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.

There's something about a star in an airport that is always sort of appealing. Perhaps it's the one true thing that equalizes celebs with everybody else, because even if an actor or musician is booked in first class, that person still has to pass through security and wait by the gate until boarding. And as Rihanna showed the world yesterday, she has the same philosophy as a lot of people when it comes to flight attire, erring on the side of comfortable and casual. The singer made her way through the security checkpoint at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York yesterday, dressed in an giant gray zip hoodie and comfortable-looking jeans. It's a far cry from her usual fashion-forward outlook (and miles from the get-ups in her new video "Wait Your Turn (The Wait is Ova)"), but it's refreshing to know that she doesn't feel the need to go over-the-top all the time, especially when the unpleasantness of air travel is involved.

Rihanna wasn't the only jet-setter yesterday, as Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz made his way through Tegel Airport in Berlin, Germany, on his way to the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards, and Carrie Underwood found herself in New York performing on "Good Morning America." Click here for these pictures plus the entire "Spotted!" archive, which features nearly 400 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Adam Lambert, Justin Timberlake, the Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry and Mariah Carey!

We already know that the members of Cobra Starship are down with party buses, but yesterday the group got a bit of a rock and roll upgrade. In order to get to a show at Indiana University, the band took its first ever trip on a private jet. Frontman Gabe Saporta narrated the experience via his Twitter and included a handful of photos from the trip.

"A Cobra first! Private jet motherf---ers!" Saporta tweeted last night. "We're on our way to play a free show w/Girl Talk @ Indiana University." That show, a charity event to benefit a local shelter for battered women and sponsored by Victoria's Secret, goes down tonight on the school's campus. Indiana competed against five other institutions during the summer to win a visit from Cobra Starship and mashup DJ Girl Talk.

In the meantime, Saporta was excited about the jet. He posted a total of three photos of the plane, and he even attached this caption to the photo above: "You know, I'd really love to continue talking about this conversation, but I got a private jet to catch." Friend and occasional multimedia rival Pete Wentz also weighed in on the band's trip. "I can't imagine how awesome you woulda been back in the heyday of rock music selling," the Fall Out Boy bassist wrote on Twitter.

Through it all, Saporta enjoyed the experience and was slightly amazed at the reaction it got from his bandmates and crew members. "I love how every member of Cobra & our crew tweeted about rollin' in a private jet," he wrote. "I guess we're not that jaded, huh fellas?"

By Vanessa White Wolf

On Wendesday, I conducted the biggest interview of my life. I've talked to some pretty big names, like Madonna, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. But in the eight years I've been at MTV News, there has been one pair I have been desperate to talk to.

HALL.

OATES.

Yep, I spent the most amazing 20 minutes of my life (sad?) talking to Daryl Hall and John Oates in the Icon Room over at Sony. And it turns out that in addition to being the most amazing blue-eyed soul act ever, Daryl and John are also extremely punctual: They walked in at the same time we did, a full 30 minutes before cameras were set to roll. They were funny, thoughtful and had a lot to say about Do What You Want, Be What You Are, their new four-CD box set and the reason for the sit-down in the first place.

Hall & Oates discussed a number of topics, including the love they get from newer artists (like Gym Class Heroes and Fall Out Boy), the story behind the box set, how they narrowed down the hundreds of songs they've written and recorded over the years, their hit "You Make My Dreams" and its appearance in "500 Days of Summer," their individual Web series' and yes, they want "Rock Band: Hall & Oates."

But one of my favorite parts of the interview came when I asked the two of them about their extensive music video library. Daryl immediately started laughing and warned me that I was on "shaky ground." The guys went on to acknowledge that they always tried to just have fun with videos and make them very tongue-in-cheek — and that every one of them managed to be pretty ridiculous. When I brought up a post that appeared on Stereogum a few years ago (which was devoted to the brilliance of the clip "She's Gone"), they cracked up remembering how the whole thing came about.

A few months ago, Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz talked to MTV News correspondent James Montgomery about wanting to play a reunion show on Sealand, a decommissioned oil rig in the middle of the ocean that acts as a sovereign nation for His Royal Highness Prince Regent Michael. That led to an actual response from Prince Michael, who wrote to Montgomery about his excitement over the idea. After that, we never got an update. But luckily, MTV News' Jocelyn Vena caught up with Wentz at the introduction event for the Dow Live Earth Run for Water Campaign and asked him about the latest exchange between his band and His Royal Highness.

