Britney Spears Joins President Obama's Anti-Bullying Campaign

Britney tweets about the #StopBullyingNow campaign as the president holds conference on the issue.
By Gil Kaufman


Britney Spears
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

It's rare to see the names Britney Spears and President Obama in the same sentence, but the "Hold It Against Me" pop star and the leader of the free world are joining forces to combat bullying as part of a new campaign launched by the White House.

"Anti-bullying is an issue very close to my heart," Spears tweeted on Wednesday. "I am honored that President Obama & the First Lady asked me to join this campaign."

In a separate tweet, Spears posted the hashtag #StopBullyingNow.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama launched the campaign this week with a Facebook video extending an invitation to join them for a special anti-bullying summit in Washington on Thursday (March 10).

"We'll be talking with students, teachers and parents about how to stop bullying," explained Mrs. Obama. "And about the responsibility each of us has to make sure our children treat each other with respect."

The Conference on Bullying Prevention will feature testimonials from communities that have been affected by bullying and those who've taken some action to prevent it, with participation from members of the departments of Education and Health and Human Services, as well as students and parents.

"This isn't an issue that makes headlines every day, but it affects every single young person in our country," the president added.

As leaders and as parents of young children, Mrs. Obama said bullying is something they care about deeply. "It's tough enough being a kid today," she said. "Our children deserve the chance to learned and grow without constantly being picked on, made fun of or worse."

The president said it's time to stop thinking of bullying as an unavoidable part of childhood and to realize the danger of harassment following children from their schools to their phones and computer screens. He praised the efforts of young people to make our schools and communities safe places for kids who feel different and for realizing that while technology has brought us closer, it also affects how we treat each other.

The Obamas encouraged everyone to participate in the effort by logging on to StopBullying.gov, which has a number of resources for preventing bullying.

Spears is the latest star to sign on to a growing anti-bullying crusade across the country, joining Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, Adam Lambert and Aubrey O'Day, as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, who recorded videos for the "It Gets Better" project.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1659579/britney-spears-obama-anti-bullying-campaign.jhtml

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Above & Beyond Heat Up The Ice Palace At Anjunabeats Bash

A&B drop 'Sun & Moon,' a standout thus far at Miami Music Week.
By Adam Stewart


Above & Beyond
Photo: Anjunabeats

MIAMI — Last night in Miami's downtown district, Above & Beyond threw their annual homage to trance with their massive Anjunabeats party, which this year was held at the Ice Palace for the first time. Having expanded into their new home from their usual venue Karu & Y, the Ice Palace offered a massive space for the enthused crowed to hear Jono and Paavo, two-thirds of the trance trio, spin a killer set.

Hitting the massive LED-wrapped stage after an invigorating set by the reunited duo Gabriel & Dresden, the crowd erupted as the trance legends dove right into it, opening with "The Taxi Driver" by Andrew Bayer.

Also highlighted in the first hour of Above & Beyond's set was "Beautiful World" featuring Dino, a new cut from fellow trance icon Tiësto, who collaborated with Mark Knight. It's been a huge track for Miami Music Week thus far.

Perhaps the most exciting moment for the crowd, however, was when Above & Beyond dropped their massive new bomb "Sun & Moon," a heavy-hitting house-trance anthem with an amazing stab-synth hook that will undoubtedly come out of Miami as one of the standout tracks. Also featured were Fedde Le Grand's new beast "Control Room" and Arty & Matt Zo's "Rebound," as well as another Arty track, a remix of Ferry Corsten's "Punk."

They closed out their two-hour set with a blend of both old and new, and kept their family of trance-loving fans on their toes, highlighted by a mash-up of their smash hit under their OceanLab moniker "Sky Falls Down" and Passive Progressive's "Hide Away."

After A&B wrapped up their set and began to enjoy the rest of the night offstage, trance fans were in for another treat as the legendary Cosmic Gate took to the stage and wowed the crowd into the wee hours of the morning blasting classic anthems like "Exploration of Space" and "Fire Wire."

Were you at the Anjunabeats party last night? Let us know what you thought in the comments below!

Be sure to follow our MTV News crew on Twitter (@AdamMTVNews and @ASBhansali) for all of the latest Miami Music Week action!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660721/above-beyond-miami-music-week.jhtml

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New 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Trailer: Five Key Scenes

The new preview gives us a few clues about Jack's journey to the Fountain of Youth.
By Eric Ditzian


Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow
Photo: Disney

We've just crossed the two-month mark; there's now a mere 59 days until "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" shoves off and into theaters. What's more, there's now a brand-new trailer for Johnny Depp's seafaring 3-D adventure flick, giving us important pieces of plot info and raising all new questions about what we're going to see when the movie debuts. As we continue to count down the days until that premiere, let's take a look at the new trailer's five key moments.

Looks Like They Took a Wrong Turn
We've already seen a variation of this scene — Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow walking under some kind of stone archway on an island — but in the new trailer, we see the camera push forward a little, giving us a peek at what's on the other side: a ship perched on a cliff high above the water line. How'd it get there? Well, as we see throughout the new footage, the laws of physics get twisted in all sorts of funky ways. Just as compelling a question as what the ship is doing up there is: Whose ship is it?

She's Alive
Speaking of ships, the Black Pearl is back in the mix, though this time it seems to be in the hands of nefarious Blackbeard (Ian McShane). And as Captain Barbossa explains, Blackbeard has made some unconventional improvements to the craft. "The rigging had come to life. Our own ship turned against us," he tells Jack as we see shots of ropes whipping around like tentacles and plucking up pirates. What sort of dark magic does Blackbeard wield? A confusing one, no doubt, because after Sparrow gets caught up in the ship's new powers, he blurts out, "Captain, I wish to report a mutiny. I can name fingers and point names!"

Capturing the Mermaids
We've seen plenty of mermaids floating through previous "Pirates" footage, but the new trailer gives us the most information yet about how these creatures fit into the storyline. Turns out, a mermaid is needed to locate the fountain of youth — that mythical place everyone in "On Stranger Tides" is trying to find. That explains why, as in earlier footage, we see a shot of a mermaid trapped in a seriously large fish tank. Captivity, however, can kill a mermaid. Given that under his tattoos and dreadlocks, Sparrow is a very moral guy, we suspect Jack might go from capturing a mermaid to setting one free.

Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged
From the very first official "On Stranger Tides" photos, we've seen Jack being dragged into Old Royal Naval College by King George II's guards and offered the job of finding the fountain of youth. But the captain isn't one take to orders. How does he slip away from King George's men? A clue seems to arrive in the form of Jack wearing a musty old wig and a bright red robe, just like a British judge: nothing like a clever disguise to help a pirate escape.

Water, Water, Everywhere
As we mentioned, Jack's quest for the fountain brings him into contact with lands in which the laws of physics don't entirely apply. Early in the new trailer, for instance, a drop of water seems to fall upwards, hitting Jack's hands as it goes. Here we see our hero in a sort of cave that has a roof of water. How exactly does something like happen? And, furthermore, how is he pulled up into the water as if by reverse gravity? We likely won't get the full answer until the movie arrives on May 20.

Check out everything we've got on " Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660326/pirates-of-the-caribbean-on-stranger-tides.jhtml

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Ke$ha To Release Dance Remix Album In March

I Am the Dance Commander + I Commander You to Dance: The Remix Album hits stores March 22.
By Jocelyn Vena 


Ke$ha
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Ke$ha has made a name for herself as a party girl who makes party songs. But maybe you find the choice tracks on her debut, Animal, and the follow-up, Cannibal, not quite up to snuff for your dance-floor needs. And maybe that's why the singer has decided to release her first ever remix album, I Am the Dance Commander + I Command You to Dance: The Remix Album, on March 22.

For the album, Ke$ha hooked up with a number of dance DJs and producers, as well as a few notable guests. The track listing includes: "Blow" (Cirkut Remix), "The Sleazy Remix" (which includes an appearance by Andre 3000), "Tik Tok Untold Remix," "F--- Him He's a DJ" (live version), "Animal Switch Remix," "Your Love Is My Drug" Dave Audé club remix, "We R Who We R" Fred Falke club remix, "Take It Off" Billboard remix, "Tik Tok" Chuck Buckett's Veruca Salt remix and her track with 3OH!3, "Blah Blah Blah" DJ Skeet Skeet radio remix.

In addition to the new music, Ke$ha is also set to release the music video for her latest single, "Blow." She tweeted about filming it in late January. On Tuesday, the singer shared that she saw some footage from the video, writing, "Just saw the final cut of my new video for BLOW all I can say is HOT DAMN."

Currently, Ke$ha is on the road for her Get $leazy Tour, which she kicked off last week in Portland, Oregon. She's set to wrap up her tour in Las Vegas on May 7. 

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1658529/kesha-remix.jhtml

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Usher Says New 'Rev Pop' Project Is A 'Movement'

Singer teases his new project by pointing to past hits like 'Yeah!' and 'OMG.'
By James Montgomery


Usher
Photo: MTV News

With the success of songs like "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," "Hot Tottie" and "OMG," Usher had himself a fairly massive 2010. But rather than rest on his laurels, he's looking to build on his big year, not with an album, but with a "movement."

It's something he's calling "Rev Pop" — or, simply, "Rev" — and though he's already teased his idea in a video with David Guetta (Akon is also involved), he has yet to speak in full about it. So when MTV News caught up with Ush before the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the (Belvedere) RED launch party, we asked him about his next musical endeavor. And though he didn't reveal much, he did let it be known that "Rev" isn't exactly something new. In fact, he's been doing it for a while now.

"I'll give it to you this way: At a later date, I'll tell you more about Rev Pop, but if I were to give you a flash: I've done it before, I did it with 'Yeah!' " he said, "taking a cultural experience, and also worldwide recognition of a feeling, and putting the soul in the middle of it. Not allowing it to shift heavily to R&B genre, or pop. I did it again with 'OMG,' once again putting the soul in the middle of it, which was an electric-pop experience, with the soul.

"It's bringing those elements together to tell a story, that was born here," he said, gesturing toward his heart, "And that's what Rev Pop is. There's more, I mean, I could really elaborate, but that's just what I'm going to tell you right now. 'Rev' is what it's called ... the movement is called Rev."

Usher wouldn't say just when his fans would be getting their first taste of Rev, but whenever they do, it sounds like they're going to be impressed ... if not a little shocked.

"Stay alive," he smiled, "Because you're definitely going to be in for a surprise."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1658043/usher-rev-pop.jhtml

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Lady Gaga's Scrapped Deal Leaves Target 'Surprised And Disappointed'

Gaga dissolved relationship with retail giant over reported political contributions made to antigay gubernatorial candidate.
By Jocelyn Vena


Lady Gaga
Photo: Tom Briglia/ WireImage

Retail giant Target has issued a statement in reaction to the news that Lady Gaga has decided not to release an exclusive deluxe edition of Born This Way, due May 23, through the store as originally planned.

In a statement released to MTV News, Target explained that Gaga's reservations about working with the company came as a shock. Gaga had reportedly dissolved her relationship with the chain megastore after LGBT groups began investigating certain donations the store made, including a 2010 donation of corporate funds to MN Forward, a political action committee that supported antigay candidate Tom Emmer in his 2010 run for governor of Minnesota.

"We were very surprised and disappointed by the statements made by Lady Gaga's organization related to her partnership with Target," the company wrote. "Target remains committed to the LGBT community as demonstrated by our contributions to various LGBT organizations, our recently established Policy Committee to review our political giving and our respectful, inclusive workplace environment."

Gaga, an outspoken gay activist, had previously addressed concerns about Target's political leanings but hoped that they would be able to work to expand their LGBT horizons with her onboard.

"That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I've ever had in a business meeting," Gaga said. "Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they've made in the past. ... Our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they've made supporting those [antigay] groups."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1659580/lady-gaga-target-deal-surprised-disappointed.jhtml

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