Minggu, 08 Maret 2009

MTV News

MTV News

Rihanna Will Testify Against Chris Brown If Subpoenaed

Posted: 05 Mar 2009 10:20 PM PST

'She is willing to do anything that the law requires her to do,' her lawyer tells MTV News.
By Gil Kaufman


Rihanna
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

After Chris Brown was charged with two felony counts on Thursday in connection with his alleged assault on girlfriend Rihanna, the next question became "Will Rihanna testify in the case?"

Brown, 19, was charged with assault and making criminal threats, which, if convicted, could land him more than four years in state prison. "The DAs are facing an uphill battle now if Rihanna isn't cooperating," Los Angeles defense lawyer and former prosecutor Steve Sitkoff told People magazine on Friday (March 6) about the alleged victim in the case, who reportedly reunited with Brown last weekend at a home owned by Diddy in Miami. "At this point, her cooperation can make or break the case. But the DAs may not need her if Brown is willing to strike a plea deal."

When asked if the singer is cooperating with the district attorney's office, Rihanna lawyer Donald Etra told MTV News, "At this point, she is willing to do anything that the law requires her to do. ... If subpoenaed, she will testify." Asked to confirm reports that the couple have reunited since the alleged February 8 incident, Etra said now is "neither the time nor the place to discuss their relationship."

Experts told People that prosecutors will almost certainly subpoena Rihanna as a witness but that she cannot be threatened with jail time if she refuses to take the stand.

Loyola Law School professor Stan Goldman said the DA's case could be jeopardized if Rihanna refuses to testify because her statements to police can only be used against him if she agrees to testify. Brown did not enter a plea at his arraignment on Thursday, where his lawyer, Mark Geragos, asked for a continuance in the case, postponing the singer's arraignment until April 6.

While Etra said Rihanna did not request a "no-contact" order, which would prevent Brown from talking to or spending time with her, the judge in the case did order Brown not to "annoy, harass, molest, threaten or use force or violence against anyone," which Etra said Rihanna thought was sufficient. He explained that the judge's order does not prevent the couple from having contact and that it will stay in place until either Brown or Rihanna challenges it.

Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Anoop Desai Calls 'American Idol' Top-13 Twist 'A Genuine Shock'

Posted: 06 Mar 2009 01:39 AM PST

'It was the difference between having all your dreams dashed and then ... they're alive again,' he says.
By Katie Byrne


Anoop Desai
Photo: Michael Becker/ Getty Images

A spot in the "American Idol" finals looked like it was Anoop Desai's to lose in the first live-performance week, but when the 21-year-old student came out with a sleepy performance of Monica's "Angel of Mine," he didn't make the cut.

The judges saw something in the affable singer and brought him back as a wild card, along with Megan Joy Corkrey, Matt Giraud and Jasmine Murray. So what's next for Anoop Dogg? We talked with the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, singer about repeating Bobby Brown, Kanye West's "Idol" debut and more.

Q: What was it like to be the last person picked after thinking you didn't make it?

A: It was the pits, man. It was the difference between having all your dreams dashed and then three seconds later, they're alive again. It was a shock, it was a genuine shock for me. I'm just glad I'm still here.

Q: Were you worried about performing "My Prerogative" again after singing it during Hollywood Week?

A: That song in particular has become sort of like an anthem for me since Hollywood Week. And I thought it was especially appropriate for the wild-card round, just to go out there and say, "Listen, this is who I am. I'm going to go out and do what I do and have fun. It's my prerogative." So, that's the reason I chose it. I knew I had done it in the past, obviously. But like the judges said, I think I did a better job of it this time.

Q: What have you thought of the judges' criticism this season?

A: They're four very experienced voices in the industry, so I'm grateful for that. We don't really have much contact with them outside the show. But I do feel like they say everything for a reason, especially Simon. I think that he says things to elicit a reaction. So if something wasn't good enough, he's going to tell you, because he wants you to do better. He's not a mean person at all.

Q: You've said before that you're a Kanye West fan, so are you excited he'll be on the show next week?

A: I found out from Ryan [Seacrest] this morning when I was on his [radio] show. Hopefully I'll get to meet him and we can talk about some collaborations in the future.

Q: You mentioned the anniversary of University of North Carolina student Eve Carson's death on Thursday's show. Why was that important to you?

A: Every time I go out onstage, I go out to make her proud. When we graduated in May, they passed out these big buttons that just say "Eve" in Carolina-blue letters, and the buttons are black. And I carry that in my pocket every time I go onstage or go onto a results show to remind myself that I'm doing it for her.

Q: Who would be your dream guest mentor on the show?

A: If Stevie Wonder came back, I would faint, because I think he's the greatest musical mind that I've ever heard. That would be the ultimate.

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

Related Videos Related Photos

U2 Talk About Fordham University Gig

Posted: 06 Mar 2009 03:03 AM PST

Bono says of 'Good Morning America' show, 'We want to go to where people are still passionate for music.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway


U2's Bono
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

On Friday (March 6), U2 rocked a crowd of college kids on the campus of New York's Fordham University — which is exactly the demographic that the iconic rockers want to expose to their new album, No Line on the Horizon.

The band tore through three songs from the album on the college's picturesque campus in the New York City borough of the Bronx.

"Every album is like our first album. And we want to do the thing we did with our first album and go out and play the colleges," Bono told MTV News on Friday after the show. "Play to the people who are living closest to the music."

Bono said that for the most part, young people can best appreciate new sounds. "They're often students," he said. "They're often not people in their 30s. Bob Dylan has this line, 'He not busy being born is busy dying' [from 'It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding']. I love that line. I often think it applies to music. People, as they get older, they stop listening to the music. We want to go to where people are still passionate for music."

"You can feel that out in Fordham today," he continued. "There's people probably watching MTV going, 'Who are those guys ... what are they doing here?' Well we're ready to make our case."

Bassist Adam Clayton said that despite being in the industry for over 30 years, playing new songs to a crowd of college kids felt right. "When we came out with our first record, Boy, we couldn't get played on commercial radio," he recalled. "And it was the colleges that kept that record alive, and we would go to every college and do interviews."

"It was very cool to have a real crowd there and to be playing the new songs," guitarist the Edge agreed. "Always, for us, you learn almost instantly what's right and what's wrong as soon as we play. That's where we grew up as a band: in front of a live audience. As you're hearing it through all of the people, you're playing to sense their reaction."

(MTV News' Sway, who conducted the interview, had similar feelings.)

For drummer Larry Mullen Jr., those reactions make all the difference in the world for future performances. "When you play live you get to understand the nuances, the things that make a difference," he said. "When we were playing it today I felt like, 'I get this.' "

Earlier this week, the band had a street in New York named after them.

MTV News will have lots more from our exclusive interview with U2 in the coming days!

Related Artists

M.I.A.'s Baby's Name Is <i>Not</i> Ickitt, She Insists

Posted: 06 Mar 2009 03:44 AM PST

'Paper Planes' singer takes to her MySpace page to refute the media reports on Friday.
By Jem Aswad


M.I.A.
Photo: Jeff Vespa/WireImage

Despite many media reports claiming that she'd named her son Ickitt, M.I.A. took to her MySpace page Friday (March 6) to say it ain't so.

In an all-caps post titled "Baby name!," she wrote:

"My baby is not called Ickitt, Pickit or Lickit thank you very much to all the Hollywood press. He's a baby, he don't need press!

"I didn't release the baby name because I didn't think it was news!!!!

"But I will be back with something newsworthy soon, till then go pick on Apple, Satchel and Moon Unit.

"Lots of love stickit!!"

M.I.A. was referring to the long list of unusual celebrity baby names in recent years (although Moon Unit is the name of the late Frank Zappa's daughter, now 41).

The boy is M.I.A.'s first child; the father is musician Benjamin Bronfman, who has also gone by the name Benjamin Brewer.

New York's Daily News contacted several South Asian writers and scholars for illumination on the significance of the name "Ickitt," to little avail.

K.T. Rajasingham, editor of the online publication the Asian Tribune, told the paper it is not a Tamil name. A New York member of the South Asian Journalists Association said that in classical Tamil, the word "Ickattu" means "tough" or "inextricable," but he had no translation for "Ickitt."

Neha Kumar, an Indian student at the University of Michigan Center for South Asian studies, told the paper the word "ickitt" functions as a command that means "to keep." But another Tamil speaker said he'd never heard the word, adding "I'd guess she just made up a name she liked."

M.I.A.'s given name is Mathangi Arulpragasam.

The singer's pregnancy was the source of much speculation before the Grammys, as the day of the show was her due date. However, she performed "Swagga Like Us" with Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West without incident. The singer earned an Oscar nod for her work on "Slumdog Millionaire."

Related Artists

The-Dream Gets Def Jam Family On 'Rockin' That Thang' Remix

Posted: 06 Mar 2009 04:53 AM PST

'It's all about making good collaborations and good music in 2009,' Ludacris said of the star-studded remix.
By Shaheem Reid


The-Dream at the 'Rockin' That Thang' remix video shoot
Photo: MTV News

The-Dream brings out the stars. Ludacris, Juelz Santana, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross and Fabolous recently came to Brooklyn to shoot the video for the remix of "Rockin' That Thang."

"It's all about making good collaborations and good music in 2009," Luda said, taking a break while fellow Def Jam artist Fabolous performed in another room.

"Def Jam tries to stay family oriented," 'Cris continued. "That's what it's about. We're here to compete. Competition is serious. Not only are we competing against each other, but as a family, we're competing against other families. It's always good to see individuals come together with a lot of craziness going on in hip-hop."

Juelz Santana was contemplating making an unofficial remix of the song, before he was asked by the label to jump on this one.

"It's a record I heard and loved before I even got on it," Santana said. "I was actually gonna do a little remix, like how everybody do their remixes and put them out. I was going to do it like that anyway, but it was just a blessing that I was asked to be on the remix with a lot of other talented artists. ... They are all my labelmates, so it's a beautiful thing. Everybody killed it and did their thing."

"I didn't know everybody that was going to be on here," Fabolous said. "They just hit me up and said they were trying to do a remix to The-Dream record."

"I gotta shout out The-Dream, I gotta shout everybody on the remix," Rick Ross said. "Dream is on fire — everything he drops, all those #1 records. The ladies love his swagger. He may be the most prolific writer of recent times, because he continues to churn out classics. You gotta salute The-Dream."

Dream, who slept for a portion of the video shoot (he was suffering from a cold), said that he wanted to take a backseat on the remix.

"I was just trying to do something that hadn't been done since the '90s, where the [guests] were featured more than the actual artist," Dream explained. "So I just left my hook on it and added those four guys to it."

"I was all for that," Fab said of the remix route. "That's been out of the game so long. Usually when they remix it, they put one dude on it. This one went back to what they was doing before, and it was working."

Dream said to not expect some big mini-movie with the video, but promised that it would be entertaining nonetheless.

"This video ain't about nothing," he laughed. "It's a performance video trying to get everybody else in the same place at the same time. Unfortunately, this is the recession. If it wasn't, we'll probably be in the desert in Iran somewhere. But we're in Brooklyn shooting. Either way, it's still great."

The-Dream's Love vs. Money hits stores March 10.

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Megan Joy Corkrey On Her 'American Idol' Dance Moves: 'It Just Happens'

Posted: 06 Mar 2009 01:39 AM PST

Single mom says she's nervous about country week: 'I'm gonna do it, though. I'll tear it up!'
By Katie Byrne


Kai Kalama and Megan Joy Corkrey perform on "American Idol"
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images for Fox

Megan Joy Corkrey is not your typical "American Idol" contestant. She doesn't tackle big ballads or try to outsing Mariah, but she stands out in a crowd.

And that's why the judges selected her (along with Anoop Desai, Matt Giraud and Jasmine Murray) for the finals during Thursday night's wild-card round. We caught up with the 22-year-old single mom from Sandy, Utah, to talk about her one-of-a-kind dance moves, who inspires her and much more.

Q: A lot of "Idol" viewers have been talking about your unique dancing style. Where did that come from?

A: I really don't know why that happens! When I start singing, I just bop around, and it just happens.

Q: When you auditioned, did you have any idea you'd make it to the finals?

A: No way. I didn't think I was gonna make it through the first [tryout]. I mean, I never even had a solo in choir in high school! I didn't think I was gonna go anywhere.

Q: What artists have inspired your musical style?

A: My number-one influence is Björk. I fell in love with her when I was 16. She just changed my life. Her music is so beautiful and original and different, and it's so emotional. And I just love it.

Q: What upcoming theme week worries you?

A: I'm not really scared, but I'm a little unsure, and I don't know what I'm going to do with country week, because I don't listen to a lot of country. I'm gonna do it, though. I'll tear it up!

Q: Can you explain your colorful sleeve tattoo?

A: It's a castle, and there's a night sky above it. And the glass is stained glass, and it's my fairy tale. And there's a king and a queen, and that's me and — who knows? And then there's a fairy godmother, my mom; a wizard, my brother; and a prince, my son. Then there's roses growing up the castle.

Q: Do you play any instruments?

A: I don't, sadly.

Q: Do you want to learn during this experience?

A: I would love to. If anybody is down to teach me, I am in.

Q: What instrument would you want to play?

A: I would love to play the piano or guitar.

Q: A few of the other contestants could probably help out with that ...

A: If they want to! [Laughs.]

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

Related Videos Related Photos

Zac Efron's Mom Bought Him Condoms For Christmas

Posted: 05 Mar 2009 10:27 PM PST

'High School Musical' star explains how he and Vanessa Hudgens were photographed at a 'sex shop.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Zac Efron
Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage

Back in December, someone snapped a photo of Zac Efron and his girlfriend and fellow "High School Musical" star, Vanessa Hudgens, hanging out at what appeared to be a sex shop. The image of the Disney stars made the tabloid and Internet rounds, of course, and got everyone talking, including Efron's mom, Starla.

"My mom is like, 'Zac, what did you buy in a sex shop?' " Efron said in an interview for the April issue of Elle magazine. "I was like, 'Mom, calm down, it's not a sex shop.' She wouldn't have any of it. She's like, 'I knew you were being sexual!' But she understood. My stocking was full of condoms this Christmas. She buys me the economy box."

Efron was quick to clarify that his reasons for going to the alleged sex shop weren't as naughty as everyone seemed to think it was. "It was Hallows Eve like, two years ago. It was just a costume store," the 21-year-old explained, according to AccessHollywood.com. (In other news, who calls it "Hallows Eve"?) "In the back they have an adult section for adult costumes. And this nice older woman asked for a photo."

Although he told the magazine that he'll "make as many light-hearted movies" as he can and enjoyed the way the "HSM" musical keeps "the kid inside of me" alive, Efron also revealed that part of him still doesn't get their popularity.

"As far back as I can remember, I couldn't understand or relate to a lot of kids," he said. "I still don't understand how 'High School Musical' became a hit."

Efron told the magazine that as his career advances, he would love to follow in the footsteps of another former teen idol. And, recently he finally got the chance to meet that idol: Leonardo DiCaprio. "I was all, 'Oh, hey!' And he turned around and right there I had the 'in,' " he recalled of their encounter at GQ's Men of the Year Awards.

"And I was like, 'I just want to shake your hand, dude, I'm a big fan. ... I'd love to sit down and talk with you sometime.' And he goes, 'Right on,' " Efron said. "A few nights later, I was at a Lakers game and I texted him, and he said he was coming. And this guy in a ball cap and coat with the collar up sits next to me. We talked the whole game, and he was just everything I thought he would be: smart, level-headed, charming, hilarious. You know, the older-brother vibe."

Coolio Arrested For Crack Possession At Los Angeles Airport

Posted: 06 Mar 2009 01:39 AM PST

Drugs allegedly found on the rapper as he went through security screening.
By Gil Kaufman


Coolio
Photo: Joe Fox/WireImage

Grammy-winning actor/rapper Coolio (born Artis Leon Ivey Jr.) was reportedly arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday afternoon and booked for possession of narcotics, according to Reuters.

The rapper and reality TV star, best known for his 1995 hit "Gangsta's Paradise," was going through airport security to get to his Southwest Airlines flight when a screener found crack cocaine on his body, TMZ reported.

Citing unnamed sources, TMZ reported that when confronted, Coolio allegedly got "physical" with the screener and was then booked for suspicion of cocaine possession.

The LAX Police Department released this statement on the incident: "At approximately 10:38 a.m., rap star 'Coolio,' real name Artis Leon Ivey, Jr., 45, was taken into custody for possession of illegal substance in Terminal 1. He is en route to the Pacific Division station for booking."

A spokesperson for the LAPD said they had no further information at press time on what substance the rapper was allegedly in possession of or if the potential charge is a felony or misdemeanor count.

