OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder in the "All The Right Moves" video
Photo: Interscope

There is a gilded feel to OneRepublic's "All the Right Moves" video, and it makes sense the band would go that way.

After all, the song could almost be described as electro-charged chamber music, with its pealing organ and trilling strings and Ryan Tedder's gold-leaf falsetto (so that explains the masked ballroom dancers). And there's no denying the fact that OneRepublic have entered the triumphant, downright baroque portion of their career: their upcoming Waking Up album (due November 17) follows the success of 2007's Dreaming Out Loud, which turned the band into pop royalty, so the trappings and formalities of the clip can be understood, too.

Still, what the video is actually most reminiscent of is one of Panic! at the Disco videos — with all its shimmery ephemera, it's like a mixture of "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies" and "But It's Better If You Do" (although it looks like it cost a lot more to make).

But still, the gilded theme doesn't explain a few things that happen in the clip. What's the deal with the loveable street urchin who intros the band, then spends the remainder of the clip picking partygoers' pockets? Why is there an oddly Tom Cruise-ian thread running throughout (not just the title of the song — which is the same as Cruise's 1983 football flick — but the fact that so much of it is reminiscent of "Eyes Wide Shut")? And what kind of party is it, anyway?

But hey, those questions are secondary. Working with Wayne Isham (who's directed videos for everyone from Metallica to Britney Spears), they've created a refined, classy clip, one befitting their status as the new kings of mature pop, and one that has plenty to catch the eye.

After all, if it ain't baroque, don't fix it.

• James Montgomery Analyzes OneRepublic's 'All The Right Moves'

• OneRepublic

Ryan Tedder
Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage

Over the weekend, after several blogs noticed the similarities between Kelly Clarkson's new single "Already Gone" and Beyoncé's hit "Halo," Clarkson did an interview in which she claimed she was unaware of "Halo" until she heard it on the radio — and then fought like crazy to keep her label from releasing "Gone" because the songs sounded too much alike.

She also went to great lengths to put the blame for the situation squarely on OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, who wrote both songs, saying that upon hearing "Halo," she called him and angrily asked why he had given the same song to two different artists.

"No one's gonna be sitting at home, thinking, 'Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyoncé and Kelly the same track to write to,' " Clarkson told Canada's CBC radio network. "No, they're just gonna be saying I ripped someone off. I called Ryan and said, 'I don't understand. Why would you do that?' "

On Wednesday (July 29), a spokesperson for Tedder sent MTV News a statement from the songwriter, who disagreed with Clarkson's — and several blogs' — assertions that "Already Gone" and "Halo" are based on the same song.

" 'Already Gone' is one of the best songs I've written or produced since [Leona Lewis'] 'Bleeding Love' and stands tall on its own merits apart from 'Halo,' " Tedder said in the statement. "They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically and lyrically, and I would never try to dupe an artist such as Kelly Clarkson or Beyoncé into recording over the same musical track. The idea is both hurtful and absurd."

Tedder didn't address Clarkson's claim that she fought her label's decision to have "Gone" released as a single, but he did urge fans to listen to both songs and decide for themselves if the tracks are similar.

"I think when people hear 'Already Gone,' they will hear what I hear — one of the greatest female vocalists on earth giving her most haunting and heartbreaking performances on a song she helped write," the statement continues. "I challenge people to listen and form their own opinions."

A spokesperson for Clarkson's label, RCA, did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the matter.

• OneRepublic
• Kelly Clarkson

OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder (file)
Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/ Getty Images

Before last week's "American Idol" finale, where they took the stage at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live to perform their hit song "Apologize" alongside 17-year-old David Archuleta, the guys in OneRepublic didn't count themselves among the "Idol" faithful. In fact, they only started paying attention to the televised talent competition the previous week, when they found out they'd be appearing on one of the highest-rated programs of 2008.

"We were in London last week, and we got a call right before we came back to the States saying, 'You're not going to believe this, but you're playing the "American Idol" finale,' " recalled frontman Ryan Tedder, who hobbled his way down the "Idol" red carpet on crutches, having torn his Achilles tendon ("I was on the beach, and these baby seals were getting clubbed, and I ran up and stopped the clubbing, and they clubbed me," he joked).

Tedder, who called his injury "so painful" and one of "the worst things" he'd experienced, said the band just returned from Paris, where they shot a video for their next single from Dreaming Out Loud, "Say (All I Need)." Tedder — who has written songs for Jennifer Lopez, Natasha Bedingfield, Ludacris, Hilary Duff, Timbaland and Jennifer Hudson — revealed that the clip features a grunge icon.

"We have a little cameo in the video: Chris Cornell shows up in the first few frames," he said. "We shot it in the old section of Paris. The song's about living in Los Angeles the last five years, and we were in Europe and wanted to make the video. We've been lucky enough to have as much success overseas as we've had in the States, so we thought, when else are we going to have time to shoot a video in Europe?"

In the clip, the boys are seen wandering the streets of Paris, ending up on a rooftop. The video was shot half in color and half in black and white. "We wanted to make a piece of art and do something beautiful and inspiring," said Tedder, who is now working with Kelly Clarkson. "We've just started promoting it, and it's my favorite track on the record. People who liked 'Apologize' will love it."

In fact, the band asked the "Idol" producers if they could play "Say (All I Need)" during the finale, but it didn't work out. "They wanted us to do 'Apologize,' so it was a bit of a trade-off," Tedder said. "But in the end, we figured, 'Whatever, let's do it.' "

• OneRepublic
• Chris Cornell

Simon Cowell on the red carpet at the "American Idol" finale Wednesday
Photo: MTV News

LOS ANGELES — LaKisha Jones, Bobby Bennett and AJ Gil might not be household names anymore, but in "American Idol" land, they're still mega-stars.

Hundreds of fans lined up along the "Idol" finale red carpet outside the Nokia Theatre on Wednesday night (May 21) just to catch a glimpse of these onetime "Idol" contenders, who garnered just as big a response as classic-rock legends ZZ Top and chart-topping rockers OneRepublic (both of whom took the stage for the big David vs. David showdown).

(Read Jim Cantiello's live blog of the show in the MTV Newsroom.)

OneRepublic were in London when their management informed the guys they'd be hitting the "Idol" stage. "We got a call right before we came back to the States, saying, 'You're not going to believe this, but you're playing the "American Idol" finale,' and I was like, 'Really? Why?' " frontman Ryan Tedder laughed. The guys cited Blake Lewis as their favorite past "Idol" hopeful, but there's someone else they'd really like to sing their biggest hit, "Apologize." "If anybody could sing it, I'd say Simon Cowell," Tedder suggested.

The song's title might be eerily appropriate for the cranky British judge, who admitted that he might have been a bit harsh on David Cook during Tuesday's performance show. "Having watched it back, I wouldn't be surprised if the other wins. I've just got a feeling we may be in for a bit of an upset," Cowell admitted before the show — and apparently America agreed, making Cook the season-seven champ.

(See what David Cook and David Archuleta had to say backstage after the show!)

Simon wasn't the only one on the red carpet reflecting on the past: The big topic of the night for ex-"Idol" contestants was the fact that this season's singers were allowed to play instruments. So how would that have changed their experiences?

"I think Chris Sligh would have gone a lot further," season-six rocker grrrl Gina Glocksen said, adding that Jordin Sparks wouldn't have been last season's champ.

"I don't know about that," Sligh responded to his fellow season-sixer's compliment. "But that was very nice of her! ... I had begged Nigel to let me play instruments last year. I don't look like a rock star, but, man, you put a guitar in my hand, and I look more like a rock star."

"I cannot play an instrument," season-six finalist Melinda Doolittle said. "They would not have wanted to hear me to do it, so I still would have been singing like I sang!"

While some "Idol" contenders say they've moved on from the show ("I had my time, and it's up!" season-six diva Jones laughed), Haley Scarnato admits that she still has flashbacks to her up-and-down experience. "It's hard for me to get past the theme song. It just gives me a stomachache," said the brunette, who showed off her trademark legs on the red carpet with an ultra-mini satin dress. "The butterflies go crazy!"

But Wednesday's butterflies were reserved for David Cook and David Archuleta, who got the loudest screams of the night as they made their way down the carpet. Cook will join a fraternity of former champs, including Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard and Jordin Sparks, who all came out for the finale and exchanged hugs as they passed.

Season-three finalist LaToya London can definitely attest to the tight-knit crew known as "AI" alumni. "It's like a high school reunion!" she said of the night.

