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Years before he turned to country, Darius Rucker was the frontman for the popular pop group Hootie & The Blowfish. The singer took a tumble on the stage while performing with the band over the weekend. Some fans thought he seemed ‘drunk.’ Stay on this page to see the video and decide for yourself.

Darius Rucker Fall On Stage

Darius Rucker released his most recent country album in 2023. While he’s working on new music, he hit the road with Hootie & The Blowfish for a summer tour. The tour included 90s acts Collective Soul and Edwin McCain.

Darius Rucker/Credit: YouTube

The tour stopped in Charleston, South Carolina, over the weekend. Everything was going great until Darius Rucker toppled over on stage in the middle of belting out his 2009 solo single “Alright.” He quickly jumped to his feet and joked, “I’m old as f-ck.”

Fans Concerned He Sounded ‘Drunk’

The...

Post Malone’s country streak is still going strong. On Wednesday night, the musician took the stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for a surprise performance during radio and television personality Bobby Bones’ annual Million Dollar Show concert. His contribution to the country-centric set was an acoustic cover of Hank Williams’ 1952 record “Honky Tonk Blues.”

“Well, I left my home down on the rural route / I told my paw I’m going steppin’ out / And get the honky-tonk blues,” Malone sang, strumming the song on guitar. His appearance rounded...

December 31, 1999. Those old enough to remember know what a strange time that was. It was a time filled with excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty around what was going to happen when the clock struck midnight and a new millennium would begin.

Director Kyle Mooney and writer Evan Winter take that momentous evening and absolutely run with it in the insane nostalgia-filled comedy Y2K.

Y2K was nothing like I was expecting. If this is a film you are interested in seeing, and you religiously watched Total Request Live on MTV and know every word to “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain, I would probably recommend you stop reading this review right now and see this movie the first opportunity you get.

Mooney, a former Saturday Night Live cast member, made his directorial debut with Brigsby Bear in 2017. The film was one of my favorites of the year as it combined awkward humour with incredible sincerity.

Darius Rucker was reportedly arrested on a minor drug offense in Williamson County, Tennessee on Thursday.

The Hootie & the Blowfish frontman was arrested on two counts of simple possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance and one count of a violation of Tennessee’s vehicle registration law, according to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. All three charges are misdemeanors. He was released on $10,500 bond. The controlled substance has not yet been identified, and details of what led to Rucker’s arrest have not been shared, but, TMZ reported, he allegedly had expired tags on his car.

Rucker “is fully cooperating with authorities related to misdemeanor charges,” according to his attorney, Mark Puryear.

Last October, Rucker released his first solo album in six years, Carolyn’s Boy. Two months later, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Dec. 4. The country star was accompanied by his three children: Carolyn,...

Country musician and Hootie & The Blowfish singer Darius Rucker has been arrested in Tennessee for minor drug offenses.

As reported by TMZ, Rucker was taken into custody on Thursday in Williamson County, where he lives. He was brought into jail around 12:00 p.m. Ct, and was booked on three separate misdemeanor charges, including two counts of simple possession or casual exchange of a controlled substance, and one count of violation of Tennessee vehicle registration laws (reportedly for having expired tags on his car).

After about an hour, Rucker was released on $10,500 bond, and is no longer in custody. His attorney, Mark Puryear, has issued a statement, saying: “Darius Rucker is fully cooperating with authorities related to misdemeanor charges.”

While in custody, Rucker posed for a mugshot, which you can view below.

Update: Rucker was charged for was possession of marijuana and psilocin. The arrest actually occurred in February 2023, but...

Dave Grohl has unleashed the only live performance of his epic 23-minute, instrumental “Play,” which extends the song to a whopping 36 minutes.

Recorded during Warren Haynes’ 30th Annual Christmas Jam in 2018, the live version expands the breadth of the instrumental as Grohl is accompanied by Greg Kurstin on keyboards, Chris Chaney on bass, Drew Hester on percussion, and guitarists Jason Falkner, Alain Johannes, and Barrett Jones. However, it’s Asheville-based busker Abby the Spoon Lady who really steals the show. Watch the performance below.

“Play” was originally composed and performed entirely with Grohl on every instrument. The process of its recording was captured in a two-part documentary of the same name, released in 2018.

The track will appear on The Benefit Concert Volume 20, a collection of performances recorded on December 7th and 8th, 2018 in Asheville, North Carolina. Other featured artists include Eric Church, Joe Bonamassa, Gov’t Mule, Mike Gordon, Marco Benevento,...

Iconic pop-rock band Hootie & the Blowfish return to the road in 2024, as the foursome sets out on the Summer Camp with Trucks Tour produced by Live Nation featuring special guests Collective Soul and Edwin McCain. The group comprised of Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, Darius Rucker and Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, who formed the band during their time as students together at the University of South Carolina, will visit 43 cities across the U.S. and Canada. This marks the first full tour since 2019 for the band whose chart-topping, Grammy-award winning career has featured more than 25 million albums sold, including their 2x Diamond-certified debut album Cracked Rear ... Read more...

Hootie & the Blowfish are returning to the road in 2024 with their “Summer Camp with Trucks Tour,” featuring special guests Collective Soul and Edwin McCain on all dates.

The 43-city tour kicks off on May 30th in Dallas and runs through September 28th in West Palm Beach, Florida. Along the way, Darius Rucker and company will make stops in Boston (where they’ll also be joined by Barenaked Ladies), Denver, Nashville, Chicago, Toronto, and more. See the full itinerary below.

A Live Nation pre-sale will begin on Thursday, November 9th (use access code Backstage) ahead of the general on-sale slated for Friday, November 10th via Ticketmaster.

Once tickets are on sale, you can also find them at StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

“Basically overnight, our lives...

One of the most memorable and heartfelt ways to tell someone you're falling in love with them is through a cute love song. Even if you're not into writing your own tune, sharing a Spotify playlist full of songs about soulmates, songs about love at first sight, and songs about saying, "I love you," is a sweet and low-pressure way to get your feelings across. And thankfully, there is a wealth of songs about falling in love out there - across all genres - to show someone just how much you care for them.

The best love song, however, is the tune that resonates the most with you and your partner. So whether you prefer a slow, romantic ballad, a sexy song, or a song that's more upbeat, your love interest is certain to be falling just as hard for you after giving it a listen.

These cute love songs,...

There’s a moment in “Shotgun Wedding” where Jennifer Coolidge does what she does best — making a scene feel spontaneous when it’s intentional.

Coolidge plays Carol, mother of groom Tom Fowler (Josh Duhamel) who is getting married to Darcy (Jennifer Lopez) at a fancy destination wedding in the Philippines. Pirates disrupt the painfully planned ceremony, taking the wedding guests hostage to blackmail the father of the bride (Cheech Marin) into giving them a large sum of money. While the couple’s friends and family are corraled in the pool, Tom buys time by suggesting they get married right then and there.

As the hostages line up to create a wedding aisle in the pool, Carol starts belting out the opening lines of Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be.” Director Jason Moore tells TheWrap why he picked the wedding staple.

Also Read:

Josh Duhamel on ‘Butching Up’ His ‘Shotgun Wedding...

Josh Duhamel tried to change some aspects of his character in “Shotgun Wedding.”

“I just felt like he was so soft. You know, he was a groomzilla. He was afraid of heights. He lost his job. He didn’t feel very desirable, and I wanted to put him up a bit, but they said trust me your butch enough, just go with it,” he said. “Have fun, find the humor in it, and I did.”

Duhamel plays half of the starring duo — the groom Tom Fowler — who obsesses over details of his destination wedding to Darcy Rivera (Jennifer Lopez).

“For me, the groomzilla part was fun because I hadn’t seen that before. It is certainly not something that I personally would do. I go into a wedding and I’m like,’ You know what, it’s never going to be perfect. Be in the moment and let’s just have a great time.

“Not everything is about money!” exclaims bride-to-be Darcy at the rehearsal dinner for her idyllic-looking island wedding in the Philippines — a rebuke to her multi-millionaire father Robert, who wishes she’d let him pay to make the whole affair even more luxe. Perhaps she means it. Darcy claims she wanted to elope to avoid the whole foofaraw, while her “groomzilla” Tom, in a pleasing reversal of gender stereotypes, obsesses over table settings. When their elegant nuptials are crashed by a gang of ransom-seeking pirates, her instincts are proven correct — though as played by a typically immaculate Jennifer Lopez, she doesn’t seem like someone who craves the simple life. “Shotgun Wedding” may begin by separating rich from rich, though as the body count mounts in this oddly unpalatable romantic comedy, such distinctions fall away: In the face of impoverished, gun-toting Asian criminals, well-off Americans must mostly prevail.

If the once-ubiquitous...

Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel are finally walking down the aisle. The actors are appearing alongside each other in the upcoming rom-com "Shotgun Wedding," which has long been in the works. Prime Video released the second trailer for the film on Jan. 11, and it shines a spotlight on the movie's supporting cast, especially Jennifer Coolidge as Duhamel's character's hilarious mom.

The film, written by Mark Hammer, will hit Prime Video on Jan. 27 and follows Darcy (Lopez) and Tom (Duhamel), whose families are taken hostage at their destination wedding. According to a description from Prime Video, the R-rated comedy is a "hilarious, adrenaline-fueled adventure as Darcy and Tom must save their loved ones - if they don't kill each other first."

The first trailer for the movie dropped on Oct. 4 and delivered all the promised laughs and hijinks, plus fans' first look at Coolidge, who's rocking some heavy-duty weaponry of her own.

Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched “How’s It Going to Be?,” the Sept. 5 series finale of “Roswell, New Mexico.”

In May, The CW pulled the plug on seven shows, including “Roswell, New Mexico,” which was airing its fourth season. On Monday night, the drama aired its final episode — one that showrunner Chris Hollier and the writers planned on being the Season 4 finale, not the final episode ever.

During the last episode, Max (Nathan Parsons) headed off to save the world through portal — one that would allow him to return and live happily ever after with Liz (Jeanine Mason), who he still intended to eventually marry.

“There was one change afterwards where the console melted, and Liz would feel like, ‘Oh no, I just got engaged and maybe he’s trapped there forever.’ It was the only thing we removed,” he tells Variety, noting that...

It’s almost impossible to believe that it’s been two decades since we first met Dawson, Joey, Pacey and Jen in the fictional, sleepy-yet-tumultuous town of Capeside, Massachusetts. But alas, it was Jan. 20, 1998, that Dawson’s Creek splashed onto screens in its debut on The WB (which was eventually replaced by The CW).

From the first time Katie Holmes‘ Joey Potter scaled a ladder that led to the Steven Spielberg-adorned bedroom of the titular character, played by James Van Der Beek, tweens and teens within five miles of a television were instantly hooked. Next-door-neighbors-turned-BFFs forced to grapple with...

One of the great mysteries of American Idol‘s farewell season is its failure to snag Red Bull as a sponsor for its semifinal rounds.

There’s been a “blinked? you missed it!” Usain Bolt-ish pacing to these telecasts, in which a dozen performances and 36 individual critiques — plus some pithy “meet the contestants!” packages — get crammed into approximately 42 minutes of airtime.

RelatedAmerican Idol Is Taking Away Your Voting Power — and It’s Infuriating

In other words, if you need more than, say, 20 seconds to process your feelings about a particular song choice or vocal, you’ll get left...

Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson spiced things up at an Italian joint Monday night ... with an acoustic set. They showed up at The Nice Guy in West Hollywood at around 9 Pm, and treated the dinner crowd to their 2014 duet, "Home to Mama," the Edwin McCain song "I'll Be" and Tracy Chapman's classic "Fast Car."  Bieber bailed after 30 minutes but Cody lingered for a while longer. The Biebs has been popping up all over L.

It’s hard to say anything too harsh about an American Idol finalist immediately after experiencing his/her “Hometown Visit” package.

Misty-eyed mamas. Weeping dads. The contestants themselves embracing Fox affiliate meteorologists, kissing schoolkids and choking back their emotions when they realize they’re officially stars (or something pretty damn close).

RelatedThe Mindy Project Cancelled at Fox, But There’s a Hulu Twist

Lucky for me, Wednesday’s Top 4 performance night — featuring one painful elimination — was (despite the absence of Quentin Alexander and Joey Cook) about as solid a night of performances as we’ve had in Season 14… no...

Beliebers get excited because it appears that Justin Bieber is taking it back to where it all began — just a boy with his guitar and some very impressive pipes.

After teasing a new album last summer, the 20 year-old pop decided to take his more of his acoustic tunes out for a spin Tuesday night at the State Social House in Los Angeles when he treated the audience to an impromptu acoustic performance.

“I’m a little bit nervous, can you turn off the flash?” Bieber asked in an Instagram video posted.

News: Yikes! Justin Bieber Broke His Foot

The Biebs went on to a cover of Edwin McCain’s 1998 classic, “I’ll Be” as well as tease some new music.

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The show stopper of the night might be his take on “Home to Mama,” which he originally performed as a duet with Cody Simpson.

Of course...

Treating his fans to an impromptu concert, Justin Bieber showed up at Los Angeles hot spot State Social House and sang a few ditties on Tuesday night (January 20).

The “As Long As You Love Me” singer stopped in for some dinner and ended up spotting a guitar on the stage. Bieber commandeered the axe and launched into a four-song mini-concert much to the delight of the restaurant’s patrons.

Justin sang the Edwin McCain hit “I’ll Be” before cranking out “Home to Mama” and a couple more tunes. And this morning (January 21) Bieber tweeted, “Woke up smiling. Last night was fun. Felt good to just play. Had so much fun. Thanks.”...

VH1′s latest wallow in very recent nostalgia is, by nature, a silly exercise: On Saturday, the five-night anthology will end by celebrating the long-ago year of 2009—you know, that dark age when The Simpsons was only in its 21st season, and commuters who wanted to play Angry Birds had no choice but to do it on the iPhone 3Gs. Those suckers didn’t even have iOS 7!

If it’s going to be done, though, it might as well be done right—which is why there was something vaguely disappointing about the pop-culture milestones celebrated in the miniseries’ fifth and sixth episodes,...

The Voice narrowed down the field to a Top 10, and Dani Moz, Tj Wilkins and Tess Boyer ended up in the bottom three in the first live eliminations.

Team Adam was the first team to perform together: Delvin Choice, Kat Perkins and Christina Grimmie performed “Sledgehammer” with their coach Adam Levine.

After their performance, it was time to announce the first saves of the night. From Team Usher, no surprise, Josh Kaufman was quickly ushered into the next rounds. America also saved Kat Perkins from Team Adam.

Kristen Merlin from Team Shakira also sailed through to the next live rounds, no doubt due to her impressive performance Monday night, when she sang through her mic cutting out in the middle of the song. Audra McLaughlin was also saved by the viewers, as were Jake Worthington, Delvin Choice, Bria Kelly, Christina Grimmie and Sisaundra Lewis.

Team Blake also performed together, with...

While watching American Idol‘s newest season and laying eyes upon the studly worship leader Spencer Lloyd, I wondered: Is it possible that I’ve forgotten about several attractive male contestants from the past? The answer: Yes. Deeply.

I did some scrounging, and here’s an important listicle if I’ve ever made one: the forgotten hotties of Idol‘s tumultuous past five seasons.

Ty Hemmerling: The bikini boy with an achy breaky heart.

He was the ridiculous (and somewhat expected) followup to season 8′s “bikini girl” Katrina Darrell, but unlike Katrina, he didn’t advance to Hollywood. Why? One, he performed “Achy Breaky Heart” terribly. But two, the world was not prepared for how fetching he’d look a bikini top.

Johnny Keyser: the two-season hunk

This Floridian hottie impressed the judges when he auditioned in season 11 with “A Change is Gonna Come,” but he didn’t...

The top 12 artists brought a new fight to The Voice stage Monday, turning it up with showmanship and song choices that highlighted their musical versatility. But it was Matthew Schuler's night for Team Christina Aguilera. The 20-year-old from Yardley, Pa., brought church to the stage with his emotional take on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." The son and grandson of ministers, Schuler offered a passionate tribute to his gospel roots that left his mother - watching from the audience - in tears and his coach praising his follow-through on her advice to "be fearless." "There is something so magical and...

The top 12 artists brought a new fight to The Voice stage Monday, turning it up with showmanship and song choices that highlighted their musical versatility.

But it was Matthew Schuler's night for Team Christina Aguilera. The 20-year-old from Yardley, Pa., brought church to the stage with his emotional take on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

The son and grandson of ministers, Schuler offered a passionate tribute to his gospel roots that left his mother – watching from the audience – in tears and his coach praising his follow-through on her advice to "be fearless."

"There is something so magical and the room...

It was an epic battle between Matthew Schuler & Will Champlin during the final night of knockout rounds Oct. 29, but they weren’t the only ones fighting to stay on stage!

As The Voice‘s remaining 16 artists put it all on the line, the coaches continued to cut down their teams, eventually left with the final five they’ll take to the live rounds. Read on to see who will be facing off next week!

Team Adam: Lina Gaudenzi vs. Preston Pohl

With this match-up, Adam Levine was looking for the most unique artist. Lina Gaudenzi gave a very soulful performance of “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James, and Preston Pohl sang “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley. Even though his was a laid back song that kind of lulled the crowd, Preston won Adam’s vote. Adam said Preston has his own niche, while unfortunately, “there...

Welcome back, "Voice" fans! It's Night 2 of the Knockout Rounds, with coaches Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, CeeLo Green and Blake Shelton continuing to chop their teams in half to determine the Top 20 artists who will move onto Season 5's live shows, beginning next week. Did the right singers advance? Let's find out!

Knockout #1: Team Adam's Lina Gaudenzi vs. Preston Pohl

Lina Gaudenzi: "I'd Rather Go Blind" (Etta James)

Lina chooses the Etta James track because she wants to show off the more soulful side to her voice, but she seems to struggle with the finding the intensity the song demands. Adam tells her she's dancing around the song, rather than just singing it. During her performance, she certainly has the audience on her side. She may rely on her vibrato a bit too much, but it's still a high-energy performance that finds her improving on Adam's notes.

Preston Pohl: "No Woman,...

(Photo courtesy Eric Himan)

Eric Himan is a tattooed rocker from Tulsa, but his approach to songwriting is folkier than you’d expect, jazzy in a timeless way, and consummately sensitive. The out musician has also written many songs that represent a specifically gay point of view, and that still qualifies as a novel and kickass idea in 2013. He values his personal perspective and independence, and that comes across loud and clear — albeit breezily — in his cool and distinct music.

Himan’s new album Gracefully showcases that fierce honesty, and the disc’s striking video “Red Hot Tears” tells you almost everything you need to know about him: He’s commanding even when he’s announcing a teary-eyed weakness. And as you might remember, I personally can’t get enough of the song.

We caught up with Himan to discuss his songwriting influences, living in Tulsa, and his gay artistic hero of choice.

Everyone knows that the high school prom is the greatest most important day of your life! Or at least one of them. Definitely in the top 10 days…or 20. Right guys? Maybe not, but it would probably make the top 100, though. Perhaps? Ok, but we can all agree that prom is definitely a day in your life. Unless you didn’t go. In which case, that’s cool too.*

Yes, it’s true: Prom is kind of lame. It’s just a fact. No matter how great the DJ, our big nights Never matched up to the epic spring flings we saw in the movies. Those on-screen nights filled with young romance, snazzy outfits, cool cars, great music, choreographed dancing and underdogs coming out on top set our hearts on fire and our imaginations into flight. Our Mens Warehouse tux and awkward slow-dancing to Edwin McCain just couldn’t compare. But in honor of prom season,...

Tonight's American Idol takes us to the Charlotee, N.C., the city where Scotty McCreery was discovered. Will our judges uncover the next idol tonight?

Not if they can't stop being divas. 

Randy needs a new chair. Mariah needs ice. Keith needs his makeup adjusted. And Nicki needs an extra 6 feet of personal space to accommodate her hair. Just another day in the life, you know?

The sparks are flying and fireworks are imminent! Let's see how it all goes down now...

Naomi Morris is an fashion designer. Who apparently outfitted Shredder if her bra is any indication. She's starts the night off with a dud. 

Up next is Joel Nemoyer who watched Chris Daughtry lay down and sing in his mentoring session with Andrea Boticelli. He tells Nicki she looks like cotton candy and gets a mental high five from me for saying what I've been thinking for two weeks.

So, it’s over. And I am less happy than I thought I would be about the winner.

It was a week of reunions, expectations, anxiety and (for many) disappointment.

Even though it seems moot, they go through the motions of the usual episode formula — starting with a Homework Assignment. They get “Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray. Robert then tells them he has some talented back-up singers to help out. Ali is shocked to see all of the vanquished contestants return because apparently she didn’t watch last year — or any reality show ever. Taryn doesn’t return, presumably because of the family troubles that caused her to quit. Michael and Blake embrace like it hasn’t been five minutes since last they saw each other.

The medical term for this sort of reunion, by the way, is “rubbing salt in the wound.” I have to think it...

After 11 weeks of awkward homework assignments, ridiculous music videos, and confusing eliminations, we’ve come to the finale, and the theme is, in true Glee Project fashion, yet another made-up word. Coming into the final episode, I thought Aylin was going to win because of her backstory, and that Ali was probably the most deserving, but I kind of wanted Blake to win because, well, he’s Blake. Let’s see how it all turned out.

Homework Assignment: “You Can’t Stop The Beat” from Hairspray

For the very last homework assignment, all the eliminated contestants came back (except for, you know, that one girl who quit) to serve as the trio’s backup singers. It was nice to see everyone reunited. Charlie, of course, ran straight for Aylin, and Michael and Blake shared a bro hug. Even though Ali was the clear standout during the performance, guest mentor Chris Colfer...

The Glee Project Season 2 winner Blake Jenner knew he may not have had the most obvious story line among the Oxygen reality competition show's three finalists and turned to a previously unseen side of his personality to put him over the top: poetry. The 19-year-old from Florida performed Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" during Tuesday's finale but it was his emotional "I'm the Guy" poem that he read immediately afterward that he thinks ultimately landed him the seven-episode arc on Fox's Glee, besting fellow finalists Aylin Baramuglu and Ali Stroker. The poem delivered just what showrunner Ryan Murphy and

read more...

Ryan Murphy certainly had three very different, talented performers in the final episode of "The Glee Project" Season 2. But he promised to pick just one winner this year for a seven-episode arc on "Glee." Was it musical theater champ Ali Stoker, who has a built-in backstory with that wheelchair, sexy Aylin Bayramoglu, whose Muslim background would be a brand-new story on "Glee," or guy next door Blake Jenner?

Although all three were solid their final performances, Blake won the competition. But let's back up and talk about how he got there:

Photos: "The Glee Project" Season 2 contestants

The homework assignment seemed well-suited to Ali's musical theater sensibilities, but mentor Chris Colfer pulled a Ryan Murphy and chose all three as winners for a special mentoring session. During the recording session, though, it seemed like Blake pulled ahead. Aylin struggled at first, but she ended up doing well in the studio.

The three remaining contenders on The Glee Project--Aylin, Ali, and Blake--have a tough week ahead of them! And at the end of it, one of them will earn a seven-episode guest-starring role on Glee Season 4.

Let's find out who the winner is now...

This week's theme is "Glee-ality." Essentially, which of these three is the most Glee-like. Robert gives them their Homework Assignment--"You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray--and then tells them he's arranged for some special back-up singers to come in and help them. Those special back-up singers? All of their Season 2 castmates!

Aylin's reunited with Charlie and she's really not concerned about anyone else being back. Blake and Ali share the love with everyone and then Ali takes charge on the choreography because Aylin and Blake don't seem to know what to do.

Chris Colfer is the guest mentor this week and Robert tells...

Say what you want about The Glee Project, but it’s one of the few reality series on television that doesn’t add an extra hour or two of padding to its season finale. So tonight, instead of a bloated two- or three-hour endurance test to get us to an announcement that took all of 10 seconds, we got an action-packed hour that shone a spotlight on the respective strengths and weaknesses of the Season 2 Top 3: Aylin, Ali, and Blake.

What we didn’t get, alas, was relief from the “boys rule” doctrine that’s dominated music-centric reality competition series for half a decade now.

With Justin Bieber's long-awaited new album Believe right around the corner, I figured it was only fitting to take a look back on some of what he's done so far. As everyone in the world knows, I'm sure, Biebs got his start on YouTube singing songs of his favorite artists. And over the years, he's stuck to his roots by dropping new covers here and there for his fans to enjoy.

So we put together our top 10 favorites for you. Some are older, some are newer, some are live from concerts and some are actual studio tracks. Disagree? Think we missed a good one? Tell us in the comments! 

10. "I'll Be" (Edwin McCain) 

9. "Let It Be" (The Beatles)

8. "Otis" (Jay-z, Kanye)

7. "With You" (Chris Brown)

6. "Heartless/Successful" (Kanye, Drake)

5. "Come Home to Me" (Ernie Halter)

4. "Trust Issues" (Drake)

3. "You Got It Bad/Because of You" (Usher, Ne-Yo)

2. "How to...

Season 1, Episode 6: "The Return"

Over the last couple of episodes we've lamented that Lena Dunham's "Girls" has taken a turn towards the sitcom, with episodes that have favored wacky shenanigans over the humanity and heart -- and the humor that followed -- that opened the season on such a strong footing. Well, we're happy to report that "The Return" harkens back to those initial shows, and marks easily one of the best episodes this season so far. While we've been critical of the softball, superfluous subplots given to Jessa (Jemima Kirke) and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet), it's a bit revealing that with the story centering strictly on Hannah (Dunham), it allows for some of the most focused and observant writing we've seen yet on the show.

Celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary, her parents invite Hannah out to Michigan to spend the weekend with them. Loading up her clothes in a garbage bag,...

Thursday's American Idol started out with footage of a young Carrie Underwood on a road trip from Checotah, Okla., to audition for the show in St. Louis. "Now a new crop of talent will take that same trip, hoping to create the magic all over again," Ryan Seacrest said. "Can they do it?" Lauren Gray of Arkansas certainly has a chance. "It would mean the world me to go to Hollywood," the self-described "daddy's girl" said. "It's been a dream of mine, always. But also my father's dream, as well." "You're one of the best female voices we've heard," Jennifer Lopez...

We've reached the end of "American Idol's" long and winding audition tour, making a final stop in St. Louis before the show heads back to Hollywood next week. Much was made of the fact that one of "Idol's" biggest success stories, Carrie Underwood, was discovered in St. Louis eight years ago -- and compared to some of the contestants we've seen on our journey so far, perhaps the producers really were saving the best for last.

I haven't been overly impressed with many of the auditionees this season, but the singers in St. Louis were generally cute, commercial and easy to listen to. If there's a winner hidden among the competitors we've seen on screen to date, Missouri might be the state to beat. The judges were certainly enthusiastic, with a few of the hopefuls earning a "wow" within 10 seconds of them opening their mouths to sing. And...

"American Idol" found a fun country-rock singer in Ethan James, who is a member of St. Louis-area band the Well Hungarians. He sang Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" and he did a wonderful job, despite picking one of the most overdone songs on "Idol" (see also: "At Last" and the one about being a prison guard's son).

As HitFix Dan tweets, "Pitch: In a post-apocalyptic future, reality contestants who sing "I'll Be" are hunted and killed for sport."

Anyway. The judges were highly complimentary of James, despite his having blood running down his face from a cut he scratched open because he was so nervous. It was kind of a hot mess of an audition, so thank goodness he can really sing.

Michael Becker / Fox “American Idol”: From left, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest.

As a reminder of all that is “American Idol,” a flashback of sorts to the day, eight years ago, when Carrie Underwood took the trip to St. Louis to audition. It was St. Louis again tonight, though it’s difficult to say if a repeat Idol was born.

If anyone comes close, it might just be a waiter from Florida. Sam Cooke’s...

Reis Kloeckner, Ethan Jones and Rachelle Lamb also fly through to Hollywood.

By Adam Graham

Steven Tyler on "American Idol"

Photo: Fox

In popular music, St. Louis might be known as the home of Chuck Berry or Nelly, but in the world of "American Idol," it's the city that hosted Carrie Underwood's audition.

"Idol" returned to the Gateway to the West on Thursday (February 2), hoping to find the show's next megastar. And they got off on the right foot with contestant Johnny Keyser, 22, from Pompano Beach, Florida, who blew the judges away with his rendition of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." "Should we just vote now?" Steven Tyler asked only a few bars into the song. Keyser was quickly sped through to Hollywood and set a good tone for St. Louis.

As did Lauren Gray, who works at her family's one-stop wedding shop and sings in...

Thankfully, not Ryan Seacrest!

I started watching the premiere of Fox’s new singing competition reality show The X Factor with the obvious question: Could this formula work? Would a show starring Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and two other judges evaluating the singing skills of young contestants click with audiences?

That’s some risk factor there, X Factor!

That being said, I’ll admit it: I liked The X Factor. There is some ace emotional manipulation going on in the editing room, but it’s happening alongside some undeniably talented singers who killed it onstage. And, of course, some who didn’t. Because what fun would it be if everyone was good?

Cowell and Company have also raised the stakes: the contestants are vying for a $5 million recording contract. Take that, Idol.

There’s also been one vast improvement from the American Idol blueprint: No Ryan Seacrest!

Ryan Seacrest has always made me uncomfortable,...

Last month, while interviewing executive producer Nigel Lythgoe for a story about possible changes to American Idol for its upcoming eleventh season, I proposed the idea that the show should introduce a list of 11 songs that would be banned from the live performance rounds on the grounds that they’ve been done to death in previous seasons. Lythgoe’s response caught me off guard: “Well, Mike, if you want to write down and send me 11 songs that you don’t want to hear again, I will put them through to the committee.”

Well, sir, you don’t have to ask me twice!

Every Belieber knows that Justin Bieber does not cancel shows. He just doesn't. Sadly, he may be forced to if his crew doesn't suck it up and go to Japan like they are scheduled to later this month.

Watch Justin Bieber get egged in Austrailia.

Justin Bieber suffers back injury on tour.

Watch Biebs cover Edwin McCain then and now.

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It certainly seems like the producers are behind Haley Reinhart — the American Idol contestant has been given the pimp slot two times during the course of the finals. And the fans are behind her — the dark horse of season 10 has been awarded rallying cries of support online from fans of the singing reality show. Yet, the judges still can’t seem to get in Haley’s corner, regardless of her awe-inspiring vocals and interesting risks. So what’s the deal? What’s the judges’ beef with Haley?

Granted, I’m a bit biased. Always a fan of the underdog during Idol seasons past (Jason Castro,...

Justin Bieber has been touring like crazy lately. While in Jakarta, Indonesia last night, Biebs did a throwback cover of Edwin McCain's "I'll Be," which is admittedly one of my favorite songs. Don't make fun of me. I'm a girl! That was big when I was a teen! Anyway, Justin played that song four years ago when he was only 12 years old and posted it on YouTube before he was famous. It's crazy to see how far he's come.

"Just felt like doing something from how i started…felt good,” Justin tweeted with the video link.

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Twelve shipwrecked guys are treading water amid a swarm of ravenous sharks, when suddenly, a luxury yacht pulls up alongside them. “Darling, your bathing suits are divine!” exclaims a glamorous actress, peering down from the deck. “Dude, your backstroke is bitchin’!” says the rock star alongside her. “Way to throw caution to the wind and do your thing, dawgs!” says their pal the music producer, sipping from a tall Coca-Cola glass. Welcome to the American Idol season 10 men’s semifinal — life boats not included!

Okay, okay, I’m probably sounding harsher than I’d intended. After all, of the dozen...

On their marks! Get set! Go! [Cue the sound of a stalled car.]

America got its first official glimpse at the Top 12 men of season 10 Tuesday night (March 1) and things were as psychotically bipolar as a certain sitcom star currently making the rounds. (I'm looking at you, Emmanuel Lewis!)

For every exhilarating Casey Abrams, there was a soul-crushing disappointment of Sundance Head proportions. (Oh the humanity, Tim Halperin!) Still, a trio of final performances (and a couple others) kept the momentum of "Idol X: Lauren Alaina or Bust" going strong.

Before I start shamelessly plugging my brand new weekly live show, "Idol Party Live," premiering this Thursday night at 10pm Et on MTV.com (featuring fans, celebs and a grand karaoke finale), let's take a closer look at each of the first official performances of season 10. (Seriously though, don't miss "Idol Party Live." In a lovely sign of "Idol" blogger solidarity, Entertainment Weekly's whip-smart recapping superstar Annie...