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At only 29 years old, Beyoncé has sold more than 75 million records, received the Billboard Millennium Award and became the first woman ever to headline the UK's famed Glastonbury Festival. Meanwhile, she's got 16 Grammys with her name on it, toured the world for almost a year straight on her "I Am..." tour, and in just the past few weeks alone, in the lead-up to her new album, 4, turned out some game-changing performances on "American Idol," the BET Awards and the Billboard Music Awards. No wonder she needed a little time off, which is exactly what fans get to see in her "Beyoncé: Year Of 4" documentary.

Fittingly, the documentary begins with a black and white shot of Beyoncé floating in the ocean. "I think I'm a mermaid. Or I was a mermaid," she says. "The ocean makes me feel really small, and it puts my whole life into perspective. It humbles you, and grounds you."

Filmed while on a rare year off after the end of her "I Am..." tour, the documentary is a look at Beyoncé relaxing and traveling the world, while simultaneously prepping for the release of her 4 album. Fans get a rare glimpse at the Beyoncé behind the makeup and out of the costumes. It's Beyoncé the thinking woman, who reveals her thought process -- insecurities, reassurances and all -- reasoning her way through tough decisions. Though you might not think such an independent woman would have a hard time being her own boss, Beyoncé, who recently split from her longtime dad-ager Matthew Knowles, candidly addresses her fear of her newfound independence. "It was very risky for me to set out on my own," she says. "It is possible to run your own business... Sometimes we don't reach for the stars, sometimes we are satisfied with what people tell us we're supposed to be satisfied with, and I'm just not going for it."

After taking time off, Beyoncé tackles the conception, writing, production and choreography of her new album. Between scenes documenting grueling rehearsals with her dancers -- some of whom even flew in from Mozambique and brought Beyoncé to tears as she watched them depart the "Run the World (Girls)" video set for the last time) -- we're privy to more tender moments that might otherwise be reserved for private home videos featuring her nephew Juelz and "Uncle Jay." A self-professed workaholic, Beyoncé credits her mom Tina with forcing her to take this much-needed interlude. "I never realized I don't know how to take a year off," reveals Beyoncé, "but you don't want to wake up with no memories."

It's a genuine look at Beyoncé the wife, the daughter, the aunt, the dancer, the superstar, Beyonce the bona fide business woman, and Beyonce, the girl capable of running the world.

+ Watch parts 1 and 2 of "Beyonce: Year of 4" MTV documentary, and watch parts 3 and 4 after the jump!

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You guys. Rihanna is concerned for your health and welfare and would really like you to take a more active approach to your liquid consumption. It IS officially summer, after all. To that end, the "California King Bed" singer has released a brand-new ad for Vita Coco brand coconut water. Because she wants you to get a good, comfy night's sleep AND stay hydrated.

We're currently harboring conclusions about the benefits of coconuts based on how RiRi's Barbadian upbringing MUST have involved heavy coconut consumption and that MUST have led to a next-levelness of hydration and gorgeousness for her. Therefore, coconuts alone could account for her perma-glowy, clear complexion. In Manhattan (also an island, though not similar to a Caribbean one, alas), coconuts are not common, and so we're plotting a trip to the bodega down the street where they sell Vita Coco to get our electrolytes on. SOS please someone save me from being ashy.

So in conclusion, Rihanna is doing a marvelous job of selling you magical water made out of delicious tropical coconuts.

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Tags Rihanna, Star Spotting

A "new" version of Britney Spears' now-famously cheeky video "I Wanna Go" video turned up online today, and, like the giddy, tittering little schoolgirls we are when it comes to ANYthing Britney, we certainly got a leeeeittle overexcited.

The video -- which is basically the original, just chopped up into smaller, bite-size portions and given a sort of sepia-n-sunshine-toned treatment -- features the "DJ Frank E & Alex Dreamz Remix," reportedly one of two official remixes to be released this summer.

Even though the more club-centric, bass-infused mix itself has been on SoundCloud for a while, as a Britney EXPERT, I think this new videp is the PERFECT companion piece to our Britney-filled summer of 2011.

+ Watch Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go" remix video, watch the original below, and check out our exclusive interviews with "I Wanna Go" director Chris Marrs Piliero after the jump!

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Beyoncé's latest album, 4, came out this week, and it's already poised for a #1 chart position. And tonight, Beyoncé's pulling back the curtain and revealing never-before-seen footage of her from the period in her life that inspired her latest effort. It's a look at both her year off and her year on in the MTV special "Beyoncé: Year of 4."

