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Adam Lambert, Justin Bieber, Weezer And The Yankees: This Week's Deep Cuts
23 hours ago
The first week of November is almost behind us, and while the march toward the holidays is already on, that doesn't mean the music world took any time off. In fact, the next few weeks should be quite exciting, with oodles of new music, video and tour news coming at a rapid pace. The MTV Newsroom team will be all over everything as soon as it breaks, but for now, catch yourself up on everything that you might have missed.
» Some samples of Adam Lambert's new album hit the Web, and Jim Cantiello broke down every second of them.
» The Weezer Snuggie (or "The Wuggie") is pretty incredible, though even frontman Rivers Cuomo has no idea why.
» Both Chris Brown and Rihanna talked extensively about the assault back in February. Brown sat down with Sway to talk about the aftermath while Rihanna spoke to ABC about expectations and the future. »
- Kyle Anderson
Kris Allen's 'Live Like We're Dying' Video Stands Way Above Other 'Idol' Clips
6 November 2009 2:40 PM, PST
"American Idol" winner Kris Allen debuted his first music video today (although he's been the unwilling star of several hilarious/creepy fan-made Kradam tribute clips) and while "Live Like We're Dying" probably won't win any Moonmen at next year's VMAs, it's a big, bold and awesomely expensive-looking first taste of what fans can expect from Kris Allen 2.0. He's no longer "just" an "Idol" winner. He's a musician in his own right, and the video sets him up as a worthy colleague to similarly-minded artists like the Fray, OneRepublic and John Mayer.
The video starts in near-darkness, but as the clip progresses (and as he plays more instruments), the sun slowly rises until the final moments, when a new day has officially dawned. Call me sentimental (and, okay, a crazy fan), but this video perfectly mirrors Kris' "Idol" journey in a deliciously subtle way. He began as a guy with little exposure during the early episodes, »
- Jim Cantiello
Jordan Knight Brings 'Jordan Idol' To The MTV Newsroom, Helps To Expand My Career
6 November 2009 1:49 PM, PST
Jordan Knight is currently touring the country in order to record an album. And while he's doing that, he's holding "Jordan Idol" events in various cities trying to find the best up-and-coming talent this great land has to offer, with the winner getting a personal boost into the industry from Knight himself. So, when I heard he was in New York City working on some new music and that I could have a chance to talk to him about his new music and "Jordan Idol," I literally jumped at the chance.
Back in the day, I kind of had the biggest crush on him ever. So imagine my surprise when he came in and I actually got the chance to meet the cutest of the New Kids on the Block. So, while he started talking about this weekend's "Jordan Idol" (which is being held this Saturday night at Le Poisson »
- Jocelyn Vena
John Mayer Can See The Future: The MTV News Quote Of The Day
6 November 2009 1:19 PM, PST
"I woke up with the song in my head called 'Half of My Heart.' And the idea is that it's this real sort of updated — not that it needs to be updated — sort of Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks thing. I thought, 'Well, if this is going to be my love letter to that style of music, who's going to be the Stevie Nicks in this equation?' And I thought, 'This Taylor Swift girl is going to be around for a long time.'"
-Singer, songwriter, guitar player and Internet meme aficionado John Mayer, talking about his collaboration with Taylor Swift. "Half of My Heart," which hit the Web on Thursday, comes from Mayer's upcoming album Battle Studies. Not surprisingly, the first seeds of the collaboration were planted on Twitter, where both Mayer and Swift are skilled regulars. He expressed a desire to work with her via the microblogging service, »
- MTV News
Strikeforce Preview: MTV's Jason 'Mayhem' Miller Will Become Middleweight Champion
6 November 2009 12:46 PM, PST
Before you watch Taylor Swift hosting and performing on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, spend some time on CBS checking out "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers," an Mma event live from the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The main event features legendary heavyweight Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko in a match against undefeated up-and-comer Brett Rogers. The card also features another excellent heavyweight match-up between Brazilians Fabricio Werdum and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and an intriguing head-to-head with Gegard Mousasi and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. It should be a fun night of fighting (if you're into that sort of thing).
