Rapper says the clip is done and should drop next week. By John Mitchell Nicki Minaj Photo: Getty Images Apparently, getting it just right is more important than keeping it especially timely. Nicki Minaj ‘s smash single “Starships” has been burning up the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks now, peaking at #5 a few weeks back and currently holding it down at #7. The pop-dance track was the official lead single (“Roman Holiday” and “Stupid Hoe” were promo singles) from her new album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which debuted at #1 two weeks back. All of which makes the fact that there’s been no official video release for the buzz-heavy track seem all the more glaring. Heck, she’s already released the video for “Beez in the Trap,” technically the album’s third single after “Starships” and “Right by My Side” featuring Chris Brown. So when will we finally see the “Starships” video? Pretty soon, according to Minaj. “It’s officially done,” Nicki told the U.K.’s Capital FM . “There was just one tiny little thing I wanted to change, but I know at the beginning of next week you guys will see it.” But watch out, Nicki warns: “It may be too saucy for TV.” Pictures of the rap/pop superstar hard at work on the clip surfaced in mid-March, showing Nicki looking amazing while sporting green hair and a pink bikini as she filmed in an exotic location. At the time, Minaj told MTV News that seeing girls sporting her unique style has been an exciting byproduct of her fame. “I guess I am pop culture, just because what I’m doing seems to be popular. When people want to do what you’re doing, it’s kinda popular,” she said. “I don’t ask girls to wear pink hair; they just do it. It’s not about black or white; I think it’s just a statement. It doesn’t matter which color you are; it’s just a statement of being fearless.” What are you expecting from Nicki’s “Starships” video? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Nicki Minaj
‘It was average at best,’ Jay McGuiness joked, as MTV News follows the band all day leading up to their ‘Chasing the Sun’ video premiere. By Jocelyn Vena ‘The Wanted’ rehearse before ‘Today’ performance Photo: Brian Phares/MTV News NEW YORK — The Wanted made their “Today” show debut on Tuesday (April 24), the day of their debut U.S. EP release. The fans’ energy was predictably high when the guys stepped outside to the famed Rockefeller Plaza. Before their scheduled performance, the group greeted their devoted female legion of fans, who had made up signs to welcome the guys to the show. All five fellas happily took the time to pose with fans and sign autographs in the moments leading up to their performance. Then they sang not only their chart-topping track “Glad You Came” but also their new single, “Chasing the Sun.” “We’ve done two albums so we’re trying to catch people up in America,” Wanted member Tom Parker told co-host Ann Curry about the EP, their first official Stateside release. They then launched into “Glad,” clad in leather jackets and displaying their boy-band bravado. After they left the stage, they shared with MTV News that they were thankful to all the people who showed up. “It was average at best,” Jay McGuiness joked about the performance, teasing that “Chasing the Sun” was a “hot mess like Lindsay Lohan.” The “Today” show was the first of many media appearances the Wanted will make on Tuesday, leading up to their “MTV First” special airing tonight at 7:53 p.m. on MTV. They will sit down with MTV News’ Sway Calloway to debut the “Chasing the Sun” video and chat. Immediately following the MTV premiere, the fivesome are hanging around for an additional 30-minute live Q&A session with Sway on MTV.com. Fans can get in on the action by submitting video or text questions via MTV.com or @MTVNews on Twitter, using the hashtags #MTVFirst or #AskTheWanted. The guys are also one of the 32 boy-band hopefuls in MTV’s Battle of the Boy Bands , which pits some of the greatest boy bands of all time against one another, until fans vote their favorite group to #1. The battle kicked off on Monday at BBB.MTV.com , with the first round ending on Thursday. Fans can weigh in on the matches on Twitter using the hashtag #BBB. The winner of Battle of the Boy Bands will be announced on Monday, May 7, live on “AMTV” on MTV. The Wanted are taking over the Big Apple! Stick with MTV News for updates and exclusive behind-the-scenes photos all day. We’ll tag along with the guys on stops like the “Today” show and the Empire State Building before “MTV First: The Wanted” kicks off at 7:53 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com. Be sure to tune in for the premiere of the “Chasing the Sun” video and a 30-minute interview with the band! Related Videos Exclusive: Follow The Wanted Around NYC! Related Photos ‘The Wanted’ Take Over NYC, MTV News Tags Along! Related Artists The Wanted
MTV News chills in the ‘Today’ green room with the band on the day of their EP release. By Jocelyn Vena The Wanted rehearse before “Today” performance Photo: Brian Phares/MTV News NEW YORK — “Oh my god, they’re so normal!” one fan declared as she caught a glimpse of the Wanted leaving their hotel this morning. It was one of many exciting fan encounters the band would have on Tuesday (April 24), as they were out in New York City promoting their self-titled U.S. debut EP and the release of their new video, “Chasing the Sun.” MTV News was on hand with the guys in the early hours Tuesday while they chilled in the “Today” show green room chatting, eating breakfast and goofing around with a fat cat and a dog named Ted, both of whom were on the show today as well. “We just arrived and we saw a 40-pound cat crawling across the floor,” group member Siva Kaneswaran told MTV News about the early morning wakeup call and the show’s other guest, a cat who is currently having his own moment chasing the sun. “This is the kind of stuff that happens to the Wanted. It’s too early for this,” he continued. “There’s lots of big stuff happening today and were gonna do some crazy things.” Before they performed “Chasing” and their hit single “Glad You Came” on the morning news show, Siva explained how the guys prep for an appearance on a show like “Today.” “We prepared for this show this morning by having cups of tea and Cheerios, good for the heart,” Siva, who declared he is not a morning person, shared. “Basically, just psych each other, gaze into each other’s eyes and get excited, and that’s what gets us through the day.” The “Today” show was the first of many media appearances the Wanted will make on Tuesday, leading up to their “MTV First” airing tonight at 7:53 p.m. ET on MTV. They will sit down with MTV News’ Sway Calloway to debut and chat about the “Chasing” video. Immediately following the MTV premiere, the fivesome are hanging around for an additional 30-minute live Q&A session with Sway on MTV.com. Fans can get in on the action by submitting video or text questions via MTV.com or @MTVNews on Twitter, using the hashtags #MTVFirst or #AskTheWanted. MTV News will be on hand with the guys all day , so stay tuned for more Big Apple dispatches. Related Photos ‘The Wanted’ Take Over NYC, MTV News Tags Along! Related Artists The Wanted
‘Hunger Games’ star may land a lead role in the film adaptation of Jeannette Walls’ best-selling memoir. By Fallon Prinzivalli Jennifer Lawrence Photo: Getty Images With the success of “The Hunger Games,” it’s no surprise Jennifer Lawrence is a sought-after leading lady. With three films hitting theaters this fall — including “House at the End of the Street” and “The Silver Linings Playbook” — she has a busy schedule, but it looks like Lawrence might add another project to her repertoire. Deadline Hollywood reports that Lionsgate’s production president, Erik Feig, has acquired the rights to gossip columnist Jeanette Walls’ best-seller “The Glass Castle: A Memoir.” Gil Netter (“The Blind Side”) is set to produce and Marti Noxon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “I Am Number Four”) is attached to pen the script. Walls’ book follows her nomadic childhood as she grew up moving around the Southwest desert with her parents and three siblings. When he was sober, her father Rex nurtured his children’s imagination and taught them to embrace life. Her mother Rose Mary was an artist who would rather paint and write than be responsible for her family. When their money was finally gone, they returned to West Virginia where her father drank and stole and Walls and her siblings were forced to support each other. While her tale seems grim, she paints her parents in a loving light because, despite her family’s flaws, they played a huge role in her success. Upon its release in 2005, the book spent more than 250 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list, which was a first for any memoir. The story is a departure from the male-centered movies Lionsgate usually releases. They’re known for films such as “Warrior,” “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Abduction” and “Conan the Barbarian.” But perhaps with the overwhelming success of “Hunger Games” and its strong heroine, the company will focus on more female-lead narratives. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ World Premiere Red Carpet
Pip and James Massone are sent packing, while Cee Lo performs new Goodie Mob single. By John Mitchell Pip Photo: Fox The quarterfinals continued Monday night (April 23) on “The Voice” with the eight members of Teams Cee Lo and Adam taking the stage to sing for America’s vote, and two contestants were sent home by their judges’ instant eliminations. You know times have changed when Carson Daly — former host of MTV’s teenage staple “TRL” — is the adult in the room, as he was at the start of the show when a little juvenile humor distracted the coaches. After Adam and Cee Lo had a tough time getting through their opening remarks about the seriousness of the competition without laughing, Carson got Cee Lo to confess that the panel was laughing because he