Sway Joins NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg In Answering Obama’s Call For Service
Throughout the campaign and his months in the oval office, President Barack Obama has made service a top priority. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg followed Obama’s lead today with his NYC Service event, and I was honored to be asked to serve as his co-host.
Mayor Bloomberg wants New York to be the nation’s capital for service. His plan includes appointing a chief service officer, recruiting new volunteers and requiring schools to promote volunteering. There were quite a few notable attendees, including Caroline Kennedy, former New York first lady Silda Wall Spitzer and Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, who shook my hand and thanked me for coming out.
It just felt good being there, because I felt that I was leading by example for these kids. There wasn’t really anybody else there with my background, so it meant a lot.
I got a chance to interact with the mayor and thank him on behalf of MTV, but also dedicate the channel’s commitment to service. A few thousand people showed up, kids and adults included. It really felt like it’s a continuation of what took place in November, when the changing of the guard happened in the administration and the president gave his call toward public service.
Why Would Rihanna Go To Dubai?
When news broke that Rihanna might be returning to the stage sometime soon, some people were surprised by her city of choice: Dubai. Although happy that she’s moving on with her life and getting back to performing, American fans are probably wondering, “Why Dubai?”
Well, let me tell you…
The first time I visited Dubai was a few years ago when I was 18 years old. I went to see a good friend of mine who lived there and had always told me that Dubai (or “Du-bay” as he used to call it) was one of the best cities in the world. Since then … I’ve been back four times. He was right!
Reason No. 1: Dubai is famously known as the entertainment and party capital of the Middle East. Take it from me, Dubai knows how to get down. There’s a fine balance, though, between Dubai’s strong Islamic culture and the party lifestyle. Alcohol is allowed, but you can’t get too crazy. Rih might even have to go easy on the more risqué costumes for her shows.
While she doesn’t have to cover up completely, Rihanna isn’t going to want to offend anyone, so a couple of raunchier outfits might have to stay back at home. Either way, Rihanna is going to have an amazing time!
Reason No. 2: Back when I first visited Dubai, the world-famous Burj Al Arab — regarded by some as the only “seven-star” hotel in the world — had just been completed and looked like nothing I had ever seen before. Like a huge ship’s sail rising 321 meters out of the ocean, the hotel is one of the most beautiful and luxurious in the world. The service is incredible. The option of being picked up from the airport by one of the Burj Al Arab’s fleet of white-on-white Rolls-Royce Phantoms — or even the white-on-white helicopter — says it all!
I’m thinking Rihanna should make a move for the hotel’s Royal Suite. Reserved for only the world’s richest, the most famous and heads of state, the Royal Suite is described on the hotel’s Web site as “stately and opulent” and takes the word “luxury” to another level. At 780 square meters, the suite has its own private elevator, private cinema, a marble-and-gold (yes, real gold) staircase, leopard-print tufted carpets, Carrarra marble floors, mahogany furniture, a dining area, the suite’s own Arabic majils-style lounge (a reception area), a library, a master bedroom with rotating four-poster canopy bed and a second bedroom with adjoining marble bathrooms with spa bath, walk-in shower and Hermes body products. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention the 24-hour butler on hand at the ring of a bell (yes, he waits outside the door).
Reason No. 3: Dubai boasts some modern-day wonders of the world. These mega-projects range from the world’s tallest man-made structure (the Burj Dubai, towering at 818 meters) to the first ski slope in a desert to the largest man-made islands, the Palm and the World (an archipelago designed to look like a map of the globe). Dubai is known as “the City of Lights,” “the City of Gold” and now it can add “the City of Records” to its list. But it’s not just the modern city that is attractive — Old Dubai is simply beautiful. Famous for wind towers lining either side of the Dubai Creek and its Arabian architecture, the Bastakiya district is a tantalizing glimpse of a centuries-old Middle East. Historical buildings, mosques, museums, the market — there’s a lot for Rih to do on her day off.
Reason No. 4: We all know our girl Rihanna hails from Barbados and loves the sun, and she’ll fit in just fine in Dubai. The weather is incredible. Situated on the south-eastern shore of the Persian Gulf, Dubai (especially around May and June) gets hot! The white-sand beaches are stunning, so Rih better pack a bikini!
Reason No. 5: As Busta rapped in “Arab Money,” the city’s got money! No doubt, Rihanna is probably getting a very big cheque indeed! Go get ‘em!
The Susan Boyle Photo Shoot Has Arrived
I suppose it had to happen eventually.
One day Susan Boyle was doing volunteer work in her Blackburn, Scotland, church. The next day she was a global TV and Internet sensation. Some 16 million YouTube views will do that.
The latest, and perhaps most amazing, step in Susan Boyle’s journey to superstardom is a professional photo shoot done in her home and around Blackburn. “OMG” doesn’t quite cover it.
She posed with a microphone, in her yard and out in the middle of the street (my personal favorite), among other places.
Good for her, I think. Regardless of what happens to Susan Boyle on this season of “Britain’s Got Talent” (I hear she’s the odds-on favorite at 5-2), this will be a great memory for the rest of her life.
Coldplay, Leona Lewis And Duffy Lead A British Invasion Of The U.S. Charts
The U.K. might be a small island in the ocean, but we definitely had a big voice in music this past year. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) just released some numbers, and I wanted to take a quick minute to give a big shout-out to some of the U.K.’s finest musical exports who made a splash over here in America.
For any British artist, “breaking America” is a huge deal and a very tough thing to do. There have been artists like Robbie Williams — who are hugely famous and incredibly popular back home — who come to the U.S. with the hopes and dreams to replicate that success and end up being sorely disappointed.
But then there are the newcomers that hit the music scene just last year, like “X-Factor” winner Leona Lewis, Duffy, Adele, Estelle and the Ting Tings.
According to the BPI, one in 10 albums bought in the U.S. was by a British artist. That’s big. In fact, that’s huge. The figures actually show that the U.K. market share rose from 8.5 percent in 2007, and in Canada, British artists accounted for almost 15 percent of album sales.
Sitting on top of the Brit Pack are, of course, one of the biggest bands in the world: Coldplay. Chris and the boys’ Viva la Vida was the second best-selling album in the U.S. last year, selling more than 5 million singles, followed closely by Leona Lewis, who shifted just under 4.75 million albums — impressive.
So here’s a toast to the Brit Pack. Keep it coming!
Heidi Montag Parties While Spencer Pratt Gets It On Tape
On Thursday night in Hollywood, “The Hills” star Heidi Montag hosted a listening party for her upcoming album. Of course Heidi was willing to ham it up for the cameras, but we were surprised to see a familiar face behind one of those cameras.
As it turns out, Spencer Pratt has assumed the role of Heidi’s personal videographer — and judging by the look on Spencer’s face, he takes his job quite seriously. (And judging by the look on Heidi’s face, she does too.) If it is her full-time job to show up to events and look pretty, well, then, mission accomplished.
Although we don’t know the specifics of just what Heidi previewed at the listening party, we hope that one of those songs had Spencer as a guest star. “Spencer Pratt is amazing,” she said recently. “I’d love to get him on my album. He sings, he raps — he does everything.” Camera work included.
Carrie Underwood Wears A Big Dress For Her Big Night At The Academy Of Country Music Awards
Sure, Carrie Underwood might have won a couple of awards, including Entertainer of the Year and Top Female Vocalist, at the Academy of Country Music Awards last night in Las Vegas, but the “American Idol” champ really had people talking thanks to one fashion choice (see our full Country Music Awards red carpet gallery here).
Carrie wore a few different looks for the show. For one, Carrie rocked a short, white, ruffled halter dress. Carrie also donned white when she graced the stage in a mini one-sleeve dress. She hit the carpet in a belted, pale-pink, one-shoulder Grecian-style dress. Backstage earlier in the day, Carrie wore a black dress with a red belt. In another backstage shot, she’s wearing a short, black, asymmetrical dress with bow detailing.
But it was the deep-maroon ball gown Carrie wore to the show that really has people talking today. When she got onstage to sing “I Told You So,” the skirt was so full it took up a good portion of the stage.
When Carrie won the award for Entertainer of the Year, she said, “I’ve had a lot of good moments in the last four years. This one takes the cake!” We’d have to say the same about that dress. Even if it’s not your style, you have to admit that it looks stunning on Carrie.
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