Tag Archives: debut-the-album

Usher Says ‘Scream’ Is ‘Just In Time For Summer’

Following ‘Climax,’ singer tells MTV News his latest single ‘represents the other side’ of Looking for Myself album. By Jocelyn Vena Usher Photo: MTV News Bumping beats, sexy lyrics and Usher ‘s signature R&B bad-boy swagger can only mean one thing: the singer has once again hooked up with superstar pop producer Max Martin. Their latest collaboration, “Scream,” picks up where “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” left off back in 2010. Usher used that track to convince us to go home with him after a dizzying night of partying, and for “Scream,” he’s got us back at his pad and he’s rocking our world, one fist-pumping moment at a time. While he opted to slow it down on “Climax,” Usher is back to large-scale dance tracks on Looking for Myself ‘s second single. And, he told MTV News, both tracks reflect the sound of the album. “This album has many different views and many different perspectives,” he told MTV News while rehearsing for his one-night run as the lead in NYC’s off-Broadway spectacle “Fuerza Bruta,” which also served as a place for Usher to debut the album ahead of its release. “And me and Max Martin, we’ve had success together in the past, and this was a record I felt represented the other side of the [album].” “Scream” and “Climax” truly are polar-opposite tracks. Where “Climax” sears and broods, “Scream” celebrates and dances. Usher is excited for the chance to show all those sides with the two lead singles from the June 12 release. “Whereas the first song was a little bit more artistic and a little bit more soulful, and it has done everything, it probably exceeded my expectations, I mean, from the moment I was able to give it away. I was able to kind of be reintroduced in a way musically, and thank you to [producer] Diplo, but ‘Scream’ is really like the next step. It’s just in time for summer and the type of experience that I want people to get out of the album.” But the Atlanta-bred singer notes that the album can’t be defined just by “Climax” or “Scream.” There’s a lot there to keep fans tuning in. “It’s a ton of other experiences and a ton of other walks … as I’ve had this long journey over the last year [and] every bit of what I’ve experienced I’ve put into a creative, artistic way,” he said. As for the video, well, that still has to be shot, but he joked that “Fuerza Bruta” might serve as the perfect backdrop for the clip — or maybe not. “We might be shooting it while we’re here,” he laughed. “This is like a movie set, damn near — sh– you don’t normally see with the launch of an album. This is pretty spectacular.” What are you expecting from Usher’s next album? Let us know in the comments!

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Usher Says ‘Scream’ Is ‘Just In Time For Summer’

Oprah Winfrey In Talks To Star In HBO Films’ ‘Ruined’

Winfrey would play madam at a brothel in war-torn Congo. By Jocelyn Vena Oprah Winfrey Photo: Soul Brother/ FilmMagic According to a new report, talk-show maven and pop culture tour de force Oprah Winfrey is considering a dramatic acting role. Deadline Hollywood reports that Winfrey is in talks to star in an HBO Films adaptation of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Ruined.” Winfrey and Kate Forte will act as executive producers for the film, with the playwright adapting the script. The story follows Mama Nadi, a madam at a brothel in war-torn Congo. Nadi tries to keep herself and her women from getting into trouble with the government and rebel armies. Winfrey recently made a cameo on “30 Rock.” She has taken on dramatic roles in the past, including 1998’s “Beloved,” directed by Jonathan Demme, and Steven Spielberg’s 1985 drama “The Color Purple.” Winfrey is also attached to show her more comic side in a Michael Patrick King (“Sex and the City”) flick about the world of home shopping networks . Winfrey has also worked in film behind the scenes. She was one of the forces behind “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” and is working with HBO on an adaptation of “America: In the King Years,” based on the Taylor Branch books about Martin Luther King Jr. Winfrey will wrap up her 25-year run as the host of her talk show in September 2011 and will launch her new network, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, in January 2011. “I love this show. This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it’s time to say goodbye,” she said when she announced the end of her talk-show run. “Twenty-five years feels right in my bones, and it feels right in my spirit. It’s the perfect number — the exact right time. So I hope that you will take this 18-month ride with me right through to the final show.”

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Oprah Winfrey In Talks To Star In HBO Films’ ‘Ruined’

Avril Lavigne’s Goodbye Lullaby Due Out In March

Singer will debut first single, “What the Hell,” on New Year’s Eve. By Gil Kaufman Avril Lavigne Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images Avril Lavigne fans have been waiting patiently for the follow-up to 2007’s The Best Damn Thing, and after two years of recording and delays, they will finally get their reward. Lavigne’s fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, is slated for release on March 8, 2011. The disc will feature collaborations with producer/songwriter Butch Walker and pop mastermind Max Martin as well as her former guitarist Evan Taubenfeld and ex-husband, Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley. Among the tracks slated for inclusion are “Smile,” described as a rocker that “expresses her gratitude for special people in her life,” an exploration of relationship dynamics called “Push,” the vulnerable ballad “Wish You Were Here,” a ’50s-girl-group-inspired tune called “Stop Standing There” and the title track, “Goodbye,” on which she “finds the strength to close one chapter of her life and move on to the next.” Lavigne is slated to debut the album’s first single, “What the Hell,” on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on December 31. She described the song on her website as “an unabashed embrace of fun and freedom.” After veering into a more pure pop sound on Best Damn Thing, the singer told Billboard earlier this year that her new album will have a “somewhat more raw” sound. While fans have likely been bummed out by the delay, Lavigne assured them that they were not nearly as frustrated as she’s been. In a harsh letter posted to her followers last month, she lashed out at unnamed label bosses for delaying the effort. “I’m done with my 4th record!!!” she announced on November 11. “Well, actually, I have been done for a year … and now my record company have finally decided to release it. OMG … How nice! Thanks guys … This has been a really difficult record for me to create and to release,” she wrote. “Not only is this the most meaningful and special record I have written, it is sincere, honest and close to my heart. But for the first time, I experienced a bunch of bureaucratic BS … People do their best work when they are doing what they want, love and is natural for them, not when you are forcing them to be something that they are not.” It’s not like Lavigne has been totally off the radar since her last album. She contributed the lead single “Alice” to the soundtrack to Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” remake in March. She also appeared as a guest judge on “American Idol” earlier this year and made her dramatic big-screen debut in 2007’s “The Flock.” Are you looking forward to Avril’s new album? Tell us in the comments. Related Artists Avril Lavigne

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Avril Lavigne’s Goodbye Lullaby Due Out In March