MC says she wants to ‘show people that I can be part of any world.’ By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway Nicki Minaj Photo: Chris McKay/WireImage Fans are eight weeks away from the launch of the Femme Fatale tour. Britney Spears , along with top-line tour opener Nicki Minaj, will get the party started in June in Sacramento, California. Minaj has called the slot “an honor.” When MTV News caught up with the Barbie herself in New Orleans for the latest stop on the I Am Still Music Tour , she opened up a bit more about the matchup. “She’s definitely iconic and I’m very excited,” Minaj explained. “It’s weird. I just always remember her, since I was little, ruling the world, so I’m really excited to just expand my fanbase and show people that I can be a part of any world.” Minaj is the reigning princess in the hip-hop world, and she feels that hooking up with pop’s leading queen will expand her horizons, even if she has to make some changes to her stage show. “Of course I will adjust some things. I definitely will take away that one particular stage prop,” she said of one very phallic object, adding that her music and set list will basically stay the same. “We’ll add some stuff ’cause I got some new things coming out this summer, some new records.” Earlier this week, Minaj called into Ryan Seacrest’s radio show , promising that things will be characteristically over-the-top when she hits the road with Spears. “I’m calling to let everyone know how thrilled I am, how honored I am to be going on the road with the iconic Miss Britney Spears this summer. I just know that when the Femme Fatales and the Barbs get together, we’re going to kick major ass,” she said. “And I am looking forward to creating a new, a bigger, a brighter, a more spectacular show. And I am just really, really excited to make history with Britney, so you guys, make sure you come out this summer.” Related Videos Britney Spears: I Am The Femme Fatale Related Artists Nicki Minaj Britney Spears
‘Blow’ singer is psyched for the summer leg of her Get $leazy Tour with Spank Rock, LMFAO. By Gil Kaufman Ke$ha Photo: MTV News There’s certainly something to be said for girl power. Ke$ha felt it when she hit the road with Rihanna last year, when the two apparently engaged in a variety of high jinks, including some alleged backstage pillow fights. But when MTV News caught up with the glitter-soaked party girl on Wednesday just hours before her show at New York’s Roseland Ballroom and asked her who she might bring along if she were able to put together a Britney Spears-style all-girl tour, Ke$ha didn’t hesitate to name her posse. Sitting cross-legged on a couch in black tights, black cowboy boots, black leather gloves and sleeveless black rocker T-shirt, Ke$ha told us that her all-girl lineup would actually be, well, all guys. “All-girl fantasy tour?” she said, staring up at the ceiling for a moment and contemplating the idea. “I mean, I play nice with chicks. I actually put together my personal fantasy tour and I just announced the second leg of my Get $leazy Tour and that’s gonna be: me and LMFAO and Spank Rock.” And while the upcoming outing will be light on the estrogen — much like the first leg of her $leazy tour, on which she is sharing the stage with party-rap dude Beardo — Ke$ha insisted that it still will offer what her fans have come to expect from her shows. “It’s not an all-girls tour, but it’s gonna be f—ing sleazy,” she maintained. That macho vibe has been on display during to the winding-down first leg of the $leazy fest, which Ke$ha has nicknamed the “I Can Do Whatever We Want Tour.” So, what kind of perks come with being a first-time headliner? “Blasting glitter violently at people, even if they don’t want it,” said Ke$ha. “It’s like they don’t even have a choice. It is a little volatile, but I do it anyways. I feel like people know me for my glitter and I don’t want to disappoint.” Are you planning to see Ke$ha on the next leg of her Get Sleazy tour? Tell us in the comments. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Ke$ha Related Artists Ke$ha Britney Spears
British songstress talks stage fright and body image in Rolling Stone cover story. By Gil Kaufman Adele Photo: Larry Busacca/ Getty Images While she was besting Britney Spears on the American album charts and helping to lead a new British invasion , U.K. soul pop diva Adele also landed the cover of the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine. And though the cover marks yet another milestone of her rising fame, Adele isn’t immune to some of the same fears as the rest of us, say, stage fright. Despite her calm assurance in the studio and apparent ease at coping with her sudden success, the Grammy winner told the magazine that she still has nervous nights. “I’m scared of audiences,” she said. “One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous, I escaped out the fire exit. I’ve thrown up a couple of times. Once in Brussels, I projectile vomited on someone. I just gotta bear it. But I don’t like touring. I have anxiety attacks a lot.” And it’s not just audiences that freak her out, it’s other celebrities. But the singer revealed that she has drawn some strength from an unlikely source: Beyonc
