Kanye West, Alicia Keys & More Heat Up Hot 97 Summer Jam In New Jersey
Related ArtistsMonday, January 31, 2011
Teaser For Michael Jackson's 'Hold My Hand' Video Released
A 30-second preview of MJ's duet with Akon promises epic images.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson
Photo: Ebet Roberts/ Redferns
It's hard enough to finish a song by a noted perfectionist such as Michael Jackson after the singer's death, but the challenge of filming a video for the first posthumous single from the most celebrated video maker in music history has got to be even more daunting.
So MJ fans must have been eager to check out a 30-second teaser of the clip for the Akon collaboration "Hold My Hand," that was posted on Jackson's website over the weekend, just over a week before the King of Pop's first posthumous studio album, Michael, is slated to hit stores.
The quick-cut preview opens with Jackson, bathed in a spotlight on stage and dressed in a black leather jacket, black pants and a gold lame unitard, blowing a kiss to unseen fans and spreading his arms wide. With the song's swelling, cinematic strings and Jackson and Akon's vibrant vocals on the chorus pumping behind, we then see a succession of images, including a mother holding a smiling baby, MJ on stage during his prime, a lit-up Ferris wheel, a grade-school girl stretching her arms toward the sun, a baby in a diaper learning how to walk and the track's title graffitied on a cement wall.
The action then moves inside to a dark venue, as a blinding light emerges in the distance from the point of view of an ecstatic, clapping crowd. It quickly becomes clear that the audience is awaiting Jackson's arrival on stage, as his unmistakable profile appears in shadow on the curtain. More quick cuts reveal a b-girl in a gold lame top busting a few moves while swinging chains and a child MJ impersonator shuffling his feet amid classic images of Jackson on stage at various points in his career.
Those clips are then interspersed with shots of a huge chorus singing the song's refrain while waving their arms in the air on a set that looks like a reservoir or a dam. The teaser ends with a montage of children's hands and a close-up of a grand piano cued to the tune's haunting keyboard break.
The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project."
After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track.
What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" teaser clip? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653590/teaser-michael-jacksons-hold-my-hand-video-released.jhtml
B.o.B - Bet I
- Artist: B.o.B
- Label: Atlantic, Grand Hustle, Rebel Rock
- Director: Gabriel Hart
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3238990&vid=512079
Akon - Shut It Down
- Artist: Akon
- Label: J, Orchard, The, Mr. 305, Pologrounds
- Director: David Rousseau
- Album: Rebelution
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1240040&vid=462035
B.o.B - Nothin' On You [feat. Bruno Mars]
Nothin' On You [feat. Bruno Mars]
- Artist: B.o.B
- Label: Atlantic, Grand Hustle, Rebel Rock
- Director: Ethan Lader
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3238990&vid=490701
Akon Disagrees With Will.i.am Over Michael Jackson's Posthumous Release
'These records would have come out whether he was alive or dead,' 'Kon says.
By James Dinh
Michael Jackson and Akon
Photo: Getty Images
As with many other posthumous releases, the forthcoming Michael Jackson album, Michael, is already creating controversy. After will.i.am told Entertainment Weekly that he thought it was "disrespectful" to release the collection of previously unheard material from the King of Pop, fellow collaborator Akon struck back.
'Kon, whose "Hold My Hand" collaboration with Jackson dropped on Monday as the LP's first single, insists that releasing new music is actually a way of honoring the icon.
"I think that's probably will's opinion," Akon told TMZ of the Black Eyed Peas frontman's statement. "Me personally, I think that's keeping his legacy alive, if you ask me. I don't see anything disrespectful about it. He got his people taking care of it. We all did records that we actually worked on together on the album. These records would have come out whether he was alive or dead, so I think this actually to helps keep his legacy alive. I honestly disagree with that."
The hip-hop star explained that he hopes "Hold My Hand" will reach "another level" and be properly distributed as he and the Jackson team had originally planned.
Last week, will.i.am slammed the project, suggesting that there's no honor in the upcoming release, due in stores December 14. "Whoever put it out and is profiting off of it, I want to see how cold they are," he told EW. "To say that what [Michael] contributed during his life wasn't enough. He just wasn't any ordinary artist. He was a hands-on person. To me it's disrespectful. There's no honoring."
Not only did Akon call his sessions with MJ "amazing," but he also gushed that it was nothing short of a dream come true saying, "He was a very incredible person, very creative. That was really a dream come true on my end. I enjoyed every moment of it."
Do you agree with Akon or will.i.am on the new Michael Jackson album? Share your thoughts below!
Related ArtistsAkon On Lady Gaga And Michael Jackson's New Albums
The singer has nothing but praise for the two artists.
