‘We’ve been working on a song for a while now,’ he tells MTV News of Keys, while also gushing about mentor Blake Shelton. By Christina Garibaldi Jermaine Paul Photo: MTV News It’s been a week since Jermaine Paul won the second season of “The Voice,” beating out Juliet Simms to take the title for Team Blake, but the former Alicia Keys backup singer still can’t believe all that has happened to him in such a short amount of time. Paul stopped by MTV News on Monday and reflected on the moment they announced his name as the winner and how his coach, and friend, Blake Shelton was able to bring him back to reality. “I was going through a whole emotional, mental shock, and I even physically thought my legs weren’t under me, I had my hands on my head,” Paul said. “I had this crazy tingling sensations like going through my head — it’s a feeling I can’t even explain — and he brought me back to reality and grabbed me and was like, ‘You did it, man! It’s you!’ It was an amazing feeling.” Many were surprised when Paul chose Shelton to be his mentor in the beginning of the season, given that he’s an R&B artist, while Blake is a country star. But much like Shelton and fellow coach Adam Levine , Paul developed his own “bromance” with his mentor. “He’s a good guy, he’s a man’s man, he’s a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of guy, and that’s the kind of guy I try to be,” Paul said. “That was ultimately one of the main reasons I chose him as my coach. I just felt his sincerity, the realness. He jokes around a lot, you know? When he walks in the room, he definitely has a way of lighting up the air.” Another huge supporter of Paul’s is his former boss, Alicia Keys. Paul revealed that the superstar singer was always advocating for him to begin his own solo career. “She’s always been supportive. Even while I was singing, I would tell her, ‘I want to go solo,’ and she was like, ‘What are you waiting on?’ and I would tell her, ‘I’m waiting on God to fix things out,’ and she was like, ‘Maybe God is waiting on you.’ ” Clearly, Keys’ advice has paid off for Paul, who is hoping to release a track with her on his future album. “We’ve been working on a song for a while now,” Paul said. “And, you know, what better time than now?” Are you excited for Jermaine Paul’s debut album? Let us know in the comments!
Team Cee Lo standout proved to be the most versatile contestant in the competition, which should make for a killer album. By John Mitchell Juliet Simms on “The Voice” Photo: NBC America named Jermaine Paul “The Voice” on last night’s finale of the reality singing competition. The former Alicia Keys backup singer bested runner-up Juliet Simms by a mere 4 percentage points to take the title, earning a recording contract with Universal Republic Records. While we’re excited for Paul, a longtime music-industry veteran and father of four who brought nothing but dedication and professionalism to each of his performances, and had a feeling he would ultimately prevail in the competition, it’s Simms’ future as a recording artist that we’re more interested in. By the end of the competition, her unique, raspy voice and ethereal Florence Welch-like style had us waiting out many of the other performances just to get another listen to Simms. Like Paul, Simms has been in the game for years, but things never quite panned out. Her band Automatic Love released a record on RCA in 2010, and she signed deals with Epic and Umbrella Records as a solo act, though none yielded sales strong enough to merit the labels’ continued investment, and Simms was ultimately dropped. Her search for a bigger platform to re-launch herself brought her to “The Voice,” where she quickly became a judges’ favorite. She was initially chosen by Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green, and chose to be part of Team Cee Lo. Throughout the competition, she earned nothing but praise for her killer vocals, but her performance of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” in the semifinals marked a turning point for the singer. She nailed it so hard that Levine declared her “the one to beat,” while Aguilera — who herself tore the song apart at the 2007 Grammy tribute to Brown — said, “I sing from my heart, love me, hate me, but I sing for me, and that’s where you sing from.” Her own coach Cee Lo seemed at a loss for words, saying only, “You killed it! You murdered that record!” Indeed, she delivered so fantastically that she reshaped the entire competition. Her take on “Man’s World” was so well-received that it captured the vast majority of the public vote, knocking Jamar Rogers , who had been, up to that point, one of Cee Lo’s favorites and a presumed lock to go all the way to the end, out of the competition and carrying her to the finals. It was proof that when she is in her element with the right song, she is a force to be reckoned with and a voice that people want to hear more from. None of this is to take away from Paul or his talent. The ease with which he performs is impressive, but it’s not particularly exciting. His will be an album heavy on R. Kelly-like ballads (like his fantastic take on “I Believe I Can Fly,” which won him the competition) and R&B slow jams, and that’s perfectly fine. But consider the delicate touch Simms brought to her group performance of “With a Little Help From My Friends.” Arranged in the style of Joe Cocker’s cover of the Beatles classic, it was simple and elegant and markedly different from her showstopping “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” It exemplified her astounding range as a performer; she’s as effective singing a spare ballad as she is tearing into a soul classic. We haven’t had a flesh-and-blood female rock star in the vein of Fiona Apple or Alanis Morissette emerge since the ’90s. We are sadly low on strong, truly unique and versatile female voices that can cross genres without sounding out of place. Simms can rock, she’s got soul and, with Cee Lo’s pushing, she even showcased a funky side. Simms could go in just about any direction with her next record, and that’s something to be excited about. Hopefully, despite coming in second place, “The Voice” will prove to be exactly the launching pad she needs to go on to bigger and better things. Who was your favorite of the “Voice” final four? Let us know in the comments!
Th is a girl that has already gone places… and will only go further based on a great look and great talent: Performing for the first time at the tender age of 5 as a special guest on “Showtime at the Apollo”, Jamia had appeared on more stages by 15 than most do in a lifetime. Jamia graced many stages from Good Morning America and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to singing before a NASA delegation, the NBA All-Star Game, touring with David Foster and being flown in as a surprise guest for John Travolta’s 50th birthday party. At the age of 11, she performed before the World on the Oscar stage, making her the youngest ever to do so, following the Academy Award nomination for the song she performed in her role in the movie August Rush. An accomplished young actress as well, Jamia starred in multiple TV shows including The Young and the Restless, Life Is Not A Movie (The Fantasia Barrino Story), The Backyardigans, Romeo and My Wife & Kids. However, music was always her first love, and with a voice loved and supported by a wide and growing international fan base including some of music’s most revered names such as Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Fantasia, David Archuleta, Celine Dion, Brandy, Kelly Rowland, Beyonce, Mario and Chris Brown, the world anxiously awaits what President Bush described simply as “The definition of the Future”. Turn the page to see her sing Rihanna’s “Take A Bow” acapella.
The top seven sang for their lives on ‘Now and Then’ night; here’s how they all fared. By James Montgomery Joshua Ledet performs on “American Idol” Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images “American Idol” gave us the best of both worlds on Wednesday night, as the top seven sang something old and something new . That meant dusting off some classic soul tunes and coupling them with the current crop of shiny pop hits, and though you might not believe it, the results were actually pretty good. Yes, no doubt due to last week’s shocking near elimination of presumed front-runner Jessica Sanchez , the remaining “Idol” hopefuls were singing for their lives last night, and delivered a handful of genuinely great performances. Of course, a few tried to go outside the box, and the results… well, they were mixed. Still, a memorable show all around, and not just because of Colton Dixon’s Lady Gaga get-up. So who earned the night’s highest marks? Who should consider hiring a tutor? Read on for our “American Idol” report card! Joshua Ledet : Of course he did Fantasia. And, of course, his version of “I Believe” was amazing: lithe and limber, full of range and emotion, he’s the best male singer by a mile. Ledet also delivered big time with Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” which got off to an unintentionally hilarious start — Seacrest introduced it as “an emotional civil-rights anthem, coming to you live, from Joshua,” which was followed by a shot of Joshua holding a wind-up toy, grinning like a goofball — but no one was laughing by the end. He straight-up murdered it, with jaw-dropping power and prowess that earned him a standing ovation and some overtly sexual critique from Steven Tyler. Randy followed that up by taking shots at “The Voice,” only not overtly at all. Settle down, dawg. A Phillip Phillips : Let’s give a shoutout to Double P, who got out of the grouting business for one week only, first with a soft-core Skinemax take on Usher’s “U Got It Bad” and then a smooth (for him at least) spin through Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour.” Both were perfect choices, playing to his strengths — he is handsome — both left the ladies wanting more, and both had Steven Tyler talking like detective John Shaft (“No chump love, sucka.”) Game on, Colton Dixon. B+ Jessica Sanchez : Her version of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin'” was yet another powerhouse, as she set her intensity level on “simmer” and just let things cook. (Though for a minute, we were worried one of those umbrellas was going to fall on her.) We weren’t as crazy about her take on Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness” — sure, it was big and brassy, but also kinda growly, and seemed like a cruise ship performance. And could there be trouble brewing on the high seas for the formerly indestructible Sanchez? She got the dreaded “you need to connect” advice from Randy et. al, and J.Lo almost forgot the name of her alter ego, which might not bode well for her down the stretch. B Skylar Laine : Wait, she did a Lady Gaga tune?!? Yep. Breaking free of her country container (it’s like Tupperware), Laine took on “Born This Way,” and we loved it. She’s got spark and attitude for days, and when you get the feeling she’s really pushing herself (like Wednesday or “Wind Beneath My Wings” a few weeks back) there might not be a better performer in the competition. On the flipside, her version of Marvin Gaye’s “Heard It Through the Grapevine,” wasn’t exactly great, and perhaps Laine needs to learn that just because you’re jumping around on the stage, it doesn’t mean you’re connecting with the song. Still, another strong week. She’s the dark horse from here on out. B ” Hollie Cavanagh : “No thinking, just singing ” seemed to be her mantra this week, and it worked. She completed her manifest destiny by doing Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” which was not only perhaps the biggest moment of the night, but had Steven Tyler talking about her tail feathers. Her version of Dusty’s “Son of a Preacher Man” was pretty much what you’d expect — faux swagger, some horns, a few nice notes — though the jury’s still out on whether Cavanagh actually connects with any of the voters. B Colton Dixon : For the second week in a row, he surprised with a song choice, taking Gaga’s “Bad Romance” down to the mall for a Hot Topic makeover. It didn’t necessarily work, but the girls loved it, so who cares? Though he needs to stop crouching like Spider-Man when he’s “rocking” out. Meanwhile, his version of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” got lost in an autumnal haze (maybe it had something to do with all the fallen leaves strewn atop his piano?) Not the strongest night for C. Dix… though we suspect he thought it went great. C- Elise Testone : A tale of two Testones tonight. She did Alicia Keys’ “No One” (we almost called it! ) and blew it out the box, with a performance that was restrained in all the right ways, big and booming in the best spots. But her gruff, kinda-goofy version of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” just never got on track and seemed like the worst possible song for her to sing. We love her, but we suspect this might be the week that does her in. C- Do you agree with our “American Idol” report card? Leave your comment below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
Arthur de Soultrait, a friend of Pippa Middleton , is coming to her defense after one of their friends, Romain Rabillard, aimed a gun at photographers last weekend. Romain, Arthur, Pippa and one other individual are now subject to potential prosecution for the bizarre scandal , which shocked the French, US and UK media. Although Kate Middleton’s 28-year-old sister has yet to address the scandal, Soultrait was apologetic in a statement on Wednesday, in which he defended her. He also said the gun wielded at celebrity news media was fake. Pippa Middleton Gun Photo “Last Saturday I was in a car with Philippa Middleton, and we were being followed by the paparazzi,” Soultrait explains of the late night/early-morning incident. “The car was being driven by a friend of mine, whom Pippa had only met a few hours before,” Soultrait, 30, said of Romain Rabillard, a 36-year-old attorney. “As a joke, my friend brandished a toy pistol in their direction.” “Obviously Philippa had no idea that he had the pistol, or that he was going to do that, and told him to stop immediately. She did not find it funny.” Pippa was seen smiling in the gun photo that surfaced after the incident, but it’s unclear if she was smiling at that specifically, or who knew what. There have also been reports that the paparazzo in question knew the piece was fake and laughed it off, rather than feeling threatened in the least. Reports of Pippa facing criminal charges may be overblown, but she’s faced plenty of public backlash, and her sister’s royal in-laws surely aren’t thrilled.
Following the judges’ save of Jessica Sanchez last night, the top 7 finalists on American Idol returned to the stage last night, singing two tracks apiece: a “Now” hit from 2000 and beyond; and a “Then” soul cover. Which contestant impressed you most with his/her first performance? Watch, listen and vote below… Hollie Cavanagh took quite a risk to opening the evening, belting out a version of 2011’s biggest hit, Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” Hollie Cavanagh – “Rolling In The Deep” Colton Dixon then went all gaga on viewers. Lady Gaga, that is! Check out his version of “Bad Romance” now. Colton Dixon – “Bad Romance” Elise Testone proceeded to give us the first Alicia Keys rendition of the night, taking on the heartfelt ballad “No One.” Elise Testone – “No One” Phillips Phillips may not remind many of Usher, but he did that Atlanta native proud with a take on “U Got It Bad,” remaining one of the season 11 favorites. Phillip Phillips – “U Got It Bad” Jessica Sanchez , taking advantage of her second life on the show, also took on Keys, this time via the hit single “Fallin.” Jessica Sanchez – “Fallin” It was then back to Gaga for Skylar Laine , who made it very clear to the audience: folks, she was “Born This Way.” Skylar Laine – “Born This Way” Joshua Ledet closed the first half of the evening with “I Believe,” an appropriate choice for someone known as “Mantasia,” wouldn’t you say? Joshua Ledet – “I Believe” Seven performances down, seven to go. Which of the “Now” selections did you like best?
‘Just to be able to do that is crazy to me,’ Juvie tells ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Juvenile on “RapFix Live” Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News After Tupac Shakur was further immortalized with a posthumous, holographic performance this past weekend at Coachella, many have wondered what other hip-hop legends might get the holo-treatment. The Notorious B.I.G., Eazy-E and Wu-Tang’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard are just a few examples of rap legends who were taken before their time; Soulja Slim is another. “That was my ‘Pac,” Juvenile said of the New Orleans rap icon who was slain in 2003. “I told him that all the time: ‘I think you’re the greatest rapper in the world. It’s a lot of things you just gotta straighten out outside of that.’ ” Juvie pondered the possibility of seeing his old friend again onstage when he appeared on Wednesday’s (April 18) “RapFix Live.” Though he would love nothing more than to see his friend and collaborator get his just due, he did admit to being conflicted about using the holographic technology to bring Slim to the stage. “I mean, that’s a touchy one there. I don’t know, man, because I’m so used to seeing him in a certain light, next to me, I put him on a pedestal,” he said. “To see him in a hologram — just for him to be put in a sentence with Tupac, I think it would be something good. I can’t see nothing bad coming out of it. I think the advancement of technology is a great thing. Just to be able to do that is crazy to me.” DJ Khaled, also a guest on Wednesday’s “RFL,” marveled when he saw Shakur grace the Coachella stage. “When I see what Dre was doin’ with ‘Pac, I was excited,” he said. “We love ‘Pac. I thought it was special.” The charismatic DJ was OK with the somewhat controversial display because it was approved by Tupac’s mom, Afeni Shakur. “As long as you talk to the family members and they co-sign it, then we salute it,” he said. Juvenile echoed that sentiment. “That’s the same way I feel about Ms. Linda,” he said, referencing Soulja Slim’s mother. “Just knowing that Ms. Afeni had something to do with it, it’s a good thing.” Which late rapper would you like to see as a hologram? Let us know in the comments. Related Videos DJ Khaled And Juvenile Take Over ‘RapFix Live’ Related Photos Tupac’s Hologram At Coachella Related Artists Juvenile Soulja Slim Tupac
Jessica Sanchez gives ‘otherworldly’ performance after near elimination last week and Hollie Cavanagh finally ‘ruffled her feathers.’ By Adam Graham Jessica Sanchez on “American Idol” Photo: Fox “American Idol” opened Wednesday (April 18) with a recap of last week’s Jessica Sanchez near-elimination drama , but before the show could get down to the business of the top seven (round two), host Ryan Seacrest paid tribute to television legend and his mentor Dick Clark , who died Wednesday at age 82. “Now we can’t begin tonight’s show without acknowledging the passing of a television pioneer and my dear friend, Dick Clark,” said a somber Seacrest. “Without Dick, a show like this would not exist. He will be missed greatly; our thoughts and our prayers go out to his family. I know he’s in a better place saying, ‘Hey, let’s get on with the show, OK?’ You got it, boss.” The contestants sang two songs each, the first a #1 hit from 2000 to today, the second an old-school soul classic. After nearly being booted last week, Sanchez fought back on the “Idol” stage, first with Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’ ” and later with a spunky version of Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness.” “Your talent is so otherworldly to me,” Randy Jackson told Sanchez — or was it BB Chez? — after “Fallin’.” “I don’t even know if you know how good you really are, and how even greater you can be. I love it.” Following “Tenderness,” the judges praised her ability to connect emotionally to songs, and urged her to push it even further going forward. Joshua Ledet, who for the first time last week landed in the bottom three, also came back strong, earning standing ovations from the judges for both his songs, first Fantasia’s “I Believe” and later for Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” “You have stretched your voice to the limits of soul!” Steven Tyler beamed after “Change.” Praising the restraint he showed early before building to a robust climax, Jennifer Lopez made a plea to viewers: “Please, America, don’t send this boy home! Please!” All around cool dude Phillip Phillips took on Usher’s “U Got It Bad” early before tackling Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour” in the second half of the show. Lopez called “U Got It Bad” “sexy” while Tyler exclaimed, “no chump love, sucka!” — a comment we’re still trying to decode. But overall, the feedback for Phillip Squared was positive. “You are Phillip Phillips and dude, you are the bomb!” said Jackson. After receiving harsh criticism the past few weeks — or at least what passes for harsh criticism on this rather tame, gentle season of “Idol”— Hollie Cavanagh came back big on Wednesday, first by belting out Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” perhaps the biggest song any of the contestants took on all night, and later with “Son of a Preacher Man.” “You finally came out of your shell and ruffled your feathers a little,” Tyler told her, while Lopez told the 18-year-old Liverpudlian she showed a new composure in her performance. Country-rock boot stomper Skylar Laine continued her hot streak, first with Lady Gaga’s country-fried version of “Born This Way” and later with a down-home version of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” “Every time you’re on stage it’s a party. It’s the Skylar Laine Rock and Roll Country Party!” Jackson exclaimed, while Tyler said she’s “like a wild horse that refused to be tamed.” Lopez complimented Laine on the “spunkiness” of her performance. Colton Dixon also got his Gaga on, doing a goth-lite version of “Bad Romance,” even though the song technically never hit #1 in America (it peaked at #2 on Billboard ‘s Hot 100). He later put an emo spin on Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” a performance that got him some negative feedback from the judges. “I think your voice is a lot more powerful than that song,” Tyler told him, while Jackson said the song was out of his comfort zone. Dixon, who generally gets good marks from the judges, looked a bit surprised but took his dings in stride. Elise Testone, whom Jimmy Iovine snarked “has a vacation home in the bottom three,” was also criticized for performing what the judges deemed an odd fit for her voice when she did Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” Earlier, her version of Alicia Keys’ “No One” gave Lopez her “first goosies of the night,” while Tyler got a little weird when he told her, “You sang your little tushie off tonight, it was delish.” Testone also revealed that back home her dog is sick and might not pull through, which could earn her some sympathy votes from the masses. Since the judges’ one and only save was used up last week, someone will be sent home on Thursday’s program, which is also set to feature performances by LMFAO and season 8 “Idol” champ Kris Allen. What did you think of “Idol” Wednesday? 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. Related Photos Most Shocking ‘American Idol’ Exits ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery debate which ‘Then and Now’ hits the ‘Idol’ top seven should tackle. By Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery Jessica Sanchez performs on “American Idol” Photo: FOX The “American Idol” top seven took on current hits last week, and look how well things turned out! Uh, wait, never mind . Anyway, after Jessica Sanchez escaped elimination thanks to the judges’ save (which officially marked the first time this season they’ve actually done something right), “Idol” producers decided to up the ante for Wednesday night’s (April 18) show by letting the contestants sing both a #1 from the past decade — since it worked so well before — and a classic soul tune. Yes, it’s “Then and Now” week on “Idol,” which, come to think of it, is a pretty apt way of viewing the show’s steady decline. It also means we’re going to see the usual front-runners strut their stuff: Sanchez will dominate a Beyonc
Hmmm, will it be a baby vamp or a fairy??? Anna Paquin And Husband Stephen Moyer Expecting First Child Together We’re over the moon about the news that Anna Paquin and her “True Blood” costar hubby are having a little one. According to Us Weekly reports : True Blood costars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are expecting their first child together, a rep for Moyer confirms to Us Weekly. Paquin, 29, and Moyer first met in 2007 when they began filming the popular HBO series together; two years later, Moyer proposed, and the duo tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Malibu in August 2010. That year, Paquin opened up to Marie Claire about wanting to put off having kids with her then-fiance. “I have trouble planning anything more than brunch with my friends,” Paquin told the mag. “But when the time’s right, we’ll do it.” This will be Paquin’s first child; Moyer has two children from previous relationships, a son named Billy, and a daughter, Lilac. Alcide probably isn’t too happy about this. SMH. More On Bossip! Mariah Carey And Nick Cannon Bring “Dem Babies” Roc & Roe On Playdate With Alicia Keys And Swizzy’s Son Egypt Hoy En Mi Gente News: Happy Birthday Selena Quintanilla Perez! (April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) Bald And The…Beautiful? Did These Celebrities Look Better Or Worse Without Their Hair? PDA With The Parentals: Jay-Z And BeyBey Coupled Up For Knicks Game And Dinner Date
