Music news of 2010

larryrosario

'Never Say Never' joins tunes by Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Aguilera in the running for Original Song category.
By James Montgomery

Justin Bieber
Photo: Robyn Beck/ AFP/ Getty Images

Earlier this year, Justin Bieber set tweenage hearts aflutter when he teamed with Jaden Smith to record "Never Say Never," the theme to Smith's "Karate Kid" reboot. And now, he's hoping to do the same for Oscar voters.

Earlier this week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the governing body of the Academy Awards — released its list of the 41 songs eligible for the Original Song category at the 83rd annual awards, and Bieber made the cut.

"Never Say Never" is in the running against the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow's "Coming Home" and "Me and Tennessee" (both from her upcoming "Country Strong" film) and a trio of songs from Christina Aguilera's "Burlesque." Though Bieber made the eligibility list, the tune's nomination is no surefire bet: Movie clips featuring each song will be screened for voting members of the Academy's Music Branch on January 6, and it will be up to them to select the field of nominees.

Nominations will be announced on January 25 at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

According to the Academy, in order for a work to be deemed eligible for the Original Song category, it must "consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film," and "a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film, or as the first music cue in the end credits." Bieber and Smith's song is played over the end credits of "The Karate Kid."

The 83rd Academy Awards will be broadcast live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, February 27.

Check out everything we've got on "The Karate Kid."

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

Related Photos

'Karate Kid' Premieres In Los Angeles

Related Artists

Justin Bieber

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654488/20101217/bieber_justin.jhtml

Michelle Malkin Michelle Obama Michelle Rodriguez Michelle Trachtenberg Mila Kunis

larryrosario

Do Somethin'

Artist: Britney Spears
Label: BMG International
Director: Bille Woodruff/Mona Lisa
Album: My Prerogative

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=501686&vid=40937

Christina Aguilera Christina Applegate Christina DaRe Christina Milian Christina Ricci

larryrosario

'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Trailer Frames

Related Artists

Michael Jackson

Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1621244

Georgianna Robertson Georgina Grenville Gina Carano Gina Gershon Gina Philips

larryrosario

Rock and Roll

Artist: Led Zeppelin
Label: Swan Song
Album: The Song Remains the Same

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=993&vid=22448

Grace Park Gretha Cavazzoni Gwen Stefani Halle Berry Hayden Panettiere

larryrosario

Gossip blogger helped unveil Gaga statue at Madame Tussauds in L.A.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by James Lacsina

Perez Hilton unveils Lady Gaga's wax figure at Madame Tussauds Hollywood on Thursday
Photo: David Livingston/ Getty Images

Is there ever too much Lady Gaga? Well, Madame Tussauds doesn't seem to think so. On Thursday the wax museum unveiled eight Gaga likenesses all over the world. The singer's pal, gossip blogger Perez Hilton, was on hand to help unveil the Los Angeles statue.

That version of the statue has Lady Gaga donning the outfit she wore for her performance at the Brit Awards in February, which was dedicated to her friend the late Alexander McQueen. The look included a white lace bodysuit, lace mask and over-the-top bouffant wig, and Perez seemed to approve of that pick.

"There have been eight that have been revealed all over the world and I think they saved the best for last," he told MTV News, moments after unveiling the statue. "It's such a monumental day because each one of these figures takes months to make, it costs $300,000 to do just one and it's so amazing and lifelike. It's creepy ... that it is so real. I kept waiting for her to blink, but she didn't. It's very accurate. I know that Gaga would be very honored."

So how does Gaga feel about eight versions of herself living around the world? "I know that Gaga is super-excited and happy about it," Hilton said. "And I'm sure that when she has a chance she'll go and check one of them out!"

Gaga statues are now living in wax museums all over the world. MTV News was also on hand when her New York statue went on display. Gaga appears in a sheer black dress paired with a wide-brim hat made of hair, a look she wore to the Consumer Electronics Show back in January.

In Berlin, Gaga wears a blazer, leotard and hair bow; in London, the figure dons a Philip Treacy telephone hat and sparkly navy Armani suit; in Amsterdam, she's in a nude bodysuit, a white blazer and a towering purple beehive. Her skintight black harlequin outfit is featured in Hong Kong, and her wire "wing" dress is on display in Shanghai.

Related Photos

Lady Gaga Gets Waxed Worldwide

Related Artists

Lady Gaga

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653981/20101210/lady_gaga.jhtml

T.A.T.u. Talisa Soto Tamala Jones Tami Donaldson Tamie Sheffield

larryrosario

Massive tour, event videos and social causes earn Gaga her second-straight Woman of the Year title.
By James Montgomery

Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Lady Gaga didn't even release a proper album in 2010, and somehow, she managed to become an even bigger star. This had as much to do with the fact that she kept working with what she had — the endless tour, the incomparable videos — as it did with her harnessing her hard-fought stardom and attempting to become a force for social change. She spoke out loudly and proudly in support of gay rights and in opposition to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and, in the process, she became the kind of star we haven't seen in decades: One unafraid to offend, no matter how much she stood to lose.

(They're more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!)

And that fearlessness — coupled with her continued chart success and her envelope-pushing event videos — is why we've chosen Lady Gaga as MTV News' Woman of the Year. It's the second-consecutive year she's taken home the honor, which is sort of fitting. After all, no one has dominated both the musical and pop-culture landscapes quite like she has over the past 24 months. This year, she just dominated differently. And so, in honor of her reign, here's a look back at Lady Gaga's 2010, a year in which she moved from pop icon to genuine social force.

2010 Highlights: Gaga began 2010 much like she ended 2009: on tour. In January, she wowed audiences with a triumphant four-night run at New York's Radio City Music Hall and then stole the show at the Grammys with her Elton John duet and appropriately outrageous attire. She teamed with Cyndi Lauper for the MAC AIDS Fund VIVA Glam campaign and paid tribute to the late Alexander McQueen with a performance at the Brit Awards. In February, she began teasing both her revamped Monster Ball Tour and her upcoming "Telephone" video, which would catapult her to even greater fame.

Directed by Jonas Åkerlund and full of nearly as many blink-and-you'll-miss-it pop-culture nods as it was wanton violence and near-nudity, "Telephone" premiered on March 11 and basically became the event video against which all others would be judged. Fans loved it (celebs did too), and the clip would go on to inspire countless YouTube tributes. Needless to say, talk of a sequel quickly followed.

In April, she was announced as a headliner at Lollapalooza and was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People. In June, she sent fans into a panic when she told Larry King that she had tested "borderline positive" for lupus and then wowed them with her "Alejandro" video, which mixed German Expressionism with religious symbolism (needless to say, some thought it went too far).

She then told Rolling Stone magazine that her new album was "finished right now" and then premiered the first song from that album, "You and I," at Elton John's White Tie and Tiara Ball. She kicked off another leg of the Monster Ball Tour in Montreal, and, at a later date in Arizona, encouraged fans to protest the state's immigration law. At the beginning of August, she scored a whopping (and record-breaking) 13 Video Music Award nominations and delivered the goods with a surreal set at Lollapalooza.

At the VMAs in September, Gaga won eight Moonmen — including Video of the Year — and announced that her new album would be called Born This Way. But seemingly all anyone wanted to talk about was her infamous "meat dress," which dominated celeb gossip for the remainder of the month. Also of note were the "dates" Gaga took with her to the show: men and women of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, all of whom had been discharged from the Armed Forces (or prohibited from serving) because they were gay.

Inspired by their stories, Gaga began a (very loud) campaign to have the military's long-standing "don't ask, don't tell" policy overturned. She called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to vote on a repeal of the measure and posted an impassioned video plea, urging her fans to call their senators and demand they vote as well. She held an impromptu rally in Maine aimed at grabbing the attention of Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. Ultimately, her efforts failed, as Senate Democrats were unable to garner enough votes to begin debate on the matter, though Gaga remained adamant in her support of gay rights, as producer RedOne told MTV News that her Born This Way album would be about "freedom."

She capped 2010 by passing the 1 billion views mark on YouTube, being named one of Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women and Billboard's Artist of the Year. She scored six Grammy nominations, placed a pair of songs on MTV News' Top 25 countdown, including "Telephone" at #10, and was honored with eight different wax figures by Madame Tussauds. Oh, and then, there's the matter of Born This Way, which is due early next year and, by all accounts, is shaping up to be pretty great. And it sort of raises the question: At this time next year, will we be handing Gaga her third-straight Woman of the Year award? We wouldn't bet against her. As she proved in 2010, anything's possible.

