MTV Video Music Awards 2010

MTV’s annual Video Music Awards on September 19 showed signs that a new millennium has begun. A white carpet, light-up circular stage, a house DJ and an entire area that was capable of revolutionary graphics set the mood for the night.

Hosted by Chelsea Handler of E!’s “Chelsea Lately” at the Nokia Theater, the awards show featured performances by Deadmau5, Eminem, Rihanna, Travie McCoy, Justin Bieber, B.O.B, Bruno Mars, Paramore, Drake, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Florence + the Machine, Linkin Park and more. Over 11.4 million viewers tuned in, the largest audience for a VMA show since 2002.

Taylor Swift and Kanye West were the anticipated performances of the night, as people expected to hear their response to Kanye’s offensive interruption of Swift’s acceptance speech last year.

Swift’s song, “Innocent” was about forgiveness, saying, “32 and still growing up/Who you are is not what you did/You’re still innocent… Everyone of us has messed up too/Lives change like the weather/ I hope you remember.”

West’s “Runaway,” despite what people had expected, was not directed to Taylor. Instead it was a call out in general to his failed relationships with women, advising them to “runaway as fast as you can.” Response to the song from the public has been generally positive.

Additional guests included the Jackass crew, promoting their new movie Jackass 3D, as well as the cast of the Jersey Shore. Lady Gaga made headlines with her guests of honor, men and women of the armed services, who had been discharged from service due to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. She requested viewers to join her in support to repeal the amendment.

Lady Gaga took home eight out of the thirteen awards she was nominated for (a VMA record), and announced the title of her forthcoming album “Born this Way”, as she accepted her Video of the Year award at the end of the night.

The winners were as follows:

Video of the Year: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

Best New Artist: Justin Bieber

Best Hip-Hop Video: Eminem, “Not Afraid”

Best Pop Video: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

Best Male Video: Eminem, “Not Afraid”

Best Rock Video: 30 Seconds to Mars, “Kings and Queens”

Best Female Video: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

Best Collaboration: Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, “Telephone”

Best Dance Music Video: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

Best Art Direction: Florence + The Machine, “Dog Days are Over” Art Direction by Louise Corcoran and Aldene Johnson

Best Choreography: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”, Choreographed by Laurieann Gibson

Best Cinematography: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”, Cinematography by John Perez

Best Direction: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance, Directed by Francis Lawrence

Best Editing: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance, Edited by Jarrett Fijal

Best Special Effects: Muse, “Uprising”, Special Effects by Humble

Best Breakthrough Video: The Black Keys, “Tighten Up”

Little Monsters Invade San Jose

Tutus and wings. Red veils, light up cowboy hats and even a bunny costume. Lady Gaga pulled in an eclectic audience on August 16. Semi Precious Weapons, an enthusiastic alternative band, opened to get the entire crowd pumped up. After waiting an hour for the set-up, however, the real excitement started when the stadium went black and the pink light shined a silhouette of the famed pop-star. Hearing the opener “Dance in the Dark,” the crowd of over 15,000 blew up in screams.

Throughout the whole two-hour performance and adventure to the Monster Ball, Lady Gaga encouraged uniqueness and individuality for her Little Monsters. As she said, she had created the Monster Ball so that her fans could express their inner “freak.” She also previewed her new song “You and I,” which was a major crowd pleaser. Covering almost every song on her two albums, Fame and Fame Monster, Gaga hit new notes constantly. “Speechless,” a heartfelt piano song, changed the mood because of her meaningful singing and message about her father.

Standing through more that six costume changes–fake blood included—many of the general admission attendees were passing out and needing water fed to them by the security guards. Although the crowd ranged in ages, the majority was made up of twenty-year-olds and teenagers that were most likely with a parent, who probably weren’t thrilled with the dangerous conditions at the front.

Gaga finished with “Paparazzi,” but four minutes later came out with her grand finale encore of “Bad Romance.” Finishing at 11:45, the concert was an overall success. Gaga will continue her Monster Ball tour to Oregon and Washington to Canada and then all over Europe. The whole world puts their paws up for Lady Gaga…revealing their inner Little Monsters.

Grammy Grievances

We get it. Beyonce and Taylor Swift are more than just slightly popular, but drilling this into the heads of music fans via over-nominations is not the most appropriate response . When does a few nominations become too much? Swift was nominated for an overwhelming amount of eight awards including Record of the Year (awarded for a single or for one track on an album) , Album of the Year (awarded for an entire album), Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance – it never ends. Sure, she deserves some credit, but aren’t her eight nominations and Beyonce’s ten a little much?

It has become a popular opinion of late that the Grammys are slightly out of touch and recognize some artists too much, while completely forgetting others. Of course, the Grammys are not responsible for being in touch with whatever is most popular or known, but they are definitely responsible for being in touch with quality music. The problem here is distinguishing between popular, commercially successful music and overall “good” music.

Many complaints have been floating around about the Best New Artist award, its nominees being the Zac Brown Band, Keri Hilson, MGMT, the Silversun Pickups and The Ting Tings. Upon listening to these artists, it’s not a question of whether or not they have talent. But…who are they? MGMT’s “Kids” and “Electric Feel” distinguished them among new alternative artists and were a great start to what will be a fantastic career, and the Zac Brown Band is the talented epitome of pure, old-fashioned country. Many complain of not knowing the Silversun Pickups, but their popular songs “Panic Switch” and “Lazy Eye” have been steadily drawing in fans since their release. Could it be that this award is actually going to be based off quality and not popularity?

If that is the case, somebody should have thought to include David Cook for Best New Artist. Though he was most likely overloooked because of a petty bias against American Idol, his absence has left a large number of Grammy viewers bitter and unsatisfied. In the Best New Album category, many would have liked to see Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix or Maxwell’s BLACKsummer Night. No one was surprised to see Kelly Clarkson’s nomination for Best Pop Album, although it was a shocking disappoint that it was her only one.The Dave Matthews Band pulled through for a nomination for Best Album, to the surprise, yet delight, of many fans.

There have been numerous complaints regarding Michael Jackson not being nominated this year; however, hopeful fans are in luck. His album This is It didn’t make the deadline, but it’s more than likely that we’ll see it in next year’s Grammys.

However, the 52nd Grammys were surprisingly entertaining. Lady Gaga opened the night with fun renditions of the popular “Poker Face” and “Speechless.” She ended her act with an unexpected original piano ballad with Elton John. Though the song was decent, it took away from the act and left audiences calmed down rather than pumped up.

Pink wowed audiences with a dangerous but incredibly beautiful acrobatic performance of “Glitter in the Air.” Suspended above the audience, she twisted and twirled on a single white sheet with a Cirque du Soleil-esque routine. Not only was it visually attractive but it was also an incredible vocal performance.

The other memorable performance was of “The Earth Song” by Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood, Usher, and Celine Dion. The only let down was the lack of attention on the 3D effects. Most of the televised audience was not prepared and it took away from the on-screen effect.

Beyonce took home a record number of six awards: Song of the Year and R&B Song for Single Ladies, Female Pop Vocal for Halo, and Female R&B Vocal, Traditional R&B Vocal, Traditional R&B Vocal and Contemporary R&B Album. That’s cool. Now maybe you and Taylor Swift can go away for a little bit and let us miss you.

Trend Report: February

For those who are looking forward to the new music of the year more than the toys, you are in luck. Several well-known artists have rung in the New Year with new albums. Nashville-based pop artist Ke$ha recently released her debut album Animal after her single “Tik Tok” topped the charts in five countries. Lady Gaga has also graced the music charts with her hit “Bad Romance,” the leading single from her newly released album The Fame Monster. With her second album out and raking in the Grammy nominations, Lady Gaga is continuing to climb the ladder of music industry success since she first stepped into the scene in 2005.

But let’s not forget about the Indie scene, which is home to popular groups like Vampire Weekend. The band members all met at Colombia University and began putting together their Congolese-style jams into a full-length album, debuting in 2008. The newest installment from the group, Contra, was released January 11 in the United States.

In terms of the fashion avenue, keep your eyes peeled for the latest spring trends that are going to be creeping into local retailers in the coming weeks. A popular trend in the fashion magazines is the shirt dress. This comfortable piece combines a button down T-shirt with the length of a short dress, providing both girly appeal and tomboy edginess. The shirt dress fits all shapes well, and Michelle Obama has even been seen sporting one recently while on vacation. Check out stores like The Limited and Ralph Lauren, who are already launching spring lines.

Not quite ready to start bringing out all your warm weather clothes again? Not to worry, because many stores are still in post-holiday sales, where plenty of winter clothes will not only be available but will be on sale! Macy’s, Kenneth Cole, French Connection, and Michael Kors are great places to go to find classy coats and jackets that are appropriate for a California girl’s idea of winter.

With the variety of new appliances, music, and fashion news to keep up with, it might come as a relief to know that one new trend might also ease some of the back pain that is so common among Pres due to lugging around backpacks jammed full of books. It is called the “Nook”, a compact digital book made by Barnes & Noble that allows owners to download books straight onto the device. The Nook is built with an E Ink display screen designed to protect the reader from the damaging effects of staring at a computer screen.

So what is the niftiest feature of this little gadget? Users can download novels, magazines, and newspapers at the Barnes & Noble online store or through AT&T cellular networks. As many as 700,000 selections are available, all of which can be shared with friends with the Nook’s “Lend Me” feature. Friends do not even have to be fellow Nook owners, as the Lend Me feature allows titles to be sent to iPhones, iPod Touches, BlackBerries or computers.

There are plenty of new items out this year, so keep your eyes peeled for these new trends!

Trend Report: Fall 2009

Every season comes with new trends. Here, The Voice gives you an update on what’s in.

Fashion
The chilly season is coming up quicker than Pres girls can handle. With school, family, and social lives, many do not have time to hit the mall to browse for new trends. Have no fear, The Voice has all the trends that are in for this upcoming season.
One of the main focuses for girls is staying warm while attending events or going to school. There are ways to do this without layering three sweatshirts! Buy an insulated pea coat that has buttons or a belt. With a little extra length, they keep your torso and upper thighs warm throughout the day. These jackets are a huge hit with teenage girls as they allow girls to adjust the belt or buttons to accentuate their waists, the thinnest area in a woman’s midsection. Pair your jacket with a cute cashmere sweater underneath. Cashmere is a material that is extremely soft and traps in heat so your body stays warm and cozy. If bought in a neutral color, (black, white, tan, navy blue,) the sweater can be paired with almost anything, including your school uniform! If you are going out, match your jacket and sweater with a cute, fitted pair of skinny jeans. These jeans are still popular in the fashion world, and thus are sold at almost every store that carries jeans. Find a pair that fits your body type and rock your outfit at a football game, the movies or a family event.
As girls, we need to carry around our makeup, wallet, cell phone and iPod everywhere we go. Carry the “essentials” in a stylish new purse. The perfect purse for this season is a large, dark purple one. Purple is the new black for this season as seen in shirts, jackets, scarves and accessories. With a purse like this, girls will always be able to show off this beautiful color.
Finally, many girls’ favorite part of an outfit: the shoes. This season’s most popular shoe is the boot. The most versatile boots are the booties that go to the ankle. These come with buckles, peep toes, ruffles, studs or flats. The variety is endless with plenty of options for all kinds of styles. So grab a friend (or a computer!) and score some of the essentials for this season.

Music
Need to update your iPod soon? Don’t forget these three top songs for your playlist! For a calm, peaceful song, purchase Owl City’s song “Fireflies” which is currently number one on iTunes. If you are feeling overwhelmed from school, “Fireflies” will lift your spirits, due to the pleasant lyrics, such as “‘Cause I’d get a thousand hugs, From ten thousand lightning bugs, As they tried to teach me how to dance” and the soft voice of the lead singer. Another popular song to get girls out of their seats is “3” by Britney Spears. This song- exactly three minutes and 33 seconds long- is good to listen to while driving or cleaning up; it will bring some fun into tedious activities. For a sweet, upbeat love song, purchase “Replay” by Iyaz. This song will bring smiles to everyone’s faces. Since its release, “Replay” has been on the iTunes top songs and has remained there for more than a month. Other top songs include “Paparazzi” by Lady GaGa, “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z, and “Forever” by Drake, Kanye West, Lil’ Wayne, and Eminem.

Technology
One of a girl’s favorite pieces of technology is the cell phone. AT&T and Verizon came out with some cool new phones that seem to have unbelievable abilities. AT&T’s newest phone is the Blackberry Curve 8900. This black phone has voice-guided GPS, a 3.2 megapixels camera and Wi-Fi access. Text messaging capabilities allow sending pictures, videos, and voice recordings quickly, and the use of Instant Messaging through AIM, Windows Live and Yahoo Messenger. Another new phone available at AT&T is the HTC Tilt2. This cell phone has a touch screen front, and a slide-out full keyboard. There is access to full HTML web browsing and mobile email. The Tilt2 also offers Video Share, which is sharing live videos streaming videos with other phones. These new phones are very popular within AT&T and are expected to become more popular after they have been released for a longer period of time.
Verizon Wireless also offers some amazing new phones. One of the new phones is the Blackberry Tour 9630. This phone received four and a half out of five stars by customers according to verizonwireless.com. This smart phone has Visual Voicemail, VCAST music with Rhapsody and Bluetooth capabilities. The buttons of the phone are tilted for faster, easier texting. Verizon is currently offering a deal for buy-one-get-one-free Blackberries. Another new phone is the Samsung Rouge. This phone has a touch screen front and a full keyboard that slides out. The screen is large and easily reacts to the touch of a finger for easy texting abilities. This phone has a Widget toolbar with one touch access to Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and YouTube. The camera, which is more advanced than others, also offers multi-shot picture taking. No matter what network you are on, there is a cool cell phone that will fit your needs and make texting your friends easier for you.
This season has plenty of new and exciting trends for everyone. Whether you are looking for clothes, music, or technology, designers have made something for you. So go treat yourself to some new items or start some early holiday shopping for friends or family. Happy shopping!