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Usher Hopes 'Scream' Is 'Life Changing'

'I always think about that song that will be able to let you out of that slump,' Looking 4 Myself singer says on 'MTV First.'
By John Mitchell

<P>It's not often that fans get to hit the club to party <i>with</i> the artist behind the latest dance hit, but that's exactly what happened for the audience at the interactive off-Broadway show "Fuerza Bruta" when Usher arrived for a unique first-listen experience for his new album, <i>Looking 4 Myself</i>.</P><P>As the R&B megastar's latest hit, the beat-driven Max Martin-produced "Scream," pounded through the theater, Usher flew into the audience for a rave-like dance party that had everyone in the place moving.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Usher Previews A Clip Of His 'Scream' Performance Video" id="vid:767987.id:1685137" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>He's used to that sort of reaction by now, having released some of the biggest club hits of the past 15 years, including "OMG," "Yeah," "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "My Way." Usher consistently makes dance records that define a night, and it's important to the singer that his upbeat songs reach people on as deep a level as his more personal ballads.</P><P>"If I'm gonna move you, I want to move you. I hope that it could be something that could be life changing," the soulful signer said during "MTV First: Usher." "You may be going through something real crazy, who knows, and just need to get out and just enjoy yourself. So I always think about the club, I always think about that song that will be able to let you out of that slump, if you're in it."</P><P>But "Scream" isn't just for those looking for escape. The track can work on many levels, according to the singer: "If you're just ready to have a good time, or if you're working out and you just need that little motivation to push you over the edge, there you go."</P><P><center></center></p>

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Jessica Simpson And Beyonce: From One Mommy Mogul To Another

Maxwell's mom can learn a lot from another superstar mama, Queen B.
By John Mitchell

<P>Jessica Simpson is basking in the glow of new motherhood after giving birth to her daughter, Maxwell Drew Johnson, on Tuesday, but if we know anything about celebrity moms, she'll be back to work in no time flat.</P><P>While she hasn't released an album of new material since 2008's country crossover record <i>Do You Know,</i> Simpson remains a true mogul. Her fashion line, the Jessica Simpson Collection, is the most successful ever for a celebrity. What began as a vanity line of bags and shoes has transformed into a billion-dollar brand that now also includes clothing, jewelry, fragrances and sunglasses.</P><P><CENTER></CENTER></P><P>The dueling pulls of motherhood and celebrity create a tough balancing act for a new mom, but being a mogul already is evidence enough that Simpson can wear a lot of hats. Just look at Beyoncé, another multi-hyphenate superstar with a newborn who is already plotting her return to form.</P><P>Indeed, Queen B is a perfect example of exactly how to balance early motherhood with the rigors of being a mogul. She's done things her way and is readying her musical comeback with several planned dates in Atlantic City, currently appears on the cover ofPeople's Most Beautiful issue (a covert and classy post-baby body reveal, in true Beyonc&#233; style) and has even suggested she may at some point create a line of maternity clothes for her House of Dereon fashion line, telling Harper's Bazaar late last year, "I love figuring out designs that still make me feel edgy and sexy while pregnant."</P><P>Here are the three ways Jessica should look to Beyonce for post-baby mommy mogul inspiration:</P><P><big><b>Bouncing Back Professionally</b></big><br> Simpson's focus has switched from music to television in recent years, though she has never ruled out returning to the studio. Motherhood is a subject that has proven to be ace songwriting material for several pop divas, most notably Madonna. Madonna's 1998 album <i>Ray of Light</i> was inspired by the changes having a child had on her life, from her pursuit of spirituality post-baby to the change in her priorities once Lourdes entered the picture. The album went on to become one of her best-selling and most acclaimed, scoring five Grammy nominations, including Album and Record of the Year, and winning three awards. Its success reinvigorated the star, who returned to touring a few years later with a bang and has been on the road multiple times since, setting records along the way.</P><P>Beyonc&#233; is reportedly already working on not one, but two records, and it goes without saying that baby Blue Ivy and the experience of motherhood will be a chief topic of her songwriting. She's also set to make her return to the stage for three concerts at the re-launch of Atlantic City's Revel Entertainment Center over Memorial Day weekend.</P><P>Simpson would be smart to put all the emotions she's feeling now to good use and start penning tracks for her return to music. The very emotions she's feeling now are the things that make for the best songs, something Beyonc&#233; is seemingly well-aware of.</P><P><big><b>Working on Your Fitness</b></big><br> Jessica seems intent to make her post-baby weight loss a public affair (Get it? That song is her most underrated jam!) with a reported multimillion-dollar endorsement deal with Weight Watchers, clearly taking a cue from B by keeping it healthy.</P><P>Unlike so many other celebrities, who rush hard in ways that cannot be good for them to get their figures ready for "How I Got My Body Back" tabloid photo shoots as if it were some sort of competition, Beyonc&#233; didn't appear to feel any sort of rush to get her pre-baby figure back. According to her People interview, she has relied on a healthy, protein-heavy diet and three 90-minute workout sessions per week, mixing things up by combining running, dancing and exercise ball crunches. And the results speak for themselves: Four months later she looks fantastic, if not yet back to her perfect pre-baby figure. (Which is just fine; regardless of what the tabloids tell you, it is unnatural for the mother of a newborn to look as if she never had a baby in the first place just a few months after giving birth.)</P><P>"I feel my body bouncing back," B told <i>People.</i> "Whatever was tight and muscular, like my legs, I'm seeing it come back. You just have to work at it."</P><P>And work at it is exactly what Jessica will do &#8212; just in a more public setting than B. In the scheme of diets, Weight Watchers is among the healthiest and most effective. The program helps participants lose weight by forming helpful habits, eating smarter, getting more exercise and providing support, and has proven successful for such celebs as Jennifer Hudson.</P><P>Having negotiated her contract with the company in December, she may not be taking her cues from Beyonc&#233; here, but they clearly share the same mind-set when it comes to post-baby weight loss. Slow, steady, healthy and long-term is the goal.</P><P><big><b>Creating Products</b></big><br> While Beyonc&#233; doesn't have a line of baby clothes just yet, she has mentioned being interested in creating a maternity line for her House of Dereon label. Jessica may have a leg up on Beyonc&#233; in this department, given the breadth of products that have popped up under her Jessica Simpson Collection label.</P><P>As both moms search for ways into the elusive baby market, Christopher Gavigan, who works with Jessica Alba on her Honest brand, told MTV News that he urges celebrity moms like B and Jessica to stick to what they love when it comes to branding.</P><P>"Find what you're passionate about and go do that," he advised. "You articulate that in a brand or in a way you feel from a business perspective that you feel you get your focus articulated in some meaningful or special way. A lot of it is partnerships and leveraging the greatest assets of each other."</P><P><i>What else can Jessica learn from Beyonc&#233; &#8212; or vice versa? Let us know in the comments below!</i></P><P></p>

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Katy Perry's 'Part of Me' Shows Singer At Her Most 'Vulnerable'

'I think it's important ... for people to not think people in my position are perfect,' Perry tells MTV News.
By Christina Garibaldi


Katy Perry
Photo: MTV News

Katy Perry is not looking to hold anything back when she releases her 3-D concert movie, "Part of Me," in July. Shot throughout 2011, the film takes fans backstage on her California Dreams Tour, into the studio with the singer and on set for her videos, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work involved in being a pop star.

Yet, with so many moments captured for this movie, Perry admits it's hard to narrow down the one scene that all fans will be talking about.

"There's lots of moments," Perry told MTV News at the Pepsi Fleet Week Katy Perry "Part of Me" Concert. "I love making music videos and I like them to be jam-packed visually, and I want there to not be a dull moment in this film. There's really high-energy moments. Of course, there's the concert. If some people didn't see the show — which a lot of people haven't seen the show because really I've done 124 shows — but a lot of people couldn't get a ticket or they just couldn't make it out that night, so I cut together the best of the show."

But there is much more to this film than the dazzling onstage performances. The singer is out to show all her Katy Cats the real Katy Perry. The film delves into Perry's struggle with making it as a singer, her strict Christian upbringing and, of course, her much publicized divorce from Russell Brand.

"There's a lot of background of how I got to where I am, but such a huge emotional palette in the movie, and it's going to be really exciting," Perry said. "It's the most intimate I've ever been. I mean that in a non-sexual way ... I mean it in a vulnerable way. And so I'm not scared of it because I think it's important for me, and important these days, for people to not think people in my position are perfect and that if they want to achieve this type of dream or achieve a goal that they have to be flawless, they don't."

And Perry admits she is far from flawless in this film, revealing to her fans that even though she may be one of the biggest pop stars in the world, she is still just a normal girl.

"What you see in the movie is all the mechanics of the operation," Perry said. "And there's a lot of me bloated, with zits, fat, not shaded, not carved, not snatched, just normal."

The "Katy Perry: Part of Me" concert film hits theaters July 5.

Are you excited for Katy Perry's 3-D flick? Let us know in the comments.

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Lil Wayne, T.I., Wiz Khalifa To Get 'Sleazy' With Ke$ha

Tip confirms second remix in the works for track, which previously featured a remix verse from Andre 3000.
By Jocelyn Vena

<P>Ke$ha's already gotten "Sleazy" with Andre 3000. Now, a few more rappers want to get dirty with the glittery pop singer.</P><P>XXLmag.com reports that T.I. plans to jump on the track, and Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa will also be joining Andre and Tip on a new version of "Sleazy." Weezy should be a welcome addition to Ke$ha's dance tune, as it sounds somewhat like Wayne's single "A Milli." And while not much else is known about the remix, T.I. promised that he's going to go big with his verse.</P><P>"I haven't heard anybody but mine. ... I'm gonna put my money on mine," the newly freed rapper, who ended an 11-month prison sentence in September, told the website.</P><P>The Andre 3000 remix dropped earlier this year and appears on K-Dollar Sign's album <i>Cannibal.</i> The guys will have a lot of swagger to compete with because when Andre appeared on the first remix, he had this to say: "We start out so cute in our baby pictures/ That mama shot for our daddy so that he wouldn't forget you/ He forgot anyway, but hey, one day he'll remember/ If not, he's human, I'm human, you human, we'll forgive him/ I call her Keisha, she like it because it's 'hood to her/ She call me Andre 6000 because I'm good to her."</P><P>Tip told XXLmag.com that his appearance on the Ke$ha song is just one of many remixes he's amped about. He has also worked on remixes for Meek Mill and Rick Ross's "Ima Boss," as well as Jay-Z and Kanye West's <i>Watch the Throne</i> song "N---as in Paris."</P><P>"I'm looking for some more records to jump on," he said. "That's what I'm doin' right now. I'm commandeering hit records right now. I'm hijacking hit records. If you got a hit, I'm on it."</P><P><i>Are you looking forward to the new "Sleazy" remix? Tell us in the comments!</i></p>

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