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Young The Giant To Make VMA Performance Debut

‘My Body’ rockers join lineup that includes Adele, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown on August 28. By Gil Kaufman Young the Giant Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images MTV has a history of providing up-and-coming acts with a huge stage at the annual Video Music Awards . In recent years, everyone from Nicki Minaj to the Polyphonic Spree, Daddy Yankee, Keri Hilson, Wale and B.o.B have made major splashes at the event. This year, it’s Young the Giant’s turn. The California rockers, who’ve scored a pair of alternative radio hits with “My Body” and the charging rocker “Cough Syrup,” will make their VMA performance debut on August 28 when they take the stage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The group, whose self-titled debut was released in January, has already been featured across the MTV universe as a “Push” artist and as one of mtvU’s Freshman 5: Top 5 Bands for Summer. “We are extremely excited and absolutely honored to be asked to perform at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. It will be without a doubt, a monumental experience for us and one we will never forget,” the band said in a statement. “We’ve watched countless VMAs, and to have the opportunity to perform this year alongside some of the biggest artists in the world will be truly amazing. We can’t wait!” After gaining notice in 2009 by winning a contest to open for Kings of Leon, YTG will bask in their brightest spotlight to date, joining the list of previously announced performers Lil Wayne, Adele and Chris Brown . Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon. The five-piece’s “My Body” video has become an online sensation, racking up more than 1.3 million views on YouTube and appearing on MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” among other places. “Young the Giant is one of those bands you see live for the first time and walk away a superfan wondering when you can see them again,” said Amy Doyle, executive producer of the 2011 VMAs and MTV’s executive vice president of music and talent. “We are excited to give them our biggest stage and introduce them to a global audience of music lovers.” The band, which has been hitting the road hard over the past year with everyone from Minus the Bear to Neon Trees and Incubus, will play at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago this weekend. The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live on Sunday, August 28, from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT. See the list of nominees, revisit last year’s highlights and vote for your favorites in the general categories by visiting VMA.MTV.com . Related Photos 2011 MTV Video Music Awards Performers Related Artists Young The Giant

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Young The Giant To Make VMA Performance Debut

Sean Kingston Promises ‘Straight Heat’ On Next Album

Recovering singer says during ‘MTV First: Sean Kingston’ he hopes to release new music by year’s end. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway Sean Kingston Photo: MTV News After recalling the incidents of his “life-or-death” accident during “MTV First: Sean Kingston,” the singer opened up about his plans to get back to work and release new music by year’s end. “[I’m] focused on music again, about to start working on a new album and get back out there again,” he said during the chat at his house in Miami. “I’m excited about the project. It’s going to be really dope.” Given the intensity of his accident and the recovery process, Kingston has a whole new perspective on songwriting. “I haven’t lost no memory; I think I’m even better at writing and stuff,” he said. “Being in the hospital, having all this time off, I’ve been writing and coming up with different ideas. I’m ready to go.” Kingston is best known for his reggae-infused pop tracks like “Beautiful Girls” and “Take You There,” and his still-in-the-works new album will certainly touch on the sound that catapulted him to stardom. “I’m going back in with my producer J.R. [Rotem], who did really big records for me. I’m going back to the whole reggae, island-pop thing. I’m going back to my roots,” he said. “I think it’s definitely going to open up a lot of people, because now I got a story to tell,” he later said. “The world needs to know what I’m coming with, ’cause I’m coming with straight heat. I’ve been down. I’ve been in the house coming up with ideas. My producer J.R., he’s a hitmaker. It’s gonna be my third album, I’m older now. It’s gonna be crazy.” While in the hospital, Kingston had his jaw wired shut for a time. It was a situation Kanye West once found himself in that sparked his first hit “Through the Wire.” Kingston certainly wouldn’t rule out writing a song about his recovery — or working with ‘Ye, for that matter. “Oh man, he’s in my top five rappers,” he said. “I met him twice, and he’s a great person. He’s definitely talented. I’m actually waiting for him and the Jay-Z album [ Watch the Throne ] to drop. I’d be more than excited to collaborate with him.” Kingston — the Jamaican-American singer who broke onto the scene with the “Stand by Me”-sampling song “Beautiful Girls” and scored another hit with the Justin Bieber collabo “Eenie Meenie” last year — was rushed to the hospital May 29 after a jet-ski crash. He explained to Sway that he was going about 35 miles an hour when he miscalculated how high the tide had risen and collided with a bridge. What are you expecting from new Sean Kingston music? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV First: Sean Kingston Related Photos Sean Kingston’s Road To Recovery Related Artists Sean Kingston

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Sean Kingston Promises ‘Straight Heat’ On Next Album

Lil Wayne “Put The Light On Me” [NEW MUSIC]

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New music from Lil Wayne has hit the net! The track, “Put The Light On Me,”  was produced by Atlanta-based producer Bangladesh. We guess Bangladesh settled his monetary differences with Weezy. No word if this is a cut from Tha Carter IV but check it out and let us know what you think! Tha Carter IV hits stores August 29. Bangladesh Says Cash Money Screwed Him Over For “6 Foot 7 Foot” Beat Producer Bangladesh: “I Don’t $#%@ With Lil’ Wayne… And You Can Print That” Lil Wayne Sued For $20 Million By “Tha Carter III” Producer Rocko Brings Out Jeezy & Jeezy Brings Out Lil Wayne [VIDEO & PHOTOS] Rumored Track List For Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter IV” Revealed Listen To Lil Wayne’s “Sorry 4 The Wait” Mixtape! Lil Wayne “Tunechi’s Back” [NEW MUSIC] Lil Wayne Says “Sorry For The Wait” [AUDIO]

Lil Wayne “Put The Light On Me” [NEW MUSIC]

Amy Winehouse, Tony Bennett Song Royalties To Go To Charity

Funds from ‘Body and Soul’ single from Bennett’s forthcoming Duets II will go to Mitch Winehouse’s foundation to help those battling addiction. By Jocelyn Vena Amy Winehouse Photo: Ben Stansall/ AFP/ Getty Images Tony Bennett hooked up with a number of modern pop stars for his September release, Duets II . And in the sea of A-list collaborators including Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Michael Buble, John Mayer and Carrie Underwood, to name a few, one name in particular stands out. Bennett was likely the last person to record with Amy Winehouse prior to her death last month. Winehouse appears on the song “Body and Soul,” and when Bennett sat down on the “Today” on Tuesday, he gave the late singer props for her professionalism in the recording studio. “That’s right, that was the last record she made,” he said. “It was great. She sang beautifully.” The legendary crooner also revealed that the track, which closes out the star-studded album, will serve as a charity single. The singer’s dad, Mitch Winehouse, announced shortly after his daughter’s death that he was planning to start a foundation that would assist people in getting help for addiction. “Actually, what’s going to happen is that we’re putting that out ahead of the album [due out September 20],” Bennett said. “And it’s going to a foundation that her father started to teach all the young children not to take drugs, and all the royalties of the record will go to that.” In an interview with the BBC last month, which teased a bit of the jazzy duet between the two, Bennett sang the praises of Winehouse. “Amy was beautiful. She was quite nervous but I thought I met Sinatra before a show and he was nervous and Duke Ellington and he was nervous. What calmed her down when we did the record, and I’ll never forget it, I said the way you sound [you sound like] Dinah Washington … and that calmed her down. She’s truly a good jazz singer. She’s not making believe it’s jazz. She’s completely original and she’s good at it.” Related Videos Amy Winehouse Remembered Related Photos Amy Winehouse: A Life In Photos Related Artists Amy Winehouse

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Amy Winehouse, Tony Bennett Song Royalties To Go To Charity

Lady Gaga: Straight, No Chaser

We observe Gaga in her natural habitat, with a good bottle of whiskey, in Bigger Than the Sound. By James Montgomery What is Lady Gaga’s blood doing on the floor? We’ll find out soon … Photo: James Montgomery/MTV News Lady Gaga is sitting down, which is probably a good thing, considering she’s wearing 6-inch heels and has spent roughly seven hours drinking whiskey with dudes who look like they were roadies for Bang Tango . Drinking wasn’t the only thing she did, of course. She also danced, vamped, sang, bled and underwent more costume changes than Evander Berry Wall — all over the span of one very long day on one very big soundstage in New York City. I’m not allowed to write about exactly what she was shooting (at least not yet), but suffice it to say, Gaga certainly deserved a few minutes of rest. Especially since she had spent the first part of the day filming a wearing an outfit that could only be described as “houndstooth overdrive.” And yet, throughout the day, as the top-secret shoot went on and on, I never heard her complain — not even close. At one point, during a performance setup, when the director asked if she’d be willing to film another take, she joked, “My voice can only last for another hour and a half … the rest of me can go all night.” Everyone laughed, and not just because it was a funny line. There was an air of astonishment mixed in too. Simply put, no one seemed to believe that a star of this caliber would be this willing to work. And then work some more. While it was certainly amazing to watch Gaga come to life when the camera was rolling, her work ethic isn’t exactly breaking news. In a way, it was even more fascinating to observe her in the moments when it wasn’t. Last year, I followed her every step at the Video Music Awards and discovered that, beneath the 35 pounds of Argentinean beef, she was actually a pretty normal person. That was only amplified Monday, on this soundstage in New York, in the rare moments she wasn’t wowing everyone in attendance. Surrounded by her closest friends — all of whom were extras in the shoot, and some of whom came dressed in their Steel Panther finery — she was decidedly down-to-earth. Shockingly average, even. She cracked jokes, held hands, poured drinks. She danced and cooed with her old friend Lady Starlight while “Heavy Metal Lover,” a standout track on her Born This Way album, blared overhead. She whooped for joy whenever someone she hadn’t seen in a while (and given her schedule, that was pretty much everybody ) appeared on set. In fact, she seemed very much like every 25-year-old you’d meet, despite all evidence to the contrary. Getting to be a fly on the wall is certainly one of the perks of this job; it allows you to see the mega-famous at their least guarded — for better or (as is sometimes the case) much worse. But it’s the few instances I’ve been able to hover around Gaga’s inner circle that remain the most revelatory, mostly because, as I wrote last year, her public persona is somewhere along the lines of “a pneumatic lion tamer with a penchant for creative haberdashery, or a fire-breathing neo-Shiva in sunglasses.” To see her unwind with her pals, well, let’s just say it’s the kind of thing you don’t forget, mostly because it’s the most normal thing imaginable. Which, given pretty much everything you think you know about her, is downright unimaginable. So while I can’t tell you what I watched being filmed, I can tell you that Lady Gaga enjoys Jameson and has excellent comedic timing. And that told me more about her than any of her videos ever could. To a certain extent, we all think we know who Gaga is, even if that’s not really the case. At ease, with a glass of strong booze, enveloped by her confidants — that’s the girl few of us get to meet, which is a shame. She seems like a really fun person to hang out with. What do you imagine Lady Gaga is like behind the scenes? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos A Day In The Life Of Lady Gaga Related Artists Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga: Straight, No Chaser

Katy Perry Sets Singles Record With ‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)’

Perry breaks Billboard Mainstream Top 40 record following her nine VMA nominations for tracks from Teenage Dream. By Gil Kaufman Katy Perry Photo: John Parra/ WireImage It took her a bit longer than expected, but Katy Perry’s persistence and the inescapable, saxophone-bleating 1980s vibe of “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” were just too much for music fans to resist. Perry, who is nominated for a leading nine Moonmen at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards , finally snagged the record as the first album from the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart to have five #1 singles. According to The Hollywood Reporter , Perry’s Teenage Dream album is the first in the nearly 19-year history of the chart to achieve the feat, thanks to “Friday Night” bumping up one spot to #1 this week. “Friday Night” joins the other chart-toppers from Perry’s Dream album, which include the title track, “California Gurls,” “Firework” and “E.T.” The record puts her in pretty impressive company, landing Perry just ahead of Lady Gaga ( The Fame ) and Justin Timberlake ( FutureSex/LoveSounds, whose albums yielded four #1s apiece. “Friday Night” also broke some other new ground, setting the high watermark for most weekly plays in the chart’s history (12,468), blowing past the old record, which she also held with “E.T.” (12,361). Even more impressive, the five singles from Dream account for five of the six songs with the chart’s highest-ever weekly spin totals, with Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything” acting as the spoiler at #4 with 12,107. The next potential record to fall could be the biggie Perry’s been waiting for. She’s still looking to become just the second artist ever to mark five #1 singles from the same album on the Billboard Hot 100, a mark held by Michael Jackson’s Bad . She’s got four #1s already and “Friday” moved up from 3 to 2 on last week’s chart, so it could happen. Related Videos Katy Perry’s ‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)’: Frame By Frame Related Photos The Evolution Of: Katy Perry Related Artists Katy Perry

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Katy Perry Sets Singles Record With ‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)’

Miranda Cosgrove Calls Best Coast Video Cameo ‘Surreal’

‘She’s really like your best friend,’ the ‘iCarly’ star tells MTV News about ‘Our Deal’ director Drew Barrymore. By Christina Garibaldi Miranda Cosgrove in Best Coast’s Supervideo for “Our Deal” Photo: Mexican Summer On Tuesday (August 2), California punk/pop rockers Best Coast premiered the video for “Our Deal,” a single off their debut album, Crazy for You. The Drew Barrymore-directed vid features a ton of up-and-coming-celeb cameos, from Donald Glover to Miranda Cosgrove. MTV News recently caught up with “iCarly” herself , and she told us the highlight of that very fun shoot was getting to work with Barrymore. “I had a great time,” Cosgrove said. “I’ve been watching Drew Barrymore movies ever since I was really little, so I was nervous to meet her.” Once on set, though, Cosgrove got over any nervousness about working with one of her biggest role models. “She’s really like your best friend,” Cosgrove said. The video, which was shot back in June, takes pages from classic forbidden-love movies like “West Side Story,” “Grease” and “Rebel Without a Cause.” Cosgrove’s co-stars, “Kick Ass” actress Chlo

Lady Gaga Calls Terry Richardson Book ‘Completely Unfiltered’

‘I didn’t hold anything back,’ Gaga tells MTV News about upcoming photo book. By James Montgomery Lady Gaga Photo: MTV News Late last month, Lady Gaga announced she was teaming with photographer/provocateur Terry Richardson to release a hefty coffee-table book, one that features more than 350 photos of the singer taken by Richardson over the course of 10 months. The two have worked together — with appropriately pulse-quickening results — several times in the past, most notably a September 2010 cover shoot for Vogue Hommes Japan that served as a sneak peek of the now-infamous meat dress she wore to the 2010 VMAs, and a clothing-optional campaign for Supreme in February 2011. But if you thought those shots were shocking, well, get ready for the duo’s book, which, as Gaga told MTV News on Monday night in New York, will push things even further. “Terry was with me for [almost] a whole year, and, gosh, I didn’t hold anything back from Terry … he was with me every minute, every moment,” she said. “It’s completely unfiltered. He has photographs of me waking up in the morning, brushing my teeth, in the bathroom, in the bathtub, the shower. And the thing about Terry, if you know anything about his photography, is that nothing is staged; I mean, that’s sort of what he is renowned for. He can get you to do things and he can capture things that no one can ever capture. “What I love so much about Terry is that he thinks everything is so beautiful. I’m always, ‘Oh Terry, get out of here,’ and he’s like, ‘Oh, it’s so beautiful, let me just shoot it,’ ” she continued. “I felt so comfortable with Terry. I love him so much. He’s a really close friend, and I feel really honored that he traveled [with me].” Gaga said the self-titled book (which hits stores November 22) not only showcases her whirlwind life — it follows her from the main stage of Lollapalooza to her Maine rally to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” to the final shows of her Monster Ball Tour in Mexico City — but the lives of her ultra-dedicated fans too. That was as much a goal as the unfettered access was. And, from the sound of things, the book manages to accomplish both. “My favorite thing, honestly, is that [Richardson] loved the fans. He shot the fans the same way he shot me: with no pretense. No ‘Well, she’s put out records and they haven’t.’ None of that. The music was all of ours,” she said. “He would come backstage and he would say, ‘Oh my God, the fans! ‘ And I’d say, ‘I know … I know what you just photographed.’ And he’d say, ‘Baby, wow! ‘ And then he’d film me, like, peeing in a cup and, like, ridiculous things.” Related Photos A Day In The Life Of Lady Gaga Related Artists Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga Calls Terry Richardson Book ‘Completely Unfiltered’

Lady Gaga Calls Terry Richardson Book ‘Completely Unfiltered’

‘I didn’t hold anything back,’ Gaga tells MTV News about upcoming photo book. By James Montgomery Lady Gaga Photo: MTV News Late last month, Lady Gaga announced she was teaming with photographer/provocateur Terry Richardson to release a hefty coffee-table book, one that features more than 350 photos of the singer taken by Richardson over the course of 10 months. The two have worked together — with appropriately pulse-quickening results — several times in the past, most notably a September 2010 cover shoot for Vogue Hommes Japan that served as a sneak peek of the now-infamous meat dress she wore to the 2010 VMAs, and a clothing-optional campaign for Supreme in February 2011. But if you thought those shots were shocking, well, get ready for the duo’s book, which, as Gaga told MTV News on Monday night in New York, will push things even further. “Terry was with me for [almost] a whole year, and, gosh, I didn’t hold anything back from Terry … he was with me every minute, every moment,” she said. “It’s completely unfiltered. He has photographs of me waking up in the morning, brushing my teeth, in the bathroom, in the bathtub, the shower. And the thing about Terry, if you know anything about his photography, is that nothing is staged; I mean, that’s sort of what he is renowned for. He can get you to do things and he can capture things that no one can ever capture. “What I love so much about Terry is that he thinks everything is so beautiful. I’m always, ‘Oh Terry, get out of here,’ and he’s like, ‘Oh, it’s so beautiful, let me just shoot it,’ ” she continued. “I felt so comfortable with Terry. I love him so much. He’s a really close friend, and I feel really honored that he traveled [with me].” Gaga said the self-titled book (which hits stores November 22) not only showcases her whirlwind life — it follows her from the main stage of Lollapalooza to her Maine rally to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” to the final shows of her Monster Ball Tour in Mexico City — but the lives of her ultra-dedicated fans too. That was as much a goal as the unfettered access was. And, from the sound of things, the book manages to accomplish both. “My favorite thing, honestly, is that [Richardson] loved the fans. He shot the fans the same way he shot me: with no pretense. No ‘Well, she’s put out records and they haven’t.’ None of that. The music was all of ours,” she said. “He would come backstage and he would say, ‘Oh my God, the fans! ‘ And I’d say, ‘I know … I know what you just photographed.’ And he’d say, ‘Baby, wow! ‘ And then he’d film me, like, peeing in a cup and, like, ridiculous things.” Related Photos A Day In The Life Of Lady Gaga Related Artists Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga Calls Terry Richardson Book ‘Completely Unfiltered’

Is This Kim Kardashian Or Reggie Bush’s New Boo? [PHOTOS]

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We were wondering this very question we thought when we first saw these pictures! It looks like Reggie Bush’s new girlfriend, Melissa Molinaro, is getting all the gigs she can get with her Kim K looks. Melissa performed at a gay club in Las Vegas wearing a white bathing suit and heels. Melissa Molinaro is best known as being Reggie Bush’s new boo, (Kim’s ex bf) and got Old Navy sued by Kim for having Melissa portray her on a commercial. I can’t help but think she is TRYING to be Kim Kardashian. Check out the lucious locks and the booty to prove it! Melissa Molinaro will make you do a double take, you will swear it is Kim Kardashian! Check out the pics and see for yourself! For related stories, look at: Reggie Bush Spotted With New Girlfriend (A Kim Kardashian Lookalike) [PHOTOS] Kim Kardashian Celebrates Her Bachelorette Party In Vegas! [PHOTOS] Kim Kardashian’s Wedding Invitation Revealed! [PHOTO]

Is This Kim Kardashian Or Reggie Bush’s New Boo? [PHOTOS]