Category: Saturday Night Live
Posted in "Billionaire", "Fuck You", "Grenade", "Just the Way You Are", "Nothin' on You", "The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour", 'Dr. Feel Good', "The Other Side", B.O.B., Billboard Magazine, Bruno Mars, Cee-Lo Green, ELLE, Elle Magazine, ELLE US, Kanye, Kanye West, Music News, Saturday Night Live, SNL
Music News: Bruno Mars Speaks to ELLE Magazine About His New Album & On How Kanye Stole His SNL Idea Plus More
Prior to Bruno Mars performing on Saturday Night Live, he sat down with ELLE Magazine and got into depth about his new album, what he thought about Kanye West's SNL Performance, and what his future plans are.
Check it out after the jump…
If you don't recognize Bruno Mars, then just turn on the radio. He's the R&B mastermind writer/producer behind practically every ounce of DJ-fuel: Cee Lo's snappy Motown kiss-off "Fuck You," B.O.B's sultry single "Nothing On You" and Travie McCoy's catchy ode to capitalism, "Billionaire." On Tuesday, the 24 year-old Hawaii native released his solo debut, 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans,' anchored by the melodic "Just The Way You Are." And this weekend, he'll provide the soundtrack to Saturday Night Live.
ELLE: Even though you were behind some of the biggest songs of the summer, was going solo always your goal?
Bruno Mars: I got signed at a young age, and, it's not like the movies—you don't get signed and all of a sudden hit songs falling into your lap, so I had to learn and see the way things were behind the scenes. Luckily, I got a chance to sell one of my records. That helped pay rent, so I figured that I'd just start producing for other acts and then hopefully, one day labels would hear me sing these demos and take a chance.
ELLE: You famously wrote Cee Lo's "Fuck You." How did you two meet?
BM: We're label mates, and I knew that he was working on his album so I just kept putting it in everyone's ear, like, "Yo, I need to work with him. It'd be a dream come true." We hooked up at the studio, we started working, we did a couple of records together. We did a record on Travis McCoy's album called "Dr. Feel Good," which he's singing on; he's on my album, "The Other Side," so it's only natural. We all got to the studio and came up with one of our favorite songs.
ELLE: Were you worried "Fuck You" wouldn't get airplay because of the lyrics?
BM: You know sometimes, you just gotta do things that feel right. And Cee Lo's the type of artist who'll say whatever the hell he wants to say.
ELLE: What are you going after sound-wise on your solo album?
BM: I've been a songwriter and a producer for a while now and I'm always hopping around from different genre to genre, and I'm hoping "Nothin' On You," "Billionaire," and "Just The Way You Are," were a warning to people that I might not just stick to one sound. So on [Doo-Wops & Hooligans], I was just really trying to be open. I would just sit down in the studio, pick up a guitar, and write a song, whether it called for a reggae beat or whether it was a ballad. It was kind of a free fall. Let me just do what I want; let me get this out of my system. And I'm already thinking about my second album.
ELLE: You must be excited to perform on SNL this weekend.
BM: Geeze. The first time you'll see me singing "Just The Way You Are" on TV is on that show, live.
ELLE: Will you try to weasel your way into a skit?
BM: I don't know how those things work. I'd love to, but I'm fine with just performing.
ELLE: And you're following the Kanye performance from last week. Did you see it?
BM: Yeah, wasn't that incredible? That was my idea! I was gonna wear a red suit and have ballerinas dancing to "Just The Way You Are."
ELLE: You better talk to your stylist, ASAP.
BM: No, I'm just kidding. He was amazing though, definitely, he definitely woke me up. Now you're making me nervous. What the hell is going on? This is supposed to be a nice, sweet interview.
ELLE: Oh no, didn't they tell you we just try freak you out here at ELLE?
BM: Right, like, "This is your first big moment. Good luck following Kanye."
Plus check out Bruno Mars performs "Grenade" in this extended session of Billboard's Tastemakers series LIVE at Mophonics Studios NY.
Bruno Mars – "Grenade" (Studio Session) LIVE!!!
