Tuesday, February 15, 2011
New 'Sucker Punch' TV Spots Preserve The Film's Mystery
Lady Gaga's Next Single Will 'Shock,' RedOne Says
'You're gonna be surprised and wanna go crazy,' producer tells MTV News at Grammys.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by James Montgomery
Lady Gaga at the Grammys on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Lady Gaga debuted her new single, the much anticipated "Born This Way," on Friday. It's an over-the-top old-school disco track about self-confidence and the power of loving yourself for who you are. Gaga performed the track at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, shortly after emerging from an egg.
Shortly before she took the stage, MTV News caught up with Lady Gaga's frequent producer, RedOne, who promised that if "Born This Way" blew your socks off, then you really need to wait for the next single off her May album release.
"Next one! I'm not gonna tell you the title, but the next single, it's ... I don't want to say. It's gonna shock," he teased on the red carpet. "You're gonna be surprised and wanna go crazy." (Vogue had reported that the next single would be called "Judas," but Perez Hilton later debunked the rumor.)
While that's where the Gaga talk began and ended, the super-producer was more forthcoming with details about working with rock icons U2 on their next album. "I'm working with U2 and Bono and them. I'm a guitar player. I'm a musician," he explained. "A lot of people think RedOne is a synth guy, but I'm a guitar player, I'm a singer and all of that."
RedOne said that while the band's next album will sound distinctly U2, he revealed that he and the guys are also putting a new-millennium spin on the age-old formula. "I love producing. I love doing different styles, and with U2, it was like going back to when I was in a band, a rock band. The process is very special," he said. "It's a very unique process. It's futuristic, but it's still U2. U2 is U2."
For more Grammy Awards analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News!
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Monday, February 14, 2011
Extreme Musicians Tell Child Where Babies Come From
Britney Spears Releases A Tenth Teaser For Her ?Hold It Against Me? Music Video
Usher - OMG
- Artist: Usher
- Label: LaFace Records, JLG
- Director: Anthony Mandler
- Album: Raymond V. Raymond
Katie Holmes? New Flick Gets Release Date
She worked hard to make ?Don?t Be Afraid of the Dark? a super scary film, and now Katie Holmes' horror flick has been given a release date.
Holmes? movie was shelved after Miramax was sold by Disney last year, but FilmDistrict has bought it and will release it August 12th.
Katie stars alongside Guy Pearce, who has been getting all kinds of buzz for his work in the multi-award-winning masterpiece ?The King?s Speech.?
?Don?t Be Afraid of the Dark? was premiered at Comic Con last year, and scheduled for an original release date this past January.
Ke$ha Pokes Fun At Disney In New Funny Or Die Clip
Pop singer plays a dirty Disney princess in online parody.
By Jocelyn Vena
Ke$ha in Funny or Die's "Disney's Princess Ke$ha" video
Photo: Funny Or Die
Ever wonder what it would be like if Disney gave Ke$ha her very own movie? Well wonder no more, since the folks over at Funny or Die have dreamed up a new Ke$ha-starring satire, "Disney's Princess Ke$ha."
The clip opens with Ke$ha in a castle bedroom addressing her animated pals, complaining about her alarm clock waking her up. "Oh that clock. What a killjoy," she says as she stares out of her window in the castle tower. Just as she begins singing a very Disney melody, she proclaims it "gross" and says "f--- it," before kicking off a signature Ke$ha-style tune, complete with her rap-sing style and club-ready beat.
"Time to get the day going/ Dress it up to the nines/ Yo, critter crew/ Make Princess Ke$ha look fine," she sings. "Add a little pinch of magic from my fairy-tale life and off we go." Then she goes into the chorus: "I'm getting ready so nice / I'm getting customized."
The pop star is later catapulted into the real world. In an alley, she meets up with an animated rat, a pumpkin and a cross-dressing hobo fairy godmother. The rat and pumpkin are transformed into a shopping cart and a man who take off with Ke$ha.
This is the singer's second appearance on the site. Last November she appeared in a clip where she jokingly explained "The Story of the $."
"I used to be Kesha with an S, instead of a dollar sign, and then one year I had my birthday party at Shakey's Pizza," she said in the clip. "On the sign, the big sign where they write 'Happy birthday,' they replaced the S with a dollar sign. It ruined my life. I wanted to be a CPA, but you know who H&R Block doesn't hire? People with dollar signs in their name. I pretty much had to be a pop star."
What do you think of Ke$ha's latest Funny or Die video? Tell us in the comments!
Related ArtistsAndre 3000 Pops Up On Ke$ha's 'Sleazy' Remix
Outkast MC freshens up the pop star's Cannibal cut with rare feature.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Andre 3000
Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images
It seems the only way to find spankin'-new Andre 3000 lyrics these days is on the odd remix, and the ATLien definitely picked a left-of-center choice for his latest feature.
On Friday (January 14), a remix of Ke$ha's Cannibal track "Sleazy" hit the Web, outfitted with some brand-new bars from the elusive Outkast MC. The southern spitter uses the revamp to muse about a young kid dealing with a deadbeat dad over the song's bouncy thump.
"We start out so cute in our baby pictures/ That mama shot for our daddy so that he wouldn't forget you/ He forgot anyway, but hey, one day he'll remember/ If not, he's human, I'm human, you human, we'll forgive him," he spits.
After sounding off about daddy issues, Stacks then rhymes about his playful relationship with the glitter-friendly poptress.
"I call her Keisha, she like it because it's hood to her/ She call me Andre 6000 because I'm good to her," he says.
The remix follows a slew of random guest appearances on records by everyone from DJ Unk to Rich Boy as fans await another full-length release from 'Dre. Back in 2008, the Love Below lyricist broke down his affinity for jumping on the occasional remix to MTV News, explaining that cooking up another quality solo record is no easy task.
"I've been doing remixes here and there, and let me tell you, thank God for remixes. I wanna tell everybody who's been checking out the remixes and things like the John Legend song ['Green Light']: In this day and age, those are the things that have kind of been keeping me alive. Because it takes me awhile to record albums," he said. "I have to kind of build up something to say."
What do you think of Andre 3000's verse on Ke$ha's "Sleazy" remix? Let us know in the comments!
Related ArtistsSunday, February 13, 2011
Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Muse Added To Grammy Show
Usher, Jaden Smith, B.o.B, Janelle Monae and Lady Antebellum will also perform on February 13.
By Gil Kaufman
Justin Bieber and Usher
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
While Willow Smith is the one who made music headlines with "Whip My Hair" last year, it's her brother, "Karate Kid" actor Jaden Smith, who will take the stage at the upcoming 53rd Grammy Awards in a special performance alongside Usher and Justin Bieber, with whom he collaborated on the song "Never Say Never" last summer.
The trio joins a list of new performers added to the show on Thursday (January 20) that will also include another power trifecta made up of B.o.B, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe, according to a press release from the Recording Academy announcing the additions to the February 13 telecast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Also taking the stage next month will be nominees Muse and Lady Antebellum. They will join a roster of previously announced performers that includes Eminem, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Arcade Fire, Cee Lo Green and Miranda Lambert. It will be the first time on the Grammy performance stage for Bieber, B.o.B, Lambert, Mars, Monáe, Muse and Smith. Eminem, Green, Gaga, Perry, Usher and Lady Antebellum will be making return visits for the occasion.
While 11-time Grammy winner Eminem leads the pack in nominations this year (with 10 nods), Mars has seven nominations, and Gaga and Lady Antebellum are not far behind with six nods each. B.o.B has notched five, Perry and Green are each up for four, and Arcade Fire and Lambert are vying for three awards. Bieber, Muse, Usher and Monáe are each nominated for two Grammys.
No details of the collaborative performances were released, but the Grammy announcement promised a rare, never-before-seen event for the Mars, B.o.B and Monáe segment.
With the addition of Antebellum, all five Album of the Year nominees (Eminem, Arcade Fire, Gaga, Perry) are now scheduled to perform on the show. Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon.
Which Grammy performance are you most looking forward to? Talk about it in the comments!
Related Photos Related ArtistsBritney Spears' 10th 'Hold It Against Me' Preview Packed With Technology
Beauty shots of television monitors marks four more days until video premiere.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Photo: Jive
There are just four more days until Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" video premieres, and the pop supernova continues to keep the suspense high.
After doling out super-short snippets of the visual to her latest dance floor-filler for over a week, the preview she gifted fans on Sunday (February 13) doesn't feature a flash of her toned legs or a scene where she and her dancers prepare to bust out some heart-racing choreography, but her presence is felt.
In the 10th, slickly produced teaser, a lofty chamber dotted with monitors looping many of her old videos takes center stage, as the bass from her insta-smash throbs in the background.
The seconds-long teasers will culminate in the premiere of the entire video, which goes down on MTV on Thursday at 9:56 p.m. ET, just before a brand new episode of "Jersey Shore." The video, which is the first single from her upcoming Femme Fatale LP, will also simultaneously premiere on MTV.com.
According to the video's choreographer, enduring days of teasers will be worth the wait. Dancer Brian Friedman recently assured MTV News that Spears is "definitely setting the bar" with "Hold It Against Me."
"She's showing that you have to push it as an artist: that you can't just settle, that you can't be calm with your choreography, that you have to make a statement," he said. "There's so many people out there competing in this world to be the queen of pop, and she's definitely claiming her throne."
Even with a top-flight track record of memorable clips, Friedman maintained that "Hold It Against Me" will be game-changing.
"Artistically, this video I think surpasses a lot of her other videos," he teased. "So many of her videos are iconic, though. You look at 'Toxic' and you look at 'Slave,' even 'Oops ... I Did It Again': People are gonna remember those videos forever. [In] '... Baby One More Time,' she made school-girl outfits relevant and so popular. This video is artistically a masterpiece, and I don't think that Britney has pushed the envelope in this way ever in any of her videos."
What do you think the rest of Britney's video will look like? Sound off in the comments!
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Britney Spears Picks Up Jayden James From Karate Practice
Usher - OMG
- Artist: Usher
- Label: LaFace Records, JLG
- Director: Anthony Mandler
- Album: Raymond V. Raymond
Exclusive: Will Lady Gaga Give Birth In Her Music Video For ?Born This Way??
'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon' Is 'Epic,' Michael Bay Says
'It takes awhile to get it right,' director tells MTV News of 'Dark of the Moon.'
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Kara Warner
Optimus Prime in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
Photo: DreamWorks
Michael Bay has been admirably open about what he — and many fans of his "Transformers" franchise — view as the second film's failings resulting from a rushed, post-writers'-strike production schedule. And he's promised to right those cinematic wrongs with the third installment in the series, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."
Early looks at footage from the upcoming action flick — a tantalizing teaser trailer and a balletic Super Bowl spot — seem to indicate he's accomplished that goal.
"I think it takes awhile to get it right," he explained to MTV News on Wednesday night at the red-carpet premiere of "I Am Number Four," which he produced. "I think we did not want the third one to suck."
The problem with 2009's "Revenge of the Fallen," Bay once again pointed out, is that the writers' strike left the production hardly any time to nail down a script. The filmmakers found themselves essentially trying to create a story line in the edit room, rather than on the page before shooting began.
"The second one, we had a tough go," Bay told us. "It was a very, very tough thing to make a movie under those circumstances. It affected a lot of Hollywood at that time."
This time around, Bay said, "We worked extra hard" and struck upon "a better story." "It's epic and it happens in a city," he added. "It's more accessible because you recognize stuff — it's not in a desert. It's kind of like 'Black Hawk Down' with our small group of heroes in a city."
On the carpet, Bay also briefly touched on two new alien bots set to debut in "Dark of the Moon." "Sentinel Prime is great. He's great," he said. "I can't tell you anything else, other than he's great."
And about the villain Shockwave, Bay say, "He's bad," adding that compared to Megatron, "He's got a much bigger gun [and is] a little bit more vicious."
Though Bay is certain he's got a winner on his hands, the director maintained that "Dark of the Moon" will be his final "Transformers" film. "It does have an end, yes," he said. "Because I am finished doing this."
Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related PhotosSaturday, February 12, 2011
'Just Go With It' Is Just The Latest Movie Caught In A Web Of Hilarious Lies!
Today's release of Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston rom-com vehicle, ?Just Go With It,? will blaze away the winter chill with its sunny twin rays of confusion and misdirection.
Sandler?s character, Danny, uses a wedding band to attract women. When the bodacious Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) falls for his trick but insists she can't [...]
First Listen: Lady Gaga, ?Born This Way?
Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Gets Praise From Hayley Williams, Lindsay Lohan, Others
'Speaking of liberation, I just heard 'Born This Way' and loved it,' Paramore's lead singer tweets.
By James Dinh
Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images
As the Internet lights up about Lady Gaga's brand-new single, "Born This Way," various celebrities took to Twitter on Friday (February 11) to dish their two cents on the pop superstar's highly anticipated tune.
Paramore's Hayley Williams expressed her excitement for Egypt's recent historic landmark and followed up with a tweet about Mother Monster's new dance track. "YES EGYPT!!! So inspired by your perseverance and your bravery. and speaking of liberation, I just heard 'Born This Way' and loved it. DON'T BE A DRAG JUST BE A QUEEN."
Even before the new song hit the airwaves, troubled star Lindsay Lohan was eager to hear the song as the starlet took to her Twitter, writing, "I'm so excited for Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' to drop!"
Despite the immense hype surrounding "Born This Way," some stars, including "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry, pointed out the song's similarities to Madonna's 1989 classic "Express Yourself."
"Just listened to a clip of Lady Gaga 'Born This Way' and I gotta say ... sounds a lot like 'Express Yourself' from Madonna. Thoughts?" he tweeted. "OK. Good. A lotta peeps are saying the same thing so maybe I won't get raked over the coals :) I thought I was crazy for a second. And by the way ... I'm not dogging it. Haven't even heard it all ... that was just my first impresh."
While Perez Hilton has raved about the song in previous interviews with MTV News, the gossip blogger welcomed the Madonna reference, tweeting, "Express Yourself 2.0 is what people are saying? I'll happily take that!!! #BornThisWayFriday."
