Mariah Carey

Whitney Houston Mourned By Mariah Carey, Rihanna

11 Feb 2012 22:22:51 EST

'Jesus Christ, not Whitney Houston. Greatest of all time,' Nicki Minaj tweets of late icon.
By James Dinh

Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston
Photo: Timothy A. Clary/ AFP/ Getty Images

Just a day before the 54th annual Grammys, the music industry suffered a major loss as one of the greatest voices of all time, Whitney Houston, was found dead Saturday night (February 11). Shocking fans, former collaborators and everybody in between, stars like Mariah Carey, Rihanna and Diddy have taken to Twitter to mourn the late icon.

Mariah Carey, also known for her beautiful voice, took to the social media site to share her memory of the singer/actress. "Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston," Carey wrote. "My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth."

My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world.
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) February 12, 2012

Rihanna was speechless upon hearing the news about the star's death, simply writing, "No words! Just tears #DearWhitney." Quoting a line from Houston's massive 1992 hit "I Will Always Love You," Kim Kardashian shared her love for the singer. "Just heard the tragic news that Whitney Houston passed away. I pray for her daughter & loved ones. We will always love you Whitney...," she tweeted. Houston's death hit Nicki Minaj pretty hard, with the Young Money songstress writing, "Jesus Christ, not Whitney Houston. Greatest of all time," as well as tweeting a vintage photo of the late singer alongside Michael Jackson. Calling Houston's death "such a loss," Jennifer Lopez was another celeb to remember the superstar singer. "One of the greatest voices of our time. Sending out prayers to her family... #R.I.P.Whitney," she said. Diddy admitted his disbelief about the the industry's loss, saying, "Whitney Houston!!! OMG!! I really can't believe this.. This is one of the saddest days ever..." Toni Braxton confessed her influence from the late-singer. "My heart is weeping...RIP to the Legendary Diva & Icon Whitney Houston!!!!!" Toni Braxton wrote. "Such an incredible influence over music as a whole! She's paved the way for every single singer in the music industry. Iconic, legendary, innovating, amazing, humble...1 the best in the world." Christina Aguilera, also a big-voiced diva, took to Twitter to share her memory of the singer, confessing that "we have lost another legend." "Love and prayers to Whitney's family. She will be missed," she added. Usher also chimed in, writing, "R.I.P Whitney Houston... A true icon of our time. Gone too soon. My heart goes out to the family in their time of distress. URIV." Immediately after the news was announced, Houston's legacy appeared all over Twitter's trending topic list as #DearWhitney, #IWillAlwaysLove you, Waiting to Exhale amongst others trends taking over the top 10 list. Join us for a tribute to Whitney Houston with non-stop music videos on MTV Hits and MTV Jams, all day Sunday. Share your condolences with Whitney's family and friends on our Facebook page.

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Simon Cowell Squashes Beyonce, Mariah Carey 'X Factor' Rumors

08 Feb 2012 10:37:46 EST

Judge also takes shot at 'The Voice,' asking, 'How many artists have they discovered?'
By John Mitchell

Simon Cowell
Photo: FOX

Simon Cowell is finally opening up about the cast shakeups on "The X Factor" as well as about rumors that two very famous divas are in talks to join Fox's reality singing competition.

Late last month, it was announced that judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones had been fired from "X Factor" and would be replaced in its second season. The announcement came as a shock to fans, but Cowell tells "Extra" in an interview airing Wednesday (February 8) that the decision was a long time coming and was ultimately made "at the beginning of the year — and we were told it had to happen straight away." While her dismissal came as a surprise, Cowell says Abdul "was very gracious" about it. "She understands it's business," Cowell said of his real-life friend. "It's never personal." Scherzinger, according to Cowell, was "disappointed" with the producers' decision to replace her. But the former Pussycat Doll insisted in a new "Access Hollywood" interview that she "had a wonderful experience on the show." "What happened? Well, all I know is that I gave 110 percent to that show," she said. "I know everybody's talking about it, they're saying good, bad, they love me or hate me, but the one thing you can't say is that I didn't give it my all." Cowell also used his time with "Extra" to squash rumors that Beyoncé or Mariah Carey might be joining the "X Factor" team when it returns to Fox later this year. He seemed particularly amused by talk that the show was offering Beyoncé a nine-figure contract to join the judges' table. "The budget for the show is $100 million. That would never ever happen. It's absolute nonsense," he told "Extra." "No one is going to pay $100 million for someone. I genuinely haven't had a conversation with her about it. Not at all." The same can be said for Carey, who Cowell said he likes very much and would be a fine addition to the show but is an impractical choice because of the long hours involved. "I adore her, love her," he said. "But you can't expect someone who has just had two kids [and] has a record career to make the kind of commitment we would need on this show." "X Factor" did not perform as strongly as expected in the ratings last fall, which many feel precipitated the planned revamp, though the ever-cool Cowell is not sweating the competition. In this latest interview, Cowell took on "The Voice," which returned to NBC after the Super Bowl and delivered big ratings, saying the makeup of his judging panel is what sets "X Factor" apart. "I would ask how many records have they made, how many artists have they discovered?" Cowell asked of "The Voice" mentors Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. "That's where we have to be different on the judging panel. It's very important that you have people on the panel that have actually signed and made artists successful all over the world, not just have made hit records yourself."

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Nick Cannon Hospitalized For Kidney Failure, Mariah Carey Says

04 Jan 2012 11:11:22 EST

'Please pray for Nick as he's fighting to recover,' pop-star wife asks fans.
By Jocelyn Vena

Nick Cannon
Photo: MTV News

Nick Cannon has been hospitalized for mild kidney failure, his superstar wife, Mariah Carey, confirmed on Twitter early Wednesday (January 4). "Please pray for Nick as he's fighting to recover from a mild kidney failure. #mybraveman," Carey tweeted. She also included a photo of herself lying by Cannon's side in his hospital bed. The couple were vacationing in Colorado at the time of Cannon's hospitalization. (They were recently spotted in Aspen with their twins, Moroccan and Monroe.) In a lengthier statement, Carey further addressed Nick's condition. "This is us in the hospital - role reversal; Last year it was me attached to the machines (after having dembabies) and Nick was there with me through it, and now here we are," she wrote. "We're trying to be as festive as possible under the circumstances but please keep Nick in your thoughts because this is very painful. They tried to kick me out of the hospital but here I am pon de bed with Mr. C." Carey even used some light humor when talking about her husband's condition. "We're doing OK but we're 'straaaaaanded in Aspen.' #DramaticDivaPlace (I know, we could be in a lot worse places) but the truth is as long as we're together, we're OK," she said. "I'm not trying to make light out of the situation because it's a serious moment that's very tough on all of us so please keep us and our family in your prayers. LYM." A rep for Cannon had no further comment about his condition when asked by MTV News. Share your get-well wishes for Nick on our Facebook page.

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12 Best Christmas Pop Songs Of All Time

25 Dec 2011 08:53:17 EST

Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey make our list of yuletide favorites.
By Jocelyn Vena

Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images

Looking for some inspiration for Christmas-themed music? Well, don't worry, MTV News has wrapped up a special holiday playlist so that you can get into the spirit of the season. Grab a glass of eggnog, put on your best reindeer sweater and snuggle up by the fire with these choice tunes. "Mistletoe," Justin Bieber
Bieber's modern-day missive (released in 2011 off of Under the Mistletoe) about kissing under the mistletoe certainly harks back to carols of days gone by, but he updates the narrative using his own fly-boy language, referring to his girl as his "shawty." Awww!

"All I Want for Christmas Is You," Mariah Carey
Perhaps the most ubiquitous pop song of the last 20 years, Carey's iconic single may have been reimagined by Bieber, but it will forever be associated with Carey, her skimpy Santa suit and her desire to be reunited with her boy. "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays," *NSYNC
Spunky and funky, *NSYNC's 1998 track is all about getting together with your friends and family and wishing them "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" — a fitting sentiment for folks of all persuasions. "My Only Wish (This Year)," Britney Spears
Like Carey before her, Britney uses her sugary sweet, incredibly innocent ode to the holidays to pine away for the one thing she hopes Santa can get her: her one true love. "Last Christmas," Wham!
George Michael had one message for that ex-special someone: This year, to save him from tears, he'll give his heart to someone special. After it was released, the song immediately became a Christmas staple with radio and local malls playing it endlessly through the season. "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Band Aid
While many Christmas songs focus on chestnuts roasting on an open fire, 1984's A-list-filled charity single reminded the world that not everyone has chestnuts or an open fire. "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
This song had already been recorded and re-recorded, but when Springsteen put his Jersey sass on the Christmas classic, it became the type of jovial, rocked-out tune cool enough to top the lists of his fans. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," U2
Darlene Love may have recorded the track in 1963, but Bono and his boys put their own spin on the song when they released it in 1987. It's all about wanting your baby to come home to you on Christmas. And, really, who doesn't want that? "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson
In a world where these two are still together, it would actually be a cute idea to have this real-life couple sing about wanting to stay warm with one another on a chilly winter night. "Don't Shoot Me Santa," The Killers
Every Christmas playlist needs a kooky take on the holidays, and the Las Vegas band's spin on pleading with Santa to cut them a break is a bit country, a bit rock and roll, and all fun. See also: Blink-182's "I Won't Be Home for Christmas." "I'll Be Home for Christmas," Michael Bublé
Bublé's Christmas album has been sitting at the top of the charts for weeks, and this particularly stirring Christmas ballad is all about making sure you're with the people you love for the holidays. "Santa Baby," Madonna
Cooing and gushing about what she wants from her Santa Baby for Christmas is an incredibly decadent idea full of incredibly lavish gift ideas. Pretend like there's no recession, blast this one and imagine a world where cars and jewels are totally affordable Christmas gifts. Which is your favorite Christmas pop song? Tell us in the comments!

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Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey Play Santa In 'Christmas' Clip

30 Nov 2011 22:05:28 EST

Bieber debuts 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' video (and performs with Busta Rhymes and Usher) during 'Christmas in Rockefeller Center.'
By Jocelyn Vena

Justin Bieber at the Christmas Tree lighting in New York City
Photo: James Devaney/ Getty Images

Deck the halls! The holiday kicked into high gear Wednesday night (November 30) when New York's massive Christmas tree was lit during "Christmas in Rockefeller Center." Plenty of A-listers were on hand, including Justin Bieber, who premiered his highly anticipated video for "All I Want for Christmas Is You," featuring Mariah Carey.

Before the strings of lights were illuminated, performances from Michael Bublé, Katharine McPhee, Big Time Rush, Tony Bennett, Carole King and Neil Diamond warmed viewers up. But Bieber was the headline act of the night, giving fans some big performances and an even bigger video premiere. Bieber amped up the energy with his hip-hop-ified take on the Christmas classic "Little Drummer Boy," which included him spitting a holiday-themed rhyme. Decked in all black, the teen star had the crowd screaming. He was even joined by Busta Rhymes, who appears on the Under the Mistletoe cut. JB then slowed things down with "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)," leaving his female fans swooning as he crooned the holiday standard. He was joined by his mentor Usher for the track. "God bless and Merry Christmas," Bieber told the crowd before tossing to the "All I Want for Christmas Is You" video. The clip features Mariah Carey dressed in a sexy Santa Claus outfit standing in a department store as she dances around singing the track, almost as if she's on display for holiday shoppers. It also sees Bieber and his pals shopping for some choice holiday gifts like high-top kicks. In between performance shots of Bieber and Mariah, a street-corner Santa Claus hands out envelopes to shoppers on the street, teasing an inevitable yuletide party scene. The shoppers are then welcomed into the department store, where Justin and Mariah hand out gifts to everyone. The duo tease and flirt with each other as everyone around them unwraps their gifts. Bieber and Carey re-recorded her classic holiday tune for his chart-topping holiday album, which also features appearances from the Band Perry and Boyz II Men. They filmed the video earlier this month, just in time for the holiday season. Did Bieber get you in the holiday spirit? Let us know in the comments!

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Mariah Carey Explains Jab Wasn't About Kim Kardashian

10 Nov 2011 11:40:37 EST

'I don't read the tabloids unless it's about me,' new Jenny Craig rep says.
By Jocelyn Vena

Mariah Carey
Photo: Theo Wargo/ Getty Images

When Mariah Carey sat down with Gayle King to announce she is the new face and body of Jenny Craig, she also opened up a bit about her personal life, including life as a new mom to "dem babies," cooking for her famous friends and married life. When asked how she and Nick Cannon keep their marriage strong, she explained, "There's no teams; me and Nick are the same team always ... Sometimes we make each other mad. That's why we're not divorced after four months. I'm just saying this Hollywood thing ... did I say something that is wrong?" The statement had many in the room laughing, given the fact that Kim Kardashian recently made headlines for breaking up with her hubby, Kris Humphries, after even less time. However, Carey insisted she wasn't referring to anyone in particular. "First of all, I don't read the tabloids unless it's about me. And even then, when it is about me, I try not to read it unless it's good," Carey told "Extra." "I don't look at these people. "I don't even know what it is, but I do know that marriages come and go really quickly in Hollywood." Carey famously divorced record executive Tommy Mattola in 1998, and the pop star says when she married Cannon in 2008, she did it with the intention of staying married. "A lot of people have high-profile moments, and then they get a divorce, and I'm sure it's very painful for them," she said. "My thing is: I don't want that. I got married to stay married. I want some stability for our kids, and Nick feels the same way. "Not only are we both kind of jokesters, for the lack of a better word, we are also kind of provincial in that way. I think we both believe in trying to make it through. I'm proud of it."

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Mariah Carey

Justin Bieber Shoots 'Classic' Video With Mariah

03 Nov 2011 13:55:57 EDT

Pair team up for new version of Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' on Bieber's Under the Mistletoe.
By Jocelyn Vena

Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images / MTV News / Jessica Hyndman

Justin Bieber has been very busy this week. He dropped a new album, Under the Mistletoe, on Tuesday, appeared on "Dancing With the Stars," freestyled over the Throne's "Otis," and not only shot a music video with Boyz II Men for "Fa La La," but also managed to squeeze in a shoot with Mariah Carey.

Bieber and Carey both tweeted about the video for their reimagining of her classic holiday tune "All I Want for Christmas Is You." "Might have to go shoot this video with @mariahcarey for our duet! focused on the positives ... the music. #UNDERTHEMISTLETOE," Bieber tweeted about the shoot, referring to a California woman's claim that he fathered her child. "4:30am and going hard on the 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' shoot with @mariahcarey !! #superfestive #underthemistletoe," he later shared. The original video for the tune, shot to look like a home video, features Carey decked out in skimpy Santa suits and snow-bunny garb, running around decorating Christmas trees, playing in the snow, hanging with Santa and his elves, and generally getting into the holiday spirit. Mariah Carey seemed equally stoked about the video shoot, gushing about it on her Twitter: "Shooting the final take of 'All I Want.' duet with surprise appearance by Jilly beans & directed by my friend, the wonderful Sanaa Hamri," she said, noting that the shoot was made even more special because it coincided with one of her personal milestones. "Happy anniversary to [my album] MERRY CHRISTMAS II YOU!!!" she added. "On the night we're shooting the new 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' with @justinbieber." Hamri has shot videos for Carey's "Crybaby," "Bringing on the Heartbreak" and "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)," as well as clips for Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z and Christina Aguilera. The shoot lasted all night, with Bieber tweeting Thursday morning (November 3) that Carey and the crew had wrapped up. "Just wrapped the ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU with the icon and amazing @mariahcarey !" he wrote. "HONORED and I think this video is gonna b classic!" Bieber told MTV News that getting Carey to join him for the duet was surprisingly easy. "Mariah Carey is doing it with me! It's incredible. So excited," he said. "We wanted Mariah from the beginning, but we kind of thought it was really hard, so we didn't really push the idea. But she's on my label, so we reached out to some people, she got in contact with us, and Randy Jackson was actually at the studio with us, and I was like, 'Yo, you think you can help get Mariah on the Christmas album?' And he was like, 'I'm actually going to see her in New York on Monday,' and I was like 'Yo, go do that!' "

Which Under the Mistletoe song would you like to see Justin make a video for? Tell us below!

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Justin Bieber Shoots 'Classic' Video With Mariah

03 Nov 2011 12:05:26 EDT

Pair team up for new version of Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' on Bieber's Under the Mistletoe.
By Jocelyn Vena

Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images / MTV News / Jessica Hyndman

Justin Bieber has been very busy this week. He dropped a new album, Under the Mistletoe on Tuesday, appeared on "Dancing With the Stars," freestyled over the Throne's "Otis," and not only shot a music video with Boyz II Men for "Fa La La," but also managed to squeeze in a shoot with Mariah Carey.

Which Under the Mistletoe song would you like to see Justin make a video for? Tell us below!

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Justin Bieber's Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes Collabos Hit The Net

28 Oct 2011 09:43:44 EDT

Teen star's Under the Mistletoe tracks 'All I Want for Christmas' and 'Little Drummer Boy' drop in advance of album's release.
By Jocelyn Vena

Photo: Island/Def Jam

Hey Beliebers, you can celebrate the holidays early this year! Just days before he officially releases Under the Mistletoe, Justin Bieber is gifting fans with the early release of two high-profile duets off the November 1 album.

First off, his highly anticipated Mariah Carey collabo, an updated mix of her Christmas classic "All I Want for Christmas," made its way online. The song, posted on Rap-Up.com, opens with Bieber and Carey exchanging vocal runs. Mariah's verse, which sounds very much like the original, goes first. Then Bieber, singing in a deeper register than usual, joins in for the second verse. The sound of Carey's original track is pretty much all there, with Bieber adding some new shine on the always-glittering holiday standard. "Mariah Carey is doing it with me! It's incredible. So excited," he told MTV News recently. "We wanted Mariah from the beginning, but we kind of thought it was really hard, so we didn't really push the idea. But she's on my label, so we reached out to some people, she got in contact with us, and Randy Jackson was actually at the studio with us, and I was like, 'Yo, you think you can help get Mariah on the Christmas album?' And he was like, 'I'm actually going to see her in New York on Monday,' and I was like 'Yo, go do that!' " On Bieber's collaboration with Busta Rhymes on the classic "Little Drummer Boy," which was posted on Hitfix.com, the boys threw some club beats and synths over the old-school Christmas track. The song gets a bit of an edge when Bieber, a skilled drummer himself, appears as his rapper alter ego Shawty Mane. He raps lines like "Yeah, I'm on the drum/ I'm on the snare drum/ Yeah, I'm on the beat/ 'Cause the beat goes dum/ I only spare heat 'cause I'm playing for the son/ Playing for king/ Playing for the title/ I'm surprised you didn't hear it in the Bible," while also singing the traditional lyrics from the song in between verses. Busta comes in halfway through the song, spitting family-friendly lines in his signature rapid-fire style. "Bieber hit me back and said let's make it hot up in the winter," he raps. "I said, cool/ You know I'm gonna deliver/ Let's collaborate and make the holiday a little bigger." "If you really think about it, it's genius, because it's rapping on a Christmas album ... and, like, I'm rapping on it. And then it's singing," he explained. "It's cool. [Busta's] got, like, a percussive voice to him [and] the beat was so crazy. I'm actually playing drums on that song, playing the snare." The album will also include appearances by Usher, Boyz II Men and the Band Perry, as well as a number of songs featuring Bieber all on his own, including the album's lead single, "Mistletoe."

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Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon Debut Twins

24 Oct 2011 12:05:58 EDT

Couple opened up about parenthood on '20/20' special with Barbara Walters.
By Jocelyn Vena

Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon and their six-month-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe
Photo: ABC

Back in May, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon welcomed their twins, Moroccan and Monroe, into the world. And months after their birth, the happy parents sat down with Barbara Walters on Friday for a "20/20" special, where they debuted their bundles of joy. Nicknamed "Dem Babies," the twins were born via C-section on the couple's three-year wedding anniversary as Carey's track "Fantasy" played. However, the pregnancy itself wasn't much of a fantasy for the superstar. "I don't think I understood the enormity and the magnitude of what it really does to your body," she told Walters. "Carrying two babies. Unless somebody's been through it, it's difficult to understand what I went through, because my pregnancy was very unique in terms of what happened to me. "I had serious back problems," she continued. "I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to walk properly again. It was a huge strain."

video platform video management video solutions video player Carey first confirmed she was pregnant last October after lots of speculation; she also opened up about her struggles to get pregnant. So when it came time to welcome her babies into the world, she wanted it to be a happy experience. "They came into the world to a live version [of 'Fantasy']," she said, "and the only reason I wanted it to be the live version is because I wanted them to hear the applause upon entering the world." Cannon expressed equal amounts of excitement over their family, telling Walters during the special, "My family gives me everything. Unconditional love means ... the world to me. I mean, it's completion." Shortly after the special aired, the couple launched a website for the babies, dembabies.com, where they take fans inside their family through pictures. "We deliberated for so long about how to reveal the first pictures of our babies to the world. We just didn't want to do the typical thing and display them in a tabloid (not that there's anything wrong with that)," a statement on the site reads. "We decided to share this beautiful experience with you in a special intimate portrait of our family. Parenthood is absolutely the most life changing experience we could ever have imagined. The love we feel for these babies is above and beyond anything we'd ever dreamed of."

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