While most people have been focusing on what appears to be a Jelena reunion, Selena has been focusing heavily on promoting her new single “Come and Get It.”
Her latest performance was at last night’s Radio Disney Music Awards (where she won Best Female Artist), and it was good. Not great, but not terrible. Her dancing is as good as always, and while she doesn’t have to strongest vocals, her live performances are definitely improving. Let’s just hope her rekindled romance doesn’t distract her from all the hard work she’s clearly been doing.
Check out her performance here:
British boy band Lawson paid a visit to our fair city earlier this month during their first North American tour. Luckily for us, the quintet was nice enough to sit down for a good old fashion livestream. The boys were kind enough to answer our questions as well as perform four songs for their dedicated Canadian fans!
Missed the show? Don’t fret! Here’s every song from their acoustic set at Toronto’s Gibson Guitar and watch the livestream in full here.
Learn to Love Again
Standing In The Dark
Taking Over Me
When She Was Mine
I think the Twitterati unanimously agreed on Sunday that Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance was dayam hawt and we should probably all consider her our personal spirit guide. So it’s pretty hard to believe that any PR person would be unhappy with the reaction — even if there were a few unflattering images of Bey floating around online. I mean, she’s human right?! Who among us doesn’t have a photo where we’re half blinking, drooling or in the midst of a complicated dance move?
Shortly after the game, Buzzfeed posted a few unflattering images of the singer, before being contacted by her PR person who requested the site take them down. Naturally, this led to a follow-up article, more brutal than the first, called ”Beyonce’s Publicist Asks BuzzFeed To Remove ‘Unflattering’ Photos.”
While the photos were silly in the first place (why are we soothed by unflattering images?) it’s PR 101 that asking for something be removed will result in further publication. Just check out the Streisand Effect. [Source]
Lawson fans waited outside, huddled under blankets, since 7 am in Canada’s cold temps to see their favourite guys in person. That’s dedication right there and it’s not hard to see why they’re obsessed!
UK’s Lawson sat down with ANDPOP host Simon Mohos for a live interview and performance at Toronto’s Gibson Guitar during their North American debut. Along with taking fan questions they performed four acoustic songs, that included their most recent track “Learn to Love Again,” off Chapman Square.
We basked in much Twitter love under the hashtag #LawsonOnAndpop and even made someone’s life (see below).
Make sure to watch the full interview (over and over) below, check out exclusive photos on Facebook and tweet us your favourite part at @andpop with the hashtag #LawsonOnAndpop.
Thanks to everyone who came out, we had a blast!
Watch it here
To celebrate the release of his new self-titled album, Classified held a mysterious concert for 100 fans in Toronto on Jan. 22. Leading up to the TOP SECRET show, he gave out clues that led to the exclusive performance at The Baitshop in Toronto.
All the social media tips had a military theme to go with his “This Is Classified” campaign and the location was finally revealed the day of the performance. The hour-long show was livestreamed on his website and now ANDPOP has the exclusive footage. His five-song performance was highlighted by his laid-back, onstage presence — I love that he nonchalantly handed lager out to an eager fan offstage.
The Nova Scotian rapper has been an integral part of the Canadian hip hop scene for over 17 years. 2011’s Handshakes and Middle Fingers marked his 14th studio album and his various releases have garnered a combined 18 nominations and 8 wins at the MuchMusic Video Awards, Juno Awards and East Coast Music Awards.
We’re pretty stoked about the new album — don’t forget to listen to “Growing Pains, which is dedicated to his two daughters, if you haven’t had the chance yet. We’ll have more exclusive footage in the coming week!
Watch his performance below
Time flies by when you’re kidrauhl. Celebrating six years on YouTube, Justin Bieber treated his fans to a preview of his upcoming acoustic album.
“What’s up guys!” the Biebs happily greets his viewers before the intimate performance. “It’s been six years since I posted my first music video ever…so we’re going to post a little preview of my acoustic album, this is one of my favorite songs on the album!”
Kicking back with his guitarist, the Biebs then shows off his vocal chops. At the end of the video, he even says he’ll take you home or “wherever you want to go.” (What a cheeky guy!!)
It’s nice to see Justin going back to his roots. He may be all grown up but he’ll still be the same kidrauhl we all know and love!!
“Believe Acoustic” comes out January 29, so mark your calendars!!!
Watch the performance here:
By Jessica Galang
“I’d like to thank the man upstairs for taking care of me first and foremost; my family, all the country music fans, God bless you. Thank you so very much for all the votes and this is the best day of my life.”
Those were Tate Stevens’ first words immediately after hearing he was the winner of X-Factor and the recipient of a hefty $5-million recording contract. Even without winning the show, all of the judges throughout the season have agreed that there was no way he wouldn’t have a future in the music industry.
From his first audition when he performed Anything Goes by Randy Houser, audiences fell in love with his humility and Southern charm, yet every performance had him command the stage. Though LA had a meltdown at the beginning after hearing he was the mentor for the over 25s, Tate always delivered for LA week after week. After performing “Dead or Alive” in the top 13, it wasn’t surprising to hear that he was America’s number one and clearly he stayed that way until tonight.
In the final minutes of the show, X-Factor’s past contestants came together on the stage with Tate Stevens as he sang “Tomorrow.” It’s been an emotional journey for everyone and it was nice to see everyone jamming along with the winner.
Here’s the video:
Anyone who had tickets to the season nine grand finale of X-Factor UK on Sunday (Dec. 9) was dayam lucky because Rihanna AND One Direction KILLED their live performances.
Before James Arthur was crowned as victor, Rihanna did an emotional performance of “Stay.” Her vocals were flawless and you can tell she really taps into the emotion of the song each time she sings it — it’s clear she’s evolving as an artist.
X-Factor alum One Direction also performed their soon to be third single “Kiss You.” There was an awkward moment when Zayn’s microphone cut out but it also spurred him to hilariously rant to Harry after the performance around the five minute mark.
What was your favourite performance of the night?
Watch Rihanna perform “Stay”
One Direction perform “Kiss You”
The smoking hot guys from The Wanted performed an acoustic cover of “I Found You” during ANDPOP’s LIVE interview with them this past weekend. They’re amazing artists in the studio but they proved they can put on a wicked acoustic show too.
As always, the guys let loose while performing — clapping to the beat, laughing with each other and fooling around. Their energy is infectious.
Watch it here:
Major LOLs during their performance for ANDPOP
One of my favourite things about The Wanted is that they don’t take themselves too seriously. They started off our live-stream with not one, but two acoustic performances— ’I Found You’ and ‘Glad You Came.’ If you didn’t catch what all the laughing was about, they were making sexual noises during GYC. I see what you did there. [skittlesforjay]
Drunk in the studio?
Even though the guys are constantly busy on the road, they’re making time for their new album coming out early next year. Nathan blurt out, “When was the last time you were in the studio Jay?” He didn’t quite remember if it was yesterday… or the day before. Who could blame him, really? [nodoyjay]
Tom Parker 2.0
Jordan wanted to know what it would take to be a member of The Wanted. After him and Tom reversed roles, he showed off his British accent and suggested he could be the rapper in the group. When TW’s manager Scooter Braun called in, he even said he liked the new Tom better. Could it happen? [thewantedsexgods]
Siva knows what’s up
Nathan may be the youngest out of the guys, but don’t question him when it comes down to his vocal cords. That solo in ‘I Found You’ says it all. Wow. [teamjaythan]
Too close for comfort?
During the lyric, “I’m glad you came,” Nathan couldn’t help but give a little grip onto Siva’s leg. He was like — uh no. It’s okay Nathan, I’m single. [nathanns]
The world is coming to an end Read more…
While Of Monsters and Men had musical aspirations, they never dreamed they’d be full time musicians.
“I always wanted to do it but it just felt silly to say it because it’s just so unrealistic,” said vocalist and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir.
The six piece indie folk band experienced swift success after winning a national battle of the bands competition in Iceland back in 2010. Since then their single “Little Talks” from their debut studio album My Head Is An Animal has topped Billboard’s alternative chart.
The group performed a live acoustic session of “Mountain Sound” for Making Waves. They told ANDPOP they never intended to make an album at first — they just wanted to write songs and word quickly spread.
They also had some apt advice for musicians. While many artists throw off romantic affirmations like “follow your dreams,” vocalist and guitarist Ragnar Þórhallsson is a little more practical: “Do it because you want to do it and make music that you yourself like and not that you think everyone else will like,” he said. “Like my dad always says, just keep on keeping on.”
Watch it here
British munchkins and Ellen regulars Sophia Grace and Rosie pretty much exploded at their most recent interview describing how it felt opening for One Direction. The ladies were dressed in pink frilly dresses and their trademark tiaras during their performance of Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass.”
“It was so good, cause I’ve dreamed of being a pop star on a stage since I was two and a half or three,” said nine-year-old Sophia Grace.
They also revealed to Ellen who their fave members of One Direction are. While Rosie likes Zayn because of his fuzzy hair, Sophia Grace likes Harry because he’s a good bloke and waved at her and Rosie in the crowd.
The two young girls who become Internet celebrities after posting a video of themselves singing Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” in 2011, which has since gained 39 million views. At the end of the interview, they surprised Ellen with a special present — paintings they created themselves!
Watch it here
One of the most memorable moments from last night’s American Music Awards was a “Gangnam Style” collaboration between Korean pop sensation Psy and MC Hammer at the end of the show.
The guys did Psy’s trademark horse trotting dance while wearing the iconic Harem pants. The performance was a huge surprise — Hammer came on half way through the song — but it makes TOTAL sense. Hammer also experienced rapid fame with his hit “U Can’t Touch This” in the 90s, so he probably understands the overwhelming fandom Psy’s experiencing.
The big winner at last night’s award show was Justin Bieber, who took home three awards, including artist of the year. He accepted the award on stage with his mom. ”I wanted to thank you for always believing in me,” Bieber said.
Watch it here
The View needed to do a quick camera rehearsal before Psy’s “Gangnam Style” performance. Unfortunately the Korean popstar wasn’t around (duh, he was probably bugging Ryan Seacrest again) so they got the next best thing: Teddy Hahn. He filled in for Psy during the camera rehearsal with an impressive performance of the trademark dance.
I don’t think anyone was expecting him to take over the stage like he did, with such charisma. He should definitely earn a big bonus this year. In fact, I hope Psy sees this and brings him out on stage during his next big show.
Watch it here
After months of rehearsals and rumors about what to expect from Justin Bieber’s highly anticipated Believe tour, it finally kicked off on Saturday in Glendale, AZ. Even if you weren’t physically at the concert, Beliebers everywhere were glued to their Twitter accounts, tracking down every move that was going on. If you don’t have your hands on tickets yet, you might wanna get on that cause this looks like a show that’s going down in history!
Taking selfies in the middle of the show
If you didn’t already know, Justin is back on Instagram and I can’t get enough of his selfies. Oh and you can’t forget about the shirtless ones either. Okay back on track now… he grabbed a fan’s phone from the audience and took a picture of himself! What a lucky girl, I wonder if she’s gunna keep that for herself or share it with the world. *Wishful thinking* [ownmynight]
On point choreography
Justin is a triple threat. He can sing, he can act, and he can DANCE! Michael Jackson has been a major influence and it shows during his routines. They don’t call JB the Prince of Pop for nothing. [bieber-graphics]
The pelvic thrust
You better be paying 110% attention to every second of the show. No tweeting things like, “dsjfndjsgndfjskie” because chances are, you’re probably going to miss Justin’s epic hip thrust and you don’t want that to happen. [supportdrew]
Permanent OLLG in his heart Read more…
If you haven’t already heard, Justin Bieber threw up TWICE on stage in Arizona during the first show of his Believe tour. We’re not sure if he was partying too hard or just felt ill, but Bieber claims he drank too much milk before the show (yuck). That’s a very bad idea…
Both times, he ran off stage for several minutes to recover. In his absence, the audience sang the lyrics to his songs. “Right now this is really hard because I’m feeling really sick,” Bieber told his fans. “It’s not a great feeling when you’re throwing up in front of a bunch of people. But you know, I feel comfortable enough with you, that I can be myself and you don’t judge me.”
We have to give the guy credit though because he finished his show and performed an encore performance. He tweeted a photo of himself after the show (above) with the caption: “Great show. Getting better for tomorrow’s show!!!! Love u (sic)… And… Milk was a bad choice! LOL (laugh out loud).”
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time Justin has yacked on stage. He threw up during a performance in the Philippines. He also threw up on an MTV game show and ended up licking some of the vomit (after the jump).
Arizona performance
Silent Library Read more…
I have to say I’ve written so much about the great K-Pop god that is Psy lately that I’ve practically run out of adjectives for awesome. Psy made his second appearance on Ellen today with an epic performance of “Gangnam Style.” He wore a tuxedo and his trademark glasses, dancing with a bevy of white-clad dancers.
While we’re kind of missing Britney Spears from this equation, we love that Psy went out to the audience and danced with guests. But I have to warn you that overexposure to the track might burn you out. So take it easy.
Watch it here:
It didn’t take long for Psy’s viral hit “Gangnam Style” to be hailed as the new “Macarena.” Practically everyone can identify his horse-riding dance move and at least chant along to the chorus — unless you’re South Korean and then (duh) you probably know the verses too.
While the music video for both the male and female versions of “Gangnam Style” have an epic LMFAO flare, Psy’s horse-riding dancers also trot along with him for his shows. He recently performed on the South Korean music television program Show! Music Core and pretty much everyone in the audience went insane.
Watch it here:
During the day, Lucy Spraggan is that pesky salesperson on the street with a clipboard that you try to avoid. She hates her day job and auditioned for The X-Factor knowing it could change her whole life.
I wasn’t sure what to expect after she announced she’d be singing a song she personally wrote about “Beer Fear” — you know, when you go to the bar, have a few too many Tequila shots or Flaming Sambucas and end up proposing to your everlasting love (who’s actually just the greasy dude you met on the dance floor).
Her rendition ended up being one of the wittiest performances I’ve seen on the show. It wasn’t necessarily that she had the best voice (though she did have a nice Lily Allen flare), but her lyrics were intelligent and incredibly hilarious. Everyone can relate to beer fear, am I right?
Watch it here:
Carly Rae Jepsen attended the annual US Open Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day on Saturday afternoon in New York, where she wooed the crowd with her tennis skills and sweet vocals.
Her performance of “Call Me Maybe,” definitely brought a party to the court, joined by The Wanted (who smashed it with “Glad You Came/Chasing The Sun”), Owl City, Rachel Crow, Matthew Morrison, Olympian Missy Frank, tennis star Novak Djokovic and more. You’d think things couldn’t get better after some dude walked out with a lawnmower — remember from the music video? The whole thing turned into a huge dance off/flash mob and it seems as though the whole crowd enjoyed it as well. The Wanted’s Max George took to Twitter to pass along a message to Carly:
Is anyone else extremely excited for Wanted Wednesday? I can’t wait to see what the view was like from Tom’s cam!
Watch here:
