Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Britney Spears is apparently such a fan of ‘X Factor,’ that she wants to become a judge on the show! A source close to Spears spoke to Us Weekly about the singer’s hopes to give her two cents on the judge’s panel on Simon Cowell‘s singing competition.

After Fox ousted judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger from the show, Cowell and his team have been searching for replacements to sit alongside himself and fellow mentor L.A. Reid. So far, Katy Perry‘s name has been floating around in addition to Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Janet Jackson. Now, it looks like Brit is the latest pop diva to potentially take the ‘X Factor’ judging throne.

Britney Spears is such a sweetie, that we have a hard time picturing her in the often ruthless judges chair. Just like Nicole Scherzinger learned (the hard way), it’s not always easy to give people your honest opinion and to kick contestants out of the running, crushing a lot of dreams along the way. Do you think the ‘Hold It Against Me’ songstress would make a good fit for a judge?

Alberto E. Rodriguez / Dave Hogan, Getty Images

On Feb. 20, Rihanna‘s 24th Birthday, the world finally heard the infamous ‘Birthday Cake’ remix (featuring Chris Brown) that was talked about ALL weekend. We know what fans think of the two on the track (they even prefer it over the other RiRi/ Breezy collabo ‘Turn Up the Music’). But what does The-Dream, famed R&B artist and ‘Birthday Cake’ producer, think of the recent track reunion he helmed?

“Whatever my friend Rihanna wants to do,” he bluntly states to PopCrush. “100 percent — It’s whatever she wants to do.”

But it’s a bigger, philosophical discussion to The-Dream than just taking sides and pointing fingers. To him, this is all about finding empathy, forgiveness and understanding amongst all of us: “[To] forgive is a word that people need to rethink and actually figure out whether they can do that, or if they’re just saying that they can forgive and they actually can’t and don’t possess the power to do that. And [Rihanna] does, [and] I do, along with a lot of people I know do.”

He adds: “You know we’re all human at the end of the day. This isn’t ‘hey, [I'm] sticking up for this person, or whatever.’ It’s not about that. It’s really about what I was taught as a kid. This is how I thought the world was supposed to work, you know. We want forgiveness when it’s us, but we don’t want forgiveness when it’s somebody else. It’s like you’re in a glass house and and you’re casting rocks out … You’re just shattering your own house because the same willingness you have to not forgive someone else, you have to understand that one day you’re going to have a child and that child may do something that you don’t sincerely approve of. But you have to start to understand that we are human and this is how it is.”

This puts quite a different perspective on the whole issue, doesn’t it?

The-Dream, who is getting ready to drop his fourth studio album ‘Love IV,’ slated for Memorial Weekend, adds he always knew that the album version of ‘Birthday Cake’ would be rolled out into a song — or in this case, a remix. “We knew as soon as we released it [as a 'Talk that Talk' track] it would have to be a song.”

He even goes on to explain the reason behind the length (only one minute and 21 seconds) of the sexual laden anthem. “If you don’t get it by the first hook, there’s no need to finish it. So what I did was I rolled it up all the way to that point, and I stopped. So that’s all we had, but we ran out of time.” He continues, “But [Rihanna] felt like it was a great — that it had to be on the album.”

Listen to Rihanna, ‘Birthday Cake’ (Remix) Feat. Chris Brown

Dave Hogan, Getty Images

Hell hath no fury like Adele scorned. Not only did she get an award winning, massively successful album inspired by a guy who ticked her off, she also got an apology from the network that cut her off during her acceptance speech at the 2012 BRIT Awards.

Some background: Last night at the BRIT Awards, Adele was giving a heartfelt acceptance speech for her Album of the Year victory when she was cut off by host James Corden. Corden was then on the receiving end of a chorus of boos from the crowd — and Adele flipped him the bird!

After the ceremony, Adele explained, “I was cut off during my speech but I wanted to thank the British public for all their support. I was held up with my voice and troubles but the album kept walking without me. I flipped the bird for the suits at the BRITs who cut me off. Sorry if I offended anyone but it was for them, not for the fans.”

MTV U.K. reports that the BRITs released a statement regarding the incident.

“Evening all…We would like to say a few words about Adele’s British Album acceptance speech tonight. We regret this happened and we send deepest apologies to Adele that her big moment was cut short tonight due to the live show over-running… We don’t want this to undermine her incredible achievement in winning her incredible award… it tops off what’s been an incredible year for her.

The Brits is a live event, sadly the programme was over-running and we had to move on. We would like to apologise to Adele for the interruption.”

For his part, Corden felt terrible about having to cut the ‘Someone Like You’ singer’s speech off. “I just feel bad about having to cut Adele off,” Corden said. “I really don’t understand quite why I was made to, but it’s not a very nice way to end. I was having the best night of my life but then I had to cut Adele off before she had a chance to say thank you — she’s the biggest star in the world.”

Corden wasn’t the only British star who wanted Adele to finish. Singer Lily Allen spoke out about the incident on Twitter. ”I’d rather hear adeles [sic] acceptance speech,” Allen wrote. “I can’t say I’m surprised. It was like the music industry’s attitude to women played out as a metaphor.” While we’re not sure if it’s sexism or just bowing to sponsors for maximum commercial time, we agree that she should have been able to finish!

Hopefully Adele can forgive ITV and the BRIT Awards… But if not, we’d love to hear her write a song about it!

Theo Wargo, Getty Images

Madonna embraces diversity in everything she does. Her upcoming second single, ‘Girls Gone Wild,’ is a multicultural affair: the product of two Italian producers and a Canadian writer. Her dream team is dishing on what it was like working with the Material Girl on the highly anticipated track.

Patrick Moxey, the owner of Ultra Music, is thrilled with the song. “Obviously it’s huge for us,” Moxey told Billboard. “We have both the producer and the top-line writer; that’s 100% share.” Meaning: They’ll be making a mint off sales of the song.

“A brilliant way to have hits is to create hits,” Moxey said. “When you have very talented people around you, you just make the introductions, and maybe give them some direction. It’s the essence of the A&R process, but it’s so natural — it’s not contrived.”

Moxey reveals that the song was born last year, when Ultra Records artist Benny Benassi was readying to release ‘Electroman.’ Moxey loved the aggressive dance sounds that Benassi created, and requested more music from him to use with other artists. Benassi obliged, and Moxey then turned the songs over to Vancouver-based songwriter Jenson Vaughan. Vaughan’s resume includes tracks by Timbaland, Snoop Dogg and Kelly Rowland, so you know some magic was going to happen!

Vaughan gave Moxey a demo just a week later. Moxey passed the demo on to Benassi’s manager, who in turn shared it with Madge’s longtime manager, Guy Oseary. Not long after, Benassi traveled to London from Parma, Italy to record with Madonna herself. Two of the tracks they produced, ‘Girls Gone Wild’ and ‘I’m Addicted,’ made it on to ‘MDNA.’

Now the only issue may be dealing with that other ‘Girls Gone Wild’ producer: Joe Francis. But Moxey isn’t too concerned. ”When I looked at ASCAP, I noticed there were approximately 50 records called ‘Girls Gone Wild,’” he told Billboard. “This guy just thinks too much of himself.” We agree!

Listen to ‘Girls Gone Wild’ in an ‘MDNA’ Megamix

Astrid Stawiarz, Getty Images

After securing a gold-selling debut album (‘Cole World: The Sideline Story’) and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, J. Cole reached another milestone today (Feb. 22): he accumulated two million followers on Twitter. In celebration of that social-media feat, the ‘Work Out’ rapper released a free downloadable track called ‘Grew Up Fast.’

Produced by Canei Finch, the song boasts a soulful David Ruffin sample and a 808 drum kick. On the track, J. Cole takes shots at sensitive rappers who have gone soft with their rhyme flows. “Y’all got way too electro / Damn near techno / Half way homo / Way too metro / Hennessy XO / Cole flow special / Style like Tribe Called Quest meets Death Row,” he raps.

The song is available for download at J.Cole’s blog DreamVillain.net.

Meanwhile, J. Cole is not finished promoting his ‘Sideline Story’ album, just yet. The North Calackie MC just completed a video for his next single, ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ featuring Missy Elliott. “It’ll probably be my best video yet, visually,” he says about the production. “Man, just to have Missy on that set and to see her singing the song that I wrote. It’s Missy, I don’t think people really understand; that’s my era and how I look at her and how creative she is and her and Timbaland and the things that they did. That was a beautiful moment right there.”

In addition, fans can catch J. Cole this spring on his Campus Consciousness / The Sideline Story Tour. The 17-city trek starts on April 11 in Kingston, R.I., and ends on May 4 in South Orange, N.J.

Listen to J. Cole, ‘Grew Up Fast’

Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Katy Perry is headed to the small screen again. The pop diva booked a guest spot as a — get this! — prison attendant on Fox’s ‘Raising Hope.’ The episode is set to air on Tuesday, March 6 at 8 PM ET/PT and it’s called ‘Single White Female Role Model.’ From pop star to prison attendant: Katy Perry does it all.

Perry will portray Rikki, a prison attendant claiming to be a friend of ‘Raising Hope’ character Sabrina, played by Shannon Woodward. Perry decided to take the role since Woodward is her BFF. Wait, we thought Rihanna was her bestie. Ah, well, a girl can have two best friends, can’t she?

Executive producer Greg Garcia said, “Shannon Woodward told me that her friend Katy was interested in doing an episode and I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s do your friend Katy a favor.’”

But the “favor” actually turned out better than expected, since Perry nailed it. As if we expected any less — this is Katy freakin’ Perry we’re talking about. There are no limits to the ‘Part of Me’ singer’s talents.

Garcia continued, with tongue-in-cheek, saying, “Then she came in and did a terrific job. She was hilarious. And now people are telling me that Katy is also a singer. I sincerely hope that her appearance on the show helps her get her singing career off the ground. It’s a tough business!”

Perry also commented on how her role as Rikki came to be. “Shannon Woodward is my best friend,” said Perry. “A couple weeks ago, I was home, just toasting up a frozen chicken fillet when she called me up and asked if I wanted to do something ‘fun’ for a change and try out a guest role on her TV show. I thought, ‘Sure, I have nothing else to do, and I like chillin’ with my best friend.’ Greg was nice, but I hope he’s not secretly sabotaging my potential future career by typecasting me in the role of just a looker, so that I would never be able to play anything more challenging.”

If you want more deets about Perry’s appearance, here they are. Sabrina participates in an Occupy Natesville protest and thus slapped with a two-week prison sentence. Rikki gains pleasure from making her stay in the clink utterly miserable. That is until she recalls their long-ago friendship.

Who’s going to watch Katy Perry, who previously appeared on ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ on ‘Raising Hope?’

Valerie Macon, Getty Images

It may be hard to believe considering she’s one of the most famous girls on the planet right now, but Selena Gomez wasn’t always so popular. The ‘Who Says’ singer revealed that when she was in school, she wasn’t confident at all — and that she thinks the only reason she wasn’t bullied is because her cousin was a cheerleader and protected her!

“I was never the popular kid at school. I had two friends, but I just sat at the back of the room and got on with my work,” Gomez told the Daily Mail. “School is such an awkward time in your life. I was never confident in school.”

“Nobody picked on me because my cousin was one of the popular gang,” she dished. “She was always very protective of me, so I guess I was very lucky.”

Gomez also said that despite dating the world’s biggest heartthrob, Justin Bieber, now, she actually never had a boyfriend in school. True to her ‘Hit the Lights’ lyric, “It’s the boy you never told ‘I like you,’” Gomez says, “I never went out with guys at school. I had a crush on a guy, but I never told him about it. I did the thing that a lot of girls do: I avoided him!” So funny, but so true!

What advice does Sel have for girls in similar situations? “You need that self confidence if you want to chat to the guy you like. If you’re confident with yourself, and you’re okay with that, then you should go for it. Ignore the cruel jibes and stick with the nice people,” she said.

Gomez has a healthy perspective because she surrounds herself with people who love her. “I’m lucky because I have a lot of support from my family and friends. I have so many amazing things in my life,” she gushed. “I have a healthy, loving family and I have amazing fans. That’s all that matters to me. I try my best to not dwell on the bad stuff. Focus on the positive.” She also has the Biebs! She really is lucky!

Larry Busacca, Getty Images

Lady Gaga comes from a Catholic background so it’s no shock that the devil haunts her dreams, as he factors into much Catholic lore. But the Mama Monster is not going to go mano y mano with the devil on her own. She is reportedly seeking help to expel him from her nightmares in the form of Indian doctor and spiritual advisor Deepak Chopra.

The Mother Monster reportedly said, “I have this recurring dream where there’s a phantom in my home and he takes me into a room where there’s a blonde girl with ropes tied to her limbs pulling her apart. I told Deepak the dream was so terrifying I thought somehow that a devil force was trying to take hold of me.” Yikes. That sounds scary and enough to keep us up at night.

The devil may be messing with Gaga’s dreams but it’s Chopra to the rescue. Gaga also allegedly said,
“[Deepak] laughed and told me that I should learn to embrace my own insanity. I told him, ‘The Devil is trying to take me, Deepak. I’m a good girl!’” Chopra’s reply? “Don’t worry.”

The Daily Star also reports that Gaga has requested Chopra’s assistance in helping her to levitate. Guess her signature, six inch platforms aren’t enough of a boost as she claws her way to the top of the pop food chain?

Gaga said, “I want to go into a coma and levitate. I am a very spiritual person. Deepak is the most influential person in my life. His message is a true inspiration. He helps me to reach inside my spirituality and we take it to the next level.”

Whatta ya think, little monsters? Are you worried about Gaga with the devil haunting her dreams and her desire to enter a coma state and levitate?

Christopher Polk, Getty Images

Some more details, including a trailer, have been revealed about Demi Lovato‘s previously top-secret upcoming MTV special, ‘Demi Lovato: Stay Strong,’ which is set to air on MTV on March 6 at 10PM ET. It’s a one-hour documentary that begins in the Fall of 2011, as Lovato faces life after rehab and navigates the long, involved recovery process, which didn’t cease when she signed out of a treatment facility.

Fans will ride sidecar with the ‘Skyscraper’ singer as she enjoys Thanksgiving in Dallas, Texas with her extended family and hits the road for her first tour in recovery mode. There’s a cute scene of her doing vocal warm ups backstage in the trailer.

Viewers will also accompany Lovato as she returns to the treatment facility she initially checked into in October of 2010, speaking to the girls who are there and thanking the staff who assisted in her own journey.

In the trailer, Lovato confesses, “I never thought I’d be a role model.” She also said that she hated it when that tag was first assigned to her pre-rehab and when she first started in the industry.

She states, “I battled depression, developed an eating disorder and thought there is no way I am going to get better. It ended up driving me insane.”

Once she got over that hump, she admitted, “Why not air all my secrets?”

She continued, “I wanted to share my story but I knew it had to be honest, it had to be real. I have daily challenges but so do many kids who are struggling to feel comfortable in their own skin. If opening up and sharing my story inspires even one person to stay strong or to get the help they need, I’ve succeeded.”

That approach really has worked for her. She could have refused to talk about her situation and her issues, which many crisis PR campaigns aim to do. Instead, she embraced candor and honesty.

The last seconds of the trailer are so poignant, as Lovato says, “I am not fixed. This is a daily battle, but I continue to work my butt off. I want to be a legitimate role model.”

It’s full circle for Demi Lovato.

Watch the ‘Demi Lovato: Stay Strong’ Trailer

Clevver TV

Trace Cyrus is ready to start fresh with his new musical project Ashland HIGH, and he recently sat down with Clevver TV to discuss how his life has changed over the past two years. After the breakup of his band Metro Station, Cyrus was in a dark place mentally. However, with the help of his fiancee and an eagerness to find his own musical direction, he’s come through it as a stronger person and more confident artist.

“I’ve just been kind of trying to find my own sound with my new project Ashland HIGH, and finding the right team and getting back out there. So, finally all the pieces have come back in place and I’m about to really just make my way back in the music world,” Cyrus said while sitting down in his home studio.

“My band Metro Station broke up about two years ago and that was a hard time for me,” Cyrus continued. “I was just depressed because I went from on top of the world to just losing my friends, [and] not really knowing where I wanted to go musically.”

Despite this struggle, things are definitely looking up for the musician, who is engaged to actress Brenda Song. “I’m in a totally different spot than I was two years ago … Now finally I’m happy. I have a fiancee I’m in my house, I have a great home studio where I [get] to record.”

As for his new sound? Cyrus said, “With these new songs I really tried to write strictly just pop songs. There’s a lot of electronic influences with the beats and the synthesizers and stuff — a lot of ’80s influences and stuff. But still I just like to say it’s pop.”

Be sure to check out the full interview below to learn more about Trace, his new music, and his relationship with his fiancee Brenda.

Watch Trace Cyrus’ Interview With Clevver TV

FOX

Congratulations to Rachel Crow! Everyone’s favorite pint-sized ‘X Factor‘ contestant may not have won the competition (thanks a lot, Nicole Scherzinger!), but she’s doing just fine on her own. Crow snagged a TV pilot with Nickelodeon and a record deal, so get ready to see a lot more of her.
Crow was predictably thrilled at the news. “It’s been amazing,” Crow told the Hollywood Reporter. “A couple days after the elimination I just found myself sitting home asking myself, ‘What am I going to do now?’ And I never would’ve thought that this is what I was going do now. So, it’s pretty amazing. I’m very thankful and I feel very blessed to have all this.” Seriously, how cute is she?

Crow will star in a musical-comedy themed pilot for Nickelodeon, as well as having a recurring role in the current series ‘Fred: The Show’ for five (and possibly more) episodes this spring. On ‘Fred,’ Crow will play Starr, a girl determined to make it as a famous singer. Sounds right to us!

The move was somewhat surprising, as many thought Crow would have a development deal with Disney. “It’s definitely going to come as a surprise for a lot of people,” she said. “I get asked on a daily basis from all my wonderful friends, ‘So, Disney, huh?’ It’s hard to keep a secret, but it’s really cool because now I’m happy to be able to share it with everyone.”

As for her music, Crow’s mentor, Simon Cowell, scored her a record deal with Columbia Records through his company, SyCo. She’ll be in good company: “Columbia was awesome for me,” she gushed. “This is the top, which is really cool. Beyonce and Adele. And I’m in the same family as them, which is really awesome.” Crow told THR that her album will be “spunky,” and “there’s definitely gonna be some high notes in there. And it’s just gonna be me.”

Another ‘X Factor’ runner up who’s doing well? Second place contestant Josh Krajcik. Billboard reports that Krajcik is working with Adele’s producer Eg White, who collaborated with the Grammy winner on ‘Chasing Pavements.’ Krajcik has a deal with Sony Music, though it’s uncertain which label will feature him. Whichever one he chooses will be lucky to have him!

Kevin Mazur, WireImage

Katy Perry has earned her seventh No. 1 song with ‘Part of Me,’ the song she performed at the 2012 Grammy Awards, which enters the singles chart at No. 1 this week.

‘Part of Me’ is the first song to debut at No. 1 since Lady Gaga‘s ‘Born This Way’ at this time last year. This has to be a sweet accomplishment for Perry since the track is about her ex-husband, Russell Brand, as seen in the lyrics, “So you can keep the diamond ring / It don’t mean nothing anyway / In fact you can keep everything / Except for me.”

Since ‘Part of Me’ is from ‘The Complete Confection,’ the repackaged version of ‘Teenage Dream,’ Perry could claim to have six No. 1 hits from that album. But Billboard already announced that it considers the repackaged edition to be a brand new release, meaning that Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream’ will remain tied with Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ for the official record of five No. 1 hits from a single album.

Behind Perry, Adele‘s ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ holds down No. 2 on this week’s chart, while ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and ‘Someone Like You’ both return to the Top 10. Whitney Houston‘s ‘I Will Always Love You’ rises from No. 7 to No. 3 as fans continue downloading the classic track. Kelly Clarkson‘s ‘Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)’ drops from No. 1 to No. 4.

Watch the Katy Perry ‘Part of Me’ Video

NBC

Despite her many heartbreaks, the tales of which fill the songs of her still-nascent catalog, Taylor Swift is blindly optimistic about love and she’s proud of it. Don’t you love that she’s not cynical about love yet? That’s the Sagittarius in her.

Swift was the couch guest on ‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno’ last night (Feb. 20), where she promoted her new animated film ‘The Lorax.’ Of course, the subject quickly turned to love and she attributed her behavior to her astrological sign.

“When I am in love, I am stupid about it, I trust people,” she said, in typical wide-eyed, Swiftian wonder. She is such a girly girl, and that’s probably why so many girly girls love her so. She said her blind optimism is a product of her birth sign and later mused that she doesn’t have a “type” when it comes to boys. “I don’t think so, ” she said about her search for a mate and “types” but not before qualifying that being type-free is a good thing. “But that makes it fun.” She even joked that she thinks she’ll meet her next beau at the grocery store. Sounds like a rom com scenario. Swift, the man of her dreams and the frozen pizza aisle? What a recipe for L-O-V-E.

Swift also expounded upon the fact that her hit song ‘Mean’ took on a life of its own, with fans interpreting it their own way, which she welcomes and embraces. “‘Mean’ is not about being bullied in high school, but when it went out into the world, it became that,” she said. “I wrote it about a critic that kept giving me bad reviews.”

She admitted to having her feelings hurt by reviewers and to not having a thick skin, which has caused her to cease reading her own Google Alerts. But now that the song has become an anthem for those teens who are struggling to get through hellish high school experiences, she contended that the song is no longer about the critic. The fans have taken it and made it there own. As a result, they “own” it.

All these things are precisely why T. Swift is the poet laureate of the high school generation.

Watch Taylor Swift on ‘The Tonight Show’ Part 1

Watch Taylor Swift on ‘The Tonight Show’ Part 2

Christopher Polk / Roger Kisby, Getty Images

Adam Levine popped by Howard Stern’s morning radio show on Tuesday (Feb. 21) and the two talked reality talent show shop, given Levine’s gig as a ‘The Voice‘ coach and Stern’s much anticipated new job as a judge on ‘America’s Got Talent.’ Of course Stern grilled Levine about his fellow coach Christina Aguilera and her curvier figure, since he has built his career on the fact that he has the guts to ask what every male is secretly thinking.

Stern asked, “Why did she get so heavy? Is she upset?” to which Levine rolled his eyes. Stern commented that Aguilera’s clothes are too tight. Levine was incredibly PC about this line of questioning and attempted to sidestep it, saying, “She clearly likes talking about being comfortable with being a woman” and that Xtina can do whatever she wants. When Stern referred to the singer as plus-sized, Levine said,” I wouldn’t go that far.” Stern’s cohort Robin Quivers echoed Levine’s sentiment that the singer isn’t as big as Stern might think.

When Gary “Baba Booey” Dell’Abate chimed in about whether or not Stern thinks Xtina is a size 12, Stern asked Levine if he knows what size she is. His simple reply? “I am keeping my f—ing mouth shut.”

Best to plead the fifth, since he has to sit next to her in the big red space chair! At the end of the day, Xtina is an utterly beautiful woman who is proud of her womanly curves.

Stern also spoke about his initial tapings of ‘America’s Got Talent’ and again, we’re beyond stoked that he is on the judge’s panel. He will infuse the show with honest commentary and while many might assume he will simply shred the bad contestants, anyone who listens to Stern (as this writer does religiously) knows he is incredibly fair and takes the job seriously.

Watch Howard Stern Grill Adam Levine

Mike Coppola, Getty Images

Even with ‘Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)’ commanding the charts as the No. 1 song in the country, Kelly Clarkson fans are eagerly looking forward to the next single from the original ‘American Idol‘ champion’s latest album, ‘Stronger.’ Clarkson hinted in a recent Z100 interview that it could be ‘Dark Side.’

“Maybe, yeah, that’s one we’re thinking about,” Clarkson said in response to a question about ‘Dark Side’ as the third single. “There’s only a couple slower songs on the record. It’s very much a cardio kind of album. I like ‘Dark Side’ cause it’s still got a beat to it, but it’s a sweet song. It’s a sweet-sounding song but it’s kind of a darker lyric, and I like that.”

So it sounds like nothing has been officially decided, but ‘Dark Side’ is the leading contender to be the next single. The song, which features Clarkson singing, “Everybody’s got a dark side / Do you love me / Can you love mine,” was produced by Greg Kurstin, who also co-wrote and produced the ‘Stronger’ track.

In the interview, Clarkson also revealed a near disaster before her performance of the national anthem at the Super Bowl when she boarded the plane to Indianapolis without her dress. “We were on the plane, and Ashley, my makeup artist, looks at me and goes, ‘Where’s your dress?’” Fortunately, they were flying via private charter, so just before takeoff, her tour manager stopped the plane and rushed back to get the outfit. Clarkson said, “I was like, ‘I don’t think Spanx alone is gonna be hot. I think I’m gonna need a dress!’”

Tasos Katopodis, Getty Images

J. Cole is going to back to school. Well, sort of. The Roc Nation rapper has teamed up with green company REVERB for his Campus Consciousness / The Sideline Story Tour this spring. Besides performing songs from his latest album ‘Cole World: The Sideline Story,’ Hollywood Cole will also teach students how they can save the environment.

“My music gives me a platform to reach a lot of young people,” he said. “I’m happy to be partnering with REVERB to engage my fans and hope they’ll get on board with these positive environmental messages.”

The 17-city jaunt kicks off April 11 in Kingston, R.I., where he will be visiting the campus of the University of Rhode Island. J. Cole will also hit his home state of North Carolina for a performance on April 21. The entire trek wraps up on May 4 in South Orange, N.J.

J. Cole is a proud graduate from New York’s St. John’s University with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in communications and a minor in business. As a university grad, Cole should be able to connect with his collegiate fans on his eco-friendly tour.

J. Cole’s Campus Consciousness Spring 2012 / The Sideline Story Tour Dates:

4/11 /12 – Kingston, R.I. (University Of Rhode Island) | The Ryan Center
4/13/12 – Babson Park, Mass. | Private Location
4/14/12 – Waterville, Maine (Colby College) | Wadsworth Arena
4/15/12 – Amherst, Mass. | Private Location
4/17/12 – Champaign, Ill. (University of Illinois) | Assembly Hall Theatre
4/18/12 – Dekalb, Ill. (Northern Illinois University) | Convocation Center
4/19/12 – Lexington, Ky. (University of Kentucky) | Memorial Coliseum
4/20/12 – Johnstown, Penn. (University of Pittsburgh Johnstown) | Sports Center
4/21/12 – Greensboro, N.C. (UNC Greensboro & North Carolina A&T) | White Oak Amphitheatre
4/23/12 – Springfield, Mo. (Drury University) | O’Reilly Center
4/24/12 – Cedar Falls, Iowa (University of Northern Iowa) | McLeod Center
4/26/12 – Bloomsburg, Penn. (Bloomsburg College) | Nelson
4/27/12 – Morgantown, W.V. (West Virginia University) | WVU Coliseum
4/28/12 – Philadelphia, Penn. (Temple University) | The Liacouras Center
4/29/12 – TBA
5/3/12 – Durham, N.H. (University of New Hampshire) | Whitmore Center Arena
5/4/12 – South Orange, N.J. | Private Location

Danny Martindale, Getty Images

In a concerted effort to differentiate itself from ‘American Idol,’ which judge/producer Simon Cowell feels the show failed to do during Season 1, ‘X Factor‘ may feature two hosts on Season 2.

The initial plan was to have Steve Jones and Nicole Scherzinger share the hosting duties, but that plan was scrapped when the Scherz quickly filled the mentor positioned vacated by Cheryl Cole. With Jones and the ex-Pussycat Doll dismissed from their jobs with the show, the idea of a tandem of hosts has been resurrected.

“Simon’s vision was always to have a man and woman host this and to make it feel a little bit like an award ceremony,” FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz, told TV Guide. “A glamorous girl and a good-looking guy doing a kind of double act.”

Frot-Coutaz also expounded on the idea that ‘X’ was too similar to ‘Idol,’ and that Cowell’s love-hate relationship with Paula Abdul was too familiar, thanks to their patented ‘Idol’ banter. It was a case of “been there, done that,” and it showed in the ratings, which were less than spectacular.

“There was no way around it,” Frot-Coutaz said. “In terms of making the show feel different, everyone felt we needed to put it in a different situation.”

And that’s why half the judging panel and the host were terminated in favor of a clean slate.

NBC

Nick Jonas guest stars as Lyle West on NBC’s ‘Smash‘ next week. Lyle is a sitcom star who got his start as a child actor on Broadway. Though the role isn’t a huge jump for the Jonas Brother, he nails it. Jonas channels his Broadway role in ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’ and ‘J.O.N.A.S.’ television experience — he looks like he’s ready to steal the entire show.

Jonas performs an amazing rendition of Michael Buble‘s hit ‘Haven’t Met You Yet.’ His cover is slower and thus slightly more somber than the original. He slams his piano keys and sings as soulfully as he can, captivating his audience — and it looks like he actually woos Ivy in the process. She looks ready to swoon by the song’s end!

In another clip, Jonas as Lyle tries seducing Ivy. Scandalous! “I can see why they cast you as Marilyn,” he says, kissing Ivy’s hand. “That dress is amazing.” With a raised eyebrow, Derek responded, “This is very precocious behavior coming from a 15-year-old.” Lyle’s response? “I’m actually 12. And precocious would be showing you the bedrooms.” Ow! Looks like the littlest Jonas is all grown up.

Nick Jonas’ episode of ‘Smash’ airs Monday, Feb. 27, at 10PM on NBC.

Watch Nick Jonas as Lyle on ‘Smash’

Watch Nick Jonas Perform ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’ on ‘Smash’

Gareth Cattermole, Getty Images

Believe it or not, there are still some members of the American public who don’t own Adele‘s ’21′ album. However, that pool is a lot smaller than it used to be, after nearly three-quarters of a million people purchased the record last week, giving ’21′ by far its biggest sales week yet.

As reported by Billboard, the 730,000 copies eclipses the album’s previous best week, when it sold 399,000 during the Christmas shopping season. The surge in sales comes after Adele was the star of the 2012 Grammy Awards, taking home all six awards for which she was nominated, including Album of the Year.

Appropriately, ’21′ has now spent 21 weeks at No. 1 on the album chart. That passes the 20-week reign of Whitney Houston‘s ‘The Bodyguard’ soundtrack. It ties for the 8th-most weeks at No. 1 in history with MC Hammer‘s ‘Please, Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em.’ The next targets for Adele: Prince‘s ‘Purple Rain’ and the ‘Saturday Night Fever’ soundtrack, which both spent 24 weeks atop the chart.

Here’s another interesting piece of trivia: Not counting albums that have been out for less than a month, and excluding the Christmas season (when album sales typically go through the roof), the 730,000 copies Adele sold of ’21′ this week are the second-most by any album in any week in history, behind only the 848,000 the ‘Titanic’ soundtrack sold during Valentine’s week in 1998.

Adele’s debut album, ’19,’ also sees a huge sales surge, shooting up to No. 4. The remarkable vocalist’s remarkable success just won’t quit!

Jason Merritt / Dave Hogan, Getty Images

In between handing out odd-looking trophies last night, the 2012 BRIT Awards took time to remember two talented female vocalists who passed away within the past year, Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse.

Host James Corden said of Houston, “For three decades, she not only inspired the world with her incredible voice but also influenced many of the artists here with us tonight.” The brief montage featured clips from Houston’s music videos, set to a track of Houston’s 1988 Summer Olympics theme ‘One Moment in Time.’

While it was nice to see the BRITs remember Whitney, we have to say the 30-second montage looked like it took maybe five minutes to put together. It was not the most moving tribute we’ve seen of the great singer.

Winehouse’s remembrance was a bit more thoughtful, if only because the montage included photos from her life dating back to childhood, and it included audio clips from interviews Winehouse had given. In one clip, Winehouse said, “I thought I’d be a waitress or something. Or a housewife.” She also added a timely piece of advice: “Life is short. Do it!”

Watch the Whitney Houston Tribute at the 2012 BRIT Awards

Watch the Amy Winehouse Tribute at the 2012 BRIT Awards

Win McNamee, Getty Images

After his rendition of Al Green’s ‘Let’s Stay Together’ sparked a viral sensation (and triggered a healthy spike in sales for the Reverend Green), it was only natural that other artists would invite President Obama to take the mic for more vocal performances. When blues legend Buddy Guy challenged the Commander-in-Chief to join the band during a recent concert at the White House, he proved once again that he was up to the task.

Before kicking off a performance of ‘Sweet Home Chicago,’ Guy recalled hearing Obama sing ‘Let’s Stay Together’ and threw down the gauntlet, telling the President, “You gotta keep it up.” After being personally handed the microphone by Mick Jagger, Obama dutifully led the band through the first few lines of the song.

“Come on, baby don’t you want to go / Come on, baby don’t you want to go,” sang the President in tribute to the city where he started his political career. He quickly handed the mic off to B.B. King, who took the first verse up to the chorus, where Obama stepped back up to deliver the title lyrics. Not that Illinois was ever really in doubt for Obama in 2012, but this performance pretty much seals the deal, wouldn’t you say?

Watch President Obama Sing ‘Sweet Home Chicago’

Mark Metcalfe / Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images

Some celebrities use their Twitter accounts to share behind-the-scenes details of their lives and careers; for others, it’s mainly just a way to promote their latest project. But for Chris Brown, the popular social networking site seems to be mainly a public forum for venting about whatever — or whoever — is making him angry. Case in point: Brown’s recent Twit-beef with wrestler CM Punk.

It all started when CM (or is that Mr. Punk?) issued a challenge to Brown on Feb. 19, referencing his arrest for assaulting Rihanna by tweeting, “I would like @chrisbrown fight somebody that can defend themselves. Me curb stomping that turd would be a #wrestlemania moment.”

That’s all it took to produce a flurry of back-and-forth barbs between the wrestler and the singer, including Brown accusing Punk of being such a heavy steroid user that it’s “utterly impossible for him pleasure a women [sic]” and Punk daring Brown to “put some gloves on and get in the ring” before shrugging, “I know none of these things will happen because Chris Brown isn’t a man.”

Punk made the latter comments during a TwitVid dedicated to upping the ante in the feud while insisting, “I’m not here to start controversy, or to gain publicity, or anything like that.” (Smooth.) Never one to leave an insult alone, Brown retorted, “the video u just posted was cute! It’s so funny how defensive u are. And the fact that I really don’t know who you are and could give a s— is the funny part!”

It was just the first salvo in a rant that found Brown insisting that he’s “never ‘ANGRY’ when I speak my mind on Twitter” and lamenting “I miss the real wrestlers” before promising, “today will be the last day I bring @cmpunk existence up! The confrontations that people continuously bring my way are very amusing.”

This latest feud seems to have run its course, but given that we’re only two months into the year and we’ve already seen Brown taking on everyone from random haters to Miranda Lambert, it seems likely that we’ll see Brown blasting more enemies before 2012 is through. Who’s next — Josh Groban? Rachael Ray? Louis CK? Tight pickle jar lids? Anything is possible.

Dave Hogan (3), Getty Images

British citizens should be proud of their fellow brethren Adele, Coldplay and Florence + the Machine, thanks to their performances at the 2012 BRIT Awards last night (Feb. 21.) They should also adopt Rihanna, because the Bajan beauty also brought the house down with her performance.

Like at the 2012 Grammy Awards, Adele performed ‘Rolling in the Deep,’ which is the song that kicked off the massive success of the much-worshiped ’21.’ Adele looked classy and beautiful with bouffant hair and a black dress. Once again, she proved her voice rebounded just fine from surgery. Her performance was strong and strikingly similar to that which she turned in at the Grammys. Her lashes were so long we worried she might float away if she batted them too much. If you look close and hit rewind, you can see that massive diamond on her left hand.

RiRi performed her smash hit ‘We Found Love’ with dancers encased in block-like structures on stage. She also chose to forego pants in favor of a baggy, white sweatshirt-type top and construction boots. Despite being dressed down, it was typical sexalicious Rihanna, rocking huge hoop earrings. Given her recent remixes with her ex Chris Brown, the lyrics feel all the more autobiographical. The choreography was banging, too.

RiRi’s ‘Princess of China’ cohorts, Coldplay, brought the rock as they opened the show. With explosions going off in the background, they performed ‘Charlie Brown’ in the middle of the crowd. Few rock as flawlessly as Chris Martin and company. Their fellow countrymen ought to be proud.

Our favorite redhead Florence Welch delivered another epic performance. When doesn’t she, right? She was surrounded by peasant-like dancers that cavorted on the floor as she radiated while standing in a gold column gown. Gorgeous as always. There was also a lot of light on the stage, despite her performing ‘No Light, No Light.’ She’s another British vocal treasure.

Watch Adele Perform ‘Rolling in the Deep’

Watch Rihanna Perform ‘We Found Love’

Watch Coldplay Perform ‘Charlie Brown’

Watch Florence + the Machine Perform ‘No Light, No Light’

YouTube

“The revolution will be televised!” Those are the first words Sean “Diddy” Combs uttered as he went on YouTube to formally announce the launch of his new cable network Revolt TV. The Bad Boy Records CEO previously described the network as the “music news channel with an urban skew.”

“When I was growing up, I was watching television all the time — I used to wonder, ‘Why don’t those people look like me, or talk like me or walk like me?’” he said in the video. Diddy later adds, “I take a lot of pride in having the experience, the creditability, the authenticity and relationships to make Revolt TV the No. 1 name and home for music on television.”

Near the end of Diddy’s video, the rap mogul relayed his ultimate goal for his channel. “This network will represent the soul of music that’s been missing for a long time,” he says. “I will not stop until I’m on top.”

Revolt TV is expected to arrive on Dec. 12 — that’s 12/12/12 if you are keeping score, folks.

Watch Diddy Announce Revolt Music and News TV Network

YouTube

‘Super Bass’ isn’t the only tune Sophia Grace Brownlee has hidden up her sleeve! The tutu-wearing 8-year-old made yet another appearance on her girl Ellen Degeneres’ talk show, and alongside her 5-year-old backup dancing cousin Rosie, the little Brit tore through Nicki Minaj‘s ‘Moment 4 Life’ without a single misstep.

Seriously, Sophia Grace really impressed us this time around. She kept up with Nicki Minaj’s pace throughout the entire song, and even threw in some of that sassy, Harajuku Barbie attitude during certain points. Rosie is also really growing more comfortable in the spotlight! Even though Rosie didn’t sing or rap with her big cousin, she did bust out some entertaining dance moves while looking absolutely adorable in her pink, orange and yellow ballerina princess getup.

Can these little girls please receive a small round of applause? We really think Sophia Grace is a born star, and we really hope this isn’t a cutesy gimmick that fade with time. Anybody who can rap like that at the age of 8, whether they wrote the rhymes or just memorized them from the radio, deserves some serious props!

Watch Sophia Grace + Rosie Perform ‘Moment 4 Life’ on ‘Ellen’