April 18, 2024

About the author  ⁄ Brenna Ehrlich

Did Apple Steal OK Go’s Music Video Idea?

by 4 mins ago

Lefties weren’t the only ones miffed by Tuesday’s Apple product launch. OK Go, apparently, didn’t find the company’s offerings to be original enough — specifically, the video that ran at the beginning of the event. A video that looked oddly similar to the band’s VMA-winning video for “The Writing’s On The Wall.”

Apple’s video, titled “Perspective,” was meant to be a tribute to creative thinkers “who have always seen things differently.” It employed a cadre of optical illusions to hammer home this point — illusions very similar in style and execution to the ones OK Go used in their characteristically creative video. The band even released a special website last month explaining how the video was made.

You can check out the similarities between the two videos courtesy of Mashable below.

According to band manager Andy Gershon, those similarities weren’t an accident. He told Business Week that the band previously met with Apple to pitch the illusion idea for a collaboration, and, when Apple turned the idea down, they made the video themselves. Apple then hired OK Go’s production company, 1stAveMachine, and the video’s director to make “Perspective.” OK Go is currently exploring legal options.

This isn’t the first time a band has felt ripped-off by Apple. In 2006, Ben Gibbard of the Postal Service accused Apple of copying his video for “Such Great Heights” after the company put out a commercial using the same imagery — and director.

MTV News reached out to Apple for ...

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This ‘Catfish’/’Saved By The Bell’ Mashup Is Terrifying

by 3 mins ago

There are officially too many things in the zeitgeist. They are now mixing and merging in confusing and unholy ways, time periods leaking into time periods in a manner in which would prompt a “Doctor Who” joke from someone has seen more episodes of “Doctor Who.”

The latest “chocolate in my peanut butter” moment? The below mashup of… wait for it… MTV’s “Catfish” and “Saved By The Bell.” Yup, you may have thought it would be impossible to catfish a dude back in the era of the Zack Morris phone — but you would be wrong. Woefully wrong.

Check out the chilling, decades-bridging faux-pisode below:

Related: This Is What Happens When You Respond To A Facebook Spambot

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog and book "Stuff Hipsters Hate." She likes trying not to die in moshpits and listening to songs on repeat. Follow her on Twitter @BrennaEhrlich for news on cats and punk bands.
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Lorde Ditches The Purple Lips For The Cover Of Elle

by 7 mins ago

“I don’t think there’s a time in your life when you’re more intelligent or interesting,” reads the Lorde quote on the cover of October’s Elle, which also features the 17-year-old singer looking fresh-faced and serious. Don’t trust anyone over 30 — or, rather, 20 — am I right?

Lorde’s team announced via Instagram on Wednesday (September 10) that the singer would cover the upcoming fall issue of the fashion magazine, sharing both the cover and a shot from Ella’s photo spread. Ella in Elle? I guess it’s only fitting.

Although we’re itching to get our fingers on the story — perhaps she’ll spill more info on new music and that “Hunger Games” soundtrack — the cover itself gave us a new view of Lorde. She’s sporting a much more natural look than usual in the magazine’s pages — devoid of goth makeup and purple lips.

New music and a new look? Makes sense to us.

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog and book "Stuff Hipsters Hate." She likes trying not to die in moshpits and listening to songs on repeat. Follow her on Twitter @BrennaEhrlich for news on cats and punk bands.
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Kim Kardashian NEEDS The iPhone 6 — Here’s Why

by 29 mins ago

Kim Kardashian: Your dreams have just come TRUE, lady! Tuesday (September 9), Apple rolled out the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6-Plus and, get this Kim, the new models make it even easier to take selfies. Oh yes.

Sure, the phones have a ton of other rad features — larger screens, thumb-print technology, etc — but the thing that really got our attention raring was a feature called “burst selfies.” Basically, “burst selfies” is what it sounds like: it allows users to fire off a series of photos all in a row, so as to achieve the perfect shot. Imagine how awesome that would have been when Kim did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on “Ellen.” Action shot, anyone? She could have basically made a flipbook of the moment.

And just imagine what it could have meant for her upcoming Selfish all-selfies book?

Also, the whole deal would have been captured as if by an expert photog, as the new phones boast features that help iPhone slingers keep photos in focus, as well as shots steady. Perfect for anyone dumping ice-cold water down his or her back!

So, um, Kim… maybe invest in a new model? That is, if fancy famous people haven’t already been shipped the new goods via some kind of elite iPhone delivery service.

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, ...

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This Bored Kid Face-Planting At The White House Is Our Hero

by 1 min ago

The worst part of growing up is that you instantly lose the ability to just lie down in public if you feel so inclined. You know, like when you’re out to dinner with your family and you’re super sleepy and your mom and dad are talking and… Hmm, doesn’t this booth look super comfy? Annnnnd… face-plant. Yeah, you can’t do that once your voice chances and you’ve started cramming for the SATs or whatever.

It’s this nostalgia for public relaxation that renders the child above our spirit animal. Yup, you’re not seeing things. This kid — while visiting the White House — just planted himself face-first into a plush Oval Office couch, choosing to ignore whatever it is President Obama is discussing with his smiling mom and dad.

Just look at that form! That kid definitely had some serious couch creases on his face after extricating himself from the cushions — how much change do you think he yoinked? — and smoothing out that baller little suit jacket.

You do you, kid. You do you.

And once more, to get the full effect…

whitehouse

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog and book "Stuff Hipsters Hate." She likes trying not to die in moshpits and listening to songs on repeat. ...

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Fall Out Boy’s ‘Centuries’ Is Here And DAMN

by 15 mins ago

Um, did someone say they needed a pump-up jam? Anyone?

Well, whether you required one or not, Fall Out Boy has delivered the ultimate battle cry of a track this week: “Centuries,” a jam Pete Wentz calls “the story of David and Goliath. It is us passing along the story of how we feel right before we step on stage, trading feeling small and human for all the sweat and grit and sheer power of belief it takes to stare down a giant.”

Damn.

They also released a pretty intense Scantron-directed music video along with the jam that uses Instagram’s new Hyperlapse app to give a super-fast, super thorough tour of Chicago. An official video is also on the way.

After teasing the track via a cryptic Morse code last week, the band officially released the song — which samples Suzanne Vega’s 1990 hit “Tom’s Diner” — early this week. The tune marks the first single on the band’s upcoming as-yet-unnamed album on Island Records/DCD2 Records, due out next year.

“We never had a plan to jump right back into it after the whirlwind year we’ve had… but sometimes the song calls you,” Wentz said in a release. “We started writing ‘Centuries’ while we were on tour. Traveling the world for the last year we have seen, and been a part of, the landscape and fabric of music — from tiny sweaty clubs in Australia to insanely huge festivals in the UK. It felt impossible not to react to ...

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Why Did Beyonce Post A Photo Of Herself Crying?

by 12 mins ago

Well, this is quite the contrast to the bubbly birthday snap that Beyoncé shared this past weekend. Bey just posted a mysterious photo to Instagram and it looks like…she might be crying?

Captionless, the photo is a close-up of Bey’s face with what look to be artful mascara tracks wandering down her cheeks. The queen gives us no indication as to where the photo came from, but it does look suspiciously like album art — or, as it were, single art.

Could ‘Yoncé be planning to release new tunes soon? Our resident psychic, Licorice Root, did predict that upcoming music would deal with “heartbreak, pain, longing and triumphing over loss,” and the below photo certainly looks darker than images accompanying her previous, self-titled release.

We love ourselves a good myster-bey!

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog and book "Stuff Hipsters Hate." She likes trying not to die in moshpits and listening to songs on repeat. Follow her on Twitter @BrennaEhrlich for news on cats and punk bands.
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Eminem, Pharrell, Paramore And More Will Soon Be Selling Tunes On Twitter

by 16 mins ago

Hold onto your rapidly shrinking wallets — Twitter is introducing a new way to shop, all without leaving the microblogging service. That’s right, a “buy” button will now be nestled among those 140 characters. Right in time for Christmas, am I right?

Twitter announced the new feature Monday (September 8) via its blog, explaining that it’s launching the “buy” button with the likes of Eminem, Panic! At The Disco, Pharrell, Paramore and Wiz Khalifa — to name a very few accounts, which also include organizations like GLAAD and brands like Burberry.

So how exactly will you be able to buy, say, Em’s new single while scanning passive aggressive tweets from your ex and checking in with Miley Cyrus’ new art habit?

Basically, soon you’ll see a new “buy” button popping up in tweets from the aforementioned accounts, which will offer up products, services and opportunities that one can only purchase within Twitter. After tapping “buy,” you’ll be asked to enter in the usual payment info (address, credit card number, etc) — all without leaving Twitter. Once you’ve bought one item, this info will autofill and you’ll be able to spend money with a click from there on out. Dangerous, to be sure, if you’re as into buying special edition music merchandise as much as I am.

Still, for bands, this feature could be a boon — as artists with a strong social following will be able to more easily get concert tickets and tunes in the hands of the people ...

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Lorde Hits A Home Run With Custom Baseball Card: See The Pic

by 2 mins ago

As Lorde’s “Royals” was inspired, in part, by baseball, it’s only fitting that the 17-year-old singer should have her own collectible card. For her show in Philly last Friday, it seems, The Mann Center created a custom baseball card for Ella.

“the mann made some cute lil baseball cards for tonight,” Lorde wrote on Instagram, sharing a snap of the card, which features an illustration of the Pure Heroine singer all kitted-out like a ballplayer. Although the purple-lipped one doesn’t really seem like the athletic type, the homage is actually fitting.

Lorde previously revealed in an interview with VH1 that her #1 hit was inspired, in part, by a photo she saw in National Geographic of Kansas City Royals’ legend George Brett, who spent his entire 21-year career with the team, led them to a World Series title in 1985 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

“I had this image from the National Geographic of this dude signing baseballs,” Lorde said. “He was a baseball player and his shirt said ‘Royals.’ And I was like ‘I really love that word,’ because I’m a big word fetishist, I’ll pick a word and I’ll pin an idea to that. It was just that word and I was like ‘This is really cool.’”

Eventually, she went on to meet the athlete.

This isn’t the first card Lorde has spawned, however. We created our own Ella collectible late last year, in ...

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Beyonce Bends Over Backwards To Thank Fans For Birthday Wishes: See The Pic

by 13 mins ago

Beyoncé was pretty stoked with all the birthday wishes she got from the BeyHive last week. (And from us, we’d like to think.) So stoked, it seems, that she was doing backflips this past weekend — and in swimwear, no less.

Bey posted a snap to Instagram over the weekend, featuring the “Pretty Hurts” singer doing a backbend in a bikini, the caption reading: “Thank y’all so much for my birthday wishes! 33!!!!!”

Related: Will Beyoncé Have Another Baby? We Asked A Psychic

We hope she waited at least an hour after eating that cake Blake Lively whipped up for her before hitting the pool.

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog and book "Stuff Hipsters Hate." She likes trying not to die in moshpits and listening to songs on repeat. Follow her on Twitter @BrennaEhrlich for news on cats and punk bands.
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