How Madonna Got 'Badass' Nicki Minaj, M.I.A. On MDNA

Producer Martin Solveig tells MTV News about recording 'Give Me All Your Luvin,' 'I Don't Give A' and 'B-Day Song' with three fierce ladies.
By Jocelyn Vena


Madonna, Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.
Photo: Getty Images

As if just having Madonna on her own album wasn't enough, the Queen of Pop enlisted the help of two hip-hop princesses to up the girl-power quotient on MDNA.

As she sat down with producer Martin Solveig to whip up tunes for her latest studio album, when it came time to bring more feistiness to the already-sassy album, she knew the only two artists who could perfectly compliment her were Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. (Maya Arulpragasam). Solveig explained to MTV News how the twosome came to appear alongside Madge on the album's lead single, "Give Me All Your Luvin."

"I had this idea of just creating this sort of mini-gimmick that you could very easily use in the stadium or arena," he said of the cheerleader-inspired chant in the song. "And so I thought of that, which was very basic. ... That was the start.

"In the first place, it was just the intro, and then it became a bit more of a gimmick, and she liked it, and so she thought, 'We should have sidekicks to perform with me on the this.' ... She thought of very naturally Nicki and Maya to perform this because they are badass girls.

"I was very surprised [it was the first single], and then it made it totally sense with her Super Bowl [performance] because, yes, it was definitely the Super Bowl song. And when we started, it was definitely not the case," he explained. "We wanted to do something like this. It was a little surf-y. Then I guess when the Super Bowl was confirmed, they thought it would work for that, and I think it did."

Solveig broke down the recording sessions he and the ladies had for not only "Give Me," but also the scathing "I Don't Give A," which features Nicki, and the funky "B-Day Song," which has M.I.A.

"We were the studio both one day with Nicki and two days with Maya," he said. "They have both very strong personalities and very different. Nicki's very pro. She's like, once she arrives and she spends some time, she writes, seriously, her stuff and then she records very quickly, and she's like bang.

"And with Maya, she's a bit more arty," he said. "I didn't see them together. I would have loved to witness this. Definitely, [Madonna] was definitely the perfect [middle]."

The "I Don't Give A" collaboration got a lot of press, thanks to its seemingly overt reference to Madonna's life and her split from director Guy Ritchie.

"A few days after I finalized the song, she finished the lyrics of 'I Don't Give A,' and I could feel there was a lot of references to her life," he said. "Nothing that I really know of, because you don't know that kind of stuff, but then I saw it was very commented everywhere."

In the end, when it's all said and done, Solveig noted that working with Madge was pretty awesome. "I got a call last year from [her manager] Guy Oseary, and he wanted to know if I was in town working, and that was the phone call of a lifetime when you're a producer, when you heard all the legend and all the story. So I took the next plane and went to meet with Madonna, and I quickly got to work.

"In the first place, it's very confus[ing] because everything that's all together, you have a very kind person in front of you, [and] you're like, 'Can you imagine who you're talking to?' and she's very natural," he continued. "She's very easy-going, so you tend to forget it. But, of course, the first time, it's crazy."

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1682087/madonna-mdna-nicki-minaj-mia.jhtml

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Britney Spears Has 'Crazy' Cameo On will.i.am's Album?

Black Eyed Peas mastermind teases a collabo with the pop princess on #willpower, set for 2012 release.
By Jocelyn Vena

<P>In a sea of A-list contributions for will.i.am's forthcoming solo album, the Black Eyed Peas mastermind recently dropped one name that will really get pop fans excited. Speaking with Capital FM, will teased that his <i>Femme Fatale</i> collaborator Britney Spears will make an appearance on the album, dubbed <i>#willpower.</i> </P><P> </P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Britney Hits The Studio With will.i.am" id="vid:638813" width="240" height="211"></div><p> </P><P> </P><P>"I have a song with Alicia Keys &#8212; me, Alicia and Swedish House Mafia. I have a song with the Beats, which is pretty grand. Me and Shakira have been trying to finish the stuff we started, and me and Britney is really crazy," he said. "So we got a song with me, LMFAO and Eva Simons, a song with me and Busta Rhymes and Swizz Beatz &#8212; I got a whole other bunch of collaborations." </P><P> </P><P>Spears and will.i.am last worked together on "Big Fat Bass," a spacey, grinding party tune complete with clapping noises and some rapping from will himself. Their recording session was featured on the MTV special "I Am the Femme Fatale." There's been no word yet from will's camp about the song and whether this is a new track or if he will be including "Big Fat Bass" on the album. </P><P> </P><P>The rapper/producer's love for Brit is hardly anything new: He gushed to MTV News about the pop princess months after they recorded together. "[I discovered] her love for music. I never seen anyone, like, come alive, full of excitement and giggling and laughing behind the mic," will recalled to MTV News. "She was like a little kid when she was recording the song, and it just brought the whole atmosphere, it changed the whole atmosphere when someone really loves music. So it was great working with her." </P><P> </P><P>His latest single, "T.H.E (The Hardest Ever)," featuring Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger, dropped late last year. <i>#willpower,</i> which also features "X Factor" judge Nicole Scherzinger, will be released later this year. </P><P> </P><P><i>What are you expecting from will and Brit's collabo? Let us know in the comments!</i></p>

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Complete list of 2012 BRIT Award winners

2012 BRIT Awards

On Tuesday night (February 21), the 2012 BRIT Awards have named the year?s big winners during an exciting O2 Arena ceremony in London, England. Taking home the top prize of Best British album and a total of two trophies was Adele, while other big winners included the Coldplay as Best British group, Ed Sheernan as Best British Male/British Breakthrough Act and One Direction landing Best Single for their track titled "What Makes You Beautiful". With viewers being led through the crowning of category picks by host James Corden, fans were also treated to dazzling performances by the likes of Coldplay, Rihanna, Florence + The Machine, Bruno Mars, Adele and closing act Blur. Remembering the fallen music icons, the ceremony featured tributes to Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse (watch below) while Emeli Sande nabbed Critics' Choice honors. For a full rundown of the night's triumphs, the complete list of 2012 BRIT Award winners is as follows: British Male Solo Artist WINNER: Ed Sheeran James Blake James Morrison Noel Gallagher High Flying Birds Professor Green British Female Solo Artist WINNER: Adele Florence and the Machine Jessie J Kate Bush Laura Marling British Breakthrough Act Anna Calvi WINNER: Ed Sheeran Emeli Sande Jessie J The Vaccines British Group Arctic Monkeys Chase & Status WINNER: Coldplay Elbow Kasabian British Single Adele - Someone Like You Ed Sheeran - A Team Example - Changed the Way You Kiss Me Jessie J featuring VOB - Price Tag JLS featuring Dev - She Makes Me Wanna Military Wise/Gareth Malone - Wherever You Are Olly Murs featuring Rizzle Kicks - Heart Skips A Beat WINNER: One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful Pixie Lott - All About Tonight The Wanted - Glad you Came? Mastercard British Album of the Year WINNER: Adele - 21 Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto Ed Sheeran - +, Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials P J Harvey - Let England Shake International Male Solo Artist Aloe Blacc Bon Iver WINNER: Bruno Mars David Guetta Ryan Adams International Female Solo Artist Beyonce Bjork Feist Lady Gaga WINNER: Rihanna International Group Fleet Foxes WINNER: Foo Fighters Jay-Z and Kanye West Lady Antebellum Maroon 5 International Breakthrough Act Aloe Blacc Bon Iver Foster The People WINNER: Lana Del Rey Nicki Minaj British Producer Paul Epworth Flood Ethan Johns Outstanding Contribution Award - Blur Critics Choice Award - Emeli Sande [gallery=823]

Source: http://www.celebritygossiphollywood.com/celebrities/rihanna/complete-list-of-2012-brit-award-winners/

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Rachel Dratch Dishes on Her New Book & Her Post-'SNL' Life

Comedienne Rachel Dratch is most often recognized from her time on Saturday Night Live, where she played a slew of wacky characters, including always-a-bummer friend Debbie Downer.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/rachel-dratch-talks-book-snl-and-secret/1-a-439714?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Arachel-dratch-talks-book-snl-and-secret-439714

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HGTV, LA and Dining Room Tables

I've been watching a lot of HGTV since coming to LA. My favorite shows are House Hunters and House Hunters International. There's also another show I like to watch called For Rent, but only because it makes me angry.

When it comes to apartments/homes, I think living in New York for the past eleven years has made me bitter because there was this whiny broad on For Rent a few nights ago who was looking at a huge place—A HUGE PLACE—and was like, "There's no place for a dining room table..."

B*TCH, YOU'RE LUCKY TO GET A KITCHEN IN NEW YORK.

I hated her.

Now there's some stupid lady on House Hunters who wants a townhouse with a fireplace that she can turn on with a light switch. IT HAS TO BE A LIGHT SWITCH because she doesn't want to bend down and flip a switch on the floor.

WHO DO THESE PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE?

Anyway, I know my LA update is WAY overdue (and truth be told I wrote a long one last week but for some reason it didn't save so I lost the whole thing and I was so angry that I just said, "Ah, f*ck it," and closed the computer instead of rewriting) but to give you a quick update, I AM SO HAPPY HERE. I MEAN, I'M REALLY, REALLY HAPPY. And I think living here and watching HGTV—both of these things combined—has made me realize that New York was just beating me down. I mean, the fireplace lady—yes, she's an idiot. But there's nothing wrong with wanting a dining room table. Why did I get so mad at that lady?

Since being here, at least once a day I ask myself why I have lived in New York for so long. (It's like I had Stockholm Syndrome or something.) CALIFORNIA IS AWESOME. It's like the promised land. It's sunny all the time and there are birds and flowers everywhere. I have space out here. I have a sofa on the patio out here. I HAVE A SOFA OUTSIDE. I haven't seen one rat since I've been here. But hummingbirds? THEY ZIP BY MY HEAD EVERY DAY. I am so happy.

I'm supposed to go back to New York in November, but truth be told, I'm not sure I will.

Source: http://www.prettyinthecity.com/blog/2011/7/15/hgtv-la-and-dining-room-tables.html

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Lady Gaga Collaborator Jonas Akerlund Expects 'Great' Things From Her

'She can probably do anything she wants,' 'Paparazzi' and 'Telephone' director tells us at SXSW.
By Kara Warner

<P>After the mostly positive reviews of Lady Gaga's first music-video directorial effort on "Marry the Night". It's fair to assume that we fans can expect more Gaga-directed clips in the near future. </P><P> </P><P>When MTV News caught up with her "Paparazzi" and "Telephone" director Jonas Åkerlund recently during his SXSW appearance for his new ensemble dark comedy "Small Apartments," we asked him for his thoughts on Gaga's future as a director, should she choose to direct all of her videos from here on out. </P><P> </P><P><center></center> </P><P> </P><P>"She can probably do anything she wants," he said. "So that's probably going to be great." </P><P> </P><P>And would &#197;kerlund make himself available for advice, should Gaga ever be in need of it? </P><P> </P><P>"Of course. I would never turn her down," he said, at which point his "Apartments" star and funnyman Matt Lucas ("Bridesmaids") asked a question of his own. </P><P> </P><P>"Is her real name Lady Gaga?" </P><P> </P><P>"Yes," &#197;kerlund answered with a smile. </P><P> </P><P>"Wow," Lucas responded with astonishment. "There's a fact for you MTV fans." </P><P> </P><P>Although &#197;kerlund didn't mention any more work with Gaga at this time, the busy director is still fully in the mix of the world of music videos. </P><P> </P><P>"I may do a couple music videos and I've done quite a few since 'Small Apartments,' actually. The last one I did was a Duran Duran video, but there's a few coming up too." </P><P> </P><P>"Are you going to do the Osmonds video?" Lucas asked cheekily. "That's what they're asking." </P><P> </P><P>"Maybe," &#197;kerlund responded, playing along with Lucas' joke. "I'm hoping to." </P><P> </P><P>For her part, Gaga has said that she's always been heavily involved in the creative processes behind all her work, including the direction of her music videos. </P><P> </P><P>"I know it's my directorial debut, but I've really created everything I've ever done in my career," she said. "I really didn't do anything differently on this video that I didn't do on the 'Telephone' video or the 'Paparazzi' video or the 'Bad Romance' video. I hope my fans will take from this the progression that you have to trust yourself to make mistakes."</p>

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680902/lady-gaga-jonas-akerlund.jhtml "> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680902/lady-gaga-jonas-akerlund.jhtml

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