Latest news with #MTV
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
MTV Announces Return to All-Music Video Format. But There's a Catch.
MTV will go back to its roots—for a limited time only. The first-ever all-music TV network has announced a return to its 24/7 music video format ahead of the 2025 Video Music Awards. But there are a few catches. Returning MTV executive Van Toffler has dreamed up a week of all-music programming for three MTV channels during the week leading up to the VMAs on Sept. 7, Variety reported. The all-music video lineup will include videos selected by past MTV personalities and winning VMA artists. A press release posted by Remind magazine teased, 'In the run up to the 2025 Video Music Awards on CBS on September 7, MTV will air an unprecedented week of 24/7 music videos across MTV2, MTV Live and MTV Classic, both classic and current, in a revival of the brand's early DNA reimagined for today's audiences. Past VMA winners and legendary MTV personalities will return to curate and spotlight their seven favorite music videos of all time, offering fans an intimate glimpse into the music videos that shaped them.' MTV, Music Television, launched on Aug. 1, 1981, at 12:01 a.m. with imagery of a rocket launch and an astronaut planting an MTV flag on the moon. 'Ladies and gentlemen, rock 'n roll,' an announcer said. The first video to air on MTV was The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star.' Viewers were introduced to VJs Alan Hunter, Nina Blackwood, J.J. Jackson, Mark Goodman and Martha Quinn. Other videos played during that fateful first 24 hours included Pat Benatar's 'You Better Run,' 'Hold on Loosely' by 38 Special, 'You Better You Bet' by The Who, and 'Brass in Pocket' by The Pretenders. Music videos were the only thing on the menu at MTV for several years, but the network eventually gave way to reality shows, game shows, and animated series. Original VJ Alan Hunter told the New York Post that a taping for spring break segments in Daytona Beach in 1986 spawned a change. 'I was the VJ that loved being out of the studio the most, so I was the one they sent to spring break to be a part of the thousands of screaming young guys cracking beers over my head,' the MTV host said. 'And that was kind of the beginning of different kinds of shows that you would see. That was when MTV decided that they couldn't just be a video jukebox forever. MTV began to train their cameras on the lifestyle of the young folks that were watching MTV.'MTV Announces Return to All-Music Video Format. But There's a Catch. first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 25, 2025
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
MTV Divides Gen X Fans With Unexpected Announcement
MTV Divides Gen X Fans With Unexpected Announcement originally appeared on Parade. It's been a common refrain among Gen Xers (and elder Millennials) for years: "Remember when MTV used to play actual music?" Now it seems the iconic network is finally listening to the complaints of their earliest audiences — but not everybody is convinced. In a press release this week, it was announced that MTV will air a week of 24/7 music videos across MTV2, MTV Live and MTV Classic leading up to the 2025 Music Video Awards on Sunday, Sept. 7. According to the release, the selections will include "both classic and current" videos "in a revival of the brand's early DNA reimagined for today's audiences," curated by "past VMA winners and legendary MTV personalities." In the comments on an Instagram post sharing the news, some fans seemed thrilled to hear about the planned programming switch, while others remained skeptical. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kolten Lindsey (@ "MTV will make the greatest comeback if they went back to music videos," one person declared. "This should be ALL THE TIME," agreed a second commenter, adding, "The 90s were lit with music videos!!! That's how it should be! 'Music television' 🤦🏾♀️" "Or here's an idea…they could just do it permanently to get all that viewership back," somebody quipped, with another fan rejoicing, "Gen X is here for our first babysitter 😂" "But is it 80s and 90s? Because if it's current music, no gracias," declared a nostalgia-hungry music lover, as others offered their suggestions. "'Video Killed the Radio Star' should be the first again," one fan pointed out, referring to the first-ever music video played by MTV in 1981 (for a song by The Buggles). "Take On Me by A-ha ❤️," added another commenter, with still more people name-checking such classic MTV staples as "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits, "Thriller" by Michael Jackson, "Touch of Grey" by the Grateful Dead and "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer, among others. Whether or not MTV's throwback experiment will be a hit with viewers remains to be seen, but hopes are high for this year's VMAs, which will see the return of producer and CEO of digital media company Gunpowder & Sky (linked to such iconic VMAs moments as Beyoncé's pregnancy reveal and the Madonna-Britney Spears-Christina Aguilera kiss). "We're not just producing a show. We're launching a celebration of music that spans one week, every screen and every generation," Gunpowder & Sky CEO Van Toffler said in the press release. The VMAs are scheduled to air live on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on both CBS and MTV, and will be available to stream on Paramount+.MTV Divides Gen X Fans With Unexpected Announcement first appeared on Parade on Jun 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Refinery29
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Ashanti Talks Docuseries With Nelly: 'We Got All Of Our Big Arguments Out In 2012'
We are in an era of nostalgia, and as a millennial who mainlined every movie and TV show we are now revisiting, I am not mad at it. And thanks to the current early 2000s renaissance, at this year's American Black Film Festival (ABFF), I had the opportunity to do something teen Kathleen wouldn't have even dared to dream: I interviewed Ashanti on stage in front of a room full of people who were just as in awe of her as I was. Ashanti was everything to 2000s pop and R&B — and to me. She wasn't just a voice on the radio or a hot girl on MTV (I grew up in Canada so it was MuchMusic for us), she was the moment. For millennial Black girls like me, she was soft and powerful at the same time, a woman who could sing about heartbreak one minute and independence the next, all while rocking rhinestones, low-rise jeans, and that signature baby hair with unapologetic confidence. She held her own next to Ja Rule and Fat Joe, yet her solo tracks like ' Foolish ' and ' Rain on Me ' gave us the soundtrack to first crushes, late-night MSN messenger confessions (real ones remember!), and our earliest lessons in love. While other artists chased trends, Ashanti was the sound. Her melodies, harmonies, and pen game helped define that sweet spot between hip-hop grit and R&B vulnerability. She didn't just belong to the charts; she belonged to us. So it's safe to say that getting to interview her and get a sneak peak of her reality docuseries with her husband, another 2000s icon, Nelly, was a dream come true. The duo — who broke up and got back together and now are married with a baby — have come together for the ultimate collaboration: their new docuseries, Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together (which hits Peacock today, Thursday, June 26). ' I never saw myself doing a docuseries, reality TV or anything like that... But my husband [Nelly] was like, 'look, this is what I think we should do.' ashanti at abff ' The panel, titled ' The Remix: Ashanti's New Chapter of Love, Life & Legacy ', started with the teaser trailer for the show and showcased why Ashanti and Nelly decided to do a reality series now. "I never saw myself doing a docuseries, reality TV or anything like that," Ashanti told the packed crowd in Miami. "I had been asked for years to do it, to have the cameras [follow] my sisters, stuff with my family, stuff by myself and I was like, 'nah I'm good, thank you.' But my husband was like, 'look, this is what I think we should do.'" Ashanti laughed along with the audience. The conversation unpacked Ashanti's expanded role in the docuseries — as star, producer, mother, and creative force. Alongside NBCU programming executive Brittinee Royes and the show's executive producer and showrunner, Oji Singletary, Ashanti spoke about how this chapter aligns with her ongoing career evolution. She's a mom now and while she's still singing, acting, and Peacock's eight‐episode docuseries offers an intimate portrayal of Nelly and Ashanti's renewed romance. After reuniting at a 2021 Verzuz event, the couple quietly married in December 2023 and welcomed their son KK in mid‑2024. From the first episode, I couldn't help but smile seeing them together again. There's a comfort in watching two artists you grew up with find each other again, this time with more maturity and less ego. They're grown. They're flawed. And watching them navigate that — in a long-distance marriage, with a baby, and careers still unfolding — felt real in a way you don't often expect from a celebrity docuseries. And when I asked Ashanti if she was worried about showing the reality of their relationship to the world, she didn't flinch. She said she wasn't because they don't fight in the same way after their reconciliation. "Yeah, it's crazy. I think we got all of our big arguments out in, like, 2012," Ashanti said to laughter. "Those were the big, big ones and I think we kind of fizzled that out." One argument that is teased in the series is the couple's disagreement over Nelly's choice to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration ball. The series doesn't dance around the controversy, which saw Nelly face backlash for seemingly aligning himself with Trump (he defended the choice by saying it was "not political" back in January). Ashanti shouldn't have to answer for her husband's actions, but by nature of being married, his actions do reflect on her as well. The series shows Ashanti confronting Nelly about the decision and doesn't shy away from the conflict. As much as I disagree with Nelly's choice (and let's make it clear that I absolutely do), I liked that the show was candid about it, and that it showed Ashanti holding her own and standing up for herself and her reputation. Aside from that storyline, the series combines a blend of candid interviews, real‑life and tour footage, and personal anecdotes, resulting in a surprisingly candid showcase of Ashanti and Nelly's chemistry. My personal favorite moment is something extremely mundane: the couple go shopping for mattresses. Nelly can't wrap his head around the exorbitant prices and Ashanti is just giggling along as she tries to convince her man that a million-dollar price tag on a mattress is normal. "We wanted it to feel real," Ashanti said. "We want people to see the funny sides and the things that people don't see on Instagram." In moments like these, couple is portrayed as warm and genuine, with their goofy dynamic and their commitment to each other coming through loud and clear. During the panel, both Royes and Singletary chimed in about the specialness of that simple moment and shared what else in the series sets it apart from other reality TV. "It's Ashanti's first motherhood experience and then cameras are here, boom, we're shooting," Singletary said. "I'm super proud of her, I'm super proud of Nelly and I think everyone is going to appreciate it." "For me as a woman, as a wife, as a mother, I'm like there are nuances to this story that the people need to see," Royes said. "And I was so grateful that [Ashanti] was open to being honest and being vulnerable about [juggling motherhood and career]. You guys will see in the first episode and I related because I remember going back to work after having a baby. And you really struggle." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Unbothered (@r29unbothered) Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together shows the superstar's struggle with balancing her career and new baby, but it also sets a clear boundary: Ashanti's son, KK, is never shown in full in the series. His face is blurred out. On the decision to not show KK's face, Ashanti said, "There was no hesitation. I knew I was not going to show my son... I'm kind of a mama bear already, very protective. I didn't want to show my son to world yet. I haven't even posted him on Instagram or anything like that. Those moments are very sacred to me. We'll make the decision on when he's ready to pop out and show out," She said laughing. By the end of our conversation, I felt oddly emotional. And as for the series, We Belong Together isn't a love story trying to convince us everything's perfect. It's about starting over, about timing finally aligning, and about healing in the public eye. We've watched Ashanti go from mixtapes to motherhood, and right now, we're watching a new beginning. If you go to the series for nostalgia, you'll get it. If you go for authenticity, it's got that too. And during our panel at ABFF, Ashanti, Singletary and Royes reminded everyone that sometimes the greatest remix isn't a new beat — it's a whole new perspective.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ananda Lewis, Celebrated MTV VJ, Dead at 52
Ananda Lewis, a former MTV VJ during the late Nineties and who shared her breast cancer journey with fans, has died at the age of 52. Lewis' death was confirmed today in a Facebook post by her sister, Lakshmi Emory. Lewis revealed in 2020 that she had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. In her video announcement at the time, she urged women to practice early detection and to get mammograms. More from Rolling Stone Brian Wilson, Beach Boys Co-Founder and Architect of Pop, Dead at 82 Questlove, Clairo, Earthgang, and More Remember Sly Stone: He 'Was a Giant' Billy Jones, Baby's All Right Owner and Key Player in New York Music Scene, Dead at 45 'I need you to share this with the women in your life who may be as stubborn as I was about mammograms and I need you to tell them that they have to do it,' Lewis said in her 2020 Instagram post. 'Early detection, especially for breast cancer, changes your outcome. It can save their life.' Lewis was hired by MTV in 1997 as one of their video jockeys, and she would go on to host the shows Total Request Live and Hot Zone. In 2001 she started her own talk show, The Ananda Lewis Show, which ran from 2001 to 2002. Lewis would later join The Insider, an Entertainment Tonight spinoff as a correspondent from 2004 to 2005. During the revival of TLC's While You Were Out in 2019, Lewis returned as the show's host. Last October, Lewis said that her cancer had progressed to stage 4. During a discussion with CNN's correspondents Stephanie Elam and Sarah Sidner, who was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024, Lewis opened up about her treatment path. 'This journey is very personal and you have to do what works for you and only you,' she said. Her fellow former MTV VJ Dave Holmes remembered Lewis on social media following news of her death. 'She was the best: friendly funny kind clever cool committed passionate patient stylish and smart. If you were working with her, you knew you'd be having fun, and you'd want to step your game up to match her effortless charisma. You couldn't, but the trying made you better,' he wrote in an Instagram post alongside a photo of Lewis and the song 'Someday We'll Know' by the New Radicals. 'We bonded over our shared love of this song, it has reminded me of her ever since, and now it always will.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Patrick Walden, Babyshambles Guitarist, Dead at 46
Patrick Walden, guitarist in the Pete Doherty-fronted band Babyshambles, has died at the age of 46. The British band announced Walden's death Friday on social media; no cause of death was provided. More from Rolling Stone Ananda Lewis, Celebrated MTV VJ, Dead at 52 Brian Wilson, Beach Boys Co-Founder and Architect of Pop, Dead at 82 Questlove, Clairo, Earthgang, and More Remember Sly Stone: He 'Was a Giant' 'It is with deep regret and sadness that we share the news of Patrick Walden's death,' Babyshambles — Doherty, Mick Whitnall, Drew McConnell and Adam Ficek — said in a joint statement. 'We feel very fortunate to have known/loved and worked with him and we kindly ask for respect and privacy during these difficult times.' After Doherty was booted from the Libertines (twice) in the early 2000s due to substance abuse issues, the guitarist formed Babyshambles as his musical outlet, and enlisted Walden as lead guitarist. In addition to his guitar work on tracks like 'Killamangiro' and 'Albion,' Walden also served as co-writer on three tracks on the band's 2005 album Down in Albion, including their hit single 'Fuck Forever.' However, Walden's tenure with Babyshambles was short-lived, as drug issues and a criminal case for assaulting his then-girlfriend (all charges were ultimately dismissed) led to his departure in 2005; he was replaced by Whitnall on the group's second album, 2007's Shotter's Nation. While Walden remained in the Babyshambles orbit and occasionally performed with his former band mates, he never officially rejoined the group, which just this past March reunited at a Doherty solo gig. During that show, Doherty teased Babyshambles' return later this year. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
