Jun 27, 2011 5:15:00 AM
Pretend that fun. is not a band, but an amusement park. Just replace the guitar with a log flume and the percussion with a carousel. Now imagine the crowds lining up for a ride on fun.’s sophomore record, Some Nights. The line snakes around the whole park. Maybe there are some bearded ladies on it. Maybe lots of bearded ladies. Anyway. As you get closer, you see the entrance to Some Nights is actually Nate Ruess’ head. His mouth is open wider than should be physically possible and his uvula dangles in the dark. The musical tracks harden into wooden rollercoaster tracks. You get on the car, and with a jerk, it starts to move. There’s that familiar feeling that tells you something pretty transformative is about to happen. Lights flash as you go plummeting into the darkness. The rollercoaster version of Some Nights follows the same path as the album version: colourful on the outside, deeper than you had imagined in the centre, and so good it’ll make your head spin. ]]> Oct 19, 2010 1:39:00 PM
As Paramore embark on the most successful year of their career, there seems to be no limit as to what they can accomplish. The band's last 2007 album RIOT! has sold nearly two million copies worldwide, the group was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008 for "Best New Artist" and even their live CD/DVD The Final Riot! has gone gold.

Catch our Paramore specials at the following dates and times:

MTV Icons: Paramore
9 March, Saturday
3pm (WIB), 4pm (SIN/PH/HK), 5pm (MAL)

12 March, Tuesday
2am (WIB), 3am (SIN/PH/HK), 4am (MAL)

13 March, Wednesday
8.30am (WIB), 9.30am (SIN/PH/HK), 10.30am (MAL)

14 March, Thursday
3.30pm (WIB), 4.30pm (SIN/PH/HK), 5.30pm (MAL)

MTV Hits: Paramore Special
5 March, Tuesday
8.30am (WIB), 9.30am (SIN/PH/HK), 10.30am (MAL)

22 March, Friday
5.30pm (WIB), 6.30pm (SIN/PH/HK), 7.30pm (MAL)

30 March, Saturday
10am (WIB), 11am (SIN/PH/HK), 12pm (MAL)

My Celeb MTV: Paramore
31 March, Sunday
10am (WIB), 11am (SIN/PH/HK), 12pm (MAL) ]]> Oct 19, 2010 1:49:00 PM
It's better if you don't understand; just listen and have a good time. That's the response Bruno Mars will give you with a smile when asked to describe his sound and music. He would much rather sing, perform, and write his songs than talk about them, but that is becoming more and more unavoidable these days. It might seem that Mars appeared out of nowhere, co-writing, producing and performing on B.o.B's #1 'Nothin' On You" followed by Travie McCoy's chart-climbing 'Billionaire", but he makes one thing clear: 'It's not an overnight success".

Mars is a multitalented singer, songwriter, producer and musician who feels most at home when he's performing. Born to a musical family in Honolulu, Hawaii, he was practically raised on the stage. His father, a Latin percussionist from Brooklyn, organized a Vegas-style revue that featured the entire family, including his mother, a talented vocalist. When a four-year-old Mars observed his family performing Motown hits, doo-wop medleys and impersonations for enthusiastic crowds all over his native Waikiki Beach, 'I was jealous!" says Mars with a laugh. 'My dad put me on stage and I remember singing an Elvis song and that was it. Ever since that moment, I've been addicted."

Rich in diverse music from all over the globe, Honolulu was an exciting hometown for the budding singer/songwriter. On one end of the spectrum, his home was filled with the 1950s classics that were his father's passion. Meanwhile, the city is rich in traditional sounds, including reggae, rock and folk music, as well as the latest pop hits. 'Hawaii is basically in the middle of the world, so you're exposed to every type of music over there," explains Mars.

As soon as he graduated high school, Mars left Hawaii for Los Angeles with dreams of launching his career as a performer. Those dreams got put on hold, however, when The Smeezingtons, the songwriting/production team he founded with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, suddenly took off. The pair has crafted major hits for a diverse roster of talent, including Flo Rida's 'Right Round", Travie McCoy's 'Billionaire", Brandy's 'Long Distance" and K'Naan's 'Waving Flags", which is the theme song for the upcoming World Cup.

Mars describes his time behind the scenes as important to his development as an artist. 'I realized that you have to go into this industry as an artist with a clear vision and understanding of who you are. Being so young when I was first signed, I never really had a sense of who I wanted to be. Now things are really working out because everything that I'm singing, writing and composing is really me."

On the heels of 'Nothin' on You" and 'Billionaire" and as a preview of what's to come from Bruno Mars, Elektra Records is releasing a 4-song EP aptly titled 'It's Better If You Don't Understand". The title is taken from a lyric to 'The Other Side"; one of the songs included that features Cee-Lo Green and re-teams Mars with B.o.B. The song depicts the musician's current routine. 'It's basically a story of the lifestyle you end up living as an artist and how I would describe it to a girl I just met to try and explain, but in the end… It's better if you don't understand."

When asked to describe the music he's about to release Mars says 'it's hard to put myself in a box. I just write songs that I strongly believe in and that are coming from inside. There's no tricks. It's honesty with big melodies. And I'm going to be singing the s— out of them." The collection of songs on the EP are written from various real-life experiences, where Mars blends his buoyant voice with purposefully simple production. All of the songs are produced and written with his Smeezingtons partner Philip Lawrence.

Although he's incredibly proud of the recordings, Mars feels the best way to experience the sound is to see him perform live with his band. 'That is what I'm most excited for – taking these songs and traveling them around the world." The only place he would rather be than in the recording studio, is with his band on stage – where he grew up. 'I think people are really going to gravitate towards the live show. We turn it into a party."

]]> Aug 12, 2011 5:18:00 AM
Meet Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson - together they are One Direction. It's hard to believe that just two years ago these five boys hadn't even met each other. But with the help of the biggest television show in the UK, The X Factor, their millions of loyal fans and some killer songs, One Direction have just seen their debut album go to number one in 15 countries around the world. They have become a global pop phenomenon in a short span of a few years.

Contemplating their whirlwind rise to fame and their amazing success, Liam smiles, “It’s amazing to think back to when we were first put together - and to the point we are at now. Things have moved so quickly, it’s got all of us in a massive state of shock. It’s so surreal to think of everything - like wining the BRIT, doing our first UK tour, having our first number one. I can’t believe all of this has happened to us five lucky guys. We love our fans and owe all our success entirely to them – we want them to know that.”

“And not only have I had a lot of fun making music and working in the music industry but I’ve made the four best mates and four brothers that I’d always wanted. I couldn’t ask to work with four nicer guys and I’m very proud to be in One Direction.” ]]> Oct 19, 2010 1:35:00 PM
France's David Guetta belongs to the sparkling wave of DJs who combine Daft Punk's sleek house music with a pinch of electroclash's punch. Guetta had been DJ'ing around France playing popular tunes, but his brain was particularly rewired in 1987 when he heard a Farley Jackmaster Funk track on French radio. He taped the track, brought a copy to a gig, and promptly cleared the floor with it during one of his own sets. Things loosened up a year later when acid house came to France and Guetta successfully promoted his own club nights. It was during one of those nights in 1992 that he met Robert Owens, a Chicago-based house legend who was touring across Europe at the time. Guetta played Owens some of his own tracks, and Owens picked one he liked enough to sing over. The result was "Up and Away," a minor hit that lurked in garage DJ crates for the next four years.
Guetta's carefree attitude -- that he only produces good music while he's having casual fun -- kept the DJ from releasing anything until 2001's "Just a Little More Love." The track featured American gospel singer Chris Willis, who met Guetta while on vacation in France. Another slow burner, "Just a Little More Love," kept popping up in sets for the next two years, first in an electro version and later in a pumped-up Wally Lopez remix. During this time, Guetta snuck out a bootleg remix of David Bowie's "Heroes," retitled "Just for One Day." Bowie gave the go-ahead to release the track officially, and Guetta soon had a massive hit on his hands. Guetta featured the liberated boot on his first mix CD, Fuck Me I'm Famous, named after Guetta's successful Ibiza-based party.
The fun-loving slacker DJ finally got around to releasing a collection of his own productions in 2004, Just a Little More Love on Astralwerks. Guetta Blaster arrived that same year, followed by Poplife in 2007. Chris Willis sang lead vocals on the latter album, which spun off multiple dance singles in multiple countries. Fuck Me I'm Famous: International, Vol. 2 was then released in July 2008, giving listeners a taste of the stylish sounds that orchestrated Guetta's summer club events in Ibiza. A year later he released One Love, a platinum-selling album featuring the singles "When Love Takes Over" with Kelly Rowland, "Sexy Bitch" with Akon, and "Gettin' Over" with Chris Willis.
In 2010 Guetta received five nominations at the 52nd Grammy Awards, two of them related to the One Love album and the other three for his work on the Black Eyed Peas' massive worldwide hit "I Gotta Feeling." That same year, One Love was reissued as One More Love, featuring a bonus disc of remixes and new tracks. A superstar guest list -- featuring Akon, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, Usher, Chris Brown, and others -- would figure into his 2011 release Nothing But the Beat, but this time the DJ's songwriting was inspired by dramatic rock bands like Coldplay. - David Jeffries, Rovi (MTV.com) ]]>