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  1. Obsessively blogging about pop music, pop videos, pop stars, and pop culture from inside the MTV headquarters in Times Square. We also have a slight Jonas Brothers problem. And a little fixation with Tokio Hotel.

    Contact us as buzzworthy@mtv.com and follow us on Twitter at @MTVBuzzworthy.

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You probably know Blake Lewis as the spiky-haired blond guy who might've won American Idol -- you know, if it hadn't been for a little lady by the name of Jordin Sparks. But you might also (wrongly!) remember him as the man behind Secondhand Serenade: John Vesely. And if you do, we completely get where you're coming from.

Okay, granted the guys aren't exactly musical twinsies -- Vesely is all about soft, tender emo love while Lewis is all flashy, loud and "Look Ma, I can beatbox!" -- but we're willing to bet you'd have trouble differentiating between the two singer-songwriters if, say, it was kinda dark outside and you were squinting 'cause you forgot your glasses.

So marvel at the similarities between the two (The baleful stares! The side dimples! The matching "Dennis the Menace" 'dos with the asymmetrical frosted-tips!) and then prove to yourself that they are, in fact, different people, by checking out samples of each fellow's work.

Oh, and when you're watching Blake's video, you may want to keep those glasses off. Like the controversial 2012 Olympic mascot, the video is so fast and crazy and full of flashing colors it just might trigger a seizure. And no one needs that.

Plus: more Wonder Twins:

+ Christina Aguilera and Anna Faris
+ Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel
+ Pete Wentz and Dean Cain

Although she's still the youngest-ever person to win the American Idol crown, Jordin Sparks is no longer the innocent 17-year-old she once was. Now, a seasoned 19, Sparks has no problem speaking her mind -- whether it's to shoot down rumors that her vocal chords are shot -- or to defend the Jonas Brothers' taste in ringwear. Which is why it's only fitting that older, wiser and wavier-haired Sparks has just put out a new version of her very first breakout hit, "Tattoo."

And this time around, the Idol phenom's doing it all differently. Gone are the bright, lemon-yellow jackets, the painted-on smiles and the impulsive merry go-round dance parties of yesteryear. The new Jordin may be ready to move on, but she's not slap-happy about it. Which (kinda) explains why she's slinking around a dark, hipstery loft, hugging her own reflection and ignoring the inked-up randoms curled up on her sheepskin rug.

So show your love for both Jordins (and for spontaneously appearing/disappearing Henna tats!) by checking out this darkier, sexier version of "Tattoo." Then take another look at the original to relive the cheesy amazingness of the gratuitous Blake Lewis cameo.

Everyone knows what last season's American Idol winner (a.k.a. David Cook's predecessor, Jordin Sparks) has been up to this past year or so. But while Jordin's kept herself busy staving off rumors of a career-ending vocal cord injury -- and teaming up with Chris Brown for the asphyxiating slow jam, "No Air" -- what has 2007's Idol runner-up Blake Lewis been doing since the show?

Well, besides clearing up false reports that he was dropped by his record label, Blake "The Beatboxer" Lewis has evidently been working hard to perfect his acting skills. Check out this funny (but arguably NSFW) clip, in which he puts his "#2 status" to excellent use.

(Hey, if Sarah Silverman's "I'm F---ing Matt Damon" can get nominated for an Emmy, who's to say that "Blake Lewis Is S---ing In My Bathroom" won't be next?)

+ Blake Lewis wants everyone to know that he did NOT get dropped by his record label. He just didn't renew his contract with Arista. Or, for that matter, anywhere. Kidding! For what it's worth, The Human Beatbox swears he's not American "idle," and says he's "working with 19 Recordings" and gearing up for a hot summer tour. (MTV)

+ Word on the street is Mariah Carey's quickie marriage to Nick Cannon might not be a sweet, sweet fantasy, baby. (That Grape Juice)

+ Apparently, neither Prince nor his crack legal team has heard the phrase "imitation is the highest form of flattery." (Wired)

+ Michael Jackson emerges from his reclusive, animal-infested hideaway long enough to give Ne-Yo his seal of approval. (MTV)

+ Jennifer Lopez gets slapped with a lawsuit from a flight attendant who claims she was bitten by JLo's pooch. (Popsugar)

+ Paris Hilton has announced that she will be writing the theme song for her upcoming MTV reality show! Fortunately for us, her boyfriend Benji Madden has agreed to help. (E! Online)

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We're still totally exhausted from watching the American Idol season premiere … did it really need to be four hours spread over two nights? We like laughing at the crazy and crappy singers just as much as the next guy, but sometimes, as Chris Daughtry rightfully pointed out, it's a bit much. What we really get into is watching the top 12 duke it out and placing our bets on who will be crowned the next Idol. But does winning really mean anything anymore?

In recent weeks, past winners Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard and season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee were all kicked to the curb by their record labels. For every Daughtry or Jennifer Hudson, there's a Justin Guarini or Constantine Maroulis or Diana DeGarmo or … well, you get the point. And, in last week's Entertainment Weekly, the show's executive producer clearly dissed all of the season 6 contestants, saying, "We had nobody outstanding." Um … we're guessing that this is news to Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis, who better hope their albums pick up some serious sales momentum fast or they could be axed next.  

As season 7 gets underway, we're wondering if there's another Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood waiting to be discovered. What do you think … is American Idol still the place to find gems or is it just a joke?

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We tracked down Blake Lewis when he was here at 1515 for TRL the other day and chatted him up. (We even got some exclusive pics of the season six American Idol runner-up for your viewing pleasure!) Here's what the rambunctious beatboxer had to say about his debut album, his plans for the holidays and why he feels like he got screwed during the finale of American Idol.

Buzzworthy: Are you psyched that your album basically tied American Idol winner Jordin Sparks on the Billboard album chart, coming in at #10?

Blake Lewis: Oh, s---. I had no idea. I don't really check the numbers or anything.

BW: Really, you didn't know that?

BL: I know what it did the first week. But I don't really care; it's just a week. Talk to me in a year. [Laughs.]

BW: So, if chart positions don't matter to you, what do you think success is?

BL: Fans showin' up to gigs. I just love playing live. Now that the record's out, I'm just stoked that I can play my own music and not do cover songs.

Read more...

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If Clay Aiken's only taught us one thing, it's that he should never ever ever EVER perform "O.P.P." in public. But if there's one other thing that he's taught us, it's that sometimes second place isn't the worst place to be. Hopefully Blake Lewis will never make that same grievous (yet easily avoidable) error and will instead continue to do what he does best -- vocal percussion!

If you've got a fever, and the only prescription is more white-boy beatboxing, check out Blake Lewis' new 'Break Anotha' video now.

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We've been obsessing over Lupe Fiasco's new ish for way too long now, so thank Gawd we finally got ahold of Lupe's latest album, The Cool, and a week ahead of schedule too.

Lupe's sophomore LP is packed with diverse musical guests like Patrick Stump, Snoop Dogg, Matthew Santos and UK electro outfit UNKLE (and despite the fact that Lupe's got a cameo on Blake Lewis' just-released solo album, the beat-boxing Timber-like does not appear on Lupe's joint), but The Cool's also chock-a-block with lotsa heady elements too: matrix-like pseudo-humans, quasi-demonic details, otherworldly spirits and other things that freak us out if we think about them too much really late at night.

Read more...