Khloe Kardashian showed the track some love by re-tweeting Perez's message and tweeting to a fan, " 'Born This Way'!!!!!! Woooohoooo I love you more."
Internet sensation Simon Curtis also gushed about the song, tweeting, "Born This Way = 2011's Express Yourself - brilliant work @ladygaga."
What do you think of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way"? Share your reviews in the comments section!
Related ArtistsAvril Lavigne Does Italian ?Vanity Fair? Magazine
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Links for 2007-11-23 [del.icio.us]
- Hayden Panettiere is GQ’s Obsession of the Year
Heroes star Hayden Panettiere has been named Obsession of the Year in a recent issue of GQ. The teen celebrity is photographed by Ellen Von Unwerth. She is adorable in the photos and actually now that she?s eighteen, it?s okay to look at her ?in tha
Friday, February 11, 2011
Usher - Trading Places
- Artist: Usher
- Label: Zomba/LaFace Records
- Director: Chris Robinson
- Album: Here I Stand
Grammy 2011 Snubs Include Adam Lambert, Ke$ha, Big Boi, Rihanna
While Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber were both nominated, they didn't get as much love as some expected.
By Gil Kaufman
Ke$ha
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images
You hear it all the time: "I'm just thankful to be nominated." It's the gracious and polite thing to say, and artists who lose out on major awards always feel compelled to offer it up.
But what if you never even get nominated?
Every year, there are head-slapping omissions from the roster of nominees at the big awards-fests (Christopher Nolan at the Oscars, anyone?), and this year's 53rd annual Grammy Awards (which take place February 13) are no exception.
In the night's biggest category, Album of the Year, there was plenty of griping from critics about the inclusion of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, which many considered too lightweight for the night's top prize. But there was also a bit of talk about Justin Bieber's smash My World 2.0 not making it into the mix in the major categories, even if Bieber can lick his wounds with his Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album love.
Though the rules about the Best New Artist category have since been changed to avoid such a problem in the future, Lady Gaga has been the victim of Grammy snubs before. She earned six nominations this year, including coveted Album of the Year for The Fame Monster, but it was mystifying that her huge hit, "Bad Romance," didn't get any Record or Song of the Year nominations.
What gives?
"They want her for ratings, but I think the Grammys are still a bit freaked out by Gaga," said Entertainment Weekly music writer Leah Greenblatt. "There were so many shenanigans about her not being nominated for Best New Artist that I think the Grammys got shamed over that. It's possible they would try to make it up to her by showering her with nominations and I could see her win in major categories [in the future], but I think they're not quite ready for her." That could, of course, change next year when Gaga's Born This Way is in the running.
Another diva used to serious Grammy love, Alicia Keys, was totally shut out for her The Element of Freedom album. "It's interesting that Alicia Keys got nothing," she said. "Her and John Mayer are practically on the ballots every year whether they qualify for eligibility or not. And I think 'Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart' was one of the year's best singles." And reclusive Grammy bait Sade got a pair of notices for her singles "Soldier of Love" and "Babyfather" in the R&B categories but no chance at any of the big prizes. Greenblatt said she was surprised by both snubs, especially since Sade's Soldier of Love album was one of the top sellers of 2010 and because the enigmatic singer had been away for nearly a decade and came back in fine, mature form, the kind of story the Grammys love to honor.
There were some eyebrows raised over the single nomination for "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert, who had a solid and creatively rich hit album with his debut, For Your Entertainment, but just a single nod for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Whataya Want From Me."
With Perry strutting into a number of top categories thanks to her light-as-air pop confections, it was a wonder that another pop tart with huge digital sales and big chart hits (things the Recording Academy likes to see), Ke$ha, was completely shut out of the game. Greenblatt thought the Lambert dis might fall into the same Gaga territory, with the Academy being a bit freaked out by the singer's out-and-proud persona and over-the-top antics, but when it comes to Ke$ha, she said it's probably a different story. "She had a huge impact, but I think the Grammys think she might go away, and they've chosen not to legitimize her," she speculated.
Speaking of big sales, quite a few people commented on the fact that Train's smash "Hey, Soul Sister," the best-selling single of 2010, got just one notice for a little-heard live version in the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group category.
A couple of well-respected hip-hop acts were also conspicuously absent from the nominations list, including Outkast's Big Boi, whose acclaimed Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty was left out of the Best Rap Album category, along with Rick Ross, whose Teflon Don got no love. "Rick Ross is the kind of artist made to be ignored by the Grammys," Greenblatt said. "He has a sensibility the Grammys will almost never come around to, no matter how beloved he is by rap fans."
But given that she thought Chico Dusty was one of the best albums of 2010, Greenblatt was stunned by the freeze-out of Big Boi, who has been showered with Grammy love in the past. "It's such an achievement, a fully realized album that feels like a real tapestry, a headphones album from someone whose skills are so singular ... [from] one of the most iconic and Grammy-approved hip-hop acts of all time."
