MTV News |
| Aubrey O'Day Talks More About Her <i>Playboy</i> Shoot Posted: 12 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST 'It's acting ... it's creating a character,' singer says of provocative photos.
Aubrey O'Day certainly isn't shy about her body. And with a Playboy photo spread about to hit newsstands on Friday, O'Day thinks that by posing for the famed men's magazine she can change people's idea of sexuality and show people it's OK to express yourself in such a way. "We constantly feel the need to not say this or not wear this or do that, and taking it all off and being nude is the most natural state that you can be in," she told MTV News about the pictorial. "Being able to feel comfortable with that and show that sex can be a beautiful, comfortable — your sexuality can be a beautiful, comfortable thing — is going to be empowering for people. (Check out photos from Aubrey's issue of Playboy.)
"And I think it's an important thing to be comfortable with your sexuality and feel liberated and not feel that you have to restrict yourself." She continued to say that if people "saw sex and sexuality in that [empowering] way in society then we'd have less AIDS, less STDs, less teen pregnancy and less girl-on-girl hate." This isn't the first time that O'Day has turned heads with a racy photo shoot. Back in September 2008, while she was still a member of Danity Kane, she posed for Complex. Although she wasn't naked in the pictures, they were still very provocative. But, the singer shares that when it comes to photo shoots of this nature, it's just a fantasy world. "But it's acting, it's a spread and it's creating a character — and for the people that loved it, great, because I loved it," she said. "I thought it was amazing, and for the people that didn't like it, I was playing a role and maybe they didn't like that role and it made them uncomfortable — but either way, it was just a role and it was fun." In some ways, the Complex shoot played into the image that people already had of O'Day, and she doesn't mind if people walk away from it thinking that she's the sexed-up girl in those pictures. "Obviously I did a good job at it because everyone believed it one way or another. I love doing stuff like that," she said. "I love becoming a character — that's why I enjoy doing movies and TV, and even reality TV to a certain extent, because you become a character and it's fun. It's fun to go home and be yourself — and then wake up and be somebody else sometimes." These shoots — and possibly even her decision not to return to Danity Kane — are all decisions O'Day made because she likes to keep things fresh, she said. "For me, I need constant change and I need to constantly be inspired," she explained. "I need to constantly have something thrown at me that I don't know if I can handle and figure out how to handle it — for me that's what gives me value as a person in life." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Watch Rihanna Perform The Day Before Chris Brown Arrest Posted: 11 Feb 2009 01:50 AM PST Pop star sang three songs at Timbaland's pre-Grammy party, with Brown in the crowd.
Just one night before an alleged physical altercation with boyfriend Chris Brown, Rihanna was onstage performing at Timbaland's pre-Grammy party. Tim and Rihanna were celebrating the release of a "Rehab" remix, along with guests Keyshia Cole, Jay-Z, T.I., Omarion and Brown. "Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum," Rihanna's background singers sang to kick off Rihanna's performance of "Disturbia."
Brown looked on from his VIP section and later made his way to the dance floor, where he stood with his friend Omarion. "Los Angeles, I know y'all know how to party," Rihanna told the crowd. "Let me know you're ready to party with me." Her plea led to "Don't Stop the Music"; the audience clapped along to the unstoppable beat. "Umbrella" was her closer. She started off acoustic, then the band kicked in for the radio version. Rihanna's next performance was scheduled to be at the Grammys on Sunday, but she and Brown both had to bow out of the show. The news of trouble between the couple has sent their fans, friends and family members reeling. "All I will say is, it's so devastating," Kanye West told Ryan Seacrest during his Tuesday morning radio show. "I feel like, just as a person, I don't care how famous she is, or even if she worked at McDonald's, that should have never happened. It should have never come to that place." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Chris Brown's Sister, Friends Speak Out: 'He's Always Been A Good Boy, Never Violent' Posted: 11 Feb 2009 04:03 AM PST 'He feels very bad that something like this has happened,' Brown's stylist says of alleged altercation with Rihanna.
Representatives for Chris Brown and Rihanna have not spoken publicly about the alleged altercation that took place between the two last weekend. But both Brown's older sister, Lytrell "Tootie" Bundy, and his wardrobe stylist, Mike "B" Bogard, spoke about the situation in articles published Wednesday (February 11). Brown's sister told Extra, "He's always been a good boy — never violent." When asked how he's handling the situation, she said, "He's doing good. He's coping." "Chris is all right," Bogard told People.com. "He's a good kid. He feels very bad that something like this has happened." Bogard expanded a bit when talking to Vibe, saying, "Chris is a very good kid. I do not know the situation in its full entirety because I was not in the car [with them that night], but from what I know, Chris and Rihanna's relationship ... it was real. They loved each other." Sources have told MTV News that Brown and Rihanna's relationship had grown rocky in recent weeks. Brown has said in the past that his former stepfather, Donnelle Hawkins, abused his mother, although Hawkins denied that charge on Tuesday. When asked how Brown is doing, Bogard said, "He's better off than me if I, or anybody else, was in his situation. Chris is a blessed child. We'll leave it in God's hands." People quoted an unidentified friend of the singer as saying, "You can tell everybody that Chris really feels bad about the whole situation, about it coming out the way that it happened, the way he went about it, the way she went about it ... it's just a wack situation." The friend added that the situation was "not as bad as everybody is trying to gas it up to be," and was uncertain whether Brown and Rihanna have spoken since the incident. "I can't say," the friend said. "Maybe they don't want anybody to know whether they've spoken or not. You have to wait for Chris to say something." Get resources and information about domestic violence, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Day26, Danity Kane's Aundrea And Dawn Back For New Season Of 'Making The Band' Posted: 12 Feb 2009 05:02 AM PST 'This is going to be the best season of 'Making the Band' ever,' Que Mosley says.
When the fourth season of "Making the Band" debuts Thursday night (February 12), the cast will be seen trying to adjust to all the changes that have been happening in the world of Bad Boy. First off, only Aundrea Fimbres and Dawn Richard accepted Diddy's invitation to try to put Danity Kane back together. After he kicked Aubrey O'Day and D. Woods out of the group last season, no one expected Shannon Bex to decide not to return. Richard shared that this season "you'll see me and Drea trying to pick up the pieces on our own."
Richard also told MTV News that the Danity Kane situation has left her labelmates and friends in Day26 worried and anxious about their careers. "The boys are scared 'cause of all the bad history," she told MTV News. "They're worried that people will see them fail. They're under so much pressure on themselves not to fail. They're trying to find themselves. I think what's beautiful about them is they're men so they fight and it goes away. They have a common goal so I think they'll be fine." It's because they are able to clear the air with each other that the guys feel they're "gonna rock until the end of time," as Will Taylor put it. "That's why you're going to see us stay together." He added, "I think, even with the Danity Kane situation ... a lot of their things were [kept] under wraps," he said. "So with Day26, we're so real we can't hold it in for that long. At the end of the day, it lets you all see we're not perfect. At the end of the day, we understand we have a job." But when they described the turbulence of this season, they admitted that there are times when it looks like they may follow in Danity Kane's footsteps and destruct. "Even though you see us fight and argue, we're humans and we're brothers, and brothers do that," Que Mosley said. "At the end of the day, we still understand that it is business. We understand that this is a brand that we need to protect. "So even though you might a see a punch thrown, you might see a slap, you might see someone disrespected — but it's business and we understand business and we love each other. We love each other. Just because you see us fight doesn't mean we're breaking up ... it's just we had a bad moment." Taylor added that with only two girls from Danity Kane trying to work things out and with the boys also trying to gain their footing, "This is going to be the best season of 'Making the Band' ever." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Valentine's Day Playlist: Top 10 Make-Out Songs Posted: 12 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Christina Aguilera, MGMT and other jams that inspire great tonsil-hockey matches.
Valentine's Day — you either love it or hate it. It makes sweethearts swoon and others want to stab fat cherubs with a bow and arrow. Between the chocolate hearts, the red roses and the teddy bears shoved in our faces, the holiday stirs up a cocktail of emotions: happiness, despair, jealousy, grief, sadness, desire ... MTV News has all your mood swings covered. In honor of this beloved and dreaded holiday, we're rolling out the Best Love Songs, Best Breakup Songs, Best Make-Out Songs and Worst Love Songs in recent memory. It's our Valentine's Day gift to you, minus the dinner-and-a-movie part. So slip into something comfortable, and stay for a while. Lust is in the air tonight — impress your love with your vast knowledge of iPhone apps another night. Grab your valentine-of-the-moment and get your groove on. 10. Tweet (featuring Missy Elliott) - "Oops (Oh My)" 9. Rufus Wainwright - "Instant Pleasure" 8. John Mayer - "Your Body is a Wonderland" 7. Christina Aguilera - "Dirrty" 6. The Donnas - "Take It Off" 5. MGMT - "Electric Feel" 4. Nine Inch Nails - "Closer" 3. Kings of Leon - "Sex on Fire" 2. Chris Isaak - "Wicked Game" 1. Britney Spears - "I'm a Slave 4 U" Do you love it or are you just not that into our picks? Tell us why in the comment section below. |
| 'American Idol' Hollywood Week Wraps Up -- Check Out Our Live Blog! Posted: 11 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Check out 'Idol' expert Jim Cantiello's minute-by-minute recap of the show.
|
| What Does Chris Brown's Arrest Mean For His Career? Posted: 11 Feb 2009 05:46 AM PST 'If he apologizes and seeks help, I think fans will forgive him,' one entertainment expert says.
Sunday night should have been an evening of celebration for Chris Brown. He was supposed to sing "Forever" at the Grammys, and girlfriend Rihanna was expected to be by his side and perform on the show as well. But something went terribly wrong early Sunday morning, and neither made it to the show. Instead, Brown turned himself in during the broadcast to be booked on suspicion of making criminal threats. The singer, 19, was released from jail on $50,000 bail.
Though police have not confirmed the name of the victim, reports have stated that it was Rihanna, 20, and that she suffered serious, visible bruises on her face and bite marks on her arms. Brown has not made a public statement yet about the incident, but several entertainment experts agreed that if Brown — who has had a squeaky-clean reputation since debuting at age 16 with the hit "Run It" — owns up to his actions and apologizes, his once-promising career might be able to survive the current firestorm. "Chris Brown's entire career is based on being the nice boy next door. ... He's the kid that 14-year-olds are obsessed with and their parents aren't freaked out by that," said Julianne Shepherd, executive editor of The Fader, who noted that the case is further complicated by the public's love for Rihanna and the aura of cool the young, talented couple exuded. "So for this to come out ... that's why it is so shocking. Because everyone thinks they know him and his entire career is predicated on this sweetness." Prior to the alleged incident, Brown and Rihanna — who had two and three Grammy nominations, respectively — had attended the Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala on Saturday night. Reports from the event depicted a couple in the throes of another rough patch, reportedly due to a text message Brown allegedly received from another female that night. Howard Bragman — longtime public-relations expert, author of "Where's My Fifteen Minutes?" and founder of the Fifteen Minutes PR firm — said the first thing anyone has to do in this kind of a situation is exactly what Brown and his team have done. "Everyone wants a quick response," he said, alluding to the fact that Brown, who has not been formally charged in the case, has not made any statement. "We all want to hear from Chris about what happened or hear an 'I'm sorry.' But when you're representing someone in a tough situation, what you have to do is take a deep breath and understand exactly what happened and understand that what has been reported and the whisper campaign are not necessarily 100 percent accurate." If Brown did the things he is reported to have done, or is charged with a crime, Bragman said the singer might have to face judgment in two courts: the legal one and that of and that of public opinion. "It's a delicate, delicate balancing act," Bragman said, noting that if pictures of a battered Rihanna or video of the alleged incident leak out, or if she speaks out against him, it could do serious damage to his potential court case and image. "The good news for Chris is that if it did happen, we will forgive him. It will take a lot of time, it will take him to acknowledge that he did something wrong, it will take a catharsis, something like anger management, or some kind of rehab if there is a substance involved." But, Bragman speculated, this is not the end of a "very talented young man's" career, and if Brown talks about the impact of the alleged domestic abuse he witnessed in his home growing up, it might help his public image and his career, while making him more sympathetic in the face of these shocking allegations. "This is a very serious charge," Bragman said, suggesting that community service, such as volunteering at a battered women's shelter, might help Brown revive his now-damaged public image. "The only things more serious are murdering and hurting animals." In a 2006 interview with MTV News and a 2007 sit-down with Giant magazine, Brown claimed his mother had been physically abused by his stepfather, a claim the stepfather has denied. But that alleged history of domestic abuse, which Brown said angered him so much he wanted to kill his stepfather, might make him a bit more sympathetic to the many young fans he's likely disappointed. "Chris Brown has a lot of young fans, so I don't think this will derail his career," said Giant editor in chief Emil Wilbekin, who added that the implication that the singer harmed his girlfriend sends a "really bad message" to his many young fans. "Because he has talked about [domestic abuse] before, it will depend on how he handles it," he said. "If he is very transparent about it and very honest about it, I think consumers and fans will be more forgiving." Wilbekin said the best way for Brown to handle the fallout is to be honest, get some help and apologize to his fans. "If he apologizes and seeks help, I think fans will forgive him." In addition to losing a lucrative deal to promote Doublemint gum, Brown has been forced to drop out of a pair of club appearances in Arizona this weekend in connection with the NBA All-Star Game, and some radio stations have begun pulling his songs from the air. But Bragman said Rihanna also has to think about how speaking out on the incident — or not — might impact her career and image. "I don't think either of them should let this incident define their music — they're both incredibly talented, they've both done a great job of defining themselves, of standing out in a very tough music market that we live in, and they're both making a lot of money and successful, so I think they should continue to do what got them there," he said. "What she has to do is take the next few days and weeks and absorb this instant that happened to her and understand how she feels about it and how she wants to go forward with it and what her relationship with Chris is going forward." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| L.A. Reid Says He's 'Loaded' With Music For Rihanna's Next Album Posted: 11 Feb 2009 03:05 AM PST We spoke with the Def Jam exec hours before alleged incident between Rihanna and Chris Brown.
Just hours before Rihanna's alleged altercation with boyfriend Chris Brown, L.A. Reid — the head of her record company, Def Jam — was boasting how one of his prized artists has grown. Reid said Rihanna was doing what Janet Jackson did a little more than 20 years ago: taking control of her career.
"When we repackaged Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad ... the second single from the repackage was 'Disturbia,' " Reid told MTV News. "It was the first time that Rihanna actually came to me and said, 'Here's the song I want to put out.' She played me the song. That was her taking control, even on her last album. She understands what hits are, and she knows what she wants to say. She's at that place where she can do it." Reid wasn't just sending big-ups because Rihanna is one of the most consistently successful artists on his roster. Just Tuesday, Kanye West, on Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show, paid Rih Rih the ultimate compliment, saying the singer could dominate music for the long run. "I felt and feel like Rihanna is so important to our culture, to pop music," West said. "I feel that she is the most important artist in music and has the most potential, for her taste level at her age and the songs she does and her style. She has the potential to be the greatest artist of all time." Reid absolutely knows Rihanna's potential. "She's another hard worker. Beautiful person. Internally, she has the right spirit," the exec described. "She makes great records, and I'm proud of her. Really proud of her." Although the head honcho did not have a time frame for Rihanna's next album, he said fans should stay accustomed to what she's always given them: big records. "I'm so loaded. I have so much music for that girl," Reid promised. "Really. True!" Since the alleged incident between Rihanna and Chris Brown, neither Def Jam nor L.A. Reid has had any comment. Chris Brown was arrested Sunday evening in L.A. for making criminal threats, and according to several media thoughts, Rihanna is said to be he victim in the case. Brown was arrested and released on $50,000 bail. Neither performer has spoken since the incident. Rihanna's grandmother, however, has done an interview with a newspaper in the family's native Barbados, saying her granddaughter was doing "fine." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Lily Allen Keeps It Real, But Still Googles Her Name Posted: 11 Feb 2009 05:28 AM PST British singer looks at fame, family and sex on new LP, It's Not Me, It's You.
Lily Allen is pretty happy these days. That might fly in the face of a lot of things you might have read about her — that she's lonely, she's miserable, she's trapped by fame — but to hear her tell it, things couldn't be much better.
"I'd say right now, I'm pretty damn happy. I'm pretty pleased with myself right now," she laughed. "When people interview pop stars, this is it: 'Look at my teeth, they're really shiny! And I'm sooo happy to be here right now, and I just love all my fans and I just want to thank everyone for being sooo nice to me all the time and my life is just brilliant!' And because I'm not like that, people think I'm sad. I'm not ... I'm just me." Of course, that me also warrants plenty of tabloid coverage — the catfights with Katy Perry (which Allen says is "nothing ... She called me fat once), the spat with Elton John, the boozy nights out and about — and shapes the public's perception of her. Which is why she decided to call her new album It's Not Me, It's You. "There's a guy called Mike Skinner [who records under the name] the Streets, and he did a record that basically talked about how awful it was to be rich and famous, and I found that really boring," she explained. "It would be easy [for me] to do it because it's something I feel, but I'm always aware when I'm writing songs that other people have got to be able to relate to them. There aren't that many famous people in the world, and there definitely aren't that many famous people who are going to buy my record." It's an album very much about the trials and tribulations of Allen's (very public) life: the late nights ("Everyone's At It"); the tattered relationships, both romantic ("Never Gonna Happen"), and with her family ("Back To The Start," "He Wasn't There"); the pitfalls of celebrity ("22," the first single "The Fear"). But in a funny way — and in perhaps the biggest testament to her burgeoning skill as a songwriter — it's a universal album. Allen might be a much-hounded celeb with a string of exes and a gaggle of Internet haters, but as it turns out, she's not that much different from any other 23-year-old woman. "That's what I try to do," she said. "If you look at a song like 'Chinese,' it's about how, when people go away from home, they just want to be back on the sofa eating [take-out food] and watching TV — that's it. Or a song like 'Not Fair' ... I think probably quite a lot of girls feel unsatisfied by their boyfriends in bed, I do. I write songs about it, and I think girls relate to that." But, of course, this is Lily Allen we're talking about. So even if she's telling exceedingly normal tales, there's always a bit of a twist. For example, when asked about celebrity and how she handles it on a daily basis, she doesn't give a stock answer. Rather, she thinks about it for a minute, then laughs. "I have no control over most of it. But, to be honest, I Google myself," she smiled. "But I do it to see if people are writing bullsh--, so I can sue them. I Google myself to send stuff to my lawyers." Related Artists |
| Ne-Yo Sued For New Year's No-Show Posted: 11 Feb 2009 02:14 AM PST Concert promoter says singer was paid in advance to appear at Seattle-area party.
Grammy-nominated R&B singer Ne-Yo has is being sued for $500,000 by a Washington state promotion company for failing to appear at a New Year's Eve gig he was booked for, according to the Maryland Daily Record. The singer was reportedly scheduled to appear at Bellevue's Meydenbauer Center, outside of Seattle, and was paid a fee up-front of $95,000. According to the lawsuit, however, Ne-Yo never showed up. Booking agent Mike Esterman was also named in the lawsuit, which was filed in Maryland, where Esterman's company is based. Esterman is being sued for $1 million in damages for not ensuring Ne-Yo's appearance and for allegedly failing to return the fees paid by the plaintiff in the case, Wet Entertainment. Esterman told MTV News on Wednesday that the lawsuit is without merit. "I still don't know anything about the details," he said. "All that I know is that this is a frivolous lawsuit. The guy is looking for a free payday. The promoter is looking for a lottery ticket to make some big money off of a big name." According to the lawsuit, Kenyohn Clark of Wet Entertainment and Esterman reached an agreement to book the singer for a fee of $140,000. An attorney for Clark states in the suit that Wet Entertainment also booked travel and lodging arraignments for Ne-Yo, in addition to securing space for an afterparty. The Daily Record reports that 1,500 tickets had been sold for the event, with prices ranging from $125 to $1,275. Clark is seeking damages to cover his expenses, as well as compensation for "reputations in the music industry and entertainment community [that] have been damaged" due to the incident. Representatives for Ne-Yo have not responded to inquiries made by MTV News. Related Artists |
| You are subscribed to email updates from MTV News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
Inbox too full?  Subscribe to the feed version of MTV News in a feed reader. | |
| If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: MTV News, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar