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From Essence

On Thursday night, America declared Candice Glover the winner of American Idol.

With so much excitement in the air, Glover is still in shock she earned the top spot. “I’m still trying to process it,” she told reporters according to People. “I don’t even know my name! It feels amazing, though, to finally have gotten to this point after working so hard for so long.”

Glover auditioned twice in the past, both times being turned away by judges in the preliminary rounds.

On Thursday night’s finale, Glover proved why she is America’s newest star. The diva sang “Inseparable” with Jennifer Hudson—earning a standing ovation from the audience.

Awww, good for her! You can read more about Candice’s night over on Essence.com, including what runner-up Kree Harrison told her after she was announced the winner.

American Idol sometimes has trouble continuing to keep the spotlight on their winners and sometimes, you don’t hear much from them once the their album is released or soon after that. As great of a singer Candice is, do you think she’ll reach superstar status while still under the Idol contract?

Source: Twitter

Lip syncing has become such a scandal these days! The latest celeb to be thrashed for allegedly lip syncing is American Idol host Mariah Carey. Last night during the singing competition’s season finale, the 43-year-old mega star performed a medley of some of her famous tracks including “We Belong Together,” “Vision of Love,” “Make It Happen,” “My All,”  ”Hero” and her new single “#Beautiful.”

The performance ignited some pretty harsh criticism from Twitter users, who strongly believed that the mom of two had actually been lip syncing. Her reps were quick to shut down those rumors though, expressing that Carey even continued performing for fans during the commercial break.

“No she did not lip sync! She sang three times and even sang additional songs for  fans in between [commercials],” a representative from Mariah’s Camp told E! News.”

Well, I guess it make sense. The season began with drama, so it’s only fair that it ends with some type of drama and controversy as well. There’s still been no official word on if she’ll be returning next season, but she did express that she really enjoyed being on the show.

Check out footage from Mariah’s performance below. What do you ladies think? Was she lip syncing? 

Apega/WENN

While we were all breathing a sigh of relief at the idea that the wretched 12th season of American Idol was finally coming to a close (oh yeah, and celebrating the fact that Candice Glover won), Natalie Cole was somewhere fuming at her television. Why? Let us explain.

So during last night’s finale of American Idol, before winners were announced, finalist Candice Glover took to the stage to sing her rendition of “Inseparable,” a Natalie Cole hit. People are known for taking on that song, including singer Jasmine Trias, who recorded a cover of it way back from the third season of American Idol. But Glover decided to make this performance a duet, and instead of the show asking Natalie Cole to come sing her song with the Idol hopeful, they asked former contestant Jennifer Hudson to perform with her. Bad idea according to Cole…

While the women sounded great together (what were they wearing though??? Hella casual…), Cole was upset at the fact that they neglected to ring her phone, so she took to Facebook and Twitter to get some things off her chest:

Woop! Despite her anger over it all, her fans, or at least her followers that is, were mixed on their feelings over whether or not she was right to be upset, or if she was simply overreacting.

“I thought it was awesome and you should be proud they chose your song and did it so well”

“Wasn’t AI last night about the finalists singing with past American Idol contestants? So what’s the big deal. No one said “Inseparable” was originally recorded by Jennifer Hudson. Candice chose the AI past contestant she wanted to sing with and she chose JHudson. THEY DID THE SONG JUSTICE AND NAT KING COLE WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD.”

Cole didn’t comment on it further, and Jennifer Hudson didn’t respond to Cole’s statements either, so it seems that the legendary singer probably has moved on. And honestly, that might be the best thing to do. While the show definitely could have introduced the song as Cole’s at the least, we’re not really sure why she would assume that the minute a contestant wants do a duet of it, they would call her. People cover other people’s songs like this all the time, and these two ladies sounded great! But hey, to each their own.

What do you think about Cole’s response? Check out video of Candice and Jennifer singing “Inseparable” on the next page and let us know if you think they did the jam justice.

Source: WENN

The wait is over! Twenty-three-year-old St. Helena Island, South Carolina, native Candice Glover has been named the season 12 winner of “American Idol”

Last night, the champion gave it one last go, singing a duet with “Idol” runner-up Kree Harrison and sharing the stage with former AI contestant Jennifer Hudson on a soulful rendition of “Inseparable.” And when all was said and done, Candice was crowned queen and entitled to the $1 million dollar recording contract bestowed on all “American Idol” winners.

There were definitely no dry eyes left in the house when the winner sang one last song on the idol stage after becoming the first female winner of the show since Jordin Sparks in season 6. If you missed Candice’s win and last numbers check them out in the videos below.

Were you rooting for Candice?

American Idol Finale ~ Winner Announced by HumanSlinky

Source: WENN

Last week we told you that after 12 seasons, Randy Jackson announced that he would not be returning to American Idol. Although Randy’s news came as a bit of a surprise, almost everyone knew that major changes would be made to the reality-singing competition. Fox insiders later rang the alarm, claiming that Randy wouldn’t be the only judge bidding Idol adieu because the network’s executives have plans to fire the entire panel of judges.

