There are some things that we don’t understand about our intern Rya. To wit: how is it possible that someone obsessed with “Gossip Girl” can also be a Blockhead? Yes, that’s right — our “GG” expert is also a huge fan of New Kids on the Block, which explains why she woke up at the crack of dawn this morning:

This morning, Manhattan’s renowned Rockefeller Center became Block-efeller center — a strip of city blocks packed with grown women who came from all ends of the Earth to witness an event a decade-and-a-half in the making: the triumphant return of the hottest pop group of yesteryear, New Kids on the Block. A month after an older, sleeker incarnation of the five men from Boston was unveiled, another curtain dropped – this time, a banner with the band’s new logo. The band performed a medley of their greatest hits and their newest cut as a part of the “Today” Summer Concert Series.

Naturally, yours truly was on the scene. I was there for the very same reason many other women were in the audience: to see a band that they were far too young to see in concert during their heyday. Quite frankly, I felt all too much like my four-year-old self as I scrambled for a better view (or for that matter, any view), got pushed around my much older fans wearing NKOTB shirts (some threadbare, presumably from being worn in heavy rotation two decades ago), yearned for face time with Joey, and sang along far too loudly to songs I didn’t realize I still knew by heart… Read more…

This in from MTV News West Coast editor Katie Byrne, who was on the “Idol” scene last night, and witnessed the shocking force of nature that Fantasia has become:

The skin-tight bodysuit. The flaming red hair. The faux makeout session with Ryan Seacrest. One thing’s for sure: Fantasia made one heck of an impact during a frenetic performance of her new single “Bore Me” on last night’s “Idol.”

Being in the audience for the gale-force performance, the first thing I noticed was the stunned silence and gaping mouths — none more so than Simon Cowell’s, as evidenced in an instant-classic cutaway shot of him as soon as the Season Three Idol hit the stage with her bootylicious backup dancers.

And a funny thing happened as the madness rolled on: The squeaky-clean ArchAngels, the parents with young children, and basically the whole friggin’ crowd started eating it up. ‘Tasia has a way of not giving you the option to like or dislike her; you just take her for what she is. And we were all immediately back under her spell, as if she were singing “Summertime” for the first time.

But this wasn’t our “Summertime” songstress from ‘03. Pieces of her were there, to be sure, but it was like she was possessed by the ghost of James Brown — and I mean that in a good way. Seeing the performance makes me want to hug every prescient “Idol” voter who saw the down-and-dirty diva that this powerhouse would become.

So what did you think of Hurricane ‘Tasia? And are you as excited as I am for the storm to hit a town near you?

Editor’s Note: It’s crazy serious and difficult for the U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq, but our soldiers still find time for a little fun and escape: just like many of you, they love their weekly dose of “American Idol.” We made friends on the Internet with some members of the Army’s 82nd Airborne division (Fort Bragg, what up!), who will be sending us their review of each “Idol” installment.

Our soldiers each week (L-R): PFC Joshua Miranda, 22 (Orlando, FL); PFC Nathan Puckett, 19 (Cynthiana, KY); SPC Cory Combs, 21 (Plymouth, MA); and SSG Steve Cody, 27 (Los Angeles, CA)

Only two of our soldiers caught this week’s “Idol” performances (Joshua and Steve), and even halfway across the globe, they could see Syesha Mercado’s elimination coming a mile away. For their money, our boys in camo are betting that the “Idol” crown will be placed on the noggin of David Cook on next week’s finale. Here are their impressions of this week’s renditions, after the jump. Read more…

MTV News intern and resident “Gossip Girl” expert Rya has expanded her overly personal obsessions to include “America’s Next Top Model” — and just in time for the finale:

So last night’s episode of “Top Model” was the grand finale, which I watched with the sincere hope that the show is actually aware of its all-consuming campiness. I mean, Tyra knows, right? Anyway!

If you didn’t know (how would that be possible?), the glorious final three was composed of Fatima, a gorgeous Somalian; Anya, a Russian/Hawaiian goddess; and (hold onto your chairs) Whitney, a pretty normal-sized, beautiful woman we at MTV News have totally been rooting for.

There were so many amazing, hilarious, and amazingly hilarious moments in the “Top Model” finale. (Like Miss J’s rhinestone eyebrows. Note to whoever thought up such a facial accoutrement: I’ll have what you’re having.) My rundown after the jump. Read more…

So do you ever have that feeling that your boss is keeping tabs on you at all times? Like you leave work, you’re at home sitting around in your sweatpants watching TV, and he’s still watching you?

We thought this was kind of paranoid…until last night. Because lo and behold, while we were innocently watching Ryan Seacrest talk about whatever on “American Idol,” who stared back at us but the Notorious B.G. — Brian Graden, that is, President of Entertainment for MTV Networks Music Group (which is a really big title, for those who can’t figure it out).

B.G. got some Marilu Henner-sized face time during last night’s finale-determining episode. While Emily Van Camp and Gavin DeGraw got paltry cutaways, Graden clocked in at 23 seconds by camping out behind Seacrest’s mark, just inches away from Syesha’s dad.

So Bri, who’d ya vote for…?

Every now and then, we at MTV News wonder not about the Postal Service but about the postal service. Like, how much longer will it take for us to Get With The Times and pay all our bills online? How many more months until grandma learns that electronic mail is the way to go, and stops expecting us to send her “letters” that strain our distant memories of cursive? What greater purpose could there be left to snail mail…??

Well, thanks for filling the void, “American Idol”! Because today we have been happily reminded that the purpose of ye olde-fashioned mail is clearly…to have something to stick an “American Idol” stamp to. And here we have the chance to unveil to you the very latest in that prestigious line of sticky squares fit to make the American Philatelic Society proud: Ms. Jordin Sparks!

And because we care about you, we’ve posted all the other stamps in “Idol” history after the jump. Read more…

This in from MTV News cameraman and producer Todd Brown, who spent last night at the party for finale of the third season of “The Hills”:

The party was held at a multi-million dollar mansion high up in Beverly Hills, far above Los Angeles. In order to get to the top of the hill, we had to load in to vans and drive up a steep and windy mountain road. Most of the “Hills” cast were there — as well as Usher, The All-American Rejects, Tyga, Jessie McCartney, and Schwayze, to name a few. Surprisingly, and probably because of some underplayed and hardly-ever-mentioned beef with Lauren Conrad, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt did not show.

In addition to the stars, there were hundreds of cocktail dress-wearing young fans, there for the chance to see their favorite semi-reality stars up close. After walking the red carpet, the “Hills” cast mingled with the fans and took pictures — and then they all watched the show together on a huge, 30-foot outdoor screen.

The entire event was shot with more than 7 different camera crews, including the Goodyear blimp(!), and aired live on MTV and MTV.com.

For more on “The Hills,” head to the Remote Control blog. And you can check out more photos from the party here.

OK, this disturbs us.

In a press release that leads with “A tree isn’t the only thing growing in Brooklyn!,” our fine network has announced that the next season of that godfather of reality series, “The Real World,” will begin filming this summer…in Brooklyn. In Brooklyn!!

While the last season was in Hollywood, the 21st season returns to New York, where the series began — although, you know, it technically began in Soho. Back when Soho was industrial and Chanel-free, and back when the very concept of being able to film strangers’ daily lives was mind-bending. This was also back in the days of Brenda and Brandon on “90210”…so it was a hell of a long time ago (as is painfully clear in the clip above: first episode ever!).

Now, we’re not part of the exalted team that actually decides high-power things like “programming,” but we’d place a $200 million bet that, as massive as Brooklyn is, this show’s specifically hitting the hipster haven that is Williamsburg. W’burg, the bell tolls for you! Oh, how many local indie-rock shows will be completely ruined by the filming of…twelve full-hour episodes??

The Tony Award nominations were announced this morning, and the two strongest contenders for Best New Musical feature songs you may actually find on your iPod.

“In the Heights,” with its Latin- and hip-hop-infused score written by 28-year-old Lin-Manuel Miranda, led the pack with 13 nominations. “Passing Strange,” a coming-of-age tale told through rock & roll, was co-written by Stew — formerly of LA-based pop rock band The Negro Problem — earning Stew four of the production’s seven nods.

One of the (many) great things about “Passing Strange” is that it features real rock & roll, not some “theaterized” derivative played by a handful of Broadway hires. It’s Stew’s band onstage, and watching an authentic, soulful frontman take you through this two-hour story is enough to make the musical-haters out there reconsider.

MTV News spoke to Stew recently about why, despite the occasional “Rent” or “Hair,” it’s taken so long for the music you hear in clubs or bars to make it into the theater:

“My fifteen-year-old would love to be able to go to the theater and know that when she walks in there’s going to be some music that corresponds to what she hears at home on her iPod,” he told us. “She would love that.”

But he acknowledged that jamming on pop rock tunes in a club with your band is a very different ballgame than the years-long process of creating a two-hour musical story.

“It’s like going to war!” he said of writing a musical. “Rock is easy compared to the theater.”

Another installment on “Gossip Girl” from Rya, MTV News intern and former Upper East Sider:

Hi, guys. So, it’s our second-to-last meeting. I feel like it’s the last night of sleep-away camp, you know? I just want to stay up all night, and write on everybody’s pillows, make out with the boy I had my eye on all summer (OK, that part never actually happened), and just revel in this really good, safe place. I don’t want the morning to come, because in the morning (that’s a metaphor for next Monday), it’ll all be over (as in this season of “GG”). Anyway!

I guess we need to talk about last night’s episode, even though it was about as exciting as that song Lincoln Hawk (or whatever the name of Rufus’s band was) played at that Rolling Stone 90’s party. Let me just get that part out of the way right now, actually:

Lily, your young and wild days were spent photographing Hootie and the Blowfish Lite? Rufus’s band (and the decade-old photo of him, which looked curiously like Pete Yorn) wasn’t even ironically good/redeeming, and I’d rather be caught with a Kenny G cassette than anything of the Lincoln Hawk persuasion. That’s the song that got you to re-evaluate your life with Bart Bass? Have you zero standards, Lil’?? And Rufus, I think I speak on behalf of the entire universe when I say WE GET IT. You are WITH IT. You can play more than three chords! Now put down that guitar, and find a new blonde to obsess over — preferably one whose daughter isn’t going all the way with your son.

But now for the weird stuff. Because for every handful of things on the show that are accurate, there are about 10 zillion more that are mostly wrong. My UES insider’s rundown, after the jump. Read more…