Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj took a break from her usual fashion escapades to make another kind of sartorial statement in her latest music video (warning: explicit lyrics) for the single "Freedom" off her album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up. " In the video Minaj wears a crown of thorns and a long black dress, making a comparison to Jesus Christ. [ MTV ] Leslie Mann, wife of funnyman screenwriter Judd Apatow wears Gucci on the December cover of Marie Claire. Mann broke her toe on the shoot after attempting to jump for the photographer to get her dress to billow.

A lot has happened in the seven months since Nicki Minaj issued her sophomore effort, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.” The pop-rap minx has gone on her first headlining tour, issued a perfume (a clothing line is also in the works) and joined the judges' panel on “American Idol.” As her profile continues to rise, Minaj has also seen her artistry scrutinized. Her sophomore effort fueled contention among critics and rap purists, many of whom felt the platinum-selling femcee had turned her back on hip-hop in search of pop success.

There are, of course, many reasons to be saddened by reports of the apparent breakup of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, which hit the Internet over the weekend. We here at Pop & Hiss were most bummed to consider that Nicki Minaj may never get the chance to again rhyme "wiener" with "Selena," as she does in her guest verse on Bieber's current single,  " Beauty and a Beat . " Gone too soon, people -- gone too soon. Yet while we were crying into our Belie-beers, the teen idol himself was busy sending cryptic messages about the breakup from the stage of Boston's TD Garden.

As word spreads about friction between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj on the set of "American Idol," we at Pop & Hiss find ourselves wondering what ever happened to Kara DioGuardi, the singer and pop songwriter who occupied a judge's seat in 2009 and 2010. (We're not alone, either: Music-industry gadfly Bob Lefsetz recently included DioGuardi alongside Macaulay Culkin and Jimmy Ray in a missive titled "Where Are They Now?") On Thursday morning, our in box provided the answer: DioGuardi -- who prior to "Idol" penned big singles for Ashlee Simpson and Christina Aguilera , among many others -- has joined the academy, teaching a class at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Fame is a funny thing, especially when it comes to someone with such obvious talent as Nicki Minaj, whose stardom seemed assured from the start. It was only a few years ago that the superstar rapper earned her ubiquity with a string of explosive, immediately identifiable cameos.  With a whip-smart wit, fantastic verbal skills and a fluid, inventive flow, Minaj was -- and remains -- a game-changing talent in a very competitive field. She reminded women that rapping offers expressive and financial freedom, and she made talented rappers from the opposite sex sound like amateurs alongside her crazy, roller coaster rhymes and delivery.

Fans of Vicente Fernández had reason for concern when the ailing Mexican pop idol canceled the remainder of his current "Gira de Adios" (Goodbye Tour) of North America, including dates in L.A. at the Gibson Amphitheatre on Nov. 9, 10 and 11 and at Staples Center on Nov. 29. The 71-year-old singer announced he would need to have surgery to remove a growth on his liver. Fernández's followers can perhaps breathe easier now. Mexican newspapers are reporting that the singer's pop-star progeny, Alejandro Fernández, says his father is "free of cancer" after receiving the results of a medical procedure performed some days ago. However, Alejandro Fernández cautioned that his father would need to be tested again to confirm the results while continuing to recuperate.

Expect some high-flying acrobatics at the American Music Awards next month now that Pink is added to the slate of performers. The awards show fixture is among the latest additions to the 40 th anniversary ceremony, which airs live from the Nokia Theatre on Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. Pink, who topped the charts with her recent disc “The Truth About Love,” likely will find a way to soar over the crowd at Nokia Theatre. It's become her thing (see her memorable 2010 Grammy showing or her recent aerial assault at the Video Music Awards in September)

This post has been updated. See below for details. It's a shame that Buffalo probably won't make the Super Bowl this year, because its halftime show performer could potentially sing about " Bills , Bills, Bills. " Beyonce reportedly has been tapped to perform at the 2013 game on Feb. 3 in New Orleans, according to AP reports from an unnamed source close to organizers. It will be the 31-year-old's second time performing at the game, after singing the national anthem at the 2004 Super Bowl in her hometown of Houston.

A source familiar with this season's Super Bowl told the Associated Press that Beyonce will be the performer at the halftime show on Feb. 3, 2013, at the Superdome in New Orleans. The official announcement is expected Wednesday. Beyonce has won 16 Grammy Awards and sang the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004. Madonna performed at halftime of last season's Super Bowl in February with guests CeeLo Green, Nicki Minaj, LMFAO and M.I.A. Her performance was seen by 114 million people, a higher average than the game itself, which was seen by an estimated 111.3 million people, according to the Nielsen Co. The Black Eyed Peas performed at the 2011 Super Bowl, with The Who singing in 2010.

With the second presidential debate looming, President Obama took some time out to weigh in on a pop-culture debate: The alleged feud between "American Idol" judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. In a get-out-the-vote call to Miami DJ Michael Yo's " The Yo! Show " on Friday, Obama was confronted with "the elephant in the room. " Can he bring the ladies back together? (Carey and Minaj, of course, got into it during "Idol" auditions in Charlotte, N.C., early this month and may not yet be over it.)