Reps for the music and ‘Twilight’ stars confirm the split. By Jocelyn Vena Ashley Greene and Joe Jonas Photo: Kent Phillips/ Getty Images It’s official. Joe Jonas and Ashley Greene are no longer a couple. After rumors of their split hit the Internet early Thursday (March 17), the stars’ reps confirmed the breakup to People.com . The couple began seeing each other last summer. A source told the website that Jonas was “head over heels” for the “Twilight” star at the beginning of their relationship. The pair was regularly seen holding hands and getting cozy on dates, despite their two very busy schedules. He’s currently working on a solo album after touring through much of last year with his brothers, Nick and Kevin, and she’s busy filming “Breaking Dawn.” The news of the split comes one day after Jonas’ interview with Details magazine, in which he gushed over the actress, hit the Web. “It feels good. I think what works about it is she really puts my feelings first. She understands my busy schedule,” he told the magazine. “She’ll fly out to my shows — she’s been to places in South America that I can’t even pronounce.” Earlier this year, Greene opened up to Teen Vogue about her then-beau, sharing some insights into what their relationship was like. “We met through mutual friends in London, which is crazy because we both live in L.A,” she said. “And we’ve already met each other’s parents, which I think is a good result of the kind of lifestyle we live. He’s sweet and really funny, which is huge for me. We have a traveling relationship.” It seems though that all that traveling eventually made it hard for the pair to maintain their relationship. The New York Post reported that their busy work schedules contributed to the split, and that “it was mutual and amicable,” according to a source. Related Artists Jonas Brothers
The rest of the top 12 are letting their grades slip performing songs from the year they were born. By Eric Ditzian “American idol” finalist Stefano Langone Photo: FOX Before we dive into this week’s “American Idol” report card, we need to pause and award a special gold star to Steven Tyler, whose commentary on Wednesday night — replete with rhyming phrases, butchered metaphors and one instance of nonsensical, if oddly well-intentioned, racial profiling — keep us glued to the telly through some snooze-inducing performances. Who cares if his commendations didn’t always line up with objective reality? We’d tune in any day of the week to hear the Aerosmith frontman suggest that one singer has a “sorcerer’s grasp of melody” and highlight another singer’s “ethnic what-it-is-ness.” Yet just as we hand out that gold star to Tyler — and plan to dole out a few more — there are far too many contestants who earned themselves some demerits on Wednesday. It doesn’t matter if they were sick or sleepy or just simply misguided in their song choices from the year they were born — there’s no hiding from our “Idol” report card. Let’s get on with it! Excellent Stefano Langone : On a generally weak evening in “Idol” land, Stefano finds himself at the top of the class, despite his pretaped diss of “Funky Cold Medina.” Harsh! Stefano’s got a silky smooth voice, confidence for days, and he popped off some top-notch runs during Simply Red’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” Then he went ahead and sealed the deal with that bear-hug with his mom. Now, all he’s got to do is apologize to Tone Loc. Good Pia Toscano : From judges to Jimmy Iovine to the voting public, everyone has been waiting for Pia to bust out something that isn’t a capital-B ballad. Who knew the moment she’d finally go up-tempo-ish would be with a rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”? Sure, it had a bit of a cruise-ship cabaret feel, and her outfit would have been a better fit on “The Love Boat” than “American Idol,” but her vocals were, as always, on point Scotty McCreery : Iovine spoke up for an army of frustrated viewers when he said he’s not trying to change Scotty, just have him grow and get better. If only! Nothing approaching growth took place during his version of Travis Tritt’s “Can I Trust You With My Heart.” One note at the end snuck out of Scotty’s comfort zone before he reeled the vocals back in. The North Carolina native can probably coast into the finals without growing in any meaningful way, but where’s the fun in that? Lauren Alaina : Wacked-out on Nyquil though she may have been, Lauren showed no ill effects once she stepped up onstage (the same cannot be said for her pre-performance interview, when the only thing she seemed to be able to giggle-slur at Ryan Seacrest was, “Look at yooooooooooooou!”). Precocious and confident, Lauren bounced back from a subpar performance last week and solidified her fan-favorite status during Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m the Only One.” Satisfactory James Durbin : He got off to a very shaky start and never really recovered; we blame the absurd tail/scarf