Friday, December 31, 2010

Usher - Moving Mountains

Moving Mountains

  • Artist: Usher
  • Label: LaFace Records/Zomba Label Group
  • Director: The Brothers Strauss
  • Album: Here I Stand

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1270&vid=235341

Dania Ramirez Danica Patrick Daniella Alonso Danneel Harris Deanna Russo

Usher - Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)

Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1270&vid=476362

Rachel Hunter Rachel McAdams Rachel Nichols Rachel Perry Rachel Weisz

Photos | Alicia Keys Brings Jay-Z, Beyonce To Her New York Show

Alicia Keys Brings Jay-Z, Beyonce To Her New York Show

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1634178

Vanessa Hudgens Vanessa Marcil Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Simmons Veronica Kay

Photos | Performances At The 10th Annual BMI Urban Awards

Performances At The 10th Annual BMI Urban Awards

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1647596

Ashlee Simpson Ashley Greene Ashley Olsen Ashley Scott Ashley Tappin

Usher's 'OMG' Gets Celeb Endorsement As Song Of The Year

'It's undeniable,' Travie McCoy says of the track that topped MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010.
By Jocelyn Vena


Usher
Photo: Getty Images

2010 had some great jams, and all week, MTV News has been counting down some of its best. Everything from Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and Rick Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" to two of Kanye's West's killer My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy tracks, "Power" and "Runaway," made the top 10. But it was Usher's bombastic party jam "OMG" that rose to the top and came in at #1.

So what made that song such a party anthem? "Oh my God! That's exactly what I would say! Oh my God!" Pauly D joked about 2010's top party jam. "Dope, dope track. I love playing it. The crowd goes crazy when I play it. Usher's the man!"

Travie McCoy added: "It's a great song. It's undeniable, you know what I mean?"

"Dancing With the Stars" pro Lacey Schwimmer admitted that "OMG" was the track that got dancers, both professional and amateur, on the dance floor. "You guys got a great dance anthem," she said. "So be prepared for people who do not know how to dance just going to town!"

Producer Alex Da Kid gave props to will.i.am for the song's epic beat. "I love 'OMG.' I think it's definitely something different for Usher," he said. "And it still has all the dance performance elements Usher's known for, but it's something slightly different and done in a will.i.am kind of way, and it's different and that's why it connected to so many different people. It's a great song."

Celebrities also weighed in on their favorite jams of 2010, choosing everything from Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" to B.o.B and Hayley Williams' "Airplanes."

Why did you love "OMG" in 2010? Tell us in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653966/20101209/usher.jhtml

Diora Baird Dita Von Teese Dominique Swain Donna Feldman Drea de Matteo

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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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1629227/20100107/coldplay.jhtml

T.A.T.u. Talisa Soto Tamala Jones Tami Donaldson Tamie Sheffield

Big Names Flock to Cosmopolitan Marquee Nightclub

Sin City has always been known for its opulent shindigs, and last night (December 30) some of Hollywood?s hottest stars were in the house for the Grand Opening of Marquee Nightclub at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Tinseltown hotties like Emmy Rossum and Olivia Munn looked to be having a marvelous time as they hobnobbed with fellow attendees.

Also on the guest list were Ellen Pompeo and Irina Shayk, both of whom brought their fashion A-game.

Jessica Szohr, Selita Ebanks, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Christina Milian all stopped by to see what all the fuss was about, too.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/ellen-pompeo/big-names-flock-cosmopolitan-marquee-nightclub-452330

Mischa Barton Missi Pyle Missy Peregrym Molly Sims Monet Mazur

Photos | A 'Today' Show Halloween

A 'Today' Show Halloween

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1651078

Mariah OBrien Marika Dominczyk Marisa Coughlan Marisa Miller Marisa Tomei

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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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653445/20101202/kesha_.jhtml

Dido Diora Baird Dita Von Teese Dominique Swain Donna Feldman

Gucci Mane & Waka Flocka Flame, "Pattycake"

What a week: Weezy's free, TI isn't, Kanye West hurt Georgie's feelings, The Anthology of Rap is woefully inaccurate, Hammer hated on Jay, Cudi quit...
Meanwhile, on Earth, Waka Flocka was relatively lauded by Pitchfork and Gucci Mane was jailed for driving shitty way too early in the morning but quickly (whew) released. So let us [...]

Source: http://blog.mtvmusic.com/2010/11/05/gucci-mane-waka-flocka-flame-pattycake/

Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie

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

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654903/20101223/lady_gaga.jhtml

Mary Elizabeth Winstead Megan Ewing Megan Fox Melania Trump Melissa George

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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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654734/20101221/west_kanye.jhtml

Kate Groombridge Kate Hudson Kate Mara Kate Moss Kate Walsh

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Khloe Kardashian Lamar Odom New Reality Show?