Photo: MTV News
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Michael Jackson 'Hold My Hand' Video Tugs At Heartstrings
Posthumous clip mixes classic footage of Jackson with newly shot film of fans.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In addition to his flawless vocals and mind-bending footwork, one of the things Michael Jackson was best known for was his drive to create the most elaborate and cinematic music videos the world had ever seen.
"Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Black or White," "Remember the Time" and "Bad" are just a few of the landmark clips the late King of Pop gave the world during his 1980s and early-'90s hit-making peak. Which is why fans and critics alike were eager to get a glimpse Thursday morning (December 9) at the first music video in the singer's career that was created without his firm guiding hand and vision.
After teasing the clip earlier in the week, the official MJ site debuted on Thursday the full video for the stirring ballad "Hold My Hand," the first single from the upcoming album, Michael. The clip for MJ's duet with Akon is not unlike the first posthumous vids from the likes of other contemporary fallen stars such as Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G., in that it mixes classic footage of the artist performing with newly shot images of fans young and old paying homage to their hero.
It opens with a crowd of people standing in front of a large airplane hangar and unleashing a flood of white balloons as they say "Thank you, Michael" and "We love you, Michael," while a gigantic image of the singer in silhouette appears on the side of the structure.
If nothing else, the "Hold My Hand" video is a kind of MJ greatest-hits montage, intercutting images of the singer in his prime in some of his most beloved stage outfits with glimpses of children wearing the same garb, a young boy holding a red plastic heart in his hands and Akon dancing on a pure white background as MJ hoofs beside him.
As Michael begins to sing the first verse, we see a variety of different hands — old, young, holding babies, reaching up to the sky, down into a bathtub, etc. — as well as a series of women crying, the infamous glittering glove and a woman in a hospital bed seemingly dying of cancer, all intended to pull heartstrings and stir emotion.
It continues on like that, with most of the video consisting of shots of hands (some trailing a kind of glittery pixie-dust vapor) doing various things, children breakdancing and popping, and various images of angels, as the edits of stock-like footage of sunny skies, forests and adorable babies pile on so quickly it's almost hard to keep up.
Jackson, frankly, is hardly in the video, making sporadic appearances courtesy of some iconic footage of him in concert, a curious choice given the reported dozens of hours of HD footage shot of the singer while he was preparing for what was slated to be his big comeback tour in England last year.
The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track.
Instead of the eye-popping special effects and intricate choreography of the past, the "Hold My Hand" video goes for a simpler, more predictable sentimentality. Without Jackson around anymore to call the shots and push the video envelope, it also signals a quiet, uneventful end to a career of constant reinvention and visual ambition via music video.
In a statement to MTV News, director Mark Pellington explained what he was aiming for with the posthumous clip. "We shot the video in a variety of locations in Los Angeles, including a blimp hangar in Tustin. The attempt was to create a celebratory, positive, healing music video honoring Michael's legacy," he said. "And for me personally, if his fans like it, that's all I really care about."
What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" video?
Related Photos Related Artists
Michael Jackson 'Hold My Hand' Video Tugs At Heartstrings
Posthumous clip mixes classic footage of Jackson with newly shot film of fans.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In addition to his flawless vocals and mind-bending footwork, one of the things Michael Jackson was best known for was his drive to create the most elaborate and cinematic music videos the world had ever seen.
"Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Black or White," "Remember the Time" and "Bad" are just a few of the landmark clips the late King of Pop gave the world during his 1980s and early-'90s hit-making peak. Which is why fans and critics alike were eager to get a glimpse Thursday morning (December 9) at the first music video in the singer's career that was created without his firm guiding hand and vision.
After teasing the clip earlier in the week, the official MJ site debuted on Thursday the full video for the stirring ballad "Hold My Hand," the first single from the upcoming album, Michael. The clip for MJ's duet with Akon is not unlike the first posthumous vids from the likes of other contemporary fallen stars such as Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G., in that it mixes classic footage of the artist performing with newly shot images of fans young and old paying homage to their hero.
It opens with a crowd of people standing in front of a large airplane hangar and unleashing a flood of white balloons as they say "Thank you, Michael" and "We love you, Michael," while a gigantic image of the singer in silhouette appears on the side of the structure.
If nothing else, the "Hold My Hand" video is a kind of MJ greatest-hits montage, intercutting images of the singer in his prime in some of his most beloved stage outfits with glimpses of children wearing the same garb, a young boy holding a red plastic heart in his hands and Akon dancing on a pure white background as MJ hoofs beside him.
As Michael begins to sing the first verse, we see a variety of different hands — old, young, holding babies, reaching up to the sky, down into a bathtub, etc. — as well as a series of women crying, the infamous glittering glove and a woman in a hospital bed seemingly dying of cancer, all intended to pull heartstrings and stir emotion.
It continues on like that, with most of the video consisting of shots of hands (some trailing a kind of glittery pixie-dust vapor) doing various things, children breakdancing and popping, and various images of angels, as the edits of stock-like footage of sunny skies, forests and adorable babies pile on so quickly it's almost hard to keep up.
