John Mitchell - Part 4

Britney Spears Shows Off Toned Bikini Body In Hawaii (Pic)

Posted 7/6/12 9:47 am EST by John Mitchell in Britney Spears, Tweet Beat

Lookin' good!

On vacation in Hawaii, pop superstar and (apparently tough) "X Factor" judge Britney Spears showed off a side of herself we used to see all the time but which has been a bit more allusive in recent years – her flawless abs.

Flanked by her young sons Sean Preston, 6, and Jayden James, 5, the "Till The World Ends" star posed for a pic, which she posted to her Twitter for fans to enjoy, before heading out for some fun in the sun with her boys and fiance Jason Trawick. She looks as healthy and happy as we've ever seen her!

"Getting ready for some pool time! Having a blast xxoo," she tweeted.

Check it out:

Britney Spears, Twitter

Tags britney spears, Tweet Beat

| Permalink

Madonna Plans 'Turn Up the Radio' Single Release As Concerns Over Russian Concert Mount

Posted 7/5/12 10:51 am EST by John Mitchell in Madonna, Tour Dates

Madonna

Madonna has confirmed that her next MDNA single, "Turn Up the Radio," will be released August 5.

We've been saying all along that the simple, propulsive dance-pop anthem is one of our favorite MDNA tracks and may have better served the record, which debuted strong with 359,000 units moved (before Justin Bieber's Believe unseated it, MDNA had the year's top debut) before freefalling down the chart, as its lead single. It has "summer jam" written all over it.

As we reported earlier, Madonna was spotted shooting the video for "Radio" in Rome last month while in the city on her "MDNA Tour." On the set, M and her dancers were seen partying down to the synth-driven tune in a convertible.

The song will drop officially just a few days before Madonna hits St. Petersburg for a sure-to-be controversial concert in the Russian city. Earlier this year, lawmakers in the city passed a resolution that forbids the "promotion of homosexuality" by making discussion of the topic illegal in almost all instances and regardless of the context. Many called on Madonna to cancel her August 9 concert there; instead, she promised to tackle the subject head-on.

"I will come to St. Petersburg to speak up for the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels oppressed," Madonna said in an email statement to Bloomberg. "I'm a freedom fighter. … I don’t run away from adversity. I will speak during my show about this ridiculous atrocity."

Now, the St. Petersburg city councilman who proposed the so-called "gay gag rule," Vitaly Miranov, has issued a warning to the pop icon that city officials plan to keep a close eye on her … and hold her accountable for any violations to their conservative laws.

"I heard at the concerts on this tour she pulled off her tights, and we will not have that here. We warn the organizers of the concert so that everything goes well. Otherwise they will face the harsh laws of St. Petersburg," Milanov said, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency (via The Daily Beast).

He is, of course, referring to Madonna's concerts in Istanbul, Turkey, and Rome, Italy, where she flashed her nipple and backside, respectively, at the audience.

Madonna is famous for flaunting laws she finds ridiculous. Who can forget her decision – documented in "Truth or Dare" – to not censor her onstage behavior during a 1990 "Blonde Ambition" tour concert in Canada after authorities threatened her with arrest for lewd conduct? She is currently also facing threats of legal action from French National Front leader Marine Le Pen if she includes the images, shown during the "Nobody Knows Me" video montage, of the conservative politician with a swastika on her forehead during either of her "MDNA Tour" shows in France, which are set for the country's national stadium, the Stade de France, in Paris on July 14 and at Nice's Stade Charles-Ehrmann on August 21.

We're sure to hear more on this situation in the lead-up to the St. Petersburg concert. Stay tuned!

Tags Madonna, Tour Dates

| Permalink

Cover For J.K. Rowling's Post-'Potter' Novel Revealed

Posted 7/3/12 1:59 pm EST by John Mitchell in books

Jk Rowling

The cover for "The Casual Vacancy," "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling's first adult novel, has been revealed by her publishers, Little, Brown and Company.

The novel will be released on September 27 and is, according to Little, Brown, a "blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising" tale of the goings on in an idyllic English village after a parish councilmember dies unexpectedly, leaving a hotly sought after seat on the town council open.

"When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock," the official synopsis reads, going on to describe "a town at war."

"Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?"

It seems we'll find out this fall when the anticipated novel hits stores.

"I'm writing, and I've done quite a lot since finishing 'Harry,'" Rowling told MTV News at the U.K. premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." "I also felt I wanted the last film out of the way before I made any moves on the publishing front. 'Harry' is so huge and I suppose my involvement with the world has still been quite intense. This feels like a new beginning to me."

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Are you excited for "The Casual Vacancy"? Let us know in the comments below.

Tags books, harry-potter, J.K. Rowling

| Permalink

Rolling Stones Famous Logo Gets Updated To Celebrate Band's 50th Anniversary

Posted 7/3/12 12:30 pm EST by John Mitchell in Music

To commemorate their 50th anniversary, the Rolling Stones commissioned graphic designer and illustrator Shepard Fairey to update their classic "Tongue and Lips" logo, which was originally designed by John Pasche in 1971.

The Stones' original logo is among the most famous designs in rock music history. Fairey is best known as the designer of President Barack Obama's iconic "Hope" poster, which became inarguably the most recognizable campaign image in recent history – though it technically remained an unofficial image unaffiliated with Obama's campaign – and was declared by The New Yorker to be the "most efficacious American political illustration since 'Uncle Sam Wants You'."

Check out the re-designed Rolling Stones logo below:

Design by Shepard Fairey

Tags rolling-stones, the-rolling-stones

| Permalink

Rihanna Pays Tribute To Late Grandmother On Twitter

Posted 7/3/12 11:16 am EST by John Mitchell in Rihanna, Tweet Beat

A heartbroken Rihanna has pulled out of the Rock in Rio concert following the death of her beloved grandmother.

Earlier today (July 2), the pop superstar tweeted a photo of herself (right) about to board a plane with the caption, "Coming home to squeeze ya mama."

On July 1, Rihanna tweeted, "Goodbye #grangranDOLLY get your beauty rest until I see you," and has since been tweeting pictures of herself with her grandmother. In mid-March, Rihanna tweeted a series of images, many with the hashtag #grangrandollybday, from her grandmother's birthday celebration. Those pictures showed off a softer side of Rihanna, that of a devoted granddaughter, one who hit the kitchen to cook up some goods before enjoying a glass of wine with her grandparents, who met in Guyana before moving to Barbados and later the U.S. Growing up, Rihanna regularly spent holidays in New York with her grandparents.

In other pictures from the party, it's clear Rihanna showered Gran Gran Dolly with gifts and the family enjoyed cake and champagne as well as a fun game of dress-up. In several images, both her grandmother and grandfather Lionel sport sideways-skewed baseball caps and heavy gold chains.

The pictures that Rihanna tweeted Sunday and yesterday reveal that in the months since, her grandmother's health had deteriorated drastically. Global Grind reports that after a courageous fight, Gran Gran Dolly lost her battle with cancer.

Rihanna, Twitter

Our thoughts are with Rihanna at this hard time.

Tags Rihanna, Tweet Beat

| Permalink

Kelly Clarkson Opens Up About Her New Boyfriend In Lucky's First-Ever Music Issue

Posted 7/3/12 10:26 am EST by John Mitchell in kelly-clarkson

Kelly Clarkson rocks out for Lucky magazine's first-ever music issue.

Ten years after being named the first-ever "American Idol," Clarkson's career is still white hot: earlier this year , her empowerment anthem "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" became a ubiquitous radio smash and her third #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, she is in the midst of a massive world tour and can currently be seen on ABC's hit singing competition "Duets."

Clarkson opened up to Lucky about her new boyfriend, turning 30 and her low-maintenance style. While the issue doesn't hit newsstands until July 10, you can get a preview of Clarkson's interview and a first look at her photo shoot and cover below.

Ben Watts/Lucky Magazine

How she celebrate her recent 30th birthday?

I just had my 30th birthday and we went turkey shooting. It’s what I wanted to do, so we went.

On being a pop star:

People act like there’s this one set of rules to follow to be a pop star, and I think, Well, you say I’m a pop star, so maybe that’s not true. … Even though I’m a pop singer, I really have more the life of a country singer.

Check out the cover, after the jump. Read More...

Tags kelly-clarkson

| Permalink

Canada Day: Four Canadian Superstars We Are Thankful For

Posted 7/1/12 8:00 am EST by John Mitchell in Canada, drake, Holiday, Justin Bieber

Drake

Our neighbor to the north is celebrating one of its biggest holidays today. So if you know any Canadians, be sure to wish them a Happy Canada Day!

Canada Day celebrates the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act – today referred to mostly as the 1867 Constitution Act – that united three colonies into a single country called Canada. Often referred to as “Canada's birthday,” it is Canada’s equivalent to our Fourth of July, as Canada became a country in its own right on that date – though the British Parliament maintained limited political control over Canada that was shed in stages over the years with the last surrendered in 1982.

Very importantly, like Independence Day in the U.S., Canada Day is celebrated with fireworks, parades, picnics and carnivals. Those are some of our favorite things. See, Canada is just like us where it counts!

Canada has given us much to be thankful for. It’s where we all threaten to go when something doesn’t go our way politically. Montreal is as close to Paris as you’re going to get without flying across an ocean (sorry, no Eiffel Tower though). About half of all movies seem to film in and around Vancouver. And it’s given us some seriously great tunes.

Over the years, Canada has churned out some of the biggest stars to hit the U.S. charts. It gave the mid-90s an injection of earthy rock when Alanis Morissette dropped her iconic Jagged Little Pill and provided the early-00s with some fun punk-pop from Avril Lavigne. These days, two of the biggest stars on the planet (Drake and Justin Bieber) come to us from our chilly northern neighbor.

Check out our favorite Canadian music superstars out below!

'Duets' Host Quddus Calls Out Former 'X Factor' Host: 'You Can't Have A Little Sensitivity For A Couple Of Minutes?'

Posted 6/29/12 10:00 am EST by John Mitchell in Television

"Duet" went live for the first time last night, and as it is with every reality singing competition, the introduction of America's vote kicks the contestants' emotions up a notch. Luckily for the remaining singers on ABC's hit, they have a calming force on stage with them in the form of host Quddus.

Having worked in music and alongside musicians for so long, the former MTV on-air star is particularly sensitive to the feelings of the competitors. Asked by MTV News if he had any embarrassing red carpet stories, Quddus told us that while he's never done anything too crazy on the red carpet, he has let his strong opinion on how reality show hosts treat contestants get the better of him.

"I just went in. I was like, you what, let me talk about a couple of these other hosts. I straight up called out Steve Jones on 'X Factor,'" Quddus told us when he stopped by the MTV Newsroom (his old stomping grounds). "I'm sorry, but I saw the dude not handling a contestant with any kind of compassion and there's just no excuse for that."

But when we reminded him that Jones was no longer with "The X Factor," that's when he really let his feelings be known.

Watch:

Get More: Music News

"He's not there anymore! Steve Jones, you lost your job for a reason, boy," he exclaimed. "I'm sorry, but in the space that I deal with, you've got to have heart, you've got to care about the people that are putting their dreams on the line for your entertainment. Are you kidding me? You can't have a little sensitivity for a couple of minutes for this person? Steve looked like he was too cool for school, man. I was like, nah, nah, never that. So that's definitely a big difference between our show and the other show is that I care a lot about these people."

Strong words, but he says that working in music A&R before he broke out as a host on MTV taught him how personally the contestants take the words of the hosts and judges on shows like "Duets," The Voice" and "The X Factor." "I know their struggle because I was in A&R at a record label for years, and so I know that this is not a joke, this is not simple entertainment for these people," he continued. "This is their dream that they've built up years for."

Tags Television

| Permalink

Lady Gaga Announces Born This Way Foundation Youth-Led Initiative

Posted 6/29/12 8:00 am EST by John Mitchell in Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is making good on her promise to empower youth through her Born This Way Foundation.

The pop superstar has announced that the BTWF is preparing to launch an unprecedented youth-led initiative that will be dedicated to affecting change in homes, schools and communities. Beginning later this summer as students prepare to return to school, the BTWF will begin to supply toolkits outlining activities and events to help provide a foundation for the groups to build upon to help identify and tackle issues that are unique to their localized communities while exemplifying the foundation's pillars of “safety, skills and opportunity.”

More information on the specifics of the project will be announced throughout the summer.

“Through these youth-driven organizations, we can continue building the kind of world my daughter and I dreamed of when we started Born This Way Foundation, and we are excited to continue to engage youth to help shape their movement,” Cynthia Germanotta, president and co-founder of the BTWF (and you know who’s mom), said in a statement. “Together, with our youth, we can create a kinder, braver world where everyone is accepted for the person they were born to be.”

While we wait for more information about the planned initiative, the BTWF is asking supporters to help decide on a name for the groups by voting online for one of the following names or suggesting their own:

>> Born Brave Hubs – Because groups are youth-led with youth at the center of each “Hub.”
>> Born Brave Nation – According to BTWF, “This name reflects the fact that we are creating a brand new, borderless nation that celebrates kindness and bravery.”
>> Born Brave [City]: [personalization] (e.g. Born Brave Chicago: Superstars)
Allows groups to personalize their name to make it their own.
>> Born Brave ______ – This one, it seems, is up to you!

Don’t like the above suggestions? Think you have a better idea that is in line with BTWF’s mission? Join the movement and make your voice heard. To sign up to become a founding member of a group in your area, visit http://bornthiswayfoundation.org/namethatclub.

Are you going to join Lady Gaga's exciting new initiative? Let us know in the comments below!

Tags Born This Way, Lady Gaga

| Permalink

‹ Previous 1 2 345 6 7 8 9 10 Next ›

MTV Newsroom › John Mitchell

Search Posts