MTV News gets to know the 26-year-old ‘Call Me Maybe’ singer, who has suddenly found herself in the big leagues. By Natasha Chandel Carly Rae Jepsen Photo: MTV News Carly Rae Jepsen has suddenly found herself in the big leagues. Justin Bieber recently signed the YouTube pop starlet to his Schoolboy Records label, much like his mentor, Usher , helped catapult him into superstardom when the R&B icon took Bieber under his wing. It all started when Bieber tweeted, “Call me maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen is possibly the catchiest song I’ve ever heard,” creating an immediate runaway hit of the track off Jepsen’s EP Curiosity. And now, a music video spoof of the song, featuring heavy pop hitters like Selena Gomez , Ashley Tisdale and, of course, Bieber, has likely made “Call Me Maybe” the song of the season. “I have no idea why Justin Bieber picked me out of everyone he could have picked, but I’m so glad he did,” Jepsen told MTV News recently. So, who is the girl who wants you to call her, maybe? We already know the 26-year-old Canadian singer has fans in high places, and her track is in the top 10 on the iTunes singles chart, alongside the likes of Adele and Katy Perry. But there is much about this up-and-coming pop singer that you might not know, and MTV News would like to acquaint you with some lesser-known facts about Carly Rae Jepsen. 1. She is an “Idol” alum. In 2007, Jepsen placed third in the Canadian version of the popular “Idol” competition, touring across the country for the “Canadian Idol” Top 3 Concert Tour. During her first audition, Jepsen impressed the judges so much, singing original material, that one judge proclaimed his wish for her not to move forward in the show so he could sign her to a record deal right there and then. 2. She might collaborate with Justin Bieber. The Bieb is certainly “paying it forward.” This past Christmas, Usher recorded a song with his prot
Brandy is set to release her 6th studio album “Two Eleven.” But the title is not just any number, there’s a deep meaning behind it… Brandy shares her birthday (February 11th) with the day her mentor and idol, Whitney Houston died. So, the title of her new album “Two Eleven” is somewhat of a celebration of her life and memory of her idol. During a recent concert at The Factory nightclub, she revealed her new album would drop June 2012. Expect collaborations with Monica, Chris Brown, Frank Ocean and Drake! SOURCE
Young voters slowly trickle into polling stations in Boston, Columbus and Atlanta on Tuesday morning. By Andrew Jenks, Jacob Soboroff and Becca Frucht Outside of a Georgia Tech polling station on Super Tuesday Photo: Rya Backer/MTV News BOSTON — It’s cold. It’s early. And almost nobody is voting yet on the day that every pundit is saying could finally shake up this year’s Republican presidential race. Polls opened here at 7 a.m. for Super Tuesday voting and if the initial trickle at the Harbor Point Technology Center — the closest polling place to UMass Boston — is any indication, turnout ain’t looking good in the home state of GOP presidential front runner Mitt Romney. Boston’s NPR station, WBUR, reported this morning that only 300,000 voters are expected to show up today, 200,000 fewer than in the 2008 presidential primary, when both parties were engaged in vigorous races. To put things in perspective: almost one million young voters are eligible to vote in Massachusetts today. In the spacious first floor student lounge here, flags of the world’s countries hung over the room as 18-year-old Amanda Carey admitted she hadn’t voted yet but she would do so for the first time ever after school in a bid to support fiery Congressman Ron Paul. But by 8:30 a.m. only one voter, a 24-year-old Northeastern graduate named Ashley, had shown up to vote. She identified herself as a Libertarian and said she was voting to get President Obama out of office because, “I don’t believe he’s delivered on any promises he made in 2008.” Down the road at UMass Boston, students were trickling into the Campus Center. There wasn’t a polling place there, but there was a cafeteria. And for now that was a way bigger draw this morning. ( Jacob Soboroff ) ATLANTA — We’re at Georgia Tech and the Student Center polling station in the heart of campus is open! But so is the Chick-Fil-A right next door — and so far, it looks like more people are interested in biscuits than ballots. Maybe they’re just powering up for the big day? Michael, a grad student in electrical engineering, was definitely down to exercise his democratic duty. He’s also really passionate about Paul and credits the Libertarian Congressman from Texas with inspiring him to learn more about the economy. Michael believes former President Bush and now President Obama have “crashed the system” and the only one talking about the big changes we need to make as a country is the GOP’s oldest candidate. “It felt good,” he said about voting for a candidate he was passionate about. “I wouldn’t have come out today if Ron Paul wasn’t a candidate.” Some early birds were planning to read up and get their vote on in the November general election, but Mark Teal, a senior in civil engineering, is sitting Tuesday’s vote out because he’s a Democrat, even though he could still cast a ballot in the open primary. He predicts whoever wins the Republican nomination