There was always these words that always inspired me, which was to ‘Believe’ and ‘Dream Big’. Guess what? That’s exactly what I did. I was always a belieber and I know that won’t change. For my birthday, my sister surprised me with Justin Bieber tickets to his concert and I was more than happy. I felt like my dreams came true. But who would have known those tickets and seats were saved for something more special. The day of the concert everything was going so good. I couldn’t believe I was even there. As I got there, I saw the amazing Jessica Jarrell. During the countdown, I saw Justin’s mom Pattie. No one noticed her, but me. She waved at me and I waved back. I started crying happy tears. I thought it was the closest thing I would get until later on. Allison and Alfredo were there walking around. By that time, I honestly wasn’t paying much attention to them..I was distracted by the bieber, haha. The song before “One Less Lonely Girl”, Allison, came up to me and goes, “Do you want to be Justin’s One Less Lonely Girl?” I looked at my sister, and automatically said “YES,YES!!” I got to meet his amazing dancers, Kenny, Scrappy, Justin’s publicist (Melissa) and much more, backstage. We started dancing backstage! I was so excited and nervous but I was calm and had so much personality in me. I came out on stage dancing with Marvin and Anthony. As I looked, Justin was there. HONESTLY, nothing went through my head. I was in complete shock. THE DREAM STILL DOSEN’T END. Months after, I got a Facebook message. I was like, “Um, who’s this dude?” Turns out it was someone who was from Paramount Pictures contacting me so they could have me on Justin’s movie! Alfredo had footage of me backstage and on stage and he told them about me. I was more than happy..I was..I dont know, words can’t describe it! I ended up being on the ”Never Say Never Director’s Fan Cut” and I went crazy when I saw myself in the DVD! Justin has taught me more than to ‘Never Say Never’ but he’s taught me to go for my dreams and YES it will be hard, but hard work and persistance pays off. I thank God everyday for giving me this chance. BELIEBERS; DONT EVER GIVE UP. Yes, it’s hard but it’s better than not trying. You can go for it, if you dream big & believe it could happen. Maybe being OLLG can’t happen to every single one of you, but meeting him is POSSIBLE. I’m not the type of rich girl, who can pay hundreds to see him. But I am the type of girl, who is willing not to give up. – @Melissa8234 More here: There was always these words that always inspired me, which was…
We went to the airport of Monterrey, Mexico at 5:50am on Saturday October 1st. We didn’t get tickets in Monterrey, so we had to go to Mexico City. We went to check in our tickets and when we saw the line, we realized some American people. By then, we realized that the Bieber crew was there! Justin’s dancers were lined up to document bags, then we get to take pictures. Of course I was shaking of emotion, as I took a blurry p icture of my friend Itzel. After we got our tickets, we go to the pass rooms and saw them again and two of them were asking for some eggs for breakfast. We thanked them and walked to our room, almost crying of the emotion. We were so happy that started singing Never Say Never and they turned to see us and started to laugh. We don’t meet Justin but we got to see him at the concert, and got all the memories of that trip with my best friends. – @ItzelGss @nannyancira97 @natalie__143 Visit link: We went to the airport of Monterrey, Mexico at 5:50am on…
B gets sexy and artistic in self-directed clip. By Rob Markman Beyonce in her music video for “1+1” Photo: Columbia She may not know much about algebra, but when it comes to music videos, Beyonc
Translated from a French-language publication by The New Yorker ‘s Richard Brody, Sean Penn apparently has issues with Terrence Malick’s recent film: “I didn’t at all find on the screen the emotion of the script, which is the most magnificent one that I’ve ever read. A clearer and more conventional narrative would have helped the film without, in my opinion, lessening its beauty and its impact. Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing there and what I was supposed to add in that context! What’s more, Terry himself never managed to explain it to me clearly.” Join the club , pal. [ Le Figaro via The New Yorker ]
Beyonce’s “4″ album may not draw as many sales or release as many hits as her previous records, but she’s not worried. In fact, “4″ wasn’t created to be a hit-making machine; it was created because Bey wanted to make a cohesive album that was “one body of work.” “This album was a labor of love. It was not about singles. I felt like the emotion and live instruments and just soul (were) missing out of the music industry, especially the popular music that’s out. I wanted to bring it back to the music I grew up listening to. It’s like a mixture of the ’90s and the ’70s and rock-n-roll,” she told Reuters . Let’s face it: “Run The World (Girls)” and “Best Thing I Never Had” haven’t performed as well as her other lead singles like, “Crazy In Love” and “Single Ladies,” but has that stopped you from buying “4″? Behind Beyonce’s “4″ Album Shoot: “A Spring Afternoon In Paris” [VIDEO] Did Beyonce Ditch Kelly Rowland At Album Release Party? [PHOTOS] Beyonce: “I Want Kids Before I’m 40″ [VIDEO]
Christina Aguilera poses naked on the latest cover of W Magazine. This might make it difficult for any reader to focus on the interview inside, but that would be a shame. Because the singer touches on two of the obstacles that made the beginning of 2011 so challenging for her: Her split from Jordan Bratman. Her forgetting of the National Anthem lyrics prior to Super Bowl XLV. On why she and Bratman got divorced : “At one time or another, we were both not angels. It got to a point where my life at home was reminding me of my own childhood. I will not have my son grow up in a tension-filled home…” On the Super Bowl snafu : “Everything on the field at the Super Bowl was vividly bright, and I was having a moment. I got lost in the emotion of being there and I messed up the lyrics to the song.” Oh well. Christina has bounced back nicely, anchoring the panel on The Voice , this season’s top-rated new show.
Weezy debuts Tha Carter IV track ‘Nightmares of the Bottom’ during Sunday’s special. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne at his “Unplugged” performance Photo: Frank Micelotta/MTV/PictureGroup LL Cool J, Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill and now Lil Wayne . On Sunday (June 12), Weezy joined MTV’s “Unplugged” hip-hop ranks with a most energetic performance. Birdman Jr. took the stage wearing a black sweatshirt, black sunglasses and a red fitted baseball cap with a white button attached that read “Tunechi.” Backed by a full band, Wayne launched into his 2008 album cut “3 Peat” and then stopped to address the full-throated crowd. “If you got your Carter III album, make some noise,” Wayne said of his highly regarded record. From there, the New Orleans rapper jumped into spirited renditions of “Mr. Carter” from TCIII and then “Shoot Me Down.” Wayne, who was released from his eight-month prison bid last November, segued into his portion of Drake’s “Miss Me” with a heartfelt speech. “A few months ago, I was locked up and stuff,” Wayne began. “And it was people like y’all that made me feel like I wasn’t even there, so I really appreciate it.” After warming up, Weezy F. took off his sweatshirt, leaving on a white tee, then turned the heat up with an animated “A Milli” performance. With the energy steadily building, the Young Money CEO went into “Fireman” from Tha Carter II and then treated fans to something special: a cover of Tupac’s “Hail Mary.” Wayne focused particularly on ‘Pac’s second verse: “Penitentiaries is packed with promise makers, never realize the precious time that bitch n—as is wastin’,” he rapped to the crowd’s delight. Aside from the rap hits he is known for, Lil Tunechi visited his rocked-out Rebirth album and performed a spirited version of “Drop the World.” As Wayne delivered the song’s opening line, “I got ice in my veins, blood in my eyes,” he removed his shades to reveal his eyes and his emotion. From rock to pop, the self-proclaimed Best Rapper Alive mashed up his latest single, “How to Love,” with his 2009 #1 smash record “Lollipop.” The MC took the crowd to musical heights as he ran through his catalog of hits. One highlight in particular is when Wayne debuted “Nightmares of the Bottom,” a new track from his highly anticipated and oft-delayed Tha Carter IV album. The song, which details Wayne’s rise to the top and unwillingness to fail, was an immediate fan favorite as he rapped lines like “Don’t call me sir, call me survivor” and “Weezy F. Baby, and the ‘F’ ain’t for fear.” As the performance drew to a close, Wayne took off his shirt and let his hair loose before his band drummed up the beat to his Harry Belafonte-sampling cut “6 Foot, 7 Foot.” A loosened-up Weezy rapped each lyric with conviction before he brought out his Young Money signee Cory Gunz to deliver the track’s rapid-fire third and final verse. Cory quickly exited the stage, and in the end, Lil Wayne stood triumphant while the crowd applauded ferociously. Young Moola, baby! What was your favorite part of “MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged”? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Lil Wayne Related Photos MTV2 Presents Unplugged Lil Wayne
