Miley Cyrus' MTV Live-Stream Show
Related ArtistsThursday, June 30, 2011
Lady Gaga To Premiere 'Edge Of Glory' Video On 'So You Think You Can Dance'
Singer is also set to appear as guest judge on show later in season.
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images
Lady Gaga is ready to take fans to the "Edge of Glory." The singer confirmed that she will debut the music video for the clip on Thursday on "So You Think You Can Dance." Little is known about the Joseph Kahn-directed clip, but all will be revealed in good time, it seems.
The news comes just as executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe announced he was getting Gaga to join celebrity judges like will.i.am on the show this season.
"Yes, I asked her when she performed on the 'American Idol' finale if she would come on, and she said yes," Lythgoe . "She is on tour so they said it would probably be later in the season. She is an amazing dancer and performer."
He tossed around a few other names of celebs who might be guest judges, including Neil Patrick Harris, Kristin Chenoweth, Ellen DeGeneres and Megan Mullally. "We have a lot of people who want to help the kids become unique. The biggest thing is standing out from the crowd," he said. "The kids have to find something that makes them unique and these performers know how to do that."
When Lythgoe and judge Mary Murphy sat down with MTV News recently, they said they wanted to make sure that celebs who come on the show are the right fit.
"I think [celebrity judges] make it exciting for sure," Murphy said. "I'll never forget when Ellen sat next to me. But it made it a little bit difficult for me because I think she's so funny. ... Then I had to focus."
Lythgoe added that his wish is to have celebrity judges who aren't just famous faces but who know about dancing. "The sad thing for me is when some celebrity judges come on, they just want to be liked, so they're not going to give a good critique," he said. "Just 'you were wonderful, you were wonderful.' ... Then again there's a whole raft of judges, particularly in dance — Shirley MacLaine, Mitzi Gaynor, Debbie Reynolds — that could be called upon to judge, that have been there, done it through the '40s and '50s that are stunning, were stunning dancers.
"I'm going to be talking to Fox about it, but I know in my heart that Fox will say, 'Well, we don't really know them, can you get Lady Gaga?' ... She was excellent on 'Idol,' " he added. "A little naughty!"
Related Videos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665785/lady-gaga-edge-of-glory-video-sytycd.jhtml
Jon Cryer ... It's Your Move
Filed under: Jon Cryer, Photo Galleries, Celebrity Homes, The Facts Behind The Funny!, The Facts Behind The Funny Position 009
Jon Cryer is moving into fancy schmancy new digs in a ritzy area of L.A., but he's not above schlepping his stuff from the old house to the new.
Even though the new house clearly isn't finished, Jon and wife Lisa can wait no longer. The home is 7,000 square feet and was extensively renovated over the last year.
Jon -- who we're told is raking in $20 million over the next 2 years on "Two and a Half Men" -- clearly had Charlie on his mind as he carried a chair, wearing a t-shirt with the letters, "BLITZED."
Doesn't he know about Home Depot?
ElvisBlog News -- 4/28/11
Since I started ElvisBlog back in 2005, I have tried to consistently post a new article each weekend. Blog tutorials all declared that a regular schedule was necessary to keep readers happy and coming back. During the first six years, the only time I missed a post was when my wife had open-heart surgery in 2009. Well, now it has happened twice.
Source: http://www.elvisblog.net/blog/_archives/2011/4/28/4805134.html
Shakira Goes 'Loca' In New Guerrilla-Style Video
The Colombian star roller-skates, hip-shakes and fountain-dives for crazy clip.
By James Montgomery
Shakira in the "Loca" music video
Photo: Epic
For nearly two decades now, either due to her multinational leanings (the Colombian's music is as indebted to Latin American rhythms as it is to Arabic dance, Euro disco and red-white-and-blue rock) or because she is sort of insane (see last year's She Wolf album), Shakira has managed to carve out her own, rather indefinable niche in pop music.
On Wednesday (September 29), she premiered the video for "Loca," the first single off her upcoming Sale el Sol album (due October 19). And while it's not exactly a unique artistic endeavor — it echoes sentiments already expressed by the likes of Matt & Kim (in their "Lessons Learned" clip) and Erykah Badu (in her firestormy "Window Seat" vid) — it's still undoubtedly her ... mostly because none of her high-gloss pop contemporaries would ever dare attempt something like it.
Shot run-and-gun style in Barcelona, "Loca" follows Shakira and her crew — which includes a few cameramen and, somewhat improbably, British rapper Dizzee Rascal — on a madcap adventure that includes roller-skating, public wardrobe changes, motorcycle cruising, an illicit hop in a public fountain (a move that landed her in hot, uh, water with local authorities) and, of course, plenty of hip shaking. It's a decidedly guerrilla endeavor that appears to have been done on a budget hovering around zero (aside from a performance scene, the entire thing appears to have been shot on handheld cameras). The Britneys, Beyoncés and Gagas would probably never make something like this ... and yet, here it works, mostly because, well, it just sort of seems like the kind of thing Shakira would do.
For that alone, she deserves to be praised. Because unlike Matt & Kim (or Erykah Badu, really), Shakira has plenty to lose. Her albums are big events, things that resonate across continents, and it would be rather easy (or, at least, expected) for her to come out of the gate with a big-budget, glossy pop video. Instead, we get "Loca," which is none of those things, and is probably better because of that.
And though it features some near-nudity and some illegal activity, the thing that resonates most about the "Loca" video is that none of that bad behavior is played up for shock value. Instead, it all helps match the kinetic, herky-jerky energy of the song itself. "Loca" is the rare video that doesn't attempt to outshine the song it's based on. Instead, it complements it. This is a very lively song, after all, so what better way to capture that than with a very lively video?
There's a calculated madness to the "Loca" video, a vibrant, unchained energy, the kind very few artists can conjure up, no matter how big the budget. And, come to think of it, that's a pretty accurate way of summing up Shakira's entire career. It's called synergy, people.
What do you think of Shakira's "Loca" video? Share your reviews in the comments.
Related Videos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648978/shakira-goes-loca-new-guerrillastyle-video.jhtml
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Source: http://www.cnngo.com/node/123913
Shakira - Loca
- Artist: Shakira
- Label: Epic Records
- Director: Jaume de Laiguana
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=504144&vid=577552
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Elvis Presley and His Music From the Heart
Gen Wright asked: When Elvis began putting together his collection of music for his comeback, he was able to reflect on many years of a great range of popular American music, including his own and that of other people.Elvis was blessed with a natural talent to sing just about anything, but he also needed to [...]
Rihanna's 'Man Down' Video: Experts Weigh In On Controversy
'I don't think viewers are necessarily getting healthy messages from it,' one expert says.
By Gil Kaufman
Rihanna
Photo: Steven Lawton/ FilmMagic
Like any good piece of art, Rihanna's controversial "Man Down" video has elicited a wide variety of opinions, running the gamut from condemnation for its bloodshed to praise for its attempt to grapple with the complex issue of violence against women.
"It strikes me first and foremost that she is working out personal issues through her art," said Terry O'Neill, national president of the National Organization for Women, who lauded the singer's talent and stressed that she did not find the video exploitive at all.
A number of groups slammed the clip after its premiere, taking issue with the opening scene, in which a hidden Rihanna is shown shooting an unarmed man in the back of the head in the middle of a crowded train station. Viewers later learn that the act was in retaliation for a previous sexual assault.
" 'Man Down' is an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song," said Industry Ears co-founder Paul Porter, a former programming director at BET, where the video debuted earlier this week and remains in rotation.
But O'Neill said that like Rihanna's collaboration with Eminem on the "Love the Way You Lie" video — which also tackled issues of domestic abuse — "Man Down" is another example of Rihanna "trying to grapple with the multifaceted nature of violence against women as an artist. Obviously violence is not the way to solve anything and both videos depict violence. In one, it's a man who feels justified in committing violence against a woman and in the other a woman who feels instantly very remorseful in her killing." For O'Neill, "Man Down" does not cross the line into portraying violence in an effort to titillate.
"One of the main messages it leaves you with is violence breeds more violence and everyone can see that and also detect some problems with that," said Stephanie Nilva, Executive Director of Day One, New York's leading teen relationship abuse-focused organization. "I respect the fact that Rihanna is trying to draw attention to these issues, but I don't think viewers are necessarily getting healthy messages from it."
Another concern for Nilva, given the implied sexual abuse in the clip, is the underlying impression that young women who dress a certain way or go dancing in clubs are naive or should feel at risk. That too, she said, sends a muddled message about sexual assault. "What it doesn't do is open up a discussion about how men's violence is frequently about controlling women and not about violence they've experienced at that person's hands," she said.
After posting a defense of the clip, Rihanna got plenty of support from her fans on Twitter, where the comments included such sentiments as "it's really ironic how women r always exploited n videos ... we watch women be raped & murdered. Now a woman flips the coin & look!"
Another fan wrote, "You opened the eyes of all women living under a dark cloud that needed a voice. 'Man Down' is the voice. I love you." Others called it "inspiring" and praised Rihanna for tackling the issue of sexual abuse, writing, " 'Man Down' video portrays REAL situations that can happen to ANYONE! Do yoo thing ri!" Rihanna also pleaded with her fans to stop making threats against members of the PTC, writing, "We love it, they don't ... that is all, and the world keeps turning."
Given the message of empowerment some of Rihanna's fans appear to have taken from the video, Nilva noted that one of the messages Day One imparts to young people is that violence is never appropriate. "I wouldn't say that perpetrating violence against someone is a form of empowerment, just like you wouldn't say a man raping a woman is a form of empowerment," she said. "It's a complicated message to get young people to absorb that — what it means to be an empowered person — and it would be nice to see more images of strength that are not about exercising violence or power over other people."
As a survivor of relationship violence at the hands of her ex, Chris Brown, Nilva said the singer is clearly under the microscope when it comes to this topic. But given that people are likely to pay more attention to what she has to say about it because of her fame and the notoriety surrounding Brown's 2009 assault, Nilva said it would be preferable to see a more positive message from Rihanna on the topic.
O'Neill said she's confident that Rihanna's fans will understand the message of the clip because any woman who has experienced violence from a partner or acquaintance knows that among the emotions you feel in addition to anger and rage are humiliation and fear and a desire for revenge.
"Many women who have experienced violence, of course, have those feelings and this video seems to be a fictional portrayal of those feelings and is not intended to be instructional," O'Neill said, calling it a kind of catharsis for viewers. "The other aspect that is part of the message is the fact that if you act on your desire to kill this rapist, you will then throw yourself down the rabbit hole of remorse and criminal accountability and be sent to prison. There are repercussions and the video clearly says that."
At press time, MTV's Facebook poll asking whether the video goes too far had the "no" votes leading the "yes" votes by a margin of three-to-one.
Do you think Rihanna's "Man Down" video goes too far? Cast your vote in our Facebook poll and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665121/rihanna-man-down-controversy.jhtml
Miley Cyrus Surprises Lauren Alaina On 'American Idol'
Teen finalist met her real-life idol during mentoring session on Wednesday night's episode.
By James Dinh
Miley Cyrus on "American Idol" on Wednesday
Photo: FOX
Superstars swing through the hallways of "American Idol" on a weekly basis, but on Wednesday (April 27), Lauren Alaina was greeted by one of her very own idols. Miley Cyrus surprised the finalist with an impromptu visit during her mentoring session.
With the assistance of Babyface and Jimmy Iovine, Alaina's weekly training session was running smoothly as she rehearsed her cover of Carole King's "Where You Lead."
"About halfway through my meeting with Jimmy, he had a big surprise for me," Alaina gushed to viewers in a pre-taped segment on the show. "Miley Cyrus walks in. I was like [jaw drops open] ... she was so nice and she gave me such great advice."
With her long curly locks and dressed in an all-black ensemble, Cyrus offered a hug to the aspiring songstress and shared a few friendly words of advice.
"I listen to your music all the time. You're awesome," the "Hannah Montana" star told the 16-year-old. "The most important thing you can do is just do it for yourself because you will always have mean comments. People will always talk about you and that's never going to change."
Alaina's impromptu visit from Miley seemed to have boosted her confidence for Wednesday night's performance. From those high-hitting notes to her inviting a male audience member onstage, the contestant playfully strutted, ending her performance with a chuckle.
News of Cyrus' surprise appearance on "Idol" hit the Internet early Wednesday morning when E! Online reported that Iovine asked the superstar to be a mentor as a result of a remark he'd made earlier in the competition. A few weeks back, Alaina chose to sing Cyrus' hit song "The Climb," which led Iovine to tell the contestant she was "a much stronger singer than Miley Cyrus."
What did you think of Miley's mentoring advice? Sound off below!
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.
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662829/miley-cyrus-american-idol-lauren-alaina.jhtml
Rihanna's 'Man Down' Video Director Welcomes Controversy
'It's doing exactly what Rihanna and I hoped it would do,' Anthony Mandler says.
By Jocelyn Vena
Photo: Getty
Before the "Man Down" video was even released, its director teased that his latest collaboration with Rihanna was bound to "flip people's minds." Anthony Mandler wasn't wrong.
"Man Down," which depicts Rihanna shooting a man in the head as retaliation for sexual assault, elicited an incredibly visceral from some camps, who said the clip glamorizes violence.
"It's doing exactly what Rihanna and I hoped it would do, which is shine a light on the very dark subject matter," Mandler told The Hollywood Reporter.
He explained that the video harks back to the '80s and '90s, when most videos had a message, and said that the reaction to the video has been "knee-jerk."
"The fact that there's an argument to ban this because this will make girls retaliate from abuse with murder is skipping over the point," he added. "We obviously have a huge issue to deal with as a country."
While some are criticizing the videos, others have come to the defense of Rihanna's message. "It strikes me first and foremost that she is working out personal issues through her art," said Terry O'Neill, national president of the National Organization for Women.
But, the response is still very much split. "One of the main messages it leaves you with is violence breeds more violence and everyone can see that and also detect some problems with that," said Stephanie Nilva, executive director of Day One, a New York organization focused on teen relationship abuse. "I respect the fact that Rihanna is trying to draw attention to these issues, but I don't think viewers are necessarily getting healthy messages from it."
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665372/rihanna-man-down-controversy.jhtml
Elvis Clothing at the Most Recent Auction
If you like to follow auctions of rock and roll memorabilia, some of the best are presented by Gotta Have It. Bidding ended March 25 on their Rock & Roll Pop Culture Auction, and it contained about a hundred Elvis items.
Source: http://www.elvisblog.net/blog/_archives/2011/5/8/4812399.html
Miley Cyrus Was 'Up For Anything' On 'SNL,' Kristen Wiig Says
'That's always, to me, what makes a host fun to have around,' she tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Miley Cyrus on "Saturday Night Live"
Photo: NBC/Broadway Video
If Miley Cyrus seemed loose hosting "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend, it's because she was.
"SNL" castmember Kristen Wiig tells MTV News the teen queen was not only a blast to have on the set, but also didn't seem to suffer from any anxiety about doing live TV.
"Yes, Miley [was fun to work with]," Wiig said while in New York on Monday (March 7) doing press for her alien-comedy flick, "Paul." "She's cool. It was really, really fun."
Guest host Miley poked fun at her own infamous bong video controversy, as well as at Justin Bieber — whom she played alongside Vanessa Bayer, who just so happens to play Cyrus on the "SNL" skit "The Miley Cyrus Show." Cyrus even went for Lindsay Lohan and Black Eyed Peas frontwoman Fergie. And it was Cyrus' willingness to have a little fun at her own expense that made her the perfect host, according to Wiig.
"Yeah, she was great," the actress said. "She was up for anything. That's always, to me, what makes a host fun to have around. They'll make fun of themselves or how the media perceives them. She was up for anything, which was so great."
In addition to the performance by the Strokes, some of the night's other highlights included Miley's musical number "I'm Sorry I'm Not Perfect" and "Disney Channel Acting School," where Miley and fellow Disney star Raven Symoné (played by Kenan Thompson) taught such subjects such as "Reacting to Stinky Feet" and "Spying in a Doorway," required skills for any actor on a Disney series.
What did you think of Miley's hosting abilities on "SNL" Tell us in the comments!
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1659388/miley-cyrus-snl.jhtml
Elvis Movie Publicity Photos
While assembling photos for the ElvisBlog series 50th Anniversary Movie Pictorials, I was pleased to find many interesting PR shots for Elvis? movies. Most of them will be featured in the photo essays for each movie, but there are enough publicity shots that a few can be borrowed for this article without being missed.
Girls, Girls, Girls:
This is one of the more clever publicity photos for an Elvis movie. Laurel Goodwin (left) and Donna Douglas (right) both posed for other PR shots alone with Elvis, some innocent, some more provocative. We will look at them in 2012 when the 50th anniversary of Girls, Girls, Girls rolls around.
Tickle Me:
Here is a variation of the ropes around Elvis theme. This time his co-star Jocelyn Lane is tied up with Elvis. The other four good-looking women are part of the bevy of unnamed lovelies that appear in numerous scenes throughout the movie. Diligent research has determined that Tickle Me is one of the top three Elvis movies for the most hot babes. The other two are Clambake and Paradise Hawaiian Style.
King Creole:
This obviously posed picture had to be one Elvis enjoyed making. The girls kissing him are his two love interests in the film: Delores Hart (left), the sweet soda-fountain girl, and Carolyn Jones, the alcoholic mob-boss kept woman. The two girls who are not kissing Elvis had lesser roles as Elvis? sister and a stripper with the interesting name Forty Nina.
G.I. Blues:
Last October we took a look at Elvis? fifth movie in our 50th Anniversary photo essay. This included a couple of press photos, and now I have discovered two more of Elvis and co-star Juliet Prowse.
I?m not sure why they don?t just release actual shots from the movies. You good Elvis fans know these scenes never happened on the film.
Flaming Star:
When I did the 50th anniversary photo spread on Flaming Star, it included several publicity pictures of Elvis and co-star Barbara Eden. They all showed them in close physical contact, even though this never happened in the movie. Eden actually played the girlfriend of the brother of Elvis? character. Here are two of these photos.
Now, yet another pose from this photo shoot has surfaced on the internet. We can imagine Elvis was more than willing to oblige the requests for as many poses with Barbara Eden as the photographer wanted.
More Flaming Star:
Our 50th anniversary photo essay also looked at the many variations of Andy Warhol?s multiple-Elvis lithographs based on a promotional photo for the movie.
The picture below is a shot from Cirque du Soleil -- a huge background image of Elvis in cowboy garb and aiming a gun. It is the third reincarnation of the publicity shot. I like the way they have descending sizes. To my knowledge, Warhol never tried any of that.
Jailhouse Rock:
I?m not sure if this was a publicity shot or just a candid photo of Elvis and his co-stars goofing around on the set. Either way, everyone seems to be enjoying it. On Elvis? right arm is Judy Tyler, his business partner and love interest in the movie. The blond is Jennifer Holden, who played an actress in a movie Elvis? character was filming. Do you remember how she couldn?t stand him until the kissing scene started, and then the two of them developed a severe case of lip lock. There are some more great publicity pictures and candid shots on the set that we will look at in the 55th anniversary pictorial of Jailhouse Rock in 2012. The Elvisblog series of movie photo essays started too late to feature Elvis? first four movies on their 50th Anniversary.
Wild in the Country:
Here?s the best example yet of press releases of shots that didn?t occur in an Elvis movie. Recently we did the 50th anniversary photo essay on Wild in the Country. Here are two publicity photos that promoted the movie, and we can be pretty sure Elvis didn?t mind posing for them.
Even though there was a perfectly good shot of Elvis Kissing Tuesday Weld in the movie, he had to kiss her at least two more times for the PR pictures. Boy, what a tough job. Making movies certainly had its perks for Elvis.
� 2011 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net
Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
Source: http://www.elvisblog.net/blog/_archives/2011/6/18/4840447.html
Jonny Fairplay -- DUMPED By 'Top Model' Wife
Filed under: Danny Bonaduce, Jonny Fairplay, Survivor, Dirty Divorces
Jonny Fairplay -- the most hated "Survivor" villain of all time -- tells TMZ his super-hot "America's Next Top Model" star wife has walked out on their marriage ... and she took their kid with her.
Fairplay -- real name Jon Dalton -- says Michelle Deighton called it quits a couple of weeks ago ... but she didn't give him a REAL reason for the split ... only that she just doesn't want to be with him anymore.
Jonny tells us, he already filed for legal separation in North Carolina -- and plans to fight for full custody of their daughter.
It's not the first time Jonny's been tossed aside ... back in 2007, Danny Bonaduce launched him into a painful faceplant during an awards show ... and Jonny ended up in the hospital. Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Backstage With Elvis
Theresea Hughes asked: Elvis often enjoyed causal meetings with celebrities like Marty Allen, Tom Jones, Bobby Darin, Jack Lord, Buddy Hacket, and Jean Rivers.In the early days Elvis also enjoyed the company of Sammy Davis Jr. and in later years enjoyed the company of Sammy Davis Jr. and his wife.At one of Elvis’s movie nights [...]
Gilbert Arenas Goes For the Block Against Baby Mama
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Gilbert Arenas, Laura Govan, TMZ Sports, Basketball Wives, The Facts Behind The Funny!, The Facts Behind The Funny Position 005
NBA great Gilbert Arenas wants a judge to pull the plug on "Basketball Wives: Los Angeles," claiming his baby mama is illegally exploiting him by appearing on the show.
The Orlando Magic guard claims Laura Govan -- the mother of his 4 children -- signed up to do "Basketball Wives" solely to become a television personality. In the lawsuit, Arenas claims even though the soon-to-be-debuted series doesn't mention him by name, "the very presence of defendant Govan and the title of the show is an obvious reference to [Arenas]." And Arenas notes his name was used in the press release announcing Govan had joined the cast.
Gilbert claims Govan and the producers have no right to use his name or likeness -- expressed or implied -- so he's asking a judge to slap an injunction on the show so it can't air. He also wants cash for his troubles.
Shakira's 'Loca' Music Video Premiere
The Colombian songstress goes raw in this brand new music video.
Photo: Epic
Related Artists
Monday, June 27, 2011
Shakira - Give It Up To Me
- Artist: Shakira
- Label: Epic Records
- Album: She Wolf [Bonus Tracks]
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=504144&vid=456812
Tractors on the Mind
Our ?today in history? a couple of days ago was a remembrance back to Elvis getting his tractor stuck in the mud back in ?57 when he first purchased Graceland. Today a news item appears about yet another tractor that … Continue reading 
Tractors on the Mind is a post from: The Elvis Presley Blog
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/myElvisPresleyBlog/~3/lUPaLM7NPvQ/tractors-on-the-mind
Miley Cyrus - Party In The U.S.A.
- Artist: Miley Cyrus
- Label: Hollywood Records
- Director: Chris Applebaum
- Album: The Time of Our Lives
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=2408193&vid=439428
Rihanna Pulls The Trigger In 'Man Down' Video
Jamaica-set clip shows pop star locked in a violent confrontation.
By James Dinh
Rihanna
Photo: Lester Cohen/ WireImage
Rihanna has always repped her island roots, so it was only fitting that the red-haired diva took to Jamaica to film the new video for her reggae-inspired single "Man Down." But, as fans may have guessed from the song title, things take a turn for the worse in the clip when the pop star guns down a man after a late-night struggle.
"Man Down" begins on a dramatic note when Rihanna shoots a man who's making his way through a busy train station. After committing her crime, the songstress flees the scene. But in order to give viewers some backstory, the video travels back in time to the previous day, when the singer is seen riding her bike and socializing on the streets of Jamaica, as well as embracing the island's hotspots. Director Anthony Mandler also cuts back and forth to scenes of the star singing the tune alone inside a bedroom at dusk.
At a nightclub, Rihanna begins to dance alongside another clubgoer. But it's not until after she leaves the venue that fans understand the motive behind her crime. After she leaves the club, the singer's dance-floor partner soon follows the songstress outside and begins to get violent. "Man Down" cuts straight to the scene of a disheveled Rih crying in the street, after what appears to have been a rape. The video concludes with the singer grabbing a gun hidden in a dresser drawer.
Before the video's premiere, the Barbadian beauty released a behind-the-scenes teaser. "I've always wanted to do a video here. 'Man Down' is just a song that you can't do anywhere else. We need to be authentic," she said, adding, "You can't get any realer than Jamaica."
The Rihanna Navy shouldn't be too shocked at the clip's intense story line as they've received a number of hints from both the 23-year-old pop star and video director in recent weeks. Just yesterday, the singer took to Twitter to unveil a bit about the visual's theme, tweeting, "Its #Gritty #GULLY #Emotional #JAMRock Very strong underlying message 4 girls like me! #listentoyomama."
MTV News spoke with Mandler a few weeks ago about the clip, and he revealed that Rihanna let him take the visual to the extreme. "We shot the video last month in Jamaica and it's my favorite song she's ever recorded, so I was really excited to get involved," he said. "And it's just one of those songs that demands a strong narrative and visual, and let's just say, she let me go all the way. So I think you can expect something that's dramatic and shocking and intense and emotional and uplifting and enlightening."
What do you think of Rihanna's "Man Down" video? Share your reviews below!
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664864/rihanna-man-down-video.jhtml
Shakira Unveils 'Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)'
Track is the official song of the 2010 World Cup and will benefit public health centers in Africa.
By James Montgomery
Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/ AFP/ Getty Images
Fresh off her duet with Rascal Flatts frontman Gary LeVox on Wednesday night's "American Idol," Shakira has unveiled yet another collaboration ... this one set to take place on an even bigger stage (yes, that's actually possible).
On her official site, she's just posted a track called "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," which will serve as the official theme for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, set to kick off June 11 in South Africa.
The track — a collabo between Shaki and South African Afro-fusion band Freshlyground — was co-produced by John Hill, who most recently produced a pair of songs from her 2009 album She Wolf. Like much of her work, it's a poly-sonic affair: According to a statement on her site, the chorus of the song borrows from a favorite Cameroonian marching chant that was popularized by the group Golden Voices.
Shakira and Freshlyground will perform "Waka Waka" at the World Cup closing ceremonies, held before the final match on July 11 in Johannesburg Soccer City Stadium. The song will be available for download through digital retailers the week of May 11, and will also be included on Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album, set to be released the week of May 31 by Sony Music Entertainment. A Spanish-language version of the track will also be available.
Proceeds from the sale of the album will benefit FIFA's "20 Centers for 2010" initiative, which aims to achieve positive social change through football (that's "soccer" to us Americans) by building 20 "Football for Hope" public health centers across Africa.
In addition to her performance at the closing ceremonies, Shakira will also be one of the headline performers at the official FIFA World Cup Kick-off Celebration Concert on June 10, broadcast from Orlando Stadium in Soweto/Johannesburg South Africa. A video for "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is also set to debut in mid-May.
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1638066/shakira-unveils-waka-waka-this-time-africa.jhtml
'Game Of Thrones' Season Two Casting Begins
Button up your overcoats, because winter is coming back already.
Though the first season of "Game of Thrones" just ended, casting on season two has already begun. Entertainment Weekly has the news that "Tudors" actress Natalie Dormer has landed the significant role of Margaery Tyrell in the show's second seasons. Though she initially has a smaller [...]
Though the first season of "Game of Thrones" just ended, casting on season two has already begun. Entertainment Weekly has the news that "Tudors" actress Natalie Dormer has landed the significant role of Margaery Tyrell in the show's second seasons. Though she initially has a smaller [...]
Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/06/24/game-of-thrones-season-2-casting/
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Rihanna's 'Man Down' Is Her Answer To Bob Marley Classic
Songwriting duo Rock City say reggae-infused tune is 'the female version' of 'I Shot the Sherriff.'
By Rebecca Thomas, with reporting by Steven Roberts
Rock City
Photo: MTV News
The encounter begins simply enough. A handsome guy walks into a dank club and makes a beeline for the pretty girl with waist-length, red locks who's dancing by herself. He moves gently, showing only a hint of force when he grabs her wrists and pins them against the wall. But it's what happens afterward in Rihanna's new "Man Down" video that has had critics decrying the clip since it debuted last week.
Rih's onscreen character strolls out of the Jamaican nightclub with her dance-floor partner pursuing her. A terrifying struggle ensues. When it's over, his red mesh tank is torn, his cheek bruised, and the visibly shaken pop star is weeping. Rih decides to exact her own justice with a .22 caliber handgun that she calls "Peggy Sue." ("I didn't mean to end his life/ I know it wasn't right," she sings.)
While the Anthony Mandler-directed clip appears to mirror the lyrics of the dancehall-flavored tune, when MTV News caught up with Rock City, the songwriting/performing duo behind "Man Down," they said the verses were meant to be open to interpretation.
"We wanted the song to be something to where everybody had an opinion," Theron (a.k.a. Da Spokesman) revealed. "Some people felt it was literal, some people felt it was a metaphor."
U.S. Virgin Island-born Theron and his brother Timothy "Don't Talk Much" Thomas — their Free at Last album is due June 21 — along with producer Shama "Sham" Joseph (a.k.a. Sak Pase), served up the narrative track specifically to let the Barbados beauty tap her island origins in a way that sounded authentic. And in a city like Kingston, Jamaica, where guns and gangs often mar the lush landscape, what could be more authentic than a girl seeking violent retribution for a sexual assault, only to find herself overcome with regret as the singer does in the visual?
"When we wrote the song, me and my brother was trying to re-create in the best way possible, you know, like, Bob Marley 'I Shot the Sherriff,' " Timothy told us. "The female version of what that would be."
But now that the siren-laced tune's companion clip is stirring up controversy, Theron thinks some viewers are forgetting that the song, like so much Caribbean music, is about telling tales.
"It's like somebody wrote a script for a movie and she delivered it perfectly," Theron argued. "I just think sometimes people need something to talk about, and this is a thing to talk about. ... 'Cause when you listen to the song word-for-word-for-word, if she shot it theatrically how [the lyrics are], it probably would have been a little [more graphic], if you ask me," he laughed.
When we interviewed Rihanna back in November, just before Loud dropped, she defiantly described "Man Down."
"The special thing in that song is the fact that it's a female singing those lyrics," she said. "Then you have that reggae thing and the chant; the overall energy in that song is so gangsta!"
What do you think of Rihanna's "Man Down" video? We want to hear from you in the comments below!
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665450/rihanna-man-down-bob-marley.jhtml
Shakira's 'Loca' Video: Watch An Exclusive Preview!
Singer goes guerrilla for clip, which features a madcap dash around Barcelona.
By James Montgomery
Shakira in her music video for "Loca"
Photo: Sony
In her previous videos, Shakira's gone global, game-set-match and, after shooting "She Wolf," probably to the chiropractor. And now, in her new video for "Loca," she's gone guerrilla.
Shot run-and-gun style in Barcelona last month, the "Loca" clip follows Shakira and her crew on a madcap dash around the city — including scenes shot in a public fountain and on the back of a motorcycle, which got her in hot water with local authorities. Thanks to all that, it's a decidedly different turn from her past efforts, most of which were big-budget affairs, and all of which avoided getting her in trouble with the law.
"Loca" — which features a cameo by British rapper Dizzee Rascal — is the first single off her new album, Sale El Sol (due October 19), and while the full video won't premiere until Wednesday on MTV.com, you can watch an exclusive 30-second sneak peek right now. There's roller skating, frolicking in a fountain, (very public) costume changes, motorcycle riding and — of course — a whole lot of hip-shaking, too. It's sexy, cheeky and, yes, even a little bit crazy, but then again, what Shakira video isn't? And while "Loca" may be a departure from her previous clips, what makes it great is the simple fact that none of her pop contemporaries — not even Lady Gaga — would dare try something like this. And that's why we love her so much.
But why are you reading this? Have a look at our exclusive preview of "Loca" right now, and make sure to check back on Wednesday for the full experience. Trust us, it's worth it.
Are you excited for Shakira's "Loca" video? Let us know in the comments!
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648783/shakiras-loca-video-watch-exclusive-preview.jhtml
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