Katy Perry Says New Album Will Be 'Real F**king Dark,' Was Set To Appear In 'The Help'

Posted 4/10/12 12:10 pm EST by in Katy Perry, Video


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By Zachary Swickey

Many fans have been curious about what pop star Katy Perry’s next record will sound like – especially considering her much-publicized divorce from comedian Russell Brand and the heavy recent single "Part of Me." Well, Perry herself will tell you: “real f**king dark.”

Talking to The Sun, the singer was rather blunt about her feelings toward her failed marriage, saying, “I’d like to use a time machine and go back to a specific date, please.” (Ouch!)

“My music is about to get real f**king dark. You'd never see my face because my hair would be in it,” she continued.

In other Perry news, the singer has yet to dive into the acting game (outside of cameos and voicing a Smurfette last year), but she’s revealed that she almost got a bit part in last year’s Academy Award-winning film “The Help.”

"There was a time when I was going to be involved in 'The Help' - just a small part, I wasn't going to be Emma Stone or anything - but I couldn't because the shooting schedule conflicted with the release of my record,” she lamented to Teen Vogue.

"And I was upset about that; I knew it was going to be an important film,” she continued.

Although, she didn’t get to appear in “The Help,” Perry has her very own 3D film coming out this summer (and no, it’s not “Piranha 3DD”), “Katy Perry: Part of Me,” which will be a documentary as well as a live concert film much in the vein of Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never."

"I wanted to show people this parade that surrounds me, I wanted them to see the engine. I wanted people to be able to experience the tour and all the joy it brought, which is why we shot it in 3D,” she said about the film.

“Katy Perry: Part of Me” is expected to hit the big screen this upcoming Fourth of July weekend.

Check out Katy telling MTV News' James Montgomery that the concert film is meant to end her Teenage Dream era, after the jump! Read More...

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Let's Talk About This Rumored Madonna Tour Setlist

Posted 4/10/12 10:27 am EST by in Madonna, tour, Tour Dates


Madonna, Facebook

Because it's pretty great.

An early rumored setlist for Madonna's upcoming MDNA tour, which kicks off May 29 at Tel Aviv, Israel's Ramat Gan Stadium, has been kicking around the Interweb. It hasn't been confirmed, but the source is pretty darn dependable when it comes to Madonna matters, so we thought we'd bring it to you so we could talk it out.

Lending a bit more credibility to the rumored setlist, during her Facebook chat with Jimmy Fallon to promote MDNA, Madonna said that the theme of the show's first act would be "transgression." "I like to have a theme for my show and create a dramatic arc," she told Fallon. "Then I try to make the songs fit within that arc."

If we're talking transgressions, opening with a video intro of "Erotica"/"Justicy My Love" and segueing into "Girl Gone Wild," as you'll see below, seems right in line with the leaked set list.

Let's dive in, shall we! Read More...

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Skrillex And Girlfriend Ellie Goulding Hit The Studio With Swedish House Mafia's Steve Angello And Sebastian Ingrosso

Posted 4/9/12 3:01 pm EST by in dance, Music


Skrillex Ellie goulding

By Zachary Swickey

We won’t have to wait long to hear a collaboration between Skrillex and his lovely lady, British songbird Ellie Goulding, as the two recently hit up the studio with members of Swedish House Mafia (who have a big upcoming weekend ahead of them at California’s Coachella Music Festival).

SHM member Sebastian Ingrosso discussed the collab with Billboard, saying, “We made a demo and it was amazing. We had a blast. Ellie is a great artist … her voice is amazing. Skillex, enough said, he is Skrillex.”

The musician even admitted that he and bandmate Steve Angello were quite “scared” before the songwriting session went down, but that went away quickly. “Ellie and Skrillex came in 30 minutes late, and we had already started with a melody. Skrillex freaked out, he loved it, and after a few hours we wrote the song,” Ingrosso explained.

Apparently, the session was arranged by Interscope A&R Dave Rene, who has become an unofficial matchmaker in the EDM community. Rene was key in fulfilling Ingrosso’s request to have OneRepublic singer Ryan Tedder add some vocals to Swedish House Mafia’s tune “Calling.”

“Dave is the face of putting people together with love and seeing what happens. I think he’s the most loved guy in EDM,” Ingrosso gushed.

Of course, Ingrosso was also pretty thrilled about Skrillex. “Skrillex is one of the best guys out there, so down to earth,” he said of his collaborator. “He’s exactly what that side of EDM needs. He's got so much love in him, he will always take care of his friends, and he loves every single kind of music. I think he's a genius."

The collaboration is in the bag, but Ingrosso isn’t too positive on where the song will end up, saying, “I think it's going to be for [Ellie's] album, but in this business you don't know until you see it on iTunes."

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Yes, This Is A Video Of James Franco Singing Selena Gomez's Hit 'Love You Like A Love Song'

Posted 4/9/12 1:38 pm EST by in James Franco, Movies, Selena Gomez


Nice corn rows, James!

There's really not a lot to say about this clip Oscar-nominated actor James Franco posted to his WhoSay account of himself singing Selena Gomez's infectious single "Love You Like a Love Song." The pair are set to co-star in the upcoming "Spring Breakers" – she as one of a quartet of college co-eds who rob a restaurant to finance their spring-break vacation and end up being bailed out by a drug and arms dealer (Franco) who wants them to do some dirty work.

At least we can confirm that they either really enjoyed working together or, you know, the exact opposite and he's gently making fun of her. Who knows? But it's fun. Check it out below!


James Franco on WhoSay

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U2 Team Up With One Direction Songwriter For New Album

Posted 4/9/12 12:42 pm EST by in Music, U2


U2 One Direction

By Zachary Swickey

It appears U2 hope to inject some youthfulness into their new album with the help of the writing team behind recent UK boy band sensation (and Saturday's “SNL” performers) One Direction.

The Sun is reporting that Bono and the U2 crew have recruited Swedish pop songwriter Carl Falk – the man responsible for many of One Direction’s hits – to collaborate with them on their upcoming thirteenth album.

Apparently, Bono wasn’t thrilled with the lukewarm reception of their last album – 2009’s No Line on the Horizon – and is eager to write some new hits so the band can “survive.” The frontman didn’t think their last album produced enough hit singles, but we think they'll be alright.

U2 have the right team in mind to reinvigorate their sound with One Direction being the first ever UK group to debut at number one with their first album in the United States.

Other big names reportedly in the studio with U2 include Danger Mouse – who is still riding the success of producing the Black Keys’ most recent adored album El Camino – and Redone, who is responsible for Gaga’s monster hits “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance.”

However, Falk himself is the one who let the news of the U2 collab slip, saying coyly, “There’s a long way to go but we are doing something with U2."

Falk’s songwriting credits include Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” and One Directions “What Makes You Beautiful” for those curious about the writer’s specific sound. Hopefully we’ll get to hear his results with U2 before the end of 2012.

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Miley Cyrus Is Not Anorexic, She's Just Super Healthy, Y'all

Posted 4/9/12 11:23 am EST by in Miley Cyrus, Tweet Beat


Recent photos of Miley Cyrus have shown the already svelte star looking thinner than normal, inspiring some gossips, as they are wont to do, to debate whether the one-time Hannah Montana has an eating disorder. (It's probably worth keeping in mind that most of those analyzing her figure have probably never even seen her in person.)

Well, all the spilled ink seems to have been wasted, as Miley herself took to Twitter early this morning to lay a smack down on the rumors by revealing she has a gluten allergy and is simply eating better. Ms. Cyrus' focus is strictly on her health and she is here to sing the praises of a gluten-free diet.

Check it out below:

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Lily Allen Coming Out Of Retirement For New Album

Posted 4/9/12 10:35 am EST by in Lily-Allen


Lily Allen

And here we thought she'd retired.

Lily Allen was spotted at RAK Studios in St John's Wood, London, writing new material for a new album that could drop next year, according the Daily Star.

Allen officially retired from the music scene in 2010 to focus on fashion with her store, Lucy in Disguise, and her family life with husband Sam Cooper and their first child, Ethel, born in November 2011. The British pop star has recently been penning songs for the upcoming "Bridget Jones' Diary" musical set to premiere in London's famed West End later this year, but had reportedly sworn off recording any new material of her own.

"Lily has been in the studio trying different sounds and writing new tracks," a source told the Star. "She's not at a stage where she can start recording but the new album is definitely under way and there's a chance it could be released early next year."

