MTV News |
- Exclusive: Astro Signs With 'X Factor' Mentor L.A. Reid
- 'American Idol': 10 Predictions For Season 11
- 'American Idol': Where Are Katharine McPhee, Leah LaBelle Now?
- Exclusive: Nick Cannon Talks 'Healthy Living'
- 'Twilight: The Musical': Five Reasons To Go
- 'RapFix Live' To Celebrate 20th Anniversary Of 'Juice'
- Amber Rose Doesn't 'Forgive' Kanye West
- Exclusive: Shyne And Diddy Reconcile Over The Phone
- 'The Killing' Star Promises High-Stakes Season Two
- Cuba Gooding Jr. Calls 'Red Tails' An 'Amusement Park Ride'
- Can 'American Idol' Soar Again? Experts Weigh In
- Obama Campaign Looking For Assists From Jay-Z, Fergie?
- Cee Lo's 'Anyway' Is 'A Little Dark,' Wallpaper. Says
- My Chemical Romance's 'Kids From Yesterday': Death Of <i>Danger</i>
- Lana Del Rey's 'SNL' Performance Has Critics Howling
- 'Batman Begins': Why A Second Look May Surprise You
- 'Twilight: The Musical' Vamps In New York
- Paris Hilton Tackling 'Whole New Genre' On Next Album
- Taylor Swift Talks Relationship 'Red Flags' In <i>Vogue</i>
- 'Contraband' Sweeps Weekend Box Office
| Exclusive: Astro Signs With 'X Factor' Mentor L.A. Reid Posted: 18 Jan 2012 03:53 AM PST Teenage MC will be on today's 'RapFix Live' at 4 p.m. on MTV.com to discuss his new deal with Epic Records.
Astro might not have taken home top honors on "X Factor," but the 15-year-old Brooklyn MC scored a huge win nonetheless. MTV News has exclusively learned that the Astronomical Kid signed a deal with "X Factor" mentor L.A. Reid over at Epic Records. The young rap phenom will appear on today's "RapFix Live" to formally announce the deal in detail.
After the teenage rapper was sent home during the show's December 1 episode, rumors began to swirl about where he would end up. Reports that 'Stro would sign with Jay-Z's Roc Nation hit the Web early, but in an interview with MTV News, the pint-size MC quickly shot that notion down. "I have never met anyone from Roc Nation. I'd love to, but I'm not signed right now to anyone," he said during a December 5 interview. "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." Though Hov is one of his favorite rappers, the Brooklyn whiz kid wasn't necessarily looking to sign based off star power alone. "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 told MTV News 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." It seems that Reid has provided the youngster with everything he was looking for. No word yet on when Astro will drop his debut album, but then again, at 15 years old, he has all the time in the world. What do you think of Astro's deal with Epic Records? Tell us in the comments! Catch Astro, Naughty by Nature and Khalil Kain on "RapFix Live" today at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Send your questions for the artists @MTVRapFiX! |
| 'American Idol': 10 Predictions For Season 11 Posted: 18 Jan 2012 03:53 AM PST We gaze into the crystal ball to forecast the 11th season of 'Idol,' in Bigger Than the Sound.
Believe it or not, "American Idol" kicks off its 11th season Wednesday night (January 17), and for longtime fans of the show (like myself), it is a time of great trepidation. And not just because we've got nothing but auditions to look forward to for the next 354 weeks. Instead, rarely, if ever, has the future — nay, the very existence — of the program been as cloudy as it is right now.
I'm not about to float the notion that "Idol" may be on the chopping block; after all, it still pulls in massive ratings and is in about as much danger of being canceled as "CSI: Los Vegas" or whatever it's called. And it's already survived not only the exodus of Simon Cowell, but the addition (and subsequent subtraction) of several judges too. Rather, for the first time in its history, the show must not only compete with another budget-busting singing contest (that would be, of course, "The Voice," debuting after the Super Bowl next month), but it must redefine its relevancy. There was a time when "Idol" was capable of not only captivating the nation, but creating actual hitmakers, though, given the list of recent winners — Taylor Hicks, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze — you probably wouldn't know it. And while you could chalk that up to the whims (and demographics) of "Idol" viewers, the gender — and relative lack of success — of the show's past few champs does raise a rather interesting point: If anything, "American Idol" has become a show antithetical to the current state of popular music, which has become increasingly dominated by female artists like Adele, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Tellingly, it's debatable whether any of them could even win "Idol" these days; after all, the last female champion was Jordin Sparks back in 2007, and since then, we've only had two ladies even make the finale: Crystal Bowersox and Lauren Alaina, neither of whom fit the current pop-star mold. If anything, "American Idol" has become a boys club, and while that club has certainly turned up a few gems along the way (Adam Lambert, David Archuleta), it has also very much worked to the show's detriment. Does that speak to an aging audience, the show's declining influence or both? Are the show's glory days behind it, or can it reinvent itself once again in 2012? Those are all weighty questions — ones that basically ensure I'll be glued to my set all season long ("American Idol" is nothing if not a rather fascinating social experiment, no?). Still, we're talking about a TV show here, so, in an attempt to provide some levity, here are my not-at-all serious predictions for the brand-new season. Accuracy not guaranteed, except for the Madonna one; I'm pretty sure she'll show up and call someone "reductive" at least once this year. So read on, fellow "Idol" aficionados," and hope my last prediction doesn't come true — even though I'm willing to bet it does. » Early in the auditions, I shall pronounce a bluesy, female singer with a rough-and-tumble background the legitimate front-runner, at which point my wife will discourage me from drinking while watching "American Idol." » Jennifer Lopez chokes a contestant after an ill-advised Marc Anthony cover. » A disheveled Lee DeWyze, covered in blood of an indeterminate origin, will stumble onto the stage and attempt to play his post-"Idol" single, "Sweet Serendipity," only to break down in tears and repeatedly shout "You did this to me" until he is removed by security. » In a shameless and ill-advised bit of integrated marketing, FremantleMedia teams with Lionsgate for a "Hunger Games"-themed episode, in which contestants, rather than being voted off, are shot through the heart with arrows. » Madonna will periodically make guest appearances just to throw shade at everybody. » In a stunning heel turn, Randy Jackson will lay out Ryan Seacrest with a vicious chair shot, pose over his fallen colleague, then remove his cardigan to reveal an "X Factor" T-shirt. » Steven Tyler: Now with 70 percent more dangly accessories. » In an attempt to spice up the show, "Idol" producers will force the top 12 to investigate paranormal activity at that haunted mansion from last season — you know, sort of like "Ghost Hunters" or whatever. » Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, and based on nothing more than blind fandom, I will predict that this is the season where "Idol" rediscovers its old magic and produces a champion who ends up becoming a genuine pop superstar. » A white guy will end up winning anyway. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos Related Artists |
| 'American Idol': Where Are Katharine McPhee, Leah LaBelle Now? Posted: 18 Jan 2012 03:53 AM PST We also check in with Justin Guarini, Ruben Studdard, Constantine Maroulis and more 'Idol' alumni before season 11 kicks off.
"American Idol" kicks off its 11th season Wednesday night with its first of eight audition episodes. But before we're inundated with a new batch of contestants (many of whom we'll forget about by June), let's play catch-up with some noteworthy alums. Sure, our Kellys and Carries have remained household names throughout the years, but others — like Katharine McPhee and Leah LaBelle — are poised to have their biggest post-"Idol" years yet. Let's check in with standouts from seasons one through five:
Season One The Goofy One: Justin Guarini hasn't released a full-length album since 2005's Stranger Things Have Happened, but the inaugural runner-up kept busy in 2011 appearing in Broadway's "American Idiot" as well as touring companies of "Rent" and "Chicago." On a personal note, the crooner and his wife had a baby boy last April. And yes, since "Idol," he's chopped his signature "Felicity-meets-Sideshow Bob" locks. Season Two The One You Shouldn't Count Out Just Yet: Most of America hasn't paid much attention to the Velvet Teddy Bear since "Sorry (2004)," and Ruben Studdard finally realized fans like him best when he sings about calendars. Studdard kicked off 2012 with a well-reviewed single called "June 28th (I'm Single)" about his recent divorce. The catchy throwback jam is currently climbing the urban charts, so don't be surprised if his upcoming album moves some serious units when it lands in March. The One You Had No Idea Was On "Idol": Ashley Hartman had a six-episode stint on the first season of "The O.C." as Summer and Marissa's buddy Holly. Turns out Simon Cowell's "You should act, not sing" critique was correct! Season Three The One We Can't Stop Rooting For: Fantasia, Fantasia, Fantasia. Your 2010 album Back to Me was full of retro nuggets like the Grammy-winning "Bittersweet" and shoulda-been-a-hit "Collard Greens and Cornbread," but just when your music career gets back on track, your life spins out of control. Here's hoping you can turn your personal drama into big-screen gold when you star as Mahalia Jackson in your first official feature-film role. The One You Shouldn't Count Out Just Yet: Leah LaBelle barely made the top 12 back in 2004 — when she was a cocky 17-year-old with shaky vocals living under the shadow of a Bulgarian pop-star mother — but the 25-year-old just made headlines by getting signed to L.A. Reid's Epic Records under the guidance of heavyweights Jermaine Dupri and Pharrell Williams. Seriously! The One You Had No Idea Was On "Idol": Soap fans might remember Duke Buchanan on "One Life to Live" before he was killed by a tornado in 2006. The Matthew Morrison look-alike got his start on "Idol" as a semifinalist. Season Four The Goofy One: Constantine Maroulis finally got some respect with a Tony-nominated turn in Broadway's "Rock of Ages" in 2009. Constantine fans might be bummed that he won't be reprising the Drew role in the big-screen adaptation coming out in 2012, but keep your eyes peeled, because director Adam Shankman gave him a quick walk-on appearance as a producer. The One You Had No Idea Was On "Idol": Prior to winning the sixth season of "Nashville Star," Melissa Lawson made it to the top 75 during Hollywood Week on "Idol." Season Five
The One You Shouldn't Count Out Just Yet: Katharine McPhee's career has been full of starts and stops. But now that she's on NBC's high-profile midseason replacement "Smash" (including an inescapable ad campaign that claims to be "introducing" McPhee to America's living rooms), expect to see the season five runner-up reach new heights. You saw her hobnobbing with Hollywood's elite at the Golden Globes this past Sunday. Twelve months from now, you may just see her onstage holding a Globe of her own. The Goofy One: Taylor Hicks got some love last April when Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert invited him to appear on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" during Colbert's cover of Rebecca Black's "Friday," a performance that instantly went viral and showed that Hicks is still as charmingly offbeat as you remember. The other goofy alum of season five, Kellie Pickler, is ready to show her mature side with a traditional country album, 100 Proof, out next week. On Thursday, Jim will check in with standouts from seasons six through 10. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Exclusive: Nick Cannon Talks 'Healthy Living' Posted: 17 Jan 2012 05:02 AM PST 'I don't get to eat the things that I like,' Cannon says in first on-camera interview since his hospitalization.
On Tuesday (January 17) Nick Cannon returned to the office for his first day back to work after being hospitalized for kidney failure two weeks ago. After an initial diagnosis of kidney stones, doctors determined that Cannon's kidneys were beginning to fail thanks to an overdose of protein, medication he was taking and a lack of proper sustenance. Sitting at his desk, Cannon told MTV News that his road to recovery includes a new diet, which forces him to cut back on some of his favorite eats.
"I'm feeling good, I'm in the office, I'm grinding, the only thing that sucks is that I'm on the renal diet," Cannon said. "It's all about healthy living and fueling your system, but I don't get to eat the things that I like to eat. You've got to stay hydrated and [eat] fruits and vegetables for breakfast." After admitting that a more typical breakfast would usually include Lucky Charms cereal ("I can't have none of that stuff anymore"), Cannon explained that simple foods like oats are now on the menu. "Not even the good oatmeal," Cannon said. "Real oats, like horse-feed stuff — but it's cool. I've got to start to love it." According to Cannon, the diet will be implemented in phases, and as his body slowly recovers, he'll be able to incorporate Lucky Charms and other banned foods into his regimen once again. "Right now I'm still on the strict diet and I can't have any sodium, but as a couple of weeks go by and everything gets leveled out, then I can start having low sodium," he said, revealing that hot sauce has been his solution for adding spice to his diet. "I can still have Tabasco sauce, so I'm excited about that because I love hot sauce. I'll be putting Tabasco sauce on carrots, like, 'This tastes delicious!' " Dietary restrictions aside, the entertainment mogul and father of two is also reassessing his approach to healthy living. His hesitation to visit doctors, for example, is out the door. "I feel 100 percent right now, but obviously the doctors tell you to take it slow," he said. "This is definitely the first time anything like this has ever happened to me. I've always thought that I was doing the right things, but that's why I now encourage everybody to get checkups, get physicals, know what's going on in your system and don't play around with your body. "I always considered myself as someone who was in great shape, but I was doing too much [to my body] so my immune system got confused and just started attacking my kidneys," he continued. "You look at my Twitter picture and I look like I'm in shape, but I was putting the wrong stuff into my body, speeding all the time, not sleeping and eating properly — it's all about taking time and really caring about yourself and how you fuel yourself." Related Artists |
| 'Twilight: The Musical': Five Reasons To Go Posted: 17 Jan 2012 04:15 AM PST MTV News' Amy Wilkinson tells 'Twilight' Tuesday that catchy songs, inside jokes make the off-Broadway parody work.
For the most dedicated "Twilight" fans, the yearlong wait between the theatrical releases of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" and "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" is painful, to say the least. Luckily, due to the popularity of the franchise and vampires in general, there are a variety of ways to bridge the gap, a few of which we touched on previously via fan suggestions. These include re-reading the books and re-watching the already-released movies, as well as getting your vampire fix via TV shows like "The Vampire Diaries" and "True Blood."
The latest addition to the fangtastic fray is the off-Broadway musical parody "Twilight: The Musical." MTV News' own Amy Wilkinson was lucky enough to attend the first preview in New York Monday. Thanks to her detailed summary, we now know more about the action in the plot, but for those who want to know more about the show's potential and audience reactions, this week's "Twilight" Tuesday is dedicated to digging a little deeper into the production by way of Wilkinson's experience. This will help you know what to expect if you make the trek to New York to see the show when it officially opens. Here are five reasons you'll enjoy "Twilight: The Musical." It's a Parody "To be completely honest, I wouldn't say that they were incredibly high," Wilkinson said of her expectations going in. "Mostly because this is an off-Broadway production, and from what we were told when we first arrived, they'd only been practicing for about 24 hours. So I didn't have the highest expectations going in, but I think for the time they had it turned out really well."
The "Twilight"/ "Harry Potter" Blend "The way it was used worked well. There might be something that is a bit cloying about it, marrying these two franchises whose fans never seem to get along very well, so it might be a bit baiting in that regard, but I think the way they did it made sense," she said. "They traded in the three villains in the original 'Twilight' for three 'Harry Potter' characters and there were some good jokes that came out of it." Vampires and Wizards That Sing! The Inside Jokes "The one moment that the entire audience busted a gut over was in reference to a scene from the first 'Twilight' movie, when they're going on the biology class field trip and Alice Cullen is asking Bella if she's going to ride on their bus. In the movie Robert Pattinson's Edward is kind of like, 'Oh no, she's not,' but in the production I saw, Colin Hanlon, the guy playing Edward, turned around and yelled as loud as he could, 'SHE'S NOT COMING!' I don't know what it was about that, but the entire audience nearly died. The actor himself was cracking up, everyone was cracking up because it rings true to how bizarre that moment is in the film." A Few Stars Are Born "[Green] is pretty much the MVP of the production," Wilkinson said. "She does four or five characters (including Hermione, Rosalie and Esme), and there are times when her characters almost have lines back-to-back and she's running behind the stage to take off a wig or throwing off her cloak to return to the stage and deliver a line. She's definitely one of the hardest-working people on the stage. She was great to watch." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. |
| 'RapFix Live' To Celebrate 20th Anniversary Of 'Juice' Posted: 17 Jan 2012 01:43 AM PST Naughty by Nature and Khalil Kain will join Sway to celebrate the influential film.
When director Ernest Dickerson released "Juice" on January 17, 1992, he effectively changed hip-hop's relationship with Hollywood. Twenty years later, "RapFix Live" will celebrate the game-changing movie on Wednesday with co-star Khalil Kain and Naughty by Nature, the hip-hop trio who contributed to the soundtrack.
Starring Kain, Omar Epps, Samuel L. Jackson and Tupac Shakur in his first starring role, "Juice" told the story of four Harlem youths who try desperately to overcome the treacherous pull of the streets. Though Tupac had a cameo in 1991's "Nothing But Trouble," his true acting debut came when he first put his acting chops on display playing the maniacal Bishop. Co-star Kain played the more level-headed Raheem Porter. Before "Juice," there weren't many movies that effectively captured the harsh realities of the inner-city ghettos. With the exception of 1991's "Boyz N the Hood," these street tales were often left untold. The movie's soundtrack was also groundbreaking, featuring classic hip-hop cuts like Eric B. & Rakim's "Juice (Know the Ledge)," Too $hort's "So You Want to Be a Gangster" and Naughty by Nature's "Uptown Anthem." During their appearance on "RapFix Live," Naughty by Nature will talk about the lasting influence of the film, the soundtrack and working with Shakur. That's not all. "X Factor" rapper Astro will also join Sway on the "RapFix Live" couch and reveal which label he will sign his first record deal with. Catch Naughty by Nature, Khalil Kain and Astro on "RapFix Live" Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Send your questions for the artists to @MTVRapFiX! Related Artists |
| Amber Rose Doesn't 'Forgive' Kanye West Posted: 17 Jan 2012 05:30 AM PST 'He was just being a mean, negative person, and that's one of the main reasons why I'm not with him,' model tells 'RapFix Live.'
Kanye West admits his flaws — well, in song at least: On his 2011 single "Runaway," the Louis Vuitton Don was apologetic about how he treated ex flame Amber Rose, owning up to his wrongs.
He took things a step further during his Watch the Throne Tour with Jay-Z, giving the audience love advice while performing the song. During the November 2 stop, 'Ye sent a special shout to ex-girlfriend Amber Rose in the model's hometown. "To the city of Philly, I want to thank y'all for making the incredible person that this song was made for," he said while performing "Runaway" in Philadelphia. "At first, I was like, 'Wow, maybe he is sorry for just not being a good guy and not treating me the way I want to be treated and talking down to me,' amongst other things," Rose said on last week's "RapFix Live." "I instantly was like, 'I forgive him.' " To her, it all seemed very sincere. "When I first saw it, I was like, 'Yo, I forgive him.' I let that go. I went through the crying and the heartbreak and all that stuff, and I moved on, and I'm so happy now that I actually have a gentleman, a great guy that I love so much," Rose said of current boyfriend Wiz Khalifa. "Then after he called me an incredible person in my hometown, he said, 'Never find love in a strip club.' And that's when I was like, 'You know what? Take your apology and shove it up your ass, because I don't want to hear it.' "
The "Never find love in a strip club" line wasn't from the Philly concert, though it is a Yeezy lyric from the Throne's "New Day," in which West passes life lessons to his unborn son. "New Day" was actually released in August, months before the concert, and in the song, Kanye makes no mention of Amber's name, but it still rubbed the beauty the wrong way. According to Amber, who feels the lyric was a shot at her, the ex-couple didn't meet in a gentlemen's club. "He didn't meet me in a strip club; he knows he didn't meet me in a strip club," she said. "He was just being a mean, negative person, and that's one of the main reasons why I'm not with him. He's that; I don't want that negativity in my life. Don't apologize and then say something like that. It's just rude, and it's mean, and it's not true." Later in her "RapFix Live" interview, Rose broke down crying because of the way some of 'Ye's overzealous fans have treated her in public. "I have people throwing things at me in the street because they're fans of Kanye," Amber said before she started to cry on set. "I'm just crying because I don't deserve to be bullied like that. I'm a nice girl. I don't bother anybody. I keep my mouth shut because I don't want any trouble." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Exclusive: Shyne And Diddy Reconcile Over The Phone Posted: 17 Jan 2012 01:22 AM PST 'We gonna get together in a couple of weeks and we gonna sit at the roundtable,' Shyne tells MTV News.
Shyne has had to overcome a lot. When he first emerged on the scene, the baritone-voiced Brooklyn MC hurdled over Notorious B.I.G. comparisons by releasing hits like "Bad Boyz" and "Bonnie & Shyne," but that was small potatoes. The rapper did an almost nine-year prison bid after being convicted of assault and gun possession in the now infamous Club New York shooting in 1999.
Now, Shyne has buried the hatchet with Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was also charged in the incident but was acquitted. In a Skype call from Paris with MTV News on Tuesday (January 17), Shyne revealed that he and Diddy recently talked over the phone and plan to meet in the coming weeks. "As far as Puff is concerned, that's been a long time coming," Shyne exclusively told MTV News of the conversation he and the Bad Boy CEO had earlier this month. "He had reached out to me twice while I was in the pen, but I just wasn't ready for it." The Shyne we see today is a far cry from the suited-up, oversize-baseball-cap-wearing youth that the world watched strut in and out of court during his 2000 trial. Now Shyne — who legally changed his name to Moses Levi while he was in prison and has practiced Judaism for a number of years — wears a white robe with the Star of David on the chest and the long side curls often associated with Hasidic Jews. The rapper's physical appearance isn't the only difference: Over the years, Po hasn't talked about Puff in the most positive breath, often criticizing the music mogul and calling him a snitch during and after the Club New York trial. "I felt how I felt, I said what I said. In retrospect, when you looked at the way he handled it, he held it down, he wore it," Shyne said of Diddy. "He ain't had nothing to say; always had good things to say. It was always, 'Yo, whatever Shyne need, we got him.' " During his incarceration, Shyne wasn't ready to reconcile, but after he had a dream about their mutual friend Anthony "Wolf" Jones, he reached out to Diddy. "Our relationship wasn't just business; it wasn't me just being a rapper on Bad Boy. We had a solid relationship, we had a brotherhood, me, him and Wolf, and I just felt the need to just reach out, because again, he just kept it tall no matter what I said," Shyne explained. Shyne wouldn't elaborate on the details of his and Combs' conversation, but he did walk away from the call in a much more positive place. "For me, the conversation was a confirmation of what I felt. Son kept it super tall, and that's what it's about. When a man says, 'Listen, as a man, I make mistakes and I own that.' What could you do?" Well what can they do? Surely the two can get back into the studio, but Shyne didn't dish on any new musical developments. He did reveal that the two plan to have a second conversation, this time in person. "I just feel real good about moving on with our relationship. Me and son, we gonna get together in Paris — I'm in Paris right now. We gonna get together in a couple of weeks, and we gonna sit at the roundtable." What do you think of Shyne and Diddy's reconciliation? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| 'The Killing' Star Promises High-Stakes Season Two Posted: 17 Jan 2012 03:55 AM PST Mireille Enos also addresses controversy swirling around upcoming 'World War Z.'
Mireille Enos can't seem to stay away from controversy these days. Two of her biggest projects, AMC's "The Killing" and this year's "World War Z" have recently come under heavy scrutiny from fans, but at Sunday's Golden Globes, Enos assured MTV News that both projects are headed in the right direction.
Fans of Max Brooks' novel recently lashed out when word came down from the set of "World War Z" that significant changes had been made to the overall structure of the story. In what may be a relief to fans, Enos admitted that liberties were taken but said that the core remains the same. "I definitely found the book very important, just to get into the mind of Max Brooks and the kind of story that he was trying to tell," she told MTV News' Josh Horowitz. "Actually, the book is about human nature in the midst of crisis. Even though the context is different in the film, that's still the heart of it, and I'm so glad that was carried over." She also expanded on the part she plays, as well as Brad Pitt's role, and how those characters factor into the changes made to the story. "The book is narrated by a character who is now in the film, and I play that character's wife," she said. When "The Killing" season finale aired last June, fans cried foul that the show ended without revealing Rosie Larsen's killer. Enos told us on Sunday that she couldn't understand the outrage. "I was so baffled, actually, by people not liking the ending. A cliffhanger is such a classic writing device," she said. "If you're enjoying the journey, why not want more?" For season two, however, Enos promised a quicker show with much higher stakes. "The pace accelerates. The stakes jump by tenfold. Everything gets more and more personal, and the writing is so exceptional," she said. "We shot the first three episodes, and our eyes are like this [makes bulging eye motion] at the end of every episode. It's really going to be awesome." Check out everything we've got on "World War Z." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos |
| Cuba Gooding Jr. Calls 'Red Tails' An 'Amusement Park Ride' Posted: 17 Jan 2012 02:37 AM PST 'It didn't hurt that George Lucas spent the last quarter of a decade trying to get this story' made, actor tells MTV News.
The upcoming World War II drama "Red Tails" tells many stories. First and foremost, it's the story of the heroic Tuskegee Airmen, the country's first African American air regimen. Within that story are tales of social injustice and a historical wartime drama. It's also a big-budget action movie produced by George Lucas.
With so much to accomplish, "Red Tails" has a lot on its plate dramatically speaking. One of the stars of the film, Cuba Gooding Jr., told MTV News recently that the film manages to find the right balance. "I think it strikes it in the subject matter," Gooding said. "It didn't hurt that George Lucas spent the last quarter of a decade trying to get this story onto the big screen. "The fact that you have the story of these warriors, whose story has been suppressed up until this date — except for smaller instances — are finally getting their due, educating the audience of what African Americans did in the war effort in World War II ... told by George Lucas, 'Star Wars,' " Gooding said. "You're going to see an amusement park ride." Gooding concluded that all of those elements came together for a proper telling of the story. "I think that's how you get the balance," he added. "You get a filmmaker who is so passionate he's putting his own dough up to the tune of $100 million-plus. You see it on the screen."
Gooding's co-star, Nate Parker, tried to chime in with a comment of his own, but the Academy Award-winning actor stopped Parker jokingly. "No, no, no, no. That was enough," Gooding said. "I'm just kidding. Speak your mind, brother." For Parker, the answer to the film's success is simple. "Risk and reward," he said. "He took a risk, and now I think he's being rewarded in a major way because I think the film is fantastic." Check out everything we've got on "Red Tails." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos |
| Can 'American Idol' Soar Again? Experts Weigh In Posted: 16 Jan 2012 11:33 PM PST In season 11, show faces increased competition from 'The Voice.'
Back in the day when "American Idol" was the lumbering 800-pound gorilla of the reality-singing-competition world, it was hard to imagine a time when the top-rated show on TV could ever be toppled.
But like any smashingly popular series that eventually loses some of its luster (see "Lost," "Deal or No Deal" and "Two and a Half Men"), this year, "Idol" is facing a turning point of sorts. Still a ratings juggernaut, season 11 of the show will launch Wednesday night in an atmosphere ripe with other singing shows that could start nipping at its heels. "For nine years, 'Idol' had the entire airwaves to itself with lesser rivals like 'Nashville Star' ... [but now] the world feels much more cluttered with singing shows," said veteran entertainment journalist Richard Rushfield, author of "American Idol: The Untold Story." Among the shows Rushfield pointed to are former "Idol" judge Simon Cowell's recently concluded "X Factor," NBC's "The Voice" (which launched in late April last year but will debut after the Super Bowl on February 5) and NBC's Broadway musical drama "Smash," which stars "Idol" alum Katharine McPhee and Debra Messing (February 6). Even with all those shows competing for eyeballs and threatening to create singing fatigue, Rushfield still feels "Idol" has a good chance of continuing its ratings dominance. "This year, after 'The Voice' and 'X Factor,' I think it's really clear what slice of the pie 'Idol' has and that they're all very different shows going after very different audiences," he said. "'Factor was making a very deliberate attempt to position itself as young and contemporary for an audience more open to an edgier, harsher show, and 'Idol' has doubled down on being the middle-American, older, feel-good, soft, nonthreatening show." While ratings did continue their slow decline last year, "Idol" remained the overall champ, even as some critics complained about the sometimes too-sunny face put on by new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. As "Idol" prepares to bombard viewers with eight audition episodes featuring the predictable mix of potential stars and wackadoodle nobodies over the next month, Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston suggested perhaps it's time the show's runners take a look around and tweak the formula. "One thing the success of 'The Voice' speaks to is that people want the action to start earlier," she said of the two-and-out round of blind auditions held by the competing show last season. "The audition episodes on 'Idol' get ratings ... but at the same time, it's grueling. 'The Voice' was so exciting because they put the competition and head-to-head stuff in so early."
Ratings history has shown that as programs like "Idol" continue on into their double-digit years, their audience invariably get older. The show has also failed to launch another superstar on the rank of winners Kelly Clarkson or season four's Carrie Underwood, with last year's winner, country teen Scotty McCreery, becoming the first platinum-selling champ since season seven's David Cook. With "The Voice" and "X Factor" both putting a more musically and racially eclectic roster of winners and top finishers in the mix, is this the year the "four cute white guys in a row" factor might catch up with "Idol"? Johnston doesn't think so. "One thing 'Idol' is speaking to over the past couple of years is the hunger among a certain demo for male pop singers who aren't operating in a hip-hop idiom, but in a more guitar-centric way," she said. There was a fear that with main meanie Cowell gone, viewers might turn their backs en masse at the sunshiny vibe of Tyler and Lopez, but Rushfield said that "Idol" could end up like such perennial ratings-getters as the World Series, sticking around year-after-year through ratings booms and busts. "It could lose two-thirds of its audience and still be a strong hit show by contemporary standards," he said. "They found their most successful singer in half a decade, so you can't look at it as on the course of decline. [With Tyler and Lopez] it also has new life, but the only question is ... is there just singing-competition fatigue?" Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos |
| Obama Campaign Looking For Assists From Jay-Z, Fergie? Posted: 16 Jan 2012 11:51 PM PST President's re-election campaign also reportedly wants will.i.am, Adam Levine and other celebs on his team.
The first time Barack Obama ran for president, he had help from a wide range of celebrities that included Ben Affleck, Jamie Foxx, 50 Cent, Oprah Winfrey and director Michael Moore.
This time, according to a "wish list" of celebrity endorsers circulated to a group of campaign donors that was reportedly obtained by The Tennessean newspaper, a lot of the same names are in the mix (Jay-Z, John Legend, Alicia Keys), along with other big-name acts such as Vampire Weekend, Janelle Monáe and Maroon 5's Adam Levine. Though most of the focus has been on the cutthroat battle among the Republicans vying for the GOP presidential nomination, as MTV's Power of 12 campaign has chronicled, Obama is facing an uphill battle for a second term, and with the nation still mired in an economic slump, he's going to need all of the help he can get. MTV News had not heard back from a spokesperson for the Obama campaign at press time, but a look at the reported wish list makes it clear he's got his eye on some major players to help secure a second term. The list posted by the newspaper is broad, from such committed supporters as will.i.am and Jessica Alba, to boxer Laila Ali, Marc Anthony, the Arcade Fire, India.Arie, Sara Bareilles, Jigga, Chelsea Clinton, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, Fergie, America Ferrera, Jamie Foxx and Whoopi Goldberg. Other names on the list include: Al Green, Josh Groban, Neil Patrick Harris, Anne Hathaway, Jack Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Jewel, Mila Kunis, Blake Lively, Ricky Martin, "Glee" star Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Chris Pine, B.o.B, Regina Spektor, the Band Perry, the Roots, Train, Kate Walsh and Wilco. The list was reportedly sent out December 5 and was not intended for public distribution, but when their name popped up on it, country trio Lady Antebellum told Entertainment Weekly that they were not getting involved in politics this year. "The members of Lady Antebellum did not submit their name for inclusion on the surrogate list for Obama's campaign," the band's publicist said in a statement to the magazine. "The band has never commented on their political affiliations nor do they plan to in the future." Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the 2012 presidential election season. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Cee Lo's 'Anyway' Is 'A Little Dark,' Wallpaper. Says Posted: 17 Jan 2012 01:06 AM PST Party starter worked with Weezer singer Rivers Cuomo on sultry single.
You've probably heard Wallpaper.'s music on "Jersey Shore," and maybe you saw him tagged as one of Buzzworthy's 11 artists to watch in 2012.
The brainchild of rapper/songwriter/remixer Ricky Reed began as an attempt to bring some lighthearted fun to dance music with songs like "F---ing Best Song Everrr" and "#STUPiDFACEDD." But after gaining attention with a sax-blasting remix of Das Racist's "Combination Pizza Hut & Taco Bell," remixes of songs by Passion Pit and Local Natives, and an album and EP of party-starting originals, he's hooked up with two music legends for a deceptively tossed-off-sounding song called "Anyway." "The hook wasn't right, you know, and every song needs a great hook, so who better than [Weezer singer/songwriter] Rivers Cuomo to come in and finish it up for us?" Reed said of his collabo with the geek-rock icon on Cee Lo Green's recently released sultry single. The tune — co-produced and co-written by Wallpaper. — appeared on the platinum edition of Green's Lady Killer album, released last month. Getting to share a writing credit with Cuomo was yet another career highlight for Oakland, California's Reed, who signed with major label Epic Records late last year after a meeting with Epic CEO and "X Factor" judge L.A. Reid. "It's a little dark," he said of the Green song, in which the singer recounts his many flaws. "In the co-write, I did a lot of the verse lyric, then Rivers came in with this really sentimental hook, which is kind of what the song needed. ... It needed to balance out. If there's anybody to be sentimental, it's Rivers, and if there's anyone to be f---ed up, it's me." What do you think of the collaboration? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| My Chemical Romance's 'Kids From Yesterday': Death Of <i>Danger</i> Posted: 16 Jan 2012 11:58 PM PST Fan-made video for 'The Kids From Yesterday' looks back at the band's rise to fame.
Really, My Chemical Romance's Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys deserved better. A big, bold re-invention of their sound and swagger, it was, by the band's own admission, a "missile" aimed at destroying the staid state of rock and roll, and perhaps because of that fact, it failed to catch on here in the states. You could practically track its decline based on the videos MCR released off the album, starting with the big-budget "Na Na Na" and the equally flashy follow-up, "Sing," in which they offed the titular Killjoys (who seemingly will never be heard of again). Their next single, "Planetary (Go!)" came coupled with a live video, and, to the best of my knowledge, a clip for "Bulletproof Heart" never materialized at all. My Chem actually seemed to address the matter in an interview with MTV News last year, in which frontman Gerard Way lamented that the band had "gone through so many things" over the course of the Danger Days cycle, and hinted that, if there were to be any more videos off the album, they'd have to be financed by MCR themselves. So it's somewhat fitting that, on Monday, they unveiled the final clip from Danger Days: a fan-made video for "The Kids From Yesterday" that documents the band's decade-long climb from Neo-Goth New Jersey rockers to interplanetary conceptual quartet. Like the song itself, the clip is a bittersweet thing, recounting MCR's many triumphs (a pastiche of memorable live moments, it culminates with their headlining slots at Reading and Leeds this past summer), while leaving those who love to read between the lines to wonder if perhaps the band's latest era also represents the end ... not necessarily of My Chem themselves, but of a moment in rock that now seems to have all but disappeared. Truly, MCR were the last bastions of the heady heyday of mid-aughts MySpace punk, and now, well, who knows what's next? Of course, much of the message behind Danger Days seems to be one of self-empowerment, of inspiring fans to take matters into their own hands and shaking up the status quo. That's yet another reason why "Kids" is such a fitting sendoff; it was made in collaboration with a fan named Emily Eisemann, who had culled through live footage and initially created a clip of her own. There's a reason why the video ends with the phrase "Art is the Weapon," after all: it's been the band's clarion call this entire time. It's also something Way touched on during Danger Days' release, when he told MTV News that the album was not a conceptual piece, but rather "a complete allegory" for smashing the system and placing the power directly in the hands of their fans. And "Kids" is proof that MCR's message was heard loud and clear, perhaps not by a majority of the record-buying public, but definitely — and most appropriately — by their fans. Sometimes, sales aren't the only measure of a band's success, and Danger Days is a testament to that fact. "Kids" may bring one chapter of their career to a close, but wherever My Chemical Romance go next, you know they'll do so boldly; that's what makes great bands truly great after all: the willingness to push the boundaries, to purvey inspiration, to shake things up ... sometimes even at their own expense. Related Artists |
| Lana Del Rey's 'SNL' Performance Has Critics Howling Posted: 17 Jan 2012 09:00 AM PST Del Rey turned in a pair of shaky songs on 'Saturday Night Live,' much to the delight of her detractors.
Last week, Lana Del Rey fired back at critics who said she wasn't ready for her "Saturday Night Live" gig, telling MTV News, "I'm a good musician ... I have been singing for a long time, and I think that ['SNL' creator] Lorne [Michaels] knows that ... it's not a fluke decision."
Of course, following the show — and a pair of vocally shaky performances in which Del Rey seemed nervous and detached — those same critics fired back en masse, first taking to Twitter to rip her as nothing more than hype. Actress and musician Juliette Lewis was particularly harsh, writing (in a since-deleted tweet), "Wow, watching this 'singer' on SNL is like watching a 12-year-old in their bedroom when they're pretending to sing and perform #signofourtimes." Actress Eliza Dushku also chimed in, tweeting, "Who is this wack-a-doodle chick performing on 'SNL'? Whaaa?" Also jumping into the fray — albeit not intentionally — was "NBC Nightly News" anchor/ amateur music aficionado Brian Williams, who, in an email meant for Gawker Media founder Nick Denton (which was subsequently posted on Gawker.com), called Del Rey's performance "one of the worst outings in 'SNL' history," and chided Denton's websites for not slagging it appropriately. (A spokesperson for NBC told Gawker that the email "was sent in confidence ... and absolutely never intended to be public.") To be fair, Del Rey did have her defenders, most notably the host of her "SNL" show, Daniel Radcliffe. Speaking to the media at the annual British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominations, the actor said that the attacks went far beyond mere criticism of Del Rey's singing and stage presence, and added that he felt the entire thing was blown out of proportion. "It was unfortunate that people seemed to turn on her so quickly," Radcliffe said. "I also think people are making it about things other than the performance ... if you read what people are saying about her online, it's all about her past and her family and stuff that's nobody else's business. I don't think [the performance] warranted anywhere near that reaction." Del Rey has yet to answer any of her "SNL" critics (unless this tweet counts), and a spokesperson for her label, Interscope, did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the matter. |
| 'Batman Begins': Why A Second Look May Surprise You Posted: 16 Jan 2012 11:00 PM PST Before Nolan finishes with 'The Dark Knight Rises,' we take a look back at the film that started it all in The Weekly Rising.
Months and months ago, when we weren't fortunate enough to have seen the first six minutes of "The Dark Knight Rises" or even a full-length trailer, one of the best pieces of info that we had about the conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy was that the film would circle back — thematically and perhaps story-wise — to "Batman Begins."
Since 2008, "The Dark Knight" and Heath Ledger have dominated most of the conversation around the series. The general feeling was that while "Batman Begins" was great, "The Dark Knight" transcended the superhero genre. That's why it comes as a surprise that when the trilogy ends, the underappreciated first film will play a big part. With the release of "Rises" looming, there has never been a better excuse to rewatch "Begins," not only to look for clues of what's to come, but also to see how the film holds up in a post-"Dark Knight" world. If you haven't watched "Batman Begins" in a few years, it may surprise you how entertaining it is. For his first Batman movie, Nolan crafted a tight origin story that seems almost quaint in scale compared to "The Dark Knight." That isn't to say "Begins" lacks ambition; it immediately jumps into a complicated story structure to tell Batman's origin, and the central conflict revolves around ninjas using insanity spray to poison Gotham. The scaled-back feeling of "Begins" stems from where its primary focus lies: Batman. "The Dark Knight" was an ensemble piece with the Caped Crusader at its core. With that particular structure, many viewers felt they lost sight of Batman in the process. Though it worked for "Dark Knight" and gave the film a structure more complex than we deserved, the biggest takeaway from watching "Begins" may be that Nolan should give Batman and Christian Bale the time they deserve before the legend truly ends. How "Rises" will return to the topics addressed in "Begins" remains to be seen, but what we can gather from rumors and the prologue is that the League of Shadows will return. If this is a case, I have to give credit to Nolan, David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan for not falling prey to a typical sequel problem. The League of Shadows isn't the kind of organization that's going to give up after one go. In "Begins," Ra's al Ghul mentions that poisoning Gotham's water supply was their second attempt at destroying Batman's hometown. Were they just going to give up after Batman ruined that attempt? Did Ra's fail to mention that they make a maximum of two attempts to destroy a city's infrastructure before they call it quits? They don't, so bringing them back for the finale makes perfect sense.
Most importantly, "Begins" makes a great argument that it and "The Dark Knight" are two great, but different Batman movies. Both work perfectly well, just on two different scales. Where "The Dark Knight" tackles a sprawling story with many intriguing key players, the aptly titled "Batman Begins" focuses on Bruce Wayne and his journey to becoming a legend, a smaller story but one worth telling. Random takeaways: -Maggie Gyllenhaal is, by far, the better Rachel Dawes. -Chicago is Nolan's Gotham. It will be sorely missed. -The lady who introduces Bruce to the fake Ra's al Ghul must have been really confused after hearing, "This isn't Ra's al Ghul. I watched him die." -Ra's makes no mention of a daughter, but talks briefly about his wife. Hmmm. -As the train is about the crash, the look on Ra's' face intrigued me. -At the end of the movie, Wayne looks like he's rebuilding the Manor himself. He must have given that up a few weeks later. -The Joker tease at the end is just as cool as it was in 2005. What did you enjoy most about "Batman Begins"? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos |
| 'Twilight: The Musical' Vamps In New York Posted: 17 Jan 2012 09:53 AM PST Harry, Ron and Hermione make 'Twilight' debut in the off-Broadway parody.
NEW YORK — When "Dreamgirls" helmer Bill Condon took over direction of "The Twilight Saga," more than a few cheeky journalists wondered if he'd treat fans to a bloodsucking song-and-dance extravaganza. Alas, vogueing Volturi weren't meant to be — at least on the big screen. They have, however, found a temporary home on the New York City stage in the form of "Twilight: The Musical." The off-Broadway parody production premiered Monday night at the New World Stages, raising money for the charity Blessings in a Backpack.
Written by Ashley Griffin and directed by Gabriel Barre, "Twilight: The Musical" is, for now, staged as a concert reading, meaning that the actors hold scripts throughout the show. But the cheat sheets did little to diminish the enthusiasm of the oft-hilarious production. A group of eight actors play more than 30 roles, with some pulling quadruple and even quintuple duty (such as standouts Lauren Lopez and Jenna Leigh Green). With her bobbing ponytail, zip-up hoodie, skinny jeans and sullen expression, Meghann Fahy ("Next to Normal") is a dead ringer for Bella Swan (or, at the very least, Kristen Stewart's portrayal of Bella Swan), while "Wicked" actor Colin Hanlon looks perfectly pained as Edward Cullen. Jared Zirilli ("Wicked") spends the entire second act shirtless, portraying Jacob with the kind of earnestness that's made Taylor Lautner the object of many a teen's fever dreams. The show opens much as the "Twilight" movie does, with Bella's monologue about her impending death followed by the cafeteria scene and the upbeat track "Looking for Something." (Sample lyrics: "I think I see a Fork stuck in my road," "We're standing on the twilight of something good.") The first act hems closely with its source material, including all the requisite scenes: Edward's biology class freak-out, Bella's car accident and the bookstore gang-up. Much of the dialogue comes straight from screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg's script, too, albeit with much-welcomed embellishments. (Charlie to Bella: "I know it's awkward starting in the middle of a semester, so I got you a truck!") But things take a canon-twisting turn about two-thirds of the way through the first act when Hermione, Ron and Harry show up. Yes, someone got "Harry Potter" in our "Twilight." Instead of Victoria, James and Laurent, Hogwarts' finest play the villains here. The meta levels reach 11 when the wizards mistakes Edward for Cedric Diggory. And so it is that Ron tracks Bella down in her old ballet studio and is done in by the Cullen coven, leaving Hermione to avenge the death of her beloved. The first act closes on Bella's birthday — the surprisingly bloody scene from "New Moon." The second act opens with a freshly shorn Jacob (his wig somehow even mangier than Lautner's) singing with his pack. From there, the production speeds through the last three books of Meyer's series, compressing much of the story in favor of cramming it all in. Despite the odd pacing, the production sang thanks to details only a true fanatic could relish. Edward's sparkling-in-the-sun effect is achieved with a glittery bodysuit hidden underneath the actor's button-down like Superman's spandex. The iconic apple from the book's cover hangs limply (and obviously) from a springing wire gizmo as Edward tries to suavely hand it to Bella. Not to mention the actors muster plenty of fourth-wall-breaking furtive glances, letting the audience know they are in on the joke. But the tongue-in-cheek vibe is abandoned late in the second act for a sobering bit of moralizing from Harry, who comes to Bella in a dream sequence asking if it was all worth it. "You were willing to sacrifice everything to get a boyfriend," he says. "In the end, you destroyed yourself." Point taken, Harry Potter. But what a buzzkill. If you weren't able to make the one-night-only charity benefit, don't fret: Work is being done to bring the production to the New York stage for good. |
| Paris Hilton Tackling 'Whole New Genre' On Next Album Posted: 16 Jan 2012 10:13 PM PST Hilton is working with Afrojack and childhood friends LMFAO for her sophomore record.
Paris Hilton famously declared that "Stars are Blind" on her 2006 single. Now, she's hoping to recapture some of that musical magic on the follow-up to her self-titled debut.
She's hooking up with club-music producer extraordinaire Afrojack for the record and is knee-deep in getting it done. "I've been in the studio all day recording my new album," she told MTV News at the Weinstein Golden Globes afterparty. And if fans think she'll be channeling some sugary sweet pop on this next release, they'd better think again. "It's completely different from my last album. I'm going with a whole new genre. I have Afrojack executive-producing the entire album. So we've just been coming up with the most incredible tracks," she teased. "I was just in the studio with RedFoo the other night, so we're going to be doing my new single with LMFAO." Given how ubiquitous LMFAO is these days, a Paris/LMFAO track could be the perfect combination to reintroduce the world to Paris Hilton, pop star. "I'm so excited. The music's turning out so great and I can't wait to release it this summer. Two nights ago [I recorded the song with LMFAO]," she said, describing the session as "awesome." "I've known them since I was a little girl. We grew up together 'cause our parents are friends, so I'm just so proud of them and all their success and what they've done 'cause they've just created this whole 'Party Rock' brand and it's just so awesome." Noting that she grew up singing in the choir and can also play violin, piano and guitar, Paris defends her choice to record another album. "I think a lot of people don't know that music is my passion since I was a little girl," she said. "I'm very musically talented. This is more my thing [musically on this album], more of a club scene, more dance. ... The single's done; it's in the can. That's probably going to be out [within] the next month or two." Hilton isn't just singing for her new record — she'll also be trying her hand at singing on the big screen when she works with "Repo! The Genetic Opera" director Darren Bousman on his next project. "I'm about to do a film with my friend Darren Bousman. He has a new musical that's coming up called 'The Devil's Carnival,' " she said. "It's about Hell, it's a musical and it's different." Are you looking forward to new music from Paris Hilton? Tell us on our Facebook page! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Taylor Swift Talks Relationship 'Red Flags' In <i>Vogue</i> Posted: 17 Jan 2012 06:57 AM PST Country star says next album is about 'absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak.'
After much speculation, Taylor Swift has nabbed the February cover of Vogue, donning a big-rimmed beige hat, hippie-chic clothes and fringy bangs. The singer not only opens up about her love of fashion in the article, but also goes into depth about her plans for the future, including her dreams to star in more movies and just what she has in store for her next album, which — believe it or not — will be about boys.
"There's just been this earth-shattering, not recent, but absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak," she explained about the highly anticipated follow-up to 2010's Speak Now. "And that will turn out to be what the next album is about. The only way that I can feel better about myself — pull myself out of that awful pain of losing someone — is writing songs about it to get some sort of clarity." Swift, who says she's currently happily single, goes on to say that she's learned some of the major "red flags" in relationships, which include a guy who falls too fast without actually knowing her ("You can't be in love with a Google search," she said), a guy who can't understand why she needs to have security, a guy who wants to "put her down" and a guy who needs too much privacy. While she's learning more and more about dating, she's also still trying to maneuver fame. Right now, she's at the top of her game, but she knows that that can change at any time. "This is what I've wanted to do my whole life. It never freaks me out. Never. Ever," she says. "But you know what does freak me out? When is the other shoe going to drop? I am so happy right now. So I am always living in fear. This can't be real, right? This can't really be my life. "The stakes are really high if you mess up, if you slack off and don't make a good record, if you make mistakes based on the idea that you are larger than life and you can just coast," she later says. "If you start thinking you've got it down, that's when you run into trouble — either by getting complacent or becoming mouthy. And nobody likes that."
The article makes mention that Swift has been spending more time in L.A. looking for the right movie role. Currently she's rumored to be playing Eponine in the A-list-filled big-screen adaptation of "Les Miserables." Adele is the next rumored pop cover girl for the fashion magazine. The singer appeared on the cover of October's Vogue U.K. What did you think about the February Vogue cover? Sound off below! Related Artists |
| 'Contraband' Sweeps Weekend Box Office Posted: 17 Jan 2012 08:47 AM PST Re-release of 'Beauty and the Beast' takes #2 spot over four-day weekend.
This weekend, moviegoers decided that for Mark Wahlberg, nothing is forbidden. "Contraband" was the #1 movie in America with a solid $28.8 million debut over the four-day weekend, according to studio estimates. The action thriller, which takes places in the world of drug-smuggling, beat Disney's 3-D re-release of 1991's "Beauty and the Beast," which opened to $23.5 million.
Wahlberg's latest (a remake of an Icelandic flick) kicked off with a stronger opening weekend than his multiple Oscar winner "The Fighter" or previous action flicks "Max Payne" (2008) and "Shooter" (2007). The film has a "rotten" 48 percent score on film review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences who saw it gave it an "A-" CinemaScore. "Beauty and the Beast" is off to a great start despite following last year's $29.3 million debut of Disney's 3-D re-release "The Lion King." ("The Lion King" made more than $422 million its first time around, while "Beast" took in less than half that amount.) The re-release will be followed by 3-D versions of fellow Disney classics "Finding Nemo," "Monsters Inc." and "The Little Mermaid" over the next two years. The weekend's other new wide release, "Joyful Noise" (starring Queen Latifah and country music legend Dolly Parton), opened in fourth place with a lackluster $13.8 million. But it was last weekend's #1 movie that suffered the biggest disappointment: "The Devil Inside" earned just $9.2 million over the four-day weekend, down 72 percent from its debut. That's an incredibly steep drop, even for a horror flick, no doubt due to the film's 6 percent Tomatometer rating and unusually low CinemaScore of "F." But thanks to its big opening, the low-budget indie's $46.3 million total is still more than the entire runs of "The Rite," "Devil" or "The Last Exorcism." Box-office receipts were up 4 percent this holiday weekend compared to last year. Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" earned the #3 spot as it collected another $14.2 million for a total domestic gross of nearly $190 million. The Robert Downey Jr.-led sequel "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" was #5 with $10.5 million, for a domestic gross of $172.1 million to date. This weekend's new releases will include "Underworld Awakening"; Steven Soderbergh's action flick "Haywire," starring Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor and MMA champion/ first-time actress Gina Sirico; the George Lucas-produced World War II flick "Red Tails"; and the limited release of Mexican drama "Miss Bala," among others. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," which earned a Critics' Choice Award for young star Thomas Horn, will expand into wider release. Check out everything we've got on "Contraband." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos |
| You are subscribed to email updates from MTV News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar