In his latest movie, The Woman In Black, Dan traded his Hogwarts uniform for a totally new role as a Dad.
Natalia brings you the latest news on Adele’s interview with Anderson Cooper, Kristen Bell’s interview on Ellen is auto tuned, Ladyhawke’s latest music video and much more!
Natalia discusses what’s new with Pharrell Williams and her thoughts on Karl Lagerfeld’s mean comments towards Adele’s weight. She also shows a roster of animals behaving like humans and, wait until you see the new size of coffee available at Starbucks!
Natalia dishes the latest news on the Juno Awards nominees, the upcoming Spiderman 3D film starring Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield and is Katy Perry hooking up with Tim Tebow? Watch today’s episode to find out.
When The Kooks are in the studio they’re focused and most importantly, sober. Watch Hugh and Luke explain their reasoning below.
The Kooks released a new album called “Junk of the Heart,” and you would think Hugh and Luke would be very excited about it. Well, they seemed rather indifferent to be honest. We spoke about that and why they don’t care about critics.
Natalia dishes the latest in entertainment news on Joan Rivers, Lana Del Rey and a brand new trailer for the movie Hunger Games.
Natalia talks about how Snooki might be pregnant, Nicolas Cage’s Cage Rage, Elisabetta Canalis is dating Steve-O and more for Feb 1, 2012.
Natalia dishes the news on Miley Cyrus breaking her tailbone, a 100 year old woman who plays the Nintendo DS to stay young and Houston, Texas contemplating a statute of Beyonce.
David Beckham debuts a new line of underwear, the worst dressed celebrity – Shy’m and Matthew Broderick is back as Ferris Bueller with a brand new commercial airing during the Super Bowl on Feb 5th 2012.
Daniel Radcliffe is back with his new movie The Woman In Black. It’s a bone chilling remake of a film from the ’80s. Ironically, Daniel actually scares very easily but he’s not afraid of ghosts. In this interview he tells us what really gives him the creeps.
Next time you’re struggling to make conversation, try asking this question: “If you could invite anyone (living or dead) to the perfect house party, who would it be?”
Graffiti6 is starting to make their North American invasion, and they are hitting up the Tonight Show. Does this sound familiar? Well the Beatles made the exact same journey over 40 years ago. Naturally, @jordans_life had to make some comparisons.
Nick plays World of Warcraft. Not only that, he’s the head of his guild, demonstrating that it IS possible to juggle being a hardcore gamer with being a top-selling recording artist.
During a LIVE interview on andPOP.com Nick Carter gave out a number and took phone calls from his fans. These were real phone calls from real fans who we gave exclusive access to one of the biggest recording artists of our generation.
There were great questions about music, fitness, the backstreet boys but the most popular question, however, was about his underwear. In this clip Nick talks about his his ‘Haynes’ and covering his fans with glow in the dark paint.
When releasing new music today, half the battle is online promotion. However, contests, signed merch and giveaways aren’t always the best solutions. When working on their latest album, Hedley came up with a brilliant idea, they decided to make trailers.
It’s hard to prepare for an interview with Hedley. So in this interview, we threw caution to the wind, got a 24 of beer and broadcast the interview live on our USTREAM (andPOP.tv). Eventually Jacob, Dave and @jordans_life ended up talking about hairy legs, their newest music video and more.
Diamandis from Marina and The Diamonds talks to us about her very serious disease. It’s called synaesthetic. And we lied, it’s not a disease. More like a cool condition. Diamandis explains further.
Would you be embarrassed if someone scrolled through your iPod? We sit down with Spee and Brendan to talk about the diverse music on their playlist.
After a search across Canada, Popstars has finally chosen “The One.” Christa Borden, 22, of Newfoundland was revealed as the winner of “Popstars: The One” Sunday in front of a studio audience in Toronto.
Upon hearing her name chosen as the winner, Christa’s jaw dropped in surprise, as she was swarmed by the six other finalists and her parents.
