Showing posts with label VMA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VMA. Show all posts
Four songs owe their rise on the Billboard Hot 100 this week to the MTV Video Music Awards. Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me", the controversial female video of the year award winner, moves 6-4. The song's sales are beginning to wane, but this week, "Belong" became the first country song to ever be No. 1 on the airplay charts. Three others have gotten to No. 2 before, including Swift's own "Love Story".
Lady Gaga electrified the VMA's with her bloody performance of "Papparazzi" and it paid off with an 18-7 move. Gaga is now the third artist in the 21st century to score four top ten singles from an album (Christina Aguilera's self titled disc and Fergie's Fergalicious were the first two). Jay-Z closed the awards show with his duet with Alicia Keys, "Empire State of Mind". The single jumps 50-5 giving Jay his second top five single off of Blueprint 3. Down at No. 37, Muse, another VMA performer, scores their highest charting song ever with "Uprising".
"I've Gotta Feelin'" makes its 13th week at No. 1, passing up "Boom Boom Pow"'s 12 weeks. The Black Eyed Peas next single, "Meet Me Halfway", materializes at No. 75. Lets all pray the Peas don't replace themselves at No. 1 again.
1. "I've Gotta Feelin'" - Black Eyed Peas
2. "Run This Town" - Jay-Z feat. Kanye West & Rihanna
3. "Down" - Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne
4. "You Belong With Me" - Taylor Swift
5. "Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
6. "Party In The U.S.A." - Miley Cyrus
7. "Paparazzi" - Lady Gaga
8. "Forever" - Drake feat. Kanye West, Lil Wayne, & Eminem
9. "Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon
10. "Whatcha Say" - Jason DeRulo
If it were any other year, this would have gotten prime coverage. At the end of Jay-Z and Alicia Key's performance of "Empire State of Mind", the third single off of Jay's The Blueprint III, Lil Mama hopped on stage and folded her arms with the two other performers and acted like she was supposed to be there. No one really cared though because of the other person who hopped up on stage earlier in the show.
If Kanye had kept his mouth shut, Lady Gaga would be getting a lot more press today. It seemed like every time the camera went to here she was in a new get up. It all began when she arrived at the show dressed as a phantom of the opera with a neck brace. Her date was Kermit the Frog. I was surprised that he agreed to go with her after she killed all his cousins for an outfit of hers a few weeks back.
Her next costume change came with her performance of "Paparazzi". She began as a white hot Norse goddess and by the number's end was a bloody mess.
When she got back to her seat, Gaga had covered herself completely in red lace and was wearing some bizarre witch doctors crown. It was soooo creepy looking. She wore it while accepting her award for Best New Artist, only taking off the face mask at the end of her thank yous. When she took her seat again, she had donned a white Eskimo slash bird nest headpiece. I'm sure some blogger somewhere will uncover the meaning to all of this; its probably rich in symbolism or something. Until then I'm just going to assume it was Lady Gaga taking full advantage of the 24-hour new media and making sure she got as much coverage as possible.
Here's a low-grade clip of her performance of "Paparazzi". Watch it before it gets pulled.
Her next costume change came with her performance of "Paparazzi". She began as a white hot Norse goddess and by the number's end was a bloody mess.
When she got back to her seat, Gaga had covered herself completely in red lace and was wearing some bizarre witch doctors crown. It was soooo creepy looking. She wore it while accepting her award for Best New Artist, only taking off the face mask at the end of her thank yous. When she took her seat again, she had donned a white Eskimo slash bird nest headpiece. I'm sure some blogger somewhere will uncover the meaning to all of this; its probably rich in symbolism or something. Until then I'm just going to assume it was Lady Gaga taking full advantage of the 24-hour new media and making sure she got as much coverage as possible.
Here's a low-grade clip of her performance of "Paparazzi". Watch it before it gets pulled.
After years of uninspiring and lackluster awards shows, MTV has delivered the most bloggable VMAs ever.
The first category of the night was for Best Female Video. The list was stacked but one video seemed destined to take home every award it was nominated for - "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)". It was the only video on the list that was the least bit iconic. Twenty years from now, a new generation of girls will be liberated by the song and be parodying the dance. It was a phenomenon. So when Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" was announced the winner, the audience was understandably surprised, Swift included."I always wondered what it would be like to maybe win one of these some day, but never actually thought it would happen," the singer said before a buzzed West hopped onto the stage. "Yo Taylor. I'm really happy for you, I'm going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time." Cut to a shocked Beyonce. Best reaction at a VMA since Justin saw his ex swap spit with Madonna. Cue boos. Commercial break.
My phone would not stop buzzing. Everyone was pissed at Kanye. "Kanye is an idiot!" read one text. "Spoken like a true jackass," read another. The audience felt the same way. When the rapper's name was read for his nomination in the Best Hip-Hop video category, a wave of boos washed over Radio City Music Hall.As the show neared its end, every video nominated for Video of the Year , except West's "Love Lockdown", had won a previous award. Spreading the awards out seemed like an attempt on MTV's part to please as many fansites as possible and heightened anticipation for the eventual winner.
The card was open, the winner was read, and Beyonce was vindicated. Kanye, who had since been kicked out of the show, ended up looking even more like a douche. As Mrs. Jay-Z took to the stage, she told the crowd how much her first moonman meant to her when she was a 17-year-old singer in Destiny's Child and invited Swift back on stage to finish her speech. Everyone cheered. The two singers in red dresses embraced. It was a storybook ending to one of the best Video Music Awards in recent memory. But was it staged? Some bloggers think so. "Six-ish hours later, and I’m still unsure if the Kanye West/Taylor Swift brouhaha at tonight’s Video Music Awards was ... the result of a genuine outpouring of emotion on Kanye West’s part, or just a way for the VMAs to sneak up behind the rest of the cable lineup and command the television-watching nation’s attention," Maura of idolator.com wrote. "Beyonce [comes] out smelling like a rose after all this, ceding her acceptance speech for the night’s big award to the wronged teenager. It just all feels so… calculated".
In the end, everyone ends up winning. MTV blew up the Internet, Beyonce is a saint ("God bless Beyonce" one friend texted me), Taylor gets the collective "awwww"s of the world (and maybe enough buzz to push Fearless over Michael Jackson's Number Ones in sales), and Kanye got his name in lights once more and cemented in the everyone's minds whatever they thought about him already. Either he is the cockiest piece of trash on the planet or he's the most provocative and controversial pop star since Madonna.
If it wasn't staged, MTV just got a home run handed to them and if it was, we all just got punked.
In the end, everyone ends up winning. MTV blew up the Internet, Beyonce is a saint ("God bless Beyonce" one friend texted me), Taylor gets the collective "awwww"s of the world (and maybe enough buzz to push Fearless over Michael Jackson's Number Ones in sales), and Kanye got his name in lights once more and cemented in the everyone's minds whatever they thought about him already. Either he is the cockiest piece of trash on the planet or he's the most provocative and controversial pop star since Madonna.
If it wasn't staged, MTV just got a home run handed to them and if it was, we all just got punked.
The MTV Video Music Awards are hours away! Here are the nominees for Video of the Year. The choices this year are light years away from the unfortunate list that was selected in 2008. Just like last year director Joseph Kahn lands two entries in the shortlist. Click on the song to watch the video
Beyonce - "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Director: Jake Nava
It is her simplest video yet but it worked wonders. It became an instant classic thanks to hordes of delusion Beyonce fans who thought the world wanted to see them put on a leotard and do in their bedrooms what Beyonce did in front of a screen. This iconic clip has a good shot at taking home the moonman.
Eminem - "We Made You"
Director: Joseph Kahn
Slim Shady hasn't had a solo video since 2005, so can you blame him for mocking things that lost their cultural relevance six months ago? Dukes of Hazzard Jessica, Blackout Britney, and Governor Sarah are all still humorous. I'm surprised this is his first time appropriating Elvis in one of his videos.
Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"
Director: Ray Kay
"The Fame" is all about acting like you are the bomb even if you aren't yet. Gaga showed the world how to do that with this video, a piece of pop art that looks like it was made by the world's premiere pop star. Filmed seven months before it hit No. 1, she proved the value of fake it till you make it. Another front runner.
Britney Spears - "Womanizer"
Director: Joseph Kahn
This video was make-or-break for Britney Spears who desperately needed a hit to kick start her comeback. It's basically a Toxic 2.0 but even skankier because she writhes around in the sauna without the decency to put diamonds on! Better than her moonman winning video "Piece of Me" from last year? Yes. Going to win? Probably not.
Kanye West - "Love Lockdown"
Director: Simon Henwood
This song is now a year old as Kanye premiered it at last year's VMAs. This video is like a clash of cultures with a sleek and uber-modern apartment juxtaposed with neon tribal dancers. Inspired by the film American Psycho, Kanye takes us to a bizarre world of nightmares created by (808s and) heartbreak.
Beyonce - "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"Director: Jake Nava
It is her simplest video yet but it worked wonders. It became an instant classic thanks to hordes of delusion Beyonce fans who thought the world wanted to see them put on a leotard and do in their bedrooms what Beyonce did in front of a screen. This iconic clip has a good shot at taking home the moonman.
Eminem - "We Made You"Director: Joseph Kahn
Slim Shady hasn't had a solo video since 2005, so can you blame him for mocking things that lost their cultural relevance six months ago? Dukes of Hazzard Jessica, Blackout Britney, and Governor Sarah are all still humorous. I'm surprised this is his first time appropriating Elvis in one of his videos.
Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"Director: Ray Kay
"The Fame" is all about acting like you are the bomb even if you aren't yet. Gaga showed the world how to do that with this video, a piece of pop art that looks like it was made by the world's premiere pop star. Filmed seven months before it hit No. 1, she proved the value of fake it till you make it. Another front runner.
Britney Spears - "Womanizer"Director: Joseph Kahn
This video was make-or-break for Britney Spears who desperately needed a hit to kick start her comeback. It's basically a Toxic 2.0 but even skankier because she writhes around in the sauna without the decency to put diamonds on! Better than her moonman winning video "Piece of Me" from last year? Yes. Going to win? Probably not.
Kanye West - "Love Lockdown"Director: Simon Henwood
This song is now a year old as Kanye premiered it at last year's VMAs. This video is like a clash of cultures with a sleek and uber-modern apartment juxtaposed with neon tribal dancers. Inspired by the film American Psycho, Kanye takes us to a bizarre world of nightmares created by (808s and) heartbreak.
Preparations have already begun at Radio City Music Hall for this Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards and MTV is letting the world see these exclusive shots of the placeholders showing where the stars will be sitting! So exciting, right?
Last year's VMAs were a tragic mess. It was as if your high school student council put it together and the host, Russell Brand, was terrible. The British comedian is back again but, the way MTV is promoting this year's show, it looks to have a slightly larger budget. Here's the ad, a homage to West Side Story:
A new category MTV will introduce at this year's VMAs is the Best Video (That Should Have Won A Moonman) for videos that didn't get the credit they deserved. The nominees are:Beastie Boys: “Sabotage”
Bjork: “Human Behavior”
Dr Dre: “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang”
Foo Fighters: “Everlong”
George Michael: “Freedom ‘90″
OK Go: “Here It Goes Again”
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers: “Into The Great Wide Open”
Radiohead: “Karma Police”
David Lee Roth: “California Girls”
U2: “Where The Streets Have No Name”
I'm voting for "Freedom '90" or "Karma Police". Thinking of this category made me wonder what other videos didn't take home the moonman and how stupid MTV looks in retrospect. Probably the most glaring loss came during the inaugural show when "Billie Jean" lost out to the Cars "You Might Think".
Bad call MTV, bad call.
MTV has announced the nominees for the 2009 Video Music Awards which will be held on September 13. Beyonce and Lady Gaga lead the list with nine nominations each. Here are some of the categories plus our predictions of the winner in bold.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé - “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Lady Gaga - “Poker Face”
Eminem - “We Made You”
Kanye West - “Love Lockdown”
Britney Spears - “Womanizer”
BEST NEW ARTIST
Lady Gaga - “Poker Face”
Lady Gaga - “Poker Face”
Drake - “Best I Ever Had”
3OH!3 - “Don’t Trust Me”
Kid Cudi - “Day N’ Nite”
Asher Roth - “I Love College”
BEST MALE VIDEO
Eminem - “We Made You”
Kanye West - “Love Lockdown”
Jay-Z - “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”
T.I. feat. Rihanna - “Live Your Life”
Ne-Yo - “Miss Independent”
BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Katy Perry - “Hot n Cold”
Beyoncé - “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Kelly Clarkson - “My Life Would Suck Without You”
Lady Gaga - “Poker Face”
Taylor Swift - “You Belong With Me”
Pink - “So What”
BEST POP VIDEO
Beyoncé - “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Lady Gaga - “Poker Face”
Britney Spears - “Womanizer”
Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester - “Good Girls Go Bad”
Wisin y Yandel - “Abusadora”
BEST ROCK VIDEO
Coldplay - “Viva la Vida”
Kings of Leon - “Use Somebody”
Green Day - “21 Guns”
Fall Out Boy - “I Don’t Care”
Paramore - “Decode”
2008 MTV Video Music Awards Results 
If the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards had to be summed up in one word it would be 'underwhelming'. Let's start with host Russell Brand. In the commercials he seemed like a funny guy but after the first two minutes of him on stage, he needed to sit down. Commenting on America's political situation, insinuating places he smears cherry chapstick besides his lips, and mocking the Jonas Brothers virginity (to which Jordin Sparks responded "I just want to say, it's not bad to wear a promise ring because not every guy and girl wants to be a slut, OK?"), he managed to offend most of the people in the tiny garage studio MTV decided to hold the show. Their venue selection was pathetic. And can they afford cameras with better image quality?Brand said that Britney Spear's opening of the show would be "mindbending". Despite her camp claiming she wouldn't be performing, leaked footage of the pop star dancing to a unreleased song and MTV.com's headline of her "epic continuing" over-promised what ending up being nothing more than Britney saying "welcome". Still Spears dominated the night winning all three of the awards that she was nominated for including the coveted Video of the Year for "Piece of Me". The Gnarls Barkley video for "Run" was the only other clip to win more than one moonman.
Rihanna was the show's opening performer, invading the stage with a troupe of dancing zombies a la "Thriller" as she performed "Disturbia". Liberal samples of "Sweet Dreams" and "Seven Nation Army" were thrown in. Christina Aguilera rediscovered modern music and lip synced the new single from her forthcoming greatest hits package, "Keeps Gettin' Better". I think she's trying to steal Lady Gaga's sound and image before anyone realizes who Lady Gaga is.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night came as the Best New Artist was announced. This award was determined by fans texting in their favorite pick, so it seemed logical that whoever had the most 12-16 year old female fans would win. Instead, German band Tokio Hotel snatched the honors. I thought their excess of hair and make up would scare junior high girls away but I guess I'm just out of touch with the youth of today.
Kanye West closed the show performing his new single "Love Lockdown". There were two interesting things to notice about this song. First, it wasn't immediate. Mr. West launched his Graduation album with "Stronger" which was written for the sole purpose of being a hit. After one play, the song was lodged in your head and made it to the top of the charts. "Lockdown", doesn't seem so obsessed with that. Secondly, the rapper did absolutely no rapping. Instead, he crooned into the microphone wearing a gray suit with a glowing red heart pinned next to his lapel. Kanye is out to shatter every hip hop cliche there is and isn't content being just the genre's biggest star. He's out to be the biggest star in music...ever.What this year's show lacked was any shred of anything memorable. I went to high school pep assemblies more entertaining than this. It makes you miss the old Britney, doesn't it? Here are the winners:
Video of the Year: Britney Spears "Piece of Me"
Best Male Video: Chris Brown "With You"
Best Female Video: Britney Spears "Piece of Me"
Best New Artist: Tokio Hotel
Best Pop Video: Britney Spears "Piece of Me"
Best Rock Video: Linkin Park "Shadow of the Day"
Best Hip Hop Video: Lil Wayne "Lollipop"
Best Dancing in a Video: Pussycat Dolls "When I Grow Up"
Best Art Direction: Gnarls Barkley "Run"
Best Choreography: Gnarls Barkley "Run"
Best Cinematography: The White Stripes "Conquest"
Best Direction: Erykah Badu "Honey"
Best Editing: Death Cab For Cutie "I Will Possess Your Heart"
Best Special Effects: Kanye West "Good Life"
2008 Video Music Awards Predictions
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Tomorrow night MTV will host the 25th Video Music Awards. Who are the nominee's? Who should win? Here are our predictions...
Should Win
Video of the Year
Chris Brown - "Forever"
Jonas Brothers - "Burnin' Up"
Pussycat Dolls - "When I Grow Up"
Britney Spears - "Piece Of Me"
Ting Tings - "Shut Up And Let Me Go"
The Ting Tings are the only ones here that have a video with any level of artistic merit. "Forever", directed by the great Joseph Kahn (as is "When I Grow Up"), is alright, but pales in comparison with "Shut Up And Let Me Go" but will probably beat it out.
The Ting Tings are the only ones here that have a video with any level of artistic merit. "Forever", directed by the great Joseph Kahn (as is "When I Grow Up"), is alright, but pales in comparison with "Shut Up And Let Me Go" but will probably beat it out.
