‘It doesn’t mean Selena is not the right person though,’ he says of waiting a bit before he ties the knot, to anyone. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: MTV News Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez denied engagement reports last week. And it seems that the Biebs, at age 18, is definitely not ready to get married. Doing press in Europe to spread the message about his new album, Believe, he was asked if he was ready to walk down the aisle with his actress/singer girlfriend. “No, I’m too young. One day, I will get engaged, when I have found the right person in five or 10 years. It doesn’t mean Selena is not the right person though!” he told Le Parisien, Pressparty.com reports. “She’s going to kill me if I say that!” The singer then talked a bit about having people constantly speculate about his relationship with Gomez. “It is not easy to be so young and to have a relationship with someone that doesn’t stay private,” he said. “But, well, I am a public personality, it is what I wanted, so I have to deal with it.” Earlier this year, Bieber opened up to MTV News about wanting to be a young dad . “I see myself in 10 years having a family,” he said. “Twenty-eight, that’s a good time to really have a family ’cause I want to be a young dad. Maybe, [it’s a] long time away though. Don’t get any ideas, people. It’s not happening anytime soon.” Well, perhaps if he follows his own ground rules to being a great boyfriend , then one day he really will make some special lady happy. “I don’t know if I’m even the best boyfriend,” Bieber said on the set of his video for “Boyfriend.” “But I can give a few suggestions. I think being honest and patient, because girls can be tough sometimes, so you just got to be patient. That’s two. Forgive, and have fun, because it’s about having fun. Last one? Be faithful.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Justin Bieber Related Photos Young Love: Justin Bieber And Selena Gomez Related Artists Justin Bieber
Testone wants Queen guitarist for her album: ‘He’s like, ‘Call me up. Let’s do it.’ ‘ By Kelly Marino Elise Testone Photo: MTV News Elise Testone might have wanted it all, but in Thursday night’s “American Idol” elimination round, she was cut from the running after taking on this week’s challenge of singing a Queen anthem as well as a song choice of her own. With the finale less than a month away, it has been imbedded in the contestants’ heads that it’s do or die when it comes to picking the right songs at this stage in the game. And while Testone’s rendition of Queen’s “I Want It All” on Wednesday night seemed to finally land her right back in her element, it was her personal pick of the less-familiar “Bold as Love” by Jimi Hendrix that might have caused her fall. Regardless, she stands by her decision wholeheartedly. “I really don’t have any regrets about that,” the 28-year-old explained. “I feel like I sung it the best, maybe one of the bests I’ve ever sung it, because I sung it a lot of times with my band, and people are always requesting it, and I feel like it’s a popular song. John Mayer just re-released it, and he is of our generation, so it’s one of the most epic songs ever written. “There is definitely a lot of give and take in the music environment,” she added. “You have to please people, but you also need to be yourself. So it’s always about finding a balance, and as we got closer to the show, I really just wanted to be myself and sing from my heart because if I try to please people then it might come across a little bit — I want to say fake, but not completely fake, but just you wouldn’t feel that conviction as much if I did that all the time. So, yesterday, I just chose songs that I love, and I did the best I could. So, I feel successful in those performances and with whatever is going to happen now.” The South Carolina native has had a history — or should we say “a vacation home” — in the bottom three for weeks now, with Jimmy Iovine even declaring she was the underdog of the competition. Elise admitted she didn’t take the comment too lightly at first, but she eventually learned to accept the criticism as part of the learning process. “At first, it was kind of hard to hear those things just because I have worked so hard, I have a degree in music, and I’ve been in like six different bands,” the rocker confessed. “I’ve done so much with music, so sometimes it was hard for me to take that criticism, but finally I realized that’s why I’m here. I signed up for this, and I can take the criticism. Move on.” And moving on she is. Now that the show must go on without her, Elise is already thinking about recording her debut album. So has she had any communication with Stevie Nicks since the legendary vocalist claimed she would hire Testone in an instant if she ever needed a singer? “No, no, but hopefully there will be,” Testone said with a smile. “Brian May, I talked to him a lot off-camera from Queen. Super cool. I mentioned two or three times I would love for him to play on my album, and he’s like, ‘Call me up. Let’s do it.’ So, I’m definitely going to get that phone number.” Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Sound off about Elise Testone’s elimination in the comments below! Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
Following a performance night that saw the remaining American Idol contestants cover both Queen and a song of their choice , six finalists awaited their fate this evening. And after both Stefano Langone and Katy Perry took the stage, we were left with Elise Testone, Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine in the bottom three. There’s no way viewers were voting out Laine, right? Right?!? Right. Instead, Elise Testone heard her name called by Ryan Seacrest to conclude the episode. The soulful crooner bid farewell via “Whole Lotta Love,” as J. Lo got up and danced and the crowd offered one final ovation. What do you think? Did America get it right? Should Elise have been eliminated?
Where’s Colton Dixon when you need him? We share song suggestions for the top six. By Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery “American Idol” top six Photo: FOX Every year, there’s one “American Idol” theme week that proves to be the equalizer. Sometimes it’s disco night, or performance episodes dedicated to Frank Sinatra, Gloria Estefan, big band or Bon Jovi. Wednesday night’s (April 25) Queen motif could be the one that trips up some of this year’s most promising contenders. What a time to be missing the show’s resident glamo (that’s glam and emo smushed together) rocker, Colton Dixon ! Though both of us are huge fans of the pioneering British stadium rockers, is there any band whose music feels less relevant at this cultural moment? In other words, six seasons after Simon and the gang first took us on a trip down “Fat Bottom Girls” lane, it’s the obvious choice for “Idol” as the show steams — or limps — toward next month’s finale. All snark aside, Wednesday night could belong to Elise Testone, since she’s the only one left who understands the intricate velvety folds of late singer Freddie Mercury’s bombastic voice. Also, if it was up to us, someone would have to do a song from the hugely underrated 1981 soundtrack to “Flash Gordon” (AAAH-AAAH!) but that’s for another time. Of course, as is seemingly required by law, there’s also going to be a second hour of “Idol,” in which the top six will sing a song of their choice (like, it could be anything), so in anticipation of some “Killer Queen” and whatever comes after, MTV News’ resident “Idol” know-it-alls, Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery, are back with their carefully considered song suggestions for the remaining “Idol” hopefuls: Hollie Cavanagh Let’s get it right out of the way: Bottom-three squatter Hollie continues to live on borrowed time. Queen’s music is all about emotion and showy delivery, and the British cowgirl has proven time and again that those qualities are a taller order than, well, her. That said, she could soar with one of the band’s many rich ballads, such as “You’re My Best Friend” or “Somebody to Love.” For her song choice: Mariah Carey ‘s “Hero,” just because. — Kaufman It would be fitting if she did “Another One Bites the Dust,” since she’s probably toast this week. Instead, she’ll do one of Queen’s excellent power ballads, like “Spread Your Wings” or “Save Me” (even though America won’t). As for her other song? I don’t even know where to begin. When she auditioned in season 10, she did a couple of Miley Cyrus tunes, so I’ll just say she does “The Climb” again. Hollie really inspires enthusiasm, if you couldn’t tell. — Montgomery Joshua Ledet Josh has pretty much been able to sing anything thrown his way so far, but Queen could be a serious roadblock. Though their songs have plenty of flavor, it’s not necessarily the gospel-y kind he favors. He should probably take the safe route and put some of his soul on a big ballad like “I Want to Break Free.” If the Queen thing falls flat, he can redeem himself with something young, sexy and firmly in his lane like Chris Brown’s “Beautiful People.” — Kaufman He’s got the pipes — and the burgeoning ego — to take on the entirety of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” but he’d be better served channeling all those vocal histrionics (and craziness) into three-and-a-half minutes of “Don’t Stop Me Now.” And then we could call him Mr. Fahrenheit instead of Mantasia. For his second song, dude, I don’t know. He should just do a Fantasia song again. Any of them. — Montgomery Jessica Sanchez It’s been an up-and-down ride for the once-infallible Sanchez, but she should cruise this week, and I’m going to suggest she go rogue and sing the 1981 David Bowie/Queen collabo “Under Pressure,” which has a dynamic range that could let her show off those pipes. And she has to do Beyonc
