Tag Archives: charts

Is Britney Spears Still An Underdog?

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

As ‘Hold It Against Me’ tops charts, is this the year she drops the label? By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Christina Garibaldi Britney Spears Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Despite selling out stadiums and having her singles, including her newest one, “Hold It Against Me,” shoot to the top of the charts , Britney Spears always seems to have an air of underdog about her. After rising to the top of the pop ranks, Spears suffered some personal setbacks that she can’t seem to shake even in the wake of professional triumph. So, is 2011 the year Spears finally loses the stigma? MTV News asked a few experts to weigh in. Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton compared the Britney of today to the Britney of her pop heyday in the early part of the millennium. “I think Britney is still an underdog in comparison to her former self,” he said. The last big sit-down interview Spears did was in 2008 for her documentary “For the Record.” And aside from smaller magazine write-ups, Spears has managed to stay out of the usual rounds of doing press, an aspect of her public persona that may contribute to the idea that she is an underdog. “Britney’s been an underdog for, like, four years. There’s gonna come a point where we’re gonna have to stop considering her an underdog,” MTV News’ Jim Cantiello said. “I still think people do. She’s recluse for all intents and purposes. I mean, she doesn’t do any press, so I think as long as that mystery surrounds her, people will think of her as an underdog.” But, Entertainment Weekly ‘s Leah Greenblatt notes that being somewhat of a recluse does not make Spears a pop underdog. “I don’t know if she’ll ever be an underdog on the pop charts,” Greenblatt said. “No matter what goes on with her personally … if she brings them something and it’s good enough, people take it and put it at the top of the Billboard chart.” Do you consider Britney Spears an underdog? Sound off in the comments below! Related Videos Reactions To Britney’s ‘Hold It Against Me’ Related Photos The Evolution Of: Britney Spears

Follow this link:
Is Britney Spears Still An Underdog?

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

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

Winehouse finds love in Brazil

Posted on January 12, 2011 by | Leave a comment

SERIAL rehab goer, Amy Winehouse, is now dating a British barman she met in Brazil.

Go here to see the original:
Winehouse finds love in Brazil

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

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

New Britney single rockets to No. 1

Posted on January 12, 2011 by | Leave a comment

THE erratic pop star is back on top of the charts after a turbulent few years

More here:
New Britney single rockets to No. 1

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Britney Spears’ ‘Hold It Against Me’ Likely Safe From Copyright Case

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Country music duo the Bellamy Brothers are upset over Britney song title’s resemblance to their 1979 hit. By Gil Kaufman Britney Spears and the Bellamy Brothers Photo: Getty Images Chances are, nobody out there is going to confuse the Bellamy Brothers’ slow-rolling, 1979 Tex-Mex country hit “If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me” with Britney Spears’ new club grinder “Hold It Against Me.” Yeah, the titles are somewhat similar, but even with the noise the “Let Your Love Flow” sibling act is making over a possible legal challenge to Brit, the chances of winning a case over the borrowing of a song title is pretty slim, according to a noted copyright attorney who spoke to MTV News. “A title is not copyrightable,” said lawyer Brian Caplan, who has more than 20 years of experience in intellectual property and entertainment law. (Caplan does not represent the Bellamy Brothers.) “The expression, either in lyrics or music in a composition is copyrightable, however if something has been used previously by multiple sources, one can argue that it is trite or commonplace and the latter user has no right to it.” David Bellamy conceded to Entertainment Weekly that he first heard the title phrase — a favorite cheesy pick-up line for bar-trollers across the globe — while watching reruns of the classic Groucho Marx show “You Bet Your Life.” The mustachioed comedian used the line on the show one night in an attempt to sidle up to a buxom blonde, Bellamy recalled. “It was just really funny, and I thought, ‘Well, that’d make a really good song title,” Bellamy said, acknowledging that many songs have the same, or similar, titles these days. “But this particular title is kinda hard to disguise, because the title is the song. It’s not like saying, ‘I love you, baby.’ I think songwriters have become watered-down. This makes me sound like an old man again, but I find that songwriters now are not as strong as they used to be in the ’60s or ’70s.” Lawyer Caplan, who had not heard either song when MTV News contacted him to comment, said that just because a title is not copyrightable does not mean a potential case would automatically go away. “It means that there would be a strong argument as it moves forward to have it dismissed, though,” he said. “If you can show through a survey of prior art that that phrase has been used previously by others prior to the plaintiff’s use, then it significantly undermines [the case] and if it’s only used in the title it’s a slam dunk.” As an example, he said if someone wrote a song called “Jersey Girl” or “My Jersey Girl,” despite the fact that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Tom Waits wrote his “Jersey Girl” in 1980 — and Jersey boy Bruce Springsteen helped popularize it a year later — as long as the rest of the song is different musically, lyrically and melodically, there would be no case there, either. In the meantime, Spears is burning up the charts with her tune and breaking some records along the way. “Hold It Against Me” immediately shot to #1 on iTunes upon release this week and broke all previous records for most spins upon its release on Monday. Related Artists The Bellamy Brothers Britney Spears

Original post:
Britney Spears’ ‘Hold It Against Me’ Likely Safe From Copyright Case

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

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

Wiz Khalifa Praises ‘Black And Yellow’ Producers

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘They know how to make hits, man,’ Wiz says of Sweden’s Stargate production team. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Matt Elias Wiz Khalifa Photo: MTV News With “Black and Yellow,” Wiz Khalifa went from heralded underground artist to one of the biggest new stars in hip-hop. The Pittsburgh upstart’s hometown anthem was powered by the synth-heavy sounds of pop production team Stargate, best known for their work with Ne-Yo, Beyonce and Chris Brown. Wiz’s woozy vocals and the melodic “Black and Yellow” musical slate proved to be a winning combination. “It was just a good mixture,” Wiz told MTV News about working with the Swedish producers. “When we got in the studio, I think the first day in the studio with them I did two songs and a hook. They kept throwing me beats and I kept knocking out hooks and verses over them. So I think just the vibe was there. The music that we were making is real potent. It was like, ‘We got to do it [and collaborate].’ ” The rapper made his name with a series of mixtapes and independent albums, including Show and Prove and his breakout, Kush and Orange Juice . His frenzied fan base, which have been dubbed The Taylor Gang, have been on board with the lanky artist for years now. Recently, though, his latest material — with a little help from Stargate — has seen Wiz in some high-profile company. Snoop Dogg, T-Pain and Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J shared the mic with Wiz on the “Black and Yellow” remix . “They know how to make hits, man,” he said of the Stargate team. “They know how to put a song together. So I learned to do my part and let them do their part. And that’s when it goes crazy. ‘Cause I do a lot of different things when I record my music. And they go back and we narrow it down. And that’s how those big songs come out.” How do you like Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow” remix? Tell us your opinion in the comments. Related Artists Wiz Khalifa

Read more from the original source:
Wiz Khalifa Praises ‘Black And Yellow’ Producers

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Will Britney Spears’ ‘Hold It Against Me’ Match Past Success?

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

We take a look at the pop star’s previous singles, by the numbers. By Gil Kaufman Britney Spears Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images Forget about the trash-talking battle between Britney Spears supporters and Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters about which diva will rule 2011. And, for the moment, disregard the fact that when Britney drops her latest single, “Hold It Against Me,” on Tuesday, she’ll have some stiff chart competition in the form of another new single from a pair of major dudes, Kanye West and Jay-Z’s cryptically named “H.A.M.,” the first single from their upcoming joint album, Watch the Throne. The real question is: Will Britney be able to live up to her past glory? The club-thumping “Against Me” comes out after the former teen pop star cemented a career comeback in 2008 with her Circus album and its ensuing smash world tour. But a look at Brit’s success on the singles chart with the first single from her album is a lesson in the ups and downs of a pop star’s career arc. While some songs were unexpected smashes out of the box (think “3” and “Womanizer”), others either failed to chart (“My Prerogative”) or didn’t do as well as you might have expected (“I’m a Slave 4 U”). Billboard ran down the chart debuts of the first singles from each of Spears’ albums, and they tell an interesting tale that could bode well for her latest chart attack. 5 : Number of first singles from Spears’ eight albums (which includes two best-ofs) that have hit the top 10. 3 : Number of Hot 100 #1 songs that have been the lead singles from that project. 2 : Brit’s last two singles (“3” and “Womanizer”) have hit #1 on the Hot 100. 5.1 million : Combined digital sales for those tracks. 43 : Combined weeks on the charts for those singles. 32 : Highest number of weeks on the chart for a lead single (” … Baby One More Time”). 85 : Lowest chart debut for a lead single (“Gimme More”). 95 : Number of spots “Womanizer” jumped in week two on the singles chart after debuting at #96. 16 : “3” became only the 16th song in Hot 100 history to debut at #1 in October 2009. How do you think Britney’s “Hold It Against Me” will do in its chart debut? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos The Evolution Of: Britney Spears Related Artists Britney Spears

Read the rest here:
Will Britney Spears’ ‘Hold It Against Me’ Match Past Success?