Jackson, frankly, is hardly in the video, making sporadic appearances courtesy of some iconic footage of him in concert, a curious choice given the reported dozens of hours of HD footage shot of the singer while he was preparing for what was slated to be his big comeback tour in England last year.
The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track.
Instead of the eye-popping special effects and intricate choreography of the past, the "Hold My Hand" video goes for a simpler, more predictable sentimentality. Without Jackson around anymore to call the shots and push the video envelope, it also signals a quiet, uneventful end to a career of constant reinvention and visual ambition via music video.
In a statement to MTV News, director Mark Pellington explained what he was aiming for with the posthumous clip. "We shot the video in a variety of locations in Los Angeles, including a blimp hangar in Tustin. The attempt was to create a celebratory, positive, healing music video honoring Michael's legacy," he said. "And for me personally, if his fans like it, that's all I really care about."
What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" video?
Related Photos Related ArtistsSunday, January 30, 2011
Enhance your health using these suggestions
I bet you've heard sometimes some nutritionist declaring that vegatables and fruits may be healthy for your health. Will it be really beneficial for you? What are the advantages of making the switch in diet? I do know some people which will hate me when I will say that vegetables are great for health. Certainly this may stop you from developing all type of health problems which may be very costly to take care of. In this article I'll be offering more information on the benefits of a diet centered mainly on vegetables and I hope that it will come in handy for you.
First benefit of vegetables and fruits is that it is digested with ease. The consequence of bad digestion will lead to different kind of health conditions such as acid reflux. The majority of remedies for acid reflux involves a change in diet and consuming lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The benefit of a vegetarian diet is that it will be digested rapidly and won't stay in your stomach for so long. For this reason it could be a good idea that you consider changing your diet if ever you suffer from symptoms of acid reflux.
In case you find your symptoms of acid reflux too much to bear you might also consider various other natural home remedies. As outlined by some individuals acid reflux is often curable quite effectively by making use of ginger. Sodium bicarbonate can also be a highly effective solution to handle acid reflux. There is no shortage of information on the internet with regards to cure for constipation and may be interesting for you to consider should you require details. You might need to test numerous remedies to find the one that really match you.
The good thing about vegetables consumption is that it can also assist in treating constipation With its high content in fiber vegetables can be rather useful for managing this chronic condition. Fiber has the advantage of retaining water within the intestines and therefore increasing the volume of the stool. If at all possible you might also consider eating organic vegetables as it is believed that they are more nutritious. The great thing is that they do not contain any chemicals. There are several other cure for constipation which exist but a change in diet towards one that boasts a lot of vegetables should be the basis towards a more healthy lifestyle.
Lots of people can reap some useful benefits by changing their diet. For instance this can improve the digestion process and help in the treatment of symptoms connected with acid reflux. The change of diet may also be useful for people that are afflicted by constipation. There's also some good recipes online that will assist you make a wide variety of meals.
First benefit of vegetables and fruits is that it is digested with ease. The consequence of bad digestion will lead to different kind of health conditions such as acid reflux. The majority of remedies for acid reflux involves a change in diet and consuming lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The benefit of a vegetarian diet is that it will be digested rapidly and won't stay in your stomach for so long. For this reason it could be a good idea that you consider changing your diet if ever you suffer from symptoms of acid reflux.
In case you find your symptoms of acid reflux too much to bear you might also consider various other natural home remedies. As outlined by some individuals acid reflux is often curable quite effectively by making use of ginger. Sodium bicarbonate can also be a highly effective solution to handle acid reflux. There is no shortage of information on the internet with regards to cure for constipation and may be interesting for you to consider should you require details. You might need to test numerous remedies to find the one that really match you.
The good thing about vegetables consumption is that it can also assist in treating constipation With its high content in fiber vegetables can be rather useful for managing this chronic condition. Fiber has the advantage of retaining water within the intestines and therefore increasing the volume of the stool. If at all possible you might also consider eating organic vegetables as it is believed that they are more nutritious. The great thing is that they do not contain any chemicals. There are several other cure for constipation which exist but a change in diet towards one that boasts a lot of vegetables should be the basis towards a more healthy lifestyle.
Lots of people can reap some useful benefits by changing their diet. For instance this can improve the digestion process and help in the treatment of symptoms connected with acid reflux. The change of diet may also be useful for people that are afflicted by constipation. There's also some good recipes online that will assist you make a wide variety of meals.
