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Ke$ha Slams Britney Spears For Lip-Synching
‘I would never do that to my fans,’ ‘Tik Tok’ singer reportedly says.
By Gil Kaufman
Ke$ha
Photo: Splash News Online
Ke$ha recently lashed out at Britney Spears for lip-synching during her concerts.
“I think that’s bullsh–,” Ke$ha reportedly told the U.K.’s Daily Record. “I don’t think that’s fair at all for people who are going to see the show. I think if you are going to be a singer, you should sing. If you are going to be a dancer, you should dance.”
Ke$ha, who sang background vocals on Britney’s 2008 track “Lace and Leather,” said Spears should be clearer about which parts of her show are live and which are pre-recorded. “If you are going to do a combination of the two, you should make it very clear when you are singing and very clear when you are dancing,” she said. “I would never do that to my fans.”
But even though her comments were harsh, Ke$ha said she meant no offense to Spears. “People have asked me before to mime,” she explained. “I have been up at 3 in the morning for a television show with jet lag, but I refuse to mime … It’s treating people as if they are too stupid to realize you are not actually singing.
“Sometimes it is hard to sing and dance at the same time but I would rather be off and be real and genuine about it to my fans. I don’t want to treat my fans like they are stupid.”
A representative for Ke$ha had not responded to MTV News’ requests for comment at press time, and a spokesperson for Spears had no comment.
“That is my take on my fans and life in general,” said Ke$ha. “My whole record is super-honest. I am really honest. When I am singing I may sound sh—y sometimes, but at least you’ll know I’m singing.”
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Britney Spears, Madonna, U2, Bruce Springsteen Are Billboard Top Money Makers
Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Pink and Kings of Leon also make the top 40 list for 2009.
By Gil Kaufman
Britney Spears
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
Billboard magazine’s fourth-annual Top 40 Money Makers list is topped by U2 this year. The Irish superstars raked in more than $108 million in 2009, mostly through their gigantic 360-degree tour — the most expensive rock production to ever hit the road — which is also destined to be the highest-grossing tour of all time.
In addition to being topped by the big three from the ’80s — U2, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen — the list also features a number of younger acts banking major cash, among them Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Kings of Leon and Taylor Swift.
Among the variables figured into the list were money earned from CD and digital sales, publishing royalties and all forms of streaming media, as well as touring from the first week of 2009 through January 3, 2010.
The top three included Madonna, who piled up $47.2 million from her Sticky and Sweet stadium/arena tour, licensing and merchandise as well as a lucrative 360 deal with Live Nation. Veteran rocker Bruce Springsteen took the #2 spot with $57.6 million through a combination of touring, more than 2 million digital downloads and hefty publishing revenues thanks to the fact that he writes all his own songs.
Britney Spears proved that touring is a girl’s best friend by surging in at #5 ($38.8 million), raking in more than $36.4 million for her worldwide arena tour in support of 2008’s Circus album, as well as money from more than 7.5 million downloads. The road was very, very kind to Pink as well, earning her the #6 spot ($36.3 million), with all but $1 million of that rolling in courtesy of her acrobatic Funhouse world tour.
The Jonas Brothers did all right for themselves, landing at #7 on proceeds of $33.5 million, $31.4 million of which came from their world tour in support of Lives, Vines and Trying Times. Miley Cyrus hit #15 with $21.2 million, with more than $4.3 million from CD royalties and $15 million from her Wonder World tour, while Beyoncé banked $23.6 million to land at #13, with $2.3 coming from CD royalties on I Am … Sasha Fierce, as well as endorsements and touring revenue. Coldplay earned $27.3 million, most of it from their world tour in support of 2008’s Viva la Vida.
Also earning big bucks was teen Taylor Swift, #21 with $17.2 million, whose touring only accounted for half her cash, which mostly came from CD royalties for her mega-selling Fearless. In fact, Swift’s royalties were topped only by Michael Jackson’s, which surged in the year of his death.
Jackson was just ahead at #20 with $17.3 million, from a combination of CD and ringtone royalties ($13.2 for albums, $255,000 for ringtones), as well as cash from “This Is It,” the highest-grossing concert film of all time, earning more than $72 million at the box office.
Kings of Leon also crashed the list at #25 with $14.4 million, $1.4 million of which they earned for their breakthrough Only by the Night disc, which sold 1.2 million copies. Another $9.9 million came from their non-stop touring.
Green Day came in at #32 with more than $12.1 million, mostly from their 21st Century Breakdown album and more than $8.8 million in touring. Lil Wayne — who is headed to prison for a year on Tuesday — came in at #30 with $12.8 million, $10 million of which came from the highest-grossing hip-hop tour of the year, not to mention the most lucrative rap trek Billboard has ever tracked.
Among the other acts making the list: reunited jam giants Phish (#37, $9.9 million), greasepaint rockers Kiss (#34, $11.8 million), former Beatle Paul McCartney (#31, $12.2 million), road hogs the Dave Matthews Band (#17, $20 million), Elton John (#14, $22.1 million), Nickelback (#12, $23.6 million), Fleetwood Mac (#11, $24.7 million), Metallica (#10, $25.5 million) and AC/DC (#4, $43.6 million).
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Britney Spears Shot By Annie Leibovitz, Mark Seliger, Terry Richardson For Candie’s Ads
‘I know my fans are going to love the cool images,’ Britney Spears says of new ad campaign.
By Jocelyn Vena
Britney Spears
Photo: Candies
Britney Spears is back in frilly bikinis, platform shoes and short shorts in another round of Candie’s Only at Kohl’s ads set to make their debut in magazines this spring. This time, the pop star worked with some of the industry’s top photographers for the “Britney Spears Through the Lens” ad campaign.
Spears worked with Annie Leibovitz, Mark Seliger and Terry Richardson for the photos, shot in Hollywood at the Paramount studios in late 2009. “Annie, Mark and Terry are three of the biggest photographers in the world. I am honored to be working with them for my Candie’s Only at Kohl’s ads,” Spears said. “It was an amazing shoot, and I know my fans are going to love the cool images. … I’m very excited to be working with Candie’s for a second season.”
Richardson and Leibovitz shot Spears in front of simple backdrops. Seliger designed a “Moulin Rogue”-inspired setting for his photographs and also had Spears pose on a motorcycle. In 2009, Spears followed in the footsteps of other famous faces endorsing the brand — Hilary Duff, Fergie, Jenny McCarthy and Alyssa Milano, to name a few — and was shot by Mark Liddell for the spring campaign.
Of the latest Candie’s collection, Spears said she likes the dresses the best. “They’re actually very fitted and flattering for women,” she said.
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Kevin Federline Blames Weight Gain On Depression
The ‘Celebrity Fit Club’ participant says divorce from Britney Spears was partly to blame.
By Jocelyn Vena
Kevin Federline
Photo: Marc Grimwade/ WireImage
Starting in February viewers will get the chance to watch Kevin Federline try to get back in shape on VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp.” The former backup dancer and Britney Spears’ ex-husband recently said his significant weight gain in recent years stemmed in part from depression following his divorce from the pop star.
“A number of things between, I mean, everybody knows what happened with me and Brit,” Federline told “Access Hollywood.” “I’m not going to say that’s the total cause of it but, I mean, just not being happy with myself was probably the main part of my depression.”
By the time “Celebrity Fit Club” producers asked Federline to join the show, he couldn’t pass up the chance to get back on track. “They called me and they asked me if I wanted to do it, and I had maybe 24 hours to decide because the show started taping the next day after that weekend,” he explained. “It just couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Federline, looking svelte in his “AH” interview, said that his relationship with his famous ex is a lot stronger these days than it used to be. “I think as time goes on, it keeps getting better and better and better. I mean, I’m really happy the way that my life is going right now, I really am,” he said. “I think, you know, I have come a long way. All of us have … my whole family. It’s gotten so much better from where we were.”
Federline, who has two children with Spears as well as two kids with former girlfriend Shar Jackson, also isn’t ruling out someday remarrying and adding more Federlines to the family. “I could see that happening too,” he added. “I’ll let the young ones grow up first and we’ll see.”
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Britney Spears To Auction Off 2008 VMA Dress For Haiti Relief
Spears granted permission while in court for a status update on her conservatorship.
By Jocelyn Vena
Britney Spears at the 2008 Video Music Awards
Photo: Chris Polk/FilmMagic
On Friday, Britney Spears was granted permission by a judge to auction off one of the dresses she wore to the 2008 VMAs to raise funds for Haiti relief. The pop singer was in court to discuss the status of the conservatorship under her father, Jamie, that has been in place for two years.
“She is very enthusiastic about making a donation for the Haiti relief,” her lawyer, Samuel Ingham, told Commissioner Reva Goetz. No additional information was given about how and where the dress will be auctioned off, or which charity would benefit from it. At the 2008 VMAs, Brit dazzled in two silver dresses and she hasn’t specified which would be auctioned.
According to The Associated Press, Spears’ father was also granted permission by Goetz to auction off various property and assets belonging to the pop star that no longer benefit the estate, much of which was from the Circus tour.
Brit reportedly did not speak at the portion of the hearing that was open to the media. It was her first status meeting since completing her tour. In the meeting, it was decided that no change would be made to Spears’ conservatorship.
Spears’ auction follows several other efforts by celebrities to raise money for Haiti. Friday night’s “Hope for Haiti” telethon raised $58 million as of Saturday night. Earlier that day, Canadian superstars like Justin Bieber, Nelly Furtado, Celine Dion and Ryan Reynolds appeared at “Canada for Haiti.” And Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus were just added to the star-studded lineup on Simon Cowell’s benefit single, a cover of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.”
Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.
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Britney Spears Is MTV News’ #6 Woman Of The Year
With her Circus tour, jaw-dropping videos and a new, take-charge attitude, Brit had a very good 2009.
By James Montgomery
Britney Spears
Photo: Chris Walter/ WireImage
Which stars had the biggest year? All this week, we’ll be unveiling our top nine men and women of 2009, counting down to the #1 man and woman on Friday.
In 2008, Britney Spears placed second on our Woman of the Year countdown, mostly because she managed to keep her career together in the face of bad press, very public meltdowns and a pair of court cases. This year, she made the list for entirely different reasons: Not only did she keep her career on track; she took it to triumphant new heights with a sold-out world tour, record-setting singles and a string of videos that dropped jaws and raised temperatures. Spears did it all in 2009, and she did it her way.
2009 Highlights: After months of hype — and a legal hurdle or two — Britney kicked off her big-budget Circus tour in March, with a triumphant show in her (sorta) hometown of New Orleans. A two-hour, four-act spectacle, featuring scores of dancers (and even more costume changes), a massive stage, pyrotechnic displays that would’ve put Metallica to shame, a martial-arts sequence and a cameo by Perez Hilton, Circus was a gleefully over-the-top show, wowing critics worldwide and proving that Spears was back and better than ever.
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The Circus tour was Spears’ most triumphant moment of the year (it didn’t hurt that it ran for nearly all of ‘09), and its success served as the launching pad for the rest of her comeback. Sultry singles like “If U Seek Amy” (with its censor-tweaking chorus) and “3″ (the lone new track from The Singles Collection) were smashes. The latter made Billboard Hot 100 history when it debuted at #1 on the chart (the first time a non-”American Idol” contestant had accomplished the feat in more than a decade).
Perhaps Britney’s biggest accomplishment was that, for the first time in her career, she appeared to be the one calling the shots. She slapped restraining orders on her former self-proclaimed manager, paparazzo ex-boyfriend and attorney, made peace (and agreed on a joint custody deal) with ex-husband Kevin Federline and seemed to have found love with boyfriend/manager Jason Trawick. She was also savvy enough to poke fun at both herself and the public’s perception of her, with high-profile cameos on “The Late Show With David Letterman” and Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet tour.
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A Look Back On Britney Spears’ 2009 | |
Among her other newsworthy feats, Britney raged against smokers during her Circus tour stop in Vancouver. She earned seven nominations at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, including a Video of the Year nod for “Womanizer,” and flirted telepathically with VMA host Russell Brand. Her music inspired director Quentin Tarantino during the filming of his “Inglourious Basterds.” And she even launched her very own iPhone app, complete with “sparkler feature.”
Which stars had the biggest 2009? Over the next week, we’ll be unveiling our top nine most newsworthy, controversial and fascinating men and women of the year. We based our list on factors like music sales, box-office performance, MTVNews.com headlines and traffic, overall reach (crossover singles, appearances in movies, licensing of songs for commercials, clothing lines, etc.), plus X-factors like “impact” and “buzz.” (And no, President Barack Obama didn’t make the list — we’ll leave that to the folks at Time.) This is by no means an exact science, but we think the list we’ve put together represents the men and women who helped make 2009 the most exciting and memorable 12 months in recent history.
We’ll be rolling out our list of the Top 9 Men and Women of 2009 two per day until Friday, when we unveil MTV News’ Man and Woman of the year! As always, we also want to know what you think, so weigh in with comments below, or upload them to Your.MTV.com!
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MTV News’ Men And Women Of The Year
Here are our top 9 men and women of 2009! Keep checking back until Friday, when we unveil MTV News’ Man and Woman of the year.
Photo: Francois Durand/ Getty Images
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Ke$ha Talks About Working On Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears Songs
‘Tik Tok’ singer says she wrote Cyrus’ ‘The Time of Our Lives’ as ‘a party song for a younger crowd.’
By Jocelyn Vena
Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News
Long before she collaborated with Diddy on her hit debut single, “Tik Tok,” Ke$ha lent her talents to songs by Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears. And the singer said that she and Miley had a good thing going.
Ke$ha wrote the title track from Miley’s hit EP The Time of Our Lives and said that the singer, who was recently praised by Timbaland, was a lot of fun to work with. She added that when she was writing for the “Hannah Montana” star, she took her formula for writing party songs and applied it to Miley’s tween audience. The result? A bouncy, Auto-Tune-filled pop ode to — what else? — having a good time.
“Well, like I said, I just write all the time ’cause it’s all I can do,” Ke$ha told to MTV News. “Writing for Miley was fun ’cause I think she’s funny. I met her and I liked her vibe, so I was like, ‘OK, I’ll write, like, a party song for a younger crowd.’ … And that was fun just because I like her.”
Ke$ha also had the distinct pleasure of appearing on Britney’s Circus song “Lace and Leather.” And while she never got the chance to meet the pop star, she said the project came at just the right time.
“And for Britney Spears, I just did backgrounds for her ’cause I was so broke. I needed to pay my rent,” she said. “I got a few bucks. No, [I didn't meet her]. I just did backups for her.”
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Green Day Named Top Artists Of The Decade By Rolling Stone Readers
Punk icons took best single, album and artists of the ’00s in poll.
By Gil Kaufman
Green Day
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Rolling Stone readers love Green Day … a lot. In the magazine’s Decade-End Readers’ Poll, the Berkeley-bred punk/pop trio grabbed the #1 spot for Best Single, Best Album and Top Artist of the ’00s.
As the #1 single, readers picked the ballad “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” one of two Green Day tunes that made the cut, along with “American Idiot” (#13). The rest of the top five were Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” U2’s “Beautiful Day,” Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together.”
Also getting love in the top 15 were Kanye West, Avril Lavigne, My Chemical Romance, Kelly Clarkson, the White Stripes and Coldplay.
A number of acts notched two albums on the list of the decade’s top releases. While Green Day took the #1 spot with American Idiot, Radiohead landed at #3 (Kid A) and #5 (In Rainbows). U2 scored a twofer at #6 (All That You Can’t Leave Behind) and #15 (No Line on the Horizon), and Kelly Clarkson hit #8 (All I Ever Wanted) and #11 (Breakaway).
The top 20 also featured discs from Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera, My Chemical Romance and Justin Timberlake. A notable absence was Eminem, who was deemed the top-selling artist of the ’00s by Nielsen SoundScan but failed to get a single mention on the RS readers’ albums list.
Green Day topped the Artist of the Decade list, followed by Radiohead, U2, Coldplay, the Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake and Bruce Springsteen. Slim Shady finally worked his way in on that list, dropping into the #8 slot, just ahead of the White Stripes’ Jack White, Jay-Z, Kings of Leon and Fall Out Boy.
Despite having last year’s biggest album and becoming hip-hop’s reigning superstar, Lil Wayne checked in at a modest #18, coming in behind the Arcade Fire (#13), M.I.A. (#14), Wilco (#15), Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst (#16) and Bob Dylan (#17).
Rolling Stone readers’ top singles of the decade:
1. Green Day, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
2. Beyoncé, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
3. U2, “Beautiful Day”
4. Britney Spears, “Toxic”
5. Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together”
6. Kanye West, “Stronger”
7. My Chemical Romance, “Welcome to the Black Parade”
8. Avril Lavigne, “Complicated”
9. Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone”
10. White Stripes, “Seven Nation Army”
11. Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
12. Coldplay, “Viva la Vida”
13. Green Day, “American Idiot”
14. Christina Aguilera, “Beautiful”
Top albums:
1. Green Day, American Idiot
2. Kanye West, Graduation
3. Radiohead, Kid A
4. Avril Lavigne, Let Go
5. Radiohead, In Rainbows
6. U2, All That You Can’t Leave Behind
7. Britney Spears, Blackout
8. Kelly Clarkson, All I Ever Wanted
9. Jay-Z, The Blueprint
10. Lady Gaga, The Fame
11. Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway
12. Beyoncé, I Am … Sasha Fierce
13. Christina Aguilera, Stripped
14. My Chemical Romance, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
15. U2, No Line on the Horizon
16. Mariah Carey, The Emancipation of Mimi
17. Justin Timberlake, FutureSex/LoveSounds
18. Coldplay, Viva la Vida
19. Bruce Springsteen, The Rising
Top artists:
1. Green Day
2. Radiohead
3. U2
4. Coldplay
5. Black Eyed Peas
6. Justin Timberlake
7. Bruce Springsteen
8. Eminem
9. Jack White
10. Jay-Z
11. Kings of Leon
12. Fall Out Boy
13. Arcade Fire
14. M.I.A.
15. Wilco
16. Conor Oberst
17. Bob Dylan
18. Lil Wayne
19. My Morning Jacket
20. Beyoncé
21. Kelly Clarkson
22. My Chemical Romance
23. Kanye West
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Britney Spears’ Biggest Fan Search: We Have A Winner!
Congratulations, Haleybrit!
By MTV News staff
Britney Spears
Photo: Jive
Last month, as part of MTV News’ celebration of all things Britney Spears, we undertook a search for Brit’s biggest fan. We asked fans to submit videos explaining why they qualify for that title, with the winner being promised a copy of Britney Spears: The Singles Collection.
And after digging through many videos submitted to Your.MTV.com, from the heartfelt to the offbeat, with many imaginative explanations of why fans feel they’re #1, we have a winner: Congratulations, Haleybrit!
In her video, Haleybrit, in a top hat, explained that she saw Britney three times on her highly successful Circus tour, and showed off her Britney-poster-plastered bedroom and how she plays Britney on Wii. Her collection of Britney memorabilia goes far beyond posters, with magazines and photo albums full of Britney memorabilia also in her collection.
Along with her video, she wrote, “My name is Haleybrit and I am Britney’s #1 Fan! She is my idol, my inspiration, my motivation, my everything. Ever since ‘… Baby One More Time’ came out, she has always been my #1 fave. Thirty seconds was not nearly enough time to show and explain just how big of a fan I am or to show all of the Britney things I own, but here is a snippet of what I do have.”
Not only does Haleybrit win bragging rights, but also the album — which includes all of Brit’s biggest hits, including ” … Baby One More Time,” “(You Drive Me) Crazy (The Stop Remix!),” “I’m a Slave 4 U,” Toxic” and “Oops! … I Did It Again” and many more, including her latest single, “3.”
So congrats again to HaleyBrit — and thanks to everyone who submitted their videos!
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