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Rihanna Makes U.K. Chart History

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Pop star is first female solo artist to score five #1 singles in consecutive years in the U.K. By James Dinh Rihanna Photo: Evan Agostini/AP Photo That Rihanna reign just won’t let up as the redheaded pop darling has set a new chart record in the United Kingdom. With her Drake-assisted “What’s My Name?” rising to the top spot, the singer, who recently filmed a video for her Nicki Minaj collabo “Fly,” has become the first female solo artist in U.K. chart history to score five #1 singles in consecutive years. According to the Official Charts Company , the pop star’s “What’s My Name?” nabbed the honorary position on the Official Singles Chart after its runner-up spot last week. Elvis Presley was the last solo act to achieve this record with #1 hits spanning from 1957 to 1963. And it doesn’t stop there as Rihanna is garnering some serious British sales for her latest album. Loud also holds on to the #1 spot on the Official Albums Chart this week, giving the pop princess the second U.K. chart double of her career. Back in 2007, Good Girl Gone Bad and her smash single “Umbrella” topped the chart simultaneously. Since its November release, Loud has sold nearly 900,000 copies in the U.K. RiRi took to Twitter to thank her legion of overseas fans. “Another week! LOUD and What’s my Name are the #1 ALBUM and SINGLE respectively!!! UK you are on FYAH!!! Rah Rah! THANK U! Where my #UKNavy,” she tweeted. In addition to the chart’s top honors, the Barbadian beauty has two other songs in the top 10, including her dance number “Only Girl (In the World)” and David Guetta collaboration “Who’s That Chick?” Music isn’t her only forte: The singer is expanding her empire with the launch of her first signature fragrance, called Reb’l Fleur , and her feature film debut in “Battleship,” hitting theaters in 2012. What’s your favorite song off Loud? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Rihanna Related Artists Rihanna

Read more here:
Rihanna Makes U.K. Chart History

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

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

Taylor Swift Holds On To Billboard Top Spot

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Slow week produces no new names in top 50. By Gil Kaufman Taylor Swift Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage After gorging themselves on new releases over the holidays, music consumers seemed like they were in the mood to nest and cuddle up with the usual suspects during the final chart week of 2010. According to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, Taylor Swift will once again hang on to the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart next week thanks to sales of 77,000 for Speak Now, which saw a 72 percent drop in business from the week before, even as the 21-year-old newly single singer zeroed in on 3 million in sales in just over two months in stores. With every album in the top 30 suffering from significant double-digit losses, the traditionally slow final week of the year was especially lethargic. Rounding out the top 10 are Eminem , Recovery (#2, 63,000, down 54 percent); Rihanna , Loud (#3, 62,000, down 44 percent); Nicki Minaj , Pink Friday (#4, 61,000, down 54 percent); Kanye West , My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (#5, 58,000, down 54 percent); the “Tron: Legacy” soundtrack by Daft Punk (#6, 54,000, down 22 percent); Bruno Mars , Doo-Wops & Hooligans (#7, 45,000, down 46 percent); Mumford & Sons , Sigh No More (#8, 39,000, down 29 percent); Katy Perry ‘s nearly platinum Teenage Dream (#9, 38,000, down 62 percent) and Keyshia Cole , Calling All Hearts (#10, 37,000, down 71 percent). It was no party for Jamie Foxx ‘s Best Night of My Life, which shed 75 percent of its business in week two to land at #11 on sales of 36,000. Keri Hilson also saw a significant dip in week two of her No Boys Allowed, which slips four spots and 68 percent to #15 after moving 33,000 copies. As the trial for his former doctor revs up, sales of the first posthumous studio album from late pop icon Michael Jackson , Michael, are slowing down. The disc slips 13 spots in its third week, as sales dropped off by 82 percent to 27,000. And on the cusp of a new season of a revamped “American Idol,” the chart battle between last season’s winner and runner-up has turned into a dud. Slipping another 15 spots to #62 in its third week, Farmer’s Daughter, the debut from the dreadlocked #2 finisher, soul mama Crystal Bowersox , sold 11,000 copies for a to-date total just north of 106,000. Meanwhile, winner Lee DeWyze ‘s major-label debut, Live It Up, dipped 68 percent as it slips another 45 slots to #170 while moving more than 4,000 copies for a seven-week total just over 102,000. Those figures make the pair of albums the weakest debuts by #1 and #2 “Idol” finishers in recent history. Over on the iTunes tally, the “Tron” soundtrack is tops on the albums chart, followed by Eminem, Swift, West, Mumford & Sons, Mars, Rihanna, Ke$ha ‘s Cannibal, the self-titled debut from Big Time Rush and Minaj. Sales figures aren’t provided, but the singles chart is topped by Mars’ “Grenade,” which edges out Perry’s “Firework.” The rest of the list includes Ke$ha, “We R Who We R,” Enrique Iglesias , “Tonight,” Pink , “Raise Your Glass,” Black Eyed Peas , “The Time (Dirty Bit),” Rihanna/Drake, “What’s My Name,” Wiz Khalifa , “Black and Yellow,” Trey Songz , “Bottoms Up” and Nelly , “Just a Dream.” With no new major releases this week, the charts are likely to look similar next week, at least until the Decemberists hit stores on the 18th with The King Is Dead.

