8.29.11 Adam News & Info

This year's mysterious awards from the VMA's
8.29.11 by Q3

This award show once mattered. Now it is more like a cultural artifact. MTV rarely plays music videos, but it is part of their heritage. Nice that they recognize the music video artform once a year.

Here are this year's VMA masterpieces!!!

Best Video With a Message- Lady Gaga – Born This Way

Let's invent a category so Gaga can win an extra award!!


Best Pop Video- Britney Spears – Til The World Ends

Ray Kay is one of the most talented video directors on the planet. Did he like this idea so much that he had to do it twice? [If you never watch this video, check it out. Yes, it is FYE in the future -- still set in LA.]




Best Rock Video – Foo Fighters – Walk

Please watch this video with your finger on the stop button -- the first 1:20 are pretty funny -- best to stop there.



The intro is great -- and then he gets out of his car and grabs his guitar -- I expect some rage rock or proof that PUNK IS NOT DEAD. But no. It is the f'ing Foo Fighters. Urgh! Can someone mash this up with a better song??? [Rock is dead.]


Best Hip Hop Video – Nikki Minaj – Super Bass

Really?!!? This is nothing original or notable about this except she has great wigs and makeup. Oh, gotta give an award to Nikki.




Best Collaboration - Katy Perry/Kanye West – E.T.

No surprise here.




Best Male Video – Justin Bieber – U Smile

Fan votes must really count!! And maybe the shouldn't!!




Best Female Video - Lady Gaga – Born This Way

OK the Gaga quota is filled. [Two for Gaga, two for Katy, keep the universe in balance -- On no!!! Katy got 3 including VOTY!]




Choreography: Beyonce, “Run the World (Girls).”

Finally they got one right!!




The technical awards!

Best Editing - Adele, “Rolling in the Deep.”
Best Special Effects – Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, “E.T.”
Best Cinematography - Adele, “Rolling in the Deep.”
Best Art Direction: Adele, “Rolling in the Deep.”
Best Direction – Adele, “Rolling in the Deep.”

So if Adele's RITD had special effects would it have won that too?

Seriously, this is possibly the silliest set of awards of the night. Adele signs her heart out, the song is amazing and the video is truly forgettable. Best direction???? Best Art Direction? Yes, the tarp looks great.




Best New Artist – Tyler The Creator – Yonkers

On the good side -- there is something real about this video and the award went to an unlikely winner -- an alternative hip hop artist who is an American with an indie British label. But if Tyler is the best new artist, we have a dim future ahead. But if Tyler's win signals some recognition for the concept of creative collectives, kuddos to MTV. Now how about showing some more alternative videos on your stations?




Video of the Year – Katy Perry – Firework

No surprise here. It is the year of Katy. With 5 #1 hits in a row. She really had to get this. [227 million YT views in 10 months is not shabby either. Someone likes this video.]










Adam Lambert “TBD”, Release date TBD
8.29.11 by Q3

EW's Sept 2, 2011 Fall Music Preview issues includes Adam’s new album TBD with a release date of November TBD. Including tracks TBD except for one. We really do not know much about this album.


Link: twitpic.com/6cwqsq




If Adam’s lead single is released in mid-October, a November album release seems like a real push – certainly possible, but a tight schedule. Here’s my take on some of the considerations:

Adam’s Lead Single: Based on Adam’s tweet of “probably 8 weeks” until the single will be released, that leave about 7-1/2 weeks until a new single – that means mid- to late-October. I am very confident that RCA will really push to get this single out in October. November and December are the slowest months for releases thanks to holiday programming, end of year chart freezes, and record labels wanting to avoid the challenging holiday chart period when the charts move very slowly.

For pop artists, labels like to have at least 2-1/2 months between a single release and the album drop. That leaves time to move a single up the charts and build awareness of it. That awareness can then be activated with an album sale. For some artists, the label will promote 2 or 3 singles, and then release the album. In the digital marketplace, this is becoming more common because buyers can choose to buy singles and then complete the album at a later date.

Radio promotion to build awareness is not the only way to sell music but it is difficult to reach a mass music buying audiences without several weeks of radio airplay. For example, IMO Adam’s singles and first album sales suffered because of the single release schedule. [FYE single released 10/30/09; WWFM released 11/20/09. FYE album released 23 days after FYE single and 3 days after WWFM on 11/23/09.]

Adam’s Next Album: There is no word from RCA, DMG or Adam on when the album will be released except for some general references to November from Adam. [This appears to be the source of EW November TBD.] There are all kinds of fan-speculation dates but with an October lead single it seems that the earliest possible release would be retail week #43 [11/20/11 – 11/26/11]. That is Thanksgiving week. A 10/18/11 single release leaves only 5 weeks between lead single and album release on 11/22/11. Not impossible but a really tight schedule.

So as we approach the release of Adam’s lead single and head into a period of album promotion, RCA and DMG may have something unusual planned – a promotional plan that does not rely heavily on pop radio. But I expect to see a radio as a major component of Adam’s promotional schedule, along with a heavy push with music videos on TV and online, and some significant event marketing.






Waiting for albums
8.29.11 by Q3

When you think 8 weeks is a long wait.....some fans have waited much longer.

Recently, USA Today compiled a list of long-awaited albums. And I mean LONG awaited….








Upcoming Events

Check the Adamtopia calendar for more events and links to more info.

??: Behind the scenes video of Adam #2 recording sessions to be released.

September 2011 Date TBD, unconfirmed Adam will be a guest judge on Project Runway. His episode was taped on 7.14.11.


Probable per Adam mid-October: New single released

9.16.11 Last day to order PEACE Penny Royal Adam Lambert Signature Design to benefit Trevor Project.

9.23.2011 Premiere of Majors & Minors on the Hub Network.
Adam Lambert, Avril Lavigne, Colbie Caillat and Claude Kelly are joining The Hub's latest reality series Majors & Minors. They will serve as mentors (the "majors") to young talent on the upcoming fall series, premiering Friday, Sept. 23.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/adam-lambert-avril-lavigne-colbie-217026

October or November 2011 (Date and Time TBA) MTV Talk@Playground with Adam and SKINGRAFT'S Johnny Cota. Will be broadcast internationally.

November 2011 Adam's second album released NOT CONFIRMED, may be early December.
8.26.11 per Adam Lambert Twitter - no release date set.


Every Saturday from New Zealand -- Adam Lambert Hour -- Live 7:00PM EDT US.
Link: www.adamlamberthour.co.nr/

Check out the ALH page for podcast of previous shows.
This is the only weekly Adam Lambert show in the world.


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