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Warning: Spoilers ahead for American Sports Story.FX and Hulu's limited series American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez features a robust and relevant soundtrack. Josh Rivera leads the American Sports Story cast as Aaron Hernandez, the former collegiate and NFL superstar tight end who was convicted of murdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in 2015. Lloyd was just one of several criminal acts of violence that Hernandez was either directly a part of or implicated in throughout his football career as a member of the University of Florida Gators and the NFL's New England Patriots.

American Sports Story is also accompanied by an original music score composed by David Klotz. Created by Stuart Zicherman (The Americans) and executive produced by Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story), American Sports Story spans 10 episodes with new weekly episodes released every Tuesday from September 17 until November 12, 2024. Episode 1 "If It's to Be" chronicles Hernandez's stern upbringing in Bristol,...

Foil gowns appear hot right now, but I’m not exactly sure how to feel about that. Carrie Underwood is the latest celeb to jump on the trend, giving Michelle Yeoh a run for her money with her Rafik Zaki dress after the latter made waves at the Met Gala with her crumpled foil gown.

Carrie Underwood attends the 2024 Songwriter Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala to pay tribute to songwriter Hillary Lindsey (Credit: Janet Mayer / INSTARimages)

On Thursday, the American Idol Season 4 winner made an eye-catching entrance at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel for the 2024 Songwriter Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala. She honored songwriter Hillary Lindsey, one of this year’s Hall of Fame inductees.

Lindsey helped write some of Carrie’s greatest hits, including Jesus Take the Wheel, Just A Dream, Last Name, Wasted, and Ghost Story.

Honoring the Songwriters Behind the Greatest Hits...

1990's Betsy's Wedding, which also starred Molly Ringwald, was Ally Sheedy's last Brat Pack movie. Afterward, Sheedy largely focused on TV movies and independent projects. Sheedy's most robust post-Brat Pack roles have come on TV shows including Single Drunk Female.

After Betsy's Wedding, Ally Sheedy continued to act even though she left the Brat Pack behind. The Brat Pack was the name given to a group of young actors who appeared in a variety of teen movies from the mid to late 1980s. Generally, the group was considered to include anybody from the casts of the 1985 movies The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire, particularly those who collaborated with other members of that group multiple times. Given the fact that Sheedy appeared in both 1985 movies, she was a core member of the Brat Pack.

Llike the rest of the group, she eventually left her younger roles behind toward the end of the 1980s.

(Note: This interview was conducted on Sept. 7, 2017, prior to allegations that Nelly sexually assaulted a woman on his tour bus in Des Moines, Washington. He was arrested and released without charges filed. His lawyer tells Et that the allegations are "completely fabricated." Nelly has also spoken out on social media, claiming he's innocent. More on that story Here.)

Nelly is opening up about his 17 years in the spotlight.

The 42-year-old rapper has been touring the country with Florida Georgia Line for their 2017 Smooth Tour, recently making a stop in Anaheim, California. To promote her new E! series, The Platinum Life, Nelly's girlfriend, Shantel Jackson, invited Et to experience the "VIP lifestyle" with her and her pals at his concert at the Anaheim Convention Center.

After spending the evening watching Nelly belt out hits like "Just a Dream," "Hot in Herre" and "Country Grammar," and chatting with Jackson over drinks and food backstage, we were escorted...

Need to catch up? Check out the previous Legion recap here.

Syd’s meds are starting to wear off… or are they just kicking in?

Our weird new reality continued this week on Legion, with Syd and the Summerland gang stuck as mental patients at Clockworks — unless this is all just a dream. (But that’s really the subtitle of this whole show, isn’t it? Legion: Unless This Is All Just a Dream.)

Lenny’s in therapist mode, treating each of the characters we’ve come to know. Melanie is twitchy and awkward, and Lenny thinks she made...

Hours after the tragic death of YouTube star Christina Grimmie, the community of singers that first helped her share her voice with the world is uniting online to honor her. Years before she placed third on NBC's hit talent competition, The Voice, the 22-year-old rose to prominence on the Internet with highly viewed covers of popular songs like  Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." and Nelly's "Just a Dream" with fellow YouTuber Sam Tsui. Her channel ultimately garnered more than three million followers and opened the doors to her touring with Selena Gomez as her opening act and performing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show before ultimately joining Adam Levine's...

After a mixed initial response, X-Men: Apocalypse has been generating quite a bit of positive buzz as it prepares to make its gargantuan debut in just a little over a week. Earlier this week, 20th Century Fox officially released the full track list for John Ottman's upcoming original motion picture soundtrack for the Bryan Singer-directed film. There aren't too many revealing details, but it'd be best to proceed with caution just in case of any potential spoilers. The soundtrack will become available to purchase in stores on June 17. Check out the full track list below: 1. Apocalypse 2. The Transference 3. Pyramid Collapse / Main Titles 4. Eric’s New Life 5. Just a Dream 6. Moira’s Discovery / Apocalypse Awakes 7. Shattered Life 8. Going Grey / Who the F are You? 9. Eric’s Rebirth 10. Contacting Eric / The Answer! 11. Beethoven Havok 12. You Can See 13. New Pyramid 14. Recruiting Psylocke 15. Split them Up! 16. A Piece of his Past 17. The...

This is not just a dream. Rico Love has produced many hits over the course of his career, like Just a Dream by Nelly and There Goes My Baby by Usher, but now he’s stepping out with his own album, Turn The Lights On. “I enjoy recording my own music just because of the power – when I write for other people, I’m rendered powerless after the song is done…you have no say so,” he tells Us Weekly. “I know this album is a classic.” Prior to the [...]...

Just as unsettling as the Tall Man's sinister stroll down the sidewalk in Don Coscarelli's Phantasm is the music that accompanies his steady strides. Over 35 years after Phantasm first hit theaters, the folks at Mondo have announced they will release Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave's iconic horror score on a new vinyl that will be available to purchase at a 35mm screening of Phantasm this weekend with the cast and crew in attendance, as well as at Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas. A new 24"x36" Phantasm poster from Mike Saputo will also be released this weekend.

Press Release (via Badass Digest) -- "Both the vinyl and poster will be available at Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson, TX as part of a 35Mm screening with filmmaker and cast in attendance as well as the Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas. If this news doesn’t excite you… You’re Already Dead!

The...

He’s gonna need a whole bunch of ‘Country Grammar’ to talk his way out of this one- Nelly was arrested for felony drug charges in Nashville on Saturday (April 11).

The “Just a Dream” hitmaker was pulled over by Tennessee Highway Patrol at 9:20am as his tour bus didn’t display the proper stickers, and troopers searched the vehicle after allegedly smelling marijuana.

From there, the cops found five rocks that tested positive for meth as well as several handguns. Nelly was arrested and posted a $10,000 bond. He’ll appear in court in June, though his attorney told press, “Nelly will not be associated with the contraband that was allegedly discovered.”...

When Oscar-winner Adrien Brody finally found his dream home, it was in the form of a run-down castle in upstate New York. Despite the dilapidated appearance, Brody set out to restore the enchantment that he saw the structure held. He decided to team up with filmmaker Kevin Ford to document the seven-year process, and the result is Stone Barn Castle.

Brody was at SXSW for the premiere of the film, and afterwards we had a chance to sit down with him. We discussed his motivation for this documentary, what he got from the process, how life changes post-Oscar, and much more. Check out the full interview below!

Boyhood got a lot of hype for taking 12 years, you took what? Seven?

Brody: Seven.

Are you expecting the same kind of hype?

Brody: There’s no fictional element unfortunately. There is no fiction here. Seven years of long hard truth of my own journey I guess.

Ashanti's working on herself! The singer stops by Friday's "The Meredith Vieira Show" where she opens up about her split from rapper Nelly. Check out the video below to see why Ashanti says the private pair called it off after 10 years of dating and find out how she is doing now! "I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities it allows them to act out of character. I've been betrayed," she tells Meredith in the sneak peek. "Again, you just have to grow, you have to grow up and accept responsibilities for the things that you do. I'm not a big fan of people being cowards," she adds. "I think it's really important to know yourself and understand what you want and get it. I'm in a different place right now." While both the "Rock With U" singer and the "Just a Dream" rapper kept their decade-long relationship and breakup pretty under wraps,...

A rash of some cool new music to share with y'all. First up is the Nola-based Luke Winslow-King's live take on his bluesy train chugger "Travelin' Myself" from his album Everlasting Arms. Roots-rockin' Americana that is authentic, passionate, poignant, infectious snapshots of life in this big ol' country. One of my favorite albums of the year. Out now on Bloodshot Records.

José González is easily one of my favorite folk artists of the past several decades. His simple yet evocative songs resonate with me long after the songs have faded. His latest is no different. "Every Age," the Swede's first single from his first album in seven years, Vestiges & Claws (Mute) [to be released February 17th, 2015], is available for purchase from your favorite digital music provider. The amazing aerial video was directed by Simon Morris and Chris Higham for global collective Eyes In Space, "whose aim is to mesh artistic experiment with scientific innovation to open new worlds.

Following the polarizing hosting gig put on by Seth McFarlane at last year.s Academy Awards ceremony, it was time for a return to a more stable form, and popular comedienne Ellen DeGeneres will definitely add her infectious brand of energy to a ceremony that will possibly already be amped up on The Wolf of Wall Street-levels of cocaine. Any previous doubt on the matter was thrown out of the window with the above promo for the 86th annual Oscar ceremony. It.s the most exciting and jovial bit of lip syncing you.ll see this year, with none of the controversy. Directed by The Heat.s Paul Feig, the happy-footed trailer is set to the tune of "The Walker" by the pop group Fitz and the Tantrums, off of their latest album More Than Just a Dream. While not the kind of song that usually grabs my ears,...

For those who are round-the-clock Awards Season watchers, this literally is the best time of year!

And The Grand Pooh-bah, The Big Chief, The Lord High Admiral, The Granddaddy of all awards shows has made it’s annual big splash.

On Thursday, AMPAS launched its Oscar season with a trailer starring show host Ellen DeGeneres and 250 tuxedo-clad men and women dancing to “The Walker” by indie pop band Fitz and The Tantrums.

It’s so cool and clever!!

The Oscars will air Sunday, March 2, 2014, live on ABC.

“I had the best time making this,” said DeGeneres. “I love Paul, I love tWitch, I love Fitz and I like most of the Tantrums.”

Paul Feig, a new Academy member, conceived and directed the trailer, which was choreographed by freestyle dancer Stephen “tWitch” Boss. Feig’s directorial credits include “Bridesmaids,” “The Heat” and the upcoming comedy “Susan Cooper,” starring Melissa McCarthy.

“To work with Ellen,...

In a case of life almost imitating art, a Lockwood, Montana meth dealer who shares a name with Breaking Bad's meth kingpin Walter White was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for dealing the drug on Monday. According to the Great Falls Tribune, Walter Jack White was responsible for the distribution of 32 and a half pounds of meth; U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, who sentenced White, called the quantity of meth "extraordinary."

Five Revelations From the Near-Perfect Breaking Bad Finale

White was arrested in March when...

Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan has said that he would like to believe that character Jesse Pinkman escaped police and started over after the series finale ended. "My personal feeling is that he got away," he told GQ. But while that's what he wants for the character, he's not so sure it's realistic. "The most likely thing, as negative as this sounds, is that they're going to find this kid's fingerprints all over this lab and they're going to find him within a day or a week or a month,...

The bloody and brutal series finale of Breaking Bad, which aired to tremendous fanfare at the end of September, has been combed over for every last insight into the remaining mysteries of its characters. It's been hard for fans to let go of Walter White and his associates.

But what if the ending had taken a very different direction? What if, as many close viewers of the show surely suspected, the whole saga of the chemistry-teacher-turned-druglord was all a dream in the sleeping mind of Hal, the hapless dad Bryan Cranston...

We’re just one day away from the 2013 Do Something Awards! In addition to appearances from our amazing honorees, we have a stellar lineup of music performers for the show.

Watch as Sara Bareilles, J. Cole, and Fitz & The Tantrums rock this year’s ceremony, with special appearances from Johnnyswim and Penguin Prison. We’ve also added more famous presenters, including Darren Criss, Queen Latifah, Michelle Monaghan, Matthew Morrison, Ne-yo and Joan & Melissa Rivers.

Don’t miss a second of this year’s fun, as we herald the game-changing achievements of Patrick Dempsey, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jennifer Hudson, LL Cool J, Kelly Osbourne, and five exceptional young people. Check our #DSAwards hashtag for all the latest updates, and join us, along with host Sophia Bush, for the Do Something Awards at 8/7c, only on VH1.

New York, NY (July 29, 2013) — DoSomething.org and VH1 announced today that Sara Bareilles, J. Cole...

This is how we love seeing Demi Lovato -- smiling and singing!The pop star just dropped her music video for "Made in the USA" -- and it's a touching (and steamy) story of young love.Dustin Milligan (ironically named Justin in the video) plays a soldier separated from his girlfriend, a brunette Aimee Teegardin.Dustin/Justin's unit comes under fire, but does their story have a happy ending? Watch:Demi isn't the only pop star to have a military themed music video.Carrie Underwood's "Just a Dream" and Katy Perry's "Thinking of You" do as well, with much sadder endings.What do you think of Demi's "Made in the USA"? Tell toofab in the comments below! Read more...

NBC’s new dramedy Camp — not to be confused with USA’s reality series Summer Camp, which premieres tonight, even though the conflicting promos certainly do their best — debuted Wednesday. I love Rachel Griffiths and therefore want to love this, but I’m not quite sold, not yet. The show seemed to want to project a “freakish outdoorsy cult mentality,” but I mostly saw people sitting around fabulously lit-from-all-sides bonfires and kids interrupting their parents during somewhat juicy sex talk. (Wait, they’re at a “family camp”? What is this, Dirty Dancing? Ooh, I wish.)

I think I was hoping...

The "Saved By The Bell" finale aired 20 years ago on May 22, 1993, but the Bayside High crew will forever be in our hearts.

From caffeine pills to oil drills, Hot Sundae to house parities, the Max to the mall, Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Thiessen), A.C. Slater (Mario Lopez), Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley), Samuel "Screech" Powers (Dustin Diamond), Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies), Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins) and even Tori Scott (Leanna Creel) made lasting impressions on every child of the '80s and '90s.

Like they sang at their high school graduation in the "Saved By The Bell" finale, "Now our high school story finally ends. But years from now, no matter where we travel, we'll all look back and think about our friends."

And that we will. In honor of the 20th anniversary of the "Saved By The Bell" finale, check out 20 reasons we still love this childhood gem in video,...

As of May 7th, I have been eagerly awaiting to feature the multi-faceted outfit, Fitz And The Tantrums, in Shockya’s “Artist Of The Week”. This past Tuesday, the sextet dropped their sophomore album, “More Than Just A Dream” via Elektra Records. Founded by Michael Fitzpatrick (vocals) in 2008, Fitz And The Tantrums, which consists of Noelle Scaggs (vocals), James King (saxophonist), John Wicks (drums), Joseph Karnes (bassist) and Jeremy Ruzumna (keyboardist), released their debut Ep, “Songs For A Breakup, Vol.1” in 2009 and the following year dropped their first full-length, “Pickin’ Up The Pieces”. Solidifying them as a breakout band, “Pickin’ Up The Pieces”, revamped classic Motown music by adding [ Read More ]

The post Artist Of The Week: Fitz And The Tantrums appeared first on Shockya.com.

For Fitz & The Tantrums’ second album, “More Than Just A Dream,” the Los Angeles band incorporates many of the sounds of the ‘80s, especially on first single, “Out Of My League,” so it’s entirely fitting, if not particularly scintillating, that the video for “League” looks like something from that era. [More after the jump...] Someone’s gotten a new computer and is not afraid to use it: Images dissolve, split, get pixillated, and digitized with in myriad ways as the band: primarily lead singers Fitz and Noelle Scaggs shimmy and coo through the song, which sounds straight off of a Human...

We first chatted with the fabulous Lauren Gottlieb right before her first Bollywood film Abcd (Any Body Can Dance) hit theaters. We had an amazing conversation on all things dance and Bollywood, which you can read here. The film released on February 8th to great reviews, lots of clapping and whistling from the audience and great box office numbers. In fact, it even broke the record for the biggest opener for a film with newcomers. Audiences completely fell in love with the 3D dance film directed by Remo D’Souza, that also starred the great Prabhu Deva, along with Salman Yusuff Khan, Prince Gupta, Dharmesh Yelande and Ganesh Acharya. And they most certainly fell in love with the American dancer who now is a star in India. I was able to catch up with Lauren once she returned from her Abcd India trip and once again we had a fun,...

Fitz & The Tantrums earned a reputation for being a bit of a '70s soul-funk revival band as they grew in popularity in 2011 and 2012. For the recordings -- and for 2013 -- it looks like the sextet is bringing back a little of the '80s. "Out of My League" is the first single from Fitz & The Tantrums' new album "More Than Just a Dream," and you can hear it below. The set will be out on May 7. Now go see if you can get those "ooos" out of your head.

Good news for Nelly fans!

The prolific artist has just released another song.

Called "Hey Porsche," the song is a modern sound for Nelly, with a club beat and poppy vocals. Nelly sings over much of the track, highlighting vocals reminiscent of his 2010 hit, "Just a Dream" and his 2002 collaboration with Kelly Rowland, "Dilemma."

The lyrics are far from poetic as Nelly croons in the chorus, "Hey little Porsche, I wanna try ya / Crazy baby girl, there ain’t nothing like you. Hey little Porsche, so right I had to get ya / B-b-back it up, let’s roll, roll, roll."

Many have been quick to point out the obvious similarities between "Hey Porsche" and Flo Rida's "Whistle" -- take a listen below.

The good news for Nelly is that if the success of "Whistle" is any indication of what works on the radio, "Hey Porsche" will likely hold a...

"Pitch Perfect" is the nation's number one a cappella comedy for at least two reasons (besides the fact that it's the only a capella comedy): It's blisteringly funny -- screenwriter Kay Cannon made sure of that -- and it's loaded with rearranged pop songs that will keep fans singing long after they leave the theater. Director Jason Moore picked most of the songs for the film, but the soundtrack production was left to Harvey Mason Jr. and Damon Thomas, a duo better known as The Underdogs. "They have a track record in terms of producing some of the world’s best pop vocalists, as well as musicals such as 'Dreamgirls,'" producer Julianne Jordan said in a statement. "We wanted that purity of unadulterated voices and harmonies to come through."

With "Pitch Perfect" out in theaters, Mason and Thomas provided HuffPost Entertainment with a track-by-track breakdown of the film's soundtrack.

Lately there seems to be no shortage of TV shows that churn out covers of well-loved songs, from Glee to Smash to American Idol to the recently canceled The Sing-Off. Soon joining that group is the movie Pitch Perfect, which rolls into theaters next week.

Pitch Perfect presents an edgier-than-Glee, college-set story of a cappella competition, starring Anna Kendrick as Beca, a freshman at fictional Barden University. After reluctantly joining the school’s all-girls a cappella group, the Bellas, Beca spices up the group’s decidedly old school repertoire with some remixes and mash-ups.

The Bellas’ shift from square...

From the moment the end credits rolled, I knew then (sitting in a darkened theater back in July 2010) that Inception was going to a film that would get audiences talking — and not just because of its ending. It’s a thought-provoking and awe-inspiring film. I didn’t really need to tell you that, I am positive you all agree with me. In fact, I’ve seen (and participated in) the many varied discussions and debates held in our discussion forums attesting to it. These discussions have been taking place in internet forums, living rooms, coffee shops, and emptied out theaters for the past year and a half. Naturally, Inception was a perfect candidate for the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series of books; a collection of publications that dissect and philosophize various popular works of media, from Harry Potter to South Park.

So, what exactly is the book about? Inception...

There are seven acts left competing for the final five slots on Season 1 of The X Factor this week, which means either Simon Cowell or L.A. Reid — or possibly both — will face the cruel ouster of one of their mentored contestants.

Check out my rankings for the remaining singers, then hit our poll to vote for your favorite!

7) Astro (Last Week No. 8 ) | Fanbase must have been activated by his brush with elimination in Top 10 week, but his “apology” for almost refusing to give a “save yourself” performance was missing two crucial words: “”I’m sorry.” No doubt his renditions of...

And then there were nine. Yes, folks, with Stacy Francis’ ouster during last week’s ridiculously dramatic results show, we’re down to the single digits in acts competing for The X Factor Season 1 crown.

Check out my rankings for the remaining contestants, then hit our poll to vote for your favorite!

9) Leroy Bell (Last Week No. 8 ) | His take on “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was solid, but World’s Sexiest Grandpa practically put us to sleep with, um, uh…anyone else remember what dude sang last week?

8 ) Astro (Last Week No. 3) | Just when the...

It’s Paula Abdul’s worst nightmare. No, CBS isn’t forcing the “Vibeology” singer to quit The X Factor in order to produce a second season of Live to Dance (bet you already forgot about that one, didn’t you?), but rather, two of the three acts in her “Groups” category got eliminated during the first two results-show telecasts of her new Fox series. Will Paula’s mentoring role rush (rush) into oblivion with the ousting of Lakoda Rayne this coming Thursday, or will one of her fellow panelists feel the sting of America’s voting rebuke? Only time will tell.

Things I don’t want to see ever again on The X Factor: Two-hour commercials promoting Adam Sandler’s latest “film.” Any/all of the judges channeling Randy Jackson in their critiques; back-critiquing performances they praised in the previous week; trying to take credit for their rival mentors’ successes; and smiling smugly as if it was them, not their contestants, who hit those big-ass notes. Adherence to “theme weeks” that are flimsier than Paula Abdul’s non-electronically enhanced singing voice. Promotion of the idea that a Pepsi commercial is the single greatest signifier of musical success. And Steve Jones giggling the word “whoopsie!

[flv custom_thumbnail="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Qc0_YOWqfuA1320716596389" width="600" height="450"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Qc0_YOWqfuA/flv] During her show in Houston, Texas, Taylor Swift brought on a surprise performer...one of her fav hip hop artists, Nelly! We all knew Taylor Swift was a champ at singing "Just a Dream" after she covered it in August, but no one expected her to actually collaborate with Nelly on stage! The unlikely duo sang his hit song at Taylor's concert in Houston's Minute Maid Park and brought the house down! Taylor, 21, held her own with the 37-year-old rapper and he seemed to be genuinely impressed. Watch the video and tell us what you think! Is Nelly Taylor's best guest yet?...

We’ve survived The X Factor‘s inaugural voting results — well, everyone except for InTENsity, that is — and after two weeks of live performances, it’s starting to become clear which acts have a decent shot at making the finale, and which ones need to start looking for exciting new stuffing recipes to impress their families at Thanksgiving. Check out my rankings below, then hit our poll to vote for your favorite!

11) Chris Rene: Recovering addict is incredibly likable and very charismatic — and his audition proved he can write a solid ditty. But his two live performances have exposed serious...

By: Mark Julian This was best episode of Young Justice yet. I sound like a broken record it seems but the show just keeps picking up steam after each episode. I was watching this episode and thinking to myself, “This episode is approaching Justice League Unlimited status.” But then we got to the end and the “It Was All Just A Dream” classic TV trope. Still, this episode was the best episode yet and this show continues to improve upon itself after every episode. From the opening minute, this episode had my attention. It’s not every day that Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart, Superman, Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel and Batman all bite the bullet in the opening minutes of the show. Now of course I’m not fooled into believing this is going to hold up. Naturally, my first thought was that...

Digital Spy readers have declared that Melanie Amaro was the best performer on The X Factor's second live show. The Top 12 contestants sang for America's public vote for the first time on Wednesday, and you deemed Amaro's performance of 'Desperado' the best, with a massive 30.8% of the votes.

Drew Ryniewicz's cover of 'Just a Dream' was voted into second place with 19.3%, with Josh Krajcik completing the top three with 15.1%. There was also strong (more)...

We're calling it now -- one of these four performers will win " The X Factor ." Melanie Amaro , Drew , Astro and Josh Krajcik all had incredible performances last night -- and, in our and Simon's minds, Melanie is the one to beat. Amaro's amazing vocals shined once again during her Top 12 song Wednesday night, dazzling with an impressive rendition of " Desperado ." Everyone loved it -- and she's the clear frontrunner. Also having a stellar night was Drew, who went a little more uptempo this week with Nelly 's " Just a Dream ." Her voice is gorgeous ... but she still needs some more stage presence. One person who definitely doesn't need to work on stage presence is Astro . The young rapper, formerly known as Brian Bradley , upped his rap game again this week -- performing his own version of Naughty By Nature 's " Hip-Hop Hooray " and Missy Elliot 's " Get Your Freak On...

There are moments where The X Factor reminds me of a horror-movie version of an industrial farm-raised turkey: Genetically groomed and pumped full of steroids, bursting at the skin with muscle and sinew, and — if it could figure out how to better maneuver its unwieldy form — ready to burst from its cage and brutally flip the carnivore-Thanksgiving dinner relationship.

Indeed, Simon Cowell is to reality singing competitions what growth hormones are to poultry: Why settle for a dozen backup dancers when you can project the image of 1,000 hoofers against a backdrop? Why wait for the season finale to dump 20 tons of confetti on your contestants?...

Well, the heck if that wasn't a dramatic improvement over last week's live show. I guess all it took was getting rid of some early jitters to allow more than one of these finalists to shine vocally.

Other than the continuing annoyance of L.A. Reid desperately shoving his faux rivalry with Simon in our faces, The X Factor Top 12 was very enjoyable. Now let's get to the performances...

Drew Ryniewicz Performance: Just a Dream

The Stereo Hogzz "Rhythm Nation" - Unfortunately, my positive comments don't start with this group.  In fact the groups were pretty poor once again in general, but the Hogzz might have been the least successful of the three.  There was just way too much focus on the choreography, and very little on the actual singing.  And were those storm troopers on the stage with them?

My Score: 3/10

Chris Rene "Superstar" - Here is where the improvements began,...

We've got the Top 12 on "The X Factor" tonight - what did you think? Who is going home the first time America votes?

1. The Stereo Hogzz, "Rhythm Nation"

I don't love the opening. It sounds weird and thin to me, but once the "5-4-3-2-1" counts down and the group parts kick in, I love it. The dancing is great, the harmonies are tight, the costumes are fantastic. This song is 22 years old, but it sounds very current. (As an aside - I can't believe this song is old enough to drink). The judges are very complimentary and Paula is a proud mama. I feel like she choreographed that video for Janet Jackson, but I looked it up and she did not. But she did several Janet videos.

2. Chris Rene, "Superstar"

Great pick for him. How do you not connect lyrically with this song? It's gorgeous. The hip-hop...

Spoiler alert: Stacy Francis is going to go for a giant glory note, Rachel Crow is gonna be all gosh-darn-aw-shucks cutesy, and those gentlemen from Stereo Hogzz shall bust a move.

Yes, it’s Top 12 Performance Night on The X Factor — and also your first opportunity to get your vote on and challenge the authority of judges who prefer Dexter Haygood to Elaine Gibbs.

If that sounds like your kind of party, then please consider this live blog post as your pithy, mildly inebriated viewing companion.

As the episode rolls on, I’ll update you on who’s performed what...

It was a night full of high praise, with Astro, Josh Krajcik and Melanie Amaro all earning the judges' approval as well.

By Adam Graham

Simon Cowell

Photo: Fox

There was no shortage of praise doled out by the judges on Wednesday's (November 2) episode of "The X Factor," with two performers hailed as budding superstars, one compared to a young Michael Jackson and a group praised as one of the world's best bands. And those acts weren't even considered the evening's front-runners!

Here's a recap of Wednesday's performances, and the compliments that followed:

The Girls

Following her rendition of the Eagles' "Desperado," Melanie Amaro was dubbed "the one to beat" in the competition by Cowell. Meanwhile, Rachel Crow's take on "Walking on Sunshine" caused Scherzinger to compare the 13-year-old to Jackson 5-era Michael Jackson, and Drew — formerly known as Drew Ryniewicz — wowed the judges with her unorthodox take on Nelly's "Just a Dream,...

"I can't help but love him," sings Mary J. Blige on her latest single "Mr. Wrong", the second off the soul songtress' upcoming tenth studio album "My Life II...The Journey Continues (Act 1)". The Queen of Hip Hop Soul debuted the track, which features rapper Drake, on Angie Martinez's Hot97 show in New York City earlier today. The song was written and produced by Rico Love, who has previously penned tracks for artists including Usher ("There Goes My Baby", "Hey Daddy"), Beyonce ("Sweet Dreams") and Nelly ("Gone", "Just a Dream"). Grammy-winning producer Jim Jonsin (Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Usher, Eminem) also helped...

The Collective have become the latest group to leave The Sing-Off. The group of independent artists from Nashville, Tennessee were eliminated from the NBC a cappella competition after landing in the bottom two alongside the University of Rochester YellowJackets following this week's hip-hop performances. Both groups had to perform 'Just A Dream' by Nelly as their 'sing-off' track and in the end judges Shawn Stockman and Sara Bareilles chose to send home The Collective. The Collective had performed 'Give Me Everything' by Pitbull and Ne-Yo and admitted before taking to the stage that they were having to step outside their comfort zone this week. Stockman said that he liked the fact they had challenged themselves and "done [their] party thing" but added: "There were (more)...

Hip hop reigned supreme on The Sing-Off this week... so why did Urban Method struggle? That answer and many others are revealed in our weekly grading system...

Round One

Dartmouth Aires - "Club Can't Handle Me" - While the Aires traditionally do rock songs, they struggled with the lack of chords. The group let Henry rap, which really sounded awkward. As they actually performed, while they started off fun and interesting, the tempo was odd. It was as if there was a train that kept gathering steam and ended off faster than it began. The bridge and ending was strong, but I'm not sure how much that balanced the weaker opening. My Grade: B+

Afro-Blue - "Killing Me Softly" - Staying with the Howard University alum Roberta Flack, they tried to keep elements of the classic instead of the Fugees version. I liked the buildup of the song and the...

On tonight’s episode of The Sing-Off, the top 8 vocal groups perform hip-hop hits from the past or present. The big twist of this week’s installment is that at the end of the show, the three judges — Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles, and Shawn Stockman — choose the bottom two acts, who then perform the same tune back-to-back. After that “sing-off,” one group is eliminated. Here’s what you can expect to hear on NBC beginning at 8/7 central:

Opening number: “Nothin’ On You,” B.o.B. & Bruno Mars

Dartmouth Aires: “Club Can’t Handle Me,” Flo Rida

Afro-Blue: “Killing Me Softly With His Song,...

'I think you'd be an idiot to not do what works for you,' Nelly tells MTV News of making hit records.

By Rob Markman

Nelly

Photo: MTV News

When Nelly first stepped on the scene in 2000, he was hip-hop to the core. There was no denying the street appeal the multiplatinum hitmaker displayed in his debut "Country Grammar" video wearing an oversize baseball cap, baggy jeans and backward football jersey.

The St. Louis standout has exhibited a ton of growth in his 11-year career, and while his 2010 single "Just a Dream" shot to #1 on Billboard's pop charts, it didn't do much to bolster his hard-core rap cred -- and that's Ok. Nelly is still in tune with his rap roots. He even presented LL Cool J with his I Am Hip Hop Icon Award at the 2011 Bet Hip Hop Awards.

"At the end of the day, I am urban,...

Poonam Pandey

So it seems that Poonam Pandey has lost her last hope of going nude

It seems that Poonam Pandey just wants to see herself getting nude in every possible way. First, the model promised her fans that she would strip if India won the World cup. The men in blue bought home the cup but Poonam did not keep her promise. She stated that Bcci did not allow her to do any dare bare act and that she also received threat via texts and calls. Now that her plans failed, she seemed to have been banking on late painter Mf Hussain to sketch her. Needless to say, the late painter’s subjects were mostly without clothes.

“Rip MFHussain its really a sad day for India for such a gr8 loss… i alwayz had a Wish, Wanted him to paint me as he as he did it for Madhuri Dixit...