Former American Idol winner Kris Allen is all about “The Truth” on his second single off his self-titled album Kris Allen. This bittersweet break up anthem finds Allen confessing he’s having trouble accepting that his love relationship is deteriorating and prefers to try and make it work.  For Allen, the pain of letting go is far worse than that he endures trying to hold on to what’s left.  The video finds Allen in solitude in the middle of a desert, as slow motion shots of flaming guitars and shattered glass portray the frustration and chaos of his internal battle fighting for love.  This is an epic portrayal of a man battling to admit his own truths.

Eminem returns with a vengeance in his outstanding new video, “Love The Way You Lie.”  The video, starring Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox, depicts the burning paradox of an abusive relationship—the dangerously thin line between passion and violence.

Powerful imagery fuels this paradox.  “Love The Way You Lie” is fraught alternately with sunshine and fire—passion and destruction.  While Rihanna sings at night, bathed in the blood-red glow of a burning house; Eminem raps in a wheat field painted gold by the sunset.  Monaghan and Fox, however, exist somewhere in between, stuck in the twisted medium of reality.  One moment the sun shines, and passion rules the day; the next moment that passion spontaneously combusts, and violence ensues.

Monaghan and Fox deliver outstanding performances.  In fact, everyone present in “Love The Way You Lie” delivers an outstanding, powerful performance.  Monaghan and Fox, both renowned actors, skillfully enact the song’s emotional tale without a single line of dialogue, while Rihanna and Eminem bare their souls with powerful lyrics and loaded vocals.  This rare, star-studded combination of talented actors and musicians creates a profound, powerful, and extremely interesting music video.  ”Love The Way You Lie” is artistic genius.

If you’re still searching for the perfect beach song, check out “Lay Me Down” by Dirty Heads featuring Sublime with Rome.  Its free flowing tempo and relaxing vocal harmonies mix together perfectly to create the reggae-rock sound that Dirty Heads‘ fans have learned to love.  Lay Me Down is the long-awaited single following their debut album, Any Port in a Storm, and it hasn’t disappointed, reaching #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

The music video takes place in Mexico and was filmed by Thomas Mignone.  By featuring a couple running away from the police in a whimsical fashion, the video captures what summer should be: fun and carefree.  During their escapades the couple has time to listen to Dirty Heads and Sublime with Rome on the street and even take shots of tequila at a local bar before ending up on a picture perfect beach.  After watching this video we’re seriously considering moving our offices to the beach… or at least keeping the video on repeat for the rest of the summer.

A. Glick

The 2010 FIFA World Cup begins this weekend, and we’re beside ourselves with excitement. Like a month-long international block party to which only the most talented and interesting people are invited, the World Cup is always the craziest part of (every fourth) summer. The event brings together the wildest, most skilled athletes across the globe for one very heated competition. Who’s gonna take the cup this year? Who’s gonna cause a ruckus? And who’s gonna break the rules? Start your bets! From the first kick to the last head-butt, we’ll breathlessly be tuning in.

Now everyone knows there’s no better way to kick off a major party than to warm up with some monster jams, and like any good friend, we’ve got you covered. Tomorrow, exclusively on VEVO, you’ll be able to tune in to a live stream of the FIFA World Cup™ Kick-Off Celebration Concert, featuring performances from international favorites like Alicia Keys, Amadou & Mariam, Angélique Kidjo, Black Eyed Peas, BLK JKS, John Legend, Juanes, Shakira, The Parlotones, Tinariwen, Vieux Farka Touré and Vusi Mahlasela. It’s our first live, high-definition global webcast ever, and, thanks to the help of our creative partner Kevin Wall and his production company Control Room, we get to share it with you!

You can watch the live stream of the concert tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. local time (GMT+2)/2:00 p.m. EST at worldcup.vevo.com. Afterwards, you’ll be able to watch it on-demand anytime on the VEVO Network, as well as enjoy other awesome exclusives from the artists performing.

As if that wasn’t cool enough, we’re also honored to be partnering with 1GOAL, chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, which is working to make sure world leaders fulfill their financial promises and provide education to every child by 2015 (UN Millennium Development Goals). You’ve probably noticed our campaign while watching your favorite music videos: the clips feature artists such as Pharell, Nelly Furtado, Eminem and Sting all voicing their support of worldwide education. If you want to join these artists in making this amazing and very important goal happen, we encourage you to visit 1GOAL’s site (1goal.org), where you can learn current statistics on global illiteracy, as well as sign the 1GOAL petition.

Whew! Obviously we have a lot going on. One thing we’re sure of, though, is that our first global live stream won’t be the same without you. So grab your favorite friends and refreshments, gather around the computer, and join us here at VEVO tomorrow, June 10th, for the global music event sure to be one of the defining moments of summer. No need to thank us. Just dance!

A. Taran

I knew Motion City Soundtrack was a killer band, but clearly I underestimated their talent at choreographed dance routines. Watch to the end to see what I mean: