ONE DIRECTION & BIG TIME RUSH IN TORONTO AT AIR CANADA CENTRE

One Direction at Air Canada Centre - February 2012

The Girls went crazy tonight at Air Canada Centre with the merging of two super-hot Boy Bands in one compact Show.  British Boy Band One Direction whose rise to fame has been meteoric since 2010 when they first surfaced on The X Factor in the U.K., originally were meant only to be an Opening Act for Big Time Rush.  The latter, comprised of four Actor/Singers who based on the success of their Nickelodeon TV Series of the same name, have gone on to achieve major success south of the Border also as Recording Artists, wound-up sharing headlining responsibilities with their British mates.  By the Show's start time, it was clear which Band had won the hearts of young Toronto Women with One Direction Tour Merchandise cleared off-the-racks completely and screams heard at a deafening pitch when the Quintet arrived punctually on-stage at 7:30 PM.

Hot off the success of their BRIT Awards win last week in the category of Best British Single with What Makes You Beautiful, One Direction celebrated their Victory to happy cheers from the crowd, who for the first time tonight, were graced by the Band's presence in Toronto.  Performing a fantastic version of Kings of Leon's Use Somebody and zipping through hits like One Thing and Album Title Track, Up All Night, their energy was absolutely infectious despite performing only to Backing Tracks - no bells and whistles.  The only complaint that could be heard among the sold-out crowd was that their 30-minute Set was far too short.  Forgivable I suppose, considering that their stateside Debut Up All Night won't be in-stores till March 13, 2012 via Sony Music Canada.

KRISTEN BELL & HER SLOTH SURPRISE

Melon the Sloth & Kristen Bell

EPIC! I cannot stop watching this Clip as I am overcome with happiness for Actress Kristen Bell, who recently on her 31st Birthday had her lifelong wish come true of interacting with a Sloth. Her Husband Dax Shepard surprised her, she tells Ellen DeGeneres. "My entire life I had been waiting to interact with a Sloth", she reveals.  Being the emotional type, Bell says "I'm crying if I'm too sad, I'm crying if I'm happy".

As it turned out, Melon the Sloth stayed for Bell's entire Birthday Party in her a cage, playing in her own jungle gym.  How amaze.  Love them Sloths!

Watch the hilarious Video below:

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Television)

"TWILIGHT" CAST VISIT "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW"

The Cast of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Cast of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 visited The Ellen DeGeneres Show today and revealed some antics that we might not always see in the more serious Romance/Drama Franchise.

Robert Pattinson revealed that in Edward's much-talked about "Babymaking Scene" with Bella (Kristen Stewart) that his "buttcrack" had to be edited-out, drawing some laughs from the Crowd. "You can show cheek, but no crack", Pattinson clarifies.

Taylor Lautner (Jacob), visiting the Show for the first time, also revealed his secret talent of being able to catch flying bits of food with his mouth and Stewart demonstrated by throwing Grapes at him which he v. successfully caught with his mouth.

Watch a Clip below:

GREYSON CHANCE MEETS FANS AT MUCHMUSIC IN TORONTO | POSTER GIVEAWAY

Greyson Chance in Toronto - August 2011

Many of us have seen that Viral YouTube Clip of him performing Lady Gaga's Paparazzi, but who would've known that the stars would align so quickly for that 12 year-old Boy from Edmond, Oregon? With the click of a "send" button and another and then another, the Video now has amassed over 48 million views worldwide since surfacing online. Chance, now 14 years-old, is signed Recording Artist under our beloved Ellen DeGeneres' eleveneleven label, distributed by Universal Music.

Released early August, Chance's debut Disc, Hold On 'til the Night debuted at number 29 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 200 Chart, which actually is impressive considering much of his promotion has been online only. The porcelain-complexioned Singer/Songwriter now officially is embarking on a Promotional Tour for the Disc, including a Toronto stop-off which has seen him perform at a free Concert at the Canadian National Exhibition for Cambio Connect, CTV's Canada AM, MuchMusic's New.Music.Live and various other Radio outlets like KISS 92.5, where Chance got to meet my Good Friend @PlanetMaurie, who jokingly took a survey online of who was taller - Chance or himself. See the fun Photo here. Of course, Chance is taller!

ELLEN DEGENERES AT "POWER OF WOMEN" CONFERENCE IN TORONTO

Ellen DeGeneres in Toronto - August 2011

"I never remember my dreams, but this one was so vivid. I saw a bird in a beautiful cage which after being trapped for a while, I realized the bars were actually wide enough for it to fly out" says Ellen DeGeneres, reflecting on a dream she had one night in 1997 before her career-changing decision to out herself as a Gay Woman. "I don't belong in a cage".

Making a rare appearance in Toronto, Ellen DeGeneres headlined the Power of Women Conference at Metro Toronto Convention Centre before a crowd of 4,000 people - predominantly Women - some paying $229, some paying up to $1,500 for a chance to meet her. Not all were lucky enough to have their Photo taken with her however due to time constraints. The Award-winning Comedienne-turned-National Darling revealed a more candid side to her that we don't normally see on her syndicated Daytime Talk Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, now in its ninth season.

Once starring in the top-rated Sitcom, Ellen, she approached her Team about the idea of having her character coming-out as a Gay Woman and understandably they didn't want this to happen for fear of  alienating their audience. After "coming-out" publicly on The Oprah Winfrey Show, followed by her own character doing the same shortly thereafter on the Series, DeGeneres admits to having been depressed. "I lost everything for three years. I had no money, was getting no work and nobody wanted to represent me", she admits openly. "Every time I turned on the Television I was the butt of someone's jokes. My Therapist then told me to stop watching Television...  I did a lot of crying during that time in my life.".

ENTER TO WIN A SIGNED GREYSON CHANCE POSTER

Greyson Chance - Hold on 'til the Night

His Album finally is out on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 via Universal Music Canada and you can now preview tracks off of Greyson Chance's Hold on 'til the Night on his Official Site!  The tracks actually sound v. polished and solid!  He's even selling handwritten Lyric Sheets on his website, but in case you're not lucky enough to nab one in-time, how about we do another Greyson Giveaway?

GREYSON CHANCE ALBUM COVER REVEALED

Greyson Chance - Hold On 'Til the Night Album Cover

At long last it's on its way!  Teenage Viral Wonder Greyson Chance is prepping the release of his debut Disc Hold On 'Til the Night, due August 2, 2011 via Universal Music Canada.  What do you think of this amazing just-released Cover?  Photography by Smallz & Raskind, Piano Design by Todd Tourso and Art Direction/Design by Julian Peploe.

Although there is no confirmation when Chance will be visiting Toronto - a question I get often - his Touring Buddy Cody Simpson will be in-town this weekend for the MuchMusic Video Awards.  

I did get the chance to interview the Ellen DeGeneres Prodigy a while back. Click here to read it.

ELLEN DEGENERES TO SPEAK AT "POWER OF WOMEN" CONFERENCE IN TORONTO

OMG.  One of my favourite people, Ellen DeGeneres will be speaking at the Power of Women Conference in Toronto on Thursday, August 11, 2011.  The Event which also features Suzanne Somers and Leigh Anne Tuohy (the Woman whom The Blind Side was based upon), takes place at Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Tickets range from $183 (General) to $476 (VIP with access to Luncheon).  Ouch.  

Click here for more information on the event.

LADY GAGA PERFORMS "JUDAS" ON "ELLEN"

Ellen DeGeneres & Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga performed for the first time ever on Television, her new single Judas today on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.  The Performance actually was recorded earlier in the week and she was wonderful.

Perhaps the most surprising thing was how simplistic her Outfit was: a blue PVC Cape and Pants and a Bra-Top. Costumed Fans even got a bit of screentime as they cheered Mother Monster on.

DeGeneres came on-stage at the end mocking Gaga's intense deadpan stare, before Gaga greeted her with a peck on the cheek ...and almost on the lips too?

Watch the Performance in full below:

ENTER TO WIN 1 OF 3 SIGNED POSTERS FROM GREYSON CHANCE

Alright, Greyson Chance Fans, because you have been so wonderful to me, I am going to be giving away another three signed Posters from the promising young Artist, adored by the likes of Lady Gaga and Ellen DeGeneres.

As you might recall, we interviewed Greyson a while back and also had an exciting signed CD Giveaway here.   Seeing how many of you didn't win, our Friends at Atom Factory. were so kind as to offer these Posters to Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven readers exclusively!

To qualify for the win, please leave a comment with the name of the Artist whom Greyson will be touring with v. shortly.  Three winners will be picked April 1, 2011. All are welcome to enter. Good luck, Mavenati!

Visit his official website here.

RICKY GERVAIS DOES UNDERWEAR REVEAL ON "ELLEN"

Ricky Gervais at TIFF 2009

Although Ricky Gervais upset many at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards with his no holds barred Celebrity attack, he indicated that "twice is enough” and “I’m not going to do it again" on Tuesday when asked whether or not he plans to host a third time. If anything, being mean-spirited was probably the best thing to happen to his career in quite some time.  Everyone's talking about him.  Even an elderly Couple in my Elevator were going on a bout it today ad nauseum.

Today on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Gervais did a bit of a reveal wearing DeGeneres' self-branded Underwear in Photos he had e-mailed her.  She then showed the Photos on-air and shockingly, Gervais has lost a lot of weight. 

I saw the Comedian/Actor in September of 2009 when he looked noticably out-of-shape in a form-fitting T-shirt at the Press Conference for his Film The Invention of Lying.  But look at him now!  It seems the weight loss has given him a bit of confidence.  Maybe a bit too much confidence?

Check it out:

WIN A SIGNED CD FROM GREYSON CHANCE

Autographed CD Single from Greyson Chance

Just a couple months ago, budding Teen sensation Greyson Chance dropped by to chat with Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven readers and now he wants you guys to win a signed CD of his! One lucky reader will win an autographed CD Single of his debut Single Waiting Outside the Lines, which he premiered on Label Boss' The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

To qualify for the win, in the Comments section below, indicate the name of any one of the three tracks which appear on this Disc.

One Winner with the correct answer will be selected at random February 1, 2011 midnight and contacted directly, so please leave some way (i.e. Twitter, URL, E-mail) for me to get back in touch with you! Good luck, Mavenati!

To read Chance's chat with us, click here.

P!NK CONFIRMS PREGNANCY RUMOURS ON "ELLEN"

P!nk announces pregnancy to Ellen DeGeneres

Congratulations, P!nk! In true Mariah Carey style she has timed the announcement of her Preganancy around the promotion of her album. The Pop Rocker's Greatest Hits..... So Far!!!! just hit stores yesterday and she appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today to raise a glass (well, a mug actually!) to toast the great news.

 

Getting pregnant hasn't been easy for P!nk though as she previously had a Miscarriage, as revealed to DeGeneres and she implied she may have had had to undergo some type of Fertility treatment clarifying, "I worked for it. ... It was not an 'oops.'". Her Doctor expects that the Baby likely is a Girl. Amazing on all counts! 

Watch the episode here.

Read my review of P!nk's Greatest Hits here.

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

INTERVIEW: GREYSON CHANCE

Greyson Chance

Since exploding upon the world of Pop Music, 13 year-old Greyson Chance's star has risen quicker than any other over the past year. It all started with a viral YouTube Clip of him singing and playing Lady Gaga's Paparazzi April 10, 2010 at a Cheyenne Middle School concert back in his native Oklahoma. Before he knew it, he was appearing on National Television and Ellen DeGeneres was courting him to sign aboard her newly-created label eleveneleven Records. A Teen Choice Award nomation also came soon after.

Now working with the likes of Ron Fair, who has guided the successfuly careers of Christina Aguilera and The Pussycat Dolls, Chance's debut single Waiting Outside the Lines is on the verge of big things. He received a v. warm reception on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where it was premiered live on October 26, 2010.

Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven is thrilled to introduce quite possibly the world's next big teen sensation Greyson Chance to readers as he sat down to chat with us just recently.

Mr. Will-W.: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us, Greyson! We're extremely excited to have you stop by. Firstly, congratulations on all the success you've had in what seems like such a very short amount of time. Tell us, what can we expect to hear on your debut album coming out next year? How far along are you in the recording process?

Chance: The album is coming along very well! It‘s kind of an interesting pop sound with some rock influence. We’re pretty far along, hoping to be done recording very soon!

MICHELLE OBAMA ADDRESSES GAY BULLYING ON "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW"

Michelle Obama on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

First Lady Michelle Obama appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today to address many issues, including all the criticism President Obama is receiving for not living up to his promise of change.  She indicated that her daughters Malia and Sasha are well-sheltered and spend much of their time watching Disney, so they luckily aren't aware of much of the harsh criticisms.  Overall she felt that both were "doing okay" considering the changes their family has faced over the past two years. Obama indicated that when her daughters do have questions, both Barack and Michelle are honest with their children and let them make formulate their own opinions.

DeGeneres then brought up the topic of Youth Bullying and Obama voiced that:

".... all of these young people regardless of their race, their sexual orientation. They are gifts to us. They have so much to offer and it's just terrible to find out that kids are letting this part of their life define everything about who they are going to be."

GREYSON CHANCE PREMIERES "WAITING OUTSIDE THE LINES" ON ELLEN

13 year-old Greyson Chance debuted his single Waiting Outside the Lines this morning on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.   Chance chatted a bit with her, expressing his thoughts on Bullying and how he feels it's not fair that we're losing lives over the social problem.  He also has been the target of some namecalling at school and said that he can relate to victims of Bullying, even though he says he that he had it easy relatively at school. 

Chance performed his track late in the show with a full band and him on Keys.  f I could describe it, I'd say that it's a bit like Halo by Beyoncé (co-written by Ryan Tedder), with a dash of Coldplay and Snow Patrol.  Definitely melodic and accessible despite it being rather mature for a teen audience.  Watch his performance of it below:

Stay tuned as Chance will be chatting with Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven readers soon, in addition to some exciting signed Poster giveaways!  Waiting Outside the Lines is now available digitally on iTunes!

INTERVIEW: SHAHEEN

Shaheen

13 year-old Actor/Singer Shaheen is onto something special.  Since stunning the world virally with his jaw-dropping audition on Britain's Got Talent before a skeptical and then impressed Simon Cowell, the spotlight has been on the brilliant boy from Wales.  Appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Oprah Winfrey and even a spot on the late Michael Jackson's ill-fated This Is It Tour have solidified the fact that the world is ready to embrace its next big international teen sensation. 

Now ready to unleash his eagerly-awaited debut album When I Come of Age from Island Records/Universal Music on November 22, 2010, the adorable Shaheen took a few moments out of his busy schedule to chat with Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven readers.

Mr. Will-W.: Hi Shaheen, thanks for dropping by to chat with us as we're honoured to be one of the first outlets  in Canada (and first Canadian Blog) to feature you!  Now we're all excited to hear what's on When I Come of Age. What can you tell us about this first album and why have you decided to release two singles at the same time?

Shaheen: My album is important to me; it’s not like all the other albums that are coming out, its not very poppy and sounding the same as a lot of other tracks out there. It’s got kind of a Motown/contemporary feel to it. We decided to release Last Train Home/Hip Teens as a Double A-side because they show how versatile I can be. Last Train Home is a great ballad and Hip Teens is faster and a lot of fun. I hope everyone will get involved in my new competition to star in my video for Hip Teens. It’s for anyone who loves to dance. Check out my website for more details.

Mr. Will-W.: Many people don’t know that in addition to being a very talented singer, you also act. Both are very different. Describe how they are different for you. Do you prefer one over the other?

Shaheen: I prefer singing more but acting is something I’ve done and I wouldn’t mind doing again but right now I’ll concentrate on the album and what’s happening now and then possibly one day go into acting or something. I’d like to be in movies maybe. My favourite actors are Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey.

YOUR NEW AMERICAN IDOL JUDGES: JENNIFER LOPEZ AND STEVE TYLER

L to R: Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Tyler, Ryan Seacrest

It's official.  Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith front man Steve Tyler are your new judges on Fox's American Idol, Season Ten premiering Wednesday, January 12, 2011.  An announcement was made yesterday at The Forum in Los Angeles on-stage, ending months of speculation to whom would be replacing Producer Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi.  And I actually agree with the choices.  For someone to mentor a new artist on how to be a Pop Star, they'd better have had experience and longevity.  Let's just hope America actually supports the Idol they pick this time....

(Photo credit: Fox)

CHARICE EXCLUSIVE TORONTO PHOTOS AT MUCHMUSIC

From a childhood of domestic abuse and meager abundances, to performing on Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah and now reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Sales Chart, nobody could possibly have guessed Charice's fate. Her mentor David Foster, has called the pint-sized singer "the most talented girl in the world", which is quite the compliment considering he has worked with pretty much all of her idols including heavyweights Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Céline Dion. The eighteen year-old singer arrived in Toronto last night as part of a promotional tour which has her appearing on CTV's Canada AM, YTV, MuchMusic's MuchOnDemand and a live performance at Eaton Centre tomorrow, followed by a Meet and Greet at Indigo Bookstore. And this is only one of many promotional stop-offs.

Charice arrived at MuchOnDemand this afternoon and spoke about her rise to stardom after having been discovered on YouTube. She mentioned her influences and singing from a very young age in the Philippines, stating that music in her homeland tries very much to be like the amazing music in America. When asked about her friendship with Canadian teen sensation Justin Bieber, whom also was discovered on YouTube, she said that the two are good friends and confirmed indeed that they are not dating. She indicated that she treats him like "her little brother". Charice though has her heart set on another very popular Justin (Timberlake, that is) and she giddily recalled how she got a chance to meet her idol last November, which had her literally shaking. Timberlake is said to have been floored by her three-song performance at the CS Board of Governors Gala, asking Foster "Where did you find this girl?".

12 YEAR-OLD GREYSON CHANCE SIGNS WITH GEFFEN RECORDS

Want a record deal? No problem, kid.  YouTube is how young artists are getting record deals these days. Teen sensations Esmee Denters, Justin Bieber, Charice - some more successful than others obviously - and now 12 year-old overnight sensation Greyson Chance can be added to the list of young artists discovered on the popular video portal.

The boy who recently confessed to Ellen DeGeneres that he was constantly getting picked on at school is now in his words, "getting a few numbers from girls". Lady Gaga called in herself to wish him good luck on his first television performance reassuring him via telephone, "you've won them over already, just have fun and do the best you can". She described the boy as "cute and talented" and advised him to "stay away from girls".

Chance performed Paparazzi by Gaga last week at a school concert, identically copying an acoustic piano version of the track done by her previously and after having the video captured and uploaded to YouTube, 14 million people have seen it since. Let's be honest though - there's timing issues and his vocal placement is awkward, but undeniable is that for someone with no formal training in singing, he has raw talent waiting to be capitalized.