It's a crazy busy time in the studios this month! Lots of people coming by and hopefully I'll be able to quickly share everything with you!
Rixton came in the other day [they sing "Me and My Broken Heart"] and totally blew me away with their talent and just overall charisma. I didn't have much time to play with them, but we did get to do a couple truth or dares.
A cover of "Old McDonald," an impression of their friend Ed Sheeran, and who they'd rather have join the group- Bieber or Kanye... are some of the highlights.
Check out their performances! I was a little disappointed they didn't do their cover of "Ignition Remix" but I'll let it slide this time.
Also, our 1-2-3-pose picture was one of the most ridiculous I've ever taken.. if not THE most ridic.
Sometimes artists come in and you think the same of them. Sometimes you're disappointed... but after meeting these guys, I'm definitely rooting for them more than before.
Pattie Mallette, Justin Bieber's mom, has a new book that's directed towards teens and helping them get back up when they're going through a rough patch in life.... When I found out I had the opportunity to talk to her, I jumped on it.
Sounds familiar, right? Her son is technically a teenager, and seemingly going through a bit of a rough time in life/with the media [oh hi peeing in a restaurant bucket and yelling about Bill Clinton]... so I had to see how she was feeling about it.
Getty
When I watched "Never Say Never," I fell in love with Bieber and everyone surrounding him because I felt like they'd never let him fall of the horse. They'd keep him grounded. They'd make sure he never became the next Britney or Amanda... but now with Scooter and Mama Biebs both more worried about other projects, I wonder who's looking after him and his bad decisions.
"We talk; I text him every day and I call him and I go out on tour as much as possible... I try to retain as much of a relationship as possible."
To be honest, her voice seems a little more worried than she let on, and she didn't seem so sure that she was such a strong force in his life these days... but again, I tried to ask her how she feels about her son basically hitting rock bottom.
"I just think no matter what path he has to take to get there, I believe he's gonna come out on top.... I have to believe that I put all the things in him when he was young.. The Bible says 'train up a child in the way he should go, and when he's old he will not depart for it....' So I just have to believe in him."
And when I asked again if she was concerned about him, just to make sure I was understanding right, she said no.
All of my feelings about the "family" he had surrounding him during the movie have shattered at this point... but I'm still hoping he's just being a 19 year old and nothing more than having fun. [Get real- you KNOW you've peed in ridiculous places and yelled things that made no sense.]
I guess this is when I'm supposed to tell you to go out and buy her book. Insert that line here.
love,
elizabethany
PS I DO love her for her response to #ParentsFavoriteLine. At least we know she's pushing for him to look like a man.
ANYWAY, now she's wrapping things up, and had her friends/family/supporters/me say a couple things about her journey as she said her final thoughts as well.
The girl's an inspiration, so watch this.
Now, it wouldn't be my completely honest blog if I didn't call her sister Holli out for being very "Rosie" and standing in the shot while playing with her hair... silly girl, stop that!
BUT, what this video shows, is that with a big dream, some supporters, and motivation... anything is possible.. just like I said up there.
"Strivers achieve what dreamers believe."
I've said it a million times, and look at that... I said it again. Thanks, Cady, for helping prove that it's true.
I got the honor of being able to follow the rest of Cady's journey of asking Justin Bieber to prom after I asked him about her during my interview.
It was an incredibly exciting ride as her mom heard from Scooter, told me all of the plans, and we worked out all of the details on "this side" of the plan.
Justin sent a video to her mom that I got to present at her prom tonight. He was sorry he couldn't be there at prom, but there was much, much bigger news.
Here is the full video from the Biebs:
And here is what we aired on the station immediately after we broke the news at prom:
It was incredibly amazing to watch everything unfold. I don't think it's even hit her yet, but it will in a few hours when she's on a plane to Vegas and about to get her hair and make-up done. The girl has put a LOT of work into trying to get his attention for over a year.. and that deserves the attention and opportunity she's about to have.
Cady trended worldwide on Twitter tonight, and these are just some of the things people were saying:
Again, congrats to you, Miss Cady. Have a freakin blast! And to her mom, thanks for trusting me and allowing me to be a part of such a HUGE moment. I'll never forget tonight for the rest of my life, that's for damn sure.
love,
elizabethany
PS UPDATE: Here are some more pics! I am absolutely in love with these that her family friend took at the prom. It shows everyone's laughs and then pure shock the moment Justin shares what's going on:
And here are some from the big night, AT the awards:
I had to put his name in caps for the title; it's still unbelievable to me that not only did I talk to the Biebs, but he told me he loved my name. [I kinda put him in a category with Britney Spears labeled "impossible."]
ANYWAY, after I cleaned the pee out of my pants and wiped my tears, I put together what I think is a pretty good interview. I had a couple listener/belieber questions, then got into talking about growing up and telling his haters to suck it, Selena Gomez, and a local girl's proposal for him to go to prom with her. [Check out her website, she's adorable.]
I love that when I asked him what has changed the most, he was mostly excited about not being treated like a kid.
"I'm 18 now and as far as my personal life, I'm able to do a lot more, like to just stay out as late as I want..."
Obviously all the haters are like "he's a girl, his voice is going to suck when it changes, yadda yadda..." but I think "Boyfriend" proved all of you wrong. And he and Mike Posner planned for it to be that way.
"This song is basically hater-proof... because you can't not bob your head to it."
As for him and Selena, he said there won't be a ring anytime soon, so there's hope ladies! But I love his answer for his "celebrity relationship secret" on making it last. Very true.
"I don't think anyone has a secret, I think it's just about being honest with one another. I mean I'm young, you never know, but I'm happy right now."
Wow. That's me talking to JUSTIN BIEBER up there.
Never say never, kids. [/cheesiness.]
love,
elizabethany
PS: If you haven't heard "Boyfriend" yet, now's the time to give in. It's very Justin Timberlakey. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone.
Hott damn. Tim Halperin is on top of it. One day after the Biebs released "Boyfriend," which is a SMASH, by the way, he teamed up with the X Factor/Lakoda Rayne's Hayley Orrantia to cover it.
It's real good. Duh.
They've been teaming up quite a bit, along with Kidd Kraddick, and they just sound so good together! I love the match up a lot. They should probably make babies.
Aw, man! My dream man seems to be off the market. This guy obviously knows his wife loves Justin Bieber, so he surprised her with an epic Bieber-style performance at their wedding.
I. would. melt. And immediately give him everything he wanted for the rest of his entire life. Awesome.
And yes. Justin Bieber mixed with guys planning something for a surprise mixed with viral video would absolutely make that an easy lifetime commitment for me.
Some of my friends in Texas [one in particular, anyway] will probably kick my ass for saying this, but damn! Justin Bieber KILLED this freestyle over the Otis beat! And I mean that in a GREAT way.
This radio station had NO faith in him, and he might have been a little shaky at first, but wait til he says "hold on, I'm not done." [Yes, even Bieber haters should watch this. If I'm delirious in thinking he's good, prove it.]
Homeboy just rapped a thank you speech with some serious swag, and looked HELLA CUTE doing it. Seriously. Imagine if he goes all Chris Brown on his next album and raps too? AND play the instruments? Tell me this kid doesn't deserve the fame he has, I dare you.
He amazes me sometimes. I swear I used to hate him, but nowadays it's hard to.
TweetLast night I celebrated Valentine's Day with America's Valentine: Justin Bieber. I went and saw "Never Say Never."
Before I completely lose you, please give this review a minute of your time. Yes, I'm going to tell you to see this movie that is now one of my favorites ever, but even if you "hate" the Biebs, I have valid reasons.
When Justin first came onto the scene, it was ingrained into my head by fellow radio people that he was cocky, a terrible interview, and a waste of time. I too hated the Biebs and refused to get the fever. Eventually, yes, he began to grow on me, but even before the movie, I was iffy. I didn't know if I believed he'd be around for a while, and I definitely thought he was probably a little too swaggerific for his own good.
"Never Say Never" is a documentary about a kid who had huge dreams, and with confidence, YouTube, a supportive mom, and a little luck- he made them come true... beyond what he or the world ever thought was possible.
If you like inspirational stories... If you like extremely well done documentaries... If you like watching people make other people happy... If you appreciate true, raw talent... You will absolutely love this movie, no matter how much you love or "hate" Justin Bieber.
Four years ago this was his first YouTube video:
Now he's one of the most famous people in the world, and it's not because he's not talented. In fact, he's probably one of the most talented people in the pop music industry right now.
He was TWO YEARS OLD when he started drumming, playing the guitar and singing. TWO!!! Now he sings, drums, plays guitar, plays piano, dances, and raps... at a well above average skill level, even for adults. You can't even begin to try and tell me he's not talented or doesn't deserve the life he does.
Check out this drumming video from 3 years ago:
Most importantly what I learned from this movie: Justin Bieber won't be going anywhere any time soon not only because of his talent, but because of his attitude and the people surrounding him. They proved that he's had this confidence his whole life, it's not "cocky," and he has a fantastic team that will not let him become the next teen-failure. He lives a teen life and has a naturally born talent... Not something Miley can say. [Sidenote: Big Daddy Kev has an awesome point about the two on stage together.]
The movie takes you through tons of home videos from his whole life, and focuses on the 10 days before his incredible Madison Square Garden show that sold out in 22 minutes and brought a plethora of celebs to not only join him on stage, but see the show.
I don't want to give everything away, even though I want to tell you everything. This movie should be added to the "you-have-to-see-this" list. It should be taught in schools. If nothing else, everyone who has ever had a dream or heard the word "Bieber," should see this documentary at some point. It will open your eyes to a whole new world of things, even beyond the Bieber Fever.
It made me laugh [at the girls constantly crying because of him], cry [they showed his dad see a show for the first time] and shake my head for the entire movie. The things that have happened to him in such a short amount of time are incredible. Inspirational. and yes, make me a little jealous, but if I'm going to hate someone- I better have a reason besides jealousy.
Oh yea, the 3D thing helped too.
love, elizabethany
PS: I'm totally wearing white and purple today because THAT'S how much I loved this movie.
Tweet Ellen has been pretty good at predicting things and making bets lately, so she took her guessing a bit further than the average gambler- Predicting what Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" will sound like.
She also had some help from Justin Bieber and James Blunt!
Hysterical. Obviously staged, but still cute and funny.
Also cute: He apparently had the idea of surprising one of his biggest fans in her bedroom. The way he did it.. I just think he's real and genuine. Sure, he knows he's a big star, but he clearly loves making his fans feel good, and that's awesome.
I mean really.. Imagine being Paige there. I WOULD POOP MY PANTS!!!!!
Awesome. Ellen and Bieber- Both awesome. I GOT DA FEVA!
Tweet It's something that I'm not afraid to admit: I have Bieber Fever. He's adorbs! How could you not?!
BUT... He's starting to grow up, and it's actually making me feel more awkward than anything. Now he's on the cover of Vanity Fair and while the article is pretty freakin' great, the pictures are a little odd to me.
“I’m crazy, I’m nuts... Just the way my brain works. I’m not normal. I think differently—my mind is always racing. I’m just... nuts. But I think the best [musicians] probably are.”
And without further ado, I present his VF photoshoot... Complete with a turtleneck.
REALLY?! A TURTLENECK?! That's against all male-fashion laws. I hardly doubt Usher approved such a look.
Anyway, if you can look beyond the pedophile feelings, this article is genuinely one of the best I've read about an artist in a while. Whether or not Usher trained him to say all this stuff, I'm not sure... but he obviously interviews well.
"I’m definitely influenced by Michael Jackson and Boyz II Men and people who were black artists—that’s what I like. But I like their voices and I like how they entertain—it’s not about what color they are.”
Eventually he expects to drop the "teen girl" fan base... We shall see about all that.
“For younger guys, it’s like [they think] they’re not cool if they come to my concert. That’ll [change], I think, maybe when I’m 18.”
It's good that he seems to know what he's getting himself into... I just hope he can hold on-
"It’s hard to really balance myself. A regular kid, if he catches the flu, he just gets to go home, but I can’t do that... Everything is important. But, you know, my sanity is important, too... I know I have to give up a lot of myself, or a lot of a private life. "I know I’m not going to make a life-changing bad decision, as some people have. I’ve seen it happen too many times. I could be my own worst enemy, but I don’t want to mess this up."
