MTV News |
- Beyonce's <i>4</i> Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know
- Cobra Starship's 'You Make Me Feel ...' Video: A Party With Heart
- Chris Brown BET Award Snafu Was 'Human Error'
- 'Mission: Impossible 4' Is 'Intense,' Katie Holmes Says
- Ryan Dunn's 'Proving Ground' Returns To G4 In July
- Jennifer Aniston Calls New York Gay Marriage Vote 'Unbelievable'
- Kara DioGuardi Opens Up About Lindsay Lohan, 'No Boundaries'
- Shawty Lo's New Mixtape A Love Letter To His 'Hood
- Lauren Alaina Meets Justin Bieber And A Few Fans Of Her Own
- Tech N9ne Tourmate Shot In Nevada
- Ryan Dunn Remembered At Electric Daisy Carnival
- Alicia Keys Looks Back On 'Coming Of Age' Debut
- Evanescence's New Album 'All Over The Place,' Amy Lee Says
- Eminem Co-Star Sasha Grey Interprets Suicidal 'Space Bound' Video
- Ryan Dunn Had A 'Pure, Open Heart,' Says Johnny Knoxville
- Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz Secretly Marry
- 'Cars 2' Parks At #1 For Weekend Box-Office Debut
| Beyonce's <i>4</i> Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Posted: 28 Jun 2011 03:53 AM PDT Long-awaited album finally hit stores Tuesday.
Beyoncé's 4 may have leaked weeks ago, but its official release date is finally upon us. It's been a long-churning album that touches on soul, '90s R&B, hip-hop and even '80s adult contemporary. Long before the album even dropped, B promised fans that the album would be eclectic — a promise that was certainly met. "I have a lot of live instruments that I'm putting into the tracks to try to change the sound and make my own genre of music," she said about the album.
On it, she worked with a number of A-listers, including The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, Kanye West, Chad Hugo, Ryan Tedder and Diplo, to name a few. She had also been spotted in the studio with indie acts like Sleigh Bells, proving that she wanted to try anything and everything. "I'm mixing every type of genre that I love and I'm inspired by every type of genre," she told MTV News late last year. "I'm not in a box. 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." By the time 2010 was nearing its midway mark, Beyoncé finally debuted "Run the World (Girls)," a girl-power pop tune that samples Major Lazer's "Pon De Floor" and is full of so much bravado that she needed wild animals in the music video. So why did Beyoncé name the album 4? Well, aside from the fact that it's her fourth album, she explained: "We all have special numbers in our lives, and 4 is that for me. It's the day I was born. My mother's birthday and a lot of my friends' birthdays are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date." In addition to "Run the World (Girls)," Queen B teased fans with songs like the album's official second single, "Best Thing I Never Had," plus the promotional track "1+1" and the leaked track "Party," featuring Andre 3000. The songs show the many sides of Beyoncé: playful, heartfelt, flirty, sexy and, yes, sassy. In the end, B wanted fans to hear all those sides of her on the album. "I also gave myself more freedom to really belt out some songs, and bring soul singing back," she explained. "I used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in my voice that people hear in my live performances, but not necessarily on my records." What are your thoughts on 4? Tell us in the comments! |
| Cobra Starship's 'You Make Me Feel ...' Video: A Party With Heart Posted: 28 Jun 2011 03:53 AM PDT On the set of the new clip, Gabe Saporta explains how a magic photo booth tells a universal story.
Cobra Starship's brand-new "You Make Me Feel ..." video is most definitely a party, one packed with beautiful people (various members of the NYC glitterati, a rather confused MTV News journalist, a mightily bearded Robin Williams) and practically bursting at the seams with booze-fueled hookups and assorted Spandex getups. But when MTV News showed up on the set of the video last month, the guys in Cobra Starship were eager to explain that "You Make Me Feel ..." is much more than an ode to bottle-popping excess. It's actually about frontman Gabe Saporta's quest to find his soul mate — up-and-coming singer Sabi — in the dwindling hours of a New York night. With the help of a magical photo booth. Or something like that.
"It's a song about a guy and a girl, and the concept is, at the beginning of the video, I find one of Sabi's photos, and she's feeling the same way that I'm feeling, which is incomplete without each other," Saporta said. "We're sharing feelings, and that's what I realize, so I'm like, 'Wow, I want to find this girl.' So I look all over the world for her, and our world is the nightclub. ... The video is about the photo booth. It's just not any photo booth; it's a photo booth that tells you how you're really feeling. That's the main star of the video." "It's a party," guitarist Ryland Blackinton added, "but it's a very tender party at times." So, yes, in short, it's a party video loaded with cameos from the likes of Williams (and his daughter, Zelda), DJ duo Andrew Andrew, Just Jared blogger Jared Eng, and yes, this writer. But Saporta also said that he wrote the song — and a whole lot of Cobra's upcoming Night Shades album — after going through some serious personal problems of his own. So it's a party anthem with a heart. "Obviously, some of my personal drama was about feeling alone, and feeling like I was searching the world for the right person," he said. "And one of the things we want for this song and this record — even though it has personal stuff in it — is to be something everyone can relate to, and I think that the concept of people trying to find the right person is something that's universal." Of course, he's far less serious about the name of the album itself. Sure, it came from personal experiences too, but it's also inspired by the family of flowering plants known as Solanaceae. "They're the family of nightshades, and the flowers of these vegetables only open up at night, which is how I think of myself," he laughed. "Like, I wake up at 2 in the afternoon, I'm a vegetable ... until I get to flower at night." |
| Chris Brown BET Award Snafu Was 'Human Error' Posted: 26 Jun 2011 10:37 PM PDT BET exec Stephen Hill takes full responsibility for Drake and Rihanna mistakenly being announced as Viewers' Choice.
