----as! I know you want it. You gonna buy it anyway, just 'cause you think it's good.' "
For Wayne's part, the MC has said that the collabo-friendly stars "both have the same energy" when he explained their similarities to MTV News in 2008.
"I don't sleep. If you ask anybody, I don't sleep. I think it's the cousin of death. As much as you sleep, you're impersonating death to me. He don't sleep. I play all day. He plays all day and all night. The connection is crazy," he said. "He loves to be creative, he loves to work; I love to create, I love to work. He really wants people to respect his rapping; I really want people to respect my harmonizing."
Do you think T-Pain should sign with Young Money? Let us know in the comments!
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T-Pain
Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Will the king of Auto-Tune soon rock some Young Money-approved jewels? Judging by the footage of some bling that recently hit the Web, T-Pain may be the newest member of Wayne's crew.
In a video that surfaced online Thursday (December 30), jeweler Gabriel Jacobs, who has created rock-laden pieces for Birdman, 50 Cent and more, shows off a hefty ruby-and-black-diamond-studded piece in the shape of the New York Yankees-inspired Young Money logo that also features what appear to be tiny Nappy Boy insignias (the mark of Pain's label) along the sides. Jacobs says in the clip that he crafted the king-size ice, which he says costs about $40,000 alone and almost $100,000 with the chain, because Pain is signing with Weezy's camp.
A rep for T-Pain did not respond to MTV News' request for comment at press time.
A T-Pain move to Young Money would continue the Auto-Tune crooner's longstanding musical relationship with Weezy. Wayne and T-Pain have already charted together with collabos like Weezy's Tha Carter III single "Got Money" and Pain's Thr33 Ringz cut "Can't Believe It," which both dropped in 2008. The dreadlocked duo have also maintained that they plan to put out a joint album, an effort Pain told MTV News in March was temporarily thwarted by Weezy's eight-month prison bid.
"The T-Wayne album, we're actually gonna wait until he gets out," Pain said about Weezy's jail time. "He has so much going on. He has Rebirth out right now. I don't wanna interrupt that. We just gonna wait until he gets out to really get in on that. We recorded a bunch of songs. But, right now, it's time for him and his personal sh--. We definitely got an album's worth of material, but it's only an album's worth. It's nothing to pick from. We just got an album. We can put out whatever we feel like and say, 'Hey, this is T-Wayne's album,' or we can actually try to make it good. Like we're actually trying to make an album and say, 'This is the good T-Wayne album.' Rather than just record 12 songs and say, 'Here you go, mutha----as! I know you want it. You gonna buy it anyway, just 'cause you think it's good.' "
For Wayne's part, the MC has said that the collabo-friendly stars "both have the same energy" when he explained their similarities to MTV News in 2008.
"I don't sleep. If you ask anybody, I don't sleep. I think it's the cousin of death. As much as you sleep, you're impersonating death to me. He don't sleep. I play all day. He plays all day and all night. The connection is crazy," he said. "He loves to be creative, he loves to work; I love to create, I love to work. He really wants people to respect his rapping; I really want people to respect my harmonizing."
Do you think T-Pain should sign with Young Money? Let us know in the comments!
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Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
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Cher Recalls VMA Meeting With Justin Bieber
'I felt like I should cover up before I take a picture with this baby,' pop legend says of meeting Bieber while wearing racy '80s outfit.By Jocelyn Vena
Cher at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Cher turned heads at the VMAs back in September when she proudly showed up in the same barely there outfit she wore for her 1989 "If I Could Turn Back Time" video. However, the 64-year-old pop icon admits that she began feeling a bit inappropriately dressed when she was introduced to Justin Bieber that evening.
"I thought, 'I'll do myself in a decade', and that [body stocking] was the closest thing I had. And then someone said, 'Will you take a picture with Justin Bieber,' and I said, 'Sure', not knowing who he was," she recently recalled to British talk-show host Graham Norton. "And then this child, who came up to here [my chest], and I felt like I should cover up before I take a picture with this baby."
Of course, Bieber wasn't the only up-and-coming star Cher had the pleasure of meeting that night. She also had the honor of holding Lady Gaga's meat purse when the latter singer took the stage to accept a Moonman in the now-infamous meat dress.
"Well, I wear that every night in Las Vegas, so I just whipped it out," Cher said recently to MTV News of her scanty VMA getup. "I didn't have time to think of, like, getting a costume. So I had it and thought it would just be fun to just take off on myself, not knowing I was going to be handling the meat purse.
"But, you know, there's those moments you just remember [forever]," she added. " 'Here, Cher, will you hold my meat purse?' "
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Cher at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Cher turned heads at the VMAs back in September when she proudly showed up in the same barely there outfit she wore for her 1989 "If I Could Turn Back Time" video. However, the 64-year-old pop icon admits that she began feeling a bit inappropriately dressed when she was introduced to Justin Bieber that evening.
"I thought, 'I'll do myself in a decade', and that [body stocking] was the closest thing I had. And then someone said, 'Will you take a picture with Justin Bieber,' and I said, 'Sure', not knowing who he was," she recently recalled to British talk-show host Graham Norton. "And then this child, who came up to here [my chest], and I felt like I should cover up before I take a picture with this baby."
Of course, Bieber wasn't the only up-and-coming star Cher had the pleasure of meeting that night. She also had the honor of holding Lady Gaga's meat purse when the latter singer took the stage to accept a Moonman in the now-infamous meat dress.
"Well, I wear that every night in Las Vegas, so I just whipped it out," Cher said recently to MTV News of her scanty VMA getup. "I didn't have time to think of, like, getting a costume. So I had it and thought it would just be fun to just take off on myself, not knowing I was going to be handling the meat purse.
"But, you know, there's those moments you just remember [forever]," she added. " 'Here, Cher, will you hold my meat purse?' "
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Thursday, December 30, 2010
Britney Spears Set To Audition Dancers For Music Video
A Britney fansite reports that video will shoot in January.By Jocelyn Vena
Britney Spears
Photo: Eric Charbonneau/ Le Studio/ Wireimage
Although Britney Spears' next album isn't set for release until March, her fans can start gearing up for new music now.
According to a Spears fansite, BreatheHeavy.com, a notice about auditions for a new Britney video was sent out by her camp.
Tryouts will reportedly be held on Wednesday (December 22), and Spears is looking for male and female dancers to join her in the video for the single, which is set for a January release, according to the notice. "Hold It Against Me" is rumored to be the title of the song, though no details regarding the single or video have been confirmed.
"The dates for the project are still to be determined but it will be happening on either the 9th and 10th of January with rehearsals anytime after Xmas and leading up to those dates or on the 15th and 16th with rehearsals leading in after Xmas as well," the notice reads. "He is looking for men and women with fabulous bodies and faces. They must be versatile. This is not for the tour at this time or even promo. It is just for the video."
Spears' choreographer, Brian Freidman, hinted about the auditions on his Twitter. He has worked with the singer on videos for "Toxic" and "Me Against the Music." "Countdown... 2 days till that very special audition I am holding in LA. Very exciting!!!" he wrote on Monday.
On Tuesday he wrote, "Breaking my body choreographing for 2moros casting. Get ready! I'm makin y'all work for this gig! The start of a new era! Stretch!!! I must go 2 bed NOW! Have 2 B up in 6 hours! Everyone who's auditioning get some rest & dress 2 impress! I want STARS not classroom dancers!"
Are you eager to hear new music from Britney? Tell us in the comments!
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Britney Spears
Photo: Eric Charbonneau/ Le Studio/ Wireimage
Although Britney Spears' next album isn't set for release until March, her fans can start gearing up for new music now.
According to a Spears fansite, BreatheHeavy.com, a notice about auditions for a new Britney video was sent out by her camp.
Tryouts will reportedly be held on Wednesday (December 22), and Spears is looking for male and female dancers to join her in the video for the single, which is set for a January release, according to the notice. "Hold It Against Me" is rumored to be the title of the song, though no details regarding the single or video have been confirmed.
"The dates for the project are still to be determined but it will be happening on either the 9th and 10th of January with rehearsals anytime after Xmas and leading up to those dates or on the 15th and 16th with rehearsals leading in after Xmas as well," the notice reads. "He is looking for men and women with fabulous bodies and faces. They must be versatile. This is not for the tour at this time or even promo. It is just for the video."
Spears' choreographer, Brian Freidman, hinted about the auditions on his Twitter. He has worked with the singer on videos for "Toxic" and "Me Against the Music." "Countdown... 2 days till that very special audition I am holding in LA. Very exciting!!!" he wrote on Monday.
On Tuesday he wrote, "Breaking my body choreographing for 2moros casting. Get ready! I'm makin y'all work for this gig! The start of a new era! Stretch!!! I must go 2 bed NOW! Have 2 B up in 6 hours! Everyone who's auditioning get some rest & dress 2 impress! I want STARS not classroom dancers!"
Are you eager to hear new music from Britney? Tell us in the comments!
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Britney Spears - Womanizer
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Artist: Britney Spears
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Usher, Ke$ha And More Help Dance Music Go Pop In 2010
But is it here to stay? Our music-industry experts weigh in.By Akshay Bhansali
Ke$ha
Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images
In 2010, pop princesses, R&B icons and chart-dominating newcomers all danced to the same beat. Not only did dance music go pop, but pop music caught the club-music bug.
Between Katy Perry's "Firework," Ke$ha's "We R Who We R," Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)," Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It," Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "OMG" and countless other singles, established artists definitely looked to dance beats for surefire hits. And two of this year's biggest success stories in music were Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz; could there be a soul left in this country who hasn't heard "Dynamite" or "In My Head"?
The love went both ways, with dance music's biggest stars finding mainstream success this year. Dance-music maestro deadmau5 took up house-artist duties at this year's VMAs, and Swedish House Mafia and Usher teamed up for a medley of their gems at the American Music Awards.
So how did this happen? We caught up with some music-industry experts to get their takes.
"You definitely saw tempos go up this year," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times told MTV News. "And I think what you had are a lot of producers who are really familiar with nightclub stuff. They are familiar with Europe. Things are happening on a more global scale now."
"I think everything from Europe, and sometimes even Asia, it comes to America, and we just adopt things a little bit slower," said Jared Eng of JustJared.com. "I think it was just a change. People like different types of music at different times. And dance was of this moment."
Noah Callahan of Complex magazine added: "I think 2010 saw the merging of the pop and dance genres. Pop artists realized that there were best practices that could be borrowed from dance music. And, ultimately, [all] pop music that has been made in the past 20 years had ended up being remixed for the club by dance artists. I think they basically just cut out the middleman and went straight there."
Dance music being introduced into the hip-hop and R&B realms was particularly notable this year.
"I think David Guetta kind of at the end of last year and the beginning of this year spearheaded it," said freelance writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. "He produced a lot of tracks. I think as trends go, people revile 'unst-unst.' But it's just coming back around. Big-room techno was a way for people to get decadent in a year that no one could get decadent."
"You have someone like will.i.am, who's like, 'Well, I spent all this time in Ibiza, and this is what they are doing,' and he wants to find a way to bring that into his music," Caramanica said of the Black Eyed Peas mastermind. "R&B especially became dance music. And especially with your Jason Derülos, Taio Cruzes. Guys like that would have literally been blocked at the border two years ago. That would not have made it through customs. And now all of a sudden they have #1 songs. I think will.i.am had a lot to do with that last year."
Elliott Wilson of RapRadar.com added: "It's actually even affected hip-hop. I was talking to Q-Tip, and his next record, I feel like that's gonna kind of go in that vein. I know that was also Jay-Z's thought process with Blueprint 3 at first, that he wanted to make a little bit more of a world music [vibe], a little more dancey. I think the kids today want to go to the clubs. They wanna have a good time. They wanna dance. So I think the artists of today are trying to kind of feed that audience."
"I think it's caught on this year because the people who've done it have been successful," offered Clover Hope of Vibe magazine. "Like 'OMG,' with usher, he didn't have success until he made a dance record. He had 'There Goes My Baby' and these really, like, adult-contemporary records that didn't really catch on. And then once you see that everybody is doing it and that people are liking it, they are like, 'OK, let me just try this out.' It's like Auto-Tune. Like, 'Let me see what I sound like on a record by David Guetta.' They end up liking it and doing more of it."
So does the club-music trend have staying power. According to our tastemakers, not so much.
"I do think it's a blip," Caramanica said. "I don't think that's gonna be something that lasts in America. I think this is gonna be a moment we'll all look back on and go, 'Wasn't that weird when Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz had #1 records?"
"At some point, these R&B artists will get kind of sick of it and be like, 'Let me go back to my soul background,' " Hope said. "When you actually have to say something, dance doesn't really lend itself to substance. And I think that R&B artists, they really want to talk about love and in a deep way, and to do that, you need to do, like, a soul or a traditional R&B record. I want to say that it's kind of a fad."
"I think music is very cyclical," Eng offered. "So I think dance music might be here for a little bit, but I'm sure it will phase out at some point."
Wilson called dance music "the sound of today. I think that people want more aggressive, faster beats, and I think that that probably has legs until at least next summer."
What do you think? Is dance music here to stay? Let us know in the comments!
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Ke$ha
Ke$ha
Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images
In 2010, pop princesses, R&B icons and chart-dominating newcomers all danced to the same beat. Not only did dance music go pop, but pop music caught the club-music bug.
Between Katy Perry's "Firework," Ke$ha's "We R Who We R," Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)," Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It," Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "OMG" and countless other singles, established artists definitely looked to dance beats for surefire hits. And two of this year's biggest success stories in music were Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz; could there be a soul left in this country who hasn't heard "Dynamite" or "In My Head"?
The love went both ways, with dance music's biggest stars finding mainstream success this year. Dance-music maestro deadmau5 took up house-artist duties at this year's VMAs, and Swedish House Mafia and Usher teamed up for a medley of their gems at the American Music Awards.
So how did this happen? We caught up with some music-industry experts to get their takes.
"You definitely saw tempos go up this year," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times told MTV News. "And I think what you had are a lot of producers who are really familiar with nightclub stuff. They are familiar with Europe. Things are happening on a more global scale now."
"I think everything from Europe, and sometimes even Asia, it comes to America, and we just adopt things a little bit slower," said Jared Eng of JustJared.com. "I think it was just a change. People like different types of music at different times. And dance was of this moment."
Noah Callahan of Complex magazine added: "I think 2010 saw the merging of the pop and dance genres. Pop artists realized that there were best practices that could be borrowed from dance music. And, ultimately, [all] pop music that has been made in the past 20 years had ended up being remixed for the club by dance artists. I think they basically just cut out the middleman and went straight there."
Dance music being introduced into the hip-hop and R&B realms was particularly notable this year.
"I think David Guetta kind of at the end of last year and the beginning of this year spearheaded it," said freelance writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. "He produced a lot of tracks. I think as trends go, people revile 'unst-unst.' But it's just coming back around. Big-room techno was a way for people to get decadent in a year that no one could get decadent."
"You have someone like will.i.am, who's like, 'Well, I spent all this time in Ibiza, and this is what they are doing,' and he wants to find a way to bring that into his music," Caramanica said of the Black Eyed Peas mastermind. "R&B especially became dance music. And especially with your Jason Derülos, Taio Cruzes. Guys like that would have literally been blocked at the border two years ago. That would not have made it through customs. And now all of a sudden they have #1 songs. I think will.i.am had a lot to do with that last year."
Elliott Wilson of RapRadar.com added: "It's actually even affected hip-hop. I was talking to Q-Tip, and his next record, I feel like that's gonna kind of go in that vein. I know that was also Jay-Z's thought process with Blueprint 3 at first, that he wanted to make a little bit more of a world music [vibe], a little more dancey. I think the kids today want to go to the clubs. They wanna have a good time. They wanna dance. So I think the artists of today are trying to kind of feed that audience."
"I think it's caught on this year because the people who've done it have been successful," offered Clover Hope of Vibe magazine. "Like 'OMG,' with usher, he didn't have success until he made a dance record. He had 'There Goes My Baby' and these really, like, adult-contemporary records that didn't really catch on. And then once you see that everybody is doing it and that people are liking it, they are like, 'OK, let me just try this out.' It's like Auto-Tune. Like, 'Let me see what I sound like on a record by David Guetta.' They end up liking it and doing more of it."
So does the club-music trend have staying power. According to our tastemakers, not so much.
"I do think it's a blip," Caramanica said. "I don't think that's gonna be something that lasts in America. I think this is gonna be a moment we'll all look back on and go, 'Wasn't that weird when Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz had #1 records?"
"At some point, these R&B artists will get kind of sick of it and be like, 'Let me go back to my soul background,' " Hope said. "When you actually have to say something, dance doesn't really lend itself to substance. And I think that R&B artists, they really want to talk about love and in a deep way, and to do that, you need to do, like, a soul or a traditional R&B record. I want to say that it's kind of a fad."
"I think music is very cyclical," Eng offered. "So I think dance music might be here for a little bit, but I'm sure it will phase out at some point."
Wilson called dance music "the sound of today. I think that people want more aggressive, faster beats, and I think that that probably has legs until at least next summer."
What do you think? Is dance music here to stay? Let us know in the comments!
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Lady Gaga 'Excited' As Fame Monster Named Top-Selling 2010 Album
Gaga beats out Eminem and Justin Bieber on year-end worldwide chart.By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga
Photo: Gabriel Bouys/ Getty Images
Lady Gaga certainly had a massive 2010 and she's ending it with another chart accomplishment. The singer's The Fame Monster has topped the 2010 United World Chart, a list compiled by German website Media Traffic that tallies worldwide album sales collected from a variety of international sources.
The Mother Monster landed at the top of the chart after her little monsters around the globe bought a total of 5.8 million copies of her massive album. And Gaga is extremely grateful for the achievement.
"THE FAME MONSTER was named the best-selling album of 2010!" she wrote on Twitter. "I'm so excited for the future, believe + work hard, you will achieve your dreams."
But, Gaga wasn't the only artist garnering big global albums sales this year. Coming in at a close second on the chart was Eminem. The rapper sold 5.7 million copies of his Recovery album. And landing in third place is Justin Bieber, whose combined sales of My World and My World 2.0 totaled 5.6 million.
Gaga's monster year also landed her at #14 on Forbes magazine's 2010 list of top-earning stars. The singer pulled in a whopping $62 million from music sales, concerts and other income sources.
To close out her eventful 2010, Lady Gaga will make a big announcement come this New Year's Eve. Over the holiday weekend, she tweeted that she'd be sharing with her fans some news about her 2011 album release, Born This Way.
"Merry Christmas little monsters! I love you with all my heart," she wrote. "My gift to you is a BORN THIS WAY announcement Midnight on NEW YEARS EVE. -MM."
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Lady Gaga
Photo: Gabriel Bouys/ Getty Images
Lady Gaga certainly had a massive 2010 and she's ending it with another chart accomplishment. The singer's The Fame Monster has topped the 2010 United World Chart, a list compiled by German website Media Traffic that tallies worldwide album sales collected from a variety of international sources.
The Mother Monster landed at the top of the chart after her little monsters around the globe bought a total of 5.8 million copies of her massive album. And Gaga is extremely grateful for the achievement.
"THE FAME MONSTER was named the best-selling album of 2010!" she wrote on Twitter. "I'm so excited for the future, believe + work hard, you will achieve your dreams."
But, Gaga wasn't the only artist garnering big global albums sales this year. Coming in at a close second on the chart was Eminem. The rapper sold 5.7 million copies of his Recovery album. And landing in third place is Justin Bieber, whose combined sales of My World and My World 2.0 totaled 5.6 million.
Gaga's monster year also landed her at #14 on Forbes magazine's 2010 list of top-earning stars. The singer pulled in a whopping $62 million from music sales, concerts and other income sources.
To close out her eventful 2010, Lady Gaga will make a big announcement come this New Year's Eve. Over the holiday weekend, she tweeted that she'd be sharing with her fans some news about her 2011 album release, Born This Way.
"Merry Christmas little monsters! I love you with all my heart," she wrote. "My gift to you is a BORN THIS WAY announcement Midnight on NEW YEARS EVE. -MM."
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Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
Whole Lotta Love
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Label: Swan Song
Album: The Song Remains the Same
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Label: Swan Song
Album: The Song Remains the Same
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
MTV News' Top 25 Stories Of 2010
Of course Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber made the list, but some of the other high scorers might surprise you.By Kara Warner
Lady Gaga at the 2010 VMAs
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
The ebbs and flows of the news cycle are as inconsistent and difficult to predict as Lady Gaga's next outfit or Kanye West's next tweet. This year in particular has been a wild ride, complete with meat clothing, new music superstars and the spread of Bieber fever. As the year comes to a close, here at MTV News, we've been taking a look back at all the news that was fit to print in 2010 and, more specifically, which people, places and events you, our most valued readers, found most interesting.
We enlisted the biggest brains in our offices to come up with some magical mathematics (i.e., Internet traffic numbers) in order to determine the top 25 people, events, TV shows, movies and other news that received the most MTV love from our readers. For our most loyal fans, and those in tune with pop culture, it's likely not too difficult to imagine which people and events made the list, but there were a few surprises here and there. So without further ado, here's a breakdown of the 25 most clicked-on stories of the year, followed by the full list.
» Four of the top five stories were about people: Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Eminem and Kanye West.
» Five TV shows made the cut: "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," "Jersey Shore," "Glee" and MTV's bittersweet farewell to "The Hills"
» Five stories involved some form of drama: Lil Wayne's legal drama, T.I.'s legal woes, Bret Michaels' brain hemorrhage, Lindsay Lohan's addiction and court dramas, and John Mayer's Playboy interview.
» Two movie franchises had — and continue to have — their audiences and fans captivated: "The Twilight Saga," and "Harry Potter."
Check out the lineup below. Which one was your favorite?
1. Lady Gaga
2. "American Idol"
3. Justin Bieber
4. Eminem
5. Kanye West
6. Drake
7. VMAs
8. "Twilight"/"Eclipse"/"Breaking Dawn"
9. Haiti/ "We Are the World"
10. Nicki Minaj
11. Taylor Swift
12. Lil Wayne's legal drama
13. Katy Perry
14. "Dancing With the Stars"
15. "Jersey Shore" becomes a pop culture phenomenon
16. T.I. legal dramas/album
17. "Harry Potter"
18. Bret Michaels' brain hemorrhage
19. Lindsay Lohan's many dramas
20. Lady Gaga's "Telephone"
21. "Glee"
22. Britney Spears
23. "The Hills"
24. John Mayer's Playboy interview
25. Conan/Leno late-night drama
Related Artists
Lady Gaga
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga at the 2010 VMAs
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
The ebbs and flows of the news cycle are as inconsistent and difficult to predict as Lady Gaga's next outfit or Kanye West's next tweet. This year in particular has been a wild ride, complete with meat clothing, new music superstars and the spread of Bieber fever. As the year comes to a close, here at MTV News, we've been taking a look back at all the news that was fit to print in 2010 and, more specifically, which people, places and events you, our most valued readers, found most interesting.
We enlisted the biggest brains in our offices to come up with some magical mathematics (i.e., Internet traffic numbers) in order to determine the top 25 people, events, TV shows, movies and other news that received the most MTV love from our readers. For our most loyal fans, and those in tune with pop culture, it's likely not too difficult to imagine which people and events made the list, but there were a few surprises here and there. So without further ado, here's a breakdown of the 25 most clicked-on stories of the year, followed by the full list.
» Four of the top five stories were about people: Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Eminem and Kanye West.
» Five TV shows made the cut: "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," "Jersey Shore," "Glee" and MTV's bittersweet farewell to "The Hills"
» Five stories involved some form of drama: Lil Wayne's legal drama, T.I.'s legal woes, Bret Michaels' brain hemorrhage, Lindsay Lohan's addiction and court dramas, and John Mayer's Playboy interview.
» Two movie franchises had — and continue to have — their audiences and fans captivated: "The Twilight Saga," and "Harry Potter."
Check out the lineup below. Which one was your favorite?
1. Lady Gaga
2. "American Idol"
3. Justin Bieber
4. Eminem
5. Kanye West
6. Drake
7. VMAs
8. "Twilight"/"Eclipse"/"Breaking Dawn"
9. Haiti/ "We Are the World"
10. Nicki Minaj
11. Taylor Swift
12. Lil Wayne's legal drama
13. Katy Perry
14. "Dancing With the Stars"
15. "Jersey Shore" becomes a pop culture phenomenon
16. T.I. legal dramas/album
17. "Harry Potter"
18. Bret Michaels' brain hemorrhage
19. Lindsay Lohan's many dramas
20. Lady Gaga's "Telephone"
21. "Glee"
22. Britney Spears
23. "The Hills"
24. John Mayer's Playboy interview
25. Conan/Leno late-night drama
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Justin Bieber
Ke$ha's 'We R Who We R' Video Is 'Hot And Dangerous'
Cannibal singer throws sexy, dark dance party in just-released clip.By Jocelyn Vena
Ke$ha in her video for "We R Who We R"
Photo: RCA Records / Sony Music Entertainment
In the video for her first Cannibal single, Ke$ha wants everyone to know "We R Who We R.". Flashing lights open the video as Ke$ha, in a high ponytail and body-hugging sparkly leotard, and her crew roll through a tunnel as a fire burns in the background. The singer promised explosions, and she delivered.
As she makes her way through the tunnel, a close-up shot of the singer reveals another eye-catching look: eyebrows complete with actual studs, and her makeup as glittery as ever. Cars zoom by as the crew hangs in the tunnel, continuing on their way to a party.
When they arrive, Revolucion tequila is on full display at a post-apocalyptic rave. Apparently, Ke$ha has now hit the product-placement stage of her career, a move made by Lady Gaga in several of her most-recent clips, notably, "Telephone."
Ke$ha parties it up with her people while the two female DJs scope out dating site Plenty of Fish, which also made an appearance in Gaga's "Bad Romance" clip around this time last year.
Mid-party, Ke$ha changes her garb. She is now draped in an American-flag top and sparkly hot-pink hot pants, and is partying so hard, she stage dives off a roof. Luckily, the crowd below catches her. The video closes with a smiling Ke$ha dancing her heart out, proclaiming proudly that "We R Who We R."
While Ke$ha has relied on comedy in many of her past clips, her latest is darker and sexier than the girl who flipped off her parents in the "Tik Tok" video, something she shared with MTV News a few weeks ago.
"This video is a little bit 'sexy time.' I'm not gonna lie: It may induce a boner or two," Ke$ha said, laughing. "I'm not sure, [you'll have to] report back. But I'm hoping for at least one."
She tweeted Wednesday about the video's premiere, writing, "Hot and dangerous!!! Brand spankin new videoooooo for We R Who We R!!!"
Which Ke$ha video is your favorite so far? Chime in below!
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Ke$ha in her video for "We R Who We R"
Photo: RCA Records / Sony Music Entertainment
In the video for her first Cannibal single, Ke$ha wants everyone to know "We R Who We R.". Flashing lights open the video as Ke$ha, in a high ponytail and body-hugging sparkly leotard, and her crew roll through a tunnel as a fire burns in the background. The singer promised explosions, and she delivered.
As she makes her way through the tunnel, a close-up shot of the singer reveals another eye-catching look: eyebrows complete with actual studs, and her makeup as glittery as ever. Cars zoom by as the crew hangs in the tunnel, continuing on their way to a party.
When they arrive, Revolucion tequila is on full display at a post-apocalyptic rave. Apparently, Ke$ha has now hit the product-placement stage of her career, a move made by Lady Gaga in several of her most-recent clips, notably, "Telephone."
Ke$ha parties it up with her people while the two female DJs scope out dating site Plenty of Fish, which also made an appearance in Gaga's "Bad Romance" clip around this time last year.
Mid-party, Ke$ha changes her garb. She is now draped in an American-flag top and sparkly hot-pink hot pants, and is partying so hard, she stage dives off a roof. Luckily, the crowd below catches her. The video closes with a smiling Ke$ha dancing her heart out, proclaiming proudly that "We R Who We R."
While Ke$ha has relied on comedy in many of her past clips, her latest is darker and sexier than the girl who flipped off her parents in the "Tik Tok" video, something she shared with MTV News a few weeks ago.
"This video is a little bit 'sexy time.' I'm not gonna lie: It may induce a boner or two," Ke$ha said, laughing. "I'm not sure, [you'll have to] report back. But I'm hoping for at least one."
She tweeted Wednesday about the video's premiere, writing, "Hot and dangerous!!! Brand spankin new videoooooo for We R Who We R!!!"
Which Ke$ha video is your favorite so far? Chime in below!
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Ke$ha
Photos | MTV Buzzworthy Blog: Zombie Pop Stars
MTV Buzzworthy Blog: Zombie Pop Stars
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Lindsay Lohan Looks To Expand Fashion Line Post-Rehab
Actress will add 'classic, glamorous' footwear to her 6126 fashion line.By Jocelyn Vena
Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Jeff Vespa/ WireImage
Lindsay Lohan is days away from being released from the rehab facility she's been receiving treatment in for the past few months, and it seems that the troubled starlet is already plotting out her post-rehab future. According to E! News, Lohan is looking to expand her fashion brand.
The website reports that through her 6126 fashion line, which now predominately sells leggings, Lohan wants to start designing footwear. A rep for the fashion line told the site, "She'll finalize everything when she's out." The rep added that the shoes Lohan was mulling over for the line would be "classic, glamorous, timeless with a sexy flair."
An announcement is expected to be made early next year, and the line is expected to debut next fall. A 6126 rep did not respond to MTV News' requests for further information about the report.
Lohan recently found herself in trouble after a worker at the Betty Ford rehab facility pressed charges against the actress for allegedly assaulting her earlier this month. After being fired from her job at the facility, the technician dropped charges against Lohan, saying she does not want "in any way, shape or form to do anything that would violate Lindsay's probation or cause an arrest."
In November, Lohan was let go from an upcoming film project, "Inferno," after she became too much of a liability. "We are withdrawing our offer from Lindsay Lohan," director Matthew Wilder said. "We are currently in negotiations [with another actress] and working out the legalities of bringing her onboard."
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Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Jeff Vespa/ WireImage
Lindsay Lohan is days away from being released from the rehab facility she's been receiving treatment in for the past few months, and it seems that the troubled starlet is already plotting out her post-rehab future. According to E! News, Lohan is looking to expand her fashion brand.
The website reports that through her 6126 fashion line, which now predominately sells leggings, Lohan wants to start designing footwear. A rep for the fashion line told the site, "She'll finalize everything when she's out." The rep added that the shoes Lohan was mulling over for the line would be "classic, glamorous, timeless with a sexy flair."
An announcement is expected to be made early next year, and the line is expected to debut next fall. A 6126 rep did not respond to MTV News' requests for further information about the report.
Lohan recently found herself in trouble after a worker at the Betty Ford rehab facility pressed charges against the actress for allegedly assaulting her earlier this month. After being fired from her job at the facility, the technician dropped charges against Lohan, saying she does not want "in any way, shape or form to do anything that would violate Lindsay's probation or cause an arrest."
In November, Lohan was let go from an upcoming film project, "Inferno," after she became too much of a liability. "We are withdrawing our offer from Lindsay Lohan," director Matthew Wilder said. "We are currently in negotiations [with another actress] and working out the legalities of bringing her onboard."
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Beyonce Inspired By Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill For New Album
'I'm mixing every type of genre that I love,' singer says of follow-up to I Am ... Sasha Fierce.By Jocelyn Vena
Beyoncé
Photo: MTV News
Recently Beyoncé revealed that she wants to make her "own genre of music" for her next album. So when MTV News caught up with the singer at the New York screening of her concert special, "I Am ... World Tour," we asked her to clarify what exactly it is that she's creating in the studio.
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm inventing a new genre," she said. "I'm mixing every type of genre that I love and I'm inspired by every type of genre."
Beyoncé went on to say that people should throw any preconceived notions about the follow-up to 2008's I Am ... Sasha Fierce out the window. "I'm not in a box," she said. "It's not R&B. It's not typically pop. It's not rock. It's just everything I love all mixed together in my own little gumbo of music."
The singer says that quite a motley crew of musicians have inspired the album. "Definitely Fela Kuti, the Stylistics. How random, right?" she laughed. "So many people ... Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, of course, Michael Jackson's Off the Wall ... all of those things I'm kind of mixing together."
For the album, Beyoncé has been hitting the studio with many of her usual collaborators including Ne-Yo, Sean Garrett and Jim Jonsin. And her mom, Tina Knowles, has given the tracks she's heard so far her seal of approval, saying, "Of course [I heard it]. It's amazing. It's so amazing!"
Are you looking forward to new music from Beyoncé? Let us know in the comments!
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Michael Jackson
Lauryn Hill
Beyoncé
Photo: MTV News
Recently Beyoncé revealed that she wants to make her "own genre of music" for her next album. So when MTV News caught up with the singer at the New York screening of her concert special, "I Am ... World Tour," we asked her to clarify what exactly it is that she's creating in the studio.
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm inventing a new genre," she said. "I'm mixing every type of genre that I love and I'm inspired by every type of genre."
Beyoncé went on to say that people should throw any preconceived notions about the follow-up to 2008's I Am ... Sasha Fierce out the window. "I'm not in a box," she said. "It's not R&B. It's not typically pop. It's not rock. It's just everything I love all mixed together in my own little gumbo of music."
The singer says that quite a motley crew of musicians have inspired the album. "Definitely Fela Kuti, the Stylistics. How random, right?" she laughed. "So many people ... Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, of course, Michael Jackson's Off the Wall ... all of those things I'm kind of mixing together."
For the album, Beyoncé has been hitting the studio with many of her usual collaborators including Ne-Yo, Sean Garrett and Jim Jonsin. And her mom, Tina Knowles, has given the tracks she's heard so far her seal of approval, saying, "Of course [I heard it]. It's amazing. It's so amazing!"
Are you looking forward to new music from Beyoncé? Let us know in the comments!
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Michael Jackson
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Photos | Rihanna and Ke$ha Perform At Madison Square Garden
Rihanna and Ke$ha Perform At Madison Square Garden
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Photos | MTV News' 2009 Women Of The Year
MTV News' 2009 Women Of The Year
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AMA 2010 Performance Highlights
Taylor Swift performs at the 2010 American Music Awards
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ Film Magic
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Enrique Iglesias
P!nk
Christina Aguilera
Usher
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ Film Magic
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Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Photos | MTV Buzzworthy Blog: Zombie Pop Stars
MTV Buzzworthy Blog: Zombie Pop Stars
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Photos | Chris Brown And Usher Perform In Jamaica
Chris Brown And Usher Perform In Jamaica
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Usher - Lil Freak
Lil Freak
Artist: Usher
Label: LaFace Records, JLG
Director: Anthony Mandler
Album: Raymond V. Raymond
Artist: Usher
Label: LaFace Records, JLG
Director: Anthony Mandler
Album: Raymond V. Raymond
Marla Sokoloff Marley Shelton Mary Elizabeth Winstead Megan Ewing
Photos | Performances At The 10th Annual BMI Urban Awards
Performances At The 10th Annual BMI Urban Awards
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Cali Swag District
Jay Sean
Flo Rida
Usher
MTV News' 2010 Superlatives
Best smile? Most likely to succeed? These ain't your high school's superlatives.
Photo: Theo Wargo/ Getty Images
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Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
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Photo: Theo Wargo/ Getty Images
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Photos | Family & Friends Say Goodbye To Michael Jackson
Family & Friends Say Goodbye To Michael Jackson
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Photos | Justin Bieber's 'Never Say Never': Alternate Movie Titles
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Michael Jackson 'Hold My Hand' Video Tugs At Heartstrings
Posthumous clip mixes classic footage of Jackson with newly shot film of fans.By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In addition to his flawless vocals and mind-bending footwork, one of the things Michael Jackson was best known for was his drive to create the most elaborate and cinematic music videos the world had ever seen.
"Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Black or White," "Remember the Time" and "Bad" are just a few of the landmark clips the late King of Pop gave the world during his 1980s and early-'90s hit-making peak. Which is why fans and critics alike were eager to get a glimpse Thursday morning (December 9) at the first music video in the singer's career that was created without his firm guiding hand and vision.
After teasing the clip earlier in the week, the official MJ site debuted on Thursday the full video for the stirring ballad "Hold My Hand," the first single from the upcoming album, Michael. The clip for MJ's duet with Akon is not unlike the first posthumous vids from the likes of other contemporary fallen stars such as Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G., in that it mixes classic footage of the artist performing with newly shot images of fans young and old paying homage to their hero.
It opens with a crowd of people standing in front of a large airplane hangar and unleashing a flood of white balloons as they say "Thank you, Michael" and "We love you, Michael," while a gigantic image of the singer in silhouette appears on the side of the structure.
If nothing else, the "Hold My Hand" video is a kind of MJ greatest-hits montage, intercutting images of the singer in his prime in some of his most beloved stage outfits with glimpses of children wearing the same garb, a young boy holding a red plastic heart in his hands and Akon dancing on a pure white background as MJ hoofs beside him.
As Michael begins to sing the first verse, we see a variety of different hands — old, young, holding babies, reaching up to the sky, down into a bathtub, etc. — as well as a series of women crying, the infamous glittering glove and a woman in a hospital bed seemingly dying of cancer, all intended to pull heartstrings and stir emotion.
It continues on like that, with most of the video consisting of shots of hands (some trailing a kind of glittery pixie-dust vapor) doing various things, children breakdancing and popping, and various images of angels, as the edits of stock-like footage of sunny skies, forests and adorable babies pile on so quickly it's almost hard to keep up.
Jackson, frankly, is hardly in the video, making sporadic appearances courtesy of some iconic footage of him in concert, a curious choice given the reported dozens of hours of HD footage shot of the singer while he was preparing for what was slated to be his big comeback tour in England last year.
The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track.
Instead of the eye-popping special effects and intricate choreography of the past, the "Hold My Hand" video goes for a simpler, more predictable sentimentality. Without Jackson around anymore to call the shots and push the video envelope, it also signals a quiet, uneventful end to a career of constant reinvention and visual ambition via music video.
In a statement to MTV News, director Mark Pellington explained what he was aiming for with the posthumous clip. "We shot the video in a variety of locations in Los Angeles, including a blimp hangar in Tustin. The attempt was to create a celebratory, positive, healing music video honoring Michael's legacy," he said. "And for me personally, if his fans like it, that's all I really care about."
What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" video?
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Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos
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Akon
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In addition to his flawless vocals and mind-bending footwork, one of the things Michael Jackson was best known for was his drive to create the most elaborate and cinematic music videos the world had ever seen.
"Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Black or White," "Remember the Time" and "Bad" are just a few of the landmark clips the late King of Pop gave the world during his 1980s and early-'90s hit-making peak. Which is why fans and critics alike were eager to get a glimpse Thursday morning (December 9) at the first music video in the singer's career that was created without his firm guiding hand and vision.
After teasing the clip earlier in the week, the official MJ site debuted on Thursday the full video for the stirring ballad "Hold My Hand," the first single from the upcoming album, Michael. The clip for MJ's duet with Akon is not unlike the first posthumous vids from the likes of other contemporary fallen stars such as Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G., in that it mixes classic footage of the artist performing with newly shot images of fans young and old paying homage to their hero.
It opens with a crowd of people standing in front of a large airplane hangar and unleashing a flood of white balloons as they say "Thank you, Michael" and "We love you, Michael," while a gigantic image of the singer in silhouette appears on the side of the structure.
If nothing else, the "Hold My Hand" video is a kind of MJ greatest-hits montage, intercutting images of the singer in his prime in some of his most beloved stage outfits with glimpses of children wearing the same garb, a young boy holding a red plastic heart in his hands and Akon dancing on a pure white background as MJ hoofs beside him.
As Michael begins to sing the first verse, we see a variety of different hands — old, young, holding babies, reaching up to the sky, down into a bathtub, etc. — as well as a series of women crying, the infamous glittering glove and a woman in a hospital bed seemingly dying of cancer, all intended to pull heartstrings and stir emotion.
It continues on like that, with most of the video consisting of shots of hands (some trailing a kind of glittery pixie-dust vapor) doing various things, children breakdancing and popping, and various images of angels, as the edits of stock-like footage of sunny skies, forests and adorable babies pile on so quickly it's almost hard to keep up.
Jackson, frankly, is hardly in the video, making sporadic appearances courtesy of some iconic footage of him in concert, a curious choice given the reported dozens of hours of HD footage shot of the singer while he was preparing for what was slated to be his big comeback tour in England last year.
The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track.
Instead of the eye-popping special effects and intricate choreography of the past, the "Hold My Hand" video goes for a simpler, more predictable sentimentality. Without Jackson around anymore to call the shots and push the video envelope, it also signals a quiet, uneventful end to a career of constant reinvention and visual ambition via music video.
In a statement to MTV News, director Mark Pellington explained what he was aiming for with the posthumous clip. "We shot the video in a variety of locations in Los Angeles, including a blimp hangar in Tustin. The attempt was to create a celebratory, positive, healing music video honoring Michael's legacy," he said. "And for me personally, if his fans like it, that's all I really care about."
What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" video?
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Monday, December 27, 2010
Tricky Stewart Defends New Michael Jackson Tune, 'Keep Your Head'
'This was a record that [MJ] wrote and that he produced. And I just got in there,' the producer maintains.By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by James Lacsina
Tricky Stewart
Photo: MTV News
While detractors of Michael Jackson's Michael album cry foul over the unfinished material that makes up the bulk of the posthumous project, producer Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is insisting that his contribution to the release was material MJ put together — and finished — himself.
In the case of "Keep Your Head Up," one of the album's biggest standouts, Stewart told MTV News that the track was not a remake of any kind. Rather, he just added minor additional production flourishes to the number.
"The main thing I wanted to do was make sure that Michael would like it," said Stewart, who has worked with Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and The-Dream. "And that it would feel like something he would do naturally if he was here. A lot of it was probably me overthinking it a little bit. And trying to deliver what I think he would do. And there's so much music that he made that I could reference the precision of what he was into musically. I did that and this was a song that he wrote. It wasn't he and me making a record. This was a record that he wrote and that he produced. And I just got in there.
He added, "It was really just about getting into his mental space and trying to find out the best way to deliver that record."
"Keep Your Head" leaked online prior to Michael's release and was under scrutiny regarding the validity of MJ's vocals.
Although, it's evident that Jackson's lead crooning on "Keep Your Head" is authentic and new, some of the background vocals are alleged to be from previously released material, like the 1995 tune "Earth Song."
Stewart confirmed that the primary vocals are Jackson's and said he was satisfied with the result.
"It was really surreal," the producer said of the experience. "Getting into that moment and getting into that space, to have the opportunity to work with the greatest entertainer of all time. Or work on, I should say. It was a tremendous time in my life to just get in there and listen to his voice, be able to strip down the track and listen to him in his purest form — something that most people can't do. It was a great experience. I'm glad I did it, I had a lot of fun doing it and I think the track came out great."
What's your opinion about "Keep Your Head"? Tell us in the comments.
Related Artists
Michael Jackson
Tricky Stewart
Photo: MTV News
While detractors of Michael Jackson's Michael album cry foul over the unfinished material that makes up the bulk of the posthumous project, producer Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is insisting that his contribution to the release was material MJ put together — and finished — himself.
In the case of "Keep Your Head Up," one of the album's biggest standouts, Stewart told MTV News that the track was not a remake of any kind. Rather, he just added minor additional production flourishes to the number.
"The main thing I wanted to do was make sure that Michael would like it," said Stewart, who has worked with Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and The-Dream. "And that it would feel like something he would do naturally if he was here. A lot of it was probably me overthinking it a little bit. And trying to deliver what I think he would do. And there's so much music that he made that I could reference the precision of what he was into musically. I did that and this was a song that he wrote. It wasn't he and me making a record. This was a record that he wrote and that he produced. And I just got in there.
He added, "It was really just about getting into his mental space and trying to find out the best way to deliver that record."
"Keep Your Head" leaked online prior to Michael's release and was under scrutiny regarding the validity of MJ's vocals.
Although, it's evident that Jackson's lead crooning on "Keep Your Head" is authentic and new, some of the background vocals are alleged to be from previously released material, like the 1995 tune "Earth Song."
Stewart confirmed that the primary vocals are Jackson's and said he was satisfied with the result.
"It was really surreal," the producer said of the experience. "Getting into that moment and getting into that space, to have the opportunity to work with the greatest entertainer of all time. Or work on, I should say. It was a tremendous time in my life to just get in there and listen to his voice, be able to strip down the track and listen to him in his purest form — something that most people can't do. It was a great experience. I'm glad I did it, I had a lot of fun doing it and I think the track came out great."
What's your opinion about "Keep Your Head"? Tell us in the comments.
Related Artists
Michael Jackson
MTV News' 2010 Superlatives
Best smile? Most likely to succeed? These ain't your high school's superlatives.
Photo: Theo Wargo/ Getty Images
Related Artists
Taylor Swift
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Kanye West
Photo: Theo Wargo/ Getty Images
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Somewhere Over The Rainbow With Darren Criss!
Crooning our hearts over and over again!
Darren Criss was overseas in the Philippines last week, performing a little show for his fans at the TriNoma Ayala Mall.
Check out Blaine Darren sing a beautiful rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow! (above)
Did U know that he's half Filipino and half Irish!
Seksi combo!
Darren Criss was overseas in the Philippines last week, performing a little show for his fans at the TriNoma Ayala Mall.
Check out Blaine Darren sing a beautiful rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow! (above)
Did U know that he's half Filipino and half Irish!
Seksi combo!
'Glee' Britney Spears Episode Slammed By Parents Television Council
Group describes show as 'an endorsement of narcotics abuse, public masturbation, and school-sanctioned burlesque.'By James Dinh
Heather Morris in the "Britney/Brittany" episode of "Glee"
Photo: FOX
Last week's episode of "Glee" found Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) shouting, "It's a Britney Spears sex riot!" as she attempted to put a stop to the glee club's saucy rendition of "Toxic."
But she's not the only one who had an issue with the Spears takeover at William McKinley High School. The hit Fox show has come under fire as the Parents Television Council has deemed the "Britney/Brittany" episode the "Worst TV Show of the Week" due to the broadcast's "explicit sexual content."
A message posted on the organization's website decries the episode's "skimpy outfits" and "sultry grinds" during "I'm a Slave 4 U." And even though "Glee" castmembers show very little skin in the re-creation for the 2001 Madonna duet "Me Against the Music," the PTC said the interpretation included "plenty of girl-girl bumping and grinding."
According to the group, the tribute to the always-controversial Spears wasn't appropriate because the singer is far from a suitable role model.
"Glee earned its highest ratings ever with this Britney Spears tribute, drawing 13.3 million viewers," the message continued. "A scary thought considering that the mostly young teen/tween audience basically witnessed an endorsement of narcotics abuse, public masturbation, and school-sanctioned burlesque. But perhaps most troubling is the deification of a troubled pop star into a symbol of empowerment and self-esteem. Considering her stints in rehab, her very public breakdowns, and her questionable parenting skills, there is absolutely no way Spears should be considered a role model. The producers of the show can spare us the old song-and-dance about fallen celebs turning their lives around. What's next? Portraying Ike Turner as a reformed feminist?"
Spears knows controversy and criticism far too well. Since the beginning of her career, she's always raised eyebrows with everything from her sex-kitten public image to her sometimes-questionable parental judgment. While the pop star has played it relatively safe since her comeback, the singer did make headlines last year for her suggestive single "If U Seek Amy," the third offering from her album Circus.
Do you think the "Britney/Brittany" episode of "Glee" was inappropriate? Tell us in the comments below!
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Heather Morris in the "Britney/Brittany" episode of "Glee"
Photo: FOX
Last week's episode of "Glee" found Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) shouting, "It's a Britney Spears sex riot!" as she attempted to put a stop to the glee club's saucy rendition of "Toxic."
But she's not the only one who had an issue with the Spears takeover at William McKinley High School. The hit Fox show has come under fire as the Parents Television Council has deemed the "Britney/Brittany" episode the "Worst TV Show of the Week" due to the broadcast's "explicit sexual content."
A message posted on the organization's website decries the episode's "skimpy outfits" and "sultry grinds" during "I'm a Slave 4 U." And even though "Glee" castmembers show very little skin in the re-creation for the 2001 Madonna duet "Me Against the Music," the PTC said the interpretation included "plenty of girl-girl bumping and grinding."
According to the group, the tribute to the always-controversial Spears wasn't appropriate because the singer is far from a suitable role model.
"Glee earned its highest ratings ever with this Britney Spears tribute, drawing 13.3 million viewers," the message continued. "A scary thought considering that the mostly young teen/tween audience basically witnessed an endorsement of narcotics abuse, public masturbation, and school-sanctioned burlesque. But perhaps most troubling is the deification of a troubled pop star into a symbol of empowerment and self-esteem. Considering her stints in rehab, her very public breakdowns, and her questionable parenting skills, there is absolutely no way Spears should be considered a role model. The producers of the show can spare us the old song-and-dance about fallen celebs turning their lives around. What's next? Portraying Ike Turner as a reformed feminist?"
Spears knows controversy and criticism far too well. Since the beginning of her career, she's always raised eyebrows with everything from her sex-kitten public image to her sometimes-questionable parental judgment. While the pop star has played it relatively safe since her comeback, the singer did make headlines last year for her suggestive single "If U Seek Amy," the third offering from her album Circus.
Do you think the "Britney/Brittany" episode of "Glee" was inappropriate? Tell us in the comments below!
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Lady Gaga Calls Born This Way Her 'Most Innovative' Work
Gaga tells BBC new album crosses genres, from electronic to rock and rollBy James Montgomery
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Lady Gaga hasn't exactly been shy when it comes to describing Born This Way, calling her upcoming record everything from "almost perfect" to "the greatest album of this decade."
And, in a new interview with the BBC, she continued that trend, calling Born her "most innovative" work so far, and promising her fans a musical experience unlike any they've ever heard.
"[The album is] a marriage of electronic music with major, epic, dare I even say, metal or rock and roll, pop, anthemic style melodies with really sledge-hammering dance beats," Gaga said, immediately before jumping onstage at London's O2 Arena. "I think that lyrically this album is more poetic ... It's really written by the fans, they really wrote it for me because every night they're funneling so much into me. So I wrote it for them. Born This Way is all about my little monsters and me, mother monster."
Echoing something she's been saying since the summer, Gaga promised that the album is "finished and all," but that she's currently "fine-tuning everything."
"It's kind of like the post-operative stage of the album," she said. "I've already done the full heart surgery. I'm just sewing myself back up again."
And, to that end, she added that her monsters might not have to wait much longer to hear the album's first single — the title of which is still unknown — telling the BBC it would be released in February 2011, with the album arriving "shortly after."
Are you eager to hear Gaga's Born This Way? Tell us in the comments!
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Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Lady Gaga hasn't exactly been shy when it comes to describing Born This Way, calling her upcoming record everything from "almost perfect" to "the greatest album of this decade."
And, in a new interview with the BBC, she continued that trend, calling Born her "most innovative" work so far, and promising her fans a musical experience unlike any they've ever heard.
"[The album is] a marriage of electronic music with major, epic, dare I even say, metal or rock and roll, pop, anthemic style melodies with really sledge-hammering dance beats," Gaga said, immediately before jumping onstage at London's O2 Arena. "I think that lyrically this album is more poetic ... It's really written by the fans, they really wrote it for me because every night they're funneling so much into me. So I wrote it for them. Born This Way is all about my little monsters and me, mother monster."
Echoing something she's been saying since the summer, Gaga promised that the album is "finished and all," but that she's currently "fine-tuning everything."
"It's kind of like the post-operative stage of the album," she said. "I've already done the full heart surgery. I'm just sewing myself back up again."
And, to that end, she added that her monsters might not have to wait much longer to hear the album's first single — the title of which is still unknown — telling the BBC it would be released in February 2011, with the album arriving "shortly after."
Are you eager to hear Gaga's Born This Way? Tell us in the comments!
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Kanye And Gaga?! Readers React To Our Man And Woman Of The Year
Kanye West vs. Eminem, Lady Gaga vs. Britney Spears: Our readers duke it out over whether our picks for 2010's top man and woman were worthy.By James Montgomery
Kanye West
Photo: D. Dipasupil/Getty Images
Last week, when MTV News revealed our picks for Man of the Year (Kanye West) and Woman of the Year (Lady Gaga), we expected that there would be some folks out there who wouldn't agree with our choices ... mostly, Eminem fans — because, as we've learned time and time again, they don't agree with anything.
But there's no way we could have predicted just how many people were genuinely outraged with our list ... MTV.com readers flooded our site with comments, calling us every name in the book, accusing us of vast multinational conspiracies, and doing everything short of declaring war on our headquarters (please don't attack on a Wednesday, that's Taco Day in the cafeteria). We're only slightly exaggerating.
(They're more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!)
By far, the biggest point of contention centered on our Man of the Year list ... and, more specifically, why we gave the award to West instead of Eminem. Fans of both men lit up the comments with passionate arguments, with each side working overtime to state their case. It got pretty nasty, which sort of made it even better.
Over on the Woman of the Year list, well, most people seemed to agree that Gaga deserved the honor, though, of course, there were still some out there who believed that Britney Spears was robbed — even though she didn't release a note of music this year. Her fans are just that loyal.
To be honest, we were sort of blown away by just how many of you cared, so we've decided to collect some of the best responses here. But don't think the debate has to end right now ... if you still feel like your voice hasn't been heard, sound off in the comments below. And now, without further ado, let's get acrimonious.
"Eminem [had] two #1 singles both with sales over 3 million! [He was] iTunes' Artist of the Year, Billboard's Best Male and Best Album ... best-selling single in the UK, VMA Best Male and Best Hip Hop, EMA Best Hip Hop artist, MTV's #1 Hottest MC of 2010 ... opened at VMA and BET awards, Recovery already sold 3 million and still counting copies in less than 6 months (I pray Kanye makes it up to 1 million by God's grace), 10 Grammy nominations ... Eminem had a bigger year and MTV knows that!" — Kennethngbor
"Kanye had a bigger year? Yeah he did. 10/10 from Pitchfork? Yeah. 'Runaway' movie? Yeah. G.O.O.D. Fridays (new song every week)? Yeah. Most critically acclaimed album this year? Yeah. Sold over 430,000 copies without a NUMBER ONE single and being the MOST HATED man in America? yeahh. Need I continue? Em's album wasn't all that. Hell, Teflon Don was better than Recovery. ... 'Ye had a better album, [and] a better year." — Alex
"I think [Kanye] deserved to win. Of course Em sold more records, Hello? America's white-boy rapper? Duh! I mean, he's cool, don't get me wrong ... Em puts out a good CD when he tries, but Kanye killed it ... So to hell with what people say, I'm good with 'Ye winning man of the year." — Hsoj
"I feel that MTV and Kanye have a plot together to make each other bigger. They hyped the you-know-what out of him before he even dropped his latest album. Suddenly he has been back for a couple of months after he took some time off to seek help and he becomes Man of the Year? Come on. Everytime he does something outlandish it's on MTV, so I'm starting to wonder if he and the network are working together to help each other gain publicity. Shady business if you ask me." — JayJay
"MTV, accept the many mistakes you made this year in many of your lists and make a better one next year and stop underrating people! #1 for Kanye is not deserved, he does not deserve to be in the top 5! Usher is supposed to be on this list, Bieber and Eminem are supposed to be higher!" — Emperor
"Kanye deserved this, denying it makes you look stupid because over this entire year, he's the one that brought music (especially hip hop) forward. I LOVE EMINEM, I couldn't be more serious about that, but at the end of the day, Kanye brought music forward as opposed to Em getting back to the level of quality we are used to getting from him. Em's still the sh--, but this year, Kanye made a better product." — Ryan
"Kanye West just put out one of the best acclaimed hip-hop albums of the last 7 years ... he created a masterpiece in the movie 'Runaway' and stretched the boundaries with the moving painting piece for 'Power'. Kanye West did more this year to move [forward] the culture, especially the hip-hop culture than Em did by far. If you make the best album you should be the man that year, simple as that." — ThisGuyCalledJeff
"I'm happy for Kanye, and people should be happy for him too for giving out all that free music and putting out a classic album instead of hating! And I'm pretty sure Eminem is not thinking about this list, because he's making bread off that 3 mill sold, so let's let Kanye shine for a moment please!" — TommyBoy502ky
"I'm tired of MTV giving Gaga too much praise! I can't wait for Britney Spears to release her new album in March! Gaga did not revive pop music. She is good but she is not better than the pop stars who came before her like Britney, Christina, and Madonna ... When Britney came out, she revived pop music! When Gaga came out, she didn't revive nothing. Now Britney will be back with a new album and she will be on top." — IfUSeekPeanut:)
"Okay, let me explain to you why Britney is not better than anybody, she is not an icon, she won't be a legend, she used her physical looks to call people's attention, she is auto-tuned, and she doesn't sing live! Gaga is talented and better than Britney, in so many levels ... she writes her own music, and plays the piano, the problem is that Britney has a longer career, but Gaga will have it too in 10 years; yes she is crazy, and yes she is a freak, but that's what makes her special and unique, Britney these days is just another pop star; the fact that she's been relevant for a decade doesn't mean she is a legend, and Lady Gaga is definitely the icon of this generation." — EMMNL
"I seriously don't care what anyone could possibly say, I love Lady Gaga with all my heart and nothing anyone says will ever change that. I've honestly heard it all, and it only makes my love for her stronger. Can't wait for Born This Way. I'll be the first one to buy it in Canada." — Christian
"There was no other choice [for Woman of the Year]. [Gaga's] carried pop music the past two years. Without her Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj would not exist. She's single-handedly brought dance music from the basement to the Penthouse." — frankru2000
Do you agree with MTV News' picks for Man and Woman of the Year? Tell us in the comments.
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Kanye West
Photo: D. Dipasupil/Getty Images
Last week, when MTV News revealed our picks for Man of the Year (Kanye West) and Woman of the Year (Lady Gaga), we expected that there would be some folks out there who wouldn't agree with our choices ... mostly, Eminem fans — because, as we've learned time and time again, they don't agree with anything.
But there's no way we could have predicted just how many people were genuinely outraged with our list ... MTV.com readers flooded our site with comments, calling us every name in the book, accusing us of vast multinational conspiracies, and doing everything short of declaring war on our headquarters (please don't attack on a Wednesday, that's Taco Day in the cafeteria). We're only slightly exaggerating.
(They're more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!)
By far, the biggest point of contention centered on our Man of the Year list ... and, more specifically, why we gave the award to West instead of Eminem. Fans of both men lit up the comments with passionate arguments, with each side working overtime to state their case. It got pretty nasty, which sort of made it even better.
Over on the Woman of the Year list, well, most people seemed to agree that Gaga deserved the honor, though, of course, there were still some out there who believed that Britney Spears was robbed — even though she didn't release a note of music this year. Her fans are just that loyal.
To be honest, we were sort of blown away by just how many of you cared, so we've decided to collect some of the best responses here. But don't think the debate has to end right now ... if you still feel like your voice hasn't been heard, sound off in the comments below. And now, without further ado, let's get acrimonious.
"Eminem [had] two #1 singles both with sales over 3 million! [He was] iTunes' Artist of the Year, Billboard's Best Male and Best Album ... best-selling single in the UK, VMA Best Male and Best Hip Hop, EMA Best Hip Hop artist, MTV's #1 Hottest MC of 2010 ... opened at VMA and BET awards, Recovery already sold 3 million and still counting copies in less than 6 months (I pray Kanye makes it up to 1 million by God's grace), 10 Grammy nominations ... Eminem had a bigger year and MTV knows that!" — Kennethngbor
"Kanye had a bigger year? Yeah he did. 10/10 from Pitchfork? Yeah. 'Runaway' movie? Yeah. G.O.O.D. Fridays (new song every week)? Yeah. Most critically acclaimed album this year? Yeah. Sold over 430,000 copies without a NUMBER ONE single and being the MOST HATED man in America? yeahh. Need I continue? Em's album wasn't all that. Hell, Teflon Don was better than Recovery. ... 'Ye had a better album, [and] a better year." — Alex
"I think [Kanye] deserved to win. Of course Em sold more records, Hello? America's white-boy rapper? Duh! I mean, he's cool, don't get me wrong ... Em puts out a good CD when he tries, but Kanye killed it ... So to hell with what people say, I'm good with 'Ye winning man of the year." — Hsoj
"I feel that MTV and Kanye have a plot together to make each other bigger. They hyped the you-know-what out of him before he even dropped his latest album. Suddenly he has been back for a couple of months after he took some time off to seek help and he becomes Man of the Year? Come on. Everytime he does something outlandish it's on MTV, so I'm starting to wonder if he and the network are working together to help each other gain publicity. Shady business if you ask me." — JayJay
"MTV, accept the many mistakes you made this year in many of your lists and make a better one next year and stop underrating people! #1 for Kanye is not deserved, he does not deserve to be in the top 5! Usher is supposed to be on this list, Bieber and Eminem are supposed to be higher!" — Emperor
"Kanye deserved this, denying it makes you look stupid because over this entire year, he's the one that brought music (especially hip hop) forward. I LOVE EMINEM, I couldn't be more serious about that, but at the end of the day, Kanye brought music forward as opposed to Em getting back to the level of quality we are used to getting from him. Em's still the sh--, but this year, Kanye made a better product." — Ryan
"Kanye West just put out one of the best acclaimed hip-hop albums of the last 7 years ... he created a masterpiece in the movie 'Runaway' and stretched the boundaries with the moving painting piece for 'Power'. Kanye West did more this year to move [forward] the culture, especially the hip-hop culture than Em did by far. If you make the best album you should be the man that year, simple as that." — ThisGuyCalledJeff
"I'm happy for Kanye, and people should be happy for him too for giving out all that free music and putting out a classic album instead of hating! And I'm pretty sure Eminem is not thinking about this list, because he's making bread off that 3 mill sold, so let's let Kanye shine for a moment please!" — TommyBoy502ky
"I'm tired of MTV giving Gaga too much praise! I can't wait for Britney Spears to release her new album in March! Gaga did not revive pop music. She is good but she is not better than the pop stars who came before her like Britney, Christina, and Madonna ... When Britney came out, she revived pop music! When Gaga came out, she didn't revive nothing. Now Britney will be back with a new album and she will be on top." — IfUSeekPeanut:)
"Okay, let me explain to you why Britney is not better than anybody, she is not an icon, she won't be a legend, she used her physical looks to call people's attention, she is auto-tuned, and she doesn't sing live! Gaga is talented and better than Britney, in so many levels ... she writes her own music, and plays the piano, the problem is that Britney has a longer career, but Gaga will have it too in 10 years; yes she is crazy, and yes she is a freak, but that's what makes her special and unique, Britney these days is just another pop star; the fact that she's been relevant for a decade doesn't mean she is a legend, and Lady Gaga is definitely the icon of this generation." — EMMNL
"I seriously don't care what anyone could possibly say, I love Lady Gaga with all my heart and nothing anyone says will ever change that. I've honestly heard it all, and it only makes my love for her stronger. Can't wait for Born This Way. I'll be the first one to buy it in Canada." — Christian
"There was no other choice [for Woman of the Year]. [Gaga's] carried pop music the past two years. Without her Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj would not exist. She's single-handedly brought dance music from the basement to the Penthouse." — frankru2000
Do you agree with MTV News' picks for Man and Woman of the Year? Tell us in the comments.
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Deadmau5 Brings Dance Music To The 'Masses,' Wolfgang Gartner Says
'He has a major role in the younger generation to this music,' producer/DJ tells MTV News of his collaborator.By Adam Stewart
deadmau5
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images
It's no secret that 2010 was a pivotal year for electronic dance music here in the States. With deadmau5 and Swedish House Mafia becoming household names, the genre's momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Using a conduit of collaboration, artists such as deadmau5 (a.k.a. Joel Zimmerman) have paired up with various underground acts to further the rapid expansion of the genre.
Perhaps one of the most notable movers and shakers of the year is now-Grammy-Award-nominated producer and DJ Wolfgang Gartner, who recently sat down to chat with MTV News about deadmau5 and dance music's rise to the top.
"He has a major role in the younger generation to this music," Gartner says, "but there have been certain artists that have been instrumental in helping it cross over and reach the mainstream — which I think is a good thing. I think rap artists using dance beats is a great thing. I think it just brings more people towards this music that we all love."
Thanks to several key moments, such as deadmau5 taking the helm as house DJ (well, technically "House Artist") for the 2010 VMAs, dance music has been thrown into the forefront of America's youth, a key demographic for any genre.
"Everybody knows who he is now and he's kind of exposing the masses to dance music. These little five-, six- and seven-year-old kids latch on to this 'mau5head' logo — they get into the music and he's bringing this tiny young generation into this music that probably wouldn't be exposed to it."
Gartner certainly doesn't mind the exposure either. Unless you were living under a rock for the past six months, you probably heard one of this past summer's hottest anthems, "Animal Rights," a collaborative effort brought forth by deadmau5 and Gartner.
"It was interesting because I kind of had a preconceived notion about how he would be to work [with]," said Gartner. "I think our sounds are really similar, so I figured he would work in a similar way to me, but the way that he writes music is actually completely different to me. But he achieves kind of the same sound through a completely different process."
Recorded in deadmau5's favorite Los Angeles studio — that would be rocker Tommy Lee's House — "Animal Rights" is a thumping progressive house anthem that melds Wolfgang's unmistakable harmonics and funk riffs with the driving bass line and wobbly synths that make deadmau5 one of the unique forces in the dance music world.
"[Deadmau5] writes these rich complex chord progressions and he does it by drawing these little bars on a grid, which is just amazing that you can do that and get that result," Gartner goes on to say. "It just proves you don't have to be able to play keyboards to write amazing music."
The two sound pioneers never cease to stop pushing the limits on what they are able to produce. Using drastically difference production approaches, deadmau5
and Gartner had the ability to play off each other's strengths while recording the track.
"I'd say the biggest thing is that I play everything in on a keyboard, like even my drums," says Gartner. "I play everything in live and he draws it in with notes on a mouse, which blew me away because his music is very musical."
What do you think 2011 will hold for deadmau5 and Gartner? Let us know in the comments below!
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deadmau5
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images
It's no secret that 2010 was a pivotal year for electronic dance music here in the States. With deadmau5 and Swedish House Mafia becoming household names, the genre's momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Using a conduit of collaboration, artists such as deadmau5 (a.k.a. Joel Zimmerman) have paired up with various underground acts to further the rapid expansion of the genre.
Perhaps one of the most notable movers and shakers of the year is now-Grammy-Award-nominated producer and DJ Wolfgang Gartner, who recently sat down to chat with MTV News about deadmau5 and dance music's rise to the top.
"He has a major role in the younger generation to this music," Gartner says, "but there have been certain artists that have been instrumental in helping it cross over and reach the mainstream — which I think is a good thing. I think rap artists using dance beats is a great thing. I think it just brings more people towards this music that we all love."
Thanks to several key moments, such as deadmau5 taking the helm as house DJ (well, technically "House Artist") for the 2010 VMAs, dance music has been thrown into the forefront of America's youth, a key demographic for any genre.
"Everybody knows who he is now and he's kind of exposing the masses to dance music. These little five-, six- and seven-year-old kids latch on to this 'mau5head' logo — they get into the music and he's bringing this tiny young generation into this music that probably wouldn't be exposed to it."
Gartner certainly doesn't mind the exposure either. Unless you were living under a rock for the past six months, you probably heard one of this past summer's hottest anthems, "Animal Rights," a collaborative effort brought forth by deadmau5 and Gartner.
"It was interesting because I kind of had a preconceived notion about how he would be to work [with]," said Gartner. "I think our sounds are really similar, so I figured he would work in a similar way to me, but the way that he writes music is actually completely different to me. But he achieves kind of the same sound through a completely different process."
Recorded in deadmau5's favorite Los Angeles studio — that would be rocker Tommy Lee's House — "Animal Rights" is a thumping progressive house anthem that melds Wolfgang's unmistakable harmonics and funk riffs with the driving bass line and wobbly synths that make deadmau5 one of the unique forces in the dance music world.
"[Deadmau5] writes these rich complex chord progressions and he does it by drawing these little bars on a grid, which is just amazing that you can do that and get that result," Gartner goes on to say. "It just proves you don't have to be able to play keyboards to write amazing music."
The two sound pioneers never cease to stop pushing the limits on what they are able to produce. Using drastically difference production approaches, deadmau5
and Gartner had the ability to play off each other's strengths while recording the track.
"I'd say the biggest thing is that I play everything in on a keyboard, like even my drums," says Gartner. "I play everything in live and he draws it in with notes on a mouse, which blew me away because his music is very musical."
What do you think 2011 will hold for deadmau5 and Gartner? Let us know in the comments below!
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Lady Gaga Calls Born This Way Her 'Most Innovative' Work
Gaga tells BBC new album crosses genres, from electronic to rock and rollBy James Montgomery
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Lady Gaga hasn't exactly been shy when it comes to describing Born This Way, calling her upcoming record everything from "almost perfect" to "the greatest album of this decade."
And, in a new interview with the BBC, she continued that trend, calling Born her "most innovative" work so far, and promising her fans a musical experience unlike any they've ever heard.
"[The album is] a marriage of electronic music with major, epic, dare I even say, metal or rock and roll, pop, anthemic style melodies with really sledge-hammering dance beats," Gaga said, immediately before jumping onstage at London's O2 Arena. "I think that lyrically this album is more poetic ... It's really written by the fans, they really wrote it for me because every night they're funneling so much into me. So I wrote it for them. Born This Way is all about my little monsters and me, mother monster."
Echoing something she's been saying since the summer, Gaga promised that the album is "finished and all," but that she's currently "fine-tuning everything."
"It's kind of like the post-operative stage of the album," she said. "I've already done the full heart surgery. I'm just sewing myself back up again."
And, to that end, she added that her monsters might not have to wait much longer to hear the album's first single — the title of which is still unknown — telling the BBC it would be released in February 2011, with the album arriving "shortly after."
Are you eager to hear Gaga's Born This Way? Tell us in the comments!
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Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Lady Gaga hasn't exactly been shy when it comes to describing Born This Way, calling her upcoming record everything from "almost perfect" to "the greatest album of this decade."
And, in a new interview with the BBC, she continued that trend, calling Born her "most innovative" work so far, and promising her fans a musical experience unlike any they've ever heard.
"[The album is] a marriage of electronic music with major, epic, dare I even say, metal or rock and roll, pop, anthemic style melodies with really sledge-hammering dance beats," Gaga said, immediately before jumping onstage at London's O2 Arena. "I think that lyrically this album is more poetic ... It's really written by the fans, they really wrote it for me because every night they're funneling so much into me. So I wrote it for them. Born This Way is all about my little monsters and me, mother monster."
Echoing something she's been saying since the summer, Gaga promised that the album is "finished and all," but that she's currently "fine-tuning everything."
"It's kind of like the post-operative stage of the album," she said. "I've already done the full heart surgery. I'm just sewing myself back up again."
And, to that end, she added that her monsters might not have to wait much longer to hear the album's first single — the title of which is still unknown — telling the BBC it would be released in February 2011, with the album arriving "shortly after."
Are you eager to hear Gaga's Born This Way? Tell us in the comments!
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Sunday, December 26, 2010
Lady Gaga Monster Ball Paris Tour Stop Cancelled
A ban barring vehicles over a certain weight on the road in bad weather derailed singer's Paris date.By Mawuse Ziegbe
Lady Gaga
Photo: Paul Morigi/ WireImage
Lady Gaga's French fans will have to wait to check out the singer rock "Bad Romance" due to some bad weather.
The superstar's Monster Ball Tour was slated to hit Paris' Bercy venue on Sunday (December 19), but severe weather derailed the pop megastar's plans. According to a press release posted on the theater's website, Gaga's Sunday show was cancelled because of a ban barring heavy vehicles over 7.5 tons from hitting the road in dicey conditions.
Gaga tweeted that French authorities had taken custody of her caravan for over a day and arrested two members of her camp when the crew arrived for the Paris date.
"All 28 of my trucks for the Monsterball were detained by the French government going on over 26 hrs, 2 of my employees were arrested trying to get into Paris so we could perform," she tweeted. "I am furious and devastated, its unfair to my fans and to me."
Gaga added that she tried to tone down the theatrics but was told a lack of production resources ruled out the option of a simpler version of the elaborate stage show.
"I asked if I could do a stripped version of show, but there would be no sound or power source, its all been detained," she wrote. "I'm so sorry,angry+sad."
The songstress, who famously hates ditching appearances, apologized for not being able to hit the stage.
"I love Paris + I love my French fans. I'm sorry little monsters. A photo of storm, I'm stuck on bus," she wrote, tweeting a snapshot of the grey weather.
The theater maintained that the Monday show will go on as planned, but could not confirm if the Sunday date will be officially moved to Tuesday.
What do you think of Gaga's show being cancelled? Let us know in the comments!
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Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga
Photo: Paul Morigi/ WireImage
Lady Gaga's French fans will have to wait to check out the singer rock "Bad Romance" due to some bad weather.
The superstar's Monster Ball Tour was slated to hit Paris' Bercy venue on Sunday (December 19), but severe weather derailed the pop megastar's plans. According to a press release posted on the theater's website, Gaga's Sunday show was cancelled because of a ban barring heavy vehicles over 7.5 tons from hitting the road in dicey conditions.
Gaga tweeted that French authorities had taken custody of her caravan for over a day and arrested two members of her camp when the crew arrived for the Paris date.
"All 28 of my trucks for the Monsterball were detained by the French government going on over 26 hrs, 2 of my employees were arrested trying to get into Paris so we could perform," she tweeted. "I am furious and devastated, its unfair to my fans and to me."
Gaga added that she tried to tone down the theatrics but was told a lack of production resources ruled out the option of a simpler version of the elaborate stage show.
"I asked if I could do a stripped version of show, but there would be no sound or power source, its all been detained," she wrote. "I'm so sorry,angry+sad."
The songstress, who famously hates ditching appearances, apologized for not being able to hit the stage.
"I love Paris + I love my French fans. I'm sorry little monsters. A photo of storm, I'm stuck on bus," she wrote, tweeting a snapshot of the grey weather.
The theater maintained that the Monday show will go on as planned, but could not confirm if the Sunday date will be officially moved to Tuesday.
What do you think of Gaga's show being cancelled? Let us know in the comments!
Related Photos
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What's Your Favorite Movie Of 2010? [POLL]
I've already revealed my picks for the top 10 movies of 2010. And I'm happy with all of my choices, though there were a few flicks I loved that barely missed making the final cut -- sorry, "Kick-Ass," "How to Train Your Dragon" and "127 Hours"! But that list represents the opinion of just one [...]
Grammy Hits And Misses: Ke$ha Shut Out, Bruno Mars Cleans Up
Big Boi and Alicia Keys are also left out, but Florence and the Machine and Ray LaMontagne get some much-deserved love.By Gil Kaufman
Ke$ha
Photo: Kristian Dowling / PictureGroup
What would the annual Grammy nominations announcement be without the next-day quarterbacking and bellyaching about who got dissed and who got just the right amount of Academy love?
While this year's batch of contenders is mostly devoid of the WTF factor of past nomination seasons, when veteran acts such as Steely Dan, Robert Plant and Herbie Hancock sucked most of the air out of the room, there were still plenty of surprises, omissions and flat-out questionable choices to go around.
The one most people were buzzing about Thursday (December 2) was the blank delivered to Ke$ha, who earned a grand total of zero nominations for her debut, Animal, despite launching several hits and earning a major spot in the pop-culture universe in 2010. The snub was even more noticeable because one of her producers, Dr. Luke, was nominated in the producer category and four of the eight songs that earned him that spot were from Ke$ha's debut.
We spoke to Entertainment Weekly music critic Leah Greenblatt about that oversight and many others in this year's nominations. She said the Ke$ha situation was surprising, especially considering the love that the similarly poptastic Katy Perry got for Teenage Dream, which has sold well but, like Animal, was not critically adored upon release.
"But I think it's really cool to see Florence [and the Machine] get that nomination [for Best New Artist], and I think it's awesome that Esperanza Spalding also got nominated [in that category]," she said of the little-known jazz singer who likely sent many people to Google on Wednesday night.
Greenblatt was also excited that raspy-voiced singer Ray LaMontagne snagged a spot in the Song of the Year category for "Beg Steal or Borrow" and another in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.
"As fogie-ish as the Grammys are, it seems like this year they went more towards a Teen Choice Awards direction with a noticeably younger group of nominees," she said, wondering if it was a conscious decision to try and make the show hipper or if it's a signal of the changing demographic of Grammy voters. "And I think Bruno Mars deserves all of his nominations," she added about the singer/songwriter/producer who scored seven nods. "He only had one hit, but he really shaped popular music this year with the songs he did for Travie McCoy, B.o.B and Cee Lo. He brought so much musicality to R&B and pop. He's making music and playing instruments and he's insanely melodic. He's not just jacking samples."
As for how Eminem ended up with the most nominations at 10, she chalked it up to the "Sandra Bullock factor," speculating that Grammy voters might have just thought it was Marshall Mathers' time to shine again. "He's not universally liked for his sparkling personality, but it seems like it's his time," she said of the rapper, who had the year's best-selling album with Recovery and stormed back with some of the most melodic, accessible music of his decade-plus career. "It almost seemed like he was deemed safe enough for the Grammys this year ... and the album is so incredibly commercial. It's as safe as Eminem gets."
As for who got left off, Greenblatt said she was surprised at the lack of "American Idol" names on the list, with season-eight winner Kris Allen getting shut out and that season's runner-up, Adam Lambert, only getting a bid for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Whataya Want From Me."
And for a song that was one of the best-selling singles of the year, it was surprising that Train's "Hey, Soul Sister," Grammy bait if there ever was, managed only one nod for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals — for a live version of the tune.
There were other glaring omissions to be sure: no love for rappers Rick Ross and Big Boi, just a pair of nominations for last year's big winners Kings of Leon, a shutout for Lady Gaga's smash "Bad Romance" in the Record and Song of the Year categories (it did show up in Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) as well as for B.o.B and Hayley Williams' mega-hit "Airplanes," which scored only a Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals acknowledgment.
Greenblatt was also disappointed that Alicia Keys' The Element of Freedom got blanked, despite the handfuls of Grammys the singer has taken home in the past. And considering its major impact on the pop-culture landscape, "Glee" only got noticed in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media category and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "Don't Stop Believin'," which Greenblatt said may have had something to do with the fact that the songs on the show are covers and not original compositions.
In the end, though, she said this year's Grammys were mostly devoid of the giant head-smacking omissions and inclusions of past years and with the strong recognition to a new generation of singers, another potential sign that the show might be inching in a new direction.
Which artists or albums do you think got too much (or not enough love) this year? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Ke$ha
Bruno Mars
Ke$ha
Photo: Kristian Dowling / PictureGroup
What would the annual Grammy nominations announcement be without the next-day quarterbacking and bellyaching about who got dissed and who got just the right amount of Academy love?
