The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

Belfast braced for Bieber-mania at MTV awards

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 08:23 AM PDT

LONDON, Nov 4 — Teen stars Justin Bieber and girlfriend Selena Gomez perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards on Sunday in Belfast, guaranteeing plenty of screaming fans and close media attention to what they say and do.

Canadian heartthrob Bieber hit the headlines this week after a young woman alleged that the chart-topper had fathered her child when he was 16. He appeared on the US Today show today and denied the claims.

"I'd just like to say basically that none of those allegations are true," said Bieber, now 17. "I know that I'm going to be a target, but I'm never going to be a victim."

A file photo of Justin Bieber and girlfriend Selena Gomez. — Reuters pic

Gomez, who is hosting the event and performing her new single, has had problems of her own recently.

Yesterday an Illinois man pleaded not guilty to stalking the American actress best known for her role in Disney television show "Wizards of Waverly Place", but was ordered to stay away from her for three years.

Thomas Brodnicki told a psychiatrist that he travelled to Los Angeles to see the star and had conversations with God about killing her, according to court documents.

In Belfast, the celebrity couple are expected to be joined by Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga at what is billed as one of the biggest nights in music outside the US.

Northern Irish rockers Snow Patrol, whose 2006 album "Eyes Open" sold over five million copies worldwide, also make an appearance as do the surviving members of Queen, who will pick up the Global Icon accolade.

US domination

The annual awards tend to be dominated by US acts even though they are held in Europe each year and are mostly decided by fans from the region.

Gomez said regional differences mattered less in the Internet age.

"I think that it's not necessarily about America dominating anything," she told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"I think music is worldwide. Wherever people come from, whether they are from America or not, I think it's all definitely about creating great music.

"So I'm glad that a lot of European artists will also be attending."

Last year it was the flamboyant Gaga who dominated the MTV EMAs, picking up prizes for best female, best pop act and best song for "Bad Romance".

Due to prior commitments the 25-year-old New Yorker could not make the MTV event held in Madrid, but she is in the lineup on Sunday at the Belfast Odyssey Arena and also leads the nominations with six.

In four categories — best song ("Born This Way"), best pop and live act and best female artist — she is up against compatriot and rival chart-topping diva Katy Perry.

Lady Gaga's other two nominations are best video ("Born This Way") and biggest fans, a new category introduced this year.

Bruno Mars joins Perry with four nominations — best new, best male, best "push" act and best song for "Grenade."

Adele, Britain's best-selling chart sensation, is shortlisted three times — best female act and best song and best video for "Rolling in the Deep."

Bieber competes for best pop, best male and biggest fans, while Thirty Seconds to Mars is up for best alternative, best world stage and biggest fans.

Bieber, who launched his new album "Under the Mistletoe" this week, has already been named the inaugural winner of the MTV Voices award in recognition of his charity work. — Reuters

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New Amy Winehouse songs evoke bittersweet memories

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 06:39 AM PDT

The new tracks are part of the album "Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures" which will be released in December. — Reuters file pic

LONDON, Nov 4 — Two previously unreleased songs from Amy Winehouse aired on radio stations this week ahead of her posthumous album, generating mostly positive comments from critics and bittersweet memories for fans.

The reggae-infused track "Our Day Will Come" premiered on BBC's Radio 1 station yesterday and is a cover of Ruby & The Romantics's classic song. Another, "Like Smoke," is a collaboration with rapper Nas, and it premiered on Wednesday on New York's Hot 97 radio station.

The December album, "Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures," was announced on the late singer's official website earlier this week along with the 12-track listing, which includes alternate versions of Winehouse's hit singles like "Valerie" along with unreleased tracks and new compositions.

NME magazine's Dan Martin was one of five journalists invited to a secret listening session for her album last month. He described "Our Day Will Come" as "perhaps more the real Amy than the one that the circus would have us remember."

Martin said the Nas collaboration "Like Smoke" was "one of the most nerve-wracking of the whole record," as the rapper had been drafted to complete the unfinished demo after Winehouse's death in July.

The Guardian's Casper Llewellyn-Smith, also at the listening session, voiced concerns over whether some of the earlier demos polished up for the upcoming album would live up to Winehouse's own standards.

"There are certainly times when her vocal on a song sounds more like a sketch, even if she was an instinctive artist who appreciated the magic of capturing a first take," said Llewellyn-Smith.

Winehouse's fans have received the new tracks positively on Facebook and Twitter, calling it "gorgeous" and "bittersweet."

The singer was found dead at her London home in July, age 27, due to what coroners later said was five times the legal limit of alcohol in her system. — Reuters

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Jumaat, 4 November 2011

The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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