Singer who beat Justin Bieber at 2011 Grammys sings moving version of ‘What a Wonderful World’ during In Memoriam tribute. By Jason Kaufman Esperanza Spalding performs at the 84th annual Academy Awards Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Who was that woman singing that beautiful rendition of “What a Wonderful World” during the 2012 Oscars In Memoriam tribute? None other than the woman who broke Justin Bieber’s heart last winter: Esperanza Spalding . Last year, Spalding beat out sure bets like Bieber, Florence and the Machine and Drake when she won the Best New Artist prize at the 2011 Grammy Awards . Spalding’s biggest claim to fame since the win had been when her Wikipedia page was attacked by rabid Bieber fans following her victory. Since last February, Spalding has managed to fly under the radar. This March she plans to get back on the scene and release her new album, Radio Music Society, her follow-up to Chamber Music Society, the 2010 album that brought her to national attention at the Grammys last year. But before that came a haunting showcase. Spalding’s beautiful take on the Louis Armstrong standard was the perfect accompaniment to a moving In Memoriam tribute . Spalding stood in front of a choir as her voice lifted in the Kodak Theatre while the names and faces of Hollywood legends lost were projected in stark black and white behind her. It was a performance that allowed millions to see what Grammy voters had already seen in her last year. Spalding’s Grammy victory was particularly hard on Bieber , who spoke to MTV News shortly after the loss. “I had no clue what was going to happen; I worked really hard these past few years, and you know, I’m not going to lie — I was disappointed,” Bieber told MTV News at the Staples Center in Los Angeles last year. “But, you know, I’m gonna come back [next year] and we’ll take a few home. … I’m inspired to work harder than I did last year. It’s going to be hard, but I’m going to try.” The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com all night and beyond for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Backstage Interviews From The Grammys Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Related Photos Oscars 2012: Winners Oscars 2012: Parties Oscars 2012: The Main Show Related Artists Esperanza Spalding
Miranda Lambert was an outspoken critic of last Sunday’s Chris Brown Grammy lovefest , ripping CBS and the music extravaganza for Brown’s prominent role. She’s still not over it, calling out the R&B star in concert this week. Country star Lambert wondered aloud on Twitter why the convicted felon was featured on not one but two performances during the Grammy Awards. “Chris Brown twice? I don’t get it. He beat on a girl,” Miranda tweeted, adding “He needs to listen to Gunpowder and lead and be put back in his place.” “Gunpowder and Lead” is her song about a woman preparing to kill her abusive husband. She performed it in concert Thursday – with a message for Brown. Before singing, Lambert pulled a poster out of the audience reading “Take Notes Chris Brown.” “Get a good picture now, put it on Twitter,” she said. “I’ve been in a world of hurt with Chris Brown fans … but see, I have to speak my mind because where I come from beating up on a woman is never okay.” As she sang, Lambert added “So that’s why my daddy taught me early on in life how to use a shotgun.” The Amherst, Mass., crowd went wild: Miranda Lambert Slams Chris Brown Brown has come under heavy criticism for his response to the “haters” as much as for the infamous 2009 incident in what has become a never-ending story. Should people just get over it and move on? Or is Miranda right in standing up against abusive men, and the Grammys? Choose a side in this feud:
Critics aren’t buying into the love triangle between Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy. By Kara Warner Tom Hardy and Chris Pine in “This Means War” Photo: 20th Century Fox “This Means War” has all the makings of a perfect romantic comedy/ action flick, including the very attractive and high-caliber stars Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy, the capable direction of McG, comic relief from Chelsea Handler and a script from the guys whose combined talents have brought us “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Role Models” and “Just Go With It.” The story revolves around two best friends and highly skilled CIA agents who fall in love with the same woman and go to war with each other in an effort to win her heart. We imagine the filmmakers set out to make a fun, if only slightly farfetched, popcorn flick, but the critical masses couldn’t seem to suspend their disbelief. The film has a 30 percent Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes . Read on as we fight through the “This Means War” reviews! The Story “Having great-looking stars who have the added bonus of actually being able to act makes the noisy romp “This Means War” more tolerable that it ought to be. It’s essentially a love-triangle version of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” rendered even more bombastic in the hands of “Charlie’s Angels” director McG. (Simon Kinberg, who wrote the 2005 film that spawned Brangelina, shares script credit here with Timothy Dowling.) So you’ve got your sport utility vehicles tumbling in slow motion, your gravity-defying shootouts and your obligatory explosions galore. Naturally, the premise is the most high-concept, contrived confection: Two CIA agents (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) who happen to be best friends also happen to fall in love with the same woman (Reese Witherspoon), who has no idea these guys know each other. They promise their shared pursuit won’t ruin their friendship, but good luck with all that.” — Christy Lemire, The Associated Press The Bromance Factor “The relationship that truly sizzles — from the sentiment to the satire — is the one between FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy), with Pine and Hardy pulling off one of the better bromances in recent memory. … Hardy (“Inception”) and Pine (“Star Trek”) are the heart of the film — proving to be excellent opposing sides of the same coin. Both balance their characters’ cynicism with a certain sweetness, their chemistry fairly crackling, electrifying the screen almost any time they’re sharing it, whether taking down a bad guy or squabbling about who is more lovable (it’s a tossup). With Lauren, on the other hand, they are basically gentlemen, so not electrifying.” — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times The Suspension of Disbelief Factor, or Lack Therof “And in the film’s opening minutes, it feels as if that might be the desired effect: It’s loaded with overblown action chestnuts like from-the-hip gunplay, people dangling from the sides of skyscrapers and a gruff commanding officer. (That would be Angela Bassett, who shows up periodically to growl at her charges in a role that might have been hilarious had anyone thought to write anything legitimately funny for her.) But a good parody takes a finesse that isn’t in the vocabulary of McG, a bargain-basement Michael Bay more concerned with cool than coherence. Instead we get utter nonsense like a video store with a database that conveniently includes customer photos for the CIA to tap into. (Related: These characters are, in 2012, going to a video store?) In another scene, FDR wrestles on the floor with a small dog that has just attacked him, as Lauren stands 5 feet away, oblivious. The Farrelly brothers should sue the producers not for stealing the scene outright from ‘There’s Something About Mary,’ but for imitating it so badly.” — Ian Buckwalter, NPR The Final Word “Part spy caper, part buddy picture, part romantic comedy, part raunchy-girl-talk sex farce, This Means War has been assembled with all the haphazardness of an amateur science experiment. The project was directed by the amped-up industry go-getter McG (Charlie’s Angels), and it’s had a long trial-and-error history. The initial script dates back a century — or at least about a decade — and the string of famous guys who didn’t take the dual lead male roles reportedly includes Bradley Cooper, Seth Rogen, Sam Worthington, and, stretching even further back, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence. All this fiddling and fumbling shows on the screen. And yet, and yet … I confess I enjoyed everything that’s all over the place about the finished product. ‘This Means War’ may have been hammered together by brute Hollywood force, but there’s this going for it: It’s game to throw in anything that’ll keep the motor running.” — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly Check out everything we’ve got on “This Means War.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV First: This Means War Related Photos ‘This Means War’: A Look At Past Sexy Secret Agents
Critics aren’t buying into the love triangle between Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy. By Kara Warner Tom Hardy and Chris Pine in “This Means War” Photo: 20th Century Fox “This Means War” has all the makings of a perfect romantic comedy/ action flick, including the very attractive and high-caliber stars Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy, the capable direction of McG, comic relief from Chelsea Handler and a script from the guys whose combined talents have brought us “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Role Models” and “Just Go With It.” The story revolves around two best friends and highly skilled CIA agents who fall in love with the same woman and go to war with each other in an effort to win her heart. We imagine the filmmakers set out to make a fun, if only slightly farfetched, popcorn flick, but the critical masses couldn’t seem to suspend their disbelief. The film has a 30 percent Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes . Read on as we fight through the “This Means War” reviews! The Story “Having great-looking stars who have the added bonus of actually being able to act makes the noisy romp “This Means War” more tolerable that it ought to be. It’s essentially a love-triangle version of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” rendered even more bombastic in the hands of “Charlie’s Angels” director McG. (Simon Kinberg, who wrote the 2005 film that spawned Brangelina, shares script credit here with Timothy Dowling.) So you’ve got your sport utility vehicles tumbling in slow motion, your gravity-defying shootouts and your obligatory explosions galore. Naturally, the premise is the most high-concept, contrived confection: Two CIA agents (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) who