Britney Spears Video Tournament Down To Final Four!
November 30, 2011
In a shocking upset, 'Toxic' gets served by 'I'm a Slave 4 U,' while 'Lucky' and 'Criminal' shimmy into round four.
By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker
Britney Spears in her "I'm a Slave 4 U" video
Photo: Jive/Zomba
Voting in round three of MTV News' Britney Spears Tournament: 30 Videos for 30 Years has officially closed and we're now down to the Final Four. Will "Lucky" get lucky against the naughtier "Criminal" video? Will "Hold It Against Me" get served by "I'm a Slave 4 U"? Second-round voting is now open so you can help decide.
At the end of round three, "Lucky" pushed ahead of "Till the World Ends" at the last minute, beating the newer video by less than 0.5 percent of the vote. And although "Stronger" held the lead for most of the third round, "Criminal" overpowered the 2000 video late Tuesday night.
Britney's collaborator on "Me Against the Music," Madonna, officially exited the tournament after the duet fell to "Hold It Against Me," which also came as a last-minute surprise since the Brit/Madge collabo held the advantage for most of round three.
In perhaps the most competitive pairing of the third round, two of Britney's widely celebrated videos, "Toxic" and "I'm a Slave 4 U" were pitted against each other, but sweaty Britney out-danced double-agent Britney. MTV News' Britney video experts have already predicted that "Slave 4 U" will be the biggest threat in the Final Four.
Head over to Britney30.MTV.com and vote for your favorite music video in MTV News' Britney Spears Tournament: 30 Videos for 30 Years.
Voting for the top four clips is open until 7 a.m. Thursday; the top two will be unveiled at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning, followed by the big reveal of the winner at 10 a.m. ET on Friday, which happens to be Britney's 30th birthday.
Which Britney video are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments section below!
What's your favorite Britney video? Make sure to vote at Britney30.MTV.com or the MTV Newsroom blog, and share your picks in the comments below!
Related Videos Related ArtistsJeremy Renner Calls ‘Avengers’ Hawkeye Spin-Off ‘A Possibility’
November 30, 2011
'The best thing about that job was the amazing group of actors I got to know,' Renner tells MTV News of 'Avengers.'
By Terri Schwartz
Jeremy Renner in "Avengers"
Photo: Marvel
What did Joss Whedon do to the poor cast of The Avengers to make them withhold every tiny bit of information about the upcoming Marvel superhero flick? He must have one member of each of their families holed up in a barn somewhere to keep the cast members so quiet about the film. In light of whatever threats or penalties of death he placed upon them, at least one star of the film wasn't willing to give too much of the plot away.
MTV News caught up with Jeremy Renner recently while he was promoting "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," and he was quick to clam up when "The Avengers" was mentioned. His character Clint Barton, who goes by the alias Hawkeye, is one of the few Avengers who doesn't have any superpowers. When asked what Hawkeye brings to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier table, he wasn't able to tease too much.
"A bow and arrow. He's good with it," Renner deadpanned. "I can't give you anything on that one."
When asked to elaborate, Renner said he couldn't give any more information. "You know I can't talk about any of that stuff. Yeah, I play Hawkeye. He's got a bow and arrow and he's a badass. That's about all I can say," the actor said.
But that doesn't mean Renner isn't afraid to look into the future. While Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and the Hulk all got their moments to shine in stand-alone movies, Hawkeye had to rely on one tiny cameo in "Thor" to introduce him to audiences. So will there ever be a Hawkeye spin-off movie?
"I don't know. I think, yeah, there's a possibility for anything," Renner said. "Who's to say? I don't have a crystal ball. I'm not a soothsayer. But I was happy to be a part of that project. A great cast. That was the best thing about that job was the amazing group of actors I got to know."
Check out everything we've got on "The Avengers."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
Related Videos Related Photos- 'Avengers' Take Manhattan: Five NYC Locations From The Trailer
- Key Scenes From The 'Avengers' Trailer
Lady Gaga Pulling Double Duty At Grammy Noms Show
November 30, 2011
'I am so excited to open and close the Grammy Nomination concert!' Gaga reveals via Twitter.
By James Montgomery
Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images
Much like the pair of exclamation marks inexplicably attached to its title, Lady Gaga will pull double duty on Wednesday night's (November 30) Grammy Nominations Live!! telecast, serving as both the opening and closing act.
That's according to the Mother Monster herself, who took to her Twitter account to break the news following rehearsals, and, in the process, also revealed that one of her two performances was going to be a collaborative effort.
"I am so excited to open and close the Grammy Nomination concert tomorrow night!" Gaga wrote. "What a blast rehearsing with Jennifer [Nettles] and Kristian [Bush]. Sugarland!"
Gaga and Sugarland will share the stage with a host of other big-name acts, including Rihanna, Usher, Lupe Fiasco, Ludacris and country crooner Jason Aldean. The event will once again be hosted by LL Cool J, who this year will also take part in a special tribute to the classic hip-hop track "The Message," joining Common and members of the Furious Five.
Of course, aside from all of the performances, the telecast also serves as the official kickoff to Grammy season, with nominees in several categories to be announced on air Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET on CBS. Gaga is expected to be in contention for a slew of awards, including Album of the Year for Born This Way, and Record and Song of the Year for "Yoü and I." She'll face stiff competition from this year's Grammy fave, Adele, not to mention fellow females Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj.
Catch the special performance — along with Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Usher, Ludacris, Sugarland and more — at 10 p.m. ET/PT tonight on CBS.
Rihanna Finds ‘Love’ In London For Grammys Special
November 30, 2011
RiRi performs 'We Found Love' from O2 arena during nominations special, where she nabs an Album of the Year nod.
By James Montgomery
Rihanna performs on the Grammy nominee show
Photo: FilmMagic
Rihanna is the current queen of the Hot 100 with "We Found Love," so it sort of made sense that on Wednesday night's (November 30) "Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!," her performance was beamed in from an appropriately queen-sized venue: London's O2 arena.
And, as you'd probably expect, she did "Love," and did it with style. She welcomed the Grammy audience to the party, then, as the song's electro-calypso beat bounded in, cut with the charm and got loose. Striding and stomping across the stage in a striped top and short shorts, she thrust her fist in the air, cocked her hips and bounced with joy. And when Calvin Johnson's tweaking buildup to the chorus hit, she ordered the crowd to "Make some f---ing noise!"
And they did. Things quickly erupted into a full-fledged freak-out, with the audience leaping for the rafters and Rihanna — and her denim-clad dancers — doing much the same. Then she used a little bit of her royal authority, ordering her subjects to "Jump! Jump!" as the track roared into its final third (you can probably guess how they responded to her decree).
Take a closer look at this year's Grammy nominees through photos!
For the finale, she stood on a riser, took in the cheers from the crowd, and watched as confetti fell from the roof. And as all that happened around her, she slowly descended and disappeared beneath the stage. She may have gotten shut out of most of the big categories during the nominations portion of the telecast — though, you know, that Album of the Year nod must've been sweet — but she certainly did all right in the concert part of it. In London, on the big stage, it was almost a coronation of sorts. She'll just have to make do with the crown for right now.
What did you think of Rihanna's O2 performance? Let us know in the comments!
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsMichael Buble Beats Out Nickelback, Rihanna on Billboard Charts
November 30, 2011
Rihanna's Talk That Talk came in at #3.
By Gil Kaufman
Rihanna
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images/DCP
Clearly, the holiday season is upon us. How do we know? Crooner Michael Buble's five-week-old Christmas album will sneak into the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart thanks to sales of 227,000, leapfrogging over a pair of new releases. Just a hair back at #2 is 's Here and Now, which moved just under 227,000 copies and Rihanna's Talk That Talk, which hit #3 after selling 198,000, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan.
Also debuting in the top 10 were Mary J. Blige's : My Life II ... The Journey Continues (#5, 156,000) and Daughtry's Break the Spell (#8, 129,000). The rest of the top 10: Drake, Take Care (#4, 173,000, down 73 percent), Justin Bieber, Under the Mistletoe (#6, 142,000), Adele, 21 (#7, 140,000), Scotty McCreery, Clear as Day (#9, 88,000) and Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto (#10, 79,000).
Just outside the top 10, Taylor Swift came in at #11 with Speak Now World Tour Live (77,000), just ahead of new boy band TV hotties Big Time Rush, whose Elevate was at #12 thanks to sales of 70,000. The soundtrack to the new Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show, Immortal, landed at #24 (43,000), while new Shady crew member Yelawolf was back at #27 with Radioactive (41,000). "American Idol" finalist rocker James Durbin squeaked into the top 40 at #36 with his debut, Memories of a Beautiful Disaster (28,000).
A number of top 40 acts seemed to be getting a holiday boost, including Maroon 5 (up 44 spots and 351 percent to #20), Lady Gaga (up 51 spots and 416 percent to #21), Selena Gomez & The Scene (up 39 spots and 248 percent to #31) and Nicki Minaj (up 47 spots and 250 percent to #50).
While Gaga's Born This Way continues to move units, fans were a bit less interested in her A Very Gaga Holiday digital EP, which landed with a thunk at #51 on modest sales of 22,000.
While she didn't reach the top on Billboard, Rihanna did manage to hit #1 on the iTunes album charts, where she beat out Drake, Nickelback, Coldplay and Buble. At #6 was Adele, followed by Daughtry, Blige, Gaga's Thanksgiving album and a greatest hits disc from Motor City rocker Bob Seger.
LMFAO ruled the iTunes singles chart with "Sexy and I Know It," which beat out "It Will Rain" from Bruno Mars, Rihanna's "We Found Love," Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" and Katy Perry's "The One That Got Away." Rounding out the list were: Adele, "Someone Like You," Maroon 5, "Moves Like Jagger," Gym Class Heroes, "Stereo Hearts," David Guetta, "Without You" and LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem."
Next week's newcomers include Hot Chelle Rae Trey Songz, and live CD/DVDs from Adele and Beyonce.
Related ArtistsYoung Jeezy Opens Up About Rick Ross Beef
November 30, 2011
'I felt like it was about selling records,' Jeezy says of Ross' intentions.
By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Sway Calloway
Young Jeezy
Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News
Young Jeezy's fourth solo album, TM: 103 Hustlerz Ambition, will finally arrive December 20, and on Wednesday (November 30), the Snowman joined Sway on "RapFix Live" to talk about the LP.
During their discussion, Jeezy opened up about his relationship and rumored beef with Rick Ross, explaining where things stand at this point.
The contention between the two began in August 2010, when Jeezy released a freestyle over the instrumental to Rick Ross' hit "B.M.F." titled "Death B4 Dishonor." The song bore a few lines that were perceived as a dis, specifically, "How you blowin' money fast/ You don't know the crew/ Oh, you part of the fam?/ Sh--, I never knew." Later that year, Jeezy told MTV News that the song had been recorded even before Ross released "B.M.F.," but the rumors and slight jabs in the media have continued ever since.
"With rap, it's a funny thing. You can say things, and people can take 'em the way they wanna take 'em," Jeezy said, addressing "Death B4 Dishonor." "But in my mind, in my heart, I just killed the verse. If I killed the verse and you took it personally, then that's on you."
The Atlanta rapper said he isn't dwelling on any issues with Ross, despite things that have happened in the past. "I hear things; the streets talk. I'm hearing he reaching out to [Big] Meech and trying to get him to speak bad — that's my brother," Jeezy said of the Black Mafia Family drug dealer. "When you're trying to bring the streets into rap to prove a point, then you already lost. You separate the two, and that ain't to be played with. You've got people that lost their lives and people that are doing real time. If we gon' make music, let's just make music."
Aside from those few lines on "Death B4 Dishonor," Jeezy said the issue spiraled thanks to a Web clip, which Ross perceived to be an additional jab at him. "I feel like the whole started thing from a clip on WorldStarHipHop, and my thing was, if I'm a boss and you a boss, let's sit down and be bosses," he said. "You take a clip that somebody edited and run with that? What part of the game is that? If you felt like that, hit me up, let's chop it up, we bosses."
Finally, Jeezy said he didn't take things seriously after bumping into Ross at the BET Hip Hop Awards, where the Miami rapper declined to exchange any words with him. "I felt like it was about selling records," Jeezy said. "It' not about you about me. We could've stepped in the corner and chopped it up. So right then and there, I knew it was about records, so I was cool with it."
What do you think about the rift between Ross and Jeezy? Let us know in the comments below.
Related Videos Related ArtistsKourtney Kardashian Pregnant
November 30, 2011
‘Kourtney & Kim Take New York’ star confirms to Us Weekly she’s expecting second child with Scott Disick.
By Jocelyn Vena
src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/k/kardashian_kourtney_scott_disick/promo/281x211.jpg"/>
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Photo: Getty Images
Kourtney Kardashian is expecting baby number two. The reality star confirms that she’s pregnant in the new issue of Us Weekly. This will be the second child for Kardashian and her longtime boyfriend Scott Disick.
“Now, I’m nine weeks along,” she told the magazine, going on to explain that she took a pregnancy test five weeks ago and woke up her beau to share the results. “You’re supposed to wait 12 weeks to tell people, but I feel confident.”
Earlier this year, rumors surfaced that the couple were engaged but it was never confirmed. Kourtney’s baby news may be surprising to viewers of E!s “Kourtney & Kim Take New York,” which premiered on Sunday night. The first episode of season two followed Kourtney and Scott as they worked to find the spark they once had in their relationship, before 23-month-old son Mason was born. It was also revealed on the episode that the couple of five years sleeps in separate bedrooms.
Click Here To Look at Kourtney’s Year In Photos!
Kourtney and Scott surprised fans of the Kardashian family when they announced their first pregnancy in 2009. In fact, the couple were a bit surprised by it as well. This time, however, they were more prepared. “It wasn’t like we weren’t trying,” Disick said. “We kind of just said, ‘If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. ‘”
Kourtney’s pregnancy news comes just after sister Kim’s revealing quotes in the new issue of Glamour hit the Web. In the January cover story, the soon-to-be-ex of Kris Humphries admitted she has been reconsidering having a family of her own and may just have to focus on being an aunt.
“I don’t know,” Kim said. “I always wanted what mom and dad had. And at first I was like, ‘I want six kids.’ Then I went down to four, then I was down to three … and now I’m like, ‘Maybe I won’t have any. Maybe I’ll just be a good aunt.’ ”
She added, “That’s how I feel. Maybe my fairy tale has a different ending than I dreamed it would. But that’s OK.”
Share your well-wishes with Kourtney and Scott in the comments section.
Related Photos
Kourtney Kardashian Pregnant
November 30, 2011
‘Kourtney & Kim Take New York’ star confirms to Us Weekly she’s expecting second child with Scott Disick.
By Jocelyn Vena
src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/k/kardashian_kourtney_scott_disick/promo/281x211.jpg"/>
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Photo: Getty Images
Kourtney Kardashian is expecting baby number two. The reality star confirms that she’s pregnant in the new issue of Us Weekly. This will be the second child for Kardashian and her longtime boyfriend Scott Disick.
“Now, I’m nine weeks along,” she told the magazine, going on to explain that she took a pregnancy test five weeks ago and woke up her beau to share the results. “You’re supposed to wait 12 weeks to tell people, but I feel confident.”
Earlier this year, rumors surfaced that the couple were engaged but it was never confirmed. Kourtney’s baby news may be surprising to viewers of E!s “Kourtney & Kim Take New York,” which premiered on Sunday night. The first episode of season two followed Kourtney and Scott as they worked to find the spark they once had in their relationship, before 23-month-old son Mason was born. It was also revealed on the episode that the couple of five years sleeps in separate bedrooms.
Click Here To Look at Kourtney’s Year In Photos!
Kourtney and Scott surprised fans of the Kardashian family when they announced their first pregnancy in 2009. In fact, the couple were a bit surprised by it as well. This time, however, they were more prepared. “It wasn’t like we weren’t trying,” Disick said. “We kind of just said, ‘If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. ‘”
Kourtney’s pregnancy news comes just after sister Kim’s revealing quotes in the new issue of Glamour hit the Web. In the January cover story, the soon-to-be-ex of Kris Humphries admitted she has been reconsidering having a family of her own and may just have to focus on being an aunt.
“I don’t know,” Kim said. “I always wanted what mom and dad had. And at first I was like, ‘I want six kids.’ Then I went down to four, then I was down to three … and now I’m like, ‘Maybe I won’t have any. Maybe I’ll just be a good aunt.’ ”
She added, “That’s how I feel. Maybe my fairy tale has a different ending than I dreamed it would. But that’s OK.”
Share your well-wishes with Kourtney and Scott in the comments section.
Related Photos
Kourtney Kardashian Pregnant
November 30, 2011
'Kourtney & Kim Take New York' star confirms to Us Weekly she's expecting second child with Scott Disick.
By Jocelyn Vena
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Photo: Getty Images
Kourtney Kardashian is expecting baby number two. The reality star confirms that she's pregnant in the new issue of Us Weekly. This will be the second child for Kardashian and her longtime boyfriend Scott Disick.
"Now, I'm nine weeks along," she told the magazine, going on to explain that she took a pregnancy test five weeks ago and woke up her beau to share the results. "You're supposed to wait 12 weeks to tell people, but I feel confident."
Earlier this year, rumors surfaced that the couple were engaged but it was never confirmed. Kourtney's baby news may be surprising to viewers of E!s "Kourtney & Kim Take New York," which premiered on Sunday night. The first episode of season two followed Kourtney and Scott as they worked to find the spark they once had in their relationship, before 23-month-old son Mason was born. It was also revealed on the episode that the couple of five years sleeps in separate bedrooms.
Click Here To Look At Kourtney's Year In Photos!
Kourtney and Scott surprised fans of the Kardashian family when they announced their first pregnancy in 2009. In fact, the couple were a bit surprised by it as well. This time, however, they were more prepared. "It wasn't like we weren't trying," Disick said. "We kind of just said, 'If it's meant to be, it'll be. '"
Kourtney's pregnancy news comes just after sister Kim's revealing quotes in the new issue of Glamour hit the Web. In the January cover story, the soon-to-be-ex of Kris Humphries admitted she has been reconsidering having a family of her own and may just have to focus on being an aunt.
"I don't know," Kim said. "I always wanted what mom and dad had. And at first I was like, 'I want six kids.' Then I went down to four, then I was down to three ... and now I'm like, 'Maybe I won't have any. Maybe I'll just be a good aunt.' "
She added, "That's how I feel. Maybe my fairy tale has a different ending than I dreamed it would. But that's OK."
Wish Kourtney and Scott Congrats on Facebook
Related Photos‘X Factor’: Melanie Amaro Does Michael Jackson Justice
November 30, 2011
But Rachel Crow and Drew don't fare as well on Simon Cowell's girls team.
By Adam Graham
Melanie Amaro on "X Factor" Wednesday
Photo: Fox
The top seven "X Factor" contestants tackled the catalog of Michael Jackson on Wednesday (November 30), paying tribute to the late King of Pop while members of Jackson's family — including his brothers, mother and children — looked on from the audience.
Melanie Amaro earned the evening's best marks for her show-closing rendition of "Earth Song," dubbed "amazing" by L.A. Reid, who told the singer he felt he was not in the midst of a competition, but at an Amaro concert. Nicole Scherzinger called it one of the best performances of the season, and Amaro's mentor, Simon Cowell, told the 19-year-old, "I couldn't think of a better way to pay tribute to one of the greatest artists in the world."
Not all of Cowell's contestants fared as well. Rachel Crow received her harshest critiques yet from the judges, after the bubbly 13-year-old's take on the Jacksons' "Can You Feel It" — a rather obscure selection from one of the most celebrated bodies of work in the history of pop music — fell flat with the panel. "This is probably the only time I've watched you and didn't believe you were having a great time," Reid commented, a sentiment echoed by Scherzinger and Paula Abdul. Cowell backed his singer, saying the critiques were a result of it being "anti-Simon night," though he seemed less than over-the-moon when he told her, "You always put on a show, you look like a pop star, and you're having the time of your life."
Cowell's remark that it was "anti-Simon night" came from Scherzinger and Abdul criticizing 14-year-old Drew for doing a slowed-down, piano-driven "Billie Jean" while sitting in a chair, saying she wasn't being pushed enough as a performer. Cowell called Scherzinger's comment "absolute nonsense" and told Abdul, "Too much dancing, that's why your acts are out of the competition," while praising Drew for sticking to her strengths. Meanwhile, Reid, who week after week has been Drew's sharpest critic, begrudgingly complimented the singer. "It pains me to say this," he told her, "but I liked it."
Of all the evening's contestants, Marcus Canty gave the most physical performance, doing a sweaty rendition of "PYT" that included a mid-song backflip. Both Scherzinger and Abdul used the same words, calling Canty "the whole package," while Reid said he hoped the flip would flip him some votes. Cowell was more critical, saying Canty's vocals were compromised as a result of all the dancing.
Teen rapper Astro put a rejuvenated spin on "Black or White" and was praised for the youthful energy he brought to the song. Chris Rene, who also funnels his material through a hip-hop prism, did a stepped-up "I'll Be There," which Scherzinger said was the best he's ever sang. But splitting the hip-hop vote with Astro could prove costly, and Cowell predicted he'd need a lot of support to survive the week.
Meanwhile, 30-year-old burrito maker Josh Krajcik — Scherzinger's sole remaining contestant in the competition, and one of the show's favorites to win — opened the night with a rearranged, nearly unrecognizable version of "Dirty Diana" that Cowell called his "weakest performance so far," even as the other judges applauded his efforts.
Two singers will be sent packing on Thursday's results episode, which is also set to feature a performance from Tinie Tempah.
What did you think of the "X Factor" Michael Jackson tribute? Let us know in the comments!
