Day in Pop Report for 12/16/2014
In a picture posted in the wee hours of this morning (or late Sunday night, Dec. 14, on the West Coast), Bieber is shown with Brown in a red-lit room, the former reaching out with his left hand and grasping the neck of the latter, who's making a surprised face as he does so. "Had fun with the homey @chrisbrownofficial," the photo's caption reads. Of course, given both singers' run-ins with the law for alleged assault in the past, some aren't exactly laughing off the photo, including those criticizing Brown for his assault of Rihanna in 2009. No word on if the meetup was at all special or merely a pleasure visit. Earlier in the evening, Bieber posted to his Instagram some particularly delectable pieces of sushi. Perhaps the sushi drove him to do what he did? Question the sushi. See the photo here.
The fake clip for the film, that clearly is having fun picking on the Twilight films, is actually a scene from the upcoming remake of the musical Annie, which hits theaters Dec. 19. As if you couldn't tell it was a parody from the over the top acting courtesy of real life couple and new parents, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who plays a girl who cries sparkly tears and must return to the moon. And let's not even get started on the shoddy CGI work. Seriously, just like at how RiRi morphs into that werewolf who is there to let Kunis know, "it's time" to go back to the moon. It does not put RiRi's Battleship scenes to shame, that's for sure. According to People, Kutcher and Kunis actually appear in Annie as the acting duo Andrea Alvin and Simon Goodspeed. And for those who wish this film did exist, Sony did create a website to help keep the dream alive. Watch the trailer and read more here.
Reportedly (as in, if the veracity of these emails can be confirmed), the rapper is specifically looking to find a home for a full-length feature that 'involves both cinematic and technological innovation," according to an email obtained by The Daily Beast from West's creative assistant Elon Rutberg, who pitched the project to Sony Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal back in August. 'I supervise all of Kanye's film and media projects, and we have a major film project coming up that involves both cinematic and technological innovation, so I naturally thought Sony and wanted to reach out," wrote Rutberg. 'We premiered a multi-screen cinema experience to great response at Cannes 2012, and are looking to take the storytelling to the next level with a feature length film, shot for an immersive cinema experience."� Read more here.
"A year ago, I'd meet people who, when they found out who I was, they'd say, 'Oh, we love the songs! We sing them all the time,'" Lee told THR. "Now they're like, 'Yep, we're still listening to those songs.' I've gone from, 'Thank you,' to, 'Sorry!'" Lee also noted that even though it's been a year since the movie began to gain steam and blossom into the worldwide smash it became, she's still surprised at its impact. Read more here.
She has announced nine new dates for February in support of her hit album, "Same Trailer Different Park. The new dates will include support from John & Jacob. The short trek is scheduled to launch on February 12th in Norfolk, VA at The NorVa and includes stops in North Carolina, Maryland, Wisconson, Minnesota, Kentucky, Tennessee, and will be concluding in Richmond, Va on February 28th. Kacey is currently working in the studio on the follow up to Trailer Different Park. Check out the tour dates here.
Nick Jonas, as previously announced on Azalea's Twitter account, will join the rapper as an opening act on all dates. Tinashe and DJ Wizz Kid will also accompany Azalea on tour, with the former able to collaborate with Jonas on the remix of his song "Jealous." Azalea was recently nominated for a number of GRAMMYs at next year's 57th ceremony, including Best New Artist. Recently, she released a redo of debut album The New Classic, Reclassified, which includes brand new tracks. Check out the dates here.
The album is scheduled to be released on January 27, 2015 and will feature guest appearances from ScHoolboy Q, David Guetta, Candice, Jeezy, T.I., Juicy J, Charisse Mills and more. Non-Fiction also features production from from Shae Taylor, Stargate, Key Wayne and Glass John. Ne-Yo had this to say about the new album, "I didn't just want to tell my story. I like letting people try to guess which is which! "I'm a storyteller: with this album, I wanted to put a magnifying glass on that. I wanted Non-Fiction to feel cinematic: each track gives listeners something entertaining, yet if they take their time with it, they'll discover different dimensions and subplots." Check out the tracklists for both the standard and deluxe editions here.
The video is a compilation of shots of life-adventurer Rory Kramer where the YouTuber goes cliff diving, speeding cars, city lights, water-skiing, boating, DJing (duh). He is also seen a lot of looking into the distance and raising his hands in the air while the sun sets over the desert/ocean/skyline/whatever, a ton of jumping off things into water (often in the cannonball pose), bungee jumping, sledding, fire breathing, car surfing, going to an amusement park, high fives, and tagging. If you ever wanted to feel like your life is just not as exciting as it could be, watch Avicii's video for "The Nights" here.
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life -- An All-Star GRAMMY Salute will be taped Feb. 10, two days after the 57th GRAMMYs, followed by a broadcast Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. The two-hour tribute will feature multiple musicians honoring the 25-time GRAMMY winner, with additional presenters helping highlight Wonder's achievements over his multi-decade career. The performers and presenters will be announced at a later date. 'Stevie Wonder is a beloved icon whose golden songbook remains one of America's and music's greatest treasures," Neil Portnow, president/CEO of The Recording Academy, said of the ceremony. Read more here.
While the music video doesn't feature Skrillex or Diplo, the colorful and rapid-fire clip is a visual showcase for G-Dragon and CL. CL, a member of K-pop group 2NE1, has recently signed up with Justin Bieber's famous manager, Scooter Braun, for a solo album expected in 2015. G-Dragon, meanwhile, is a member of South Korean boy band Big Bang who already has two solo albums under his belt. The highly stylish video features the pair flexing their fashion muscle in a series of images showcasing a wide range of hip-hop- and streetwear-inspired looks. Skrillex and Diplo might not show their faces in the clip, the two will come together for their supergroup, Jack U, for a massive New Year's Eve show at New York's Madison Square Garden. Watch the video here.
'We wanted to tell you guys, our amazing fans, about something we're super excited about called the Dollar Club," Hubbard explained in a video posted on their church website. 'We've been so lucky to be able to get to see how the Dollar Club has helped people all over the city."� Kelley explained that the idea has already helped replace the roof on a local church, fund the physical therapy that's helping a young boy learn to walk again and helped build a playground for underprivileged kids. Read more here.
Shortly after the band announced their next album Strangers to Ourselves, they released the first single, "Lampshades on Fire." The track, an upbeat throwback to the Pacific Northwest band's mid-aughts "Float On" era, premiered on Minnesota's The Current radio station this morning. It was also apparently sent as a test pressing to a fan who posted a picture of it online along with the accompanying note that said the single would be available for purchase tomorrow, Dec. 16. It also contained the title and release date of their new album, which is reportedly March 3. Mouse tweeted "So sick!! Thanks @modestmouseband!! Can't wait #marchthird #strangerstoourselves http://t.co/e0x9cY43kt- Modest Mouse (@ModestMouse123) December 14, 2014." Read more here.
He's joined on it by Rich Homie Quan ("Word Around Town"), R&B upstart August Alsina ("I Don't Get Tired #IDGT"), B.O.B. ("Talk on Phones"), Red on Da Track ("Perfect Imperfection" and "John Gotti," which also made it onto the tracklist for By Any Means). The mixtape also features Bobby Johnson ("Sit Down"), Rico Love ("Complaining") and Bobbie Black ("Thugged Out"). Check out the full tracklist and download the mixtape here.
Freeman is also known for his role as Tim Canterbury in the UK version of The Office. This gave SNL the opportunity to conjure up a hilarious mashup of the two franchises - The Office: Middle Earth. Taran Killam shines as a collar and tie wearing Gollum (note the cameo by "the ring" in the clip) and Bobby Moynihan's take as Gandalf meets David Brent might be one of his best bits to date. Watch it here.
The video, which was uploaded to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's YouTube channel, has the country singer talking while pictures displaying family abuse pop up on the screen. "You may not want to talk about it, but family violence shouldn't be kept a secret," she stresses. Urging those to break the silence, she advises to report incidents of violence to the police. Meanwhile, a staggering statistic is shown claiming that family violence accounts for a fourth of all police reported violent crime. Watch it here.
Oh, let's be honest it was a celebrity blowout with guests like Sam Smith, the ladies of HAIM, model Karlie Kloss, Beyonce, Jay Z and Justin Timberlake, who apparently didn't mind wearing an adorable pile of poo emoji mask. In a photo nonetheless! What a good party guest, seriously. She also posted a photo of a special gift her best Girls friend, Lena Dunham gave her: a necklace with a picture of her little kitty, Meredith Grey. It's now her "new most cherished possession." To cap it all off, Swift then had herself a little dance party at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sunday (Dec. 14) where JT was playing all the hits on his 20/20 Experience World Tour. Queen Bey even joined in when her hubby hit the stage to perform "Holy Grail" alongside Timberlake. Check out the photos here.
At Sunday night's KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas, that sorta-collaboration almost came to fruition. Cyrus was backstage at the event, held at Los Angeles' The Forum--and according to sources close to the band, alt-J considered bringing Cyrus onstage to perform her "I'm a female rebel" line from the song unannounced as a total surprise. However, the cameo was nixed at the last minute, and "Hunger of the Pine" was performed as usual: with Cyrus, but not a live Cyrus, despite the singer being just a call away backstage. Read more here.
Predictably, the lyrical content tends toward lighthearted flirtation. "Baby girl, it's you that I want/ And all I know is I'm not leaving here alone," he croons, adding, "Where you going? What you getting into?" on the chorus. While the song is full-on dance music, the tracklist for the upcoming album suggests a more hip- hop direction: ScHoolboy Q, Juicy J and T.I. are all set to feature. Ne-Yo's new album Non-Fiction is due out Jan. 27. It follows his last album, R.E.D., which hit stores in November 2012 and peaked at No. 4 in the U.S. Listen to the new track here.
In an interview with Radio.com, Aldean admitted that his first pick for an album title was new single "Just Gettin' Started," but the more he considered other tracks on the release things became clearer. "We had 'Just Gettin' Started,' which I felt like, here we are on our sixth album and I feel like we're getting warmed up good," he tells Radio.com. "I felt like that was a fitting title. [Then] we started kicking around Old Boots, New Dirt. From all aspects of everything in my life at this point, that seemed like a really good title for everything musically, personally. [I've] been around for a while but [I'm just] getting a fresh start on a lot of things here." Aldean says that Old Boots, New Dirt was the perfect way to sum up where he is now in life. "I think we made the right choice." He also thinks he made the right decision by choosing "Just Gettin' Started" as his second single. Read more here.
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