James Blunt

Valentine's Day Playlist: Top 10 Worst Love Songs

13 Feb 2009 08:02:00 EST

Beyoncé, Kanye, James Blunt — who takes the grand prize for romance buzzkill?
By Sarah Muller

Valentine's Day — you either love it or hate it. It makes sweethearts swoon and others want to stab fat cherubs with a bow and arrow. Between the chocolate hearts, the red roses and the teddy bears shoved in our faces, the holiday stirs up a cocktail of emotions: happiness, despair, jealousy, grief, sadness, desire. ...

MTV News has all your mood swings covered. In honor of this beloved and dreaded holiday, we're rolling out the Best Love Songs, Best Breakup Songs, Best Make-Out Songs and Worst Love Songs in recent memory. It's our Valentine's Day gift to you, minus the dinner-and-a-movie part. So slip into something comfortable, and stay for a while.

Relationships are hard enough as is. You don't need any help when it comes to messing up your chances. We're rooting for you, so try to avoid these total romance buzzkills.

10. Beyoncé - "Single Ladies"
How about "put a lid on it"! There's no faster way to wreck a relationship than putting too much pressure on someone.

9. Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out of My Head"
If you're that obsessed with someone, it's time to find another hobby, pronto.

8. Katy Perry - "Hot 'n Cold"
Katy Perry dishes up a plate of hot mess in this 2008 hit. We think. Wait ... we can't make up our minds.

7. George Michael - "Father Figure"
Save your daddy issues for the therapist.

6. Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Possess Your Heart"
Death Cab, you're not really emo! You're just like all the other jealous meatheads out there! We feel so betrayed by your messy hair and melancholy glances.

5. Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back"
While meant as a compliment to all "healthy-looking" women, some might take this 1992 song the wrong way.

4. Garbage - "I Would Die for You"
While we appreciate your, errr, loyalty, your intensity freaks us out.

3. Morrissey - "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"
Morrissey sends off super-stalkery vibes in this 1994 creepfest. Do you watch us with binoculars from the bushes, too?

2. Kanye West - "Gold Digger"
If you want to hook it up, don't insult someone — albeit passive-aggressively.

1. James Blunt - "You're Beautiful"
You're an-noy-ing. You're an-noy-ing. You're an-noy-ing, it's true. James Blunt takes home the grand prize with this 2005 single. Congratulations!

Can you think of even worse love songs than these? Give us your examples in the comment section below.

Now that you have the tracks to set the mood, you should gauge your plans with what the celebs are doing. No date? Don't forget that there are single, hot guys that you might have a chance with. Happy Valentine's Day!

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Kiefer Sutherland Sentenced To 48 Days In Jail; Plus Nicole Richie, Vanessa Hudgens, Lindsay Lohan, Jay-Z & More, In For The Record

05 Dec 2007 20:45:00 EST

Richie granted leave of absence from alcohol program; suit against Hudgens can go forward; man files new papers against Lohan.
By MTV News staff

Unlike Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie, Kiefer Sutherland is not getting off easy with his DUI — the "24" actor has been sentenced to 48 days in a Los Angeles County jail for his September 24 arrest and violating his probation. The actor must start serving his sentence at the Glendale City Jail prior to March 30, UsMagazine.com reports. He has also been sentenced to five years of probation, must finish a year-and-a-half-long alcohol-education program and go to weekly therapy sessions for a half-year. Sutherland, who had a previous DUI before his fall arrest, had been pulled over by police after making an illegal U-turn and reportedly blew twice the legal blood-alcohol level during a breathalyzer test. He issued a statement after entering a no-contest plea in early October, saying, "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox." ... Contrasting with Sutherland's devastating news, Richie caught a break on Wednesday when her court-mandated anti-drinking program granted the socialite a leave of absence, according to People. Coordinators at the program were reportedly worried for Richie's safety, with her rep saying such leaves of absence are granted to people with medical conditions and that she did not get special treatment. Richie is eight months pregnant and has to complete the 18-month program as part of her DUI plea deal ...

Bad news for Vanessa Hudgens: A Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday (December 5) that a breach-of-contract suit by her former lawyer can go forward, according to CBS News. Brian L. Schall is suing the "The High School Musical" star for breach of contract, although Hudgens has argued that she was a minor at the time she signed the agreement and therefore isn't bound to it. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Tricia Ann Bigelow said the matter of Hudgens disaffirming her contractual obligations within a reasonable time period is a "factual issue," and that Hudgens' decision to wait until she was 18 years and 9 months old to reject the contract is an issue for either a jury decision or a motion for summary judgment. The next hearing in the case is slated for January 15. ... Lindsay Lohan might be facing another setback too: Raymundo Ortega, the busboy who is seeking $200,000 in damages stemming from Lohan's collision with his van in October 2005, says he has proof the starlet was drinking before the crash, according to The Associated Press. He reportedly filed papers Tuesday. ...

An interview with T.I. that was conducted prior to his October arrest on gun charges appears in the December/January issue of Rap-Up magazine, which features him and Nicole Scherzinger on alternate covers. The rapper said he has a new urban-clothing line on the way — called "A King of Oneself" — and also revealed his interest in a different type of endeavor: commercial construction. "I want to build a Home Depot or a Wal-Mart, shopping centers," he told the mag. Tip cited Tupac as the rapper who had the most influence on him growing up — and called out some other big names for keeping him out of trouble. "Sometimes I be wildin' out, then [Suge Knight says,] 'Man, you got too much going on, you can't do that. It ain't like the old days,' " said the rapper, who is currently under house arrest. "[Jay-Z] will tell me the same thing, [Diddy] tell me the same thing, Kevin Liles — everybody trying. Wyclef is another one. People, I guess, just care." ...

For her part, Nicole Scherzinger named Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as the singers she admires the most. She also talked about someone else you may have heard of — Kanye West — and why the tracks he produced for her solo debut didn't make the cut. "I wasn't able to really finish them in time," said the singer, whose Her Name Is Nicole LP is due January 29. "When I have the right time and the right album, I wanna finish those songs. There was talks of putting Common on one of them." Scherzinger also talked about shooting her "Whatever U Like" video with the other Rap-Up cover artist, T.I. "When we did the video it was crazy 'cause we were all up in each other's grills, like [director] Paul Hunter really made us go there, but it was great. He's a professional. Paul was making us tug on each other; we were hard-core for a hot second." ...

Jay-Z celebrated his 38th birthday with Beyoncé in Paris on Tuesday, according to People.com. The couple reportedly holed up in a hotel suite, took a drive around the city, ate at L'Avenue restaurant and caught a cabaret show. ... Pete Wentz, Chris Brown, the Jonas Brothers and Corbin Bleu all made Teen magazine's list of the 50 Hottest Guys in Hollywood — but Zac Efron takes the cake by topping the bunch. ... Keira Knightley stripped down for the revealing cover of the latest issue of Interview magazine. "How does that always happen?" the "Atonement" actress asked herself, in the interview, of taking off her clothes. "Because I say yes, I suppose." ...

Styles P, Hurricane Chris and Fabolous will bring some yuletide cheer to Russell Simmons and Rev Run's eighth annual Youth Holiday Party in New York on Tuesday, with MTV News' own Sway acting as one of the emcees. For the festivities, the Simmons brothers and their Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation will turn the Fillmore at Irving Plaza into a winter wonderland, raffling off prizes like an Xbox 360 and tickets to a taping of "106 & Park." Kids will also get Target gift cards. ...

