Rihanna performed a cover of Madonna's "Vogue" at Fashion Rocks, which aired last night. Yay or nay? I'm aware that Rihanna's success mystifies some of you…

After the jump, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake cover "Ain't Nothin' Like The Real Thing," and Beyonce salutes Etta James.

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JANET JACKSON TO STAR IN THE SAME COMPETITION SHOW YOU'VE SEEN A MILLION TIMES Janet Jackson and MTV have inked a deal to film a reality show in which Janet Jackson searches for the next her, the next Justin Timberlake (!), or the next Usher. The show might (meaning that it most certainly will) have something to do with her upcoming tour. [Variety]

Gnarls Barkley, the eclectic collaborative effort of vocalist Cee-Lo Green and DJ Danger Mouse, today releases its second album, The Odd Couple. The first single, "Run," is above. Aside from the Justin Timberlake cameo, we can't see anything too wrong with it. Anyone heard the whole album? If so, how is it?

Jermaine Dupri couldn't resist a negative mention of his woman's rumored former lover and unindicted Nipplegate co-conspirator, Justin Timberlake, in his new book, Young, Rich and Dangerous.

"I think Justin Timberlake is a talented performer. But he's very ordinary-looking. He could be any skinny white kid from the suburbs of Orlando. You could go to the mall and find another Justin. He doesn't make his style interesting even when he's onstage. To me, he just doesn't look like a star." Timberlake's rep declined comment.

Wow, well, millions and millions of people across the globe would probably beg to disagree. But I get it! The protective vibe. Cute.

[PS]

The American Music Award nominations are out, and Beyonce and Justin lead the group with 3 nominations each (so do Daughtry and Linkin Park, but that's beside the point). Not as entertaining as the VMAs (minus this awful year, of course) and the BET Awards, but not as stuffy and out of touch as the Grammys, the AMAs will probably get DVR'd, at least. Check out the full list of nominations after the jump.

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I feel kind of like Justin Timberlake and Beyonce did this just for me. I'd like to use Stereohyped to thank them for getting together for the remix of Justin's "Until the End of Time."

Thanks again, guys. It means a lot. Call me later, maybe we can hang out.

[PH]

Upon the completion of last night's disaster of an award show, my first thought was that it's going to be uglier than Britney's extensions at the MTV offices today. I foresee heads rolling. My second thought was that I needed to rewatch Britney Spear's performance, but I realized I couldn't. It was that bad, for those of you lucky enough to miss it. The woman who used to bring the house down couldn't even lip-sync properly, had serious trouble standing still, let alone dancing, and pretty much put on the most listless, embarrassing, shoddy performance in VMA history. I'm sure there was some sort of sedative and/or alcohol involved. Anyway, it's rough watching a career terminate before your very eyes. Don't think I can do it again any time soon.

And the new format, with the main stage and all the little parties in other rooms, was confusing and annoying, even though it allowed for more performances. The whole thing was sloppy and unorganized. My highlights and lowlights, plus pics galore after the jump.

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• Professor Ludacris doesn't really have a nice ring to it. [BV]

• Oh, virginity vows. They're so easy to maintain until you start dating Justin Timberlake. And then it's all downhill from there.[SP]

• Chris Brown, next time just say, "No comment." You'll sound more mysterious and less inarticulate. [Bossip]

• Is a non-feminist the same as a racist? And should we be taking feminism (or racism) lessons from a Playboy executive? [Racialicious]

• Totally off topic, but it got me through the day. [SH]

• Bow Wow and Omarion dismiss relationship rumors about Angela Simmons and Rihanna. They're focusing on their own close relationship these days. [MTV]

• Does Luda improves 50 Cent's "I Get Money?" [SOHH]

• OJ Simpson's book might hit the shelves soon, but Barnes & Noble wants nothing to do with it. [SP]

• This is what Major League Baseball will look like in 20 years. [SH]

• Kanye West thinks Justin Timberlake is his biggest inspiration and competition. You and K-Fed both, Kanye. [SP]

The nominees are out for this years VMAs, which MTV is relocating to Las Vegas next month to switch things up, and it should come as no surprise that Justin Timberlake and Beyonce lead the nominees with 7 each. Kanye is close behind with five (please vote for him to avoid any on-air tantrums), and Amy Winehouse has three.

There are also some new, extraneous categories like "Most Earthshattering Collaboration," which I can tell is an extreme overstatement without even looking at the nominees.

Check the full list of noms after the jump.

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From what I can gather, all they did to make this new video for 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake's "She Wants It" is take the video for "Sexy Back" and add 50 into the mix. And, unfortunately, it's not a good look. Does it matter, considering JT is lending his considerable crossover appeal to the pretty bland song and very trite video? Probably not.

[SR]

Only Fox News and Rush Limbaugh could turn calling someone black and/or a woman into a calculated political insult. [HP]

The N-word dies again, this time in Philly. [PN]

In Los Angeles, institutionalized racism, 1. Black firefighters, 0. [LDN]

Should we look at blue-eyed soul artists in an imitation-is-the-best-form-of-flattery way? Or is their success something more sinister? I don't know, but whatever Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake, and Amy Winehouse are doing, they're doing it right. [BAW]

It's easier to call black and Hispanic congressmen stupid and incompetent than to give them proper respect. [Time]

Justin Timberlake recently told UK Cosmopolitan about a traumatizing event in childhood. The Memphis, Tenn., native said he was given a black eye and a few broken ribs by peers who didn't like him because he was white. While the thought of a miniature JT getting beaten up kind of breaks my heart, a quick look at the video above tells me that being white couldn't have been the only reason the kid was jumped. Why don't parents understand the ridicule they're setting their kids up for? In this case, his mom was also setting her son up for superstardom and millionaire status, so it all evened out.

[SP]

The vast majority of the pictures from the Tao Beach Grand Opening festivities in Vegas over the weekend are pretty ridiculous, and the one above says it all. It screams we're-rich-and-powerful-and-drunk-and-our-girlfriends-aren't-here, doesn't it? I couldn't justify giving the photo of the two of them holding stacks of cash (I'm serious) the place of prominence in the post, but check it and others from the weekend out after the jump.

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Looking at the Billboard's top 10 this week, I'm reminded that we're living in a country that popularly elected George W. Bush (the second time, at least).

Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood are all crowding the top 10 with their American Idol resumes southern twangs. In other words, not too many brown faces on the Billboards this week, guys! Could it be that the perceived backlash against hip hop that we've been dealing with since the Don Imus scandal broke is, gulp, real? Actually, if that were the case, Akon would not still be secure at #6 in his 23rd week on the charts when all of Trinidad wants his head on a platter. Still, I wonder.

And then there's Timbaland's Shock Value at #10. When the hip hop haters get a load of this, Tim's ass will be grass. Once that happens, expect Justin Timberlake to gingerly remove himself from the situation and come away unscathed, wardrobe malfunction-style.
[Billboard]