kikayz: April 2011

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Usher Gets Sick, Walks Offstage Mid-Show In Berlin

Singer cancels kick off date of European leg of his OMG Tour due to illness.
By Gil Kaufman

Usher (file)
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage

Usher was forced to delay the kick off of his European OMG Tour on Wednesday night in Berlin because of illness. In a statement released to fans, the singer apologized for the last-minute scratch, saying he felt he was suffering from a "sinus complication." Although the gig was rescheduled for Thursday night at the O2 World arena in Berlin, his German fans apparently weren't appeased by his effort.

"I am truly sorry to all my fans in Berlin who were inconvenienced by tonight's postponement of the show," the singer said in a statement about Wednesday's aborted concert. "I was ill and felt that I would not have been able to give them the show that they properly deserve. ... I am looking forward to performing tomorrow and giving Berliners a great show."

According to the statement, the singer received treatment from doctors for a sinus issue that affected his balance, but a visibly still-ailing Usher was unable to finish the Thursday make-up show, reportedly abandoning the stage after just five songs.

On Friday (January 14), a follow-up statement from his spokesperson confirmed that he was too ill to play Thursday night's Berlin date and has been forced to reschedule the next three dates on the tour as well. The Rotterdam show originally scheduled for this week has been moved to March 1 and a show in Antwerp, also slated for this week, has been bumped to March 7.

The statement also updated the singer's condition: "Usher is suffering from upper respiratory illness, which is currently preventing him from performing a proper show. After consultation with doctors, he has been advised to reschedule the upcoming dates in order to get the rest he needs to ensure a complete recovery."

Footage posted on YouTube that was purportedly taken at the make-up performance in Berlin shows Usher standing silently at the microphone seemingly unable to sing, with fans booing him at first and then chanting, "Usher, Usher," as he approaches the microphone and apologizes to them for his struggles. "I appreciate your support," he told the fans wearily.

"I have been very excited about my European Tour and I deeply regret having to reschedule the shows," the singer said in the new statement. "I am truly sorry for any inconvenience I have caused my fans. My fans are the best in the world and I am looking forward to getting better so that I can give them the show they deserve."

Usher wrapped up the North American leg of his tour in December and his overseas dates are slated to last through the spring.

What do you think of the fans' reaction to Usher's walking offstage mid-show? Tell us in the comments.

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Usher

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655991/usher-gets-sick-walks-offstage-midshow-berlin.jhtml

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Photos | MTV Buzzworthy: What If Justin Bieber Grew A Mustache?

MTV Buzzworthy: What If Justin Bieber Grew A Mustache?

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Justin Bieber

Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1659456

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Ke$ha Wants 'Till The World Ends' Remix To 'Take Over Airwaves'

Singer says her collaboration with Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj made a 'supergroup of three hot, strong women.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias

Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News

Earlier this week, Britney Spears, Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj dropped their femme-fatale-friendly remix of the Spears club track "Till the World Ends." The already fun song got super-charged thanks to Minaj's cutting verses and Ke$ha's recognizable vocals.

"I'm a massive fan of both the ladies I share the track with," K told MTV News on Wednesday at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. "I wrote 'TTWE' for Britney with [producers] Dr. Luke and Max [Martin] and she killed it and I loved it, but I just thought a supergroup of three hot, strong women could just take over the airwaves."

Ke$ha went on to give props to both the ladies. "I'm such a massive fan of Britney and I'm such a massive supporter of Nicki and a fan, and chicks sometimes don't team up. I don't know why, but I'm, like, huge on the girl power, so I just wanted to make a power girl track take over."  

The remix quickly won praise from fans who seem to think the new features step up the song's game. "You know, with the three of us, I wasn't necessarily surprised [people like it] because I'm such a massive fan of Nicki Minaj and obviously with Britney I'm a fan of it, [taking] myself out of the equation," she said. "I'm just happy people like it."  

So did Ke$ha (who once sang backup for Spears) feel any pressure writing a song for Britney? "There was no pressure. Writing for somebody else is really fun 'cause I consider myself a songwriter first and foremost," she explained. "So it was so much fun to put my brain in the sexy Britney Spears brain and express myself almost as if I were possessed by her."

Jaime King Jaime Pressly Jamie Chung Jamie Gunns Jamie Lynn Sigler

Chris Brown Takes Stage With Justin Bieber In Australia

Bieber's 'Up' remix partner surprised the crowd in Sydney on Thursday.
By Jocelyn Vena

Chris Brown (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Rumors abounded in recent days that Justin Bieber would be canceling a scheduled Australian gig because of a back injury. Not only did Bieber not cancel his Thursday (April 28) show in Sydney, he even brought a special guest to the gig.

"I don't cancel ... In route to Sydney!! THE SHOW IS ON!! I don't let my fans down! LEGGO!! #myworldtour," he wrote on Twitter before the gig. "Sydney ... Leggo! #myworldtour"

Hours later, Bieber and his crew revealed to fans who couldn't be at the show that his "Up" remix partner, Chris Brown, had taken the stage with him Down Under. "@JustinBieber and @ChrisBrown just tore the stage down. INSANE. #MyWorldTour," music video director and Bieber insider Alfredo Flores tweeted. Fans then began to weigh in on the pairing, causing Bieber to retweet their kind praise for the performance.

