MTV News |
- Lil Wayne Labelmate Jay Sean Ready To Take Over The States
- 'Dancing With The Stars' Is 'Way Harder' Than Kelly Osbourne Imagined
- Rick Ross Premieres 'Lay Back' Video, Featuring Robin Thicke
- Will Kristin Cavallari And Jayde Nicole Throw Down On 'The Hills'?
- Katy Perry's <i>MTV Unplugged</i> Album Will Feature Two New Songs
- Dr. Dre Hopes New Laptop Plays Music 'The Way It Should Sound'
- President Obama 'Opens' For Lady Gaga At Human Rights Campaign Dinner
- Soulja Boy Tell'em Tweets About 'Video Shoot I Got Arrested At'
- Tokio Hotel Contest: We Have A Winner!
- Michael Jackson's 'This Is It': The Past, The Present, A Perfect MJ Tune
| Lil Wayne Labelmate Jay Sean Ready To Take Over The States Posted: 13 Oct 2009 03:52 AM PDT 'I want to take it as far as I can take it,' English singer says of new album All or Nothing.
Jay Sean is back in the U.S. after a brief promotional trip through the U.K. While back in his home country, he caught Cash Money Records labelmate and recently ranked #2 Hottest MC in the Game, Lil Wayne, performing on his home turf in London. Sean told us about visiting with Wayne after the show in the privacy of his double-decker tour bus. "It was just me and him," Sean recalled. "I said, 'You know what, bro — thank you. You made a dream come true for me. I got ... well, we have a #1 record in America.' And he just did his legendary laugh and was like, 'Yeah, man! That's what's up!' "
The cause for celebration? His single that features Lil Wayne has put an end to the Black Eyed Peas' six-month-long domination of the #1 spot in popular music. "Down" has replaced "I Gotta Feeling" at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The BBC has dubbed Sean "the most successful male U.K. urban artist in U.S. chart history." Not bad for a guy who has yet to release his debut album in the States. "When I heard the news I was in London, about to do an interview for radio. It's been the only time in my career where when I found out, I literally couldn't breathe properly. I was so excited. I was so happy," Sean gushed. Remarkably, Sean's single has taken over U.S. radio even though the star himself has been flying under the radar, avoiding making headlines or becoming fodder for gossip blogs. To this day people are still figuring out just who he is, although that's changing — quickly. "The video is getting a serious amount of airplay and with that people are starting to recognize me, but again, America is so huge, so we still have work to do," Sean said. And while it may be simple to chalk his success up to beginner's luck, it seems unlikely. After all, his upcoming album will in fact be his third (his two previous platinum-selling albums were released in Europe and Asia). A simple glance at his Twitter page and you'll think he's been Stateside for years: You'll see kudos from Ashton Kutcher and Chamillionaire, Keri Hilson reprimanding him for not showing more of his bare chest in the "Down" video and musings from Lil Jon about having just recorded a club banger with Sean, the album's second single, "Do You Remember." And so with the combination of determination, chart success and industry backing, it now seems that Jay Sean should be prepared to wave goodbye to anonymity. His debut album, the aptly titled All or Nothing, hits stores November 24 — and for the former medical school student, it's the culmination of everything he's worked for. "I love music with such a passion," Sean said. "I do it because I want it all. I want to take my piece of work, which I'm proud of, and I want to take it as far as I can take it. Otherwise I don't want any of it." Related Photos |
| 'Dancing With The Stars' Is 'Way Harder' Than Kelly Osbourne Imagined Posted: 13 Oct 2009 03:52 AM PDT 'I thought with each week it would get easier, but it doesn't,' she tells MTV News.
Kelly Osbourne has always been known for her sassy attitude and punk-rock spirit, but it seems that those skills aren't making her time on "Dancing With the Stars" any easier. The 24-year-old admits that competing on the show hasn't been a day in the park. "It is way harder than I thought it'd be," Osbourne, who is partnered with professional dancer Louis van Amstel, told MTV News on the red carpet at the Hollywood Style Awards. "I thought with each week it would get easier, but it doesn't, because each week you're learning a new dance with new steps."
Osbourne added that the short time they have to learn the dance routines each week only stresses her out even more. "I'm nervous about the pace," she explained. "I'm nervous that I'll forget steps, because you only do have five [or] four days to learn, so it gets tough." It seems that she's not the only one feeling pressure. She says that her competitors are getting a bit fatigued from all the dancing. "Everyone on the show was so tired," she said, adding that she doesn't regret signing on. "It's the most fun I've ever had working on a show. It doesn't feel like work." Speaking of the competition, Osbourne couldn't pin down who she thought was her biggest rival. "I don't look at it like that," she said when asked who she thinks she needs to beat. "At the end of the day, you'll only go as far as you're meant to go, and it's just, if you start looking at it that way, you'll start to become evil." |
| Rick Ross Premieres 'Lay Back' Video, Featuring Robin Thicke Posted: 11 Oct 2009 10:26 PM PDT The Bawse is also busy with Triple C's, whose debut drops at the end of the month.
The Bawse is a busy man these days. Rick Ross is pulling double duty as he continues to push singles from his latest album while prepping for his crew's debut project, due later this month.
The just-premiered, Gil Green-directed video for "Lay Back," from Ross' Deeper Than Rap, might be more enticing than a Miami tourism promotion. In the clip, Ross cruises around the 305 with Robin Thicke as the MC and the crooner assure the ladies they'll be taken care of. "Baby, this your world, I see you going places," Ross raps. "So I makes the scene, start throwing faces." Thicke then sings: "If you came to get the party started, just say, 'Nah, nah, nah.' " The heavyweight lyricist is also working hard on the Triple C's debut, Custom Cars & Cycles. The album is due October 27 on Ross' Maybach Music deal with Def Jam. The first single, "Go," features the Birdman riding shotgun with the Miami crew. In addition to the Cash Money co-founder, Custom Cars & Cycles boasts guest spots from Young Jeezy, Bun B and the Game, among others. Ross told MTV News earlier this year that he holds the Triple C's (made up of himself, Torch, Gunplay and Young Breed) music to the same standard as he does his solo LPs, of which his first three have all debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart. "I'm so strict when it comes to albums and the music and the quality of music," Ross explained. "The myths I hear about Dr. Dre, I try to implement that into what we are doing. I just want our music to always sound better. The way we recorded the records, it turned out incredible. A lot of groups haven't been successful. ... The problems come when no other superstars emerge. So I made sure we stayed away from that. When everybody absorbs where we coming from, Torch, he's gonna be the future of New York City. Gunplay, he's got one of the rawest unorthodox flows in the game. Young Breed, he's the streets — he's gonna give you some of the wittiest bars. And me, I'm gonna just put the caviar on top of the cracker." Related Artists |
| Will Kristin Cavallari And Jayde Nicole Throw Down On 'The Hills'? Posted: 13 Oct 2009 03:52 AM PDT 'That would be a battle to the death,' Brody Jenner laughed.
If new episodes of "The Hills" keep going in the same direction, then there's bound to be a catfight between Brody Jenner's ladies: former flame Kristin Cavallari and current girlfriend Jayde Nicole. Kristin and Brody have both hinted at a possible romantic reconciliation, so Jayde's bound to get pretty upset, right? If those two were to throw down, Brody is pretty sure the fight would be dirty. "Ha! That would be a battle to the death," he told MTV News at the red carpet for the Hollywood Style Awards in Los Angeles.
Another of Brody's former lady friends, Lauren Conrad, happened to be at the event, and she seemed surprised that Brody and Kristin would ever get back together. "Are they hooking up?" she said with a grin on her face. "I didn't know that. I have no feelings on that." Back in September, Brody told MTV News that Kristin and him have always gotten along famously and that maybe Jayde wasn't always going to like it. "Let's just say Kristin and I have a great relationship. I'm just going to keep it at that," he said. "We have a good relationship. It could be a good friendship, I mean, just a relationship. We really get each other, so I'm just going to go 'no comment' on that one. Jayde, she doesn't mind — for now. I'll say that." To see if Kristin and Jayde can keep it civil, tune in to "The Hills" every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on MTV. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Katy Perry's <i>MTV Unplugged</i> Album Will Feature Two New Songs Posted: 12 Oct 2009 01:02 AM PDT The never-before-released 'Brick by Brick' and a cover of Fountains of Wayne's 'Hackensack' will be included on CD/DVD set.
Eric Clapton did it and won six Grammys. Tony Bennett did it and won a pair of Grammys himself. And now, Katy Perry's looking to do the same: She's getting unplugged for the masses. On November 17, she'll release MTV Unplugged: Katy Perry, a limited-edition CD/DVD set that captures the stripped-down set she taped for MTV earlier this summer. Featured in the package are rearranged takes on hits like "I Kissed a Girl," Waking Up in Vegas," "Thinking of You" and a pair of brand-new songs: Perry's version of the Fountains of Wayne's "Hackensack" and a never-before-released original "Brick by Brick." The DVD also features exclusive interview footage. Songs from Perry's "Unplugged" will debut during MTV's morning video block "AMTV" on November 16, and the full program, along with interview material, will air on MTV.com that day before it debuts on Palladia, MTV's hi-def channel, November 27 at 9 p.m. and midnight. Fans should savor the unplugged Perry while they can. She's recently begun work on the follow-up to her breakthrough One of the Boys album, and, as she told MTV News last month, it's shaping up to be a fairly plugged-in affair, drawing inspiration from the saccharine pop of Swedish acts like the Cardigans and Ace of Base. Only, you know, at the roller rink. "I'm kind of thinking I want to do my record like a mesh between 'Lovefool' by the Cardigans and ['The Sign'] by Ace of Base," she said. "I want to make songs that people want to hold hands and roller-skate to." Related Artists |
| Dr. Dre Hopes New Laptop Plays Music 'The Way It Should Sound' Posted: 12 Oct 2009 04:06 AM PDT Producer collaborated with Jimmy Iovine and HP on the Envy 15 Beats limited-edition notebook computer.
Dr. Dre's perfectionism has been one of the main reasons behind Detox's legendary delay, but his high standards haven't stopped him from lending his ear to projects outside the studio. Dre partnered with music mogul Jimmy Iovine last year to introduce Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, in partnership with Monster Cable. Now, the West Coast sound architect is taking his zeal for production to personal computers. The HP Envy 15 Beats limited-edition laptop is set to arrive October 22 and will feature the same technology applied to Beats by Dre headphones. The black notebook computer — retailing at $2,299 — will come bundled with mixing software and a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. Fellow producers Timbaland, Polow Da Don, Pharrell Williams and Will.I.Am also helped fine-tune the machine's sound.
"Sound is the heartbeat of music," Iovine told MTV News about their latest collabo. "And Dre is the heartbeat of sound. He set the standard for many, many people." "If I spend a year in the studio and spend all this time tweaking [my production] and making sure it sounds right, my main concern is for you to hear it the way it should sound," Dre explained to MTV News. "The way it was meant for you to hear it." Also this month, Beats by Dr. Dre is set to release a Lady Gaga-inspired line of headphones called Heartbeats. Diddy told MTV News recently that he might partner with Iovine and Dre for his own line as well. "I feel like I'm in great company. I'm in the best company of the world," Diddy said of uniting with the pair. "I feel like how A-Rod felt when he got traded to the Yankees." Related Artists |
| President Obama 'Opens' For Lady Gaga At Human Rights Campaign Dinner Posted: 12 Oct 2009 06:30 AM PDT Gaga covers John Lennon's 'Imagine' at dinner, speaks at National Equality March next day.
A day after he unexpectedly won the Nobel Peace Prize, President Barack Obama was still just an opening act for a pop star. At the Human Rights Campaign dinner on Saturday night in Washington, D.C., the president joked, "It's privilege to be here tonight to open for Lady Gaga. ... I've made it."
The quip came not long after Obama promised in his speech to the nation's largest gay-rights group to end the ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military. He also said that he's urged Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and pass the Domestic Partners Benefit and Obligations Act. "My commitment to you is unwavering," Obama said, noting that some activists have complained that they "don't believe progress has come fast enough." In fact, a number of leading gay activists have grumbled that Obama's campaign promises about repealing the military's controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and passing domestic-partner benefits have come to naught so far in his administration, and they've urged him to act more quickly on those campaign pledges. While Obama made headlines with his bold pronouncements, Gaga, who was dressed more demurely than usual for the event in a pouffy, little black dress, black heels and giant round shades, was for many in attendance the real superstar attraction of the night. During her performance at the 13th annual dinner, Gaga said she was there to "represent those young people who are taking a stand, who are going tomorrow to march with all of us," referring to Sunday's National Equality March. "You are inspiring a tremendous number of young people, and I know that tomorrow is going to be just as memorable as tonight was. And I promise to continue and to love and be loyal, to stand up for and to continue to challenge the world, for all of you. I'm not going to play one of my songs tonight because tonight is not about me, tonight is about you." The singer then admitted that she changed "some of the words" and a few of the melodies to John Lennon's classic plea for understanding and peace, "Imagine." Tinkering with the lyrics, she inserted references to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student whose death became a national rallying cry for hate-crime legislation. "Imagine there's no heaven/ It's easy if you try," Gaga sang in a jazzy croon, "No hell below us/ And only Matthew in the sky." Later she sang, "People of the nation, are you listening?/ It isn't equal if it's sometimes/ I want a real democracy." Gaga also appeared during Sunday's march, and though she didn't perform, she urged an end to homophobia and misogyny in the music industry and gave props to her "most beautiful gay fans in the world." Wearing black pants, a white tuxedo shirt and black suspenders, Gaga received a hero's welcome and said even with all the worldwide success she's experienced over the past two years, the appearance in front of the adoring crowd on the mall in Washington was "the single most important moment of my career." Saying she was inspired by the new young generation of gay activists, Gaga told the crowd, "They say that this country is free and they say that this country is equal, but it's not equal if it's sometimes." Then, to make sure they knew she meant business, she added, "Obama, I know that you're listening," then shouted, "Are you listening? ... We will continue to push you and your administration to bring your words of promise to a reality. We need change now. We demand actions now." Related Artists |
| Soulja Boy Tell'em Tweets About 'Video Shoot I Got Arrested At' Posted: 11 Oct 2009 11:18 PM PDT The MC was reportedly filming 'Gangsta Musik' clip when he was arrested outside of Atlanta.
Soulja Boy Tell'em hasn't said much about his recent arrest just outside of Atlanta. But on Sunday, after performing at the BET Hip-Hop Awards at the Atlanta Civic Center the previous night, the 19-year-old rapper finally opened up about what he was doing in a dark backyard in Henry County, Georgia, last Wednesday when cops rolled up. "Releasing the music video for 'Gangsta Muzik' later on tonight," Soulja Boy tweeted. "This is the video shoot I got arrested at. Stay tuned." According to police, Soulja Boy (born DeAndre Way) was among 40 or so people gathered in the backyard at the abandoned home in McDonough when a neighbor called police to report suspicious activity. When the cops arrived, most of the people ran, including Soulja, who was arrested a short time later when he returned to retrieve his white Range Rover. Police arrested Soulja Boy for one count of misdemeanor obstruction and the rapper spent the night in jail. He was released the next day after posting $550 bond. On Thursday, following his release from jail, Soulja Boy promised his Twitter fans, "I just wanna put this behind me! I'm not going back to jail!! Let's focus on the BET Awards!" He did, however, post a copy of his mug shot on the site, commenting, "Even in jail my swag was turnt up." The new track appears on the rapper's recently released mixtape, My Way of Life. At press time, the video did not appear to have leaked online yet. Soulja Boy has not made an official statement about the arrest, but at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, he reportedly told the network, "Man, I can't really comment on that, 'cause I ain't went to court yet ... and my answer could affect the case. I just wanna thank all my fans for supporting me through it. I ain't going back. I'm out, it's good." A spokesperson for Soulja Boy's label had not commented on the arrest or news of the video's release at press time. Related Artists |
| Tokio Hotel Contest: We Have A Winner! Posted: 12 Oct 2009 02:25 AM PDT Val from California wins autographed Humanoid T-shirt, video message from band.
