Australian synth/dance-pop trio Cut Copy are at work on their self-produced (and self-pronounced) Tusk-influenced third album. The rhythmic, anthemic (“yeah, yeah, yeah, woo”), smeary, and psychedelic “Where I’m Going”’s likely appearing on said record. Much of it reminds me of the Beach Boys-via-E6 (on an electro kick).
When we posted “Fight Song” from We Are The World, I made a bad Bruised Man Group pun — because of the Los Angeles electro dance band/troupe’s distinct, but somehow familiar visual aesthetic. Speaking of which, the Clay Stones standout finally has itself a video. If you recall, when the collection’s title track got the visual treatment, it was all burnt forest, bodysuits, and nature worship. For “Fight Song,” Jonathon Narducci takes things indoors to a green, hazy, somehow windy space to enact what looks like Lovecraft-inspired Kabuki.
Casey James emerges as one of only standouts during the boys’ first performance night.
By Gil Kaufman
Casey James on “American Idol” Wednesday
Photo: Fox
After a number of uneven, forgettable performances by the top 12 ladies Tuesday night, it was starting to feel like Simon Cowell’s prediction that a female would win this year’s “American Idol” was a bit premature. And then the men took the stage Wednesday night (February 24), and for most of the two hours, well, they seemed determined to prove Simon right.
From poor song choices to shaky vocals and clear nerves, one by one, the guys got hammered by the judges, with even front-runner Andrew Garcia drawing some fire for his somber Fall Out Boy cover as pinup cowboy Casey James appeared to slip into the pole position with his mix of good looks and strong vocals.
First out of the gate was Todrick Hall, one of the most experienced singers in the competition. He took a big chance singing a Chris Brown-y funk take on original “Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson’s breakthrough hit “Since U Been Gone.” He satisfied the judge’s desire to hear something original, and Ellen DeGeneres was visibly pleased, applauding Hall’s stage moves but saying the chorus was a bit of a mess. Randy Jackson actually didn’t love how the arrangement was so different that he almost couldn’t recognize it, and Cowell said Hall came over “as a dancer trying to sing,” docking him for completely “murdering” the song.
One of this year’s youngest contestants, spiky-haired 16-year-old Aaron Kelly tackled Rascal Flatts’ “Here Comes Goodbye,” showing remarkable poise and self-confidence as he wrapped his raspy voice around the schmaltzy cowboy ballad. “Bearing in mind it’s your first live show, it actually was quite a good performance,” said Cowell, who suggested that the high-schooler looked a bit embarrassed to be onstage and not confident that he deserved to be in the competition. “You’re a good singer, very likable, very cute, but you have to take control of the song,” he added.
Church singer Jermaine Sellers, 27, who almost blew it in Hollywood when he threw the band under the bus, went the inspirational route with Oleta Adams’ version of the gospel tune “Get Here,” busting out some powerful falsetto amid breathy verses. Ellen liked the song choice but said Sellers seemed to be trying too hard, and Randy suggested he go more contemporary with his big voice and try a tune by Ne-Yo or Maxwell instead. Simon likened it to a corny piano-bar song and said the middle section sounded like screaming. “I think you’ve totally blown your opportunity,” he concluded.
Tim Urban, 20, revealed that he didn’t even tell his family that he’d made the top 24 after initially missing the cut and then sliding into the 24th spot when Chris Golightly was disqualified, letting them find out only when they watched the final Hollywood Week episode. The floppy-haired Texan went contemporary with OneRepublic’s “Apologize,” strangely staring into the camera and displaying his limited vocal range when he reached too far for the falsetto notes on the chorus and went oddly aggressive on the verses. Cowell congratulated him for coming back. “Having said that, we absolutely made the right decision the first time around by not putting you through with that performance,” he said, telling Urban his voice was just not good enough. For Randy, none of it worked, and Ellen agreed, saying the high notes were just not there, though people might vote for him because he’s adorable, which she mentioned more than once.