may give Obama a good fight, but is confident the current president will see another term. Brent and Chase, two seniors majoring in electrical engineering, weren’t eligible to vote because they didn’t get absentee ballots in time, but they’re on the Newt Gingrich train and are confident the former House Speaker will win in his home state. Finally, I chatted with Mehran, a 22-year-old Industrial Engineering major, who says it just too early for him to get involved — and he wasn’t even aware that it was Super Tuesday, or that the Republicans were duking it out to take on Obama. ( Becca Frucht ) COLUMBUS — It’s 6:30 a.m. and I am walking around The Ohio State University campus trying to find the polling site. I ask five to six students and nobody knows where it is. I finally find an information booth and they laugh and tell me I have actually been on site the entire time and the station is just 20 yards away. The polling site, in the student union in the center of campus, is pretty quiet around 7:30 a.m., when I was expecting a morning rush as students cast their ballots on their way to the day’s first class. Plenty of young people are going to class/work, but all zoom right past the polling site. Not even a glance. I didn’t see one person under the age of 30 exercise their power to vote in the 90 minutes I hung around in the cold dawn. Finally, I found Andrei Rhakovic, 25, who was in a hurry, but stopped for a minute to speak his mind. “It’s just bulls— overall,” he said. “I voted for Obama four years ago … but these past four years have really shown how f—ed and corrupt the system still is.” If anyone could get us out of this jam he describes, he thinks it’s Paul, but, well, let’s just say Rhakovic doesn’t trust his judgment either. Oftentimes when I speak with young voters it feels like they’ve experienced a “bad breakup” with government and politicians and this year’s election. But for Andrei, he is feeling much more than that. This is a bad — real bad – divorce. When I ask what it would take for him to re-engage all he can say is, “I don’t know. That’s a good question.” It’s the first time he was speechless. ( Andrew Jenks ) MTV has Super Tuesday covered, with reporters on the scene in Georgia, Ohio and Massachusetts! Check back for up-to-the-minute coverage on all the primaries, and stick with Power Of 12 throughout the presidential election season.
MTV’s 2012 tournament tips off Monday, and the Keys are ready for action — thanks to Beastdrol. By James Montgomery The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach Photo: Ollie Millington/ Redferns MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament returns Monday, and for some bands, that day can’t come soon enough — after all, they’ve been training for months. Take, for example, the Black Keys , who enter the 2012 tourney riding high — back-to-back breakout albums and a sold-out arena tour have certainly strengthened their RPI — and may very well be the favorites to unseat Green Day as MMM champs . But don’t think for a second that they’re letting all that success go to their heads. The Keys know nothing is certain once the tournament tips off, which is why they’re counting on hard work (and performance-enhancing drugs) to put them over the top. “Well, you know, to win this tournament, we’ve got to review tape — we’ve been doing that every night, meeting up, using the chalkboard a lot. And a lot of calisthenics, that kind of stuff,” frontman Dan Auerbach explained. “We’ve also been juicing up a lot, trying to get yoked out, and I think that we’re at peak performance right now, and I think we’re ready for this.” “I’ve been taking something called Beastdrol , and my thighs have increased to near 100 percent muscle,” drummer Patrick Carney added. “Everything else is normal, though. We’ve been practicing for this day for a long time, and we’ve just got to stay focused.” And if that strategy sounds a bit shady, well, MMM history has proven that rule-breaking is not only par for the course, it’s practically encouraged. (Who among us can forget the “Cheat to Win” strategy made famous by 2010 champs Coheed and Cambria ?) But will all the Beastdrol in the world be enough to carry the Black Keys to victory? They’ll have to out-juice the 63 other bands gunning for the big gold trophy — a packed bracket featuring the biggest acts in rock, not to mention several upset-intent newcomers. So it’s a good thing Auerbach and Carney have a few more tricks up their sleeves. Like, for example, the formidable “wax on/ wax off” combo, as taught to them by their mentor/coach. “We just got to remember what our coach told us, Mr. Miyagi, and I think that we’re going to pull it out,” Auerbach said. “We’re the kind of band that wins in the fourth quarter, so that’s where we’re going to shine, I think.” MTV’s 2012 Musical March Madness Tournament begins Monday, March 12, when we’ll unveil the full field of 64 bands that will battle for this year’s championship. Winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite act made the cut, it’ll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, it’s gonna be a war. Related Artists The Black Keys
