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Taylor Swift Has 25 Songs For Speak Now Follow-Up

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘It’s looking really great,’ she tells The Hollywood Reporter of 2012 album. By James Montgomery Taylor Swift Photo: Big Machine Records Taylor Swift ‘s Speak Now was released just one year ago, but, from the sound of things, work on the follow-up is already well under way. Last week, Swift told MTV News that she’s “been writing so much for the new record,” adding that she’s “already excited about it,” even though the album won’t see the light of day until 2012. And, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she revealed even more about the new disc and the songs she’s already penned. “I’ve written 25 songs so far, so it’s coming along really well,” Swift said in the interview. “I’ve been writing a lot, and I like to take two years to make a record. We’re at the end of year one, and I still have a year left to go write. “It’s looking really great,” she added. Whenever the new album is released, it’ll have some lofty company to keep: Swift’s Speak Now opened at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, breaking the 1 million mark in first-week sales. And her previous effort, 2008’s Fearless, also bowed at #1 and has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. Of course, writing songs isn’t the only project on Swift’s plate at the moment. She just launched her first-ever fragrance, Wonderstruck , which, as she explained to us, she hopes will “help play a role in creating some … memories.” She also continues to chug along on her Speak Now Tour , which crisscrosses the continent before coming to a close at the end of November with a pair of sold-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden. What are you expecting from Taylor’s next album? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV First: Taylor Swift Related Artists Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift’s ‘The Story Of Us’: Watch A Sneak Peek Here!

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Taylor herself will debut the full-length video on Tuesday on MTV and MTV.com. By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Swift in “The Story Of Us” Photo: Big Machine Records On Tuesday, Taylor Swift will sit down with MTV News’ Sway Calloway to premiere her music video for “The Story of Us” during “MTV First: Taylor Swift.” If you can’t wait until then to see what Swift has in store for the Noble Jones-directed video, MTV News has a treat for you in the form of a 43-second tease for the video. In the new video, Swift is in college, reminiscing about her relationship with a fellow coed. The tease kicks off with a flurry of shots: the exterior of a school library, a shelf of books (one is called “The Story of Us”), Swift looking forlorn, her band playing the tune in the institution of higher learning’s halls. Then Swift tells us what went down in “Chapter One.” She and her newest video beau are laughing, flirting and kissing among the library stacks. What happens next? Well, fans will have to wait until Tuesday to find out. It all kicks off on May 24 at 7:53 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com. Fans can tune in to see Swift introduce the video’s official premiere and speak with Sway live on-air. Sway and Taylor will then continue their chat for a 30-minute live stream on MTV.com. The singer will answer a few questions from fans too. Beginning on Friday (May 20), you can submit your pressing queries on MTV.com or via Twitter using @MTVNews, hashtag #AskTaylor. At 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the music video will debut online on MTV.com, VH1.com and MTV’s International Sites in 150+ territories, followed by a premiere on TeenNick at 10:56 p.m. ET. For those who can’t wait for the video premiere, a 30-second sneak peek of “The Story of Us” will air during VH1’s “Big Morning Buzz Live” on Tuesday, May 24 at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT. The full video will also appear on “VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown” on Saturday, May 28 at 9 a.m. ET/PT. Related Videos Taylor Swift’s ‘The Story Of Us’ Video To Premiere On MTV Related Artists Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift’s ‘Mean’ Video Aims To Empower Fans