Right after winning, Christa spoke to andPOP. Keep checking back to andPOP to see another interview with Christa, plus some judges and other contestants. Watch the video to see the interview with Christa, as well as interviews with Choclair and the Popstars’ fashion designer.
| Watch Interview 56k/DSL/Cable Modem |
We also have setup 13 Galleries of photos from Popstars: The One, available Here.
The final 12 contestants in Popstars: The One have been narrowed down to 7 after the viewers voted last week.
Remaining are: Rosette, Jocelyn, Tiffany Joy, Mark, Charmaine, Wesley, and Christa.
The final episode is this Sunday at 7 p.m. on Global, where The One will be crowned.
Check popstars.ca for more information.
And check back soon for an exclusive interview with the winner.
Last week on Popstars, each contestant performed their rendition of a Motown song. Now it’s your turn to vote for your favourite performer.
The top 7 vote-getters, out of the final 12, will move on to the finals.
For more information on the voting process, head on over to popstars.ca.
There are only 12 contestants remaining in “Popstars:The One,” and their nerves are surely being put to the test with every passing moment.
Mirella Dell’Aquila had to go through a similar process when she was a contestant in Popstars two years ago. She was eventually chosen as one of the five members of Sugar Jones.
Mirella advises the final 12 this year to keep their heads up.
“There’s going to be some rough points in the whole process, so just remember what you’re there for and your love for music and you’ll be fine,” she said.
“Just take it as an experience and enjoy every minute of it.”
Mirella is currently recording her demo album and will start shopping it to record labels soon. Sugar Jones are preparing for their release in the UK.
The Popstars are in a new phase now. They?ve been off for a month and are now returning to the ?star life? that Toronto brings them, according to Karine.
Michael Geddes welcomes the finalists to the ?home stretch? and their new 10-room house that they?re all sharing. Geddes reminds them the audience now holds their fate.
They are each given a blue 2-way where they are told what classic Motown song they will be performing. At a recording studio, they rehearse for a showcase and try to put their own twist to the classics.
Lamont Dozier, who wrote many of the popular Motown songs like ?Baby Love? and ?How Sweet It Is,? is in studio offering pointers to the hopefuls. Interesting; didn?t I just see him earlier this week on American Idol? Yes, yes I did. To give Popstars credit, this was taped a few months ago, while American Idol was live, so that makes it clear who exactly is the one doing the copying. One point for Canadian television.
?There are so many people around the world that don?t have the opportunity, and that?s sad because a lot of talent is lost? he says, expressing his support for these Popstars-type shows.
Nathan, singing ?How Sweet It Is,? has the blessings of Dozier who calls him the ?next big thing.? Tiffany-Joy says she has been in the recording studio before, doing some back up tracks, and recording some of her own songs. Dozier says she needs some work, but her cold might be getting in the way.
A make-up artist prepares them for a video-shoot, where they are filmed dancing to the tracks they recorder earlier.
Next week: they perform their songs live and the audience votes for the first time.
Well, it was bound to happen at some point. After watching 7 Popstars in a row and writing recaps every week, my VCR messed up (couldn’t have been me!). So unfortunately, there won’t be a week 8 review.
However, we do have photos from the episode, so take a look at see what I missed. And by the way, that would be Glenn Lewis in those photos, the special guest star, along with his bodyguard. Why he needed the bodyguard for a Popstars performance is beyond me, but he brought him.
The contestants are asked to write their own lyrics to a song. Erica says Amaya?s song was ?hilarious? in a good way because she dares to be different. She says Rosette?s is cute and dirty. Paul was seen bobbing his head to Cavelle?s song, which read like page out of her journal, mentioning that she?s at the Popstars bootcamp in Toronto.
The judges choose a song for each contestant to sing, based on their qualities. Choclair seems a little confused.
