Who is Alexz Johnson and why was she trending on Twitter?

Alexz Johnson took Twitter's top searches by storm Tuesday after she shared a video of her playing her new single  "Thief" featuring Jimmy Robbins.

The pair played guitar together as Johnson sang in the black-and-white video uploaded to YouTube, giving 13-year-old Rebecca Black, that recent polarizing YouTube sensation, a run for her money.

Updated, 8:35 p.m.: Johnson's song "Time to Be Your 21" was featured on Monday's episode of ABC Family's "Pretty Little Liars," which also prompted the tweets. Thanks to Alexz's fans for the heads up via comments and tweets.

"Its insane... My music finally has a chance to be heard!!," she said when contacted by the Ministry.

Besides topping the Twitter searches, fans petitioned for the singer to get a verified account on the microblogging site.

"Alexz Johnson still trending!! Crazy!!!!!!," Johnson tweeted  earlier with a photo of the popular topics. 

The 24-year-old singer-actress garnered love from celebrity fans including Nelly Furtado and Demi Lovato, who tweeted props to the singer.

"Alexz Johnson is trending.. Pretty cool. She's the reason I picked up the guitar and started writing songs," the "Sonny with a Chance" star wrote.

"So excited! Just found out BRAND NEW #Alexz Johnson single, "LOOK AT THOSE EYES" comes out early-this tuesday on i-tunes! Don't sleep!" Furtado tweeted.

Johnson, who has appeared in "Final Destination 3" and "Smallville," is best known for her short stint on "Instant Star," a Canadian television show where she played an "American Idol"-like contest winner only to learn that fame came at an unsavory price.

Her newest album "Reloaded" will be available April 26.

Do you think Johnson's "Thief" is stealing Black's spotlight? Let us know in comments.

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-- Nardine Saad
twitter.com/NardineSaad

PREACH IT! Canada's 'Lake Shore' don't need no stinkin' Jersey — every other stereotype will do just fine

 

Poor, poor Canada. Being Canada, it has no New Jersey. And without a New Jersey, it cannot participate in groundbreaking sociological juggernauts like "Jersey Shore."

Canada does have coasts, however, and it has ethnic stereotypes, which when combined account for two-thirds of the formula that has made the MTV reality series such a success. So you can't blame the Canadians for announcing a brand-new show called "Lake Shore," in which an Albanian (who goes by the name Downtown D), an Italian, a Lebanese and a Czech walk into a bar, er, house. We'll let you decide whether that's a punchline. But it's certainly not a joke.

There's also a zaftig woman from Poland, a Vietnamese lady who appears to own no clothing other than bikinis, and people of Turkish and Jewish ancestry, if we're reading our disgusted dispatch from Gawker correctly. (There is also an official site, though it's occasionally crashing, possibly under the weight of all that class.)

Know who you won’t see on the Toronto-based show? Stereotypical beer-drinking, hockey-playing, toque-wearing Canadians.

One more data nugget of note: The Italian is a construction worker. At least he's not a plumber.

— Leslie Gornstein

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Evi Quaid is Canadian; Randy Quaid says he's being hunted by killer accountants, lawyers, estate planners

In case you were worried the whole Randy and Evi Quaid saga couldn't get any weirder, we're here to ease your fears.

Turns out Evi is Canadian.

What's not really any weirder than it has been, however, is Randy's reasoning to seeking asylum in his bride's new country, which he expressed again Thursday after a short hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board in Vancouver, B.C.

"I'm being embezzled by this monstrous ring of accountants, estate planners and lawyers who are mercilessly slandering me and trying to kill my career and, I believe, murder me in order to gain control of my royalties," Quaid said, the Vancouver Sun reports.

The Quaids were freed Wednesday in Vancouver, B.C., after the Canadian Border Services Agency got proof of her dad's place of birth and declared her a citizen.

During the Friday hearing in which they requested asylum, fearing their lives were in danger from "Hollywood star whackers," Evi Quaid repeatedly said her father was a Canadian FBI agent. Um, say what?