"My life was award shows and tour buses and hotels, and it kind of goes by so fast ... I couldn't even hear it anymore," she says in her tenderly revealing, up-close-and-personal documentary. "I never even realized I needed a year off. And I never realized I don't know how to take a year off."

Footage begins as Beyoncé wraps up her epic "I Am" world tour and finds herself at a crossroads before eventually following her mother's advice to take a well-deserved break. You'll see Beyoncé reflecting, traveling and enjoying some much-needed freedom and solitude. But all throughout her sabbatical, you get the sense that she certainly never stopped planning her next move, which is apparent as she launches an all-out assault on the project that would become her new album.

+ Don't miss "Beyoncé: Year of 4," tonight at 7 pm ET/PT on MTV and BET and 7:30 p.m. ET on VH1 and Palladia. Encore presentations follow on MTV.com, MTV Hits and MTV Jams.

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Credit: Getty

Might it be possible for Colbie Caillat to shoot a music video that doesn't feature the following: a sunflower, the beach, the crystal-blue sky or a tree, teeming with delicious fresh fruit? OK, I'm kidding... kind of. But consummate Cali girl Colbie Caillat sure loves her summer-themed videos, and her "Brighter Than The Sun" video, off her upcoming All Of You album, is clearly no exception. Literally, I'm almost blinded by the fake sun rays. SPF jokes aside, though, the video's balmy (but not too humid, you know?), and it perfectly suits the song's lighthearted and summery vibe.

First up, we see a perfectly sunkissed Colbie, swirling about as she's surrounded by her circle of friends (who all happen to be wearing an absolutely PERFECT June wardrobe). Next, a lush green fern gets a juicy 10-second close-up (was probably in its contract), followed by a tight shot of Colbie's immaculately manicured yet fertile hands planting sheets of grass (which we later learn is for her custom made, all-grass bed?)

Colbie proceeds to twirl in front of her very own orange tree and reveals her picturesque swing, which is the perfect accessory for breezy hair and more friendly tilling of the soil until a dance party is produced.

Throw in a few more beauty shots of the fern to wrap things up, and we've just about been to the hottest, most environmentally conscious party of the summer so far.

+ Watch Colbie Caillat's "Brighter Than The Sun" video.

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Credit: Getty

GAH I just wanna squeeze those cute David Archuleta cheeks! Phew. Exhale. OK he's 20 now, so he can't really be considered a kid. But look at that punim! I can't help it! I get maternal! So sue me!

As cute as he may be, the "American Idol" alum's new sound is more mature as ever. After leaving Jive Records, Archuleta was reported to have been working overtime on his new material. Though "Everything And More," which premiered on a Singapore radio station this week, is not a particularly innovative ballad (weird, since he co-wrote it with Grammy-winning songwriter Victoria Horn), we do have to give Team Archie credit. He knows what works for him and rarely strays from his sweet spot. Even while on "Idol," David's best performances (probably The Beatles classic "Imagine" and Elton John's power ballad "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me") were centered around soft melodies and touching lyrics.

And if we know anything about Arch, it's that this is exactly the type of heartfelt and wholesome song genetically engineered to make us fall in love with him all over again.

+ Listen to David Archuleta's new song, "Everything And More."

Tags American Idol, David Archuleta, video

Credit: Redferns

Coldplay music comes in two flavors: big, bright and polished; and gritty, unadorned and subdued. Personally, I'd order a large swirl cone of both, cause I dig the duality that defines the Coldplay sound. But music isn't always as swirlable as fro-yo, so Coldplay's gotta commit to one flavor per song. And commit they did on "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall," combining the same lush, rich and polished effects that they did on "Viva La Vida."

The "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" video is as celebratory as the song itself. Shot partially in downtown L.A., Coldplay uses a graffiti montage to spell out their song lyrics (think Train's "Hey, Soul Sister" video). Additionally, cutesy pink and red hearts appear when Chris Martin says the word "love," and musical notes, triangles and old records also appear in random patterns, painted onto a huge concrete wall. The video culminates with a black-lit performance set -- think Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" meets Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" video.

It's a vividly sensory rally cry to celebrate youth and seize the moment. "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" will appear on Coldplay's still-untitled fifth studio album, due out this fall.

+ Watch Coldplay's "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" video.

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Credit: FilmMagic and WireImage

After dropping a sneak peek the other day, English MC Tinie Tempah has now dropped the full video for his latest single with Wiz Khalifa, "Till I'm Gone." In the flashy, stylish clip, Tinie bids adieu to his girl and proceeds to go have fun in L.A. with a crew of well-dressed buddies that includes the guys from Good Charlotte. They traipse around the Hollywood hills and ultimately end up having a late-night hang downtown by the freeway, to which Tinie rolls up in an extremely shiny car.

Throughout it all, Tinie raps about his love of globetrotting: "I buy time in Switzerland/I drive round in Monaco/I shook hands with royalty/I make songs that monarchs know." He name-checks Amsterdam, Australia, and the game of cricket (how very British!). This all sounds quite exciting, but word to the wise: If you leave her to go travel the world, your girlfriend might not still be waiting when you get back. "One day" is not a very solid time frame to give a girl, Tinie T.

+ Watch Tinie Tempah's "Till I'm Gone" video.

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Credit: Charles Nolis Anderson

We've been into the precocious, eight-piece outfit known as Kids These Days ever since they took over South By Southwest earlier this year. The Chicago-based group is hard to ignore for a few reasons:

1.) Their genre-less genre-hopping fusion of hip-hop, funk, soul and jazz.

2.) They're all in their teens.

... So they're kind of like Odd Future but on the opposite day.

Kids These Days recently released the iTunes version of their debut EP, Hard Times, showcasing an amalgam of influences that range from jazz chanteuses to bohemian hip-hop to 1970s soul. Now usually that much genre-mashing is risky -- less-talented bands have seen their outsize ambition dull their focus, making their sound more convoluted than clever -- but Kids These Days have proven themselves with prodigious skills that belie their age.

Many of the group's members met when they were just 15 and attending University of Illinois-Chicago and DePaul University's music schools. Overachievers, clearly. They started off as a cover band, and they'd perform live mashups -- Common's "Be" mixed with Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia" is a crowd favorite -- before they started producing their own material.

Lead singers Macie Stewart and Liam Cunningham deftly avoid any trend-hopping vocal styles, trading off vocals with soulful timbres that far exceed their actual ages, while MC Vic Mensa's smooth cadence recalls Talib Kweli or The Roots' Black Thought more than Lil Wayne or Rick Ross. Which means that Kids These Days' diverse sound means fans of Jack Johnson, Sharon Jones, The Roots or Norah Jones can all find distinct parts of the group's tracks to rally around. Check out their "Darling" video and their "Summerscent" video, so we don't have to say "I told you so" later.

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Credit: Getty

Either Joe Jonas is a massive pyromaniac, or he's severely pissed off at his ex. We'll pine deeply for him either way, but considering that a frilly, cream-colored, size 2 dress spontaneously combusts and starts the fire that basically defines the plot for Joe's new "See No More" video, we're going to go with the latter. Of course, we might have been able to bring you the plotline a bit earlier, but Joe's "See No More" preview was so vague that we really had no clue what to think. Oh, and that lyric video didn't tell us a damn thing about the plotline either, now did it Joe? (Hint: Next time, Joe, be kind. We were dying over here).

The "See No More" video begins with a shot of the smoldering-hot, yet clearly depressed and brooding Joe. Maybe he and Drake should take a spa week together? Amidst a veritable IKEA "Market Hall" of broken dishes on the floor, Joe skulks about in his empty house. The only remaining piece of furniture is a lone chair, which later supports Joe, as he stops to take a seat and look out the window while presumably fantasizing about happier times. Suddenly, we see HER. The one who broke his heart, swirling outside in the dark in front of Joe's house wearing a (rather lovely) lavender frock. Real talk for a sec: What the hell kind of LOCA gal would mistreat a Jonas Brother? Delta, you better watch it. But alas, I digress.

Cut to Joe back inside his house, looking at that size 2 cream colored frock again. Next thing you know, said dress magically catches on fire, serving as the catalyst for the massive blaze which eventually overtakes Joe's sad, memory-filled house.

As the video comes to a close, we see a still brokenhearted, yet somehow immaculately coiffed Joe emerge from the wreckage in a perfectly symmetrical grey cloud of smoke (which I've conveniently decided is a metaphor for the triumphant start of Joe's solo career). And listen, I know that arson isn't normally recommended. But I say good for you, JJ. Set fire to that ish, and move the hell on (to moi, of course).

+ Watch Joe Jonas' "See No More" video below.

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Tags Drake, Joe Jonas