Did Gaga deserve our Woman of the Year title? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Related Videos

Men And Women Of The Year 2010

Related Photos

The Men & Women Of 2010

Related Artists

Lady Gaga

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654467/20101216/lady_gaga.jhtml

Shanna Moakler Shannon Elizabeth Shannyn Sossamon Shiri Appleby Sienna Guillory

larryrosario

With her new album due in March, we revisit some of the pop princess' many hits.
By Jocelyn Vena

Britney Spears
Photo: Jive

Now that Britney Spears has announced that she will be releasing a new album in March 2011, fans must be wondering what her latest musical endeavor will sound like. The as-yet-untitled effort is a follow-up to 2008's well-received Circus, which helped resurrect the singer's career after a dark time in her life. No information regarding the upcoming album has emerged, but Britney's faithful followers have watched her change up her look and sound with each single over the span of her decade-plus career, as she evolved from a bubblegum-pop princess to a sexy dance-club siren. Let's trace Spears' musical journey by taking a look at some of her most memorable tunes.

In 1999, a fresh-faced Spears released " ...Baby One More Time" (produced by Max Martin), the title track off her massive debut album. She got the conversation about her sexuality started thanks to a provocative video in which she danced around in a Catholic school uniform, as well as the song's equally provocative lyrics, where she longingly sang, "My loneliness is killing me/ I must confess, I still believe/ When I'm not with you I lose my mind/ Give me a sign/ Hit me baby one more time." It's to be noted that the song originally was intended for TLC.

In the video for "Oops! ... I Did It Again" (produced by Martin and Rami Yacoub), Spears' smash from the 2000 album of the same name, the pigtails and skirt were gone, replaced by a red catsuit. That visual, as well as the song's lyrical content, reflected Spears' evolution from naughty schoolgirl to intergalactic sex kitten, both in her video and on the song's lyrical content.

For "I'm a Slave 4 U" (produced by the Neptunes) off 2001's Britney, Spears declared her sexual independence. No longer was she just teasing about the idea that she loved the beat of dance music and how sexy it made her feel, instead she was explicitly sharing it with the world. Plus, who could forget all the sweat in that video.

In 2003, Spears teamed up with the Queen of Pop, Madonna, for "Me Against the Music" (produced by Christopher Stewart and Penelope Magnet), the sexy lead single from In the Zone. While the darker, more synth-heavy "Toxic" would become the album's defining tune, "Me Against the Music" picked up where "Slave" left off: Spears battling the demon she has inside of her that just loves to come out on the dance floor.

After a few years of not putting out any music, Spears hit the club again with 2007's "Gimme More" (produced by Danja) off the aptly titled Blackout. Between the release of In the Zone and Blackout, Spears had married, divorced and become a mother — she also had started to act erratically. The track, which relied more heavily on underground dance and electro than most of Spears' previous singles, was a highly sexualized tune about getting it on.

After the darkness of Blackout, Spears got back to her fun and frolicking old ways on the 2008 Circus single "Womanizer" (produced by the Outsyders). The track was a return to form for Spears after the lackluster response to Blackout, and it brought the discussion back around to her music and away from her sometimes topsy-turvy personal life. In the song's video, Spears gets back at a player, and really has the last laugh. The clip also features ffotage of a completely nude Britney in a steamy sauna.

In 2009, Spears shot to the top of the charts with the danceable track "Three" (produced by Martin and Shellback) off The Singles Collection. The tune was an instant smash, and featured Spears robotically singing about a ménage à trois over a club beat.

As for what's next for the singer, very little is known about her forthcoming album, although a couple of her producers have dropped some hints. Dr. Luke said that the music will "be a departure from what you've heard," while Danja called it "hard-hitting, uptempo [and] high-energy." Spears, meanwhile, is very clear about how she thinks the record is sounding. "I AM IN L-O-V-E WITH IT!" she tweeted.

Are you looking forward to Britney's new album? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Related Photos