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Kelly Clarkson Thinks Coldplay Competition Is ‘Healthy’

‘People were like, ‘Oh my God, are you kidding? Coldplay is going to kill you!’ Stronger singer tells MTV News of Billboard face-off. By Christina Garibaldi Kelly Clarkson Photo: MTV News Kelly Clarkson ‘s fifth studio album, Stronger , landed her at the #2 spot on the Billboard album chart, selling 163,000 copies in its first week. While her first-week sales may have been softer than what Clarkson had hoped for, when the former “American Idol” winner sat down with MTV News on Friday, she acknowledged that she had some fierce release competition in Coldplay . But she had a refreshingly positive take on the matchup. “My album came out this week, Coldplay came out at the same time, and people were like, ‘Oh my God, are you kidding? Coldplay is going to kill you!’ I don’t care if they kill me,” Clarkson said of the rock band, whose Mylo Xyloto topped the charts with 447,000 copies sold. “It’s more like, how many people are going to buy their album, and then my album is right there, ’cause it’s out too,” she said. “I always think competition is healthy.” Clarkson, who told us she thinks Stronger is her “best album” to date, is now prepping the second single off the LP, “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger).” “I think we might be going with ‘Stronger,’ the title track.” Clarkson revealed. “It’s just a great song, so I think we might go with that one.” Much like the first single off the album, “Mr. Know It All,” “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” is a powerful breakup anthem somewhat reminiscent of “Since U Been Gone.” ” ‘What Doesn’t Kill You,’ I can’t wait to perform that live,” the singer, who plans to tour in January, told us recently. “We’ve already rehearsed it, and it’s so much fun. It’s like this big dance anthem.” As much fun as “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” will be to perform, Clarkson says another song takes the top spot on her list of favorite songs off her latest album. ” ‘You Love Me,’ that’s my favorite,” she said. “Even before I wrote a song to it, the track is just unbelievably cool. It doesn’t sound like anything else that’s out right now. It’s very like Prince, Tina Turner, but nowadays; it’s more contemporary. And the message of the song, too, I love that, the fact that saying like, ‘Your love feels like a punch in the face.’ I just think it’s a fun song.” Share your review of Stronger in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Coldplay MTV News Extended Play: Kelly Clarkson Related Artists Kelly Clarkson Coldplay

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Kelly Clarkson Thinks Coldplay Competition Is ‘Healthy’

Drake Debuts New Tracks With Lil Wayne And T.I.

Weezy-featuring ‘The Motto’ and T.I.’s ‘Headlines’ freestyle unveiled on L.A. radio Monday. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne and Drake Photo: Getty Images With just two weeks until he releases his sophomore album, Take Care, Drake blessed fans in L.A. with new music when he debuted “The Motto” (featuring Lil Wayne) and T.I.’s version of “Headlines” on Power 106 Monday night. “The Motto” is believed to be Take Care ‘s last bonus track , though a track list on Zune’s website has the song as “Untitled.” Regardless of where it will end up and how it will be placed, the Weezy-assisted song is equipped with a deep rolling bass and staccato drums — a real party starter. From the first few bars, Drake throws it up for his YMCMB fam and responds to Luther Campbell’s claim that non-Miami natives Lil Wayne and DJ Khaled should pay tithes of some sort considering that they now live in the city. Drake throws a not-so-subtle nod to the 2 Live Crew legend’s jabs spitting, “Tell Uncle Luke I’m out in Miami too/ Clubbin’ hard, f—in’ women, there ain’t much to do/ Wrist bling, got a condo up on Biscayne … ain’t sh– change.” Drake also pays homage to late Vallejo, California, rapper Mac Dre , who was gunned down seven years ago Tuesday (November 1). “I’m in the building and I’m feeling myself, rest in peace Mac Dre/ I’mma do it for the Bay, OK,” Drizzy respectfully spits. For the final verse, Wayne utilizes his usual free-associative rhyme pattern with lines like “Talk stupid, off with ya head/ N—a money talks and Mister Ed” and “Ain’t sh– sweet, n—as on the streets like hookers.” For his second premiere of the night, Drake unveiled T.I.’s “Headlines” freestyle. As soon as the beat drops, T.I. makes the beat his own, adding an original flow to the popular beat. “I ball all night, go hard all day, fall deep up in your broad all day,” he starts off his verse. “I liked the record and it was spazzin’, and I felt like, ‘Let’s see what I can add to it,” T.I. told MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway about his version of “Headlines” when he visited his “Sway in the Morning” radio show on Shade 45 in October. Since being released from prison in September, T.I. has gotten on a number of high-profile rap songs like Future’s “Magic,” the Throne’s “N—as in Paris” and now Drake’s “Headlines,” and while each freestyle has been well-received, Tip admits that he wasn’t exactly commissioned to jump on the tracks. “None of these people approached me. I did it and got with them [after] and let them know that I did it.” What do you think of Drake’s “The Motto” with Lil Wayne, and T.I.’s “Headlines” freestyle? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake Related Artists Drake

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Drake Debuts New Tracks With Lil Wayne And T.I.

