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In this age of media access with no boundaries at all, it's sort of impossible to contemplate a time when pieces of oratory could actually feel special. President Barack Obama has brought a little bit of that back to the public forum (several of his speeches — including his inaugural address and his "Philadelphia speech" about race — have taken on mythic proportions), but generally speaking, people don't hang on the words of great speakers very much anymore. That's why John F. Kennedy's inaugural address (which he delivered on this day in 1961, exactly half a century ago) still resonates strongly today. Not only was it a speech full of inspiration and substance, but it was also delivered by a master orator.

Kennedy remains the youngest person ever elected to the highest office in the country (and tragically was also the youngest to die after being assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963). He took advantage of a particular political climate (and an extremely weak challenger in Richard Nixon), but he mostly capitalized on the fact that he was a tremendous public speaker who found a way to inspire people during an extremely tumultuous time in our country's history (which sounds sort of familiar, if you think about it). Kennedy's words were powerful, and the key passage from his inaugural address lives on as an immortal mantra today: "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." It's a call to service and thoughtful patriotism that often goes unheeded today, but still retains its meaning.

In honor of Kennedy's immortal words, crank up Living Colour's "Cult of Personality," which borrows the memorable line for a sample during the song's climax. Kennedy may have been a cult of personality, but his intentions were pure and his abilities clear.

Tags John F. Kennedy, Living Colour, video

"It's probably a little bit different to sing for someone like Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, because they have been in the industry for so long and you've been watching them do it forever, so it would probably be weird."

-Former "American Idol" winner Kris Allen, discussing the difference between auditioning for the team of judges he performed for during his season and the current crop of A-list stars taking up spots behind the table. Allen dropped in on "Judging the Judges: An 'Idol' Without Simon," a livestream show hosted by MTV News' Jim Cantiello right after the premiere of the 10th season of "American Idol" wrapped up on Wednesday night (January 19). Overall, he was pleased with the performances of the new judges. "I thought they were good. I thought Steven Tyler was obviously the most interesting one," Allen explained. "I figured he was going to be a wacky kind of guy, and, I mean, you can't be mad at him for singing [along] all the time — he's freakin' Steven Tyler! I thought it was awesome, I really did. It was fun. It wasn't mind-blowing or anything. I thought there were some good singers. I thought there was some funny stuff, and I thought Steven Tyler was great."

Allen was one of three former "American Idol" contestants who dropped in on "Judging the Judges," along with fellow season eight contestants Matt Giraud (who serenaded the audience with a few lines from Aerosmith's "Crazy") and Allison Iraheta (who revealed her new hair color to the world and teased that she would have some big announcements coming next month).

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

Tags American Idol, kris allen, randy-jackson, steven tyler, video

The premiere episode of the 10th season of "American Idol" kicked off with a breezy two hours of introductions and auditions on Wednesday night (January 19). Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson set the tone for the season, introducing the loyal viewers to the new chemistry that the trio would deliver. The viewers responded, as the show debuted with a pretty good rating number. While it was down from last season's premiere episode, it did top last season's finale and also saw increases in a handful of demographics, which is a good sign for the show moving forward.

It was everything that you could expect from an "American Idol" audition show, as it had some laughs, some killer voices, some stunning disasters and some heartstring-tugging moments. It also had an awful lot of young people. With the age minimum decreased one year from 16 years old to 15, the pool of contestants (at least the ones who made it on the air) felt like the youngest yet, and considering the volume of underage kids who were given golden tickets, there's a distinct possibility that the group of semi-finalists could have the lowest average age of any season in history.

The producers are likely looking for the next Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus, but super-young contestants have never had the best luck on "American Idol." For every Allison Iraheta (who acquitted herself quite nicely even though she was only 16), there are plenty of people like Aaron Kelly or Katie Stevens who showed promise but couldn't cut it once the cameras started rolling and the people started voting.

But at least one person involved with the show is well aware of the pitfalls of embracing youngsters. When judge Randy Jackson spoke to MTV News "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello last week, he talked about how the show intended to approach the influx of youth this season.

Do you think changing the minimum age for contestants on "American Idol" was a good idea? Let us know in the comments!

Tags American Idol, Jennifer-Lopez, randy-jackson, steven tyler, video

The 53rd annual Grammy Awards are only a few weeks away (the whole party goes down on Sunday, February 13), and the performance lineup just got an incredible boost from a six-pack of top-shelf performers. The telecast will feature two trios who will share the stage, including Justin Bieber, Usher and Jaden Smith (who will probably deliver some combination of "Never Say Never" and "Somebody to Love") as well as B.o.B, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae (expect "Nothin' on You" and a second blast of pop mastery). Today's announcement also introduced multi-platinum country band Lady Antebellum and modern rock titans Muse.

(Click here for photos of the 2011 Grammy Awards performers, including Eminem, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry!)

The Grammy Awards would have a pretty killer show even if those names were the only ones booked, but the newcomers are joining an already crowded field of performing superstars that includes Eminem (who leads the field with the most nominees of any artist with 10), Lady Gaga (whose new single "Born This Way" is set to debut during Grammy weekend), Katy Perry, Arcade Fire, Cee Lo Green and Miranda Lambert.

That's a fantastically eclectic batch of performers that hits on most of the major headlines from the past year, and more performers are expected to be announced before the show goes live on Sunday night, February 13. With so many big names already announced, who else should be added to the live show? It seems like it could use another nod to the hip-hop world (perhaps Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj or Drake can represent for the years they have had; the Grammys should also embrace Rick Ross sooner or later) and the rock universe seems slightly under-represented (though that could be because of the middling year that rock had — still, you could probably give Florence & the Machine, Kid Rock or the Black Keys a call). And of course, it's not really a show without Kanye West, right?

But we'll let you pick. Of all the acts left, who should be added to the performers list at the Grammy Awards? Vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments.

(Click here for photos of the 2011 Grammy Awards performers, including Eminem, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry!)

Tags Bruno Mars, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, muse, Poll, Usher

Every day a multitude of stars wander 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.

There are certain stars in the music world who are always on. Even when you catch them just walking around, they carry that aura of superstardom with them. It's a deft combination of style, personality and natural charisma that often translates into the music itself. Some are able to pull it off subtly (like Madonna, whose stardom seems effortless), while others simply lead and over-the-top life (like Lady Gaga, who doesn't seem to own a normal pair of pants). Even when she's just leaving her hotel, Nicki Minaj has that certain "it" factor, and she would be recognized as a star even if she wasn't wearing a pink jumpsuit, a giant chain with a kitten on the end of it and a massive tidal wave of pink hair. She stood out on the streets of London as she exited her hotel on Thursday (January 20).

Minaj wasn't the only star hitting the streets, as stars from "Saturday Night Live" gathered for the premiere of the new IFC sketch comedy show "Portlandia" (which stars Fred Armisen and former Sleater-Kinney member Carrie Brownstein) and another batch of famous faces gathered in Florida for Derek Jeter's annual celebrity golf tournament. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Eminem, the Jonas Brothers, Shakira and Kanye West!

Tags nicki minaj, photo, Spotted!

The previous year has been pretty huge for the Billboard Hot 100, with all sorts of records broken and milestones hit over the course of the past 12 months. Britney Spears has been a big part of that, and it's only appropriate that the singer's brand new single "Hold It Against Me" — which debuted last week — would be a part of yet another huge moment in the history of both Spears and the Hot 100. This week, "Hold It Against Me" became the 18th song in the history of the Hot 100 to debut in the number one position on the chart. The run to the top of the list was fueled by a staggering number of digital sales and thousands of radio plays over the past week.

Not only is it the 18th song to debut in the top spot, but it is also the second for Spears (her "3" started its chart life at number one) and the fourth in the past year (in addition to "3," Eminem's "Not Afraid" and Ke$ha's "We R Who We R" also pulled it off). Spears is only the third artist in history to have multiple number one debuts, joining Celine Dion (who did it twice with "My Heart Will Go On" and as one half of the R. Kelly collaboration "I'm Your Angel") and Mariah Carey (who has pulled off the feat three times, with "Fantasy," "Honey" and the Boyz II Men tag-team "One Sweet Day"). "Hold It Against Me" has certainly found a place in history — which is appropriate, considering it's one of the key moments in Spears' singles catalog.

Elsewhere on the Billboard Hot 100, Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" continued its move up the list (it sits at number five this week, and should make a huge move should the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New York Jets for a bid to the Super Bowl this weekend). Lil Wayne's "6 Foot 7 Foot" also moved up a spot to number 11 and is knocking at the door of the top 10 (the premiere of the video should give it a boost). And after Spears, the biggest debut belonged to Avril Lavigne, whose "What the Hell" dropped in at lucky number 13. Meanwhile, Kanye West and Jay-Z's "H.A.M." bowed at number 23 and Cage the Elephant's "Shake Me Down" entered the list at number 78.

Tags britney spears, Charts, video

Coming into Wednesday night's (January 19) season premiere episode of "American Idol," there were a lot of questions on the table. What would the dynamic be like without founding judge Simon Cowell? Would there be any chemistry between longtime judge Randy Jackson and newcomers Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler? How would the new changes in how the competition works effect the audition rounds? And most importantly, could the show recover from its lackluster ninth season?

Two hours into the new season, most of those questions remain unanswered. But that doesn't mean it didn't work — on the contrary, the season premiere of "American Idol" was a wildly entertaining two hours of television that served as a great re-introduction to one of the best shows on television. And while Lopez, Jackson, Seacrest and the contestants all had moments of greatness, last night belonged to Tyler. He be-bopped and scatted all over the show's two hours, singing along with people, making excited noises, speaking in tongues and hitting on the mostly underage field of women who came through to audition.

In the show's greatest sequence, a contestant named Caleb Hawley busted out a version of Ray Charles' "Hallelujah I Love Her So," which inspired Tyler to bang the judges' table for rhythmic accompaniment (even going so far as to provide a door knock effect when the lyrics called for it) and ended with a trademark yelp from the Aerosmith singer.

But while Tyler's fountain of charisma was certainly a highlight, it wasn't the only story line running through the show. The evolution of Lopez from sheepishness to assertiveness was interesting, as were the constant digs at Jackson's relative lack of fame compared to his fellow judges. And there were great contestants two, including the aforementioned Hawley and a homeless kid named Travis Orlando who closed out the show in remarkable fashion.

As we tend to do here on the MTV Newsroom Blog, we will leave the ultimate highlight to your discretion. What was your favorite moment from Wednesday night's episode of "American Idol"? Vote in the poll below and leave your arguments in the comments!

Tags American Idol, Jennifer-Lopez, Poll, randy-jackson, steven tyler

If you happen to have an extra-large ice cream cake lying around and you aren't sure who to give it to today, maybe you should consider reserving the message in the icing for Buzz Aldrin, who celebrates his 81st birthday today. The man born Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. is one of the great American heroes, as he has an astounding legacy as an astronaut, a member of the military, an ambassador for science education and a fantastically good sport. He is truly a living legend.

While Aldrin's greatest achievement is undoubtedly his walk on the moon in 1969 (he was second out the door, just behind Neil Armstrong), he has made a name for himself as a pop culture icon in the ensuing decades. Most notably, he served as the model for the coveted Moonman trophy, which serves as the official trinket of the MTV Video Music Awards (images of Aldrin also figured prominently in early MTV commercials, and Aldrin gave out an award during the red carpet show at the 2009 VMAs). He has guest starred on a number of television shows, including "The Simpsons," "Top Gear," "Top Chef," "Dancing With the Stars" and "30 Rock" (in a memorable episode of the latter, he played a whacked-out version of himself who shouted angrily at the moon).

Aldrin has even gotten involved in the music game, teaming up with Talib Kweli and Snoop Dogg for the 2009 track "The Rocket Experience" (a rap song endorsing learning about science in school, one of Aldrin's great crusades in his latter years). As a musical tribute to him, we present "Me and the Moon" by the Drums.

Tags Buzz Aldrin, The Drums, video

The French do a number of things much, much better than anybody else in the world. Their appreciation for wine is unprecedented, their use of butter unparalleled. They also do a nice job putting together an art museum. And when it comes to moody, low-fi pop sung by wispy people who seem to have visited here from Brigadoon, they have no equal. One of the best electronic pop albums of the end of the century was released on this date in 1998 in the form of Air's immortal full-length debut Moon Safari.

At the end of the '90s, just about everybody thought that "electronica" was going to be the next big thing. Though that promise was never fulfilled, it did allow for certain electronic microgenres to breathe and enjoy success. Such was the case with Moon Safari's chillout vibes, which borrowed heavily from psychedelia, lounge music, classic French pop and elaborate cinematic soundscapes (it makes perfect sense that Air later provided the score to the film "The Virgin Suicides"). The two hommes who made up Air — Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel — lent their easy soundscapes a mysterious, tossed-off vibe that was irresistible to most fans of fringe music.

Air (which was actually an acronym for "Amour, Imagination, Reve," which translates to "love, imagination, dream") also ended up making amazing videos (not shocking considering the cinematic opportunities embedded in the songs). Let the vibe wash over you early this morning with the lively, trippy clip for "Kelly, Watch the Stars!"

Tags Air, video

If you're like us, you just watched the premiere of the 10th season of "American Idol" and marveled at the arrival of new judges Jennifer Lopez and (especially) Steven Tyler. But while the show was more focused on the idea of all these new faces, the real question on the minds of the millions of people watching has been "Does 'American Idol' work without Simon Cowell?" The cantankerous Brit has been the show's guiding force and the anchor at the judges' table for the entirety of its existence, but without his cutting insights, honest opinions and unadulterated bile, will the show ever be the same again no matter what the new judges do?

We decided to ask just that question in the special livestreaming presentation of "Judging the Judges: An 'Idol' Without Simon," which goes live at 10 p.m. Eastern. "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello will host a discussion that will include an MTV News panel as well as drop-ins from former "American Idol" contestants Kris Allen, Matt Giraud, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta, as well as insight from "Idol" experts and bloggers. The whole thing should promise to answer the question at hand: Is a Simon-free "Idol" still "Idol"?

Get involved in the conversation by tweeting to @MTVNews or @jambajim and use the hash tag #idolwithoutsimon. The "Judging the Judges" team might just read your contribution live on the air! You can also open up a new tab and head to the MTV News Facebook page to vote in our Simon poll. And of course, stay tuned to MTV News and the MTV Newsroom Blog for even more "American Idol" news, opinions, interviews and insights!

Tags American Idol, kris allen, Livestream, video