Captain America: The Winter Soldier

When the film begins, Captain America is living peacefully in Washington D.C. But a special agent is attacked and soon Captain America finds himself with a dangerous new mission to accomplish.

Captain America and his colleague, the Black Widow, recruit the Falcon to help them. They will have to work together to save the world.

Pharrell Williams

HE GOT LUCKY!

The music producer, songwriter and singer has had hit songs with "Get Lucky" and "Happy". Stars around the world think he's a genius; Pharrell thinks he is just lucky. Someone must have helped him to become so successful. But who?

1. HIS GRANDMOTHER

When Pharrell was in seventh grade at school, his grandmother persuaded him to take a music class because he used to clay drums in her kitchen. "I used to take all of her little pots and pans and the whisk and the soup spoons", he says. "And she just said to me, "You like the drums, so why don't you learn?"".

2. HIS NEIGHBOUS

Pharrell grew up in a multicultural community in Virginia, USA. He thinks that this influenced him a lot. He met Chad Hugo, his songwriting partner, there. Pharrell and Chad have different origins - Chad's family were from the Philippines, Pharrell's family were black American - but  they connected through music.

3. A MUSIC PRODUCER

When Pharrell was in high school, music producer Teddy Riley opened a studio next to his school. Pharrell was lucky to meet him and work with him: he was in the right place at the sight time! "It looks like things were just sent my way", says Pharrell.

4. HIS BRAIN

When Pharrell hears music, he sees it in colour. This is called "synesthesia". Pharrell says that many great artists and mathematicians have synesthesia. "The way they process information is slightly different", he explains.

5. POP STARS

Pharrell has worked with mega stars from Beyoncé and Shakira to Jay-Z, Robin Thicke and Daft Punk. They rely on him to produce and write their hits, but Pharrell says he has never created and artist. He compares himself to an interior decorator and says that the musician is the house... he just adds some colour.

6. HIS FANS

Pharrell is modest. He says it's the fans, not him, that create a hit. If fans don't buy a song or share it with their friends, it won't be a success. "I'm not special or different", he says. So is Pharrell just an interior decorator or is he a modern musical genius? What do you think?

Music

KATY B

After Adele and Amy Winehouse, Katy B is the newest English diva. She studied at the famous BRIT School for the Performing Arts in London and has had hit songs in Britain. Her musical style is a mix of dubstep, R&B and UK garage. Katy's second album, Little Red, was Numer One in the UK. Can she be successful abroad too?

GAGA THE JAZZ SINGER

Lady Gaga has a new musical style. She has moved away from pop to jazz music and found a jazz partner, Tony Bennett. The duo recorded a song called "We're doing a seguel" for the Muppets' film. They also made an album called Cheek to Cheek with classic songs from famous jazz singers.

One Direction at Madame Tussauds

Recently, One Direction were transformed into wax figures at the famous London museum, Madame Tussauds. It was a big honour for the group!

WHO WAS MADAME TUSSAUD?

London's famous wax museum is named after a French woman, Marie Tussaud. Marie had special talent for making wax models. In the early 1800s, she came to Great Britain with her wax models. In 1835, she opened a permanent exhibition. Today, Madame Tussauds is one of London's most popular attractions!

1D WAX FIGURES

In 2013, the five members of One Direction had two sittings with the sculptors who were to create their wax figures for Madame Tussauds. The sculptor's biggest challenge was to capture the boys'playful, cheeky smiles and show their true personalities.

TAKING HARRY'S MEASUREMENTS

Here, Harry is having his head measured by the sculptor's assitants They took around 200 measurements and photos of each of the 1D boys. Zayn, Liam, Louis, Niall and Harry loved the experience!

MOULDING LOUIS' HAND

Here, Louis is placing his hand in a box filled with alginate - the material dentists use to make teeth impressions. After two or three minutes, the alginate becomes a solid mould. This mould is then filled with plaster to produce a replica of Louis' hand.

SCULPTING ZAYN'S HEAD

This is Zayn's head... in clay. To create it, the sculptors made a wire frame. They they worked the clay on the frame to form Zayn's head and face. They constantly checked the star's measurements using callipers.

LIAM'S PERFECT SMILE

To make the teeth for Liam's wax model, Liam had to bite into dental resin. The mould was then sent to a dental company which specializes in false teeth. The company spent four days making a set of teeth to reproduce Liam's perfect smile.

NIALL'S EYE COLOUR

Niall is having fun choosing froms Tussauds' collection of 200 glass eyes. To create the eyes for Niall's wax model, the eye-making wxperts measure his eye ball, pupil and iris. They then have to find the exact colour for his eyes. After ten hours, the eyes are ready. They have to be perfect - it's the eyres that will make Niall's model look real!

LOUIS' COOL HAIR STYLE

The hair experts are trying to find the same colour as Louis' hair. Each hair is individually inserted into the model's head. and they use real human hair that has beed donated to the museum. The hair is then washed cut and styled.

IT'S LONG BUT FUN!

Liam and the other 1D boys returned to the studios when the clay heads were ready. They spent 40 minutes sitting beside their models so that the sculptors could perfect them.

