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Frank Ocean Charms New York Audience

Odd Future crooner wins over Bowery Ballroom with soulful covers and originals, including new songs ‘Super Rich Kids’ and ‘Disillusioned.’ By Rob Markman Frank Ocean Photo: MTV News Be it for a crowd of one or 100, you get the feeling that Frank Ocean would be just as charmingly awkward when performing tracks from his breakthrough digital album Nostalgia, Ultra . On Monday evening, the Odd Future singer/songwriter performed his second in as many days, making up for the scheduled November 6 concert that was cancelled , citing illness. There was no opening act or host for the evening, just Ocean, who stormed the Bowery Ballroom stage at exactly 9:30 p.m. wearing a black jacket, white button-down shirt and a red bandana tied around his forehead. “You think I’d leave your side baby/ You know me better than that,” he sang, starting out his set with a soulful rendition of Sade’s “By Your Side.” As the 23-year-old New Orleans export serenaded the crowd, the screen behind him played clips of old Western films and changed themes with each song: sometimes playing scenes from “Boyz n the Hood,” other times playing animated “Dragon Ball Z” clips. After the opening number, Frank addressed the crowd, professed his love for NYC and revealed to fans that he first fell in love, then ultimately got his heart broken, in Southern California. The charming anecdote set up “Thinking About Forever,” a hopelessly romantic slow jam about recapturing lost love. Ocean isn’t the type of singer who rips off his shirt, nor does he show any signs of being a dancer — two qualities typically associated with modern-day crooners. Frank, however, remains relatable on a level most artists are not, which makes him able, in between each song, to simply chat and laugh with the audience, and though he seemed uneasy at times, it was enough to keep his adoring fans engaged. The female portion of the crowd squealed when he eased into “Dust,” and when Ocean belted out the opening line from “Swim Good” — “That’s a pretty big trunk on my Lincoln Town Car” — most of the crowd shot their hands into the air, swaying them side to side. Though his diehards know him for so much more, the OFWGKTA breakout is most popular for his contributions to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s inescapable Watch the Throne LP, so of course, he performed his portions of “No Church in the Wild” and “Made in America.” His catalog isn’t deep, but for an hour, Ocean kept fans entertained by running through fan favorites and even giving a taste of his next album, singing two new songs: “Super Rich Kids” and the bouncy and bassy “Disillusioned.” The show’s only downfall was that for much of the show, Ocean simply stood center stage, but boy did he sound great. He switched things up on “American Wedding,” his heartbreaking flip of the Eagles’ classic “Hotel California.” For the track’s iconic guitar solo, Ocean turned his back to the crowd, faced the screen, picked up a video-game guitar controller and played out the song’s closing notes on “Guitar Hero.” The crowd — mixed with industry mainstays, star-gazing girls, frat boys and even a few celebs (Mos Def was in attendance) — ate it up. After his version of Coldplay’s “Strawberry Swing,” Ocean said goodnight and left the stage. The crowd stood, demanding an encore, and were granted their wish when Ocean remerged onstage sitting by a piano. He closed with “I Miss You,” a song he wrote for Beyonc

Avril Lavigne Says ‘Wish You Were Here’ Single ‘Feels Right’

Song about missing someone ‘represents the album’ well, singer says. By Jocelyn Vena Avril Lavigne Photo: MTV News Avril Lavigne lets her guard down on her Goodbye Lullaby single “Wish You Were Here.” The poignant track is about pining away for that one person you let slip away. The emotional pull of the track, produced by Max Martin and Shellback, is the perfect tune for anyone who’s not able to be with the ones they love this holiday season. “I’m excited about ‘Wish You Were Here’ being the single because it’s a ballad and the song kind of represents the album definitely more so than the first single,” she told MTV News about the song, which she performed during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade last week. “That was kind of more my older stuff and more pop rock and aggressive and a lighter subject. Goodbye Lullaby, for me, was a record that I was writing for myself.” “Wish You Were Here” and its simple, Dave Meyers-directed video really sum up the album for Lavigne. “It was more raw and stripped-down and more emotional and I wasn’t holding back,” she said of working on the album. “[It’s] sort of more song driven and the production was mainly just like a lot of acoustic guitars and loops and just all about the vocal; the vocal being clear and having an honest emotion to it. And saying that, yeah, the first two singles [ ‘What the Hell’ and ‘Smile’] were more pop rock, and so now finally with this one, ‘Wish You Were Here,’ being released, it feels right.” The song comes from a place deep inside and is very much about someone in Lavigne’s life. “I love this song. I like this song because I wrote it about missing somebody and that’s something that we all go through at some point in our lives,” she explained. “It’s just about looking back and remembering all those good times you shared with somebody, all the crazy moments. And that’s life. We all experience that at some point, but it has a positive message.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Avril Lavigne Related Artists Avril Lavigne

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Avril Lavigne Says ‘Wish You Were Here’ Single ‘Feels Right’

Busta Rhymes Recalls LONS’ ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ Breakup

‘I’ll never forget that day,’ Busta says of his group’s 1993 split on set of classic MTV show, which returns Sunday on MTV2. By Rob Markman, with additional reporting by Rahman Bugg Busta Rhymes Photo: MTV News “Yo! MTV Raps” meant so much to so many people. More than just a weekly video show, “Yo!” brought fans into the then-undocumented worlds of their favorite rap stars. ” ‘Yo! MTV Raps,’ just in a nutshell, gave everybody an opportunity to look at artists as real people,” Busta Rhymes told MTV News of the groundbreaking series, which will make a return on Sunday on MTV2 at 12 a.m. ET. “You saw us when we were upset, you saw us when we were happy, you saw us when we were beefin’, you saw us when we were celebrating some sh–.” For Busta, who started his career as a member of the 1990s Long Island, New York, rap quartet Leaders of the New School , “Yo! MTV Raps” documented one of the most pivotal moments in his career. “Leaders of the New School broke up on ‘Yo! MTV Raps,’ with Fab Five Freddy hosting it,” Busta recalled. “I’ll never forget that day.” It was 1993 and LONS had just released their second album, T.I.M.E. (The Inner Mind’s Eye), which was anchored by their #1 Billboard Hot Rap Single “What’s Next.” Still, despite their growth as a group, Busta Rhymes and member Charlie Brown began collaborating with other acts as soloists. Bus had already delivered a scene-stealing verse on A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 “Scenario” and appeared on Heavy D’s “A Bunch of N—as” with a then-unknown Notorious B.I.G. Brown had opened up doors for himself as well, also appearing on “Scenario” and Funkmaster Flex’s “Nuttin’ but Flavor” with Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Biz Markie. “Me and C. Brown, we ain’t really dig each other for a long time,” Busta said, citing a silent competition between him and his former bandmate. During the 1993 episode of “Yo!” all the members introduced themselves for the camera, shouting out Leaders in the same breath — all except Brown. “Just lounging, getting to know myself and what my capabilities are and what I’m gonna do in life,” he said. “The cameras is rolling and we’re looking at each other like, what the f— this n—a talkin’ about,” Busta recalled. “We’re steppin’ to Brown beefin’ like, ‘What is this?’ [And he’s like,] ‘I don’t wanna be in the group no more.’ ” Busta Rhymes went on to release his solo debut The Coming in 1996 and has enjoyed one of the most storied careers in hip-hop. On November 17, the Dungeon Dragon announced his latest deal with Cash Money Records and Google Music, but despite all of his highlights, the LONS split ultimately made Busta who he is today. “That was just a big moment. That was a defining moment for me,” he said. Watch “MTV2 Presents: Yo! MTV Raps: Classic Cuts” on December 4 at 12 a.m. ET, immediately after the “2011 Sucker Free Awards.” Related Artists Busta Rhymes

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Busta Rhymes Recalls LONS’ ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ Breakup