Motherhood has apparently changed her perspective. "When Lily retired she honestly thought she'd never record again. But she started writing for the new 'Bridget Jones' musical and that gave her the bug back," the source continued. "Her life has changed so much since her last album and she now has a different perspective. Lily wants a more mature sound."

Allen's last album, It's Not Me, It's You, was released in 2009 and contained the hit "The Fear." But she is best known in the US for her single "Smile" from her 2006 debut, "Alright, Still."

Are you excited for new music from Lily Allen? Let us know in the comments below.

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'Downton Abbey' Producer Reveals Major Season Three Spoilers

Posted 4/6/12 11:56 am EST by in Spoilers, Television


And we can't help ourselves from sharing them, so you've been warned – if you do not want to know three major plot points from the period drama's third season stop reading. Like, NOW.

Last year, we felt hard for "Downton Abbey" and we weren't the only ones.

The show's second season averaged 7 million viewers (up 2 million from its already hugely successful first season) and the season finale drew 8.1 million eyes, the most for any PBS program since the premiere episode of Ken Burns' acclaimed documentary series "National Parks."

Anyway, the show is an absolutely addictive, super sudsy highbrow soap opera, and we love it. Last season ended with a big finally moment, and while it appeared like things were finally starting to pan out the way we all hoped they would, we should know better than to expect the best for the residents of "Downton."

So we're simultaneously thrilled and a little nervous about the big-time spoilers executive producer Rebecca Eaton told The Orlando Sentinel this week. Ready for a very early look at the third season of "Downton"? Read on. Read More...

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Scissor Sisters Debut New Calvin Harris-Produced Single 'Only The Horses' (Listen)

Posted 4/6/12 10:53 am EST by in Music


Jake Shears

Scissor Sisters have debuted their new single, "Only the Horses," a pounding dance track produced by Calvin Harris, who recently (and famously) lent his producing skills to Rihanna's smash hit "We Found Love."

"I've known Calvin for quite a while, we met originally making some music with Kylie [Minogue] for the Aphrodite album. He's just a lovely guy, he's so wonderful," Sisters' frontman Jake Shears told BBC1's Fearne Cotton before premiering the song this morning.

>> Rihanna's 'We Found Love' 'Most Successful Thing' For Calvin Harris

Scissor Sister's are prepping for the release of their fourth album, Magic Hour, on May 28. The set features some pretty eclectic production work for the NYC-based disco-pop band, with Pharrell Williams, Diplo, BoysNoize's Alex Rihda and Azealia Banks, in addition to Harris, all contributing tracks. Diplo and Williams are better known for their work with hip-hop and R&B artists – though a few years back, Williams was the go-to producer for pop stars looking for beats – but Shears says some of the album's best work comes from Williams.

"I was a little bit intimidated, because I think Pharrell's really amazing… dare I say it, I think it might be some of our best work on this album," Shears told Cotton this morning.

Listen to "Only the Horses" below! Read More...

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Iconic Bob Dylan Album Blood On The Tracks To Be Adapted Into Film

Posted 4/5/12 3:39 pm EST by in bob-dylan, Movies, Music


Bob Dylan

By Zachary Swickey

A film company based out of Brazil has acquired the rights to Bob Dylan’s notorious album Blood on the Tracks and is planning a silver screen adaptation.

The firm, RT Features, is currently on the lookout for an English-language director for the film based on the iconic 1975 album that includes classic jams like “Tangled Up in Blue,” “Buckets of Rain” and “Simple Twist of Fate.”

Fernando Loureiro, senior vice-president of the Brazilian movie company, confirmed the details to AFP reported by industry publication Variety, who said RT Features had bought the album rights from US firm Grey Water Park Productions.

"As longtime admirers of one of the greatest albums in the history of music, we feel privileged to be making this film," RT chief executive Rodrigo Teixeira added.

"Our goal is to work with a filmmaker who can create a classic drama with characters and an environment that capture the feelings that the album inspires in all fans," he continued.

Dylan’s 15th album, Blood on the Tracks is considered by many publications to be one of the greatest of all time, with Rolling Stone listing it at #16 on their much-respected countdown. The album is known for its extremely personal autobiographical nature, reportedly focusing on the dissolution of Dylan’s marriage to Sara Dylan (though Dylan denies it). However, their son Jakob says of the album, “The songs are my parents talking.”

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