It was clear from his on-screen reaction last week that Ryan Seacrest was a bit stunned when his big dawg, Randy Jackson announced that he was leaving
 after Thursday night's season 12 finale.

"It's bittersweet, because I love the guy," Seacrest said of last week's surprise announcement, which even appeared to catch him off-guard. "I want him to go do what he wants to do. I love him and I can't imagine walking out, going down those stairs and not seeing Randolph Jackson sitting behind the panel. [I'm] proud of what he's brought to our show for 12 years now."

"Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to rest, after 12 years of judging on 'American Idol' I have decided it is time to leave after this season," Jackson said in last week's statement about his decision. "I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It's been a life-changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company Dream Merchant 21 and other business ventures."

The host with the most is keeping his chin up, though, and Seacrest is focusing on Thursday's finale, which will crown either Candice Glover or Kree Harrison the first female "Idol" in six seasons.

When MTV News spoke to Seacrest he hadn't yet screened this years winner's songs, but was expecting to hear them before Wednesday night's (May 15) final performance show. "They've got a lot to live up to after last year's big smash with Phillip [Phillips' 'Home']," he said. "I know both those girls ...

The lineup for the 10th anniversary edition of the Rock the Bells festival is already packed with a huge roster of stars, including Wu-Tang Clan, Kid Cudi, Common, Tyler, the Creator and Rakim.

But it's the special guests among the mix of iconic and newer rap acts that promoters announced on Tuesday that really blew minds. Holograms of late Wu-Tang MC Ol' Dirty Bastard and late N.W.A. member Eazy-E will virtually appear on the stage.

According to Allhiphop, Eazy will perform alongside protégés Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, while ODB will join the reunited
 Clan for the first time since his death nearly a decade ago. It will be the Rock the Bells debut for Eazy, who died in 1995, and only the second time ODB will perform at the festival.

The holograms were reportedly approved by Eazy's wife, Tomica Wright and ODB's mother, Cherry Jones and they come two years after the idea of holographic performances by dead rappers became a possibility thanks to Tupac Shakur's virtual resurrection at Coachella last year.


The rest of the lineup for the show includes: Big Krit, Black Hippy, Bodega Bamz, Brother Ali, Chase and Status, Curren$y, Danny Brown, Dilated Peoples, Dizzy Wright, Dom Kenney, E-40 and Too Short, Earl Sweatshirt, Flatbush Zombies, Hit-Boy, Hopsin, Immortal Technique, Jhene Aiko, Juicy J, Jurassic 5, Lecrae, Mimosa, Prof, Show Tha Product, Supernatural, Talib Kweli and Tech N9ne.

The shows will take place at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California, on September 7-8, Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, on September 14-15, ...

It takes more than some dehydration and exhaustion to keep Beyoncé down. A day after postponing a show
 in Antwerp, Belgium, on doctor's orders, the singer posted a heartfelt note to fans apologizing for what she claimed was her first missed gig ever.

"To my dearest fans in Antwerp," read the handwritten letter posted on her Facebook page. "I've never postponed a show in my life. It was very hard for me. I promise I will make it up very soon. I'm sorry if I disappointed you. Thank you for your concern. I'm feeling much better now and I'm ready to give you a great show."

Though her spokesperson said on Monday that it remained to be seen if Bey would be able to recover in time for the second Antwerp show, the singer signed off by saying, "see you tonight."

The tour kicked off in Serbia on April 15 and is scheduled to continue through an August 5 date at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. She has played 20 dates so far and has 11 European shows left after the Antwerp gigs before the production kicks into gear again with a June 28 date at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The postponement comes just one day after the latest rumors popped up that Bey, 31, might be pregnant with her second child with husband Jay-Z.

A spokesperson for the singer did not return requests for comment on the postponement or the pregnancy rumors.

Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt has worked on all the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" movies, not to mention "Lincoln," "Wall-E," "E.T.," "Willow" and many more. And although he was a passionate fan of the original "Star Trek" series, Burtt had never ventured professionally into the "Trek" universe — until J.J. Abrams came calling.

"When it came to 2009 and the J.J. reboot, it was just an interesting coincidence of events," Burtt told MTV News. "They had actually gone through post-production on the film and had a mix of the movie, but something about it they weren't happy with. And they found out I was in town — I was working on something with 'Wall-E,' I guess — and they asked if I'd come over and just watch it, listen to it and give them some suggestions."

Burtt screened the film and immediately offered Abrams his expert opinions. "I wrote it all up in a little report and said, 'Here's what I think. Here's what I think is right, and here's what I think is not so good, and here's what I would propose to fix it,' that kind of thing."

Burtt gradually became more involved in the project until he was fully immersed in making and remaking sounds for "Star Trek." "I wanted to tread carefully, not come in and be a bad guy and just toss things out and be arrogant about it," Burtt said. "But fortunately the crew that had worked on it, they couldn't have been more gallant about it and let me take over, and with their help, ...

Not that she was flying under the radar before, but Ariana Grande gained a whole new set of fans when she dropped her single earlier this spring. In addition to pleasing the ears of R&B fans of all ages, she caught the eye of Mac Miller, who appears on the breezy tune.

And, as it turns out, the former "Victorious" star couldn't have imagined that the summer-ready single would have ever taken off the way it has.

"Very [surprised]! My fan base is so amazing and so dedicated and so supportive, I was expecting it to do well, but not like that," she told MTV News. "My label was happy when it broke Top 50 on iTunes and then all of sudden it was #1 for like days. And it's still chilling in the top 20. It hasn't moved. It's just unbelievable. I'm so grateful."

She continued that if you are reminded of classic Mariah Carey jams from back in the day, that wouldn't be too off the mark for what she was going for when she hit the studio. "You know I love just like old R&B. I love the '90s, that whole vibe. I love Mariah Carey, of course, she's the goddess of all vocals," she said. "But, yeah, I just wanted to do something old school and soulful and something that I like to sing. And that's what I really clicked with."

So, is she excited that she may have released the song of the summer? The short answer: yes, yes and ...

On Tuesday (May 14), ABC premiered a three-minute teaser trailer for "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Marvel Entertainment's new television series created by "Marvel's the Avengers" writer-director Joss Whedon. Filled with comic mythology detail and the filmmaker's characteristic humor, the clip introduced the premise of the show and offered fans a glimpse at what they will experience when the show debuts in the fall.

The clip begins as Agent Ward (Brett Dalton) arrives at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, where he's surprised to discover that Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), who everyone believed was killed during "Avengers," is very much alive. Coulson, the cucumber-cool S.H.I.E.L.D. lifer, explains that the organization essentially tracks and assists with superhero and superhero-related events around the world — or some of them, anyway.

"We work the cases that S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't classified," Coulson says. "The strange, the unknown; it's not just spy versus spy any more. The whole world's in on the action."

Meanwhile, a young woman named Skye (Chloe Bennett) reaches out to a man (J. August Richards) to tell him to keep away from the organization, which she brands as "scary government people." But rallying conspiracy theorists, Coulson and his crew locate her operation in the back of a van.

Check Out New 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' Photos Here!

"We will rise against those who would shield us from the truth," she says, "and nothing can stop us." It's at that moment that Coulson opens the door, and after getting shrouded by one of his fellow agents, she soon finds herself in custody at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

Coulson reassures Skye that S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't merely a black-ops organization intent ...