Every day a multitude of stars wanders 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.

A computer store hardly seems like the ideal venue for a concert, but Apple somehow makes it work. They have hosted a number of high-profile acts at their various Apple Store locations, including both in New York City. Coldplay, the Jonas Brothers and Wyclef are just a few of the groups who have brought their sounds to iPod buyers everywhere. Daniel Merriweather added his name to that illustrious list on Tuesday (March 9) when he took the stage in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood and entertained the crowd with songs from his latest album Love & War. The album has been out in the U.K. (where the singles "Change" and "Red" both ruled the charts) a year ago, but it is just making its first appearance on these shores. It's an excellent album, full of tremendously deep and well-written tunes aided heavily by the sharp production of superstar soundsmith Mark Ronson.

He wasn't the only star out on the town, as celebs flocked to fashion shows, parties, concerts and late night television appearances in droves (especially considering the weather is finally taking a turn for the better). 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, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, the Jonas Brothers, Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry and Lady Antebellum!

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 the debut, check out my thoughts on Britney Spears' landmark debut.

In this week's installment, *NSYNC drop their swan song.

In 2010, Justin Timberlake is a multi-platform superstar who has succeeded in music, on television, in movies, on the golf course and everywhere else he chooses to go. But back in 2001, he was merely the likely breakout star of *NSYNC, the chart-topping, world-dominating boy band who started life out as Backstreet Boys tagalongs and ended up shattering sales records. Today, Timberlake is a pop superstar that everybody loves (even grizzled metal dudes think he'd be pretty cool to have a beer with), but that wasn't always the case. It's difficult to legitimize yourself once you've made your bones crooning prom ballads like "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You," so how did Timberlake evolve from boy bander to dominant cultural force in less than a decade? Perhaps Celebrity has some answers.

People tend to remember the boy band era being a dominant pop force, but it really only lasted five years or so (about as long as grunge). The men of the Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, 5ive, O-Town and the like were regular guests on "TRL" and dominated airwaves, but fans tired of uber-populist sugar and moved deeper into pop sub-genres. However, *NSYNC never had to deal with any sort of backlash because they broke up just before the bottom dropped out. Timberlake's debut solo album Justified (a title he must still regret) came out in 2002 (a year after Celebrity) and he never looked back (they're like the Pixies of boy bands).

I adore Timberlake's second album FutureSex/LoveSounds and was always fine with the singles on Justified, but I've never really explored *NSYNC. I always assumed that the gap between Celebrity and Justified would be massive, but it turns out Timberlake treated his group's final original album as a test run for what would become a hugely successful solo career.

Celebrity opens with "Pop." Timberlake opens the song with a blast of frustration and a justification of his group's existence. "Sick and tired of hearing all these people talk about/ What's the deal with this pop life?/ And when is it gonna fade out?" he sings over a stew of burping bass and scratches. Sonically, Celebrity has already aged better than many of the albums put out by *NSYNC's contemporaries. "Pop" (which was justifiably a gigantic hit) then breaks into a bounce beat and a neck-snapping chorus with metal guitars and sweet harmonies.

Somewhat surprisingly, Celebrity isn't just the Timberlake show. Rather, each member of the group has a distinct personality and a memorable presence. JC Chasez's lead take on "The Game Is Over" is pretty remarkable. He is aided by a plethora of "Galaga"-era arcade sound effects, which makes the track sound simultaneously futuristic and old school.

Speaking of both futuristic and old school, the Nelly collaboration "Girlfriend" is produced by the Neptunes, and they lend the track with a bombastic bass undertone and a sexy Spanish guitar. These explorations into the worlds of hip-hop, world music and contemporary R&B could have been dangerous, but they give Celebrity an unpredictable feel. For an album that sold nearly two million copies in its first week of release, it's pretty free-wheeling.

In fact, the only times Celebrity stumbles is when they fall back into traditional boy band territory. "Tell Me, Tell Me ... Baby," produced by Max Martin, is pretty rote, especially sandwiched in between the delightfully bubbly ballad "Gone" and the progressive disco of "Up Against the Wall."

"See Right Through You" hits pretty hard, but the ballad "Selfish" comes up a little bit short. In fact, the album stumbles a bit (both "Just Don't Tell Me That" and "Something Like You" are forgettable) before ending on "Do Your Thing," an odd little tune that multi-tracks every member's voice and floats them on top of a sparse keyboard beat that morphs into top-shelf robo-soul.

Of course, Timberlake went on to become a cross-pollinating mega star, but the other men of *NSYNC have fared just as well. JC Chasez (who really should have become a bigger star) released the profoundly underrated album Schizophrenic in 2004 (it has two of the strangest and best singles of the past decade in "Some Girls (Dance With Women)" and "All Day Long I Dream About Sex"). Chasez currently makes his bones as a judge on MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" and has written and produced tracks for a number of other artists. Joey Fatone narrowly missed winning "Dancing With the Stars" a few years back and has had several notable roles in Broadway musicals. Lance Bass wrote a best-selling autobiography called "Out of Sync," tried to go into space and also appeared both on Broadway and on "Dancing With the Stars." Finally, Chris Kirkpatrick competed on CMT's "Gone Country," did a regular voice for "The Fairly Odd Parents" and currently performs with the band Nigel's 11.

While it seems like an *NSYNC reunion is unlikely (at least for the immediate future), the quintet can feel good knowing that if they ever do want to get the band back together, they have Celebrity to lean on. While it's not nearly as accomplished and consistent as Timberlake's solo work, it's a solid piece of electro-pop that holds up relatively well. Plus, "Pop" pretty much rules.

Which *NSYNC album is your favorite? Which *NSYNC member do you prefer? Let us know in the comments!

This week, 311 celebrate their fans and their music during a three day festival called 311 Day. We sent two 311 superfans to give us the diehard's perspective about the show, the crowds and the vibe of the greatest 72 hours in 311 history. Here is the first of their dispatches.

By Lauren Black

Despite my lack of decent sleep due to extreme excitement, I am incredibly pumped up right now. As if 311 Day wasn't exciting enough, I actually get to meet my favorite band of all time! My friend Chris and I are about to board a flight from Austin, Texas to Las Vegas, Nevada. This is going to be my first time in Vegas (but not my first 311 Day — check out that picture of me and my sister Sarah, my old 311 Day buddy), and needless to say it is going to be one hell of an experience.

I have often wondered what I would say to the five men whose music has so profoundly impacted my life if I was ever given the chance to meet them. Obviously, I want to thank them for their musical creations that have impacted so many of our lives. But I also want to make sure I ask 311 the question that is on every true fan's mind: When will we see their next collaboration with Cleveland Cavaliers center and rapper Shaquille O'Neal?

311 day is like a birthday, the Fourth of July, Halloween and your religious winter holiday of choice all rolled into one. It is going to be a blast. There is a fan party tonight, and I can't wait to meet up with my friends from all over America who are coming to Vegas to celebrate this monumental event. Tomorrow, 311 will perform an epic five hour show. That's a long time to rock out, and I am in the pit, so wish me luck. On Friday (March 12), the Wailers are performing at the Wave Pool at Mandalay Bay. I'm bringing my swimsuit, and I'll see you in Vegas!

This week Rolling Stone’s Daniel Kreps breaks down the Gorillaz’s Plastic Beach in our New Music Report. Kreps admits he didn’t immediately hear anything as instantly grabby as Demon Days‘ “DARE” or Gorillaz’s “Clint Eastwood” on their new disc — the closest relation here is the single “Stylo,” a catchy electro number that features Mos Def and Bobby Womack. But Plastic Beach is a real grower, and now he’s convinced it’s Damon Albarn’s most impressive work since Blur’s 13. With each listen, new highlights emerge, like the Think Tank-ish “Empire Ants” and his personal favorite, “To Binge,” which features the Swedish group Little Dragon. Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, and members of the Clash and De La Soul all cameo on the disc, but the smaller artists — Little Dragon and U.K. rappers Bashy and Kano — make the biggest impact.

Catch up on all of Rolling Stone’s album reviews.

>>Watch every episode of our weekly New Music Report video podcast by subscribing via iTunes (when prompted, click “Launch application”). Every Tuesday, a new episode will be delivered to your iTunes. [If you don't have iTunes, download it here.]

On Monday, Lil Wayne entered Rikers Island and began his sentence as an inmate. He has only been in for 48 hours, but considering how active he had been online via Twitter and Ustream, it already seems like he has been gone for much longer. Still, considering how much material he got in the can before going behind bars, there will be plenty of Wayne-related media to tide us over until he wins back his freedom (likely in October).

The fact that Wayne's incarceration and T.I.'s back-from-jail comeback single "I'm Back" happened within hours of each other got us thinking: Of all the unfortunate legal problems rappers have been in, which MC coming out of jail will have the best return?

T.I. is already off to a great start, as "I'm Back" is a hot track and his forthcoming album will be devoured by his hungry fans. We'll have to wait a while before we know how the clink affects the work of Weezy or Gucci Mane, and we're still waiting to hear what Mystikal has in store now that he has his freedom back.

Legal problems don't necessarily have to derail an artist's momentum. Though he was acquitted, R. Kelly's court battle was both lengthy and public, but his popularity was unbowed. Consider this: He had two of his greatest successes — "Ignition (Remix)" and "Trapped in the Closet" — while he was under the legal microscope. Still, not everybody has that kind of luck, as incarceration seriously hurt the momentum of stars like Lil Kim, Shyne and Foxy Brown. Since the law caught up with DMX, his career hasn't been the same either.

The poll question is this: Of all the rappers who are currently battling legal trouble, who are you most looking forward to getting back on the street? Vote in the poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Just two months after OK Go released their new album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky on EMI, the band has announced its split from the label by “mutual agreement.” OK Go are creating a new label, Paracadute Recordings, to promote and distribute the disc. “We’d like to thank the people who have worked so hard on our behalf,” said OK Go singer Damian Kulash in a statement. “And we’d like to thank our fans for making this choice an easy one for us.”

About two weeks before the premiere of their latest conceptual video for “This Too Shall Pass,” the band asked to be released from its contract, and EMI agreed. “We realized we wanted to leave EMI in 2002 — it was just a matter of when,” Kulash tells Rolling Stone. “It’s something of a gift for them to let us go. We’re not worth fighting and we’re not worth fielding annoying phone calls from all day long.”
Photo: Rose/WireImage

The split comes just a little over a week after the group unveiled their new video for “This Too Shall Pass,” a Rube Goldberg-esque clip that has already racked up 6.8 million views on YouTube in nine days. (Watch it above if you’ve somehow missed it.) As Rolling Stone previously reported, OK Go were publicly feuding with EMI over the fact that the label’s “no embed” policy for music videos was hurting both the band’s popularity and finances — they first entered the national spotlight thanks to their treadmill video for “Here It Goes Again.” After a series of open letters and op-ed pieces and public statements, EMI finally dropped their “no embed” policy for “This Too Shall Pass.”

OK Go and EMI will officially part ways on April 1st, and OK Go will celebrate their independence with a performance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show that night. Two weeks later, OK Go will hit the road in support of Of the Blue Colour with a tour that includes stops at Bonnaroo, Sasquatch! and Bamboozle.

Related Stories:

• OK Go Slap a Tetherball for “This Too Shall Pass”: Behind the Clip
• OK Go Explain Viral Video Woes in “New York Times” Op-Ed
• OK Go Struggle With Label’s Rules Banning Embedded Video

After releasing her hit 2007 debut Made of Bricks, Kate Nash got sick of her career. “Touring and doing loads of work all the time was a drag, and I became unenthusiastic about it,” says the British indie-pop singer. “I took a lot of time off so that I could do, like, normal things: hang out with friends, watch films, read books.” Now, Nash is ready for round two: her second album, My Best Friend Is You, will be out April 20th, and six days later, she’ll kick off a nine-date North American tour.

On her new LP, Nash lightens up on her trademark piano pop in favor of slightly punky, girl-group-inspired tunes like “Do Wah Doo” (watch the video above!) and “Kiss the Grrrl” — a nod to her recent obsession with Billy Childish poems (”I love the harshness and dirtiness of them”) and the Shirelles, the Chiffons and the Ronettes. “These girl-group songs sound really joyous, but the lyrics are quite dark and heartbreaking,” she says. With that dichotomy in mind, Nash and her producer, ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, crafted deceivingly upbeat songs like “I’ve Got a Secret,” about coming out of the closet. (Nash also plays drums on the song.) “Someone close to me was going through that recently, and it was a stressful situation,” she says. “It’s sad that someone would have to defend themselves for being gay in 2010.”

This summer, Nash will hit the road for a few dates with the all-female traveling festival Lilith Fair. “It’s really exciting, because it has a great history rather than just being a big party,” says Nash. “It’s a lot of girl power.”

Get the lowdown on 40 more of the spring’s biggest albums.

April 26 – Toronto, ONT @ Mod Theatre
April 28 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott’s
April 29 – New York, NY @ The Bowery
May 1 – Williamsburg, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 3 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
May 5 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
May 7 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
May 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
May 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey

Related Stories:

• Artist to Watch: Kate Nash

Gokey’s Number Four debut marks the second-best Idol opening week by a Season Eight contestant. Adam Lambert’s For Your Entertainment opened at Number Three in November 2009, though Lambert’s debut week sales of 198,000 far exceeded the 65,000 Gokey sold. Gokey did out-chart Kris Allen’s self-titled post-Idol (at Number 11 in November) and Allison Iraheta’s Just Like You, which peaked at 35.

Debuts: Two more newbies broke into the Top 10: Raheem DeVaughn’s Love & War Masterpiece at Nine and Easton Corbin’s self-titled at 10. DJ Khaled’s Victory debuted at 14, Peter Gabriel’s covers album Scratch My Back bowed in at Number 26 and John Hiatt’s Open Road scored 71.

Last Week’s Heroes: In its sixth week, Lady Antebellum somehow managed a six percent upswing in Need You Now sales while Soldier of Love dropped off 37 percent. With the surge of debuts near the top of the charts, a bunch of Top 10 mainstays found themselves in the teens for the first time, like Lil Wayne’s Rebirth and, after 15 weeks and 5.6 million copies, Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream, which fell from Eight to 18. Next week, we’ll see if Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach can shake up the Top Two.

Perhaps Haim's most iconic performance came in 1989's "Dream a Little Dream," which also starred Piper Laurie, Jason Robards and friend and regular collaborator Corey Feldman. "Dream a Little Dream" also featured the hit single "Rock On" on its soundtrack, which was delivered by soap opera star Michael Damian and featured both Coreys in the music video. The track, originally written and released by David Essex in 1974, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a week in 1989, sandwiched between Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl" and "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler. The clip quickly became an MTV staple.

Haim didn't appear in any other music videos in his career (though he appears in Lou Gramm's "Lost in the Shadows" and Gerard McMann's "Cry Little Sister" — both tunes from the soundtrack to "The Lost Boys," it was only via film footage), but Haim was always a music enthusiast (he even talked about wanting to get into the music business and jammed on his wall of keyboards in this interview).

He was the subject of at least one musical tribute: Irish indie rock band the Thrills released a single called "Whatever Happened to Corey Haim?" back in 2004 (the first single from their album Let's Bottle Bohemia). The group even made a video for it.

What's your favorite Corey Haim movie? Let us know in the comments.

Remembering Corey Haim

The 80's teen star died on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, of an apparent drug overdose.

Though it appears as though the competition is Bowersox's to lose, the contestant who could be the one to upend her is Siobhan Magnus, who took her quirky sensibilities and applied them to a sparse, powerful version of "The House of the Rising Sun," made famous by the Animals. The classic folk rock song took on a psychedelic twist when Animals frontman Eric Burdon took it on, and Magnus' version pushed it even further. The a cappella section was stunning and powerful, and when the accompaniment finally kicked in, there was a passion in Magnus' voice that we hadn't heard yet (possibly because she was dedicating the tune to her father, who is also a singer).

The Animals' version of "The House of the Rising Sun" is best known for the haunting guitar line, Burdon's guttural bellow and the twisting organ lines laid down by Alan Price. (That organ absolutely transforms the song from simply great to absolutely indispensable.) While "American Idol" has a tendency to resurrect songs that nobody ever wants to hear again, Magnus' revival of "The House of the Rising Sun" gets the MTV Newsroom Blog seal of approval.

Actor Corey Haim, who starred in beloved ’80s films including The Lost Boys and License to Drive, died early this morning in Los Angeles of a suspected drug overdose. He was 38. According to reports, Haim was found unresponsive in an Oakwood apartment and taken to Burbank, California’s St. Joseph Hospital at around 3:30 a.m. PST, where he was pronounced dead. Police are calling Haim’s death “accidental,” the Los Angeles Times reports. The actor was reportedly at home with his mother at the time of his death.

Remember more young stars lost before their time.

The Canadian-born Haim rose to fame at a young age thanks to a string of hit movies, many with his frequent costar Corey Feldman, who responded to news of his friend’s death in a statement that reads, “This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend.” Haim’s most enduring role came in the 1987 vampire flick The Lost Boys, which has gone on to claim a cult following. Two decades after that film was released, both Haim and Feldman appeared in sequel The Lost Boys: The Tribe in 2008. Haim’s credits also include Lucas, Dream a Little Dream, Fast Getaway and National Lampoon’s Last Resort. He was slated to appear in American Sunset, a film due in January, according to his Website. Watch the film’s trailer below.

Like many child stars of his generation, Haim wrestled with drug problems after his fame waned, but recently the actor — who started to get steady work again in the latter half of the 2000s — said he was now sober. In 2006, Haim and Feldman reteamed for the reality series The Two Coreys. Haim was also the subject of a 2004 single by the Thrills called “Whatever Happened to Corey Haim?” Haim responded to the Thrills’ question, “I’m clean, sober, humble and happy.”

Watch a YouTube tribute video to Haim, made in 2008, below:

Trailer for American Sunset:

Yes, Chuck Norris, he of "Walker, Texas Ranger," several dozen martial arts movies, "Karate Kommandos" and, of course, hundreds of Internet-based urban legends, turns 70 years old today. The American film, television and sports veteran has had a remarkable career both as an actor and as a martial artist. But in the 21st century, he is best known as the figurehead of all of the "Chuck Norris Facts" that are constantly circulated to the far corners of the Web. Because of the intrepid goofballs who invented the multitudes of abilities and accomplishments that Norris supposedly possesses, it is impossible to hear his name and not think, "Chuck Norris uses a night light not because he is afraid of the dark but because the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris" or "Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water and make him drink."

In honor of the beginning of Norris' eighth decade of excellence, here's hoping he enjoys Kings of Leon's "Four Kicks." Actually, four kicks from Chuck Norris probably killed the dinosaurs.

“She’s the greatest actor of her generation, she’s the one to watch,” Bono said of Wood after her casting was announced. “She happens to sing like a bird, it’s like a true voice. She’s a very pure spirit and a very bright mind and she brings the part of MJ to life, really.”

As Rolling Stone previously reported, a “cash flow problem” temporarily shut down production on Spider-Man in August, just two months after it was revealed that Wood, who previously worked with Turn Off the Dark director Julie Taymor in Across the Universe, would play Mary Jane and Alan Cumming had been cast as the musical’s villain, the Green Goblin. Singer Reeve Carney of the band Carney was later added to play Peter Parker, or Spider-Man without the mask on, in the show.

The budget for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has reportedly grown to about $50 million dollars, making it one of the most expensive shows in Broadway history. The official Spider-Man on Broadway site hasn’t been updated yet to reflect Wood’s departure. Fans who previously bought tickets to Spider-Man’s received refunds after the show was delayed.

Related Stories:

• U2 Talk “Spider-Man” Musical’s New Villain, Slacker Peter Parker
• “Spider-Man” Musical Suspended By “Cash Flow Problem”
• Why Bono Subtitled “Spider-Man” Musical “Turn Off the Dark”

• DMX was arrested for violating the terms of his probation, admitting he’d used cocaine over the last nine months, Reuters reports. The rapper is currently in a Phoenix jail.

• Lady Gaga is coming to Rock Band: the pop star’s first track pack includes “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Monster” and “Poker Face” — and as a special bonus, the version of “Poker Face” Eric Cartman made famous on South Park will also be up for sale in the game’s Music Store next week.
• Canadian rockers Stars will return with their fifth album, The Five Ghosts, on June 22nd. The band will perform the new disc in its entirety during a U.S. tour this summer.
• The soundtrack to the Doors documentary When You’re Strange, due April 6th, will include Jim Morrison’s poetry as read by Johnny Depp, who narrates the film. Rhino will also reissue the band’s Absolutely Live and Live in New York as 180-gram double-album sets on March 16th.

"Idol" wasted no time to get to the eight performances so why should I? Let's go!

Katie Stevens
Song: "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson
Verdict: Walk Away
Katie took the judges' advice and picked a song that young people listen to. Unfortunately, she didn't sing it well. Flat and behind the beat — like "From Justin to Kelly," it just didn't work. Katie's another one who would have been better off waiting until she was 21 before trying out for "Idol." But even after the judges slammed her for lacking life experience to pull off the soaring ballad, Stevens attempted to argue her way into the Top 12. "But the song mentions coming from a small town, and I do come from a small town!" Um, Katie, this is "American Idol," not "American Lawyer." Please accept that you sucked ... (wait for it) ... (wait for it) ... the life out of the room. (Long well-placed pause courtesy of Simon Cowell.)

Siobhan Magnus
Song: "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals
Verdict: Rising Star
Siobhan continued to bring the funky with a partially a cappella, entirely awesome "House of the Rising Sun." (She also took some makeup tips from Adrian from "The Secret Life of an American Teenager." That lip gloss is both fresh and poppin'!) The judges all gushed over Siobhan's risk — except for Simon, who didn't think she did anything different with the song. Say huh?! She replaced Eric Burdon's voice-cracking wail with a yearning croon, and played around with the melody to show off her range. Oh yeah, and she rocked the beginning completely a cappella!

But the biggest surprise was that Siobhan dedicated the song to her Brian Johnson-lookalike father Papa Magnus, of whom she said had one of the best voices she's ever heard. Whoa, why is this quirky girl tugging on my heartstrings right now? Her role on the show is to wow me with her off-kilter song choices and ridiculous high notes. She's not supposed to make me "awwww."

Lacey Brown
Song: "The Story" by Brandi Carlisle
Verdict: Bedtime Story
If Lacey's "Story" was a story, it'd be something along the lines of "Moby Dick." Technically, it was a strong offering (a first for Lacey on these live shows! Golf clap!), but it's not exactly a story I'd want to pick up over and over again. Furthermore, if flirting with the camera was a job requirement for "American Idol," Brown would win hands down. Unfortunately, it's a singing competition, and her squeaky voice still hasn't found its perfect outlet. Last week I was all about Lacey trying Yael Naim's "Toxic" cover, but "The Story" has changed my tune. Lacey Brown, if you're reading this, check out Beach House's "Used To Be" (the original seven inch mix, not the album version from Teen Dream — both are on iTunes, girl). Tap into your inner Victoria Legrand and soar on the "Idol" stage! You can do it!

Katelyn Epperly
Song: "I Feel the Earth" by Carole King
Verdict: Crapestry
Last week, Katelyn emerged as a dark horse in the competition with a stunning, sleepy "The Scientist." Something heavy must have gone down behind the scenes, because this week Epperly couldn't have looked less interested in performing. It was like she gave up after finding out Simon went on "The Tonight Show" to pimp Crystal Bowersox. "My divorced parents are no match for Crystal almost dying from diabetes. She's like Wilford Brimley. I'm just like 51 percent of the population." Her reason for acting like an emotionless robot? Katelyn was trying to be less corny after Simon complained about her over-emotive Coldplay cover. Watching it back a second time, you can totally see Katelyn consciously trying to avoid making any dramatic expressions whatsoever. Unfortunately, the limp Wurlitzer playing combined with the Lite-FM Carole King staple made her whole performance more cheesy, not less. Katelyn Epperbot, what have you done with the interesting, passionate singer I was falling in love with? Bring the old Katelyn back at once (provided she avoids elimination) and let her sing a Radiohead song! She tweeted about the band a few days ago. "Fake Plastic Trees" awaits!

Didi Benami
Song: "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac
Verdict: Rhiannot Too Shabby
Didi picked the right week to grab a guitar and attempt an untouchable Fleetwood Mac song. (Ahem, Taylor Swift.) The teary singer gave the Stevie Nicks classic a neat Tropicalia twist and nailed the vocals. I'd say she's never been better, but she's also never been that good. So let me add a little drama and emphasis to my review by saying few "Idol" singers this season have been better. To echo Simon Cowell, "She did have a wow moment — the wow moment was the whole performance." Although admit it: You totally laughed when the girl who meows for vocal warm-ups sang the lyric about the black cat. She should totally do Janet Jackson’s "Black Cat" next week. But save "Stray Cat Strut" for the finale, ya heard?

Paige Miles
Song: "Smile" written by Charlie Chaplin
Verdict: Frown. Tears. Suicide.
Forget Katelyn. What the hell happened to this girl? Why did Paige decide to sing Charlie Chaplin's song like a deaf person? (Not tone deaf, mind you. Just deaf deaf.) Paige used to be the bubbly girl who liked coloring books and singing rock songs. Now she's the token plus-size girl of "America's Next Top Model" who, about five weeks in, loses all hope after the show fails to provide her with an adequate wardrobe at a photo shoot. When the director cut to the judges' panel, I half expected Tyra, Nigel and Miss J to be there instead, asking, "Where did your spark go, sweetie?"

Crystal Bowersox
Song: "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman
Verdict: A Thousand Reasons Why I Love This Woman
Crystal Bowersox not only owned the "Idol" stage Tuesday night, she gave the down payment, signed the contract, settled the closing costs, walked off with the keys and then renovated the dang "Idol" stage Tuesday night. Crystal's "Give Me One Reason" had the swagger and professionalism of a rock veteran three times her age. I love that she's able to show us more vocal tricks with each passing week, too. At one point I said aloud, "Hi, Crystal's awesomely nasty throat growl! My name's Jim. It's a pleasure to meet you." I also dug how effortless her electric guitar riffing was, all the while admiring the giant ring she clearly stole from Lady Miss Kier from Deee-Lite's World Clique album cover. Bonus points for Crystal popping a squat on her amp during the judge's critiques. What a rock star! Based on Crystal's "Idol" trajectory thus far, Simon is a "million billion percent" correct: It's her season to lose. (Side note: Anyone else spot Katelyn Epperly looking miserable during Bowersox's show-stopper? Yo Kate, let's see some sportsmanship, mmkay?)

Lilly Scott
Song: "I Fall to Pieces" by Patsy Cline
Verdict: She Fell Alright
Lilly took her first misstep of the competition with a tortured, forced and damn near unwatchable Patsy Cline cover. Okay, to be honest, I didn't notice her vocals that much. I was too busy deciding whether her goofy earrings looked more like potholders or kitten mittens. Her judging segment got chopped considerably for time, so after Randy, Ellen and Kara all gave her concise raves, Simon was left simply saying, "You're very brave choosing that song on a night like this." I'd go further and say she's lucky she went last, because if it weren't for her pimp spot, Lilly would be in serious trouble Thursday night. With the risk of sounding like Ellen DeGeneres, I still love her, though. You just had your first free pass, Lilly. Now it's time to bring the noise and the funk back to "Idol" come the Top 12! Save the indie rocker!

What did you think of the Top Eight Girls? Is Crystal Bowersox really the one to beat this season? Who blew their Top 12 chances? Would Siobhan's performance have been as epic if we didn't know she was singing the song for her dad? And do I dare dignify Ellen and Simon's fake make-out by writing about it? Hit me up in the comments below. And make sure you follow me on Twitter @jambajim for even more "Idol" insanity.

Mixtape Daily: Jay Electronica, Notorious, B.I.G., Tyga

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