Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wing Shya: 'I see beauty in everything'
We caught up with Wing Shya at his recent retrospective exhibition in Singapore at Ion Art titled "This is Real." The Hong Kong photographer is reknowned for his fashion photography and videos, as well as his long relationship with Wong Kar-wai as the auteur's exclusive set photographer.
Shya tells us about is natural progression from photography to film.
CNNGo: You are best known for your photography, but have crossed over into film. Last year, you completed your first feature length film "Hot Summer Days." Why the interest in film?
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Shya tells us about is natural progression from photography to film.
CNNGo: You are best known for your photography, but have crossed over into film. Last year, you completed your first feature length film "Hot Summer Days." Why the interest in film?
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Beyonce's 'Run The World (Girls)' To Hit Radio, iTunes Thursday
Singer has also posted a 17-second video teaser on her website.By James Dinh
Beyonce in her "Run The World (Girls)" teaser
Photo: Columbia
A demo version of Beyoncé's new single "Run the World (Girls)" may have made the rounds online earlier this week, and now the singer will unveil the official version sooner than expected.
According to a press release, the club-ready tune, which samples Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor," will hit radio airwaves and iTunes worldwide on Thursday.
Produced by Switch, Beyoncé and Shea Taylor, "Run the World (Girls)" is the lead single from the pop star's yet-untitled fourth studio album. Like her previous smash "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," the singer wrote the girl-power anthem with the help of R&B mastermind The-Dream.
If that weren't enough to appease fans' appetites, the entertainer has also released a 17-second video teaser called the "B Revolution" on her website. The teaser, which appears to be a taste of the song's forthcoming video, begins with a shot of a sunset, a rusty dark car with the word "Revolution" painted on it and a shredded newspaper. B soon appears in an all-white ensemble on top of a horse, which lifts its legs high in the air. The clip appropriately ends with the singer's new "B" logo and the iTunes release message.
While not much is known about the video plot for "Run the World (Girls)," MTV News was lucky enough to speak with the clip's director, Francis Lawrence, on Sunday. "The video's for the songs 'Girls'; it's off her new album," he confirmed. "She would probably have me shot if I said anything. ... Some stuff spilled out, but she wasn't happy about it, so I've been sworn to secrecy."
Despite Lawrence's attempt to stay mum on details, the director revealed that the clip will be a standout among the singer's videography. "It'll be big. It'll probably be one of the bigger Beyoncé music videos ever done," he said. "And I can say that I think the song is unbelievable."
Are you excited for the final version of "Run the World (Girls)"? Let us know in the comments!
Related Artists
Beyoncé
Beyonce in her "Run The World (Girls)" teaser
Photo: Columbia
A demo version of Beyoncé's new single "Run the World (Girls)" may have made the rounds online earlier this week, and now the singer will unveil the official version sooner than expected.
According to a press release, the club-ready tune, which samples Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor," will hit radio airwaves and iTunes worldwide on Thursday.
Produced by Switch, Beyoncé and Shea Taylor, "Run the World (Girls)" is the lead single from the pop star's yet-untitled fourth studio album. Like her previous smash "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," the singer wrote the girl-power anthem with the help of R&B mastermind The-Dream.
If that weren't enough to appease fans' appetites, the entertainer has also released a 17-second video teaser called the "B Revolution" on her website. The teaser, which appears to be a taste of the song's forthcoming video, begins with a shot of a sunset, a rusty dark car with the word "Revolution" painted on it and a shredded newspaper. B soon appears in an all-white ensemble on top of a horse, which lifts its legs high in the air. The clip appropriately ends with the singer's new "B" logo and the iTunes release message.
While not much is known about the video plot for "Run the World (Girls)," MTV News was lucky enough to speak with the clip's director, Francis Lawrence, on Sunday. "The video's for the songs 'Girls'; it's off her new album," he confirmed. "She would probably have me shot if I said anything. ... Some stuff spilled out, but she wasn't happy about it, so I've been sworn to secrecy."
Despite Lawrence's attempt to stay mum on details, the director revealed that the clip will be a standout among the singer's videography. "It'll be big. It'll probably be one of the bigger Beyoncé music videos ever done," he said. "And I can say that I think the song is unbelievable."
Are you excited for the final version of "Run the World (Girls)"? Let us know in the comments!
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Ana Beatriz Barros Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi? Ana Paula Lemes
Win tickets for 2 to Budapest
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Beyonce's 'Run The World (Girls)' To Hit Radio, iTunes Thursday
Singer has also posted a 17-second video teaser on her website.By James Dinh
Beyonce in her "Run The World (Girls)" teaser
Photo: Columbia
A demo version of Beyoncé's new single "Run the World (Girls)" may have made the rounds online earlier this week, and now the singer will unveil the official version sooner than expected.
According to a press release, the club-ready tune, which samples Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor," will hit radio airwaves and iTunes worldwide on Thursday.
Produced by Switch, Beyoncé and Shea Taylor, "Run the World (Girls)" is the lead single from the pop star's yet-untitled fourth studio album. Like her previous smash "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," the singer wrote the girl-power anthem with the help of R&B mastermind The-Dream.
If that weren't enough to appease fans' appetites, the entertainer has also released a 17-second video teaser called the "B Revolution" on her website. The teaser, which appears to be a taste of the song's forthcoming video, begins with a shot of a sunset, a rusty dark car with the word "Revolution" painted on it and a shredded newspaper. B soon appears in an all-white ensemble on top of a horse, which lifts its legs high in the air. The clip appropriately ends with the singer's new "B" logo and the iTunes release message.
While not much is known about the video plot for "Run the World (Girls)," MTV News was lucky enough to speak with the clip's director, Francis Lawrence, on Sunday. "The video's for the songs 'Girls'; it's off her new album," he confirmed. "She would probably have me shot if I said anything. ... Some stuff spilled out, but she wasn't happy about it, so I've been sworn to secrecy."
Despite Lawrence's attempt to stay mum on details, the director revealed that the clip will be a standout among the singer's videography. "It'll be big. It'll probably be one of the bigger Beyoncé music videos ever done," he said. "And I can say that I think the song is unbelievable."
Are you excited for the final version of "Run the World (Girls)"? Let us know in the comments!
Related Artists
Beyoncé
Beyonce in her "Run The World (Girls)" teaser
Photo: Columbia
A demo version of Beyoncé's new single "Run the World (Girls)" may have made the rounds online earlier this week, and now the singer will unveil the official version sooner than expected.
According to a press release, the club-ready tune, which samples Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor," will hit radio airwaves and iTunes worldwide on Thursday.
Produced by Switch, Beyoncé and Shea Taylor, "Run the World (Girls)" is the lead single from the pop star's yet-untitled fourth studio album. Like her previous smash "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," the singer wrote the girl-power anthem with the help of R&B mastermind The-Dream.
If that weren't enough to appease fans' appetites, the entertainer has also released a 17-second video teaser called the "B Revolution" on her website. The teaser, which appears to be a taste of the song's forthcoming video, begins with a shot of a sunset, a rusty dark car with the word "Revolution" painted on it and a shredded newspaper. B soon appears in an all-white ensemble on top of a horse, which lifts its legs high in the air. The clip appropriately ends with the singer's new "B" logo and the iTunes release message.
While not much is known about the video plot for "Run the World (Girls)," MTV News was lucky enough to speak with the clip's director, Francis Lawrence, on Sunday. "The video's for the songs 'Girls'; it's off her new album," he confirmed. "She would probably have me shot if I said anything. ... Some stuff spilled out, but she wasn't happy about it, so I've been sworn to secrecy."
Despite Lawrence's attempt to stay mum on details, the director revealed that the clip will be a standout among the singer's videography. "It'll be big. It'll probably be one of the bigger Beyoncé music videos ever done," he said. "And I can say that I think the song is unbelievable."
Are you excited for the final version of "Run the World (Girls)"? Let us know in the comments!
Related Artists
Beyoncé
Britney Spears 'Comes Alive' In The Studio, will.i.am Says
'She was like a little kid,' the 'Big Fat Bass' producer recalls to MTV News of giddy, 'giggling' Spears.By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway
will.i.am
Photo: MTV News
When will.i.am hit the studio with Britney Spears for her Femme Fatale track "Big Fat Bass," the producer and Black Eyed Peas frontman said the singer was completely engrossed in the recording process.
"[I discovered] her love for music. I never seen anyone, like, come alive, full of excitement and giggling and laughing behind the mic," will recalled to MTV News. "She was like a little kid when she was recording the song and it just brought the whole atmosphere, it changed the whole atmosphere when someone really loves music. So it was great working with her."
Spears expressed a similar sentiment about recording her chart-topping album during her recent "I Am the Femme Fatale" MTV special, which featured a cameo by will.i.am, who was finishing up the party track at the time.
"When you're in the studio, you're just really focused, you're really in your head and in your ears and on the notes," she explains in the show. "And when you're performing, it's more a connection on the outside and more of — like a tiger and more in your body."
Both Brit and will are now industry vets so the BEP singer said he didn't have much advice for the star.
"When someone's excited to go out and just do it, what advice? You don't need no advice. She's just turned on right now. She is [like], 'I like this part right here.' When I say [on the song], 'You all better get ready for the kick drum,' she was already anticipating what she was going to do onstage when that beat broke down," he explained. "Adding that type of perspective ... when we we're recording it, you don't need to give nobody [like Britney] advice."
What's your favorite Femme Fatale track? Tell us in the comments!
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will.i.am
Photo: MTV News
When will.i.am hit the studio with Britney Spears for her Femme Fatale track "Big Fat Bass," the producer and Black Eyed Peas frontman said the singer was completely engrossed in the recording process.
"[I discovered] her love for music. I never seen anyone, like, come alive, full of excitement and giggling and laughing behind the mic," will recalled to MTV News. "She was like a little kid when she was recording the song and it just brought the whole atmosphere, it changed the whole atmosphere when someone really loves music. So it was great working with her."
Spears expressed a similar sentiment about recording her chart-topping album during her recent "I Am the Femme Fatale" MTV special, which featured a cameo by will.i.am, who was finishing up the party track at the time.
"When you're in the studio, you're just really focused, you're really in your head and in your ears and on the notes," she explains in the show. "And when you're performing, it's more a connection on the outside and more of — like a tiger and more in your body."
Both Brit and will are now industry vets so the BEP singer said he didn't have much advice for the star.
"When someone's excited to go out and just do it, what advice? You don't need no advice. She's just turned on right now. She is [like], 'I like this part right here.' When I say [on the song], 'You all better get ready for the kick drum,' she was already anticipating what she was going to do onstage when that beat broke down," he explained. "Adding that type of perspective ... when we we're recording it, you don't need to give nobody [like Britney] advice."
What's your favorite Femme Fatale track? Tell us in the comments!
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Britney Spears: I Am The Femme Fatale
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Candid Moments From 'Britney Spears: I Am The Femme Fatale'
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Photos | The 2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
The 2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
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Friday, April 29, 2011
Poor Beverly
This little girl's life is about to drastically change.
Check back Monday for exciting news.
Check back Monday for exciting news.
Shannon Elizabeth Shannyn Sossamon Shiri Appleby Sienna Guillory
Michael Jackson Doctor's Trial Delayed
Judge pushes start of Conrad Murray's trial back to May.By Gil Kaufman
Conrad Murray
Photo: AFP/ Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Though Conrad Murray's lawyers had been pressing for a speedy trial, a judge in the involuntary manslaughter case against Michael Jackson's doctor ruled on Wednesday to delay opening statements in the proceedings until May.
The Associated Press reported that Murray's attorneys consented to the postponement after they discussed the matter with prosecutors and both agreed they could be ready for trial by May 9.
According to a transcript from the closed-door session, though opening statements will not begin for several months, Murray told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor that he did not want to forfeit his right to a quick trial, but agreed to the delay if screening of prospective jurors begins as scheduled on March 24.
"It is only acceptable to me if this is not strung along over a long period of time," Murray told the justice. "I don't want to lose my constitutional right to speedy trial." Murray — who has pleaded not guilty to the charges — reportedly has been in favor of having the proceedings begin as soon as possible because he is facing financial troubles, but he said he understands that the delay is necessary to allow both sides to prepare for the trial.
Pastor consented because he said he didn't want to lose a jury pool, and believed a month-long delay might let potential jurors shuffle their schedules for the case, which could take up to two months to decide. The judge has reportedly clashed with Murray's defense team in recent weeks, pressing them for answers about why they had not turned over more witness notes and other potential evidence to prosecutors in the run-up to the trial.
Cardiologist Murray was hired to be Jackson's personal physician while the King of Pop prepared for his planned 50-date comeback series of shows at London's O2 arena in the summer of 2009. The doctor told police that he provided the then-50-year-old Jackson with sedatives and the surgical anesthetic propofol in order to combat the singer's chronic insomnia. He said he did so on the morning of June 25, 2009, when Jackson died of what a coroner deemed acute propofol poisoning.
Murray's lawyers reportedly plan to argue that Jackson was already in weak health before he died, that it's unfair to blame propofol for his passing and that, if the anesthetic was to blame, the pop superstar may have given himself the fatal dose by drinking the drug in a panic.
A status hearing in the case has been set for this Wednesday.
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Conrad Murray
Photo: AFP/ Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Though Conrad Murray's lawyers had been pressing for a speedy trial, a judge in the involuntary manslaughter case against Michael Jackson's doctor ruled on Wednesday to delay opening statements in the proceedings until May.
The Associated Press reported that Murray's attorneys consented to the postponement after they discussed the matter with prosecutors and both agreed they could be ready for trial by May 9.
According to a transcript from the closed-door session, though opening statements will not begin for several months, Murray told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor that he did not want to forfeit his right to a quick trial, but agreed to the delay if screening of prospective jurors begins as scheduled on March 24.
"It is only acceptable to me if this is not strung along over a long period of time," Murray told the justice. "I don't want to lose my constitutional right to speedy trial." Murray — who has pleaded not guilty to the charges — reportedly has been in favor of having the proceedings begin as soon as possible because he is facing financial troubles, but he said he understands that the delay is necessary to allow both sides to prepare for the trial.
Pastor consented because he said he didn't want to lose a jury pool, and believed a month-long delay might let potential jurors shuffle their schedules for the case, which could take up to two months to decide. The judge has reportedly clashed with Murray's defense team in recent weeks, pressing them for answers about why they had not turned over more witness notes and other potential evidence to prosecutors in the run-up to the trial.
Cardiologist Murray was hired to be Jackson's personal physician while the King of Pop prepared for his planned 50-date comeback series of shows at London's O2 arena in the summer of 2009. The doctor told police that he provided the then-50-year-old Jackson with sedatives and the surgical anesthetic propofol in order to combat the singer's chronic insomnia. He said he did so on the morning of June 25, 2009, when Jackson died of what a coroner deemed acute propofol poisoning.
Murray's lawyers reportedly plan to argue that Jackson was already in weak health before he died, that it's unfair to blame propofol for his passing and that, if the anesthetic was to blame, the pop superstar may have given himself the fatal dose by drinking the drug in a panic.
A status hearing in the case has been set for this Wednesday.
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Usher - Trading Places
Trading Places
Artist: Usher
Label: Zomba/LaFace Records
Director: Chris Robinson
Album: Here I Stand
Artist: Usher
Label: Zomba/LaFace Records
Director: Chris Robinson
Album: Here I Stand
Emma Stone Emma Watson Emmanuelle Chriqui Emmanuelle Vaugier
Superman Renounces His US Citizenship In Action Comics #900
Ever since his creation, the alien super man named Kal-El who crash landed on Earth in the comic book series Superman has always been a US citizen. His adoptive parents in Kansas instilled him a respect for “truth, justice and the American way”. But in Action Comics #900, Superman will denounce his US citizenship after [...]
Monday, April 11, 2011
Britney Spears Teams Up With Rihanna For ?S&M? Remix (Listen Here!)
Britney Spears Teams Up With Rihanna For “S&M” Remix (Listen Here!) Rihanna and Britney Spears have teamed up to do a remix of Rihanna’s track “S&M”.� Listen to it below! Rihanna has called Britney Spears [...]Britney Spears Teams Up With Rihanna For “S&M” Remix (Listen Here!) Stupid Celebrities Gossip
Usher - There Goes My Baby
There Goes My Baby
Artist: Usher
Label: LaFace Records, JLG
Director: Anthony Mandler
Artist: Usher
Label: LaFace Records, JLG
Director: Anthony Mandler
Gucci Mane & Waka Flocka Flame, "Pattycake"
What a week: Weezy's free, TI isn't, Kanye West hurt Georgie's feelings, The Anthology of Rap is woefully inaccurate, Hammer hated on Jay, Cudi quit...
Meanwhile, on Earth, Waka Flocka was relatively lauded by Pitchfork and Gucci Mane was jailed for driving shitty way too early in the morning but quickly (whew) released. So let us [...]
Meanwhile, on Earth, Waka Flocka was relatively lauded by Pitchfork and Gucci Mane was jailed for driving shitty way too early in the morning but quickly (whew) released. So let us [...]
Scarlett Chorvat Scarlett Johansson Selita Ebanks Shakara Ledard
Ke$ha - Your Love Is My Drug
Your Love Is My Drug
Artist: Ke$ha
Label: RCA
Director: Honey
Artist: Ke$ha
Label: RCA
Director: Honey
Melissa George Melissa Howard Melissa Joan Hart Melissa Rycroft
Links for 2007-10-18 [del.icio.us]
Stupid Celebrities Gossip » Myspace Drama, Riley Giles and Bree Tierney
Bree Tierney and Riley Giles get into a heated argument on Myspace after Bree started talking with the media about the two of them. You can thank lindsay Lohan for this one!
Check out the story
Bree Tierney and Riley Giles get into a heated argument on Myspace after Bree started talking with the media about the two of them. You can thank lindsay Lohan for this one!
Check out the story
Saturday, April 9, 2011
David McNeill: Why I love Japan even more since the earthquake
A week into Japan?s crisis, when many of my spooked friends had
already decamped west, south or abroad, I urged my pregnant partner Nanako to leave
Tokyo for the apparent safety of Kansai. She wasn?t happy and
for good reason: I was staying behind, her parents were in Tokyo and she knew
nobody in Osaka.
Two days before, my sister and boyfriend had cut short a holiday
in Japan and flown to Hong Kong after a painful haranguing from my mother in
Ireland.
Before Nanako and I left for Shinagawa Station there was another
strong earthquake, a report on the radio about potentially catastrophic
radiation from the Fukushima plant and a warning by the Irish Embassy in Tokyo that pregnant women should avoid the capital.read more
already decamped west, south or abroad, I urged my pregnant partner Nanako to leave
Tokyo for the apparent safety of Kansai. She wasn?t happy and
for good reason: I was staying behind, her parents were in Tokyo and she knew
nobody in Osaka.
Two days before, my sister and boyfriend had cut short a holiday
in Japan and flown to Hong Kong after a painful haranguing from my mother in
Ireland.
Before Nanako and I left for Shinagawa Station there was another
strong earthquake, a report on the radio about potentially catastrophic
radiation from the Fukushima plant and a warning by the Irish Embassy in Tokyo that pregnant women should avoid the capital.read more
Beyonce May Work With Diplo, Sleigh Bells On New Album
Producer says he was 'in NYC tryin' to make tracks' for B and Bells' songwriter/guitarist.By James Montgomery
Beyonce
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ WireImage
Over the years, Diplo has worked with everyone from Thom Yorke to Spank Rock (and, of course, M.I.A.) so perhaps it should come as no surprise that, for his next collaboration, he's chosen to work with none other than Beyoncé. Oh, and electro-slammers Sleigh Bells, too. It all makes sense, in some bizarre way.
This is according to Dip himself, who posted a message — and a remix of the Sleigh Bells track "Tell 'Em" — on his blog, in which he let it be known that he, his production partner Switch and Sleigh Bells' songwriter/guitarist Derek Miller just wrapped sessions for Beyoncé's follow-up to I Am ... Sasha Fierce. He wasn't quite sure what would come of the tracks they created.
"Me and Switch was in [the] studio in NYC tryin' to make tracks with Derek and Beyoncé last week after we played her team [Sleigh Bells'] album," Diplo wrote. "Dunno if we gonna manage to finish, but [it] was good times."
At the very least, you know Bey's husband, indie-rock fan Jay-Z, is pumped by the news. Diplo is just the latest in an ever-growing list of top-flight producers who have worked with Beyoncé in recent months. There's still no release date or tentative title for her upcoming album, but she's logged studio time with the likes of S1 (he of "Power" fame), Ne-Yo, Sean Garrett and Jim Jonsin.
A spokesperson for Beyoncé did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the Diplo tracks by press time.
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Beyonce
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ WireImage
Over the years, Diplo has worked with everyone from Thom Yorke to Spank Rock (and, of course, M.I.A.) so perhaps it should come as no surprise that, for his next collaboration, he's chosen to work with none other than Beyoncé. Oh, and electro-slammers Sleigh Bells, too. It all makes sense, in some bizarre way.
This is according to Dip himself, who posted a message — and a remix of the Sleigh Bells track "Tell 'Em" — on his blog, in which he let it be known that he, his production partner Switch and Sleigh Bells' songwriter/guitarist Derek Miller just wrapped sessions for Beyoncé's follow-up to I Am ... Sasha Fierce. He wasn't quite sure what would come of the tracks they created.
"Me and Switch was in [the] studio in NYC tryin' to make tracks with Derek and Beyoncé last week after we played her team [Sleigh Bells'] album," Diplo wrote. "Dunno if we gonna manage to finish, but [it] was good times."
At the very least, you know Bey's husband, indie-rock fan Jay-Z, is pumped by the news. Diplo is just the latest in an ever-growing list of top-flight producers who have worked with Beyoncé in recent months. There's still no release date or tentative title for her upcoming album, but she's logged studio time with the likes of S1 (he of "Power" fame), Ne-Yo, Sean Garrett and Jim Jonsin.
A spokesperson for Beyoncé did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the Diplo tracks by press time.
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'Game:' Mucked-up murder mystery
Abhinay Deo's "Game" is the classic whodunit movie. If by whodunit you mean knowing exactly whodunit five scenes into the movie. read more
'Game:' Mucked-up murder mystery
Abhinay Deo's "Game" is the classic whodunit movie. If by whodunit you mean knowing exactly whodunit five scenes into the movie. read more
Photos | Performances At The 10th Annual BMI Urban Awards
Performances At The 10th Annual BMI Urban Awards
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Michael Jackson - Beat It
Beat It
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: Bob Giraldi
Album: Thriller [Bonus Tracks]
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: Bob Giraldi
Album: Thriller [Bonus Tracks]
Justin Bieber Passes Michael Jackson's Box-Office Record
'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never' has outgrossed MJ's 'This Is It' in U.S.By Gil Kaufman
Justin Bieber in "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount Pictures
Michael Jackson may have dubbed himself the King of Pop, but the late icon didn't hold the box-office crown for long. Less than a year after the posthumous MJ documentary "This Is It" became the most successful concert-themed film in U.S. history, Justin Bieber is poised to snatch the mantle.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" has earned $72.2 million in domestic box office so far, passing Jackson's $72.1 million haul. And while Bieber has racked up those impressive numbers in just six weeks, he's got a long way to go before he laps the global receipts for the MJ doc.
"This Is It" has grossed $189.1 million overseas for a global total of $261.2 million. Music films don't typically play well overseas, and THR noted that "Never Say Never" has grossed a more modest $10.8 million overseas so far, with Paramount executives predicting that it could top out around $20 million internationally.
The impressive U.S. numbers were likely goosed by the re-release of the film recently with 40 additional minutes of bonus footage from director Jon M. Chu. Bieber still has a little way to go to climb the list of the top-grossing documentaries of all time. "Never Say Never" is currently stalled out at the #3 position, around $5 million behind "March of the Penguins," according to Box Office Mojo, and well short of the all-time record held by Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which has taken in $119.1 million to date.
Bieber set off a classic MJ-style fan frenzy a few weeks ago when he visited Liverpool, England, for his world tour. And just a week later, he posed with his new wax figure at London's Madame Tussauds, checking off another item on the list of milestones to an MJ-like career.
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Michael Jackson
Justin Bieber in "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount Pictures
Michael Jackson may have dubbed himself the King of Pop, but the late icon didn't hold the box-office crown for long. Less than a year after the posthumous MJ documentary "This Is It" became the most successful concert-themed film in U.S. history, Justin Bieber is poised to snatch the mantle.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" has earned $72.2 million in domestic box office so far, passing Jackson's $72.1 million haul. And while Bieber has racked up those impressive numbers in just six weeks, he's got a long way to go before he laps the global receipts for the MJ doc.
"This Is It" has grossed $189.1 million overseas for a global total of $261.2 million. Music films don't typically play well overseas, and THR noted that "Never Say Never" has grossed a more modest $10.8 million overseas so far, with Paramount executives predicting that it could top out around $20 million internationally.
The impressive U.S. numbers were likely goosed by the re-release of the film recently with 40 additional minutes of bonus footage from director Jon M. Chu. Bieber still has a little way to go to climb the list of the top-grossing documentaries of all time. "Never Say Never" is currently stalled out at the #3 position, around $5 million behind "March of the Penguins," according to Box Office Mojo, and well short of the all-time record held by Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which has taken in $119.1 million to date.
Bieber set off a classic MJ-style fan frenzy a few weeks ago when he visited Liverpool, England, for his world tour. And just a week later, he posed with his new wax figure at London's Madame Tussauds, checking off another item on the list of milestones to an MJ-like career.
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Beyonce Donated Gadhafi Money To Haiti Relief Last Year
Music industry urges other stars who played for Libyan dictator's family to donate their earnings.By Gil Kaufman
Beyonce
Photo: Al Pereira/ WireImage
Just days after singer Nelly Furtado announced that she planned to donate to charity money she received for playing a concert for the family of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, a spokesperson for Beyoncé said that the "Halo" singer had already done the same.
Documents obtained by the WikiLeaks website revealed that stars including Beyoncé, Usher and Mariah Carey had played big-paycheck gigs for Gadhafi. On Monday, Rolling Stone magazine reported that the industry was urging the stars (noting that rapper 50 Cent had also played such gigs) to return the money they earned for the concerts.
"They've done it for tons of artists," an unnamed music-business source told the magazine about lavish parties by Gadhafi's son, Muatassim, which are reportedly often "jammed" with supermodels. "Those guys are all over the world."
On Wednesday, a rep for Beyoncé — who played a New Year's Eve gig for Muatassim with Usher on the Caribbean island of St. Barts in 2009 — told the Huffington Post that the singer had long ago resolved the matter.
"All monies paid to Beyoncé for her performance at a private party at Nikki Beach St. Barts on New Year's Eve 2009, including the commissions paid to her booking agency, were donated to the earthquake relief efforts for Haiti over a year ago," her publicist said. "Once it became known that the third-party promoter was linked to the Qaddafi family, the decision was made to put that payment to a good cause."
The money was donated to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, established in the wake of last year's devastating earthquake, and a spokesperson for the fund confirmed that it received the $1 million check in the weeks after the January 2010 earthquake.
According to her official Twitter feed, Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado confirmed on Monday that she once did a show for the dictator's family and now plans to donate the money to charity. "In 2007, I received 1million$ from the Gadhafi clan to perform a 45 min. show for guests at a hotel in Italy," she wrote on Monday. "I am going to donate the $."
The star-studded shows were part of the extravagant lifestyle of the dictator's sons, whose splashy parties and out-of-control spending have angered their countrymen, many of whom wallow in poverty as the Gadhafi clan benefits from the country's oil riches.
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Beyonce
Photo: Al Pereira/ WireImage
Just days after singer Nelly Furtado announced that she planned to donate to charity money she received for playing a concert for the family of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, a spokesperson for Beyoncé said that the "Halo" singer had already done the same.
Documents obtained by the WikiLeaks website revealed that stars including Beyoncé, Usher and Mariah Carey had played big-paycheck gigs for Gadhafi. On Monday, Rolling Stone magazine reported that the industry was urging the stars (noting that rapper 50 Cent had also played such gigs) to return the money they earned for the concerts.
"They've done it for tons of artists," an unnamed music-business source told the magazine about lavish parties by Gadhafi's son, Muatassim, which are reportedly often "jammed" with supermodels. "Those guys are all over the world."
On Wednesday, a rep for Beyoncé — who played a New Year's Eve gig for Muatassim with Usher on the Caribbean island of St. Barts in 2009 — told the Huffington Post that the singer had long ago resolved the matter.
"All monies paid to Beyoncé for her performance at a private party at Nikki Beach St. Barts on New Year's Eve 2009, including the commissions paid to her booking agency, were donated to the earthquake relief efforts for Haiti over a year ago," her publicist said. "Once it became known that the third-party promoter was linked to the Qaddafi family, the decision was made to put that payment to a good cause."
The money was donated to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, established in the wake of last year's devastating earthquake, and a spokesperson for the fund confirmed that it received the $1 million check in the weeks after the January 2010 earthquake.
According to her official Twitter feed, Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado confirmed on Monday that she once did a show for the dictator's family and now plans to donate the money to charity. "In 2007, I received 1million$ from the Gadhafi clan to perform a 45 min. show for guests at a hotel in Italy," she wrote on Monday. "I am going to donate the $."
The star-studded shows were part of the extravagant lifestyle of the dictator's sons, whose splashy parties and out-of-control spending have angered their countrymen, many of whom wallow in poverty as the Gadhafi clan benefits from the country's oil riches.
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'Games Of Thrones' Documentary Debuts In Today's Dailies
We're but ten days away from the premiere of HBO's long-awaited new drama "Game of Thrones." For a show that already has a built-in audience, there's been plenty to tide fans and intrigued viewers over.
In addition to showing the first fourteen minutes of the debut episode of the saga, you can kill some time [...]
In addition to showing the first fourteen minutes of the debut episode of the saga, you can kill some time [...]
Bonnie-Jill Laflin Bridget Moynahan Britney Spears Brittany Daniel
Friday, April 8, 2011
Photos | What Beyonce Might Be Like At Home
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Links for 2008-03-21 [del.icio.us]
Chloe Marshall Sweet 16 headed to Miss England 2008
Chloe Marshall of the UK has just won the Miss Surrey 2008 beauty pageant. She is now advancing towards the Miss England contest, which is opened to females ages 17-24. If Chloe Marshall can win the Miss England 2008 pageant, she will advance to the Miss
Chloe Marshall of the UK has just won the Miss Surrey 2008 beauty pageant. She is now advancing towards the Miss England contest, which is opened to females ages 17-24. If Chloe Marshall can win the Miss England 2008 pageant, she will advance to the Miss
Australian government plans to ban cigarette packaging
Health professionals have thrown their weight behind the Federal Government?s initiative to ban brand
packaging of cigarettes -- the first of its kind in the world.
But the
tobacco industry has vowed legal action against the plan that would make all packs a generic olive green. The legislative changes would ensure 75 percent of the front and most of the
back of cigarette packets were covered in health warnings.
The Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, told the ABC she wants the new laws in place by 2012.
"This world first is a step we're taking after a lot
of work," said Roxon.read more
packaging of cigarettes -- the first of its kind in the world.
But the
tobacco industry has vowed legal action against the plan that would make all packs a generic olive green. The legislative changes would ensure 75 percent of the front and most of the
back of cigarette packets were covered in health warnings.
The Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, told the ABC she wants the new laws in place by 2012.
"This world first is a step we're taking after a lot
of work," said Roxon.read more
Chris Cornell Filling In For Robert Plant On Led Zeppelin Tour? That's News To Him
'I have not been approached to fill in for Robert Plant on the Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be,' singer says.By Chris Harris
Chris Cornell
Photo: MTV News
Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell has spoken out for the first time about rumors that he's been asked to fill in for Robert Plant on a proposed Led Zeppelin reunion tour. The trek would feature original guitarist Jimmy Page, original bassist John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham taking over on drums for his late father, John Bonham.
Cornell has been mentioned — along with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, White Stripes mastermind Jack White and Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy — as a potential Plant fill-in. Plant has already said that he wouldn't take part in the tour.
"I have not been approached so far to fill in for Robert Plant on the upcoming Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be," Cornell told MTV News. "I've heard that from about 200 people now, and it might be one of those situations where it's just an online rumor or it might be true. But if you see anyone from Led Zeppelin around, let me know. I think I should actually fill in for Jimmy Page on the Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss tour."
Cornell's denial comes just a day after Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford confirmed reports that frontman Steven Tyler recently met with Zeppelin for an impromptu jam session. "They did it for fun," Whitford said during an appearance on the syndicated show "Todd N Tyler Radio Empire." "I actually think Jimmy wanted Steven to come over and play a little bit because I think he was trying to light a fire under Robert."
Rumors of a Zeppelin reunion tour have abounded since the iconic band played a single reunion set last year at London's O2 Arena. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider added fuel to the fire last month when he revealed that the group was thinking of touring, with or without Plant.
According to Snider, the rest of the band told Plant, " 'We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid [Myles Kennedy].' "
"And he can sing the sh-- out of Zeppelin," Snider added. "They're going to hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, 'OK,' and step in."
In a recent interview, Jones told BBC Radio Devon that a new singer was being sought to take over for Plant. "We are trying out a couple of singers," he said. "We want to do it. It's sounding great, and we want to get on and get out there."
But Jones insists that he, Page and Bonham aren't interested in finding a Plant clone. "It's got to be right," he said. "There's no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be onboard."
Of course, even if Zeppelin were to approach him, Cornell might be too busy to take over vocals for the band. His upcoming Timbaland-produced solo LP, Scream, will be released within the next few months. Cornell told MTV News last month that some of his fans might consider Scream something of a departure, but he doesn't see it that way.
"It makes me happy that there's this perception that I have a group of fans that I'm now sort of throwing a curve at and what their reaction will be," he said. "But I've been in this situation so many times already. When I put out [1999's] Euphoria Morning, my main goal was to create an album that sounded like nothing I'd done in Soundgarden, and I did that. I also had that with Temple of the Dog, where I showed up with songs that weren't necessarily riff-based. And then, of course, the pairing of me and members of Rage Against the Machine had everyone sort of speculating about what that would sound like.
"It feels like I've done this so many times that when it's presented to me as being a departure, I feel that's a misconception," he added. "I feel like that's my theme at this point."
Related Artists
Chris Cornell
Led Zeppelin
Chris Cornell
Photo: MTV News
Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell has spoken out for the first time about rumors that he's been asked to fill in for Robert Plant on a proposed Led Zeppelin reunion tour. The trek would feature original guitarist Jimmy Page, original bassist John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham taking over on drums for his late father, John Bonham.
Cornell has been mentioned — along with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, White Stripes mastermind Jack White and Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy — as a potential Plant fill-in. Plant has already said that he wouldn't take part in the tour.
"I have not been approached so far to fill in for Robert Plant on the upcoming Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be," Cornell told MTV News. "I've heard that from about 200 people now, and it might be one of those situations where it's just an online rumor or it might be true. But if you see anyone from Led Zeppelin around, let me know. I think I should actually fill in for Jimmy Page on the Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss tour."
Cornell's denial comes just a day after Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford confirmed reports that frontman Steven Tyler recently met with Zeppelin for an impromptu jam session. "They did it for fun," Whitford said during an appearance on the syndicated show "Todd N Tyler Radio Empire." "I actually think Jimmy wanted Steven to come over and play a little bit because I think he was trying to light a fire under Robert."
Rumors of a Zeppelin reunion tour have abounded since the iconic band played a single reunion set last year at London's O2 Arena. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider added fuel to the fire last month when he revealed that the group was thinking of touring, with or without Plant.
According to Snider, the rest of the band told Plant, " 'We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid [Myles Kennedy].' "
"And he can sing the sh-- out of Zeppelin," Snider added. "They're going to hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, 'OK,' and step in."
In a recent interview, Jones told BBC Radio Devon that a new singer was being sought to take over for Plant. "We are trying out a couple of singers," he said. "We want to do it. It's sounding great, and we want to get on and get out there."
But Jones insists that he, Page and Bonham aren't interested in finding a Plant clone. "It's got to be right," he said. "There's no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be onboard."
Of course, even if Zeppelin were to approach him, Cornell might be too busy to take over vocals for the band. His upcoming Timbaland-produced solo LP, Scream, will be released within the next few months. Cornell told MTV News last month that some of his fans might consider Scream something of a departure, but he doesn't see it that way.
"It makes me happy that there's this perception that I have a group of fans that I'm now sort of throwing a curve at and what their reaction will be," he said. "But I've been in this situation so many times already. When I put out [1999's] Euphoria Morning, my main goal was to create an album that sounded like nothing I'd done in Soundgarden, and I did that. I also had that with Temple of the Dog, where I showed up with songs that weren't necessarily riff-based. And then, of course, the pairing of me and members of Rage Against the Machine had everyone sort of speculating about what that would sound like.
"It feels like I've done this so many times that when it's presented to me as being a departure, I feel that's a misconception," he added. "I feel like that's my theme at this point."
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Thursday Juice
Thursday JuiceKarina Smirnoff Flashes the Cameras–Girls Talkin Smack Carrie Underwood Talks About Movie Debut–Tonic Gossip Donald Trump Bashes President Obama–Bitten and Bound Lady Gaga Argues with [...]Thursday Juice Stupid Celebrities Gossip
Beyoncé - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Hype Williams
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Hype Williams
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Usher - Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)
Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)
Artist: Usher
Label: JLG
Director: Chris Robinson
Album: Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)
Artist: Usher
Label: JLG
Director: Chris Robinson
Album: Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)
Melissa Joan Hart Melissa Rycroft Melissa Sagemiller Mena Suvari
Photos | What Beyonce Might Be Like At Home
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Vanessa Simmons Veronica Kay Veronika Va?eková Victoria Beckham
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Watch: Ryan Gosling Gets Nekkid In The Trailer For ?Crazy Stupid Love?
Hold on to your hats (and other things), y’all cuz I’ve got a video clip that YOU MUST see. A trailer for the new Steve Carell film Crazy Stupid Love has made its way to the Internets and in the clip, co-star Ryan Gosling gets NEKKID! Now, before you blow your collective tops, because it’s [...]
Brittany Snow Recalls Smelly Tutor On 'When I Was 17'
The 'Harry's Law' star remembers a malodorous encounter she had with a private teacher while working on the TV series 'American Dreams.'By MTV News Staff
Brittany Snow on "When I Was 17"
Photo: MTV News
Brittany Snow says that at age 17 she "very shy and pretty dorky," but she also happened to be the star of the show "American Dreams." That success was accompanied by on-set tutoring for the then-teenage actress. And, as Snow reveals on this week's episode of "When I Was 17," which premieres on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT, some lessons learned while getting schooled on the set of a TV series can differ greatly from those imparted in a traditional classroom.
"When I was 17, I was on a show called 'American Dreams.' I also had to finish high school so I was doing three or four takes of a scene [then] rushing to the tutoring trailer," the current star of "Harry's Law" explains during the newest installment of the MTV series, which also features TV personality LaLa Vazquez and "Pretty Little Liars" actress Ashley Benson.
"I figured out a way to do the least amount of work as possible," she recalls, before joking, "Which I guess is not good to say to the MTV audience. My friend Vanessa [Lengies], who I worked with, we were being tutored by this one lady who will remain nameless. We always noticed that there was this smell in the trailer."
Adds Lengies, "It got so bad you couldn't even be in the room for more than five minutes. We had to find the source of this awful, wretched smell."
So, the two ladies began to investigate the cause of the odor. "About a week later, we found the tutor was keeping all this food in the storage cabinet with our books," Snow remembers.
And, as it turns out, it was the smelliest kind of food imaginable. "We opened the cabinet and both of us were like, 'Oh my God,' " Lengies says. "There were old eggs, there was an onion in there."
Snow explains that they then decided to take matters into their own hands. "Just, like, that does not need to be incorporated with our curriculum. Vanessa and I decided to disinfect the entire trailer," the actress says. "I have no idea why she was keeping eggs in a cabinet, but to each their own."
"When I Was 17" — this week featuring Brittany Snow, La La Vazquez and Ashley Benson — airs on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV.
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Brittany Snow on "When I Was 17"
Photo: MTV News
Brittany Snow says that at age 17 she "very shy and pretty dorky," but she also happened to be the star of the show "American Dreams." That success was accompanied by on-set tutoring for the then-teenage actress. And, as Snow reveals on this week's episode of "When I Was 17," which premieres on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT, some lessons learned while getting schooled on the set of a TV series can differ greatly from those imparted in a traditional classroom.
"When I was 17, I was on a show called 'American Dreams.' I also had to finish high school so I was doing three or four takes of a scene [then] rushing to the tutoring trailer," the current star of "Harry's Law" explains during the newest installment of the MTV series, which also features TV personality LaLa Vazquez and "Pretty Little Liars" actress Ashley Benson.
"I figured out a way to do the least amount of work as possible," she recalls, before joking, "Which I guess is not good to say to the MTV audience. My friend Vanessa [Lengies], who I worked with, we were being tutored by this one lady who will remain nameless. We always noticed that there was this smell in the trailer."
Adds Lengies, "It got so bad you couldn't even be in the room for more than five minutes. We had to find the source of this awful, wretched smell."
So, the two ladies began to investigate the cause of the odor. "About a week later, we found the tutor was keeping all this food in the storage cabinet with our books," Snow remembers.
And, as it turns out, it was the smelliest kind of food imaginable. "We opened the cabinet and both of us were like, 'Oh my God,' " Lengies says. "There were old eggs, there was an onion in there."
Snow explains that they then decided to take matters into their own hands. "Just, like, that does not need to be incorporated with our curriculum. Vanessa and I decided to disinfect the entire trailer," the actress says. "I have no idea why she was keeping eggs in a cabinet, but to each their own."
"When I Was 17" — this week featuring Brittany Snow, La La Vazquez and Ashley Benson — airs on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV.
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Check Out A Preview Of 'When I Was 17'
Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year
Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.By James Montgomery with MTV News staff
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."
He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.
You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.
Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.
And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.
And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.
To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.
"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."
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Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."
He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.
You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.
Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.
And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.
And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.
To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.
"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."
Related Videos
Grammy Awards 2009: Hottest Moments
Related Artists
Robert Plant
Alison Krauss
Led Zeppelin
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