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Rihanna Goes It Alone In ‘You Da One’ Video

Singer mugs for camera in a variety of glamorous looks in Melina Matsoukas-directed clip. By Jocelyn Vena Rihanna in her “You Da One” music video Photo: Def Jam Rihanna might be singing about someone special on “You Da One,” but the video is all about the singer. For the second clip off her Talk That Talk album , the singer once again worked with Melina Matsoukas, who also directed her provocative, swirling “We Found Love” video. Unlike her “We Found Love” video, the “You Da One” clip has no real story. Instead, it is a series of glamour shots and artsy finishes, ranging from the lyrics of the song floating across the screen in a variety of fonts to Ri’s mouth (including her previously teased grill) flashing across the screen. The pop star mugs it up for the camera, allowing the track to shine. The singer channels everyone from 1960s fashion icon and Andy Warhol muse Twiggy to “A Clockwork Orange” leading man Alex DeLarge for the many looks of the video, which include platinum cropped wigs, suspenders, bowler hats and body-hugging catsuits. Dancing and slinking around the giant warehouse setting, Rihanna doesn’t seem to be performing for anyone but the camera. The video’s auteur, Matsoukas, had glowing words for the video on Twitter. “This sh– is pretty punk and irreverent,” she wrote . “This bitch @rihanna can pull off anything … Even on negative sleep …” Ri’s response? Simply an “XOXO.” In the lead-up to the holiday release, Rihanna teased fans about the video in a series of behind-the-scenes videos and stills. “We’re in London town!” the chart-topper tells the cameraman in a behind-the-scenes video released last week, while the Dr. Luke-produced track plays in the background. “We tried to shoot our first setup outside, but it started to rain really, really hard. Then it stopped after we had to switch setups. …I’m running on one hour of sleep. I’m not even going to remember this tomorrow. My eyes are burning a little bit.” Related Artists Rihanna

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Rihanna Goes It Alone In ‘You Da One’ Video

‘Harry Potter’ Comes To Bittersweet End In 2011

Arrival of ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2′ was a moment that made headlines and marked the end of an era. By John Mitchell “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: WB For millions of people all over the world, the approach of midnight on July 15 brought with it a gut-wrenching mix of excitement and heartache. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” was set to open all over the world, and as fans lined up outside movie theaters — some in costume as their favorite character — we realized that this was it. The joy of seeing the final installment of the most successful film franchise in history was tempered with the sadness that we’d never get to do this again. This truly great thing that had been, from first book to final film, a part of our lives for well over a decade had reached its end. For an entire generation, the film’s release was like turning the final page on our childhoods. “Deathly Hallows, Part 2” wasn’t just a movie; it was the event of the summer. And the bittersweet moment is also MTV News’ #8 Top Newsmaker of 2011 , because it made headlines and marked the end of an era. The stars of the film definitely seemed to understand just how close to fans’ hearts the franchise had become . It had, after all, touched them too. Asked if there’d be tears upon the film’s release, Emma Watson cheekily told MTV News at the MTV Movie Awards, “Maybe a few. Maybe one or two, just little ones.” The film set box-office records for the biggest first day ($92.1 million) and largest opening weekend, both domestically ($168.5 million) and worldwide ($314 million), ever and received the best reviews of any film in the franchise. The praise wasn’t contained to critics and fans: Even the stars of the film were in awe of the final product. “I was a wreck because of the film itself,” Daniel Radcliffe told MTV News at the film’s New York premiere. “You’ve got to have a heart of stone to not find part of it — especially Alan Rickman’s performance — heartbreaking, so yeah, I’ve done my fair share of crying already. … I think that we proved in doing ‘Potter’ that you can bring integrity and perpetual growth to a franchise.” Fans’ devotion to the books, films and characters created by J.K. Rowling was manifest in the enthusiastic response to our “Harry Potter” World Cup , MTV News’ month-long, March Madness-style tournament to find out which character was the fan favorite. More than 7.4 million votes were cast in the competition, resulting in a final face-off between Ron Weasley and Professor Severus Snape . In the end, the compellingly complex Snape took the title, and star Alan Rickman thanked fans at the film’s New York premiere, telling MTV News that Snape’s victory was “a vote for ambiguity and things where you don’t quite know how they’re going to turn out.” He continued, “Also, it’s [Snape’s] values that you can’t talk about without ruining the film, but things like courage and determination and loyalty and love, actually.” The success of the series itself could be seen as a celebration of those same things. On the surface, the “Harry Potter” films are fantasies about a boy wizard and his underdog friends navigating a magical universe in which evil lurks in the shadows. But above all, the “Potter” books and films champion courage, determination and loyalty in the face of great adversity and are premised on the notion that love ultimately conquers all. We can think of no better message for a film series to impart on a generation of young people facing a real world mired in conflict and economic turmoil. It’s sad that there’s no more “Potter” to look forward to, but the magic created by Rowling; directors Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuar

Lady Gaga Drops New Track, "Stuck on F***in You"

‘It’s such a timecapsule of the spirit of our creativity.’ singer tweeted. By Christina Garibaldi with additional reporting by Andréa Duncan-Mao Lady Gaga in Japan Photo: Jun Sato/WireImage It’s a merry Christmas for all of Lady Gaga ‘s Little Monsters. Mother Monster herself played Santa to all her fans when she presented them with an unreleased song at midnight on Christmas Day. “Been racking my brain on what to get Little Monsters for Christmas!! I finally figured it out!!” Gaga tweeted on December 22. “On Christmas Day I will leak to you an unreleased Song off Born This Way! It was recorded live, in one take, on the tour bus. Uncensored.” “Stuck on F***in You,” which was recorded on the road in Minnesota during her Monster Ball tour, captures the feeling of a late-night jam session, where Gaga’s voice soars over just a guitar and drum machine. It’s a stripped down, bluesy joint that showcases her humor and flair for improvisation. “We were all wasted on the bus making records,” Gaga tweeted Saturday (December 24) night, “It’s such a timecapsule of the spirit of our creativity. I wrote, sang and freestyled the last minute + half of the song.” Gaga is spending at least part of her holidays abroad. “Well, I’ll be in Japan right up until Christmas Day,” Gaga told MTV News earlier this month. “So I’ll be eating with all my Japanese Little Monsters. I like shabu shabu [a form of Japanese hot pot].” Lady Gaga, who was MTV News’ Top Newsmaker of 2011 , will be ringing in the new year in her hometown of New York. The “Marry the Night” singer , along with Justin Bieber , Nicki Minaj , LMFAO and Florence and the Machine, will watch the ball drop at the 40th annual “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” The event will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest, with appearances by Fergie and Jenny McCarthy. Related Artists Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga Drops New Track, "Stuck on F***in You"

‘War Horse’ Director Steven Spielberg Captures ‘Beauty Of The Accident’

Actor Tom Hiddleston says, ‘Every day, there is magic that will happen.’ By Kevin P. Sullivan Tom Hiddleston in “War Horse” Photo: DreamWorks “He is the master.” At the premiere of “War Horse,” praise like this for the movie’s director wasn’t hard to come by. For Tom Hiddleston , working with a director as talented as Steven Spielberg meant more than just acting under a guy who has made dozens of timeless films. Hiddleston told MTV News on the red carpet premiere of “War Horse” that working with Spielberg was more like a crash course in classic movie magic. Spielberg recently directed the “Thor” star in “War Horse,” a World War I-era drama about the connection between a boy and his horse. Hiddleston shared a few of the lessons he learned from the legendary director. “He’s a master craftsman,” he said. “And what I learned from him, really, is that he’s so impeccably prepared.” Hiddleston recalled Spielberg’s habit of storyboarding many of the film’s scenes, but that never stopped the director from making changes on the fly and running with them. “He turns up on set every day with an open mind and an open heart, because he still doesn’t know where the magic is. And every day, there is magic that will happen.” But for Spielberg to find that magic, he has to keep both this cast and crew on their toes. For Hiddleston, this often meant changing direction on a moment’s notice. “He just has to be sharp enough and on point enough that he’s there to catch it and to keep his crew nimble and fleet of foot,” Hiddleston explained. “So that if he suddenly sees something like the sun’s in a particular place or something’s happening between two actors, or in this case, an actor and a horse, that he can capture that, the beauty of the accident, and it lasts forever on film.” Check out everything we’ve got on “War Horse.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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‘War Horse’ Director Steven Spielberg Captures ‘Beauty Of The Accident’