Also during ‘MTV First’ interview, ‘Twilight’ heartthrob reveals his weakness for Britney Spears songs. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Taylor Lautner Photo: MTV News The Taylor Lautner interview goods keep on coming! Thanks to our exclusive 30-minute sit-down with Lautner during Wednesday’s (April 13) “MTV First: Taylor Lautner,” we were able to chat with the “Twilight” heartthrob about a wide variety of hard-hitting subjects. Most important, we got the scoop on — and a sneak peek at the trailer of — his upcoming action thriller “Abduction,” co-starring Lily Collins. Also, thanks to a few very fun questions sent in via Twitter by the most devoted Lautner and MTV fans, we learned that the 19-year-old isn’t at all opposed to dating a fan, and that he’s a big admirer of Britney Spears. The Twitter question read: “Would you date a fan?” and Lautner’s response likely pleased a lot of people. “That is a loaded question,” he said. “I mean, nobody is excluded in my book,” he added with a smile. Next up, another tweet: “If you guest-starred on ‘Glee,’ which song would you sing?” “I’m sure none of my fans would want to hear me sing a song,” Lautner responded self-deprecatingly. “But if I had to choose, it would either be ‘Oops! … I Did It Again,’ ” he revealed. “I don’t know why I would just randomly break into that song.” MTV News’ Josh Horowitz then mentioned that Britney’s having something of a comeback, what with the release of her new Femme Fatale album and all of the buzz about her new music videos, etc., which makes that song choice totally appropriate. “Yeah, for sure,” Lautner agreed. “I love her new album. Yeah, it’s cool,” he said, adding that he is a fan. “I haven’t seen the videos, I have to see the videos, but the songs are great.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV First: Taylor Lautner
Industry experts explain why this latest batch of artists from across the pond is making it in the U.S. By Sterling Wong Adele Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images It’s not quite Beatlemania or the ’90s Britpop invasion by the likes of Oasis, Blur and the Spice Girls, but astute music followers will have noticed that British music, has been quietly staging yet another attack on American charts. This time around, this assault is spearheaded by powerhouse diva, Adele, whose sophomore album, 21, is currently the bestselling one of the year and is pushing Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale off the #1 spot on next week’s Billboard 200 chart. Then there’s folk-rock band Mumford and Sons, whose album peaked at #2 a whole year after it was released and has impressively gone platinum. In fact, Adele, Mumford and Sons and Marsha Ambrosius , yet another British act, combined for the top three spots on the Billboard sales charts for one week in March, the first time in over 20 years that British artists have done so. Are we experiencing a third wave of British music invasion? Or is it mere coincidence that acts like Adele and Mumford and Sons are achieving chart success at the same time? “I think the U.S. market is just generally receptive to a lot more things than it’s been for a while, with all the changes in sales,” Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston observed. “You also have other aspects of the industry that have changed, like the Arcade Fire, who are on an independent label, winning the Album of the Year Grammy.” For Spin editor-in-chief Doug Brod, the success of these artists has got more to do with the quality of their music than their nation of origin. “With Mumford and Sons, their success has been long in the making,” Brod said. “The record’s been out for a year, and they’ve sold over a million copies and are now headlining festivals, but it took them a long time. “In Adele’s case, her previous record primed her for success,” Brod added. “It received Grammy nominations and won awards. And this record just took off because of the great songs.” Johnston also thinks some British acts are doing well by marketing to underserved audiences. “It was the same with Adele, and with Sade and Susan Boyle,” she said. “There are certain audiences that don’t get marketed to a lot by popular music, and so when they do, even if it’s just an appearance on a TV show like ‘Letterman’ or ‘Oprah,’ people will respond to a really powerful, good song.” The increasing popularity of digital music sources has also made it easier for Americans to seek out music from across the pond. “The digital marketplace levels the playing field,” Hits Daily Double senior editor Roy Trakin said. “It doesn’t matter where something is from at this point, because it is a globalized universe. British acts go in and they go out. Sometimes they can’t buy a break, and then sometimes you see them all over the place. But when things break, they can break instantaneously. That’s probably a factor.” At the moment there are two types of British acts that have achieved success in the U.S. recently: big-voiced divas like Adele, Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle; and rock bands like Coldplay and Mumford and Sons. Pop stars like Robbie Williams and girl group Sugababes have tried and