The Top Social Artist finalists at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards rule the Internet, making waves and racking up followers on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and more. Get the details on the five web-savvy finalists, and then let us know what you think is this year's Top Social Artist in the poll below!
Justin Bieber & Usher: Billboard Music Awards Cover Story
When Justin Bieber met Usher at age 14, it was a lucky break for both parties. Four years later, what's in the cards for each of them? On the eve of their respective new releases, Billboard sat down with iconic mentor and superstar protégé, each of whom will perform at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards.
"Ustin!" Usher and Justin Bieber are hanging out in a quiet corner of Milk Studios in West Hollywood on a break from a Billboard cover shoot when a stylist enters and utters the SNL-worthy gaffe above. A silence falls over the room and a look of mock horror registers on the stars' faces—before laughter breaks out.
It's an understandable slip, as the pair are linked in the public's mind for good reason: the famed R&B icon took the then-14-year-old Canadian budding singer under his wing, mentoring him into becoming one of the world's most recognizable superstars. Usher and Bieber also collaborate creatively, having joined forces on a number of hit songs. Their most recent duet, "The Christmas Song," on Bieber's holiday album, Under the Mistletoe, helped propel sales of the album to 1.2 million in the US—qualifying Bieber as a finalist for Billboard's Top Male Artist this year. And both of their hotly anticipated forthcoming new albums are said to contain new collaborations with each other.
Seeing the two interact in the same room, their vibe proves playful but protective. Usher still embodies the role of big bro—a lighthearted question about Bieber's rapping skills elicits a word of caution: "Easy"—and he clearly gets a kick out of Bieber's mugging for the camera. Born entertainers, neither can stop himself from dancing on set and singing along to whatever comes blasting out of the speakers, from Michael Jackson hits to Usher's own songs.
The world has seen both Usher and Bieber grow from boys to men onstage—during different eras, of course. Now 18, Bieber's facial features have sharpened, and his famous forward-brushed swoop of hair has been restyled (in a move that's said to be the costliest cut—dolls with Bieber's old hair had to be recalled, to the tune of $100,000). The teen idol's music has also gotten tougher now: the debut single off his forthcoming album, Believe, works an urban beat and reveals a bolder hip-hop MC side. At age 33, meanwhile, Usher is branching out as well. His upcoming Looking For Myself CD, his seventh, boasts a mix of R&B and elecro-soul that he calls "revolutionary pop," and delves deeply into club grooves on tunes such as the roof-raising "Scream." The album's first salvo, "Climax," produced by hitmaker Diplo (M.I.A., Beyoncé), takes the sexy tenor into unexpected sonic territory, his soaring falsetto layered over simmering beats.
Carrie Underwood, Justin Bieber, More to Perform at Billboard Music Awards
The 2012 Billboard Music Awards are shaping up to be a one-of-a-kind event: Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood, LMFAO and The Wanted are the first performers announced for the May 20 show, which will air from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the second year in a row on ABC.
Underwood's performance will come on the heels of her fourth full-length release, "Blown Away," which includes the new Top 10 single "Good Girl." The country superstar's latest album follows three best-selling efforts -- 2005's "Some Hearts," 2007's "Carnival Ride" and 2009's "Play On" -- that spawned smash singles like "Jesus, Take The Wheel," "Before He Cheats" and "Cowboy Casanova," and have sold a combined 12 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Justin Bieber wins Top New Artist
at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards |
Meanwhile, Justin Bieber is also set to return with a hotly anticipated new album, "Believe" (due June 19), that has already been previewed by the irresistible lead single, "Boyfriend." The teen phenom topped the Billboard 200 chart twice last year, with his "Never Say Never: The Remixes" album and "Under The Mistletoe" holiday effort, after scoring his first No. 1 album with "My World 2.0" in 2010.
Party masters LMFAO have shuffled to the top of the Hot 100 twice in the past year, with "Party Rock Anthem" and "Sexy And I Know It" -- as well as a performance alongside Madonna at the Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show in February -- turning the electro-pop duo into trend-setting stars. And U.K. pop vocal group The Wanted have exploded to success in the U.S., as their hypnotizing single "Glad You Came" hitting the Top 5 of the Hot 100 and performances on "American Idol" and the "Today" show preceding their self-titled debut U.S. EP, out April 24.
More announcements are on the way, with additional acts and presenters to be revealed in the coming weeks. Last year, the Billboard Music Awards returned in grand fashion at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, with show-stopping performances by Beyonce, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj, Lady Antebellum, the Black Eyed Peas,Rihanna and Britney Spears, among others.
Good Works: Artists Share The Pleasure Of Giving Back
Watch Justin Bieber, Usher, Jordin Sparks & Nelly Furtado Discuss Finding the Pleasure in Philanthropy and Life. Find Out Which Artist's Favorite Charity You Voted To Give A $20,000 Donation!
Two of the world's most fundamental pleasures are the act of giving and the enjoyment of music. So, as the Billboard Music Awards celebrate the year's most successful songs, artists, and albums, we're also looking to generous hitmakers -- none other than Justin Bieber, Usher, Jordin Sparks, and Nelly Furtado -- to share their thoughts on what charities are closest to their hearts and what makes them feel good. But talking and action are two different things. So we wanted the fans to help one of these artists earn $20,000 for their favorite charity -- and enter for their own chance at a big prize: a trip to the Billboard Music Awards on May 20 in Las Vegas -- all courtesy of Billboard.com and Magnum Ice Cream.
All four stars have reason to be proud: fans turned out in droves to weigh in on which cause should win the donation, and each got a lot of love from voters. Now, the votes have been counted and it's official: Thanks to you, Justin Bieber's charities, Pencils of Promise and Make A Wish will share the $20,000 donation!
Additionally, each of the other stars' favorite charities -- Jordin Sparks' I'm M.A.D. Are You, Usher's New Look Foundation, and Nelly Furtado's choice Free The Children -- will receive a donation from Magnum Ice Cream and Billboard for sharing their missions.
Watch Justin, Usher, Jordin and Nelly's videos again below.
Justin Bieber's charities of choice are Pencils of Promise and the Make A Wish Foundation, both of which support kids.
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Usher's charity of choice is hisNew Look Foundation, which looks to foster youth leadership.
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Jordin Sparks's charity of choice is I'm M.A.D. Are You?, which she cofounded to empower others to "Make A Difference."
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Nelly Furtado's charity of choice,Free The Children, looks to eliminate the exploitation of kids by encouraging youth to volunteer.
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Bonus Video: Natasha Bedingfield
Another artist with a strong affinity toward giving back also recently sat down with Billboard.com to talk about giving, life, and more.
Another artist with a strong affinity toward giving back also recently sat down with Billboard.com to talk about giving, life, and more.
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