While this year's batch of contenders is mostly devoid of the WTF factor of past nomination seasons, when veteran acts such as Steely Dan, Robert Plant and Herbie Hancock sucked most of the air out of the room, there were still plenty of surprises, omissions and flat-out questionable choices to go around.
The one most people were buzzing about Thursday (December 2) was the blank delivered to Ke$ha, who earned a grand total of zero nominations for her debut, Animal, despite launching several hits and earning a major spot in the pop-culture universe in 2010. The snub was even more noticeable because one of her producers, Dr. Luke, was nominated in the producer category and four of the eight songs that earned him that spot were from Ke$ha's debut.
We spoke to Entertainment Weekly music critic Leah Greenblatt about that oversight and many others in this year's nominations. She said the Ke$ha situation was surprising, especially considering the love that the similarly poptastic Katy Perry got for Teenage Dream, which has sold well but, like Animal, was not critically adored upon release.
"But I think it's really cool to see Florence [and the Machine] get that nomination [for Best New Artist], and I think it's awesome that Esperanza Spalding also got nominated [in that category]," she said of the little-known jazz singer who likely sent many people to Google on Wednesday night.
Greenblatt was also excited that raspy-voiced singer Ray LaMontagne snagged a spot in the Song of the Year category for "Beg Steal or Borrow" and another in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.
"As fogie-ish as the Grammys are, it seems like this year they went more towards a Teen Choice Awards direction with a noticeably younger group of nominees," she said, wondering if it was a conscious decision to try and make the show hipper or if it's a signal of the changing demographic of Grammy voters. "And I think Bruno Mars deserves all of his nominations," she added about the singer/songwriter/producer who scored seven nods. "He only had one hit, but he really shaped popular music this year with the songs he did for Travie McCoy, B.o.B and Cee Lo. He brought so much musicality to R&B and pop. He's making music and playing instruments and he's insanely melodic. He's not just jacking samples."
As for how Eminem ended up with the most nominations at 10, she chalked it up to the "Sandra Bullock factor," speculating that Grammy voters might have just thought it was Marshall Mathers' time to shine again. "He's not universally liked for his sparkling personality, but it seems like it's his time," she said of the rapper, who had the year's best-selling album with Recovery and stormed back with some of the most melodic, accessible music of his decade-plus career. "It almost seemed like he was deemed safe enough for the Grammys this year ... and the album is so incredibly commercial. It's as safe as Eminem gets."
As for who got left off, Greenblatt said she was surprised at the lack of "American Idol" names on the list, with season-eight winner Kris Allen getting shut out and that season's runner-up, Adam Lambert, only getting a bid for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Whataya Want From Me."
And for a song that was one of the best-selling singles of the year, it was surprising that Train's "Hey, Soul Sister," Grammy bait if there ever was, managed only one nod for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals — for a live version of the tune.
There were other glaring omissions to be sure: no love for rappers Rick Ross and Big Boi, just a pair of nominations for last year's big winners Kings of Leon, a shutout for Lady Gaga's smash "Bad Romance" in the Record and Song of the Year categories (it did show up in Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) as well as for B.o.B and Hayley Williams' mega-hit "Airplanes," which scored only a Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals acknowledgment.
Greenblatt was also disappointed that Alicia Keys' The Element of Freedom got blanked, despite the handfuls of Grammys the singer has taken home in the past. And considering its major impact on the pop-culture landscape, "Glee" only got noticed in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media category and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "Don't Stop Believin'," which Greenblatt said may have had something to do with the fact that the songs on the show are covers and not original compositions.
In the end, though, she said this year's Grammys were mostly devoid of the giant head-smacking omissions and inclusions of past years and with the strong recognition to a new generation of singers, another potential sign that the show might be inching in a new direction.
Which artists or albums do you think got too much (or not enough love) this year? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Related Videos
2011 Grammy Nomination Reactions
Related Photos
2011 Grammy Awards Nominees: Hits And Misses
The 2011 Grammy Nominations Concert
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'The Smurfs' Land In Central Park In New Photo
"The Smurfs" might not be invading New York City until August 2011, but that doesn't mean that they won't remind us that they're coming. In a new image from the upcoming film, Papa Smurf, Brainy Smurf, Smurfette, Grouchy Smurf, Gutsy Smurf and Panicky Smurf just landed in Central Park on a nice sunny Manhattan day. [...]
Ke$ha - My First Kiss
My First Kiss
Artist: Ke$ha
Label: Photo Finish Records
Director: Isaac Ravishankara
Artist: Ke$ha
Label: Photo Finish Records
Director: Isaac Ravishankara
Justin Bieber's 'Ride' Leaks Online
The previously unheard tune appeared on the Internet Wednesday.By James Dinh
Justin Bieber
Photo: George Pimentel/ WireImage
Despite his young and tender age, it should be painfully apparent that Justin Bieber is quite the ladies' man. So it comes as no surprise that the pop star took to the studio to confess his love-stricken teenage emotions through his music. In the latest of his odes to women comes the previously unheard track called "Ride," which surfaced on the Internet Wednesday (December 22).
Over a beat that sounds similar to old-school video game sound effects, Bieber serenades his girl, confessing that he'd go above and beyond to spend time with her. "We could go anywhere, to the moon and through the air/ We could go to the movies or the mall, baby I don't care/ Yeah this is true, wanna be with you/ And I just wanna ride with you," he sings.
No word on whether the sugary tune is old or a possible submission for Bieber's next project. However, the tune sounds like it might be a demo for a female vocalist as the pop singer ends the first verse with the line: "I could be your queen but you could be my boo."
"Ride" isn't the only new Bieber song to have surfaced online recently as Justin's club-ready "Latin Girl" also leaked just a few weeks ago. In addition to the tracks, Biebs has also been in and out of the recording studio with some familiar faces working on his next album, which is tentatively set to drop late next year.
While it's not clear whether Diddy will make an appearance on the Canadian heartthrob's next project, one act the singer is confirmed to have worked with is Rascal Flatts. The country trio's lead singer, Gary LeVox, spoke about the Bieber collabo in a recent interview with country radio station WSIX. "[Justin] asked us to do a duet with him on his next record," he said. "It's actually a really good song! The kid is really talented. He plays five or six different instruments really well."
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Justin Bieber
Photo: George Pimentel/ WireImage
Despite his young and tender age, it should be painfully apparent that Justin Bieber is quite the ladies' man. So it comes as no surprise that the pop star took to the studio to confess his love-stricken teenage emotions through his music. In the latest of his odes to women comes the previously unheard track called "Ride," which surfaced on the Internet Wednesday (December 22).
Over a beat that sounds similar to old-school video game sound effects, Bieber serenades his girl, confessing that he'd go above and beyond to spend time with her. "We could go anywhere, to the moon and through the air/ We could go to the movies or the mall, baby I don't care/ Yeah this is true, wanna be with you/ And I just wanna ride with you," he sings.
No word on whether the sugary tune is old or a possible submission for Bieber's next project. However, the tune sounds like it might be a demo for a female vocalist as the pop singer ends the first verse with the line: "I could be your queen but you could be my boo."
"Ride" isn't the only new Bieber song to have surfaced online recently as Justin's club-ready "Latin Girl" also leaked just a few weeks ago. In addition to the tracks, Biebs has also been in and out of the recording studio with some familiar faces working on his next album, which is tentatively set to drop late next year.
While it's not clear whether Diddy will make an appearance on the Canadian heartthrob's next project, one act the singer is confirmed to have worked with is Rascal Flatts. The country trio's lead singer, Gary LeVox, spoke about the Bieber collabo in a recent interview with country radio station WSIX. "[Justin] asked us to do a duet with him on his next record," he said. "It's actually a really good song! The kid is really talented. He plays five or six different instruments really well."
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Kanye And Gaga?! Readers React To Our Man And Woman Of The Year
Kanye West vs. Eminem, Lady Gaga vs. Britney Spears: Our readers duke it out over whether our picks for 2010's top man and woman were worthy.By James Montgomery
Kanye West
Photo: D. Dipasupil/Getty Images
Last week, when MTV News revealed our picks for Man of the Year (Kanye West) and Woman of the Year (Lady Gaga), we expected that there would be some folks out there who wouldn't agree with our choices ... mostly, Eminem fans — because, as we've learned time and time again, they don't agree with anything.
But there's no way we could have predicted just how many people were genuinely outraged with our list ... MTV.com readers flooded our site with comments, calling us every name in the book, accusing us of vast multinational conspiracies, and doing everything short of declaring war on our headquarters (please don't attack on a Wednesday, that's Taco Day in the cafeteria). We're only slightly exaggerating.
(They're more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!)
By far, the biggest point of contention centered on our Man of the Year list ... and, more specifically, why we gave the award to West instead of Eminem. Fans of both men lit up the comments with passionate arguments, with each side working overtime to state their case. It got pretty nasty, which sort of made it even better.
Over on the Woman of the Year list, well, most people seemed to agree that Gaga deserved the honor, though, of course, there were still some out there who believed that Britney Spears was robbed — even though she didn't release a note of music this year. Her fans are just that loyal.
To be honest, we were sort of blown away by just how many of you cared, so we've decided to collect some of the best responses here. But don't think the debate has to end right now ... if you still feel like your voice hasn't been heard, sound off in the comments below. And now, without further ado, let's get acrimonious.
"Eminem [had] two #1 singles both with sales over 3 million! [He was] iTunes' Artist of the Year, Billboard's Best Male and Best Album ... best-selling single in the UK, VMA Best Male and Best Hip Hop, EMA Best Hip Hop artist, MTV's #1 Hottest MC of 2010 ... opened at VMA and BET awards, Recovery already sold 3 million and still counting copies in less than 6 months (I pray Kanye makes it up to 1 million by God's grace), 10 Grammy nominations ... Eminem had a bigger year and MTV knows that!" — Kennethngbor
"Kanye had a bigger year? Yeah he did. 10/10 from Pitchfork? Yeah. 'Runaway' movie? Yeah. G.O.O.D. Fridays (new song every week)? Yeah. Most critically acclaimed album this year? Yeah. Sold over 430,000 copies without a NUMBER ONE single and being the MOST HATED man in America? yeahh. Need I continue? Em's album wasn't all that. Hell, Teflon Don was better than Recovery. ... 'Ye had a better album, [and] a better year." — Alex
"I think [Kanye] deserved to win. Of course Em sold more records, Hello? America's white-boy rapper? Duh! I mean, he's cool, don't get me wrong ... Em puts out a good CD when he tries, but Kanye killed it ... So to hell with what people say, I'm good with 'Ye winning man of the year." — Hsoj
"I feel that MTV and Kanye have a plot together to make each other bigger. They hyped the you-know-what out of him before he even dropped his latest album. Suddenly he has been back for a couple of months after he took some time off to seek help and he becomes Man of the Year? Come on. Everytime he does something outlandish it's on MTV, so I'm starting to wonder if he and the network are working together to help each other gain publicity. Shady business if you ask me." — JayJay
"MTV, accept the many mistakes you made this year in many of your lists and make a better one next year and stop underrating people! #1 for Kanye is not deserved, he does not deserve to be in the top 5! Usher is supposed to be on this list, Bieber and Eminem are supposed to be higher!" — Emperor
"Kanye deserved this, denying it makes you look stupid because over this entire year, he's the one that brought music (especially hip hop) forward. I LOVE EMINEM, I couldn't be more serious about that, but at the end of the day, Kanye brought music forward as opposed to Em getting back to the level of quality we are used to getting from him. Em's still the sh--, but this year, Kanye made a better product." — Ryan
"Kanye West just put out one of the best acclaimed hip-hop albums of the last 7 years ... he created a masterpiece in the movie 'Runaway' and stretched the boundaries with the moving painting piece for 'Power'. Kanye West did more this year to move [forward] the culture, especially the hip-hop culture than Em did by far. If you make the best album you should be the man that year, simple as that." — ThisGuyCalledJeff
"I'm happy for Kanye, and people should be happy for him too for giving out all that free music and putting out a classic album instead of hating! And I'm pretty sure Eminem is not thinking about this list, because he's making bread off that 3 mill sold, so let's let Kanye shine for a moment please!" — TommyBoy502ky
"I'm tired of MTV giving Gaga too much praise! I can't wait for Britney Spears to release her new album in March! Gaga did not revive pop music. She is good but she is not better than the pop stars who came before her like Britney, Christina, and Madonna ... When Britney came out, she revived pop music! When Gaga came out, she didn't revive nothing. Now Britney will be back with a new album and she will be on top." — IfUSeekPeanut:)
"Okay, let me explain to you why Britney is not better than anybody, she is not an icon, she won't be a legend, she used her physical looks to call people's attention, she is auto-tuned, and she doesn't sing live! Gaga is talented and better than Britney, in so many levels ... she writes her own music, and plays the piano, the problem is that Britney has a longer career, but Gaga will have it too in 10 years; yes she is crazy, and yes she is a freak, but that's what makes her special and unique, Britney these days is just another pop star; the fact that she's been relevant for a decade doesn't mean she is a legend, and Lady Gaga is definitely the icon of this generation." — EMMNL
"I seriously don't care what anyone could possibly say, I love Lady Gaga with all my heart and nothing anyone says will ever change that. I've honestly heard it all, and it only makes my love for her stronger. Can't wait for Born This Way. I'll be the first one to buy it in Canada." — Christian
"There was no other choice [for Woman of the Year]. [Gaga's] carried pop music the past two years. Without her Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj would not exist. She's single-handedly brought dance music from the basement to the Penthouse." — frankru2000
Do you agree with MTV News' picks for Man and Woman of the Year? Tell us in the comments.
Related Videos
Men And Women Of The Year 2010
Related Photos
The Men & Women Of 2010
Related Artists
Kanye West
Lady Gaga
Kanye West
Photo: D. Dipasupil/Getty Images
Last week, when MTV News revealed our picks for Man of the Year (Kanye West) and Woman of the Year (Lady Gaga), we expected that there would be some folks out there who wouldn't agree with our choices ... mostly, Eminem fans — because, as we've learned time and time again, they don't agree with anything.
But there's no way we could have predicted just how many people were genuinely outraged with our list ... MTV.com readers flooded our site with comments, calling us every name in the book, accusing us of vast multinational conspiracies, and doing everything short of declaring war on our headquarters (please don't attack on a Wednesday, that's Taco Day in the cafeteria). We're only slightly exaggerating.
(They're more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!)
By far, the biggest point of contention centered on our Man of the Year list ... and, more specifically, why we gave the award to West instead of Eminem. Fans of both men lit up the comments with passionate arguments, with each side working overtime to state their case. It got pretty nasty, which sort of made it even better.
Over on the Woman of the Year list, well, most people seemed to agree that Gaga deserved the honor, though, of course, there were still some out there who believed that Britney Spears was robbed — even though she didn't release a note of music this year. Her fans are just that loyal.
To be honest, we were sort of blown away by just how many of you cared, so we've decided to collect some of the best responses here. But don't think the debate has to end right now ... if you still feel like your voice hasn't been heard, sound off in the comments below. And now, without further ado, let's get acrimonious.
"Eminem [had] two #1 singles both with sales over 3 million! [He was] iTunes' Artist of the Year, Billboard's Best Male and Best Album ... best-selling single in the UK, VMA Best Male and Best Hip Hop, EMA Best Hip Hop artist, MTV's #1 Hottest MC of 2010 ... opened at VMA and BET awards, Recovery already sold 3 million and still counting copies in less than 6 months (I pray Kanye makes it up to 1 million by God's grace), 10 Grammy nominations ... Eminem had a bigger year and MTV knows that!" — Kennethngbor
"Kanye had a bigger year? Yeah he did. 10/10 from Pitchfork? Yeah. 'Runaway' movie? Yeah. G.O.O.D. Fridays (new song every week)? Yeah. Most critically acclaimed album this year? Yeah. Sold over 430,000 copies without a NUMBER ONE single and being the MOST HATED man in America? yeahh. Need I continue? Em's album wasn't all that. Hell, Teflon Don was better than Recovery. ... 'Ye had a better album, [and] a better year." — Alex
"I think [Kanye] deserved to win. Of course Em sold more records, Hello? America's white-boy rapper? Duh! I mean, he's cool, don't get me wrong ... Em puts out a good CD when he tries, but Kanye killed it ... So to hell with what people say, I'm good with 'Ye winning man of the year." — Hsoj
"I feel that MTV and Kanye have a plot together to make each other bigger. They hyped the you-know-what out of him before he even dropped his latest album. Suddenly he has been back for a couple of months after he took some time off to seek help and he becomes Man of the Year? Come on. Everytime he does something outlandish it's on MTV, so I'm starting to wonder if he and the network are working together to help each other gain publicity. Shady business if you ask me." — JayJay
"MTV, accept the many mistakes you made this year in many of your lists and make a better one next year and stop underrating people! #1 for Kanye is not deserved, he does not deserve to be in the top 5! Usher is supposed to be on this list, Bieber and Eminem are supposed to be higher!" — Emperor
"Kanye deserved this, denying it makes you look stupid because over this entire year, he's the one that brought music (especially hip hop) forward. I LOVE EMINEM, I couldn't be more serious about that, but at the end of the day, Kanye brought music forward as opposed to Em getting back to the level of quality we are used to getting from him. Em's still the sh--, but this year, Kanye made a better product." — Ryan
"Kanye West just put out one of the best acclaimed hip-hop albums of the last 7 years ... he created a masterpiece in the movie 'Runaway' and stretched the boundaries with the moving painting piece for 'Power'. Kanye West did more this year to move [forward] the culture, especially the hip-hop culture than Em did by far. If you make the best album you should be the man that year, simple as that." — ThisGuyCalledJeff
"I'm happy for Kanye, and people should be happy for him too for giving out all that free music and putting out a classic album instead of hating! And I'm pretty sure Eminem is not thinking about this list, because he's making bread off that 3 mill sold, so let's let Kanye shine for a moment please!" — TommyBoy502ky
"I'm tired of MTV giving Gaga too much praise! I can't wait for Britney Spears to release her new album in March! Gaga did not revive pop music. She is good but she is not better than the pop stars who came before her like Britney, Christina, and Madonna ... When Britney came out, she revived pop music! When Gaga came out, she didn't revive nothing. Now Britney will be back with a new album and she will be on top." — IfUSeekPeanut:)
"Okay, let me explain to you why Britney is not better than anybody, she is not an icon, she won't be a legend, she used her physical looks to call people's attention, she is auto-tuned, and she doesn't sing live! Gaga is talented and better than Britney, in so many levels ... she writes her own music, and plays the piano, the problem is that Britney has a longer career, but Gaga will have it too in 10 years; yes she is crazy, and yes she is a freak, but that's what makes her special and unique, Britney these days is just another pop star; the fact that she's been relevant for a decade doesn't mean she is a legend, and Lady Gaga is definitely the icon of this generation." — EMMNL
"I seriously don't care what anyone could possibly say, I love Lady Gaga with all my heart and nothing anyone says will ever change that. I've honestly heard it all, and it only makes my love for her stronger. Can't wait for Born This Way. I'll be the first one to buy it in Canada." — Christian
"There was no other choice [for Woman of the Year]. [Gaga's] carried pop music the past two years. Without her Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj would not exist. She's single-handedly brought dance music from the basement to the Penthouse." — frankru2000
Do you agree with MTV News' picks for Man and Woman of the Year? Tell us in the comments.
Related Videos
Men And Women Of The Year 2010
Related Photos
The Men & Women Of 2010
Related Artists
Kanye West
Lady Gaga
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Photos | Albums That Sold 1 Million Copies In The First Week
Albums That Sold 1 Million Copies In The First Week
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Mary J. Blige Dishes On Her 'Crazy' Led Zeppelin Covers
'I've listened to their music since I was a child,' says the R&B diva, who recorded 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love.'By James Montgomery, with reporting by Larry Carroll
Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News
You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.
In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.
But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.
"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."
Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.
"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.
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Mary J. Blige
Led Zeppelin
Travis Barker
Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News
You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.
In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.
But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.
"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."
Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.
"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.
Related Artists
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Led Zeppelin
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Shanna Moakler Shannon Elizabeth Shannyn Sossamon Shiri Appleby
Les News, 122410
Xmas Pugs All Ice-T wants for Xmas is his wife Coco‘s butt. Goldie Hawn claims to be a “gangsta”. THIS discharged gay soldier shakes hands with and accepts President Obama‘s apology for Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Jason Mraz is gettin’ hitched. Demi Lovato settles with the girl she assaulted. Wait, Johnny Weir sings now? Does [...]
Michael Jackson - History
History
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic
Album: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic
Album: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
MSNBC Commentator Rachael Maddow Gives Props to Florida Death Metal
When political commentators mention extreme metal on the air it's usually in reference to something tragic like a school shooting, church burning or suicide pact. But when MSNBC liberal correspondent Rachael Maddow invoked the names of Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under, Obituary, Death and Deicide it was mostly to take a stab at Republicans, not [...]
Michael Jackson 'Hold My Hand' Video Tugs At Heartstrings
Posthumous clip mixes classic footage of Jackson with newly shot film of fans.By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In addition to his flawless vocals and mind-bending footwork, one of the things Michael Jackson was best known for was his drive to create the most elaborate and cinematic music videos the world had ever seen.
"Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Black or White," "Remember the Time" and "Bad" are just a few of the landmark clips the late King of Pop gave the world during his 1980s and early-'90s hit-making peak. Which is why fans and critics alike were eager to get a glimpse Thursday morning (December 9) at the first music video in the singer's career that was created without his firm guiding hand and vision.
After teasing the clip earlier in the week, the official MJ site debuted on Thursday the full video for the stirring ballad "Hold My Hand," the first single from the upcoming album, Michael. The clip for MJ's duet with Akon is not unlike the first posthumous vids from the likes of other contemporary fallen stars such as Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G., in that it mixes classic footage of the artist performing with newly shot images of fans young and old paying homage to their hero.
It opens with a crowd of people standing in front of a large airplane hangar and unleashing a flood of white balloons as they say "Thank you, Michael" and "We love you, Michael," while a gigantic image of the singer in silhouette appears on the side of the structure.
If nothing else, the "Hold My Hand" video is a kind of MJ greatest-hits montage, intercutting images of the singer in his prime in some of his most beloved stage outfits with glimpses of children wearing the same garb, a young boy holding a red plastic heart in his hands and Akon dancing on a pure white background as MJ hoofs beside him.
As Michael begins to sing the first verse, we see a variety of different hands — old, young, holding babies, reaching up to the sky, down into a bathtub, etc. — as well as a series of women crying, the infamous glittering glove and a woman in a hospital bed seemingly dying of cancer, all intended to pull heartstrings and stir emotion.
It continues on like that, with most of the video consisting of shots of hands (some trailing a kind of glittery pixie-dust vapor) doing various things, children breakdancing and popping, and various images of angels, as the edits of stock-like footage of sunny skies, forests and adorable babies pile on so quickly it's almost hard to keep up.
Jackson, frankly, is hardly in the video, making sporadic appearances courtesy of some iconic footage of him in concert, a curious choice given the reported dozens of hours of HD footage shot of the singer while he was preparing for what was slated to be his big comeback tour in England last year.
The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track.
Instead of the eye-popping special effects and intricate choreography of the past, the "Hold My Hand" video goes for a simpler, more predictable sentimentality. Without Jackson around anymore to call the shots and push the video envelope, it also signals a quiet, uneventful end to a career of constant reinvention and visual ambition via music video.
In a statement to MTV News, director Mark Pellington explained what he was aiming for with the posthumous clip. "We shot the video in a variety of locations in Los Angeles, including a blimp hangar in Tustin. The attempt was to create a celebratory, positive, healing music video honoring Michael's legacy," he said. "And for me personally, if his fans like it, that's all I really care about."
What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" video?
Related Photos
Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos
Related Artists
Michael Jackson
Akon
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In addition to his flawless vocals and mind-bending footwork, one of the things Michael Jackson was best known for was his drive to create the most elaborate and cinematic music videos the world had ever seen.
"Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Black or White," "Remember the Time" and "Bad" are just a few of the landmark clips the late King of Pop gave the world during his 1980s and early-'90s hit-making peak. Which is why fans and critics alike were eager to get a glimpse Thursday morning (December 9) at the first music video in the singer's career that was created without his firm guiding hand and vision.
After teasing the clip earlier in the week, the official MJ site debuted on Thursday the full video for the stirring ballad "Hold My Hand," the first single from the upcoming album, Michael. The clip for MJ's duet with Akon is not unlike the first posthumous vids from the likes of other contemporary fallen stars such as Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G., in that it mixes classic footage of the artist performing with newly shot images of fans young and old paying homage to their hero.
It opens with a crowd of people standing in front of a large airplane hangar and unleashing a flood of white balloons as they say "Thank you, Michael" and "We love you, Michael," while a gigantic image of the singer in silhouette appears on the side of the structure.
If nothing else, the "Hold My Hand" video is a kind of MJ greatest-hits montage, intercutting images of the singer in his prime in some of his most beloved stage outfits with glimpses of children wearing the same garb, a young boy holding a red plastic heart in his hands and Akon dancing on a pure white background as MJ hoofs beside him.
As Michael begins to sing the first verse, we see a variety of different hands — old, young, holding babies, reaching up to the sky, down into a bathtub, etc. — as well as a series of women crying, the infamous glittering glove and a woman in a hospital bed seemingly dying of cancer, all intended to pull heartstrings and stir emotion.
It continues on like that, with most of the video consisting of shots of hands (some trailing a kind of glittery pixie-dust vapor) doing various things, children breakdancing and popping, and various images of angels, as the edits of stock-like footage of sunny skies, forests and adorable babies pile on so quickly it's almost hard to keep up.
Jackson, frankly, is hardly in the video, making sporadic appearances courtesy of some iconic footage of him in concert, a curious choice given the reported dozens of hours of HD footage shot of the singer while he was preparing for what was slated to be his big comeback tour in England last year.
The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track.
Instead of the eye-popping special effects and intricate choreography of the past, the "Hold My Hand" video goes for a simpler, more predictable sentimentality. Without Jackson around anymore to call the shots and push the video envelope, it also signals a quiet, uneventful end to a career of constant reinvention and visual ambition via music video.
In a statement to MTV News, director Mark Pellington explained what he was aiming for with the posthumous clip. "We shot the video in a variety of locations in Los Angeles, including a blimp hangar in Tustin. The attempt was to create a celebratory, positive, healing music video honoring Michael's legacy," he said. "And for me personally, if his fans like it, that's all I really care about."
What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" video?
Related Photos
Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos
Related Artists
Michael Jackson
Akon
Gisele Bündchen Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez Grace Park
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