failed. Is it possible for a British pop act to join the British invasion? All eyes are on Jessie J, whose Who You Are made its U.S. debut this week. Brod had a positive prognosis for Jessie. “She has a lot of momentum,” he said. “She’s been aligned with big American stars like B.o.B, Bruno Mars, Miley, so she has visibility. Her ‘Saturday Night Live’ performance also really put her on people’s minds, so it’s a matter of radio getting behind her at this point. I think if radio responds well to her, she could ride that to a big career here.” But Johnston opined that Jessie J’s success is not a litmus test of whether British pop acts can break America, because Jessie’s music already sounds very American. “Jessie J is so in the American mold of pop stars,” Johnston argued. “I would love to see what would happen right now if a [British pop group] Girls Aloud song got properly promoted and got a proper push. That to me is more of a litmus test, than something that sounds a lot like American music.” A potential game changer for Britpop artists could be the upcoming fall launch of Simon Cowell’s U.S. “X Factor.” If the show proves to be a hit, British acts will have a great high-profile platform on which to introduce themselves to the U.S. “You can’t discount Simon Cowell’s influence. He brought Leona to Clive Davis, who was onboard immediately. So whatever you may think of him as a judge or as a celebrity, he does wield big influence on what makes a pop star in the U.S. As long as he’s part of the conversation and the culture, he will have an effect on which British artists might make it here.” One thing is certain: The music industry is all about trends, so if Jessie J makes it here, that could open the door for other similar British acts. “It’s the Amy Winehouse-Duffy-Adele scenario,” Brod explained. “Amy Winehouse opened the door, and Duffy and Adele stepped in. Adele stuck, and Duffy sort of fell off, so there might be casualties involved. But a lot of it just depends on the quality of the music.” Related Artists Adele
Industry experts explain why this latest batch of artists from across the pond is making it in the U.S. By Sterling Wong Adele Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images It’s not quite Beatlemania or the ’90s Britpop invasion by the likes of Oasis, Blur and the Spice Girls, but astute music followers will have noticed that British music, has been quietly staging yet another attack on American charts. This time around, this assault is spearheaded by powerhouse diva, Adele, whose sophomore album, 21, is currently the bestselling one of the year and is pushing Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale off the #1 spot on next week’s Billboard 200 chart. Then there’s folk-rock band Mumford and Sons, whose album peaked at #2 a whole year after it was released and has impressively gone platinum. In fact, Adele, Mumford and Sons and Marsha Ambrosius , yet another British act, combined for the top three spots on the Billboard sales charts for one week in March, the first time in over 20 years that British artists have done so. Are we experiencing a third wave of British music invasion? Or is it mere coincidence that acts like Adele and Mumford and Sons are achieving chart success at the same time? “I think the U.S. market is just generally receptive to a lot more things than it’s been for a while, with all the changes in sales,” Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston observed. “You also have other aspects of the industry that have changed, like the Arcade Fire, who are on an independent label, winning the Album of the Year Grammy.” For Spin editor-in-chief Doug Brod, the success of these artists has got more to do with the quality of their music than their nation of origin. “With Mumford and Sons, their success has been long in the making,” Brod said. “The record’s been out for a year, and they’ve sold over a million copies and are now headlining festivals, but it took them a long time. “In Adele’s case, her previous record primed her for success,” Brod added. “It received Grammy nominations and won awards. And this record just took off because of the great songs.” Johnston also thinks some British acts are doing well by marketing to underserved audiences. “It was the same with Adele, and with Sade and Susan Boyle,” she said. “There are certain audiences that don’t get marketed to a lot by popular music, and so when they do, even if it’s just an appearance on a TV show like ‘Letterman’ or ‘Oprah,’ people will respond to a really powerful, good song.” The increasing popularity of digital music sources has also made it easier for Americans to seek out music from across the pond. “The digital marketplace levels the playing field,” Hits Daily Double senior editor Roy Trakin said. “It doesn’t matter where something is from at this point, because it is a globalized universe. British acts go in and they go out. Sometimes they can’t buy a break, and then sometimes you see them all over the place. But when things break, they can break instantaneously. That’s probably a factor.” At the moment there are two types of British acts that have achieved success in the U.S. recently: big-voiced divas like Adele, Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle; and rock bands like Coldplay and Mumford and Sons. Pop stars like Robbie Williams and girl group Sugababes have tried and failed. Is it possible for a British pop act to join the British invasion? All eyes are on Jessie J, whose Who You Are made its U.S. debut this week. Brod had a positive prognosis for Jessie. “She has a lot of momentum,” he said. “She’s been aligned with big American stars like B.o.B, Bruno Mars, Miley, so she has visibility. Her ‘Saturday Night Live’ performance also really put her on people’s minds, so it’s a matter of radio getting behind her at this point. I think if radio responds well to her, she could ride that to a big career here.” But Johnston opined that Jessie J’s success is not a litmus test of whether British pop acts can break America, because Jessie’s music already sounds very American. “Jessie J is so in the American mold of pop stars,” Johnston argued. “I would love to see what would happen right now if a [British pop group] Girls Aloud song got properly promoted and got a proper push. That to me is more of a litmus test, than something that sounds a lot like American music.” A potential game changer for Britpop artists could be the upcoming fall launch of Simon Cowell’s U.S. “X Factor.” If the show proves to be a hit, British acts will have a great high-profile platform on which to introduce themselves to the U.S. “You can’t discount Simon Cowell’s influence. He brought Leona to Clive Davis, who was onboard immediately. So whatever you may think of him as a judge or as a celebrity, he does wield big influence on what makes a pop star in the U.S. As long as he’s part of the conversation and the culture, he will have an effect on which British artists might make it here.” One thing is certain: The music industry is all about trends, so if Jessie J makes it here, that could open the door for other similar British acts. “It’s the Amy Winehouse-Duffy-Adele scenario,” Brod explained. “Amy Winehouse opened the door, and Duffy and Adele stepped in. Adele stuck, and Duffy sort of fell off, so there might be casualties involved. But a lot of it just depends on the quality of the music.” Related Artists Adele
Spears drops to #2 as sales of Femme Fatale trail off in second week. By Gil Kaufman Adele’s 21 Photo: Columbia Records It’s a bit early to call it a changing of the guard, but British songbird Adele will make a strong case that she is a major force to be reckoned with on the Billboard charts next week when her album 21 retakes the #1 spot. Thanks to sales of 88,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Adele pulls the feat off — her fourth non-consecutive week at #1 since the album’s release in late February — while forcing last week’s #1, Britney Spears ‘ Femme Fatale , down to #2. Spears’ highly anticipated new effort suffers a steep drop-off in its second chart cycle , plunging 73 percent on sales of 75,000, for a two-week total of 352,000. In contrast, Adele has pushed past the 1 million mark in seven weeks to notch the best-selling album of 2011 to date. Also losing a significant amount (70 percent) of business in its second week is rapper Wiz Khalifa ‘s Rolling Papers , which falls three spots to #5 on sales of 59,000. Masked rap-rock crew Hollywood Undead scored their best chart debut ever with American Tragedy, which comes in at #4 (66,000), while little-known metalers Asking Alexandria come in at #9 on sales of 31,000. The rest of the top 10: Radiohead , King of Limbs (#3, 67,000); Chris Brown , F.A.M.E. (#6, 51,000); the iTunes Songs for Japan compilation (#7, 51,000); Mumford & Sons ‘ Sigh No More (#8, 34,000); and Kirk Franklin ‘s Hello Fear (#10, 31,000). Jennifer Hudson ‘s I Remember Me slips four spots to #11 as sales dip 46 percent to 31,000, while Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and former Band member Robbie Robertson scores a #13 debut (22,000) for How to Become Clairvoyant, his first studio album in 13 years. Rapper Jim Jones hits #20 with the debut of his latest, Capo (21,000), indie faves The Kills come in at #37 with Blood Pressures (13,000), and superstar DJ Ti
Spears drops to #2 as sales of Femme Fatale trail off in second week. By Gil Kaufman Adele’s 21 Photo: Columbia Records It’s a bit early to call it a changing of the guard, but British songbird Adele will make a strong case that she is a major force to be reckoned with on the Billboard charts next week when her album 21 retakes the #1 spot. Thanks to sales of 88,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Adele pulls the feat off — her fourth non-consecutive week at #1 since the album’s release in late February — while forcing last week’s #1, Britney Spears ‘ Femme Fatale , down to #2. Spears’ highly anticipated new effort suffers a steep drop-off in its second chart cycle , plunging 73 percent on sales of 75,000, for a two-week total of 352,000. In contrast, Adele has pushed past the 1 million mark in seven weeks to notch the best-selling album of 2011 to date. Also losing a significant amount (70 percent) of business in its second week is rapper Wiz Khalifa ‘s Rolling Papers , which falls three spots to #5 on sales of 59,000. Masked rap-rock