Tag Archives: songs

Britney Spears’ Big 2011: From A Smash Album To A Ring On Her Finger

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

A decade into her career, the pop megastar reinvented herself this year as the ultimate Femme Fatale and made a big commitment to Jason Trawick. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears Photo: Getty Images Maybe Britney Spears ‘ lucky number is 30. The singer turned 30 this year, marking the landmark birthday on December 2 with a fan-voted MTV News tournament that crowned the Best Britney Video of All Time . But her 30th year also proved to be an incredibly successful period in her career. For the first time in a while, she seemed comfortable being the pop megastar that she is. More than a decade into her career, Spears re-emerged as a Femme Fatale, giving fans a fist-pumping album, embarking on a flashy tour and dropping more memorable music videos. Britney Spears fandom was reenergized as the singer came out of her shell, opening up about this phase in her career as well her personal life in several high-profile interviews. So it’s probably not surprising that Spears will cap off the year at #4 on MTV News’ Top Newsmakers of 2011 list, just behind Lil Wayne. “When I was younger, I was busy, busy, and I was always singing and dancing all the time. I was just really creative,” she recalled in the MTV special “I Am the Femme Fatale.” “That’s when my mom realized I’m a really creative person.” She let that creativity shine over the past 12 months. From “Hold It Against Me” to “Till the World Ends” to her Chris Marrs Piliero-directed “I Wanna Go” and “Criminal,” Britney made headlines every time she dropped a music video. But no vid stirred up as much controversy as her “Criminal” clip , which featured real-life boyfriend (now fianc

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‘Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Is Our #2 Newsmaker Of 2011

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Penultimate ‘Twilight’ film was about more than just Bella and Edward’s first time. By Amy Wilkinson Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in “Breaking Dawn” Photo: Summit One doesn’t need Alice Cullen’s powers of prognostication to foretell fang-tastic returns for “The Twilight Saga.” Four years in, and the success of the franchise is a foregone conclusion. To wit, the penultimate film in the series, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” has grossed more than $600 million worldwide since its November release and even set a new record by becoming the first installment to top the box office three weekends in a row . And it also landed at #2 on MTV News’ Top Newsmakers of 2011 list, falling short only to Lady Gaga. It’d be tempting to chalk up this particular installment’s massive appeal to one little (though very loaded) word: sex. As any avowed Twilighter will tell you, “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” marks the first time Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) do it, a titillating plot point that Summit Entertainment’s marketing department took full advantage of. In fact, the very first promotional image for the flick, released in late 2010, was a close-cropped photo of Bella clutching a fistful of rogue feathers that had escaped a pillow during the couple’s first romp. Then there was that much-talked-about publicity still released in January, showing a moodily lit Bella and Edward in flagrante. And, of course, the topic was a hot talking point during the film’s many promotional stops. “It’s not just human sex. It’s … obviously blown a little bit out of proportion, slightly. It’s kind of like the most important scene in the movie. It’s so weird,” Stewart told MTV News during “MTV First: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For co-star Pattinson, the discussion reached near-absurd levels. “It is kind of disgusting,” he said with a laugh during the