Rihanna's Rated R was also eligible but got stiffed in the major categories, landing just a Best Dance Recording nod for "Only Girl (In the World)" for her single from last year's Loud and a number of notices for her work on Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie." And if you thought Kanye West got ripped off when My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy got blanked, don't worry: It wasn't eligible this year but is in the hunt for next year.
The one omission that seemed to make sense was the two small nominations for the kids from "Glee," who are up for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for their cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin' " and for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Glee: Vol. 1. Though they set cash registers ringing like crazy, it's no wonder that actors singing covers didn't garner attention at a show that ostensibly awards creativity. And no one seemed too shocked that Christina Aguilera's poorly received Bionic was ignored.
Who do you think got stiffed by the Grammys? Share your top snubs in the comments.
Related Photos Related ArtistsMichael Jackson - Beat It
- Artist: Michael Jackson
- Label: Epic Records
- Director: Bob Giraldi
- Album: Thriller [Bonus Tracks]
Rihanna Agrees To Soften Chris Brown Restraining Order
Singer's lawyer says she's requested the order to be dropped to level one, which would allow contact between the two.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Rihanna
Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage
Rihanna's lawyer told E! News that she has agreed to allow the current restraining order against ex Chris Brown to be relaxed.
The "S&M" singer requested the order to be bumped down to a level one, which would mean that the two are allowed to contact each other as long as Brown doesn't harass or annoy his superstar ex. E! reports that Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, is aware of the request but needs to head to the court for a judge to officially change the original order.
Judge Patricia Schnegg put the protective order into effect in August 2009 after Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend. The restriction mandated that the former couple were barred from communicating with each other and that they must maintain their distance if they were to attend the same event.
Rihanna's request comes after a January 28 status hearing during which it was revealed that Brown's "stay away" order would likely be reduced to a "do not annoy" order. Brown completed a yearlong domestic-violence course in December and has been lavished with praise by Schnegg for his progress during his status hearings.
"Of all probationers I've ever had, and I've had thousands of probationers, no one has ever done a better or more consistent job than you have," Schnegg said during a November hearing. "And I really want to commend you for taking responsibility, and for actually working diligently to complete all of the things the court has required of you."
While the exes can be in contact now, a reunion on Grammy night — Brown's assault on Rihanna happened just before the Grammys in 2009 — remains unlikely. Rihanna will hit the stage, but while Brown is nominated, he is not scheduled to attend.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsThursday, February 10, 2011
Lady Gaga Praises Her Own Voice in 'Vogue'
Lady Gaga knows exactly how to create buzz around herself. She's so good, in fact, that she's started to believe her own hype! In an interview in the March issue of Vogue (the cover of which she leaked on Twitter earlier this week), Gaga gushes about her talents and her conviction that her new album will single-handedly change the music world.
"Speaking purely from a musical standpoint, I think I am a great performer," Gaga says in the magazine. "I am a talented entertainer. I consider myself to have one of the greatest voices in the industry. I consider myself to be one of the greatest songwriters. I wouldn't say that I am one of the greatest dancers, but I am really quite good at what I do."
Gaga, 24, goes on to talk about her career as if she's on a divine mission to save her fans from an otherwise cruel world.
"I want for people in the universe, my fans and otherwise, to essentially use me as an escape," she explains. "I am the jester to the kingdom. I am the route out. I am the excuse to explore your identity. To be exactly who you are and to feel unafraid. To not judge yourself, to not hate yourself."
Gaga has been carrying out this mission with her three-year tour, which she compares to having open heart surgery: "I am quite literally chest open, exposed... bleeding for my fans and my music." And now she's going to do it with her forthcoming album, Born This Way. The title song, she says, is "magical" and came to her like "an immaculate conception." As for the album itself, she modestly declares that she's given her fans "nothing less than the greatest album of the decade."
What are we supposed to make of Lady Gaga's messiah complex? She's definitely not the first great artist to speak of herself like she's some kind of saint: Her self-admitted biggest influences have all done it at one point or another. David Bowie rose to fame in the persona of Ziggy Stardust, an alien sent to save the Earth. Madonna famously crucified herself on a giant lit-up cross during a recent concert tour. The Beatles, of course, once declared themselves "bigger than Jesus."
But what sets these artists apart is not their high opinion of themselves: It's the fact that they worked hard, never stopped innovating and didn't let anybody -- even their own fans -- tell them what they should or shouldn't be. Lady Gaga has most of these traits, which means she has the potential to be another superstar for the ages. But she needs to keep in mind that she's just starting out. At this point in her career, Gaga has a lot still to learn. Just as the Beatles studied in India, and Madonna learned to play the guitar in her 40s, Gaga needs to remember that she doesn't know it all. If she can stay just humble enough to do that, we'll all be humming Gaga songs for a long time to come.
Do you think Lady Gaga has too high an opinion of herself? Chime in below!
Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian Talk Black Eyed Peas Halftime Show
Celebs including Martha Stewart, comedian Jeffrey Ross and more also tweeted about Super Bowl spectacle.
By Gil Kaufman
Black Eyed Peas perform at the Super Bowl on Sunday
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images
The Black Eyed Peas put on an eye-popping spectacle during their halftime performance on Sunday, filled with "Tron"-like flashing suits, dancers with boxes on their heads, a bit of Slash and a cameo from Usher.
In all, it was exactly the kind of over-the-top spectacle we've come to expect from the musical portion of the annual football and advertising spectacle. And since it's the biggest TV program of the year, it feels like everyone is watching and they all have something to say about it.
One of the first stars to tweet their thoughts about the BEP show was Justin Bieber, who weighed in to give props to his mentor, Usher. Though Ush suffered some serious microphone issues during his performance of "OMG," Bieber tweeted, "@BEP and @Slash and my big bro @UsherRaymondIV - #proud of u my dude. That split was crazy. #Halftimeshow," he wrote, referring to the mind-bending jump split Raymond did after leaping over will.i.am's head.
Kim Kardashian, who, like Bieber, was also a star of the event thanks to a buzzed-about Skechers commercial, had some love for BEP singer Fergie, offering, "Wow Black Eyed Peas killed it!!! Fergie looks sooo gorge!"
Even NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd felt the need to comment on the technical glitches, writing, "I think Fox has messed up the audio, at least that would be my excuse after this." Comedy Central roastmaster and stand-up veteran Jeffrey Ross was not so kind, when he said simply, "Boom Boom Next," followed by "Black eye plea[s]e" and "OK, we had a feeling."
"Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane was equally vicious, tweeting, "This Super Bowl halftime event looks like the talent show from Revenge of the Nerds ... and suddenly it's the Carousel from 'Logan's Run.' "
The medley of five Peas hits included "I Gotta Feeling," "Boom Boom Pow," "Pump It," "Where Is the Love" and "The Time (Dirty Bit)," with Slash and Usher showing up as special guests for "Sweet Child 'O Mine" and "OMG," respectively.
It was all good for home-decorating expert Martha Stewart, who gave her thumbs up with the tweet: "Love the half time show. Fergie looks great. The staging is really exciting."
What did you think of this year's Super Bowl halftime show? Tell us in the comments!
Related Photos Related ArtistsKevin Smith Responds To Backlash From 'Red State' Sundance Premiere
'What gives people the right to be like, 'He's a liar!' ' director asks during MTV News live-stream Q&A.
By Shawn Adler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Josh Horowitz and Kevin Smith
Photo: MTV News
After nearly 20 years as a writer and director of popular, if not universally praised, movies like "Clerks," "Chasing Amy" and, most recently, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and "Cop Out," it seems Kevin Smith finally has the Internet critical community united on the same side: against him.
In the battle between Mr. Smith and film bloggers over perceived shenanigans at the Sundance premiere of his latest film, the horror flick "Red State," Smith might not have fired the first salvo — "A liar," Hitflix's Drew McWeeney wrote of the director, with Badass Digest's Devin Faraci saying he is "full of sh--" — but now, Smith is digging in and firing back.
"People just tore me a new a--hole," Smith said in a live-stream interview with MTV News' Josh Horowitz on Tuesday (February 8). "All these bloggers. ... What is so wrong with being entertaining in your presentation? What gives people the right to be like, 'He's a liar!' Are you kidding me? People instead look for something to be mad about. They don't want to tell the story. No, the story they want to tell instead is like, 'He said he was gonna sell it and he didn't! What a jerk he is!' "
Leading up to the premiere, Smith seemed to indicate, on his Twitter and elsewhere, that distribution rights would be awarded during a live auction immediately following the first public screening of his film. Roughly midway through a 25-minute speech to the assembled audience, an auction did take place, ending abruptly after just one bid — from Smith himself. The auction, the speech and the premiere were all part of his plan to take the flick on a self-financed, cross-country tour leading up to a wide release in October, an old movie-distribution gambit known as four-walling.
To some in the entertainment journalism community, the entire ordeal was seen as, at best, a circus of self-promotion and, at worst, an outright lie, leaving many to write angry posts in response. But to Smith, those who are the most upset are the ones who have the least cause to be.
"Who would be pissed at [what I did]? Tell me who has the right to be mad at that? Distributors? Film fans? 'Cause none of those bloggers were ever gonna buy that movie, so what did they care who I sold it to?" Smith said. "And I told the truth, in my tweet. I said, 'If I get to Sundance, I intend to pick my distributor in the room, auction-style.' Auction-style — did I not do that? People feel threatened and scared by something that has nothing to do with them whatsoever."