thingamabob James once again attached to his hiney. Last week, when he left that piece of flair in his dressing room, the guy slayed us with an emotional ode to Paul McCartney. This time around, he split the difference between vulnerable rocker and hair-metal circus act, and it didn’t work. Oh, and he seemed to hint that he’d be around until the finale several months down the road. Cocky ain’t a good look. Be humble and be great. On Wednesday, James, you were neither. Paul McDonald : We know Paul was sick, but was he also suffering from vertigo? Perhaps chronic dizziness is the key to explaining that marionette-meets-drunken-sailor dancing style. More distracting than those moves, though, were his lackluster vocals. He’s still got the most distinctive voice on the show, and we hope he doesn’t land in the bottom three this week. We hope by next week, Paul’s on the mend and ready to wow us again as he did earlier in the month with Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May.” Haley Reinhart : Randy Jackson echoed what we’ve been wondering for a while: What kind of artist is Haley ? She seems the least fully-formed of anyone on the show. Perhaps the pressure of trying to figure out exactly who she is got to her. Haley was nervous from the get-go and couldn’t keep up with the tempo of Whitney Houston’s “I’m Your Baby Tonight.” Will that lipstick debacle earn her some sympathy votes? Fingers crossed! Because we continue to think she’s got a lot of potential and a beautiful instrument, and if she sticks around long enough, she just might surprise us one of these days. Casey Abrams : Man, we loved the song choice of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” before we even heard a note. We thought we were in for a creative arrangement — perhaps something as inspired as Andrew Garcia’s re-jiggering of “Straight Up” last year. What we got instead was a cover you’d hear in any basement in any suburb, where a bunch of middle-school kids are rocking out before dinnertime. We won’t even get started on his singing, if we can call it that, because we’re still haunted by that crazy-eyed look on his face as he raced to keep up with this grunge classic. Unsatisfactory Naima Adedapo : Uh-oh. We’ve been rooting for Naima, if only because she offers up a sense of artistic unpredictability in a season that is sorely lacking it. We even defended her take last week on Rihanna’s “Umbrella”; it was a mess, but at least it was a compelling mess. This week, her homage to Tina Turner was too sloppy to endorse, and we suspect she’ll end up in the bottom three. Her flavor may be crazy, but her vocals, alas, are cuckoo. Thia Megia : Back in the day, we used to fall asleep when someone popped “Pocahontas” into the living room VCR. Visions of those somnolent evenings came tip-toeing back to us when Thia voluntarily — voluntarily! — chose to sing a tune from that Disney flick. Last year, we used to ding Katie Stevens for insisting on becoming the oldest, mustiest teenager the world has ever seen. Thia is giving Stevens a run for her money in 2011. Oh, and enough with the ballads! We have a feeling she’s safe for a few more weeks, so we hope she takes a cue from Pia and shows us some artistic range. Karen Rodriguez : Looking like the lovechild of Snooki and General Zod, Karen insisted again on toggling between English and Spanish, as if lingual dexterity might mask her vocal shortcomings. After a trip to the bottom three last week, Karen just might be the odd woman out on elimination night. Jacob Lusk : Listening to Jacob sing is like riding a rickety roller coaster: kinda fun, mostly terrifying. There’s no denying he communicates genuine emotion while singing; the problem is that the emotion he often inspires in listeners is fear. 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 Videos MTV News Extended Play: ‘American Idol’ Top 13 ‘Idol Party Live’ With Jim Cantiello And Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Announcement regarding judges expected this week. By Jocelyn Vena Enrique Iglesias Photo: Kristian Dowling/ WireImage With names like Mariah Carey, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger all still floating around as possible judges, multiple sources are confirming that music executive L.A. Reid will be one of the judges on Simon Cowell’s “X Factor” when it premieres this fall. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that “it’s a done deal.” Simon Cowell told MTV News earlier this week that an announcement regarding the judges on the show would be made “within the week.” Reid will reportedly be let out of his contract with Universal Music early and may take a position with Sony Music, who will provide the show’s winner a recording contract in addition to the $5 million cash prize. Sources confirmed Reid’s departure to Billboard . In addition to the news that Reid is joining the show, there’s talk that Enrique Iglesias has been approached to host the reality singing competition, according to Deadline Hollywood . Iglesias reportedly was interested in becoming a judge rather than the host of the show, but with his own music career as red hot as ever, he may choose to stick with performing. A rep for the show had no comment regarding the rumors when contacted by MTV News. Reid’s involvement would make sense, given what Cowell shared with us regarding what he wants in the judges on the panel. “I’ve got to have people on the panel with me who can judge American talent because I’m 51 years old, I’m British and we’ve got people as young as 14 entering this competition. So I’ve got to make sure I’ve got people sitting alongside me who genuinely know what they’re talking about so that we don’t lose somebody in the audition process.” Related Artists Enrique Iglesias
Announcement regarding judges expected this week. By Jocelyn Vena Enrique Iglesias Photo: Kristian Dowling/ WireImage With names like Mariah Carey, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger all still floating around as possible judges, multiple sources are confirming that music executive L.A. Reid will be one of the judges on Simon Cowell’s “X Factor” when it premieres this fall. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that “it’s a done deal.” Simon Cowell told MTV News earlier this week that an announcement regarding the judges on the show would be made “within the week.” Reid will reportedly be let out of his contract with Universal Music early and may take a position with Sony Music, who will provide the show’s winner a recording contract in addition to the $5 million cash prize. Sources confirmed Reid’s departure to Billboard . In addition to the news that Reid is joining the show, there’s talk that Enrique Iglesias has been approached to host the reality singing competition, according to Deadline Hollywood . Iglesias reportedly was interested in becoming a judge rather than the host of the show, but with his own music career as red hot as ever, he may choose to stick with performing. A rep for the show had no comment regarding the rumors when contacted by MTV News. Reid’s involvement would make sense, given what Cowell shared with us regarding what he wants in the judges on the panel. “I’ve got to have people on the panel with me who can judge American talent because I’m 51 years old, I’m British and we’ve got people as young as 14 entering this competition. So I’ve got to make sure I’ve got people sitting alongside me who genuinely know what they’re talking about so that we don’t lose somebody in the audition process.” Related Artists Enrique Iglesias
Contestants will sing songs released in their birth years on Wednesday’s show. By Eric Ditzian Casey Abrams performs on “American Idol” on March 9 Photo: Fox Two months into its 10th season, “American Idol” is finally about to begin. After scores of multi-city auditions, Hollywood Week and pre-taped shows at a Los Angeles soundstage, the reality competition is set, at long last, to unleash a live performance episode on Wednesday (March 16). This is the “Idol” we know (and sometimes love), and it’ll be interesting to see how the reality of live TV affects the contestants as well as the judges. This week’s 12 remaining hopefuls will be taking on songs from the years they were born — a theme last explored in 2009, when Adam Lambert wowed with Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” and Scott MacIntyre got the boot for a schmaltzy version of Survivor’s “The Search Is Over.” Will Casey Abrams and Pia Toscano cement their status as front-runners? Can Karen Rodriguez and Haley Reinhart avoid another trip to the bottom three? Those are among the questions lingering as we head into the show. Casey Abrams The front-runner has made two trips to the hospital this season to deal with severe stomach pains, but he’s back in “Idol” land now and apparently feeling good. What exactly he missed in terms of preparation and how it will affect his performance remains to be seen. Casey’s task will be to break out of his established pattern — exceedingly average beginnings, followed by excitingly free-flowing conclusions — and show us he’s got more in his repertoire than twists and growl-shouts. Haley Reinhart The 20-year-old is perhaps the show’s least developed artist. One week she’s reaching like a diva for Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’,” the next she’s uncorking yodels that make her sound like a walrus with a tummy ache. Thing is, Haley does have a rich and soulful voice. The problem is that she’s had two decades to figure out her artistic identity and still doesn’t seem to have come up with anything. What are the chances she’ll do so in the midst of “Idol” madness? Unless Haley pulls off a stunning performance on Wednesday, she’ll likely be in the bottom three once again. Jacob Lusk Let’s just pretend last week didn’t happen, OK? OK! Whatever song he chooses from his birth year this week, he’d best take it for a walk through the