VMAs Drive Record-Breaking 10 Million Tweets

Beyoncé's pregnancy and Lady Gaga's over-the-top fashion just a few of the Twitter Trends.

Lady Gaga tweeted about her Little Monsters. Kim Kardashian tweeted about Beyoncé's baby-bump secret. Those Twitter updates and millions more made the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards the most tweeted-about awards show ever.

In total, the VMA Pre-Show and main show drove 10 million tweets, according to newly released numbers for the social-networking site.
That awards-show record was just one that the VMAs shattered. Beyoncé set the record for the most mentions on Twitter per second with 8,868, helping make the show the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers. Pre-show viewership also set a record, and MTV Digital saw its highest VMA day ever on Sunday with show content attracting 2 million unique visitors, an increase of 33 percent year over year.
Twitter helped make it all happen. As the black-carpet pre-show kicked off inside the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles, the trend #whatwillgagawear lit up the social-networking site and became one of the longest running of the night. During the show itself, over half of the worldwide Twitter Trends were connected to the VMAs — and at times they took over eight or nine of the top 10 trends. The trends also included shout-outs to Justin Bieber and Joe Jonas, and the two simple statements, #DemiYouAreBeautiful and BEYONCE IS PREGNANT.
All that attention had an added benefit for the pregnant pop star: Her song "Love on Top" leapt into the iTunes top five after she performed it onstage at the Nokia and revealed her baby bump to the world.
The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

1. Beyoncé set the record for the most mentions on Twitter per second with 8,868

   
   

1. Video: VMA 2011: The Entire Show On Demand
2. Video: VMA 2011: The Pre-Show
   
   

1. Photos: VMA 2011: Show Highlights
2. Photos: VMA 2011: Backstage Moments
3. Photos: Beyonce's Big Night At The 2011 VMAs

Red Hot Chili Peppers' I'm With You: Don't Call It A 'Comeback'

'What did we come back from? Malaria?' frontman Anthony Kiedis says of first album in five years.

In one of the first stories written about the Red Hot Chili Peppers' I'm With You, Rolling Stone's David Fricke referred to the disc as the band's "comeback album," a phrase that would seem to make sense to most people, considering it was not only the band's first effort in five years, but also their first since the departure of longtime guitarist John Frusciante.

It should be noted, however, that RHCP frontman Anthony Kiedis is not "most people." Because to him, while I'm With You comes after a lengthy two-year hiatus and an even longer bout of soul-searching. "It's the first time the band took more than a couple months off probably in the last 10 years," new guitarist Klinghoffer said.
Anthony Keidis told us he feels like RHCP are a "new band" on I'm With You.
While they never seriously considered calling it quits, even Kiedis will admit that the Peppers' break was necessary. In fact, it probably helped save the band. Because when they finally emerged from their hibernation, with a new member and a new lease on life, they were rejuvenated, reloaded and — most important of all — reborn.
Which is why, though Kiedis won't call I'm With You a "comeback album," he's got no shortage of other adjectives to describe it and the newfound joy it's brought him and his bandmates.
"It does feel incredibly fresh, and I feel as excited or more excited about this period — from the writing to the recording to the playing to the anticipation of going on tour — as I've ever felt about anything that we've done, from the beginning," he said. "Sitting here, doing these interviews, listening to Josh, I often just go into a daydream of playing these songs live, and it's the same feeling that I got in 1983, when I couldn't sleep the night before a show, and if I did fall asleep, I would have a surreal little dream about the show itself; and, you know, I still have that feeling about this record and the inevitability of playing live, and kind of dreaming of set-list possibilities. ... It's a good feeling.

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers

   
   

1. Video: MTV First: Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. Video: Red Hot Chili Peppers 'A New Band' On 'I'm With You'

Nicki Minaj says new album will be loaded with alter ego

"I have a lot of surprises I don't want to give away," Nicki Minaj said.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Singer drops details about her forthcoming, as-yet-untitled album
• Minaj: "If you're not familiar with Roman, you will be familiar with him soon"
• Roman showed up on a track, "Roman's Revenge," that she did with Eminem

RELATED TOPICS

• Hip-Hop and Rap
• Nicki Minaj
• Lil' Kim
• Eminem

(EW.com) -- After taking home the Best Hip Hop Video Moon Man for "Super Bass," female rapper du jour Nicki Minaj sauntered back to the VMA press room for photos and a quick interview, where she dropped a few details about her forthcoming, as-yet-untitled album.
The short of it: It's gonna be filled with her alter ego Roman.
"Well, the new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it, and if you're not familiar with Roman, you will be familiar with him soon," Minaj revealed.
On her first album, Pink Friday, Minaj's alter-ego Roman showed up on a track, "Roman's Revenge," that she did with Eminem. If you remember, many took lyrics in "Revenge" to be a side-slap to fellow female rapper Lil' Kim.
Continued Minaj about Roman and her album: "He's a boy who lives inside of me," she said. "I have a lot of surprises I don't want to give away. Everyone will be more than satisfied with the new album."
About that crazy outfit she was wearing, Minaj explained to the press: "Tokyo inspires this outfit. Harajuku is something I have been absorbing for a very long time."

Chris Brown's High-Flying VMA Set: Behind The Scenes

'Yeah 3X' singer's choreographers Rich and Tone talk to MTV News about pulling out 'tricks' like levitation on Sunday.

On Sunday night, Chris Brown nearly stole the show during his high-flying VMA performance, and considering everything that went down during the 2011 Video Music Awards, that's saying a lot.
Find out how Beyoncé and Jay-Z Celebrated Their VMA Baby News!

Brown, decked out in all white, danced to a medley of old favorites from acts like Wu-Tang Clan and Nirvana, as well as his own tracks "Yeah 3X" and "Beautiful People." The performance was packed with tight dance moves — including some ninja-style moves — and finished with Brown flying over the A-list crowd on nearly invisible wires. While hanging high above the room, the singer displayed moves that looked as acrobatic as a Cirque Du Soleil performer.
We spotted Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and more hanging out backstage!
Days before Brown took the stage, MTV News caught up with two members of his creative team, choreographers Tone and Rich. The pair had promised that Brown would take the game to the next level at this year's VMAs, and he certainly delivered on that.
"We've been working with Chris for many years; I've never seen him this way on this performance ever," Tone teased last week. "He's pulling out all his tricks on this one. He's definitely gonna show you something fresh and new; something he has never done before."
Go Behind the Scenes with Wiz Khalifa, Kreayshawn, more at VMA Pre-Show
He went on to add that while Brown always steps up his performance game, Sunday night would be unlike previous shows. "All the past performances he always came with it 100 percent, but this one, for some reason he has something special about this one," Tone said.
"He's going to create so much centrifugal force, there might be some levitation going on," Rich teased.
And although it was unclear what exactly Rich meant by that prediction a few days ago, now Brown's fans know he wasn't exaggerating.
The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

1. Chris Brown performs at the 2011 VMAs

   
   

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1. Video: VMA 2011: Most Talked About Moments

1. Photos: VMA 2011: Show Highlights

1. Relive The 2011 VMAs
2. Video: Watch The VMA Performances

1. Beyonce's Baby Bump, Lady Gaga's Jo...
2. Chris Brown Levitates, Dances To Nirvana At...
3. VMA Presenter Joe Jonas Ready To Watch Chris...
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'Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark' Is Guillermo Del Toro's 'Hide And Seek'

'That's the rhythm of the movie in a horror genre,' director tells MTV News.

It's a cautionary tale straight out of a mother's mouth: "If you don't brush your teeth, monsters will creep into your mouth at night and devour them like candy." But Guillermo del Toro's rated-R version is less cavity, more cryptic.
Based on a 1973 TV movie with the same name, Friday's "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, features the same hollow whispers from menacing monsters trapped behind brick fireplaces, only now those creatures are out for innocent, bright-white baby teeth.

But even with del Toro's new spin on what he said was the scariest movie he'd ever seen as a kid, the producer told MTV News some things always stay the same.
"In horror films, there are only two dynamics. One is what I call hide and seek, meaning there's a lot of tension. If you're searching, you're really tense about opening the door and somebody jumping out of the closet that was hiding.
"And if you're hiding in the closet, you're really afraid when you hear footsteps nearby," he added. "And then tag, when the person finally comes out, and you're going to chase them to tag them."
With a mind as complicated and fantastical as Pan's Labyrinth, you'd expect del Toro to have a more intricate stream of thought. But the method behind his moviemaking is simply, well, simple.
"I do sort of a tag, hide and seek, hide and seek, hide and seek, tag, tag, tag," he explained. "So that's the rhythm of the movie in a horror genre. You just pace it like that."
Check out everything we've got on "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark."

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1. Video: Guillermo Del Toro Explains The Dynamics Of Horror Films

Red Hot Chili Peppers Nervous To Play I'm With You Live

Anthony Kiedis says he's concerned about 'not having enough days to practice.'

When MTV News sat down with legendary Los Angeles punk-funk icons the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Wednesday, they talked about a lot of things very confidently — their new video, fond memories of L.A.'s Forum, pygmy scientists and the state of music videos today. But the one thing they were clearly nervous about was the upcoming tour in support of their new album, I'm With You.

It's not performance anxiety: that much you can tell from the loose vibe of the just-unveiled "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" video. The Chili Peppers have seen millions of faces over the past 28 years, and rocked them all (or at least 99.9 percent of them). No, it's the challenge of playing the new songs from the album in front of their adoring fans without enough time to get them into fighting shape. Also, they're planning to play the new album in its entirety, top to bottom, on tour.
Regarding his concerns about performing the songs, singer Anthony Kiedis said, "Not having enough days to practice. It's very dynamic, so we really have to focus on letting each song exist unto itself with all of its beauty. There's a lot going on."
How did Flea's hour-long bass groove turn into "Rain Dance Maggie"?
The band wrote a lot of new material for their 10th studio album, and while Flea said the tunes that made the final cut are not necessarily better than those left on the floor, "it was important to us that each song stood on its own emotionally and aesthetically, that held its own spot," he said. "So we really have a lot of territory to cover in terms of emotional [ground]."
Besides, the simple fact is they're new songs and the group — including new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer — just don't know them as well as classics like "Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge."
They've done some of the requisite prep work, according to Kiedis, who said a string of three club shows before their recent Summer Sonic fest headlining set in Japan helped loosen up the muscles.
"Maggie" director Marc Klasfeld explains how the "simple and iconic" video was made.
"It was so fun ... it was wildly fun," Kiedis said of the gigs. "We really didn't know exactly what this would be like, a) because it's been a long time and b) because we now play with Josh. We felt pretty good about everything that we had done in terms of writing and recording, but no one really knew and it was just as good as one could have ever dreamt of ... It was like being 21 years old and not being able to sleep the night before a show."

Danny Brown Admits Drug Habit, Failed G-Unit Deal

'50 was with it; he just didn't sign me because of my jeans,' Detroit MC tells Mixtape Daily.

Jay-Z once rapped that 30 is the new 20, but Danny Brown is at ease with his age — so much so that the Detroit MC dedicated his latest mixtape, XXX, to the big 3-0.
At this point, Brown is comfortable as an individual, and that in itself is a double-edged sword. It is DB's individuality that has earned him a cult following of fans, which he dubs the Bruisers, and it is that same sense of self that cost the rapper a deal with 50 Cent's G-Unit Records.

"I just turned 30. I been writing raps all my life, but I remember the time when I was, like, 14, 15; I was like, 'Imagine what I'm gonna be like when I'm 20. Yo, imagine what I'm gonna be like when I'm 30,' " Brown told Mixtape Daily. "Now I'm finally 30."
The mixtape, which many have dubbed "Triple X," isn't a nod to pornography, but rather a play on the Roman numeral for 30. It's an important time for the rapper, who recently signed to indie label Fool's Gold. He is finally seeing his rap dreams come true, but with that realization also came drug addiction.
"Most of the stuff that I talk about is stuff that I've done in the past. But where is my life at right now, at 30?" Brown rhetorically asked. "At 30, my life is: I've been trying to get in this industry for over 10 years, and through me trying to get into that industry, I can say I developed a drug habit."
Brown admits to smoking marijuana, but then again, so do most rappers. Adderall, however, is not a hip-hop drug of choice. The stimulant is used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, and for Brown, it helps him record and live his rock-star lifestyle. He even raps about the drug on "Adderall Admiral," a track from XXX. "Eatin' on an Adderall, wash it down with alcohol/ Writin' holy mackerel actual or factual," he raps before embarking on his patented free-associative rhyme patterns over a herky-jerky beat.
"I got to the point that I was just taking Adderall to work on music, then it got to the point where I wanted to take Adderall to stay up late and party," Brown said. "So now, from me trying Adderall, I've tried other drugs too."
On XXX, DB remains an open book. He contemplates his fate on "Die Like a Rockstar," shouting the names of deceased celebrities like River Phoenix, Brittany Murphy and Heath Ledger. "Pac Blood" finds Brown rapping over a sample of Bob James' classic "Nautilus," and on "Lie4," he bucks standard rap fare by freely admitting his financial woes.
Danny Brown is certainly one of rap's most unique figures in recent memory, which can also be a disadvantage. In 2010, Brown befriended G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo, and together they recorded their collaborative Hawaiian Snow mixtape. The G-Unit association led many to wonder if Brown would eventually sign with 50's crew. But Brown, who favors fitted jeans and a vintage rock-inspired wardrobe, didn't fit the part of G-Unit soldier.
"It was a real thing. 50 was with it; he just didn't sign me because of my jeans. He liked the music, but he didn't like the way I looked," Danny said. "I understand where they were coming from with that, but you gotta understand where I'm coming from too: I'm from Detroit."

1. Danny Brown

1. Video: Mixtape Daily: Danny Brown