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A few years ago, Spin magazine took a look at Marilyn Manson and wondered if he was the last rock star left (which is, of course, a laughable suggestion today). Ever since the grunge era, the idea of being a "rock star" (in the cliché sense of the phrase) became something that somehow became uncool. Nobody wanted their lead singers to yell and curse and break stuff the way Robert Plant and Axl Rose used to. In fact, the most public outbursts of rock star behavior tended to be sternly condemned (Scott Weiland) or dragged into court (Kid Rock). But as the continuing success of Mötley Crüe has proven, the public still aches for rock star attitude and behavior that is a little dangerous and a lot ostentatious.

Luckily, we have Kanye West, who chatted at length with "Ellen" host Ellen DeGeneres on Tuesday (October 19) about his new album, his short film "Runaway," his self-imposed banishment after the Taylor Swift incident and his latest rock star twist: His diamond teeth.

"There are just some things it seems rock stars are supposed to do," West told DeGeneres, who was thrown off by the fact that West's lower chompers were legit and in fact not just covered up by a grill.

Here's the thing: Musically, West's teeth are meaningless. They aren't going to have any effect on his output one way or another. But Kanye understands how important public perception is (in fact, he maybe understands too well) and he knows that he is able to project a certain persona to the outside world — a persona that will keep him on the lips of fans, followers and haters alike (Kanye also knows there's no such thing as bad publicity).

West is an extremely talented artist, but he's also a hell of a sociologist, and he knows that the public demands extreme behavior from their rock stars. They want to be able to graft their own desires on these larger-than-life individuals and let them play out our darkest desires. That's the whole reason why we fell in love with rock music in the first place. If the rest of the music world isn't going to step up, then West is more than happy to oblige and play that role. What's so important about Kanye West's new teeth? Everything.

Tags ellen-degeneres, Kanye West, photo

Generally speaking, it's usually very easy to predict who will be going home each week on "Dancing With the Stars." The scores are right there for you to see, and there are certain rules that tend to be followed. One of those rules? Unless you're a complete mess (like, for example, Buzz Aldrin last season), your advanced age will usually give you a leg up on your competition. This show loves senior citizens (remember Cloris Leachman's run from a few years back?) and those famous folks tend to gobble up votes faster and better than their younger (and sometimes more famous) counterparts. So it was more than a little bit surprising that Tuesday night's (October 19) edition of "Dancing With the Stars" ended with former "Brady Bunch" star Florence Henderson forced to put away her sequined costumes for good.

While Henderson was hardly a "Dancing With the Stars" heavy hitter, she put forth a reasonably strong effort on Monday night's (October 18th) performance episode and seemed to have the drop on both Bristol Palin (who may have picked up some sympathy votes because of Monday night's gorilla costume) and Kyle Massey. But in the end, it was Henderson who was shown the door, leaving only seven couples behind to compete for the big silly mirrorball trophy. Of the celebs who remain, only three — Jennifer Grey, Brandy and Audrina Patridge — seem like winner's circle possibilities. The rest all have one problem or another, be it performance (Palin, Kurt Warner), popularity (Rick Fox, who has continuously improved and yet can't buy a vote) or both (Massey).

The rest of Tuesday night's show was filled with fake drama (Jennifer Grey was declared "in jeopardy," which was more or less a ridiculous concept) and even faker informercials (the idea of David Hasselhoff having a law firm that focuses on personal injuries is funny, but the execution left a lot to be desired). Musical performances were left to Shakira (who apparently has a new album out) and Jason Derulo (who acquitted himself nicely).

What did you think of Florence Henderson's elimination on "Dancing With the Stars"? Let us know in the comments!

Tags dancing with the stars, video

With all the hype surrounding the controversial album cover, the upcoming short film and the ongoing "G.O.O.D. Fridays" project, there is one fascinating story that has gotten a bit lost in the run up to the release of Kanye West's new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. During the Los Angeles premiere of "Runaway," West revealed that the next single from the album (the third overall, after "Power" and "Runaway") will be a track called "All of the Lights," and it will feature a staggering list of guest stars. On that track, there are drop-ins from Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, John Legend, The-Dream, Tony Williams, Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson, Ryan Leslie and La Roux's Elly Jackson. "It's completely seamless and completely ghetto as f---," West said of the track.

Not only is that a huge number of collaborators for one song (that's 11 total, which means a full dozen voices once West participates), but that's also an incredible diverse collection of people (with no two voices sounding alike). No matter what it sounds like, it will end up being one of the craziest posse cuts in history. What are some of the others? We're glad you asked.

"It's All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix)" featuring Diddy, Jadakiss, Styles P, Sheik Louch, Lil' Kim, Notorious B.I.G., Tommy Stinson, Fuzzbubble, Rob Zombie and Dave Grohl
That's an awful lot of names, and yet somehow the guitar-happy version of "It's All About the Benjamins" totally works. One of the biggest hits from Diddy's height (which appeared on his massive solo debut No Way Out), "It's All About the Benjamins" became big three times: Once by itself as a single (which only included Diddy, Jadakiss and Sheik Louch), once as a remix (the version that appeared on the album, which added Biggie Smalls and Lil' Kim) and the final time as a rock song (which tacked on the rock names). Not all of Diddy's rock experiments were winners (anybody remember the Led Zeppelin-biting "Come With Me"?), but this one worked.

"Ghetto Symphony" featuring Snoop Dogg, Mia X, Fiend, C-Murder, Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal and Goldie Loc
Snoop Dogg's run with No Limit Records was a mixed bag, but his 1999 album No Limit Top Dogg is still probably the most underrated of his career. It not only represented his long-awaited reuniting with Dr. Dre (he produced three songs) but it also featured one of No Limit's best posse cuts. Sure, "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" was an actual hit, but "Ghetto Symphony" (which borrows its beat from Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle") shows off the skills of some of No Limit's underdogs (Mia X comes across especially well).
Read more...

Tags Diddy, Kanye West

Kings of Leon's new album Come Around Sundown represents a big turning point for the band, as it is their first release since they broke out in gigantic fashion with the single "Use Somebody" (from their 2008 album Only by the Night). Produced by Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King (the same team behind Only by the Night), the new album continues the trend the band began on their previous effort. It's full of lush production and massive hooks with full-throated choruses and singalong melodies. If you liked Only by the Night, you'll probably love Come Around Sundown.

But what have the critics said about Only by the Night, which will no doubt be one of the most written-about albums of 2010? Last week, MTV News' own James Montgomery weighed in on the record, and he was mostly nonplussed. "Come Around Sundown is the Kings playing it safe, laying up close to the hole and settling for par," he wrote. "It is an oddly nocturnal, sleepy thing, a trait that most of their new fans will no doubt confuse for sensuality, but one that only makes me long for stuff like 'Charmer' or 'The Bucket.'"

Some critics were far more enthusiastic. Will Hermes from Rolling Stone gave the album four stars, comparing Kings of Leon to a legendary contemporary. "If Wilco and My Morning Jacket are vying for the title of America's Radiohead, Kings of Leon have — Bono's honorary green card notwithstanding — become our U2." Margaret Wappler of the Los Angeles Times "they’re like the IKEA of rock — taking classic, clean designs and spitting out new versions that work for listeners who want to venture a bit afield but not too far" (and apparently that's a compliment). And Billboard's Ann Donahue said "Kings of Leon may have the ticket to pleasing everyone all of the time."

While there were a handful of critics who gave the album a shrug (Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said "Kings of Leon seem to have forgotten how to rock," though he did have a lot of enthusiasm for "Mary," which he called "unlike any song the band has recorded, a wall-of-sound pop anthem straight out of the early '60s and the Ronettes' 'Be my Baby,' complete with a rare over-the-top guitar solo"), there weren't a whole lot of negative reviews (though Drowned in Sound said it "barely rises above the level of mundane").

No matter what you think of Come Around Sundown, it's hard to argue with first single "Radioactive," which packs a pretty huge punch (and a great video to boot).

What do you think of Kings of Leon's new album? Let us know in the comments!

Tags kings of leon, video

"I told [Condo] I wanted a phoenix, and that's what he came up with. And what I love about it is, both me and George express ourselves with our truest vision, not based on what society or culture feels is right, but what's truly in our heart. And I just know if George was in my class back when I was in kindergarten, and he came up with something like that, I would've been envious, like, 'Man, how did you come up with that character with no arms and the wings, man? That's cool!' I just really love the colors. I thought the colors were just amazing, and the imagery was amazing. I thought it was a cool, awesome cover."

-Hip-hop superstar Kanye West, discussing the much-talked-about cover of his upcoming album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The art work, designed by frequent collaborator George Condo (who is also responsible for the "king is dead" imagery on the cover of the "Power" single), depicts West being straddled by an armless angel with wings. The cover has drummed up a lot of controversy and chatter on the Internet — not unlike just about everything West has done in the past few years.

MTV News caught up with West on the red carpet of the Los Angeles premiere of his brand new short film "Runaway," which will be broadcast this Saturday night (October 23) at 8 p.m. on MTV. As West revealed, there are actually multiple covers that will all be included with the album. "Well, actually, it's five covers," West told MTV News' Kara Warner. "And you get all five of them when you buy the album."

Tags Kanye West, Quote

Katy Perry has a wedding coming up, a big international tour to plan for an a hit album (the almost-gold Teenage Dream) to continue to promote, but somewhere in there she has found the time to play the role of a true modern pop star and expand her brand. She has a line of nail polish coming out soon (just like Justin Bieber!) and this holiday season she will also celebrate the release of her very own fragrance. It's called "Purr," and a new ad featuring Perry just found its way online. Appropriately, Perry is dressed up in a super-sleek cat suit and bathed in psychedelic blue and pink light. And, of course, a tail.

In dropping her own fragrance, Perry joins the ranks of a cavalcade of chart-dominating pop stars who have invited the rest of the world to smell just like them with the assistance of mono-syllabic concoctions, including Mariah Carey ("Forever," "M" and others), Britney Spears ("Fantasy"), Celine Dion ("Sensational"), Gwen Stefani ("L") and Jennifer Lopez ("Live"). Perry seems to have a particular attachment to scent, as her latest album Teenage Dream came packaged in a case that smelled like cotton candy (and that wasn't just a clever marketing ploy — the research yielded solid, concrete proof).

Perry isn't done with just putting out beauty products and maybe possibly getting married in India soon, as she is also lending herself to the upcoming animated summer blockbuster "The Smurfs," which will be hitting theaters in August. With all these avenues currently feeling the touch of Perry, is she blossoming into the next boundary-crossing pop star who can rule all venues like Beyoncé and Madonna? Time will tell, but she's certainly on the right track.

Tags Katy Perry

Kanye West is no stranger to controversy, as he has spent his entire career letting his big personality loose while rarely exercising restraint. He has seen massive crowds turn on him (remember the incident at Bonnaroo in 2008?), put out an envelope-pushing but alienating album (808s & Heartbreak) and alienated much of the pop universe when he dropped in on Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. But he has rarely been actually censored, which is what he appears to currently be dealing with in regards to the cover for his eagerly anticipated album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

The image, created by artist George Condo (who also dreamed up the cover to the "Power" single), features a twisted version of a man (West himself?) straddled by a nude female creature with wings and no arms. It's strange, intriguing and looks like modern art, which is exactly what West must have been looking for.

(Click here for more controversial album covers from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jane's Addiction, David Bowie, Prince and Slayer!)

Of course, West is hardly the first artist to create an album cover that was considered too crass, graphic or offensive for public consumption. And it has been going on for decades — both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones attempted to put extra-violent, unnerving imagery on their album covers before other people intervened. Some fixes have been downright silly, like when David Bowie was forced to tone down the sexiness on the anthropomorphic dog creature on the cover of Diamond Dogs. Sometimes the artists just switched up the covers, while other times they dreamed up entirely new covers. (And some weren't even their fault — who knew the Coup's Party Music would prove to be so prescient?)

(Click here for more controversial album covers from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jane's Addiction, David Bowie, Prince and Slayer!)

What are your favorite controversial album covers? Let us know in the comments!

Tags Kanye West, photo

Every day a multitude of stars wander 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.

The upcoming world premiere of Kanye West's new short film "Runaway" (which will air on MTV this Saturday, October 23, at 8 p.m. ET) has the pop world pretty excited, mainly because West is an artist who never fails to deliver. In the lead-up to the broadcast, West will be spending this week hosting premieres in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Monday night's (October 18th) premiere in Los Angeles did even more to build the buzz and attracted a number of stars, including rock's favorite couple Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. The pair rolled up on the red carpet for "Runaway" before disappearing inside to watch West's hypnotic, hallucinatory vision. Wentz, a longtime admirer of West (both of them are from Chicago), just unveiled his new band Black Cards with a trio of shows and will be headed to the U.K. for another series of performances. Meanwhile, Simpson is spending time with her son before finishing up work on her fourth album (which will apparently have a "folk feel").

They weren't the only stars taking the air, as Selena Gomez dropped into a McDonald's in Paris and a series of celebs showed up for Elton John's AIDS Foundation benefit in New York. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Madonna, Rihanna and the Jonas Brothers!

Tags Ashlee Simpson, Kanye West, pete-wentz, photo, Spotted!

Each of the songs on Taylor Swift's upcoming album Speak Now (which will be in stores next Monday, October 25) follows a concept, as the individual tracks are all about a single person or encounter in Swift's life. The latest track to sneak out into the Internet ether is "Mean," a scathing country track that sees Swift fighting back at her critics.

On the track, she puts a critic in his or her place with cutting words. "Drunken rumbling on about how I can't sing / But all you are is mean/ And a liar/ And pathetic/ And alone in life/ And mean," she sings, likely referencing the negative attention she received after her problematic performance at the 2010 Grammy Awards. The rest of the lyrics are just as biting, and though the song itself is a pleasant country shuffle (complete with banjos), the content of the lyrics represents the most bile Swift has ever dished out.

Of course, Swift is hardly the first musician to give it back to her critics in song form. The history of rock and roll is littered with angry artists attacking critics (sometimes even specific critics) when they feel they have been slighted or unfairly criticized. Here are the best anti-critic songs in rock history.

Guns N' Roses, "Get in the Ring"
This deep cut from Use Your Illusion II finds Gunners frontman Axl Rose using some colorful language to take down a whole series of writers and publishers he finds abhorrent. He is particularly peeved at the rock magazine industry, specifically going after people from Hit Parader, Kerrang and Spin. The latter gets an extra special message from Mr. Rose: "Bob Guccione at Spin — what, you pissed off because your dad gets more p---y than you? F--- you! Suck my f---ing d---!" It's fascinatingly filthy, and it's Rose at his best.

M.I.A., "I'm a Singer (Haters)"
Earlier this year, international underground pop terrorist M.I.A. got involved in a pretty tepid feud with journalist Lynn Hirschberg, who wrote a feature about M.I.A. for The New York Times Magazine that the singer perceived as being negative. In retaliation, M.I.A. tweeted Hirschberg's phone number, encouraged people to bother her and then recorded a quick diss track as a public takedown. It came across less as an artist standing up for her work and more as a petulant child whining about not getting her way.

Jay-Z, "99 Problems"
Jigga clearly has a lot of problems, so he can't devote the entire song to his dislike of music scribes. Read more...

Tags guns-n-roses, Taylor Swift

Whether you recognize it or not, we're currently in a bit of a music video renaissance. Once again, clips from major artists are hotly anticipated, and more often than not they are evaluated on their artistic merits and their ability to push the envelope of an admittedly limited medium (look no further than the work of Lady Gaga or Rihanna for proof). The genre of music videos has peaked a number of times in the three decades that MTV has been on the air (most notably at the heights of the grunge and boy band eras), but the first one came in 1985 when videos like A-Ha's "Take On Me" found their way into heavy rotation and blew minds in the process. The success of the video pushed "Take On Me" to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 on this day in 1985.

Even 25 years later, "Take On Me" still seems pretty mind-bending. Directed by Steve Barron (who also directed the clip for Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69" as well as feature films like "Coneheads" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"), the clip was the first music video to feature rotoscoping, the process that gives the "animated" versions of the characters in the video realistic movements and facial expressions. Because of the limitations of the technology at the time, the 3,000 rotoscoped frames took a lifetime to render, making the total production time for the video 16 weeks (compared to the typical one to two for normal music videos). The clip for "Take On Me" ended up winning six MTV Video Music Awards in 1986 (though it lost Video of the Year to Dire Straits "Money For Nothing," a testament to the depth of the work being created at the time). "Take On Me" also helped propel A-Ha's debut album Hunting High and Low to platinum status and made them international superstars.

Tags A-Ha, video