B.o.B - Haterz Everywhere [Radio Edit]
Haterz Everywhere [Radio Edit]
- Artist: B.o.B
- Director: James Platinum
- Album: Haterz Everywhere
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3238990&vid=230517
B.o.B - So High
- Artist: B.o.B
- Label: E1 Music, Boss Hogg Outlawz
- Director: Parris
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3238990&vid=593385
Akon Weighs In On New Michael Jackson Tracks
Their collaboration, 'Hold My Hand,' was 'preapproved,' Akon tells MTV News about Michael track.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Kelly Marino
Akon
Photo: MTV News
There has been much debate over the release of new music by Michael Jackson, set for release on his album Michael, due out December 14. Some fans and some of Jackson's collaborators, such as will.i.am, have spoken out about the release of the tracks, many of which were finished after Jackson's death. It's an argument that Akon, who worked with Jackson on the song "Hold My Hand," understands.
"Michael Jackson's new album and the new releases, of course, there's been comments about whether or not [it] should actually be released or whether it would reflect his true authenticity, but naturally because of the fact he's not here to see it through, it definitely wouldn't reflect what he had in mind for it because there's other minds working for him," Akon told MTV News about the tracks. "But I think at the end of the day, we have two choices: We can put out the little that we do have to hold onto, or we can just never ever put it out again. ... The material that he did have that was finished, he would have loved to put it out.
"[The songs] were created by him, now whether or not they were finished by him is a different story," he added. "And that's just a collective effort of all of us. It's a double-edged sword."
Akon points out that one of those finished tracks is "Hold My Hand," making the argument that his contribution to the album is Jackson-approved.
"If he was here today, I think he would definitely approve of 'Hold My Hand,' because it was already preapproved," he said. "But the rest of the songs, I'm not quite sure how far those songs went 'cause Michael's a perfectionist. He wouldn't let anything go unfinished. Me knowing him from my standpoint of viewing him, I'm not quite sure, because he won't stop; he will go and go until there's not one doubt left in his mind that this record is perfect.
"So, I hope he would [have approved of the album], then again, you never know. He's the only one that can answer that question."
Do you think the tracks should be released? Sound off in the comments below.
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652499/akon-weighs-on-new-michael-jackson-tracks.jhtml
B.o.B - Magic ft. Rivers Cuomo
- Artist: B.o.B
- Label: Atlantic Records
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3238990&vid=557817
Michael Jackson 'Hold My Hand' Video Tugs At Heartstrings
Posthumous clip mixes classic footage of Jackson with newly shot film of fans.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In addition to his flawless vocals and mind-bending footwork, one of the things Michael Jackson was best known for was his drive to create the most elaborate and cinematic music videos the world had ever seen.
"Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Black or White," "Remember the Time" and "Bad" are just a few of the landmark clips the late King of Pop gave the world during his 1980s and early-'90s hit-making peak. Which is why fans and critics alike were eager to get a glimpse Thursday morning (December 9) at the first music video in the singer's career that was created without his firm guiding hand and vision.
After teasing the clip earlier in the week, the official MJ site debuted on Thursday the full video for the stirring ballad "Hold My Hand," the first single from the upcoming album, Michael. The clip for MJ's duet with Akon is not unlike the first posthumous vids from the likes of other contemporary fallen stars such as Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G., in that it mixes classic footage of the artist performing with newly shot images of fans young and old paying homage to their hero.
It opens with a crowd of people standing in front of a large airplane hangar and unleashing a flood of white balloons as they say "Thank you, Michael" and "We love you, Michael," while a gigantic image of the singer in silhouette appears on the side of the structure.
If nothing else, the "Hold My Hand" video is a kind of MJ greatest-hits montage, intercutting images of the singer in his prime in some of his most beloved stage outfits with glimpses of children wearing the same garb, a young boy holding a red plastic heart in his hands and Akon dancing on a pure white background as MJ hoofs beside him.
As Michael begins to sing the first verse, we see a variety of different hands — old, young, holding babies, reaching up to the sky, down into a bathtub, etc. — as well as a series of women crying, the infamous glittering glove and a woman in a hospital bed seemingly dying of cancer, all intended to pull heartstrings and stir emotion.
It continues on like that, with most of the video consisting of shots of hands (some trailing a kind of glittery pixie-dust vapor) doing various things, children breakdancing and popping, and various images of angels, as the edits of stock-like footage of sunny skies, forests and adorable babies pile on so quickly it's almost hard to keep up.
Jackson, frankly, is hardly in the video, making sporadic appearances courtesy of some iconic footage of him in concert, a curious choice given the reported dozens of hours of HD footage shot of the singer while he was preparing for what was slated to be his big comeback tour in England last year.
The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track.
Instead of the eye-popping special effects and intricate choreography of the past, the "Hold My Hand" video goes for a simpler, more predictable sentimentality. Without Jackson around anymore to call the shots and push the video envelope, it also signals a quiet, uneventful end to a career of constant reinvention and visual ambition via music video.
