Glee Season 4 Britney 2.0 Clips: Who's Singing Hold It Against Me? - Cinema Blend

published: 2012-09-19 08:52:49

Tomorrow night's episode of Glee will once again feature a tribute to Britney Spears. One of the clips we have to show you from "Britney 2.0" gives us a look at a very energetic performance of one of Spears' songs. We also have a look at what Rachel's dealing with.

We got a glimpse of the "Hold it Against Me" performance in the promos we shared yesterday. And now we can show you the full performance, which has Brittany taking the lead and backed up by the rest of the Cheerios.

Does it seem like Kitty is trying to nudge her way into the lead? Are Brittany and Kitty going to be rivals? Kitty strikes me as the type not to care about seniority. I could see her trying to bully her way to the top of the pyramid among the Cheerios.

Meanwhile, in New York, Rachel has her own opinionated blonde to contend with. In this clip, it looks like Cassandra July is once again trying to hold Rachel back. It's tango time and guess who's being left out and put down?

How long is Rachel going to have to put up with this? Don't get me wrong, I think it's good that she's being put in the position to have to prove herself, but it seems like Ms. July is putting a lot of effort into singling Rachel out. Sooner or later, I expect we'll get some answers about the situation. There has to be a reason the woman doesn't like her. Maybe Rachel reminds Cassandra of someone she doesn't like?

Glee airs Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox.

Get the Fall TV Premiere schedule for primetime series here.

Britney Spears throws joint birthday party for her sons - NDTV

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Britney Spears Takes Young Singers Under Her Wing To Escape The Toxic ... - PerezHilton.com

9/18/2012 1:09 PM ET | Filed under: TV News > Britney Spears > X Factor > will.i.am

And boy are they glad to be out of the shade!!

BritBrit, you are looking HOT!

Seriously, gurl! It's over 100 degrees out there! You look like you're melting!

But we do adore those pretty green highlights you've added to your wonderful head of hair!

Britney Spears and the always cool will.i.am had fun in the Malibu sun this weekend while they taped segments for an upcoming X Factor episode!

The two of them will mentor her hand-picked group of contestants and we're sure everyone involved was thrilled just to find a shady place to plant their tushles during this killer heatwave!

Brit personally coached each X Factor hopeful but several were eliminated from the competition right there on the spot!

Getting a thumbs-down from Brit might be crushing for these would-be stars but there are worse places one can receive bad news than at the delightful diva's beautiful beach mansion!

[Image via AKM-GSI.]

Tags: britney spears, heatwave, malibu, music minute, reality television, tv news, will.i.am, x factor

Britney Spears releases 'Till the World Ends' Twister Dance Remix to iTunes - Examiner.com

Earlier this month, Britney Spears premiered the music video for the Twister Dance Remix of “Till the World Ends.” While the clip featured some of the song's revamped production, Spears has released the full-length version of the new remix to iTunes today. The remix features Britney's original version of “World” with some industrial updates.

“People, the #TillTheWorldEndsTwisterRemix is on iTunes today. How HOT is this?!” Spears wrote on Twitter about the remix's debut.

The Twister Dance Remix of “Till the World Ends” opens with a robotic voice announcing the tune's title then it goes into the product's catchphrase by repeating “rock the spots,” a line Spears fiercely delivers in the video. Britney gets in on the action, declaring: “This the Twister Remix,” over a harder and dubstep-influenced sound. It then becomes a familiar listen as the original version of “World” plays with the robot chiming it every now and then with a scattered “Twister Remix.” Producer Dr. Luke enlisted Cirkut to re-imagine the song's breakdown that now features more industrial and sped-up production.

“Till the World End” reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart last year after Spears featured Nicki Minaj and song co-writer Ke$ha on The Femme Fatale Remix. This latest Twister Dance reincarnation of “World” will definitely stir up interest again in the apocalyptic standout track from 2011's Femme Fatale album.

When Spears isn't rocking the spots for Twister, she can be seen as a judge on the second season of FOX's The X Factor.

For e-mail updates whenever a new article is posted, please subscribe at the top of the page; also follow me on Twitter @MyPrerogative15.

X Factor 2 Premiere: The Best and Worst of the Auditions - HULIQ

From the bad performers to the great, thousands turned out for the "X Factor" Season 2 live auditions to hopefully hear Simon Cowell, L. A. Reid, Demi Lovato, and Britney Spears say they have what it takes to compete for a $5 million recording contract.

Well, it finally arrived: The second season of "X Factor," complete with two new judges, Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, and no new host (as yet). Simon Cowell returned, of course, with his sparring buddy, producer L. A. Reid. And after making a big show of the star power of the show -- the crowds, the screams, the much louder screaming when Britney appeared -- the "X Factor" Season 2 got down to doing what it does: Selecting fodder for the star-maker machine.

There were several great voices that made it through to the "boot camp" round of the competition. First up was Paige Thomas, who was there with her family and 3-year-old daughter, who was just cuteness personified. The producers were all about making viewers sympathize with the young mother, editing in snarky commentary from two Texas sisters, one of which, Kaci Newton, would be auditioning and launching her career as the next Michael Jackson (her hyperbole). But the two haters shut up when Paige, who had a Rihanna-like vibe (although she's much prettier) because of her outfit and hair, belted out Mary J. Blige's "I'm Going Down."

Then there was Reed Deming, a 13-year-old who looked like a younger version of Justin Bieber, hair and all. Although he said he was his own person and didn't want to be part of the Bieber stereotype ("I gotta be me," he said), he didn't seem to mind the attention and people telling him who he looked like. But when he got before the judges, his cuteness won most of them over. But Simon being Simon was all business and stopped him partway through his shaky performance of Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain." He got him to sing another Mars tune, "Grenade," where young Reed redeemed himself, getting four yeses from the judges.

Although groups don't tend to do all that well in these types of competitions (note how quickly they disappeared during the first season of "X Factor" and the lack of group winners on like shows that allow them into the contests), that doesn't mean there aren't a few worthy of consideration and talented enough to get recording deals. A trio of young guys called Emblem3 were trying to distance themselves from being called a boy band and even got some pointers from an ex-boy band member prior to hitting the stage. But where Vincent Thomas failed to win the judges' approval, Emblem3 got their attention and approval with an original song called "Sunset Boulevard."

It was during Emblem3's performance that Demi possibly solidified her role as the panel's flirt. She seemed to be flirtatious with all the young men that hit the stage. Simon apparently has taken on the role of surrogate father, often chiding her on her behavior.

Possibly the best voice of the premiere came late with Jennel Garcia's performance of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' "Paris (Ooh La La)." A self-admitted she-rocker who listened to Pat Benatar, the teen's stage presence was visceral. She walked the stage and worked the audience, totally getting into the song. The judges loved her, as well they should have.

The one true tearjerker moment of the night came at the end with the performance of Jillian Jensen, a 19-year-old whose different-ness had made her the target of bullying most of her life. When she shared her story, Demi commiserated. She and L. A. both told the young singer that the bullies were watching her (a "so how do you like me now?" kind of confidence booster) and not the other way around. She sang Jessie J's "Who You Are" and broke down before the end, responding to the crowd's approval, but amazingly kept control of her vocals. Demi went up on stage and hugged her.

And what would auditions shows be without the bad, the horrible, the delusional? The Season 2 premiere had its share of those acts as well.

Of course there was the aforementioned self-appointed snob and unasked parental advice bestower (she said she couldn't believe Paige Thomas brought her child to the audition), Kaci Newton. She told the cameras before going on that her voice was a cross between Carrie Underwood and Adele. But when she got on stage and auditioned with Katy Perry's "Firework," she couldn't manage even the vocal equivalency of a tiny firecracker. When the judges told her she wasn't very good, she said she didn't want to hear that. And perhaps those who belittle others are better heard drowned out by a church choir (of which she admitted being a member).

There was Don Phillips, who worked with Britney a decade ago and was trying to get back into the business. He had a unique sound but one the judges didn't care for. His emotional appeal to Britney to give him a "yes" when all the other judges had given him a "no" was heartbreaking but she held firm and gave him a "no" as well. He broke down backstage, sobbing that he hadn't meant to hurt Britney. For her part, the 30-year-old pop star was devastated, but her fellow judges offered support and told her that she did the right thing not giving Phillips false hope.

But false hope is exactly what they gave Quatrele Da'an Smith, the obvious male crossdresser who might have seen too many Madonna videos -- or maybe completely mesmerized by Dennis Rodman in a dress as a child. Smith gave a completely atrocious performance of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" (of course). And although awful in presentation, Smith's vocals weren't altogether as bad as the act. Only L. A. stood against him getting through to boot camp and when Simon cast his "yes" to get the young man through, L. A. shot Simon an incredulous look. But Simon said he liked Smith, even after telling him that the cake decorator looked like the progeny of Madonna, Bobby Brown and Dracula.

But the one guy that got a quick series of yeses was Shawn Armenta, a 50-years-old self-styled songwriter who said he'd been preparing for "X Factor" for one year and six months (and that's exactly the way he said it). He performed a song of his own composition, "Candy Girls." If one can imagine an uncoordinated flight deck coordinator on an aircraft carrier bringing in a jet crossed with someone trying to emulate the dance moves from the old Bangles video "Walk Like An Egyptian," the description might still pale in comparison to what Armenta was attempting on stage. When the judges panned him, he got defensive. Demi's critique of his vocals got a reply of: "That's why you use auto-tune." Britney told him he made her uncomfortable just looking at her. Backstage he stated that the judges had been unfair and he'd worked too hard -- but not once did Armenta mention going back to the dance studios and singing coaches and demanding the return of his money from those "trainers" that took advantage of him.

But if there's one thing viewers learned about Britney Spears' debut as a judge on "X Factor," it was that she doesn't have to say anything to get her verdict across. Her reactions to the auditions couldn't be more obvious if they were blinking in neon above her head. Although it could be suggested she work on her poker face, there was something truly honest about about Britney's body language that telegraphed where he decisions were headed: the various frowns, the painful grimaces, the wrinkled noses, the squinted eyes, the widened eyes, the quick withdrawals as if dodging a slap.

And viewers kept hearing "Britney's mean," which is what the producers of the show have been trying to sell over the summer: Britney as sort of a smaller sexy blonde version of the King of Mean, Simon Cowell. But she didn't come off quite as mean as she did honest to the point of being abrupt. She didn't waste time with a lot of explanations or dream-destroying metaphors, which is Simon's forte. To be fair, blunt and honest does not make one mean.

And Demi? Besides obviously establishing herself as the resident flirt on the panel, she appeared to take her role as judge seriously. With her hair pull back from her face, she looked as if she was trying to present a more mature Demi (she turned 20 on August 20). For the most part, she succeeded. When she didn't, it was during moments when Simon seemed to take amusement in needling her about her love life.

All in all, the "X Factor" Season 2 premiere was harmonious and professional -- but how long will that last? When the judges start competing with their teams and the critiques start getting personal or self-serving, will the comradery hold? And just how well will the two new judges do as mentors? There are still a few more auditions to wade through before boot camp and the mentoring at the judges' houses, though, but the acts getting the younger judges as mentors will have to worry that their relative inexperience might work against them in the competition.

But uncertainty is the spark of anticipation and it is why we watch.

The final verdict on the judges: L. A. Reid is still fair and all business; Demi Lovato adds enthusiasm and youthful honesty; Britney Spears is abruptly honest and lacks patience, which might be a good thing; but Simon Cowell reclaimed his crown as the "King of Mean" without really trying, despite the promos pushing Britney as "mean" and being quick to say no. As a team, they seem to work well together... so far.

"X Factor" airs on Fox Television on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. (EST).

(photo credit: Alison Martin, Creative Commons)

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Christina Aguilera Is Happy To Share Primetime With Rival Fellow Judge Britney ... - PerezHilton.com

While Simon Cowell may still be furious with producers at NBC over their last minute decision to air an episode of The Voice during the second season premiere of The X Factor - and steal the competition's ratings in the process - we're thrilled to know that the animosity hasn't made its way down to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera!

While the decision was initially rumored to be an attempt to re-ignite a rivalry between the ladies, and steal the thunder from Brit's reality television debut, Xtina is once again speaking out on the matter, and is insistent that there is no bad blood between the pop stars!

She says:

“I welcome them on to the TV family; it’s a fun place to be… We’ve been in this business for a long time and I have nothing but respect for Britney… There’s room for all of us.”

And we are DELIGHTED to hear this!

Leave the feuding to the producers and networks!

There's been enough women being pitted against women in pop culture, and we're so thrilled that both these supremely talented ladies have been so supportive of each other as they transition into such important mentorship roles for the next generation of musicians coming up through these shows!

Here's hoping they can keep it up!

[Images via WENN.]

Tags: alleged, britney spears, christina aguilera, competition, feud, premiere, reality television, rivalry, rumors, simon cowell, the voice, welcome, x factor

Britney Spears Throws Arcade Birthday Bash for Sons Sean Preston and Jayden ... - Celebuzz

Is Britney a 'X Factor' diva?

Simon Cowell sets the record straight on Spears' demands. Read More »

Britney Spears' Boys

Sean Preston & Jayden James through the years! 19 Photos »

Britney vs. Demi's Style

Vote in their studded style showdown. Read More »

Britney Channels Simon

The singer has a bit of a bite in a new X Factor promo. Read More »

BRITNEY'S BOYS ARE GROWING UP

Britney Spears is many things â€" a talented entertainer, singer and X Factor host â€" but her first priority is being a mom to sons Sean Preston and Jayden James.

The 31-year-old  planned a fun birthday bash for her boys â€" Sean turned seven on Friday, and Jayden turned six last Wednesday â€" over the weekend at an arcade and trampoline park called Sky High in Calabasas, Calif., E! News reports. Spears’ fiance Jason Trawick was along for the ride, plus Spears’ father and sister Jamie Spears.

But the party wasn’t just a family affair. Over 20 kids were there to help Sean and Jayden celebrate their big days, including two tiny internet sensations.

Who enjoyed playing video games and eating cake with the birthday boys? 

Ellen correspondents Sophia Grace, 8, and Rosie, 5, were reportedly both in attendance when it came time sing “Happy Birthday.”

A source close to E! News said, “Britney was smiling ear-to-ear during the whole party and enjoyed watching her kids play with their friends… She looked overjoyed and at one point was singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to them.”

As for the other man in Spears’ life, despite reports that there was trouble in paradise over the summer, the singer and her scruffy beau are still going strong. Trawick proposed to Spears in last December after more than two years of dating.

Spears was previously married to childhood sweetheart Jason Alexander, although their marriage was annulled after just 55 hours in January 2004. She later married her backup dancer Kevin Federline in 2004. However, the couple divorced in 2006.

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'Britney 2.0': Hear a 'Glee' mashup of 'Crazy' and '(You Drive Me) Crazy' - Entertainment Weekly

Yes, those are two different songs. The first is a hard-rocking single from Aerosmith’s 1993 album Get a Grip; the second is a bit of pop fluff by Britney Spears, best known as the theme from the 1999 teen movie Drive Me Crazy. Mashed together and stripped down, they form a low-key super song that sounds just lovely when performed acoustically by Jacob Artist and Melissa Benoist â€" a.k.a. Jake Puckerman and Marley Rose, two of McKinley High’s newest students.

You could wait to hear their romantic blend on Thursday, when Glee‘s second Britney Spears-themed episode airs… or you could listen to the song now simply by clicking below the jump.

All hail the Good Ship Jarley!

Read more:
‘Glee’: Brittany S. Pierce and the Cheerios cover Britney Spears’ ‘Hold It Against Me’ â€" VIDEO
‘Glee’ season premiere recap: New York State of Mind
‘It’s Time’ rockers Imagine Dragons on their hit debut album, meeting Emma Watson, and getting covered on ‘Glee’

Commentary: Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears 'Toxic' for 'American Idol' and ... - OSU - The Lantern

I’ve had enough of music reality shows like “American Idol” and “The X Factor” and their new judges.

The shows continue to cycle through new judges hoping to entice new viewers, thinking personalities are enough to keep people captivated. But it’s still the same tired act year after year â€" especially for “American Idol,” which begins its 12th season in January.

There are weirdos that still come on and are awful to listen to, which somehow people like. Then there are the inspirational stories of the person who is still singing despite adversity (but doesn’t make it past the second or third round). It’s boring, predictable and old. And new judges are not the answer.

Mariah Carey and Keith Urban, new “American Idol” judges, are musically irrelevant. I know they have both had hits, but has there really been anything recent from them that established them as people who can judge others’ talent? I would have to Google them just to look up a name of one of their hits. Perhaps Carey was just tired of her husband Nick Cannon somehow being more popular than her.

Demi Lovato. I don’t think I even have to say anything about this new judge on “The X Factor,” so I won’t.

The real problem is, however, that “American Idol’s” Nicki Minaj and “The X Factor’s” Britney Spears are train wrecks of people.

Minaj, who was a pretty decent rapper, has seemed to reproduce the same-sounding song for the last year, yelling in her angry woman voice about as often as Pitbull says “dale.” Which, for those who don’t know, is way too often.

I wouldn’t want her judging my talents if I were on the show. Let’s put it this way, when Minaj tweeted April 6 she would soon visit Brazil, Brazil’s tourism twitter account @VisitBrasil even tweeted at Minaj saying “no thanks ... really, stay wherever it is you are.”

And while Spears looks more sane in comparison, I wouldn’t want to take advice from someone who went crazy, shaved her head and slept with her back-up dancer.

Where is the credibility in having Spears as a judge? Based on her wacky past, I’m having a hard time finding it. Is she supposed to inspire the contestants to sleep with and then marry a Federline-type? One of Spears’ marriages lasted only 55 hours. That’s 1,673 hours shorter than the current standard of short-lived weddings set by Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.

What great role models these shows have picked out.

It seems like “American Idol” has realized the only time it gets attention is when there ARE train wrecks, and it’s certainly running with it.

With the idiots Simon Cowell would rip apart, Paula Abdul appearing as high as a kite or being rumored to have affairs with contestants and William Hung being so bad that people listen to him, “American Idol” is desperate for controversy â€" so much so that last season it pushed Steven Tyler to be meaner, according to a July issue of Rolling Stone.

None of those tactics worked, with all three of those judges having moved on and William Hung having faded back into obscurity.

It seemed like Cowell got smart and left because of the “Idol” antics, but bringing Spears aboard his new show just puts “The X Factor” right back in the same company as “American Idol.”

With shows such as “The Voice” doing things completely different in a good way, it’s obvious feeding the flames of ridiculousness is not the answer. These shows need to re-evaluate from the ground up where they want to go because right now it looks like they only want to go down in a ball of flaming trashiness.

The Voice Season 3, Blind Auditions Round 4: Remixing Britney Spears and ... - Wetpaint

Beat  Frequency (Natasha and Sean)

A few duos came and went with little luck, and then came married couple Natasha and Sean. Known as “Beat Frequency,” the Christian rockers who had their first date in the studio were hoping to break the duo dry spell and make it past the blind auditions.

Singing Katy Perry and Kanye West’s “E.T,” the two seemed to be a little nervous, but their unique sound got the usually tentative Christina Aguilera to turn her chair. She must have heard something the rest of the judges (and we) didn’t, but kudos to the pair who made it on the pop star’s team unchallenged.

Tyler Lillestol

Next up to bat was a baseball player from California who was ready to trade in the field for the stage.Tyler Lillestol came to the show with the Usher classic, “U Got It Bad,” and though the scrawny kid didn’t seem like he would be able to do the R&B slow jam justice, he actually managed to take it home. The coaches, however, didn’t agree, and thought the song didn’t properly showcase his talent, nicely telling him to pack it in and hit the showers.

Maybe he can be on Team Usher, spring 2013!

Liz Davis

A southern belle with a bad streak, Liz Davis was the next one to step to the stage. Coming from the country capital of Nashville, Tennessee, Liz has tried her hand at singing before, but came to the show hoping to be the first country singer to win the whole thing. But first, the blind audition. Singing Gretchen Wilson’s “Here For The Party,” Liz had her game face (and hot pants) on, with a strong smoky voice that got Christina and Adam to turn, and finally at the last moment, Blake Shelton.

Though he was the last to turn, he had the biggest bargaining chip: his ACM award for Male Vocalist of the Year, which ended up being a pretty good selling point, easily getting the country gal to choose his team.

JR Aquino

Though the next auditionee was from Alaska, he still managed to find fame on the mainland, through the magical power of YouTube. As one of the top 100 subscribed musicians in the world, JR Aquino came looking to translate his virtual fame for the real thing. Singing Bruno Mars’s “Just The Way You Are,” in a way that reminded the judges of well, Bruno Mars, Adam and Christina were quickly convinced of the dude’s talent and turned around with Cee Lo getting in right before the buzzer. And good thing too, because JR ended up choosing the “Crazy” singer to bring his talents to the main stage.

Agina Alvarez

A towel girl at a country club in Toluca Lake, Agina got a personal invite from Carson Daly to come down and audition. Even after securing two different recording contracts and moving her family closer to Los Angeles for her chance, things didn’t work out for the young singer. Kicking things off with a powerful rendition of  Gloria Estefan’s “Turn The Beat Around,” Agina gave a fun and energetic performance that somehow failed to sway the coaches.  Even though Blake said that he was “embarrassed” for all of them for not realizing her talent sooner, it was back to the tennis courts for this hopeful.

'The Voice' Recap: Xtina Doesn't Turn Around for Britney Spears - BuddyTV

The Voice is back for its second week of blind auditions of season 3. It's been a good week for the show, crushing The X Factor in the ratings on Wednesday. And with that in mind, I assume the first audition of the night being a girl who sings a Britney Spears song is a not-so-subtle dig at The Voice's competition.

As the judges arrive, Cee Lo Green still has Lady the Pink Cockatoo and we learn that Purrfect the Cat is forced to wait in the car. I hope he cracked a window. Maybe more singers would pick Cee Lo if they he was stroking his lucky kitty in his chair.

Melanie Martinez ("Toxic" by Britney Spears)

This 17-year-old photographer dresses like a cross between Olive Oyl and Vicki from Small Wonder and has a gap in her teeth that makes Anna Paquin look normal. She does a weird acoustic version of the Britney classic with a tambourine. The best part is Christina Aguilera's bitchface, because she looks like she's trying really hard not to look like she HATES this Britney Spears song.

Coaches: Adam, Cee Lo and Blake turn around. It's impossible not to read a whole lot into the fact that Xtina is the only coach who didn't turn around on a Britney song. Adam Levine thinks she sounds like Bjork and Blake Shelton disses him because he thinks she sounds like a true original. She joins Team Adam.

Cupid ("Cupid Shuffle" by Cupid)

This song was a viral hit five years ago and it's basically hip-hop's answer to the Electric Slide. Apparently he was a one-hit wonder, but since I've never heard of his song, I consider him a no-hit non-wonder. If he's really trying to avoid being labeled a one-hit wonder, singing your one hit is probably not the best idea.

Coaches: No one turns around. Of course not. This is basically the same as when that boy band kid from Dream Street auditioned last week. Cee Lo recognizes him and wonders why this guy is even here. Stupid Cupid, it's your own damn fault for crappy song selection.

Brian Scartocci ("Isn't She Lovely? By Stevie Wonder)

He's a single dad with impossible cute kids. He has a really odd speaking voice and an equally strange singing voice. He's a very good singer, but I simply don't enjoy the tone of his voice.

Coaches: Adam, Cee Lo and Blake turn around. Xtina must be in a foul mood today. Blake's pitch is that they both wear jeans, vests and belt buckles and they both have beards. Oh Blake, you're so charming, and it's a lot more appealing than Adam's shameless "I sang with Stevie and I want to hear you sing with him too." He joins Team Adam. Brian said before coming he was sure he was gonna pick Cee Lo, but clearly he didn't stick to that. This marks 12 battles in a row Cee Lo has lost to a fellow coach.

Beat Frequency ("E.T." by Katy Perry)

After a series of bad duos we meet this married couple, Shawn and Natasha. His bald head and white sunglasses set off my hipster d-bag alarm. He's what would happen if you put Spencer Pratt's brain in the body of Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins and she looks like a white trash Xtina.

Coaches: Christina is the only coach who turns around. They join Team Xtina.

Tyler Lillestol ("U Got It Bad" by Usher)

He's a huge baseball fan and got invited to The Voice on the Jumbo-Tron at Dodger Stadium after singing the National Anthem. It's not all that great, especially compared to Phillip Phillips' awesome version of this song from last season of American Idol.

Coaches: No one turn around. They just didn't think he did enough with it.

Liz Davis ("Here for the Party" by Gretchen Wilson)

She's a country girl who loves riding four-wheelers. I'm pretty sure "Team Blake" is stamped somewhere on her body already.  She has a ton of energy and I think she's better at showmanship than singing.

Coaches: Adam, Christina and Blake turn around. Blake waits until the last minute then busts out his ACM Award for Male Vocalist of the Year. Blake simply says that as she listens to "the barrage of crap" coming from Adam and Xtina, Liz should just remember that Blake IS country music. She joins Team Blake. Of course she does.

J.R. Aquino ("Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars)

He's an Alaskan YouTube sensation with over 45 million views. He tells us that he doesn't live in an igloo, which makes me like him, but also makes me wish he DID live in an igloo. I think the coaches get swept away in the song, because his voice isn't all that strong.

Coaches: Adam, Christina and Cee Lo turn around. Cee Lo points out that he waited so long because he noticed there were some problems with the falsetto parts, which there were. He joins Team Cee Lo. Wait, what? No one EVER picks Cee Lo. I guess constructive criticism pays off.

Agina Alvarez ("Turn the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson)

She's been signed before and made a Latin album, but then got shelved. She's a pretty young thing, but her story of struggle isn't as impactful as others. She lost her album deal and her dad lost his job, but then he got a NEW job and her family still supports her career. But maybe they shouldn't. She's very loud and has a very deep, mannish voice. It's quite off-putting.

Coaches: No one turns around. They all think she's pretty, but Xtina nails it by saying the performance was at a 10 the entire time and there were no dimensions.

Nicholas David ("Stand by Me" by Ben E. King)

He has a giant beard and he used to drink a lot and ballooned up to over 300 pounds before meeting his wife and changing his life around for the better. It's hard to pay attention to his singing because all I want to do is shave his crazy facial hair. The dude doesn't need a recording contract, he needs a makeover.

Coaches: Cee Lo turns around. This marks his third uncontested team member. He joins Team Cee Lo. Lady the Pink Cockatoo is very happy, probably because she thinks she can make a nest in Nicholas' beard.

Alessandra Guercio ("The Climb" by  Miley Cyrus)

She goes to the school from Fame. I wonder if she's gonna live forever on this show. She makes the song sound better than it is.

Coaches: Adam and Cee Lo turn around. Adam admits there were some issues, but she has potential. Cee Lo doesn't seem to really want her on his team, so he rambles like Seth MacFarlane doing Ryan Lochte on Saturday Night Live. She joins Team Adam.

Adanna Duru, Kelly Crapa and Paulina

Then we get a quick montage of successful teenagers. Fifteen-year-old Adanna joins Team Adam, 15-year-old Kelly joins Team Blake and 16-year-old Paulina joins Team Xtina.

Avery Wilson ("Without You" by David Guetta)

He's from a family of dancers, but his dad recognized that 16-year-old Avery is more of a singer. His dad is right, because right away it's obvious he has an amazing voice and is a great showman. This guy might be there at the end.

Coaches: All four coaches turn around. Blake obviously didn't want to because he knows he has no shot of getting this guy on his team, but he had to press his button because Avery is THAT good. He joins Team Cee Lo. Congrats, Cee Lo, you went from two straight episodes of losing every singer you turned around for to winning a four-coach battle. Clearly Cee Lo has his mojo back.

(Image courtesy of NBC)

Slideshow'The Voice' Season 3: Meet Christina Aguilera's Team

Britney vs. Christina – Who was more popular on Facebook? EXCLUSIVE - Entertainment Weekly (blog)

Image Credit: Nino Munoz/Fox

It’s the diva battle as old as time (or, at least, 1999): Britney Spears vs. Christina Aguilera.

With both women’s television shows premiering last week, Facebook’s Talk Meter, a tool that measures chatter on Facebook by looking at current chatter compared to the baseline, was able to measure which singer was buzziest and EW has the exclusive results.

The takeaway points?

-Britney is currently leading Christina in mention counts on Facebook.

-Britney saw a higher spike on the night The X Factor premiered (Sept. 12), with her mentions going up 2,375%. Christina’s mentions “only”  went up 450% during the premiere of The Voice (Sept. 10).

-Both Spears and X Factor scored highest among women 25-34. Aguilera and The Voice hit their peaks with women 35-44. Interestingly, both Aguilera and The Voice‘s top three demos were all women, while men were interested in Spears. Men ages 25-34 were Spears’ second-highest scorers.

-Aguilera should consider touring in North Dakota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Delaware â€" those were the states where she was mentioned the most. The Voice was popular in North Dakota, Iowa, West Virginia, and Oklahoma (Paging Blake Shelton!).

-Spears’ next cross-country jaunt should hit Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Louisiana and California. Talk Meter reports that those were the buzziest states for the southern-born star. Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California all loved The X Factor, too.

Despite the heavier buzz for the revamped X Factor, The Voice wound up having more viewers this week â€" even with Britney to contend with. It’ll be interesting to see if The Voice is able to maintain their lead. You could argue that The X Factor is slow right now because it isn’t yet live, and more people might tune in if they have the chance to see unedited Spears.

We’re a week in to the vocal battles (not to be confused with the Battle Rounds on The Voice). Have you checked out both programs? Which show are you sticking with?

Read more:
Britney vs. Xtina: Fashion Face-Off!
‘The X Factor’ recap: Britney Spears Gives Good Face
‘X Factor’: Britney brings the joy and the pain

Be a Star, Then You Can Judge - New York Times

Years from now, Christina Aguilera will be remembered for her glamour, her scandalous take on femme-pop and her Brobdingnagian voice. But she should also be remembered as the person who almost single-handedly reshaped music-competition reality programming. Her legacy as a judge on “The Voice,” on NBC, may well turn out to be deeper and more profound than the one she’s forged in her music career.

Securing Ms. Aguilera in 2011 was a coup for a show that needed to differentiate itself from Fox’s “American Idol,” which had just signed Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez as judges.

But for all their fame, Mr. Tyler and Ms. Lopez were past their fertile period as hitmakers. Ms. Aguilera, though not quite in her prime, had been in the Billboard Top 10 as recently as 2008. Of the four mentor-judges of “The Voice,” she was the one most obviously slumming it on this television gig, even though she was coming off a bumpy professional period: a flop album, “Bionic”; an awkward and sloppy rendition of the national anthem at the 2011 Super Bowl; and an arrest on a charge of public intoxication.

But Ms. Aguilera was an undeniable contemporary pop star, and her presence elevated those around her: Blake Shelton, a country star largely unknown outside that world; Adam Levine, the frontman of a popular but ineffectual band, Maroon 5; and Cee Lo Green, accidentally, and briefly, a pop star as part of Gnarls Barkley.

Broadly speaking, it’s because of Ms. Aguilera that on Sunday, after weeks of speculation, it was announced that Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, contemporary hitmakers both, would become part of the “Idol” judge panel. (They effectively replace Mr. Tyler and Ms. Lopez.) They join Mariah Carey, who signed on in July and is now the panel’s unlikely éminence grise, and Randy Jackson, the lone holdover from “Idol” 1.0.

Ms. Aguilera’s shadow also extends over “The X Factor,” the Fox competition that last week gave its new judge-mentor panel its debut: the two older male executives, L. A. Reid and Simon Cowell, remain from Season 1, but the two women, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, have been replaced by more current names: the former Disney star Demi Lovato and the former Aguilera nemesis Britney Spears. Ms. Spears had a No. 1 album last year, and Ms. Lovato has had two Top 20 singles in the last 14 months.

It is no longer a choice between music star and television star. In fact, to be modern, it’s best to be a little of both. Ms. Aguilera, Ms. Spears, Ms. Minaj and Ms. Lovato are all more or less current pop stars. On a smaller scale, the same goes for Mr. Urban, Mr. Shelton, Mr. Green and Mr. Levine. Ms. Carey, while older and more experienced, is certainly still an active pop threat.

As a group, they’re using these shows not as a platform for stalled-career kick-starting, but as part of a portfolio of activities that reflect current music business realities. Network television â€" even on its worst day â€" is an extremely dangerous and powerful delivery platform, and one that must look even more attractive as the music industry struggles to sustain its thinning revenue streams.

Originally, these shows were viewed with skepticism, which is perhaps why no current stars initially signed on as judges. The goal of the competitions was to build a star â€" the judges were central to that narrative, but weren’t meant to create waves of their own. Then Simon Cowell emerged as the great television villain of the Bush years, and the dynamic tilted.

“The Voice” was essentially a heavy bet on the Cowell model, which stipulated that the starmaking was nice, sure, but it could be complemented by judges with their own narratives of celebrity. “Idol,” the only one of these shows in which the judges and contestants have no mentoring relationship, also remains the only one with even a hint of noncelebrity on the panel.

And why wouldn’t current stars flock to these series? They are ratings kingpins, even if they get only half the audience of “American Idol” in its prime. The music industry is good at anointing stars but doesn’t always have the scale to sustain them, especially lately.

And to appear regularly in prime time is an almost certain career boon. For Ms. Spears and Ms. Lovato (and Ms. Aguilera before them), the job has also been cleansing, replacing occasionally unsteady public images with those of responsibility and authority.

And, at some point, they may have new music to promote. Ms. Lopez’s single “On the Floor” reached No. 3 on the pop chart with heavy promotion on “Idol,” and Mr. Tyler’s group, Aerosmith, is on the verge of releasing its first album in eight years. Mr. Levine’s group Maroon 5 has had a string of “Voice”-assisted hits, including “Moves Like Jagger” and “Payphone.”

Last week Ms. Aguilera announced a new album, “Lotus” (RCA), to be released in November. In an interview that appeared on Billboard’s Web site (and was then removed), she indicated that she might be preparing to leave her chair on “The Voice,” at least for a spell.

Beginning to face questions about whether committing to “The Voice” means turning your back on your music career, one of the executive producers, Mark Burnett, insisted to Billboard, “There will never be anyone getting replaced, ever.” Mentors may take seasons off, though, to recharge their batteries, release new music and renew their relevance.

'Glee': 'Britney 2.0' Tracks Released For Season 4 Tribute (VIDEOS) - Huffington Post

The "Glee" cast does Britney Spears again.

It's that time of year again! Britney's on her way to "Glee..." at least music-wise.

In the video below, Heather Morris -- McKinley High's resident Brittany -- performs a dazzling rendition of Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me."

Additionally, RyanSeacrest.com has tracks of the cast singing "Gimme More" and "Oops ... I Did It Again."

Check them out below!

Make sure to catch the "Glee" cast's homage to Spears this Thurs., Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.

Loading Slideshow

• "Britney 2.0"

  The glee club gets its new song assignment in the "Britney 2.0."

• "Britney 2.0"

  Marley (Melissa Benoist, L), Unique (Alex Newell, C) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz, R) perform in the "Britney 2.0."

• "Britney 2.0"

  Marley (Melissa Benoist, L), Unique (Alex Newell, C) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz, R) perform in the "Britney 2.0."

• "Britney 2.0"

  Jake (Jacob Artist) is the new kid in town in the "Britney 2.0."

• "Britney 2.0"

  Marley (Melissa Benoist, L), Unique (Alex Newell, C) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz, R) perform in gym class in the "Britney 2.0."

• "Britney 2.0"

  Marley (Melissa Benoist, L), Unique (Alex Newell, C) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz, R) perform in gym class in the "Britney 2.0."

• "Britney 2.0"

  Rachel (Lea Michele, R) and Brody (Dean Geyer, L) partner up for a dance in the "Britney 2.0."

• "Britney 2.0"

  Rachel (Lea Michele, R) and Brody (Dean Geyer, L) partner up for a dance in the "Britney 2.0."

• "Britney 2.0"

  Rachel (Lea Michele) performs.

• "Britney 2.0"

  Rachel (Lea Michele) performs.

• "Britney 2.0"

  Rachel (Lea Michele, R) runs into Brody (Dean Geyer, L) on the streets of New York.

• The New Rachel

  Rachel (Lea Michele) performs in "The New Rachel."

• The New Rachel

  Will (Matthew Morrison, L) introduces a Marley (Melissa Benoist, R) as a new member of the glee club in "The New Rachel."

• The New Rachel

  Unique (guest star Alex Newell), Brittany (Heather Morris), Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) and Blaine (Darren Criss) ask Artie (Kevin McHale, bottom) to pick one of them as the next glee club star in "The New Rachel."

• The New Rachel

  Marley (Melissa Benoist) is a new member of the glee club in "The New Rachel."

• The New Rachel

  Rachel (Lea Michele, R) takes a dance class from Cassandra (guest star Kate Hudson) at NYADA in the "The New Rachel."

• The New Rachel

  Blaine (Darren Criss, L) and Kurt (Chris Colfer, R) hang out in "The New Rachel."

• Glee Season 4

  Darren Criss as Blaine

• Glee Season 4

  Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina

• Glee Season 4

  Kevin McHale as Artie

• Glee Season 4

  Jane Lynch as Sue

• Glee Season 4

  Becca Tobin as Kitty

• Glee Season 4

  Jacob Artist as Jake Puckerman

• Glee Season 4

  Chris Colfer as Kurt

• Glee Season 4

  Heather Morris as Brittany

• Glee Season 4

  Chord Overstreet as Sam

• Glee Season 4

  Naya Rivera as Santana

• Glee Season 4

  Amber Riley as Mercedes

• Glee Season 4

  Harry Shum Jr. as Mike

• Glee Season 4

  Mark Salling as Puck

• Glee Season 4

  Melissa Benoist as Marley

• Glee Season 4

  Dean Geyer as Brody

• Glee Season 4

  Lea Michele as Rachel

• Glee Season 4

  Guest star Kate Hudson as Cassandra

• Glee Season 4

  Matthew Morrison as Will

• Glee Season 4

  Cory Monteith as Finn

• Goodbye (Season Finale)

• Goodbye (Season Finale)

• Goodbye (Season Finale)

• Goodbye (Season Finale)

• Goodbye (Season Finale)

• Goodbye (Season Finale)

• Goodbye (Season Finale)

• Goodbye (Season Finale)

• Props/Nationals

  Lindsay Lohan guest stars

• Props/Nationals

  Lindsay Lohan guest stars

• Props/Nationals

  Lindsay Lohan guest stars

• Props/Nationals

  Scenes from "Glee's" "Props/Nationals" 2-hour episode.

• Props/Nationals

  Scenes from "Glee's" "Props/Nationals" 2-hour episode.

• Props/Nationals

  Scenes from "Glee's" "Props/Nationals" 2-hour episode.

• Props/Nationals

  Scenes from "Glee's" "Props/Nationals" 2-hour episode.

Related on HuffPost:

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'Glee' kids cover Britney Spears -- LISTEN HERE - Entertainment Weekly

Image Credit: Adam Rose/Fox

Oops…They’re doing it again.

It’s a double dose of Ms. Spears this Thursday on Fox. After The X Factor, the Glee kids will be honoring the pop princess with a second tribute episode â€" mostly focusing on her later work â€" and you can check out a preview below of Gimme More and Oops…I Did It Again (as first released by Ryan Seacrest‘s radio show).

In addition, you can also head over to Glee’s official music site to hear the McKinley kids (and NY transplants!) take on 3, a mash-up of Boys and Justin Bieber’s Boyfriend, Womanizer, and Hold It Against Me.

Who else wants to dance?

Read more:
‘Glee,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ’90210,’ ‘Bones,’ ‘NCIS’: Find out what’s next in the Spoiler Room
‘It’s Time’ rockers Imagine Dragons on their hit debut album, meeting Emma Watson, and getting covered on ‘Glee’
 ’Glee’ season premiere post-mortem: Cast gives scoop on what’s next!

GLEE First Listen! Lea Michele Gets SEXY For Britney 2.0! Plus, Newbie Gleeks ... - PerezHilton.com

Oh sweet Gleeverse, what a marvelous day it is!

First, we got an EXCLUSIVE first look at Thursday's explosive new episode, now THIS!

Make no mistake, we love Glee with all our hearts … but we love it the MOST when they pay homage to the one, the only, this generations ultimate pop princess, Miz Britney Spears. Two years ago, when the show first dedicated a whole hour to out Brit Brit, we never wanted to leave their John Stamos-induced Britney fantasy world. However, despite the lack of Britney and Uncle Jesse appearances in this particular episode, it looks Ryan Murphy and Co. are DELIVERING on the music end of this second tribute to the new X Factor queen.

We present to you the full line-up of tunes from Britney 2.0, starting off with an excellent and surprising remix of Opps! I Did It Again, sung by Princess Lea Michele. What makes this jam so incredible is that it has the feel that Opps! and Slave For You were melded together in perfect harmony. And unlike her Brit performance last time, this song fits the tone and range of Lea's voice perfectly. AND GOODNESS GLEE, IS SHE HOT OR WHAT??? Work that scaffolding, girl!

Check out the video (above) to see if you agree!

BUT THEN… you're going to want to CLICK THE JUMP to immerse yourself in a whole new world of Britney covers. There's an extra sweet and soothing duet by two of the newbies, Jacob Artist and Melissa Benoist, of (You Drive Me) Crazy and Crazy, and some group numbers of 3 and Womanizer! SUPER SWEET! And they are all here for your ears to enjoy… AFTER THE JUMP!!!

(You Drive Me) Crazy and Crazy

3

Everytime

Hold It Against Me

Womanizer

Boys/Boyfriend

Tags: brit brit, britney spears, duet, glee, jacob a, lea michele, melissa benoist, music, ryan murphy

The Voice Exclusive Sneak Peek: Britney Spears Cover Sparks Judges Battle - Seattle Post Intelligencer

Every season on The Voice, there are certain contestants who are clearly stars from Day 1. During Monday's blind auditions, Melanie Martinez secured a spot as one of those stars to watch this fall.

Ratings: The Voice trumps The X Factor head-to-head

With a voice as unique as her style, Martinez wowed the coaches during her hauntingly quirky rendition of Britney Spears' "Toxic." The cover earned the young singer three button pushes and soon the trio was battling it out to see who would get to add the unique singer to their team.

Watch the exclusive clip below. The Voice airs Mondays at 8/7c.

Who do you think Martinez should choose?

View original The Voice Exclusive Sneak Peek: Britney Spears Cover Sparks Judges Battle at TVGuide.com

Other Links From TVGuide.com

View the original article on TVGuide.com

For How Long Can Pop Stars Like Pink and Nelly Furtado Stay 'Alternative'? - The Atlantic

More than a decade after being marketed as anti-Britney Spearses, the two singers' new albums show that it's possible to keep making hits without abandoning a niche.

RCA / Interscope

Twelve years ago, pop music was undergoing a revolution. Primed by the glamorous extroversion of high-octane hip-hop and the wide appeal of the Spice Girls, and having fully assimilated the sonic possibilities of the electronic age, several dozen new talents stormed the charts and overthrew the powerhouse genres of the late '90s like grunge-pop (Matchbox 20, Goo Goo Dolls), adult contemporary (Céline Dion, Sarah McLachlan), crossover country (Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes), and female singer/songwriters (Alanis Morissette, Jewel). With shiny, forward-thinking productions by the likes of Max Martin, Timbaland, and the Neptunes, Britney Spears, 'N Sync, the Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Destiny's Child, and their peers claimed the attention of a generation of listeners.

If Pink has aged into a cheerfully wayward older sister, Furtado is aging into something of a high-fashion earth mother.

So of course there was going to be a reaction. Two singers who released debut albums in 2000 marketed themselves as more authentic alternatives to what a generation of older siblings and parents had dismissed from the beginning as fake, plastic pap. Rust Belt native Alecia Moore, who went by the stage name Pink (stylized as "P!nk"), was a gutsy singer in the Janis Joplin tradition. Her love of the volume and attitude of rock and roll delivered her an audience attracted by teenpop's flashy hooks but more comfortable with the sounds of guitars than synthesizers. Meanwhile, Canadian singer Nelly Furtado managed to get herself sold as "world music" without singing in any language but English on her debut album (some foreign markets got a Portuguese song). Her Portuguese heritage and gestures towards folk rootsiness on hit singles like "I'm Like a Bird" were enough to set her apart from the dance-pop realm.

Over the past decade, Furtado and Pink have occasionally struggled to maintain their musical identities as the enormous changes sweeping through the music industry have left everyone off balance. Pink went from growling in 2002 "Tired of being compared to damn Britney Spears / She's so pretty, that just ain't me," to hitting No. 1 in 2010 with "Raise Your Glass," co-written and produced by Spears's primary collaborator Max Martin. Furtado, meanwhile, went from giving voice to anti-pop listeners in "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)" to having a string of huge rhythm-heavy dance singlesâ€""Maneater," "Promiscuous," and "Give It to Me"â€"with hip-hop producer Timbaland in 2006 and 2007. But both singers have also continued to pursue the more varied audience and critical credibility that goes with the perceived authenticity of rock and world music. Pink worked with members of '90s punk traditionalists Rancid on her 2003 album Try This, and Furtado recorded a Spanish-language album, 2009's Mi Plan, a significant hit in Latin countries.

Both have entered their 30s at the turn of the decade with greatest-hits albums under their respective belts. But neither woman has enjoyed the sort of cross-platform success that their contemporaries Spears and Aguilera (currently judges on televised singing competitions), or Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé Knowles (film stars), have achieved. This could, of course, be interpreted as a preference for focusing on music and, as the pop-star commonplace has it, the fans. While both Pink and Furtado have been consistently successful within their home countries, they're both even more popular abroad: Pink in the UK and Australia, Furtado in Europe and Latin America.

They also both have new albums out this week. The Spirit Indestructible is Furtado's fifth album, and The Truth About Love is Pink's sixth, and they are both representative of the ways in which each woman has managed to carve out an identity for herself in the constantly changing pop marketplace.

Pink's rock fetish remains as strong as ever. If anything, it's even more straightforward: Lead single "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" imitates the guitar hook from Modest Mouse's "Float On," the crowing "Slut Like You" borrows the dynamic "woo-hoo"s from Blur's "Song 2," the midtempo "Just Give Me a Reason" is a duet with the lead singer of Fun., and "How Come You're Not Here" is anchored by as dirty a blues lick as anything the White Stripes or the Black Keys have pealed off. As her song titles indicate, Moore's lyrics tend towards the confrontational and crass, but her persona is also so big-hearted and vulnerable that she often comes across as more of a hard-drinking, foul-mouthed big sister to her presumably youthful pop audience. In the middle of its kiss-off, "Blow Me" empathizes, "I've had a shit day / You've had a shit day / We've had a shit day," and the stadium-rock anthem "Try" plays like a sequel to her 2011 It-Gets-Better ballad "Fuckin' Perfect," encouraging the despairing listener: "You gotta get up and try and try and try."

But if Pink has aged into a cheerfully wayward older sister, Furtado is aging into something of a high-fashion earth mother. Lead single "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" celebrates her signature First Nations-inspired earrings with references to ancient (in pop terms) '90s R&B songs, and the title track is pure hippie gauze given a solid rhythmic base. Elsewhere, song titles include "Miracles," "Bucket List," and "The Most Beautiful Thing," and sound like their titlesâ€"particularly the latter, a gorgeously spacey ballad with Portuguese singer Sara Tavares providing high harmonies. The gauziness unfortunately extends to the closing track, "Believers (Arab Spring)," a frustratingly vague anthem that mouths banalities about freedom and faith. Given that the last time she made headlines was over allegations that she had received $1 million to perform a private concert for the Qaddafi family, she might have been wiser to leave the parenthetical off.

Maybe surprisingly, both albums contain a song that owe a clear debt to the sassy, straight-talking girl-group music of the early 1960s. Perhaps even more surprisingly, they're both highlights of their respective albums. "The Truth About Love" is Pink's alternately cynical and touching position paper, declaring in one breath that the truth about love is "the regret in the morning, it's the smelling of armpits" and in the next that "it's all the poetry that you ever heard." She channels the sneer of the Shangri-Las' Mary Weiss, the attitude of Blondie's Debbie Harry, and the falsetto of Gene Pitney, before singing in her own voice "it'll turn you into a son of a bitch, man." Which in its own way is as true as any Hemingway sentence.

Furtado's girl-group homage is slightly more abstract. "Parking Lot" has all the "na-na-na"s and "hey hey"s that you might expect from the Crystals or Shirelles, but it also functions as a modern indie-R&B song, with a repeated one-note synth hook that recalls the post-punk grind of Suicide, and a last-minute breakdown as funkily pretty as anything by Prince. Still, the lyrical portrait of bored teenagers congregating in a parking lot and driving around playing music and giving one another attitude is as much Grease as it is hip-hop, and the handclap rhythms that drive the song have their own deep-rooted power of nostalgia.

The pop marketplace of 2012 is of course more crowded than the pop marketplace of 2000, when Pink and Furtado had their first hits. A whole new generation of pop stars and "realer" alternatives to those pop stars has sprung up in the interim. But both of them have cultivated their fanbases, and their seasoned, no-longer-restless approaches to songwriting and performing are a testament to what can be accomplished by focusing on the music.

Simon Cowell will pay to have Britney Spears' wedding on 'X Factor' - Examiner.com

The third time will hopefully be the charm for pop superstar, Britney Spears, as she preps to walk down the aisle with long-time love Jason Trawick, after a quickie Vegas wedding/drunken mistake to Jason Alexander (not the guy from Seinfeld) and a tumultuous union with back-up dancer Kevin Federline that lasted just shy of three years.

The longevity of Spears' current relationship could be due to the singer and agent's reclusive nature when it comes to talk of their love story. Both stay relatively mum on their private lives and it seems to have served them well, unlike when Spears' romances were of high-profile status, as with former Nsync member and actor Justin Timberlake.

The private couple may end up getting very public for their nuptials if Simon Cowell has his way. According to Artist Direct, the X Factor judge has offered to pay for his new co-judge's wedding on the condition that the ceremony is performed live on the show.

"I'm happy to have the wedding on the show," he said. "I'll pay for it. Why not?"

The show could certainly use the ratings boost. According to The Washington Post, the reality singing competition's sophomore premiere "scored the show's second smallest audience ever," despite the much-touted intro of new judges Spears and singer Demi Lovato.

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Britney Spears settles former bodyguard lawsuit - NZ City

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Britney Spears Makes Sexual Harrassment Settlement Deal - RTT News

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'X Factor' reject Don Philip re-releases old Britney Spears collaboration - Examiner.com

This week America got to witness Britney Spears coming face-to-face with her old duet partner, Don Philip. In his awkward audition, Philip's voice sounded shot, which led Spears and the rest of The X Factor USA judges to cut the struggling singer from the competition. Coincidence or not, Philip re-recorded and released his old Spears collaboration sans Britney as a tribute to the pop star.

Don Philip's “I Will Still Love” (Tribute to Britney Spears) surfaced on Amazon.com as a digital download. Philip reprises his old role on the duet, singing his original lines with a voice that doesn't sound as strong as it did in 1999. Instead of Spears, an unnamed singer takes on her part of the song, in which it seems she tries to capture Britney's teenage vocals. While the original Spears-Philip duet lasted four minutes, Don's re-release of the song is listed on Amazon at an unusual almost seven minutes in length.

When Phillip auditioned on The X Factor back in July and was cut from the show, he released a sensual song online featuring him and Spears, believed to be titled “Pleasure You.” That was the newest song with the two singers since their original 1999 collaboration, “I Will Still Love You,” from Spears' debut album, ...Baby One More Time.

Listen to a snippet of Don Philip's “I Will Still Love You” (Tribute to Britney Spears) here via Amazon

For e-mail updates whenever a new article is posted, please subscribe at the top of the page; also follow me on Twitter @MyPrerogative15.

Aguilera: 'There's room for Britney and me' - WYTV

Christina Aguilera is refusing to enter into the war of words between the executives of The Voice and rival The X Factor, insisting she wishes her old pal Britney Spears nothing but the best.

Cowell and The Voice producers have been locked in battle for the past 10 days after executives at Aguilera's show opted to go head to head with the second season debut of the Brit's X Factor on Wednesday.

The TV mogul insists they only did that in a bid to ruin Spears' big moment as she was welcomed to the judge's table - and the move appeared to have worked because The Voice won in the ratings.

But, just as Spears isn't stirring up the drama behind the scenes, her former Mickey Mouse Club co-star has nothing but good things to say about her old friend.

Aguilera says, "I welcome them on to the TV family; it's a fun place to be... We've been in this business for a long time and I have nothing but respect for Britney... There's room for all of us."

  Copyright WENN.com

YouTube Full of Gangnam Style - Gather.com

by Chrissie Klinger

Member since:
January 7, 2012

One of YouTube's top videos this week was of Britney Spears appearing on the Ellen show and learning how to dance Gangnam style. Psy, a Korean rapper has brought his unique style of dancing called "Gangnam Style" to the United States and it is gaining popularity on various daytime talk shows as well as through social media.

After Britney Spears tweeted an interest in learning the dance, Ellen brought Psy onto her show and surprised Britney Spears with a very public lesson. It all started with a light trot and then some invisible rope swinging which Britney attempted in her stilettos. However, Britney isn't the first person to try the dance in high heel shoes, many other women can be found dancing gangnam style in stilettos during their wedding reception. A search for gangnam style wedding on YouTube will yield more than 5 pages of results! Some with full wedding parties showing off the Korean dance.

Psy is continuing to gain popularity in the United States with the help of Google's video site, Twitter, Facebook, and even Pinterest. Pinterest has a four step picture guide for visual learners which includes wearing sunglasses, being a cowboy, riding the horse and making it to the finish line.

What do you think about Gangnam Style? Is it a quick fad or will it be around for a few years?

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Britney Spears mentoring contestants ages 12 to 16; paparazzi photos surface - Examiner.com

EXCLUSIVE REPORT

"The X Factor" U.S. has switched up the mentor categories again. Britney Spears, who was originally going to mentor contestants ages 17 to 24, is now mentoring contestants ages 12 to 16. Demi Lovato, who was originally going to mentor contestants ages 12 to 16, is now mentoring contestants ages 17 to 24.

Sources tell me that the reason for this switch is that the contestants in the 12-to-16 age category are considered stronger contenders than the contestants in the 17-to-24 age category, and the "powers that be" want their expensive hire Spears to have a category that has the best shot of having a contestant in the Top 3. "X Factor" bosses had to do something to justify why Spears was hired for a reported $15 million a year, considering she has bombed with TV audiences, as ratings for "The X Factor" U.S. have dropped dramatically ever since Spears became a judge on the show. It's bad enough that Spears is driving viewers away from the show. "X Factor" bosses think it would look even worse if she got stuck with a mentor category that they believe has less of a shot of winning on the show this year.

This isn't the first time "The X Factor" U.S. has made Spears and Lovato do a switch. At first, Spears got the coveted seat next to Simon Cowell at the show's judging table, but when it became obvious that Cowell had better chemistry with Lovato, Spears was moved down from Cowell and Lovato got the seat next to Cowell. Spears is now sitting at the table where Lovato originally sat: next to L.A. Reid.

As previously reported, Black Eyed Peas founder Will.i.am is the guest mentor paired with Spears for the "judges' houses" phase of the show in 2012.

The Daily Mail has paparazzi photos of Spears and Will.i.am filming the "judges' houses" episodes outdoors on the roof of a mansion in Malibu, California. The "judges' houses" stage of the competition features the show's Top 32 acts of the year. Those acts are then narrowed down to the 16 who will perform in the show's live episodes.

[Spoiler alert]

Reed Deming and Carly Rose Sonenclar (both 13 years old), two of the contestants whose auditions have been televised so far, are seen in the paparazzi photos as among the contestants who made it to "judges' houses" phase of the competition. Deming is the Justin Bieber look-alike who auditioned by singing the Bruno Mars songs "It Will Rain" and "Grenade." Sonenclar is the big-voiced prodigy who auditioned with the song "Feeling Good."

[End of spoiler alert]

As previously reported, Marc Anthony is the guest mentor assisting Cowell during the "judges' houses" phase of the competition in 2012.

Reid has already filmed his "judges' houses" episodes in Los Angeles with guest mentor Justin Bieber.

Lovato is paired with her good friend Nick Jonas (of the Jonas Brothers), who is the guest mentor assisting Lovato.

As previously reported, "The X Factor" U.S. has eliminated the Boys and Girls categories and replaced them with two age-based categories: solo singers ages 12 to 16 and solo singers ages 17 to 24. In addition, the minimum age for the Overs category has been lowered from 30 to 25.

Here are the "X Factor" U.S. mentor categories for 2012:

• Solo singers ages 12 to 16 - mentored by judge Britney Spears; guest mentor is Will.i.am
• Solo singers ages 17 to 24 - mentored by judge Demi Lovato; guest mentor is Nick Jonas
• Solo singers ages 25 and over - mentored by judge L.A. Reid; guest mentor is Justin Bieber
• Groups - mentored by judge Simon Cowell; guest mentor is Marc Anthony