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"Popstars" Ep. 7: Looking pretty

By STEPHANIE McGRATH--AllPop

Today is the day the 10 finalists get all pretty in fancy clothes and have their hair done. Very exciting.

First we get a shot of them chowing down at a buffet, and what a thrilling shot that is.

The narrator tells us that this is a fun day and that "a surprise makeover is the judges' way of rewarding them for a job well done".

I would also like to have a makeover. I've done jobs well before, too. (Maybe the people that own CANOE.ca/AllPop are going to give out clothing allowances this week. Yeah, that'll happen.) However, I would not like that outfit they give Alexandra to wear. It's a little too '80s for me.

Oh, but that's not all. As a special surprise, the "Popstars" head honchos have flown in "one of Hollywood's most influential hairstylists, famous for his work on 'Friends'." Ooh la la. That doesn't mean all the wannabes are going to snag Brad Pitt though, now does it. We then get a close-up shot of Salon Selectives products. Hey after the Dentyne extravaganza of weeks gone by, I'm thrilled to see a new product placement.

Melissa looks very pretty and so does Lacey and Janelle, who probably didn't really need a makeover anyway. Alexandra has nice hair. I've always wanted curly hair. Martin looks great, they gave him a shave, which was much needed. Ryan is as cute as ever, and D-Shon (Sean) and Robby look stylish. Very nice, everyone.

Ursula's hair is way too crimped for me. I still believe that crimping is something you should do in the privacy of your own home. Recently though, my friends and I thought it would be funny to go crazy with a crimper and then go out for a night on the town. However, my rational friend Peggy thought we shouldn't all crimp our hair on the same night because that would look "stupid". Yes, I know, because one person with crimped hair doesn't look dumb at all.

Once the boys and girls look all nice and fancy, the judges get ready to scrutinize them during yet another rendition of "Stand By Me". (Oh River, how I loved you). Today is combo day, and the judges want to see which five individuals work best together.

When it's her turn to belt it out, Ursula does full-on Christina. That frightens me.

Guess what! The wannabes are getting a very special visit from a very special star: Snow! Hooray! Do you remember that rumour that he was working at KFC a few years back before he churned out a few more hits? Does anyone know if that's true or not? I doubt it. I'm not saying it's true, so please don't pepper me with e-mails, all you Snow fans. I just think the rumour is sort of funny.

Anyway, Snow tries to give the kids a little pep talk. He tells them to "Keep striving, know what I'm saying?" Actually no, Snow, because other then those two sentence fragments, I couldn't really understand a single thing you said. You my dear friend are a mumbler.

Now we're told that two days after the final "Stand By Me" fiesta, the judges met to discuss who the five finalists should be. (They haven't even decided if it's going to be two guys and three girls or vice versa. They should have really figured that out at the start, I think.)

Michael says there's probably going to be some conflict, as they argue about who they think should make it.

Hee, hee, hee, this is funny -- the judges have little photos in little frames of each of the 10 finalists. They keep moving them around and staring at them. It looks like Mad-Dog, Justin, and Michael are playing paper dolls. Hi-larious!

Justin: "Alexandra, would you like to be in the group?"

Mad-Dog (in falsetto): "I'd love to! Yay!"

Michael: "Hey, no fair, I wanted to be Alexandra. I've had to be Martin for the last two hours!"

Me: "Just kidding. None of that dialogue actually happened. Would have been funny though."

Now the judges are going to discuss each finalist one at a time. The finalists are going to be shown talking to the camera explaining why they want to be in the group, and we're going to see a photo or home video clip of each contestant singing as a child. This is riveting stuff, so get ready.

Janelle: Mad-Dog says she "personifies 'it'." Nope, I don't know what he means either. I think he means she's got a star quality about her, and I agree. She's cool.

We flash over to a shot of Janelle singing "Stand By Me" and then a video of her as a young child singing. She tells the camera that she always wanted to sing and perform. (We're going to be hearing a lot of that very soon.)

Johnny: the judges think he's solid but are worried because his voice is "so huge" that it might overpower the others. Mad-Dog says it's frustrating because there's nothing wrong with him, like one leg is shorter than the other and he has to wear "corrective boots" or something. (What?)

Johnny says he's always loved to sing and that his father used to get him to sing for everybody. Then we see footage of him singing as a youngster.

Now it's Melissa's turn. We hear her singing her "Stand By Me" verse, and she has such a pretty, pretty voice. I really like it. But then she says something absolutely hilarious. Apparently, when she started noticing Britney Spears all over her television she thought to herself: "If she can do it, than I can do it too." What? Wear a bra top onstage and sing as though you have the hiccups? (Don't get me wrong. I'm a Britney fan myself, but I'm a little confused about the inspiration.)

The judges say Melissa "falls below the radar". I don't think she's going to make it, and that makes me sad. I like her.

Justin is up next. He's cute, my friends. He's going to make it. We see shots of him playing with various high school rock bands.

"Justin is the guy young girls are going to go nuts for," says Michael. Well, for once I agree with him. Oh, and during Justin's interview he says he loves music. Quelle surprise.

Ursula's videotape shows her playing the violin as a young girl. She says she "loves all of this", meaning the music, the clothes, and the performing. We got that, Ursula. Yep, she's a cute girl and she can sing. She's just got to get rid of the warbles, and she does seem a bit young to me. But what do I know? She could be the perfect example of stunning maturity.

