Musicians are constantly calling out their mothers, and there are dozens upon dozens of tunes that properly shout out the first ladies we all get to know in our lives. We’ve put together a handful of our favorites below, including Bon Jovi’s “If I Was Your Mother,” Poison’s “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” the Dead Weather’s “Treat Me Like Your Mother” and Chromeo’s “Momma’s Boy.” Of course, some of the greatest songs about mothers aren’t currently available on this Web site, including Danzig’s “Mother,” Tupac’s “Dear Mama” and Pink Floyd’s “Mother.”

However, that didn’t stop us from presenting you with gems like Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacy’s Mom,” DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and our first selection on this Mother’s Day: The Black Eyed Peas‘ “Hey Mama,” a bubbly hit from their smash 2003 album Elephunk that should get your mom up out of her seat and dancing in celebration of her special day.

Celebrity mothers come in all shapes and sizes, whether they are ubiquitous because of the underage-ness of their famous daughters (like Tish Cyrus or Lisa Tisdale), famous because they are important fixtures in their kids’ public lives (Lynne Spears, Tina Simpson or the late Donda West) or notorious for all the wrong reasons (we’re looking at you, Dina Lohan).

Still, even the most tabloid-friendly mothers deserve a salute on the day designed for them, so keep mom in mind and have a look at the gallery below of your favorite celebrities and their respective mothers, starting with Miley and Tish Cyrus and continuing on through Flavor Flav and Anna Drayton, Sean and Janice Combs, Beyoncé and Tina Knowles and a host of others.

(Click here for more photos of our favorite actors, singers and stars with their moms!)

Wiz Khalifa is far from new to the rap scene, but the Pittsburgh MC existed in relative obscurity despite being signed to a major label. Even his first single, “Say Yeah,” which sampled Alice Deejay’s “Better Off Alone,” didn’t do much to change his status. The music video that accompanied it was so bad that I don’t even want to write about it, because I know you’ll Google it.

But in July, Wiz left Warner Bros. While a lot of dudes set a precedent of fading further into obscurity, Wiz kept working. He was working hard before, but it seems like Wiz went on a run after he left the label. He released two mixtapes — B.A.R (Burn After Rolling) and How Fly, the latter with his partner-in-rhyme Curren$y — and an independent album, Deal or No Deal. Then Wiz landed on the 2010 XXL

The MC built up quite a following, but it wasn’t until he delivered the tape Kush & Orange Juice that he crossed over into the mainstream.

When Kush was first released, Wiz was a trending topic for two days straight and made Google’s list of top trends. And now the homie is going to be on TV for his very own Mixtape Daily feature. Be sure to tune in Sunday at noon ET to Sucker Free Sundays on MTV2 and MTV Jams. Oh, and Taylor Gang members, be sure to use #MixtapeDaily along with #KushAndOrangeJuice in your tweets.

Are you excited for Wiz Khalifa’s Mixtape Daily? Let us know in the comments!

By Jayson Rodriguez

We know Betty White and Jay-Z will appear in sketches together this weekend during their appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” But the MTV News team thought it’d be just as interesting — maybe wacky? — if the two stars also shared the stage together during Hov’s musical performance.

Here, we list the top five Jigga/Betty collabos we’d like to see.

“Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”
Jay-Z’s ode to the underdogs who rose to the top would be a fitting marriage of his rags to riches story and White’s Tinseltown fortitude. And while White doesn’t have much theater experience under her belt, we’re sure the feisty octogenarian has the chops to pull of the Annie impersonation on the song’s chorus. This pairing would be quite the production.

“You, Me, Him, And Her”
This gem from Jay-Z’s 2000 album The Dynasty: Roc La Familia features Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel and the long-banished first lady of the Roc, Amil. In concert, Jay and company have been known to tweak the lyrics “Jigga Man, huh, Sigel, Sigel, y’all, Memph Bleek, what, Amil-ion, uhh” to “Amil-ion, gone.” Ouch. But with the “Golden Girls” actress on board, how easy would it be to just add Betty White’s name in there? And who wouldn’t want to see her strike an arms crossed, b-boy pose on stage after her name is called?

“30 Something”
The veteran MC turned back the hands of time with this heater, warning fellow rappers his time at the spotlight is far from over. Sounds familiar? White’s expansive career began in 1939, before most of the country even had television sets. Now, at 88, she’ll become the oldest person ever to host “SNL.” 90 is the new 50? Eh. Doesn’t have the same ring to it, but White — like Jay — is far far from hanging it up, that’s for sure.

“Young Forever”
Jay-Z’s latest Top 10 hit tugs at everyone’s eternal desire to stay virile and party until the DJ spins the last record. The song is one of the Brooklyn rapper’s most subdued numbers to date. But does it capture the spirit of White’s recent resurrection as an American treasure? Not so much. It’s the thought that counts.

“99 Problems”
Defiant, in your face, and full of bravado. On this tune, Jay-Z memorably shot back at his detractors who thought his lyrics were short on substance. White, with her quirky humor and grandmotherly appeal, at times has been criticized for coming across too much like her Golden Girls character Rose Nylund. But guess what? They don’t care! They’re on “Saturday Night Live.” Swap out a gruff Rick Rubin for White (in badass shades and leather!) and the possibilities are endless. To us, at least.

Got a suggestion for a White/Jigga joint? Let us know in the comments below!

According to promos about the show, White and Jay will actually be collaborating on a sketch or two. But as it turns out, it’s not the first time the man born Shawn Carter and White have teamed up. In fact, MTV News’ own Sohyung Kang managed to unearth (or, more accurately, completely invent) a handful of photographs from their past projects together. Remember that time early in his career when Jay subbed in for Bea Arthur on “Golden Girls”? Or the special appearance spot White made in Jigga’s video for hit from The Blueprint “Girls, Girls, Girls”? And of course, who could forget the major impact White made when she showed up alongside Jay and Rihanna in the eye-catching “Run This Town” video?

But by far their best (and probably most famous, if it actually happened) tag team effort was back in 2004, when White showed up in the video for Jay-Z’s “99 Problems.” Wearing her trademark (OK, not really) beard and fur coat, she strutted her stuff next to Jay as they made their way through his former neighborhood in Brooklyn. Who will ever forget this image?

(Click here for more past collaborations between Jay-Z and Betty White, including stints on “Golden Girls” and in classic music videos!)

“I made a big point to everyone that I didn’t want anyone else to watch a music video and show me and say, ‘This is what I think we should do.’ I don’t think it looks like any other music video. I think if we would have looked at another music video or listened to another song or looked at a different artist, it could have easily [been influenced].”

-Teen pop sensation Miley Cyrus on her new video for the title track to her upcoming album Can’t Be Tamed. The sexy, head-turning new clip (which premiered earlier this week), Cyrus stars as a sort of woman-bird hybrid who is kept in a cage and breaks out with the power of the song. The star is decked out in a revealing, skin-tight outfit and is surrounded by muscular dancers, but according to Cyrus, it’s not simply titillation for the sake of it. “This video is not just selling sex and edge,” she told MTV News. “It has a concept. It’s not about the glitzy part of it or about the artist — it’s about the song.”

The song in question is the first single from Cyrus’ upcoming album Can’t Be Tamed, which is out in stores on June 22 and, according to Cyrus, will be her last pop album for a while so she can focus on acting. But even if she doesn’t evolve into Exile in Guyville-era Liz Phair, she can stand by the video for “Can’t Be Tamed” as an original piece of work — which was was the intention. “I see videos all the time that I’m just like, ‘Yeah, it’s a great video, but I’ve seen it before,’” she said.

In the clip, Betty, who is very obliging and kind to the “SNL” staff, appears on the stage with Hova, who seemed to laugh a lot at Betty, telling the home audience, “And if your local news is any good this is the only news they’ll be reporting on all week. I’m Betty ‘Frickin’ White and this is Jay-Z.”

How does Jay feel about it? He’s cool with it. Who wouldn’t be? It is Betty “Frickin’” White! He just very comically whispers, “I’m the bodyguard.”

Oh, those two kooky kids. All joking aside, Betty admitted that she’s actually a big Jay-Z fan. “Well there are a lot of sketches coming up. I know it seems like about 350 and I will be doing a couple of sketches with Jay-Z, so that should be fun. I’m very excited about meeting him and I bragged to all my friends who think I’m over the hill,” she joked, adding, “Well I did a sketch with Jay-Z.”

That’s Betty “Frickin’” White for ya! She rocks!

Muse Will Have First Single From “Eclipse” Soundtrack
With “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” coming out on June 30, details regarding the soundtrack to the film have begun to emerge. Series creator Stephenie Meyer announced that the soundtrack’s first single will be a new song from Muse called “Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever).” The track will drop on May 17, with the full soundtrack hitting store shelves on June 8.

Taylor Swift Donates Big Money To Nashville Flood Relief
Flood waters have damaged and destroyed homes and musical landmarks in Nashville, and local legend Taylor Swift has stepped up to do her part. During a telethon hosted by Vince Gill on Thursday night (May 6), Swift pledged $500,000 in support. “Nashville is my home, and the reason why I get to do what I love,” she told The Associated Press. “I have always been proud to be a Nashvillian, but especially now, seeing the love that runs through this city when there are people in crisis.”

Does Kelly Clarkson’s New Song Take A Shot At Ryan Tedder?
In a new song called “Wash, Rinse, Repeat” that just leaked on Thursday, Kelly Clarkson appears to take a few shots at former collaborator Ryan Tedder (they had beef last year) and her own record label.

This weekend’s edition of “Saturday Night Live” not only features the first “SNL” appearance by 88-year-old actress and comedienne Betty White (who scored the gig thanks to a swell of Internet support following her instant-classic Super Bowl commercial) but also the third career “SNL” performance for Jay-Z. Hip-hop has not had a long history on the show, but the past decade has opened up the gates for performances from the likes of Dr. Dre, Eminem, the Black Eyed Peas, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. In fact, with his third appearance, Jigga ties Slim Shady as the rapper who has notched the most performances on the “Saturday Night Live” stage.

He made his “SNL” debut on December 16, 2000. “Ally McBeal” and “Charlie’s Angels” star Lucy Liu was the host, and Iceberg Slim not only performed “I Just Wanna Luv U (Give It 2 Me)” and “Is That Your Chick” but also appeared in a really wacky sketch called “Murder in the Make-Believe Ballroom.” That comedy bit tends to get edited out of one-hour replays of that episode, partially because Jigga drops a prop and accidentally says “s—” during the performance.

Though some performers might be reprimanded for cursing, the producers of “Saturday Night Live” were unfazed and brought Jay back for a second time on November 2, 2002. “Will and Grace” star Eric McCormick was that host of that episode, and Jay — who was about to release The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse — delivered two songs that featured big guests. His first was the then-single “Guns N’ Roses,” which featured a walk-on by Lenny Kravitz on guitar. Later on in the show, he broke out “03 Bonnie and Clyde” with the help of future wife Beyoncé. Though Jay did not appear in a sketch that night, he still blew away audiences with his performances (he made the otherwise tepid “Guns N’ Roses” sound like a pretty badass tune).

Clearly, he has a lot to live up to this weekend, but with the help of Betty White, an army of other funny women and likely some special guests, he should be able to deliver — just like he always does.

Kelly Clarkson has come a long way from being a reality show winner. She is a bona fide international superstar, and with that comes the full compliment of perks and setbacks of worldwide fame. Sure, she has had a number of huge radio hits (including “Since U Been Gone,” “Breakaway” and “I Do Not Hook Up”), but she is constantly photographed and has run into a handful of controversies. Last year, she had a public disagreement with OneRepublic frontman and pop song doctor Ryan Tedder after she accused him of using a very similar hook for both her song “Already Gone” and the massive Beyoncé hit “Halo.”

In her latest track “Wash, Rinse, Repeat” (which just made its way onto the Internet yesterday), she appears to be baiting Tedder for the song controversy. “Does it sound familiar, does it linger in your ear/ Like something you remember from just last year,” she sings in one of the verses.

Neither of them have commented on the latest shot across the bow, but perhaps it has been derailed by the other new Kelly Clarkson song that hit the Web this week. “Naked Eye” is a spectacularly punchy pop-rock tune with a great hook and a tremendous chorus. But it sounds a bit familiar to a number of people online, as it bears a striking similarity to an Arcade Fire song called “Rebellion (Lies).” There are an awful lot of similarities. Obviously, Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler and Clarkson don’t share a whole lot of vocal similarities, but the pulsating keyboards and the straightforward guitar riffs do sound quite a lot alike. Plus, the little snatch of melody at the beginning of the verses (Clarkson singing “Saw it with my naked eye” and Butler’s “Sleeping is giving in”) are almost note-for-note identical.

Ultimately, Clarkson’s “Naked Eye” is the superior tune and should be making noise on pop radio whenever she is ready to release a new album. And really, there are far worse people to steal from than the folks in Arcade Fire.

What do you think? Does “Naked Eye” sound too much like “Rebellion (Lies)”? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that’s why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Jessica Simpson began her career as the reserved version of the other teenage pop starlets but has since remade herself into an actress, reality show star and advocate for a number of noble causes. Her most recent project, “Jessica Simpson’s The Price of Beauty,” saw Simpson crossing the world and talking to women about health and beauty traditions all over the planet. She has also gone to work for Operation Smile, which treats oral deformities like cleft lips and palates in children all over the world. Simpson was a guest at their annual benefit gala at Cipriani in New York City on Thursday night (May 6). The event also played host to celebrities like Nick Cannon and “The City” star Olivia Palermo.

They weren’t the only famous folks doing their bit for charity, as Snoop Dogg and George Lopez hung out at the Lupus Orange Ball in Beverly Hills, California, while former “American Idol” winner Kris Allen performed at a benefit for the Save the Music Foundation at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Click here for these photos as well as the entire “Spotted!” archive, which features over 400 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, the Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Jay-Z, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Madonna and 50 Cent!

The tape was just dope — probably Wiz’s best. We play it a lot around the MTV News offices, and people on the net obviously felt the same way. So with all that buzz as well as tape’s superiority, we decided it was time to feature Wiz on “Mixtape Daily.” The cameras started rolling in Pittsburgh and we have to say, the piece came out stuuuuupid! On Monday (May 10), you’ll get to see Wiz’s full “Mixtape Daily” segment. It is our main pick of the week. The piece will also be airing on “Sucker Free” and MTV Jams, and we’ll let you know when you can catch Wiz on cable (stay tuned to find out exactly when).

In the meantime, check out this preview, where we capture Wiz tweeting to his loyal following. Major!

But before you do, be sure to put yourself in the right frame of mind for all the hot metal-on-metal action of “Iron Man 2.” In fact, feel free to use the video playlist below. It features a number of excellent tunes about weapons (MxPx’s “Secret Weapon,” Lair of the Minotaur’s “War Metal Battle Master,” Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “Weapon of Choice”), heroes (Foo Fighters’ “My Hero,” Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero”) and good old-fashioned metal (Quiet Riot’s “Bang Your Head (Metal Health),” Judas Priest’s “War”). There are also a few tracks from the guitar of Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine’s “Sleep Now in the Fire,” Audioslave’s “Cochise”), who provided some six-string work for the film.

But the bulk of the film’s soundtrack comes from AC/DC, who even produced a new version of “Shoot to Thrill” featuring plenty of footage from the movie. Click it on, turn it up and bang your head.

“[The new album] is going great actually. I’ve been writing it for the last two years, so this summer it’s all about the finishing touches and getting in there in the studio and recording the last couple songs. What do you think [it's about]? Boys and love.”

-Country superstar and pop icon Taylor Swift, speaking about her new album that should be done some time in 2010. Just before her performance at Tuesday night’s (May 4) Time 100 gala, Swift stopped to talk to MTV News about the upcoming record, which will be her third overall and her follow-up to the massively popular multi-platinum sophomore effort Fearless.

Though the album doesn’t have a title or a release date yet, we do know what the themes will be and how Swift develops musical ideas when it comes to creating new material. “I’m constantly writing about what I go through as it happens to me,” Swift told MTV News back in November of last year. “I try not to get too backlogged and have to go back. I record all the time, so I’ve got a lot of songs. When I put out an album, I’d like to think that when people listen to that album it’s like a diary of what I’ve been through in the last two years. So it’s a really fun way to express how I feel and what I’m going through.” Considering everything she has gone through — including the parade of awards, international performances, relationships and that incident with Kanye West — since Fearless came out, she’ll have no shortage of subjects to talk about.

Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that’s why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

With all the buzz surrounding the upcoming “American Idol” finale, it’s important to remember how significant the winner’s life will change once the show wraps up. When she first auditioned way back in the first season, the 20-year-old Kelly Clarkson was just a girl from Texas with a big voice. Eight years after her victory, Clarkson has put out four full-length albums and has had a sack full of radio hits (including her “American Idol” victory song “A Moment Like This,” the rocking “Since U Been Gone” and the sassy “I Do Not Hook Up”). She went from a local girl with talent to a truly international superstar. On Wednesday (May 5), Clarkson arrived at the airport in Taipei in preparation for a series of concerts she will be giving in Taiwan. When Clarkson famously broke down while singing “A Moment Like This” during the first “American Idol” finale (where the line “I can’t believe it’s happening to me” overwhelmed her), even then she probably never thought she would be greeted by a throng of fans who don’t even speak her language.

Clarkson wasn’t the only star putting her face in the crowd, as the Black Eyed Peas played a show at O2 Arena in London and Big Boi from Outkast bopped around New York. Click here for these photos as well as the entire “Spotted!” archive, which includes over 400 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey and Rihanna!

By Eric Ditzian

Though he will not reach the legal drinking age until 2014, let’s pour one out for Aaron Kelly, the gawky balladeer who got the ol’ heave-ho on “American Idol” Wednesday night (May 5). I’ve spent far too much of the past few months trying to wrap my head around just how the teen — whose voice I once compared to the sound of “nails on the chalkboard of a high school math class he should be sitting in instead of crooning on ‘Idol’” — managed to stick around the competition this long. For now, I salute the kid for a job well done (if hardly well sung).

So what will become of young Kelly? Will he go on to a successful career as a recording artist? Or might we never hear his warbling voice again? A look back at former “Idol” contestants who got voted off in the fifth spot provides a window through which we can gaze into Kelly’s potential future. Fifth-place “Idol”-ers have gone on to record albums, appear in theatrical productions and even return triumphantly to the “Idol” stage. What will become of Kelly? Will he fade away or break the mold? Let’s assess some fifth-placers’ highs and lows.

Most Successful
Success is a relative term when it comes to the fifth-place contestants. None have achieved the breakout status of a Chris Daughtry or even a Jason Castro (both came in fourth). Thus, the title of most successful goes to either Brooke White (season seven) or Phil Stacey (season six). Stacey has carved out a decent niche for himself in the country and Christian music worlds. His debut disc hit the #8 spot on the Billboard country chart, while his second album peaked at #27 on the Christian chart. White, meanwhile, managed to crack the Billboard top 200 — #50, in fact — and took the “Idol” stage last month for a duet with Justin Gaston.

Least Successful
This ignominious distinction goes to Scott Savol (season four). Among the singer’s post-”Idol” achievements are a 2008 run as the Cowardly Lion in a musical version of “The Wizard of Oz” (staged in Lubbock, Texas) and a three-night run at Trivs Restaurant and Lounge in Strongsville, Ohio.

Most Notable Collaboration
We haven’t heard much from Chris Richardson (season six), but an “Idol” performance of Jason Mraz’s “Geek in Pink” paid off for the former contestant. During an April 2008 show in Virginia, Mraz brought Richardson up on stage for a duet of the tune.

Most Newsy Development
RJ Helton is perhaps less well-remembered for his turn on the first season of “Idol” and his top-20 Christian album than he is for coming out of the closet in 2006. “Just because I am gay does not mean I can’t love God,” he said during a radio interview.

Of course, there are eight seasons’ worth of fifth-placers. Who is your favorite? Vote in the poll below! (Not that two people went home in the “fifth place” position in season six because nobody got voted off the week before.)

Lady Gaga Brings “Alejandro” To “American Idol”
Wednesday night’s (May 5) episode of “American Idol” was the last for teenage sensation Aaron Kelly, but the whole thing was upstaged by Lady Gaga. The fashion-friendly, theatrical singer performed a medley of her The Fame Monster hit “Bad Romance” and her new single “Alejandro.” The performance featured a large collective of dancers and a statue of an angel that shot flames out of its head.

Kristen Stewart Talks To Elle About Looking “Miserable”
In an interview in the new issue of Elle, “Twilight” star Kristen Stewart talked about why she often looks uncomfortable and unhappy on red carpets and in the press. “People say that I’m miserable all the time. It’s not that I’m miserable, it’s just that somebody’s yelling at me,” she told the magazine. “I literally, sometimes, have to keep myself from crying.”

Tim Gunn Joins The Cast of “The Smurfs Movie”
The cast of the upcoming film adaptation of the classic animated series “The Smurfs” just keeps getting weirder, as “Project Runway” host Tim Gunn has signed on. He joins an already eclectic collection of performers including Katy Perry, Fred Armisen, Paul Reubens, Alan Cumming and Hank Azaria.

But Siobhan’s jaw-dropping octave-jumping sound (which she taught herself while singing Kelly Clarkson songs in the shower) is but one in a long line of pop music power notes. So when she stopped by MTV News for her “I Just Got Kicked Off ‘Idol’ Now I Get To Talk To 9,000 Media Outlets” press tour, I wanted to hear her thoughts on some of my favorite high-pitched musical squawks.

Celine Dion, “The Power of Love”
“That’s a good one. The thing that’s impressive about that is that it’s very controlled in a place in your voice that it’s hard not to cross that line and have it more like a wail like I would do more often on the show. It was that tone that I was going for when I sang ‘Through the Fire,’ to make it kind of prettier, which I hadn’t done as much as my hard [wail]. And I struggled with it because our doctor looked at my throat that performance night. He said I bruised my vocal chords trying to make my scream pretty. And I was like, ‘That’s it! No more pretty screams!’ So I really respect [Celine's] because that’s hard!”

Mariah Carey, “Emotions”
“They’re called ‘whistle tones’ when you get that high. It’s very very hard. I can’t do that, really. Puberty makes it tricky. It’s really hard. Really really hard. But the cool thing about being able to sing that high is if you can sing that high then you can sing pretty low too because you stretch your vocal chords, so you’re more flexible. So the higher you’re able to sing, you can sing really low. She has such a rich, warm lower register, too.”

Adam Lambert, “Feeling Good”
“He’s great. What do you say? I love him. He’s so great, and it was such an honor to work with him, to be compared to him. I just feel like in the short time I spent with him, I have this understanding. He gets it. He gets what it’s like to be the one who’s criticized for being different, for having a scream. We have so much in common in terms of our time on ‘Idol,’ except that he got a lot further than me.

“There aren’t a lot of male singers doing that anymore, either. I grew up listening to my dad wail like that. My dad has an incredible scream just like mine. He was in this band Skin Deep when I was little and they would do lots of Guns N’ Roses and he’d have the whole look with the red bandana and the ripped jeans and stuff. It’s really cool when guys can do that.”

Minnie Riperton, “Lovin’ You”
“Dorian Holly, one of the vocal coaches, recommended that I do this song. That’s great.”

Prince, “Kiss”
“I love that it gets gritty when he’s up there, it’s just raw. It’s emotional and it’s just like, ‘I’m just sayin’ it! So loud!’”

[Fun fact: Siobhan said she desperately wanted to cover "Nothing Compares 2 U" while on "Idol" but Prince refused to clear his music for the show.]

Danny Gokey, “Dream On (Scream On Remix)”
“That is more of a scream, but I liked that he got down on his knee and stuff. It was very passionate and rock star so it was really cool. I enjoyed.”

Snow White, “With a Smile and a Song”
“This is my favorite Disney cartoon. I think that maybe I learned some of my more theater-type [singing]. I was Mabel in ‘Pirates of Penzance.’ I would imitate Snow White all the time.”

Her Fave Screamers
“My favorite singer, one of them, is Janis Joplin. She had quite a wail in her. So I was really influenced growing up by stuff like that, and Robert Plant, of course. But those are so obvious, too, at the same time.”

Watch the video to hear the notes for yourself, as well as some more analysis from the Queen Of Scream herself, then let us know which power notes are your personal faves. Any that we left off our informal collection? Are you planning on experiencing Siobhan’s Signature Scream this summer at the “American Idols Love!” tour? Leave a comment below and for more “Idol” insanity, follow me @jambajim!

Aaron, Casey, Kara, Simon — at this point, who cares who gets eliminated from “American Idol” anymore? We just want the thing to be over!

Yeah, we blew it yet again this time. After weeks of guaranteeing you that squeaky Sonestown teen Aaron Kelly was for sure a goner, we finally gave up and threw our chips on the table for future Salon Selectives spokesperson Casey James this week. And, of course, we got dissed again.

James got hammered for his so-what take on “Blue Skies” and we thought he’d Jason Castro’d himself for sure. But kind of like our reaction to Siobhan Magnus’ booting last week, we were strangely okay with being wrong, if only because Aaron’s final call cleared away some more dead wood and got us that much closer to what we’re almost certain will be an epic Lee DeWyze/Crystal Bowersox showdown. Michael Lynche could play spoiler and Casey James can only be considered a heavier-than-lead underdog, but it does seem like it will come down to the funky hippie chick squaring off against the bland-but-charming dude from Illinois. (In case you want to weigh in on who you think will walk away the winner, vote in our poll.)

After ten weeks of “Idol” forecasting (for those of you keeping score), it ain’t pretty. The odds of any of us finishing above 50 percent are looking slim. Here are the current standings.

Gil Kaufman: 9-of-17

Jim Cantiello: 8-of-17

MJ Santilli: 7-of-17

Do you have a better prediction record that we do? did you know Aaron was going home? Write in your comments below and let us know.

The thing that stands out in that Times article is the detail that a high school freshman in Vancouver paid $175 to get his curly hair chemically straightened specifically for the Bieber cut. It’s a plan that seemed to work out for him. “Girls always play with it in class,” the 14-year-old said in an interview. “It’s kind of frustrating sometimes. I’m trying to skateboard and they want to touch my hair.”

But as anybody who watched “The Diary of Justin Bieber” knows, getting a handle on “The Bieber” is relatively simple. In a much-passed-around clip from the show, Bieber wipes his wet hair with a towel and then proceeds to aggressively blow it forward as it dries, without the assistance of a stylist or any other professional. Judging from his dexterous use of the hair dryer, he is clearly comfortable with his ability to produce his signature locks every day.

Have you attempted to replicate Justin Bieber’s haircut? Let us know in the comments!

On Wednesday night’s (May 5) episode of “American Idol,” the viewers witnessed another minor upset. Even though the general consensus suggested that Casey James was next on the chopping block (a sentiment with which all of our “American Idol” experts agreed), the rabid support that kept Aaron Kelly on the show for so long finally dried up. Though Kelly didn’t deliver the worst performance from Tuesday night’s Frank Sinatra-themed episode, he couldn’t get enough votes to survive for another week.

With the season finale rapidly approaching, we’re down to the real serious business of “American Idol.” One of the remaining four contestants — Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche, Lee DeWyze and Casey James — will walk away from the show with a recording contract. We will be hearing the new album from the winner (and, if history is any indication, the runner-up as well) by the fall. It’s serious. Which begs the question: Who will win “American Idol” this year?

For most of the season, Bowersox has been the seemingly-infallible frontrunner, churning out consistently original and moving performances with ease. But the last few weeks have played against her strengths, leaving the door open for DeWyze to step in as the new favorite. Meanwhile, Lynche has been steadily improving and refining his style and image since he got saved a few weeks back, making him the dark horse looking to make a move in the final weeks. James almost certainly has the longest odds, as his performances have show little improvement and it seems like his support (both from the judges and the fans) is quickly waning.

So that leaves us with our original question: Who will win? Vote in the poll below and leave your arguments in the comments!

It has been a terrible year for natural disasters. The devastation in Haiti, the earthquakes in Chile and the current flooding in Nashville have all threatened infrastructure, destroyed livelyhoods and taken lives. Last week, we were beset with another mess: A blown out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana that has been spewing hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude into the sea.

Work is underway to cap the well using a 100-ton concrete and steel construction, but the damage has been done. Though we won’t know the extent of the impact the oil will have on the delicate ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico until they can cap the well and assess the damage, it’s safe to say that it will be near-catastrophic. The concern over the future of the world’s oceans is currently at its peak, which is why Participant Media (the company behind environmentally concerned projects like the Al Gore-fueled documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” the currently-in-theaters kid-friendly nature movie “Oceans” and the Oscar-winning film “The Cove”) has set up the Save My Oceans Pledge. It’s a social media-based project that asks participants to do one of three things to help ensure the ongoing health of the planet’s seas: Using reusable bottles and bags, eating non-endangered seafood or reducing one’s carbon footprint in order to prevent ocean temperatures from rising. All you have to do is head over to the official Save My Oceans site, take the pledge and then post it to Facebook or Twitter to get the word out.

The pledge has already spread to Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio, who posted the pledge to his Facebook page yesterday. “While the full impact of the gulf oil spill is still unknown, we know it is catastrophic to the wildlife in the region,” he wrote. “There are many small things we can do that collectively will help the future health of our oceans. Please join me in this effort by taking the Save My Oceans Pledge.”

What do you do to ensure the health of our oceans? Let us know in the comments!

Our first stop was Papa’s Tavern, an 70-year-old saloon across the Maumee River from downtown Toledo smack dab in the middle of a working class neighborhood. I’ve never had a neighborhood bar, but if I did, this place is what I imagine it would be like. Everyone greeted us like old friends as we walked in. One of Bowersox’s CDs was, of course, blasting out of the jukebox, which was stocked with more than 30 of her originals with names like “Sandman,” “Ohio Flies,” “Put Your Guitar Down” and “Barbed Wire Halo.” Even at 5:30 p.m., the place was packed with Harley gear-wearing regulars drinking domestic cans and stepping out (or not) to grab a smoke.

On the wall next to the cramped, foot-high riser stage where Crystal had a regular gig on Wednesday nights was a mural of her slinging an acoustic guitar, accompanied by painted images of two of her musical mentors, Ron Rasberry and Bob May (pictured below). The men are local legends, having haunted the stages around these parts for decades while opening up for the Charlie Daniels Band and Blackfoot along the way. They also inspired their protegé to write a song about them (“Grey-Haired Rockstar”), which they say is about perseverance and following dreams, even if you have a bum finger (or, like Rasberry and Bowersox, diabetes). Especially if you have those challenges.

The upper reaches of the walls were lined with hand-drawn caricatures of regulars with names like Snoopy, Weasel, Dan the Man and Dogg, and there were a half-dozen old friends and supporters wearing the homemade Bowersox T-shirts that are being sold as fundraisers for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. A flattened bit of cardboard that used to be part of a beer case hung on a pillar near the stage, signed by several dozen Vietnam vets as one of several tributes in the joint to POW-MIAs from that war.

This is where Bowersox got her start as a pre-teen. It’s where owner Tim Stahl gave Crystal the old lamp she built into a microphone stand that she’s been using on the show. That’s just another part of her hometown she has taken with her — along with the lessons she learned watching guys like Ron and Bob.

On the other side of the river in the more freshly scrubbed suburb of Maumee (which might as well be another planet) lies the Village Idiot, where Bowersox played on Monday nights for more than a year before making it to “Idol.” After watching Tuesday night’s performance show, her pal Nate Woodward, a chef and bartender at the Idiot, recalled putting his feet up on the low stage while she was playing late last year after she’d spilled the beans that she had auditioned for “Idol.” He presented the bottom of his shoes to her, snapped a series of close-up photos and warned, “You gotta get used to it, hon!”

There’s music seven nights a week at the Idiot, ranging from local cover acts like Polka Floyd to national bands like the Deadstring Brothers. It’s more upscale than Papa’s, to be sure, but still has that same funky, bohemian vibe, from the trippy pig-nosed court jester logo to the suit of armor sitting in a dark corner up in the balcony, the giant posters of bob Dylan and the criss-crossing strands of Christmas lights that hang overhead. It’s the kind of bar you might graduate to if you’re the kind of kid who started playing bars when you were still tooling around town on your bicycle.

Instead of Harley vests and grizzled beards (okay, except for the monumental facial hair sported by the Idiot’s inviting manager, Sully), the Maumee spot is filled with groups of freshly scrubbed girlfriends, older couples and twenty-somethings out for a few drinks and a peek at their hometown favorite.

As different as they are, her friends say both spots are a crucial part of what makes Crystal who she is. “What you see is what she’s about,” said Stahl. “That’s Crystal up there — the same one who played here.”

“I would love to do another album. The spirit has not moved me yet in that direction, but I would never put that idea out. I had such an incredible time doing Break Up [with Pete Yorn] and doing the [Tom] Waits [cover] album that I think there might be something in there in the future. I love to do covers. Covers are fun. I’m a huge music lover, music collector, listener and all those things. I like to do covers ’cause I feel like I’m in the shower. I think I’d probably do original songs for sure.”

-”Iron Man 2″ star and recording artist Scarlett Johansson, discussing her enthusiasm for recording other people’s songs and her desire to craft some tunes of her own on future albums. The 25-year-old star has released two albums (a series of duets with Pete Yorn called Break Up and a solo album called Anywhere I Lay My Head that was made up mostly of covers of Tom Waits songs) and has worked with David Bowie, the Jesus and Mary Chain and members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio and Celebration. She also recorded a sweet cover of Jeff Buckley‘s “Last Goodbye” for the soundtrack to the 2009 film “He’s Just Not That Into You.”

Johansson stars as Black Widow in “Iron Man 2″ (which opens in theaters this Friday, May 7) but has a number of other projects on the horizon, including a possible role as Courtney Love in the in-production biopic about Kurt Cobain. “I know that there is a script. That’s as much as I know about it,” she said of the film, which is based on the Cobain biography “Heavier Than Heaven.” “I’m a big fan of Courtney’s and I think she’s very, very talented. It would definitely be a challenge. I think the idea is interesting and intriguing, but I would have to really wrap my head around it.”

Granted, I watched Tuesday night’s (May 4) “American Idol” in a packed bar in Maumee, Ohio with a very partisan crowd of Crystal Bowersox boosters, but even above the boozy din while the other four finalists sang, I could tell after reviewing the tapes that new Vote for the Worst favorite Casey James should saddle up.

Without his guitar and looking just plain lost, James’ smiling charm dropped faster than a Simon Cowell neckline during his shaky performance of “Blue Skies.” With his hair tied back in a knot and wearing a disco-certified pink shirt, vest and slacks combination, James looked and sounded like a cheesy lounge singer on a cruise ship, his nerves clearly getting the better of him.

He appeared to sleepwalk through the performance, seemingly throwing in the towel in a lackluster effort reminiscent of Jason Castro’s a few years back. Kara DioGuardi compared his singing to the bleating of a lamb (and not in a good way), and Randy Jackson said it was flat out Casey’s worst song of the season.

Granted, even frontrunner Crystal Bowersox and resurgent teen Aaron Kelly had rough nights, but I have to agree with the assessment of my “Idol” experts (MTV News’ Jim Cantiello and MJ’s Big Blog founder MJ Santilli) that Casey has to go tonight.

We got blindsided last week when Siobhan Magnus got tossed, but this one feels like a slam dunk.

After nine weeks of “Idol” forecasting (for those of you keeping score), here are the current standings.

Gil Kaufman: 9-of-16

Jim Cantiello: 8-of-16

MJ Santilli: 7-of-16

Do you agree with our predictions? Who do you think is going home? Write in your comments below.

They say a well-rounded education is the key to success, and if that truly is the case, the my schooling is woefully incomplete when it comes to the subject of pop. That’s why we bring you “Popology,” the guide to modern radio-friendly stars as seen through the eyes of a guy who grew up on punk and metal. In case you missed previous installments, catch up with Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and the Spice Girls here.

In this week’s installment, Ricky Martin throws a fiesta on the radio.

As I’ve stated many times before in this column, the end of the ’90s was a confusing time. Because there was no dominant trend in pop music, dozens of different trends all descended at once. There was the ska trend, the swing revival, the rise of pop-rap and, of course, nu-metal. Also all over the radio waves near the end of the millennium? The so called “Latin invasion,” which allowed for smashing success for Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, “Macarena” and the subject of today’s column: Ricky Martin.

Martin, a native of Puerto Rico who first got a taste of fame as a member of Menudo when he was still a teenager, had been recording as a solo artist in his native Spanish for most of the 1990s before he dropped his self-titled English-language debut in the spring of 1999. It was an instant hit, as the lead single “Livin’ La Vida Loca” immediately accosted the radio waves and topped the charts. Martin quickly became not just a musician but a meme, a representation of a new influx of Latino talent that was taking shiny pop songs and dressing them up in salsa horns and South American dance beats. “Livin’ La Vida Loca” started as a catchy tune and quickly became so ubiquitous that it became a cliché, seemingly within a few days of topping the Billboard Hot 100.

But it’s important to ask the question that “Popology” always asks: Are the songs — especially the non-singles — any good?

In short, not really. Though past “Popology” subjects like Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time and Jessica Simpson’s Sweet Kisses have proven that the distance in quality between the singles and the deep cuts can be pretty huge, but on Ricky Martin, it’s gigantic. Here’s the thing: The singles are smashing. In addition to “Livin’ La Vida Loca” (which I have to admit is an amazing piece of pop, now that I have a little distance from it), there’s also “Shake Your Bon-Bon” (which is even dumber than “Livin’ La Vida Loca” but nine times as catchy) and the ballad “She’s All I Ever Had” (which let Martin flex his impressive pipes — he’s an excellent singer).

But when you get deeper into the album’s 14 tracks, it gets sort of problematic. The two Diane Warren-penned tunes — “You Stay With Me” and “I Count the Minutes” — are flat and uninspired. “Private Emotion” is a more reasonable trip through a dancehall and “Spanish Eyes” works well enough, but “Be Careful (Cuidado Con Mi Corazon)” (a duet with Madonna produced by dance music maven William Orbit) sounds like it was made for another album on another planet.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with Ricky Martin, and as I said above, the singer’s voice is top-shelf and his charisma is undeniable. None of the artists who followed in his wake were as good (though Enrique Iglesias had some moments) or as massively popular. Though he will never be as big as he was in 1999 when “Livin’ La Vida Loca” was the soundtrack to everything, Martin remains an international superstar who puts out quality albums and will head out on what will probably be a massive tour later this year. The Latino invasion didn’t fade away like swing did; rather, it ingratiated itself into the fabric of pop so that it sounds totally normal to have salsa rhythms in your songs now (and gave rise to those references in rock and hip-hop as well). Martin probably won’t be remembered as the guy who facilitated the popularity of reggaeton or the reason we have this great Enrique Iglesias video, but he should be.

What do you think of Ricky Martin’s music and the whole “Latino invasion” of 1999? Let us know in the comments!

Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that’s why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Taylor Swift has met a guy nicknamed Mr. President (that would be Nick Jonas, who took the metaphor so far as to call his side band the Administration), but on Tuesday night (May 4), she got to spend some quality time with an actual president. The pop-country superstar rubbed elbows with Bill Clinton at Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World Gala, an annual event that brings together politicians, actors, musicians and other newsmakers in one place. This year, the event was held at Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center in New York, and it allowed for a number of fantastic photo opportunities with various combinations of Swift, Betty White, Sarah Palin, Martha Stewart, Andy Samberg, Ben Stiller, Neil Patrick Harris and Judd Apatow, among dozens of others. In addition to being a guest, Swift also performed at the gala, as did Prince (though unfortunately the two did not team up on a funked-up remix of “You Belong With Me”).

Swift wasn’t the only star getting glamorous, as U2 frontman Bono attended the New York premiere of HBO’s new AIDS documentary “The Lazarus Effect” and Good Charlotte‘s Benji Madden hung out at the Charlotte Ronson and JC Penney Spring Cocktail Jam in Los Angeles. Click here for these photos as well as the entire “Spotted!” archive, which contains over 400 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Jessica Simpson, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, 50 Cent, Katy Perry and the Jonas Brothers!

Today is Cinco de Mayo, a celebration of Mexican culture. The name literally translates to “the fifth of May,” which is pretty direct. But there is a certain musical quality to the word “Cinco,” which may be why a handful of people and characters have shown up with the name Cinco over the past few years. When you think about it, meeting somebody named “Five” would be somewhat absurd, but “Cinco” sounds totally normal. (Really, birth order-related names aren’t all that absurd, considering the number of people out there named “Trey,” “Tripp,” “Quint” or “Junior.”)

Here are our favorite people walking this planet with “Cinco” somewhere in their names.

Lance Armstrong’s Unborn Son
Armstrong refers to his currently-in-development fifth child (his second with girlfriend Anna Hansen) as Cinco Armstrong (the baby even has its own Twitter account). While Armstrong says the name will ultimately end up being either Jack (if it’s a boy) or Olivia (if it’s a girl), as long as that kid is in the womb, it will be called Cinco.

Chad Ochocinco
The man born Chad Johnson — an accomplished wide receiver for the National Football League’s Cincinnati Bengals — flipped the script in 2008 when he legally changed his surname to “Ochocinco.” He wore jersey number 85 and wanted to put the Spanish words for “eight” and “five” on the back of his shirt, but the NFL wouldn’t let him. He got around the rule by changing his name, and he currently competes under the name Chad Ochocinco on “Dancing With the Stars.” Of course, it should be noted that “85″ would actually be “Ochentacinco,” but that hardly matters to the star.

Numero Cinco From “Angel
In a memorable episode from the Joss Whedon-created, David Boreanaz-starring vampire series’ final season, the title character meets a retired luchador named Numero Cinco. The two team up to fight off an ancient undead Aztec warrior named Tezcatcatl.

Who is your favorite persona named Cinco? Let us know in the comments!

By Kelley L. Carter

It was a shocking episode of “Dancing With the Stars” on Tuesday night (May 4), when former “Baywatch” babe Pamela Anderson was sent home. The show teased viewers until the very last minute before it was ultimately revealed that Anderson and ESPN reporter Erin Andrews were in the bottom two — a move that shocked both the studio audience and the judges themselves.

Like previous eliminees Jake Pavelka and Kate Gosselin before her, Anderson was visibly upset as she prepared to speak. “This has been one of the best experiences in my life and that says a lot. I’ve had a lot of great experiences,” she said. “I wish everybody well, all the dancers. It was a great experience. It’s hard to describe.”

The judges said they were surprised to see both Anderson and Andrews in the bottom two. Len Goodman called it heartbreaking. The top scorers of the night were Olympian Evan Lysacek — who earned the season’s first perfect score from the judges on Monday night — and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, who were tied with 54 points total. Football star Chad Ochocinco chased the two with the next best score, 52. But ousted pro Tony Dovolani, who was partnered with Gosselin this season, told MTV News this week that he’s rooting for Andrews to take home the prize.

“I love my girl Erin. She’s dancing with my best friend Maks,” he said. “Her personality, her dancing ability, her beauty — everything makes her the front-runner. I think she’s hilarious. I think she’s fantastic and she’s what this show is about.”

Were you surprised to see Pamela Anderson eliminated this week? Talk about it in the comments.

To get you ready to consume some carne asada and chase it with a Negro Modelo, check out the Cinco de Mayo video playlist below. It’s a stout collection of songs by Mexican artists (Los Lonely Boys’ “Heaven,” Santana’s “Angel Love”), bands inspired by the Mexican tradition (Los Lobos’ “Set Me Free (Rosa Lee),” the Texas Tornadoes’ “Adios Mexico”), odes to the unofficial elixir of Cinco de Mayo (Cypress Hill’s “Tequila Sunrise,” Vince Neil’s “Tattoos and Tequila”) and a handful of tributes to the number five (Everything But the Girl’s “Five Fathoms,” Elephant Man’s “Five-O,” the Horrors “Count in Fives”).

But we begin with the piece de resistance: Mexican electro-rock band Kinky’s cover of New Wave wackos Wall of Voodoo’s phenomenally weird classic “Mexican Radio.”