Column will focus on art and fashion. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Pop star, entrepreneur, philanthropist: Is there anything Lady Gaga doesn’t find the time to do? Well, it seems that she’s made room in her schedule to add a new job to her ever-growing r
Britney insiders Claude Kelly and Sabi talk about working on the pop star’s brand-new record. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale Photo: Jive Britney Spears teamed up with Dr. Luke and Max Martin to make an edgy, dark club album, and the result is Femme Fatale, which features genre-busting pop songs about love, sex and the big, fat bass . But in addition to that pop dream team, Spears also hooked up with a wide array of collaborators (Travis Barker, will.i.am, Sabi), songwriters (Claude Kelly, Bonnie McKee, Ester Dean) and producers (Bloodshy, Benny Blanco, Rodney Jerkins), who helped create the sonically bombastic pop record that dropped on Tuesday (March 29). MTV News caught up with songwriter Kelly and newbie pop singer Sabi, and got the inside scoop on the making of Femme Fatale. “Here’s what people don’t realize and here’s what I’ve noticed: She’s very, very much in control of what she records, how she sounds, how she portrays herself on the record,” Kelly, who wrote “Gasoline,” said of Britney’s process. “There’s no grand master puppeteering — that’s kind of a myth. She knows what she’s going to cut. She’s not going to sing anything she doesn’t want to and she has this amazing ability when she gets behind the mic. It’s like eye of the tiger.” Kelly went on to say that when Spears hits the studio to record an album, she knows what fans want to hear from her. “Her rhythm is spot-on. You tell her, ‘This part needs to be sexy,’ and she’s like, ‘I got it already,’ ” he explained. “It’s that rare ability that only really true artists have to get into character and to sell a theme and that’s what she’s good at. … I think because she’s been out for so long, people forget the evolution of her career. When you’re in the studio with her, you quickly get reminded about how versatile she is and how clever she is. She’s a show-woman.” Although Sabi, who appears on the track “(Drop Dead) Beautiful,” didn’t hit the studio with Brit, she felt the star’s presence when she was dropping her verse. “She recorded it already and then I went in. … I rapped on it and I’m a singer. I rap when I feel the mood is right, so it all worked out. When I’m inspired to rap, I rap, but I’m a singer,” she explained. “Me and [producer] Benny Blanco, we were just sitting there throwing ideas back and forth.” Two other collabos made the album’s final cut, but Sabi’s the only other femme fatale on the record. “To be the only female on Britney’s album, just in general, this whole thing is just bananas. I feel very lucky to be this person in this position right now,” she said. “It is crazy. She does not do features that often and I think maybe it hasn’t sunken in yet. It’s a wonderful opportunity and maybe when it starts circulating, it’ll sink in what’s really going on. But right now, I don’t know where I’m at but it feels good. When this song hits radio, it’s going to be surreal.” What do you think of Femme Fatale ? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Britney Spears Drops Her Femme Fatale Album! Exclusive Preview Clips Of ‘Britney Spears: I Am The Femme Fatale’ Related Photos Britney Spears Brings Down The House In Las Vegas Britney Spears Performs During ‘Good Morning America’
Pop star gives fans an intimate look at her life in the special, airing Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears on the set of “Till the World Ends” Photo: MTV News & Docs This Sunday at 9 p.m., ” Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale ” makes its world premiere on MTV. In the special, the singer offers an intimate peek inside her world, taking fans behind the scenes of her big nightclub show in Las Vegas and chatting with MTV News correspondent Sway about her life and career. The MTV special follows Britney as she makes her way into the studio to listen to “Big Fat Bass,” produced by Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am, who tells Spears, “I did some tweaking to the ‘Big Fat Bass’; the bass is even bigger.” Spears later explains the difference between recording tracks versus performing them live. “When you’re in the studio, you’re just really focused, you’re really in your head and in your ears and on the notes,” she explains. “And when you’re performing, it’s more a connection on the outside and more of — like a tiger and more in your body.” The pop star says it’s fans who fill the audience at those live shows who get her excited to perform. “When they’re screaming like that, they just hype you up,” she says, “and make you feel larger than life.” Spears has been a public figure since she was on the “Mickey Mouse Club” as a kid, and in 2011, she turns 30 years old. In the special, Spears admits that she wanted to be a famous performer since she sported a schoolgirl uniform in her ” … Baby One More Time” video nearly a decade and a half ago. “I think I hoped I would be [doing this],” she says. “I genuinely love what I do. This is what I love to do.” Don’t miss ” Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale ” on Sunday, April 3, at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. Related Videos Exclusive Preview Clips Of ‘Britney Spears: I Am The Femme Fatale’ Related Photos Britney Spears Brings Down The House In Las Vegas Related Artists Britney Spears
