We were temporarily blinded by flashbulbs (or whatever flashes are made of these days), backstage at TRL today. The backstage hallway lit up like the fourth of July every time Katy Perry stepped out of her dressing room in her apple-green romper (by Brooklyn upstart Mandate of Heaven). Seriously, cameras were invented to photograph that girl. Katy’s reaction when we told her about the alleged Amy Winehouse sex tape?

“WHAT? If there’s anyone who needs to be saved, it’s honeychild! Blake!!! Whenever I’ve hung over, rarely as of late, I’m always like BLAAAAKE!”

Also overheard: Ashanti, belting to the heavens, warming up for her dynamo performance, which curiously involved back-up dancers interpreting the patterns of a dysfunctional relationship. Speaking of functional relationships, she told us a little about working with Nelly on her brand-new album, The Declaration. “Nelly definitely supported me a lot,” Ashanti said. “I learned a lot about him as a musical person, trying different things in the studio, the whole creative part.”

And, Metro Station’s Trace Cyrus told us, “For some reason I’ve been into a lot of R&B lately. A lot of old Joe. I’ve been listening to the new Usher album non-stop. The-Dream — his whole album is freaking amazing. And I’m really excited for the new Lil Wayne album.”

But enough talk. Check out Metro Station, Katy Perry and Ashanti backstage at TRL today, and see what else the Buzz Cam picked up in today’s exclusive Spankin’ New Music Week backstage video: