Tag Archives: artists

Avicii Calls #6 EDM Artist Of The Year Nod ‘A Big Honor’

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘2011 was the best year of my life, with so many new experiences,’ dance-music superstar tells MTV News. By Adam Stewart Avicii Photo: Ben Hider/ Getty Images 2011 just keeps getting better for Avicii . The 22-year-old (born Tim Bergling) has had a marquee year, to say the least, and to add to his list of accolades, he’s landed at #6 on MTV’s Best EDM Artists of 2011 list. Earlier this week, Avicii took some time out of his insane tour schedule to talk to MTV News and thank his loyal following. “It was obviously a big honor for me,” Bergling told MTV News. “I feel very humbled by the support that my fans have shown me this year.” Avicii’s massive success has made him one of the most sought-after live acts on the planet, hitting quite literally every corner of the globe, wooing masses of fans along the way. And with his upcoming sold-out New Year’s Eve show in New York City, he’s capping the year with a bang. Playing a 135,000-square-foot room on the Hudson River flanked by rising stars Arty and Swanky Tunes, Avicii will have a fitting finale to the year when he became a household name. “2011 was the best year of my life, with so many new experiences,” he said. “Just looking back at it, I feel so fortunate to have been able to visit all of these places and meet all of these different people.” “Levels” was one of the most recognizable tunes of the year across all genres, and “Sunshine,” his Grammy-nominated co-production with EDM vet David Guetta, is a club smash. Add a massive collection of unreleased, “show only” tracks and bootlegs to an already-impressive catalog and it’s easy to see the impact he’s had on the scene. The future is indeed bright for the young Swede, and he’s already getting his ducks in line for a busy year ahead. “2012 is looking packed already with gigs and production time,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being able to keep doing what I’ve been doing this past year.” All this week, watch “AMTV” on MTV every day at 8 a.m. ET for our Best of 2011 lists. Then, come to MTVNews.com at 5 p.m. as we reveal our top picks of the year! Related Videos Best EDM Artist Of 2011 Debate Related Artists Avicii

The rest is here:
Avicii Calls #6 EDM Artist Of The Year Nod ‘A Big Honor’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’ Is MTV’s #3 Song Of 2011

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Talk That Talk leadoff broke records and quickly became a definitive single for the unstoppable star. By Jason Kaufman Rihanna Photo: Getty Images Rihanna ‘s “We Found Love” didn’t have that many days on the calendar to make an impact — after all, it was just released in October. But that didn’t stop it from being the chart monster of the fall as well as #3 on MTV’s Best Songs of 2011 . It was a classic upon arrival, a song that immediately felt like it had been here forever instead of just three short months. The leadoff single from Talk That Talk is where Rihanna fully embraced EDM . Produced by Calvin Harris, “We Found Love” is a swirling party track about love and loss, the rare song that manages to be sad and joyous all at once. And it is a pinnacle of the pop/dance crossover, a throwback to ’90s raves that could make even the most stoic lover of pop want to break out a glow stick and just dance. MTV correspondent Sway Calloway moderated a spirited roundtable discussion with some of our very own experts: James Montgomery and Rob Markman (MTV News), Yomi Desalu and Malika Quemerais (MTV Music and Talent) and Tamar Anitai and Nicole James (MTV.com). The panel managed to narrow down the Best Songs of 2011, with “We Found Love” besting top 10 tracks from the Throne, Chris Brown and Katy Perry. Just how did “We Found Love” hit #3? Watch the debate below! “That song came out and went to #1, and when a song has that kind of impact that quickly, it deserves to be recognized,” Quemerais said during the discussion. Montgomery went even further in his personal Top 25 Songs of 2011 column : “A few weeks ago, someone told me ‘We Found Love’ would ultimately end up being Rihanna’s signature hit, and at the time, I sort of laughed him off. But the more I think about it, he may be right. Or at least on the right track. “From the icy synth strains to Calvin Harris’ hard-charging pre-chorus, it most certainly is the song that best represents pop, circa 2011, and given RiRi’s standing in the field, perhaps in time, it will become her set-closing number too. For now, at least, I’m content to bask in “Love” ‘s masterful mix of the carnal and, well, the club.” Get more of Montgomery’s personal picks for the Top Songs of the Year! Beyond being a definitive pop dance track, “WFL” was also a historic single for Rihanna. “Love” just completed its climb to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, giving Rihanna her 11th #1 hit, which puts her one ahead of Stevie Wonder and Janet Jackson. “It’s the symbolic one that breaks the record and she gets credit for that,” Markman said during the debate. Our panel of experts thinks there’s no stopping “We Found Love” from dominating the year ahead. “I think this song is going to carry over into much of 2012,” Anitai said. “Then maybe it will be on next year’s list,” Montgomery added. The “We Found Love” video director breaks down the song below. All this week, watch “AMTV” on MTV every day at 8 a.m. ET for our Best of 2011 lists. Then, come to MTVNews.com at 5 p.m. as we reveal our top picks of the year! Related Videos Best Songs Of 2011 Debate Related Artists Rihanna