"I feel bad for that stage cause I just heard @justinbieber & @chrisbrown just killed the stage! LOOK AT ME NOW!" AlexisDanielle6 wrote.

Another Belieber, annargh, added, "@JustinBieber that was the most amazing concert I've ever been to! You are so talented! THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT WITH US."

Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, even tweeted a picture of the two performing together, writing, "Look At Them Now! @justinbieber and @chrisbrown 2nite in SYDNEY ... KILL'T IT!"

Bieber obviously had the final say, writing, "And they thought we might cancel tonight. Look at Me Now! I love Australia! #SWAG."

According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, the crowd of nearly 16,000 girls went mad as Bieber played on the latest stop on his My World tour at the Acer Arena. "By the time the countdown clock announced the arrival of the 17-year-old superstar, you would have thought these over-excited, sugar-fueled kids would be ready to relax and enjoy the show," the review noted. "Nope, they blew the decibel reader into the red — reaching 110 decibels between songs — the equivalent of a chainsaw. Ear plugs were a matter of survival."

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Casey Abrams Feels 'Really Good' About His 'American Idol' Exit

Latest castoff denies dating 'very special musical friend' Haley Reinhart.
By Gil Kaufman

Casey Abrams
Photo: FOX

When Casey Abrams ended up standing next to Jacob Lusk and Scotty McCreery on "American Idol" on Thursday night, he had a feeling the end was nigh. Then, when Lusk was sent to safety, well, that was all she wrote.

"Everyone was just so incredible [on Wednesday night]. ... My performance was pretty good, but seeing Jacob kill it and then seeing Haley kill it, seeing Scotty and Lauren kill it and Durbin obviously ... it just made me feel like, 'These guys are incredible. These guys could carry the show. I don't really need to be here, so if I go home tomorrow, I'm prepared,' " he said of the thoughts going through his head after Wednesday night's Carole King performance show.

But, facing a deluge of questions about the status of his relationship with frequent duet buddy (and reported offscreen paramour) Haley Reinhart during a call with reporters on Friday morning (April 29), Abrams made sure to clear up the most important bit of business about the rest of his career first, saying that the moment the two shared at the end of his final performance on Thursday night was unplanned and not a sign of anything other than good times. "I was saying goodbye to my very special musical friend," he explained of their eye-lock, emphasizing that they are not, and never were, a couple.

Abrams said he was "feeling really good, actually" about things on Friday morning and that he never really got too upset about the results. "I felt really good even afterwards. Maybe I'll break down crying some other time. But right now, I feel really good about what happened last night."

In his typical fashion, Abrams went out with a bang, not only having his "Haley moment," but also kissing audience members and the judges and rolling around onstage. "What was going through my mind was just, 'Make this good,' " he said of his jubilant goodbye. "I was completely on random mode. I didn't plan on ending up on Haley; it just happened that way. Nothing was planned."

Though we saw him play acoustic and electric bass, piano, guitar and melodica on the show, Abrams revealed that he also dabbles in drums, sitar, accordion, cello and clarinet. When it comes to how he might corral all that prodigious instrumental talent into a live show, he said it would likely bear the title, "Pure Craziness" and encompass everything from hard rock to smooth jazz, much like his first post-"Idol" album.

With a number of shaky vocal performances over the course of his tenure on the show, Casey said that, even with his long background in studying and playing music, being on "Idol" has done a lot for his confidence as a performer. "Everything. It's done every single thing," he said. "I used to not like to sing in public, and now I feel like I'm singing a little bit too much. Now I'll sing in the hallways with random people I don't even know. Maybe that's a bad thing, but I just feel a lot more comfortable onstage, and I feel like I can do anything onstage now."

Although the judges and mentor Jimmy Iovine had warned Casey to dial back the growling and scowling after his take on Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the singer had fallen back into his old ways in recent weeks, begging the question of whether he was purposely ignoring their counsel. "It is kind of how I sing when I don't think about it," he explained. "I think that's a good place to be when you don't think about how you sing. ... It's a gray area. It's hard to define what's a good growl and what's a bad growl."

Like other contestants who have benefited from the judges' save in the past, Abrams said he felt the pressure of having the panel bail him out and dedicated himself to working even harder because it would have been "really embarrassing" to go home the very next week. That said, Abrams admitted he never expected to get as far as he did, or win, and feels pretty great about making it to the top six.

Asked for his final thoughts, Abrams said simply, "Don't take yourself too seriously. Take music seriously, but not yourself."

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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'American Idol' Season 10 Performances

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662991/casey-abrams-american-idol-exit.jhtml

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Britney Spears - Dance Till The World Ends

Dance Till The World Ends

Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive, Zomba Label Group
Director: Ray Kay
Album: Femme Fatale

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=501686&vid=644167

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Princesses Eugenie & Beatrice: Hats Off

Fabulous hats! Princesses Eugenie (blue outfit) and Beatrice (Beige outfit) - the daughters of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York - were seen arriving at the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton held at Westminster Abbey on Friday (April 29).

The princesses dressed to impress! Eugenie, 21, set off her bold blue floral Vivienne Westwood suit with a stylish hat with feathers and flowers, while Beatrice, 22, accented her red locks with a sculptural topper to match her Valentino coat.

Top Story? (feature beneath menu):

Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2011/04/29/princesses-eugenie-beatrice-hats-off

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Beyonc� - If I Were A Boy

If I Were A Boy

Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia/Music World Music
Director: Jake Nava
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236911&vid=288236

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Usher - Moving Mountains

Moving Mountains

Artist: Usher
Label: LaFace Records/Zomba Label Group
Director: The Brothers Strauss
Album: Here I Stand

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1270&vid=235341

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Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj And Ke$ha 'Till The World Ends' Remix Leaks

Reworked tune features an opening verse by Minaj as Ke$ha sings atop Spears' vocals throughout the song.
By James Dinh

Britney Spears' "Til The World Ends"
Photo: Jive

Britney Spears isn't the only pop titan dancing until the world ends: Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha have joined forces to add a new spin on an all-female remix of Femme Fatale's second single, "Till the World Ends."

The reworked dance anthem, which leaked online Friday (April 22), appears to have surfaced earlier than expected as noted by a series of countdowns on all three of the stars' websites.

Mixing the dance tune's original sonic swirls with heavier bass, Britney tourmate Minaj starts off the remix by throwing down an aggressive verse, in which she calls out a female hater: "A-A-A-A-A-AYE!/ Chimpanzees is hatin', but I take it all in stride/ Put her in a jungle with bananas on the side/ Told you they'd revive your career, but somebody lied/ I ain't talkin' poultry when I say this chicken's fried."

After Minaj spits a few introductory bars, Spears delivers the song's first verse before an introduction for the all-star trio. "It's Britney, bitch. I'm Nicki Minaj and that's Ke$ha!" the Young Money MC proclaims.

Ke$ha, who originally wrote the track for the pop princess, takes part in singing the club-ready track's chorus. Spears soon takes back control of the song as Ke$ha shadows the singer's lines toward the end of the second verse and bridge. Unlike the original version, the "Till the World Ends" remix also features a stuttering dubstep dance break.

News of a star-studded collaboration was hinted earlier this week when producer Dr. Luke tweeted, "@NICKIMINAJ killed it tonight!!!! thanks!!!"

Have you heard the all-star "Till The World Ends" remix? Share your reviews in the comments!

Heidi Montag Hilarie Burton Hilary Duff Hilary Swank Isla Fisher

Michael Jackson - Hollywood Tonight

Hollywood Tonight

Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic
Director: Wayne Isham

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1102&vid=634970

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Friday, April 29, 2011

Report: Meredith Vieira to Leave 'Today' in June

It looks like Meredith Vieira will be making an early exit from the Today show. In recent weeks there has been much speculation that the morning show host would vacate her seat next to Matt Lauer when her contract was up in September. But now The Hollywood Reporter says that Vieira will definitely say goodbye to the show in June.

An official announcement has still yet to be made, but rumor has it that Ann Curry will be promoted to cohost, while correspondent Natalie Morales will take Curry's place at Today's news desk.

Vieira, 57, took over for Katie Couric in 2006, when Couric left to anchor the CBS Evening News. Couric announced this week that she'll be making a move as well, and will be leaving her post to pursue other endeavors.

Vieira's decision to leave Today is said to be personal. She has been taking care of her husband Richard Cohen, who continues to struggle with multiple sclerosis.

But a network source tells People.com that her family may not be the main reason for her departure.

"Meredith has decided she simply does not want to continue with the grind of a daily morning news show," the source says. "This isn't about leaving to tend to her family -- it's about being done with the phase of her career that requires this sort of a daily, on-air commitment. This didn't come out of the blue and is something she's talked about for some time."

An NBC News spokesperson declined comment.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/report-meredith-vieira-leave-today-june/1-a-344633

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Tori Spelling's Royal Wedding Prep

An expectant Tori Spelling stepped out with her assistant on Thursday (April 28) to prepare for her Royal Wedding party. The Beverly Hills, 90210 star Tweeted about her shopping trip: "Just went 2 cutest British gifts & foods store "Oh, Fancy That" in Tarzana 4 goodies 4 my Royal Sleepover Viewing Party 2nite!"

In honor of the royal nuptials, the mom-of-two hosted a "Royal Wedding Sleepover Party" for her friends and family at her house. "I'm telling all my friends girls and gays and Dean ? poor Dean ? to come over to my house Friday morning at 1 a.m," Tori told People. "I'm having about 10 friends/royal fanatics."

Top Story? (feature beneath menu):

Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2011/04/29/tori-spellings-royal-wedding-prep

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My Chemical Romance's 'Sing' Is 'Propaganda,' Glenn Beck Says

Fox News pundit singled out the song, performed on 'Glee' in February, during his broadcast Thursday.
By James Montgomery

My Chemical Romances' Gerard Way and Glenn Beck
Photo: Getty Images

Having apparently run out of things to terrify your parents (and your aunt in Arizona) with, conservative radio host/Fox News pundit Glenn Beck is now turning his attention to My Chemical Romance and their song "Sing," which he describes as "propaganda."

During Thursday's broadcast of his self-titled daily Fox News show, Beck — who in the past has vilified everyone from Barack Obama to "reform rabbis" — launched into an attack that was, at first, about the content of the TV show "Glee" (which he admitted he watched in "stunned horror and admiring awe"), but then quickly segued into a dissection of "Sing's" lyrics, which Beck read aloud with fervent terror.

"Pay attention to the lyrics," he cautioned. "This is propaganda ... it's an anthem saying 'Join us.' How can you and I possibly win against that?"

Beck was bringing up "Sing's" lyrics (which he attributed to "Chemical Romance") because, as he warned his viewers, our children "are not tethered to anything" and parents "have to be über vigilant" about the shows they watch, since "our whole culture right now is set up for you and the values you grew up on to lose."

"You don't have to live by the standards that society has set," he said. "You know what is right."

"Sing" was performed on an episode of "Glee" back in February, and My Chemical Romance has since reissued the song to raise money for the Red Cross' ongoing disaster relief efforts in Japan, in part because, as they told MTV News last week, they noticed their fans had begun using the lyrics to send messages of hope to the nation.

"We talked about something that we could do, and at first we were thinking about writing a new song to raise money for charity," MCR guitarist Ray Toro said. "And on Twitter, something we had seen was #SINGitforjapan, and it was kids starting this Twitter feed, writing messages of hope. And that really inspired us, and we just set to work, and after a couple weeks, we were able to pull this thing together."

A spokesperson for the band did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on Beck's statements, but in a tweet Thursday, Toro wrote simply, "Mission accomplished," and included a link to Beck's segment on the song. Guitarist Frank Iero was less polite, tweeting, "Yay! F--- that dude's face with Obama's birth certificate."

Related Artists

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662964/my-chemical-romance-glenn-beck-sing.jhtml

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Donald Trump: Fighting with Obama & Letterman

Trading barbs as he immerses himself in the political arena, Donald Trump was on both the firing and receiving end of public tiffs with David Letterman and President Barack Obama over the past twenty-four hours.

The "Apprentice" mogul continued his belittling of the U.S. Commander-In-Chief during an event in Nevada on Thursday (April 28) in which he called Obama "stupid".

Trump told the Las Vegas casino audience, ?Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people. It?s just very, very sad.?

All of the negative banter seemed to get under the skin of late night talk show host David Letterman, who insinuated that Donald is a "racist" while chatting with his latest guest, Dr. Phil.

?It?s all fun, it?s all a circus, it?s all a rodeo ? until it starts to smack of racism," Letterman told. Then asking Dr. Phil if he considers Trump a racist, the do-good doctor said, ?I do not,? while adding that the self-proclaimed billionaire lacks the quality of thinking before speaking.

Seemingly not in agreement, Letterman then said, ?If he comes back on this show, and I am not sure we want him back on this show under these circumstances, he ought to be prepared to apologize just for that kind of behavior.?

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/donald-trump/donald-trump-fighting-obama-letterman-501459

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Ke$ha - Take It Off

Take It Off

Artist: Ke$ha
Label: RCA
Director: Paul Hunter, Dori Oskowitz

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3213641&vid=549666

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Photos | Led Zeppelin Reunite At London Concert

Led Zeppelin Reunite At London Concert

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Led Zeppelin

Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1576195

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Nick Cannon: Mariah Carey "Ready to Just Pop"

The clock is ticking for Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, as the married couple is about to become first-time parents!

Cannon, 30, appeared on The Talk Thursday and told the ladies that fatherhood is just around the corner for him. "How's (Mariah) doing? She's pregnant," Cannon said. "She's doing amazing, but literally, it's any moment now. It's not even any day now… She is ready to just pop!"

Cannon says that he and his wife, 42, who had an Easter egg painted on her huge belly last weekend, are more than ready to meet their son and daughter. The America's Got Talent host said he and Carey almost headed to the hospital Wednesday night. "The baby nurse and all that is ready. (The) bags are packed! I don't know why I'm here!" he joked.

Impending fatherhood has changed the actor, who calls himself a former "daredevil."

"I was filming America's Got Talent, and I do a lot of crazy stuff on that show," he explained. "And I found myself thousands of feet in the air in a hot-air balloon. The only thing separating me from the ground was a wicker basket. And I looked down, and (at) that moment, I was like 'I can't do this anymore.' A good gust of wind, and my children might never meet their father!"

"I've got to take into consideration that I've got other lives that I'm responsible for," he said.

We're just as ready for Mariah and Nick's babies to get here. Between the pregnancy speculation, the confirmation, and her growing baby belly, it feels like she has been pregnant forever!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/nick-cannon-mariah-carey-ready-just-pop/1-a-344619

Ali Larter Alice Dodd Alicia Keys Alicia Witt Amanda Bynes

Photos | 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premieres In Los Angeles

'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premieres In Los Angeles

Ali Larter Alice Dodd Alicia Keys Alicia Witt Amanda Bynes

Chuckie Will Debut Michael Jackson Remix In Miami

Official 'Hollywood Tonight' remix coming to Miami Music Week.
By Akshay Bhansali

Chuckie
Photo: Jason Ano/ One and Only Productions

Leaving the South by Southwest festival, Lavo New York and Las Vegas' Marquee in his wake, house DJ Chuckie has his sights set on the week ahead. With Miami Music Week now upon us, Chuckie plans to seize the opportunity to debut new material. Fans will be tickled to know the Dutch producer has tracks in the can with Kelly Rowland and T-Pain, but when MTV News caught up with him Friday in New York, Chuckie shared the achievement of which he's most proud.

"I did a Michael Jackson remix, which was really scary — to touch Michael Jackson vocals," Chuckie said. "I did this remix for this track 'Hollywood Tonight.' I couldn't say it for a minute: The label called me, and they said, 'You can't say nothing about this. It's kind of a secret project.' It's gonna come out anytime now."

"Hollywood Tonight" was originally produced by Teddy Riley for Jackson's posthumous Michael album, and Chuckie's mix of the song will be the sole official remix of the track.

"I will play it Miami," Chuckie revealed. "I told them this is the best week to launch the remix. So it feels really good. I'm the only one remixing that Michael Jackson track, and they are considering it a single. For me, especially, it's an honor to remix the King of Pop because he died on my birthday."

So, will the mix be a thundering Chuckie Dutch house banger or will it have a melodic progressive house feel, like his Marquee remix of Diddy-Dirty Money's "I Hate That You Love Me"? Well, according to the "Let the Bass Kick" producer, fans will be getting a healthy dose of both.

"I had to bring in the raucous," Chuckie confessed. "Yeah, I did the Chuckie flavor, but then again, I wanted to make it really musical, so I went progressive (house) on it."

Chuckie will be performing twice at Miami Music Week: at the Cr2 Records Party at Wall Lounge on Wednesday, and then headlining "No Sugar Added" at Nikki Beach on Friday.

Are you excited to hear Chuckie's remix of Michael Jackson's "Hollywood Tonight"? Let us know in the comments below!

Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli Beyonc? Bianca Kajlich

Photos | Justin Bieber's Grammy Night

Justin Bieber's Grammy Night

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'Conan The Barbarian' Is A 'Revenge Story,' Jason Momoa Says

'I've never played a role that was played by someone else,' star tells MTV News of Arnold Schwarzenegger's version.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Jason Momoa in "Conan the Barbarian"
Photo: Simon Varsano

"There's nothing tongue-in-cheek about it at all," Stephen Lang told us about the "Conan the Barbarian" reboot in which he co-stars. His point was that even unapologetic fans of Arnold Schwarzenegger's over-the-top films have to admit that, by the time Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain popped up in 1984's "Conan the Destroyer," the franchise had veered from campily charming to just plain silly.

With Jason Momoa slipping into the title role, Lang promised, this new "Conan" would have more in common with Robert E. Howard's swashbuckling original stories than the Governator's movies. That's certainly the impression we've received from early photos and a teaser trailer, and that's exactly what Momoa himself told us when MTV News caught up with him recently. In fact, the 31-year-old hasn't even seen those earlier films.

"I've never played a role that was played by someone else," he said. "As an actor, to build the character, I wanted to use my imagination and be creative and use my own interpretation."

Thus, Momoa dove into Howard's source material, "Conan" comic books, and the lush artwork of Frank Frazetta. "Both my parents were painters," Momoa said. "You look at those paintings, and you don't need to read a story. You just know that dude is bad."

The flick is set to hit theaters August 19, and as part of MTV News' Summer Movie Preview, we're not only rolling out an exclusive photo of Momoa in character, but had the actor lay out what we can expect to see up onscreen.

"It kind of is an origin story," he said. "It's rebuilding and rebooting the franchise. It starts with his birth, what happened to his family, what happened to his father — obviously his father is killed — and him going into the pirating and the thieving and wandering and being the degenerate that he is and then usurping a throne and finding out who killed his father. It's a revenge story, with a little bit of love in there."

And while Momoa hasn't "actually seen the Arnold stuff," as he put it, he can't wait to finally check it out. "I want to see mine and then I'm going to watch that one — back to back!" he laughed.

It's Summer Movie Preview Week, and MTV News will be bringing you exclusive interviews, clips and photos for the most anticipated films of the coming months. Get ready to gorge on inside looks at "Captain America," "The Hangover Part II," "X-Men: First Class," "Cowboys & Aliens" and more.

Check out everything we've got on "Conan the Barbarian."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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2011 Summer Movie Preview Week

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662913/conan-the-barbarian-jason-momoa.jhtml

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Photos | Lady Gaga Leads The 2010 VMA Nominees

Lady Gaga Leads The 2010 VMA Nominees

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Thursday, April 28, 2011

'Glee' Covers 'Born This Way': The Story Behind The Song

McKinley High singers took on Lady Gaga's instant hit on this week's 90-minute episode.
By Aly Semigran

Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele on the "Born This Way" episode of "Glee"
Photo: Adam Rose/FOX

Lady Gaga's smash "Born This Way" is a song that seemed almost tailor-made for "Glee." The track's inspirational lyrics, aimed in particular at the LGBT community, echo the very sentiment creator Ryan Murphy tries to convey each week on the popular series.