Sneak peeks of Brit’s upcoming MTV special will air all day before full trailer airs at 7:58 p.m. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears on the set of her “Till the World Ends” video Photo: MTV News & Docs All day, Britney Spears is taking over MTV. That takeover includes a trailer for MTV’s upcoming special about the pop star, “Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale,” which will take fans inside Britney’s life to see what it’s like to release a highly anticipated album. Before the trailer premieres tonight at 7:58 p.m., teasers will air throughout the day. In the sneak peeks, fans get to see Spears work on the just-released Femme Fatale, including going over final production with will.i.am on their collabo . “I did some tweaking to ‘Big Fat Bass,’ ” the Black Eyed Peas mastermind tells Spears as she gives the song another listen. While on the way to rehearsals for her pre-album performances — including her set this past Friday at the Palms in Las Vegas , which will be included in “Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale” — Spears admits to having some “jitterbugs.” It is, after all, her first time back onstage since the Circus Tour. In another intimate look at the singer’s life, fans get to see Spears and her assistant as they go to Starbucks to take a minute for themselves in the hustle-and-bustle of a hectic schedule. “It’s nice to have a peaceful moment just to sit down,” Spears says. “It’s nice to relax before the chaos.” That chaos included getting fans excited for her album release. On top of taking the stage in Vegas for a set full of pyro, shimmering bodysuits and flirty dance moves, Spears also pre-taped today’s “Good Morning America” performance in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. “I totally loved how her bustier was lit up,” fan Corina Andrati excitedly told MTV News moments after Spears wrapped her three-song set. “I’m so blessed to be here.” Have you heard Britney’s new album yet? Share your favorite tracks in the comments! Related Videos Exclusive Preview Clips Of ‘Britney Spears: I Am The Femme Fatale’
With release of Spears’ new album upon us, fans praise the pop star for being ‘feisty,’ ‘sexy’ and ‘unstoppable.’ By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears performs in San Francisco on Sunday Photo: Max Morse/Getty Images It’s Femme Fatale ‘s arrival day and Britney Spears lovers couldn’t be more excited to have the singer release her seventh studio album. When MTV News caught up with a number of her fans in San Francisco on Sunday, where Spears was taping her performance for “Good Morning America” — which airs Tuesday (March 29) — they revealed why they were looking forward to this new chapter in the pop star’s dynamic career. Camille Burgess explained, “We grew up listening to her songs and she will always be amazing.” Her pal Stephanie Griffin added, “She’s unstoppable!” Sarah explained that Spears’ spirit is why fans will certainly scoop up copies of the singer’s latest, which features production from Dr. Luke and Max Martin, as well as collaborations with artists like will.i.am. “Britney’s back but she sealed the deal … everything!” she gushed. “She’s feisty! She never gives up!” Femme Fatale is a nonstop party album, complete with sexy beats, Britney’s signature cooing singing style and lots of references to wanting to get busy with hot dudes. “I’ve heard a couple of songs and I have to say it’s definitely amazing … She knows what she’s doing,” Thomas explained. “And I think she’s definitely going to have some surprises up her sleeve this next album … The entertainment power she has, the way she flaunts herself onstage, she’s not afraid to be different. It’s inspiring to me.” Randi mirrors Thomas’ feelings on why fans have stuck with the singer through her ups and downs and are just as excited as ever for this latest release. “Why do we love her? She’s awesome,” said Randi. “She’s an influence on everything. No matter what she does she’s always going to be sexy.” What are your thoughts about Britney’s Femme Fatale album now that it’s finally in stores? Share your opinions in the comments. Related Photos Britney Spears Performs During ‘Good Morning America’ Britney Spears Brings Down The House In Las Vegas
Critics, Hollywood insiders weigh in the possibility that the director may be removed from the upcoming superhero reboot. By Eric Ditzian Zack Snyder and Superman Photo: AFP/ Alex Ross/ DC Comics There was a time, after “Dawn of the Dead” and “300,” when few might have argued against handing Superman’s cape to director Zack Snyder and telling him, “Resurrect this franchise!” Then came his polarizing adaptation of “Watchmen” and a disappointing box-office performance in “Legend of the Guardians,” neither of which prevented Warner Bros. from giving Snyder the “Superman” gig last October. Now, though, in the wake of the critical drubbing and weak opening weekend of “Sucker Punch,” some industry insiders suspect that the studio and its corporate parent are starting to wonder if Snyder — a director with a keen visual eye but not always the deftest storytelling touch — is truly the right man for the job. In fact, David Poland of Movie City News even speculated that the director might end up departing the production. “Next month would be the moment when Snyder ‘decides to do a more personal project,’ if he was being given the heave-ho,” the critic told MTV News. Not that Poland or anyone else is suggesting that Snyder has one foot out the door. Certainly helping matters is that “The Dark Knight Rises” director Christopher Nolan has taken on a much-vaunted “godfather” role on “Superman.” “With Nolan shepherding ‘Superman,’ Warner Bros. will likely have complete trust in their collective vision as they attempt to reboot one of Hollywood’s golden franchises,” said Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for entertainment-research firm Exhibitor Relations . “Yes, ‘Sucker Punch’ is a creative and financial disappointment, and probably the last time in quite a while that Snyder will be given free reign over a film, but he was never going to have that creative autonomy with ‘Superman’ regardless.” Yet Nolan’s guidance is hardly enough to ensure “Superman” success on the level of “Batman Begins” or “The Dark Knight.” James Cameron, for instance, took on an executive-producer role on “Sanctum” — one can clearly see his input both in the visuals and the storyline — but no one would argue that the film resides in the same creative universe as “Avatar.” What’s more, it remains unclear how engaged Nolan will be as he readies production on “The Dark Knight Rises.” “How involved will Nolan really be? His [‘Batman’] casting is ahead of ‘Superman”s,” said Poland. “[Is] Nolan godfathering Snyder or just WB? Is he there to give script notes or to really assert an influence? It’s an unknown.” Poland maintains that Snyder’s hiring always seemed to be a move spearheaded by Warner Bros. Pictures Group president Jeff Robinov rather than Nolan, since the two directors possess vastly different stylistic vocabularies. In this sense, it may not be that WB is reassessing Snyder so much as that Robinov’s higher-ups at Time Warner are. “[I]t’s more about the bosses second-guessing. Will the noise level turn [CEO] Jeff Bewkes’ head?” noted Poland. “Could another ‘Superman’ flop — meaning just $400 million worldwide, hit numbers for most films — change how Jeff Robinov is seen inside the company? … I do believe that [Snyder] is Robinov’s guy and that Robinov’s career is on the line here.” It’s important to note, however, that Warner Bros. certainly knew what it had in “Sucker Punch” before hiring Snyder — its commercial and critical reception couldn’t have come as an inordinate surprise. Nor was its box-office debut ($19 million) especially shocking, according to Gitesh Pandya, editor of BoxOfficeGuru.com. “The opening was only a tad bit below expectations,” he said. “If a branded film like ‘Watchmen’ opened like this, then it would be a big deal. The visuals were impressive and that’s a major factor when it comes to a superhero tentpole. Many directors with far less action experience were handed comic-book epics before.” But even action-savvy helmers have faltered with “Superman.” Just ask Bryan Singer. The thing is, after Singer’s “Superman Returns” failed to resonate with the public in 2006, Warner Bros. can hardly afford to stumble again. According to Bock, WB understands that “it’s do or die time,” and continues to have confidence that its pairing of Snyder and Nolan was the right choice. “[T]hey needed Nolan in a godfather capacity, and Snyder to up the hip quotient,” Bock said. “Snyder knows how to create a dynamic spectacle on the silver screen, as he has shown with ‘300’ and ‘Dawn of the Dead,’ and with Nolan guiding the story process, ‘Superman’ may just be the next big thing — again.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos ‘Sucker Punch’ Clips MTV Rough Cut: ‘Sucker Punch’ Related Photos ‘Sucker Punch’ Premiere In Los Angeles