Best Male Video
Chris Brown - "With You"
Flo Rida - "Low"
Lil Wayne - "Lollipop"
T.I. - "No Matter What"
Usher - "Love In This Club"
I feel like I've seen these videos just with different songs behind them for the past five years. "Love In This Club" is the only one that stands out. It even has a chance of actually winning!
I feel like I've seen these videos just with different songs behind them for the past five years. "Love In This Club" is the only one that stands out. It even has a chance of actually winning!
Best Female Video
Mariah Carey - "Touch My Body"
Katy Perry - "I Kissed A Girl"
Rihanna - "Take A Bow"
Jordin Sparks - "No Air"
Britney Spears - "Piece Of Me"
None of these videos are particularly strong either but with all the hype surrounding Britney and the contributions she's made to the VMA's the past 10 years, it seems like it's due. She's won a Grammy but she's never won a VMA (despite being nominated 16 times).
None of these videos are particularly strong either but with all the hype surrounding Britney and the contributions she's made to the VMA's the past 10 years, it seems like it's due. She's won a Grammy but she's never won a VMA (despite being nominated 16 times).
Best New Artist
Miley Cyrus - "7 Things"
Katy Perry - "I Kissed A Girl"
Jordin Sparks - "No Air"
Taylor Swift - "Teardrops On My Guitar"
Tokio Hotel - "Ready, Set, Go!"
Jordin Sparks seems to have the most staying power out of the entire list. Still, if I were a 14 year old girl, who would I vote for? Taylor Swift will probably win. On the other hand, this award has been going to bands for the past few years so Tokio Hotel stands a chance.
Best Pop Video
Danity Kane - "Damaged"
Jonas Brothers - "Burnin Up"
Panic At The Disco - "Nine In The Afternoon"
Britney Spears - "Piece Of Me"
Tokio Hotel - "Ready, Set, Go!"
"Ready, Set, Go!" is the most un-pop video and song of the pop category, but that doesn't stop it from being the best video of the lot. The hair, the Duestch-ness, the prisoners climbing up the wall; not even Britney's semi-dancing is better than that.
"Ready, Set, Go!" is the most un-pop video and song of the pop category, but that doesn't stop it from being the best video of the lot. The hair, the Duestch-ness, the prisoners climbing up the wall; not even Britney's semi-dancing is better than that.
Best Rock Video
Fall Out Boy - "Beat It"
Foo Fighters - "The Pretenders"
Linkin Park - "Shadow Of The Day"
Paramore - "Crushcrushcrush"
Slipknot - "Psycosocial"
It's simple, but amazing. Instead of fighting Foo, Dave Grohl and the gang take on an army of riot cops in "The Pretenders". "Beat It" could take the award based solely on nostalgia during this, the 25th anniversary show.
Best Hip-Hop Video
Mary J. Blidge - "Just Fine"
Lupe Fiasco - "Superstar"
Flo Rida - "Low"
Lil Wayne - "Lollipop"
Kanye West - "Homecoming"
It could go either way. Both "Just Fine" and "Homecoming" succeed in that they defy what a stereotypical hip hop music video is. Both are gorgeous; West's clip in black and white and Blidge's in a kaleidoscope of color.
Labels:
Britney Spears,
Foo Fighters,
Jordin Sparks,
Kanye West,
Mary J. Blidge,
MTV,
Ting Tings,
Tokio Hotel,
Usher,
VMA
Spears To Open Video Music Awards
After weeks of speculation, Britney Spears is officially slated to appear at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. When asked why she agreed to appear after last year's disastrous performance, Spears said, "MTV has long played an important role in my career. How can I not be there to kick off their 25th VMAs? I'm excited to open the entire show, to say hi to my fans and to be nominated." Spear's clip for her tabloid-dissing "Piece Of Me" has been nominated for a moon man.
Don't expect a full on performance though. Britney will "open" the show, but it's unknown what that actually means. "She will be ... doing something so mindbending, it'll probably make you want to start families with each other in a random, possibly Mormon, way," said host and British comedian Russell Brand. Like...get married before having sex?
Also slated to perform is the Jonas Brothers, Rihanna, T.I., Christina Aguleria, Kid Rock, and Kanye West. West was reported to say he would never appear on the awards show ever again after not winning any awards last year and being relegated to a small stage in Las Vegas to perform. It's rumored that Mr. West will perform a track from his forthcoming fourth studio album that could make it to stores before year's end.
The VMAs will air on Sunday, September 7 at 9 PM.
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