'Love the Way You Lie' producer Alex Da Kid is working on Rated R follow-up.
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna
Photo: Michael Tran/ FilmMagic

Rihanna has found a winning formula in her Eminem collaboration, "Love the Way You Lie." Naturally, for her next album, she's reportedly looking to the song's producer, Alex Da Kid, for new hits.

"We worked together about a year before 'Love the Way You Lie' in London, and obviously that song has helped the people around her and her label say, 'Oh, that's a big hit, we want another one,' " Alex explained to Billboard. "You know how the music industry is."

The "Lie" producer — who also produced B.o.B's "Airplanes" — said that the key to Rihanna's future success is all about finding the balance between Rated R edginess and the hit-making sound of the Eminem track. "I'd say it's like a mixture of her two sides," he said. "It's commercial, but at the same time, it's got an edge to it — it has substance."

Alex Da Kid isn't the only producer coming onboard for the album. Songwriter Sean Garrett has been in the studio with the Barbadian star and recently told MTV News that the new songs will reflect Rihanna's current, lighter state-of-mind. "I can definitely say that her album is definitely gonna be way more exciting, happy," Garrett said. "I hope she doesn't mind me saying this. I love Rihanna. She's fun, she's like a sister, and I tend to think she doesn't really take herself too seriously. And I think that's what this album is gonna be about."

The album will earn fans in the clubs too, if David Guetta has his way with it. "Well, you know, I'm a DJ, so I make beats that make you want to dance," Guetta told MTV News. "And I think she was one of the first to do that in that urban world, so you know, I think it would be good for her to do it again."

What kind of music do you want to see Rihanna do next? Share your thoughts in the comments.

• Rihanna and Ke$ha Perform At Madison Square Garden

• Rihanna

Sports Illustrated cover girl will star alongside Rihanna, Taylor Kitsch and more.
By Kara Warner

Brooklyn Decker
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

The cast of Peter Berg's "Battleship" movie continues to grow. Last month, superstar songbird and first-time actress Rihanna was added to the cast, which includes actors Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skårsgard. On Tuesday (August 17), it was announced that yet another pretty face has joined the fun: Sports Illustrated cover girl/ aspiring actress Brooklyn Decker.

According to LatinoReview.com, Decker will play Sam, a probable love interest for Kitsch. As Cinema Blend pointed out, Decker is not to be confused with her Victoria's Secret model colleague Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who took over for Megan Fox in "Transformers 3." The 23-year-old Mrs. Andy Roddick has started to dip her feet in the acting pool, with guest spots on "Chuck," "Royal Pains" and the upcoming Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy "Just Go With It."

"Battleship" is based on the Hasbro board game and written by the Hoeber brothers. The plot reportedly revolves around brothers and naval officers (Kitsch and Skårsgard) assigned to a multinational task force charged with repelling alien invaders. Also cast is Tadanobu Asano, who is best known for his leading roles in "Ichi the Killer" and Genghis Khan biopic "Mongol."

Universal has set "Battleship" for release on May 25, 2012. Until then, fans can catch Kitsch in the final season of "Friday Night Lights" and later this year alongside Malin Akerman and Ryan Phillippe in "The Bang Bang Club"; 2012 will bring his turn in "John Carter of Mars." In addition to his meaty (or bloody) role on HBO's "True Blood," Skårsgard will appear in the remake of "Straw Dogs" and Lars Von Trier's "Antichrist" follow-up "Melancholia." Rihanna is finishing up her Last Girl on Earth Tour with Ke$ha and is nominated at the 2010 Video Music Awards for her "Rude Boy" clip.

What do you think of the "Battleship" cast? Let us know in the comments!

Check out everything we've got on "Battleship."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

• Rihanna

'She's badass! She's awesome!' one fan gushes after sold-out, rock-tinged concert.
By MTV News Staff

Rihanna performs at Madison Square Garden on Thursday
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/ WireImage

NEW YORK -- Rihanna threw one dance-friendly party at her sold-out gig at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. It was a dazzling mixture of couture, high-flying dancing and lots of chart-toppers. And when MTV News caught up with some of Rihanna's biggest fans after the curtains closed on the show, they all said the "Love the Way You Lie" singer didn't disappoint.

"Rihanna was awesome," Elizabeth gushed. "She was amazing. It was the best concert I've ever been to." Another fan, Kaitlin, added, "Rihanna is badass! She's badass! She's awesome! She's always good!" Other fans gave it up for Rihanna's ability to interact with the audience, making them truly feel her songs.

"I thought Rihanna was amazing. Every lyric she had ... or every lyric she wrote, it was just so useful," Caitlin said. "Everybody like, even though you could dance to it and everything, you really think about [the lyrics] and it goes to your heart."

"I loved each and every minute of it," Neema added. "We danced the whole time. It was great." The show's party vibe translated to the set list, and standouts included fan Christina's favorite song, "Breakin' Dishes." She said, "I definitely rocked out to that because I felt the moment and I felt the same exact way she did. I really wanted to break dishes, and it was just amazing."

Her admirers not only raved about Rihanna's fine performance, but also praised her opening act, Ke$ha, who brought her raucous attitude to the stage. "It was amazing. Rihanna put on such a good show and Ke$ha did too, actually," Chelsea said. "Great show!" she continued before raving about the fashion. "Rihanna's outfits were extraordinary. There was this white number that was all tape; it was like she was wearing nothing and it was, like, amazing."

What were your favorite moments during Ke$ha's and Rihanna's sets? We want to hear from you in the comments!

• Rihanna And Ke$ha's Tour Hits NYC

• Rihanna and Ke$ha Perform At Madison Square Garden

• Rihanna

Ke$ha gets Last Girl on Earth party started at Madison Square Garden, as Rih powers through her numerous hits.
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna performs at Madison Square Garden on Thursday
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/ WireImage

NEW YORK -- Before Rihanna came onboard for the Last Girl on Earth tour at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, Ke$ha, completely covered in glitter, got her personal party started with her club banger "Blah Blah Blah."

"I cannot believe I am playing a show at the f---ing Garden. Holy sh-- balls," she screamed to the crowd midway through the song. "Are you guys having a dance party?" she later asked the excited crowd.

Ke$ha's set was much like she is: sparkly, glittery, a little messy, but, overall, a good time. She played all her hits, including "Take It Off," "Your Love Is My Drug" and the song that got all of MSG dancing, "Tik Tok."

While the fans were tickled with delight for Ke$ha's set, they really went nuts when Rihanna emerged onstage in a billowing black dress, with glowing lights inlaid into it. The star was ready to share with the audience her "dreams and nightmares," as a projected video explained. The searing guitar of "Russian Roulette" welcomed the red-headed singer to the room before she belted out the ballad and kicked the show off. After a quick change into a blush-colored, shimmering bodysuit, she went right into her crowd-pleaser "Hard," during which she very proudly rode her own baby-pink military tank.

During "Disturbia," Rihanna embraced her inner Goth, thanks to dancers dressed as crow-like figures on stilts. After a short intermission, Rihanna declared her "Rockstar" status and played a little air guitar in a latex bodysuit and thigh-high boots. "Rude Boy" brought out the sassy and sexy Rihanna fans have come to love.

"Is New York City in the house?" she asked before she sang a medley of "Love the Way You Lie" and "Airplanes," and then transitioned into "Hate That I Love You." "I can't hear you, New York! Anybody out there ever been in love?" she asked. For "Rehab," she lounged sexily on a chaise.

Things got spicy when Rihanna, flanked by two dancers doing saucy acrobatics, sang her Spanish-tinged "Te Amo." Then, dressed in an all-white "bandage" bodysuit, she kicked it old-school with her jam "Don't Stop the Music," throwing a dance party inside of a large cube onstage.

After displaying her guitar skills earlier in the night, Rihanna played some drums before performing a rock-influenced version of "SOS." She then addressed the crowd: "Thanks, all of you who bought a ticket tonight to come see me. I'm at Madison Square Garden and thanks to you guys, we sold out Madison Square Garden -- thank you so much." Then she sang "Take a Bow" before, well, taking a bow.

She kicked off an encore with "Wait Your Turn," in sparkly, knee-high boots, a matching newsboy cap, bra and spandex shorts. Rihanna played her second medley of the evening, combining party jams like "Live Your Life" and "Run This Town." But she ended the night on her biggest hit, "Umbrella," and in a dizzying sea of confetti, with fans singing along, she told the crowd, "Thank you so much."

The show not only displayed her vocal abilities, but also her unabashed performance style; her world is part "Mad Max," part "Twilight" and part OK Computer -- and all Rihanna.

What did you think of Rihanna's New York show? Tell us in the comments!

• MTV News Extended Play: Ke$ha

• Rihanna and Ke$ha Perform At Madison Square Garden

• Rihanna
• Ke$ha

Joseph Kahn says Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan didn't have an easy job on 'Love the Way You Lie' set.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias

Joseph Kahn
Photo: MTV News

Given that he's one of the biggest names in music videos and his latest project featured both Eminem and Rihanna, Joseph Kahn should have had no problem casting the two leads for the "Love the Way You Lie" video. And yet, he considers himself "incredibly lucky" to have landed both Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox for the clip.

"Megan is one of those choices, like, whenever you write a music video, you go, 'I want a girl like Megan Fox,' " Kahn told MTV News. "I guarantee, like, 95 percent of music videos, they write, 'I would like a girl like Megan Fox.'"

Kahn said Fox is so popular, he didn't initially consider her participation a possibility. "We were actually looking around for some other actresses, and then, midway through, I just thought, 'Why don't I just try this?' " he said. "I mean, I have the biggest artist in the world, with the hottest song on the planet, with the hottest female artist ... and it's a meaty role. It's not like you're just slipping in there and looking pretty."

Fortunately for Kahn, Fox is an Eminem fan, and she loved the song and the role. "So, she said 'yes,' " he said. "I was blown away."

On the other hand, the director said he considered courting Monaghan right away. "I wanted him because he's an actor who can bury himself [in his roles]," Kahn said. "You can do anything with him, and essentially, he's a villain through all of [the video], and I think he did a great job."

So, with two big-name actors on set, and only two days to shoot the entire video, Kahn had his work cut out for him. Monaghan and Fox were going to need to channel conflicting emotions — anger one second, passion the next — and do it quickly. As the director, it was up to Kahn to help them harness all of that — often at a moment's notice. Luckily for him, he had two of the best to work with.

"I just told them: This is not like a normal film. We have two days on set, and we have to think of it as an acting workshop, because you're going to have to ramp up into emotions in two seconds, you're not going to know what the story is, and you're going to have to trust one another," he explained. "I'm asking them to go from zero to 100 in two seconds, so they were using all their techniques as actors. Dom would be calling her names, she'd be calling him names ... to see them turn it on like that, it was really a fascinating acting study."

• Eminem
• Rihanna

Rihanna and Ke$ha Perform At Madison Square Garden

• Rihanna
• Ke$ha

'It's little hints in the song that [sound] like it's referring to Chris Brown,' one fan tells MTV News outside Last Girl on Earth Tour.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Adam Murphy and Rya Backer

Rihanna
Photo: WireImage

Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie," featuring Rihanna, puts emotional candor — in both the video and the song — front and center. Given the very public abusive relationships Rihanna and Em have gone through, many fans believe the artists drew from personal experience for the collaboration.

Concertgoers waiting for the singer's Last Girl on Earth Tour stop in New York City on Thursday (August 12) told MTV News that the "Umbrella" singer's tumultuous past with ex-beau Chris Brown informed her performance in "Lie."

"I would say it's like the Chris Brown situation, just because ... they go from hating each other then loving each other then back to hating each other and all this stuff," Stephanie Gutez observed about the "Lie" video, which features Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan as a feuding couple. "That's how Rihanna and Chris Brown pretty much are."

Video director Joseph Kahn has insisted that while relationship abuse is an issue that Em and Rihanna have dealt with, the video isn't about either star's past. Although Rihanna doesn't mention any of her ex-loves by name in the song, Nicole Hollins is convinced the singer has Brown in mind.

"She's just talking about ... hurt, but she loves the way he's hurting her. In that relationship ... she was abused by him," Hollins said. "So it's little hints in the song that [sound] like it's referring to Chris Brown. I think it is. I don't care what anyone says."

