American Acts Win Big At MTV EMAs

American pop artists dominated the MTV Europe Music Awards last night (Oct. 6) at Liverpool Echo Arena, and the performers and winners were also keen to bask in President-elect Barack Obama’s election victory.

Britney Spears sent a video acceptance for her two awards: best album for “Blackout” (Jive/Sony BMG) and best act of 2008. Host Katy Perry, whose costumes included an Obama-print dress, won the new act gong. “I want a recount,” she said. “The host can’t win.” Perry also opened the show sitting astride a giant chapstick during a performance of “I Kissed a Girl.”

Pink collected the first award of the night, taking most addictive track for “So What” (LaFace/Sony BMG). California rock act 30 Seconds To Mars won the rock out award and the video star award for “A Beautiful Lie” (Virgin). The awards were voted for online by fans across Europe.

“This has been a really exciting week for us Americans,” said frontman Jared Leto, who got the crowd to chant “Congrats Barack.”

There was also recognition for a Liverpool’s most famous musician, with Bono presenting the ultimate legend award to Sir Paul McCartney. “This is the man who invented my job,” said the U2 singer. Bono was also jeered when he said the Beatles would have been Irish, if the Irish potato famine hadn’t driven their ancestors to Britain.

“I’ve got to thank my mates Ringo, George and John,” said McCartney. “Many years ago, four little boys born here in Liverpool — and we went on to do quite well.” McCartney also thanked people in the U.S. for “voting in Mr. Obama.”

The Liverpool crowd gave a warm reception to U.K. acts who performed, including Take That, the Ting Tings and Duffy. U.K. urban artist Estelle joined Kanye West for their first major awards show collaboration on “American Boy,” featuring a ticker-tape finale with an image of Obama on the giant screen.

Eighties pop act Rick Astley was the unlikely winner of the best act ever, following a viral Internet campaign that raised his profile in the past year.

Other performers included the Killers, Kid Rock, Beyonce, Pink and local indie rock act the Wombats, who covered Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love.” Perry closed the show with a performance of “Hot N Cold.”

Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake Join Madonna In Los Angeles

Madonna had a little help from some friends at the Los Angeles stop of her Sticky and Sweet tour last night (Nov. 6) at Dodger Stadium, as both Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake turned up as surprise guest stars.

The former wowed the crowd during the third song of the night, “Human Nature,” while Timberlake joined Madonna on “4 Minutes” towards the end of the show.

Spears, in her first public performance since the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, emerged from the back of the stage to the roar of the crowd, looking radiant in black heels and slacks, a white ruffled dress shirt and straight blond hair.

Singing with a mic in hand, she sauntered out for a diva matchup at the end of the catwalk. Meanwhile, every camera phone in the venue had already been whisked out to capture the moment while flashbulbs were firing at record speed.

After arriving alongside the guitar-wielding Madonna, the latter said, in mock surprise, “Oops! Hey Britney!” and then later, “she’s not your bitch!” before Spears sang her own infamous lyric, “It’s Britney, bitch.” And then after about two minutes on stage, it was over. Spears was lowered beneath the floor and Madonna carried on to the next number.

Timberlake was another surprise, and he too received a thunderous response from the crowd on “4 Minutes,” the song on which he guests from Madonna’s “Hard Candy” album. Madonna and Timberlake reprised the choreography and staging they employed for the last time they sang the song live, during a promo performance at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom in April. Much like Spears, once Timberlake’s song was over, he vanished from the stage.

All told, Madonna performed nine of the 12 songs from “Hard Candy,” along with 11 older tunes like “Ray of Light,” “Music” and “Into the Groove.” She played guitar on a hard-rocking version of “Borderline” and sang a moving rendition of the “Evita” song “You Must Love Me.” Most surprising was the segment of the show where she solicited song requests from the crowd. She ultimately decided on the 1985 oldie “Dress You Up,” and then led the stadium in a sing-a-long.

Celebrities on hand in the audience included Fergie, Drew Barrymore, Heidi Klum, Nicole Ritchie and Jennifer Lopez.

Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet tour next visits the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday and Sunday. The North American leg of the tour wraps on Nov. 30 and then heads to South America on Dec. 3 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tour is currently scheduled to conclude on Dec. 21 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Christina Aguilera Going Electro On New Album?

Christina Aguilera is lining up electronic-oriented artists such as Sia Furler, Goldfrapp and Ladytron to collaborate with her on her fourth studio album, which she’ll continue to work on in 2009.

In a teleconference with reporters, Aguilera acknowledged influence on “You Are What You Are,” a moody, ambient remake of her hit “Beautiful” from the upcoming “Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits” and confirmed the Zero 7 associate and solo artist will be working with her on the new album.

“I’m definitely a fan of Sia’s,” said Aguilera, who previously told Billboard about her desire to pursue a more “futuristic” sound on the album. “I was thrilled she also wanted to work together and, in turn, was a fan of mine.”

Aguilera said the two plan to hit the studio in January but are “setting the wheels in motion now … I’m not exactly sure what we’re gonna get when we get in the studio together, but (as) with all great things I’ll go in and there’s probably magic to be had.”

Aguilera said she’s been listening to “a lot” of Sia, Goldfrapp and Ladytron during the past year, which impacted not only “You Are What You Are” but also the “Genie in a Bottle” revamp “Genie 2.0″ and the two new songs on “Keeps Getting Better”: the title track and “Dynamite.”

As for other collaborators on the album, which will follow-up 2006’s “Back to Basics,” Aguilera said there’s “nothing I can give away now, but there’s always somebody that I’m inspired by to work with. I have to keep under wraps who that would be, just ’cause I always like the element of surprise.”

The Streets - Everything Is Borrowed

Product Information, Audio Previews, Reviews and More On:
The Streets - Everything Is Borrowed

“”Just when I discover the meaning of life they change it,” Mike Skinner raps with typically uneasy, endearing coordination on his fourth album’s opening title track, but those aren’t the gutter scribblings of the desperately hungover—they’re a swelling carpe diem with a soaring hook (as soaring as you can get via Skinner’s keyboard-in-the-bedroom-closet vibe, anyway). Skinner has spent the few albums since his grand debut “Original Pirate Material” getting progressively more thoughtful, melodic and predictable, and where “Everything Is Borrowed” might lack the hair-singeing novelty of his debut (or its story-time follow-up “A Grand Don’t Come for Free”), there’s still plenty to keep things interesting: “Heaven for the Weather” is positively jaunty, “I Love You More (Than You Like Me)” is rather sweet, and Skinner’s dancing wordplay hits the beats on the gently meandering “On the Flip of a Coin” just right. —Jeff Vrabel”

Sol Y Canto - Cada Dis Un Regalo

“Sol y Canto is Rosi and Brian Amador, backed by a group of extraordinary players, including Nando Michelin (piano), Jorge Roeder (contrabass) and Bernardo Monk (saxophone, flute). The act’s sound is acoustic and Latin roots-oriented. Its taste is elemental, and the results are unfailingly inspiring. The Amadors and their cohorts bring a tremendous virtuosity to their music —cue up “La llorona” (The Weeping Woman) and listen to Rosi Amador sing. Her interpretation of this classic folk tune is wonderfully evocative. The magic continues with another elegant arrangement and Rosi Amador’s angelic voice in “Hasta la Luna”—a song Brian Amador wrote for his daughters. In a more uptempo groove, note the act’s persuasive take on the Cuban bolero/cha cha cha number “Obsesión.” —Philip Van Vleck”