was, well, a little gassy. “Well, this is live TV,” Carson observed with what sounded like a little bit of disappointment in his voice. (Right?) The night’s first two performances set the bar high for the rest. First up was favorite Jamar Roger, singing Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” While rehearsing the song, Jamar told Cee Lo his “Just a Thought” helped him through an especially hard time in his life, when he was getting clean from drugs and learned he was HIV-positive. The obvious bond between the two made Cee Lo’s words of praise in the theater all the more moving. “I want to pause for a moment and listen to the love,” Cee Lo said to a teary-eyed Rogers of the audience’s wild reaction. “That’s your love.” Katrina Parker, who was saved earlier in the competition by her coach Adam, turned up the glam factor in a purple gown and loose waves for her powerful performance of “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri. (Can you even believe it was only two months ago that we were introduced to a shy insurance office worker?) She sounded great and won raves from each of the judges. Cee Lo agreed with Blake that this performance was like “hearing you for the very first time,” adding, “You look exceptionally beautiful, your voice sounded equally flawless.” Adam summed it up by calling Parker’s performance “flawless.” Cee Lo kicked it old-school right from the beginning with Daly’s black-and-white, ’50s game show host-style intro for his team performance of “Dancing in the Streets.” When the lights came up, Cee Lo and his teammates were inside a vintage TV set before busting out onto a stage lit up with vivid colored polka dots and stripes. Cee Lo even tossed on a wig for the occasion. The weird and cool energy (and colors, come to think of it) was reminiscent of Cee Lo’s Muppet-heavy 2011 Grammy performance of “Forget You,” and every time the camera cut to the other judges, they were eating it up. Mathai’s performance of “I’m Like a Bird” was more notable for Aguilera’s dissing of Adam for not paying enough attention to all elements of his team’s staging — none of the judges, even Adam, cared for an odd bit of choreography — and getting booed for elaborating a little too honestly on how much more she preferred Parker’s performance. Team Cee Lo’s James Massone carried his clean-cut lady killer act a little too far into ’60s boy-band territory, crooning Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are” staged like a teenybopper movie with Massone singing below a girl’s window. Blake and Xtina didn’t love it, but Adam saw what Cee Lo was going for, something “like a young Sinatra, like an old-school heartthrob.” Thankfully, Cee Lo jumped back in to liven things up with his reunited Goodie Mob, performing their new single “Fight to Win.” Just when you thought the performance would be low-key by Cee Lo standards — you know, just the band clad in gold armor and capes, with a set of light-up stairs, pillars and lots of fog — they zoomed in on Cee Lo and his bandmates’ mouths, which lit up bright with some kind of mouthpiece. After Tony Lucca’s last performance, Christina commented that she thought he was coasting on his easy acoustic-rocker style and the bit of celebrity that comes with having co-starred with her on “The Mickey Mouse Club,” and his desire to prove her wrong and “stare down” his “Mickey Mouse” past pushed him to remix Britney Spears’ ” … Baby One More Time” as a rip-roaring rock song. His electric take on Spears’ bubblegum classic won all the judges over, including (finally!) Xtina, who called for an “MMC” reunion and cheered on how he made the song his own. Saved previously by Cee Lo, Cheesa took a risk, performing the late Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.” Those are big vocal shoes to fill, and she delivered. “You still managed to do your own thing with it,” Christina raved, before declaring, “This week, Team Cee Lo is where it’s at.” Sorry, Adam! Next up, preppy Pip showed off his piano skills with his reliably capable, definitely theatrical (we agree with Adam) but unremarkable performance of “Somewhere Only We Know,” and Juliette Simms’ shredded growl was perfect for Aerosmith’s “Cryin’,” even if the wings she wore weren’t our favorite accessories of the evening. Adam jumped behind the drums for his team’s performance of “Instant Karma,” and unlike the other joint coach/team performances, Levine let his team lead this one. His four remaining contestants took turns with the lead vocal, while Pip played keyboard and Tony strummed his ever-present guitar. But two had to go, leaving Cee Lo and Adam with a tough decision to make. Ever the diplomat, Cee Lo wrote a nice speech for his team, addressing how difficult this is for him and how much he supports each of them and read it off his phone. He decided to send James Massone packing, and the young Boston guy took it pretty well. (But it’s pretty impossible to get mad at Cee Lo, right?) Adam was admittedly less elegant with his words and ultimately decided to send home Pip, who seemed at first a little surprised but bowed out gracefully. What did you think of the eliminations? Let us know in the comments. Related Artists Cee Lo Green Christina Aguilera