He's a class act, guys. I truly hope he can make it past his voice change and keep a strong career for a while.
About the Biebs/Punk'd thing, I'm genuinely excited. After seeing his creepy eyes on CSI and imagining people getting PISSED that they just got punked by a little Justin Bieber, I think it's gonna be good.
What are your thoughts?
Let me know if you like me doing the Hollywood Minute like this, too! Is it convenient? Pointless?
Tweet I didn't get to watch it on time because of the game, so now I'm a little behind in getting a write-up on here.
I'm going to make this as short and sweet as possible.
First of all- What I think about the fashion and looks on the carpet... Via slideshow/captions:
And now- What I think about the show.
Gabi as the MTV TJ: A lot of people have been asking me what I thought about what she did. You want my honest opinion? Okay, fine. I think she looked amazing, and I think she handled herself well. She was assigned the job of tracking tweets and what everyone was talking about. It wasn't a HUGE role in the show, but for a first gig on MTV, one month after she got hired... I'd say she had the ultimate position and did a damn good job. Sure, I wish I was there... but homegirl is rockin' it, and if anyone deserved that position after a lot of hard work and sacrifices, it's her.
Chelsea Handler as a host: I think someone wrote some pretty corny lines for her, but overall, if you get her humor, she was pretty good! She wasn't as epic as I thought she'd be, but she wasn't anywhere near as bad as some are saying. I wouldn't mind her being the host again. Plus- she looked beautiful. Her skit with Jersey Shore- Lame. With Lindsay Lohan- totally cool because LiLo looked put together which made me smile.
Eminem/Rihanna: You should know I'm not a huge Eminem fan, and if I hear "Love the Way You Lie" one more time, I'M going to start some domestic violence. BUT... Eminem rocked it. He was into it, he was real, it felt good. Rihanna and her bright red hair were beautiful, she sang great, and she was clearly in the moment, too. Great start to the show! Watch if you haven't:
Justin Bieber: Everyone's freaking out because he didn't sing. Shut up. He put on a good show, with some crazy dance moves, and rocked out on the drums, which I had no idea he could do. He's a talented kid, but he's a kid. He used a handicap. Don't use it against him. He's too cute for you to do that, anyway. It's worth watching:
Usher: He sang, he danced, he kicked it old school... Kinda. The visuals [in every performance, really] were pretty freakin' neat, and his dancing is always on point. He was also singing, which wasn't perfect, but that's not what matters. Anyone who likes Usher should definitely watch.
Taylor Swift: Why do people still let her perform on award shows?! SERIOUSLY. She's terrible. She's boring. She can't sing. It's miserable to watch. It's so bad I won't even tell you to watch for a good laugh. She didn't get a good "comeback" to Kanye, nor did she entertain anyone. Epic fail.
Bruno Mars, B.o.B., and Hayley Williams... and Paramore: I'm becoming a big fan of Bruno Mars and B.o.B... Hayley... She's a meh to me for now. The group put on a great, quick collabo, though. She sounded real rough in the beginning, but pulled it together by the end with her band. I'd say it's worth your time:
Drake: I also don't understand why there's so much hype around him and his performances. If you want to say he's a genius and his songs are great.. fine... but his performances are always boring. If it weren't for Mary J. and the awesome visual effects, I would have fallen asleep watching it. Don't bother.
Kanye: A toast to all the douchebags?! Uh.. YES PLEASE! As much as I'm disappointed in the lack of an OMG moment, his red suit with the plain white stage and background were pretty phenomenal. It could be the first performance/song of Kanye's that I thoroughly enjoy. I think you should enjoy it, too. [Plus, the intro from Aziz is freakin' perfect]:
I think that's probably about all there is to talk about besides Gaga's "meat moment." I like what she stands for, I like her purpose in life, I like that she reps her "little monsters" to the fullest. I don't like her going ridiculously over the top like she does and did last night, but when she sang a quick preview of her new song/album, I couldn't help but give her props. Girl's got talent... Just wish she didn't mask it with all the other weirdness.
In conclusion ;) There were no moments that will have us talking for the next year. There were no moments that will have us saying "OMG REMEMBER THE 2010 VMA's!!!" In that sense, the show sucked. If you compare it to other award shows, it's still pretty awesome and entertaining.. minus the same three people winning all of the awards.
I was uber bored last night and was trying to figure out a way to entertain myself on Twitter besides stalking everyone I know and bugging the S out of all of you...
Then... DING! I had an idea! Let's play Twitter Truth or Dare!!!!
How it's going to work: You can submit your Truths or Dares to me on Twitter or Formspring, I will complete at least one a day, and then post it. Once it's posted, I'm allowed to do the same thing back to you. [If you dare me, I dare you...]
I think it's going to be TOTALLY fun! I'm really pumped!
Here's what went down last night:
The Truths:
I'll be honest... Some things I really don't like to answer... But I hate being the p-word in such a game. I'll answer anything... Just make it good.
The Dares:
[I thought I'd wait a little longer to break out my white-girl dance, but apparently not. You're welcome for completing your life with it.]
For the record, I did challenge him back! But he has yet to complete it... You can bet your bottom dollar it'll be posted if he ever does!
That's all for now! I have some more to complete as of now, and hopefully even more after you read this! Yay this is going to be fun!
I don't talk about the cover of People Magazine very much, probably because it's weekly, but this next week coming up may annoy the piss out of 50% or more of the nation.
This will be the cover:
Ya know, I'll be honest- I kinda like the kid. That being said- This cover is really annoying.
Could his smile be any bigger? Could he look any more peachy?! And really?! World's biggest pop star?!
I can only imagine the little girls yelling at me right now... I'm sorry, girls. Like I said, I'm a fan... But this is too much. I will not be framing it and hanging it on my shrine to OMGOMGBIEBERBABYYYY!
Tell me, though- Have you caught the Bieber fever like me? [Minus this cover?!] It's okay to admit it. I won't tell anyone.
Anyway.. Apparently he talks all about his dating life, rise to stardom thanks to YouTube, and everything else that should have been in a magazine article a year ago. He also says he's staying grounded.
"I still feel regular," he says. "You know, sometimes it's weird that I go places and I have thousands of people waiting for me, but I always think, 'I'm Justin' "
It's a shame all my radio friends say just the opposite.... Just sayin'.
Cover your eyes for the next week if you're as creeped out as me... And brace yourself. This is going to be a wild Bieber ride for a couple years.
I know I'm a couple days late getting this up, but I keep thinking today is Monday! Stupid snow and holidays messing me up!
Anyway, it finally aired during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics! The "We Are The World" remake with 23987 different celebrities coming together to sing what I said earlier would be amazing, epic, etc.
I'm going to go ahead and say that I was right.
Before I watched it, I heard everyone else's thoughts on it. A lot of people really don't like it. They think it shouldn't have been remade, it has too much hip-hop, the auto-tuning is a disgrace... Even Jay Z thinks it's bad.
I can't help but to disagree. If you watch that video with an open mind and really look at everyone's faces, you'll probably tear up a bit. I did, anyway.
Everyone is so happy to be helping out. These people who are nothing but stars to us are showing real emotion as they sing and come together as a huge group. Look at how much fun they're having!
I know I always hate the idea of remakes and sequels to classic songs, but the whole point of "We Are The World" was to help Africa and other countries. I think it's a perfect idea to remake it.
As for the hip-hop/auto-tuning, yea, I think it's a bit awkward in the middle, but it represents the music we have today. We don't have the wholesome music we had 25 years ago. We have Akon, T-Pain, and Lil Wayne on every song on the radio right now. If they didn't take their part in this song, it wouldn't mean the same thing.
All that being said, if you didn't watch the video before really observing these things and appreciating them as they should be, I say watch it again.
Look at the eclectic array of people in that group. Look at Randy have the time of his life. Watch them all almost cry. Watch the youngins look at the surrounding legends. It's pretty amazing, people.
So amazing, that I'm using words like eclectic and array. What the f.
That's my public service announcement for today. If you want to donate, you can do it on iTunes, or right on the YouTube page for the song.