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Singer plays up anti-bullying message in her video. By Jocelyn Vena Cover art for Taylor Swift’s “Mean” Photo: Big Machine Records Taylor Swift’s video for “Mean” (from last year’s Speak Now ) is the latest entry in an avalanche of empowering clips , which we’ve seen from artists like Katy Perry ( “Firework” ) and Pink ( “Raise Your Glass” ). Swift’s clip, directed by Declan Whitebloom, was shot over two days in Los Angeles, with the Orpheum Theatre serving as its backdrop. It opens with Swift and her band in the theater. She plays the banjo, and they’re all dressed in vintage-inspired clothes (as seen during her ACM performance ). The stage is set up like a front yard of a farmhouse. The video cuts to a boy reading a fashion magazine in a locker room being bullied by the football team. The video is back on that stage, where Swift is throwing a jubilant honky tonk. Now, Swift is dressed in a little white ’20s-style dress and is being tied to the tracks by an old-timey villain. (This image was also used for the single art .) He and his friends laugh as she sits there helpless. But Swift and the others are hardly the only victims in the clip. Viewers are back in modern time, where a girl, wearing a fast-food uniform, is being made fun of by her peers. Another girl is being teased in school and can’t sit with “the cool girls” at lunch and is forced to eat in the school bathroom. All the while, Swift is plucking away at her banjo. Her words are empowering the young people affected by their bullies. All that playing does eventually pay off for Swift. The stage is now transformed into a ritzy nightclub, with the singer all dazzled up in a sparkly flapper gown performing in the big leagues. What about the others? They’ve also found themselves as well. The boy reading the fashion magazine is now a famous fashion designer. The fast food worker saved up for college and is a big-time executive. The other girl? Well, she’s in the audience watching Swift perform, cheering her on just liked Swift’s song cheered her on. What did you think of Taylor’s new video? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Star Gazing: Taylor Swift Related Artists Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift’s ‘Back To December’ Video Director Explains Clip

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I wanted [Taylor] to perform a very natural way, to make her look very European,’ says Yoann Lemoine. By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Swift in “Back to December” Photo: Big Machine Records In her video for “Back to December,” Taylor Swift finds herself and her home covered in snow while she contemplates the best way to apologize to her former beau, played by model Guntars Asmanis , for breaking his heart. Director Yoann Lemoine tells MTV News that he had a certain aesthetic he wanted to capture for the chilly clip, which was shot partly in Nashville (for Swift’s scenes) and Upstate New York (for Asmanis’ scenes) in December. “I wanted the video to be very simple and metaphorical at the same time,” the Frenchman explained. “I wanted to work on the coldness of feelings in a very visual way, playing with the snow, the distance and sadness. [Taylor] really liked it. The winter theme was very interesting to me — the snow, the ice. I even wanted the guy to go swim in frozen lakes at some point. It was not possible, but I wanted to translate how you feel sometime when your heart is broken. The snow in the apartment is supposed to show how connected she is to him. He is outside, in the cold, but somehow she is connected to him.” Swift pretty much let Lemoine have control over the clip’s look and feel, although it was her idea to have her character leave the letter for her beloved. As for Swift’s look in the video, Lemoine says he was focused on making sure that it all felt real and that she came off as accessible. “I have been going through a lot of videos and pictures of her on the Internet trying to find the best angle and style for her. I wanted people to feel like they would get to know her very intimately, and really trust in what she was saying,” he explained. “I wanted her to perform a very natural way, to make her look very European. This was the main challenge to me. All of Taylor’s world is very far away from my culture, but I saw something in her that could be very rough and heartbreaking; far from the princess glittery outfits and glam that she often goes for.” As for Asmanis, the duo agreed that he was the perfect fit for the part. “I wanted a boy that was fragile and beautiful. I didn’t want to go for a hunk or a perfect cheesy boy that would have killed the sincerity of the video,” Lemoine said. “I just imagined a face that would enhance the fragility of the video. We did cast a couple of boys and both Taylor and I loved Guntars.” Related Artists Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift Tops Billboard Again, While Michael Jackson Debuts At #3

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Taylor Swift Tops Billboard Again, While Michael Jackson Debuts At #3

