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Q&A: Lady GaGa

Lady GaGa is a whole lotta diva, a fountain of X-rated pop goodies with a couture edge, a blend of "glitter mixed with rock 'n' roll," as she says it best on the bubblegummy-bad-girl number "Boys, Boys, Boys." Born and raised in the Big Apple, GaGa, whose name was inspired by the  Queen hit "Radio Ga-Ga," groomed herself for success from the ground up, fine-tuning her in-your-face performance glam-art since her early teens at open mics. She left NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to pave her own way, gigging around New York's Lower East Side. "I just started to bring my music from club to club," says GaGa. "I'd lie and say I was Lady Gaga's manager and say, 'Uh, yeah, she's been really booked up for this month, but we could squeeze you in on Friday.' I'd make myself sound bigger than I was." She was eventually discovered, signed-and-dropped, then signed again, having since penned songs for the Pussycat Dolls. Her debut album, The Fame, is 100-percent disco debauchery, taking on the standard themes of the night  -- partying, intoxication, sexual provocation -- or so it seems. Lady GaGa is a mistress of illusion. Here, Rhapsody's November Ones to Watch artist explains how.

[Click the "Continue Reading..." link to listen to a playlist featuring the music discussed in this post.]

Q&A: Ximena Sariñana

Ximena Sariñana has gone from precocious -- acting in films and novelas since childhood -- to prolific -- contributing to movie soundtracks, jamming out with her old jazz band Feliz No Cumpleaños, and surrendering to her emotions like a young Fiona Apple en español on her debut album Mediocre, for which she has received multiple Latin Grammy nods: Artist of the Year, Best Alternative Song ("Normal") and Producer of the Year (along with Soda Stereo collaborator, producer Tweety Gonzalez). The songs on Mediocre (irony noted) have a smokey cabaret feel -- sharp, jazzy, cynical, with a bourbon sting -- but can be equally appreciated crying your heart out over a heap of dirty dishes -- speaking to everyday heartbreak, tapping into the most common of love-related insecurities, and the need to escape from it all. Basically, the heart's inner monologue.

"The album is 100 percent real," says Ximena. "The thing that I wanted the most was to be as honest as I could and not to stop myself from talking about things -- about how I felt. At some point, I felt like I wanted to run away from something, and I was gonna talk about it. And at some point, I felt that I was afraid of being forgotten, and I was gonna talk about it. It's kind of like an experiment. It wasn't all something that I was going through at the time, but it was something that had struck me as interesting. Or something I wanted to put it out in the open. I thought that, the more honest you are, the stronger you are, because there's nothing hiding, there's nothing in the background that people don't know. The more you show, the stronger you are. At least, that's what I thought at the time." Here,  Ximena speaks on becoming an accidental producer, finding her voice, shooting in Iceland and much more.

[Click the "Continue Reading..." link to listen to a playlist featuring the music discussed in this post.]

Q&A: Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams' new album, Unexpected, actually came as a surprise to Williams herself. After two gospel albums, the Destiny's Child alum returned to the studio to work on her third solo effort, this time with a breakup on the brain. The resulting album was, "Alright," says Williams. After calling for backup – her mother – she scrapped it and went back to the studio. "My mom was like, 'You sound so bitter! Make music that people can dance to.' And that really helped me – like even if you are upset, still dance!" And dance, you will. Unexpected is, in a way, Williams' coming out party. With producers like Stargate and Rico Love manning the boards, she successfully sheds some of her good-girl image with a sound that's covered in sequins and sass, delivering a hybrid confection that's deceptively sweet ("Thank U") and naughtily nice ("Private Party"), a blend of R&B ("Hungover") and Euro-pop shimmy ("Lucky Girl"). Here, Williams speaks on her new attitude and more. 

[Click the "Continue Reading..." link to listen to a playlist featuring the music discussed in this post.]

Q&A: Jazmine Sullivan

Jazmine Sullivan – protégé of Missy Elliott, endorsed by Stevie Wonder – is quite the storyteller. Her debut album, Fearless, embodies the kind of emotional schizophrenia that good, juicy R&B albums are made of, taking on different personae and sounds throughout: vamp, victim, victor, retro, nouveau and pop. Philly born and bred, Sullivan comes from a place where soul comes naturally. In her earlier days, the up-and-comer performed at the venue – Philly's Black Lily – where artists like Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild were, at the time, still making a name for themselves. She's worked behind the scenes, singing backup vocals and penning songs. And she's even bounced back from label drama. Her Missy-assisted breakthrough single "Need U Bad" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. At only 21, Sullivan has proved once and again that she's got the chops. Earlier this month, Rhapsody had the chance to catch up with Sullivan at Radio City Music Hall, prepping for her second night on tour with Maxwell. Here, she speaks on Missy-as-inspiration, the craftsmanship behind Fearless, and "Bust Your Windows"-style methods of revenge.

[Click the "Continue Reading..." link to listen to a playlist featuring the music discussed in this post.]

He Said/She Said: Fall Preview

• Fall Album Preview: 50 Cent, Britney Spears, T.I. & More
• Celebrity News

Summer is but a distant memory. [Sigh.] The temperatures are falling -- and so is your morale. Besides, maybe, Halloween and bloated holiday debt, what else have you to look forward to, you ask? Awesome music, that's what. Myriad releases from the juggernauts of pop will put the kibosh on your Seasonal Affective Disorder -- and nourish your Attention Deficit one. MTV News rundowns what you can expect this autumn -- new releases from T.I., Beyoncé (hallelujah!), Fall Out Boy, Britney (yes, please!), Kanye and more. And while we agree with most of them, we've got a few suggestions, too.

[Click the "Continue Reading..." link to listen to a playlist featuring the music discussed in this post.]

2008 VMA Diaries: Red Carpet Memoirs

by Angela Bruno

The very gracious Paramore.

Objective: Survive. Status: Just barely. [Ha!] As I began to ponder the last few days, I now know why celebs need to be bathed in unicorn's milk and massaged thrice weekly: Parties. Open bars. Free food. Late nights. No-problems-at-the-door. The sense of entitlement. Expensive hotels -- with turndown service and peanut butter cookies. What a tough life. [Sigh.]  Fame (or, well, the mere observation of it, in my case), you are a fickle mistress. But just like that -- the VMAs are over. You watched the show, you be the judge. There will be no VMA punditizing here. Just behind-the-scenes moments of the big day from the Patagonial regions of the red carpet. Walk in my (luckily flat) shoes -- for 12 hours on the Paramount lot.

2008 VMA Diaries: T-Pain Puts a Hurtin' on Rhapsody Rocks

by Angela Bruno

Objective: Wind up in T-Pain's top hat by the end of the night. Status: A girl can dream. I started the evening off at the Lifebeat/Rock Band benefit show at House of Blues, where people were having the most wholesome time of their lives, playing Rock Band, watching other people play Rock Band, and waiting for Plain White T's and Panic at the Disco, who were looking Euro-crisp, to perform. But wholesome isn't the name of the game at the VMAs and T-Pain waits for no one, so I had to run to the Roxy for the Rhapsody Rocks party -- the most high-energy show of the pre-VMAs. Shoutout to DJ Stretch Armstrong, who warmed up the crowd of hipsters and cool kids like a polyurethane jogging suit. Photos, set list and everything you didnt know you ever wanted to know about T-Pain after the jump.

2008 VMA Diaries: Tag (Yes, the Body Spray) Official Kickoff Party

by Angela Bruno

Objective: Find tangible evidence that humans do, indeed, swing from chandeliers. Status: Negative. However, I did find that scenes from The Hills do, indeed, occur in nature. (See, the show is real!) L.A. culture shock set in around dinner time last night at Katana, a super swank pan-Asian situation. Or maybe it was before that, when I checked into my hotel room on the Sunset Strip and had to sign a waiver -- there's a $500 penalty for trashing the room. Aka, god knows what hath hit the fan here before, god knows what will hit the fan here again. Celebrity/model sightings at Katana were numerous, counting an ANTM finalist (they're everywhere) and Melissa Ford, aka Jessica Rabbit, who I saw again later at the Jermaine Dupri-hosted Boost Mobile -- I mean -- Tag Body Spray official VMA kickoff party at Avalon, where I ended up working/rubbernecking on the red carpet. A curious experience to say the least. Waited for Weezy. Didn't happen.

Despite JD's best efforts, the party itself was kinda weak sauce. But maybe I'm jaded. The event was also an intro to Tag Records' first artist, Q, who reminded me of a cross between Jeezy and Stephan Urquelle -- Steve Urkel's cool clone that almost wins Laura Winslow's heart. Operative word here being "almost." (Random, I know.) He performed a few songs, as did Fabolous. Polow da Don, Jazze Pha, Taye Diggs were corralled in the VIP. But not Paul Wall and Raekwon-- they walk amongst the people. JD's GF Janet Jackson was in the building -- and so was Perez Hilton, who walked out two seconds after walking in. Cheers and jeers to follow.

2008 VMA Diaries: Calle 13, Colby O Rip It for MTV Tr3s

by Angela Bruno

Objective #1. See Calle 13. Status: Achieved. Objective #2: Sidle up next to Kim Kardashian. Status: Pending. Perhaps our paths will cross this weekend, but by the time I had arrived at Level 3 for the MTV Tr3s party, she and the rest of the VIPs that RSVP'ed had already departed (with the exception of possibly some dude from this season of Project Runway, Jade from ANTM, Judy Reyes of Scrubs fame and rapper Malverde -- all of which were on the dance floor).

Foolish, because they missed avant-garde emcees Calle 13. Oh, how I love thee. Let me count the ways: frontman Residente is fly (wife me!) and tatted up in a seemingly illogical way à la Marc Jacobs; their lyrics stand for something; they infuriate my mother with their X-rated euphemisms. And, oh yes, Colby O'Donis performed, too. (Check out his exclusive Rhapsody playlist here.) Semi-grown women stormed the stage. And quivered. The bumpin' and grindin' in my periphery made it impossible to get a good shot of him. A little, um, disturbing, but that is neither here nor there. Read on for few highlights and WTH (what the hell; trying to keep it clean) moments, both good and bad.

2008 VMA Diaries: Pre-, Pre-, Pre-Show Deep Thoughts

by Angela Bruno

Welcome to the first installment of Rhapsody's 2008 VMA coverage.You will walk away with the ramblings of a blogger's meanderings through red carpets, parties, live shows, etc. I, the fly (girl) on the wall, will walk away with my weight in press credentials, a few sleep-deprivation headaches, a few good stories and nary a libel suit. Hopefully! We're talking an action-packed couple of days. So, watch this space.

I did not have cable until 2002, so the VMAs are still something of a novelty to me. As I sit here anxiously anticipating the unknown (it's a little like the blind leading the blind 'round here in the lead-up), I ponder/hyperbolize what I do know: an albino python and the best pop-star abs on record, rock hard, and the rock upon which the VMAs got their new millenium second wind! We're talking Britney's historic "I'm a Slave for You" performance. She gave you a reason to believe again (2007's performance and whether she will redeem herself this year notwithstanding)! 'Twas/is/forever will be the ultimate VMA moment. But maybe 2008's Russell Brand-hosted VMAs will find a way to usurp this notion. Other than Brand's noir/predatory/second-coming-of-Jessie Camp stylings, here's a few possible reasons why.