While Smith might have alienated some critics, it's seemed to simultaneously galvanize his base — a veritable army of devoted fans who have already bought hundreds of tickets to his screenings/ live Q&As, the first of which (Carnegie Hall on March 5) has some seats for sale as high as $142 a pop. It's those fans who he was speaking to at Sundance, Smith argued, and it's those fans he's been speaking to all along.
"I'm not a mainstream filmmaker. You want a mainstream version of me? Judd Apatow can do it in his sleep — he's much better at it," he told MTV News. "But if you want what I do, [holding fingers together], this many people are interested in it, not the whole world. Rather than spend for people who aren't gonna come, let me just talk to these people and see what happens."
And for the Internet journalists who have turned on Smith, Middletown's favorite son still insists they're missing the forest through the trees. "I didn't lie. I stood up there and said that I'm gonna take my movie — I'm gonna take it out and try not to spend money doing it," he said. "The real story is, 'Oh my God, this dude's doing what Trent Reznor did in music. He's trying to take his movie to the people by himself, [with the aid of] social media networks.' "
But while they can ultimately argue over whether he's talented or a self-promoter, one thing they can't argue over, he said, is whether he's captivating.
"What's more entertaining than 'Guess what, mother----er, I'm buying the movie, bitches!' " Smith smiled. "At the very least, they can sit there and be like, 'As we've seen, he's imploded. He's clearly insane.'
"That's entertainment!"
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related VideosBeyonce Jokes She's Been Pregnant With Concert Special
'I was pregnant with this DVD,' she laughs to MTV News as 'I Am ... World Tour' is set to air Thanksgiving Day on ABC.
By Jocelyn Vena
Beyoncé
Photo: MTV News
Beyoncé never really seems to slow down, so when the time came to choose a director for her concert special DVD "I Am ... World Tour," the singer decided to take on those duties too. It's an accomplishment the singer jokes may have sparked those pregnancy rumors.
"I was pregnant with this DVD, yes!" she joked to MTV News.
The DVD hits stores on November 30, but fans can catch the 90-minute "I Am ... World Tour" TV special when it airs on ABC Thanksgiving night at 9:30 p.m. ET. Beyoncé opened up about what it was like to sit in the director's chair.
"Well, I've done some co-directing for music videos [but] this was definitely a big step for me, and I'm so thrilled," she said at the New York City screening for the flick.
Beyoncé said she was completely hands-on, deciding which moments made the final cut and which ones wound up on the cutting-room floor. "It was hard work," she said. "I learned so much. I have a new respect for directors and I think I would like to do more of it."
Her parents, Mathew and Tina Knowles, who also attended the screening over the weekend, said the film gives B the recognition she deserves after years of collaborating on many of her own videos.
"I'm really excited about this because Beyoncé has been making little short films and really helping to direct her videos," Tina told us. "So it's nice that she'll get credit for doing something that she really loves doing and that she's very talented at."
Dad Mathew recalled all of the effort his superstar daughter put into the special. "I'm so proud," he said. "I had an opportunity [to see the film], I've been to Houston with a screening; I've been to Bentonville, [Arkansas], with a screening, and to see the excitement from the audience, what an incredible job Beyoncé did as a director in the editing, I'm just so proud. Hopefully, all the fans go out and get the DVD and soundtrack and look at that ABC special coming on Thanksgiving."
Are you excited to see Beyoncé's concert special? Tell us in the comments!
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Robert Pattinson Gets His Own ?Water For Elephants? Movie Poster
Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones Unveil Supergroup
Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.
By James Montgomery
Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.
To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.
According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.
Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).
The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.
It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.
Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsWednesday, February 9, 2011
Coldplay, Led Zeppelin Album Covers Featured On New British Stamps
Album art from Pink Floyd, Blur and David Bowie also included.
By James Montgomery
Coldplay's new British stamps
Photo: Royal Mail
On Thursday (January 7), the U.K.'s Royal Mail unveiled a series of 10 new stamps, honoring the most iconic album covers of the past 40 years.
The albums featured in the new series are the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Led Zeppelin's IV, David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, The Clash's London Calling, New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies, Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, Blur's Parklife and — the most recent album on to make the cut — Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head.
Meant to honor "the most potent graphic images of modern times, many of which have provided a visual soundtrack to people's lives," the series is the end result of a lengthy research process by the Royal Mail, who looked through thousands of album covers by British artists before deciding on the final list. And, during a Wednesday night BBC Radio broadcast, it was revealed that the queen herself actually approved each design.
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page — who helped design the cover for IV — was on hand to celebrate the release of the stamps and recalled the mysterious nature of the album's iconic imagery.
"Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him," he said. "That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time."
