Tag Archives: Album

‘Twilight’ Newcomers The Joy Formidable Surprised By Spot On Soundtrack

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I haven’t seen the films,’ frontwoman Ritzy Bryan confesses, despite landing lead-off track on ‘Breaking Dawn’ soundtrack. By James Montgomery Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” Photo: Summit Entertainment There are some bands prepared for the increased attention that a spot on a “Twilight” soundtrack brings. And then there are bands like voluminous rockers the Joy Formidable who, despite snagging the opening slot on the upcoming “Breaking Dawn” soundtrack , remain blissfully unaware of everything to come. Or, really, everything about the “Twilight” series, for that matter. “I can’t say I’ve ever read one. I haven’t seen the films either, but I have heard the soundtracks, and I was familiar with some of the songs, you know, Metric and the Black Keys ,” frontwoman Ritzy Bryan told MTV News. “So I was more aware of the musical side of ‘Twilight’ than I was the books or the movies. Actually, I know very little [about the books]. I know they’re about vampires, and I know they’ve connected very much with an audience … so they’re obviously much enjoyed by a lot of people.” And yet, despite all that, their contribution to the “Breaking Dawn” soundtrack — a ringing, downright desperate song called “Endtapes” that will be the album’s lead-off track — fits seamlessly; mostly because, as Bryan explained, it is very much about the themes that remain central to the “Twilight” series. “The song was written at the same time as our album, and because of that, it has a lot of the tone and the feel of the album. And those songs, there’s a lot of turbulence going on, and it definitely chronicles a year that was very turbulent on one hand, but you know, it’s me trying to push for that hope and that sense of optimism,” she said. “It’s a song that captures that spirit. It’s a song about the frustration of not being able to have closure on a difficult situation.” And given that, unlike fellow “Breaking Dawn” artist Christina Perri , she’s basically oblivious to the entire “Twilight” phenomenon, Bryan has no idea where “Endtapes” will be used in the upcoming “Breaking Dawn” film … shoot, she’s not even sure she and her bandmates will get invited to the premiere. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t go, of course. “I don’t know anything about that! If we get an invite, I wouldn’t mind going to the cinema. I haven’t been to the cinema for such a long time,” she laughed. “We’ve been perpetually on the road for about a year and a half, and we watch lots and lots of DVDs in our van, but a trip to the cinema would be wonderful. I would have to do some laundry, but that would be fine!” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .

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Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony & More Join Michelle Obama For Nickelodeon Play Day

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Yesterday in Washington, D.C., Nickelodeon held the biggest Worldwide Play Day hosted by Michelle Obama. As the First Lady continues to push for children to be active and healthy, she got a little help from D. Wade, Lebron James, Keke Palmer and more. Carmelo took one for the team! That green slim look works for him… Click for More Pics Below Source

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J. Cole Is “Rolling Out” Speaking On Gossip: “I Don’t Like Gossip… It’s Annoying”

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

J. Cole graces the current cover of Rolling Out Magazine and speaks on meeting with Jay-Z, Rihanna sex-tape rumors and new album. Talk about your first encounter with Jay-Z. What led to that moment? I graduated from St. John’s University. At the time, all of my friends got nine-to-five jobs and were making $30,000 to 40,000 per year. I was working at a newspaper in Queens making $8 per hour at a part-time job so that I could still do music at night. I heard that Jay-Z was recording the American Gangster album. That same night, I made two beats and I thought it would be perfect for Jay-Z. I went to the studio where Jay-Z was recording and I waited outside for three hours. His Phantom finally pulled up. I was super timid and shy. I had the CD in my hand and I tried to hand it to Jay-Z. He looked at it and said, ‘What is this? I don’t want that. Give it to one of those other guys.’ It was crushing. That was another moment. But I snapped back to reality. I knew after that, I had to go harder. That type of rejection fuels me. I believe that greatness is fueled by rejection. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team; Jay-Z had trouble getting a record deal before Reasonable Doubt; and no one wanted to sign Kanye West as a rapper. How did the second meeting with Jay-Z come about? One year later, Jay-Z heard a song through Mark Pitts. Jay called me for a meeting. It was a three-hour meeting and I played my music [for] him. We talked about President Obama and other things. Five weeks later, he offered me a record deal. Beyond music, your name was mentioned by gossip bloggers who reported that you and Rihanna had a sex tape. How did you react when you heard about it? Gossip is foreign to me. By nature, I don’t like gossip. I never was on the gossip sites. Now being on the other side, it’s annoying. A lot of people don’t know the difference between gossip and reality. They may think that you have a sex tape with Rihanna, or [that] you’re having sex with Solange because of what someone made up. But I guess it’s just something that comes with the territory. How does Cole World: The Sideline Story reflect who you are as a person? This album speaks to the type of artist I want to be. I think the album will provide thought provoking lyrics, and heartfelt stories. I want to take listeners on a ride. It shows the type of balance that I want to have as an artist. I want to be at the top of the list when it comes to rap. I want the respect of the hip-hop fans and connoisseurs. I want to be on everybody’s list. How many of you believe J. Cole chop down Rihanna??!? Check out more pics from the article and J. Cole’s New Video – “Daddy’s Little Girl”

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J. Cole Is “Rolling Out” Speaking On Gossip: “I Don’t Like Gossip… It’s Annoying”

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Nirvana’s Nevermind, By The Numbers

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic album, we crunch the numbers to measure its huge impact. By James Montgomery Kurt Cobain Photo: Michel Linssen/Redferns Twenty years ago today (September 24), Nirvana released Nevermind, and the world hasn’t been the same since. The album would go on to usher in rock’s great renaissance, cause a seismic shift in popular culture, bring the underground to the mainstream and make unwilling stars out of three rather scruffy guys from the Pacific Northwest (OK, so Dave Grohl was technically from Northern Virginia, but he lived in Seattle while they were making the album). And while we’d like to say the earth shifted slightly on its axis the moment that first box of Nevermind s was cracked open, we’d be exaggerating. Back then, Nirvana were relative unknowns, and with popular music dominated by the likes of Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole and Color Me Badd (not to mention rock behemoths like Metallica and Guns N’ Roses), the odds of them making an impact of any sort seemed long, at best. Of course, we all know how things turned out. All week long, we’ve been paying tribute to Nevermind ‘s 20th anniversary on MTVNews.com, but today, the album’s actual birthday, we’ve decided to honor its legacy in a slightly different way: by crunching the numbers. Because unlike the countless biographies, as-told-to features and behind-the-scenes tell-alls that came in the album’s wake, the numbers don’t exaggerate: Nevermind was (and still is) huge. Even if it probably never was supposed to be. Here are some vital stats about Nirvana’s seminal album: 7,305 : Number of days since Nevermind was released. In case you’re wondering, that’s 175,320 hours, or 10,519,200 minutes, or 631,152,000 seconds. 46,521 : Number of copies of Nevermind originally shipped to retailers by Geffen Records, which hoped the album would eventually sell 200,000 copies. 144 : Nevermind’s debut position on the Billboard Top 200. 9 : Number of weeks after its release that Nevermind was certified platinum (for shipment of 1 million units) by the Recording Industry Association of America. 1 : Nevermind ‘s position on the Billboard Top 200 during the week of January 11, 1992, when it overtook Michael Jackson’s Dangerous to become the nation’s highest-selling album. 253 : Total number of weeks Nevermind spent on the Billboard Top 200. 30 million : Number of copies Nevermind has sold, worldwide. In the U.S., it’s certified as diamond by the RIAA, for shipment of 10 million copies. 0 : Number of Grammys Nevermind won (it was nominated for two). 4:30 : Total length of first single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The album version runs 5:01, making it the second-longest song on Nevermind (after aptly named hidden track “Endless, Nameless”). 9 : Number of times Kurt Cobain shouts “a denial” at the end of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” 6 : Highest position “Smells Like Teen Spirit” held on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. $670 million : Amount, in cash and stock, Colgate-Palmolive paid to acquire Mennen, manufacturers of Teen Spirit anti-perspirant, in February 1992, six months after the release of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” 2 : Fragrances of Teen Spirit currently available: “Sweet Strawberry” and “Pink Crush.” During the height of the brand’s popularity, there were as many as 10. $30,000-$50,000 : Estimated budget of the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video . $7 million : Estimated budget of Michael and Janet Jackson’s “Scream” video, widely reported to be the most expensive of all time. 18-25 : Age of extras in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, according to the casting call . Extras were instructed to “adapt a high-school persona, i.e. preppy, punk, nerd, jock” and “be prepared to stay for several hours.” 4 : Number of nominations “Smells Like Teen Spirit” received at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. It won two, for Best Alternative Video and Best New Artist in a Video. 1 : Number of nominations “Weird” Al Yankovic’s “Smells Like Nirvana” received at the same show. $50,000,000 : Amount earned by the Kurt Cobain Estate in 2006, when he topped Forbes magazine’s annual Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list 12 years after his suicide. MTV News reveals the Nevermind You Never Knew , celebrating the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s definitive album with classic footage, new interviews and much more.

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Red Cafe Feeling The Love With Valentine’s Day Release Date

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I wanted to tag it with that big holiday and just give something that the people could give as a gift,’ he tells MTV News. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Matt Elias Red Caf

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Demi Lovato To Shoot ‘Who’s That Boy’ Video ‘Soon’

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We’re in the middle of getting the treatment and things put together,’ she says of just-announced Unbroken single. By Jocelyn Vena Demi Lovato Photo: MTV News Hey Lovatics: Demi Lovato is dishing on her next single, and her choice is the antithesis of her lead Unbroken track, the empowerment ballad “Skyscraper.” When MTV News caught up with Lovato as she celebrated her album’s release, she revealed that she’s chosen the flirty dance track “Who’s That Boy” as her next radio single, which features Dev and boasts production and writing from Ryan Tedder, Noel Zancanella and Devin Tailes. Demi is certainly having fun on the song, on which she sings lines like “I’ve been staring at ya/ And I could do it all night/ You’re looking like an angel/ With the kind of body that needs a spotlight.” “We’re in the middle of getting the treatment and things put together,” Lovato said of her next music video. “So hopefully we’ll be shooting that soon.” The song is certainly a more grown-up side of the 19-year-old, but she said she’s not ready to grow up too much. “I think it’s grown-up, but it’s not too grown-up,” Lovato told us about Unbroken. “It’s not tasteless. It’s growing up with my fans. It’s [like] I’m not a kid anymore, but I’m also not a full-grown woman either. So I’m in that in-between stage, trying to figure out where that is. So I’m figuring it out, just like my fans are.” Now that the album is out, Lovato said she doesn’t really know what’s next. “We don’t know what the tour plans are next, but hopefully I’ll be touring soon,” she said. “I’m looking forward to kind of just finding out what’s next. I don’t know what’s next — if it’s a movie, if it’s touring, I don’t know. We’ll find out.” What do you hope is next for Demi? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Demi Lovato

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Demi Lovato’s Unbroken Is ‘Impressive,’ ‘Empowering’

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

‘Jessie’ actress Debby Ryan applauds the latest album by her fellow Disney star. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Amy Wilkinson Demi Lovato Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images Demi Lovato has certainly caused quite a splash this week, with her album Unbroken making Lovatics out of previous skeptics, thanks to personal lyrics and powerhouse vocals. The 19-year-old Lovato has said the album is her way of “figuring it out” as she makes the transition from Disney princess to 20-something pop star. That theme speaks to fellow Disney star Debby Ryan. “I’ve listened to a bit,” the “Jessie” star told MTV News. “Toby Gad, with whom she produced ‘Skyscraper,’ he wrote that with [singer] Kerli [K

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Demi Lovato ‘Figuring It Out’ On Unbroken

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Singer tells MTV News her new album is about her growth as a person and an artist. By Jocelyn Vena Demi Lovato Photo: MTV News Demi Lovato proudly declares herself Unbroken on her just-released album, saying the record, especially lead single “Skyscraper,” is reflective of her need to be “honest about my journey” since leaving treatment earlier this year and heading back into the spotlight. Since Lovato announced the album’s release, the headlines have certainly shifted from the personal back to the professional as she launches this next major step in her career. The album is a mix of empowering ballads and flirty party tracks, a combination Lovato hopes will help her ease into that next phase. “I think it’s grown-up, but it’s not too grown-up,” Lovato told MTV News. “It’s not tasteless. It’s growing up with my fans. It’s [like] I’m not a kid anymore, but I’m also not a full-grown woman either. So I’m in that in-between stage, trying to figure out where that is. So I’m figuring it out, just like my fans are.” In the past, Lovato’s music touched more on rock than R&B. Thanks to production and writing credits from A-listers like Timbaland, Missy Elliott , Rock Mafia, Ryan Tedder and Toby Gad, Lovato is trying out a much more pop&B flavor that plays up her big voice, a shift she’s excited for her fans to hear. “This album is definitely more pop,” she said. “It’s definitely more R&B. It’s not so pop/rock anymore. I grew up listening to R&B, [and] I guess my rock thing was kind of like a phase.” This change in genre isn’t the end for Lovato’s evolution as an artist by any means. “I like to experiment with my music,” she said. “Someday, I joke around, but I’m actually pretty serious about coming out with a country album. I want to do everything. I love music and I love all types of music, and I love where this album went.” What do you think about Demi’s new album? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos The Evolution Of: Demi Lovato Related Artists Demi Lovato

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Nirvana Had ‘No Regrets’ About Nevermind

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Our Nevermind You Never Knew 20th-anniversary coverage continues with part two of a three-part look back at Nirvana in their own words. By James Montgomery Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain in 1993 Photo: MTV News ” Nevermind was definitely an album we wanted to make. … We have no regrets, other than maybe the production was too slick.” That was Kurt Cobain in December 1993, after the initial impact of Nirvana ‘s sophomore album had subsided, and the band was trying to slip effortlessly into the promotional cycle for its follow-up, In Utero. Of course, it went about as well as you would expect. Such is often the case when a band attempts to move on from the shadow of a monolithic, moment-seizing record: It’s difficult to talk about anything else. When it was released, no one had any idea of what Nevermind would eventually become. In fact, in the Geffen offices, they were hoping it’d sell maybe 250,000 copies, and as such, shortages in record stores were common in the months following its release. But, as you’re probably aware by now, the album far exceeded initial expectations (it’s since sold more than 30 million copies worldwide,) and, in the 20 years since its release, Nevermind has gone on to become an album that not only lends itself to being mythologized, but deserves it as well. And yet, the album didn’t become a household name overnight. It slowly (almost methodically) ascended the charts, finally overtaking Michael Jackson’s Dangerous atop the Billboard albums chart in January 1992. And when it did, it signified not only the changing of the guard, but a new era for music. It was a rare moment: A good band was also the most popular. And 20 years later, we’re still marveling at that fact. But, again, Nevermind lends itself to mythology. And with its 20th anniversary just around the corner, we suspect you’ll be subject to no shortage of it. So rather than add another anecdote (or 10) to the pile, we figured it would be best to tell the story of Nirvana in the words of the people who knew it best: the band itself. We’ve spent the past few weeks mining the MTV News archives to find our definitive Nirvana moments — not just the iconic interviews, but the behind-the-scenes nuggets that show the band as they truly were: funny, irreverent and just a little uncomfortable with their newfound fame (a fact they’d go to great lengths to prove with In Utero ). Earlier Monday (September 19), we published Nirvana’s take on their early years , and now, we’re going to give you their view on everything that happened in the year following the release of Nevermind . Here, now, is a band at the epicenter of a true revolution, trying to make sense of everything that happens while, at the same time, attempting to remain true to the scene that birthed them. That struggle is just one of many reasons why, 20 years after they burst into the world, Nirvana remains one of the most fascinating rock bands of all time. Stick with MTV News all week as we reveal the Nevermind You Never Knew , celebrating the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s definitive album with classic footage, new interviews and much more. Related Videos Nirvana: The Nevermind You Never Knew Related Artists Nirvana

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Donny Goines Says New LP Shows His ‘Hunger And Drive’

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Upcoming Success Served Cold features Bun B, Fred Da Godson, in Mixtape Daily. By Rob Markman Donny Goines Photo: MTV News Fire Starter : Donny Goines “If you don’t know my name, I’m not working hard enough.” That’s been Harlem rapper Donny Goines’ mantra since 2006, when he first decided to pick up a microphone. His inspiration, as with so many other up-and-coming MCs, came from Jay-Z. After watching his 2004 concert film Fade to Black (two years after it was initially released), he took on a reworked version of the name of famed novelist Donald Goines and hit the studio. It may have taken him some years to get here, especially considering the pace at which new-gen rappers release music online, but he insists that he is in it for the long haul. “In this day and age, music is so worthless; people make it worthless. The reason why I say that is because they’re so focused on the actual speed of getting music and they’re so focused on the microwave type of music, and I decided a long time ago that I will not do that anymore,” he told Mixtape Daily. “If you can’t wait for me and you can’t wait for my albums, then you’re not really, truly a fan.” After making a splash online in 2008 with his viral video freestyle series “BARS,” Donny went on to release digital projects such as Minute After Midnight, The Breakfast Club and last year’s 20X EP. His next album is the one that Goines firmly believes will launch him into the consciousness of rap fans across the globe. Success Served Cold will be offered as a free digital download and feature contributions from Bun B, Fred Da Godson, XV, Laws and producer Statik Selektah. The album blends two popular phrases: “Success is the best revenge” and “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” “This is like the precursor to my long-term career,” Goines said of the album, which will come in the fall. “I’ve worked my whole career to this album and that’s what makes it so special. It’s something that when people hear, they’re gonna understand the hunger and the drive and the determination.” Donny began working on Success Served Cold in late 2010, and he has even partnered up with mtvU to document a piece of his recording process. “I want to create classics,” he said before recalling how his favorite rappers used to release music. “I waited two years for a Nas album; I waited three years for a Biggie album. I waited for certain artists, and why should I be any different?” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines .

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