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Aerosmith Nearly Done With Album Due This Summer

Singer Steven Tyler promises to bring ‘a little bit of 1975 back.’ By Gil Kaufman Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler Photo: Getty Images As if guitarist Joe Perry’s surprise “Happy Birthday” serenade to singer and judge Steven Tyler on “American Idol” last week weren’t proof enough that all is good in Aerosmith land, on Wednesday, the veteran rockers confirmed they’re releasing their long-awaited studio album this summer. They didn’t reveal the title of the album, their first featuring new material since 2001’s Just Push Play, but singer Tyler told Reuters that after a few years of turmoil and tension things are (relatively) back to normal. “The camaraderie’s there, there’s some songs that are new rock, and old rock and middle-of-the-road rock, and blues, piano,” he said. “Joe Perry singing a couple of songs, I’m playing the drums, Joey sings, just all kinds of stuff.” Tyler, 64, added that they have re-teamed with longtime producer Jack Douglas in order to bring “a little bit of 1975 back.” Rolling Stone reported that Tyler said the band is two songs from the finish line and some of the titles completed so far include “Legendary Child,” “Beautiful” and “Out Go the Lights.” The release date was not announced, but the band — who arrived at the press conference via motorcycle, a white Lamborghini, taxi and rickshaw — promised to have the disc ready around the time of the kickoff of their recently announced North American “Global Warming” tour, which begins June 16 in Minneapolis. “You’re going to get some new songs from the new album and some old songs from the old albums and you’re going to get new us and old us, and we’re just going to go out and rock your world,” Tyler said. The Boston-bred icons have been trying to get together to record their 15th studio album for several years, but their efforts were interrupted by a variety of ailments, stage accidents involving Tyler (as well as his rehab stint in 2009) and enmity that was stirred up by the singer’s decision to sign on as a judge for “Idol.” But despite the grumbling from Perry when Tyler announced his decision to take a seat next to Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson in 2010, the motor-mouthed vocalist said the exposure has helped the group reach a whole new audience. “The music that we write, fortunately it’s been seductive to all genres of people,” he said. “There’s going to be kids who are going to get introduced to Aerosmith all over again, and there’s a bunch of new music that we’re taking a risk and putting out. It’s kind of futuristic rock, all the way across the board, we’re just good for that.” Related Artists Aerosmith

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Aerosmith Nearly Done With Album Due This Summer

Miami Music Week Track Of The Week: Vote Now!

Swedish House Mafia or Arty? Knife Party or David Guetta? Vote for your favorite Miami track now! By Akshay Bhansali Photo: Opium Group Miami Music Week may have come and gone, but for dance music fans, whether they were in Florida for the get-together or watching from afar, the music will live on for months to come. EDM brands, both big-name and lesser known, used the week to play their hits and showcase new music. And while fans banged their heads and enjoyed, we at MTV News were eagerly taking notes. With names ranging from Swedish House Mafia to Arty and Knife Party to David Guetta, we humbly put it to you, the fans, to decide who to honor with Miami Music Week’s Track of the Week. With a seemingly unending list of great bangers showcased for fans in Miami, we submitted the tracks we heard most often, the ones that caused the loudest ruckus. So take your pick! Don’t see your favorite anthem on the list? Let us know in the comments. Miami Music Week: Track of the Week Vote for your favorite banger above, and MTV will announce next week fans’ pick for Miami Music Week’s Track of the Week!

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Miami Music Week Track Of The Week: Vote Now!

Miami Music Week Track Of The Week: Vote Now!

Swedish House Mafia or Arty? Knife Party or David Guetta? Vote for your favorite Miami track now! By Akshay Bhansali Photo: Opium Group Miami Music Week may have come and gone, but for dance music fans, whether they were in Florida for the get-together or watching from afar, the music will live on for months to come. EDM brands, both big-name and lesser known, used the week to play their hits and showcase new music. And while fans banged their heads and enjoyed, we at MTV News were eagerly taking notes. With names ranging from Swedish House Mafia to Arty and Knife Party to David Guetta, we humbly put it to you, the fans, to decide who to honor with Miami Music Week’s Track of the Week. With a seemingly unending list of great bangers showcased for fans in Miami, we submitted the tracks we heard most often, the ones that caused the loudest ruckus. So take your pick! Don’t see your favorite anthem on the list? Let us know in the comments. Miami Music Week: Track of the Week Vote for your favorite banger above, and MTV will announce next week fans’ pick for Miami Music Week’s Track of the Week!

