Rabu, 31 Agustus 2011

MTV News

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Lady Gaga Was 'Fearless' As Jo Calderone At VMAs

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:53 AM PDT

VMA executive producer says Gaga's commitment to her character raises the bar for future performers.
By James Montgomery


Britney Spears and Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone backstage at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Getty Images

One of the breakout stars of the 2011 Video Music Awards was Jo Calderone, the smoke-spouting, slightly stained mechanic who stormed the big show to deliver a lengthy monologue about his former love Lady Gaga, and then launched into an epic performance of her current hit, "Yoü and I."

And while you may think that Calderone was just Gaga playing dress up, well, you'd be wrong. Because for all intents and purposes, Gaga became Calderone ... diving deep into the character during, after and, rather surprisingly, before the show.

"We had talked to her about the creative [for the performance] a few weeks before the show. We had a call with her, and it became clear that she's going to be Jo," VMA Executive Producer Dave Sirulnick explained.

"She showed up as Jo, rehearsed as Jo ... if you said 'Gaga,' she wouldn't respond. After rehearsals, she comes over, she says to me, 'It's nice to meet you,' and I say to her, 'I know your friend Gaga,' and she says, 'That Gaga, what a bitch!' " Sirulnick recalled. "She did not break character once. She walks in backstage and, in front of a whole bunch of people, went into the men's room. Later, we had all the Young the Giant fans lined up waiting for the band to rehearse their performance, and Jo was walking out of the building to her dressing room and someone yelled 'It's Gaga!' But she didn't respond, just kept on walking, until finally someone yelled, 'Hey, Jo!' and then she turned and waved."

So given all that, it wasn't exactly shocking that the commitment to character continued long after Gaga — er, Calderone — had finished the show-opening performance of "Yoü and I." Jo, of course, not only returned to the stage to help pay tribute to (and kiss) Britney Spears, she also accepted the Best Female Video Moonman for "Born This Way" with an impassioned speech.

But even when she wasn't in the spotlight, Gaga didn't break ... not even for a second.

"Over the years, lots of people have done lots of things, lots of people have worn lots of things, but no one has been that committed, that in character," Sirulnick laughed. "She's smoking in the building, she was holding court in the crowd, you know, Kanye, Katy, Adele, Tony Bennett, they loved it. They respected her commitment and her level of artistry."

And, of course, they couldn't help but be inspired by it too. Because by never wavering, by putting it all out there as Jo Calderone, Gaga raised the bar for her fellow VMA performers, too, and it was up to them to match the heights she achieved.

"For her to go out there and just be so into this character, it was fearless, and you saw a lot of that at the VMAs," Sirulnick said. "Chris Brown was fearless in the way he flew across the stage. Beyoncé was fearless in her amazing vocal performance and what she revealed. Jay and Kanye were fearless in saying 'Here we are, watch us.' Adele was fearless in her performance, doing it in one shot, saying 'I'm going to stand here and put it all on display.' "

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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VMAs Drive Record-Breaking 10 Million Tweets

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 11:45 PM PDT

Beyoncé's pregnancy and Lady Gaga's over-the-top fashion just a few of the Twitter Trends.
By Eric Ditzian


Beyoncé set the record for the most mentions on Twitter per second with 8,868
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Lady Gaga tweeted about her Little Monsters. Kim Kardashian tweeted about Beyoncé's baby-bump secret. Those Twitter updates and millions more made the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards the most tweeted-about awards show ever.

In total, the VMA Pre-Show and main show drove 10 million tweets, according to newly released numbers for the social-networking site.

That awards-show record was just one that the VMAs shattered. Beyoncé set the record for the most mentions on Twitter per second with 8,868, helping make the show the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers. Pre-show viewership also set a record, and MTV Digital saw its highest VMA day ever on Sunday with show content attracting 2 million unique visitors, an increase of 33 percent year over year.

Twitter helped make it all happen. As the black-carpet pre-show kicked off inside the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles, the trend #whatwillgagawear lit up the social-networking site and became one of the longest running of the night. During the show itself, over half of the worldwide Twitter Trends were connected to the VMAs — and at times they took over eight or nine of the top 10 trends. The trends also included shout-outs to Justin Bieber and Joe Jonas, and the two simple statements, #DemiYouAreBeautiful and BEYONCE IS PREGNANT.

All that attention had an added benefit for the pregnant pop star: Her song "Love on Top" leapt into the iTunes top five after she performed it onstage at the Nokia and revealed her baby bump to the world.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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'Hunger Games' Burning Questions Answered!

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 12:10 AM PDT

Director Gary Ross leads MTV News through some of hot topics surrounding the highly anticipated adaptation.
By Eric Ditzian


Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate

If you thought our "Hunger Games" exclusives would end with the sneak peek Jennifer Lawrence introduced during Sunday's VMAs, you are in for a pleasant surprise! MTV News teamed up with director Gary Ross in order to shed some insight into the teaser trailer and his vision for the highly anticipated film. And although Ross couldn't reveal too much about his plans for Katniss and the Capitol, we were able to get him to answer a few burning questions:

What's the Status of the Score?
"T-Bone [Burnett] and Danny [Elfman] haven't really started working yet. We've all begun working together. We've all begun discussing music, pulling references, going through the initial process you go through. Music can actually affect the movie more than anything else. It establishes the tone. It literally can change the way you feel or perceive a movie. That's a very long discussion that happens between me, T-Bone and Danny, and that's already begun. Danny was out last week. T-Bone's been out three times. We've begun this conversation of trying to understand what this is musically. But that's not going to bear fruit for a while."

How Did Jennifer Train for the Role of Katniss?
"It's an intensely physical movie. Someone said Jen is in 110 percent of the movie, which is really true. She works every day, all day. It's a very physically demanding thing that she's doing. She did train really, really rigorously. She worked with an athletic trainer, someone who conditions athletes in Los Angeles. She had intense archery training. So she's had a very rigorous athletic conditioning program."

Watch an exclusive 'Hunger Games' sneak peek.

How Did You Create the 'Girl on Fire' Look?
"That's a really good question. There are some things you don't want to give away, and you wouldn't want me to give it away. I think it's going to be a fantastic moment in the movie. I could do that verbally, but it would wreck it for people. I'm going to resist the temptation to give a spoiler on my own movie."

What Scenes Are the Most Important to Re-Create Faithfully?
"There are many iconic moments in the movie. There are many moments that the fans gravitate to and that are tremendously important to them. [Spoiler ahead!] Obviously the death of Rue is something that fans picks up, and how emotionally powerful that is, how important that is to the movie [to] not pull punches but that it also be handled that sensitively and emotionally and honor the emotion of it. That was just a beautiful scene. T-Bone wrote a beautiful lullaby for Prim's lullaby that is eventually sung to Rue that is absolutely gorgeous. And Jen practiced and rehearsed that with T-Bone and sang it in that scene. That was a tremendously emotional scene for everyone to shoot and one that was tremendously important. I shot one yesterday, the moment before she goes into the games, and she's in that launch chamber and the tense moment with Cinna before she has to leave. Obviously the Tribute parade when she becomes the Girl on Fire and the flames are trailing behind her. I think everybody thinks about the berry scene with her and Peeta at the end and the fact that they would rather give their lives than take one another's lives, which I think is one of the most poignant and really powerful things in the book and something every fan gravitates to. Those are some of the moments, but they're all tremendously important. Suzanne wrote a book full of dozens of those moments. That's one of the reasons it's so popular. My job is to do justice to all of it."

Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers' <i>I'm With You</i>: Don't Call It A 'Comeback'

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 08:44 AM PDT

'What did we come back from? Malaria?' frontman Anthony Kiedis says of first album in five years.
By James Montgomery


Red Hot Chili Peppers
Photo: MTV News

In one of the first stories written about the Red Hot Chili Peppers' I'm With You, Rolling Stone's David Fricke referred to the disc as the band's "comeback album," a phrase that would seem to make sense to most people, considering it was not only the band's first effort in five years, but also their first since the departure of longtime guitarist John Frusciante.

It should be noted, however, that RHCP frontman Anthony Kiedis is not "most people." Because to him, while I'm With You is many different things, it most certainly isn't a comeback.

"What did we come back from? Malaria?" he laughed. "Maybe [Fricke meant it] in the traditional sense of the word, like 'coming back' from our break. ... But [words like] 'comeback,' 'reunion,' I don't know. We took a moment to reflect and consider the possibilities, and we're really fortunate Josh [Klinghoffer] was available and wanting to join forces with us. ... We didn't really ever lose full momentum, so it wasn't like we disbanded and re-banded, we just got kind of flotatious and then reformed together in a new configuration. 'Comeback' sounds like you quit and then started again, we didn't quite quit."

"Quite" is the operative word. After all, I'm With You comes after a lengthy two-year hiatus and an even longer bout of soul-searching. "It's the first time the band took more than a couple months off probably in the last 10 years," new guitarist Klinghoffer said.

Anthony Keidis told us he feels like RHCP are a "new band" on I'm With You.

While they never seriously considered calling it quits, even Kiedis will admit that the Peppers' break was necessary. In fact, it probably helped save the band. Because when they finally emerged from their hibernation, with a new member and a new lease on life, they were rejuvenated, reloaded and — most important of all — reborn.

Which is why, though Kiedis won't call I'm With You a "comeback album," he's got no shortage of other adjectives to describe it and the newfound joy it's brought him and his bandmates.

"It does feel incredibly fresh, and I feel as excited or more excited about this period — from the writing to the recording to the playing to the anticipation of going on tour — as I've ever felt about anything that we've done, from the beginning," he said. "Sitting here, doing these interviews, listening to Josh, I often just go into a daydream of playing these songs live, and it's the same feeling that I got in 1983, when I couldn't sleep the night before a show, and if I did fall asleep, I would have a surreal little dream about the show itself; and, you know, I still have that feeling about this record and the inevitability of playing live, and kind of dreaming of set-list possibilities. ... It's a good feeling."

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Lady Gaga's Jo Calderone: LGBT Advocates Weigh In

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 02:00 AM PDT

'I liked that she dove into it and stuck with it throughout the show,' Logo's John Polly tells MTV News of Gaga's VMA performance.
By John Mitchell


Lady gaga accepts the award for Best female Video at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Lady Gaga was fully committed to her male alter ego Jo Calderone during this weekend's MTV Video Music Awards. Not only did the pop star perform her latest single, "Yoü and I," in character to open the show, she spent the rest of the night wearing Calderone's black suit and signature sneer.

Gaga is easily one of the most vocal lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates in the pop world. She actively campaigned against the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, has spoken openly and often about the importance of marriage equality and gave a rousing speech in Washington, D.C., last year as part of the National Equality March. So what is the LGBT community saying about Gaga's gender-bending VMA performance?

"I thought it was great," John Polly, editor of Logo's pop culture blog NewNowNext.com, tells MTV News. "Gender issues are often the most challenging for people, so I liked that she dove into it and stuck with it throughout the show."

Murray Hill, a popular drag-king comedian in New York City and host/creator of "Mr. Transman," a female-to-male competition, agreed. "There is barely any visibility for FTM, drag kings and lesbians on television. There is a huge imbalance," he said. "For Lady Gaga, the biggest pop star in the world, to go on TV with millions of people watching in drag as a man and then to actually say 'lesbian and transgender' live is undeniably powerful and creates change. She ups the visibility big time and gets the language into the mainstream."

Polly commented on the integrity with which Gaga has approached her role as a gay-rights advocate and thinks that she might not have intended to make a statement about transgender individuals with her performance at the VMAs, but that it was perhaps perceived that way because of the political role she has adopted in other LGBT struggles. "I think it complements [her advocacy]," he said, "but I don't know that it was even a statement on the LGBT community; it's just a character she wanted to play. But since we don't see [drag kings or female-to-male transgender persons] much, we perceive it that way."

While there has been backlash against Gaga in some sectors of the gay community, particularly among activists who see a disconnect between the pop star's outspoken activism and the fact that she is not gay herself, Hill feels she deserves recognition for being an entirely pro-LGBT voice in the music industry, which sometimes suffers from instances of homophobia.

"Lady Gaga has only spread a positive and accepting message for all kinds of queer people," he said. "She does this through her work, which is entertainment. There is a lot of homophobic hate spewed in the music industry and in the world. I'm grateful she is using her voice to spread the love."

Indeed, Polly told us that most of the reader feedback he's seen on AfterEllen, Logo's lesbian interest website, has been positive and that he personally found the performance to be a "fun challenge" for the "Born This Way" singer.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Will Lady Gaga And Jo Calderone Ever Collaborate On A Song?

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 09:51 AM PDT

' I tried to show her that I could work hard to be with her,' Jo told MTV News backstage at the VMAs.
By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Rob Markman


Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Getty Images

You can imagine why Lady Gaga would be a bit pissed. After all, not only did her male alter ego/ pretend boyfriend Jo Calderone air out their relationship woes in an monologue opening the VMAs, but then he shared a kiss with Britney Spears after presenting her Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

"I'm hopin' that she'll take me back," said a clearly emotional Calderone backstage after the show, as he clutched Jo Gaga's two Moonmen for Best Female Video and Best Video With a Message. "I'm hoping she's gonna wanna roll around with me again in bed, you know what I'm sayin'?"

The pair, who shared the screen in the video for "Yoü and I," may be reuniting professionally too. "Well, tonight I got to show a little bit of what I can do," he said, alluding to the show-opening monologue and piano-pounding tear through "Yoü and I" that featured Queen guitarist Brian May. "But I'm just an amateur, you know. I just don't really do this, but I tried to show her that I could work hard to be with her, and I hope she likes it. That's all."

See photos of Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone backstage at the VMAs.

Gaga was clearly jacked about the wins, writing on Twitter after the show, "I couldn't be more overwhelmed+grateful as I am tonight. Little Monsters inspire me. Never give up on your vision, you were born this way," she wrote. "To win 2VMAs, Best Video with a Message + Best Female Video for 'Born This Way' means the world. I have never believed in a work so much."

She also thanked her fans for throwing their love to Calderone. "Thank u monsters for supporting @jocalderone attending instead of myself," she wrote. "He came over last night with 2 moonmen, whiskey + we watched VMAs."

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Sebastian Bach's Home Flooded By Hurricane Irene

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 06:07 AM PDT

Death toll from weekend's storm rises to 40, as flooding continues in some East Coast states.
By Gil Kaufman


Sebastian Bach's New Jersey home after Hurricane Irene
Photo: FilmMagic

With the death toll from Hurricane Irene rising to 40, five million homes in the dark as of Monday and towns up and down the East Coast still struggling to hold back floodwaters, the cleanup from the storm is expected to take weeks, if not months.

One of the people who will have to put the pieces back together is Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach, whose New Jersey home was destroyed by flooding from the hurricane. The 43-year-old hair-metal vocalist lamented the loss in a lengthy Facebook post, in which he said that not only was the dwelling destroyed, but also that the storm had taken away some one-of-a-kind rock artifacts.

"I am numb, in shock, & devastated to report that my home of 21 years, my house featured on 'MTV Cribs,' has been destroyed, condemned, & deemed uninhabitable due to the extreme flooding courtesy of Hurricane Irene," Bach wrote. "In the 2 decades I have lived in this home, there has never been a single drop of water in the basement or anywhere else in the structure. Now Irene has overflowed the reservoir adjacent to my house. The surging waters have snapped the bridge in half next to my house & sent the bridge straight into my garage, knocking the house off of its foundation."

Bach said he was told he could not pump the water out due to fears of electrocution. Among the "irreplaceable" items lost: KISS Gargoyles from the 1979 tour, a KISS pinball machine, Skid Row master tapes, master tapes from Oh Say Can You Scream and "boxes & boxes" of original Skid Row memorabilia, from the band's first tour to their most recent, which Bach said no one else had.

"I had a library in the basement with every single magazine that had Skid Row on the cover," he lamented. "This library took up a big part of the basement. All of this is lost now. We will salvage what we can of course. But how I wish there was a reason to do a box set or something before Hurricane Irene hit. Nobody cared. Now it's too late. Don't know what you got till it's gone, indeed."

Some of his other treasures, such as his father's artwork — including a 16-foot-tall mural from the band's Slave to the Grind album — were safe after being moved upstairs, but Bach said he hasn't been allowed back in the house yet to assess the damage because the foundation had "crumbled" and the structure could collapse at any time.

"This has really taught me that the best things in life are indeed 'free,' " he concluded. "What makes me happy is that my children & ex wife are safe. My dad's art is unharmed. No one got hurt. My scrapbooks of memories of my life are dry & safe."

And, after 25 years of calling New Jersey home, Bach said he's packing it in and permanently moving West. "I will always love New Jersey, but now there is literally nothing left for me here except memories of a past life," he said. "Hello, Los Angeles. Hello, New Life. Here I am. It's time for a new start. Like I have a choice."

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Kim Kardashian's 'Jam' Video Leaks Online

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 06:16 AM PDT

Leaked portion finds newly married reality star flaunting her famous assets.
By Gil Kaufman


Kim Kardashian
Photo: Getty Images

There are a few things Kim Kardashian is known for: her near-ubiquitous reality TV presence, her recent lavish wedding to basketball player Kris Humphries ... and for the rest, you just need to watch the first 54 seconds of the upcoming video for her debut single, "Jam (Turn It Up)."

The opening of the Hype Williams-directed clip showed up on Perez Hilton's site on Monday, and it's pretty much what you might expect. The first image you see is Kardashian lying on the floor covered in sweat, or oil, as her name scrolls by in giant pink neon letters that fill the frame.

Once the thumping disco beat produced by The-Dream kicks in, we are treated to an up-close-and-personal shot of the other thing Kardashian is best known for: her rear. As she crawls across the wet floor, the camera zooms in on Kardashian's assets, sheathed in barely-there pink leather booty shorts. The beat keeps pumping as Kardashian slithers toward a giant spinning exhaust fan.

Her face and hair dripping with greasy moisture, Kardashian mouths, "Turn me up, turn me up, turn me, turn me, turn me up," while nearly subliminal still images of her tongue rolling over heavily made-up red lips pulse on the screen. And those are pretty much the only lyrics we hear, accompanied by more images of a dewy Kim K. rolling around on the floor and touching her hair.

Near the end of the clip she explains, "I'm goin' out tonight/ It's going down/ Headed straight to the front of the line," while conveniently rolling onto her back to give us a peek down her barely hanging-on dirty wifebeater to show off her other most famous lady parts. Kardashian debuted the song back in March on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, while also tweeting out some stills from the shoot, but she has not yet announced when her debut album will be released.

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Why Did Lady Gaga Go To VMAs As Jo Calderone?

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 03:53 AM PDT

Creative director Laurieann Gibson takes MTV News behind Gaga's 'performance art.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Lady Gaga performs at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Getty Images

When Lady Gaga showed up at the 2011 Video Music Awards, she wasn't Lady Gaga anymore; she was Jo Calderone.

Gaga's creative director, Laurieann Gibson, spoke to MTV News days before the show went live, and she explained why Gaga wanted to stay in character all night long.

"The idea of her being a performance artist -- and it's starting the performance on the red carpet and the idea that the performance never ends for her -- is the first time I've experienced this with an artist," she said. "I love it. That's something that is specific to her, and the whole night was the performance, and it was important that Jo was a part of the whole night."

Gaga -- or, rather, Calderone -- opened the show with a lengthy monologue before launching into Gaga's "Yoü and I." Jo then hung out with Kanye West in the audience, paid tribute to Britney Spears and even shared a kiss with the pop star. Not once did Gaga break character. In Gibson's eyes, this type of performance is groundbreaking.

"I hope that the Monsters and the music industry [connect to] the idea that as long as you execute to the highest level of your ability, that you make a statement, that you push your creative ability to the max, and it doesn't mean one thing or another," she said.

"It could mean standing under one spotlight, it could mean tons of camels and belly-dancing girls. I don't know one is not necessarily better than the other," she continued. "But it is about who's the artist; it belongs to the artist, so in that one moment you have to take it and give all you can. And so I hope people take the fearlessness away [and] the creative notion that we constantly push boundaries, that we're not followers."

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Britney Spears 'Can't Be Knocked Down'

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 03:53 AM PDT

Celebrity fans including former 'NSYNC singer JC Chasez, tourmate DJ Pauly D and more weigh in on why Brit is still on top.
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears with Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

At the 2011 Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga's alter ego Jo Calderone presented Britney Spears with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award by telling the audience that Spears "taught us all how to be fearless." And that fearlessness was honored with a dance-heavy tribute to the pop star. Brit's ever-growing legacy is the reason why she was so deserving of the special award, her celebrity fans and members of her inner circle told MTV News.

"She never lets you down," her longtime choreographer Brian Friedman told MTV News on the VMA black carpet on Sunday night. "She's definitely not dull. There's always something crazy coming around the next turn. I think it's a mix between music, which is always incredible, the dance performance you see on the stage, the iconic videos, the fashion, and then the fact that she can't be knocked down."

We spotted Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and more hanging out backstage!

Those sentiments were mirrored by her pal and former 'NSYNC member JC Chasez, who noted that even at 30, "She's actually been around long enough [to have a tribute]. She has a body of work to pull from."

Spears' former tourmate, DJ Pauly D, also gushed about the singer, who won Best Pop Video for "Till The World Ends."

Find out how Beyoncé and Jay-Z Celebrated Their VMA Baby News!

"Oh, man! She deserves it out of anybody," the "Jersey Shore" star said. "She's been killing it forever now. She's got so many albums, and every time she brings out an album, she brings it."

After Gaga presented Spears with the award on Sunday, a group of young female dancers of various ages, dressed up in Britney-themed costumes from her hit music videos, took the stage to perform some of her most memorable moves.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Katy Perry Explains Why VMAs Are 'Funnest' Show

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 03:53 AM PDT

'You just want to watch a spectacle, you want to watch what goes down,' Video of the Year winner tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Rob Markman


Katy Perry
Photo: MTV News

As anyone watching the MTV VMAs over the years can attest — anything can happen. And Sunday evening's action-packed broadcast did not disappoint. There was Gaga in drag, Chris Brown flying on wires, Beyoncé making her baby announcement and general electricity in the air around L.A.'s Nokia Theatre.

"Anything can happen during the VMAs," Video of the Year winner Katy Perry told MTV News. "It's definitely just the funnest awards show of the whole gamut, of all the awards shows. The VMAs are like a f---ing monkey out of hell awards show," she laughed. "You just want to watch a spectacle, you want to watch what goes down and I think so many different sparks fly creatively."

Speaking of sparks flying, romantic moments are fast becoming a trademark of the big show, whether it's a couple meeting there for the first time and, as in Perry and Russell Brand's case, getting married, or teen royalty like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez sharing a kiss or two.

"People feel like they can be themselves," Perry explained of the VMA vibe. "So, if sparks fly creatively, I'm sure they're flying romantically as well."

It's not surprising that the "Teenage Dream" singer is a fan of the Video Music Awards, considering she not only got a husband out of the deal but also a couple Moonmen. Going into Sunday night, Perry was nominated in nine categories and picked up two trophies for Video of the Year and Best Collaboration.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Britney Spears, In 10 Minutes, Backstage At The VMAs

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:30 AM PDT

Meeting the princess of pop, behind the scenes at the biggest awards show of the year, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery


Britney Spears
Photo: Getty Images

I'm not sure how many times this has happened to you, but when you're in the middle of recording voice-overs during the Video Music Awards and all of a sudden you get an email from the assistant of your bosses' boss telling you that you have to interview Britney Spears in her dressing room in 10 minutes -- man, that's weird.

Because it's Britney Spears. One of the hugest pop stars on the planet, constant target of the tabloids, decided enigma. She's not exactly forthcoming with the press (for reasons that are certainly understandable) and not particularly interested in sitting down for a chat -- especially when said chat is supposed to take place in her dressing room, surrounded by her team of publicists, makeup artists and friends. Needless to say, the odds of the whole thing going down in a ball of flames are pretty high.

And yet, there I was on Sunday night, winding my way through the backstage corridors of the Nokia Theatre, the VMAs literally happening all around me, on my way to meet Britney. Armed only with an email (and a rather paltry level of security clearance), I talked my way past the stone-faced security guards -- who, it should be noted, didn't seem to believe that I was about to interview Britney Spears either -- found my way to her dressing-room door and awaited further instructions. As I stood there, my mind raced: What, exactly, was I going to ask her, anyway? And, perhaps more importantly, what is she really like?

After a few minutes, the door swung open, one of her publicists poked his head out and told me, quite matter-of-factly, "Britney's ready." I entered the tiny dressing room, scanned the faces lining the walls (publicist one, publicist two, manager Larry Rudolph, makeup artist, sister Jamie Lynn) and suddenly came face to face with Britney herself, eyes wide and sparkling, head cocked slightly, big smile on her face. I noticed the tiny pair of red dice she has tattooed on her left wrist, the hem of her black dress, the way she crossed her ankles. And then, I noticed she was looking right at me.

"Hi, I'm Britney," she said.

No kidding.

I am happy to report that Britney Spears is a very nice person; she is funny and carries herself with a relaxed grace that belies her superstardom. We spoke about her VMA tribute -- during which she spent much of the time praising others -- and how, even after winning a boatload of awards, she's still blown away each and every time her name is called. Shoot, we even laughed about Lady Gaga's alter ego, Jo Calderone ("She's definitely in character," Brit laughed). In fact, the thing that struck me the most about her was her quick wit: She cracks jokes like they're going out of style.

And while I guess you could say that I learned an awful lot about Britney on Sunday night, the biggest lesson was probably this: Basically everything you think you know about her is wrong. It's sort of a shame she doesn't do more interviews, because, really, I think most folks would leave feeling the same way I do. Then again, I can understand why she doesn't. It's sort of an uphill battle at this point.

Regardless, interviewing her was definitely a highlight, and not just because she's press-shy. It most certainly ranks as my greatest VMA moment, even ahead of the pre-show I hosted live Sunday night. So the next time you get a panicked email and an invite to sit down with Britney, I highly recommend you respond immediately. It will definitely be worth your time.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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'Dancing With The Stars' Season 13 Lineup Revealed!

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 06:53 AM PDT

Kristin Cavallari, Rob Kardashian, David Arquette top the latest cast.
By Kara Warner and Katie Byrne


Kristin Cavallari
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

Incredibly enough, the 13th season of everyone's favorite celebrity dance competition, "Dancing With the Stars," is just around the corner. The season premiere is a few weeks away, and the only thing more exciting than watching the new crop of celebs strut their stuff for the first time is finding out exactly what brave stars have been assembled to compete.

The wait is over as ABC announced their bright, shiny new cast Monday night (August 29) during "Bachelor Pad." Here's a look at the eclectic new contestants readying their dancing shoes for season 13 of "Dancing With the Stars":

Nancy Grace
The former prosecutor has made a name for herself as the host of her own talk show on HLN. Grace covers the world of current affairs, in a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners approach that often draws criticism for her snap judgment and pointed opinions.

Ricki Lake
Longtime fans will always remember Lake from her big-screen debut as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 movie "Hairspray." Later in life, Lake made a name for herself with her daytime talk show, which ended its 11-year run in 2004 but is reportedly returning to TV in fall 2012.

Chynna Phillips
Phillips has long been in the public eye and is perhaps best known as being part of popular '90s trio Wilson Phillips. The daughter of the Mamas & the Papas' bandmembers John and Michelle Phillips has dabbled in singing and acting over the years and has been married to Billy Baldwin (brother to Alec and Stephen) since 1995.

Hope Solo
Solo joins the ranks of many professional athletes-turned-dancers on "DWTS." The professional soccer star helped the U.S. Women's team bring home the gold medal at the '08 summer Olympics and is currently a goalkeeper for the MagicJack soccer club.

Kristin Cavallari
The MTV star stirred up trouble first on "Laguna Beach" and then took over for Lauren Conrad on the final season of "The Hills." The newly single Cavallari will surely take full advantage of the show's skimpy costumes and no doubt gain the attention of a new beau.

Elisabetta Canalis
Canalis is best known for her highly publicized two-year romance with one of America's favorite "Sexiest Men Alive," George Clooney. Since their split last summer, the Italian beauty has appeared in film and TV shows and hosted the Italian version of "Total Request Live," as well as the singing contest Sanremo Music Festival.

Rob Kardashian
"Keeping Up With the Kardashians" might shine the brightest spotlight on the Kardashian sisters, but little brother Rob is often there as the voice of reason amid the family drama. The reality star could have a leg up on the competition, getting tips from sister Kim, who competed on season seven, or maybe Sabrina Bryan, the Cheetah Girls bandmate of Rob's ex Adrienne Bailon, who competed on season five. Or maybe he should just keep it in the family.

Chaz Bono
Bono is the only child of superstars Cher and the late Sonny Bono. Despite living in the shadow of famous parents, Chaz, who was born Chastity, is a writer, actor and musician, and is well-known in the LGBT community for being a transgender advocate.

David Arquette
While Arquette is known for memorable roles in film and television, particularly as dopey policeman Dewey Cox in the "Scream" franchise, the actor/director/writer/occasional professional wrestler made headlines last year when he and Courteney Cox, his wife of nearly 11 years, announced their separation. Three months later, after giving Howard Stern a particularly revealing interview about the state of his marriage, Arquette checked himself into rehab for issues with alcohol. He is in recovery and has reportedly been sober since.

Ron Artest
Or should we say Metta World Peace? The outspoken Lakers player and rapper, who is currently trying to change his name to that Ochocinco-esque alias, made headlines years ago for an on-court brawl but is now known as a quirkily lovable personality. We'll see what antics he has up his sleeve on the dance floor.

J.R. Martinez
This surefire fan favorite is an actor, motivational speaker and retired soldier who suffered burns over 40 percent of his body when his Humvee hit a landmine in Iraq. Martinez turned the harrowing experience into an inspirational tale for other burn victims and now has a role on ABC's "All My Children."

Carson Kressley
This fashion guru got his celebrity start as one of the "Fab Five" on Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." Kressley has an eye for how to make people look good and frequently appears on TV talk shows to offer his expert opinions on fashion. Kressley currently hosts his own show "Carson Nation" on Oprah Winfrey's OWN.

"Dancing With The Stars" premieres Monday, September 19, at 8 p.m. on ABC.

What do you think of the new cast? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Lady Gaga's Jo Calderone Credits Fans With VMA Wins

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 02:17 AM PDT

Gaga herself takes to Twitter to say how 'overwhelmed+grateful' she was to pick up two more Moonmen.
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Rob Markman


Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone backstage at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: MTV News

Lady Gaga might not have been at the Video Music Awards on Sunday night, but her stand-in, male alter ego Jo Calderone, promised MTV News that Gaga couldn't have been more excited about nabbing two more Moonmen.

"You know, I think that this award means more to her than anything she's ever received," he told us backstage. "She was texting me after the award, after I picked it up for her, and she just said, 'You know, more than anything I've ever gotten before, this means more to me, because "Born This Way" is about the fans and the fans are more important to me than anything I do; more important than f---ing breathing, you know?' "

And Calderone wasn't lying: Gaga later took to Twitter to thank her dedicated fans for their votes. "I couldn't be more overwhelmed+grateful as I am tonight. Little Monsters inspire me. Never give up on your vision, you were born this way," she wrote. "To win 2VMAs, Best Video with a Message + Best Female Video for 'Born This Way' means the world. I have never believed in a work so much."

She also appreciated the fans' support of Calderone. "Thank u monsters for supporting @jocalderone attending instead of myself," she wrote. "He came over last night with 2 moonmen, whiskey + we watched VMAs."

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Lil Wayne Celebrates Post-VMA Release Of <i>Tha Carter IV</i>

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:07 AM PDT

'Wayne dropped his album at the VMAs like a boss,' Rick Ross says at release party held at Hollywood nightclub.
By Alvin Blanco


Lil Wayne in "How To Love"
Photo: Universal Motown

Lil Wayne closed out Sunday's 2011 MTV VMAs by singing, rapping and rocking, but his night was actually just getting started. Tha Carter IV became available at midnight, and Weezy celebrated the album's long-awaited release at the Boulevard3 nightclub in Hollywood.

A number of Weezy F.'s fellow artists were in the spot to personally give the New Orleans rapper their regards. "Wayne dropped his album at the VMAs like a boss, that's something an artist can only dream of," Rick Ross told MTV News.

"Wayne is a rock star. He is just mega right now," added Rocsi Diaz of BET's 106 & Park.

DJ Khaled, who featured Wayne on a pair of songs ("I'm On One," "Welcome to My Hood") on his latest album, was also in the house. "I'm happy for him and I'm happy for all his success, and I'm a fan as well," the Miami DJ/producer said while seated between Rozay and Drake.

Even "American Idol" contestant Chris Richardson gave Lil Tunechi props, saying, "All the songs on Wayne's albums are just intelligent and new and fresh."

Some attendees already were familiar with the music on the just-released Tha Carter IV, which leaked on Thursday. "My favorite song probably is 'Blunt Blowin',' 'Abortion' [or] 'I'm Good,' " YMCMB rapper Tyga said.

Cash Money singer/songwriter and producer Kevin Rudolf also professed to listening to plenty of Weezy, as did Young Money president and artist Mack Maine, who added the reasoning by behind his favorite cuts on Tha Carter IV. "I'm a lady's man so I like 'She Will' and I like 'So Special' a lot," said Maine.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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VMAs Backstage: Five Things You Didn't See

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:16 AM PDT

Find out what happened backstage at the 2011 MTV VMAs.
By Kara Warner, with additional reporting by Matt Elias and Jim Cantiello


Beyoncé
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

For all the unforgettable moments that occurred onstage during the VMAs on Sunday night, there were just as many equally amazing happenings that went down behind-the-scenes. Thanks to our VIP connections, MTV News had access to everything that happened before, after and during the live broadcast. Therefore, in no particular order, we are proud to present five moments you didn't get to see:

Gaga's Gentlemanly Behavior Leaves Celebs Starstruck
As is her M.O., Lady Gaga's presence at the VMAs was a highlight in and of itself, and every celeb who encountered her had a wide-eyed story to tell of his/her encounter. Particularly Foo Fighter Dave Grohl's first introduction to Gaga as her alter ego Jo Calderone.

"I got to meet her for the first time tonight [as Jo Calderone]," Grohl said of meeting Gaga when he went to say hello to Queen guitarist Brian May, who performed with her during the show. "I was like, 'Brian May, what's up!' and she was right next to him and I said, 'Hi, I'm Dave,' and she goes 'I know who the f--- you are!' Yeah, it was rad."

We spotted Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and more hanging out backstage!

Another Gaga-centric highlight occurred during one of the commercial breaks, when Gaga as the confident ladies' man Jo Calderone (or Gago, as Twitter users tagged him last night) took a cigarette from behind his ear, lit it and smoothly passed it to Adele.

'Jersey Shore' Stars Make Friends Everywhere They Go
As part of the MTV family, the stars of "Jersey Shore" have become welcome additions to any and all of our awards shows. We witnessed the ladies of Seaside Heights — JWoww, Snooki and Deena — palling around with new BFF, none other than "High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens. Later on we spotted them crossing paths with Jared Leto, which produced the following exchange: JWoww to Jared Leto: "Wow. I'm a huge fan! 'The Kill' is my favorite!" Leto: "Thank you so much!" Snooki, once they had passed the 30 Seconds to Mars frontman: "Aah?" To which Jenni replied, "That was Jared Leto. Don't you know who Jared Leto is?!"

Tyler, The Creator's Accidental Stage Dive Sends Him Into Unlikely Arms
Immediately following their win for Best New Artist, the many members of Odd Future and their assorted entourage were trying to shuffle off the circular stage, when suddenly there was a loud noise and everyone in the audience in the right section gasped. It was clear from the commotion that a member from Future had fallen off the stage. When the dust finally settled, we saw two unexpected heroes holding frontman Tyler, the Creator up: Kanye West and Kid Cudi.

Go behind-the-scenes with Wiz Khalifa, Kreayshawn and more at the VMA Pre-Show!

"It was really hard, but [the tears] came out when I fell offstage into Kanye's arms," Tyler half-joked as he processed the emotions surrounding his win and his almost fall.

Jay Z And Beyoncé Celebrate Baby News
Arguably the newsiest moment of the evening occurred when Beyoncé announced that she was pregnant, with a not-so-subtle rubbing of her belly at the end of her performance. Immediately following the big moment, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were enveloped backstage by ecstatic well-wishers including Kanye West, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. One of the sweeter of those moments was when Jay stepped outside Beyoncé's dressing room, to allow her some time with her female friends to gush and squeal over the news. The proud and sweet smile on his face when he did so made for our favorite VMA warm fuzzy moment.

BONUS: VMA Recap With MTV News' Jim Cantiello MTV News correspondent Jim Cantiello does many things well, but his 60-second recaps of important events in pop culture are a must-watch. Check out Cantiello's super-speedy recap that includes analysis of Gaga as Calderone, what gets a hard-to-impress Justin Bieber to applaud VMA performers and Beyoncé's big announcement.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Chris Brown's High-Flying VMA Set: Behind The Scenes

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 01:30 AM PDT

'Yeah 3X' singer's choreographers Rich and Tone talk to MTV News about pulling out 'tricks' like levitation on Sunday.
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Rob Markman


Chris Brown performs at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Getty Images

On Sunday night, Chris Brown nearly stole the show during his high-flying VMA performance, and considering everything that went down during the 2011 Video Music Awards, that's saying a lot.

Find out how Beyoncé and Jay-Z Celebrated Their VMA Baby News!

Brown, decked out in all white, danced to a medley of old favorites from acts like Wu-Tang Clan and Nirvana, as well as his own tracks "Yeah 3X" and "Beautiful People." The performance was packed with tight dance moves — including some ninja-style moves — and finished with Brown flying over the A-list crowd on nearly invisible wires. While hanging high above the room, the singer displayed moves that looked as acrobatic as a Cirque Du Soleil performer.

We spotted Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and more hanging out backstage!

Days before Brown took the stage, MTV News caught up with two members of his creative team, choreographers Tone and Rich. The pair had promised that Brown would take the game to the next level at this year's VMAs, and he certainly delivered on that.

"We've been working with Chris for many years; I've never seen him this way on this performance ever," Tone teased last week. "He's pulling out all his tricks on this one. He's definitely gonna show you something fresh and new; something he has never done before."

Go Behind the Scenes with Wiz Khalifa, Kreayshawn, more at VMA Pre-Show

He went on to add that while Brown always steps up his performance game, Sunday night would be unlike previous shows. "All the past performances he always came with it 100 percent, but this one, for some reason he has something special about this one," Tone said.

"He's going to create so much centrifugal force, there might be some levitation going on," Rich teased.

And although it was unclear what exactly Rich meant by that prediction a few days ago, now Brown's fans know he wasn't exaggerating.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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2011 VMAs Pull Largest Audience In MTV History

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 03:39 AM PDT

Sunday's VMA Pre-Show also ranked as the best on record.
By Kara Warner


Photo: MTV/Getty Images

Thanks to unforgettable performances, a baby announcement and a lady superstar in full drag, among other major highlights, the 2011 MTV VMAs grabbed the biggest audience in the network's history.

In addition to bringing in a record-breaking 12.4 million total viewers, Sunday night's VMAs now rank as the #1 cable telecast of the year among viewers ages 12 to 34, and the #1 non-sports cable telecast of 2011 with total viewers.

"Anything can happen during the VMAs," Video of the Year winner Katy Perry told MTV news. "It's definitely just the funnest awards show of the whole gamut, of all the award shows. The VMAs are like a f---ing monkey out of hell award show," she laughed. "You just want to watch a spectacle, you want to watch what goes down and I think so many different sparks fly creatively."

On Sunday evening, amid a slew of eye-popping performances, Beyoncé took the stage to perform "Love on Top." But this was no ordinary performance, even for the Queen B: At the end of the song, she revealed her pregnancy by pulling back her sequined jacket as husband Jay-Z cheered from the audience. And the surprises kept coming, from Lady Gaga as male alter ego Jo Calderone presenting Britney Spears with MTV's Vanguard award to Adele's powerful rendition of "Someone Like You." Of course, as hip-hip goes, the unbilled appearance by Kanye West and papa-to-be Jay became one of many dominant VMA night Twitter trends.

The VMA Pre-Show was equally impressive and ranked as the best on record, while MTV Digital saw its highest VMA day ever on Sunday with VMA content attracting 2 million unique visitors, an increase of 33 percent year over year. Additionally, MTV racked up more than 10 million page views on Sunday, up 18 percent year over year. VMA video content generated 2.3 million streams for the day, up a whopping 41 percent vs. the day of the 2010 VMAs. It was also the most social VMA day of all time, with social networks driving 76 percent more traffic than a year ago.

A special encore presentation of the telecast airs Monday night (August 29) at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the premieres of all-new series "Ridiculousness" at 10 p.m., "Death Valley" at 10:30 p.m. and "Cuff'd" at 11 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.

What did you think of the 2011 VMAs? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Britney Spears Reveals Next Single At VMAs

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 12:11 AM PDT

Singer confirms to MTV News that 'Criminal' is next up from Femme Fatale.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by James Montgomery


Britney Spears at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: MTV News

Britney Spears may have been looking back on her impressive career during a Jo Calderone-helmed tribute at Sunday night's VMAs, but there's still so much for fans to look forward to. The singer has a lot up her sleeve after taking home the Moonman for Best Pop Video for her "Till the World Ends" clip and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award -- and she revealed all to MTV News.

There's been some hot debate about what the singer's next Femme Fatale single is going to be, and finally her loyal fans are getting the confirmation they've been waiting for.

"I don't if I'm at liberty to tell," she teased MTV News backstage at the VMAs. "But I will anyways: It's 'Criminal.' "

The slow jam should make for some interesting visual fodder, and Spears told us she knows what the video will look like, but she's going to keep everyone waiting a little longer. "Actually the song, when I first heard it, it's really different and it's not anything I've heard like this before. So I really wanted to deliver this song. I was thinking of a really cool concept for the video just to make it interesting," she said, teasing, "You'll have to see."

She's also set to hit the road again when the Femme Fatale Tour heads to Europe. She'll be joined by Joe Jonas for select dates.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose Discuss Marriage 'All The Time'

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 03:41 AM PDT

'When the time comes, it's gonna come,' Rose tells MTV News on VMA Pre-Show black carpet.
By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Rob Markman


Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose
Photo: MTV News

Is wedding planning on the busy itineraries of Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose? The hip-hop power couple has never been shy when it comes to public displays of affection, and apparently they aren't timid about discussing marriage, either.

"We discuss it all the time; like he said, we're very much in love," Rose told MTV News while standing next to her "Black and Yellow" rapper beau on the VMA Pre-Show black carpet. "But, ya know, we're just going to take our time and just enjoy each other right now. We're both really busy and we work really hard and when the time comes, it's gonna come."

Besides working on some music and a film with her man, Rose said having a baby with Wiz is also on her agenda. The former Ford model and ex-girlfriend of Kanye West recently admitted to Global Grind that she's eager to procreate with the Pittsburgh rapper. "I want to be a mom really bad. I really want babies," she told the website. "I'll be 28 in October, and my maternal instinct is ready."

In March, Wiz appeared on MTV News' "RapFix Live," and Amber Rose joined him on the couch for a portion of the interview. Rose revealed what attracted her to the Best New Artist nominee.

"He's really funny, he's really charming," she said. "I didn't know much about his music at first and, obviously, he became a good friend. I started listening to his music. He's awesome, he's talented. He's amazing."

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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T.I. To Be Released Wednesday, Sources Say

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 02:04 AM PDT

Tip will head to a halfway house one month before his 11-month parole-violation sentence is up.
By Alvin Blanco


T.I. (file)
Photo: Moses Robinson/ WireImage

T.I. is going to be a free man in just a couple of days. Sources have confirmed that the Atlanta rapper, currently serving an 11-month sentence in Forrest City Correctional Facility in Georgia for a parole violation after an L.A. drug arrest, will be released to a halfway house on August 31. Tip will be walking out of jail about a month early, with his original release date listed as September 29 in public records.

The Grand Hustle honcho, born Clifford Harris, Jr., should be ready to get back to the business of making music soon after his release.

T.I.'s Smash company partner, producer La Mar "Mars" Edwards, is eager to reunite with Tip in the studio. "He let me know, 'I got your back and stay close to me, you're my brother,' " said Mars, who just produced Game's The R.E.D. Album. "Ever since then, he's really treated me like a little brother. He'll call me to talk about life. It's more to it than me being his production partner and having Smash Factory."

And T.I.'s friend and collaborator DJ Drama also recently revealed that T.I. is working on a book. "8/31 -- #kingback. @Tip," Drama tweeted on Monday (August 29).

While serving his sentence, the King has been keeping fans updated via his TrapMuzik.com website. In his latest entry, the "Live Your Life" rapper revealed that it would be his final blog post since he expected to be released in September.

In that message, T.I. revealed that he planned to have his new music hearken back to material from his earlier days. "Next time you hear from me, I'll be back out there with you," he wrote. "Doing for those who can't do for themselves and speaking for those whose voices are never heard. When I touch down, I'm going all the way back to square one, like I'm fresh in the game and never sold a record. Back on some I'M SERIOUS, TRAP MUZIK sh--. ... But until then RESPECT to all who deserve it."

The well-wishes he received from family, friends and fans inspired T.I. to sponsor a Memorial Day bus trip that brought the families of 14 inmates up for a visit who otherwise would not be able to.

Although authorities in Los Angeles eventually dropped the drug charges against T.I., he was still found guilt of violating the parole terms stemming from his 2007 felony weapons charge.

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Beyonce At VMAs And More Public Baby Reveals

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 12:45 AM PDT

Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez have also taken to live audiences to break the news.
By James Dinh


Beyonce on the 2011 VMA black carpet
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Beyoncé set Twitter on fire when she hinted on the VMA black carpet that she was set to make a big announcement, placing a hand on her stomach. Speculation turned into overwhelming joy when the pop superstar announced her pregnancy at the end of her "Love on Top" performance by unbuttoning her sparkling blazer and rubbing her noticeable bump.

Bey's public announcement came as a bit of a surprise, given that the songstress usually gets media-shy when asked anything about her personal life during interviews. MTV News reached out to pop-culture expert Rob Shuter, columnist for HuffPost Celebrity, for his thoughts on how she revealed the big news. "I thought it was so brilliant that somebody as private as Beyoncé and Jay-Z would make their own rules to address the fact that she's clearly pregnant," he said.

Shuter explained that the power couple's private nature made the revelation all the more joyous. "I love that this couple who has made it a policy to not talk about their personal life would once again do that, let us in on this huge secret, without ever really uttering any words."

Click for photos of Beyoncé's big VMA night.

Kim Kardashian, a real pro at living publicly, told MTV News that she admired B's choice of venue. "I thought it was really cool of her to come out and show that at the VMAs, 'cause music is her outlet. She could have done it with any magazine or news station, but she chose her home."

Beyoncé is now among the ranks of other starlets who have chosen creative venues to reveal the anticipated news. Take a look at how some other A-list moms revealed their baby bumps:

Britney Spears, 2006
Surprises come by the dozen when we're talking about Britney Spears' life and career, and she had another one up her sleeve when she took to "The Late Show With David Letterman" in May 2006 to confirm her second pregnancy with then-husband Kevin Federline. "Don't worry, Dave. It's not yours," the pop star laughingly told the late-night host after he circled around the question. Spears gave birth to her son Jayden James Federline that September and filed for divorce just two months later.

Jennifer Lopez, 2007
It was only appropriate that J.Lo chose a concert as her venue to announce that she and husband Marc Anthony were having a baby — he was the tour's co-headliner. "We didn't want to say anything before, because we didn't want to take away from the tour, but Marc and I are expecting," the pop star revealed to fans during the Miami stop of her El Cantante Tour. Anthony then turned to his wife, kissed her belly and told the crowd that he "did not expect her to say anything." Lopez gave birth to fraternal twins Emme and Maximilian Muñiz, in early 2008.

Ashlee Simpson, 2008
Ashlee Simpson and then-husband Pete Wentz make our list not because of their announcement but because of their steadfast policy before they made it: deny, deny, deny. Simpson even shied away from the question during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" as the pregnancy rumors were at their height. "Well, that has been going on for quite a while. That is something that I choose personally not to discuss," Simpson said, before cracking a joke about whether she looks like she can eat "10 cheese burgers or something." Almost a month later, the couple took to FriendsOrEnemies.com to confirm the news, writing, "While many have speculated about this, we wanted to wait until after the first trimester to officially confirm that we are expecting our first child."

Jessica Alba, 2011
Some use their Facebook news feed to talk about work or current events. Some use it to talk with friends. Jessica Alba used it to announce her pregnancy to the world. "It's been a while since I've been on FB & I thought I'd drop by to let you all in on some exciting news>Honor is going to be a Big Sister!" the actress wrote in February. Just a couple weeks ago, Alba gave birth to a baby girl named Haven Garner Warren and, as expected, took to her Facebook profile to announce the news.

Post Your Well Wishes For Jay and Bey on Facebook.

Hilary Duff, 2011
Hilary Duff also favors the Internet for her personal revelations. In celebration of her one-year anniversary to husband Mike Comrie, the starlet offered fans with an extra special blog post. "I can't believe it has already been a year, time really flies when you're having fun!" she wrote on her website in mid-August. "We also want to share the exciting news that ...... BABY MAKES THREE!!!" Since then, the former Disney actress has taken to her Twitter to dish on her many pregnancy cravings: "Today it was rice crispy treats! trying really hard to give them ALL away!!!"

Which is your favorite celebrity pregnancy announcement? Share your thoughts below!

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers 'A New Band' On <i>I'm With You</i>

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 02:01 AM PDT

First album in five years, out Monday (August 29), is 'us, with a whole new thing,' Anthony Kiedis tells MTV News.
By James Montgomery


Red Hot Chili Peppers
Photo: MTV News

Anthony Kiedis makes no bones about the fact that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are "a new band," despite all evidence to the contrary. After all, not many "new" bands have sold more than 65 million albums worldwide, won a grip of Grammy awards, survived a series of rather-seismic lineup shifts or made some of the most-iconic music videos of all time. And even fewer have actually been a band since 1983.

And yet, here is Kiedis, talking about the Chili Peppers' 10th studio album, I'm With You, in stores Monday (August 29), and how its recording signifies not only a new era — it's the first with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who replaced longtime member John Frusciante in 2009 — but a new band, too.

As Kieids explained to MTV News, it has "a lot to do with" Klinghoffer. "He's definitely a big part of why it's different: different person, different chemistry, different experience, different era ... we're a new band, and thank goodness.

"It seemed to be, whether we liked it or not, time for change to take place. So, an opportunity was created, one that instantly seemed to be a wonderful occasion. It's so exciting when you get thrown a curveball by the universe, and you turn that curveball into a home run. And I feel like that's what happened ... Curveballs used to break my heart and freak me out, but now, I know from experience that they usually lead to something cool."

And on I'm With You, not only do the Peppers begin a new chapter, but they push their signature sound further than they've ever pushed before. Sure, Flea's propulsive bass lines still form the backbone, but the new songs are amplified and expounded upon by his time spent studying music theory at USC.

In a new twist, most of the tunes began as piano compositions and slowly blossomed in the recording studio, with Klinghoffer adding slow-diving guitar flourishes (and the occasional keyboard, too). There are percussive tones added by Brazilian musicians and organ peals from former Beastie Boys associates.

As Kiedis put it, "It's more ethereally complex and layered and kind of spooky and moody and dreamy, yet still profound. ... The spirit of the Red Hot Chili Peppers remains and changes and moves on. It's us, with a whole new thing."

Of course, that "new thing" couldn't have been created without putting the old thing to bed — which means that, for the first time in their careers, the Chili Peppers decided to take a break from the business of being a band: A break that, to hear Kiedis tell it, was a long time coming.

"We had a little coffee break there ... it was a hell of a big cup," he said, laughing. "It was kind of an unspoken, obvious time for [it]. By the end of the Stadium Arcadium tour, which was a year and a half, everybody was like a pile of broken dolls, and no one could really conceive of not taking a break.

"So when somebody uttered 'Two-year break,' everyone just hip-hip hoorayed, and without really knowing what that would mean, it was a good idea," he continued. "It was just an innate, gut-instinct good idea. And everybody went and did things that made a lot of sense."

And though the self-imposed hiatus lasted two years (and included Frusciante's departure,) there was never a moment where Kiedis ever thought about doing anything but the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And even if fans began to worry about the band's future — Arcadium was released in 2006, making this the longest period between albums in RHCP history — he never did — partially because he never lost the passion, but mostly because he knew rebirths take a long time.

"I have never felt anywhere close to being done. I was pretty sure after the last record that the best was yet to come, but I always kind of feel like that, like if you want it, it's there," he said. "I like really old people that still make out intensely with their wives or girlfriends ... why would you ever stop?"

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'Hunger Games' Director Unpacks VMA Footage

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 11:24 PM PDT

Gary Ross says Jennifer Lawrence will help him give viewers the same 'visceral experience' as the books.
By Eric Ditzian


Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate

While the "Hunger Games" sneak peek lit up the MTV Video Music Awards, on Sunday, director Gary Ross was back in North Carolina, his head space not so much occupied with Lady Gaga in drag and Lil Wayne's long dreads as it was with Katniss Everdeen and the dystopian nation called Panem.

Ross is still in the midst of shooting his adaptation of "The Hunger Games," but last week, with the teaser set to debut at the VMAs, he took the time to touch base with MTV News via Skype to give us his exclusive commentary about the footage.

Katniss Vision
Suzanne Collins' novel is a first-person tale, and it's clear from the teaser Ross is striving to capture that same sort of immediate access into Katniss' head. "I think one of the most important things when you adapt a book like this is to give people the experience they really had when they read it — the same kind of visceral experience they had," he explained. "I think [the reason] everybody felt so strongly in what Suzanne did was that they were with this character, they understood her, they were in her shoes, they were in her head. It was such an intense first-person experience. My job in making a film is first and foremost to reflect that.

"How do we get inside Katniss' head? How do we feel what she's feeling? How do we become her?" Ross continued. "The first thing that allows you to do that is Jennifer Lawrence, because she's such an unbelievable actor. She has so much depth and power and talent and sophistication and sensitivity and subtlety that she's become Katniss Everdeen synonymously. I hope people feel about Jen and Katniss at the end of this three-book cycle the way they feel about Daniel Radcliffe and Harry Potter — that they've become very synonymous with one another."

Get "Hunger Games" experts' analysis of the teaser.

Gale's Voiceover
That voiceover you hear during the trailer? That's Katniss' District 12 pal Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth). And Ross has a very specific idea in mind about the importance of making Gale a part of this initial footage (and not Katniss' Hunger Games companion, Peeta Mellark).

"As everyone knows, Gale is an enormous part of Katniss' life, but he's not as big a part of the first book as he is the subsequent books," the director told us. "I think he's very, very present and he's tremendously important, but of course we shift into the Capitol and then the arena, where Peeta ends up playing a more prominent role. But he's in her head, he's in her life, he's something that echoes with her throughout the games, as any reader of the book knows, so he plays an obviously prominent role."

The Difficulty of the Shoot
Though Ross and his team didn't have to contend with giant fireballs in the woods, as Katniss does in the first book, the filmmaker revealed that the set in the North Carolina forest posed quite a challenge to the production. "This was like shooting in Vietnam," he said. "I felt like I was making 'Apocalypse Now.' The thing was so rigorous. We spent something like six weeks outside in the jungle every day, hiking up and down mountains with cameras and in the mud and in driving rain storms. We all felt it, but nobody felt it as much as Jen did. It's been an intense physical experience for her."

Just Getting Started
While Ross was proud to show off this initial footage, he told us this is only the beginning and that there are a few scenes and characters in particular that he can't wait for people to see in the future. "We're still shooting, so unfortunately, it's just a teaser," he said. "We could only give you a little bit, because we're still down here making the movie. I've got to leave in half an hour and shoot. But there's a lot of things to come that I think are going to be hugely epic and very emotional and incredibly powerful. I think that we've done wonderful things with the mutts. I think that we've done a tremendous job bringing the Capitol to life, and I think that's going to be really, really exciting for people to see. And all the performances! Wait till you see Stanley Tucci do Caesar Flickerman."

Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Beyonce, Lady Gaga Dominate Twitter Trends On VMA Night

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:07 AM PDT

Hashtags #whatwillgagawear and #DemiYouAreBeautiful also made an impact on Sunday.
By Kara Klenk


Lady Gaga at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Just as predicted, the 2011 Video Music Awards generated even more buzz than last year, with over 3 million tweets sent from 8 p.m. ET at the start of the pre-show until the end of the West Coast broadcast, 11 p.m. PT. Which makes perfect sense when we're talking about a show in which Selena Gomez interviewed Justin Bieber, Britney and Gaga almost made out, and, oh yeah, Beyoncé announced her pregnancy!

Female artists definitely ruled Twitter this year. Bey's baby news made her the most tweeted-about celeb overall, with the first twitpic of her touching her pregnant stomach on the red carpet passing 600,000 views in six hours. In that same six-hour window, the VMA Twitter Tracker clocked the top subject as Nicki Minaj in the first hour, Adele in the next, and then Lady Gaga and Beyoncé alternating in the final hours. But the guys weren't far behind, with Jay-Z and Kanye West (a.k.a. the Throne), Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Tyler, the Creator giving the ladies a run for their money.

Britney Spears talks about Jo Calderone after their onstage encounter.

For the entire duration of the VMAs, over half of the worldwide Twitter trends were VMA related, and at points they dominated eight or nine of the top 10 trends. Trends tended to coincide with a celeb's arrival (Wiz and Amber), a live interview (Selena and Justin) or the live performances (Adele). But some humorous trends emerged as well: The Karate Kid himself, Ralph Macchio, might have been surprised to see his name trending if he didn't tune in to see his doppelganger, Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone, appearing several times throughout the show. And Happy Trees trended briefly after Rick Ross appeared in a sketch in the show channeling the late painter and personalitya Bob Ross.

The trend #whatwillgagawear was one of the longest running of the evening, as was BEYONCE IS PREGNANT, which clearly called for caps, and #DemiYouAreBeautiful was a message to Demi Lovato from her many fans. Joe Jonas, Bruno Mars, Adele and Justin Bieber were all the subject of trends with words of encouragement started by their supporters.

The Twitter Tracker is continuing to monitor VMA activity, under top 10 celebs to check it out and see who's up in the days following the big show!

Top 10 celebs by number of mentions:

Beyoncé 280,000
Lady Gaga: 237,000
The Throne: 183,000
Adele: 159,000
Chris Brown: 110,000
Lil Wayne: 104,000
Tyler, the Creator: 72,000
Nicki Minaj: 66,000
Bruno Mars: 57,000
Katy Perry: 54,000

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Tony Bennett Reveals Advice He Wishes He'd Given Amy Winehouse

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:33 AM PDT

'I wanted to stop her' from using drugs, legendary crooner tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Jim Cantiello


Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse record "Body and Soul" together in 2010
Photo: Sony

One of the most moving moments at the 2011 Video Music Awards Sunday night was the tribute to Amy Winehouse, who died earlier this summer. The look back at the 27-year-old's indelible influence included memories from Russell Brand and Tony Bennett, followed by a performance of "Valerie" by Bruno Mars.

When MTV News caught up with the legendary Bennett immediately after the tribute, he spoke fondly of Winehouse's incredible talent and their time together recording their duet (and the "Rehab" singer's final recording), "Body and Soul." Bennett then spoke of how tragic he thought her death was, saying that he wished he'd been able to pass along a few words of wisdom before it was too late.

See photos of Amy Winehouse's life and career.

"I can say this now — I didn't want to say it on the show," Bennett said. "What I wanted to do, I wanted to stop her, I wanted to tell her that many years ago I was naughty also with some drugs." But, Bennett revealed, a quote from a friend stuck with him for life.

"Woody Allen's manager at the time [Jack Rollins] said he knew Lenny Bruce," Bennett explained, recalling a conversation about the boundary-breaking comedian and satirist who died young of a drug overdose. "[Rollins] said one sentence that changed my life: He said, 'He sinned against his talent.' I wanted to tell her that and I had to leave because we were touring all over the world making this album, and I never got a chance to do it.

"My son called up and said she died, and I couldn't believe that I didn't get that message to her," Bennett added sadly. The cause of Winehouse's death is still undetermined, but her family released a statement last week saying that toxicology tests found no illegal substances in her body.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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