The rest is here:
Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’ Is MTV’s #3 Song Of 2011

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Michael Jackson Doctor Can’t Afford Lawyer For Appeal

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Conrad Murray asks judge for a court-appointed attorney to appeal his involuntary manslaughter conviction. By Gil Kaufman Dr. Conrad Murray Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images Just weeks after being sent to jail for four years following a conviction on a felony involuntary manslaughter charge in the death of Michael Jackson , cardiologist Conrad Murray is throwing himself on the mercy of the court. The doctor had been slated to earn up to $150,000 a month to act as Jackson’s personal physician before the pop icon’s death in June 2009 from an overdose of the Murray-administered surgical anesthetic propofol. But on Tuesday E! News reported that Murray filed a notice of appeal in Los Angeles Superior Court in which he claimed that he is “indigent and respectfully requests the appointment of counsel on appeal.” Murray, 58, is planning to appeal both his conviction and his sentence, but has not year filed papers with the California Appeals Court. He had hired two lawyers to handle his manslaughter case, but is now seeking attorneys with appeal experience. One of those former lawyers, J. Michael Flanagan, told E! that he was shocked at how his client is being treated in jail. “It is crazy and unbelievable how [the sheriffs] are treating” Murray in jail, said Flanagan, who claimed he waited over an hour to see Murray, who was brought out in handcuffs and leg chains. Flanagan was further shocked to see Murray handcuffed to the table for their meeting, something the lawyer said he’d never seen before in the case of a low-level, non-violent offender. Charles Peckham, who is handling civil cases against Murray, told the Associated Press that his client is under tight security and isolation that is more intense than other inmates at the Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail. “Treating him like Hannibal Lecter is offensive,” said Peckham. Sheriff’s officials defended the tight security, saying it was for Murray’s safety. “This man who saved lives made a mistake, and they’re going to him pay like a mass-murderer.” Related Photos Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos Related Artists Michael Jackson

Read the original:
Michael Jackson Doctor Can’t Afford Lawyer For Appeal

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rihanna Ruled Facebook In 2011

