Monday, February 09, 2015

8 Grammy Moments You Couldn't See on TV

8 Grammy Moments You Couldn't See on TV:

After three and a half hours of the Grammy telecast, you may feel like you saw everything that could possible be imagined – even Kanye West hilariously rushing the stage in defense of Beyoncé, yet again. But although the show was tailored for the home audience, those actually in attendance at Los Angeles' Staples Center were privy to a few jokes, celebrations and candid moments that didn't make the CBS broadcast. These were our favorites.

1. LL Cool J's hosting duties were so minimal this year, it seemed like he should be on the side of a milk carton. But he did get a great line in his off-camera instructions to the audience, just before the show started: "Stay loose, hide your flasks and have a good time."

2. The message displayed on the big video screen after AC/DC's opening performance of "Rock or Bust" and "Highway to Hell" will probably never be repeated in any other context: "Ladies & Gentlemen: The devil horns are yours to keep, but please put them away for the rest of the show. Thank you."

3. During commercial breaks, the Staples crowd got clips of classic Grammy performances from recent years: Beyoncé and Prince playing "Purple Rain"; Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, Steven Van Zandt and Elvis Costello covering "London Calling"; Eminem joined by Elton John for "Stan." That meant the crowd didn't see the Imagine Dragons song sponsored by Target, but it did get to relive the band doing "Radioactive" at last year's show with Kendrick Lamar. And we learned that Macklemore and Lewis already feel dated.

4. There was a distinct moment when one could first smell the aroma of marijuana waft up to the cheap seats. Unexpectedly, it was during Ariana Grande's performance of "Just a Little Bit of Your Heart," which apparently is now a modern stoner classic.

5. The gold medal for the most impressive pyrotechnic effects went to AC/DC for their huge jets of flame. Silver medal: Miranda Lambert's steady stream of fireworks during her performance of "Little Red Wagon." Bronze medal: ELO's bizarre video backdrop during "Evil Woman," showing a woman whose cornea and nose were both on fire.

6. You may have noticed that many performances took place on a smaller circular stage in the middle of the audience. Most musicians who were slotted to play there would take their places and then quietly stand in place, waiting for the lights and camera to go on. But not Kanye West. While LL Cool J was introducing "Only One," Yeezy was pacing back forth, frantically burning off energy.

7. Beck winning album of the year confused the Staples Center crowd, which applauded him politely but wanly. Sam Smith, on the other hand, was clearly an audience favorite, provoking repeated standing ovations. Still, the standing-ovation bar wasn't that high, and for a while it seemed like practically everyone who hit the stage got one. Which made it all the more glaring when Barry Gibb walked out to accept the Bee Gees' lifetime achievement award – a moment that seemed designed to provoke such a response – and the audience basically said, "Eh, nice to see you, Barry." (Subject for future study: Don't lifetime achievement awards usually go to people who are still living? So what are the Grammys doing handing them out to people like George Harrison? Could they give a lifetime achievement award to Mozart?) Biggest standing ovation for the least amount of work: Stevie Wonder, who sent the crowd into a rapture by playing approximately 10 seconds of harmonica at the end of Usher's cover of "If It's Magic."

8. Up in the Staples Center nosebleeds, the Grammys are still fun and the music sounds good (well, some of it does), but the celebrity watching is somewhat inhibited by the inability to make out who's who. With one notable exception: No matter where you are seated, it's completely obvious who Taylor Swift is, because she is invariably the first one jumping out of her seat.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 1:01 PM
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Beck Responds to Kanye Grammy Diss: 'I Thought Beyonce Was Going to Win'

Beck Responds to Kanye Grammy Diss: 'I Thought Beyonce Was Going to Win':

Kanye West faked out the world during Sunday night's Grammys ceremony, bum-rushing the stage as a stunned Beck accepted his Album of the Year award for Morning Phase (which he won over Beyoncé's self-titled 2013 LP). The smiling rapper seemed to be deliberately – and playfully – referencing his infamous 2009 VMAs incident, in which he grabbed Taylor Swift's award for Best Female Video and ranted about how Beyoncé deserved to win. But during E!'s post-Grammy show, West explained that his halfway Beck interception was a protest in itself, as The Fader reports.  "If they want real artists to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us," the rapper said. "Flawless Beyoncé video, and Beck needs to respect artistry, and he should have given his award to Beyoncé."

Beck handled the jab like a champion. "I was just so excited he was coming up," he told US Weekly during the Universal Music Group after-party. "[West] deserves to be onstage as much as anybody. How many great records has he put out in the last five years, right?" The alt-rock icon also confirmed he wasn't offended by the rapper's post-Grammy comments: "I thought she was going to win. Come on, she's Beyonce! . . . You can't please everybody, man. I still love [West] and think he's genius. I aspire to do what he does."

Elsewhere in his Grammy night rant, West lashed out at the awards ceremony as a whole. "At this point, we tired of it!" he said. "Because what happens is, when you keep on diminishing art and not respecting the craft and smacking people in the face after they deliver monumental feats of music, you're disrespectful to inspiration. And we as musicians have to inspire people who go to work every day and listen to that Beyoncé album, and they feel like it takes them to another place. Then they do this whole promotional event, and they'll run the music over somebody's speech, an artist, because they want commercial advertising. No, we not playing with them no more."

As TMZ reports, West clarified his comments upon arriving in New York City on Monday. After being asked by a reporter if he intended to imply that Beck wasn't an "artist," the rapper said, "I wasn't saying Beck; I said the Grammys. Beck knows that Beyoncé should have won; you know that." When asked if he had even heard of Beck "before yesterday," West added, "Come on, man. I love Beck! But he didn't have the Album of the Year."

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 1:01 PM
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Chris Young, Lee Brice to Headline Chicago BBQ Festival

Chris Young, Lee Brice to Headline Chicago BBQ Festival:

Chris Young and Lee Brice are set to bring the heat as headliners when the third annual Windy City Smokeout is held in downtown Chicago. Set for July 10th through 12th, the festival combines barbecue and country music, with more than a dozen acts performing over the three days.

Along with Brice and Young, who recently launched a co-headlining tour together, the Smokeout's two stages also feature current Rolling Stone Country Artists You Need to Know Chris Stapleton, the Railers and A Thousand Horses, whose new single "Smoke" is well-suited for the festival. And since there can be no discussion of barbecue without including Texas, Lone Star artists Pat Green, Randy Rogers Band and Granger Smith are all set to represent their home state on the concert stage.

Other acts on the bill include Sundy Best, Old Dominion, Dan + Shay, Jon Pardi and Will Hoge, who, along with Young, is performing at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue's Nashville party this week.

The Windy City Smokeout is hosted by Chicago's Bub City, a barbecue and country music outpost. Chicago has long had a strong connection with country music, especially with contemporary artists. Garth Brooks launched his comeback world tour in nearby Rosemont, and rising stars view headlining the iconic Joe's Bar on Weed Street as a rite of passage in their career.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 1:01 PM
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Sia's Husband Wrote Shia LaBeouf's Loving Grammy Intro

Sia's Husband Wrote Shia LaBeouf's Loving Grammy Intro:

One of the stranger moments at the 2015 Grammy Awards was when actor Shia LaBeouf introduced Sia's "Chandelier" performance in an exceedingly heartfelt manner. The singer and the actor had collaborated on the controversial "Elastic Heart" music video, but even that didn't warrant LaBeouf's poetic outpouring. However, as Us Weekly later discovered, LaBeouf instead used his intro to read a surprise love letter penned by Sia's husband Erik Anders Lang.

The unabridged note read, "For Sia: I feel like this may be strange to say this here. I love you so. Punch me if I stop crying. I raised a white flag for you, defeated finally. If strength were made of broken pieces, you and I would always win. It is, though, and building and statues wink at us. I could squeeze you to zero. I’ll never know another. What am I going to do? Punch me if I stop crying, and I'll do the same. Love, Erik."

Within the context of the Grammys, where many presenters stumbled due to the teleprompter, LaBeouf's reading of a handwritten poem seemed especially odd, but given what we now know, the introduction makes a little more sense. Sia and Lang were married this past August at her home in Palm Springs, California.

"Erik and Shia conspired together and did this as a gift to Sia," the source told Us Weekly. "She was completely surprised and had no idea." However, because the 1000 Forms of Fear singer faced the wall during her "Chandelier" performance, giving the spotlight to dancer Maddie Ziegler and surprise guest Kristen Wiig, viewers were unable to see the look on her face after LaBeouf delivered his introduction.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 1:00 PM
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See Annie Lennox and Hozier Put a Spell on the Grammys

See Annie Lennox and Hozier Put a Spell on the Grammys:

One of 2014's breakout stars, Hozier, pulled off an impressive one-two punch on the Grammys, performing his brooding Song of the Year nominee "Take Me to Church" before teaming with Annie Lennox for a dramatic cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You." The two songs blended seamlessly into one another with the Eurythmics member adding some soul to the "amen" part of "Church" and grinning as she bellowed the opening line of the shock-rock classic. From there, it was just a reminder of what a vocal powerhouse Lennox is. Grammy producers offered many audience reaction shots, but the highlight was Taylor Swift freaking out and a standing ovation that even got Kanye West on his feet looking impressed.

Last September, Hozier released his eponymous debut, earning a Number Two spot on the Billboard 200. Lead single "Take Me to Church," which previously came out on the Take Me to Church EP, earned a Song of the Year nomination, but lost to Sam Smith's "Stay With Me." He performed the hit, as well as the harrowing "Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene," on Saturday Night Live last October.

When Rolling Stone spoke to the Irish singer this year, he credited his success to growing up in a rural environment. "We lived far out in the Irish countryside," he said. "We had a very, very bad Internet connection." His dad, who played in blues groups, subsequently turned him on to the music that inspired him. "I developed a fascination with the roots of African-American music," Hozier said. "I love Muddy Waters and Nina Simone. I also watched The Blues Brothers movie over and over."

Lennox has won four Grammys over the course of her career, including Best Rock Performance for the Eurythmics' "Missionary Man" in 1987 and three for her solo work, including a Best Vocal Performance win for "No More I Love You's" in 1996. The singer released her "I Put a Spell on You" cover on last year's covers album Nostalgia.

Last year, at a public Q&A in London, Lennox said she was eyeing retirement. "I've stopped writing because I'm too happy," she said. "It's thanks to someone who will remain nameless, but who makes me very happy with life these days. A lot of my writing was cathartic because it was a very helpful way to get certain feelings expressed. Misery is a great catalyst for some extraordinary music but you don't really want to live there 24/7. I'd rather be not successful and happy than be super-successful and absolutely miserable."

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 1:00 PM
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Sam Smith Will Let Inspiration of 'Lonely Hour' Touch His Grammy – Once

Sam Smith Will Let Inspiration of 'Lonely Hour' Touch His Grammy – Once:

"Stay loose, hide your flasks and have a good time," host LL Cool J declared from the Staples Center stage in Los Angeles moments before the broadcast portion of the Grammy Awards began. Backstage, the mood was even more loose as newly minted winners chatted excitedly about the significance of winning a trophy.

"You do have a great country," joked Sam Smith to the press after winning four Grammys, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year with "Stay With Me." "What's beautiful about this record to me is I didn't play a character," said Smith, who's currently on the cover of Rolling Stone. "It was just me being me. I was living my life and just spoke about it through music, and I'm going to do the same again."

He wasn't sure about the song at first, he noted. "It's the ones that I'm not 'sure' about in the beginning which turn out to be the best ones," Smith explained. "'Stay With Me' is a very simple song in terms of melody. The lyrics, it's not."

His co-writer on the track, William Phillips (a.k.a. Tourist), called its international success and Grammy recognition "humbling." "It's reaching more people than I'll ever be able to speak to in my life," Williams told Rolling Stone. "There's a lot of people out there that the song resonated with. It's so touching to be a part of it. It means so much to think that a lot of people have gained a lot of happiness from that song – and a lot of sadness. That song provides a space for people to justify who they are and think that everything is OK."

Smith's own period of heartbreak fueled his lyrics, and he said he hopes to share the result with the man who inspired it when he returns to England. "I'll be seeing him soon," said Smith. "So I can let him touch the Grammy — once."

Like Smith, many winners were surprised to prevail in categories crowded with heavy hitters. Miranda Lambert, who said "I love every album in this category" and won Best Country Album with Platinum, explained, "That's why we make music, to move people. This [Grammy] makes all that make sense."

"Say Something," the collaboration between Christina Aguilera and A Great Big World, won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Band singer-keyboardist Ian Axel looked mildly stunned behind his white-framed glasses as he described meeting the pop superstar the first time: "We were really scared to meet her and work with her. Like, who are we?"

A couple of veteran artists of wildly disparate styles and visions returned for the Grammys after first winning in the 1980s. Rosanne Cash, who last night won three Grammys for her album The River & the Thread, joked that she was last a winner at the ceremony "during the Reagan Administration."

When "Weird Al" Yankovic's award was announced for his album Mandatory Fun during the pre-telecast portion of the evening, he sprinted down the aisles to the podium. His first Grammy arrived 30 years earlier for the Michael Jackson parody "Eat It."

"It never gets old," said Al, who suggested he planned to celebrate over a burrito. "For the first week after I've won a Grammy, I have it fixed to my forehead with woodscrews, like a Grammy unicorn. Then I take it off and put it on a shelf somewhere."

Mandatory Fun was his first-ever Number One album, but it may also be his last, as he emphasized singles and EPs that can be released faster. As AC/DC could be heard rumbling on the stage nearby, Yankovic joked, "I wanted to do one with AC/DC, and I think I should run out there while they're still onstage and start jamming with them right now."

He was also asked about Prince, one major artist who's never granted Yankovic permission to create a parody tune, who was in the hall last night. "If he wants to hang, I'm certainly open for that," Al said. "If he wants to go bowling or play Parcheesi with me, I'm up for that."

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 12:59 PM
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Grammys: Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, John Mayer kept separate

Grammys: Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, John Mayer kept separate:

Grammy Organizers are trying to keep Taylor Swift from crossing paths with Katy Perry and John Mayer.
Invision;Getty; Getty Grammy Organizers are trying to keep Taylor Swift from crossing paths with Katy Perry and John Mayer.
Not all celebs can play nice to one another, not even at the star-studded Grammy Awards.

Grammy organizers have tirelessly worked to keep Taylor Swift on “opposite sides of the audience” from John Mayer and Katy Perry, a source tells US Weekly.

“Organizers are doing their best to make sure certain people sit as far away from people as possible,” the source explains. "They are also making sure that those who are feuding or dislike each other don't cross paths in rehearsals — which makes for a very complicated rehearsal schedule over the weekend!"

GRAMMYS RED CARPET FAILS: CHECK OUT THESE CRINGE-WORTHY DOPPELGANGERS

The “Blank Space” singer and Perry, 30, have been feuding since a falling out last year.

Swift, 25, has also had issues with Katy Perry’s boyfriend Mayer, who she dated for several months before splitting in 2010.

The “Free Fallin’” singer recently joked about Swift on ‘The Late Late Show,” when he was asked about what he would be doing at the Grammy Awards this year.

“You can see me at the Grammy Awards doing what I do best,” the singer said. “Being avoided by Taylor Swift.”

When the audience responded with laughter, Mayer added, “That won’t make the Internet."

The 57th Grammy Awards premier Sunday night at 8 p.m. on CBS.

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entertainment news ,
taylor swift ,
katy perry ,
john mayer ,
grammys
Posted by Nelio Inacio at 12:54 PM
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Taylor Swift, Diplo end feud at Grammys after-party

Taylor Swift, Diplo end feud at Grammys after-party:

'Then this happened @taylorswift vs taylor spliff #grammys2015.' Diplo posts an Instagram photo with Taylor Swift after the Grammys Sunday following their November feud.
diplo via Instagram 'Then this happened @taylorswift vs taylor spliff #grammys2015.' Diplo posts an Instagram photo with Taylor Swift after the Grammys Sunday following their November feud.
What bad blood?

Taylor Swift was pictured partying the night away with music producer Diplo after Sunday night's Grammy Awards.

Diplo shared an Instagram photo alongside Swift, who happily had a drink in hand.

"Then this happened @taylorswift vs taylor spliff#grammys2015," he captioned the pic.

Diplo and T. Swift were at odds back in November when he took to Twitter to slam the "Shake it Off' singer's "booty."

"Someone should make a kickstarter to get taylor swift a booty," he wrote.

While Swift didn't directly respond to the insult , her pal Lorde stepped in to defend her.

Diplo's disses didn't stop there.

Smile for the camera! Kanye West and Taylor Swift pose for a photo at the 57th annual Grammy Awards Sunday in Los Angeles.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage Smile for the camera! Kanye West and Taylor Swift pose for a photo at the 57th annual Grammy Awards Sunday in Los Angeles.
He also made a mention of Swift in a recent interview with GQ.

"Taylor Swift is very strategic with her friends and enemies. And I know lots of secrets. I can't divulge, but I know a lot of stuff about her," he told the mag.

"And I'm scared. I'm scared for my life."

Perhaps Diplo dropped his beef with Swift now that he's no longer dating her rumored rival Katy Perry.

Perry appears to have rekindled her romance with Swift's ex John Mayer and the three singers managed to avoid interaction with each other throughout music’s biggest night.

Mayer quipped about the awkwardness during his guest stint as host of "The Late Late Show" Friday.

"You can see me at the Grammys doing what I do best, being avoided by Taylor Swift."

Diplo wasn’t the only one Swift cleared the air with.

She was also pictured smiling with Kanye West six years after the rapper stormed the stage and interrupted her acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Awards.

Unfortunately for Beck, he was branded as this year's Swift when West attempted to do the same to him while he was onstage accepting the trophy for Album of The Year.

West managed to keep his opinions to himself at the show by returning to his seat and not taking the mic, but he did explain his motives in an interview afterwards with E!  — and it was no joke.

"I don't even know what (Beck) said. I just know that, the Grammys, if they want real artists to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us, we aren't going to play with them no more," he said.

"Flawless.' Beyonce's video. And Beck needs to respect artistry, he should have given his award to Beyonce."

Tags:
grammys ,
taylor swift ,
diplo ,
kanye west
Posted by Nelio Inacio at 12:53 PM
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Scarlett Johansson bares cleavage in W Magazine photo shoot

Scarlett Johansson bares cleavage in W Magazine photo shoot:

Scarlett Johansson is the cover girl for the March issue of W magazine.
Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott/W Magazine Scarlett Johansson is the cover girl for the March issue of W magazine.
Scarlett Johansson has nothing to hide.

The 30-year-old actress posed for a series of sexy shots for the March issue of W magazine and opened up about her sex appeal and her latest role as a mother.

"Everyone has seen my breasts! I can change my top right here," she joked to the mag.

Johansson discussed baring all for the 2013 film "Under the Skin."

"I was completely naked in that movie," she said.

Scarlett Johansson in a sexy shot for the March issue of W Magazine.
Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott/W Magazine


Scarlett Johansson in a sexy shot for the March issue of W Magazine.

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Scarlett Johansson flaunts her curves in a new photo shoot.
Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott/W Magazine


Scarlett Johansson flaunts her curves in a new photo shoot.

Enlarge


Scarlett Johansson in a sexy shot for the March issue of W Magazine.
"She was a totally different species so her nudity was kind of practical. I also had black hair. That was my idea — I didn't think I should be a blond sort of bombshell. Naked, but not too sexy."

Johansson welcomed daughter Rose to the world with husband Romain Dauriac in September and revealed seeing her little girl for the first time wasn't exactly what she expected.

"When she came out of me I was so surprised. I had a very strong picture in my mind of what my baby would look like, and, of course, she is completely different. Perfect, but not what I'd imagined."

Johansson touched on what life was like as a child actor and who her role models are in the industry.

"When you're a kid, they send you on a lot of commercial auditions, and I was terrible at selling things. I never got those parts. I remember crying in the subway, and my mom said, 'Look, let's forget it. Do something else.' And I replied, 'No. You can't take this away from me. I want to be an actor!' Waiting for the B train, I had my come-to-Jesus moment," she said.

"I had a big imagination. I particularly loved Judy Garland, and, to me, she did it all. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be an actor. And I wanted to do everything."

The blond beauty has certainly made her mark in Hollywood these day and she even has a trademark voice.

"When I was young, I would talk and everyone thought I had a cold. But when I went out for films, they loved my voice. It was a different world."

Tags:
entertainment news ,
scarlett johansson
Posted by Nelio Inacio at 12:52 PM
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Sunday, February 08, 2015

SPRING 2015 COUTURE...featuring Atelier Versace

SPRING 2015 COUTURE...featuring Atelier Versace:

ATELIER VERSACE SPRING 2015 COUTURE





Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture




Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture




Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture


Atelier Versace Spring 2015 Couture
TO VIEW THE ENTIRE COLLECTION VISIT STYLE

(images via Style by Kim WestonArnold / Indigitalimages.com)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 2:48 PM
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