Cassidy Santos said the video has a cautionary message, warning people about what happens when love goes too far.

"I thought it was interesting how [Rihanna] and Eminem compared the way their lives were," Santos said. "Since what happened with Chris Brown, it showed that people shouldn't do that to women."

Rebecca Snoddy said "Lie" keeps it real about the difficulties that any couple, famous or otherwise, must contend with.

"I think it depicted [the relationship] in a way that's honest and truthful like any other relationship would be," Snoddy said.

Do you think "Love the Way You Lie" addresses Rihanna's relationship with Chris Brown? Let us know in the comments below.

• Rihanna And Ke$ha's Tour Hits NYC

• Rihanna and Ke$ha Perform At Madison Square Garden

• Rihanna
• Eminem
• Chris Brown

'Tik Tok' singer is 'petrified' of Last Girl on Earth Tour's Madison Square Garden stop Thursday night.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Christina Garibaldi

Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News

Rihanna is bringing her Last Girl on Earth Tour to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night (August 12), and that means opening act Ke$ha is feeling particularly nervous. Why? Well, it's Madison Square Garden!

"I'm actually a little petrified, to be honest. It's a landmark in my career, and it's just an epic venue. ... I'm just really excited, and I'm gonna try to kill it!" she told MTV News. "It definitely means a lot for me to be playing there, especially with Rihanna, 'cause she's so incredible. It makes me feel like I'm finally arriving here!"

The girls kicked off the tour earlier this summer, and the "Tik Tok" singer said she and Rihanna have had some fun times on the road together. "It's amazing! She's just a badass," she said. "I saw her yesterday, and she spanked me — always keeping me on my toes. She's the sickest."

With all that time together, have the girls discussed working together? "I would love to. I mean, it's kind of been tossed around," she said. "There's not really much time that we've spent writing and stuff on this tour, because it's been so crazy, but it's definitely an idea I'm not opposed to."

Ke$ha said she's learning tons from Rihanna on tour. "I don't know what she would be learning from me, aside from how to look like a maniac, but I definitely learned a lot from her," she said. "I've only been performing pop music for under a year, so I'm relatively new to the arena thing. It's terrifying, so I really do, every night, watch her, and she's so graceful and so sweet and so badass."

Her best advice? "She just always has such a good attitude. You just have to own it!"

Have you checked out the Last Girl on Earth Tour? What did you think? Share your reviews in the comments!

• MTV News Extended Play: Ke$ha

• Ke$ha
• Rihanna

'If I didn't do this video, I should just quit pop videos,' Joseph Kahn tells MTV News.
By James Montgomery

Eminem (file)
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic

Joseph Kahn is one of the biggest video directors in the world, but he didn't get to where he is today by burying his head in the sand. So when he was approached about doing Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie" clip, he said yes, even though he was due to start shooting a feature film two weeks later.

But it wasn't only the big names that attracted him to the project ... it was actually the fact that everything about the project reminded him of another video he'd directed: Britney Spears' comeback single "Womanizer."

"It is like 'Womanizer,' " Kahn told MTV News. "Part of the success in [the video industry] is to be smart enough to recognize when those opportunities are given, and, you know what? I think if I didn't do this video, I should just quit pop videos, because it's obviously a giant thing that was about to happen. You couldn't get me away from this one."

So Kahn famously hammered out a treatment for the clip in one furious session and turned the video around at a breakneck pace. His hustle has already paid off, because "Love the Way You Lie" has quickly become one of the most talked-about videos in recent memory. And much like "Womanizer" did for Spears, its success has only added another chapter to Eminem's rather remarkable comeback story, which sort of proves just how smart Kahn is. Though, the way he tells it, this one was pretty much a no-brainer, all the way.

"I think that this is Eminem's finest album ... trust me, at the time, I was going to shoot my movie in about two weeks, so taking a week of my time away from my movie to do this is a huge commitment on my part," Kahn said. "The only reason I did it [was] because the song was so amazing, and the album is so great, and Eminem is in such a great moment, and it was such an important topic to do. He's dealing with these massive issues in such a brilliant, pop-y, artistic way, that, as a pop-video director, I cannot step away from this."

What's your favorite Joseph Kahn-directed video? Tell us in the comments!

• Eminem
• Rihanna

'These are fictional characters,' Joseph Kahn says of abusive couple played by Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias

Joseph Kahn
Photo: MTV News

Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie" video has already raised eyebrows and sparked debate with its frank depiction of domestic violence, and given the history both artists have with the subject, many are now wondering if the clip is meant to be biographical.

After all, the "Lie" video goes to great lengths to show the depths of violence in a relationship, something Em has rapped about innumerous times in the past, and it's something Rihanna knows about all too well, after then-boyfriend Chris Brown assaulted her in 2009. So the question most seem to be asking is: Are the clip's two characters — played by Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox — actually meant to represent Em and Rihanna?

To find out, MTV News went directly to the man responsible for the video (and its concept), director Joseph Kahn, who told us in no uncertain terms that, while there's a message behind "Lie," it has nothing to do with what's gone on in either artist's personal life.

"There are definitely things in both Rihanna and Eminem's [lives] that we have to be very sensitive about when we were making this video, [but] it's not a story about Eminem or Rihanna," he said. "It's a specific thing that I created for Dominic and Megan to play two people with very specific story lines to each other. These are fictional characters in my head but obviously based on real human beings."

So while he denies that Monaghan and Fox are playing Eminem and Rihanna in the video, Kahn said he can understand why fans might think that. After all, not only does the clip deal with an emotionally sensitive issue, but he happens to have a rather unique perspective on the lives of his musical stars.

"The subject matter is some of the most complex stuff I've ever handled ... [and] obviously there are parallels, in terms of the song, with Eminem's personal life and Rihanna's personal life," he said. "And I had actually, like last year, been working with Chris Brown ... so I'm in the middle of all this stuff, and I have to be very, very careful with how I tread. But ultimately, if you really look at the video, it's not about anybody in particular. ... It's a story specific to two characters I created."

Did you think the "Love the Way You Lie" clip was about Em and Rihanna? Let us know in the comments.

• An In-Depth Look At Eminem's 'Love The Way You Lie'

• The Evolution Of: Eminem

• Eminem
• Rihanna

'Love the Way You Lie' with Eminem becomes her sixth #1 on the pop chart.
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna
Photo: Troy Rizzo/ Getty Images

Rihanna is making hit songs, breaking records and taking names. The singer is currently tied with a few of her pop comrades for the most #1 songs on the Pop Songs radio airplay chart. She ties with Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Mariah Carey for the most #1's in the Nielsen survey. Rihanna now has six #1's on her résumé thanks to her chart-topping collaboration with Eminem, "Love the Way You Lie," according to Billboard.com.

Rihanna's other #1 songs on the pop chart include 2006's "SOS" (for one week); 2008's "Take a Bow" (for three weeks); 2008's "Disturbia" (three weeks); her late-2008 T.I. collabo "Live Your Life" (two weeks); and this year's "Rude Boy" (two weeks). "Love the Way You Lie" has been on top for one week so far.

Earlier this year Beyoncé and Lady Gaga tied Mariah Carey for six #1 pop songs with their collaboration, "Telephone." Carey had six songs hit #1 on the Hot 100 before the Pop Songs chart was created in 1993, and then six others since its creation. Meanwhile, Beyoncé collected hers from 2003 to 2010. Gaga was the fastest to tie the record, with all six released from 2009-2010.

Avril Lavigne, Pink, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake all come in a close second with five #1 pop songs in their careers.

Rihanna had fans talking last week when the video for "Love the Way You Lie" was released. The singer, who was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009, appears in the video that depicts a violent love affair between Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox.

How do you think Rihanna compares to the other women at the top of the pop chart? Sound off in the comments.

• An In-Depth Look At Eminem's 'Love The Way You Lie'

• Rihanna
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Rihanna's 'Rockstar 101' Video: A Pop-Culture Cheat Sheet

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Lady Gaga, Rihanna, More Love Alexander McQueen Fashion

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Rihanna, Justin Bieber, More Perform At Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam

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The 2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet

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Rihanna's Rockin' New Year's Eve Performance

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MTV News' 2009 Women Of The Year

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Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, More At The VEVO Launch Party

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Rihanna Runs New York's Hammerstein Ballroom

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