June?s BeatCrave Fav is Announced: Joy Valencia!
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beatcrave/~3/YvkSkR5gdE4/
'I'm still in it? No way!,' actor tells MTV News.
By Aly Semigran, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Forget the NCAA Tournament: This is the bracket to end all brackets. For weeks, Harry Potter fans — in preparation for the saga's final installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," opening in theaters on Friday — have been participating in our "Harry Potter" World Cup, which will determine who is the best character in the series, as chosen by you.
And after thousands of votes and some major upsets in just about every seed (Harry's out!), we are down to the Final Four. There's the headstrong Hermione Granger vs. the redemptive Severus Snape and the rogue Sirius vs. the beloved Ron Weasley. MTV's own Josh Horowitz announced the exciting news to Mr. Weasley himself, Rupert Grint, to which the actor happily responded, "I'm still in it? No way!"
While Grint isn't sure of his chances of taking the whole Cup should he end up going against Hermione or Severus in the final round ("I don't think I could do that — I mean, Snape is a great character," he told us), the 22-year-old is honored simply to have made it this far. "It's amazing. It's quite touching really," Grint said of the "Potter" and, more specifically, Ron Weasley fans.
See the full bracket and vote!
In fact, the Cup has given the "Potter" cast the chance to see how relentlessly devoted the fans are to the series and the characters. "It's the only time you're kind of aware of how important these films are to people," said Grint of events like the Cup or premieres, where devotees wait out for days and scream out for their favorite stars.
While rabid fanbases may scare off some stars of popular sagas, Grint only has the fondest feelings for those who have made the "Harry Potter" films part of their lives for the past decade. As he put it to MTV News, "It's great. I'm going to miss it all, really." Join the club.
"Harry Potter" fans will get the chance to determine whether Ron Weasley will go to the next round as voting for the Final Four continues through midnight. Then, the final showdown in the World Cup starts immediately at 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday, July 11. The winner of the "Harry Potter" World Cup will be announced later Monday evening during MTV's live stream of the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" red-carpet premiere in New York.
We're streaming live from the red carpet at the New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" on Monday, July 11, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Visit MTV.com to watch interviews with the stars and see the winner of the "Harry Potter" World Cup announced live. Tweet your questions for the cast @MTVNews using the hashtag #AskPotter.
Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."
Related Videos Related PhotosSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667024/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-2-world-cup.jhtml
'I will be donating all of my personal proceeds...to various human rights organizations,' singer says of concert linked to Libyan dictator.
By Shawn Adler
Usher (file)
Photo: Getty Images
R&B superstar Usher announced Friday (March 4) that he was donating to various charities proceeds from appearing at a private event at St. Barts linked to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, according to a statement made to the Associated Press.
The Grammy award winner's renouncement comes after similar announcements from singers Mariah Carey, Nelly Furtado, and Beyoncé, all of whom were revealed to have performed at private concerts linked to the Middle Eastern leader, who has faced open revolt and major political uprisings since February.
"I am sincerely troubled to learn about the circumstances surrounding the Nikki Beach St. Bart's event that took place on New Year's Eve 2009," Usher said of the concert, at which he appeared alongside Beyoncé but did not perform. "I will be donating all of my personal proceeds from that event to various human rights organizations."
Usher has already begun the process, having made a donation to Amnesty International, the AP reports. The exact size of the donation is not known.
The New Year's Eve gig was reportedly for Moammar's fourth son Muastassim, who an unnamed music industry source told MTV News has a history of throwing lavish parties "jammed" with supermodels.
Beyoncé, who sang at the event, donated all proceeds from her performance to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, established in the wake of the Haitian earthquake.
"All monies paid to Beyoncé for her performance at a private party at Nikki Beach St. Barts on New Year's Eve 2009, including the commissions paid to her booking agency, were donated to the earthquake relief efforts for Haiti over a year ago," the "Halo" singer's publicist said in a statement to The Huffington Post. "Once it became known that the third-party promoter was linked to the Qaddafi family, the decision was made to put that payment to a good cause."
Singer Nelly Furtado tweeted February 28 that she plans to make similar amends.
"In 2007, I received 1million$ from the Gadhafi clan to perform a 45 min. show for guests at a hotel in Italy," she tweeted. "I am going to donate the $."
The leader of Libya since a successful military coup in 1969, Gadhafi has reportedly lost control of much of his country as a result of widespread uprisings. The United Nations voted unanimously to refer the dictator to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1659301/usher-donate-gadhafi-money-charity.jhtml
Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/07/11/harry-potter-world-cup-tom-felton/
Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/07/11/harry-potter-world-cup-tom-felton/
As Prince William and Kate Middleton have made their tour around Canada and the U.S., one thing everybody's been over-the-moon obsessed with is what Kate's wearing. I, for one, just don't care. It's not that I don't think Kate's a gorgeous girl with Pantene model hair—she's clearly stunning and blah blah blah, the picture of English Rose beauty. But really, there is nothing particularly noteworthy about the clothes that she throws on.
Source: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-can-we-stop-pretending-kate-middleton-is-a-style-icon/?eref=RSS
As Prince William and Kate Middleton have made their tour around Canada and the U.S., one thing everybody's been over-the-moon obsessed with is what Kate's wearing. I, for one, just don't care. It's not that I don't think Kate's a gorgeous girl with Pantene model hair—she's clearly stunning and blah blah blah, the picture of English Rose beauty. But really, there is nothing particularly noteworthy about the clothes that she throws on.
Source: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-can-we-stop-pretending-kate-middleton-is-a-style-icon/?eref=RSS
Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Christina Aguilera are also in the running this Fourth of July.
By John Mitchell, with additional reporting by Danielle Genet
Today is the Fourth of July — happy birthday, America! — and that means it's time to celebrate the most patriotic ladies in music! Whether they're singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in front of millions or wearing their love of their country on their sleeve (sometimes very literally), these ladies are living the American dream.
And this isn't some arbitrary ranking, either! To determine who the most patriotic divas are, we got positively scientific (just go with it). We assessed these ladies' patriotism based on four areas. Each was awarded one point if she, A) appeared at a patriotic event or in a pro-America public service announcement, B) was photographed wearing American flag-related clothing, C) sang the national anthem at a public event or D) released an America-themed song. The lady with the most points won.
So who are the top America-lovin' ladies in music today? Check 'em out!
Britney Spears
Spears famously appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 2000 wearing an American-flag belly shirt with a play on Uncle Sam's famous saying running beside her: "Britney Wants You!" We decided to be pretty liberal with what constitutes a patriotic event, so we are going to give Spears a combined single point for appearing at two very American (but not specifically about America) events: the NASCAR Winston Cup Pepsi 400 in 2001 and the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show.
Alas, Spears has not released a song specifically about America, despite being "Miss American Dream since I was 17." She also, curiously enough, hasn't performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in her pop-star era. (There is a six-second YouTube clip of her performing the national anthem at age 8, but she wasn't a sanctioned diva back then.)
Score: 2
Miley Cyrus
We thought of Cyrus for this list specifically because of her good-times jam "Party in the U.S.A.," which is not only about America but weirdly became a bona fide anthem that reflected the mood in the country following the death of Osama Bin Laden.
But just when we thought we could award the young pop star only one point, we stumbled upon her PSA for the American Red Cross, asking for support in the wake of the earthquake that ravaged northern Japan earlier this year. Way to lend your celebrity to both a very American organization and an allied country in dire need, Miley!
Score: 2
Lady Gaga
America is all about being yourself. We are a melting pot, after all. And Lady Gaga is all about being herself, and she wants you to be yourself too — there's nothing more American than that!
We'd love to see her put those killer pipes to use and sing the national anthem, but she hasn't done it just yet. She does earn points, however, in the three other areas of our survey. Gaga is, interestingly, perhaps the pop star most involved in the democratic process. Last year she spoke at the National Equality March and at rallies in Maine to encourage the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. She even appeared in a PSA for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network asking her fans to contact their senators to voice their displeasure with the policy.
On the sartorial front, she sported an American-flag bikini in her "Telephone" video. (Wouldn't you have been more surprised if we had told you that Lady Gaga had never worn the American flag?) She also has a song on her most recent album, Born This Way, called "Americano."
Score: 3
Christina Aguilera
Aguilera is known for her awesome singing voice, so it's no surprise that she has performed the national anthem at several major events, including this year's Super Bowl, where she mangled the lyrics something fierce in an uncommon bout of nervousness. (That's what it was, right? Seriously, she's done "The Star-Spangled Banner" about a thousand times!)
The "Beautiful" singer also filmed PSAs for "Rock the Vote" in 2008 to encourage young people to get out and do their duty as U.S. citizens. In the clips, she sings "America the Beautiful" a cappella while holding her newborn son Max, who is wrapped in an American flag (double points!). Yes, Aguilera herself isn't draped in the flag, but we thought we'd give her the point anyway because of her USO-themed video for "Candyman."
Score: 3
Katy Perry
Perry impresses in three of our categories. Late last year, she performed at the "USO Presents: VH1 Divas Salute the Troops" concert at Miramar, California, where she also wore an American-flag bustier. That is not the only instance of flag-waving clothing Perry has sported, however. During an appearance on British TV show James Corden's "World Cup Live!," Perry wore a latex flag dress.
Given her frequent pro-America attire, we're going to give Perry the benefit of the doubt and count her pro-tolerance anthem "Firework" as an America-themed song, because in America, all men and women are created equal, and that's basically what "Firework" is all about. Also, it's the Fourth of July, people. Fireworks!
Score: 3
Beyoncé
Was it even really a contest? Beyoncé sang (and nailed) "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2004 Super Bowl in her hometown of Houston, Texas.
What's more American than singing the national anthem at America's most-watched sporting event? Well, perhaps being personally asked by the president to perform at his inauguration. The girl (who runs the world) was asked to sing "At Last" while Barack and Michelle Obama had their first dance as president and first lady of the United States.
Beyoncé recently released a cover of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." to benefit the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund. (Seriously, could she be more awesome?) Having worn the American flag as a dress to get down opposite Lady Gaga in the video for "Telephone," Queen B is the only diva who fulfills all our categories.
When it comes to Beyoncé and America, we could go on and on — she recently repurposed one of her hits for Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" anti-obesity campaign, and in 2001, she performed with Destiny's Child at the United We Stand: What More Can I Give? benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. — wearing American-flag pants, we might add. But it's the Fourth of July, and we think a real patriot like B would prefer you get out and celebrate America's 235th birthday instead of celebrating her dedication to the US of A!
Score: 4 (OMG, you guys, not only is 4 B's lucky number, it's the name of her latest record!)
Who did we miss? Share your pick for the most patriotic diva in the comments below!
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666769/fourth-of-july-4th-beyonce-lady-gaga.jhtml
Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmy Rossum Erica Leerhsen Erika Christensen
Alanis Morissette and her husband Mario "Souleye" Treadway were seen taking their 6-month-old son Ever Imre on an outing in Pacific Palisades, Calif. on Saturday (July 9).
The baby looked adorable in his sun hat while snuggled up close to his rapper dad.
Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2011/07/10/alanis-morissette-family
New track with Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha follows leaked version, plus Brit tweets single's cover art.
By Jocelyn Vena
The "Till the World Ends" Femme Fatale remix
Photo: Jive
Just days after it was leaked on Friday, Britney Spears and her femme fatales, Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha, dropped their official remix of "Till the World Ends."
The new version of the song was produced by Dr. Luke and Dream Machine. Brit half-whispers " 'Till the World Ends' remix" before the beat kicks in and Nicki hits her verse hard. She spits fierce lines like, "Sniff, sniff, cries/ I done slayed your whole entire f---ing life."
Then Britney's sex-kitten vocals kick in for the song's first verse. "That's Britney, bitch! I'm Nicki Minaj and that's Ke$ha," the Queens MC declares before K sings the chorus. The beat is harder, the loops are sassier and the song is grimier than the original version, which was the second single from Femme Fatale. The newly added dubstep portion takes the one from "Hold It Against Me" to a new level by adding in bass-heavy synths.
Ke$ha, of course, wrote the track for Britney, and the ladies certainly don't seem to mind sharing the spotlight with each other. The official track isn't much different than the version that leaked over the weekend, though Spears did have something brand-new to share with her fans just as the song dropped on iTunes and streamed on her website.
Spears tweeted the artwork for the single, which features the original press photo of Spears along with separate photos of Nicki on the left and Ke$ha on the right. Spears wrote, "@NickiMinaj @Keshasuxx Too much fierceness for one cover! Thanks for lending your voices girls... #TTWEREMIX — Brit"
Spears and Minaj have been hanging out a lot in the lead-up to their summer tour. They hung out at the Factory nightclub on Friday night after Minaj's show in Los Angeles. Spears later wrote, "Early rehearsal after a late night with my girl @NickiMinaj. Can't WAIT to get out on the road with you."
What do you think of the "Till the World Ends" remix? Tell us in the comments!
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