One Direction ‘to go separate ways’ next year

LONDON | British pop phenomenon One Direction are to take an indefinite break from next year, according to a media report Monday which has left fans devastated.

The four-piece boy band will separate for at least a year from March to pursue solo projects, according to The Sun newspaper, citing a “1D source”.

The band, who enjoy a massive global teenage following, did not comment when contacted by AFP and have not commented on the tabloid report on their various Twitter accounts.

“The guys have been together for five years, which is an incredible run for any boy band,” said The Sun’s source.

“They fully deserve to have at least a year to work on their own projects. There is absolutely no bad blood between them and they are all 100 percent behind the decision.

“It is definitely not a split and they fully intend to get back together at some time in the future.”

They are due to release their fifth album before Christmas, and fulfil promotional commitments by the end of February, the report said.

There will be no tour for the new album.

The band’s last scheduled concerts are at the Sheffield Arena in northern England on October 29, 30, 31.

They are currently touring North America and are due to perform in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday.

Put together for a British television singing contest in 2010, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson swiftly developed a giant, fiercely loyal following of young girls worldwide.

The chart-toppers have sold more than 50 million records around the globe.

Malik quit the band in March, shortly after being signed off with stress.

“I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight,” he said at the time.

The Sun’s report said the split would have happened regardless of Malik’s departure.

The Sunday Times newspaper’s Rich List 2015 reckoned the band members were worth £25 million each.

source: interaksyon.com

Life after Zayn

MANILA, Philippines - Right now, you probably already know what went down in the wee hours of March 26, Thursday morning. Zayn Malik, Bradford bad boy and token diva of One Direction, left the boyband for good so he could focus on fixing his private life. His announcement was made exactly a week after he walked out in the middle of the Southeast Asian leg of their world tour. To the fans of the boys, and fans of bands in general, losing a member is monumental. Think of the Beatles sans John Lennon or the Spice Girls minus Geri Halliwell — history’s shown that sudden departures can end a band’s successful run. Will 1D meet the same fate?

In the case of N*Sync, where the brunt of the vocals was primarily juggled by Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, the option of continuing as a band was rather unlikely. Justin’s voice was distinctive and carried most of their tracks to their climax. Without him, it would’ve just been JC and three backup dancers. In 1D, the distribution of parts is more or less equal and interchangeable. If you take Zayn out of the equation, the other four boys (Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson) would be there to pick up his slack. The concerts last weekend proved they could manage just fine without him. Although the remaining quartet couldn’t exactly hit all the otherworldly notes Zayn had set for them (let’s face it, the boy was vocally blessed with a golden falsetto), they were still able to deliver respectable and enjoyable performances.

In terms of songwriting, Zayn’s a lightweight. He only managed to co-write 10 of the band’s 73 songs. That’s meager compared to Liam’s 27 and Louis’s 30. There have been rumors that Zayn’s original compositions were not good enough to make the final cut of their latest album, “Four,” spurring him to collaborate with outside producers like Naughty Boy. Whether this is true or not, we’ll see its fruits in the future. But for now, it’s safe to say that the rest of the 1D boys have nothing to worry about regarding songwriting. After all, they still have a company-provided team of songsmiths to help them out.

#ALWAYSINOURHEARTSZAYNMALIK 

Thursday’s Twitter trends were full of hashtags and lamentations dedicated to Zayn’s abrupt goodbye. Fans begged him to come back. Others sent their best wishes. The rumor mill spun like mad. It’s undeniable how Zayn was adored. The boy brought something different to the plate. He was simple and meek. He was of color and of a different religion. He opened up the band to audiences who wouldn’t have normally taken notice of a generic bunch of singing white boys.

For many fans, Zayn was the sole reason they even joined the fandom. With his long lashes, chiseled features, and insane vocals, he lured them into the craziness that is One Direction only to leave them behind when the times got tough. To see him go like that must have felt like betrayal. Nothing made this more evident than the fan reaction to the news that he would be M.I.A. for the Manila shows. Friends of mine threatened to sell their tickets. Some opted for downgrades. And yet, come concert day, all of them still showed up with their original tickets in hand because despite all the pre-concert drama, there was still a chance of Zayn’s triumphant return once he got things sorted out. It was a possibility that never came to pass. Zayn is gone.



A couple of friends and I were lucky enough to see him perform in Singapore, one of his final shows with the whole band. His ad-libs were inhuman, and they left me and everyone in the stadium floored. He had a few good laughs with the boys onstage, but for the most part, his eyes were glazed over, staring into oblivion. I didn’t notice it at that time, but he was probably mulling over his next steps. Two shows later, in Bangkok, he took his final bow. “Thank you,” he said, “We have been One Direction!” And that was that.

Boybands have a limited shelf life, and 1D is nearing its expiration date. It’s only a matter of time before their fans find other acts to gush about, but until then, they still have a tour to finish and an album to release. Life for the boys after Zayn will be different, definitely. It will be new. It will be a gamble. Fans, like myself, can only hope it’ll pay off. It would be sad to see them just fade away.

source: philstar.com

Zayn Malik quits One Direction, wants normal life

LONDON | Singer Zayn Malik said on Wednesday he was quitting the best-selling pop band One Direction because he wanted to live a normal life and apologized to fans of the hugely popular British-Irish group for doing so.

The decision by Malik to quit came after he dropped out of an Asian tour due to what he said was stress when pictures of the singer, who is engaged to Perrie Edwards of Little Mix, were published showing him partying with another woman in Thailand.

“I’d like to apologize to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight,” Malik said in a statement on One Direction’s Facebook page.

The announcement said Malik’s decision had come after five years with the band, which came to prominence for its performance on the popular televised singing competition “The X Factor” in 2010.

One Direction’s biggest hits include “Best Song Ever”, “Kiss You”, “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life”.

The remaining band members, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, will continue on their current world tour as a foursome and will release their fifth album later this year, the statement said.

“We’re really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future. The past five years have been beyond amazing, we’ve gone through so much together, so we will always be friends,” the band members said.

Simon Cowell, the British music and television impresario who launched the band, said:

“I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction. Since I first met Zayn in 2010, I have grown very, very fond — and immensely proud — of him.

“I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave. As for One Direction, fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the future of the band.”

The announcement instantly made Malik’s name one of the top trends on Twitter and produced anguished reactions from fans.

“I KEEP HOPING THAT @zaynmalik LEAVING IS SOME EARLY APRIL FOOLS JOKE BY @onedirection,” tweeted one American fan.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction teases for new album with single

NEW YORK | Boy band One Direction, whose last album was 2013′s top seller, on Monday announced a November release for their latest record and streamed a free single to whet fans’ appetites.

The British heartthrobs’ fourth album — entitled, simply, “Four” — will go on sale on November 17. In a message to fans on their website, One Direction offered free downloads for one day of the first track, entitled “Fireproof.”

“Fireproof” stays largely true to One Direction’s style, with light guitar-based pop backing up multiple singers, avoiding the heavier sound with which the band flirted on their last album, “Midnight Memories.”

“Midnight Memories” sold four million copies worldwide last year, making it the most-bought album of 2013 even though it was released in late November.

One Direction have been prolific in their output since storming onto the stage in 2010 with performances on the British talent show “The X Factor.”

On October 11-12, a film of one of the band’s concerts in Italy — called “Where We Are,” after the name of their tour — will air in cinemas around the world, following up on One Direction’s documentary film “This Is Us” last year.

One Direction joins a list of bands that have chosen to release albums entitled simply by their number in their respective discographies, with artists as diverse as Beyonce and Stone Temple Pilots also making records called “Four” or some variation thereof.

Listen to “Fireproof” here:

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction singer’s takeover of football club flops

LONDON | One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson has seen his dreams of buying his hometown soccer club Doncaster Rovers thwarted after a fund raising effort fell short of its two million pound ($3.4 million) target.

Singer Tomlinson, who played for Doncaster’s reserve team earlier this year, had planned to take over the League One (third tier) club with former owner John Ryan.

The pair had set up a crowdfunding scheme to support the plan but that initiative had raised less than 40 percent of its target on Friday despite the Tomlinson Ryan Trust putting in a “six figure sum” to get the ball rolling. 


Tomlinson said on his Twitter feed that he was “absolutely gutted” that the deal was not going ahead to buy a team he has grown up supporting.

Ryan blamed the Football League for blocking the deal.

“They have made it so difficult now that unless you have a bag full of cash you are going to get turned down,” he told BBC radio.

The League said it had a duty to ensure that clubs were financially stable.

“In any club takeover it is a requirement for the prospective purchaser to provide a business plan and to demonstrate that the funding is in place to deliver on that plan,” it said in a statement.

“In this case, this fundamental requirement has not yet been met.”

Tomlinson, 22, is one of five members of boy band One Direction, a group assembled on British talent show “The X Factor” in 2010.

One Direction was the first group in the history of the U.S. Billboard Top 200 chart to debut at No. 1 with its first three albums.

source: interaksyon.com

Boy band One Direction makes chart history with third No. 1 album debut

LOS ANGELES | British boy band One Direction made chart history on Wednesday as its third album debuted at No. 1 on the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, the only group to have its first three albums top the chart in opening week sales.

The quintet’s “Midnight Memories” sold 546,000 copies, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.

The group’s first album, “Up All Night” and second record “Take Me Home,” both released in 2012, also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, but with smaller opening week sales.

One Direction, comprised of singers Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, was formed on the U.K. reality singing television show “The X Factor” in 2010 and has gone on to conquer the United States with songs such as “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life.”

The band’s music is targeted at a young audience, and its fans are mainly teenage girls, dubbed “Directioners.” The group has more than 16 million Twitter followers and 22 million Facebook fans.

One Direction’s big opening week marks an increase in overall album sales for the week ending December 1, due to the shopping boost during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Total album sales were 8.6 million for the week, up 14 percent from the comparable week in 2012, according to Billboard.

Only one other new album debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 this week. Country singer Garth Brooks came in at No. 3 with a box set of music called “Blame It on My Roots,” which sold 164,000 copies in an exclusive deal with retailer Walmart.

On the digital songs chart, which measures single track downloads, rapper Pitbull’s song “Timber” featuring Ke$ha climbed from No. 4 to No. 1 with 237,000 downloads, benefiting from the duo performing the song at the November 24 American Music Awards.

Eminem’s “Monster” featuring Rihanna dropped one spot to No. 2, while A Great Big World’s “Say Something” featuring Christina Aguilera climbed three spots to No. 3 this week, also benefiting from a performance at the AMA.

source: interaksyon.com

Paul McCartney admits soft spot for One Direction

LONDON - They've been dubbed the new Beatles and now British boy band One Direction have the seal of approval from one of the original Fab Four -- Paul McCartney.

"I like One Direction. They're young, beautiful boys and that's the big attraction," the 71-year-old said in an interview with Sky News television on Monday.

"But they can sing, they make good records, so I think that's what I would see in common (with The Beatles) -- girls love them."



He cautioned against taking the comparison too far, however.

"I always think it's a little bit unfortunate when you call (a band) the new Beatles. It can be the kiss of death because people expect you to live up to what we did," he said.

"We did what we did in a particular period in time, which was very different to now. I don't know whether it was easier to be a wild success, but it was different."

McCartney said he also liked Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars -- but admitted many of his listening habits these days were formed by his 10-year-old daughter Beatrice.

"For what it is, I think they're really good records. Mind you, I've got a 10-year-old girl so we listen to that kind of stuff," he said.

McCartney was speaking as "New" hit the shelves in Britain, his first album of new solo material in six years.

He has worked with several different producers on the 12-track album, including Paul Epworth, Mark Ronson, Ethan Johns, and Giles Martin.

"It's not difficult to come up with something new. To come up with something new which is good is difficult, because you're stacking them against the stuff you've done -- but you've got to just forget that," he said.

"I love writing songs so I just have to say 'don't even try and better the old ones, just get on with it'. So I do. But I love doing it so much that I can't stop."

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction launch 3D behind-the-scenes documentary ‘This is Us’

LONDON | British boy band One Direction, one of the pop music industry’s biggest acts in the last two years, plan to show the world what they’re really like in a new 3D documentary that will premiere in London on Tuesday.

The five singers told a news conference in the British capital on Monday that “This is Us” allowed them to present themselves in a more realistic manner than they are depicted on videos, in concert and on the ubiquitous social media sites that track their every movement on and off stage.  




“There is only so much you can get across in terms of your personality, you know, social media and like 10-minute interviews you do with people,” singer Harry Styles said.

“So I think …(it’s) a way for us to get across what we are like and what we are like with each other for the fans to see.”

Band members Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Styles were all on hand to talk about the behind-the-scenes film and the media interest that has engulfed them since they first became a group on a British TV talent show in 2010.

The film, directed by “Super Size Me” documentary maker Morgan Spurlock, includes concert footage, life backstage and on the road. But Styles laughed off one reporter’s question about whether footage with groupies or drugs had been edited out.

“This is a family press conference,” Styles said.

Spurlock said the film would show that part of the band’s success stems from their down-to-earth personalities.

“Part of the reason I think they have been so successful with their fans is that they are so incredibly grounded and normal and that’s what comes off in the movie, there’s no air of superiority,” he said.

‘WE’RE NOT CELEBRITIES’

One Direction shot to fame as runners-up on “The X Factor” television singing competition and have conquered the global market with two albums and a string of catchy hit singles. They said in May they are working on a third “edgy” album and will embark on a world tour next year.

The band, whose members are aged in their late teens and early 20s, topped the Billboard 200 album chart twice last year with “Up All Night” and their second album “Take Me Home”. They were named Billboard’s top new artist/group in 2012.

In an interview with Reuters TV on Monday, Malik said certain aspects of fame took the band by surprise.

“We never wanted to have the title ‘celebrity,’ we just want to be normal lads in a music band. We’re not celebrities, we’re just in a band,” the singer said.

Horan added that the documentary helped the band members themselves process the phenomenon that One Direction has become.

“Because we live in this bubble … we don’t get to see exactly what it’s like because it’s happening to us,” he said.

Hundreds of fans have already started to camp out in London’s Leicester Square for a chance to see One Direction walk the red carpet at the film’s world premiere on Tuesday.

The band has a devoted following of fans around the world mainly comprising teenage girls, including 14 million Twitter followers, and Tomlinson said he felt a certain responsibility to the young fan base.

“Being put in this position, you almost feel with the likes of Twitter, you almost feel pressured to be that role model, and it’s kind of balancing that and meeting in the middle,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction make Billboard history as 2nd album debuts at No. 1

LOS ANGELES – British boy band One Direction made Billboard chart history on Wednesday after storming to the top of the 200 album chart with their second album “Take Me Home,” holding off competition from Christina Aguilera, Soundgarden and Lana Del Rey.

“Take Me Home” notched the third-biggest opening week sales of the year with 540,000 units sold according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, placing it behind only Mumford & Son’s “Babel” and Taylor Swift’s “Red,” which had the year’s biggest opening with 1.2 million copies sold.

This is also the first time a British band have seen their first two albums debut at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Their first album “Up All Night” shot to the top of the chart with 176,000 copies in March this year.

The lead single from “Take Me Home,” “Live While We’re Young”, also made Billboard chart history after selling 341,000 copies in its first week, becoming the biggest opening week single sales for a non-U.S. artist.

One Direction were able to trump a new release from pop star and “The Voice” judge Aguilera, who debuted at No. 7 with her fifth studio album “Lotus,” selling 73,000 copies.

She was unable to replicate the success of fellow “Voice” judge Adam Levine, whose band Maroon 5 shot to No. 2 on the album chart in July with “Overexposed,” selling 222,000 copies.

The members of the British-Irish quintet One Direction, aged between 18 and 20, are Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne. They have come a long way since forming on Britain’s “The X Factor,” coming in third place and going on to conquer the U.S. and build a devoted following of fans.

Their success has also piqued the curiosity of interviewer Barbara Walters, who will be speaking to the band for her annual “The 10 Most Fascinating People,” airing on ABC on Dec. 12.

The band will face stiff competition from R&B star Rihanna for the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart next week, as her new album “Unapologetic” is set for a big debut.

Elsewhere on the album chart, seven new debuts entered the top 10 this week.

Taylor Swift’s “Red” was knocked down to No. 2 by One Direction’s debut, while the soundtrack for the final “Twilight” film, “Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” debuted at No. 3 with sales of 93,000 after the film hit theaters last week.

The soundtrack features lead single “The Forgotten” by Green Day and songs by Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding, Fiest and a duet between “Twilight” cast member Nikki Reed and husband Paul McDonald, a former “American Idol” finalist.

