Lady Gaga is a seriously busy businesswoman. Recently she’s been fielding criticism from PETA, prepping her fragrance

release, writing a magazine column and collaborating with rapper Kendrick Lamar.

The animal rights organization PETA is targeting Gaga for changing her mind on her stance on fur. In 2009 she told Ellen DeGeneres that she “hate[s] fur” – but just last week she was spotted sporting fox and rabbit fur.

PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews called out the pop star in an open letter, writing, “…are you a turncoat?…please tell us whether what you gracefully told Ellen was heartfelt or just a pose.”

Gaga fired back a rebuttal on Twitter.

“For those press and such who are writing about whether or not my fur is actually real, please don’t forget to credit the designer HERMES. Thank You! LOVE, gaga.”

Luckily, Mother Monster can avoid any criticism from the organization in her new, nearly-nude trailer for her upcoming fragrance, Fame, out next month.

The video shows the pop star and her posse amidst an oily liquid resembling the black perfume itself. Quick shots show Gaga in skin-tight, barely there outfits and laying down nude while tiny men climb all over her, as seen in the teaser ad shot by photographer Steven Klein.

Gaga Tweeted her excitement as she posted the photo last month.

i won't lie I'm a bit nervous. its been a while since i've shared some work with you. But i'm so proud of Steven+I, we really did not sleep!

—
Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) July 16, 2012

The look of the Fame trailer reveals a new, darker side of Gaga’s style, which she adds to in her latest Lady Gaga Memorandum about nails in V Magazine.

The queen of the pointy “stiletto nail” she explains how to make the extreme style work for any occasion. She offers tips on personalizing your nail art, whether “glamorous,” “clean,” “art,” or “sexy.” She also spills the secrets behind her official Born This Way Ball nail – a glittery pink number.

Next up for Gaga is a collaboration with rapper Kendrick Lamar, whom she was spotted supporting during his set at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. She confirmed via Twitter today that the pair worked on a song that will appear on Lamar’s upcoming album, good kid, m.A.A.d city.

I am so excited to announce that a record I've been working on has now become a collaboration with @KendrickLamar for HIS ALBUM.

—
Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 15, 2012

Meanwhile, Gaga is gearing up for her upcoming album, ARTPOP, which does not yet have a release date.

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Rihanna certainly has no shortage of crazy nights out and provocative photos — largely documented in her own explicit Tweets. Apparently her bad girl ways are costing her a deal with skincare brand Nivea.

The company’s newly-hired CEO, Stefan Heidenreich, intends to revamp their image, which he says should reflect wholesome values.

“Rihanna is a no go,” he told German newspaper Welt. “I do not understand how to bring the core brand of Nivea in conjunction with Rihanna. Nivea is a company which stands for trust, family and reliability.”

The songstress offered no official rebut to Heidenreich’s less-than-flattering comment, but did give him a shout out on Twitter.

No caption necessary http://t.co/UyF68Fdh

—
Rihanna (@rihanna) August 07, 2012

Just last year, Nivea was praising Rihanna as they brought her on as a spokesperson. Nivea board member Markus Pinger said in 2011 that the company was “excited” to introduce “a new generation of fans” to their products through Rihanna’s endorsement deal.

Her track “California King Bed” was featured in Nivea’s television ad campaign and the skincare company sponsored her Loud tour.

Despite Heidenreich’s candid criticism, Nivea claims that they did not “fire” the singer, rather her contract ended.

“From the beginning this music-cooperation was scheduled for one year and ended as planned at the end of 2011,” says an official statement from the company. “Within the future brand positioning NIVEA focuses more than ever on its core values. This leads to a change in advertising strategy as well as marketing campaigns.”

Rihanna was the first international celebrity to serve as a spokesperson for Nivea who traditionally use models, including Gisele Bundchen.

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Written by Nee-Sa Lossing and hosted by Sasha Hamrogue.

If you think Quidditch is only for the wizards of Harry Potter, think again!

For those of you who missed the Potterboat on Hogwarts’ favorite sport, Quidditch is played on brooms with teams of seven. Three players, called Chasers, “chase” a large red ball called the Quaffle and attempt to toss it into one of three hoops on the opposing team’s side. Each of these goals is guarded by the Keeper.