Don’t miss the Peas’ performance tonight at midnight ET on MTV. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway The Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie performs “Just Can’t Get Enough” Photo: MTV News For latest single “Just Can’t Get Enough,” the Black Eyed Peas ended up making a video love letter to Japan. The group had shot the clip — complete with glitzy shots of the Asian country — just before an earthquake and tsunami struck. The sentiment they feel for the video very much mirrors the emotion that went into making the song. “We’re emotionally attached to it because we recorded the video in Japan five days before this whole thing went down, and it’s like the type of song that gets to you in your heart,” Taboo told MTV News when we caught up with the group at Terminal 5 in New York, where they were taping a show set to air tonight at midnight ET on MTV. The song is a sugary-sweet dance track about being infatuated with that special someone. “The message is knowing that when you’re gone from somebody, especially when you’re on tour, you can’t get enough of them or you’re just thinking about them and you just want to let them know that you’re always there for them,” Taboo explained. The band released the video last month, and they say they could never have known how much it would mean to them. “It was the easiest video I ever shot, because it was us living our lives,” Fergie said at the time. “I love that it’s showing a true perspective of how it can sometimes be lonely on the road away from our loved ones. It also demonstrates the love and connection we have with Japan. Our heart goes out to all of the Japanese people who have been affected by this natural disaster.” Don’t miss the Black Eyed Peas’ performance tonight at midnight ET on MTV. Related Artists Black Eyed Peas
Pia Toscano and Scotty McCreery also wow the judges. By Gil Kaufman “American Idol” top ten plus one Photo: FOX Theme nights are always tricky, and on Wednesday (March 30), the “American Idol” top 11 had to take on the imposing catalog of Elton John. Some soared and some crashed, and a couple of recent cellar dwellers — Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart — appeared to pull themselves out of the fire with gutsy performances. As always on non-country theme weeks, the question was “What is Scotty McCreery going to do this time?” He made the obvious choice, the obscure “Country Comfort,” which he picked because it had the word “country” in it, but also because it’s one of Elton’s only country-leaning tunes. With lyrics about grandmas and factory closings, it was pretty much what you’d expect: a Vince Gill-esque, aw-shucks acoustic amble accented by pedal steel and piano — with a shout-out to his real granny! — that, well, sounded like just about everything McC has done so far. “Nothin’ I could say to you that an old-fashioned pair of high-heeled cowboy boots wouldn’t fix,” Steven Tyler gushed cryptically, adding that he (still) loves everything about the teen crooner. Once again, Jennifer Lopez gave the most sage advice, encouraging Scotty not to get too in his head and doubt himself. Randy Jackson marveled at how fast Scotty has matured on the program and said he felt like he was at a headlining show by the “Idol” finalist. If Scotty always brings the country rumble, dreadlocked rude girl Naima Adedapo similarly finds a way to add a reggae swag to her songs. Wearing a white jumpsuit with red, yellow and green accents, she gave a Bob Marley-esque island vibe to “I’m Still Standing,” struggling at points to keep in tune but truly making it her own and creating one of the most unique “Idol” makeovers in the recent memory. Lopez and Jackson loved the reggae lilt but weren’t sure if it wasn’t a better idea than the payoff, and maybe a bit corny. Talk about someone totally in the pocket on Elton night. Paul McDonald went for it with the legendary “Rocket Man,” which mentor Jimmy Iovine suggested he play like it was an encore in front of 20,000 screaming fans. Wearing his signature flowered country suit and strumming an acoustic guitar, McDonald started out mellow and seductive, with just a piano for accompaniment. It seemed like he blew off Iovine’s advice, because while he retained that ragged Ray LaMontagne vibe, he barely got out of second gear, keeping things mostly low-key and feathery. Randy called it “quiet comfort” and said, despite being pitchy, Paul’s soft, gentle voice was once again infectious, and Jennifer suggested he was holding back and needed to let loose. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” is an old “Idol” favorite, and despite being counseled to move out of the ballad-ballad-ballad routine, Pia Toscano went with the emotional staple. With a subtle arrangement, Toscano put the focus squarely on her powerful voice and, backed by a gospel choir, she seemed to hit the sweet spot once more. “Pia, you’ve done it again,” Tyler said, gently needling Randy’s suggestion that Pia switch it up. “That’s what you are and you sang it, you nailed it. And you know how I know a good song? It makes me cry inside … that’s just about as good as it gets.” Lopez said the notes Pia chooses take the audience to “an otherworldly place” and that Toscano seems poised to break through to another level. Stefano Langone made his first trip to the bottom three last week, so he was probably hoping that the epic “Tiny Dancer” would do the trick. But the cheesy arrangement and his smarmy Disney-style performance probably didn’t save the day. All three judges liked it and said Stefano seemed to be really taking their notes and trying to connect with the audience, keep his eyes open and his voice focused on his sweet, high range. Teen Lauren Alaina was just a toddler during the second revival of ultimate weeper “Candle in the Wind” in 1997, but her restrained, country lilt came off like the ultimate mash-up of past “Idol” divas Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Though the performance was a bit sedate, her vocals were controlled and crisp and she gave off her usual
James Durbin and Pia Toscano also nailed their takes on Motown classics. By Gil Kaufman “American Idol” Final 11 Photo: FOX Producers promised to shake things up this year on “American Idol,” but they were back to their predictable old tricks on Wednesday night (March 23), when the top 11 singers once again dipped into the Motown bag for some golden oldies. It was a critical week for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that it would decide season 10’s top 10, i.e., the handful of singers who will go out on the road with the “Idol” tour this summer. Some (Thia, Lauren, Paul) stormed back after tough weeks, while others cemented their frontrunner status (Pia, Jacob) and a few tripped up (Stefano, Haley). After squealing his way through Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” last week (and possibly scaring off his little-girl vote) Casey Abrams went for the big brass ring with Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” He did some of his now-signature growling, mixing Gaye’s sweet soul with the swampy blues texture of the classic Creedence Clearwater Revival cover, pushing closer to the dreaded, white-soul belter territory blazed by “Idol” champ Taylor Hicks. “I think you’re the perfect entertainer,” Steven Tyler enthused. “Perfect pitch and perfect mix of crazy-ass out-of-control ego and that’s what makes an artist today.” Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson agreed, saying that Abrams has already carved his own totally unique lane. Trying to rebound from a rough week, the youngest singer in the contest, Thia Megia, 16, went with an uptempo number for once, Martha and the Vandellas’ “Heatwave.” Wearing a flirty, frilly pink skirt with a black bustier top, Megia showed an intriguing different side to her personality, a country/pop-ish tone with plenty of attitude, though she still sometimes comes off a bit cruise ship-y. Lopez loved seeing Megia let loose for once and encouraged her to dig even deeper and try to connect with her lyrics more, by acting if necessary. Randy was psyched to see her take a chance after a string of same-y ballads. With his gospel background, this should have been a slam-dunk week for Jacob Lusk. Choosing Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s legendary ballad “You’re All I Need to Get By,” Lusk leaned into the spare arrangement with a feathery contralto, hopping between his throaty and falsetto voices while putting on a divo-esque soul clinic of controlled runs. Tyler couldn’t contain himself, running up to hug Jacob and scream “hallelujah!” into the mic. The standing ovation inspired Jackson to say it was Lusk’s best performance yet, praising his easy way of leaning into the chorus and totally controlling the song by knowing when to give it all and when to hold back. “You know what was wrong with that performance?” he said. “Nothing!” The other 16-year-old, Lauren Alaina, dug into the Supremes’ classic “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.” Opening in a single spotlight and transforming the intro into a slow, soul kiss, Alaina once again tapped into her precocious charms and flirted with Jackson and sashayed all around the judges’ circle while singing a very good, sassy karaoke version of the disco-lite tune. “I don’t think you listen to anybody about anything and I like that about you,” Tyler said to his favorite Aerosmith fan, while Lopez praised L.A.’s flowy zebra-striped, floor-length skirt and neck-rolling attitude. Unlike Alaina, Stefano Langone grew up on Motown, though he chose not a classic, but the 1984 Lionel Richie schmaltz-fest “Hello.” Warned not to over-sing it, Langone gave it an odd operatic lilt, turning the tune into a Michael Buble-style, light FM show tune. She still thinks he’s a cutie with a good voice, but Lopez said the one-time wild card missed the emotion in the song and failed to connect, instead looking like he was trying too hard to perform. Giving some of her most coherent, cogent advice of the season, the multi-hyphenate judge said it’s critical for Langone to look at each song as an acting gig. “You sounded good, but there was no real connection,” Randy concurred. After hitting the bottom-three two weeks in a row, Haley Reinhart was hoping to avoid the walk of shame by singing Smokey Robinson & the Miracles’ “You Really Got a Hold on Me.” Her off-tempo, sissy strut version had the requisite soul mama growls and shouts, but the whole thing felt a bit awkward, shouty and Holiday Inn lounge. After a rough start, Randy said Reinhart’s Janis Joplin-esque growl and attitude brought it back around, giving them a glimpse of the singer they fell in love with. “I think you may have the most soulful voice of anybody in the competition,” J.Lo said, then amending that to just include the girls’ side. The singer facing the biggest challenge of the week was bullfrog-voiced country crooner Scotty McCreery. Though he didn’t grow up with Motown, he went with the Stevie Wonder version of “For Once in My Life.” Shockingly, he sang it with a twangy Glen Campbell vibe accompanied by a wheezing harmonica, acoustic guitar and giddyaup brushed snare beat. Tyler said Scotty Mac took a big chance and ripped it and Lopez agreed, saying Scotty made it his own, even if it wasn’t his strongest vocal performance. Either way, it’s those low notes he always throws in that continue to seal the deal for the judges and the audience. Motown week was no problem for Pia Toscano, who’s been singing the label’s songs her whole life alongside her dad. She chose the lesser-known Stevie Wonder hit “All in Love is Fair,” giving it the full diva treatment, complete with floor-length black gown, string section backing and a powerful series of crescendos delivered while standing nearly motionless behind the mic. Once again, Lopez said the vocals, beauty and feeling were all there and said Pia could have a Celine Dion-like career, but she needs to add more dynamic stage moves into her repertoire. And, c’mon girl, Randy pleaded, we get that you can sing ballads, but mix it up a bit, will ya! After a few seasons where singers frequently hid behind guitars and pianos, Paul McDonald busted out the first acoustic of the finals and did some picking and grinning on Smokey Robinson & the Miracles’ titanic “Tracks of My Tears.” Transforming the party tune into a down-home folk rocker, McDonald put on his best Rod Stewart rasp and remade the weeper as if he’d just written it before hitting the stage. Randy wasn’t sure where the song was going at first, but he loved the Stewart vibe and the soft, tender notes near the end. “Like Dylan, like Willie Nelson, your voice is that different,” Tyler said as Lopez referred to McD as the complete package in search of the right producer. She’s already proved her sick dancing skills, so Naima Adedapo’s decision to grab Martha and the Vandellas’ good time ditty “Dancing in the Streets” made perfect sense. Looking like she was having a blast, Naima worked the stage to the African percussion-tinged remake, mixing her strong, crisp vocals with an energized African dance breakdown at song’s end. For once Tyler was speechless, though he did inexplicably call the performance “E to the Z o twiddly dee,” blown away that she came up with the dance moves and the additional percussion. J.Lo said she got her first goose bumps of the night thanks to Naima’s stage savvy. The night’s pimp spot belonged to lone rocker James Durbin, who sang Wonder’s gritty urban anthem “Living for the City.” Busting out of the gate with his clean falsetto voice, Durbin strutted all over the stage and made the song a bit happier than the original, but managed to give it enough of his rock grit (and high screeches) to make it his own. Reduced to an “oh my Gawd”-ing valley girl, Jennifer was in awe of JD’s dance moves and vocals, admitting he left her speechless. Though it opened rough, Randy said James hit his stride during his dance-breakdown middle and brought it home with the Lambert-esque scream at the end. Thursday night’s results show will feature performances from season-three “Idol” finalist and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and country duo Sugarland. Who did you think nailed it on Motown night? Who blew it? Let us know 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. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
