+ Not only has Miley Cyrus participated in the recording of both major Haiti benefit singles (Quincy Jones' "We Are The World" and the Simon Cowell-organized cover of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts"), she's also organizing a charity auction as well. Miley, along with Demi Lovato and Britney Spears, is auctioning off clothing and memorabilia at Ebay.com/Miley. Proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross. (People)

+Last night's Super Bowl, which, in case you were doing your laundry or something, was won by the Saints (WHO DAT!), featured plenty of music. Queen Latifah sang "America The Beautiful," Carrie Underwood performed the national anthem, and The Who rocked (or wheezed) their way through the half-time show. But the whole thing was kicked off by Jay-Z, who, in a pre-recorded segment, performed a version of "Run This Town," backed by the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra. The only thing missing was Rihanna, who, though her vocals were used in the segment, did not appear. (MTV News)

+ Maybe it's because girl was busy! Rihanna is apparently back on he studio grind, hard at work with dance-pop producer/hitmaker David Guetta. You have to wonder if Guetta, who recently worked with Kelis, will move Rihanna away from the murky, atmospherics of Rated R and towards the dancefloor. (That Grape Juice)

+ Last week we mentioned that Ke$ha had released a video in which she defaced the famous Holllywood sign so that the letters read "Ke$hawood." Some thought it was a prank then; a bit of viral video trickery. Well, some were right. Entertainment Weekly did the while "news gathering" thing (I think it's called "reporting") and talked to someone at the Hollywood Sign Trust who called you-know-what on the whole escapade. (EW)

+ Justin Timberlake was awarded Harvard's coveted Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award. Naturally, when accepting an award from such a hallowed institution, one dons a blond wig and a bra. (Rolling Stone)

+ In a recently released Twitvid, R. Kelly announced he had 15 (FIFTEEN!) more chapters of Trapped In The Closet ready to go. Much like with the three additional Star Wars films, I'm hoping for the best but fearing the worst. Wait, what am I saying? The worse these things are the better! Bring 'em on, Kells! (Idolator)

+ More news on the Haitian relief front: Legendary producer Quincy Jones will be re-recording the groundbreaking charity single, "We Are The World" to benefit the earthquake-ravaged country. The recording will happen next week and rumored participants include Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Will Smith and many more (E! Online)

+ You may have noticed bearded man onstage at the Hope For Haiti Now benefit show performing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." No, not Justin Timberlake...the other guy. That was former Mickey Mouse Club member Matt Morris, an artist signed to Justin's Tennman Records. Learn more about Morris, what it was like to perform at the benefit, and when Timberlake is getting back in the studio. (EW)

+ Country star Leann Rimes spent this past Saturday night doing what a lot of other people probably did: having some drinks and singing Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" at a karaoke bar. (TMZ)

+ "Tony and Gwen are rocking the synth." So tweeted No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont, about the progress of No Doubt's (apparently, reggae-flavored) new album, which they're currently recording. (MTV News)

+ You should never question a mother's love for her daughter, even when she puts herself through the humiliating process of getting a tramp stamp so that said daughter can go see Justin Bieber. (DListed)

+ Country-pop stars: they're just like us. How did Taylor Swift spend her New Year's Eve? A lot like you, probably -- texting her friend to let her know she got home safely and hanging out with some folks at her house. Just happens that Taylor was texting Hayley Williams, and the folks she hung out with were the kids in her "You Belong With Me" video. (Rolling Stone)

+ The incredible support for the Hope For Haiti Now benefit continues long after the cameras have been turned off; the Hope For Haiti Now album will top this week's Billboard 200 album chart. With over 150,000 downloads, Hope For Haiti Now will become the first digital-only album to top the album chart in Billboard's 54-year history. (Billboard)

+ Daaaaad! You're embarrassing me! And by "embarrassing me" I mean getting me thrown off of American Idol and sabotaging my chance at fame, success and dream-fulfillment. Wait 'til mom hears about this! (MTV News)

+ Justin Timberlake can add Harvard Hasty Pudding Man of the Year to his ever-growing pile of accolades. The singer/actor will share the stage with actress Anne Hathaway when both receive the Harvard undergrad drama club award. (People)

+ Adam Lambert: ALL. WHITE. EVERYTHING. (Buzznet)

+ If you couldn't simply deduce how to dress like a hipster by wandering around American Apparel for long enough, there is now a guide for you to follow. Apocalypse in 3, 2, 1...now (Flavorwire)

+ I wouldn't really recommend Courtney Love as a life coach to anyone, but she does seem to know what she's doing with an eyebrow pencil. The Hole singer gave a video makeup tutorial on Twitter the other night, because that's the kind of thing that happens in 2010. (Idolator)

This past Friday night, MTV's Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief helped raise over $58 million dollars for the people of Haiti, and the star-studded event sent a new record for donations made by the general public during a disaster-relief telethon, and the "Hope for Haiti Now" album became the biggest one-day album pre-order in iTunes history.

The evening wasn't about promoting vanity projects, red carpet fashions, or Hollywood heartthrobs. It was about putting aside the fact that our country is in need and giving to those whose need is so great that ours pales in comparison.

And the Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief was about the power of music -- from Justin Timberlake's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" to Stevie Wonder's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," to Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z and Rihanna's brand-new song, "Stranded -- Haiti Mon Amour," and, of course, Wyclef Jean's "Rivers of Babylon"/"Yele" medley -- to unite and bring us hope.

Watch all of the Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief performances below. Plus, pre-order the Hope for Haiti Now full-performance album for just $7.99 on iTunes. And please, donate.

Alicia Keys, "Prelude To A Kiss"

Coldplay, "A Message"

Bruce Springsteen, "We Shall Overcome"

Stevie Wonder, "A Time To Love"/ "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

Shakira, "I'll Stand By You"

John Legend, "Motherless Child"

Mary J. Blige, "Hard Times Come Again No More"

Taylor Swift, "Breathless"

Christina Aguilera, "Lift Me Up"

+ Watch more performances after the jump.

Read more...

One of the questions facing musicians performing at MTV's Hope For Haiti Now benefit last Friday was what to play. Some chose to perform covers, with Jennifer Hudson deftly handling "Let It Be" by The Beatles and Justin Timberlake giving a close reading of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Others chose to dip into their own catalogs to find an appropriate piece.

For her performance, Madonna chose her stirring gospel-pop anthem, "Like A Prayer." New York Times pop critic Jon Caramanica might have summed the moment up best: "For 20 years, that song has been the symbol of one of the most tumultuous and controversial periods in Madonna's life. But for five minutes tonight, it was pure, put in service of something bigger than the singer."

Rendered in an appropriately minimal fashion, with just an acoustic guitar and the backing of a fantastic choir, Madonna gave a heartfelt, cathartic performance of one of her greatest singles. Relive it in the video below. And for old time's sake, check out the original "Like A Prayer" video as well.

Make sure you watch all of the performances from the Hope For Haiti Now benefit here. Also, pre-order the Hope for Haiti Now full-performance album for just $7.99 on iTunes. And please, donate.

One of the many highlights of the incredibly moving Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Belief last Friday night was Justin Timberlake's stirring performance of Leonard Cohen's stone-cold classic "Hallelujah."

The track was minimally performed with a bearded, somber Timberlake playing piano, accompanied by Matt Morris (who is due to release his When Everything Breaks Open on Timberlake's Tennman Records this year). Justin Timberlake's "Hallelujah" performance showed off a new, more mature singing style for the once boy-bander, betraying a greater emotional depth than you might have expected.

Cohen's "Hallelujah" has gone through something of a renaissance in the last few years. When Jason Castro covered the late Jeff Buckley's take on the track on American Idol, it became a posthumous hit for Buckley in 2008.

According to MTV News, "Hallelujah" is a song that Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris often sing, dissectand play when the two share studio time. Timberlake thought the Cohen classic, "just kind of fit for the telethon."

Check out Justin Timberlake's beautiful take on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" below.

And if you haven't yet, watch all of the performances from the Hope For Haiti Now benefit here. Also, pre-order the Hope for Haiti Now full-performance album for just $7.99 on iTunes. And please, donate.

"Across The Sky" is an unreleased track from Madonna's Hard Candy album. It's a Timbaland-production, featuring Justin Timberlake on vocals; so we can safely assume it's a product of the same collaborative sessions that produced the singles, "4 Mintues" and "Miles Away," as well as several album cuts from Hard Candy.

I haven't heard any scuttlebutt (awesome word) as to why "Across The Sky" wound up on the cutting room floor. I can only guess it had something to do with its similarity to other Justin/Tim/Maddy collabos on the album. It's dope, but it doesn't bring anything else to the table that wasn't already brought by "4 Minutes."

"Across The Sky" is a larger-than-love love song, if that makes any sense. Madonna seems to be alluding to some of the same creeping, end-of-the-world issues that she talks about in "4 Minutes," and how it effects her affair with her significant other. The beat? Classic, late-period Timbo: beat-boxing, Spanish-flavored acoustic guitar and a propulsive beat.

Check out the song, and see how it compares to "4 Minutes," both below.

+ Listen to Madonna's "Across The Sky," featuring Justin Timberlake, here

On Friday night, MTV will take on one of the largest and most meaningful undertakings in its history, but the size of this star-studded undertaking is nowhere near the scope of the desperate need for help in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Hopefully Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief, produced by Joel Gallen and Tenth Planet Productions, in collaboration with Viacom's MTV Networks and George Clooney, will reach enough people and inspire enough donations to create substantial aid and relief for the survivors of a nation whose crisis cannot be ignored.

Here's what you need to know about Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief.

Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT and 7 p.m. CT on MTV and all MTV networks with no commercial interruptions. The event will also be streaming live on MTV.com.

More than one hundred celebrities including Madonna, President Bill Clinton, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Pattinson, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, John Stewart, Nicole Kidman, Chris Rock, Halle Berry, Matt Damon, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, and Muhammad Ali will participate in the benefit.

Performances include Beyoncé in London, Madonna in New York City, and Haitian artist Emeline Michel in Los Angeles. Additional performers include Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, and Sting in New York City; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Coldplay, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles, and Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay‐Z, and Rihanna in London.

Hope for Haiti Now will benefit Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, Yele Haiti Foundation, and the newly formed Clinton Bush Haiti Foundation.

Though the televised event airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT and 7 p.m. CT on MTV and all MTV networks, Hope for Haiti Now will begin accepting donations at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT on Friday, January 22 via the following methods:
• Online: www.hopeforhaitinow.org
• Phone: 877‐99‐HAITI
• Text: Text “GIVE” to 50555
• Mail: Hope For Haiti Now Fund, Entertainment Industry Foundation, 1201 West 5th Street, Suite T‐700, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Musical performances from Hope for Haiti Now will be available for purchase and download at the iTunes® Store. On Friday, January 22, iTunes customers can pre‐order the Hope for Haiti Now full performance album and the full two‐hour video  telecast. Apple, the record labels and the artists will donate their share of  the proceeds to Haiti relief funds managed by “Hope for Haiti Now” charities. Hope for Haiti Now performances will also be available on AmazonMP3 and Rhapsody, with proceeds from those purchases going to Haiti relief funds managed by Hope for Haiti Now charities.

In addition to MTV, Hope for Haiti will air on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, CNN en Español, HBO Latino, and Canadian networks including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television, and MuchMusic. The event will be live streamed online globally across sites including YouTube, Hulu, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com, Yahoo, Bing.com, BET.com, CNN.com, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Rhapsody and on mobile via Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and FloTV. Hope for Haiti Now will also air internationally on BET International, CNN International, National Geographic, and MTV Networks International
.

Please tune in, and please give. And find out what else you can do to help Haiti at think.mtv.com.

When Jason Derulo recently stopped by MTV to talk about his tour with Lady Gaga, he mentioned how much he loves artists who regularly change their style and said he tries to switch up his style on every track. Which quick-change acts have inspired Jason? Buzzworthy asked him to come up with a list of his favorite musical makeovers. Jason avoided many of the usual suspects (like Madonna, Bowie and The Beatles) and came up with a very inventive eight. Take a look at Jason Derulo's top eight biggest musical reinventions, and tell us if you agree.

8. Nelly and Tim McGraw, "Over and Over Again" -- "This song was a great combination of hip-hop and country. Both Nelly and Tim stepped out of their element to create this pop smash."

Read more...

Meet the fresh-faced young guys of Nickelodeon's new how-stars-are-born show, Big Time Rush. The show follows the fortunes of four best friends from Minnesota as they move to California to make it in the music biz as the Next Big Boy Band.

In these exclusive interviews, we get to know Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan. We also get a peek inside Carlos' wallet, Logan endures some good-natured razzing, and the guys discuss getting recognized for the first time as Big Time Rush. The guys also share their musical favorites and influences (unsurprising: Justin Timberlake, surprising: Taking Back Sunday).

Enjoy these video interviews and be sure to tune in for the premiere of Big Time Rush TONIGHT -- Monday, January 18th at 8:30 on Nick.