Of course, any great honor is befitting of an equally great contest, so, on the same day the stamps were made available to the general public, Coldplay decided to give one of their Rush of Blood stamps away. In a message on their official site, the band held a contest to send one lucky fan "a letter using a Coldplay stamp, postmarked with today's issue date."
"We visited our local post office earlier today and bought some of the Coldplay stamps," the message read. "Very nice they are too."
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Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Is 'A Smash,' Perez Hilton Says
'It is one of the best songs of Gaga's career,' he dishes on pal's single.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images
With a week and a half until Lady Gaga premieres the title track off her May album release, Born This Way, anticipation is high for any information about the song. Her pal, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, has heard the song — and the album, for that matter — and without giving away too much, he did share a bit about what fans will hear come February 13.
"Fans can expect all the hype to be true with 'Born This Way' and with the album," he dished to MTV News when we chatted about his cameo in Rihanna's "S&M" video. "I'm very perceptive of what people are saying, thinking, and so is Gaga, and perhaps the biggest critiques, just based on the lyrics, is that it's a very gay song."
On the track, Gaga sings, "Don't be a drag, just be a queen." She also sings, "No matter gay, straight, or bi/ Lesbian, transgendered life/ I'm on the right track, baby." Those are only a sampling of the lyrics, in which Gaga also sings about gender and racial equality.
"And you know what? It is a very gay song — unapologetically, gay-in-your-face gay — but it's also a universal song that can relate to everyone," Hilton explained. "To all of us outsiders, to all of us freaks, to all of us who feel different. And the music is undeniable. It sounds like a smash. It is a smash. It is one of the best songs of Gaga's career."
In a post on his blog late last month, Hilton shared that Gaga's Little Monsters won't be disappointed. "Get ready world!!!! Here she comes!!!! We've heard the song and — it MORE than lives up to the hype!!!" he wrote.
"We've been holding a big secret from you all, which is we've heard the whole album. We've been there every step of the way and ... This album is going to change culture! When we can say more, we will! For now ... Don't be a drag, just be a queen!!!"
What do you expect "Born This Way" to sound like? Tell us in the comments below!
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Britney Spears Pushes Back The Release Date For ?Femme Fatale?
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- Artist: Usher
- Label: LaFace Records, JLG
- Director: Anthony Mandler
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Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Miley Cyrus' Dog Day Afternoon
Clad in her seemingly favorite Harley t-shirt, Miley Cyrus was spotted toting her adorable pet puppy around her home in Toluca Lake, CA on Tuesday (February 8).
With her hair in a bun and wearing Nike trainers, the 18-year-old actress and singer is back home after having recently finished up filming the movie "So Undercover" in New Orleans.
In related news, it has just been reported by MTV that Miss Cyrus will be among the presenters at the upcoming Grammy Awards.
The ?Can?t Be Tamed? singer will take the stage on Sunday, February 13, with other presents including Neil Patrick Harris, John Legend, Paramore, Seth Rogen and Kris Kristofferson.
Britney Spears Was 'Great' On Video Set, Jonas Akerlund Says
'Hold It Against Me' director debunks reports that Spears didn't do her own dancing.
By Jocelyn Vena
Britney Spears
Photo: Jeremy Cowart/ WireImage
With fans' excitement at a fever pitch for the release of Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" video, the clip's director, Jonas Åkerlund, is opening up about working with the singer and is shutting down rumors that Spears didn't do her own dancing in the video.
"[Britney's] been great throughout the entire process. At the end of the shoot I got the warmest hug I ever got from an artist, and I look forward to hugging her again very soon!" Åkerlund told TMZ in a statement. He added, "I've been around long enough to know when an artist gives it their all, and to me it doesn't get better than this. This video is gonna be f---ing awesome. It's all Britney."
The statement comes after TMZ reported that the director decided to use a dance double named Allison Kyler for the star when it seemed like she hadn't rehearsed her moves enough. Spears reportedly left the set crying on the second day of shooting. Her camp strongly denies the report.
"The accusations could not be further from the truth," a rep for Spears said. "Britney worked extremely hard on this video and rehearsed for six weeks prior to shooting. Brit and Jonas got along great. ... Fans will immediately see how inaccurate these claims are once they see the video."
The video's choreographer, Brian Friedman, recently chatted with MTV News about the clip and dished on how he upped the ante for Britney this time around. His statements seem to mirror those of Åkerlund's and her camp's.
"I didn't necessarily have pressure with this — it was more excitement," Friedman said of working with the pop diva again. "I haven't been with Britney in five years on a project, so it was excitement to be back with her. It was excitement to get her dancing really hard again 'cause she's had a couple of years where she's been dancing different styles of dance and it hasn't been me.
"It's not necessarily that she hasn't been dancing, it hasn't been what I get from her, and what I seem to get from her is this tigress quality," he continued. "And she prowls. She really dominates when she does my choreography, and that's what I wanted to get back. Excited yes, scared no."
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