So it was of no surprise that Tuesday night's super-size 90-minute episode of "Glee," about self-love and acceptance — which happened to be titled "Born This Way" — featured Gaga's anthem about those very subjects. (The chorus urges, "Don't hide yourself in regret/ Just love yourself and you're set/ I'm on the right track, baby/ I was born this way.")

Gaga is no stranger to getting "Glee" love, as the one-of-a-kind pop star was the subject of season one's "Theatricality." But before castmembers Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz and Naya Rivera gave "BTW" a "Glee" twist, the song already made its mark on 2011's musical landscape. Released on February 11, two days earlier than its planned release, "Born This Way" was the first single off of Lady Gaga's upcoming album of the same name.

The club-ready tune, which was penned by Gaga, Paul Blair, Jeppe Larson and Fernando Garibay, became an instant hit. It not only debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the 1,000th song to do so, but it also marked Gaga's seventh top 10 song in a row.

But that's not to say all of these impressive feats didn't come without some criticism. While the song garnered mostly positive reviews, at first listen many critics and experts said the song sounded similar to some other classic pop ditties, most notably Madonna's "Express Yourself."

For instance, John Polly of the Logo network told MTV News back in February, "She seems to borrow pretty heavily, clearly visually, and sonically, from Madonna. Which is probably super smart, I mean, why wouldn't you?"

But that didn't stop Gaga (she argued to NME magazine that the only real similarity between her song and Madge's classic was the chord progression) and her Little Monsters from turning "BTW" into an anthem. As her friend/ celebrity blogger Perez Hilton told MTV News, "It is a very gay song — unapologetically gay, in-your-face gay — but it's also a universal song that can relate to everyone."

In addition to all that, "BTW" became the fastest-selling song in the history of iTunes, when it sold more than 1 million copies worldwide in just five days. Sales were no doubt propelled by the singer's various live performances of the song, most memorably her appearance at the 2011 Grammy Awards. It was there that the 25-year-old star arrived in an egg. The superstar has also been sharing the song with concertgoers on her Monster Ball Tour.

"Born This Way" not only made its mark onstage, but onscreen as well, with the premiere of its music video in late February. Keeping in line with her other unconventional vids, the seven-minute-plus clip features everything from outer-space to zombies in tuxedos to unicorns (not to mention a tongue-in-cheek nod to the Madonna controversy in which Gaga sports the star's iconic gap in her front teeth.

And as with anything that becomes part of the pop culture mold, parody is bound to follow. While "Glee" pays tribute, "Weird Al" Yankovic found his own way to pay homage. The 51-year-old singer created a silly spinoff of the song with his take on Gaga's onstage antics called "Perform This Way."

"Perform This Way" caused a bit of a stir, but not because of its jabs at Gaga. There was a bit of a misunderstanding between Gaga and Yankovic after he criticized her manager for denying his request to release his song. But as it turned out, Gaga had never heard the song in the first place.

Yankovic explained on his blog, "Even though we assumed that Gaga herself was the one making the decision (because, well, that's what we were TOLD), he apparently made the decision completely on his own." He later noted she "loves the song." Because that is, after all, the Gaga way.

What did you think of the "Glee" cover of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way"?

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662734/glee-lady-gaga-born-this-way.jhtml

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CANDIDS: Halle Berry & Billy D. Williams Get Kissy + Zoe Saldana Goes Shopping & Rihanna Bows Out

Three of our favorite YBF chicks were spotted out and about in the L.A. area yesterday. Come inside to see Halle Berry, Zoe Saldana and Rihanna.

Halle Berry was spotted placing a goodbye smooch on the lips of screen legend Billy D. Williams yesterday.

The pair had just finished having lunch.

And Halle looked fab in her black and pink sundress.

Meanwhile, Zoe Saldana was photographed running errands around town.

And even during a casual stroll down the block she looks like a movie star.

And Rihanna was spotted leaving Phillippe Chow in West Hollywood.

RiRi recently told "Top of the Pops" that “When I have a day off, I usually just laze around for as long as possible. I watch TV in bed, blast music out really loudly, or maybe go shopping,”

She rocked a large blue bow in her hair.

I think the bow is fun idea. I wonder if it will catch on.

Photos via Ape / Splash News/INFPhoto/FAME Pictures

Source: http://theybf.com/2011/04/28/candids-halle-berry-billy-d-williams-get-kissy-zoe-saldana-goes-shopping-rihanna-bows-out

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'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2' Trailer Debuts

Highly anticipated clip shows mysterious Snape, Harry's mother, Lily, and several other key scenes.
By Terri Schwartz

Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
Photo: Warner Bros.

There's been a lot of build up to the first trailer for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," from the sneak peeks at new footage to a whole slew of new photos to the opening scene being posted online. Fortunately, the trailer that premiered Wednesday (April 27) on ABC Family made good on all of the hype and surpassed our expectations.

The most exciting and perhaps most surprising thing about the scenes featured in the new trailer is the focus on Snape and his significant flashback sequence. In the opening moments, not only is Snape shown in the now-recognizable scene outside of the Potters' home in Godric's Hollow. But there are also several other key moments included here, including one of Harry's mother, Lily, growing a lily in her palm (a reference to a story Horace Slughorn told in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince").

With the majority of "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" set to focus on the final showdown between Harry and his nemesis, Voldemort, it comes as no shock that most of the trailer showcases plenty of new sequences from the epic last battle. It definitely looks like "Part 2" will have the best fight scenes to date from the series, be it when hundreds of wizards hurtle spells at Hogwarts' defenses, when the statues in Hogwarts come to life to defend the castle, or when Voldemort walks through a room of dead wizards.

But some of the scenes are more poignant than others. Ron weeping over his brother's dead body, Narcissa Malfoy looking troubled (maybe because of a decision she makes in regard to Harry?), Tonks in the midst of fighting and Molly Weasley throwing an attack spell are moments that should resonate with fans of the series or just heighten the excitement for those who've only seen the movies and don't know what's coming next. Harry's line, "I never wanted any of you to die for me," should tug at plenty of heart strings.

There are other extended sequences of previously seen scenes too. Several sequences showing the dragon at the Gringott's breakout have been added into the mix and a longer look at the destruction of the Room of Requirements blends in nicely with the action from the final battle.

But the shots of Snape will likely be considered to be some of the most thrilling in the trailer. It's nice that Warner Bros. is recognizing just how significant a character he is in "Deathly Hallows, Part 2," and using the mystery surrounding him — Is Snape good or is Snape evil? — as the primary vehicle for heightening anticipation for the film.

Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662831/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-2-trailer-debut.jhtml

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Britney Spears - Hold It Against Me

Hold It Against Me

Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive, Zomba Label Group
Director: Jonas Akerlund

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=501686&vid=624145

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Blake Lively's New Shade Has "Under The Sea" Running Through Her Head, Too

"It's for the film 'Hick.' I thought [my character] needed red hair. It helps when you're playing a role, when I don't feel like myself. And I don't really feel like myself with red hair… I feel like Ariel."

—Blake Lively explains that she hasn't gone strawberry blonde permanently and that the new shade is for a movie. As for "The Little Mermaid" comparison, glad to hear that she saw it, too. Perhaps wearing a turquoise dress (Ariel's signature color) wasn't the best choice. The parallel wouldn't have been as obvious if she were rocking an LBD. [People]

Source: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-blake-livelys-new-shade-has-under-the-sea-running-through-her-head-too/?eref=RSS

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Is Tiffany Thornton Disney's Next Big Star?

With Sonny with a Chance star Demi Lovato suddenly exiting the small screen and Wizards of Waverly Place's Selena Gomez not far behind, who will take over their spots atop the mantel of Disney Channel TV starlets? Look no further than Tiffany Thornton.

Don't let Tiffany's ripe old age of 25 or her upcoming marriage fool you. She can do "teen" with the best of them, especially now that she's the star of So Random!, the post-Lovato reincarnation of Sonny with a Chance.

Having played Tawni Hart on Sonny since 2009, Tiffany’s already a recognizable face to kids and tweens across the country, but the spotlight is much brighter now. And smaller. Will Tiffany be a breakout star like Lovato, Gomez, Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly), and Miley Cyrus?

Well, Tiffany had the poise of a star when she appeared on Fox & Friends last Tuesday morning, talking about her new show, Demi and her strong Christian faith. She also described how a life-threatening bout of meningitis inspired her to become the national spokesperson for Voices of Meningitis, a campaign to raise awareness about meningococcal vaccination for preteens and teens.

Like Debby Ryan, another rising Disney Channel star (who is seven years Thornton's junior), Tiffany has acted in a TV movie -- Hatching Pete --- and sung on various Disney soundtracks and albums. Give her just a little more time, and she might be the queen of teen TV before she hits 30.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/tiffany-thornton-disneys-next-big-star/1-a-344068

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Kim Kardashian W magazine covers

Kim Kardashian

Enjoy the pictures of Kim Kardashian is sporting nothing but her birthday suit on the front of the new issue of W magazine. [gallery=742]

Source: http://www.celebritygossiphollywood.com/celebrities/kim-kardashian-celebrities/kim-kardashian-w-magazine-covers/

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Ke$ha - My First Kiss

My First Kiss

Artist: Ke$ha
Label: Photo Finish Records
Director: Isaac Ravishankara

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3213641&vid=523194

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Lady Gaga Says 'Judas' Video 'Celebrates Faith'

' 'Judas' is a metaphor and an analogy about forgiveness and betrayal,' Gaga says of song and video.
By Jocelyn Vena

Lady Gaga
Photo: Michael Loccisano/ Getty Images

Next week, fans will finally get to see Lady Gaga's "Judas" video, when it premieres during "American Idol." But while we wait, Gaga opened up about the video in a recent interview, giving fans a better sense of what they might see in the clip.

"Well, the video, in essence, suggests that forgiveness and betrayal are hand in hand," she told MSN Entertainment in Canada. "The video puts destiny above all things and postures that the mistakes in your life are in fact not mistakes at all, they are just part of your overarching potential and your destiny."

Though she didn't want to give away the full concept, Gaga did describe the clip's biblical and cultural references. "Well, I want to allow the video to speak for itself, but I will say that the theme of the video and the way that I wanted to aesthetically portray the story was as a motorcycle Fellini movie, where the apostles are revolutionaries in a modern-day Jerusalem. And I play Mary Magdalene, leading them into the town where we meet Jesus, and I will leave the rest for you to see," she teased further about the video, which she co-directed with Laurieann Gibson. "But it's meant more to celebrate faith than it is to challenge it."

While there has been some debate about the song's use of religious icons, Gaga said she doesn't mean for it to be a direct interpretation of Bible stories. "Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that my schooling [in Catholic school] informed the songwriting on that record in particular. 'Judas' is a metaphor and an analogy about forgiveness and betrayal and things that haunt you in your life, and how I believe that it's the darkness in your life that ultimately shines and illuminates the greater light that you have upon you," she said.

"Someone once said to me, 'If you have no shadows then you're not standing in the light.' So the song is about washing the feet of both good and evil, and understanding and forgiving the demons from your past in order to move into the greatness of your future," she continued. "I just like really aggressive metaphors — harder, thicker, darker — and my fans do as well. So it is a very challenging and aggressive metaphor, but it is a metaphor."

Gaga said that Born This Way will be more about the religion of pop culture than anything taught in Sunday school.

"Well, I'm fascinated with iconography, and I'm fascinated with the way that iconography is taught in terms of education to the world, whether it be through institutionalized religion or through symbolism or through movies or through music," she said.

"In a lot of ways it's about faith and hope, but not in the religious sense," she added. "It's about faith and hope in culture, especially in a time all over the world where many are in need of hope, in need of understanding, in need of love, in need of lack of prejudice, in need of no judgment, in need of acceptance. How can we look to culture for faith?"

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662707/lady-gaga-judas-music-video.jhtml

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Deadmau5 Brings Dance Music To The 'Masses,' Wolfgang Gartner Says

'He has a major role in the younger generation to this music,' producer/DJ tells MTV News of his collaborator.
By Adam Stewart

deadmau5
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images

It's no secret that 2010 was a pivotal year for electronic dance music here in the States. With deadmau5 and Swedish House Mafia becoming household names, the genre's momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Using a conduit of collaboration, artists such as deadmau5 (a.k.a. Joel Zimmerman) have paired up with various underground acts to further the rapid expansion of the genre.

Perhaps one of the most notable movers and shakers of the year is now-Grammy-Award-nominated producer and DJ Wolfgang Gartner, who recently sat down to chat with MTV News about deadmau5 and dance music's rise to the top.

"He has a major role in the younger generation to this music," Gartner says, "but there have been certain artists that have been instrumental in helping it cross over and reach the mainstream — which I think is a good thing. I think rap artists using dance beats is a great thing. I think it just brings more people towards this music that we all love."

Thanks to several key moments, such as deadmau5 taking the helm as house DJ (well, technically "House Artist") for the 2010 VMAs, dance music has been thrown into the forefront of America's youth, a key demographic for any genre.

"Everybody knows who he is now and he's kind of exposing the masses to dance music. These little five-, six- and seven-year-old kids latch on to this 'mau5head' logo — they get into the music and he's bringing this tiny young generation into this music that probably wouldn't be exposed to it."

Gartner certainly doesn't mind the exposure either. Unless you were living under a rock for the past six months, you probably heard one of this past summer's hottest anthems, "Animal Rights," a collaborative effort brought forth by deadmau5 and Gartner.

"It was interesting because I kind of had a preconceived notion about how he would be to work [with]," said Gartner. "I think our sounds are really similar, so I figured he would work in a similar way to me, but the way that he writes music is actually completely different to me. But he achieves kind of the same sound through a completely different process."

Recorded in deadmau5's favorite Los Angeles studio — that would be rocker Tommy Lee's House — "Animal Rights" is a thumping progressive house anthem that melds Wolfgang's unmistakable harmonics and funk riffs with the driving bass line and wobbly synths that make deadmau5 one of the unique forces in the dance music world.

"[Deadmau5] writes these rich complex chord progressions and he does it by drawing these little bars on a grid, which is just amazing that you can do that and get that result," Gartner goes on to say. "It just proves you don't have to be able to play keyboards to write amazing music."

The two sound pioneers never cease to stop pushing the limits on what they are able to produce. Using drastically difference production approaches, deadmau5 and Gartner had the ability to play off each other's strengths while recording the track.

"I'd say the biggest thing is that I play everything in on a keyboard, like even my drums," says Gartner. "I play everything in live and he draws it in with notes on a mouse, which blew me away because his music is very musical."

What do you think 2011 will hold for deadmau5 and Gartner? Let us know in the comments below!

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