Jocelyn, 16, is tired of changing for the judges and refuses. She then sings ?A Thousand Miles? as asked. William belts out a big yell at the end of his song. Rosette also sings Vanessa Carlton?s song.
?Rosette impressed me immensely,? says Erica. ?She?s cute and she sort of flirts with you and I don?t like that. But I think she?s up there now. She?s one of my favourites.?
Erica said it best on Lori?s performance. ?She crashed and burned.? We agree. She was yelling, not singing. The same could be said about Meredith.
Each contestant has to vote for the weakest of their peers. Unlike most days, people vote all over the map, but most vote for Natalie, so she must pack her bags.
The judges are arguing a fair bit more than in previous weeks over who to give the bad news to, but eventually say farewell to Lori, Mushiya, and Carla.
Meredith stays, even though Erica tells her she gave her a headache. That?s only going to hurt her chances for the days (or day) to come. She also tells William that he?s coming back but is at the bottom. He lost to Natalie by a single vote in the peer-voting.
Next time: They practice their performances with dancing. Plus, an appearance by a special guest that we only see the back of their head ? looks like Jacksoul to me.
The group is rehearsing on a rooftop, with Lorraine Lawson and Sharon Lee Williams acting as guest vocal coaches. Lawson tells them not to listen to their doubts.
They have a choice between a Jann Arden song and one by Brian McKnight, and perform in front of the judges.
It took me a while to figure out who Amaya sings like, and now I know: Pink. She sounds exactly like Pink.
Curtis gets so involved in the song that he starts crying. He says he was overtaken by emotions when thinking of a girl.
Aaron is singing while playing with the guitar, but unfortunately forgets the words. The help of Mushiya?s signals don?t help him, and he bombs the performance. Michael Geddes says he would have been impressed had he pulled it off.
It?s time for the secret vote. Aaron?s mistakes get him votes, and Donald gets a lot of votes.
Donald is on his way out because of the vote-offs. The judges send home 7 more, including Aaron.
Next time on Popstars: it?s day 3 of boot camp, and the contestants compose their own music. This is something Celine Dion cannot do– can they?
When Lone Eagle asked Paul Myers to be a judge on Popstars: The One, it took him some time to think about his decision before agreeing to join the panel.
?Part of me is not really so down with the idea of contests and people being judged better than other people,? Myers told andPOP, on the line from Vancouver.
He asked himself two questions: ?What does it all mean?? and ?Is this an un-hip thing to do??
?I realized what they wanted was me. They wanted to have my input. Let?s face it, reality TV is one of those things, where there?s so much of it around. When somebody from a reality show calls you, just on a scientific level, I just wanted to go and be a part of that experiment. It?s like being in the belly of the beast: a first hand chance to watch reality TV from the inside out.?
Lone Eagle Entertainment, the company behind the Popstars series, saw Myers on the Mike Bullard Show, which he was promoting a book he wrote on the Barenaked Ladies. He appeared comfortable on camera, and Myers said, ?They told me that they think that I would look like I?d know what I was talking about? as a Popstars judge.
Myers was amazed that there were no guidelines for the judges. After getting a haircut, he met with the other judges, Erica Ehm and Jason Rouse, in Vancouver, to begin the cross-Canada search for the next Popstar.
He said he voted for ?interesting? people who didn?t fit the Avril/Britney formula. The hardest part of judging, according to Myers, was always remembering that the judges are dealing with people who think it?s the end of the world if they don?t make it.
?Everybody who doesn?t make it probably has like 18 other chances in their lives because they?re all young. Everyone who does make it, they haven?t made it yet. They might have won the finals, but they have to give the people something that they want to hear.?
Myers, who is a songwriter, a producer, and former member of the Gravelberrys, said in a contest like this, music comes first.
?Music is the most important part of this for me. It?s not about show business. I don?t come into anything with any other viewpoint, other than is this interesting to me on a cultural level??
If he had to do the whole judging process again, there is one thing he would do differently.
?I voted against somebody purely because they struck me as having a really bad attitude. On a personal level, I just couldn?t stand that person. They mouthed off to people, and they were being really rude and I thought they have to learn a lesson. And then I thought later ?who cares, they?ll learn the lesson from someone else, they?re not going to learn it from me.? The minute they get signed to a label, they?ll find out really quickly you have to be nice to people. I found myself voting with my heart on certain occasions, like saying ?oh, that person is a bad person,? but it?s not my place to judge. I?m supposed to be judging the talent. That person got through anyway, and I felt really stupid about it later, but no harm was there.?
Although fellow judge Rouse is a professional comedian, Myers was not shy to show his own sense of humour.
?Our tradition in our family is we all were sketch comedy people. I didn?t perform sketch comedy as much. My brother [Mike Myers] plays guitar and drums, and I?ve done comedy. But Mike became a comedian, and I became a musician. Things cross over in our family.
At no time however did Myers attempt to give Rouse any kind of advice.
?The one thing that neither [Mike nor I] seemed to have any kind of rooting in is telling jokes. The way we approach humour, we?re generally not standup comedian types. I couldn?t begin to give advice to someone like Jason who?s a pro who does it every night. I admire anyone who?s got the guts to go up there telling jokes.?
In July, Myers will release ?Barenaked Ladies: Public Stunts Private Stories? in the United States. He is also recording a solo album at his home in Vancouver.
Boot camp continues, as a kooky dance instructor named Sarina encourages the contestants to run around the gym. They take turns singing whatever comes to their head, with no words, and then play a partner game with bamboo sticks and their eyes shut. Is this bootcamp or summer camp?
She said Will and Nathan excelled because they ?floated through it.?
Then in front of the judges, each Popstar wannabe practices improvised harmonizing.
Erica Ehm tells them to be unique and creative. Choclair adds that they give their best efforts. Michael Geddes says they will be cutting people every day and there will be 12 by the end of the week.
Today?s ?showcase performance? is to sing Blondie?s ?Call Me,? and the vocal coach advises not to imitate the band, but to be original.
Geddes is impressed, and Choclair agrees. Paul Myers isn?t impressed with some people, and justifiably so. A montage of the worst performers is shown, lead by Joel (the guy with the Ludacris-like hair), who yelled through his whole performance.
Each Popstars contestant must talk in front of a private camera and say who they think should be voted off. Then whoever gets the most votes against them goes home, despite what the judges say. With 18 different ways of pronouncing his name, Ibrahim is the overwhelming choice to get today?s boot, which we will call the ?axe of misery.? Joel also gets a good amount of votes. When it was Joel?s turn to vote for someone to kick off, he said he votes to keep him. But?
Meanwhile, in a board room, the judges decide who to kick off today. Erica says William needs to stop beat-boxing because they can?t see if he can really sing or not. ?Superfly Joel? as Erica puts it, knows he?s over his head. Paul says he?s wearing thin and Erica says she is annoyed.
Sandra, Ayeh, Crystal, Ranjeet, Keely, Celeste, Shaylene, Christina, Lucy, and Joel are told they are not coming back. Ibrahim gets 62% of the votes, so he?s also on his way home.
Next time on Popstars: Well it looks like the same thing, just another day.
Jason, Erica, and Paul head to Toronto for the final stop on the Popstars audition tour. The announcer says Toronto was poorly prepared, as a fly goes by the frustrated Erica?s head.
Someone from a Backstreet Boys cover band auditioned, and didn?t make the cut. Maybe he can call Jive and see if he can take Nick Carter?s spot in the group.
Mad Dog and Billie, both former Popstars judges, were the regional radio judges for the Toronto auditions, and were barely seen talking. I heard no complaints.
Paul says he doesn?t want to vote for this one particular guy, just because he?s a ?hunk.? Lets flashback to episode 3, shall we?