"With her look I've got to see her in the group," says Michael. The others seem less sure about her shot. (But I think Michael will probably get his way with this one.)

Guess what, everyone? D-Shon (or Sean) loves music. He loves it so much that he gets sad when his Walkman batteries die. He also says that he originally thought he might like to be an actor because he watches a lot of television. (Oh, that's funnier than the time my friend told me he wanted to get his masters in history because he liked A&E.)

Some of the judges have "attitude concerns" about Sean. (That could be bad news, buddy).

Lacey, who has a very cool voice, is classically trained and is taking jazz at Humber College in Toronto. The judges say she's a "pleasure to work with", and Michael says there's "a beauty about her that I find intriguing". Did we just leap into a British novel or something? That was weird.

Mad-Dog appears to disagree, but I think he's way out-numbered on this one.

Alexandra's tape shows her dancing as a young girl. She probably at one point in her interview says she loves music too. The judges think she's "legit" (and all this time I thought she was a fake wannabe). They know she really, really wants to get out of her waitressing gig.

One of them, could be Michael, wonders if she's "going to scare the crap out of the other people in the group?" Maybe, she seems pretty intense. Someone says no, she's cool. Then we hear her croon "Stand By Me". She's got a good voice, but to me it sounds like she's forcing it a bit, and you should all listen to me because I am an expert in vocal talents after all. (No actually I'm not. That was sarcasm.)

Ryan is too cute. I love him. He used to sing with his church. He's so soft-spoken and sweet. The judges think he's interesting.

"To his credit he's not like the rest of them," says Michael. That's right, Michael! Pick him. Please! Every good pop act needs the "shy, cute one".

But Michael doesn't sound sold on the Ryan idea. The judges seem to feel they can pick either Martin or Ryan but not both. That makes sense. They're both a little timid and skinny. You can only really have one version of that type in a pop act.

Now I think Mad-Dog wants Ryan to make it, but his following statement was a bit confusing and mumbly and I had to rewind it three times and I'm still not sure if this is what he said:

"Keep him and I'll leave. I'd rather go right now than see him not be in the band." now I think that means he wants Ryan in. On the other hand, he also could have said "I'd rather go right now than see him in the band", which is a big difference. However, I think it's option number one and that, yes, he does want Ryan. Me too!

But the vibe I'm getting from the others is that Ryan isn't going to get it.

We see Martin sing and he's got a voice but I think he tries to show off a bit. Guess what? He loves singing. He always sings -- pop, country -- it doesn't matter because he does it all. He admits that he's timid.

Justin says his only Martin-related issue is the language barrier problem. (He has a thick French accent, but so does Celine and I think she may have sold one or two albums, so come on.)

My take on Martin is that he's talented but doesn't quite have the personality for the act. I could be wrong though and I sense the judges may pick Martin over Ryan.

Mad-Dog says it's all a matter of "who's bringing more tricks in their bag". Thanks, DJ boy.

Then the judges try to figure out yet again if they want three boys and two girls or three girls and two boys. (Figure that out first, my dears.)

We're shown footage of each finalist naming people they'd like to make the band and then: "Next time ... the moment of truth has finally arrived".

It's the big day, my friends, the day when the final five are chosen. We see teaser footage of Michael, Justin, and Mad-Dog visiting finalists in their homes to give them the good or bad news. We see shots of tears, but they could be tears of joy or tears of disappointment, so it doesn't really tell us anything at all.

Who shall make the band? I have absolutely no idea, mostly because no one knows how many guys and how many girls will be chosen. I do have an idea of who has a good shot though:

Justin
Lacey
Martin
Janelle
Alexandra

We'll have to wait and see!

"Popstars" recaps 2-6: tears & more

By STEPHANIE McGRATH--AllPop

AllPop is running a bit behind in the "Popstars Boy Meets Girl" recap world, mostly because the series is on at the same time as "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", which is also recapped in AllPop. So yesterday I watched four episodes of "Popstars" and am here to give you the scoop in case you've been missing it, too.

Episode 2:

This is the phone call instalment during which we get to see 20-something minutes worth of the judges (Justin Gray, Michael Geddes and Mad-Dog) calling Popstars hopefuls and telling them whether or not they made the cut. We also have some footage of anxious hopefuls waiting for the "call that might well change their lives," (thanks, narrators) and the ensuing shrieks/sobs as they learn of their fate.

So the judges have to pick 30 singers for the boot camp week, and they want 15 guys and 15 ladies. Before they can make the calls, they have to refresh their memories on each of the auditioners by checking out polaroids and video footage. (Did you understand what I just wrote? Because the editors of "Popstars" thought we needed to hear a million versions of that exact same sentiment before moving on. OKAY, OKAY. YOU SAW SO MANY CONTESTANTS, YOU CAN'T REMEMBER THEM ALL! We. Get. It.)

So the judges aren't just looking for great singers, "they want the full package" (thanks, narrator). We see footage of an auditioner who I suspect is Alexandra (she comes back later), and she is a terrrrrrrrrible dancer. She's doing this bizarre dance that makes her look like she's recently suffered a powerful electric shock. Hey, I think she's just invented a new dance. It's called Just Stuck My Fork In An Electrical Outlet. Cool.

