Well, hello there MTV Featured Artist of the Week, Kristinia DeBarge. How are things? Good, glad to hear it. Why yes, I have enjoyed the 80's-ish sugary pop of your debut album, Exposed! Thanks for asking!
I especially like your take on the Ryan Tedder-penned jam "Future Love." What's that you say? I should check out your live performance of said song in the video below? Great! And I should try not to be alarmed at the slightly creepy guys behind you dressed like a horror movie version of America's Best Dance Crew faves The Jabbawockeez? I will keep that in mind.
Oh and can you repeat that last thing? That while I'm at it I should dig into another live performance of your song "Sabotage"? What an embarrassment of riches. Thanks, Kristinia DeBarge!
Check out Kristinia DeBarge's MTV-exclusive, Halloweened-out video version of "Future Love," and watch exclusive MTV Kristinia interviews and more!
Bill and Tom Kaulitz have made no attempt to hide the fact that school wasn't exactly their favorite place on earth, even though they won an award for distance learning, proving that sometimes smart people flourish outside of the classroom too. And I know a lot of you Tokio Hotel fans out there can relate. (But stay in school, okay? I didn't love school that much either, but I stuck with it, and LOOK AT ME NOW, MA! I GOT A JOB WRITING ABOUT TOKIO HOTEL!)
Anyway, I wanted to know if Bill and Tom had any advice for Tokio Hotel fans who are just trying to survive the school day -- so they can get home and listen to Humanoid and check Buzzworthy for Tokio updates (Yay! Enjoy this one!)
Tokio Hotel are real dudes and can see through a lot of media training 101 bull s++t a lot of artists automatically dish out. So when I asked Bill and Tom Kaulitz about how to get through school, Bill's response was totally straight-up and real about it: "Just close your eyes and do it... But it's always bad."
If you were expecting a canned, shiny, Miss America "save the world" response, Bill and Tom Kaulitz didn't give you one, but their answer was completely real, and whether or not they want to be role models, their fans look up to them. Their answer only made me respect them as down-to-earth guys even more.
Ok, wtf is Ulalume? Well, it's a poem written by macabre and goth-y 19th century poet Edgar Allan Poe (you were awake in English class, right?). It's also the name of MTV's inaugural Ulalume: Howling At New Moon music festival. Wait, it all makes sense and is less esoteric than you think, or sort of.
The music festival takes place at Columbia, Maryland's Merriweather Post Pavilion tomorrow (October 23) and while Poe was born in Boston, the poet is buried in Maryland (not too far from Poe's grave (spooky!). Plus, the Ulalume fest is Halloween-themed (New Moon! Vampires, werewolves, unrequited crushes!) and premieres on MTV, Friday October 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET. And Twilight fans take note! Cast members from New Moon will be part of this one-hour on-air special, and they will be unveiling an exclusive look at a never-before-seen clip from the highly anticipated release of the second Twilight installment.
Ok, you're not a history buff. How about a fan of groups like Paramore and AFI? Yes, Ulalume has a kick-ass line up that not only includes those headliners, but also features Dead By Sunrise the new band by Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, Kid Cudi and more (umm, rad, right? Buy your tickets here if you haven't already). Come out and celebrate all things spooky in honor of Halloween at the festival if you can make it and if not, tune into MTV next Friday.
BUT, if you don't want to wait long (and you shouldn't), we'll be rolling out bonus performances, interviews, photos and more all next week starting Monday October 26. Check into Buzzworthy and MTV.com for more. Wanna know more? Check out the official Ulalume site on MTVU and or go to Halloween.MTV.com where all our festival highlights will appear. Oh, and let's not forget the hot hostess of the show that's a bit on the jet-black gothy side as well, celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D. Check out our Ulalume video playlist below and a sexy photo of our hostess with the mmm..mostess.
Jessie James is best known for her comforting, warm singer-songwriter material and her beautiful voice. But apparently she's got a funny side as well. And now that she's an MTV Artist of the Week, you can check out both sides of this talented performer.
With Halloween right around the corner, check out these funny promo spots featuring the "I Look So Good (Without You)" singer handing out some unorthodox treats, and taking a rather aggressive approach to bobbing for apples. Also check out her exclusive live performance of "I Look So Good..." as well.
The 2009 VMAs were packed with OMG moments, some intentional -- Janet Jackson's tribute to Michael Jackson, Beyonce's "Single Ladies" army, Lady Gaga's fake death -- some not -- Kanye's Taylor Swift hijack. But there were lots of VMA moments you may've missed.
Check out 10 moments from the 2009 VMAs that you might've missed.
1.) When Janet Jackson first appeared on stage during her tribute to Michael Jackson, and during several other moments during her tribute, she was perfectly in sync with Michael's choreography on the screen behind her.
2.) Janet sending a kiss up toward the sky at the end of her dance tribute to Michael Jackson.
3.) Pete Wentz solemnly bowing his head during Madonna's tribute to Michael Jackson.
4.) Jennifer Lopez's face-to-face encounter with her ex! Cris Judd was one of the dancers in Janet's Michael Jackson tribute, and Jennifer Lopez was sitting right in front of the stage.
5.) Beyonce jokingly singing along to "Motown Philly" during Jimmy Fallon and Andy Samberg's Boyz II Men joke.
6.) Katy Perry grabbing her crotch and kissing Joe Perry after singing "We Will Rock You" to introduce Russell Brand.
+ See more VMA moments that might've flown under your radar after the jump!
Read more...
RED LETTER DAY today (that means big and good) on It's On With Alexa Chung. Channing Tatum did some kind of Lord Of Dance jig, Marlon Wayans referred to his poop face, Demetri Martin -- whom my heart BEATS for -- drew a pony -- Selena Gomez got a waffle maker, and I'm sorry, but Tirzah of PS 22 sings Gaga better than Gaga.
OK. Here's what Alexa Chung wore today.
Monday, August 3
+ Sweater: See By Chloe
+ Shorts: Vintage
+ Shoes: Dries Van Noten
Got $298? Get that gold metallic See By Chloe sweater at Luisaviaroma.com. Tell 'em I sentcha.
And lucky little you. These Seychelles "Denaise" strappy black heels are super similar to the Dries Van Noten heels Alexa wore today. Not similar: The $100 pricetag. Get them at Seychellesfootwear.com.
In making their Featured Artist spots for MTV, the bad boys of All Time Low are up to some vintage pop-punk mischief. Sure, the melodic Maryland rockers play three songs from their brand-new album, Nothing Personal, too. But in the 7+ minute segment below, they go off the grid.
A newscaster reports from outside of a compound where five cute college co-eds are holding the boys hostage. Apparently the captors have gotten their hands on the master recordings of Nothing Personal and will destroy All Time Low's hard work if they try to escape.
For a look at what it's like to be imprisoned by a gang of cute superfans, hit play below. (Really, what would you do with All Time Low if you held them hostage???)
While you're at it, catch the band playing Nothing Personal (due July 7) stand-outs, "Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)," "Weightless" and "Lost In Stereo," live! Instead of waiting around for a bunch of brilliant directors to translate their work into unforgettable music videos (which will no doubt happen in good time), All Time Low go down to the beach and play three of their favorite Nothing Personal tracks at sunset. Straightforward, no fooling around. Just the new jams at full energy. A perfect introduction to the new album that's about to take over our summer!
Watch All Time Low's "Kidnapped" skit below, with balls-out performances interspersed!
Though many call it "The Country Music Capital Of The World," Nashville has a whole lot more to offer than 10-gallon hats and Ford pick-ups. Not that there's anything wrong with Ford...
As evidenced by this week's MTV Featured Artist, Kings Of Leon, a Nashville band can wear pearl snaps down the fronts of their shirts and bump the Grand Ole Opry in their F-150s and still rock the Levi's off of any big-city rock radio station.
This video playlist is a big-up to bands like Raconteurs, Paramore and Be Your Own Pet, who embrace Nashville's musical heritage without letting it define them. Watch a set of new videos from the best of the new Nashville scene, and see if you can smell the country on 'em!
+ Watch Kings Of Leon's Exclusive Featured Artist Clips!
+ Watch Kings Of Leon At The 2009 MTV Movie Awards
+ Tennessee Studliness Abounds on $5 Cover
I won't bog you down with too much intro here because I know you'll wanna get busy watching this Eminem mini-movie just as fast as you can. In it, the MTV Featured Artist answers some of your most burning questions by letting us in on what he's been up to for the past four years.
I'm not gonna spoil the surprise. Hit play and and relive Eminem's hiatus, with all the boring parts cut out (well, unless you consider arguing about the bathroom rituals of superheroes boring). Enjoy "Eminem, Where Have You Been."
+ Catch Eminem performing live at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, May 31!
+ See more Eminem MTV Featured Artist clips here!
If you're like Kim Scott, you prefer Eminem in short, repetitive doses. At least that's why I assume she married and divorced him so many times. Anything more than a blip would have been too much. Well, Kim... Boy have I got a video collection for you!
In case you haven't heard, Eminem is this week's Featured Artist on MTV. To mark the occasion, the 2009 MTV Movie Awards performer is releasing an exclusive five minute mini-movie of a return visit to his high school (a sort of Relapse, if you will). You better believe we'll be posting that one here.
But the movie's not ready to go, yet. So, to kick things off, we're rolling out a set of exclusive live videos that would make Kim's head spin. They feature Eminem just how she likes him -- performing "We Made You" and "3AM" in ten exceedingly digestible 30-second clips!
Watch "We Made You" and "3AM" below, get stoked for his Movie Awards performance May 31 and stay tuned for Eminem's trip back to high school, appearing here, the second it comes in!