"We got an e-mail back," Wentz said. "He's not on Sealand right now. He's on the beaches in France basking in the sun and was open to the possibility of [a show]. That's the one concert that Fall Out Boy could possibly play this year."

Wentz's enthusiasm for Sealand hasn't waned at all — in fact, he's quite interested in getting in on the same sort of deal himself. "Some people call it absurd, but I think it's actually brilliant. The guy has passports, his own currency, he fires flares if the royal navy gets too close. I want my own island powered by electric eels, Brando style. It's going to be crazy there. You don't even know."

Since "Sealand" is already taken, what would Wentz call his own island? "The Island of Awesome," he said. "It would just be rad. We would just have fun all the time."

Even before she tweeted about me, I liked Pink a whole lot.

I had gotten to know her a bit last summer, when I was shooting "FNMTV" with Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and some British guy. She was just about as nice as you'd imagine, cracking jokes and hanging out backstage. She was pretty much the most down-to-earth celeb I had ever met. She didn't come to the set with an army of handlers and hangers-on, demand a private dressing room or pout about her own make-up artist. She was just a normal person (albeit one who had sold something like 25 million albums worldwide). Oh, and she said I could call her Alecia, too.

Anyway, at the time, she was still writing her Funhouse album, and she talked about the struggles she was having, about working long hours with Butch Walker to try and get the songs just right. She said it was going to be her most personal album (dealing mostly with her separation from husband Carey Hart) and that she was hoping her fans would be willing to listen. Needless to say, I didn't hold out much hope.

But luckily, I am a terrible judge of these things. Nearly a year after its release, Funhouse is a hit, selling more than 4 million copies around the world and giving Pink her first-ever Billboard Hot 100 #1. Still, she wasn't a household name here in the States, and that bothered me. I decided to turn my weekly Bigger Than The Sound column into an appreciation of Pink's career, her fearlessness and her bravado. I expected to hear from a few of her fans, but I didn't expect to hear from Pink herself.

Only I did. Earlier today, Pink tweeted a thank you to me (okay, and New York Times critic Jon Pareles, too). It was very sweet, and earned me a whole bunch of new Twitter friends. And it was just more proof that Pink — er, Alecia — really is about as nice as you'd imagine. Perhaps even more so.

Want to stay up on everything going on in the world of music, movies and celebrity? Follow us @mtvnews!

After weeks of anticipation, the time has come to get the party started off right. Welcome to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards! We'll begin by live-blogging the preshow, giving you the inside scoop on all the big arrivals, awesome fashion and unpredictable moments that are bound to flood the red carpet outside Radio City Music Hall. So join MTV correspondents Jocelyn Vena, James Montgomery, Shaheem Reid and Tamar Anitai, get your refresh button ready and let the Newsroom take you through what will be an unforgettable night.

8:59 - That's enough out of us. To keep following along, head on over to the VMA live blog over at Buzzworthy. And stay tuned for the post-show!

8:57 - Sway hands out the award for Best Video That Should Have Won a Moonman. The prize goes to the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage." A deserving win. Get well soon, MCA.

8:55 - Beyoncé makes a splash on the carpet with her hair done curly and wearing red ruffles. Her interview with Tim Kash is nearly hijacked by her security. Beyoncé is looking forward to Lady Gaga and the Michael Jackson tribute.

8:53 - According to Jim Cantiello, Joe Jackson is the biggest celebrity in the room, and a bunch of celebs have come up to him to pay their respects.

8:51 - Moment of the night: Buzz Aldrin busting a rhyme on the red carpet and saying he likes rap. He also met Swizz Beatz, and they discussed art.

8:50 - J.Lo is here in a beige strapless dress and leopard shoes. She's also wearing a ton of bling, including hot earrings.

8:48 - From Hayley Williams' Twitter: "Radio City!! I remember when 'NSYNC and Britney performed here around school desks and killed it."

8:47 - According to iJustine, Shakira and Pink are wearing the same dress. So speak out, commenters: Who wore it better?

8:46 - Wale and the house band are starting, and Radio City just went from "intense" to "on fire." Wale says, "We gonna burn this motherf----- down."

8:45 - Jermaine Jackson says even he doesn't know what the tribute is going to look like. Earlier, Joe Jackson walked very soberly into Radio City.

8:39 - Cobra Starship pull up in a double-decker bus and declare that they want to make Taylor Swift "go bad." Good luck with that.

8:37 - Kristin Cavallari says she's presenting with Nelly Furtado tonight. Excellent combination!

8:34 - Adam Brody walks up next, tailed by a beefy-looking Timbaland.

8:33 - Alicia Keys promises to "burn the place down" during her performance with Jay-Z tonight. Here's hoping Pink's fire truck stuck around!

8:31 - Currently taking their seats in the house: Hayley Williams (who is stopping to chat with Pete Wentz) and Patrick Stump. On his way in, Wentz took a deep swig from Kanye's bottle of Hennessey as — no kidding — Kelly Clarkson's lyric "Sweetheart put the bottle down" (from "I Do Not Hook Up") blared over the PA.
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The MTV Video Music Awards are just a few short days away, and though there is all sorts of buzz surrounding the performances, the parties and the New York-centric stunts that will be happening all this week into Sunday's broadcast, it's important to remember that the reason the biggest stars in music will gather in Radio City Music Hall is to see who wins the coveted Moonman in each of the 15 categories. We'll be taking a look at each of the top categories, continuing today with the Best Rock Video award. The nominees are Coldplay's "Viva la Vida," Fall Out Boy's "I Don't Care," Green Day's "21 Guns," Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" and Paramore's "Decode."

Strangely, the Best Rock Video category has only been around since 1997 (in years prior, the top rock clip tended to get lumped into categories like Best Hard Rock, Best Metal, Best Alternative or Best Group Video). Of this year's nominees, only Green Day have taken home this prize before (they scored a Moonman for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" in 2005). The punk trio cleaned up in 2005 — they took home seven statuettes total, including Video of the Year and a Viewer's Choice Award. Their career total is eight (including a nod for Best Alternative Video in 1995 for "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)"), and they've also got three performances under their belt, having played in 1994 ("Basket Case"), 1995 ("Stuck With You") and 2005 ("Boulevard of Broken Dreams"). "21 Guns," from their latest album 21st Century Breakdown, has a total of three nominations, bringing Green Day's career total to a whopping 28.

Fall Out Boy did win Best Group in 2007 when Best Rock Video was absent. Read more...

It was just last summer that I would get on a plane every Wednesday morning and fly across the country from New York to L.A. to shoot our show "FNMTV" live on a Friday night. It was one of the best summers ever, made even better by the wonderful people that worked on the show and their extended families.

Cue Pete Wentz and his wife, Ashlee Simpson. Working on the show was the first time I had ever met Pete and Ashlee properly. At the time Ashlee was heavily pregnant with Bronx, and Pete was juggling his duties with Fall Out Boy, who were back in the studio working on their new album, and his new role as "FNMTV" host. From day one, they were genuinely the nicest couple ever. We've been friends ever since, so when Ashlee stopped by the studio today, it was great to see her, as always.

She's a triple threat. A singer, a mother and an actress, adding the new "Melrose Place" to her ever-growing résumé. The prime-time soap is being revitalized with an all-new cast and a new complex. (But don't worry, die-hard fans: The swimming pool is still the centrepiece of all the action!)
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Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with staff members. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Whitney Houston's comeback continued this morning, when she performed in New York City's Central Park on "Good Morning America." Houston sang four songs at the mini-concert, including two tracks from her just-released new album I Look to You as well as the past hits "My Love Is Your Love" and "I'm Every Woman." The 44-year-old diva told co-host Diane Sawyer that what got her through the tough times in her life was "My faith and the love and support of my family which I do have. The support of my friends in the good, bad and indifferent times." She also said that the "You" in her album's title referred to her devoted fans (which got a big pop from the crowd).

Houston wasn't the only performer on the promo tip, as Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz turned up in Los Angeles to sign copies of the new comic book "Fall Out Toy Works," and "Entourage" star Jeremy Piven showed up to talk to David Letterman about mercury poisoning and his latest film "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard." Click here for these photos plus over 200 more shots of Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Kanye West and the casts of "New Moon" and "Gossip Girl."

Last week, I received an e-mail from royalty ... and not of the Nigerian Prince variety.

No, this e-mail came from His Royal Highness Prince Regent Michael, the heir to the throne of Sealand, a sovereign sorta-nation located six miles off the southeast coast of England, on a seafort abandoned by the British navy after World War II. There was no accompanying fanfare in his note, nothing official or monarchical, or even remotely formal about the email — and no, he wasn't asking for $50 million, either. Basically, he wanted to talk to me about Fall Out Boy.

See, this was a few days after I had written a story about FOB wanting to play a comeback show on Sealand. (As long as, according to Pete Wentz, "passports, safe entry and a lot of Sealand bucks are guaranteed.") And needless to say, Prince Michael was interested in making it happen.

You can read his full e-mail (sent from the royal iPhone, no less) after the jump Read more...