So it's finally time for the much-hyped phone calls. Ursula is this blond Christina Aguilera look-alike with a pretty voice. She's coming to boot camp -- you know this, I know this, the narrator knows this, and I'm pretty damn sure little Ursula knows this. Oh, but wait, Michael is making the call, and we all know what a sparkling sense of humour he has. I think, if we're lucky, he might just do the old fake-out on Ursula. You know what I mean by a fake-out, right? Here's an example:

Judge: Unfortunately, we had a lot of people to cut.
Auditioner: Looks sad and tries to make understanding noises.
Judge: Fortunately, you weren't one of the ones who got cut.
Auditioner: Is momentarily confused and then shrieks.
Me: Throw up.

So Michael does this to Ursula and ends his fabulous joke with a "you're not a no, you're a yes". Ha. Ha. Ha.

More phone calls, more phone calls, footage of guys who totally thought they were going to make it and don't.

Mad-Dog is happy he doesn't have to do the rejections face-to-face because "it's a lot easier to break up with them on the phone,". What. Ev. Er. Attention: If you are Mad-Dog's girlfriend, I want you to go find him right this minute and tell him he is an idiot. For real. What is this guy, 13? Is he tired of making out with Suzy Cheerleader behind the bleachers? I know, Mad-Dog. Why don't you get your friend to call up the rejects and say: "Mad-Dog doesn't like you anymore, it's over, and the prom is off". That would be cool. Arrgghhhh.

More phone calls, more phone calls. Now we have footage of my personal favourite Popstar-wannabe: Ryan. I love him. My sister does, too. Quote from sibling: "He is toooo cute. I want him to be my boyfriend". See? I wasn't lying.

The moms who are present for the happy phone calls are very funny. They hug their children and such, who seem to be caught between be ecstatically happy about making it to boot camp and being embarrassed about being caught hugging their moms on television.

Oh, Justin is another one who makes it to boot camp. He is super cute, he'll be the Justin Timberlake of the group, except a little more snowboarder and a little less Shirley Temple. His older brother is there for the call and is very supportive and is also cute. I'm a fan.

Another bootcamp maker to watch out for? Janelle. She's very pretty and has a nice voice. I'm a fan.

So that's the end of that chapter. Next up? First day of boot camp.

Episode 3: Didn't get this tape, didn't see the episode. But I'm going to guess: Narrator says stupid, obvious things. Hopefuls dance and sing. Judges look serious and discuss the merits of each auditioner at length. Some get cut. They cry.

Okay, now this is what really happened, according to the "Popstars" website:

The guys and girls check into a hotel, they schmooze with the judges and each other. The next day they have a physical workout and then do some singing exercises. This is season we're introduced to the "confession cam," which is the part of the show where the auditioners all stand in front of the camera and name the person they think should get cut. It's sort of mean. Two guys and two girls get the axe, and 26 remain. (No, I don't have the names of those cut, but do you really care? Do you have an emotional attachment to them already?) Episode 4:

This episode is all about who has the moves and who exists only in the I Stuck My Fork In An Electrical Outlet school of dance .

We kick off the show with footage of the gang doing a circle dance. A circle dance is a forum for people who either are really good dancers or simply think they're really good dancers to put on a little show of their skills in the middle of a gyrating circle made up of other people they're dancing with.

(My friend Ruth and I participated in the circle dance in university, though it wasn't because we were good dancers or even thought we were good dancers. It was because we thought our Stewardess dance -- wherein we simulated the safety procedures flight attendants simulate on airplanes -- was absolutely hilarious. Yes, we were that cool.)

Annnnyway. The choreographer wants to see who can move. There's this fellow named J.Y. (I think), who has somehow modelled his facial hair after the Backstreet Boys' A.J. Scary.

Ryan is there, and he is still too cute. Alexandra is there. I think she'll make the band even if she was the terrible dancer from episode two. I shall reserve judgement on this particular character until a later date so as to save myself from another Sahara incident. (Last year I called Sugar Jones' Sahara "hoops-of-hell" in the recaps because of this dumb, huge hoop earrings she had on all the time, and then a publicist told Sugar Jones about the recaps, they read them and when I went to interview them she stared at me and said: "So, hoops of hell, eh?," in a sort of scary way.)

So the choreographers and judges want to see the kids dance it up, and even if they flub some steps really show their personality and make it look good.

"Projecting an image while perfecting a performance is a tall order," says the narrator. (Who writes this drivel for him anyway?)

The guys and girls are broken up into partners. They do this somewhat racy number together, which will come back to haunt one of the contestants in a future episode. Stay tuned.

Hip-Hip-Hoooorraaaay! The hopefuls are now visited by a very special guest. Wave of "California" fame sing an acoustic version of their hit for the group. Alexandra says it's very exciting because Wave has the "inside scoop". To be completely honest, their performance is not the best. I was in a foul mood when I watched this, and my notes on the song are full of the demon swears. During the chorus, the Popstars-wannabes join in and some singers throw in a little harmony. Show-offs. After the song, the Wave boys give some sort of little pep talk to the crowd and take off. It looks like one of them makes a face at the camera as they leave. Ha.

Now the boys and girls have to perform "Up Where We Belong" and throw in pretty harmonies and such to prove they can shine but not overshadow if they make it into a boy/girl group. Some are good but I. Hate. That. Song. It's stupid.

The camera gives us a close-up of a pack of Dentyne gum. Hmmm, I wonder if they are a sponsor?

Now they all have to sing "Respect" individually. Some are good but some super stink.

Yay, three of last year's finalists, including one of my favourites -- Olivia Newton John (a.k.a. Jessica) -- make an appearance. The girls are in a new group called Reignin', and they give the wannabes a pep talk.

Now it's time for cuts again. Michael is mean when he talks about a friendly guy who's a really bad dancer, saying he's "One of the people who knows it's time to get it". Yeah, right. Who ever thinks it's their time to get cut? That's a stupid thing to say.

The judges call the wannabes in two at a time. The bad dancer gets cut, and Alexandra makes it back. So does Ryan. Some people cry. It's still too early for me to feel their pain.

Episode 5:

This week it's all about the studio in an episode that was full of human drama (no, I'm not being sarcastic) and one really stupid cut that makes me super mad.

The kids get a pep talk from Michael, who says something sort of confusing about how the people at the middle will move to the bottom of the pack and blah blah blah. Oh, and there's another Dentyne close-up. This is worse than Mountain Dew used to be on "Survivor".

The wannabes have to learn a song Justin wrote for the future group before they head into the studio to record it as the next phase in their audition process. The song is kind of catchy and Justin makes me laugh because he's playing the tune on this little keyboard in the middle of their dance space, and the entire situation reminds me of the Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer singing sketches on "Saturday Night Live".

Now we're finally in the studio, and Mad-Dog is blabbing about the "craft" and "art" of studio work. Sorry, my mistake, is Mad-Dog a producer? No? A singer then? No? Then what the heck does he know about ... oh, never mind.

Some of the hopefuls 100% choke in the studio, and I actually feel badly for them. One cute little girl named Jaclyn was really entertaining before and seemed quite talented. Her studio work was not good though. Not at all. Ryan rocked. YAY!

Cuts are up next. This time there's some serious sobbing, and I do feel for them. One girl keeps whimpering "You guys are all so amazing", and makes me wince the way Halle Berry at the Oscars. Too much display of raw emotion for me. J.Y. (with the facial hair) loses it completely when he is cut, and sobs. Compared to these people, Halle really held it together.

Here comes the moment that makes me really ANGRY! Back story: There's this little auditioner named Jay, who I love. He can really sing, he's a good dancer, and he's got soooo much personality. Here's the problem: Jay is a little bit on the flamboyant side. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Now, I think he should make the group, and it sounds like Justin Gray thinks he should at least be saved from this episode's round of cuts. The other judges, though, don't think he has the right image. It's apparently a problem. GUYS! Hello! Are you in the same century as the rest of us? No, didn't think so. Come on, Jay could be the Joey Fatone. Nobody really has a hugecrush on him, but everybody thinks he's the nice, funny, eager-to-please group member. Jay could fill that spot! Jay gets cut. It's obvious that he's heartbroken. Humph.

We end the show with everyone hugging and crying and such.

Episode 6:

Rachelle, a friendly looking brunette, passed the studio test but tells the judges that she's going to quit now because the image of the future group is going to be sexier than she's comfortable with. I respect her morals, I suppose.

Right after Rachelle quits, Rufus -- another hopeful (who actually got to stay because they cut Jay) -- goes in and tells the judges he is going to quit because he doesn't feel as though he wants to make the band as much as the other wannabes do. This annoys the judges. Justin Gray suspects that Rufus just didn't want to handle the rejection that was sure to come.

Now we're down to 14 finalists, and by the end of this instalment, the final 10 will be chosen. Each of the finalists get a chance to shine during a solo rendition of "Stand By Me" (a cheesy song that usually makes me cry just because it reminds me of River Phoenix, who was my childhood crush and was replaced by Johnny Depp upon his untimely death. Sigh.)

Michael says he's "Waiting to get goose bumps." Ummmm, gross.

My favourites from this session include Janelle, Lacey (she has such a pretty voice with noooo Christina-Aguilera warbles), Justin, and Ryan.

The judges go mental over Martin, a French-speaking wannabe who has talent but who looks soooo uncomfortable all the time. He looks miserable whenever he has to get up and perform in front of people. He also sounds like a cross between a male Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera. I have no idea why they love him so much.

Ursula's singing is okay, but she does this hilarious finger-flutter thing, the same mannerism Christina Aguilera uses on every single one of her high notes. I giggle.

The judges discuss who should go. Mad-Dog loves D-Shon (he's pretty good) because they're looking for "Charisma, baby, and he's got it in spades". That may have been the lamest thing I've ever heard emerge from a mouth on "Popstars". Spades? SPADES?! You're not Vince Vaughn in "Swingers" baby. Lose the tacky sayings.

Now it's time for the judges to announce the final 10, and guess what? Mad-Dog does the tried-and-truly-lame fake-out on Johnny. Johnny is a great singer. I like him.

The other nine are:

Lacey: cool

Justin: cute

Alexandra: undecided

Ryan: love him

Ursula: pretty, please lose the warbles though

Janelle: nifty

Martin: don't understand it

D-Shon: "charisma, baby"

Melissa: pretty voice

"Four thousand hopefuls from across Canada are now down to these 10," says our brilliant narrator.

