rihanna, chris brown set back domestic violence movement
um, what pr team let this happen. it's no secret that three years ago chris brown beat rihanna, sending her to the hospital and forcing both stars to pull out of the 2009 grammys. it's also no secret that rihanna publicly pled to never go back to brown, telling barbra walters it would set a bad example for her young fans. but now it looks like rihanna might be eating her words - a little bit. there's no confirmation that the duo is back together romantically (in fact, tmz has plenty of pics of brown and his new girlfriend frolicking on the beach) but they are together musically. in honor of rihanna's birthday, the duo each released remixes of their new singles, featuring the other. rihanna dropped a full-length version of "birthday cake," and brown premiered a new version of "turn up the music." my biggest problem here? both songs are so catchy that they'll get plenty of radio play -- and people will probably forget about what happened.
"birthday cake"
"turn up the music"
sometimes i wish i were famous...
so i could do stuff like this with my other famous friends, ya know? selena gomez, justin bieber, ashley tisdale and the boys of big time rush (amongst others) got together to create a viral video for their friend, canadian pop star carly rae jepsen's new single "call me maybe." the song is catchy, but the video's better.
it's not even november yet, but the music community is ready for christmas. everyone from michael buble to zooey deschanel is releasing a christmas album this year, but the biggest name- and sure-to-be biggest seller of the season- has to be mr. justin bieber. the bieb's leaked a few tracks off his upcoming ep, under the mistletoe, set to be released nov. 1. check out the music video for "mistletoe," alongside collaborations with mariah carey, boyz ii men and usher, below.
side note: the bieb's management said his "balls have dropped, vocally." really. i'm not making that up. also, who decides to keep casting girls who are so much taller and look so much older than justin in his videos? selena wasn't available?
am i getting old? i'm starting to think so, because i had little to no interest in this year's teen choice awards. my lack of enthusiasm was only notched down a few pegs further when the likes of twilight and bad teacher beat out bridesmaids. bridesmaids! teens have no taste. at least the musical guests entertain, er, were there.
and i'm posting this acceptance speech just for emma stone:
i think christina aguilera's bionic is one of the most overlooked albums of the last year. maybe it was the lead single? maybe it was the marketing? i don't know why this album tanked, but i really think everyone should give it another listen. "bionic" is one of the most get-stuck-in-your-head worthy songs, well, ever.
the movie
i'm kind of cheating here. technically, this is a miniseries. but it came from netflix, so it counts. right? i read this book (joyce carol oates' blonde) over the summer - all 738 pages (in, like, size 9 font!) - so i was very interested in seeing how someone adapted something so massive and intricate into a movie. fyi, blonde's a fictional take on the rise and fall of marilyn monroe. while it's not perfect, it's keeping me entertained (i still have another disc to watch). a big screen version is being planned for next year, with naomi watts in the role of marilyn. now that should be interesting.
never would i have thought that i would see a justin bieber concert film. well, i guess that's why you should never say never. the film follows bieber as he prepares for his first concert at the make-it-or-break-it venue madison square garden. i went in with very low expectations - i was expecting something along the lines of the miley cyrus/hannah montana: best of both worlds or jonas brothers 3d movies - and came out happily surprised. the film chronicles justin's rise to success, mixing home videos, interviews with his support system and fans and, of course, footage from the sold-out madison square garden show. the one thing the flick is missing? an interview with justin himself. while his mom, grandparents, friends, usher, manager and even special guests miley cyrus and jaden smith all give sit-down interviews, you never actually get to hear from justin. i understand that this is probably intentional - better to hear the story from multiple perspectives - but the biebs never gets to give his take on things. it's all people putting words into his mouth. i guess that means potential sequel, right? you'll definitely have more respect for the pop prodigy after seeing never say never - his talent far exceeds what we get to hear on the radio. as justin's manager, scooter braun, says in the film, it's best to stay the underdog as long as possible. justin will still have to prove himself, but i think never say never will help show people that the kid's talent is closer to that of a justin timberlake than the jobros. at an hour and 45 minutes, never say never gives you the chance to embrace the screaming tweenager inside all of us without being too much of a headache. if you're a fan - or just happen to know one or two songs - definitely check it out, especially in 3d.
former snl funny man dana carvey made a triumphant return to the small screen last night, hosting the show that launched his career. while i'm not quite sure why carvey was invited to host (he doesn't have a project coming out from what i can tell), i am glad he was able to take the stage and show the currently less-than-stellar cast how to make an audience actually laugh. carvey was joined on stage by former cast members mike myers and jon lovitz (and justin bieber?), and delivered some of this season's highlights. but the real star of last night's show was definitely abby elliot, who is quickly becoming strong competition for kristen wiig. check out the clips below.
it looks like we might have the next all-star ensemble cast comedy on the way. february's valentine's day is reportedly getting a sequel. director gary marshall announced almost immediately after valentine's day release that he and writer katherine fugate were working on a sequel to the hit, called new year's eve. the film will follow the same interconnected storyline as its predecessor, but with a whole new cast and focused on, you guessed it, new year's eve. while new line cinema, the studio behind the first flick, hasn't announced the sequel, hasn't greenlit or announced the project yet, the internet is abuzz with rumors of who will headline the new movie. apparently glee star lea michele is at the top of marshall's list, alongside justin bieber, halle berry, zac efron and reese witherspoon. i don't know about you, but this list sounds pretty promising. so promising that, if the movie isn't made, i'll be very disappointed. i remember reading soon after marshall's announcement that the only character from the original movie who might make the transition between flicks was taylor swift's slightly ditzy high schooler felicia. i don't know if that's the best idea (taylor's acting needs just a little bit of work), but it could be a way to bring the audience back. if the rumors are to be believed, production will start on new year's eve this winter (around, yep, new year's eve) and the film will be released next december. let's all cross our fingers.
the list of nominees for this year's american music awards were announced today. here's a look at the nominees and who i think will take the statues home november 21 on abc.
favorite male artist (pop/rock)
justin bieber
eminem
usher
no one had a bigger year than the biebs. and, since this is a fan-voted award show, i expect every tweenage girl from california to new york to be voting with bieber fever.
favorite female artist (pop/rock)
ke$ha
lady gaga
katy perry
lady gaga has plenty of little monsters who will take to their keyboard to vote. plus, no female artist has swept the country and changed the face of music like gaga.
favorite band, duo or group (pop/rock)
the black eyed peas
lady antebellum
train
a group hasn't crossed from country to pop airwaves since rascall flats. everyone was singing "need you now" this year, so much so that the song officially got added to my "way overplayed, i'm done with you" list. i always think it's interesting when award shows cross-nominate acts - lady a is also nominated in the country band/duo/group category and will most likely win favorite album in the country category.
favorite album (pop/rock)
justin bieber, my world 2.0
katy perry, teenage dream
eminem, recovery
this one is a tough call and it really depends on whose fans are the most voracious voters. katy perry and eminem's albums are both doing incredibly and will continue charting, as both albums have plenty of singles to come. my guess is that katy will take this trophy.
favorite male artist (country)
jason aldean
luke bryan
brad paisley
from what i've heard (and i don't listen to all that much country radio), paisley's water has gotten a lot more play than these other two artists. he's also the most well known of the three, which will help him - people voting for katy perry or justin bieber may click paisley's name just because it sounds familiar, not because they actually listen to the music.
favorite female artist (country)
miranda lambert
taylor swift
carrie underwood
this is yet another tough one. i'm thinking miranda lambert will take the american music award home. she's traditionally more country than carrie underwood (i don't think taylor has a chance this year, but those same pop fans who could sway the paisley vote could play a role here) and has quickly become country music's go-to girl.
favorite band, duo or group (country)
zac brown band
lady antebellum
rascal flatts
there's a good chance lady a could take this category, too. but, if they get the pop award, i wouldn't be surprised if the zac brown band grabs the trophy.
favorite album (country)
jason aldean, wide open
lady antebellum, need you now
carrie underwood, play on
favorite male artist (soul/r&b)
chris brown
trey songz
usher
usher is yet another cross-listed artist. he has a greater chance of taking home the r&b award than the pop award, where his protege justin bieber is more likely to strike gold.
favorite female artist (soul/r&b)
alicia keys
rihanna
sade
i think alicia keys will take both this category and the next, favorite album. rihanna's rated r did not perform well, only garnering one hit with "rude boy." keys is the safe vote.
favorite album (soul/r&b)
alicia keys, the element of freedom
sade, soldier of love
usher, raymond v. raymond
artist of the year
justin bieber
eminem
ke$ha
lady gaga
katy perry
i really have no clue in this category - it could be anyone's game. i think twitter promotion and fandom will decide who gets this trophy, which most likely means bieber or gaga.
t-mobile breakthrough artist
b.o.b.
