With just weeks before her heralded Las Vegas residency begins, Britney Spears made her official arrival at Planet Hollywood earlier this week. It wasn’t as extravagant as Shania Twain arriving on a horse, but there was plenty of fan fare. Lights, cameras, paparazzi, fans, you name it, it was there.

Naturally, the 32-year-old singer is in promotional overdrive to move ticket sales and also copies of her just-released album Britney Jean. She even hinted that she might retire after her two-year residency. Yeah, right. I smell that marketing ploy a mile away ;)

In other Brit-related news, she appears on InStyle magazine’s January cover looking quite lovely wearing a Dior couture gown. Photographer Michelangelo Di Battista snaps the singer for her most “candid interview ever.” Knowing how verbose Brit is, I wonder what classifies as “candid” for the publication. Right?

Spears also released a teaser for her latest single “Perfume.” It uses the official lyric video as the background with footage of the video itself incorporated in. Check it out below.

watch the teaser after the jump

It’s another double elimination on The X Factor. If the FOX show factored in iTunes sales like The Voice, Jeff Gutt, Restless Road and Alex & Sierra wouldn’t be in any danger of leaving. Gutt hit #5 on iTunes rock chart, Restless Road peaked at #2 on the country chart and Alex & Sierra topped iTunes main singles chart. Their “Say Something” cover even bested A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera’s original version.

Even more impressive is the fact all the downloads were live performances and not studio ones like The Voice releases. Sufficed to say, it’s the best showing for any performance ever on The X Factor. Could that be enough for FOX to renew the show? It certainly makes things more interesting.

In other non-eliminated happenings, Little Mix and Emblem3 engaged in a battle for X Factor supremacy. While the Emblem3 guys are decent eye candy, they were no match for the sassy quartet from the UK. From their vocals to their choreography, everything was tight. I absolutely love these girls. If you haven’t purchased their latest album, Salute, you should (UK release only). It’s EVERYTHING. They’re a modern day All Saints meets Destiny’s Child with a dash of En Vogue realness.

find out who was eliminated after the jump

When Glee paid tribute to Cory Monteith, many fans were surprised not everyone returned for the special episode. Most notably Dianna Agron (Quinn), since her character and Finn had such a complex history. Speculation began that there was beef between the actress and Lea Michele or Ryan Murphy. All parties involved denied it (naturally of course).

For the FOX show’s milestone 100th episode, Murphy sent out invites to the original cast. One by one, former regular cast members including Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Harry Shum Jr confirmed their participation. While it’s great to see them, today’s announcement is the most exciting. Both Heather Morris and Agron have been added to the returning alums. Morris was written off the show when she announced her pregnancy. In addition to all the above, one notable guest star is also joining the celebration. Find out who below.

find out who after the jump

The 81st annual lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree took place in Rockefeller Center last night. It was by far one of their most star-studded lineups yet. Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Goo Goo Dolls, Ariana Grande, Leona Lewis and Jewel all performed. Undoubtedly, no one does Yuletide tracks better than Mimi. Naturally, all the female singers brought their “A” game for the diva duel. Who came out on top? Watch some of the performances below and you decide.

Just in case you were wondering, this year’s Norway spruce came from Shelton, CT. It stands 76-foot tall and 47 feet in diameter and weighs approximately 12 tons. The tree is estimated to be about 75 years old. Reportedly, more than 45,000 energy-efficient multi-colored LED lights adorn the tree and features a 9 ½ foot wide LED-lit Swarovski crystal star on top.

watch some of the performances after the jump

TIME Magazine senior film critic Richard Corliss revealed his Top 10 Best Films of the year. There’s a mix of Oscar frontrunners, indie darlings and box office blockbusters. Not surprisingly, given all the recent critics love, both Her and American Hustle made the list. On the flip side, in somewhat of a shocking move, the latest Fast and Furious installment joins the elite group. Could this simply be a sentimental choice due to Paul Walker’s untimely death? Check out the entire list below, along with Corliss’ Top 10 worst picks. I definitely agree with his top stink bomb of the year.

check out the list after the jump

“Not everyone has a happy ending,” says Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper). No truer words have been said. The first official trailer highlights all the adversaries Spider-Man faces in the highly-anticipated sequel. It’s all about the villains. Making sure Peter Parker doesn’t get his happily ever after are Rhino (Paul Giamatti), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and Harry Osborn aka Hobgoblin (Dane DeHaan).

It’s an interesting move to have Spider-Man battle three foes in the film. One of the biggest complaints of the final film in the Sam Raimi trilogy was that Spider-Man had to budget his time battling Sandman, Venom and Franco’s pumpkin bomb throwing bad guy. Who says superheroes can’t multi-task ;)

If you’re wondering if there will be any other villains for Spidey to battle in future installments, pay close attention to the trailer. Doctor Octopus’ mechanical arms and the Vulture’s wings briefly appear. Perhaps it’s a hint. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hits theaters May 2, 2014. Check out the trailer below.

watch the trailer after the jump

Want a Christmas sack full of Björn Borg underwear? Simple. Just haul your butt to either of their store in Stockholm or Amsterdam and strut your stuff in front of their fitting rooms equipped with installed cameras. Then keep your fingers crossed you made a big enough impression that your animated GIF garners plenty of online votes.

I guess it’s not that simple after all. Depending on where you live, it’s probably more economical to purchase your own Björn Borg underwear instead of shelling out the airfare. I perused their website to check out some of the submissions, but sadly no one is as adorable as the model featured in their video promoting their “Peep On You” campaign. Check it out below.

watch the clip after the jump

Christmas came early for Tamar Braxton’s fans. The 36-year-old singer released not one, but two brand new music videos. One from her Love and War album and the other lifted off her holiday album, Winter Loversland.

First, we have the long-awaited visual for “All The Way Home.” The R&B slow jam in one of my favorite cuts off Love and War. In the four-minute long clip, Toni’s little sister wears sexy clothing as she shows off come hither moves to the camera. It’s a simple clip, but an effective accompanying visual. Braxton’s real-life husband, Vincent Herbert, plays her lover in the vid.

While she gets the man in the end in “All The Way Home,” she’s all alone on “She Can Have You.” It’s definitely not your typical festive track, but I appreciate her going against the grain. Not everyone is all joyous this time of year. Tamar sits by a fireplace alone, singing her blues away after an emotional breakup. Check out both clips below.

watch both videos after the jump