Oh, and we also get a close-up of Dentyne near the end of this episode.

Next time: the final 10 get a make-over. Somebody has the misfortune to be dressed in what appears to be acid-wash-inspired jeans. It might be Alexandra. Oh dear.

New "Popstars" readies debut album

By STEPHANIE McGRATH--AllPop

TORONTO -- On April 30, Canada's latest "Popstars" will unleash their debut album.

The general public is still in the dark about the name of the album, the name of the group, or even who the group members will be. That's because those details are veiled in secrecy on "Popstars Boy Meets Girl", the Global TV reality show that documents the formation of a boy/girl music act.

That's what we don't know, here's what we do: during the eighth instalment, airing on April 16, viewers will finally discover who exactly made the final, final, final cut.

Thanks to writer/producer Justin Gray -- who worked with Sugar Jones (the pop act born from last year's version of "Popstars"), and acted as a judge during the current season and as album producer for the new act -- we also know a lot about the upcoming album.

Justin says the album is best described as "chic urban pop". The group, which is actually shooting its first video this very week, is ecstatic about the record.

"They [the final five] were freaking out, dancing around the studios to the demos," he says about the group's reaction to their upcoming songs. "It's like, okay, I know that we're making the right record here."

Justin has no desire to play down Sugar Jones's success, but he's not afraid to say that this new act might have a better shot of going international with their career. Those who watched last year's program will also remember the Sugar Jones's temper tantrums that arose when the members were frustrated with the direction their album was taking. Will viewers see any melodrama as episodes featuring footage of this year's recording sessions are aired?

"They were really supportive and really cheery and rah-rah [in the studio]," Justin says about this year's act. "It was great. Sugar Jones was a little bit of a difficult project. I think everybody knows that, but this year was fun. Going into the studio was fun."

The producer says the album boasts two singles born from a songwriters collective session in Toronto last year. It reflects the varied tastes and styles of the final five (whoever they may be) while Sugar Jones' group members were "more closed minded musically" (although he quickly says there's nothing wrong with that), and the new act is therefore more "malleable to the radio format". Justin compares the group to a basketball team and says each singer (a.k.a. player) fits perfectly into the rest of the team.

"There's pop elements, urban elements, R&B elements," Justin says about the record. "There's a cool little surprise cover we do on the record, which probably 80 per cent of the people buying the record will have never heard this song originally. It's really cool."

Obviously proud of the project and fans of the five personalities which will one day be revealed to those of us not privy to the "Popstars" secrets, Justin has high hopes for the album and the act. He thinks they have the potential to make it beyond Canadian borders, get attached to a major tour, and really take off.

Justin also knows that, like Sugar Jones, Eden's Crush, Scene 23, and Hear'say (all groups born on versions of "Popstars" aired in the U.S. and U.K.), the new group could find it difficult to maintain their popularity and record sales once the series ends and the personalities aren't in viewers' homes once a week. Does the yet-to-be-revealed act have the potential to release a second album that will enjoy major success?

According to Justin, the trick will be to keep the act current and in people's minds after the show has ended by staying on the radio and heading back into the studio when they're on their third or fourth single. They'll also have to keep recording songs that can last.

"That's always the key," he says. "You can make the weirdest, most technically proficient record that you want, but if the songs aren't there ..."

Check back on AllPop this Friday (April 5) when we'll be posting Justin's tips on how to get into the music business for all the aspiring singers out there.

"Popstars" hopefuls get special visit

The "Popstars Boy Meets Girl" wannabes are getting a special visit from a Canadian pop act next week.

Paul Gigliotti and Dave Thomson of Wave are shown visiting boot camp -- an intensive singing and dancing training session designed to weed out the weak and groom the strong -- on Global's "Popstars Boy Meets Girl".

The episode of the reality show which documents the formation of a pop act, is scheduled to air on Tuesday, March 19.

Other "Popstars" guest stars include Heela Donsky, Jessika Howell and Tanya Sa of the group Reignin'. The girls went through the boot camp on the first edition of "Popstars" and are shown discussing their views on the audition process.

Luther Brown, a choreogrepher who did Alicia Keys' recent Grammy Awards performance, will also be making an appearance on the show.

Whatever happened to the "Popstars" kids?

By STEPHANIE McGRATH -- AllPop

Someday, when the "Popstars" phenomenon is a distant memory, VH1 will do a "Where are they now?" special on all the pop acts born from reality TV shows. We thought we'd beat them to the punch.

Now that the Canadian version of "Popstars" is back with "Boy Meets Girl", and images of fresh-faced wanna-bes again fill our television screen, one question lingers: Where in the heck is Sugar Jones, the all-girl act born from last year's series?

Sooo many bands

According to group member Mirella Dell'Aquila, the girls are far from gone. They'll be touring Canada again this April, making their way to stops that were left out on their tour last fall. After that, though, Sugar's future isn't clear.

Allan Reid, Senior Vice President A & R at Universal Music Canada, worked closely with the group when they started their career. He says the varying musical interests of the group members could pose a challenge on future albums.

"It's not like they were all friends who jammed in the garage and got to know each other," he says. "[They've] all got different niches of what they like to do. It's not like they're saying they're Destiny's Child and this is the music they're defined by."