In a statement to MTV News, director Mark Pellington explained what he was aiming for with the posthumous clip. "We shot the video in a variety of locations in Los Angeles, including a blimp hangar in Tustin. The attempt was to create a celebratory, positive, healing music video honoring Michael's legacy," he said. "And for me personally, if his fans like it, that's all I really care about."
What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" video?
Related Photos Related Artists
Hayley Williams Says She'd 'Love To See B.o.B Win' At The Grammys
The Paramore frontwoman picked up a pair of Grammy noms, but she's rooting for her 'Airplanes' collaborator.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by James Lacsina
Hayley Williams
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
On Wednesday night, Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams picked up a pair of Grammy nominations — a Best Pop Collaboration nod for her work with B.o.B and Eminem on "Airplanes, Part II," and a Best Pop Performance mention for her band's song "The Only Exception."
So, when she spoke to MTV News literally minutes after learning about her noms, the singer was understandably excited.
"Oh man, it feels so good!" Williams laughed. "And I'm really proud of everything that I get to be a part of, and I love being here to represent the guys. I wish they were here."
And while her two nominations are certainly nothing to sneeze at, they sort of pale in comparison to the 10 racked up by Eminem ... or the five that B.o.B got. And since Williams guested on a song with both of those artists, we had to ask her who she'll be cheering for come Grammy night.
"Well, I would love to see B.o.B win everything he got nominated for ... not only is he an amazing artist and performer, but he's such a great dude," she said. "And we've been lucky to tour together and I've just watched him explode. He's a massive star now, and he's still the same guy. So I love seeing my friends win, and I'm always going to be there rooting for him."
Of course, Williams may have an ulterior motive for throwing her support behind B.o.B — after all, he did promise MTV News that if he takes home an award, he will record a song with Paramore.
"Oh yeah, well I think we just entered into a verbal contract about it right here," Williams said, smiling. "We'll definitely do it ... I love music, I love working with other artists, as long as I feel it's true to me as well. I wouldn't have done 'Airplanes' if I listened to it and thought, 'Uh, I don't really care.' But I heard it and I heard something really special, and I related to it."
And just what would a Paramore/B.o.B collabo sound like?
"You'd be surprised," Williams said. "Have you heard his new mixtape yet? Just listen to that and then tell me what you think it's gonna sound like. It's gonna be so sick."
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards will air Sunday, February 13, on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
What do you think about this year's Grammy nominees? Tell us in the comments.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653424/hayley-williams-shed-love-see-bob-win-at-grammys.jhtml
Hayley Williams Says She'd 'Love To See B.o.B Win' At The Grammys
The Paramore frontwoman picked up a pair of Grammy noms, but she's rooting for her 'Airplanes' collaborator.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by James Lacsina
Hayley Williams
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
On Wednesday night, Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams picked up a pair of Grammy nominations — a Best Pop Collaboration nod for her work with B.o.B and Eminem on "Airplanes, Part II," and a Best Pop Performance mention for her band's song "The Only Exception."
So, when she spoke to MTV News literally minutes after learning about her noms, the singer was understandably excited.
"Oh man, it feels so good!" Williams laughed. "And I'm really proud of everything that I get to be a part of, and I love being here to represent the guys. I wish they were here."
And while her two nominations are certainly nothing to sneeze at, they sort of pale in comparison to the 10 racked up by Eminem ... or the five that B.o.B got. And since Williams guested on a song with both of those artists, we had to ask her who she'll be cheering for come Grammy night.
"Well, I would love to see B.o.B win everything he got nominated for ... not only is he an amazing artist and performer, but he's such a great dude," she said. "And we've been lucky to tour together and I've just watched him explode. He's a massive star now, and he's still the same guy. So I love seeing my friends win, and I'm always going to be there rooting for him."
Of course, Williams may have an ulterior motive for throwing her support behind B.o.B — after all, he did promise MTV News that if he takes home an award, he will record a song with Paramore.
"Oh yeah, well I think we just entered into a verbal contract about it right here," Williams said, smiling. "We'll definitely do it ... I love music, I love working with other artists, as long as I feel it's true to me as well. I wouldn't have done 'Airplanes' if I listened to it and thought, 'Uh, I don't really care.' But I heard it and I heard something really special, and I related to it."
And just what would a Paramore/B.o.B collabo sound like?
"You'd be surprised," Williams said. "Have you heard his new mixtape yet? Just listen to that and then tell me what you think it's gonna sound like. It's gonna be so sick."
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards will air Sunday, February 13, on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
What do you think about this year's Grammy nominees? Tell us in the comments.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653424/hayley-williams-shed-love-see-bob-win-at-grammys.jhtml
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Michael Jackson 'Hold My Hand' Video Tugs At Heartstrings
Posthumous clip mixes classic footage of Jackson with newly shot film of fans.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In addition to his flawless vocals and mind-bending footwork, one of the things Michael Jackson was best known for was his drive to create the most elaborate and cinematic music videos the world had ever seen.
"Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Black or White," "Remember the Time" and "Bad" are just a few of the landmark clips the late King of Pop gave the world during his 1980s and early-'90s hit-making peak. Which is why fans and critics alike were eager to get a glimpse Thursday morning (December 9) at the first music video in the singer's career that was created without his firm guiding hand and vision.
After teasing the clip earlier in the week, the official MJ site debuted on Thursday the full video for the stirring ballad "Hold My Hand," the first single from the upcoming album, Michael. The clip for MJ's duet with Akon is not unlike the first posthumous vids from the likes of other contemporary fallen stars such as Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G., in that it mixes classic footage of the artist performing with newly shot images of fans young and old paying homage to their hero.
It opens with a crowd of people standing in front of a large airplane hangar and unleashing a flood of white balloons as they say "Thank you, Michael" and "We love you, Michael," while a gigantic image of the singer in silhouette appears on the side of the structure.
If nothing else, the "Hold My Hand" video is a kind of MJ greatest-hits montage, intercutting images of the singer in his prime in some of his most beloved stage outfits with glimpses of children wearing the same garb, a young boy holding a red plastic heart in his hands and Akon dancing on a pure white background as MJ hoofs beside him.
As Michael begins to sing the first verse, we see a variety of different hands — old, young, holding babies, reaching up to the sky, down into a bathtub, etc. — as well as a series of women crying, the infamous glittering glove and a woman in a hospital bed seemingly dying of cancer, all intended to pull heartstrings and stir emotion.
It continues on like that, with most of the video consisting of shots of hands (some trailing a kind of glittery pixie-dust vapor) doing various things, children breakdancing and popping, and various images of angels, as the edits of stock-like footage of sunny skies, forests and adorable babies pile on so quickly it's almost hard to keep up.
Jackson, frankly, is hardly in the video, making sporadic appearances courtesy of some iconic footage of him in concert, a curious choice given the reported dozens of hours of HD footage shot of the singer while he was preparing for what was slated to be his big comeback tour in England last year.
The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track.
Instead of the eye-popping special effects and intricate choreography of the past, the "Hold My Hand" video goes for a simpler, more predictable sentimentality. Without Jackson around anymore to call the shots and push the video envelope, it also signals a quiet, uneventful end to a career of constant reinvention and visual ambition via music video.
In a statement to MTV News, director Mark Pellington explained what he was aiming for with the posthumous clip. "We shot the video in a variety of locations in Los Angeles, including a blimp hangar in Tustin. The attempt was to create a celebratory, positive, healing music video honoring Michael's legacy," he said. "And for me personally, if his fans like it, that's all I really care about."
What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" video?
Related Photos Related ArtistsB.o.B's 'Don't Let Me Fall' Video Premieres
T.I. makes an appearance in trippy new clip.
By Paul Cantor
B.o.B in his music video for "Don't Let Me Fall"
Photo: Atlantic
B.o.B's new video for "Don't Let Me Fall," the fourth clip from the Atlanta rapper's debut LP, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, premiered midnight Tuesday (November 16) on MTV.com.
The video was directed by Ethan Lander, who also manned the lens for B.o.B's "Nothin' on You," and was shot in downtown Denver and at Red Rocks Park and Ampitheatre. The clip weaves in footage from B.o.B's humble beginnings and follows him as he rises up the ranks in rap's food chain.
Supporters, from manager TJ Chapman to T.I., who executive-produced B.o.B's debut LP and released it on his Grand Hustle imprint, are also included in the footage. It's appropriate, considering the song is a "thank you" of sorts to those who've supported him. The lyrics find B.o.B singing, "Well it was just a dream, just a moment ago/ I was up so high, lookin' down at the sky, don't let me fall/ I was shooting for stars on a Saturday night/ They say, 'What goes up must come down'/ But don't let me fall."
The video opens with B.o.B sitting upright on a bench, which seems to be lying on the floor. The world is moving around him, as if he's fallen. Throughout the video, the aforementioned early clips play on an old tube television sitting next to the rapper. B.o.B recites his lines in performance shots set against the rocky terrain of Red Rocks Park and in the open space of the amphitheater. Later, he's shown hanging sideways from a parking meter on the sidewalk. People walking by fall around him, but he's unable to get up on his own.
In the final verse, a band joins him, and they're all lying horizontally on the sidewalk, playing the song with B.o.B strumming a guitar. At the end of the video, he stands upright of his own accord and walks away.
Last month, the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust voted B.o.B. the #9 Hottest MC in the Game.
What did you think of B.o.B's new video? Let us know in the comments!