The 20-year-old Pittsburgh MC is currently on tour for his Macadelic mixtape. By Rob Markman Mac Miller Photo: MTV News Mac is back, so you can expect a Most Dope “RapFix Live” when Mac Miller returns to the red couch on Wednesday. It’s been a hell of a ride for the 20-year-old spitter, and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. After landing the #1 album in the country last November with his debut LP Blue Slide Park, Mac has been moving at an accelerated pace. He concluded his 80-date, sold-out BSP tour in December and immediately hit the lab to cook up his Macadelic mixtape , which he dropped as a free Internet download in March. “It’s like the story of someone who is growing up, trying to figure out who he is and trying to figure out what he’s supposed to do in the world and how he’s gonna change it,” Mac told Mixtape Daily of Macadelic. “I think it’s a great piece because it’s a great part of my career, it’s a great time right now and I feel like I been making mixtapes for five years, so this one is very special to me.” The tape features contributions from Cam’ron, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne on the soul-bearing “The Question.” “This song is a real meaningful song to me, man, and I wanted to make sure I got Wayne on something that was heartfelt,” he said of “The Question.” “I got him on a record that I was saying something and not just talkin’ sh–, so this record right here really kinda deals with a question that I’ve been goin’ through in my own head.” Mac is currently out on tour in support of Macadelic, but that didn’t stop him from announcing his next run: the with Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Chevy Woods. “It means everything, Mac’s my little homey. It’s good for his fans; it’s good for everybody who’ve been wanting to see us do what we do together,” Wiz told MTV News of the joint summer tour last week while on the set for Maroon 5’s “Payphones” video in L.A. Catch Mac Miller 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 @MTVRapFix! Related Artists Mac Miller
‘I’d hope for them to live happily ever after, but it’s ‘Game of Thrones,’ right?’ Richard Madden says of Robb Stark’s romantic interest, Talisa. By Kara Warner Richard Madden in “Game of Thrones” Photo: HBO Another week, another gripping, wholly enjoyable episode of HBO’s hit “Game of Thrones.” Forgetting for a moment the frustrating continued existence of one Joffrey Baratheon and all the rather gruesome scenes in Sunday’s episode entitled “Garden of Bones,” let’s take a moment to appreciate one easy-to-watch scene: the meet-cute between would-be King Robb Stark and feisty nurse Talisa (Oona Chaplin). In the midst of all the blood, battles and complicated politics, might there be room for a real romance between two characters? MTV News was lucky enough to sit down with Robb Stark himself, Richard Madden, to get the scoop on this intriguing new story line. “Robb’s in a place where it’s the first time he’s met a woman, it’s the first time he’s had his head turned. It’s the first time he’s been in this position as this boy-King and the first time someone doesn’t bow down to him, doesn’t treat him like a King, doesn’t cater to all that,” Madden explained of his character’s interest in Talisa. “She asks him real questions, she challenges everything and makes him ask questions of himself, he’s kind of blown away by that, this kind of light in the darkness. He’s surrounded by all these men and by all this violence and hate and blood, and he’s got this woman there who kind of looks him in the eye and talks to him in a way he’s not used to and he can’t help but be intrigued by that. I think in the beginning he doesn’t even know his head’s been turned until we’re right into it.” So now we know there will at least be major head-turning, but no telling how long that will last in the twisted and dangerous world of “Thrones.” When asked for his thoughts on Robb and Talisa’s future as a couple, the Scot wasn’t at liberty to divulge gritty details, but did mention a hope for happily ever after, however unlikely that may be. “I’d hope for them to live happily ever after, but it’s ‘Game of Thrones,’ right? That doesn’t really happen often with anyone,” Madden said with a smile. “We’re going to see a lot of changes with Robb’s character this year and this woman is the first big influence that takes him away from following his head, usually his heart and his head are on the same page when it comes to decision-making and this woman takes him in a different direction and influences over the decisions that he makes and sets things on a different course with his mother as well that’s a huge kind of fracture between them,” he continued. “So I’m keen to see how that plays out on screen.” Do you think “Game of Thrones” is going to get romantic? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Watching The ‘Thrones’