One of the least-known semifinalists, California’s Joe Muñoz, 20, tried to prove himself with Jason Mraz’s “You and I Both,” sounding a bit rushed at times as he tried to loosen up and get into the song’s lite-funk groove. “You are so comfortable onstage, aren’t you?” said Ellen, as Randy questioned the song choice and Kara gave props to Muñoz for being the most consistent of the night at that point. Simon, however, said it was safe and forgettable and lacked the star power needed to win.
None of those things were a problem for Nazareth, Pennsylvania, college kid Tyler Grady, this year’s resident retro rocker. He boldly covered the Guess Who’s “American Woman,” starting out with a Doors-like acoustic-blues vibe before busting into a crunching Lenny Kravitz rock groove that had great energy and stage presence amid some flat vocals. “Plus side, people are going to remember that performance; down side, partly for the wrong reasons,” said Simon, who called it the clichéd work of someone who has gone to pretend-to-be-a-rock-star school. Kara agreed, saying the Jim Morrison thing is cute but lacks originality and needs to be updated to this decade. Randy called it style over substance.
Lee Dewyze, 23, a Chicago sales clerk who mostly flew under the radar in Hollywood, strapped on his acoustic guitar for the Snow Patrol ballad “Chasing Cars,” shouting half the vocals in his signature bar-band rasp. Randy and Kara hated the song choice, calling it a bit too soft for Dewyze’s harder-edge voice. Inexplicably, Simon said it was his best performance so far, praising his “authentically good voice.”
College student John Park, 21, who famously got props on his “bottom end” and lips from Shania Twain during his audition, tested his luck with the jazz standard “God Bless the Child,” crooning it in a loungey style and missing most of the notes during a schlocky performance that almost made it seem like a blatant taunting of the judges. “You have got to have an incredible voice to take on that song, and you haven’t,” Simon said, calling the performance flat, devoid of emotion and kind of pointless. Kara said despite a big voice, Park just didn’t show where he would fit into today’s music business.
Proud new papa Michael Lynche plugged in for a peppy, acoustic take on Maroon 5’s “This Love” that scored with the audience and DeGeneres, who praised his big personality and smile and said Lynche benefited from a night of mediocre performances. “Michael, what they’re really saying in a roundabout way is that you were like the support act before the main act,” Cowell said. “You’re a big guy, big heart, but … you delivered so little on that performance. It was kind of like a vague, jazzy version.”
Soft-spoken Texas high school student Alex Lambert, 19, was memorable mostly because he was stuck with overbearing Mary Powers in Hollywood, but he came out of his shell with James Morrison’s “Wonderful World,” trying to shake off a clear case of nerves while showcasing his exquisitely ragged vocals. Cowell said Lambert has a great voice, but called it “the most uncomfortable performance” of the night thanks to Alex’s stage fright. Kara just wanted to give him a hug and praised him for a great vocal tone, while Ellen gave his mullet a thumbs-up. She also pulled out a remarkably spot-on Paula-ism, telling Lambert, “I love bananas, and sometimes a banana is just not quite ripe, and you’re like, ‘Ooh! I wish it was riper, because I’d like to eat that banana right now. … You just need to ripen.”
Kara crush Casey James, 27, let down his golden locks and went with Bryan Adams’ “Heaven,” cowboying the song up with a yodely edge, staring into DioGuardi’s eyes as he confidently strummed his guitar. Kara joked that she didn’t recognize him with his shirt on, Randy said he loved the song and James’ swagger (though not in that way), and DioGuardi finally gained her composure enough to admit, “You are eye candy, but you are also ear candy.” Even Cowell got in on the jokes about James’ looks, though he too got serious and said Casey chose a great song and came across as honest, sincere and likable.
Andrew Garcia got the primo final spot, doing exactly what you’d expect by singing an offbeat, strummy acoustic version of Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar We’re Going Down,” adding a Mraz-esque jazzy swing to the song. Though he was looking forward to him the most, Cowell said the redo was too indulgent, too serious and not original enough. “I don’t think tonight you took a risk,” Simon said, referring to the attention-grabbing cover of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” that made Garcia’s mark in Hollywood. Ellen suggested he be less morose and show some of the personality he flashed when he looked over to where his family was sitting midway through the song. “I think you’re gonna stick around,” she predicted. “We like ya.”
Two men and two women will go home Thursday night, when last year’s winner, Kris Allen, will perform and talk about his recent trip to Haiti, and finalist Allison Iraheta will sing her new single “Scars.”
What did you think of tonight’s performances? Were the guys better than the girls? Who do you think will go home? Add your comment below.
Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
Original featured classic voices, update has many less-recognizable stars.
By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Jayson Rodriguez
Celine Dion, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas and Justin Bieber perform on We Are The World
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Wire Image
The organizers of the “We Are the World: 25 for Haiti” pulled off a Herculean feat, rallying and recording the track and video for the earthquake-relief effort in record time. Like the sessions for the 1985 original all-star famine relief tune, producer Quincy Jones and songwriter Lionel Richie were able to get a galaxy of contemporary and classic voices to drop what they were doing to lend their time and vocals to a higher cause.
But whereas the original features vocals from such still-classic megastars as Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles, Jones and Richie said they purposely shuffled the deck on the reboot to focus on contemporary acts. That explains why the track opens with newly minted star Justin Bieber, followed by Jennifer Hudson and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, and quickly segues into solos from Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles, Jamie Foxx, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Fergie and Nick Jonas, among many others. While there are major, undeniable stars on the new version — Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Pink among them — some are wondering if the song’s lineup was too contemporary?
“I looked at the video the other day and I will admit I had several ‘Who the hell is that?’ moments,” said Christopher Morris, contributing music writer for Variety magazine of the 8-minute clip for the song shot by Academy Award-winning director Paul Haggis. “Some like Kanye West leap out at you, but it took several go-rounds for me to identify Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls. In terms of legend power, it’s on the shorter side.”
As the new video unfolds, such modern standard-bearers as Celine Dion, Janet Jackson, Toni Braxton and Josh Groban are thrown into a mix that also includes old-schoolers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand, alongside the 1985 vocals from Michael Jackson, who co-wrote the song with Richie, and bits from gospel singers BeBe Winans and Mary Mary.
The update’s concentration on contemporary stars, some of whom have voices that are not as instantly recognizable, might have contributed to the song’s relatively low profile at radio (although it did debut at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100).
“Is it likely that an R&B station will put it in regular rotation? Probably not. As a curiosity, yes. But this is not about airplay, which it won’t get a lot of, it’s about creating a viral hit on YouTube and Vevo, and maybe getting some traction at a few top-40 stations,” said Keith Caulfield, Senior Chart Manager/Analyst for Billboard magazine.
At a time when terrestrial radio playlists are more narrowly focused than ever before, such a broad, multi-genre song faces an uphill climb to gain major spins on stations that might cotton to stars like Jennifer Hudson and Wayne, but risk alienating their listeners with the likes of Streisand, Josh Groban, Cyrus and Jonas.
“I don’t know if, given the way things are right now, you could have gotten a similar lineup,” Morris said of the high-wattage, cross-genre original. “Music is much more niche-oriented right now and there aren’t a huge number of artists who’ve cut across every listening demo. Even someone like Taylor Swift doesn’t command an African-American audience. There’s no Michael Jackson in there, except in the old footage, who cuts through every sector of the international listening audience.”
Despite those challenges, the remake’s #2 Billboard debut easily bested the original, which bowed at #21 in March 1985, then rose to #1 three weeks later, eventually earning four-times platinum certification within a month of release (during that era, singles traditionally moved up the charts much more gradually than they do today). The remake entered the Digital Songs chart at #1, selling more than 267,000 copies in less than three days. Even with that firepower, though, it was unable to unseat Ke’s “Tik Tok” from its nine-week run at the top of the single’s charts.
One music journalist at a major music magazine, who requested anonymity, told MTV News that even with a fresh sound courtesy of co-producer RedOne and a vaunted hip-hop section with fresh lyrics from LL Cool J, the new song falls short in a few places. “The general consensus on this remake is that, while it’s for a great cause, it is absolutely horrible on a musical level, except for Jennifer Hudson and Pink,” the writer said. One artist who was rumored to be participating but who ultimately was not involved, Jay-Z, told MTV News he simply thought the original was “untouchable” and was not something that should be re-imagined.
SiriusXM’s Rob “Reef” Tewlow, an executive for the station’s hip-hop channel Shade 45, agreed with Hov’s take. Tewlow also acknowledged the rap portion of the song was commendable. However, Tewlow suggested the rapper’s contributions weren’t an integral part of the number.
“It’s just hard to combine MCs into that song and into that type of thing,” he explained.” It’s like trying to fit a baseball into a golfball or something. Noble intentions, and it’s good that it’s represented in some type of form or fashion, but it’s not a make-or-break thing for the song.”
Though Bieber’s fame is brand new, Caulfield understood why Jones and Richie frontloaded his vocals into the song.
“Everyone is asking the same question about Bieber, but the creative forces are saying, ‘Bieber is the hottest thing with teens, he’s trending huge on Twitter every day, selling tons of digital tracks and he’ll resonate with little girls going gonzo for his songs.’ If you think about it that way, it makes perfect sense when you’re trying to craft something that will get lots of attention from as many people as possible.”
A spokesperson for “We Are the World: 25 for Haiti” could not be reached for comment at press time.
With their concept of tapping the talent of today, Morris also gave Jones and Richie credit for doing the best they could with the artists at their disposal in a media environment that is very different than it was a quarter-century ago. “This is a charity single after all, so you want to try and pull in the masses, so they did what they had to, which is to enlist people who sold a lot of records,” he said. “It’s not a miscalculation on their part, but it’s just a very different landscape. The way music is marketed and consumed has changed, the delivery system is fragmented.”
Getting the kind of mass audience hit as the 1985 song — which has raised more than $60 million to date — today is elusive, Morris said. “It’s impossible to reach the ubiquity the first one did. It’s a replication of an event that was an unprecedented, huge deal at the time and there’s no way that mining something like that again is going to top it.”
Caulfield credited organizers for getting the song and video out quickly and capitalizing on the buzz of the event, but said he couldn’t predict how the song would end up doing commercially. “Is it going to approach the same impact?” he said. “I don’t know. But I think sales now are from the immediacy of it and the fact that you could see the video and then buy it two seconds later.”
Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.
Related Videos
Related Photos
Related Artists
Wyclef Jean, RedOne and Quincy Jones give the 25-year-old charity song a new feel.
By Maura Johnston
LL Cool J, Wyclef Jean, Swizz Beatz, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and Will.I.Am perform “We Are The World”
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Wire Image
In 1985, Justin Bieber was nine years from being born, Auto-Tune was 12 years from being invented, and Lil Wayne turned 3. Yet all three are prominent on “We Are the World: 25 For Haiti,” a remake of the 1985 charity single that will benefit relief efforts in earthquake-stricken Haiti.
The updated version of “We Are the World” not only has a completely different cast than its predecessor — only the late Michael Jackson remains, with his sister Janet singing along to his vocal tracks from the original — its sound is very current, with Auto-Tune flavoring many of the singers’ voices and hip-hop verses being added to the proceedings. Lady Gaga producer RedOne and Haitian native Wyclef Jean assisted original “We Are the World” producer Quincy Jones on production duties.
The song opens with Bieber, who steps in for “We Are the World” co-writer Lionel Richie. From there, Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Hudson harmonize, and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland drops in. Despite the different faces, the overall feel is similar to the original’s, with Hudson turning in a powerhouse performance on verses originally performed by Stevie Wonder.
It’s on the second repetition of the chorus when the song begins to take on a life of its own, with Wyclef singing the song’s title as translated into Creole, which is one of Haiti’s official languages. From there, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine channels Stevie Wonder. The Wonder similarities are only underscored by another Michael Jackson appearance, whose bridge, when he sings, “When you’re down and out, and there seems no hope at all,” remains intact.
The chorus of singers and actors then gets soft, with ad-libbed verses by Scherzinger, Nick Jonas, Melanie Fiona, Tony Bennett and the Fray’s Isaac Slade recalling the verses provided by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and James Ingram in 1985. And then Lil Wayne reprises Bob Dylan’s verse, with Carlos Santana furiously playing guitar behind him. In addition to Santana, Australian guitarist Orianthi lends her riffing skills to the track.
Pink, Akon and T-Pain add ad-libs as well, and then another callback to 1985 swoops in as Foxx channels the late Ray Charles, who was at the session 25 years ago. Foxx won the 2004 Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Charles in the film “Ray.”
Hip-hop is a defining part of the pop landscape in 2010, and the new “We Are the World” reflects that. A Will.I.Am-penned verse is performed by a host of rappers, including LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, and Kanye West. Will and Kanye also have solo turns on the song, with each adding brief freestyles. The song ends with Wyclef emotionally toasting his homeland.
An abbreviated version of the Paul Haggis-directed “We Are The World: 25 For Haiti” video premiered during the Winter Olympics broadcast on NBC, but the full, almost-seven-minute version of the song is available for purchase on iTunes, and the official We Are The World YouTube channel is streaming the video. The full video will air on television around the world tomorrow.
Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.
Related Videos
Related Photos
Related Artists
Extended version of song and video are available now on iTunes.
By Jem Aswad, with additional reporting by Rich Sancho
Wyclef Jean, Kanye West and Jennifer Hudson perform at the “We Are The World: 25 for Haiti” recording session
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
The video of “We Are the World: 25 for Haiti” premiered Friday night (February 12) during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The new incarnation of the 1985 song sticks closely to the arrangement of the original, but the cast is much larger and, of course, much more contemporary.
On television, the song was introduced by a message from original “We Are the World” principals Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones, who urged viewers to contribute via World25.org, iTunes or by texting “World” to 50555.
A tightly edited version of the video was aired on Friday night, but the long version is available now on iTunes.
That version is introduced by Jamie Foxx, who sets the scene, talking about the original recording and then the new version, the video of which was directed by “Crash” director Paul Haggis. “Do more than just watch,” Foxx says. “Whatever you have, no matter how big or how small, it all counts.”
The video features footage from the song’s recording session intercut with scenes of rebuilding efforts in Haiti. Justin Bieber opens, singing Lionel Richie’s verse from the original, and is quickly followed by Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Hudson singing together, then Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles, Josh Groban, and then footage of Michael Jackson from the original recording superimposed with sister Janet duetting on the first verse of the chorus. Barbra Streisand, Fergie, a wailing Celine Dion and others follow.
Miley Cyrus, Enrique Iglesias, Foxx, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Pink, Mary J. Blige, Akon, T-Pain and others take verses later in the song; a second verse from a recording of Michael Jackson is immediately followed by Usher. Carlos Santana and Orianthi are seen playing guitars; Richie and Jones are often visible, smiling on the sidelines.
The most remarkable moments come from the rappers: an Auto-Tuned Lil Wayne sings Bob Dylan’s verse, Wyclef adds some Haitian flavor, and Will.I.Am and Kanye West both rap verses. “Like Katrina, Africa and Indonesia/ Haiti needs us,” Will.I.Am raps. LL Cool J, Will.I.Am, Swizz Beatz, Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes team up for a rapped section; Bizzy Bone, Kid Cudi, Drake and Nipsey Hussle were also at the session.
The music drops out toward the end to let the chorus sing alone.
Along with the studio footage, we see Haitian children dancing amid the destruction. Tellingly, the Haiti footage focuses on rebuilding efforts.
Haggis talked with MTV News about the session earlier this week. “You hear these stories about people checking their egos at the door, and it really is true,” he said. “They came and stood forever and were glorified extras a lot of the time. They just stood in the corner and waved.”
What do you think of “We Are the World: 25 for Haiti”? Does it stand up to the original? Is it better with rappers? Who has the best verse? Let us know in the comments below!
Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.
Related Videos
Related Photos
Related Artists
Lionel Richie explains the need for ‘current’ stars in song’s re-recording, which premieres during Olympics tomorrow night.
By Eric Ditzian
Justin Bieber
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
In 1985, it was Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and Tina Turner leading the “We Are the World” charge to ease a devastating famine in Africa. Twenty-five years later, as the recording industry once again mobilizes to face an unspeakable crisis — the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake in Haiti — a new generation of artists has risen up for a fresh spin on the iconic song, which premieres during the Olympics opening ceremonies tomorrow night.
Lionel Richie, an original co-writer of the tune and organizer of the remake, says solving a 2010 crisis requires singers relevant to the 2010 public. “[I]t was time for a group of faces that this world knows now,” he said in a recent interview. “We have the standard group. I call them the Marines, the ones who went in first and charted the course. But for it to be current, you have to make it current.”
Newly release footage from the recording session in early February, prominently shows those new faces, including Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Wyclef Jean, Miley Cyrus, Drake, T-Pain, Kanye West and Keri Hilson. They joined veterans such as Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand in the studio, singing as photos of the Haitian devastation played on oversize screens behind them. Quincy Jones, a producer on the original song as well as the new one, stood in front of the group, listening to the proceedings via headphones. The video also gives us glimpses of some solo recording sessions by Bieber, Pink, Josh Groban, Mary J. Blige, Akon and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine.
“You couldn’t get one person to recognize Haiti three months ago,” Richie said. “It was just business as usual before, and if you died on the street, you died on the street. Now, the whole world is forced on Haiti. We had to lose 250,000 people to do it. But now we can’t walk away from it. Now we have to pay attention to it.”
All proceeds from sales of the “We Are the World” will go toward Haitian relief efforts. “Donate,” Jones urged viewers. “Give it up, whatever you got, to help people who cannot help themselves at this point and to rebuild the country.”
Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.
Related Videos
Related Photos
Related Artists
Leaked clip features singer’s ‘Today Was a Fairytale’ and castmembers talking about the holiday.
By Jocelyn Vena
Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift in “Valentine’s Day” featurette
Photo: Warner Bros.
While fans wait to see Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner fall in love on the big screen in “Valentine’s Day” when it opens February 12, they can hear a bit of Swift’s new song, “Today Was a Fairytale,” in a leaked featurette for the film.
In the new song for the soundtrack, which will be released just days before the film on February 9, Swift sings about a magical day. Her song “Jump Then Fall” will also be on the soundtrack, according to celebrity-mania.com. The featurette also includes a brief scene of Swift swinging her hair while a TV crew stands around watching her.
The Web site posted a full track list for the soundtrack. Leighton Meester’s duet with Robin Thicke, “Somebody to Love,” made the cut, as well as “Cupid” by Amy Winehouse, Maroon 5’s “The Way You Look Tonight” and “4 and 20″ by Joss Stone.
In the featurette, members of the ensemble cast — including Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Garner — discuss the film and the ups and downs of Valentine’s Day. “Valentine’s Day … it’s like birthdays. People either love them and love to celebrate and get caught up in it or you just hate it,” Roberts says. “Valentine’s Day is tricky.”
Jessica Biel also discusses the day of love in the clip, saying, “Valentine’s Day makes people crazy.” In the film, Biel plays Kara, who doesn’t want anything to do with hearts or love or Cupid. Biel added, “It makes you feel like you should have someone.”
Check out everything we’ve got on “Valentine’s Day.”
For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.
Related Artists
Former Panic! at the Disco guitarist is hunting for a label to release new album.
By James Montgomery
Ryan Ross
Photo: MTV News
The Young Veins are officially a band, with an officially finished album in the can. Now, they’re just looking for a place that will officially release it.
That’s a whole lot of “officially” for a guy like Ryan Ross, who, ever since splitting with Panic! at the Disco earlier this summer, has made a point of living (and working) as unofficially as possible. That is to say, he’s tried very hard to make it look like he’s not trying hard at all.
But now, all that’s about to change: Ross is officially back on the clock, looking for a label that will release the Veins’ debut, Take a Vacation. And he’s more than up to the task.
“The toughest part is over: We got the thing recorded, and now we’re just anxious to get it out there,” Ross smiled. “We don’t have a record label right now. The option ran out [with] Atlantic/ Fueled by Ramen, and now that the record’s mastered, we’re just going to look around for a new home. I don’t care who puts it out, as long as they’re behind it and they believe in it, because we’re really proud of the record. We want as many people to hear it as possible, so we’re gonna work for it.”
Ross said that he really wants to hit the road with a five-piece incarnation of the Veins, because that’s the best possible way for fans to experience the crackling energy of the songs on Vacation, which were recorded very fast and very, very loose (on purpose, of course).
“The album has 11 songs on it, and it’s very short. Barely a half-hour long. That’s good though, it’s less for us to remember,” Ross laughed. “It’s all really focused, more so than the last Panic! album, but there’s a lot of different stuff on there. Some of it is kind of beachy, some is darker and slower. But we had a vision of what we wanted it to be like, so, in one way or another, it all kind of complements itself.”
Ross said he’s toying with the idea of releasing a few songs on iTunes, but right now, without a label, it’s looking like fans won’t be hearing from the Veins until 2010, at least.
Still, that didn’t stop him from talking about his favorite songs on the album, including the title track (which he said would be released as a single), “Dangerous Blues,” “Defiance” and “This Heart of Mine,” which closes out the album and features a boatload of guest vocalists, including Mickey Madden from Maroon 5, former Phantom Planet main man Alex Greenwald (who produces and plays on the album) and members of Chief and the Like. To him, it exemplifies the fast and free spirit of the Young Veins, and, well, of his own life, too.
“Me and Jon [Walker] sang it facing each other, playing acoustic,” he said, describing the recording process of “Heart of Mine.” “We did it live, and then we sang another track over it, we had a bunch of my friends on my birthday come down and sing. You can actually hear — if you listen really close on the end of the track — somebody screams, ‘Happy birthday, Ryan!’ We wanted to have a bunch of people singing the refrain with us. So, it just worked out that it was on my birthday, and we were going to have a party at the studio anyway, and so we talked a bunch of people into singing on it for free. To be honest, I don’t remember much. It was my 23rd birthday after all.”
Spokespeople for both singers deny participation in Vienna concert.
By Gil Kaufman
Mary J. Blige
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images
The lineup for the all-star Michael Jackson tribute concert slated for September 26 in Vienna, Austria, has gotten a bit less glittery. Just a day after Jermaine Jackson announced the initial list of performers for the event he is coordinating to honor his late brother, representatives for two of the biggest contemporary names on the roster, Mary J. Blige and Chris Brown, have denied that the artists will be involved in the event.
A few hours after Jackson announced the performers on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Brown told MTV News that the singer never committed to performing at the show. According to The Associated Press, the concert’s promoter said a Los Angeles judge was scheduled to rule on Wednesday over whether Brown, 20, could travel to the show. Brown was recently sentenced to five years of probation and 180 days of community labor after pleading guilty to a felony charge of assault for beating his then-girlfriend Rihanna in February. He would need permission to leave the country for the gig.
A court spokesperson told the AP that no motion had been filed with the judge handling Brown’s case requesting permission to travel overseas for the show, and an unnamed person with knowledge of the singer’s situation said no such request would be filed on his behalf.
“Chris Brown is working out some situations, but he definitely expressed to us that he wants to be here, and it’s just up to what he’s going through with his court case right now, but he’s definitely going to work that out and be here,” Jermaine Jackson said at a press conference in London on Wednesday.
While the official Web site for the event still lists Brown and Blige on a roster that also includes Akon, Natalie Cole, 1970s disco icons Sister Sledge, Germany-based boy band US5 and actress Angela Bassett, a publicist for Blige has also denied that she will be taking part in the show. Though MTV News could not reach Blige’s spokespeople for comment, an unnamed publicist told the AP that the singer has other commitments at a Gucci-sponsored concert in Milan, Italy, that day and will not be able to attend.
Further muddying the waters, a spokesperson for Cole told the AP that the singer has been in discussions with organizers, but that she may have a conflict and is not 100 percent confirmed. Reuters reported that during Wednesday’s press conference Jackson said that while Blige did have a previous obligation, she was planning to fly in after her Milan performance and sing during the second half of the Jackson tribute. He also said that Stevie Wonder, R. Kelly and Maroon 5 would likely perform at the show, alongside a number of unnamed acts from India and the Middle East.
Related Videos
Related Photos
Related Artists
