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"It was a long road whittling it down from 700 [contestants] to 400, then Hollywood Week and then, aw man ... letting them go. You know what? Not everybody that's great sings good. They've got character, that certain something you can't put your finger on. And man, when they sing, look out. A lot of these kids have got it, but we have to let them go and it's heartbreaking."

-Legendary Aerosmith frontman and "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler, discussing how difficult it was to narrow down the field of contestants during the 10th season of the televised singing contest. MTV News caught up with Tyler on the red carpet at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles over the weekend, and he was extremely enthusiastic about the upcoming semi-final round.

Though Tyler has become the centerpiece of the "American Idol" judges' table, he revealed to MTV News' Rahman Dukes that he didn't watch the show very much before getting the gig. However, he totally relates to the contestants. "I didn't watch 'Idol' because I grew up from, you had to play clubs. If you don't play in front of the people and get your hard knocks from that and get booed, [you don't learn] how to stand up when you fall back down," he explained. "[When] they're in front of us, we're the club."

"American Idol" hits Las Vegas for another round of eliminations tonight (Wednesday, February 23), and Thursday night's (February 24) episode will reveal the final 20 finalists (10 men and 10 women), who will start competing live next week.

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

Tags American Idol, Quote, steven tyler

Radiohead surprised the music world twice last week, first announcing that they would have a new album out in five days and then releasing said album a day early. The final product, a moody eight song mini-masterpiece called The King of Limbs, came accompanied by a minimalist music video that featured little more than frontman Thom Yorke dancing maniacally to the tune of the new album's "Lotus Flower" (a track that came up often during Yorke's solo tour last summer).

While hardcore fans and critics were excited for the release of the album, it seemed like all of the Internet immediately embraced Yorke and his unusual dance moves. Yorke's dancing became an instant meme, inspiring enough mash-ups, homages and animated gifs to fill up the Radiohead message boards dozens of times over. But which ones are the best? Glad you asked.

"Thom Yorke Dancing Alone to Pony"
Perhaps the greatest clip in the history of the Internet, "Thom Yorke Dancing Alone to Pony" combines the current Thom Yorke dancing trend with the concept of people dancing along to Ginuwine's "Pony."

"Thom Yorke Dancing to Single Ladies"
Because when you take anything and add Beyoncé's still stunning "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," you always end up with gold.

"Welcome to Thom's Jungle"
This particular piece of video zeroes in on the fact that Yorke shakes his hips a bit like Axl Rose does, and we're all the better for it. In fact, where is the covers exchange program between Axl and Radiohead? A glam rock version of "Idioteque" and a moody, keyboard-driven take on "Rocket Queen" both sound kind of awesome.

"Thom Auditions for 'Black Swan'"
Just in time for Oscar season, this mash-up puts Yorke under the gaze of Vincent Cassel's character from the award-winning Darren Aronofsky flick "Black Swan." Yorke even seems heartbroken that he hasn't been selected as the Swan Queen.

"Thom Yorke Loves Phish"
If you thought Yorke's moves looked a little familiar, then you have probably been to a jam band festival or seven. With the right musical accompaniment, Yorke's gesticulations easily become a noodle dance.

What's your favorite Thom Yorke dancing mash-up? Let us know in the comments!

Tags Radiohead, thom-yorke

Anybody who has paid any attention to the world of hip-hop blogs over the past year or so has most certainly heard the name Odd Future, which is the short name of the more elaborately titled hip-hop group Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (or OFWGKTA, if that's how you roll). As many as a dozen people can consider themselves members of the collective, though the focus has been centered around Tyler, the Creator, a manic rapper/producer/graphic designer/lightning rod whose unusual flow, deep voice and eye-popping approach to style has made him a natural (if enigmatic) leader. It probably helps that he's the most accomplished live performer of the group, though he still infuses his on-stage presentation with plenty of grit, spit and extended middle fingers.

Such was the case last week when Tyler took the stage on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" alongside fellow OFWGKTA member Hodgy Beats for a run through the spooky "Sandwitches" (with an instrumental assist from house band the Roots). After blowing away the audience (and Mos Def), the crew piled onto a Chinatown bus and took the long, smelly trip to Philadelphia, and MTV News was hanging out alongside them.

Tyler is something of an unwilling mouthpiece, but he is by far the most accomplished (and strangest) MC in the crew (not counting missing in action member Earl Sweatshirt) and also an excellent producer (in that sense, he's not unlike the Wu-Tang's RZA). And while Tyler's upcoming album Goblin will actually require you to exchange some funds for the privilege of hearing it (it's coming out on XL, while previous OFWGKTA releases were self-released and all available for free online), his sound remains as raw as it has ever been (especially if just-released single "Yonkers" is any indication).

But Tyler's best production work so far has been on the solo joint from Domo Genesis, who is OFWGKTA's secret weapon. Every crew needs a member obsessed with a certain herbal substance, and Domo fits that bill within the confines of OFWGKTA. Rolling Papers is a loopy, stuttering collection of beats and mush-mouthed rhymes that don't go to the same dark places as Tyler's or Earl's but still exist on the extreme outer fringes of the hip-hop universe. The manic carnival stomp "Super Market" is a highlight, as is the jittery "Drunk."

But "Buzzin" is perhaps the best example of OFWGTA's worldview of any track the crew has recorded. With the aid of yet another crazy-trippy beat (featuring a drum beat that sounds like it's about to nod off at any moment), Domo spits killer game and intones his life philosophy: "Smoking weed, f---ing b----es and eating cereal." It's the perfect balance of childish fantasy and hard-eyed horror — the stuff that runs through the veins of ODWGKTA.

What is your favorite OFWGKTA release? Let us know in the comments!

Tags Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Odd Future, OFWGKTA, Tyler the Creator, video

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.

Before the 53rd Grammy Awards, Mumford & Sons had quietly moved hundreds of thousands of copies of their album Sigh No More, which came out nearly a year ago this week. But following their high-profile appearance during one of the biggest nights in music (which saw them share the stage both with the Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan on a thrilling all-star jam through "Maggie's Farm"), their profile has been elevated tenfold. They have spent the last two weeks in the number two spot on the Billboard Top 200 (they got a 169 percent sales boost thanks to the Grammys), and Sigh No More is about to go platinum. The group continued on their workmanlike pace on Tuesday night (February 22) in London, where they played a typically brilliant, earthy, passionate live show at Dingwalls. The group will stay on the road in the U.K. for most of March before coming back to the United States to make the festival rounds (including appearances at Coachella and Bonnaroo).

They weren't the only stars grabbing the spotlight, as Lupe Fiasco stopped by Miami radio station Y100 for a chat and Lindsay Lohan spent yet another morning making her way to a courthouse. 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, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Eminem, the Jonas Brothers, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Madonna and Kanye West!

Tags Mumford & Sons, photo, Spotted!

Considering he is one of the biggest and most influential stars currently working in the music world, it's strange to think about people having doubts about Eminem's viability. The 12 years that have elapsed since the debut of The Slim Shady LP (which was released on this day in 1999) have certainly proven otherwise, but when Eminem first appeared on the scene, most everybody had it in the back of their minds that he would be a novelty act who wouldn't be able to survive to a second album, even despite his obvious skills and incredible pedigree. A dozen years on, what does The Slim Shady LP tell us?

Back in late 1998, the first exposure most people had to Eminem was via "My Name Is," the rapper's introductory single that seemed to be everywhere (though it was a pretty straightforward hip-hop track, it got spins on modern rock radio simply because it was sort of aggro and funny), including in heavy rotation on MTV. The clip was a key factor in introducing Slim Shady to the world, as it touched on just about everything he represented at the time (including violence, chemical dependency, relationship problems and a hatred of boy bands). "My Name Is" rides an esoteric Dr. Dre beat with a fat bass line and a little touch of psychedelia care of some freaky keys. Though some of the pop culture references are now pretty dated (he even refers to Pamela Anderson as Pamela Lee), but it still sounds fresh and sharp (though the actual quality of Eminem's voice has changed profoundly — the voice coming out on The Slim Shady LP is far more nasal and bright, as opposed to the dark bellow he used on Relapse and Recovery).

"My Name Is" gives way to "Guilty Conscience," an unusual concept track. The tag-team effort features Dr. Dre as the "angel" side of somebody's conscience, with Slim Shady filling in as the "devil." The two argue over how each character should handle a particular situation. It's sort of amazing it was a hit (though the video did a lot to ease the transition into the mainstream), though it ended up becoming one of the centerpieces of the album if only for the extended vocal spot by Dr. Dre. It's amazing how much time and effort Dre put into making it clear that Eminem had genuine skills as a rapper and should not be dismissed or underestimated because of the color of his skin. If anything, the pair avoided early associations with the rock world, as Eminem was a genuine MC from the street and not a wannabe like Fred Durst (though he did perform on the Warped Tour that summer).

The rest of The Slim Shady LP is pretty fascinating. The production (handled primarily by the Bass Brothers and Eminem himself) has held up incredibly well. The beats are full of bass-heavy hallucinations and create huge, scary sandboxes that allow Em to play. Though subsequent songs have become bigger or more iconic, Eminem has rarely constructed tracks as powerful as "If I Had," "Brain Damage" or "Just Don't Give a F---."

The latter track (which first appeared in a slightly different form on Em's The Slim Shady EP) is essentially the album's raison d'etre, as it lays out a brand of hardcore, streetwise nihilism that has rarely been seen anywhere in hip-hop (or pop or rock, for that matter). Plenty of people have talked about how little they care, but Em sounds genuinely spent. His shouts of "I just don't give a f---" don't sound empowering — they sound sad and devastating. In fact, one of the aspects of The Slim Shady LP that really stands out is how often Eminem kills himself in his lyrics. Most of Em's modern lyrics push the violence outward, but a lot of the savagery on The Slim Shady LP is self-inflected (he drowns himself and ODs on "Role Model," while on "My Name Is" he promises to "stick nine inch nails through each one of my eyelids"). There are a ton of jokes on The Slim Shady LP, but it's the depression that really stands out after 12 years.

What's your favorite song on Eminem's first album? Let us know in the comments!

Tags Eminem

Last April, MTV aired "The Diary of Justin Bieber," a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be a teenage pop superstar. The special included a look at his killer basketball skills (which he got to flex over the weekend at the NBA All Star Game), his love for white toast (and not wheat toast), the fan mania that goes on in the world of Bieber and some excellent live performances from the star.

(Click here for more photos of Justin Bieber's career in hair styles!)

The "Diary" also included some brilliant footage of Bieber blow-drying his famous locks — a mane that has now been chopped off in favor of the star's new shorter look. In the clip, fans see Bieber in his hotel bathroom styling his iconic tuft. Here's something of the step-by-step on how Bieber used to style his hair.

Standing in front of a mirror, he began with a towel dry of his hair, followed by a vigorous session with the blow dryer (taking a moment to mess it up a bit before blow drying it again). For a finish, he tossed it around to get his bangs in place for the side-swept look he's known for.

The footage of Bieber styling his hair is both educational (for those hoping to achieve a similar look) and sort of mesmerizing (for those wondering what famous people do in hotel bathrooms). No videos of Bieber styling his new do have hit the Internet yet, but we're hoping that Bieber will have the kindness to share with the world how he styles his new hair soon.

(Click here for more photos of Justin Bieber's career in hair styles!)

What do you think of Justin Bieber's new haircut? Let us know in the comments!

Tags hair, Justin Bieber, video

Fill up the pinata with Jolly Ranchers and put a little extra butter cream on that cake, because today marks the birthday of a comedian whose fortunes have been tied up with MTV for a while. Aziz Ansari, the star of the stellar show "Parks & Recreation" as well as movies like "Funny People" and "Observe and Report," turns 28 years old today.

Ansari began his comedy life while he was a student at the business school at NYU. His stand-up work evolved into sketch experiments, and he soon found himself partnering with like-minded performers Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer (as well as film director Jason Woliner) to form Human Giant, a sketch collective whose two seasons worth of work on the MTV show of the same name is legendary. Ansari parlayed the exposure on "Human Giant" into a number of different film and television opportunities (including a stint hosting the 2010 MTV Movie Awards), but he never strayed far from the comedy world from which he emerged.

In fact, Ansari released one of the best albums of 2010 in Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening, a stand-up special that featured some of his most killer stories (as well as an appearance by "Raaaaaandy," the raunchy, Dane Cook-esque character Ansari crafted for "Funny People"). Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening has a number of excellent riffs, including extended bits about the horrors of the dating show "Next," the awesomeness of "Walking With Dinosaurs" and the madness hidden within Cold Stone Creamery. But the greatest stories are the ones about meeting and hanging out with Kanye West (including a feud he starts between West and his cousin Darwish and a vignette wherein Ansari shows up at West's house and finds the rapper listening to 808s & Heartbreak — "These beats are dope," West says) and about going to see R. Kelly live in concert. In fact, Ansari channeled Kelly when he paid tribute to "Avatar" while hosting the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. In honor of his birthday, let's relive the magic.

Tags Aziz Ansari, Birthday, Kanye West, R.-Kelly, video

When people discuss the best rap groups of all time, they usually bring up a handful of early adopters (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Sugarhill Gang), some true gate-crashing visionaries (Run-DMC, Public Enemy) and a convention-defying collective or two (Wu-Tang Clan, OFWGKTA). Rarely do they bring up Naughty By Nature, but the group totally deserves a mention among the rest of those names. Like the game-changers of the late '80s, Naughty By Nature managed to wed the worlds of hardcore rap and pop music for a fusion that became the absolute standard for rap music moving forward. Along the way, they notched a healthy roster of mainstream hits, and on this day in 1993, they released their second album 19 Naughty III, as strong a hip-hop album as you could find in the pre-Puffy '90s.

Following the success of the group's 1991 self-titled debut (which contained the crossover top 10 smash "O.P.P."), Treach, Vin Rock and DJ Kay Gee returned to the studio to produce a second full-length that more thoroughly showed off their skills. The finished product is best known for the pop smash "Hip Hop Hooray" (which has a much more rugged lyric sheet than the chorus would suggest), but the deep cuts on 19 Naughty III make it a keeper.

It was a particularly great showcase for Treach, whose bouncy, deceptively speedy flow lend a sense of electric urgency to most of the tracks, highlighted by the punchy "The Hood Comes First" and the cheeky "Written On Ya Kitten." But "It's On" remains an unheralded gem, featuring one of Kay Gee's greatest productions.

Tags Naughty by Nature, video

By Akshay Bhansali

On Saturday night (February 20) at Pacha in New York, San Francisco-based house music producer Max Vangeli treated fans to a healthy handful of his hits with producing partner AN21 (Antoine Josefsson, who also happens to be Swedish House Mafia member Steve Angello's brother). Hands were in the air for their remix of Ellie Goulding's "Starry Eyed," and crowd peaked when Swedish House Mafia's "One" hit full stride. But Vangeli also took the opportunity to share a couple of new joints off of his forthcoming studio album, which is likely to be released at the end of the summer.

Most notably, Vangeli dropped a progressive house thumper with a female vocal intoning the words "people of the night" in the chorus. Though we could get not official confirmation, according to various electronic music forums, this is supposedly his and AN21's new collaboration with EDM star Tiësto, and judging by the crowd's response in New York, it's certainly going to be a big single to look out for in Miami and beyond.

When we caught up with Vangeli before his set, he wasn't ready too divulge much in terms of album details, but he did tell us that he has finished a bulk of the album while working in Los Angeles and that fans can expect colossal tunes and a few mainstream features.

On the performance side, he has plenty of opportunities to show off his new work in front of high-profile audiences. On March 26, AN21 and Vangeli are on the bill for Swedish House Mafia's "One Night Stand" event in Miami, easily one of the most anticipated dance music to-dos of the year. Immediately after, AN21, Vangeli, Alex Metric and Norman Doray will join Steve Angello on his Size Records World Tour, which will hit dates in the U.S. and Canada before heading over to Europe for the last week of April.

What can fans expect from the new AN21/Max Vangeli album? Who would you like to see them collaborate with? Let us know in the comments below!

Tags Max Vangeli, Swedish House Mafia, video

When English singer Adele dropped her first album 19 back in 2008, the title reflected her age at the time. The album took off almost immediately, gaining her international acclaim for her unique voice and sharp songwriting. The single "Chasing Pavements" became a huge hit and the album ultimately scored Adele the Grammy for Best New Artist. That's a lot for a young woman to go through, which is why her new album 21 is an even more complex, deeper, darker affair. In fact, she recently told MTV News' James Montgomery that the creation of 21 was heartbreaking in more ways than one.

But now that 21 is out (it hit store shelves today), is it as universally loved as her previous effort was? Based on the opinions of the critics, the answer appears to be yes. "Though her latest, 21, features a slick retinue of current Top 40 producers — the same men helming hits for the likes of Beyoncé, Linkin Park and Taio Cruz — the vibe is unabashedly analog," wrote Entertainment Weekly critic Leah Greenblatt. "At times, Adele's precocious talent feels prematurely aged by her material, and moments of levity are hard to find. But at its best, 21 is that rarest pop commodity: timeless."

Margaret Wappler of the Los Angeles Times was equally as excited for the accomplishments of 21 — and looked forward to whatever Adele would be up to next (just as long as her collaborators are on board too). "Overall, 21 shows that Adele, now 22, is towering in the same landscape where some of her contemporaries, beehived or not, have lost all their bearings," she wrote. "Who knows what damage she'll exact for 30, but let's hope [producer Paul] Epworth is along for the ride."

"Now that she's legal — 21 refers to her age when she wrote these songs — Adele has toughened her tone, trimmed the jazz frippery and sounds ready for a pub fight," wrote critic Will Hermes for Rolling Stone. Though he gave the album three-and-a-half stars, he felt that Adele could do a better job striking a balance between the two sides of her personality. "The woman is mutable, sometimes to a fault: Her cover of the Cure's 'Lovesong' is a nice idea lost in bossa nova fluff," he wrote. "But when the grooves are fierce, Adele gives as good as she gets."

But Barry Walters of Spin liked Adele's evolution just fine. "Though the undeniable lament 'Chasing Pavements' earned a 2009 Grammy, 19 was bogged down by too many folky guitar ballads. Those have vanished; ditto Adkins' Tottenham accent," he wrote. "Instead, she wails harder and writes bolder, piling on the dramatic production flourishes to suggest a lover's apocalypse."

What do you think of Adele's new album? Let us know in the comments!

Tags Adele, reviews