crew Hollywood Undead scored their best chart debut ever with American Tragedy, which comes in at #4 (66,000), while little-known metalers Asking Alexandria come in at #9 on sales of 31,000. The rest of the top 10: Radiohead , King of Limbs (#3, 67,000); Chris Brown , F.A.M.E. (#6, 51,000); the iTunes Songs for Japan compilation (#7, 51,000); Mumford & Sons ‘ Sigh No More (#8, 34,000); and Kirk Franklin ‘s Hello Fear (#10, 31,000). Jennifer Hudson ‘s I Remember Me slips four spots to #11 as sales dip 46 percent to 31,000, while Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and former Band member Robbie Robertson scores a #13 debut (22,000) for How to Become Clairvoyant, his first studio album in 13 years. Rapper Jim Jones hits #20 with the debut of his latest, Capo (21,000), indie faves The Kills come in at #37 with Blood Pressures (13,000), and superstar DJ Ti
Reports have Tom Hanks and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black attached to the project. By James Montgomery Billie Joe Armstrong performs with the cast of “American Idiot” Photo: Slaven Vlasic/ Getty Images It’s been green-lit, killed, resurrected and put on the back burner, but now it appears that the long-in-the-works film version of Green Day’s American Idiot album might finally become a reality. On Wednesday (April 13), Reuters reported that Universal is in negotiations to pick up the screen rights to the Broadway version of “Idiot,” and has hired Michael Mayer — who directs the stage production — to shoot the movie version. Reuters also reported that Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning writer of 2008’s “Milk,” is “in discussions” to write the screenplay, and that Tom Hanks will serve as producer on the film, along with Green Day themselves. (Hanks and his business partner Gary Goetzman were producers on the film version of the Broadway smash “Mamma Mia!,” the musical based on the songs of ABBA.) All of that means that, after a voyage that started way back in 2004 — when Billie Joe Armstrong told MTV News that the bandmembers were “talking” to screenwriters about adapting the album for the big screen — American Idiot could finally find its way to your local multiplex. In 2006, Armstrong promised fans that the film version of Green Day’s hit album would “definitely … happen,” but the band instead turned their attention to creating their next album (2009’s 21st Century Breakdown ) and a stage version of Idiot, which premiered at Berkeley, California’s Berkeley Repertory Theater in ’09 before heading to Broadway. Still, they remained adamant that a film would be coming, with Armstrong telling The Associated Press that it would echo the feel of cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Hanks’ reported attachment to the project is also interesting, considering that last year, Green Day dismissed his involvement as “just talk.” A spokesperson for Green Day could not be reached for comment by press time. Meanwhile, the “American Idiot” musical will officially end its Broadway run on April 24, with Armstrong reprising his role of St. Jimmy. Related Videos Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ On Broadway Related Artists Green Day
‘It’s something that I would have loved to do,’ singer says on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show. By Jocelyn Vena Rihanna Photo: Michael Tran/ FilmMagic Rihanna was rumored to be a potential judge on “X Factor,” alongside Simon Cowell and her former label boss L.A. Reid . However, the songstress confirmed to Ryan Seacrest on Wednesday (April 13) that while there were discussions about her joining the show, she couldn’t put her career on hold long enough to commit. “I just heard about it actually, but, yes, it’s something that I would have loved to do, actually. But our schedule doesn’t allow and it’s a demanding schedule to be on that show. You have to be around months at a time, which is impossible for me.” What was easier to schedule was getting Britney Spears on the remix of her track “S&M.” “It was automatic; it was a go. She was great, really professional,” she said of the track, which was released earlier this week. “I think that’s what makes this collaboration so successful: It’s two female artists within the same genre of music. We have similar sounds. It’s very unexpected to see two artists collaborate and get together. The fans are really appreciative of that.” She added that while the song is “very provocative,” she thinks people need to take the lyrics and redirect the message to be about something more than just sex. “When I first heard this record, I automatically knew those words didn’t mean [that] … it was about my love-hate relationship with the media,” she explained of the message, one that Spears can also certainly relate to. “I knew what the song was to me and I wanted to make that point in the video. The video got banned in a lot of countries even though I didn’t think it was that raunchy. I thought it was fun and quirky. I really didn’t expect the song to go this far.” Rihanna’s upcoming busy schedule includes performing at the Billboard Music Awards next month and co-headlining the V Festival with Eminem in the U.K. this August. Related Artists Rihanna