Sunday night's 2011 BET Awards Show was filled with amazing live performances, heartfelt acceptance speeches and that one strange moment when a trophy was mistakenly handed out to the wrong artist. When "106 & Park" hosts Terrance and Rocsi brought contest winner Tiffany Green onstage to announce the Viewers' Choice Award, Green, like all the other presenters of the night, read the winner from a tablet PC, instead of doing the traditional envelope-opening. At first, she called out Chris Brown as the victor, but then she backtracked and gave the trophy to Drake for his collaboration with Rihanna, "What's My Name?" "Well, this awkward," said Drake to start his acceptance speech, after his and Rihanna's name appeared on the video screen. But then it turned out that the intended recipient was Chris Brown after all, and as the show neared its end, BET cleared up the confusion and brought Breezy out to accept the award. An embarrassed Green took to Twitter and said, "Bawling backstage. They totally f---ed me up." In a classy move, BET President of Music Programming and Specials Stephen Hill took full responsibility for the snafu. "That BET Awards Viewer's Choice mix-up was due to human error," he said in a tweet. "And I was the human that made that error. I apologize to ALL affected." It was just a single blemish on an otherwise event-filled show, which featured performances from Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Mary J. Bilge, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé, who performed remotely from the Glastonbury festival in England. Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'Mission: Impossible 4' Is 'Intense,' Katie Holmes Says Posted: 27 Jun 2011 05:31 AM PDT Mrs. Tom Cruise says 'Ghost Protocol' is 'the best 'Mission' yet.'
While we've been awaiting an official trailer for "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" — which is said to drop in front of this week's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" — a French version leaked online Monday (June 27), and reportedly contains plenty of expected shots of Tom Cruise involved in crazy action sequences as super-spy Ethan Hunt.
Since we have yet to see the trailer or any footage ourselves, when MTV News caught up with Cruise's better half, Katie Holmes, Monday during the press day for "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," we asked if she's seen any of the film yet. "I have. I had an advanced screening," she said with a laugh, adding that it's a perk of being married to the film's star. As for her thoughts about Cruise's death-defying stunts in the film, particularly those he performed atop Dubai's Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building), Holmes turned the question over to Guillermo del Toro, who produced "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark." "What did you think, Guillermo, about the Burj?" she asked him. "I love it!" he said, at which point they both agreed that Cruise's stunts were scarier than their film, which revolves around the demonic activities of a group of terrifying little creatures that seek out and kill humans, particularly children. "It's amazing," Holmes continued. "The movie is going to be very cool and intense and the best 'Mission' yet." The actress also mentioned that she'd be game for a role that required a few crazy stunts herself. "I think it sounds fun," she said. Del Toro then chimed in with his own "Mission: Impossible Diaries," so to speak: "I live 'Mission: Impossible.' It's what I call my diet," he joked, and then proceeded to hum the "Mission: Impossible" theme song, while miming his insatiable appetite, making Holmes burst out laughing. Holmes weighed-in: "I have a lot of 'Mission: Impossible' moments, just being a mom." Del Toro agreed: "Yes, coping with the home front." Check out everything we've got on "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. |
| Ryan Dunn's 'Proving Ground' Returns To G4 In July Posted: 27 Jun 2011 01:17 AM PDT Network's 'Attack of the Show' will pay tribute to the late 'Jackass' star.
Only a week after pulling Ryan Dunn's G4 series "Proving Ground" from the schedule following his death, the network announced Monday (June 27) that it would resume airing the show next month. Beginning July 19, G4 will begin to play the remaining eight episodes in the series; only one episode aired earlier this month. That same night, a special "Attack of the Show" will be dedicated to the late "Jackass" star. The special will include stunts the TV star pulled for the network, as well as interviews with his friends and colleagues.
"Ryan was an incredible talent who will be missed tremendously by his fans, including G4 viewers," G4 president Neal Tiles said in a statement to MTV News. "With the support of Ryan's family, we've decided to air the remaining episodes of G4's Proving Ground and give his fans the opportunity to continue watching this series he was so passionate about." Dunn died last week in a car accident in West Goshen, Pennsylvania, along with his friend and "Jackass" production assistant Zachary Hartwell. It was later determined Dunn was legally drunk at the time of his accident. "All of us at G4 are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic news that Ryan Dunn has passed away," a statement from G4 last week reads. "Ryan's comedic wit and signature no-holds-barred approach made him an incredible talent and his work as host of G4's Proving Ground was flawless. Ryan will be missed dearly by his legion of fans and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time." In the days since Dunn's death, his friends have remembered him in blog posts and at a private memorial service. Are you happy Dunn's "Proving Ground" is returning to TV? Let us know in the comments. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Jennifer Aniston Calls New York Gay Marriage Vote 'Unbelievable' Posted: 27 Jun 2011 02:17 AM PDT 'Horrible Bosses' co-star Jason Sudeikis suggests to MTV News that Jay-Z add a new verse to 'Empire State of Mind' after Friday's passage.
In the hours after New York's historic passage of a same-sex marriage bill on Friday, the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, the site of the riots in 1969 that galvanized the gay-rights movement, became a euphoric gathering place for supporters to celebrate the development on the eve of Gay Pride Week.
The news reverberated around the globe, with celebrities like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Ellen DeGeneres sharing in the excitement. And the next morning in midtown Manhattan, just a few miles away from Stonewall, the stars of the upcoming comedy "Horrible Bosses" were nothing short of ecstatic about the events. "It's great! I thought it was unbelievable," Jennifer Aniston told MTV News. "So exciting in this time and that it happens to be Gay Pride weekend. What a great weekend." Aniston went on to joke that she could end up taking a trip down to Stonewall to see the action up close. "I might," she teased. "It won't be crowded." "Saturday Night Live" star Jason Sudeikis said the gay-rights bill is great news for everyone — except one man: "The only person I feel bad for is Jay-Z, because he's going to have to write a new verse for that song, 'Empire State of Mind,' because New York just got a little more kick-ass!" Those sentiments echoed what celebs had been saying for hours on Twitter. "NEW YORK! I [love] U! You're OFFICIALLY the coolest place on the planet!" Perry tweeted. Gaga chimed in on Twitter, "Rejoice New York, and propose. We did it! The revolution is ours to fight for love, justice + equality." Share your reactions to New York's same-sex marriage bill in the comments below. Related Videos |
| Kara DioGuardi Opens Up About Lindsay Lohan, 'No Boundaries' Posted: 27 Jun 2011 03:42 AM PDT We ask 'Platinum Hit' judge about the less-than-stellar credits in her catalog.
In her decade-plus career, Kara DioGuardi has helped write some of the biggest hits for artists like Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Cobra Starship, Carrie Underwood, the Pussycat Dolls and countless others. But when you're an in-demand pop songwriter and you're churning out tracks at a breakneck pace, they can't all be winners. Hell, even John Lennon and Paul McCartney published a few turkeys. Lucky for fans, DioGuardi's sense of humor is just as strong as her sense of melody. When stopping by MTV News to promote her Bravo reality competition "Platinum Hit," the former "American Idol" judge was more than happy to dish about some of the crazier credits on her otherwise-sparkling résumé.
"No Boundaries" Backstory: Kara's two-season run on "American Idol" as "the fourth judge" wasn't as well-received as she'd hoped, but nothing stung more than the flak she got for co-writing the season-eight winner's song. In her recent book "A Helluva High Note," Kara compared Kris Allen and Adam Lambert's finale performances to a plane crash. Kara's Take: "The song that almost ruined my career! Let me tell you what really happened: I wrote that song for a girl, and when it went into the male register, it was a nightmare. Certain songs don't translate," DioGuardi admitted, adding that her finale half-naked sing-off with "Idol" reject Bikini Girl helped redeem her status with TV critics. "When your songwriting is really bad, just put a bikini on," Kara joked. In the End: Kris Allen became the first "Idol" winner to drop the "victory song" from his set list during the "Idol" tour. Last fall, he debuted a tongue-in-cheek "reggae" version of the song in front of Entertainment Weekly's cameras. Lindsay Lohan's "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" Backstory: After the platinum success of Lindsay's debut album, sparked by hit single "Rumors," Sony rushed Lohan and DioGuardi back into the studio to record a follow-up full-length, A Little More Personal (Raw). The kick-off single for album number two was a dark, autobiographical tune about fatherly abandonment. Kara's Take: "If you solo the vocals you'll hear race cars, because we brought the studio to [Lindsay's] trailer on 'Herbie Fully Loaded.' I'm not kidding! She had no time to do the record, so she would be on her lunch break, and I'd be like, 'Throw that thing down your throat and get over here, 'cause we got to finish these vocals!' So I sat for 14 hours on the set and would grab her for, like, 10 minutes at a time. The poor girl. That's the reality of young Hollywood. When they're hot, they're worked to death. It was 18/20-hour days. ... And I swear: 'Vroom! Vroom!' You can hear it in the back." In the End: Fans were less enthused with Lindsay's airing out of the family's dirty laundry. The song stalled at #57 on the Billboard Top 100 chart, and no other singles were released. A Little More Personal (Raw) sold half as many units as her first foray into pop music, and Lindsay's third album has been shelved indefinitely. Katharine McPhee's "Open Toes" Backstory: In addition to Kat's successful single "Over It," the season-five "Idol" runner-up's eponymous debut contained a bizarre R&B party banger dedicated to open-toed footwear. Seriously. Kara's Take: "You know what? I have to tell you, I just edited it. ... Sometimes you get writing credit ... " DioGuardi trailed off, embarrassed. "For instance, if you don't have the whole idea, but someone brings you a song and says, 'We really love this song. Can you help make it a little better?' you probably don't want to say, 'Don't write about open toes, because people will think about fungus and weird things on toes and stuff.' So I was like, 'Well I'll just fix it a bit.' I just totally put those [co-writers] under the bus," Kara winced. In the End: Katharine's pop music career quieted down as her acting career picked up. She's starring in the highly anticipated fall NBC show "Smash," executive-produced by Steven Spielberg. Meanwhile, Kara and Katharine remain close friends. DioGuardi gushed, "I love Katharine McPhee, 'cause whenever I do a charity event, she is my go-to girl and she always shows up and sings a song. And it's not 'Open Toes,' " she said with a knowing wink. Do you have any favorites from Kara's catalog? What do you think of Kara's behind-the-scenes dirt? Leave a comment below! Related Artists |
| Shawty Lo's New Mixtape A Love Letter To His 'Hood Posted: 27 Jun 2011 04:23 AM PDT B.H.F. (Bankhead Forever) shows 'I'm still in the streets,' G-Unit signee tells Mixtape Daily.
Mixtape Daily Main Pick Mixtape: B.H.F. (Bankhead Forever) Headliner: Shawty Lo Representing: Atlanta Real Spit: Things have changed. In June 2009, Bankhead, Atlanta, rapper Shawty Lo saw his native Bowen Homes housing project torn down in a citywide effort to remove all of the city's public housing. To pay homage to his home, the newly signed G-Unit rapper released B.H.F. (Bankhead Forever).
"They changed the name of my street to Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, and they tore my projects down, Bowen Homes, which is in Bankhead," Shawty Lo told MTV News. "But I'm still in the streets. Even though they done did this and they done did that, it's still B.H.F.: Bankhead Forever. B.H.F. could mean 'Bowen Home Family,' but it's just letting the streets know we'll never die." The 18-track mixtape, hosted by DJ Greg Street, starts out with an intro by 50 Cent then goes straight into a string of trap-house anthems like "I Know," "Heavy Weight" and "Attention" featuring Tity Boi. Lo, most known for his 2008 single "Dey Know," has been unapologetically street throughout his entire career, and despite his new record deal with 50 Cent, it doesn't look like he will be switching up anytime soon. For the non-believers, B.H.F. is the proof. "The streets getting the same Shawty Lo, the same street, 'cause I ain't gonna change; it's gonna be me," he said. Joints to Check For » "Cake": "A hot song produced by my boy Zaytoven. I worked on that track, put two hot verses. It's featuring my boy Future." » "Pocahontas," featuring Wale and Twista: "I'm good friends with both of those artists. When I did the record, I felt like it was a good look, and they sent their verses. The song's perfect. The streets ate it up when I first presented it to them." » "Haters," featuring Tony Yayo, Roscoe Dash and 50 Cent: "That's a great record. My man Tony Yayo, we've been friends for a minute. When I went to New York, we bumped into each other in the club. We hooked up and did the record maybe three months ago, and it was unbelievable. It's a big record." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Artists |
| Lauren Alaina Meets Justin Bieber And A Few Fans Of Her Own Posted: 27 Jun 2011 03:37 AM PDT As the 'American Idol' runner-up prepares to tour, she recalls her own fangirl moment with Bieber.
As Lauren Alaina prepares to kick off the American Idols Live! tour on July 6 in Utah, it's time for her to start imagining life as an artist beyond the confines of a TV competition. As her second-place finish on season 10 proves, she has quite a fanbase, and the tour will give them the chance to see her in person. The thought of meeting supporters had the 16-year-old recalling her own ultimate fangirl experience, meeting Justin Bieber.
"Well, I was presenting Sugarland at the CMT Awards, and I found out that Justin Bieber was there," she explained to MTV News at the "American Idol" tour press day. "And I said I that I wanted to meet him, and I guess the people that I was there with made it happen." During some down time on the show, she was about to meet Bieber, who took home Collaborative Video of the Year with Rascal Flatts that night, but first she had to battle a fashion mishap. "I walked up to meet him and he was doing an interview, and then I was just looking at my outfit, and I realized I had a rip in the side of my dress, so I was trying to fix it real fast," she recalled. "And then someone had told him I had gone over there to meet him, so he came up to me and was like, 'Hey, I'm Justin.' ... It just kind of set me back. We took a picture and then it was over." Though it was brief, Lauren wasn't too disappointed with their encounter. "It was cool just to meet him," she said. "Everyone wants to meet Justin Bieber and I got to do it, so it was really nice." While in Nashville, Alaina was greeting her own fans too. "I haven't had anything weird happen to me, it's just people recognize me a lot more," she said. "And I went to Nashville, and I got out on Broadway with Scotty [McCreery] and we were like swarmed in 10 seconds. We didn't even know if people were going to realize who we were. [And] I mean immediately, as soon as we got out of the car, they recognized us, so that was really cool." Related Artists |
| Tech N9ne Tourmate Shot In Nevada Posted: 27 Jun 2011 01:24 AM PDT Yet-unnamed victim 'remains in serious condition but is expected to recover,' Tech's publicist tells MTV News in exclusive statement.
Early Monday morning (June 27), a performer on Kansas City, Missouri, rapper Tech N9ne's All 6s and 7s Tour was shot hours after a scheduled concert at Reno, Nevada's Knitting Factory. According to reports from local news outlet KOLO TV, the victim — who has not yet been indentified — was shot at 1:27 a.m. in an alley outside the venue where the tour buses were parked. Though the victim is still unnamed, MTV News learned through a statement issued by a Strange Music publicist that the man who was shot is not signed to the label, but is a performer for one of the tour's opening acts. "By all reports, the victim was talking on his phone when he was approached by 6 individuals who had not been in attendance at that evening's show," the statement reads. "Shortly after, shots were fired and the victim was struck multiple times. He was rushed to a local hospital where he remains in serious condition but is expected to recover." Initial reports stated that the shooting took place "right after" Tech's performance. The statement refutes that claim, saying the incident happened "nearly two hours after the show ended" and was "a random and senseless act of violence." Police aren't sure of the motive and believe close to 16 rounds were fired. Tech N9ne's latest album, All 6's and 7's, was released June 7 and debuted at #4 on the Billboard albums chart. The rapper, along with labelmates Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Jay Rock, MayDay and Stevie Stone, is on an 82-city tour to support the album. Related Artists |
| Ryan Dunn Remembered At Electric Daisy Carnival Posted: 27 Jun 2011 03:13 AM PDT David Guetta, Tiësto, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack and Skrillex bring massive dance party to Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS — They say, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," but when more than 200,000 screaming fans and an all-star lineup including Tiësto, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack and Skrillex come together for the largest dance-music festival in the country, it's no secret. Insomniac's 15th annual Electric Daisy Carnival over the weekend transformed Las Vegas' Motor Speedway into a carnival, complete with thrill rides and aerial performers, six stages, 13 large-scale art installations, full fireworks displays and even lavish helicopter rides that took VIPs to and from the festival.
A somber moment came during the end of Skrillex's set, when he dedicated a moment of silence for his friend, former "Jackass star" Ryan Dunn, who died in a car accident last week. Audience members used lighters and cell phones to light up the entire dance floor, paying respect to the young star. Each night of the festival, parachuters lit up the skies with flashing lights and flew directly overhead, providing eye-catching entertainment. This state-of-the-art event was an audiovisual experience comparable to the Coachella festival but distinct in its own right, as it's one of the only festivals of its size that caters specifically to electronic-music fans. "EDC LA was one of the top festivals I did last year, and I think Vegas (this year) will be that times 10," Afrojack told MTV News earlier last week. "The thing that makes EDC so different from other events is really the production. The sound and lighting is some of the craziest I've seen in the world." Friday night kicked off with impressive sets by Manufactured Superstars, the Crystal Method and a powerful performance by Wolfgang Gartner, who invited rapper Eve onstage to perform their unreleased "Get Em." The bouncy, fun, club-ready track, which featured Eve's vocals throughout, is planned for Gartner's upcoming album. Later, Dutch EDM legend Tiësto played a progressive house and trance set for his adoring fans, many who donned self-made T-shirts and body paint with his name proudly displayed across their chests, on the massive main stage. Meanwhile, dubstep dons Skream and Benga brought heavy beats and bass, with a 25-minute fireworks show as their backdrop. Major Lazer's Diplo and Switch closed out the night, summoning the sunrise with dancehall and hip-hop anthems that kept the crowd on their feet until the wee hours of the morning. On Saturday, there were daytime pool parties at nearly every hotel on the strip, leaving little downtime before the festival doors reopened. Roger Sanchez, Dirty South, Boys Noize, Benny Benassi and Martin Solveig all played to crowds of bikini-clad women and sun-soaked fans, some that didn't have tickets to the actual festival, but most that just wanted more tunes from their favorite DJs. The Cosmopolitan was the official hotel of the artists and Insomniac promoters, so some fans had the added treat of meeting their favorite stars, like Dirty South, Chuckie and Avicii, as they walked in and out of the casino. Saturday night drew the largest crowd, as each stage held massive headliners including Empire of the Sun, Above and Beyond, Richie Hawtin and Dada Life. Tens of thousands of fans chanted for Afrojack to start his set, then sang along to nearly every word of his signature tracks, "Take Over Control," "Give Me Everything" (his current Billboard Hot 100-topping Pitbull production) and "Show Me Love." Pyrotechnics erupted across the vibrantly lit stage during Benny Benassi's set and carried over into superstar David Guetta's nearly two-hour performance of dance-party anthems. Guetta, who brought out Flavor Flav, included "I Got a Feeling," "Sexy Bitch" and his new single with Nicki Minaj, "Where Them Girls At," which will be on his August 30 release, "Nothing But the Beat." Dubstep was a dominant genre at this year's festival, with high-rising stars like Rusko, Skrillex, 12th Planet and Bassnectar bringing their deep bass drops, wobbly rhythms and energetic personalities to the forefront as they captured the second-largest stage throughout the weekend. Even Benny Benassi added dubstep to his set and brought Skrillex onstage to hype fans for switching up the style. Skrill's remix of Benassi's "Cinema," featuring Gary Go, was an anthem at South by Southwest earlier this year. Drum and bass was also represented strongly with the likes of High Contrast, Subfocus, Hype and Andy C. Sunday was saved for dance music's current rock stars, Swedish House Mafia, who performed a memorable set for their fervent fans. Among the Swedes' offerings was their current hit summer sing-along, "Save the World." They let loose many of their bangers including "One," "Miami 2 Ibiza'" and "Leave the World Behind." Other honorable performances were Laidback Luke, Avicii, A-Trak and Afrojack, who played his second stellar set of the festival. Wolfgang Gartner and Dada Life also played twice at EDC and helped finish the final festival hours, nearing 6 a.m., for crowds who begged for the music to never end. Were you at the Electric Daisy Carnival? Tell us who had the most memorable set in the comments below! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Alicia Keys Looks Back On 'Coming Of Age' Debut Posted: 26 Jun 2011 10:48 PM PDT Songs in A Minor was 'just my truth at that time,' Keys says on 10th anniversary of album's release.
By the time 20-year-old Alicia Keys came on the scene in 2001, a 21st-century "around the way" girl from New York City's Hell's Kitchen, reigning rap&B princess Lauryn Hill seemed to be coming undone.
Just a month after Keys' classic Songs in A Minor was released, Hill taped an edition of MTV's "Unplugged" during which she told the audience her "public persona had held her hostage." Eventually, Hill gave up battling fame and retreated from the industry altogether. And it was in this landscape that Keys made her debut. For girls looking for a different voice, Keys, a corn-rowed beauty who still walked with a tomboy's gait, proved to be that figure. When MTV News caught up with Keys last week, on the eve of the 10th anniversary re-release of the piano-driven A Minor (collector's and deluxe editions will hit e-tailers and retailers on Tuesday), she told us why she thought fans connected so deeply to her and the Grammy-winning album she calls her "coming of age." "I think that people related to Songs in A Minor because it was just my truth at that time," Keys reflected of the J Records album helmed largely by her and production partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. "And I really wanted to just be me. I didn't want to be anybody else, I didn't want to be, you know, that girl with all the super fancy dresses, and all the, like, big ... hair!" she said, bursting into laughter. Indeed, Keys favored midriff-baring tops, snug jeans and the (relentlessly copied) variations on zigzag spider braids, coming off as just a more polished version of the girls you bumped into riding the subway. Even now, one of the best-selling recording artists of her generation, Keys endearingly sprinkles her speech with street dialect. "I just wanted to be myself, and being myself was like being every girl I knew, you know? Being every girl in Harlem, in Brooklyn, in Queens. So I think people really could, hopefully, feel that." Keys will make a hometown stop with her piano-only mini-tour on Thursday at New York's Beacon Theatre, where she'll revisit mega-singles like "Fallin' " and "A Woman's Worth," as well as her personal favorite "Troubles" and some tracks from the Songs sessions that fans will find on the new editions. What's your favorite track from Songs in A Minor? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Evanescence's New Album 'All Over The Place,' Amy Lee Says Posted: 27 Jun 2011 12:37 AM PDT Follow-up to The Open Door, due October 4, 'smacks you right in the face,' singer says.
Amy Lee is having a hard time talking about Evanescence's upcoming album, partially because she's out of practice — it's been a while since the band's frontwoman has had to run the press gauntlet, after all — but mostly because she keeps using words like "fun" to describe it. And even she realizes how odd that seems. "I can't give a good quote about it, because it's probably the heaviest record we've ever done, but we're having a great time making it," the singer said, laughing. "I don't want to say the word 'fun,' but it is ... it's totally fun. We're just going for it. So I don't want to say that it's 'expressing the pain of a thousand sorrows,' because it's not that. I mean, it's just more mature; it's just a great record. It's hard to sum it up."
Of course, she's quick to add that "fun" doesn't necessarily mean "silly or poppy." "It doesn't translate right ... I'm having fun; we're all having fun," she explained, "And there are moments where you can hear that." But Lee will be the first one to admit that, when Evanescence return in October with their first album in five years, they'll be a very different beast indeed. Case in point: the first single, which, though she won't reveal the title, is one she feels comfortable describing as a definite departure for the band. "It's really different for us. It doesn't sound like any Evanescence track you've heard before," she said. "It's heavy, but the melodies and stuff, I feel like I just did what I wanted. I just literally sang what I wanted to sing, because it was fun and it kind of made me smile, and that ended up being the really fun, cool, catchy thing that got everybody hooked on it." And though it's different, Lee knows that there's plenty riding on the band's comeback single, which is why, even if she was smiling when she recorded it, the song's still got plenty of the band's trademark growl, too. And the same goes for the album. "You always have to think about that. We have to go through making the decisions with the label, and see what they're going to push," she explained. "We don't get to do whatever we want all the time, so the single has to sound like a hit. But, for us, we want more than that. "There's a lot I want to get across all at once, before I lose anybody's attention. So, the song that I think is the first single is the song that wraps it all up. It's got a cool meaning, a lot of great lyrics going on, it also just smacks you right in the face and it's heavy and it's great ... I think that there's a couple songs that meet that same criteria." To that end, though she (accidentally) uses words like "fun" to describe it, the new Evanescence album might just be the next logical step for the band: The same themes are there, but for the first time in her career, Lee is writing about them (and herself) in new ways. At the end of the day, as has always been the case, catharsis is key. "There are themes of brokenness, the quest for freedom, and then there's songs that are just about falling in love ... it's just all over the place," she said, laughing. "There's this beautiful song that — it's definitely going to make the album, or I will kill someone — it's not like a single or anything, it's just this epic album track that's about loss from the perspective of someone losing someone in a tragedy, and it's really cool to listen back to that, too. "That's not something I did on The Open Door. The Open Door was all about me and my personal experiences. And there's some moments on this one that are actually taken from things that I watched go down, from my friends and stuff like that. But really, whatever makes me feel the most, that's what's on the record, because that's what I need to get off my chest." Are you excited for the new Evanescence album? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Related Artists |
| Eminem Co-Star Sasha Grey Interprets Suicidal 'Space Bound' Video Posted: 27 Jun 2011 08:45 AM PDT 'Even the strongest of love meets destruction at some point,' the ex-porn star tells MTV News.