Mirella says the girls have been writing new material but usually work alone. She also admits that some of the songs she's working on may get stored in a vault, to be opened if she ever launches a solo career.

In fact, it sounds as though each of the girls is working on side projects. Mirella says she's considering starring in an independent movie in Montreal. Group mate Sahara is also interested in the acting business, and Allan says Maiko has been doing some work with artist Remy Shand.

Unable to give a definitive answer as to when or if the girls will release a new album, Mirella says each of them will always be involved in music.

"We were doing this before 'Popstars', and we plan to do it after if ever we go out separate ways," she says.

Meanwhile, whatever happened to Eden's Crush, the pop act formed on The WB's U.S. version of "Popstars"? According to reps from Warner Music Canada, the group's original record label, Sire, has folded. Eden's Crush hasn't disbanded or broken up although no one is sure which label will pick them up yet.

Scene 23, the boy/girl group born from "Popstars 2" in the U.S., can be heard on the new album "Popstars 2, Introducing Scene 23".

Then there's Hear'say, the U.K. act manufactured from the overseas version of "Popstars". The group enjoyed huge success with their first single "Pure And Simple" and have released a second album, "Everybody", in the U.K. The act also enjoyed a flurry of publicity recently when one of the original group members, Kym Marsh, quit. A highly publicized audition followed as the group searched for a replacement and found him in Johnny Shentall who is engaged to Lisa Scott- Lee of the now defunct U.K. pop act Steps.

Finally, there's O-Town, which is not a "Popstars" act but is still a pop group formed on the reality TV show "Making The Band". (VH1 could devote an entire episode to these boys alone, but we'll throw them in with the rest).

Think the "Liquid Dream" boys have disappeared? Think again. Their goateed faces keep showing up on MTV, which picked up the third season of the series. Recent episodes have included footage of group member Ashley Angel indulging a contest-winner by pretending to marry her in a Vegas chapel.

A rep from BMG in Canada says the boys are in the studio as we speak, working on new music.

"Popstars Boy Meets Girl" debuts, wannabes weep

By STEPHANIE McGRATH -- AllPop

"Popstars" is back and, to the relief of viewers across Canada, the creators seem to have finally discovered a fancy technique called editing.

For those of you new to the "Popstars" game, it's the reality show that follows the creation of a pop group through open auditions across the country to the recording of an album. Different versions of the series have aired in the U.K., Australia, and the U.S.

Girl group Sugar Jones was born from the reality show last season. This year the producers (Lone Eagle Entertainment) shook things up a bit by adding boys into the mix, hence the new title -- "Popstars Boy meets Girl" (how clever). The new group has also reportedly already finished recording their album, helping them avoid the delay Sugar Jones experienced between the end of the show and the release of their album.

Nervous auditioners

When Lone Eagle president Michael Geddes started pontificating about the new season ("we've got another hit show on our hands") this year at a launch party for "Popstars" in Toronto, it was to almost twice the crowd who attended the party for the first instalment.

This can mean one of two things: 1) "Popstars" popularity is catching on and generating more and more interest among media, the industry, and the general public or 2) People heard that last year's party featured an impressive snack spread and free drinks (snacks were less than stellar this year, however. How sad).

There were fewer Universal Music Canada reps buzzing about this year, too, or perhaps they were just keeping a lower profile. Unlike last year's "Popstars" album, which was released on Universal, the "Boy Meets Girl" crowd will release a record on Lone Eagle Music, in partnership with Universal, which will handle distribution and marketing. This means, for viewers of last year's show, there will be no cranky Brian or bossy Allan hanging around during the judging process. Sad. Those guys were funny.

Instead, we have a new judge dynamic made up of: 1) Michael Geddes (of course, he's the boss, isn't he?) 2) Justin Gray, a reputable Canadian producer who worked with Sugar Jones last year. (Guess what? He's the only one with real musical knowledge. Let's hope and pray the other two listen to him). 3. Mad Dog (Jay Michaels), a Kiss 92 DJ. Last year Mad Dog's DJ partner, Billie Holiday, acted as a judge. Mad Dog, (despite the lame-o, oh so painfully typical, radio DJ name) is much more entertaining. That's a bonus. He'll probably hug less than Billie did, too, which is another bonus. (I'm a little confused as to how good a DJ will be at helping to form a pop act. I mean come on, Mad Dog is no Carson Daly now, is he?)

But the biggest change of all between last season's show and the new series, is the addition of boys into the mix. So many boys want to be members of pop acts, it truly frightens me. Girls, I kind of get. You want to sing, you want to look pretty, you want money, you want to be successful, and no one really teases girls about being in pop acts. But boys ... hmmm. Do you kids want to end up like Nick Carter, arguing with police officers and crying when you're driven away in a cop car? Or what about poor little A.J. and his drinking problem? Do you really want bad Joey Fatone facial hair? Do you want to be O-Town and sing about famous ladies' body parts ... sometimes badly? Maybe they all want to be Justin and get Britney. That kind of makes sense. It could be worse, I suppose. They could all want to be Creed.

The show begins much the same was as it did last year, with long shots of line-ups and brief interviews with boys and girls who are sure they're going to make it because this is their dream, they were meant to do this, blah blah blah.

Excited call-back

First impressions: So many boys wearing so many bad bandanas. Please don't do that, it's ugly. So many girls wearing so many hoops of hell and one-shoulder tight tops. It's called originality. Get some.

Next we get a few choice comments from the narrator (who may be totally ignored in following recaps unless his statements are so lame they're funny).

"The odds of making it even greater ... [than last year]".

Then we have quick little statements from the judges. Michael warns that "We are setting the bar high". Okay, bossy pants.

Mad Dog says he's looking for attitude and "feel". That's specific. Justin, knowing he's their only hope, is looking for singers. Good plan.

The editing is much better than last year, and we don't have to see eight million line-up shots or two thousand clips of the exact same time. This time around, the show is a bit quicker and much funnier.

One auditioner tells us that he wants to "be myself, just a famous version of myself." OMG, no comment.

Now comes the best part: the bad auditions. Why do some people honestly think they can sing when they sooooooooo can not?

"The second you open your mouth I know that you should stop immediately," snipes Mad Dog. That was funny. He wasn't being that mean, though, just explaining that he always gave people a chance, even if they sucked. But still, it's funnier just with that one quote, isn't it?

Ooh la la, qu'est-ce que c'est?. A cute boy in a green hat sings. He comes back later. I like him.

More line-up shots. One boy from Edmonton is mega emotional. One girl has CRIMPED HER HAIR.

"Wow ... this is ... really ... happening," giggles crimpy. Can't. Take. It.

Someone else gets all emotional about the whole process.

"I always dreamed of this, I never thought that it would ever happen to me." Also, can't deal.

There's almost a brawl at the Toronto auditions, which is pretty funny. Too many people showed up and some were turned away. Girls freak out. Some say they'll migrate to the Montreal auditions.

"The response in Toronto is overwhelming," states our smarty-pants narrator, and just in case we didn't get the fact that a lot of people turned up and got turned away, Michael says:

"Some people got turned away, and I felt for them, I really did." And yet he sounds pretty much devoid of emotion.

Much of what follows is simply audition clips. Highlights include: scary eye-shadow girl with terrifying lipstick; somebody who doesn't know the words to the most basic of audition tunes; and someone else doing Christina Aguilera-style vocal gymnastics (and she really shouldn't be doing that because, well, she can't sing).

So nervous

One of the bad, bad, bad singers corners Justin and asks if he has any advice for her, since she didn't get a call-back.

"Don't get offended by this," Justin says politely. "But take vocal lessons." [This gets a huge laugh at the launch party. It was pretty funny.]

Okay, so after the cattle-call auditions have ended, the call-backs spend "Day Two" one-on-one with the judges.

This is too hilarious to pass up: When the judges ask one girl why she "wants to be in a popstars band" she says: "I believe that God has blessed me" blah blah blah, share my gift with the world". OMG, somewhere Britney Spears is getting wind of this and laughing her butt off because she knows the reasons to be a popstar are as follows: 1) huge money 2) cool clothes 3) famous boyfriend 4) performing.

During the one-on-ones, a female auditioner decides to accompany her song with an interpretive dance. Okay, okay, I think I can stop laughing ... now.

Around this time, the individual who accompanied me to the launch party looked over in horror and said "This is just cruel." Well, yeah, but cruel in that funny kind of way.

Mad Dog makes me laugh through all of this, because he has funny eyebrows that reveal how he really feels about each performers.

Oh, oh no, another girl sings one line of her audition song and then dances for about five minutes straight. The judges look baffled. I laugh.

Okay, time for more people to be cut. This is where I agree with the whole cruel thing.

One guy is told that he won't be asked back that afternoon, and leaves the room. As the cameras follow him, he cries really hard. It's uncomfortable to watch and a little too much on the mean side for me.

There's a super cute little flamboyant boy who makes it to the next round and does a little squeal and jump and I love, love, love him so much.

As the judges decide who will and won't come back for another audition that afternoon, they think it's super funny to keep on faking out the auditioners by making them think they aren't going to get picked and then saying that surprise, surprise, they will make it to the next round. Example:

Mad Dog: "We've seen a lot of people today and unfortunately, we can only keep a certain number."
Auditioner: looks disappointed
Mad Dog: "Fortunately, you're one of them! See you this afternoon!"
Audition: looks happy
What auditioner is really thinking: "Man, you really suck. The fake-out thing is so not cool."

Oh, what is this? A cute 18-year-old girl who displays talent. I like her. She makes it to the next audition.

The last segment of the "Popstars Boy Meets Girl" premiere finds the call-backers thrown together into small groups. Each of the groups has a song that they have to work on together and perform as an ensemble.

Cute baseball hat boy's group does a cool version of "I'm Like A Bird." Actually, all the groups are pretty decent, but there's always one or two singers that wanna be the star. That's not good, dummies. They're seeing if you can sing as a group.

Finally, the judges put on some tunes and the auditioners bust a move. Most of the dancing is kind of sad. Some is good.

As the show winds up, the narrator tells us that the judges and the auditioners "Share the same dream, to make the best group possible." Gag.

The end!

Happy to report that this premiere didn't seem eight hours long, like last season's did. It was quick and snappy and kind of funny. I think I've been sucked in again.

Although the season premiere of "Popstars Boy Meets Girl" aired on Friday (March 1), the following episodes will be shown on Tuesdays, following "That 70s Show".

AllPop Reader auditions for "Boy Meets Girl"! Read the story.

"Popstars" wannabes line up again

By STEPHANIE McGRATH -- AllPop

TORONTO -- At 9:30 this morning, Tuesday Sept. 18, the line-up to the Richmond Street doors of the Paramount Theatre in Toronto snaked back towards Peter Street. The men and women in the line-up ranged in age from 18 to about 25, and all of them wanted to be famous -- or at least appear on TV for 30 seconds.

After today's initial auditions, there will be call-backs, and then the infamous "Popstars" boot camp, featured on last year's instalment of the series, which gave birth to the girl group Sugar Jones.

"Popstars Boy Meets Girl" on the way

From the 30 singers (15 girls, 15 guys) who make it to boot camp (an intensive singing & dancing audition), five will ultimately be chosen to form Canada's next pop group.

By 9:40 a.m., 20-year-old Nicole Sedore has already been in line for about three hours and expects to wait three or four more before she'll get her 30 seconds to impress the "Popstars" judges. She's prepared a chorus of Wave's "California" for today and is determined to get a call back.

"I was here last year," Nicole says. "They better take me this year. This year I'm prepared. I know what it's all about. When I looked at what I did last year I was like, 'Damn I waited in line for six and a half hours and that's what I performed in 30 seconds and no way, I'm not standing in line that long to give them that this year'."

Just ahead of Nicole is another group of "Popstars" wannabes who are taking the whole process much less seriously than she is.

Nathan Collins says he's auditioning for the "notoriety". He obviously thinks the whole situation is hilarious, while his friend Corey Knight has a slightly more sinister opinion of "Popstars".

"I think it's kind of like harvesting people," says Corey. "You kind of like, sort through them and pick the good ones and sell them to society."

But will Corey watch the show?

"Oh yeah, totally."

By 12:30 p.m., a spokesperson for Lone Eagle Entertainment, the company that produces "Popstars", estimates that 1500 people have made their way to the Toronto "Popstars Boy Meets Girl" auditions.

Inside the theatre, the wannabes are trotted out in front of the judges in groups of five. Each auditioner gets 30 seconds to sing the chorus of a pre-selected song. In today's case it's almost always Nelly Furtado's "I'm Like A Bird" or Wave's "California".

The judges -- Michael Geddes, president of Long Eagle, Jay "Mad Dog" Michaels of Kiss 92 FM fame, and Justin Gray, writer/producer/remixer who appeared on last season's "Popstars" as Sugar Jones' producer -- cut off most the hopefuls before their 30 seconds are even up.

"Okay, that's great, thanks," they say as they interrupt the latest rendition of "biiiiiiiiird".

"You may not know good immediately but you know bad immediately, and that's really what forces us to cut them off," says Gray. "It's not a personal thing."

After a hundred choruses of "I'll only fly away" or "Going to California" the auditions become a blur of nervous squeaking and Christina Aguilera-type vocal gymnastics. Sensing this, some of the girls and guys decide to wow the judges by throwing in extra notes or becoming extra perky. One girl, wearing an extremely revealing belly-top, runs up to the judges when it's her turn to sing and shakes each of their hands. "It's nice to meet you," she purrs. (Alas, no call-back for her).

Another girl tells them she'll be singing Britney Spears' "Sometimes". Her voice is thin and quiet but she's trying to disguise it with some complicated choreography, and accompanies her vocals with Britney's entire dance repertoire. No call-back for her, either.

"If anything, it puts me off," says Mad Dog about the showy choreography and phoney friendliness. "The big thing for me is I don't want to get to boot camp and have people watch the show and go, 'Oh well obviously they kept her because they felt bad'. You know what, this is big business."

"I'm kind of indifferent," says Gray. "The point of this first day is to sing."

Today's auditions are almost identical to last year's, and Geddes says he even recognizes some of the same auditioners who didn't make the cut last year. The main difference between this year's group of "Popstars" wannabes and last year's is the presence of male singers. Geddes hopes that a little testosterone will change the show's dynamic.

"[We've got] guys and girls coming into town for the boot camp, so there will be an element of sexual chemistry we'll explore," he says.

As the audition process goes on (and on), it's obvious that some of the participants really want this and are talented, while others simply are not. Lots of voices crack, lots of notes go out of tune, and lots of lyrics are forgotten. Geddes and his crew simply have no time for no talent.

"We've established what we do in the marketplace now," says Geddes. "It's the real deal and it is a real life dream come true, and a journey unfolds on TV, so we do set the bar high. Pretenders don't get to hang around too long."

Pretenders are easily spotted. When they open their mouths to croon, staff working the auditions communicate to each other from across the large theatre via their headsets, and there's a lot of muffled laughter.

At about 1:10 p.m. Nicole, who's been waiting for this moment since she let herself down at last year's auditions, is ready to perform. This is no pretender, she wants it. Badly.

But next to some of the auditioners whose tone was strong and pure, Nicole just doesn't cut it. No call-back for her, and the auditions continue.

* - "Popstars Boy Meets Girl" will air in March 2002. Geddes expects the first album recorded by the group chosen through these auditions and through the following boot camp to be released by Lone Eagle in June. Auditions have already been held in Calgary and Vancouver, and will end in Montreal on Sept. 20. More information at www.popstars.ca.