Singer tells MTV News ‘Fuerza Bruta’ matches the ‘more artistic’ music on his upcoming album. By Jocelyn Vena Usher Photo: Todd Williamson/ WireImage This Saturday (and this Saturday only), Usher will appear in New York City’s “Fuerza Bruta,” an off-Broadway show where no one speaks, but the story is told through bright lights, music and dancing. In the lead role of Running Man, Usher will also use the show to preview his June album release, Looking for Myself. Fans in the audience will likely get closer than they’ve ever been to the singer, as the audience stands during the performance, becoming another member of the company. With several weeks until his album release, Usher explained to MTV News at a rehearsal why he wanted to use this show to preview tracks. “I felt like the natural elements as well as the emotion of ‘Fuerza Bruta’ would definitely speak or be significant to some of the stories and I guess hopefully a connection [was there],” he explained of tying this performance to his album. “When we began to explore different directions [for the performance like] maybe we use some of their music, maybe we use some of mine … and before you knew it the idea came together. We tried it, I got on Running Man and it worked.” The show will stream his entire album, which drops June 12, and he thinks the mind-bending artistry of “Fuerza Bruta” works with the sound he’s created on it. “This is more artistic of an album than I’ve had in history,” he said. “And I felt like yeah, it would be a lot for me, but I was willing to at least try it. There were many times I had seen the show and I only hoped that I would be able to make it happen.” Related Artists Usher
Seoul, South Korea, set list heavy on new material, but Gaga’s biggest hits come out to play. By John Mitchell Lady Gaga arrives in Seoul on April 20 Photo: Getty Images Lady Gaga kicked off her hotly awaited Born This Way Ball at Seoul, South Korea’s Olympic Stadium on Friday (April 27) in front of 45,000 fans, and despite protests from Christian groups saying Mother Monster was “obscene” and could “taint” young people with her performance, the concert appears to have gone on without incident. Intrepid Twitter fans are already showing off pictures and video of the BTW Ball’s enormous Gothic castle backdrop and myriad costume changes, making it clear that Gaga has outdone even her own Monster Ball in terms of spectacle. While we wait for reviews to trickle in from halfway around the world, one thing is certain: No minors were corrupted at the show. Earlier this month, the Korea Media Rating Board decided to elevate the age rating for the concert from 12 to 18, prohibiting minors from seeing the concert. When the board notified Gaga’s tour promotion company and a sponsor of the change in age restrictions, it did not offer a reason why the show — which at the time was still in rehearsals and has not been reviewed publicly — was considered unsuitable for children under 18. The likely catalyst for the board’s decision came more into focus as the concert neared and protests from a group of conservative Christians calling itself the Alliance for Sound Culture in Sexuality ramped up. The group covered Seoul with posters accusing Gaga of “spreading unhealthy sexual culture” through “lewd lyrics and performances.” The superstar and her fans, however, were undeterred. Though she tweeted her hopes that the Korea Media Rating Board would reverse its decision (it didn’t), she continued on as planned. Many fans reportedly arrived at the show wearing versions of Gaga’s most well-known flamboyant costumes, and there have been no reports of disturbances at the concert. Before the show, Gaga tweeted , “I can you hear you Korea. I’m shaking.” Gaga’s performance was heavy on material from her Born this Way album, though her biggest hits, including “Bad Romance,” Poker Face” and “Just Dance,” were represented. Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Ball set list:
Gaga’s latest clip mixes the sacred with the profane and includes a nod to Marlon Brandon too — here are all the references! By James Montgomery Lady Gaga Photo: George Pimentel/ Getty Images Love her or hate her, you’ve got to admit that Lady Gaga knows how to make a music video. Her clips always have been a mixture of high-art posturing and knowing nods to pop-culture ephemera, and “Judas” is no different. While it’s not filled with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it references like “Telephone” or odes to German Expressionism like “Alejandro,” there’s still plenty to wrap your eyes around in “Judas,” offering a mixture of the sacred and the profane. Gaga merges mentions to religious iconography and cult biker flicks (and pretty much everything in between) in the video, and so, we decided to take notes. Here’s our “Judas” pop-culture cheat sheet, alphabetized for your perusing pleasure … you can’t tell your Botticellis from your Brandos without it. “The Birth of Venus” : Iconic 15th century painting by Sandro Botticelli depicting the Roman goddess Venus emerging from the sea. Art historians have interpreted the work in many ways — a contemplation on physical and spiritual beauty, a celebration of the divine, a “wedding painting” meant to, uh, inspire the bride and groom — but in “Judas,” when Gaga strikes a pose similar to the painting, she seems to be paying tribute to all three. “Electric Chapel” : Gaga has said that she created her Monster Ball Tour so that her fans “would have a place to go … a safe place … an ‘Electric Chapel.’ ” It’s also the name of a song on her upcoming Born This Way album. In “Judas,” the Chapel is reimagined as a biker bar, where LG attempts to warn Jesus about Judas’ impending betrayal. Eye of Horus : An ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, closely associated with the goddess Wadjet. In “Judas,” Gaga wears eye makeup that recalls the symbol, which makes sense, since, as Mary Magdalene, she attempts to protect Christ from Judas’ backstabbing. Foot Washing : A religious rite observed by several Christian denominations. In the Bible, Christ washed the feet of his apostles before the Last Supper, the final meal he shared before his crucifixion. Gaga washes Christ’s feet in “Judas,” perhaps symbolizing his forthcoming demise, something that Judas certainly had a hand in. Golden Gun : Fictional weapon from the 1974 James Bond film “The Man With the Golden Gun,” and a totally kick-ass sidearm in the “GoldenEye” video game. Gaga wields a similar piece in “Judas,” though hers doesn’t contain bullets; instead, it’s a rather grandiose tube of lipstick, which she smears on Judas’ face. The Kiss of Judas : In the Bible, it is Judas’ final act of betrayal — he kisses Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper as a way of identifying him to the soldiers who have come to arrest him. The same scene is played out in “Judas,” as the betrayer plants a pair of kisses on Christ’s cheeks. Mary Magdalene : A disciple of Jesus and one of the most controversial characters in the Bible, early scholars painted her as a repentant prostitute, while in the 20th and 21st century, she has come to be celebrated as a patron saint of women’s preaching and ministry. Not surprisingly, Gaga takes on the role of Magdalene, reimagining her as a badass chick with a penchant for chola fashion. Norman Reedus : American actor/model known for his roles in “The Boondock Saints” and, more recently, AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” In “Judas,” he plays the titular apostle with gleefully evil aplomb. Rick Gonzalez : American character actor who has appeared in dozens of films, most notably “Coach Carter” and, uh, “Old School,” where he played “Spanish.” In “Judas,” he’s given a gangster makeover as Jesus Christ. Sacred Heart : Religious icon that symbolizes Christ’s divine love for humanity. Often depicted as bleeding and wrapped in thorns, in “Judas,” Gaga can be seen wearing a Sacred Heart on her wardrobe. Simon Peter : One of Christ’s 12 apostles, also known as Saint Peter, he is regarded by the Catholic Church as the first pope. Before the Last Supper, when Christ washed his apostles’ feet, Peter originally refused, claiming he was not worthy. During Christ’s arrest, Peter sliced the ear of a servant of the High Priest who had come to seize him. In “Judas,” Gaga singles out Peter at the “Electric Chapel,” patting him on the back. “The Wild One” : 1953 biker film starring a young Marlon Brando as the leader of the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club. That leather-clad gang of ne’er-do-wells seems to be the direct inspiration for Christ’s biker-apostles in “Judas.” Can you spot any other literary, historic or pop-culture references in Lady Gaga’s “Judas” video? Tell us in the comments. Related Videos Lady Gaga’s ‘Judas’ Video Premieres Related Photos Lady Gaga’s ‘Judas’ Video: Decoded Related Artists Lady Gaga
