Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul on Fox's Super Bowl XLII red carpet on Sunday in Arizona
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

For most people, Super Bowl Sunday was all about watching the Big Game. Would the New England Patriots finish with a perfect season or would the New York Giants pull off the ultimate upset?

In my apartment, however, Sunday was about something else entirely. Not Tom Petty and the Pacemakers' halftime show, not Jordin Sparks' national anthem (although, can I get a witness?), not the commercials (even the ones with Richard Simmons). For the Cantiello Household, Super Bowl XLII meant one thing.

The return of Paula Abdul, superstar.

Sure, her pregame performance of "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" was pretaped. And yes, it certainly looked like she was lip-syncing Cotillard-style. But I have to admit, I thought she nailed it.

Before you start furiously commenting about me "going soft," hear me out.

Paula Abdul was never famous for her singing ability. She was always first and foremost a performer. Like Janet Jackson before her and Britney Spears after, Abdul's live shows were all about dancing and spectacle. (She's shared the stage with an animated cat, a re-animated deceased dance legend and a friggin' hovercraft! Your move, Beyoncé.) For critics to call her out for not singing live now — 12 years after her last album, and arguably 15 years after her last major hit — is kind of absurd.

"But Jim," you protest, "if Paula's going to lip-sync on television, who is she to judge other singers on 'American Idol'?" My answer is this: Paula Abdul pointing out pitch problems has been ridiculous since episode one (still not as ridiculous as when "Idol" invited Jennifer Lopez to coach singers, though). Plus, anyone who caught Gwen Stefani's pretaped and seemingly auto-tuned performance on last year's season finale knows that "Idol" is no stranger to less-than-live vocals when it comes to the occasional celebrity guest.

Take her canned vocals out of the equation and it's hard to deny that Paula's return to the stage was nothing short of triumphant. Her entrance was an adorable nod to her past. The former Laker Girl was propped up in a cheerleader formation while she sang the opening lines of her debut album's namesake, "Forever Your Girl." She had an infectious, beaming smile that never left her face for the entirety of her performance. And although she may not have moved as much as her background dancers, you could tell that Paula was committing to each hip pop and head roll 100 percent (or, as she would say to an "Idol" contestant, "one million bajillion percent").

Paula looked amazing too. I love her new haircut (we haven't seen the bangs on this season of "Idol" yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing them in weeks to come) and her outfit was MILF-tastic. She learned her lesson from her '91 VMA debacle, avoiding the bedazzled sausage leotard for a flattering, age-appropriate pantsuit that showed off her ripped arms and tiny frame.

If you asked me a week ago, I would have put money on Paula's appearance being a mess of "Gimme More" proportions. All signs pointed toward "train wreck." Paula hasn't performed in over a decade because of serious physical injuries. She's known more for her occasionally loopy appearances as a TV personality than as a hitmaker. And last summer, she was the star of a reality show that solidified the public's perception of her as an emotional wreck.

Considering all that baggage, the biggest underdog victory of Super Bowl XLII didn't belong to the New York Giants. It belonged to Paula.

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

• Paula Abdul
• Tom Petty
• Randy Jackson

Katharine McPhee
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

"American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee married actor Nick Cokas on Saturday in Beverly Hills, California, according to People.com. "[Nick] is the love of my life," McPhee told the site. "This is a once in a lifetime occasion and everything is just perfect." Fellow season-five "Idol" contestants Kellie Pickler and Mandisa were among the 305 guests in attendance, the site reported. McPhee and Cokas met in 2005 when they performed in a Los Angeles theater production of "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." ...

Jay-Z will headline June's Glastonbury Festival in the U.K., BBC News reports. Jigga wanted to "break with tradition this time and put on something totally different" for the three-day shindig, organizer Michael Eavis reportedly said. The rest of the roster is yet unrevealed, save for Neil Diamond, who will play the closing night, June 29. ...

R. Kelly is being sued by a Nevada concert promoter who says the R&B star failed to show up for a performance in Minneapolis for which he was paid $120,000, according to TMZ.com. Kelly reportedly missed the gig so that he could appear in a Chicago court for a hearing. A suit filed in Atlanta District Court this week by Royalty Records reportedly claims Kelly agreed to perform December 6 with Ne-Yo and Keyshia Cole, but then rescheduled the show for December 20, the day he was set to appear in court. The promoters are seeking the return of the payment, TMZ.com says. ...

Amy Winehouse spent Wednesday night in a hospital ward after being rushed there from a rehab facility to be treated for dehydration. BBC News reports that the singer was put on an IV drip to rehydrate her after a bout of vomiting connected to her treatment for drug addiction. Her father, Mitch, said "everything is going according to plan, and she's perfectly OK," confirming that she has since been moved back to the rehab facility. He also reportedly told the Daily Mirror that he's not sure she's well enough yet to attend next week's Grammys, where she's up for six awards. ...

Madonna has pegged April 29 as the release date for her yet-untitled album, her rep confirmed to MTV News. ... Janet Jackson debuted her new single, "Rock With You," Friday (February 1) on Z100.com. The song is featured on the singer's new album, Discipline, which is due February 26. ... Michael Jackson's 25th anniversary Thriller celebration just got a bit more thrilling. Chris Brown, Akon, Nick Cannon, Quincy Jones, Imogen Heap, DJ Spooky, Will.I.Am and others have shared their thoughts about the iconic album for a related 40-episode podcast series that will run throughout the year. Grab the Thrillercast widget right here. ...

While Britney Spears is undergoing a mental-health evaluation at a Los Angeles hospital, one of Britain's leading modern-dance troupes, the Rambert Dance Company, will perform a piece called "Meltdown," described as a choreographic interpretation of the singer's recent problems. Agence France-Presse reported that the performance at the Southbank Center in London on Friday will feature music from Richard Thomas, who masterminded the tunes in "Jerry Springer: The Opera." An excerpt of the piece shown on BBC News featured a Spears character dancing in a skimpy pink top, black vinyl hot pants and a pink cowboy hat while being harassed by photographers dressed in black. She is later carried away by dancers dressed as doctors in white coats. ... Britney has some company in the psych ward, as various outlets are reporting that actor Justin Chambers, who plays Dr. Alex Karev on "Grey's Anatomy," checked himself into the same hospital as the singer to deal with exhaustion and a sleeping disorder on Monday. ...

There's some big Metallica news on the horizon, according to MetClub, their fan organization. The band, which will spend much of the summer touring Europe, is expected to reveal the dates for a North American trek next week. We'll keep you posted. ... The Roots recently got together with TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe to record a new song for the soundtrack to a Danny Glover-produced documentary on the civil-rights movement. Anthony Hamilton, the Blind Boys of Alabama and others also lent their skills to the musical accompaniment to "Soundtrack for a Revolution." ...

The Beatles might not be around anymore, but they're going into outer space thanks to a new NASA effort, The Associated Press reports. The space agency will broadcast the group's song "Across the Universe" across the galaxy to the North Star on Monday. NASA's first-ever beaming of a radio tune into deep space marks the 40th anniversary of the song and the 50th anniversary of the space agency. "Send my love to the aliens," Paul McCartney reportedly said in response to the event. ... "Law & Order" stay Jesse L. Martin will play Marvin Gaye in the upcoming biopic "Sexual Healing," according to Playbill.com. ...

Justin Timberlake, Madonna and others have some blockbuster Super Bowl ads in store for Sunday, but Eels are taking a slightly different approach. The experimental group is in talks to bring the shortest-ever Super Bowl ad to the airwaves — a one-second spot hyping its recently released collection Useless Trinkets (B-sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased. Eels made a five-second spot for the set but are trimming it down to just one second for the prospective Super Bowl TV spot. ...

Eva Mendes is in rehab for a substance-abuse problem, according to TMZ.com. The "We Own the Night" actress has reportedly been at the Cirque Lodge in Utah, where Lindsay Lohan was treated last year, for several weeks. According to FoxNews.com, Mendes' rep said, "Eva has been working hard for the past year and made a positive decision to take some much-needed time off to proactively attend to some personal issues that, while not critical, she felt deserved some outside professional support." ...

Wesley Snipes was acquitted of tax fraud but was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return in a Florida court on Friday, according to AP. Snipes had faced up to 16 years in prison if convicted on all charges but can now only get up to three years. The "Blade" star and two co-defendants had been indicted in 2006 after Snipes stopped paying, using tax-protest arguments long rejected by the courts. ...

With a song called "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" on fellow "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson's new album under her belt, Paula Abdul has announced on her Web site that she's prepping a solo album for this summer. It would be her first album of new material in 13 years. She also promises that she and Randy will give fans a "surprise" during the Super Bowl on Sunday. ... Tom Petty may be playing halftime, but "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks will kick off the Super Bowl by performing the national anthem. Even before Sparks takes center stage, Alicia Keys will perform as part of the pregame show. ...

Fearless Records have assembled a compilation featuring punk bands' takes on crunk classics. Punk Goes Crunk is set to hit stores April 8 and will feature covers by All Time Low, the Devil Wears Prada, Hot Rod Circuit, New Found Glory and Say Anything, among others. ... Remember Lit, that guys with the music video in which they're climbing across Pamela Anderson like she's the Himalayas? Well, the "Miserable" band is back in writing mode, according to its Web site. "Lit is currently writing together, and I hope that there will be more news to give you this year," a post on the site claims. The band's last album, which was self-titled, hit stores back in 2004.

1.31.08

Justin Timberlake got one heck of a 27th birthday surprise on Thursday (January 31) when Madonna presented him with a cupcake and champagne on the set of her new video, Madge's representative told MTV News. The clip, for "4 Minutes to Save the World," is currently being shot in London with directors Jonas & Francois (who helmed Justice's "D.A.N.C.E.") (Maroon 5, James Blunt) and will feature JT as well as Timbaland. The track will appear on Madonna's yet-untitled LP, due this year. ...

In Style magazine is teaming with the Grammys for the first-ever Grammy Salute to Fashion, which will take place February 7 and feature a performance by Rihanna. The event peeks at the spring collections from the fashion houses of Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Diddy, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Simpson. It will be hosted by producer Jimmy Jam and also feature a showcase for the Recording Academy's own fashion line, Grammy Brand. ...

Beck's Odelay deluxe reissue is filled with unreleased and rare tracks, and other goodies — but incorrect lyrics weren't supposed to be among them. "The first pressing of the recent Odelay [reissue] was found to have gone out with unproofed lyrics that were taken from a lyrics Web site as place holders for layout purposes," his publicist said in a statement. "Beck apologizes for this unfortunate oversight and is making arrangements for the corrected lyrics to be available gratis via Beck.com. Subsequent pressings of the Odelay [reissue] will also include the corrected lyrics." ...

The routing for this year's Warped Tour will find the 14th annual edition of the fest kicking off June 20 in Pomona, California, and swinging through 45 cities across North America before winding up August 17 in Los Angeles. Venues for the trek have not yet been announced, and tickets won't go on sale until March. Confirmed performers include Gym Class Heroes, Every Time I Die, the Academy Is ..., Relient K, From First to Last and Reel Big Fish, who will all perform on the entire tour. ...

George Clooney toured the United Nations headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday as part of a ceremony anointing him a U.N. messenger of peace, according to The Associated Press. The "Michael Clayton" actor, who recently returned from a trip to Sudan, took on his new U.N. "role" — for which he will promote the world body's peacekeeping missions — after launching many of his own efforts to end the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. ...

Dizzee Rascal and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have been added to the list of performers for this year's Plug Independent Music Awards, to be held March 6 in New York. Funnyman Patton Oswalt will host, with José González and St. Vincent — who, like Cave and Rascal, are also nominated for Plug honors — also performing. ... Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore slipped out an exclusive iTunes EP on Wednesday, according to Pitchfork. Live From SoHo showcases Moore — with SY drummer Steve Shelley and others — performing nine songs at an Apple store in New York in October. ... She & Him — Zooey Deschanel's music project with indie folkie M. Ward — are plotting to release their first album, Volume 1, March 18 via Merge. The group has also been added to San Francisco's Noise Pop, slated for February 26 through March 2. Working for a Nuclear Free City, Quasi, White Denim, Entrance and Great Northern have also been tossed onto the fest's bill. ...

Antony has handcrafted a white silk dress and is planning to put it up for auction February 14 on eBay. Proceeds will go to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a grassroots group that fights for the rights of people to self-determine their gender identity and expression. ... The indie-rock community is continuing to reach out to help Callum Robbins, the 2-year-old son of former Jawbox frontman J. Robbins who has an incurable spinal disease. Now rare items by Mission of Burma, Shellac, Shudder to Think, John Vanderslice, Kristin Hersch and others are The bidding will end in seven or eight days, depending on the item. ...

J Mascis's Witch project — the sludgy, metal-ish answer to his main band, Dinosaur Jr. — have thrown together their second album, Paralyzed, and it will see the light of day March 18. Witch are also scheduled to play this year's South by Southwest music festival, set for March 12-16 in Austin, Texas. ... Ex-Jesus Lizard frontman David Yow had been touring with his new band, Qui — until he suffered a collapsed lung during a stop in Pittsburgh earlier this week. According to Pitchfork, he was released from the hospital Tuesday night and is planning to attend Thursday's Los Angeles premiere of "Al's Beef," a short-form Western in which he acted. While Yow has recovered, though, Qui's live dates in February and March are still scrapped. ...

Ahoy, Pirate Bay — you've got a bit of a problem on your hands. Four men who run the popular file-sharing site are facing charges of conspiracy to break copyright law in Sweden, according to BBC News. While the site's servers don't contain copyrighted material, they do offer links to the download location of movies, TV shows, albums and software. A prosecutor reportedly said the site — which was temporarily shut down two years ago after police seized its computers — was commercially exploiting copyright-protected materials because it got its money from advertising revenues. "In case we lose the pending trial (yeah right) there will still not be any changes to the site," replied a post on the site. "The Pirate Bay will keep operating just as always. We've been here for years and we will be here many more." The men could go to prison for up to two years if convicted, according to BBC News.

• 2008 Grammy Awards Performers And Presenters
• 2008 Grammy Award Nominees: Akon, Fergie, T.I., More

• Katharine McPhee
• Jay-Z
• R. Kelly
• Amy Winehouse
• Britney Spears

LaKisha Jones performs Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" on March 7
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Fox

As the music director on "American Idol," Rickey Minor is well schooled on how to sing a Celine Dion song in a competition.

"You don't," Minor said bluntly. "You simply don't. Can you play one-on-one [basketball] with Kobe? No. So don't do it — you're gonna lose. Now, you can play with someone else and have a great game and have fun."

If Minor's words sound familiar, it's because he subscribes to the same school of thought as judge Randy Jackson, who has berated contestants over the years for taking on the biggest and best singers of all time.

As Jackson repeats nearly every week, some artists are untouchable. Celine and Whitney Houston are at the top of the list, followed by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and even Christina Aguilera. Randy has also said the same about Stevie Wonder, even though the show had a Wonder-themed week last season.

So if one of the judges and the leader of the band are advising the "Idol" hopefuls to avoid these singers, why are their songs among the most sung on the show?

Well, the catalogs of artists like Dion and Wonder are so vast that perhaps they are just too difficult to ignore. But the more likely answer is that the contestants just don't agree — or care.

"I think if you can sing, you can sing any artist," recently eliminated contestant Stephanie Edwards said. "The only thing is, if you're going to sing somebody's song that they sang very well, don't sing it just like them, because if you sing it just like them, they are going to compare you to that artist. Like with me and the Chaka song ['Sweet Thing']. I didn't sing it like Chaka Khan, but I still was compared to Chaka Khan. So it kind of didn't go like I wanted it to go."

"I think you have to know what you can sing and what you can do," added LaKisha Jones, who clinched her way into the finals with Houston's "I Have Nothing." "Before I learned Aretha and before I learned Jennifer Holliday, I've always sung Whitney, so I knew that I could sing a Whitney song. And a lot of people can't because she has a five-octave range, but I like to challenge myself."

Another reason so many songs from the so-called untouchables end up on "Idol" is because the singers are constantly being given lists of songs that are available rights-wise, and those by Celine and other untouchables are often included.

"That's why I don't agree," season-six semifinalist Jared Cotter said. "What are the songs there for? What are they on the list for? The fact is, what's good about those songs is that nobody is going to do them the same. I'm not going to do it like Stevie did it — I tried, but I'm not Stevie Wonder, you know? I'm me. I put my own different twist to it."

Still, Cotter's rendition of Wonder's "If You Really Love Me" got him a disappointing review and sent him home. "As much as [Jackson] said that I didn't have any originality, I really feel like if he did his homework and went and looked at the videotape, that I did," Cotter insisted.

Brandon Rogers, who worked as a backup singer for Aguilera before making the "Idol" finals, pointed to this season's youngest contestant, Jordin Sparks, to prove Jackson and Minor wrong.

"She sang [Aguilera's] 'Reflection' and blew it out," Rogers said. "That's one of the untouchables and she touched it."

Contestant Blake Lewis also disagrees that some singers are untouchable and, not surprisingly, said it's "all about the arrangement." "That and where it lies in your voice," he said. "If you think you can sing a song, go for it."

Debra Byrd, the show's vocal coach who often sides with Jackson and Minor, agreed that LaKisha nailed Whitney.

"It works when they put their stamp on it," she said.

As for "Idol" co-executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, he's not sure he would put too much stock in anything Jackson or any of the other judges say.

"If I was a contestant listening to everything that's been said over the last six seasons, I wouldn't know what to do," he said. "They tell you one week you're playing it safe and then the next week they tell you it's dangerous.

"You just have to go out there and sing and knock their socks off, end of story," he concluded.

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

• "American Idol" Season 6 Performances
• "American Idol" Top 12 Party

• Celine Dion
• Whitney Houston
• Stevie Wonder
• Randy Jackson

Sam Moore
Photo: Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images

Randy Jackson has brought in some of his dawgs for his new pet project.

The "American Idol" judge has enlisted Mariah Carey, Fantasia and Jon Bon Jovi, among many others, to collaborate on an album he hopes will revive the career of soul legend Sam Moore — of Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" fame — the way pairings with contemporary stars like Rob Thomas gave Carlos Santana new life on his 1999 LP, Supernatural.

Jackson is producing the album, which will also feature such heavyweights as Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Eric Clapton. Titled Overnight Sensational, Moore's first contemporary solo album is due August 29 on Rhino Records.

"[He's] the true original," Jackson said in a press release. "The phone has been ringing off the hook from artists wanting to get involved with this project; everyone wants to sing with Sam."

Moore and fellow southern gospel vocalist Dave Prater signed to Atlantic Records in 1965 as duo Sam & Dave and quickly moved over to the legendary Memphis-based label Stax, which was affiliated with Atlantic. With guidance from songwriting/producing partners Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter, the pair released hits including "Hold On! I'm Coming" and "Soul Man," which was popularized in the late 1970s by the Dan Aykroyd/ John Belushi "Saturday Night Live" sketch and film "The Blues Brothers." Moore and Prater had already split in 1970, however, due to irreconcilable tensions, and Prater died in a 1988 car accident.

Sam & Dave were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, the same year Moore appeared on Springsteen's Human Touch LP.

For Overnight Sensational, Mariah sings with country star Vince Gill on a song called "It's Only Make Believe," while Fantasia is featured on "Blame It On the Rain." Van Hunt and Nikka Costa, who are both managed by Jackson, perform with ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons on "If I Had No Loot" and Clapton is joined by pedal-steel guitarist Robert Randolph on "You Are So Beautiful." "Beautiful," as well as "I Can't Stand the Rain," also feature the final recordings from late keyboardist Billy Preston (see "Billy Preston, Legendary Soul Keyboardist And 'The Fifth Beatle,' Dies At 59").

Bad Company's Paul Rodgers, who most recently handled vocal duties for Queen, shares the mic on the Garth Brooks-penned "We Shall Be Free," and Sheila E. and Steve Winwood also appear on the album.

• Sam Moore
• Randy Jackson
• Mariah Carey
• Fantasia
• Sting

Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Nelly At Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2007

• Justin Timberlake
• Gwen Stefani
• Jack Black
• Paula Abdul
• Randy Jackson