Source: fashionelle.com, YouTube
"Bruno Mars 10/9 SNL Videos" and related posts (theaudioperv.com)
Bruno Mars Has A Piano On His Shoulder (perezhilton.com)
Bruno Mars Says Doo-Wops Will Take Fans On 'A Journey' (mtv.com)
New Bruno Mars! (perezhilton.com)
Music Review: Bruno Mars – Doo-Wops & Hooligans (blogcritics.org)
Posted in "Grenade", "Just the Way You Are", "Nothin' on You", 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans', B.O.B., Bruno Mars, Saturday Night Live
Music News: Bruno Mars' Performs on "Saturday Night Live"
Bruno Mars has officially scratched off "perform on Saturday Night Live" off of his bucket list. His dream became a reality when he was the musical guest last night (Saturday, Oct. 09, 2010) on "SNL" for the first time. He was looking very "Hairspray" retro, rocking a pompadour, blue blazer, black pants, white button down, black skinny tie, and some black & white oxfords to match his band. Quite gentlemanly. Nice way to celebrate his 25th birthday, which was actually last week.
Mars performed 2 songs last night, the first being his #1 hit "Just The Way You Are," which was backed up by his band. It also included a string section and a tambourine-thumping backup singer. The other was a mix between "Nothin' on You" into "Grenade." When Mars returned to the stage, he picked up a guitar and plucked a mellowed-out version of his chorus for B.o.B's smash "Nothin' On You."
The singer then told the crowd, "That was then, this is now," and put down the guitar as he launched into "Grenade." Mars peppered the performance with hip-swaying moves, looking like Elvis Presley. He finished his performance in a very classic rock-star style with an excited jump in the air. Perfect vocals and what a show!
Bruno Mars' debut album 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans,' is in stores NOW. It was released, Oct. 5th, with his single "Just the Way You Are" topping charts, according to Billboard.com. Go get a copy if you haven't yet. Such a DOPE record. It's a must-have!
Check out some photos from Bruno's performance taken from my phone via my TV, sorry for some of the blurry ones….
Check out Bruno's performances below after the jump….AMAZING!!
"Nothin' on You" and "Grenade"
"Happy Birthday Bruno Mars!!"
Videos via YouTube
Posted in "Last Girl on Earth Tour", "Loud", "Love The Way You Lie", "S&M", 'Rated R', 'Doritos Late Night', 'Last Girl On Tour', 'Pon De Replay', 'So Kodak', All On The Cover, Avril Lavigne, "Cheers", "Fading Away", "Firework", "Hot Toddy", "Man Down", "Not Myself Tonight", "Only Girl (In The World)", "Only Girl", "Peacock", "rebelle fleur", "What's My Name", Battleship, Billboard Magazine, Currently Reading, Drake, Ester Dean, Gabriela Schwartz, IDJMG, Julie Pilat, Katy Perry, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, newstands, Nicki Minaj, Peter Berg, Reb'l Fleur, Rihanna, Saturday Night Live, Tor Erik Hermansen
All On The Cover: Rihanna Covers Billboard Magazine
This is definitely Rihanna's moment to shine. She has been spotted globally everywhere promoting her new album 'LOUD'. She has also just joined the Kodak team as its newest spokesperson for their 'So Kodak' campaign as well as the 'Doritos Late Night' campaign. You can now check her out gracing the the cover of Billboard Magazine. Below I have a few excerpts as well as photos magazine scans from her feature.
Excerpts after the jump….
It's been just six weeks since Rihanna's wax figure was unveiled, but already it needs a makeover. The creepily life-like sculpture, which assumed its place in Madame Tussaud's Washington, D.C., outpost on Aug. 31, immortalizes the biker chick-meets-"Blade Runner" look that the pop star rocked this past winter: shoulder-padded blazer, airtight corset, shimmery makeup and a haircut that only she could pull off, part-buzz cut and part-blonde-streaked, sideways swoop.
But Rihanna has moved on since then, now sporting mostly shoulder-length, barrel-curled locks in a shade twice as fluorescent as fire-engine red. Her new look is less severe, more romantic. A day after the figure's unveiling, a photograph of the Barbadian singer kissing her waxen self appeared on Twitter and made it abundantly clear how much she's changed.
"A lot of people dress like Lady Gaga now. I've just stepped off into a whole new look and style," Rihanna says calmly, phoning in just before a flight to London after a nonstop week of work and play in New York. "The whole shoulder pad thing, and the architectural look, is so sharp-edged and tough. I'm over that. I like floral prints now, which I never liked.