It just wouldn’t be right if Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom didn’t have their own reality show, right? Well, you’re in luck! It is rumored that they have landed their own new reality show as a couple! Find out more revealing details and see photos and a video right here!




Their new spin-off [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/QWVFsR09Zrw/

Jules Asner Julia Stiles Julianne Hough Julie Benz Julie Berry

Justin Bieber: A Roundup Of The Year's Fan Frenzies

The star's appearances brought hysteria to malls, airports in 2010.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber in New Zealand in April
Photo: Splash News

Justin Bieber caused quite a frenzy in 2010. Everywhere he went, Bieber Fever quickly ensued, proving that the singer can hype up teenage girls anywhere he goes.

It's worth noting that Bieber's hysteria-inducing appearances didn't begin in 2010. He had one very historic mall appearance in 2009 whose consequences played out throughout this year.

Back in November 2009, just as he was really taking off, in Long Island after crowds began to get out of control. Months later, in March 2010, Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, was arrested in connection with the incident. He pleaded not guilty when police decided that he had not properly controlled the crowd. Bieber stood by his manager, launching the "Free Scooter" campaign.

In February, the star was in Europe playing shows and doing press for his My World 2.0 album. While in Paris Bieber had to cancel an in-store appearance when the crowd began to get out of hand, swarming the store where Bieber was meeting with fans. He later apologized.

Bieber was in Sydney, Australia, in April when he was set to appear on the Aussie talk show "Sunrise." The show's producers were forced to pull the plug early on in the appearance after audience members began to get injured when fans rushed the stage.

Just a day later in New Zealand, Bieber was greeted by throngs of fans when he touched down at Auckland International Airport. Bieber later commented on the overzealous fan greeting, noting that someone stole his hat and knocked his mom down. He tweeted, "I don't condone thievery!!" after the fans returned the hat to the star.

In September, during a stop at Hooters in Canada, Bieber was greeted by a number of excited fans. The star handled the fans well, serenading them and somehow keeping them at bay.

That brings us to the Boxing Day incident on Sunday. When Bieber decided to indulge in some post-holiday shopping in Canada, hundreds of fans decided to follow the star all over the mall. Needless to say, the manager at the Sunglass Hut, asked to close down the store for his arrival, was not pleased by the attention.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654964/20101228/bieber_justin.jhtml

Leila Arcieri Lena Headey Leonor Varela Leslie Bega Leslie Bibb

Pamela Anderson PETA ad banned at Hong Kong Airport

Pamela Anderson PETA ad banned at Hong Kong Airport

Pamela Anderson has made a new video promoting PETA causes with an airport security checkpoint theme. But Hong Kong Airport won't be playing the video, because it has been deemed too racy.

"Given the groping that you see at security checkpoints and the nudity that you see in body scans we're surprised that our lighthearted ad was deemed too risqué", said Jason Baker, PETA Asia's vice president.

Watch the video at PETA's official website.

read more




Rihanna
Jordana Brewster
Jennifer Love Hewitt

The Jolie-Pitts Jet Out of Missouri Following a Visit With Grandma and Grandpa!

Angelina Jolie and Maddox led the way while Shiloh, Knox, and Zahara had a little help boarding a plane in Springfield, MO, today. Shiloh showed off her style in her adorable military jacket, and Knox kept up with a little help from Zahara. The family stopped in Brad Pitt's hometown for a few days after spending Christmas together in Namibia. They're closing out a busy year of traveling around the world, and we can't wait to see what 2011 brings for the adorable family.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/popsugar/~3/TIfqPiyGG6w/Pictures-Angelina-Jolie-Airport-Shiloh-Zahara-13020582

Angelina Jolie Anna Faris Anna Friel Anna Kournikova Anna Paquin

Michael Jackson Album-Cover Artist Explains Hidden Meanings In His Work

Kadir Nelson leads MTV News through his tribute to the King of Pop.
By James Montgomery


Kadir Nelson
Photo: MTV News

It is a testament to the legendary life of Michael Jackson that no matter how big a canvas artist Kadir Nelson used to tell MJ's story — and at 9 feet wide and 4.5 feet tall, he used a pretty big one — he kept running out of room. It seems that Jackson's reign as the King of Pop was just too lengthy, his list of achievements too large and his life too all-encompassing to be summed up in even the most massive of murals.

"Michael's life was so huge I couldn't get it all into the painting," Nelson told MTV News. "So I would take images from throughout his life that were milestones ... images that would resonate with his fans. And even doing that was a challenge."

Still, Nelson gave it his best effort, and the result was "The King of Pop," his epic tribute to Jackson's life, which struck such a chord with the late icon's estate (and his label, Sony Music) that it was chosen as the cover for the just-released Michael album. But what fans see on that album is just a fraction of Nelson's original work.

" 'The King of Pop' is the life story of Michael Jackson, so what you see on the album cover is the centerpiece of the mural; Michael is wearing his famous bejeweled glove, and he's wearing a golden suit of armor, and he has this collar around his neck, like what you would see in a French painting of King Philip," Nelson explained. "The theme for this painting is 'royalty' and 'pop,' because Michael was the King of Pop. So you have Michael being crowned by two Cupids, he has his birthstones in his crown. He's wearing a soft, velvet drapery over his armor, because Michael had a very soft heart. Also, his hand is placed over his heart, because he had a big heart, and he put that big heart into everything he did."

And radiating from that royal image is Jackson's life story, which begins with images of his childhood in Gary, Indiana, extends upward to a gallery of his musical influences (Barry Gordy, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye, to name just a few), and then explodes with the launch of his solo career, starting with his star-making turn at the "Motown 25" television special (where he unveiled his "moonwalk" dance) and rolling right along to his Thriller heyday. There are also portions of the painting dedicated to his Bad, Dangerous and HIStory albums, and images of his children, the omnipresent media that followed him everywhere, and the women with whom he shared close relationships (Liz Taylor, Lisa Marie Presley and Madonna).

There are also, as Nelson explained, coded images hidden throughout the painting, everything from bubbles (blown by his pet chimpanzee, of course), an apple (because, as the painter explained, "kids would call [Jackson] 'Applehead' on his Neverland Ranch"), Peter Pan soaring off into the Northern Lights (meant to symbolize Jackson's ascension after his death) and, perhaps the most striking image of all, a golden throne atop a mountain: Jackson's throne, never to be occupied again.

"It's empty," Nelson explained, "because no one will ever sit in it now that he's gone."

What do you think of the Michael cover? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654225/20101214/jackson_michael.jhtml

Lorri Bagley Lucy Liu Luján Fernández Magdalena Wróbel Maggie Grace

Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift Top Charitable Celebs List

DoSomething.org announces its 2010 'Celebs Gone Good' roundup.
By Terri Schwartz


Lady Gaga
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/ WireImage

MTV News already recognized Lady Gaga as being the most important Woman of the Year (and our most fashionable), but we weren't the only ones taking notice: DoSomething.org listed their top 20 most charitable celebrities of 2010, and unsurprisingly, Gaga took the #1 spot.

DoSomething helps young people develop causes they care about, and the organization said Gaga represented that spirit this year more than any other artist. From calling for an end to the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy (which was recently repealed) to hosting a "Hands Up for Marriage Equality" event, Gaga focused on helping others.

Fellow pop star Alicia Keys was #2 on the "Celebs Gone Good" list. As the founder of Keep a Child Alive, Keys worked harder than ever to provide AIDS treatment worldwide and raised $1.1 million with her Digital Death Campaign, thanks to the help of celebrities such as Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Usher and Justin Timberlake.

Coming after Keys on the list was America's newest sweetheart Taylor Swift, who earned her spot by donating $500,000 to relief efforts after Nashville flooded earlier this year, as well as by joining Scholastic's READ NOW program to promote literacy.

Rounding out the top five were Ashton Kutcher and his wife, Demi Moore, who launched the DNA Foundation to help stop child sex trafficking and met with world leaders to end slavery worldwide, and Ellen DeGeneres, who teamed up with the Trevor Project to combat bullying and raised more than $150,000 for LGBT people struggling with mental-health issues.

Nick Jonas came onto the list at #6 thanks to his becoming the National Chair for "Walk to Cure Diabetes" as well as his portion of the Jonas Brothers' Change for the Children Foundation.

Matt Damon placed #7 for his Water.org organization, while Leonardo DiCaprio was #8 for donating $1 million to the tiger-preservation foundation Save Tigers Now.

Oprah was #9, and Justin Bieber snuck into 10th place after dedicating a music video to children battling illness worldwide and donating $150,000 to a Buffalo, New York, hospital. He also worked with Pencils of Promise to build schools and increase education opportunities for less-fortunate children, and dedicated $1 of every concert ticket sold to the organization.

Shakira, Betty White, Eva Longoria, Sophia Bush, Alyssa Milano, Sandra Bullock, Wyclef Jean, Prince William, Stephen Colbert and AnnaLynne McCord were the other 10 celebrities recognized for their charitable efforts this year.

After debuting his recent buzz cut and his own charitable efforts, it looks like "Charlie St. Cloud" star Zac Efron might be making a run to place on next year's list.

Who do you think was the most charitable celeb in 2010? Tell us in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654900/20101223/lady_gaga.jhtml

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Katy Perry: 2011 European tour dates

Katy Perry

The "Teenage Dreams" darling, Katy Perry took time out for a photo spread to adorn the November 2010 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. In the accompanying interview, Miss Perry chatted about music and her man, as she said, "My record is like an airplane's black box. That's where all the information is. If you want to know what happened or what my viewpoints are, it's all right there. All the walls come down in my songs. Songwriting is like an anvil lifting off my chest." As for fiance Russell Brand, the soon-to-be 26-year-old tells, "He tells me I'm the most beautiful girl in the world every day. He constantly reminds me. He never lets me forget it." Perry has also just recently released her 2011 European tour dates, with the full listing as follows: Sunday, February 20 Lisbon, Portugal: Campo Pequeno Wednesday, February 23 Milan, Italy: Palasharp Friday, February 25 Zurich, Switzerland: Hallenstadion Saturday, February 26 Munich, Germany: Zenith Sunday, February 27 Vienna, Austria: Gasometer Friday, March 4 Berlin, Germany: Columbiahalle Sunday, March 6 Offenbach, Germany: Stadthalle Monday, March 7 Paris, France: Zenith Thursday, March 10 Brussels, Belgium: Forest National Friday, March 11 Cologne, Germany: Palladium Monday, March 14 Hamburg, Germany: Sporthalle Tuesday, March 15 Amsterdam, Holland: HMH Thursday, March 17 & Friday, March 18 London, UK: HMV Hammersmith Apollo Monday, March 21 & Tuesday, March 22 Manchester, UK: Apollo Monday, March 28 Dublin, Ireland: O2 Arena Wednesday, March 30 Nottingham, UK: Trent FM Arena Thursday, March 31 Bournemouth, UK: BIC Friday, April 1 Cardiff, UK: Cardiff International Arena Sunday, April 3 Newcastle, UK: Metro Radio Arena Monday, April 4 Birmingham, UK: LG Arena Tuesday, April 5 Glasgow, UK: SECC Hall 3 [gallery=741]

Source: http://www.celebritygossiphollywood.com/celebrities/katy-perry/katy-perry-2011-european-tour-dates/

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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

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Britney Spears Inspired 'Country Strong' Lead, Director Says

'I was seeing what was happening in the media to Britney Spears,' filmmaker Shana Feste says of crafting upcoming flick.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Britney Spears
Photo: Fame Pictures

Gwyneth Paltrow may have honed her country-music skills for her role in the upcoming flick "Country Strong," but her troubled character was actually inspired by a pop sensation.

In the film, Paltrow plays embattled crooner Kelly Canter, who fights to resurrect her struggling career as a music superstar. Writer/director Shana Feste recently told the Los Angeles Times that Paltrow's onscreen drama was inspired by the very public meltdown of pop megastar Britney Spears.

"That's where this movie came from. I mean, I was seeing what was happening in the media to Britney Spears," Feste said.

The filmmaker also added that wrapping up the script coincided with the outsize media frenzy surrounding another superstar. "I finished the script when Michael Jackson passed away," she revealed.

Feste also lamented the dark side of celebrity-making, which entails ripping apart a once-beloved public figure at the first misstep. "I think it's tragic how we treat people who give us so much, and we love to see them knocked down to build them back up again, to knock them down again," she said. "It's a weird fascination."

Paltrow has said that work on the project was challenging, due to both the physical and creative demands of the role.

"It was brutal," she told MTV News in September. "It was a brutal shoot. I mean, I wasn't naked, naked, but I was semi-naked, in various stages of undress. [My character] has a drug and alcohol problem, so she's struggling a lot. It was a lot of fun for me, as an artist."

Check out everything we've got on "Country Strong."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654456/20101216/spears_britney.jhtml

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'Cast in Metal: Airbourne Frontman Joel O'Keefe

If AC/DC aren't cranking out albums fast enough for you and Rhino Bucket don't get your engine revin,' then check out the new Airbourne album 'No Guts, No Glory.' The second disc by these Aussie/DC obsessives is a feast of sleazy, slammin' rhythms, jagged flesh-cleaving guitars and howled melodic vocals that sound like Angus-and-company on [...]

Source: http://blog.mtvmusic.com/2010/05/24/cast-in-metal-airbourne-frontman-joel-okeefe/

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Photos | Michael Jackson's 'Michael' Cover Decoded

Michael Jackson's 'Michael' Cover Decoded

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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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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654734/20101221/west_kanye.jhtml

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Beyonce Is One Of Hollywood?s Top Earners Of 2010?

Forbes has released their list of the top 20 highest-paid men and women in Hollywood and Beyonc� is slotted at #9, the highest-earning music artist of 2010.
Seated between George Lucas (#8) and Dr. Phil (#10), Forbes estimates Beyonc�’s 2010 earnings at $87 million; Queen of the world Oprah Winfrey is at #1, no surprise, with [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beatcrave/~3/vnSDvBKjWZg/

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Photos | Alicia Keys Brings Jay-Z, Beyonce To Her New York Show

Alicia Keys Brings Jay-Z, Beyonce To Her New York Show

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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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Matthew Morrison Calls Lindsay Lohan 'Fair Game' For 'Glee' Jabs

'I don't think anyone gets away from the 'Glee' scathing,' Morrison tells 'Access Hollywood' about recent episode's Lohan ribbing.
By James Dinh


Matthew Morrison
Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Lindsay Lohan's trials and tribulations have landed the starlet at the center of sideswipe jokes and as inspiration for future films. While the actress may not be too pleased with the wisecracking and mockery, "Glee" star Matthew Morrison thinks the 24-year-old actress should lighten up a bit.

"Access Hollywood" recently caught up with the "Glee" actor, who admitted that his show's recent Lohan sideswipe is just another instance of the series' usual humor, which often intertwines pop culture references.

"You know, when it comes to 'Glee,' I think everyone is fair game," Morrison told host Maria Menounos. "We poke fun at ourselves all the time. I don't think anyone really gets away from the 'Glee' scathing." He then added, "Sorry Lindsay."

Just last month, Lohan's mother, Dina, slammed the aforementioned "Glee" episode, which featured guest star Gwyneth Paltrow's character, Holly Holliday, poking fun at the troubled star. During the scene, Holliday gives a lecture in which she says, "Lindsey [sic] Lohan is totally crazy, right?" in Spanish. The ridicule continues when Holliday quizzes the class on numbers by asking, "How many times has Lindsay Lohan been to rehab?"

Dina told Radar Online that her daughter was deeply hurt by the show and Paltrow's participation in it. "Lindsay is so upset with Gwyneth," Dina said. "Lindsay was watching it while in [the] Betty Ford [rehab center], then she called me and was upset and said, 'Why did she have to do that?' We are the first to make fun of ourselves in our family. And Lindsay has even done 'SNL' a few times, but Gwyneth went overboard and it was unnecessary."

While Morrison didn't express too much sympathy for Lohan, he did gush about Katie Couric's guest-starring role on the highly anticipated post-Super Bowl episode of "Glee."

When asked about the news anchor's upcoming appearance, the "Glee" star described working with Couric as "awesome." He then shared, "We did this impromptu dance together. She showed me this thing called the pretzel," before demonstrating the maneuver to Menounos.

Morrison revealed that Couric plays herself on the episode and makes a visit to McKinley High to interview Sue Sylvester (played by Jane Lynch) as part of a "20 Biggest Losers of the Year" assignment.

"I can't give away too much because there's so many amazing lines that Jane has in that scene," he explained. "The last one is the best, but I can't say it. But yeah, [Couric] played herself. She was so much fun. I love her. She's such a great energy."

Do you think Lindsay has a right to get upset over the "Glee" jabs? Share your opinion in the comments.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655067/20101229/lohan_lindsay.jhtml

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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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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655031/20101228/usher.jhtml

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'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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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649574/20101007/spears_britney.jhtml

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P. Diddy & His St. Barts Beauties

Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs was photographed with his 4-year-old twin daughters D?Lila Star and Jessie James hanging out on his yacht in St. Barts, France on Monday (December 27). The trio enjoyed a party aboard the yacht that included a free concert by singer Macy Gray.

The following day, Diddy and the girls' mother - his on-again-off-again girlfriend Kim Porter - were seen canoodling on the yacht. Are they currently on-again?

Top Story? (feature beneath menu): 
no

Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2010/12/29/p-diddy-his-st-barts-beauties

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Photos | Led Zeppelin Reunite At London Concert

Led Zeppelin Reunite At London Concert

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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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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652928/20101123/knowles_beyonce.jhtml

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