What did you think of the finale? Head to YouRHere.MTV.com to upload your video reactions after the big night and check out what other "Idol" fanatics are saying!

Plus, you can get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. And relive six seasons of "Idol" hot messes and high notes in six minutes with our video timeline.

• High Notes From The 'American Idol' Finale Red Carpet
• 'American Idol' Season-Seven Roundtable
• 'American Idol' In 60 Seconds

• 'American Idol' Results Show Red Carpet
• 'American Idol' Finale Results Show
• 'American Idol' Finale: David Vs. David

• OneRepublic

OneRepublic
Photo: MTV News

When Ryan Tedder wrote the song "Apologize," he knew that it would be a hit. He just wasn't prepared for how big. And that's sort of freaking him out.

"I knew instantly, when I came up with the chorus," the lead singer of alt-rockers OneRepublic. "I didn't know it would be as big as it was, but I had a very strong feeling that it was going to be big. I remember calling my girlfriend at the time — who became my wife — and I said, 'I just wrote this song that I think is the defining sound of what we're going for, and I'm convinced it's a hit.' But I have written songs for other artists that I really thought were going to blow up, and they didn't. Sometimes, you can have a hit song with the wrong artist, or the wrong climate. Writing a hit song ... it's like lightning in a bottle."

Of course, you may still not know OneRepublic by name, but you definitely know their song "Apologize," from the band's debut LP, Dreaming Out Loud. After all, the track has smashed records, becoming the biggest radio airplay hit in the history of North American Top 40 radio, according to Billboard. But Tedder is aware that its popularity may soon become a problem.

"A song can become too big," Tedder said. "If, in the next six months, you bring up this band's name and people still can't connect who we are, and you have to bring up 'Apologize' every time to reference us, I would say the song got a little too big — that it's bigger than the band. I know certain bands that have literally called radio stations and asked them to stop playing their songs, because it could burn out fans. A year from now, we'll be able to tell if it was too big. And I think we could have a hit that big again. We're constantly running this race, and your goal should always be beating your previous record. Lightning can strike twice; we just want people to connect with another song, other than 'Apologize.'

"As wonderful as 'Apologize' has been for us, I think any band is kind of afraid of their first single," he continued. "If it blows up enormously, it's a lot to live up to. Plus, you're also trying to solidify the fact that you're not a one-hit wonder. We want to move past that phase, to where people are like, 'OK, it's a legitimate band.'"

Tedder is something of an expert on hits. He has written songs for artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Natasha Bedingfield, Ashley Tisdale, Leona Lewis, Chris Cornell, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco, Hilary Duff, Timbaland, Christina Milian, Bubba Sparxxx, T.A.T.U., Jennifer Hudson and Ashanti. He's currently working with Kelly Clarkson, the Pussycat Dolls and James Morrison on songs for their next LPs.

Tedder said the rapid rise of "Apologize" took on all the charts that matter took OneRepublic by surprise, but both the band and the new audience the song attracted are finally adjusting to each other. At gigs six months ago, Tedder said OneRepublic would watch the crowd snooze through their set, waiting for them to play "Apologize."

"Late last year, we could do a 45-minute set and it wouldn't matter — the crowd would sing along to one song, and the rest of the songs, you can see they're kind of deciding, 'How much do we like this band?' or 'Are we here for one song?' " he said. "You see that from the stage. They're just kind of staring at you. But we played Philadelphia recently, and 1,500 people or so sang every single song we played. I've had a lot of people ask me how we measure success — it's a weird question. What makes us feel more validated is people coming to see us. Because, think about it, to go out on a Friday night, and pay parking ... all the nonsense you go through just to see a live show — when someone shows up, it's like, 'Thank you for showing up.' "

With any luck, OneRepublic will be able to evolve — in the public eye — beyond this one mega-hit, to a point where they're bigger than the songs they've crafted. And the band's third single, "Say," may just be the ticket.

"It came about 100 percent organically," Tedder said. "It was just us making music that inspired us, and we all love it way more than 'Apologize.' It remains to be seen how it will do, but for us, we're constantly trying to write a better song that connects with us and the audience."