The G.O.O.D. Music producer, who has also worked with Nicki Minaj and Rihanna, tells Mixtape Daily he’s ‘gonna be dropping some stuff.’ By Rob Markman Hit-Boy Photo: MTV News Behind the Beats: Hit-Boy Here’s a challenge: place all of Chauncey “Hit-Boy” Hollis’ beats in a single playlist, take a listen and try to find some common threads. Besides the name in the production credits, there aren’t too many sonic similarities in Hit-Boy’s celebrated productions. “That’s been my whole thing ever since I started producing,” Hit-Boy told Mixtape Daily of his musical diversity. “I look up to Scott Storch, like when he came out he was doing Beyonc
Wiz Khalifa tells MTV News what fans can expect when the threesome hit the road this summer. By Rob Markman, with reporting by James Lacsina Wiz Khalifa Photo: MTV News Wiz Khalifa is excited to embark on a summer tour with Mac Miller — or is he? MTV News caught up with the Rolling Papers MC on the set of Maroon 5’s “Payphone” video shoot in Los Angeles, where he talked about the upcoming Under the Influence of Music Tour . “Mac’s my man,” Wiz said, before he jokingly backtracked. “Actually, I really don’t like him like that. That’s why I usually try to stay away from him. There’s no way I could avoid him for too much longer, so they made me go on tour with him.” Khalifa and Miller both hail from Pittsburgh, and are both signed to local independent label Rostrum Records. Despite the duo’s close proximity, the two MCs don’t have a ton of collaborations under their belts. The pair hooked up on “Keep Floatin’,” a track off of Mac’s 2011 mixtape Best Day Ever, and on 2009’s “Cruise Control.” Next up is the Under the Influence of Music Tour, which kicks off July 26 in Cincinnati. “It means everything, Mac’s my little homey. It’s good for his fans; it’s good for everybody who’ve been wanting to see us do what we do together,” Wiz said. TDE’s Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Taylor Gang’s Chevy Woods are also on the bill. “Chevy’s my guy. I grew up with him so I know he’s gonna bring a lot of crazy energy,” Khalifa promised. “Kendrick and Schoolboy got a bunch of fans on their own and people that they’re gonna entertain as well, so I think it’s just gonna bring a lot of different worlds together as well as create some new energy that hasn’t been done before.” Kendrick, who spoke with MTV News earlier this week, says he is pumped for the upcoming run. “Man, I’m anticipating a whole bunch of energy. They gonna let me down if I don’t get the energy,” he said. “I gotta get a whole bunch of wild motherf—ers who just wanna party and hear good music.” Tickets will ceremoniously go on sale on the stoner holiday of April 20 (Friday) at 4:20 p.m. on Ticketmaster and LiveNation. Will you be attending the Under the Influence of Music Tour? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Back To The ‘Burgh With Mac Miller And Wiz Khalifa Related Artists Wiz Khalifa Kendrick Lamar Mac Miller
Manager Scooter Braun tells US Weekly that Bieber’s management team was ‘laughing’ when they heard the engagement rumors. By Kara Warner Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage The celebrity relationship rumor mill has churned out another juicy one today (April 20) with reports that teen sweethearts Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are taking their romance to the next level and shopping for engagement rings. As expected, the rumor is just that. Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun told Us Weekly that the reports are “complete bulls—” and that the Biebs’ entire management team was very entertained by the fictional report. He said they were all “laughing” at the speculation. CLICK FOR PHOTOS OF THE HOT, STYLISH COUPLE So where did the rumor get started? Via a gossip item in the Chicago Sun-Times , which claimed that “several people close to the superstar couple” told the newspaper that they’re convinced an engagement announcement is in the very near future. The story went on to say that Bieber, 18, and Gomez, 19, were spotted at a couple major jewelry stores eyeing pricey diamond rings. The lovebirds have been dating for nearly a year and, despite the public scrutiny of their relationship, are a normal teenage couple who share a similar “dating philosophy,” according to Gomez. For Bieber, that philosophy includes honesty and patience. “I don’t know if I’m even the best boyfriend,” Bieber recently admitted to MTV News during an interview on the set of the music video shoot for his latest single, “Boyfriend.” “But I can give a few suggestions. I think being honest and patient, because girls can be tough sometimes, so you just got to be patient. That’s two. Forgive, and have fun, because it’s about having fun. Last one? Be faithful.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Justin Bieber Related Photos Young Love: Justin Bieber And Selena Gomez Related Artists Justin Bieber Selena Gomez