This broad might need more people… Singer Stacy Francis, a contestant on “The X Factor” last year, spoke with “Extra” about the rumors she was in involved in a scuffle with Whitney Houston, two days before the superstar’s death. Houston spent Thursday at Tru Nightclub in Hollywood with friends, where Francis said she had words with the “I Will Always Love You” singer. “It wasn’t a violent exchange,” explained Francis. “She did not push me… I looked at her and she moved my face away. If it were not Whitney Houston, it could have been very bad.” Whitney was seen later with what looked like blood on her legs. Francis said she wasn’t the cause. “There was nothing that happened between us that caused her to get blood on her leg.” Was the exchange over Whitney’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Ray J? Francis said, “It was a misunderstanding. We went back and forth for a little while, but all I kept saying to her is that ‘I love you very much and I respect you so much.’ I’ve known [Ray J’s] family for a long time. Ray is honestly like a brother to me.” Francis also said she talked to Whitney about the possibility of being a mentor on “The X Factor.” “I said [to Whitney] ‘You should do it. Being a mentor on the show would be so great. And anybody who would be your contestant — it would be so fortunate for them. Man, I would love to go back on the second season for you to be my mentor.” Hit the flizzip to watch this heffa face as she backtracks, recants, and moonwalks better than Michael Jackson…SMH Image via Extra Source
Written by Dolly Parton, the ballad was nearly recorded by Elvis Presley. By John Mitchell Whitney Houston in her “I Will Always Love You” video Photo: Arista Records On Sunday night’s Grammy Awards, Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston , who was found dead a day earlier in Beverly Hills, by delivering a teary-eyed rendition of her most famous song, “I Will Always Love You.” What many do not know is that “Love You” is a tune with a long and interesting musical history that dates back to 1974 and has a connection to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. “I Will Always Love you” was written by country superstar Dolly Parton on June 6, 1974, as the second single from Parton’s 13th solo studio album, Jolene. That’s right, by 1974, Dolly Parton had already released 13 albums. And it may interest fans of the song to know that while “I Will Always Love You” is most certainly a love song, it’s not really about the deeply passionate parting of two lovers that was conveyed in Houston’s cover; the song is about Parton’s professional parting of ways with her onetime partner and longtime mentor Porter Wagner. The song went all the way to #1 on the country charts, and along with “Jolene,” arguably one of Parton’s finest songs, propelled her out of Wagner’s shadow and onto the country A-list in her own right. The song brought Parton a fan in the unlikely form of rock god Elvis Presley, who expressed interest in recording a cover version of the tune. This, of course, delighted Parton. There was a catch, however: Elvis’ formidable manager, Tom Parker, insisted that she sign over 50 percent of the publishing royalties to Presley. That was a problem for Parton, who had a policy against signing away her publishing rights — no matter how big the star wanting to record her track. “He was planning to record my song, ‘I Will Always Love You.’ He invited me down to the studio, and the day of the studio, Colonel Tom Parker called and said that they only recorded songs that they had the publishing on, and I couldn’t do that,” Parton told David Letterman in 2010. “That broke my heart, because I loved Elvis. “I cried all night. Other people were saying, ‘You’re nuts. It’s Elvis Presley. I mean, hell, I’d give him all of it,’ ” Parton said. “I said, ‘I can’t do that. Something in my heart says don’t do that.’ And I just didn’t do it, and they didn’t do it.” Parton re-recorded the song herself in 1982 and included it on the soundtrack to her film “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” It again went to #1 on the country charts, making Parton the first artist ever to earn a #1 record twice with the same song as a singer. (Once Houston’s cover hit the top of the charts, she became the first songwriter ever to hit #1 three times with the same song.) Like so many other iconic moments in pop culture, Houston’s cover of “I Will Always Love You” wasn’t even supposed to happen. She originally intended to cover Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” as the lead single from “The Bodyguard” until she found out the song had been used just one year earlier in the 1991 film “Fried Green Tomatoes.” Houston’s “Bodyguard” co-star Kevin Costner attempted to remedy the situation by introducing the singer to Linda Ronstadt’s 1975 version of “I Will Always Love You,” and Houston loved the song. She decided to rearrange it as a soul ballad with producer David Foster, and a classic was born. Houston and Foster, it seems, were not intent on owning the song’s publishing rights. With Houston’s legendary voice laid on the track, “I Will Always Love You” went on to become one of the biggest singles in music history, spending 14 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts — a record at the time — and helping “The Bodyguard” soundtrack sell 44 million copies worldwide to become the biggest soundtrack of all time. Eternally good-hearted, Parton complimented Hudson on her performance of the song at the Grammys and praised Houston’s amazing gift in a statement earlier Monday (February 13), saying, “I was brought to tears again last night, as I’m sure many were, when Jennifer Hudson sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ on the Grammys in memory of Whitney. Like everybody else, I am still in shock. But I know that Whitney will live forever in all the great music that she left behind. I will always have a very special piece of her in the song we shared together and had the good fortune to share with the world. Rest in peace, Whitney. Again, we will always love you.” For her part, Hudson was overjoyed to have a chance to say goodbye to her mentor at the Grammys. “It was the greatest honor of my life to be able to be the one to pay tribute to Whitney’s memory,” Hudson said in a statement Monday. “It was from my heart. I haven’t stopped crying since she passed. Her family is in my prayers.” Stick with MTV News all for all the Grammy red-carpet fashion , Grammy winners and performance recaps until the hangover wears off! Share your condolences with Whitney’s family and friends on our Facebook page. Related Videos Whitney Houston: Life And Music Of An Icon Related Photos Whitney Houston: A Life In Photos Related Artists Whitney Houston Jennifer Hudson
‘I asked her what she want to watch, she said, ‘Surely not the Throne,’ ‘ Weezy rhymes, adding to the MCs’ back-and-forth. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Here we go again. Hours before Lil Wayne and the Throne face off in the Grammy battle for Best Rap Album at Sunday night’s (February 12) awards show, Weezy threw shots during YMCMB’s pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles on Saturday night. After receiving some new sales plaques for his wall, announcing that he had signed R&B singer Christina Milian and paying homage to the late Whitney Houston , Wayne dropped an a cappella freestyle directed at Jay-Z and Kanye West. “I met a bad red bone, I took the bi— home/ I asked her what she want to watch, she said, ‘Surely not the Throne,’ ” Weezy spit before he dropped the mic and moseyed offstage, according to Rap Radar . Things began to sour after a 2009 interview in which Cash Money CEO Bryan “Birdman” Williams objected to Jay-Z taking the crown for MTV News’ “Hottest MCs in the Game” list for that year. “I don’t think he the #1 MC, in no kinda way,” Baby said, casting the first stone. “Wayne is the best, he do the most and he make the most money. I don’t think no n—a in the business make more money than us.” Jay returned fire at the top of 2011. On the Throne’s “H.A.M.,” Jigga made it clear that not only was Birdman, a.k.a. Baby, and Wayne not holding any Hov-caliber bucks, but that financially they couldn’t even compare to his wife, Beyonc
According to reports, Houston may have drowned in her Beverly Hills hotel bathtub. By Jocelyn Vena Whitney Houston Photo: FilmMagic The day after pop super diva Whitney Houston was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room, details are beginning to emerge about what may have contributed to her sudden death. While the cause of death remains a mystery, police tell People that “at this time, there’s no obvious evidence of foul play.” Beverly Hills Police Lieutenant Mark Rosen said Saturday “someone in her entourage found her unresponsive in her room. … Our detectives are still in the room, and her body is still here as well. I can confirm that Whitney Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. this afternoon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. We received a call at 3:43 p.m. from hotel security and Beverly Hills Fire, and police responded minutes later.” Police note that an investigation is ongoing. TMZ reports that while no illegal drugs were in her hotel room, prescription drugs were found. Sources add that she may have drowned in the bathtub, where her body was reportedly discovered. Houston’s body had been removed from the tub when authorities arrived, so an autopsy will have to be performed to determine the cause of her death. TMZ added that she had reportedly been taking Xanax at the time. Houston had been spotted drinking the night before at a pre-Grammy party, and in combination with the prescription drug, it could have led to her falling asleep in the tub and drowning. Bobbi Kristina, Houston’s daughter with ex-husband Bobby Brown, was reportedly on the hotel premises when Houston died. According to TMZ , Bobbi got into an argument with police when she was denied access to see her mother’s body. Houston’s cousin, Dionne Warwick, also showed up, according to reports, and was also not allowed to see the superstar’s body. Houston died at the age of 48 in Los Angeles. Her body was found at the Beverly Hilton, hours before her mentor Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy bash . She was expected to attend the annual fete. The party went on as planned Saturday night, where Davis, Diddy, Alicia Keys and Tony Bennett all paid tribute to the fallen star. On Sunday night (February 12), fellow Davis prot
According to reports, Houston may have drowned in her Beverly Hills hotel bathtub. By Jocelyn Vena Whitney Houston Photo: FilmMagic The day after pop super diva Whitney Houston was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room, details are beginning to emerge about what may have contributed to her sudden death. While the cause of death remains a mystery, police tell People that “at this time, there’s no obvious evidence of foul play.” Beverly Hills Police Lieutenant Mark Rosen said Saturday “someone in her entourage found her unresponsive in her room. … Our detectives are still in the room, and her body is still here as well. I can confirm that Whitney Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. this afternoon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. We received a call at 3:43 p.m. from hotel security and Beverly Hills Fire, and police responded minutes later.” Police note that an investigation is ongoing. TMZ reports that while no illegal drugs were in her hotel room, prescription drugs were found. Sources add that she may have drowned in the bathtub, where her body was reportedly discovered. Houston’s body had been removed from the tub when authorities arrived, so an autopsy will have to be performed to determine the cause of her death. TMZ added that she had reportedly been taking Xanax at the time. Houston had been spotted drinking the night before at a pre-Grammy party, and in combination with the prescription drug, it could have led to her falling asleep in the tub and drowning. Bobbi Kristina, Houston’s daughter with ex-husband Bobby Brown, was reportedly on the hotel premises when Houston died. According to TMZ , Bobbi got into an argument with police when she was denied access to see her mother’s body. Houston’s cousin, Dionne Warwick, also showed up, according to reports, and was also not allowed to see the superstar’s body. Houston died at the age of 48 in Los Angeles. Her body was found at the Beverly Hilton, hours before her mentor Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy bash . She was expected to attend the annual fete. The party went on as planned Saturday night, where Davis, Diddy, Alicia Keys and Tony Bennett all paid tribute to the fallen star. On Sunday night (February 12), fellow Davis prot
‘Jesus Christ, not Whitney Houston. Greatest of all time,’ Nicki Minaj tweets of late icon. By James Dinh Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston at the 71st Academy Awards in 1999 Photo: Timothy A. Clary/ AFP/ Getty Images Just a day before the 54th annual Grammys , the music industry suffered a major loss as one of the greatest voices of all time, Whitney Houston, was found dead Saturday night (February 11). Shocking fans, former collaborators and everybody in between, stars like Mariah Carey , Rihanna and Diddy have taken to Twitter to mourn the late icon. Mariah Carey, also known for her beautiful voice, took to the social media site to share her memory of the singer/actress. “Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston ,” Carey wrote . “My heartfelt condolences to Whitney’s family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.” My heartfelt condolences to Whitney’s family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. — Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) February 12, 2012 Rihanna was speechless upon hearing the news about the star’s death, simply writing , “No words! Just tears #DearWhitney.” Quoting a line from Houston’s massive 1992 hit “I Will Always Love You,” Kim Kardashian shared her love for the singer. “Just heard the tragic news that Whitney Houston passed away. I pray for her daughter & loved ones. We will always love you Whitney…,” she tweeted . Houston’s death hit Nicki Minaj pretty hard, with the Young Money songstress writing , “Jesus Christ, not Whitney Houston. Greatest of all time,” as well as tweeting a vintage photo of the late singer alongside Michael Jackson. Calling Houston’s death “such a loss,” Jennifer Lopez was another celeb to remember the superstar singer. “One of the greatest voices of our time. Sending out prayers to her family… #R.I.P.Whitney,” she said. Diddy admitted his disbelief about the the industry’s loss, saying , “Whitney Houston!!! OMG!! I really can’t believe this.. This is one of the saddest days ever..,” Toni Braxton confessed her influence from the late-singer. “My heart is weeping…RIP to the Legendary Diva & Icon Whitney Houston!!!!!” Toni Braxton wrote . “Such an incredible influence over music as a whole! She’s paved the way for every single singer in the music industry. Iconic, legendary, innovating, amazing, humble…1 the best in the world.” Christina Aguilera, also a big-voiced diva, took to Twitter to share her memory of the singer, confessing that “we have lost another legend.” “Love and prayers to Whitney’s family. She will be missed,” she added. Usher also chimed in, writing , “R.I.P Whitney Houston… A true icon of our time. Gone too soon. My heart goes out to the family in their time of distress. URIV.” Immediately after the news was announced, Houston’s legacy appeared all over Twitter’s trending topic list as #DearWhitney, #IWillAlwaysLove you, Waiting to Exhale amongst others trends taking over the top 10 list. Join us for an hour-long musical tribute to Whitney Houston, Saturday night at 11:30 on MTV. Share your condolences with Whitney’s family and friends on our Facebook page . Related Videos Whitney Houston: Life And Music Of An Icon Related Photos Whitney Houston: A Life In Photos Related Artists Whitney Houston Mariah Carey Diddy Rihanna
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