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.
First of all, let it be known that Janet Jackson is one of my favorite artists and dancers of ALL TIME. I've listened to Design of a Decade weekly since it came out. There isn't a Janet Jackson song or video I don't know and love. Janet's tribute to Michael Jackson at the 2009 VMAs was one of the greatest acts of artistry I've ever seen in my life. But you know what WASN'T one of the greatest things I've ever seen in my life? The outfit Janet wore for her American Music Awards performance last night. Janet's performance was great -- She did "If"!!! She channeled Michael! But OMG the outfit!?!?
Janet's AMA outfit was part naughty Pocahontas, kinda Robin Hood, and a little California gold rush. Janet's pants looked like army-issue Hammer pants, and the whole ensemble felt kinda like Shrek but with better cleavage.
Watch Janet Jackson and her crew of top dancers and choreographers -- Wade Robson, Tyce Diorio, Tina Landon, Jeri Slaughter, Travis Payne, Brian Friedman, Cris Judd, Dave Scott, Mia Michaels, Laurie Ann Gibson and Wade Robson -- rehearse and get physically and emotionally prepared to pay homage to Michael Jackson at the VMAs.
Plus, see Janet Jackson's dancers share heartfelt memories about working with Michael Jackson -- Wade Robson wears costume pieces Michael Jackson gave him on the "Bad" video set, get a fly-on-the-wall look at the performance details -- the shoes were custom-designed by Christian Louboutin, Janet reminds the dancers to stretch their eyes open during "Thriller," remembering that Michael gave his dancers the same tip -- and experience Janet's raw emotion as she steps onto the Radio City Music Hall stage to practice and finally perform the "Scream" choreography which she hadn't performed since she and Michael shot the video in 1995.
Watch all eight behind-the-scenes videos of Janet Jackson and her now-legendary fleet of choreographers picked to pay tribute to Michael Jackson at the 2009 VMAs.
After Madonna's sobering, heartfelt eulogy to the late, great Michael Jackson opened the 2009 MTV VMAs, Janet Jackson, along with some of the top dancers and choreographers in the world, paid tribute to her late brother in a way that made the most sense: a room-shaking, mind-bending pop spectacle of theatrics, special effects, and, of course, seemingly superhuman dance. It was an absolutely arresting performance, (I felt overwhelming privileged to be standing stage left watching the performance as the entirety of Radio City screamed as Janet reenacted "Scream"), wrought with power, emotion, and new meaning.
One more time, for one night only, Michael Jackson, whose performances brought sheer, unadulterated, ecstatic joy to his fans, danced again through the power of Janet's love and energy.
Watch Janet Jackson's 2009 VMA performance again, and watch the trailer for the new documentary, Michael Jackson's This Is It, out October 28.
And don't miss the MTV exclusive presentation of "The Making of Janet Jackson's Video Music Awards Tribute Performance," on Saturday, September 19 at 12:30pm.
A Janet Jackson appearance is enough to keep you glued to your TV, but Janet Jackson paying tribute to Michael Jackson's memory is going to be simply unmissable.
We'll let you know more once we get to Radio City and give you backstage access to the VMAs all weekend.
But until then, watch Janet and Michael Jackson team up in their epic "Scream" video -- it won three VMAs in 1995 -- and tell us how you think Janet Jackson should open the 2009 MTV VMAs.
+ Happy 1st Birthday to The JoBrosA Little Bit Longer album, which turned out to be a HUGE trending topic in the Twitterverse today. (Twitter)
+ If you had enough money (or assistants) to get multiple hair extensions glued to your head on a daily basis, you would probably take care of them or at the very least brush them once in a while, right? Then tell us WHYYYYYY Britney seems to go out of her way to make her hair extensions look as obvious (and obviously not washed) as possible? If anyone is within reach, would you please just shake her?? Thanks. (The Blemish)
+ Oh -- and in case you're wondering how Britney's looking so good in a bikini (with those tracks covered up by a huge hat), it comes in a box and is delivered to her door/tour bus. And it's not crack. (ICYDK)
+ With a new album on the way, Janet Jackson is ready for another new look (no, it's not a new pair of Juicy Couture sweatpants). The question is, are you ready? (Bossip)
+ Also, did you know Ryan Gosling has a band? Listen to this song off his forthcoming debut album and see what you think. Sounds like Elvis, Jeff Buckley, and Johnny Cash. Kinda? (PopSugar)
Now that the "katze" is out of the bag about Tokio Hotel's new album -- it'll be out October 2nd, and it's called Humanoid, I'm already fantasizing not just about the songs (because that's for about 292939 other posts) but about the album cover, photography, and cover art.
The name Humanoid immediately strikes a Bjork-esque chord (hopefully in the good way), so I'd love to see Tokio Hotel do a sci-fi future/fashion cover along the lines of the cover of Bjork's 1997 Homogenic album, which was art directed by Alexander McQueen himself and photographed by Nick Knight. (Homoogenic always feels a little Handmaid's Tale-ish to me.)
Of course, Bill, Tom, Gustav, and Georg will give the album cover their own special je ne sais quoi to Humanoid, but if they employed the assistance or inspiration of any of the aforementioned -- or Daniel Jackson, who shot their H&M Fashion Against AIDS t-shirt photos -- I wouldn't be mad at 'em.
+ Great to see Katy Perry playing nice with the designer Katie Perry from the other side of the sandbox, withdrawing her copyright infringement lawsuit just minutes before it was to go to trial. (Socialite Life)
+ Who's laughing now? For all the Miley Cyrus haters, lick this up: Hannah Montana was just nominated for an Emmy. (Ryan Seacrest)
+ And just for Friday S's and G's, here's Cloris Leachman in a one-piece swimsuit at 83 years young. HOLLA! (Seriously? OMG! WTF?)
+ At last night's BET Awards, Janet Jackson gave a heart-wrenching, emotional tribute to her late brother Michael: "On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much. Thank you so much." (MTV News)
+ Michael Jackson had rehearsed in L.A. for his tour the night before his untimely death. Now, video footage of that tour rehearsal may be released as a live CD/ DVD. (MTV News)
+ The Jonas Brothers expressed their condolences to Michael Jackson's family via Twitter, saying "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of a music hero. R.I.P. Michael Jackson. You have and always will be an inspiration." (Jonas Brothers' Twitter)
+ ... While President Obama sent private condolences to the Jackson family. (Rolling Stone)
+ It looks like, for right now, Michael Jackson's mother will have custody of his three children. (LA Times)
+ Is Michael Jackson's death bringing back magazines? (Huffington Post)
+ Uh, seriously? Do people really have NOTHING better to do than hack into Britney Spears' Twitpic and pretend she died? (MTV News)
+ Plastic surgery postergirl Courtney Love is in the studio recording her second solo album with the help of a few of her friends. Does she even remember how to sing? Celebrity Skin was a good Hole album, but we stopped listening right after her lips started looking like Lisa Rinna's. (NME)
+ At last night's CMT Awards, neighborhood sweetheart Taylor Swift took home the coveted Video of the Year award (along with Female Video of the Year) alongside rapper T—Pain (??) for their song "Love Story." Does this girl lose at anything?? We love her! (People)
+ If you're looking for a big break into the heavy metal music video industry, look no further! Glam rock hair band Steel Panther is holding auditions this weekend for their next video, "Community Property." (The Rad Report)
+ Third time's a charm—just ask our leading lady Britney Spears. Is she REALLY getting married to her agent? (Star Magazine)
+ Uh oh. Nelly Furtado and Timbaland are getting sued by a guy who says their song "Do It" steals directly from a song he had already written. Why did it take the guy three years to figure it out?? (NME)