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We Found Love’ was ranked Most Listened to Song on the social networking site. By Jocelyn Vena Rihanna Photo: Dominique Charriau/ WireImage What did everyone “like” on Facebook in 2011? Well, it seems that in addition to everything from “Harry Potter” to Megan Fox, Rihanna also ruled the roost on Facebook ‘s Memology 2011 report. Rihanna not only topped the list of musicians, she also had the Most Listened To Song thanks to her chart-topping “We Found Love,” the Calvin Harris-produced Talk That Talk track. The singer is also joined on the list by Bob Marley, Avril Lavigne, David Guetta, Enrique Iglesias, Usher, Lady Gaga, Metallica, Green Day and the Black Eyed Peas. In addition to “We Found Love,” people also grooved to Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO, “Titanium” by Guetta and Sia, Skrillex’s “First of the Year” and “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” the Usher and Guetta track “Without You,” “Stereo Hearts” by Gym Class Heroes (featuring Adam Levine), Foster the People’s breakthrough hit “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Someone Like You” by Adele. MTV has also been looking back on the Best of 2011 . EDM artists Guetta and Skrillex made noise on Facebook, but they also took top prizes on our countdown of the top 10 electronic dance music artists of the year, with Guetta placing at #2 and Skrillex taking the #1 spot . Movies and TV also had Facebook users talking. “Harry Potter” topped the movies list, followed by flicks like “The Twilight Saga,” “Toy Story,” “Avatar,” and “Jackass.” Fox’s medical drama “House” was the most talked-about show on Facebook in the past 12 months. Thanks to Charlie Sheen leaving and Ashton Kutcher joining “Two and a Half Men,” the show placed at #2, followed by series like “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy” and “South Park.” Former “Transformers” star Megan Fox sits at the top of the actors and TV personalities list. She’s joined by the likes of Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Taylor Lautner, “Jersey Shore” star DJ Pauly D and Kim Kardashian. MTV News recently counted down its own list of the Top 50 TV Characters of 2011. “Parks and Recreation” character Ron Swanson came out on top. Walter White from “Breaking Bad,” “Jersey Shore” star Snooki and Kim’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” co-star Scott Disick also placed in our rankings. What do you think of Facebook’s 2011 Memology? Tell us in the comments. All this week, watch “AMTV” on MTV every day at 8 a.m. ET for our Best of 2011 lists. Then, come to MTVNews.com at 5 p.m. as we reveal our top picks of the year! Related Artists Rihanna

Read the rest here:
Rihanna Ruled Facebook In 2011

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Kelly Clarkson To Drop iTunes EP

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Nine-track EP includes tracks from Stronger and revamped versions of older songs. By Jocelyn Vena Kelly Clarkson Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Kelly Clarkson is reimagining some of her songs for a special iTunes sessions album. The nine-track EP will drop December 27, with pre-orders kicking off Tuesday (December 13). According to a press release, the album will include three songs from Clarkson’s latest album, Stronger, including its lead single, “Mr. Know It All,” along with “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” and “You Can’t Win.” She will also kick it old-school with revamped versions of “Never Again,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Why Don’t You Try” and “My Life Would Suck Without You.” The final two tracks include the holiday classic “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and an interview with the star. Clarkson’s Stronger 2012 world tour is slated to kick off January 13. She will start in Connecticut at the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods before making her way around North America, with stops in New York, Austin, Atlanta and Los Angeles. The tour will end April 10 in San Diego. Stronger, Clarkson’s fifth studio album, dropped in October and debuted at #2, right behind Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto. Clarkson is readying the release of her next single, “What Doesn’t Kill You.” “There were a few different titles that were going around, and I think the reason why we came up with Stronger was just because every song was about empowerment and almost, like, overcoming stuff,” Clarkson told MTV News about the album title. “So, even if it was a bad situation and a sad song, it was about overcoming that. … So I think that’s why [we named it that], and I think after 10 years of doing it, you feel a little stronger personally and musically. People know you better. It’s just easier, I think.” Is your favorite Kelly Clarkson hit included on the new iTunes album? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Kelly Clarkson Related Artists Kelly Clarkson

Link:
Kelly Clarkson To Drop iTunes EP

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Taylor Swift Celebrates Birthday With CMT’s Artists Of The Year

