MTV Buzzworthy Blog › Bruce Springsteen

The long list of performers at the 2012 Grammys was as vast, varied and random as putting your entire music collection on shuffle and setting it on stage. The 2012 Grammy performances spanned an exhaustive array of musical genres, making clear that in the year 2012, pop music is more democratic and less limited than ever before. Jazz standards can share the same stage as Dubstep, and artists as young as Taylor Swift or as established as Glen Campbell and Tony Bennett all belong equally at the same ceremony. Here's a top-to-bottom recap of all of the performers and performances at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

Bruce Springsteen: Backed by Steven Van Zandt, Patti Scialfa and the the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen opened the Grammys by tearing through "We Take Care Of Our Own," his new single from his upcoming Wrecking Ball album. It was an on-message salute both to Americans and, more topically, to the music industry and fans mourning Whitney Houston. Paul McCartney and Lady Gaga cheered him on. Also, let me go on record as the 50,045,492th person who notes that Bruce Springsteen does not age. He actually makes me look forward to being, like 50 something. Oh wait. He's 62? WHAT DOES HE EAT? HOW DOES HE LIVE?

Bruno Mars: Glad to see Bruno Mars is no longer a one-man piano-moving company and instead a consummate old-school band leader with his own onstage theater marquee. He channeled James Brown, Cab Calloway, Chuck Berry and the Four Tops with his golden, shimmering, blowout rendition of "Runaway."

Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt: Smart, unexpected pairing -- the ever-radiant Alicia Keys and country legend Bonnie Raitt pay tribute to the late, great Etta James with a country-blues rendition of "Sunday Kinda Love."

+ Check out more Grammy performances after the jump!

Read more...

Related Content The Most Awesome Photos From The 2012 Grammys, The Craziest And Best Moments From The 2012 Grammys, Grammy Photos, Grammy Videos, Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Adele, Alicia Keys, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, Carrie Underwood, Chris Brown, Coldplay, David Guetta, deadmau5, Foo Fighters, Foster The People, Grammys, Jason Aldean, Jennifer-Hudson, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Maroon 5, Paul McCartney, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, The Beach Boys, The Civil Wars, Tony Bennett, Whitney Houston

Welcome to Buzzworthy's The Week In Pop, where we round up new album releases, talk show musical guests and appearances, TV appearances by your favorite pop stars and more (so you don't have to).

Die Antwoord releases their 'Tension' album, Katharine McPhee stars in 'Smash' and The Fray release their new album.

Hopefully y'all are recovered from your chicken wing overload (or your group clap-along to Madonna's "Like A Prayer" during the halftime show), but there's a ton of music happenings to pay attention to this week! So listen up! The Fray's back with their third studio album, Scars & Stories, Die Antwoord is hitting nighttime TV (I'm scared), the NBC show "Smash" FINALLY premieres and HELLLOOOOOO, THE GRAMMYS ARE SUNDAY!

Check out this week's album releases and talk show music guests below, and tune in to MTV tonight for the exclusive premiere of the the Black Keys "Gold On The Ceiling" video, followed by a 30-minute interview with the band on MTV.com.

NEW ALBUM RELEASES
Tuesday, Feb. 7
+ A Place To Bury Strangers, Onwards To The Wall: The "loudest band in New York" is back with their special blend of noise rock, featuring the single "So Far Away."
+ Die Antwoord, Tension: The South African Zef lords are more than ready to terrify you again with their second LP, Tension, released on their own label, featuring "I Fink U Freaky."
+ The Fray, + Scars & Stories: The brooding piano rockers drop their third studio album, Scars & Stories. Check out their lead single, "Heartbreak."

Check out more new album releases and upcoming TV appearances and performances after the jump.
Read more...

