Christina Aguilera Debuts 'Not Myself Tonight,' First Bionic Single

New album is due June 8.


On Tuesday afternoon (March 30), Christina Aguilera took to her I Heart Radio channel to premiere "Not Myself Tonight," the first single from her upcoming Bionic album. And judging from the sound of the track, Bionic is a pretty fitting title for the project.

"Tonight" is a whirring, whooshing thing, full of blaring synthesizers and spare snares speeding along over a pounding, four-on-the-floor beat. It's more of a classic house cut than anything else, the kind of track you'd expect to hear rattling the speakers at the massive, multi-level clubs of Europe. And on the song, Aguilera sounds like she's already on the dance floor.

"Tonight, I'm feeling a little bit out of control," she sings over curling electronic tendrils. "I'm dancing a lot/ Taking shots and I'm feeling fine/ Kissing all the boys and girls/ Someone call the doctor, 'cause I lost my mind."

"Tonight, I'm not the same girl/ I'm not myself tonight," she belts over the soaring chorus. "In the morning, when I wake up, I'll go back to the girl I used to be/ But baby, not tonight."

Toward the end of the song — which was produced by Polow Da Don and written by Ester Dean — Aguilera even gets to show off her patented vocal pyrotechnics, making several powerful vocal runs. And there's a sweaty, pulsing breakdown in which she pants and purrs ("Yeah, that feels good, I needed that") before the song fades out under the clatter of drums.

"Tonight" was prefaced by a rather robotic countdown on Aguilera's I Heart Radio channel, which featured an android repeating the title of the album while grinding electronic noises whirred in the background and some of Aguilera's earlier hits ("Genie in a Bottle," "Beautiful," etc.) were mixed into the fray. At the song's end, Aguilera asked fans to call in and let her know if they liked the track, before she decided to play the whole thing again.

Bionic is scheduled to hit stores June 8. In an interview earlier this year with Marie Claire magazine, Aguilera said the album "is about the future" and explained that the birth of her son, Max, served as inspiration for many of the songs.

With the song's premiere, we can probably put those "Iamamiwhoami" rumors to bed once and for all.

'American Idol' R&B Night Belongs To Lee Dewyze, Crystal Bowersox

Michael Lynche and Andrew Garcia also do well, thanks to Usher's mentoring.


The "American Idol" top 10 had help from Usher on Tuesday night (March 30), when the theme was soul and R&B songs. The "Papers" singer provided some of the most precise, helpful advice in "Idol" mentor history, helping the finalists mold their onstage personas and giving crucial tips on reaching the audience that resulted in strong performances from Crystal Bowersox, Lee Dewyze and Michael Lynche and a comeback of sorts from Andrew Garcia.

The seeming front-runner, Siobhan Magnus, was star-crushed meeting Ush, impressing him with Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire" and getting some all-important advice on how to make an impression with her wardrobe. Wearing a black-and-white wrap dress with silver moon boots, Magnus looked much better than she sounded, though, struggling mightily all along to stay in key during the sensual ballad and even falling flat during a few of her signature soul wails.


Randy Jackson and Ellen DeGeneres said it was pitchy and clearly off, struggling to find a positive note on the performance. Kara DioGuardi chalked it up to nerves and said every performer is entitled to an off night. Simon Cowell was not so kind. "It sounded to me as if you'd run a marathon and you were singing as you were running out of breath," he said as the crowd booed. "You were so all over the place. ... You look all over the place tonight. ... It was by far your weakest performance." And, he added, he's a bit sick of the screaming shtick at the end of nearly every performance.

When cowboy Casey James strapped on his guitar for a bluesy take on Sam & Dave's "Hold On I'm Comin," Usher was digging the voice and the rock swagger. The song, which had never been performed on "Idol" before, had the appropriate bluesy grit, with James channeling former "Idol" champ Taylor Hicks' Ray Charles-like mannerisms and facial tics during a faithful run through the 1966 Stax label hit.

Ellen thought it was a bit generic and safe, even as Randy called it another hot night and loved what he deemed James' broad vocal range. In a shocker, Simon called it Casey's strongest week to date and said he was feeling the authentic vibe.

In his continuing tradition of covering songs by women, Michael Lynche chose the relatively obscure "Ready for Love" by India.Arie. As he crooned the song, Usher noted how much women love a man who can play a guitar and sing but reminded Mike to make sure he's playing to the whole audience. Once again making it seem effortless, Lynche opened with a series of dramatic, breathy runs, slowly picking out notes on his acoustic while sitting on a stool behind the judges' table in the midst of the audience. As his voice rose to a higher register mid-song, Lynche showed off his powerful range without resorting to histrionics.

Kara had never heard the song before Mike chose it, but she said he artfully tapped into its emotion, and Simon felt it was the first live show where he could take Lynche seriously as an artist and where he really believed his performance.

Didi Benami went with the Jimmy Ruffin hit "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," which made her well up with emotion, a stroke of honesty Usher recommended she tap into while performing, not after. Though worried that she might not be able to keep it together onstage, Benami gave a dramatic, jazzy interpretation of the tune while wearing a sparkling, floor-length dress, ending with a emphatic shout of "tell me, tell me!"

"It was like swimming in jelly," Cowell said, deeming it too over-the-top, old-fashioned and off melody. The whole thing fell flat for Randy, who felt the song never caught fire. Kara was left wondering if the singer/songwriter has lost her way and confused the audience.

Chances were good that "Teflon" Tim Urban was going to struggle with the theme, and he made it harder on himself by choosing Anita Baker's lush "Sweet Love." Usher wasn't feeling it, suggesting Tim picture the woman he loves in front of him as he sang. Leaning on his puppy-dog eyes, which he aimed right at the camera, Urban gave another shaky performance, turning the sensual ballad into an easy-listening trifle.

Last week, Simon called him "silly." This week, he said the song choice was so wrong it was like "a mouse picking a fight with an elephant." Randy called it pedestrian and flat, even if it was "mostly" in tune, and DioGuardi said he sucked all the soul out. As Urban laughed at the harsh critiques, Cowell threw up his hands, seemingly frustrated that Urban's voters would likely keep him in the competition no matter what.

Still looking to get back his early groove, Andrew Garcia chose Chris Brown's "Forever," and Usher finally took off his shades to urge Garcia to loosen up and really feel the lyrics. By turning the dance-floor jam into a string-laden acoustic-folk ballad, Andrew appeared to be taking another big chance.

This week, though, it paid off. Randy loved the rearrangement, Kara said he took a giant leap back in the right direction, and Cowell agreed that it was a great choice, even as he warned the soft-spoken singer that he continues to come off as a bit boring.

Katie Stevens chewed off a major one with Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools," sassing up the tune with a growling lower register and strutting across the stage while bobbing her head from side to side and snapping her fingers. Ellen wished for a more contemporary, younger song. Randy thought it was one of the best performances of the night, comparing her strong vocals to Christina Aguilera's, which Cowell thought was absurd and gave a thumbs-down to the cold, robotic performance.

Looking for his moment, Lee Dewyze went obscure with the Cornelius Brothers' 1971 song "Treat Her Like a Lady," rubbing his outlaw-rocker grit onto the tune. Usher was blown away by Lee's voice and told him to just believe in himself. The advice seemed to sink in, as Dewyze rocked the house with a strummy throw-down that highlighted his barroom gusto and finally displayed some hard-won confidence and star power.

"Unbelievable," Randy gushed, a sentiment Kara backed up, saying Dewyze completely made the song his own. "This was the night your life may have changed forever," Simon added.

Crystal Bowersox promised a big surprise this week, as she put down the guitar and took a seat at the piano. Singing Gladys Knight & the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia," as a sultry power ballad, Bowersox started out at the keys then hopped up mid-song to work the stage in black heels for another perfectly controlled, polished tour de force.

The panel loved how she switched it up at the piano and gave across-the-board praise, with Cowell saying the song choice was sensational and the vocal incredible, even as he faulted the distracting backing vocalist and warned BoSox not to stray too far from the signature style that has gotten her so far in the competition.