‘Anytime Britney comes to the Palms, we always welcome her with open arms,’ George Maloof tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears performs in Las Vegas on Friday Photo: Splash News Online Last Friday, Britney Spears brought her own razzle-dazzle to the already-glittering city of Las Vegas. She played a fan-pleasing three-song set at Rain nightclub at the Palms Hotel and Casino, where the show was being taped for an MTV special airing this week. Hours before Britney took the stage, MTV News caught up with Palms owner George Maloof, who gushed about how awesome it was to have Britney on hand for her first Femme Fatale live performance. “I think this one’s going to be really over-the-top,” he said of Spears’ show, which will be included in the MTV special. “And we’re all excited about her new album, and I heard it’s spectacular, so here we go: Britney Spears at the Palms.” Spears hyped the release of Femme Fatale in a big way during Friday’s nightclub set, performing lead singles “Hold It Against Me” and “Till the World Ends” while also debuting the will.i.am-produced “Big Fat Bass.” Each track required a new body-hugging costume — including a black latex catsuit covered in red LED lights — to accommodate her trademark dance moves. Check out photos from Britney’s Las Vegas show . Maloof, who has known Britney for the better part of the last decade, said that while he’s friendly with the star, he’s still excited that she chose his hotel for the performance. “It’s the biggest star in the world, so it’s an honor for us. And anytime Britney comes to the Palms, we always welcome her with open arms, so it’s going to be great,” he said. “We try and keep it a secret. It’s pretty difficult in this day and age, but there’s so much anticipation.” Spears wasn’t the only big name on the marquee for the show. “Jersey Shore” star DJ Pauly D was also on hand to warm up the crowd. “Pauly D is one of our resident DJs, so we bring the Palms and Pauly D, pop culture together here with Britney Spears, and it’s going to be a madhouse.” For fans who couldn’t be at the Vegas show themselves, Maloof set the scene: “I think they’re going to see pyrotechnics. I think they’re going to see a very sexy show in a very unique and intimate venue that’s one-of-a-kind. … It’ll be a lot of fun. I want to hear the songs. I’m excited about the album, so that’s what I’m looking forward to. I know she can perform, I know she can dance, and I’m just waiting for this great album.” After months of video and song teasers, Spears’ Femme Fatale is due in stores Tuesday, which will also be “Britney Takeover Day” on MTV. Will you be first in line for Britney’s new album on Tuesday? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Britney Spears Brings Down The House In Las Vegas Related Artists Britney Spears
Claude Kelly says he envisioned Spears as ‘a man-eater’ when he wrote the track for her. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears Photo: Eric Charbonneau/ Le Studio/ Wireimage Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale album, due out on Tuesday, is a sexy, dark dance record meant to be played heading to the club, at the club and at the post-party after the club. One of the tracks that exemplifies this is the fiery, Claude Kelly-penned “Gasoline.” Kelly conceived of the searing dance tune while thinking of Britney’s sexiest moments. “The picture that I envisioned in my mind was ‘Toxic,’ ‘Slave 4 U,’ ‘Boys,’ like that kind of [thing where] it’s sexy and it’s hot, sweaty and she’s in a club and she sees a guy,” he explained to MTV News. “That mysterious, exotic look, that whole imagery and that era where she’s a man-eater and all the girls want to be her and all the guys would kill to be with her. I think she pulled it off for sure.” Kelly also wrote the title track off of Spears’ 2008 album, Circus , but this time around he wanted to take things to a new level. “I’m super happy with the way it came out. She sounds fresh and exciting,” he said of the track, which was recorded in L.A. while Kelly was busy working on other projects elsewhere. “For this time, she’s in a place where she wants to be edgier again, so I was like, ‘How am I going to make the word gasoline a cool song?’ ” he recalled. “That’s really the challenge for me and I tried to play off what I know of Britney from the past, from the Blackout era, when she was more mysterious and dark. “The one thing that kind of strings all of [the songs] along is that feeling of edginess and mysterious and sexy and a little bit playful but a little bit dangerous,” he continued. “If you can tap into what she’s in the mood for, which is what happened with ‘Gasoline,’ clearly her mind was in the zone that ‘I want to be edgy.’ ” The party never stops on Femme Fatale , and Kelly is sure that the fans will be happy about that. “The most common thing I hear people say about Britney is ‘I want to dance.’ Girls love to dance to Britney,” he said. “I think people missed that and wanted that … This one was like, ‘Let’s her in the clubs again.’ ” Related Photos Britney Gets Angelic In These Femme Fatale Promo Shots Related Artists Britney Spears
Claude Kelly says he envisioned Spears as ‘a man-eater’ when he wrote the track for her. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears Photo: Eric Charbonneau/ Le Studio/ Wireimage Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale album, due out on Tuesday, is a sexy, dark dance record meant to be played heading to the club, at the club and at the post-party after the club. One of the tracks that exemplifies this is the fiery, Claude Kelly-penned “Gasoline.” Kelly conceived of the searing dance tune while thinking of Britney’s sexiest moments. “The picture that I envisioned in my mind was ‘Toxic,’ ‘Slave 4 U,’ ‘Boys,’ like that kind of [thing where] it’s sexy and it’s hot, sweaty and she’s in a club and she sees a guy,” he explained to MTV News. “That mysterious, exotic look, that whole imagery and that era where she’s a man-eater and all the girls want to be her and all the guys would kill to be with her. I think she pulled it off for sure.” Kelly also wrote the title track off of Spears’ 2008 album, Circus , but this time around he wanted to take things to a new level. “I’m super happy with the way it came out. She sounds fresh and exciting,” he said of the track, which was recorded in L.A. while Kelly was busy working on other projects elsewhere. “For this time, she’s in a place where she wants to be edgier again, so I was like, ‘How am I going to make the word gasoline a cool song?’ ” he recalled. “That’s really the challenge for me and I tried to play off what I know of Britney from the past, from the Blackout era, when she was more mysterious and dark. “The one thing that kind of strings all of [the songs] along is that feeling of edginess and mysterious and sexy and a little bit playful but a little bit dangerous,” he continued. “If you can tap into what she’s in the mood for, which is what happened with ‘Gasoline,’ clearly her mind was in the zone that ‘I want to be edgy.’ ” The party never stops on Femme Fatale , and Kelly is sure that the fans will be happy about that. “The most common thing I hear people say about Britney is ‘I want to dance.’ Girls love to dance to Britney,” he said. “I think people missed that and wanted that … This one was like, ‘Let’s her in the clubs again.’ ” Related Photos Britney Gets Angelic In These Femme Fatale Promo Shots Related Artists Britney Spears
Zack Snyder also describes the difficulty of editing for a PG-13 rating. By Kara Warner “Sucker Punch” Photo: Warner Bros. In case you haven’t already seen, heard or read enough about Zack Snyder’s action-adventure-fantasy “Sucker Punch,” MTV News has you covered. In addition to our catch-all guide to the film and secrets revealed , today we bring you more from Snyder regarding the highly technical aspects of the shoot, as well as what fans can expect on the DVD and Blu-ray. “The train sequences were the hardest technically to shoot only because it’s a sequence that’s broken up into maybe 120 shots that look like one shot,” Snyder revealed. “So you just kind of have to know where the camera’s going and where it came from, and put these little camera moves in, and all these shifts that have to happen,” he said. Snyder went on to say that he and his filmmaking team had the same sort of problems with the Samurai fight sequence, but they approached them differently. “It was a little easier to do, but the thing that challenged us there was, of course, the scale was crazy,” he said. “Ryan, who’s one of my stuntmen, he would stand on a big piece of scaffolding and he would fight Emily [Browning] with this long stick,” he explained. “Because she had to have an eye line to him up there. So he had this kind of flexible stick that he would try to hit her with.” Will we see any of that behind-the-scenes footage on the DVD? “Yeah, sure,” he said. “I think there is coverage of that.” Regarding what else will appear on the home-video-viewing versions of the film, Snyder teased that there will be a lot of action. “There is about 18 minutes in the Blu-ray that is mostly action, because the MPAA was not … [there was] a little too much action,” he said, adding that taking the film from an R-rating to PG-13 was also a challenge. “I would say that the very things that they [the MPAA] didn’t like were the very things that you needed to see in order for you to understand the content of the scene,” he said. “To know how to feel about it, because otherwise you’re sort of left in this weird middle ground,” he said. “So it’s difficult. It’s tricky.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Sucker Punch.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Sucker Punch’ ‘Sucker Punch’ Clips Related Photos “Sucker Punch”
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