Journey are counting a new singer among their ranks: Arnel Pineda. The Filipino crooner, who previously covered the band's songs with his group the Zoo, is the third Journey singer in two years — he follows Jeff Scott Soto, who left the fold earlier this year after filling in for Steve Augeri, who split with the band in 2006 due to medical reasons. "I know they'll expect me to sound exactly like 'the voice,' " Pineda said in a statement, referring to yet another former Journey singer: Steve Perry. "But that will never happen. I know there's only one Steve Perry in this world." "Arnel doesn't sound synthetic and he's not emulating anyone," added guitarist Neal Schon, who discovered the singer's Zoo clips online. "I tried to get a hold of him through YouTube and I finally heard from him ... but it took some convincing to get him to believe that it really was me and not an imposter." ...

Deerhunter, Black Dice, Fischerspooner and others have chipped in unreleased new songs for Living Bridge, a two-CD collection of songs by bands who have previously recorded at Brooklyn, New York's Rare Book Room Studio. The 25-song package will hit stores February 26 and christen Rare Book Room Records, a new label. ... The Breeders will be back in '08 with a new disc hitting stores April 8. Mountain Battles will arrive six years after the band's previous effort, Title TK, which the band took nine years to put out following its most successful album, 1993's Last Splash. The Pixies-affiliated group is also due to tour throughout the year, hitting up South by Southwest and Coachella along the way. ... Peaches will sweeten up New Year's Eve this year by counting down the clock in downtown Los Angeles as part of Hard NYE's bash. She will also perform, as will Justice. ...

Paula Abdul was a "disaster" on "Saturday Night Live" when she hosted the show two years ago — so says Tina Fey in the January issue of Playboy. "I was pregnant at the time and probably a little moody, but I remember thinking, 'She's a disaster!' " Fey said. ... Vivica A. Fox booked herself on Wednesday on charges of driving under the influence, TMZ.com reports. A judge ordered on Monday that the actress be booked or face a bench warrant. ... Charges were dropped against Jonathan Rhys-Meyers after he apologized for creating a drunken fracas at an airport in Ireland earlier this year. The actor, who faced two charges of public drunkenness and breach of peace, said through his lawyer that he intends to make a donation to an unspecified charity. ...

The one guy who seemed kind of charmed by Borat's antics in last year's "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" has joined the parade of people suing the fake Kazakh reporter. According to Reuters, driving instructor Michael Psenicska's suit against the film's makers and star Sacha Baron Cohen claims that he was tricked into participating in a film that he was led to believe was a "documentary about the integration of foreign people into the American way of life." Psenicska said he was paid $500 in cash to give Borat a driving lesson and described the experience as "surreal," saying Cohen drove erratically down residential streets, drank alcohol and yelled to a female pedestrian that he would pay her $10 for "sexy time." Psenicska is seeking $100,000 in compensatory damages and additional punitive damages for being misled, and for the emotional harm he allegedly continues to suffer. Psenicska said if he had known the true nature of the film, he never would have participated. The studio behind the flick said the suit had no merit and that Psenicska was a willing parti

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Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff Make Forbes' 20 Richest Under 25; Plus Britney Spears, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Usher & More, In For The Record

04 Dec 2007 16:54:00 EST

Britney Spears tops Yahoo's most-searched list; Jay-Z joins Kanye onstage in England; Usher's wife addresses the haters.
By MTV News staff

A lot of 25-year-olds still aren't sure what to do with their lives, but the superstars on Forbes' 20 Richest Stars Under 25 are already set for retirement. A quartet of athletes tops the list, with hoops heavyweight LeBron James landing at #1, followed by NFL rookie Reggie Bush, tennis star Maria Sharapova and golf prodigy Michelle Wie. A few other notable appearances: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen come in at #5 with $17 million each; "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe is at #6 with $15 million; Hilary Duff is at #7 with $12 million; Avril Lavigne is at #8 with $12 million; Carrie Underwood is at #11 with $7 million; Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana) is at #17 with $3.5 million; and Lindsay Lohan is at #18 with $3.5 million as well. ...

Speaking of year-end lists, the never-ending dramas of Britney Spears landed the pop star at the top of the 10 most-searched items on Yahoo in 2007 once again. According to a Reuters report, Spears has topped the list every year for the past seven — except in 2004, when Paris Hilton beat her out. Hilton was at a lowly #5 before bumping up to #3 this year thanks to her brief jail sentence this summer for a traffic violation, while Lindsay Lohan's driving habits boosted her from #10 up to #6. The #2 spot was held down once again by World Wrestling Entertainment, with much of the interest centered on the murder-suicide of Chris Benoit. Beyoncé moved up two spots to #5, Fergie crashed the top 10 at #9, and Jessica Alba squeaked in at #10. The list was rounded out by Japanese manga series "Naruto" (#4), online game RuneScape (#7) and fantasy football (#8). Meanwhile, Jessica Simpson, Pamela Anderson, Shakira, Chris Brown and "American Idol" all fell out of the top 10. ...

Kanye West got a little help from a friend on Sunday night during his show in Manchester, England, according to the Liverpool Echo. Midway through the show, Jay-Z strolled onstage to perform "Encore" with West as the crowd went wild. ... Usher's wife, Tameka Foster — and the mother of his newborn baby, Usher Raymond V — has taken a lot of heat from bloggers and overly possessive fans since she first started dating the R&B superstar. In a new interview with Essence, the stylist opens up about the haters. "Unfortunately many people live for negativity and are brainwashed by the misinformation of bloggers, rumors, haters and speculators," she tells the mag. "They don't want to believe the truth because the negative stories have more appeal to them. Friends tell me about some of it and we'll laugh, but honestly, I don't pay attention to the gossip on the day-to-day." ...

Veteran Bay Area rapper Spice 1 is in stable condition after being shot Monday, according to his manager, Six. "He was only shot once," Six told MTV News. "I'm not sure where the reports are coming from that he was shot multiple times. He was in critical condition, but now doctors are watching him. They're trying to remove a bullet, but they aren't giving out too many details. They said he should be good, but they're being precautions because the bullet was so close to his heart." BallerStatus.com originally reported the shooting, in which the Hayward, California, native was shot after he fell asleep in his car outside his home. When the rapper awoke, an armed stranger attacked him. It is unclear whether it was a robbery or a premeditated threat to the rapper's life. He's being treated at the Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, California. ...

Chalk this one up to one giant Missundaztood-ing? According to TMZ.com, artist Scratch (real name: Kyle Jones) has filed a civil suit against Pink, claiming he was featured on "Respect," a track on her 2001 Missundaztood CD, but was never paid. The performance was also featured on Pink's "Live in Europe" DVD. He's seeking $717, 600 in back pay and damages. ... When Snoop Dogg appeared with his daughter Cori on Tuesday's "Ellen DeGeneres Show," the 8-year-old was quick to say that her dad wasn't that strict. But Snoop does lay down the law in one area. "You say I'm not strict," the rapper said. "Tell Ellen how old you have to be before you can have a boyfriend." Cori's answer? "Seventy-seven." ...

MySpace is launching a new program called "Transmissions" that will allow musicians to perform their songs live in a studio, then screen and sell the videos of the performances immediately on the site, at a price of their own choosing. The New York Times reports that James Blunt will be the first artist to participate in the initiative, introducing five songs, including his new single, on the site today. ... According to TMZ.com, Dennis Quaid and wife Kimberly Buffington have sued Baxter Healthcare, makers of the drug Heparin, claiming that a near-fatal overdose of the anticoagulant given to their newborn sons was the result of improper labeling. They claim that the look and packaging of the 10 IU/mL is too similar to the 10,000 IU/mL vial of the same drug. Three children in Indiana have reportedly died from similar mistakes. As of Tuesday (December 4), no suit has been brought against the hospital, Los Angeles' Cedars Sinai. ...

