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.
A year ago, Susan Boyle was a simple woman living in Scotland with her cat and volunteering at her local church. Back in April, her appearance on "Britain's Got Talent" changed her life completely. Boyle walked onto the stage to chuckles and derision from the live crowd, but then delivered a stunning vocal rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Broadway musical Les Miserables that nearly brought professionally snippy talent judge Simon Cowell to tears. She immediately attracted the attention of record companies, who were not only interested in Boyle's impressive instrument but also in the buzz she created on the Internet (clips of her singing "I Dreamed a Dream" have been watched over 100 million times on YouTube alone). Today marks the incredible culmination of her journey, as her debut album I Dreamed a Dream is out in stores, and she celebrated with a performance on "Today." Once again, Boyle was in fine voice as she churned out "I Dreamed a Dream," her cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and the torch song "Cry Me a River" (made popular by Ella Fitzgerald).
Boyle wasn't the only star taking care of business in the last few days, as Spencer Pratt was spotted signing copies of his new book "How to Be Famous" at a bookstore in Los Angeles. Elsewhere in L.A., it was all about leisure, as Jay-Z, Polow Da Don and members of the Black Eyed Peas all took in yesterday's Lakers game (Kobe Bryant and friends scored another victory, this time against the Oklahoma City Thunder). Click here for these pictures as well as the entire "Spotted!" archive, which features over 350 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, the Jonas Brothers, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Shakira, Adam Lambert and Mariah Carey!
Last night on the season finale of NBC's "America's Got Talent," chicken farmer Kevin Skinner won the top prize on the show for his unexpected but deeply moving musical ability. But the moment that got everybody talking was the performance by Susan Boyle, who sang her cover version of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" during the broadcast. Boyle, the British singing sensation who became an instant star when her rendition of a showtune ("I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables") became a viral hit after she sang on "Britain's Got Talent," made her first appearance singing on American television last night with the tune, and she lived up to all of her Internet hype. Her version of the song is beautiful and soulful, and more than lives up to its pedigree as one of the more gorgeous entries in the Rolling Stones' songbook.
In fact, it's not unlike the version put out by the Sundays, the dreamy British alternative pop group who found their biggest success with a version of "Wild Horses" that was squarely staring at its shoes. The band, lead by singer Harriet Wheeler, took the Stone' classic and soaked it in lush, jangly guitars and a general sense of melancholy. While Boyle's version highlights the dynamism of her own voice, Wheeler's vocal turn is far more casual.
Boyle's debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, will be out on November 23 and will feature not only the title song that first made her famous and "Wild Horses," but also versions of "Memory" (from "Cats") and "Cry Me a River" (the tune made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, not the Justin Timberlake song).
Before he was a star in movies like "Drumline" and Mariah Carey's husband, Nick Cannon was a regular at talent showcases when he was a teen — the perfect training for his new job as the host of "America's Got Talent."
That's right, Jerry Springer is moving on and Nick Cannon is moving in to take his place on the TV talent show "America's Got Talent" that kicks off with a new series tonight.
Dressed in different shades of a colour that can only be described as "pastel," Nick was in his usual fun mood and ready to chop it up about everything from his new show to his superstar wife.
It's not just Nick who has big shoes to fill, but the show as well: The phenomenon that is Susan Boyle (her debut performance video has been viewed over 69 million times) all began with the UK version of the show "Britain's Got Talent," so the bar has been set pretty high. Will "America's Got Talent" be able to give the Susan Boyle movement a run for its money? According to Nick the answer is YES!
It wasn't long before the topic of his wife Mariah Carey came up. One big question we wanted answered was: Will Nick and Mariah ever duet? For now, Nick humbly doesn't think he has the talent to duet with one of the greatest songstresses of our time. In his own words he has to "step his game up first."
We still found time to talk about his move into the director's chair, whether Mariah's new song "Obsessed" was directed at Eminem or not, his new mixtape The Adventures of Slick Nick, his thoughts on the Perez Hilton/Will.I.Am incident and Chris Brown's trial.
Check out the rest of the interview at MTVNews.com.
By Eric Ditzian
Lily Allen learned an important lesson this weekend when she took to Twitter to question Boyle's singing chops and to respond to fans who angrily disagreed with Allen's sentiment. Granted, it's a lesson Allen probably should have learned already, having feuded publically with Amy Winehouse, Kylie Minogue and Katy Perry, among others. But apparently Allen hadn't — nor did she seem to take into account the hallowed ground upon which laughingstock-turned-superstar Boyle now treads — and she took the Scottish singer to task after her somewhat shaky "Britain's Got Talent" rendition of the "Cats" musical number, "Memory," this past weekend.
Allen started off by writing, "Susan Boyle is so overrated."
An hour passed before she offered a French-ish addendum in an attempt to backpedal — "Je suis overrated aussi" — that roughly translates to, "I am overrated too."
Read more...
By Eric Ditzian
Since "Britain's Got Talent" standout Susan Boyle became a household name and a fixture of gossip Web sites, there's been no shortage of advice tossed her way: Tame that wild hair! Wait, don't change — stay true to yourself! Drop out of the competition and strike out on your own!
But there's probably only one person in the world who knows what Boyle is going through right now, and that's Paul Potts. In 2007, Potts rocketed to fame after his soaring rendition of Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" on "BGT." Along the way to winning the competition, he was mocked for his appearance and underwent a makeover that had him wearing a tuxedo for the finale. Now, as Potts sees Boyle following in his footsteps — and coming in for the same sort of image-focused abuse that he did — he's got some guidance for the singer. Read more...
By Adam Murphy and Joel Hanek
As "Britain's Got Talent" superstar Susan Boyle rides her unlikely wave of fame, we can only imagine that she's been getting flooded with offers left and right. How about a reality show? We've come up with some ideas …
"Boyle-ing Points": Remember the MTV show, "Boiling Points"? You know, that candid-camera game show where people got cash for keeping their cool with annoying improv actors in disguise? Well, this time it's Susan Boyle who's turning the tables, putting on the fake mustaches and wearing the wigs to play out the pranks as the "pestering waiter"! (However, if her 15 minutes of fame doesn't last, she may not need a disguise ... )
"Boyle of Love": The name says it all. But for the three people out there who haven't had the pleasure of drinking in the genius of "Flavor of Love" and all of its spin-offs, here's the deal: Susan Boyle lives in a mansion with 12 potential suitors who all vie for her affections through competitions for one-on-one dates to the theater, church services, a party for Cat Fancy magazine ... let your imagination run wild! Will Susan find her Boyle of Love? Read more...
By Eric Ditzian
On Saturday night, "Britain's Got Talent" saw the emergence of another nondescript contestant who pulled off a bravura performance of a song from the musical "Les Misérables." Like Susan Boyle before him, Jamie Pugh tiptoed onto stage an unknown and sauntered off a star. His rendition of "Bring Him Home" blew the crowd away and nabbed three yes votes from the judges' panel.
So now we're wondering: Have we found the new Susan Boyle? Let's take a look ...
Why He Is The New Susan Boyle
Pugh's got all the ingredients for a feel-good story: He's a van driver by day and a pizza deliveryman by night who feels thwarted by his current path in life. "It's not what I want," he said on the show. "I want to sing." The problem has been that Pugh suffers from debilitating stage fright, and his goal going into "BGT" was simply to last for the entire three-minute performance without collapsing onstage. Read more...
No matter how many octaves Adam Lambert can screech, there's only one contestant this season that I call my "American Idol," and, ironically enough, her initials are A.I.: Allison Iraheta!
The newly 17-year-old singer had me from her first crazy interview, in which she acted like she'd stumbled off the set of "Intervention." She solidified that love minutes later with a knock-your-ass-to-the-ground-and-now-your-butt-bone-hurts-but-you-don't-care-cuz-it-was-that-brilliant rendition of Heart's "Alone." Allison was the original Susan Boyle — a girl who, on first impression, you thought was a loon. But then when she opened that bedazzled-braces-clad mouth, you were blown away.
Allison's run on "Idol" has been super impressive so far. She's had more "wow" moments than judges' faves Matt Giraud and Danny Gokey combined. "Alone," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "I Can't Make You Love Me" and, most recently, "Someone To Watch Over Me." With each performance, Allison reveals a new layer of musicality, understanding and maturity.
But here's the frustrating part: Simon Cowell clearly has something against Allison. He's only unabashedly gushed over her twice on the main stage, and those were her two weakest performances. Every time she delivers a song worthy of the "Idol Hall of Fame," Simon dismisses her outfit. Or draws on Paula Abdul's face with a crayon. Or knocks Allison's "lack of a personality."
Read more...
By Eric Ditzian
The inevitable has happened: "Britain's Got Talent" sensation Susan Boyle got a makeover. She's ditched the drab dresses for a shiny black jacket, dyed her tangled gray locks a rich brown, donned a trendy plaid scarf.
Should we be concerned that the woman who rocketed to fame because of the unlikely juxtaposition of average-gal frumpiness and chill-inducing vocal chops has been forced to conform to conventional standards of beauty? Or should we instead applaud Ms. Boyle for her larvae-into-butterfly transformation now that she's on the world stage? No doubt half the Boyle-ites will be wringing their hands, while the other half sings (mostly off-key) her praises. Read more...
By Eric Ditzian
Before Susan Boyle busted into her version of "I Dreamed a Dream," when the "Britain's Got Talent" crowd was still laughing at her, she confessed that she wanted to be a singer in the mold of Elaine Paige, a famous British theater actress and chanteuse. We all know what happened next: Boyle blew everyone away and became an overnight, worldwide sensation.
But what most Americans didn't know is who the heck this Elaine Paige woman is. Apparently, she's beloved in Britain. And, according to People magazine, Paige wrote in her blog that she'd love to sing a duet with Boyle. That's sweet and all, but if Boyle is going to make it as a recording artist in the States, she's going to have to pick a much more well-known duet partner. We at MTV News really want Boyle to make it, so here's our suggestion of eight artists Boyle would be wise to start crooning with.
Katy Perry: By her own admission, Boyle has never been smooched. Who better to duet with than the woman behind the international hit "I Kissed a Girl"? Hey, maybe she'd even like it.
Read more...