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Lady Gaga Reveals Where She’ll Spend Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I’ll be eating with all my Japanese Little Monsters,’ she tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias Lady Gaga in Tokyo on Tuesday Photo: TwitPic Little Monsters saw how Lady Gaga celebrates Thanksgiving during her lavish TV special, and now we know where Mother Monster will spend the holiday season. “Well I’ll be in Japan right up until Christmas day,” Gaga told MTV News earlier this month. “So I’ll be eating with all my Japanese Little Monsters. I like shabu shabu [a form of Japanese hot pot].” On Tuesday (December 20), the singer tweeted about her trip there. “Just arrived in Tokyo!” she wrote , including a photo of herself sitting in her hotel room. “So happy to see my Kawaii Monsters! #SleepyGaga bedtime. I’m a professional napper today.” She kicked off the gifting season with her holiday-themed pop-up store and window display, Gaga’s Workshop , at Barneys New York. She and stylist Nicola Formichetti gave fans an idea of what the pop star would want from Santa with Mother Monster-inspired products like head-shaped candles, leather jackets, her favorite books and chocolates shaped like shoes. The singer is expected to land Stateside on December 31, just in time for the 40th annual “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” . She’s one of the many acts lined up for the event, including Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, LMFAO and Florence and the Machine. The show will be anchored by “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest, with help from Fergie and Jenny McCarthy. The busy holiday season caps off an even busier year for Lady Gaga, who happened to be MTV News’ Top Newsmaker of 2011 . She tirelessly released singles, videos, personas, a chart-topping album ( Born This Way ) and scooped up awards at seemingly every show from the Grammys to the VMAs. She was also our #5 Best Artist of 2011 , and her disco empowerment track, “Born This Way,” boasted the #5 spot on the Best Songs of 2011 list as well. MTV continues our Best of 2011 coverage by looking back at the biggest pop-culture stories of the year. As we count down the newsmakers that mattered to you most, also check out our Best Artists , Best Songs , Best MTV Live Performances and Best EDM Artists of 2011. Related Videos MTV First: Lady Gaga Related Photos MTV Style | Lady Gaga X Barneys 12 Days Of Gaga Workshop Related Artists Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga Reveals Where She’ll Spend Christmas

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Backstage & On The Red Carpet At “VH1 Divas”: Who Looked Best? [PHOTOS]

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

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VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul went down last night in New York and all of our favorite ladies – legends and rising stars – dressed their best before blowing the roof off the theater with their larger-than-life voices. The show won’t air until tonight, December 19 at 9pm, but we’ve got a teaser for you until then! Here are all the songs you can expect to hear! MEDLEY: “You Keep Me Hanging On” – Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige / “Spotlight” – Jennifer Hudson / “Real Love” – Mary J. Blige / “Since You Been Gone” – Kelly Clarkson / “You Keep Me Hanging On (Reprise)” CHICAGO MEDLEY: “Rescue Me” – Sharon Jones and Ledisi/ “Ain’t Nobody” Mary J. Blige and Chaka Khan DETROIT MEDLEY: “Nowhere To Run” – Marsha Ambrosius, Sharon Jones and Martha Reeves / “Chain Of Fools” – Kelly Clarkson and Ledisi / “Sweet Love” – Marsha Ambrosius and Ledisi LONDON MEDLEY: “Back To Life” – Estelle, Erykah Badu, Marsha Ambrosius and Questlove / “Walking On Broken Glass” – Florence Welch MEMPHIS TRIBUTE: “Knock On Wood” – Jessie J and Jennifer Hudson / “I’ll Take You There” – Erykah Badu, Chaka Kahn and Mavis Staples PHILADELPHIA MEDLEY: “Wake Up Everybody” – Estelle and Travie McCoy / “You Got Me” – Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and Black Thought / “Motownphilly” – Boyz II Men AMY WINEHOUSE TRIBUTE: “You Know I’m No Good” – Sharon Jones with The Dap-Kings with Wanda Jackson / “Back To Black” – Florence Welch Now, who looked best? Check the gallery below! VOTE!

Backstage & On The Red Carpet At “VH1 Divas”: Who Looked Best? [PHOTOS]

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Mumford & Sons Call New Album ‘A Different Experience’

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘It’s challenging in all the right ways,’ Marcus Mumford tells MTV News about the band’s Sigh No More follow-up. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias Winston Marshall and Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons Photo: MTV News Mumford & Sons have spent most of 2011 working on the follow-up to their breakout Sigh No More album (when they weren’t touring the U.S. by rail , of course). Though they’ve been performing a handful of new songs live, last month they officially unveiled a somber new tune called “Ghosts” during a stop at a Philadelphia radio station. But as the year draws to a close, there’s still no official release date (or even a title) for the new album, which sort of makes sense, especially since they’re still working on it, as the band told MTV News backstage at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas in Los Angeles. “We’re still recording. We don’t really like to put any boundaries on it; we’ll keep going until it’s right,” frontman Marcus Mumford said. “It’s definitely a different experience from the first one, as it should be, I think. But it’s been challenging in all the right ways. It’s going well. “I think we just want the songs to be good, and to sound right, and to feel like we’ve expressed everything we want to as straightforwardly and honestly as we can … and we’re working towards that,” he continued. “We’re really enjoying playing the new songs live, and we still feel that our recorded work should be adverts for our live work. The fact that we call it work is a bit pretentious — it’s not work, it’s just playing music with your mates. It’s really fun, and it still is. I think we’re getting on better than we ever have.” Mumford said that the songs on the new album have been inspired by their whirlwind year, which not only saw them break through in the U.S., but found them going to places they never thought they’d go and meeting the kinds of folks they never thought they’d meet. “We’ve been writing as we go, and you can’t deny the fact that our circumstances around us will always affect our writing, so we sometimes intentionally put ourselves in circumstances that we want to be inspired by,” he explained. “We went to Nashville for a couple weeks in January and did some really cool writing there; we felt really happy with some of the stuff that came out of it. We stayed in this little farmhouse and had some friends who are musicians come play with us. We played a house show, just had a really nice time. And then we write on the road in these hectic places with lots of people around, and I suppose we’ve always put in ideas that we pick up from conversations with people, and things that we read and things that we listen to and feel.” Of course, there’s also good news for fans of Sigh No More : From the sound of things, the follow-up isn’t going to stray all that far from that debut. In fact, it’s basically the same songs. After all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “If you’re asking whether they’re different from the first album,” multi-instrumentalist Ben Lovett laughed, “what we’ve actually done is taken all the songs from the first album, used all the same chords, some of the same melodies, and just tweaked the lyrics!” Related Artists Mumford & Sons

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‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows’ Cheat Sheet

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

We have everything you need to know about the Guy Ritchie sequel. By Kara Warner Robert Downey Jr. in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” After the spectacular success of “Sherlock Holmes” — $515 million in worldwide ticket sales and a Best Actor Golden Globe win for Robert Downey Jr., both of which were unpredictable accomplishments given the fact that the film arrived in theaters at the same time as James Cameron’s “Avatar” — it was no surprise when Warner Bros. announced plans for a sequel. To celebrate the arrival of “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” in theaters Friday (December 16), here’s our comprehensive cheat sheet of everything you need to know about the action-packed, Guy Ritchie-directed sequel. A New World of Possibilities Amazingly enough, talk of a “Sherlock” sequel began three months prior to the original’s release, when Brad Pitt was rumored to be joining the cast as Moriarty and there were rumblings that it would be shot in 3-D . Neither of those things panned out, but we did eventually learn that the sequel would be filmed in Paris and London and that instead of “Sherlock Holmes 2,” the film’s title would be “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” Fresh Meat Early on, we learned that Rachel McAdams’ return as Irene Adler was trimmed to a “very small part,” which made way for the addition of a new female lead, Noomi Rapace, who originated the role of Lisbeth Salander in Sweden’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” Ritchie summed up her character thusly: “She’s a gypsy princess with balls,” he told us when we visited the set. “That’s what Noomi brings to the table.” The other new addition was “Mad Men” actor Jared Harris , who won the coveted role of the villainous Professor Moriarty. Harris couldn’t give us many details about the role when we caught up with him in early ’11, but he did gush about the “great fun” he had on set. Setting the Shadowy Tone As we started to inch closer to the film’s release, we started to see that the sequel was going to be a bit darker via the first official posters , photos and the first full-length trailer . It’s not all dark and stormy, of course, since a lot of the fun of the first film was in the whimsical moments between Downey and Law, and Holmes’ various disguises, as revealed in this funny clip featuring more of RDG in drag. When MTV News caught up with the main players recently, Downey assured us the film is a “superior product” and that everyone had gone to great lengths to make it bigger and better. Perhaps Ritchie summed it up best: “All in all, we tried to basically put this film on ‘roids.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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Black Keys Go Big On El Camino, In Between Chick-Fil-A Visits

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Keys scored highest chart debut of their career earlier this week, when El Camino opened at #2. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias Black Keys Photo: MTV News Earlier this week, building on the breakout success of their Brothers album and powered by current single “Lonely Boy,” the Black Keys’ El Camino roared to a #2 debut on the Billboard albums chart , by far their biggest bow to date. And though many were surprised by the first-week numbers, the Keys themselves weren’t. After all, they’ve known the stakes were higher from the minute they started recording El Camino — even though they tried very hard to ignore that fact. “We were aware that more people were paying attention to us than ever had, but we tried not to let it get into our heads,” drummer Patrick Carney told MTV News. “It definitely didn’t affect the making of the album, but, you know, we were trying to take advantage of the situation, because we’ve been a band for a decade and the whole point, for us, was to play to as many people as possible without compromising. So we put a lot of time and effort into the new record. We’ve made records in 14 hours before; this one we spent 40 days on.” Of course, that extended stay in the studio had just as much to do with the band’s increased stature as it did with El Camino ‘s expanded scope. From its skuzzy, fuzzy guitars to the pealing organs and keening backing vocals, it packs a whole lot into just 38 breakneck minutes, taking the Keys’ signature two-man racket to newfound places and spaces. “When we started the songs, it was completely organic, but once we start going, and we get the foundation done, we really start to concentrate on the little details that sort of make it what it’s going to be, because sometimes those little details can be really impactful,” frontman Dan Auerbach said. “And that’s why it took us longer than it’s ever taken us to make a record.” Though most are quick to chalk that expansion to the band’s work with producer Danger Mouse (whom they’ve collaborated with since 2008’s Attack & Release ), the Keys say that it was mostly due to them wanting to take full advantage of everything Brothers provided. In fact, the majority of their conversations with the Mouse involved nothing more than chicken. “Most of our discussions were about Chick-fil-A,” Carney laughed. “Yeah,” Auerbach added. “The distance to and from Chick-fil-A.” Related Artists The Black Keys

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Nicki Minaj’s ‘Super’ Year Makes Her #2 Artist Of 2011!

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Rapper’s popularity hit fever pitch in 2011 as she toured with Lil Wayne and Britney Spears. By Nadeska Alexis Photo: Getty Images Nicki Minaj kicked off her 29th birthday on the video set for Madonna’s “Give Me All Your Love,” and if that collaboration isn’t enough indication of the monster year she’s had, then factor in the kiss and personal birthday song Madge threw in. Minaj released her debut album Pink Friday in November 2010, but her popularity hit fever pitch this year, which is why MTV has named the Young Money rapper the #2 in MTV’s Artists of 2011 list, second only to Katy Perry. Running off the momentum of last year — when she performed at Jay-Z and Eminem’s sold-out Yankee Stadium shows — Minaj joined her YMCMB family on Lil Wayne’s I Am Still Music Tour early in 2011. She then surprised even herself by landing an opening stint on Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale Tour , where the two treated audiences to joint performances of Spears’ “Till the World Ends” remix. In addition to the fans she gained from both high-profile tours, Nicki’s new cult following grew even more after her monster single “Super Bass,” which became a pop-culture phenomenon and landed at #2 on MTV’s Best Songs of 2011 list. Video clips of pop stars such as Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez rapping over the track made rounds on the Web, catapulting the song to new heights. It makes sense then that when Minaj won the award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist at the 2011 American Music Awards , she gave a shout-out to Taylor Swift — who was in the audience mouthing the words to “Super Bass.” That night, Minaj also beat out Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne and Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the year, but that was only a fraction of her 2011 awards-show sweep. The colorful clip that accompanied “Super Bass” nabbed a Moonman for the year’s Best Hip-Hop Video at the VMAs , and the Young Money rapper took home a trophy for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards. Top that off with Billboard ‘s 2011 Rising Star Award and a much-coveted 2012 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist . Music was only the beginning of Nicki’s whirlwind year. The Queen Barb inked a new deal with OPI nail polish to release her own six-color line in 2012, and in November, she joined Ricky Martin as the face of MAC’s 2012 Viva Glam campaign (hear her rapping about both deals on Drake’s Take Care single “Make Me Proud”). As the new projects and collaborations continued to roll in from left and right, Minaj’s throng of Barbz began to press her for new music, which prompted Nicki to announce a February 14 release date for her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. The LP’s first single, “Roman in Moscow,” debuted just as Mattel immortalized her in a one-off Nicki Minaj Barbie doll that would be auctioned off for charity. The public’s love affair with Minaj this year was easy enough to sum up in words, but D12’s Bizarre put a visual spin on it with the strange but entertaining “Hey Nicki” video . The clip catches the Detroit rapper vying for her attention, and although it reaches into creepy territory, you can’t help but feel that the masses perfectly understand Bizarre’s infatuation. If you still haven’t had enough Nicki Minaj in 2011, catch her closing out the year on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve . Stick with MTV as we count down the Best of 2011 , including the top Artists , Songs , Live Performances and EDM Artists of the year. Related Videos Best Artists Of 2011 Debate Related Photos Best Artists Of 2011 Related Artists Nicki Minaj

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Nicki Minaj ‘Thrilled’ By #2 Artist And Song Of 2011 Nods

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘U guys always know a good thing! Ha!!!!’ Young Money MC tells MTV News. By Christina Garibaldi Nicki Minaj Photo: Getty Images Nicki Minaj ‘s year was nothing short of amazing. The reigning queen of hip-hop spent 2011 climbing the charts , hitting the road and racking up a slew of awards . All of that helped her secure the #2 spot for her smash single “Super Bass” on MTV’s Best Songs of 2011 rankings and landed her at #2 on our list of the Best Artists of the year. “Thanks MTV!!!!” Minaj said told MTV News in a statement. “U guys always know a good thing! Ha!!!! The barbz and I are thrilled. :)” The Young Money MC released her debut, Pink Friday, at the end of 2010 and rode the success of that album well into 2011 with several hit singles, including “Moment 4 Life” (featuring Drake) and the infectious “Super Bass.” Minaj also further expanded her fanbase into the pop world by joining Britney Spears on her Femme Fatale Tour . “I wanted my set to be more than an opening act, ’cause, you know, I did that already,” Minaj told MTV News back in August. “I always like to raise the bar for myself, and that’s what I did. I think it’s important to give people what they paid for. I don’t really expect them to know all the records, but I guess it just kind of transcends all genres of music at this point.” And transcending genres is exactly what Nicki is doing. She just shot the video for Madonna’s “Gimme All Your Luvin” , which will also feature M.I.A. The four-time Grammy nominee also released “Roman in Moscow,” the first track off her upcoming sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. It’s all setting the stage for a big 2012. “It’s been overwhelming, it’s been crazy,” she recently told us about her tremendous year. “But it’s been fun. … It’s been a crazy year.” Stick with MTV as we count down the Best of 2011 , including the top Artists , Songs , Live Performances and EDM Artists of the year. Related Videos Best Artists Of 2011 Debate Best Songs Of 2011 Debate Related Photos Best Artists Of 2011 Related Artists Nicki Minaj

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Best Songs Of 2011: MTV Readers React

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Music fans agree Adele ‘killed 2011’ with ‘Rolling in the Deep,’ but they have their own favorites too. By James Dinh Adele Photo: Columbia After MTV’s roundtable of experts chose Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” as the top two Best Songs of 2011 , music fans made their opinions heard, sharing their picks or voicing support for the chart-topping ladies and the rest of the top 10. Adele received plenty of backup for her Song of the Year win, including from Facebook user Cavisha Brown: “Guys, Adele killed 2011 with ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and ‘Someone Like You.’ Adele for the win!” Another Facebook fan, Alvaro Magui

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