When La Roux finally ended a years-long hiatus earlier this month with the rather moody “Let Me Down Gently,” it seemed like a decided departure from Elly Jackson’s defiant “Bulletproof” and “I’m Not Your Toy” days.

But worry not, with her latest offering, “Uptight Downtown,” Jackson proves that, even though a lot has changed since La Roux and her split from her longtime bandmate Ben Longmaid, she’s still down to party.

The synth-heavy dance-pop track is meant for a sweaty night out — a dance-fueled party somewhere downtown that you can’t quite place — and as Elly continues to sing “the temperature is rising,” it seems that music is, too.

Trouble In Paradise drops Stateside on July 8.

Emily Blake

Fall Out Boy know how to tell a story: Slowly, with anticipation, and apparently, with the help of close friends like 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Elton John.

That’s exactly what they’ve been doing over the past few months with “The Young Blood Chronicles,” a musical film composed of 11 videos from their fifth studio album, Save Rock and Roll.

They started the story — which follows the band to hell and back — back in February, and finally, after trickling out chapters video by video, it all came to a close this week with the release of the final two chapters, the videos for “Miss Missing You” and “Save Rock and Roll,” featuring Elton John and Tommy Lee.

And it all takes a pretty weird twist, as it turns out Elton John is God and Tommy Lee is the devil.

But what does it all really mean?

When VH1 caught up with Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump, they tried to explain.

“There’s so many bizarre allusions in this video — trouble people helping troubled people,” Wentz said of “Miss Missing You.” “I’m pretty sure there’s a little ‘Hills Have Eyes’ with this random place with these screwed up people.”

As for the 11th and final chapter, “Save Rock and Roll,” Wentz said it was meant to introduce a “darker presence,” as well as a god, played by the one and only Elton John. The guys close out the clip by walking into what Wentz described as a “wall of blood” and spraying said blood all over ...

Guys, Ariana Grande’s just really into the whole ’60s mod thing right now.

It seems like she hasn’t taken off those knee-high white boots since dropping her saxy, sexy (and, now, platinum-selling) “Problem” back in April. (She wore super mod outfits at both the Billboard Music Awards and the iHeartRadio Music Awards, as well as in the cover art for “Problem.”)

And judging from a sneak peek at her highly anticipated “Problem” video, looks like she doesn’t plan on changing out of them anytime soon.

Ariana shared a teaser of the video — which features Big Sean and Iggy Azalea — on Friday (May 23), and it looks like it’s straight out of 1965. The full video will drop next week.

Emily Blake

When you first heard Austin Mahone’s sweet, sexy and rather Usher-like single “All I Ever Need,” you may have thought he was talking about a mysterious (and might I add very lucky) girlfriend, but you were wrong.

It’s about you.

The “MMMYeah” singer just dropped the video for his The Secret track, and it’s three-and-a-half-minute love fest for his Mahomies. Screaming Mahomies, crying Mahomies, Mahomies from all over the world.

So when he says “You’re all I ever need, Baby you’re amazing,” just pat yourself on the back and say “I know.”

Emily Blake

Paul McCartney has been hospitalized in Japan to treat a virus, but the Beatles legend is expected to make a “complete recovery.”

“Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo,” read a statement on McCartney’s website on Thursday (May 22). “He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest. Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world.”

Earlier this week, the 71-year-old was forced to cancel several shows in the country, as well as one in South Korea, after suffering from a virus and being placed on “complete rest” by doctors.

But his condition only worsened. In a statement posted to his website on Sunday, he wrote, “Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight. I was really hoping that I’d be feeling better today. I’m so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down.”

Emily Blake

Remember, right around a week ago, when Andrew Garfield dressed up in drag for Arcade Fire‘s “We Exist” video?

It’s rather hard to forget: In the clip, the “Spider-Man” actor cries as he shaves his head, dons women’s clothing with insecurity and is beaten up at a bar. Later, he overcomes it all with a “Flashdance”-inspired dance.

It brought a stirring image to the equally emotional Reflektor track — one about a young man coming out to his father — and it also brought one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood today.

But in spite of the pro-gay rights messages, Laura Jane Grace, the transgender frontwoman of Against Me!, had a little problem with it.

“Dear @arcadefire , maybe when making a video for a song called ‘We Exist’ you should get an actual ‘Trans’ actor instead of Spider-Man?,” she wrote on Twitter on Thursday (May 22).

Since coming out as a transgender woman in an all-tell interview with Rolling Stone back in 2012, Laura Jane Grace — born Tom Gabel — has been a prominent voice in the transgender community. In an interview with MTV News shortly after her revelation, she told us, “It feels like I’m in control of my life, and I’m in control of my person, and that’s empowering. Saying to someone ‘I’m a transsexual’ is the most empowering thing I’ve ever felt in my whole life.”

Emily Blake

Jason Derulo told MTV News last month he’d have “all kinds of people wiggling” in his music video for “Wiggle” — “from grandmas to girls all shapes and sizes, colors, from all over the world” — and he didn’t disappoint. In fact, it seems like we were the only ones not invited.

The clip for his Talk Dirty track, which features Snoop Dogg, is a party somewhere near paradise, kept alive by copious amounts of twerking.

Snoop and Derulo serve as hosts, and they let everyone in on the wiggle action. When we spoke with the Talk Dirty singer last month, he said linking up with Snoop for the clip was “amazing.”

“When you meet people that you’ve been watching your whole life, sometimes you are impressed and sometimes it kind of takes away from what you appreciated about them so much, but in this instance he matched it and superseded what my expectations were,” Derulo said of Snoop. “He was just such an amazing dude and so chill. We had an amazing time.”

Emily Blake

Six young Iranians have been arrested after they uploaded a video of themselves dancing throughout Tehran to Pharrell’s “Happy.”

“Happy in Tehran” was uploaded to YouTube last month and garnered more than 165,000 views before being made private. It shows three men and three women — all unveiled — looking, well, happy as they dance and lip-synch to Pharrell’s hit.

But authorities in Tehran are calling the video “vulgar,” and all six were arrested and forced to formally apologize on state television. (Under Islamic law, women are required to cover themselves from head to toe in public, a rule monitored by “morality police.”)

“After a vulgar clip which hurt public chastity was released in cyberspace, police decided to identify those involved in making that clip,” Tehran police chief Hossein Sajedinia announced on Tuesday (May 20), according to ABC News. “Following a series of intelligence and police operations and after coordinating with the judiciary, all the suspects were identified and arrested.”

The clip was one of many “Happy” covers made by fans worldwide in celebration of the UN’s International Day of Happiness.

In an interview last month, one of the dancers in the video, named Neda, said the video was meant to show that young Iranians “have moments of joy and happiness even though they live with many difficulties.”

“We wanted to tell the world that the Iranian capital is full of lively young people and change the harsh and rough image that the world sees on the news,” she said.

“It is beyond sad that these ...

By all measures, the “trailer” that Jay Z and Beyonce released last week looked like it was for a real-life action film. With a bevy of explosions, a few high-speed chases, an all-star cast that included Sean Penn, Don Cheadle, Jake Gyllenhaal and Blake Lively, and a highly volatile romance at the center of it all, fans were convinced they had a full-length Carter production on the way.

But then the words “Coming Never” flashed across the screen — making it clear that this was really all just to promote their upcoming On The Run Tour.

And now, as they pick up what’s left of their crushed dreams, fans are calling on Jay and Bey to make a full-length feature film out of “Run,” urging the couple via a petition on Change.org.

“After the release of Beyoncé and JAY Z’s ‘RUN’ trailer which was released on May 18th, 2014, millions of fans across the world became devestated after seeing ‘coming never’ at the end of the exciting and action packed ‘RUN’ trailer,” the petition reads. “We, the BeyHive and JAY Z fans would love for our two favorite artists to actually make a full length movie based off of the trailer. Why? It would most definitely sell millions, it’s also casted so perfectly (Don Cheadle, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sean Penn) and most importantly, it would make your fans happy. We love you B and Jay, you two have to make this happen. Please, the world wants the ‘ON THE RUN’ movie!”

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Justin Timberlake wanted to thank everyone — even his competitors, even you at home — for his Top Artist award at Sunday night’s (May 18) Billboard Music Awards.

Everyone, that is, except Donald Sterling.

The Clippers owner may have made an apology earlier this week — and, at the same time, dissed Magic Johnson — for making racist comments last month, but the 20/20 Experience singer made it clear he’s not accepting it.

“It is not a competition but if it was, I won. I want to thank everyone on earth, except Donald Sterling,” Timberlake, appearing via satellite from tour.

Earlier in the night, JT — who was up for 11 awards at Sunday night’s show — accepted the award for Top Billboard 200 Album by singing his speech.

“I’m shocked. I’m stunned. I’m really surprised,” Timberlake said in the video, before busting into song and dance with his backup singers. “We don’t even wanna say ‘thank you.’ We wanna sing ‘thank you,’”

Emily Blake