Archive: November 2011 (51-60 of 115)

Nov 15 2011 05:05 PM ET

Rebecca Black releases new single 'Person of Interest': Hear it here

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Categories: Let's Argue!, Pop, Rebecca Black, Snap Judgment, Things Nobody Asked For
Rebecca-Black

Image Credit: Andrew Evans/PR Photos

Paging Elle Woods: Someone else is comfortable using legal jargon in everyday life.

Rebecca Black, of “Friday” fame, has released her new single, “Person of Interest” (no relation to the CBS show of the same name). It sounds exactly like you’d expect the follow-up to “Friday” and “My Moment” would sound. The lyrics aren’t quite as inane as her first go-round, but unfortunately, it’s mostly just forgettable.

This ode to flirting on the dance floor (keep in mind she’s still only 14) could totally pass as a throwaway Selena Gomez or early Miley Cyrus track, so she’s got that going for her in the teen-pop realm.

Unfortunately, for those who love a good ironic song about car seat debates to fuel a Friday night party, the guilty pleasure vibes coming out of this tune are absent. All we’re left with is a “crime scene on the dance floor” — a topic widely covered with more success by Britney, Rihanna and co.

Take a listen to Ms. Black’s latest below. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 15 2011 04:25 PM ET

Courtney Love freaks out when concert-goer holds up photo of Kurt Cobain -- Watch the video here

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Categories: Attack of the '90s, Courtney Love, Hole, Ladies, Rock, Things That Were Inevitable
Courteney-Love

Image Credit: Marco Sagliocco/PR Photos

Certain things in life are inevitable. Everybody gets sick. We all die. Andy Reid will mismanage the clock. Ron Paul will make this face. These things are so common that they should seem unremarkable, and yet every time they happen we think, “How could this possibly have happened again?”

Such is the case with Courtney Love, who turned a concert in Brazil into one of her signature freak-outs. According to multiple reports, Love began her odd outing at the SWU Festival by showing her boobs (ho-hum), then requesting some lip balm “for her herpes sore.” She continued to espouse her philosophy on the microphone, announcing her status as a gay icon and taking credit for being the inspiration for Smashing Pumpkins albums Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. (Based on the reissue of Siamese Dream we’ve been listening to, she shouldn’t be too proud of that one.)

The fireworks really got started when Love spotted a poster of her late husband Kurt Cobain in the crowd. “I don’t need to see a picture of Kurt, a–hole, and I’m going to have you f–ing removed if you keep throwing that up,” she shouted at the fan holding the poster. “I’m not Kurt. I have to live with his s—, his ghost, his kid every day. Throwing that up is stupid and rude and I’ll beat the f— out of you if you do it again. You weren’t f—ing married to him. I f—ing was! Go see the f—ing Foo Fighters and do that s—!”

Now that’s a rant! READ FULL STORY »

Nov 15 2011 01:50 PM ET

Drake's 'Take Care': Read the EW review

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Categories: Current Listening, Drake, Fall Music, Hip-Hop/Rap, Pop, Reviews, Things That Are Canadian
drake

One of the most hotly-anticipated albums of the fall hits store shelves both real and virtual today. Drake’s Take Care is already the top-selling album on iTunes and promises to find its way to the head of the Billboard chart despite its high-profile leak last week.

The walk-up to Take Care has been a little unusual, as a handful of the tracks from the album have been unleashed for free online in the months prior to its release (though a handful of those tracks didn’t end up on the final version of the album). It primed listeners for what was to come, though the results were even more dramatic than even first expected.

Check out the EW review of Take Care, a version of which will be appearing in the issue of the magazine hitting newsstands this Friday.

Drake
Take Care
(Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Republic)

On his platinum-selling 2010 debut, Thank Me Later, Drake managed to blend his special brand of understated Canadian ­swagger with surprisingly vulnerable ­reflections on the opposite sex. It didn’t reinvent the wheels of steel, but it acted as both a statement of his vast potential and a titillating wake-up call for hip-hop.

Unfortunately, his second album, Take Care—the bulk of which made its way online over the past several months via individual leaks by Drake himself—spends most of its 17 tracks hitting the snooze button. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 15 2011 12:00 PM ET

Heavy D autopsy proves inconclusive

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Categories: Hip-Hop/Rap, In Memoriam, R.I.P.
heavy-d

Image Credit: Ben Rose/WireImage.com

In a strange twist, the initial autopsy on late hip-hop icon Heavy D has turned up inconclusive. According to the Los Angeles Times, the county coroner announced that the rapper’s cause of death would not be determined until results of a toxicology screening could be obtained. It will be a few weeks before we know what really ended Heavy D’s life at 44.

A representative for the coroner noted that there were no illegal drugs found in D’s home in Beverly Hills, and that the screenings are routine when dealing with somebody as young as D who dies suddenly. He had recently been prescribed medication by his doctor for a cough related to pneumonia.

In the meantime, fans will get the chance to pay their respects to Heavy D during a public viewing on Thursday, followed by a private ceremony on Friday. Both will take place at Grace Baptist Church in Heavy D’s hometown of Mount Vernon, New York. Diddy and Al Sharpton are scheduled to speak in D’s memory on Friday. And on Sunday, November 27, Heavy D will receive a tribute on the 2011 Soul Train Awards care of contemporaries Big Daddy Kane, Whodini, Naughty By Nature, Kurtis Blow, Doug E. Fresh, and Daddy-O of Stetasonic.

Read more on EW.com: 
Rap legend Heavy D dies at age 44
Recap: BET Hip-Hop Awards 2012
Review: Heavy D & the Boyz, Peaceful Journey

Nov 14 2011 05:34 PM ET

Newlyweds Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed record duet: Listen here!

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Categories: American Idol, Fall Music, Snap Judgment, Twilight
Paul-MacDonald-Nikki-reed

Image Credit: Charley Gallay/WireImage.com

There’s nothing like young love.

In “Now That I’ve Found You” a song sung by season 10 American Idol contestant Paul McDonald and his brand-new wife, Twilight actress Nikki Reed, the duo offer up a sweet ode to romance.

With McDonald writing the melody and Reed penning the lyrics, the song isn’t stand-out memorable, but it sure is a nice treat and makes for some easy listening, making me think of picnics in the park and summer walks. The bluegrass-feeling tune (loving that harmonica!) stays in McDonald’s folk and country wheelhouse, with Reed providing some welcome back-up.

Take a listen below: READ FULL STORY »

Nov 14 2011 02:41 PM ET

Jay-Z named 'Man of the Year' in 'GQ,' talks fatherhood and working with Kanye West

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Categories: Hip-Hop/Rap, Jay-Z, New Stuff, Rock Stars Say the Darndest Things, Things That Were Inevitable
jay-z

Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Jay-Z has acquired plenty of titles, including “The Best Rapper Alive,” “The King of Hip-Hop,” and “A Guy Who Sometimes Doesn’t Get It.” He just added another one, as he has been declared one of a handful of “Men of the Year” by GQ magazine.

Jigga will appear on the cover of the publication’s December issue, which also features “Man of the Year” awards for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, and Michael Fassbender. This is actually Jay’s second GQ “Man of the Year” award; he last picked up the title in 2006 when he released his comeback album Kingdom Come. Oops.

The case for Jay-Z this year isn’t difficult. He got turned into a cartoon and finally put out that J.Cole album, but it really boils down to two things: He was one half of one of the biggest musical events of the year in Watch the Throne (and no matter what you think of the quality of that release, it’s hard to argue with its scope), and also had a pretty solid 12 months in his personal life.

The incoming Hova-Bey baby is a big focus of the accompanying interview. “Providing — that’s not love,” he told GQ of his take on parenthood, spoken from the shadow of his own father’s alcoholism and absence. “Being there — that’s more important. I mean, we see that. We see that with all these rich socialites. They’re crying out for attention; they’re hurting for love. I’m not being judgmental — I’m just making an observation. They’re crying out for the love that maybe they didn’t get at home, and they got everything. All the material things that they need and want. So we know that’s not the key.”

The rapper also insisted that he’ll be changing diapers (“Of course. One hundred percent,” he insisted) and joked about putting a carseat in a Maybach. “That would be a great picture,” he said.

These decisions are made for a variety of reasons, but just taken musically, shouldn’t Kanye West get the rub from Watch the Throne over Jay-Z? Still, it is refreshing to know that West even bothers his most elite collaborators sometimes. “I think he just can’t help himself,” he said of working with West. “He puts so much into everything, and he’s like, ‘You have to treat it like I treat it.’ It drives you crazy sometimes—like when you’ve put seventy-five versions of a snare on one song and he’s like, ‘No!’ and you’re like, ‘Come on, man.’”

What do you think, readers — did GQ choose the right man for 2011? Let us know in the comments below.

Read more on EW.com: 
Jay-Z’s Occupy Wall Street apparel no longer on Rocawear site
Jay-Z plays an animated version of himself in ‘Secret Millionaires Club’: Watch a preview here!
Kanye West and Jay-Z face official lawsuit over ‘Watch the Throne’ sample
Review: Jay-Z & Kanye West, Watch the Throne

Nov 14 2011 01:08 PM ET

Ozzy Osbourne-led Black Sabbath returning in 2012 with first album in over three decades

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Categories: Black Sabbath, Metal, Ozzy Osbourne, Reunions, Things That Are Loud, Things That Make Us Go Hmm
Black-Sabbath

Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

As noted rock historian Triple H once said, in the world of heavy metal, there are legends, there are icons, and there are gods.

He was putting Motorhead in the latter category, which means that Black Sabbath must qualify as Titans. The most influential metal band ever to sing about the devil announced on Friday that the original lineup — Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Tony Iommi — will be getting back together for a new album and tour in 2012. They’ll play the 2012 Download Festival, with more details forthcoming.

This particular reunion has been a long time coming — it will be the first time that combination has recorded together since the release of 1978′s Never Say Die!, though they have been on stage together a bunch since Osbourne’s initial departure. But ever since a one-off show way back in December 1997, there have been a number of derailments that have kept Black Sabbath from being together full time.

Ward’s health problems kept him in the sidelines for a while, and efforts to record a new album in 2001 dissipated while both Osbourne and Iommi worked on solo projects. Then Ozzy became a television star with The Osbournes, which created a whole new weird secondary career for him. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 14 2011 12:36 PM ET

Lady Gaga splits with longtime creative director Laurieann Gibson

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Categories: Divas!, Lady Gaga, Let's Argue!, Things That Bum Us Out
Laurieann-Gibson

Image Credit: John Shearer/AP Images

It’s not looking pretty in Monster-land.

This past weekend, it was announced that Lady Gaga has ended her partnership with her longtime creative director, Laurieann Gibson.

The move is a shocking one for Lady Gaga, who is known for her loyalty to her friends in the Haus of Gaga. Indeed, Gibson has been with Gaga since the pre-Fame days, and is the choreographer behind all her big hits. Fans can rightly be concerned about this new direction, as Gibson should definitely be given credit for having a hand in essentially everything Gaga has done up until now in her videos.

Gaga, for all her vocal prowess, has said herself that she’s not a dancer, and Gibson has been able to work with that and still choreograph a distinctive style in “Just Dance” “Poker Face” “LoveGame” “Paparazzi” “Bad Romance” “Telephone” “Judas” “Alejandro” and “Born This Way.” (Yup, you read that correctly. It’s pretty much all the hits).

The reasons for the break up have not been officially commented on, but problems first became apparent to fans during the filming of the “Judas” (which Gibson also co-directed) video this past spring, where the religious imagery, particularly Lady Gaga as a sexified Mary Magdalene, made Gibson uncomfortable. “At one point, there was two completely different views and after the third glass of wine, I was like, ‘Listen, I don’t want lightning to strike me. I believe in the Gospel and I’m not going there,” Gibson said at the time. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 12 2011 06:00 PM ET

Jay-Z's Occupy Wall Street apparel no longer on Rocawear site

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Categories: Jay-Z, Music

Jay-Z’s Occupy Wall Street (OWS) clothing may not be occupying your closets anytime soon. According to the Wall Street Journal, the rapper’s line of OWS-branded clothing — which was made available earlier in the week via Rocawear — has been removed from the clothing company’s website.

The rapper and Rocawear were met with controversy for their choice to sell the OWS shirts, with some claiming they were attempting to profit off of the movement that opposes the wealthy 1 percent. (The clothing company reportedly released a statement saying they would not be donating any proceeds to the OWS movement.) A rep for Jay-Z did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.

Read more:
Kanye West and Jay-Z face official lawsuit over ‘Watch the Throne’ sample

Nov 12 2011 12:16 PM ET

'Michael Jackson and the Doctor': Did you watch?

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Categories: Michael Jackson
Conrad-Murray

Image Credit: Carly Segal/NBC

Last night, MSNBC aired Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Fatal Friendship, the documentary about Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson.

And frankly, it was difficult to watch. Not because of the tragedy it focused on — but because it seemed engineered to exploit, rather than shed any new light, on Jackson’s death. Much of the doc consisted of archival footage of the trial and the surrounding media frenzy, plus information that had already been covered in Murray’s interview on Today last Wednesday, during which he maintained his innocence. There was also a fair amount of footage of Murray’s legal team discussing his case at home in terms that ranged from candid to uncomfortably blunt. The paltry new revelations — especially details about Jackson’s living habits and the house in which he died — felt like unnecessary, tawdry details. A few other lowlights: READ FULL STORY »

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