JC Chasez Says There Will Never Be An ‘NSYNC Reunion
September 30, 2009
'We already did that and it was fun, but we're done with it,' Chasez says of reteaming with band.
By Jocelyn Vena
JC Chasez
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/ Getty Images
Next week the Backstreet Boys are releasing their new album, leading many fans of the '90s boy-band era to feel a bit nostalgic. And who could forget the epic battle that went on between Backstreet fans and 'NSYNC fans?
Given that Backstreet fans still get their fix of new music from the group every few years, will 'NSYNC fans ever get a chance to hear some new music from the group? JC Chasez very bluntly told MTV News that it will never happen.
"Nope," he said emphatically about any reunion tours or albums in the band's future. "I keep in touch with all of them. [We don't want to do it] because we already did that and it was fun, but we're done with it."
Chasez, who now spends his time as a judge on "America's Best Dance Crew," may not see an 'NSYNC reunion in the cards, but he did reveal, using his judging powers, who in the band had the slickest moves on the dance floor.
"I would say that was a toss-up between Justin and I. We just had very different styles," he said. "Justin was very fluid and more the crooner, and I was more high-energy and power."
Chasez also said that there was no competition among the bandmembers to try to out-dance each other, which means that, unfortunately, there were no backstage dance-offs. "No, no. We had fun. We would hang out and make stuff up," he said. "We always encouraged each other to be better. It was never competitive. If he does better, we all did better. If I did better, we all did better."
Related ArtistsKristin Cavallari Calls Her ‘Hills’ Drama ‘Funny’
September 30, 2009
'These girls just kind of attack me out of nowhere,' the show's new star claims.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Yasmine Richard
Kristin Cavallari
Photo: Michelle Roy/MTV News
When the new season of "The Hills" premiered on Tuesday night, it certainly looked like Kristin Cavallari would be living up to her promise of bringing more drama to the show in Lauren Conrad's absence. The ads say, "The bitch is back," but Cavallari isn't sure that fans have seen enough of her antics for her to live up to that title just yet.
"I think it's funny, I really do," she told MTV News on Tuesday night. "The huge fight that we all get into right off the bat [in the season premiere] — I literally did not do anything, and these girls just kind of attack me out of nowhere."
Of course, there have been rumors swirling that Cavallari has done plenty behind the scenes to stir up trouble, namely fuel the fires of a romance with Audrina Patridge's former flame, Justin Bobby. There were also hints that she'd make some moves on her ex Brody Jenner, at some point during the season.
Not that Cavallari thinks that any of those actions warrant the kind of treatment she received in the first episode. "I cannot wait for everyone to see this, because they really are talking about how 'the bitch is back,' " she explained. "But really, I didn't do a whole lot to become this bitch."
So, does it bother Cavallari to be labeled so quickly? Well, no. "It's fun," she laughed. "Whatever!"
Catch the next episode of "The Hills" on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.
Related Videos50 Cent Goes After Fat Joe In New Comic Video
September 30, 2009
'Fat Joe's record is the worst thing that ever happened to hip-hop,' 50 says in clip.
By Shaheem Reid
50 Cent and Fat Joe
Photo: Harris Bebey/ Randy Brooke/ FilmMagic/ WireImage
50 Cent's comedic assault against longtime nemesis Fat Joe continued with a new video released on ThisIs50.com Wednesday (September 30). 50 first posted a video of himself being rushed to the hospital and crying in his son's arms, followed by another clip in which he addresses the camera, with a bandage around his head and Band-Aids on his face, crying because he was "hurt" by listening to Joe's forthcoming album, J.O.S.E. 2.
"I listened to Fat Joe's records, it hurt," a teary eyed 50 says in the second video. "Some people didn't listen, and look what happened: Young Buck tried to ride his motorcycle [while] listening to Fat Joe, and look what happened!"
Video footage of Buck crashing his motorcycle was shown with Fat Joe's "Cupcakes" edited in. Joe's music was also edited into various Internet blooper clips showing skateboarders crashing, a heavyset woman falling off of a table, a man with a huge afro hitting himself in the head with a pair of nunchucks, and another man crashing his motorcycle into a parked car.
"Fat Joe's record is the worst thing that ever happened to hip-hop," a crying 50 adds. "I love hip-hop. It's because his music sucks so bad it's gonna kill people!"
50 then laughs to let people know the obvious — he wasn't really crying.
On Monday night, 50 commenced his latest mockery of Joe by having Tony Yayo tweet that the leader of the G-Unit had been rushed to the hospital.
Then on ThisIs50.com, a faux story was posted saying, "After a long weekend of activities — including performing, throwing a festival in his old neighborhood in Queens and preparing for his upcoming Thisis50 concert — 50 Cent has definitely been working hard.
"This afternoon while in his Manhattan offices, employees say that 50 Cent was listening to Fat Joe's new album, J.O.S.E. 2, when all of a sudden, he collapsed! An ambulance was called and by the time they arrived, 50 Cent regained consciousness and was complaining of blurred vision and a severe migraine. 50 Cent was rushed to Mt. Sinai hospital at 4:26 p.m.
"Doctors say after performing a Cat Scan and EKG there seems to be some damage to his auditory cortex, which is the region of the brain that is responsible for processing sound."
Fan were told to "Stay tuned for more info ..."
Fat Joe responded via Twitter, writing, "Tell 50 to get off my d--- already. He was sick that my album is SO Hot. That real music, not that wack sh-- him and clowns are making!!"
Related ArtistsPearl Jam Return To #1 With Backspacer
September 30, 2009
Band tops Billboard for the first time in 13 years, knocking Jay-Z to #2.
By Gil Kaufman
Pearl Jam's <i>Backspacer</i>
Photo: Universal Music Group
If Pearl Jam have proved anything over their nearly 20-year career, it's that you can go your own way and still have it your way. Case in point: Their first non-major label album, Backspacer, will bring the grunge godheads back to the top of the Billboard 200 charts for the first time in 13 years next week. The disc, which was sold in an exclusive with Target stores, as well as at independent retailers, iTunes and through the band's Web site, moved 189,000 copies last week, easily ending Jay-Z's two-week reign at #1, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan.
Jay isn't too far behind at #2 with The Blueprint 3, which lost 55 percent of its business from the previous week, while still managing to sell 134,000 copies, for a three-week total of 908,000. There are also a few new faces in the top 10, including Canadian rockers Three Days Grace, whose Life Starts Now bows at #3 (79,000); Brand New, who hit #6 with Daisy (46,000); metal act Five Finger Death Punch's War Is the Answer (#7, 44,000) and crooner Harry Connick Jr. with Your Songs (#8, 37,000).
The rest of the top 10 are Whitney Houston's I Look to You (#4, 66,000), Miley Cyrus' Time of Our Lives EP (#5, 61,000), Drake's So Far Gone (#9, 36,000) and Muse's The Resistance (#10, 36,000, down 72 percent from the previous week).
Just outside the top 10, the indie supergroup Monsters of Folk leap up 128 spots to #15 in the first week of wide release for their self-titled debut (31,000). Kid Cudi, meanwhile, had a rough second week, as his Man on the Moon: The End of the Day shed 73 percent of its debut week business and slides 13 spots to #17.
Perez Hilton's musical crush, flamboyant pop singer Mika, debuts at #19 with The Boy Who Knew Too Much (27,000), while another of his obsessions, Lady Gaga, sees her Fame drop eight spots (#20, 25,000) following the post-VMA climb. She's now within spitting distance of 1.5 million albums sold.
After a smash debut, "Fire Burning" singer Sean Kingston opens at a low flame with his second effort, Tomorrow, which comes in at #37 (13,000). Formerly noisy English trio the Noisettes hit #98 with their soulful musical re-imagination Wild Young Hearts (5,000), and fellow Brits the Big Pink manage a #138 bow with A Brief History of Love (3,300).
Look for chart debuts next week from Mariah Carey, Paramore, Barbra Streisand, Alice in Chains, AFI and Selena Gomez.
Related ArtistsJennifer Hudson Celebrates ‘Wizard Of Oz’ In New York
September 30, 2009
Singer performs songs from legendary movie at event celebrating its 70th anniversary.
By Kyle Anderson
Jennifer Hudson performs at Rumsey Playfield in New York's Central Park on Tuesday
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz" (as well as the release of a newly remastered Blu-ray version of the film), Netflix threw a party at the Rumsey Playfield in New York's Central Park that was part concert and part screening of the legendary film. Jennifer Hudson headlined the show, during which she performed songs from the movie, including a contemporary interpretation of "Over the Rainbow."
The show also featured "Dancing With the Stars" cast member Julianne Hough (who sang the Scarecrow's song "If I Only Had a Brain"), R&B crooner Bilal and Roots drummer ?uestlove, who also produced the whole show.
New York stages have been kind to Hudson recently. The former "American Idol" contestant appeared at the Brooklyn Academy of Music earlier this month for "VH1 Divas," where she performed her hit "Spotlight" and teamed up with Stevie Wonder for a run-through of his "All in Love Is Fair."
Hudson recently gave birth to her first son, who is apparently already showing signs of the Hudson music gene. "He seems like he's very interested in music already," she told People about David Daniel Otunga (named after his father, Hudson fiancé David Otunga). "The other night he was having a fit screaming, and someone turns on the music and he just stops and calms down. And I was exactly the same way as a baby."
Related Photos Related ArtistsParamore Kick Off Tour With A Bang — Although Hayley Loses Voice Before Encore
September 30, 2009
Singer Hayley Williams' voice gives out during show in Pomona, California.
By Matt Elias
Paramore's Hayley Williams performs in Pomona, California on Tuesday
Photo: MTV News
POMONA, California — It was a bittersweet night for Paramore, as frontwoman Hayley Williams lost her voice before the band's encore on the opening night of their tour, which coincided with the release of their new album Brand New Eyes.
Earlier in the evening, the newly blond Williams told the sold-out Fox Theater that it was just her luck she had gotten sick a week before the tour started. "I really wanna apologize," she told the crowd.
After she exited the stage with the band following the final notes of "Decode," some long moments passed — broken up by chants of "Para-more! Para-more! Para-more!" Finally, guitarist Josh Farro returned to the stage to announce that Williams had lost her voice and felt horrible about missing the next song. "But we're going to play music and let you guys sing," he added.
With that, Farro and the rest of the band broke into "Misery Business" with the entire crowd singing along — so loud, in fact, that it didn't even seem like Hayley was missing.
Despite the setback, fans seemed satisfied with the explosive hour of music Paramore delivered earlier in the night. It was a mix of crowd favorites, like "That's What You Get," "I Caught Myself" and "CrushCrushCrush," with new songs such as "Ignorance" and "Where the Lines Overlap."
Judging by the sing-along level, the crowd was well versed in the new material. But it wasn't until six songs into the set that the frontwoman finally addressed her fans (maybe trying to save that voice). "Pomona," Hayley screamed, "this is everything we would hope this would be, and better!" As a thunderous cheer erupted, the band launched into 2005's "Emergency," with the crowd lifting their cell phones and digital cameras into the air.
Those screens stayed up for the rest of the night, spreading a blue glow across the mostly teen audience. "Hey, we love you all. Pomona, we thank you so much," she said, acknowledging the fans' well wishes that she'd received on her blog over the last year. "It means a lot," she added. "We've been through so much."
It had been a long day for the band too, as the Franklin, Tennessee, fivesome were awake in the wee hours of the morning to take part in Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM's "Super Tuesday," where they played a morning concert in one venue, while AFI and Alice in Chains played shows in other venues across town. With more than 12 hours separating their morning show and their tour kickoff, Paramore earned extra credit for going the distance on Tuesday — Hayley's voice included.
Related Videos Related ArtistsLamar Odom Says Marriage To Khloe Kardashian Is ‘Real’
September 30, 2009
'Anybody that was there will tell you that it was a beautiful event and it was real,' Laker says of marriage to reality star.
By Jocelyn Vena
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
Photo: Lester Cohen/ WireImage
Even though their friends and family have been saying how happy they are for newlyweds Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian, there is still some speculation surrounding the legitimacy of the marriage. With a reality-show camera crew at the ceremony and varying reports about the state of a prenuptial agreement between the pair, it seems that some people question whether the two are actually married.
But Odom wants the world to know that his marriage to Khloe, who he had been dating for only a month before marrying her on Sunday, is "real" and "legal."
"It's crazy how perception works in America when you're looking at things from the outside," Odom told reporters, according to the Los Angeles Times. "It might be off, it might be on. But anybody that was there will tell you that it was a beautiful event and it was real."
Odom was also quick to shut down rumors that he married the reality starlet in order to garner more publicity. "I don't need that. I get enough with the Lakers," he said. "I do well for myself."
He also defended the couple's choice to marry so quickly. They may have only known each other for a month before they married, but he doesn't think that will hurt them in the long run. "There's people who've been married for 25 years and they get divorced," he explained. "There's people who get married overnight and the next thing you know they've been married 25 years."
Fans can see the wedding on an episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" on November 8 on E!.
Michael Jackson Slams Madonna, Discusses Father’s Abuse In Tapes
September 30, 2009
In Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's interviews, singer says he wanted to 'disappear' before he got old.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson and Madonna in the mid 1990s
Photo: Barry King/ WireImage
It's a rare window into the extremely guarded life of Michael Jackson: 30 hours of recorded conversations in which the reclusive pop star spilled his thoughts on life, love and the turmoil of his childhood. The tapes, recorded by the late pop singer's onetime spiritual adviser Rabbi Shmuley Boteach between August 2000 and April 2001, are the basis for Boteach's just-released book, "The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul in Intimate Conversation."
Boteach appeared on "Larry King Live" on Tuesday to talk about the book, in which he details the complex life of the King of Pop, who died of acute propofol intoxication in June, revealing Jackson's feelings about Madonna, Britney Spears, his struggle to find true love and the conflicted emotions he had about aging in public.
Though Madonna gave a loving tribute to Jackson at the VMAs, at the time Boteach spoke to Jackson, the singer did not have kind words for her, painting the fellow pop star as "not a nice person." While Madonna joked about convincing Jackson to join her for dinner during her VMA address, in Jackson's view, she was pushy and rude.
"Madonna laid the law down to me before we went out. [She said] I am not going to Disneyland, OK? That's out," Jackson said. "I said, 'I didn't ask to go to Disneyland.' She said, 'We are going to the restaurant. And afterwards, we are going to a strip bar.'
"I said, 'I am not going to a strip bar, where they cross dress. Guys who are girls,' I said. 'I am not going to there. If that's how it is, forget this whole thing,' " he continued. "Afterwards, she wrote some mean things about me in the press. And I wrote that she is a nasty witch, after I was so kind to her."
He also described a scene in which a child approached them during dinner and Madonna reportedly brushed the kid off, leading Jackson to say, "Don't you ever talk to children like this.
"She said, 'Shut up,' " he recalled. "I said, 'You shut up.' "
Boteach said he first met Jackson at the singer's 41st birthday party at Neverland Ranch in August 2000, at which point he described the singer as "lifeless ... indolent ... energy-less" following the 1993 child molestation allegations against him. That case was settled out of court for a reported $20 million, but Jackson was convinced the world hated him, and he asked Boteach to record their conversations to "break through the filter and screen of the media, which he felt had always mis-portrayed him."
The book was originally slated for release in 2003 but was derailed when Jackson was arrested on allegations of child molestation in November 2003. He was acquitted in that case.
Jackson appeared to open up to Boteach, the Orthodox rabbi best known for his "Kosher Sex" book. Jackson revealed that he desperately wanted success and fame because, "I wanted people to love ... truly love me because I never felt really loved." Jackson also discussed his complicated relationship with his father, Joseph Jackson, saying that while his dad was often cruel to him, he owed his career to the former steelworker's vision. He also shared one of the rare moments he had with him, when Joseph hoisted Michael onto a pony at a carnival when he was 5 — an incident that was enough to convince him that his father had love in his heart.
In the talks, Jackson expressed a desire to "disappear" so that his fans would never see him age, and said that if it weren't for his love of children and his desire to help them, he would "throw in the towel ... choose death."
Among the book's other revelations:
— Seeing Britney Spears on his hotel television, Jackson said, "I don't believe that she'll have any great longevity in the public eye because she doesn't understand the power of mystery."
— Actress Brooke Shields was one of the loves of his life. Jackson said they dated "a lot" and that he had pictures of her all over his walls. After meeting her at the Academy Awards and exchanging numbers, he went home and stayed up all night singing and "spinning around in my room" out of joy.
— MJ claimed his father, who has denied ever beating his son, would make him strip down, then Joseph would oil up his body and hit him with the cord from an iron on the face and back.
— As children, he and sister Janet would play a game where they would picture Joseph dead in a coffin and discuss how they did not feel sorry for his pretend death.
— Jackson believed he could have changed Adolf Hitler's heart if he had been able to speak to the German Nazi Party leader responsible for the Holocaust.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsAaron Carter, Karina Smirnoff Defend Cocky ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Comments
September 30, 2009
'I was pumping myself up,' singer says of his statement that he'd win the show.
By Jocelyn Vena
Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff
Photo: Angela Weiss/ Getty Images
On Tuesday night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars," fans bid a fond farewell to Kathy Ireland, saw Joss Stone and Selena Gomez perform and even got to see Mya strut her stuff on the dance floor again. But it seemed like the hot topic was still the cocky comments that contestant Aaron Carter made in a radio interview on Monday, claiming he was hands-down going to win the show.
Dance partner Karina Smirnoff thinks that everyone has blown the whole thing out of proportion. "He is humble and one of the most non-cocky people on the planet!" she told Usmagazine.com. "All he said was, 'We're going to win.' They take that one sentence and isolate that."
Even Carter thinks people need to relax about his statement on 104.3 MY FM's "Valentine in the Morning" show that "there are no ifs, ands or buts or possibilities or chances, I'm going to win 'Dancing With the Stars.' " He told Us that he said all that in order to psych himself up for competition. "Honestly, I was pumping myself. I'm a big believer in positive energy."
As for rumors that the partners are having any kind of off-screen romance, Smirnoff (who has dated former contestant Mario Lopez and fellow dance pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy) says that is "ridiculous."
Carter actually admitted to having a crush on another pro, Chelsie Hightower, who is dancing with pro snowboarder Louie Vito. "I just realized, 'This girl is really cute!' so I just went up to her and said, 'Are you single?' " Carter said. "I'm going to leave it at that for now. I'm just going to put it out there and see what happens. ... I'm going to visualize that happening!"
Related ArtistsFlyleaf Create ‘Ethereal And Industrial’ Video For ‘Again’
September 30, 2009
'The whole theme is that everything comes to an end,' guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya says of the clip.
By Kyle Anderson, with reporting by Matt Elias
Flyleaf's Lacey Mosely in "Again"
Photo: A&M/ Octone Records
Flyleaf are a band on the verge. Following the success of their self-titled 2005 debut (which moved 1 million copies), they are finally ready to release the follow-up, Memento Mori.
For the album's first single, the bracing rocker "Again," they teamed up with director Meiert Avis (who has helmed clips for a diverse list of artists, including Avril Lavigne, U2, Jack's Mannequin, Audioslave and Bruce Springsteen) for a video that acts as a statement of purpose for who they are and what they've been thinking about.
"The whole theme is that everything comes to an end," explained guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya, noting that their album title is a Latin phrase that loosely translates to "remember death." "But there's always hope and a bigger picture too."
The clip was shot entirely in front of a green screen, which allowed the band to perform the song while the mind-bending visuals were added later. "There are these images that start out as light and energy, and they slowly turn into these woodcuts — something real," Bhattacharya said.
The woodcuts in question are designs created by bassist Pat Seals, who also designed all the artwork for the album. "One of the videos that Meiert gave us for reference was Radiohead's 'Like Spinning Plates,' " frontwoman Lacey explained, referencing the English band's 2001 clip that featured surreal computer graphics but ended with a concrete image of conjoined twins. "It's ethereal and industrial at the same time."
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