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Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne And Lady Gaga: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 2/26/10 6:10 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


This week's adventures in the MTV Newsroom had a lot to do with teams. It seemed like everybody was finding a partner, combining powers and barreling headlong at a common goal. Perhaps everyone suddenly became inspired by the Winter Olympics? Are they fans of WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Big Show and the Miz? Or are people just looking to stay warm during these ridiculous snow storms?

Whatever the case, before you go looking for your own tag-team partner this weekend, check out everything you might have missed this week, and be sure to stay tuned for more opinions, humor, insights and behind-the-scenes awesomeness next week!

» When he announced he would be performing on "Saturday Night Live," Justin Bieber found himself in the exclusive club of the youngest "SNL" performers of all time.

» All types of teams showed off during the Olympics this week, including some ice dancers who summoned the power of Linkin Park during their routine.

» Not all of this week's teams were current, as we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice.

» This weekend, the U.S. hockey team will play for gold with the assistance of Kings of Leon and Metallica.

» Meanwhile at Disneyland, Michael Jackson got the opportunity to get back together with an alien named Hooter when "Captain EO" returned to the lineup in Tomorrowland.
Read More...

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30 Seconds To Mars Call 'Kings And Queens' Video 'A Bit Of A Dream' In 'Frame By Frame'

Posted 2/26/10 5:05 pm EST by in Music


In our continuing efforts to take you — the loyal music lover — deeper into the minds of today's artists, MTV News presents "Frame by Frame." Each week, we'll get a musician to give you the inside scoop on their latest music video.

By Matt Harper

Last week, we showed you an inside look at the first half of 30 Seconds to Mars' epic video for "Kings and Queens." We now present the conclusion of the video with insight from band members Jared Leto and Tomo Milicevic.

The band's other videos have taken us around the world, from China to the Arctic. And while "Kings and Queens" is certainly less international in scope, it is no less grand or cinematic.

"In the song, there's a feeling of atmosphere. It's a bit of a dream," Leto says. Soon after he makes that observation, a lone horse appears in the video, running down a Los Angeles street in slow motion. Clearly we are dealing with a surreal and fantastic vision of downtown L.A.

Of course, Leto then goes on to explain that despite the horse doing a great job in the end, they were really worried about not being able to get the take right. "We only had three takes that we had time to do," Leto recounted. "The first take it went sideways, second take it went the other way. Third take? Perfect."

Despite the minor stress caused by the horse, it sounds like the video was fun to make, and that Leto (who directed under the pseudonym "Bartholomew Cubbins") considers the project an accomplishment. "It was exciting to have ownership of these public spaces ... to reclaim ownership, and to ride down both sides of the street."

And as "Kings and Queens" comes to a close, we see the group of bikers make their way onto Santa Monica Pier as the sun rises — suitably epic conclusion to an impressive video.

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Beyoncé: Exit 'Sasha Fierce,' Enter Domestic Goddess?

Posted 2/26/10 4:15 pm EST by in Music


The music world is in mourning over the passing of Sasha Fierce. There's no need to worry, as Beyoncé Knowles herself is totally fine. However, the persona that she assumed on stage and featured on her last album I Am ... Sasha Fierce is officially gone. "Sasha Fierce is done," she told "Extra" host AJ Calloway. "I killed her."

It's not that Fierce hadn't served her purpose, as she provided Beyoncé an unhinged alter-ego through which she could channel some of her most provocative dance moves and electric performances. Over the course of nearly a year, Beyoncé has channeled Fierce in over 100 concerts on six continents and played numerous television performances (including the Grammys and the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards).

Interestingly, Beyoncé also told "Extra" that now that she was off the road, she was going to focus on "learning to paint and cook, and to do Broadway shows and museums. And learn just to be at home and just watch television." She even welcomed the idea of children with husband and fellow worldwide phenomenon Jay-Z. "Eventually," she said. "When it happens, it happens."

Considering the music-loving public has known the 28-year-old Beyoncé since the first Destiny's Child album dropped back in 1998, it's difficult to picture her as a domestic goddess. She's always been the glamorous center of attention in concert and on the big screen, so it's hard to think of her as somebody who does the laundry, washes the dishes and knocks around with the kids. Still, it's possible that it might look a little bit like this.

Click here for more photos of Beyoncé in domestic goddess mode!

What do you think? Do you like the idea of Beyoncé as a domestic goddess? Will you miss Sasha Fierce? Let us know in the comments!

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Adam Lambert Calls Johnny Weir 'A Trailblazer': The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 2/26/10 3:25 pm EST by in Music


"I'm glad he's a trailblazer. He's comfortable in his own skin, clearly. And he's expressing himself. I think that's what art's all about. Whenever you do something that hasn't really been done, you're going to get love and you're going to get hate."

-Former "American Idol" runner-up and For Your Entertainment mastermind Adam Lambert, who came out in support of Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir after Weir took criticism for his flamboyant appearance and approach at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Following his performance last week, a pair of Canadian sports broadcasters said that Weir was setting a bad example for other male skaters.

"It wasn't these two men criticizing my skating, it was them criticizing me as a person, and that was something that really, frankly, pissed me off," Weir told reporters in response to the comments. "I think masculinity is what you believe it to be." Later, he told "Access Hollywood," "Every little boy should be so lucky as to turn into me, and that's all I have to say."

Lambert knows all about deflecting that brand of judgment. Following his controversial performance at the American Music Awards back in November 2009, Lambert took a lot of heat over the sexually explicit nature of the performance and had to deal with the fact that the network airing the show received hundreds of complaints about it. But Lambert managed to weather that storm and bounce back — something that Weir will no doubt be able to accomplish as well.

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Tiger Woods Meets Lady Gaga ... In An Apology Mashup

Posted 2/26/10 2:35 pm EST by in Music


On Thursday (February 25), we explored the growing number of mashups floating about the Internet that meld footage of Tiger Woods' public apology with a number of pop songs (including Ke$ha's "Blah Blah Blah" and Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling"). In a post yesterday, we tossed out a few ideas for songs we'd like to hear (including Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" and Riverboat Gamblers "A Choppy But Sincere Apology").

What we didn't count on was the power of MTV News digital producer Rich Sancho, who took the virtual ball and cyber-ran with it to create the mashup below. (He's the same mastermind who gave birth to the mashup between Justin Bieber and Lil Wayne earlier this week.) The remix brings together Wood's apology with Lady Gaga's "Monster" (an irresistible tune from her The Fame Monster EP). It's a fun little remix that simultaneously makes the Woods footage eerier but also goofier — the same blend of horror, pathos and fun that Gaga brings to every single one of her songs.

What do you think of the new mashup? Which one has been your favorite so far? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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The 'American Idol' Rejects Don't Just Go Away, They Go Away Mad

Posted 2/26/10 1:55 pm EST by in Music, Television


There was a time when grace and dignity ruled the land. When disappointed singers whose "journey" ended on "American Idol" in the first few semi-final rounds shed a crocodile tear (or 20), got their obligatory fake hug from host Ryan Seacrest, sang their most recent karaoke number again (invariably just a bit less terribly than the night or two before) and then shuffled off this mortal coil never to be heard from again.

But on Thursday (February 25) night's first elimination show of season nine, a strange thing happened: The four men and women who got the boot didn't open the fake water works and just go away. They went away mad. Like a mistake had been made, or as if they deserved to be on the show no matter what those dumb 24 million voters thought!

The first boot-ee, Florida beach blonde Janell Wheeler, handled it best when she got the hook over teen Katie Stevens. She did the requisite fake smile and gave the camera some decent pageant face as Seacrest did his water torture bit and read the results as slowly as possible. "That sucks," she said, snapping her fingers exaggeratedly and making a joke about her banana yellow shirt when Seacrest generously called her one of this season's "bright stars." She gave props to the girls and predicted one of them would win, sang terribly again and left just like bottom rung contestants are supposed to.

But then things got really tense when it was Ashley Rodriguez's turn. Read More...

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Spotted: 50 Cent Rolls VIP In Paris

Posted 2/26/10 1:05 pm EST by in 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.

If you're a star in the United States, it's not difficult to roll into a club and slide right into the VIP. It usually doesn't take very much. It takes a true superstar to roll VIP internationally, which is exactly what 50 Cent did in Paris on Thursday (February 25). He partied at the French capital city's VIP Room, a high-profile club and a haven for American hip-hop acts making their way through Europe. 50 is currently on a European tour (he played a concert at Le Zénith de Paris earlier in the evening) and he donned a cool-looking puffer vest to hit the after-party with fellow G-Unit member Lloyd Banks. In addition to the tour, the rapper grabbed headlines recently when he was sued for posting a sex tape of one of Rick Ross' old girlfriends.

50 wasn't the only star partying yesterday. Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway hit the red carpet at the "Alice in Wonderland" premiere in London, and Anna Kendrick, Kristen Bell, Minka Kelly and Anna Paquin got their glam on for the Costume Designers Guild Awards in Beverly Hills. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted!" archive, which features over 400 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, the Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Hilary Duff, Shakira, Diddy, Jay-Z and Mariah Carey!

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Ellen DeGeneres Poll Results: Opinion Remains Split

Posted 2/26/10 12:15 pm EST by in Music, Television


Well, that didn't accomplish very much. On Thursday (February 25), the MTV Newsroom Blog asked "American Idol" fans what they think of the job that Ellen DeGeneres is doing on the show. With a handful of episodes under her belt, it seemed like a handful of patterns were emerging, and based on popular opinion, her performance was either working perfectly or a total disaster.

In the poll presented yesterday, we took a look at some of Ellen's more memorable moments from the past few episodes (including her prolonged and sort of surreal banana metaphor from the February 24 show) and then gave fans five choices to judge how she was doing. Apparently, many of you are quite enthusiastic about her thus far, as 49 percent of the vote went to "Great! She should keep doing what she is doing." However, that was followed close behind by "I miss Paula," which picked up 29 percent. In third place (and admittedly the one we voted for) with 15 percent of the vote was "Good for now, but needs to get better." Five percent of the fans thought "She's no good now, but she'll be fine," while only two percent clicked on "She's fine, but I don't see her improving."

For her part, Ellen seems enthusiastic about her work thus far. "I'll tell ya, I like being live because anything can happen on live television," she told the studio audience during Thursday night's results show.

So the audience remains split on Ellen's work on "Idol." Luckily, there are still many, many episodes to go before another winner is crowned, and she'll have plenty of time to adjust whatever it is she needs to adjust.

But what do you think? What should Ellen do differently? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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LMFAO Start A Party, Stage Romney Incident Reenactment In MTV Newsroom

Posted 2/26/10 11:35 am EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


By Joel Hanek

Electro-funksters LMFAO are slowly taking over everything you know. You can’t escape the dynamic duo of Redfoo and Sky Blu. Not only are these guys are currently supporting the Black Eyed Peas and Ludacris on a nationwide arena tour, but they also have a massive hit with their single with the alcoholic's anthem "Shots" and currently have their songs featured as the main themes for two of the most popular shows on television right now: MTV's hit "Jersey Shore" ("Get Crazy") and the Kardashian-centric spinoff "Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami" ("I'm in Miami Trick").

LMFAO have even begun invading the world of MTV News. When we last left the duo, our very own Sway caught up with the guys in Vancouver at the 2010 Winter Olympics, where they were performing. Shortly after, Sky Blu was involved in a truly bizarre airplane scuffle with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. To get the inside scoop on that incident and further continue their growing rad bromance, Redfoo and Sky Blu stopped by the NYC MTV offices to chat up Sway once again.

Decked out in their self-designed "Party Rock" attire, LMFAO entertained the Sway and the crew with their antics and dramatic reenactments of the Mitt Romney incident (or as they like to call it: "The Vulcan Death Grip Incident"). In the video, you can see the guys perform a slow-motion retelling of the now infamous airplane conflict between Sky Blu and Mitt Romney (with the part of Mitt Romney being played by Redfoo). Although what depicted is not an accurate portrayal of the events that occurred, it certainly is entertaining.

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Dodger Matt Kemp Talks Rihanna (And Also Baseball)

Posted 2/26/10 10:45 am EST by in Music


By Joel Hanek

Despite the many reports that Matt Kemp and Rihanna are a couple (not to mention many pictures of the pair getting cozy), the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder says the Barbadian singer is just a "good friend."

In a recent interview with Fox Sports radio station KLAC, Kemp was asked by hosts Chris Myers and Steve Hartman about his relationship with Rihanna. Although he expected to chat about training camp and how he can bring up his RBI numbers, Kemp was in good spirits about the line of questioning. "I thought we were talking about baseball, guys," he said.

Although the athlete never actually confirmed that the couple are actually a couple, Kemp said of the two, "[She's] a very very good friend of mine. And we enjoy hanging out with each other and we're just having fun."

This past weekend, Kemp was with Rihanna for her birthday, the singer received the perfect gift: A lap dance from a midget. When not attending burlesque shows featuring little people, Kemp says the couple enjoys catching Lakers games.

Myers compared their high-profile relationship to Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, another athlete-celebrity couple, and asked Kemp if he was prepared for a new level of public scrutiny that comes with dating a pop star.

"Hey, it is what it is. If that's what it comes with, that's what it comes with," said Kemp. "I'm just gonna continue to keep trying to hit home runs and help my team get to the World Series."

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