Selasa, 06 Desember 2011

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Drake, Adele And More: The 20 Best Albums Of 2011

Posted: 06 Dec 2011 03:53 AM PST

From Girls to Beyoncé (and just about everyone in between), Bigger Than the Sound takes a look at the year's best albums.
By James Montgomery


Drake
Photo: Getty Images

In 2011, we all seemingly discovered dubstep and learned how to pronounce "Bon Iver." We marveled at the success of Adele, Katy Perry and Rihanna, took the leap with Beyoncé and got royal with Jay-Z and Kanye. We said hello to bright new stars like Frank Ocean and the Weeknd and watched former breakouts Florence Welch and Drake take the next steps in their careers. Oh, and pretty much all of us bought Lady Gaga's Born This Way, or at least debated its pricing schemes.

Yes, it's been a pretty eventful 12 months, and now, it's time to take a look back with my picks for the Best Albums of 2011. Rock, hip-hop, pop and electronic records — from artists big and small — that managed to stick with me through the entire year. Looking at it now, there are at least a half-dozen other albums I could've included — it really was that big of a year.

That said, I'm sure I left a few off my list, so I'm counting on you to remind me of anything I might have missed. Let me know in the comments below, and now, let's get right to my Best of 2011 list. These are my favorite albums, from a fascinating year in music.

20. Beyoncé, 4
An artfully anachronistic album — in that it takes its cues from Fela Kuti and Earth, Wind and Fire instead of, you know, David Guetta — it's little wonder 4 confounded a large portion of the record-buying public when it was released this summer. But given time, most (myself included) have come to love its classy flourishes and classically influenced roots. From big-boned ballads to weirdo world-music jams, 4 is clearly the disc on which Beyoncé makes her bid for artistic credibility. Sadly, it just took us all a while to realize it.

19. Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX, We're New Here
The late Scott-Heron's final album gets reworked by Jamie Smith (avowed superfan and beatmaker behind the XX), who deftly combines the poet's gravelly ruminations with cutting-edge electro flourishes, yet never lets the latter outshine the former. And in that regard, We're New Here stands apart from most remix albums, in that it is very much a labor of love. Released in February, it fittingly took on new life when Drake made its final track — "I'll Take Care Of U" — the centerpiece of his Take Care disc.

18. Rihanna, Talk That Talk
Depending on your perspective, it's either "the best pop album of the year" or maybe "the dirtiest 'pop' album since Madonna's Erotica," though given some time, perhaps it's best to just call TTT Rihanna's best album, a streamlined, over-sexed, oft-adventurous thing that pushes everything to the limit. And while you can get caught up in the adjectives, the real proof of TTT's power lies in its ability to make you move, endlessly, effortlessly, excitedly so. That's what pop albums are supposed to do, after all.

17. Gospel Music, How to Get to Heaven From Jacksonville, FL
Pocket-size pop from Owen Holmes, current (former?) member of Black Kids, whose deep croon recalls the likes of Calvin Johnson (not Megatron) and Stephin Merritt and whose erudition brings to mind Jarvis Cocker. High praise, but when the music comes this effortlessly (check "This Town Doesn't Have Enough Bars for Both of Us" or "Let's Run" for proof) and the lyrics are this heartbreakingly hilarious ("He pores over Poe, peruses Proust/ While waiting for sauce to reduce/ Buys only seasonal produce/ I don't know what you see in him"), well, the dude's sort of earned it, really. Quite possibly the year's most underrated album.

16. Black Keys, El Camino
On the follow-up to their breakout Brothers, the Black Keys go full-throttle, tearing through 11 hard-riffing, deep-boogying tracks in something like 38 minutes. All handclaps and talk-box guitar solos, El Camino rattles and chugs along like the titular Chevy and, on tracks like "Lonely Boy," "Money Maker" and "Little Black Submarines," manages to get positively brilliant too — in a George Thorogood-meets-the Cramps kind of way, of course.

15. Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
Florence Welch possesses a voice that can shatter glass, shift tectonic plates and quite possibly alter the very fabric of time, so it sort of makes sense that, on Ceremonials, producer Paul Epworth provides her with the appropriate backing tracks. This is an unapologetically massive album in just about every conceivable way, from the soaring heights of "Shake It Out" and "No Light, No Light" to the delving depths of "Only If for the Night" and "What the Water Gave Me," which is to say it fits Florence like a glove. Or high-end Givenchy couture.

14. The Weeknd, House of Balloons and Thursday
Mysterious, majestically paced R&B from Canadian Abel Tesfaye, who rode his pair of (free) releases to breakout success. Both Balloons and Thursday tell the trope of the troubled loverman, but rarely are matters of the heart played out as honestly as they are here. An endless cycle of druggy nights, desperate flings and depressed dawns, Tesfaye makes no apologies, and with his two albums of masterful murk, he's inadvertently created mood music for increasingly moody times.

13. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
"So now, I'm older/ Than my mother and father/ When they had their daughter/ Now what does that say about me?" That's how Fleet Foxes frontman Sam Pecknold opens the band's sophomore effort, and rarely does he relent from those notions. For an album so rich in wide-screen vocal harmonies and warm, finger-picked acoustics, Blues is far from atmospheric — in fact, it's downright analytical. Pecknold roots through problems that are very real, and that balance is key to the album's strength. Because for a band that so indulges in the space of the studio, this is an album that is rarely, if ever, self-indulgent.

12. Frank Ocean, Nostalgia, Ultra
The year's most self-assured debut, courtesy of the only Odd Future member who seems to actually shrink from the spotlight. Like the title implies, Nostalgia is an album that longs for the past, both sonically — sampling Radiohead, Coldplay and the Eagles — and thematically, as Ocean tills through broken relationships and lost associates. The results are unflinchingly, almost unassumingly great, and wherever Ocean goes from here, I'll be sure to follow.

11. The War on Drugs, Slave Ambient
Here's a fascinating little album, one that pulls just as readily from Bruce Springsteen's and Tom Petty's wide-eyed-yet-wincing Americana as it does Sonic Youth's and Spacemen 3's hazy dirges. Part road record, part barroom soundtrack, it's a compelling — and slightly confounding — listen, pairing jangly guitars with sleepy, bedheaded sonic sections, and frontman Adam Granduciel is frequently a man without a home, keening about freeways and harbors and great open expanses. In that regard, perhaps this is a record less about the final destination as it is the trip itself — a somnambulant trek in which the lines between awake and dreaming are constantly shifting.

10. Lady Gaga, Born This Way
When it was first released, it wasn't a stretch to call BTW the year's most anticipated album, and though the debate may rage about whether it lived up to the hype, you cannot deny that Gaga put everything into it. From the piston-pumping electronics of "Marry the Night" and the tarantula tango of "Americano" to the twitching, "Transformers"-huge techno of "Heavy Metal Lover" and the epic balladry of "Yoü and I" and "The Edge of Glory," this truly is an effort that tries very hard to be everything to everyone. And, in the process, Gaga has created something entirely new. BTW is quite possibly the first multi-national, multi-hyphenate, multi-sexual pop album of our time. And sure, it's probably too long, but that's sort of the point, isn't it? Gaga only operates on the hugest of stages, and BTW is her grandest mission statement to date. And if she didn't please everyone, you can't say she didn't try.

9. Portugal. The Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud
It is quite possible to argue Portugal. The Man may be the new Flaming Lips, especially if you've ever caught them live (and since the Lips seem content to simply embed songs inside human skulls these days). They are both from spots firmly off the musical map (Wasilla, Alaska, and Oklahoma City, respectively); they both indulge in frazzled, psych-tinged pop; and both seem hell-bent on doing things their way, no matter what the consequences. And if all that logic holds, then Cloud is either their Hit to Death in the Future Head (the one before they had the hit) or their Clouds Taste Metallic (the one before they got universal acclaim). On their major-label debut, Portugal got proggy, arty and unapologetically weird, and the disc sold about as well as you'd expect. Still, there's true genius in tracks like "So American," "Senseless" and "Sleep Forever," and while they've still got, like, two decades to go before they can match the Lips in terms of longevity, consider this the next step on their voyage.

8. Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne
The year's highest-profile collaboration didn't exactly play against type — except for the fact that, unlike most other meetings-of-the-egos, it actually ended up being really good. And that's because, despite all the flash surrounding it (the globe-trotting recording sessions, the Riccardo Tisci-designed cover, the video where they sawed the top off a Maybach) and all the boasts contained within it, WTT is very much an album that grapples equally with big themes — success, race, responsibilities, public perception — and, you know, big watches. And then, of course, there's the incredibly odd "N---as in Paris," surely the first rap song to give equal face time to Will Ferrell. A weird, wonderful, whirling album — the kind that, sadly, they don't make all that often, mostly because it's impossible to do so.

7. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Justin Vernon has done the impossible: follow up a beloved, much-mythologized debut album (you know, the one that was recorded in a cabin) with a record that's just as good — if not better. He's always been one for atmospheres, but never before have those atmospheres been so dense — or so compelling. Here, he creates a singular, breathless world, building it with layers of echoing instrumentation and his own ghostly falsetto. There are moments where the sun shines through the cracks — a horn crescendo, a silvery sliver of bell — but for the most part, Bon Iver is a mesmerizing trip through a dewy dreamscape. And in that regard, it's a momentous achievement (one made even more momentous by Vernon's recent Grammy nominations), even if the last song does sound like Bruce Hornsby.

6. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
The iconic Brit shape-shifts with seemingly every record she releases, and on Shake, she's reborn as an old-fashioned protest singer (with a newfound upper register too). The sad thing is, the subjects she's singing about — conflict, bloodshed, man's unending cycle of self-immolation — are just as timely now as they were 50 years ago. Through it all, Harvey weaves a partial history of her oft-troubled homeland, and does so with haunting, harrowing specificity: the quivering flesh of the dead, the fog rolling over the bones of deceased sea captains, the tread of tanks plowing the countryside. That she manages to do so without ever gnarling into full-on outrage is a testament to both her skill as an observer of the human condition and her love of England, which is perhaps the most impressive feat of all on an album brimming with them.

5. The Horrors, Skying
Is there a band with a more inexplicable career arc than the Horrors? They started off as spooky-ooky figureheads of London's goth-garage scene (or whatever you want to call it), reimagined themselves as psych disciples on 2009's Primary Colours and, finally, on the wildly emotive Skying, they've emerged as one of the U.K.'s best rock acts. It's a rhetorical question — there is no band quite like them, and their aptly named latest captures them at the height of their abilities. Skying is a bold, big, decidedly Technicolor affair, packed with synth peaks and piles of echoing guitars, and much like its title implies, it positively soars. The great moments abound, though it's on lengthy tracks like "Moving Further Away" and "Oceans Burning" — when they break through the clouds and let the daylight pour in — that they really, truly shine in ways no one thought imaginable.

4. F---ed Up, David Comes to Life
A wrecking-ball sorta rock opera courtesy of Toronto's hardest-working (and, most likely, only) six-piece punk collective, David Comes to Life tells the story of a downtrodden factory worker who may have killed his true love. I think. Because, along the way, there's also betrayal, heartache, bomb blasts, fisticuffs and a whole lot of plot-twisting shifts in narration too. Of course, the story behind the album is largely unimportant (if you want to keep score at home, here's a handy guide), especially when the album itself hits so hard. The (multi-multi-multi-)tracked guitars squeal and chug for days, and frontman Pink Eyes' screams are so visceral you can practically feel his blood welling up in your headphones. It's an ambitious, ringing, raging success, the kind of record you'll listen to over and over again, either to try and follow the plotline or just get pummeled by the sheer might of the thing. Either way, you'll enjoy yourself.

3. Drake, Take Care
What was that line Drake dropped a few years back? "Last name ever, first name greatest?" Right. Well, here's the proof that he wasn't lying. Take Care is his masterpiece of mope, an agoraphobically artistic exploration of late-night excesses and early morning regrets, of being smothered by fame and troubled by success, of drunken phone calls and drugged-out epiphanies. You can chalk it up to him being "emo," but I prefer to think of it as him just being honest, unafraid to play the villain or point out his own shortcomings. And that's what makes this album so wonderful: It is very much about losing contact, fracturing relationships and attempting to put the pieces back together again. Much like Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (or 808s & Heartbreak), on Take Care, Drake and producer Noah "40" Shebib craft an insular, downright claustrophobic world, one fraught with perils both real and imagined. Though, when your life is as fantastically surreal as Drake's, it's often difficult to tell the difference — much to his dismay, and our benefit.

2. Adele, 21
It's nice when the year's best-selling album also ends up being one of the flat-out best, but, in the case of Adele's 21, we should have seen it coming. After all, she wowed critics and fans with her debut, but this time, well, she's stumbled onto something else entirely. She created a classy, classic album that moved units the old-fashioned way: namely, on the strength of some hits and her prodigious pipes. On 21, she's also grown as an artist, become a singer capable of both tremendous power (like on the smash "Rolling in the Deep") and terrifying tenderness too (like on the smashing "Someone Like You"). A roiling collection of breakup ballads, revenge fantasies, heartbreaking honesty and even a little humor, there truly was no other album quite like 21 released this year. It's a throwback in every way, though it recalls nothing else so closely as it does the heady times when great albums were also great-selling albums. Hopefully, it's a sign of things to come.

1. Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost
In a year when dance music slithered its way onto the top 40 and dudes like Skrillex pick up Best New Artist Grammy nods, I found solace in the bristling, brokenhearted Father, Son, Holy Ghost, a masterful collection of retro-leaning rock (Elvis Costello, Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys) that rang true above everything else. That's mostly because it is an undeniably real album, both sonically (the surging guitars and crashing drums that open "Honey Bunny," the pealing organ that closes "Jamie Marie") and spiritually pining over lost loves and the emptiness of sex. And on two epic, excellent tracks — "Vomit" and "Forgiveness" — songwriter Christopher Owens lets his sadness and frustrations boil over, resulting in two of the most visceral moments of the year. It's a chilling, hair-raising ride, a heartbreaking listen that channels genuine emotions; full of sadness, self-loathing and real anger, it doesn't pull any punches, and somewhere in that morass, it also stumbles across true beauty too. In a time when everyone's got a DJ and people continue to sing like robots from the 23rd century, I'll take Father, Son, Holy Ghost's unflinching realness any day. After all, sadness is a virtue too.

MTV will reveal the best artists, songs and movies of the year. Come to MTV News each day to see more big reveals and check out more of MTV's Best of 2011 music, TV, movies and news coverage.

