Modernmath's Journals

VMAs: The Last Word

Another VMAs has shuffled off into history (or it will, as soon as Kanye and Taylor stop duking it out in TV appearances), but lest we forget the highs and lows of MTV's annual MTV-fest, we've got one more look at the night the music video circus came to Radio City Music Hall. [cut=Remember that?]

The highlights ranged from the classy (Janet's slick tribute to Michael via the "Scream" video choreography) to the classless (um, Kanye), and we managed to get ALL the goods:

I'mma Let You Finish: Kanye just seems to be interrupting everyone - check out the incriminating photos here and here.
The Mea Culpa: Kanye apologized, not once, not twice, but three times.
The Winners: Oh yeah, some people won awards (mostly Beyonce, for Most Gracious Megastar EVER.)
New Moon Anticipation: It was a HUGE night for Twi-hards, with the premiere of a New Moon trailer and ample evidence that Robsten is real.
Kanye Vs. Taylor in Pics: Amid the public outcry over Kanye's conduct, we explored the contrast between the rap star predator and his pop-country prey.
Twitter Reactions: Inside the hall, a cacaphony of boos descended on Kanye. Inside AND outside, he felt the mighty sword of angry celebrity tweets.
Caught on Tape: Watch the slow-motion car-crash all over again as Kanye West, long known for his humility and aversion to the spotlight, stormed the stage during what was supposed to be Taylor Swift's moment.
Performance Highlights: In addition to Janet's opening number, this year's best performances included Pink's, Jay-Z's and Beyonce's. See all the pics.
In-Depth Wardrobe Analysis: Buzznet dissected the looks of wardrobe experts J.Lo., Lady Gaga and Paramore. But frankly, we needed a second look at the ridiculousness of Gaga.
Red Carpet Pics: Hey Monday's Cassadee Pope held it down for us on the red carpet, where we snapped everyone from Jimmy Fallon to Diddy. Plus: Pink and Shakira wore the same dress? DRAMA.
Predicting the Winners: We asked you to predict the winners in each category. Mostly, you were wrong. Hey Monday made their own picks; they were wrong too. We thought this show was supposed to be predictable!!
Fashion Police: We warned you this year might be ugly, based on years of past fashion trainwrecks.
Liveblog Mania: And if you missed any of it? Relive the show itself in Newageamazon's liveblog, Videogum's liveblog and Idolator's liveblog. [/cut]

VMA Award Winners

So, tonight's 2009 MTV Video Music Awards were insane. So much drama. But remember, there were actually some awards handed out. [cut=Crazy, huh?]

So give it up for this year's talented singers who won awards. They deserved it!

Here's the full list:

Video of the Year: Beyonce, 'Single Ladies
Best New Artist: Lady Gaga, 'Poker Face'
Best Hip-Hop Video: Eminem, 'We Made You'
Best Male Video: T.I. featuring Rihanna, 'Live Your Life'
Best Pop Video: Britney Spears, 'Womanizer' [Continued]
Best Rock Video: Green Day, '21 Guns'
Best Female Video: Taylor Swift, 'You Belong With Me'
Best Video (That Should Have Won a Moonman): Beastie Boys, 'Sabotage'
Breakthrough Video: Matt and Kim, 'Lessons Learned'
Best Art Direction: Lady Gaga, 'Paparazzi'
Best Choreography: Beyonce, 'Single Ladies'
Best Cinematography: Green Day, '21 Guns'
Best Direction: Green Day, '21 Guns'
Best Editing: Beyonce, 'Single Ladies'
Best Special Effects: Lady Gaga, 'Paparazzi'

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EXCLUSIVE: Kanye West Popping A Bottle At VMA Red Carpet

Before Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's big moment at the Video Music Awards, he chugged freely from a bottle of spirits on the red carpet outside. Was he feeling a little extra loose when he stormed the stage? [cut=See the exclusive video...]

West has rarely been one to keep his opinions to himself, so his sudden interruption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech wasn't totally without precedent. But given West's partying outside, it's not out of the question to think he might've been feeling a little extra courage inside Radio City Music Hall. In this video, West takes a swig or two from the bottle while chumming around with friends before shuffling down the carpet with girlfriend Amber Rose.

West didn't say anything about being intoxicated when he blogged an apology to Swift hours later. But by then, the damage was done.

For more of Buzznet's exclusive VMA coverage, hosted by Hey Monday's Cassadee Pope, see these links:

Video: All Time Low on the red carpet

Video: Cobra Starship on the red carpet

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Exclusive: 30 Seconds To Mars Reveal Album Title

After 18 months of work, 30 Seconds to Mars are closing in on the release of an album that includes Tibetan monks, a screaming hawk, and the voices of fans from eight countries along with Jared Leto's soaring vocals. Now that album has a title: 30 Seconds to Mars confirmed exclusively to Buzznet that the hugely anticipated project will be called This Is War. [cut=To arms!]

Long the working title of the album, This Is War was not locked in until the band members agreed on it in their Los Angeles work space the other day.The title early on appeared closely tied to the battles the band found itself fighting, most prominently a lengthy legal fight with its record label, Virgin Records. But Leto has always said it encapsulated far more, including the spirit of the band's whole creative process.

"It's representative of the battles that we were fighting, us with the record label, creative battles, personal demons," he told Buzznet. "We've discussed, like, is it relevant anymore? Some of the battles - obviously the creative, and the battles with the record label, have all come to pass, but I think it really still represents this record in the best way possible, so we're sticking with This Is War.... It represents too clearly this period of time in our lives."

He added that the title does not have to literally refer to any specific fight. "Also come the ideas about winning, ideas about compromise, about defeat, victory of course. But I think as I've tossed it around, it's always been the working title for the record as well, This Is War, so it's been important because I think it really represented the goal in a good way, a strong way."

Part of the goal for the band as it prepared its first album in four years appears to have been a dramatic expansion of its sound. (The album includes production from expansioneer Flood, among others). Tracks from the album, which Leto played for Buzznet, include an emphasis on synths, heavy drums, and the constant presence of the band's own fans, recorded in specially organized "summits" held around the world. Filled with what are essentially field recordings of fandom, the album seems almost custom-built to be played live.

Highlights include:

Night of the Hunter: Leto says the band was attempting "a collision of the small, the intimate, the minimal against the grandiose and the bombastic." The song spans both the soft voice of a French girl counting "Une, deux, trois... cinq," to Leto's high vocal lines against a stark backdrop.

Kings and Queens: Opening with a wild hawk scream, recorded live over the band's work space, the song includes a heavy contribution from the band's fans, captured singing a chorus created from layers of the band's "summit" recordings. Leto said the title and theme were inspired by a book found at the band's South African work space, but that it "ended up being a good metaphor" for world events from the past year.

Hurricane: Already generating online buzz because of the somewhat surprising inclusion of a cameo from Kanye West, the song sizzles with electronics and represents one of the biggest departures from the band's previous music. West sings "I need a heartbeat" over Leto's own vocals to powerful sonic effect.

But as Leto explained, the band's intention is not for fans to hear singles, but a complete work. Asked about recent comments from Radiohead's Thom Yorke, who suggested that his band would not record full-length albums again anytime soon, Leto indicated he doesn't necessarily agree.

"To me, the songs are like scenes in a film or chapters in a book and they kind of work with each other in a way that they don't work and would never work separately," he said. Listening to This Is War in full, he said, "would be the best way to understand and to get the best sense of what the intentions were."

Plus: See the amazing photos from Buzznet's visit.

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Can You Count To 9?

You know when we say we're excited for the release of the animated film 9, we're not just pulling your strings. We've been eagerly awaiting the flick, which tells the tale of a band of puppet-like creatures fighting for civiliation. But now, with a little more than a month to go, the creators are cranking up the anticipation with a new contest. [cut=Do you like puzzles?]

If you've seen any of the exclusive 9 imagery we've shown before, you know that the vision of director and creator Shane Acker is one of a twisted mechanized future. (And don't forget, it's produced by Tim Burton, the mastermind of darkly beautiful creations like Nightmare Before Christmas). But you're going to have to demonstrate some vision of your own to win the new 9 contest.

Check out the image below:

Keyword: 9experiment.com Talisman Challenge Clue

The image you receive will appear to be a ripped up fragment of a larger image, of which there are 9 parts. One ripped up image fragment will be revealed to each of the 9 partner sites for readers to find and piece together. The pieced-together image will have a code which activates the decoder on www.9experiment.com

There will be one Grand Prize winner selected who will win a pair of the limited edition Pony shoes created exclusively for "9," and 8 runner ups that will receive promotional prize packs of movie-related merchandise. The winners will be randomly selected based on their entries to www.9experiment.com once they've solved the pierced-together images and visited the site.

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Gabe & Leighton Look Pretty Good Going "Bad"

What is it about Gabe Saporta that makes him the life of the party? The geek-chic white frames? The leather jacket? Take one look at the just-released video for Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad," and you'll see what we mean. With Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester by his side and product in his hair, the dude is pretty much on top of the world. Insofar as the world is defined as a cramped little deli. Though it's not just any deli. [cut=This one's full of surprises...]

Check out the video:

If Gabe can keep serving up sugary pop hooks as easily as he slings salami-on-rye, he will be on top for quite a while.

It doesn't hurt, of course, to have Leighton joining the party. But honestly, could she stop texting and just have a good time? C'mon girl, it's Cobra freakin' Starship!! Well, maybe she has a reason...

What do you think? Do they look good together or what? [/cut]

Rob and Kristen: NOW Do You Believe?

If Bella Swan learns anything in Twilight, it's that things are not always what they seem. But is that true for Twilight/New Moon icons Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart? [cut=Photos don't lie, do they?]

To see the full gallery of pictures go here.

Whispers about a possible romance between the two picked up this week after reports out of Vancouver (site of New Moon filming) focused on the extra-comfy closeness the pair seemed to share during a night out at local club Richard's on Richards, where their friend Sam Bradley was performing. The fan reaction came swiftly, but not uniformly, as Twi-hards split into two camps, with many saying the two are simply acting like typical friends and others suggesting they were finally turning into a real item, despite their denials.

But until now, there was no evidence to place before the jury. Buzznet has obtained the exclusive pictures that set off the debate in the first place, fresh from a well-positioned perch above the stage at Richard's on Richards.

The photos show Rpattz in a gray hoodie (shielding his typically tousled 'do) and Kstew in a black jacket and gray zip-up. Watch the facial expressions. Study their eyes. Think it over. Are they or aren't they?

A picture speaks a thousand words. [/cut]

Buzznet Exclusive: Jared Leto Talks New Album, Kanye West and ... Prom?

As musical journeys go, the one taken by 30 Seconds to Mars has been one long, strange trip. Since breaking through to new heights with the rock hit "The Kill," and then making history by shooting a music video in China, the band has been comparatively quiet for the past year, in part because it was tied up in business disputes with its record label. But despite the drama, 30STM singer and co-founder Jared Leto tells Buzznet that the band is ready to blast off once again. [cut=3, 2, 1...]

In an exclusive interview with Buzznet, Leto revealed that the band has been recording songs "for a year," and that creatively, "we've undergone a transformation of sorts. There's an evolution that's happened. There's a place that we've arrived at that we've been looking for for quite some time. And it's a nice feeling to get there."

30STM also made a special effort to include their fans in the recording process, using a gathering of roughly 1,000 fans in Los Angeles last week to experiment with crowd sounds.

Check out pictures from the event — and photos of Leto's own evolution in recent years — in our special 30STM gallery.

30STM's new album, tentatively titled This Is War, is expected in the fall. When Leto called in the other day from the studio — and munching on tofu — he made it clear that though not all the songs are finished, the band has used it's unusually long break (August will mark four years since the band's last album) to explore the songwriting process even more deeply.

"Having this amount of time to work on a project is interesting because you go through a tremendous amount of growth throughout the recording process and things change from beginning to end," he said.

Listen to Part 1 of the interview, in which Leto discussed the recording process, working with famed producer Flood, and last week's fan summit, right here:

It has also meant some unexpected explorations, including recording a song with Kanye West, titled "Hurricane." Leto said he and West had sought each other out (West wanted him to direct a video, while Leto said he'd long pursued West's contribution to 30STM's music). "It's nice to have a different voice on the album. I don't mean a literal voice, but ust a different perspective," Leto said. "It's really fascinating to hear other artists' take on your material and their contribution and I really enjoyed the process. And he's phenomenal on the song, it's great."

If the idea of Kanye working with 30STM comes at you like a curveball, don't worry: we threw a curveball right back at Leto. We asked him about prom. Turns out he never went to one.

"Prom is probably a blast. I just never was in school enough to end up at a prom, so it wasn't my path, but I'm sure it could be a lot of fun," he said. He added: "I wouldn't mind going to a prom, it'd be kind of funny. Maybe I should go sometime."

Hear that, ladies?

And he'll tell you his idea of the ultimate slow-dance song in Part 2 of our interview. We'll be waiting...

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Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart: Getting Closer...

Is it hot in here, or is it just us?

Twilight stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart looked particularly cozy Saturday night as they lurked together in a corner watching Rob's good friend Sam Bradley play a show at Vancouver club Richard's on Richards. [cut=Is it finally on?]

Wearing a dark gray zip-up sweatshirt, Kristen shifted between cheering the performance and circling back to the corner with Rob, where the two leaned in veeeeerry close. Forget for a second the debate about whether Stephenie Meyer writes in English — this one is about body language. In one of the new pics circulating from this weekend's performance, she winks at him.

Rob of course has laughed off rumors of a romance between the two co-stars before, and purported evidence of any such relationship has always been pretty thin, but even skeptics will probably think twice after seeing the latest pics.

They'd make a cute couple. Don't deny it... [/cut]

Nicole Anderson Steps Out With The Jonas Brothers

Rising star Nicole Anderson plays a superfan in the new Jonas Brothers' TV vehicle, the aptly named Jonas. But now we know why she's attracting fans herself... [cut=She's adorable.]

In Buzznet's exclusive interview (conducted by our own Ms. Hanna Beth), Nicole reveals that she does have certain things in common with her character in the new Disney Channel series: she's athletic (she was a serious gymnast in real life before turning to serious acting), and not unlike many other girls, she somehow turns a little klutzy around the JoBros. "I'm definitely a klutz in real life," she says.

Though she wasn't quite sure what to expect from them -- "just because, you know, it's the Jonas Brothers" -- she found them "so down to earth."

Not that they weren't above a little punking of their co-stars, including Nicole's BFF Chelsea Staub. "They were the hugest pranksters," she says.

Check out the interview to hear about the "whole pranking war" and the nearly tear-inducing trick Joe Jonas engineered on his castmate.

See part one of our two-part interview with Nicole, where she reveals the deets on her role, and don't miss these cute photos from the shoot!

Then see part two — in which Nicole talks music, style and Audrey Hepburn.[/cut]