justin bieber
taio cruz
jason derulo
ke$ha
lady antebellum
travie mccoy
mike posner
breakthrough artist categories are always tricky for me because so often these people have been around for a long time - justin bieber, lady antebellum and travie mccoy have all been around for a couple of years. if we're really going for a "new" artist, i'd say b.o.b. or mike posner will take this award home, but we'll just have to wait and see. if you want to vote, or see the full list of nominees, click here.
chelsea handler to have after party
e! is going to get a little funnier. the cable net greenlit a new half-hour sitcom for late night host chelsea handler. the new show, titled after lately, will be a mockumentary style series documenting the behind-the-scenes world of chelsea lately. chelsea and her staff will work with basic story outlines, rather than scripts, so the acting will be improvised and appear more off the cuff. the series is kind of a modern-day take on hbo's groundbreaking series the larry sanders show. only a few episodes of the show have been ordered, with no premiere date set, but expect the show to launch sometime before the new year.
in its now-standard stunt casting, csi brought in justin bieber for at least one episode this season. yes, there's apparently the opportunity to bring the biebs back for more episodes should the show decide to. he's playing a "troubled teen" apparently. i'm guessing they're reusing the script from the taylor swift episode? except not killing little j. check out the show's fall preview above, featuring a blink-and-you'll-miss-it bieber clip. jump the shark much, csi?
justin bieber's "u smile" has been slowed down 800 times to become this 35 minute musical....er, journey? it's one of the most bizarre things to listen to.
ms. swift's latest single, "mine," has leaked onto the internets. the song is in her wheelhouse of bubbly country pop love song, so it's nothing new or exciting. just more of the same. the one plus is taytay has moved on from high school, kind of. the song talks about the boy being in college so...check out the song below. i understand taylor wants to play it safe and not lose any fans, but she's going to have to grow and evolve to stay in the industry. her career will plateau within five years if she doesn't do something game changing. or at least adult. take some cues from carrie underwood - she started out with a song about jesus, then busted up some guys car and became country's resident pop star. check out the song below.
the vma's are coming!
mtv has released the nominations for this year's video music awards. not surprisingly, lady gaga got the most noms with 13, the most for any artist ever in the history of the show. here's a list of the major categories and who i think will be taking home the moon man at the end of the night. there's a lot of repetition and quite a few snubs, but i'll get to those at the end.
video of the year
30 second to mars, "kings and queens"
b.o.b. featuring hailey williams, "airplanes"
eminem, "not afraid"
florence + the machine, "dog days are over"
lady gaga, "bad romance"
lady gaga featuring beyonce, "telephone"
best collaboration
3oh!3 featuring ke$ha, "my first kiss"
b.o.b. featuring hailey williams, "airplanes"
beyonce featuring lady gaga, "video phone"
lady gaga featuring beyonce, "telephone"
jay-z featuring alicia keys, "empire state of mind"
best female video
beyonce featuring lady gaga, "video phone"
katy perry featuring snoop dogg, "california gurls"
ke$ha, "tik tok"
lady gaga, "bad romance" - see video above
taylor swift, "fifteen"
best male video
b.o.b. featuring hailey williams, "airplanes"
drake, "find your love"
eminem, "not afraid"
jason derulo, "in my head"
usher featuring will.i.am., "omg"
best new artist
broken bells, "the ghost inside"
jason derulo, "in my head"
justin bieber featuring ludacris, "baby"
ke$ha, "tik tok"
nicki minaj featuring sean garrett, "massive attack"
best pop video
b.o.b. featuring bruno mars, "nothing on you"
beyonce featuring lady gaga, "video phone"
ke$ha, "tik tok"
lady gaga, "bad romance"
katy perry, "california gurls"
every year, mtv attempts to maintain their music credibility by throwing in videos/songs/artists that are relatively unknown. while we all know those people will never win (hello broken bells...who the hell are you anyway?) it is nice for them to get some exposure. on the flip side, people who have had big years (like miley cyrus - "party in the usa" is no where to be found - and justin bieber, who got one nod and one nod only) get bumped out of categories. you can't please everyone, but i don't know if putting lady gaga in every category is fair for a fan-voted show. fan-voted shows are never really fair, though. oh well. the show airs september 12 on mtv. a host is yet to be announced. click here to see the full list of nominees and learn more about the show.
last night, cbs aired the 52nd annual grammy awards and they were no disappointment. while the show is supposed to be about the awards, it was really the performances that made the special, well, special. lady gaga opened the show in true lady gaga fashion, including surprise guest elton john. it was over the top and theatrical, just the way to kick off an awards show. people say they're getting tired of gaga and her theatrics, but had the opening number been a bland stand-there-and-play-guitar type thing, the night wouldn't have gotten off on the right foot.