Now of course Idol fans value Keith Urban and Randy Jackson’s presence on the show, but what people really want to know is whether or not they can look forward to another season of bickering between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. When asked if she’d be returning for another season earlier this month, Nicki sort of danced around the question.

“That’s a million-dollar question… I have to say this all the time, but I want people to know it’s genuinely from my heart. I love the people on Idol. I genuinely do. If I had to do this all over again, I would have done Idol. Because it’s fun, it’s laughs. It’s kind of sad that what people read all the time is only when something is negative. But they don’t realize that we built a family. I feel happy here and I have to thank them for giving me this chance. They could have picked anyone in the world. And they picked me. So that’s all I’ll say about that.”

With only one more week left of the trainwreck that has been this season of American Idol, it’s clear that folks just don’t care anymore. Blame it on the fact that they might all be getting the axe in a minute. Aside from a few early interviews that went left and alleged threats of gun violence that Barbara Walters got in the middle of, the judges of the show have kept it pretty tame and professional in the media. But over the last few weeks, Mariah and Nicki have been going at it both on the show and on Twitter. Now the Nickster has spoken with Ryan Seacrest about why things went so sour between herself and Carey and why, despite all that, she would do it all again if given the chance.

“One of the reasons I did “Idol” was because, when there were rumors circulating about me doing Idol, my fans were like, ‘We’re going to get to see Nicki on TV every week???’ I wouldn’t be doing this without that kind of bond that I have with my fans.”

On how her relationship with Mariah turned negative:

“Imagine someone that you’ve loved your whole life. Imagine you meeting them and then all of a sudden feeling like you did something horrible to them but you just don’t know what you did. That’s what my relationship with Mariah is, and that’s what it’s been from the beginning.”

“I just really thought that we were friends, but that’s the other thing I learned that this industry is so fake. You walk away thinking people are your friends and they’re not. It’s a couple nice hi and byes and then really, you better not step on nobody’s toes, you know? And God forbid you get a little shine. And God forbid you’re maybe witty or quick on your toes or make someone laugh. Then maybe you’re making another person feel insecure. And you shouldn’t have to dim your light to let another person shine.”

“I came in to do ‘Idol’ really in my heart, thinking that we were going to be the most fun judges of all time. I was like, ‘I love Mariah.’ We’re gonna be so good together because we’re both funny, we’re crazy, we have a past relationship, and the only person I didn’t know if I would understand or get, or who would get me, was Keith.”

Of course, Nicki and Keith seem to have the closest connection of all the judges now. But is that friendship enough to get her to come back for another season (if she doesn’t get fired)?

“That’s the million dollar question. I want people to know it’s genuine from my heart. I love the people. If I had to do this all over again, I would do Idol. It’s fun. It’s laughs. It’s kind of sad what people read all the time is only when something is negative. They don’t realize we built a family. I feel happy here. I have to thank Idol for giving me this chance. They could have picked anyone, and they picked me.”

Interesting. The two did work together a few years ago on the remix of Mariah’s “Up Out My Face.” So maybe she thought because of that, they were going to get along swimmingly on the show. Guess not…

Check out her full sit-down with Seacrest on E! News on the next page:

While I wasn’t necessarily feeling “Triumphant,” Mariah Carey’s last single with Rick Ross, nor was I crazy about her track “Almost Home” for the movie Oz, The Great And Powerful, this new joint I can rock with. Just a few days ago, “#Beautiful” dropped and I could groove with it, but wasn’t 100% sure if it was a winner in my book yet. But now that the video has been released, I love it! Carey debuted the video during American Idol yesterday, which was directed by Joseph Kahn, and in the clip, the iconic singer rides along on a motorcycle with the very handsome Miguel as they sing and let the “wind” (fake) blow though their hair (and in Miguel’s case, bouffant). Later in the video, Mimi writhes around and dances in a tiny yellow dress in front of Miguel in a barnyard. And yeah, that’s pretty much the gist of it. But I can say that the visuals match the song well. The song was co-written and co-produced by Miguel, and we’re digging it.

Even if things don’t work out as a judge on American Idol (and I hope she leaves on her own accord after the hot mess of a way she’s been portrayed through the show), she’s got a great summer to look forward to, because we’re sure this jam will be a winner on the charts. Check it out for yourself and let us know if it’s a pass or play for you!

Source: YouTube

With all of the drama surrounding his wife and her American Idol co-host, many have been wondering what Nick Cannon thinks of all of the controversy. The comedian and producer recently stopped by KTLA in Los Angeles for an interview and offered his two cents on the Mariah-Nicki controversy, while making some humorous revelations about the ongoing bickering. Check out some of what he had to say.

On Mariah warning Fox producers that hiring Nicki was a bad idea:

“The amazing thing is that my wife, foreseeing all of this, tried to tell the network. She said, ‘I don’t think this is going to work, I’m afraid.’ She said, ‘I don’t need this. I’m doing this for the brand of ‘American Idol,’ which she has been a fan of and [she] loves the show, but [they're] kind of gonna take this in the wrong direction like one of those reality shows. She’s said, ’I didn’t sign up to be on ‘Love & Hip Hop.’”

On if he thinks producers are playing up the Nicki-Mariah drama:

“That’s the thing. My wife has been taking the high road, trying her best to just take it, but it feels like the producers and everybody else wants to just play into the sound bites and stuff like that. It’s unfortunate.”

On if he thinks Mariah will sign on for another season: 

“She just released a single today that is all of the place called “#Beautiful.” She’s so focused on her music and what she really loves to do, and that’s why she did ‘American Idol’ in the first place. Like, ‘Oh, I’m a lover of singers and music,’ so, it’s a time where she has so many amazing things going on in her life. If there’s something unstable…if they get it stable, she might relook, but nobody wants to be apart of anything that’s unstable.”

Check out Nick’s interview on the next page.

Source: WENN

Within the past two weeks, we’ve heard more about tension brewing between American Idol judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj than we’ve heard about the actual contestants. Just last week Nicki served Mariah with a few low blows via Twitter, calling the 43-year-old mother of two “insecure” and “bitter.” 30-year-old Nicki then proceeded to kick dirt in her co-star’s face by referencing swirling rumors that Jennifer Lopez was being courted by Fox to replace MiMi on the show.

The beef between the ladies seems very catty and unnecessary, but industry insiders say Mariah has had enough and doesn’t even want to finish the current season. According to Perez Hilton, the inside source is saying that Mariah would rather cut her losses and keep it moving than deal with Nicki’s antagonistic ways.

“Mariah doesn’t want to come back, Nicki is really disrespecting her and she’s tired of trying to bite her tongue all the time… One night Nicki tried to be kind of nice, but Mariah didn’t bite, so I guess she figured screw that,” the source said.

The source went on to say that Mariah is tired of dealing with American Idol producer as well.

“She’s done with it all. She doesn’t need the platform, and all the drama isn’t healthy for her… She’s also under fire with the producers for not being critical enough of the contestants.”

Of course these are all speculations, as Mariah’s departure has yet to be confirmed by her camp or Fox producers. Only time will tell.

Would you be sad to see Mariah leave American Idol?

Source: Access Hollywood

Last week we told you about Nicki Minaj’s venomous Twitter rant aimed at her American Idol co-host Mariah Carey. When questioned about the feud and the comments she made about Mariah by Access Hollywood correspondent Laura Saltman, Nicki, who was visibly irritated began to insult Laura, telling her that the question she was asking didn’t make sense.

“Are you looking forward to the end [of American Idol]? Because I know there were some Twitter comments you made today that caused quite a stir,” Laura asked.

“That question didn’t even make sense. So if you want me to insinuate what you’re talking about I’m not going to,” Nicki spat.

Before even giving Saltman a chance to respond, Nicki said, “Okay, goodnight” and walked away. An aggravated Laura composed a rather lengthy blog post about the experience, calling Nicki “ungracious” and a “cyber-bully.” Laura’s post reads:

“In my 20 years in entertainment news, I have interviewed close to 5,000 celebrities — people who have bigger bragging rights than Nicki. Men and women who have Oscars, Grammys and Emmys. Yet, by far, she is the most ungracious of anyone I have met.

Each week, she comes backstage for interviews and we are told “two questions only” while her people hover over you and even, at times, have their hand on your arm as you end your interview to make you stop. Waiver from the two-question rule and Nicki herself will walk away. She makes zero eye contact and has no connection to whomever is interviewing her. If she likes your question, she may give you a proper answer. If she doesn’t, she may give you a dirty look and walk off. After she posted mean comments about Mariah on Twitter yesterday calling her “bitter” and “insecure,” I wanted to give her the opportunity to redeem herself or perhaps apologize. I phrased my question that her comments had caused quite a stir online and asked if she had anything to say about it. She looked at me and told me my question made no sense and when I tried to explain it further she just said “goodnight” and walked off in a huff.

Nicki’s comments yesterday on Twitter show who she really is – a mean girl, a cyber-bully who is just perpetuating the problems of social media. When will society finally take a stand and say ‘Enough!’ with all of the hateful, spiteful things people say about each other? We are more connected than ever online but more willing to hide behind our anonymous avatars and be nasty to people we barely know. As a celebrity, I would hope that Nicki would understand her fans look to her as a role model and she should choose her words more wisely. From what I have seen of her behavior since “Idol” began, I’m not sure she is capable of this. She’s a female rapper who should be proud of her accomplishments as a woman not cutting other women down.

The truth is that 20 years from now, Mariah Carey will still be known as one of the best female vocalists of all time. Nicki Minaj – well, I will let you decide that.”

You can probably guess that this didn’t sit too well with Nicki. The “High School rapper took to her Twitter page to blast Laura and the Access Hollywood team, especially Billy Bush who called her “a female Kanye West.”

Turn the page to see footage of the interview that started it all. Nicki’s segment begins at the 2:51 mark. Do you think Nicki was justified in walking away during an interview? Was it unprofessional of Laura to write a blog post coming for Nicki?