A singer named Mike performs but doesn?t overly impress the judges. Paul says, ?too bad, he?s really good looking.?
Jason is surprised, as he should be. ?Woa- save it for the Internet.?
Enough said.
The Toronto call backs were ?impressive,? as a record 8 people made the cut to bootcamp: Aaron, Curtis, Charmaine, Meredith, Josanna, Sandra, Wesley, and Nicole.
The announcer says, ?Phase 1 of the Popstars search is finally complete,? and we all say, ?thank heavens.? Now the show can really begin.
Erica looks back at the auditions and says the panel agreed on about 70 percent of the auditioners, and the other 30 percent was ?interesting.?
All the finalists arrive in Toronto. Michael Geddes appears and says he?s excited for bootcamp. Everyone is staying at a nice downtown hotel, and they prepare for a fancy welcome dinner atop the CN Tower.
?It?s the highest place in Canada, and they?re on a high themselves,? says Geddes.
Some finalists are atop the tower and on the glass floor, and are worried that people are looking up their skirt.
Geddes scares the finalists by saying that every morning, they have to have their bags packed, because they could be the next cut that day.
They have dinner, take photos, and have one big dance party. Although he?s not introduced to the audience, Choclair could be seen wandering around, greeting the finalists.
Next time on Popstars?
It?s the first day of bootcamp?the first cuts are made? they dance, sing, and see more of Choclair.
This is the third week of Popstars: The One, and the third week that the judges are traveling around Canada to search for Canada?s next superstar. The show is getting a little repetitive, and after watching American Idol this week, Popstars seems boring. Fortunately, the show promises to get more eventful and exciting next week? read on.
They?re in Edmonton where Clinton performs horrendously by screaming through the whole song. He would have been ripped apart on American Idol, but Paul thinks he is good enough to move on. Luckily, Jason and Erica disagree and Clinton is sent packing.
Jason seems to be getting a lot better as a judge. The clever jokes are still there, but he is also offering constructive criticism.
Angela, Bernard, Jocelyn, Steven, and Nathan move on from Edmonton, which Paul says had a lot of soul singers.
Now on to St. John?s?
A girl enters and throws confetti in the air. We don?t even get to hear her sing, which means she must have been really bad.
Jason is going gaga over Christa. When the judges are sceptical about her moving on, she asks, ?too chesty? I mean chest tone??
Jason replies, ?It?s never too chesty!?
Rex thought he had no chance, and he shouldn?t have had any chance since he had me covering my ears, yet Erica saw something in him that I did not. ?You?re a cuty,? she says, and she gives him her vote. The other judges, unbiased, disprove. Rex is staying in St. John?s.
Here?s the highlight of the series so far: A singer named Mike performs but doesn?t overly impress the judges. Paul says, ?too bad, he?s really good looking.?
Jason is surprised, as he should be. ?Woa- save it for the Internet.?
Christa, Crystal, Donald, Keely, and Ranjeet are heading to Toronto.
Next week? the last auditions! Mad Dog returns to the show. We?ll see what Toronto has to offer. Plus, all the finalists meet in Toronto.
The audition process is now in Winnipeg, where one contestant says, ?It?s not a modeling contest- it?s a singing contest.? She has a lot to learn.
Tamara, 24, was overly confident, but the judges liked it. Jason also liked something else about her. ?You?ve got nice teeth.? Erica meanwhile thought the confidence was just an act.
A few not-so-good auditioners are shown. How did some of these people get the initial callbacks? They?re worse than Nick Carter?s record sales.
It was only a matter of time before a dismissed person said, ?You don?t know who I am!? This auditioner was complaining that the judges told her she wasn?t signing like herself.
Lori, 24, entered the room.
?You?re gorgeous,? Jason told her.
?Thanks, you?re funny,? she said.
?Who put you up to this?? the surprised Jason asked. Predictably, Jason wanted to see her move on. Paul did as well. But Erica actually sounded mad, and maybe even a little jealous, when she told her she didn?t want to call her back. Jason wants to marry her and have children with her. ?Daddy, I?m a new man!?