Yelawolf Recruits YouTube Fan For Radioactive Debut

Mona Moua’s video lands her on rapper’s ‘Write Your Name.’ By Rob Markman Yelawolf Photo: MTV News It’s not every day an artist takes a fan and gives them a feature on an album, but with Radioactive, Yelawolf did just that, placing singer Mona Moua on his debut LP. After Moua failed to get into a sold-out Minneapolis show, she went home and recorded “Ode to Yelawolf” and uploaded the original composition to YouTube . “It was actually really good,” Yela told MTV News about the song and video Moua uploaded back in April. “Her melody was good, she could play guitar. … I was a bit blown away by how talented she was.” In the video, Moua strums the guitar while singing about her disappointment after not getting into the sold-out show. “No Trunk Muzik for me,” she sang before integrating Yela song titles like “Mixing Up the Medicine” and “Pop the Trunk” into the rest of her sullen lyrics. Little did Moua know that the heartfelt display would land her on ‘Wolf’s “Write Your Name” on Radioactive, which dropped last week. “We had a record called ‘Write Your Name’ about the unsung hero, and it just so happened that her tone, it just fit perfectly,” he said, crediting the idea to Ghet-O-Vision head Kawan “KP” Prather. “KP had the idea to bring her out and put her on the hook and she killed it.” Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, “Write Your Name” mixes the drums from Rick Ross’ “Aston Martin Music” with a new, melancholy piano melody. On the track, Yelawolf uses his small-town come-up from Gadsden, Alabama, to exemplify how much more untapped talent may be waiting in the wings. Moua sings the all-too-perfect hook, “I’ll write your name across the sky and take away the stars, ’cause you light up the night/ You’re as high as the moon, when you’re here with me/ That’s why I’m gonna write your name for the world to see.” Have you heard “Write Your Name” yet? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Yelawolf Related Artists YelaWolf

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Yelawolf Recruits YouTube Fan For Radioactive Debut

Florence And The Machine Cover Drake’s ‘Take Care’

‘I hope we can do it justice,’ Welch says of her version of Drake’s song, taped at BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. By James Montgomery Florence Welch Photo: Gareth Cattermole/ Getty Images Perhaps it was inevitable, given the mutual admiration Drake and Florence Welch share, but last week, while the majority of you were overcoming turkey comas, Flo (and the Machine) appeared on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, where they turned in a stunning cover of Drizzy’s “Take Care.” “It’s three of my absolute favorite artists,” Welch said while introducing the track, referencing the fact that the song features vocals by not only Drake and Rihanna, but samples of Jamie XX’s remix of Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’ll Take Care of You.” “I hope we can do it justice.” And they did. Backed by a stirring string section, Florence and the Machine’s version of the song isn’t as dark and knotty as Drake’s original; instead, it’s ethereal and downright doleful, starting slow and sleepy but building to a towering crescendo, with Welch lamenting that she’s “loved and lost” while drums pound, keyboards pulse and the strings trill. It’s the kind of aching cover that leaves you wishing the two could actually collaborate on record, something that, in recent months, seemed a definite possibility. In the lead-up to the release of both Florence and the Machine’s Ceremonials and Drake’s Take Care, speculation swirled that the artists might make appearances on each other’s albums — especially since Welch had previously joined Drake onstage in London to sing vocals on “Fireworks.” But, as Welch told MTV News last month , they’ve yet to actually record anything together, thanks in no small part to their busy schedules. Then again, the door isn’t completely closed on a collaboration just yet. “We haven’t actually done any recording together,” Welch said. “Whenever I see Drake, we always just end up kind of hanging out, which is equally fun. … I think we’re both big fans of each other’s work. If we would have the time, it is something I would definitely like to do, but we’re both really busy.” Would you like to see a legit collabo between Florence and Drake? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Drake Florence + the Machine

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Florence And The Machine Cover Drake’s ‘Take Care’

Britney Spears Video Tournament Down To Elite 8!