Canadian R&B star The Weeknd landed at No. 4 this week with his hotly anticipated debut, “Trilogy,” while 1990s grunge rock band Soundgarden rounded out the top five with “King Animal,” their first album in 16 years.

Green Day’s “Dos!,” the second installment of their trilogy of new albums this year, came in at No. 9 on the chart with 69,000 copies, a big drop from their first album “Uno!,” which debuted at No. 2 in October with sales of 139,000 copies. The third installment, “Tre!,” is due out on Dec. 11.

Indie-pop songstress Del Rey rounded out the top ten with her latest studio set “Paradise,” an eight-song record which was also offered as part of a deluxe edition of her debut album “Born To Die,” which notched No. 2 on the chart in February.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction to fly in worldwide fans to Madison Square Garden concert

Yes, One Direction has been announced as the newest international endorsers of fashion retail brand Penshoppe. And no, there’s no word yet as to whether the phenomenal boy band will soon come to Manila and hold their own fan conference just like Zac Efron before them.

But at least some lucky local fans won’t have to wait for an official announcement to that effect.

That’s because Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson have already taken it upon themselves to fly in fans from all over the world to watch them in concert at the Madison Square Garden in New York City in December.

The boys said that this can only be possible through the “Bring Me To 1D,” a global “Go1Den’ Ticket” competition that they recently launched.

Go1Den tickets to the concert have been distributed worldwide and can be won in several ways. Tickets can be won in a variety of different ways in each country. They vary from completing challenges, creating content, answering questions to just plain pot luck.

In order to get their hands on a go1Den ticket should start paying close attention to One Direction’s official Facebook, Twitter and You Tube accounts, as there will be frequent special challenges in the next two months, some that will be region-specific.

Go1Den ticket winners will be announced on the band’s official website as they win, so that fans can follow the story wherever it’s happening in the world.

In the Philippines, the contest is officially dubbed as “Bring Me To 1D: Race To Win The Golden Ticket” and will be supervised by Ivory Music & Video. The record label announced that they will be posting the final mechanics on Monday, October 22 on their website and official Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Formed by Simon Cowell on the 2010 series of “The X Factor”, One Direction made pop music history when they became the first British group to enter the Billboard 200 chart at number one with their sensational debut release, “Up All Night” only last March. The record-breaking album went on to sell over 2.3 million copies worldwide and is a certified number one release in 16 countries.

Following the release of their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” late last year, One Direction have since become a ubiquitous presence on the music charts. With over 12 million records sold worldwide in a little over a year, One Direction have reached No.1 in 27 different countries.

Their new album “Take Me Home” will be released November 12th in the UK, while their single “Live While We’re Young” became the fastest selling pre-order in history when it was announced in September.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction named Penshoppe’s newest international endorsers

After days of teasing and speculation following Zac Efron’s departure, fashion retailer Penshoppe has officially announced its newest international endorsers— the phenomenal British boy band One Direction.

“Introducing the newest members of our TEAM – One Direction #WeAreTeamPENSHOPPE,” Penshoppe posted on both its official Facebook and Twitter accounts late Sunday night.

This was later confirmed by Ivory Music & Video, the local distributor of One Direction’s recordings and DVD with their own FB and Twitter post, “It’s now official! One Direction is the newest endorser of Penshoppe (OFFICIAL)!”

Formed by Simon Cowell on the 2010 series of “The X Factor”, One Direction is composed of 18 to 20 year old lads Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.

The boy band made pop music history when they became the first British group to enter the Billboard 200 chart at number one with its debut album, “Up All Night” only last March. The record-breaking album went on to sell over 2.3 million copies worldwide and is a certified number one release in 16 countries.

Following the release of their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” late last year, One Direction have since been a ubiquitous presence in the music charts. With over 12 million records sold worldwide, 1D Mania has indeed swept the globe.

Outside of the official announcement of the boy band’s association with Penshoppe, there is no other official word yet on whether 1D will visit the country for their own fan conference or if they would headline their own concert.

Fans of the group, particularly the Juan Directioners, will have to wait for further announcements.

One Direction’s music and videos are distributed by Ivory Music & Video and are available at AstroPlus and Odyssey Music and Video.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction Get Campy With 'Live While We're Young' Art

The One Direction guys had a little treat for all the Directioners on Friday (September 14). They released the artwork for their "Live While We're Young" single on Twitter, weeks ahead of the single's October 1 release.

The "*amazing* new artwork," as they called it on Twitter, features the fivesome enjoying the outdoors during a camping trip, goofing off outside a tent. Shortly after they released the image, Liam Payne tweeted, "Cant wait for the single to come outtttt."

Perhaps camping is pop's latest pastime, as Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City pitched a tent for their "Good Time" video earlier this summer.

The 1D boys will also take their antics outside for the "Live While We're Young" video. Shot back in August when the guys were in their native U.K., the video has a summer music festival vibe and has the guys getting wet and wild, acting silly with props and getting soaked by water guns.

"Live While We're Young" is the lead single off the boys' sophomore album release, Take Me Home. Out November 13, the album features work from Savan Kotecha, Rami Yacoub and Carl Falk — the team that also worked with the guys on their debut, including the hits "One Thing" and "What Makes You Beautiful." They also worked with fellow Up All Night alum, Ed Sheeran, who tells MTV News he wrote love songs for the guys.

"Seventeen-year-old Ed just wrote a lot of love songs, so expect to hear a lot of love songs on their album, I guess," he shared with MTV News about the vintage jams he gave his pals this time around.

source: mtv.com

UK boy band One Direction big winner at MTV video awards

LOS ANGELES – British boy band One Direction were the big winners at the MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday, edging out Rihanna and taking home three prizes to crown their arrival on the U.S. pop scene just six months ago.

The five baby-faced guys, contestants on the British version of TV singing contest “The X Factor,” beat Justin Bieber and Rihanna for best pop video, and fellow all-boy British outfit The Wanted as best new artists.

They also won the most-shareworthy video award – which was voted on by fans – for their debut hit single “What Makes You Beautiful” and later performed their latest release “One Thing” to hordes of screaming girls at the two-hour Los Angeles ceremony.

“To win one Moonman is amazing, to win two is incredible,” said Harry Styles, as the band collected the silver VMA trophy for best new artists.

“Thank you so much! We have grown up watching this show and to collect one of these straight away is incredible,” said a jubilant Niall Horan.

One Direction, which is managed by British TV entrepreneur Simon Cowell, made history in March when it became the first UK group to see its first album, “Up All Night,” debut at the top of the Billboard 200 chart.

Rihanna, who went into the VMA’s sharing a leading five nominations with Canadian rapper Drake, came away with just one award.

But it was the most coveted award of the night – video of the year – and the Barbados-born superstar won it for her dizzying visual romp in hit single “We Found Love.”

“I love you guys! This is awesome,” Rihanna told her fans as she collected the Moonman trophy and showed off a new pixie hair cut.

In a hip-hop-heavy show, rapper Nicki Minaj won best female video for “Starships,” while Chris Brown won two awards – best male video and best choreography for “Turn Up the Music.”

Drake also came away with just one win, for his hip-hop video “HYFR,” which celebrates his Jewish heritage. “I want to dedicate this award to any kid who has had a long walk home,” Drake said.

The VMA’s have become known as one of the more unpredictable and controversial award shows, but Thursday’s ceremony had none of the jaw-dropping moments – like the steamy 2003 Madonna/Britney Spears kiss – that have marked previous years.

This year, U.S. Olympic gymnastics champion Gabby Ross, 16, back-flipped and leapt across the stage while Alicia Keys sang her new single “Girl On Fire.” Ross and her four fellow team-mates also introduced Keys.

Punk rocker Billie Joe Armstrong seemed fully recovered from a weekend dehydration episode that forced Green Day to cancel a performance in Italy, and he was mobbed on Thursday while singing after inviting fans to come up on stage.

Lil Wayne gave the first televised performance of his new single “No Worries,” and Frank Ocean, who made headlines in July by coming out as a rare gay hip-hop artist, performed an emotional version of “Thinkin Bout You.”

Calvin Harris was the winner of the VMA’s first award in the increasingly popular electronic dance music category for “Feel So Close.”

Country-pop crossover singer Taylor Swift closed the show with her best-selling single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and other performers included Pink, Minaj, and Rihanna.

source: interaksyon.com