Prior to his performance on American Idol last night, Casey Abrams was told by Jimmy Iovine:”You can’t sing like [Joe Cocker] and be casual.” At this point, though, we can safely say that Casey will never have an issue with being casual. The Seth Rogen lookalike put on another unique performance with “A Little Help From My Friends,” howling and shouting, yet remaining on key and even dropping in a… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Hollywood Gossip Discovery Date : 10/03/2011 12:35 Number of articles : 2
‘It’s an honor to write for one of pop music’s biggest icons,’ she tells MTV News. By Kelley L. Carter, with additional reporting by Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears “Til The World Ends” cover art Photo: Jive Britney Spears’ new single, “Till the World Ends” is dance-floor ready — just ask Ke$ha. The pop star in her own right wrote the just-released track, which was produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin. “I consider myself a songwriter before and above everything else, so it’s an honor to write for one of pop music’s biggest icons. And I hope it gets everyone’s ass on the dance floor cuz y’all know that’s what K-Monay does best!” the singer said in an exclusive statement to MTV News. The single was posted by Perez Hilton on Thursday afternoon (March 3), after speculation earlier in the day that it would hit radio next week. “Till the World Ends” is a swirling, “beat the beat” track, ready for late nights spent “dancing till the world ends” as she sings on the fast-paced party jam. “This kitten got your tongue tied in knots I see/ Spit it out ’cause I’m dying for company,” a confident Spears purrs. Later in the song, she sings: “See the sunlight/ We ain’t stopping/ Keep on dancing till the world ends/ If you feel it/ Let it happen/ Keep on dancing till the world ends.” Last month, Ke$ha talked with Spin.com about the song, saying it’s about the power of an artist performing a great gig. “That song is me imagining her and any female musician touring the world,” she said. “You know, when you go out, and you’re having an amazing, magical night and you don’t want to go to sleep and you want it to last until the world ends.” This new track is the latest single from Spears’ forthcoming Femme Fatale, which drops March 29. What do you think about the latest Britney song? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Britney Spears Ke$ha
Casey Abrams, Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery and more make up voter-approved top 10. By Gil Kaufman Stefano Langon performs on “American Idol” Photo: FOX After what’s felt like years (OK, just two months), “American Idol” finally got to its first live elimination show Thursday night (March 3), and it was not pretty. The biggest cut-down in show history came after host Ryan Seacrest said more than 40 million votes were cast over two performance nights. The good news was that favorites like Lauren Alaina, Casey Abrams, Thia Megia and Jacob Lusk made the cut, but that meant that a few beloved singers like Brett Loewenstern and Julie Zorrilla were eliminated as the show revealed its top 13 finalists. After copious time-killing segments, Ryan Seacrest finally got to the first elimination nearly 25 minutes into the two-hour episode, with country boy Scotty McCreery moseying into the top 10 while Robbie Rosen was sent packing. Next up were Clint Jun Gamboa, Jovany Barreto and Jordan Dorsey. After blowing it with Usher’s “OMG,” Dorsey got the hook, along with karaoke host and eyeglass aficionado Gamboa and Barreto. The girls were in the hot seat next, and it was hard to believe that Pia Toscano and Alaina were standing next to each other, since Toscano got a standing ovation and high praise from the judges, and Alaina has been a favorite for weeks. It was good news for 16-year-old Alaina and, of course, for Toscano as well, as Seacrest reveled in his favorite game of elimination psych-out. But when Ta-Tynisa Wilson and Julie Zorrilla came up, after a night when both blew their chances with subpar performances, it was no surprise that both missed out on the top 10. It was hard to know who might lose out when glamazon Kendra Chantelle, baby-diva Ashthon Jones and funky bilingual singer Karen Rodriguez took center stage, though. Shockingly Jones was sent packing, as was Chantelle, with Rodriguez filling out the third women’s slot. Young Luther Vandross-alike Lusk huddled up next to bearded wild man and budding sex symbol Abrams and cutie crooner Tim Halperin. Lusk sang hallelujah when he got the call, and to no one’s surprise, Abrams was next, as Halperin made the long walk. The hits kept on coming, as funky soul singer Naima Adedapo, 16-year-old wunderkind Megia and blues mama Lauren Turner all got the boot. With only two spots left, Adedapo and Turner got some bad news, as Megia became the second high-schooler to get a magic ticket. It was anyone’s guess who would be out when two of this season’s standouts, spunky ginger Loewenstern and flair-loving showman Paul McDonald stepped up to the spotlight. Alas, sensitive teen Loewenstern would have to hope for a wild-card spot, as McDonald got the call. Vying for the final spot on the girls’ bench were Haley Reinhart and resident quirk Rachel Zevita, who went over the cliff on Wednesday night with a mannered cover of Fiona Apple’s “Criminal.” Without much drama, Reinhart got the call, as multiple-auditioner Zevita washed out. The judges were digging Stefano Langone on Tuesday night, certainly more than James Durbin, who took a chance with a Judas Priest song and may have overplayed his rocker card. But only one of the roommates could snag the final men’s spot, so it was curtains for Langone and joy for Lambert-like rocker Durbin. With 14 singers vying for the wild card, the judges chose six to get another chance. Jones was up first, strutting to her spot to sing the song that made Jennifer Hudson a star, the “Dreamgirls” classic “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” giving it plenty of attitude, but coming off a bit shouty as she played to the rafters in an attempt to work her way back. Steven Tyler thought she brought it again, Jennifer Lopez felt the passion and Randy Jackson loved the attitude. Langone picked Smokie Norful’s emotional ballad “I Need You Now,” filling the tune with lots of passion and turning it into a tour de force that tugged heartstrings and seemed to punch his ticket. Randy loved that Stefano picked one of his favorites and Lopez said he nailed it when he needed to. Chantelle got the next shot with Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind,” starting out low and breathy and then climbing into her high, sweet range and hitting a series of giant notes near the end that felt like her attempt to swing for the fences. Jackson wasn’t sure where it was going at first but said she totally pulled it off. Barreto dedicated Jon Secada’s “Angel” to the woman he once loved, figuring he’d try to curry some favor as well by singing a half Spanish/ half English tune. His vocals were strong and moving, but it was unclear if it was enough to get him back in the mix. All Lopez could say was “you did all you could do,” which didn’t sound promising. Tyler called Adedapo, which meant the definitive end of the line for Zorrilla, Turner and Wilson. At first Naima didn’t seem to have enough in the tank to take on soul icon Donny Hathaway’s “For all we Know,” but she gave it her all and put some smooth soul into the performance. Tyler felt she dug deep, but Naima’s tears signaled that she didn’t feel confident. The final shot went to Rosen, meaning Gamboa, Dorsey, Loewenstern and Halperin said bye-bye. Double-R chose Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Hard,” reworking the song into a kind of flamenco torch song, which he sang while flashing his puppy-dog eyes and over-emoting by several measures. Jackson called it nice and tender, saying the decision was going to be a brutal one. After the break, the judges weren’t ready, so Seacrest cued up the glittery video for Lopez’s “On the Floor” to give them a chance to deliberate some more. With time running out, it was redemption time for Jones and Langone, as well as Adedapo, who helped fill out the top 13. The first live performance shows of the season kick off next Wednesday. Do you agree with the top 13? Did your favorite make it? Let us know what you think in comments below! Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” every Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty ! In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
Katie Holmes is seeking damages of $50 million from American Media, the owner of celebrity gossip tabloid Star, based on a recent cover story. The lawsuit, over a cover extreme even by Star standards, takes issue with reports that Katie is on drugs , and was filed in federal court in L.A. Star’s “vicious lies about plaintiff, designed to hype sales of a sleazy tabloid magazine, were calculated to cause severe harm,” reads the suit . DRUG SHOCKER : The shocker is that they printed this! “The average reader (would invariably) believe that plaintiff has become shockingly addicted to drugs. There is no other way to understand them.” The suit continues: “The cover even created the false impression that, but for plaintiff’s nightmare drug addiction, she would ‘leave’ her husband.” In a statement, AMI said it stood behind the story in Star, which also raised eyebrows for reporting Jason Trawick beat up Britney Spears last year. Inside, the magazine backs off the claim of addiction, citing incidents in which Holmes joins Scientology sessions where an “e-meter” is used. Used in the controversial group’s auditing sessions, e-meters allegedly measure electrical resistance and reflecs past emotional experiences. The article states that the electrical device might release endorphins, or “hormones that cause a pain-killing, mood-elevating effect.” A Scientology member (not Tom Cruise) is quoted as saying about using the e-meter, “Like a heroin addict, you want another dose.” Yup, better get ready to pay up guys.
Welcome to THG’s first American Idol live blog of season 10. With the top dozen men taking to the stage tonight and singing for your vote, we’re here to offer commentary and insight along the way. Leave comments, refresh often for updates and let’s do this… 8:07 Contestants can choose any song they wish, Ryan tells us. Kicking the show off? Clint Jun Gamboa, karaoke host extraordinaire. He chooses “Superstition” and concludes with a scream that would make Steven Tyler proud. He gets two “brilliants,” one from Tyler, one from Randy. Not exactly constructive words from the judges. They’re off to a rough start. 8:14 Jovany Barreto abs alert! Over-played song choice alert! Jovany goes with Edward McCain’s “I’ll Be.” I found it bland. Tyler found it… “Holy shipyards!” J. Lo is “happy” because Barreto “did it.” Randy actually says something worthwhile for once, telling Jovany he brought nothing original to the performance. True dat, dawg. 8:18 Jordan Dorsey breaks out some Usher and, OMG, it sounds like… someone trying to sound like Usher. Minus the body and minus the dance moves, that is. Heck, I can shake my shoulders. The judges are actually critical, although J. Lo compares him to Nat King Cole for some reason. All three disliked it. And Lopez won’t stop interrupting Randy. 8:27 You won’t believe this, but Tim Halperin says everyone gets along well. The guys over there? They are like his brothers! We aren’t buying that for a second, but we might be purchasing stock in Halperin. The singer puts his own touch on a Rob Thomas classic (yes, those exist), and then faces criticism from the judges. Tyler and J. Lo thinks he’s “special,” but the latter at least says he has one of the best voices she’s ever heard. Yes, ever. Yes, she said that. 8:31 Brett Loewenstern is embracing who he is. That means an attempt at classic rock, apparently, and a version of “Light My Fire.” It sounds like a teenager trying to sound hardcore in my view, but the judges can’t get enough of the hair flipping, and the personality, and J. Lo tries to make a joke about Beyonce and Loewenstern leaves the stage too early, only to return and tell Ryan “I love you” and I’m already irritated by this guy. He comes across as fake cute, not natural, David Archuleta cute. 8:40 It’s time James Durbin to makes like Adam Lambert. He keeps telling us we’ve got “another thing coming,” which leads to the first Steven Tyler curse words of the evening. Was that really the first Judas Priest song in Idol history? Can someone look that up for us? Certainly a bold statement from Durbin, who raises his fist and eggs on the crowd. This is not someone who fears the spotlight. 8:49 Ryan introduces Robbie Rosen as the “pride of Long Island.” Isn’t JWOWW from there? She must have been a close second. We’re in the arms of an angel for this minute-plus, which just causes me to picture Sarah McLachlan telling us to save the animals. Tyler and J. Lo love the ballad and it definitely helps Rosen stand out. His heart was very much into the performance. Randy, though, continuing in his attempt to be contrarian, says the notes didn’t all connect. 8:57 Man, Scotty McCreery’s voice is deeper than a Maya Angelou poem (no? How about the Phillies starting rotation?). For non-country lovers, this is “Letters From Home” by John Michael Montgomery. Tyler is right that it’s the perfect song choice, while J. Lo gushes over the rendition. That’s been a rarity tonight, I know. Scotty doesn’t even know what to say when Ryan asks for his reaction. 9:01 Stefano Langone makes the mistake of choosing one of the most played songs on the radio, “Just the Way You are.” He mixes it up a bit, holding on to a few notes and showcasing his range, but I never think a contestant should choose a song everyone can instantly compare to the original. Or hear the next morning on their drive to work. Hard to stand out that way. Still, a solid performance of the Bruno Mars single. Ryan proceeds to put Stefano on the spot, who dedicates it to “all the ladies out there.” Smooth. 9:10 Paul McDonald challenges Durbin for most confident audition. He goes with a Rod Stewart classic and sounds very much like the music icon, encouraging the crowd to clap along. Doesn’t much different than the original, but McDonald clearly has talent. I like how he wandered around the stage, in his own universe. 9:14 Ryan refers to Jacob Lusk as “understated.” Oh, Ryan. Another soulful performance, great runs, but, excuse me, Steven? Did you just say “divine intervention” brought Lusk here? And did J. Lo really follow that up by saying “Luther Vandross is gone… but now we have you.” Sorry, Charlie Sheen, but the judges have clearly decided you won’t be the WINNER on American Idol . I like Lusk a lot, but this is an awful lot of praise to heap on someone so early in the competition. 9:23 Casey Abrams is putting a spell on us. A really intense spell. The guy is certainly putting it all out there, growling into the mic until ending on a literal high note, really getting into the spirit. I love it. Standing ovation. Tyler says it was as “good as it gets.” J. Lo says he’s “sexy” and will “redefine” the whole thing. Wait… will it no longer be a singing competition?!? How will Randy refer to it then?!? My top 5 from the evening: James Durbin Jacob Lusk Casey Abrams Scotty McCreery Paul McDonald