In a big week for sales, Swift’s Speak Now fends off Susan Boyle for #1. By James Montgomery Taylor Swift’s Speak Now Photo: Big Machine Records It’s the most wonderful time of the year … especially for the music industry. Album sales surged thanks to all you holiday shoppers, and you put Taylor Swift back on top of next week’s Billboard 200 albums chart. Swift barely edges out Susan Boyle in a week that saw plenty of big numbers put up across the board. Swift’s Speak Now sold more than 259,000 copies (up 30 percent from last week) to claim the #1 spot, according to figures provided by Neilsen SoundScan. Meanwhile, Boyle’s The Gift sold more than 254,000, ending her run atop the chart. The week’s highest debut belongs to the late Michael Jackson , whose posthumous Michael album sold nearly 228,000 copies to open at #3. A pair of holiday-themed releases — Jackie Evancho ‘s O Holy Night and the “Glee” cast’s Christmas album — round out the Top 5, selling nearly 191,000 and 158,000 copies, respectively. Up next at #6, it’s R. Kelly ‘s Love Letter, which debuts with sales of nearly 154,000 copies, and, at #7, it’s Diddy-Dirty Money , whose long-delayed Last Train to Paris opens to the tune of nearly 101,000 copies sold. The rest of the Top 10 is filled out by Nicki Minaj ‘s Pink Friday (#8, more than 97,000 copies sold), Kid Rock ‘s Born Free (#9, nearly 94,000) and the “Glee” cast’s The Music, Volume 4 (nearly 87,000). Outside the Top 10, there are debuts from “American Idol” runner-up Crystal Bowersox , whose Farmer’s Daughter sold nearly 58,000 copies — 20,000 more than “Idol” champ Lee DeWyze sold in his first week — to open at #28. Smoove R&B crooner Tank ‘s Now or Never bows at #35 (more than 43,000 sold), and Ciara ‘s Basic Instinct, has a meek debut at #44, with sales of nearly 37,000 copies. Nearly every album in the Billboard top 50 posted a sales increase from the previous week’s numbers, including Katy Perry ‘s Teenage Dream (#15), which saw a 26 percent increase in sales, Justin Bieber ‘s My World 2.0 (#18, with a 36 percent bump in sales) and Eminem ‘s Recovery (#22, with a 39 percent jump). And that trend looks to continue on next week’s Billboard chart, too, since there are still two shopping days left before Christmas. Related Photos Michael Jackson’s ‘Michael’ Cover Decoded Related Artists Taylor Swift Michael Jackson

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Taylor Swift Announces Deluxe Version Of Speak Now

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Target version features three new tracks, three remixes and 30 minutes of video. By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Swift’s Speak Now Photo: Big Machine Records When Taylor Swift releases Speak Now on October 25, fans will have a couple of options. An exclusive Target version of the album will feature three new tracks, three remixes and 30 minutes of additional video content. That album also features Swift in a red gown, versus the purple gown she wears on the other cover . “I’m so excited about the deluxe edition of Speak Now that will be at Target!” Taylor Swift said. “I’m all about being able to give the fans special extras whenever I can, so I love that this version has video footage and even some additional songs.” Swift is following in the footsteps of the Black Eyed Peas, Christina Aguilera, Prince and John Legend, who have made similar deals with the retailer. “Target is very excited to partner with Taylor Swift on her new, and much anticipated, album Speak Now. Taylor is a dynamic artist that has developed a strong fanbase that spans across all ages and geographies, and we are proud to be the only retailer to carry this exclusive new content,” said Mark Schindele, Target’s senior vice president of merchandising. “Knowing how important Taylor’s fans are to her, we are pleased to be able to deliver three new songs, plus exclusive remixed tracks and video footage, at a great price.” Swift has already released the hit single “Mine” and previewed the new song “Innocent” at the VMAs on Sunday. “Innocent,” a ballad about someone who has lost their way, appears to be about Kanye West in regards to last year’s VMA stage-crash. “For me, I write everything that I live, so you got to give yourself a little bit of time to live a lot of things so you can write about a lot of things, and my only option is to write about what I’ve been through and what I’ve lived, so thankfully, in the past two years, I’ve experienced a lot of things that I’ve been dying to write about and a lot of things that I wanted to say in the moment that I didn’t,” she said about the October release. Are you looking forward to Taylor’s new album? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift Is ‘Growing Into Herself,’ ‘Mine’ Director Says

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘She’s maturing. She’s more confident,’ Roman White says of the singer. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias Taylor Swift in her “You Belong With Me” music video Photo: Big Machine Records Since Taylor Swift burst on the scene several years back as a doe-eyed, blond-haired country/pop ing

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Snooki’s Lawyer Enters Not Guilty Plea