READY AT LAST!

At Madame Tussauds the wax models' skin looks real! This is because the colourists colour each head with layers of oil paint. The paint absorbs into the wax and makes it translucent, like human skin. Eyelashes and make-up complete the face. The final touch is to clean and shine the eyes, teeth and lips, then dress the model in the star's real clothes.

WHAT 1D THINK

1. How does it feel to have your own statue?

Niall: Super excited!

Zayn: This is insane!

Louis: It's an amazing honour!

Harry: It's crazy!

Liam: Hmm...

2. Your wax figure is going to be kissed by a lot of people. How does that make you feel?

Harry: They might get a bit waxy!

Louis: I think it's cool... but I hope it's hygienic!

Liam: That's quite mad and one day I might trade places with them!

Niall: They're quite fun to look at, but I don't know about kissing them!

Zayn: Pretty cool!

Cool Charlie Chaplin born 16 April 1889

Charlie Chaplin was born to a poor family in London 125 years ago, but he became a cinema icon. His character the Tramp is the most famous hero of the silent film era. The Tramp retired after the silent film Modern Times, in 1936. Watch it today - it's still very funny and very modern!

Bruno Mars

THE NEW KING OF POP

He's the talented showman who's had five Number Ones. Meet the new King!

B for BIG SUCCES

In just three years, Bruno Mars has become one of the biggest names in pop music. He has sold more than eight million albums around the world, and is now Hawaii's most popular export...

R for ROCK, RAP, R&B, REGGAE

Bruno has many musical styles. There's rock, rap, R&B, and reggae. Hawaiians love reggae music, and many of Bruno's songs have reggae sound. Another influence on his music is "Doo-Wop", a type of rhythm and blues from the 1950s. It inspired the title of his first album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans.

U for UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX

That's the name of Bruno's second album. He wrote the songs, but he didn't have a clear plan for the album. "It turned into this soulful, experimental, electronic, hard-to-explain thing", he says.

N for NICKNAME

Bruno's real name is Peter Gene Hernandez. "Bruno" is the nickname that his father gave him when he was two years old. Bruno chose the "Mars" part later. He thought it sounded exciting and energetic, and was sure that a cool name would help his music career.

O for ORIGINS

Bruno has Puerto Rican, Jewish, Filipino and Spanish origins. He says growing up in Hawaii made him the man he is. "Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments", he says. By age four, he played in the family band. Soon he became known for his Elvis Presley impersonations.

M for MICHAEL JACKSON

People often compare Bruno and the "King of Pop". Like Michael Jackson, Bruno's voice has exceptional tone and is soulful and clear. Bruno is a superb dancer and comes form a big family. He is also a big fan of hats...

A for APPEARANCE AND ATTITUDE

Hats are part ofr Bruno's image. His hat collection includes beanies, caps and borsalino hats. "The hat has to speak to you, from your soul", he says. Another of his favourite clothes are open shirts with jeans. Bruno's appearance shows his relaxed, optimistic attitude.

R for RECORD

Bruno shares a world record with British singer Adele. They are the only artists in history who have had a Number One song with only piano and vocals. Bruno's song is the ballad "When I Was Your Man".

S for SHOW

Bruno's latest show is called "The Moonshine Jungle Tour". It opened in the USA and is in Europe this month. Bruno and his band, The Hooligans, will play concerts in Britain, France, Spain and Germany. Many dates are sold out, but it's OK... with so many European fans, Bruno is sure to be back soon!

Music

MILEY CYRUS

Miley Cyrus started her career as Disney star Hannah Montana when she was 13 years old. But a lot has changed since then. Today, aged 20, Miley is more famous for her music than her acting. She has a new roch star image too. Her fourth album is out now. You're sure to love Miley's catchy single "We Can't Stop"!

ROBIN THICKE

Robin Thicke has written songs for many famous artists including Usher. Now he has his own hit album. It's called Blurred Lines, just like Robin's number-one single. Robin says that he wanted to enjoy hiself and make a fun album of pop songs. You can have fun too... dancing to his songs!

The Host

This is a film of a book by Stephenie Meyer, the aouthor of the Twilight series. There are no vampires this time - Earth has been infiltrated by parasitic aliens called "souls", which possess humans. There's a love story, of course, between a boy and a "soul". Twilight fans will be happy!

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift's personal pop songs are loved by millions of fans... but it's her positive attitude and generosity that make her a real star.

From the moment the 14-year-old singer arrived in the city of Nashville, USA, it was clear she was destined for success. Taylor Swift moved to the American country music capital from her home in Pennsylvania for just one reason ... she wanted to be a famous country singer. Her songs soon made an impression on music bosses... and her dream became a reality.

Early Success

In 2006, at age 16, Taylor released her first single "Tim McGraw" about one of her ex-boyfriends. Love has been a theme of her music ever since. Taylor's public appreciated her intimate, autobiographical songs and in 2008 she was nominated for her first Grammy award.

Then at the 2010 Grammy awards, she became the woungest singer to win Album of the Year... at the age of 20.

International Star

The talented singer now has an international reputation. Taylor's third album, Speak Now, was Number One in the USA, and Taylor has also toured North America, Europe and Australia. Taylor loves playing live shows and speaking with her fans. "Fans are my favourite thing in the world", she says. "I'll hang out with them after the show. I'll hang out with them before th show".

Love life

Recently, Taylor has been the subject of speculation about her relationship with One Direction's Harry Styles. She says she is embarrassed that people talk about her love life. In the past, Taylor has had lots of famous boyfriends such as Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner and Jake Gyllenhaal. So does she always go out with famous boys? "I really don't have any rules when it comes to height, age, career choice", she says.

Positive influence
Like other pop artists such as Shakira, Taylor Swift likes to help others. She gives money to schools and recorded the Hope for Haiti Now album for the victims of the disaster there. She also has a good influence on young people: Taylor avoids alcohol and cigarettes. "I don't drink to get drunk because that's just not cute... and I don't want to smoke anything because I sing", she says.

Taylor the actress
Taylor Swift isn't just a country singer... she is an actress too! Taylor has had roles in Valentine's Day, The Lorax and the TV series CSI. She also played herself in the film Hannah Montana: The Movie. With a successful music career and all her Grammy awards, perhaps the next step for Taylor Swift is to win an Oscar?

Music

Beyoncé

Beyoncé is having a busy year! She sang at President Obama's inauguration ceremony and at the Super Bowl halftime show. Now she has made a documentary film about her life as a mother, busenesswoman and superstar. Beyoncé will also play concerts in Paris and London this month, and has said that a new album will be finished very soon!

Justin Timberlake

Recently, Justin Timberlake has been doing more films than music. Now he has returned  with a new album called The 20/20 Experience. Justin's first two albums, Justified (2002) and Future Sex / Love Sounds (2006), sold more than 7 million copies each. Will his new album be a hit too?

                                    

 

PSY

People love to laugh at Psy's "Gangnam Style" video. But in his home country, South Korea, Psy is a national hero.

Go to YouTube and look for "Gangnam Style"... you'll see that more than 999 million people have watched the video by singer Psy. But a lot of them can't understand the lyrics: Psy sings in Korean.

There is nobody like Psy
Psy's musical style is 100% original.
It is often called "K-pop", but this term is misleading as Psy mikes lots of styles. The video "Gangnam Style" mixes rap and martial arts with dance moves that look like Psy in on a horse!

From Soth Korea to the USA
Psy grew up in Gangnam District, a rich district in Seoul, South Korea. After leaving school he went to the USA to study business administration. Psy's father is in charge of a big company and Psy was going to take over one day.

Psy discovers his vocation
But Psy soon realized that he preferred the music world to the business world. He used the money for his business education to buy musical equipment and started studying music instead. With his experience of the USA and its music in his mind, he returnde to South Korea with a clear idea: to become a famous singer.

Thank you Facebook
Psy likes to have fun, and his humorous videos are big part of his success (he imitates artists like Lady Gaga). He beat stars Katy Perry and Rihanna to win the MTV "Best Video" award in 2012.
Social media have also made Pay famous. Last November, about 20,000 people came to see him at a "flashmob" event in Paris that was organised on Facebook.

A hero in Korea
Many people go on YouTube to watch Psy because they are curious;they want to understand why a crazy Korean star is getting so much attention. But in his country, Psy is a hero. The government has given him one of the country's highest honours for his exceptional services to the arts.

Can Psy continue?

Amazed by his success, Psy is not sure if he can make another song better than "Gangnam Style". But he shouldn't worry. Someone with the imagination to create pop songs inspired by horses is sure to have lots of other crazy musical ideas.

Union J

UNION J

You know One Direction, but do you know the group Union J? Like One Direction, they became famous on the British TV talent show X Factor. They didn't win - they were eliminated in the semi-final. But One Direction didn't win either... and now they're superstars!

Music

LMFAO

If you like the Black Eyed Peas and Michael Jackson, or the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, you might like LMFAO. The group say they have been influenced by many different styles of music, from rap and hip hop to rock. The result is a new style of music: "party rock". The album Sorry For Party Rocking, with the single "Party Rock Anthem", is a big hit and now LMFAO are working on a Party Rock clothing line. Do you like party rock?

JESSIE J

English singer Jessie J has had a great few months. Hes debut album, Who Are You, has been a big hit. It has the singles "Do It Like a Dude", "Prince Tag" and "Nobody's Perfect". Jessie, age 23, sings pop, soul and R&B, but she became famous as a songwriter for Miley Cyrus!

Twilight

Twilight Saga
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Born: 24 December 1973, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Did you know? Stephenie Meyer wrote Twilight after dreaming about a girl who falls in love with a vampire!

Twilight is not a traditional story about good and evil. It is a series of four fantasy and romance novels about a teenager, Isabella Swan, who falls in love with a vampire called Edward Cullen. The series is one of the most popular written for teenagers and has sold over 17 million copies in 37 countries. The others books in the series, New Moon and Eclipse, follow the adventures of Isabella. The final book, Breaking Dawn, is the grand finale.