Last week, when MTV News announced we were partnering with the guys in Tokio Hotel for a very special contest, we figured we'd be inundated with videos of screaming, spiky-haired fans extolling the virtues of the Kaulitz brothers. And we were (to be fair, we did request clips with "costumes, tears, squealing and Bill Kautliz-esque hairstyles) — and we also got loads of amazing, incredibly creative videos, too. Hundreds of them, in fact, from Tokio Hotel fans of all ages, from all corners of the globe. It's not a stretch to say that, at the moment, TH are one of the world's most popular bands — or at least one with the most loyal fans.
Anyway, here's a quick refresher on the criteria: We were looking for the best, most creative review of Tokio Hotel's new Humanoid album, with the winning entry receiving an autographed TH T-shirt and a personalized video message from the band. And boy did we get some memorable entries: toddlers with Mohawks, raccoon-eyed girls pretending to make out, Bill Kaulitz doppelgängers, Tom Kaulitz doppelgängers. Fans begged and bargained, they reviewed fast and slow — or sometimes not at all. Choosing a winner was beyond difficult, but finally, after hours of video, we found the best: Val from California, congratulations: You've won our Tokio Hotel contest! Why did we choose Val's video? Well, for starters, it made us laugh; secondly, it was an actual review of the album; and third, we liked how she put on a pair of glasses to appear sufficiently "rock critic-y." Way to know your judges, Val! So again, nice job, Val. You can expect your T-shirt any day now. And thanks again to everyone who entered the contest ... we were honestly blown away by your creativity and dedication to Tokio Hotel. They're a lucky bunch of guys to have fans like you. Related Artists |
| Michael Jackson's 'This Is It': The Past, The Present, A Perfect MJ Tune Posted: 12 Oct 2009 09:55 AM PDT Song showcases MJ's often-overlooked talent as a singer.
Michael Jackson was a hell of a singer. I only say this because to the casual music fan, it might not be apparent. Whether it was because so much about him — his dance moves, his style, his swagger — was so dynamic, or because he rarely spoke above a whisper, or even because he frequently peppered his verses with vocal ticks (like those oft-imitated "Hee-hee's"), Jackson remains one of the most underrated vocal artists in music history.
And that's a shame, because his voice was a wondrous thing, capable of reaching both towering heights (the final verse of "Rock With You") and depths ("Childhood"). It was technical, but it was also decidedly human, too, full of pump-priming rage ("Man in the Mirror") one minute, tethered tenderness the next ("She's Out of My Life"). It was a finely tuned instrument that, when unfurled, revealed all the pain and frustration and joy of Jackson's life ... a window inside the man's soul. It could stop you in your tracks and raise the hair on the back of your neck. It was something to behold. But don't take my word for it. Just listen to "This Is It," the title track to Jackson's posthumous concert-film/double album that premiered at midnight on Monday (October 12). Because if anything, it's reinforcement of my original point: Jackson was a powerhouse vocalist. The origins of the song may remain cloudy — it was reportedly written in 1980, in the fertile period between Jackson's Off the Wall and Thriller albums, and recorded in the mid-to-late '80s, in between the Bad and Dangerous albums — but really, none of that really matters: "This Is It" is a prime showcase for Jackson's prodigious pipes, which means that the best way to experience it — indeed, the best way to pay tribute to the man and his music — is to turn the volume up, sit back, and just listen. Ignore the trilling strings, and the soft-jazz/light-funk backing track (which sort of make the song sound like Off the Wall's "I Can't Help It.") Block out the hype surrounding the song's release and the drama surrounding Jackson's death. Focus on those vocals — the way Jackson counts it in with a boyish "one, two, three, four," the way he glides from verse to verse with breathless, effortless phrasing, the lean-yet-heavy falsetto, the hint of gravel (and gravitas) is the verses, the soaring choruses — it's all there, untarnished by time or tabloids. And it's all wonderful. In a lot of ways, "This Is It" might be the perfect Michael Jackson tune. And by that I mean, while it's by no means his best, or his most memorable, it might be his most representative. It's a mixture of his yearning early years and his messianic later period, and it shines a light on the best aspects of both: His voice. Because, just in case you weren't aware, Michael Jackson was a hell of a singer. Related Photos Related Artists |
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