Thursday, May 24, 2012
Katy Perry Is A Single Woman Again
Pop star Katy Perry is single again after splitting from her rocker boyfriend Robert Ackroyd, according to a U.S. report. The I Kissed a Girl hitmaker began dating the Florence + the MAChine guitarist last month, and the couple first went public with its affection at California’s Coachella music festival. But the pair has now [...]
Kanye West's 'Cruel Summer' Premieres In Cannes
Kid Cudi tells MTV News watching himself on seven screens simultaneously during 30-minute film 'was weird! But it was dope.'
By Alicia Malone
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend the "Cruel Summer" premiere during the Cannes Film Festival
Photo: Getty Images
CANNES, France — Kanye West is nothing if not ambitious. The rapper/designer/mogul has added a few more slashes to his name, as producer, writer and director of the experimental short film "Cruel Summer," which had its premiere during a splashy party Wednesday night during the Cannes Film Festival.
The 30-minute short, inspired by West's upcoming G.O.O.D. Music compilation of the same name, was projected onto seven screens inside a tented pyramid, designed to give viewers a fully immersive experience. "Cruel Summer" stars G.O.O.D. artist Kid Cudi as a car thief who falls for a blind Arabian princess. The seven screens alternately come on and off, sometimes showing different angles of one shot, other times acting as an extended wide screen, complete with a ceiling and floor. This means the audience looks around them at the images, instead of staring straight ahead, which, as Kanye explained in a speech, was to reflect real life.
"It related to a post-Steve Jobs, post-Windows era, where we're always on our BlackBerry in a ball game or at the movies," West said. "I was very particular about having the screens separate, where your mind puts the screens back together, the way you put memories together. I'm not the best director in the world, but I had an idea that I thought would be amazing to inspire people, like a dream of one day this being the way people watch movies. You know, [Quentin] Tarantino doing a movie like this or a horror movie like this, animation, 3-D ... in this form that surrounds you. People want to go back and see it more and more because they missed something to their left or to their right, and it feels more like the experience of life."
"Cruel Summer" plays like an extended music video, in a similar way to 'Ye's 2010 online film for "Runaway," with sparse dialogue and striking slow-motion images set to a rocking soundtrack. The music is provided by various G.O.O.D. artists, many of whom make cameos in the film, and there's a super quick appearance by comedian Aziz Ansari.
Among the celebrity names attending the premiere party at the Palm Beach Club were Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian and Kid Cudi, who told MTV News the experience of watching himself on seven screens was surreal.
"It was weird! But it was dope," Cudi said. "I'm nervous, just like with anything I do, with people watching, but I'm really proud of it. I'm happy that Kanye had me as part of it. It's so humbling. He's a genius, he's the best, the illest ... you can quote me on that!"
"Cruel Summer" was co-directed by Alexandre Moors, who previously worked with 'Ye on the videos for "Runaway" and "N---as in Paris." The script was based on a screenplay by Elon Rutberg, and it was shot entirely in Qatar in the Middle East.
"We were literally shooting in Qatar less than a month ago," West said. "It was the most impossible feat, all odds were against us having this moment, showing this at Cannes. The reason why I went so hard is that this is my goal. What I want to do post-Grammys is I want to change entertainment experiences. Like if [late fashion designer Alexander] McQueen or [director] Tarsem [Singh] was to meet the entertainment value of Cirque du Soleil or Walt Disney. We're going to bring it to New York to Qatar and re-edit it ... so you guys are seeing the rough draft of this concept."
Although the world premiere of "Cruel Summer" coincided with the Cannes Film Festival, it is not in competition or part of the official screenings. The film is now open to the public in Cannes until May 25.
Related ArtistsWednesday, May 23, 2012
Heidi Klum Parties with Paris & Nicky Hilton At De Grisogono Event
Spending a lavish night out in France, Heidi Klum hit the red carpet at the De Grisogono Party along with party girls Paris and Nicky Hilton.
The party held at the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival also attracted A-list stars including Milla Jovovich, Alec Baldwin and supermodel Irina Shayk as they enjoyed a night out at the gorgeous Hotel Du Cap Eden in Cap D'Antibes, France this evening (May 23).
As recently reported by GossipCenter, the ?Project Runway? shows off her pole dancing skills along with plenty of skin in her newest online video for ?Turn up the Night.?
Klum?s lyrics include, "I'm begging on my knees just take me." Yowza!
China Chow Chloë Sevigny Christina Aguilera Christina Applegate
Sadie Hawkins Stakes Her Claim Among Rap's Ladies
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.
So Chic! Carousel Designs? New Crib Bedding Collections
Now to add to their already amazing array of prints, the company is debuting 10 new four-piece collections that are sure to be a hit.
LMFAO Enlist 'Little Sister' Eva Simons For Party Rocking Tour
Simons talks to MTV News about hitting the road with 'cool guys' Redfoo and SkyBlu.
By Jocelyn Vena
Eva Simons
Photo: MTV News
LMFAO has enlisted some hardcore party rockers for their Sorry for Party Rocking Tour kicking off on Tuesday (May 22) in Columbus, Ohio. With the likes of Far East Movement, the Quest Crew, Sidney Samson and Natalia Kills all ready to rock out each night of the 26-date trek, fellow tourmate Eva Simons is excited to be hitting the road with her "big brothers," SkyBlu and Redfoo.
"I'm kind of like their sister, that's the feeling I got," she told MTV News. "They're still like, we have jokes, but they're still very like protective and they're cool guys. They work, they're fun, but in the end we're all just really normal people that also want to have a good time."
While the guys of LMFAO may seem like zebra-pants-wearing party dudes, it's all really a persona crafted in order to come up with all their chart-topping jams.
"You know, everybody's always saying when there's a party song out, 'I can write that song.' Well, can you? Try it! It's not that easy," she said. "You have to really know what's going on, and they know what's going on because they're always in the clubs. They're always on tour and I think that's something you should be doing as an artist nowadays. [You have to] know what's going on in the streets [or] what are you trying to sell us? Some fake story? People don't want to hear no fake story. People want to hear what's real, organic."
So, has she ever been sorry for any of her party rocking? She laughed, "Oh, yeah, yes, I have those moments. I've had those moments I will not discuss."
Fellow party rockers Far East Movement recently shared they have equally high hopes for the jaunt. "There's going to be a little bit of wiggling going on," Kev Nish told MTV News. "There's gonna be shuffling, booty popping, a lot of movement. That's what both crews like to do. Big shout-out to [LMFAO's] Redfoo and the Party Rock Crew and [our label] Cherry Tree, really, for putting this all together."
In addition to wiggling their way through Columbus on Tuesday, LMFAO and crew will be partying all around the country, including stops in Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Miami. The tour will wrap up on July 4 in Toronto. "It's gonna be a whole lot of bass and a whole lot of showers," Far Easter Movement's J-Splif added. "Bring your raincoats."
Are you planning on seeing LMFAO on tour? Leave your comment below!
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Stranger Danger
My sister recently had a talk with my four-year-old nephew Jack about strangers. Here's how it went:
SISTER: Now, Jack, if a stranger says, "Come here, I want to show you something," what do you do?
JACK: I turn around and run!
SISTER: If a stranger says, "Come here, I want to give you some candy," what do you do?
JACK: I turn around and run!
SISTER: If a stranger says, "Come here, I want to show you my puppy," what do you do?
JACK: Oh, I love puppies...
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