Britney Spears? Beyonce? Fans Pick Their Best Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

You can vote for your favorite album of the year over on the Newsroom blog!
By James Montgomery


Britney Spears' Femme Fatale
Photo: Jive

On Wednesday, I published my picks for the Best Albums of 2011 (So Far), a list that included the likes of Lady Gaga, Eminem, the Foo Fighters and Adele, but not Beyoncé, Britney Spears or Chris Brown.

And while I definitely heard some complaints about the albums I did include (Born This Way was too low, 21 was too high, Hell: The Sequel should've been in the top 10, etc.), it seems that the overwhelming majority of folks out there had a bigger problem with the albums I didn't — namely, Femme Fatale, 4 and F.A.M.E.

So, in the interest of fairness, we launched a poll over on our Newsroom blog and asked you to vote for your favorite album from the first-half of 2011; so far, more than 18,000 votes have been cast, and Born This Way leads Femme Fatale by a slim margin. But if you haven't cast your ballot yet, don't fret, because the poll will remain open until Thursday (June 30) at midnight ET.

Vote for your favorite 2011 album right now in our Newsroom poll!

But if you remain undecided, well, then we've got some compelling arguments for you: Comments and — very open — campaigning (plus some actual compliments) from MTV.com readers and Facebook users, each making a case for their favorite album of 2011. Of course, if you feel like sounding off with your picks, do it in the comments section below. And now, on with the acrimony!

"How could you forget Britney Spears? Femme Fatale was the most anticipated album of the year. The thing I hate is that Britney doesn't get recognized enough. Femme Fatale is the best album!" — IfUSeekPeanut:)

"You guys would put Lady Gaga [on the list] and not include Britney's Femme Fatale album! I'm sorry, but despite all of the Auto-Tune and lack of song writing, it's still one of the best dance albums of the new millennium! Gaga ... OMFG, don't even get me started, her album is NOT all that! JUST 'cause she writes her own songs doesn't make them the best songs lyrically! [And] Beyoncél's 4 is not even included? Completely DELUSIONAL list!" — Tony Moreira

"Wow. Femme Fatale gets praises from pretty much everyone in the music industry and it doesn't make the list. Lady Gaga makes sales ... okay, [but] she has yet to top Britney's records (even when she pretty much gave away Born This Way)." — Jdtgu

"Adele is good but all her songs are about breakups, which is depressing, She does deserve some Grammys. And where the f--- is FEMME FATALE? Britney Spears is NOWHERE HERE? That's insane!" — jonny A.

"I was listenin' to Adele back in '07 and never looked back and I always kinda thought maybe she will be the big star she deserves to be. Her album 21 is so honest and real and vulnerable. I'm sorry but I don't think there is any album out or coming out that will be able to compare. [Also], so glad y'all shed a light on Lykke Li's album. She is a very underrated artist. I didn't think she could do better than Youth Novels, but, damn she did the damn thing on Wounded Rhymes. [It's] another classic from Lykke Li." — Mark Anthony Sanchez

"I love that there aren't just mainstream artists on this list, but I will say Femme Fatale doesn't deserve to be on it. I'm not bashing the girl because some of her songs are good (they still weren't written or conceived by her) but it's not anywhere close to these albums. I do love Adele, but I think Gaga basically murdered everyone with her album." — L3M0NAQUA

"I loved Adele's new album! Also I loved Chris Brown's new album too! Britney's was awesome!" — Kayla Copes

"Okay, so let's start voting for people with some real talent, not people that can put on a show. FOO FIGHTERS AND ADELE. There's the talent." — Carrie Heuberger

"Sorry, but you obviously placed Adele's voice at #2 and NOT her mediocre album. Yes, it WILL get the Grammys it deserves BUT it would be a dead-boring album without her strong voice ... In my opinion Adele is ranked too high, but can you blame [the writer] for ranking a HUGE voice at #2 ? Born This Way, well, it could be higher BUT it is a COMPLETE honor that it is the ONLY album from a mainstream pop artist that made it to NUMBER FREAKING FOUR!" — Spyros Venturis

What do you think? Let us know in the comments or vote in our Newsroom poll.

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How Hugh Grant Helped Bring Down 'News of the World'

How Hugh Grant Helped Bring Down 'News of the World'

After more than a century-and-a-half in print, News of the World is shutting down -- amid a scandal exposed, not by a journalist or police detective, but by actor Hugh Grant. In a fascinating interview with the BBC, Grant explains how his one-man sting operation dealt a fatal blow to the hugely popular tabloid.

On Thursday, media mogul Rupert Murdoch issued the announcement that he would no longer be publishing News of the World, after Scotland Yard confirmed that its reporters were involved in illegal phone-hacking. Grant stumbled upon this information months ago, when his car broke down and an ex-NotW editor (now a pub owner) offered to give him a lift. During their conversation, the former journalist bragged that the paper was engaged in extensive phone-hacking of celebrities, including Grant himself.

A few months later, Grant decided to visit the man's pub with a hidden tape recorder, attempting to turn the tables on him. (Just a boy, standing in front of an ex-reporter, asking him to spill his guts.) In April, Grant published the transcript of their conversation, which includes the claim that News of the World was engaged in bribery with police officers and prominent politicians. The conversation also included the revelation that the paper wasn't just hacking the phones of celebrities -- they were hacking the phones of ordinary people in the news.

On July 4, The Guardian reported that News of the World hacked the phone of 13-year-old kidnapping victim Milly Dowler in 2002, prior to the discovery that she had been murdered (meaning the reporters interfered irrevocably with the police investigation). It was also revealed that they hacked the phones of terrorist attack victims, war veterans and the families of deceased soldiers. The scandal horrified U.K. readers, and Murdoch made the extreme decision to cut his losses and shutter the paper for good.

So is Hugh Grant celebrating his victory? He probably would be -- if he wasn't still so angry. In the BBC clip, Grant rails at the former News of the World editor for his immoral tactics.

"You didn't care who got hurt so long as you were able to sell your newspaper," fumes Grant. "You're not journalists, you have no interest in journalism, it's just money, money, money."

And now that News of the World has been shut down, those faux-journalists may actually have to make an honest living for the first time. Hugh Grant for prime minister? Hey, he sure made a great one in Love Actually.

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Coldplay, Led Zeppelin Album Covers Featured On New British Stamps

Album art from Pink Floyd, Blur and David Bowie also included.
By James Montgomery


Coldplay's new British stamps
Photo: Royal Mail

On Thursday (January 7), the U.K.'s Royal Mail unveiled a series of 10 new stamps, honoring the most iconic album covers of the past 40 years.

The albums featured in the new series are the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Led Zeppelin's IV, David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, The Clash's London Calling, New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies, Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, Blur's Parklife and — the most recent album on to make the cut — Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Meant to honor "the most potent graphic images of modern times, many of which have provided a visual soundtrack to people's lives," the series is the end result of a lengthy research process by the Royal Mail, who looked through thousands of album covers by British artists before deciding on the final list. And, during a Wednesday night BBC Radio broadcast, it was revealed that the queen herself actually approved each design.

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page — who helped design the cover for IV — was on hand to celebrate the release of the stamps and recalled the mysterious nature of the album's iconic imagery.

"Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him," he said. "That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time."

Of course, any great honor is befitting of an equally great contest, so, on the same day the stamps were made available to the general public, Coldplay decided to give one of their Rush of Blood stamps away. In a message on their official site, the band held a contest to send one lucky fan "a letter using a Coldplay stamp, postmarked with today's issue date."

"We visited our local post office earlier today and bought some of the Coldplay stamps," the message read. "Very nice they are too."

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Lindsay Lohan Italian VOGUE Shoot (LINKS)

OMG, Lindsay Lohan did VOGUE while on house arrest? Really? Is that the best they could do? Celebrity Smack has Lindsay Lohan?s behind-the-scenes photo shoot video for Italian VOGUE. Girlfriend did it while the ankle bracelet was still in place, from the comfort of her own home, and you wont believe what she said in her interview! Here are my other favorite links!! XOXO Enjoy! And don’t forget to join us on Facebook tonight for our giftcard give away! 7PM EST. Win instantly! Please help us spread the word! Starting July 7th, every week at, Right Celebrity, Celebrity Dirty Laundry, The Skinny Chic, and I Need My Fix have partnered to bring you guys CASH prizes. We will run the contest via Facebook every Thursday at 7pm EST. Every week there will be $5-25 gift card codes given to our winner(s). That simple. Meet, win cash! Email me if you have questions – jenivieve.elly@gmail.com Subject FB Giveaway. Celebrity Mound has awesome video of Lais Ribeiro for Victoria’s Secret Cotton Lingerie 2011. Nicola McLean boob slip – um ya think?! Geeezus!!! Fit Fab Celeb. Kristen Stewart?s ?Snow White And The Huntsman? To Be A Trilogy! – Earsucker. Victoria Beckham spent July [...]

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'Horrible Bosses' & 'Zookeeper' Hit Theaters

'Horrible Bosses' & 'Zookeeper' Hit Theaters

Which movies are fun for the whole family and which ones are treats just for you? Find out!

In theaters now:

Horrible Bosses
Short Story:
When Dale (Charlie Day), Nick (Jason Bateman) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) decide they can no longer tolerate their horrible bosses (Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell) they hatch a plan to get rid of them... by murder! Even with the help of an ex-con (Jamie Foxx), they soon realize their plan may not be a fool-proof as they originally thought. Hilarity ensues.

What They're Saying:
"The laughter is mean but also oddly pure: it expels shame and leaves you feeling dizzy, a little embarrassed and also exhilarated, kind of like the cocaine that two of the main characters consume by accident." -- New York Times

"There are few comedy pleasures better suited to the medium of movies than that of watching supposedly normal people behaving terribly. And if those transgressing characters are played by popular movie stars, so much the better." -- Entertainment Weekly

Good for the kids?
With an all-star cast, solid reviews and Jen Aniston talking seriously dirty, this raunchy comedy is not to be missed -- by adults, that is. Thanks to tons of potty humor and an R rating, Common Sense Media recommends this flick for older teens and adults only, so leave the kiddies at home.

Watch the preview!

Zookeeper
Short Story:
Griffin Keyes (Kevin James) is a caring, loyal zookeeper at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. But while the zoo animals love him, he doesn't have quite the same luck with the ladies. In an attempt to woo a girl, he decides to quit his gig at the zoo and get a more high-profile job. The zoo animals -- who don't want Griffin to go -- reveal that they can actually talk(!), convincing Griffin to stay if they help him get the girl.

What They're Saying:
"James hurls himself into this sad scenario with energy and teddy-bear charm that makes him impossible to hate. But it's easy to hate Zookeeper. If we could talk to the animals, they'd probably hate it, too." -- Associated Press

"It's stupid, then it veers toward the absurd, but with James at its center it remains sort of sweet throughout. You can't hate James or the movie; both are just sort of dopey but well-meaning." -- Arizona Republic

Good for the Kids?
Even though this movie failed to impress the critics, it may be a fun pick for younger kids. Zookeeper is an Adam Sandler-produced movie, so there has to be at least a few good laughs in there!

Watch the preview!

In Case You Missed:

Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Short Story:
Shia LeBeouf reprises his role as Sam Witwicky in the third installment in the Transformers franchise -- and, this time around, he's got a new girlfriend (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) whose job is to look perpetually hot as Autobots and evil Decepticons duke it out over the fate of mankind. The plot -- the Decepticons want to use a new robot technology to bring their home world of Cybertron to Earth -- takes a back seat to giant robots slicing each other to pieces, cars blowing up, and Chicago being reduced to a pile of smoking rubble. But, hey, that's the point of these movies!

What They're Saying:
"Watching Transformers: Dark of the Moon makes you die a little inside. Is this the future of movies? God help us! Michael Bay, you've done it again." -- Rolling Stone

"If you're going to make a movie in which some of your stars are animated toys and much of downtown Chicago is reduced to rubble, this is the way to do it: shamelessly, with no expense spared and no cliche avoided." -- Chicago Reader

Good for the Kids?
Rated PG-13, this movie is perfect for teens and adults, especially those who grew up with the Transformers franchise. Though the amazing action sequences are mostly blood-free, plenty of humans get "vaporized," so it's probably best to leave the little ones at home with a babysitter and some Transformers toys.

Monte Carlo
Short Story:
When friends Grace (Selena Gomez), Meg (Leighton Meester) and Emma (Katie Cassidy) venture to Paris for their dream vacation, they are dissapointed when things don't at first go as planned. But things take a turn for the awesome when Grace is mistakken for an English heiress, and their bland trip soon turns in to an unforgettable vacation filled with love, adventure and even paparazzi!

What They're Saying:
"Meester and Cassidy provide solid sidekicks, though that perhaps sells them short: They ultimately carry the movie. All of their storylines lead to self-discovery and sappiness." -- Associated Press

"Were I a certain 12-year-old girl, Monte Carlo would be a giant frosted pastry, even if that pastry tastes suspiciously like Gomez's 2009 Disney Channel original movie, Princess Protection Program." -- Boston Globe

Good for the Kids?
Rated PG, this flick is perfect for young girls -- especially Selena Gomez fans! With Glee's Cory Monteith playing a love interest, this fun, romantic comedy really has something for girls of any age!

Larry Crowne
Short Story:
When Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) suddently loses his job, he decides to start over and head back college... community college, that is. In a class of outcasts, Larry expectedly makes friends with some of his fellow classmates and even strikes up a romance with his jaded -- but beautiful -- professor (Julia Roberts).

What They're Saying:
"At this point in their careers, Hanks and Roberts know a lot about how to make movies and how to reach audiences; these are relaxed and professional star performances, long on charm and short on theatrics." -- Salon.com

"Larry Crowne has Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts and a good premise and a colorful supporting cast, but what it doesn't have is a reason for existing." -- Chicago Sun-Times

Good for the Kids?
Who can resist Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts reuniting on screen? Not adults. But with a PG-13 rating and a decidely mature plot, this may not be a good fit for young kids... so hire a babysitter! Even though the film has recieved mixed reviews, Hanks and Roberts are a match made in Hollywood heaven.

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Kim Kardashian: Perfume Shoot Sexy

Getting all glammed up for a weekend shoot, Kim Kardashian was hard at work in Pasadena, CA on Saturday (July 9).

The E! reality darling donned a classic white belted dress with a blue head scarf as she filed the ad campaign for her fragrance.

Tweeting about the endeavor, Miss Kardashian wrote, "Shooting a commercial today for my new fragrance! #WeekendGrind!"

Happy with the way things went, the 30-year-old soon-to-be married reality star added, "Loving the look for today's shoot! Old School Glam by @MakeUpByMario"

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Justin Bieber, Mark Wahlberg Open Up About Basketball Flick

'It's going to be crazy,' Bieber promises at MTV Movie Awards.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Justin Bieber
Photo: MTV News

It seems that things are well under way for the basketball movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Justin Bieber. How do we know? Well, the guys themselves updated us this weekend at two of the biggest events of the summer.

Wahlberg told MTV News on Saturday night at Spike's Guys Choice Awards that while he thought he'd be playing Bieber's part initially, he eventually came around to playing the "old guy" role.

"Wait till you see me and Bieber in the flick. Think of like 'The Color of Money,' " he teased. "So I get this call from Paramount [where they tell me about the story about] an old guy and a young guy. I'm like, 'Cool, let's get Jack [Nicholson]. Let's get Robert De Niro. Let's get Robert Duvall.' And they go, 'What about Garrett Hedlund?'

"I'm like, 'For what?' " he further recalled. "They're like, 'For the young guy.' "

(Check out photos of Justin Bieber and tons of other stars backstage at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards!)

The next day, at the MTV Movie Awards, Justin Bieber seemed equally excited about the project, if not a bit tight-lipped. "I know ," he promised. "You'll have to see. I can't really reveal too much about it."

According to previous reports, Wahlberg has been keeping tabs on the young star. "He loves the idea," Wahlberg said last month. "He's been sending me video, he sent me a video of himself, and, yeah, I think he's really talented." The idea was sparked after Wahlberg and partner Stephen Levinson caught Bieber playing basketball in February during a celebrity game held during NBA All-Star Game weekend.

MTV News has all of the highlights from the 2011 MTV Movie Awards. Relive the best moments, watch red-carpet interviews with your favorite stars and read all about what went on behind the scenes on the big night.

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Cameron Diaz Covers Maxim Magazine

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She?s never been one for a traditional way of thinking, and Cameron Diaz feels like marriage is a dying institution. The ?Something About Mary? babe told Maxim magazine that she?s more a fan of doing things her own way. ?I think we have to make our own rules. I don?t think we should live our lives in relationships based off old traditions that don?t suit our world any longer.? ?I think a lot of people are married to people they?re not romantic with anymore. I just didn?t ever marry anybody that I then had to get divorced from. We break up. We move on.? [gallery=754]

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Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones Unveil Supergroup

Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.
By James Montgomery


Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.

To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.

According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.

Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).

The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.

It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.

Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.

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