Lady Gaga? Britney Spears? Fans Pick Their 2011 Summer Jams

Katy Perry, Pitbull, Chris Brown and Adele also found support from MTV.com readers.
By James Montgomery


Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

Now that school's out and folks are slathering on the sunscreen, we figured it was time to take the temperature of the annual Summer Jam Sweepstakes — the race to dominate the airwaves (and your tanning playlist) during the long, hot months of the year.

So last week, we published our initial rankings in the race for the Summer Jam crown, a list that was topped by Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)," with Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" and LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" following close behind. A whole host of other big-name stars — like Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Adele, to name just a few — also made the cut, along with some dark-horse candidates (like Foster the People, Maroon 5 and David Guetta) who are determined to make this competition close.

Of course, our rankings had you talking too — in fact, the conversation in our comments section got so huge (we even heard from a Hall of Fame third baseman!) that we've decided to spotlight some of the best back-and-forth right now. What's your pick for the Song of Summer 2011? Here's what you had to say:

"This has been Katy's decade so far! She made pop music fun again." — Tuffy Luvvy

" 'Lighters' by Eminem, Royce and Bruno Mars all the way, baby! It's a long-shot, I know. I think Katy Perry will get it, but you never know." — lilbittaflava

"I like Katy, but 'I Wanna Go' from Britney sounds more like a summer song." — Aaron

"Britney Spears! 'I Wanna Go' just makes my summer great!" — Melissa Goulart

"Britney Spears all the way! 'I Wanna Go' all the way! I'm still in love with Pitbull's 'Give Me Everything,' and his album is amazing. Nicki Minaj's 'Super Bass' is sick, love it!" — RyanJaggerz

" 'The Edge of Glory' is a glorious pop anthem-masterpiece, no need for it to be crowned as a 'jam.' Adele's 'Rolling' is heart-touching, breathtaking and also a masterpiece." — Spyros Venturis

" 'Moves Like Jagger' by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera is amazing!" — SuperZonic Jbsz

"Oh I couldn't believe when I saw them, thank you so much MTV for putting them on the list ... I love them, talking about of course FOSTER THE PEOPLE YEAHHHHHHH." — hotalejandro

" 'Tonight Tonight' by Hot Chelle Rae! I could party to that every day of the summer." — WhatShouldIDo?

"You guys forgot about New Boyz ft. Chris Brown, 'Better With the Lights Off,' and Lupe Fiasco ft. Trey Songz, 'Outta My Head.' " — booklady

"All these songs have that 'I've heard it all before' sound to them. Nothing special about any of the songs on the list. A lot of the 'artists' on this list would be better off working a mop at a Waffle House. It's Kanye's fault." — Mike Schmidt

What do you think? Share your Summer Jam picks in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666863/lady-gaga-britney-spears-fans-pick-their-2011-summer-jams.jhtml

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DMX Released From Jail

'It is time to let the Dog out of the kennel,' rapper's manager says in a statement announcing the release.
By Gil Kaufman


DMX (file)
Photo: Getty Images

It took a week longer than he anticipated, thanks to some jailhouse violations, but DMX was released from an Arizona state jail in Yuma on Tuesday morning (July 19) after serving nearly eight months of a one-year sentence for probation violations.

A spokesperson for the rapper (born Earl Simmons) confirmed his release to MTV News and hinted that the end of X's latest stint behind bars will hopefully mark a new beginning for the troubled MC.

"Earl has so much more to offer the world," manager Nakia Walker said in a statement announcing X's release. "His latest project has been on hold for so long! It is now time for X to redefine the world of Hip-Hop with his highly anticipated album of inspirational, painful & street accredited rhymes. It is time to let the Dog out of the kennel."

"I spoke to my daughter, I just got off the phone with my wife," DMX told AllHipHop.com following his release. "I'm going to go see my daughter while the sun is up, then I'm going to be in the studio, man."

Though the Yonkers, New York, native's music career has been stalled out for much of the past eight years due to legal and drug issues, he has signed a label deal with UMMG (United Music & Media Group), and Walker has promised "extraordinary things happening from rapper DMX over the next couple months that include collaborations with major names in the music industry."

DMX was slated for release last week after serving seven months of his one-year sentence — including credit for 100 days behind bars while awaiting trial — but was held over for an extra week due to several minor infractions, including refusal to submit to a drug test and smoking in unauthorized areas.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667496/dmx-released-jail-prison.jhtml

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Britney Spears, Adele And More Best Songs Of 2011 (So Far)

Tracks from Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Kreayshawn also make Bigger Than the Sound's midyear report card.
By James Montgomery


Best Songs of 2011 (so far)
Photo: MTV News

Last week, when I listed the Best Albums of 2011 (So Far), I expected to receive a fair amount of acrimony (it's what happens when you eschew Britney Spears in favor of F---ed Up's David Comes to Life), and, of course, I did.

But mixed in with all the hate were a few requests for me to do a similar list of my favorite songs too. So, not wanting to disappoint my fans (Hi, Mom!), I've done just that: Here are my picks for the Best Songs of 2011 (So Far), 20 tracks that have defined the first half of the year for me. Not all of them were actually released in 2011, but all of them have managed to make an impact in some way, be it on the charts, the blogs or in the ever-expanding "weird song" quadrant of my mind.

What's your pick for the Best Song of the Year (So Far)? Vote now in our Newsroom poll!

I'm sure you'll take issue with some of my selections, so if there's a song I've missed, let me know about it in the comments below. And, yes, just to head you off at the pass, Britney made the list this time around. So, without further ado, here's my top 20:

20. My Morning Jacket, "Holdin' on to Black Metal": Or, as you probably know it, "the song that includes portions of Kwan Jai and Kwan Jit Sriprajan's 'E-Saew Tam Punha Huajai.' " Delightfully oddball sorta-funk/ Siamese soul from Louisville, Kentucky.

19. Beastie Boys, "Make Some Noise": Vocal nods to their License to Ill party phase. Rattling boom-bap from their Check Your Head days. Cowbell break courtesy of Paul's Boutique. Welcome back. To the future.

18. Peter Bjorn and John, "Second Chance": Airtight Swedes ditch the whistling and plow headlong into rollicking, retro-leaning rock. The chorus may not be better than "Young Folks," but, hey, there's a guitar solo!

17. Cage the Elephant, "Around My Head": Hey, you guys like the Pixies? Cool, I do too! Maybe we can hang out sometime?

16. Against Me!, "Russian Spies": Searing, surging punk from Gainesville, Florida, lifers Against Me!, it proves that their time on Sire Records didn't soften them one bit. It only made them more resolute. And, strangely, sadder too.

15. Black Lips, "Modern Art": Without question, the best song you'll hear all year about taking drugs and looking at art. Oh, like you haven't tried it.

14. Lil Wayne (featuring Cory Gunz), "6 Foot 7 Foot": I can't even begin to comprehend the ongoing drama between Wayne and producer Bangladesh, but there's no denying the fact that both men are better off together. Knotty and slightly seizure-inducing, like "A Milli" times, well, a million.

13. YACHT, "Dystopia (The Earth Is on Fire)": Every day the sky gets lower (lowerlowerlower!). And every day the flames get higher (higherhigherhigher!). So, with apologies to Rock Master Scott and the Dynamic Three, the disco duo just decide to let the mother----er burn.

12. Chris Brown, "Beautiful People": Regardless of what you may think of Breezy, you probably cannot deny the sublimely subtle genius of this track. Then again, maybe you can. And, y'know, your loss.

11. Washed Out, "Eyes Be Closed": Massively ebbing and echoing bed-tronica (don't call it "chillwave") from some dude in Perry, Georgia. Bonus: Sounds nothing like Perry, Georgia.

10. Beyoncé, "Run the World (Girls)": I am an unabashed fan of "crazy" Beyoncé (you know, the one who shows up on tracks like "Ring the Alarm," "Get Me Bodied" and, of course, "Single Ladies"), so there's no way I could overlook "Girls," the single craziest moment on her decidedly straightforward 4 album. From the Major Lazer sample to the Warrior Princess video to the part where she growls "Houston, Texas, babay," it may have confounded some of her fans, but to me, it was psychotic pop perfection.

9. Bright Eyes, "Ladder Song": For as much noise as Conor Oberst is capable of making, it's the quieter moments where his rickety, ramshackle genius really shines through. And "Ladder Song" — a heartbreakingly raw tribute to a friend who committed suicide — is among his quietest. And his best. Backed by little more than a piano and a handful of otherworldly noises, Oberst plumbs the depths of despair, his voice reedy, wavering, but pure and, when he reaches bottom, discovers there are small beauties that make life worth living. It's too bad, he ultimately laments, that his friend didn't discover them too. You won't hear a more achingly beautiful song this year, I promise.

8. Lykke Li, "Get Some": Bewitching, otherworldly single from Li's Wounded Rhymes album, it would be sexy even if she wasn't calling herself your prostitute. The drums thump, the bass vibrates and the guitar stings — and then Li pushes the whole thing over the top with her smoldering, sumptuous vocals. The kind of song that requires a cigarette and a cold shower after repeat listens.

7. Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks": The year's catchiest rock tune was actually last year's catchiest too; it just took people a while to catch on. Hazy, loping and scratchy like a mohair sweater, it recalls a headier era, when bands wrote ultra-hooky singles about ultra-dark subject matter (Eels' "Novocaine for the Soul," the Smashing Pumpkins "Today," etc.) and no one seemed to care. Also known as the 1990s.

6. Kreayshawn, "Gucci Gucci": Either the smartest song of 2011 or the dumbest, the beauty of "Gucci Gucci" — and Bay Area "Based Goddess" Kreayshawn, for that matter — lies in the fact that it's probably both, but it doesn't care one bit. Folks can kvetch about sticky subjects like "authenticity," but I prefer to just listen to the music: the goofy horror-movie synth squiggle, the dollops of low-end whomp, the part where Kreay claims to have swag coming out her ovaries — it's all good. Even if it's not.

5. Nicola Roberts, "Beat of My Drum": Sublimely saccharine single from erstwhile Girls Aloud member that mashes together every notable pop moment from recent history, yet somehow manages to be better than the sum of its parts. Dancehall rhythms? Check. Drum breaks? Yep. Electro-vocal tics? And how. It's all courtesy of producers Diplo and Dimitri Tikovoi, though the real power lies in the supercharged sing-a-long chorus — arguably the year's best — where the whole thing comes together into a head-spinning rush and Roberts positively blossoms. She should go solo more often.

4. Katy Perry (featuring Kanye West), "ET": The California Gurl turns space-pop princess, with glorious results. "ET" bloops and bleeps like a satellite in eternal, icy orbit (or a malfunctioning digital watch), and the chorus burns like Spacelab descending through the atmosphere. Also, it's about sex. Sure, 'Ye's verses may be phoned in — he'll probe you if you'll let him — but even they can't dim the wattage of this brightly shining star. Appropriately, it's become a galactic hit, though one can't help but wonder what would've happened if Three 6 Mafia had gotten their hands on it first.

3. Britney Spears, "Till the World Ends": The final stage of grief is acceptance, after all.

2. Lady Gaga, "Heavy Metal Lover": It's buried toward the back of Born This Way, an odd choice considering it's far and away the best song on the album (even better than "The Edge of Glory.") A masterful mix of "Transformers"-sized techno whomp and supple, slipstream synthesizers, it pulses and twitches, expands and contracts and, quiet as it's kept, is probably the best example of what we all hoped BTW would be. As an added bonus, "I want your whiskey mouth/ All over my blond south" may very well be the line of the year too.

1. Adele, "Rolling in the Deep": Unquestionably the song of 2011, a crackling, breathy thing that roils along on a stubby guitar line and some primal pounding, then positively roars to life the second the chorus hits. There's little else at play here, but when you're building with blocks like Rick Rubin's raw production and Adele's prodigious pipes (and the powerful range of emotions they conjure up), they sky really is the limit. The fact that it's a crossover smash (true story, this weekend I heard it 10 times on three different radio stations) is merely icing on top of the cake at this point, not to mention a blow against the creeping, Auto-Tuned insurgency that threatens our nation's airwaves. Sometimes all it takes is one deceptively, devastatingly simple song to turn the tide.

What did we miss? Share your picks in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666833/britney-spears-adele-best-songs-of-2011.jhtml

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First Look: The First Video Trailer For ?The Avengers? Leaks To The Internets

The first trailer for next Summer’s blockbuster superhero film The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, has mysteriously leaked its way online. It was believed that the trailer would debut first at 2011 San Diego Comic-Con next weekend but, as you can see below, the trailer was shown in at least one movie theater this weekend [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/KWqDbp3TVxA/

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Celebrity Pictures With Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon was spotted going out to lunch with friends at Tavern in Brentwood yesterday afternoon. She’s just been taking it easy since finishing the promotion for ‘Water for Elephants.’ Normally I avoid black in the summer, but Reese looks … Continue reading

Source: http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2011/07/19/celebrity-pictures-with-reese-witherspoon-2/

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Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes & Suri Enjoy A Relaxing Family Vacay Together

The TomKat family — Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and Suri — spent part of their weekend in South Beach, FL chillin’ out by the pool together. As you can see from the photos below, daddy Tom spent some time teaching his TomKitten how to swim while mama Katie lounged near the pool. It looks like [...]

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Pia Toscano Had 'Immediate Connection' With Rodney Jerkins

'American Idol' finalist promises MTV News upcoming debut will have 'edgy, fun, soulful' songs with assists from star producers.
By Gil Kaufman


Pia Toscano
Photo: FOX

When people say they've been waiting their whole life for a particular moment, Pia Toscano knows exactly what they mean. The 22-year-old, ninth-place finisher on season 10 of "American Idol" has been grinding away at her musical dream since she was 13, and after all those years of rejection and false starts, she's finally feeling like things are going her way.

"I can't believe it, I really can't believe it," she told MTV News of her rebound from a disappointing finish on her fifth try at "Idol." She's now signed to a major-label deal with Interscope Records and has booked studio time with some of the most sought-after producers in the business.

Though her country/pop-leaning first single, breakup tune "This Time," seems like it encroaches a bit on the territory of teen "Idol" runner-up Lauren Alaina and maybe even winner Scotty McCreery, Toscano promises that's not the direction she's headed.

"That song sounds kind of country, but [the album's] not just one thing, not pop or R&B," she said while making her way through the airport on the way to an Idols Live! tour date. "It will be pop with an R&B influence, with an edge. It will be soulful and powerful."

Had she not been bumped from the competition so shockingly early, Toscano said viewers would have realized that she had much more in her bag of tricks than the power ballads she sang on the show. "It's funny, you're labeled as one thing on the show ... and 'American Idol' opened up tons of doors for me and allowed me the opportunity to be signed to Interscope, but before I got on there, I was writing my own stuff and not doing a lot of ballads," she said, explaining that those diva numbers were what best suited her vocally on the show.

And not only does she not blame the audience for seeming to get it wrong by booting her, Toscano said her early exit may have been a blessing in disguise. "If I had made it a week further, I may not have gotten signed by Interscope," she said. "I got [to] working immediately, doing demos for [Interscope boss] Jimmy [Iovine] and I had to work for him to pick me up and sign me."

Contrary to some early erroneous reports, Toscano said she was not signed to Interscope immediately, but had to get in the studio and prove herself. Once Iovine signed off, Toscano said the dream really began to take shape as she got to work with songwriter Ester Dean, who wrote "This Time," after giving the world such hits as Rihanna's "Rude Boy" and "S&M" and Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass."

But more important, Toscano has logged studio time with two producers she's dreamed of working with for years. One of the biggest is Rodney Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Brandy, Beyoncé), who has recorded three songs with Toscano so far, with more possibly in the offing. "I love working with him and we had an immediate connection and great chemistry," she said of the production star, who served as an "Idol" mentor this season. "He's got power and we're the perfect fit for each other ... he knows how to produce a good vocal that's strong, edgy, fun and soulful."

The production team Rock Mafia (Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez) — also "Idol" mentors — have recorded a few songs with Toscano, including "Counterfeit," a tune she described as a "haunting, edgy ballad" that may also feature some production from Tricky Stewart (Britney Spears, Mariah Carey).

Before she was discovered on "Idol," Toscano said she made the rounds at a number of labels and often told her prospective bosses that along with Jerkins, one of the people she really wanted to work with was Underdogs co-founder Harvey Mason Jr. (Chris Brown, Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks). "He's one of my good friends. ... When I went to the labels, I said I wanted to work with Harvey Mason Jr. and Rodney Jerkins, and I'm just pinching myself right now. It's a dream, it's crazy."

She has also collaborated with Spears songwriter Heather Brite on a "beautiful" song called "Less to Know." Toscano wrote a number of songs before her run on "Idol" and though so far she's letting the pros do the heavy lifting on the yet-untitled disc — which she said is due out in the fall — she's open to collaboration and would love to work with someone like OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder.

For now, though, she's focused on the "Idol" summer tour and hitting the studio when she can. "We're 10 shows in ... and it's grueling, but it's a lot of fun," she said of the nearly-every-night schedule of the tour, during which she sings Rihanna's "California King Bed" with Stefano Langone, as well as "This Time" and a few numbers with the other girls. "It's kind of the dream. Last year I was trying out and now I'm performing in buildings where I've seen some of my favorite artists."

The New York City native is especially looking forward to a pair of late August dates at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, the same building where Toscano has fond memories of seeing such heroes as Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige.

Are you looking forward to Pia's debut album? Tell us in the comments!

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667491/american-idol-pia-toscano-debut-album.jhtml

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