Lil Wayne, Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga Lead Our Holiday Album Preview

There will be no recession in record stores over the holidays. In fact, with major releases from some of the biggest names in music slated to hit stores over the next six weeks, this shopping season is packed with one of the biggest bumper crop of anticipated releases in years.

Unlike past years, when hyped albums by Madonna, Eminem, U2 and other megastars were the focus of shoppers' action, this year's offerings span a wide variety of new stars (the American Idol triumvirate of Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta), reissues by Beyonce and Lady Gaga, a greatest-hits collection from Britney Spears and highly anticipated albums from Rihanna, 50 Cent and Shakira. (All dates are subject to change.)

November 17
First out the gate are a number of albums that have been kicking around for so long, some people began to wonder if they would ever hit shelves. Chief among them is 50 Cent's Before I Self-Destruct, a disc that has been pushed around for nearly a year as the G-Unit boss made room for his capo, Eminem, to release Relapse. Kid Sister will also finally get a street date for her long-simmering Ultraviolet album, which has been in the offing even longer than 50's disc.

Idol winner Kris Allen will come out of the gate with his self-titled debut, which will vie for attention with the debut from Diddy pal Justin Bieber (My World), John Mayer's Battle Studies and MTV Unplugged disc from Katy Perry. Also, look for the Fall Out Boy greatest-hits album, Believers Never Die.

November 23
Thanksgiving week will blow things out even more, as turkey-stuffed shoppers will be able to choose from two Beyonce albums: a live disc called I Am ... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas, as well as a deluxe edition of her I Am ... Sasha Fierce album. She'll be fighting for attention with a deluxe edition of Britney Spears' The Singles Collection, two versions of Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster reissue, Shakira's She Wolf and Rihanna's Rated R.

A couple of divas could spoil things for the array of superstars, as Britain's Got Talent breakout Susan Boyle drops her first effort, I Dreamed a Dream, and Idol glam rocker Adam Lambert offers up his bedazzled For Your Entertainment. Also set for release is Pricele$$ from Cash Money boss Birdman and the self-titled debut from BlakRoc, anchored by blues duo the Black Keys and featuring cameos from Mos Def, Q-Tip, RZA, ODB, Raekwon, Ludacris and Jim Jones (which actually drops on the 27th, which they've dubbed "Blak Friday").

December 1
The ranks thin a bit by December, which brings the debut album from Idol firebrand Allison Iraheta, Just Like You, as well as the first CD from Dollhouse singer and Internet sensation Priscilla Renea, Jukebox.

December 8
Things get a bit nutty again the following week, with a pileup of big names, led by Chris Brown with Graffiti, the 20-year-old singer's first release since his guilty plea in June for assaulting former girlfriend Rihanna in February. The hip-hop-heavy week will also see the long-delayed Till the Casket Drops from the Clipse, Gucci Mane's The State vs. Radric Davis, and Snoop Dogg's Malice N Wonderland.

Super-producer Timbaland will host the usual array of A-list talent for his Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2, while 30 Seconds to Mars emerge from a year of label drama with This Is War, indie faves Animal Collective offer up the Fall Be Kind EP, rapper Redman will also stuff some stockings with a little something called Reggie Noble 9 1/2, Ludacris will release a greatest-hits album and smoothie Robin Thicke will provide some Sex Therapy.

December 15
There are only a handful of big names on the roster for December 15, but they're major ones, led by Lil Wayne's long-delayed Rebirth, the soon-to-be-incarcerated rapper's so-called "rock" album, which will be packaged with the debut from his Young Money crew. Alicia Keys will return with The Element of Freedom.

December 22
And, as befits a true diva, Mary J. Blige has the lane all to herself December 22, when she drops Stronger.

Chris Weitz Responds To Negative 'New Moon' Reviews

What do you do after traipsing around the world for two weeks promoting a film, especially one that soared to a $285 million worldwide opening weekend? One might assume that you take a long, long nap. Not New Moon director Chris Weitz, who sat down for one more interview to discuss his fears about the release and his reaction to negative reviews.

"Nothing surprises me in terms of reviews," Weitz told Entertainment Weekly. "Having been a reviewer myself, there are only two ways to spin this story. You can either be the one guy who says this is a great movie, or more likely, take a more jaundiced view of the whole thing. And given the media blitz that has accompanied New Moon, it's rather unsurprising. I do wish there was more appreciation for cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe. I think he's a genius, and I think he made something beautiful."

Given the enormous pressure involved with taking on a wildly popular franchise and the intense media attention focused on his stars, Weitz hoped he wouldn't disappoint studio Summit Entertainment. "If one could imagine their biggest fears, it would be complete rejection of the movie by the fans," he said. "What I've realized over the last week is I won't necessarily get good reviews for this movie. Having swallowed that, this was made for the fans, and if you don't get it, then you don't get it."

So is Weitz ever going to take that much-needed nap? Let's hope so. "I'm at the point of physical collapse," he confessed.

After resting up, could we see Weitz step back into the director's chair for Breaking Dawn, the yet-unannounced final installment - or possibly installments - in the Twilight series? Even if Weitz claimed that he was only a "glorified conductor" in this latest vampire saga production? The answer to directing is yes, but the answer to another globe-trotting press tour is a vigorous "Hell, no!"

"I'd do it for Stephenie [Meyer], Rob [Pattinson], Taylor [Lautner] and Kristen [Stewart]," he said. "I feel a great deal of gratitude for those people. But I don't think I could do another press tour like we did. I just think I would die."

Kris Allen Talks Adam Lambert, Touring, Marriage On 'Ellen'

By Jocelyn Vena (MTV.com)

While American Idol finalist Adam Lambert is dealing with the fallout from his controversial performance on the American Music Awards, his pal and Idol winner Kris Allen stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday (November 24) and joked with the host about how closely tied his career has been to Lambert's thus far.

"I think everyone is going to put us together, no matter what happens," he said. "But it's cool. People can't compare us musically at all ... or in our lives. We stayed really good friends. We hung out the other night."

Allen has been married for a little over a year, and told Ellen that he was excited to finally be able to bring his wife Katy out on the road. "We're doing some Christmas shows, some promo for the album," he said. "She's gonna come to some stuff. It'll be good. She wasn't able to come on the Idol tour - there were some rules where she couldn't [come] on the bus."

The current Idol champ, who sang his single "Live Like We're Dying" off his freshly released self-titled debut album, also discussed how he found his one and only in his wife, whom he's known for the last eight years. "People are like, 'Why'd you get married so young?' And I was like, 'I just knew,' " he revealed, causing the audience to audibly swoon. "Oh gosh, I wasn't trying to be cuddly and nice [when I said that]. If you know, you know. I didn't want to try anything else."

Adam Lambert Explains American Music Awards Performance Frame By Frame

By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Jim Cantiello (MTV.com)

As it turns out, two of the most controversial moments of Adam Lambert's American Music Awards performance on Sunday night were total ad libs. That's what Lambert told MTV News on Tuesday, when he sat down to discuss the show-closing set that turned him into a global Internet sensation all over again.

"That wasn't in the original choreography," Lambert explained of the bit where he took a male dancer's head and shoved it into his crotch to mimic oral sex. "I was supposed to look at him, and I just grabbed him. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think he would have been cool with it. ... It might look real forceful, but we all respect each other and were doing it in the name of the show."

Lambert also said that he didn't know he was going to grab keyboard player Tommy Ratliff and give him a rather full-mouth kiss near the end of the run through "For Your Entertainment," the title track to Lambert's just-released major-label debut.

"During rehearsal, I grab him by the hair and kind of just looked at him," he said, adding that the keyboardist is not married, as had been rumored, but is definitely straight. "He's straight. He just, I guess, didn't mind getting kissed in the name of entertainment on stage."

Though everyone was talking about Jennifer Lopez's fall on Monday morning, Lambert walked us through his own tumble, which the musical-theater veteran almost managed to play off as part of the show. "My foot got caught on the stair, and I hit the platform and I didn't know what was going on," he said of the fall, after which he did a forward roll, picked up a cane and fondled a female dancer while getting back to his feet within seconds. "[I thought], 'OK, I have to get up and turn around.' I felt like when you spray a cockroach and its legs are up in the air ... At that point the adrenaline was like, 'Oh my God, I just fell ... ahhhh!' "

Lambert noted that near the beginning of his appearance, ABC censors dropped out the audio and cut away from him when he gestured to his crotch, saying that he didn't use any foul language, but someone with an itchy bleep finger simply jumped the gun. "They got scared," he said. Censors also managed to cut away to avoid showing Lambert giving the finger to all the haters.

In retrospect, he also had to laugh a bit at the moment when he pushed through a mirrored doorway. "Now that I look at it, that moment there of the door, flinging the door open ... it's a good symbol," he said.

Of all the things that went wrong or in a different direction than he planned, Lambert seemed most annoyed by what he said were the poor acoustics in the Nokia Live Theatre, which may explain why some critics complained that his vocals were a bit pitchy and off. "The Nokia Theatre has really crappy acoustics, actually," said Lambert, who also tweeted to gossip blogger Perez Hilton about his acoustical problems. "When you hear an album or you're even at a concert, or anywhere that you're in an acoustic space, there's echo from the room and that makes the sound sound cool, it gives it space. [At the Nokia] it's just, like, dry. It's a dry mix, so it doesn't do anybody any favors. I heard some other performers weren't too happy with some of their sound either."

On the positive side, Lambert was proud to reveal that the Phantom of the Opera-style, gothic piano intro to the performance was written by none other than famed David Bowie collaborator Mike Garson, who has also worked with Nine Inch Nails, No Doubt and the Smashing Pumpkins.

Lady Gaga Inspired To Write By Her 'Fears And Monsters'

By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway (MTV.com)

Lady Gaga came onto the scene a champagne-swilling, fame-seeking disco queen in 2008. And while she could have possibly been just another flash in the pan, she soon evolved into a gutsy, unique pop star willing to almost die for her art - see her Video Music Awards and American Music Awards performances for proof of her dedication.

Now, with her sophomore release, The Fame Monster, Gaga is exorcising her demons - the very demons she gained on her journey to fame.

"I never really decided what I wanted to write about at all. I just felt this urgency to write about what I was going through - my fears and my monsters," she explained. "I had been so ambitious and dreaming for so long that I wasn't feeling very much."

Those fears and monsters pushed her to write the track "Speechless," a song about her fear of death - specifically her father's. "My mom called me and I was very depressed. I was on tour and I couldn't leave, so I went into the studio and I wrote this song 'Speechless,' and it's about these phone calls," she said. "My dad used to call me after he'd had a few drinks and I wouldn't know what to say. I was speechless and I just feared that I would lose him and I wouldn't be there.

"Once I got out on the road - when you're that vulnerable with your audience every night ... to me, being an artist is being private in public," she explained. "So I'm being private in public every night and all my monsters and my fears went leaping out of me and I just began to write."

Beyoncé, Green Day and Lady Gaga Lead the Way with Three Moonmen at the 2009 Video Music Awards

By News Desk

New York, NY (September 13, 2009) - MTV turned New York City inside out for the "2009 Video Music Awards" as the network celebrated a legend and brought together the biggest names in music, TV, film and sports.

Live from Radio City Music Hall, VMA icon Madonna opened the show and introduced the emotional and heartfelt tribute to Michael Jackson. Janet Jackson was joined onstage by the most renowned choreographers in the world and Michael's tour dancers, all of whom were influenced by the "King of Pop," for a memorable and high energy performance. To honor her brother and his illustrious career, the dancers recreated some of his most memorable music videos including "Thriller," "Bad," "Smooth Criminal" and "Scream." The celebration received a standing ovation and set the tone for the most important evening in music and pop culture.

Always controversial, British comedian Russell Brand pushed the envelope as he had fun with a slew of new stars and charmed the ladies. Aerosmith's Joe Perry and popstar Katy Perry helped Russell kick-off his hosting duties in a big way with a light infused performance of the classic rock anthem by Queen, "We Will Rock You."

Young country-pop superstar Taylor Swift earned "Best Female Video" for "You Belong With Me" in one of the most competitive categories of the evening, causing Kanye West to storm the stage in protest of Beyoncé not winning. In a gracious act, Beyoncé later called Taylor back on stage to rightfully accept her award.

Beyoncé did win an outstanding three moonmen including the coveted "Video of the Year" award for her viral video sensation "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." Also landing three statues was Lady Gaga including "Best New Artist" for her hit single "Poker Face." Green Day made a triumphant return to the VMAs by claiming three awards including "Best Rock Video" for "21 Guns." Eminem walked away victorious in an extremely heated race for "Best Hip Hop Video" with "We Made You."

Adding to her collection of moonmen and accepting her award via satellite while on tour, Britney Spears won "Best Pop Video" for "Womanizer." After officially premiering at last year's show, T.I. and Rihanna won "Best Male Video" for their multi-platinum song "Live Your Life."

Eminem once again showcased his comedic chops teaming up with Tracy Morgan and featuring a cameo by Cyndi Lauper to present the "Best New Artist" nominees throughout the show.

Drawing on the musical energy and passion of New York City, MTV used the city as a backdrop to showcase the unprecedented and groundbreaking performances from today's most popular artists. Making her first VMA performance a standout, Taylor Swift sang a never-before-heard version of her single "You Belong With Me." Taylor fully incorporated all NYC has to offer by transitioning from a subway car to 6th Avenue surrounded by fans and ending her performance on top of a taxi cab.

Known for her over the top live performances and fashion forward style, Lady Gaga turned a childhood dream into a reality as she made her grand entrance into VMA history. During her unforgettable performance of "Paparazzi," the international superstar gives her own interpretation on the price of fame which culminates with her levitating into the air.

Surrounded by pyro and using every corner of the VMA stage, fan favorite Green Day made an explosive return to the VMA stage by giving a high energy rock performance of their single "East Jesus Nowhere."

Beyoncé had all of Radio City dancing to "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" with her call and response to the audience as she translated her music video phenomenon to the live stage. The pop diva was backed by an army of dancers as they displayed their incomparable dance moves during her performance.

Already a household name across the pond, British rockers Muse gave a breakthrough performance expanding their fan base worldwide. The band performed their latest single "Uprising" from a live remote at the Walter Kerr Theater in the Broadway district of Manhattan in front of hundreds of screaming fans.

Determined to top herself and once again raise the bar for live performances, P!nk mastered a jaw-dropping aerial act 30 feet above the stage while performing her single "Sober." And yes, she sang every single word of it.

Bringing the show to a climactic end, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys honored their hometown of New York as they gave a powerful performance of "Empire State of Mind."
As the official VMA house band, hip-hop's newest challenger Wale and the legendary go go band UCB hyped up the audience as they put their own unique spin on some of the biggest songs of the year, his own material and a few classic covers.

They collaborated with a number of artists including Kid Cudi with "Day And Night," The All-American Rejects with "Gives You Hell," Pitbull with "You Know You Want Me" and 3OH!3 with "Don't Trust Me." Kid Cudi honored DJ AM during his performance of "Make Her Say."

The star studded show also included appearances by Megan Fox, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Jack Black, Andy Samberg, Kristin Cavallari, Pete Wentz, Gerard Butler, Diddy, Tracy Morgan, Adam Brody, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Alexa Chung, Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship and Justin Bieber, Ne-Yo, Nelly Furtado, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester, Miranda Cosgrove and Serena Williams.

The MTV audience was treated to exclusive first looks at fall's most anticipated films and soundtracks including Michael Jackson's This Is It and The Twilight Saga: New Moon trailers during the show. Viewers were also given a sneak peek at the latest trailer from the upcoming movie Fame during MTV News' "2009 VMA Preshow."

2009 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS

GENERAL CATEGORIES:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé
Title: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Album: I AM…SASHA FIERCE
Director: Jake Nava
Label: Music World Music/Columbia
Production Company: Anonymous Content
Producer: John Winter

BEST NEW ARTIST
Lady Gaga
Title: Poker Face
Album: The Fame
Director: Ray Kay
Label: Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope
Production Company: Rockhard Films
Producer: Jil Hardin/ Nicole Ehrich

BEST MALE VIDEO
T.I. featuring Rihanna
Title: Live Your Life
Album: Paper Trail
Director: Anthony Mandler
Label: Atlantic Reords
Production Company: Les Enfants Terribles
Producer: Gina Leonard

BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Taylor Swift
Title: You Belong With Me
Album: Fearless
Director: Roman White
Label: Big Machine Records
Production Company: Revolution Pictures
Producer: Randy Brewer

BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
Eminem
Title: We Made You
Album: Relapse
Director: Joseph Kahn
Label: Aftermath/Interscope
Production Company: HSI Productions
Producer: Mary Ann Tanedo

BEST POP VIDEO
Britney Spears
Title: Womanizer
Album: Circus
Director: Joseph Kahn
Label: Jive/Zomba Label Group
Production Company: HSI Productions
Producer: Mary Ann Tanedo

BEST ROCK VIDEO
Green Day
Title: 21 Guns
Album: 21st Century Breakdown
Director: Marc Webb
Label: Reprise Records
Production Company: DNA Inc
Producer: Michael Angelos

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES:

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Beyoncé
Title: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Album: I AM…SASHA FIERCE
Director: Jake Nava
Label: Music World Music/Columbia
Production Company: Anonymous Content
Producer: John Winter
Choreographer: Jaquel Knight & Frank Gatson Jr.

BEST DIRECTION
Green Day
Title: 21 Guns
Album: 21st Century Breakdown
Director: Marc Webb
Label: Reprise Records
Production Company: DNA Inc
Producer: Michael Angelos

BEST EDITING
Beyoncé
Title: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Album: I AM…SASHA FIERCE
Director: Jake Nava
Label: Music World Music/Columbia
Production Company: Anonymous Content
Producer: John Winter
Editor: Jarrett Fijal

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Lady Gaga
Title: Paparazzi
Album: The Fame
Director: Jonas Akerlund
Label: Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope
Production Company: Factory Films Ltd.
Producer: Steven Johnson/Nicole Ehrich

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Green Day
Title: 21 Guns
Album: 21st Century Breakdown
Director: Marc Webb
Label: Reprise Records
Production Company: DNA Inc
Producer: Michael Angelos
Cinematographer: Jonathan Sela

BEST ART DIRECTION
Lady Gaga
Title: Paparazzi
Album: The Fame
Director: Jonas Akerlund
Label: Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope
Production Company: Factory Features
Producer: Steven Johnson/Nicole Ehrich
Art Director: Jason Hamilton

ONLINE CATEGORIES:

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO
Matt & Kim
Title: Lessons Learned
Album: Grand
Director: Taylor Cohen & Otto Arsenault
Label: Fader
Production Company: FVNMO
Producer: Taylor Cohen, Otto Arsenault

BEST VIDEO (THAT SHOULD HAVE WON A MOONMAN)
Beastie Boys
Title: Sabotage
Album: III Communication
Director: Spike Jonze
Label: Grand Royal/Capitol Records

Hoobastank Interview: There's Something Good in the Neighborhood



With 15 years in the business, four albums under their belt, and lyrics to monster hits like "The Reason" rolling off the lips of every fan at concerts, it would seem that the world was lulled into all too familiar territory with Hoobastank.

That was until the guys shook things up with an impromptu and thoroughly rousing rendition of "Ghostbusters" at MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia. The crowd went wild, and it was one of those highlights that would go down in World Stage history.

Just like their penchant for the element of surprise, Hoobastank certainly weren't keen on stuffy interview set ups, choosing to greet us with farting noises, laughter and warm smiles as we settled down for a chat.

"Just relax guys," coos frontman Doug Robb as he eased onto the carpet. Taking us through their creative process for For(N)Ever, the secret to the band's longevity and Spinal Tap moments on tour, Hoobastank has no doubt matured as a band.

Given the energy and bond these guys share, we're pretty sure another 15 years and more of making music together (with more setlist surprises in store) have been locked down in the big book of Hoobastank's band history.

Hoobastank albums always had different themes and ideas to them. What do you expect fans to take away from For(n)Ever?

Doug: Do we have fans….what?

Dan: (shifting into Professor mode) There's a lot of different themes to our records Doug, and what do you think our fans would take away from this new record, For(n)Ever?

Doug: Have any of you guys ever thought about that, ever?

Dan: Never

Doug: I've never thought about what I want a fan to take away from any record.

Dan: You know what though, I mean honestly, it'd be nice for people to be able to just relate to it. If it strikes a nerve with somebody then they're relating to it and if it touches them, that's pretty cool. I don't know if we necessarily set out for that but...

Doug: Yeah, I mean, that's what you hope for. We'll like them to connect somehow, whether it's in a positive way or even in a negative way or brings back harsh memories, either way.

But lyrically, there is some departure on For(n)Ever from your previous records.

Doug: A little bit, I think this record is less philosophical than the prior, definitely the one right before it, and maybe the first album too. The songs are more personal and story-driven, with inspiration drawn from close friends and family, stories that I interpreted.

The track, "So Close, So Far" holds obvious meaning. Especially for you, Doug. Was it written as a specific message or did it evolve to be as such?

Doug: Well honestly, when we were writing it, and this doesn't sound very romantic at all, but I remember watching the news on TV. There was this story on CNN about the families of the troops stationed in Middle East - how they coped from being away from each other for so long, and it reminded me of what we do.

Obviously it's totally different from being in a touring rock band and someone who's serving the military. It's like comparing apples and oranges, but we definitely share the same sentiment - that longing to be with the people that we can't. We don't have a choice. So, I wrote the lyrics with that in mind, kinda about ourselves and also kinda from watching CNN.

So were there any other specific influences when recording this album?

Doug: I'm gonna defer to you guys or I'm just gonna keep talking about lyrics.

Chris: Talk about lyrics

Dan: I don't know, I don't even remember recording the record, really.

Doug: It happened so fast it seems like...

Dan: No, but it took forever didn't it?

Doug: Yeah but *snaps fingers* it happened like that

Dan: *laughs* Didn't it take forever? I'm just trying to think about being in the studio and like, what was I doing? What was I driving home listening to? And most of the time it was our own music and still trying to write stuff so I would be in the car, driving home from the studio listening to the songs, trying to get an idea of something that I could possibly record for later.

There was a version of your song, "The Letter," recorded with Vanessa Amorosi and there's also a version with Japanese vocalist, Anna Tsuchiya.

Doug: The original version of "The Letter" was just me; it was never written to be a duet, we decided to do that afterwards and try different countries. Actually, we wanted to see if we could do different versions in all the different countries. It would've been interesting you know, to have an Italian singer do it in Italy. So Vanessa agreed to do it and it was kinda like a test run in Australia. It worked out pretty well.

We just released a Greatest Hits album in Japan and maybe a month before that album came out, the [label] said "Oh, we'll find out," because we've been asking prior if any Japanese singer would like to do it. And then all of a sudden they came out and said "Anna would like to do it" and before we even said said "Ok, let's look her up!," they went "Oh, she already did it and here it is!" It was interesting, it kind of grows on you.

It took a while for me to get used to hearing the Vanessa Amorosi version because that was the first time we've ever had anybody sing besides me. So, it's grown on me a little bit, like I said, hopefully there'll be more versions of it - like an Italian version or a Spanish version. We'll see.

Dan: I think if we can find the right artiste in certain countries, it would be cool. If like, there was a Malaysian artiste that was the right artiste then, sure!

Congratulations Doug on recently getting married. How has marriage actually changed your life on the road?

Doug: Thank you. How's it at all? It's been exactly the same.

Chris: (in jest) He still cheats, every night.

Doug: Yeah *laughs*

Isn't it tiring having to juggle all this?

Doug: You know, I'm used to it. My wife is the same person I've been dating for 2 years when we started touring up till the time we got married, and she knows exactly what it's like to be with somebody who's always on the road all the time. It's not for everybody, obviously some girls and guys can't handle being in a relationship like that. But she does it really well and we make it work and honestly, I don't think it's that difficult.

Chris: All it really takes is trust..

Doug: And some cheating

Chris: And some cheating

*laughter*

It wasn't easy for you guys to cut your first album and to get recognition along the way. What do you think of all the musical upstarts that got famous through MySpace and Youtube?

Doug: Part of me wants to go "F**k those guys! That's not how you do it!" Obviously there's a part of me that wants to say that but the other side's like "Well, whatever!" It's not my life you know. If somebody gets really famous for writing that one song on Youtube or whatever and that's what they do, then fine, I've grown up past the point of having to judge everybody, especially with regards to music. I've come to a point where I can say, "More power to them."

I do think though, that being in a band is like being in a relationship, and it's healthier to go through the ups and downs of any relationship before you reach a certain level. We've gone through so much, played at the sh**tiest little places and at big shows before we had any real success and I think it prepares you.

You know how to deal with it and with each other when you do, if you're fortunate enough, to have success. Some bands will get together - form in January, get a record deal in February, have the number one song in the country by August and then they'll break up by December because they didn't know how to handle that. It's like one moment, they don't even know each other and the next moment, they're the biggest band in the country.

So I think doing it the way we have, even though we didn't specifically choose to do it that way, I think it's helped us stick together for 15 years.

So, do you guys endorse using social networks like Facebook or Twitter to reach out to fans? Do you practice that habit?

Doug: I have a band Twitter account, but I don't 'tweet' personal stuff. It's always like "Hey, we're gonna be in this city," "Show was great" that kind of stuff. Same with MySpace and Facebook, everything I do that's active, is all band related. Recently, we had a show in Taipei and it was pouring rain and right when we were done with the show, I 'tweeted' that we just had this amazing show in front of a sold-out stadium in the pouring rain, so much that the power shut off. Interesting things that have to do with the band, not like "Hey, I just had a great McDonald's Meal."

Besides that incident with the pouring rain, power shutting down and all, have you guys ever had any Spinal Tap moments?

Dan: We had a real Spinal Tap moment, with Joel walking us to the stage one day and we got lost. I remember that we were in some arena.

Doug: It was some arena, we got lost on the way to the stage. We were in Mexico, and we were trying to take the elevator from the basement to the next floor to do this little acoustic show and 'Meet and Greet' session, The elevator broke; it just shut down right in between floors and we were there for like 20 minutes. It was kinda funny, and we were all like packed in this elevator. Stuff like that is kinda funny, you know.

Chris: I think almost any band who has been around for more than a couple of years has had more than a handful of spinal tap moments. That's part of why the movie's so funny, because a lot of it is so ridiculous and so realistic at the same time.

Thanks for your time guys!

Rihanna Celebrates Album Release With Jay-Z, Diddy, More

NEW YORK - To quote a track from her just-released album, Rated R, the wait is over for Rihanna.

The singer was feted at her album-release party in Manhattan on Tuesday night as Jay-Z, Diddy and Fabolous, among others, turned out at Juliet's Supper Club to celebrate Rihanna's first project since her February assault earlier this year by Chris Brown.

The Barbadian beauty arrived at the festivities fashionably late, just after 1 a.m., but the cameras were at the ready, capturing Rihanna's red-carpet strut. The fashion icon sported a shimmering gold micro-dress with long spikes sporadically jutting out all over and matching shoes.

Rihanna was quickly escorted inside where DJ D-Nice was spinning tunes ranging from Jay-Z's "Run This Town" (featuring the guest of honor) to Maino's "Million Bucks" and, of course, RiRi's Young Jeezy collaboration, "Hard."

Frequent Rihanna collaborator Sean Garrett said he was happy to support the Def Jam star. He said she took more control of this album, her fourth, and showed that she is not only resilient but also, at 21, she's more of a woman at this point in her career.

"She was very, very picky [with this album]," Garrett told MTV News. "She was going through a lot, so I think her emotions were leaning to things that were closer to her heart as opposed to closer to the radio, to be real honest. And that's the sign of a real, true artist."

The atmosphere remained festive both inside and outside the venue.

Jay-Z, a longtime Rihanna advocate and supporter, arrived with Diddy in a black Maybach. Tyson Beckford, Rick Ross, DJ Clue, DJ Envy and New York Jets star Thomas Jones were also in attendance.

Monday's Rated R release came on the heels of a media blitz that began with some very personal interviews with ABC's Diane Sawyer, Glamour magazine, Hot 97 and MTV News. The media appearances were her first since her assault as she broke her silence and explained in detail the attack and her desire to move on. She told MTV News that her album is the summation of her emotions in the aftermath of that fateful night.

"This album is an expression of all those feelings that I went through in the last eight months, just different emotions," she explained. "All of it isn't angry, all of it isn't dark and sad, 'cause I didn't go through that the whole time. That was part of it. It was really a roller-coaster, and you get that when you're listening to the album."

Lady Gaga Tells Fans 'It's OK' To Be A Freak

With her flamboyant outfits and stage persona, Lady Gaga certainly doesn't look like a traditional pop star. She admits that she finally feels cool with being that kooky person after years of trying to figure out how to fit in. And, as always, she says it's all about pleasing her fans.

"The whole point of what I do - the Monster Ball, the music, the performance aspect of it - I want to create a space for my fans where they can feel free and they can celebrate," she said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show airing Friday. "I didn't fit in in high school, and I felt like a freak. So I like to create this atmosphere for my fans where they feel like they have a freak in me to hang out with and they don't feel alone."

Gaga, who sang her singles "Bad Romance" and "Speechless" off her album The Fame Monster, added that she isn't acting the part of Lady Gaga as some gimmick. This is really her, whether you get it or not.

This is really who I am, and it took a long time to be OK with that," she explained. "Maybe in high school you, Ellen, you feel discriminated against. Like you don't fit in and you want to be like everyone else but not really, and in the inside you want to be like Boy George - well, I did anyway. So I want my fans to know that it's OK. Sometimes in life you don't always feel like a winner, but that doesn't mean you're not a winner. You want to be like yourself. ... I want my fans to know it's OK."

Adam Lambert, Rihanna Help American Music Awards Score Big Ratings

By Gil Kaufman (MTV.com)

Thanks to talked-about performances from Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga and Rihanna and wins by the late Michael Jackson and country superstar Taylor Swift, the American Music Awards drew its strongest audience in seven years.

According to Nielsen estimates, the awards show drew 14.2 million viewers, which is 2 million more than last year's program and represents the best showing by the AMAs since 2002.

Though NBC still won the night with "Sunday Night Football," ABC pulled ahead during the 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. hours. The strong numbers for the show were boosted, no doubt, by the promise of more than 20 performances from some of music's biggest acts, including Jay-Z, Green Day, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Eminem with 50 Cent, Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston.

In the end, though, it was Lambert who made the biggest headlines, with his aggressively pansexual performance of the title track from his major-label debut, For Your Entertainment. In addition to drawing more than 1,500 complaints from viewers who took issue with the man-on-man kissing, girl dragging and S&M play, Lambert's awards-show coming-out party lost him at least one gig when ABC's "Good Morning America" announced Tuesday (November 24) that it had canceled his planned appearance due to the controversy kicked up by the AMAs.

Lambert took it all in stride, though, telling "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest on his radio show on Tuesday that he respects the "GMA" decision. "They gotta do what they gotta do," Lambert said. "It's too bad. I think there were a lot of fans who were excited to come see me. They probably had a lot of pressure coming at them from certain people who weren't happy about it. I respect their decision. I don't necessarily agree with it, but they need to do what they need to do."

Lambert, who lamented what he perceives as a double standard when it comes to risqué performances by men and women in music, said he felt no need to apologize for his AMA debut. "I don't feel I owe anyone an apology for anything," he said. "I performed, it was late-night TV, I did something that female performers have been doing for years, no different. It's just the fact that I'm me and it's a little different for people. It's really not that big of a deal. I'm not a babysitter, I'm a performer.

Adam Lambert, Rihanna Help American Music Awards Score Big Ratings

By Gil Kaufman (MTV.com)

Thanks to talked-about performances from Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga and Rihanna and wins by the late Michael Jackson and country superstar Taylor Swift, the American Music Awards drew its strongest audience in seven years.

According to Nielsen estimates, the awards show drew 14.2 million viewers, which is 2 million more than last year's program and represents the best showing by the AMAs since 2002.

Though NBC still won the night with "Sunday Night Football," ABC pulled ahead during the 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. hours. The strong numbers for the show were boosted, no doubt, by the promise of more than 20 performances from some of music's biggest acts, including Jay-Z, Green Day, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Eminem with 50 Cent, Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston.

In the end, though, it was Lambert who made the biggest headlines, with his aggressively pansexual performance of the title track from his major-label debut, For Your Entertainment. In addition to drawing more than 1,500 complaints from viewers who took issue with the man-on-man kissing, girl dragging and S&M play, Lambert's awards-show coming-out party lost him at least one gig when ABC's "Good Morning America" announced Tuesday (November 24) that it had canceled his planned appearance due to the controversy kicked up by the AMAs.

Lambert took it all in stride, though, telling "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest on his radio show on Tuesday that he respects the "GMA" decision. "They gotta do what they gotta do," Lambert said. "It's too bad. I think there were a lot of fans who were excited to come see me. They probably had a lot of pressure coming at them from certain people who weren't happy about it. I respect their decision. I don't necessarily agree with it, but they need to do what they need to do."

Lambert, who lamented what he perceives as a double standard when it comes to risqué performances by men and women in music, said he felt no need to apologize for his AMA debut. "I don't feel I owe anyone an apology for anything," he said. "I performed, it was late-night TV, I did something that female performers have been doing for years, no different. It's just the fact that I'm me and it's a little different for people. It's really not that big of a deal. I'm not a babysitter, I'm a performer.