After two years of on-and-off
 dating and a rumored engagement, Katy Perry and John Mayer have reportedly split up.

Citing an unnamed source close to the couple, E! News reported that Perry broke up with guitarist/singer Mayer in the past few days.

At press time no other details were available about the break and spokespeople for Perry had not responded to requests for comment. E! noted that after months of being practically inseparable, Mayer was noticeably absent from Perry's side when she took a trip to London and Milan recently.

If the news is true, it comes after months of the couple speaking effusively about each other in the press, as well as their collaboration on the song and video for "Who You Love" from Mayer's Paradise Valley album.

True Love This Time?
In December, Perry gushed about Mayer in a Marie Claire cover story
, intimating that things had gotten very serious again.

"I took a break from my boyfriend, not one that I wanted. It was like a splash of cold water to search inward on what was going on with me," she said at the time. "That is what led me to this new awakening, this realizing, 'If I don't do some self-love, I'm not going to be able to keep the love that I want.'" In the piece, she called Mayer a "fantastic partner" and said she'd been a big fan of his for a long time. "He's got a brilliant, brilliant mind ... It's a rad, mature relationship."

Getting Intimate In Public
Earlier in the month, the duo ...

If you've seen the myriad commercials featuring host Ellen DeGeneres on ABC, you know that the Academy Awards are quickly approaching. In just a few days, Oscars will be handed out to the movies, actors, actress and behind-the-scenes people who did the best work of the year — in theory, at least.

But before the Academy names the winners, MTV News wants to know who you're rooting for on Sunday night. Take part in our Academy Awards poll below to see who is leading the fan vote heading into Oscar night.

Oscars 2014 Prediction: Best Picture

Oscars 2014 Prediction: Best Actor

Oscars 2014 Prediction: Best Actress

Oscars 2014 Prediction: Best Supporting Actor

Oscars 2014 Prediction: Best Supporting Actress

Oscars 2014 Prediction: Best Director

Oscars 2014 Prediction: Best Original Screenplay

Oscars 2014 Prediction: Best Adapted Screenplay

Oscars 2014 Prediction: Best Animated Feature Film

Which state is the craziest about Wiz Khalifa? What about Rick Ross? Would it surprise you if I told you that Sufjan Stevens is way big in Illnoise — I mean, Illinois?

Well, now all of this info is at the tips of your itchy fingers thanks to a fun little hack that shows which band or artist defines taste in each of the 50 states.

O Music Awards winner Paul Lamere, who works for music intelligence platform The Echo Nest, used the company's data to create a comprehensive map of musical popularity in the U.S.

The Echo Nest powers a ton of top music apps, Spotify included, so it has troves and troves of data dealing with listener activity. Lamere sampled a quarter of a million listeners with a zip code attached to their accounts to create the map, according to his blog.

Using this data, Lamere crowned Ciara the most popular artist in Nevada, Linkin Park tops in Arizona, Kurt Vile king of Oregon, Miguel the cream of North Carolina, etc.

It's important to note that this map doesn't show the most-listened-to artist in each state, instead, according to Lamere, he found the "top most distinctive popular artist for a state that hasn't already been selected for a more populous state."

Artists were chosen by comparing top acts between regions. You can check out more about Lamere's methodology on his blog.

Lamere also made a fun little tool that shows how listening habits vary between states. Did you know ...

Fans of Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez's "Sin City" have waited nearly a decade for the sequel that was discussed not long after the original opened in 2005 and went on to become a surprise hit. Now "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" is just a few months away, set for release on August 22.

At the time of the original's release, the director's uses of green screen and special effects were unparalleled, but times have certainly changed. Rodriguez stopped by MTV News this week to discuss his television network El Rey and what difference nine years make to the highly stylized world of "Sin City."

Though "Sin City" was considered revolutionary for how literally Rodriguez translated Miller's comic book frames to the big screen, the film still looked — the most part &38212; like a movie. Expect for a few specific shots that adopted the series' black-and-white silhouetting, "Sin City" was just another film in grayscale with the occasional pop of color.

But that's not the case of "A Dame to Kill For."

"We pushed it even more toward the look of the book because the movie was kind of halfway between the book and a movie. I didn't know how far to push it back then," Rodriguez said about the sequel's aesthetic. "I didn't think audiences would be able to get the stylization. Maybe it would be too weird and stylized, but they dug it. We could go further. They gave us permission to go more toward the book."

The time between movies also offered a chance for effects wizard ...

The hype around Lil Wayne's Tha Carter V is building, but it isn't just the fans who are excited. Record producers are busy working on new beats, hoping to land a track on Weezy's supposed retirement album.

DVLP has as good a chance as anyone to make Tha Carter V; he's placed tracks on every Carter LP since Wayne's 2005 Tha Carter II. Even though he has a number of songs already recorded with Wayne, he continues to work on fresh material for the star rapper to consider, just in case.

"There's probably 15 records that I've done with Wayne that no one's ever heard, so there are tons of records already in the stash, but I'm always looking for something new," DVLP told MTV News on Monday, knowing that no placement is guaranteed just yet.

When the beat maven first hooked up with Wayne, he (along with his one-time production partner Filthy) gave the Young Money boss "Fireman," the frantic lead single from Tha Carter II. For Tha Carter IV DVLP served up the kinetic and brash "Blunt Blowin." Now, with C5 the accomplished producer, who has logged worked with Eminem, Rick Ross, Cam'ron and Pitbull, is searching for a brand-new sound to deliver to Weezy.

"I think Wayne does have a sound, especially with Tha Carter [series]. They each have a specific sound and you have to kind of fit in with that, but, at the same time, you got to be creative and be different," he said. "Maybe bringing back dub-hall, reggae vibe — maybe."

Back in November 2012, Wayne told ...

The only thing Robert Knepper didn't have enough of while filming his guest turn as DC Comics villain Clock King on "

"I got back on a Thursday from hiking in Yosemite," Knepper told us when we talked on the phone in advance of the episode. "I had just finished a gig on 'Hawaii 5-0,' and then I get back the next day, and, 'You're getting on a plane, and we're filming all of your stuff on Saturday. Everything. The entire episode. Please get up here quickly, because we've got to figure out costume.' "

Knepper is no stranger to the breakneck pace of television. You may not necessarily know his name, but he's appeared in over 100 movies and TV shows in the past three decades, including regular stints on "Prison Break," "Heroes" and an upcoming gig as the mysterious Antonius in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1" and "Part 2."

But even for a seasoned professional, the pace of "Arrow" was a little bit insane. So crazy, he didn't even get to meet series star Stephen Amell.

"I never even got to see him!" Knepper said, laughing. "I was shooting the pilot for 'Cult' when they were shooting the pilot for 'Arrow,' and we still haven't met. I worked with Caity [Lotz] and Emily [Bett Rickards]. We did the final climactic moment with these two ladies, which was very welcoming. They knew my work from 'Prison Break,' and commiserated with me. 'Well, you've got a lot to do.' "

In fact, what made the ...