Coldplay Call Mylo Xyloto A ‘Schizophrenic Album’

Band’s latest album ‘keeps changing sounds,’ frontman Chris Martin tells MTV News. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Gil Kaufman Coldplay’s Chris Martin Photo: John Shearer/ Getty Images It may be their best, biggest and boldest album yet, but Coldplay ‘s Chris Martin knows which adjective he would use to describe the band’s brand-new Mylo Xyloto : “It’s definitely a schizophrenic album … it keeps changing sounds,” he said. “That’s why we called it such a strange thing, Mylo Xyloto. Because we felt like so many people have already made up their minds about us, both good and bad, that we can sort of start again from scratch and try and reflect all the music we listen to and we love.” That sentiment is readily apparent throughout Xyloto, an album full of walloping electronics, soaring choruses and quiet, tender ballads. In a lot of ways, it plays very much like the band’s personal iPod, packing anthems like current single “Paradise” alongside artfully minimal instrumentals and hushed acoustic numbers like “U.F.O.” Even Rihanna shows up, lending her vocals to the track “Princess of China.” And that shuffling schizophrenia is due as much to the band’s taste as it is the ethos of frequent collaborator Brian Eno, a man who practically lives to break down boundaries. “Working with Brian, he was very much of the opinion that you should just be free to follow whatever you feel sounds best,” Martin said, “without worrying about having to talk about it in interviews and everything and explain it.” And, given all that, it’s somewhat fitting that Mylo Xyloto actually began life as a far different animal: a quiet, acoustic-based album. But as their songs began to grow, Coldplay quickly realized that their self-imposed parameters couldn’t contain their ambitions, so they scrapped them and started from scratch. And, not surprisingly, the end result is a record that defies convention — and, of course, definition too. “Very early on in the process of recording this record, we were playing a lot of acoustic instruments and we had it in our mind that we might try to record a small-sounding, intimate, reflective record,” drummer Will Champion explained. “And [a song like ‘Paradise’] came about, and it dawned on us that we couldn’t play it in that acoustic style. So we thought, ‘OK, we’ll finish this one and then we’ll do another record,’ and the realization came very quickly that we can’t really focus on more than one thing at once. “So we decided to put everything in one basket, and some of those songs from the acoustic thing survived — the song ‘Charlie Brown’ was originally in that format and ‘Us Against the World,’ ” he continued. “And I think putting all our eggs in one basket allowed us to kind of free everything up and allow the songs to dictate where they want to go.” What do you think of Mylo Xyloto ? Coldplay’s best yet? Tell us on Facebook! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Coldplay Related Photos Coldplay Rocks New York’s Rockefeller Center Related Artists Coldplay

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Coldplay Call Mylo Xyloto A ‘Schizophrenic Album’

Coldplay Call Mylo Xyloto A ‘Schizophrenic Album’

Band’s latest album ‘keeps changing sounds,’ frontman Chris Martin tells MTV News. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Gil Kaufman Coldplay’s Chris Martin Photo: John Shearer/ Getty Images It may be their best, biggest and boldest album yet, but Coldplay ‘s Chris Martin knows which adjective he would use to describe the band’s brand-new Mylo Xyloto : “It’s definitely a schizophrenic album … it keeps changing sounds,” he said. “That’s why we called it such a strange thing, Mylo Xyloto. Because we felt like so many people have already made up their minds about us, both good and bad, that we can sort of start again from scratch and try and reflect all the music we listen to and we love.” That sentiment is readily apparent throughout Xyloto, an album full of walloping electronics, soaring choruses and quiet, tender ballads. In a lot of ways, it plays very much like the band’s personal iPod, packing anthems like current single “Paradise” alongside artfully minimal instrumentals and hushed acoustic numbers like “U.F.O.” Even Rihanna shows up, lending her vocals to the track “Princess of China.” And that shuffling schizophrenia is due as much to the band’s taste as it is the ethos of frequent collaborator Brian Eno, a man who practically lives to break down boundaries. “Working with Brian, he was very much of the opinion that you should just be free to follow whatever you feel sounds best,” Martin said, “without worrying about having to talk about it in interviews and everything and explain it.” And, given all that, it’s somewhat fitting that Mylo Xyloto actually began life as a far different animal: a quiet, acoustic-based album. But as their songs began to grow, Coldplay quickly realized that their self-imposed parameters couldn’t contain their ambitions, so they scrapped them and started from scratch. And, not surprisingly, the end result is a record that defies convention — and, of course, definition too. “Very early on in the process of recording this record, we were playing a lot of acoustic instruments and we had it in our mind that we might try to record a small-sounding, intimate, reflective record,” drummer Will Champion explained. “And [a song like ‘Paradise’] came about, and it dawned on us that we couldn’t play it in that acoustic style. So we thought, ‘OK, we’ll finish this one and then we’ll do another record,’ and the realization came very quickly that we can’t really focus on more than one thing at once. “So we decided to put everything in one basket, and some of those songs from the acoustic thing survived — the song ‘Charlie Brown’ was originally in that format and ‘Us Against the World,’ ” he continued. “And I think putting all our eggs in one basket allowed us to kind of free everything up and allow the songs to dictate where they want to go.” What do you think of Mylo Xyloto ? Coldplay’s best yet? Tell us on Facebook! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Coldplay Related Photos Coldplay Rocks New York’s Rockefeller Center Related Artists Coldplay

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Drake And Lil Wayne’s ‘The Real Her’ Leaks Online

It is unclear if the track will appear on Drizzy’s upcoming Take Care. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne and Drake Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Drake ‘s Take Care is finally complete. After a short delay that moved his original release date from October 24 to November 15, Drizzy handed the final cut into the label Wednesday and is now gearing up to promote his sophomore album. Last week, Drake dropped “Make Me Proud,” his new single featuring Nicki Minaj, and on Thursday night, another possible Take Care track hit the Internet. Though it wasn’t posted on his October’s Very Own blog like previous album singles “Headlines” and “Marvins Room,” the brand-new “The Real Her,” featuring Lil Wayne , made waves online . As of now, it is unclear whether the slow and sultry track, on which Drake sings throughout, will appear on Take Care. It begins with a start-and-stop piano intro, then about eight bars in, Drizzy starts to sing, “People around you should really have nothing to say/ Me I’m just proud of the fact that you’ve done it your way.” The song’s bridge connects “The Real Her” to Drake’s classic “Houstatlantavegas” from his 2009 So Far Gone mixtape. He softly croons, “Houston girls love the way it goes down, Atlanta girls love the way it goes down, Vegas girls love the way it goes down,” drawing a distinct parallel to the song that Drake said inspired the story line on Take Care. “It was a world that was very much real to me, but I created it in my mind. It was a world that, being a kid from Toronto, I used to look at from the outside and I used to be like, ‘Man that looks crazy,’ ” he told MTV News of the fictional city Houstatlantavegas. “All those strip clubs and all those nightclubs and the drinks and the girls and the fame.” In his quest to find something real in a superficial world of fast love and even faster heartbreak, Drake invites Lil Wayne to rap about his experiences with the fairer sex. ” ‘Cause to her I’m just a rapper and soon she’ll have met another/ And if tonight was just an accident, tomorrow we’ll recover,” Weezy spits in almost a spoken-word flow. The five-minute-plus song ends with no resolve, instead closing out with the hook, on which Drake charges, “You must’ve done this before, this can’t be your first time.” And the hunt for Ms. Right goes on. What do you think of “The Real Her”? Would you like to hear it on Take Care ? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake Related Artists Drake Lil Wayne

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Drake Insisted On Recording Only With 40 For Take Care