Seven finalists. 14 performances. On last night’s American Idol , the remaining contestants sang a pair of tracks each: first, they covered a “Now” single from the year 2000 and beyond . Then, they went with a soul-based “Then” song, tackling artists such as Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding. Relive the latter half of the evening below and then vote on your favorite… Hollie Cavanagh for hour number-two started with “Son Of A Preacher Man,” one of our favorite singles from that era. Hollie Cavanagh – “Son Of A Preacher Man” Up next, Colton Dixon went from Lady Gaga to Earth, Wine and Fire, sitting behind a piano for a version of “September.” Colton Dixon – “September” Elise Testone then got us into the mood via the Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On.” Will it help her move on? Elise Testone – “Let’s Get It On” Phillip Phillips proceeded to show off his versatility, following an Usher cover with a rendition of “Midnight Hour.” Phillip Phillips – “Midnight Hour” From there, Jessica Sanchez made a plea to “Try A Little Tenderness,” as she hopes to avoid another placement in the bottom three. The judges, of course, are all out of saves. Jessica Sanchez – “Try A Little Tenderness” Skylar Laine , who also did Lady Gaga proud with her first performance, then lamented how she “Heard It Through the Grapevine.” We adore her. Skylar Laine – “Heard It Through The Grapevine” Finally, Joshua Ledet took us home by telling the world that “A Change is Gonna Come.” Joshua Ledet – “A Change is Gonna Come” Which of these performances did you like best?
Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” was apparently the song of the week on Fox. Two hit shows on the network featured covers of it in as many nights! Tuesday, on Glee , Matt Bomer’s guest appearance as the older brother of Darren Criss’ character featured a scene in which the two duet on the catchy track. While it was something of an odd choice to have brothers singing this song, as its lyrics imply a breakup between a couple, the guys absolutely killed. Wednesday, on American Idol’s top seven performance show, Phillip Phillips and Elise Testone tag-teamed it. Which cover was better? Watch both and vote below: Darren Criss and Matt Bomer – Somebody That I Used to Know (Glee) Phillip Phillips and Elise Testone – Somebody That I Used to Know (American Idol) Which show’s cover of “Somebody That I Used to Know” was best?
Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” was apparently the song of the week on Fox. Two hit shows on the network featured covers of it in as many nights! Tuesday, on Glee , Matt Bomer’s guest appearance as the older brother of Darren Criss’ character featured a scene in which the two duet on the catchy track. While it was something of an odd choice to have brothers singing this song, as its lyrics imply a breakup between a couple, the guys absolutely killed. Wednesday, on American Idol’s top seven performance show, Phillip Phillips and Elise Testone tag-teamed it. Which cover was better? Watch both and vote below: Darren Criss and Matt Bomer – Somebody That I Used to Know (Glee) Phillip Phillips and Elise Testone – Somebody That I Used to Know (American Idol) Which show’s cover of “Somebody That I Used to Know” was best?
Much-hyped band, opening for Jack White, releases debut, Boys & Girls . By James Montgomery Alabama Shakes Photo: MTV News It’s not exactly a stretch to say the Alabama Shakes have come out of nowhere — it would, however, be incorrect. After all, they hail from the town of Athens, Alabama (pop. 21,897), and, since forming in 2009, they’ve logged thousands of hours playing sweaty, soulful gigs throughout the Southeast — though Egan’s Bar in nearby Tuscaloosa remains their spiritual home. Since January 2011, they’ve been working on their debut album, paying for recording sessions themselves using money from their various day jobs (painting houses, delivering mail), and slowly but surely building a bit of buzz, namely on blogs like Aquarium Drunkard , which posted an MP3 of the band last summer and inadvertently got them a deal with ATO Records. In November 2011, they finished that debut disc, and in March 2012, the Shakes tore through the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. On Tuesday, their journey finally came to a head with the release of Boys & Girls, a crackling, creaky collection of ringing, downright retro guitars, pealing organs and, of course, frontwoman Brittany Howard’s voluminous, velvety voice. Not surprisingly — given the Shakes’ Southern roots and the laundry list of adjectives their music inspires — long-suffering rock critics have already embraced both the band and their sound, dubbing them everything from the genre’s next great saviors to the new kings and queens of retro soul. But, as Howard explains, she prefers to call it one thing, and one thing only: “It’s rock and roll. Think about Chuck Berry … rock and roll. AC/DC, rock and roll. Little Richard. James Brown was doing some rock and roll. That’s what it is,” she told MTV News. “R&B and rock and roll go more hand in hand than I think a lot of people want to admit.” MTV News caught up with the Shakes, MTV PUSH Artist of the Week , on Tuesday at New York’s Studio at Webster Hall before they took the stage for Live in NYC, MTV Hive’s concert series . Their performance will be available on-demand next week. Howard and bandmates Steve Johnson and Heath Fogg told us they are proud of everything that’s lead them to this point and that they did everything their way. “We’d go up to Nashville once a month, at most, to make the album,” Fogg shared. “We’d get up there Friday night, work all day Saturday, head back home Saturday night … It was a long process. “We’ve been wanting this record to come out for a long time,” he continued. “To get the opportunities we’ve gotten, we were all pretty shocked. We’d get taken out to dinner by all these big labels, and the whole time I kept thinking I’d have to pay for these meals, like, I’d stand up and kinda grab for my wallet, and they’d be like, ‘No no no.’ ” Johnson added: “When we were making [ Boys & Girls ], there were certain recordings where it felt like you were almost in the room with the band while they were being recorded. Just background voices, the stir of the room; it felt like there were other people in there, and we were all fans of that kind of stuff, so we decided to leave little things in. “The songs have a feel to ’em: There’s kind of a sway of the rhythm, it picks up and slows down. We weren’t sitting there on a metronome, playing to a click track or something like that, and I think that was the overall goal: to make a good-sounding, good-feeling album. And if there was a mistake, but it didn’t mess with the groove of the song: leave it in.” Of course, the Shakes are trying very hard to come to terms with their newfound fame, which includes a sold-out North American tour, dates in Europe and the U.K. and an opening slot for avowed-admirer Jack White on his solo trek. Mixed in with all of this is the very real struggle to remain attached to their roots, which are as far-reaching as they are humble. After all, they’re not a “retro soul” band, they’re a rock and roll band. One whose time has finally come. “A lot of people listened to James Brown and Elvis Presley when I was growing up,” Howard explained. “We had a station called Solid Golden Oldies, and I would spend a lot of time with my grandmother, and that’s what we would listen to. We’d be in the kitchen cooking or cleaning, listening to Solid Golden Oldies, and she’d tell me about Dion and Elvis Presley, how her and her friends would go dance to Elvis records. “I just grew up loving it and understanding it and just the sound and the honesty of the music was something I’ll never forget,” she explained. “And I ran into these guys, and they all get it too. But, we also listen to a lot of other stuff — it doesn’t stop there. That’s why we don’t say we’re retro soul, because I also love MMJ [My Morning Jacket], the White Stripes, Kings of Leon … I’m not stuck under a rock or anything. I don’t think any of us are.” Related Videos PUSH: Alabama Shakes Related Artists Alabama Shakes
Joshua Ledet gets a standing O and Elise Testone is declared ‘back’ on Wednesday’s show featuring music from this decade. By Gil Kaufman Elise Testone on “American Idol” Photo: Fox They may have been dressed like they were going to a prom in the 1980s, but the top seven finalists on “American Idol” finally dragged themselves into the present on Wednesday (April 11) for the “Songs From This Decade” theme night. With a playlist of tunes released between 2010 and this year, they had help from guest mentor Akon on a night that featured hits by everyone from Eminem to Pink, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson and Maroon 5. After crushing it last week and cementing her status as a front-runner, country girl Skylar Laine played some small ball with the lesser-known Kellie Pickler tune “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You.” Akon was blown away, saying he couldn’t stop thinking about Laine’s voice, which was a good sign. On a stage dressed up with flaming hobo barrel fires, Laine busted out her acoustic guitar and turned an obscure tune into another twangy tour-de-force, raising her gritty vocals skyward to match the bursts of pyro from the stage props. “This is what you should do, you could have a hit with a song like that,” said Randy Jackson, who dubbed it “crazy hot and crazy good,” not to mention pitch perfect. Steven Tyler offered up one of his all-time head-scratching compliments, praising the ladies of season 11 as only he can with the line, “the crows may crow, but the hens deliver the goods.” Right, what he said. Jimmy Iovine said Colton Dixon needed to step out of Phillip Phillips’ shadow, so he encouraged the Tennessee titan to up the ante on the song co-written for Eminem by Skylar Grey, “Love the Way You Lie.” Posting up behind a white grand piano and accompanied by a string section, Colton hit his falsetto repeatedly to up the drama. And while the big note in the middle was impressive, the soft rock arrangement came off as a bit, well, limp. As usual, though, the ladies loved it and Jennifer Lopez was again impressed with how Colton coaxed his own unique notes out the tune, which she wished would have been “more of a song.” Tyler thought it was so flawless that it could go out as a single right now, with no overdubs. At first, low-key pawn shop worker Phillips didn’t impress Akon and Jimmy with his attempt to do something a “bit different” with a strummy, DMB-ified cover of Maroon 5’s “Give a Little More.” Saxophone assist or not, Phillips managed to turn the pop tune into another one of his signature scatty, fratty jam rockers. Despite the sameness of nearly all his performances, Steven praised Phil’s melodic evolution on the show, inexplicably comparing the singer to a mix of late tough-guy actor Steve McQueen and country icon Johnny Cash. “It was a little bit underwhelming,” said Lopez, still yearning to hear Phil Squared break out and do something different. Jimmy drew a blank on “Stuttering,” the Jazmine Sullivan tune chosen by California girl Jessica Sanchez. But he and Akon were blown away by the teen’s power and control, which ‘Kon — who predicted she’d go far before the live shows started — dubbed “crazy.” Her confidence paid off, as Sanchez killed the sultry ballad, showing shades of everyone from Alicia Keys to Jennifer Hudson in a controlled, silky smooth performance that mixed elements of jazz, soul and timeless R&B. Randy loved the arrangement and said BeBe Chez set the bar at the “highest degree.” Lopez could feel Sanchez digging into the story behind the song in the middle and said the high schooler had a chance to take the “Idol” audience on a ride they’ve never been on before as next month’s finale approaches. Joshua “Mantasia” Ledet got a 20th birthday shout-out from season 3 “Idol” winner Fantasia and celebrated being almost legal by exiting the ballad barrio and rocking it out to Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby.” Rolling his hips, strutting his stuff and showing off some previously hidden ladies’-man moves, Ledet proved that he’s got just as much soul and grit singing uptempo as he does on the slow jams. Cleary it worked, since he got the night’s first standing O from the judges, with Tyler gushing, “you can sell us all like a work of art.” Jackson said the performance was, simply, “unbelievable,” from the fly white jacket and pink socks to the utter command of the stage. It was do-or-die week for bottom three staple Texas firecracker Hollie Cavanagh, who hoped to turn things around with Pink’s “Perfect.” Akon and Jimmy said she has the vocals, but just needs to cross the chasm from an amateur to a confident professional. Singing to an acoustic guitar, Cavanagh finally combined her powerful pipes with some controlled, heart-tugging emotion, ending with a gigantic diva-rific note that slammed an exclamation mark on the performance. “I feel you fighting. … You sang beautifully tonight,” said Lopez, though Tyler rebutted that it wasn’t, in fact, perfect, but a bit flat. Resident rocker Elise Testone closed the night with the Lady Gaga tune “Yo
Facebook.com – Become a Fan! Twitter.com – Follow Us! Colton Dixon, Elise Testone, and Skylar Laine were at the Grove in Los Angeles today. The ‘American Idol’ hopefuls signed autographs and took photos with fans!