Read the original post:
Taylor Swift Holds On To Billboard Top Spot

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Gerry Rafferty Dead At 63

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Singer/songwriter was behind hits like ‘Baker Street’ and ‘Stuck in the Middle With You.’ By James Montgomery Gerry Rafferty Photo: David Redfern/Redferns Gerry Rafferty , the singer/songwriter behind smooth ’70s hits like “Stuck in the Middle With You,” “Right Down the Line” and “Baker Street,” died Tuesday (January 4). He was 63. Born in Scotland, Rafferty busked on the streets of Glasgow and formed a folk group called the Humblebums with Billy Connolly, who would go on to become a renowned stand-up comedian and actor. After releasing a pair of albums with the band, Rafferty released a solo record and then formed Stealers Wheel, who scored Stateside success in 1972 — they were viewed as the British Invasion’s answer to Crosby, Stills Nash & Young — with their debut album and, of course, the song “Stuck in the Middle With You,” which would achieve additional notoriety when it was prominently featured in Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” some two decades later. Rafferty would move on from Stealers Wheel and find success as a solo artist with 1978’s City to City, which featured “Right Down the Line” and “Baker Street,” which features one of the most legendary saxophone solos in music history and has since been covered by everyone from Waylon Jennings to the Foo Fighters . His follow-up, 1979’s Night Owl, featured appearances from Richard and Linda Thompson and was a moderate success, though each of his subsequent albums fared poorly on the charts, due in no small part to Rafferty’s reluctance to perform live. He continued to release albums into the 2000s, but for the most part, he disappeared from the public eye, and his later years were marked by a series of reports that suggested he was battling alcoholism. Last month, Rafferty reportedly suffered kidney failure and was placed on life support in an English hospital. U.K. newspaper The Guardian reported that he died at his home in Dorset with his daughter Martha by his side. Share your memories of Gerry Rafferty in the comments. Related Artists Gerry Rafferty

Read this article:
Gerry Rafferty Dead At 63

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

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

Lindsay Lohan’s Family Threatens To Sue Over ‘Dogs In Pocketbooks’

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Mom Dina Lohan says the family has ‘a very strong case’ against satirical film. By Terri Schwartz Lindsay Lohan Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images It took less than a day for reps from the Lohan family to speak out against Charles Casillo’s latest film, “Dogs in Pocketbooks.” The screenplay was written as a satire of Lindsay Lohan’s life, though Casillo was emphatic that the film was “in no way mean-spirited toward Lindsay,” adding, “It’s the kind of thing she has spoofed about herself in the past.” But the Lohan family has been notoriously sensitive about anything that makes a mockery of Lindsay, most recently seen when they sued E-Trade for $100 million because of an ad that was modeled after her and ran during the Super Bowl. Dina Lohan, Lindsay’s mother, spoke with TMZ and said the family is considering legal action against Casillo. She said the new movie is “definitely based on Lindsay’s likeness” (something Casillo did not try to hide when the film was announced Monday) and that the family has “a very strong case. It’s shadowing E-Trade.” The Lohan family has already contacted their lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, who told TMZ she thinks they have a case against the film. “They are again using [Lindsay’s] likeness without her being compensated,” the lawyer said. “Not only that, but they are advertising the fact they are using her likeness. Anyone bringing negativity will be dealt with accordingly.” When TMZ contacted Casillo for comment, he backpedalled and said that allegations that the movie is based on Lindsay are “totally blown out of proportion.” He argued that the character is a composite of many young Hollywood starlets, including Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow. “Dogs in Pocketbooks” follows a “bratty movie goddess in and out of rehab, in trouble with the law, and hounded by greedy agents, predatory paparazzi, off-the-wall stalkers and crazed media.” The title is an obvious reference to the trend Hilton started by carrying around her teacup Chihuahua in her purse, but the rest of the character description sounds markedly similar to Lohan. On Monday, it was announced that model and heiress Lydia Hearst Shaw would play the lead, with Joan Collins cast as her agent. Casillo said of Hearst Shaw, “She’s one of the few supermodels who can actually act. She’s smart, well-read, charming and very beautiful. We looked at a lot of actresses for this role, and I was really knocked out.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Artists Lindsay Lohan

Go here to read the rest:
Lindsay Lohan’s Family Threatens To Sue Over ‘Dogs In Pocketbooks’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,