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Miami Music Week Track Of The Week: Vote Now!

Ryan Tedder Finds His ‘Calling’ With Sebastian Ingrosso, Alesso

Team-ups with Tommy Trash and Steve Angello and solo originals will follow Miami Music Week favorite ‘Calling (Lose My Mind).’ By Akshay Bhansali Ryan Tedder Photo: Getty Images “Calling (Lose My Mind)” — the vocal version of “Calling” by rising star Alesso and Swedish House Mafia’s Sebastian Ingrosso — was released weeks before Miami Music Week and has become one of the most popular anthems from the annual EDM get-together in Florida. It serves as a prelude to a collection of new material fans can expect soon courtesy of the Swedish gents. What makes “Calling (Lose My Mind)” extra special is the addition of an A-list vocal by songwriter to the stars and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder . Tedder wrote and sent over a hook intended for another artist to sing, but what Seb and Alesso heard was too good to replace. Ingrosso leaned on his friends in the business to arrange some one-on-one Tedder time. “I called a friend of mine who works for Interscope, Dave Rene,” Sebastian told MTV News. “He is Mr. Magic when it comes to those kinds of things. I’m like, ‘It’s going to be a long shot. Do you think that Ryan Tedder could do it?’ We sent the track. [Ryan] was like, ‘OK. I have 45 minutes in between the American Music Awards.’ We ran to the studio, because I live around the corner. Boom. Recorded. Boom. Done.” Having arguably the most sought-after songwriter in the business — Tedder has worked with Beyonc

Rick Ross Wins Battle With Freeway Rick Ross Over Name

Photo: MTV News

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Rick Ross Wins Battle With Freeway Rick Ross Over Name

No Joke: ‘American Idol’ Loses Heejun Han

Resident jokester joined by Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine in bottom three. By Adam Graham Heejun Han on “American Idol” Thursday Photo: Fox The laughs are over for Heejun Han, as this season’s court jester was voted off “American Idol” on Thursday (March 29). Han, who with his goofball demeanor and off-center sense of humor was criticized heavily for not taking the competition seriously enough, ended up at the bottom of America’s votes following Wednesday’s performance episode, despite earning a standing ovation from the judges for his performance of Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You.” He reprised the song for the judges in an effort to get them to use their one save for the season on him, but the judges let him go. “Let the record show that you knew this was coming yourself, you saw it come this week,” Steven Tyler told him. “Unfortunately after talking, we’re gonna have to let you go, man.” Just 24 hours earlier, Tyler had praised Han for turning himself around in the competition, and Jennifer Lopez reaffirmed his talents, telling him, “You didn’t make it this far by mistake.” Randy Jackson welcomed him back to the competition, telling him, “Finally, the Heejun that we selected came back to us tonight!” But the 22-year-old from Flushing, New York’s fate may have been sealed following his performance of Billy Joel’s “My Life” the week prior, which was met by a stinging critique from “Idol” mentor Jimmy Iovine. “He came out and disrespected the entire process. His performance was more like four minutes of a bad Adam Sandler movie that goes straight to DVD,” Iovine said, referring to it as a “stunt gone wrong.” “At the end of the day, Interscope has to spend a lot of money on somebody who wins this show, and that’s not it.” At the time, Han — who landed in second to last place following the performance — defended himself by saying, “I’m not trying to be a star, I’m just really happy where I am.” Han was in the bottom three Thursday with Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine. Laine was sent back to safety first, and was followed by Cavanagh. It was the first time in the bottom three for both Laine and Cavanagh. Also on the show, Eric Benet came out to surprise DeAndre Brackensick, who performed his song “Sometimes I Cry” on Wednesday’s show. Meanwhile, last year’s “Idol” champ Scotty McCreery performed his latest single, ‘Water Tower Town,” and was presented with a platinum sales plaque by Iovine, signifying 1 million sales of his debut album, Clear as Day. Nicki Minaj appeared and performed “Starships” and made a pitch to do a guest-judging bid on the show. “J. Lo, can you scoot over a little bit?” she asked, to which Lopez replied, “I don’t know if there’s enough room for both of us up here!” What did you think of Thursday’s “Idol”? Did Heejun Han go home too soon? Let us know in the comments!

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No Joke: ‘American Idol’ Loses Heejun Han

Florence Welch Inspired By Evil Queen Ravenna For ‘Snow White’ Track

Welch says she got a lot of material for ‘Breath of Life’ from Charlize Theron’s beautifully wicked character. By James Montgomery Florence Welch Photo: Samir Hussein/ Redferns When Florence Welch was asked to write a song for the upcoming “Snow White and the Huntsman” soundtrack, she was given the opportunity to watch a select few scenes from the film itself … and almost automatically, she found herself drawing inspiration from a rather unlikely source: Namely, Charlize Theron’s wicked Queen Ravenna. “The Queen is just this incredible character; so hungry for life but so dead inside. She’s sort of eternal, but inside there’s nothing. She’s kind of like charcoal or something,” Welch told MTV News on Thursday (March 29). “[There are] these amazing scenes where she’s kind of picking out birds’ hearts and eating them. [She has] this thirst for youth and for life, but for what kind of life? This darkness, but she’s so beautiful, so it’s this kind of juxtaposition between beauty and, ultimately, death.” So, in a bit of a, uh, non-traditional move, Welch ended up writing a song called “Breath of Life,” which is sung very much from the perspective of the Queen herself (“I got a lot of material from her!” she laughed. “Beauty, death, life … it was pushing all of my buttons.”) So you can imagine her surprise when, after submitting the song, she found herself sitting in London’s Abbey Road studio, watching it all come together under the care of famed composer James Newton Howard. “We went in and demoed the track, these big, clattering drums, huge bass sounds and everything was very intense … and then we sent that to the guys in L.A. who composed it. And it was amazing to see the music we played being turned into this amazing orchestral thing,” Welch laughed. “You feel in a bit of a way like you’re kind of making it up as you go along, and then when you see it done, laid out before you in such a beautiful, orchestral fashion, it’s really incredible. And then we all went into Abbey Road and it was one of the best days of my life; I love choirs and I love choral music, and there was a 60-piece choir singing the vocal parts that I had written. When the baritones came in, I nearly wept, it was so emotional.” And thanks to all that, in a still-growing career that’s seemingly one highlight after the next, Welch said that writing and recording “Breath” was perhaps her favorite moment to date. Even if the whole 60-member choir thing did give her management team palpitations. “My manager was looking at me going ‘Do not get used to this. We cannot afford this 60-piece choir!’ ” she laughed. “It was just wonderful. Me and Isa [Summers, Welch’s Machine partner, and co-writer of the track] were in there, these young women who made music for love, but with not much money or much reason. … It was a really proud day for us. And, musically, for the composers at Universal to have understood the song and see it played out so beautifully, it was an amazing day. We felt a bit proper.” Who else do you hope to hear on the “Snow White and the Huntsman” soundtrack? Leave your pick in the comments section below! Related Photos Snow White And The Huntsman Related Artists Florence Welch

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Florence Welch Inspired By Evil Queen Ravenna For ‘Snow White’ Track

‘Hunger Games’ Postmortem: Five Lessons For ‘Catching Fire’