Rounding things out was high-schooler Aaron Kelly, who went with the "Idol" chestnut "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers, a classic Usher urged him to personalize by emphasizing the signature "I know, I know, I know" refrain. It was rough going at first, with some shaky vocals and awkward wandering around the stage, but Kelly began to hit a groove mid-song as he added some sandpapery soul to the iconic tune about romantic longing.

Nobody raved about it, and Simon said he's heard much better versions on the show in the past. Despite the lukewarm comments, Cowell guaranteed Kelly would be around next week to try it again.

Wednesday night's results show will have Usher singing his new single "OMG" and Diddy-Dirty Money performing "Hello, Good Morning" as the herd is culled to nine.

Erykah Badu's 'Window Seat' Nudity Could Have Gotten Her A Year In Jail

Dallas police said guerilla shoot broke public indecency laws; directors say they had bail money ready.



Erykah Badu was willing to bare it all for her "Window Seat" video. But when the singer and a small crew took to the streets of her native Dallas on St. Patrick's Day to shoot the provocative clip, they did so without an official permit and, they said, with full knowledge that the guerilla adventure could land them in jail — for up to a year.

"They definitely did not get a permit," Dallas Police Department Senior Corporal Janice Crowther said of the video, in which Badu slowly strips out of her clothes until she is standing naked near the same spot where President Kennedy was gunned down in Dealey Plaza in 1963, and then is shot herself by an unseen sniper. "To shoot that video they would have had to get a special events permit from the events office and it would have had to specify what type of filming they were doing, what subjects they would use and any traffic control they would need."

Crowther said such a shoot would also typically require a police officer to be standing by while filming was going on. Not only did the Badu video not have that police presence, but if an officer had been on site, Crowther said they would not have allowed it to go on.

"That's more than likely why they circumvented the permit," she said. Directors Coodie and Chike of Creative Control told MTV News that they did not apply for or obtain any permits for the shoot and kept a keen eye out for any police while filming.

"What was crazy was the fact that ... it's a high tourist area, so there was patrol cars all day, and I [was hearing] sirens, looking up and seeing some kind of sherriff's car or something," Chike recalled to MTV News on Monday. "So I was like, 'This is gonna be interesting.' Her contingency plan was get arrested — she was big on doing it."

"We had bail money and everything," Coodie chimed in. "I think she really wanted to get arrested and even make a bigger message. You know what I'm saying?"

As soon as it wrapped, they said, Badu was hustled into a van and whisked from the area.

"And then people were like, 'I'm calling the police!' " Chike said.

"It was nothing but two or three people, it was nothing that crazy at all," Coodie said. "There was that one lady, though, that was really crazy, she was like, 'That was so offensive!' "

A spokesperson for Badu's label had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment or details of the shoot.

Had Badu been spotted by an officer, she could have been arrested for a class B misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure, which carries a fine of up to $2,000 and a jail term of up to 180 days, or both, Crowther said. But, considering that there were children present during the shoot, Crowther said that charge would probably have been bumped up to a Class A enhanced indecent exposure charge, which pushes the fine up to a maximum of $4,000 and up to one year in jail, or both.

Because there were no officers who witnessed the nudity in the shoot first-hand — which Crowther said likely took less than 90 seconds to complete — it's unclear what, if anything, Dallas police can do about it.

"No charges have been filed thus far," she said. "We need a witness to testify to prosecute a case, but people were probably so shocked, and it happened so fast, that we don't have any record of anyone calling 911. We have not had any witnesses come forth to press charges."

If a witness does come forward and lodge a complaint, however, it's still possible that Badu and her crew could face some police sanction, according to Crowther. If a police officer witnessed the shoot and comes forward, the charge could be stronger.

Miley Cyrus was 'anxious and excited' to play Ronnie in 'the Last Song'

Miley Cyrus has dealt with her share of criticism over the last few years. From her wardrobe choices to performing while swinging on a stripper pole, Cyrus has been known to create controversy and has dealt with disapproval from the parents of her young fans. So, it seems that with the more mature themes of her new flick, "The Last Song," she could relate to her character, rebellious teen Ronnie.