Taylor Swift Gets 'Much Love' From Flo Rida

Posted: 06 Dec 2011 03:53 AM PST

Rapper 'had an amazing time' performing with Swift on her Speak Now Tour.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Flo Rida
Photo: MTV News

Taylor Swift has shared the stage with some of the biggest (and most surprising) artists during her Speak Now Tour. Everyone from Nicki Minaj and Selena Gomez to Bruce Springsteen has graced the stage with the pop darling in 2011.

During a Miami tour stop last month, the singer brought Flo Rida onstage to perform his very blush-inducing track "Right Round." And if you were surprised to hear about the collaboration, Flo told MTV News at Los Angeles' Jingle Ball over the weekend that he was just as shocked.

"I was in Australia. I got home, and I was actually staying in my condo for the day," he explained. "And I looked down, 'cause my condo, it's right across the street from the arena, and I was like, 'I wonder who's performing?' So I went down there, spur-of-the-moment, and they told me it was Taylor."

Initially, Flo Rida just wanted a chance to catch the show, but when he spoke to her people, it turned into a whole different opportunity. "I spoke with them, and they asked me to perform," he said. "And she was very nice and very humble. I had an amazing time. Her fans are over-the-top. It was crazy. Much love to Taylor Swift."

Swift wrapped up her tour in New York last month. During her Atlanta stop over the summer, she brought another rapper onstage with her: T.I. "I was pleasantly surprised and confused," T.I. told MTV News of receiving the phone call from Swift. "I was confused because I know it's a phenomenal opportunity, but being T.I. — the Rubberband Man — and Taylor Swift being America's Sweetheart, I had just gotten out of prison, like, two days [earlier], and all of a sudden my phone rings."

While the hip-hop appearances on her tour might seem surprising, Swift assured us in October that she really loves the genre. "I'm a huge hip-hop fan, and it's been so amazing to have so many incredible artists come out and to get to sing the hooks on their songs that I've been blasting in my car for the last couple years," she said. "It's been awesome. I couldn't have asked for more amazing special guests on this tour."

Which Taylor collabo were you most surprised about? Let us know in the comments!

Blink-182's 'After Midnight' Video 'A Little Darker'

Posted: 06 Dec 2011 03:53 AM PST

'The song itself is about troubled love,' Mark Hoppus explains, though Tom DeLonge promises new video is mostly 'about sex.'
By James Montgomery


Blink-182 on the set of their video for "After Midnight"
Photo: MTV News

Blink-182's "Up All Night" video was a rather-raucous vision of the teen-pocalypse, with fans running roughshod over (and partying hard on) a deserted suburban landscape.

So when it came time to shoot the video for "After Midnight," the second proper single from their Neighborhoods album, the guys wanted to go a different route — think less wanton destruction, a general lack of exploding cars and waaay less partying. Of course, they ended up going with the same guy who directed "Up All Night," but that's sort of beside the point.

"We went through probably 30 different treatments for this video, and a lot of them were great, and a lot of them weren't so great but [director] Isaac [Rentz's] stuck out as a really cool idea," Mark Hoppus told MTV News on the set of the "Midnight" video, in Tustin, California. "We wanted it to be something different than just a bunch of people having fun and having a party; we wanted it to be a little darker, a little more troubled, and Isaac's treatment did that."

So while they're once again working with Rentz, Blink's "After Midnight" clip is shaping up to be a far cry from "Up All Night," mostly because, as Hoppus explained, the song is about dark things — while still remaining true to the band's roots, of course.

"The song itself is about troubled love, it's about damaged people who fall in love," he said, "and the video takes place in a psychiatric ward, and this guy and this girl escape from their rooms and have a night of romance and passion and fun and wild existence ..."

"It's about sex," Tom DeLonge jokingly added.

"It's not, it's not that tawdry," Hoppus replied, laughing. "Why would you make it that cheap?"

Jimmy Fallon Continues Our Top 50 2011 TV Characters

Posted: 06 Dec 2011 03:53 AM PST

'X Factor' castoff Astro and 'Dance Moms' personality Abby Lee Miller also make MTV News' list, counting down all week long.
By MTV News staff


Jimmy Fallon
Photo: NBC

MTV News' Top 50 TV Characters of 2011 continues with a few must-include entries, as well as some visits from surprise guests.

"X-Factor" contestant Astro makes the cut this round as does "Dance Moms" favorite Abby Lee Miller, but you might be surprised to see certain sports and talk-show personalities who yapped their way onto our Best of 2011 list. Keep reading for the latest entries to our Top 50, and make sure to check out characters 50 to 41 over here.

40. Skip Bayless (ESPN's "First Take")
One of the nation's most respected sportswriters, Bayless got his start at the Miami Herald, eventually rising to prominence at the Los Angeles Times and followed by his coverage of the Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News and Dallas Times Herald. Since many of you don't have an app for those papers, you might know Bayless as the perpetual devil's advocate on ESPN's "First Take." He started as a pundit on ESPN's "Cold Pizza" in a segment called "First Take," but thanks to his arguments with other journalists, athletes and even Lil Wayne, "Cold Pizza" evolved into "First Take." His divisive arguments — most recently his idolatry of Tim Tebow — have garnered the ire of plenty of sports fans, and Skip couldn't be any happier, especially since he's right more often than they'd care to admit. -Steven Roberts

39. Victoria Grayson ("Revenge")
Imagine Blair Waldorf 30 years older and transplanted to the Hamptons, and you've got the central villainess of ABC's newest guilty pleasure "Revenge." The Queen Bee of the tony enclave, Victoria rules with an iron (not to mention, diamond-laced) fist, scheming against anyone who dares get in her way (lovers and best friends included). But Victoria's no sociopath — fleeting flashes of guilt and sorrow betray more than a few vulnerable spots. While revenge-seeking Emily is the protagonist here, it's Madeleine Stowe's Victoria that steals scenes in this sudsy drama. -Amy Wilkinson

38. Marty Funkhouser ("Curb Your Enthusiasm")
Funk-man had a short-yet-rewarding arc this season. He commenced his time on "Curb" with a divorce (though they "had a beautiful marriage"), delivered one of the funniest lines of the season (when he asked Richard Lewis when he plans to look at his new girlfriend's face) and starred in what noted lawyer and academic Alan Dershowitz believes was an episode of television powerful enough to expedite peace in the Middle East — though Larry owed him such shine after leaving his dinner before dessert. -Rya Backer

37. Jimmy Fallon ("Late Night With Jimmy Fallon")
Outside of his portrayal of Barry "F---ing" Gibb on "The Barry Gibb Show," Jimmy Fallon didn't have the most memorable "Saturday Night Live" career. And then there was "Taxi" with Queen Latifah. So expectations weren't necessarily high when Fallon took over "Late Night" after Conan's all-too-brief promotion to "The Tonight Show." But that didn't stop Jimmy from making his show the most-talked-about the next morning either. His first move once he got the job was to hire the coolest band possible in the Legendary Roots Crew, who, along with the show's genius music bookers, have brought us amazing performances from Beyoncé, Odd Future and Justin Timberlake. His regular guests are all too eager to play along as well (Google "Gwyneth Paltrow rapping," please). His viral-worthy segments are perfect water-cooler fodder for those in bed before midnight and on blogs before 9 a.m. -Steven Roberts

36. Abby Lee Miller ("Dance Moms")
If Corky St. Clair and the God Warrior from "Trading Spouses" had a daughter, she'd resemble the human steamroller that is Abby Lee Miller, Pittsburgh's leading dance instructor for tweens. When Miller's not shrieking endlessly quotable gems like "Thou shall not lie, thou shall not steal, and thou shall not disrespect Abby," she's placing her young students' headshots in a pyramid formation based on how much their moms pissed her off that week. But Miller's irresistible crazy shines brightest when she dreams up wildly inappropriate routines for 8-year-olds to "emotionally execute." If "Where Have All the Children Gone?" is not nominated for an Emmy, then voters don't have a soft spot for "child suicide" like Abby Lee Miller. -Jim Cantiello

See our Top 50 TV Characters of 2011, 50 to 41!

35. Mags Bennett ("Justified")
The Bennett matriarch isn't just one of the finest villains in the two-season run of "Justified," but one of the greatest baddies on television all year long. There's a reason nobody batted an eye when Margo Martindale took home the Best Supporting Actress Emmy earlier this year; her Mags is a cold, calculated crime boss dressed up in hillbilly clothing, not one to be underestimated, certainly not when she has the Bennett boys at her disposal. And even though she'll typically lean on one of her three sons to handle the dirty work, don't discount Mags' ability to break bad on her lonesome — needless to say, you should always pass on her apple pie. -Josh Wigler

34. Astro ("The X Factor")
"The X Factor" worked hard to be the opposite of the aging "American Idol," and nothing said "We don't do karaoke" like casting a teenage MC from Brooklyn who spit original rhymes. Each week, Brian "The Astronomical Kid" Bradley, a.k.a. Astro, brought grade-A drama with his defiant hip-hop swagger and dynamic, head-turning verses. The 15-year-old trailblazer wrote his own lyrics and wore his own headphones, and when he landed in the bottom two, he felt like the judges didn't deserve to hear his "survival song." So he stopped the live show — and his perceived front-runner momentum — dead in its tracks. Whether you thought he was an arrogant dope or just plain dope (like we do), there's no denying 'Stro made "The X Factor" one of TV's most exciting, unpredictable competitions in a long time. -Jim Cantiello

33. Kalinda Sharma ("The Good Wife")
Brains. Sexiness. Attitude. Mystery. Add those up and throw in a leather jacket and a pair of knee-high boots and you've got Kalinda Sharma, the in-house investigator at Lockhart Gardner, the law firm at the center of "The Good Wife." Scene-stealing British actor Archie Panjabi won an Emmy last year for playing Kalinda, who remains cloaked in mystery even well into the show's third season. We saw some chinks in Kalinda's armor recently when her friendship with Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) fell apart — she did sleep with Alicia's husband, after all. But those signs of vulnerability make Kalinda even more intriguing. -Tami Katzoff

32. Carla Hall ("Top Chef: All-Stars")
Hootie hoo! Fan favorite Carla Hall found herself back on "Top Chef" for the All-Stars edition of the competition this year, and boy, were we glad to have her back! Carla is always a great source of much-needed comic relief, but for "All-Stars," she proved she's a culinary force to be reckoned with, making it all the way to the finals. -Kevin P. Sullivan

31. A ("Pretty Little Liars")
Never has a text message been so ominous than at the thumbs of A on "Pretty Little Liars." The mystery of the unseen menace is the central plotline of ABC Family's frothy series, and theories abound as to his/her identity — from murderer to dead teen come back to life. It's likely we've already met the treacherous texter, but producers have been clear that we won't know A's true identity for a while (perhaps series' end) — even more reason to keep tuning in week after week. -Amy Wilkinson

MTV will reveal the best artists, songs and movies of the year. Come to MTV News each day to see more big reveals and check out more of MTV's Best of 2011 music, TV, movies and news coverage.

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Jay-Z Hasn't Given Astro A 'Check Or A Contract'

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:52 AM PST

'I have never met anyone from Roc Nation,' 'X Factor' whiz kid tells MTV News. 'I'd love to, but I'm not signed right now.'
By Rob Markman


Astro
Photo: MTV News

Yes, they both rep Brooklyn to the fullest, but Jay-Z has not signed "X Factor"'s rap wunderkind Astro.

"I don't have a check or a contract, so as far as I know, I'm not signed," the 15-year-old MC told MTV News when he stopped by our newsroom on Monday (December 5).

Last week, rumors that Hov signed the L.A. Reid-backed Astronomical Kid began to swirl online but the upstart rapper shot down the buzz. "I have never met anyone from Roc Nation. I'd love to, but I'm not signed right now to anyone," he said. "Nobody ever hit me up about that — just go on the Internet and it's up there. But I'm not signed as far as I know."

On last Thursday's episode, after giving a Michael Jackson-themed performance the night before, Astro was eliminated from the competition. Not that he was sweating it.

"Hey, man, it's for the better," the MC told "X Factor" host Steve Jones during his exit interview. "The only reason I'm mad is 'cause I don't get to see my girl that lives in Cali, but I will be back. ... I love my time. I've gained a lot of fans. People got picket signs tonight. I wish y'all the best of luck."

Astro wowed judges with his initial audition for the show when he rapped his own original composition, the viral hit "Stop Looking at My Mom." And during his "X Factor" run, he took hip-hop hits like Eminem's "Lose Yourself" and Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got," effectively making them his own by adding new lyrics to the already popular beats.

Now that he is off the show, the Brooklyn whiz kid is looking forward to getting back into the studio and eventually signing a deal. "I just want to be in a place where I'm comfortable 100 percent. I just want to be able to release my music, do my movies, [and] everything is fair," he said of his dream deal. "I just want to be able to have fun doing it. I don't want music to be a job for me; I want it to be something I'm doing for fun. As long it's not a job then you're straight."

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Lady Gaga Reveals Favorite 'Marry The Night' Scenes

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:17 AM PST

'The entire story's true, and it's through the lens of how I choose to repaint my past,' she tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Lady Gaga performing "Marry the Night" at the 102.7 KIIS FM's Jingle Ball
Photo: Joe Scarnici/ WireImage

Lady Gaga's "Marry the Night" video debuted last week to all the pomp and circumstance you'd expect from the Mother Monster.

After several teases, the nearly 14-minute-long video was an insider's look at the struggles Gaga went through before she hit it big. Based on her experience of being dropped by Island/Def Jam before getting picked up by Interscope Records, the pop superstar uses some creative license in the clip to share with fans the life-changing experience.

"This was one of the first times that the fashion didn't propel so much of the story line," she told MTV News at Los Angeles' Jingle Ball concert of the self-directed video. "It is autobiographical, so the entire story's true, and it's through the lens of how I choose to repaint my past."

While many of the Grammy nominee's past videos have been focused on the visuals — especially what she's wearing — Gaga said "Marry the Night" was a whole different monster. "Even though the fashion's important, for the first time, it didn't dictate every single moment," she said. "The aesthetic was more driven by the emotion of the song and the feeling of New York City. It was more cinema, art-house inspired."

While there's many memorable scenes and looks in the video (including a mental breakdown in which she smashes Cheerios on her naked body, some "Fame"-inspired dance routines in spandex and, of course, a mental-hospital scene that features a very stylish hospital gown), Gaga explained what she loves the most in the video.

"I do really love the ballet sequence," she said. "The Noritake shoes with the latex ballet outfit, the sort-of broken ballet moment I thought was really beautiful."

While her BeDazzler never makes a cameo in the video, a reference to it and an outfit that is blinged out with sequins remains an equally unforgettable scene. As Gaga is trying to reinvent herself after she is told to give up on ballet, she heads to dance rehearsals wearing her Madonna "Who's That Girl" finest (denim completely covered in sequins) on her way to pop superstardom. Gaga used to BeDazzle her clothes pre-fame, but now, more famous people BeDazzle for her.

"I used to use glue as well, just straight Gem-Tac glue with rhinestones," she said. "But, for example, that outfit was a costume made my Versace. But back in the day, I had just wreaked some havoc on old denim."

What do you think of Gaga's "Marry the Night" fashion? Let us know in the comments!

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Taylor Swift Calls Her Next Album 'Very Different'

Posted: 04 Dec 2011 11:02 PM PST

Country superstar tells MTV News that 2012 project has 'a theme.'
By Christina Garibaldi


Taylor Swift
Photo: Getty Images

This year proved to be another amazing one for Taylor Swift. She just wrapped up the U.S. leg of her Speak Now Tour, released her new Wonderstruck perfume and unveiled her video for "Ours." But now, Swift has her sights set on an even bigger 2012.

Swift is gearing up to release her fourth album, and in an October interview, she revealed that her new songs were not about "moving on." So when MTV News caught up with the country star at the Billboard Women in Music event, we had to ask which emotions were triggering such a personal album.

"I can't tell you, because it's a secret," Swift teased. "It will be unveiled when it all comes out, because they all seem to have a theme to them, the records that we've put out so far, and this one is no different. It's very different in what it's about, but it's no different in the fact that it has its own name." Swift was on hand at the event with another honoree, Nicki Minaj, who is also set to release her new album in 2012, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.

"I love her," Swift said of Minaj. "One of my favorite moments of the tour was when she came out at the Staples Center and sang 'Super Bass' with me, which was, like, the coolest thing. It was like a dream come true, so it's amazing to get to run into her and see her around, and I'm just such a fan."

So would Swift possibly collaborate with Minaj on her next album? "I mean, we're not working on anything right now," Swift said. "But I would love to at some point. That would be amazing."

Are you excited for Swift's new album? Let us know in the comments!

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Best MTV Live Performance Of 2011: Voting Is Open!

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 01:19 AM PST

Jay-Z and Kanye West's VMA set, 30 Seconds to Mars' 'Unplugged' and Beyoncé's big reveal made our top 16 — now you decide on the best.
By Gil Kaufman


Kanye West and Jay-Z perform at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: WireImage

When's the last time Beyoncé came to your job and revealed that she was pregnant with her first child? Or Jay-Z and Kanye West dropped by your party to perform live on TV for the first time as the Throne?

Those are just two of the 16 awesome moments compiled as part of a list of our Best MTV Live Performances of 2011. As the year draws to a close, the music experts at MTV News, MTV.com, Buzzworthy and MTV's music and talent department have narrowed down hundreds of live musical performances from 2011 to a carefully curated 16. Now, it's up to you to vote and decide on the Best MTV Live Performance of the year.

Voting is under way now and will remain open through Monday, December 12, at noon ET.

The choices are pretty amazing and they include Grammy nominee Adele's mesmerizing "Someone Like You" from the VMAs, Odd Future's mayhem-filled performance of "Sandwitches" and "Yonkers" at the 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards and Paramore's set 
at the "Fueled by Ramen 15th Anniversary Concert."

Also on the list is Mac Miller slaying the crowd during "Knock Knock" at "Mac Miller: Live in Chicago," MTV exclusives like 30 Seconds to Mars' MTV "Unplugged" show, Jack's Mannequin's rooftop take on "Release Me" and other memorable moments from Chris Brown, Pitbull, Wiz Khalifa, Lupe Fiasco, Lil Wayne, Foster the People, Robyn and Two Door Cinema Club.

Check out the nominees, watch show highlights and vote for the Best MTV Live Performance of 2011. Stay tuned for the results on Monday, December 12, at noon ET!

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Lil Wayne, A$AP Rocky Drop Best Mixtapes of 2011

Posted: 04 Dec 2011 11:23 PM PST

Mixtape Daily also taps free selections from Wale, Young Jeezy, Future and more in our year-end awards.
By Rob Markman


Photo: MTV News

Mixtape Daily: Best of 2011
Mixtapes are one of the key things that separate hip-hop from every other musical genre. While rock, country and pop fans have to wait until a record label releases an album from their favorite artist, rap fans have developed a unique connection with their fave MCs thanks to the availability of free mixtapes.

In recent years, the free online releases — some of which are even made to sound like albums — increasingly help to raise an MC's stock. 2011 brought on high-profile tapes from veterans like Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy, while newcomers like Future and A$AP Rocky used their tapes to establish their fanbases.

While hundreds of tapes were released this year, Mixtape Daily breaks down the 10 Best of 2011, in no particular order.

2 Chainz's Codeine Cowboy
Every good artist knows the art of reinvention and in 2011, no rapper rebranded himself as effectively as 2 Chainz. Once known as Tity Boy from the Atlanta group Playaz Circle, 2 Chainz cleaned up his act with a name change and a tape to go with it. Codeine Cowboy established the underground ATL veteran as a hitmaker thanks to his infectious money ode "Spend It."

Key Tracks: "Spend It," "LaLa" (featuring Busta Rhymes) and "Kitchen" (featuring Young Jeezy and Pusha T)

A$AP Rocky's LiveLoveA$AP
Before he even dropped his debut mixtape, Harlem MC A$AP Rocky inked a deal worth $3 million with Polo Ground/ RCA. When Rocky released LiveLoveA$AP on Halloween, the N.Y. newcomer with the Southern sensibility had proven that his breakouts "Purple Swag" and "Peso" were no flukes.

Key Tracks: "Peso," "Trilla" and "Brand New Guy" featuring Schoolboy Q

Big K.R.I.T.'s Returnof4Eva
Most artists use a combination of original tracks and freestyles over well-known beats on their mixtapes, but producer/MC Big K.R.I.T. has always separated himself from the pack by producing his own material. Following the success of 2010's breakout K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, the 2011 XXL Freshman delivered once again with Returnof4Eva.

Key Tracks: "Country Sh-- (Remix)" (featuring Ludacris and Bun B), "Rotation" and "Dreamin' "

Future's True Story
Sure, Future dropped a few mixtapes before True Story, but with catchy tracks like "Magic" and "Tony Montana," how could fans not be checking for the "Racks"-featured rapper?

Key Tracks: "Magic" and "Tony Montana"

Lil Wayne's Sorry 4 the Wait
How considerate is Lil Wayne? After his label pushed back the release of his super-hyped Tha Carter IV, Weezy decided to give his fans a little something to make up for the delay. The aptly titled Sorry 4 the Wait found Tunechi reworking songs like Kreayshawn's "Gucci Gucci" and Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" over the course of 12 tracks. After a ton of mixtape downloads and double-platinum sales of Tha Carter IV, it's clear that fans have accepted Wayne's apology.

Key Tracks: "Sure Thing (Freestyle)," "Gucci Gucci (Freestyle)" and "Tunechi's Back"

Ludacris' 1.21 Gigawatts: Back to the First Time
Ludacris is a rapper's rapper. Don't let his new line of Soul headphones, Conjure liquor or Hollywood movie roles fool you: Mr. Lova Lova takes MC'ing very seriously and it shows on 1.21 Gigawatts. Not only does Luda experiment with new flows on "Rich & Flexin' " and "Muthaf---a Can U Buy That," he wages war against Drake and Big Sean on "Bada Boom."

Key Tracks: "Bada Boom," "Shake and Fries" (featuring Gucci Mane) and "Rich & Flexin' " (featuring Waka Flocka Flame)

Meek Mill's Dreamchasers
After making his mark on Maybach Music's Self Made compilation with standout tracks like "Tupac Back," and "Ima Boss," many expected Meek Mill to drop his debut album right away. But rather than rush, Meek held fans over with his Dreamchasers tape. It's quite the appetizer. Over the course of 19 tracks, the Philly MC gives fans a mix of everything: There are hits, some freestyles and even an intricate story rhyme on "Tony Story." Well done.

Key Tracks: "House Party" (featuring Young Chris), "Work" (featuring Rick Ross) and "Tony Story"

Pusha T's Fear of God
As one-half of the Clipse, Push has always been a highly regarded lyrcist, but stepping out as a soloist can be tricky. On his first work without his brother Malice, Pusha Ton showed and proved, so much so that after Fear of God was released as a free mixtape on the Net, it was re-released at retail.

Key Tracks: "My God," "Feeling Myself" and "Raid" (featuring 50 Cent and Pharrell)

Wale's The Eleven One Eleven Theory
After getting his Twitter following to 1 million, Wale dropped his The Eleven One Eleven Theory mixtape to hype up the release of his sophomore album Ambition. When the tape first dropped online, it crashed a few file-sharing sites. And once listeners were able to download and digest Wale's work, it quickly became a fan favorite.

Key Tracks: "Bait," "Chain Music" and "Ambitious Girl 2"

Young Jeezy's The Real Is Back
Young Jeezy's TM 103 (due this month) saw a series of delays, but that doesn't mean that the Snowman wasn't working. On his The Real Is Back mixtape, Jeezy squashed the beef with DJ Drama and collaborated on one of the year's best. Through 21 tracks, Jeezy delivers his unique brand of trap music as only he can.

Key Tracks:"Win Win," "Rollin" (featuring Fabolous), "Run DMC" (featuring Freddie Gibbs) and "Ballin' " featuring Lil Wayne

Think we missed a major mixtape? Sound off on our RapFix blog or in the comments below!

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Jay-Z/Kanye Can't Top Yuck: My Favorite 2011 Album

Posted: 04 Dec 2011 11:34 PM PST

Coldplay, Girls and Lykke Li also among year's best, but Yuck's self-titled debut tops this MTV News writer's list.
By Gil Kaufman


Kanye West and Jay-Z
Photo: The Washington Post/Getty Images

Year-end album lists are kind of like going to a high school reunion: You feel obligated to do it, you way overthink things and nobody wants to show up with an unfashionable look that nobody else is rocking.

Some people reach for an obscurity to up their cred or go with the big, dumb, obvious choice to avoid making waves and be down with the cool kids. When asked to only pick one album from 2011, I just prefer to cheat.

That's why I'll mention that I was way into things like Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne for its brash, bombastic rap supremacy; Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto for its willingness to take chances; and the truly excellent old-school/new-school fire of reggae icon Jimmy Cliff's Tim-Armstrong-produced Sacred Fire EP. Lykke Li's subtly moving, deceptively funky Wounded Rhymes did it for me, as did My Morning Jacket's always brain-expanding sound on Circuital. EMA's brain-buzzing, reverb-flooded Past Life and Martyred Saints did the trick, along with tUnE-yArDs' kitchen-sink, jungle-funking Whokill.

Hell, I might even mention that I couldn't put down Girls' seductively simple Father, Son, Holy Ghost, James Blake's trancy self-titled debut or Wu Lyf's gruff, confounding Go Tell Fire to the Mountain.

But while all excellent, none of those are my top album of the year. That honor goes to London shoegazer revivalists Yuck, whose self-titled debut album was like a time machine back to my indie-rock musical youth. As much as I love listening to new artists make the most of modern technology and blaze trails, this year I was drawn to albums by bands like the Dum Dum Girls and Yuck, which pay homage to such college-rock forebearers as My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, Jesus and Mary Chain, Sparklehorse, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth.

Songs like Yuck's, yes, soothing "Soothe Me" and the druggy ripsaw guitar boogie of "Holing Out," with its briefly spiraling solo and dreamy multi-tracked vocals, just speak to the club jockey in me. I haven't had a chance to see Yuck live yet, but listening to their music feels like beer-soaked floors, sweaty front-of-stage scrums, ringing ears and watery mixed drinks.

They're in no hurry on "Georgia," plugging along on tambourines and blown-out double guitar boogie, as vocalist Ilana Blumberg seductively sings beneath the bramble of noise about dreams and love confusion. Yeah, it's often a slapdash-seeming mess ("Rubber") or a bit too precious in its love of all things Smashing Pumpkins ("Milkshake"), but that was the noise-pop alley I felt like lurking in this year.

Share your favorite albums of 2011 in the comments below!

We'll be rolling out more MTV News writers' album of the year picks all week. In the meantime, check out MTV's Best of 2011 coverage!

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Roscoe Dash Already Planning <i>J.U.I.C.E.</i> EP Follow-Up

Posted: 04 Dec 2011 11:23 PM PST

'I'mma do another album at the top of March,' Roscoe Dash tells MTV News, weeks before his debut EP's release.
By Rob Markman


Roscoe Dash
Photo: MTV News

Roscoe Dash's debut EP isn't even in stores yet, and the ATL hitmaker is already making plans for another project.

"I'mma do another album at the top of March," he told MTV News last week.

Dash's J.U.I.C.E. (Just Understand I Control Everything) is due December 20. The project will feature Roscoe's current single, "Good Good Night," as well as "Sidity," an upbeat collaboration with Big Sean.

Though he is classified in the rapper category, Dash is known to employ lots of melody into his songs. After breaking out in 2009 with his "All the Way Turnt Up" single, Dash has become one of the more popular hook men in rap. As a featured artist he has sung hooks for Big Sean and Kanye West ("Marvin & Chardonnay"), Waka Flocka Flame ("No Hands") and DJ Drama ("Oh My").

On J.U.I.C.E., Roscoe continues to play to his strengths. "I Do" is a triumphant message to his haters, while "Into the Morning" with Wale is a kinetic party tune. On "Very First Time," Roscoe slows things down a bit and pays homage to his R&B influences.

The next project, tentatively titled J.U.I.C.E. Forever, will stand as an extension of the upcoming EP. "I just feel like it's a one-two punch. It's an easy combo. I feel like my fans deserve it," Roscoe said. "They've been waiting a long time; they've been holding me down as far as the mixtapes go and I feel like every time I put out a mixtape it's kinda like an album."

Are you looking forward to Roscoe Dash's J.U.I.C.E. EP? Tell us in the comments!

T.I. Calls Taylor Swift Duet 'Phenomenal Opportunity'

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:48 AM PST

'I was pleasantly surprised and confused,' Tip tells MTV News of invitation from Swift days after his prison release.
By Nadeska Alexis


T.I.
Photo: MTV News

Just a few days after completing an 11-month prison sentence in September, T.I. received a phone call directly from Taylor Swift, requesting that he join her on the Atlanta stop of her Speak Now Tour.

Tip graciously accepted Swift's offer to duet on his single "Live Your Life," and the October performance — T.I.'s first post-release — made plenty of headlines. While promoting his new VH1 reality series, "T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle," which premieres Monday night (December 5) at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the Atlanta MC told MTV News that he was just as shocked as his fans were about the collabo.

"I was pleasantly surprised and confused," T.I. said of receiving the phone call from Swift. "I was confused because I know it's a phenomenal opportunity, but being T.I. — the Rubberband Man — and Taylor Swift being America's Sweetheart, I had just gotten out of prison like two days [earlier] and all of a sudden my phone rings."

Tip says that on episode three of "The Family Hustle," fans will see how the show came together, but he gave us a brief summary of his experience.

"There were significant differences in a Taylor Swift show from a T.I. show," he said, clearly amused at the thought. "You could take the biggest of the biggest hip-hop artists — even a Kanye West or Jay-Z show — and their concerts or tours, they gon' be just a world away from a [Taylor Swift] show."

According to T.I., the most notable difference was having a drama-free experience. "Everything is so calm and cool and arranged and on time, and everything is so neat and people are quiet and polite," T.I. said of the concert, still in disbelief. "Everything just flows smoothly, not a hitch, not a wrinkle, not a hiccup. Whereas hip-hop shows, no matter how big the production, no matter how elaborate it is, it's always friction and ups and downs. With her, everything was smooth; nobody raised their voice."

When MTV News caught up with Taylor back in October, the pop star told her side of the story, explaining that she was just grateful T.I. had even fielded her request.

"Well, I called T.I. the night before the show, so I felt like it's such short notice that [he wouldn't do it with me], and he's just like, 'Hey, yeah, sure,' " she recalled. "And it was just amazing. I was so excited 'cause I'm such a fan and I thought, 'This is such short notice, this is so ridiculous that I'm asking him to do this the night before.' And he's like, 'I'll be there.' And he showed up for soundcheck and we were all just so starstruck."

"T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle" premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on VH1.

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B.o.B, Lil Wayne Rhyme Beneath 'Strange Clouds' In Video

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:55 AM PST

Song 'really [lets] people know we're back,' Bobby Ray says of title track off upcoming LP.
By Steven Roberts


B.o.B
Photo: MTV News

The video for B.o.B's "Strange Clouds" dropped Monday morning (December 5); the Motion Family-directed clip features Bobby Ray and Lil Wayne rhyming in a field beneath a sky of — you guessed it — strange clouds. The song serves as the first single off B.o.B's sophomore effort of the same name. But when MTV News recently caught up with B.o.B, he revealed that the Dr. Luke track was originally just something he wanted to rhyme on.

"I was actually in mixtape mode when I heard it, so I just really wanted to go in on the beat. A hook came to me, and it kind of started to stick out to me the more and more I listened to it, and it ended up being the title track for the album," said B.o.B. "I wanted to get an artist on it who could really bring it even more to life, the whole concept of 'Strange Clouds.' "

He said that "Strange Clouds" could mean a variety of things from lacunosus clouds to unidentified flying objects to puffs of the most exotic of plants. He wanted to get an artist on it who could really bring that idea to life, and who better than Lil Wayne?

"We brought the record to him, we turned it around real quick, and when we put our final ears to it, we were like, 'Yeah, this is the first one to come out and really let people know we're back.' "

B.o.B said the album's sound was a fusion of a lot of different things. He said his music has danced around in a lot of genres, whether pop, rock or hip-hop, but ultimately he wants listeners to feel good about it.

"Really, at the end of the day, music is supposed to make you feel good, and at the same time, I'm an MC at the end of the day also, so there's a lot more of that in the album," he said.

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'Dark Knight Rises': Top 10 Photos of 2011

Posted: 04 Dec 2011 10:12 PM PST

Take a look at the best snapshots from Gotham in The Weekly Rising.
By Kevin P. Sullivan


Christian Bale and Tom Hardy on the set of "Dark Knight Rises"
Photo: Getty Images

The entirety of this year has been spent in "The Dark Knight Rises" anticipation. Last year was all about "Inception" and its accompanying conspiracy theories. (COBB'S WEDDING RING IS HIS TOTEM!!! OMG!) But 2011 was nothing but pure excitement for Christopher Nolan's return to Gotham City. Fans waited eagerly for any bit of information that might leak from the set, living from set photo to official snapshot.

With so many now iconic and infamous pictures that made up the "Dark Knight Rises" hype landscape for 2011, this seems like a good time, as part of MTV News' look back at the Best of 2011, to check out the 10 best "Rises" pictures from the year.

10. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Mr. Freeze
Back in February, when JGL joined the cast, the speculative theories abounded as to who the actor would be playing. Over at Splash Page, the team put together Photoshops of Gordon-Levitt as different Batman villains, including a believable Mr. Freeze.

9. Empire's Batman Cover
Bane may have won the fan poll to reveal his cover first, but the Batman cover held more surprises for fans. In it, he held what looks like some new tech from his man Lucius Fox. We'll have to wait and see what the weapon ends up doing.

8. Catwoman Revealed
Warner Bros. rushed out the first official picture of Catwoman after on-set photos were set to leak any moment. The picture shocked because of Selina Kyle's new ride, the Batpod. The first photo stirred controversy and led to loads of analysis, including an article by MTV's Brian Phares that led to an Anne Hathway reply.

7. Bane Revealed
It wasn't much of a look, but it was enough to finally get fans excited about the prospect of having Bane as the movie's main villain. Nolan delivered on the same realistic, darker look for the Batman universe.

6. First Poster Released
"Inception 2"? That was the general response to the first, very "Inception"-influenced poster for "The Dark Knight Rises," and that is by no means a bad thing. The poster let everyone know that all is not well in Gotham, and it's time for Batman to finally return.

5. Most Realistic. Fan Poster. Ever.
It probably made you do a double take. It fooled me for sure. The expertly crafted fake perfectly combined the look of Nolan's films and some pictures that looked completely believable.

4. Catwoman Shows Off Her Ears
One of the biggest complaints from the first Catwoman photo was the lack of ears. What's a Catwoman without her ears? Turns out that they were there all along. They were just covering her eyes.

3. The Batwing and the Bomb
Perhaps the most interesting spy photo of the year showed Batman in his trusty Batwing hovering over a device that clearly looks like some sort of bomb. There are so many questions one could ask, but just staring at the pictures reminds you why you're excited for this movie.

2. Bane Remembers Harvey Dent
The cast has been talking about the importance of "Rises" as the conclusion of a trilogy, and Empire provided some evidence toward that notion when it released this photo of Bane holding a picture of Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. How does the former District Attorney factor into the story line seven or eight years down the line?

1. Batman and Bane Duke It Out
This photo says it all, doesn't it? This is exactly what we all want to see come next July. Bane is a more physical opponent than Batman's had in the series, and we're finally going to see him go blow to blow with a big, hulking monster.

Honorable Mention: My Set Visit
So maybe I didn't get to see much. Just being on the set and seeing the work that goes into making a movie on this scale solidified "The Dark Knight Rises" as my most anticipated of 2012.

Check out everything we've got on "The Dark Knight Rises."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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Madonna To Play Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 05:20 AM PST

Singer will perform alongside Cirque du Soleil.
By Gil Kaufman


Madonna
Photo: Getty Images

The worst-kept secret in sports and music has finally been confirmed: Madonna will play the halftime show at Super Bowl XLVI on February 5. The gig has been rumored for months, but on Sunday night the NFL confirmed that Madonna will make her Super Bowl debut in an extravaganza that will be "imagined" by Cirque du Soleil and her longtime choreographer/creative director Jamie King.

The game is scheduled for the first Sunday in February at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and the halftime booking continues a recent trend of inviting global superstars to rock the biggest TV event of the year. Madonna follows in the footsteps of last year's entertainment, the Black Eyed Peas, as well as recent gigs by Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, U2, Paul McCartney and Prince.

The gig will take place just two days before Madonna's English romantic drama, "W.E.," hits theaters. The singer is also slated to release her as-yet-untitled 12th studio album in 2012 and a first single could drop around the time of the Super Bowl.

Singer M.I.A. recently confirmed
 that she and Nicki Minaj have collaborated with Madonna on a new song reportedly titled "Give Me All Your Love," which leaked last month.

"Summond to NYC by bitchesses MADONNA and NICKIMINAJ," M.I.A. tweeted over the Thanksgiving weekend. "cofffffiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee it iz a good day to get me tho trustttt bitches."

The leak may have pleased fans, but it left Madonna and her camp pretty unhappy. Shortly after the track hit the Web, Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary, tweeted a response to the leak. "The plan was for new music to come out in the new year," he said. "I'm very happy with the positive reaction to the demo, but we are very upset with whoever leaked the song!!!!!!!! we are asking that the fans please help us police any more leaks. we have a lot in store for you. but please respect the process."

Madonna, via Oseary, also expressed her feelings about the leak. "Madonna told me this morning 'my true fans wouldn't do this,' " he wrote. "Whoever is responsible for this leak, we ask that you please stop!"

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Rihanna Wants <i>Talk That Talk</i> To 'Change Music'

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:25 AM PST

Calvin Harris collaborations on new album help the star to push the musical envelope, Def Jam exec tells MTV News.
By Rebecca Thomas


Rihanna
Photo: Getty Images

After the success of Grammy-nominated Loud, Rihanna and Def Jam's VP of A&R, Bu Thiam, were faced with a dilemma. Namely, how to top that record on the pop star's sixth go at a full-length album, Talk That Talk.

To understand how passionate Thiam is about that first collabo with Ms. Fenty, know that when MTV News caught up with him last week, he half-jokingly threatened to "pull a Kanye" if the Bajan superstar doesn't take home the coveted Album of the Year in February. The follow-up (Rih and Bu's second walk down the studio aisle) to Loud needed to do no less than "change music."

"My job as an A&R is to always bring her different records that are hit records but doesn't sound like anything she's done in the past," Thiam explained.

The stylish VP (and brother of hip-hop star Akon) was sporting some extra scruff and a full head of hair thanks to coming out on the losing end of a bet with Young Jeezy, whose highly anticipated TM 103 Thiam also helped steer to its December 20 drop date. We were eager to hear about how Rih's team strategized early on for her latest LP. The exec recalled the initial meeting he and Rihanna had when Talk That Talk was still just chatter.

"Her whole thing is, 'How can we be different? How can we change music? How can we go from having a great album like Loud and still come with a better album and keep pushing and keep hitting the bar?' The good thing about Rihanna," he said, "is that she doesn't want to be in the same realm as anybody else. She wants to be in a zone where when you think of Rihanna, you think of new, you think of different."

"Different" (Thiam uses the word like a mantra) meant bringing EDM wunderkind Calvin Harris into the fold. The Scotsman happens to share a management home with Rihanna in Roc Nation, where Jay Brown made the introductions.

Songwriter/producer Harris not only injected Talk That Talk with a pair of hypnotic dance numbers, "Where Have You Been" and "We Found Love," but his latter contribution gave Rihanna the 11th #1 single of her career.

Still, even as "We Found Love" tops Billboard's Hot 100 for the fifth consecutive week, Thiam said it wasn't a sure shot: a melancholy track that essentially consists of a hook looping around a single verse. "With the Calvin Harris record, it's a different-sounding pop record ... it's not the usual dance-floor 808," he conceded.

The growing predominance of DJ culture in pop music may have helped usher Harris to the project, but the 23-year-old singer's desire to strike her own chord was the ultimate green light. "It's a different sound and that's what she wanted to go with," Bu added. "She wanted to change music. I have to salute her for taking a chance 'cause most artists wouldn't have done that."

What's your favorite Talk That Talk track? Tell us in the comments!

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Khloe Kardashian Sued For Assault

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST

Transgender woman Chantal Spears claims Kardashian assaulted her outside a Hollywood nightclub in 2009.
By Jocelyn Vena


Khloe Kardashian
Photo: Getty Images

Khloe Kardashian may be in some legal trouble. The reality star is reportedly being sued for assault in connection with an alleged incident that took place in Hollywood in 2009.

TMZ reported that Kardashian got into an argument with a transgender woman named Chantal Spears (real name Ronald Spears) on December 5, 2009, at Playhouse nightclub. Spears claims that the reality star pushed and struck her "in and about her body," leading to injuries.

The website further reports that the altercation took place when Spears allegedly walked up to Khloe's husband, Lamar Odom, and told him that he was "too young to be married." In a video posted at the time of the incident, she told a cameraman for the website, "All I was telling Lamar Odom is maybe he is too young to get married, and all of a sudden I get this big push from this girl," she explained. "She hit me. She pushed me and hit me. [Security] didn't say nothing. It was her. She looked in my face. I tried to get her and she pushed me again."

Later Spears is seen holding up a police report and saying, "She's in trouble. Yeah, [she's going to court] because everyone seen her hit me first."

In her lawsuit, Spears says she didn't provoke anyone and is seeking unspecified damages. A rep for Kardashian had not responded to MTV News' request for comment by press time.

Demi Lovato Returns To Treatment Center As Guest Speaker

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 07:41 AM PST

'Wow what an inspiring day ... Many tears were shed and many memories were brought back,' Lovato tweets about the experience.
By Jocelyn Vena


Demi Lovato
Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage

Since leaving an Illinois treatment center earlier this year, Demi Lovato has been doing her part to encourage young women to face their problems and deal with them head on. Lovato, who had received treatment at Timberline Knolls for several months to deal with issues ranging from cutting to eating disorders, tweeted about her return visit to treatment over the weekend.

"Wow what an inspiring day ... Many tears were shed and many memories were brought back at Timberline Knolls today," she wrote on Sunday, a year after she first entered the facility. "Today I went back to the treatment center I went to last year to speak to the beautiful women fighting their inner demons. was so honored."

Lovato hasn't been shy about letting people in on her personal journey over the past 12 months, and she said that speaking at the center was a culmination of that experience. "To be able to share my story and let them know that it gets easier ... Life is beautiful ... you are worthy of it. Please say a prayer for all of those struggling with eating disorders, self-harm, mood disorders, and substance abuse," she said.

Since leaving Timberline Knolls, Lovato has focused on her music career, including the release of her album Unbroken and going out on a tour. She plans to release the track "Give Your Heart a Break" as her next single, a report she confirmed on Twitter. In September, she shared with MTV News that she planned to release "Who's That Boy" as a single off the album as well.

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