In this week’s Hobnobbing, we take a look at how Gary Ross’ sequel can build upon the success of the first. By Amy Wilkinson Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate To no one’s surprise, the highly anticipated “Hunger Games” opened last week to boffo box-office numbers , all but guaranteeing the second installment in Suzanne Collins’ series, “Catching Fire,” will set theaters ablaze come November 22, 2013. Director Gary Ross, who will also helm the follow-up, has already begun formulating his vision for the 75th annual Hunger Games, telling MTV News, “I have some ideas about how to do ‘Catching Fire’ slightly differently, but I don’t want to share them yet. Not because I’m being evasive, but just because they’re not fully baked. But yes, I think it will look and feel slightly different from the first.” With its jungle-like setting, the next arena will be a much different beast than the forested first, so it’s no wonder Ross is re-jiggering his approach. We can only speculate that some of his sequel planning will include reviewing “The Hunger Games” in great detail — what worked and what didn’t. To that end, we’ve compiled a list of five “Hunger Games” lessons that can and should inform “Catching Fire.” DO keep the arena underwraps This one isn’t so much for Ross as it is for the Gamemakers at Lionsgate, but we have to recognize the studio’s smart decision to use only pre-Games footage in their aggressive marketing campaign for the film. In fact, I’d go so far as to say my favorite parts of the movie were from the arena, largely because they were fresh and unexpected. With the Quarter Quell’s intriguing new venue, Lionsgate would be wise to build anticipation by keeping the tropical death trap shrouded in mystery. DON’T skimp on the CGI If there was a consistent complaint I heard from “Hunger Games” fans following the film’s release, it was that the Girl on Fire scene — in which Katniss and Peeta introduce themselves to the Capitol, riding atop a chariot and flaunting flame-licked jumpsuits representative of their coal-mining home — was … underwhelming. The flame effect just didn’t look real enough. With a slew of new sci-fi aspects introduced in “Catching Fire,” including mutated monkeys, we hope Ross can invest a bit more in the film’s digital technology. DO capitalize on Stanley Tucci Say what you will about Jennifer Lawrence’s gripping, gritty performance as Katniss Everdeen, but if anyone could be categorized as the film’s scene-stealer, it was most certainly Stanley Tucci, whose blue-haired, big-teethed Caesar Flickerman was nothing short of mesmerizing (and a handy exposition device to boot!). Heck, I’d pay to watch a Caesar Flickerman spin-off once all three (four?) “Hunger Games” films debut. “Caesar Flickerman: Not So Blue.” Think about it, Lionsgate. DON’T downplay the dangers of the arena Between her 23 fellow tributes, tracker jackers and muttations, Katniss had plenty to contend with in the arena. But, as my roommate so astutely pointed out to me long after I watched the film and didn’t notice, we never really see Katniss hungry or thirsty. Limiting the violence for a PG-13 rating is an understandable edit, but why dull down the deadliness of the Games otherwise? In “Catching Fire,” we need to see Katniss and her fellow tributes truly struggle, not simply limp along. DO make artful additions (especially if they’re directed by Steven Soderbergh) By shifting the viewpoint of the film from Katniss’ first-person perspective, Ross was able to open up the world of Panem in a way we hadn’t experienced before. The addition of the control room, Seneca Crane’s implied death by berries and, most notably, the District 11 riot only added to the film. What do you think “Catching Fire” can learn from “The Hunger Games”? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @amymwilk with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns! Check out everything we’ve got on “Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Photos The Hunger Games Inside ‘The Hunger Games’ Capitol

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‘Hunger Games’ Postmortem: Five Lessons For ‘Catching Fire’

‘Game Of Thrones’ Season Two: Change Is Coming

Greater face time for Robb Stark and Jaime Lannister means bigger departures from George R.R. Martin’s source material in season two. By Josh Wigler Richard Madden as Robb Stark in “Game of Thrones” season two Photo: Helen Sloan/ HBO While “Game of Thrones” is about as close to a perfect adaptation as it gets, there are some aspects of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros that remain in the books. Changes between George R.R. Martin’s source material and the television series are, like winter, destined to come. Your mileage may vary on whether these differences are a good thing, but the differences exist, like them or not. As was the case in season one, season two of “Thrones” features entirely new scenes to the “Song of Ice and Fire” saga, while other fan-favorite characters from “A Clash of Kings” — the novel that the show’s second season is based upon — have been notably modified or, in some extreme cases, completely cut from the proceedings. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the changes you can expect between the books and the show this coming season, but be warned: There are spoilers ahead. No way around them! More Robb Stark Despite his status as one of the clashing kings in Westeros, Robb Stark remains largely off the page in the second novel of Martin’s series. Not so on “Game of Thrones.” Richard Madden, the actor who brings Robb to life, is very much present this season, with his off-page exploits given new live-action life on HBO. It’s a divisive choice; so much of Robb’s impact hinges on only hearing about him and not actually seeing his legendary acts firsthand. On the other hand, you can’t expect Madden to sit out virtually an entire season and remain on retainer for future years. Besides, getting the chance to see what Robb is up to while he’s away from the book’s narrative is part of the fun of an adaptation, right? More Jaime Lannister Likewise, the Kingslayer is a figure largely absent from “A Clash of Kings,” thanks to his captivity at the hands of the Starks. But just as Madden can’t be put on ice, neither can Nikolaj Coster-Waldau; he must remain on fire! But where Robb’s off-page actions are the focus of his new onscreen story, Jaime’s additional screen time might actually come from a future book. Fans of the novels know that portions of Jaime’s last appearance in “Clash” were already used in the “Game of Thrones” season-one finale, and there are whispers that the character will actually dabble in “Storm of Swords” territory before the show’s second year draws to a close. We Want Our Reeds, We Want Our Reek On the flip side, some of the characters heavily present in “Clash” are potentially sitting out of season two entirely. Recent rumors indicate that certain key roles — including Meera and Jojen Reed, critical to Bran’s story in the books, and nasty sidekick Reek, who has a very interesting place in Theon’s world — have not been cast for the upcoming season. Even if the rumors prove true, show runners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff have said previously that certain aspects of the books might get shifted around from season to season — hence bits of Jaime’s book-three story moving into season two, or the Reeds moving from book two into season three. As long as there’s a future for these characters, we’ll take them whenever we can. What’s in a Name? Asha Greyjoy is dead. Long live Yara! Theon’s older sister is not one of the aforementioned casualties of adapting book two for television, but her name is. It’s been reported that the character, played by Gemma Whelan, lost her original name due to its similarity to Osha, the wildling girl played by “Harry Potter” veteran Natalia Tena. It’s a minor difference in the grand scheme of things, but still the kind of change that could rub “Ice and Fire” purists the wrong way. For me, as long as Yara stays true to the essence of Asha — witty, gritty and incredibly badass — I won’t sweat the change too much. Throwing Dragonstones All right, let’s close with a personal gripe/nerd-out, shall we? Here we go: “Clash” begins with a prologue from the perspective of Maester Cressen, a servant of would-be king Stannis Baratheon’s at his home on Dragonstone. It’s an excellent introduction to Stannis and his surrounding cast, and it also sets the stakes extremely high for Baratheon’s future actions. The Cressen prologue is easily one of my favorite chapters in the entire “Ice and Fire” series, but it’s not quite as prominent in the upcoming “Thrones” season premiere. Of course, some things are lost in translation by necessity, and where the introduction to Dragonstone falls a bit short for me, the show more than makes up for it with plenty of fantastic scenes in King’s Landing and elsewhere. I’m just hoping that, going forward, the Dragonstone story line remains a prominent, powerful one. Tell us what you think about the potential changes in the comments section, or hit me up on Twitter @roundhoward! Related Videos Talk Nerdy

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‘Game Of Thrones’ Season Two: Change Is Coming

Trayvon Martin’s Death ‘An Assassination,’ Killer Mike Says

‘He was killed by a terrorist,’ Atlanta MC declares on ‘RapFix Live,’ while Prodigy adds, ‘[Zimmerman] murdered that kid for no reason.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Killer Mike on “RapFix Live” Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News Speculation over what happened the night of February 26 when 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was tragically shot dead continues to run rampant. On Wednesday, police surveillance video emerged showing the gunman, George Zimmerman, in handcuffs. The fact that he wasn’t charged with a crime that night and was release has fueled a public outcry for justice. Among the outraged are rappers Killer Mike and Mobb Deep’s Prodigy , who both appeared on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live” to discuss Trayvon’s death. Killer Mike called the shooting “an assassination.” “He was killed by a terrorist; there is no other way to put it,” Mike said, as he and “RapFix” host Sway wore hooded sweatshirts in a symbolic show of support for the teen, who died wearing a similar article of clothing. Via Skype, Prodigy said, “It’s definitely a murder, that dude just murdered him in cold blood. The dude, Zimmerman, I don’t know what he thought he was doing, but he murdered that kid for no reason.” It has been reported that Zimmerman called 911 on the night of February 26 after he saw Trayvon, who was wearing hoodie, walking through the Sanford, Florida, gated community where he lived and served as a neighborhood watchman. The police dispatcher instructed Zimmerman not to pursue the teen, but he reportedly ignored those instructions. What happened then is unclear, but when Sanford police arrived on the scene, Trayvon was dead. Zimmerman claimed Trayvon attacked him and he acted in self-defense, and police didn’t charge him with a crime. Critics who have watched the police-surveillance footage said Zimmerman doesn’t appear to have injuries consistent with his beating account, but the footage is grainy. Prodigy believes Sanford police should have immediately charged Zimmerman. “The burden of proof is on the person that’s claiming self-defense,” he said. The case has tremendous racial undertones: Zimmerman is a white man of Hispanic origin, and Trayvon was black. Killer Mike said he’s particularly concerned with the “Stand Your Ground” law, Florida legislation that allows a person to kill in cases of self-defense. The Atlanta MC believes that young black men should be armed to protect themselves under the confines of the law. “If you live below the Mason-Dixon line, gun laws allow you to arm yourself; you should be armed,” Killer Mike urged. “Because we live in a state where we are hunted, we live in a state that allows the conditions of black men to walk around in fear.” Prodigy believes that if Zimmerman isn’t charged, similar incidents might occur. “What the police department out there is doing is they’re gonna start a trend of people that’s just gonna go out there and think they’re neighborhood watch or whatever, and they’re just gonna clap whoever they feel like clappin’,” he said. Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Nas & Killer Mike

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Trayvon Martin’s Death ‘An Assassination,’ Killer Mike Says