There have been quite a few takes on the meaning of Eminem's "Space Bound" video, in which we see two sides of a suicidal, love-torn rapper. Since the clip hit iTunes on Friday, fans have taken to comment sections dishing out theories about its meaning. Some have said this is another depiction of Em's relationship with ex-wife Kim Mathers, while others likened the clip to a video game. And Eminem's co-star in the video, Sasha Grey, has her own take on the video. Grey, a former adult-film star, is now expanding her acting chops. She appeared, as did Em, on the seventh season of HBO's hit series "Entourage," and though the two never met on set, she got the offer to star in "Space Bound" at the request of the video's director, Joseph Kahn. The clip features alternate versions of the Detroit MC, one agitated and cynical in the company of his girlfriend (played by Grey), the other more pensive and calm. "You can read into it a few different ways, but I imagine one character is actually him, and the other is his subconscious," Grey said. Things begin to take a turn for the worse when the rapper discovers the love of his life is cheating on him. He later attacks her, then turns a gun on himself and commits suicide with a single shot through the head. "Space Bound," like "Love the Way You Lie," depicts a tumultuous relationship in which domestic violence once again is a topic. "Em simply becomes company for her, and she mistakenly takes advantage of that," Grey says of her character. "Before each take, Joseph and I would talk a lot about her motives and attitude. Her ultimate moment doesn't come until the end, so I had plenty of time to build the fear!" Grey doesn't have a clear-cut explanation of the video, but she ultimately sees "Space Bound" from a pessimistic view — hopeless romantics take heed. "I don't know if it necessarily has a thorough message, but I think it shows that even the strongest of love meets destruction at some point," the ex-porn star told MTV News. "Whether or not you come out of it together and whole is an entirely different question." Related Photos Related Artists |
| Ryan Dunn Had A 'Pure, Open Heart,' Says Johnny Knoxville Posted: 27 Jun 2011 06:10 AM PDT Knoxville and 'Jackass' director Jeff Tremaine blog about Dunn and Zach Hartwell who were killed in last week's car crash.
The memorial service for Ryan Dunn last Wednesday was such an emotional event that his "Jackass" co-star Johnny Knoxville could barely get out the words to pay tribute to his friend and fellow daredevil, who died in a high-speed car crash last Monday.
"I walked to the podium and tried to share memories of my dear friend, but the words were just spinning in my head," wrote Knoxville in an emotional, touching blog post on the website of "Jackass" production company Dickhouse. "What came out were the mumblings of a man trying his best not to cry, and I wasn't even successful at that. I didn't break down, because I knew [Dunn's girlfriend] Angie or his family didn't need to see that, but I also didn't get to properly convey what Ryan meant to me. I won't be able to do that here either, but I will try. Here is what I wished I could have told everyone then." What follows in the blog entry is a moving tribute to Dunn, who officials said had a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit when he drove his Porsche off the road at 140 mph, killing himself and his friend Zachary Hartwell. "I felt 34 percent funnier when I was with Ryan, but I guess everyone did," Knoxville wrote. "He had such a hair trigger laugh reflex. He lived his life wanting to laugh and wanting you to laugh with him. He would cackle really f---ing loud, too, and it wasn't uncommon that he would fall over from it. Sometimes I would fall with him because his spirit was very contagious. He wasn't incapable of seriousness, though. Ryan was a great listener. If you were having troubles, he was always someone you could go sit down and talk to. Granted, most of our sitting down was actually standing up playing pool together, but he was always there if you were sad about something. That's why all this is even harder, because right now I really need to talk to him but I can't." Knoxville wrote of Dunn's "enormous" capacity to love, which he shared with his friends and beloved Angie, whom Dunn was constantly talking up, wondering how he managed to land such a catch despite what Johnny joked were his iffy hygiene habits. "It sure wasn't because of the way he smelled that's for sure," Knoxville said of Dunn, who he revealed "despised" water and rarely bathed. "It was because he had a pure, open heart, and many other qualities of which I am writing about now." He praised Dunn's capacity for loyalty, a prized quality among a crew that often lived to undermine each other with surprise stunts. "Whether it was a bit for 'Jackass,' a friend in need, or his beloved Angie, Dunn was as loyal as they come," he wrote. "Ryan, I had to go wake up [my daughter] Madison and tell her you were gone. Do you know how hard that was?!! She loved you so much and I know you loved her, so why, buddy? [My son] Rocko will never get to know you like she did, nor will my daughter that is coming in October. I cry a lot about that." He said that one of his favorite songwriters, Roger Alan Wade, penned a song for Dunn, lamenting that his pal would never get to hear it. "I'm starting to ramble now, just like I did at the memorial, so I'll stop," he concluded. "You'll have to excuse me, I'm just very sad because I lost my brother and my world got about 134 percent less funny. I don't know what else to say right now, so I will close with I love you, Ryan. I have a lot of emotions swirling, but I want you to know I love you so very much." "Jackass" director