Search Posts

about this blog

  1. 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.

    Contact us as buzzworthy@mtv.com and follow us on Twitter at @MTVBuzzworthy.

Follow Us

  1. Get the latest updatest in your favorite RSS feed reader.

Diddy's a very, very busy guy, what with his Bad Boy empire and making all of those bands on MTV and such. But he's not all behind-the-scenes. And he's certainly not too busy to get right in on the action, as you'll see below, when he lends verses and his million-dollar face to Cassie's brand-new "Must Be Love" video. A minimal R&B slow-burner with a beat that sounds like rain, the track is the latest to surface from her upcoming album, Electro Love.

It was real nice of Diddy to help out on "Must Be Love." His rhymes definitely beef up the track and his million dollar face undoubtedly attracts attention. But, by now, you've probably seen a few photos of Cassie. She doesn't really need any help attracting attention, does she?

Aside from giving the beautiful Cassie plenty of air-time, the Bernard Gourley (50 Cent, Flo Rida, M.I.A.) -directed video also does plenty to fuel the frenzy over her effortless talent (not to mention the frenzy over her long-rumored romance with Diddy -- these two look pretty comfortable!). Get your first look at what everybody's gonna be slow-grinding to this summer, right here on Buzzworthy!

Via mtvU:

Holy summer. Major Lazer has June, July and August on lock with Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do, his non-stop set of deep, nasty habanero riddims. Also, Major Lazer is a cartoon soldier (see photo at right).

I don't know how it took this long for the G.I. Joe PSA vibe to infiltrate the music world. The anti-booze/reggae-cop clip (watch it after the jump) was club-ready six years ago! But, as much as this dude may look like an extra on "Porkchop Sandwiches (NSFW)," Major Lazer's on a level all his own.

Masterminded by Mad Decent M.I.A. DJ/producers Diplo and Switch, the cartoon hero is the latest player in an explosive resurgence of Jamaican dancehall music. In case you're all "Bwah? What's a dancehall?" Dancehall is kinda like reggae and afrobeat's loose-lipped party animal little brother. Bob Marley and Fela Kuti meet Ali G. The rhythms are faster and hit harder. The vibe is darker and wilder. The Caribbean humidity is thicker.

The brand-new "Hold The Line" video is the ultimate marriage between summer heat, blinding banger beats, and Saturday morning cartoons. Major Lazer surfs through space, dodging explosions, punching thug face and busting Voltron vampire ass.

Do yourself a favor and click play. But before you do, JACK YA BASS, BWAH.

+ Follow Major Lazer on Twitter

Read more...

Rye Rye is radical. Ryeisha Berrain -- the Baltimore she-rapper and remix-master who looks like Teyana Taylor trick-or-treating as Santigold -- has been blowing minds with her frantic freak-out MC style since she was 16. Nevermind that she's only 18, now. Rye Rye's club rhythms, schoolyard rhymes and unstoppable energy won her a spot on the Fast And The Furious soundtrack and instant notice from M.I.A., who took the Technicolor young talent under her wing and on the road. The two turned out to be a perfect match, and Rye Rye was soon the first artist to be signed to M.I.A.'s personal label, N.E.E.T.

In addition to releasing, distributing, and creating the artwork for Rye Rye's upcoming debut album, M.I.A. has given the young artist personal support and attention above and beyond the call of duty. On the topic of M.I.A.'s newborn baby, Ikyhd, Rye Rye tells Rap-Up.com, "I think she’ll be a fun parent. I’m just thinking about how she acts with me. She act like I’m her child sometimes." Lucky Rye Rye.

With M.I.A. at her back, this electric new lady MC can't lose. Listen to Rye Rye's lead single, "Bang," featuring M.I.A. on the mic and Blaqstarr on the knobs.

Also! In the video below, FADER Magazine catches up with Rye Rye and a very pregnant M.I.A. in the studio, sneaking an exclusive peek at the record in progress. Watch!

