Nero Look Forward To Playing Alongside ‘Massive Artists’ At EDC
May 17, 2012
U.K.-based EDM group set to headline Electric Daisy Carnival New York's Bassrush Stage this Sunday.
By Akshay Bhansali
Nero
Photo: Mark Davis/ Getty Images
When MTV News first caught up with Dan Stephens, co-producer of U.K.-based electronic dance music outfit Nero (with co-producer Joseph Ray), and frequent vocal collaborator Alana Watson, last December, it was at the launch of the music video for "Reaching Out."
The song is the fifth single from their debut album, Welcome Reality, and features original vocals by Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates fame, who recorded pieces of the Hall & Oates '80s hit song "Out of Touch." Nero's other singles from the album, "Crush On You," "Promises," and "Must Be the Feeling," garnered remixes from the likes of Kill the Noise, Skrillex, Flux Pavilion and Calvin Harris, to name a few.
Since then, Nero have been tirelessly touring the U.S. and U.K in support of the album, playing to frenzied fans who often even drown out Watson's live vocals. It's safe to say that the often bass-heavy EDM collective are more popular in the U.S. than ever before.
"We've literally just come off of a three-month tour of the U.K. and the U.S., and that was amazing," Stephens revealed when MTV News caught up with him at EDM mecca XS Nightclub Las Vegas. "We love playing here. Everywhere you go at the moment in the States, people are just going crazy for electronic music. We just feel so very privileged to be doing this, and traveling around to all these amazing places in America. And people are coming and loving what we are doing so it's great for us."
After their highly successful North American tour and gigs at XS, Nero is set to join the ranks of Steve Angello, Calvin Harris, Avicii, Bassnectar, Chuckie, Borgore, Sub Focus, Thomas Gold and Armin Van Buuren, among many others, performing at Insomniac Events and Pacha NYC's Electric Daisy Carnival New York this weekend.
"Really looking forward to it," Stephens continued. "I mean EDC, they are always really great shows. You're playing alongside massive artists who are doing similar things, electronic artists, so it's going to be great!"
So will fans at EDC NY this weekend get a chance to preview fresh, new material? Stephens said yes, sort of, though, it's probably too early for them to reveal new cuts from their next album.
"We wrote our album quite a while ago," Stephens said. "And we are working on new material now for the next album, but there's nothing that's ready to play just yet of our next album's material."
"But we've done a few things to play out," he continued, "stuff that isn't going to be album material. Just basically big dance-floor tunes. A couple of bootlegs. So there is new stuff that we are playing and its going to be exciting to play it. Some of the stuff we've only just finished too, so it's going to be good to gauge the crowd's reaction."
Head to the EDC website for a complete list of performers at this weekend's Electric Daisy Carnival New York.
Ashton Kutcher To Return To MTV’s ‘Punk’d’
May 17, 2012
Master of pranks will host a special episode ahead of the MTV Movie Awards on June 3.
By Kara Warner
Ashton Kutcher
Photo: Getty Images
If you haven't been keeping up with our bright and shiny new episodes of "Punk'd," then you've missed a star-studded lineup of guest punk-ers and punk-ees including Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, Lucy Hale and Josh Hutcherson, and Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth.
If you think it can't get any better than that group of noteworthy, fun-loving and slightly gullible individuals, think again, because the show's godfather himself, executive producer Ashton Kutcher, will return to host a special episode of "Punk'd" on Sunday, June 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, as part of the 2012 MTV Movie Awards pre-show.
Kutcher is coming back with bigger punks than ever before, and his targets are two of the hottest celebrities in Hollywood, the identities of whom will be revealed soon. Fans will see some of the most elaborate and outrageous punks only the master himself could pull off.
Once the shock and awe has worn off from Kutcher's expectedly memorable antics, don't forget to tune in on Thursday, May 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, when host Kellan Lutz pulls off hilarious punks on "Awkward" star Ashley Rickards, "Friday Night Lights" actress Aimee Teegarden and "Rock of Ages'" star and "Dancing with the Stars" alumna Julianne Hough.
The MTV Movie Awards will air live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, on Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET.
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Ashton Kutcher To Return To MTV’s ‘Punk’d’
May 17, 2012
Master of pranks will host a special episode ahead of the MTV Movie Awards on June 3.
By Kara Warner
Ashton Kutcher
Photo: Getty Images
If you haven't been keeping up with our bright and shiny new episodes of "Punk'd," then you've missed a star-studded lineup of guest punk-ers and punk-ees including Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, Lucy Hale and Josh Hutcherson, and Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth.
If you think it can't get any better than that group of noteworthy, fun-loving and slightly gullible individuals, think again, because the show's godfather himself, executive producer Ashton Kutcher, will return to host a special episode of "Punk'd" on Sunday, June 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, as part of the 2012 MTV Movie Awards pre-show.
Kutcher is coming back with bigger punks than ever before, and his targets are two of the hottest celebrities in Hollywood, the identities of whom will be revealed soon. Fans will see some of the most elaborate and outrageous punks only the master himself could pull off.
Once the shock and awe has worn off from Kutcher's expectedly memorable antics, don't forget to tune in on Thursday, May 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, when host Kellan Lutz pulls off hilarious punks on "Awkward" star Ashley Rickards, "Friday Night Lights" actress Aimee Teegarden and "Rock of Ages'" star and "Dancing with the Stars" alumna Julianne Hough.
The MTV Movie Awards will air live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, on Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET.
Related Videos Related Photos
Usher Hopes ‘Scream’ Is ‘Life Changing’
May 17, 2012
'I always think about that song that will be able to let you out of that slump,' Looking 4 Myself singer says on 'MTV First.'
By John Mitchell
Usher at "MTV First"
Photo: MTV News
It's not often that fans get to hit the club to party with the artist behind the latest dance hit, but that's exactly what happened for the audience at the interactive off-Broadway show "Fuerza Bruta" when Usher arrived for a unique first-listen experience for his new album, Looking 4 Myself.
As the R&B megastar's latest hit, the beat-driven Max Martin-produced "Scream," pounded through the theater, Usher flew into the audience for a rave-like dance party that had everyone in the place moving.
He's used to that sort of reaction by now, having released some of the biggest club hits of the past 15 years, including "OMG," "Yeah," "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "My Way." Usher consistently makes dance records that define a night, and it's important to the singer that his upbeat songs reach people on as deep a level as his more personal ballads.
"If I'm gonna move you, I want to move you. I hope that it could be something that could be life changing," the soulful signer said during "MTV First: Usher." "You may be going through something real crazy, who knows, and just need to get out and just enjoy yourself. So I always think about the club, I always think about that song that will be able to let you out of that slump, if you're in it."
But "Scream" isn't just for those looking for escape. The track can work on many levels, according to the singer: "If you're just ready to have a good time, or if you're working out and you just need that little motivation to push you over the edge, there you go."
Sadie Hawkins Stakes Her Claim Among Rap’s Ladies
May 17, 2012
Mixtape Daily introduces newcomer, who hooks up with Yo Gotti and DJ Scream on her latest, Girl, Interrupted.
By Rob Markman
Sadie Hawkins
Photo: MTV News
Firestarter: Sadie Hawkins
It's no secret that rap has been a male-dominated sport, but you can't forget the ladies. Of course, Nicki Minaj is the most recognizable, and Iggy Azalea and Azealia Banks are both making waves. Well, it's time to add another name to that growing list of femme fatales: Sadie Hawkins.
If the name sounds familiar, Hawkins borrows her moniker from a 1930s comic-strip character. And, school children often attend Sadie Hawkins-themed dances, where traditional roles are reversed and the girls ask out the boys. The name is particularly fitting for an artist who rhymes with a ferocity typically associated with male rappers.
Sadie started out as a model, and during one of her photo shoots, an onlooker suggested she try her hand at music. "He was like, 'Are you a rapper?' And I was like, 'Nah,' " she told Mixtape Daily. "He was like, 'Yeah, you look like a boss chick. Your name should be 'Sadie Hawkins.' "
As a child, she always admired hip-hop's top female spitters. "Growing up, some of the female MCs that I grew up on — like Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Salt-n-Pepa, MC Lyte, Missy, Eve — seeing them out there, and they doing it, and they actually made it happen, it could give you [a feeling like] 'Yeah, OK, I can do this too,' " she shared.
Sadie pays homage to the queens on "Microphone Checka," a track on her DJ Scream-hosted, Angelina Jolie-inspired Girl, Interrupted mixtape. Hawkins spits over a 1980s-style instrumental while name-dropping some of her favorite back-in-the-day rappers.
On "Cocky," the lyrical newcomer partners with Yo Gotti, proving that she can hold her own against one of the game's most-respected MCs, and on "Ms. Money," she delivers a catchy make-it-rain ode that's ripe for radio.
Sadie Hawkins shows tons of promise: More than just a pretty face, the rookie spitter makes music to back it up.
For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.
Donna Summer Calls Singing ‘The Greatest Gift’ In 1989
May 17, 2012
'Sometimes you can't communicate in words, but in a song, you can,' late Queen of Disco told MTV News in a rare interview.
By John Mitchell, with additional reporting by John Norris
Donna Summer
Photo: MTV News
Donna Summer's death Thursday (May 17) at age 63 after a long battle with cancer saddened music lovers around the world. Fans are mourning the loss of one of the greats, a real pioneer, whose innovative use of synthesized backing tracks blazed the path for the dance music we are all so familiar with today.
Hers are some of the most memorable disco songs ever recorded, and her impact on music is almost too large to quantify with words, but for Summer herself, it was all about the voice.
"Music is part of my life. For my judgment, music is the greatest of all the gifts," Summer told MTV News' John Norris in a rare 1989 interview. "The voice — not my voice, but the voice — to me is the greatest gift. Having a voice. You need no other instrument, all you have to do is sing. Open your mouth, and it's there."
Because her sound was so rooted in the mechanics of disco, with its glittering synths and pulsating beats, some people don't know that the five-time Grammy winner was also an amazingly accomplished vocalist. Her mezzo-soprano voice transcends even the genre she pioneered. Before she became the Queen of Disco, she sang gospel in church and in her early 20s moved to Europe, where she performed in musicals like "Godspell" and "Showboat" and joined the Viennese Folk Opera.
"When I hear other people singing, I think, 'God, it's great, it's a great gift, what a great gift,' " Summer told MTV News. "And probably one of the gifts that people want the most is to be able to sing, and for obvious reasons — it's soothing, it's stimulating, it's encouraging, it's sad, it covers every spectrum of emotion."
It was a gift she was lucky enough to have and good enough to share with the world — one that brought her 14 top 10 hits and four #1's.
"There's no better way to get into those crevasses, those cracks in somebody's personality and root out the real person but through singing," Summer continued. "Sometimes you can't communicate in words, but in a song, you can."
Share your condolences for Donna Summer's friends, family and fans in the comments or on Facebook.
‘Battleship’ Mystery: Who Says ‘You Sunk My Battleship’?
May 17, 2012
It's a trick question! 'I had this idea that we should come up with a different way of respecting the line,' director Peter Berg tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Taylor Kitsch in "Battleship"
Photo: Universal Pictures
From the moment Universal announced plans to transform Hasbro's classic board game Battleship into a full-length feature film, the question weighing on fans' minds was not necessarily "How will they make that into a movie?" but rather "How will they work in the 'You sunk my Battleship!' line?"
For those who didn't grow up playing the game, we're talking about the classic tagline from Hasbro's old-school commercials that featured two players calling out targets until one proved victorious with a direct hit on their opponent's big boat, resulting in one of the most memorable and quotable board-game taglines ever: "You sunk my Battleship!"
We've made attempts to get various castmembers to spill the beans about the line, but it wasn't until MTV News caught up with director Peter Berg that we were able to get a definitive answer on the subject — which, in a nutshell, is no, the direct quote is not in the finished film.
"We have a version of it, though," Berg said. "There was a reference to the line: 'Ain't gonna sink this Battleship, no way,' " he quoted. "We say, 'No, we ain't sinking this battleship. ' They don't sink our Battleship. Sorry.
Berg said they put a lot of thought into how they could pay homage to the line but ultimately decided it would be best to provide their own spin on it.
"We played around. We said the line, we didn't say the line, and then I had this idea that maybe we should come up with a different way of respecting the line. But you know what? They didn't sink the Battleship," he reiterated, adding a "Raging Bull" reference in the process. "It's like Jake Lomatta said: 'You [didn't] get me down, Ray.' There a lot of ways you could've done it; we chose our way."
Check out everything we've got on "Battleship."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Justin Bieber Helps Usher ‘Relive’ Teen Years
May 17, 2012
'The first reaction is like no other,' Usher says on 'MTV First' about witnessing Bieber's ascent to fame.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway
Usher
Photo: Jessica Hyndman / MTV News
Back in 1994, a teenaged Usher dropped his self-titled debut album and skyrocketed to fame. Nearly 20 years later, Usher is still on top, having lost little career momentum. While he's maintained his own career over the years, he also helped launch Justin Bieber to mega-fame as well.
As Bieber continues to grow as an artist, Usher explained that the 18-year-old has built up the kinds of friendships and relationships that he would have wanted as a kid star. "Cool part about it is, he's really able to live a dream that I think most teenagers would want to. To be able to have friends like Mayweather. They are actual friends, hang out, talk," Usher told MTV News during "MTV First" about Bieber's friendship with boxer Floyd Mayweather, who he recently hung out with in Las Vegas. "It's really cool to be able to have friends all around the world and people that can relate to your reality.
"I don't think Michael [Jackson] had people like that," he continued. "I didn't have a ton of people like that. I had Puff. I had JD [producer Jermaine Dupri] ... but to be able to have friends all around the world that keep you, it's cool."
Their friendship was on full display recently when Usher performed in "Fuerza Bruta" back in April in New York City. Bieber dropped by to catch him getting his theater kid on, and midway through the show, the twosome battled it out on the dance floor.
"I was like, 'Come on, I got you. Just chill out.' Set it up," he recalled about tricking the sleepy globe-trotting star to hang with him at the show. "[We] brought him to the middle of the dance floor, and we got it in. But we always show support for each other like that. We was housing a little bit."
The guys will soon go head to head on the Billboard charts: Usher is set to drop his album, Looking 4 Myself, on June 12, and one week later, Bieber will release Believe. While it'll be interesting to see those two fight it out on the charts, what's more interesting for Usher is watching Bieber go through the same stuff he went through as a teen heartthrob.
"I relive every bit of it, from the screaming fans and the first reactions, shutting down the malls. The first reaction is like no other. To be able to be there, to be there with him and go through those emotions and see that shock for the first time [is exciting]," he said.
Related Videos Related ArtistsDonna Summer’s Music The Go-To For TV And Movies
May 17, 2012
'Her songs are so iconic that people use them as shorthand,' expert tells MTV News about late singer's tunes being all over pop culture.
By Kara Warner
Donna Summer
Photo: Fotos International/Getty Images
The news of Donna Summer's untimely passing Thursday (May 17) weighed heavily on all those who knew and loved the undisputed Queen of Disco.
Despite the fact that "disco fever" lived and basically died in the 1970s, Summer's music continues to live on. Her many unforgettable hits like "Last Dance," "Love to Love You Baby" and "She Works Hard for the Money" transcended genres and left an indelible mark on all pop culture, from the music charts to television and film. A quick perusal of Summer's eclectic IMDb page demonstrates the fact that her music is the go-to for filmmakers and show-runners looking for that perfect dance number in their TV show or film.
"Her songs are so iconic that people use them as shorthand either to convey disco or those songs lend themselves to montage-type stuff," Entertainment Weekly music editor Leah Greenblatt told MTV News. " 'She Works Hard for the Money' is always used for when a lady is going about her business. Songs like 'Love to Love You' and 'I Feel Love' are almost like a 'bow-chicka-bow-wow,' in that they always convey sex, whether that's in an ironic way or in a real way."
Two relatively recent comedic examples include the memorable love scene/orgy in "Zoolander" set to "Love to Love You" and Cameron Diaz's group dance number in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," set to "Last Dance."
"A lot of her songs were almost cinematic in the way that their lyrics and music were arranged," Greenblatt said of the repeated use of Summer's songs for television and film. "A lot of [scenes] can go out or end on 'Last Dance.' 'She Works Hard for the Money' is all about when a woman has to go out and earn in a movie; it's the perfect music cue. And when someone is having a threesome with a Sherpa [like in 'Zoolander'], her music was so great for that."
Greenblatt went on to say that Summer's songs will continue to provide the soundtrack to key moments in our lives.
For photos of Donna Summer through the years, click here.
"There was a time when disco was really derided and dismissed, but it would be really hard to find a person over 25 or 30 who doesn't have these songs as part of their DNA. Whether or not you liked disco, it's really hard to deny her voice and her talent," she said. "Her music stands out because she was such a great singer and because a lot of her songs were about emotions too. You can really feel in her voice that she means it.
"Also, how many artists have music that has been featured on 'Sex and the City,' 'Parks and Recreation' and in 'Frost/Nixon'?" Greenblatt added. "For whatever reason, comedians love to use her too. There's the campy tributes but also a sincere love for her. And anytime anyone takes their clothes off [in TV or film], someone has got to play 'Hot Stuff.' "
Share your condolences for Donna Summer's friends, family and fans in the comments or on Facebook.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsAdam Yauch Honored By New York State Senate
May 17, 2012
The late Beastie Boy's legacy is remembered in resolution that celebrates his life, music and love for New York City.
By James Montgomery
Adam Yauch
Photo: Bertrand Guay/ Getty Images
Adam Yauch was, in almost every sense of the term, a true New Yorker — born in Brooklyn, raised on the music of the Village and the Lower East Side, representing the eclectic energy and vibrant multiculturalism of NYC itself through his films and social causes — so it's fitting that, earlier this week, the New York State Senate passed a resolution honoring the late Beastie Boy's achievements.
The resolution — officially known as J4637 — was written by State Senator Daniel Squadron (who represents the district of Brooklyn Heights, where Yauch was born) and celebrates Yauch's many accomplishments and contributions, including raising the profile of New York City in a time when many thought its best days were behind it, noting:
"The Beastie Boys became well-known in the innovative music scene in Manhattan's East Village and Lower East Side with a sound and a style all their own ... [they] exemplified New York through a period in which grassroots creativity and a community of iconoclastic artists helped redefine and rejuvenate a city on the ropes, with iconic imagery from Brooklyn to Ludlow Street."
Squadron also paid tribute to Yauch's activism, including his Milarepa Fund (which raised awareness of the abuses in Tibet) and his Oscilloscope Laboratories, which produced films like the Yauch-directed "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot," about high-school basketball prospects competing in a tournament at Harlem's historic Rucker Park.
J4637 also works in a nod to the Beastie's 1994 hit "Sure Shot" ("The music and message of the Beastie Boys evolved over the years, but they can't, they don't, they won't stop changing the face of hip-hop, of music and of our culture") and allowed the Senate to "pause in its deliberations" to remember Yauch, "a man of colossal talent and charisma."
"Adam Yauch is survived by his wife, Dechen Wengdu, and their daughter Losel," the resolution concludes. "He will be missed by his family, his fans and all who knew him; his dedication to his music, his activism and his heritage leaves an indelible legacy of inspiration for all other artists."
