February 8th, 2012 | 5:45 pm by Kat George (@kat_george)

Last Lap: Beyonce Will Release “End Of Time” As Her Next Single

Beyoncé Will Release “End Of Time” As Her Next Single
New mom Beyoncé is set to release “End Of Time” from her 2011 album 4 as her next single. Makes sense — we can’t imagine that Bey is ready to get back to work on new material so soon after the bub, and of course the world is keen for more from Mamma Knowles. So she’s doing the best she can to appease our hungry eyes and ears, not that we ever had any doubt she would. [Pop Dust]

Lana Del Rey Is Swarmed By Hysterical Fans
You know you’ve made it when you have fans that cry hysterically in your presence. Lana Del Rey‘s fans shed more than a few tears, overwhelmed in her presence at a signing at Amoeba Records. [Hipster Runoff]

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February 8th, 2012 | 12:00 pm by Kat George (@kat_george)

The 6 Best Sets Of Devastated Raccoon Eyes In Music Video History

Oh, heartbreak! We’ve all felt it’s cruel pincers nipping at our heart at one time or another, and we’ve all at some point cried the devastated tears of loss. And let’s be real — we’ve probably listened to one of our favorite pop stars sing about the whole sordid palaver while we’ve wallowed in our own despair. So that got us to thinking of the expressiveness of sadness in music videos, and the one motif that seems consistent across the songs of different artists — black mascara tears. Because musicians are not always the best actors, and because of the highly visual spectacle of pop music, dramatic smudged raccoon eyes in scenes where the stars are crying seems like a go to for the more melancholy songs. With that in mind, we’ve selected our favorite runny raccoon eyes — have we missed any? What are your faves?

1. Beyoncé – “Why Don’t You Love Me?”
Beyoncé wins best panda eyes on the strength of melodrama. Oh, and because she looks really hot in vintage style lingerie. Clearly tortured, Beyoncé’s panda eyes are paired with martinis, cigarettes, and just the right amount of crazy to make the whole thing unbearably sexy.

2. Katy Perry – “The One That Got Away”

There’s so much emotion in the scene where Katy Perry is crying in her future self’s wardrobe in “The One That Got Away” that we just want to give the girl a big hug. Katy gets points for realism — we’re pretty sure that even without the panda eyes we’d still feel the heartbreak.

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February 6th, 2012 | 12:57 pm by Kat George (@kat_george)

Scrooge McJay-Z: The Carter-Knowles Clan Might Be Millionaires, But They’re Not Giving Much To Charity

New parents Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles are like, millionaires. You don’t even need us to provide you with the math to know that, but The Daily has made this neat little infographic anyway, just so you can see how much money pop royalty makes, and how little they’ve been contributing to their own charity:

As you can see from the above image, Jay-Z made an obscene amount of money is 2010 — $63 million — and gave only 0.01% of that to his own charity. Feeling a bit miserly in 2010, were you Jay?

Hov’s rep, Jana Fleishman defended the Carter clan, saying in an email to The Daily, “Jay, along with his family, provided office support, overhead support, [mother] Mrs. Gloria Carter’s 100% effort and time, computers, FedEx expenses, accounting, and treasury function support. This was at no cost to the charity.” Except that taxes tell another story, and it seems that the charity paid $7,306 for the expenses mentioned in Fleishman’s email. Maybe Jay-Z needs to be reminded that he wasn’t always Mr. Moneybags, and that empathy can go a long way. What does one buy oneself with $63 million dollars a year anyway? Surely there’s flexibility to share that sort of exorbitant earning?

Giving Back [The Daily]

[Photo: Getty Images]

January 30th, 2012 | 5:00 pm by Kat George (@kat_george)

Last Lap: Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” Gets An 80s Remix Thanks To Miami Nights

Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” Gets An Eighties-tastic Remix Thanks To Miami Nights
One of the hottest newcomers for 2012, Gotye, gets his track “Somebody That I Used To Know” remixed by Miami Nights. It’s a synth-led 80s redux, and it’s pretty rad. [Rolling Stone]

A Q&A with “Politicizing Beyoncé” Professor Kevin Allred
The L Magazine spoke to Kevin Allred, the doctoral student responsible for that academic course in Beyoncé. He reveals that unfortunately, you can’t get extra credit for memorizing the “Single Ladies” dance. Dang — we’ve just wasted the past week then! [The L Magazine]

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January 30th, 2012 | 1:33 pm by Kat George (@kat_george)

11 Songs That Should Be Made Into Video Games

Lana Del Rey‘s song “Video Games” got us thinking — what if some of our favorite songs were made into actual video games? We thought about some tracks we love, and quickly found that many of them lend themselves perfectly to the video game format. We’ve even taken the trouble to add an objective and plot to each of our selections, so we think that someone should take some of these hit songs and pixelate them so we can add them to our consoles. You have to admit, they do sound more appealing than that rumored Angry Birds / Kanye West collaboration…

Lana Del Rey – “Video Games”
In which you attempt to save Paz De La Huerta from herself.

Rihanna, Jay-Z & Kanye West – “Run This Town”
In which you are the mayor of a town, and must run it as such.

Drake – “Crew Love”
In which you attempt to build and sustain a “crew” with challenges including in-fighting, mutiny and rival crews.

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January 27th, 2012 | 12:53 pm by Kat George (@kat_george)

“Politicizing Beyonce”: Rutgers Offers A Whole Course Devoted To An Academic Analysis Of King Bey

It doesn’t take a genius to see that there’s something about Beyoncé‘s history, persona and business model that is different from your average pop star. She’s not always a chart topper, nor is she always the most talked about (although when she is it’s with zeal from both fans and detractors) but Beyoncé is an undoubtedly powerful force, and indeed widely considered more socially and culturally influential than some of her more pervasive contemporaries. It’s little surprise to us then, that doctoral student Kevin Allred has begun teaching a course called “Politicizing Beyoncé” at Rutgers, as a means of dissecting and analyzing the Beyoncé story and positioning her as a culturally important figure both in terms of gender and race studies.

“She certainly pushes boundaries. While other artists are simply releasing music, she’s creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona,” says Allred. He also notes that, “It’s important to shift students away from simply being consumers of media toward thinking more critically about what they’re engaging on a regular basis.” Raising critical awareness of the media through education seems ever more pertinent, as celebrity culture (especially given the advent of Internet celebrity), is increasingly saturating our everyday lives. Allred’s course covers issues like control, sexuality, empowerment, race and femininity in terms of Beyoncé’s behemoth persona. We’re not sure about you, but we’re ducking out to buy some school supplies on our lunch break — we want back in the classroom!

Beyoncé as a Political Figure? [Rutgers Focus]

January 20th, 2012 | 3:34 pm by Kat George (@kat_george)

Beyonce Pays Tribute To The Late Etta James

With music icons taking to Twitter today to share their condolences for the passing of the legendary Etta James, Beyoncé posted a personal message of admiration on her website. Of the late Etta James, Beyoncé wrote the following:

“This is a huge loss. Etta James was one of the greatest vocalists of our time. I am so fortunate to have met such a queen. Her musical contributions will last a lifetime. Playing Etta James taught me so much about myself, and singing her music inspired me to be a stronger artist. When she effortlessly opened her mouth, you could hear her pain and triumph. Her deeply emotional way of delivering a song told her story with no filter. She was fearless, and had guts. She will be missed.”

The message was accompanied by Bey’s performance of “At Last” for Fashion Rocks 2008, in which her reverence for James is overt and sincere.

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January 18th, 2012 | 12:21 pm by Kat George (@kat_george)

tUnE-yArDs, Adele Top The Annual Pazz + Jop Music Critics Poll

Pazz + Jop, The Village Voice‘s annual music poll that aggregates the opinions of thousands of music critics based on their votes for single and album of the year, has just been released, and it’s very similar to all the other ‘Best Of 2011′ lists we’ve read. That is to say, there aren’t really any surprises, maybe just a slight reshuffling of the order. In that vein, Adele appears on both lists, with 21 ranking at number 6 for albums, and “Rolling In The Deep,” and “Someone Like You,” featuring at number one and nine respectively on the singles list.

Perhaps the most unexpected thing about the lists is the order itself — while Adele sits snugly where she’s always sat, several pop stars have found their way into Pazz + Jop’s top ten singles, where other end of year lists had them pulling up the ranks much further down the line. For instance, Beyoncé‘s “Countdown” makes it to number two on the singles list, with Nicki Minaj‘s “Super Bass” at number three and Britney Spears’ “Til The World Ends” at number seven. All in all, however, the top 10 singles featured the usual suspects, from Azealia Banks, Jay-Z and Kayne West, M83, Lana Del Rey, Tyler The Creator and Foster The People, there was nothing particularly shocking about the ballot-topping artists.

It was a similar story in the albums list, which, as already mentioned, saw Adele near the top, followed closely by Bon Iver‘s Bon Iver at number nine. Perhaps of a slightly “buzzier” lien than the singles, the albums list saw critically acclaimed tUnE-yArDs‘, w h o k i l l come in at number one, with PJ Harvey‘s fawned over artwork, Let England Shake at number two, and Wild Flag‘s unexpected success, Wild Flag, at number four. Jay-Z and Kayne West, Destroyer, Drake, Tom Waits and Shabazz Palaces also make the top ten albums but again, no surprises other than ranking — these are names we heard all through 2011 and that at the end of the year were plastered across the lists we saw online in both blogs and music industry and expert websites.

Pazz + Jop [The Village Voice]

January 17th, 2012 | 1:04 pm by Kat George (@kat_george)

Jay-Z Goes Into Over Protective New Dad Mode, Drops Misogyny In Favor Of Blue Ivy’s Honor

Is Jay-Z the most gushing new dad of all time? By all reports, it seems like, yes, yes he really is. Following the birth of his and Beyoncé‘s daughter, Blue Ivy, last week, Hov wasted no time in releasing a song, “Glory,” in tribute to the blushing babe. And now, in the most recent chapter of Jay-Z Is An Amazing Dad, the rapper has vowed to stop using the word “b***h.” In a poem he wrote for baby Blue Ivy, Jay says, “Before I got in the game, made a change, and got rich, I didn’t think hard about using the word b***h. I rapped, I flipped it, I sold it, I lived it. Now with my daughter in this world I curse those that give it. No man will degrade her, or call her names, I’m so focused on your future, the degradation has passed. I wish you wealth, health and insight. Forever young you may pass. Blue Ivy Carter, my angel.”

It’s not such a bold pronouncement for a dad, but a pretty revolutionary thing from a hip hop star, given the proliferation of misogynistic lyricism that characterizes a lot of rap music. We wonder if Jay will now proceed to censor his back catalog, given that the degrading term appears in many of his songs. For instance, will he now sing, “I got 99 Problems but the strong, empowered woman in my life ain’t one”? Will he force Kanye West to change the lyrics of their Watch The Throne hit, “That’s My B***h” to, “That’s my wonderful, intelligent young woman whom I respect unconditionally”?

Moreover, we want to know what Hov plans to do about everyone else — it’s all well and good for him to fly the feminist flag, but he can’t control the rest of the world now, can he? In that vein, some marijuana dealers in LA have developed a strain of weed dubbed “OG Blue Ivy.” We’re wondering how Jay, who often raps about his penchant for the green stuff, feels about the moniker? Obviously Jay can’t keep baby Blue completely away from the big bad world — she is as close as you can come to being infant pop royalty, after all, so she’ll always be in the spotlight. But if daddy really is on the war path, will Blue Ivy be the most sheltered/over protected baby on earth? Is Blue Ivy Carter the new Blanket Jackson?

‘No man will degrade her’: Rapper Jay-Z vows to stop using the word ‘b***h’ following birth of daughter Blue Ivy [The Daily Mail]
‘Blue Ivy’ Strain Marijuana Sprouting Up In LA Weed Shops [Huffington Post]

January 13th, 2012 | 12:36 pm by Jim Shearer

Shearer’s Spotlight: 5 Things That Need To Happen In To Make 2012 A Great Year For Music

Each week here on VH1 Tuner, our VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown host Jim Shearer (@jimshearer on Twitter) will be sharing his Shearer’s Spotlight with us.

As you know, 2012 is still an infant — yes, just like Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s baby girl — so while January welcomes us with open arms, here is a list of things that need to happen in the next 12 months to help ensure a high-quality year of music:

1. Adele Needs To Sing
No word yet if Adele will be performing at the Grammys, but she will be singing at the Brit Awards in March. You can’t have an album as big as 21 and not tour. And because Adele’s sophomore album was so huge, she may have to play arenas, the type of venue she fears playing (ironically, her voice is made for such big places).

2. Buy A Ticket To See Madonna
Every young pop star needs to buy a ticket to see Madonna when she inevitably goes out on tour this year in support of her forthcoming album, MDNA. Yes, there are pop stars younger, sexier and more talented than Madonna, but this is a lesson in longevity and consistency. Madonna is 53 years old and is going to put on a high-energy, non-stop show that will humble the artists who drive on the pop-highway she paved.

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