Coolio has not had a chart hit in nearly a decade, but he has made a second career as an actor, appearing on "Charmed" and "Futurama," as well as a number of reality shows, including "Celebrity Fear Factor," "Celebrity Bootcamp" and the recent online cooking show, "Cookin' With Coolio." Last year, he and his family starred in the Oxygen network reality show "Coolio's Rules," and he was seen in the British "Celebrity Big Brother" program in January, alongside such C-list celebrities as LaToya Jackson, buxom English pinup Lucy Pinder and Verne Troyer.

Coolio was in the news several weeks ago, when he was robbed of his shoes and some jewels by members of the crowd after stage diving during his performance at Staffordshire University in England, according to the British tabloid the Daily Star.

Related Artists

'America's Best Dance Crew' Is Quest Crew!

Posted: 06 Mar 2009 07:59 AM PST

Competition was tight between season-three winners and all-girl runners-up Beat Freaks.
By Jocelyn Vena


Quest Crew
Photo: Ewan Burns

The tension was definitely thick the moments before the victors were named on Thursday night's season-three finale of "America's Best Dance Crew." In a season that would pit the first all-girl-crew finalists, Beat Freaks, against a crew that was facing elimination only a week before, the fans decided that in the end, Quest Crew was "America's Best."

But the tension of the final results was preceded by a celebration of the entire season. All nine crews were brought out to dance off in the judges' choice of groups of three. Judge Shane Sparks picked Quest Crew, Dynamic Edition and Strikers All-Stars. The group clogged, breaked and grooved to a remix of the '80s classic "You Spin Me Round."

Judge JC Chasez chose the Beat Freaks and teamed the ladies with Team Millennia and Boxcuttuhz. The trio of dance crews tore it up to Lady Gaga's "Just Dance." But it was Lil Mama's reggaeton-flavored combination of G.O.P. Dance, Fly Khicks and Ringmasters, who danced to Sean Paul and Keri Hilson's "The Tide," that really got the crowd hyped.

Before they would find out which of them won the competition, the Beat Freaks and Quest Crew teamed up to perform in front of the celeb-filled crowd, which included Lil Wayne and Lil' Kim.

"When you all came on the show, you came to dominate," Sparks told the Quest Crew, who had previously said that before coming on the show, they admired the Beat Freaks, who were the only crew that avoided the bottom two all season.

"You guys are the total package," JC Chasez told the Beat Freaks. "Every week, every performance was intelligent, athletic and great."

MTV Remote Control blogger Eric Weingrad hosted the "ABDC" post-show alongside MTV News' Tim Kash. "It was the closest 'ABDC' by far over the past three seasons," he told MTV News. "As they waited, that tension grew into pure excitement as fans of both Quest Crew and Beat Breaks started to chant their names in such a loud manner that it was impossible to tell who the audience was favoring. Both crews' names were shouted out equally."

In the end only one group could win, and Randy Jackson came out to award the Quest Crew the grand prize of $100,000. "You guys fought so hard," he told them. "I got to commend you on that."

"The coolest part about the night is that when Quest Crew won," Weingrad told us. "The family element was stronger then ever as the Beat Freaks exited the stage to the remaining seven crews chanting 'Beat Freaks!' back in the garage, causing some of the Beat Freaks to well up."

Related Videos Related Photos

'American Idol' Judges Pick Four Wild-Card Winners

Posted: 06 Mar 2009 06:17 AM PST

Jasmine Murray, Megan Joy Corkrey, Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai turn top 12 into 13.
By Gil Kaufman


The "American Idol" top 13
Photo: Michael Becker/ Getty Images/ Fox

"American Idol" producers vowed to shake things up this year, and that's just what they did Thursday night during the revived wild-card round. The eight contestants who got a lifeline from the judges at the end of Wednesday night's show thought they were fighting for the final three spots in the top 12, but in a surprise reveal at the end of last night's show they found out that for the first time in "Idol" history the top 12 would actually be a top 13.

That was good news for Jasmine Murray, Megan Joy Corkrey, Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai, all of whom got to take a seat after performing one more time for the judges, who said that the choice between Giraud and Desai was so hard that they just went with both.

The four wild-card picks join the nine audience-chosen finalists — Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver, Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert, Scott MacIntyre, Jorge Nuñez and Lil Rounds — when the finals begin next week, with shows that will feature guest spots from Kanye West and season-one superstar Kelly Clarkson.

Before the judges made their decision, they put all the singers through the wringer one more time. First up was Minnesotan Jesse Langseth, who sang Rufus and Chaka Khan's funk classic, "Tell Me Something Good," while wearing a dangerously short, shiny black mini-dress and giving the sexy tune a slow grind feel that split the judges.

Kara DioGuardi liked her "swagger," and Paula Abdul was impressed with her tenacity and determination. But Simon Cowell thought it was a bit indulgent, even if he was glad the panel had made the last-second choice to give her another shot.

Dueling-piano player Giraud knew he had to bring the blues, so he chose the Jackson 5 version of Smokey Robinson's "Who's Lovin' You," rocking a fedora and pouring all his blue-eyed soul into the tune while throwing in a spin and some gospel ad-libs. Kara loved the bluesy, soulful return of the singer they fell in love with. Paula said Giraud picked the perfect song. Simon called it "a billion times better" than Giraud's last performance, but not before turning the dagger a bit and trashing Giraud's outfit and resemblance to gray-haired season five "Idol" winner Taylor Hicks.

Utah's Corkrey picked a jammer, "Black Horse & the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall, again busting out her signature hip-swiveling dance and throwing some jazz grit into the acoustic pop tune. The judges were unanimous in their love for the model-pretty tattooed mom, and all agreed that Corkrey has the contemporary look and sound the karaoke show desperately needs.

Von Smith, 22, who was eliminated just 24 hours earlier, picked the Elton John weeper "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," leaning hard on his feathery falsetto but still looking a bit nervous as he stared intently into the camera. Simon said it was boring and ordinary. Kara said he got too serious and dark, sealing his fate once again.

Another judge favorite, 16-year-old Murray, went the big ballad route, taking on Christina Aguilera's "Reflection" with a powerful, soaring vocal that showed her confidence and range. It paid off in a big way, as Simon gushed about her "brave" choice of song, and Kara marveled at the "really big voice" she'd never noticed before.

It's been a few weeks since we saw Ricky Braddy, but the 26-year-old North Carolina native gave it another shot by biting into Steve Wonder's "Superstition." The latest male "Idol" to rock a somewhat lame faux-hawk, he wore skin-tight black jeans, a white shirt, black tie and gray vest, as he bounced all over the stage. His vocals also jumped all over the place. The judges all praised his energy and personality, but Simon said that in the end, it was all a bit "clumsy" and karaoke.

One of this season's most controversial contestants, Tatiana Del Toro, 24, the Puerto Rican weeper who all of a sudden developed a much thicker accent Thursday night, again chose the fittingly dramatic warhorse, Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You." Wearing a shimmering black-and-silver cocktail dress, Del Toro came out a bit tentative at first but got stronger as the tune went on and proved, despite all the distractions, why she was back in the competition.

The judges' questioned the sudden accent — Del Toro said it creeps back when she's "emotional" — as well as her decision to sing the same song for the second time in a row. That led to a tense, loopy back-and-forth with Simon about song choice that likely sealed the judge's decision.

Up last was Chapel Hill, North Carolina's Desai, who was out to prove that "Noop Dogg" was back by busting out Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative." He worked the mic, popped his collar, brought some serious attitude and got the crowd on their feet, even if his vocals were a bit shaky and the backup singers ended up doing too much heavy lifting. Simon compared him to "an enthusiastic dog." The judge also said that while he wasn't the best singer, people clearly liked him, and he might offer the cast of the show some personality. (Has Simon ever referred to the singers as "the cast" before?)

Kara said he made her want to dance, and she's not one to dance. Paula actually did get up and dance during his performance, which she loved. When the judges told Desai he made it through, he covered his face in shock, then gave a shout-out to his college town of Chapel Hill, which was in the news because of a memorial service for University of North Carolina Student Body President Eve Carson, who was murdered a year ago Thursday.

"Idol" settles into a regular schedule next Tuesday, when the top 13 perform during a two-hour show. They face elimination the next night (March 11), when Clarkson will sing her new hit, "My Life Would Suck Without You," and West will perform "Heartless."

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

Related Videos Related Photos

Tidak ada komentar: