2011 BET Awards Show Highlights
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Sunday, July 31, 2011
'Cowboys & Aliens': Jon Favreau Talks Creating Creatures
Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro advised director, who aimed to 'maintain some mystery and surprises.'
By Eric Ditzian
Daniel Craig in "Cowboys & Aliens"
Photo: Universal Pictures
How do you surprise someone who's seen it all — aliens who snatch bodies and aliens with dreadlocks and aliens who bloodily birth themselves from your stomach and aliens who phone home and aliens who eat cat food and great big blue aliens with tails they use for sex?
Forget about the decades of classic extraterrestrial flicks that stream daily on TV, tablets and desktops. This year alone, movies like "Battle: Los Angeles," "Super 8," "Green Lantern" and "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" have hit the big screen, each trying to deliver not only eye-popping visuals but the post-credits comment between friends, "Damn, dude, have you ever seen something like that?"
The answer, all too often and quite understandably, is, "Yes, yes, I have." That's the challenge "Cowboys & Aliens" director Jon Favreau faced as he sought to bring alien baddies to the Old West for a genre mash-up that hit theaters Friday (July 29). Favreau, though, counts himself lucky that he was able to lean on some of the most-established sci-fi players in Hollywood for help. The cinematic result is a race of aliens that land in a down-on-its-luck mining town, start to kidnap residents and eventually reveal themselves as extraterrestrial superfreaks on par with anything we've seen at the theater in recent years.
Earlier this month in Montana, Favreau talked with MTV News about what makes a great big-screen alien, the special-effects decisions that helped his filmmaking process and the advice Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro gave him along the way. (Beware of spoilers below.)
"When you set out to make a movie like 'Cowboys & Aliens,' if you just play it as one joke for the whole movie, you're in trouble," Favreau explained. "You run out of gas after about the length of an 'SNL' sketch. So we really wanted to find an approach that could bear out a whole story. Part of it was identifying what kind of alien movie to make and what kind of cowboy movie to make."
The answer to the alien question was to reach back to classics of the '70s and '80s, before CG glam overtook practical effects as the preferred method of creating otherworldly creatures. "The alien movies I like the most are the ones I grew up with," he said. "It was the pre-CG, almost verging on horror versions of alien films, like 'Alien,' 'Aliens,' 'Predator' and all the Spielberg stuff, and I include 'Jaws' in that, too. They were all the same kind of movie.
"It was before you had computer effects, so you had to, through lighting and mystery and music, slowly reveal the creature. That technique has some somewhat been lost now, thanks to CGI. Even though we have CGI creatures eventually, we do use animatronics and we do use lighting and all the old techniques to reveal them."
The aliens in "Cowboys" have landed in an Arizona town to mine for gold — a metal as precious to humans as it is to these space travelers. What's truly cool about them is their transformative quality: Their faces move and shift to expose layers below, and their bodies open up to unleash hidden, gooey hands. Gross and fascinating and scary, all at once. That's exactly what Favreau was hoping to accomplish.
" 'Predator' and 'Alien': What was fun about those films is, as you saw the creatures, more and more layers were revealed, whether it was armor coming off with 'Predator' [and] weaponry, or in the case of 'Alien,' with the second set of teeth or the metamorphosis that it did from its egg state to the face-hugger to whatever that larval phase was when it busts out of your chest and finally into the big [creature]," he said. "It's the shape-shifting quality of the aliens that I thought was really cool. We wanted to maintain some mystery and surprises with our creature."
To create those surprises, Favreau not only depended on his team of artists and effects masters, but on Spielberg and del Toro. "[Spielberg] was very involved with certain aspects of it preproduction, and one of those aspects was the alien design, because he's been involved with so many," he said. "And now seeing 'Falling Skies' and seeing 'Super 8,' I see that he was not just involved with his own films, but other films and projects he's been producing and overseeing. He had a lot of specific insight into what things were important.
"And Guillermo del Toro, I also know him, and he's masterful," Favreau added. "He always said you've got to get the silhouette right first and then you got to get the color right and then you got to get the detail right, in that order. He's actually somebody who helped out and came in the editing room. I was showing him our animatronic work, because he's very picky about that stuff, and when I knew it passed his muster, I felt very good."
Check out everything we've got on "Cowboys & Aliens."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
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Michael Jackson - The Behind The Mask Project
- Artist: Michael Jackson
- Label: Epic
- Director: Dennis Liu
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1102&vid=666246
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Amy Winehouse's Dad Gives Her Clothes To Fans
Friends and family gathered at Amy's favorite jazz club on Thursday night.
By Gil Kaufman
Amy Winehouse
Photo: Carlos Alvarez/ Getty Images
Amy Winehouse's father, Mitch, made another trip to the late singer's Camden, England, apartment this week, where fans have kept vigil since the news broke on Saturday that the "Rehab" singer had passed away at age 27.
After greeting those supporters on Monday and thanking them for their kind words and offerings to his troubled daughter's memory, Mitch, along with Amy's mother, Janis, brother Alex and boyfriend Reg Traviss, came by on Thursday to remove some of the singer's private effects from her apartment.
Read what experts say about the negative effects of the type of instant fame Winehouse received.
Mitch surprised some of those gathered outside by handing out a few of Amy's clothes and accessories, including several tank tops, sunglasses and other trinkets, according to The Sun. "There are Amy's T-shirts. This is what she would have wanted — for her fans to have her clothes," he told the stunned fans, as he walked away with a pair of Winehouse's signature ballet shoes in his back pocket. "God bless Amy Winehouse," he said before hopping into a taxi.
The family also carted off some other possessions, including Amy's guitars and her lyric books.
We explore what Winehouse's musical legacy will be, beyond "Rehab."
Some of Winehouse's pals and family got together to celebrate her life at her favorite jazz club on Thursday night. Her divorced parents were joined by Traviss and friends that included Kelly Osbourne and Eliza Doolittle at the Jazz After Dark club in London's Soho district. Also on hand was producer Mark Ronson, who paid tribute to his muse during a concert the night before, when he performed a selection of Amy's songs.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668139/amy-winehouse-dad-clothes.jhtml
Joe Jonas Will Open For Britney Spears On The ?Femme Fatale? Tour
Joe Jonas will be performing at at least one upcoming stop on Britney Spears‘s Femme Fatale Tour, this according to Joe‘s official Twitter profile. The middle Jonas brother tweeted yesterday that he has been added to the opening line-up of the August 5 tourstop in New Jersey. It’s unknown if Joe will be replacing one [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/QnxpA9lqiXQ/
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List of winners from the 2011 ESPY Awards
Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy Brittany Snow Brittny Gastineau Brody Dalle
Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror
- Artist: Michael Jackson
- Label: Epic Records
- Director: n/a
- Album: Moonwalker
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1102&vid=206759
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Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash Light Up Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show
Foursome is joined by special guests and tons of lights for smash-hit medley.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Black Eyed Peas perform during the Super Bowl XLV halftime show
Photo: Getty Images
The Black Eyed Peas promised a party at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday (February 6), and the pop supernovas definitely delivered, with a performance teeming with lights, dancers and surprise appearances from celebrity pals.
Following a Chatter.com commercial that showed animated versions of the Peas showing off their social-media skills, the group kicked things off with their 2009 smash "I Gotta Feeling," descending from the ceiling on illuminated platforms onto a stage surrounded by a cluster of dancers clad in white bodysuits. The foursome led the team of fist-pumping troops in "Tron"-like getups, with Taboo sporting an outfit covered in flashing lights, will.i.am rocking a shiny hairpiece, Apl.de.ap wearing huge bright studs and Fergie vamping it up in bling-laden shoulder pads.
When the speaker-busting bass of "Boom Boom Pow" dropped, the dancers dispersed across the field to create arrow-shaped formations as the glow-in-the-dark lights on their suits illuminated the stadium. Then rumored surprise guest Slash of Guns N' Roses rose from below the stage for a "Sweet Child O' Mine" duet with Fergie. The GNR great rocked a finger-searing solo in a studded version of his signature black top hat as more angular platforms and dancers moved across the gridiron. The platforms were bearing scores of marching-band musicians who blasted their horns and pounded away on their drums as the Peas went into "Pump It" and blue lights splashed across the production.
Quick streams of fog heralded the arrival of the Peas' second surprise guest, Usher, who swooped in on a long chain to bust out his will.i.am-assisted joint "OMG." Rocking a sparkly collar on an otherwise all-white ensemble, the R&B hitmaker cranked out several counts of energetic choreography, enlivening moves from his "OMG" video and at one point jumping over Will and landing in a split.
A spray of pyro ushered in the collective's breakout 2003 hit "Where Is the Love?" as the oddly shaped platforms spelled out the word "Love" in bright-red letters. The team of dancers, which appeared to have multiplied to over 100, formed hearts across the field as will updated the lyrics of the smash with lines like, "Obama, let's get these educated."
Then the group jumped ahead to their most recent single, 2010's "The Time (Dirty Bit)," as several back up hoofers rocking cubed helmets joined the Peas onstage and dancers lined up along the gridiron to simultaneously bust out the Running Man, a move which drew cheers from the crowd.
The platinum-selling Peas wrapped up the performance with a reprise of "I Gotta Feeling," as the quartet triumphantly signed off amid of blitz of fog, firepower and flashing lights.
Ripping the halftime show was clearly a touching moment for will, who tweeted beforehand, "Me and apl started the peas when we were 16 yesterday we were dreamin now were livin it. Wow. I'm not crying out of sadness or nervousness its joy and pride and memories and the journey."
And once the crew left the stage, the frontman was not only proud, but pumped. "That was so freakin sick," he wrote. "Wow...!!!"
What did you think of the Black Eyed Peas' Super Bowl performance? Let us know in the comments!
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657356/black-eyed-peas-usher-slash-super-bowl.jhtml
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With a Little Luck: A Novel
My good friend Caprice Crane's new book, With a Little Luck, is out today. Yay, Caprice!
It's gotten great reviews:
"Crane is one of the funniest writers of popular fiction around. The dialog (inner and outer) is laugh-out-loud, snort-inducing hilarious . . . Readers will want to cross their fingers and spit while throwing salt over their shoulders if it helps Berry reach her dreams. Highly recommended."
—Library Journal
"Fans of Stacy Ballis and Cara Lockwood will appreciate Crane's effortlessly funny style, which is often attempted in popular fiction but is rarely this well executed...Lighthearted and charmingly honest."
—Booklist
"[A] satisfying romantic comedy...[with] real character growth."
—Kirkus Reviews
And even better blurbs:
"Romantic, poignant and funny—this book is a lucky find for lit fans. Caprice Crane is a nimble and gifted storyteller."
—Diablo Cody, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Juno
"A hilarious romp that oozes charm and giddy fun. Caprice Crane is a true talent."
—Molly Jong-Fast, author of The Social Climber's Handbook
"Witty, fast-paced, and sheer fun. Caprice Crane is a master of dialogue. Half the time I was reading this book I was smiling, which made me look like a crazy person on the subway."
—Jancee Dunn, author of Don’t You Forget About Me and Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?
"Absolutely charming and hilarious."
—Missy Peregrym, star of the movie Stick It and ABC's Rookie Blue
"With a Little Luck scores in humor, head, and heart. In other words, it’s a perfect trifecta."
—Karyn Bosnak, author of 20 Times a Lady (soon to be the major motion picture What's Your Number?)
(Omg, who is that last fantastic blurber?) (I meant every word of it.)
And most importantly, she has the cutest dog ever (who likes to video chat with Bev):
Anyway, check it out, buy it—it's fantastic!
Source: http://www.prettyinthecity.com/blog/2011/7/26/with-a-little-luck-a-novel.html
Foxy Brown Freida Pinto FSU Cowgirls Gabrielle Union Garcelle Beauvais
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Miranda Kerr out at the gym in LA
Source: http://www.celebritygossiphollywood.com/models/miranda-kerr/miranda-kerr-out-at-the-gym-in-la/
'Game Of Thrones': Unlike Winter, Cancellation Is Not Coming
You know nothing, skeptics of HBO.
According to the news coming out of TCA 2011, the HBO network is in for the long haul with our personal favorite of their television line-up, "Game of Thrones." Though only the first season has aired so far, Entertainment Weekly reported on the event and has the news that the [...]
According to the news coming out of TCA 2011, the HBO network is in for the long haul with our personal favorite of their television line-up, "Game of Thrones." Though only the first season has aired so far, Entertainment Weekly reported on the event and has the news that the [...]
Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/07/29/game-of-thrones-cancellation/
Rebecca Black Set To Drop New Single, EP
Follow-up to smash 'Friday, titled 'My Moment,' will be released July 18.
By Jocelyn Vena
Rebecca Black
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Thanks to her ubiquitous hit "Friday," Rebecca Black quickly went from YouTube sensation to starring in a Katy Perry video for that singer's equally ubiquitous hit "Last Friday Night." Now Black is ready to take her career to the next level.
She'll release a new song, "My Moment," on July 18, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The song was written by Brandon "Blue" Hamilton (Justin Bieber) and Quinton Tolbert and the production credits include Charlton Pettus.
The video is reportedly less kitschy than her "Friday" video (but perhaps just as literal). It will include footage of her attending red-carpet events and receiving an award at her junior high school, telling "the story of her sudden rise to fame," according to a statement. "It's a fairy tale story, but it happened in real life."
Black is also working on finishing up her five-track EP, which will be released in August. "We're thinking about it; we have so many different options right now. We're trying to decide which route we should take," Black told MTV News earlier this year about her career plans and following up her viral smash.
"I really like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez; all just the fun upbeat stuff, teenager songs," she said of her musical inspirations. "My dream duet would be Justin Bieber. Even just doing something with Taylor Swift, or any of my favorite artists would be so cool."
Are you looking forward to Rebecca Black's next single? Tell us in the comments!
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Lady Gaga - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
- Artist: Lady Gaga
- Label: Columbia, Music World Music
- Director: Hype Williams
- Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3061469&vid=455581
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David Beckham: We Want Another Kid
"We'd love one more," Beckham tells the Associated Press. "We've always said we'd love a big family and five was a number. If we're lucky enough, then we hope to have one more."
Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/Bc4VeLOnHdI/
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Spotted: Jennifer Garner?s Girl Gets the Giggles
Jennifer Garner and daughter Seraphina Rose Elizabeth, 2�, laugh it up Wednesday while running errands in Santa Monica, Calif.
Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/prembGrTfN0/
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'Smurfs' Cast Imagines Navigating NYC -- In Miniature
'I've always been fascinated by what really goes on in the subways,' Neil Patrick Harris tells MTV News of what he'd do first.
By Jocelyn Vena
"The Smurfs (In 3-D)"
Photo: Sony Pictures
"The Smurfs" are three apples high, as the legend goes, and in this week's big-screen adaptation of the beloved children's cartoon, Hollywood takes a stab at re-telling the tale for a new generation of kids.
The 3-D tale (with some CGI) is voiced by an A-list cast, including VMA-nominated Katy Perry, George Lopez and Alan Cumming, to name a few. In the movie, the Smurfs land in the Big Apple, where they end up staying with expecting newlyweds played by Neil Patrick Harris and "Glee" star Jayma Mays. Of course, they're also trying to stay as far as possible from their nemesis, Gargamel, played by Hank Azaria.
The little creatures find themselves in some silly situations as they try to navigate the big city. When MTV News caught up with Harris, Mays and Azaria in New York, we asked what they would do if they suddenly found themselves having to survive the city in Smurf-sized bodies.'
"I've always been fascinated by what really goes on in the subways," Harris said.
His onscreen lady love, Mays, agreed, "That's a good one," before warning him, "but then the rats would be bigger than you. So that'd be a little scary."
"Maybe I'd sneak into really fun buildings," Mays added. "I would get into clubs that won't let me in now."
Harris later quipped of a popular Broadway show, "You could sneak into the 'Book of Mormon.' That's a hard ticket to get right now."
The actor who plays the movie's bumbling bad guy had a less glitzy answer. "If I were three apples high and I lived in New York, I would sneak into the Mets game. That's what I'd do," Azaria said. "And I'm blue, so they'd probably just mistake me for some kind of mascot. I'd wear orange to go with it. You see Gutsy's beard there? It's orange; that's Mets colors right there. I'm sure Gutsy is a Mets fan."
Are you going to check out "The Smurfs" this weekend? Tell us in the comments!
Check out everything we've got on "The Smurfs."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668131/smurfs-movie-cast-miniatures.jhtml
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'Breaking Dawn' Sex Scene Was 'Kind Of Fun' For Bill Condon
'They are so comfortable with each other,' director says of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.
By Tom Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1"
Photo: Summit Entertainment
"Twilight" fans gearing up for the franchise's last two films already have the cast and crew's word that the much-discussed wedding and birth scenes will be everything they've imagined since reading Stephenie Meyer's "Breaking Dawn." But what about porting the book's passionate sex scene from page to screen?
When MTV News caught up with director Bill Condon at Comic-Con, he was happy to report that shooting in Brazil was a breeze. "It was kind of fun!" he told us. Apparently Stewart and Pattinson's electric onscreen chemistry was enough to diffuse any and all off-screen awkwardness among cast and crew.
"They are so comfortable with each other," Condon said. "They made the whole thing ... it was kind of fun. Those things are always a little strange. They get to be weirdly technical at certain points."
Stewart and Pattinson's realistic closeness comes as no surprise, given that rumors about their real-life relationship have been circulating since the initial "Twilight" film hit theaters in 2008.
"They managed to put all that aside and turn it into something. That's a very real moment," he noted.
For his part, Pattinson told fans at Comic-Con that there were some not-so-romantic moments during the shoot in Brazil.
"Brazil was amazing," Pattinson said. "It was really amazing the day we got there, and really beautiful and warm and everything you'd expect. Then it suddenly, for the remainder of the shoot, was not only raining but like hurricane storms. ... It was kind of like having a honeymoon in England. We were playing board games instead of, like, making love on the beach."
Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1."
For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.
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Ian Somerhalder Before Congress for Wildlife
Gorgeous and a do-gooder!
Ian Somerhalder testified before Congress Thursday for wildlife conservation. The Vampire Diaries actor, 32, is head of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which, according to its website, "aims to empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures."
"Environmental conservation has not just always been a passion of mine, but a priority (of mine)," he said as he made a plea to Congress to pass the bill H.R. 50, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2011.
During his speech, the impassioned actor -- who started the foundation in December, as a birthday present to himself -- rattled off numerous statistics and facts about endangered tigers, rhinos, African and Asian elephants, marine turtles and apes.
"Species conservation is beyond a doubt an issue that truly matters to the American public," he said. "We're lucky in this case, because many of our most beloved wildlife species are clinging to survival by a thread."
Somerhalder managed to capture our hearts with his portrayal on the vampire series, but to know he is a compassionate human being in real life makes our crush that much sweeter.
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/ian-somerhalder-congress-wildlife/1-a-368611
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Kimora Lee Simmons & Her Daughters: Looking Fab At LAX
Kimora Lee Simmons and her daughters Ming, 11, and Aoki, 8, left for a flight at LAX on Thursday (July 28).
The girls looked color coordinated in purple and white. Were they wearing clothes from their mom's children's line Miyoki?
Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2011/07/29/kimora-lee-simmons-her-daughters-
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Friday, July 29, 2011
?True Blood? Season 5 On The Way?
True Blood’s creator Alan Ball has been talking about the possibility of the fifth season for Sookie Stackhouse, and the other creatures of the HBO hit TV series. Get the details below on the possible return of Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, and the rest of the cast. Although HBO hasn’t officially renewed Allan Ball’s vampire series for a fifth season, it looks to be on the horizon, with Ball happy to continue. Luckily for True Blood fans, Ball has shared that he is currently in negotiations with the network. Talking to the press while attending the Television Critics Association Tour, where HBO held a presentation, Ball discussed a definite conclusion to the popular series at some point, but right now he’s on a roll! “There will be an end for me at some point, but I just closed a deal to do another season. I don’t have any desire to leave because I’m having more fun than I have ever had in my life.” Now currently in its fourth season, the genius writers of True Blood are already developing story lines, and creating new on-screen characters that will be introduced next year on the show, if and when the series [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/3g5llOWCprU/
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Beyonc� - Sweet Dreams
- Artist: Beyoncé
- Label: Columbia, Music World Music
- Director: Adria Petty
- Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236911&vid=404504
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Krista: BeatCrave Fav
Hailing from the streets of Brooklyn comes a fresh faced singer songwriter, and rapper (shock), called Krista. The young 24-year-old comes at a time when female pop singers are a hot ticket, but it takes a lot to stand out with characters like Lady Gaga and Ke$ha around. But Krista offers a unique voice that [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beatcrave/~3/mbb6ZM6BT0A/
Jennifer Morrison Jennifer ODell Jennifer Scholle Jennifer Sky Jenny McCarthy
Rebecca Black Set To Drop New Single, EP
Follow-up to smash 'Friday, titled 'My Moment,' will be released July 18.
By Jocelyn Vena
Rebecca Black
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Thanks to her ubiquitous hit "Friday," Rebecca Black quickly went from YouTube sensation to starring in a Katy Perry video for that singer's equally ubiquitous hit "Last Friday Night." Now Black is ready to take her career to the next level.
She'll release a new song, "My Moment," on July 18, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The song was written by Brandon "Blue" Hamilton (Justin Bieber) and Quinton Tolbert and the production credits include Charlton Pettus.
The video is reportedly less kitschy than her "Friday" video (but perhaps just as literal). It will include footage of her attending red-carpet events and receiving an award at her junior high school, telling "the story of her sudden rise to fame," according to a statement. "It's a fairy tale story, but it happened in real life."
Black is also working on finishing up her five-track EP, which will be released in August. "We're thinking about it; we have so many different options right now. We're trying to decide which route we should take," Black told MTV News earlier this year about her career plans and following up her viral smash.
"I really like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez; all just the fun upbeat stuff, teenager songs," she said of her musical inspirations. "My dream duet would be Justin Bieber. Even just doing something with Taylor Swift, or any of my favorite artists would be so cool."
Are you looking forward to Rebecca Black's next single? Tell us in the comments!
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667031/rebecca-black-to-drop-new-single.jhtml
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Britney Spears, Adele And More Best Songs Of 2011 (So Far)
Tracks from Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Kreayshawn also make Bigger Than the Sound's midyear report card.
By James Montgomery
Best Songs of 2011 (so far)
Photo: MTV News
Last week, when I listed the Best Albums of 2011 (So Far), I expected to receive a fair amount of acrimony (it's what happens when you eschew Britney Spears in favor of F---ed Up's David Comes to Life), and, of course, I did.
But mixed in with all the hate were a few requests for me to do a similar list of my favorite songs too. So, not wanting to disappoint my fans (Hi, Mom!), I've done just that: Here are my picks for the Best Songs of 2011 (So Far), 20 tracks that have defined the first half of the year for me. Not all of them were actually released in 2011, but all of them have managed to make an impact in some way, be it on the charts, the blogs or in the ever-expanding "weird song" quadrant of my mind.
What's your pick for the Best Song of the Year (So Far)? Vote now in our Newsroom poll!
I'm sure you'll take issue with some of my selections, so if there's a song I've missed, let me know about it in the comments below. And, yes, just to head you off at the pass, Britney made the list this time around. So, without further ado, here's my top 20:
20. My Morning Jacket, "Holdin' on to Black Metal": Or, as you probably know it, "the song that includes portions of Kwan Jai and Kwan Jit Sriprajan's 'E-Saew Tam Punha Huajai.' " Delightfully oddball sorta-funk/ Siamese soul from Louisville, Kentucky.
19. Beastie Boys, "Make Some Noise": Vocal nods to their License to Ill party phase. Rattling boom-bap from their Check Your Head days. Cowbell break courtesy of Paul's Boutique. Welcome back. To the future.
18. Peter Bjorn and John, "Second Chance": Airtight Swedes ditch the whistling and plow headlong into rollicking, retro-leaning rock. The chorus may not be better than "Young Folks," but, hey, there's a guitar solo!
17. Cage the Elephant, "Around My Head": Hey, you guys like the Pixies? Cool, I do too! Maybe we can hang out sometime?
16. Against Me!, "Russian Spies": Searing, surging punk from Gainesville, Florida, lifers Against Me!, it proves that their time on Sire Records didn't soften them one bit. It only made them more resolute. And, strangely, sadder too.
15. Black Lips, "Modern Art": Without question, the best song you'll hear all year about taking drugs and looking at art. Oh, like you haven't tried it.
14. Lil Wayne (featuring Cory Gunz), "6 Foot 7 Foot": I can't even begin to comprehend the ongoing drama between Wayne and producer Bangladesh, but there's no denying the fact that both men are better off together. Knotty and slightly seizure-inducing, like "A Milli" times, well, a million.
13. YACHT, "Dystopia (The Earth Is on Fire)": Every day the sky gets lower (lowerlowerlower!). And every day the flames get higher (higherhigherhigher!). So, with apologies to Rock Master Scott and the Dynamic Three, the disco duo just decide to let the mother----er burn.
12. Chris Brown, "Beautiful People": Regardless of what you may think of Breezy, you probably cannot deny the sublimely subtle genius of this track. Then again, maybe you can. And, y'know, your loss.
11. Washed Out, "Eyes Be Closed": Massively ebbing and echoing bed-tronica (don't call it "chillwave") from some dude in Perry, Georgia. Bonus: Sounds nothing like Perry, Georgia.
10. Beyoncé, "Run the World (Girls)": I am an unabashed fan of "crazy" Beyoncé (you know, the one who shows up on tracks like "Ring the Alarm," "Get Me Bodied" and, of course, "Single Ladies"), so there's no way I could overlook "Girls," the single craziest moment on her decidedly straightforward 4 album. From the Major Lazer sample to the Warrior Princess video to the part where she growls "Houston, Texas, babay," it may have confounded some of her fans, but to me, it was psychotic pop perfection.
9. Bright Eyes, "Ladder Song": For as much noise as Conor Oberst is capable of making, it's the quieter moments where his rickety, ramshackle genius really shines through. And "Ladder Song" — a heartbreakingly raw tribute to a friend who committed suicide — is among his quietest. And his best. Backed by little more than a piano and a handful of otherworldly noises, Oberst plumbs the depths of despair, his voice reedy, wavering, but pure and, when he reaches bottom, discovers there are small beauties that make life worth living. It's too bad, he ultimately laments, that his friend didn't discover them too. You won't hear a more achingly beautiful song this year, I promise.
8. Lykke Li, "Get Some": Bewitching, otherworldly single from Li's Wounded Rhymes album, it would be sexy even if she wasn't calling herself your prostitute. The drums thump, the bass vibrates and the guitar stings — and then Li pushes the whole thing over the top with her smoldering, sumptuous vocals. The kind of song that requires a cigarette and a cold shower after repeat listens.
7. Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks": The year's catchiest rock tune was actually last year's catchiest too; it just took people a while to catch on. Hazy, loping and scratchy like a mohair sweater, it recalls a headier era, when bands wrote ultra-hooky singles about ultra-dark subject matter (Eels' "Novocaine for the Soul," the Smashing Pumpkins "Today," etc.) and no one seemed to care. Also known as the 1990s.
6. Kreayshawn, "Gucci Gucci": Either the smartest song of 2011 or the dumbest, the beauty of "Gucci Gucci" — and Bay Area "Based Goddess" Kreayshawn, for that matter — lies in the fact that it's probably both, but it doesn't care one bit. Folks can kvetch about sticky subjects like "authenticity," but I prefer to just listen to the music: the goofy horror-movie synth squiggle, the dollops of low-end whomp, the part where Kreay claims to have swag coming out her ovaries — it's all good. Even if it's not.
5. Nicola Roberts, "Beat of My Drum": Sublimely saccharine single from erstwhile Girls Aloud member that mashes together every notable pop moment from recent history, yet somehow manages to be better than the sum of its parts. Dancehall rhythms? Check. Drum breaks? Yep. Electro-vocal tics? And how. It's all courtesy of producers Diplo and Dimitri Tikovoi, though the real power lies in the supercharged sing-a-long chorus — arguably the year's best — where the whole thing comes together into a head-spinning rush and Roberts positively blossoms. She should go solo more often.
4. Katy Perry (featuring Kanye West), "ET": The California Gurl turns space-pop princess, with glorious results. "ET" bloops and bleeps like a satellite in eternal, icy orbit (or a malfunctioning digital watch), and the chorus burns like Spacelab descending through the atmosphere. Also, it's about sex. Sure, 'Ye's verses may be phoned in — he'll probe you if you'll let him — but even they can't dim the wattage of this brightly shining star. Appropriately, it's become a galactic hit, though one can't help but wonder what would've happened if Three 6 Mafia had gotten their hands on it first.
3. Britney Spears, "Till the World Ends": The final stage of grief is acceptance, after all.
2. Lady Gaga, "Heavy Metal Lover": It's buried toward the back of Born This Way, an odd choice considering it's far and away the best song on the album (even better than "The Edge of Glory.") A masterful mix of "Transformers"-sized techno whomp and supple, slipstream synthesizers, it pulses and twitches, expands and contracts and, quiet as it's kept, is probably the best example of what we all hoped BTW would be. As an added bonus, "I want your whiskey mouth/ All over my blond south" may very well be the line of the year too.
1. Adele, "Rolling in the Deep": Unquestionably the song of 2011, a crackling, breathy thing that roils along on a stubby guitar line and some primal pounding, then positively roars to life the second the chorus hits. There's little else at play here, but when you're building with blocks like Rick Rubin's raw production and Adele's prodigious pipes (and the powerful range of emotions they conjure up), they sky really is the limit. The fact that it's a crossover smash (true story, this weekend I heard it 10 times on three different radio stations) is merely icing on top of the cake at this point, not to mention a blow against the creeping, Auto-Tuned insurgency that threatens our nation's airwaves. Sometimes all it takes is one deceptively, devastatingly simple song to turn the tide.
What did we miss? Share your picks in the comments below!
Related Videos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666833/britney-spears-adele-best-songs-of-2011.jhtml
Danica Patrick Daniella Alonso Danneel Harris Deanna Russo Denise Richards
Ke$ha, Black Eyed Peas, More Featured In O Music Awards Roundtable Debate
Music-video director Wayne Isham will join Most Innovative Video debate, which streams live Monday on OMusicAwards.com and MTV.com.
By MTV News Staff
Ke$ha
Photo: Noel Vasquez/ Getty Images
Ever since they were first announced, the O Music Awards have proudly proclaimed themselves the untraditional alternative to the staid world of red carpets, acceptance speeches and celebrity glad-handing.
And for further proof of that point, consider the following: Though the inaugural O Music Awards won't premiere until April 28, the first award will be handed out on Monday at 4 p.m. ET ... and it's a big one.
For weeks, fans have been voting for the Most Innovative Music Video through the O Music Awards official site, and on Monday — in a roundtable debate moderated by MTV News' James Montgomery — a winner will be crowned.
The O Music Awards Debate for the Most Innovative Music Video, presented by FUZE®, will stream live on OMusicAwards.com and MTV.com. Joining Montgomery around the table will be acclaimed video director Wayne Isham, Mashable's Brenna Ehrlich and some super-secret celebrity guests.
The Black Eyed Peas, Ke$ha, My Chemical Romance and more will also take part in the discussion about just what makes a video truly innovative, and the folks who are nominated for the award — a list that includes Arcade Fire, Robyn, OK Go and Andy Grammer — will also Skype in to make the case for why their video deserves to be named Most Innovative.
On Monday morning, the original list of 10 nominees will be whittled down to the top five vote-getters, and then, during the debate, our roundtable and the Internet audience will cut that list down to the final three. At the very end, we'll announce the winner of the very first O Music Award for Most Innovative Video.
The inaugural O Music Awards will stream live from Las Vegas at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on OMusicAwards.com. Tune in to see who will reign supreme in categories like Most Viral Dance, Funniest Music Short and NSFW Music Video!
Related Videos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662511/o-music-awards-most-innovative-video.jhtml
Cindy Taylor Cinthia Moura Claudette Ortiz Coco Lee Connie Nielsen
Amy Winehouse Died from Alcohol Withdrawal?
Family and friends said their last goodbyes to Amy Winehouse on Tuesday with a funeral service in London, but the question of what caused the "Rehab" singer's death still lingers. While the toxicology results are not expected back for a few weeks, Britain's Sun newspaper reports that Winehouse's family strongly believes the 27-year-old died from sudden withdrawal from alcohol.
Following a recent one-week rehab stint, Winehouse -- who had battled drug and alcohol addiction for years (Amy's father Mitch Winehouse says she kicked the drug habit three years ago) -- was advised by her doctor to gradually ween herself off of heavy drinking, noting that a sudden withdrawal for such a serious addict could have major consequences. Winehouse ignored the doctors advice and went cold turkey.
According to her family, Winehouse had been sober for three weeks preceding her death, a fact Mitch spoke about at Amy's funeral. "He said doctors had told Amy to gradually reduce her intake of alcohol and to avoid bingeing at all costs," a source close to the family tells the Sun. "Amy told him she couldn't do that. It was all or nothing and she gave up completely."
Adds the source: "Abstinence gave her body such a fright they thought it was eventually the cause of her death."
Reports have claimed that the Grammy Award-winning singer had fallen off the wagon only three days before her July 23 death, when she was allegedly seen drinking gin and Red Bull at the iTunes festival at the Roundhouse in Camden, North London.
In his eulogy at Amy's funeral, Mitch Winehouse denied the rumors that his daughter had been on a bender before her death. "He wanted everyone to know that he, her boyfriend and her manager believed it was actually the complete opposite," says the same insider. "Mitch said the shock of giving up, after everything she had been through over a bad few years, was just too much for her to take."
Whether alcohol withdrawal is the culprit in Winehouse's case remains to be seen, but it is certainly a possibility. Doctor Carol Cooper tells the Sun that the sudden shock of withdrawal could have led to a seizure so violent that it caused her death. "The heaviest drinkers have a particularly severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens, or DTs," says Cooper. "They may fall into a stupor and sleep it off, or lapse into a coma -- or have dangerous seizures."
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/amy-winehouse-die-alcohol-withdrawal/1-a-368269
Dido Diora Baird Dita Von Teese Dominique Swain Donna Feldman
Tori Spelling: "The Third Pregnancy Is For Sure Harder"
What are the must-haves for summer 2011? Just ask celeb mom Tori Spelling! The actress and best-selling author has handpicked the products of the season which are all available at her new store InvenTORI in Sherman Oaks, Calif. and on her Web site.
When she's not searching out the hottest items, the expectant reality TV starlet is trying to survive the heat of the summer. "The third pregnancy is for sure harder," Tori tells Celebrity Baby Scoop. "It's more exhausting just because I'm still running after two toddlers constantly," she adds. "And this is my first pregnancy during the summer. The heat is very hard for me. Lots of air conditioning and pool time!"
Special Headline:
CBS Exclusive
Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2011/07/28/tori-spelling-the-third-pregnancy-is-for-sure-harder
Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello
'The Hunger Games': Peeta & Gale Photo
Back in May, Hunger Games fans got their first taste of what they could expect from the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling book series -- about a dystopian future in which children are forced to fight to the death on national TV -- when Entertainment Weekly unveiled an image of 20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence decked out in her Katniss Everdeen regalia, looking every bit the heroine. Now, EW is at it again, offering the premiere peek at Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth as the movie's two main male characters Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne. (Check out the photo above.)
Fans of the series who were skeptical when director Gary Ross cast the brown-haired Hutcherson, 18, as blond Peeta and the blond Hemsworth, 21, as black-haired Gale can go ahead and breath a big sigh of relief. As is evident in the photo, both guys have dyed their locks the appropriate hue, packed on some muscle and look an awful lot like the characters Collins' described in her books.
For the uninitiated, in the young-adult novels Peeta is a well-built, fair-haired, even-tempered 16-year-old baker's son. He's harbored a crush on Katniss since they were 5, and once saved her life by giving her bread when she was starving. Gale is Katniss' 18-year-old best friend and hunting partner. Like Peeta, he's also secretly head over heels for Ms. Everdeen.
But while Peeta and Gale are rivals in the books and (soon) on the screen, they guys who play them are anything butt. In fact, Hutcherson and Hemsworth bonded so much during the North Carolina shoot -- which is now about halfway done -- that Josh brought Liam to his hometown of Kentucky one weekend to meet his family. Says Hutcherson, "I think it's going to blow people's minds when they see that Peeta and Gale are actually best friends in real life."
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/hunger-games-peeta-gale-photo/1-a-368128
Eliza Dushku Emilie de Ravin Emma Heming Emma Stone Emma Watson
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