Nokia, the world's top cell-phone maker, has announced a deal with Universal, the world's biggest music group, to offer free 12-month access to music by artists on the Universal roster for people who buy Nokia's music phones. According to Reuters, the "Comes With Music" offer could be joined by several similar deals with other labels by the time the Universal program kicks off in the middle of 2008. In a switch from similar deals currently being offered, Nokia users would be allowed to keep all the music they download during the 12-month period. ... Speaking of Universal, it looks like Colbie Caillat accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the label's new Web policy. In a recent e-mail to fans, Caillat explained that from now on her MySpace page will only feature 90-second clips of songs instead of full-length ones. "Every artist signed to a Universal label has to comply immediately," she wrote. According to Wired News, though, the policy actually went into effect a few months ago and requires all Universal labels to limit the length of music posted on third-party sites to 90 seconds, unless the site has a contract with Universal that allows them to stream the full song on-demand. ...

You didn't think System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan was just going to sit around while his band was on hiatus, did you? Dolmayan's online comic-book store, Torpedo Comics, is running a scavenger-hunt-style contest whose grand prize is a free trip to Las Vegas, complete with a tour of the "gigantic" Torpedo warehouse led by Dolmayan himself. Fans have to find four specific comic books hidden within the "Monolith" section of TorpedoComics.com, with the first three books offering clues that will lead to the fourth, which will have a secret code.

12.03.2007

Kanye West crops up in a new video by fellow Chicago rapper Kid Sister that began making the rounds Monday. The clip for Kid Sister's "Pro Nails" was made for only $3,000 and directed by Ruben Fleischer (M.I.A., Dizzee Rascal). ... Does R. Kelly's exhausting "Trapped in the Closet" series still have you thirsting for more? If so, then there's some good news — a new extras-heavy DVD for the series is dropping December 11. It will feature chapters 1-22 in their entirety; "chapter 12.5," a recap of the first 11; live performances of chapters 2 and 3; the MTV VMA performance of Chapter 12; Easter eggs; a DVD trivia game; and running commentary from Kelly. ...

Akon pleaded not guilty on Monday (December 3) to charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment during a concert held over the summer in Fishkill, New York. The singer entered his plea in a Fishkill courtroom and his attorneys issued a statement, according to The Associated Press. "It was never Akon's intent to violate the law," the statement reportedly read. "This unfortunate incident was a spontaneous reaction during a live concert that Akon deeply regrets. We are confident that this matter will ultimately be resolved in a manner that does not in any way interfere with Akon's successful career." Akon allegedly threw a 15-year-old fan into the crowd during the show, which took place on June 3 and was caught on fans' cell-phone cameras. ...

The man who took hostages at Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, New Hampshire, on Friday was arraigned on Monday. Leeland Eisenberg, 46, was ordered held with bail set at $500,000 on charges of kidnapping, criminal threatening and false reports of an explosive. He is also being held for a mental-health evaluation over the incident, for which he is accused of claiming to have an explosive device taped to his chest and holding five people hostage at the office. Prosecutors said Eisenberg's criminal record dates to 1978 and includes charges of burglary and rape. A public defender representing Eisenberg said his client regretted the disruption and was grateful police didn't shoot him, according to AP. Randy Hawkes said Eisenberg heard voices and last week saw a "movie in his head" that told him he had to "sacrifice himself" to bring attention to the issue of mental health. ...

Chamillionaire will appear on "Larry King Live" on Monday night to di

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Kanye West Clobbers 50 Cent In Week-Two Sales — But Reba McEntire Takes Top Spot

26 Sep 2007 13:00:00 EDT

More than 30 new releases will crack next week's Billboard top 200.
By Chris Harris

For the last month or so, everyone in the music industry has been abuzz about Kanye West and 50 Cent — or more specifically, the epic sales campaign the two waged during the weeks leading up to the September 11 release of their latest LPs, 'Ye's Graduation and Fif's Curtis.

And last week the results came in, with West the undisputed victor (see "Kanye West's Sales Triumph, By The Numbers: He Thumped 50 Cent In Almost Every Market" and "Kanye West Pounds 50 Cent In First Week Of Album Showdown"). But who'd come out on top after week two? Would West's sales continue to eclipse 50's, or would the tables turn, resulting in a come-from-behind coup?

Well, neither ended up being the case, and the results stayed pretty much the same: Sales of Graduation were significantly stronger than those generated by Curtis, and interest in both sets waned. According to the latest SoundScan totals, sales for West's latest dipped 76 percent, while Curtis suffered a 79 percent sales cut. What this all means, basically, is there's a new name in the #1 position on next week's Billboard albums sales chart, and that name is Reba.

What's even more surprising than the bubbly, fire-fleeced country sweetheart and former star of the now-canceled CW sitcom "Reba" surpassing the two biggest hip-hop releases of the year so far? The fact that the album is the first #1 of McEntire's 30-year career.

McEntire's Reba Duets — which features collaborations with artists like LeAnn Rimes, Kelly Clarkson, Rascal Flatts, Don Henley, Justin Timberlake, Faith Hill and Kenny Chesney — sold more than 300,500 copies during its first week in record stores to claim the chart's peak position. Reba's previous best was a #2 bow for 1994's Read My Mind. That drops West's Graduation to #2 with close to 226,000 scans and 50's Curtis to #3 with 143,000 sold. (In just two short weeks, Graduation has sold nearly 1.2 million copies.)

Right behind 50 at #4 this week is the new one from Barry Manilow, The Greatest Songs of the Seventies, which sold 113,000 units. Along with Reba, Manilow was one of 30 newcomers to next week's top 200, and one of six to debut in the top 10. Following Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (which falls to #5 with 112,200 copies sold) and the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical 2" (at #6 with 99,400 scans) at #7 is the latest from James Blunt, All the Lost Souls; the disc sold a reported 92,400 copies.

Next, bowing at #8, is Ultimate Victory, the new one from Chamillionaire, with 79,000 in first-week sales. The #9 spot belongs to KT Tunstall's Drastic Fantastic, with week-one scans clocked at 49,700, and, rounding things out with a #10 opener, it's Twista's Adrenaline Rush 2007, which sold 40,700 units.

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder's first crack at going solo, the soundtrack to Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" flick, debuts at #11, selling 39,300-plus copies. With 38,300 scans, the latest from emotive Finnish metallers H.I.M., Venus Doom, follows at #12, while Motion City Soundtrack's Even If It Kills Me opens at #16, selling 33,000 copies. The Very Best of Diana Krall bows at #19, while Celtic punks the Dropkick Murphys claim the #20 position with The Meanest of Times, which scanned more than 28,200 copies.

Meanwhile, Gloria Estefan's 90 Millas comes in at #25, having generated more than 23,700 scans, and at #26, with 23,600 sold, it's former Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler's latest solo effort, Kill to Get Crimson. One Chance, the debut album from "Britain's Got Talent" winner Paul Potts, follows at #30 with 22,100 sold, and New Found Glory's cinema-themed covers collection, From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II, pops up at #42 with 15,500 sold.

Playlist, Babyface's latest, finishes in the #48 slot, having sold 13,700 units, while Between the Buried and Me's Colors trails in the #57 spot with sales of 12,600. Right behind them at #58 is Thousand Foot Krutch's The Flame in All of Us, which sold 12,500 copies. Rise to Power, the second studio LP by Miami rapper Rick Ross, follows at #62 with 11,600 copies scanned and bagged, while death metallers the Black Dahlia Murder's Nocturnal opens at #72 with 9,600 sold. Train frontman Pat Monahan's first solo outing, Last of Seven, bows at #82 with 8,200 scans.

The Donnas return to the top 200 at #89, having sold 7,600 copies of their new one, Bitchin', while metal act Suicide Silence's The Cleansing cleared 7,000 scans, earning them the chart's #94 opening. Gospel outfit Trin-I-Tee 5:7's T57 debuts in the #102 position with 6,700 sold, while Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew: Spirit If... claims the #113 spot with just over 6,000 copies grabbed up.

Gospel artist Byron Cage's Live at the Apollo: The Proclamation opens at #118 with 5,700 copies sold, while Ministry's swan song, The Last Sucker, comes in at #130, selling 5,000 units. Doom-metal force High on Fire's Death Is This Communion comes in at #142 with 4,500 scans, followed five spots down at #147 by German metallers Rammstein's live offering, Völkerball, which sold close to 4,500 copies. And last but not least, finishing out the week at #173, it's the debut solo album from Havoc, one-half of the hip-hop duo Mobb Deep; The Kush sold 3,900 units its first week in stores.

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Chamillionaire Takes H.I.M. On; Plus U2, James Blunt, Twista & More, In New Releases

18 Sep 2007 08:02:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday: Havoc, Motion City Soundtrack, New Found Glory, Ben Lee, Les Savy Fav, Babyface.
By Kurt Orzeck

Twenty-four years ago Tuesday (September 18), Kiss went on MTV and unmasked themselves for the first time. The stunt coincided with the band's Lick It Up LP and had fans of the glam-rockers salivating all over again. So in commemoration of that revealing day, here are this week's new releases, unmasked.

Resurrecting the Cham-P: It's unlikely Chamillionaire will be ridin' his way to the top of the Billboard albums chart anytime soon, given the sales aftershocks that are likely to result after last week's epic showdown between Kanye West and 50 Cent. But that isn't to say the Houston rapper didn't try to live up to the title of his second album, Ultimate Victory — Lil Wayne, Devin the Dude and UGK's Bun B and Pimp C all rear their heads on the effort, as does Slick Rick, who is featured on the lead single, "Hip Hop Police." But that track hasn't made a huge impact at radio, so maybe the MC should start thinking in terms of thousands and not millions ...

Let's Be Blunt: But Cham isn't the only one sweating the sophomore slump this week — James Blunt has even more to measure up to with All the Lost Souls. That album chases 2004's Back to Bedlam, which went twice platinum in the U.S. and had an even bigger impact elsewhere in the world. The album's collage cover is comprised by hundreds of small images of Blunt, but the negative reviews the LP has been garnering might be even more dizzying for the artist.

Oh, H.I.M.: Moody Finnish goth-rockers H.I.M. might surprise everyone by making Venus Doom the highest-charting Billboard debut among this week's contenders — despite such gloomy songs as "Dead Lovers' Lane," "Sleepwalking Past Hope" and "Love in Cold Blood." The group's latest LP has fewer keyboards than previous releases, and the limited-edition version comes with a DVD boasting remixes and more.

From Them 2U: It's been almost 10 years since U2 stirred a sports stadium full of fans at Mexico City's Foro Sol venue, so what better time to revisit the landmark event with a spiffy new DVD? "PopMart Live From Mexico City" is hitting the format for the first time and has been shined up with revitalized video and audio. A special limited-edition version takes it one step further by adding a bonus disc with unreleased concert material, plus four documentaries, a tour-visuals montage, wallpapers, screensavers and more.

That's a Rap: Speedy MC Twista roped Pharrell onto "Give It Up," the first single from his seventh studio album, Adrenaline Rush 2007 — but he also convinced R. Kelly, Lil Wayne, T-Pain, Cee-Lo, E-40, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Kanye West to lend their skills as well. Mobb Deep's Havoc went the underground route for The Kush, his solo debut, going light on featured artists and crafting the project on his own. Beyond his Mobb mate Prodigy, "I did not want a bunch of big stars on [The Kush], as it would have taken away from the real objective of the LP, which is grimy and down to earth." Watch him clue in MTV News' Shaheem Reid about the disc:

Also this week, there's a raft of artists cropping up in places you wouldn't expect, and a few more under-the-radar surprises too:

· Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, Taking Back Sunday's Adam Lazzarra, Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba, Cartel's Will Pugh and Lisa Loeb (!) help New Found Glory burn through their favorite soundtrack songs on From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II.

· Justin Timberlake and Kelly Clarkson pay unexpected visits on Reba McEntire's Duets — the country singer's 25th album, impressively.

· Jay-Z gets an unexpected shout-out on "What Would Jay-Z Do?," a track featured on the new album by Ben Lee. Ripe, the singer/songwriter's sixth opus, also bristles with guest spots by Benji Madden, Mandy Moore, Rachael Yamagata and more. (Let's see how Lee's Ripe fares against Alvin Lee's Saguitar.)

· Elvis Costello chalks up a surprise cover of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" while Sarah McLachlan touches up XTC's "Dear God" on the "House" soundtrack. Even more eyebrows will be raised when people hear a cover of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" that features the show's star, Hugh Laurie, performing alongside Greg Grunberg ("Heroes"), Bob Guiney ("The Bachelor") and more.

· Speaking of TV stars taking to the mic, Rosie O'Donnell does a duet of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Barry Manilow on his The Greatest Songs of the Seventies. OK, that one might be too much for anyone to handle.

· Eddie Vedder steps away from Pearl Jam for a sec to conjure up the soundtrack to Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" flick — "no other voice flows, bleeds or rejoices the young American's land and heart so passionately as Vedder's," Penn said in a statement.

· Babyface is using his 11th album, Playlist, as an opportunity to reimagine some of his favorite songs — and they're probably not what you'd expect. Kenny Edmonds puts his R&B polish on Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" and Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle," among other selections.

· Angie Stone and Anthony Hamilton share their gifts with urban-jazz saxophonist Boney James on his Christmas Present.

· Carlos Santana and — sure, why not? — actor Andy Garcia surface on Gloria Estefan's 90 Millas.

· Celtic punks the Dropkick Murphys go green on their The Meanest of Times LP, reining in the Pogues' Spider Stacy and former Dubliners singer/guitarist Ronnie Drew.

Song Title of the Week:

"Slash in the Snake Pit" from Pre's Epic Fits

Album Cover of the Week:

Drug Rug's Drug Rug

Other Notables:

Kevin Drew's Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew - Spirit If ...
Don't be confused by all those guest spots by Broken Social Scene members and affiliates — this is in fact a solo release by the Toronto collective's frontman. Recorded at Do Make Say Think multi-instrumentalist Ohad Benchetrit's house over the past two years when BSS were on break from touring, the songs are more stripped down than the ones typically found on the band's releases. Also participating in the affair are Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis, Scott Kannberg (Pavement), Metric's Joules Scott-Key and more.

Les Savy Fav's Let's Stay Friends
The colorful New York post-punks barrel back with their first album since 2001's Go Forth, bringing some unlikely homies along for the ride: "Saturday Night Live" actor Fred Armisen, who plays drums on two tracks, plus fellow arty spazz-outs Enon, Metric's Emily Haines and members of Modest Mouse, Fiery Furnaces and more. The album, which leaked online last month, features "The Year Before the Year 2000," "What Would Wolves Do?" and "Scotchguard the Credit Card."

Rogue Wave's Asleep at Heaven's Gate
After releasing two albums on Sub Pop, the Bay Area indie-rockers hopped over to Jack Johnson's Brushfire Recordings for their third one, which was produced by Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney). The band's music has been featured on "Heroes," "Weeds" and other TV shows, but lineup changes, health problems and other developments have tripped up the band a bit lately. Maybe this album — and its guest appearances, including ones by John Vanderslice and Nada Surf's Matthew Caws — will help get Rogue Wave flowing smoothly again.

New Releases:

· A Life Once Lost - Iron Gag (Ferret)
· A.A. Bondy - American Hearts (digipak; Superphonic)
· Ahleuchatistas - Even in the Midst ... (Cuneiform)
· Akron Family - Love Is Simple (with DVD; Young God)
· A-Sides - Silver Storms (digipak; Vagrant)
· Sérgio & Odair Assad - Jardim Abandonado (Nonesuch)
· Athletic Automaton - A Journey Through Roman's Empire (Skin Graft)
· Babyface - Playlist (Mercury) [Buy Now]
· Bella - No One Will Know (M

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50 Cent, Kanye Lead Fall Album Rush — Mariah, Chris Brown, Lupe Fiasco, Alicia Keys Follow

13 Aug 2007 08:01:00 EDT

LPs from Nelly, Carrie Underwood, Chamillionaire, Foo Fighters, Eve, Cassidy, Will.I.Am also on the way.
By Gil Kaufman

Opening the fall album-release season with discs by 50 Cent and Kanye West is kind of like kicking off your show with the encore. You could stick around for the rest of the gig, but what's the point?

Luckily, after the dust clears from the September 11 showdown between the rap heavyweights, the next few months will bring plenty more fresh tunes worth checking out from fellow rappers (Eve, Chamillionaire, Ja Rule, Rick Ross, Nelly and Lupe Fiasco); R&B divas (Mariah Carey, Nicole Scherzinger, Mya and Jennifer Hudson); rock bands (Foo Fighters, Coheed and Cambria, Hot Hot Heat and Avenged Sevenfold); and smooth singers (Chris Brown, Mario, KT Tunstall and James Blunt).

Who will raise their "Umbrella" this fall and have the back-to-school jam that rivals Rihanna's unstoppable summer hit? We're not sure (though we suspect we know what Kanye's answer would be), so we've laid out the contenders for you. (These release dates and album details are based on MTV News reporting — information supplied by labels is subject to change, of course.)

September 11

Heavyweights: When the first two singles from 50 Cent's twice-delayed Curtis album didn't catch fire, he went back to the lab and cooked up eight new tracks. With collabos featuring Justin Timberlake, Akon, Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Will.I.Am, Pharrell, Swizz Beatz and Kanye West, 50 says the new album will be a break from his usual G-Unit posse tracks. As for Kanye, he's not worried about taking on 50 with Graduation, which boasts guest spots from T-Pain and Coldplay's Chris Martin. How sure is he? "I'm ready to take over the world once again," he humbly told MTV News.

Middleweights: Twitchy rockers Hot Hot Heat will return with their third album, Happiness Ltd. The album features production by Butch Walker (Avril Lavigne) and Rob Cavallo (Green Day), and a sound singer Steve Bays has described in a statement as "big" and "aggressive."

September 18

Heavyweights: It's been five years since we last got an album from Eve, but the former Ruff Ryder has come back hard with the booty-shaking "Tambourine," from Here I Am. Her first effort for Dr. Dre's Aftermath label features assists from Sean Paul, T.I. and the man who's turning into the R&B Weezy, Robin Thicke. James Blunt gave up on trying to match the success of his debut, Back to Bedlam, on his follow-up, All the Lost Souls. Instead, he recorded a " '70s rock album," he told MTV News. Mixtape messiah Chamillionaire isn't worried about a slump with his new album Ultimate Victory. The hot Houston MC gets topical on "Hip Hop Police," a metaphor for attacks on rap, and he recruited Kelis, Snoop and Busta Rhymes for the two-part single "Not a Criminal." Nelly is prepping his first album in three years, Brass Knuckles, though at press time information on it was scarce.

Middleweights: We were talking about Mya's album, Liberation, last fall. Now, the highly personal disc with contributions from Lil Wayne, Game and Scott Storch is finally set for release. And Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall has something Drastic Fantastic for everyone who loved her moody pop 2004 debut, Eye to the Telescope, which sold more than 4 million copies worldwide.

Contenders: Keyshia Cole's Just Like You, New Found Glory's From the Screen to Your Stereo Part 2, hot R&B singer Kevin Michael's self-titled debut, Eddie Vedder's "Into the Wild" soundtrack and Twista's Adrenaline Rush 2007.

September 25

Heavyweights: Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl would seem to be poking fun at emo rockers on "Cheer Up Boys (Your Make-Up Is Running)," from the band's sixth album, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace. But that's not the case, he told MTV News — the title is really there to break up an otherwise heavy couple of tunes that precede it on an album that Grohl said mixes a lighter touch with more serious lyrics. And though it sounds like a party disc, Black Eyed Peas rapper/producer Will.I.Am's Songs About Girls is actually a kind of concept album about a harsh breakup and includes songs like "I Got It From My Mamma" and "I'm a Heart Breaker."

Middleweights: MIA hero Rick Ross — who earned an honorable mention on our Hottest MCs in the Game listwho earned an honorable mention on our Hottest MCs in the Game list — has packed even more hip-hop heavyweights onto his second LP, Trilla, including Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, Lil Jon and more.

Contenders: The second, yet-untitled album from San Diego rockers Louis XIV and PJ Harvey's White Chalk.

October 2

Heavyweights: A lot has happened to Cassidy since we last heard from the Philly MC, who spent a year in jail and suffered serious injuries in a 2006 car accident. But he's back with his third album, The Barry Adrien Reese Story (B.A.R.S.), which has production from Scott Storch, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz and Cool & Dre. Guests include Angie Stone, Eve and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Contenders: Latin rapper Baby Bash's Cyclone and Boyz N Da Hood's Back Up N Da Chevy.

October 9

Heavyweights: It's been four years since we last heard from Kid Rock, who has practically abandoned his hip-hop swagger on Rock & Roll Jesus. The album leans on hard-rockers like the first single, "So Hot," and includes a country tune with a dis aimed at ex-wife Pam Anderson. Speaking of long layoffs, Mario has been ready to Go! for a while now. So, after numerous delays, the singer's new album, with production and songwriting from Timbaland, the Neptunes, Akon, Sean Garrett and Dre & Vidal, is ready to drop, although it's not known yet whether it will feature the tune "Do Right," a personal account of the singer's childhood in Baltimore.

Middleweights: How can you count out a man like rapper David Banner when he calls his new album The Greatest Story Ever Told? 'Nuff said.

October 16

Heavyweights: It's not like Avenged Sevenfold are not gonna say their new album is their heaviest effort yet. Singer M. Shadows described the self-produced follow-up to City of Evil as "the most down-to-the-bone" album they could make, with "no glitz or glamour."

Middleweights: Lead Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger busts a solo move with Her Name Is Nicole, which features guests T.I., Timbaland and Will.I.Am.

Contenders: Hurricane Chris' 51/50, the rapper's major-label debut; the yet-untitled debut from the Naked Brothers Band; and R.E.M. Live.

October 23

Heavyweights: One of the biggest stars to emerge from "American Idol," country singer Carrie Underwood, will release her second album even though her 2005 debut, Some Hearts, continues to spin off hits. The yet-untitled sophomore effort was produced by Mark Bright, who handled seven tracks on Hearts, and will feature songs co-written by Underwood.

Middleweights: System of a Down lead singer Serj Tankian drops his debut solo album, Elect the Dead, which he promises will be full of the hard rock you'd expect, but also ... something different. "There are a lot of instruments — there are layers of pianos and strings and weird synth stuff. There's a lot of guitars and lots of different affected guitars, heavy guitars — way too many guitar tracks. It's just a different vibe," he told MTV News. Prog-tastic rockers Coheed and Cambria will unleash their fourth album, No World for Tomorrow — which features drumming from Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, who stepped in for departed drummer Joshua Eppard. As promised, the album wraps up the story of the Armory Wars, for those of you keeping score.

