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Hayley Williams Calls ‘VH1 Divas’ Performance ‘Humbling’

‘I want to do it again,’ singer tells MTV News of performing for the troops. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Audrey Kim Hayley Williams Photo: Angela Weiss/ Getty Images Hayley Williams proved that she’s one of the new-millennium divas when she belted out Paramore’s “The Only Exception” and a cover of the Foo Fighters’ hit “My Hero” from Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. She and her bandmates entertained the troops there on Friday for “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops,” which aired Sunday night. When MTV News caught up with the rocking frontwoman at KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2010 in Los Angeles on Sunday, she admitted that performing for the troops had definitely been on the band’s bucket list. “Well, that was the first time we’d ever experienced anything like that,” she explained. “It was so humbling, and I want to do it again.” The band has a special connection to the troops, since a few of their friends have been deployed. “We’ve been waiting since our band started,” she said. “Especially Jeremy [Davis], our bass player, he’s had friends over there since the band started since he was out of high school. So it’s just really important for us to show them they’re remembered and give them a night just to hang out.” Her “Airplanes” collaborator B.o.B, who was with Williams at Jingle Ball, seemed equally excited by the group’s smashing performance. “Everybody gotta enjoy rock and roll. Shout-outs to Jeremy!” he exclaimed. “What up, man!” The VH1 Divas night also included performances from the Marine Corps air hangar in San Diego by Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj , Sugarland, Keri Hilson and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. Almost all of the ladies hit the stage for the night’s big opening number, a new take on the classic war tune “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Related Videos Performances At ‘VH1 Divas Salute The Troops’ Related Photos Fashions At ‘VH1 Divas Salute The Troops’ 2010 Jingle Ball Kicks Off In Los Angeles Related Artists Paramore

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Hayley Williams Calls ‘VH1 Divas’ Performance ‘Humbling’

Paramore Get Troops Rockin’ And Reflecting At ‘VH1 Divas’

Hayley Williams and co. performed ‘My Hero’ and ‘The Only Exception’ in Kuwait for Sunday’s show. By Aly Semigran Paramore’s Hayley Williams performs for “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops” Photo: VH1 “Hero” is a word that is often synonymous with members of the military, so it was quite natural that Paramore paid their respects to the men and women in uniform by covering the Foo Fighters’ 1998 arena rock classic “My Hero” for “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops.” In their performance in front of troops at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait — which was followed by sets back in San Diego from stars like Keri Hilson , Nicki Minaj and Sugarland — frontwoman Hayley Williams, looking as rocker chic as ever with pink hair and a blue sequined jumpsuit, alerted the crowd, “This one’s for you” as her band kicked into the tune’s instantly recognizable opening notes (particularly Taylor Hawkins’ heart-pounding drum intro, taken over here by Zac Farro). It seemed the troops were just as ready to rock out as Williams and co. were, as they quickly turned into a sea of signs of the horn and crowd-surfers. (Click here to see photos from “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops” .) Amid the flashing lights, both onstage and coming from the countless cameras flashing from the crowd (many of whom held glow sticks too), Williams belted out Dave Grohl’s catchy chorus, “There goes my hero/ Watch him as he goes/ There goes my hero/ He’s ordinary.” Paramore, who have previously covered “My Hero” (from the Foo’s defining 1998 record The Colour and the Shape ) on the compilation album Sound of Superman, didn’t miss a beat during their stint on Sunday’s show. Williams and her bandmates then took a breaking from rocking and slowed things down a bit with their love song “The Only Exception.” The audience showed their appreciation for the band with waving hands and lighters. The band provided one of the evening’s few subdued numbers of the night, and the swaying crowd (many of whom sung along with the chorus, “But you are the only exception “) gave the show a much-needed moment of reflection. While the song may not have been as obvious a choice as “My Hero” (particularly when they have a hard-rocking repertoire that includes hits like “Brick by Boring Brick” and “Decode”), it seemed to resonate hugely with the crowd (many of whom, perhaps, were thinking of their loved ones at home during the performance, particularly during lines like “I know you’re leaving in the morning when you wake up/ Leave me with some kind of proof it’s not a dream”). The service members attending the “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops” weren’t the first to take Williams’ ballad to heart this year. The tune was also featured in the wildly popular Britney Spears episode of “Glee,” in which Lea Michele echoed Williams sentiment that, “That was the day that I promised/ I’d never sing of love if it does not exist.” What did you think of Paramore’s performances of “My Hero” and “The Only Exception”? Let us know in the comments section below. For photos, videos and info on how you can salute the troops, head to the “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops” page . Related Videos Performances At ‘VH1 Divas Salute The Troops’ Related Photos Fashions At ‘VH1 Divas Salute The Troops’ Related Artists Paramore

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Paramore Get Troops Rockin’ And Reflecting At ‘VH1 Divas’

‘VH1 Divas’ Kicks It WWII-Style With ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’

Katy Perry, Keri Hilson and Jennifer Nettles were pinup perfect for an Andrews Sisters cover. By Aly Semigran Keri Hilson, Katy Perry and Jennifer Nettles perform for “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops” Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images The Andrews Sisters got a 21st century tribute, courtesy of Katy Perry, Keri Hilson and Sugarland’s leading lady Jennifer Nettles in the opening number for “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops” at the Marine Corps air hangar in San Diego. While “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (which was an iconic tune during World War II) isn’t just for the good-ole boys anymore (there are plenty of women now in the armed forces, and a good portion of the audience, these days), it still had that swingin’ thing that made it a staple so many years ago. Perry, Hilson and Nettles all donned WAC uniforms like the ones the Andrews Sisters wore back in the day and started the evening with a lip-synched homage to the original, complete with a black-and-white video and that instantly recognizable trumpet call. (Click here to see photos from “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops” .) Things didn’t stay old fashioned for too long, as the performers, accompanied by a bevy of flashy dancers, soon appeared onstage in shimmery, gold dresses that would make a flapper proud (they still tipped their hats to the troops by wearing a variety of armed forces caps). Thankfully, with all due respect to the Andrews Sisters, the three eventually sang the tune themselves. Perry, Hilson and Nettles have such striking voices from entirely different genres of music, but for this show they sounded as though they could have been coming from a Crosley radio. The already raring-to-go crowd loved every nostalgic second of it. (One man in uniform, who like so many others, was snapping photos, could be seen mouthing, “I love you, Katy Perry!”) The backup dancers sequence at the end distracted a bit from the spirit of what the three women had re-created, but then again: new century, new attitude. What did you think of the “VH1 Divas” take on “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”? Share your reviews in the comments. For photos, videos and info on how you can salute the troops, head to the “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops” page . Related Videos Performances At ‘VH1 Divas Salute The Troops’ Related Photos Fashions At ‘VH1 Divas Salute The Troops’ Related Artists Katy Perry Keri Hilson Sugarland

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‘VH1 Divas’ Kicks It WWII-Style With ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’

REVIEW: Boogie Woogie’s Art-World Satire Sails Wide of the Mark

An art-world goof with credibility and characters to burn, Boogie Woogie is that curious indie animal that combines a can’t-miss cast and roaring, Altman-esque ambitions, only to barely squeak into theaters.

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REVIEW: Boogie Woogie’s Art-World Satire Sails Wide of the Mark