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘Jersey Shore’ star was not in Seaside Heights courtroom for disorderly conduct case on Wednesday. By Gil Kaufman Snooki in her booking photo on July 30 Photo: WireImage A lawyer for “Jersey Shore” star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was in a Seaside Heights, New Jersey, courtroom on Wednesday (August 18), where he entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client. According to The Associated Press, attorney Raymond Raya entered not-guilty pleas to three charges of disorderly conduct and creating a public nuisance stemming from a July 30 incident in which police said Polizzi became disruptive on the beach during filming for the show. Snooki did not appear at Wednesday’s hearing in municipal court in Seaside Heights, the shore town she and her housemates have made famous, thanks to their exploits on the MTV reality series. Prosecutors said Snooki, 22, could also face an additional public nuisance charge. A trial in the case is scheduled for September 8. Photos taken on the day of the arrest showed Snooki walking along the boardwalk with “Shore” pals Vinnie and Ronnie. In the images, the pint-size poofstress is sporting a hot-pink tiger-print T-shirt that reads “I Heart Snooki,” a baseball cap, a miniskirt and green slippers. She was reportedly taken in after beachgoers complained that she was bothering them. A week later, a defiant Snooki said that despite spending a few hours in police custody, taking a mascara-smeared mugshot and facing a potential fine of $250 to $1,000, she wasn’t sweating the arrest. “I don’t know why people are taking it so seriously,” Snooki told MTV News . “I had a couple cocktails and they just put me in a drunk tank to sober me up. I was on the beach. It happens to the best of us, and I’m not planning on going back to jail ever again. I was a public nuisance — big deal!” Even if she’s found guilty, Snooki will not face jail time, which is good, because she believes she’s way too fab to be behind bars. “I’m too pretty to be in jail,” she said. “I’m a good person. I’m not a criminal, and I will never go back there. … You can’t even contain me. When I was in there, I was like, ‘Can I come out? I can’t breathe!’ Not a fun place. I will never go back.” Watch “Jersey Shore” every Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on MTV. Related Photos Jersey Shore (Season 2) | Snooki

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Taylor Swift’s ‘Fearless’ Video A Love Letter To Her Fans

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Clip gives fans an inside view of singer’s life on the road. By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Swift Photo: Noel Vasquez/ Getty Images Taylor Swift loves her fans, and she isn’t shy about giving props to those who have helped make her the award-winning superstar she is today. So it seems fitting that when she put together the video for her song “Fearless” she made sure to give her fans an inside view of what it’s like to go on tour with the pop star. “You guys, this tour has been the best experience of my entire life,” Swift tells her band before they step onstage. The video features behind-the-scenes footage of Swift and her band as they take her sold-out Fearless tour across the country. The video also features footage from the tour itself with fans excitedly showing off signs to the pop star. Although the song is a love letter to the perfect first date, the video is really Swift’s love letter to her fans. It ends with the singer waving goodbye to them as she makes her way off the stage. “I really thought about what that word [‘fearless’] means to me, and I guess, to me, fearless doesn’t mean you’re completely unafraid and it doesn’t mean that you’re bulletproof,” she told MTV News when the Fearless album dropped in late 2008. “It means that you have a lot of fears, but you jump anyway.” On the Web site for her record label, Big Machine Records , she explains what the song means to her. “This is a song about the fearlessness of falling in love. When I wrote ‘Fearless,’ I wasn’t dating anyone. I wasn’t even in the beginning stages of dating anybody. I really was all by myself out on tour and I got this idea for a song about the best first date,” she explained. “I think sometimes when you’re writing love songs, you don’t write them about what you’re going through at the moment, you write about what you wish you had. So this song is about the best first date I haven’t had yet.” Related Photos Star Gazing: Taylor Swift Related Artists Taylor Swift

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Swizz Beatz Wants To Expand His Brand To Include Art, Films, Fashion

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘Some people don’t know 70 percent of the work I’ve done,’ he says during Hip-Hop and R&B Week. By Shaheem Reid Swizz Beatz Photo: Full Surface Swizz Beatz said you’re going to learn more about him soon.

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