Welcome to Buzzworthy's "The Week In Pop," where we round up new album releases, talk show musical guests, and TV performances by your favorite pop stars and more (so you don't have to).
This week, Lovatics rejoice as Demi Lovato releases her fourth album, Demi. Catch her on today's "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Wednesday's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," and check out our exclusive interview tomorrow on "Live From MTV: Demi Lovato" at 3 p.m. ET. Also, Vampire Weekend drop their third album, Modern Vampires In The City (they hit tonight's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon"), and Eve makes her musical return with her first album in more than a decade, Lip Lock (she's on Thursday's "The Wendy Williams Show"). Meanwhile, MS MR and Bad Rabbits release their debuts (MS MR are on Thursday's "Late Show With David Letterman", Bad Rabbits hit "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Friday), and The Wonder Years unveil album No. 4. Over on the tube, "American Idol" reveals its Season 12 winner on Thursday, and Kanye West is "Saturday Night Live"'s season finale musical guest. The week caps off with the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, which features performances by Prince, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Miguel, and many others.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
+ Demi Lovato, Demi: Actress, "X Factor" judge, overcomer of adversity, world-class belter: These are just a few titles in Demi's talent arsenal. With her fourth album, her latter gift soars through 13 songs, which showcase that she's as confident leading anthems as she is demonstrating vulnerability. In the upbeat category, "Made In The USA" lifts the mid-tempo pop melodies into swooning territory with her big sing-along chorus, and "Heart Attack" and "Fire Starter" both pulsate. She turns a kiss-off into a rallying cry on "Something That We're Not," and "Really Don't Care" featuring Cher Lloyd is a hook-filled earworm. Meanwhile, the confessional "Warrior," "In Case," and "Nightingale" are affecting, inspiring ballads. Don't miss Demi's "Live From MTV: Demi Lovato" interview on Tuesday, May 14, at 3 p.m. ET on MTV.com!
+ Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires Of The City: For Vampire Weekend's third album, the erudite, preppy pop rockers explore the heavy subject of mortality, but that doesn't mean they've lost levity. "Even though on this record we deal with some weightier things, we always still have a sense of humor, which I think is important when you're making music," frontman Ezra Koenig told MTV News. To wit, check out the rollicking, double entendre-titled "Diane Young." The hymnal "Obvious Bicycle" opens the set before they move into the galloping trill of "Unbelievers," and check out hip-hop-influenced harpsichord-led "Step," with its quirky, freewheeling lyrics.
+ Eve, Lip Lock: It's been more than a decade since the Philadelphia rapper dropped an album. In the time between records, she's been acting in films like the "Barbershop" series and "Whip It," and more recently as a returning character in "Glee." With Lip Lock, Eve strikes a balance between fierce MC (with songs like "She Bad Bad") and pop-minded (tracks like "Make It Out This Town" featuring Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta). Check out her "Eve" video with Miss Kitty. Guests include Missy Elliott and Nacho ("Wanna Be"), Snoop Dogg ("Mama In The Kitchen"), Dawn Richard ("Keep Me From You"), and others.
Check out more new album releases, upcoming TV appearances, and performances after the jump.
+ MS MR, Secondhand Rapture: Brooklyn-based synth pop duo Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow, also known as MS MR, make their 12-song debut with Secondhand Rapture. Check out the MTV Artist To Watch performing "Bones" (it was also featured in "Game Of Thrones"'s season 3 trailer), "Salty Sweet," "Fantasy," "Dark Doo Wop," and "Hurricane" at New York's Webster Hall via MTV Hive. Also check out the surreal video for "Hurricane."
+ The Wonder Years, The Greatest Generation: During a Buzzworthy Obsession interview, The Wonder Years' Dan "Soupy" Campbell explained the album name. "The title speaks to the idea that if we're able to put all of that aside, all of our internal battles, all of our malcontent with the world around us, that nothing can hold us back from being the greatest generation," he said. The album is the final installment of a trilogy. Check out the lyric videos for "Passing Through A Screen Door and "Dismantling Summer," and stream the entire The Greatest Generation before its release tomorrow via Alternative Press.
+ Bad Rabbits, American Love: The eclectic, genre-warping quintet from Boston first made waves with their 2009 Stick Up Kids EP, and now they return with their debut album, American Love. Their album mines funk and old-school R&B with singer Fredua "Dua" Boakye seamlessly moving from earthy grit to spine-tingly falsetto, often in the same song. Watch the '70s styled video for "Doin' It," and also check out the call-and-response "Take It Off" (which would fit well in a strip club), and the raunchy funk of "Dirty."
TV APPEARANCES AND PERFORMANCES
Monday, May 13
"Late Show With David Letterman" -- Luke Bryan
"Tonight Show With Jay Leno" -- Miranda Lambert, Pistol Annies
"Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" -- Vampire Weekend
"Last Call With Carson Daly" -- White Lung
"Chelsea Lately" -- Lady Antebellum
"The View" -- LL Cool J
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" -- Demi Lovato
"The Voice" -- "Live Top 12 performances." Featuring coaches Adam Levine, Shakira, Blake Shelton, and Usher with advisers Pharrell Williams, Sheryl Crow, Good Charlotte's Joel Madden, and Hillary Scott.
Tuesday, May 14 on MTV
"Live From MTV: Demi Lovato" -- Tune in for the exclusive interview at 3 p.m. ET at MTV.com and MTV Hits, and join the conversation by tweeting your questions to @MTVBuzzworthy with the hashtag #AskDemi.
Tuesday, May 14
"Tonight Show With Jay Leno" -- Drop City Yacht Club
"Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" -- Pistol Annies
"Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" -- Phoenix, Bilal
"Last Call With Carson Daly" -- Kitten
"Conan" -- The Slide Brothers featuring Shemekia Copeland
"Live With Kelly And Michael" -- Huey Lewis & The News
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" -- Natalie Maines
"The Voice" -- "Live Eliminations" Featuring coaches Adam Levine, Shakira, Blake Shelton, and Usher with advisers Pharrell Williams, Sheryl Crow, Good Charlotte's Joel Madden, and Hillary Scott.
"Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life" -- Episode 4 of Ke$ha's documentary series airs on MTV at 11 p.m. ET.
Wednesday, May 15
"Late Show With David Letterman" -- Brad Paisley
"Tonight Show With Jay Leno" -- Usher, Pyramids
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" -- Huey Lewis & The News
"Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" -- Demi Lovato, The Flaming Lips, Treach of Naughty By Nature
"Last Call With Carson Daly" -- A Silent Film
"The Colbert Report" -- Cyndi Lauper
"Conan" -- Beware Of Darkness
"The View" -- Brad Paisley
"American Idol" -- Final two performances. Featuring judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban.
Thursday, May 16
"Late Show With David Letterman" -- MS MR
"Tonight Show With Jay Leno" -- Family Of The Year
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" -- Dawes
"Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" -- Tim McGraw
"Last Call With Carson Daly" -- Pierce The Veil
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" -- Robin Thicke
"The Wendy Williams Show" -- Eve
"The View" -- Jewel
"American Idol" -- Season 12 winner is announced. David Cook performs. Featuring judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban.
Friday, May 17
"Late Show With David Letterman" -- Kurt Vile
"Tonight Show With Jay Leno" -- The winner of "American Idol"
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" -- Bad Rabbits
"Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" -- De La Soul
"Last Call With Carson Daly" -- Big Black Delta
Saturday, May 18
"Saturday Night Live" -- Kanye West is the musical guest for the season finale.
Sunday, May 19
"Billboard Music Awards" -- Featuring performances by Prince, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Miguel, and many others.
Photo credit: Hollywood Records
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