Another day, another big-name artist gearing up to promote an album re-release with a big, shiny music video. Only this time it's different: It's two big-name artists. At the same time.
On Wednesday, Maroon 5 and Rihanna joined forces on a Los Angeles soundstage to film a video for a remake of "If I Never See Your Face Again" — originally the lead track on M5's 2007 effort, It Won't Be Soon Before Long — which will appear on reissues of both artists' albums.
"We're both re-releasing our albums — mine's out June 17," Rihanna told MTV News. "This is the only collaboration on my re-release, because I always wanted to work with Maroon 5. They're one of my favorite bands. When they called me to do this record with them, I was so honored."
"The song was basically done, but we wanted to try something different, so we had her come in and do bits and pieces," Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine added. "It came together so quick. The only other collaboration I had done before was with Kanye, and it was the same way. It sounds cheesy, but if the magic is there, if the chemistry is there, you don't even have to think about it."
A spokesperson for Rihanna's label, Island Def Jam, confirmed that the reissue of her Good Girl Gone Bad album will hit stores June 17. A rep for Maroon 5's label, A&M/Octone, couldn't be reached by press time.
So what about that video? Well, it's directed by Anthony Mandler, who has helmed clips for everyone from Snoop Dogg to the Spice Girls, and from what we could gather — and from what Rih Rih and Levine were wearing when we caught up with them on the set — the whole thing is a fairly glam affair.
"It's this kind of ultra-glamorous, photography-based, late-'70s/ early-'80s situation. It's really stylish and really beautiful," Levine said. "It's the most choreographed thing I've ever done, because usually I just get up there and screw around. But with Rihanna, it's completely different and so cool."
"I don't do a lot of videos where I have so much chemistry with the other artist, and this is only my second duet in a video," Rihanna added. "It's really intense, because you have to work with each other so much. It's new for me, but I'm enjoying it."
While the dynamic duo look forward to working together again in the future, Levine seems like he'd like the collaboration to be somewhat different — like, perhaps, a "Project Runway"-style partnership.
"I've been doing her styling lately, especially for this video," he laughed. "That's my other passion: styling."
Man, Beyonce can't get a break these days. First she gets upstaged by an American Idol RUNNER-UP in what was supposed to be her big movie, Dreamgirls, and then Tina Turner steals her thunder at the Grammys. And now Beyonce's rumored wedding to her boo, Jay-Z, has been overshadowed too. Hmmm...is she not so "irreplaceable" after all?
Oh, we kid, we KID!!! Seriously, it seems like in the case of her nuptials, which reportedly took place last week, Beyonce was more than happy to go unnoticed. She and her man have in fact never officially acknowledged that they're even an item, after all. So naturally, they did their best to keep their supposed wedding (which they still have not confirmed actually took place) on the DL. However, the minute the crazy-in-love couple was spotted taken out a wedding license in Scarsdale Village, New York, the paparazzi were ringing the alarm.
And when crates of cream-colored orchids and oversize silver candelabras were seen being carried by crew members in to Jigga's Manhattan penthouse--followed later by celebrity party guests like Kelly Rowland, Chris Martin, and Gwyneth Paltrow--it seemed pretty probable that wedding bells would soon be ringing as well.
Well, despite the swarms of reporters and lookieloos camped outside Jay-Z Tribeca loft, and Perez Hilton actually posting the wedding's ADDRESS on his blog, it looks like B & J managed to have a relatively low-key "secret" wedding anyway. So congrats to the (alleged) happy couple!
OK, so back to how Mrs. Knowles-Carter's marital bliss got "upstaged" this week: Only one day after Beyonce was spotted flashing a chunky diamond on her left hand, another celebrity It Couple, Ashlee Simpson and Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, announced their engagement on FriendsOrEnemies.com. Not nearly as tightlipped about discussing their lovelife as Beyonce and Jay-Z, the punk/pop pair proudly posted: "We know there has been a lot of speculation recently...and we wanted our fans to be the first to know, because you guys are the best. Yes, we are thrilled to share that we are happily engaged."
No wedding date has been set yet, and Pete--who has his own clothing line, somewhat ironically titled Clandestine--offered no details about what Ashlee would wear on their special day. "I would not even try to step in and design Ashlee's wedding dress," he told E! Online. "Anyone who would want a wedding dress designed by me, I would not want to marry them."
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Sara Bareilles rocketed to fame on the back of one very soulful "Love Song"—No. 1 on the Pop 100—and returns with a second musing on the consummate pop topic. The delightful "Bottle It Up" opens with a prescient observation: "There'll be girls across the nation that will eat this up." Indeed. As her warm, engaging vocal floats light as air above a slinky bassline and strident piano, Bareilles draws the listener right into her tempting "garden of love" with provocatively enigmatic lyrics and a delectably upbeat delivery. This won't stay bottled up for long. —Susan Visakowitz
Hudson, of course, doubles as the film's biggest new cast member as well, a lucky-in-life, unlucky-in-love assistant named Louise that Hudson told MTV News was "a young, sweet girl ... in love with love."
She's the last one in, and will be given the honor of being the last one out, as King revealed her track, "All Dressed Up in Love," will play over the film's end credits. According to EW, the song was written by MC Jack Splash and Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley.
"She sings it like nobody's business," King told the mag of Hudson's performance.
Here are a few articles about Ashlee Simpson that I find to be interesting reads:
Don't hold your breath waiting on a proper finale for the long-running sitcom 'Girlfriends.'
I reported in the BV Buzz on February 12, 2007 that the Kelsey Grammer-produced sitcom, which stars Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White and Reggie Hayes, was one of the first casualties following the end of the Writer's Guild strike and that The CW had opted to cancel it without fulfilling its remaining nine episodes.
Well I've now learned exclusively that The CW made the cast members an offer to return for a "retrospective" episode that would feature recaps of the previous shows and cast members reflecting on those shows.
The CW apparently only offered to pay the actors half of their episodic salary to shoot the makeshift finale, thus the stars collectively opted not to participate.
In addition, several people close to the show tell me that The CW refuses to honor the contracts of the principal cast members and does not intend to pay the actors for the nine episodes that will not be taped.
Now the show stars have hired a litigator who will file a joint lawsuit on behalf of the talent, suing the network for the money they are due.
"The network told them point blank, 'Sue us!' After using this show to help build its name, The CW has turned their back on them and disrespected them in the most horrible way," said someone associated with the show, who spoke under the condition of anonymity.
A rep for The CW was unaware of a pending lawsuit or the latest developments with the show's finale.
"To the best of our knowledge no lawsuits have been filed. Nor is there any new word on finale special," said show publicist Paul McGuire via e-mail.
The CW announced its early renewals for the fall television season at the beginning of March. 'Gossip Girl,' 'One Tree Hill,' 'Smallville,' 'Supernatural,' 'Everybody Hates Chris' and 'America's Next Top Model' were the shows picked up.
No word on the fate of 'The Game,' the 'Girlfriends' spin-off also produced and created by 'Girlfriends' executive producer Mara Brock Akil.
The CW has however allowed 'The Game' to fulfill its commitment for its remaining new episodes for the current season, but whether it will return in the fall has yet to be determined.
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Tracee Ellis Ross still likes to play dress-up. During the eight seasons she portrayed Joan Clayton, Girlfriends’ quirky, romantically challenged lawyer turned entrepreneur, she kept us guessing which styles she would sport next. Each week she moved between power suits and bohemian chic, and likewise switched her coif from curly to straight and back again. The 35-year-old actress, whose personal magazine collection dates back to 1983, keeps an “inspiration board” of fashion editorials affixed to her wall. She’s even been known to bestow nicknames on her favorite hairstyles.
“I come from a line of big-haired ladies,” says Ross with a laugh, over a cup of . herbal tea at a West Hollywood eatery. The second daughter of music icon Diana Ross, Tracee says she got her first style lessons at an early age as a spectator in her mom’s dressing room. “I have a great closet of clothes, including some of my mom’s old pieces,” says Ross, who often styles herself and does her own hair and makeup, both on and off the set. “I’ve had pretty consistent taste since I was young, and my body hasn’t changed much, so a lot of things that worked on me back then still work on me now.”
Like her relationship with her signature mane, which, by her own admission, has evolved from frustration to adoration, her fashion sense has become more confident over time. Whether she’s working the red carpet or shopping at an organic market for ingredients for her homemade safflower oil-rich body scrub, Ross prefers to stick to the basics: a bold lip and nude eyes, or vice versa. This spring, however, she’s looking forward to exploring a brighter palette. “I’m a big lipstick girl,” she says, “and I love a great matte color, like hot pink. I’m happy to claim that!” But don’t let the lip color fool you because, underneath it all, she’ll most likely be moisturizing her pout with a bit of calendula salve—the drugstore variety. “I’m a bit of a hippie,” she admits. “I just love beautiful things and I am very feminine…very much a woman.”
Natural Instincts Above, Tracee shows off the more subtle side of springtime—a soft French braid, a clean face with a kiss of apricot on cheeks and eyes. Sun-kissed skin and well-conditioned strands finish the look.