after gaga, everyone from pink to beyonce and bon jovi took the stage. pink's number, "glitter in the air," was proof that lip synching is dead. dead dead dead. if pink can do aerial stunts and sing live, anyone can. sorry, britney, but you're going to have to get your voice together.
speaking of britney, she was nominated for best dance recording for "womanizer." not surprisingly, she didn't win. but she did show up - after an 8 year hiatus from the show - in a crazy fishnet dress. i think it's pretty obvious why she skipped any press before the show.
beyonce was another great performance, though it was disappointing she didn't sing the song that made her year what it was - "single ladies." miss knowles did, however, cover alanis morisette's "you should know." it's weird to think about beyonce singing about uncle joey from full house (that's who the song was - allegedly - originally written about, fyi), but whatever.
taylor swift, who took home four of the night's big awards, performed on stage with fleetwood mac legend stevie nicks and, well, it was less than impressive. i've said it before and i'll say it again. and again - taylor has an issue singing live. it's usually better when she has the guitar in front of her, but last night it was just flat. flat flat flat. the one thing that saves taylor is that she's a good song writer, which is sure to keep her foot in the door of the industry for the rest of her life. she just needs to start focusing on more adult material and not sing every single song about puppy love and fairytales. the girl turns 21 this year, come on. it didn't help that taylor's breathy voice was backed up with stevie's husky one. it was just kind of a mess. the one plus was that the duo sang one of my faves from stevie's fleetwood days, "rhiannon." why stevie played the tambourine randomly during the performance is beyond me.
the most star-powered number of the night came during the michael jackson tribute, the final imagining of his "earth song" performance form what was to be the "this is it" concert series. the thing that annoyed me most about this performance was that it was in 3d - i know i wasn't the only one not to get the memo about needing glasses. hello, grammy people, not everyone just has those lying around. had they sent them out in the mail or in tv guide, i could understand it. but the award show expected people to go to target or kmart and pick up a pair. why is this '80s technology back with such full force? it's not like they've improved on it or like it's actually there in front of you. 2d is just fine by me. the "earth song" performance featured celine dion (surprisingly tame), usher, carrie underwood, jennifer hudson and smokey robinson. i understand this was michael's favorite song from "this is it," but i would have much preferred a medley of his hit songs.
after the performance, michael's son, prince, and daughter, paris, accepted the lifetime achievement award for their father. for some reason, they were joined on stage by their cousins (there's no question in my mind that this wasn't some way to promote the cousins' fame) but not little brother blanket. where the hell was blanket? prince gave most of the speech and the way he spoke was almost identical to the intonations and inflections in his father's voice. it was almost creepy.
the worst performance of the night has to go to jamie foxx, who didn't seem able to keep up with his backing track for "blame it." the fact that the song is so autotuned made it even harder. watch with your own discretion - let me warn you that the performance starts out with a hokey opera skit.
now to the night's winners and what i think of them.
album of the year: taylor swift, fearless - while it was a huge hit, i don't know that fearless made enough advances or impact in the history of music. i'm not saying taylor isn't deserving - she works hard and have made people pay attention to country music again - but lady gaga had the most hits and innovation of any other artists. the biggest disappointment is that gaga was shutout of the best new artist category because of a single nomination in the dance/electronica category next year.
song of the year: "single ladies," beyonce - deserved, deserved, deserved.
best new artist: zac brown band - did i call it or what? there really wasn't much else to choose from this year so the country group who writes their own stuff was the top pick.
pop vocal album: the black eyed peas, the e.n.d. - surprising, but their innovation makes it worth it. the peas are another group that can't really perform live. here's their performance.
best pop vocal performance (female): beyonce, "halo" - duh.
best pop vocal performance (male): jason mraz, "make it mine" - must have been slim pickings
pop collaboration with vocals: jason mraz and colbie caillat, "lucky" - colbie may have been the nights most surprising winner because she won on others' coattails. she helped write and sing on taylor's record, garnering herself a grammy for record of the year.
i'm not going to go into all the other categories, but just know that gaga wasn't completely shut out - she won the 2 awards in the dance category: one for "poker face" and the other for her album, the fame. other winners included beyonce in the r&b category, tswift in country, kings of leon and green day (who previewed their broadway musical, american idiot, at the show) in the rock category and jay-z, rihanna and kanye in the rap category for "run this town."
and, because you read this whole, long blog, a treat: my favorite picture from the night, ke$ha and justin bieber. she could eat him.
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