Ke$ha Calls Bob Dylan Cover 'An Emotional Purging'

Pop singer sings 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right' for Amnesty International anniversary album.
By Jocelyn Vena


Ke$ha
Photo: Getty Images

<P>It's hard to associate Ke$ha with songs about anything other than hot guys, body glitter and partying. But she's defying her usual topics of interest for human rights organization Amnesty International. The singer is one of the many musicians on the org's <i>Chimes of Freedom</i> compilation of Bob Dylan's music, out January 24. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:720838" width="240" height="211"></div><p> When MTV News spoke with K-Dollar Sign last week about her all-star remix of "Sleazy," she also opened up about switching gears vocally and emotionally for her version of Dylan's classic "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right." "I mean, I think it's pretty well known that he's one of, if not my most, favorite artists of all time and ... one of the most amazing lyricists as well &#8212; the original storyteller," she explained. "So I love Bob Dylan and this was just, like, a dream. When they asked me to do a cover, I was just, like, salivating and going through all my records. It was so fun. It was the best homework assignment you could possibly have." K's version of Dylan's song is a slow-burning, heartbreaking ode to the already heartbreaking classic, where she channels Dylan through lyrics like "Still I wish there was somethin' you would do or say/ To try and make me change my mind and stay/ We never did too much talkin' anyway/ So don't think twice, it's all right." </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:642810" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Ke$ha had originally intended to record another Dylan track, but when she heard that someone else had their sights set on it, she settled on "Don't Think Twice," prompting a catharsis she could never have imagined. "This song was kind of an accident. I sat down and this is the first take that I ever sang," she recalled. "I just sat down on my bed for the first time after months of being on tour and I just started crying, and it was kind of like an emotional purging, and you can hear it on the record." In addition to Ke$ha and her contribution, the album will feature 75 other Dylan classics recorded by nearly 80 artists including Adele, Miley Cyrus, "Glee" star Darren Criss, My Chemical Romance, Evan Rachel Wood and Sugarland. The album pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International.</p>

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Beyonce's Baby, Britney's Betrothal And More: 2012 Predictions

We forecast the year that will be for your favorite stars, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery


Beyonce on the 2011 VMA black carpet
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

<P>Welcome to 2012, the year that will either bring us the end of civilization as we know it or perhaps flying cars (finally!) Of course, between those two events, there's also going to be a presidential election, the London Olympics and that last "Twilight" movie (finally x 100!), not to mention a whole lot of activity within the lives of your favorite stars, too: Babies, weddings, honorary doctorates in nanotechnology; <i>this</i> is the year it'll all happen. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:722495.id:1672369" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Which is why, with the new year upon us, I've decided to get my Kreskin on with these predictions for 2012. Don't ask me to gaze deep into my crystal ball and try to foresee who'll win the White House or the World Series, because, seriously, if I knew that, don't you think I'd be wagering right now? Instead, I'm tackling the <i>important</i> topics. Here's my 2012 forecast for the Beyonc&#233;s and Britneys of the world ... partly cloudy, with a zero-percent chance of accuracy. &#187; Beyoncé and Jay-Z will welcome a daughter, who, upon her, uh, <i>release,</i> will also release her debut single, "Run the World (Me)." &#187; Adele will win every single Grammy, including a stunning upset of <i>Eres Un Farsante</i> in the Best Regional Mexican Or Tejano Album category. &#187; Britney Spears and Jason Trawick will tie the knot in an elaborate, multi-denominational ceremony held &#8212; eh, I don't even care enough to finish this one. &#187; Katy Perry, having finally run out of singles to release off <i>Teenage Dream,</i> will spend the entirety of 2012 shooting videos for objects around her house. Her hits will include "Toaster," "KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer" and "This Towel Set Someone Gave Russell and I for Our Wedding That We Keep in the Guest Bathroom." &#187; Dr. Dre will indefinitely scrap <i>Detox</i> and instead drop a more age-appropriate album called <i>The Chronic Arthritis.</i> &#187; Lady Gaga will wear a crazy hat or something. &#187; Rihanna will release six albums in 2012, each more raunchy than the last. Titles include <i>Speculum,</i> <i>[Censored] [Censored] On My [Censored],</i> and <i>Songs About F---ing,</i> which, oddly, will be a note-for-note remake of Big Black's <i>Songs About F---ing.</i> &#187; Dave Grohl is sure to do something awesome. &#187; Drake's sweater game will become so advanced that he will surpass Bill Cosby as the world's foremost expert on multi-hued knitwear. On a related note, he will also release a comedy album called <i>To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With.</i> &#187; Nicki Minaj will stun the fashionistas when she appears at the annual Met Ball wearing a nice pantsuit she bought at Bealls. &#187; Justin Bieber will finally get that bike without the training wheels, since he's a big boy now. &#187; The Black Keys, buoyed by the success of their "Lonely Boy" video, will shoot another dance-only clip for "Gold on the Ceiling," this one set at Gallagher's 2000 and featuring nothing but topless women. Surprisingly, it will become the most-viewed music video in the history of everything. &#187; Lil Wayne will come full circle, get a tattoo <i>of</i> his face <i>on</i> his face. &#187; Guns N' Roses will reunite at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in April, only with that dude who plays a guitar shaped like a foot filling in for Slash and Tommy Stinson replacing Duff on bass. So, actually, it won't be Guns N' Roses at all. &#187; Coldplay's Chris Martin is just going to be fingerpainting everything. &#187; Rick Ross will be named the Memphis Restaurant Association's Restaurateur of the Year for his tremendous achievements in Wingstop-ery. &#187; Kanye West will <i>literally</i> explode. &#187; Fans of Skrillex will stop and realize that, in 1997, EDM was poised take over America too, and we ended up with Limp Bizkit as a result.</p>

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'Muppets' Music Man Calls Oscar Nod 'A Big Surprise'

Bret McKenzie's 'Man or Muppet' is up against 'Real in Rio' for Best Original Song.
By Kara Warner


Miss Piggy in "The Muppets"
Photo: Muppets Studio

There are always plenty of shocks, snubs and surprises when it comes to the unveiling of Oscar nominees each year. Tuesday's (January 24) announcement was met with all of the above, but overall there were more pleasant surprises than not.

One of our favorite nominees is "Flight of the Conchords" actor-turned-"Muppets" music supervisor Bret McKenzie, who scored a Best Original Song nod for his "Man or Muppet."

MTV News was lucky enough to get a few minutes on the phone with the still-in-shock McKenzie, who called in from his home in New Zealand.

"We're celebrating with breakfast," McKenzie said. "I woke up to the phone ringing nonstop, so then I picked up my phone and saw the news. I was very excited. I don't sound it, but I am very excited. It's a great day."

The multitalented New Zealander revealed that while "Man or Muppet" is his favorite song in "The Muppets" and that he is very proud of the earnest ballad, he never expected it to be recognized for anything.

"I really wanted it to be hilarious and beautiful, and I feel like we got that combination. It's sincere but ridiculous," he said. "The idea of children singing the song at school cracks me up."

McKenzie said that the nomination surprised almost the entire "Muppets" team, except perhaps writer/star Jason Segel, who made an outlandish prediction during production about the earnest tune's award potential.

"The night we recorded 'Man or Muppet,' we had a few drinks and Jason Segel was predicting we'd get together at the Oscars, but he was joking," McKenzie recalled. "[Maybe] that guy can see the future."

Once the actor/musician gets over the shock of his nomination, he'll have to start preparations for how the song will be performed during the 84th annual awards ceremony.

"I was thinking we'll definitely need a man and a Muppet," McKenzie joked. "Yeah, that's what we need."

When asked about his chances, McKenzie marveled at the fact that there are only two nominees, "Man or Muppet" and "Real in Rio" from "Rio."

"I was amazed there were only two nominees; I was surprised. It seems unusual, but it's great because the odds are 50-50," he said. "The only thing I guess would be better if there was only one nomination."

What song should win the Oscar for Best Original Song? Sound off in the comments section!

See the complete list of Academy Awards Nominations.

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Britney Spears' Big 2011: From A Smash Album To A Ring On Her Finger

A decade into her career, the pop megastar reinvented herself this year as the ultimate Femme Fatale and made a big commitment to Jason Trawick.
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears
Photo: Getty Images

<P>Maybe Britney Spears' lucky number is 30. The singer turned 30 this year, marking the landmark birthday on December 2 with a fan-voted MTV News tournament that crowned the Best Britney Video of All Time. But her 30th year also proved to be an incredibly successful period in her career. <center></center> For the first time in a while, she seemed comfortable being the pop megastar that she is. More than a decade into her career, Spears re-emerged as a Femme Fatale, giving fans a fist-pumping album, embarking on a flashy tour and dropping more memorable music videos. Britney Spears fandom was reenergized as the singer came out of her shell, opening up about this phase in her career as well her personal life in several high-profile interviews. So it's probably not surprising that Spears will cap off the year at #4 on MTV News' Top Newsmakers of 2011 list, just behind Lil Wayne. "When I was younger, I was busy, busy, and I was always singing and dancing all the time. I was just really creative," she recalled in the MTV special "I Am the Femme Fatale." "That's when my mom realized I'm a really creative person." She let that creativity shine over the past 12 months. From "Hold It Against Me" to "Till the World Ends" to her Chris Marrs Piliero-directed "I Wanna Go" and "Criminal," Britney made headlines every time she dropped a music video. But no vid stirred up as much controversy as her "Criminal" clip, which featured real-life boyfriend (now fiancé) Jason Trawick &#8212; and his abs. "At the end of the day, Jason killed it," Piliero told MTV News of Trawick's cameo. "That was one of those things I was really stoked [about], as much as I went into it like, 'Wow, he's not an actor. This is going to be interesting,' but I really do like a challenge, and I really do like the idea that I'm a director and my job is to direct and get the performance. For me, it was a fun challenge to be like, 'I'm gonna make sure that you are awesome,' and he was." Between video shoots, Spears hit the road with the likes of Nicki Minaj, Joe Jonas, and DJ Pauly D. Spears fully embraced her sensuality on the <i>Femme Fatale</i> Tour, a spectacular show full of costume changes, elaborate stage setups and stunning mini-films. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:638813.id:1661123" width="240" height="211"></div><p> And while much of the 2011 VMA buzz was about Beyoncé's baby bump and Jo Calderone, Spears stole the spotlight by walking away with a Moonman for Best Pop Video and the prized Video Vanguard Award. She also had tongues wagging after an onstage kiss from Jo (a.k.a. Lady Gaga), just before she was honored with an electrifying dance tribute that highlighted some of biggest career moments. "It was really crazy. I had no idea what to expect," Spears told us backstage at the VMAs. "The kids were amazing and so entertaining, and it was a really fun night. It was really cool. I was like, 'Wow, that's really sweet!' " As 2011 came to a close, Spears wrapped up her tour, and MTV News threw her a birthday bash in the form of the "30 Videos for 30 Years" tournament. The competition was heated but in the end, Spears' iconic "I'm a Slave 4 U" took home the prize. And just when it seemed things couldn't get any better, Britney confirmed she was engaged to Trawick after dating for two years. She showed off her Neil Lane ring during a celebratory weekend in Las Vegas. <b>MTV continues our Best of 2011 coverage by looking back at the biggest pop-culture stories of the year. As we count down the newsmakers that mattered to you most, also check out our Best Artists, Best Songs, Best MTV Live Performances and Best EDM Artists of 2011.</b></p>

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Britney Spears, Jason Trawick: A Timeline Of Their Love

The couple started dating in 2009 while Trawick was still Britney's agent.
By Jocelyn Vena


Jason Trawick and Britney Spears
Photo: WireImage

<P><P>Months ago, rumors began circulating that Britney Spears and longtime boyfriend Jason Trawick were going to tie the knot. And on Friday (December 16), sources close to the pair and a mysterious tweet from the star herself confirmed that the couple is engaged. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:720382" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Trawick had already been working with the star as her agent at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment when they began dating in 2009. They went public with their romance when they showed up hand-in-hand to the 2010 Grammy Awards. That May, the two decided to separate their business and personal relationships, and it was confirmed that Trawick would no longer be representing Spears. The pair have always been pretty low-key. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest this March, the pop star opened up about their life together. "We're really normal," she said. "We just like to watch movies; we work out a lot; we take walks." In May, Spears told Harper's Bazaar, "I've thought about both [marriage and kids]," saying that tying the knot with Trawick could happen "if the timing was right." And in an interview with <i>Us Weekly</i> in April, Spears gushed about life with Trawick. "We have such a great time together! He makes me laugh, and we are so comfortable being ourselves," she said. "Maybe [I'll marry again]. Never say never!" </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:703334" width="240" height="211"></div><p> In August, Spears and Trawick walked the red carpet at the 2011 MTV VMAs, and Britney later thanked Trawick when she took the stage to accept her Moonman for Best Pop Video for "Till the World Ends." While the two have remained relatively private, they gave fans a peek at their personal life when they played the lead roles in Britney's "Criminal" video. The video focuses on a fictional love affair between their characters, who go on a crime spree that leads to a steamy encounter. Director Chris Marrs Piliero said Trawick "killed it." This will be Britney's third marriage. She was married to Jason Alexander for 55 hours in 2004. Later that year, she married back-up dancer Kevin Federline; the two divorced in 2006. Federline and Spears have two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston. A rep for the singer has yet to confirm the news of this latest engagement to MTV News. <i>Send your well-wishes to Britney and Jason in the comments.</i></p></p>

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Oprah Winfrey Named As Blue Ivy Carter’s Godmother

Oprah Winfrey Named As Blue Ivy Carter’s Godmother

Beyonce and Jay-Z have reportedly chosen Oprah Winfrey to be the Godmother of their newborn daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. The Hollywood couple named Oprah and [...]

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Oscar's Best Song Category: Why Only Two Nominees?

Complicated voting rules shut out songs by Elton John, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige and Pink.
By John Mitchell


Blu and Linda in "Rio"
Photo: 20th Century Fox

<P>Tuesday morning's (January 24) announcement of the 2012 Oscar nominations delivered plenty of surprises. Michael Fassbender ("Shame"), Albert Brooks ("Drive") and Charlize Theron ("Young Adult") were overlooked in the acting categories, while Melissa McCarthy ("Bridesmaids"), Rooney Mara ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo") and Max von Sydow ("Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close") scored surprise nominations. But perhaps no category was more head-scratching than Best Original Song. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:666363" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Despite the fact that a short list of 39 tracks were eligible for nomination, only two were named &#8212; "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" and "Real in Rio" from "Rio" &#8212; leaving tunes from Elton John and Lady Gaga, Pink, will.i.am, Zooey Deschanel, Elvis Costello and Mary J. Blige shut out of the competition. Many Oscar-watchers were left wondering why the Academy would opt away from the traditional five contenders in favor of just two little-heard songs. Well, a closer look at the Oscar rule book shows it's probably less a case of choosing to nominate only two songs than it is simply a case of a single song scoring enough points to secure a nod, and then bringing its closest competition along for the ride. Oscar nominations are arrived at using a <i>very</i> complicated weighted system in which members of the Academy, voting exclusively for members of their own branch (i.e. actors chose the acting nominees, directors vote for directors, etc.), rank contenders in order of preference. From there, a "magic number" is determined that relies on the number of ballots cast for a category, along with a specific mathematical equation. Ballots are tallied and contenders are eliminated through several rounds in a process that tabulates factors like first-place mentions and so on. Once a contender reaches the magic number, they are an Oscar nominee. (The folks over at <i>EW</i>'s PopWatch break down the selection steps in great detail.) </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:620119" width="240" height="211"></div><p> So this is how the nominees are determined &#8212; with one exception: Best Original Song. In 2009, when the Academy opted to up the number of Best Picture nominees to 10 (the voting body has since altered that number), it also changed the rules for Best Original Song. As Billboard points out, members of the Academy's music branch now "assign each song a numerical score between 1 and 10, and if no song receives an average of more than 8.25, there are no nominees. If only one song tops the threshold, as clearly happened here, the next highest vote getter secures a nomination as well." This year's Best Original Song category boils down to this: either Bret McKenzie's "Man or Muppet" or "Real in Rio" by songwriting trio Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett secured a score of 8.25 or better, earning a nomination and pulling the #2 vote-getter into the fray. Simply put, members of the music branch didn't award any other song, including John and Gaga's duet "Hello Hello" or Blige's "The Help" track "Living Proof," a score high enough to secure a nomination. But lest you think that this means the category is all but locked, think again. While selecting the Oscar nominees is an intensely mathematical process, picking the winners is much easier. Once the nominations are decided, every member of the Academy can vote in each category and the nominee that receives the most votes wins. Easy enough. And since actors are the largest voting block of the Academy&#8212; and would have had nothing to do with the tracks selected to contend for Best Original Song &#8212; it's anyone's game. <b>See the complete list of Academy Awards Nominations.</b></p>

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