‘Everytime’ falls out of tournament in round two, losing to ‘Lucky.’ By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker Britney Spears in her video for “Lucky” Photo: Jive Round three is now open for voting in the Britney Spears Tournament: 30 Videos for 30 Years ! When polls closed Sunday night, we had narrowed the brackets down from the Sweet 16 to the Elite Eight, and some of the results were shocking! Four of the eight matchups in round two of the tournament remained neck-and-neck until the moments the polls closed. After holding the advantage for most of the second round, “Everytime,” which also happens to be Perez Hilton ‘s favorite Britney Spears video, fell out of the tournament, losing to Britney’s diva alter ego in “Lucky.” Two of Britney’s most dance-heavy videos, “(You Drive Me) Crazy” and “Me Against the Music,” were back and forth with each other for most of the round before Madonna and Britney’s hit lunged forward and sent green-tube-top Britney out of the tournament with less than 1 percent more of the votes. Head over to Britney30.MTV.com and vote for your favorite music video in MTV News’ Britney Spears Tournament: 30 Videos for 30 Years. Round three will see “Stronger” take on “Criminal” in a pairing that many thought would be “Oops! … I Did It Again” vs. “… Baby One More Time.” Of Britney’s three VMA-winning videos that remained in round two, only her most recent win, “Till the World Ends,” will move forward to battle it out with “Lucky.” Round three will also see two of Britney’s most iconic videos, “Toxic” and “I’m a Slave 4 U,” go up against each other; only one of them will make it to the Final Four. Round three is open for voting until Tuesday, November 29, at 11:59 p.m. The final four will be announced and open for voting on the morning of Wednesday, November 30. Which video are you rooting for? Are you surprised by any of the results so far? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! Related Videos Britney Spears: 30 Videos For 30 Years Related Artists Britney Spears

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Britney Spears Video Tournament Down To Elite 8!

Noel Gallagher’s Guide To Real-Life High-Flying Birds

In honor of his High Flying Birds solo album, we asked the ertswhile Oasis songwriter to rate his fellow high-soaring avians. By James Montgomery Noel Gallagher Photo: MTV News Noel Gallagher has never been one to shy away from stating his opinions, whether about Katie Holmes ( “top Scientologist” ), his new solo album Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (“It’s just a good record, what can I say?”), social networking (“I don’t need a million friends; I’ve got six friends and I’m f—ing trying to get rid of one of those”) or innumerable other topics. This is just part of the reason why, in addition to being a genuine rock god, he’s also a bit of a New Age guru. So when Gallagher stopped by the MTV newsroom earlier this month to promote High Flying Birds — and dispel rumors that he was about to bury the hatchet with his brother Liam and re-form Oasis — in addition to talking all about the album, we had to ask him for his take on various other high-soaring members of the Avian family. And, of course, he didn’t disappoint. From his take on R

Big Time Rush To Sing National Anthem On Thanksgiving

Nickelodeon stars will precede Dallas Cowboys/ Miami Dolphins game. By Christina Garibaldi Big Time Rush Photo: MTV News To say this month has been a “Big Time Rush” for James Maslow, Logan Henderson, Carlos Pena and Kendall Schmidt is an understatement. The boys from the hit Nickelodeon show released their sophomore album, Elevated, on Monday, just wrapped up shooting their new flick (“Big Time Movie”) and on Thanksgiving, they will be singing the National Anthem before the start of the football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins. MTV News caught up with Big Time Rush on Tuesday (November 22) to talk about their big Turkey Day performance. “We are going to Dallas, which is where I grew up pretty much for 18 years of my life,” Henderson said about performing in front of his hometown crowd at Cowboys Stadium. Most of the members of Big Time Rush are big-time Cowboys fans. “It’s American’s team,” Schmidt said, while Maslow added, “Every American is a Cowboys fan.” Not so fast, James: It seems Pena is torn between rooting for Dallas or his hometown team, the Dolphins. “I like Miami and the Dolphins; they’re my home team,” Pena explained. “But the Cowboys gave me this job to sing the National Anthem, so, who do you go with?” Well, Carlos, you might have a fellow Dolphins fan in Miami resident Enrique Iglesias, who will be performing the halftime show. If you are too busy with Thanksgiving Day plans to catch Big Time Rush in action, the group is planning to take their act on the road for their “Better With U” Tour. The band’s first United States tour will kick off in February. Will you watch Big Time Rush sing the National Anthem? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Big Time Rush

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Big Time Rush To Sing National Anthem On Thanksgiving