The band recently shot a video for "Say" while on tour in Paris. But the boys wouldn't dish on the treatment, which they came up with themselves. All they would reveal is that "it will have a lot of movement, and it's going to be beautiful," with the city's opulence and scenery serving as the clip's chief stars. And if "Say" does get the same response as "Apologize," don't worry about OneRepublic letting it go to their collective head.

"I think the single most important asset anybody could have in the entertainment business is objectivity," said Tedder. "If you lose that, you lose perspective of who you are in this world, in relation to everybody else. And then you start to buy into all the crap. 'I was in Us Weekly this week for doing this,' or, 'I was hanging out with this person,' or, 'Paris hosted my birthday party' — all of that. It's absolutely meaningless, and if you don't hold onto that perspective, you end up buying into it and you lose your brain."

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Paramore's Hayley Williams performs on Friday
Photo: Dan Steinberg/AP Photo

HOLLYWOOD — There were two open bars. Trays of hors d'oeuvres. A bustling VIP section. Big-bodied bouncers. A booming sound system. It sure seemed like there was a party going on, except someone forgot to tell this to Timbaland. He was too busy working!

Indeed, there was a party going on Friday night at Hollywood's Avalon club, one hosted by People magazine and Verizon Wireless. The night was supposed to be about honoring Timba (and pimping Verizon Wireless' V Cast mobile service, through which the producer will be exclusively releasing a new track each month, with a different artist, for the next year), but he didn't seem to know it. Or, at least, he wasn't acting like someone being feted.

Rather than relaxing in the VIP section with security guards on either side of him, Tim was onstage, sweating slightly, beatboxing and doling out high-fives to pumped partygoers. It seemed, as is the case with everything he does, he just couldn't keep from getting his hands dirty. So, he decided to serve as MC at his very own event. And no one seemed to mind a bit.

(Check out photos from Timbaland's party and other big Grammy bashes here.)

Taking the stage amid the kind of histrionic fanfare usually reserved for Roman gladiators, Timbaland thanked everyone for coming out, then introduced his first guest of the evening, current Billboard Hot 100 fave Flo Rida, who — backed by Tim's skilled, powerful live band — strutted his way through "Low," and was then joined onstage by the man of the night for a tandem performance of the Timbaland-produced "Elevator," all while a very pimped-out Flavor Flav watched from the side of the stage.

After a brief set-change, Timbaland then re-emerged to introduce the second of his handpicked performers: teenage country sensation Taylor Swift, who blinded everyone in attendance with her bejeweled acoustic guitar (and puzzled many with her choice of backing band, all of whom looked like they had just been pulled from a Hot Topic ad). Swift was energetic and grateful, but her twangy country-pop didn't exactly get the crowd moving (the banjo solo probably had something to do with that, too). However, you got the feeling that Tim, who bobbed his head throughout the set, didn't even notice.

After Swift vacated, the house DJ (who kept referring to People magazine as "Peoples magazine") flipped through a marathon of Timbo's greatest hits — from his slinky, early work with Ginuwine and Aaliyah to the bigger-beat stuff from his solo album Shock Value and tracks he cut with Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado — much to the delight of the crowd and the celebs who had begun to pack the VIP (a list that included Fergie, Ludacris, Travis Barker and Will.I.Am.)

Timbaland then introduced a new signing to Interscope Records, a big-voiced belter whose name I couldn't verify (Carrie Dean? Callie Dean?) and who might have done the worst cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall" of all time.

Then, the stage was cleared once again, and as Tim bounded with excitement, Paramore began to set up. After a breathless introduction from the producer ("These guys. Are. The. Sh--!"), frontwoman Hayley Williams marched about, microphone held high, leading a pop-punk parade. Her band was extra snarly on this night, ripping through a set of their hits — "CrushCrushCrush," "Misery Business," etc. — with crunchy abandon, while the crowd members flashed devil horns and spilled drinks on one another.

Then Tim, perhaps emboldened by Paramore, brought out his current project, Coldplay-esque rockers OneRepublic, declaring that "Timbaland is rock and roll, baby!" And you know what? He wasn't kidding. As the night went on and the crowd got louder and the whole thing got pretty crazy, it was obvious that as far as concerts go, Timbaland's big-ticket bash was a pretty rocking one indeed.

Don't sleep until Sunday — geek out on the Grammys with MTV News' complete coverage right here!

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