‘Physical’ duet with Olivia Newton-John makes us long for more ‘Glee’ video re-creations.
By Jean Bentley
Jane Lynch and Molly Shannon in “Glee”
Photo: FOX
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Michael Lynche joins him in the bottom three, despite experts predicting Casey James’ exit
By James Montgomery
Aaron Kelly on “American Idol” Wednesday
Photo: Fox
On this week’s “American Idol,” the top five went old school, tackling the time-tested songbook of Frank Sinatra. So it was perhaps not all that surprising that the show’s youngest contestant ended up getting the boot.
Yes, on Wednesday night’s (May 5) results show, voters sent 17-year-old Aaron Kelly packing, thanks largely to his shaky performance of “Fly Me to the Moon,” a timid turn that Simon Cowell rather rightfully described as “mouse” like.
Still, despite coming so close to winning it all, Kelly was all smiles when host Ryan Seacrest told him his time was up, saying, “I’ve had a great time; I’ve had a blast,” before taking one more run at “Moon” (and, to be honest, this version was much better than Tuesday night’s).
And while Kelly’s exit wasn’t exactly shocking, it was who joined him in the bottom two that raised more than a few eyebrows: Michael Lynche, the big-bodied crooner who won praise for his jazzy version of “The Way You Look Tonight,” a performance Cowell and fellow judge Ellen DeGeneres particularly liked.
In the end, Lynche survived, and joined Lee Dewyze — a lock to advance after his swinging, swaggering take on “That’s Life” — Crystal Bowersox and, somewhat surprisingly, Casey James, in the top four.
James had been most “Idol” experts’ pick to get the boot on Wednesday, following an awkward version of “Blue Skies.” And yet, he avoided elimination yet again (maybe it had something to do with his scruffy, sorta-beard).
Earlier in the show, Lady Gaga — who wore black (lace) in keeping with the classy, Sinatra vibe of the show — strutted through a performance of her current single “Alejandro,” and Sinatra Week mentor Harry Connick Jr. crooned his way through a version of the Lennon/McCartney classic “And I Love Her” (from his new album of covers, Your Songs) and w was joined by the remaining “Idol” hopefuls through a medley of his own hits.
Next week, frequent “Idol” collaborator Jamie Foxx will help guide the top four through some of Hollywood’s best-known movie music.
Were you bummed to see Aaron go? Let us know in the comments.
Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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Pop star starts over-the-top performance with a slowed-down snippet of ‘Bad Romance.’
By Larry Carroll
Lady Gaga performs on “American Idol” Wednesday
Photo: Fox
She’s one of the hottest musical acts at the moment, an endlessly fascinating performer who has enough tricks up her sleeve to possibly outlast the long list of flavors of the month who have similarly skyrocketed to the top of the charts. On Wednesday night (May 5), “American Idol” officially went Gaga.
“This is a woman who’s dominating the charts and pushing the pop-culture envelope,” Ryan Seacrest said in his gushing introduction of Lady Gaga.
With that, America’s most popular TV show became a showcase for one of its most unique talents. Taking to the stage with a large ensemble of backup dancers in a pre-taped performance, Lady Gaga sang the newest single from The Fame Monster, a Spanish-influenced number called “Alejandro.” Gaga started out at the piano for a slowed-down snippet of “Bad Romance.”
Dressed in a revealing-but-veiled black outfit that might be appropriate for a woman attending a stripper’s funeral, Gaga wielded a cape and was surrounded by a team of shirtless dancers. Halfway through the performance, she shed her cape and began writhing on the floor.
“Alejandro, let me go,” she sang. “You know that I love you, boy/ Hot like Mexico, rejoice.”
Over in one corner of the stage, a statue of the Virgin Mary had flames pouring out of the top of it, in something that felt straight out of Madonna’s repertoire in her prime. Smoke filled the stage while the songstress performed a highly choreographed dance routine.
The “Idol” crowd seemed appreciative of the spectacle, welcoming her with opening arms and cheering throughout the performance.
Gaga taped the performance after last week’s elimination show, when Siobhan Magnus got the boot.
What did you think of Gaga’s performance? Let us know in the comments!
Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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‘I’m really sorry, and I wanted to offer that publicly too,’ Hasselbeck says.
By Larry Carroll
Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Erin Andrews
Photo: Getty Images
After 13 years on the air, the list of people “The View” has offended seems longer than the ranks of those who haven’t been unfavorably provoked by the talk show’s hot-button conversations. Now, “Dancing With the Stars” contestant Erin Andrews is the latest to receive an apology and lightning-rod host Elisabeth Hasselbeck is the one making a mea culpa.
On Tuesday, the football player’s wife commented on the convicted stalker who peeped at the sideline reporter through a hotel-room keyhole, filmed it and placed the clip on the Internet. In effect, the conservative Hasselbeck was making the point that Andrews’ revealing outfits on “Dancing With the Stars” could have saved the stalker the jail term because he would have seen nearly as much.
The point was deemed ill-advised by many, including Hasselbeck herself a few hours after the show’s taping. The former “Survivor” contestant said on Wednesday’s (May 5) show that she left work feeling badly about the comments, and her 5-year-old daughter explained to her why she should apologize.
“She’s so cute; she said to me, ‘Mommy, why don’t you just call Erin and tell her you’re sorry?,’ ” Hasselbeck reported on “The View” Wednesday. “So, thankfully, I listened to her — she’s a wise little girl — and I did. So, I’m really sorry, and I wanted to offer that publicly too, even though I did follow that advice.”
For Andrews — who has waged a very public, very emotional battle against the stalker and additional threats — the comments of Hasselbeck were an insult. “[It’s] a slap in the face to victims of stalking and sexual predators,” Andrews said after Tuesday’s “Dancing With the Stars” results show. “[As a] woman, I’m disappointed she went there.”
What do you think of Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s apology? Let us know in the comments below!
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Drizzy released a statement denouncing Olivia’s Under the Radar track, in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
Olivia
Photo: G-Unit
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Olivia said that if a song goes on a mixtape, it should be no holds barred. The former G-Unit artist said she was shocked that Drake released a statement to the press denouncing a song she has on her new Under the Radar tape called “Control.” The record features a verse by Drake he recorded some time ago.
“I support artist collaborations and sampling music that inspires you, but I don’t support taking unauthorized recordings and marketing them as features,” Drake said in the statement last month. “I’ve never worked with Olivia, and I apologize to any fan who was duped into thinking that ‘Control’ was a collaboration of mine.”
Liv was livid at the statement.
“I think that was corny, because it’s a mixtape,” she said last week while visiting MTV’s offices. “[Drake] started off doing mixtapes. Are you serious? You really serious right now? I was like, ‘Wow.’ The producer sent it to me, everything was done. I’m thinking [Drake’s] part was signed off on. The producers sent it to us saying, ‘It’s done. Can you do the record?’ I’m like, ‘Sure.’ I was recording with Sean Kingston then, so it took us awhile to get back to them. Finally sent it back to them. … Soon as we sent it back, we heard [the song] was out. So when I heard everything going on, I was like, ‘Is he trying to hate right now?’ I’m confused. I thought that was what mixtapes were for. First of all, we heard you got paid for it. It was cleared. So I’m like, ‘Wow. That’s how we doing right now?’ But I’m good, ‘cause you gave me more publicity. Thank you! Shout-out to Drizzy!”
Under the Radar features the controversial Drake record, plus other guests, including Maino, Serani, Webstar and 50 Cent.
“I wanted to put out new material for all my fans,” O said. “They hit me every day on my Internet pages and say, ‘What’s up with all the new material? We want to hear some new stuff!’
“I got real supporters,” she added. “That’s what I have to say. “It’s a blessing. Sometimes I feel a little discouraged because of the way stuff went down with the Unit. I don’t regret anything, because I loved being there. But I wanted to be a solo artist. I wasn’t treated as a solo artist; I was treated as part of the group.”
For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc.
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Debut album from MTV News’ ‘MC to Watch’ will be #1 on Billboard’s top 200 albums chart next week.
By James Montgomery
B.o.B
Photo: Frank Mullen
It’s been nearly 18 months since MTV declared B.o.B an “MC to Watch”, and while he’s spent most of 2010 making us look smart, even we couldn’t have predicted this.
Thanks to the success of his singles “Nothin’ on You” and “Airplanes,” the Atlanta rapper’s debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, will bow at #1 on next week’s Billboard albums chart, with sales of more than 84,000 copies. He’s only the second hip-hop artist to debut in the top spot in 2010 (Ludacris did it back in March with his Battle of the Sexes album) and only the third since September of last year, when Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 dominated the landscape.
Following behind B.o.B is unstoppable country juggernaut Lady Antebellum, who sold just under 76,000 copies of their Need You Now album. Coming in at #3 — the week’s second-highest debut — are Welsh rockers Bullet for My Valentine, whose third album, Fever, sold close to 71,000 copies. Justin Bieber’s My Word 2.0 is next at #4, selling more than 69,000 copies, and AC/DC’s Iron Man 2 soundtrack lands at #5 with sales of about 52,000 copies.
Rounding out the top 10 are Usher’s Raymond v. Raymond (#6, 48,000), Melissa Etheridge’s new Fearless Love (#7, 46,000), Miranda Cosgrove’s new Sparks Fly (#8, 36,000), the ubiquitous Now 33 (#9, 30,000) and last week’s top seller, the “Glee” cast’s Power of Madonna (#10, 29,000).