"Trends are boring," she adds. "It's boring to see everyone doing the same thing."
On the bluntly titled, Stargate-produced and Ester Dean-penned "S&M," for example, Rihanna proudly claims her vices: "I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it/Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it/Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me." On "Cheers," a twangy bar song that samples Avril Lavigne, she name-checks Jameson Irish whiskey and chants, "Cheers to the freakin' weekend-drink to that!" "Man Down," a reggae song featuring rap provocateur Nicki Minaj, turns her into the protagonist of her own murder fantasy. "I took his heart when I pulled out that gun . . . rum-puh-pah-pum, man down . . . oh mama, I just shot a man down."
"At this point, there's no denying that she's more than a cool voice, a pretty face and a hot style," says Stargate's Tor Erik Hermansen, who with Mikkel Storleer Eriksen make up the Norwegian duo. "She has a swagger which is unbelievable."
Hermansen says Rihanna pinpointed "Only Girl" as her lead single "the minute she heard the song. She picks and chooses everything, which to me is crucial. And she has good taste."
"This is the truest Rihanna album yet because it sounds the most like her first one," Reid continues. "[2005 debut single] 'Pon De Replay,' that was obviously Rihanna at her purest, with that Caribbean-flavored dance-pop music. After that, she went in many different directions only to find herself right back where she really started. Though I think the songs are much better now. Her growth as a vocalist is really evident."
Rihanna Moves On from Chris Brown
While 'Loud' is a crucial album for Rihanna in the wake of lower-than-usual sales for 'Rated R,' Reid says the latter album was really her most pivotal. "The last one, to us, that was the one. She was brave. She was speaking what she felt at that moment, and it didn't matter who came with a song that we thought was a hit. Every song had to tell the story she wanted to tell. 'Loud' is the album where she doesn't have a point to prove. She can just have fun and be Rihanna."
The singer wholeheartedly agrees. " 'Rated R' showed that I wasn't a shallow artist," she says. "I have some depth. There was definitely some growth, going through that dark moment in my life."
Rihanna never refers to her relationship with Brown in specifics and says she "definitely" prefers to let "Love the Way You Lie" speak for itself, which of course is made easier by the fact that it's not on her own album. "It's kind of like the closing to that chapter, and now we're in a new stage," she says.
"What happened in her personal life, the way she handled it and worked through it, is truly amazing," Hermansen says. "As tragic as that was, just to see how she grew as a person and an artist, I think the whole world looked at that and said, 'OK, this girl is no joke.' "
GETTING 'LOUD'
This isn't an accomplishment that her label takes lightly, though Reid believes there's a catch. "She's clearly multiformat, but the challenge is, which format is hers? As a recording artist, you can have a hit and be a visitor to each format, but to have true artistic success you have to own it. I think she owns rhythm and top 40, but we do suffer a little because we don't have urban on lock. When you have a black girl from the islands, you want to have urban on lock. So one of the goals that we had was to not force that, but to try and make records we thought were hits and where she could shine."
"The challenge is complicated when you're making music that sonically appeals to a dance/top 40 audience," WQHT (Hot 97) New York PD Ebro Darden says. "When Rihanna makes music that fits the appeal of hip-hop, we play it."
Julie Pilat, assistant PD/music director for KIIS-FM Los Angeles, says that Rihanna's multiformat appeal "seems like more of a strength than a weakness," adding that the star is "welcomed with open arms wherever she goes."
"I wanted songs that only I can do, not generic songs that everyone else could sing," Rihanna says. Her collaborations with Dean went a long way in this regard, no doubt in part because both are young, successful female pop hitmakers of color in a heavily male-dominated field.
Dean, who specializes in rhythmic pop songs with a naughty streak (her most recent work includes Usher's "Hot Toddy," Katy Perry's "Peacock" and "Firework," and Aguilera's "Not Myself Tonight", co-wrote "S&M," "Fading Away" and "What's My Name," which will be the second single off "Loud." She says Rihanna's biggest strength is that "she doesn't try to sound like you; she sounds like herself. She's not in there trying to figure out how she can beat you singing your song. She goes in there and says, 'I'm going to sing this song because I fucking love it.' "
"She really captured me, everything I would say and how I would say it," Rihanna says of Dean. "Some people get it halfway right. She just gets it and knows exactly what you want to hear."
Rihanna may not do much of her own songwriting, but by all accounts she was more active than ever in guiding the creative choices for "Loud." Writing camps took place several months ago in Los Angeles and Miami, where Rihanna, who nearly always uses "we" when discussing the making of her album, says about 100 writers and producers were invited to collaborate and craft songs for consideration. "We gave them guidelines and a bunch of topics," she says. "We'd have 10 writers in one room and five writers in another room and put them with one producer, then split the group up and put them with another producer."
"Obviously those are extreme conditions to create something under," Hermansen says, "but we enjoyed the urgency of the whole project."
Rihanna Hits the Studio With Drake
For her recent collaboration with Drake, a remix of "What's My Name" that will appear on "Loud" as a bonus track, Rihanna personally presented the track to the Canadian MC. "She played the record to Drake backstage somewhere to try to get him on a verse," Hermansen says. "She's calling me up saying, 'Where are the files?' That's one thing you don't hear often from artists on her level."
"Drake is the hottest rapper out right now," Rihanna says, "and we've always been trying to work together. He's the only person I thought could really understand the melody of the song, and the minute he heard it he said, 'I know exactly what I'm going to do. I love it.' And he did it like three days later."
Much of the actual recording was done while Rihanna was on the road for her "Last Girl on Earth tour," which kicked off in April in Europe and wrapped in August in the United States. (It will resume early next year in Australia.)
DIRECT TO FAN
Rihanna is the first to admit that making a personal connection with her fans hasn't been her strong suit up to now. "I just felt like there was this big distance with us," she says. "You know, they love me, they love how I dress and they move to my music, but they don't really know who I am."
That started to change in late August when Rihanna took over her Twitter account, which before had only been used to issue formal announcements. "No more corny label tweets!" she declared, and soon she was going even more direct, announcing the title of her new album in a live chat on fan site RihannaDaily.com. "I just got on there and started talking. Some of them didn't believe that it was me, like, 'Oh, fake Rihanna,' " she says of the first time she visited the chat. "So I got my best friend to Facebook RihannaDaily so they knew it was really me."
Rihanna utilized Twitter and Facebook to debut her album cover at the end of September, posting partial images of the artwork on the social networks, then directing fans to her official website RihannaNow.com for the full reveal.
"Fan engagement is a huge driver for us," IDJMG senior director of marketing Gabriela Schwartz says. "We had a lot of fun with our digital rollout for 'Rated R,' which was more about intrigue, countdowns, teasers and building anticipation. This is 'Loud' and it's inclusive, it's in your face and immediate, which is exactly what the album represents."
As for other high-profile looks, Rihanna is booked to perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" fall concert series Nov. 17, the day after "Loud" streets, and on the Halloween episode of NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
For the first time, Rihanna is also delving into other sectors of the industry. She'll launch her first fragrance, titled Reb'l Fleur (a play on words from a tattoo on her neck that reads "rebelle fleur" next spring, and she's currently filming scenes for "Battleship," an action movie directed by Peter Berg.
"My favorite part has been shooting in the ocean," Rihanna gushes, sounding her most excited. "We were going at top speed, and I had to shoot this really badass weapon off the front of the boat. There was gunpowder all in my mouth by the time it finished."
Rihanna has a stuntwoman for her more daring scenes, but per usual, she's more likely to take charge. "They always want me to sit down when the dangerous stuff happens, but I am a control freak," Rihanna says. "So I said, 'No.' She doesn't do it like I would do it."
For full feature check out Billboard.com
Posted in Bruno Mars, Glee, Jane Lynch, NBC, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Watch It
Watch It!: Bruno Mars to perform on "Saturday Night Live"
"Saturday Night Live" will welcome for the first time, Glee's Jane Lynch who will be hosting the show tonight (Oct 9th). I am so ready to watch this, I'm sure I will get a big laugh out of Jane's crazy skits.
I am definitely looking forward to seeing, Bruno Mars perform. He will be the musical guest tonight. Mars, who's making his "SNL" debut, will finally be able fulfill his dream.
Watch It!: Make sure you tune in to watch "Saturday Night Live" @ 11:30 p.m. on NBC
Posted in "Breaking Bad", Amy Poehler, Betty White, Bryan Cranston, Dina Lohan, Jay Pharoah, Jay Z, Katy Perry, LINDSAY LOHAN, NBC, Paul Brittain, Russell Brand, Saturday Night Live, Seth Meyers, SNL, Taran Killam, Tune In, Vanessa Bayer, Watch It
Watch It!: Katy Perry to perform on "Saturday Night Live"
Posted on September 19, 2010 by JNEL & J. Magazine
"Saturday Night Live" will welcome back a former cast regular as host of its season premiere and has confirmed the hiring of four new featured players in its cast.
"Parks and Recreation" star Amy Poehler will host the Sept. 25 premiere. She was a member of the cast for eight years and has made several return appearances since leaving for "Parks and Rec," but the premiere will be her first turn as host of the show.
The musical guest will be Katy Perry, who's making her "SNL" debut. We're also sort of hoping her fiance, Russell Brand, might make a cameo.
NBC has also confirmed the previously reported additions of four new featured players to the cast: Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain, Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah. They represent the biggest infusion of new cast members to the show since 2001, when Poehler and Seth Meyers were among the newcomers.
"SNL" will also air new shows on Oct. 2 and Oct. 9. "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston has said he's hosting the Oct. 2 episode, but NBC hasn't officially named the hosts for those weeks. There were also talks that Lindsay Lohan will host "SNL" as well.
Historically, Lohan has been on "SNL" twice before. Once in May 2004 and another in April 2006 when she also poked fun at her bad behavior in a skit.
Lohan, who will complete her rehab stint in early November if everything goes smoothly, is also being pursued by TV Shows for her first post-jail interview. NBC's "Today" reportedly is the frontrunner although her mother Dina Lohan said that "no final decision has been made".
"SNL" spokeswoman refused to confirm whether Lohan is a lock, saying "We never comment on upcoming hosts until they're announced."
"SNL" repeated the Betty White episode this weekend with musical guest Jay-Z. White won an Emmy for her splendid work on that episode.
Watch It!: Make sure you tune in to watch "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday, Sept. 25th @ 11:30 p.m. on NBC
Posted in Ashlee Simpson, Celebrity News, Ke$ha, Music News, Saturday Night Live, SNL
Music News: Ke$ha Added To The Worst 'SNL' Performance Ever List
Posted on April 25, 2010 by JNEL & J. Magazine
From the moment 'Saturday Night Live' first appeared back in 1975, it established itself as one of the most important musical venues in the nation. With just two short songs, up-and-coming singers and bands could create an entire career thanks to the buzz that would follow a memorable SNL debut — performances that in many cases have since become legendary. And that still holds true today: if you're great on 'Saturday Night Live,' chances are you're going to make it big.
But what if you, you know… suck?
Welcome to Ke$ha's world. As anyone who has been online this week knows, Ke$ha, the songstress behind the ubiquitous pop hit 'Tik Tok,' had her maiden SNL performance last weekend. And the result was nothing short of disastrous, as media outlets around the hemisphere raced to be the first to post their "Was Ke$ha the worst 'SNL' musical guest ever?" articles.
With that in mind, we thought this would be a good time to take a look back at her competition for the title, those musical guests that were memorable for all the wrong reasons. So without further ado, here's our list of the worst 'SNL' performances ever.
• Ke$ha — No doubt you've already seen this by now, but we thought it only fair to remind everyone just why this list is necessary. It was a toss-up just which of Ke$ha's two performances were worse, but despite the day-glo body paint she used in 'Your Love is My Drug,' we ended up going with 'Tik Tok.' And not just because it was the worst use of space imagery in a live performance since William Shatner's rendition of 'Rocket Man.' So what was the deciding factor? Two words: Laser. Harp.
• Ashlee Simpson — As bad as Ke$ha was, she still couldn't quite topple the undisputed queen of bad performances, Ashlee Simpson, whose 2004 lip-sync fiasco put a major dent in her career plans. She tried to excuse it away by explaining that she began losing her voice during rehearsals, but no excuse was ever offered for the totally bizarre jig she launched into as an attempt to cover up the gaffe. She then fled the stage and let the band jam without her — arguably the best musical decision of the night.
For more on the list and to check out some videos of these performances, click here.
~~I'm such a fan of Ke$ha's and I'm so shocked to hear that her 'SNL' performance had gone wrong.
Source: PopEater