- Artist: Usher
- Label: LaFace
2011年4月1日星期五
Usher Says New 'Rev Pop' Project Is A 'Movement'
Singer teases his new project by pointing to past hits like 'Yeah!' and 'OMG.'
By James Montgomery
Usher
Photo: MTV News
With the success of songs like "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," "Hot Tottie" and "OMG," Usher had himself a fairly massive 2010. But rather than rest on his laurels, he's looking to build on his big year, not with an album, but with a "movement."
It's something he's calling "Rev Pop" — or, simply, "Rev" — and though he's already teased his idea in a video with David Guetta (Akon is also involved), he has yet to speak in full about it. So when MTV News caught up with Ush before the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the (Belvedere) RED launch party, we asked him about his next musical endeavor. And though he didn't reveal much, he did let it be known that "Rev" isn't exactly something new. In fact, he's been doing it for a while now.
"I'll give it to you this way: At a later date, I'll tell you more about Rev Pop, but if I were to give you a flash: I've done it before, I did it with 'Yeah!' " he said, "taking a cultural experience, and also worldwide recognition of a feeling, and putting the soul in the middle of it. Not allowing it to shift heavily to R&B genre, or pop. I did it again with 'OMG,' once again putting the soul in the middle of it, which was an electric-pop experience, with the soul.
"It's bringing those elements together to tell a story, that was born here," he said, gesturing toward his heart, "And that's what Rev Pop is. There's more, I mean, I could really elaborate, but that's just what I'm going to tell you right now. 'Rev' is what it's called ... the movement is called Rev."
Usher wouldn't say just when his fans would be getting their first taste of Rev, but whenever they do, it sounds like they're going to be impressed ... if not a little shocked.
"Stay alive," he smiled, "Because you're definitely going to be in for a surprise."
Related Artists2011年3月31日星期四
Khloe Kardashian Gets Candid in Cosmo Middle East
Gracing the cover of the Middle East edition of Cosmopolitan, Khloe Kardashian opened up about her struggle with self-image in the public eye.
Along with talk about her career, her struggles with her father's death and husband Lamar Odom , the reality star gets candid about her body image - especially in comparison to her sisters - saying, ?I?m the ugly sister. I?m the fat one. I?m the transvestite. I have had those mean things said about me at least twice a day for the last five years."
The 26-year-old continued, "It?s horrible, you know? But I can brush that stuff off ... Kim and Kourtney have said to me, ?If we were put under the same negative attention that you are, we couldn?t handle it.?"
Khloe has talked about her weight in the past; in January, she wrote that her "weight is [her] biggest lifetime struggle" and in June she batted down pregnancy rumors, insisting that she was "just fat."
Katie Holmes Explains Suri's "Boy Part" Candy to Ellen
Suri Cruise certainly has gotten her share of reproach for everything from her high-heeled shoes to her continued use of a pacifier, but now it's her candy choice that's raising eyebrows.
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's almost-5-year-old daughter was recently photographed carrying a box of "Penis Gummies," chewy candies shaped like that very specific part of the male anatomy.
Now, Holmes is explaining that her little girl doesn't share her taste for treats with members of a bachelorette party.
During a Thursday chat with Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Holmes revealed what really happened. "Recently, I took [Suri] to get ice cream in New York at this place called Serendipity that we go to all the time. It's for kids. The clientele is children," she told Ellen. "We go in and we are waiting for a table and she grabs some gummies that are boy part gummies. I was horrified."
To clarify to the audience, Holmes went on to say, "P-e-n-i-s gummies. I said, oh wow those aren't Swedish Fish... They are called p-e-n-i-s gummies and they look like it."
Apparently, Holmes was not ready to explain to the tot exactly what she had in her hands. "She was holding the box and I was like, 'OK, wow, we don't need that right now.'" said Holmes. "Because I thought if I said 'Put that back,' and then she's going to say, 'What is this?' And I really didn't want to have that conversation."
But Holmes, who stars as Jackie Kennedy in the upcoming ReelzChannel miniseries The Kennedys, was perplexed over why the shop even had the naughty sweets for sale. "I was like, why are selling these here? This is for kids. And then it was on the cover of a magazine that I'm giving her those gummies!"
"I was like, 'Oh my god, no.' We put them back."
Holmes' party did order an array of desserts at Serendipity, however, including the banana split sundae, the walnut sundae and frozen hot chocolate, according to E!
Wait, what? The banana split? The one that's made with a long banana? Oh Katie, you just can't win on this one.
Lady Gaga Releases Country Version Of 'Born This Way'
New take on hit song, dubbed 'The Country Road Version,' features slide guitar, mandolin and harmonica.
By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
You can take all those Madonna comparisons and throw them out the window of your Ford F-150 truck, because on Thursday night Lady Gaga released a new version of her global smash "Born This Way" that featured a totally unexpected spin.
After tweeting to her Little Monsters that she was preparing to release "Born This Way (The Country Road Version)," Mother Monster dropped the tune at midnight PT on Friday (March 25) via her Twitter account ... and it did not disappoint.
The new rendition of the hit opens with ominous, swirling guitars and then introduces a fuzzed-out slide guitar and harmonica wheeze, with all of the thumping disco beats replaced by restrained brush drumming and a more laid-back vibe. Once it kicks into the first chorus, the song continues to take its time, choogling along on live-sounding, laconic drumming and lots of soulful harmonica.
Just before the three-minute mark, Gaga mixes in some new lyrics, drawling, "If I wanna make it country, baby, then it's OK, cuz I was born, I was born, I was born this way," over picked mandolin. "From London, Paris, Japan back to USA/ I was born on the road, I was born to be brave," she adds, as the song breaks into full-on country-rock mode reminiscent of late-period Bon Jovi in the final minute.
Meanwhile, the original, non-boot-scooting version of "BTW" notched its sixth week in a row at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts this week, which is what Gaga said prompted her to drop the surprise remake on her fans.
Earlier this week, Gaga revealed that she's almost done recording her Born This Way album, telling fans via Twitter, "In Nebraska, finishing up record today ... I'm so proud of the album: I keep dancing+drinking: metal/techno rock journey of a woman on the run."
Plans are now being worked up for the tour in support of Born This Way (due out May 23) and Gaga's first swing at directing, a collaboration with her creative director, Laurieann Gibson, on the video for the album's upcoming second single, "Judas."
What do you think of Gaga's twanged-up version of "Born This Way"? Share your opinions in the comments.
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Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj Tapped For Japan Aid Compilation LP
U2 and Bon Jovi will also be featured on digital-only album from Universal Music.
By James Dinh
Justin Bieber
Photo: George Pimentel/ WireImage
Some of pop music's biggest artists, including Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, are lending their tunes for a good cause. On Monday (March 21), it was announced that Universal Music is rushing out a digital-only compilation album to raise awareness and funds for those affected by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan.
While the lineup and track list have yet to be finalized, other chart-toppers expected to be featured on the release include U2 and Bon Jovi. Lady Gaga may also appear on the album. Proceeds from sales will go to the Japanese Red Cross.
"We are doing it only digitally because it is faster, and this will be a worldwide release. The plan is to have it available later this week," a spokesperson for Universal Music said.
In order to maximize proceeds, the record label plans to find more acts willing to waive royalties that would have come from having their tracks appear on the compilation.
Universal Music is not the only music-industry player reaching to support Japan disaster relief. Most recently, the Black Eyed Peas announced that the music video for their tune "Just Can't Get Enough" would be used to promote awareness and funds for victims of the tragic event. The clip, which was shot in Japan one week before the earthquake and tsunami hit, finds the BEP bandmates traveling throughout Toyko.
Earlier this month, Lady Gaga designed a special prayer bracelet with all proceeds going to relief efforts. In just two days, the pop singer and her legion of little monsters raised more than $250,000.
For more information on what you can do to help with earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan head to MTV Act, or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
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