Outside the top 10, notable debuts include Hole’s first album in more than a decade, Nobody’s Daughter, which bows at #15 with sales of close to 22,000 copies, Daddy Yankee’s Mundial at #29, with sales of more than 13,000 copies, and Sons of Sylvia, who, fresh off their appearance on “American Idol,” moved more than 12,000 copies of their debut, Revelation, to open at #33.
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MC says he’s ‘honored’ to be a member of the ‘bra-and-panties-tossing club.’
By Jayson Rodriguez
Drake
Photo: MTV News
It seems that Drake has joined an exclusive club usually reserved for R&B lotharios. According to the rapper/singer, his tour stops have featured “this recurring theme of throwing underwear onstage.”
In an interview with CNN, Drake talked about his career, influences and becoming a member of the “bra-and-panties-tossing club.”
“You know, that’s nothing original,” Drake said, joking about the long practice of female fans tossing their undergarments onstage in appreciation of a performance. “Prince can tell you better stories about that than I could. I just feel honored to be inducted.”
Drake explained that he writes primarily for his female fans — case in point, his new single “Find Your Love” — and he studies them carefully.
“I’m inspired by the makeup of the woman, their minds, their conversations, the emotions that they exude and pour out of them,” Drake continued. “I love women, I love to study women. I’m not a womanizer; I love to just study behavior patterns in a woman and how to interact with them, because I like to write for women.”
The recently announced Hot 97 Summer Jam performer also talked about Lil Wayne and his jail term.
Drake said he disagreed with the punishment; Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted gun possession and was sentenced to a year in prison.
“In my opinion, he didn’t do anything wrong,” Drake said. “I think it was the opportunity to make an example out of someone that didn’t deserve to be made an example out of.”
Have you seen Drake on tour? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
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‘I’m just singing about love, relationships and compromise,’ Richard ‘Bing’ Collora says of his winning song.
By Shaheem Reid
The Bingtones
Photo: Uplaya
Richard “Bing” Collora has never lost his passion for making music. For more than two decades the Silicon Valley-based native of Buffalo, New York, has been performing and releasing music independently. Eight years ago, he assembled a backing band called the Bingtones that features a slew of tenured veterans that have worked with musical legends, including Boz Scaggs, Huey Lewis and Etta James. In the studio, Bing has worked with musicians whose résumés include James Brown, Blood Sweat and Tears, Tower of Power, Carlos Santana and Stevie Wonder. That pedigree is evident in the band’s music, which has an old-school feel with rock-solid rhythms and infectious melodies.
“It’s basically a who’s who in session players,” Bing explained. “At its biggest, the live band has been 12 members; it’s 10 right now. For the recorded project, I have people all over the country — singers, horn players, bass players, guitar players — using Pro-Tools.”
Bing is a fixture on the website Uplaya.com, where his songs have received high marks from listeners. MTV recently partnered with uplaya.com for the Music Universe and MTV Talent Search: Contestants posted their own songs to be judged by MTV and members of the website.
The Bingtones’ “Read Between the Lines” was the winner, followed by Anthem of Silence’s “I Am One” and Black Chardonnay’s “Fireflies.”
Bing, who was delighted to learn of his group winning the contest, described some of the elements that helped the catchy, classic-style “Read Between the Lines” take the prize.
“It’s an old-school R&B, pop, kinda Tom Jones/Chicago-style song with the big horns,” he said. “I’m just singing about love, relationships and compromise — and reading between the lines.”
Plus, Heidi Montag debuts new look to her friends.
By Amy Wilkinson
Kristin Cavallari on Tuesday’s episode of “The Hills”
Photo: MTV
Who could have guessed wearing a pair of shades indoors would lead to this? Thanks to a penchant for tinted eyewear and a few hard-partying nights spent in Miami during Super Bowl weekend, Kristin Cavallari returned from the Sunshine State with some unwanted baggage — namely, rumors of an alleged drug addiction. The 23-year-old wasted no time squelching those accusations during last night’s episode of “The Hills.”
The show opened with Kristin paying a visit to frenemy Audrina Patridge’s house, where Kristin floated the idea of throwing a party. The conversation quickly turned to the rumors of Kristin’s alleged drug use and how fast the gossip had spread. “My parents have heard about it,” Kristin complained. “This has become an issue for me.” She asked whether Stephanie Pratt and/or Lo Bosworth were to blame for the rumors, but Audrina genuinely seemed to have no clue. Kristin decided she would invite Stephanie to her party to confront her in person.
Also invited to the fete was Heidi Montag, who decided it would be the perfect opportunity to debut her new look to her friends. (Heidi showed off her surgically enhanced body to her parents during last week’s episode.) “I’m so excited to go to Kristin’s party and show them my 3.0 body,” she enthused. Husband Spencer wasn’t so sure about the soiree, since his estranged sis, Stephanie, would be there. “Realistically, I don’t know how I’m going to be around Stephanie,” he said. “I haven’t talked to Stephanie once since the DUI, and she knows why. Because that was the final straw.”
Unsurprisingly, when the big night arrived, tensions were running high. Audrina brought her new boyfriend, singer Ryan Cabrera, which seemed to spark a bit of jealousy from Brody Jenner. But all eyes soon turned to Heidi, who made her grand entrance to a chorus of halfhearted cheers and “Wows.” After ushering his wife in, Spencer spent most of the night avoiding Stephanie. That is until Stephanie — who was already emotional from an earlier run-in with Kristin — made the mistake of saying hello to Spencer. “That’s why you’re not in my life, crazy bitch,” Spencer yelled at a misty-eyed Stephanie. “You come to barbecues and start crying.” And with that, Stephanie ran from the party in tears.
Spencer later rehashed the night’s events with friend Charlie, whipping out a feather to keep himself sane. “My life is perfect until Stephanie and Holly try to come in it,” he complained. Charlie suggested that maybe Spencer’s crystals, which he wore from multiple necklaces and bracelets, weren’t working. “I know they’re not working,” Spencer retorted. “That’s why there are hundreds of them on me right now.” And with that, he took a moment of silence to press a palm-size crystal into his forehead.
After denying that she and Lo had been the ones spreading the drug rumors, Stephanie decided it would be a good idea to settle the feud with Kristin in person. “I know this whole Miami thing is being dragged out,” Stephanie told Kristin as they sat at a restaurant, neither of them eating. “I don’t want it to be an issue anymore. We didn’t start any of these rumors.”
“Quit talking about me,” Kristin replied. “I don’t even like being around you. I think you are two-faced.”
After several more heated exchanges, the pair marched separately out of the restaurant, awkwardly meeting up on the sidewalk outside before finally parting ways.
“The Hills: Final Season” airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT every Tuesday, followed by “The City” at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
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‘He can come holla at me,’ Dame says of his former Roc partner.
By Shaheem Reid
Karrem Biggs, Jay-Z and Dame Dash
Photo: Roc-A-Fella
By now, everyone should know that Dame Dash is bringing back Roc-A-Fella records. He recently signed a distribution deal with very familiar partners Def Jam and will be releasing albums under the name of the Roc, a label he co-founded with Jay-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke in the ’90s before selling his share to Island Def Jam in 2004.
But Dash’s co-founders aren’t onboard for the new venture, and some Roc-A-Fella purists are already saying that it just isn’t the Roc without Jay and Biggs.
“I don’t know,” Dame said of the naysayers. “A ‘Roc-A-Fella purist’ is me. So what am I gonna tell myself? If someone has the essence and the DNA that Roc-A-Fella initially meant and they reflect that, then it’s not an issue. Any Roc-A-Fella purist — that would mean they would love to see the evolution of Roc-A-Fella. They would be happy because as of now [the label] doesn’t exist. And the spirit doesn’t exist. If we’re gonna bring back the spirit of Roc-A-Fella, any Roc-A-Fella purist would say, ‘That’s exactly what I would have wanted Damon to do if he was still the CEO of Roc-A-Fella.’ Or, ‘Roc-A-Fella as an entity always chose the opinion leader, and he seems to be that guy. And always a thorough individual, and he seems to be that guy as well.’ So I would think a Roc-A-Fella purist would be happy.”
Dash says he welcomes the participation of both Biggs and Jay-Z, if they want to be involved.
“If Jay wanna come through and do something, he can come holla at me,” Dash said. “I ain’t got no beefs with Jay.”
Dame made sure to add that he and Hov would have to come to an amicable business agreement if they were ever to partner again.
“Just off the strength that it’s Roc-A-Fella, I could never tell Jay he can’t be a part of something he helped create,” the Harlem born CEO said. “So maybe it felt ridiculous that he said [me and Biggs couldn’t be a part of Roc-A-Fella once we sold the company] and a Roc-A-Fella purists didn’t appreciate that. If I walked away from Roc-A-Fella, then that would be different. But the option should always be there. So the option is there for him. He helped build that. And I don’t hold grudges. I think one of the most important things in evolving is forgiveness. If he did something wrong or if I did something wrong, we’d have to forgive each other, or we’d still be children.”
The first release from the latest incarnation of the Roc is Curren’s Pilot Talk, which has a tentative release date of June 15. After that will be the mixtape album helmed by Ski Beatz called 24 Hour Karate School.
Can Roc-A-Fella records truly exist without Jay-Z’s involvement? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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