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Lady Gaga Premieres Short Fashion Film

Posted 10/22/09 5:40 pm EST by in Music


By James Dinh

By now, it's clear that Lady Gaga is one of the most — if not the most — fashion-forward pop star working today. She even has a song called "Fashion" (which she co-wrote with RedOne for Heidi Montag before re-claiming it last year). So the short film that premiered exclusively on Dazed Digital earlier today is no different.

The two-minute film, a collaboration between the singer and fashion filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson, has pop's favorite fashionista striking poses and waving her arms while a dramatic piano composition — one she wrote specifically for this project — plays underneath.

"I believe in a glamorous life," Gaga says as the camera pans to various blue-tinted shots of her face and outfit.

As the short goes on, the music shifts and the cutting between angles becomes more jittery and violent. Gaga's heavily made-up face becomes the centerpiece, and a kaleidoscope effect takes hold. Wearing shoulder pads and sitting in a chair, Gaga stands in front of a backdrop of stars. In a blend of color, light and glitter, the singer caresses her body while dangling what looks like a star pendent until the music fades black.

Gaga is no stranger to bold pieces of eye-catching cinema — after all, she did win three Moonmen at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Director Ferguson certainly taps into Gaga's edgy aesthetic, and hopefully the collaboration will yield more fashion-forward results in the future.

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Ne-Yo Played Russian Roulette With Rihanna In His Mind: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 10/22/09 5:22 pm EST by in Music


"I'm listening to the track, and all I can see is Rihanna and some random person sitting across from each other at the table with a gun sitting in the middle of the table and playing Russian roulette. And I just started thinking, 'What would go through your mind if you was in that situation?' It just all started coming together, and Rihanna has never been one to be afraid to take a chance, especially with me. She's always game to do something a little different. I played it for her, and she loved it — went in and knocked it out. The rest is history."

-Singer, songwriter and producer Ne-Yo, explaining what was going on in his head while he was constructing Rihanna's new single "Russian Roulette," which premiered yesterday. He co-wrote and co-produced the song, which is the first single from Rihanna's upcoming album Rated R. "She wanted to be dark, but not just dark for the sake of being dark," Ne-Yo told MTV News. "Dark with kind of a meaning, dark with some kind of thing to it." He added that the dark, mature song is the result of their working relationship, which is based on a complete trust of one another. "I trust Rihanna to be Rihanna, and she trusts me to be me," he said. "That's the coolest thing about our relationship. I don't expect anything more from her. I must say this song is a step in somewhat of a different direction for both of us. We kind of both took a chance."

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The Center Of The Whedonverse Is In The MTV Newsroom

Posted 10/22/09 5:08 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Television


It's a busy day in the MTV Newsroom today. At the moment, Tim Kash is sitting down for a chat with Alicia Keys (she says her new album The Element of Freedom will be a big, synthesizer-heavy departure from her past work). But there's another interview happening just around the corner: "Gossip Girl" and "Mercy" star Michelle Trachtenberg is here to talk about straddling two hit TV shows.

Trachtenberg is probably best known for playing Dawn on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," a show created and produced by Joss Whedon. In the past few months, it seems as though we've had a regular rotation of alums from Whedon shows stop by to hang out and chat about their new projects. They are all members of a tightly-wound, closely-followed community known as the "Whedonverse," which represents the various projects that Whedon has worked on in his two-decade career.

For example, just a few weeks ago we were visited by Eliza Dushku, who is the star of Whedon's current show "Dollhouse." She also got her biggest break in Hollywood when she picked up a recurring role in the third season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." She talked a lot about "Dollhouse" but also about "WET," the video game she recently lent her voice to.

Before that, we were visited by David Boreanaz, who stopped by to talk about his hit show "Bones" but is best known as the heroic vampire with a soul from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel." Boreanaz talked about the joys of working with Cyndi Lauper and the current vampire trend that he was way head of the curve on.

Earlier in the summer, "Castle" star Nathan Fillion sat down with Multiplayer editor Russ Frushtick to play a little "Halo 3: ODST" (he provided voices for both that game and for "Halo 3"). But what was Fillion's original claim to fame? He was Captain Malcolm Reynolds on the short-lived but much-loved Whedon sci-fi western "Firefly" (as well as the film "Serenity").

So to any members of the Whedonverse who want to sit down for a talk with MTV News — including Alyson Hannigan (Willow from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Neil Patrick Harris (the titular character from "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Amy Acker (Fred from "Angel"), Adam Baldwin (Jayne from "Firefly") or Alexis Denisof (Wesley from "Buffy" and "Angel") — just drop us a line and we'll carve out some time for you at the center of the Whedonverse.

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Watch The Rehearsal For 'They Don't Care About Us' From 'Michael Jackson's This Is It'

Posted 10/22/09 3:45 pm EST by in Music


Anticipation continues to build for the release of "Michael Jackson's This Is It," the film that celebrates the music of the King of Pop and gives fans an extremely intimate look at Jackson's ideas and his work ethic. The film will focus mainly on songs and performances cobbled together from hours of tape, all of which was captured during the rehearsal process for the planned 50-date residency at London's O2 Arena. But so far, the most fascinating moments have come from the way Jackson communicates with the dancers, musicians and crew members. He works deliberately and confidently, and even in the moments where he is making minor adjustments, you can tell he has already seen the entire "This Is It" show in his head, and all he had to do was get it onto the stage.

A prime example: In the clip below, which shows Jackson working with a team of dancers on the HIStory song "They Don't Care About Us," he makes a minor change to a piece of the show. "That's a cool move," he says. "It's a cool move, but it spreads out too much at the end." He speaks clearly and confidently about exactly what he wants — a pure expression of a perfectionist at work.

According to director Kenny Ortega, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" will contain very little narration and be made up mostly of "wallt-to-wall music." So far, the footage that has surfaced from the film has been equal parts awe-inspiring and sad, because it's clear that Jackson was truly passionate about these shows and that they were going to be spectacular events. All told, it promises to be a fitting epitaph for a great artist.

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Spotted: 50 Cent Hits Up Jolly Old England

Posted 10/22/09 2:09 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

50 Cent took some time out of his preparation for the release of his new album Before I Self Destruct (which hits stores on November 23) to fly across the pond to promote a new movie. 50 stars in "Dead Man Running," a British gangster picture that hits cinemas next week. The man born Curtis Jackson plays Thigo, a mob boss who gives an associate 24 hours to repay him the 100,000 pounds in cash he is owed, and the film follows the breathless search to scare up the money before 50's character can strike. 50 hit London for the premiere and was spotted at the Mayfair Hotel, a top-shelf luxury spot in England's capital. But he's not going to let his intercontinental travel get in the way of the march for Before I Self Destruct: According to his official Web site, the video for his new song "Crime Wave" will premiere tonight on the page.

Mr. Jackson wasn't the only star on the street yesterday. The boys from Tokio Hotel paid a visit to a Best Buy store in New York, while Ciara enjoyed a meal at the Phillipe Chow restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted!" archive, which includes over 300 candid shots of Madonna, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, the Jonas Brothers and Mariah Carey!

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Lil Wayne First Went To Jail For The 'Go DJ' Video

Posted 10/22/09 1:45 pm EST by in Music


This morning, Lil Wayne appeared in court in New York City to plead guilty to a weapons possession charge stemming from a 2007 arrest following his first-ever headlining concert in Manhattan. As a result, Weezy will be sentenced to a year in jail (though his formal sentencing isn't until February). Though Wayne has had a long history of legal trouble, this is the first time he will serve time in jail.

But it's not his first trip to prison. In 2004, Weezy traveled to the Ohio State Reformatory (a decommissioned prison) to film the video for "Go DJ," a single from his album Tha Carter. The clip depicts Weezy and Birdman as residents of the penitentiary who stage a breakout and generally inspire chaos.

Interestingly, the prison (which was shut down in 1990) was used as the primary location for the film "The Shawshank Redemption" as well as scenes in "Air Force One." The other thing that stands out int he "Go DJ" clip is how much Wayne has changed physically since the release of Tha Carter. He has no visible tattoos and his hair was only just beginning to grow out. (You can check out the evolution of Lil Wayne here.)

In addition to his sentencing in February, Weezy will also have to return to court for a probation hearing. Assuming good behavior, it's unlikely that he'll have to serve the full year (eight to 10 months is a better estimate), so here's hoping he doesn't copy any of the activity from the "Go DJ" video.

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Bon Jovi To Open New Giants Stadium, Should Angle For Naming Rights

Posted 10/22/09 1:08 pm EST by in Music


A few weeks ago, New Jersey's favorite son Bruce Springsteen played a series of shows at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, marking the final concerts that would be hosted at the venue (which is being torn down in favor of a brand new football stadium that will open next year). Now it turns out that New Jersey's other favorite sons (favorite nephews?) will be the first band to play the new stadium next spring. The band announced today that their shows on April 26 and 27 would be the first events hosted by the new park. The two dates will wrap up the group's tour for their new album Circle, which hits stores next month.

Bon Jovi is a great and appropriate choice to open the new stadium, which cost $1.6 billion to construct. Interestingly, the naming rights to the new stadium are still up in the air, and rather than just sell it off to the highest bidder, they should really name it something Jersey-centric. (There's nothing more boring than naming a building after a corporate entity, is there?) And even if they don't want to name the new football venue "Slippery When Wet Stadium" or "Darkness On The Edge Of Town Field," frontman Jon Bon Jovi should really place a bid himself. Who wouldn't want to hop in the car to see the Jets play the Dolphins at "Livin' on a Prayer Park"?

But here's the best option: Bon Jovi and Springsteen should pool some money and make a formal bid for the naming rights. Obviously they'd have to combine two things to represent each party, so perhaps we can look forward to "Born to Runaway Stadium," "Blaze of Glory Days Pavillion" or "Wanted Dead or Alive in the U.S.A. Field." (That last one is a mouthful.) Or maybe they just simplify it and call it "Springsteen Bon Jovi Park." Come on, guys — help us avoid the inevitable "Pepsi Field" or "Verizon Park."

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Kanye West Still Hasn't Addressed His Death Rumor, But He Should Go On 'The Colbert Report'

Posted 10/22/09 12:34 pm EST by in Music, Television


Yesterday, the Internet exploded with the rumor that Kanye West had died (possibly in a car accident). Of course, this is not the case — it turns out West was the latest victim of a death rumor on the Internet. The rumor was immediately refuted by West's girlfriend Amber Rose via Twitter. "This 'RIP Kanye West' topic is not funny and it's not true!" she wrote. "It's in extreme poor taste to have that as a trendy topic. It's totally disrespectful to make up a story like this we're all human ... and we all make mistakes and to say someone died cuz of a mistake is ridiculous. You wouldn't want someone to say that about you."

But West himself hasn't responded to the rumor himself. Though he has updated his blog several times, he has not mentioned it there. And his spokesperson hasn't made a statement either. Though it hardly seems like this is the sort of thing West has to respond to, a number of other celebrities have had a bit of fun with the false rumors that they had passed away. Case in point: When Jeff Goldblum was rumored to have died in some sort of accident in New Zealand (a rumor that broke the same day that Michael Jackson died), he went on "The Colbert Report" to report on the fact that he had not, in fact, passed on.


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It was a hilarious bit that Kanye could easily latch onto. He even has a standing history with the Comedy Central host, as they have kept up a tongue-in-cheek feud since he challenged Kanye West to an iTunes sales duel last year. (Check out the complete history here.)

Kanye hasn't been seen much since the Video Music Awards, but why not make a comeback on one of the most-watched shows in late night?

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Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta Tweets About Band's First Private Jet Trip

Posted 10/22/09 10:46 am EST by in Music


We already know that the members of Cobra Starship are down with party buses, but yesterday the group got a bit of a rock and roll upgrade. In order to get to a show at Indiana University, the band took its first ever trip on a private jet. Frontman Gabe Saporta narrated the experience via his Twitter and included a handful of photos from the trip.

"A Cobra first! Private jet motherf---ers!" Saporta tweeted last night. "We're on our way to play a free show w/Girl Talk @ Indiana University." That show, a charity event to benefit a local shelter for battered women and sponsored by Victoria's Secret, goes down tonight on the school's campus. Indiana competed against five other institutions during the summer to win a visit from Cobra Starship and mashup DJ Girl Talk.

In the meantime, Saporta was excited about the jet. He posted a total of three photos of the plane, and he even attached this caption to the photo above: "You know, I'd really love to continue talking about this conversation, but I got a private jet to catch." Friend and occasional multimedia rival Pete Wentz also weighed in on the band's trip. "I can't imagine how awesome you woulda been back in the heyday of rock music selling," the Fall Out Boy bassist wrote on Twitter.

Through it all, Saporta enjoyed the experience and was slightly amazed at the reaction it got from his bandmates and crew members. "I love how every member of Cobra & our crew tweeted about rollin' in a private jet," he wrote. "I guess we're not that jaded, huh fellas?"

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Happy Birthday, Spike Jonze: Wake-Up Video

Posted 10/22/09 9:00 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


If you happen to run into Spike Jonze today, be sure to give him a pat on the back for making a truly stunning film adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are." But you can also wish him a happy birthday, as today he turns 40 years old. The man born Adam Spiegel spent his youth as a BMX and skateboard enthusiast and got involved with filmmaking when he started filming his friends doing tricks and stunts. His warped visual style, wide-eyed innocence and sense of adventure have served him well, as he has become one of the most talked-about American film directors. 1999's "Being John Malkovich" and 2002's "Adaptation" were both formidable stories told with Jonze's slick mix of absurdist humor and childlike melancholy, but it's the recently-released "Where the Wild Things Are" that solidifies Jonze as a true genius.

Of course, the director has had a long history with MTV. He helped create and produce "Jackass" and was also got his first real recognition as a director by crafting music videos for some of the more adventurous artists in rock, dance and hip-hop. There are some absolutely definitive clips on Jonze's resumé, including Weezer's "Buddy Holly," Fatboy Slim's "Praise You," the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" and Björk's "It's Oh So Quiet." His most recent music project was a collaboration with Kanye West on the short film "We Were Once a Fairytale," an 11-minute short that acts as a compendium to West's track "See You in my Nightmares." But one of Jonze's darkest clips was one he shot in 2004 for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (whose singer, Karen O, was Jonze's girlfriend for a while; she also created the soundtrack for "Where the Wild Things Are"). "Y Control" stars the band, a bunch of kids, some animal carcasses and a whole lot of wanton violence.

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