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Britney Spears On Working With Lady Gaga: ‘Anything’s Possible’
Singer poses on manga-inspired Pop cover.
By James Dinh
Britney Spears on the cover of <i>Pop</i>
Photo: J-Pop
From schoolgirl to toxic temptress, Britney Spears has played many characters throughout the years. But the singer took a very different approach for her photo spread in the upcoming issue of the U.K.’s Pop magazine by channeling her inner manga character. In the issue, the pop princess dished about the possibilities of a Lady Gaga collaboration and working with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami for the anime-inspired cover.
Despite Gaga overthrowing Spears as the most-followed celebrity on Twitter, the singer had no hard feelings toward pop’s newest sensation. “I’m a big fan of hers,” she said when asked about working with Gaga. “Anything’s possible!”
A collaboration between the pop stars doesn’t seem out of the question, as Gaga’s mega-hit “Telephone” duet with Beyoncé was originally offered to Spears.
Donning a white wedding dress and a veil with matching gloves, Spears innocently poses in a field of flowers on the cover. In another photo, the singer trades the dress for a leg-baring getup accessorized with a red backpack.
Spears’ manga-style shoot was shot by Todd Cole with art direction from Takashi Murakami, who is often referred to as the “Andy Warhol of Japan.” While the spread strays from the singer’s typical styling, the pop star enjoyed working with the artist. “I loved working with Takashi,” she said. “I especially liked how he took high-end fashion and incorporated it with Japanese manga.”
The singer’s tour to Japan was what originally piqued her interest in Japanese culture. “We looked at a lot of characters and artwork before we shot, so I could get a feel for what he was looking for,” she explained. “I was in Japan on my past promo tour, and I loved it.”
Editor in Chief Dasha Zhukova spoke to Style.com about the singer’s Japanese treatment: “She’s feminine, sassy, strong-willed, determined: all the things a great Pop icon should be. Couple that with some Japanese swimsuits and a Rodarte wedding gown, and I think she is pretty much Pop personified!”
Spears couldn’t wait to share her excitement for her photo shoot with fans. The pop star took to Twitter, saying, “I just saw the photos for the first time and they are beautiful. Comes out Sept. 1st. Thanks @TakashiPom — Britney.”
Aside from gracing the cover of Pop magazine, the singer has already filmed a cameo for her “Glee” tribute episode and is working on completing the follow-up to 2008’s Circus.
What do you think of Britney’s manga-inspired photo shoot? Would you like to hear a Britney and Gaga collabo? Share your thoughts below!
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‘Glee’ Creator On Britney Spears Cameo: ‘It Was Like The President Had Come’
‘I couldn’t get into my own sets at one point, which I thought was hilarious,’ Ryan Murphy says.
By James Dinh
Heather Morris and Britney Spears on the set of “Glee”
Photo: Facebook
Britney Spears may be a pop princess, but “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy felt as if the president had stopped by the set during Spears’ recent visit to William McKinley High. Murphy dished about what went down when the singer filmed her cameo for the “Britney/Brittany” episode.
“It was literally like the President had come,” Murphy told E! Online. “We all had to wear wristbands. I couldn’t get into my own sets at one point, which I thought was hilarious.”
Murphy thought Spears was moved by the cast’s admiration for her. “I think she was really impressed about how so many kids of the show do what they do because they grew up wanting to be Britney Spears,” he said. “She was really sweet with them. We had a number with a bunch of 8-year-old dancers in the show and she spent a lot of time talking to them, and they did the number for her … She was so sweet, she’s great with kids, she was so awesome.”
But security remained tight, Murphy said, because “everybody was sort of trying to get into the set and find out what the hell she’s doing in the episode.” What Spears will be doing on the show is still unknown, but a picture the singer tweeted from the set suggests that she may be playing some sort of receptionist.
Aside from hanging with the pop princess on set, the “Glee” creator also got to hear some of Spears’ new material. “I got to hear some of the music she’s putting out later this fall or early next year,” Murphy said. “It’s really a great return to form for her; the songs are amazing so I feel she’s riding the crest.”
And while there has been talk of Madonna tunes blaring the speaker intercoms once again, Murphy has also revealed that Britney “probably” will reprise her cameo spot on “Glee” episodes.
Last week, the singer tweeted photos of herself on set alongside Murphy and castmember Heather Morris. Posing in front of a set that looked similar to the singer’s “Me Against the Music” video backdrop, Spears channeled the Madonna look that was donned in their 2003 collaboration.
What kind of character do you want to see Britney play on “Glee”? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Lady Gaga Thanks Fans For Twitter Crown
The singer shouts out her fans for making her the most-followed tweeter.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Lady Gaga
Photo: Derek Storm/ Splash News
Lady Gaga’s millions of fans have another title to call their Mother Monster: Queen of Twitter.
After steadily gaining on Britney Spears, who until recently was the most-followed user on the social-networking site, Gaga surpassed her fellow pop supernova over the weekend by landing over 5.7 million followers. At press time, Gaga’s Twitter army clocked in at 5,726,168 deep, besting Brit, who had 5,696,275 followers. Just days ago, the chart-toppers were neck-and-neck, with Spears boasting 5,646,028 Twitter peeps to Gaga’s 5,635,460.
When Gaga learned she had dethroned Spears, she took to the Internet to thank the people who made it all possible: her fans. In a video posted online, Gaga doles out heaps of “monster” love to her followers for solidifying her digital dominance.
Sporting a lace headpiece adorned with a sequined Twitter logo and an ornamental Gaga-fied version of the site’s familiar bird symbol, the singer addressed her nearly 6 million followers.
“Hello world, this is Lady Gaga, queen of Twitter,” said the singer, with a flourish of an illuminated scepter and a sprinkle of glitter; a move that was part-Elizabethan royalty and part-Glinda the Good Witch. “I wanted to thank all my beautiful little monsters for following me. Thank you for beginning my reign as Twitter queen.”
The singer then wished her Twitter-dom only the most enjoyable of experiences when logging onto the micro-blogging site.
“May you always have soft cuticles while tweeting,” Gaga said wistfully. “May you never have carpal tunnel.”
The “Alejandro” singer, who filmed the clip backstage at her Monster Ball Tour stop in Tacoma, Washington, promised to keep the Twitter nonsense to a minimum. “I vow never to partake in celebrity online shenanigans,” Gaga said. “And I vow to always tweet and tweet again.”
Before signing off, Gaga left her legions of viral fans with a few words of encouragement.
“Just remember that I love you,” Gaga said. “And love you yourself. Because little monsters, you were born that way, baby. I love you Twitter. See you at the Monster Ball.”
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Britney Spears May Cover ‘Me Against The Music’ On ‘Glee’
Pop star tweeted a photo showing her and castmember Heather Morris sporting looks from Madonna duet video.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Heather Morris and Britney Spears on the set of “Glee”
Photo: Facebook
It appears viewers may get a taste of Madonna in Britney Spears’ “Glee” episode.
Spears, who has been sending out updates from the set of the Fox megahit, tweeted a picture of herself in a scene reminiscent of her Madonna collaboration, “Me Against the Music.” In the picture, Spears faces “Glee” castmember Heather Morris, who is decked out in a suit and blue shirt similar to the gender-bending look the superstar singer sports in the 2003 video. Instead of reprising her original look, though, Spears appears to be taking on Madonna’s role, donning an all-white outfit reminiscent of Madge’s look in the clip.
The singer accompanied the picture with a Twitter missive referencing the lyrics from the uptempo track: “All my GLEEKERS in the crowd, Grab a partner take it down.”
In addition to possibly revamping “Me Against the Music,” the upcoming Britney tribute episode will feature the smash hit that started it all. Jenna Ushkowitz confirmed to MTV News earlier this month that Lea Michele will perform a version of ” … Baby One More Time.” Ushkowitz also revealed that fans may see a match-up between the “Circus” superstar and the show’s in-house Brittany.
“Some old Britney, some new Britney, some Brittany of our Brittany from the glee club. So it should be funny,” Ushkowitz said. “We’re really excited. I love Britney Spears.”
Madonna didn’t participate in the making of her “Glee” tribute episode but Spears appears to be having fun on the set.
“We love GLEE! Its GLEEKERIFIC!!!” Spears tweeted on Thursday (August 19). The singer also tweeted about her first day of filming on Wednesday and sent out another picture. “What’s up GLEEKS? Having so much fun on set!!” Spears typed. “Can’t wait for you guys to see the episode!”
What songs do you hope will turn up in the Britney Spears “Glee” episode? Let us know in the comments below!
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Lady Gaga Close To Besting Britney Spears In Twitter Followers
Spears is the world’s top tweeter, but Gaga is hot on her heels.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kristian Dowling/ Getty Images
Lady Gaga’s near-dominance of all things social media is reaching a pivotal point: Mother Monster is poised to topple Britney Spears as the most-followed Twitter user.
According to the social-media website FameCount, which tracks the most popular entities on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, Spears is the world’s top tweeter, with more than 5.6 million followers, but Gaga is right on her heels. As of Thursday afternoon (August 19), Spears’ followers numbered 5,646,028, while Gaga’s online army of “little monsters” was 5,635,460 strong. The ranking could switch very soon, since Gaga has netted around 600,000 new followers this month, while Spears pulled in about 200,000. The site also lists Gaga as the most popular online entity worldwide, with more than 16 million Facebook fans and 330,000 YouTube subscribers.
Gaga’s pre-eminent Twitter status is just the latest milestone marking the pop phenom’s powerful viral presence. Last month, Gaga soared past the leader of the free world, President Obama, in Facebook fans. The “Alejandro” singer was also the first living person to notch 10 million fans on the intensely popular social-networking website.
Despite runaway online popularity that rivals her chart-topping music sales, Gaga still has to fend off competition from other pop stars. In July, Justin Bieber bested Gaga for the most-watched music video on YouTube with more than 245,746,720 views for the Ludacris-assisted collabo “Baby.” Gaga’s futuristic-disco extravaganza “Bad Romance” was close behind with 245,596,709. Bieber has since widened the gap, however, with “Baby” scoring 292,285,435 views to Gaga’s 264,533,336 YouTube spins at press time.
Gaga’s viral presence is undeniable, but the singer’s outsize fan support has yielded results in the form of cold hard cash as well. After circling the globe on her Monster Ball Tour since November of last year, the seat-filling tour is on track to gross $200 million worldwide by April 2011.
Are you following Lady Gaga on Twitter? Who are some of your favorite celebrity tweeters? Let us know in the comments below!
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Britney Spears Tweets A Picture From ‘Glee’ Set
‘Can’t wait for you guys to see the episode!’ Spears writes on Twitter.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Britney Spears and her assistant Brett Miller
Photo: Twitter
For fans who may have doubted whether the Britney Spears “Glee” episode is happening, the pop sensation has just provided photographic proof.
The star gave fans a glimpse of her inner-”Gleek” on Wednesday (August 18) by posting a TwitPic of herself next to her assistant Brett Miller, a Spears doppelgänger, both sporting similar specs and wavy blond locks.
After devoting episodes to the dance-floor-filling repertoires of Madonna and Lady Gaga, “Glee” is hard at work bringing Spears’ string of hits to William McKinley High. So far, Spears, who makes a cameo in the upcoming episode, is enjoying the process.
“About to do my first shot of the day for Glee tweeties! Here we goooo!” Spears tweeted. The “Circus” singer later added, “What’s up GLEEKS? Having so much fun on set!! Can’t wait for you guys to see the episode!”
The “Glee” cast is also pumped to turn out Spears’ smash-hit catalog. “I get to do Britney Spears!” Heather Morris exclaimed to MTV News earlier this month. “I like ‘Toxic’ the best or the ‘Slave’ video. It was always her best performance. She’s rocking! I don’t care what I do.”
Jenna Ushkowitz confirmed that Lea Michele would take on Spears’ star-making debut hit, ” … Baby One More Time.” Aside from Spears’ TwitPic — in which she’s presumably in costume — and “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy’s recent comments that Spears will “kind of” play herself, details about the episode have remained under wraps.
“Some old Britney, some new Britney, some Brittany of our Brittany from the glee club. So it should be funny,” Ushkowitz hinted about the song selection. “We’re really excited. I love Britney Spears.”
What role do you think Britney will play on “Glee”? Let us know in the comments below!
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Britney Spears Repertoire Has ‘Glee’ Cast Gleeking Out
‘There are so many great Britney songs to choose from, how do you pick just one?’ Naya Rivera asks.
By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Kara Warner
“Glee” cast in the Lady Gaga-themed episode
Photo: FOX
The cast of “Glee” are used to mimicking some of the most iconic pop artists of our time, including Lady Gaga and Madonna. And when the show returns for its second season this fall, the castmembers will be gleeking out over another very special pop singer: none other than Britney Spears.
“The reason we’re doing it is because so many of the kids on the show say, ‘We grew up with Britney. We want to do Britney,’ ” show creator Ryan Murphy told MTV News about the upcoming Britney-themed episode.
The “You Drive Me Crazy” singer is already slated for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in the episode, meaning that the spotlight won’t be on Spears herself. Instead, it’s the adoring “Glee” cast’s turn to pay tribute to one of their favorite singers, with rumors floating around that leading lady Lea Michele is set to hone in on Britney’s schoolgirl days with “… Baby One More Time.” And actress Heather Morris told MTV News that she wants to channel her inner “Toxic.” But she’s not the only castmember making requests.
“I think Kurt would sing ‘Circus,’ ” actor Chris Colfer said when asked about the upcoming Spears-centric episode. “Just so he can wear a top hat.”
Amber Riley, who plays the divalicious Mercedes Jones, laughed at Colfer’s suggestion, and it’s certainly hard to blame her. For her own part, Riley sees “Stronger” as a natural fit for Mercedes’ boisterous, self-assured personality. “I like that song,” she assessed with a nod.
Still, there are other “Glee” castmembers — like Naya Rivera, for instance — who aren’t too concerned about which Britney number they end up covering. At the end of the day, there are more than enough memorable songs to go around for everybody.
“There are so many great Britney songs to choose from, how do you pick just one?” Rivera asked. “My fingers are crossed that my favorites will make the list!”
Which Britney songs would you like the “Glee” cast to perform? Tell us in the comments!
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Britney Spears Will ‘Kind Of’ Play Herself On ‘Glee’
‘She sort of wants to do a ‘Where’s Waldo?’-type thing with ‘Where’s Britney?’ ‘ creator Ryan Murphy reveals.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Britney Spears
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Ladies, gentlemen and Gleeks, Ryan Murphy has revealed a few more details about what fans can expect when Britney Spears makes a cameo in an episode of “Glee” dedicated to her and airing next season.
While the show creator wouldn’t say exactly what part Spears will have, he did hint that she would be playing some version of herself.
“Well, it’s her idea. She sort of wants to do a ‘Where’s Waldo?’-type thing with ‘Where’s Britney?’ ” Murphy told MTV News at the “Eat Pray Love” premiere in New York City on Tuesday night. Spears will “kind of” be playing herself, he added. “Yes, that’s all I can say.”
With so much anticipation surrounding the upcoming episode, Murphy said the cast is equally pumped to have the pop icon on set. In fact, many of them had long been pushing for a Spears episode.
“You know, I met with Britney Spears years and years and years ago right when ‘(Hit Me) … Baby One More Time’ came out and I was sort of starting my career, and I’ve always loved her,” he explained. “I think what she’s done in turning everything around is remarkable, and the show is just a love letter to her music.
“And the reason we’re doing it is because so many of the kids on the show say, ‘We grew up with Britney. We want to do Britney,’ ” Murphy continued. “So I said, ‘OK,’ but I’m filled with admiration for her.”
One Gleek who’s particularly excited to get Spears onboard is Heather Morris, who over the weekend at the Teen Choice Awards admitted she couldn’t believe Spears might actually show up on set. “That’d be so nerve-racking,” she said.
When asked which Britney songs she’d like to perform on the show, Morris said, “I like ‘Toxic’ the best or the ‘Slave’ video. It was always her best performance. She’s rocking! I don’t care what I do.”
Would you like to see Britney play herself or another character on “Glee”? Let us know in the comments!
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Britney Spears Set To Appear On ‘Glee’
Creator Ryan Murphy confirms to Ryan Seacrest that pop singer will guest star on tribute episode.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Audrey Kim
Britney Spears
Photo: Todd Williamson/ Getty Images
Lady Gaga: Check. Madonna: Check. “Glee” has featured the music of the pop stars to acclaim in its first season. Yet the show has yet to get high-profile singers Madge and Gaga to appear in person on the show. But another diva is about to change that.
On Tuesday (August 10), show creator Ryan Murphy confirmed to Ryan Seacrest that Britney Spears will make an appearance on “Glee.” Now, fans are anxious to see what they’ll do with the Spears discography in an episode set to air next season.
And the cast seems just as excited as the Gleeks about what’s to come. Heather Morris couldn’t wait to have Spears on set when MTV News spoke to her at the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday.
“I get to do Britney Spears! I’m hearing rumors from other people that she’s supposed to be coming … that’d be so nerve-racking,” she said. “I like ‘Toxic’ the best or the ‘Slave’ video. It was always her best performance. She’s rocking! I don’t care what I do.”
“I mean I can’t really give away songs, but I know we’ve seen pictures of Lea [Michele] in a sports bra,” Jenna Ushkowitz added, confirming online reports that Michele would sing the classic Britney tune ” … Baby One More Time.”
“Some old Britney, some new Britney, some Brittany of our Brittany from the Glee club. So it should be funny,” Ushkowitz teased of featured songs. “We’re really excited. I love Britney Spears.”
Fans also want to know whether Matthew Morrison will go all the way and shave his head as rumored for the episode. But the only thing he would confirm is that he couldn’t confirm anything.
“All rumors,” Morrison told us. “I think you might be surprised. I don’t think I’ll be performing any [songs]. I might sing a little bit of ‘Toxic,’ ” he shared. “I’m not sure. We haven’t really got too far in the script yet, which is why I don’t know too much about the head-shaving thing.”
Morrison’s castmate Amber Reilly is already convinced the episode will be great.
“I can tell you it’s going to be a really great episode and you’re going to love it,” she said. “And they’re doing the big hits from Britney.”
Which Britney songs do you think are absolutely essential to the “Glee” tribute episode? Tell us in the comments!
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‘Love the Way You Lie’ Joins List Of Memorable Joseph Kahn Videos
Kahn has directed videos for Britney Spears, Eminem, and Lady Gaga.
By James Dinh
Rihanna on the set of the “Love the Way You Lie” music video
Photo: Danny Mayer/ Eric Ford/ On Location Photos
After much anticipation, the Joseph Kahn-directed video for Eminem and Rihanna’s chart-topping “Love the Way You Lie” debuted Thursday (August 4) on MTV. In the song, Em and Rihanna tell the intense story of a woman who stays with her male counterpart despite his violent habits. The video shows Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan engaging in a relationship that’s similarly emotionally destructive.
Kahn, who has worked with everyone from Janet Jackson to Rob Zombie, has a particular directing style that emphasizes CGI special effects and futuristic styling. Here are a few other highlights from his career.
Britney Spears, “Toxic”
In the 2004 clip for Spears’ flashy “Toxic,” the pop princess played an assassin on a quest to poison her cheating boyfriend. The clip employed eye-popping costumes for Spears — including a stewardess outfit and a glittery bodysuit — and quickly rose to the top of the pop princess’ videography. “The plot is pretty nonsensical. It’s just fun. [It's like] James Bond flicks and sex,” Kahn told MTV News. Years later, the director would collaborate with Spears on the clip for “Womanizer” — in which he slyly referenced their earlier collaboration.
U2, “Elevation”
U2 went on a ride like no other when they joined forces with “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” for the 2001 video promoting “Elevation.” A call from an “evil Bono” set the mood for the action-filled video, which features the band on a rescue mission with Angelina Jolie thanks to Kahn inserting members into scenes from the film. With the help of Ms.
Croft, U2 dodges the dangers of the bad Bono, although eventually good and evil come face to face in a battle of stereo and vocal power. But the good guys win out, and the band walks into a calm street that has cars and elephants floating overhead.
Eminem, “Without Me”
For most of Eminem’s career, the rapper has played the funny guy in his music videos. His clip for the 2002 hit single “Without Me” went further than mere gags, asserting his ability to poke fun at the controversies surrounding his music. Throughout the video, Em parodies a comic-book hero on a mission to save a young boy from listening to a copy of The Eminem Show, which is labeled with a dreaded ‘Parental Advisory’ sticker. While on his quest, Em manages to sleep with porn stars, practice yoga and appear on “The Real World.”
Enrique Iglesias, “Hero”
Understandably, Enrique Iglesias’ music videos have showcased his good looks and suave persona. His 2001 clip featured Jennifer Love Hewitt as the singer’s love interest and other half of a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. The two are on the lam from Mickey Rourke, who heads a rival group of bandits. After some steamy scenes with Hewitt, the pop star is found by Rourke’s gang and apparenly killed by them.
Lady Gaga, “LoveGame”
If there’s one thing Lady Gaga reps for, it’s the busy streets of New York City. Before the days of her music videos doubling as mini-movies, Kahn helped the singer take a journey through the Big Apple’s underground in a video that recalls Michael Jackson’s also-subway-set “Bad.” Accompanied by her crew of dancers, the singer drops it low in a subway station and dances the night away. “I worked with [video director] Joseph Kahn, and he did an amazing job. He didn’t just capture the fashion; he captured the artist,” Gaga told MTV News.
What’s your favorite Joseph Kahn-directed music video? Let us know in the comments!
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