When Erica told one contestant to let her voice all out and to not be a chicken, Jason balked like a chicken while prancing around on top of the table. Erica ran away. Again, she seemed genuinely mad. Erica is either a great actress or Jason?s getting on her nerves.
When it came down to deciding who to bring on to the bootcamp, Erica reversed her decision and Lori is Toronto bound.
The Grizzlies couldn?t survive in Vancouver. Let?s see if Erica lets Jason survive, as the train moves on.
The judges all agree that Vancouver was disappointing. The contestants do not share the same opinion.
?Those judges don?t know anything about music,? said one dismissed and disgruntled reject.
Jason said one of the girls from Vancouver will win it all, but he doesn?t mention any names.
A rocking Olga has ?pizzazz,? said Erica. She?s going to Toronto.
Launa is 30 years old and a mother of five. Jason doesn?t think she could be a Popstar.
?You can?t keep picking the skinny people,? Erica told the judging panel.
Jason defends his opinion. ?Her heart?s not behind it.?
?She thinks because she?s a big girl, nobody will pick her,? said Erica.
When a decision had to be made, it went in Launa?s favour and she will be heading to Toronto. As are Lindsay-Anne, Olga, Crystal, and Rosette.
New Brunswick will be the final stop on tonight?s episode.
An abnormally large amount of people show up to audition. The local radio DJ said many people in the city don?t get opportunities like this one.
?I don?t even want to win, I just want to go to Toronto,? one fellow said. ?Toronto will open doors.?
Here is the series highlight: Joel. This rapper looks like Ludacris. Jason nodded his head during Joel?s complete rap. He had a beard shaved like a racetrack.
And now the lowlight: a girl freakishly sang with her mouth closed. Just picture that and wonder how she moved on from the initial round, and why she wasted her whole day lining up.
Jason gives advice for one rejected girl. ?Get into the music. When Paul sings to me when we?re in the tub, he looks into my eyes.?
Joel is heading to Toronto! Christina, Katherine, Natalie, and Lucy will join him.
Next time on Popstars: The judges will make stops in Newfoundland and Alberta. Paul will say, ?This wasn?t the worse thing I?ve ever seen.? And a girl will throw sparkles in the air, presumably to divert the attention away from the fact that she can?t sing.
Look at the three judges for Popstars: The One, and one of them just doesn?t seem to belong. There?s a songwriter and former MuchMusic VJ in Erica Ehm. There?s the songwriter, performer, and producer in Paul Myers. And then there?s a comedian in Jason Rouse.
?I know about performing,? Rouse tells andPOP. ?It doesn?t matter if you have any singing experience. People know what they like. I recognize talent on all different levels, being a performer in this business.?
Michael Geddes, President of Lone Eagle, chose Jason Rouse to be a judge for the third season of Popstars, not only because he considers Rouse to be ?the fastest rising young comic in the country,? but also because he knows what the contestants are going through.
?We brought [Rouse] in to give an interesting twist to the show,? says Geddes. ?Nobody knows more about standing up and delivering then a comic.?
Despite that reason, Rouse will undoubtedly receive the criticism that he has no place judging a music contest, especially from people he doesn?t? select.
?I could care less what people say about me,? says Rouse. ?That?s their opinion like my opinion is to judge them.?
Geddes first met Rouse at the grand opening of the Yuk Yuks downtown Toronto location, where Rouse was performing. He asked Rouse to come into his office for an interview. A few days later, Rouse received a call from Geddes asking him to be a judge on the show.
?I?m like, ?well, I got to be honest with you. This isn?t really my thing, but I?ll totally do it.??
Rouse warned Geddes that it wasn?t his ?thing? because he is not at all a pop fan.
?I seem to like less and less stuff that?s on MuchMusic. The music that?s being manufactured, there isn?t really a unique voice behind it, which is like Popstars-type stuff. So it was an interesting situation for me to be in.?
Being a fan of pop music is one thing. Judging it is totally different, and something Rouse says he is capable of.
?I don?t buy that type of music and I?m not a fan of that but I?m really conscious of it. As a comedian, that?s my job more or less, to serve all different types of cultures.?
Rouse says after the first two or three days, he figured out exactly what to look for.
?Somebody who has talent, a unique look and product in themselves; charisma like ability,? are some characteristics he was searching for. ?All of those things are very important elements because in this business you?re a commodity on some level. The Popstar thing is just the extreme thing of the business.?
He was shocked when people showed up to audition unprepared and expecting to move on.
?I was kind of beside myself when some people just thought, ?well I?m good looking so I?m obviously going to get this,? but they couldn?t sing. First thing is, you have to be able to sing. You have to be able to move the room and then have the look and confidence and the other things that make a star.?
Rouse has been a comedian for the past six years and has won a Gemini Award for best individual performance in a comedy program/series. Although usually at the other end the table, he is used to having his act judged, which is why he can relate to the auditioners.
?Some kids would come in and they?d be super nervous and they were so overwhelmed by the situation so I?d make a joke or do something to break them up or freeze them up to get the best out of them.?
One such instance where Rouse has been judged is when he auditioned for Saturday Night Live. That was also when he met fellow judge Paul Myers, and his brother Mike, the star of Austin Powers and Wayne?s World, who were both backstage at a taping. He says he would not use Paul to get ahead in the business.
?I wouldn?t do anything to damage my relationship with Paul because his brother is famous.?
Rouse hopes to benefit off the show, even after it wraps up.
?It?s a good exposure for me and shows how versatile I am and how I could do a job and then bring my comedy voice to any situation, and do a good job and keep it entertaining. I tried to bring something Jason Rouse to the show and it seems like it worked.?
Rouse is a regular on the Ontario comedy club circuit. He will also be the subject of a documentary called ?The Next Big Thing,? by the National Film Board, scheduled to air in April.
What would a season premiere be without a dramatic opening sequence? We hear the theatrical and suspenseful voice of Michael Geddes (Lone Eagle President) explaining the differences of ?The One,? compared to past Popstars seasons. They will go to 8 cities instead of 4. One person will be chosen instead of a group. The audience will decide the eventual winner, not the judges.
Erica Ehm explains how the judges were given no guidelines, and she is looking for someone ?unique.? Erica is shown turning down several contestants. ?You have a nice voice, but you were really boring,? tops the list.
Paul Myers explains how he is the ?resident musical expert? on the judging panel. Jason Rouse is on board because as a comedian, he knows how to spot confidence and stage presence.
The show is worth watching just to hear that opening ?bop-bop-doo-ah? music again.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is the first city the judges visit.
Tammy, 18, is the very first contestant we see. Erica likes her. Paul likes her. Jason goes against them. Will comedian Jason disagree with every of the musical experts? moves? We shall see as the series moves along.
Shaela, 23, performs her version of ?Blow Your Mind.? ?I love interpretations. I didn?t like that one,? says Paul. She leaves the audition room insisting it was really good. It wasn?t- don?t believe her.
The judges were very impressed by the talent in Saskatoon, since most of the auditioners don?t have the same experience or possibilities that other city?s have.
Jason shows his soft side by putting his head on Erica?s shoulder, as a contestant performs ?Flavour of the Week.?
Half of the 50 auditioners earned a callback, where they performed in front of everyone instead of just the judges.
Their first tough decision: do they cut the single mother?
?I want to go back to standup. This isn?t fun anymore,? Jason says.
But they eventually let her talent do the talking, and they cut her.
Erica lets the contestants down easy, by saying things like ?We were sad you blew the audition.?