"I was ... a little more anxious and excited. I was just excited to get out of L.A. and go to Georgia and have some time off," she said about shooting the film, opening on Wednesday (March 31). The role was written especially for Cyrus by "The Notebook" scribe Nicholas Sparks.

Like Cyrus, Ronnie is also a musician, a trait the singer could relate to. However, Cyrus had to learn piano for the role. "Mostly through the love of music. Mostly what she learns later is all about love and forgiveness and second chances — you know, in the career I'm in I have to do that a lot," she explained about their similarities. "There's no room for grudges and bitterness. She learns that later it's all about love and the people around you. And I think it's really beautifully done the way she has that transition and learns.

The film's director, Julie Anne Robinson, has praised Cyrus' performance and Cyrus says that playing Ronnie was a lot easier with Robinson's direction. "She did an amazing job. She kept me always different, not always tears; she always gave me something different to do. She gave it a lot more dimension

REPORT: Sandra will dump cheating Jesse!!!

The wait is finally over: Sandra Bullock will divorce her cheating gearhead husband Jesse James over the tawdry affairs that have rocked their marriage, RadarOnline reported on its Web site this morning.
The site quotes "a source close to the couple," who says the Oscar-winning actress has made up her mind to divorce James. Yesterday it was reported that she left the home both shared and had no intention of returning.
“She’s had enough,” the source said. “She’s ending the marriage.”
James’ apparent chronic cheating with four -- and as many as 11 -- women has caused Bullock to cancel various appearances since the scandal broke nearly two weeks ago.

Sources told Radar the scandal has left Bullock feeling like her "life is one big lie." The site says Bullock has taken steps towards divorce, but did not say what those steps were.
On Sunday the father of the first mistress to go public, Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, defended his daughter and said she thought the couple were estranged.
McGee only realized he was still with Bullock only after spotting the couple together at the Academy Awards, according to the home wrecker's dad.
"She was under the impression they weren't seeing each other," Denny McGee told WJW-TV, a Fox affiliate in Cleveland.
"She felt [betrayed] . . . She felt like she was going to have a relationship and then this happened."

Comedy show turned ugly

It was supposed to be a comedy show but there was nothing funny about the way it ended -- an enraged and embarrassed patron tossing glasses of water at the comedian, the comedian retaliating by breaking her sunglasses while allegedly continuing to direct a vile torrent of sexually abusive language at her.

And on Monday the standupcomedy routine that took place May 22, 2007, in Zesty's Restaurant on Commercial Drive landed in the tight quarters of hearing Room Four of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.

Toronto comedian Guy Earle is being sued by Vancouver airport meteorological technician Lorna Pardy, 32. under Section 8 of the B.C. Human Rights Code. Her complaint alleges that he discriminated against her on the basis of her sexuality by subjecting her and her lesbian partner to sexually graphic and demeaning remarks during and after his routine.

She is seeking $20,000 in damages against Earle and the restaurant owner Salam Ishmail, who she claims, did nothing to intervene and protect her during the confrontation with Earle, whom she described as being six feet four and 230 pounds against her five feet eight, 135 pounds.

However, before any evidence was presented, the lawyer representing Earle walked out of the hearing claiming the process was illegal.

Jim Miller, an experienced Vancouver lawyer, left after failing to convince tribunal member Murray Geiger-Adams that the issue of whether the tribunal had jurisdiction to accept the complaint should be dealt with before -- not after -- the evidence had been presented.

Geiger-Adams had ruled the hearing -- expected to take four days -- should continue with the issue of jurisdiction being dealt with at the end.

Miller had argued that such a course of action was "illegal," based on rulings by the Supreme Court of Canada and the B.C. Supreme Court.

"I find this difficult because of my obligation as a lawyer to the courts. In 30 years of practice, I've never been in a situation like this." said Miller packing up his law bags.

"This is high-handed; I can't consent to it, I'd be consenting to an illegal process, so I have to leave," he said.

Miller's argument is that his client, who did not attend the hearing, was entitled to freedom of artistic expression under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and these rights "trumped" Section 8 of the B.C. Human Rights Code.

He said the human rights tribunal was not a "charter free zone" and could not proceed with a hearing if it didn't have jurisdiction.

Miller said he would await Geiger-Adams' written reasons before deciding whether to apply for a judicial review of his decision.

Outside the hearing, Miller said the incident involved his client responding to hecklers and was all part and parcel of a comedy routine.

But without his client's evidence, it was left to Pardy to describe what happened and her evidence of what Earle said is too graphic to be repeated, he said.

Under questioning from her counsel Devyn Cousineau, Pardy said she went to the restaurant to meet two female friends including her partner Zoe Broomsgrove. They were sitting in the patio and at 11:30 p.m. were told they had to move into the restaurant as the patio was closing.

Inside Zesty's they were being seated when Broomsgrove kissed Pardy on the cheek, which caused Earle who was on stage to point to them and tell the audience they were sitting at the "dyke table."

Asked if she was heckling Earle at the time she said: "No, I'm a private person. I'm not the type of person who would go out and behave that way."

What then followed was a diatribe of vile remarks from Earle describing lesbian acts involving her and her partner that shocked and embarrassed her, she said.

She booed him in an attempt to shut him up and this caused him to leave the stage and come to their table where he loomed over her.

She said she felt threatened and didn't want him near their table so she picked up a glass of water and threw the water in his face.

"I was afraid of him, he was very angry," she said.

She had thrown water over him to snap him out of his rage, she said.

This led to further offensive remarks. Then he left and went over to speak to Ishmail, she said.

Earle went back on stage and thanked her for ruining the evening, which was accompanied by more obscenities.

She said people in the audience began booing and a number got up and left.

The confrontation left her shocked and humiliated and she was sweating and shaking.

She was standing by the table when she saw Earle approaching again and she picked up a second glass of water and threw it into his face -- "I told him 'don't you come near this table.'"

Pardy said she didn't believe he was coming over to apologize.

She then walked to the washroom to try and compose herself and on the way back to her friends Earle intercepted her, took the sunglasses from her head and broke them and threw the pieces on the floor.

The hearing is expected to end Thursday

Via National Post

Travis Barker, A-Trak Rock Hollywood Gig With Kid Cudi, Lil Jon

On Wednesday night, Travis Barker and DJ A-Trak played their second-ever public show together — and although the set was quick, it did not disappoint, featuring guest spots from Lil Jon, Kid Cudi and Kid Sister.

Performing in front of a sold-out crowd at Hollywood's Roxy Theatre, the duo hit the ground running the minute they took to the stage. With a set that lasted a little under an hour, the duo treated fans to a medley of songs that included remixes by A-Trak (who also serves as Kanye West's concert DJ), Barker's own remixes and new material.

Though there wasn't any interaction with the fans, the crowd didn't seem to mind. Instead they stood and watched in awe as Barker and A-Trak opened the show with Jay-Z's "99 Problems" and continued to please the crowd with remixes of Nas' "Made You Look," Kanye's "Stronger" and Snoop Dogg's "I Wanna Rock."

And just as the energy was peaking, fans were treated to a guest appearance by Lil Jon, who took to the stage with his signature sunglasses halfway into the set and performed his song "Outta Your Mind."But as just as quickly as he appeared on the stage he was gone, teasing fans and leaving them wanting more.

As the night went on Travis Barker and A-Trak continued to perform an array of tunes, adding a little more of a rock feel to the show with Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade," the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll." Each song lasted for only a few minutes before spilling into the next. The set then transitioned into more dance-oriented material, with songs like Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" and Daft Punk's "Robot Rock."

Not surprisingly, the set ended with a bang: opening act Kid Sister returned to the stage, with Barker playing drums and A-Trak spinning behind her. Wearing '80s-inspired attire, she pumped up the crowd with some booty-shaking moves while performing her hit "Pro Nails."

But when Kid Cudi took the stage, the crowd exploded. Performing "Pursuit of Happiness," fans sang along at the top of their lungs while Cudi jumped around the entire stage, high-fiving fans lucky enough to be standing in front.

The show ended just shy of midnight, with A-Trak waving to and thanking the crowd and Travis Barker handing his drums sticks off to a screaming fan before walking off stage. As fans scattered to the exit doors, VIPs headed backstage — including Amber Rose sans Kanye West.