‘Heeeee’s baaaacccckkkkk,’ MC tweets Tuesday night, revealing that next project is due Valentine’s Day. By James Dinh Nicki Minaj Photo: FilmMagic Let the good news roll in for Young Money! Not only is Drake predicted to top the Billboard albums chart with his latest effort, Take Care, but labelmate Nicki Minaj announced Tuesday night that her new album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, will drop in stores on Valentine’s Day 2012. After thanking her 7 million-plus followers on Twitter for celebrating Pink Friday ‘s one-year anniversary, the recent American Music Awards winner hyped up her fans for a very special announcement. “Its only right to announce it on the anniversary of Pink Friday right barbz???” she wrote. While the Young Money raptress planned a Ustream chat session with fans, the MC eventually just tweeted the big news because of technical difficulties. “Pink Friday : ROMAN RELOADED will be released on Valentines Day, 2012. Heeeee’s baaaacccckkkkk,” she wrote. “Its not called Roman Reloaded. Its called PINK FRIDAY : ROMAN RELOADED!!!!!! 4 WORDS!!!! Love u guys soooo much!!! VALENTINES DAY biittcchh!” No word on whether the project will be a reissue of her platinum-selling Pink Friday or a brand-new album, but based on Cash Money boss Birdman’s talk of an early 2012 release for her sophomore effort, it appears to be the latter. He also dished that Minaj may even release a single before 2011 wraps up. Roman Zolanski is just one of Minaj’s many alter egos, and the news of his appearance on her forthcoming project is no surprise. Back in August, Minaj told MTV News that she wasn’t interested in collaborating with anyone for her next project and that the vibe of the LP would revolve around a certain rap persona. “I don’t know, I don’t think I’m hitting up anybody for features for this sophomore album,” she revealed backstage at Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale Tour . “Roman … possibly. But I never give away all my secrets.” Are you exited to for Nicki’s new album? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Nicki Minaj
Ricki Lake and Rob Kardashian leave empty-handed as war hero nabs season 13 mirror-ball trophy. By Kelley L. Carter J.R. Martinez wins “Dancing With the Stars” Photo: ABC On Tuesday night’s “Dancing With the Stars” finale, there was much pomp before the circumstance. By the time the dust settled, war hero J.R. Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff were crowned season 13 champs. The three finalists — Ricki Lake, Rob Kardashian and Martinez — danced one last time before Martinez’s win was announced. Lake and her partner Derek Hough were up first, redoing what they considered to be one of their best dances. The judges thought it was unforgettable. “This is one of the most memorable dances of this or any season. The first time around, I really liked it. I love it the second time around,” head judge Len Goodman told the pair. The judges scored them 30/30. Next up, was Kardashian and his partner Cheryl Burke, redoing their emotional dance from earlier in the season, which Kardashian dedicated to his late father. The judges noted a quick mistake he made on a slide, but Bruno Tonioli said, “You really have improved beyond everyone’s expectations. You make even the little hiccup look charming.” The judges scored them 26/30. Martinez and Smirnoff rounded out the routines by taking another shot at a jive, and even though they had a few missteps, judge Carrie Ann Inaba said, “You are such a catalyst for joy whenever you get out on this dance floor.” The judges scored them 28/30. The judges finally revealed which of the three would be the first to head home. Surprisingly, it was Lake and Hough, who were favorites for much of the season. “I’ve loved basically every minute of this. I really feel like I had the best partner, the best teacher and the best motivator. For someone’s who’s a middle-aged mom, I hope I made my children proud, my fianc
Ricki Lake and Rob Kardashian leave empty-handed as war hero nabs season 13 mirror-ball trophy. By Kelley L. Carter J.R. Martinez wins “Dancing With the Stars” Photo: ABC On Tuesday night’s “Dancing With the Stars” finale, there was much pomp before the circumstance. By the time the dust settled, war hero J.R. Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff were crowned season 13 champs. The three finalists — Ricki Lake, Rob Kardashian and Martinez — danced one last time before Martinez’s win was announced. Lake and her partner Derek Hough were up first, redoing what they considered to be one of their best dances. The judges thought it was unforgettable. “This is one of the most memorable dances of this or any season. The first time around, I really liked it. I love it the second time around,” head judge Len Goodman told the pair. The judges scored them 30/30. Next up, was Kardashian and his partner Cheryl Burke, redoing their emotional dance from earlier in the season, which Kardashian dedicated to his late father. The judges noted a quick mistake he made on a slide, but Bruno Tonioli said, “You really have improved beyond everyone’s expectations. You make even the little hiccup look charming.” The judges scored them 26/30. Martinez and Smirnoff rounded out the routines by taking another shot at a jive, and even though they had a few missteps, judge Carrie Ann Inaba said, “You are such a catalyst for joy whenever you get out on this dance floor.” The judges scored them 28/30. The judges finally revealed which of the three would be the first to head home. Surprisingly, it was Lake and Hough, who were favorites for much of the season. “I’ve loved basically every minute of this. I really feel like I had the best partner, the best teacher and the best motivator. For someone’s who’s a middle-aged mom, I hope I made my children proud, my fianc
‘Toxic’ and ‘Oops! I Did It Again’ sail into round two, while ‘Sometimes’ and ‘I Wanna Go’ are early casualties. By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker Britney Spears Photo: Jive After a surprisingly tight race among the 30 Britney Spears music videos in the first round of MTV News’ Britney Spears Tournament: 30 Videos for 30 Years , we are now down to 16 candidates for her best video of all time! Perez Hilton and Jordan Miller of BreatheHeavy.com helped the MTV News correspondents weigh in on the first round, which saw the surprising and merciless elimination of the classic “Sometimes” and the newer hit “I Wanna Go.” “I think that ‘I Wanna Go’ is one of Britney’s all-time best videos,” Perez said of the clip, which was defeated by her even newer video for “Criminal,” co-starring real-life boyfriend Jason Trawick. “I like the ‘Criminal’ video; I don’t love it.” Meanwhile, some videos were huge leaders early on, like “Toxic,” “Oops! I Did It Again,” “I’m a Slave 4 U,” “Me Against the Music” and early “TRL”-era hit “(You Drive Me) Crazy.” Head over to Britney30.MTV.com and vote for your favorite music video in MTV News’ Britney Spears Tournament: 30 Videos for 30 Years. The race between “Lucky” and “Boys” was a closer call than MTV News expected, with only a 7 percent margin between the two videos; “Lucky” was the eventual winner. Another interesting twist was the dark “My Prerogative” clip’s triumph over the happy-go-lucky vibe of “Sometimes.” With 16 videos left, the race gets much tighter. Now, Britney’s most epic and most-celebrated videos will be up against each other. “(You Drive Me) Crazy” will take on the double-pop queen-powered “Me Against the Music,” featuring Madonna, while Britney’s first video, ” … Baby One More Time,” takes on her most recent clip, “Criminal.” “Till the World Ends” and “Piece of Me,” which had byes in the first round, are no longer safe, as they are pitted against “My Prerogative” and “Hold It Against Me,” respectively, in round two, which closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The Elite Eight will be announced at 7 a.m. Monday. Help your favorite videos win by voting as many times as you can and campaigning. What’s your favorite Britney video? Make sure to vote at Britney30.MTV.com or the MTV Newsroom blog, and share your picks in the comments below! Related Videos Britney Spears: 30 Videos For 30 Years Related Photos The Sexiest Moment From Every Britney Spears Video Related Artists Britney Spears
‘Toxic’ and ‘Oops! I Did It Again’ sail into round two, while ‘Sometimes’ and ‘I Wanna Go’ are early casualties. By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker Britney Spears Photo: Jive After a surprisingly tight race among the 30 Britney Spears music videos in the first round of MTV News’ Britney Spears Tournament: 30 Videos for 30 Years , we are now down to 16 candidates for her best video of all time! Perez Hilton and Jordan Miller of BreatheHeavy.com helped the MTV News correspondents weigh in on the first round, which saw the surprising and merciless elimination of the classic “Sometimes” and the newer hit “I Wanna Go.” “I think that ‘I Wanna Go’ is one of Britney’s all-time best videos,” Perez said of the clip, which was defeated by her even newer video for “Criminal,” co-starring real-life boyfriend Jason Trawick. “I like the ‘Criminal’ video; I don’t love it.” Meanwhile, some videos were huge leaders early on, like “Toxic,” “Oops! I Did It Again,” “I’m a Slave 4 U,” “Me Against the Music” and early “TRL”-era hit “(You Drive Me) Crazy.” Head over to Britney30.MTV.com and vote for your favorite music video in MTV News’ Britney Spears Tournament: 30 Videos for 30 Years. The race between “Lucky” and “Boys” was a closer call than MTV News expected, with only a 7 percent margin between the two videos; “Lucky” was the eventual winner. Another interesting twist was the dark “My Prerogative” clip’s triumph over the happy-go-lucky vibe of “Sometimes.” With 16 videos left, the race gets much tighter. Now, Britney’s most epic and most-celebrated videos will be up against each other. “(You Drive Me) Crazy” will take on the double-pop queen-powered “Me Against the Music,” featuring Madonna, while Britney’s first video, ” … Baby One More Time,” takes on her most recent clip, “Criminal.” “Till the World Ends” and “Piece of Me,” which had byes in the first round, are no longer safe, as they are pitted against “My Prerogative” and “Hold It Against Me,” respectively, in round two, which closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The Elite Eight will be announced at 7 a.m. Monday. Help your favorite videos win by voting as many times as you can and campaigning. What’s your favorite Britney video? Make sure to vote at Britney30.MTV.com or the MTV Newsroom blog, and share your picks in the comments below! Related Videos Britney Spears: 30 Videos For 30 Years Related Photos The Sexiest Moment From Every Britney Spears Video Related Artists Britney Spears
‘I got love and acceptance in that community, and that’s something that I really take seriously,’ Mike Posner tells Mixtape Daily. By Rob Markman Mike Posner Photo: MTV News Don’t Sleep: Necessary Notables Mixtape : The Layover Key Cameo : “Rocket Man” (featuring Bun B) Essential Info : Mike Posner is in touch with his rap side. On his new mixtape The Layover, he enlists the help of noted spitters like Bun B, Big K.R.I.T., Twista, Slim Thug, Cyhi the Prynce and Machine Gun Kelly — not that the “Cooler Than Me” singer lacks hip-hop swag, though. “I’m kind of like a rapper trapped in a singer’s body,” Posner told Mixtape Daily. “That was the whole idea of me starting to sing in the first place. It took me a long time to stumble upon a sound, and I figured out I wanted to kinda sing rapper’s lyrics.” Maybe it’s his smoky voice or the way he intertwines slang into his lyrics, but the seemingly poppy Posner is a definite product of the hip-hop generation. Doubters need look no further than the recently released Layover. For much of the tape, Posner takes classic records like Oasis’ “Wonderwall” and Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and adds his own swag. On “Henny & Purple” the Detroit crooner dedicates an entire song to getting high and drinking drank; for “On Fire,” he and Machine Gun Kelly revisit Posner’s 2009 track “Drug Dealer Girl” and deliver a well-equipped sequel. Things get even dustier when Mike enlists former Slum Village lyricist Elzhi to jump on “Mittens Up.” On the bouncy track, Mike borrows from 50 Cent’s “Wanksta” when he sings, “Damn, homey, in high school you was the man, homey,” but it is Elzhi who has the tape’s most densely packed lyrics. “That’s why I make mixtapes, that’s why I work with Don Cannon, that’s why i work with Big Sean,” Posner said. “Even though I don’t rap, I got love and acceptance in that community, and that’s something that I really take seriously and hold close to my heart.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines .
‘We’re huge fans of Funny or Die and anything Will Ferrell is associated with — we’re there,’ Chad Kroeger tells MTV News. By James Montgomery Chad Kroeger of Nickelback Photo: Getty Images The ongoing situation between fans of the Detroit Lions and Nickelback — which, for the uninitiated, involves the band’s performance during the team’s Thanksgiving game, an online petition and the United Way — is the kind of thing that practically lends itself to parody. So it’s no surprise that the folks over at Funny or Die have decided to enter the fray, with a new video that actually stars the Canadian quartet. Given the rather vehement acrimony the band has suffered thanks to the petition (which, at last count, includes more than 75,000 signatures and messages like “Haven’t the good people of Detroit been through enough?”), you’d probably be surprised to learn that, as soon as they were approached by FoD, Nickelback said yes to the spoof. Then again, they’re the kind of band that is definitely aware of their public perception. “They called us up. They said, ‘This whole debacle that’s going on in Detroit it just lunacy. We here in the comedy field think it’s just perfect for making fun of, and if you guys would like to come down here … ‘ ” frontman Chad Kroeger told MTV News. “We’re huge fans of Funny or Die and anything Will Ferrell is associated with — we’re there. So we’re like, ‘Absolutely, we’d love to come and make fun of the whole thing and ourselves at the same time.’ ” Of course, Nickelback will also be the first to admit that perhaps their acting skills aren’t up to par. Which is why the only thing standing in the way of their Funny or Die clip’s viral success may be Nickelback themselves. “As soon as they get real actors to take our places, then it’s going to be viral,” guitarist Ryan Peake laughed. Related Artists Nickelback
‘It’s Santa’s Workshop, but all Gaga stuff,’ DJ White Shadow tells MTV News of over-the-top Barneys display in New York. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga premieres the Lady Gaga Workshop at Barneys New York Photo: Getty Images On Monday night, Lady Gaga launched the holiday-themed Gaga’s Workshop at Barneys in New York. It was an event that brought out some of the city’s biggest fashionistas, many members of the Haus of Gaga (including the event’s curator and Gaga’s stylist Nicola Formichetti) and the Mother Monster herself. DJ White Shadow, who produced several tracks on Gaga’s Born This Way, was on hand providing tunes for the big shindig. “They spent a lot of time on the installations,” he told MTV News on Tuesday afternoon (November 22). “I didn’t understand what it was until I walked up to it. It’s Santa’s Workshop, but all Gaga stuff. But the windows are super cool. They had a video installation, they had a mockup of the motorcycle on the [ Born This Way ] cover that’s spinning all the time and a Gaga crystal kingdom.” While the party and Gaga’s presence made for a hectic night, White Shadow kept partygoers dancing without any chaos. “I totally skirted around all the insanity,” he said. “[Gaga] went one way and I went the other way. I saw her parents and some friends I haven’t seen in a while. “There was some very fashionable people there,” he added. “There was a guy that had a mop on his head — like, legit, it looked like a mop — and then there was people like 17 feet tall with a nipple hanging out, and then there’s me, someone who hasn’t shaved in five days,” he joked. At Gaga’s Workshop, there are many products to pick from, ranging from chocolates to leather jackets, but there was one item that really caught White Shadow’s eye. “I just was perusing the goods … and there were some books that were her favorite books, and they have a special Barneys cover. I was trying to grab small things,” he recalled. “But there’s these hulking giant candles [in the shape of Gaga’s head] that you light from the top. It’s like you light the candles in the back and then the wax drips down through the eyes of the candle. So I was pretty impressed with it. I definitely procured one.” If that’s not enough Gaga-fied gifts in your life, next week, she’s dropping a holiday EP. A Very Gaga Holiday will include four songs that will also be featured on ABC’s “A Very Gaga Thanksgiving,” airing Thursday. What tracks made the final cut? “White Christmas” and “Orange Colored Sky,” as well as the BTW tracks “Yo
Two contestants will go home on Wednesday’s results episode. By Adam Graham Astro on “X Factor” Photo: FOX Teen rapper Astro addressed his blow-up last week and promised to not let his fans down again during Tuesday’s (November 22) performance episode of “The X Factor,” which found the competition’s top nine contestants dedicating their performances to special people in their lives. Astro, the 15-year-old Brooklyn rapper who had a near meltdown and almost refused to perform after landing in the bottom two on last week’s results episode, explained in a pre-packaged introduction he “didn’t know how to control my emotions” last week and he “could have handled it better.” He then went on to address the situation further in an original song he performed set to Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got,” in which he rapped, “Got my head in the right place and I’m back to win.” Before the judges weighed in on his song, he explained to his fans, “To Team Astro and all the Astronauts across the world, but mostly hip-hop, I’ll never let you down again.” Simon Cowell, who harshly criticized Astro for his attitude last week, took to the young MC’s apology. “The music business needs unpredictability,” Cowell said, explaining he admired Astro for speaking his mind. His mentor L.A. Reid went with the cooler-heads approach as well. “As long as you keep a good head on your shoulders and always do your very best, you’ll be fine,” he told him. Here’s how the rest of the evening’s performances shook out. The Girls Rachel Crow opened the show and dedicated Yolanda Adams’ “I Believe” to her adoptive parents. The performance sparkled, and never one to exaggerate, Abdul said Crow was proof angels exist on earth. Melanie Amaro enjoyed her biggest moment yet on the show, and following her performance of R. Kelly’s “The World’s Greatest” she excitedly celebrated onstage, shouting out her upbringing in the Virgin Islands. Cowell said she is needed in the competition, and Nicole Scherzinger stopped the show to give her a hug, nearly giving ultra time-conscious host Steve Jones a heart attack. And L.A. Reid showed another lapse in his musical knowledge when he criticized Drew for not singing “age appropriate” material, after the 15-year-old sang 19-year-old Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper.” That put Cowell on the offensive, and he spat back at his rival, “I’m sick to death of your pointless, stupid criticism,” going on to call it “unfounded,” “inaccurate” and “complete and utter rubbish.” In this case, we sort of have to agree with Cowell. The Boys Marcus Canty dedicated Boyz II Men’s “A Song for Mama” to his own mama, who was sitting at the foot of the stage, and earned unanimous praise from the judges. “I’ve worked with some great singers, you are as great as any great singer I’ve ever worked with,” Reid told him, while Cowell said Canty put himself back in the competition with the performance. Chris Rene, meanwhile, sang a mix of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” and his own “Young Homie,” which he sang in the early audition rounds. “You reminded everyone why we liked you,” Cowell said, echoing the sentiments of all the judges. The Over 30s Josh Krajcik closed the show singing the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” alone at his piano, surrounded by a series of spotlights that made him look like a prisoner in some sort of light jail. Abdul called the burrito maker “larger than life” and Cowell said he was “outstanding,” while Scherzinger told him, “Beyond this competition, I strongly believe your music can change the world.” LeRoy Bell took on Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” the soundtrack to way too many of those wrenching animal cruelty awareness ads, and dedicated the song to his late mother. The judges thought it was his best performance, save for Reid, who called it “heartfelt for sure, but not your very best.” The Group Lakoda Rayne, the sole remaining group in the competition, chose to sing Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” — an odd choice for a dedication, though they were celebrated by the judges. But Cowell seemed to already be acknowledging their fate when he said, “I genuinely wish two people weren’t going home tomorrow.” Yes, two acts are slated to get the ax during Wednesday’s results episode — so much for the warmth of the season! — which is also set to feature performances by Kelly Clarkson and Bruno Mars. What did you think of Tuesday’s “X Factor”? Did you believe Astro’s explanation for his behavior? Let us know in the comments!
‘She’s at a place right now where her voice just sounds incredible,’ vocal producer Kuk Harrell tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Vanessa White Wolf Rihanna Photo: Getty Images Rihanna is pretty feisty on Talk That Talk. The pop star sings quite candidly about what she likes (and doesn’t like) between the sheets on the new album, which relies heavily on dance and house influences. During her Loud Tour, Rihanna hooked up with frequent vocal producer Kuk Harrell and found her voice for the just-released album. “They scheduled me to go out to Europe and start recording. It’s an amazing process, working with her while she’s on the road. It’s great to see how she does a show every single night [and then records],” he told MTV News, before adding that, “Sure enough at 2, 3 o’clock in the morning, I get the call: She’s on her way.” Making Talk That Talk was a brisk process. “We were in the studio probably like three weeks total,” he recalled. When it came to the album’s sound, Rihanna and Harrell — as well as producers like The-Dream, Bangladesh, Calvin Harris and Dr. Luke — concocted a mixture of emotions and sounds to define the record. “At points, it’s a combination of edgy and passionate at the same time, and when you listen to the album, it’s just like Loud, ” he explained. “She’s at a place right now where her voice just sounds incredible, and she’s such a great presence.” Rihanna has certainly experimented with dance music in the past, especially on tracks like “Only Girl (In the World),” but she went deep into the genre on this album. It didn’t change the way Harrell and Ri worked together very much, the producer said. “It doesn’t change anything for me. … The goal is always getting the best performance out of her,” he explained. “So it’s just a matter of making sure we capture the vibe of the record. If it’s up and moving, we gotta make sure her performance matches that. “She’s definitely ready to do it, but there are times throughout the whole process I do have to — I’m not coaching her, I’m just producing how to get this performance,” he continued. “When she sings a line, if I don’t think it matches the intensity of the lyric, then I’ll go ‘Man, push a little harder.’ ” Rihanna seems to be pushing herself these days too. She just revealed on Twitter that she’s set to work on her second Talk That Talk video, for the track “You Da One.” “I can’t stop listening to #YouDaOne … So addictive!!!!” she tweeted. “Maybe because we shooting the vid soon! Workin on treatment all now….” Have you checked out Rihanna’s latest album yet? Share your reviews in the comments!
