Britney Spears? Beyonce? Fans Pick Their Best Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

You can vote for your favorite album of the year over on the Newsroom blog!
By James Montgomery


Britney Spears' Femme Fatale
Photo: Jive

On Wednesday, I published my picks for the Best Albums of 2011 (So Far), a list that included the likes of Lady Gaga, Eminem, the Foo Fighters and Adele, but not Beyoncé, Britney Spears or Chris Brown.

And while I definitely heard some complaints about the albums I did include (Born This Way was too low, 21 was too high, Hell: The Sequel should've been in the top 10, etc.), it seems that the overwhelming majority of folks out there had a bigger problem with the albums I didn't — namely, Femme Fatale, 4 and F.A.M.E.

So, in the interest of fairness, we launched a poll over on our Newsroom blog and asked you to vote for your favorite album from the first-half of 2011; so far, more than 18,000 votes have been cast, and Born This Way leads Femme Fatale by a slim margin. But if you haven't cast your ballot yet, don't fret, because the poll will remain open until Thursday (June 30) at midnight ET.

Vote for your favorite 2011 album right now in our Newsroom poll!

But if you remain undecided, well, then we've got some compelling arguments for you: Comments and — very open — campaigning (plus some actual compliments) from MTV.com readers and Facebook users, each making a case for their favorite album of 2011. Of course, if you feel like sounding off with your picks, do it in the comments section below. And now, on with the acrimony!

"How could you forget Britney Spears? Femme Fatale was the most anticipated album of the year. The thing I hate is that Britney doesn't get recognized enough. Femme Fatale is the best album!" — IfUSeekPeanut:)

"You guys would put Lady Gaga [on the list] and not include Britney's Femme Fatale album! I'm sorry, but despite all of the Auto-Tune and lack of song writing, it's still one of the best dance albums of the new millennium! Gaga ... OMFG, don't even get me started, her album is NOT all that! JUST 'cause she writes her own songs doesn't make them the best songs lyrically! [And] Beyoncél's 4 is not even included? Completely DELUSIONAL list!" — Tony Moreira

"Wow. Femme Fatale gets praises from pretty much everyone in the music industry and it doesn't make the list. Lady Gaga makes sales ... okay, [but] she has yet to top Britney's records (even when she pretty much gave away Born This Way)." — Jdtgu

"Adele is good but all her songs are about breakups, which is depressing, She does deserve some Grammys. And where the f--- is FEMME FATALE? Britney Spears is NOWHERE HERE? That's insane!" — jonny A.

"I was listenin' to Adele back in '07 and never looked back and I always kinda thought maybe she will be the big star she deserves to be. Her album 21 is so honest and real and vulnerable. I'm sorry but I don't think there is any album out or coming out that will be able to compare. [Also], so glad y'all shed a light on Lykke Li's album. She is a very underrated artist. I didn't think she could do better than Youth Novels, but, damn she did the damn thing on Wounded Rhymes. [It's] another classic from Lykke Li." — Mark Anthony Sanchez

"I love that there aren't just mainstream artists on this list, but I will say Femme Fatale doesn't deserve to be on it. I'm not bashing the girl because some of her songs are good (they still weren't written or conceived by her) but it's not anywhere close to these albums. I do love Adele, but I think Gaga basically murdered everyone with her album." — L3M0NAQUA

"I loved Adele's new album! Also I loved Chris Brown's new album too! Britney's was awesome!" — Kayla Copes

"Okay, so let's start voting for people with some real talent, not people that can put on a show. FOO FIGHTERS AND ADELE. There's the talent." — Carrie Heuberger

"Sorry, but you obviously placed Adele's voice at #2 and NOT her mediocre album. Yes, it WILL get the Grammys it deserves BUT it would be a dead-boring album without her strong voice ... In my opinion Adele is ranked too high, but can you blame [the writer] for ranking a HUGE voice at #2 ? Born This Way, well, it could be higher BUT it is a COMPLETE honor that it is the ONLY album from a mainstream pop artist that made it to NUMBER FREAKING FOUR!" — Spyros Venturis

What do you think? Let us know in the comments or vote in our Newsroom poll.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666680/fans-best-album-2011.jhtml

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Victoria Beckham Tweets About Her Newborn Daughter Harper Seven

One day after Harper Seven Beckham was born last Sunday, proud papa David Beckham posted some information about his newborn daughter (including her name) on his official Facebook profile. Yesterday, 4 days after Harper‘s birth, proud mama Victoria Beckham finally broke her silence and commented on her new arrival on her official Twitter profile. Needless [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/fuO83MdniCc/

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Britney Spears Says She'd Love To Tour With Usher

In her 'Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale' special, she calls the 'OMG' singer 'really hot right now.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway


Sway Calloway and Britney Spears
Photo: MTV News & Docs

What do Britney Spears and Usher have in common? Well, they are both global superstars with a back catalogue of tunes that have kept fans dancing for a really long time and they both recently hooked up with will.i.am for tracks on their latest releases (the Black Eyed Peas mastermind worked on the pop vixen's Femme Fatale tune "Big Fat Bass"). And, if Spears has her way, she and the "OMG" singer could be hitting the road together.

When Spears sat down to talk with Sway Calloway for her "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale" special — airing Sunday (April 3) at 9 p.m. ET on MTV — the singer revealed that Usher is first on her list of artists she'd like to join her on tour.

"Oh, I'm so excited. I'm really excited about going on tour, very," she explained about her forthcoming summer trek, which happens to have a spot open on the bill now that Enrique Iglesias has pulled out of the gig. "I think Usher's really great right now. I think he's really hot right now. That would be cool [to tour with him]."

The North American road trip is expected to kick off June 17 in Sacramento, California, and will run for 26 dates, winding up on August 13 in Toronto. More details will be announced soon.

The "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale" special is a mixture of behind-the-scenes footage of the singer as she wraps up production on her album, which dropped this week, as well as an inside look at her life and fans. In addition, those who couldn't make Spears' recent nightclub show in Las Vegas will get to see her as she takes the stage in her latest pop incarnation.

Don't miss "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale," airing Sunday (April 3) at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661036/britney-spears-tour.jhtml

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First Look: The New Off-Broadway Production Of ?Rent? Is Featured In ?Vanity Fair? Magazine

Rent is back on Broadway … well, off-Broadway but … you know what I mean. After an amazingly successful 12-year run on Broadway (and many successful touring productions both here in the US and abroad), Rent is settling down again in NYC with an all new production, an all new cast and all of the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/w1JAn9yXkyM/

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Katy Perry, Pitbull, Britney Spears Battle For Summer Jam Crown

Here's our look at early contenders for 2011's Song of the Summer.
By James Montgomery


Katy Perry in her "Last Friday Night" video
Photo: Capitol Records

Well, school's out and summer is officially here, which means it's time to handicap the race for Summer Jam 2011 — the annual sweepstakes of sweaty, sex-drenched (and, this year, sax-heavy) songs that turns our nation's finest beaches and waterfront drinking establishments into an all-out battle for summer-soundtrack superiority.

Last year, it was Katy Perry who emerged victorious, thanks to "California Gurls," her slinky ode to daisy dukes and melting popsicles, and she's back to defend her crown this summer with "Last Friday Night." But she'll face considerable competition from a host of big-name stars — Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj and Adele — each of whom are looking to take home the title. And even if she manages to outgun them, will Perry have enough left in the tank to takedown the suddenly sizzling Pitbull or the unstoppable LMFAO? We'll just have to wait and see.

And with the action just getting under way, here's our up-to-the minute standings in the Song of the Summer Sweepstakes. If there's a song we've missed, you can let us know about it via Twitter, using the hashtag #mtvsos, or in the comments below. So without further ado, let's slather on some sunscreen and get to the jams!

1. Katy Perry, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)": She dominated the summer of 2010 with "California Gurls," and now Perry is out to make it two in a row with the ebullient "T.G.I.F.," the 183rd single from her Teenage Dream album. It currently sits at #4 on Billboard's Hot 100, and it seems like it's only a matter of time before it makes the leap to #1. Call it manifest destiny.

2. Pitbull (featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer), "Give Me Everything": Perhaps the only man standing between Perry and her second-straight Song of the Summer crown is the suddenly ubiquitous Pitbull, whose "Give Me Everything" just went to #1 on the Hot 100. It's from his well-received, club-approved Planet Pit album, and its success only validates the fact that the Miami rapper may finally be having his moment.

3. LMFAO (featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock), "Party Rock Anthem": Aptly titled hit from America's leading purveyors of sublimely stoopid odes to inebriation, "Party Rock Anthem" is basically the spiritual sequel to all of LMFAO's earlier jams (like "I'm in Miami, Bitch" and "Get Crazy," the theme from MTV's "Jersey Shore") only, you know, times one thousand. Could this be the jam that finally puts them over the top?

4. Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass": Ms. Minaj's ode to the guys with the booming systems (and she's not necessarily talking about the ones in their cars), it's breezy, sexy and unspeakably catchy — which means it's a mortal lock to be the soundtrack to a million wet T-shirt contests, only, you know, the ones featuring dudes.

5. Maroon 5 (featuring Christina Aguilera), "Moves Like Jagger": Riding high off the success of NBC's "The Voice," this jam from one-half of the judging panel debuted on the Hot 100 at #8 and seems like it could be poised to go all the way to #1. As a bonus, it's basically about guys who dance like Mick Jagger, and, really, what summertime girl doesn't want someone like that? Also, whistling!

6. Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" (featuring Bruno Mars), "Lighters": Unexpectedly bright single from Em and Royce's decidedly dark Hell: The Sequel EP, it may not seem like a logical Summer Jam, but when you hear the hook (courtesy of Bruno Mars, a guy who knows a thing or two about summertime smashes) and consider the tremendous fanbase Mr. Mathers possesses, you know this one's a contender.

7. Britney Spears, "I Wanna Go": On one hand, it's yet another club-ready jam from Ms. Spears. On the other, it's not as good as "Till the World Ends." Still, with her just-launched tour and a near-constant presence on pop radio, you can bet Britney's not going away anytime soon.

8. Enrique Iglesias (featuring Usher and Lil Wayne), "Dirty Dancer": Iglesias' "I Like It" was a sneaky runner-up to "California Gurls" in the Summer Jam 2010 sweepstakes, and "Dirty Dancer" follows a similarly clubby path. Add hard-working guest appearances from Usher and Wayne — both of whom know a thing or 13 about making hits — and "Dancer" could end up shocking the world this summer.

9. Jason Derülo, "Don't Wanna Go Home": It opens with Derülo aping the "Day-O" chant from "The Banana Boat Song," rolls on a sample of "Show Me Love" and is basically about one never-ending party. Yeah, we wouldn't bet against this one either.

10. Adele, "Rolling in the Deep": Unstoppable lead single from Adele's equally unstoppable 21 album, "Deep" has been with us for a minute now, yet there's the very real feeling that more and more people are discovering it every day. She's already conquered the Billboard charts, but now, could Adele conquer the summer too?

11. Lady Gaga, "The Edge of Glory": Not the most conventional choice, but given the fact that, A) It features a wailing sax solo from the late Clarence Clemons (which, when considered alongside the wailing "T.G.I.F." saxophone majesty, seems to suggest we're currently living in "the summer of sax") and B) It's from Lady Gaga. We wouldn't be surprised to see it take the Summer Jam crown.

12. David Guetta (featuring Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida), "Where Them Girls At": French DJ David Guetta continues his bid to take over the entire universe with this walloping, galloping party starter. Throw in cameos by Flo and Nicki, and you've got all the makings of a certified smash. Equally important, it takes the work out of actually inquiring about the location of females, which makes your summer approximately 75 percent easier already.

13. DJ Khaled (featuring Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne), "I'm On One": A sun-drenched ode to excess in just about every conceivable way, it's a song that sounds best when blasting out of a high-end system. It's got the superstar pedigree and the shelf life (check the ever-growing list of remixes), so who's to say Khaled can't also take home the Summer Jam crown?

14. Chris Brown, "She Ain't You": Built around a sample of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature," it's a smoove, supple jam, equally suited for those late-night make-out sessions and those hazy, lazy days of tanning. A true multipurpose Summer Jam indeed.

15. Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks": Ultra-catchy tune from the Los Angeles-based rock outfit, it's easy and breezy enough to be considered a dark-horse contender, so long as folks don't pay attention to the lyrics, which are dark indeed (it's about a kid and a gun, in case you hadn't noticed). Then again, when it comes to Summer Jams, no one actually listens to the lyrics, do they?

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

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666723/katy-perry-britney-spears-song-of-summer.jhtml

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So a Lady and Her Monkey Walk Into a Petsmart...

I went to Petsmart yesterday to get some things for little Mary Margaret, and while I was pulling into the parking lot, I passed a lady getting out of her car with a monkey on her shoulders.

Of course I came to a screeching halt because there was a lady getting our of her car WITH A MONKEY ON HER SHOULDERS, and that's just something you don't see every day.

I proceeded to take a photo...

...but then thought it would be better to capture the craziness on video, so here it is:

Lady and Her Monkey Go to Petsmart from Karyn Bosnak on Vimeo.

 

When I told Mark about the lady and her monkey and showed him my movie, he said, "You really are crazy." I was like, "I'm crazy? THE MONKEY WAS WEARING A DIAPER AND PEARLS."

I mean, for real, let's put this into perspective.

Anywho, here's another photo of the lady and her monkey at the checkout counter:

I realize I now have one cat and two dogs, but at least I don't walk around with a monkey on my shoulders. (Yet.)

Source: http://www.prettyinthecity.com/blog/2011/4/21/so-a-lady-and-her-monkey-walk-into-a-petsmart.html

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Justin Bieber 'Rooting For Drake' At BET Awards

But pop star stays mum on what he has in store for fans during Sunday's show, airing live on BET at 8 p.m. ET.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/ Getty Images

Justin Bieber isn't nominated in any of the categories at this Sunday's 2011 BET Awards, but that isn't stopping the teen superstar from making an appearance. With so many of his pals up for prizes at the show, it's anyone's guess what the Biebs might do come awards day, and he's keeping it a surprise.

"You never know. I will never tell you, ever, even if there was a fire right now," the singer joked to MTV News on Thursday at a New York City event for his fragrance, Someday. "I wouldn't tell you. I can't tell you [or I'd] have to kill you."

Usher, Chris Brown, Drake, former crush Beyoncé and Kanye West are among the performers nominated this year and they're also pals of Bieber's. And while he's excited for all of them, Justin said he's rooting hardest for his countryman. "I'm rooting for Drake," he said of his fellow Canadian. "Drake is my homey."

Brown has six nods, Lil Wayne has five, and Kanye West, Drake and Rihanna each have four. The Video of the Year category has a surprising mix of contenders, including Willow Smith for "Whip My Hair," Marsha Ambrosius' "Far Away," B.o.B's "Airplanes," Brown's "Look at Me Now," Hilson's "Pretty Girl Rock" and West's "Runaway."

In addition to the big-name nominees, among the A-list performers slated to take the stage at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium are Beyoncé, Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, Drake and Brown. Nicki Minaj and Bruno Mars have also been added to the show's lineup.

The 2011 BET Awards, hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, air live on Sunday, June 26, at 8 p.m. ET on BET.

What do you think Bieber will do at the awards show? Tell us in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666381/justin-bieber-drake-bet-awards.jhtml

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