+ Live footage of Rye Rye in NYC, via MTV News and Rye Rye at SXSW.

The name Amanda Blank may not immediately ring any bells in your head, but you know all of her friends. The foul-mouthed Philadelphia rapper who creates performance art as part of Sweetheart, frequently collaborates with the likes of Spank Rock, Diplo, M.I.A., Santigold and Ghostface Killah. Now, for the first time, she's striking out on her own, repping Philly with a set of club-clobbering dance singles.

Her debut album, I Love You, is due out on Downtown Records on July 19, but lusty leading single "Might Like You Better" has been fouling up the MySpace airwaves for ages. The chorus does not recall Romeo Void's 1980s classic "Never Say Never," from which the lines "I might like you better/ If we slept together" are borrowed, but instead rides a pounding beat to orgasmic euphoria. In other words, sex doesn't sell Amanda Blank. Amanda Blank sells sex. That sounds dirty and illegal, but so do her songs. And that means, among other things, that this ultra-stylish cheesesteak-city-spitter is about to be all up in your radar, not to mention your business. You don't mind, do you? Course not.

Singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada is no rising star. She's actually been on the Japanese music scene since the early 1990s -- she got her start as U3, bounced around record labels, recorded in English and Japanese, and in 1999, when she released her first official debut album, First Love, it became Japan's biggest-selling album in history and reached Mariah/ Britney levels of chart success.

Also, like Mariah and Britney, Utada also became a Major Star in Japan and one of the biggest-selling Asian artists of all time. But despite her monster levels of fame in Japan, her Incredible Hulk-like smashing of the Japanese charts, and her residencies in the U.S., and despite the depth and reach of her music and skills (she's also a producer and arranger), outside of Japan Utada's still primarily known just by J-pop and J-music aficionados.

MTV News asked it back in 2004, and I'm asking it yet again: Nine albums into her storied career, will her latest English-language album, This Is the One, finally be the one that makes her a star outside of Japan?

Watch Utada's brand-new video, "Come Back To Me," directed by Anthony Mandler (Rihanna's "Shut Up And Drive," T.I.'s "Live Your Life," M.I.A.'s "Bucky Done Gone," and Beyonce's "Irreplacable," to name just a few), and tell me what you think. It's kinda like a poppier Portishead meets Beyonce. And all that melancholy makes me wanna follow it up with Janet Jackson's original "Come Back To Me," which is never a bad thing...

+ Dear Paris Hilton, here's an idea in brief: GET OVER YOURSELF. Your birthday was last month! Why are you s-t-i-l-l celebrating it?? There are way more important things going on in the world... like Britney Spears' comings and goings, for example. I understand that you are rich but it does not get to be your birthday every day. Just sayin. xoxo. Buzzworthy. (Celebuzz)

+ Speaking of, Britney returned to her Disney roots! She took her two boys to the Magic Kingdom this past Thursday during a break from her three-ring... er... Circus Tour. (Fame Crawler)

+ Good news/bad news: M.I.A. did not in fact name her bundle of joy "Ickitt." (NME)

+ Just when we hoped Lindsay Lohan had finally abandoned her singing career, she dropped this little tasty nugget: she wants to cover -- wait for it -- a Britney Spears song. Stay tuned for a La Lohan'd version of either "Womanizer" or "Oops!... I Did It Again"... or not. (Perez Hilton)

+ Have you heard the CSI remix of Taylor Swift's "You're Not Sorry"? 'Cause as hard as I try, I CAN'T stop listening, and it's becoming a bit of a problem. (Teen Hollywood 411)

+ Paging Dr. Drew! Looks like we've got a hot new prospect for next season's Sober House! Rapper Coolio tried busting through LAX this weekend with a load of crack cocaine. (I've heard crack's definitely on the list of things you're not supposed to take on planes.) RidiculouslyDumb.org! (MTV News)

+ The big O has spoken, and she thinks Rihanna and Chris Brown should "take some time" apart from each other. On Friday's live Oprah Winfrey show, Opes also said this whole matter "makes me so sad." Join the club. (Rap-Up)

+ The Jonas Brothers are playing PANAMA on April 15! Hit it, David Lee Roth... (JonasHQ)

+ Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker are getting married again. And gay marriage is still outlawed??(Scandalist)

+ M.I.A. finally gave birth and you'd think the cunning linguist would have come up with a clever name. Nah. She just named him Ickitt.  (The Blemish)

+ Ever the classy dame, Tila Tequila was feeling cool and casual in a pair of jean shorts, cute cowboy boots, and nipples. (Totally Crap)

+ Just when you thought Steve-O got clean and sober, he's still doing stupid s*$t. (Remote Control)

+ WHO CARRRRES that Zac Efron got condoms in his stocking??? I got a travel-size bottle of Bean-o in mine and I'm not phoning it in!!! (PopSugar)

+ Fergie launched MAC's Viva Glam IV campaign looking surprisingly freshfaced. i cannot, however get past those TEEF ya'll! (The Superficial)

+ Totes lolzing at this picture of Rihanna, considering the circumstances. Where's my bottle of TrimSpa? (Best Week Ever)

+ Katy Perry kissed a... boy! Paris Hilton's ex, Benji Madden. And according to everyone who was totally spying on them at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas on V-day, she liked it. Like, a lot. (People)

+ Carrie Underwood thinks every day should be Valentine's Day. (Celebuzz)

+ Valentine's Day was also pretty memorable for M.I.A. this year -- she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. (MTV News)

+ Dear Lily Allen: YES, we all know you have a third nipple. Any chance you might stop whipping it out anytime there is a camera around? No? Very well then. (Evil Beet)

+ 50 Cent attempted to clear up all matters of Kanye West's sexuality last week, however, 'Ye has now chimed in to confirm that he's not gay, just sensitive... and fashion forward... and VERY secure in his manhood, thank you very much. (MTV News)

+ After all of the alleged nastiness last week between Chris Brown and Rihanna, Brown finally piped up about the matter and released a statement. He's "saddened"...and, uhm, so are we. (Pop Culture Fix)

+ The Jonas Brothers hit Letterman last week and dropped their own Top 10 list --  The Top 10 Most Surprising Facts About the Jonas Brothers. Number 8? "Sometimes we lather, rinse, repeat... And then repeat again." (Socialite Life)

+ And then "K-2," "Danger" and "Mr. President" -- i.e. the Jonas Brothers -- performed on Saturday Night Live (epic recap here) and almost became the Donut Brothers. (Pop Crunch)

+ And then Joe Jonas and Camilla Belle hit up New York's Meatpacking District, wearing matching shoes. (Just Jared Jr.)

+ And then the Jo Bros showed up at Honor Society's sold-out gig at the Fillmore East. (And already, EW raises the question: Is Honor Society the next Jonas Brothers? Buzzworthy's answer: Honor Society's adorable, but no.) (HonorSocietyFan)

+ Have you heard? We've joined the Twitterverse! What up Tweeple! (ok, Twitter speak dunzo in 3...2...1) (MTV Buzzworthy)

Perhaps I should've attempted to adjust my TV, but aside from that T.I., M.I.A., Jay-Z, Wayne hip-hop all-stars performance and Coldplay's ongoing Fisher-Price-meets-Sgt. Pepper troop trope (yaaaaaaaawwwwwwnnn... and I DID NOT need to see that much of Chris Martin's treasure trail!) the 2009 Grammys might as well have been broadcast in black and white.

From the Jonas Brothers, to Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift and even Kid Rock (who usually doesn't leave the house unless it's in something that demonstrates his affinity for a BeDazzler and a pound or two of rhinestones) kept it a funereal black and white, though they all pulled it off with elegant panache. In short, aside from the few mod metallics, and Katy Perry, the 2009 Grammys were all about sobering, somber chic! For real, I thought I was going temporarily colorblind.

Anyway, let's get to it!

Jonas Brothers: True, the Jonas Brothers didn't win the Grammy they were up for, but getting to share a stage with Stevie Wonder was prize enough, IMO. Fashion-wise, their red carpet tuxedo trio was pretty much what you'd expect from the capable hands of stylist Michelle Tomaszewski. My favorite was Nick Jonas' head-to-toe black Burberry suit. Kevin Jonas' Versace suit subtly set him apart as the elder statesmen of the three. Joe's metallic Versace jacket was a little too Vegasy for my tastes, but I always appreciate that he takes fashion risks. Also, BTW, did you see Denise? WOAH, mama, she looked amazing! As for the Jonas Brothers' performance looks: Nick was in Dior, and I LOVED that his look was a little bit Danny Zucko in Grease, less the schmaltz, a little bit James Dean, a tiny bit old-school Faith-era George Michael, and a WHOLE LOT grown up. Honestly, Joe's performance look wasn't doing THAT much for me. Don't get me wrong -- he looked perfect as always, but Nick really stood out so much that he overshadowed Joe, who could've gone a little farther than just the ripped Requel Allegra tee and Dior vest and jeans. By the way, that eye-popping necklace was by Swiss designer Avakian, and while I'm sure it was stunning in person, it distracted on screen (Was it a cassette tape? A jeweled cracker? Bingo card? Billion-dollar iPod? No clue!) and took away from his Mick Jagger swagger. It would've made more sense for Joe to wear a fitted jacket, especially with Kevin all like "Oh hai, I'm just over here nailing this performance and coming out with a 3D movie and a TV show and we're gonna be on Saturday Night Live and everything" in a swish Versace suit. But back to the Jonas Brothers' performance: Not just ANYBODY gets to cover "Superstition," and this performance completely put the Jonas Brothers on the map... for the two people whose maps the Jonas Brothers weren't already on. Seriously though, that performance was icon-status-sealing and could finalize their move out of the teen-pop mold; it showed skeptics that the Jonas Brothers aren't just bubblegum, they can (for the trilllionth time!) play their own instruments, command a stage, and extend their reach beyond a youth-only audience.

Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift: Miley wore an original Herve Leger by Max Azria dress on the red carpet. Had it been just plain black, it would've been a bit boring, but the bejeweled bodice, criss-cross straps and stacks of bangles kept it fresh, and the massive rosette kept it from being "just another black dress," and though the length was a little overwhelming, the shape was amazingly flattering. Taylor Swift drove home the "we're besties" message in a Kaufman Franco black jersey dress with patent leather detailing. Gotta say: both dresses were way too long. Take a cue from Carrie Underwood and show a little leg while they're still amazing! You can't fault Miley or Taylor for appearing adult while playing the good role model role, but I wouldn't have minded either dress in a more youthful color, like a jewel tone. Also, I can't say I loved either's performance outfit, Miley's especially. Jeans at the Grammys? I know it's not the Oscars, but it's not the CMAs either. (Sorry, CMT!) That top looked like Liza Minnelli's cast-off. Bring back the cute!

Katy Perry: I liked that Katy Perry was strictly business on the red carpet -- her pink dress was by Lebanese designer Basil Soda -- and party on stage, where she chose to wear every color ever in her salute to Carmen Miranda. Her costume was by The Blonds, and her "I Kissed a Girl" performance made me feel like I was trapped inside a pachinko machine. And I kinda liked it.

Jennifer Hudson: Okay, I just need to say it: That white asymmetrical bib on Jennifer Hudon's color-blocked sculptural RM by Roland Mouret Trenet dress made her look like she had an emergency pre-Grammy root canal and forgot to take off the bib. However, I loved her midnight blue shoes. Also, Jennifer Hudson can do whatever she wants because she had the worst year ever and her talent knows know bounds. The black sequined dress she wore during her performance of "You Pulled Me Through" was stellar stuff, and the flamenco-style hair and earrings were really all she needed to complete the portrait-of-the-young-woman-as-a-pure-powerhouse look.

Sara Bareilles: Speaking of pink, Sara Bareilles was totally pretty in pink in her Louisa Beccaria strapless ruffled dress with matching (but not too matchy-matchy!) accents. I wanna write her a love song and thank her for wearing something so sugary sweet.

Audrina Patridge: Audrina usually looks sexy or hot or amazing but "cute" is not usually the first word that comes to mind. But last night, Audrina looked absolutely adorable in teal Tadashi. Her hair and bright lips were also perfection. Yay, color! Finally!

M.I.A.: We get it. You and your boyfriend got bored and decided to act out Juno. But were you hitting the labor drugs early? You do NOT need to dress like a bloated ladybug. Don't get me wrong -- I love House of Holland (who designed her black-and-white performance outfit). I just love Agyness Deyn in it more. And I'm fine with you wearing Golas when you're playing human hotel. But did you really need to go the Dorothy Zbornak route? I'm still not convinced you weren't hiding all FOUR Golden Girls underneath that Manish Arora tarp.

Jordin Sparks: You are SO SO SO cute and SO not an old lady. But that rose-printed Debra Davenport dress was SO not cute and SO old lady!

Carrie Underwood: That performance pantsuit was a little June Carter Cash with those OOC chiffon bell sleeves, but who cares? She's got legs for miles! And was it just me, or did her female guitarist look like Paris Hilton? Speaking of...

Paris Hilton: Yes, Paris. Less is still less. Please send that Versace Spring 2003 mini back to 2003 where it should stay.

LeAnn Rimes: i'm a huge fan of stone embellishments, but LeAnn's cerulean Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti outfit looked like Star Trek Voyager made its maiden voyage to Cyprus. And taupe? Really? You don't wear taupe on a red carpet unless you're going to the pantyhose awards. Or you're Leona Lewis. And speaking of...

Leona Lewis: Leona is such a gorgeous girl, but her tan Randi Rahm gown bleeding bored me.

Duffy: I've read some negatory reactions toward Duffy's Alberta Ferretti jeweled chiffon cocktail dress, but I really loved that she took an ordinary style and made it her own with an asymmetrical cut. It was super glam but subdued and fit her soulful, old-school style perfectly.

Kanye West: Mazel tov! Your transformation into '80s television star Meshach Taylor is now complete!

Estelle: Call us when Kanye's spaceship lands.

++ MORE GRAMMYS PHOTOS AFTER THE JUMP! ++

Read more...

Man, indie rock has come a long way since the days when everything sounded like Pavement and Guided By Voices. Now, at the end of 2008, the spectrum has grown sooo wide that the term can apply just as accurately to a hyper-political Sri-Lankan dance-rapper and a 30-piece Swedish joy-pop collective... both of them on major labels! Weird! And not only are M.I.A. and I'm From Barcelona both generally categorized as indie rock, but now they both have videos for songs called "Paper Planes!" Let's examine a few of the things that set them apart...

1) M.I.A. is a solo act with about 200 people, 150 sub sandwiches, 90 gold watches and 30 different outfits in her "Paper Planes" video.

I'm From Barcelona has 30 members, but only one of them -- lead-singer Emanuel Lundgren -- appears in "Paper Planes." While he is joined by the occasional stranger, the video centers mostly around him.

2) M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" is based around a Clash sample and the video is spread throughout New York City.

I'm From Barcelona's "Paper Planes" is based around clarinets, saxophones, flutes, trumpets, banjos, accordions and kazoos. The whole video takes place in an elevator.

3) Emanuel Lundgren has long hair and a mustache.

M.I.A. has... well... why don't you just watch the videos (M.I.A. after the jump). Play them both at the same time for a very special secret message from Daniel Johnston!

Read more...