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2008 In Photos: The Most Memorable Snapshots Of Britney Spears, 'Twilight' And More

Posted 12/30/08 12:07 pm EST by in Ashlee Simpson, Axl-Rose, Barack-Obama, Beyonce, Britney Spears, election 2008, Heath-Ledger, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, pete-wentz


By Rachel Josue

It was a very exciting 2008 here in the MTV Newsroom. It was a year of triumph and tragedy, a year of secret weddings and pregnancies, a year of overcoming adversity and a year of inspiration and change.

2008 brought us everything from the shocking death of Heath Ledger and the tragedy that befell Jennifer Hudson and her family, to the reinvention of Britney Spears and the successes of "The Dark Knight" and Tha Carter III. Your favorite artists and celebrities eloped (is it legal yet, Speidi?), married overseas (nice tats, Mariah and Nick) and got hitched in secret (thanks for finally admitting to that, Jay and B). They had babies and — in true Hollywood style — named them strange things (I am available to babysit when Bronx befriends Brooklyn and they have a play-date in Manhattan. Just saying.). And, Chinese Democracy actually materialized, to the delight of Dr. Pepper fans.

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MTV News Staff Favorites Of 2008: Jocelyn Vena's Top 10 Pop Albums

Posted 12/22/08 1:56 pm EST by in Beyonce, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, MTV News Staff Favorites '08, NKOTB, Taylor Swift


Jocelyn VenaWe here at MTV News are a pretty diverse bunch, so the views expressed by some in our more official-type year-end lists (like James Montgomery's Top 25 Albums and Best Songs, and the Mixtape Monday Awards) are not necessarily shared by the rest of the newsroom. So, this week we gave everyone else a chance to chime in with their own lists and explain (or defend) their choices. You'll find the staff faves of 2008 all together here.

By Jocelyn Vena, Writer

Let's face it, 2008 was the year of the pop artist. And, since I am the resident pop expert around these parts, I decided to make my top 10 list all about the greatest pop albums to hit the charts in the last 12 months.

10. Pink, Funhouse: Her tough-girl attitude paid off with this album. She performed her single, "So What," at the VMAs and soon after, it was everywhere. Read More...

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Is Beyonce's Private Nature Hurting Her Album Sales?

Posted 12/10/08 12:53 pm EST by in Beyonce, Taylor Swift


BeyonceHey there, Beyoncé.We here at MTV News have a theory you might be interested in hearing.

Your music is great, don't get us wrong. We can't stop bopping to "Single Ladies" here in the newsroom. But we suspect that the album-buying public can't get past the fact that you come across as, well, boring. Even though you cooked up this crazy, metal-glove-wearing alter ego Sasha Fierce, people still don't know how relate to you, and perhaps your record sales are being affected.

This isn't a problem for Taylor Swift and Britney Spears, who live their lives constantly in the media. We know everything about them. Where they shop, what kid of coffee they like (Fraps, y'all), whom they date, what happens on their dates ... Read More...

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Is Beyonce's Metal Glove Steampunk?

Posted 10/24/08 3:14 pm EST by in Beyonce, Steampunk


By Andrew Ross Rowe

"Single Ladies" has my colleagues dancing around the office, but Beyoncé's peculiar metal glove has been grinding my gears. Has this pop diva gone steampunk?

For something to be steampunk, it needs two things: gadgets and an old-school theme. Mechanical accessories will hypothetically provide their wearers with heightened strength, just like this giant steampunk arm. Does the glove mean Beyoncé is stronger now? The black-and-white aesthetic provides a vintage vibe reminiscent of cabaret and, in parts, burlesque. (You know those hips are a heartbeat away from a different kind of video.)

Not sure if Beyoncé is steampunk or not? We've got your tutorial video after the jump. Read More...

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Beyonce Explains Herself -- And Sasha Fierce -- In Listening-Party Video

Posted 10/23/08 12:36 pm EST by in Beyonce


Beyonce's

Beyoncé couldn't be present at her album listening party on Wednesday — she was abroad, doing international press from 10 a.m. to midnight, according to her father, Mathew Knowles — so she recorded a video message to explain the split between I Am... and Sasha Fierce. Here's what she had to say for herself:
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Beyonce's Survivor Foundation Helps Hurricane Ike Victims

Posted 10/15/08 1:59 pm EST by in Beyonce


Superstar Beyoncé has donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund which benefits victims of Hurricane Ike in the greater Houston area. The singer, a native of Houston, is also currently organizing a fundraising benefit for Hurricane Ike relief through her Survivor Foundation.


The Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund raises money to help residents affected by the storm in areas like Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Harris and Montgomery counties. Beyoncé started the Survivor Fund a few years back with the support of her parents as well as her sister Solange and fellow Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland — it helps people in areas affected by disasters, and it also gives relief to children and families affected by AIDS and homelessness.
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L'Oreal Denies Whitewashing Beyonce

Posted 8/8/08 12:24 pm EST by in Beyonce


Beyoncé in the L'Oréal Feria advertisementDid they or didn't they? That's the question a lot of people seem to be asking about the new L'Oréal Paris ad campaign featuring Beyoncé that appears to picture the singer with a much lighter skin tone than she usually has. The ads in the September issue of Elle drew immediate howls of protest from some blogs that claimed B's skin had been altered to appear more pale, a charge L'Oréal denied in a statement issued Thursday.

What do you think? Does it seem like Beyoncé's skin tone was lightened?

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Solange Knowles: Being Beyonce's Kid Sis Doesn't Guarantee A Foot In The Door

Posted 6/12/08 5:40 pm EST by in Beyonce, Pharrell, Solange


(by Dan 'Monty' Montalto)

It's not easy being the younger sister of a mega-famous-the-world-over pop icon.

No, seriously. Just ask Solange Knowles, Beyoncé's 21-year-old kid sis. Let's face it, when your sister is so famous that she practically owns the rights to the second letter of the alphabet, it's pretty hard to convince anyone that based solely on your artistic merits, some of the biggest and most creative names in music helped out with your record. But when we sat down with her earlier this week, Solange told us that it took some pretty serious convincing (and even a little stalking) to get names like Cee-Lo, Pharrell and Mark Ronson onboard for her latest record. As she puts it, when they first heard she wanted to work with them, they had no way of knowing if she was a serious artist or "someone's little annoying sister trying to do a record."

Cee-Lo, who co-wrote three of the songs on Solange's album, didn't exactly jump all over the opportunity when Solange first came calling. Initially, she couldn't even get him on the phone, and seemingly endless "scheduling conflicts" on the part of the Gnarls Barkley vocalist kept her from meeting with him. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but as Solange told us herself, "no one can be that freakin' busy." But she wasn't about to get blown off. She decided to take matters into her own hands — by essentially stalking Cee-Lo and forcing him to listen to her album.

Solange tells us how she stalked Cee-Lo (with the help of an MTV alum) in this video.

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Beyonce Gets A (Cruelty-Free) Peace Offering From PETA

Posted 4/11/08 2:59 pm EST by in Beyonce, Jay-Z


beyonce.jpgYesterday we had some wedding present suggestions for Pete and Ashlee, today it's a gift that's already landed on the doorstep of newlyweds Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

PETA has protested B's furry outfits for years, but those days are over. In a press release, the animal-rights group announced that they've been carefully monitoring the singer's wardrobe and, having not seen a single critter all winter, they've decided to call a truce. (PETA Senior VP Lisa Lange even went as far as to call her "a real 'dreamgirl' for fur-bearing animals.") As a peace offering, the group sent the couple a wedding gift, along with a note: "From all of us at PETA, we wish you much happiness in your life together. Please accept this faux-fur throw with many good wishes and a hope from us that together, you'll be a fur-free couple!"

Everyone's favorite kind of present — the one that comes with a good dose of guilt and an ethical obligation. But hey, it beats a face full of red paint, right?

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