In Memoriam: Nate Dogg, Heavy D Among Stars We Lost In 2011

MTV News remembers ‘Jackass’ daredevil Ryan Dunn, Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr and Cali Swag District’s M-Bone, among others. By Tami Katzoff Nate Dogg Photo: Mark Sullivan/ WireImage This year we lost some of our brightest stars: artists that spanned the genres of rock, hip-hop and pop, as well as TV and film. They were at different stages in their careers — some just starting to rise, others already legends — but all left a distinct mark on pop culture, and their deaths affected us deeply. Beloved hip-hop icons Nate Dogg and Heavy D influenced the generations of artists who followed them. Nate (born Nathaniel Hale) died at age 41 after suffering several health setbacks related to a stroke. One of the key players in the birth of the West Coast G-Funk sound, the crooner’s silky smooth vocals touched classic tracks from Snoop Dogg and Warren G to 50 Cent and Ludacris. Fun-loving Heavy D, a major force in the New Jack Swing era, had hits with songs like “We Found Love” and “Nuttin’ But Love,” but he had also branched out into film and theater. He was 44 when he died this past fall. Photos: The celebrities gone too soon in 2011. We lost Mike Starr , former bassist for the groundbreaking Seattle grunge band Alice in Chains. Like Amy Winehouse, who also died this year at the age of 27, Starr’s talent was often overshadowed by dependency on alcohol and drugs. Gun violence claimed the life of 22-year-old Montae Talbert, the Cali Swag District dancer otherwise known as M-Bone . And Australian actor Andy Whitfield , who got his big break when he was cast as the lead in the Starz TV series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” was 39 when he succumbed to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Finally, the MTV family mourned the death of “Jackass” daredevil and “Viva La Bam” star Ryan Dunn . The 34-year-old died on a rural Pennsylvania road along with his 30-year-old passenger, Zachary Hartwell, when their car slammed into a guardrail and caught fire. Share your memories of those we lost this year in the comments below. MTV continues our Best of 2011 coverage by looking back at the biggest pop-culture stories of the year. As we count down the newsmakers that mattered to you most, also check out our Best Artists , Best Songs , Best MTV Live Performances and Best EDM Artists of 2011. Related Videos Remembering Nate Dogg Remembering Heavy D Remembering Ryan Dunn Related Photos In Memoriam: Stars We Lost In 2011

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In Memoriam: Nate Dogg, Heavy D Among Stars We Lost In 2011

Nero ‘Reaching Out’ To ’80s Legend Daryl Hall Paid Off

Skrillex collaborators tell MTV News, ‘We all feel like rocks stars now.’ By Akshay Bhansali Nero Photo: MTV News While Skrillex might be the face of hard-dance EDM in the U.S. this year, his friends and collaborators from the U.K. Nero are quickly becoming popular. In fact, Nero’s Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray, joined by frequent vocal partner Alana Watson, have five stellar hit singles across the pond from their debut album, Welcome Reality, which is now available in the U.S. Notably, here in the States, fan support has surged, with strong Stateside gigs, a recording deal with Interscope and their single “Me & You” even being used in a Beats by Dre commercial featuring the good doctor himself. It’s another endearing success story spawned from a genre that, in the past, catered to a very few, but today, the masses clearly can’t get enough of. “We’ve had songs off the album that have charted very well in the U.K.,” Stephens recently told MTV News. “And we come over here wondering — because they are not on the radio and not charting here — we wonder if they’ve translated over to the U.S. market, and we are always really shocked and amazed when they go off just as much over here.” Watson added, “For the crowds here in the States, ‘Guilt,’ ‘Promises’ has had a massive reaction, with obviously Skrillex doing a collab remix of that for us, which is amazing!” Of the group’s live performances, Stephens explained, “You can’t really hear Alana. When we play live now, she’s just drowned out by the crowd. It’s very humbling when you got a whole massive room of people just singing your songs back to you. We all feel like rocks stars now.” Welcome Reality is a cinematic, electronic opus inspired by colleagues like Daft Punk and ’80s sci-fi films like “Blade Runner” and “Aliens.” Nods to the music and pop culture of the ’80s are no more prevalent than on their latest single, “Reaching Out,” which features ’80s recording legend Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates, who recorded original vocals for Nero, and bits from the Hall & Oats classic “Out of Touch.” “A guy that works in the office just next to our studio, he produced [Hall’s] most-recent album,” Stephens explained. “So, he said, ‘Oh, I know Daryl. I can sort that out for you. He’d probably be up for singing some new material on the track as well.’ “So, back and forth through emails, he agreed that he would re-sing that passage and sing a whole brand-new fresh chorus for the track. So, it’s all original Daryl Hall material, which is amazing! And he still just sounds so great. It’s incredible.” Though Nero and Watson have yet to meet Mr. Hall in person, collaborating with the ’80s icon proved to be a career milestone for the trio. “Just having this ’80s legend, it wasn’t an obvious way to go,” Stephens continued. “So for us, that felt really special. We got this guy that we love, but also this fresh thing to have on a dance track. No one else had really done that.” The video for “Reaching Out” is, fittingly, as stellar a nod to the era as the song, a “Miami Vice”-meets-“Scarface” short film of Miami ’80s opulence comprised of stock footage from the decade. Welcome Reality also features U.K. hit singles “Innocence,” “Me & You,” “Guilt” and “Promises.” Related Artists Daryl Hall

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Nero ‘Reaching Out’ To ’80s Legend Daryl Hall Paid Off

‘Dark Knight Rises’ Buildup Brings Year Of Questions, Expectations

Despite trailer, Christopher Nolan’s Batman film is shrouded in secrecy. By Eric Ditzian Christian Bale in “The Dark Knight Rises” Photo: Warner Bros. The “Dark Knight Rises” trailer left the MTV News movie staff with a whole fresh set of questions: Is Robin really in the movie? Why is Bruce Wayne walking with a cane ? But in a way, there was something very familiar about our state of mind after checking out the new footage. That’s because, since the beginning of the year, we’ve been consumed with burning questions about Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film. And at every turn, we’d tried to get answers to those questions, hitting up the film’s stars time and time again. Sometimes, we came away with new insights. Sometimes, answers only led to another set of queries. There’s something exasperating about this whole endeavor — but also something awesome. And the movie doesn’t even hit theaters for another seven months. When it does finally arrive, will the film deliver a definite end point to the story line Nolan and his cohorts have been spinning since 2005’s “Batman Begins”? After all, Nolan himself promised us back in February, before production even began on the project, that it would: “We’re very much excited about really finishing a trilogy and giving a conclusion to our story,” he said. “And that’s what we’re doing.” By the end of the year, after shooting had wrapped, co-star Gary Oldman assured us Nolan had stuck to that promise. “There’s a conclusion,” he said. “[Nolan] brings and he touches on the first [film, ‘Batman Begins’] and he weaves it in, and it resolves. And I think it’s a trilogy, but it’s just great. The story is terrific. I mean, it’s just epic.” So, a tiny bit of confirmation there. Yet Oldman also laughed afterward, “I can’t say anything!” That was a theme we heard repeated again and again during the year. When we asked Joseph Gordon-Levitt if his character was Robin, he answered, “You know I can’t have this conversation!” When we pressed Tom Hardy about his role as the villain Bane, he exclaimed, “I can’t [talk about it], so let’s have another question!” And when we wondered whether Marion Cotillard was telling us the truth when she claimed her character, contrary to rumor, would not in fact turn out to be Talia al Ghul, the daughter of “Batman Begins” villain, Ra’s al Ghul, the actress responded with a sly smile, “I am!” We’re not sure what’s more impressive: Nolan’s oeuvre or his ability to keep his actors’ lips sealed. They would, however, say one thing without worrying about giving up a “Dark Knight Rises” spoiler: Everyone loves Nolan. “It’s genius, what he does,” Hardy shared. Cotillard told us, “It’s amazing to work on Christopher Nolan’s set,” while Nestor Carbonell added, “He’s one of these amazing storytellers.” If anyone could sum up the year in “Dark Knight Rises” news, though, it was Liam Neeson , who may or may not actually be in the movie (though we’re pretty sure he is) and who told us simply that he doesn’t have “a f—ing clue what it’s about!” Well put, Mr. Neeson. Us too. But we can’t wait to find out. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Dark Knight Rises.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos ‘Dark Knight Rises’: The Year In Review Related Photos On The Set Of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

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‘Dark Knight Rises’ Buildup Brings Year Of Questions, Expectations

Foster The People ‘Experimenting’ With Torches Follow-Up

Band broke through to the big time in 2011 with ‘Pumped Up Kicks.’ By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias Foster the People’s Mark Foster and Cubbie Fink Photo: MTV News Foster the People were one of 2011’s biggest breakouts, first scoring a massive crossover hit with “Pumped Up Kicks,” then nabbing a pair of Grammy nominations and finally, landing current single “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” in a high-profile ad campaign (and accompanying it with a really excellent video, starring Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe). So, as the year comes to a close, we asked the guys in Foster to try and sum up the past 12 months, which saw them rocket from little-known L.A. rock outfit to internationally famous buzz band. And, as you can probably expect, for a band that’s basically lived on the road in 2011, most of their milestones have to do with the size of the stages they’ve played on … and the audiences they’ve played for. “It’s funny, in January we started a residency at the Echo, which is this club in L.A., and we played every week for about a month, and that kind of kicked it off. The first week, it was half full … it only holds 300 people, I think there was like 125 people there,” frontman Mark Foster laughed. “And then cut to four months later, doing Coachella in front of 15,000 people, and then cut to three months after that, playing Lollapalooza in front of 50,000 people. It’s just been wild man, seeing the world and seeing the progression of things. … It’s crazy to think about. I feel like we have 10 years of memories packed into this one year.” While they’ll continue to tour in earnest in 2012, most of the year will be dedicated to writing and recording the follow-up to their Torches debut. Not surprisingly, Foster said the band’s new stuff has been heavily influenced by their time away from home. “We’ve gotten to write some stuff on the road so far, but haven’t really gotten to dive into it too much yet,” he said. “We’ve just been kind of throwing everything against the wall, idea-wise, like, ‘We should try this and we should try this,’ all these different boundaries to work within, because sometimes it can be really daunting I think, if you don’t have certain boundaries when writing a song. “There’s definitely musical elements that we’ve talked about — you know, really leaning on the percussive nature of what our live show has turned into this year, and bringing that more out into the second record — just kind of experimenting, doing some different, weird studio tricks; just having fun with it. But you never really know until you get under the hood, so we’ll see what happens when we start.” Are you looking forward to the next FTP album? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Foster the People

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Foster The People ‘Experimenting’ With Torches Follow-Up

Justin Bieber Debuts New Song, ‘Be Alright’

