The 2011 MTV VMAs

Once again, I find myself underwhelmed and confused with the VMA’s. That’s not to say that it didn’t have its moments though! Here are my thoughts on the good, the bad, and GaGa…

THE GOOD

Holy Beyoncé! First of all congratulations on what is sure to be one talented and beautiful baby! But damn B, YOU BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN TONIGHT! Strutting in those heels, kicking it back old school with the most upbeat, feel-good song on her amazing new album 4 (which if you don’t have it still, we’re done talking!) She continues to prove just what a powerhouse she is on that stage. I know she probably won’t be going on a world tour anytime soon with her pregnancy and all, but after a performance like that, please bring your baby with you on the road, make it a Family VonTrapp-like show or something and give us more! This is why I love her!!!

On the other side of the spectrum, ADELE!!! After some very confusing moments and several performances that were way too over the top and unnecessary, ADELE proves that simply singing on a lightly dimmed stage with just a piano player in the background is all you need to bring the house down as well. Her honesty, her natural beauty, and MAN that nursty snarl she’s got going on, ADELE makes me feel something every time I hear her perform! TAKE THAT GaGa, Pitbull, Chris Brown, & Weezy!

And Jessie J! I didn’t get to hear a full song of yours tonight (and you may have sung “No Scrubs” in the wrong key from what your band was actually playing), but you still have my heart! I’m waiting for you record your own cover version of “Firework” because you done put Katy Perry to shame!

And as much as I hate Bruno Mars’ ridiculous hair (poofed and all), I think he did a great job remembering Amy Winehouse.

THE BAD

Come on MTV, it’s been proven already in the past that the most awkward award shows you put on are when you don’t have a host. Are you trying to save money? Is no one willing to host something for a network that isn’t just about music anymore? Between Katy Perry’s awkward introduction, Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj’s awkward deliveries with the award presentations, and still trying to figure out why Kim Kardashian & Katie Holmes were there, you need a host to try and make sense of all of that for us. Bring back Chelsea Handler (hell, I’ll even accept Chris Rock again)! And did anyone else notice Katy perry ripping off Lady GaGa's different wardorbe changes throughout the night? A host would have been helpful to point that out and make fun of too!

And what was with Britney Spears’ so-called tribute? She still has her awkward moments whenever she speaks, but that doesn’t mean you have to cut her time short just to give GaGa more time to be GaGa! You gave Ms. Spears not even a minute of a dance tribute, you brought her on stage to ALMOST kiss GaGa, and then you make her introduce another artist. That was just rude MTV, she deserved better than that!

THE RIDICULOUS

Now Lord knows I love Lady GaGa, but come on already! The opening monologue was awkward enough, and there were moments in her performance that caught my eye (you know, the whole Outsiders/West Side Story dance homage she did with the boys), but the alter-ego charade should have ended there. Then you make her announce Britney Spears, you show her drinking in the middle of Beyoncé’s performance, and then give her an award to talk even longer! Get back to the true artistry I remember from last year when you wore a meat dress, or when you came with Kermit the Frog as your date.

ALL-IN-ALL

The real winner of the night was Beyoncé with her stunning performance and baby-on-board announcement (not to mention the sheer joy she had while performing, as well as the joy on hubby Jay-Z's face)

Needless to say, the VMA’s this year were a bit all over the place. If it hadn’t been for Beyoncé and ADELE, I think this would have been considered one of the all-time worst shows in its history. Get back to the basics. Moments like the Britney-Madonna kiss, the Whitney-Mariah feud, Kanye Wesy interrupting Taylor Swift, or even legendary performances like Justin Timberlake’s “Like I Love You”, Britney Spears’ “I’m A Slave 4 U”, and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” aren’t forced and cannot be re-created. Just the let show flow on its own from now on and the moments will happen naturally!

VMA Nominations (Voting Categories)

Here it comes again, another awards show! Y’all know just how excited this makes me, and of course you know just how much I love music videos! Here are my picks in the MTV VMA voting categories!

BEST POP VIDEO

ADELE – “Rolling In The Deep”

Britney Spears – “Till The World Ends”

Bruno Mars – “Grenade”

Katy Perry – “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”

Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Nayer, & Afrojack – “Give Me Everything”

Sure, my first choice is always going to be ADELE no matter what, but as far as what fans are going to vote for it has to go to Katy Perry (and I do agree with this one for the category). This video, with its genius homage to every John Hughes film (not to mention the insane amount of cameos) and Katy Perry’s natural humor makes it the standout in the group. Not to mention that Kenny G bringing “saxy” back also swings my vote in this direction too!

BEST ROCK VIDEO

Cage the Elephant – “Shake Me Down”

Foo Fighters – “Walk”

Foster the People – “Pumped Up Kicks”

Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”

The Black Keys – “Howlin’ For You”

God bless the Foo Fighters for always bringing pure fun and creative entertainment. I can’t think of any video they’ve done that has ever been considered boring in my opinion!

BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO

Chris Brown, Lil’ Wayne, & Busta Rhymes – “Look At Me Now”

Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and co. – “All Of The Lights”

Lil’ Wayne – “6 Foot, 7 Foot”

Lupe Fiasco – “The Show Goes On”

Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”

Way to represent the ladies Nicki Minaj, but that video is better suited to be nominated for Pop Video than Hip-Hop. With that little tid bit aside, Kanye’s mesmerizing song and video is not only creative and breathtaking, but genius on all levels of creativity!

BEST FEMALE VIDEO

ADELE – “Rolling In The Deep”

Beyoncé – “Run The World (Girls)”

Katy Perry – “Firework”

Lady GaGa – “Born This Way”

Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”

MAN! What a year for females! Every one of these videos (maybe with the small exception of “Firework”) is worthy, but if you’re going for the video that best represents women, you HAVE to go with Beyoncé’s power-house anthem for girls all over the world takin’ care of biz-ness!

BEST MALE VIDEO

Bruno Mars – “Grenade”

Cee Lo Green – “F*** You”

Eminem & Rihanna – “Love The Way You Lie”

Justin Bieber – “U Smile”

Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and co. – “All Of The Lights”

With the exception of “Grenade” and “All Of The Lights”, everything else seems very outdated! Having said that, I’m expecting Bruno Mars (with that ridiculous hair and all) and his dramatic piano-pulling to take home this moon man! P.S. I am a Belieber, but who remembers his “U Smile” video at all?!!! It makes no sense to me!

BEST COLLABORATION

Chris Brown, Lil’ Wayne, & Busta Rhymes – “Look At Me Now”

Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and co. – “All Of The Lights”

Katy Perry & Kanye West – “E.T.”

Nicki Minaj & Drake – “Moment 4 Life”

Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Nayer, & Afrojack – “Give Me Everything”

Look at all of them now! Chris Brown is turning things around for himself alright (minus that ridiculous bleached hair he’s got going on!) and bringing Weezy and Busta on this collabo definitely adds a whole other level of swag to the video!

BEST VIDEO WITH A MESSAGE

Eminem & Rihanna – “Love The Way You Lie”

Katy Perry – “Firework”

Lady GaGa – “Born This Way”

P!nk – “F****** Perfect”

Rise Against – “Make It Stop (September’s Children)”

There are a couple obvious choices for this category (“Born This Way” and “Firework”) but the real winner in my eye is the raw emotion and heartfelt message in P!nk’s music video. From the visual of the girl cutting, to the outcast message to just be yourself, it’s all very meaningful and very organic, nothing forced.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

ADELE – “Rolling In The Deep”

Beastie Boys – “Make Some Noise”

Bruno Mars – “Grenade”

Katy Perry – “Firework”

Tyler, The Creator – “Yonkers”

A couple of very odd choices for standout videos of the year grace this category (Bruno Mars and Katy Perry much?). But regardless, ADELE rules the world right now, and this song did wonders to all of us listening! The video is dynamic and very artistic, beautiful, and poignant all at once!

Best of Summer 2011 (Music, Part 2)

FIRST!

Honorable Mention: "Moves Like Jagger"

Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera

I already compiled my list before this video was released just a few days ago. But for Adam Levine alone, here's an honorable mention

And now here it is, the Top 5 best from music this summer!

5.) “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”

Katy Perry

It’s an average pop song that does get stuck in your head, but it’s the standalone mini-movie music video that puts it towards the top of my list. From the tribute to the classic 80’s teen movies, to Kathy Beth Terry, and then Darren Criss as the cherry on top…it’s perfect from start to finish!

4.)“The Edge of Glory”

 Lady GaGa

Another 80’s throwback (saxophone solo and all), it’s a great fist-pumping anthem that sounds like something from a Top Gun montage. And the video is simplistic and beautiful, nothing too extreme, and that’s just the way I like it!

3.) “Run the World (Girls)”

Beyoncé

It’s a fierce song and video from Sasha Fierce herself! Too bad no one gave it the attention it deserves. It’s a strong stand-alone album and Beyoncé continues to prove that she is still an extreme force to be reckoned with!

2.) “Give Me Everything”

 Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack, & Nayer

Pitbull is always at the top of his game, whether he’s a guest on someone else’s track, or making his own with superstar guests like Ne-Yo on backup for him. It’s a sweet summer jam, electro-infused and all.

1.) “Super Bass”

Nicki Minaj

Who else is out now that has so much creativity and really shines when they rap AND sing?!!! Nicki Minaj smashes this one out of the park, making it the song I did not want to let go once it got stuck in my head!

And just for the hell of it again...

Best of Summer 2011 (Music, Part 1)

For me, Summer 2011 is coming to a close, and there certainly was a lot to listen to when hanging out by the pool, laying on the beach, or driving from Coffee Rush to the movies late at night (beating that INSANE Arizona heat!) Here's my personal countdown of the top 10 best from the world of music this summer:

10.)“Rolling in the Deep [Jamie xx Shuffle]”

Adele

Like most normal human beings, I am completely in love with Adele (have been since Summer 2008…BEFORE her 21 album, FYI). Regardless, 21 is a brilliant album, but like most people who were a fan of “Rolling in the Deep” when it FIRST came out in December 2010, it’s gotten old by now and it’s time for another single! To tie me over until she does decide to release a new single, I’m very happy with this lovely remix to change up the beat a little bit and make it interesting all over again.

9.) “Right There”

Nicole Scherzinger featuring 50 Cent

It may not be as popular as it should be, but it’s a wonderful, dirty summer jam from the Pussycat Doll and Fiddy (50 Cent that is). It’s a groovin’ track perfect for laying out on the beach (which I did of course!). Here’s to hoping Nicole’s solo career takes off successfully THIS time around, better then it did back in 2007…

8.) “I’m Into You”

 Jennifer Lopez featuring Lil’ Wayne

While most would probably pick “On the Floor” as the summer track, this is the one I listened to more. Much like Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” though, “On the Floor” got old and it was time for something new-er. You can’t complain when you watch the video to see a breathtaking 42-year-old woman rolling around in the sand with a GORGEOUS 30-year-old William Levy. And the controversy surrounding this video and her divorce didn’t hurt either!

7.) “Party Rock Anthem”

LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock

I’m not a SUPER big fan of this big Euro-dance pop phase going on right now. Everything on the radio sounds like one big super mix (which I still enjoy listening to). Still though, you can’t help but “shake that” when this song comes on, because after all…EVERYDAY I’M SHUFFLIN’!

6.) “Next 2 You”

Chris Brown featuring Justin Bieber

It’s a different change-up from Chris Brown, a vulnerable vocal production in a bittersweet song. The video WOULD be perfect (if it wasn’t for Chris Brown’s RIDICULOUS bleached hair). And I just love listening to a grown up Biebs! (P.S. does anyone else recognize the reference to Rihanna in the song towards the end? "Oh na na" COINCIDENCE?!!!)

It's Sexy...and Romantic! ("Crazy Stupid Love" Review)

FINALLY! It’s about time we get a decent romantic comedy that is never predictable, and more geared toward an older crowd! Here’s my quick rundown on everything Crazy Stupid Love.

THE CRAZY

- Marisa Tomei doesn’t look a day over 46! And man does she serve up the crazy!

- Ryan Gosling’s abs…’nuff said!

THE STUPID

- I only have one thing to say, and it’s something that was put to rest well into the movie. I went into this movie with reservations about someone simply giving up and getting bored in a relationship (especially a 25-year marriage). Is it so hard for a movie to correctly portray a marriage that lasts a long time without a bitter split or cheating spouses? My parents have been married for 30 years now, high school sweethearts with 4 kids, 2 grandkids and more on the way! It can happen Hollywood!

THE LOVELY

- Steve Carell in yet another touching, middle-aged man performance. (Somewhere in the middle of the humor from "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and the honesty from "Dan in Real Life")

- Emma Stone’s personality and genuine maturity driving her performance.

There's so much from the movie I don’t want to give away, which is why this post seems a little too short. There's a lot going on throughout, but it's all worth the trouble in the end. Just trust me when I say: it’s a smart, funny, and very romantic movie that surely will not disappoint!

THE BOTTOM LINE

I've now seen this movie 3 times, each time feeling the same thing. (Shout out to Krystin Newman and ma sista Marissa!) It's just such a great movie! My heart starts beating faster everytime one of the very "special moments" happens. I love Hannah & Jacob's first night together, and I love when Emily calls Cal. It's a well-written, well-acted, overall great movie that captures so much honesty and love in just 2 hours!
As far as Golden Globe talk, I'm expecting there to be a Best Picture, Best Actor (Steve Carell), and Best Screenplay nominations. We'll see what the Oscars have to offer too...

Summer Movie Ranking…AS OF 08/27/11:

1.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Pt. 2 (A+)

2.) Super 8 (A+)

3.) Bridesmaids (A+)

4.) Crazy Stupid Love (A+)

5.) Horrible Bosses (A)
6.) The Help (A)

6.) Friends With Benefits (B+)

7.) Kung Fu Panda (B+)

8.) The Change-Up (B)

9.) Mr. Popper’s Penguins (B)

10.) Bad Teacher (B-)

11.) The Hangover Part II (C)