Usher, Ke$ha And More Help Dance Music Go Pop In 2010

But is it here to stay? Our music-industry experts weigh in.
By Akshay Bhansali


Ke$ha
Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images

In 2010, pop princesses, R&B icons and chart-dominating newcomers all danced to the same beat. Not only did dance music go pop, but pop music caught the club-music bug.

Between Katy Perry's "Firework," Ke$ha's "We R Who We R," Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)," Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It," Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "OMG" and countless other singles, established artists definitely looked to dance beats for surefire hits. And two of this year's biggest success stories in music were Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz; could there be a soul left in this country who hasn't heard "Dynamite" or "In My Head"?

The love went both ways, with dance music's biggest stars finding mainstream success this year. Dance-music maestro deadmau5 took up house-artist duties at this year's VMAs, and Swedish House Mafia and Usher teamed up for a medley of their gems at the American Music Awards.

So how did this happen? We caught up with some music-industry experts to get their takes.

"You definitely saw tempos go up this year," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times told MTV News. "And I think what you had are a lot of producers who are really familiar with nightclub stuff. They are familiar with Europe. Things are happening on a more global scale now."

"I think everything from Europe, and sometimes even Asia, it comes to America, and we just adopt things a little bit slower," said Jared Eng of JustJared.com. "I think it was just a change. People like different types of music at different times. And dance was of this moment."

Noah Callahan of Complex magazine added: "I think 2010 saw the merging of the pop and dance genres. Pop artists realized that there were best practices that could be borrowed from dance music. And, ultimately, [all] pop music that has been made in the past 20 years had ended up being remixed for the club by dance artists. I think they basically just cut out the middleman and went straight there."

Dance music being introduced into the hip-hop and R&B realms was particularly notable this year.

"I think David Guetta kind of at the end of last year and the beginning of this year spearheaded it," said freelance writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. "He produced a lot of tracks. I think as trends go, people revile 'unst-unst.' But it's just coming back around. Big-room techno was a way for people to get decadent in a year that no one could get decadent."

"You have someone like will.i.am, who's like, 'Well, I spent all this time in Ibiza, and this is what they are doing,' and he wants to find a way to bring that into his music," Caramanica said of the Black Eyed Peas mastermind. "R&B especially became dance music. And especially with your Jason Derülos, Taio Cruzes. Guys like that would have literally been blocked at the border two years ago. That would not have made it through customs. And now all of a sudden they have #1 songs. I think will.i.am had a lot to do with that last year."

Elliott Wilson of RapRadar.com added: "It's actually even affected hip-hop. I was talking to Q-Tip, and his next record, I feel like that's gonna kind of go in that vein. I know that was also Jay-Z's thought process with Blueprint 3 at first, that he wanted to make a little bit more of a world music [vibe], a little more dancey. I think the kids today want to go to the clubs. They wanna have a good time. They wanna dance. So I think the artists of today are trying to kind of feed that audience."

"I think it's caught on this year because the people who've done it have been successful," offered Clover Hope of Vibe magazine. "Like 'OMG,' with usher, he didn't have success until he made a dance record. He had 'There Goes My Baby' and these really, like, adult-contemporary records that didn't really catch on. And then once you see that everybody is doing it and that people are liking it, they are like, 'OK, let me just try this out.' It's like Auto-Tune. Like, 'Let me see what I sound like on a record by David Guetta.' They end up liking it and doing more of it."

So does the club-music trend have staying power. According to our tastemakers, not so much.

"I do think it's a blip," Caramanica said. "I don't think that's gonna be something that lasts in America. I think this is gonna be a moment we'll all look back on and go, 'Wasn't that weird when Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz had #1 records?"

"At some point, these R&B artists will get kind of sick of it and be like, 'Let me go back to my soul background,' " Hope said. "When you actually have to say something, dance doesn't really lend itself to substance. And I think that R&B artists, they really want to talk about love and in a deep way, and to do that, you need to do, like, a soul or a traditional R&B record. I want to say that it's kind of a fad."

"I think music is very cyclical," Eng offered. "So I think dance music might be here for a little bit, but I'm sure it will phase out at some point."

Wilson called dance music "the sound of today. I think that people want more aggressive, faster beats, and I think that that probably has legs until at least next summer."

What do you think? Is dance music here to stay? Let us know in the comments!

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Lady Gaga To Receive Fashion Icon Award

The pop superstar will receive the prize at the 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards on June 6 in New York City.
By Jocelyn Vena


Lady Gaga
Photo: Noel Vasquez/ Getty Images

Lady Gaga is certainly known for her eye-popping, always-evolving style, and she has shown her passion for fashion at numerous high-profile events. This hasn't gone unnoticed by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, as the trade organization announced on Wednesday night that the pop star will be among its 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards winners, The Associated Press reports.

Gaga will be presented with the Fashion Icon Award at this year's ceremony, which will take place on June 6 in New York City. CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg and executive director Steven Kolb made the announcement at the DVF Studio in the Big Apple, where all the nominations were made public for the event.

Also set to be recognized at the CFDA Awards is designer Marc Jacobs, will who will receive the lifetime achievement award. According to von Furstenberg, Jacobs e-mailed her noting that he didn't think he was old enough for the honor and that he wanted it renamed the "half-lifetime award." She explained to the fashionistas in the room, "I told him that I'm much older than him and I'm still kicking." In addition, Jacobs garnered a nomination for the Womenswear Designer of the Year prize, as did Alexander Wang and the design duo Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler.

The Olsen twins are also up for an award. They will be competing in the womenswear category for emerging talent for their collection The Row, going up against Prabal Gurung and Joseph Altuzarra. The International Award will go to Phoebe Philo, who designs for Celine and who gets a shout-out from Kanye West on "Dark Fantasy," the lead cut from his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album.

Other 2011 CFDA nominees include Wang, Phillip Lim and Robert Geller in the up-and-coming menswear designer category, and Alejandro Ingelmo, Eddie Borgo, Pamela Love and Jason Wu for accessories.

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Usher To Donate Gadhafi Money To Charity

'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.

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'Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules' Knocks Out 'Sucker Punch' At Box Office

While the kids-friendly sequel ruled the weekend, "Just Go With It" became the 12th Adam Sandler movie to gross more than $100 million.
By Ryan J. Downey


Grayson Russell in "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules"
Photo: FOX

In the weekend battle of the flashy, hyper-stylized action flick versus the kid-movie-franchise sequel, it turned out that Rodrick did, in fact, rule. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" bested "Sucker Punch" at the box office to become the #1 movie in the United States with a $22.4 million debut.

Based on the second installment of the kid-friendly book series, "Wimpy Kid" bested the debut of its predecessor, which took in $21.8 million when it was released around this same time last year. All figures are according to studio estimates.

The $19 million opening of "Sucker Punch," meanwhile, was less than the debuts of director Zack Snyder's previous movies "300," "Watchmen" or "Dawn of the Dead." While the latter three films were based on preexisting sources, "Sucker Punch," a loud music-driven action fantasy about a group of girls in a mental institution who lead dream-world lives as action heroines, was Snyder's first wholly original concept. A mere 22 percent of critics reviewed it positively, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

News that the 45-year-old director has cast Amy Adams as Lois Lane in his forthcoming superhero reboot "Superman: Man of Steel" overshadowed talk of "Sucker Punch" across Twitter and film blogs on Sunday.

Last week's #1 movie, "Limitless," brought in another $15.2 million, for a domestic total of $41.3 million. With an estimated production budget of $27 million, the movie's numbers are great news for Bradley Cooper, who chose the flick as his first real starring vehicle since finding fame.

The modest success of "The Lincoln Lawyer" is great news of a different kind for Matthew McConaughey. It's his best-reviewed film in years. Telling the story of a conflicted lawyer working cases from his car, the movie has reminded critics that the sometimes-ridiculed leading man does have real talent. "The Lincoln Lawyer" brought in $11 million to land at #4, with a $29 million total.

Johnny Depp's animated "Rango" was one of two movies to cross the $100 million mark over the weekend. The movie landed in fifth place with a $9.8 million take, for a $106.4 million total. Meanwhile, "Just Go With It" became the 12th Adam Sandler movie to gross more than $100 million domestically. Although the romantic comedy is no longer in the top 10 at the box office, it has earned a total of $100.3 million.

Sci-fi action flick "Battle: Los Angeles" was #6 with $7.6 million, for a $72.6 million total. The loving sci-fi homage "Paul" dropped roughly 45 percent in its second weekend of release, earning $7.5 million to land at #7 while upping its total earnings to $24.6 million. The Nick Frost/ Simon Pegg comedy cost about $40 million to make. "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke's "Red Riding Hood" was #8 with $4.3 million, for a $32.5 million total. Matt Damon's "The Adjustment Bureau" was #9 with $4.2 million, for a $54.9 million total.

International tickets, after-market sales and a built-in diehard fanbase will probably save "Paul" from being remembered as a failure, but the weekend's #10 movie, which shares an alien theme, likely won't escape that fate. The animated "Mars Needs Moms" made $2.2 million, bringing its total take to $19.2 million against an estimated $150 million production budget.

Next weekend's new releases include "Moon" director Duncan Jones' "Source Code," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga; the Easter-themed kid's movie "Hop," featuring the voice of Russell Brand; the haunted-house flick "Insidious"; and the action/comedy "Super," with Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon.

Check out everything we've got on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules," "Sucker Punch" and "Limitless."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Chris Cornell Filling In For Robert Plant On Led Zeppelin Tour? That's News To Him

'I have not been approached to fill in for Robert Plant on the Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be,' singer says.
By Chris Harris


Chris Cornell
Photo: MTV News

Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell has spoken out for the first time about rumors that he's been asked to fill in for Robert Plant on a proposed Led Zeppelin reunion tour. The trek would feature original guitarist Jimmy Page, original bassist John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham taking over on drums for his late father, John Bonham.

Cornell has been mentioned — along with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, White Stripes mastermind Jack White and Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy — as a potential Plant fill-in. Plant has already said that he wouldn't take part in the tour.

"I have not been approached so far to fill in for Robert Plant on the upcoming Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be," Cornell told MTV News. "I've heard that from about 200 people now, and it might be one of those situations where it's just an online rumor or it might be true. But if you see anyone from Led Zeppelin around, let me know. I think I should actually fill in for Jimmy Page on the Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss tour."

Cornell's denial comes just a day after Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford confirmed reports that frontman Steven Tyler recently met with Zeppelin for an impromptu jam session. "They did it for fun," Whitford said during an appearance on the syndicated show "Todd N Tyler Radio Empire." "I actually think Jimmy wanted Steven to come over and play a little bit because I think he was trying to light a fire under Robert."

Rumors of a Zeppelin reunion tour have abounded since the iconic band played a single reunion set last year at London's O2 Arena. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider added fuel to the fire last month when he revealed that the group was thinking of touring, with or without Plant.

According to Snider, the rest of the band told Plant, " 'We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid [Myles Kennedy].' "

"And he can sing the sh-- out of Zeppelin," Snider added. "They're going to hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, 'OK,' and step in."

In a recent interview, Jones told BBC Radio Devon that a new singer was being sought to take over for Plant. "We are trying out a couple of singers," he said. "We want to do it. It's sounding great, and we want to get on and get out there."

But Jones insists that he, Page and Bonham aren't interested in finding a Plant clone. "It's got to be right," he said. "There's no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be onboard."

Of course, even if Zeppelin were to approach him, Cornell might be too busy to take over vocals for the band. His upcoming Timbaland-produced solo LP, Scream, will be released within the next few months. Cornell told MTV News last month that some of his fans might consider Scream something of a departure, but he doesn't see it that way.

"It makes me happy that there's this perception that I have a group of fans that I'm now sort of throwing a curve at and what their reaction will be," he said. "But I've been in this situation so many times already. When I put out [1999's] Euphoria Morning, my main goal was to create an album that sounded like nothing I'd done in Soundgarden, and I did that. I also had that with Temple of the Dog, where I showed up with songs that weren't necessarily riff-based. And then, of course, the pairing of me and members of Rage Against the Machine had everyone sort of speculating about what that would sound like.

"It feels like I've done this so many times that when it's presented to me as being a departure, I feel that's a misconception," he added. "I feel like that's my theme at this point."

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