Heejun Han was among the contestants who will move on to the live episodes; 10 more will be announced Thursday. By Adam Graham
Reed Grimm celebrates on "American Idol" Photo: Fox
Rest easy, America. Heejun Han made it through.
Han, the biggest personality to emerge on "American Idol" so far this season, was revealed on Wednesday's (February 22) episode as one of the 24 seminfinalists who will make it through to the live episodes, which begin next week. From a final pool of 42, 14 semifinalists were unveiled during Wednesday's episode; the final 10 will be made public during Thursday's one-hour episode.
Joining Han — producers cued "Hey Jude," which almost sounds like "Heejun," when he made it through — on the guys' side are the incredibly named Phillip Phillips; tiny soul man Creighton Fraker; former family band singer Reed Grimm; gospel-voiced Joshua Ledet; and the mohawk-mulleted Colton Dixon. Representing for the ladies are Erika Van Pelt, Jen Hirsh, Haley Johnsen, Elise Testone, Chelsea Sorrell, Baylie Brown, Jessica Sanchez and Brielle Von Hugel.
This being "American Idol," however, a simple "you made it!" is never quite dramatic enough. Instead, the judges have to drag out their decisions, cruelly suggesting the contestants have been cut and telling them everything short of, "You'll never sing in this town again, baby," before waiting a beat and then adding, "because this town's no longer big enough for you, because you made it through!"
Consider Randy Jackson's speech on Wednesday to Ledet. "You know what, sometimes in life, you know, you do these shows and you do these things, and sometimes the better singers don't quite make it, because everything doesn't quite line up," Jackson told him. "You know, it's heartbreaking for us, you know what I mean? It's like, that's why this day is so hard, because we have to say 'bye' to so many people that we love that are so talented, that everything just didn't line up. And this season's definitely tough, you know; we're trying to find the exact right 24. So for you man, you made it bro." Ledet reacted to the news by singing, "Thank you, Jesus."
Likewise, when Jennifer Lopez told Van Pelt the news that she'd made it through, she framed it by telling her — deep breath — "You know, watching everybody over the past few days, we were just saying some people just blew us away, but we had a lot of people who didn't do as amazing as we thought they were gonna do, and unfortunately you were one of those people. Because we had our eye on you so much from the beginning, because of that voice that comes out of that body, you know? And we're all such fans, and so yesterday was difficult, 'cause we have to decide who we're gonna take a chance on and who we're gonna say, 'Maybe next time.' " Then she told dropped the hammer: "We're gonna take one more chance on you, Erika." Well, at least it's more dramatic than just texting the singers, "congrats, u made it!"
"Idol" also got rid of a few familiar faces during Wednesday's episode, and this year's resident cowboy contestant Richie Law was one of the singers shown the door. Others who were cut included St. Louis standout Lauren Gray and an assortment of contestants who haven't received much camera time, including Blaire Sieber, Naomi Gillies, Neco Starr, Clayton Farhat, River St. James and Caleb Johnson. Most of them seemed to be delivered the news in a less-harsh manner than the ones who made it to the next round.
Thursday's episode is set to showcase the rest of this year's semifinalists, as well as reveal the fate of Adam Brock, the family man whose destiny hung in the balance during Wednesday's cliffhanger ending.
What did you think of Wednesday's "Idol," and are you ready to vote for Heejun already? Let us know in the comments!
They also talked about someone who will likely have everyone buzzing when they leave the theater: Aniston's co-star and real-life leading man, Justin Theroux.
Aniston said Theroux is a "far cry" from his hippie-dippie character in the film, which revolves around an uptight New York couple who decide to shake up their lives and end up at a commune. Rudd and Aniston play that couple just looking for a change of pace.
"I didn't recognize him actually, when were at the camera test," she continued. "We were at the camera test and I did not recognize him because he's usually in leather and tight black jeans and black boots and he has this very specific look that, since I've known him, he's always had. But that's sort of what's so great [about him]."
The actress continued that it's his ability to change so much from his real-life look (which veers more toward New York hipster chic than Boho-chic) and personality that makes him stand out in the film. "He has a beard; it's a healthy beard [in the film]. But what I think is so awesome about Justin is that he really just disappears," she said. " 'Your Highness' was so great, and even like in 'Zoolander,' I didn't know he was that crazy DJ. He sort of morphs into things, into characters and also has a leading-man quality, which I think is beautiful. He's just great."
It seems that love for Theroux doesn't begin and end with Aniston. Rudd, who has worked with him in the past in "The Baxter," is equally charmed by his ability to portray guys who are not as smart as they think they are. "He's such a smart guy and he's so talented and good at playing [those] guys. What I love about him is his subtlety. He's kind of a master of subtlety," he said. "I've been a fan of his for years."
But as the initial shock of the pair's reunion subsides, and both remixes begin to diffuse into the collective conscience, we're left with one rather important question: Beyond all the (very public) handwringing the songs have created, are they actually any good? Early opinions from critics have been lukewarm at best (and downright hostile at worst), mostly because it seems they have a difficult time separating their feelings about Brown — and his 2009 assault of Rihanna — from their feelings about the songs themselves. And really, you can't blame them. In a lot of ways, it's impossible not to view the "Cake" and "Music" remixes through the prism of the past three years.
Still, with opinions still being formed (and feelings still fresh), we reached out to some of our favorite music journos to get their take on the songs and Rihanna and Brown's unlikely collaboration. Here's what they had to say:
" 'Birthday Cake' was pretty much destined to be a smash when Talk That Talk was released with only a snippet of it. ... The 78-second bit of The-Dream-produced track inspired hosannas from members of the Rihanna Navy who couldn't wait for the full thing to be released. ... Putting Chris Brown on the [remix] (and having him sing 'I wanna f--- you right now,' which Rihanna sang on the fade-out of the TTT version, as his opening gambit) seems almost like overplaying her hand. Like, this song was going to be a big deal to her fans no matter what, so why add the controversy to it? Then again, the past three years of her career have, it seems, been about her taking control of her public image in a big way — from enacting revenge fantasies in 'Man Down' to singing about sex a lot — and adding Brown to a song about fetishistic sex is a way for her to do just that, to implicitly flip off people who she sees as paternalistic or overbearing while engaging in what she calls 'chiefin'.' Every gossip item about the two of them getting back together or hanging out, every angry/sad/exulting blog post, every public tweet they direct to one another when presumably they could just DM back and forth, keeps them — and the songs — in the news. Meanwhile, Brown's song and Rihanna's contribution to it are both pretty bland, a 'Party Rock Anthem' with no shuffling and even less whimsy. At one point, Rihanna does the phrase 'I love you,' which will no doubt get tongues wagging. I am pretty much grossed out by the whole thing, to be honest." — Maura Johnston, Village Voice
"The remixes aren't terrible, and that's as much as I'll say at risk of saying something positive about Chris Brown. ... The most important thing to remember is that if you have a problem with these two teaming up: Don't blame Rihanna. Blame the ravenous, unscrupulous, money-starved record industry for being complacent through this entire event. The whole machine is falling apart, so everyone — artists like Ludacris and Justin Bieber, their labels and managers, magazines like Vibe who put Chris Brown on the cover, awards shows like the Grammys, TV networks who play Chris Brown videos — they're all too afraid to potentially put forth an opinion that would prevent them from being where money is. The fact that everyone except Jay-Z and Miranda Lambert is too chickensh-- to speak out against woman-beating is pathetic beyond pathetic. Everyone is too scared to compromise their chance to catch the last remaining dollars during the music industry's death rattle." — Christopher R. Weingarten, SPIN
"Rihanna's 'Birthday Cake' was a standout track from Talk That Talk, even in its original form (as an interlude) — and more importantly, without Chris Brown. On the remix, all Brown's aggressive, salacious verses do ... is add fuel to rumors circling of their reunion behind closed doors. [And] Rihanna comes back on the song, calling checkmate on Breezy with her suggestive lyrics — "Remember how you did it?/ Remember how you fit it?/ If you still want to kiss it, come, come and get it" — making it hard to not be teased into again reading between the lines. 'Turn Up the Music' feels like a collaboration that would have fit both artists' discography during their days coupled up. Although RiRi's airy vocals blend well with the Underdogs' dance soundscapes, adding Rihanna to the track doesn't leave a lasting impression nor elevate the song to higher grounds. Ultimately, it's not the content of the songs that matter; it's the statement both singers are trying to make by simply releasing them. The collaborations appear to be a step toward reconciliation between both — seeing the tracks climb the chart is a bonus. Rihanna wants us to know that she no longer wears the shoes of the victim and Breezy wants to prove that he's become a better man. This isn't a personal or professional move; it's both. Both singers have woven their personal life, a haunting moment in their lives, into a professional move. Though it's stirred much controversy, I believe it was bound to happen." — Erika Ramirez, Billboard.com's "The Juice"
What do you think of the collaborations? Let us know in the comments.
