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!).
Wanna see Tokio Hotel get mobbed by rabid fans in Paris? Mais oui!
Watch Bill, Tom, Gustav and Georg sign autographs, and get a Tokio-eye-view the band's Parisian fans, in this brand-new video footage of Tokio Hotel in Paris. And brace yourselves -- Humanoid is almost here! October 6 is closer than you think!
The MTV VMAs go big before they even start. That means over-the-top outfits, and arrivals so big that the VMAs might as well be called the VBAs for Very Big Arrivals. It's the VMAs. You don't have your dad drop you off in his crappy Buick banger. Case in point: At the 2008 VMAs, Tokio Hotel rolled up to the red carpet in a larger-than-life monster truck tricked out with their faces on it. And T-Pain rode an elephant to the red carpet.
This year's VMA red carpet, located right outside of Radio City Music Hall, will get hit with tons of all-star action and over-the-top arrivals in the form of live animals and extremely noisy modes of transportation. See if you can guess which VMA artists might be arriving at the red carpet via the following vehicles.
And... + Fire truck
+ Horse and carriage
+ Parade float
+ Jaguar Convertible
Watch the VMA Preshow at 8pm tonight to catch all of the VMAs' Very Big Arrivals! Plus, watch the VMA red carpet live, and get more secrets of the 2009 VMAs!
Where do you go when you're one of the biggest rock acts on the planet, you've already jumped out of a helicopter, you roll deep in a Monster Truck, and your lead singer has a wax statue of himself? If you're Tokio Hotel, and you're too big for this world, then you reach for other worlds, and you go beyond the human race like Bill, Tom, Gustav, and Georg do in their brand-new video, "Automatic," directed by Craig Wessels. (And if you're Bill Kaulitz, you officially become a cyborg.)
Tokio Hotel's new "Automatic" video, off of their upcoming Humanoid album, is a big-league beast of a video. It's a legendary tale of astronomic proportions, with aesthetic references to The Matrix, Fritz Lang, Mad Max, Transformers, and Iron Giant. "Automatic" is the most moving robot story since Wall-E. And Bill Kaulitz looks like some kind of supernatural, post-apocalyptic superhero Pharaoh.
And this video was not cheap. Bill, Tom, Georg and Gustav flew to the remote deserts of South Africa -- where they had no cell phone service, and Tom even saw boars having sex -- to shoot it. Tom broke a limited-edition guitar along the way. Was it worth it? Obviously. The bar has been raised.
+ Watch Tokio Hotel's "Automatic" video after the jump, and share your reactions in the comments. (Even though I know you've already watched it 1 million and 17 times already...)
Yes, the song heavily samples Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy."But Sugababes came up with their version they were 14, OK? And I know, girl groups are SO '90s anyway, but let me throw some credentials at you, because I'm kind of a Sugababes expert (not to brag or anything)...
The British pop-for-pop's-sake group -- Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Keisha Buchanan (the group’s only original member, due to some Destiny's Child-style lineup changes) -- has released seven albums. Five have gone platinum in the U.K. They've put out 23 singles, and six went to #1. So they must be doing something right.
I will cop to the fact that any Sugababes song sounds like it could've been on The Pussycat Dolls' PCD or Doll Domination albums and no one would have said anything (if they even noticed). But that shouldn't deter you from blasting “About You Now” and “Push The Button” alone in your room. On your iPod. While wearing headphones.
Or just jump straight to Sugababes' latest single “Get Sexy.” The level of camp makes “When I Grow Up” sound solemn. You can pretty much put me to bed after “Silly boys!” And Amelle's “Shut up and watch me walk!” It's like RuPaul bodysnatched her or something.
"Get Sexy" is the lead single off Sugababes' seventh album, Sweet 7. The last single Sugababes released in the U.S. was “Hole In The Head” in 2004 –- even though they've had four albums in the U.K. since then. For Sweet 7, the trio (wisely) collaborated with RedOne and Ne-Yo; it will be released through Island in the U.K. in November, but through Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation in the U.S.
+ If you really must, watch Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" video after the jump... Read more...
We've got SO much to discuss regarding internationally-flavored group Paradiso Girls. I will try to remain composed, but I have such an investment in these girls that I may chick out at some point...
Let's ease in with the video for "Patron Tequila," from the quintet's debut album, Crazy Horse... Wait, first I want some credit: I was an early adopter of this track, even texting uninterested parties: I am obsessed with this ridiculous song that Keri Hilson wrote about puking from margaritas ... which is what "Patron Tequila is about.
Watch the video below for a little Eve and Lil Jon, as well as Paradiso's hip-thrusting fiend of a lead vocalist (on this track), Aria Crescendo. Now it's cool each of the five Paradiso Girls is of a separate nationality, but I'm only going to discuss two: Aria, born in Paris, raised in Transylvania (I didn't make that up), and Chelsea Korka, the group's sole United States-ian.
I remember Aria from a gay-ish music video a few years back, "Girl I Told Ya" by Valeria (just gay-ish, as in Katy Perry, wink-wink, we-might-be-two-girls-who-actually-hook-up-at-"sleepovers" gay).
Now here comes my inappropriate investment: Chelsea, if she looks familiar to you, was straight-up robbed on the first season of The Pussycat Dolls: The Search for The Next Doll. I didn't watch -- I couldn't watch -- Season 2 of that show out of outrage and protest. Chelsea was my girl; now, as a Paradiso, sweet revenge is MINE!
Anyway, like The Pussycat Dolls, Paradiso Girls is a Robin Antin production, and it was sort of built around Aria. Working with Interscope and will.i.am, Paradiso auditioned and recruited the four other members you see now. Since then, the girls scored a featured spot on DJ Space Cowboy's "Falling Down" and made their TV debut on LOGO's 2009 NewNowNext Awards. Check out the live performance, with a lead-in from none other than RuPaul. Whut?
By the way, just one year ago, Lady GaGa made her TV debut on the NNN Awards. Could be a good sign...
Somebody call 911! Sean Kingston gives the "what a gwan" dancehall revival a Bollywood makeover in his sauna of a new video for Tomorrow single, "Fire Burning." And let me tell you. That little preview we broke you off with last week had nothing on the real deal.
Processions of zoot suit G-men and fly dancers on Razor scooters snake their way through a bass-bumping warehouse where the animal-print-Spandex-clad guests are jumping higher than the temperature. And just when you think it couldn't get any hotter, the dance crews show up.
The explosive scene gets packed enough to make "Jai Ho" jealous! And, between the swing kids, the booty dancers, and the break crews, if you watch close, you could really learn a thing or two. Get with it! Sean Kingston! "Fire Burning!"
Pussycat Dolls' latest video, "Hush Hush; Hush Hush," is noteworthy not just because the song's title contains a semi-colon, which you don't see every day, but because the song and video hold a lot of behind-the-scenes dramz. The song is from PCD's Doll Domination. Doll Domination 2.0, but honestly, they could've just called it Doll Drama 2.0. Because...
1.) You won't hear much of the other Dolls in "Hush Hush; Hush Hush." Nicole Scherzinger recorded lead and background vocals on the song. No wonder Melody Thornton had some "words" during PCD's concert in Phoenix this past April. That, and the fact that originally, "Hush Hush; Hush Hush" was originally tauted as "Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger." Ouch.
2.) In the beginning of the video, a super naked Nicole Scherzinger uses the PHONE in the bathtub, which is just SUCH a bad idea for a variety of reasons. Though not as bad as using a hair dryer in the bathtub, which you should REALLY never do.
3.) "Hush Hush; Hush Hush samples Gloria Gaynor's 1978 hit "I Will Survive," and certainly the video's disco scene is an homage to that era, while Nicole Scherzinger's hair, makeup, and lame' look are clearly an homage to Diana Ross.
2.) Wonder Girls are from South Korea, and they're one of the biggest groups in all of Asia. Like Jonas Brothers-famous in Asia. But don't worry uniglots -- Wonder Girls also sing in English.
3.) Their biggest album to date is The Wonder Years, and their biggest singles are "So Hot," "Nobody," and "Tell Me." They should be releasing "Nobody" as their first U.S. single this month.
4.) Wonder Girls, like 2PM, are part of the JYP Entertainment empire, founded by singer-songwriter/ producer/ entertainment mogul Jin Young Park(or JYP), who's a legend in the K-pop kingdom.
5.) The Wonder Girls sound is part R&B, part pop, with power hooks (they covered Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha" early on in their career). They're sexy-cute (so watch yourself, Nick!), stylish, and their look is pure retro-nuevo modern-day Motown. Think throwback mod minis to go with their R&B Aguilera-style power hooks. Winehouse without all that wine.
Anyway, Wonder Girls actually aren't strangers to U.S. at all, and their Jonas tour won't be their first trip to America -- they made a special trip to MTV headquarters in New York City and gave an exclusive performance for their fans at MTV Iggy. (And Buzzworthy snuck in! They were phenomenally fun! And so glittery! And so adorable!)
+ Watch Wonder Girls' exclusive MTV Iggy performance of "Tell Me," and watch their "Nobody" video, and get their tour dates, and get more Wonder Girls at MTV Iggy!
+ A sneak peek at the New Moon trailer! (Ahh! Edward! So sparkly and brooding and perfect!)
+ Stuff you'd NEVER see at the Oscars (snoooooze fest!), like Best WTF Moment, featuring poop, pee, and nudity!
+ Best Kiss, which could go to two dudes, a vampire, Angelina Jolie OR Zac Efron. Or maybe Angelina will kiss Zac Efron. Maybe Zac Efron and Robert Pattinson will both make out. Who knows!??
+ Megawatt celebrities like Robert Pattinson. Kristen Stewart. Zac Efron. Vanessa Hudgens. Will Ferrell. Leighton Meester. Megan Fox. BE IMPRESSED. Be watching.
+ Things that are more exciting to watch than to read in list form, so make sure you tune in tonight at 9PM! DO IT! (Jimmy Fallon is!) And get up-to-the-minute Movie Awards insider access on the MTV Movies Blog.
Somebody call 911! 
DUDES! Don't forget! The 2009 MTV Movie Awards are Sunday, May 31 -- that's TONIGHT -- at 9PM, LIVE from Los Angeles with host