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.
Awoooooo! Talk about barking (and perhaps salivating) at the moon. Shakira's new single, "She Wolf," is a downright libidinous new jam, replete with heavy breathing and panting, but maybe it's just a bit sexier then Ozzy Osbourne's similarly-themed '80s song about wolves and cutting loose. OK, waaaay sexier. Yes, the Colombian pop singer is hot. But no really. Take a closer look -- it's like she's getting even hotter.The video, which features the temptress swinging around in a cage, seems sweaty, balmy ... must stop ... impure ... thoughts.
Check the lyrics: "Theres a she wolf in the closet, Open up and set it free / there's a she wolf in the closet / Let it out so it can breathe." What do they mean? Are we catching a sexual liberation theme perhaps?
The sexiness factor doesn't hurt when you consider the single is a propulsive electro-disco jam seemingly made for a sweaty dance session at da club (as Fiddy might say).
Also, here's an interesting, "did you know?" This track was produced by some unlikely collaborators, Sam Endicott of The Bravery and John Hill, who has turned producer knobs for Santigold. The song will appear on Shakira’s newest English-language album, set for worldwide release in October. The album, her sixth studio effort, was written and produced by Shakira, and features guest collaborators that include Pharrell and Wyclef Jean. A tour is expected to follow in 2010, along with a new Spanish-language album.
Check out this 15-second sneak peek at the "She Wolf" video to hold you over until tomorrow, when MTV and MTV.com will premiere the smokin' new video in full at 8 p.m. ET.
+ Today we mourn the loss of Ozzy Osbourne's dog Little Bit, who was shredded to, um... bits by a coyote. (Sleaze Roxx)
+ Kelly Rowland has bean tearing up the charts both overseas and stateside recently, with the rise of her new single "When Love Takes Over." Tonight we'll get to see her perform it live on the So You Think You Can Dance results show with French DJ David Guetta. Can't wait! (Neon Limelight)
+ American Idol winner Jordin Sparks just dropped her next single "S.O.S." and, thankfully, it's a DANCE track (all the gays say "Ay-ohhhhhh!!!"). What makes it even more awesome is that it samples the old freestyle song "Let The Music Play." Love it. (Perez Hilton)
+ Rapper Bow Wow seemed to be a little down in the Twitter dumps, as manifested in this Tweet from yesterday. (Bossip)
+ Man, I am craving some Toblerone after hearing that Maroon 5 are heading to Switzerland to work on their third album with Mutt "You're-an-idiot-for-cheating-on-Shania-Twain" Lange. (NME)
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!
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.
I had a conversation recently with one of the bands who played MTV Spring Break 2009 -- probably better not to tell you which one -- and among the glory stories, was one of waking up on the beach between two beautiful women, both of whom were rubbing his head affectionately. If that's what the morning is like at Spring Break, can you imagine the night?!? Well, you won't have to imagine anything much longer. Tonight FNMTV returns to take you directly to the thick of this year's Spring Break at its baddest!
I can't promise that you'll get your head rubbed. That's up to you. But I can absolutely guarantee that you'll be throwin' elbows and your head back as the crowd gets down to live performances by...
You'd have a hard time coming up with a lineup that good on the bestseller rack at a record store. But then, I guess you'd also have a hard time finding a record store! OH SNAP! But who needs one when all the hottest action on earth is cookin' out in that Panama City Beach sunshine, just waiting for you to join in?
Keep an eye on Buzzworthy next week for more tastes of what's to come, including exclusive reports from Lil Wayne, Young Money, Asher Roth, Kid Cudi, Jim Jones, and 3OH!3. Then tune in tonight at 8pm ET to see what it's all been building up to! And just because I know you're a glutton for instant gratification, here's Jim Jones doing "Na Na Nana Na Na," live from Panama City Beach!
Four years ago there was a Spike Jonze (duuude, have you seen that Where The Wild Things Are trailer yet?!?!?)-directed Adidas commercial called "Hello, Tomorrow," that was so aimlessly, supernaturally dreamy, that it was sort of a shame when whatever show you were watching kicked back in. The clip came accompanied by an equally dreamy soundtrack -- a sleepwalker of a song, also called "Hello, Tomorrow," by Squeak E. Clean (Jonze's brother) and Karen O. The collaboration was such a success that Squeak E. Clean (aka Sam Spiegel) went on to produce Show Your Bones, the second album from Karen's band, Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Now Squeak E. Clean has paired up on a more permanent basis with Ze "DJ Zegon" Gonzalez, to form N.A.S.A., but the collaboration doesn't end there. N.A.S.A.'s first record is actually all collaborations. Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon provide ambient background for vocals from an incredibly wide range of performers, including David Byrne, RZA, Tom Waits, George Clinton, Kanye West, Karen O, Santigold, Spank Rock, John Frusciante and many more. Like, very many more.
As for this "Gifted" video, it's directed by Three Legged Legs, a group whose cartoony sci-fi style isn't so far off from Spike Jonze's new project. It's a mind-bending space adventure that perfectly matches the tone and rhythm laid down by super collab Kanye West, Lykke Li and Santigold. Watch "Gifted," right here, and keep an eye out for more brilliance from N.A.S.A.
