Welcome to Buzzworthy's "The Week In Pop," where we round up new album releases, talk show musical guests, and TV performances by your favorite pop stars and more (so you don't have to).
This week, Mindless Behavior release their sophomore album, All Around The World (catch them on "VH1's Big Morning Buzz With Carrie Keagan" on Thursday), and David Bowie drops The Next Day, his first studio album in a decade. Meanwhile, The Virgins' Strike Gently showcases a new direction, Dave Grohl's "Sound City" documentary soundtrack streets, and "Smash" star Megan Hilty makes her non-musical-theater debut (she's on today's "The View"). On TV, Snoop Lion stops by "Conan" tonight and "Tavis Smiley" on Wednesday to promote his "Reincarnated" documentary, which hits select theaters on Friday. Additionally, Justin Timberlake embarks on a week-long residency on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" (if their "The History of Rap" multipart series is any indication, it's going to be epic) to lead up to next week's The 20/20 Experience release date.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
+ Mindless Behavior, All Around The World: Now knee-deep into their teenage years (by July they'll have all reached sweet 16), Prodigy, Roc Royal, Ray Ray, and Princeton add songwriting into the mix for their sophomore album. They co-composed most of the 11-song set, which they recorded while on the road. Watch the videos for "All Around The World" (their romantic dance pop tune is not a Justin Bieber cover, BTW) and R&B jam-out "Keep Her On The Low." Additionally, get a sneak peek of their documentary and concert movie, also called "All Around the World," where the quartet visits the childhood home of their idol, the late Michael Jackson.
+ David Bowie, The Next Day: Before vampire movie franchises existed, there was the vampire movie: "The Hunger." And before MTV was a household name, there was MTV's first day of broadcast. Both trendsetting moments featured David Bowie, the influential artist whose endurance can be attributed to his keen understanding of pop culture and the redefining of it. With his first studio album in a decade, he marks a return to form with stops in a variety of classic Bowie eras, showcasing his diverse genre-bending and emotional range. Check out the strutty slink of "Dirty Boys," the saxed-up "Boss Of Me," the dark and apocalyptic "Heat," and the emotive, vulnerable, and pensive "Where Are We Now?" Also watch the video for "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)," which costars Tilda Swinton.
+ The Virgins, Strike Gently: The Virgins have undergone a few changes since releasing their eponymous debut five years ago. Frontman Donald Cumming cast new bandmates, honed a new sound, and left Atlantic Records to join The Strokes' Julian Casablancas' label, Cult Records. Commenting on how the band was "painted into a corner with this dance-rock thing," Cumming told MTV Hive that Strike Gently's new direction is "definitely a rock-and-roll record... It's just very straightforward." Watch the NSFW "Flashbacks, Memories and Dreams," which costars former MTV VJ Jesse Camp.
Check out more new album releases, upcoming TV appearances, and performances after the jump.