Shaylene, 18, Tammy, 18, Ibrahim, 16, Kirby, 16 and Celeste 22 all move on to the boot camp in Toronto. Celeste does a dance after she was told she?s moving on, which proves the boot camp needs to concentrate especially on dancing. Ibrahim sounded really nervous but the judges saw something in him that I did not.
Now on to Montreal, Quebec.
Mushie, 22, is good at pronouncing each syllable while singing, but beyond that lacked every skill a singer needs. Jason says, ?I didn?t like the singing at all.? Erica and Paul went against Jason and she moved on.
Mushie says she wants to be a trendsetter, not a trend follower. That sounds good on the surface, but then she is shown returning to the waiting area to hug a person with a backwards Jason Kidd jersey. Who started this trend and why do people like it? Jerseys were meant to be worn with the label in the back, not the front, just like every other shirt. Are you conforming to society by wearing the shirt the way it was meant to be worn? Perhaps. But why change it? There are so many other things that people can be spending their time on. Please wear jerseys like they are supposed to be worn. This proves how trendsetting is not always a good thing. Another case in point- why are retro Expos hats suddenly in again? But I digress.
?You have my vote because she hates me and I like the challenge,? says Jason to another contestant. He adds that she can date him and get back at her parents.
The rock and pop styles of Jonathan, 25, is enough to get the blessings from Jason and Paul, but Erica doesn?t like his singing. Jonathan cleverly says to the former VJ, ?and I loved you on MuchMusic.? He has my vote.
Phillipe, 22, is the kid with Kidd backwards jersey. Maybe I?m biased but he didn?t overly impress me. Now flip your jersey back around Kris Kross.
The judges are wooed by William 27, who sings and beatboxes. The judges are amazed. Haven?t they heard Rahzel? Now there is a singer-beatboxer. William is great at singing, great at beatboxing, but merely a mediocre singer-beatboxer.
The final analysis by the judges: Montreal was a prepared town, but had an overly confident attitude like they were already getting in.
There are six people moving on: Phillipe ?the backwards Kidd,? Mushie, William, Shaharah, Cavelle, and Karine.
Next time on Popstars?
The road show continues. Jason Rouse will do some sort of mutated chicken dance on the judging table. Someone that looks like Ludacris will rap ecstatically.
With ?Popstars: The One? debuting Thursday, you may be having some memories of the first two seasons. Remember when Sugar Jones was the biggest thing in Canada? Remember first hearing about Velvet Empire? Soon it will be someone else’s time to shine in Canada’s spotlight, but take a look back at some of our past features (interviews, concert reviews, etc.) on the first two Popstars winners.
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Before Kelly Clarkson was named the winner of American Idol, and even before the U.S. hit show began airing, plans were underway in Canada to host its own solo talent search. Having had two successful seasons of Popstars, Michael Geddes and his company, Lone Eagle Entertainment, decided that the third installment of Popstars would concentrate on seeking a solo star.
?This is and will still be the biggest show in the country,? says Geddes, the Executive Producer of Popstars and President of Lone Eagle Entertainment.
The season premiere of ?Popstars: The One? will air on Global this Thursday.
Before the infamous ?bootcamp? could begin, there was a 10-city audition process. 50 finalists per city were selected by local radio stations to perform in front of the judges: songwriter/producer Paul Myers, former MuchMusic VJ Erica Ehm and comedian Jason Rouse. Those three national judges will chose 45 finalists to travel to Toronto to participate in the ?bootcamp.? Geddes and rapper Choclair will join the judges to select the final 12.
One more cut will leave the field at 7, who will all perform live, as the audience calls in to select the winner.
The age range for contestants was widened this year from 18-25 years old to 16-30. The primary focus on their talent remained the same.
?This isn?t about taking people with good looks and a nice package about them and can sing ok, because they can only go so far,? says Geddes.
andPOP will have complete coverage of ?Popstars: The One.? As an official internet media sponsor, we will have contests, interviews with the judges, and episode recaps throughout the season.
