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Beyoncé Aims To Invent New Genre: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 11/19/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


"I love to dance, I love to sing, and I'm actually in the studio now writing songs and producing. I have a lot of live instruments that I'm putting into the tracks to try to change the sound and make my own genre of music."

-International pop superstar Beyoncé, sharing some details about her currently-in-production fourth solo album. While she was filming a commercial for Vizio televisions (which will air next Thursday night, November 25, during the airing of her Thanksgiving concert special "I Am ... World Tour"), Beyoncé talked about her upcoming music to "Entertainment Tonight."

She didn't reveal very many details about the new album, though plenty of other writers, producers and collaborators have weighed in on what's up in the studio. Ne-Yo, who co-wrote one of Beyoncé's biggest singles in "Irreplaceable," said the album is "coming along nicely. I can't speak too much on it, but it's another direction for her, and she's carving out her own niche," which seems to back up the idea of the singer creating her own genre. He added, "In a minute nobody will be in Beyoncé's lane. They really can't get in her lane now, but they really can't get in her lane after this album."

Songwriter Sean "The Pen" Garret (who co-wrote "Video Phone") also revealed that the new album will have much more of a fun atmosphere than the sometimes icy I Am ... Sasha Fierce. "I think we are doing a lot of uptempo records for this one," he told Entertainment Weekly. "She's in such a good place right now in life that she is interested in making party music, definitely."

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'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows' Star Daniel Radcliffe Is 'More Of A Blur Man'

Posted 11/19/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


The end is near for the beloved "Harry Potter" film series, as today marks the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1," the first entry in a two-part film that marks the end of the adventures of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The films have made international superstars out of lead performers Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, and all three of them have become fixtures in the press both here and in the United Kingdom. In a recent interview in the U.K.'s Q magazine, Grint talked about Oasis, his musical obsession.

In the interview, Grint shouts out a handful of his favorite Oasis songs, including massive hits like "Live Forever" and "Champagne Supernova" alongside more obscure tunes like "Headshrinker" and "The Swamp Song." But in his thoughts about "Hey Now!" were particularly interesting, as he brought up an interesting dynamic on the "Harry Potter" set.

"Dan Radcliffe and I are both big fans of music, but it tends to be Dan who gets to choose the music when we're getting our make-up put on," Grint told the magazine. "He's more of a Blur man; I'm quite 50-50. I was too young for the big Blur and Oasis battle — I was seven at the time — but I like both."

Grint it referring to the heated 1990s feud between two of Britpop's biggest bands. They were always at one another in the press and regularly went head-to-head in the charts (with Oasis often coming out on top). Ultimately, the feud ended in something of a draw, as both bands had a fairly equal amount of crossover success and both faded toward the end (and both, it should be noted, are currently dormant). Since Grint declared himself "50-50," we thought we'd treat him to both a Blur classic ("There's No Other Way," from their 1991 debut Leisure) and, after the jump, a latter-day Oasis smash ("The Shock of the Lightning," from 2008's Dig Out Your Soul).

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Dr. Dre's 'Kush' Immediately Becomes One Of The Best Songs About A Certain Plant

Posted 11/19/10 12:30 pm EST by in Music


It has been over a decade since Dr. Dre put out a new album (2001 came out, somewhat ironically, in 1999) and even longer since his breakthrough album The Chronic (that was way back in 1992; if you brought home a newborn kitten the same day you bought The Chronic, that kitten is most certainly in kitty heaven). But we appear to be getting close to the long-in-gestation Detox, which has rivaled Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy for time worked on and blown release dates (though it has been far less of a fiasco). Earlier this week, "Kush" found its way onto the Internet. Unlike previous Detox-related links, "Kush" (which features guest spots from Snoop Dogg and Akon) is a real single that is both complete and official.

"Kush" feels like vintage Dr. Dre, with a heavy low end, a cinematic piano riff, a parade of buzzing synths and, perhaps most important of all, a lyrics sheet devoted entirely to marijuana. Plenty of songs have been devoted to the wacky weed over the course of music history, but "Kush" immediately jumps onto the list of the best ever (which is no small feat, especially considering the number of songs both Dre and Snoop have written about the joys of the sticky icky). Here's the rest of the list — which you should use for medical purposes only.

Cypress Hill, "Dr. Greenthumb"
Just about every song Cypress Hill ever wrote has been about ganja, but this one stands out because it's just a little more jittery and lively than a lot of their other tunes (though "Hits From the Bong" would also easily fit on this list).

Peter Tosh, "Legalize It"
Would reggae exist without marijuana? It's possible, but unlikely, and Tosh's jam is not only a definitive weed song but also a great reggae classic.

Dr. Dre, "The Next Episode"
It has a great, oft-stolen beat and some great verses care of Dre and Snoop, but "The Next Episode" is immortal because of Nate Dogg's intonation at the end of the song: "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey/ Smoke weed every day!"
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Spotted: Enrique Iglesias Gets Ready For The American Music Awards

Posted 11/19/10 11:30 am EST by in Music


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.

This Sunday night (November 21) as you prepare for Thanksgiving, you'll have the opportunity to take a break from preparations to catch some of the biggest stars in music on the American Music Awards. The show always features a memorable moment or two (last year's broadcast featured the oft-talked-about kiss between Adam Lambert and one of his band members), and this year's lineup is as stellar as always, featuring Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, the Black Eyed Peas, Miley Cyrus, Kid Rock, Taylor Swift, Backstreet Boys, Train and Ke$ha (among others). You'll also get the opportunity to check out Enrique Iglesias, who will take the AMA stage to bust out his hit "I Like It" with Pitbull. Iglesias found himself at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday (November 18) for rehearsals, where he ran through his stage show and sat in the crowd among the placeholder cards (he was right next to New Kids on the Block).

Iglesias wasn't the only star taking care of business, as Joe Perry appeared on the orange carpet at the football game between the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears (which the Bears won by a score of 16-0) in Miami and "Burlesque" star Cher got her hand prints preserved outside of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Eminem, the Jonas Brothers and Usher!

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Inside Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 'Hell Of A Life'

Posted 11/19/10 10:30 am EST by in Music


The release of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, one of the most hotly-anticipated albums of the year. The 13-track LP completes something of a comeback narrative for West that began with the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (when he was ostracized for crashing the stage during a Taylor Swift acceptance speech and went underground for a while) and was built up over the course of the past year with some key live performances, the "G.O.O.D. Friday" download series and the recently-released short film "Runaway." In fact, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is so dense and full of gems that it's necessary to take each song and break it down to its bare elements. This time around, we take a look at the references on "Hell of a Life."

Black Sabbath's "Iron Man"
Classic '70s metal tune that contains one of the most iconic riffs of all time. Originally released on Black Sabbath's second album Paranoid, "Iron Man" tells the story of a man who travels to the future, witnesses the apocalypse and ends up being turned into steel. It doesn't have any connection to the Marvel super hero of the same name, but that didn't stop them from using the song in the trailer for the 2008 film. West isn't the first rapper to borrow the "Iron Man" riff for a sample, as Busta Rhymes used it on the song "This Means War!!" (which actually featured Ozzy Osbourne himself).

The Oscars
The biggest awards for film excellence, handed out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences every year. The event has not only become a celebration of movies but also a cornerstone night for the worlds of fashion and activism. Best Picture remains the most coveted prize even though winners include "Crash," "Chicago" and "A Beautiful Mind."

Oscar De La Renta
Fashion designer from the Dominican Republic famous for red carpet gowns, bridal dresses and high-level suits and tuxedos.

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'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows' Starts With B.o.B, Angels & Airwaves

Posted 11/19/10 9:30 am EST by in Music


The wait is finally over. After nine years, six movies and billions of dollars in profit, the "Harry Potter" film series has started its march to the end. Today marks the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1," the first part of the final entry in the film series (the second will premiere in the spring of 2011). It is by far the most visually arresting and narratively intense "Harry Potter" film yet, featuring the approach to the final showdown with Lord Voldemort and no shortage of making out. There are other movies coming out this weekend (like the Russell Crowe thriller "The Next Three Days" and the limited release Sally Hawkins vehicle "Made in Dagenham"), but the movie world will be dominated by "Potter" for this weekend and probably many weekends to come.

If you're a true hardcore, you've probably already seen "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" at one of the many sold-out midnight screenings. But just in case you had to be somewhere early this morning and are going to enjoy the movie later (or if you need motivation to see it a second time, third or fifth time), check out the playlist below to properly get yourself in a spell-casting mood. There are plenty of songs about magic (Lacuna Coil's "Spellbound," Angels & Airwaves' "Everything's Magic," Klaxons' "Magick") and the evil of He Who Must Not Be Named (Interpol's "Evil," Killswitch Engage's "Fixation on the Darkness"). There's also a song by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (perhaps Grace is a distant relative of Harry?) and a tribute to the big kiss (3OH!3's "My First Kiss"). But we begin with B.o.B and Rivers Cuomo teaming up for a little "Magic."


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Audioslave Make Everything Louder: Wake-Up Video

Posted 11/19/10 8:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


When Soundgarden first broke up in 1997, frontman Chris Cornell — who has one of the best sets of pipes in the rock singer business — initially embarked on a solo career (he released the underrated Euphoria Morning in 1999). But really, it seemed like he was just waiting for Zack De La Rocha to exit Rage Against the Machine in 2000, leaving bandmates Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk searching for a new voice. They were introduced to Cornell by superstar rock producer Rick Rubin, and the rest is history. The band hit it off immediately, adopted the name Audioslave, recorded 19 songs in three weeks and shortly thereafter dropped their self-titled debut album, which hit the streets on this day in 2002.

Prior to the release of Audioslave, there was a great deal of speculation regarding what the band would actually sound like. Would the Rage boys flip to a more classic rock sound in order to play to Cornell's strengths, or would the singer try a rap or two? The reality was that neither of those things ended up being true, and Audioslave sounded a lot like the guy from Soundgarden singing with Rage Against the Machine.

Of course, that's exactly what a lot of people wanted. Audioslave is full of big, powerful riffs, thudding percussion and Cornell's incredible wail. First single "Cochise" was an excellent introduction into the world of Audioslave, as it wrapped savage riffing around a gorgeous chorus. In fact, the most remarkable moments of Audioslave (which went on to sell over three million copies) are the quiet, prettier ones, like the slow-burning "I Am the Highway" and the power ballad "Like a Stone," one of the band's biggest hits.


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Inside Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 'Runaway'

Posted 11/18/10 5:00 pm EST by in Music


The release of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, one of the most hotly-anticipated albums of the year. The 13-track LP completes something of a comeback narrative for West that began with the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (when he was ostracized for crashing the stage during a Taylor Swift acceptance speech and went underground for a while) and was built up over the course of the past year with some key live performances, the "G.O.O.D. Friday" download series and the recently-released short film "Runaway." In fact, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is so dense and full of gems that it's necessary to take each song and break it down to its bare elements. This time around, we take a look at the references on "Runaway."

Interestingly, West doesn't make any references in "Runaway" (all of the notes below are included in Pusha T's guest verse).

Ichabod Crane
Protagonist of famous Washington Irving gothic short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." In the story, uptight schoolmaster Crane goes toe-to-toe with the Headless Horseman during his quest for the affection of Katrina Van Tassel. In an oft-forgotten detail about the original story, Crane actually dies.

Neiman Marcus
Luxury department store specializing in high fashion.

Mai Tai
Tropical cocktail that typically features several varieties of rum, Curacao and lime juice. Though it is often served in island settings (it's often considered a Hawaiian drink and is named after the Tahitian word for "good"), it was actually invented in California.
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Brandy Hopes Kyle Massey Wins 'Dancing With The Stars': The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 11/18/10 4:00 pm EST by in Music


"I was sad. I was very sad because we worked so hard and when you come into competition you want to go as far as you can. But it's completely changed my life. I feel like I've tapped back into my confidence and my power. This show has brought the best out in me [and] thanks to Maks. I don't know who's going to win but I know who I want to win ... Kyle Massey."

-Singer and recently dismissed "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Brandy, telling the hosts of "The View" about her experience on the show. She appeared on Thursday morning's (November 17) edition of the show alongside professional dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy to discuss the fallout of her exit from the show, which was something of an upset. While Brandy was a strong competitor throughout the show, she was ousted in favor of clearly inferior dancers Massey and Bristol Palin.

But Brandy didn't hold any ill will toward Palin. "Well, I think Bristol did a great job. She has improved [and] one of the great things about 'Dancing With the Stars' is the fans can get behind you and vote," she explained to the panel of hosts.

Chmerkovskiy expressed a similar sentiment. "I'm not ticked off," Chmerkovskiy said. "I'm not ticked off because I feel everyone has the right to be on. We had a lot of controversial eliminations this season. I feel like we should stay true to who we are now."

The finals of "Dancing With the Stars" will air next week with a three-way competition between Massey, Palin and favorite Jennifer Grey.


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'Glee,' Rihanna Rule This Week's Billboard Hot 100

Posted 11/18/10 3:00 pm EST by in Music


This week was potentially going to be historic on the Billboard Hot 100, as the digital sales for the "Glee" cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" were suggesting that not only would the song debut very high on this week's chart but that it could possibly debut in the top five (and even had an outside chance of capturing the top spot overall). The "Glee" cast ended up falling a little bit short, but they still put up big numbers even without breaking any records. Their version of "Teenage Dream" debuted at number eight on this week's chart, the show's second-highest chart position of all time. (It's still a few spots short of their cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" which peaked at number four.) The track scored a ton of digital sales but got very little radio airplay compared to the rest of the chart, which is why it fell just a tad short of immortality.

Far East Movement stormed back into the top position this week with "Like a G6," unseating Rihanna's "What's My Name?" after only a week in the spotlight. Don't weep for Rihanna, though, as "What's My Name?" still sits at number seven (just head of "Glee") and her "Only Girl (In the World)" actually moved up a few spaces into the number two slot. The "Glee" cast also managed to outpace Perry herself this week, as her "Firework" is just behind them at number nine. Outside of the "Glee" cast (who also charted with their renditions of the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer"), the biggest debut went to the Black Eyed Peas, who make their return to the chart with "The Time" at number 12. The group's singles dominated this chart in 2009, but can they repeat the same kind of success this year?

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