‘Not only would I record it with 40, but I might take the beat apart with 40,’ Drake tells MTV News of Noah ’40’ Shebib. By Rob Markman Drake Photo: MTV News When you’ve made an impact with your music the way Drake has, you earn the right to do things your way. For the Toronto MC, that meant recording his sophomore album, Take Care, in his native city. Not only that, he insisted on only recording with his producer/engineer and longtime friend Noah “40” Shebib . So even when working with producers like Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, for example, the veteran hitmakers would have to give Drake the creative freedom to rework a track with his hometown guy. “The majority of producers, not only would I record it with 40, but I might take the beat apart with 40 and add elements that weren’t there before that just because I need a consistent thread,” Drake told MTV News of his Take Care recording process. Drake looks to add to Take Care what he felt Thank Me Later lacked: continuity. ” Thank Me Later was just song, song, song, song, song, whereas So Far Gone was a consistent thread,” the Young Money MC said of his debut album in relation to his breakout mixtape. “It was a story to me. And Thank Me Later, I sort of didn’t have enough time mentally to piece together a story. It’s very tedious.” Call it a case of being his own worst critic, as last year’s Thank Me Later was met with favorable reviews and was commercially successful as well. Still, Drake aimed to tweak his creative process with his next album, due November 15. “With that being said, I also need sonic consistency, so I need that presence in a Timbaland beat or someone’s beat,” he said. “There’s times when I really can’t even use someone else’s production because as much as I know that joint can be crazy, I want a consistent sound.” 40, who has amassed quite an impressive discography himself (DJ Khaled’s “I’m On One,” Lil Wayne’s “I’m Single” and Alicia Keys’ “Un-Thinkable”) provides Drake with the sonic continuity that he seeks, whether he is producing a record, engineering the session or mixing down the final product. This is a formula that has worked most recently on Drizzy’s latest Take Care single, “Make Me Proud,” with Nicki Minaj. The song was produced by Canadian producer T-Minus but tweaked by Shebib and Drake. “He knows if I like a beat, he’ll send it over to us and allow us to maybe creatively beef it up or strip it down or add one thing,” Drake said. What are you expecting from Drake’s sophomore LP? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake Related Artists Drake

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Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’ Video Is ‘Intense,’ Readers Say

Clip depicts love and loss, substance abuse and violence. By Jocelyn Vena Rihanna on the set of her “We Found Love” video Photo: PUSHfotografik.com/Splash News Rihanna dropped her video for “We Found Love” this week, and the swirling clip is a look at both the sunny and dark sides of love. Directed by Melina Matsoukas (“Hard,” “S&M,” “Rude Boy,” “Rockstar 101”), the clip features Rihanna and British model/boxer Dudley O’Shaughnessy in a drug-fueled love affair full of lusty moments and heated fights. In the end, Rihanna walks away from it all, unable to deal with the pain of that lifestyle. The buzzy video certainly had fans talking. “This video reminds me of Sid Vicious and Nancy [Spungen], maybe not as bad as how Sid and Nancy were with each other but pretty intense,” Cristian noted in a comment. “This video is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced,” Kirsten said. “It stuns me from beginning to end, lighting this fire inside of me I forgot was there. The passion oozes out of the screen while this video is playing. Brilliant, just brilliant.” “Yes I Totally Agree Rihanna is fast becoming the new Madonna,” Kyle added. “She pushes the envelop and gives us something to think about however uncomfortable it may be. Hands down, this is one of the best videos I’ve seen in a while. I guess I need to come out of my closet and show her some love openly.” While many fans commended Rihanna for her cinematic clip, it was hard for some not to note its depictions of domestic violence and drug use. “This video sends out the wrong message,” Deshea wrote. “It’s very graphic, nothing that they’re doing is love, it’s lust!” In the opinion of some commenters like Kevin, the video should stand without any judgment. “The video is real and I think ppl need to stop judging her and let her do her thing,” he said. “Music is supposed to provoke and invoke and that’s just what she’s doing. Stop hating on the things you don’t understand. Ppl are only out to judge. I ain’t a fan of hers but I don’t hate on her either because she’s a talent and she should be appreciated for the work that she does.” What do you think of Rihanna’s “We Found Love” video? Tell us on Facebook! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Rihanna Related Artists Rihanna

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Lil Wayne Says Nothing Can ‘Touch’ Drake’s Take Care

‘That kid is on another planet,’ Young Money boss says of Drake’s new record. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne and Drake Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images There are few albums more highly anticipated than Drake ‘s upcoming Take Care , but fans aren’t the only ones eagerly awaiting a listen. Drizzy’s Young Money boss Lil Wayne has yet to hear the November 15 LP in its entirety, but he’s impressed with what he has heard so far. “I actually haven’t got a chance to listen to all of it, but I heard a few songs,” Wayne told MTV News while on the set for Birdman’s “Y.U. Mad” video in Miami. Weezy has never been shy with his “Best Rapper Alive” boasts, but when it comes to Drake and his new album , he plays second fiddle. “I can tell, you know, I don’t know nothing else out there that can touch it, including my stuff. That kid is on another planet,” he said. Part of what impresses the Young Money CEO is the Toronto MC’s knack for making relatable music. In fact, Drake told MTV News that his latest single with Nicki Minaj, “Make Me Proud,” which they performed together last weekend on “Saturday Night Live,” was conceptualized after a regular, everyday conversation. “Whenever I make songs surrounding women, I always try to find refreshing stances to take as opposed to just like, “Oh, you’re sexy” or “Oh, I want you.” The song, it really came up in passing conversation, just being like, “I’m proud of you,” ” Drake said of the T-Minus-produced song. It is that approach that Birdman Jr. appreciates and what he feels will ultimately drive Take Care . “To me, I call him a conversational artist, meaning he can make a hit song out of a regular conversation that you would love to have with any woman or anybody, and I think that is his expertise. The songs I heard, he just capitalized on that like crazy.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake Related Artists Drake Lil Wayne

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Lil Wayne Says Nothing Can ‘Touch’ Drake’s Take Care

Drake Embraces His ‘Emo’ Side Despite Criticism

‘The running commentary or the jokes don’t really affect me, ’cause that’s what I’m going for,’ Drake tells MTV News. By Rob Markman Drake Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage Drake isn’t ashamed to wear his heart on his sleeve. Expressing emotion has actually worked well for the Young Money standout, despite the criticism he sometimes receives for being too open. “If I worried about how I’m gonna look saying this, then I wouldn’t make half the music I make,” Drizzy told MTV News. “People nitpick at me for being emotional or tapping into emotions, but like, man, we all die one day; that’s just how I want to be remembered.” Drake has plenty of soul-baring songs, from 2009’s “The Calm” to this year’s “Marvins Room,” on which he drunk-dials an ex-girlfriend in attempt to woo her back — if even for one night. While most of the criticism Drake receives is faceless commentary on Internet message boards, British singer Estelle noted that Drizzy was a little too “emo” for her tastes in a July radio interview . The Toronto-born MC/singer, who will release his sophomore album Take Care on November 15, says his approach to writing lyrics is quite deliberate. Actually, his fans seem to enjoy it. Drake’s 2010 album, Thank Me Later, is certified platinum by the RIAA, and he has earned himself five Grammy nominations and two Billboard Music Awards since breaking out in 2009. “The running commentary or the jokes don’t really affect me, ’cause that’s what I’m going for,” he said. “I don’t want to be a guy that blends in with all the other generic rap music. I want to be the guy that stood out and pinpointed life emotions for women, men, young people, old people or whatever it is. So I don’t trip, that’s what I want. I welcome it.” Do you think Drake is too “emo”? Let us know in the comments. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake Related Artists Drake

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Drake Embraces His ‘Emo’ Side Despite Criticism

Drake ‘Was Begging’ To Act On ‘Saturday Night Live’

‘I’m eager to make people laugh or, you know, accept a dramatic role,’ ‘Degrassi’ alum tells MTV News of his future acting desires. By James Dinh, with additional reporting by Rob Markman Drake Photo: MTV News With his new album Take Care set for release next month, Drake is ready to hit the promotional circuit. His most recent appearance was his “Saturday Night Live” debut , with the MC serving as musical guest alongside host Anna Faris. But even before hitting the “SNL” stage to perform his Nicki Minaj-assisted single “Make Me Proud,” Drake was eager to dust off his acting chops and take part in the evening’s live skits. MTV News spoke with the Young Money rapper days before his appearance on the NBC show about getting involved with the comedy crew in some sketches. “I’m dying to, man. I was begging,” he said about acting during the late-night sketch show. “I was begging everybody like, ‘Please let me get a skit. Please let me be involved in something.’ So I believe last word I got was that I’ll be working on something or doing something with the show other than performing.” Besides the release of his anticipated sophomore LP, Drizzy explained that he wants to “get right back into” his acting career, which is how he got his start, on “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” “I’m eager to act. I’m eager to make people laugh or, you know, accept a dramatic role. I’m just excited to get back into that. I miss it,” he shared, crediting the “SNL” cast and atmosphere as even more reasons behind his yearning for film. Drake isn’t just all talk either, as the rapper told MTV News that he recently partnered with talent agency William Morris to help resurrect his career in front of the camera. “We’re just building up our relationship, so I’m excited to get back into it. I found a home and I feel very proud of where I’m at and I’m excited to move forward and start getting back out there, man,” he admitted. “Whatever projects there are available, I’m down.” Alongside a star-studded cast, which includes fellow Young Money signee Nicki Minaj , Drake has already been tapped to lend his voice to “Ice Age: Continental Drift.” The animated film is scheduled to hit theaters in July 2012. Would you like to see Drake on the big screen? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake

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Drake ‘Was Begging’ To Act On ‘Saturday Night Live’