Bodog now has Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina as the favorites to win season 10. By James Montgomery The “American Idol” top 8 Photo: Michael Becker / FOX Pia Toscano’s early exit from “American Idol” has shocked experts , celebs and fans . And, as it turns out, it was also a shock to a group of folks who don’t get shocked all that often: oddsmakers. It seems that, in the wake of Toscano’s elimination, the brain trust at Bodog’s sportsbook has been forced to rejigger their odds. For weeks, they slowly moved her up the list of likely “Idol” winners — she originally opened as a 14/1 long shot , but heading into Wednesday night’s show, she was a 2/1 favorite to take home the crown — and now that she’s out, they’ve anointed Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina as the new co-favorites. Bodog gives both singers 5/2 odds at winning “Idol,” followed by James Durbin at 4/1. Haley Reinhart gets 15/2 odds, Casey Abrams gets 8/1 and Paul McDonald is in at 12/1. Jacob Lusk and Stefano Langone bring up the rear, getting 14/1 and 20/1 odds, respectively. And though they were forced to re-shuffle, the folks at Bodog have let the initial shock of Toscano’s departure wear off. Because, as they put it, no matter how hard anyone tries, it’s often impossible to make sense of the whims of “Idol” voters. “From the beginning of the season, Pia Toscano had been a popular bet who … was a clear favorite to win it all,” Bodog sportsbook manager Richard Gardner said. “It may be a shock that she was sent home, but with all the contestants putting on a solid performance the other night and the track record that this show has for voting the wrong people through, I am not surprised at all.” Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Drum line and colorfully dressed dancers bring ‘Rio’ song to life on ‘Idol’ stage. By Adam Graham Jamie Foxx and will.i.am on “American Idol” Photo: FOX Jamie Foxx and will.i.am brought their “Hot Wings” to “American Idol” on Thursday (March 31). The pair teamed up to perform their new single from the soundtrack to “Rio,” the computer-animated flight tale in which they both voice characters. And they didn’t come alone: They performed with a 12-member drum line and a full team of colorfully dressed dancers, while footage from “Rio” played on the video screens behind them. Neither Foxx nor will.i.am are strangers to “Idol.” Foxx was a mentor to the contestants in seasons eight and nine and also performed on the show during season eight, while will did “Just Can’t Get Enough” with the Black Eyed Peas on the show just two weeks ago and also performed on the “Idol” stage with the Peas in seasons eight and nine. They both clearly know their way around the place by now and were comfortable shouting out the judges (“I see you, Randy!”) mid-song. The song is built around the repeated refrain “I wanna party, I wanna samba” and finds Foxx and will.i.am trading verses, in character as their “Rio” likenesses (Foxx plays Nico, a canary, while will.i.am plays a cardinal named Pedro). They entered the stage together via the “Idol” staircase, and Foxx — dressed in a black suit and dark shades — opened the song. Mr. i.am — dressed in a white jacket, red shirt and porkpie hat — chimed in during the second verse, rapping about ghetto blasters and speedy dance moves. The album version of the song also features the pair’s “Rio” co-star Anne Hathaway, though the Oscar host was not in the Idoldome for the taping. The performance featured elaborate choreography among the dancers (captured by the “Idol” crew via overhead cameras) and staged fighting on the side stage. At the performance’s close, Foxx plugged “Rio” as “fun for the whole family.” The film hits theaters April 15, and the soundtrack — which is already available for download on iTunes — is due in stores Tuesday. What did you think of the “Hot Wings” performance? 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 ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances Related Artists Jamie Foxx Will.I.Am
