The Early November play make-believe in their new "Tell Me Why" video.

Love and war are flip sides of the same coin. It's an analogy as appropriate today as it was in Homer's "Odyssey" and Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield" (just to name a few examples). The Early November, the New Jersey five-piece and early '00s Vans Warped Tour mainstays, know what we mean. Their new video, "Tell Me Why," sets the tale of lost love to one of imagined war. OR IS IT REAL AFTER ALL? Probably not, but, you know, it feels like it sometimes .

Watch The Early November's "Tell Me Why" video after the jump. 

The song's video, taken from last summer's In Currents, TEN's first album since 2006, follows a young boy running through the woods, firing imaginary bullets at unseen enemies and running for his life from something that he doesn't quite understand. Long story short, it's a good way to sum up the last 20 years of emotional pop-punk, TEN's preferred style.

"Tell me why you left/ tell me where you went/ tell me why am I worth the lines," Arhur Enders sings in multi-tracked, harmonized vocals here over a swell of power chords and uplifting synths. "Tell me all you want/ keep me holding on/ Tell me lies/ tell me why."

"We've been working with (director) Trevor Bowman for the past few years and knew he would do a great job with this one," guitarist Joe Marro told us. "He has a great understanding of what we do and do not like and the band's aesthetic. For 'Tell Me Why,' I knew I didn't want something too linear or song specific. I'm a bigger fan of seeing interesting images and letting the viewer piece them together and make a picture out of it. The video itself gives makes me slightly nostalgic, and you really worry for the boy during parts, mainly due to his great performance. At the end, it's relieving and content, which compliments the song nicely."

"Tell Me Why"'s visuals DO fit the song's theme nicely. Much like the boy in the video, it can be hard to tell what's real or not real in a relationship. What were we fighting for? Who were we fighting against? Most of the time it was ourselves, and not some easily blamable unseen force. Sometimes, however, it was definitely creeping tree monsters like the ones in "Tell Me Why," who, as legend has it, have been plotting to overthrow the hearts and minds of young people everywhere since the dawn of time. The only way to fight back is to refuse to accept their power. Also, chain saws. Either that, or drown out your sorrows with romantic rock songs. Maybe we'll try the latter here and see how that works out first. "Tell Me Why" makes it easy to want to.

+ Watch The Early November's "Tell Me Why" video.

Photo credit: Lindsey Byrnes

Rihanna has a denim thong, and it's INTENSE.

We'll just start off by saying we're wayyyy liberal up in here. So when Rihanna wanted to take an afternoon off to pose like Marilyn Monroe, we were all like, "NO PROBLEM!" When she wanted to grab her crotch? We said, "Enjoy!" When she decided to grind all up on her best friend like a lap dancer? We were fully supportive! When she revealed her preshow naked couch routine? We said, "MAZEL TOV!" When she wanted to pose naked in front of a fireplace wearing only a headdress, we were all like, "Do you, bb!" But today Rihanna wanted to do something that even WE are having issues with -- and it's the fact that she owns/wore/managed to fit into a DENIM THONG. Yes, a thong made of denim. Jeans without the butt or legs included. Think about that for a second. There you go.

See Rihanna's denim thong after the jump.

So, now that we've filled you in on Rihanna's Denim Thong-Gate 2013 (which the "Stay" singer posted then deleted on Instagram), it's time to analyze. First, in WHAT world is that comfortable? An ordinary thong made of cotton or lace? OK, FINE. But that, ummm, "region" of the body calls for exclusively soft materials, if you know what we mean. Second, that's gotta be a custom item, right? And most important, how do they even size a denim thong? Extra-small butt size through 3XL butt size?

Now, don't get us wrong: Despite her tragic clothing choice, Ri's butt does look EN FUEGO. Like, 10,000-squats-and-lunges-a-day-caliber perfect. It's just that we'd prefer to see Rihanna's butt in a bikini! Even a nice form-fitting dress! And fine -- EVEN NAKED. Go for it. But a denim thong? That's just a no. Just NOPE. Too far -- EVEN for Rihanna.

+ Check out Rihanna's denim thong.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Selena Gomez makes a goofy face for a fan!

We can only begin to imagine the pressure Selena Gomez is under to take flawless photos all the time (not that she really has to try, or anything). There are probably moments when she's like, "EFF IT! I'm gonna make a DERP face because I AM SELENA GOMEZ and can do whatever I want. BYE." Case in point: Check out the above photo of Selena making a goofy face into a fan's phone camera! Also, please note that even when Selena makes hilarious face, she STILL looks like the spokesperson for perfection.

The "Come & Get It" singer was snapped making a funny face while hanging out in London for an interview with BBC Radio 1. And while we're reallly hoping that this lucky Selenator made the photo her screensaver, we're mostly giving Selena an A+ for recreating Taylor Swift's grossed-out expression toward her bestie kissing Justin Bieber backstage at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards! So maybe Selena's face was a secret shout out to Taylor? OR, maybe Selena had a morning bagel poppy seed stuck in her teeth and was staring into phone's camera to fish it out? Hey, we've all SO been there.

Photo credit: WENN

Pharrell Williams sounds pretty upbeat on his new song, "Happy," from the "Despicable Me 2" soundtrack.

Pharrell Williams has plenty to smile about these days. Not only is he apparently ageless and working with Miley Cyrus on her new album, but he's also recently made a number of funk-flecked appearances on Daft Punk's recent Random Access Memories. (We'll be dancing to "Get Lucky" until it makes us sick.) Well, now Pharrell's got even more of reasons to grin with his new song, "Happy," from the "Despicable Me 2" soundtrack (dropping June 18), on which he also serves as executive producer.

Listen to Pharrell Williams' "Happy" after the jump.

On the Neptunes-produced track (duh), Skateboard P brightly sings about being happy despite the things going wrong around him: "Here come bad news talking this and that/ Yeah, give me all you got, don't hold back/ Yeah, well I should probably warn you I'll be just fine/ Yeah, no offense to you don't waste your time/ Here's why/ Because I'm happy."

Wow, NOTHING'S got Pharrell down! Maybe we should take his can-do attitude and apply it to our everyday lives?? So what that the dog left a "treat" in your room when you got home after a long day? Or that you just missed the train à la Gwyneth Paltrow in "Sliding Doors"? It's OK! Just take a breath, look at the bigger picture, and realize that ultimately everything's going to be fine. Thanks, Pharrell!

+ Listen to Pharrell Williams' "Happy."

Photo credit: Universal

Watch goth-pop goddess Charli XCX perform a synthy cover of Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way."

British synth-pop princess Charli XCX may have only been about seven(ish) years old when Backstreet Boys' classic pop jam "I Want It That Way" came out, but that certainly hasn't stopped her from paying unironic homage to the quintet! As hard as it is to believe that "I Want It That Way" came out 15 years ago (gahh-ahhh-ahhhhhh), we're just glad to hear it resurrected and reinterpreted by such a young, talented songstress. Especially when said songstress' debut album, True Romance, has earned a "Best New Music" title on Pitchfork. Highbrow meets lowbrow, people!

Watch Charli XCX cover Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" after the jump.

Performing at Chicago's Borderline Music store, the "What I Like" singer tacked on a vaguely #dark, minimalist rendition of "I Want It That Way" to her stripped-down show. Introducing her cover, Charli said, "I hope you like it, 'cause I LOVE it. I'm like obsessed with this now," before launching into a heartfelt, synth-lined rendition of BSB's '99 hit. Well, guess that's our cue to kick of an all-day Charli XCX listening party and re-read our interview with the Backstreet Boys! See ya at the airport in 24 hours!

+ Watch Charli XCX cover Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way."

Photo credit: @stephapelvis

Want to see more tour photos of Before You Exit's cross-country trek with Olly Murs? YES? OK then!

The last time we checked in with pop-rock outfit Before You Exit, they were just starting off the #roadlife while on tour with Olly Murs for his "Right Place Right Time" Tour. Now that a few weeks have passed, they've reached the conclusion of the tour (aww sadz), BUT they took a mess of photos to commemorate the trek with! And before you ask, YES, one of the boys bounces around in a giant bubble. (What's that? You had no idea that was coming? Oh okay, moving along...)

Check out more photos of Before You Exit on the road with Olly Murs after the jump.

This is how Before You Exit spend their day off.

While Before You Exit will be on tour for most of the summer, their time on tour with Olly Murs (and we know how crazy that was from his tour diary) has ended. So what kinds of stuff did they get around to on the second half of the "Right Place Right Time" Tour (besides slaying sold-out crowds)? Well, what any other famous rock stars who could gain access to the most exclusive of clubs would do: Go to Disneyland and hug Goofy, of course. (Maybe they cut some lines, you don't know!) Either way, BYE looked like they had a blast on their last lap of shows with Olly Murs, and if your jelly, you should be! So don't miss them if they stop by your town this summer on tour.

BYE's No. 1 fan!!!

Aww, brotherly love.

+ CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS OF BEFORE YOU EXIT ON TOUR WITH OLLY MURS.

Photo credit: Before You Exit

Adam Levine gets a little muddy in Maroon 5's "Love Somebody" video. 

We're pretty used to seeing Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine shirtless (doing acrobatic yoga, posing on magazine covers, and basically always), but never before has he acted so bashful about it! And by "bashful," we mean covering himself in black body paint in Maroon 5's artsy new "Love Somebody" video, the latest off the band's fourth album, Overexposed. (For the record, we're not exactly sure WHY Adam's covered in body paint, but we're thinking maybe he felt inspired by Demi Lovato's black paint moment in her "Heart Attack" video.)

Watch Maroon 5's "Love Somebody" video after the jump.

In the Rich Lee-directed clip, Adam and a super-hot model chick stand facing each other against a white backdrop. But it's not just a staring contest -- it's more like an exercise in finger painting! Adam and his lady are covered in black body paint, and spend most of the video "painting" each other's bodies (this may be, in a number of ways, the dirtiest form of foreplay ever). Either that, or Adam's taken a dunk in Israel's Dead Sea? You know, the Middle East's magical mud ocean? Anyway, we're totally into this video, but we do have one gripe. We're always SO keen to count the abs on Adam's milli-pack midsection, and it's kind hard to do that when said midsection is covered in sludge. Just a creative note for next time!

+ Watch Maroon 5's "Love Somebody" video.

Photo credit: Interscope

First official "X Factor" girl judges selfie! 

It's official, y'all! Not only have the new "X Factor" judges been confirmed (FYI, they are Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio), but they're THE MOST STUNNING! And sure, it's tough to fill Britney Spears' shoes (stilettos?), but judging by Demi Lovato's latest pic of her and her new "X Factor" posse (minus Simon Cowell), the girls are going to have the beauty game ON LOCK next season. Like, the lock-est of locks. Also, SO MANY SPRING OUTFIT COLORS! Way to keep it interesting, ladies!

Demi and her co-lady judges snapped the "X Factor" selfie in Charleston, SC during the first round of auditions. Demi tweeted: "LOVE THESE GIRLS!!! @KELLYROWLAND & @paurubio #Xfactor #girlpower." Seriously, we know Demi gave Simon a run for his money last year, and we have a feeling she's going to have some anti-Simon cohorts in Kelly and Paulina. With their powers combined, those girls don't look like they'll take ANY of Simon's BS, and they'll look GORGE while they do it!

Photo credit: @ddlovato

Blake Shelton and NBC are organizing a benefit concert for Oklahoma's tornado victims.

+ "The Voice" judge and Oklahoma native Blake Shelton announced that he and NBC are coordinating a benefit concert for victims of the Oklahoma tornado. "We'll know more about it in the next 24 hours," he said, adding, "It will be televised and will happen really quickly." (MTV News)

+ Jonas Brothers have been tapped to perform at the "Miss USA" pageant, which Nick Jonas will also co-host! The show airs June 16 on NBC. (Idolator)

+ Check out the cover of One Direction's forthcoming book, "Where We Are: Our Band, Our Story." Their first official book traces their journey over the last year and a half. It will be released Aug. 27. (E!)

+ Miguel is readying a second installment of his Art Dealer Chic EP series, which he'll make available for free online as he did with the first volume. "It'll be [released in] July, August, and September," he said. (Billboard)

+ It's been eight years since Will Smith has put out an album, and it looks like Kanye West may be nudging him to get back in the studio. "I might get the bug. I'm not gonna do it unless I'm truly inspired, but 'Ye's been pushing me a little bit," Will said. (MTV News)

+ When Demi Lovato sees a good opportunity, she takes it! Demi recently spotted Ben Stiller in the street, and she made sure to let him know Demi was available now. "Ben Stiller, buy my new album on iTunes. It's out now. It'll give you a 'Heart Attack!'" she yelled while driving by him. (Popdust)

+ Trevor Bolder, the longtime Uriah Heep bassist, who also played with David Bowie on several of his seminal albums, lost his battle with cancer yesterday. He was 62. (Billboard)

Photo credit: NBC Universal

Middle Class Rut are back and bringing the rock on their new track, "No More."

Middle Class Rut's "No More" opens with the heaviness we've come to expect from the Sacramento hard rockers, diving right in with levee-breaking drums and electric guitars the size of the Hoover Dam. All that pressure explodes in the lyrics: "You took this love and you tore it apart!" guitarist Zack Lopez bellows. It sounds like a bad romance, but dude's shutting that down: "No more," he repeats to close out the chorus. Way to respect yourself, fellas. With its throat-shredding vocals and full-on rock assault, the song sounds like Perry Ferrall jamming with Soundgarden -- not bad for a two-man crew.

Listen to Middle Class Rut's "No More" after the jump.

"No More" is the follow-up to track "Aunt Betty," a March single that churns like butter. The band's new album, Pick Up Your Head, arrives June 25 on Bright Antenna Records. It's the 2011 Artist to Watch's sequel to their 2010 debut, No Name No Color. They'll promote the new set with a tour that kicked off with an SXSW gig alongside the Stooges and Japandroids, they'll appear on this year's Uproar tour alongside Alice In Chains and Jane's Addiction, and they've got their own headlining gigs in the U.S. and U.K. coming in May. Stock up on earplugs now.

+ Listen to Middle Class Rut's "No More."

Photo credit: Emily Ibarra