Olly Murs Tears Up… For Will Smith?

He’s released three albums, has had four number-one singles and has sold more than 5 million records in the U.K., but now, Olly Murs is looking to take things Stateside.

After his success on the U.K. version of the “The X Factor,” where he finished second, Murs gained overseas exposure by touring the U.S. and Canada with fellow “X Factor” alumni One Direction. Murs is enjoying the success of his hit single, “Troublemaker,” featuring Flo Rida, as he gears up for the release of his U.S. debut, Right Place Right Time, in April, which is actually his third U.K. album.

MTV News recently caught up with the British pop star and in using some of his song titles from his upcoming album, we got to know him a little bit better. Check out the video to see his answers!

“Troublemaker”
Even though Murs may be singing about a girl that causes him angst on his single, that doesn’t mean Murs himself hasn’t found himself in a little bit of trouble.

“When I got pulled over by the police and got nicked for not wearing my seatbelt,” Murs recalls as the time he got himself in the most trouble. It’s not bad, but I got into trouble. My mom completely was not happy with me getting nicked by the police.”

“Right Place Right Time”
The mid-tempo album title track has Murs sweetly singing about final finding his perfect love, but in actuality, Murs “right place, right time” was with none other than Simon Cowell.

“When I went to ‘The X Factor,’ ” Murs said. “Lucky enough that day I walked in at the right time, right place, Simon liked it, and the rest is history.”

“Cry Your Heart Out”
Not surprisingly, “Cry Your Heart Out” has to do with a nasty breakup, but what is surprising is that the last time Murs cried his heart out wasn’t over a girl, it was over Will Smith.

“When I watched ‘Men in Black 3,’ which is really embarrassing,” Murs said of the last time he had a good cry. “I was on the plane and I don’t know if it was just because the time of year, maybe I was a bit rundown, maybe I was a bit down in the dumps. I was on a plane, [saying to myself], be cool be cool.”

Have you caught on to Olly Murs yet? Tell us what you think of the singer in the comments!

New ‘American Idol’ Judges: Jennifer Hudson Weighs In!

This week, viewers finally got to see some of the Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj drama unfold onscreen.

American Idol” season 12 debuted this past Wednesday, and the tension is already in the air, complete with a number of fitting references to the Lindsay Lohan comedy “Mean Girls.”

And whether you loved it or want to put this season in your Burn Book, one “Idol” alum thinks the show’s execs know exactly what they’re doing with their latest show shake-up.

“It’s television, and ‘Idol’ is very good at what the machine does,” she told MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival while promoting her film “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete.”

And for anyone wondering what an OG idol like Hudson thinks about the latest judging panel, the season-three contestant said she still kind of misses the classic combo of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul.

“I haven’t really watched this season. Although I am in the wings, and I always try to peek in and check it out,” she continued. “I am curious to see the judges on the show, from Mariah to Nicki, and I’m not too familiar with anyone else, but I think the public is so used to seeing the faces of Simon, Paula and Randy. it’s kind of hard to adjust to new characters. So whatever they’re doing, it’s probably a good thing.”

Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey’s “American Idol” beef: A timeline!

Fans have been treated to two episodes featuring the new panel, which also includes Keith Urban and “Idol” vet Jackson. The divas have taken their attitude to New York and Chicago. Next week, viewers might want to tune in as the judges will hit up Charlotte, North Carolina — the site of the now-infamous verbal brawl that took place between Carey and Minaj last October.

Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

Britney Spears Calls ‘X Factor’ Split ‘Very Difficult’

One day after news broke
 that Britney Spears would be one-and-out on “X Factor,” the singer released a statement on Friday confirming her exit from the show.

“I’ve made the very difficult decision not to return for another season,” said Spears, who was reportedly paid $15 million to join Simon Cowell, fellow newbie Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid on the second season of the ratings-challenged reality singing competition. “I had an incredible time doing the show and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens, but it’s time for me to get back in the studio.”

Spears is working on her eighth studio album
 with Hit-Boy and will.i.am
 and is reportedly considering a tour in support of the as-yet-untitled new effort. On Friday, TMZ was among the outlets reporting that the singer is in “serious talks” to headline a residency at a Las Vegas hotel. The “big, nightly show” would be along the lines of similar stands by Elton John, Cher and Celine Dion and negotiations have reportedly been going on for some time.

“Watching them all do their thing up on that stage every week made me miss performing so much!” said Spears, who was criticized by some observers for her distracted, flat presence on “Factor.” “I can’t wait to get back out there and do what I love most.”

Though her tenure on the show has become best known for a series of GIF-worthy facial expressions, Spears’ 13-year-old protégé, Carly Rose Sonenclar, placed a strong second to the Reid-mentored winner, country singer Tate Stevens.

