‘I’m happy and I’m single,’ singer tells reporters at a press conference in London. By Jocelyn Vena Rihanna Photo: Jon Furniss/ WireImage Rihanna had been romantically linked to Ashton Kutcher last week, when a report surfaced that she had headed over to the actor’s house late one night and stayed there for several hours. At a London press conference for “Battleship,” a reporter used her one question with the pop star to ask about the alleged rendezvous. After meandering around about Ri’s fans and their love for her, she eventually got to her point: Would she get any visits from Kutcher while out promoting the film? The singer’s response? Well, she wasn’t amused. “Wow, how disappointing was that question,” she said in a video posted on the
‘We worked our butts off to create this record,’ Chester Bennington tells MTV News of fast-evolving follow-up to A Thousand Suns. By James Montgomery, with reporting by James Lacsina Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington Photo: MTV News Last year, when Linkin Park told MTV News they were already beginning work on the follow-up to A Thousand Suns, it was noteworthy for several reasons — chief among them being that this is a band that likes to take their time with things. But it looks like all that is changing. On Tuesday, MTV News was on the set of the video for “Burn It Down,” the first single from their (still-untitled) new album. So, yes, this is really happening, and yes, it’s happening soon, as LP’s Chester Bennington explained. “Well, we promised our fans that we’d put out records faster, and that’s what we’re doing. We figured out a way to condense our cycle, so to speak, by … continuing to write, trying to keep the creative ball rolling as often as possible,” he said. “We wrote some of the stuff on the road during the last tour, and instead of … touring for two years, we toured for about a year, we came home, jumped right back into the studio and just worked our butts off to create this record. “And this album is a really great representation of where we’re at right now as a band,” Bennington continued. “We’re kind of really comfortable with our early n
‘We worked our butts off to create this record,’ Chester Bennington tells MTV News of fast-evolving follow-up to A Thousand Suns. By James Montgomery, with reporting by James Lacsina Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington Photo: MTV News Last year, when Linkin Park told MTV News they were already beginning work on the follow-up to A Thousand Suns, it was noteworthy for several reasons — chief among them being that this is a band that likes to take their time with things. But it looks like all that is changing. On Tuesday, MTV News was on the set of the video for “Burn It Down,” the first single from their (still-untitled) new album. So, yes, this is really happening, and yes, it’s happening soon, as LP’s Chester Bennington explained. “Well, we promised our fans that we’d put out records faster, and that’s what we’re doing. We figured out a way to condense our cycle, so to speak, by … continuing to write, trying to keep the creative ball rolling as often as possible,” he said. “We wrote some of the stuff on the road during the last tour, and instead of … touring for two years, we toured for about a year, we came home, jumped right back into the studio and just worked our butts off to create this record. “And this album is a really great representation of where we’re at right now as a band,” Bennington continued. “We’re kind of really comfortable with our early n
Whoever said that black people only listen to Hip Hop and R&B doesn’t know that we listen to Pop, Rock and Country music as well! From Madonna to Britney Spears , all the way down to Linkin Park, how can you not love these upbeat tunes? Check out list of “White Songs Black People Like!” DJ P: “Serato Is A Cheating Device For DJs!” [EXCLUSIVE]
Mumford & Sons, Justin Bieber, Rick Ross also prepping new material. By Gil Kaufman Photo: Theo Wargo/ WireImage The past 12 months have seen the release of monster albums from Adele , Lady Gaga , Drake , Taylor Swift , Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj . But the next 12 are promising to bring even more music from several of those artists, plus new albums from Mumford & Sons, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Linkin Park, Paramore, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Maroon 5 and Green Day. It’s a bumper crop of major albums from some of rock, pop and hip-hop’s biggest stars, who are returning from long breaks, hoping to follow up smash debuts or just trying to keep their momentum going. While release dates are always subject to change, here are some of the most anticipated releases of 2012. Pop : Ironically, the status of new albums from the artists whose next moves everyone is most curious about are the ones most in the air. Rihanna tends to deliver a new album every 12 or 13 months, which means that she may have another disc in stores at the end of next year once the just-released Talk That Talk has run its course. On the other hand, Lady Gaga has already begun talking about her follow-up to this year’s Born This Way. Gaga recently told MTV News that she’s already started writing songs and “all the concepts are beginning to flourish and take place.” She didn’t give a potential release date, only promising, “I’ll put it out when it’s done.” Katy Perry hasn’t publicly spoken about what will come after 2010’s smash Teenage Dream, but it’s possible she could start work on new material in 2012 as well. We know for sure that Justin Bieber is planning to show his more mature side next time around, possibly even incorporating some EDM sounds into the mix. It’s been confirmed that Madonna hooked up with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj for the single “Gimme All Your Luvin’ ” from her untitled forthcoming album, which will feature production from Ray of Light producer William Orbit. Other artists who could release fresh material in 2012: No Doubt , Maroon 5 , Avril Lavigne , Miley Cyrus , Christina Aguilera , Ke$ha and Nicole Scherzinger . Hip-Hop : Two titans of rap are cueing up fresh tracks for early 2012, with Nicki Minaj likely to get out of the gate first with her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, due out on Valentine’s Day. The disc will include first single “Roman in Moscow,” which sees the Best New Artist Grammy nominee getting into the character of her alter ego, Roman Zolanski. After the delay of God Forgives, I Don’t due to a pair of seizures he suffered in October, Rick Ross is expected to come back strong as well. The Bawse has taken his convalescent time to work on a new track with Jay-Z . Speaking of Jigga, fans may get a new record from him as well, considering he told MTV News he was cooking up fresh tracks way back when he first played us songs from his Kanye West collaborative album, Watch the Throne. In fact, Jay-Z said you might get solo albums from both men as well as the second Throne release. Other artists that should have albums hitting stores in 2012: Nas , Frank Ocean , Slaughterhouse , Wiz Khalifa , the G.O.O.D. Music compilation , T.I. , Big Sean , 50 Cent , Ludacris , Big K.R.I.T. , Meek Mill and potentially two discs from Lil Wayne , I Am Not a Human Being II and Rebirth II. Rock : Some of rock’s biggest guns are reloading for 2012, among them Green Day , who debuted some new tracks at a benefit show in August. The title of the follow-up to 2009’s 21st Century Breakdown hasn’t been announced yet, but some of the early songs slated for possible inclusion are “Nuclear Family,” “Carpe Diem” and “Sweet 16.” U2 have reportedly been cooking up a number of potential new albums , logging sessions with Danger Mouse and working with French producer/DJ David Guetta , RedOne and will.i.am on a disc of dance-oriented tunes. Prog rock revivalists Muse should also have some new material for us, with bassist Chris Wolstenholme promising in a recent interview that the sound on their sixth album will be “radically different” from 2009’s The Resistance. We may get something from Linkin Park , who are prepping the follow-up to 2010’s A Thousand Suns, and Mumford & Sons . It’s been two years since the British folk rock revivalists dropped their still strong-selling debut, Sigh No More, and they began giving fans a taste of some new material in the fall when they unveiled the majestic song “Ghosts.” After a rough year, Paramore have finally put the drama behind them and they’re super-psyched to record an album free of tension and inter-band awkwardness. So far, they’ve already unwrapped the bouncy “Renegade” and “Hello Cold World,” which bode well for their fourth full-length studio album. Other rock acts slated to release new albums: the reunited Soundgarden , Foster the People , Neon Trees , Sleigh Bells , Silversun Pickups , Bruce Springsteen and All-American Rejects . Which 2012 albums are you most excited about? Which ones did we miss? Let us know in comments below.
‘It’s especially an honor to be able to give back to the Japanese community that’s been so devastated and been so great in supporting us,’ Bennington says. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Vanessa Whitewolf Chester Bennington of Linkin Park performs to raise money for Japanese tsunami relief in Los Angeles Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Linkin Park got together with 1,100 of their biggest fans on Wednesday night to play a very special show. Normally used to rocking tens of thousands, the group squeezed into the very intimate Mayan Theater in Los Angeles for a benefit for Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief that was fueled by their followers’ energetic fundraising efforts. “It’s a really exciting night tonight. We’re performing a show with he B’z from Japan, [the] biggest rock band in Japanese history,” explained singer Chester Bennington before the gig. “It’s an honor to be able to play with these guys, and it’s especially an honor to be able to give back to the Japanese community that’s been so devastated and been so great in supporting us.” The show was populated by fans who met the group’s challenge to each raise $500 or more for Japanese tsunami relief in order to earn a pair of tickets. It was a continuation of LP’s Music for Relief charity, which was started in the wake of the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami, which has subsequently raised funds for victims of other natural disasters, including the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. “We wanted to do something where we kind of engaged our fans to give money, because we’re always asking them to give money all the time because unfortunately, there are natural disasters affecting so many places all over the earth that we’re always asking our fans for money,” explained Bennington of the group’s ongoing fundraising efforts. “We wanted to do something that was exciting for our fans and gave them something to look forward to, a goal that was beyond anything they’d done before.” One initial idea had LP donating all the money from a show in Japan to relief efforts. But that felt like the obvious thing to do, so instead they came up with the notion of a secret show that would engage fans by having them “earn” the tickets. “We set a goal that we thought was pretty high, at $250,000, and amazingly our fans — from both Linkin Park and B’z — have generated over $350,000 in 60 days,” he said. “Which is unbelievable considering not only the devastation in Japan but also the economic struggles people are having here in the U.S. as well.” In fact, he said proudly, the top fundraiser brought in more than $13,000. Related Artists Linkin Park
Band will give tickets for ‘intimate venue’ show to the first 500 fans to raise $500 for earthquake relief. By Gil Kaufman Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington Photo: Frank Hoensch/ Getty Images Five months after a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan , rockers Linkin Park have come up with a novel way to raise funds for relief efforts. Their latest project, on fundraising site Give2gether.com , is a fan challenge in which the first 500 people to raise $500 or more will get a pair of tickets to a secret Los Angeles show that’s scheduled to take place on August 31. The band isn’t revealing much else about the show, other than a promise that it will be in a “small, intimate venue in the Los Angeles area” and feature an opening set from Japanese pop group B’z. Depending on how much money fans raise, they could also get even bigger perks. The top 50 fundraisers will earn a meet-and-greet session with the band members and a group photo. The top 10 will get signed instruments from the band’s recent European tour, plus the meet-and-greet. And the top fundraiser will watch the secret show from the stage, in addition to all the other goodies. All proceeds from the campaign will benefit go to Save the Children’s Japan earthquake and tsunami relief effort via Linkin Park’s nonprofit Music for Relief. Though those who do not reach the $500 level will not get tickets to the show, they will get a thank-you note from Music for Relief nonprofit, acknowledging their participation. In a video promoting the campaign, band members Mike Shinoda and Dave “Phoenix” Farrell encouraged fans to get onboard the charity project. Talking up the intimacy of the show, Shinoda joked that the venue is “so small it would fit inside my hands.” “And all you have to do to come to this very small venue is support Music for Relief for Japan. … Does that sound mysterious to you? Does that sound interesting?” Shinoda asked. At press time, the Give2gether site had 1,155 supporters who had raised $47,635, with the most generous U.S. fan donating $7,000 to the cause. All funds have to be raised by August 24, and winners (who must be 18 years old or 16 with parental consent) are responsible for their own transportation to the concert. Related Artists Linkin Park
Linkin Park has posted a short video to promote their new single Iridescent in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. With it is a ton of new footage not seen before or a few extra seconds to those scenes like the Bumblebee wall bounce to catch Sam and Lennox. If listen carefully can hear a hint of some of the great sound effects too. Its like getting a trailer and couple TV spots in one. Thanks to Chris… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Transformers Live Action Movie Blog Discovery Date : 17/06/2011 02:57 Number of articles : 2
‘Jackass’ star also competing with Natalie Portman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page, and James Franco for Best Jaw Dropping Moment. By Kara Warner Steve-O Photo: Matt Elias/ MTV News One of the many ways the MTV Movie Awards distinguishes itself from all the other awards shows out there is the unique categories for which performances by actors, actresses and assorted moments in film are nominated and awarded. The is a perfect example. This year’s nominees run the gamut from cringe-worthy and painful moments to larger-than-life concert experiences, amazing special effects and being covered in poo. The nominees are: Natalie Portman for her hangnail moment in “Black Swan,” Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page for the dream-within-a-dream “caf
Clip for ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ soundtrack song matches franchise’s otherworldly vibe. By Kara Warner Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington on the set of “Iridescent” Keeping up with what seems to have become a great movie/music partnership, ” Transformers: Dark of the Moon ” director Michael Bay has once again enlisted Linkin Park to contribute a song to the film’s soundtrack, a remix of their song “Iridescent,” from their A Thousand Suns LP. On Thursday (June 2), the ” Iridescent ” video premiered on MTV.com. Fitting in with the thunderous, world-is-ending, intense, high-action vibe that revolves around the world of the “Transformers” films, the clip for ” Iridescent ” has an otherworldly, post-apocalyptic vibe. The video, which is entirely in black-and-white, seems to take place on another planet, in another world entirely, with a sense of weightlessness, combined with shadowy, translucent images of either a futuristic or lost civilization. There is also a bit of religious imagery, with a shot of the band in a “Last Supper”-like scenario at one point. Naturally, there are scenes from “Dark of the Moon” interspersed throughout, but there aren’t so many robots that they distract from the song or the band. “The ‘Transformers’ collaboration has been really fun for us. I mean, we grew up playing with the toys,” LP’s Mike Shinoda told MTV News when we visited the “Iridescent” set in April. “When we first got approached on the first one, we said yes based on the idea of taking that thing that we loved so much and bringing it to life in a modern way. As it’s gone on, that’s still a big part of it for us.” When asked why they chose “Iridescent” for “Dark of the Moon,” Shinoda said the song felt like a good fit. “We put out the record in the late part of last year, and even though it’s never been a single up until this point, [when we played it live] you could really hear the singing pick up momentum during that song,” he said. “It was just something that seemed a natural fit.” “Iridescent” marks the third pairing of Linkin Park and the “Transformers” franchise. The original “Transformers” soundtrack led off with Park’s track ” What I’ve Done ,” and the companion CD to sequel “Revenge of the Fallen” also gave LP the pole position with the tune ” New Divide .” What do you think of Linkin Park’s latest video? Share your reviews in the comments below! Related Videos Linkin Park’s ‘Iridescent’ Music Video Premieres Related Artists Linkin Park
