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The newly minted CMT Music Award winner says he shares his mother's love of the country sound.
By Jocelyn Vena
Photo: The Insider
Before he took home the trophy for Collaborative Video of the Year at the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday night, Justin Bieber professed his love for all things country on the red carpet.
"I'm really glad to be here," he told CMT, with the guys of Rascal Flatts by his side. "It's great."
It wasn't just an exciting night for him, but also for Mama Bieber, who happens to be a big country music aficionado. "It's great; it's so many people my mother admires, 'cause she loves country music, and I do too," he continued. "So it's really great to be here with Rascal Flatts."
It was on the set for his winning video, "That Should Be Me," that Bieber first cut his hair. In the end, the sacrifice of his trademark locks seemed worth it.
"Some of the fans liked it; some of the fans didn't. They were just upset he cut it," Bieber joked, nodding to Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox.
The video for "That Should Be Me," a Never Say Never - The Remixes track (which was a reworked version of the song that first appeared on My World 2.0) is a lo-fi, behind-the-scenes, "making of the video" performance clip. But it was good enough to beat out the likes of country music superstars like Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson; Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow; Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow, as well as Aaron Lewis featuring George Jones and Charlie Daniels.
"First of all, I just want to say how honored I am to be here ... with Rascal Flatts," Bieber said while accepting his first country award. "How amazing are Rascal Flatts, everybody? I want to thank my mom. I want to thank my family. And I want to thank Rascal Flatts for even jumping on the song with me."
Would you like to see Justin Bieber try out other genres of music? Talk about it in the comments!
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Strong sales by female artists have put industry in positive territory for first time since 2004.
By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Beyoncé may have been on to something with that whole "Run the World (Girls)," business after all. Though Queen B's single didn't set the world on fire, in the first half of 2011, a number of her fellow divas — Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry — have helped the music business achieve something it hasn't been able to in nearly eight years: positive growth.
According to figures released on Wednesday by Nielsen SoundScan, overall album sales rose 3.6 percent to 221.5 million during the first half of this year. That marks the first time since 2004 that sales have been in the black for an industry that has suffered a decade-long slide thanks to rampant Internet piracy and slumping album sales as a result of fans cherry-picking singles on iTunes and other download services.
As we continue to hash out which songs will win this year's Summer Jam crown, a number of the female contenders are among the artists who've helped turn the sales tide, including Perry, Nicki Minaj, Adele and Gaga. (Eminem hasn't been a slouch either, thanks to his smash comeback Recovery, which recently passed the 1 million album download mark.)
Adele has already moved more than 2.5 million copies of her breakout hit 21 since February, along with 4.1 million single downloads of "Rolling in the Deep," while Gaga's Born This Way has shifted more than 1.5 million units. Perry has been doing her part as well, scoring a string of hit singles, including "E.T.," which has sold more than 4.1 million digital units this year.
Britney Spears' tourmate Minaj has the year's ninth best-selling album so far with her debut, Pink Friday, with 1.4 million in sales to date, 556,000 of which have come in this calendar year.
Like Nicki, Rihanna has helped boost numbers this year with an album that came out in late 2010. Loud has sold more than 1.3 million copies to date, 598,000 of which came in 2011.
According to Billboard, the ladies aren't alone, as British folk rock revivalists Mumford & Sons have been doing some heavy lifting too, selling 982,000 copies of their album Sigh No More so far this year. Country singer Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party has also done its part, moving 763,000 units, as has Bruno Mars' debut, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, which has sold 686,000 copies.
It's unclear at this point if the trend can sustain itself through the rest of the year. But with strong summer tour sales by Perry and rescheduled dates from Adele on the horizon, not to mention the promise of new albums from Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Jay-Z, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Willow Smith, Rick Ross, Coldplay, and "American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery, the industry may just be able to breathe a (small) sigh or relief for the first time in a long time.
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Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Christina Aguilera are also in the running this Fourth of July.
By John Mitchell, with additional reporting by Danielle Genet
Beyoncé
Photo: Columbia
Today is the Fourth of July — happy birthday, America! — and that means it's time to celebrate the most patriotic ladies in music! Whether they're singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in front of millions or wearing their love of their country on their sleeve (sometimes very literally), these ladies are living the American dream.
And this isn't some arbitrary ranking, either! To determine who the most patriotic divas are, we got positively scientific (just go with it). We assessed these ladies' patriotism based on four areas. Each was awarded one point if she, A) appeared at a patriotic event or in a pro-America public service announcement, B) was photographed wearing American flag-related clothing, C) sang the national anthem at a public event or D) released an America-themed song. The lady with the most points won.
So who are the top America-lovin' ladies in music today? Check 'em out!
Britney Spears
Spears famously appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 2000 wearing an American-flag belly shirt with a play on Uncle Sam's famous saying running beside her: "Britney Wants You!" We decided to be pretty liberal with what constitutes a patriotic event, so we are going to give Spears a combined single point for appearing at two very American (but not specifically about America) events: the NASCAR Winston Cup Pepsi 400 in 2001 and the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show.
Alas, Spears has not released a song specifically about America, despite being "Miss American Dream since I was 17." She also, curiously enough, hasn't performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in her pop-star era. (There is a six-second YouTube clip of her performing the national anthem at age 8, but she wasn't a sanctioned diva back then.)
Score: 2
Miley Cyrus
We thought of Cyrus for this list specifically because of her good-times jam "Party in the U.S.A.," which is not only about America but weirdly became a bona fide anthem that reflected the mood in the country following the death of Osama Bin Laden.
But just when we thought we could award the young pop star only one point, we stumbled upon her PSA for the American Red Cross, asking for support in the wake of the earthquake that ravaged northern Japan earlier this year. Way to lend your celebrity to both a very American organization and an allied country in dire need, Miley!
Score: 2
Lady Gaga
America is all about being yourself. We are a melting pot, after all. And Lady Gaga is all about being herself, and she wants you to be yourself too — there's nothing more American than that!
We'd love to see her put those killer pipes to use and sing the national anthem, but she hasn't done it just yet. She does earn points, however, in the three other areas of our survey. Gaga is, interestingly, perhaps the pop star most involved in the democratic process. Last year she spoke at the National Equality March and at rallies in Maine to encourage the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. She even appeared in a PSA for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network asking her fans to contact their senators to voice their displeasure with the policy.
On the sartorial front, she sported an American-flag bikini in her "Telephone" video. (Wouldn't you have been more surprised if we had told you that Lady Gaga had never worn the American flag?) She also has a song on her most recent album, Born This Way, called "Americano."
Score: 3
Christina Aguilera
Aguilera is known for her awesome singing voice, so it's no surprise that she has performed the national anthem at several major events, including this year's Super Bowl, where she mangled the lyrics something fierce in an uncommon bout of nervousness. (That's what it was, right? Seriously, she's done "The Star-Spangled Banner" about a thousand times!)
The "Beautiful" singer also filmed PSAs for "Rock the Vote" in 2008 to encourage young people to get out and do their duty as U.S. citizens. In the clips, she sings "America the Beautiful" a cappella while holding her newborn son Max, who is wrapped in an American flag (double points!). Yes, Aguilera herself isn't draped in the flag, but we thought we'd give her the point anyway because of her USO-themed video for "Candyman."
Score: 3
Katy Perry
Perry impresses in three of our categories. Late last year, she performed at the "USO Presents: VH1 Divas Salute the Troops" concert at Miramar, California, where she also wore an American-flag bustier. That is not the only instance of flag-waving clothing Perry has sported, however. During an appearance on British TV show James Corden's "World Cup Live!," Perry wore a latex flag dress.
Given her frequent pro-America attire, we're going to give Perry the benefit of the doubt and count her pro-tolerance anthem "Firework" as an America-themed song, because in America, all men and women are created equal, and that's basically what "Firework" is all about. Also, it's the Fourth of July, people. Fireworks!
Score: 3
Beyoncé
Was it even really a contest? Beyoncé sang (and nailed) "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2004 Super Bowl in her hometown of Houston, Texas.
What's more American than singing the national anthem at America's most-watched sporting event? Well, perhaps being personally asked by the president to perform at his inauguration. The girl (who runs the world) was asked to sing "At Last" while Barack and Michelle Obama had their first dance as president and first lady of the United States.
Beyoncé recently released a cover of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." to benefit the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund. (Seriously, could she be more awesome?) Having worn the American flag as a dress to get down opposite Lady Gaga in the video for "Telephone," Queen B is the only diva who fulfills all our categories.
When it comes to Beyoncé and America, we could go on and on — she recently repurposed one of her hits for Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" anti-obesity campaign, and in 2001, she performed with Destiny's Child at the United We Stand: What More Can I Give? benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. — wearing American-flag pants, we might add. But it's the Fourth of July, and we think a real patriot like B would prefer you get out and celebrate America's 235th birthday instead of celebrating her dedication to the US of A!
Score: 4 (OMG, you guys, not only is 4 B's lucky number, it's the name of her latest record!)
Who did we miss? Share your pick for the most patriotic diva in the comments below!
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We would love to party with our hometown girl Samantha Marq!� Well, a girl can dream right? Samantha did take some time to chat [...]
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Really soon!
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries only started dating last November, and he just proposed in May, but you can forget about a long engagement.
They're tying the knot Saturday, August 20.
While the pair hasn't confirmed where the ceremony will be or whether E! cameras will film the event, we're 100 percent guaranteeing they will.
We suppose a summer wedding makes sense in terms of spinning off their new show and Kris' currently non-existent NBA season, but damn, that was fast!
Details are scarce, but it seems likely that Vera Wang will be designing Kim's dress, as the star has already gone to two appointments at Vera's stores.
What we do know for sure is that Khloe is going all out to embarrass Kim at her the bachelorette party, while Kris Jenner will be calling the shots.
THG will be providing extensive coverage of the big weekend, of course. It should be decadent ... but how long do you think this marriage will last?
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After Crystal Harris called off her wedding to Hugh Hefner, the Playboy mogul decided to proceed with an hour-long special on Lifetime entitled “Hef’s [...]
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Foo Fighters, Bon Iver, the Beastie Boys also make Bigger Than the Sound's midyear list.
By James Montgomery
Bigger Than The Sound's Best Albums of 2011 (so far)
Photo: MTV News
Well, we've reached the halfway point of 2011, and if you're a fan of unfortunately named politicians tweeting photos of their bulges, terrorists getting shot in the eye and Austrian strongmen who have a thing for the help, well, congratulations on having the best six months of your entire life.
Of course, for the rest of us, there's been plenty to help pass the time in 2011 — namely, a whole bunch of really excellent albums, from folks you probably know (Eminem, Lady Gaga) and some you more than likely don't (the Weeknd, F---ed Up). But whether they're household names or not, they've all helped make the first 180-or-so days of the year practically fly by — a feat that's pretty amazing considering all the crap that's happened up to this point.
Vote for your favorite album of 2011 in our Newsroom poll!
So, like I've done in previous years, I've compiled my favorite albums of the first half of 2011 — a traditional top 10, followed by some honorable mentions too. If there's something you haven't heard, well, you've still got six months to rectify that. And the same goes for me: If there's an album that I've missed (a definite possibility), I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. So, let's get right to it. Here's my list of the Best Albums of 2011 (So Far):
The Top 10
10. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Mirror Traffic: The elder statesman of erudite rock and good diction has been heading in a jammier direction for years now (on songs like "1% of One," "No More Shoes" and, more recently, the Pavement reunion tour), but thanks to the production work of Beck, he's finally honed those tendencies into an album that's every bit as elastic as his previous efforts, yet oddly focused too. Songs like "Tigers" and "Senator" prove he's still not averse to an angular verse (or in-depth investigations into the sexual proclivities of elected officials), but it's on "28 Forever" — when he warbles, "There's no parade/ I cannot rain on with my poison eyes" — where he finally seems to be coming to terms with his past as an oft-noted sourpuss. Call it clarity, call it maturity, call it whatever: It all makes for the best Malk record in years.
9. Foo Fighters, Wasting Light: The year's best major-label rock record was born out of risk: Dave Grohl eschewed the sanitary confines of the big-bucks studio to record an album in his own garage, on tape, warts-and-all. And then he brought in Nevermind producer Butch Vig to oversee the proceedings. The end result is an effort that positively rips, one equally packed with crackling rockers ("Rope," "White Limo") and muscle-y, medium-rare mopers ("I Should Have Known"). In the process, he not only reinvigorated his band, but set the bar impossibly high for any of his contemporaries. As if they'd have the balls to try something like this.
8. The Weeknd, House of Balloons: Mysterious, majestically paced R&B courtesy of 20-year-old Canadian Abel Tesfaye, whose sensibilities (gorgeously layered atmospherics, keenly placed Siouxsie and the Banshees samples) belie his years. The trope of the troubled loverman isn't exactly new, but rarely are matters of the heart played out as honestly as they are here. A constant cycle of druggy nights, desperate flings and depressing dawns, Balloons makes no apologies, and, really, it doesn't need to. Not when the scenery is this engrossing, this sumptuous. Mood music for increasingly moody times. And, best of all, it's free.
7. Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two: Really, this one could have gone either way. Especially after MCA's battle with cancer forced the Beasties to scrap the first record (and, of course, To the Five Boroughs). But, somewhat shockingly, they delivered an album that's a total blast, a mishmash of boom-bap rattle and pop-culture flotsam that, like all the best Beastie albums, manages to tread the line between highbrow rap and lowbrow entertainment. So even if Mike D did open up a restaurant with Ted Danson, you still believe he's got enough swagger to go toe-to-toe with Nas. And on Hot Sauce, he does both.
6. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues: The folks over at Spin called it "the year's most beautiful album," and they're probably right. Swooning, wide-screen vocal harmonies ebb and expand into the warm, finger-picked acoustics, creating atmospheres that are summery one minute, wintery the next. But it's not all ethereal. In fact, frontman Robin Pecknold spends the majority of the album rooting through problems that are, in fact, very real: finding his place in the world and coming to terms with his disappearing youth. That balance is key to the album's strength. Because for a band that indulges so much in the space of the studio, Helplessness Blues is rarely, if ever, self-indulgent.
5. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes: Psychoanalytic, somnambulant pop from the prodigiously talented 25-year-old Swede, Wounded Rhymes expands on the themes that she laid out in her stunning debut (2008's Youth Novel) and imbues them with an otherworldly spirit. Not to mention the torchy leanings of the greatest of girl groups (the Ronettes, the Crystals, etc.). So while Li is still preternaturally somber (like on "Sadness Is a Blessing," on which she keens, "Sadness is my boyfriend"), she's also not afraid to get dirty, either, and it's when she's doing the latter — like on the aptly titled "Get Some" — that she truly shines.
4. Lady Gaga, Born This Way: It's not a stretch to call BTW the year's most-anticipated album, and perhaps in a nod to those expectations, Lady Gaga delivered an effort that doesn't leave anything on the cutting-room floor. From the piston-pumping electronics of "Marry the Night" and the tarantula tango of "Americano" to the twitching, "Transformers"-huge techno of "Heavy Metal Lover" and the epic balladry of "You and I" and "The Edge of Glory," this truly is an effort that tries very hard to be everything to everyone. And sure, it's probably too long, but that's sort of the point, isn't it? And if she didn't please everyone, well, she came pretty darn close, didn't she?
3. Bon Iver, Bon Iver: Justin Vernon has done the impossible: follow up a beloved, much-mythologized debut album (you know, the one that was recorded in a cabin) with a record that's just as good — if not better. He's always been one for atmospheres, but never before have those atmospheres been so dense. Or so compelling. Here, he creates a singular, breathless world, building it with layers of echoing instrumentation and his own ghostly falsetto. There are moments where the sun shines through the cracks — a horn crescendo, a silvery sliver of bell — but for the most part, Bon Iver is a mesmerizing trip through a dewy dreamscape. And, in that regard, it's a momentous achievement — even if the last song does sound like Bruce Hornsby.
2. Adele, 21: It's nice when the year's best-selling album also ends up being one of the flat-out best, but, in the case of Adele's 21, we should've seen it coming. After all, she's got the Grammy-winning pedigree. But this time out, she's grown, and become a singer capable of both tremendous power (like on the smash "Rolling in the Deep") and terrifying tenderness too (like on the smashing "Someone Like You"). A roiling collection of breakup ballads and revenge fantasies, there truly is no album quite like 21, and not only is its success justified, but it probably guarantees Adele will only add to her Grammy collection come February. Some things are inevitable.
1. F---ed Up, David Comes to Life: A wrecking-ball sorta rock opera courtesy of Toronto's hardest-working (and, most likely only) six-piece punk collective, David Comes to Life tells the story of a downtrodden factory worker who may or may not have killed his true love. I think. Because, along the way, there's also betrayal, heartache, bomb blasts, fisticuffs and a whole lot of plot-twisting shifts in narration too. Of course, the story behind the album is largely unimportant (if you want to keep score at home, here's a handy guide) especially when the album itself hits so hard. The (multi-multi-multi-)tracked guitars squeal and chug for days, and frontman Pink Eyes' screams are so visceral you can practically feel his blood welling up in your headphones. It's an ambitious, ringing, raging success, the kind of record you'll listen to over and over again, either to try and follow the plotline or just get pummeled by the sheer might of the thing. Either way, you'll enjoy yourself.
Honorable Mentions
Bad Meets Evil, Hell: The Sequel: Reunited with (and recharged by) Royce Da 5'9", Em reminds us that he's still capable of littering the scene with lyrical shell casings, and Nickel Nine matches him shot for shot. Their friendly competition makes for a thrilling listen, and basically everything here burns with varying degrees of intensity — even the track with Bruno Mars.
Bright Eyes, The People's Key: Unjustly overlooked for reasons not apparent to me, Conor Oberst's seventh studio album is a latticework of sonic strips, wide-eyed (yet sorta hazy) ponderances of faith and science and, on "Ladder Song," raw, positively aching ruminations on death. Not as great as some of his earlier works, but close. And that's still better than 95 percent of everything else.
Curren$y, Covert Coup: One of approximately 750 albums he plans to release this year (and not the one that syncs up with "Weekend at Bernie's" either), Coup bubbles along on producer the Alchemist's hazy beats and Curren$y's laconic, chronic delivery. If you couldn't tell, this is the weed-iest album of 2011, by a smoky mile.
Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys: Ben Gibbard finally gets happy, only, y'know, within reason. Because even the sunniest moments are dotted with dark clouds, and ultimately, this is an album that's as much about alienation as anything else. After all, falling in love doesn't fill the emptiness inside; it only makes it more pronounced.
PJ Harvey, Let England Shake: The iconic Brit shape-shifts with seemingly every record she releases, and on Shake, she's reborn as an old-fashioned protest singer. The sad thing is, the subjects she's singing about (conflict, bloodshed, man's unending cycle of self-immolation) are just as timely now as they were 50 years ago.
Portugal. The Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud: Guys from the same town that put Sarah Palin on the map (Wasilla, Alaska: Population 7,831) more than atone for that fact with an album that's sprawling, psychedelic and crawling with ambition — the latter of which is also a pretty apt description for Ms. You-Betcha's machinations too.
Radiohead, The King of Limbs: Maybe the most divisive Radiohead album of all time (or at least since Hail to the Thief), it may not necessarily rock, but that's because it's not supposed to. Instead, its main focus is creating a world that's atmospheric and amniotic, and even if it doesn't contain guitar solos like "Lucky" or "Just," there's still plenty to give you chills. Just not the chills you're probably used to.
Tyler, the Creator, Goblin: Terrifying meta-commentary or simply the angry rantings of a 20-year-old kid who doesn't know any better? Probably both. Homophobic? Sexist? Clever? Irritating? How about all of the above. It's also visceral, wince-inducing, frightening and sorta funny too. But perhaps nobody does a better job of summing it all up than Tyler himself, when, on the (sorta) hook to "Radicals," he growls, "Kill people, burn sh--, f--- school." Now that's a mission statement.
YACHT, Shangri-La: The new-age dance duo ponder the existence of the hereafter and discover that it may very well exist on earth (or within our own minds). Too bad we're busy destroying both. A postapocalyptic party as foreseen by the Talking Heads and Giorgio Moroder, Shangri-La is as heavy on subject matter as it is on lithe, limber rhythms, so even when things get too heady, you can still let your hips do all the thinking.
Yuck, Yuck: The year's best debut, one that channels the stray slack and sonic stumblings of Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. And considering it all comes from a quartet of kids too young to remember prime-era indie rock, it's all the more noteworthy. Maybe the stuff can make a comeback.
What did we miss? Share your favorites in the comments!
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Brooke Mueller is aghast. You really think she'd walk around the street clutching a crack pipe, as a photo taken this week insinuated?!?
Please. Charlie Sheen's troubled ex has a reasonable explanation for that: it was just a little pot.
According to friends who spoke to TMZ, Mueller admits she smokes legal, medicinal marijuana sometimes due to anxiety. She doesn't ever smoke crack, reportedly, though she does dabble in the occasional cocaine.
But a binge only lasts for 12 hours and then she pops into rehab. There. All better!
As you might expect, Brooke doesn't believe there's any reason for the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services to get involved or test her for drugs. And that organization apparently agrees: no one from it has questioned her or Sheen in over six months.
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Mercede Johnston, younger sister of Levi Johnston, is following in her brother's nude footsteps and taking it all off for the cameras come September!
The 18-year-old Mercede will be featured in a four-page nude pictorial in Playboy's September issue, a magazine spokesperson confirmed today.
Rumors of Mercede baring all in Playboy first surfaced in February.
She has often been an outspoken critic of Bristol Palin, whose virginity Levi stole way back when, then went on to impregnate in early 2008.
In Palin's new memoir, Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far, Bristol detailed giving it up to Levi while drunk off wine coolers on a camping trip.
Suffice it to say, Mercede takes issue with Bristol's account.
"Does anybody really believe a good Christian girl, as Bristol claims to be, would really lose her virginity in a tent?" Mercede seethed on her blog.
"I don't think so. Usually girls want their first time to be meaningful and special," she said, adding that Palin should've called it Not Afraid of Lies.
The female Johnston continued to defend her brother after Palin claimed Levi "stole her virginity" in the book and on her recent media tour.
As Barbara Walters even pointed out, how can Bristol say he "stole" it when the boning continued for a long time after that tenting session?
"After she made those hurtful and indefensible statements in her book about my brother, I decided no matter how uncomfortable I feel talking about this, it is something which I must do," Mercede wrote July 4.
"No one deserves to be accused of such a horrendous thing. Especially not my brother who, believe it or not, truly loved Bristol with all of his heart."
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Demi Lovato premiered the single "Skyscraper" today on Ryan Seacrest's radio show. That was her big move professionally.
Personally, though, the 18-year old gave fans an open look into the struggles over the last few months, which landed her in rehab and caused her to admit that she's bipolar.
“I just had so much growing up to do... I ended up doing things that I regret to this day," Lovato said about the inner turmoil that led to her attacking dancer Alex Welch.
What was the most difficult time for the singer?
“Spending Christmas in treatment was really, really difficult," she said. "I just remember sometimes sitting there and being like, 'I had so much just six months ago, and here I am in a treatment center. What has my life become? How did I let it get to this point?'"
Demi says she was never suicidal, but times grew "really dark."
Lovato recorded "Skyscraper" soon before entering rehab. She says of the experience:
“I just sat there and I just cried my eyes out, I was almost doubled over with emotion... it was crazy. I tried to re-record it but, it didn’t have that same emotion and that same almost cry for help that I had when I first recorded it.”
Look for the music video to come out this week.
Kate Hudson Adriana Lima Brittany Daniel Kate Moss Zhang Ziyi
Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Christina Aguilera are also in the running this Fourth of July.
By John Mitchell, with additional reporting by Danielle Genet
Beyoncé
Photo: Columbia
Today is the Fourth of July — happy birthday, America! — and that means it's time to celebrate the most patriotic ladies in music! Whether they're singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in front of millions or wearing their love of their country on their sleeve (sometimes very literally), these ladies are living the American dream.
And this isn't some arbitrary ranking, either! To determine who the most patriotic divas are, we got positively scientific (just go with it). We assessed these ladies' patriotism based on four areas. Each was awarded one point if she, A) appeared at a patriotic event or in a pro-America public service announcement, B) was photographed wearing American flag-related clothing, C) sang the national anthem at a public event or D) released an America-themed song. The lady with the most points won.
So who are the top America-lovin' ladies in music today? Check 'em out!
Britney Spears
Spears famously appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 2000 wearing an American-flag belly shirt with a play on Uncle Sam's famous saying running beside her: "Britney Wants You!" We decided to be pretty liberal with what constitutes a patriotic event, so we are going to give Spears a combined single point for appearing at two very American (but not specifically about America) events: the NASCAR Winston Cup Pepsi 400 in 2001 and the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show.
Alas, Spears has not released a song specifically about America, despite being "Miss American Dream since I was 17." She also, curiously enough, hasn't performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in her pop-star era. (There is a six-second YouTube clip of her performing the national anthem at age 8, but she wasn't a sanctioned diva back then.)
Score: 2
Miley Cyrus
We thought of Cyrus for this list specifically because of her good-times jam "Party in the U.S.A.," which is not only about America but weirdly became a bona fide anthem that reflected the mood in the country following the death of Osama Bin Laden.
But just when we thought we could award the young pop star only one point, we stumbled upon her PSA for the American Red Cross, asking for support in the wake of the earthquake that ravaged northern Japan earlier this year. Way to lend your celebrity to both a very American organization and an allied country in dire need, Miley!
Score: 2
Lady Gaga
America is all about being yourself. We are a melting pot, after all. And Lady Gaga is all about being herself, and she wants you to be yourself too — there's nothing more American than that!
We'd love to see her put those killer pipes to use and sing the national anthem, but she hasn't done it just yet. She does earn points, however, in the three other areas of our survey. Gaga is, interestingly, perhaps the pop star most involved in the democratic process. Last year she spoke at the National Equality March and at rallies in Maine to encourage the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. She even appeared in a PSA for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network asking her fans to contact their senators to voice their displeasure with the policy.
On the sartorial front, she sported an American-flag bikini in her "Telephone" video. (Wouldn't you have been more surprised if we had told you that Lady Gaga had never worn the American flag?) She also has a song on her most recent album, Born This Way, called "Americano."
Score: 3
Christina Aguilera
Aguilera is known for her awesome singing voice, so it's no surprise that she has performed the national anthem at several major events, including this year's Super Bowl, where she mangled the lyrics something fierce in an uncommon bout of nervousness. (That's what it was, right? Seriously, she's done "The Star-Spangled Banner" about a thousand times!)
The "Beautiful" singer also filmed PSAs for "Rock the Vote" in 2008 to encourage young people to get out and do their duty as U.S. citizens. In the clips, she sings "America the Beautiful" a cappella while holding her newborn son Max, who is wrapped in an American flag (double points!). Yes, Aguilera herself isn't draped in the flag, but we thought we'd give her the point anyway because of her USO-themed video for "Candyman."
Score: 3
Katy Perry
Perry impresses in three of our categories. Late last year, she performed at the "USO Presents: VH1 Divas Salute the Troops" concert at Miramar, California, where she also wore an American-flag bustier. That is not the only instance of flag-waving clothing Perry has sported, however. During an appearance on British TV show James Corden's "World Cup Live!," Perry wore a latex flag dress.
Given her frequent pro-America attire, we're going to give Perry the benefit of the doubt and count her pro-tolerance anthem "Firework" as an America-themed song, because in America, all men and women are created equal, and that's basically what "Firework" is all about. Also, it's the Fourth of July, people. Fireworks!
Score: 3
Beyoncé
Was it even really a contest? Beyoncé sang (and nailed) "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2004 Super Bowl in her hometown of Houston, Texas.
What's more American than singing the national anthem at America's most-watched sporting event? Well, perhaps being personally asked by the president to perform at his inauguration. The girl (who runs the world) was asked to sing "At Last" while Barack and Michelle Obama had their first dance as president and first lady of the United States.
Beyoncé recently released a cover of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." to benefit the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund. (Seriously, could she be more awesome?) Having worn the American flag as a dress to get down opposite Lady Gaga in the video for "Telephone," Queen B is the only diva who fulfills all our categories.
When it comes to Beyoncé and America, we could go on and on — she recently repurposed one of her hits for Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" anti-obesity campaign, and in 2001, she performed with Destiny's Child at the United We Stand: What More Can I Give? benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. — wearing American-flag pants, we might add. But it's the Fourth of July, and we think a real patriot like B would prefer you get out and celebrate America's 235th birthday instead of celebrating her dedication to the US of A!
Score: 4 (OMG, you guys, not only is 4 B's lucky number, it's the name of her latest record!)
Who did we miss? Share your pick for the most patriotic diva in the comments below!
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