But even if you're not into the sweet science of kickboxing and grappling, one particular fight is not to be missed. The wildly entertaining Jason "Mayhem" Miller — host of MTV's "Bully Beatdown" — will compete for the Strikeforce middleweight championship against friend and rival (and multi-time "Bully Beatdown" guest fighter) Jake Shields. »
- Kyle Anderson
Taylor Swift's 'Saturday Night Live' Gig: What You Can Expect
6 November 2009 11:59 AM, PST
Tomorrow night, Taylor Swift will once again grace the stage at Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center when she serves as both the host and musical guest on this week's edition of "Saturday Night Live." It's familiar territory for Swift, who was last on the show back in January, making this her second appearance overall (and the second in this calendar year). Considering the cast hasn't shifted that dramatically between last season and this one, she should be comfortable and familiar with her surroundings. As her promos for this week's show — as well as the promos she cut with host Neil Patrick Harris back in January — she's perfectly comfortable with banter.
Swift wouldn't reveal very much about this weekend's show (except that nothing would be off limits), there are a few things that are almost certain to happen on Saturday night.
She'll Be In An Andy Samberg-fueled Digital Short: When the gig was announced, »
- Kyle Anderson
Spotted: 50 Cent Smells Powerful
6 November 2009 10:37 AM, PST
Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.
50 Cent had a busy day yesterday, blowing the doors open on two new ventures as a lead-up to the November 16 release of his new album Before I Self Destruct. He premiered his new movie (also called "Before I Self Destruct") last night in New York. The film, which will be released the same day as the album, marks 50's directorial debut. It's a hard-edged tale of 'hood politics that contrasts pretty profoundly with the other product he debuted yesterday: "Power," his new fragrance. 50 met fans at Macy's in New York City for the unveiling of the new scent, just in time for the holidays. »
- MTV News
Rihanna Talks About The Night Of Chris Brown's Assault
6 November 2009 9:40 AM, PST
Ever since the news broke of Chris Brown's assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna back in February, we knew what the results were but details were always hazy about what exactly lead up to Brown's actions. Some of that was cleared up this morning on "Good Morning America," where another portion of Rihanna's "20/20" interview aired. She confirmed the rumor that the argument started over a text message Brown had received from another woman. "I caught him in a lie, and he wouldn't tell the truth," she told interviewer Diane Sawyer. "I couldn't take that he kept lying to me. And he couldn't take that I wouldn't drop it, so it escalated into him being violent towards me and ... it was ugly."
She went on to describe Brown's demeanor once he became violent. "He had no soul in his eyes, just blank," she said. "He was clearly blacked out. There was no person when I looked at him. »
- Kyle Anderson
Justin Bieber Giving Away 'Golden Tickets' In Copies Of My World
6 November 2009 9:08 AM, PST
Has any young artist done a better job at creating buzz for his debut album than Justin Bieber? The Canadian kid whose entire career was kickstarted after he posted footage of himself singing on YouTube has gone completely grassroots, building up his Twitter followers, making Facebook friends, dropping strategic singles and delivering on key performances on shows like "Today" and "Ellen." The build has all been leading up to the release of his album My World on November 17, which features the already-ubiquitous singles "One Time," "One Less Lonely Girl" and "Love Me."
Now comes the next chapter in Bieber's media blitz — one that he is borrowing from Willy Wonka. Bieber announced via his Twitter that select copies of his album will come bundled with golden tickets. The recipients of said tickets will be entitled to a fan-friendly prize that is typically Bieber: They will receive a private concert from the singer himself. »
- Kyle Anderson
The Jonas Brothers And Backstreet Boys Come Together At The MTV Europe Music Awards
6 November 2009 8:19 AM, PST
The Jonas Brothers and the Backstreet Boys brought their equally hot brand of boy band magic to the MTV Europe Music Awards yesterday (November 5). And things got really awesome when the guys all met up on the red carpet.
Believe it or not, the two generations of boy bands have a history with one another. That's probably why they all looked pretty excited to run into one another, catch up and share some laughs at the big show. The Jonas Brothers opened for Bsb a few years back (2005 to be exact, for Bsb's "Never Gone" tour) and we have to say this was the most exciting reunion in ages. (Except for that one time Kevin Richardson joined the rest of the band for one show and gave us all false hope for one moment.)
Last year, Brian Littrell sang the JoBros praises in an MTV News interview. "They're a talented bunch of kids. »
- Jocelyn Vena
If 'A Christmas Carol' Doesn't Put You In The Yuletide Mood, Mariah Carey And Christina Aguilera Can Help
6 November 2009 7:20 AM, PST
Even though we're just on the other side of Halloween, the public has already shifted its focus to Christmas. Store displays have shifted, Starbucks has drinks that are eggnog flavored and a handful of lunatics are already considering their Christmas trees. Today marks the first big film release of the holiday season in "A Christmas Carol," the Robert Zemeckis-directed animated feature that stars Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge. (For more on "A Christmas Carol," be sure to check out all the in-depth coverage over at MTV Movies.) There are plenty more holiday-themed platters on the way, but "A Christmas Carol" is the biggest Christmas-related film to hit theaters this season.
But let's face it: Today is November 6, a full 49 days before Santa Claus comes down the chimney. There's no shame in not feeling any yuletide cheer yet, as we're still a few weeks from Thanksgiving. But maybe you never miss a Jim Carrey movie, »
- Kyle Anderson
Britney Spears Says Her Name: Wake-Up Video
6 November 2009 6:00 AM, PST
Britney Spears will release a new hits compilation called The Singles Collection this Tuesday, but on November 6, 2001, she dropped a key album in her musical evolution and the collection that marked her transition from teen starlet to international pop superstar. Britney was a true turning point for Spears, who had spent the end of the 20th century riding high on the success of ...Baby One More Time and Oops! ... I Did It Again. In the lead-up to her third album, there were rumors flying around that Britney would be a more evolved, more "adult"-sounding collection, and when the first single "I'm a Slave 4 U" dropped (assisted by a hypnotic Pharrell beat and a video that featured legions of sweaty, gyrating, half-naked dancers), the hype seemed to be legitimate.
But the real first blush with emancipation from her teen pop past came with "Overprotected," the album's second single. The song »
- Kyle Anderson
The Cast Of 'Glee' Are Totally Not Jerks
5 November 2009 2:44 PM, PST
It's always a magical thing when you meet musicians or actors you admire and they turn out to be decent human beings. (We've all heard the horror stories, am I right?) Well, I'm pleased to say that I gave the cast of the hit show "Glee" cast my "Are They Jerks?" litmus test this morning, and they passed with flying colors.
Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn) and Amber Riley (Mercedes) stopped by MTV News to talk about the brand spankin' new "Glee: Music, Volume 1" soundtrack album, which just dropped this week. We snagged them at the tail-end of an intense week-long promo whirlwind, but you'd never know we were their 700th interview, given their bright faces and genuine dispositions. (700 might be an exaggeration. Sue me.)
You'll get to see my interview with the cast soon enough. We touched on everything from Madonna to Joss Whedon to off-screen romance »
- Jim Cantiello
Trey Songz' 'I Inveted Sex' Video: Dirty And Genius
5 November 2009 2:10 PM, PST
In the wee hours of the morning, Trey Songz hit up his Twitter to debut the world premiere of the video for his new single "I Invented Sex." Shot in black-and-white, it's a sexy seduction fantasy that casts Songz as the world's greatest lover. Along the way, plenty of underwear is dropped, ice cubes are introduced and elaborate tattoos are explored in detail. The clip certainly earns the "Parental Advisory" label the preempts it (it's also behind the sign-in wall on YouTube, because it "may contain material unsuitable for younger viewers"), as there are many, many images of Songz licking the inside of his lover's thigh. It's pretty amazing.
Even more amazing is the song itself, which is the best tune that R. Kelly never wrote. Produced by Los Da Mystro (a protegé of Christopher "Tricky" Stewart who is responsible for J. Holiday's "Bed"), it's something of a old-school jam »
- Kyle Anderson
Kristen Stewart Is Tired Of Dating Questions: The MTV News Quote Of The Day
5 November 2009 1:38 PM, PST
"There's no answer that's not going to tip you one way or the other. Think about every hypothetical situation: 'Ok, we are. We aren't. I'm a lesbian.' I'm just trying to keep something. I'm not going to give the fiending an answer. I know that people are really funny about 'Well, you chose to be an actor, why don't you just f---ing give your whole life away?! Can I have your firstborn child?'"
-"New Moon" star Kristen Stewart, talking to Entertainment Weekly about the constant questions she gets about her personal life — and specifically her relationship with co-star Robert Pattinson. Ever since "Twilight" became a smash success and Stewart became both a household name and a tabloid staple, the rumors about her relationship with Pattinson have been constant. She's clearly frustrated by the media blitz on her life, and she's not taking it lying down. "I probably »
- MTV News
Dane Cook Likes Scaring People
5 November 2009 12:37 PM, PST
Sometimes when the mood strikes us, we ask some of our favorite celebrities to list off five things we'd be surprised to know about them. So when I spoke to Dane Cook yesterday, he seemed like the perfect candidate for that line of questioning. He was pretty down with sharing five random facts about himself.
For instance, he's "very shy." Additionally, he's "an excellent cook." Lets' also not forget this fact: "I love to iron. I iron all my own clothes. I don't like wrinkly stuff."
Oh yeah, he also really loves Celine Dion. Without any irony, either. "I listen to Celine Dion sometimes," he shared. "No [I'm not kidding]. There's a couple songs that Jim Steinman wrote that she sings incredibly."
But it's this last fact that got me in on the joke. Cook told me he likes to scare people, and I got to learn that first-hand when he scared me »
- Jocelyn Vena
Spotted: Ashley Tisdale Rolls In Beverly Hills
5 November 2009 10:48 AM, PST
Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.
Apparently, "getting photographed in the front seat of a car" is the new "getting photographed shopping in Target" for stars in Los Angeles. A few weeks ago, Adam Lambert was spotted stealing a kiss from then-boyfriend Drake Labry, and a few weeks later Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner inspired plenty of "are they or aren't they?" rumors when they were seen in a car during a shopping trip. Yesterday, singer and "High School Musical" star Ashley Tisdale spent some time with music video director Scott Speer in Beverly Hills, and yes, they were spending time together in their ride.
Tisdale had a pretty busy summer, »
- MTV News
Happy Birthday, Kevin Jonas! Where Did The Time Go?
5 November 2009 9:55 AM, PST
Today the elder statesman of the Jonas Brothers clan, Kevin, marks another year on the calendar and turns 22 years old. (Coincidentally, he shares his birthday with MTV News' own Christopher "Cj" Smith, though Cj has never knowingly harmonized with his siblings.) And though he is still very young, Kevin has accomplished quite a bit in two decades and change.
He has sold millions of records, made millions of girls swoon for him, made movies and TV shows and even shared some laughs with MTV News. Let's also not forget that Kevin officially took himself off the market when he got engaged to longtime girlfriend, Danielle Deleassa, back in the spring.
Because we probably won't see him today to give him a cupcake, let's look back on the top five things Kevin shared with us here at MTV News over the course of his life.
5) Kevin had angel food cake at his high school graduation. »
- Jocelyn Vena
Rihanna's 'Good Morning America' Interview: 'I'm Not Perfect'
5 November 2009 9:20 AM, PST
In this age of 24-hour media, it's crazy to imagine that Rihanna has managed to go so long without really sitting down for an interview about the night of February 8, when she was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown. Friday night (November 6), she'll appear on ABC's "20/20" for a full sit-down interview with Diane Sawyer. A portion of that interview debuted on "Good Morning America" this morning, and the singer spoke tearfully about the aftermath. "People put me on a very unrealistic pedestal," she said. "And all these expectations ... I'm not perfect."
She was talking about the questions that arose when she and Brown were spotted vacationing together only three weeks after the assault, but she could have easily been discussing the way her music is currently being consumed.
The uphill battle for Rihanna is avoiding the "victim" tag in her return to the music world. So far, the new singles, images »
- MTV News
Jason DeRulo's 'Whatcha Say' Tops The Billboard Hot 100
5 November 2009 8:14 AM, PST
After the Black Eyed Peas took up permanent residence at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for most of the first part of the year, the recent weeks have been wide open, allowing a number of interesting and esoteric tracks to make their way to the top of the heap. Last week saw Owl City's "Fireflies" take the pole position, and this week sees Jason DeRulo's "Whatcha Say" as the top song in the country. DeRulo becomes the fourth artist this year to top the chart with a debut single, Lady Gaga ("Just Dance"), Jay Sean ("Down") and the aforementioned Owl City. (Of course, coupled with the recent chart surge and the New York Yankees' World Series victory, Jay-z's "Empire State of Mind" will probably topple it next week.)
"Whatcha Say" is a pretty unlikely chart-topper. The tune is built around a sample of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek, »
- Kyle Anderson
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