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Tik Tok

Artist: Ke$ha
Label: RCA
Director: Syndrome
Album: Animal [Clean]

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Singer teases his new project by pointing to past hits like 'Yeah!' and 'OMG.'
By James Montgomery

Brittany Daniel
Usher
Photo: MTV News

With the success of songs like "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," "Hot Tottie" and "OMG," Usher had himself a fairly massive 2010. But rather than rest on his laurels, he's looking to build on his big year, not with an album, but with a "movement."

It's something he's calling "Rev Pop" — or, simply, "Rev" — and though he's already teased his idea in a video with David Guetta (Akon is also involved), he has yet to speak in full about it. So when MTV News caught up with Ush before the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the (Belvedere) RED launch party, we asked him about his next musical endeavor. And though he didn't reveal much, he did let it be known that "Rev" isn't exactly something new. In Jessica Simpson fact, he's been doing Halle Berry it for a while now.

"I'll give it to you this way: At a later date, I'll tell you more about Rev Pop, but if I were to give you a flash: I've done it before, I did it with 'Yeah!' " he said, "taking a cultural experience, and also worldwide recognition of a feeling, and putting the soul in the middle of it. Not allowing it to shift heavily to R&B genre, or pop. I did it again with 'OMG,' once again putting the soul in the middle of it, which was an electric-pop Dominique Swain experience, with the soul.

"It's bringing those elements together to tell a story, that was born here," he said, gesturing toward his heart, "And that's what Rev Pop is. There's more, I mean, I could really elaborate, but that's just what I'm going to tell you right now. 'Rev' is what it's called ... the movement is called Rev."

Usher wouldn't say just when his fans would be getting their first taste of Rev, but whenever they do, it sounds like they're going to be impressed ... if not a little shocked.

"Stay alive," he smiled, "Because you're definitely going to be in for a surprise."

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I have all but abandoned this blog and, for that, I am sorry. I am, however, going to get back to it because... wait for it, wait for it... I'm moving to LA for six months starting in June and I'm going to share every dirty detail with you!

You see, Mark and my good friend Patty are executive producers of a new television show that will be taping in New York Cindy Crawford from April Scott June to November. Instead of him getting his own apartment here, we thought it would be more fun to trade places. It's going to be like The Holiday and I get to be Kate Winslet. I'M GOING TO HAVE A CAR AND EVERYTHING. (Watch. Out.)

Dania Ramirez

I'm looking forward to a change of scenery and have other friends Ehrinn Cummings out there besides him. Also, the movie is being released at the end of September, so it will be fun to be out there for that.

So anyway, that's what I've been up to—planning all this and getting ready for my (temporary) move. Stay tuned!

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Victoria Amber Valletta Justice, Christina Milian and more pick a range of Brit classics like 'Slave 4 U' and new-school bangers like 'Till the World Ends.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias

Selena Hilarie Burton Gomez
Photo: MTV News Cheryl Burke

On Wednesday night in Los Angeles, Britney Spears ' supporters gathered to help the star raise funds for the St. Bernard Project . The Louisiana-based nonprofit helps those affected by Hurricane Katrina to rebuild their homes and their lives. And while much of the talk focused on the good the charity does, MTV News also asked the celeb guests which of Spears' songs would make the final cut on their playlists.

Britney fanatic Selena Gomez said, "Oh goodness! 'Slave 4 U,' that will always be, 'cause that was when it was like, 'Oh, she's not a girl anymore, she's a woman.' The controversy, I loved it!"

Christina Milian preferred one of Brit's more heartfelt songs. " 'Everytime,' it's emotional, and she's beautiful," Ali Larter Milian told us on the event's red carpet, where we saw a number of stars, including Kim Kardashian and Kellan Lutz. "She sang it great."

Spears' "Crossroads" co-star Taryn Manning knew Spears way back when, but her favorite song is a more contemporary Britney tune. " 'Till the World Ends' is incredible," she dished. "I think it's seriously one of her best songs, probably the reason why she went platinum like that."

Sabi, Spears' "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" collaborator, who's set to hit up some Femme Fatale Tour shows this summer, said, "Really, my favorite song had to be 'Toxic' or Slave 4 U. It's between those two. I just think those two are like so sexy, badass songs."

Hilary Duff found it hard to narrow it down. "I like everything," she said. "I liked the whole 'Toxic' thing. I really liked 'Womanizer'."

When Victoria Justice listens to Spears, she likes to kick it old school. "I'm a really big fan of her older stuff," she told us, "So, like, 'Overprotected' and 'Lucky'."

"Vampire Diaries" star Kat Graham enjoys both old and new Britney Spears. "I like 'Hold It Against Me,' I must say. I'm just kind of in with the times right now," she said. "But '... Baby One More Time' is always a classic."

What's your all-time favorite Britney song? Let us know in the comments!

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Halo

Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music

Ali Larter

Director: Philip Andelman
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce

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Spotlight

Artist: Usher
Label: Warner Bros. Records, Asylum, Mizay Ent
Director: Benny Boom
Album: The State vs. Radric Davis

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Piece of Me

Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Wayne Isham
Album: Blackout

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Spears fan site Breathe Heavy announces the latest release.
By Jocelyn Vena

Amanda Righetti
Britney Spears
Photo: Jive Erica Leerhsen

While there's been lots of speculation about Britney Spears ' next single, on Tuesday (May 10), it was announced that Spears would release "I Wanna Go" next from Femme Fatale.

The announcement about the track, produced by Max Martin and Shellback ("3," "If U Seek Amy"), came via Alessandra Ambrosio Spears fan site Breathe Heavy . "BreatheHeavy.com can officially announce Britney's third music video off Femme Fatale is 'I Wanna Go,' " the post reads. "The shoot will take place May 25-26 in Los Angeles."

"I Wanna Go" is a funky dance track about going out, letting loose and having a great time, regardless of the consequences. On the song, Spears coos, "Lately I've been stuck imaginin'/ What I wanna do and what I really think, time to blow out/ Be a little inappropriate 'cause I know that everybody's/ Thinkin' it when the lights out/ Shame on me/ To need release/ Un-uncontrollably."

A rep for Spears had not responded to MTV News' request Ivana Bozilovic for confirmation by press time.

This single follows "Hold It Against Me" and "Till the World Ends" (both the album cut and Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha-fied remix ), as Spears readies to hit the road this June with Minaj.

"I feel like Britney kind of has her own genre: If you look at songs like 'Toxic' and 'Piece of Me' and 'Oops! ... I Did It Again,' they all were sort of influential and led the way," Dr. Luke, who worked with Spears on Femme Fatale, recently told MTV News. "She wanted to keep on with that and do stuff that was forward-thinking [for this album]. So we put some dubstep stuff in there, in bridges; snuck it in different places."

Are you happy "I Wanna Go" is the next single? Let us know in the comments!

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Foursome is joined by special guests and tons of lights for smash-hit medley.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Black Eyed Peas perform during the Super Bowl XLV halftime show
Photo: Getty Images

The Black Eyed Peas promised a party at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday (February 6), and the pop supernovas definitely delivered, with a performance teeming with lights, dancers and surprise appearances from celebrity pals.

Following a Chatter.com commercial that showed animated versions of the Peas showing off their social-media skills, the group kicked things off with their 2009 smash "I Gotta Feeling," descending from the ceiling on illuminated platforms onto a stage surrounded by a cluster of dancers clad in white bodysuits. The foursome led the team of fist-pumping troops in "Tron"-like getups, with Taboo sporting an outfit covered in flashing lights, will.i.am rocking a Britney Spears shiny hairpiece, Apl.de.ap wearing huge bright studs and Fergie vamping it up in bling-laden shoulder pads.

When the speaker-busting bass of "Boom Boom Pow" dropped, the dancers dispersed across the field to Amy Carol Grow Smart create arrow-shaped formations as the glow-in-the-dark lights on their suits illuminated the stadium. Then rumored surprise guest Slash of Guns N' Roses rose from below the stage for a "Sweet Child O' Mine" duet with Fergie. The GNR great rocked a finger-searing solo in a studded version of his signature black top hat as more angular platforms and dancers moved across the gridiron. The platforms were bearing scores of marching-band musicians who blasted their horns and pounded away on their drums as the Peas went into "Pump It" and blue lights splashed across the production.

Quick streams of fog heralded the arrival of the Peas' second surprise guest, Usher, who swooped in on a long chain to bust out his will.i.am-assisted joint "OMG." Rocking a sparkly collar on an otherwise all-white ensemble, the R&B hitmaker cranked out several counts of energetic choreography, enlivening moves from his "OMG" video and at one point jumping over Will and landing in a split.

A spray of pyro ushered in the collective's breakout 2003 hit "Where Is the Love?" as the oddly shaped platforms spelled out the word "Love" in bright-red letters. The team of dancers, which appeared to have multiplied to over 100, formed hearts across the field as will updated the lyrics of the smash with lines like, "Obama, let's get these educated."

Then the group jumped ahead to their most recent single, 2010's "The Time (Dirty Bit)," as several back up hoofers rocking cubed helmets joined the Peas onstage and dancers lined up along the gridiron to simultaneously bust out the Running Man, a move which drew cheers from the crowd.

The platinum-selling Peas wrapped up the performance with a reprise of "I Gotta Feeling," as the quartet triumphantly signed off amid of blitz of fog, firepower and flashing lights.

Ripping the halftime show was clearly a touching moment for will, who tweeted beforehand, "Me and apl started the peas when we were 16 yesterday we were dreamin now were livin it. Wow. I'm not crying out of sadness or nervousness its joy and Emmanuelle Vaugier pride and memories and the journey."

And once the crew left the stage, the frontman was not only proud, but pumped. "That was so freakin sick," he wrote . "Wow...!!!"

What did you think of the Black Eyed Peas' Super Bowl performance? Let us know in the comments!

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Emmanuelle Vaugier

Lady Gaga Is A Three-Headed Carmen Electra Monster Carol FSU Cowgirls Grow In V Magazine

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The 'O.M.G.' singer looks forward to sharing the stage with his protégé on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery

Usher
Photo: Amanda Edwards/ Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD — At Sunday's 53rd Grammy Awards , Usher will be pulling double duty as both a nominee and a performer. Of course, given the massive year he just completed — with the success of his smash single "O.M.G." and as a mentor to rising phenom Justin Bieber — Ush's Grammy plans seem rather fitting.

Especially since he'll be performing with Bieber (and Bieber's pal Jaden Smith), a move that's just as much about celebrating Usher's successes as it is the successes of his young protégé.

"Having been through [the Grammys] so many times, you couldn't want for anything more than for your young protégé to have the opportunity to have one, so, in support of him having his moment, I wanted to be here," Usher told MTV News on Thursday, hours before his performance at the (Belvedere) RED launch party Charlies Angels Heidi Klum in Hollywood. "And also to be there to perform, to kind of tell the story of how we came together. This music business has definitely been good to both of us, and this year we have a lot to be happy for."

And just how will the dynamic duo tell that story? Well, Usher wasn't about to reveal all the details, but he did say that he's hoping their performance will show another side of Bieber ... a side most tend to overlook.

"The performance will be fun," Usher explained. "We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. ... This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn't believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He's going to play acoustically, and also, we'll get down a little bit."

And though Ush Bonnie Jill Laflin is up for a pair of Grammy awards on Sunday — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond — he's most looking forward to sharing the stage with Bieber and giving fans a look at where the young artist will be heading next.

"I'm very proud, man. I definitely saw it from the beginning, but thanks to the team that we have around us, it was made to happen. And that story has only just begun," Usher said. "The story of Justin Bieber doesn't stop with screaming girls; we need screaming fans all around the world ... a cultural experience that's much more than just fanfare. And that's what this is. That's what the Grammys Gina Philips will be; that's what my next phase for Justin is. This is the way I found him: I found him with a guitar in his hand, so I want him to be seen that way."

Don't miss "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond!

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'The stock dismissal 'more of the same' has rarely been more accurately applied to a sequel,' one reviewer writes.
By Eric Ditzian

Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis Charlize Theron in "The Hangover Part II"
Photo: Warner Bros.

By this point, if anyone is still doubting whether "The Hangover Part II" will be a massive worldwide hit, Wednesday's midnight screenings should quiet skeptics. Warner Bros. announced that the follow-up to 2009's record-smashing hit roped in $10.4 million in those early showings, setting a new midnight opening record for an R-rated film on its way to what many are predicting will become a $125 million opening over the five-day holiday weekend.