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652446/bobs-dont-let-me-fall-video-premieres.jhtml
B.o.B - Haterz Everywhere [Radio Edit]
Haterz Everywhere [Radio Edit]
- Artist: B.o.B
- Director: James Platinum
- Album: Haterz Everywhere
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3238990&vid=230517
Akon Disagrees With Will.i.am Over Michael Jackson's Posthumous Release
'These records would have come out whether he was alive or dead,' 'Kon says.
By James Dinh
Michael Jackson and Akon
Photo: Getty Images
As with many other posthumous releases, the forthcoming Michael Jackson album, Michael, is already creating controversy. After will.i.am told Entertainment Weekly that he thought it was "disrespectful" to release the collection of previously unheard material from the King of Pop, fellow collaborator Akon struck back.
'Kon, whose "Hold My Hand" collaboration with Jackson dropped on Monday as the LP's first single, insists that releasing new music is actually a way of honoring the icon.
"I think that's probably will's opinion," Akon told TMZ of the Black Eyed Peas frontman's statement. "Me personally, I think that's keeping his legacy alive, if you ask me. I don't see anything disrespectful about it. He got his people taking care of it. We all did records that we actually worked on together on the album. These records would have come out whether he was alive or dead, so I think this actually to helps keep his legacy alive. I honestly disagree with that."
The hip-hop star explained that he hopes "Hold My Hand" will reach "another level" and be properly distributed as he and the Jackson team had originally planned.
Last week, will.i.am slammed the project, suggesting that there's no honor in the upcoming release, due in stores December 14. "Whoever put it out and is profiting off of it, I want to see how cold they are," he told EW. "To say that what [Michael] contributed during his life wasn't enough. He just wasn't any ordinary artist. He was a hands-on person. To me it's disrespectful. There's no honoring."
Not only did Akon call his sessions with MJ "amazing," but he also gushed that it was nothing short of a dream come true saying, "He was a very incredible person, very creative. That was really a dream come true on my end. I enjoyed every moment of it."
Do you agree with Akon or will.i.am on the new Michael Jackson album? Share your thoughts below!
Related ArtistsBest Of 2010 | News | Breakout Stars Of 2010
Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj and more made their mark in '10.
Photo: MTV News & Docs
Related Artists
B.o.B - I'll Be In The Sky
- Artist: B.o.B
- Label: Rebel Rock Entertainment / Grand Hustle / Atlantic Records
- Director: Gabriel Hart
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3238990&vid=331708
Akon, Jason Derulo Make 2010 The Year Of The Self-Referential Song
Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Eminem also among the artists who have shouted out their own names in their tunes this year.
By Jocelyn Vena
Akon
Photo: Matt Jelonek/ Getty Images
This past weekend on "Saturday Night Live," Akon joined the Lonely Island guys in a hilarious video for a new song called "I Just Had Sex," in which the singer proudly sings his own name, as well as the group's.
Chelsea Handler, meanwhile also got self-referential at the VMAs, when she Auto-Tuned her way through a pre-taped bit with Best New Artist nominee Jason Derülo. And, to be fair, we here at MTV News have been obsessed with pop stars singing their own names in songs for the bulk of 2010, prompted by Derülo's epic use of the device in several of his hits.
Folks like Derülo, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj ("Right Thru Me"), Kanye West ("Dark Fantasy") and, obviously, Akon join a list of two decades' worth of pop artists who have taken it upon themselves to brand their tracks with their own names. In the '80s, stars like Janet Jackson, Beastie Boys and New Kids on the Block proudly proclaimed who they were in their songs.
Moving into the '90s, "TRL" staples such as the Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Lopez, Kid Rock and Eminem all blasted their monikers on their tracks, letting fans know just who was singing or rapping through hits like Rock's "Bawitdaba" and BSB's "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)."
As the new millennium approached and the musical landscape became more and more flooded with pop stars, it became a regular practice, with everyone from Ciara to M.I.A. to Fergie to Beyoncé to Shakira giving shout-outs to themselves in their songs.
With this practice more common than ever in 2010, MTV News has approved the following rules for self-referential shout-outs. One, you get famous. Two, you brand yourself in song. Three, you put your name in the chorus, or in many cases at the very beginning of the tune. And, four, you name-drop like it's hot. Repeat offenders observing the final rule include Lady Gaga ("Just Dance," "Bad Romance"), Derülo ("Whatcha Say," "In My Head") and Akon, who most recently called out his own name and Michael Jackson's on "Hold My Hand."
What do you think of pop stars singing their own names? Who pulls it off and who doesn't? Tell us in the comments!
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654659/akon-jason-derulo-make-2010-year-selfreferential-song.jhtml
Friday, January 28, 2011
B.o.B - Airplanes
- Artist: B.o.B
- Label: Atlantic
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3238990&vid=529513
B.o.B - Airplanes
- Artist: B.o.B
- Label: Atlantic
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3238990&vid=529513
Akon Recalls Meeting Michael Jackson For The First Time
Before recording 'Hold My Hand,' the two spent quality time together.
By James Montgomery
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In 2007, long before Michael Jackson's death and everything that proceeded it (including the just-released "Hold My Hand" video and the upcoming Michael album), Akon met with the King of Pop in Las Vegas to work on a batch of songs, then intended for MJ's comeback album.
To date, only two of those songs have ever been released: a remix of Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " that appeared on the 25th-anniversary edition of the Thriller album, and, of course, "Hold My Hand." And with the Thursday (December 9) premiere of that song's video — and the pending release of Michael — MTV News went back to our August 2009 interview with Akon, to get the inside story of what it was like to work with MJ. And though the two men recorded "days" of music, what Akon remembers most about those sessions was getting to know Michael Jackson, the man.
"My favorite moment was the day we actually met, because I didn't expect him to be that cool," Akon said. "I expected him to be this diva — just hard to deal with, rarely speaks, got to send his message through someone else, you know? Because these are the stories you hear."
But, as Akon quickly learned, Jackson wasn't a diva — quite the opposite, in fact.
"So I'm going upstairs [to meet him], I knock on the door, his bodyguard opens and says, 'OK, he's waiting to meet you.' I walk in, and [Michael's] in this spinning chair, but it's facing backwards," he said. "So I walk in the room, but his back is turned, and the guard says, 'Hey, Mike, Akon's here.' So he spins around, like it was all choreographed — so, off the top, I'm like, 'Oh boy.'
"But as soon as he turns around, gets up, 'Yo, what up, man?!' and I was like, 'What up, Mike?' and he gave me a pound, we hugged each other," he continued. "He's like, 'Yo, I've been waiting to meet you for so long, this is a great honor, thanks for showing up, thanks for making the time.' And in my mind I'm like, 'You know, I should be thanking you for making the time.' "
And though "Hold My Hand" was born out of the sessions that would soon follow, Akon's greatest memory from meeting MJ was that initial meeting, when all his preconceived notions melted away and he got to spend real time with the legend.
"It was the craziest thing, because we sat down, we talked about Africa, we talked about my foundation, we talked about the music, we talked about girls. We had a great, incredible time that day," he said. "He was extremely funny, he told jokes, and he liked to have fun."
What do you think of MJ and Akon's collabo, "Hold My Hand"? Share your reviews in the comments.
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653929/akon-recalls-meeting-michael-jackson-first-time.jhtml
Akon Recalls Meeting Michael Jackson For The First Time
Before recording 'Hold My Hand,' the two spent quality time together.
By James Montgomery
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
In 2007, long before Michael Jackson's death and everything that proceeded it (including the just-released "Hold My Hand" video and the upcoming Michael album), Akon met with the King of Pop in Las Vegas to work on a batch of songs, then intended for MJ's comeback album.
To date, only two of those songs have ever been released: a remix of Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " that appeared on the 25th-anniversary edition of the Thriller album, and, of course, "Hold My Hand." And with the Thursday (December 9) premiere of that song's video — and the pending release of Michael — MTV News went back to our August 2009 interview with Akon, to get the inside story of what it was like to work with MJ. And though the two men recorded "days" of music, what Akon remembers most about those sessions was getting to know Michael Jackson, the man.
"My favorite moment was the day we actually met, because I didn't expect him to be that cool," Akon said. "I expected him to be this diva — just hard to deal with, rarely speaks, got to send his message through someone else, you know? Because these are the stories you hear."
But, as Akon quickly learned, Jackson wasn't a diva — quite the opposite, in fact.
"So I'm going upstairs [to meet him], I knock on the door, his bodyguard opens and says, 'OK, he's waiting to meet you.' I walk in, and [Michael's] in this spinning chair, but it's facing backwards," he said. "So I walk in the room, but his back is turned, and the guard says, 'Hey, Mike, Akon's here.' So he spins around, like it was all choreographed — so, off the top, I'm like, 'Oh boy.'
"But as soon as he turns around, gets up, 'Yo, what up, man?!' and I was like, 'What up, Mike?' and he gave me a pound, we hugged each other," he continued. "He's like, 'Yo, I've been waiting to meet you for so long, this is a great honor, thanks for showing up, thanks for making the time.' And in my mind I'm like, 'You know, I should be thanking you for making the time.' "
And though "Hold My Hand" was born out of the sessions that would soon follow, Akon's greatest memory from meeting MJ was that initial meeting, when all his preconceived notions melted away and he got to spend real time with the legend.
"It was the craziest thing, because we sat down, we talked about Africa, we talked about my foundation, we talked about the music, we talked about girls. We had a great, incredible time that day," he said. "He was extremely funny, he told jokes, and he liked to have fun."
What do you think of MJ and Akon's collabo, "Hold My Hand"? Share your reviews in the comments.
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653929/akon-recalls-meeting-michael-jackson-first-time.jhtml
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