Jeff Tremaine wrote a blog in honor of Hartwell, whose memory he wanted to make sure was honored alongside his famous friend Dunn. "Ryan first introduced us to Zach in 2006 when we went to West Chester to shoot 'Jackass Number Two.' We ended up hiring him as a production assistant for the two weeks we were there filming," Tremaine wrote. "Zach and Ryan hung out all the time and they had similar mannerisms and senses of humor; therefore, I got along with him right away." Tremaine then shared a few stories about Hartwell's antics, which he warned were always pretty gross. He recalled some scatological revenge Iraq war veteran Hartwell took on one of the "Jackass" producers, Trip Taylor, which included making sure Taylor never used his pillow again. "We hung out every night after filming, and right away it felt like we had been friends for a long time," Tremaine said. "One of these nights, we were out shooting pool, and I had an impossible shot. I bet Zach that if I made it he would have to drink a glass of pee — mine. I hit the shot and he honored the bet. I know it sounds disgusting, but my pee isn't that bad. In fact, Knoxville hardly ever notices whenever I pee in his drinks. Aside from all these pranks, Zach took his job for us seriously and worked really hard. I appreciated him very much and will always consider him my friend. Rest in peace, brother." Related Videos Related Photos |
| Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz Secretly Marry Posted: 27 Jun 2011 06:25 AM PDT The pair tied the knot in New York on Wednesday.
It was the kind of clandestine operation only James Bond could pull off. Rachel Weisz and her "James Bond" beau Daniel Craig secretly married last week in New York. Reps for the couple confirmed the nuptials to the Daily Mail and People.com. Little is known about the Big Apple ceremony, but according to reports, the wedding took place on Wednesday and was attended by just four people. In addition to the actors' children — Rachel's 5-year-old son, Henry (his dad is "Black Swan" director Darren Aronofsky), and Daniel's 18-year-old daughter, Ella — the wedding guests included two friends of the couple who acted as witnesses. "Daniel and Rachel insisted on having a small, quiet wedding," a source reportedly told the News of the World. "They are madly in love and couldn't wait to be husband and wife — but they wanted minimum fuss. They had a couple of friends as witnesses and their children from previous relationships and that was it." Weisz and Craig have always been quite private about their relationship. Romance rumors were sparked last year when they were filming "Dream House," in which they star as a married couple. In the supernatural thriller, their lives take a turn for the worse when they move with their two daughters to a quiet New England town and find out their new home was the site of a murder that claimed the life of a young mother and her two children. Naomi Watts also stars in the film as a neighbor with close ties to the deceased family. Last year, Weisz split from Aronofsky, whom she was with for nine years. Meanwhile, Craig parted ways with his producer girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell earlier in 2010. |
| 'Cars 2' Parks At #1 For Weekend Box-Office Debut Posted: 27 Jun 2011 06:36 AM PDT 'Bad Teacher,' starring Cameron Diaz, makes a strong showing at #2, with 'Green Lantern' following behind at #3.
"Cars 2" may be the worst-reviewed movie in Pixar's storied history, but that didn't stop the animated sequel from maintaining the studio's streak of box-office number ones. The second entry in the merchandise-friendly franchise took in $68 million over the weekend, according to distributor Walt Disney Studios, making it Pixar's 12th consecutive movie to debut atop the box-office charts. Thanks to higher ticket prices and expensive 3-D screenings, "Cars 2" enjoyed the fifth-biggest opening for a Pixar film ever. In terms of attendance, however, the "Cars 2" debut was ahead of only "A Bug's Life," "Ratatouille" and the beloved company's first feature film, 1995's "Toy Story." The 3-D fatigue evidenced by other recent openings continued as a mere 40 percent of moviegoers chose to see "Cars 2" in that format (versus the 60 percent who opted to see "Toy Story 3" in 3-D). "Bad Teacher," the weekend's other new wide release, debuted at #2 with $31 million. It was a strong showing for the reportedly low-budget Cameron Diaz vehicle, which industry watchers had predicted would be less well-received. Debuting the adult-oriented comedy against the family-oriented "Cars 2" was apparently a wise choice on the part of Sony Pictures, which released the film. Warner Bros., meanwhile, watched "Green Lantern" drop 66 percent in its second weekend of release. A sequel was already in development before Ryan Reynolds hit the screen as the DC Comics hero, but there has been little news about those plans since its lukewarm debut. "Lantern" made $18.4 million over the weekend for an $89.3 million total. With an estimated production budget of $200 million and a major marketing campaign behind it, "Green Lantern" has not done well. "Super 8" bears the distinction of being the only well-reviewed film in the top five. JJ Abrams' nostalgic homage to '80s coming-of-age classics took in $12.1 million for a $95.2 million total. Coming in at #5, Jim Carrey's "Mr. Popper's Penguins" dropped 44 percent with $10.3 million for a $39.4 million two-week total. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" seems a safe bet for the top spot next weekend. Check out everything we've got on "Cars 2," "Bad Teacher" and "Super 8." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
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