Who's Who On MTV

Monday, November 28, 2011

Ke$ha Is Channeling 'Sexiness' Of '70s Rock For New Album

Glitter-heavy pop star tells MTV News she's going for 'balls-out, irreverent rock and roll.'
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias

Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News

Ke$ha's already got the face paint down pat, and, during recent live sets, she's even taken to guzzling blood out of a human heart, so it should come as no surprise that, on her upcoming album, the pop star is taking things back to the most theatrical era of rock: the prop-heavy, arena-spanning heyday of the 1970s.

Ke$h revealed her plans over the weekend in Los Angeles, on the red carpet of KIIS FM's annual Wango Tango concert, where she told MTV News that the follow-up to her breakout Animal album (and, we suppose, Cannibal too) would be heavy on hard riffs and light on pretty much everything else.

"The next album ... I've been working on writing on the road, but as far as a sound, I just know it's gonna be balls-out, irreverent rock and roll," she said. "I've been pretty much in this '70s rock and roll kick and I just want to capture some of the true essence of what rock and roll is, and that's just irreverence and sexiness and fun and not giving a f---, so we'll definitely put a bit of rock and roll in it."

So, does that mean that fans can expect the likes of Alice Cooper or Peter Frampton to show up on her new album? Perhaps. Because while Ke$ha's new album is still a ways off, she's already begun calling in favors, hoping to line up a killer collabo for the new disc.

"I'm trying, trust me," she laughed. "I really would love to connect with one of my idols, I mean, that's my dream. I'm working on it."

What do you think of Ke$ha going rock for her next album? Tell us in the comments!

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Lady Gaga Loses Head On 'X Factor UK'

Singer performs 'Marry the Night' in gown that makes her appear headless.
By Jocelyn Vena

Lady Gaga performs on "X Factor" UK
Photo: itv

Lady Gaga lost her head on Sunday night when she took the stage on "X Factor UK" to perform "Marry the Night."

Gaga, decked out in a gown that made her appear headless, emerged from a crypt as torches burned around the stage. Her dancers did most of the heavy lifting in the movement department, while Gaga let all the action happen around her, standing in the middle of the stage donning the unusual costume. As the song closed out, Gaga went back in the box and came back out in just a black bodysuit, finally getting in on the dancing for the gothic performance of the Born This Way track, an ode to her hometown of New York.

After the performance, Gaga confirmed that she was deep into the planning stages for her next tour. "I'm gonna be here [in Britain] next year for my next tour. I just finished designing the stage and it's bigger and better than ever," she said on the show. "I'm so happy. I can't wait to see you all there."

In addition to tour plans, Gaga took to Twitter to confirm that she's near completion on two upcoming projects, her video for "Marry the Night" as well as her forthcoming Thanksgiving special.

"Been up all night editing my first TWO films as director!" she wrote. "Marry The Night Video + 'A Very Gaga Thanksgiving' the 2nd airing on thanksgiving!" She teased the "Marry the Night" clip last night in a still photograph, in which she appeared to be rolled down a hallway on a gurney.

Gaga made other headlines Monday (November 14) when it was announced that she had split from longtime creative director Laurieann Gibson. MTV News confirmed the split between the longtime collaborators. The singer noted on Twitter that she is now working with Gibson's former #2, Richard Jackson.

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Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones Unveil Supergroup

Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.
By James Montgomery

Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.

To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.

According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.

Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).

The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.

It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.

Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.

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Britney Spears Asks Tweeps for Holiday-Shopping Help!

Britney Spears hasn't just hired a personal shopper for Christmas this year -- she's hired 11 million of them! The pop star, who turns 30 next week, signed on to her Twitter on Wednesday seeking fans' advice on the perfect gift for her mom Lynne.

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Heavy D's Death Hits Nicki Minaj, Usher, More Celebs

'Truly gone too soon,' Usher tweets Tuesday.
By James Dinh

Heavy D
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

Hip-hop lost a rap icon when Heavy D died Tuesday afternoon (November 8) at age 44, and the music industry is clearly mourning the loss. A string of stars, including Usher, Timbaland and Nicki Minaj, have shared their memories of the late MC on Twitter.

Usher offered his sympathy to the family of the Jamaican-born rap heavyweight, tweeting, "This is too heavy, I can't believe it. HEAVY D was just here. Truly gone too soon. My heart and support goes out to his family. R.I.P HEAVY."

Mega-producer Timbaland couldn't even process the announcement, writing, "I'm at a loss for words rip heavy d."

After re-tweeting the late-MC's last message ("BE INSPIRED"), hip-hop's Harajuku Barbie also weighed in on the news. "We'll never forget you babe! #hiphopelite #RIPHeavyD," Nicki wrote.

From one raptress to the next, Missy Elliott shared her thoughts: "U will be missed Heavy D so many laughs we've shared but your Music is Timeless and will Always be Around 4ever Love u Heav..."

Ciara described the MC as "a really nice man. Sending my condolences to him and his family!"

DJ Drama and Nick Cannon reflected on the icon's impact. "Heavy D 'Who's The Man' was one of my 1st pieces of vinyl when I first started djayin," DJ Drama wrote. "Def 1 of the first 5 records I spent $ on. RIP."

Cannon said he had "just talked" to Heavy D, adding, "He was just encouraging me about life."

"RIP TO A REAL HIP HOP LEGEND HEAVY D!" Nas chimed in.

Juelz Santana recalled the rapper/actor's recent BET Hip Hop Awards performance. "RIP Heavy D. He was a Hip Hop Legend," he shared. "Crazy how sh-- happens. I was late 2 da BET Awards & Heavy D's Performance was 1 of da only 2 I got 2 see. Blessed 4 dat opportunity. RIP."

Boyz II Men, who shared the '90s spotlight with the MC, sent condolences to his family, writing, "UGH...heavy d..always cool as hell with us..just a sick feeling....praying for his little daughter and family."

Share your memories of Heavy D on Facebook.

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Yelawolf Promises 'Let's Roll' Video Will Be 'Magic'

Radioactive MC recruits Kid Rock and DJ Kool Herc for clip.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Steven Roberts

Yelawolf on the set of his "Let's Roll" video
Photo: MTV News

Yelawolf might rep Gadsden, Alabama, to the fullest, but for his next music video, Catfish Billy takes a pilgrimage to hip-hop's birthplace. For "Let's Roll," the next single off his debut LP, Radioactive, Yela hooks up with Kid Rock and hip-hop's inventor DJ Kool Herc for a ride through the Bronx, New York.

"We had the godfather, Kool Herc, come out and do a cameo — it's pretty incredible," Yela told MTV News while on set last week. "The director had the brilliant idea of bringing us to the Bronx, the home of hip-hop, where it was born, and it just made it mean so much more to me. I was like, 'Ahh, that's perfect.' "

While coming up in the rap game, Wolf has differentiated himself, playing up not only his southern roots, but the fact that he's a white rapper who at times looks more punk rock than hip-hop. But being from Gadsden doesn't make him any less authentic. In fact, in the "Let's Roll" clip, Wolf brings a trailer-park vibe to the Boogie Down Bronx.

"For me, being from Alabama, what hip-hop has given to me, bringing it back here and the blessing of it and just having Kool Herc out here, it's magic," Yela reflected.

When it's all said and done, Yelawolf expects the video will help define his career. "It's just one of those days that things came together the way they came together, and it'll be a pivotal video in my career," he said. "I know it's gonna really open up a huge door and open a lot of people up to the music."

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