MTV News |
- Paula Abdul Leaving "American Idol"
- Soulja Boy Gets A Studio Tour Bus From 50 Cent To Finish New LP
- Eminem And Kanye West Go Head-To-Head At 2009 MTV VMAs
- Nelly Furtado Says Singing In Spanish On <i>Mi Plan</i> Felt 'Natural'
- Beyonce And Lady Gaga Lead 2009 MTV VMA Nominees
- Beyonce Over Britney? Eminem Tops Kanye? Predicting The 2009 Video Music Award Winners
- Eminem: That's Not Me Dissing Soulja Boy Tell'em On 'Die Already'
- Asher Roth Surprised By His Two VMA Nominations
- Jay-Z Elaborates On <i>Blueprint 3</i> Album Cover
- Kristinia DeBarge Calls VMA Nod 'Unbelievable'
| Paula Abdul Leaving "American Idol" Posted: 05 Aug 2009 04:40 AM PDT 'With sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return to 'Idol,' 'Abdul tweets.
After intense negotiations that her new manager warned recently could result in her exit from the show, Paula Abdul tweeted on Tuesday night that she is leaving "Idol." "With sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return to 'Idol,'" wrote Abdul, 47. "I'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day one become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. I do, without any doubt, have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all." "Paula Abdul has been an important part of the 'American Idol' family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show," Fox TV said in a statement. "While Paula will not be continuing with us, she's a tremendous talent and we wish her the best." Abdul did not explain why she is leaving the show two days before rehearsals for season nine were set to begin, and a spokesperson for the one-time pop singer and choreographer could not be reached for comment at press time. Auditions are slated to take place in Denver on Thursday and taping for the upcoming season was to begin this week. Abdul's announcement comes just days after it was announced that the show's newest judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi, will be returning to "Idol" for a second season. In announcing the return of DioGuardi -- whose debut season was a bit rough at times due to tension with fellow judge Simon Cowell -- Fox and the show's producers heaped praise on the songwriter to the stars (Britney Spears, Demi Lovato), calling her "a breath of fresh air." Cowell and judge Randy Jackson are on board for this season and host Ryan Seacrest recently signed a $45 million deal to return as well, but the loss of Abdul breaks up the show's original cast and could prove divisive for an audience that has come to expect her often loopy, hard-to-follow comments. Abdul's manager said last month that she might not return to the show. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Soulja Boy Gets A Studio Tour Bus From 50 Cent To Finish New LP Posted: 05 Aug 2009 03:50 AM PDT 'I'm trying to have the best show in the tour,' Soulja says of America's Most Wanted festival, in Mixtape Daily.
Celebrity Favorites Who says 50 Cent doesn't give love to his peers? The captain of the G-Unit squadron recently shelled out some major coin to help out his much younger friend, recent birthday boy Soulja Boy Tell'em. Fif presented a studio tour bus to the Atlanta rapper as a gift.
"50 gave me a bus to record my album since I was on tour," Soulja told us last week on Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival. Apparently, Fif wants to make sure his labelmate can complete his upcoming album, The DeAndre Way, while out on the road with Jeremih, Pleasure P, Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne. (Drake has missed the past few dates because of a leg injury.) Soulja can record and make beats on the bus and doesn't have to book studio time. "When they came at me and was like, 'Wayne wants you to be on tour with Drake, Jeezy, a lot of people,' of course I'mma do it," he said. "My first tour I did was with Chris Brown. Now this is gonna be my second official tour. I been doing a lot of shows, spot dates, but this is my second official tour. "If I'm doing a Soulja Boy Tell'em concert, it's gonna be mostly Soulja Boy fans," he added about the differences between going out on treks by himself and with others. "The second difference is if I'm doing a show, I'm gonna fly in and fly out. On this type of tour, you got Young Jeezy fans in the crowd, Lil Wayne fans in the crowd, Jeremih fans in the crowd, Pleasure P fans in the crowd, and this is not the only time you gotta do it. You gotta do it four or five days straight. This is what I'm built for, though. This is what I'm designed for." Soulja said he still thinks nobody alive can match him on the stage, but he does credit the late Michael Jackson for being his only competition. "That's the truth. That's still the truth," he said with a smile. "That was when I first came out. ... I can't bust the moves like I used to." At the ripe old age of 19, Soulja still is ready to compete. He's trying to steal the show every night on the America's Most Wanted tour. "I try to strive for my best. I respect everybody in the tour, likewise, but I'm trying to have the best show in the tour," he said. "I'm gonna stay and watch everybody, though." For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Eminem And Kanye West Go Head-To-Head At 2009 MTV VMAs Posted: 04 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT The hip-hop superstars will compete with each other in four categories on September 13.
We can't announce all the nominees for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards just yet — we'll have them for you a little later today — but it's difficult to imagine them getting any bigger than this: On Tuesday (August 4), MTV News learned that two of the hugest names in the game today — Eminem and Kanye West — each received four VMA nominations, in the same four categories, which should make for one rather intense showdown come VMA night. (Check out the complete list of this year's VMA nominees!)
Eminem's "We Made You" clip goes up against Yeezy's "Love Lockdown" for Video of the Year, Best Male Video and Best Hip Hop Video. And "We Made You" squares off with Kanye's "Paranoid" for Best Special Effects. Eminem has already won a staggering nine Moonmen. While West has won only a pair, he has landed 11 nominations in the past — and he's had some memorable offstage VMA moments too. But given Em's surprise star turn at this year's MTV Movie Awards (and remember his VMA encounter with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog back in 2002?), we don't know what to expect from either artist this time around. So, really, this one is too close to call. And what else would you expect from two of hip-hop's top-ranked heavyweights? Whenever the big guns come out, it's almost impossible to predict who'll come out on top. Luckily, you will be the ones determining the winner, by voting for your favorite Moonman contender at VMA.MTV.com. So, will it be Em's night, or will Kanye walk away victorious? Find out when the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards return to New York City, live, September 13 at 9 pm. Outrageous Brit Russell Brand returns to host, and Taylor Swift, Pink, Green Day and Muse have all been confirmed as performers. The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards will take place September 13 at 9 p.m. ET. Nominees, celebrity presenters and additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks. To be the first to find out the inside scoop, follow the Inside MTV Twitter account at Twitter.com/InsideMTV. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Nelly Furtado Says Singing In Spanish On <i>Mi Plan</i> Felt 'Natural' Posted: 05 Aug 2009 03:50 AM PDT 'As an artist, I always follow my gut,' she says of latest album.
Nelly Furtado is embracing her Latin roots on her new album, Mi Plan, out September 15. The Portuguese-Canadian songstress felt that now was as good a time as any to release her newest album and this time do it all in Spanish.
"Everything I do is natural," she told MTV News about the decision to make the album in the language. "As an artist, I always follow my gut. I don't really follow commercial trends or sales trends. I just kind of go with what's right for me as an artist and what is going to keep me happy and healthy, so Mi Plan is like the next phase." The singer also thought the language was the right one for this album to best express her current place in life. And for her single "Manos al Aire," "It just felt right for me to write in Spanish. It felt good," she said. "It felt like I could express other emotions." "Manos al Aire" is in some ways about surrendering (the translation is "hands in the air"), and the emotion behind the song could only be expressed in Spanish, Furtado said. "It's intense and it's vulnerable and strong at the same time," she said. "And I think when I sing about those emotions in Spanish, they come off differently. I don't think I could write an English song about such a complex emotion." For her album, she also wanted to cater to people who may not understand Spanish, so the singer took it upon herself to include subtitles with the album. "I included subtitles for people that don't speak Spanish, and I included subtitles for people that only speak Spanish as well, so they might want to know the lyrics in English." Related Videos |
| Beyonce And Lady Gaga Lead 2009 MTV VMA Nominees Posted: 04 Aug 2009 08:59 AM PDT It'll be a battle of fashion-forward pop divas on September 13.
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards nominations are in, and the 26th annual show is shaping up to be a battle of female pop and fashion icons: Beyoncé and Lady Gaga lead the way with nine nods apiece and will face off on September 13 at 9 p.m. for coveted Moonmen in categories like Video of the Year and Best Female Video.
"I'm excited and honored to be tied for most nominated for the VMAs," Beyoncé said. "I've been blessed this year to have 'Single Ladies' become a video people really connected with and responded to. I've spent so much time watching all the great versions people created all around the world. It's beautiful to feel you touch people and bring a song to life with a video." Lady Gaga expressed her gratitude in her own original fashion. "After years of hustle in New York City, where we made our art videos in bars, myself and the Haus of Gaga are honored to receive nine nominations for the 2009 VMAs," she said. "We believe in the immensity and the promise of 'showbiz' and will continue to give it mouth-to-mouth, till its vomiting return. All you need is a camcorder, a flashlight and one truly great idea. Thank you, MTV, for being our video flagship, and for supporting this bunch of inspired kids, who love to get wasted and make art together." Following closely behind Beyoncé and Gaga is Britney Spears, who nabbed seven nods for her "Womanizer" and "Circus" videos, including in categories like Video of the Year and Best Pop Video. Kanye West, Eminem and Coldplay all received four nominations each. (Check out the complete list of this year's VMA nominees!) Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for the winners in general categories from Tuesday (August 4) through September 13. In the Video of the Year category, Beyoncé ("Single Ladies [Put a Ring on It]"), Lady Gaga ("Poker Face") and Britney ("Womanizer") will compete with Eminem ("We Made You") and Kanye West ("Love Lockdown"). Joining Lady Gaga in the Best New Artist category are Drake ("Best I Ever Had"), 3OH!3 ("Don't Trust Me"), Kid Cudi ("Day 'N' Nite") and Asher Roth ("I Love College"). The Best Male Video category pits Eminem ("We Made You") against Ne-Yo ("Miss Independent"), Kanye West ("Love Lockdown"), T.I. and Rihanna ("Live Your Life"), and Jay-Z ("D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune]"). Best Female Video nominees are: Lady Gaga ("Poker Face"), Beyoncé ("Single Ladies [Put a Ring on It]"), Katy Perry ("Hot N Cold"), Kelly Clarkson ("My Life Would Suck Without You"), Taylor Swift ("You Belong With Me") and Pink ("So What"). Hosted by Russell Brand for the second year in a row, the VMAs will air live from Radio City Music Hall in New York. Taylor Swift, Pink, Green Day and Muse are already confirmed to perform. Celebrity presenters include Katy Perry, Ne-Yo and Chace Crawford. The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards will take place September 13 at 9 p.m. ET. Nominees, celebrity presenters and additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks. To be the first to find out the inside scoop, follow the Inside MTV Twitter account at Twitter.com/InsideMTV. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Beyonce Over Britney? Eminem Tops Kanye? Predicting The 2009 Video Music Award Winners Posted: 05 Aug 2009 03:50 AM PDT We try to guess who's going to take home some Moonmen, in Bigger Than the Sound.
Last year, when I was apparently fearless (the economy was better back then, after all), I complained that predicting the winners at the MTV Video Music Awards was impossible. Of course, after spending something like 400 words expressing the futility of trying to guess who will win, I actually nailed 50 percent of my predictions, including my big-money bet that Britney's "Piece of Me" would be named Video of the Year.
So, emboldened by last year's success, I'm putting on my prognostication cap (and cape and striped vest) once again and attempting to predict the winners of the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Nominees were announced Tuesday, and it's shaping up to be a battle of the divas — VMA fave Beyoncé and upstart Lady Gaga have the most nods with nine each, and Britney is close behind with seven — but does that mean it's gonna be Ladies Night at the VMAs? Shoot, if I knew that, I'd be a rich, rich man (confidentially, I have a big-time gambling problem). So, I'm following the same formula I used last year — throwing logic to the wind, ignoring sales figures and facts and simply going with my gut. Here are my 2009 Video Music Award predictions. BEST MALE VIDEO Nominees: Logic Would Dictate: Jay-Z's "D.O.A." is a noir-ish update of Michelangelo Antonioni's angsty, arty 1970 film "Zabriskie Point" ... it is angry and stylish and it features a cameo by Harvey Keitel! Kanye's "Love Lockdown" is a pitch-perfect, super-slick remake of "American Psycho" (right down to the minimalist decor), only with tribal dancers replacing the Genesis worship. Seriously, re-read those sentences and tell me why either video shouldn't win here. But Illogically: Eminem's video makes fun of Bret Michaels and Kim Kardashian! So, The Winner Is: This is one of four categories that Em and Kanye go head-to-head in — so one of them has to take this. Let's go with my illogical pick: Eminem. BEST FEMALE VIDEO Nominees Logic Would Dictate: "Single Ladies" was one of 2008's most massive songs and the video became a pop-culture sensation, famously parodied on "Saturday Night Live" and re-enacted countless times on YouTube. But Illogically: Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" features a pair of Great Danes, a lot of lycra and gratuitous poolside cavorting. So, The Winner Is: Beyoncé. In an era when music videos are increasingly disposable, "Single Ladies" managed to stick (and take on a life of its own), which means that it could be a pretty big night for B. BEST CHOREOGRAPHY Nominees Logic Would Dictate: I think this category was called "Best Dancing in a Video" last year ... regardless, at this point, even your aunt in Toledo probably knows the "Single Ladies" dance, which has got to make it the favorite here. But Ciara and JT raised temperatures with their moves in "Love Sex Magic," so they deserve some consideration here, too. But Illogically: BRITNEY!!! So, The Winner Is: Your aunt is gonna be very excited (and might just throw out her hip in the process): Beyoncé wins again. BEST ROCK VIDEO Nominees Logic Would Dictate: This boils down to a three-horse race between Green Day, the Kings and Paramore. But Illogically: FOB have Wentz. Paramore have Williams. The Kings of Leon are comprised of three super-rugged brothers and their one ultra-handsome cousin. Never underestimate the power of hotness! So, The Winner Is: Oh, wait, this is the Paramore song from "Twilight"? In that case, it wins by a mile. BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO Nominees Logic Would Dictate: There are three potential winners here — I think you can probably guess who they are. But Illogically: Asher Roth loves college! On second thought, even illogically the dude has a long climb here. So, The Winner Is: Kanye strikes back at Em, although, by design, "Love Lockdown" isn't a very hip-hop song. BEST POP VIDEO Nominees Logic Would Dictate: Britney won this last year. Lady Gaga seems to be guided by some sort of higher pop power. Cobra Starship have one of the summer's most unlikely hits. But Illogically: Wisin y Yandel, who are huge in the reggaetón world but face tough odds here. So, The Winner Is: I am seriously tempted to go with the reggaetón dudes but, in a pinch, I'm gonna say Gaga. This might be the most wide-open category at the 2009 VMAs. BEST NEW ARTIST Nominees Logic Would Dictate: This one is between Gaga and Drake. The former seems to have grabbed pop music by its platinum roots and dragged it into the 22nd century and the latter is so ubiquitous that he might actually be able to teleport. But Illogically: Asher Roth could pull off an upset. So, The Winner Is: It'll be close, but I'm going with Gaga, though Drake could sway the sympathy voters with his recent knee injuries. VIDEO OF THE YEAR Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" Logic Would Dictate: You could honestly make a case for any of these videos taking home the night's biggest award. "Single Ladies" was massive. "Womanizer" proved Britney's back for good. "We Made You" was classic Eminem. "Love Lockdown" was arty cool. And "Poker Face" might just be the rallying cry for a new generation of pop provocateurs. So, really, take your pick. But Illogically: Somehow, Asher Roth wins. So, The Winner Is: I am less certain about this than pretty much any other category but, when it comes down to it, you gotta go with the video that had the biggest impact ... the one that made kids on YouTube dance ... the one that inspired Justin Timberlake to slap on a unitard. Which means I'm going with Beyoncé — it's the most illogically logical choice after all. Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com. |
| Eminem: That's Not Me Dissing Soulja Boy Tell'em On 'Die Already' Posted: 04 Aug 2009 09:45 AM PDT 'Wow, whoever made 'Die Already' really does sound like me,' Em tweets.
Eminem has quickly gone from years of beef-less silence to a raging war of disses with Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon. But despite ramping up his fighting skills in taking on the pop power couple with his latest verbal beatdown, "The Warning," one person Em is not taking aim at is Soulja Boy Tell'em. A hard-hitting dis track called "Die Already" leaked on Monday in which an MC who sounds an awful lot like Slim Shady takes some serious shots at the "Crank That" rapper, beating down his lyrical style and (alleged) lack of substance with some cutting verbal jabs. "Wow, whoever made 'Die Already' really does sound like me," tweeted Eminem on Monday. "But it ain't." While the person on the track does sound similar to Eminem, he doesn't have quite the same lyrical aptitude as Marshall Mathers. The low-quality track with a thumping Em-like beat has the faux-Minem slapping "SouljaGirl" with the lines, "Do the Superman, f---in' die already ... I wouldn't buy your CD for half price on eBay ... Ice-T told you don't make me say it the mean way/ I'm not a bad person, you just suck like BJ." The hook taunts, "Excuse me ma, America, do ya'll understand any English anymore?" Despite the seeming similarity, even Eminem's fellow D12 member, rapper/producer Denaun Porter (a.k.a. Kon Artis), wrote in to AllHipHop.com, one of the first places to report on the track, to say that the track wasn't real. "That new Em dis is a straight up hoax. Can't y'all tell? Couldn't Allhiphop?" No one's claimed credit for the dis track yet, and Soulja Boy, currently on tour in Canada, doesn't appear to have taken the bait. "Die Already" comes on the heels of Eminem's scathing and personal attack against Carey and Cannon in retaliation for the song and video for Carey's new single, "Obsessed." Many alleged that the couple had taken a shot at Em when Mariah dressed up as an obsessed stalker in the video. But Cannon told MTV News last month that Mariah Carey wouldn't waste her time beefing. "My wife doesn't beef. She's Mariah Carey. She's not beefin', she's a vegetarian," the singer's husband said. Cannon appeared ready to quash the beef (kind of) on Monday, when he posted Biblical tweets the likes of which read "Never take your own revenge." Related Artists |
| Asher Roth Surprised By His Two VMA Nominations Posted: 04 Aug 2009 02:56 AM PDT 'I must be doing something right!,' the 'I Love College' MC says.
While Asher Roth's two VMA nominations may not be a surprise to many people, they definitely caught the artist himself off guard. "That was a nice little thing to wake up to this morning," said the rapper, speaking from his dressing room before a show in Baltimore, of the nods for Best New Artist and Best Hip-Hop Video that his "I Love College" clip received. "I've got a 20 percent chance [in each category], so I'll take that. Obviously everybody wants to win, but for the most part the nod is all you really need. It says, 'We appreciate your work.' " According to Roth, the video for "I Love College" — which illuminates all of the frat-house revelry the MC talks about in the song — wasn't intended to be an award nominee. "Shooting the video was almost an accident," Roth explained. "We just turned the camera lights on and did what we do. It wasn't like, 'Let's try to win a VMA with this one!' But I think that's the beauty of it — you stay true to form and you get a nod of appreciation." In the Best New Artist category, Roth is going up against his tourmate Kid Cudi, and Best Hip-Hop Video sees him squaring off against titans like Jay-Z and Eminem. "I'm in a category with some heavy hitters," he said. "It's kind of cool. To be with those guys, I must be doing something right." (It's also worth noting that VMA nominees Roth, Cudi and Drake were touted as 2009 "MCs to Watch" by MTV News back in January.) The VMAs will begin what should be an interesting September for Roth, who heads out to Bakersfield, California, to join the Blink-182 tour the day after the show. But first he'll enjoy being a part of the show in New York on September 13. "You always peep the VMAs — I'm always by a TV to catch that show," he said. But who is he most looking forward to meeting? "Everybody's out that night, so it's more like who do I try to ignore?" The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards will take place September 13 at 9 p.m. ET. Nominees, celebrity presenters and additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks. To be the first to find out the inside scoop, follow the Inside MTV Twitter account at Twitter.com/InsideMTV. Related Artists |
| Jay-Z Elaborates On <i>Blueprint 3</i> Album Cover Posted: 04 Aug 2009 01:12 AM PDT 'These things are like the forgotten pieces in hip-hop,' Hov says of the instruments on the cover.
Jay-Z confirmed that the graphic that hit the Internet on Monday (August 3) — a gaggle of white instruments piled together in a corner with three red horizontal lines over them — is the artwork for Blueprint 3. "It's the album cover," Jay told us Tuesday in Brooklyn, on the set of his Roc-A-Wear commercial. Jay said he chose to highlight the instruments on his cover because he felt they have been overlooked.
"These things are like the forgotten pieces in hip-hop," Hov explained. "It's still about music. It's not about radio, making gimmicks — it's still about making music. Those things are piled in the corner. These are the forgotten things about music. It's still about music. It's not about radio, it's not about making gimmicks, it's about music. The three stripes that everybody is asking about is made from the original [number] three. The first three they made on the wall was someone carving. If you look at [the number] 3, all they did was connect lines. The whole thing about this album, how I approached it, is that I wanted to make a new classic to start that all over again — to go back to making classic albums like the ones we grew up listening to." Jay is up for two VMAs. "I feel fantastic," he said after hearing the news of the nominations. Hov's Blueprint 3 will be released on September 11. Related Artists |
| Kristinia DeBarge Calls VMA Nod 'Unbelievable' Posted: 04 Aug 2009 03:51 AM PDT 'I'm just thinking my hard work paid off,' she says of Best Choreography nomination for 'Goodbye.'
Not only will Kristinia DeBarge be embarking on her big tour with Britney Spears later this month, but she's also gearing up for the VMAs, where her "Goodbye" video is up for Best Choreography. "I'm really excited," she told MTV News about the nomination. (Check out the complete list of this year's VMA nominees!) "I had no idea. I just got the text message this morning that I'm nominated. It's really unbelievable. I just came out with the single a few months ago and my album last week, so to be doing this while I'm being nominated is amazing. I'm just thinking my hard work paid off."
But the hard work isn't over yet. DeBarge has some stiff competition in the Best Choreography category, where she's up against Beyoncé, Panic! At The Disco, Ciara and Justin Timberlake, as well as the Pussycat Dolls. So who does she think is her biggest competition? "I'd say the PCD, 'cause they're known as dancers," she said. It might get weird for DeBarge while she's on tour with Spears since they're both up for the same Moonman. "I would hope not! She definitely had a lot of fame and fortune throughout her whole career, and she's had a lot of awards, so maybe she can give someone else the chance this time," she said. "I love Britney and am really thankful she allowed me to be on tour with her." The new artist has nothing but love for all the nominees in the Best Choreography category. "[Britney] is also another big entertainer and dancer. And Beyoncé is too, and Justin, and they're all great entertainers and performers," she said. "I don't know if they have won in the past or really what their status is with the VMAs. I do know that they're really talented, and I'm sure they've had awards before, so maybe it wouldn't be a surprise to them if they won the award. [It] definitely would be that way for me!" The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards will take place September 13 at 9 p.m. ET. Nominees, celebrity presenters and additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks. To be the first to find out the inside scoop, follow the Inside MTV Twitter account at Twitter.com/InsideMTV. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
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