Evanescence's 'Lost In Paradise': Hear A Preview Now!

In our third and final sneak peek, Evanescence get unapologetically epic.
By James Montgomery


Evanescence's Amy Lee
Photo: MTV News

The first time MTV News spoke to Amy Lee about Evanescence's upcoming album, she made a point of explaining exactly why the disc would be self-titled. Namely, because "it's about the band.

"It's more of a band record," she continued. "But I started thinking about it, and it's also that this whole record and the lyrical content and a lot of the things that it's about to me is about falling back in love with this thing, with Evanescence, with what I've obsessed over for a decade, longer than that."

And throughout the week, as we've unveiled sneak peeks at the songs on the album — roaring first single "What You Want" and the equally voluminous "The Other Side" — she continued to mention that the new tunes were very much full band creations: the result of endless back-and-forth between her and her mates.

But our third and final sneak peek is a little different. Because though "Lost in Paradise" features plenty of contributions from the other members of Evanescence, it is very much Amy Lee's song. And the emotional attachment she feels to it is readily apparent.

"That's the one that made us cry ... like, literally, just in here, working on it, there have been tears. I love that song," she told MTV News. "When I was writing it, it wasn't anything; it was just pure, it was just for me. I was literally just writing it for me, to soothe my own feelings by expressing them. And I just thought, 'Piano, vocals, I can record it by myself at my house, and that'll be the track. ... It'll be a B-side somewhere or something.'

"[But] then ... as we were working on other songs — focusing more on rock songs — I kept listening to it for fun, because it was mine, and I sent it to [producer] Nick [Raskulinecz] and I was like, 'I want you to listen to this. ... The more I listen to it, the more I think it means something,' " she continued. "And he, instantly, was like, 'We have to do that song.' And it was his idea to bring the band into it, and at first, I was totally like, 'I don't get that.' But once we did, it just blew the thing wide open, in a way I had never thought about before. It's perfect; it's meant to be the way it is."

Starting with little more than a somber piano and Lee's aching vocals, "Paradise" slowly builds, layering on stirring strings, booming timpani and, at the climax, some thunderous guitar chords. It is unapologetically epic and uncompromisingly raw, a song that manages to seem both all-encompassing and intimate, often at the same time. And because of that, it brings to mind rather unexpected comparisons to Björk's equally astronomic 1997 single "Jóga." And, no, Lee doesn't mind that one bit.

"That's a big inspirational song for me. That's a song through my life that I've listened to a whole bunch," she explained. "And to me, Björk, what makes her style are the strings, the orchestral elements, and that passion that it creates. ... It makes your heart pour out. That totally inspired me, and that song inspired me."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667299/evanescence-lost-in-paradise.jhtml

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Chris Evans Reveals He Said 'No Thanks' To 'Captain America'

Actor was pursued for role, he tells Josh Horowitz on 'MTV First: Captain America.'
By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Chris Evans
Photo: MTV News

Captain America was the role that seemingly every actor in Hollywood but Chris Evans wanted to play.

The actor opens up to MTV's Josh Horowitz Thursday night (July 14) during "MTV First: Captain America," saying that the decision to join up as a Marvel Avenger was not an easy one. Still, director Joe Johnston and producer Kevin Feige were persistent, and knew they wanted Evans so badly that they never even made him audition for the role.

"I got a call and they said they want me to audition, and I said, 'Great!' And then I thought about it and I said, 'No thanks.' And then they called back and they said, 'Well, they want you to test,' and testing is basically they'll draw up a contract, and if you're testing then you're only testing with a couple other guys and the odds of walking away with it drastically increase. And again I just said, 'I think I'm good. This isn't really what I'm looking for,' " Evans explained.

But even after he turned the contract down twice, it was clear that the studio still wanted him. Marvel was willing to negotiate with Evans and bring the intended nine-picture deal down to only six, and after meeting with Johnston and Feige, Evans said he was willing to give the character a shot.

"It just seemed like the more I walked away the more they pursued," he admitted.

This is not the first time Evans has told MTV News that he felt uncomfortable taking on the commitment and fame that would come with "Captain America: The First Avenger." During MTV News' live stream at San Diego Comic-Con last year, Evans said that taking the role "wasn't an easy yes."

"[Playing] Captain America just changes things, and there's really no off switch once you walk down that road," Evans said. "There's no turning back now. I'm just trying to make all the negatives positives and just enjoy the ride."

Check out everything we've got on "Captain America: The First Avenger."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667297/chris-evans-captain-america-audition.jhtml

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