Beyoncé
Beyonce Says She ‘Killed’ Sasha Fierce
by on Feb.26, 2010, under Beyoncé
‘I don’t need Sasha Fierce anymore,’ B says of the alter ego she created.
By Hillary Crosley
Beyoncé
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Beyoncé is killing the game again, but this time it’s herself — or at least her alter ego.
“Sasha Fierce is done. I killed her,” B said in a recent interview with Allure magazine.
Of course, the singer created her alter ego Sasha Fierce in an effort to separate her own shy personality from her stage persona and give herself the courage to be free and sexy while performing. Beyoncé even went so far as to name-check the alter ego on her last album, I Am … Sasha Fierce. The LP was split into two physical CDs and two genres. The I Am … side held pop songs like “If I Were a Boy” while Sasha Fierce boasted urban chic like “Video Phone,” B’s first duet with Lady Gaga.
Now the singer says that she’s comfortable enough with herself to be all of those things without an alias.
“I don’t need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I’ve grown and now I’m able to merge the two,” she explained.
In fact, the singer/songwriter/actress admitted that she’s currently taking a career break after the conclusion of her world tour in Trinidad this month, adding she’d like “to paint and cook and to do Broadway shows and museums. And learn just to be at home and just watch television.”
Though Mrs. Carter is eyeing a vacation, she’s still got two new videos on the way — one with pop powerhouse Lady Gaga for “Video Phone” and one for Alicia Keys’ “Put It in a Love Song,” so we won’t miss her for long.
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Beyonce Gets ‘Crazy’ With Lady Gaga In ‘Telephone’ Video
by on Feb.23, 2010, under Beyoncé
‘It’s gonna be so crazy,’ B tells Tyra Banks of the stars’ second video together.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga in her video for “Telephone”
Photo: Interscope Records
Though Lady Gaga and Beyoncé’s “Telephone” video still doesn’t have an official premiere date, info about the clip is slowly but surely making its way to the fans. Last week, Gaga gave fans a glimpse of what she will look like in the video, and B recently dished about the clip when she stopped by “The Tyra Banks Show.”
“I am such a huge fan of hers. We just filmed her video two weeks ago in Los Angeles, and it’s gonna be so crazy,” said Beyoncé, who also worked with Gaga on her clip for “Video Phone.” “I don’t want to give too much away because I don’t want her to be upset, but it’s a part two of ‘Paparazzi.’ She’s just so smart and she’s becoming an icon in her own right.”
Beyoncé also said she was going to Brazil to shoot the video for Alicia Keys’ “Put It in a Love Song.” She told Tyra that she loves working with other powerful women.
“I actually leave today and go to Brazil. … I’m going there to work — I am finishing my last leg of my tour. I’m filming a video with Alicia Keys there,” she said. “I’m so excited to work with women. I’m a girl’s girl, so to show that women who are successful can support each other and have a good time, I’m just so happy to bring that message across with Gaga and Alicia Keys. … I learn something from all these ladies.”
Gaga recently revealed the cover art for the “Telephone” single, which is due out on March 2, on her Web site. It features a photo of Gaga wearing a hat made from a telephone and a picture of a Sasha Fierce-mode Beyoncé.
There still very few details about the “Telephone” video available. We know that part of it will take place at a diner and that at some point Beyoncé breaks Gaga out of jail. “We die in [the video],” Semi Precious Weapons lead singer Justin Tranter said of his band’s cameo. “And I think that’s probably all I’m allowed to tell. … And, I think, what people have already talked about: It’s very Tarantino-inspired, sort of like violent melodrama glamour.”
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Jay-Z Takes Credit For Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ Dance
by on Feb.22, 2010, under Beyoncé
Jay cracks jokes on BBC show about his wife stealing her most famous moves from him.
By Jocelyn Vena
Jay-Z and Beyoncé
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images
Jay-Z doesn’t really like to open up about his personal life and rarely talks to the press about what he and Beyoncé do together in their off-time. But when he stopped by BBC One’s “Friday Night With Jonathan Ross” across the pond last Friday, Jay decided that he’d just roll with the personal questions and have a good-natured laugh about the whole thing.
“You’re my guy,” he joked to Ross about how he loves to talk to him about life with his pop superstar wife, ranking his confidantes: “Obama. You.” (He had just shared with Ross that he had been invited to the White House by President Obama.)
Hova explained that Beyoncé was too busy with previous engagements to join him in the U.K., and then he seemed to take advantage of her absence to declare that he was the mastermind behind her famous dance moves. “She’s actually in Trinidad,” he said. “She has a concert. [We go to each other's shows] all the time, of course. She’s a magnificent performer. I steal routines from her. She stole many things from me. You know, I see it onstage … the ['Crazy in Love'] ‘Uh-oh’ dance, I started that. You probably don’t know what that is.”
Then Jay decided to take credit for her most famous dance to date: “I actually created that dance [from 'Single Ladies'],” he deadpanned. “That was me again. [I said], ‘You should do this [the hand-wave motion],’ and she did it. I wouldn’t really tell anybody. It’s what you asked me, so I don’t want to make it seem like I’m making myself more important.”
Jay-Z remained in a jocular mood when Ross asked how he spent Valentine’s Day with Beyoncé. “Well, I’m not gonna tell you that,” he said after a pause. “I’ll give you a little bit of information. She was in Peru, and I was in Denver, on my way to here, and … it was very romantic. … Skype.”
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Music Videos From RIAA’s Top Decade-End Sales List
by on Feb.18, 2010, under Beyoncé
Check out music videos from RIAA’s list of the top sellers of the decade, including Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and many more.
Photo: Universal
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Beyonce, ‘NSYNC, Outkast Top Decade-End Sales List
by on Feb.18, 2010, under Beyoncé
RIAA list tallies top gold and platinum sellers between 2000 and 2009.
By Gil Kaufman
Beyoncé
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images
The years between 2000 and 2009 were very good for Beyoncé, ‘NSYNC, Michael Jackson and Nickelback, according to figures released by the Recording Industry Association of America on Wednesday. The music-industry trade association tallied gold (500,000) and platinum (1 million) certifications for the first decade of the 2000s, and those coming out at the top of the heap also include Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Linkin Park, Flo Rida and Lil Wayne.
The big winner, though, was Beyoncé, who topped all lists with the most total gold and platinum certifications at 64, which includes tallies for cumulative album, digital song, master ringtone and music video certifications. She was followed by classic rock act the Eagles, who had 48 total certifications, and the late Michael Jackson at 44.
The group category in total album certifications was led by Nickelback with 25. Britney Spears grabbed the top female solo artist category at 23, and country act George Strait snagged the male solo title with 29. The top digital song certifications belonged to Taylor Swift with 25, followed by Kanye West (19) and Linkin Park (13) in the group category. Beyoncé (19) edged out T.I. (15) in the most master ringtone certifications race. Flo Rida’s five-times platinum “Low” was the best-selling digital download of all time and Lil Wayne’s five-times platinum “Lollipop” was the highest certified ringtone ever.
The decade’s highest certified album sales award was a tie between ‘NSYNC’s No Strings Attached and Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below, which were both certified at 11-times platinum, equaled in the female solo artist category by Shania Twain’s Up! and just ahead of Usher’s Confessions, which topped the male solo artist race with a 10-times platinum score.
While Flo Rida set the record, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift both came close in the most certified digital song category, each going four-times platinum with, respectively, “Just Dance” and “Love Story.” Coldplay and the Fray took the group honors with “Viva La Vida” and “How to Save a Life,” respectively; both went three-times platinum.
Behind Wayne in the master ringtone section were Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” in the female solo slot at three-times platinum and D4L (”Laffy Taffy”), Hinder (”Lips of an Angel”) and the Shop Boyz (”Party Like a Rock Star”), who all hit three-times platinum in the group class.
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Alicia Keys Reveals Her ‘Chemistry’ With Beyonce On Brazil Video Set
by on Feb.16, 2010, under Beyoncé
‘The energy of the city matches the energy of the song,’ Keys says of shooting ‘Put It in a Love Song’ clip in Rio de Janeiro.
By Shaheem Reid
Alicia Keys at the NBA All-Star Game
Photo: MTV News
DALLAS — Alicia Keys recently teamed with fellow female powerhouse Beyoncé to film the video for “Put It in a Love Song” in Brazil. Some local fans posted video footage online, in which we see Keys giving a performance in the streets.
A plethora of photos were also put on AliciaKeysDaily.com, showing A.Keys and B dressed up in festive dresses, also in the streets. On Sunday, during the NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium, Alicia talked about the latest release from her The Element of Freedom LP.
“Shooting ‘Put It in a Love Song’ in Rio, in Brazil, was very incredible,” Keys said. “I feel that the energy of the city matches the energy of the song. It’s sensual, it’s exciting, it’s so rich with color. I loved it. The people came out so heavy and so hard. I think it was exciting, especially to participate and experience it with them like that. Me and B have a great relationship. And to be able to have the chemistry we have and do it in a city that’s so unique like that is unforgettable. The pictures speak a thousand words. So you saw the energy out there. It was great.”
On Sunday, Keys performed for more than 108,000 people at the stadium, a new attendance record for any NBA game. The singer did a medley of her hits: “Empire State of Mind,” “Sleeping With a Broken Heart” and “No One.”
“It is a grand stage,” Keys said of the mini-set. “It’s really exciting. I’m a personal fan of championship-style games where the best are playing. It’s exciting, and I love that. Also to be able to perform on a stage like this and a venue like this, people are excited. They’re here to have a great time, and so I’m glad that on Valentine’s Day, I’m able to bring a little love in the building. So it’s gonna be beautiful.”
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Beyonce, Lady Gaga Are ‘Magical’ In ‘Telephone’ Video, Semi Precious Weapons Say
by on Feb.13, 2010, under Beyoncé
The glam rockers describe the video as ‘Tarantino-inspired violent melodrama.’
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Daniel Montalto
Semi Precious Weapons
Photo: MTV News
Judging by the leaked photos and a few rumors, Beyoncé is breaking Lady Gaga out of jail in their newest video collaboration, “Telephone.” And now we know one more thing about the clip: Gaga’s pals and Monster Ball Tour opening act Semi Precious Weapons also appear in it.
“We do have a cameo in the ‘Telephone’ video, which was when we walked on set and there was Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, all at once. It was pretty magical,” frontman Justin Tranter shared with MTV News. “Obviously, Gaga’s one of the greatest music visionaries of our time, and Beyoncé is one of the greatest visions of our time. She is a music visionary too.”
While the glam rockers are used to Gaga’s visions, Tranter was struck by the sight of Beyoncé in the flesh. “Her body is like Jessica Rabbit,” he said. “It’s like a cartoon. She’s so hot and perfect.”
Although the guys couldn’t say much about the plot of the video, they did share that they die in the clip. “Yeah, we are in the ‘Telephone’ video and we die in it,” Tranter said. “And I think that’s probably all I’m allowed to tell … And, I think, what people have already talked about: It’s very Tarantino-inspired, sort of like violent melodrama glamour.”
Semi Precious Weapons didn’t seem too disappointed by their tragic end. “Oh, no! It’s awesome,” Tranter exclaimed. “We were honored. Gaga’s like, ‘And then you’re going to die.’ We were like, ‘Yes!’ The video’s going to be awesome.”
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Beyonce ‘Shocked’ Jay-Z By Saying ‘I Love You’ At Grammys
by on Feb.04, 2010, under Beyoncé
‘I was so happy, I could’ve said anything,’ B says of her atypical PDA.
By Jocelyn Vena
Beyonce and Jay-Z at the 52 annual Grammy Awards
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Jay-Z and Beyoncé are notorious for keeping their private life just that. Rarely do they speak about each other in interviews, and they skillfully avoid public displays of affection. So, when Beyoncé told her hubby that she loved him onstage at the Grammys on Sunday night, no one was more surprised by her televised proclamation of love than Jay-Z himself.
“I’d love to thank my family for all of their support, including my husband. I love you,” she said while accepting her Best Female Pop Vocal Performance award.
“He was shocked! He was just like, ‘What did you say?’ ” Beyoncé told “Access Hollywood” about her acceptance speech.
B, who eventually went home with six Grammys on Sunday, said that she didn’t even realize what she was saying. “I was so happy, I could’ve said anything. That’s why I ran off the stage,” she explained. “I just looked up, and he was the first face I saw. And I was like, ‘What did I just do? No, I didn’t just say that.’ ”
While Jay-Z seemed surprised she shared with the world her feelings for him, he also seemed incredibly proud of his wife’s very successful evening. “He said, ‘You have six Grammys and you smell good,’ ” she joked, deftly turning her embarrassment into a plug for her new perfume Beyoncé Heat. “This morning I woke up and they told me the fragrance is the number one fragrance in America. I had absolutely no idea.”
Do Beyoncé and Jay-Z take their privacy too seriously, or are they wise not to let it all out in public? Let us know in the comments below, or upload a video to Your.MTV.com.
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Beyonce, Lady Gaga ‘Telephone’ Video Pics Revealed
by on Feb.01, 2010, under Beyoncé
Photos show divas in a truck from ‘Kill Bill’ for clip shot days before Grammys.
By Jocelyn Vena
Beyoncé arrives to the 2010 Grammy Awards
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
Photos have emerged of the latest Lady Gaga and Beyoncé video collaboration. This time the Grammy-winning pop divas are hooking up to shoot the clip for Gaga’s latest single, featuring Beyoncé, “Telephone,” off her album The Fame Monster.
New York magazine reported that the video will involve Beyoncé bailing Gaga out of jail and it is rumored to be helmed by “Paparazzi” video director Jonas Akerlund. In photos published on PhotoShelter.com, Gaga and Beyoncé are seen shooting in what is reportedly the truck that Uma Thurman drove in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill.” Herfection.com posted a photo of the pair wearing very frilly leotards in a desert setting. The ladies reportedly shot the video outside Los Angeles on January 28 in Lancaster, California.
The clip will also include scenes at a diner, a cameo from singer/model Tyrese and a prison shower scene. Gaga and B will wear “destroyed denim pieces” by designers Franc Fernandez and Oscar Olima, according to New York.
A Tarantino tribute is nothing new for Beyoncé and Gaga. In their “Video Phone” clip, B famously paid homage to “Reservoir Dogs.” In that video, directed by Hype Williams, Gaga purposely toned down her usually flamboyant style.
“I said, ‘I want to do you in your video, and I want to tribute you. I want to dress up like you,’ ” Gaga recalled telling her co-star. “And Hype Williams … was so excited. He was like, ‘Gaga I want no makeup on your face.’ It was really stripped down — real Beyoncé hair, and we wore the same outfit in the video, and I [paid tribute to] her.”
Are you excited to see the latest video from Gaga and Beyoncé? Let us know in the comments below, or upload a video to Your.MTV.com!
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Solange Knowles’ Son Joins Jay-Z And Rihanna On The Grammy Stage
by on Feb.01, 2010, under Beyoncé
Rihanna tried to pass the mic to Beyoncé and Jay’s nephew Julez during acceptance speech.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Julez Smith Jr.
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ Getty Images
Not many people could upstage Jay-Z and Rihanna, but Beyoncé’s nephew Julez did just that at Sunday night’s (January 31) Grammy Awards.
Solange Knowles’ son offered a tepid “No thanks” when Rihanna offered him the microphone at the awards show. The 5-year-old was onstage with Rihanna and Jay after their hit “Run This Town” scored a Grammy win for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Dressed in a dapper tuxedo, Julez delighted the crowd when he was invited to accept the award by his Uncle Hov.
The latest star from the Knowles’ clan, Julez was born Daniel Julez Smith Jr. in 2004. He was named after Solange’s ex-husband, Daniel Smith, whom the singer married the same year. Julez’s first uncredited appearance came courtesy of Destiny’s Child when Solange showed off her very pregnant belly in the group’s “Soldier” video. He was also the subject of a song on Solange’s 2008 album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams titled “An Ode to Julez.”
Julez proved to be a cool customer at the Grammy Awards. First, Jay-Z thanked the crowd for his win before he passed the mic off to Rihanna. The singer offered her quick words and turned to Julez. Rihanna picked up the tiny Knowles as she asked him if he had anything he wanted to say. “No thanks,” he said sheepishly, drawing laughter from the audience.
His tight-lipped answer earned him a burst of fame and a tweet from his mom, who passed on the festivities. “Julez is going to enjoy seeing that when he’s 13,” Solange wrote, followed by a smiley-face.
The 2010 Grammy Awards may be over, but MTV News will have much, much more from the show, including reports on your favorite nominees, party photos, behind-the-scenes video and much more from the big show!
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