Movie's stars Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd stop by for a chat about the movie, which premieres Friday. By Kevin P. Sullivan
Paul Rudd in "Wanderlust" Photo: Universal
As part of "MTV First," Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston premiered a never-before-seen clip from their upcoming comedy "Wanderlust" ... but that was only the beginning.
In the clip, their characters embrace their new lives on the Elysium commune with some new, let's say ... experiences. Now we have an extended NSFW version of the same scene that takes a raunchier look at life at Elysium.
The extended version contains some drug references, so some viewer discretion is advised.
In "Wanderlust," Rudd's character, George, loses his job and leaves New York with his wife, Linda, in search of a new beginning. After a failed attempt to shack up with George's brother, they head off again in search of a new home. But they accidentally wind up stuck in the hippie commune inhabited by a wide range of characters.
One of those characters introduced in the clip is Seth, the spiritual leader of the commune, played by Aniston's real-life boyfriend Justin Theroux. The couple met while making the film, and in the clip, we see their onscreen introduction. We're also introduced to the characters played by Lauren Ambrose and Jordan Peele, Almond and Rodney.
The clip was just the beginning of the fun. If you haven't seen it already, be sure to check out MTV News' Josh Horowitz's entire interview with Rudd and Aniston, which followed the premiere of the new clip from "Wanderlust." During the interview, they addressed things like onscreen nudity and took questions from the fans via Twitter.
Songwriter The-Dream tells 'RapFix Live' of Rihanna, 'She's my friend, so whatever she wants to do is whatever she wants to do.' By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway
The-Dream on "RapFix Live" Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News
Fans were shocked and some outraged when they heard Rihanna's "Birthday Cake" remix with ex-beau Chris Brown. The-Dream, who wrote the song, admits that he was a bit surprised when Rihanna told him that she'd like to include the man who once assaulted her on the track, but the "Shawty is a 10" singer was far more understanding than Rih Rih's detractors.
"At the end of the day, she's my friend, so whatever she wants to do is whatever she wants to do," The-Dream told Sway when he appeared on "RapFix Live" on Wednesday (February 22), just two days after Rihanna released the controversial remix.
The-Dream remembers first getting the call from Rihanna while driving in Miami. "I think I'm gonna put Chris on it," he remembers the Talk That Talk singer saying to him over the phone nonchalantly. "I don't know which Chris you talkin' about, [but] OK, cool, whatever you say," The-Dream remembers responding.
Of course there is really only one Chris, and The-Dream came to grips with the reality that the two would be coming together in song after the damaging 2009 assault that left Rihanna battered and bruised and Brown public enemy #1. "She's pretty smart too. The same questions that went through my mind, and I'm an artist also, had to have gone through hers," The-Dream told "RapFix Live." "When she raised the question to me, I know she's not crazy. So my thought was you've been thinking about this, you've already thought it out, so evidently you know what reaction you gonna get."
The singer/songwriter said that he was just happy that she gave him enough forewarning that he too could prepare for any type of backlash. Still, despite the rumblings of whether or not Rihanna is sending the right message collaborating with Chris on "Birthday Cake" as well as Brown's "Turn Up the Music" remix, The-Dream says that it all boils down to forgiveness. "Don't say you know how to forgive when you don't," he warned. "Everybody knows what took place, cool. Have the power to really forgive if that's what it is, if not stay on that side of the fence from the beginning."
In no way did The-Dream condone Brown's behavior on that February night in 2009, but he does suggest that it is time for people to move on. "It's easy to kinda throw Chris under the bus all the time, but c'mon, man. OK, we get it," he said.
Do you support Rihanna's decision to work with Chris Brown again? Leave your comment below!