Nicki Minaj Named Billboard’s Rising Star Of 2011

‘My nation of Barbz and I have come a mighty long way,’ the rapper says in a statement. By James Dinh Nicki Minaj Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images Take it from Nicki Minaj : Hard work pays off. From underground mixtape artist to platinum-selling superstar, the Young Money raptress has been named Billboard ‘s Rising Star of 2011. Alongside Taylor Swift, who was named Billboard ‘s Woman of the Year, the Harajuku Barbie will accept the Rising Star award at the sixth annual Women in Music event in New York on December 2. “I am deeply honored to be recognized by Billboard, ” Minaj said in a statement. “My nation of Barbz and I have come a mighty long way; yet we are nowhere close to where God will take us. Sit back and enjoy the ride.” And what a ride the past year has been. Since releasing her full-length debut album, Pink Friday, in late November 2010, the hip-hop darling has broken records, released a string of hit singles and toured with pop royalty. Most recently, the rapper nabbed a pair of American Music Awards , including Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album. Bill Werde, Billboard ‘s editorial director, echoed the starlet’s accomplishments, saying, “Nicki Minaj has established herself as a force in hip-hop and pop music, and we’re thrilled to recognize her accomplishments over the past year by honoring her as this year’s Rising Star. Her unique style and powerful sound will undoubtedly lead to a long and lustrous career, and we look forward to seeing where she goes and what she does next.” Minaj follows an elite group of Rising Star recipients, including Jazmine Sullivan (2010), Lady Gaga (2009) and Colbie Caillat (2008). Word of the MC’s achievement comes just a day after she announced her sophomore effort, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which is scheduled to drop on Valentine’s Day. In addition to the forthcoming LP, the superstar just wrapped up filming the clip for her David Guetta collaboration “Turn Me On,” which she also performed at the AMAs. ” *sigh* just wrapped the video for Turn Me On…. You’ll love it ;),” she tweeted early Wednesday morning (November 23). Send your congrats to Nicki in the comments! Related Artists Nicki Minaj

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Nicki Minaj Named Billboard’s Rising Star Of 2011

AWOLNATION Call Debut Album ‘Genre-Less’

‘I feel lucky to be a songwriter that has an open mind to all different kinds of music,’ frontman Aaron Bruno says of Megalithic Symphony. By Rya Backer AWOLNATION’s Aaron Bruno Photo: MTV News AWOLNATION may be a play on frontman Aaron Bruno’s childhood nickname, but according to him, it’s far from a solo project. “It’s my vision, I suppose, but it’s sort of uncomfortable for me to take full responsibility for it, because nothing is possible without the support of a team of people,” said Bruno, formerly of such rock acts as Under the Influence of Giants and Hometown Hero. Still, he remains instrumental in crafting the style-bending and -defying melodies, hooks and choruses featured throughout the group’s debut album, Megalithic Symphony (listen to his singles, “Not Your Fault” and “Sail,” for perfect takes on pop-punk and prog industrial, respectively). “I feel lucky to be a songwriter that has an open mind to all different kinds of music,” Bruno said. “So I think because of that, I was able to make a record that is genre-less, and I’m very proud to not be able to tell you that it’s an alternative record or only a rock record, et cetera. … I’m just a huge music nerd/fan at the end of the day.” But how did they come up with that name? “I went with the name AWOL, because I’ve always enjoyed the option of leaving social circumstances without having to explain myself,” Bruno said. Less straightforward, however, is Bruno’s songwriting. “It’s important to me that people interpret the lyrics and the concept and the message for their own and not read too much into it literally. Because a lot of the lyrics are metaphors for life situations that I’ve been in, and I encourage people to create their own meaning for it out of it all.” Regardless of how the songs are taken in, Bruno is sincere in hoping whatever message is delivered holds meaning to the listener. His one great hope for Megalithic Symphony ? “Hopefully this record that I’ve made helps people through the struggles of life or helps them through the good times.” Have you checked out AWOLNATION? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Related Artists AWOLNATION

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AWOLNATION Call Debut Album ‘Genre-Less’