happen to be best friends also happen to fall in love with the same woman (Reese Witherspoon), who has no idea these guys know each other. They promise their shared pursuit won’t ruin their friendship, but good luck with all that.” — Christy Lemire, The Associated Press The Bromance Factor “The relationship that truly sizzles — from the sentiment to the satire — is the one between FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy), with Pine and Hardy pulling off one of the better bromances in recent memory. … Hardy (“Inception”) and Pine (“Star Trek”) are the heart of the film — proving to be excellent opposing sides of the same coin. Both balance their characters’ cynicism with a certain sweetness, their chemistry fairly crackling, electrifying the screen almost any time they’re sharing it, whether taking down a bad guy or squabbling about who is more lovable (it’s a tossup). With Lauren, on the other hand, they are basically gentlemen, so not electrifying.” — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times The Suspension of Disbelief Factor, or Lack Therof “And in the film’s opening minutes, it feels as if that might be the desired effect: It’s loaded with overblown action chestnuts like from-the-hip gunplay, people dangling from the sides of skyscrapers and a gruff commanding officer. (That would be Angela Bassett, who shows up periodically to growl at her charges in a role that might have been hilarious had anyone thought to write anything legitimately funny for her.) But a good parody takes a finesse that isn’t in the vocabulary of McG, a bargain-basement Michael Bay more concerned with cool than coherence. Instead we get utter nonsense like a video store with a database that conveniently includes customer photos for the CIA to tap into. (Related: These characters are, in 2012, going to a video store?) In another scene, FDR wrestles on the floor with a small dog that has just attacked him, as Lauren stands 5 feet away, oblivious. The Farrelly brothers should sue the producers not for stealing the scene outright from ‘There’s Something About Mary,’ but for imitating it so badly.” — Ian Buckwalter, NPR The Final Word “Part spy caper, part buddy picture, part romantic comedy, part raunchy-girl-talk sex farce, This Means War has been assembled with all the haphazardness of an amateur science experiment. The project was directed by the amped-up industry go-getter McG (Charlie’s Angels), and it’s had a long trial-and-error history. The initial script dates back a century — or at least about a decade — and the string of famous guys who didn’t take the dual lead male roles reportedly includes Bradley Cooper, Seth Rogen, Sam Worthington, and, stretching even further back, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence. All this fiddling and fumbling shows on the screen. And yet, and yet … I confess I enjoyed everything that’s all over the place about the finished product. ‘This Means War’ may have been hammered together by brute Hollywood force, but there’s this going for it: It’s game to throw in anything that’ll keep the motor running.” — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly Check out everything we’ve got on “This Means War.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV First: This Means War Related Photos ‘This Means War’: A Look At Past Sexy Secret Agents
‘Part of Me’ singer was seen wearing Army fatigues on set in California. By Jocelyn Vena Katy Perry Photo: Getty Images Katy Perry may be deep in shooting the video for her latest single, “Part of Me.” The singer was spotted wearing a military uniform on the set of something this week. In several photos that made their way online, Perry dons a cropped black wig and fatigues. One shot is of her standing next to male soldiers. Another features her is of her standing in a store. The last photo is of her in a pool with a soldier (still wearing the army garb). According to Perez Hilton , she is shooting the military-themed video at Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. A rep for the base could not confirm reports that she is shooting there when contacted by MTV News. Meanwhile, her rep had not responded to our request for comment by press time. Earlier this week, Perry teased that she was looking forward to hitting the set for the “Part of Me” video. “Holy power of the Grammy’s, Part Of Me is already top 10 on itunes! U guys are killing it! NICE! Can’t wait to shoot this video!” she tweeted on Monday, one day after she debuted the song at the Grammys . The Teenage Dream: Complete Confection song is a bit darker than most Perry fans might be used to. The song is about the dissolution of a relationship, during which Perry sings scathing lines like “Days like this I want to drive away/ Pack bags and watch your shadow fade/ You chewed me up and spit me out like I was poison in your mouth/ You took my life, you drank me down/ But that was then and this is now.” And in what has been taken as a jab at her former hubby, Russell Brand, she adds, “You can keep the diamond ring/ It don’t mean nothing anyway.” What did you think of Katy Perry’s Grammys performance? Leave your comment below! Related Artists Katy Perry
‘Part of Me’ singer was seen wearing Army fatigues on set in California. By Jocelyn Vena Katy Perry Photo: Getty Images Katy Perry may be deep in shooting the video for her latest single, “Part of Me.” The singer was spotted wearing a military uniform on the set of something this week. In several photos that made their way online, Perry dons a cropped black wig and fatigues. One shot is of her standing next to male soldiers. Another features her is of her standing in a store. The last photo is of her in a pool with a soldier (still wearing the army garb). According to Perez Hilton , she is shooting the military-themed video at Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. A rep for the base could not confirm reports that she is shooting there when contacted by MTV News. Meanwhile, her rep had not responded to our request for comment by press time. Earlier this week, Perry teased that she was looking forward to hitting the set for the “Part of Me” video. “Holy power of the Grammy’s, Part Of Me is already top 10 on itunes! U guys are killing it! NICE! Can’t wait to shoot this video!” she tweeted on Monday, one day after she debuted the song at the Grammys . The Teenage Dream: Complete Confection song is a bit darker than most Perry fans might be used to. The song is about the dissolution of a relationship, during which Perry sings scathing lines like “Days like this I want to drive away/ Pack bags and watch your shadow fade/ You chewed me up and spit me out like I was poison in your mouth/ You took my life, you drank me down/ But that was then and this is now.” And in what has been taken as a jab at her former hubby, Russell Brand, she adds, “You can keep the diamond ring/ It don’t mean nothing anyway.” What did you think of Katy Perry’s Grammys performance? Leave your comment below! Related Artists Katy Perry
‘Part of Me’ singer was seen wearing Army fatigues on set in California. By Jocelyn Vena Katy Perry Photo: Getty Images Katy Perry may be deep in shooting the video for her latest single, “Part of Me.” The singer was spotted wearing a military uniform on the set of something this week. In several photos that made their way online, Perry dons a cropped black wig and fatigues. One shot is of her standing next to male soldiers. Another features her is of her standing in a store. The last photo is of her in a pool with a soldier (still wearing the army garb). According to Perez Hilton , she is shooting the military-themed video at Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. A rep for the base could not confirm reports that she is shooting there when contacted by MTV News. Meanwhile, her rep had not responded to our request for comment by press time. Earlier this week, Perry teased that she was looking forward to hitting the set for the “Part of Me” video. “Holy power of the Grammy’s, Part Of Me is already top 10 on itunes! U guys are killing it! NICE! Can’t wait to shoot this video!” she tweeted on Monday, one day after she debuted the song at the Grammys . The Teenage Dream: Complete Confection song is a bit darker than most Perry fans might be used to. The song is about the dissolution of a relationship, during which Perry sings scathing lines like “Days like this I want to drive away/ Pack bags and watch your shadow fade/ You chewed me up and spit me out like I was poison in your mouth/ You took my life, you drank me down/ But that was then and this is now.” And in what has been taken as a jab at her former hubby, Russell Brand, she adds, “You can keep the diamond ring/ It don’t mean nothing anyway.” What did you think of Katy Perry’s Grammys performance? Leave your comment below! Related Artists Katy Perry
‘Part of Me’ singer was seen wearing Army fatigues on set in California. By Jocelyn Vena Katy Perry Photo: Getty Images Katy Perry may be deep in shooting the video for her latest single, “Part of Me.” The singer was spotted wearing a military uniform on the set of something this week. In several photos that made their way online, Perry dons a cropped black wig and fatigues. One shot is of her standing next to male soldiers. Another features her is of her standing in a store. The last photo is of her in a pool with a soldier (still wearing the army garb). According to Perez Hilton , she is shooting the military-themed video at Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. A rep for the base could not confirm reports that she is shooting there when contacted by MTV News. Meanwhile, her rep had not responded to our request for comment by press time. Earlier this week, Perry teased that she was looking forward to hitting the set for the “Part of Me” video. “Holy power of the Grammy’s, Part Of Me is already top 10 on itunes! U guys are killing it! NICE! Can’t wait to shoot this video!” she tweeted on Monday, one day after she debuted the song at the Grammys . The Teenage Dream: Complete Confection song is a bit darker than most Perry fans might be used to. The song is about the dissolution of a relationship, during which Perry sings scathing lines like “Days like this I want to drive away/ Pack bags and watch your shadow fade/ You chewed me up and spit me out like I was poison in your mouth/ You took my life, you drank me down/ But that was then and this is now.” And in what has been taken as a jab at her former hubby, Russell Brand, she adds, “You can keep the diamond ring/ It don’t mean nothing anyway.” What did you think of Katy Perry’s Grammys performance? Leave your comment below! Related Artists Katy Perry