Spears was part of what has been a constantly rotating panel on “Factor,” which saw the booting of Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul after season one and the recent departure of original judge Reid following the just-completed season. MTV News was unable to confirm at press time if Lovato will return for a second season.

Britney Spears Leaving ‘X Factor’ After One Season

One and done. That’s what Britney Spears’ record with the “X Factor” will be.

After a lackluster turn on the show in which Spears failed to goose ratings for Simon Cowell‘s reality singing competition, sources close to the production confirmed to MTV News on Thursday (January 10) that the singer has quit the show because she knew she would not be asked to return for this fall’s third season.


Spears will be a one-termer after ratings for the show’s second season suffered a double-digit dip last year. The singer, whose most lasting legacy on “Factor” could end up being her GIF-worthy grab bag of surprised/bored/blank facial expressions, has not officially been dropped from the panel yet, but the failure to launch made the writing on the wall very clear.

A spokesperson for Fox had no comment on the reports at press time.
TMZ broke the news on Wednesday night, quoting “unimpeachable sources” as saying that while Spears loves the show, she’s focused on recording her eighth studio album at the moment. “Britney loves Simon, she likes Demi Lovato but her thing is music,” said one source.

The signing of Spears was a gamble for Cowell, considering that the press-shy singer has been reluctant to go in front of cameras for several years following a string of personal problems that began in 2007. The news came just days after Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly told reporters that he was pleased with Spears’ job on “Factor.”

“I thought it went very, very well,” Reilly said on Tuesday. “It was fraught with unknowns, and I think Britney did a very good job. People are fascinated with her and always will be. Last year the ratings were a little bit higher, but I think it was a better show this year. I think she tucked in really nicely on the bench.”

Spears will be part of what has been a constantly rotating panel on “Factor,” which saw the booting of Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul after season one and the recent departure of original judge L.A. Reid following the just-completed season. It was unknown at press time if Lovato will return for a second season.

Britney’s new album is among the most anticipated releases of 2013!

After reportedly pulling down a $15 million paycheck for the “Factor” deal, Spears has been in the studio
 working on tracks with Hit-Boy and will.i.am
 and is reportedly considering mounting a tour to support the as-yet-untitled new effort. The singer released Femme Fatale in March 2011 and recently appeared alongside pal will on his single, “Scream Shout.”

Britney Spears Toasts 31st Birthday After Very Active 2012

Happy Birthday to the one and only Britney Spears!

The “X Factor” judge celebrates her 31st birthday on Sunday (December 2) and after an extremely successful year filled with professional and personal highs, the pop superstar certainly has a lot to celebrate, and hoping she does so is “X Factor” co-host Khloe Kardashian.

Happy Birthday pop princess Britney Spears,” Kardashian told MTV News. “I think you’re phenomenal and amazing and I wish you many, many more.”

Shortly after turning the big 3-0 last year, Spears’ longtime boyfriend, former agent and fellow co-star in the steamy “Criminal” video, Jason Trawick, decided to make it official and slipped a four-carat, round-cut diamond on her finger.

In May, following several months of rumors, Spears signed a $15 million contract to join the judging panel on the “X Factor” alongside newcomer Demi Lovato and veterans L.A. Reid and Simon Cowell.

Celebrate Britney’s birthday with 31-derful photos!

“Just really being able to be there and inspire the other contestants … they’re so young and they’re trying to fulfill their dreams,” Spears said about the show. “It’s just a whole beautiful concept. It’s just really cool.”

Spears is currently mentoring the teen group of the competition and has two contestants, Diamond White and frontrunner Carly Rose Sonenclar, left to compete for the 5 million dollar recording contract with Syco/Sony Music.

Yet, the year wouldn’t be complete without some music from the pop star. On Wednesday, Spears and will.i.am released the video for their club-ready track, “Scream and Shout,” which landed at the top spot of the iTunes single chart.

“#ScreamingAndShouting! #1 on iTunes, this is amazing,” Spears tweeted Thursday. “Congrats @iamwill, so happy 2 share this moment w U! And thx 2 all our beautiful fans!”

Besides having a #1 single, it seems Spears got another early birthday gift: a new puppy. Spears recently tweeted out a photo of herself and her newest addition, Hannah Spears, a brown female terrier puppy she adopted. Spears even created a Twitter account for Hannah Spears, who already has more than 16,000 followers, with the appropriate tagline, “I’m Britney’s Bitch.”

Leave your Birthday wishes for Britney in the comments below!

One Direction Plan To Super Size Fan Experience With 3-D Movie

As they count down the days until One Direction release their 3-D film on August 30, 2013, fans might be wondering what they can expect. With Morgan Spurlock directing, could it mean the fivesome gorge themselves on fast food?

When MTV News caught up with the guys, they joked the film may pay homage to the Spurlock’s famed 2004 documentary, “Super Size Me,” in which the filmmaker ate McDonald’s for 30 days straight. Liam Payne teased, “That’s going to be part of the film. Eating McDonald’s onstage for 30 days.”

One Direction’s new action figures: “Best dolls ever made”?

All joking aside, the guys do know that the film will take fans on and off-stage with them, allowing unprecedented access to the global super stars. “Morgan works well because like you said, he did a lot of documentary movies,” Niall said. “That’s more so what we want our movie to be. It’s going to be a concert movie, but with a documentary side than concert side so we wanted to give it like get our personalities across because the fans know us, but we want them to know us deeper.”

Liam added, “I think he’s come up with a lot of interesting concepts and stuff for films, so it’s just going to be really exciting to work with him and see what he comes out of the bag with for us.”

Our 1D 3-D movie wish list

The anticipation for the release is also high for the guys, who hope to use the flick as a time capsule capturing this moment in their lives. “And, also, it’s going to be amazing for us to look on in like however many years and just be like ‘This is when I was a lad’,” Louis shared, with Liam adding, “You know what we always say, when we left home to do ‘X Factor’ our parents were like ‘Make sure you take loads of pictures,’ but we’ve got a film to do that for us now so we can be lazy.”

The guys also secured a close friend as the film’s producer: Ben Winston, who directed the group’s first documentary “A Year In the Making,” in 2011. “He knows us, so we’ve got a good team on the production side of stuff,” Niall said.

The band’s mentor, Simon Cowell, will also serve as a producer. When Cowell spoke to us earlier this month, he shared that the movie may feature the group, but it’ll really be about the fans.

“Well, I mean, for anyone who’s a fan of the band, you’re gonna get a chance to really see what it’s like preparing for one of these big concert tours, a lot of it is about the fans,” he said, before showing love to Spurlock. “Morgan Spurlock‘s directing. He’s cool, I met him. I think it’s going to be amazing. He was just such fan of doing it. What he gets is storytelling and he likes detail and he’s fun and the band likes him. I think he’s going to make an interesting movie.”

One Direction Wish They Were ‘Cool Enough’ To Work With Jay-Z

In 2012, One Direction went from virtual unknowns in the United States to undoubtedly one of the biggest acts in music, and it doesn’t look like they will be slowing down in the new year.

Following the success of their smash album Take Me Home, the British/Irish boy band will spend the better part of next year working on their 3-D movie, which Simon Cowell said will not only be “about the fans,” but will also follow their massive 2013 world tour, which kicks off in February at London’s O2 arena.

They have their first-ever headlining tour for Up All Night under their belts, but this time around, the boys promise it will be bigger and better.

“With the last tour, we didn’t expect it to be as big as it was,” Harry Styles said. “We never expected to do that many dates. I think we did 92 shows, and this time we are kind of preparing it for bigger arenas so we can make the stage a bit bigger. The whole show is bigger, and we’re doing, like, 101 dates on the next one, so it’s going to be a long one.”

One Direction teach us the art of the swoon face: Watch now!

One Direction did admit that they’ve already picked out their opening act but wouldn’t disclose the lucky artist. However, they did reveal who is on their dream list of tourmates.

“Celine Dion!” Liam Payne said of who he would want to tour with before rattling off the names of Bruno Mars, Pink and Kanye West.

Zayn Malik admitted that going on tour with Katy Perry “would be amazing,” but hip-hop mogul Jay-Z tops his list.

“Imagine going on tour with Jay-Z,” Malik asked the group.

“Lads, I don’t think there’s much chance,” Louis Tomlinson admitted.

One Direction answer your Twitter questions!

And while they might not get to go on tour with Jay, they are keeping their hopes up for a possible collaboration.

“I would love to do a hip-hop collaboration with Jay-Z,” Payne said. “I don’t know how to talk to him, though. I think he’s wicked. I love Jay-Z. It upsets me that we’re not cool enough, but I wish we could.”

Not so fast: It seems Liam already made the first move. Payne snapped a photo of himself with Jay at the Brooklyn, New York, stop of Justin Bieber‘s Believe Tour, after tweeting, “Alssoooo my biggest news todayy i met one of my idols and couldnt even look him in the eye…”

Wonder if he asked him about that collaboration? Fingers crossed, Directioners.

Would you want to hear a One Direction amd Jay-Z collaboration? Let us know in the comments below!