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What Are The Lyrics To 'No Boundaries' About?

Posted 5/20/09 10:50 am EST by in American Idol


Somewhere in the depths of the Nokia Theatre, I'm convinced there is a secret underground vault filled with pixie dust, a man-size vat of Velveeta and a rhyming dictionary that is the source of every "American Idol" winner's song.

Jordin Sparks' "This Is My Now." David Cook's "The Time of My Life." Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud" (not so much). Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This." What do they have in common? All terrible, schmaltzy songs that even the superfans who instantly downloaded them have probably deleted from their iPods long since.

And then there was Tuesday night's addition to the canon, "No Boundaries," a titanic mound of turgid clichés co-written by none other than judge and professional songsmith, Kara DioGuardi. This über-"Idol" winner's song had it all: opening lines about time slowly ticking away and wanting something (Simon's approval?) forever! But having to wait for it! (Typically 58 minutes.)

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Getting Glambertized: One MTV Newser Gets An Adam Lambert Makeover

Posted 5/20/09 10:07 am EST by in American Idol


By Joel HanekJim Cantiello

There is a reason Adam Lambert is Adam Lambert. His voice is amazing, of course, but that isn't the only thing that got him to the "American Idol" finale. He's got the persona, the charisma, the charm and the look. To many, he already is a rock star, whether he wins or not.

As for me, well, sometimes I wear sweater vests, I enjoy a nice cup of coffee, and I like to read blogs with cute animal pictures — so, I'm not really a rock star. I can't really be Adam Lambert, but I could try to look like him — that's the easy part, right? My style is more akin to Taylor Hicks than Adam Lambert, and I needed to get with the times! So yesterday morning, I took a break from my duties of being an MTV News production assistant and had the surreal experience of having cameras in my dressing room as I got glambertized (glambertized, for those who don't know, is the process of becoming as glamorous as Adam Lambert).

See video of the transformation process after the jump! Read More...

Paula And Kara Go Head-To-Head In Our 'American Idol' Judges' Showdown

Posted 5/20/09 7:50 am EST by in American Idol


By Joe DeShano

There's been a lot of talk this year about who's staying and who's going on "American Idol" — and we're not talking about the contestants.

The introduction of singer/songwriter Kara DioGuardi to the judging panel sparked rumors that Paula Abdul was being replaced. Now, the season is almost over and the fate of the judges is in question.

Looking back over this tumultuous season of set mishaps, crazy performances and surprise rule changes, we think it might be time to evaluate Kara and Paula in something we call the Judges' Showdown.

We broke this showdown into five categories: Outbursts, Awkward Moments, Performance, Words of Wisdom and Simon Cowell Encounters. Each category is counted as a round, with a winner declared at the end of each one. After all rounds are done, an overall winner is declared.

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We're Live-Blogging The 'American Idol' Finale!

Posted 5/19/09 7:55 pm EST by in American Idol, Live Blog


Jim Cantiello

It's here! It only took us 38 episodes, 17 weeks and one Tatiana del Toro, but the "American Idol" finale is just moments away!

Tonight I'm live-blogging from the actual honest-to-Gokey "American Idol" finale - but don't get too excited. I'm not in the auditorium with the judges and the random celebrity guests and the Seacrest. I'm in a "press viewing party" in the basement of the Nokia Theatre, squeezed in between other (sweaty) media outlets and watching the show on a monitor. This is the glamorous underbelly of showbiz, folks, and taking a look around the room, I'd say put the emphasis on belly.

For those of you who need to get caught up to speed on tonight's proceedings, it's Battle Royale between Adam Lambert, a theatrical screaming banshee who revitalized the aging competition with a unique style and a coy/savvy depiction of his sexuality, and Kris Allen, a humble newlywed from Arkansas who started the season as cannon fodder but slowly but surely gathered tons of fans with his boyish good looks, consistent vocals and acoustic interpretations of unexpected pop hits. His greatest achievement thus far? Kicking judge's fave Danny Gokey out of the competition last week.

Each singer will be tackling three songs tonight. One is a repeat from earlier this season (which is never as good as the first time they sang it), one is Simon Fuller's choice (he's the executive producer who also made "Spice World," so perhaps one song will feature the lyrics "Zig-a-zig-ah") and the last one is the coronation song/winner's first single, co-written by 4th-judge/show-ruiner Kara DioGuardi. (I kid, Kara. Can't wait to have you back next season.)

Okay, let's get on with the live-blogging!

7:56 pm - Holy crap you guys, I literally almost missed this. Somehow I got seriously lost in the 4 blocks between my hotel and the Nokia Theatre. I hate cars.

7:59 pm - Sixty seconds away!! (Nice way to plug my 60 Second Recaps, ain't it?)

8:00 pm - Gasp! It's on the monitor but there's no volume! It's mutiny in the press room! GAHHH!!!

8:01 pm - Crisis averted. The audio kicked in just as Kris and Adam were saying "I am the next American Idol" during their auditions. How much you wanna bet they went back and re-taped that yesterday?

8:02 pm - Camryn Manheim alert! She was there last year, too. Her son looks like he's off his meds. It's okay, kid. I'd be jumping up and down like a maniac if I was allowed to be inside the auditorium, too.

8:03 pm - Seacrest called it the battle between "the guy next door and the guyliner." Or he was announcing the name of a porno he was producing.

8:03 pm - Carly Smithson in the audience! Also Casey Carlson! $5 if you remember either of them.

8:04 pm - Seacrest tells America that tomorrow night's results show is gonna go long, so set your DVR's accordingly. They had to add an extra 5 minutes to the show so that Steve Martin could hock his Banjo album. I'm not making that up. Steve Martin is performing tomorrow night.

8:05 pm - Commercial break math quiz. Steve Martin + a banjo - comedy = ???

8:06 pm - And the answer is "something I don't want to see on the 'Idol' finale thank you very much."

8:06 pm - Anyone else notice that Kara got the quietest applause during the intros? If this were the Oscars In Memorium montage, Simon Cowell was Heath Ledger and Kara DioGuardi was the sound recordist for "Ishtar."

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Kim Stolz Braves The Elements For Passion Pit's Record-Release Boat Cruise

Posted 5/19/09 5:49 pm EST by in Passion Pit


NEW YORK — Last night, on a cold and blustery May evening, I boarded a boat with a few friends to check out Passion Pit's release party for their new LP, Manners. Despite the weather, hundreds of hipsters and double the amount of leggings came out to dance, drink, smoke and enjoy the new sounds from the Boston based quintet.

First, though, we had to get past the sea-sickness. At the dock on West 41st Street and 12th Avenue, the wind was a bit stronger than we'd all hoped, and much of the early night conversation turned to advice like "just watch the horizon" or "maybe lay off the drinks till we get moving." I even saw one or two dramatic haircuts leaning over the side of the ship.

Finally, the music picked up and the rocking of the boat turned to some of the most creative dancing I've seen since the Knife's concert at CMJ in 2007 (if you've ever watched serious Knife fans dance, you know what I'm talking about). Read More...

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Sean Paul Is Making Sure Imperial Blaze Is Worth The Wait

Posted 5/19/09 5:36 pm EST by in Uncategorized


This weekend, the team and I hit the road to New Jersey for the big Zootopia concert — an evening of music with artists like Flo Rida, All-American Rejects, Ciara, the Black Eyed Peas, Sean Paul and Kelly Clarkson.

We arrived early before the doors opened, but already, the backstage area (a corridor, basically) was a hive of activity with a mixture of label execs, managers and publicists who had seemingly brought all their kids and friends to the show.

We were scheduled for an interview with Kelly Clarkson — her first sit-down chat with MTV News in a very long while — but it was a real added bonus when we caught up with an old friend and someone who's been away for even longer: Sean Paul. Read More...

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Busta Rhymes Proves He's One Still Of Hip-Hop's Best Live Performers

Posted 5/19/09 4:46 pm EST by in Busta Rhymes, Live Music


Busta RhymesI've written about Busta Rhymes shows in the past. You've read my praise of his and Spliff Star's showmanship time and time again. I always throw in there that he's one of the greatest, if not the greatest, pure live performer in hip-hop ever.

The energy doesn't stop. They make you jump, scream, dance ... everything a commanding MC is supposed to do. The greatest thing about Mr. Rhymes and Street Colonel Spliff (please don't forget Spliff when you talk about a Bus stage show — Spliff is more than a hype man) is that no two shows are the same. They switch it up every time I seen them. Every single time? Amazing. So often I've gone to rap concerts where I can tell you what the rapper is going to do before his own DJ can. They don't switch formats. But Bus? True MC. He changes the show up.

Last night in Manhattan, at Santos Party House, we all had a ball: Bus, Spliff, me and all the fans. Read More...

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Stephanie Pratt Shares Her Prom Photos!

Posted 5/19/09 4:41 pm EST by in Television, The Hills


Stephanie Pratt told us her fashion-forward style at her high school proms got her in trouble — and now we have photographic evidence from Stephanie herself to prove it!

She sent some photos over to MTV News. "I had really great prom memories, actually," she said. We get a glimpse of that yellow Imitation of Christ dress, which Stephanie thought was "beautiful."

(Check out all the photos here!)

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'American Idol' Finale Diary: Does Alex Wagner-Trugman Get Mobbed By Fans?

Posted 5/19/09 4:01 pm EST by in American Idol


It's been less than three months since Alex Wagner-Trugman was beamed into 20-plus million homes on "American Idol." The semifinalist was one of the contenders highlighted during the early — yet still highly rated — preseason "Idol" episodes. The dude got a significant amount of screen time. (No small feat, since he had to compete with Tatiana del Toro.)

While driving around with the "Idol" semifinalist, I casually asked Alex if he still gets recognized. His response?

"Let's go to the Third Street Promenade [in Santa Monica, California], and you'll see for yourself."

In Alex's defense, the trip wasn't entirely a wash. There was a group of young girls who spotted the crooner and got all Jonas Brothers fan on him. (That footage somehow got left on the cutting-room floor.) But, in all honesty, I could tell that Alex was content with his level of fame. He's part of "Idol" history, he met a cool group of friends, and he still has his life ahead of him.
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What If 'American Idol,' '24' Matched The 20-Season Record Of 'Law & Order'?

Posted 5/19/09 2:57 pm EST by in Television


By Eric Ditzian

"Law & Order" debuted on NBC when I was still in elementary school. Almost two decades later, the show's detectives and district attorneys are still telling their stories about gunfights, grisly stranglings and murderous spouses. Now the Hollywood Reporter brings word that "L&O" has been renewed for a 20th season, tying "Gunsmoke" for the record of longest-running drama in television history.

"L&O" has survived this long because its crime-procedural format assures there's always a salacious news story that can be be ripped from the headlines and adapted into an hour-long episode. Other programs don't get to restart their plotlines each week, which means the longer they run, the more creative — and absurd — the shows often become. So what might other TV shows look like if they managed to survive until their 20th season? Let's gaze into the boob-tube future to find out.

"American Idol": When Simon Cowell finally left the show in season 16 to marry longtime flame Paula Abdul, no one thought the show would survive. But the producers regrouped, hired Tyra Banks and Carrot Top, and the show's been chugging along ever since. Ratings might be down, but I think everyone can agree that doing three months worth of cringe-inducing auditions and then cutting right to an epic final-two showdown was a brilliant programming move. By the way, y'all remember when that nutty Kara lady was a judge that one season? Me neither.

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