Contenders: Yet-untitled albums from Erykah Badu and Ashanti.

October 30

Heavyweights: R&B singer Chris Brown serves up album number two with Exclusive, a more mature effort that will feature songs produced by Pharrell, Will.I.Am and Bryan-Michael Cox. Also returning for his sophomore year is skateboarding rapper Lupe Fiasco with The Cool. He's hoping to avoid the pre-release leak that dogged his debut by keeping information about the album tightly secured until just weeks before its release.

Middleweights: Birdman is tentatively slated to drop Five Star Stunna, which will contain the recently leaked track "Pop Bottles," as well as other spots from his son, Lil Wayne.

Contenders: Lil Mama's Voice of the Young People and the first, yet-untitled album from the now-four-member Backstreet Boys.

November 6

Heavyweights: Though she's talked about jonesing to work with the White Stripes, Alicia Keys has to be content with John Mayer and Linda Perry collabos on her more rock- and funk-oriented third album, As I Am.

Middleweights: Wyclef Jean comes in from the cold with The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant, with cameos from T.I., Chamillionaire, Paul Simon, Akon and Mary J. Bli

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Jennifer Lopez Set For First-Ever Tour; Plus Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Pink, Harry Potter, Lil' Flip & More, In For The Record

23 Jul 2007 20:45:00 EDT

Clarkson 'regrets' feud with Clive Davis; Rihanna breaks out inevitable umbrella range; Pink scraps show in Greece.
By MTV News staff

All eyes will be on Jennifer Lopez when she launches her first-ever concert tour September 29 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Husband Marc Anthony will co-headline the trek, which will take them through the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Dates will be announced next week. Each set will include English- and Spanish-spoken songs, and $1 from every ticket sold will go toward financial-services company ING's school-fitness program for kids, Run for Something Better ... Kelly Clarkson told Reader's Digest for the magazine's August issue that she got her way with her new album after a public battle with RCA, but the singer says in a new post on her Web site that she regrets feuding with label head Clive Davis over My December. "Contrary to recent characterizations in the press, I'm well aware that Clive is one of the great record men of all time," reads the post. "He has been a key advisor and has been an important force in my success to date. I really regret how this has turned out and I apologize to those whom I have done disservice. I would never intentionally hurt anyone. I love music, and I love the people I am blessed to work with." ...
Who needs a clothing line when you can have an umbrella range — especially if you're Rihanna? The singer has done the inevitable by partnering with British company Totes for a collection perfectly suited for her "Umbrella" single. Take your pick right here. ... Pink couldn't stomach her planned gig at Athens' recent Fly BEEyond Festival — she came down with a bout with gastroenteritis and had to bail hours before going onstage, according to the show's promoter, Hot Beez. The show will not be made up, but ticket holders are being offered cash refunds. ...
"Hallows" be thy name: The final installment of the Harry Potter series racked up some big numbers over the weekend (surprised?). Scholastic says roughly 8.3 million copies of the book sold in the first 24 hours upon its release Saturday, with Borders, Amazon and Barnes & Noble all reporting more than 1 million copies sold each. The sales were impressive in the U.K., where the book sold 2.7 million copies in the first 24 hours, and in Canada, where it moved about 812,000 in its first 48 hours. Daniel Radcliffe had his own reason to celebrate Monday (July 23): The actor turned 18, gaining access to a fortune that is the U.S. equivalent of roughly $40 million. ...
Freestyle king Lil' Flip turned himself in on a felony charge of credit-card abuse on Saturday after authorities said he tried to buy a $671 Southwest Airlines ticket to Baltimore from Houston in June using an American Express card held by someone else. Flip, 26 (born Wesley Eric Weston Jr.), was booked and released on $2,000 bond, according to the Houston Chronicle. Lil' Flip's attorney and manager addressed the allegations on Monday. "Flip had absolutely no involvement with any sort of credit card fraud," Sandy Lal said in a statement. "He never personally handles any travel arrangements; that is left to promoters and travel agents." His attorney Stanley Schneider added: "A complete investigation will easily show that Lil' Flip is innocent of all charges and is actually a victim of a scam." ... Cops working the John Mayer concert at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania, were busy on Saturday, arresting 63 fans, according to The Patriot-News. Among the arrests were 46 for underage drinking; 14 for disorderly conduct; and three each for public drunkenness, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. ...
It's all about "The Simpsons Movie" this week, as the much-anticipated flick opens Friday, but some people haven't forgotten about the show's upcoming 19th season — namely Jack Black, Lionel Richie, Topher Grace and MTV News' own Kurt Loder, all of whom will be paying guest appearances. Black will voice the character of Milo, who scares Comic Book Guy by opening up a competing store. In other "Simpsons" news, Matt Groening has finally 'fessed up to where he got the idea for Marge Simpson's blue beehive. He told The New York Times Magazine in an interview published Sunday that her 'do was inspired by "The Bride of Frankenstein" and his own mom's hairstyle in the '60s. ...
The Arcade Fire aren't burning out anytime soon — the indie-rockers have extended their tour with LCD Soundsystem with four additional dates: September 30 in St. Paul, Minnesota; October 3 in Louisville, Kentucky; October 5 in Columbus, Ohio; and October 6 at New York's Randall's Island. ... The Shins are tacking a cover of Pink Floyd's "Breathe" onto their "Turn Me On" U.K. single. ...
The Reverend Al Sharpton is supporting New York State Senator Antoine Thompson's idea to penalize record companies that don't crack down on denigrating lyrics by pulling the state's public investments from them, The Associated Press reports. According to Thompson, about $3 billion of the state's pension fund is invested in the entertainment industry. ... Iconic indie label Sympathy for the Record Industry — which has issued albums by the White Stripes, Hole, Rocket From the Crypt and a slew of others over the years — is up on the block, according to Idolator.com. Owner Long Gone John is pricing the label and its "questionable/nebulous rights to nearly 750 releases by over 550 bands" at "$625,000, or $700,000 if I don't like you." ...
There have been some lineup changes in Perry Farrell's Satellite Party project. Former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt jumped ship last week, saying, "I have always felt uncomfortable with the direction of the lineup and live show. I truly do believe in the songs and music on the album, and I wish Perry Farrell and any musician that remains on tour all the best." Drummer Kevin Figg also opted to leave, but no reason was offered for his departure. In their place, Farrell has recruited Silvertide guitarist Nick Perri and drummer Jordan Plosky, who has worked with Ryan Cabrera in the past. ...
Babyface, Queen Latifah, Garth Brooks and others will perform at a concert to raise funds for a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on September 18. The event, set to take place at New York's Radio City Music Hall, will also feature previously announced artists Stevie Wonder, Robin Thicke and more. ... Jeff Beck's manager tells Billboard.com that, contrary to a report the site published Friday, the guitarist is not planning to tour with Jimmy Page and others as the Yardbirds this fall.
07.20.07
Jessica Simpson is a big spender, she recently admitted to Harper's Bazaar — big surprise there. But the singer/actress also revealed that while sister Ashlee "goes to a thrift store and can buy something for 20 bucks ... I have to go buy a black button-down at Barneys. For $900. Because it's a collector's item," she said in the magazine's August issue, which features Jessica on the cover. When asked which career she would pick if she had to choose between music and movies, she replied, "In my music career, there have been moments of failure, and with acting I haven't had that yet. But music is opening up my heart and every emotion inside of me." ...
Speaking of Ashlee, you might not want to wait around for that supposed Robert Smith collabo she's been raving about. "I would be hugely surprised if I end up working with Ashlee this year, but I haven't ruled it out," he told Billboard.com. He added: "I went to see her in 'Chicago.' ... I was impressed. The fact is, when she got onstage and sang, she was really good." ...
50 Cent has beef again — but this time, it isn't with a rival rapper. On Friday (July 20), he filed a lawsuit seeking at least $1 million in damages from online-ad company Traffix Inc. for using his image without permission in a graphic advertisement, Reuters reports. Even further, 50 says that the ad — which features a cartoon version of him and the message "shoot the rapper and you will win $5,000 or five ringtones guaranteed," according to the suit — promotes violence and threatens his safety. The suit cites the "vile, tasteless and despicable" use of the rapper's image and says it "quite literally calls for violence against" him. A lawyer representing Traffix declined to comment to Reuters. ...
"I'll just say no until I get my way, and I did," Kelly Clarkson told Reader's Digest for the magazine's August issue, in regards to conflicts with RCA over her new album My December. The singer added that label execs "hated 'Miss Independent' on my first album. ... The song I wrote that they hated the most was 'Because of You.' I fought and fought for it, it became successful and they finally got behind it." Clarkson also talked "American Idol," saying she did her own hair and makeup for the first half of the inaugural season. ...
Want a side of Ne-Yo with your Big Mac? If so, you're getting your wish — the R&B artist, along with Twista, Kenna and others, are going to be performing 10 free gigs at McDonald's restaurants ... in the parking lot. Billboard.com reports that the happy meal on wheels will begin Thursday at the Venice Beach Recreation Center in California, then hit up eight other cities before wrapping September 25 in Austin, Texas. ...
Lindsay Lohan turned herself in to police on Thursday in connection with her Memorial Day car accident, The Associated Press reports. Lohan was fingerprinted, pho

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Jessica Simpson Says Ashlee Is A Thriftier Shopper; Plus 50 Cent, Kelly Clarkson, Ne-Yo, Lindsay Lohan & More, In For The Record

20 Jul 2007 20:12:00 EDT

50 sues over 'shoot the rapper' ad; Clarkson says she got her way with LP; McDonald's tour comes with a side of Ne-Yo.
By MTV News staff

Jessica Simpson is a big spender, she recently admitted to Harper's Bazaar — big surprise there. But the singer/actress also revealed that while sister Ashlee "goes to a thrift store and can buy something for 20 bucks ... I have to go buy a black button-down at Barneys. For $900. Because it's a collector's item," she said in the magazine's August issue, which features Jessica on the cover. When asked which career she would pick if she had to choose between music and movies, she replied, "In my music career, there have been moments of failure, and with acting I haven't had that yet. But music is opening up my heart and every emotion inside of me." ...
Speaking of Ashlee, you might not want to wait around for that supposed Robert Smith collabo she's been raving about. "I would be hugely surprised if I end up working with Ashlee this year, but I haven't ruled it out," he told Billboard.com. He added: "I went to see her in 'Chicago.' ... I was impressed. The fact is, when she got onstage and sang, she was really good." ...
50 Cent has beef again — but this time, it isn't with a rival rapper. On Friday (July 20), he filed a lawsuit seeking at least $1 million in damages from online-ad company Traffix Inc. for using his image without permission in a graphic advertisement, Reuters reports. Even further, 50 says that the ad — which features a cartoon version of him and the message "shoot the rapper and you will win $5,000 or five ringtones guaranteed," according to the suit — promotes violence and threatens his safety. The suit cites the "vile, tasteless and despicable" use of the rapper's image and says it "quite literally calls for violence against" him. A lawyer representing Traffix declined to comment to Reuters. ...
"I'll just say no until I get my way, and I did," Kelly Clarkson told Reader's Digest for the magazine's August issue, in regards to conflicts with RCA over her new album My December. The singer added that label execs "hated 'Miss Independent' on my first album. ... The song I wrote that they hated the most was 'Because of You.' I fought and fought for it, it became successful and they finally got behind it." Clarkson also talked "American Idol," saying she did her own hair and makeup for the first half of the inaugural season. ...
Want a side of Ne-Yo with your Big Mac? If so, you're getting your wish — the R&B artist, along with Twista, Kenna and others, are going to be performing 10 free gigs at McDonald's restaurants ... in the parking lot. Billboard.com reports that the happy meal on wheels will begin Thursday at the Venice Beach Recreation Center in California, then hit up eight other cities before wrapping September 25 in Austin, Texas. ...
Lindsay Lohan turned herself in to police on Thursday in connection with her Memorial Day car accident, The Associated Press reports. Lohan was fingerprinted, photographed and booked on charges of driving under the influence and suspicion of misdemeanor hit-and-run at around 4 p.m. and was released about an hour later on $30,000 bail. Shortly after the Memorial Day crash, Lohan, 21, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving at a Los Angeles hospital, where she was taken for treatment. Police have still not revealed the results of tests on a substance they said at the time was believed to be cocaine found during the investigation. The singer/actress' blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash was above the California legal limit of .08, but police have not said how high it was. A court date was scheduled for August 24. ...
J.K. Rowling posted a long letter to fans on her Web site on Friday saying she felt "a heady mixture of excitement, nerves and relief." (To read the full missive, in which she doles out a long list of acknowledgements, you'll have to go to JKRowling.com, use a "port key" and do some digging.) ... Annie Lennox has pulled out the big guns for an AIDS-prevention fundraising song on her upcoming Songs of Mass Destruction album, due in October. The album will feature a self-described "powerful feminist anthem" titled "Sing," which has a chorus of 23 iconic female singers, among them Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Celine Dion, Fergie, Faith Hill, Pink, Dido, Shakira, Joss Stone and KT Tunstall. ...
The track list for James Blunt's forthcoming LP, All the Lost Souls, has been revealed. The disc, scheduled for a September 18 release, will boast 10 tracks: "1973," "One of the Brightest Stars," "I'll Take Everything," "Same Mistake," "Carry You Home," "Give Me Some Love," "I Really Want You," "Shine On," "Annie" and "I Can't Hear the Music." ... Afraid Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke might come down on you "like a ton of bricks"? Hopefully your name isn't Gordon Brown. Yorke is speaking out about carbon emissions in a new video post on TheBigAsk.com — the Web site for a climate-change virtual-march effort backed by Friends of the Earth. "I'm reminding my [member of Parliament] to remind [new British Prime Minister] Gordon Brown that he's committed to a bill to reduce our CO2 emissions double-quick-time, and if he doesn't, we're going to come down on him like a ton of bricks." ...
Korn avatars will perform the band's new single, "Evolution," in MTV's Virtual Pimp My Ride program this Monday, July 23. Fans will also be able to listen to the band's entire new album, Untitled, before it hits the streets July 31. In related news, Korn are said to be mulling a covers album, on which they'd tackle tracks including Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like a Hole" and "Love My Way" by the Psychedelic Furs. ... The Asbury Park Press reports that New Jersey State Police made 20 arrests on Wednesday at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, during a Tool concert. Police claim the arrests included charges of underage drinking and possession of marijuana but did not provide a more detailed breakdown of arrests. ...
Feist, My Morning Jacket's Jim James, the New Pornographers' A.C. Newman, author Sarah Vowell, Grizzly Bear and others are coming together to help "to try to settle the debate: words or music — which is better?" The one-night-only shindig will go down August 26 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, be hosted by comedian and "Daily Show" contributor Demetri Martin and benefit the free writing programs put on by literary hipster supreme Dave Eggers' nonprofit tutoring program, 826NYC. ...
New Order over? Uh, that's news to Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris, who said they will carry on with the group even though departed bassist Peter Hook recently said on Xfm that the band was through. "We would have hoped he could have approached us personally first," they said in a statement to BBC News. "New Order have not split up, they continue to exist." ... The Cure are working on a three-hour documentary film to celebrate their 30th year as a band. The film, which would be released as a DVD, will chronicle the group's career. ...
A source tells RollingStone.com that Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck will tour as the Yardbirds with the band's original bassist and drummer starting in October. The source added that Eric Clapton, another former member, will not be participating. ... Testament inked a deal with Nuclear Blast onstage in front of 20,000 fans at a concert in Germany on Wednesday. A new album featuring original members Eric Peterson, Chuck Billy, Alex Skolnick, Greg Christian and new drummer Nick Barker (Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth) is on the way. ...
Onetime Flavor Flav love interest Brigitte Nielsen has checked into rehab to treat an undisclosed condition, according to manager Steven Tempone. The AP reported that Tempone said the towering blond actress and 44-year-old co-star of the "Strange Love" reality show, "[checked in] on her own free will and we're proud of her and wish her very well." ... According to the San Jose Mercury News, many Ozzfest fans who scored free tickets to this summer's heavy-metal extravaganza are deciding to stay home. The paper claims only about 50 percent of the people who had tickets to recent shows actually showed for the concert. About 18,000 were expected at Thursday's Ozzfest date at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, but the city took security precautions in the event that all 30,000 people who received free tickets made it out to the venue. ... Al Gore III, the 24-year-old son of former Vice President Al Gore, has been charged with possession of marijuana and prescription drugs, according to TMZ.com. He was arrested on July 4 in Laguna Niguel, California, after being stopped for speeding. ...
Fourteen years after three teens were sent to jail for the May 1993 murder of three 8-year-old boys in Arkansas, a lawyer for the so-called West Memphis Three has said new DNA evidence proves his clients' innocence. The Arkansas Times reported that police are conducting new interviews to determine how a hair from a stepfather of one of the boys ended up at the crime scene. Attorneys for the three convicted men — whose plight was highlighted on the 2000 Free the West Memphis 3 album on songs by Steve Earle, Tom Waits and late Clash leader Joe Strummer — said there was no DNA evidence at the scene that matches their clients'. The mother of one of the victims has stated recently that she now believes the three convicted men, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, are not guilty. ... One of the co-o

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James Blunt Ignores Possibility Of Sophomore Slump On ' '70s Rock Album'

06 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT

'I was able to make this album for the love of music,' singer/songwriter says of September 18's All the Lost Souls.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Tim Kash

James Blunt has heard all about "the sophomore slump," about impossibly high expectations and incredibly low success rates. So rather than address the issue of the follow-up to his mega-popular Back to Bedlam album head-on, he decided to take a different route altogether: He admitted right off the bat that there's no way he could top his first record ... and everything else just sort of fell into place after that.
"I didn't have to do a second album that was going to compete with the first, because at the end of the day, to try and chase the number of albums the first one sold — if that's how you define success — is pointless," he laughed. "And to try and get reviews that are positive, against those that are negative, again, it's pointless. So when you let go of all those things, you say, 'Well, I'm going to do a second album purely for the love of it, and for the passion I have for music.' And that's the best place to be, really."
And so there will be no "You're Beautiful" on Blunt's All the Lost Souls, due September18, something he hinted at when MTV News caught up with him in May (see "A Blunter James Blunt? Singer Says Next LP Will Have 'A Bit Of Grit' "). But now, with the album all but finished, he's willing to confirm that fact.
"I wrote the first album in a kind of naive innocence, that was maybe its charm. It was about relationships — between 'you' and 'me' — that was the dialogue. And this one, things have changed. There's a lot of noise," he explained. "Having been put into the public eye, there's a lot of noise suddenly, and a lot of attention. And I can definitely tell the relationships in this have changed. There's 'you' and 'me,' and then there's 'them.' And 'they' are definitely weighing quite heavily on the impact of the dialogue within this.
"But then also, it's taken on a richness, because I've toured for two and a half years now with a band, and these guys are expert musicians, and they came into the studio with me. And we set out to record an album with performances on it," he continued. "And we sat in a studio in Los Angeles, and we all faced each other in a room, and we performed these songs. And we recorded them in a '70s sense of recording an album. We've got 10 songs which all relate to each other, that tell a story in a way. ... We set out to make a '70s rock album, and that's what this album is."
(Watch James Blunt talk about bucking expectations with his new "club classic.")
Some of those songs — like lead single "1973" — are dead-ringers for '70s AM hits. (Blunt described it as "a '70s club classic. It sounds a bit like Fleetwood Mac.") While others, like "Same Mistake" and "I'll Take Everything," don't necessarily fit the mold at all. And then there's "I Can't Hear the Music," a song Blunt singled out as a personal favorite on the disc. It deals (as much of Souls does) with the concept of existing under the magnifying glass, of going from struggling singer/songwriter to internationally renowned dater-of-supermodels within the span of roughly three years.
"It's a song about that change in perception, and the noise that comes with media attention," he said. "And suddenly with that noise, you're changed into the awful title of celebrity. A lot of songs [on the album are] about what I've done since the first album came out: the people I've met, the journey I've been on, the change from being an anonymous person to being someone who's quite visible in this day and age, where the cult of celebrity seems relevant and important."
So while most of what Blunt says about Soulsis probably going to make his fans — not to mention his record label — a little nervous, he's quick to point out that the album isn't going to be some huge departure. It's just his take on the last three years of his life, a pretty hectic ride that doesn't show any sign of slowing down anytime soon. Unless, of course, the album is just another in a long line of follow-up letdowns. But, hey, he'd probably be OK with that too.
"This one has been a whole different ballgame, because I wasn't sure if anyone was going to hear the first one. With this one, I had to let go and find the driving force for recording an album in the first place, which is the love of music," he said. "People talk about the pressure of a second album, they talk about the diversions, the noise around it, that it's competition with the first, the expectancy of the second, and all of those things become a distraction. And having considered that distraction — and then separating myself from it — I was able to make this album for the love of music, and the fun of it, and the excitement of it. And it's a very special position to be in."

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By Elena Torres, with reporting by Jeff Cornell

After a couple of years of disrupted sleep, James Blunt is finally in Los Angeles getting some serious shut-eye.
"Having spent two years in a bus with my keyboard player in a bunk below me and the guitarist just opposite me, it's kind of mad to be in a bed where you can't hear other people snoring," said Blunt, who was in the news recently for allegedly accidentally running over an autograph seeker's foot with his car while leaving an Oscar party.
Blunt finished his world tour at the end of November, and in between naps, the British singer/songwriter best known for "You're Beautiful" has spent most of his time writing his second album.
"I've had a bit of time to sit back, take some time off and write the odd song or two," Blunt said.
Actually, he's written the entire album, and now he's hitting an L.A. studio to record it.
Blunt hinted that the sophomore effort will go in a different direction from his debut. "It's got a good '70s feel to it," he said. "I guess it's the next chapter in how I feel."
A lot of the new sounds fans can expect from the album come from the same sources that hindered James' tour-bus beauty rest.
"I'm recording with my band, who have toured with me for two years, so they know the new songs and they give a bit of grit and edge that perhaps wasn't there when I was doing it on my own," the singer said.
The album should be finished by the end of spring and on shelves by fall.
"I'm pretty efficient in the way I write," Blunt said. "If it's not a good song, I'll stop writing halfway through and say it's not good. So if I finish the song, normally it means that it should be close enough to be getting on an album."

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