We wrap up the day with some alternative shots from Lady Gaga's amazing September cover of Vanity Fair magazine. We went into detail about Gaga's granny hair and lack of clothing a couple weeks back when the cover dropped, so there's not a ton to ponder here.
Really the big change is the obvious presence of clothes in the center cover, with Gaga rocking what looks like a rather elaborate black lace catsuit by Somarta. The other Vanity Fair cover finds Gaga covering up demurely, while sporting the same absence of threads as the cover that actually hit stands.
This pic may have been snapped last Thursday at her Madison Square Garden show, but we couldn't resist the urge to show you Rihanna flaunting her recently acquired finger-tapping guitar skills.
Not only is the "Love the Way You Lie" singer decked out in all black, she seems to be decked out in all-rubber, as she wowed the New York crowd during a stop on her Last Girl On Earth tour.
Frankly, we don't know if Rihanna really knows how to play guitar. But as anyone who has ever played air guitar to their favorite jam in the mirror knows, looking good is the most important part. And looking good is something Rihanna does incredibly well.
The Last Girl On Earth tour rolls on through August. Check Rihanna's MySpace page for dates.
The week's MTV PUSH Artist of the Week is Mike Posner. Since early 2009, the Detroit native (who just graduated college with not one but TWO degrees and a pretty impressive GPA to boot) has been dazzling audiences -- and artists like 50 Cent, Kid Cudi and Drake -- with his hip-hop-savvy brand of pop. Equally at home putting out mixtapes hosted by rap heavy hitters such as Don Cannon (A Matter Of Time) or crafting laid-back, hook-filled cuts like his unstoppable breakthrough single "Cooler Than Me," Mike Posner is a jack-of-all-trades, with Asher Roth, Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke leanings, appealing to fans who like to use the shuffle function and keep their tracks fresh.
With his highly anticipated debut album, 31 Minutes To Takeoff, out August 10, Mike Posner is about to find himself in some rarefied, if not completely cool, air.
Watch Mike Posner's "Cooler Than Me" video and watch him perform "Falling," "Please Don't Go" and, of course, "Cooler Than Me" live. Plus, check out exclusive interviews with Mike Posner.
As always, Gaga is a colorful interview subject. In the cover story, the "Bad Romance" singer goes into detail about her past drug use, her controversial, bird-flipping appearance at a New York Mets game (which drew the ire of Jerry Seinfeld) and, most compellingly, her near-constant state of loneliness.
Gaga tells Vanity Fair, "I'm perpetually lonely. I'm lonely when I'm in relationships. It's my condition as an artist." She goes on to discuss her fear that she'll lose her creativity by being intimate with her lover. And that she stores her creativity ... where else? ... but in her vagina.
The September granny-tastic issue of "Vanity Fair" hits newsstands on August 10.
If you thought touring all summer on the Warped tour is just a bunch of fun and games, then you thought wrong! Touring all summer on the Warped tour is fun, games, and getting new tats! Check out We The King's latest Posted.mtv.com update: This one's a tour blog written by Travis Clark, who reveals We The Kings' new tattoos as well as his ability to fix an indiscreet hole in his pants in a jiffy! And check out We The Kings' live performance of "Heaven Can Wait," from the Warped tour.
Heyyyy, what's up errrrbody!! My name is Travis Clark, and I play in We The Kings. So far, this tour has been amazing. It is 100 percent the punk-rock summer camp everybody talks about! The shows have been hot, sweaty, and packed with people, but it's the Warped tour so what did we all expect?? The other day I ripped a whole in my pants right in my manlyhood area, which ultimately means I'm here to party -- Haha! It's all good, though, because my mom taught me how to sew when I was growing up, so I patched that baby right up!
On a complete side note, we brought our friend Craig Beasley out on tour to tattoo us, so for the first time ever we'll reveal some of our new tattoos right here! (See pictures below.)
It's really hard for me to stay focused and write a blog because I have the worst A.D.D. ever! A few days before we left for this tour I bought a rescue yellow lab puppy from a shelter and named her "June." I get to see her when I get home to Florida, and I'm really excited. Hopefully she remembers me.
Other than that, life is great, and I can't believe how many people are coming to see us. You guys are the reason we exist as a band, and I can't thank you enough. I feel like I owe you the world, so I'll make the promise of always making music for you to listen to that will make you Smile Kid. Follow me @TravisRClark and @MTV for more updates and possibly some more blogs!! I'll see all of you beautiful people at the shows.
By now, you know that Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are the brains and brawn behind The Black Keys. But did you know that with those skills lies a litany of everyday Seinfeldian "What's the deal with that"-esque complaints. From kids playing loud music in cars -- DAMN THEM -- to Dan's general dislike of baseball, these are just a few of The Black Keys' least favorite things. Oh yeah, and annoying airline employees, who are basically jerks. Just listen to Patrick Carney tell you why.
Plus, watch The Black Keys take you inside the recording of "Next Girl" and see why their album, Brothers, may be hazardous to your health.
Christina Aguilera is probably going to raise some eyebrows with the above pic--taken from ELLE magazine's "Women In Music 2010" feature -- and not because she's hot, or because she's wearing short-shorts. No, Christina will probably catch some shade from folks who think she's continuing her pathological biting of Lady Gaga's style.
And, yes, there are some similarities. But let's think of it like this: Does anyone make a really big deal out of the fact that Drake and Kid Cudi both wear skinny jeans? Or that The Strokes and Kings Of Leon all look alike? No, they don't.
Furthermore, aren't Christina and Gaga both basically praying at the Church of Madonna? Mixing and matching a bunch of her various looks, from trashy '80s downtown chic to austere, old Hollywood "Vogue"-era? Can't we just give these gals a break?
What do you think? Is the Christina Aguilera photo above another Gaga rip? Let us know in the comments and enjoy Christina's "Not Myself Tonight" below.
Gone was the blue hair, gone were the neon nails, gone were the light-up Daisy Dukes. Instead the future Mrs. Russell Brand was rocking a pair of plain black slacks, a white T-shirt, a black blazer and a black fedora. In fact the only thing flashy on her person were a pair of awesome blue suede shoes. Word to Elvis Presley.
Even at her most casual, strolling through the airport, Katy Perry still managed to rock at least one bit of flair. And let's be real, even in her most drab attire, Katy still looks better than 99.9 percent of us when we're trying to catch a flight. For that alone, she should be applauded.
Relive Katy's performance of "California Gurls," with Snoop Dogg, live at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, below.
This week's MTV PUSH Artist of the week is two-parts Swedish/one-part American band Miike Snow, master practitioners of just about every genre and pioneers of a brand-new breed of ultra-intelligent pop. Contrary to popular belief, Miike Snow isn't one guy. It's a group, made up of singer/songwriter Andrew Wyatt and producers Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (aka Bloodshy & Avant, producers of Britney Spears' "Toxic"). Not that it matters, but we'll leave it up to you to figure out who's Swedish and who's American.
With a brilliantly broad sound that references everything from the avant-folk of Animal Collective to the dirty, stuttering beats of dubstep, Miike Snow's become a must-hear among music bloggers, cultural tastemakers and even artists like Ke$ha and Adam Lambert.
You may have heard Miike Snow's self-titled debut album or heard its remixes for Vampire Weekend, Kings of Leon and Passion Pit. You've definitely heard its production work on Britney's "Toxic." And if you haven't heard the group's gorgeous breakaway hit "Animal," then get to it.
Hard to believe, but the young blonde lady above, rocking a shark mask with a bloody arm hanging out, is none other than Ke$ha. Actually, what am I saying? It's incredibly easy to believe. It's Ke$ha! I mean, this girl really likes wearing weird stuff on her head!
I guess this is the "Blah Blah Blah" singer's way of subverting the image of celebrity? Or maybe she just wants to give paparazzi photographers a hard time by not showing her face? Maybe she just likes wearing weird stuff on her head! Yeah, I'm gonna go with that one.
Never change, Ke$Ha. Never. Change. We now leave you with a double shot of Ke$ha/3OH!3 collaborations: "My First Kiss" and "Blah Blah Blah."
Obsessively blogging about pop music, pop videos, pop stars, and pop culture from inside the MTV headquarters in Times Square. Plus, style, trends, and stuff we love. We also have a slight Jonas Brothers problem. And a little fixation with Tokio Hotel.
