Beyonce revamps the Riverdance in spectacular new Run the World (Girls) music video

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Sultry: Beyonce has debuted her spectacular new video for her single Run The World (Girls)


Beyonce Knowles has thrown some pretty extraordinary dance moves in her time.

But it's difficult to imagine that Riverdance star Michael Flatley would one day be a source of inspiration for the singer.

The Irish dancing phenomenon had seemingly been given a whole new lease of life when Beyonce incorporated some of the rapid leg movements and high scissor kicks into the video for her new song, Run The World (Girls).


Dance-off: Beyonce's all-female troop take on their male enemies with an impressive, energetic dance sequence reminiscent of Michael Flatley's phenomenal Irish dance show


R&B inspiration: Cast members of Riverdance look to have inspired Beyonce in her new music video


After leaving her devoted fans waiting for over a week, Beyonce, 29, has finally released the full-length version of her sizzling new music video.

A dramatic countdown on her website made sure all music industry eyes and ears were firmly on the R&B singer's hotly anticipated new offering.

But nobody would have expected Flatley's Riverdance to have worked it's way into some of the video's dazzling scenes.


Trend setter: Beyonce's moves in Run the World (Girls) will no doubt spark dance trends the world over


Fierce: The singer appears with several animals in the video


Girl Power: The single features the lyrics 'we're smart enough to make these millions, strong enough to bare the children, then get back to business'


Beyonce and her fleet of warrior Princesses were seen performing the moves in a long line, just as Flatley and his leggy Irish dance crew did in the 90s.

The video begins with scenes of Beyonce on a horse, then captured in a cage, then going into battle against a angry looking gang of men dressed in black.

Set against a mix of desert and industrial backgrounds, the singer wears a variety of dramatic clothing as she gets ready for her female revolution.


Tame that wild horse: Beyonce shows off her horse-riding skills on a stallion


Golden girl: Beyonce looks feisty in a gold dress and beehive in her new video Run The World (Girls)


But it is not until the final moments when the girls line up for their final dance-off that Flatley makes his mark.

There is no doubting Beyonce has brought some new and inspired dance moves to the table, and Riverdance fans the world over will not be able to miss the singer's attempts at Flatley-style footwork.

The video quickly jumps forward to see Beyonce as the leader of her own all-female gang, which is quickly followed by a string of dazzling costume changes and eye-popping dance moves.


Queen of the world: Beyonce surveys her kingdom in a stunning white couture gown


She came, she conquered: Beyonce looks triumphant after her revolution leaves a trail of destruction behind


Last week, Beyonce revealed the title of her new album, Four, for the first time and admitted the number held a special meaning for her, because it was the date of her wedding anniversary.

She explained her fondess for the number four because she celebrates her birthday on September 4 and her wedding anniversary with rapper/producer Jay-Z on April 4.

She told New magazine: 'We all have special numbers in our lives, and four is that for me. It's the day I was born. My mother's birthday, and a lot of my friends' birthdays, are on the fourth. April 4 is my wedding date.'


Taking a stand: Beyonce, who changes costume several times, strikes powerful poses throughout the video


Beyonce admitted Run the World (Girls), which has been criticised by some for her aggressive lyrics, was 'riskier' than her usual sound

She told Billboard: 'I just heard the track and loved that it was so different: it felt a bit African, a bit electronic and futuristic. It reminded me of what I love, which is mixing different cultures and eras - things that typically don't go together - to create a new sound.


Special: Beyonce has named the album '4' - a number special to her as it is her birthday and wedding dates


'I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That's how I've gotten to where I am.'

Beyonce admitted she was inspired by a mix of old and new artists for her forthcoming album, including British singer Adele and Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti.

She explained: 'I also found a lot of inspiration in '90s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie... I listened to a lot of Jackson 5 and New Edition, but also Adele, Florence + the Machine, and Prince. Add in my hip-hop influences, and you can hear how broad it is.'


'I always try and go against the grain': Beyonce admitted her new album is riskier than previous recordings


During the interview, she also revealed she hadn't hired anyone to replace her father Mathew Knowles as her manager after they parted ways professionally in April.

She said: 'I believe that parents prepare their kids for the moment that they're on their own: at this point, I'm taking everything my dad and my mother have taught me, and I'm able to do things my way.

'We were at a point where we'd learned so much from each other, and now it's exciting for me to do this on my own and hire my own team. I've started managing myself.'

The full interview is in the new issue of Billboard magazine, on sale now.


Silver siren: Beyonce sings in front of a burning car - which she also did in the Crazy In Love and Diva videos





source: dailymail

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A grand entrance from a coffin, a fake baby bump and lots of skintight rubber: Lady Gaga steps up the bizarre for Radio 1's Big Weekend

By GEORGINA LITTLEJOHN and JODY THOMPSON

Eerie entrance: Lady Gaga emerges from a gold coffin wearing a fake pregnancy bump as she starts her headlining set at Radio 1's Big Weekend yesterday


Just when you thought Lady Gaga couldn't out-bizarre herself any further, she goes and steps the weird-o-meter up another notch.

And for those attending Radio 1's Big Weekend, they got to see just how far the pop star would go in the name of her 'art' - and her morbid fascination.

Gaga was the headliner on the main stage at the festival in Carlisle this weekend, and after keeping her fans waiting, was carried on stage in a gold coffin.


Greetings, my little monsters: Gaga models her trademark hand claw before grabbing her crotch and launching into her set


The singer then emerged from the casket clad in black PVC and rubber, sporting a fake pregnancy bump.

Rubbing it up and down with her hand, she launched into her single Born This Way, her tardiness soon forgotten by the 20,000 excitable fans.

She then ripped off the PVC bump to reveal a rubber crop top as she launched into a mash-up of her other hit songs, Telephone, Poker Face and Alejandro.



Heavy load: Gaga rests on her piano stool as she finishes her song


She then treated the crowd to Bad Romance and after a quick change into leather hot pants and a bra, she continued her set with Just Dance and Judas.

And she told the crowd that she had been asked by the BBC to curb her bad language during her set.

She said: 'They left me a nice note on my mirror, saying, "Radio 1 has kindly requested that there be no cursing during your set".


Bump-be-gone: Gaga is free to dance again as she flaunts her toned midriff


'I can try. I can try to wash my mouth out,' but then almost immediately she swore into her microphone.

The festival also saw saw performances from the likes of Nicole Scherzinger, Black Eyed Peas, Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance and Jessie J.

And the bizarre never ends for Gaga as the day before her performance, she left her London hotel wearing a rather kinky hat featuring leather studded horns.


Horn this way: Gaga wore leather studded hat with horns as she left her London hotel to head to Carlisle


Approach with caution: One of the star's fans appears to lean forward for a kiss - while being careful not to get kebabbed by the horns and studs


Festival girls: Jessie J and Fergie and her Black Eyed Peas also performed at the festival



Rock stars: Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance and Foo Fighter's frontman Dave Grohl rocked the 20,000-strong crowd


source: dailymail

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Blue and Jedward don't go home

By JODY THOMPSON

On song: Blue performed a blinder at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dusseldorf, Germany, tonight and managed not to go home with 'nil points'


Half of winning Azerbaijan duo Elle and Nikki is mother-of-two from London


Blue and Jedward were both relieved not to both be going home with 'nul points' after doing themselves rather proud in the Eurovision Song Contest tonight.

British boyband Blue landed a maximum 12 points from Bulgaria and scored highly from Italy and Russia to go to the top of the leader board early on - and even squeezed an 'un point' from France.

They had put in a brilliant performance of their song I Can, which was written by band members Lee Ryan and Duncan James.

However, the runaway winner was Azerbaijan duo Ell and Nikki with their powerful ballad Running Scared - thought the UK can claim a little of the success, as Nikki is a mother-of-two currently living in north London.



High hopes: Blue started off strongly in the voting but slowly started to tail off to slip down the leader board again having topped it at one point


Sterling effort: Blue's Lee Ryan, left, and Simon Webbe, right, gave it their all and kept Britain in the top half of the leader board all night


Real name Nigar Jamal, the married 30-year-old mother of two daughters seemed almost overcome with emotion and she performed the song for a second time with singing partner Eldar Gasimov - the Ell of their duo.

Blue meanwhile, who also comprises Antony Costa and Simon Webbe, are among the most successful British artists ever to take part in Eurovision, and were second favourites to win.


Enthusiastic: Irish entry Jedward put in an energetic performance of their Europop track Lipstick - which landed them top marks from British voters, who weren't allowed to vote for their own entry Blue


Hands up: But Jedward's performance wasn't enough and they were somewhat trounced by Azerbaijan who walked off with the spoils


They had strong competition from Irish rivals and X Factor losers Jedward (aka John and Edward Grimes) who were also tipped to do well in the show.

Jedward's threat with their high-energy bubblegum track Lipstick however faded in the early stages of the voting.

But then The One Show's Alex Jones announced that the UK had voted Jedward their top song with 12 points - and they overtook Blue on the leaderboard.


Pride of Eurovision: Nikki, of Ell and Nikki, thanked everyone who had voted them this year's winner with their song Running Scared



Winners: Azerbaijan's Ell and Nikki with the Eurovision Song Contest trophy and a large bunch of flowers


Tuneful: The pair performed their winning ballad Running Scared once more after being declared winners


More strong voting for the twins saw Ireland then riding towards the top of the leaderboard as the rest of the Eurovision countries kept voting - with Blue rather fading away.

Tonight's contest was being watched by an estimated global audience of more than 125 million who enjoyed typically bonkers performances from the likes of Moldova, whose performance featured massive conical hats and a girl on a unicycle blowing a trumpet.

In the live broadcast tonight, Graham Norton was providing the suitably wry commentary on BBC1.


Typical Eurovision: Moldova had one of the craziest acts on the night with an act featuring huge conical hats and a trumpet-playing girl on a unicycle


Manic Moldova: Unicycling woman playing a trumpet just out of shot


Norton, who took over from the famously irreverent Sir Terry Wogan two years ago, approached the event as a massive Eurovision fan.

There have been widespread accusations of tactical block voting and anti-UK sentiment in wake of the Iraq war in recent years, leaving the UK in last place three times in the past ten years - including last year when Josh Dubovie came last with That Sounds good To Me.


Top half: Ireland paid tribute to their entry Jedward - but only gave the UK entry a paltry six points



World stage: The huge Eurovision set in Dusseldorf, which was watched tonight by an estimated 125million around the globe


In 2003, tuneless duo Jemini landed Britain its first ever ‘nul points’.
However, it's not yet known if Blue will fulfill the pledge they made to the Daily Mail ahead of the competition - that they would emigrate if they failed to won...


Eldar & Nigar - Eurovision 2011, Azerbaijan - Running Scared Official Music Video



source: dailymail

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Justin Bieber pelted with eggs during Sydney performance - but he doesn't crack under pressure

By Daily Mail Reporter


Justin doesn't crack: Superstar singer Justin Bieber was pelted with eggs last night in Sydney, Australia, but he didn't miss a beat and continued performing


Apparently not everyone at Justin Bieber's concert in Sydney, Australia had Bieber fever.

The teen singing sensation came under attack last night during a performance in front of thousands of screaming fans at the the city's Acer Arena.

Justin, 17, was stage singing when someone tossed six eggs from the crowd.

What just happened? Some of Justin's stunned fans took to the internet to complain about the egg incident

Footage of the incident showed two eggs landing within a metre of the Canadian superstar.

Then four more eggs appeared to fall from directly above the singer, prompting some internet users to question if the incident was all a set-up.

According Australia's Herald Sun, Justin didn't miss a beat during the egg incident.
He continued performing as a helper quickly cleaned up the mess.

The egg attack outraged many Biebers fans who quickly took to the internet.

One web user named Taylor wrote on Thejustinbiebershrine.com: 'I was soo angry when I saw this, I hate whoever did this. Why bother?'

Another fan took to Twitter a warning: 'Dear person who threw eggs at @justinbieber in Sydney, you now have over #9millionbeliebers after you, be afraid! We go harder than hard!'

Skynews Australia posted a short video of the incident on Youtube a short time after it happened.




source:dailymail

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Singer Shakira support for illegal downloaders

Singer Shakira has waded into an ongoing U.K. debate over illegal downloads - insisting the controversial practise brings her "closer to her fans".

Lily Allen spearheaded a campaign last month (Sep09) to stop illicit file-sharing and called on the British government to help beat illegal downloaders, who she fears will destroy the music industry.
Sir Elton John, Annie Lennox and George Michael backed her protest - but the Whenever, Wherever hitmaker, who has sold millions of records worldwide, is sympathetic to illegal downloaders.
Shakira tells Sky News, "I like what's going on because I feel closer to the fans and the people who appreciate the music. It's the democratisation of music in a way, and music is a gift. That's what it should be, a gift."
Allen is adamant the practise means artists just starting out in the music business will struggle - but singer Nelly Furtado has also joined the debate, insisting losing sales is irrelevant to success.
She adds, "If you love music you're going to make it anyway. You'll find an audience, and you may not make like millions of dollars but you'll make enough to have a house and a family and a car."

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Shakira Went Undercover For University

Singer and dancer Shakira has revealed how she went undercover so she could attend university without getting recognized.

The She Wolf hitmaker, 32, took a break from music in 2006, after releasing the album Oral Fixation Vol. 2, and enrolled on a history course at the University of California in Los Angeles.

And she was so desperate not to attract any attention, she dressed up as a man; changed her name; and wore a disguise so that people would not discover her true identity.

“I needed a break from me,” Shakira told UK newspaper The Guardian. “The universe is so broad, I cannot be at the center of it.

“So I decided to go to the university and study history for a summer course, just to kind of switch gears, taste the student life.

“I used to wear a cap and a big backpack, I looked like a boy. I didn’t get recognized. Some people looked at me very suspiciously, a few people asked me, but I told them my name was Isabelle. I would go to university over and over again if I could.”

“I should care less,” Shakira said of her career. “It has been 20 years, but I still care about my career. I care about the music. I’m not normal.”

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