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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Ke$ha Wants 'Till The World Ends' Remix To 'Take Over Airwaves'

Singer says her collaboration with Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj made a 'supergroup of three hot, strong women.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News

Earlier this week, Britney Spears, Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj dropped their femme-fatale-friendly remix of the Spears club track "Till the World Ends." The already fun song got super-charged thanks to Minaj's cutting verses and Ke$ha's recognizable vocals.

"I'm a massive fan of both the ladies I share the track with," K told MTV News on Wednesday at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. "I wrote 'TTWE' for Britney with [producers] Dr. Luke and Max [Martin] and she killed it and I loved it, but I just thought a supergroup of three hot, strong women could just take over the airwaves."

Ke$ha went on to give props to both the ladies. "I'm such a massive fan of Britney and I'm such a massive supporter of Nicki and a fan, and chicks sometimes don't team up. I don't know why, but I'm, like, huge on the girl power, so I just wanted to make a power girl track take over."



The remix quickly won praise from fans who seem to think the new features step up the song's game. "You know, with the three of us, I wasn't necessarily surprised [people like it] because I'm such a massive fan of Nicki Minaj and obviously with Britney I'm a fan of it, [taking] myself out of the equation," she said. "I'm just happy people like it."



So did Ke$ha (who once sang backup for Spears) feel any pressure writing a song for Britney? "There was no pressure. Writing for somebody else is really fun 'cause I consider myself a songwriter first and foremost," she explained. "So it was so much fun to put my brain in the sexy Britney Spears brain and express myself almost as if I were possessed by her."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662875/kesha-britney-spears-til-the-world-ends-remix.jhtml

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Rihanna Rocks Out For Tornado Relief Concert In Alabama, Grabs Key To The City

Rihanna made a special tour stop in Birmingham, AL last night to put on a Tornado Relief concert for her fans.  We've got video of her serenading the crowd with "Sweet Home Alabama" and receiving the key to the city from the aMayor.

 

Vids inside...

Rih offered tickets at a discounted rate for this special charity performance.  And her fans seemed to love it. 

Sweet.

Source: http://theybf.com/2011/07/12/rihanna-rocks-out-for-tornado-relief-concert-in-alabama-grabs-key-to-the-city

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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray's Trial To Be Televised

Judge rules that camera will be allowed in the courtroom for manslaughter case.
By Gil Kaufman


Conrad Murray
Photo: AFP/ Getty Images

For what promises to be one of the most bizarre and riveting legal proceedings in years, a Los Angeles judge ruled on Monday that a television camera will be allowed in the courtroom when Michael Jackson's doctor goes on trial for involuntary manslaughter.

Reuters reported that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, approved the presence of a camera in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray as long as it does not interfere with the proceedings in the closely watched case.

The judge asked for the "absolute least-intrusive placement" of a TV camera in the courtroom, but blocked cameras from documenting jury selection.

Pastor also announced that he would bump up the opening date of the trail by four days to March 24, at which point jury selection will begin. Murray, who faces up to four years in prison if convicted, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the trial is expected to last around six weeks.

Cardiologist Murray was hired to be Jackson's personal physician in the run-up to the King of Pop's planned 50-date comeback series of shows at London's O2 arena in the summer of 2009. The doctor told police that he provided Jackson, 50, with sedatives and the surgical anesthetic propofol in order to combat the singer's chronic insomnia. He said he did so on the morning of June 25, 2009, when Jackson died of what a coroner deemed acute propofol poisoning.

TMZ reported on Tuesday (February 8) that Murray's lawyers plan to argue that Jackson was already in weak health before he died and that it's unfair to blame propofol for his passing. Unnamed sources close to the case told the gossip site that at the time of his death, Jackson's body was already failing him in part because concert promoter AEG Live had "driven [him] over the edge" with a rigorous rehearsal schedule for the shows.

Murray's lawyers reportedly plan to call witnesses to say that Jackson was not showing up for rehearsals and when he did he showed "clear signs" of frail health. They also reportedly plan to argue that it was Jackson who administered the final, fatal dose of propofol to himself while Murray was out of the room.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657464/conrad-murray-trial.jhtml

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Simplified: BeatCrave Fav

It is one thing to rock the studio, but it is completely another to rock the stage. Simplified thankfully excels at both, and we’re thinking their talent can be attributed to their roots in a type of rock that doesn’t stick to one way of doing things. Their flexible nature has been an asset to [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beatcrave/~3/0s6gUA9SjmU/

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Do Foo Fighters Know Robert Pattinson From Robert Plant?

During band's rehearsal break for Sunday's Movie Awards, we put Foos to the test.
By Ryan J. Downey, with reporting by Jim Cantiello


The Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl
Photo: MTV News

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Hard rock, heavy metal, hardcore and punk have long gone hand-in-hand with evil wizards, magic, vampires and werewolves. And with a collective sub-cultural pedigree that includes stints in the Germs, No Use for a Name, Sunny Day Real Estate, Scream and some band called Nirvana, you'd think the Foo Fighters — set to perform at Sunday's Movie Awards — would know their "Potter" from their Zeppelin. Certainly they can recognize a "wand" reference and pinpoint its origin?

Right? Before we put MTV News' magically crafted trivia to the band, it seemed safe to assume the Foos would accurately distinguish between the words of Harry Potter, a "Twilight" character and Led Zeppelin. But was their underground nerd cred blown to shreds? Read on — and click the video! — to see how the Foo Fighters fared when we caught up with them on the Universal Studios lot, shortly after they finished rehearsing their Movie Awards performance.

Our own Jim Cantiello played dungeon master as Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear were given a series of semi-famous lines and asked whether they originated with "Harry Potter," the "Twilight Saga" or the lyrics of hard-rock pioneers Led Zeppelin.

Here's a sampling of a few of those one-liners:

» "The elder wand, the most powerful wand ever made."

» "Why don't you let me be yours ever truly? Can I make your garden grow?"

» "You're lying, Dolores! You mustn't tell lies!"

Can you guess whether the lines above came from the "Potter" flicks, "Twilight" or Robert Plant?

Watch as the Foos try their best to do exactly that. Then tune in to the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday to catch the Foo Fighters rock the stage with their new single, "Walk."

Will wizards, vampires or dream thieves steal the 2011 MTV Movie Awards? Find out June 5, when the 20th annual show airs live at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Tune in at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT that night for the "America's Best Dance Crew" finale and Movie Awards pre-show, loaded with live action from the red carpet, exclusive movie clips and a special edition of "After Hours."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665146/do-foo-fighters-know-robert-pattinson-from-robert-plant.jhtml

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List of winners for 2011 Tony Awards

2011 Tony Awards

Honoring the best and brightest from the world of theatre, the winners of the 2011 Tony Awards were announced during a ceremony held at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Sunday (June 12). With Neil Patrick Harris hosting the annual tribute to Broadway stars, the night was dominated by the religious satire musical "The Book of Mormon" - which captured nine of its pack-leading fourteen nominations. Other triumphant stage shows included Best Play winner "War Horse" along with Best Revival of a Play victor "The Normal Heart". As for the individual accolades, Mark Rylance took home the Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his work in "Jerusalem" while Frances McDormand won on the ladies side for her brilliant effort in "Good People". The Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical went to "Catch Me If You Can" star Norbert Leo Butz and the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical winner ended up being Sutton Foster of "Anything Goes". The complete list of winners from the 2011 Tony Awards is as follows: Best Play Good People Author: David Lindsay-Abaire Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove Jerusalem Author: Jez Butterworth Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Royal Court Theatre Productions, Beverly Bartner/Alice Tulchin, Dede Harris/Rupert Gavin, Broadway Across America, Jon B. Platt, 1001 Nights/Stephanie P. McClelland, Carole L. Haber/Richard Willis, Jacki Barlia Florin/Adam Blanshay The Motherf**ker with the Hat Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis Producers: Scott Rudin, Stuart Thompson, Public Theater Productions, Oskar Eustis, Joey Parnes, Labyrinth Theater Company, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Mimi O'Donnell, Yul Vázquez, Danny Feldman, Fabula Media Partners LLC, Jean Doumanian, Ruth Hendel, Carl Moellenberg, Jon B. Platt, Tulchin Bartner/Jamie deRoy WINNER: War Horse Author: Nick Stafford Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten, National Theatre of Great Britain, Nicholas Hytner, Nick Starr, Bob Boyett, War Horse LP Best Musical WINNER: The Book of Mormon Producers: Anne Garefino, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Important Musicals LLC, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson Catch Me If You Can Producers: Margo Lion, Hal Luftig, Stacey Mindich, Yasuhiro Kawana, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, The Rialto Group, The Araca Group, Michael Watt, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Pittsburgh CLO, Elizabeth Williams, Johnny Roscoe Productions/Van Dean, Fakston Productions/Solshay Productions, Patty Baker/Richard Winkler, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Warren Trepp, Remmel T. Dickinson, Paula Herold/Kate Lear, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jamie deRoy, Barry Feirstein, Rainerio J. Reyes, Rodney Rigby, Loraine Boyle, Amuse Inc., Joseph & Matthew Deitch/Cathy Chernoff, Joan Stein/Jon Murray, The 5th Avenue Theatre The Scottsboro Boys Producers: Barry and Fran Weissler, Jacki Barlia Florin, Janet Pailet/Sharon A. Carr/Patricia R. Klausner, Nederlander Presentations, Inc./The Shubert Organization, Beechwood Entertainment, Broadway Across America, Mark Zimmerman, Adam Blanshay/R2D2 Productions, Rick Danzansky/Barry Tatelman, Bruce Robert Harris/Jack W. Batman, Allen Spivak/Jerry Frankel, Bard Theatricals/Probo Productions/Randy Donaldson, Catherine Schreiber/Michael Palitz/Patti Laskawy, Vineyard Theatre Sister Act Producers: Whoopi Goldberg & Stage Entertainment, The Shubert Organization and Disney Theatrical Productions Best Book of a Musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Alex Timbers WINNER: The Book of Mormon Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone The Scottsboro Boys David Thompson Sister Act Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre WINNER: The Book of Mormon Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone The Scottsboro Boys Music & Lyrics: John Kander & Fred Ebb Sister Act Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Glenn Slater Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek Best Revival of a Play Arcadia Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Roger Berlind, Stephanie P. McClelland, Scott M. Delman, Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Disney Theatrical Group, Robert G. Bartner, Olympus Theatricals, Douglas Smith, Janine Safer Whitney The Importance of Being Earnest Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy The Merchant of Venice Producers: The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Andrew D. Hamingson, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Debbie Bisno & Eva Price, Amy Nederlander, Jonathan First, Stewart F. Lane & Bonnie Comley, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Merritt Forrest Baer, The Araca Group, Broadway Across America, Joseph & Matthew Deitch, JK Productions, Terry Allen Kramer, Cathy Chernoff/Jay & Cindy Gutterman, Mallory Factor/Cheryl Lachowicz, Joey Parnes, The Shubert Organization WINNER: The Normal Heart Producers: Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind, Martian Entertainment, Gregory Rae, Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser Best Revival of a Musical WINNER: Anything Goes Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Producers: Broadway Across America, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Joseph Smith, Michael McCabe, Candy Spelling, Takonkiet Viravan/Scenario Thailand, Hilary A. Williams, Jen Namoff/Fakston Productions, Two Left Feet Productions/Power Arts, Hop Theatricals, LLC/Paul Chau/Daniel Frishwasser/Michael Jackowitz, Michael Speyer-Bernie Abrams/Jacki Barlia Florin-Adam Blanshay/Arlene Scanlan/TBS Service Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice WINNER: Mark Rylance, Jerusalem Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday WINNER: Frances McDormand, Good People Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical WINNER: Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical WINNER: Sutton Foster, Anything Goes Beth Leavel, Baby It's You! Patina Miller, Sister Act Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem Billy Crudup, Arcadia WINNER: John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play WINNER: Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves Judith Light, Lombardi Joanna Lumley, La Bête Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys Adam Godley, Anything Goes WINNER: John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Victoria Clark, Sister Act WINNER: Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Best Scenic Design of a Play Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat WINNER: Rae Smith, War Horse Ultz, Jerusalem Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice Best Scenic Design of a Musical Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys Derek McLane, Anything Goes WINNER: Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Best Costume Design of a Play Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice WINNER: Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest Mark Thompson, La Bête Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday Best Costume Design of a Musical WINNER: Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Best Lighting Design of a Play WINNER: Paule Constable, War Horse David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem Best Lighting Design of a Musical Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes WINNER: Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon Best Sound Design of a Play Acme Sound Partners and Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Simon Baker, Brief Encounter Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem WINNER: Christopher Shutt, War Horse Best Sound Design of a Musical Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can Brian Ronan, Anything Goes WINNER: Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon Best Direction of a Play WINNER: Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice Best Direction of a Musical Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes WINNER: Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys Best Choreography Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying WINNER: Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys Best Orchestrations Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys WINNER: Larry Hochman & Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Athol Fugard Philip J. Smith Regional Theatre Tony Award Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago, Ill.) Isabelle Stevenson Award Eve Ensler Special Tony Award Handspring Puppet Company Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre William Berloni The Drama Book Shop Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts [gallery=756]

Source: http://www.celebritygossiphollywood.com/general/red-carpet-general/list-of-winners-for-2011-tony-awards/

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