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2009 is coming to a close, which means that it's time to check in on what the favorite albums, artists and songs were among the fine folks in the MTV Newsroom. Be sure to check out James Montgomery's definitive year-end list for 2009, and enjoy the "10 In 2009" series that will be running over the next two weeks.

By Joel Hanek

I was surprised to find out that making this list wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. A lot of the music I listened to had been from late '08 or stuff I've been revisiting. Anyway, here's what I came up with (in no particular order).

Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster
Yes, the second album (which is sort of the re-release of the first album until it wasn't — I got confused too) is much more cohesive, has better singles ("Bad Romance" and "Monster" trump "Poker Face" and "Just Dance"), and this is much more representative of the powerhouse that Gaga is becoming (and will become). (I suddenly realize I sound frighteningly like Perez Hilton.) While The Fame felt like a collection of good singles, The Fame Monster felt like a great album.

Mariachi El Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx
When a hardcore band releases a straight mariachi record, it's pretty badass. Defy expectations much?

Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon
I really wanted to put Kid Cudi on here because I love his mixtapes and I think the guy has a huge career on the horizon. I liked this album, but I wasn't in love with it. I appreciate that it was a concept album and it was his creative manifesto. However, I don't think the album shows his full potential (especially considering the lack of rapping). Anyway, Steven Roberts said he was an artist to watch in 2009, and looking back we can confirm Steven Roberts is omniscient.
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Tags 10 In 2009, 2009, Heidi Montag, Lady Gaga, Shakira, Them Crooked Vultures, Top 10

There are rarely any quality, high-profile releases hitting the marketplace in the last few days before Christmas, but this year is a little different. Eminem's Relapse: Refill, a seven song bonus disc that acts as a sorta-sequel to Em's comeback album Relapse, which was released earlier in 2009.

Slim Shady is taking the playful route with the promotion of Relapse: Refill, as he has debuted a pair of video clips where he masquerades as "Shady Claus." In the first video, titled "Bathroom," Em is dressed in a Santa suit and standing in front of a medicine cabinet that opens to reveal dozens of bottles of pills. In the second, called "Living Room," Shady Claus comes town the chimney to flatten some boxes, crush a few ornaments and leave copies of Relapse: Refill and "DJ Hero: Renegade Edition" (which also features original Eminem tracks) under the Christmas tree. It's a pretty amusing piece of video.

Em has taken the Shady Claus concept pretty far, as he is also offering up another holiday-themed bonus to coincide with the release of Relapse: Refill. "Come here kiddies ... on my lap," Em wrote on his Twitter page. "Shady Claus is coming to town." He included a link to this site, which lets you upload a photo of yourself and add it to a shot of Eminem as Shady Claus, which makes it look like you're actually sitting on Shady's lap. Fancy prints will cost you $24.95, with the proceeds going to the Marshall Mathers Foundation, a charity that assists disadvantaged youth in Michigan (Slim Shady's home state). Em even stated on Twitter that he would sign your photo and send it to you.

Delivery of the photos won't be in time for Christmas, but you can pick up a copy of Relapse: Refill today, just in time to stuff your stockings.

Tags Eminem, video

Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Anybody who was in the Northeast this weekend knows that the final weekend of holiday shopping was derailed by a giant snowstorm that dropped several feet of snow on the region. Air travel was suspended, driving was difficult and the box office receipts for "Avatar" were cooled a bit. But Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz and actress Emmy Rossum didn't let the weather stand in the way of their afternoon. The couple bundled up and sat happily watching the snow fall in Washington Square Park on Saturday afternoon (December 19). It was a frosty day, but they were aided by plenty of winter clothing and at least one cup of coffee.

They weren't the only couple getting out for the weekend, as Katy Perry and Russell Brand spent some quality time together at Brand's home in London. Click here for these photos plus the entire "Spotted!" archive, which includes over 300 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, the Jonas Brothers, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Pete Wentz, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé!

Tags Adam Duritz, Counting Crows, Katy Perry, Spotted!

Last week, two worlds collided when Katy Perry and Robert Pattinson were spotted in a car together after having hung out at a karaoke bar where they were celebrating the birthday of a mutual friend. (In case you were wondering, Perry sang the Mariah Carey holiday classic "All I Want for Christmas is You," while Pattinson did not get on the microphone.) As is the case any time Pattinson is seen anywhere with anyone, rumors began to swirl: Are they together? Why did they leave together? Does that mean that Perry's relationship with Russel Brand is on the outs?

Perry clarified the situation over the weekend the best way she knows how: Via Twitter. On Saturday (December 19) the singer tweeted, "Read a bunch of yesterday's news. People should know by now that I don't do vampires." She didn't make any other reference to it, which seems to close the case entirely. The party was for 25-year-old actress Shannon Woodward, and it's the second time that Perry and Pattinson have been in the same room for a Woodward birthday.

Perry is currently in the U.K. with Brand (she tweeted a photo from a soccer match yesterday) and recently completed work on her second album, which should be unleashed on the universe some time in the first half of 2010.

Tags Katy Perry, robert-pattinson, Twitter

Christmas is only four days away, and while a handful of shows are already on holiday hiatus (you won't see new episodes of "The Daily Show," "The Colbert Report" or "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" until 2010), there are plenty of shows delivering original content for the first three days of the week before reverting to repeats on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Adam Lambert continues his quest to get a copy of For Your Entertainment in every home with an appearance on Monday (December 21) night's edition of "The Jay Leno Show." Leno will also welcome Dane Cook on Tuesday (December 22) night's episode. "The Late Show with David Letterman" features a performance from Colbie Caillat on Tuesday night, while "The Tonight Show" will feature live sets from Silversun Pickups on Monday and Kid Cudi (fresh off the Lady Gaga tour) on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Fallon will talk to Martha Stewart on Monday (perhaps she'll talk about her recent team-up with Snoop Dogg) and will have the Muppets in the house on Wednesday (December 23). In the daytime world, "The View" will have Boys Like Girls on Tuesday and Mary J. Blige on Wednesday (as odd a juxtaposition as can be, really). And anybody looking for the best repeat on Christmas Eve, look no further than "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central, as they will re-air the episode featuring host Colbert's tag-team with Alicia Keys on a suburbanized version of "Empire State of Mind." What better way to welcome Santa Claus than with a toast to New York and some verses about private schools?

Tags adam lambert, Boys Like Girls, Kid Cudi, Late Night Lineup, mary-j.-blige, Silversun Pickups

We've talked a lot about the shortcomings of this season of "Saturday Night Live," but this past weekend's show was as funny and provocative as the series was at its peak. It was helped along by host James Franco, who has experience with comedy and improvisation. But the writing on Saturday night (December 19) was also top-notch, with a delightfully deranged digital short, the return of Andy Samberg's Mark Wahlberg impression and the funniest "Weekend Update" in ages, thanks mostly to Bobby Moynihan's turn as Snooki from "Jersey Shore."

As Snooki, Moynihan discussed "Jersey Shore" with "Weekend Update" host Seth Meyers. He was dressed in a terrible poof wig, was covered in orange make-up and was exposing his chest hair for the duration of the interview, which made for a very funny physical gag. But the jokes were great too, including the incredible kicker, which saw Snooki suggest that Meyers call her "Garfield" because she's orange and loves lasagna. The segment also featured a cameo by the Situation (played by Bill Hader), who showed off his "back abs" in another surreal moment.

The rest of the show featured a stellar performance of "Uprising" care of musical guests Muse, a bizarre Christmas special starring Vincent Price and the return of "What Up With That?" They say that you're not really famous until you've been spoofed on "Saturday Night Live," which means that Snooki has finally arrived. Perhaps her new reality show "Snookin' For Love" (which she pitched to Conan O'Brien on "The Tonight Show" last week) is just around the corner.

Tags Jersey Shore, Snooki, video

It's hard to imagine now, but 10 years ago, DMX was not only the biggest rapper in the universe but also one of the hugest stars in music. His first two albums — It's Dark and Hell is Hot and Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood, both of which dropped in 1998 — helped bring hardcore rap back to the mainstream. X — birth name Earl Simmons — had a gruff, raw voice and a rat-tat-tat flow that acted as an ideal delivery system for his violent tales of the street. Buoyed by the minimalist production of Swizz Beatz, X and his Ruff Ryders crew (including Eve, Drag-On and the LOX) ascended to pop stardom and moved millions of albums at the end of the millennium.

DMX himself hit is greatest height when he dropped ...And Then There Was X on this day in 1999. It became his third chart-topping album, and it sold over five million copies, making it the biggest sales champ of X's career. ...And Then There Was X is a perfect example of the juxtaposition that DMX presented in pop music, as the music on it (largely produced by Swizz Beatz and Dame Grease) is largely neck-snappingly catchy. But the lyrics are especially blood-soaked and paranoid. That combination turned a song like "Party Up (Up in Here)" — which contains death-centric lyrics like "I bring down rains so heavy it curse the head/ No more talking/ Put him in the dirt instead" — into a gigantic pop hit.

"What's My Name?" also scored big, aided by a huge, Led Zeppelin-sized beat (care of Self & Irv Gotti) and an especially pounding set of verses by X. The profoundly cinematic video acts as both a statement of purpose and a representation of just how huge DMX had become. Legal troubles and MMA affiliations have dulled his star, but X can always count on the fact that in 1999, he absolutely ruled the world.

Tags dmx, video

Sad news out of Hollywood today, as actress Brittany Murphy — the star of modern classics like "Clueless" and "8 Mile" — passed away at the age of 32. The details remain incomplete, but there is a report that she was admitted to Los Angeles' Cedars Sinai Hospital in full cardiac arrest. Celebrity friends — including co-stars Ashton Kutcher ("Just Married") and Alicia Silverstone ("Clueless") — are already weighing in with reactions to the tragic news.

Murphy got her first big break in 1995's "Clueless," the Amy Heckerling-directed California adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma." The film was a huge hit, as was the soundtrack that featured Radiohead, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Supergrass, Counting Crows and Smoking Popes. In one of the movie's definitive scenes, she raps along to Coolio's "Rollin' With My Homies" and does a little arm dance that ended up becoming associated with both the song and with Murphy.

That wasn't Murphy's only run-in with hip-hop. A few years later, she had another huge breakout in "8 Mile," in which she played the object of Eminem's affection in the semi-biographical flick about Marshall Mathers' life before fame. She doesn't do any of her own MC'ing in that movie, though she does appear in the video for "Lose Yourself," the smash single from the film.

Murphy also appeared in hits like "Sin City," "Girl, Interrupted," "Little Black Book" and "Happy Feet." She also had a steady gig as a voice on "King of the Hill." But both "Clueless" and "8 Mile" — two films dependent on music that defined two eras — will be her legacy.

Tags Brittany Murphy, Eminem, video

There's a busy weekend ahead, as there's plenty of Christmas shopping still to do, plus there are three different versions of "Avatar" (that's regular, 3D and IMAX) that demand eyeballs. (And if you prefer stylized violence to blue aliens or Santa Claus, there's also a phenomenal number of pro wrestling and MMA events this weekend.) So be sure to head into the next few days armed with all the news, opinions, predictions and behind-the-scenes information that littered the MTV Newsroom blog this week.

» Justin Bieber had one of the biggest weeks of his young career, as he sang for President Obama and also launched a Valentine's Day bouquet with his name on it.

» Chris Brown followed in the footsteps of Miley Cyrus and said goodbye to Twitter.

» The cast of MTV's "Jersey Shore" came by, and Snooki treated a number of staffers to some free advice.

» The Red Hot Chili Peppers lost another guitarist, so if they need some suggestions, they should give Robin Finck a call.

» Jesse McCartney stopped by the office and answered questions from fans that were posed by people following the MTV News Twitter page.
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Tags Chris Brown, Coachella, Jersey Shore, Jesse-McCartney, Justin Bieber, red-hot-chili-peppers, Rihanna, Taylor Swift

It's been a great week to be an "American Idol" fan. Kris Allen rocked "The Late Show with David Letterman" in Christmas sweaters on Wednesday (December 16), Allison Iraheta ferociously tore through her single on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" last night and Adam Lambert appeared on nearly every TV show on the air. (I spied Gokey performing his new country material in North Carolina, too.)

Just last Friday (December 11), I caught up with Kris, Adam and Allison (also known as Kradison) before they hit the stage at Madison Square Garden for Z-100's Jingle Ball concert. (Kris was the only Season 8 "Idol" alum performing that night; the other two were tapped to show off their speaking voices by introducing other acts.) It was a fun gig, what with all of the artists in especially jovial moods, which means our interviews were especially conversational and loose. You know what that leads to: outtakes!

First up, enjoy some of the highlights from my Adam Lambert interview! Initially, we were told that Adam wouldn't be doing any press at the event. Lucky for us, it turns out that it was all a big misunderstanding. During our brief chat, Lambert and I gabbed about how excited he was to meet Taylor Swift, the drama surrounding the upcoming Seacrest-sponsored "Rock My Town" concert contest (On which city he's rooting for: "I really don't have a preference, to be honest with you") and his love of the Miike Snow album (even if he engaged in a little "oh no you didn't" over the band's pronunciation with my camera dude, Steven Roberts). It also wouldn't be a Jim Cantiello "Idol"-related outtake reel without a horrifically awkward, accidental come-on towards a contestant. I wanted a hug from Lambert. Can you blame me? Dude looks so dang huggable!

And finally, here's the latest installment of "The Krim Show." (For the uninitiated, Kris Allen nicknamed his "friendship" with me "Krim" in a previous interview. Get it? Kris + Jim = Krim!) Read more...

Tags adam lambert, Allison Iraheta, American Idol, kris allen, video