Two Beaters are in charge of hitting the Bludgers, two enchanted balls that are meant to hurt or distract the players. Finally, there is the Seeker, whose sole job is to find the elusive Golden Snitch. Catching the Snitch will earn their team 150 points, while making a goal with the Quaffle only earns 10.

Since 2007, the International Quidditch Association has fostered the sport among muggles world-wide. They even have an annual Quidditch World Cup! Over 250 Quidditch teams exist in the U.S. alone, including many colleges and universities like Boston University, Purdue University, University of Southern California and even Harvard University.

The muggle-version of the game adapts all the rules of traditional wizard Quidditch to accomodate those of us who can’t fly – but that doesn’t stop team members from running around carrying brooms between their legs. Chasers throw the Quaffle through hula-hoop-made goals protected by the Keepers, while the Beaters throw Bludgers at everyone. The best part, though, is how the Seekers chase after the “Golden Snitch,” played by a neutral team member who dresses in all gold and runs around in an epic game of tag until a Seeker catches him or her and the game ends.

Think this is too ridiculous to be true? Not so! Check out the videos below:

This informational video is brought to us by the University of Miami Quidditch team, and features footage from their game against Florida International University. Still confused on what this whole thing is about? Watch this video.

Harvard’s publication The Harvard Crimson showcases their Quidditch team in this video. Team members explain just why they love the sport and why people should get involved – there’s also some vastly entertaining shots of their practice and various matches. They are very serious about Quidditch.

Because of muggles’ lack of magical powers, sometimes things don’t go as planned in Muggle Quidditch…including the moves caught on camera of Texas A&M University‘s Quidditch team. Watch and LOL.

Be sure to check out our favorite Harry Potter swag, the best Harry Potter recipes and the best Harry Potter quotes, too!

Would you ever hit the field as a Muggle Quidditch player?

Despite her untimely death, Amy Winehouse lives on through her musical legacy – and there may be more to it than we thought!

According to The Huffington Post, sources at Universal said that Winehouse left the “framework” for about a dozen tracks, but it is unconfirmed how close to completion they were. Her spokesman added that there is “plenty” of material that could potentially be released as a posthumous album.

In the wake of her death, Winehouse’s two albums have torn up the Billboard charts, re-entering the Hot 200 five years after her last album was released. 2006′s Back to Black took the top ten by storm at number nine, while 2003′s Frank is at number fifty-seven. Her recent chart performance could indicate the perfect timing to release her unheard material.

Earlier this year, Winehouse contributed to crooner Tony Bennett‘s upcoming album of duets, Duets II, due out September 20. The Telegraph reporter Neil McCormick joined the pair in-studio, where Winehouse gave her last-ever interview, talking influences and musical style:

“You’re just feeling it. You don’t think about it. If you thought about it, you wouldn’t be able to sing it at all…I’m not a natural born performer. I’m a natural singer, but I’m quite shy, really…You know what it’s like? I don’t mean to be sentimental or soppy but its a little bit like being in love, when you can’t eat, you’re restless, it’s like that. But then the minute you go on stage, everything’s OK. The minute you start singing.” (Source: The Telegraph)

Winehouse’s collaboration with Bennett will shed light on the development of her talent in more recent years, but for now fans are holding their breath to hear more of her unreleased jazzy soul on a posthumous album of her own.

Also, be sure to check out Back to Black producer Mark Ronson and the Glee cast’s tribute covers of Winehouse’s fan favorite, “Valerie.”

Related:

Jared Leto and Terry Richardson Remember Amy Winehouse
Christina Aguilera to Perform Amy Winehouse Tribute at the VMAs
Amy Winehouse’s Father to Set Up Addiction Foundation in Amy’s Name
Amy Winehouse’s Memorial Service
A Tribute to Amy Winehouse: 1983-2011

Would you be excited to hear a posthumous Amy Winehouse album?

Hurricane Irene may have put a damper on pumpkin crops, but Halloween is coming quick whether or not you are squash-ready. The holiday falls on a Monday this year, so there will be a whopping five action-packed nights of haunting, howling and prowling. In a city like Boston, Halloween can easily turn into a jumble of look-a-like parties, events happening all over the city and disheveled girls dressed as a sexy bumblebee/police officer/snow white wandering the streets. Want to forgo all the unnecessary Hallow-drama? I think yes. So here, for Halloweekend veterans and Boston newbies alike, is the comprehensive guide to Halloween: Boston Edition.

DIY Costumes – Boston Style:

Here’s a secret for those of you new to the area: the best Halloween people-watching happens on the T. Go out around 10 p.m. to see all the shiny happy people in their little costumes, and come home on the last trains to see the sloppy, hilariously out-of-it party goers still donning their ridiculous outfits.

Inspiration for your future “cardboard box” costume. You’re welcome | Photos (clockwise from top) by Aidan Siegel, Adam E. Moreira and Venex via Wikimedia Commons

Red Sox/Celtics/Bruins player:

Sites like Epic Sports Blog have super cheap generic jerseys and other uniform accoutrement that you can jazz up with some iron-ons and fabric paint. Try out some red, green or yellow ensembles (boys, please keep the shorts to an appropriate length) to represent your favorite teams. Accessories are a must-have with this costume, be they baseballs, basketballs or hockey sticks.

Boston Marathon Runner:

Hit up a similar sporting goods site for cheap tanks, shorts and sweatbands. Make a marathon bib or print out a past year’s design and pin the bib to your shirt. I’m sure your friends won’t mind acting the standard Marathon Monday college crowd and cheering for you.

The Boston Common (Alternatively, The Allston):

This one’s real easy. Find an old T-shirt and pair of jeans to dedicate to the cause, hit up your local craft store for some fake flowers and leaves, and glue glue glue away onto your outfit. Next, take a grey beanie (like this one) and stick some blue and white pipe cleaners coming out of the top. Congratulations, your face is now the centerpiece fountain of your Boston Common outfit. If you’re feeling a little edgy, you can modify this costume into “The Allston.” Just use trash instead of flowers.

Which would you rather be? | Photos (from left to right) by Phillip Capper and Infrogmation via Wikimedia Commons

Lobster:

With the right creative eye, you can turn a stack of red solo cups into your very own lobster costume– and it’s cheap! Start with some basic red items: T-shirt, beanie and sweats or leggings. Next, glue together stacks of cups to create your lobster arms and attach them to the sides of your shirt. Use red solo plates to create a scaly tail off the back end of your shirt, too! And don’t forget to attach some ping pong ball eyes to your beanie. Instructables also has a “Sexy Lobster” tutorial, but I’ll let you figure that one out on your own.

MBTA Train/The Citgo Sign/The Green monster (the wall, not the mascot):

At first glance, you might not necessarily find the connection among those three items, but there is one: “the cardboard box costume.” Raid your building’s recycle dumpster, cut the top and bottom out of a large-ish box, and fashion some straps to that bad boy. Next, paint and decorate it as your costume of choice. You could even get jazzy and add some reflective tape to serve as your T stripes, Citgo neon or monster scores, respectively. Or you could just be a box.

Boston Costume Stores – The Best of the Best:

If DIY-ing isn’t your thing, don’t miss some of Boston’s best costume resources!

Boston Costume:

Most people don’t realize that the first floor of the beloved Garment District in Kendall Square in Cambridge is actually a separate (but related) entity called Boston Costume. Come Halloweentime, though, costumania takes over both floors of the building and store hours are extended ’til midnight every night of the week. Get there as soon as you can, or all the good costumes will get scooped up! The closer you get to the 31st, the more and more packed the store gets as savvy latecomers rush to the best costume store in town to ready themselves for the big weekend. Boston Costume carries all the standard “sexy” and pre-packaged name-brand costumes, but they also specialize in vintage wear, Halloween shoes and accessories, and wigs and makeup – not to mention their extremely knowledgeable staff, who will advise you on exactly which brand hair dye will be best for your Nicki Minaj costume.

Dorothy’s Boutique:

If you’re not up for making the trip into Cambridge, Dorothy’s Boutique, near Berklee College, is your next best option. While its inventory is not as extensive as Boston Costume’s, it boasts much of the same types of products and costumes.

The Costume Company:

Located in Arlington, MA, The Costume Company is for those who are very serious about Halloween (and probably wouldn’t have waited until right now to be finding a costume, but still.) Their professional-grade costumes are available for rental, and cover everything from medieval knights to superheroes. Their rental prices are comparable to those of the standard Leg Avenue “sexy” costume, only they look infinitely better. The Costume Company also sells makeup, masks and accessories to complete whatever look you choose!

Get Ghoulie – Where to be on Halloweekend:

If the standard frat party isn’t your scene, there are tons of amazing things happening all over the city all weekend every year. These are just a few – explore more for yourself!

What do toilet paper, toast and noisemakers have to do with the Rocky Horror Picture Show? Find out for yourself! | Photp by Kencf0618 via Wikimedia Commons

11th Annual Halloween Horror Movie Marathon at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline:

Horror lovers rejoice! Join your fellow scare junkies for 12 hours of screams at the Coolidge Corner Theater on Saturday, October 29th. The main events this year are Suspiria and Return of the Living Dead, with a costume contest and other surprises! Last year, the Coolidge hosted a live band and a burlesque act as part of this event. If that’s any indication of the “surprises” in store for this year, you’re in for a howling good time. Tickets cost $15 for the double feature only and $20 for the full twelve-hour marathon.

Throwed Haunted Mansion & Costume Party:

If you’ve never experienced the insanity that is Throwed, their annual Halloween party at the Middle East Downstairs in Central Square is a must. The weekly electro party night is usually on Tuesdays, but the Halloween event stands alone. This year it falls on Sunday the 30th. Photobooths, crazy costumes and the best resident DJs will make for a memorable night – and there will be a multitude of party photos up the next day if you forget. The Throwed Haunted Mansion & Costume Party is 18+. Advance tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and $20 for VIP.

The Full Body Cast Presents the Rocky Horror Picture Show:

The Full Body Cast puts on their show once a week year-round, but Halloween is an especially popular time of year for the “shadow cast” group. With a whopping three showings this Halloweekend, there is no reason to miss what is one of the best events in the Boston area. If you’re unfamiliar with the cult following of the film, it’s almost better to attend with no knowledge of what you’re walking into…but bring a friend who’s been before! The Full Body Cast performs at the AMC Theater in Harvard Square in Cambridge, and is a 17+ show. Tickets are $10 for Midnight shows on October 28th and 29th and the 10 p.m. show on Halloween.

The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards serendipitously kicks off a new semester of Newsic Music, bringing the biggest stories in pop music every week. Other headlines breaking as students headed back to class include big announcements from Nicki Minaj and Rihanna, with pop up-and-comer One Direction showing their American counterpart who’s boss.

One Direction. | Photo courtesy of Eva Rinaldi via Wikimedia Commons

The VMAs Fail to Deliver with Ratings Drop, Lady Gaga’s Absence

With a pretty uneventful show and a predictable roster of winners (not to mention a little thing called the Democratic National Convention, which ran simultaneously), this year’s Video Music Awards ratings dropped over 50 percent. The awards show aired on Thursday to the lowest viewership since 1994, the year MTV first started tracking ratings. With last year’s record-breaking broadcast, it isn’t surprising that the network just couldn’t outdo itself.

This year’s VMAs were a lot more about what wasn’t there than what actually did happen. Among a laundry list of no-shows was Lady Gaga, who famously took the stage as her alter ego, Jo Calderone, in one of the many enticing performances of the 2011 Awards. “Surprise” appearances were limited, and the whole thing ended in a painfully backing-tracked (read: lip-synched) performance by Taylor Swift, to whom MTV is clearly still paying their debts after 2009′s Kanye West incident. Let’s hope it’s only up from here…

One Direction Settles Name Dispute, Sweeps VMAs

The British boy band first hit American airwaves last spring, but the summer brought their reign to a new level–including their first high-profile lawsuit by a Californian punk band of the same name. News dropped this week that the groups have reached an agreement, which means a name change for the U.S. band. Meanwhile, One Direction swept their VMA categories, winning every award for which they were nominated (and a kiss from Katy Perry).

Rihanna. | Photo courtesy of oouinouin via Wikimedia Commons

Nicki Minaj to Re-Release Roman Reloaded

The songstress announced plans this week to re-release her current album, which includes hits like “Starships,” “Beez in the Trap,” and “Pound the Alarm.” Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up will hit shelves in November and, according to Minaj, include a handful of new tracks. Also on deck for the songstress is a rumored spot on American Idol, which is in the process of re-casting its entire judging panel in competition with The X Factor‘s acquisition of pop icon Britney Spears and reigning singing show The Voice‘s Christina Aguilera.

Rihanna Announces 2013 Tour Dates

Rihanna will be hitting the road next year on her Diamonds World Tour, set to kick off in March. Presales start this week, with more details and opener announcements to come. RiRi comes to Boston on March 10 at the TD Garden. Check out the full list of tour dates below:

Mar 8 Buffalo, NY First Niagara Center
Mar 10 Boston, MA TD Garden
Mar 12 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
Mar 14 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Mar 15 Hartford, CT XL Center
Mar 17 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Mar 18 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Mar 21 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
Mar 22 Chicago, IL United Center
Mar 24 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
Mar 25 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
Mar 27 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
Mar 30 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
Apr 1 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
Apr 3 Seattle, WA Key Arena
Apr 6 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
Apr 8 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
Apr 11 San Diego, CA Valley View Casino Center
Apr 12 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay
Apr 15 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Apr 16 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Apr 19 Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Times Forum
Apr 20 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center
Apr 22 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Apr 29 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center
May 2 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place
May 4 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center

Adele. | Photo by Christopher Macsurak via Wikimedia Commons

While the average person might not know the ins and outs between a “Pop Performance” and a “Traditional Pop Performance”; “Record” versus “Song” or what “Regional Roots Music” even is, the Academy didn’t disappoint in their choices for the 54th Grammy Awards winners.

Adele, who won “Best New Artist” three years ago in 2009, dominated this time around. She swept up a whopping six awards, including Album of the Year for 2011’s 21, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Rolling in the Deep,” and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Someone Like You.”

The British songstress also debuted her recently recuperated vocal chords in her first live performance since undergoing throat surgery in November. Adele crooned her signature hit “Rolling in the Deep,” while a laundry list of other artists also heated up the Grammy stage.

Jennifer Hudson performed an emotional tribute to the late Whitney Houston, who was remembered by artists and presenters alike throughout the awards show. Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt also honored the late legend Etta James with a duet.

The late Whitney Houston. | Photo by PH2 Mark Kettenhofen via Wikimedia Commons

Amy Winehouse won a posthumous Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her duet with Tony Bennett, a cover of jazz standard “Body and Soul” from his album Duets II, which also won for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

But, in true Grammy style, the night wasn’t all mourning. The Beach Boys reunited on stage for the first time in two decades, joined by Maroon 5 and Foster the People to perform hits like “Wouldn’t it be Nice” and “Good Vibrations.” Paul McCartney performed a very topical “My Valentine” with accompaniment by Diana Krall, then closed the show with a medley of “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.”

The Foo Fighters swept the rock categories, bringing home five awards including Best Rock Album for 2011’s Wasting Light, and Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Walk.” Meanwhile indie rockers Bon Iver made their Grammy debut as the latest Best New Artist and took home the Best Alternative Music Album award for Bon Iver, Bon Iver.

Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry landed on the “memorable” end of the performance spectrum with their unique contributions to the show: Minaj performed a piece entitled “The Exorcism of Roman” (which was the dead-on opposite of Kanye West’s 2005 Grammy performance of “Jesus Walks”); Perry put on what was supposed to be an empowering live debut of her new song “Part of Me,” but fell flat into an embarrassing spectacle of lonely post-break-up woe.

And of course, Grammy fashion is not to be forgotten – the real star of the show. Sunday was sure a glittery night, with Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood rocking serious dress bling. Deadmau5 punk’d his competition, walking the carpet wearing a T-shirt printed with with Skrillex’s personal phone number and a simple “u mad, bro?”

The biggest surprise of the night? As always: Lady Gaga – but not in the way one might expect. Instead of stealing the show like she did at last year’s Grammy Awards in her egg capsule, she laid low this year in a simple honey-baked-ham-meets-Rita-Repulsa-from-Power-Rangers-inspired getup (complete with a scepter), surrendering to Adele’s newfound star-power and walking away empty-handed.

Scroll on for a complete list of winners:

Album of the Year: 21, Adele
Record of the Year: “Rolling In The Deep”, Adele
Song of the Year: “Rolling In The Deep”, Adele
Best New Artist: Bon Iver
Best Pop Solo Performance: “Someone Like You”, Adele
Best Pop Vocal Album: 21, Adele
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Body And Soul”, Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
Best Short Form Music Video: “Rolling in the Deep”, Adele
Best Long Form Music Video: “Foo Fighters: Back and Forth”, Foo Fighters
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1
Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: The King’s Speech
Best Dance Recording: “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites”, Skrillex
Best Dance/Electronica Album: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites, Skrillex
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Duets II, Tony Bennett & Various Artists
Best Rock Performance: “Walk”, Foo Fighters
Best Rock Song: “Walk”, Foo Fighters
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance: “White Limo”, Foo Fighters
Best Rock Album: Wasting Light, Foo Fighters
Best Alternative Music Album: Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Best R&B Album: F.A.M.E., Chris Brown
Best R&B Performance: “Is This Love”, Corinne Bailey Rae
Best Traditional R&B Performance: “Fool For You”, Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
Best R&B Song: “Fool for You”, Cee Lo Green and Jack Splash
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION: “All Of The Lights”, Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
Best Rap Performance: “Otis”, Jay-Z & Kanye West
Best Rap Song: “All of the Lights”, Jeff Ghasker, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter, Kanye West
Best Rap Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
Best Country Album: Own The Night, Lady Antebellum
Best Country Solo Performance: “Mean”, Taylor Swift
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “Barton Hollow”, The Civil Wars
Best Country Song: “Mean”, Taylor Swift
Best Americana Album: Ramble At The Ryman, Levon Helm
Best Bluegrass Album: Paper Airplane, Alison Krauss and Union Station
Best Blues Album: Revelator, Tedeschi Trucks Band
Best Folk Album: Barton Hollow, The Civil Wars
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “500 Miles High”, Chick Corea
Best Jazz Solo Album: The Mosaic Project, Terri Lyne Carrington and Various Artists
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: The Good Feeling, Christian McBride Big Band
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Forever, Corea, Clarke and White
Best Spoken Word Album: If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t), Betty White
Best Children’s Album: All About Bullies… Big and Small, Various Artists
Best Music Theater Album: The Book of Mormon
Best Comedy Album: Hilarious, Louis C.K.
Best Regional Roots Music Album: Rebirth of New Orleans, Rebirth Brass Band
Best World Music Album: Tassili, Tinariwen
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Paul Epworth

2012 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award: Allman Brothers Band, Glen Campbell, Antonio Carlos Jobim, George Jones, the Memphis Horns, Diana Ross, Gil Scott-Heron

For a song with the lyrics “sicker than the remix,” there sure has been a lot of hype surrounding the official remix of Britney Spears’s “Till the World Ends,” which features fellow pop princesses Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj.

The remix, released last week after a series of cryptic tweets from all three stars and countdowns on their official websites, features an opening verse by Minaj and chorus vocals from Ke$ha, who co-wrote the original song.

Graphic by Evan Caughey, the BU Quad

Spears’s remix is only one example of the trend that’s been sweeping the pop charts over the past few years: The Collaboration. The Collaboration isn’t about featuring a new or little-known singer on a track. It’s not even defined by two moderately-known artists coming together. The trend of contemporary collaborating focuses on artists who are already established to mass audiences by their consistent chart-topping and sales records. “Till the World Ends,” for example, shows off the talent of Spears, Minaj, and Ke$ha, who were all established household names before they appeared as a trio on that track.

The hip-hop and R&B world has capitalized on The Collaboration since the establishment of the genre, with Kanye West’s “All of the Lights,” featuring John Legend, The-Dream, Elly Jackson of La Roux, Alicia Keys, Fergie, Kid Cudi, Elton John and Rihanna being the most notable and extensive recent example.

But pop artists – specifically solo female pop vocalists – historically seem to favor competition over collaboration. Even so, 2001’s “Lady Marmalade,” from the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, is an early version of the contemporary pop Collaboration with Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa and Pink all appearing on the track. More recently, Aguilera collaborated with Minaj on her album Bionic. But prior to 2010, “Lady Marmalade” was the only song in her six-album arsenal to feature a collaboration with other female pop artists.

Aguilera and Spears’s careers are both rooted in the late 90s/early 2000s pop scene, and they were one another’s competition in the relatively new game of contemporary female pop solo artistry. Battling with pop girl groups like the Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child (where Beyoncé started her career), but Aguilera and Spears’s singles still dominated the Billboard Hot 100. Even “Lady Marmalade” was originally released by girl group Labelle in 1974, then reincarnated by a supergroup of solo artists.

By late 2009, the girl group fad had long since died down, and the pop world had welcomed a new breed of solo singers like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Ke$ha Fergie, and, of course, Lady Gaga.  The pop game changed with Gaga’s introduction of the first contemporary, high-profile collaboration: “Telephone,” featuring Beyoncé. Whereas pop singers have frequently featured lesser-known artists or collaborators, Gaga’s single prominently showed off Beyoncé’s vocals and featured her in the video.

Both singers’ albums are certified multi-platinum, according to the RIAA, and both have had multiple singles take number one on the Billboard Hot 100. With those kinds of charting and sales histories, Gaga and Beyoncé are arguably leading ladies in contemporary pop. By putting them together on one track, though, they got the extra boost that popstars after them have strived to gain by mimicking their strategy. “Telephone” charted in ten countries, garnered sales certifications in five countries, and spawned eight official remixes that were released after the original track.

In the post-“Telephone” pop industry, we’ve seen pop star after pop star doing The Collaboration, with the “Till the World Ends” remix being the latest in a string of tracks. Gaga, Beyoncé, Minaj, Rihanna and Spears have mastered the move, arranging themselves in different groupings and reappearing on one another’s tracks. This phenomenon is bigger than anything before: artists who already reside at the top of Billboard’s charts come together to record ground-breaking singles.

Statistics show that all these collaborations work to increase the popularity and sales (read: total revenue) of these artists, but it is important to maintain the fan loyalty of each singer as an individual. Moves like this can market an artist to double (or triple, etc) the number of consumers they would reach if they were solo on the track.

“It’s so trendy because the stakes are higher to be in the top ten nowadays. The production value of a song is more expensive, so you have to hire more talent to get more sales,” said WTBU Assistant Music Director Leah Roh, drawing from her firsthand work in A&R at Los Angeles-based music promotion company Art of Broadcast.

In an age in which few young people own radios and illegal file-sharing runs rampant, Billboard charts, measured by airplay and sales statistics, still hold significance to record labels in their business and marketing approach.

“From a business standpoint, this is the easiest way to get to the top of Billboard: combine the top artists on one track,” said Justin Monestime, WTBU General Manager and Business Development Associate at Sonicbids, a Boston-based internet music company. “I think it’s just what people want to hear.”

The fiscally-focused business strategy behind The Collaboration might be off-putting to some fans, but according to Monestime, true artistic integrity shines through the laundry lists of “ft.” artists on tracks like these.

“If they wanted to sell [records] solely to be on Ryan Seacrest’s top 40 countdown every week, they would have done a collaboration with the Black Eyed Peas already.”

Check out the songs on this time line, highlighting the main moments of female pop collaboration history:

March 2001: Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa and Pink | “Lady Marmalade” | Moulin Rouge!
November 2009: Lady Gaga, Ft. Beyoncé | “Telephone” | The Fame Monster
December 2009: Beyoncé ft. Lady Gaga | “Video Phone (Extended Remix)”
June 2010: Christina Aguilera ft. Nicki Minaj | “Woohoo” | Bionic
November 2010: Nicki Minaj ft. Rihanna | “Fly” | Pink Friday
April 2011: Rihanna ft. Britney Spears | “S&M (Official Remix)”
April 2011: Britney Spears ft. Ke$ha and Nicky Minaj | “Till the World Ends (Official Remix)”

I was so excited to get the chance to interview Dan Stephens of dubstep duo Nero at Hard Summer a couple weeks ago. I caught him right before he headed on stage to perform to a sold-out festival crowd – seriously, the audience was packed! The producer rocked the decks while bandmate Joe Ray hit up the mic as MC for the night. For the past seven years, they’ve been at the forefront of the historic London dubstep scene, and just released their first full-length album, Welcome Reality, on Monday.

Check out the interview, where Dan spills the deets on the album, talks American dubstep and explains the roll of the modern “rave” in electronic music culture.

Like what you heard? Find more of Nero on their official site, YouTube channel, Facebook page and on Myspace.

How do you feel about dubstep? Will you be picking up ‘Welcome Reality’?