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags 50 Cent, A Place To Bury Strangers, Alabama Shakes, Andy Grammer, Anthony Hamilton, boyz-ii-men, Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, Cee-Lo Green, Coldplay, Die Antwoord, Dierks Bentley, Estelle, Far East Movement, Jaci Velasquez, Jack's Mannequin, Jessie Baylin, Katharine McPhee, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Kelly Rowland, LeAnn-Rimes, Miguel, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, Primus, Rihanna, Shaggy, Sharon Van Etten, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, The Black Keys, The Cranberries, The Darkness, The Fray, The Kills, The Wanted, The Week In Pop, Tony Bennett, Van Halen, Wale, Walk The Moon, Weird Al Yankovic, Ziggy Marley

Madonna at a Super Bowl press conference.

+ Madonna revealed during a press conference yesterday that she'll perform four songs during Sunday's Super Bowl halftime, three old ones and one new. "This is a Midwesterner girl's dream to be performing at the halftime show," she added. (MTV News)

+ Lil Wayne hurt himself again while skateboarding. "Unfortunately I was skating and I tried to do an ollie down one of my banks and I tailed out at the end of it," he said in a video clip he shared with MTV News. (MTV News)

+ Watch J. Cole and Nicki Minaj open up about their Grammy nominations in separate videos. "I'm not gonna be nervous about winning 'cause I really don't think I'm gonna win," says Minaj, adding, "This year is just about being nominated and feeling grateful." (Rap-Up)

+ Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl will executive-produce a comedy sitcom, which will star Dana Gould. It's apparently about a fictional rock band on the rise who needs to go to therapy to keep from breaking up. #itsfunnycauseitsprobablytrue (Rolling Stone)

+ The growing lineup of performers for the Grammys on Feb. 12 is looking mighty fine. Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are the latest to be added to the list, which includes Katy Perry, Adele, Foo Fighters, Nicki Minaj and more. (MTV News)

+ Bon Iver is collaborating with Alicia Keys. Bon Iver's Justin Vernon is no stranger to the collabo, having hit the studio with Kanye West and The National, among others. (Billboard)

Photo credit: Getty Images

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy on Twitter

Tags Adele, Alicia Keys, Bon Iver, Bruce Springsteen, Buzz Bites, Foo Fighters, J. Cole, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Lil Wayne, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, The National

Rick Ross isn't the only boss in town. OG Bruce Springsteen is back with an album your dad's favorite rocker says is his angriest yet -- but lead single "We Take Care Of Our Own" sounds less like a tantrum than a call for unity. "I been stumbling on good hearts turned to stone," the Boss sings before pledging his own patriotic kindness: "We take care of our own/Wherever this flag is flown." It's a song about the way things should be, and like most Springsteen protest songs, it's come right when we need it.

The track's mammoth drums and woolly guitars are a fresh take on the E Street Band's classic anthemic style -- it sounds like Bruce's been listening to Arcade Fire's Neon Bible, an album jam-packed with influence from Springsteen's own Born To Run and beyond. With throwback releases such as The Seeger Sessions taking up the Boss' time lately, it's exciting to hear him turning his attentions to modern music as well as current politics. (We'll get a Skrillex remix out of him yet!)

Springsteen's album Wrecking Ball is due March 6. If it's all as inspired and energetic as this, we're going to occupy the hell out of it.

+ Listen to Bruce Springsteen's "We Take Care Of Our Own."

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Bruce Springsteen

Credit: Tamar Anitai

Well HEEEEEY, Lana Del Rey. This afternoon, I had the pleasure of interviewing purry, musey (two words I'm comfortable with having just kind of made up) Lana Del Rey, who's succeeded in becoming much of the internet's personal national anthem. Seriously, I don't think any single human who wasn't divorcing, about to give birth or named Ryan Gosling has informed our internet consumption these past few months the way Lana Del Rey has. And while Lana Del Rey has quietly created a mysterious, sullen swirl of zeitgeist following her "Video Games" video and, more recently, her haunting "Born To Die" video, in person she was funny, sweet, intelligent and refreshingly humble.

I'll have more soon from my Lana Del Rey Buzzworthy interview, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek photo of Lana Del Rey at MTV before she performs on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend and she drops her Born To Die album Jan. 31 and becomes Gaga/Adele/Katy Perry huge. (Also, she's one of MTV's 11 Artists To Watch In 2012, so we called it!)

Stay tuned for Buzzworthy's interview with Lana Del Rey, and until then enjoy a clip of Lana discussing her upcoming "Saturday Night Live" appearance and two videos she told me inspire her: Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" (SO. EFFING. RIGHT ON) and Britney's "Toxic." (I've found this to be the right answer to most questions.)

Related Content Lana Del Rey Lands Modeling Contract, Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey

Credit: @taylorswift13

As I admitted last week, it's a massive blow to my self-esteem to keep having to talk about how pretty, talented, cool, young and connected Taylor Swift is. Just the other day, Taylor snagged the Entertainer Of The Year award at this year's CMAs, and she took to her acceptance speech to thank all the artists she's collaborated with on her Speak Now tour: Justin Bieber, Usher, Shawn Colvin, Nelly, Nicki Minaj, Jimmy Eat World, Andy Grammer, Switchfoot, Ellen DeGeneres and Flo Rida. Damn!

Just when I thought Taylor was gonna take a break from being the person I aspire to be really dope, she posts a picture of herself chilling with Bruce Springsteen, otherwise known as THE effing BOSS! Last night, along with a cute pic of her and Bruce, Taylor tweeted, "I'll never forget when Bruce Springsteen played 'Dancing in the Dark' backstage at my show on my guitar, then signed it. Such a beautiful night in Raleigh."

A couple things to point out here: First, why didn't Bruce hop onstage and play that song for the audience? If he was trying to keep his love for Taylor under wraps, then we hate to tell you but that ship has sailed. Second, how is it possible that Taylor looks SO ADORABLE in this pic? Not to undermine her beauty or anything, but I thought it was a general rule of the earth that when anyone does the hold-your-hand-up-and-snap-your-own-pic move, their face looks at least 10 pounds heavier? Yet again more proof that Taylor wins at everything.

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift

Credit: Getty Images

+ Kanye West premiered his womenswear "Dw" line over the weekend during Paris Fashion Week. It was a star-studded affair, with attendees including Ciara, Jared Leto and more. Oh man, those shoes: WANT! (MTV Style)

+ Ciara called MTV News to report her thoughts on Kanye's fashion debut: "To see someone like Kanye, who aspires to succeed in fashion, to get so much respect and crossover like this, it was monumental. It was a historic moment." (MTV News)

+ Sting turned 60, and to celebrate he raised money for the Robin Hood Foundation. Celebs such as Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen joined him. Peep Sting's video performances with Lady Gaga, will.i.am and Mary J. Blige here. (Neon Limelight)

+ Whoa, Taylor Swift, nice flow on those Ludacris lines. During her Atlanta show over the weekend, she invited Usher onstage to perform his smash hit "Yeah." His kids joined them onstage afterwards. Totes adorbs! (Rap-Up)

+ Drake was honored by Canada's Walk of Fame with the Allan Slaight Award, which acknowledges young Canadians making a positive impact. He donated the $10,000 prize to Dixon Hall, which helps low-income Toronto residents. Props, Drake! (Rap-Up)

+ Florence + The Machine's Florence Welch revealed they could've gone American pop on Ceremonials, but didn't: "This is too weird. I can't just suddenly leave behind everything that made [2009 debut album] 'Lungs.'" Its Nov. 1 release date can't come soon enough. (Billboard)

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy on Twitter

Tags Bruce Springsteen, Buzz Bites, Celebrity, Ciara, Drake, Florence and the Machine, Jared Leto, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Taylor Swift, Usher, Will.i.Am

Credit: WireImage

+ Sorry, internet pirates, but you will not be hearing Jay-Z and Kanye West's mega collabo Watch The Throne before you're supposed to. Jay-Z's manager, John Meneilly, tweeted recently, "It is not going to leak." There ya have it. (Rap-Up)

+ Sean Kingston not only feels a lot better after his Jet Ski accident, but also after his recent weight loss: "I don't eat after 6 [p.m.], and then I really just do the treadmill..." If I could just keep that in mind the next time I scarf down brownies at 12:30 a.m. (MTV News)

+ Despite what you might have heard about what sent Demi Lovato to rehab, the singer opens up in the September issue of Elle magazine stating, "I wouldn't credit my meltdown to a guy. There was so much other stuff in my life." Jonas who? (The FABlife)

+ Even though Bruce Springsteen's iconic dance moves in his "Dancing In The Dark" video were fairly simple, apparently they required some practice. Check out recently discovered footage of the Boss literally dancing in the dark. Um, '80s Springsteen #cangetit. (ONTD)

+ Amy Winehouse's collaboration with standards legend Tony Bennett that was recorded earlier this year will be released as a charity single. Look for "Body And Soul" on Tony's upcoming album, Tony Bennett: Duets II, out this September. (Rolling Stone)

+ And now, photos of three-quarters of the Backstreet Boys going down a waterslide. (ONTD)

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Amy Winehouse, Backstreet-Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Buzz Bites, Demi Lovato, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Sean Kingston, Tony Bennett

Credit: Splash News

+ Selena Gomez hosted Canada's MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto last night, where her boyfriend Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga took home top honors. Other winners include Far East Movement, Drake, and Taio Cruz. (TheFABlife)

+ After suffering a stroke last Sunday, Clarence Clemons, E Street Band member and Lady Gaga's Born This Way saxophonist, passed away this weekend at the age of 69. Bruce Springsteen reflected on his friend: "His life, his memory and his love will live on...and in our band." (MTV News)

+ Amy Winehouse has canceled the remaining European tour dates on what was supposed to be a "comeback tour" after botching her concert in Belgrade this weekend. A Serbian newspaper called the concert "the worst" that locals had ever seen. Yikes. (PopEater)

+ If you miss boy bands as much as we do, this news should make your day: *NSYNC's Lance Bass is putting together a new boy band reality show competition where contestants will...well, we're not sure yet. But there will probably be synchronized outfits! (Idolator)

+ Speaking of boy bands, former New Kid On The Block Joey McIntyre showed the world its first look at his newborn daughter on Father's Day. We say this a lot, but it seriously might be the cutest picture we've ever seen. (SOW)

+ Buzzworthy fave and OFWKTA member Frank Ocean is set to release a "lite" version of his super sexy mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra. Nostalgia, LITE will feature only seven songs, and no word yet on the new F-bomb count. (Rap-Up)

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Amy Winehouse, Bruce Springsteen, Buzz Bites, Drake, Far East Movement, Frank Ocean, Joey McIntyre, justin bieber, Lady Gaga, Lance Bass, New Kids on the Block, NSync, Odd Future, Selena Gomez, Taio Cruz

Credit: Film Magic

+ Madonna's manager Guy Oseary confirmed via Twitter that the singer is headed to the studio in July to begin work on a new album. That's how you remain a pop icon, ladies and gents. (Idolator)

+ We knew we hadn't seen the last of Lady Gaga's famous meat dress. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland is putting the dress on display for one day only this Thursday as part of their "Women Who Rock" exhibit. You don't just let a dress like that go to the dogs. (ONTD)

+ Is Jennifer Lopez returning as a judge on the next season of "American Idol"? Even she doesn't know: "I haven't been forced to make a decision and I'm glad about that because honestly I'm very on the fence about it." (TheFABlife)

+ Looks like Ke$ha graduated from the Taylor Momsen School Of Going Pants-less In Public. The singer showed up to the amfAR Inspiration Gala in NYC this week wearing only the back half of her dress. (Buzznet)

+ "We were flattered to be asked, and it was great to be a part of it," Taylor Hanson said about Hanson playing the house band in Katy Perry's latest video, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." As for what it takes to get them to play your house party? "We work for Twizzlers and good times." (MTV News)

+ Bruce Springsteen issued a statement thanking fans for all of their support while E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons recovers from a stroke. "This is a time for us all to share in a hopeful spirit that can ultimately inspire Clarence to greater heights." (PopEater)

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Bruce Springsteen, Buzz Bites, Hanson, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Taylor Hanson