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Swift, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley are honored at the show, which premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT. By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Swift Photo: CMT Taylor Swift turned 22 on Tuesday (December 13), and what better way to celebrate another banner year than with CMT’s Artists of the Year special? CMT caught up with Swift on the red carpet of the event, and she opened up about being honored alongside fellow Nashville pals Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley. “What I love about this event is it feels very low-key and fun and you can bring your friends, you sit at a table. It’s very unlike any other award show,” she said late last month at the taping in Music City. “Because you’re not sitting there wondering who’s going to win. There’s no anxiety, because you know who’s being honored, and it’s all about hearing the way the music is presented by other artists. It’s really exciting.” The All-American Rejects were picked to perform one of Taylor’s tracks at the show, which airs on CMT at 9 p.m. ET tonight. For their homage to the country superstar, they decided to take one of her particularly country-tinged Speak Now singles and do it up AAR style. “It’s special. We have a special performance for Miss Taylor Swift,” lead singer Tyson Ritter said. “We’re performing her song ‘Mean.’ We definitely sort of took a country song and made it not anything like what it was. It’s going to be a tribute to the fact that any song can stand in any genre, and we definitely brought it into ours. We’re like the Osmonds, except we’re the side that’s a little more rock and roll.” Ritter went on to gush about Swift and her work ethic. “She’s the real deal,” he explained. “She doesn’t take sh– from anybody while she does it. And strong women, that’s something to be feared and adored, right?” Having the All-American Rejects put their stamp on a track is the opposite of what Swift did on her Speak Now Tour . Stop after stop, she reimagined songs from artists like T.I. , Flo Rida and Usher, with the artists themselves right by her side. “I would sum up this past year as being a spontaneous, exciting, wonderful year of collaborations with artists I never expected would come up on my stage and perform for my fans,” she explained. “I see flashbacks of stadium shows and Usher coming out on stage and James Taylor coming out onstage and all these different artists coming out and playing with me, which was an amazing time for me.” Don’t miss CMT’s Artists of the Year , premiering tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Related Videos MTV First: Taylor Swift Related Artists Taylor Swift

Follow this link:
Taylor Swift Celebrates Birthday With CMT’s Artists Of The Year

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

30 Seconds To Mars Thank Fans For Best Live MTV Performance Win

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘Once again, the unstoppable Echelon,’ frontman Jared Leto marvels of band’s dedicated fanbase. By James Montgomery Jared Leto performs “Hurricane” on “Unplugged: Photo: MTV On Tuesday afternoon (December 13), 30 Seconds to Mars took home the inaugural Best Live MTV Performance award for their stirring, scintillating “Unplugged” version of “Hurricane.” Thanks to the votes of their fans, 30STM withstood a late charge from Paramore’s “Brick by Boring Brick” to win the honor. Now, with their trophy firmly in hand, they’re reacting to their triumph — and, as always, sharing their glory with their fervent Echelon fanbase. “This is so incredible. We had an amazing time doing [‘Unplugged’], and thank you to everybody who voted,” frontman Jared Leto said. “Once again, the unstoppable Echelon. We love you guys. “If it wasn’t for the Echelon, we wouldn’t have ever won a single award,” he continued. “I think that’s the blessing of living in this digital age, is that people have a voice, and the Echelon Nation out there has made their voice heard again and again, and we’re so proud that they’re able to gather together, to organize themselves, to fight for a common cause and to make dreams a reality. It’s pretty special.” In a week when there was no shortage of highlights for the band — they were awarded their hard-earned gold record plaques for the This Is War album and entered the “Guinness Book of World Records” with a sold-out, celebratory show in New York — Leto counts their Best Live Performance win as one of the biggest moments. It was almost enough to bring a tear to his steely-blue eyes. “We’re very surprised. … It’s been an insane week already. We got a gold record, we did a Guinness World Record-breaking show,” he laughed. “There’s gonna be a few tears rolling down these hardened, leathery, road-dog cheeks.” All this week, watch “AMTV” on MTV every day at 8 a.m. ET for our Best of 2011 lists. Then, come to MTVNews.com at 5 p.m. as we reveal our top picks of the year! Related Videos Best Live MTV Performances Of 2011 2011 Best MTV Performance Nominees Related Artists 30 Seconds To Mars

Continued here:
30 Seconds To Mars Thank Fans For Best Live MTV Performance Win

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

30 Seconds To Mars’ ‘Unplugged’ Wins MTV’s Best Live Performance Of 2011

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Fans voted 30STM’s stripped-down rendition of ‘Hurricane’ the year’s best, ahead of Paramore, Beyonc

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ke$ha Drops Lil Wayne, T.I., Wiz Khalifa ‘Sleazy’ Remix

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Remix also features Andre 3000 and is a bit racier than the original track. By Jocelyn Vena Ke$ha Photo: Larry Marano/ Getty Images As promised, Ke$ha and her boys Lil Wayne, T.I., Wiz Khalifa and Andre 3000 dropped a new remix of “Sleazy” on Tuesday (December 13). The Bangladesh-produced song originally appeared on K-Dollar’s 2010 Cannibal album before a remix featuring Andre popped up earlier this year. The latest version of the song is available for purchase and is all over blogs like Rapup.com . The song gets a bit dirtier and introspective thanks to verses from the guys that play up the track’s bumping beat. Wiz kicks it off, rapping about designer clothes and his lady love, Amber Rose. “OK, I’m young and I’m tatted/ I get them bucks like an addict/ Rocking this Christian Dior/ I spend so much on my fabric/ I got a wifey at home/ And what she wants she can have it,” he spits before going on about chilling on the beach, being rich and his prowess in the bedroom. Sitting in between Wiz and Tip is Andre’s recycled verse, before T.I. gets his shot and gets sexy, asking Ke$ha, “Do you know what to do with me?” before he launches into a verse all about how good he is to the ladies. “Bad bitches know me/ So don’t bother introducing me/ They want me more than diamonds,” he brags before explaining that it has a lot to do with his impressive anatomy. Wayne closes it out, adding his own signature flair. “We be on that sh– that no one be on/ That’s what we on/ Smoke that neon, Kings of Leon/ Dynamite, Napoleon/ Got some skinnies and a tee on/ And some Vans,” he rhymes about his famous sense of Weezy-fied style before the song circles back to the funky chorus, where Ke$ha declares that she doesn’t “need you or your brand-new Benz/ Or your bougie friends/ I don’t need love lookin’ like diamonds/ Lookin’ like diamonds.” If any of K’s fans or critics were wondering if she has the swagger to chill with the guys, she displayed some of her sass when she tweeted about the remix. “Question ANIMALS … who can say they got with Lil Wayne, T.I., Andre 3000 and Wiz Khalifa on a f—ing hot track??” she asked. “ill give u one clue … Its $.” What do you think of the “Sleazy” remix? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Ke$ha Related Artists Ke$ha Wiz Khalifa Lil Wayne

Continue reading here:
Ke$ha Drops Lil Wayne, T.I., Wiz Khalifa ‘Sleazy’ Remix

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Drake Announces 2012 Club Paradise Tour Dates

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Young Money MC will kick off 17-city North American tour on February 14 in Miami before heading off to Europe. By Jocelyn Vena Drake Photo: John Shearer/ Getty Images Drake is inviting you to Club Paradise. The Take Care rapper has announced dates for a 2012 headlining tour. Drake’s Club Paradise Tour will kick off on Valentine’s Day (the same day fellow Young Money family member Nicki Minaj drops her album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded ) in Miami before circling around 17 cities in North America, with stops in party spots like New Orleans, Austin and San Diego. The tour name pays homage to a track Drizzy dropped back in September. The tour will visit colleges across the U.S. before wrapping up the North American leg on March 11 in San Diego. Drake will then head to Europe for a string of additional dates, according to Pressparty . And Drake isn’t going at it alone. As previously confirmed, he’ll be joined by Hottest Breakthrough MC contenders Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky. “I spent a lot of time out there [in Toronto]; that’s what this album is about,” Drake recently explained. “That’s what I’m gonna showcase. It’s the same thing with the tour: I wanna bring Kendrick, I wanna bring A$AP, those are guys that I love. It has nothing to do with people on my label,” he added. “Tyga’s out, Nicki’s working on an album and everybody else is doing their thing on the road with Wayne or with Wayne in the studio, so I just sort of showcased the music that I happen to love right now, and those are the two guys that I’m bringing out.” “I fought for this tour, I fought really hard for this tour because, of course, they want me to go get the big bucks, go into the stadiums and cash out,” Drake revealed to MTV News in October about the decision to play more intimate shows . “But I was just like, I really made this album for the same people that supported me since day one.” In addition to a tour, next year Drake and Rick Ross plan to drop the Y.O.L.O. (You Only Live Once) mixtape. “It’s official, the music is most definitely official,” Ross said. “But, you know, me being a boss, I’m trying to find a way that we could put that on the shelves for the world, baby. But it’s most definitely official.” The release rides on the heels of Drake’s chart-topping Take Care , which dropped in November. Dates for Drake’s North American Club Paradise Tour are as follows:

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,