All this box-office talk gets even more impressive when you note reviews for the film have been decidedly mixed. While the first "Hangover" won over both critics and moviegoers, the sequel is currently languishing at just a 31 percent approval at the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator. Critics have pointed out how the second film follows the plot points of the original far too closely. They've also argued that the sequel simply isn't as funny as the first. Other reviews, however, are still getting a kick out of watching the Wolf Pack flail and fail all over again, similarities are not. Read on for a deep dive into the "Hangover Part II" reviews:

The Story
" 'The Hangover Part II' opts for the most popular cure: the hair of the dog that bit it. In other words, the sequel is almost identical to the first 'Hangover.' This time, dweeby Stu (Ed Helms), slick Phil (Bradley Cooper) and attention sponge Alan (Zach Galifianakis) are at a wedding (Stu's) in Thailand, instead of Las Vegas, but the rest is pretty much the same. The movie starts Amy Smart with the three waking up after a night of debauchery, with one of their pals missing, with a threatening crook on their tails and with vague knowledge of peccadilloes both sexual and chemical. Oh, and Mike Tyson is tangentially involved (Stu has a facial tattoo just like the former champ's). They spend the rest of the movie trying to make it to the wedding while piecing together clues to what happened the previous night and searching desperately for their missing bud." — Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press

The Laughs
"[The] laughs aren't just staged, they're superlatively engineered — even if that means, at moments, that they feel like they're falling into formatted slots. When they don't, the movie can be flat-out hilarious. As the guys begin their desperate search for a missing bank account number (they have to give it to a drug lord or he'll kill them), it's no surprise to discover that they went to a Bangkok strip bar. And when we learn what happened in that club to Stu — who hasn't shaken his tendency to fall drunkenly head over heels in love with hookers — you may see the twist coming, but you won't foresee the casual outrageousness of the dialogue, the kind that keeps on giving. Yet that sort Ashley Olsen of choke-on-your-popcorn laugh is more the exception than the rule." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The Performances
"Bradley Jamie Gunns Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis slide into their roles as if they didn't go on to play other characters in the interim, although at least two of the three (Helms being the exception) have seen significant career upticks. Phil is the good-looking leader, Stu is the worry-wart nerd, and Alan is quite possibly the most loathsome individual to have crawled out from under a rock. He's not a loveable loser; he's a detestable loser — and that's where a lot of the comedy comes from. Galifianakis stole the show in 'The Hangover,' and he steals it here. Refreshingly, [director Todd] Phillips does not feel the need to give Alan a heroic moment of redemption." — James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The Comparison
"The stock dismissal 'more of the same' has rarely been more accurately applied to a sequel than to 'The Hangover Part II,' which ranks as little more than a faded copy of its predecessor superimposed on a more brightly colored background. One can understand director Todd Phillips' initial reluctance to tinker with a formula that made the 2009 romp the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever, but the rote professionalism on display verges on cynicism, and despite some occasional sparks, this ranks as a considerable disappointment. Box office should be huge all the same." — Andrew Barker, Variety

The Final Word
That comfortable air of familiarity provided by the returning characters also extends to many of the original's more inspired bits — but to less potent effect. Still, even a milder 'Hangover' manages to deliver more laughs than most of the competition. ... In addition to that hard-to-replicate element of surprise, also in short supply here is the manic energy that made the original such a delightfully unpredictable ride. The reunited cast looks to have been up for a greater challenge, especially gonzo Galifianakis, who emerged as the breakout star of the first 'Hangover.' " — Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter

Check out everything we've got on "The Hangover Part II."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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Elisabeth Jennifer Gimenez Röhm Amy Smart Aaliyah

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'When I saw Lenny's work in 'Precious,' I was just knocked out,' director Christina Applegate Gary Ross says.
By Kara Warner

Lenny Christina Ricci Kravitz
Photo: Jo Hale/ Getty Images

The buzzworthy big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian best-seller "The Hunger Games" has added yet Amanda Swisten another highly anticipated cast member: Lenny Kravitz will play creative, kindhearted stylist Cinna.

Director Gary Ross said of the casting decision, "When I saw Lenny's work in 'Precious,' I was just knocked out. It was quiet and strong and understated and openhearted; all qualities which define this character. I'm really looking forward to this ride."

Cinna is the stylist for District 12 tributes Katniss and Peeta. Hunger Games stylists are responsible for presenting their tributes in complex costumes and ensembles that reflect characteristics of the tributes' native districts, as well as the personalities of the young men and women to which the stylist is assigned. Cinna is one of the few calming presences in Katniss' life, as well as one of the few people she can trust.

Naturally, Kravitz is best known for his music career — he won the Best Male Rock Brittany Lee Vocal Performance Grammy four years in a row from 1999 to 2002, breaking the record for most wins in that category and most consecutive wins in one category — with tracks like "Are You Gonna Go My Way," "Fly Away," "American Woman," and "Again." Over the last few years, however, Kravitz has dipped his multitalented toe into the world of acting, his breakout role being that of compassionate and encouraging Nurse John in "Precious."

Kravitz joins a long list of high-profile stars, including Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy , Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen , Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinkett and Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane.

Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .

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Singer left behind more than $400 million in debt.

Michael Jackson
Photo: Time Life Pictures/DMI/Time Life Pictures/Getty Im

Between Adrianne Curry album sales, movie profits, licensing arrangements and lucrative deals for Cirque du Soleil shows, the estate of late King of Pop Michael Jackson has raked in more than $300 million since the singer's shocking death in June 2009.

According to TMZ , legal documents released on Thursday reveal that executors of MJ's estate have managed to make a major dent in the more than $400 million in debt that Jackson owed at the time of his death.

The first accounting from the executors shows that they have already spent around $159 million paying back various debts, income taxes and other expenses, which include providing support for the pop star's mother, Katherine Jackson, as well as his three young children.

"Although there remain unresolved creditor claims, pending litigation and additional challenging business, tax and legal issues, and the estate is not yet in a condition to be closed, the executors have made substantial progress in reducing the estate's debt," the documents state, according to a Reuters Emmanuelle Vaugier report. Two of Jackson's longtime confidants, attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, were named as administrators in a will sign by the pop icon.

In addition to paying to make "substantial improvements" to the Jackson family's Havenhurst estate in Encino, California, the executors also spent an undetermined amount of money on "last illness and funeral and memorial service expenses." Those costs included a $900,000 payment to the Forest Lawn Memorial cemetery where Jackson is buried and $35,000 on expenses described as "costume for memorial."

TMZ reported that not only did the famously cash-strapped Jackson have more than $400 million in debt, but his estate also owed Isla Fisher more than $40 million to concert promoter AEG tied to the scuttled This Is It Tour, for which MJ was rehearsing when he died unexpectedly. They've also paid $27.2 million in taxes and $4 million in mortgage payments on Jackson's properties.

Despite the solid sales of the Michael Hayden Panettiere album and millions of units of the singer's back catalog being sold, as well as the box office of the "This Is It" movie and DVD sales, the estate is not nearly out of the woods. TMZ noted that the administrators have received more than 65 creditors' claims, some of which are subject to "extremely high" interest rates, and there are several outstanding lawsuits against the estate in several countries.

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Giving fans a first glimpse Ashley Scott of the sure-to-be captivating film, the red-band trailer for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" has just hit the web.

Set to hit theaters on December 21st, the theatrical Ali Campoverdi adaptation of Stieg Larsson?s bestselling book of the same name boasts an impressive cast including Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig .

Also featuring Stellan Skarsg�rd and Robin Wright, the Aubrey ODay drama/thriller was directed by David Fincher - who boasts a long slate Amber Arbucci of high-profile credits including "Fight Club" and "The Social Network".

For those unfamiliar with the story, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" sees "a journalist who is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing - or dead - for forty years by a young female hacker."

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Official 'Hollywood Tonight' remix coming to Miami Music Week.
By Akshay Bhansali

Chuckie
Photo: Jason Ano/ One and Only Ana Hickmann Productions

Leaving the South by Southwest festival, Lavo New York and Las Vegas' Marquee in his wake, house DJ Chuckie has his sights set on the week ahead. With Miami Music Week now upon us, Chuckie plans to seize the opportunity to debut new material. Fans will be tickled to know the Dutch producer has tracks in the can with Kelly Rowland and T-Pain, but when MTV News caught up with him Friday in New York, Chuckie shared the achievement of which he's most proud.

"I did a Michael Jackson remix, which was really scary — to touch Michael Jackson vocals," Chuckie said. "I did this remix for this track 'Hollywood Tonight.' I couldn't say it for a minute: The label called me, and they said, 'You can't say nothing about this. It's kind of a secret project.' It's gonna come out anytime now."

"Hollywood Tonight" was originally produced by Teddy Riley for Jackson's posthumous Michael album , and Chuckie's mix of the song will be the sole official remix Adrianne Palicki of the track.

"I will play it Miami," Chuckie revealed. "I told them this is the best week to launch the remix. So it feels really good. I'm the only one remixing that Michael Jackson track, and they are considering it a single. For me, especially, it's an honor to remix the Amanda Marcum King of Pop because he died on my birthday."

So, will the mix be a thundering Chuckie Dutch house banger or will it have a melodic progressive house feel, like his Marquee remix of Diddy-Dirty Money's "I Hate That You Love Me"? Well, according to the "Let the Bass Kick" producer, fans will be getting a healthy dose of both.

"I had to bring in the raucous," Chuckie confessed. Giulianna Ramirez "Yeah, I did the Chuckie flavor, but then again, I wanted to make it really musical, so I went progressive (house) on it."

Chuckie will be performing twice at Miami Music Week: at the Cr2 Records Party at Wall Lounge on Wednesday, and then headlining "No Sugar Added" at Nikki Beach on Friday.

Are you excited to hear Chuckie's remix of Michael Jackson's "Hollywood Tonight"? Let us know in the comments below!

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If U Seek Amy

Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive, Zomba Label Group
Director: Jake Nava
Album: Circus

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Nicki Christina Ricci Minaj, Ke$ha, Selena Gomez also make fashion splash on red carpet, as showgirl style rules at the Las Vegas event on Sunday night.
By Jocelyn Vena

Taylor Swift at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Hilary Duff Janet Jackson Getty Images

On Sunday night, some of the biggest names in the music industry hit up the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas and decided that sparkles and sequins make for the perfect additions to any red carpet get-up. Well, it is Sin City after all.

Taylor Swift always seems to bring some of that Nashville sparkle to any red carpet. She arrived at the show in a pale-hued, sequined Elie Saab gown. Nicki Minaj showed off her signature sense of style in her baby-blue, body-hugging spandex Mark Fast catsuit.

Selena Gomez turned up the style dial in a sexy, cut-out black Dolce & Gabbana gown that she paired with red strappy sandals with sparkly bow detailing. Like Gomez, Ke$ha opted for some cut-out detailing in her sparkly, slate-gray dress with tulle skirt. Rihanna looked white hot in her men's tailored Max Azria suit, which she kept sexy and feminine by not buttoning Ashley Greene her shirt all the way.

Fergie went S&M chic in her little black bandage-type dress by Hervé Léger. Nicole Kidman also wore black. She paired a casual braid hairstyle with a long black gown and Keith Urban. British pop cutie Kyle Minogue looked funky in her little black lacey dress. Inside the show, Britney Spears sat in the audience wearing a skimpy black dress of her own, her hair in loose curls, with little-to-no accessories.

While some stars kept the color scheme low-key, Keri Hilson decided to stand out in her billowy little yellow dress paired with a turquoise-colored belt. Kelly Rowland showed off some of her best assets in a body-hugging, bright pink bandage dress.

The fellas also looked tight on the carpet. Joe Jonas wore all black with white sneakers, Ne-Yo paired his periwinkle suit with a Yankees cap and Justin Bieber wore black tuxedo pants with a gold-lamé tuxedo jacket.

Which stars' styles caught your eye at the Billboard Music Awards? Tell us in the comments.

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After being dropped by Island Def Jam, Gaga saw a Destiny's Child video and decided, 'I want that.'
By James Montgomery

Lady Gaga
Photo: MTV News

Sometime around 2006, Lady Gaga wasn't Lady Gaga. Sure, she was using the name back then, but she was still little more than a Lower East Side oddity, not the iconic, globe-spanning superstar she has since become. And so, she was understandably elated to score a meeting — and a subsequent deal — with Island Def Jam impresario L.A. Reid.

But after a few months, for reasons never really explained, her phone calls stopped being returned and she was summarily dropped from the label. In hindsight, it was just a minor bump on her road to stardom, but at the time, Gaga was crushed. It's a pain she's never quite forgotten, as she explained in the just-premiered "Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside" documentary.

"I remember when I got dropped from my first Adrianne Curry record label, I just said, 'Mommy, let's go see Grandma,' Anne Marie Kortright " Gaga recalled. "And I cried on my grandmother's couch. She looked at me, and she goes, 'I'm going to let you cry for the rest of the day, and then you have to stop crying, and you have to go kick some ass.' "

Devastated, but determined, Gaga set forth to do just that. And in addition to her grandmother's words, she drew inspiration from a rather unlikely source — one that would also prove oddly prescient in the years to come.

"You know, I've never told Beyoncé this, but I remember laying on my grandmother's couch crying, and a Destiny's Child video Bonnie Jill Laflin came on," she said. "I remember watching Beyoncé thinking, 'Oh, she's a star. I want that. I want to be on MTV.' And now I'm in music videos with Beyoncé."

It's because of those early rejections that Gaga has learned Jennifer Gimenez to savor her success. After all, she's certainly proved her naysayers wrong.

"The commercial success that I've had has been mind-blowing," she said. "I'm the girl that everyone said 'No' and shook their head and said 'I don't get it.' "

Well, it seems that millions of people around the world "get it" now.

What was the most interesting thing you learned from watching "Inside the Outside"? Let us know in the comments!

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'I'm like everybody else,' singer says in the magazine.
By Jocelyn Vena

Britney Spears on the cover of <i>Harper's Bazaar</i>
Photo: Harper's Bazaar

She appeared pregnant and nude on the cover Amanda Righetti back in 2006, but now Britney Spears just looks happy and healthy in a low-cut white dress on the cover of Harper's Bazaar. In the latest issue of the magazine, now being previewed online, the singer opens up about her life.

"I'm pretty normal, you know? Like I said, the type of day I love is just like everybody else's. I'm like everybody else," she says in the issue. When asked about her music videos, she recalls fondness for a clip from 2001. " 'Overprotected.' I just think it says a lot. It was directed so well, it was really colorful and the dancing was amazing," she says of the splashy clip.

Spears seems content with the way fans have been Cheryl Burke reacting to her Femme Fatale album, which dropped in March. "I've worked so hard on this album, so it's really refreshing," she said. "I feel like I'm drinking a tall glass of homemade sweet Ali Larter tea on a really hot, beautiful day."

Spears also talked about getting in shape for her highly anticipated summer tour. "I love to dance, so it's very exciting," she said. "The tour rehearsals have been going really well. I think it will be my best show yet."

In addition to the cover shot, another image from the magazine has hit the Web. It features Spears smiling in front of a wall painted with graffiti wearing a flowing, black star-print dress.

Not only has Spears been Haylie Duff readying her summer tour, she has also been preparing to shoot her next music video, for the song "I Wanna Go." Spears will be working with Chris Marrs Piliero (Ke$ha, the Black Eyed Peas) on the clip, which is filming later this month in Los Angeles. The track is the third single off her album, following "Hold It Against Me" and "Till the World Ends."

While she's always moving forward to the next project, Spears did take the time to reflect on one very important onstage kiss with Madonna at the VMAs nearly eight years ago. "I actually saw her a couple of weeks ago at a party," Britney recalled. "I guess she's really taught me to stay true to myself. That seems like a simple thing to say, but she taught me through action, not just by saying it. There are so many people around you that have opinions, but you just have to listen to your instincts."

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Glam rocker tackled the legendary 1970 Led Zeppelin song for 'American Idol' rock night.
By Gil Kaufman

Adriana Lima
Adam Lambert performs "Whole Lotta Love" on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: R. Mickshaw/Getty Images/ Fox

Imagine a freight train speeding toward you at midnight. Or a rockslide barreling down a hill as you try to outrace it. That's the feeling of the ominous, chugging Jimmy Page riff that kicks off Led Zeppelin 's 1970 Stonehenge of rock, "Whole Lotta Love." And that's before singer Robert Plant leans into one of the nastiest, ecstatic rock screams this side of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again."

That's the song Adam Lambert chose to sing on "American Idol" rock night Tuesday (May 5), and, needless to say, it was a challenge that the eyeliner-loving Los Angeles stage veteran was more than up for, hitting a series of high notes and rock screams that would have made Plant proud. It was a risky maneuver that paid off for Lambert, who chose a tune that came in at #75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004.

The legendary British rock act recorded the tribute to Chicago blues icon Willie Dixon during their second U.S. tour after working it out in their live show, including it on their 1969 classic album Led Zeppelin II. Like many of the songs Zeppelin performed early Carrie Underwood in their career, "Love" was a blues standard turned on its head with a heavy dose of crunching psychedelic guitar and thundering drums, courtesy of late drummer John Bonham. The song was based on a 1962 tune by another blues forefather, Muddy Waters, called "You Need Love," which was penned by Dixon.

For Zeppelin's version, Plant customized the lyrics by adding some lyrical quotes from a few other songs Dixon wrote for Howlin' Garcelle Beauvais Wolf, "Back Door Man" and "Shake For Me," nailing the tricky vocal in a single take. It was also inspired by 1966's "You Need Loving" from the British rock group the Small Faces, for whom Zeppelin had great affection, but they also did not credit Dixon for his part in writing the original lyrics. The song became Zeppelin's first U.S. single and their only U.S. top 10 hit. Though their manager would not let them release singles in the U.K. because he thought it cannibalized album sales, the song was finally released as the band's only British single in 1997.

Dixon sued Zeppelin over the song in 1985, claiming it borrowed too heavily from his "You Need Love," and Zeppelin reached an agreement with him, with Hayden Panettiere Dixon using the money he received to set up a program that provided musical instruments for schools. A cornerstone of heavy rock, the tune -- which was the theme song for the long-running British countdown show "Top of the Pops" in the 1970s and '80s -- has been covered by dozens of artists over the years, from Tina Turner and Ben Harper to Prince, Slash, Leona Lewis, Train's Pat Monahan, the London Symphony Orchestra and Jane's Addiction.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page , where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' helmer Doug Liman and 'Training Day' 's Antoine Fuqua reportedly among those in contention.
By Eric Ditzian

Hugh Jackman in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"
Photo: Fox

In March, just as Darren Aronofsky 's "Black Swan" had crossed the $100 million mark domestically on its way to a superhero flick-like $310 million global haul, the director ditched his plans to helm an actual comic book film.

In announcing his plans to depart the Hugh Jackman-starring "The Wolverine," Aronofsky cited the project's lengthy production schedule and said, "I was not comfortable Carla Gugino being away from my family for that length of time." Ever since, "Wolverine" has been wandering in the swirling winds of online rumors, as the likes of Brody Dalle David Slade ("New Moon") and Duncan Jones ("The Source Code") were said to have interest in taking on helming duties.

Now, according to Variety, Fox has narrowed the directorial search to eight candidates: José Padilha ("Elite Squad 1"), Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith"), Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day"), Mark Romanek ("Never Let Me Go"), Justin Lin ("Fast Five"), Gavin O'Connor (the forthcoming "Warrior"), James Mangold ("Knight and Day") and Gary Shore (a director of commercials and a 'Wolverine' short film ).

As Variety points out, the studio is targeting a diverse group of directors, from ones with blockbuster experience (Liman, Lin, Mangold) to music video skills (Romanek) to relatively untested talents (Shore). That's hardly a surprise. Aronofsky, after all, had been known as more of an art-house darling than a director ready — Jamie Lynn Sigler and interested Amy Cobb — in taking on more commercial fare.

Although Fox is pushing forward with "Wolverine," the project still has many question marks clouding its future. The film is said to take place largely in Japan, and the recent earthquakes there have reportedly disrupted plans to shoot on location.

"Fox is very anxious to make the movie and we're moving ahead full steam to find another director," Jackman said in March. "We need to find another director and once we've found that, we'll be able to know."

Who would you like to see at the helm of "Wolverine"? Tell us in the comments!

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com .

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'The song is gonna take me somewhere that I've never been musically,' Christina DaRe Carrie Underwood Weezy says.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Lil Wayne
Photo: MTV News

"The Block Is Hot," "Go DJ," "Fireman" and "Lollipop" — Lil Wayne has had a lot of singles, but none like his newly leaked "How to Love."

"I can tell you that I've never had a single like it, and it's an amazing song. It's an amazing song," Wayne told Sway when the two sat down after the taping of Wayne's upcoming MTV "Unplugged" special, which will air June 12 on MTV2.

"How to Love," which surfaced online on Thursday (May 26), is produced by Detail and features Weezy singing over an acoustic guitar and drum backdrop. On the song's hook, Wayne remains sincere and loving, singing to his main squeeze: "You had a lot of crooks try to still your heart, never really had luck, couldn't never figure out how to love." He continues to serenade the object of his affection, assuring her that she "deserves the best" and reminding her that she is beautiful.

For some time, members of the Cash Money camp have been hinting that a big Tha Carter IV single was on the way. In May, Young Money president Mack Maine told MTV News that an upcoming single from the album would have mass appeal, and on Thursday, he confirmed that "How to Love" is the song that YMCMB have been talking about.

"When I listen to it I get goose bumps," Weezy said. "And I feel like the song is gonna take me somewhere that I've never been musically."

Tunechi, who recently extended his I Am Still Music Tour through September, is looking to diversify his live show, and "How to Love" would help him do that. "You know that if you come to a Lil Wayne show two years from now, you already know that 'I'm gonna get rap — some of the best rap — I'm gonna get some guitar, I'm gonna get some singin', I'm gonna get some dancin', I'm gonna get some old-school Emilie de Ravin music, and I'm goin' to a show tonight.' And I think that's where this song is directing me to."

For Birdman Jr., rap just isn't enough anymore. "I am a musician, and a few years back, I noticed that I wasn't just Jamie Chung a rapper. And I noticed that I didn't want to do this just to rap," he said before clarifying his point. "I do want to go down as one of the greatest rappers of all time, but I also want to go down as one of the greatest musicians of all time.

"When you think about it, Tupac is just known as a great rapper; Biggie is just known as a great rapper, Jay-Z — just known as a great rapper," he continued. "I want to be known as that rapper that turned it all the way up and became the face of the music."

Actually, Wayne looks to epitomize the word one day. "When they make a billboard and put whoever they gonna put up there to define the word 'music,' I wanna be there."

What do you think of Lil Wayne's "How to Love"? Tell us in the comments!

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Jay-Z, Cameron Richardson Grace Park Beyonce, Bieber And More Nominated For 2010 BET Awards

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Semi Precious Weapons frontman recalls 18-month odyssey — and night 'Edge of Glory' was born — on MTV's Gaga 'After-Show.'
By James Montgomery

Alice Dodd
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Earlier this month, in front of 55,000 fans in Mexico City, Lady Gaga finally put the Monster Ball to bed. It had been quite the ride — the tour lasted nearly 18 months, kicking off in November 2009, rolling through four continents and inspiring one over-the-top HBO special in the process — and, aside from Gaga herself, perhaps no one could testify to that better than the Semi Precious Weapons, who opened practically every show.

Of course, Semi Precious Weapons' history with Lady Gaga goes back even further; she opened for them back in 2006, and they've remained fast friends ever since. So it was fitting that, at the conclusion of that final Monster Ball show, Gaga brought the band — and longtime friend Lady Genelle Frenoy Starlight — back onstage to bask in the applause and share one final curtain call together.

It was a poignant moment for everyone involved, one that SPW frontman Justin Tranter recalled after the Thursday night premiere of "Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside," during MTV's "After-Show" live stream.

"We played over 200 shows with her, all over the world, and at the end, the very last show, she says [onstage], 'This used to be a really small show that I did in New York City with my friends, when no one was watching, we just did it because we loved it,' " Tranter said. "And then she brought us up onstage in front of 55,000 people, and it was just ... the craziest thing ever.

"A friend of mine was texting me because he saw the interview that Gaga just did where she talks about opening for us at the Knitting Factory, and he was just like, 'I Bali Rodriguez can't believe this is all real,' because he was there for that show and backstage for that show," he continued. "And, you know, it was one of those moments in Mexico City, where I'm standing onstage, opening for her, getting 55,000 people to scream one of my best friend's name over and over, after I'd just played them a bunch of songs. It's surreal. The Monster Ball was Charlize Theron ... such an insanely magical experience and it's really depressing that it's over."

And after spending almost 18 months on the road with Gaga, you'd be correct to assume that Tranter has a whole lot of memories like that one (most of which can't be reprinted anywhere), but, recently, there's one that keeps coming back to him: the night Gaga's current single, "The Edge of Glory" was born. Because not only was it rather magical, but it also summed up everything that he loved about being on the Monster Ball in the first place.

"One of the things I keep remembering recently, just because 'The Edge of Glory' is everywhere now, is, I think we were in Sweden, and she was writing that song," Tranter said. "We had just had three weeks off on tour, and ... she had just written that song, and in our dressing room, through the wall, we could hear her singing it. And then she texted me and asked me to come in and listen to it. And then I had to go onstage, and when I came off she asked me to come back again, and we were being music geeks and going over chord-change options, and now the song is everywhere.

"So I think that's an amazing example of the Monster Ball and how things really haven't changed; it's still us playing each other our songs, it's still us hanging out," he continued. "And to think that there's 20,000 people in the audience waiting for us to go on while she's writing this song, waiting for her to go on while she's writing that song, that's a moment I've been thinking of a lot recently."

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Music-video director Wayne Isham will join Most Innovative Video debate, which streams live Monday on OMusicAwards.com and MTV.com.
By MTV News Staff

Ke$ha
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Ever since they were first announced, the O Music Awards have proudly proclaimed themselves the untraditional alternative to the staid world of red carpets, acceptance speeches and celebrity glad-handing.

And for further proof of that point, consider the following: Though the inaugural O Music Awards won't premiere until April 28, the first award will Jennifer Morrison be handed out on Monday at 4 p.m. ET ... and it's a big one.

For weeks, fans have been voting for the Most Innovative Music Video through the O Music Awards official site , and on Monday — in a roundtable debate moderated by MTV News' James Montgomery — a winner will be crowned.

The O Music Awards Debate for the Most Innovative Music Video, presented by FUZE®, will stream live on OMusicAwards.com Amber Hilarie Burton Heard and MTV.com . Joining Montgomery around the table will be acclaimed video director Wayne Isham, Mashable's Brenna Ehrlich and some super-secret celebrity guests. 

The Black Eyed Peas, Ke$ha, My Chemical Romance and more will also take part in the discussion about just what makes a video truly innovative, and the folks who are nominated for the Foxy Brown award — a list that includes Arcade Fire, Robyn, OK Go and Andy Grammer — will also Skype in to make the case for why their video deserves to be named Most Innovative.

On Monday morning, the original list of 10 nominees will be whittled down to the top five vote-getters, and then, during the debate, our roundtable and the Internet audience will cut that list down to the final three. At the very end, we'll announce the winner of the very first O Music Award for Most Innovative Video.

The inaugural O Music Awards will stream live from Las Vegas at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on OMusicAwards.com . Tune in to see who will reign supreme in categories like Most Viral Dance, Funniest Music Short and NSFW Music Video!

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Scooter Braun, Biebs' manager, teases 'crazy' clip from F.A.M.E.
By Beyoncé Jocelyn Vena

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Chris Brown recently took the stage with Justin Bieber during the Biebs' tour stop in Australia , where they performed "Up," and now the two will begin work on a video for Brown's F.A.M.E. track "Next 2 You."

Bieber's manager, Scooter Zooey Deschanel Braun , confirmed the video plans on Twitter. "NP- #Next2You w/ @justinbieber and @chrisbrown - video treatment is crazy ... yeah it's coming!!" he wrote.

With little known about what these two have in store for fans, MTV News spoke to Brown in March about working with the teen star on the track. "Being able to collab with Eva Green [Bieber] was great," Brown said. "He's a young, energetic cat, so being able to work with him, with the fanbase he has, was incredible. I know a lot of little girls are going to love this record.

"I wouldn't say [he's] my protégé. He's doing his thing at a young age, and I was doing mine at a young age, so being able to see him come up is dope."

The midtempo ballad is about the power of love and making the pledge to spend your life with that special someone. The chorus says, "One day when the sky is fallin'/ I'll be standing right next to you, right next to you/ Nothing will ever come between us/ 'Cause I'll be standing right next to you, right next to you."

While it's a feel-good track, Brown joked that when recording the song, he missed his chance to hit the studio with Bieber. "I actually stood him up on accident," Brown recalled. "He was kind of mad ... I was all the way on the other side of town handling some business, 'girl business,' and I was rushing back, and by that time, he's like, 'Man, I'm leaving, bro. I did it — just check it out.' And I looked at it and listened to it and I was like, 'Man, this is crazy.' ... He's a great kid."

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Joe Jonas, Matthew Morrison, more will be at the show on Sunday.
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It looks like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez will be working on their next date night. The two teen stars have been announced as presenters at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards taking place this Sunday, Billboard.com Amanda Swisten reports.

Other big names on hand to present include Kylie Minogue, Jada Pinkett Smith, Joe Jonas, Keri Hilson, Marc Anthony, "Glee" star Matthew Morrison, Nas, Scott Weiland, Tim Allen, Travis Barker, Trey Songz and "Modern Family" star Rico Rodriguez.

Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, the Black Eyed Peas, Taio Cruz, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum have all been tapped to perform at the show, which will air live on ABC from the Las Vegas MGM Grand.

Big Jaime Pressly nominees for the night include Rihanna (with a whopping 18 nods), Eminem, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber. Bieber, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Rihanna and Gaga all face off for the night's big honor of Top Artist. As for the Top New Artist category, Bieber will be up against Taio Cruz, Ke$ha, Bruno Mars and Nicki Minaj.

Beyoncé will be honored with the Billboard Millennium Award as she amps up to drop her forthcoming album 4. Billboard named Beyoncé their Woman of the Year in October 2009 and Top Female Artist of the Decade in December 2009. This year, she will be honored for her work both as a solo artist and as a founding member of Destiny's Child.

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Usher, Jaden Smith, B.o.B, Janelle Monae and Lady Antebellum will also perform on February 13.
By Gil Kaufman

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While Catherine Bell Willow Smith is the one who made music headlines with "Whip My Hair" last year, it's her brother, "Karate Kid" actor Jaden Smith, who will take the stage at the upcoming 53rd Grammy Awards in a special performance alongside Usher and Justin Bieber, with whom he collaborated on the song "Never Say Never" last summer.

The trio joins a list of new performers added to the show on Thursday (January 20) that will also include another power trifecta made up of B.o.B, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe, according to a press release from the Recording Academy announcing the additions to the February 13 telecast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Also taking the stage next month will be nominees Muse and Lady Antebellum. They will join a roster of previously announced performers that includes Eminem, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Arcade Fire, Cee Lo Green and Miranda Lambert. It will be the first time on the Grammy Jennifer Garner performance stage for Bieber, B.o.B, Lambert, Mars, Monáe, Muse and Smith. Eminem, Green, Gaga, Perry, Usher and Lady Antebellum will be making return visits for the occasion.

While 11-time Grammy winner Eminem leads the pack in nominations this year (with 10 nods), Mars has seven nominations, and Gaga and Lady Antebellum are not far behind with six nods each. B.o.B has notched five, Perry and Green are each up for four, and Arcade Fire and Lambert are vying for three awards. Bieber, Muse, Usher and Monáe are each nominated for two Grammys.

No details of the collaborative performances were released, but the Grammy announcement promised a rare, never-before-seen event for the Mars, B.o.B and Monáe segment.

With the addition of Antebellum, all five Album of the Year nominees (Eminem, Arcade Fire, Gaga, Perry) are now scheduled to perform on the show. Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon.

Which Grammy performance Coco Lee are you most looking forward to? Talk about it in the comments!

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Judge Nigel Lythgoe says season eight features 'more interesting' auditions and an emphasis on street dancers.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss

Mary Murphy
Photo: FOX

As has become custom for several years, the echoes of the "American Idol" Camilla Belle finale are still ringing our ears as Fox rolls out the first episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on Thursday night (May 26) at 8 p.m. ET. But before we feast our eyes upon season eight's auditions, MTV News managed to get executive producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe and judge Mary Murphy to give Christina Ricci us a little hint about what to expect this year.

"It truly is a much more interesting auditioning process this year because the kids are bringing something so new," said Lythgoe, who's been juggling his "American Idol" exec-producing duties with "SYTYCD" and its U.K. version. "Lots of different styles: turfing, this contortionism that looks like they're going to be dancing in the movie 'The Exorcist.' It's terribly exciting. Made Mary sick, didn't it, a few times."

Fortunately for fans of the loud, enthusiastic ballroom expert, Mary isn't actually sick anymore. After taking a season off to be treated for thyroid cancer, the hot tamale train is up and running again.

"I'm completely cancer-free right now, I'm happy to report, and doing fantastic," she told us. "It wasn't easy sitting at home [last season], I can tell you, judging from my chair."

Nigel said he actually missed Mary making his ears bleed with her excited comments on the judges' table. "And what's happened now with Mary's vocal cords is, she has gone from being the loudness of a jet engine to the loudness of a hairdryer, so it's eased a bit," he joked.

Another mix of new and Grace Park old this season will be the format. After hearing complaints about last year's format, which narrowed the contestants down to 11 before the live voting rounds (instead of 20) and paired the dancers with "all-stars" from past seasons instead Connie Nielsen of with each other, Lythgoe said they're changing things up again.

"A lot of people were unhappy, unjustifiably to begin with, unhappy that we went to this all-star situation and [said], 'We want to see a top 20,' and 'We want to see them grow,' and 'We want to see the chemistry,' " he admitted, so they decided, "OK, let's try that this year. Let's do a top 20 and then introduce the all-stars into the top 10 and see if we can have the best of both worlds."

"It'll be great with the two things together," Murphy agreed. "The people that like the old format, it's back. The people that like the all-stars, fantastic."

After heading up a star-studded season of "American Idol," Lythgoe is spicing up "SYTYCD" with a few celebs too.

"Will.i.am is going to come on and be a guest judge," he said. "I worked with him on 'Idol,' and he really has got so much knowledge about music and dance. [He] has got the eye for dance and rhythm and everything."

And what about the dancers we'll see this season? Of course, they couldn't go into detail about the contestants, but Nigel did offer some hints. "We've invested a lot into street and hip-hop this year, more than contemporary," he said. "The contemporary kids are obviously formally trained and will find other styles a little easier. But if the street kids come through they're going to be very exciting."

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Singer covered songs ranging from classic 'Pleasure Principle' to 2008's 'Feedback' at New York show.
By Vaughn Schoonmaker

Janet Jackson (file)
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — Often imitated, never duplicated, Janet Jackson's outbursts of meticulous choreography, sassy exclamations and smoldering gazes into the audience kept them on their feet for the entire two-hour set of her greatest hits at Radio City Music Hall. Monday night marked the last of three sold-out shows at the historic venue on her monumental Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour .

Up-and-coming boy band Mindless Behavior opened the show with songs including "#1 Girl," "Future" and their debut single, "My Girl." With their Usher-esque dance moves and shouts like "Where the ladies at?" the boys brought the tween girls out of hiding, judging by the shrill screams escaping various corner of the music hall.

At 9:00 sharp, the lights went down and Janet's Eva Longoria fans were on the edge of their seats, watching music videos for "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Rhythm Nation" projected on big screens across the venue. A small shadow drifted toward center stage, and when the colorful lights came up, Jackson, wrapped in a shoulder-padded catsuit, complete with slick short hair, blasted into "The Pleasure Principle," Amanda Donna Feldman Righetti dancing as hard and intensely choreographed as she did when the song first came out in the 1980s.

With barely a spare second between songs, Janet dazzled her way through her biggest hits, including "Miss You Much," "All for You" and "Nasty," and more recent hits like 2008's "Feedback."

Videos displayed during Jackson's costume changes included vintage clips from "Diff'rent Strokes," a funny scene from "Poetic Justice" where Jackson slyly rejects the advances of Tupac Shakur's character, and a rather heavy scene, as Jackson's character in "Why Did I Get Married" destroys her husband's house with a golf club, screaming hysterically.

Considering the tough couple of years the Jackson family has faced, the dark moments in the video seemed fitting, and everyone was beside themselves with bittersweet joy when Michael Jackson's face popped up on the big screen and she performed their hit single "Scream."

Janet emerged for her encore in a tight white one-piece disco suit, and performed "Diamonds," "Make Me" and "Together Again," which appeared to be the biggest hit of the evening. As Jackson graciously bowed out, her straight face transitioned into a smirk, suggesting that despite the hard times she has experienced recently, we can expect to see this singing and dancing Dido pop legend shine far into the future.

"Its amazing!" Janet fan Elena Mercantini gleamed afterward. "It's like she's still 20 years old!"

"She's hot, she's amazing and she's still got it after all these years" added Alison Klinger of Long Island. "Best concert I've ever been to!"

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New track with Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha follows leaked version, plus Brit tweets single's cover art.
By Jocelyn Vena

The "Till the World Ends" Femme Fatale remix
Photo: Jive

Just days after it was leaked on Friday, Britney Spears and her femme fatales , Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha , dropped their official remix of "Till the World Ends."

The new version of the song was produced by Dr. Luke and Dream Machine. Brit half-whispers " 'Till the World Ends' remix" before the beat kicks in and Nicki hits her verse hard. She spits fierce lines like, "Sniff, sniff, cries/ I done slayed your whole entire f---ing life."

Then Britney's sex-kitten vocals kick Gwen Stefani in for the song's first verse. "That's Britney, bitch! I'm Nicki Minaj and that's Ke$ha," the Queens MC declares before K sings the chorus. The beat is harder, the loops are sassier and the song is grimier than the original version, which was the second Ashanti single from Femme Fatale. The newly added Emma Watson dubstep portion takes the one from "Hold It Against Me" to a new level by adding in bass-heavy synths.

Ke$ha, of course, wrote the track for Estella Warren Britney, and the ladies certainly don't seem to mind sharing the spotlight with each other. The official track isn't much different than the version that leaked over the weekend, though Spears did have something brand-new to share with her fans just as the song dropped on iTunes and streamed on her website.

Spears tweeted the artwork for the single, which features the original press photo of Spears along with separate photos of Nicki on the left and Ke$ha on the right. Spears wrote, "@NickiMinaj @Keshasuxx Too much fierceness for one cover! Thanks for lending your voices girls... #TTWEREMIX — Brit"

Spears and Minaj have been hanging out a lot in the lead-up to their summer tour . They hung out at the Factory nightclub on Friday night after Minaj's show in Los Angeles. Spears later wrote, "Early rehearsal after a late night with my girl @NickiMinaj. Can't WAIT to get out on the road with you."

What do you think of the "Till the World Ends" remix? Tell us in the comments!

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'It was just utter excitement to play these characters again,' Bradley Cooper tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner

Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis in "The Hangover Part II"
Photo: Grace Park Warner Bros.

Given the incredible box-office success of 2009's mega-hit comedy "The Hangover," it seemed as though a future installment of the outlandish antics of "Wolf Pack" members Alan, Stu and Phil would be inevitable. Which brings us to "The Hangover Part II," which is opening in theaters this weekend.

MTV News caught up with the men behind the magic recently, actors Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, who not only explained Cooper's head-shaving Emmanuelle Vaugier skills , but also revealed that the main castmembers were originally hesitant to venture into sequel territory.

"I think it was more excitement once we got the second script, which was really wonderful — actually stronger than Brittany Daniel the first one," Cooper said of getting the gang back together again. "It was just utter excitement to play these characters again and hopefully deliver a movie where fans will be excited to see what happened. We get to see where Alan lives, we get to see Stu progress to two years, Phil as well, so I think it was just exciting to hopefully provide a lot more comedy for people who liked the first one."

Helms has also said that there was some hesitancy to try and make lightning strike twice in a second film.

"We had no idea that 'The Hangover' would do what it did, so we were all kind of blown away," Helms told us at a New York screening of the film . "But then very quickly a conversation for a sequel started, and we were all kind of like, 'I don't know.' And then Todd showed us the script, and it was amazing, so we were like, 'Yeah, let's do that.' "

Regarding what audiences can expect from "Hangover Part II," Helms said to expect a bit more of the same.

"[It's] disturbing, horrifying, unnerving," he said. "Oh, and also hilarious. I forgot that ... Lots of craziness happened on set, and you'll see all of that in the movie."

Check out everything we've got on "The Hangover Part II." Ana Beatriz Barros

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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