MTV News’ #5 Newsmaker of 2011 tells ‘Home for the Holidays’ audience in Toronto that the tune might appear on his next album. By James Dinh Justin Bieber performs during his “Home for the Holidays” concert special in Toronto Photo: George Pimentel / WireImage Much like Lady Gaga , Justin Bieber is treating his crew of Beliebers to some new music right in time for the Christmas holiday. On Wednesday night, the pop superstar debuted a new track called “Be Alright” to a jam-packed crowd during his Toronto-based TV concert special, “Justin Bieber: Home for the Holidays,” which airs Thursday night (December 22) on MuchMusic and CTV. “You might hear this on my next album, you might not, but it’s a song I’m working on. I still haven’t really finished it,” Bieber told the screaming crowd, before unveiling the acoustic tune. “Basically, the concept is: Even though when times get hard with your girlfriend or boyfriend, when times get hard, you gotta just let them know that in the end, everything’s gonna be alright.” Sitting beside his guitarist, MTV News’ #5 Newsmaker of 2011 crooned to the slow jam as the audience clapped their way through his performance, and later on, helped the star sing along to the simple hook. “Across the ocean, across the sea/ Starting to forget the way you look at me now/ Over the ocean and across the sky/ Starting to forget the way you look in my eyes,” he sang. After the holiday special, the teen singer took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the memorable evening, writing, “Tonight was special. No rules. Music, family, friends, fans, charity, and music. Thank you. #HomeForTheHolidays.” “Be Alright” is just a taste of what may come from the singer’s next album release. MTV News recently spoke with JB’s longtime vocal producer, Kuk Harrell , who discussed his thoughts about the pop star’s transition into adulthood. “The only conversation we’ve had about Justin’s album that we’re about to do is it’s really important that it’s the proper transition because we’ve seen him [with] ‘Baby,’ now we’re watching him grow up,” Harrell told us. “And we can’t just throw him into the adult game right away. It has to be the proper transition. There’s a record in between.” What do you think of JB’s new tune? Share your reviews below! Related Videos MTV First: Justin Bieber Related Photos Justin Bieber, President Obama And More Celebrate ‘Christmas In Washington’ Related Artists Justin Bieber

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Justin Bieber Debuts New Song, ‘Be Alright’

LMFAO, Mindless Behavior, More Share Holiday Gifts Not To Buy

‘Fruitcake, it’s the most disgusting, repulsive food ever,’ Travie McCoy tells MTV News. By Christina Garibaldi LMFAO Photo: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images/MTV News Don’t panic, but you only have a few days left to find the perfect holiday gift. Yes, it can be daunting, and yes, it can drive you crazy, but we at MTV News are here to help. But instead of telling you what to buy this season, we asked some of your favorite stars at this year’s annual Z100 Jingle Ball concert in New York to tell us what not to put on your holiday gift list. “The worst gift you could give somebody is a gift that you got from them,” Princeton from Mindless Behavior told MTV News. Regifting is also a big no-no for Hot Chelle Rae ‘s Nash Overstreet, who said, “[The worst gift] is a gift that you got that you didn’t want, so you gave it to them.” Well, if Overstreet is looking to regift anything for his fellow bandmembers, it seems Ian Keaggy might have given him a not-so-subtle hint. “If you’re a girl and you’re looking for just a random guy gift,” Keaggy said, “a safe bet perhaps [is] socks and boxers.” Big Time Rush ‘s James Maslow agrees. “Cool funky socks, or if it’s really cold out and they’re warm socks, that could be a good gift.” If you are planning on baking instead of buying for someone this holiday season, Gym Class Heroes ‘ Travie McCoy says stay away from the fruitcake. “Fruitcake, it’s the most disgusting, repulsive food ever,” McCoy said. “Who decided to put gummy bears in bread?” But what is the absolute worst thing you can give someone? Nothing at all. “The worst is when you forget to give a gift and they got you a gift,” LMFAO ‘s Redfoo said. “So no gift is the worst gift.” What is the one gift you should never give someone? Let us know in the comments. Related Artists Lmfao Mindless Behavior

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LMFAO, Mindless Behavior, More Share Holiday Gifts Not To Buy