Obsessively blogging about pop music, pop videos, pop stars, and pop culture from inside the MTV headquarters in Times Square. We also have a slight Jonas Brothers problem. And a little fixation with Tokio Hotel.
As we mentioned earlier today (while discussing her neck tattoo), Rihanna's Rated R is, generally, a pretty gloomy affair. Rainy days, cloudy skies; pure pain, a lot of ballads, and slow, creeping beats.
So it should come as no great surprise that, despite the star power involved, "Hole In My Head," a collaboration between Rihanna and Justin Timberlake, was relegated to bonus-track-status (and not even, U.S. bonus track...it's U.K.-only!).
You can't be cool all your life. Take it from someone who knows. I may seem like a young Paul Newman now, but there was a time when I was not such a paragon of coolness. My high school yearbook picture features me, with my arms up in the air at Epcot Center wearing Skidz.
So I can identify with Justin Timberlake. My man has had some fashion disasters and some bad hair days. Look, nobody can be in the public eye that long and not screw up from time to time. But that's not gonna stop me from calling him out on some of his hairstyle choices, as highlighted on this Justin Timberlake fan forum.
So many things wrong here: the pirate-hoop-earring, the curly fro, the curly fro with the frosted tips (FROSTED TIPS), and last (but very, very much least) THE R. KELLY/ TOM KAULITZ CORNROWS. And other old-school looks at Justin Timberlake.
Let us bow our heads, and pray that those days never come to pass again (or that Jessica Biel never sees these photos).
+ More old-school Justin Timberlake pix after the jump.
The 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards are just around the corner. If you haven't booked your ticket to Berlin, well, you're probably screwed. But fortunately Buzzworthy's gonna give you a first-hand look at all of the international stars, performers and performances, and fan-picked awards on Thursday, November 5.
Here's what you need to know about the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards in Berlin.
He may have copped the silver medal in the American Idol Olympics, but David Archuleta is certainly a tried-and-true star. How do I know? Well, he has just gone through that great rite of passage that all successful singers eventually go through: he has released a Christmas album.
Christmas From The Heart is a nice run through some Christmasy hits ("Silent Night," "Joy To The World") as well as his famed take on "Ave Maria." No videos have been released for the holiday platter as of yet. But let's take a Christmas gander at a few Christmas music video tropes we're sure Archuleta will avoid:
+ Kenny G.'s "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" -- Two words: Soprano saxophones. Two more words: HELL NO.
+ Destiny's Child's "8 Days Of Christmas" -- Sexy Santa's helper costumes were kinda okay on Beyonce, to be avoided at all costs on Archie. (Though a Santa hat may or may not be fine.)
+ *NSYNC's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" -- Justin Timberlake in "rockin' elf gear" was bad enough. But Gary Coleman? Pass.
Britney Spears' brand-new single, "3" -- from her upcoming The Singles Collection, due out on November 24 -- shot to the No.1 spot of the Billboard 100 yesterday. And now Britney's keeping us guessing what the "3" video will look like, revealing only a few shots from the "3" video set.
Word around the campfire is that Rihanna's ready to make the follow-up to Good Girl Gone Bad, an album whose various incarnations has spawned more hits than a mafia war.
According to MTV News, Rihanna's gonna enter the studio with some familiar faces -- "Umbrella" writer/producer Tricky Stewart, Justin Timberlake -- and some new ones as well, like The All-American Rejects' Tyson Ritter. With those past and future Rihanna collabos in mind, I started daydreaming about who else could make this good girl even better. (And whether or not she'll wear a see-through dress to the studio.)
1. Hot Chip
While it may often be broken, Rihanna has a New Wave heart. You can heart it in her Soft-Cell-sampling early hit, "S.O.S." or in the bum-bum-be-dum's of "Disturbia." She's ready for some synths, electro leanings, and all the attendant eyeliner and Flock Of Seagulls hair that goes with it. (Wait! Rihanna HAS Flock of Seagulls hair!) So why not work with some of the finest purveyors of neo-New-Wave? Hot Chip could expertly combine R&B, dance and pop for Rihanna.
2. Katy Perry Katy Perry and Rihanna are basically already besties, so why not get in the studio together. If Rihanna lacks anything (and she doesn't lack much) it's a defined personality. Her whole thing is the blank stare, the elusive, untouchable girl. Maybe Katy could giver her something there. Like a sense of humor, or a more human, normal vibe. Not that there ain't a lot to love in Rihanna's current robot-diva-from-the-future thing. Or maybe they could both cake dive together.
3. Ryan Tedder
The OneRepublic singer/songwriter might be accused of ripping himself off (Beyonce's "Halo" begats Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone"), but it's a heck of a blueprint to work from. This seems like a no-brainer, right? I can already hear Rihanna singing "Apologize" in my head. Her airy, pleading voice would work great with his melodies.
Why is the sky blue? Why is water wet? Why do caged birds sing? All eternal questions without answers (actually they all have perfectly good answers, but you see what I'm saying). At least one eternal question has been answered: Will *NSYNC ever get back together? Well, according to JC Chasez, the answer is, "no."
Now, given the ex-*SYNCers' various states of busy-ness, from "very" (Justin, JC) to somewhat (Joey, Lance) to not (Chris), this isn't that much of a shock. But still, it's pretty interesting to see the America's Best Dance Crew judge nail the coffin shut so decidedly. *NSYNC really is gone. No matter how much it tears up your heart, no matter how much you want them back, they're still saying, "bye, bye, bye."
Don't worry, we'll always have TRL: Watch *NSYNC perform "Tearin' Up My Heart" live on TRL in 1998.
Did you see the Emmy Awards last night? Probably not, because they might as well have been called the Boring Awards. I'm sorry, but the Emmys are boring! Best Editing In A Mini Series? Zzz. Where was Kanye West when you actually could've used him? At least Neil Patrick Harris breathed some life into it and threw a little Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog into the show. Otherwise, Boresville. EXCEPT...
DID YOU SEE JANUARY JONES' DRESS! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO JANUARY JONES IS? I don't care if you're a Mad Men fan or not. January Jones (or at least her stylist), who plays Betty Draper, deserves an Emmy, an Oscar, a CFDA Award, a VMA, a blue ribbon, a freaking Palme d'Or, Heisman trophy, and an honorary Doctorate for the mint-green Atelier Versace corseted dress she wore to the Emmys last night. I want to be buried in that dress. Seriously, I'd stand up and salute that. January Jones, you had me breathing into a bag.
Sorry. I just had to take a moment because I'm having a moment.
Fefe Dobson -- the Canadian rock singer-songwriter who's toured with Justin Timberlake, written for Miley Cyrus and Jordin Sparks, counts Demi Lovato as a fan, and earned herself two Juno Award nominations -- is a style chameleon whose ever-evolving sense of fashion is clearly reflected in her musical tastes, which range from the White Stripes to Kurt Cobain to the Vines to Britney Spears, and her and collaborators, which include Cyndi Lauper, and Cobra Starship, who she'll be performing live with at the The 2009 Video Music Awards Battle for the Best Breakout NYC Artist this Friday, September 10 in New York.
Fefe's new album, Joy, is coming out soon, and we'll see if her style continues to evolve as her music does too. But first, she's going shopping with MTV's Kim Stolz for something to wear to the 2009 VMAs this Sunday, September 13.
Check out a few of Fefe Dobson's looks to get a feel for her style, and stay tuned for an inside look at what goes into celebrity shopping for the VMAs!
Like Britney Spears, one of her many musical influences, Fefe Dobson rocks a faux fur jacket at Lauren Conrad's "Head for the Hills" party in Toronto in March 2008. And those glasses? Gabe Saporta and Justin Timberlake would be proud.
Fefe goes glam -- think a cross between Vanessa Hudgens and Rihanna (who Fefe's accused of stealing her style) -- without shedding her rocker-girl edge at an entertainment event in Toronto in September 2006.
At a June 2009 party thrown by wil.i.Am in Toronto, Fefe pulls off a classic Joan Jett rocker-girl look in cut-offs and lots of leather.
+ Watch Fefe Dobson's "I Want You (Remix)" video after the jump! Read more...
I'm "giving away the end" here, but Holland-born, Justin Timberlake-discovered singer Esmee Denters loves Egypt -- its history, and its aesthetic. And I think the draw makes all kinds of sense: Esmee's exotic, otherworldliness. GIRL, ust say "pharaohs" again!
Watch Esmee's Buzzworthy "The Five" interview, and perhaps you'll pick up what she's putting down... or maybe you'll just think she's hot and/or talented. Esmee's other four tidbits are a bit more straightforward/promotionally driven -- we do want to know how she went from YouTube covers from her bedroom to a record deal with J.T., right?
You'll hear about Esmee's consistent involvement in her debut album, Outta Here, her love of sweets (she cancels them all out with the gym; we anticipated that question) and her OMG overload upon meeting... Oprah.