gospel-and soul-tinged late-’70s or early-’80s — that’s how he found such soaring success earlier this month. After his WTF-take on R. Kelly last week, we have a feeling anything recorded since Lusk was born may not be his best bet. James Durbin We only want two things from you this week, James. One, don’t you dare pin that ridiculous scarf on your bum. Two, don’t you dare revert back to delusions that you’re the second coming of Ozzy Osbourne, because your sweet spot is as a sensitive rocker, as we learned during last week’s take on Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.” Do those two things, James, and shoot, you can bust out that dime-store Lambert squeal all you want. Karen Rodriguez Our advice begins and ends with this: You are not J. Lo, so don’t try to be J. Lo, or J. Lo won’t be the only judge telling you she just wasn’t feeling your performance. No matter what Karen does or who she tries to imitate this week, she’s going to have a hard time avoiding the bottom three once again. She’s lacking in vocal power and has suffered from more pitch problems than Wembley Stadium after a weeklong rainstorm. Lauren Alaina The key for Lauren will be to see how she bounces back from her first-ever negative assessment. After the judges gave her poor marks, the 16-year-old looked as if she’d collapse in tears right next to Ryan Seacrest. She’s continually made strong song choices, busting out country-rock-pop performances, but last week her tune was lacking in the youthful, happy-go-lucky energy she’s so adept at exuding. We’ll be keeping an eye out for her return to form. And she’d better get there, because a few more weeks of middling performances and she’ll sacrifice her spot as a fan favorite. Naima Adedapo We honestly have no idea what Naima is going to do on Wednesday, and that’s mostly a good thing. She’s easily the most artistically interesting contestant, yet there’s something undoubtedly schizophrenic about her recent performances: Is she a radio-friendly R&B queen or a throwback chanteuse with jazzy blues running through her veins? Voters seemed to like her Rihanna shtick better (she avoided the bottom three last week, after being saved by the judges’ wild card the week before), so she’d be wise keep things upbeat and pop radio-oriented. How someone born in the mid-’80s can manage that, given this week’s theme, is anybody’s guess. Paul McDonald After rag doll-dancing his way to the front of the “Idol” pack earlier this month, McDonald flopped on his face last week like Buzz Lightyear when a human walks in the room. We’d advise him to ditch the wacky dance moves and concentrate on his vocals. Another mid-’80s born contestant, McDonald has the opportunity to have loads of fun with a nostalgic tune he gives a 21st-century glean to. And as we saw during his take on Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May,” when Paul’s having fun, America is having fun. Pia Toscano This head-of-the-classer didn’t take our advice last week, so we doubt she will this week. But we can hope! There can be no doubting Pia’s got a serious set of pipes on her — girl can sing her “Idol” non-disclosure agreement and it’d sound killer. What we need to see and hear is an ability to sing something other than a ballad. Go up-tempo and show us something fresh. Scotty McCreery We’ve stopped waiting for Scotty to show some genre range and now are simply keeping our fingers crossed for some creativity. Instead of presenting familiar versions of hit country songs, why not take a pop radio tune and give it a country makeover? The point is, Scotty’s got to show us something new, because a month from now, he’s going to be so predictable we’ll be taking bathroom breaks during his time onstage. Stefano Langone Like Naima, Stefano catapulted himself from the judges’ wild card to bottom three-avoiding territory last week. Unlike Naima, he seems to have a firm idea of what kind of artist he is, even if his vocals aren’t always there to carry him through (see his take on Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are”). Last week’s cheesy arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “Lately” did him no favors, so this week we’d like to see him strip down a tune and showcase smooth vocals, not to mention his head-of-the-class onstage personality. Thia Megia Why Thia hasn’t tackled something by Duffy or Adele, rather than drenching an ’80s tune in sticky-sweet innocence, is a question we can’t answer. At least that decade is off-limits to the 16-year-old this week. While she’s got a seriously beautiful voice, she’s got an artistic sensibility that is the stuff of teen dreams more than anything else. No matter what she sings this week and how much the judges try to convince us she’s a keeper, Thia could be in trouble this week. 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 Videos MTV News Extended Play: ‘American Idol’ Top 13 ‘Idol Party Live’ With Jim Cantiello And Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Drake nearly found himself in a heap in trouble after making an appearance at the BritJam festival in Montego Bay with Mavado. The event has a strict no-cursing policy which Drake violated. “Everywhere me go, me seh Jamaica to the blood clot world,” Drake said moments after taking the stage. Perhaps Drake wasn’t aware that “blood clot” is considered a curse in Jamaica, or maybe he was just too into the moment to care. In the past, artists like Ja Rule, Sean Paul, Beenie Man, and Snoop Dogg have been arrested after using profanity in their concerts on the island. Drake avoided arrest when his bodyguards ushered him off stage not long after the violation occurred. Watch it happen here: RELATED: Drake To Perform At Bill Clinton Fundraiser This Week RELATED: Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake, Big Sean “All Of The Lights” Remix [ NEW MUSIC] RELATED: Movie “Better Mus Come” Shows Roots Of Jamaican Gangsterism
Cash Money boss’ interview, airing at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, will serve as a preview for the new MTV series ‘Deep Cover.’ By D.L. Chandler Birdman Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage Fresh from making the top five of Forbes ‘ highest-paid hip-hop entertainers list , Cash Money honcho Birdman is this week’s featured guest on Thursday’s “RapFix Live” at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com. After new Shady Records signee Yelawolf graced the studio last week with his smooth Southern charm, this week’s show will focus on an in-depth interview with New Orleans native Birdman. The $100 million man is doing pretty well for himself thanks to the overwhelming popularity of prot
This week was the most difficult Saturday Night Live relevancy poll of the season to tabulate. No one cast member dominated the airtime, and with few exceptions, the cast was spread pretty thin throughout the evening. Put it this way: At one point I was thinking, Wow, Abby Elliott is getting a lot of play this week; it sure will be nice to see her finally near the top of the poll. But that faded as it became clear that pretty much everyone got a significant amount of play this week.
Read the transcript of this week’s lightning fast recap, just in case you missed a joke. By Jim Cantiello Naima Adedapo performs on “American Idol” on Wednesday Photo: Fox Jim Cantiello’s “American Idol” in 60 Seconds recaps have been an institution at MTV News since Sanjaya’s Reign of Terror. But sometimes, the lightning-quick pace moves by so fast, you occasionally miss a joke, comment or sight gag. So, as a courtesy to our loyal watchers, we’re publishing the full script of Jim’s latest recap. Check out the embedded video to catch the first “Idol in 60 Seconds” of season 10. Hey guys, MTV News “American Idol” expert Jim Cantiello here with everything you need to know about this week’s “Idol” in 60 seconds. [ Deep breath! ] This week, season 10 finally kicked off and everyone was excited … except for those two. [ Shot of Jimmy Iovine and Berry Gordy as the lone sitting ducks in an audience packed with screaming people on their feet. ] The top 13 performed songs from their personal idols, which included two dudes who were accused of raping children [ Jacob Lusk tackled R. Kelly, Thia Magia worshipped Michael Jackson ], one former heroin addict [ Paul McDonald’s Ryan Adams homage ] and Celine Dion?! Ugh! But this ain’t your grandma’s “Idol.” Jimmy Iovine was added to the show to make the songs sound contemporary! [ Clip of the lame lite-jazz arrangement Thia Megia was saddled with. ] Oh, but we have a new judging panel. They brought their A-game, right?! [ Clip of J. Lo saying pitch doesn’t matter, clip of Steven Tyler name-checking International Women’s Day for no reason. ] [ Jim is disappointed. ] This is the remix?! It wasn’t all a wash, though. Paul McDonald did his best Gollum impression. Casey Abrams got high … praises. And admit it: You totally loved watching those two teenagers cry. [ Shots of Lauren Alaina and Thia Megia fighting back tears. ] But my favorite was Naima, who proved with “Umbrella” that she can dance … sort of, and she can rap … sort of, and she can sing … sor— OK, two out of three ain’t bad. On Wednesday night’s results show: Werrrrrk! [ Shot of Jacob Lusk being fierce in the group number. ] [ Clip: Pia Toscano sings the line, “I’m starting with a man in the mirror.” ] She is?! Werrrrrk! WERRRRRRRRRRRRK! [ Shot of Adam Lambert performing “Aftermath.” ] [ Clip of Adam telling J. Lo, “So I want you to teach me how to dougie.” ] OK, Adam, there’s no need to lie. And results! “You’re all safe except for you.” [ Shot of Karen Rodriguez’s awkward bottom three placement. ] “Just kidding, except not.” There’s your bottom tres. There’s your bottom two. And scene. [ Shot of Ashthon weeping. ] DING! 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 Videos ‘Idol Party Live’ With Jim Cantiello And Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