Rapper opens up about ‘High School’ collaborator on ‘RapFix Live.’ By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Sway Calloway Wiz Khalifa Photo: Sohyung Kang / MTV News Snoop Dogg always walked his own path as a youngin’ in the game. And now that the veteran rapper has taken Wiz Khalifa under his wing, his advice to the upstart isn’t very different from his own mantra. According to the “Black and Yellow” star, Snoop told him to keep doing what he’s been doing. “He just always told me to stick to what I know, ’cause I know myself the best,” Wiz said during his appearance on MTV News’ “RapFix Live.” “And [he told me to] boss up in every opportunity that I get. Those are mainly the two key points that stick out. “Snoop is a big fan of what I do and, of course, he’s a legend to me and it’s just an honor for him to be talking about me, speaking so highly of me and sharing the same views. I witnessed his career, and there was a time when my dad wouldn’t want me listening to Snoop. But as time went on and he got to see who Snoop was as a businessman and other avenues of life, then he really grew to respect him. I feel like, as long as I do me, like Dogg says, in time people will get it.” The two green-friendly rappers joined forces late last year for Wiz’s “Black and Yellow” remix and later announced they would be shooting a movie together called “High School.” “We decided to go ahead and say, ‘You know what? Let’s do a movie and a soundtrack and just become, you know, bosom buddies and do what we do ’cause we love what we do and we love each other and at the same time, we know what the people want,’ ” Snoop explained. “The people want to see the two generations come together where hip-hop ain’t about old school and new school. It’s just about good music and making good moves and putting something out there that’s classic where people can respect it and say, ‘Yeah, so now, this was some gangsta sh– that really made hip-hop gradually grow to another level.’ ” Are you looking forward to seeing Wiz and Snoop join forces for “High School”? Tell us below! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Wiz Khalifa Related Artists Wiz Khalifa Snoop Dogg
Elton John does wonders for Haley and Pia, but James and Stefano may have ruined their GPAs. By Eric Ditzian Haley Reinhart performs on Wednesday’s “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox What a schizophrenic ” American Idol ” school year it has been, and our report cards have been correspondingly all over the place. One week Casey Abrams is up, a few later, he’s collapsing into Ryan Seacrest’s tender embrace after narrowly avoiding a trip home. Jacob Lusk and Stefano Langone have each taken their place at the head of the class, only to tumble to the low end of the grading curve. What to make of all this GPA upheaval? Well, “Idol” is a damn hard class. Consistency from performance to performance is just as important as excellence on any given evening. And excellence we most certainly had on Wednesday, as the contestants took on Elton John’s oeuvre. So too, of course, did we have singers who either didn’t study hard enough or who just couldn’t quite grasp the night’s curriculum. Too bad. Our “Idol” report card suffers no fools. Let’s get to it! Excellent Pia Toscano : As we explained in our preview, there was no way Pia was going to go with anything uptempo, despite everyone’s pleas over the weeks. Hey, if Scotty McCreery doesn’t have to ditch his country twang, should she be compelled to give up residency in Balladsville? That’s a matter for debate, but during her take on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” it was hard to complain about anything. What a voice. Seriously, what a voice! Haley Reinhart : Let’s put aside her rather amusing pre-performance reference to “hard-core bangage” and concentrate on what she accomplished during her time onstage. She killed it! As surprised as we were, she freaking killed it! She finally, fully embraced those wonderful bluesy tones and growled her way toward glory during “Bennie and the Jets.” Our only fear is that it’s too late for Haley to turn the tide and stick around for more than a few weeks. Good Scotty McCreery : We’re not going to say we get it, but perhaps we’re starting to enjoy it. To wit, we’ve ditched any notion Scotty has a desire to even shout in the direction of a country-free genre. Nor were we surprised to hear his song selection process involved nothing more than finding an Elton tune with “country” in the title. Thusly prepared, we were able to sit back and enjoy the country comfort he was selling. His fluency in the genre, at such a young age, is truly impressive. Whether or not he wins “Idol,” Scotty is going to sell millions of records. Paul McDonald : Paul learned his lesson well last week: Play the guitar, don’t dance. Hooray! Sure, his “Rocket Man” started off a little slurry, and the guy has a tendency to come off creepy when he’s trying to go smoldery, but we never tire of the tone of his voice. That being said, his voice simply didn’t have the oomph to hit those notes that bring out goose bumps. Lauren Alaina : We’ve been saying for a while Lauren is at her best when she’s not racing through fast-paced tunes, attempting to keep up while jigging and jagging across the stage. In this sense, “Candle in the Wind” was a smart choice, and the arrangement gave the tune some country flavoring that washed away any residual, Princess Di-induced cheesiness. The slowed-down performance gave Lauren a chance to build, getting better as she went and finally finishing on a strong note. Casey Abrams : Goodbye, bushy beard. Hello, reborn Casey. If there were one singer to nail the emotional aspects of Elton’s music, it was Casey. Restrained, tender, satisfying. Coming off the judges’ save, he followed Tom Hanks’ advice in “Saving Private Ryan”: “Earn this!” Earn it he did. Now keep it up, kid! Satisfactory Naima Adedapo : Her faux-Jamaican accent was the least of her problems. Jimmy Iovine gave the game away when he wondered if Naima could stay in tune: No, no she couldn’t. The accent was a bold choice — bolder even than slapping some reggae swag on “I’m Still Standing.” But while we felt the song sounded fine with its new arrangement, her accent smacked of gimmickry, a ploy to distract us. We don’t think it’ll work. Thia Megia : The 16-year-old avoids a lower grade, if only because the judges have been deeply unfair to her for a few weeks in a row. Other bottom-of-the-barrel singers come in for wild praise no matter how dreadfully they perform. The judges, meanwhile, have absolutely no use for Thia; their condescension is painful to hear and unfair to air. OK, so her take on “Daniel” was pitchy as hell, with phrasing messier than a daycare playroom after snack time, and she couldn’t swoop down to hit those low notes if her life depended on it. OK, so she’s probably going home on Thursday. But if the judges truly don’t like what she does, what the heck is she doing here in the first place? Jacob Lusk : There’s a difference between singing with emotion and singing whilst on the verge of tears — a difference Jacob doesn’t seem to grasp. He’s uncomfortable to watch, and not nearly pleasant enough to hear. We wanted to step slowly away from the television during his rendition of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” All that progress from last week, tossed out the window. Unsatisfactory Stefano Langone : The first thing Stefano had to contend with was a brutal intro package in which Jimmy all but announced the kid was going to bomb. The second thing he had to contend with was “Tiny Dancer”; the diminutive singer just didn’t have the vocal power the tune demanded, or at least deserved. His phrasings were muddled, but at least his eyes were (mostly) open. Not that it matters much. Stefano’s in trouble. James Durbin : Not even a five-alarm fire can distract us from the fact that James’ performance was fun and energetic, but useless as an example of his musical talents. He gets a freaking flaming piano? Someone’s playing favorites with the contestants. Also, that reference to a Pepsi moment? Yikes! Thought shalt not speak ill of the deceased, especially not the King of Pop. 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 10 Performances
Elton John does wonders for Haley and Pia, but James and Stefano may have ruined their GPAs. By Eric Ditzian Haley Reinhart performs on Wednesday’s “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox What a schizophrenic ” American Idol ” school year it has been, and our report cards have been correspondingly all over the place. One week Casey Abrams is up, a few later, he’s collapsing into Ryan Seacrest’s tender embrace after narrowly avoiding a trip home. Jacob Lusk and Stefano Langone have each taken their place at the head of the class, only to tumble to the low end of the grading curve. What to make of all this GPA upheaval? Well, “Idol” is a damn hard class. Consistency from performance to performance is just as important as excellence on any given evening. And excellence we most certainly had on Wednesday, as the contestants took on Elton John’s oeuvre. So too, of course, did we have singers who either didn’t study hard enough or who just couldn’t quite grasp the night’s curriculum. Too bad. Our “Idol” report card suffers no fools. Let’s get to it! Excellent Pia Toscano : As we explained in our preview, there was no way Pia was going to go with anything uptempo, despite everyone’s pleas over the weeks. Hey, if Scotty McCreery doesn’t have to ditch his country twang, should she be compelled to give up residency in Balladsville? That’s a matter for debate, but during her take on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” it was hard to complain about anything. What a voice. Seriously, what a voice! Haley Reinhart : Let’s put aside her rather amusing pre-performance reference to “hard-core bangage” and concentrate on what she accomplished during her time onstage. She killed it! As surprised as we were, she freaking killed it! She finally, fully embraced those wonderful bluesy tones and growled her way toward glory during “Bennie and the Jets.” Our only fear is that it’s too late for Haley to turn the tide and stick around for more than a few weeks. Good Scotty McCreery : We’re not going to say we get it, but perhaps we’re starting to enjoy it. To wit, we’ve ditched any notion Scotty has a desire to even shout in the direction of a country-free genre. Nor were we surprised to hear his song selection process involved nothing more than finding an Elton tune with “country” in the title. Thusly prepared, we were able to sit back and enjoy the country comfort he was selling. His fluency in the genre, at such a young age, is truly impressive. Whether or not he wins “Idol,” Scotty is going to sell millions of records. Paul McDonald : Paul learned his lesson well last week: Play the guitar, don’t dance. Hooray! Sure, his “Rocket Man” started off a little slurry, and the guy has a tendency to come off creepy when he’s trying to go smoldery, but we never tire of the tone of his voice. That being said, his voice simply didn’t have the oomph to hit those notes that bring out goose bumps. Lauren Alaina : We’ve been saying for a while Lauren is at her best when she’s not racing through fast-paced tunes, attempting to keep up while jigging and jagging across the stage. In this sense, “Candle in the Wind” was a smart choice, and the arrangement gave the tune some country flavoring that washed away any residual, Princess Di-induced cheesiness. The slowed-down performance gave Lauren a chance to build, getting better as she went and finally finishing on a strong note. Casey Abrams : Goodbye, bushy beard. Hello, reborn Casey. If there were one singer to nail the emotional aspects of Elton’s music, it was Casey. Restrained, tender, satisfying. Coming off the judges’ save, he followed Tom Hanks’ advice in “Saving Private Ryan”: “Earn this!” Earn it he did. Now keep it up, kid! Satisfactory Naima Adedapo : Her faux-Jamaican accent was the least of her problems. Jimmy Iovine gave the game away when he wondered if Naima could stay in tune: No, no she couldn’t. The accent was a bold choice — bolder even than slapping some reggae swag on “I’m Still Standing.” But while we felt the song sounded fine with its new arrangement, her accent smacked of gimmickry, a ploy to distract us. We don’t think it’ll work. Thia Megia : The 16-year-old avoids a lower grade, if only because the judges have been deeply unfair to her for a few weeks in a row. Other bottom-of-the-barrel singers come in for wild praise no matter how dreadfully they perform. The judges, meanwhile, have absolutely no use for Thia; their condescension is painful to hear and unfair to air. OK, so her take on “Daniel” was pitchy as hell, with phrasing messier than a daycare playroom after snack time, and she couldn’t swoop down to hit those low notes if her life depended on it. OK, so she’s probably going home on Thursday. But if the judges truly don’t like what she does, what the heck is she doing here in the first place? Jacob Lusk : There’s a difference between singing with emotion and singing whilst on the verge of tears — a difference Jacob doesn’t seem to grasp. He’s uncomfortable to watch, and not nearly pleasant enough to hear. We wanted to step slowly away from the television during his rendition of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” All that progress from last week, tossed out the window. Unsatisfactory Stefano Langone : The first thing Stefano had to contend with was a brutal intro package in which Jimmy all but announced the kid was going to bomb. The second thing he had to contend with was “Tiny Dancer”; the diminutive singer just didn’t have the vocal power the tune demanded, or at least deserved. His phrasings were muddled, but at least his eyes were (mostly) open. Not that it matters much. Stefano’s in trouble. James Durbin : Not even a five-alarm fire can distract us from the fact that James’ performance was fun and energetic, but useless as an example of his musical talents. He gets a freaking flaming piano? Someone’s playing favorites with the contestants. Also, that reference to a Pepsi moment? Yikes! Thought shalt not speak ill of the deceased, especially not the King of Pop. 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 10 Performances
Actor admits it’s easier to sing and dance in ‘How to Succeed …’ than it was to disrobe in ‘Equus.’ By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Daniel Radcliffe Photo: Getty “I’m excited. Terrified, but excited,” Daniel Radcliffe told MTV News in the summer of 2007 as he prepared to take the stage — and doff his drawers — in a London-based production of “Equus.” Radcliffe eventually took the production to Broadway in 2008, but even a year later, the nude scene never got much easier. Even the prospect of singing and dancing on Broadway — talents the 21-year-old actor readily admits don’t come naturally to him — is a delight by comparison. That’s why, as Radcliffe walked the red carpet at the opening for his new musical, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” he admitted that tapping his toes on Broadway is far less terrifying than ripping off his skivvies. “I’m still going to have to go with being naked onstage,” he laughed. “The dancing and singing thing, it is scary, particularly on Broadway, because it is the home of the musical. But once you’ve learned it, it can become really fun. I can’t say the same about being naked onstage. This is a much more fun show all around.” That’s not to say “How to Succeed” has been a cakewalk. Radcliffe and his fellow actors endured an exhaustive rehearsal schedule and nearly a month of previews before officially opening on Sunday. “We’ve had a long-ish preview period — I can’t say ‘long’ anymore because of ‘Spider-Man’ — but it feels great to be here and know the show is set now and we don’t have to rehearse during the day and we get to chill out,” he told us. “Honestly, coming in and doing a two-and-a-half-hour show every evening will seem like a holiday after the last couple months.” Related Videos MTV News Rough Cut: Daniel Radcliffe
Haley Reinhart, Naima Adedapo have smallest Twitter followings, a metric that seems to mirror ‘Idol’ voting trends and popularity. By Gil Kaufman Scott McCreery Photo: FOX There are so many ways to quantify which “American Idol” finalists are popping with voters. From the screams and elaborate signs in the IdolDome on Wednesday nights to the number of weird promotional items being offered on eBay and bootleg fan sites that pop up to encourage power-voting , “Idol” popularity is a tricky thing to measure. One of the best new ways, though, is to track the contestants’ Twitter account and see who has the most followers. After stumbling out of the gate with their social-networking efforts last year, amid worries that loose lips might ruin the show’s finale, the “Idol” top 11 are back in effect on Twitter and chatting it up with their online fans, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The move makes sense, since for the first time in the show’s history, followers can vote online this year and the contestants can use their tweet smarts to curry more favor. On the one hand, the list of top personal Twitter pages reflects the pecking order of the singers this season, with bullfrog-voiced country crooner Scotty McCreery topping the tally with 49,173 followers. But when you see that Casey Abrams is #2 on the roster (47,824), even after nearly being eliminated last week, it makes you wonder if Twitter is a good indicator of popularity. Coming in at #3 is bearded smoothie Paul McDonald (40,295 followers), with leading contender Pia Toscano close on his heels (34,271) and (at press time) just ahead of teen Lauren Alaina (34,250). Bottom-three visitor and fellow teen Thia Megia (32,922) is at #6, sneaking ahead of resident rocker James Durbin (32,772), followed by another bottom-three veteran, Stefano Langone (30,340), gospel crooner Jacob Lusk (19,864) and two-time bottom-three dweller Haley Reinhart (19,043). Not surprisingly, the list is rounded out by eliminated contestants Karen Rodriguez (17,572) and Ashthon Jones (7,978). In a troubling sign, wild-card singer Naima Adedapo , who has hit the bottom three once, is sandwiched in between the two eliminated singers at #12 on the list with 15,538 followers. McCreery might lead the list, but his tweets are mostly bland platitudes, many of them devoted to announcing when he’s hitting the hay, extolling the virtues of Cap’n Crunch, excitement about meeting boxing great Muhammad Ali and playing catch with the show’s security guards. “Not much going on right now. Just got outta rehearsal and now I’m just layin’ on the bed looking at the ceiling,” he wrote as the first week of live performance shows was getting under way. “Thinking about life.” Abrams, who has teased McCreery about the cowboy’s trouble in figuring out Twitter, talked about his trips to the hospital , fielded offers to jam from former finalist Andrew Garcia and entertained album title suggestions for his many Twitter alter egos, including “Lumberjack” and “Paul Bunyan.” McDonald has kept things pretty business-like and focused on show-related details, while high-schooler Alaina is typically active on the service, mostly expressing her love for her fans, a tactic also employed by Toscano. Durbin keeps things focused on professional wrestling and entreaties to bring back real rock , while Megia thanks her “Thianatic” followers and frequent tweeter Langone gets lots of love from past “Idol” contestants (Lee DeWyze, David Archuleta, Michael Sarver) and their followers amid spirited defenses of his mother. Although the “Idol” kids live in a media bubble, Lusk has lamented the passing of rap luminary Nate Dogg . Reinhart has made her feed a fount of excitable comments to fans and fellow contestants. Adedapo might be the most active tweeter, responding to fan and friend comments throughout the day on an almost minute-by-minute basis, sharing details about her children and keeping in touch with her fan-generated TeamNaima feed. The Reporter noted that the seven most-followed contestants have all been considered fan favorites at some point this season, with Abrams and Megia the only ones to hit the bottom three. Four of the six least-followed were wild-card picks, with five of them dropping into the bottom three at least once since the semi-finals. Which “Idol” finalist are you following on Twitter? Let us know in the comments below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘Idol Party Live’ With MTV News’ Jim Cantiello And Michael Buckley ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Show also featured performances from Adam Lambert and Diddy-Dirty Money. By Gil Kaufman Ashthon Jones Photo: FOX There wasn’t much drama on Thursday night’s (March 10) “American Idol” elimination show. A number of this year’s top 13 stumbled on Wednesday night, and for once, host Ryan Seacrest didn’t torture the contestants by making them wait until the show’s final moments to find out the bottom three. In the end, it was curtains for wild card Ashthon Jones, who stumbled on Wednesday night with a limp cover of Diana Ross’ “When You Tell Me That You Love Me.” Earlier in the night, after slogging through the Ford video and a trip to the “Red Riding Hood” premiere, Seacrest finally got to the business of building that bottom three, calling out Jacob Lusk, Stefano Langone and Karen Rodriguez to center stage. He pulled a bit of rope-a-dope by telling all three they were safe, then adding an “except,” and it was Rodriguez who made season 10’s first long walk to the bottom three, landing there after her messy cover of Selena’s “I Could Fall in Love.” The next group featured teen Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart and Jones, with the latter an almost unanimous pick by our “Idol” experts to land in the bottom three . After tearfully admitting that the harsh criticism she got Wednesday night, well, “sucked,” Alaina was waved over to safety. In a shock, though, Seacrest then announced that after 30 million votes, both Jones and Reinhart were in the bottom three as well, ending the suspense early. Jones sang for her life one more time near show’s end, but her thin, reedy vocals were not much better than the night before, despite her clear attempt to go out with a bang. Ash broke down in tears, the judges deliberated, but it was a no-go. “Not this time, baby, I’m sorry,” Jennifer Lopez said after a long exhale, revealing that it was a unanimous no. Jones’ trip to “Idol” ended with a montage keyed to this year’s goodbye song, former “Idol” champ David Cook’s cover of Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me.” The only real drama in the show was that for the second time this season, bearded hunk of love Casey Abrams was in the hospital on Thursday night, reportedly due to stress-induced stomach problems. He made a similar trip for treatment more than a week ago. At press time a spokesperson for “Idol” said there was no additional information available about Abrams’ condition. Though it wasn’t pulled out Thursday night, Seacrest announced that the show will once again give the judges a single save this season, which they must use before the top five. Viewers also got a look at the gigantic Beverly Hills mansion the contestants will be living in this year, complete with a star-worthy swimming pool, grand piano, Ford car-shaped pool table and a kitchen that’s bigger than most New York apartments. Looking remarkably tame in a T-shirt, jeans and a black jacket, former “Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert dropped in for an acoustic run through his single “Aftermath,” which mixed his signature power high notes with some nuanced balladeering. Proceeds of the sales of a dance-remix version of the single will go to the anti-bullying Trevor Project. Also dropping in was Diddy-Dirty Money to perform “Coming Home,” complete with a dramatic piano assist from Skylar Grey . The top 12 will do it all again next week. Check out the Newsroom blog on Friday to see how our “Idol” experts did on their predictions. 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. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
‘Idol’ judge tells MTV News ‘it’s heartbreaking’ to let go of hopefuls with loads of ‘character’ but OK voices. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Rahman Dukes Steven Tyler Photo: MTV News Those who’ve been following the revamped 10th season of ratings juggernaut “American Idol” know that the addition of new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler have spiced things up a bit. Particularly in the case of Tyler, who has peppered each episode with his colorful musings, mugging for the cameras, and interactions with contestants and fellow judges. When MTV News spoke to the Aerosmith frontman during NBA All-Star weekend, we asked how he’s doing, now that they’ve narrowed the thousands of “Idol” hopefuls down to a competitive 50. “It was a long road whittling it down from 700 [contestants] to 400, then Hollywood Week and then, aw man … letting them go,” Tyler said, adding that it’s particularly difficult to let go of the ones who are OK singers, but potentially great performers. “You know what? Not everybody that’s great sings good. They’ve got character, that certain something you can’t put your finger on,” he explained. “And man, when they sing, look out. A lot of these kids have got it, but we have to let them go and it’s heartbreaking.” Tyler went on to say that his road to success in the music industry was paved with a few more hard knocks than the “Idol” contestants have to endure. “I didn’t watch ‘Idol’ because I grew up from, you had to play clubs. If you don’t play in front of the people and get your hard knocks from that and get booed, [you don’t learn] how to stand up when you fall back down,” he said before likening himself and judges Lopez and Randy Jackson as the “American Idol” school of hard knocks. “[When] they’re in front of us,” he said of the contestants. “We’re the club.” Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
‘Everybody was like, ‘Oh my God, where did that come from?’ ‘ reality starlet says of her suggestive dance-team routines. By James Dinh “Jersey Shore” star Deena appears on “When I Was 17” Photo: MTV News Long before her fist-pumping days in Seaside Heights, “Jersey Shore” star Deena Nicole Cortese was already causing a commotion over her suggestive dance-floor skills. On the latest installment of MTV’s “When I Was 17,” the reality TV newcomer reminiscences about her dirty-dancing antics. “When I was 17, I quit cheerleading and started dancing,” Deena says on Saturday’s episode. “It was great because me and my one girlfriend were the captains of it, and we were, like, making up the dance moves. We got to pick out our outfits and I got to show my dance moves off. It kind of brought my music into the dance team.” With her newfound creative freedom, the New Jersey native whipped up a sassy dance routine. But the high school’s staff wasn’t too impressed with Deena’s choreography. “I remember making up this crazy dance move, like sexy moves, you know, like shaking your butt,” she admits. “Everybody was sitting there like, ‘Oh my God, where did that come from?’ ” Childhood friend Jaimie also remembers the controversy. “Our small town wasn’t ready for the dance moves that came out of Deena’s mind, and definitely made the teachers raise an eyebrow of what was going on,” she says. Despite the reaction of the faculty, the self-proclaimed “Energizer Bunny” says she really never understood why her routine was such a big deal. “[The teachers] were like, ‘Are they allowed to dance like that?’ I’m thinking to myself, ‘Yeah, we can dance like this,’ ” the reality starlet recalls. “It’s allowed. I’m not showing any boob or anything, it’s OK — God, open your windows,” she laughs at the memory. “There’s a lot out there.” “When I Was 17” — this week featuring Deena Cortese and Patrick Stump — premieres Saturday at 11 a.m. ET on MTV. Related Videos Sneak Preview Of This Week’s ‘When I Was 17’ Related Photos When I Was 17 (Season 2) | Ep. 9 | Deena Cortese, Patrick Stump, Jenna Ushkowitz
