Justin Bieber's Grammy Performance Will Be 'A Crossover,' Usher Says

The 'O.M.G.' singer looks forward to sharing the stage with his protégé on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery


Usher
Photo: Amanda Edwards/ Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD — At Sunday's 53rd Grammy Awards, Usher will be pulling double duty as both a nominee and a performer. Of course, given the massive year he just completed — with the success of his smash single "O.M.G." and as a mentor to rising phenom Justin Bieber — Ush's Grammy plans seem rather fitting.

Especially since he'll be performing with Bieber (and Bieber's pal Jaden Smith), a move that's just as much about celebrating Usher's successes as it is the successes of his young protégé.

"Having been through [the Grammys] so many times, you couldn't want for anything more than for your young protégé to have the opportunity to have one, so, in support of him having his moment, I wanted to be here," Usher told MTV News on Thursday, hours before his performance at the (Belvedere) RED launch party in Hollywood. "And also to be there to perform, to kind of tell the story of how we came together. This music business has definitely been good to both of us, and this year we have a lot to be happy for."

And just how will the dynamic duo tell that story? Well, Usher wasn't about to reveal all the details, but he did say that he's hoping their performance will show another side of Bieber ... a side most tend to overlook.

"The performance will be fun," Usher explained. "We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. ... This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn't believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He's going to play acoustically, and also, we'll get down a little bit."

And though Ush is up for a pair of Grammy awards on Sunday — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond — he's most looking forward to sharing the stage with Bieber and giving fans a look at where the young artist will be heading next.

"I'm very proud, man. I definitely saw it from the beginning, but thanks to the team that we have around us, it was made to happen. And that story has only just begun," Usher said. "The story of Justin Bieber doesn't stop with screaming girls; we need screaming fans all around the world ... a cultural experience that's much more than just fanfare. And that's what this is. That's what the Grammys will be; that's what my next phase for Justin is. This is the way I found him: I found him with a guitar in his hand, so I want him to be seen that way."

Don't miss "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond!

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When "Rise of The Planet of the Apes" swings into theaters this weekend, audiences may be surprised by it?s cutting edge special effects, but they won?t be surprised by how it ends. Unless James Franco is pulling a huge James Franco-esqe prank, when the credits roll, apes will have risen and taken over the planet. While [...]

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Kris Jenner: I Want More Grandchildren!

Kris Jenner: I Want More Grandchildren!

Listen up, Kardashian sisters, your mom wants you to start making babies! Kris Jenner recently admitted that she's constantly on her older daughters to give her some more grandchildren. While daughter Kourtney Kardashian is currently the only one who has contributed (she has an adorable son, Mason, 20 months, with boyfriend Scott Disick), Jenner, 55, thinks it's time to up the little-one quotient.

"I would love more grandchildren," Jenner told Us Weekly. "Mason is the love of our lives, and he is so much fun, but there's only one Mason to go around. It would be nice if we had some more."

Kim Kardashian is set to wed Kris Humphries at the end of the month, and Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom have already been married for more than a year (and have been very vocal about wanting to expand their brood), so the pitter-patter of additional little feet may not be too far off. 

"I would love all of my children to experience having children on their own," Jenner says. "I think going through that process of being pregnant and giving birth, everybody should, if you can and you're blessed..."

The mom of six says, at the end of the day, family is the most important thing in her life, and she's looking forward to a future where she can "grow old and enjoy my grandchildren as much as I did my children when they were little."

 

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Justin Bieber Joins Selena Gomez Onstage

'Had a #greatnight and surprised the people,' Bieber tweeted after California show.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Selena Gomez played a show on Sunday night at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California. And mid-concert, her fans got a big surprise as Gomez's beau, Justin Bieber, took the stage.

Video posted on Celebuzz.com shows Bieber giving his lady love a big hug before launching into an acoustic version of Justin Timberlake's classic breakup ode, "Cry Me a River." He also reportedly sang "Favorite Girl."

Bieber even took to Twitter to tell Gomez that he thought she did a great job onstage. "Had a #greatnight and surprised the people. felt good to be on stage. nothing is changing that. #REAL," he wrote. "@selenagomez u did great tonight. proud of u."

Bieber, who recently revealed that he was taking a bit of a summer break, also added that as nice as it was to be onstage again, he is even more enthusiastic about the new album he's working on. "More excited than ever to get back in the studio and make this #newalbum," he wrote. "Miss the tour and want to give u all new music. #BELIEVE I do this because i love music. #REAL."

Earlier in the weekend, and offered a big "thank you" to her fans on Twitter. "HappyBirthdaySelena is a trending topic," she wrote. "Thank you all so much for a great birthday. Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes, I love you all."

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Coldplay, Led Zeppelin Album Covers Featured On New British Stamps

Album art from Pink Floyd, Blur and David Bowie also included.
By James Montgomery


Coldplay's new British stamps
Photo: Royal Mail

On Thursday (January 7), the U.K.'s Royal Mail unveiled a series of 10 new stamps, honoring the most iconic album covers of the past 40 years.

The albums featured in the new series are the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Led Zeppelin's IV, David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, The Clash's London Calling, New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies, Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, Blur's Parklife and — the most recent album on to make the cut — Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Meant to honor "the most potent graphic images of modern times, many of which have provided a visual soundtrack to people's lives," the series is the end result of a lengthy research process by the Royal Mail, who looked through thousands of album covers by British artists before deciding on the final list. And, during a Wednesday night BBC Radio broadcast, it was revealed that the queen herself actually approved each design.

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page — who helped design the cover for IV — was on hand to celebrate the release of the stamps and recalled the mysterious nature of the album's iconic imagery.

"Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him," he said. "That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time."

Of course, any great honor is befitting of an equally great contest, so, on the same day the stamps were made available to the general public, Coldplay decided to give one of their Rush of Blood stamps away. In a message on their official site, the band held a contest to send one lucky fan "a letter using a Coldplay stamp, postmarked with today's issue date."

"We visited our local post office earlier today and bought some of the Coldplay stamps," the message read. "Very nice they are too."

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Demi Lovato Felt Betrayed by Back-Up Dancer She Punched

Demi Lovato Felt Betrayed by Back-Up Dancer She Punched

Demi Lovato knows she's made some mistakes -- and unlike many stars, she's not trying to bury them under layers of PR. In a new interview with Elle, Lovato, 18, gets candid about the airplane fight that led her to realize she needed rehab.

"I was completely out of line all summer," admits Lovato, who was coping with depression and eating disorders while touring with the Jonas Brothers. "Just the worst attitude -- totally ungrateful."

The Disney starlet's breaking point came when she found herself walking up to her then-friend Alex Welch on an airplane and punching her in the face. Welch, a back-up dancer on the tour, claims that Lovato "had gotten in trouble" with her management for partying the night before -- and she blamed Welch for ratting her out. Though the dancer denies telling on Lovato, Demi's reason for attacking her fits Welch's story.

"I just felt like she'd betrayed me," Lovato says now. "That's the bottom line." Still, Lovato found herself horrified at her own behavior. "When you punch someone on a plane, enough is enough," she says. "Right after, I texted my mom and just said, 'I'm sorry.'"

At the time, fans speculated that Lovato's breakdown was connected to ex-boyfriend Joe Jonas -- whose then-girlfriend Ashley Greene had just joined them for a leg of the tour. Lovato admits that she hasn't spoken to Jonas since the incident, but says that her feelings for him were only one part of the equation.

"I wouldn't credit my meltdown to a guy," Lovato scoffs. "There was so much other stuff in my life."

That "other stuff," as we now know, included bipolar disorder; a struggle with anorexia and bulimia that started at age 9; and a cutting habit that began at age 11. Now that she's gone public, Lovato winces at past attempts to cover up her problems -- like the time her publicist claimed that her self-mutilation scars were marks from gummy bracelets.

"I don't think I would have been ready to talk about (my problems) then," she notes, "but I could’ve come up with something better than gummy bracelets."

However, Lovato is hesitant to say that she has recovered. In a recent interview with AOL Music, she confessed that her diseases are "things that I'm going to have to face every day for the rest of my life," and that she's "not going to be perfect." But with her new determination to move forward -- and her single "Skyscraper" debuting at No. 2 on the download charts -- she seems to be doing much better.

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Usher Says New 'Rev Pop' Project Is A 'Movement'

Singer teases his new project by pointing to past hits like 'Yeah!' and 'OMG.'
By James Montgomery


Usher
Photo: MTV News

With the success of songs like "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," "Hot Tottie" and "OMG," Usher had himself a fairly massive 2010. But rather than rest on his laurels, he's looking to build on his big year, not with an album, but with a "movement."

It's something he's calling "Rev Pop" — or, simply, "Rev" — and though he's already teased his idea in a video with David Guetta (Akon is also involved), he has yet to speak in full about it. So when MTV News caught up with Ush before the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the (Belvedere) RED launch party, we asked him about his next musical endeavor. And though he didn't reveal much, he did let it be known that "Rev" isn't exactly something new. In fact, he's been doing it for a while now.

"I'll give it to you this way: At a later date, I'll tell you more about Rev Pop, but if I were to give you a flash: I've done it before, I did it with 'Yeah!' " he said, "taking a cultural experience, and also worldwide recognition of a feeling, and putting the soul in the middle of it. Not allowing it to shift heavily to R&B genre, or pop. I did it again with 'OMG,' once again putting the soul in the middle of it, which was an electric-pop experience, with the soul.

"It's bringing those elements together to tell a story, that was born here," he said, gesturing toward his heart, "And that's what Rev Pop is. There's more, I mean, I could really elaborate, but that's just what I'm going to tell you right now. 'Rev' is what it's called ... the movement is called Rev."

Usher wouldn't say just when his fans would be getting their first taste of Rev, but whenever they do, it sounds like they're going to be impressed ... if not a little shocked.

"Stay alive," he smiled, "Because you're definitely going to be in for a surprise."

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Lady Gaga And Bette Midler: A Real Mermaid Weighs In!

MTV News goes straight to the source to discuss recent pop-culture mermaid trends and beefs.
By Jocelyn Vena


Lady Gaga
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Beyoncé declared her love for mermaids during her MTV special "The Year of 4," while Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Bette Midler have all dressed up like the mythical sea creatures onstage or in videos. Madonna has surrounded herself with mermen during a past tour, and mermaids also show up in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and in several new novels, including a forthcoming book by "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer.

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida is famous for its mermaid shows, so MTV News decided to go right to the source and get a real-deal mermaid on the phone. It's no surprise that "mermaid" Carli Goodworth told us it's officially the Year of the Mermaid.

"It used to be really popular, like, 60 years ago and everybody was all about mermaids, and now today, it's coming back again," Goodworth told MTV News. "The stars are starting to use it, and the people from outside are loving it, and hopefully it'll draw more people to our attraction as well."

So why are pop stars taking on mermaid alter egos? Goodworth said the public persona of mermaids has shifted from the cute and cuddly Disney version to the more accurate version of mermaids who are mysterious, dangerous and sexy.

And the mermaid trend hasn't been free from controversy: There has already been beef between fans of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, accusing the pop stars of lifting the idea, and then between Lady Gaga and Bette Midler, who did the mermaid-in-a-wheelchair routine decades before Gaga did.

"It's becoming so popular," Goodworth laughed about the mermaid beefs. "I think it's awesome. We're used to the few people around here, because we are known as the mermaid country, and it's neat to see all these other people battling it out to be the only mermaid. It's just different."

Being that Goodworth has performed as a mermaid for quite some time now, she's happy to see other people getting excited about it. "We love mermaids, so it's fun to see other people doing stuff with mermaids besides us," she said, adding her advice: "Be creative, do your own thing, really do your research."

What do you think about the pop-culture mermaid trend? Let us know in the comments!

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With a Little Luck: A Novel

My good friend Caprice Crane's new book, With a Little Luck, is out today. Yay, Caprice!

It's gotten great reviews:

"Crane is one of the funniest writers of popular fiction around. The dialog (inner and outer) is laugh-out-loud, snort-inducing hilarious . . . Readers will want to cross their fingers and spit while throwing salt over their shoulders if it helps Berry reach her dreams. Highly recommended."

Library Journal

"Fans of Stacy Ballis and Cara Lockwood will appreciate Crane's effortlessly funny style, which is often attempted in popular fiction but is rarely this well executed...Lighthearted and charmingly honest."

—Booklist

"[A] satisfying romantic comedy...[with] real character growth."

—Kirkus Reviews

And even better blurbs:

"Romantic, poignant and funny—this book is a lucky find for lit fans. Caprice Crane is a nimble and gifted storyteller."

—Diablo Cody, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Juno

"A hilarious romp that oozes charm and giddy fun. Caprice Crane is a true talent."

—Molly Jong-Fast, author of The Social Climber's Handbook

"Witty, fast-paced, and sheer fun. Caprice Crane is a master of dialogue. Half the time I was reading this book I was smiling, which made me look like a crazy person on the subway."

—Jancee Dunn, author of Don’t You Forget About Me and Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?

"Absolutely charming and hilarious."

—Missy Peregrym, star of the movie Stick It and ABC's Rookie Blue

"With a Little Luck scores in humor, head, and heart. In other words, it’s a perfect trifecta."

—Karyn Bosnak, author of 20 Times a Lady (soon to be the major motion picture What's Your Number?)

(Omg, who is that last fantastic blurber?) (I meant every word of it.)

And most importantly, she has the cutest dog ever (who likes to video chat with Bev):

Anyway, check it out, buy it—it's fantastic!

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