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Pink Tweets A Thank You To MTV News

Posted 10/7/09 4:00 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


Even before she tweeted about me, I liked Pink a whole lot.

I had gotten to know her a bit last summer, when I was shooting "FNMTV" with Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and some British guy. She was just about as nice as you'd imagine, cracking jokes and hanging out backstage. She was pretty much the most down-to-earth celeb I had ever met. She didn't come to the set with an army of handlers and hangers-on, demand a private dressing room or pout about her own make-up artist. She was just a normal person (albeit one who had sold something like 25 million albums worldwide). Oh, and she said I could call her Alecia, too.

Anyway, at the time, she was still writing her Funhouse album, and she talked about the struggles she was having, about working long hours with Butch Walker to try and get the songs just right. She said it was going to be her most personal album (dealing mostly with her separation from husband Carey Hart) and that she was hoping her fans would be willing to listen. Needless to say, I didn't hold out much hope.

But luckily, I am a terrible judge of these things. Nearly a year after its release, Funhouse is a hit, selling more than 4 million copies around the world and giving Pink her first-ever Billboard Hot 100 #1. Still, she wasn't a household name here in the States, and that bothered me. I decided to turn my weekly Bigger Than The Sound column into an appreciation of Pink's career, her fearlessness and her bravado. I expected to hear from a few of her fans, but I didn't expect to hear from Pink herself.

Only I did. Earlier today, Pink tweeted a thank you to me (okay, and New York Times critic Jon Pareles, too). It was very sweet, and earned me a whole bunch of new Twitter friends. And it was just more proof that Pink — er, Alecia — really is about as nice as you'd imagine. Perhaps even more so.

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Flyleaf Try To Find Their Way Home, End Up In The MTV Newsroom

Posted 10/7/09 1:14 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


By Nuzhat Naoreen

You can miss a lot when you're on tour for nearly seven years.

For Lacey, the lead singer of Flyleaf, going on tour meant not being able to watch her younger sister, who was 10 when Lacey left, grow up.

With the impending release of Memento Mori, Flyleaf's long-awaited second album, she and guitarist Jared Hartmann opened up to MTV News about life away from the tour bus and the meaning behind their new music.

Lacey, who is from Arlington, Texas, said it was weird coming back home after being on tour for so long because the small town she grew up in got so much bigger. While most of us would love a seven-month vacation — especially after what seemed like seven straight years of working — Lacey couldn't stay away too long. Even during her break she said she and the band continued to work on the album, and that staying at home with nothing to do made her feel restless at times.

"When we got back on the bus after a long time, we were like 'Oh, we're home,'" she said.

Lacey and Hartmann also talked in-depth about the inspiration behind their music.

Lacey, who is the second-oldest of six kids, said that she sang some of the songs on the album, like "Tiny Hearts," with her younger sister in mind. She also shared how her husband (she got married last year), was the inspiration behind the song "Treasure," which she wrote after he proposed to her.

"It's just so mushy, not very rock," said the singer, who was wearing a red net dress, a Mona Lisa pendant and brown sneakers (definitely an eclectic look!). Mushy? Maybe. But endearing? Definitely.

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On The Red Carpet With Jude Law And The Cast Of 'Hamlet'

Posted 10/7/09 10:32 am EST by in Behind The Scenes


I was probably the nerdiest person on the press line at the "Hamlet" red carpet last night in New York City. After seeing the play on Sunday, I was able to spot all of the play's actors just hanging around outside before the curtain went up. I was all like, "Hey, there's Laertes! That's Rosencrantz. And Guildenstern. Hey, there's Horatio."

As it turns out, I didn't have the chance to point out the delightful Jude Law. He was probably too busy getting into character. Hamlet is a strenuous role, so I can forgive him for that.

And although we got some great updates from "Daily Show" correspondent and "The Last Airbender" star Aasif Mandvi and "True Blood" star Rutina Wesley, other notables like Barbara Walters, "Gossip Girl" star Ed Westwick and former Jude Law co-star Natalie Portman didn’t have the time to chat with reporters. Just who do they think they are?

But that's fine by me. I was actually most excited to see the actors just hanging out on the street, out of character. I would have absolutely killed for the chance to see Jenny Funnell, who played Sandy on one of my favorite British sitcoms, "As Time Goes By," and who stars in the play as the Player Queen. I absolutely died of excitement a little when I realized she was in it.

And a note to future "Hamlet" theatergoers: Jude Law is not the only talented babe in the cast. Matt Ryan (who plays Horatio) and Gwilym Lee (Laertes) are also talented babes. In fact, the whole whole cast is quite good, so I suggest you check it out before it closes shop in December.

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Lykke Li Talks 'New Moon' And Hip-Hop In The Newsroom

Posted 10/6/09 6:00 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


By Chelsea Devine

At this point, there is little doubt that the soundtrack to "New Moon," the next entry in the "Twilight" series, is going to be in constant rotation on all of our iPods this year. Between Grizzly Bear, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke and Death Cab for Cutie, who could deny such musical greatness? Add to that the beautiful and talented Lykke Li, whose brand new single "Possibility" is being released exclusively on the soundtrack, which hits stores on October 20. With the release date fast approaching, Lykke Li paid a visit to the MTV Newsroom.

The Swedish electro-pop songstress sat down with MTV News' James Montgomery to discuss her unexpected participation with the "New Moon" soundtrack. But she also dove into a discussion of everything else that was going on in her musical life and beyond. She mentioned her endless appreciation for all things hip-hop, name-checking the Pharcyde, MF Doom, A Tribe Called Quest and the Roots. As Lykke continued to drop names like Royksopp and fellow "New Moon" contributors Grizzly Bear and Yorke, I realized I could listen to her talk about music for hours.

If her soft-spoken and mesmerizing vocals aren't enough to sweep you off your feet, her compassionate, friendly demeanor and killer knack for musical experimentation certainly will. In an oversized fur jacket and combat boots, her outfit was far away from her relatable and empathetic character. She is proud to be a part of the emotional attachment girls across the globe have for "Twilight," as she openly discussed her own emotional experiences with heartache and heartthrobs — essentially, everything "Twilight" stands for.

When the interview was over, I came to firm conclusion: I want Lykke Li to be my best friend.

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Ryan Reynolds Reveals A Big 'SNL' Secret: The Stage Is Tiny!

Posted 10/2/09 5:03 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Television


I attended one other "SNL" rehearsal earlier this year (what's up, Taylor Swift?) and it still does hit you every time you walk into that famed studio that the stage is, well, small. When you watch it on TV week after week, they make it look expansive, but as it turns out it isn't.

It seems that someone else feels the same way about the whole experience: This week's host, Ryan Reynolds, who will be on the show alongside musical guest Lady Gaga. Despite all the experience the Hollywood A-lister has, he too couldn't get over the fact that the stage is smaller than you'd expect it to be.

"It's been amazing. I mean everybody's so supportive a group of people like this not only have they done sketches for forever but they’ve also had hosts come in forever," he told MTV News about his hosting gig. "It’s a pretty well-oiled machine. The stage is about 40 times smaller than I ever though it would be. It's like wearing a sweater made of glass and really hilarious people. It's itty bitty."

Yes, Ryan, it is. And Ryan, please don't be mad at us for confusing you with Ryan Adams. We're still not sure how that happened. Can we still be friends?

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At 'Today' And On The Bus With Mariah Carey

Posted 10/2/09 4:51 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


By James Dinh

I was only supposed to take pictures and talk to fans at Mariah Carey's mini-concert on "Today" this morning, but somehow ended up riding around New York on her bus with her. How did that happen? Let's rewind back to 7:10 a.m., when I arrived at the Rockefeller Plaza where Mimi was set to play.

Fans were already crammed near the front area of the stage when I met up with production assistant Joel Hanek. Shortly thereafter, Mimi hit the stage. Dressed in a long black leather coat and heels that must have been seven inches high.

The concert began with a bit of nostalgia as Mariah performed "Make It Happen," a classic from her second album. The "Today" hosts came out, gave out freebies and talked to the singer about her new album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.

After three more songs from her current album (including my personal favorite "H.A.T.E.U."), Joel and I followed the various other media outlets to the tour bus where we learned we were going to be given a few minutes with Mariah.

What?

I was going to interview her. Joel and I immediately started to brainstorm questions. When it came to be our turn, her publicist told us we'd have to hop on board and do the interview down the street.

Yes, I was in her tour bus. Read More...

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On The Carpet With Lady Gaga

Posted 10/2/09 3:55 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


By Matt Thompson

When I was on the way to the Pierre Hotel in New York City this morning for the Billboard Women In Music event for an attempt at an MTV interview with Lady Gaga, I was expecting big things. Her co-headlining tour with Kanye West had just been abruptly canceled, she had just gotten fresh heat from 50 Cent over the "Fame Kills" tour being "gay" and was only a few weeks removed from her brief affair with Kermit the Frog.

You wouldn't think she would be skittish in public. After all, she has acknowledged a sexual encounter in the back of a New York taxi cab and stated, "F--- yeah I would do it again." When rumors surfaced that she was a hermaphrodite, she casually replied, "My beautiful vagina is very offended." More recently, she crashed the Video Music Awards with flair. She stormed the red carpet wearing a neck brace, faked her death onstage and covered herself from head to toe in firey red lace. What would she unleash on the red carpet at the Pierre?

Gaga made her grand entrance on the red carpet Friday (October 2) morning dressed in another bird-like outfit. It had a green and black feathered top and a long black see-through dress that was certainly revealing. But when it came to speaking with the media, she was a total pro. I was expecting her to lash out at 50 Cent using four letter words, but I was wrong. She called his comments "sad" and then stated the cancellation of the "Fame Kills" tour was a mutual decision between her and Kanye.

She was dressed in total Gaga style, but also very reserved, so she can clearly turn it on and off. What I do know is this: The experience made me like Ms. Gaga just a little bit more.

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Kevin Smith: Funny, Raunchy And Cool

Posted 9/28/09 4:16 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes


By Matt Thompson

I had no idea what to expect when Kevin Smith wandered into the Newsroom today to promote his new book "Shootin' the S--- with Kevin Smith," but when I walked out I was nothing less than impressed. Smith is one funny dude. His interview was profanity-laced, but somehow he made every word that came out of his mouth charismatic and captivating. His insight on an array of subjects such as films, comics and music were inspirational, outlandish and passionate all at the same time. Most celebrities walk into interviews with agendas, but he took the rule book and tore it up.

Kevin referred to sex life often during the nearly 60 minutes he was grilled by Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, and one of these outside-the-box moments came when he was discussing his new book. His wife had never been particularly impressed by much of the work he did in the past, but when it came to his new book, she was head over heels willing to just about do "anything" for him. He was even gracious enough to demonstrate some of the lovely things she did for him.

The most insightful moments of the interview came when Smith discussed the notion of "selling out." In today's climate, many directors and producers cash mult-million dollar checks to make bloated movies and then forget that they were ever hungry in the first place. He feels as though he is also losing that perspective, as he now has a hard time making movies for less than $15 million when he produced the cult-hit "Clerks" for a mere $27,000 in 1994. Based on his comments, I took away the idea that a writer's first movie is often his most passionate.

Kevin truly shoots the s---, and I'd happily sit in on another hour of his thoughts any day of the week.

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Justin Bieber: From Small Town Canada To The Red Carpet

Posted 9/25/09 10:53 am EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


Justin Bieber is 15 years old, from a small town in Canada and definitely having a moment. This particular moment had what felt like a bazillion little girls lined up around the Hard Rock Café in Times Square to catch Justin's performance at the third annual "Tiki Rocks the Square for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals" event in New York.

"My manager and my people got the call and I was like, 'It's an awesome organization,' so I'm here now," he told us about the chance to play a set at the event, which also featured rapper Fabolous. "I'm very excited. Fab is awesome."

We arrived to interview Justin — who had both Justin Timberlake and Usher battle it out over who would get to mentor him (Usher won!) — about his upcoming album, My World, due out in November.

We also wondered what it was like to become so famous so fast, and it seems like he hasn't yet adjusted to all the attention. It's clear that he appreciates all the opportunities that he has been given, like playing a charity event to a swarm of fanatical teenage girls. And it's also clear that he's still not used to it all yet. Which is fine, because we're sure that with all the attention he's getting these days, by the time his album hits stores on November 17, he'll be an old pro, and by the time he's 16, he'll be unstoppable.

And, in case you're not yet familiar with Justin, MTV News will be rolling out articles about and interviews with him over the coming days.

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Hayley Williams Pimps Her Ride For MTV

Posted 9/24/09 2:38 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


Hayley Williams' car is truly amazing, and not just because it's a total junker that your 16-year-old sister would drive for a month before smashing into the mailbox while attempting to back out of the driveway (though, you know, that is a pretty big reason).

No, Williams' car — a six-year-old Mazda affectionately known as Ms. Anne — is amazing because it's a sort of time-capsule of her entire life, both before and after she became the lead singer of a mega-successful pop-punk act who just made one of the year's finest albums, Brand New Eyes.

Inside and out, Williams has plastered Ms. Anne with band stickers, buttons, plastic action figures, homemade art and the occasional inspirational message. It's positively loaded with tchotchkes and trinkets (seriously, it's sort of a T.G.I. Fridays on wheels), each representing a moment or memory from her past, present, or even future.

Case in point: A sticker slapped on her bumper by Michigan punk act the Swellers, who had previously crashed at Williams' house, are now her labelmates on Fueled By Ramen, and, starting next week, will share the stage with Paramore when they kick off their Brand New Eyes tour next week. Past, present and future — all on one strip of vinyl.

But that's just one tiny piece of the (much bigger) picture. Read More...

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